The question of "does an album cover matter?" tends comes up. To this question, I say"no, it doesn't." While I really appreciate album art it is not the be all, end all for an album.
If I had to choose a favorite album art, it would most likely be a three way tie between OK Computer, Kid A, and Pinkterton. These albums have served as backgrounds, screen savers, and posters. They encapsulate not only the feeling of the album, but the album's aesthetic.
Radiohead - Kid A (2000)
Weezer - Pinkerton (1996)
Radiohead - OK Computer (1997)
A recent conversation I had with some friends entailed the newest Strokes album, Comedown Machine due out on March 26th on RCA.
The Strokes - Comedown Machine (March 26th/RCA)
While not the best cover art, I ask: was this done on purpose to give more of an emphasis on their music or a way to branch out of the fact that they ARE the Strokes? The Strokes must be tired of just being The Strokes. Being around for more than a decade, there have definitely been some preconceived notions with the aura of the band: indifference in vocals, great guitar leads, and a precise yet not flashy rhythm section. They have captured the essence of New York within a couple of great tunes. Still, I believe the album will speak for itself. Plain is not a bad thing in any way when the album has enough power to back it up. We shall see come March.
Here are three albums with spring releases that I am highly anticipating. Of course there are more: AraabMusik's For Professional Use Only, a new Strokes record that hopefully outshines "Angels," Matmos' "The Marriage of True Minds, the new Vampire Weekend due in May, and" Deltron 3030's "Event II," among many others.
Tera Melos - X'ed Out (April 16,2013/Sargent House)
After an already stellar release of the new album by This Town Needs Guns, Sargent House continues their exciting list of 2013 releases with the new Tera Melos album, X'ed Out, due this April. Check out their Bandcamp to listen to their new single "Tropic Lame" and pre-order the album. Check out another song scheduled to be on the album, "Slimed," below.
Born Ruffians - Birthmark (April 16, 2013)
Born Ruffians have just announced their follow up to 2010's Say It. Due out for an April 16th release, all we have to judge is the song "In Her Shadow" released on New Years Day. It is hard to tell the characteristics of the album, but it appears that it will be more mellow and much less sporadic than their EP or two full lengths. This doesn't mean it will by any means be boring as the Born Ruffians have never been synonymous with boring.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Mosquito (April 16, 2013)
This March it will have been four years since we've been graced by a Yeah Yeah Yeahs record. A lot has happened in that time. Reportedly, this outing will be a sonically raw album similar to that of Fever to Tell instead of their heavily electronic, expansive last album, It's Blitz. In my opinion, when the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are at their rawest, they are at their most intriguing. Let's hope a single materializes soon.
Starting off my top lists of the year are my top five favorite music videos. While it is hard to quantify videos, these have been some of my favorite videos of the year.
5. Joey Bada$$ (Feat. Capital STEEZ) - "Survival Tactics"
A group that captures the Wu Tang spirit more than other in the early part of the decade is PRO ERA. Grainy videos and a list of talented emcees encapsulate all the videos from the outstanding 1999 mix-tape from Joey Bad$$. This collective has a considerably even skill set when compared to groups such as Odd Future or A$AP Mob. Joey Bada$$, the 17 year old Brooklynite, has created quite a following in 2012 and this is a prime reason as to why.
This coming week I will be doing a series of "Top of the Year" lists. Below is the schedule.
Saturday, December 1st Top Five Music Videos of the Year
Sunday, December 2nd Top Five Albums of the Year
Monday, December 3rd Top 50 Songs of the Year (Part One) (50-41)
Tuesday, December 4th Top 50 Songs of the Year (Part Two) (40-31)
Wednesday, December 5th Top 50 Songs of the Year (Part Three) (30-21)
Thursday, December 6th Top 50 Songs of the Year (Part Four) (20-11)
Friday, December 7th Top 50 Songs of the Year (Part Five) (10-1)
Keep in mind, I am only one person so I can only be aware of so many artists and songs. Years from now I will still be uncovering music from the year we knew as 2012. But for now, these will be to commemorate albums, videos, and songs I have enjoyed over this year. So just enjoy reading them and feel free to comment on your favorites of the year. I am sure we can all respectively agree to disagree.
For now, I'll just leave you with a video I have been watching quite a bit.
This review may be a little behind, but today I will be focusing on the new Titus Andronicus album, Local Business. Released last month, the album treads usually territory of American anthems, New Jersey, and references to Shakespearean tragedy.
On a side note, I will be reviewing Captain Murphy's highly anticipated album Duality next week! It is scheduled for release this Thursday.
Titus Andronicus - Local Business (XL Recordings)
Local Business, the follow up to their expansive sophomore album The Monitor, can be seen as their most polished yet but that does not take away from the final product. It is undeniably an album by Titus Andronicus. This time around Patrick Stickles vocals are not as guttural, arrangements are simplistic, and his lyrics seem to be some of his most personal yet, especially the eight minute epic "My Eating Disorder," presumptuously dealing with his eating disorder. In the weeks upcoming to the album, Titus Andronicus played several "Local Business" sessions around Brooklyn, I assume as an ode to the the local businesses that fuel our economy and the hard working, individuals that create a back bone of our society.
To understand the new Kendrick Lamar album, we must go back. Let's go back to 1993. Dr. Dre's The Chronic and Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle had recently been released, Compton was portrayed as a dangerous city ridden by gang violence, notably the Bloods and Crips, Death Row Records was in full force, and on the East Coast, Ready to Die was being prepped for release which would ignite a rivalry still in effect today: Biggie or Tupac? At this time Kendrick Lamar was seven and growing up in Compton, listening to these albums. His mother and father left Chicago because of its gang violence, ultimately ending up in a similar situation. It is easy to see this backdrop in his newest album good boy, m.A.A.d city (m.A.A.d being an acronym for My Angel on Angel Dust). It has a retro feel but melds the traditions of current hip-hop. It states on the cover, a short film by Kendrick Lamar. With an ongoing story-line and vivid details of growing up in Compton, it proves to be one of most cohesive listens of the year.
good kid, m.A.A.d city (A Short Film by Kendrick Lamar)
After hearing "Backseat Freestyle" and his arrogant, uncharacteristic lines like "Damn I got bitches: wifey, girlfriend, and mistress," I was a little concerned until I heard it in the context of an album, just proving sometimes context can be equivalently important as the music itself. Another concern developed after seeing a list of guest spots as well as producers such as Just Blaze and Pharell. It seemed to be the makings of a pop record. I presumed a couple bangers and big name guest spots to overcompensate for the lack of substance. This again, was thankfully not the case. The guest spots blend seamlessly into Kendrick's verses and are, in no way, intrusive to the overall story-line.
In celebration of 20 blogs, I'd like to give a playlist of my top 20 songs of the week. Some are new, some are old favorites, and some old-but-new favorites.
A video to watch: Check out the new, non-NO LOVE DEEP WEB track from Death Grips titled "True Vulture Bare." The video is a collaboration with Director/Animator Galen Pehrson and just as most of Death Grips' material, it is as unsettling as it is beautiful.
Hymie's Basement (2003/Lex Records)
A song to listen to: Keeping in line with being at times unsettling is Hymie's Basement's "Ghost Dream," which is featured in this playlist. I recently came across Hymie's Basement (a side project of WHY?'s Yoni Wolf and Fog's Andrew Broder). Released in 2003, a majority of the album is a take on the American Dream and way of life. "Ghost Dream" tells the tale of a man who takes a detour to find a bass guitar at a city dump before he makes his way to a school dance. As he swerves his van to avoid a couple he plunges into water and slowly drowns. One of his final thoughts is that the water was soaking out the starch of his new dress shirt. Ending on the the chorus "Brand new skinny ghost, meet your brand new angel monster Microwave, meet your maker." Any WHY? fan should love it.
With the exception of few (Wu Tang Clan's "Triumph," for example) am not a big fan of posse tracks. Usually, it becomes fairly obvious that there is not enough talent that can be dispersed through an entire song. You can imagine my dismay when I heard about the release of G.O.O.D Music's Cruel Summer compilation. Other than "To The World," a track featuring R. Kelly and some nice wordplay such "the whole world is a couch...I'm Rick James tonight" and "The Morning," I was left underwhelmed. The multi-layered, grandiose arrangements of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy were traded for overall generic beats, braggadocio verses, and repetitive hooks. This weekend, "White Dress," which will be featured on The Man With the Iron Fists Soundtrack, graced my speakers with top-notch production from the RZA and Kanye.
The Man With the Iron Fists (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Soul-inspired backing vocals, chime heavy, and a subtle yet evolving beat set perfectly under dense lyrical content from Kanye West. If it wasn't for Kanye's verses, it could easily pass for an updated version of a track on Only Built 4 Cuban Linx. "White Dress" does not abide by a 16-bar format or a verse, chorus, verse structure. Instead, Kanye packs everything he can into these verses that seem to relate to his past and present relationships. The song is released along side the motion picture The Man With the Iron Fists. It is far from the intended bangers that are overrun by Cruel Summer or Watch the Throne. "White Dress" is Kanye's best in quite some time, in my opinion.
An album cover (see the uncensored cover here) isn't always indicative of an album, but with NO LOVE DEEP WEB, it is. It became very clear very fast that this is an album that unforgivably indulged in extremes. With a punk edge and futurist mindset, the group released the album before their record label, Epic, had even heard it, released said album for free download on their soundcloud, and chose cover art of an erect penis with NO LOVE DEEP WEB scribbled on it. This was almost too daring, even for Death Grips. I was waiting to be let down. I figured that this amount of publicity was just to overcompensate for an album that was under-cooked. Fortunately, I was wrong. This 13 track blast of aggression delivered on everyone of its promises.
Death Grips - NO LOVE DEEP WEB
I will never forget catching an hour or two of sleep before the midnight (2 AM in the Midwest) release dropped. Barely being awake, I was knocked right into an alert state as distorted, percussive, bassy chaos spilled into my headphones with "Come Up and Get Me." MC Ride's voice is as strained as it has ever been as he shrieks and belts out vivid verses of being surrounded in an abandoned eight story building.
Despite it being released the same year as The Money Store, that is where comparisons can end. It is hard to believe, but the Money Store can be seen as the group's "pop" album. That batch of songs contained some of the most twisted hooks that has ever been committed to tape. See "I've Seen Footage" if you need an example.
Otherwise, we are met with grittier instrumentals, odd soundscapes, and clanking percussion from Zach Hill. This is best exemplified by "Hunger Games," a minimalist venture with some of MC Ride's best lyrics painting pictures of "neck-bones sprayin' guava." While not as catchy as The Money Store, this album does include some delicious onomatopoetic, minimal hooks, such as "W-W-W-W-W-W-Whammy" and "Pop, pop, pop, pop."
"No Love" starts in what sounds like MC Ride pounding on walls, screaming by himself in a cell or a padded room; his voice, hoarse and panicked. This song along with the beautifully arranged chorus of "Pop" remain some of the most memorable moments. "Stockton," makes references to being stuck in Stockton, California, which had the honorable distinction of making it on the Forbes America's Most Miserable Cities list, and contains another onomatopoeia filled chorus of "I'm bouncin'. Whoop Whoop."
The one-two punch of "Bass Rattle Stars Out the Sky" and "Artificial Death in the West" close out the album with a comparatively rap-centric structure. The closing line to the album"she shoot pussy through your chest you die" is surely to leave you scratching your head but if you have followed Death Grips for the past year or so, that should not be shocking.
(Taken from @deathgripz on October 5th)
This album is challenging. With no scheduled release date, who knows what the fate of this album will be. It is clear that Death Grips are bravely pushing boundaries and have the skill to back it up. The album is in every nook and cranny of the web, due to Death Grips themselves. Any fan of experimental music, regardless of genre, should at least attempt a listen. After cancelling their tour to finish NO LOVE DEEP WEB, they will pick up where they left off. On November 20 they will be at the Bottom Lounge. Hopefully I will see you all there.
Note: I was going to write about NO LOVE DEEP WEB's release yesterday, but due to my mind being blown, I will wait until next week. For now, I will talk about The Streets. I miss The Streets. Even though it has only been about two years since his last album, knowing that Mike Skinner (AKA The Streets) will not be releasing another album under his moniker makes me long for something. A something that only The Streets can bring me. This October, it will mark the ten year anniversary (in the US) of the release of his first full length Original Pirate Material. In honor of this, I give to you my top ten favorite tracks from The Streets. Since 2002, Skinner released five full length albums, one EP, and one mix-tape: Original Pirate Material, A Grand Don't Come For Free, The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living, Everything Is Borrowed, Computers and Blues, All Got Our Runnins and Cyberspace and Reds, respectively.
The Streets - Original Pirate Material (2002)
10. "All Goes Out the Window" - The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living
09. Lock the Locks - Computers And Blues
08. "Has It Come To This?" - Original Pirate Material
I am back with a couple album review/recommendations! This week I will be reviewing two highly anticipated albums. The first, WHY?'s Mumps, Ect. will be out next month, but has already leaked. The second, The xx's Coexist had big shoes to fit, but filled them nicely.
WHY? - Mumps, Ect (Out 10/09/2012 on Anticon)
With some of the sweetest sounding arrangements this year containing a mass of juxtaposing lyrical content, WHY? returns with their fifth full length album Mumps, Ect. This summer WHY? released their great Sod in the Seed EP. Watch the video for the title track off that EP below.
Here are ten videos that I keep on coming back to. They are a mix of live, official, and unofficial videos. Down below you can watch Ariel Pink jump into his crowd for a make out session, watch Tim Harrington of Les Savy Fav eat a pear while giving a riotous performance, and much more. Hope you enjoy!
Side note: Death Grips fans can check out an unreleased cut from The Money Store on [adult swim]'s Singles Program. The song called "@deathgripz," titled after the groups Twitter page. "@deathgripz" is a spastic cut featuring all of MC Ride's vocal abilities from mellow to abrasive, giving it a jumpy quality that fits well with the instrumental. Their second album titled NO LOVE DEEP WEB is expected for an October release.
Modest Mouse - "Dramamine" (Unofficial Video)
The Streets - Computer & Blues Interactive Film
Les Savy Fav - "Lips 'N Stuff" (Acoustic, Mahogany Sessions)
Monster Machismo - "Me Blindfolded Vs. Mike Tyson"
In the middle of summer I pieced together a playlist of how to stay cool. Sadly the final days of summer are rapidly approaching. The grandiose sounds of summer will be traded for sparse, brittle sounds of fall such as leaves crunching and blowing in the wind. This playlist should complement that well.
From Stereolab and Royksopp's thumping and chiming that beg to be played at a backyard get together to the downright dreary and unsettling "Sad Pony Guerilla Girl" (most notably in the Life and Live version 2:55 and on), this playlist should take you through the end of summer and get you ready for the harsh winter that will be here before we know it.
King Krule - Rock Bottom/Octopus - Single (9/24/2012)
Note that the track, Zoo Kid's "Rock Bottom," is an early version of the song by the young man now known as King Krule. Check out the new version here. A song that builds, finds its clarity in its climax with repeating the final lines from "Empty Cans" by the Streets off of his album A Grand Don't Come For Free.
"It is the end of something I did not want to end. The beginning of hard times to come.
But something that was not meant to be is done. And this is the start of what was."
Additional Details:
1. Stereolab - "Brakhage" - Dots & Loops
2. Royksopp - "Poor Leno" - Melody A.M.
3. Netherfriends - "Don't Invite Me" - Calling You Out
4. WHY? - "The Hoofs" - Elephant Eyelash
5. Atlas Sound - "Autumn Intro Cascading Into University Courtyard" - Bedroom Databank Vol. 2
His persona(s), his attitude, and skills have made DOOM a well respected name in hip-hop. The newest of DOOM's albums, JJ DOOM's Key to the Kuffs was released last week. A great album that brings some new musical palates into the world of DOOM; I will give a quick review of Key to the Kuffs and a short retrospective of Daniel Dumile's multiple projects and personalities.
JJ DOOM - Key to the Kuffs (Lex Records)
Key to the Kuffs, the collaboration of DOOM and Jneiro Jarel, has similar structure to the rest of DOOM's catalogue: familiar interludes, sound collages, and DOOM's clever wordplay. Who else but DOOM could fit Eyjafjallajokull (the name of a volcano in Iceland) into a verse? It is distinctly a DOOM record. The production is considerably more jagged than previous albums which gives proof to the versatility of his flow; but the "buttery flow" he spoke of in "Raid" off of Madvillainy is somewhat missing. Regardless, the album is a must for any DOOM fan.
Some key tracks to check out: "Guv'nor," "Banished," "Retarded Fren," and "G.M.O."
For any newcomers to DOOM, I have put together an essential list of DOOM's extensive library.
London-born man of many aliases, Daniel Dumile (Zev Love X, MF DOOM, Madvillain, the Supervillain, Metal Fist, Metal Fingers, Viktor Vaughn, King Geedorah, DANGERDOOM, DOOM, JJ DOOM) has thrown his hat (or mask, rather) into the ring with many collaboration albums and numerous solo albums after getting his start in the group KMD in the early 1990s.
Anyone curious of Daniel Dumile's mission statement should look no further than MF DOOM's "Doomsday." DOOM "came to destroy rap." In that light, Daniel Dumile has taken on the persona of a villain for the better portion of his career but also can slip into the space-monster-rap of King Geedorah or the smooth thug known as Viktor Vaughn who is featured on "Fancy Clown," off of Madvillainy. The song is a clever diss-track of Viktor Vaughn calling out DOOM (in reality, both personas being in the mind of one man).
Between 2003 and 2004, Daniel Dumile released some of his most well received work such as King Geedorah's Take Me To Your Leader, Viktor Vaughn's Vaudeville Villain, MF DOOM's Mm..Food?, and the most celebrated, Madvillain's Madvillainy.
Madvillain - Madvillainy (2004/Stones Throw)
Since his most prolific period, DOOM has dropped the "MF" from his name, produced two tracks off of the Joey Bada$$ mix-tape, 1999, has allegedly been working with Ghostface Killah for a new collaboration album, and has just released JJ DOOM's album, Key to the Kuffs.
Below is a list of songs that any newcomer or long time fan of DOOM should enjoy.
01. MF DOOM - "Doomsday" - Operation: Doomsday
02. Madvillain - "Fancy Clown" - Madvillainy
03. Madvillain - "Figaro" - Madvillainy
04. King Geedorah - "Fazers" - Take Me To Your Leader
05. Madvillain - "Accordian" - Madvillainy
06. MF DOOM - "Vomitspit" - MM..Food?
07. King Geedorah - "Next Levels" - Take Me To Your Leader
08. MF DOOM - "Rhymes Like Dimes" - Operation: Doomsday
09. Madvillain - "Money Folder" - Madvillainy
10. Madvillain - "Meat Grinder" - Madvillainy
11. Madvillain - "Raid" - Madvillainy
12. JJ DOOM - "Guv'nor" - Key To The Kuffs
13. DOOM - "Ballskin" - Born This Way
14. DOOM - "Gazzillion Ear" - Born This Way
15. DOOM - "Absolutely" - Born This Way
16. DANGERDOOM - "Sofa King" - The Mouse & The Mask
17. Madvillain - "Curls" - Madvillainy
18. Viktor Vaughn - "Raedawn" - Vaudeville Villain
19. MF DOOM - "Beef Rapp" - MM..Food?
20. MF DOOM - "Hoe Cakes" - MM..Food?
21. JJ DOOM - "Banished" - Key To The Kuffs
22. MF DOOM - "Kon Karne" - MM..Food?
23. Viktor Vaughn - "Let Me Watch" - Vaudeville Villain
Animal Collective's Centipede Hz hit the ears of enthralled fans who have been waiting to hear the true follow-up album to Merriweather Post Pavilion last night. Things have changed in Animal Collective since 2009. Deakin, their guitarist, has made his return and, as indicated by their Honeycomb/Gotham 7" that was released earlier in May, they have gone back to the more spastic style of earlier albums. The album was promoted by a string weekly radio shows, titled Centipede Radio, compiled by each of the band's members. At 9:08 PM, the opening countdown exploded from my speakers.
Animal Collective - Centipede Hz (Available September 4th)
"Moonjock" starts the album off with a heavily distorted buzz and cymbal crash. The watery, washed-out sounds that were present on Merriweather Post Pavilion have been traded for the bare-bones, rawness that was the Feels/Strawberry Jam era. Atmospherically spacey and seemingly influenced by radio sounds; these embedded throughout Centipede Hz's sonic pallet. One of the first notable changes was having the usual percussion manned by Panda Bear and the accents of Deakin's guitar-work. The first single, "Today's Supernatural" released three weeks before the stream, sticks to this formula. Catchy and adventurous; it was a great choice for a perfect single.
Abby Portner, sister of Avey Tare, who also created the album art, created the video for the stream containing psychedelic animation and a boat load of effects that correlate to the album's lyrics. The video enhances and compliments the chaos very well. Check out the newest video for "Today's Supernatural" up above.
First reveal of album artwork for Centipede Hz
"Rosie Oh" features a bouncy guitar track with a multitude of blippy sounds found in just about every nook and cranny of this album.
Another return to form, "Applesauce," gives Avey the opportunity to spout off his rapid fire lyrics. Avey Tare controlled much of the vocals this time around. Considering the listener's preference, that may or may not work to the album's strength. I do believe the album's sandpapery-sound fit Avey's sporadic delivery more-so that Panda Bear's usually serene vocals.
"Wide Eyed" is unlike any other Animal Collective song to date. Deakin takes an active role vocally. While it's similar structure-wise, his voice brings forth another dynamic. His voice is in no way comparable to Avey Tare's or Panda Bear's. It is a great centerpiece that nicely juxtaposes the rest of the album.
"New Town Burnout" gives an eclectic mix of instruments such as what I believe to be a violin and warbling electronics before flowing into, in my opinion, the album's magnumopus.
"Monkey Riches" is that song: A song that can stop you in your tracks and beg to be replayed X amount of times. That song. Up there with their finest such as "The Purple Bottle," "Fireworks," and "My Girls," this song emulates a warm, sincere burst of raw emotion most accentuated by its hyper arrangement of a busy rhythm, gorgeous low end, and glitchy blips swelling in and out of the mix. My favorite song on the album. Which is saying something! This song will be up there with my top picks of 2012 for sure.
Centipede Hz can be listened to in its entirety, as well as their four radio transmissions here!
Q: So how does it stand with the the band's other eight full lengths?
It is a nice middle ground between Feels and Strawberry Jam, but surely there are some Merriweather Post Pavilion influences left intact.
Q: Can a Merriweather purist love this album?
I believe so. I think while it is a little more abrasive than the immaculate Merriweather (and probably will receive some flack for that fact) it offers just as much.
Q: Can a Spirit, Danse Manatee, Campfire Songs, Here Comes the Indian, or Sung Tongs purist love this album?
That question is a little harder. There is really no comparison to their earliest of albums. The folk aspect has been gone for some while. With these past two albums, the band has buried any possible return to form with their focusing highly on programming and samples.
With these questions I say, no matter what era Animal Collective fan you are, give Centipede Hz a listen!
What to look forward to: Next blog I will give a brief overview of the new JJ DOOM album and prepare a guide to all the works of Daniel Dumile, otherwise known as MF DOOM.
The summer is about to end and this intern must resume his scholarly duties. But don't worry, if you have at all enjoyed these blogs, there will be much more on the way. I am happy to report have been given the go-ahead to continue writing a weekly entry for Saki.
I want to extend a big thank you to everyone who has read these blogs and to Carrot Top who took me in for yet another summer! This was a busy summer of press releases, inventory, and preparing shipments. It is something I surely will miss but I know the good folks at Carrot Top and Saki have not seen the last of me. With four months left in the year, there is still so much talk about. I will be writing about the newest albums and judging by this fall's large amount of highly anticipated releases, I should not be short on music to talk about.
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Mature Themes
Bonus blog within a blog: The new Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti album, Mature Themes, is now streaming on NPR. The album opens with the zany "Kinski Assassin." This Doors-"Light My Fire"-esque track contains the usual Ariel charm: lyrics first seeming out-there and laughable which become infectious upon multiple listens. Try to not repeat the hook "Who sunk my battleship? I sunk my battle ship!" to yourself during your listening pleasure. "Only In My Dreams" is a love song in the way that only Ariel Pink can do love songs and is an immediate standout. Most comparable to their 2010 breakout, Before Today, more-so any other in their catalogue proves to be a good thing. The basslines are just as solid and even possibly improved is Ariel Pink's voice. Anyone looking for the weirdness that is present on their earliest releases can rest easy knowing that it is still very present. "Schnitzel Boogie" is among the more odd tracks including lyrics about eating schnitzel set to a catchy bassline and a gang of lively backing vocalists. "Pink Slime" features some glowing synths and hyper-active vocals which is followed by the dreamier, Beach Boy styled croon of "Farewell American Primitive." The flow of the album is vital to the album's success. Acting as a true closer, the seven-minute murky, hypnotic "Nostradamus & Me" has Ariel announcing "goodbye" through a progressive drone (a contradiction, I know.). "Baby," the actual closer is another stand out. While it is undeniably Ariel, I felt it was best that it put the Donny and Joe Emerson cover at the end of the record as to not disrupt the album's flow as a whole. The album is out August 20th. Make sure you check this one out! Highly recommend!
JJ DOOM - Key To the Cuffs
Animal Collective - Centipede HZ (Set to premier next week!)
Death Grips - NO LOVE DEEP WEB
WHY? - Mumps, Ect.
I will also be preparing a top 50 songs of 2012 in early December. For now I will leave you with "Twenty Seven;" the bizarre, tempo shifting gem from the new WHY? EP, Sod In The Seed, which can be downloaded in its entirety off of their label, Anticon's Soundcloud. Enjoy!
Mystery can add to excitement. One of the newest mysteries in music is the identity behind Captain Murphy. Some swear Captain Murphy is the moniker for the collaboration between Tyler, the Creator and Flying Lotus while others attest to it being Los Angeles rapper Zeroh. I am not here to solve the case. A tweet from Captain Murphy himself stated "Doesn't matter who I am. Just listen." I agree. I love ambiguity in music. I love that I have never seen an interview with MC Ride from Death Grips or the fact that MF Doom chooses to hide his face. I am just hear to pass along that Captain Murphy is an amazing up-and-comer.
Captain Murphy's Du∆lity
Captain Murphy rose to popularity through the track "Between Friends." The Flying Lotus, Earl Sweatshirt of Odd Future, and Captain Murphy collaboration was released as part of [adult swim]'s Single Program. The track's instrumental is very mellow featuring three different movements with lyrically top-notch performances by Earl Sweatshirt and Captain Murphy. Captain Murphy's rasp and deep voice (a reason for the Tyler assumptions) is distinct as he breaks into his star-making verse. "So unorthodox. Chillin' with a shaman, eating Ramen in a parking lot." His flow complements the beat well. This is easily one of my favorite tracks of the year.
Released a week prior to "Between Friends," Captain Murphy's "Mighty Morphin' Foreskin" seems to be heavily MF Doom influenced with many nods to Godzilla, Street Fighter ("I'll punch you Shoryuken or Haduken"), and even having an outro similar to something that would be heard on Operation: Doomsday stating "Planet Earth is about to be recycled." In addition to Doom, the pitch-shifted and mutated vocals are highly reminiscent of something that would be on any Odd Future track.
Released last week, "The Ritual" takes instrumental of the Madlib-esque Jay Electronica track "Dear Moleskine" produced by Just Blaze and turns it into a delightfully romp filled with debauchery and virgin sacrifice; among many other things. "Been a long time coming, I've been lost in the light, learned how to do the Dougie with the devil in the moonlight." Very Doom influenced as well, the track has yet another dialogue filled interlude before cutting back into the main beat.
All three of these tracks are available for free from [adult swim] or by the links in both Captain Murphy's videos on Youtube. Duality will be the new album by Captain Murphy release presumptuously sometime soon. Judging by the tracks that have been release so far, it has a lot of hype to live up to. But Duality should hopefully prove to be an interesting listen.
I stopped by the Wicker Park Fest on Saturday to see Omaha's Cursive, who have been touring in support of their latest album, I AM GEMINI, released in February. It was a nice feeling to finally to add them to my "seen it" list. I remember trying to see The Good Life (Tim Kasher's side project) at the Do-Division Street Fest two years ago, but that ended in failure and I was not 21 yet for the 21+ Subterranean show on January 1st 2011. Needless to say, I was very satisfied with the show.
Photo courtesy of Matt Marten
In typical fashion of my back luck seeing Tim Kasher and company, my friend and I missed the blue-line, separating ourselves from the rest of our group. After being reunited, we proceeded to make our way to the front. After a slight altercation between our group and a group of moshers, Cursive got to the stage and opened abruptly with "The Martyr." Other than Tim's intermittent yelps acting as a transition between songs, he did not speak a considerable amount between songs, focusing mostly on playing through their set. The set featured a down-tempo version of "The Recluse" which fit the mood of the song very well and closed with a song many were equally shocked as delighted to hear, "Sink to the Beat."
The set was a great mixture of mostly Domestica and the Ugly Organ with side portions of The Burst and Bloom, Happy Hollow, Mama, I'm Swollen, and I AM GEMINI. The band (Matt Maginn (bass), Ted Stevens (guitar, backing vocals), Cully Symington (drums), and Patrick Newberry (multi-instrumentalist)) sounded amazing. Mostly notable, they were precisely solid rhythmically despite many drawn out pauses by somewhat vocally unpredictable singer/guitarist Tim Kasher. Cursive will be touring with Minus the Bear starting this September.
Any fans of Bear vs. Shark, Braid, Cymbals Eat Guitars, or The Dismemberment Plan should definitely check out Cursive if given the opportunity.
Everyone has that one album. An album where everything falls right in line with your specific aesthetics of music. Considering next month will mark a decade since its release, I feel it is important to revisit my favorite album. What is my favorite album, you ask?
Interpol's Turn on the Bright Lights (2002/Matador)
Turn on the Bright Lights, an album that is a rush of reverb, pulsating octave jumps from bassist, Carlos Dengler, and a strong percussive bed built by drummer Sam Fogarino, tells stories of growing old, lost loves, new loves, and depravity all within the hazy backdrop of New York.
The album commences with "Untitled," a lush piece opening with Daniel Kessler's lonely guitar, later dilating into a full arrangement for singer/guitarist, Paul Banks, to break into the song with the opening lyrics "Surprise, sometimes I'll come around." It sets the tone of the album as it diminishes into "Obstacle 1."
Arguably their most popular song and rightfully so, "Obstacle 1" displays the band at their most musically intriguing. The song is drenched in the syncopation of Daniel Kessler's and Paul Banks' call-response guitar riffs, peppered with the precision of Sam Fogarino's drumming and Carlos Dengler's playful, elastic bassline woven tightly between the guitars. The album is one of the albums for bass guitar. Surely any bass player cannot help be swayed by the basslines that Carlos Dengler has crafted.
Once this duel attack of guitars halts, the slower-tempo of "NYC," named after where the Brooklyn band is based, enters with the statement of "the subway is a porno and the pavements are a mess" and the powerful conclusion that "it's up to me now, turn on the bright lights," the name sake of the record. This shows one of the more uplifting moments of the albums, which can, at times, seem downright dreary.
The following track, "PDA," is a song that had been in Interpol's repertoire before the turn of the century and featured much similarity to the uptempo style featured on "Obstacle 1" and the proceeding track "Say Hello to the Angels." The song's true shining moment is the breathtaking back-half which is predominantly a beautifully crafted instrumental. "Say Hello to the Angels" is as smooth as Banks pick up line, "1,2,3. Do me." One of the more rhythmic cuts on the album, it does not stay in one place for long and continues to shift until it is cut off by a chord tinged in feedback.
"Hands Away" greatly slows down the album from the dance-punk a la Interpol that is"Say Hello to the Angels" and sets you up for "the rest of Turn on the Bright Lights which becomes increasingly less formulaic and much more adventurous, extended songs; shying away from verse, chorus, verse song structure. "Hands Away," one of the more sparse tracks on the album, is chilling. Atmospheric and filled with remorse and ponder in the voice of Banks asks he simply questions "what happened?"
My favorite song on the album, possibly ever, "Obstacle 2," an ode to waiting for love, toasting to the snow and making sure to not waste wine. The chorus "I will stand by all this drinking if it helps me through these days..." is hauntingly backed by the lyrics "Take my love in real small doses."
Emotional center piece, "Stella Was a Diver and She Was Always Down" revolves around the tale of Stella, a woman who has truly "broken away" from her normal life. The climax of Paul Bank's declarative statement "Stella! I love you!" (See Marlon Brando in 1951's A Streetcar Named Desire).
"Roland" was also an earlier song and punkier by nature featured the incredible run-ons of "my best friend's a butcher, he has sixteen knives. He carries them all over the town, at least he tries. Oh, look it stopped snowing." What? I'm not sure what that means either, but Mr. Banks often ambiguous lyrics make it that much rewarding to decipher, making the album's replay value incredibly high.
"The New" features an elegant bass line juxtaposed with the droning guitars of Kessler and Banks. One of the more straightforward songs on the album "I can't pretend, I need to defend some part of me from you, I know I've spent some time lying" acts as an honest declaration of love as well as repression.This song can be seen as an inner-monologue of the protagonist's past as well as present while analyzing the new life ahead with his love interest. The lyrics "You're looking alright tonight, I think we should go..." bridge the gap and bring the listener from "The New" to the closer of Turn on the Bright Lights.
The closer, "Leif Erikson" becomes the response to of the protagonist's thoughts in "The New." His love interest "feels that my sentimental side should be held with kids gloves" showing the stark emotional capacities between the two lovers. The ending of the album ends on the captivating line "she says brief things, her love's a pony, my love's subliminal."
So there it is. My favorite album. I hope, if anything, this has inspired you to check it out if you have not already or made you want to revisit the album. Turn on the Bright Lights was the album that changed my life. Keep in mind, some of these comments on songs were just my interpretations so they should not affect any way that you digest this amazing album.
