Collections of Colonies of Bees – Birds

Somewhere between epic post rock and No Wave guitar movements lies Birds, the 4 song suite from Collections of Colonies of Bees. This 5 piece creates something rare in either genre: accessibility. Guitars grow and swell across the album, anchored by powerfully appropriate drumming, to glorious crescendos that are as moving as the build up. The journey is just as exciting as the destination. Collections are similar in scope to Godspeed You! Black Emperor only without the horns, strings, and most importantly, the gloom and doom. In short, it’s an album that makes you feel good.

There are two ways you can approach the songs on Birds. On a basic level each section of each movement is so meticulously planned and sweeping it gives one’s ears plenty to devour. It is easy to get carried away in each ebb and flow or to feel that joyous kick in the chest as everything changes on the stop of a dime. Each guitar part is interlocked with each other, never trying to out-perform anything else that’s going on. As tight as Collections are the sound is still loose, never seeming forced.

Once you’ve become familiar with it, the other way to approach the album is to take in each individual instrument. Not only do they work well together, they easily hold their own when assessed separately. On the fourth movement, one guitar initially sounds as though it is struggling against the many changes to keep up. But when taken as a whole it’s discovered that everything else is moving too fast and this lone round of notes, against the huge ringing chords, has the right tempo all along. The drumming is solid, never overbearing, working as a propellant and a cue for the next change.

Birds is not without its share of surprises. The closing piece opens with a section of noodling similar to Dave Pajo’s Aerial M projects; after everyone else joins in the drums take an unexpected turn, a different beat than most post rock aficionado’s would expect, and then breaks into a chorus of varying percussion. By far the most remarkable track is the third movement. After a four minute intro everything stops and an entirely new piece begins. The chord progressions are a moving build and release, staying in major key territory, before exploding joyously.

While it’s unclear Collections of Colonies of Bees meant to create an album full of such hope, that is what is found on Birds. It’s a refreshing change nonetheless to come across an instrumental album not full of self indulgent wanderings but one that can be enjoyed without a PhD.

Various Artists – Elemae / Memorial / Soon

Engineer Records’ third recent 3-way split release offers US bands Elemae and Memorial and Belgium’s own Soon. Elemae and Memorial deal in hard rock. Expect no screams or hardcore breakdowns, just aggressive guitars and confident drums.

8 year-old band Elemae comes out of New Jersey. Their sound is within sight of post-hardcore, but keeps a safe distance. Their arrangements and song choices are akin to recent incarnations of From Autumn to Ashes, but without the breakdowns and glossy production. Their first offering, “Pulse”, starts off with a dark groove and establishes a brooding approach that won’t go away. The track is good, but not good enough to endure 5:40 of air. Next, “Hospitals and Mazes” has the same strengths and weaknesses: it’s moody, atmospheric hard rock that starts sputtering before its six and a half minute time is up. “Fiction Mouth” is the best of Elemae’s 3 tracks. All of these lay down aggressive but basic chord progressions made better with good embellishments. But whether this band could hold their own on a LP full of 6 minute songs remains in question. These tracks are too long.

Memorial hail from Richmond, Virginia, a state and city with a massive hardcore and punk legacy. Memorial won’t help or hurt that reputation with these offerings. Their sound is a bit like Glassjaw; Memorial’s vocal delivery is less manic and they disengage breakdowns, but plenty of other similarities between the two bands persist. Their first track, “Who Are We To Say”, comes off aggressive and angry. With high end leads and some driving riffs, this song secures its 3 minutes. “If It Helps” is Memorial’s best track here. It starts upbeat and gets downright catchy towards the end. It stumbles and pauses in middle, but the track is otherwise well developed. Unfortunately, their last, “Munich”, is entirely plain.

Soon sound different from Elemae and Memorial. This Belgium band trades in hard rock for indie rock with post-new wave leanings. When it comes to vocals and songwriting, their edge is more enthusiastic than aggressive. Problem here is that their songs suffer from poor production. Their first, “There Go the Boys”, sustains a driving bass line and simple chord progression. It’s a pity these stripped charms begin to fade before song’s end. “Inverse Ratio” buddies up to hard rock, buoyed by smart syncopation and another driving bass line. The song gets revitalized at 2:20 with a good musical diversion. “Serenade the City”, the final track, stays with you. The chorus belts out a lovely sentiment: ”She is the devil”. This particular track calls The Killers to mind.

This 3-way split holds no hidden treasures, no standout singers, songwriters, or musicians. But these bands have solid foundations and some promise. If this disc were a contest, Soon comes out ahead. Indie rock fans unafraid of a little scotch in their water should check them out.

Blind Willies – If You Was a Good Pimp

So many good albums, so little time! I really enjoyed the Blind Willies’ debut album, The Unkindness of Ravens – so much so that it made the number 7 slot on my Top 10 of 2007 list. I was thrilled when the new Blind Willies disc, Everybody’s Looking for a Meal, arrived recently. Though it’s a great album, I just haven’t found the time to do a full review that can do justice to the music here, so I thought I’d focus on one track – “If You Was a Good Pimp”.

Other than having a great title, “If You Was a Good Pimp” shows off everything great about this duo. Annie Staninec (fiddle) and Alexei Wajchman (guitar, vocals) play off each other expertly here. Both the guitar and fiddle rock and roll off each other like nobody’s business, and Staninec’s chorus vocals give a gospel feel to Wajchman’s more earnest singing.

Since I heard the first Blind Willies disc I’ve felt that Wajchman has a knack for writing lyrics, and this song is no exception. Consider “If you was a good pimp, Jesus would be smiling. I’m no two-bit mama, I’m no trash bag sister. You better play it right, I ain’t gonna hook for you no more.” I love it! Just like “Last Rites in December” from the debut moved me emotionally, this tune makes me shuffle and shimmy.

“If You Was a Good Pimp” is a fine example of what the Blind Willies is all about. I hope Annie and Alexei continue to follow this path, and continue to make great music. If I had a proper place to host, I’d be all over inviting these two by for a backyard party into the wee hours. Grilling, drinks, good friends, and the Blind Willies sounds like a perfect summer Saturday night to me!

Joe Pug – Nation of Heat EP

I’ve been burned out on folk music – an old favorite genre – for some time now. There seem to be too many two-bit, untalented hacks trying to pass themselves off in coffee shops, street fairs, and bars as the next great singer-songwriter. Add to that the overwhelming number of submission we receive here at DOA headquarters and it’s hard to decide what to listen to from the stacks of CDs. Chicagoan Joe Pug’s seven song EP, Nation of Heat, arrived in a simple paper slipcover with a scrap of paper telling me that Pug is a “stunning 23 year old songwriter”. I almost didn’t bother to listen to this disc at all, then reconsidered it for a spot in my semi-regular “Short Takes” column where I try to take on mini-reviews of some of the discs that would otherwise get overlooked. About half way through the first song, “Hymn #101″, I knew this EP was set to shoot straight to levels of awesomeness I haven’t heard from any folkie in ages.

Once you hear Joe Pug sing you’ll be looking for proof that he isn’t a middle-aged, well seasoned vet of the folk circuit. He’s not. Pug is a mere 23 years old, and he’s only been playing (guitar and harmonica), singing, and songwriting for a short time. Nation of Heat is his debut recording, and each of the seven songs here is an absolute gem. Pug has a world weariness not often found in such a young person and it shines through in his voice and lyrics without a shred of a put-on. This is a guy that will either burn out young (and perhaps, tragically) or have an amazing, decades long career. At present, he’s green enough that he still works a day job as a carpenter and plays at night. Trust me when I say that Joe Pug is absolutely poised on the edge of blowing up, and all it is going to take is more word-of-mouth recommendations. You can even write to Joe directly via his website and he’ll send you a copy of his EP free of charge.

“Hymn #101″ is so damn good that you may find it hard to move on to the next six songs. Umpteen repeat listens later and you’ll still be marveling at Joe’s amazing stream of consciousness lyrics, simple acoustic accompaniment, and timeless voice. Every word here is just amazingly beautiful, and the whole song is packed with symbolism and pure poetry. Consider “I’ve come to wish aloud among the overdressed crowd, come now to watch the sinking of the ship” or “I’ve come here to get high, to do more than just get by, I’ve come to test the timbre of my heart”. Amen, Joe Pug.

Once you make it past “Hymn #101″ you’ll find six other equally wonderful songs. “Call it What You Will” will fill you with a melancholy feeling that you just can’t shake. There’s a second voice layered here, but I can’t quite tell if it’s a different person or just Joe’s own vocals layered. I imagine there could be some great harmonies in Pug’s future. As he sings “Call it what you will, I’m heartbroken still…words are just words” you’d have to be the world’s most cold-hearted bastard to not be moved in some way. “Hymn 35″ makes good use of Joe Pug’s talent with the harmonica, and I’m reminded of some of Dan Bern’s most beautiful songs. The title track bookends the EP with another four minute plus slice of perfection. “Nation of Heat” is more earnest than “Hymn #101″, and he crafts this one with more of a chugging troubadour style that suits lines like “I seen skeleton mothers and hungry folks cross the street from the kitchens…”

Nation of Heat is a CD I almost passed over, and I could kick myself for coming that close to missing out on Joe Pug. Listening to this EP is like reading the love letters of someone you’ve never met. You get a glimpse into another person’s core – both joys and heartaches – and you latch on to the fascination of spying into this stranger’s emotions as you attach their meaning to your own life. Without a doubt, Nation of Heat will be a top album of 2008 for me. Joe Pug really is a stunning songwriter, and I hope to hear much more from him in the future. Pug is confident enough to be giving away this EP, so you really have no excuse now do you?

Ladytron – Velocifero

Ladytron have been a firm favourite of mine since I saw it supporting Nine Inch Nails last year, so I was very excited to find out it was releasing a new album and even more excited to be able to review it. The current release is entitled Velocifero, and marks a clear progression since the group’s last offering, Witching Hour. Helen Marnie, Mira Aroyo, Daniel Hunt and Reuben Wu have created an album that is simultaneously dreamy and disturbing, haunting and clinical, dancy and dark. To top it off, help with production came from Nine Inch Nails’ Alessandro Cortini; how could it be anything less than brilliant?

Vocals are provided primarily by Marnie, but the opening track “Black Cat” is voiced in a terrifyingly clinical, almost robotic, Bulgarian drawl courtesy of Aroyo. I have no idea what the song is actually about, but I echo Aroyo’s own sentiments that “some songs just sound better in Bulgarian”. Whatever she’s singing about, she doesn’t sound happy – in fact the spiky sounds of her mother tongue sound positively menacing. The music too starts off sparkly and light, but still slightly threatening until a very Nine Inch Nails-esque drumbeat kicks in, followed soon after by short bursts of stormy sounding synths. This is a long, foreboding build-up to the song, and the album as a whole, with Aroyo’s lyrics only coming in 2 minutes into the song. Although this doesn’t have the immediate impact that “Fighting in Built Up Areas” from Witching Hour did, I always look forward to the Bulgarian Ladytron songs as some of its best offerings – and this is no exception.

“Ghosts” starts off with strange synth noises, as you come to expect from Ladytron, until an almost T-Rex inspired swaggering bass line cuts in. This is when you hear the other vocal talent, in the form of Marnie. As deep and threatening as Aroyo is, Marnie’s voice is chillingly sweet and haunting – even when the music she’s singing over is as funky and danceable as this. She’s like some kind of siren, enticing the listener into the increasingly abstract and dreamlike world the music creates. The ending is particularly spine-tingling, like she’s fading away as she repeats “there’s a ghost in me, who wants to say I’m sorry/ Doesn’t mean I’m sorry”. There’s something menacing about this as well, like she knows she’s done something wrong and part of her feels like she should feel bad, but the other part couldn’t care less.

“Burning Up” is the stand-out track on the album for me, with its thudding bass lines and crunchy electronic noises coated by Marnie’s honey-glossed, disco-queen vocals. “I set myself on fire without you, without you/ I wrote a protest song about you, about you/That not a soul was meant to hear, except you” she intones, and although her voice sounds vulnerable and yearning, as though the subject of this song has hurt her deeply, you get the impression that she’s the one who’ll come out of it stronger. The fantastic synth breakdown coming in around 3 minutes into the song is killer and brings it to an orgasmic, orchestral ending.

Again, “Predict the Day” starts with a drum beat Reznor would be hard-pressed to come up with himself – this is overlaid with a bizarre whistling noise, which remains when the harsh synths kick in. Once again, Marnie is sweet and unassuming but singing, “Predict the day you wanted to get away, a second chance is calling for you/Predict the day you wanted to get away, no second chances calling for you”. I’m not sure I’ve ever heard anything so terrifying. “Predict the day you sentence your enemies, don’t look away they’re coming for you…” – surely this kind of creepiness shouldn’t be coming from someone with such a lovely, sweet voice.

I had a similar reaction to “Runaway”, again sung by Marnie. This is a pure disco classic musically, but Marnie’s questions of “where you waking up today, my little runaway?” sound less than concerned about the well-being of the subject she’s singing about. Again, the creepiness factor is cranked up to the max, as you start to ask, “I wonder why this person ran away in the first place?” Some of the underlying synth sounds are a little bit horror movie-esque but they’re soothed by Marnie’s calming vocals floating over the top.

In case anyone’s confused, I think the creepiness of Ladytron’s lyrics mixed with the sedative effect of Marnie and Aroyo’s vocal tones, is a good thing. In fact, I think this is why Ladytron is so efficient at evoking chills down the spine, and probably why Reznor sought the group out as a support act. The voices sound so ‘nice’ but the subject matter is fairly creepy, incredibly passionate and yearning or just downright confusing and abstract; and of course the music is consistently punchy and energetic getting a favourable reaction from both rock and dance music fans. This band is putting in the hours in support of this album currently in a huge tour – hopefully this album will get them the level of recognition they actually deserve.

Basically though, I would recommend Velocifero to anyone, but also be sure to check out Witching Hour and some of their more poppy offerings previous to that. This is great music from a fantastic UK band.

Bellafea – Cavalcade

It’s rare that a band is aggressive and delicate all at once. The great bands can pull it off after years of honing their songs into the perfect sound for them, Bellafea does it on their first full length.
The major reason why this works so well is the guitar/vocals of Heather McEntire. I had to read the liner notes a few times to really let it sink in that she’s responsible for both. The songs are bursts of rock energy with melodic touches that usually don’t come through songs steeped this heavily in the punk tradition.

For the most part, the songs keep it short and stick with you, not with hooks, but rather with pure energy. “Walking Distance,” for example, keeps it simple structurally, but offers up complex drumming and riffing which sounds like it could spin out of control at any second. “Run Rabbit Run” is reminiscent of Sleater-Kinney’s mid-tempo stuff, right up to the vocal similarities and the short breaths of sweeter melody amongst the dissonance.

Obviously, Bellafea didn’t craft a perfect full length on the first try, but Cavalcade will remind you that some bands still like to rock with no frills or gimmicks. Leave it to an old-school indie rock town like Chapel Hill to produce a band that reminds us of the emotion and urgency with which rock music should be played.

HotChaCha – Rifle, I Knew You When You Were Just a Pistol EP

The relative newcomers that make up all-female outfit HotChaCha come from extremely diverse backgrounds, but now work out of Columbus, Ohio and are signed to Exit Stencil Recordings. With songs written in German, French, and English, Rifle, I Knew You When You Were Just a Pistol also boasts a classic punk sound and unconventionally appealing lyrics. This four-track EP deftly shows varied influences and does not confine itself to simply just a punk band. Both somewhat mesmerizing and confusing, HotChaCha will definitely keep the listener interested.

Lead singer Jovana Batkovic is known for her antics onstage at live shows, and with what is shown on just this brief collection of tracks, this sounds very plausible. Batkovic’s unique style fits well into the scheme of the music itself, which can only be described as atypical and inventive. Drummer Lisa Paulovcin offers up some catchy beats and her drumming is a definite stand-out element on this EP. A solid track is “Heidi Was Never Good,” while “It’s Hard to Be a Whiteboy in 1992″ is perhaps the best, which shows Mandy Aramouni’s talent on the guitar as well as the lyrical diversity.

The band’s obvious sense of humor and singularity are what make this EP an exciting preview for future tours and a full-length album. Rifle, I Knew You When You Were Just a Pistol is awaiting a mid-June release, and when that time rolls around, this album is worth checking out.

Animal Collective – Water Curses EP

There are many things you could say about Animal Collective; they’re different, they’re distinctive, they’re creative, they’re musical, or maybe, one of my favorites: they’re cuddly weird. But one thing is for sure, Animal Collective are immaculately consistent. Maybe you can see it in their energetic and outstanding live shows (I didn’t go to Coachella but I’ve seen the videos and boy was that amazing), hear it on their flawlessly-constructed studio albums (I’m not here to nitpick last year’s Strawberry Jam like other reviewers, though let it be known that I loved it), or maybe you can just sense and feel it in their taxing work ethic. With this sweet, four song EP, Water Curses, they have once again confirmed that they are one of the best bands currently making music.

There is no doubt that “Water Curses” is a bright little pop song; it’s accessible, hummable and melodic—everything you could hope for — and Avey Tare sounds happier than ever. The instrumentation around him features some of Panda Bear’s (Noah Lennox) finest drumming; his catchy use of hi-hat is an ideal match to the title track’s vibrant feel. A true joy comes in “Street Flash,” a spectral song about coming home late from wandering around the streets because all of the clocks stopped working. The keyboard has a wonderful echo effect that the band employs throughout the entire song, including on Tare’s voice. It’s a blossoming, blissful piece that seamlessly swells and releases. And the scream that arrives at about the 3:40 mark is one of Tare’s trademarks and as expected, it works brilliantly.

“Cobwebs” is a lush and diverse ambient piece that appropriately features the band’s strengths. The song begins with a stirring melody and towards the middle it matures into a soaring climax as Tare passionately sings away. It’s one of the three songs that was recorded during the band’s sessions for last year’s album and would have fit right at home on that LP. The last song, “Seal Eyeing” is a gorgeous, piano-driven ballad that justly showcases what a strong duo Tare and Lennox make. Filled with, fittingly, watery atmospheric noises, the highlight comes when the piano line escalates to gentle chiming while the band harmonizes vibrant and flourishing chords around it. It’s a majestic ending that displays the band at its most personal and musical self.

There isn’t any new ground treaded here but that isn’t a problem at all. Rather than serving as insight into what the band is planning next, it’s an excellent extension from last year’s masterpiece. Water Curses is fantastic because it can serve multiple purposes and it isn’t an EP that only fans will enjoy. Any fan of music would be mistaken if they didn’t check this out, because as always, it proves that Animal Collective knows how to make superb music, at an incredibly high consistency.

Strangers Die Everyday – Aperture for Departure

The latest album from Strangers Die Everyday, Aperture for Departure, hit my mailbox a while back and the redundancy of reviewing yet another instrumental band has been the only thing holding me back. I’m glad I waited this long to truly absorb this album. The sound of this record is dominated by an excellent string section, and its perfect companions are a traditional drum/electric bass setup.

The title track has an uplifting quality to it that is rare for a band like this, especially with the use of such melancholic instrumentation. It has its moments where it rises and falls in tone, but when it rises, it does so with grace and aplomb. There is even a moment toward the end of the song where we hear a clean note pattern that could have easily come out of a pop punk song. Not to worry though, it works well in the context of what Strangers Die Everyday has set out to accomplish. Needless to say, this is an amazing track.

“Slow Bike” is a short one and quiet one, with a thundering back bone. It is haunting, and reminiscent of work from Jonny Greenwood. “Romanticism” does in fact have a romantic quality to it. It’s a non-traditional waltz, and it has a most classical feel at its core. “Charcoal #1”, clocking in at just over 1 minute and 30 seconds, has a callous quality to it. Not a bad thing at all though, as it is a primer for the rest of the album; marking the tone as seemingly rarely uplifting. I discussed “Esther” in a previous review, so all I will say is that it’s a good taste of what this band is good at and it evokes a dessert landscape.

“Charcoal #2” almost picks up where its prequel left off. It’s stronger in contrast, and feels more urgent. That could be because it is much shorter, which is its only fault because it was a truly engaging minute of music. Much more so is what follows in “Safer in the Ground”. Another 7 minute epic, it is a great listen through and through. It starts off slowly building tension, until the explosion of strings comes in and all bets are off. “Charcoal #3” and “Bicycle” are tied together fantastically. The opening moments of “Bicycle” are damn haunting and the rest of the song is fast and engaging. “The Dirge” closes the album beautifully as it fades out on seeming reflections of what this band is all about.

One thing I have yet to mention is that there is not one distorted sound on this record. All guitars are clean and they perfectly help punctuate the dominating string section and this song is a prime example of that. To consider that they don’t go for crunch at all on this record says a lot about the power of what they have put together. They don’t need the distortion and noise thanks to the perfectly composed pieces of music they’ve produced. Aperture for Departure is a monumental album in the realm of instrumental and ambient music.

The Brixton Riot – Sudden Fiction EP

New Jersey’s The Brixton Riot make no bones about “looking toward the Clash’s ‘Guns of Brixton’ for inspiration”, but the quartet’s music is about as far removed from its forefathers as any “inspiration” could possibly be. It’s easy to assume that a young Jersey band is no comparison to The Clash, but it’s not clear where the group feels there’s a connection other than borrowing their name from a song title. And I get the feeling it was more of a “hey,that’d make a cool band name man” type thought pattern than having any serious relationship to the actual event, or political ideology.

The pop-punk on the Sudden Fiction EP is far to sweet and watered down to be taken very seriously. I bet these guys do well at beach bars. The music isn’t horrible by any means – the band members sound fairly tight and pull little influences in from various styles – but the overall affect of the five songs here is underwhelming. I’m not a huge pop-anything fan, but the stuff I do enjoy has all of the trappings of a great pop song.

Disc opener “Battle of the Band” is the absolute best track on this EP, and that is simply because it has the best hook. It’s the catchiest tune, and for a pop song to be good it doesn’t matter how much more substance there is. Unfortunately, I’m not sure The Brixton Riot has much more to offer. If the group can lasso the spirit of “Battle of the Band”, ramp it up ten fold, and reach that level of songwriting they could be a killer pop-punk outfit. Or, they could enjoy some local notoriety, maybe spend a few summers running the Jersey shore bar circuit, and retire to other careers.

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