Arctic Monkeys – Suck It and See

There was a time where practically everything Arctic Monkeys did was seen as something both shocking and instantly titillating – in terms of their hype and exposure. Some credit them as proof of what internet hype can conjure, their first cover was a controversial discussion simply due to its smoking image and some questioned their motives in releasing music at a rapid pace. Through all of this foolish talk, there’s also the underrated aspect of their consistently great music. Some people say, “It’s not a win, until you’re consistent” and for Arctic Monkeys, they’ve been everything consistent and more in delivering three tremendous albums.

Trading in the stuffy production that Josh Homme assisted in creating on Humbug, the Sheffield-based band reunites with producer James Ford for Suck It and See’s new environments. For starters, the album was recorded at Sound City Studios in Los Angeles, where the band opted for rigorous studio sessions that found them seasoned in the music they were creating. On songs like “Reckless Serenade” the band sounds comfortably rich in its own skin with a shimmering guitar solo that excels in the lively arrangement. It’s obvious that they’ve opted to let the sun come shining in and where the suffocating effects of the production on Humbug are gone, the melodies continue to shine.

Those melodies – the same ones that have aided in crafting winners before – are still, ever-present on Suck It and See’s open spaces. “The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala” triumphs with an opening bliss of chords that rush in like the atmospheric reverb of Jesus and the Mary Chain. The ‘shalalala’ is a glorious way to induce the chorus and through more polished guitar, it’s Alex Turner’s lyrics that continue to impress. Poignantly stating the harshly obvious as he asks, “And did you ever get the feeling that these are things she’s said before?” the sparkling luster is in the band’s radiant delivery. Even earlier, to start things off, the band delivers what might be the album’s finest melody on “She’s Thunderstorms” with Turner’s dazzling guitar that remains a fluid constant throughout. The heavy electricity of the crash is felt through the pounding drums and in a breakthrough of openings: the band declares its newfound return to form with great direction.

All of this isn’t to say that Suck and It See’s predecessor is anything to scoff at either. Highlighted by a disparate style of production and conception (the band even noted how they made a deliberate effort to have as many of the songs written, rehearsed and well-known before they stepped into the studio to ensure a successful recording session) – there is very obviously a shift in formation to be realized. Regardless, whether it’s the re-creation of an old Turner solo into a lush and dreamy escape (“Piledriver Waltz”), grinding and forceful touches (“Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair”), or a stomping, resounding ode to excellence (“Black Treacle”), the luster continues to burst through. And so while the design is a bit different, the result is still another awesome album to add to Arctic Monkeys’ arsenal.

Nowadays, everyone has to have a reason for everything and mostly, for Arctic Monkeys, the strongest reason behind the consistency of their music is their impeccable knack for melodies and discourse. So while they’ve spent most of their short career explaining why they record and release the way they do, it’s evident that their discography is outstanding and thrilling without doubt.

Domino Records

New Album from Stranded Horse

The current release on Talitres Records is the new full-length of a STRANDED HORSE (formerly Encre & Thee, Stranded Horse) titled “Humbling Tides”.

http://www.myspace.com/theestrandedhorse

“Humbling Tides” continue along the path embarked upon with “Churning Strides” (2007), effecting sublte but significant changes to a musical formula that finds Tambour melting disparate musical modes and cultures – shades of the mandinka tradition of West Africa, medevial folksong, Fahey-esque fingerpicking, French chanson and more can be discerned – into one bold, fluid and graceful new form.

Fucked Up – David Comes to Life

“Sun rises above the factory but the rays don’t make it to the street.
Through the gates come the employees, beaten down and dragging their feet.
A group of lefties hand out pamphlets to the workers coming in.
For two people on the pavement life will never be the same again.”

And so begins this epic rock musical yarn from the gargantuan post-hardcore / punk-gaze conglomerate that is the aptly name band, Fucked Up.  This is a confusing record.  I’m sure I won’t be the first to say that this potential magnum opus seems as titanic and fleeting as it does intelligent and visionary.  Did this down and out factory worker fall in love with his soulmate he was predestined to murder? Was it his fault? Did he even do it?  Its fascinating to try to follow the lyrics of this lofty narrative.  One may find this tale much more interesting than I and if so, more power to them.  Regardless of the lackluster cohesion to the story, the music is, as always, gripping, compelling and consistently enticing.  Founding member and lead guitarist Mike Haliechuk does a gorgeous job of layering his guitar tracks, his zest for production obvious throughout all three of the bands albums.

Say what you will about Damian Abraham’s vocals (most people love them or hate them) but I think they work in the context of this band, especially when paired with vocalist Jennifer Castle and with the guest appearance here by Madeline Follin from the band Cults.

The dense power chords exchanged between Haliechuk and rhythm guitarist Ben Cook work every track into a frenzy with Jonah Falco’s insistently punctual and powerful drumming.  This is a band that is so syncopated I imagine their studio sessions to be finished in a minimum amount of takes, as long as they can get along anyway.

Hardcore doesn’t seem to be remotely in sight as the introductory track of David Comes to Life melodically lulls us into the epic narrative of the latest outing by Fucked Up.  Over three minutes of lovely layered guitar tease repetitively through ‘Let Her Rest’.  Then we are abruptly launched into token sounds we know and love with ‘Queen of Hearts’.

The eighteen tracks and eighty minutes presented here don’t hold a candle to 2008′s The Chemistry of Common Life but I truly admire the tenacity of this outfit to push on toward such a lofty venture.  There are many emo elements  in the subject matter but I can’t deny the few outbreaks of chill bumps I got when hearing some of the genuinely romantic lyrics.  Its growing on me and I think if you give it a chance you’ll feel the same.

http://www.davidcomestolife.com/

Digital reissue of Old Toy Trains debut album

Los Angeles, CA – L.A. based quintet OLD TOY TRAINS joins the Planting Seeds Collective, with the long overdue digital release of their introspective/daydreamy debut: “Electric Railway”. The band originally released the EP on limited edition CD in 2010 via ace indie label MIND EXPANSION. The digital EP was on May 24th and will contain “Crow’s Landing” as a bonus track.

The sonic dreamscapes of Old Toy Trains are collected on the five song EP “Electric Railway” (PSR077). The band’s leader – Bo Chung’s rich baritone oozes soulfully beneath a wash of delicate guitars and drones. This sound is most notably apparent in “An Apology” and “Now.” Things get even more surreal on the Eno-esque “Blue Pine.” With “Empty Space,” Bo and the band are joined by virtuoso Emmett Kelly (The Cairo Gang & Bonnie “Prince” Billy) on guitar and bass.

Originally released as a limited edition cd under Detroit’s Mind Expansion records in 2010, the digital re-issue includes the bonus track “Crow’s Landing,” a track Beach Boy Brian Wilson once exclaimed “A Happy Bag! Let‘s hear that again!”

Old Toy Trains (named after the Roger Miller Christmas song) was started as a studio project circa 2006 by guitarist/singer/songwriter Bo Chung and a school of like-minded travelers. The latest line-up features: Bo Chung (guitars, sp202, theremin, vox), Ai Kusuhara (drums, synths, percussion, vox), Suki Ewers who also spent time in OPAL and MAZZY STAR (synths, percussion, vox), David Greening (Guitar, lap steel) and Tony Lamantia (Bass). Along with the release of the “Electric Railway EP”- they have already begun recording material for a follow up release.

For more information on the band please visit:
www.facebook.com/oldtoytrains

www.myspace.com/oldtoytrains

www.reverbnation.com/oldtoytrains

 

Qluster – Fragen

It’s hard to think of many musicians with a 40+ year career sustaining inspirational creativity whilst retaining much of their original modus operandi, but Hans-Joachim Roedelius is certainly one of those gifted few. A genuine grandee amongst Germany’s pioneering and close-knit experimental musical community since the late-‘60s, the septuagenarian has earned his well-respected status several times over with groups such as Kluster, Cluster and Harmonia as well as through collaborations with the likes of Brian Eno and Kraftwerk/Neu! veteran Michael Rother. Returning now with a new outfit that partners him with tricenarian Onnen Beck – after long-term Cluster comrade Dieter Moebius opted for musical separation in 2010 – this debut as Qluster finds Roedelius in exemplary and age-defying artistic good health.

One of a supposed trilogy, Fragen is a seven-part suite of atmospheric yet far from translucent analogue synthesiser mediations blessed with warmth, gravitas, intelligence and intuition. Although reportedly improvised and strictly constructed with pre-digital methodology, the record doesn’t totally lack sculptured structure or possess overly-cynical retro ticks. Instead, this is a long-player of enduring resonance that could have been made at any time within the last four decades and should still command attention during the next four and beyond.

Opener “Los Geht’s” sets the scene mesmerically from the start, with balmy pulses meshing with a steady organ-like motif whilst electronic fizz washes over the combined surface. Further in, the ensuing “Auf der Alm” glides from chirruping ghosts in the machines to near-symphonic uplift; the more minimalistic “Zartbitter” and the lengthy but engrossing “Wurzelwelt” re-conceive the imagined-future sounds found along the long corridors of deep space vessels in ‘70s sci-fi films. Towards the collection’s close a slightly less spartan essence seeps into the wires, giving us the deserted carnival eeriness of “Fuenf nach eins,” the pastorally-shaded “Haste Toene” and the well-measured ripples of discordance that stir gently through “Josef Z.”

Perversely though, track-by-track analysis seems to shift on each spin, suggesting that Fragen has a fluid personality that is best for total immersion on numerous occasions in a variety moods, which only adds to its transferable yet uncompromised artistic value. In an era of tumult and haste, this is a soothing oasis of noble calm. Bring on the next two…

Bureau B

Manzana Carnal – Perfectly Flawed (and other lies)

Utilising a near bewildering array of influences and producing a seamless musical result isn’t always so easy, but Manzana Carnal are definitely making it sound that way. The New York quintet are combining freeform jazz improv, electronica, full-on punk energy and an elusive otherness is what these particular results are. Recorded live, Perfectly Flawed has a chaotic energy and a electro soul vibe at its heart that isn’t like anything I’ve heard since Nouvelle Vague reconfigured both the Buzzcocks back catalogue, and Depeche Mode’s hard drive.

A gently tingling minute or so of Indonesian percussion starts things off, but anyone expecting to hear a poppy collection of far eastern melodies is in for a shock. “No No No” is a vitriolic blast of yelped vocal and powerhouse drumming that, just when it seems Manzana Carnal are finally settling on a song structure, is suddenly torn asunder by a swathe of guitar pyrotechnics. “Serena” quickly calms the situation, a bluesy torch ballad verging on the brink of neurosis, and then “Hey” has the sound of the band properly getting into their stride, part grinding blues rock, part reverberating jazz rhythm patterns, and a stop-start dynamic that’s almost digital in its brisk contempt for convention. Over the 11 tracks on Perfectly Flawed, Manzana Carnal continually push the boundaries of what are still our preconceptions of how rock, jazz and blues should sound, skilfully pulling it back from outright deconstruction just when you think they’re going to collapse entirely into freeform indulgence.

So, Manzana Carnal are re-breaking the rules that John Zorn, James Chance and Lydia Lunch tore up back in the day, and bringing their own brand of dissonant improv and reflective minimalism to traditional song structures and themes. The live recording provides their sound with an added impetus and some of the musicianship is of a near spectacular standard. There are few flaws and quite some moments of perfection on Perfectly Flawed.

http://manzanacarnal.bandcamp.com/

New EP from Crooks out now

Free mp3 for “Downtown” from the EP.  Download it here: http://soundcloud.com/crooks-country/crooks-downtown

Crooks are an Austin four-piece consisting of frontman Josh Mazour, drummer Rob Bacak, stand-up bassist Andrew VanVoorhees, and multi-instrumentalist Sam Albert, who alternates between guitar, banjo, mandolin, and trumpet. The band just signed on with Austin producer Danny Reisch to record a new full-length this summer, who recently won “Producer of the Year” at this year’s Austin Music Awards during SXSW. Reisch has worked with Austin indie luminaries like White Denim, Shearwater, What Made Milwaukee Famous, The Lemurs, and Bright Light Social Hour.

In the last few months, Crooks have been featured on MTV’s new website “The Hive”,where they were called a “Must-See Austin band,” and had an mp3 featured as the“song of the day” on both AOL Spinner and tastemaker NPR affiliate WXPN’s website in Philadelphia. They’ve received awesome reviews from the Austin Chronicle, the Austin American Statesman, and The Onion AV Club, and have been featured on tastemaker sites such as My Old Kentucky Blog and Daytrotter.

My Morning Jacket – Circuital

Like a set of connections, My Morning Jacket has always been able to piece their albums together around a basis of solid strengths. Besides being a band that has come and gone through Southern rock and a folk standby, their eclectic breed of styles has introduced gnarly smashers (“Off the Record”) and flourishing breaths of fresh air (“The Way That He Sings”) with the one constant forever being Jim James’ gorgeous voice. It’s taken quite some time now – too long if you ask me – but in energizing their connections to deliver directly clear paths, the mesmerizing band has returned with another bona fide beauty in Circuital.

The magic of the album lies in the band’s heart and even on something free-forming and carefree as “You Wanna Freak Out,” the passages are decorated with chugging guitars and drums. Gone are the invigorating risks like on the conflict-ridden “Highly Suspicious” – where many supposed fans were left confused and dumbfounded for their own pretentious reasons – in favor of reflective, much more tranquil settings. On “Wonderful (The Way I Feel)” James is highlighted by a radiant acoustic guitar that justly allows for the singer’s voice to tower over the composition like a shimmering star in the sky. The warmness of the song is an instant lull – with its filling strings and atmospherics – that its second movement of optimism is a gentle lift. The directness of an album like Circuital will maintain more of an immediate impact than the erstwhile Evil Urges but with a developing, always-moving-forward band like My Morning Jacket, one would expect nothing less.

Simply listening to the title track and how it weaves through a set of rousing intervals is a stunning work of art in itself. James continues to amaze with a voice that is as enigmatically touching as it is impeccably flawless and through all of their complimentary words, the foundation for a song like “Circuital” is still build-up and release. Setting the tone with a tapping drum, the music lets loose before James finally calls out, “Circuits, all in and out…connect my body, deep into the ground.” Through the intertwined melodies and the introduction of a sparkling keyboard line, the music flows out of the band like a smooth wine.

All of this isn’t to say that the band has entirely lost hope on being able to be somewhat playful still. It seems like it’s taken forever but My Morning Jacket have finally caught on and a song like “Holdin’ on to Black Metal” is a triumphant reason why. Soaring with pounding drums and a retro, 70s-like, menacing bass line, the children’s choir is a wonderful touch. And earlier, on the exceptional “The Day is Coming,” the band picks up on the grooves and beats they recruited from The Roots for a song that is both booming and blasting with stellar songwriting. A song before, James sung about, “Well you can fling open the windows, or you can board them up” and now he sings, “Bang, bang on your door…if opportunity rears its head, will you answer or stay home in bed?” The calling is a query that many of us take for granted but in the most direct of ways – with an entrancing, sing-along, ‘ba-da-da-da-da’ melody in the background – My Morning Jacket definitely know how to combine great music with great words.

Music has a funny way of being misunderstood and Evil Urges suffered, not from a lack of special music, but due to a lack of clear understanding by fans. While it’s still confusing to hear people complain about silly reasons, Circuital ensures that any possible doubt in the band is visibly out of the way. Allowing their music to be filled with the goodness they inevitably churn out, My Morning Jacket has embraced the electrical currents that connect their music. With a diverse, delectable and yes, envied catalog, they can add an assured release to an already massive list.

ATO Records

JEFF the Brotherhood- We Are the Champions

Take one part good Weezer, one part Wavves, one part Nirvana and you might get the picture on what JEFF the Brotherhood is like. A high-octane garage rock duo from Nashville, Jake and Jamin Orrall are a lot of damn fun. Jake has a bit of Rivers Cuomo in his vocals, both in voice and melodic style. Hooks are what will win you over with JEFF–Jake is a master of hammering hooks out of this DIY punk aesthetic.

The duo carry a reckless abandon in the way they play their instruments without precision or painstaking complexity. Like Kurt Cobain or Nathan Williams (Wavves), JEFF shreds fuzzed-out guitars, while the drums pound away at a fervent pace. Jake’s lyrics are amusingly simple, like rhyming “sun” and “fun.” This works because again, this is a rock band doing things very raw and very off-the-cuff. “Stay Out Late” is a buzzsaw of an anthem, no frills garage rock. “Hey Friend” “Endless Fire,” (which is right in Weezer’s wheelhouse) “Health and Strength,” (a pretty sweet Indian weirdo song) and “Diamond Way” are four out of the eleven songs that carve out enough space to keep this album from being too much of blaze. These breathable songs do so much for the cohesion of the album, to ensure the listener doesn’t choke on the power chord overload.

JEFF the Brotherhood, as I’m sure you can gather, won’t win you over with technical skill the way more polished bands will. But for thirty-four minutes, JEFF is entertaining as goddamnit. It goes to show, scuzzy hooks will always be a way to make engaging music, even if the genre is well-worn. So, do yourselves a favor and check out We Are the Champions, an endlessly rewarding firecracker of an album.

Tyler The Creator-Goblin

Goblin has been out for more than a month now and I feel as though this wonderful website needs something a little different to mix it up a bit, so here it goes. Goblin is going to freak you out plain and simple. There is enough creepy imagery here to make David Lynch want to call a psychiatrist for this kid. Speaking of psychiatrist, this is the second album where the primary manner in which the narrative is pushed forward is Tyler talking to his Psychiatrist. The album title is appropriate, as this CD is monstrous at a whopping 15 tracks and a length of an hour and thirteen minutes. Prog rap maybe? No, not really. The LP is just exploratory, and the length never even becomes a burden or an issue, so let’s get to the fun part. A foreword – the easily offended need not apply, this album is downright foul, disturbing, misogynistic, anti-religious (not satanic) and seemingly (possibly) homophobic in many places. Should you give Tyler a listen? Certainly but, be warned, this is an album not for the faint of heart.

If somebody ever asked you about Tyler the Creator, or at least to summarize his whole identity in one song, it would have to be “Radical” wherein he urges us to, “kill people burn shit and fuck school.” Tyler and his alter egos are about subversion, plain and simple. He is an excellent, capital E, lyricist who does not care about anything (supposedly). He is a musical anarchist who is clearly tired of the direction music, especially rap, has taken in the last decade. The music is ominous, dense and personal as Tyler let’s his innermost demons run amok on most of his tracks. In essence if you are looking for a “club banger”, well, I do not use internet lingo in my reviews but, laugh out loud. Comparing him to any of his contemporaries would not do him any justice, he does not even sound like a typical “West Coast” emcee. The music and beats are an ethereal mix of Kanye West style productions and The Neptunes inspired beats. Some of the must listens are: “Tron Cat”, “She”, “Yonkers”, “Radical”, “Nightmare” and “Sandwitches”.

Tyler is a good rapper and Goblin is a good CD; there are moments on Goblin that feel unnecessary where Tyler goes on strange, seemingly unrelated tangents. This adds a bit of depth, in that you really feel like you are sitting in on a therapy session. Do I agree with Tyler on the subjects he talks about, more importantly does it matter if you or I  agree? Ultimately, this album is about Tyler and we cannot dictate how somebody chooses to express themselves, so the best thing to do is sit back and let him open himself up. warts and all… So yes, I highly recommend the album. Swag (I could not resist, forgive me).

 

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