Eric Copeland – Alien in a Garbage Dump

You’ve met the person before. Good chances you are the person I’m talking about. I’ll admit myself that I am. This type of person is the one who proclaims, “I am a lover of sounds.” What this person is really saying is that make that statement is that they love music so much that they have a connection that runs deeper and resonates within them in a more fundamental way. The love transcends sound designed and presented in traditional ways on traditional instruments, and is an almost metaphysical understanding of sounds truth. These folks often do actually enjoy a wider palate of music than your average Joe, stuff like Flying Saucer Attack’s howling airplane noise, Vladislav Delay’s glitchy ambient webs, Kevin Drumm’s digital abrasiveness, Derek Bailey’s free improv, Richard Chartier’s high frequency microsound, Sunroof’s loopy pastiche, or Merzbow’s ear-splitting drones. These artists undeniably use uncommon sounds, but they use them in an effort to achieve an established aesthetic result. So do sound lovers really love sound for its own sake or do they just love amorphous and obscure musical genres?

Eric Copeland’s newest material, collected on the new full-length Alien in a Garbage Dump, is a line in the sand between lovers of sound, who will love this stuff without the need for reflection, and listeners who like challenging but intelligible music, who will be intrigued but frustrated by this unchartable sonic territory.  Copeland integrates sounds of every stripe, presumably from samples, into pieces relying on only the most basic of rules of musical structure, repetition and rhythm. Pretty much anything else goes, and does. Vocals pitchshifted a mile, cheese guitar solos, decontextualized vocal samples as beats, chill new wave keyboard loops, arcade game music, and whatever else. It’s as if he’s on The Gong Show, and his thing is trying to see how many samples from disparate styles he can combine and turn into something enjoyable before getting gonged off the stage. As a listener, it’s a treat to hear the jarringly awkward beginning of a song and think “this is finally the annoying one” and then listen as it turns into catchy music. This happens over and over, and it melts your brain.

As difficult as this can feel, it’s also the catchiest thing Copeland has been involved with, using hooky and queasy samples in equal measure. Whereas his main band Black Dice projects a wobbly, off-kilter geometry, Alien in a Garbage Dump is more linear and unhinged, like house music in the midst of a fever dream. Or, you could look at Copeland’s solo work as a DJ version of Black Dice, pushing things forward out of a grab bag just for kicks instead of composing lurching jams on musical equipment to take out on the road. Trying too hard to make sense of this music misses the point. One day there might be a genre descriptor for this constitutionally-eclectic, homeless music, but for now it’s probably just best to soak in the sounds he found.

Eric Copeland

Paw Tracks

Nutrition On Tape – Queen Bee EP

Here’s an interesting one: Nutrition On Tape consists of Matt Howley, an Australian in London, and his keyboards, samplers, and drum machines. His Queen Bee EP shows in four songs that he has a way with pleasantly engaging compositions. The nicest thing about his tracks is that they’re unassuming and often warm, without the indulgences that tend to hamper a lot of solo works in this field. It’s easy to go off the rails when there’s no band-based editorial process in place. 

The song “Queen Bee Can’t Stop Me” has an organic-yet-electronic glow to it reminiscent of China Crisis during its Difficult Shapes era. Its stiff, cold beats belie the fluidity of the song as a whole. It’s mid-song breakdown has the vocal ahhs of a 70s AM radio hit before it relapses back into its sharp-cornered rhythms. It’s a high-rise skyline that opens onto a blue sky. “Fire Dog Wax Apple” doesn’t have quite the same soft center, though, and it’s a bit mechanistic the way Ratatat can be mechanistic.

“One Sun One” has more flow to it, but its vocals have an off-putting effect to them. They’ve been electronically treated in a way that makes them a little bit incongruous with the music going on around them. By contrast, “Where Everything Works” has a lilting and breezy ambience that just works. Its Caribou-like form and tonality — its mix of textures and feeling — serve it well. “Where Everything Works” tones down the drum machines and lets everything breathe. It’s captivating. With more tracks like it and like “Queen Bee Can’t Stop Me,” where Nutrition On Tape shows some of its heart, the upcoming album could be a winner.

Eat Sugar – It’s Not Our Responsibility! EP

Why does our society reward aggression? Or is aggression the incorrect word to use when describing an athletic sport? Then again, some sports, like boxing or wrestling are in fact, very violent. We’re told that anger and any form of it is, without a doubt, wrong. And in addition, some people don’t even stand for it and when encountered, simply walk away. So is aggression an aspect that can be viewed as “good” for music?

All of that heady deliberation is what was going through my head after I had listened to Eat Sugar’s rough, blustered and especially aggressive, new EP, It’s Not Our Responsibility! You see, I had taken the disc out of the case and was listening to it in different manners. First, I put it on the stereo, the next day I had it in my car and only just recently, I put it on to play through my computer’s speakers. Then I noticed this quote in the middle of the case, underneath where the disc would go; the sentiment is whether or not aggression is a learned motive and if not, why do we reward aggressive media?

With all of that in mind, Eat Sugar’s music, while being pure pop, is antagonistically harsh music to listen to. Already fringing the lines of punk rock and related ilk, this Cincinnati quartet love to combine their music with brusquely shrouded electronics. It creates a sort of distinctive cloud but with so much energy and intensity already crammed in to their angular riffs and intrepid hooks, you have to ask yourself, once more, is all of the superfluous production in reality required?

The curtly clad “Hey Cupid” flies with bursts of a furious guitar rant and muscular drums. Aidan Bogosian’s voice sounds like the resolute cross of Brandon Flowers and Jack White and he’s often found fusing all of the pieces together. Although the synthetics add some kind of novelty to their music, Eat Sugar is first and foremost, a punk rock band. Don’t give me something refined, heck I’d take it at a lo-fi registered ordeal but it’d be really fascinating to hear an uncovered version of all of this.

When you hear those opening electronics, it honestly sounds like a busted speaker. After hurriedly fast-forwarding, you find that this is evidently, deliberate. “So Into You” eats, lives and breathes Saturday night fun. Whether it’s those horns and sax solo, the way Bogosian enunciates his words or even just the all-encompassing boldness, you can’t bring down the drive. It’s wrong to stunt ideas or in this case, new techniques, but when it’s blanketing fearless musicians with a knack for creating gritty music then something has to be rectified.

It’s still an inevitable task that if you even give it a chance, It’s Not Our Responsibility! will present itself as a decent EP. You can’t hide such idiosyncratically motives as the boisterous music on “Pop Singer,” that’s for sure. A push towards an album that does away with the synths would be a great move. In the meantime, we can sit back and wonder if this kind of aggression is worthy of merit.

“Pop Singer” by Eat Sugar

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Interview with Keren Ann Zeidel and Bardi Johannsson of Lady & Bird

Delusions of Adequacy:  Hello Keren Ann and Bardi - 

I am very much looking forward to your upcoming album as Lady & Bird, your collaboration where Keren Ann is Lady and Bardi is Bird.  Your melodic, delicate, yet stunning self-titled debut album from a few years ago goes on a subtly thematic journey (about the flight and fall of two children trapped in the bodies of adults) that is both delightful and dreamy, as well as melancholic and possibly tragic. 

From what I’ve read, your new album as Lady & Bird is a recording of a concert performed with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra in Reykjavik in 2008.  Can you go into more detail about the album, like if it’s a direct recording of the whole concert, or if only certain songs were chosen for the album, and what the album title is? 

Lady & Bird:  The title of the album is quite long “La Ballade of Lady & Bird: a project by Keren Ann Zeidel and Bardi Johannsson.” It contains a selection of songs from a concert we performed in Reykjavik with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and a choir. “Forward & Reverse” is the first single from the album. At the concert we performed songs from our careers separately and together as Lady & Bird. And since it was a joint concert…. it became a Lady & Bird concert. 

DOA:  What had to be changed in order to go from a studio-created (or acoustic-based) song to performing with an orchestra?  Did you have to rearrange or develop song structures in order to format them to the orchestral setting? 

Lady & Bird:  We hired an arranger to arrange the songs for an orchestra. In general most of our songs separately and together are quite orchestral and choir-friendly. 

DOA:  What is it like to have the full symphonic splendor of an orchestra behind you while performing live?  Is it more intimidating or exhilarating than playing an acoustic set of songs?

Bardi: It was the first time I stood on stage as a singer. Heretofore I at least can hide myself behind the guitar. My biggest worries were that I forgot to zip up my fly and I would walk on stage with an open fly. Normally you cannot see it when there is a guitar hiding this part of your body but when you stand defenseless in front of people at least you want to keep your cool.

Keren Ann: It felt different because usually by the time I go on stage I’ve had a few drinks and this time since everything was written and measured I didn’t want to lose focus. The hardest was to sing and not hold a guitar. I didn’t know what to do with my hands.

DOA:  Why did you choose to commit that specific concert to record and not other shows?  

Lady & Bird:  We wanted to release this concert because it is special and good. Generally we think “live albums” are boring and give you a bad version of the originals. With this record we are really adding to the originals and giving something more. Here we had over 90 musicians on stage so we have the power to keep it epic and sometimes add more to the songs than on the originals.  

DOA:  Speaking of live performances, it must be difficult to plan tour dates with each other since Lady & Bird is an on ‘n’ off project per se and not a band.  Has it been easy to decide when to play as Lady & Bird or has it impinged upon your other work? 

Bardi: We don’t play very often so it is for special occasions. We like to keep our performances special and unique. Nothing about Keren Ann is difficult. She is one of the best persons living on earth.

Keren Ann: It has never impinged upon our respective careers because making music together is such a privilege. When I don’t see Bardi I miss him so much. There is no one I’d rather work with and I never have enough of him. I always look forward to our collaborations.

DOA:  From what I understand, Lady & Bird will be performing in Paris on October 27th.  Where will you be playing and will you be backed by an orchestra?

Lady & Bird:  We will play in Salle Pleyel, a nice concert hall in Paris. We are performing with Orchestre Lamoureux and a choir of 12 Icelandic girls.

DOA:  When did you first meet up with each other?  Was it around the time Bardi was recording Something Wrong in 2003? 

Lady & Bird:  We met in a bar in Paris in the year 2000 and decided to try working together. Then we repeated that a couple of times and had some results. 

DOA:  Lady & Bird is one of my all-time favorite albums.  I love how there is an overall theme, but that the songs can also be taken on their own.  I love the calming to melancholic mood of the instrumentation and vocals contrasted with the winsome to disquieting lyrics. What was it like to create this album?  Did you share song composition and lyric-writing duties?  How did you decide on what instruments to use?  What did you do to manipulate the voices of Lady and Bird on the spoken word segments? 

Lady & Bird:  Thank you for the compliment. We started working together on some music and little by little we became Lady & Bird. We tried to become Keren Ann and Bardi but Shepard wouldn’t let us. He said that when we create music together we are Lady & Bird. All the creative process was done under guidance from Shepard. The voices manipulated themselves.

DOA:  Going into more detail about the album, I find that the engaging melodies, pleasantly gentle to trippy instrumentation and sweetly airy to softly wistful vocals belies the seriousness of the incisive to morbid lyrics that delve into themes of death, the possible meaningless of and fleeting nature of life, and the disconnect between fantasy and reality.  Did you start out with these themes in mind, or did they develop over the course of making the album? 

Lady & Bird:  When we started to write songs, we had no specific direction, but we shortly started to realize that we were under guidance of Shepard and he took us into the world of Lady & Bird. 

DOA:  Even the two cover songs on the album fit in with the aforementioned themes, where the lyrics on Lou Reed’s “Stephanie Says” are “…she’s not afraid to die…” and “…it’s all in her mind.” and the lyrics on “Suicide Is Painless” (aka the theme from M*A*S*H with lyrics by Mike Altman) are “…the game of life is hard to play / I’m going to lose it anyway.”  Were there any other songs that you were contemplating covering by other artists? 

Lady & Bird:  These were the only songs that Lady & Bird could cover. There was no other option. 

DOA:  The songs on Lady & Bird do stand on their own and don’t need to be probed for deeper meaning, but what’s interesting is that the album can be enjoyed on different levels.  The meaning(s) of the songs are open to interpretation – with the ideas of life (“Blue Skies”), death (“See Me Fall”), and rebirth (“Run In The Morning Sun”) coming to the fore, with the physical act of falling being a metaphor for death, or possibly the coming of age of a child into adulthood (the theme of the flights of fancy of children who must “fall”, or grow up, into the serious, independent entities called adults).  The concept of the album can also be taken spiritually or religiously (in the Biblical sense of Lady and Bird representing the innocent Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, who then fall from grace and must enter the “real world”).  Or it could all be a psychological trip that captures the imagination and takes the listener on a journey.  After all, the last line spoken on “La Ballade of Lady and Bird” is “It’s all in your mind.”  

Can you comment on those interpretations and if these are the themes that you were aiming for on this album or if I’m going too far down the rabbit hole?

Lady & Bird:  You never go too far down the rabbit hole… but I would not take this album too Bibical. The first interpretation makes sense. 

DOA:  The second song on the album, “Shepard’s Song”, introduces us to Lady and Bird and their plight, with Shepard (a shepherd?) being from the “outside world”.  Who did the surreal vocals for Shepard? 

Lady & Bird:  Shepard himself.

DOA:  On the song “The Morning After” I can’t hear exactly what Shepard is saying.  It sounds like “It’s really hard to hear from…” and then it gets garbled.  Can you quote the end of the lyrics here?  Can Shepard be taken as an angel or a deity, or just an adult figure?

Lady & Bird:  So you noticed Shepard on the “The Morning After”. Not everyone does. It is on purpose that you cannot hear the whole sentence… he is giving a subliminal message.

DOA:  It’s also difficult to discern Shepard’s words on “La Ballade of Lady and Bird” because the voice is distorted and in the background.  What is he saying? 

Lady & Bird:  No comment.

DOA:  What is the significance of the fact that Bird cannot fly?  Does this mean that he eventually must “fall” into adulthood and not continue to live and dream as a child?

Lady & Bird:  A bird with no wings cannot fly. 

DOA:  Moving on to your own projects, Keren Ann, I’ve heard that you worked with Emmanuelle Seigner on her new album.  Can you spill any secrets about what it was like to work with Emmanuelle and what your contributions are to her album?

Keren Ann:  I wrote and produced Emmanuelle’s record with Doriand. It was fun making it. Can’t spill secrets, you’ll have to wait for the release (November 7th). 

DOA:  Bardi, you are a multi-talented artist and in recent years you have scored several films and created music for TV shows, radio, and commercials, as well as co-directed a short film called Red Death in 2004, wrote lyrics for and produced other artists, hosted a TV show, and designed clothes.  Where do you find the time and energy to do all this?  Please tell me that you try to take a vacation once in a while and just relax! 

Bardi:  You can find time when others sleep. The energy is something I was born with… maybe if people would watch less TV, spend less time with their friends and family, sleep less and skip all hobbies…. then a lot of time will pop up. I am planning a long relaxing vacation in my grave.

DOA:  Keren Ann, how are things shaping up for a new album?  Are you currently working on material? 

Keren Ann:  I am now doing a soundtrack for a French film by Benoit Petre starring Jane Birkin, Catherine Jacob & Caroline Cellier. I am mostly producing other singers and writing music for different projects at the moment. Enjoying being home and not on the road. Making a new album would mean being on the road for the year that follows the release and these days I want stay in one place.

DOA:  Bardi, can you give some info about Haxan from 2006?  From what I understand, you recorded this album with the Bulgarian Symphony Orchestra.  What was it like to compose songs and work with this orchestra and conductor?  Was it any different than working with the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra? 

Bardi:  A few years ago I was asked to write a new soundtrack for an old silent black & white movie called HAXAN. It was for a cultural cinema in France. I accepted and wrote music based on electronics, guitar, 2 violins and percussion. A year later or in 2006, the Winter Festival in Iceland offered me the chance to perform this music with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra. I got an Icelandic arranger to arrange 6 out of 7 parts of the music and I arranged 1 part. As I had never arranged for an 80-piece orchestra before it was enough of a challenge for me to arrange and write out 12 minutes of music. The concert was a success so my label in France, Discograph, wanted to release a CD. Then I went to Bulgaria and recorded the symphonic version of HAXAN with the local Orchestra and it was released in 2006. I love classical music as much as I love metal. Of course it depends on the artist, how much the love is…

DOA:  Bang Gang’s Something Wrong boasted a bevy of beautiful female guest vocalists, including Keren Ann on “Forward and Reverse”.  The latest album, Ghosts from the Past, was released last year.  Bardi, who did you collaborate with on that album?  Do you feel Ghosts from the Past is a continuation of the atmosphere and instrumentation found on previous Bang Gang albums, or did you experiment with a different creative process?

Bardi:  I collaborated with Keren Ann on the song “Don’t Feel Ashamed” and with Anthony Gonzales aka M83 for the songs “You Won’t Get Out” and “Stay Home”. I think each album of Bang Gang is a correct continuation from the one before. Ghosts from the Past is more direct than the other two albums. I think Ghosts from the Past has more lyrics than the other two together… also there are more of my vocals on it. I don’t like to rush it when I write albums, I like to live with the songs and then when I get distance, I can decide whether they are good or bad. Therefore you may need more time to get into Ghosts from the Past… lots of details…

Arctic Monkeys – Humbug

Yikes, all of that hype that swirled around Arctic Monkeys really was massive, huh? I mean, when you sit back and reflect, on just one day of sales their first album, Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, became the fastest-selling British album in history, in ONE day. During the same month that it was released, NME published a list that featured that same album as the fifth greatest British album, above all of the albums by The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.

After that, they quickly wrote and released their second album, the underrated but terrifically excellent Favourite Worst Nightmare, within a year of their first album’s release. What’s happened since then is an attempt to recapture that same magic, because although many don’t hear it, their second album is just as good as their first. With Humbug, they have an album that can be fully enjoyed by anyone willing to give it a fair chance. Pairing up with Queens of the Stone Age mastermind, Josh Homme (who produced seven of the ten tracks,) these same Monkeys have delivered an album that grows on you with each listen. This is a stark difference from their erstwhile work, as that was music that immediately hit and stuck you; Humbug is all about the change in sound and theme with one key element still intact, exceptional musicianship.

You can’t fault them for going this route because, in actuality, they’ve opened up and created something new and distinct. After the opening drum introduction on “My Propeller”, it’s effortlessly clear that there’s been a striking shift in terms of sound. Alex Turner’s voice is still the star of the show; his accent is undeniably addicting, all the while providing a true singularity to the band. While the desert guitar looms in the background, with the drums pattering away, the song’s burning theme evokes images of distant sand waves engulfing Turner within his complacent stance.

 “Dance Little Liar” is an amazing achievement in terms of composition because of the way it opens up, revealing some of the hardest-hitting chord changes of the year. Throughout the song, the guitar rips off these changes, in such a subtle manner that it tricks the listener into forgetting its even there. What is heard is the booming of a snare drum that never lets up, a bass-driven melody and Turner’s clouded, shrouded vocals. Slowly, gradually and intricately, comes the guitar’s revelation as it strikes through the clouds like lightning: shattering everything in its place, it’s left all alone to begin one amazing building of sounds. Add drums, add bass and then add some towering vocals and it all equals a compositional marvel that all leads back into Turner’s touching singing.

You can’t come into this and expect each song to spin off into a pounding expulsion because you’d be sorely disappointed. That isn’t to say that there aren’t some of those explosions just waiting to happen. Turner’s lyrics are some of the wittiest he’s ever delivered and they shine on the album’s entryway into a new look for the Monkeys. On “Crying Lightning”, Turner and his bandmates sing about a horrid relationship before giving way to a menacing guitar and drum clash. It’s boldly arranged like some sort of horror climax but with the amount of calamity, it’s comfortably distinguished. If there’s any kind of wonder as to why the production on all of the songs feels like a shade of gray has been cast, it’s because the rest of the songs were produced by The Last Shadow Puppets producer, James Ford. But that gray lends itself in a grand way, it’s shadow surrounds the album closer, “The Jeweller’s Hands”, like a cloak over a disguised result. And that result is the pure fact that these are brilliant musicians who know exactly what they are doing.

So yes, they survived that monstrous amount of hype that was poured on top of everything they touched. Humbug isn’t so much a stab at what surrounded them but a proud standing point that these are amazing musicians with an impeccable ear for melody. If nothing else, they’ve proven that there actually can be as much of an emphasis on atmosphere as there is on energy and when you’re as good of a band as Arctic Monkeys is, this creates a heavenly fusion.

Domino

28 Degrees Taurus – Post Midnight Thrills

 

The Boston-based band 28 Degrees Taurus has two full-length albums behind it and has now put together six songs for its Post Midnight Thrills EP. These songs follow on from the last album pretty consistently, which means that the band has found its sound and has introduced refinements without going off the rails creatively. It’s funny: if a critic doesn’t like a band, he or she would use a phrase like “lack of growth” to describe this kind of consistency. After hearing the last album and wanting more, I find this EP a fine holdover until the next album.

 

The sound is shoegaze psychedelia. The trio manages quite a full effect for being just three people. What distinguishes 28 Degrees Taurus from others is singer Karina Dacosta’s vocals: a la Lush, she has a sweet delivery that soars about the cacophonous drums and guitar. On “Universal Love,” the choruses don’t even need words but instead make due with just drawn-out “ahhhs,” and it still works. “Seeking Heat,” an accelerated near-rock song, also gets a lift from its choruses. The clipped spoken-word verses have an odd quality that sounds unnatural and need those kinds of choruses for contrast (and, perhaps, redemption).

The guitars often have a constant, slow, wah-type effect to them, which may be the reason for giving an impression of earlier psychedelic influences. The drumming doesn’t ever surprise you but consistently catalyzes the songs’ movements and changes. It’s quite akin to Steve Shelley’s on the middle-period Sonic Youth recordings. Without the same dissonance, granted, this EP would make a nice companion to Sonic Youth’s Daydream Nation even after all these years between them. And that includes Taurus’s Slowdive-driven “Heart Attack,” as well, because its finish rivals Sonic Youth’s “Silver Rocket.”

Given that it has only six songs, this EP doesn’t have the time or space to show off the band’s talents to the same degree as did their last album How Do You Like Your Love. It does, however, hold promise for the next album.

Piney Gir – The Yearling

What do we know about Piney Gir then? That she originates from Kansas, has lived in London for over a decade, and was a leading light in several noted all female troupes such as the Schla La Las and the Panther Girls. I need to trawl my own memory banks for info here as there isn’t an accompanying press release for ‘The Yearling’, and I think I need one.

Watch any of Piney Girs’ videos and find yourself struck by the, there isn’t any other word for it, chintziness of the imagery and depending on mood, Piney herself.  Not kitsch though; those are real flowers, not plastic ones, the vintage toys in the background are moving and the imagery is only the start of what Piney and her friends want us to see and hear. Underneath the visuals are some carefully crafted songs and some very dextrous musicianship which, when added to Piney’s own easy-on-the-ear vocals and eminently quotable lyrics, make for an intriguing and entertaining listen.

Thing is, Piney Gir would have us believe that she’s just really a naive country lass, one who’s a little lost and somewhat at odds with the big city that circumstances force her to inhabit, and also one who’s going to leg it back to Smallville at the first opportunity.  This is possibly how it all began for (her real name) Angela Penhaligon, but over a decade since she first arrived in London, The Yearling is an accomplished and mature piece of work.  The smooth country jazz tones that introduce the album with “Hello Halo”, a peppy guitar and violin number that suggests Piney has spent much of 2008 listening to such luminaries and viruosos as Stephan Grapelli,  but it’s  third track “Blithe Spirit” which provides the proper introduction , containing as it does all the ingredients that make The Yearling worth listening to. A combination of mellow guitar, some curious vibey effects and a quirky lyric: ‘when I’m a ghost / I wouldn’t go / so very far away’ sings Piney as she describes making a present for her loved one from paper, glue, and anything else she could find in her garden.

Ms. Gir also shares her opinion on subjects such as London public transport. “199 To Elephant And Castle” is an all to brief acapella exercise leading into the assertations of “Lion (I Am One)” which with its grittily swaying bassline and off-kilter percussions really does start to sound like Sheryl Crowe jamming alongside the Bad Seeds. And there is an actual Bad Seed involved here. “Blixa Bargeld’s Bicycle” is the tale of said velocipede, which Mr. Bargeld is unable to take to China with him. This left me wondering exactly who else is involved in the 16 tracks on The Yearling. “All The Wonderful Things” is a duet with Brakes’ Eamon Hamilton, and I expect that’s Nick Cave on ukelele somewhere in the background. One definite album highlight is is “Not Your Anything”, and rarely has such vitriol sounded so delightful or even funny - at least superficially resembling something  of Kirstin Hersh’s solo work (always a good place to start with this listener) and complete with string section, the lyric has a crushing finality about it: ‘if you climbed mount Everest / and brought me the crown jewels / it wouldn’t make me happy / cos you made me look a fool’. Doesn’t mince her words, Piney doesn’t. 

My only real gripe here is that at 16 tracks Piney and her chums are in danger of spreading their material a little too thinly, but The Yearling is pretty much beyond criticism as a piece of music and Piney herself is too skilled a performer to fall into some of the more obvious traps which await a songstress of her type. The Yearling is quite possibly Piney Girs’ masterpiece.

Greyday Records

Virgin Passages – This Is Not The End Of The World Again

The first time I heard this, I thought it was some sort of inside joke for people who sit around in smoky bookstores rereading the same outdated Sun Ra fanzines and doing lame Sudoku puzzles. Confessions aside, after many much lengthier musical experiences, I can now say that I am more fully a convert of this strange, spacey sound.

So yeah, it shudders in comparison to the magnitude of their previous releases; but Virgin Passage’s This is Not the End of the World Again is a minute, psychedelic tizzy, fully worth the time it takes to sift through its five-track circuit. Although this group is mostly known for their opening performances in MGMT’s 2008 European Tour, they are really a very nice and cheery group of lads and lassies from the U.K. who have been diligently putting their noses to the grindstone and churning out almost bashfully charming records. While most bands have been busy knoodling around in Flickr pictures and tending to their kerfuffle, Virgin Passages has been brewing up all sorts of shenanigans: ranging from covers of the Lemonheads to tributes to Neutral Milk Hotel.

Although the group states that they are a four (or, depending on the day, sometimes five…) piece band, there are really only three core members. However, they usually operate as collective, instituting a sort of Broken-Social-Scene-esque temporal vortex in which random band members leave and then return—reemerging frazzled, bitter, and heavily aged. But we can overlook trifle discrepancies in the actual headcount, and instead put the emphasis on a critical factor: Quantity. Because there’s A LOT of them. Or, at least, that’s what it sounds like…

The vocals on this thing are a mess. But this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’s kinda like that one chick in the album Space is the Place—you know, the one who was always popping up and flapping her tongue in this crazy multi-syllabic tomfoolery? Only take that and multiply it by twelve. It’s loud and rambunctious, but it’s also energizing—kind of like shooting off fireworks in a moving elevator or starting a European soccer riot. But despite all this riff-raff and wonkey can-banging, it’s beautiful. Even if it isn’t English, WHO CARES? It’s not supposed to be. Because despite that fact that there may be numerous vocal layers, there is only one singer. The rest are simply backing instruments. And unlike drums or guitars or nifty synthesizers, there is something remarkably wholesome and empowering about listening to the simple prowess of the human voice. I could even take it a step farther and say that the human voice is the best instrument. Not only due to its universality—but because there is something magical about exploring music as both the player and the instrument.

The entirety of this five-song EP leans heavily to the experimental side, and as a result, it would make a great soundtrack for a hip frozen yogurt joint or a Yoko-Ono-themed high school prom. With all this dabbling, Virgin Passages explores a vastness of uncharted territory—akin to my days of staying after class in elementary school to study the carvings in the desks and hopefully find some bad words that I didn’t know already.

There are all sorts of goodies to be found in this psychedelic, little, mini-album. Whether you enjoy the sounds of symbols, bongos, or the strange “thuddy” sounds of someone beating on a large vessel of fluid, there is something here for everybody. Highlights include the trippy title track and the euphoric “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” (is it a cover? I don’t think so…) which incorporates lilty synth and strange “piffs” that resemble what shooting stars would sound like if they flew six inches above your head. With each drum beat, guitar smash, or strange tone, Virgin Passages will move you farther and farther away from your comfort zone. But don’t recoil in fear. For every time you go exploring, you must abandon all that you find familiar. And this, and only this… is the true nature of adventure.

Fire Records

Thrice – Beggars

Say what you will about Thrice, but the members have grown up. I’ve been following this band since I heard their first album Identity Crisis, and with each release they continue to amaze me. They are one of the few bands that has grown right alongside my growing musical tastes. Identity Crisis saw a young band exploring riffs and speed, in a combination thrash metal/punk sound. Their follow-up, The Illusion of Safety was slightly more grown up, albeit darker and exhibiting more of a straight up metal sound. The Artist in the Ambulance, though not a huge leap in styles, showed that the band was honing their song writing skills while crafting more intricate compositions and even adding math rock to the mix of styles showcased. Vhiessu was as unusual as its name, and became an experiment in post rock, mixed with post hardcore sounds. They even threw in some jazz and folk influences for good measure. The experimental and highly ambitious Alchemy Index was a collection of 4 EP’s with sounds and themes corresponded with each of the natural elements. Now we are at Beggars, their most complete and cohesive album to date. Experimenting is present, but it takes a back seat to a simple philosophy: writing good songs.

The opener “All the World is Mad” is somewhat obvious. It has a heaviness to it that isn’t quite metal at all. It has a post-rock groove that isn’t quite rock. It is an obvious song simply because it sounds like what we’ve come to expect from Thrice after previous experimental endeavors. Songs like “All the World…” and “The Weight” carry with it tones from the Earth sessions and the vocal work by Dustin Kensrue is carried over from his solo acoustic work. His voice is rough and tumble, and the sound of both of these songs has a messy feel to them at first. Of course, subject matter varies – “All the World…” is a simple lament for the state of the human condition while “The Weight” is a love song, highlighting the importance of monogamy in a relationship.

“Circles” quiets the mood with an electronic and post-rock influence, giving guitarist/producer Teppei Taranishi a chance to let his piano skills shine in the lead up to the breakdown. Then, out of left field comes “Doublespeak”. The jazz groove used in the introduction and throughout  is something you’d be hard pressed to find in any other Thrice song before it. The explosion into a full on rock song doesn’t break the groove of the song at all – in fact it strengthens it thanks to Riley Breckenridge’s precision bass tones.

If you’re searching for the closest thing to older Thrice material, it would be in “At the Last” and “Talking Through Glass”. Both songs are very straightforward and their genius lies not in their edgier moments, but how they transcend their own conventions. “At the Last” is a grungy, shoe-gaze like rock number, while “Talking Through Glass” is an austere, yell infused opus. The title track closes the album with a slow burning, blues inspired number that sums up the collection perfectly and ends on a powerful note.

There are fans who still want this band to regress (yes, I said regress) to their original metal infused sound. After listening to Beggars, astute listeners will agree that this would be a misstep for the band as they are headed in the direction that they were always meant to. Fortunately, its exciting because there’s no telling where they’ll go next; something I find myself saying after hearing every album Thrice puts out.

Tribecastan – Strange Cousin

There’s a singular kind of feeling one gets when they’re able to let inhibitions go and let loose. Whether it’s in the style of familiarizing yourself with old friends, dressing for an event, or in this case, getting together with musicians who share similar bonds and rejoicing in the music you’re creating.

There’s a picture of the duo, John Kruth and Jeff Greene, that leads Tribecastan on the back of Strange Cousin and they’re depicted in the same way their music comes off: joyous, distinct and energized. Both men look up towards the sky as they cradle their respective instruments, laughing about who knows what. Along with a group of musicians, they’ve successfully conveyed this relaxed fun of worldly touches into a solid amount of fashionable music.

The upright bass that starts things off on “Princess Rahsaanica” deceives with its 60s R&B style before Kruth’s wooden flute sings with a fluid motion, just before Steve Turre is featured on a timely trombone solo. And even with a wide range of styles, the album’s overall theme is a Middle-eastern one as noticed on not only the album’s sound but the song titles. “Dancing Girls (of Tribecastan)” conjure images of dancing gypsies during dusk and the spellbinding twists they perform. And although only four musicians are featured on this song—everything from drums, cymbals, to a riq—they all give way to a grander scale of delightedness.

There’s nothing extraordinarily amazing on Strange Cousin but that’s just the case, it seems like this was all about getting a few friends together and making something quirky, unique and fresh. For every whistling flute there’s an accompanying koncovka such as the case with the complacent feel of “Yusef’s Motif.” Playing off each other’s move, Green and Kruth trade jabs as if they were performing for tips on a Sunday afternoon at your favorite park. Peppered with liveliness and a sense of ease, they thrive on their gelling musings.

The alto sax solo, by Matt Darriau and the pocket trumpet part, by Dave Dreiwitz on “Tribecastan Traffic Jam” are vibrantly performed. With each musician taking turns under the spotlight, they borrow from each other: both employing linear lines and conveniently placed vibrato. And on the only other piece that features only Kruth and Greene, “Otha’s Blues” is a jamming, mandolin-filled romp of easygoing instrumental flurries.  

Interestingly enough and in reality, unfortunately, Strange Cousin is a collection of mixed ideas. Righteously so, Tribecastan is here to show us just how much fun a good time can be. And even when the moments drag and the ideas run dry, this set of talented musicians are able to sort things out in efficient manner. All that really matters is the musician’s elation and for Kruth and Greene, all looks up.

Evergreene Music

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