WK37 - Real Estate - Real Estate (7.5)

Released - Woodsist

Label - 11/17/09

BLURB - I bought this thinking Real Estate could possibly be the next Thrills. Short story - I'm a huge fan of The Thrills and met the singer in a shitty diner in Philadelphia prior to a show they had, opening for Adam Green. It goes down as one of my favorite nights of my life because I was there with one of my best friends, his mom and his sister. Anyway, here we have yet another Beach Boys influenced act trying to reincarnate the genius of Brian Wilson. I was kind of hoping for a bit of a more polished, pop act (again, like The Thrills) but what I got was yet another lo-fi recording. It seems that this fad (while I do enjoy it to some extent) is really plunging into the depths of all musical genres. This album reminds me of this years Papercuts release, but with more melodies. I can't say that I'm jumping for joy over Real Estate's self titled release, but despite my lofty and differing expectations...it's still a decent listen.

Rating - 7.5 Out of 10

FULL STORY - If I've read my magazines and blogs correctly, the single...and the song I should like the most is 'Beach Comber.' So for arguments sake, let's start here. Muddled in an ambient yet melodic feel, this track is actually halfway decent. While the pace is a bit slow for my taste, the friendly guitar riffs and nondescript lyrics offer up some solace.

"What you want is just outside your reach. You keep on searching. You're walking down that Pensacola Beach, you keep repeating."

The song itself is filled with metaphors, despite it's unassuming vibe. The entire track revolves around a metal detector wielding man searching for that lost Rolex in the sand...more plainly - all of our searches for happiness. Although blatant, the song somehow restrains the general theme in a very vague fashion through it's own patience.

"Pool Swimmers" is the second track on the album and if I was forced to describe it - it would be 'far out.' If I was stoned out of my mind and drinking a beer poolside in Malibu and there was no music at all...this would be playing in my mind. There is a very slow pace, which is matched against a very trebly (sp?) guitar riff and some decent background vocals. It's nice, but it has this slow almost psychedelic vibe to it that kind of throws me for a loop. Do I drop acid or take a hit? I need the delineation.

The highlight of the album, for me, is the combination of 'Atlantic City' and 'Fake Blues.' With 'Atlantic City' you get this fairly upbeat instrumental medley that takes you to San Diego circa 1972. You really feel you're there. Simultaneously the song evokes excitement and relaxation...I don't really know how, but it's pretty sweet. Shortly thereafter "Fake Blues" picks up with a slow building cavalcade of cleanly amped guitars. After the buildup reaches it's pick, we're met with a kind of energy that I'd compare to...well...I guess....surfing. It's fast enough to tap your foot to, but more than anything it just feels that you're locked into some kind of groove. There is a very friendly and repetitive riff that goes around, assuring you that you're not alone.

However, after these few songs everything seems to blend together. Not just pace, but instrumentation and lyrics as well. It seems that the majority of the songs on the record could be substituted for any other song on the record, without any major gripes being had. Everything seems just a tad bit slow, and just a tad bit contrived. I don't want to say it...but I think Real Estate is trying too hard. It's a good record and definitely has some definite peaks, but it just feels a bit forced to me. Sorry.

Tracks

1.) Beach Comber

2.) Pool Swimmers

3.) Suburban Dogs

4.) Black Lake

5.) Atlantic City

6.) Fake Blues

7.) Green River

8.) Suburban Beverage

9.) Let's Rock the Beach

10.) Snow Days

WK36 - Bibio - Ambivalence Avenue (9.5)

Released - 6/22/09

Label - Warp Records

BLURB - This album is all over the place...like an 8 year old's ideal ice cream sundae. But with Bibio it's not M&M's and Gummi Bears, but an eclectic and diverse portioning of gentile acoustic, chopped up computer loops, indie rock and Haight-Ashbury psychadellica. Having these genres all present for a single song could likely cause a musical civil war, however Bibio finds a way to weave in and out of these nomenclatures throughout the entire record. At certain points of the record you really feel like it is 1968 and you're listening to a folk group on a street corner in San Francisco. At other points you're right back in 2009 with computer generated drum patterns and cut-up vocals battling an unsettling slew of sound effects. What a weird, no..., great mix.

Rating - 9.5 out of 10

FULL STORY - I'll start with the more retro and nostalgic parts of this album. It's actual really tangible and transports the listener back to an era when a black coffee, cigarette and an artsy beret were all the rage. Things were simpler then and so was the music - but in more of a practical sense. There weren't as many barriers to music and lyrics. For the most part if you were a songwriter and wished to convey some type of message, emotion or thought, all you needed was a pen and a guitar. Nowadays too much thought and production goes into song making, which definitely affects the sincerity, honesty and creativity of the music. I think Bibio recaptures this older, poetic simplicity through several tracks on 'Ambivalence Avenue.' There are common themes of friendship and togetherness bonded through waves of carefree and unrestrained honesty. The vocals on the title track are presented as a group, almost uniting the cause, and they are surrounded by what can only be viewed as their supporters masked as flutes, violins, pianos and guitars. Bibio's lyrics match his peaceful musical entourage:

"Then we saw from the upper deck, watching ourselves as if seeing our future. Greeted by strangers who seemed to be good friends and welcomed us through their shiny red door."

'Lovers' Carvings' (#10 song of 2009) greets us with another warm and familiar feel, as if it's 20 years ago and the family is eating at the dinner table, then collectively and instantaneously, they decide to dance. As the song begins there is a lone, electric guitar softly finger-picking a ballad that wanders and strays, but never goes to far off the beaten path. In itself it's pretty beautiful. As implied above...good music to eat a meal with your family to. Then the cowbell starts. Then the guitar picks up. Things get a little more upbeat. Before you know it everyone is standing at the table and clapping to the beat. How did this happen? There is some weird, incredibly unifying force to this song that I can't quite pinpoint. It just screams family, friends and memories. The lyrics are actually somewhat dark, but their force and delivery ultimately brighten them up to a pristine and hopeful glow:

"Lovers names carved in walls - overlap and start to merge. Some of them underneath. Maybe they appear in graveyards. Maybe they fade away, weathered and overgrown...time has told. Meaningful, hidden words suddenly appear from the murk. Maybe they're telling us that the end never was. Never Will. The words have gone but the meaning will never disappear from the wall."

As I said, this record really is a Jekyll and Hyde of sorts. Some other nostalgic highlights include the somber tale of a couple parting in 'The Palm of Your Wave' and the ephemerally-stringed 'All the Flowers.' Enter Hyde. Despite showing his obvious skills in honest, yet beautiful songwriting and lyrical arrangements, Bibio also knows his way around a computer. He wants us to know this.

Complete with no lyrics and chopped up vocal samples, Bibio floors me with his digital prowess on 'Fire Ants.' I can only describe it as a production similar to that of Flying Lotus, but with a dash more pop appeal. It's incredibly smooth and laid back, yet properly upbeat during certain portion of the track. Why Kanye West or Common haven't found this, reworked it, and threw out a hit is still making me scratch my head. Incredible beat.

'Sugarette' is a nice, slow building electronic number that kind of meanders along with both curiosity and indifference. It's simplicity makes me think. But the main reason I like this song is that it serves as the perfect transition from the dark and mysterious ending of 'Haikuesquesque' to the melancholy turned bright guitar introduction of 'Lovers' Carvings.' If ever a song served a purpose, it is this. 'Sugarette' acts like a musical adhesive and propels the listener along, almost in storyboard fashion. I don't know why I really like this strategy, but I do. I feel involved. I feel like I have to listen to one before I listen to the next, and that I'm better because of it.

'Dwrcan' is a really futuristic and ambitious choice for the final song on the album. The track starts out kind of funky with some creative, electronic percussion effects and a rigid bass line. Some other minute things are going on as well, with little keyboard riffs and digital effects accenting each other. Halfway through the song it sounds like a bomb goes off and the tone of the music changes drastically. Everything becomes chaotic and is filled with tension. With 90 seconds left the track leaves only atmospheric drones. End of the world? Feels like it.

This is going to be one of those albums I really like, but will inevitably find myself being tossed in to the minority. 'Ambivalence Avenue' is a veritable ying yang of music and ideas. Conceptually, it's brilliant. The tracks with warm instrumentation and thoughtful lyrics, the ying, are all beautifully done and inadvertently force us to reminisce about friends and the good old times. Conversely, the yang, is filled with dark and experimental electronic jaunts, which propel us into the future where we're met with the thought of a possible apocalypse. These combative styles, concepts and moods really make this record for me. I want to get inside Bibio's head.

Tracks

1.) Ambivalence Avenue

2.) Jealous of Roses

3.) All the Flowers

4.) Fire Ant

5.) Haikuesque (When She Laughs)

6.) Sugarette

7.) Lovers' Carvings

8.) Abrasion

9.) S'Vive

10.) The Palm of Your Wave

11.) Cry! Baby!

12.) Dwrcan

WK35 - Memory Tapes- Seek Magic (9.5)

Released - 8/25/09

Label - HSR

BLURB - With only 3 more records to go on the year, I’m opting for some titles that I have definitively never heard of. Enter Memory Tapes. Lucky for me, this was right up my alley. This disc is filled with spacey electronic, yet occasionally funky grooves. There is a nice amount of haziness and subtle, introspective appeal to this album. I didn’t know if I liked it until I really sat down and listened to it. And I do. There is a well balanced combination of instrumentation and electronica that weaves in and out of this 1970’s lo-fidelity vibe. Granted the songs are not pop, and are generally downbeat, but there is an understated, experimental and honest charm to them. Think of a more electronic and less folksy version of MGMT that got mixed in a batch of Thievery Corporation. Not bad, eh?

Rating - 9.5 out of 10

FULL STORY - So I heard about Memory Tapes via Pitchfork's Top 50 Albums of 2009. I really didn't read the review too thoroughly, but since I often butt heads with Pitchfork (they gave Phrazes for the Young a 5.5 out of 10!) - I figured I'd see if I agreed with their ranking of 23rd for Memory Tape's 'Seek Magic,' and ironically, I do.

The second track, 'Bicycle' is Memory Tapes' so called attempt at the 'radio single.' For some reason this is how I wanted and expected Passion Pit to sound. There is a flurry of musical events going on, yet everything sounds relaxed and refined. Very confident. I've never felt that Passion Pit ever really bought into their sound...and I still don't. But that's neither here nor there. After lulling the listener to sleep for the first 6o seconds of cautious singing, percussion and sound effects, the song holds steady for a brief period, only to then be inundated with an intoxicatingly heavy bass riff and an arsenal of effects and background vocals. The song continues to vary in momentum and pace for its' duration, with everything ultimately coming together in an outstandingly crafted ending. Vocal chants mixed with repetitive guitar riffs prove to be a nice combination here.

Easily the funkiest track on the album is 'Stop Talking.' An electronically groovy bass line lays the bedrock for this track as typical 'too cool for school' shoegazer vocals are carelessly submitted. Cue wah wah pedals? Somehow the answer here is yes. As battling guitars and wah wah effects push their way to the forefront, we're hit with another fuzzy bass line and also a wave of synth. Clocking in at 7:02, the length may push some people away. Not me though. With my background admittedly being in jam and electronic music, I really appreciate and admire when an artist can throw together a song, and just see where it takes him. The majority of 'Stop Talking' is fairly consistent, but Memory Tapes very subtlety alters what's being pumped out of the speakers. It may take a few listens, but this track will leave you hearing new sounds and grooves with each successive listen.

'Graphics' (#6 song of 2009) is likely the most electronic-based song on the record. The intro and verse are kind of out there and don't really flow, but maybe this was done for a particular reason? After a bit of stumbling we find the best use of a chorus on the album, bearing much needed depth and weight in the lo-fi electronic realm that Memory Tapes creates. As you continue listening to this track you can hear the song evolve with each passing second. After that amazing chorus, there is an equally satisfying musical bridge that continues contorting sounds and vocals with synthesizers and computer effects. The song never reverts back to the original clumsy introduction and verse and grows organically into a monster of sound. While this track may not be Memory Tape's most popular, it certainly showcases their talent and musical fortitude.

I think this record is amazing. Here's my theory though...it's a little bit too out there for the legions of fans that claim to like the Passion Pits and MGMT's of the world. Memory Tapes may be a little too indie for all those out there that say they like indie. They have a little bit of MGMT in them, but have no tracks remotely close to sounding like 'Electric Feel.' Likewise, they have a little Passion Pit in them, but Memory Tapes does not force a 'Little Secrets' on their audience. This isn't a bad thing, I'd actually argue it's a great thing. Memory Tapes has such a great fusion of sound and experimentation going on, it's really hard for me not to get sucked in. The album has a very organic feel to it as well. Call it lo-fi, call it whatever. Regardless, 'Seek Magic' is a great release and one I'm happy to have found it. Wouldn't mind getting more than 8 songs though...

Tracks

1.) Swimming Field

2.) Bicycle

3.) Green Knight

4.) Pink Stones

5.) Stop Talking

6.) Graphics

7.) Plain Material

8.) Run Out

WK34 - Neon Indian - Psychic Chasms (10)

Released - 10/13/09

Label - Lefse Records

BLURB - Of all the albums I’ve reviewed on this blog, ‘Psychic Chasms’ will be the best of the year. This is for sure. Pretty easy decision too. Had it not been for Animal Collective releasing ‘Merriweather Post Pavilion,’ this would be my overall number one record of the year. Neon Indian is a one man wrecking crew, endlessly bludgeoning all of us with lo-fi synth pop in the most nostalgic of fashions. How so? Well, every song sounds like Wham’s rendition of ‘Last Christmas.’ But underneath all of these warm and fuzzy musical layers are themes that truly suggest he is anything but warm and fuzzy. Neon Indian offers up both introspective and highly interpretive lyrics that have a darker, thought provoking feel, leaving everyone in it's wake unable to stop listening. It’s simply that good

Rating - 10 out of 10

FULL STORY - Being the big music geek I am, I spend far too much time on iTunes looking at what people, who have bought albums that I bought, are buying. Follow? This led me to Neon Indian’s ‘Psychic Chasms.’ Essentially I use iTunes like it is one gigantic, widely traded mix tape. I brought it into work and sent it around to a few friends, whom either instantly loved it or hated it. A lot of the music I listen to has that quality. Long story short, this album ends up being one of the major discussion points at my company holiday party...well, that and Jersey Shore. Turns out I’m not the only person digging the indian and I end up scoring a couple tickets to see him at Mercury Lounge the next week. Sweet.

There’s something about seeing a brand new up and coming act live, whom you’ve just started following. You’re kind of unsure what you’re going to get and that show ends up being crucial. It’s the make or break point. It’s where you either decide to buy in, or move on. Neon Indian at the Mercury Lounge was one of those shows that makes you go all in. Everything from the energy to the emotion and sincerity of his performance was as addictive as I would guess meth is? Maybe more.

I think Neon Indian really appeals to me on a more personal level than other albums I’ve heard this year. For starters, I’ve really gone off the deep end as far these low fidelity, ambient-indie acts. There’s just something creative and different about it that I can’t get enough of. The whole Animal Collective, Panda Bear, Atlas Sound, Oberhofer scene...that’s my scene. What also draws me into these acts is the overwhelming homemade quality their sound has. The majority of these groups are just one person, or a small collection of very close friends. You can really get the sense of unbridled unity, motivation and friendship - pouring out of every track. There is a combination of seriousness, excitement and passion that is just more tangible and real than the majority of music that is out there. It’s also nice to use these artists as a measuring stick of sorts to myself, because I know all of these albums are being made in someone’s basement or apartment. This whole genre is filled with people like me, that listen to the same music, read about the same music and create, to some extent, the same music. Kind of like I’m indirectly friends with all of them. This common thread and affinity for music makes it extremely easy to root for them. Makes me pretty jealous too.

This is the part where I review the album and tell you what I liked about it. I break down the songs and encourage you to have your own go-round and decide for yourself. The only thing is, I’m at a loss of words. For those that know me, you might think this impossible. I can talk everybody’s ears off about music and I enjoy doing it. Get a couple drinks in me, and you won’t be able to get rid of me. It’s bad. But with ‘Psychic Chasms,’ I feel it’s so transcendent and unique that no line of contrived dialogue I put out will be able to explain exactly what this record sounds like or means to me. I’ve had several failed paragraphs already. In looking for some motivation I blindly perused some reviews and stumbled upon one that I could only wish that I had written. It nails every description and comparison I’ve been trying to force out of my brain. I am by no way making any claims to the authorship of the article, but I would like to recognize the source, as he did a stellar job. So please check out Citizen Dick (citizendick.org) for more great work. Here are my thoughts, brilliantly transcribed by a person named ‘Kevin.’

“I may be a bit obsessive-compulsive, but I have to believe people digest albums like I do. I tend to become a fanboy immediately with albums that jolt me from the starting gun, relentlessly focusing on three tracks that grab my attention first. Next, I eventually grow tired of the three standout tracks and move onto another section of three songs that I originally thought mundane and less noteworthy. Usually this results in a battle of sorts. I love those original tracks that drew me to the band’s sound, but inevitably wind up pushing them backwards in the playing rotation. Inexplicably, however, there always seems to be three tracks on every album that fail to make it into my pleasure-filled musical database. Try hard I may, but it’s an extremely rare occasion that an entire record is not just enjoyable to me from top to bottom, but noteworthy. Neon Indian’s Psychic Chasms is a debut that took a little time to wrap my brain around fully, but the fruits of ear-labor have never failed me yet. It’s an album rich with energy and a hard to pinpoint coolness that’s achieved through a varietal and shifting blitz of sound. Not a track is worthless, and in fact, if you listen to records like I do, the progression will leave no slag and the enjoyment tightens with each subsequent listen.

In my review of Deastro’s Moondagger earlier this year, much of the review focused on the reminiscent aura that certain electronically based outfits have been dishing out recently. For a self-professed alt-folk fanatic, it’s a pretty awkward admission that Alan Palomo (Neon Indian) creates the kind of music that knocks me straight out my LA Gear’s and into a completely fulfilling nostalgic mode. The central conundrum regarding electro-throwback music is that I have literally no way to merely describe a deeply rooted vibe. Typically, reviewing albums involves at least some shred of musical understanding. Although Psychic Chasms takes me far, far away from my comfort zone, I can’t stop playing it. The initial run through begins slamming “(AM)” at the listener, starting with a cylindrical synthesizer screechy sound that melts into the background as a nasty badass 80’s bouncy rhythm kicks in. Softly delivered vocals juxtapose the hard hitting grooves and busybody Danelectro attack. It’s this album opener that reeks of quirky mid 1980’s summers at the roller rink, super-rope licorices and, believe it or not, mid-period Prince material. Slick guitars and pinched out and looping sounds are splattered through each track. The retro hooks are encapsulated by spookily morphed and slowed down synth riffs that warble alongside nearly every song.

Perhaps it’s a trite over-generalization to assume Neon Indian is swinging for nostalgic fences here, as Palomo is extremely adept at spiraling sound mixtures. At times, the stacks of dominant sounds all layered on top of one another are quite brilliant. The midway arc of three songs, “Mind, Drips,” “Psychic Chasms,” and “Local Joke” point to wider and expansive takes on pop predecessors. At the heart of all three is a simplistic drum machine, aptly keeping time while each track spins and rises in sound-intensity. It’s easy enough to peg this as an album with repeat value for ambiance alone, but deeper listens unveil ripping keyboard arrangements, frenetic blips and flurries of wavering riffs. “Ephemeral Artery” links up a straining synthesizer behind everything, and like a car in an automated washer, it’s difficult to tell whether the songs moving forward or I’m moving in reverse. Super intriguing.

For me, however, what nails this album down is it’s drenching mid 80’s aura. “(If I Knew, I’d Tell You)” is forty-eight seconds of fuzzy and shaky brilliance that hearkens back to the most memorable early 80’s porn. If that’s a weak observation, our readership will have to accept my apologies, because my mind wanders constantly to those awkward instances of my youth, poorly dubbed Ginger Lynn fully included. To summate the value of this album, it’s important to first enter with a specific direction in mind. Like a choose-your-own-adventure book, this record consistently pulses from start to finish, and depending on listener preference, it can dive into nostalgia or enrich in a modern sense equally as well.”

Tracks

1.) (AM)

2.) Deadbeat Summer

3.) Laughing Gas

4.) (If I Knew, I'd Tell You)

5.) Terminally Chill

6.) 6669 (I Don't Know If I Know You)

7.) Should Have Taken Acid With You

8.) Mind, Drips

9.) Psychic Chasms

10.) Local Joke

11.) 7000 (Reprise)

12.) Ephemeral Artery

WK33 - Chiddy Bang - The Swelly Express (Mixtape) (7.5)

Released - October 2009

Label - Unsigned

BLURB - What an awesome mix tape. Thank you Mr. Tom Ruhf for the recommendation! 'The Swelly Express' was created from Chidera Anamege and Xaphoon Jones as story based mix tape detailing the two's frequent bus trips to New York City from Philadelphia. The album elaborates on the struggles and journeys experienced for two young kids trying to get a hip hop record deal. While a little rough around the edges, this is some good stuff. The production reminds me of early Kanye in that there is great instrumentation and is very sample-heavy. They flaunt their new school vibe with samples from both Passion Pit and MGMT, two of the more recent ground breaking indie acts. Don't know what will come of Chiddy Bang, but it's a great first step...and people are listening.

Rating - 7.5 out of 10

FULL STORY - What's great about 'The Swelly Express' is the pure creativity and originality. It's one thing to just throw some tracks on a mixtape and promote it. But these former Drexel students found a clever way to add some humor and story telling throughout the 18-track mix tape. You can tell they had a good time doing it. In between the majority of the songs are these little skits between Chiddy Bang, producers, bus drivers, label executives, taxi drivers, managers and everyone in between. The only thing is that after hearing this record so many times you just want to listen to the music and not have to deal with the skits.

The best song and beat can be found on the track, 'Now U Know.' The chorus features a well placed, '...and if you don't know, now you know' Notorius B.I.G. sample that really fits the song well. The production is very smooth and upbeat with cool little riffs and synthesizers throughout the track. The emceeing is very upbeat and has an indefinable swagger to it. You can feel the confidence on the track, and that is something that is great to see from an up and coming act.

'Get Up in the Morning' is the lead song on the mix tape and is also filled with the same swagger. While serving as the prologue to the entire story line to the record, it also readies the listener for Chiddy Bang's playful style of rapping, which is very easy going, laid back, yet confident. The duo is also not afraid to flaunt their Philly roots either as they make references to Phillies slugger Ryan Howard. It may be just me, but if you can find a way to work in Philadelphia baseball players, you've got my attention.

And now we move into some of the big samples, the first of which being 'Truth.' This song samples and features a chorus from Passion Pit's 'Better Things.' Of all the songs this track is the most danceable and has a huge amount of energy. This track also shows the group's versatility as they clearly can take care of the 'laid-back, chill out' jams, but they can also throw in some club music too. In the skit directly after this track, a fake 'label executive' tries to describe this song and says, 'I heard Truth, it's really cool, it's like rap but it's not rap, and it just blows my mind.' While simultaneously making fun of the executive they also indirectly illustrate just how great that song is. It is like rap, and it is not like rap. Through the Passion Pit sample Chiddy Bang is able to fuse underground hip hop, pop, indie and dance music into 'Truth,' making for a really amazing interpretation of where music is currently at.

The next huge sample comes by Chiddy Bang's sample of MGMT's 'Kids,' aptly titled 'The Opposite of Adults.' The music is based off of the main riff from 'Kids' but isn't nearly as tight as 'Truth.' The verses aren't as polished as the rest of the album, but it's not that far of a departure. Don't really know why I don't like this song that much, but to me it just has this feel of a couple kids in the basement hanging out and rhyming. Like maybe once they came up with the MGMT sample, they didn't really put a lot of effort into the rest of the song, I don't know.

All things considered, this is a fun record that combines the worlds of indie hip hop and indie pop. It is definitely refreshing and if you are just looking for some good music to hang out and party to, this will probably suit you well. If you want to pick up the mix tape you can get it here. Enjoy.

Tracks

1.) Get Up in the Morning

2.) Never

3.) Danger Zone

4.) Fresh Like Us

5.) Now U Know (feat. Jordan Brown)

6.) Welcome to Major Label Inc (Skit)

7.) Truth (feat. Passion Pit)

8.) Meet Mike Hoffman (Skit)

9.) Pro's Freestyle 1.0

10.) Awesome (Skit)

11.) Dream Chasin'

12.) Silver Screen

13.) Slow Down (feat. Black Thought & elDee the Don)

14.) Decline

15.) Call (Skit)

16.) The Opposite of Adults (KIDS)

17.) Voicemail (Skit)

18.) All Things Go