Beady Eye - Different Gear, Still Speeding review

Liam Gallagher strikes the first blow in the post-Oasis round of sibling rivalry that saw chief songwriter and guitarist, Noel Gallagher, quit the band he and his brother steered to superstardom. With Liam's new band, Beady Eye,  he jumps in the Delorean and floors it to 88 miles per hour to the mid-70s to pilfer the music of his influences. Despite being up to the same old tricks, Beady Eye isn't exactly the Oasis v2.0 everyone was expecting.

Let's get one thing clear, regardless of what you think of Oasis or the Gallagher brothers, Liam has one of the best rock 'n roll voices in history.  His scruffy, nasally croon is one of the most memorable voices I've ever heard, and is one of things that made Oasis instantly recognizable.  On Beady Eye's debut album, Different Gear, Still Speeding, Liam sounds great, showcasing one of his best vocal performances in years.  The rest of the band performs with an enthusiasm that is normally reserved for bands half their age, and the big arrangements carry simple melodies to impressive heights.

Beady Eye, much like Oasis, is stuck in a time warp.  This isn't a bad thing, as each song carries with it a robust vigor with a splash of nostalgia.  Oasis didn't have any qualms about ripping off their heroes, and neither does Beady Eye.  As far as the songs themselves are concerned, the lyrics leave something to be desired, as many of the tracks deal with themes of the aging rock star, reflections of life on the road, money, rocking out, you get the idea.  That being said, I'm not exactly listening to Oasis or Beady Eye to uncover some sort of profound revelation, and I doubt that many people do.

Despite the fact that most thought that the album would be abysmally bad (myself included), Different Gear, Still Speeding manages to deliver the goods in a number of ways.  It doesn't pretend to be anything than more than a rock n' roll record.  Vicious, pounding drums, heart pumping basslines and huge guitar riffs rip through the entire album.  Songs build earnestly and swell into epic proportions, incorporating virtually every stylistic indulgence of the 60s and 70s ("The Morning Son", "Bring The Light").  When the album is good, it's good, and no matter how hokey or contrived the lyrics are, you'll be hard pressed to find anyone that isn't tapping his foot.

Despite Liam and company's best effort, Different Gear, Still Speeding does have its dull moments.  A few of the ballads plod along with a yawn ("The Beat Goes On", "Kill For A Dream"), and some of the rockers are unevenly paced with some truly laughable lyrics ("Wind Up Dream").  Despite these shortcomings, Beady Eye's debut has proved itself to be a fun and rather enjoyable listen, completely defying most peoples preconceived opinion, especially if you are a fan of Oasis and classic rock from the 60s and 70s.  I don't think anyone could have accurately predicted just how solid the album is, except for maybe Liam himself.

The ball is in your court, Noel.



buy:
Beady Eye Different Gear, Still Speeding

Radiohead - The King of Limbs review

As you all probably know already, Radiohead kind of dropped a bomb a few days ago when they announced that their eighth studio album, The King of Limbs, would be released digitally on February 18th.  It's been a few days, and I feel as though I've had the proper amount of time and opportunity to pour over their latest offering.  Before I get into a track by track review, let me highlight some things about the album:

• The pay-what-you-want scheme of In Rainbows has been done away with.
• The album's name comes from a very old, kind-of-scary looking oak tree.
• You can download the album via MP3 or WAV format from www.thekingoflimbs.com
• A physical release of the album is coming March 28th.
• A special "newspaper" edition of the album is going to be released on May 9th, which is going to be comprised of two 10" LPs, a CD copy, and tons of artwork.

In 2009, Thom Yorke commented on the future of Radiohead releases by saying: "None of us want to go into that creative hoo-ha of a long-play record again. Not straight off. I mean, it's just become a real drag. It worked with In Rainbows because we had a real fixed idea about where we were going. But we've all said that we can’t possibly dive into that again. It’ll kill us."  At thirty-seven minutes and a meager eight tracks, The King of Limbs is Radiohead's shortest album to date.

In the time between In Rainbows and The King of Limbs, Radiohead released the tracks "Harry Patch (In Memory Of)" and "These Are My Twisted Words", leaving the world speculative at best concerning what direction the band would take for future releases.  The King of Limbs proves to be a sort of amalgamation of the styles present in almost all of their previous studio albums.

The album's opener, "Bloom", begins with a skittering piano riff that dissolves into an erratic polyrhythmic drumming pattern, coupled with swells of ambient electronic bleepy bloops and industrial dissonance before introducing Yorke's voice.  Strings and horns accompany birds tweeting and singing as the sonic landscape is thrown into upheaval around them.  "Bloom" has a very organic feel to it, almost as if the world is slowly being deconstructed, but with careful precision.

The second track, "Morning Mr. Magpie", evokes a similar feel to that of "These Are My Twisted Words", albeit it lacks the unnerving sense of dread that accompanied the stand alone release.  Yorke sings, "You got some nerve/ coming here", and the jerky guitar play perfectly highlights a sensation of agitation.  The song continues this trend, however it never escalates, failing to demand my attention, before ultimately petering out into hazy feedback.

"Little by Little" is a rollicking display of tension building within the structure of song.  The intense percussive layers seem to be battling the slowly plucked guitar notes, almost as if the instruments are battling for dominance, and the listeners attention, which creates a perfectly balanced sense of chaos.

"Feral", is a largely instrumental track, as Yorke's voice is more or less used as another instrument, and it easily could have been on James Blake's latest EP.  As the title suggests, "Feral" is like a wild animal stricken with rabies, violently plodding along without any real sense of direction or purpose.  It runs around in circles nonsensically and needs to be put down.

"Lotus Flower" is the album's "sexy" track.  A neo-noir nightclub number that is romantic, yet dangerous.  A deadly auditory femme-fatale that entrances you and leaves you lulled into a euphoric coma.

"Codex" is a heart-wrenching piano ballad that ushers in Yorke's subtle and subdued vocals and propels them to dramatic heights without straining them.  It is an introspective piece, a haunting song that delivers its melancholic brew right down to the last drop.

"Give Up The Ghost" is an acoustically driven song that sees Yorke's vocals layered on top of each other.  It is a slow burning song that, sounds more like an album closer than any other song on the album.  It doesn't necessarily deliver the goods sonically, but it swirls and sweeps with just the right amount of enthusiasm.

The album's closer, "Separator" is a mellow song that creates a yawning atmosphere that allows the listener to get lost in the reverberating swells that inflate, distend and bulge throughout the song, carrying it to the albums close.

Overall, The King of Limbs is a bit of a mixed bag.  It is very low key, and encompasses virtually every stylistic nuance of Radiohead's long and illustrious career.  The first half of the album is jittery, with the instrumentation and arrangements bouncing around chaotically, whereas the second half of the album is withdrawn and somber.  Radiohead won't win any new fans with this album, but most will find it to be a rewarding listen as each track is dense and complex, lending itself to auditory exploration, especially if you have a good set of headphones.  That being said, I highly doubt that The King of Limbs will be considered this decades Kid A, but at the very least it works on several levels.  It is an album that will require patience and attention to be appreciated, something that many people simply don't have the time to do anymore.

Listen to the album, in it's entirety here.

Friendly Fires live @ The Gov 17/02/11

Friendly Fires played a sold out show at The Gov on the 17th of February that I was lucky enough to attend. The band was energetic to say the least, with each band member bouncing around on stage like a Mexican jumping bean.  The set consisted of fan favorites off of their self-titled debut album like "White Diamonds", "Jump In The Pool" and "Paris", as well as some new songs that had the crowd twisting their bodies and bopping their heads. 

Overall the show was fun, although it was a little on the short side, with Friendly Fires performing for just a little over an hour.  The new songs that I heard didn't impress me immediately, as they showed off the bands penchant for flair and hooks, however I just felt as though the new songs were trying a little too hard.  The band was straining for the hooks to really catch on with the audience with varying degrees of success. 

Friendly Fires' new album Pala, is set to drop sometime this year, and even though I will definitely be investing in a copy, the show left me wondering if their sophomore album will be as instantaneously infectious as their first.  I suppose only time will tell.  In the meantime, if you ever have the chance of seeing Friendly Fires live, I highly suggest you doing so.  It is a fun, raucous, dynamic experience that will delight your ear drums and have you tapping your feet  and flailing your arms wildly in anticipation.

mp3:
Friendly Fires - Lovesick

Special thanks to Adelaide photographer Michael Selge @ Craftypics photography & Neon Gold Records

St. Jerome's Laneway Festival

So I went to the Laneway Festival in Adelaide this past Friday and it was a blast.  A great lineup (much better than Big Day Out) and phenomenal sets by bands big and small made the day very memorable.  My only complaint was that the venue was tiny.  It was literally held in an alleyway behind a nightclub.  This generally wasn't a problem, however there were instances of people being pushed, stepped on, spilled on, burnt with lit cigarettes, and on occasion, hit in the head with flying Asahi beer bottles (don't fret, they were plastic).  The above picture kind of sums it all up, although it was even more crowded when some of the bigger name bands came on later in the evening (Two Door Cinema Club was almost unwatchable due to the mass pandemonium that set in when they took the stage).  In total there were three stages, the main stage (pictured above), a medium sized one tucked into a corner, and the smallest stage actually being inside of the nightclub.  Overall it was an enjoyable experience and all of the bands that I managed to catch had some really great sets including the following:

Warpaint - not only can they play their instruments, but this all girl band isn't too bad to look at either.
Bear In Heaven - sonically impressive band from Brooklyn (despite the fact that the lead singer looks like the ultimate lax bro).
The Antlers - played some new songs that were so-so, but a good, raw set overall. 
Two Door Cinema Club - fun and energetic, if you've heard their album you've pretty much heard them live.
Yeasayer - the set was a little hit and miss for me, but impressive nonetheless.
Cut Copy - my girlfriend hates Cut Copy but has admitted that they put on a great show, I've seen them twice now and I have to agree.

Check out the full lineup here.  Scroll below for video from the show.

Deerhunter


Cloud Control


Warpaint


Cut Copy


Make sure you head over to Spoz's Rant for an incredibly detailed review of the show chock full o' videos pictures and other goodies.

The Replacements - Let It Be review

Punk music represents an ideology that embraces individual freedoms and anti-establishment views.  In addition to the fast and raw playing style, the lyrics are often confrontational, frequently commenting on societal and political issues.  Twenty-six years ago American punk band, The Replacements, released their third album, Let It Be, to near universal praise.  Initially starting their career as a hardcore punk rock band, the band soon grew tired of playing hardcore "buzzsaw drone" style music, and in 1983, The Replacements started to perform gigs with their entire sets consisting of covers with the intent to antagonize whoever was in the audience. 

The Replacements' lead singer, Paul Westerberg, explained that the punks who made up their audience thought that they themselves and the music they listened to stood for a 'there are no rules' and 'everyone does what they want' aesthetic, but when The Replacements would take the stage and perform an entire set of 70s pop covers, which was exactly the kind of thing punk was supposed to stand against, a hypocrisy arose and suddenly there "were rules and you couldn't do that, and you had to be fast, and you had to wear black, and you couldn't wear a plaid shirt with flares ... So we'd play the DeFranco Family, that kind of shit, just to piss 'em off."

Thus is the attitude and legacy of The Replacements.  With Let It Be, The Replacements bucked the trend in punk music and started to focus on writing songs driven by melody and Westerberg's "heart-on-his-sleeve" lyrics.  For a genre that was so invested in youth culture and standing for the rights and demands of the younger generation, punk music always appeared to lack the intimacy of the individual.  Punk music in the 70s was so concerned about voicing opinions on what was wrong with society, but it wasn't until 1984 that The Replacements turned the magnifying glass inward and started to explore the turmoil that was present in the individual.  On Let It Be, The Replacements explored the reasons why the punks were rebelling, and uncovered the feelings of alienation and teenage angst.

Let It Be marked The Replacements move towards self-deprecating lyrics that focused on the plights of the youth.  Every song tells a personal tale, yet the themes explored are near universal.  On the piano ballad "Androgynous", Westerberg's lyrics lament the misunderstood artsy types that don't fit in, and on "Sixteen Blue" Westerberg manages to sum up every awkward feeling and trepidation experienced by every teenager ever. 

           

Let me be clear, this album shreds.  The Replacements were influenced by classic punk acts like the Sex Pistols and The Clash, and the instrumentation is as hard hitting as any other classic punk record.  Westerberg's sandpaper voice screams and scrawls itself throughout each track, marking both immediacy and a poignancy in every song.

           

There are some tracks that at first glance, may seem like filler, particularly when you look at the song titles.  Tracks like "Gary's Got a Boner" and "Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out", are funny when taken at face value, but when you consider the songs in the context of the rest of the album, you see that the songs aren't filler, they are important and have their place on the record.  Let It Be is a record about being young made by a band who were young.  They understood the traumas and the heartbreaks, the confusion and the frustration.  The Replacements were able to make even the most trivial events seem urgent and utterly crushing.  Take, for example, the last track, "Answering Machine", when Westerberg pleads:

"How do you say I miss you to

an answering machine?

How do you say goodnight to

an answering machine?

How do you say I'm lonely to

an answering machine?"

No matter how old you are, you can feel the pangs of desperation in your heart.  Let It Be is a near perfect record, punk or otherwise.  It is a piece of nostalgia, a piece of youth.  It doesn't let you fantasize about your awkward adolescent stages; instead it forces you to face the reality, and to embrace it.  People grow up and people change, but Let It Be is a time capsule, a dusty teenage diary found in an attic.  The songs are events frozen in time, so that you can look back on them, and never forget the things that made you into the person you are today.

 

Artist: The Replacements

Album: Let It Be

Release Date: October 2nd 1984 

mp3s:

The Replacements - Seen Your Video

The Replacements - Unsatisfied

buy:
The Replacements Let It Be

Triple J's Hottest 100

Triple J is the national radio station here in Australia and every year they do a "Hottest 100" countdown of the top 100 songs of the year based on listener votes.  It's a pretty big deal as they countdown the list on Australia Day every year, and a few days ago I had the opportunity to going to my first authentic Australia Day/Triple J Hottest 100 pool party/barbecue.  I won't bore you with the details (hint: lots of food and lots of booze), but I will share with you my thoughts on the Hottest 100 countdown.

• Even though everyone at the party adamantly denied it, I thought that since Australians primarily vote in the Hottest 100 countdown, they would be naturally biased to Australian artists.  I don't know the exact figures but there were a lot of Australian bands (including the #1 song, which was anti-climatic to say the least), just take a look at the breakdown of the list from last year and decide for yourself.
• The top ten was, in a word, controversial.  I didn't agree with it, and most of the people I have talked to didn't agree with it.  But people voted, so it is what it is.
• There was quite a debate as to whether or not cover songs should be allowed in the countdown...I was a bit on the fence myself, but since this was a countdown where people voted on their favorites, how can you say a cover can't be one of the most loved songs of the past year?

Anyway, if you didn't have the chance to listen to it live, you can check out the full list here and see what you think.

Some mp3 highlights:

#31 - The National Bloodbuzz Ohio (I thought this would've ranked higher)
#36 - Chiddy Bang Opposite of Adults
#38 - The Naked and Famous Young Blood
#51 - Yeasayer Ambling Alp

...and the #1 song of the year according to Triple J's Hottest 100...

Angus and Julia Stone Big Jet Plane (click to view official music video)

If you have any thoughts/opinions, be sure to put them down in the comments below.

Iron & Wine - Kiss Each Other Clean review

I can only assume that the cat in the above video was only reacting to Iron and Wine's new album, Kiss Each Other Clean.  In a previous post I reviewed the first single off of the album, a mushy little slice of cheese that sounded as though it belonged in a Kate Hudson rom-com titled "Walking Far From Home" (you can read that review here).  I was less than impressed with that song then and my views haven't changed since, so my expectations regarding the rest of the album were shockingly low.

Kiss Each Other Clean is Iron and Wine's major label debut, and the man behind the moniker, Sam Beam, had gone on record to say that the sound of the album would be more "radio-friendly".  If by "radio friendly" he means that every track is encumbered by unnecessary cooing backing vocals and a ridiculous number of layered instruments (was that a train whistle I just heard?), I suppose his synopsis is well founded.  Almost every song that appears is the victim of being over produced.  Gone are the days of hushed, intimate vocals and delicate finger plucking on a classical guitar, the future is now.  And the future has a shit ton of instruments that I probably couldn't even name if I saw them.  Put it this way, if previous Iron and Wine releases were like a subtle independent movie, Kiss Each Other Clean is like a Michael Bay film, all style, no substance.

I will admit that there are some catchy songs present on this album that will probably end up on the radio, "Tree By The River", is a notable example.  That being said, despite all of the album's bells and whistles, most of the songs are just downright boring.  It's almost as if Beam was so concerned with playing with all of his shiny new major label studio toys that he forgot he actually had to put effort into writing credible songs.  "Big Burned Hand" is an atrociously bad song that sounds like it was a half-baked rejected song off of a Dave Matthews Band album back in the late 90's before Beam stumbled across it.

If Beam wants to take Iron and Wine mainstream, complete with videos that have heavy rotation on VH1, I would have to say that he probably accomplished that.  It will only be a matter of time before Iron and Wine is set to tour with Jack Johnson or secure a spot at the Brochella Music Festival.



mp3:
Iron and Wine - Naked As We Came

Listen to the entire album at the official Iron and Wine website.

buy:
Iron & Wine Kiss Each Other Clean

Cut Copy - Zonoscope review

I recently saw Cut Copy live at the Parklife Feastival in Adelaide and they were, in a word, phenomenal.  Stellar set and lots of energy for a band who dresses (and dances) like someone's painfully awkward father (I am almost positive that the lead singer was doing the robot at one point).  The setlist consisted of mostly fan-friendly hits off of their previous album, In Ghost Colours, peppered with some new material.  I will be seeing them again shortly at the Laneway Festival and I am curious to see how the arrange the setlist this time around now that their new album, Zonoscope, will be released in early February.

Zonoscope is the third LP from Australian band Cut Copy, and has been one of the most anticipated releases in recent memory.  Some have even lauded it as the singular most important release of 2011, at least until some other quasi-notable buzzband releases some new material.  With the release of first single, "Where I'm Going", there has been quite a bit of speculation as to how this new album would sound.  Many believed that the single marked a distinct change in direction, away from electro-pop and into the jangly guitar dominated world of indie rock.  While "Where I'm Going" is definitely a sing-a-long stadium friendly track (complete with a "YEAH! YEAH! YEAH!" filled chorus), to me, it still sounded like the Cut Copy we've grown to know and love.

Zonoscope opens with "Need You Now", a slow burning thumper that builds with crescendos of twinkling synth accents and What follows is a perfect one-two punch of "Take Me Over" and "Where I'm Going", easily the most radio-friendly songs on the entire album.  From there you get a wide variety of songs ranging from tropical calypso music ("Blink And You'll Miss A Revolution"), to instrumental ("Strange Nostalgia For The Future"), to experimental introspective ("This Is All We've Got").  It seems to lack the overall cohesiveness that made their last album so enjoyable, at times coming across as uneven and disjointed, however tracks like "Alisa", "Hanging Onto Every Heartbeat" and "Corner Of The Sky" bring everything together at the albums close with strong melodies and dance-floor friendly hooks.

Overall, Zonoscope lacks a lot of the instantly likable songs that were present on In Ghost Colours.  While the new album still has a handful of tracks that seem primed for festivals and stadiums, the majority of the album lacks the flow of their previous releases, which was ultimately what made them so easy to listen to.  This is not to say that this album is inferior, in fact I think quite the opposite.  Zonoscope is a rewarding listen and incredibly enjoyable, as long as you're willing to give it a few spins all the way through before you make up your mind. 

mp3:
Cut Copy - Where I'm Going

buy:
Cut Copy Zonoscope

Starfucker - Reptilians review

Reptilians, the new album from Portland, Oregon band, Starfucker, is most likely going to be labeled a dance album.  I have certain reservations about going as far as saying that the album is deeply rooted in the dance genre, but I will say that Starfucker definitely borrows elements of dance music, and any other buzzworthy fictitious genre you can think of that was popular last year.

Synths and sequencers dominate virtually every song on the album, which, depending on your taste either cheapens the album or does it a favor.  Every track is polished to a high gloss and not a single second of any song is wasted.  With an average song length of about three minutes, Starfucker gets to the point, and quick.  The songs often bombard you with a heavy bass line or a thumping drum beat, before building up with carefully placed synth accents and swirling organs and strings.  There are a lot of layers on these tracks and I found it difficult to sort through them all on my first listen, which is why I found myself coming back to this album again and again, trying to catch something new that I had missed.

This dance-pop-house fusion is certainly not new, and if you're a fan of Passion Pit or Miami Horror, then you'll find a lot to love about Reptilians.  It is an unrelenting barrage of sound that is so accessible you wouldn't be surprised to hear it at your local night club or over the loud speakers of your local department store.  That being said, if you are a fan of Passion Pit, Miami Horror, Daft Punk, et al, you may find Starfucker to be a bit repetitive as they by no means break any new ground on Reptilians.

Peppered throughout the album are short, introspective spoken word bits, mostly dealing with themes of life and death and philosophical what-ifs and what-does-it-all-means.  It doesn't cheapen the album, but it certainly doesn't do it any favors.  When I listen to bubblegum music like this, I don't expect to do any heavy mental lifting, rather I just want to sit back, relax, and let the music immerse me in a cotton candy machine from the land of rainbows, sunshine and lollipops.

Reptilians is a dance album.  It is chillwave.  It is pop music.  Whatever you want to label it, one thing is for certain, Starfucker has made a highly enjoyable album, and even though it isn't entirely original, it is produced beautifully, making it an album that is equally enjoyable while hanging out with friends at the beach or sitting in your bedroom with your headphones on, which is no small feat.



mp3:
Starfucker - German Love

buy:
Starfucker Reptilians

Tanlines - Volume On review

Let me just start off by addressing what I know is on everyone's mind.  Yes, that is a Mini Disc on the cover of Tanlines' debut album Volume On.  I am not entirely sure what possessed the Brooklyn duo to use it as their album cover, and the fact that the hand written label reads "Lauren Hill" does little to offer any insight, rather it makes the mystery even more confounding.

Mini Disc or not, Tanlines have made a name for themselves as an experimental Afropop, electro chillwave hybrid, and if you put as much stock into genre names as I do, that probably means very little to you.  The album itself has a distinct quality to it, shimmering guitars and the use of non-traditional percussive instruments offer a very tropical vibe, which, given the fact that it is the middle of winter, will either cheer you up or depress you immensely.

There are a few standout tracks here, most notably "Real Life", which has become the bands signature track, however the entire album operates on a very simple formula.  It is a barrage of color, each song working to transport you to some sort of island getaway.  Normally I would say that this is welcome, the instrumentation is fun, but different enough to seem refreshing without being so foreign as to alienate its listeners.  The problem I have with the album is just that, it is an album.  With a run time that creeps past the one hour mark, it starts to become difficult to differentiate between the songs.  Especially when each song tries so hard to deliver that feel of escapism that it begins to seem as though someone is using your head as a percussion instrument along with the steel drums and wood blocks.

Tanlines are an interesting band for the reason that they are creating music that isn't just a cardboard cutout of every other Brooklyn-based buzzband.  The difficulty in listening to Tanlines is the fact that one can only handle it in small doses.  After the first few songs, the tropical vibes that permeate the album begin to flow into one another almost too easily, making the album seem like one really long elevator ride in the Caribbean.  That being said, Tanlines show a lot of promise, and Volume On is not only a daring piece of experimental pop music, but it is a solidly composed, catchy and fun collection of material.  The only problem that keeps rearing its ugly head when I listen to this album is the feeling that, aside from a few tracks, I probably won't be listening to Volume On as a whole unless I am having some sort of island-themed house party.



mp3:
Tanlines - Saw

buy:
Tanlines Volume On

Gorillaz - The Fall review

It is amazing to consider how far technology can improve in just a few short years.  Damon Albarn, the mastermind behind cartoon superstars, Gorillaz, recently released the band's fourth full length album, free of charge, on Christmas Day.  The album, titled The Fall, was recorded and produced entirely on Albarn's iPad during Gorillaz North American stretch of their world tour in support of their stellar third album, Plastic Beach.

It seems as though Albarn's muse just might be the United States of America, as he has previously toyed with the surge of creativity that one can get as a result of touring back in 2003, culminating in the rather underwhelming collection of demos, Democrazy.  Democrazy was a collection of demos that Albarn had recorded during the US leg of Blur's Think Tank tour, and consist primarily of plinking Casiotone leads, clunky drum beats and a melodica.  The songs, if one can even call them that, are snippets and scraps of half baked ideas, stillborns that chronicle the songwriting process (at least one of these ideas "I Need A Gun", was returned to and given a proper treatment as "Dirty Harry" on Gorillaz Demon Days album).  The problem with Democrazy was that the songs were demos and ultimately made people wonder why they were even released, especially since Albarn is the type that seems to be constantly churning out new music.  I have to admit, when I first heard that Albarn and company were going to release another album of songs written in hotel rooms, I was skeptical to say the least.

The Fall, however, is the real deal.  Recorded over thirty-two days, the album is so slick, that if Albarn hadn't told us, there is no way anyone would know if that the album was recorded "non-traditionally".   The album weaves seamlessly from track to track, immersing the listener into an auditory journal of the United States with the help of snippets of local American radio shows and even announcements made over PA systems at train stations.  The album is deeply routed in electronic production, which seems only natural considering the absence of a studio.  This is not to say that the album sounds like someone playing with GarageBand.  There are a number of traditional instruments including the guitar and (you guessed it) synthesizers galore.

Out of the fifteen tracks that appear on the album, there are a number of stellar songs, most notably "Revolving Doors" and the absolutely beautiful "Amarillo".  There are a few throw away tracks sprinkled throughout The Fall, the most obvious being some of the instrumental songs that pepper the album.  They aren't necessarily bad, it's just that they are forgettable and almost eerily similar to the half baked ideas of Democrazy.  What is most interesting about this album is the absence of the studio and the numerous musical guest stars (although it should be noted that Bobby Womack and Mick Jones appear on The Fall).  In the studio, Albarn and his Gorillaz pull out all of the stops, but in the hotel room, on a tablet computer, you see a more intimate Gorillaz, stripped of the bells and whistles.  Overall The Fall is a complex, yet subdued album.  It is a compelling listen, and works as the perfect companion piece to the superb Plastic Beach.



buy:
Gorillaz The Fall

Merry Christmas (courtesy of Gorillaz)

As promised, Gorillaz have released their new album, The Fall, as a free Christmas gift.  The Fall was recorded during the American stretch of their recent world tour, and has been described as an auditory journal of their experience touring America.  I'll have a review of the album up in a few days, but until then, go grab it at the Gorillaz website.  Merry Christmas!

The BIG End of the Year List: The Best & Worst of 2010

So another year in music has come and gone, and along with every other music-related website, I am going to give you a list comprising of the albums that I thought were great in 2010, along with some of the more disappointing listens of the year.  Each album mentioned has a concise review to go along with it, along with an mp3 just in case you missed out on the record when it came out * Someone complained about the mp3s so I had to take them down...sorry*.  So sit back and take a look at the list after the jump and feel free to voice any concerns you have in the comments section below.

BEST ALBUMS OF 2010

1. The National High Violet

The National followed up their breakthrough album Boxer, with High Violet, a collection of hauntingly beautiful and often times heartbreaking songs.  High Violet is a masterpiece of middle-class turmoil, a perfect assembly of songs focused on the plights of the everyday modern man.

2. The Tallest Man on Earth The Wild Hunt

With a voice that commands attention, whimsical arrangements and absolutely jaw dropping skills up and down the fretboard (not to mention occasionally tickling the ivories), the second album by Sweden's Tallest Man on Earth, The Wild Hunt, was an engaging and fun listen that had me coming back for more again and again.

3. Crystal Castles Crystal Castles (II) 

Crystal Castles came back in 2010 with an album that was more coherent and less gimmicky than their debut album.  Crystal Castles managed to bring back all of the elements that made them memorable on their debut and excise all of the frilly stuff that made them seem like a novelty act (almost).

4. Twin Shadow Forget 

Twin Shadow came out of nowhere (for me at least).  I picked up his debut album and was pleasantly surprised to find a unique blend of dreamy pop, 80s new wave and introspective lyrics.  Despite my initial apprehension to the album due to all of the blogger buzz, I found this album simply too good to ignore in 2010.

5. Gorillaz Plastic Beach

For some, Gorillaz constitutes a guilty pleasure.  Admitting you like a "fictional" band comprised of cartoon caricatures of self-indulgent celebrity is difficult to justify.  Fortunately, however, the music speaks for itself.  Gorillaz third album is easily their most cohesive and accessible work.

6. The Black Keys Brothers

The Black Keys are the perfect example of rock & roll revival.  An impressive and gritty album that conjures the spirit of any number of blues rock legends from Muddy Waters to Jimi Hendrix, easily one of their strongest offerings to date.

7. Spoon Transference

Transference saw Spoon focus on their instruments after the "indulge-every-studio-whim" of their last album Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, which was a critical and commercial success.  Transference was a return to their roots, with simpler arrangements that saw an increased tension between instruments, which made for a compelling listen.

8. The Radio Dept. Clinging to a Scheme

A more refined album than their shoegaze origins proved to be the right move for the dream pop band from Sweden.  With a larger emphasis on synths over fuzzy buzzy effects pedals, Clinging to a Scheme was a fun, unabashed pop record and an incredibly welcome surprise in 2010.

9. Sleigh Bells Treats

Noisy and abrasive, Treats had an interesting mixture of aggressive and menacing songs paired up against mid-tempo songs that were grounded in 70s pop.  The album definitely delivered on the ability to weave in and out of genres, and was unlike anything else I heard this year.

10. Broken Social Scene Forgiveness Rock Record

BSS has an uncanny ability to craft beautiful pop songs that sound as if they were recorded by a bunch of friends having the times of their lives.  Maybe that's because that is what BSS is, a collective of musicians who get together and can easily write songs about romance, forgiveness, and masturbation.

MOST DISAPPOINTING ALBUMS OF 2010

1. MGMT Congratulations

10 songs.  All of them boring.

2. The Klaxons Surfing the Void

A couple of diamonds in the rough here, but overall a bombastic, auditory assault without much direction.  The album is messy and lacks focus.  Bonus points for space cat though.

3. We Are Scientists Barbara

I know, most of you probably had no idea that We Are Scientists even released an album this year, and honestly it's probably better if it stayed that way.  Supposedly a return to the sound of their breakthrough album With Love and Squalor, Barbara lacks the hooks to make it truly memorable.

4. Broken Bells Broken Bells

This album failed to impress me despite the strength of the singles.  Most of the tracks that appear are filler, causing me to lose patience in them and skipping forward to the songs I actually liked.  With all of the talent behind this album I was crestfallen to admit that it didn't live up to the hype. 

 

5. Arcade Fire The Suburbs

This was a tough call because I actually enjoyed this record, a lot.  I suppose I decided to include it on my "most disappointing" list was simply because it is their weakest album.  Arcade Fire had a brilliant debut, a slightly weaker sophomore album, and now, an album that is good, but hardly great.

HONORABLE MENTIONS OF 2010

The following are albums I liked this year that found themselves creeping into my playlists and mixes.  These albums aren't necessarily the best of what 2010 had to offer, but they were damn good, or at the very least, deserved a mention.

 Two Door Cinema Club Tourist History

One word: Infectious.  This album was so catchy I found myself listening to it quite often.  At roughly 30 minutes there simply isn't any room for filler songs.

The Drums The Drums

Much like Two Door Cinema Club, the catchy surf pop of reverb-ophiles The Drums made them instantly listenable.  It was hard to find someone who disliked this band in 2010.

Yeasayer Odd Blood

Aside from what is surely a contender for worst album art of the year, Yeasayer managed to meld synth-pop, world music and psychedelia into their own brand of indie music.  The album is a bit hit or miss at times, but is ultimately a rewarding listen.

Die Antwoord - $O$

This rap-rave group from Cape Town, South Africa may seem like a joke, but being signed by a major label isn't.  Say what you may about their music, and they may only be a passing phase, but one can't deny that Die Antwoord didn't do too bad for themselves in 2010.


 

 Band of Horses Infinite Arms

There are some really memorable tracks present, however there are a few which are mediocre at best.  This is the first record which was written and recorded by permanent members of the band, marking the first time the recording process hasn't been a "revolving door" of musicians, but somehow this seemed less cohesive than their previous albums, that being said, its still a great album.

Christmas Mix 2010

So here it is, the annual Insert Brand Name Here Christmas mix  available for download in a handy .zip file for your convenience.  Hours were spent compiling this mix, agonizing over track placement in order to make sure this mix could sound the best it possibly could.  Here in Australia, Christmas falls in the middle of summer, so for me it doesn't even really seem like Christmas.  Instead of shoveling snow and bundling up against the cold, I am getting ready for the beach.  It definitely doesn't feel like Christmas, but listening to this mix definitely reminds me that no matter where we are, it's still Christmas.  So break out the egg nog, gather 'round the Christmas tree and sit back with eighteen quality Christmas tracks!

tracklist:

1. Julian Casablancas - I Wish It Was Christmas Today
2. Sufjan Stevens - Hey Guys! It's Christmas Time
3. Slow Club - Christmas (Please Come Home)
4. Low - Just Like Christmas
5. Band of Horses - The First Song
6. Ryan Adams - Hey Parker, It's Christmas
7. Snowden - White Christmas
8. Tiger Baby - This Christmas
9. The Raveonettes - Come On Santa
10. Kevin Devine - Splitting Up Christmas
11. Yo La Tengo - It's Christmas Time
12. Coldplay - Christmas Lights
13. The Pogues - Fairytale of New York
14. Jimmy Eat World - Last Christmas
15. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - All I Want for Christmas
16. The Walkmen - Christmas Party
17. Gil Mantera's Party Dream - Brave New Christmas
18. The Waitresses - Christmas Wrapping

Download the IBNH Christmas 2010 Mixtape here (link removed)

Gorillaz live @ Adelaide Entertainment Center 12/8/10

 

On Wednesday night I saw Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett's long running collaboration project, Gorillaz, live and in the flesh.  For something that has existed for so long as a cartoon band, seeing everything that is heard on a Gorillaz album come together seamlessly in a live performance was something to marvel at.  This is the first time Gorillaz have embarked on a true worldwide tour as the last time they hit the road it was for a string of performances at the Manchester Opera House and the Harlem Apollo Theatre in support of their second album, Demon Days.  During those shows, the band played behind a screen, rendering them as silhouettes, however this time, Damon and company take center stage simultaneously with a massive video screen airing previously unseen Gorillaz artwork and film.  Damon and company had such a fervent energy in performing the songs that anyone in attendance was sure to recognize the performance as something exceptional.

The sheer number of musicians employed for the show was something that was absolutely jaw dropping as well.  There was a string section, a brass section from Chicago, the Syrian National Orchestra, back up singers and musicians, Mick Jones and Paul Simonon from The Clash, De La Soul, Bashy, Little Dragon, Bobby Womack, and of course, Damon Albarn.  As someone who is too young to have ever seen The Clash play live, who had no idea of Bobby Womack's 40 year career until he saw Jackie Brown, and who never got the chance to see Blur perform despite being a rabid fan, this Gorillaz show marked a truly special experience in my life.

Edit this setlist | More Gorillaz setlists

Moshi Moshi Records - A Christmas Gift For You review

Moshi Moshi Records have bestowed an early Christmas present this year, featuring some of their most talented artists covering Christmas classics.  I happen to be a sucker for Christmas music (be on the lookout for this years Christmas mix), and I love the idea of being able to listen to something other than the aborted fetus that is David Bowie and Bing Crosby's rendition of "Little Drummer Boy" or the abomination that is Paul McCartney's "Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time".

That being said, my main complaint (but certainly not my only complaint) has to do with the compilation's short running time.  At less than eighteen minutes, you're going to be looking for something else to spin on the stereo to keep the egg nog flowing before Christmas is over this year.  That being said, let's take a closer look at the tracks present on A Christmas Gift For You.

1. Slow Club  "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" - Easily the strongest track on this compilation, the jangly electric guitars and the backing vocals accentuating vocalist Rebecca Taylor's all mix together perfectly to create a fun interpretation of a classic Christmas song.

2. Summer Camp "Christmas Wrapping" - The original version by The Waitresses is an energetic, fun holiday romp, and is one of my personal favorites.  Summer Camp's version however, has stripped away the vivacity and spirit of the original, opting to replace the punchy guitars for a single little synth twinkle, turning the perfect Christmas party song into a boring, and slightly depressing, snooze fest.

3. James Yuill  "Winter Wonderland" - British folktronica artist James Yuill has churned out some great songs (e.g, No Surprise), but the downright weird and unneccesary vocal intonations he employs on this song ruin it.

4. Ingo Star Cruiser "Just Like Christmas" - Ingo Star Cruiser pretty much leave this song alone, however they do sprinkle a bit of optimism throughout the song in the form of a speedier tempo and some uplifting instrumentation.

5. Idiot Glee "White Christmas" - Clocking in at one minute, thirty seconds, I am expending more energy writing this sentence than Idiot Glee did in recording this song.

6. Hot Club de Paris "Will You Still Be In Love With Me Next Year?" - a painfully generic and boring song sung by a lead singer with an obnoxious, nasally voice.  Easily forgettable.

Overall, this compilation is way too short to warrant a purchase, however there are a few diamonds in the rough.  It's always fun finding original songs or reinterpretations of classics for the holidays, so check it out if you need to bolster up your Christmas playlist in iTunes this year.

mp3s:
The Waitresses - Christmas Wrapping

video:
Homemade "Christmas Wrapping" video

Iron & Wine - Walking Far From Home (single) review

Iron and Wine, the moniker for singer/songwriter Sam Beam, is set to release his fourth studio album, Kiss Each Other Clean, on January 25th, 2011.  It will be the first Iron and Wine album released by Warner Bros. after leaving Sub Pop.  The first single from the album is "Walking Far From Home", the CD single being released a few days ago on November 26th.

The strongest traits of Iron and Wine's music is the fact that it is introspective, delicate, and haunting.  It is music that pulls at the heartstrings, Beam's hushed voice accompanied by deft finger picking and a minimalist approach make for intimate and endearing records.  Sadly, this single and it's B-sides are none of those things.

Beam has said that Kiss Each Other Clean will mark a change in direction to his sound, and if this single is any indication, it is the wrong direction.  I know that most people will contest that if an artist fails to mature or to progress, the stagnation that results will ultimately lead to career suicide.  I firmly agree with that, however what Beam has done is take everything that has made Iron and Wine distinct and memorable and traded it for a sound that is mediocre, and that's being generous.  In the three songs that appear on this release, Beam's signature instrument, the guitar, is totally absent.  Instead it is replaced by virtually every instrument that doesn't have strings.  The end result are songs that are muddled and ultimately forgettable.

"Walking Far From Home" contains snapshots of images that are supposed to be poignant, but since they are simply recited, one after the other without any sort of context, any meaning they would have is completely lost.

"Summer in Savannah" is riddled with various percussive instruments, a faint jangly electric guitar riff and a piercing horn that sounds like someone's cover band attempting a song by some kind of Latin-African funk fusion band.

"Biting Your Tail" sounds like it could have been a B-side from The Postal Service.  Beam's sincerity is questionable as it seems as though he's been hanging out in the "magical" bedroom of the lead singer of Owl City.

Our first taste of Iron and Wine's new album, Kiss Each Other Clean, is a bitter one.  The best thing for us to do now is hope that it exceeds my already very low expectations.

mp3s:
Iron and Wine - Naked As We Came
Iron and Wine - Boy With a Coin
Iron and Wine - The Trapeze Swinger
mp3s courtesy of Sub-Pop Records...grab some more here.

Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine (2010 remaster) review

Trent Reznor worked as a handyman and janitor at Right Track Studio, where he would use studio “down time” to write and record his own music. Playing all of the instruments himself and doing the sequencing on a Macintosh Plus (1 MB of RAM, expandable to 4 MB!), Reznor sent the demo to a number of labels until landing a deal with TVT Records.  In October, 1989, when Trent Reznor’s debut album under the moniker Nine Inch Nails, Pretty Hate Machine, was released I was four years old, and like any four year old at the time, the album was unheard by my ears.

When I finally got my hands on my own copy of Pretty Hate Machine (on cassette tape) from a second hand record store I was in the fifth grade.  To this day, I can still remember the apprehension I had felt before inserting the tape into my Sony Walkman.  Nine Inch Nails was an enigma to me.  Some of the older kids in my neighborhood listened to Nine Inch Nails, but they wore black, smoked cigarettes and were referred disdainfully by my father as “creepy goth kids”.  I was aware of the rumors that the name Nine Inch Nails was in reference to the spikes that were used to crucify Jesus, and being Catholic I naturally assumed that anything sharp that was used to impale the son of God was bad.  I knew that NINs music videos were highly controversial and heavily edited for rotation on MTV.  I knew that the songs were about sex and depression and death.  To be completely honest, I was scared of Nine Inch Nails.

There was something about Nine Inch Nails that, as a kid, I craved.  The music dealt with adult themes, but it seemed as though adults didn’t understand it.  This was both exciting and terrifying to me, since all of the adults I knew thought that Trent Reznor was some sort of menace, the embodiment of everything that was wrong with society.  It all began, really, with NIN’s first single off of Pretty Hate Machine that started it all.  “Head Like A Hole” had the lyrics, “bow down before the one you serve”; immediately accusations of Satanism and Reznor’s hell-bent intent on corrupting the minds of the youth were running rampant.  Thus began the persecution of the music of Nine Inch Nails by conservative Americans.

Being ten, I didn’t have much disposable income and so my Nine Inch Nails collection began and ended with that tape of Pretty Hate Machine.  The themes of desolation and suicide were heavy and dark, and in 1995 I preferred Britpop acts like Blur and Oasis, who had singles even my parents enjoyed.  It wouldn’t be until 2005 that I finally got my hands on a reissued copy of Pretty Hate Machine (a lengthy legal battle between Reznor and his old label saw Pretty Hate Machine out of circulation between 1997 and 2005).  Little memory remained of the album, my cassette tape being lost years prior.  So when I got around it ripping the CD into my iTunes, it came as a surprise to me to discover that despite the gritty title, Pretty Hate Machine was a dance record.  It was a synth-driven piece of electronica, complete with simple beats composed on drum machines.  The vilification of NIN and Trent Reznor was completely unfounded.  Listening to “Head Like A Hole” for the first time in ten years reminded me how the song wasn’t about Satanism, but about worshipping money, and all of the sexual themes explored on the album were fairly tame when compared to Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream”.

Most of the songs on Pretty Hate Machine have stood up well since the albums original release over twenty years ago, and on the 2010 reissue, we are treated to an extra track, a cover of Queen’s “Get Down, Make Love”.  There are some missteps however, particularly the pseudo-rapping on “Down In It”, which seriously dates the album.  All in all, Pretty Hate Machine is a synth-pop record. Tracks like “Terrible Lie” and “Sin” easily could have been recorded by Depeche Mode during their Black Celebration/Music for the Masses/Violator period, if there were more explicit and overt references to sex and death.  So if that sounds like something you’d be into, definitely pick this album up.  If you’re looking for an introduction to Nine Inch Nails, I would suggest skipping this one and go for NINs masterpiece second album, The Downward Spiral.  Any way you slice it, one thing is certain, I guess the goth kids liked to dance after all.

mp3s:

Nine Inch Nails - Head Like A Hole (live Victoria, BC  12.5.2008)

Nine Inch Nails - The Slip (download the 8th studio album here for free)

Nine Inch Nails - Ghosts I-IV (36 instrumental tracks for free)

buy:
Nine Inch Nails Pretty Hate Machine