The Week That Was #12: Passes & Passports

These charts seem to be increasingly disparate with what I'm actually posting, but they're also not entirely in sync with my most recent listens. Oh well, I'll make do, enjoy.


Oh, Stars. I'm convinced, purely from personal bias of course, that there are very few bands that can aspire to such glorious, uplifting pop songs, while still maintaining a distinctly personal mood. Their long awaited remix album has finally arrived, and over the last few months, there were times when the possibility seemed very remote. It's essentially a field day for the Arts & Crafts fan, and while it's not nearly the cohesive whole of Set Yourself On Fire, there are reinterpretations that, while not entirely novel, really affirm how good these songs are to begin with. Here's one of them.

MP3: Stars – Celebration Guns (Camouflage Nights With Kevin Drew)
Buy: Here


Following up on last week's One Dove pick, I've been listening to Dot Allison's solo stuff quite a bit, specifically her second album, We Are Science. I like the way she moves effortlessly from various styles, with her voice shifting from a breathless purr (as on this track) to a more traditional delivery. She's incredibly versatile, and it's no surprise that she's collaborated with so many other groups. According to her official site, she's finished a third full length, entitled Exaltation of Larks, and hopefully we'll hear more soon.

MP3: Dot Allison - Substance
Buy: Here


Blonde Redhead's new album 23 drops today. I actually just headed over to the SoHo Apple Store to see them, but unfortunately the line went beyond capacity. Like so many other bands, I had only heard their name in passing, and it's a very good thing that this new release finally provided the impetus for me to give them a listen. The album's title track is a strong "statement of purpose," with dense, swirling guitars and singer Kazu Makino's layered vocals, like some sort of fantasy synthesis of Asobi Seksu and Sonic Youth. It's gorgeous, and a very good reason to check out more of their material.

MP3: Blonde Redhead - 23
Buy: Here


brooklynvegan recently directed me to a pretty interesting article over at eMusic on Trance, a much maligned electronic sub-genre. I recall back in the winter, on one of my first trips to Other Music, after a very productive number of recommendations, the topic of classifying electronic music came up, which lead to the dismissive, "House is good; Trance is bad." I can't say I'm near knowledgeable enough to comment on the sweeping validity of the statement, but then, it all comes down to personal taste in the end. As general fan of pop music, I do sometimes appreciate its sweeping, grandiose nature, even if there's an inherent lack of meaning. For those reasons, I've been enjoying Above & Beyond recently.

MP3: Above & Beyond - Air for Life (With Andy Moor)
Buy: Here


On the flipside, there's that chill out genre, a generally innocuous conception that seems to have floated its way into the mainstream sphere, as evidenced by, say, car insurance ads. Even if you've little interest in "proper" electronic music, there's definitely a broader appeal here. Bent seems pretty big in England, but underappreciated elsewhere. Hopefully this track, with its spacious, unhurried beats, and the Tracey Thornesque vocals, will make for a proper introduction.

MP3: Bent - Private Road
Buy: Here


Not so long ago, the Hold Steady were saturating the web with the release of their critically acclaimed album, Boys and Girls in America. I largely ignored the hype, for no particular reason, but after hearing that they were going to play on campus on April 26th, I felt pretty obliged to take a listen. While I had heard some negative feedback regarding singer Craig Finn's delivery, and while his voice isn't particularly endearing, it's not half bad, either. I haven't really absorbed the whole album, but what really strikes me about this lead track is that, while it rocks out as advertised, there's a legit hook to it as well.

MP3: The Hold Steady - Stuck Between Stations
Buy: Here


Opening up that aforementioned show will be the Thermals, whom I have also neglected. Their fiery brand of indie rock should be a very good time indeed in a live setting, but what distinguishes them from their peers is the social consciousness that seems to pervade their most recent release, The Body, The Blood, The Machine. While this could quickly become preachy, the band seems to do a good job of relegating any social agenda into the background, and it doesn't dilute the intensity.

MP3: The Thermals - A Pillar of Salt
Buy: Here

Cut Copy: Editors at Rock am Ring

(via Flickr)

Editors are finally touring again, but unfortunately only across the pond. I got all excited after seeing this event listing, which seems to be derived from Ticketmaster, but it's almost definitely not the band in question; one would assume that not even Roseland could not contain such an obscenely stacked lineup. Still, these are promising signs. Things have been rather quiet on the Editors front for a number of months, even while The Back Room has been on pretty constant rotation over the same period of time.

After hearing this set, recorded at Rock am Ring, June 2nd - 4th, 2006, it's pretty apparent that the band is not merely good in the studio. The percussion is thunderous, the guitars nervy and precise, and Tom Smith's vocals dead-on. Hopefully, us state-side folks will have a chance to experience the real deal soon. There's also a new song present entitled "Bones." Oh, and I couldn't resist including a really interesting Gorillaz cover, which I believe was recording on BBC Radio.

Enjoy:

1. Lights
2. Blood
3. Bullets
4. Bones
5. Fall
6. All Sparks
7. Munich
8. Open Your Arms
9. Fingers In The Factories

MP3: Editors - Feel Good Inc. (Live Gorillaz Cover)
Consume: Here

Interlude: Blacking Out The Friction

The show that I had been awaiting, pretty much upon seeing the news blurb on Pitchfork, didn't merely meet my expectations; they blew them away. I can definitely say that I've never been to a show that was so consistently excellent and diverse. Of course, I've been loving Mahogany ever since I saw the video for "Supervitesse", but I approached the rest of the show with mere curiosity. I've said before that being familiar with a band's material isn't essential towards enjoying them live, and this was definitely the case here. And serious thanks to Crackers United for putting the whole thing together.

Balún

Puerto Rico's Balún makes wonderful, soothing music that's equally inspired by ambient techno and lo-fi indie pop. There's definitely some commonality with Múm (with whom they share that "ú"), particularly with singer Angelica Negron's child-like vocals. Angelica also plays the accordion, and the band's lack of live drumming was mitigated by the addition of Jose Olivares' laptop wizardry. Despite the mellowness of their sound, they're extremely appealing, and the crowd, myself included, was really won over. Apparently, two of Balún's members live in NYC, and I'll hopefully have a chance to see them again.

MP3: Balún - Snol
MP3: Balún - I Shouldn't Do This
MP3: Balún - Senecio (Revisited)
MP3: Balún - While Sleeping
Last.fm: Balún
MySpace: Balún

Vampire Weekend

Small world. I caught these guys up at Barnard way back in December, and maybe it was the less-than-ideal setup, but they didn't make much of an impression. But this second time around, they were really fantastic. I wouldn't quite say that they rocked out; with only one guitar, my eardrums were left relatively intact. Rather, Vampire Weekend is built on pop sensibilities, with singer's Ezra Koenig's effortless delivery supplemented with the occasional sing-along chorus. The whole atmosphere was incredibly fun, and the set breezed by. Incidentally, it's a crime that they aren't signed yet.


MP3: Vampire Weekend - Oxford Comma
MP3: Vampire Weekend - Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa
MySpace: Vampire Weekend
Official Site: Vampire Weekend


Before we go on, I have to mention the great job by DJ David Bruno of Slap You In Public. He spun in between all the bands, continually energizing the audience. I think I heard bits of Walter Meego's "Wanna Be A Star" earlier on, but two very familiar plays came courtesy of Feist and LCD Soundsystem. The LCD spin was pretty much true to the album version, but the Feist remix, by Boyz Noise, was really something. By injecting a guttural vocoder rendition of the title line, relentlessly groovy electronics, and still preserving Leslie's winsome vocals, Boyz Noise continues the tradition of excellent Feist remixes. Speaking of remixes, there's an entire site dedicated to reinterpretations of each track of LCD's Sound of Silver, with free downloads of all.

MP3: Feist - My Moon My Man (Boyz Noise Remix)
MP3: LCD Soundsystem - North American Scum

Mahogany

Despite my constant rotation of Mahogany's new album, the band - seven members strong - still brought something new with this awesome set. Bassist Roy Styles wasn't kidding when he said that you can really move to the music in its live incarnation, but what really struck me was the enormity of the sound. Even four guitarists and two bassists wasn't enough, and Mahogany incorporated digital washes and additional instruments, including a xylophone and tambourine. They began with the album opener "Tesselation," establishing a wall of guitars, and sublime, airy vocals from Andrew Prinz and Katrina Rudmin. Despite their characteristically obscured lyrics, the band was very immediate, and very dynamic. Guitarist Ryan Hancock was particularly active, jumping around and inciting the crowd to clap en masse.

The band continued onward with "Domino Ladder Beta," "Supervitesse," and slowing things down for "My Bed Is My Castle." While there was a bit of homogeneity here, that was hardly a bad thing when each song is such a high quality. Mahogany makes some of the most interesting contemporary pop music that I've heard, and it's really wonderful live. Things came to a stunning end with my favorite track off the album, the stomping "Neo-Plastic Boogie-Woogie." The only downside to the set was the length; at only forty minutes, I definitely would have enjoyed another song or three. But if you're lucky enough to be attending one of the upcoming Bloc Party shows in the UK within the next couple weeks, you're really in for a treat.

MP3: Mahogany - My Bed is My Castle
MP3: Mahogany - Supervitesse
MP3: Mahogany - Springtime, Save Our Country
Official Site: Mahogany

Land of Talk

Last.fm describes Land of Talk as Montreal's answer to Metric. It's not a bad analogy, but while Ms. Haines and company display Toronto-y swagger, Land of Talk combines raucous rock with Montreal-fueled romanticism (a la, say, the Dears or Arcade Fire), creating something mournful yet passionate. The centerpiece of the band is Elizabeth Powell's world-weary vocals, one of the most distinctive I've heard, but she was not alone. Drummer Bucky contributed assaultive beats, and it's understandable that he had to stretch out about halfway through; it was an exhausting and cathartic set in many ways. Bassist Chris also helped out on the occasional chorus, but his real presence was adding the rhythmic groove at the bottom end of Land of Talk's sound.

Land of Talk has a great seven-song EP out entitled Applause Cheer Boo Hiss (there was a great deal more of the former than the latter), and while they were a bit vague on the release of a full-length, it will hopefully be sooner rather than later.

So, in conclusion, four hours of musical bliss.

MP3: Land Of Talk - Speak To Me Bones
MySpace: Land of Talk
Official Site: Land of Talk

The Week That Was #11: Changeling

2007 really seems to be hitting its stride as far as new releases go. While I'm still not as on top of things as I'd ideally like be, there have been a number of new releases that I've taken to, as well as the continual process of exploring older works. Of course, old favorites are still very much in force, but that's why they're favorites. Incidentally, I've got a feature on Mahogany in today's Washington Square News, and I may end up putting up a full transcription of the interview around Thursday, when they play at the Mercury Lounge with Land of Talk. (Vampire Weekend, too!) But anyhow, onward with new tunes, enjoy!


I discussed CocoRosie just recently, and the album has leaked. The Adventures of Ghosthorse and Stillborn is about as weird as I expected, but it also features sublime moments, such as this track. It actually opens with the familiar spoken word sample, similar to "Tekno Love Song," and then develops with Bianca's pseudo-rap and sparse percussion, finally culminating with a glorious hook courtesy of Sierra's operatic vocals. CocoRosie plays at Warsaw on April 20th, and I do believe I shall attend.

MP3: CocoRosie - Werewolf
Buy: Here


When your album is boldly proclaimed "Best New Music" by Pitchfork, it's reasonable to assume that you'll receive some listens. While I expected something pensive, ambient and generally in line with whatever I thought Pitchfork-approved electronica was from the Field, I was wrong. This is incredibly upbeat and deceptively simple stuff, essentially endless looping, but very appealing. I'm not sure if it warrants such a high mark, but it is definitely one of the best (and dare I say, sublime) electronic albums I've had the pleasure of experiencing.

MP3: The Field - Little Heart Beats So Fast
Buy: Here


I got into these guys (and gal) through recommendations from my friends at Pretentious Prattle and Musicality - two bloggers can't be wrong! Despite the name, the Manhattan Love Suicide hails from the UK, continuing that great tradition of fuzz. What really distinguishes them is the sassy, Lushesque vocals, giving some immediacy to what's often a vague style. After an appearance at SXSW, the band seems to be playing some dates in their hometown, Leeds, and London this month, and hopefully they'll be visiting their namesake soon.

MP3: The Manhattan Love Suicides - Kick It Back
MP3: The Manhattan Love Suicides - Suzy Jones
Buy: Here


Okay, I have to admit that I was taken in with the whole supposed Interpol leak last week. Despite some agreement with a friend (whom I now owe a chocolate bar), I was pretty convinced that it was Interpol, strange vocals aside. It turns out I was listening to the new album from Cut City, who originate from Sweden. While Interpol is a very clear comparison, I think the band rocks out in its own right. In retrospect, it is pretty amusing that the track "Manoeuvres" was changed to "The Heimlich Manoeuvre" to conform with the rumored Interpol track list; that's dedication.

MP3: Cut City - Like Ashes, Like Millions
MP3: Cut City - Anticipation
Buy: Here


My first encounter with Tracey Thorn's lovely voice on Massive Attack's "Protection" was instant gratification. Regrettably, the only other work I had heard from her is Walking Wounded, a critically acclaimed album from Tracey and her partner, Ben Watt, aka Everything But The Girl. So when I saw that Tracey had a solo album coming out in the spring, it was definitely one of my more anticipated releases. She's really a master of transitioning seamlessly from singer-songwriter balladry to more dance floor-friendly electropop, often within the same track. Hopefully, this will motivate me to check out the rest of her work.

MP3: Massive Attack - Protection (ft. Tracey Thorn)
MP3: Tracey Thorn - Falling Off A Log
Buy: Here


Pitchfork-approved Patrick Wolf is one talented guy. Despite being only 23, He's just released his third album, The Magic Position, a winsome concoction of strings (Wolf plays violin), electronic elements, and Wolf's voice, which - and I could be completely off here - sounds like a smooth fusion of Jarvis Cocker and Bright Eyes. Here are the first two tracks off that release. If you can't make the Mahogany show, Wolf's playing a free show at the Hiro Ballroom on Thursday, then Studio B on Friday (ever get the feeling we're kinda spoiled here?), and then he's touring Europe for the rest of the month.

MP3: Patrick Wolf - Overture
MP3: Patrick Wolf - The Magic Position
Buy: Here


It was a bit of a convoluted path to One Dove (not to be confused with Doves). I was a bit curious as to who was singing some of those songs on that recent Massive Attack set, and a quick Google search suggests it was Dot Allison, who joined the band on tour during that year. She was also in One Dove, who released this one album. Despite a glowing review from AMG, I haven't totally warmed up to it, but perhaps it will grow on me.

MP3: One Dove - Breakdown
Buy: Here

Satellite Anthem Icarus: Explosions in Paris

I actually had tickets to see Explosions in the Sky a few weeks back, but I abdicated in favor of a friend who was more into the band, and resigned myself to somewhat ineffective academic work. I'm not sure if I would have enjoyed them, and after hearing this set, the only thing that was really confirmed was this ambiguity. Their new release, All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone, had been garnering rave reviews, but as is unfortunately the case with these critical darlings, there's a bit of a stylistic barrier. In this case, it's the general absence of any pop leanings, in favor for grandiose tracks that are epic in length and sparse on meaning, at least in the literal sense. I'm not sure if this is too loud to be called ambient, but it definitely seems the equivalence of salve for guitar fans.

Anyhow, I'd feel bad if I didn't at least give them, and you, a chance for a connection. Hopefully you'll have better luck than me. Here's a set from La Guinguette Pirate in Paris, recorded on September 22nd, 2002.

Enjoy:

1. Intro
2. Help Us Stay Alive
3. Unknown
4. First Breath After Coma
5. Six Days at the Bottom of the Ocean
6. Have You Passed Through This Night?
7. Memorial

Louder Than A Bomb: Here

Interlude: Three Or Four

Somehow, it's already April. To say that this semester/year is going by quickly is a euphemism, and I've never been so frightened of summer vacation before (semi-independence is a scary prospect). But in an attempt to salvage the last moments of March, despite my protesting ears, I took the N train down to Canal Street for another show. For those of you who aren't familiar with it, Oh My Rockness has a comprehensive listing of virtually all New York shows, and I think it's definitely the best way to figure out who's playing where and when. Last night, they staged a four-band mini-festival. Unfortunately, we missed Del Rey, but the rest of the evening was pretty eventful.

Dragons of Zynth

After hearing the set, it's perfectly reasonable that Dragons of Zynth have ties to TV on the Radio. While I'm still not terribly familiar with either group, the avant-garde nature of the music is pretty apparent. What seems to differentiate Dragons is the sheer intensity of their live show. From the first blast of distorted guitar, I knew it was going to be loud - perhaps abrasively so - but the band was able to channel this ferocity into something more accessible, and more interesting. While the vocals were too unconventional to be considered straight-up rock, they definitely settled into a nice groove at times. The real highlight of the set was undoubtedly the conclusion: a throat-shredding, seizure-inducing affair that culminated with singer Aku leaping into the crowd and passing around a dragon mask. Whoa.

The band don't actually have an album out yet, but with production from TV's David Andrew Sitek, it should be a fascinating record. I'm not sure how definitive this is, but apparently they're also on the upcoming Massive Attack album, whenever that arrives.

MySpace: Dragons of Zynth

Oxford Collapse

Oxford Collapse play energetic, uptempo indie rock, but their set didn't really impress me. I believe the phrase that popped into my head at the time was "yelling incoherently into a snow storm." I was probably exhausted to the point of intolerance, but there's definitely some stylistic incompatibility as well. I do have to credit the band for keeping the energy level high, and they're very dynamic performers, but the songs weren't particularly memorable. Things were reasonably interesting, with the use of two- (and with random people rushing onstage through the side door, three- and four-) part harmonies, but all in all, I was rather disappointed.

MySpace: Oxford Collapse
Official Site: Oxford Collapse (It seems to be down at the moment.)

Walter Meego

"Walter Meego makes pop music," states their Wikipedia entry, but it wan't that clear-cut, at least in the live setting. Their performance resembled a DJ set, with enormous electonic washes and feisty breakbeats (not to mention a rave-worthy audience). What prevented it from being completely digitally driven was Justin Sconza's vocals (as well as live guitars), which brought a human element, however detached. Still, they made as much noise as the previous two groups, and in my electrophile opinion, in a more interesting way. Although not a revelatory experience, the concert did fit the bill of three (and I presume, four) different groups that do not sound at all alike, and I have to applaud Oh My Rockness for their efforts. While I probably don't need more shows to go to, I'll try to check out these types of showcases in the future.


MySpace: Walter Meego
Official Site: Walter Meego (Also seems down at the moment.)
YouTube: Walter Meego - Romantic
YouTube: Walter Meego - Wanna Be A Star