WK 17 - She & Him - Volume Two (7)

Released - 3/23/10
Label - Merge Records

BLURB - I thought the one girl from this band looked familiar. Turns out it's Zooey Deschanel (from the film 'Almost Famous,' where she played William's older sister). If I recall correctly she was pushing Led Zeppelin and The Who on her younger brother, was a druggy and ran away from home. She was also a supporting actor in 'Elf' with Will Ferrell. Now she's a singer-songwriter...who knew? She's actually not half bad as this is now her second major release with She & Him and she is receiving a fair amount of accolade. "Volume Two" fuses both acoustic folk and pop with shades of Detroit-Motown in a way that is unpretentious and extremely accessible. There's no doubt the freshmen girls at NYU are loving this album, even if they won't admit it.

Rating - 7 out of 10

FULL STORY - Rounding out the "Him" side of She & Him is M. Ward - a guy I've never really listened to, but was constantly being told to listen to. So everyone can stop telling me that now. Musically, the album is very breezy and has laid back summer feel to it. I could sip lemonade to this. Lyrically, it's a bit hard to relate to. Case and point - the opener 'Thieves.' This track gently flows through the air with light acoustic guitars and Deschanel crooning in and out of melodies. The song gets periodic boosts from xylophones and big string sections, often highlighting the choruses and other portions of the track. This is most noticeable as the song draws to an end and the strings really take over providing for a powerful ending. However, I can't really throw myself into the song as the ending lyrics are:

"No that won't stop me crying over you. No that won't stop me crying over you. No that won't stop me crying over you."

Tough for a 24 year old guy whose favorite bands include Lotus and STS9, to get into. I'd love if the song featured something more uplifting or positive, or maybe some kind of story. Anything but a girl that may or may not be crying over you.

The second track 'In the Sun' is another pop number that once again brings in a fair amount of strings and features a piano for the main riff. Unlike 'Thieves,' the lyrics are much more universal and focus on getting through the typical rigors and letdowns of life. Providing some depth and momentum to the track are a couple of uptempo guitar solos that slightly push 'In the Sun' into the blues and rock realm. Slightly.

'Don't Look Back' delves off into some Motown character with an incredibly catchy chorus that is filled with complimenting background vocals. Deschanel has a somewhat limited vocal range, but the addition of the backing vocals and string sections transform her voice into an intoxicating display of notes...

Side note: I have a theory that no girls in indie bands actually have good voices. Here's my actual theory. Girls that sing in indie bands, sing in indie bands, because they want to be seen as singing in indie bands. They're really into underground music and the arts scene and are too cool for most - they have the desire to sing but lack the chops. If they could actually sing with the best of 'em, some label would have already swooped in and signed them to some ridiculous recording contract. This is my main beef another indie-pop band, Twin Sister. They are a great indie band, but they have a girl singer, in my opinion, just because she's a girl and she convinced them to let her join the band. I've voiced my thoughts on this before (5/18 @ 11:49am).

Quite the sidebar. But do people see my point? Deschanel is not bad by any stretch of the word, but her range does limit her a bit.

Back to the review. 'Over It Over Again' is a very blues-pop, piano heavy track that may serve as the highlight of the album. Everything is clicking here. There's a little Motown, a little pop, a little rock, a little blues, a little folk...pretty much every genre short of techno. The hooks are all well constructed and get stuck in your head, and all the while you're not even noticing the background harmonies and guitar riffs.

The rest of record follows suit with strokes of folk and pop surfacing up around every corner. It's calming and relaxing, fun at certain points and introspective at others. This album is probably better than I would give it credit for, but it's just not my cup of tea. If I was a 20 year old girl about to go study in the library at Pratt or NYU, I'd be queuing "Volume Two" up on the old iPod. But I'm not...sorry.

Tracks
1.) Thieves
2.) In the Sun
3.) Don't Look Back
4.) Ridin' In My Car
5.) Lingering Still
6.) Me and You
7.) Gonna Get Along Without You Now
8.) Home
9.) I'm Gonna Make It Better
10.) Sing
11.) Over It Over Again
12.) Brand New Shoes
13.) If You Can't Sleep

WK16 - Caribou - Swim (6.5)

Released - 4/20/10
Label - Merge Records

BLURB - Everyone is digging this new album from indie-electronic outfit Caribou. Pitchfork has named it 'best new music,' their most recent show at Music Hall of Williamsburg sold out quicker than expected and even Passion Pit was blasting "Swim" as their pre-concert house music before they took the stage at their secret show at Classic Car Club (which yours truly attended). But I don't know if I'm really buying it. The album itself teeters back and forth between dark and bright atmospheres of electronica that, while enjoyable, tend to become a bit redundant at points. For every cool house track that combines a million different effects and cool percussion, there is a track that needs to be skipped over because it's so boring. "Swim" is a pretty good album, but let's not get carried away.

Rating - 6.5 out of 10

FULL STORY - Being at the Caribou show at MHoW really justified my take on this album. There were portions of the concert that were almost euphoric, in that everyone (and I mean everyone) was dancing with a beer in their hand and going nuts. There were also other portions where everyone was just kind of standing around looking at their cell phones and thinking about maybe going to grab another drink from the bar. This is "Swim." Highlighted by moments of intense and experimental electronic pop, yet detracted by a bit too much experimentation and pointless dabbling - perhaps Caribou was their own worst enemy?

So 'Odessa' is one of those 'everybody is dancing' songs that I referenced above. It's simple, it's to the point and has that certain 'it' factor to it. It's equal parts dark and gloomy, but balanced out beautifully by clean guitars, bells and an uptempo drum pattern. The gloominess comes from a sample of something...I don't know what. It kind of sounds like the shriek of a girl being stabbed in the stomach, or an indian yelling, or maybe screeching brakes on a car - I'm not sure. Whatever noise it is, it works very well with the track as it adds a certain 'eery' tone to a track that is pretty poppy and upbeat. But don't let all these terrible descriptions of mine fool you. 'Odessa' is a great party song that you wouldn't mind hearing at a club or your friend's house party.

'Kaili' is another upbeat track that has an industrial feel to it. The song itself is very minimal and mainly consists of drums and a few synthesizers. As it keeps progressing, more and more noise and haze slowly begin to filter in, and by the 3:00 minute mark the track is hitting on all cylinders. Yet again, the overall tone of this track is fairly dark and a sense of unrest and tension can be felt throughout the song, keeping the listener addicted and wondering if maybe a homicide or double-murder spawned the concept for this track.

I'll be honest here, I like the song 'Leave House' because it reminds me of the song 'Leaf House' by Animal Collective. I've already found myself inserting 'Leaf House' lyrics into the Caribou track and getting mad when I realized I wasn't listening to Avey Tare and company. But I'm an idiot and most people won't do this. At any rate - this song is actually pretty amazing. Likely the most danceable track, Caribou constantly alters the instrumentation and atmosphere without the song suffering or becoming unglued. Some sections are filled with haze and noise, while others are extremely clean and punctuated with jabs of keyboards and synthesizers.

'Hannibal' is probably the last of the 'good' tracks on "Swim". Here is another minimal groove that slowly builds upon itself in a way that feels natural and organic. What's great is that for the first couple of minutes there really isn't any percussion, which I didn't even realize until I listened to the track a couple of times. Metallic synths provide a simple background that draws you in and lulls you to sleep a little bit - but drums, bass and even more synth slowly work themselves in and you're find yourself being glad you didn't doze off.

Unfortunately, you'll doze off for the rest of the album. Aside from the tracks above, "Swim" is really an uninteresting collection of weird indie-electronica songs that don't really accomplish anything or go anywhere. I find myself constantly trying to get into this record and being unable to do so. Don't be fooled, there are some great songs on the album, but they are surrounded by mediocre filler that even a sold out crowd can't get into. Maybe it's the soft spoken vocal style, or just the monotony that tends to surface in most electronic music - I don't know. Whatever it is, it's a downer, because this album could be great.

Tracks
1.) Odessa
2.) Sun
3.) Kaili
4.) Found Out
5.) Bowls
6.) Leave House
7.) Hannibal
8.) Lalibela
9.) Jamelia

WK15 - MGMT - Congratulations (8.5)

Released - 4/13/10

Label - Sony Music Entertainment

BLURB - Along with Vampire Weekend's "Contra," MGMT's "Congratulations" was one of 2010's most anticipated releases. Whereas Vampire Weekend refined their sound from the band's hugely successful debut album into an even more quirky, yet commercially acceptable afro-pop sound, nobody really knew what direction "Congratulations" would take MGMT. Their first record, which was critically acclaimed, delved into alternative folk rock and experimental pop. On "Congratulations" the band seems to have come full circle, creating an album that will undoubtedly be listened to ten years from now. But unlike their debut, MGMT's second record is a progressive enigma that will require some time and patience for it's true genius to be appreciated.

Rating - 8.5 out of 10

FULL STORY - "It's Working" starts off with a quick surf-rock hook that briefly makes you think, oh great MGMT has gone SoCal on us. But as you stay with the tune you kind of have to slap yourself for thinking that. "It's Working" introduces the listeners to the new MGMT and more importantly the concept behind the album. The concept being this rightfully selfish idea that MGMT wanted to create the best record MGMT could create. It would be big, it would be progressive, and record labels would hate it. But more importantly...it would be MGMT. Everything from the instrumentation to the vocals to the production on the album, has a very over-the-top feel. It's somewhat hard to explain, but on "It's Working" the tones feel brighter, the instruments seem tighter - a great way to introduce the album that everyone's been waiting for. The great thing about "It's Working" is that the song is constantly changing, making it impossible to stop listening to. No two verses are the same as MGMT cleverly varies the arrangements, pace and style of each. Additionally as the song is ending, the chorus modulates to several different keys, creating new shades and colors that are constantly enhancing and augmenting it's feel.

The third track on the album feels like something out of a broadway musical. "Someone's Missing" draws the listener in with it's gentile guitars and eloquent vocals. Within a minute or so, MGMT slowly starts building up and readying for the refrain - creating anticipation and excitement as they go. As "It feels like someone's missing..." rings out, you instantly want to stand up and sing along. There is a unifying yet psychedelic quality to this song that reminds me of something that would have come out of Haight-Ashbury back in the day. Maybe it's just the ironic nature of this incredibly feel-good and uplifting track that ponders the idea of someone that may or may not be missing. Whatever it is, it works. Also, that funky descending bass line doesn't hurt.

The so-called single of the album, if you can call it that, is "Flash Delirium" and it is no "Electric Feel." The only way I can describe "Flash Delirium" is weird. When I first heard it I was like, "What the fuck is this?" As an admitted fan of MGMT's past hits, this new single came out of left field and blindsided me. The song itself is fairly eery and wanders around for a while just looking for a place to set up shop. This place comes at about two minutes into the song when we're met with a flute solo and a slowed down bridge that pushes us to the edge of our seat, wondering just where the hell this song is going to go next. After one last obligatory chorus, the music briefly cuts out leaving a chorus of vocals - leading directly into an amazing production that serves as the outro. You can call it the 'wall of sound' effect or whatever you want, but MGMT once again fuses everything they possibly can into this portion of the song and it pays off. Among other instruments, the organs really stand out and add character and depth to this not so normal single. The other great aspect of the song is the lyrics, and their general wackiness:

"The hot dog's getting cold and you'll never be as good as the Rolling Stones. Watching the birds in the airport gathering dirt, crowd the clean magazine chick lifting up her skirt."

MGMT begins getting their Pink Floyd and Beatles comparisons on their epic "Siberian Breaks," which clocks in at 12:10. After starting out with solely acoustic instruments, the group slowly begins incorporating a middle eastern flair, creating a nice wrinkle in the music that we've heard in Congratulations, up to this point. After a very full and bright chorus, MGMT switches the tempo up, simultaneously switching their vocals to that of spoken word. This spoken word section is accompanied by numerous, well-crafted instrumentals transforming the song in to this strange, musical fairy tale-esque atmosphere. After weaving their way in and out of this atmosphere, the track begins to reclaim shape around the seven minute mark. From there we begin to feel like this journey is coming to it's terminal, but no - we're presented with an outro that sounds like something straight off of "Toeachizown." Brilliant.

Rounding out the album is perhaps the only song that synchs up with that initial surf-rock lead-in we heard on "It's Working" with "Brian Eno." Easily the fastest and most frenetic track on the album, "Brian Eno" provides that perfect shot of energy you need after listening to "Siberian Breaks."

The eighth track on the album offers up a complete instrumental and a masterfully crafted dark soundscape, aptly titled "Lady Dada's Nightmare." I have no idea who Lady Dada is, but I'd imagine if she ever had a nightmare - this is exactly what it would sound like.

While I can do without "I Found a Whistle" and title track "Congratulations," the album as a whole is exceptionally well done and unlike anything I've heard the past 5-10 years. For that reason alone I feel like this album will still hold weight and credibility for the next 5-10 years, and likely even longer that. If you're were looking to get another album of "Electric Feel" and "Kids," you're terribly mistaken. Listening to "Congratulations" makes "Oracular Spectacular" feel uninspired and predictable. Now that's saying something.

Tracks

1.) It's Working

2.) Song for Dan Treacy

3.) Someone's Missing

4.) Flash Delirium

5.) I Found a Whistle

6.) Siberian Breaks

7.) Brian Eno

8.) Lady Dada's Nightmare

9.) Congratulations

WK14 - Pantha du Prince - Black Noise (6.5)

Released - 2/9/10
Label - Rough Trade

BLURB - Enter Hendrik Weber from Germany. Once again I heard about this guy through a friend at work (I love working in music) and he quickly compared him to a German futuristic Panda Bear. Sweet! Very quickly I got my hopes up thinking this Pantha du Prince guy would be some weird, yet awesome amalgamation of Animal Collective and Flying Lotus. It's been a month of listening now and I'm still undecided on how amazing or mediocre this record is. It's really hard to get a hold of Pantha du Prince because his music is so precise and methodical that it is both equally parts impressive and mundane.

Rating - 6.5 out of 10

FULL STORY - So when I was making the Panda Bear and Animal Collective comparisons I instantly started looking for those freaky layered medleys mixing with unconventional pop vocals. Unfortunately, "Black Noise" is void of lyrics for the most part as only a couple of tracks actually have any vocals. Maybe the title "Black Noise" should have clued me into that. At any rate this kind of altered my perception and expectation of the album.

As far as my hopeful Flying Lotus comparability - this was also off. We all know Flying Lotus is all over the place (in a good way) and has no limits in his creativity for defining what a song should sound like and consist of. Pantha du Prince is much more restrained and has an entirely different creative aspect to his songs. They are much more meticulous and calculated. They all slowly build with minimal drum beats and steadily building bass lines that kind of mull you to sleep, but at the same time they are easy on the ears and can become very addicting. He also does nice job of filtering in noise and lo-fi ambience which provide his tracks with a lot of air and space. It's great background music that you can just zone out and relax to, while still tapping your foot to the beat.

The best song on the album is "Stick To My Side" and very well could be one of my favorite songs of this year. The track starts off very slowly with just bells and a kick drum that wander around briefly before agreeing to work in unison. Augmenting this very simplistic track are punches of static noise, adding the obligatory lo-fi haze that I'm pretty sure was passed into legislation this year. After a little meddling and indecision a snare drum finally kicks in and an awesome electronic bass line establishes itself. This is one of the few tracks that does in fact have vocals on it, and they are amazing. Weber does any amazing job of layering melodies and doubling the vocals as they fade in and out of runs. But enough foreplay already. Panda Bear is on the track too...that's why I like it so much. Which begs the question, is this album like "Logos" from Atlas Sound? The answer to that is kind of, but not really. Atlas Sound got in trouble by making one amazing track in "Walkabout" with Noah and filled the rest of the album with garbage and depression.

With "Black Noise" we do have the same concept in that there is one great standout track, but the rest of that album is not garbage. But by having "Stick To My Side" on the album it does raise my expectations and standards for the rest of the album.

Other tracks of note on the record include "Behind the Stars" which has a somewhat dark, industrial tone but ironically does have some pop aspects to it. It sounds like something I would hear at a rave in a loft in Germany, if that makes any sense. Conversely, "Bohemian Forest" is a very bright song that incorporates xylophones and jungle sounds, providing a nice atmospheric palette of sounds and effects. The track is another slow starter that morphs into an uptempo gem without becoming too chaotic. You can really appreciate his patience and decision making process as far as knowing what to do and when to do it

I don't want to say the rest of album is filler because it isn't. For the most part, all of the tracks on the album are beautifully constructed, balancing hazy house music with minimalistic German techno. By no means is this a Benny Benassi album, but a lot of the tracks do become repetitive and monotonous. This is hard to say though, because there is so much thought that went into each track and the production - his creative sense and musical awareness are off the charts. However, there aren't many 'this is awesome' moments or tracks that really jump off the album, with the exception of "Stick To My Side." So how much credit can we really give Pantha du Prince when the best song on the album is carried on the shoulders of Panda Bear? Weber is not Atlas Sound - this is fact. But I'd like to see where his music goes over the next couple of years...he's certainly got the potential.

Tracks
1.) Lay In a Shimmer
2.) Abglanz
3.) The Splendour
4.) Stick to My Side
5.) A Nomad's Retreat
6.) Satellite Snyper
7.) Behind the Stars
8.) Bohemian Forest
9.) Welt am Draht
10.) Im Bann
11.) Es Schneit

WK13 - The Whigs - In The Dark (3.5)

Released - 3/16/10

Label - ATO Records

BLURB - The worst thing in the world is trying to force creativity. Trying to force something that isn't entirely there. Trying to think outside the box, when you can't even think inside the box. Meet The Whigs. They've been around for the past few years, or so I'm told, and they've been slowly building steam out of their home base in Athens, Georgia. After hearing a fair amount of buzz, excitement and pre-meditated acclaim, I stumbled into their brand new album, "In the Dark." Luckily, I stumbled right out of it. "In the Dark" begs the question, 'what makes a good rock band?' More-so, what is our definition of good? This album is lazily and complacently packed together with a sound that can only be described as something The Whigs assume people who like rock music, would like. I'll put it this way. If Kings of Leon had a bunch of younger, less ambitious brothers, and they made an album...it would sound like The Whigs.

Rating - 3.5 out of 10

FULL STORY - I think The Whigs and "In the Dark" could very well be the 2010 equivalents of Cage the Elephant. The typical indie-rock band that is carefully treading the mainstream and underground scenes, hoping that one album will push them over the top. Whereas Cage the Elephant was a legitimately creative band, The Whigs seem to get by on their look and feel and assumption that they are this great new rock band. Unfortunately, the indie rock world (more specifically - straight up rock) is a fickle mistress. The amount of rock bands that rise from the underground, succeed and continue to flourish, are few and far between. Kings of Leon came from the underground, but they essentially had to alter their sound to make it big, and ultimately sold out. Cage the Elephant had a decent amount of mainstream success last year, but we haven't really heard anything from them in 2010. Jack White's Dead Weather was supposed to be this ingenious collaboration that would appeal to mainstream and indie rock fans...it failed horribly (in my opinion), despite their decision to make a second album. So as you can see, it's already a tough climate for rock and indie-rock bands. To come out with an album like "In the Dark" and expect big things is extremely naive.

The first track, "Hundred / Million" is wonderful display of the point I'm trying to make. The prototypical great rock song usually has a solid, catchy riff and a powerful chorus. "Hundred / Million" begins by establishing a short riff simultaneously performed by a deep bass line and fuzzy, distorted guitars. There are never any alterations or augmentations on the riff and within 30 seconds it's already feeling tired. From there we go straight into a very brief chorus that seems to come in way too early and doesn't particularly accomplish anything. The same riff from the verse also very subtlety outlines the chorus as well. As the chorus finishes we immediately go back to the same riff, but in verse form. It's like they just came up with the riff, got stuck on it, and decided to use it for everything.

Following "Hundred / Million" is "Black Lotus." Contrary to the opener, this song actually varies itself nicely and throws in some great, upbeat drumming patterns during the chorus. However, the vocals are filtered with some kind of tinny, megaphone effect in what appears to be an effort to make the whole song seem more distorted. Here's my thing, if you're going to be a good rock band, you've got to have good, pure vocals. Play your instruments and sing your song, that's all that we really want, and two songs into this album we've received neither.

At least for me, I like my rock bands to have a decent pace and tempo. The Whigs once again fail to impress me on "Someone's Daughter" as this track is filled with elongated chords and monotonous vocals that tend to drag their feet. This is coupled with uninspired riffs and solos that are neither catchy nor productive. The whole vibe on this track feels like a generic 90's rock band...I'm thinking of Oleander or even Fuel here.

Here's the one bright spot on the album: "I Don't Even Care About the One I Love." Once again the vocals appear to be filtered a little too much, but it actually works on this song. What's interesting about this track though, is that it really doesn't sound like the majority of the album, and for that reason alone it really jumps out. There are plenty of hooks (both vocal and instrumental) and they incorporate pianos and organs. Even the solo on "I Don't Even Care About the One I Love" feels right. There is a much more inspired and creative aspect to this song that I can't quite define, but it's in the vein of The Black Keys or Delta Spirit and it works.

That being said, this album is pretty much a collection of B-level tracks that never amount to anything. Largely, "In the Dark" seems forced and predictable. Could they just be trying to cash in on the fame of acts like Kings of Leon? It's an easy statement to make, but no band sets out to sound like another band...or at least they shouldn't. I'm not insinuating that this is the circumstance, but again, it's easy to come to this conclusion...especially when you've just announced you're touring with Kings of Leon.

Tracks

1.) Hundred / Million

2.) Black Lotus

3.) Kill Me Carolyne

4.) Somone's Daughter

5.) So Lonely

6.) Dying

7.) I Don't Even Care About the One I Love

8.) Automatic

9.) I Am For Real

10.) In the Dark

11.) Naked