Phantogram – Eyelid Movies (2009)

A guy-girl duo from Saratoga Springs turned on to me by Matt over at Invalid Litter Dept., Phantogram deliver a dense, dark and swirling hip-hop influenced aesthetic reminiscent (at least for me) of School of Seven Bells (they’re friends) and The xx. Definitely worth your listen, they’re moody but danceable, a great combo.

Tracklist:

1. Mouthful of Diamonds
2. When I’m Small
3. Turn It Off
4. Running from the Cops
5. All Dried Up
6. As Far As I Can See
7. You Are the Ocean
8. Bloody Palms
9. Futuristic Casket
10. Let Me Go
11. 10,000 Claps

Enjoy.

Devendra Banhart – What Will We Be (2009)

I kind of have a thing for beards. Maybe it’s just because regardless of how long I leave the nano-bristles on my face fallow, they resist any respectable growth, but we’ll leave that to one side. My soft spot for soft whiskers is partially what drew me to Devendra Banhart, the Texan-Venezuelan prince of freak-folk, whose wild-child appearance complements the eclectic and unpredictable turns in his songwriting. This is why I was so distraught to learn that (gasp!) – he shaved it off.

One could say Banhart’s (relative) tidying up was precipitated by his recent switch to major label Warner Brothers Records, and further that maybe he is “going mainstream,” compromising the very outré persona that makes Devendra, well, Devendra. A listen to “What Will We Be” quickly squelches that notion, as the album showcases just as many idiosyncrasies and eccentric lyrics as its predecessors.

“Angelika,” an acoustic ballad much like Devendra’s work on “Rejoicing in the Hands” for its first half, takes a left turn, becoming a latin piano groove layered with swirling vocal melodies under Spanish lyrics. Emerging as perhaps the most radio-friendly track is “Baby,” a reflection on the merits of infant life set to electric themes recalling the halcyon aura of soul. “Goin’ Back” grows from Banhart’s Texas roots, a shuffle integrating slide guitar and Western styles into his sui generis aesthetic.

“Chin Chin & Muck Muck,” one of many Devendra songs which lyrically centers around childhood, begins with jazz piano melodies atop gentle, brushed drums, emphasizing the low-key, raspy side of Banhart’s vocals, begetting a tranquil mood augmented by a Wynton Marsalis-style trumpet solo. Not one to travel just one path, Devendra pushes the song into blithe and playful folk territory replete with “la la la’s” and onomatopoeic verses just as impish as the child bouncing in their author’s soul. “Rats” rolls forward with Led Zeppelin’s brio, resembling one of their tracks had it been a love song written from the lyrical perspective of a rodent.

Despite the album’s several highlights, it suffers, especially towards the end, from the repetitiously soporific drones of its lower-key tracks. Loyal fans of Banhart’s work may be more comfortable with the extended, delicately twinkling pianos and mumbled words, but newcomers may find the quieter tracks tedious.

As a whole the album confirms that Banhart’s ingenuity persists. The beard, luscious as it was, appears not to have held the magical genius that whispered to the whimsical space-cadet as he wrote, since the ingenious, goofy, ebullient tracks of “What Will We Be” that came from a clean(er)-shaven Devendra stand just as tall as the vital spirits that guide them.

Tracklist:

1. Can’t Help but Smiling
2. Angelika
3. Baby
4. Goin’ Back
5. First Song for B
6. Last Song for B
7. Chin Chin & Muck Muck
8. 16th & Valencia Roxy Music
9. Rats
10. Maria Leonza
11. Brindo
12. Meet Me at the Lookout
13. Walilamzi
14. Foolin’

Get it.

The Most Powerful Telescope in the Universe – The Moonlight’s Fair Tonight (2009)

This album only crossed my path due to my near-debilitating addiction to reddit.com. Whilst abrowse in the music subreddit, I stumbled across a post entitled “Every year some friends and I turn a woodland cabin into a makeshift recording studio, fill it with instruments, and spend the weekend writing and recording a record from scratch. Here’s our latest attempt, in vinyl and (free) mp3 form“. So, sucker that I am, I downloaded it. The opener, “Last of the Incas”, floats in a lo-fi haze of guitars muddled by reverb, distortion and tremolo, rolling forward and grabbing other instruments as it goes. Simple, light drums, bass, and keys. Once the vocals hit, it’s clear we have no Grammy nominees in attendance, but talent means less than emotion and though anymore anyway (doesn’t it? For my musical endeavors, I certainly hope so…). A group of breathy, droning singers joins the mix, adding to the shoegaze vibe.

Past “Incas”, however, the album suffers from the tempo-sliding, detuning and overall “looseness” to which a no-rehearsals-seat-of-the-pants recording is so prone. “Island” features a pleasant vibraphone backdrop and simple organ line which make for a good, albeit short song.

I love the first track, and if the remaining tracks were tighter (drums and even other instruments tended to drift) they could be stellar. This setup produces something of an ultimate first draft: first-run songwriting, rough production, and a little bit of messiness throughout. My favorite part of the write-it-record-it-now method is the sheer passion and energy in music like that. Although it sort of contradicts my last point, with some rehearsals, tweaks, and shinier production, this album holds a lot of potential to grow on shoegaze and indie fans. Definitely give the first track a thorough listen, and if so inclined grab the whole thing, it at the very least makes suitable study music.

Tracklist:

1. Last of the Incas [ mp3 ]
2. Cops Chasing Undercover Cops [ mp3 ]
   
3. Buy Into It [ mp3 ]
   
4. Island [ mp3 ]
   
5. Bloodmilk [ mp3 ]
   
6. In Your View or Mine [ mp3 ]
   
7. Reach for the Stars (Bloodmilk, Pt. 2) [ mp3 ]
   
8. Window Wine [ mp3 ]
   
9. Anything for a Drink [ mp3 ]
   
10. The Authenticator [ mp3 ]
    
11. Low-lying Clouds [ mp3 ]

My faves: “The Last of the Incas”, “Island”, “Bloodmilk”

Get it.

(Original page.)

Simian Mobile Disco – Attack Decay Sustain Release (2009)

My ears are infected with Simian Mobile Disco’s beats right now. Like I seriously find long stretches of time absent of SMD are currently intolerable (my entire bio lab today I sported  a bit of a silent headbob). Simian Mobile Disco offers just what the third word of their name purports, a dance party. Sometimes it’s just a party within the confines of my headphones, but we break it down when the urge strikes around here. Think HEALTH, Justice, and any good club DJ, throw them in a blender, lay in a pan and bake at 400 for a bit, and out come some crisp beats awash in a tasteful application of  the properties in the album’s title. I can’t wait to see them next month (October 28th at Paradise Rock Club in Boston). Apparently they’re also headlining Webster Hall’s pre-Halloween party in New York City on Oct. 30th, which is also a costume contest (unfortunately the cumulative cost of transporation precludes my attendance of both shows, yuck). If you can make it to an SMD concert, you will find yourself amidst a dance party unlike most. If anyone reading (there is someone, right? Right?) is going to the Boston show, lemme know, we can meet up (comment or email me).

Tracklist:

1. “Sleep Deprivation” – 4:59
2. “I Got This Down” – 4:09
3. “It’s the Beat” – 3:22
4. “Hustler” – 3:42
5. “Tits & Acid” – 4:03
6. “I Believe” – 3:18
7. “Hotdog” – 3:16
8. “Wooden” – 3:50
9. “Love” – 3:02
10. “Scott” – 3:12
11. “Clock” – 4:19
12. “System” – 8:30

Get it.

Monsters of Folk – Monsters of Folk (2009)

Caveat: I originally wrote this review for a newspaper, so please forgive terse language and other such nonsense as it appears.

Ah, the supergroup: for some, an excuse to engage in mutual back-patting and masturbatory jams that do little more than stroke the egos of their creators. Eager fans snatch up the collaborations out of brand-loyalty to their musical idols, only to find frustration when they’re left with a shoddy sequence of tracks cobbled together just to soak more revenue out of the market. Audioslave sounds more like a mellower Rage Against the Machine guest-starring the singer from Soundgarden that a genuinely innovative band stretching their creative boundaries (they even started performing RATM songs in concert when things started getting slow). Others, like the classic Traveling Wilburys and the modern acts Broken Social Scene and The Sound of Animals Fighting foster an inventive air among their members, generating compelling music with a veritable mark of authenticity.

Monsters of Folk, a collaboration featuring Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis of Bright Eyes, Jim James of My Morning Jacket, and M. Ward of She & Him, balances on the border between innovation and the recreation of its members earlier work. Opener “Dear God” offers the former, sitting atop a trip-hop beat that bends the album’s genre away from the folk label its title portends, instead delivering a languid meditation on God and suffering between atmospheric chords and harp glissandos. Following is “Say Please”, an irresistible poppy track punctuated by a loud but tasteful guitar solo that augents the track’s excitement. From there the album weaves through a medley of styles, “Whole Lotta Losin’” pulls from Oberst’s Bright Eyes work (perhaps think of “Another Travelin’ Song”), and later tracks flirt with Ward’s 60’s pop obsession, and James’ country streak to produce everything from a country-western ballad, “The Right Place”, to the smoky and spinning “Slow Down Jo”, which floats in a haze of broad vocal harmonies and a breathing slide guitar. The album shines at points, but doesn’t avoid making mistakes; the cliché and forced “Losin’ Yo Head”, a messy attempt to recreate the 60’s, plods unimaginatively through an overused chord progression, feeling bland and repetitive.

Apart from some slip-ups and spells of mid-tempo lassitude, the album effectively showcases and interweaves the talents and influences of its creators to generate an album that stands immune to the apathy from which so many supergroups suffer. Instead we find an album substantiated not by sparkling studio production, virtuosic instrumentation or even particularly great songwriting, but by passion and delicate care, that upon repeated listens, proves more than just a successful collaboration, but a warm, enjoyable source of innovative tracks that couldn’t have been born to any other group but this one.

Tracklist:

1. “Dear God (sincerely M.O.F.)” – 5:07
2. “Say Please” – 2:48
3. “Whole Lotta Losin’” – 2:45
4. “Temazcal” – 3:49
5. “The Right Place” – 3:48
6. “Baby Boomer” – 2:53
7. “Man Named Truth” – 3:51
8. “Goodway” – 2:01
9. “Ahead of the Curve” – 3:40
10. “Slow Down Jo” – 3:21
11. “Losin’ Yo’ Head” – 4:37
12. “Magic Marker” – 3:20
13. “Map of the World” – 4:24
14. “The Sandman, the Brakeman and Me” – 3:23
15. “His Master’s Voice” – 4:50

Get it.

The Antlers – Hospice (2009)

Hospice has been floating around for  few months now, but it took me until this past week to really get into it. And I really got into it. Peter Silberman’s frail falsetto and passionate wailing over the textures the band lays down make for an incredibly emotional album that floats between ambient lows and anthemic, soaring highs that stimulate a true connection between the listener and the music. Lifted from Pitchfork’s take on the album (like always…):

The Antlers’ skyscraping blend of the ambient and the anthemic is a far cry from Bon Iver’s subtle folksiness, but Silberman and Justin Vernon emerged from their traumas seeming equally scoured and eager to reconnect. Hospice is bereft of irony and cynicism, as befits a rather ghastly narrative that feels, perhaps deceptively, autobiographical. Centered around a relationship with a terminally ill child, and evocatively spun from eerie hospital scenery, snippets of conversations with doctors, terrifying dreams, and the periodic intrusions of Sylvia Plath, it becomes a broad meditation on guilt, duty, mortality, and hope in the face of hopelessness. The emotional payload, while artfully couched, is fervent and bleeding. Silberman’s affecting earnestness, not to mention his sweet voice, allows him to pull off lines like, “All the while I know we’re fucked/ And not getting un-fucked soon,” while sounding more prayerful than cynical.

Tracklist:

1. “Prologue” – 2:35
2. “Kettering” – 5:10
3. “Sylvia” – 5:27
4. “Atrophy” – 7:40
5. “Bear”  – 3:54
6. “Thirteen” (vocals by Sharon Van Etten) – 3:11
7. “Two” – 5:56
8. “Shiva” – 3:45
9. “Wake” – 8:44
10. “Epilogue” – 5:25

My faves: “Kettering”, “Sylvia”, “Epilogue”

Get it.

Brand New – Daisy (2009)

Three years after their last release, Brand New are back full force with a new one. This one is definitely jarring, but in a way that I really like. As Michael Bird on Music Emissions put it:

While The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me was a clear step forward for the band in scope and maturity, it’s not immediately clear what Daisy is a step towards, or indeed whether it’s a step anywhere at all. In much the same way as Kid A was Radiohead coming right out of left field, Daisy doesn’t seem to follow on directly from Brand New’s previous output, and will definitely take a few listens to sink in.

So, one might ask, “Hey, Todd–didn’t you once upon a time actually review music? Why all the lazy posts with other people’s words or nothing at all?” Well, first I’m flattered that you’ve paid enough attention to my output to notice that it’s becoming more simplistic, and yes, bare-bones. My excuse (oh god, another blogger making excuses… ) is that I’m just starting school, so my priorities are balanced differently now. However that doesn’t mean I’m stopping, and actually soon I’ll be reviewing full-out as I’ll be writing reviews for the paper here at school. So, if you’ve been on the edge of your seat waiting for my precious words (you guys are just too much for me…), fret not. Substantial writing in the works. For now, just enjoy the music!

Tracklist:

1. Vices
2. Bed
3. At the Bottom
4. Gasoline
5. You Stole
6. Be Gone
7. Sink
8. Bought a Bride
9. Daisy
10. In A Jar
11. Noro

Get it.

(link updated)

The Rural Alberta Advantage – Hometowns (2009)

Recently re-released on Saddle Creek, the RAA’s debut album rests on boundless sincerity and a genuine passion for their music. the nasal, often off-key vocals don’t detract from the album’s appeal, instead offering it a humble flavor and emotional edge.

Lifted from Pitckfork’s review:

Over the course of the past 10 or so years– from Neutral Milk Hotel to Arcade Fire to Bright Eyes– winking detachment has ceded an increasing amount of indie rock ground to unmockable earnestness. Next in that line of serious, and seriously emotive, songwriters are the Rural Alberta Advantage. The Toronto-based trio, led by born-and-bred Albertan Nils Edenloff, has created an affecting debut that’s full of nostalgic songs about hometowns (hence its title) and heartbreaks, marrying salt-of-the-earth acoustic rock to energetic rhythms and grand orchestral arrangements. Even Edenloff’s nasal, impassioned singing and lyricism are practically naked in their straightforward sincerity.

Tracklist:

1. The Ballad of the RAA
2. Rush Apart
3. The Dethbridge in Lethbridge
4. Don’t Haunt This Place
5. The Deadroads
6. Drain the Blood
7. Luciana
8. Frank, AB
9. The Air
10. Sleep All Day
11. Four Night Rider
12. Edmonton
13. In the Summertime

Get it.

The Mountain Goats – The Life of the World to Come (2009)

A less lo-fi album from The Mountain Goats with a religious subtext, but not one that’s overbearing. From John Darnielle, singer and lyricist of the band:

“I guess the obvious question is going to be: ‘John, have you had some sort of religous awakening?’ and while I guess lots of people might want to be coy about answering that, that’s never really my style, so: no. It’s not like that. It’s not some heavy-narrative-distance deal either, though, and it’s not a screed. It’s twelve new songs: twelve hard lessons the Bible taught me, kind of. More than that I’d want to wait to say until some people have heard it, which won’t be long. Will there be more news soon, quite soon? Like, next week, even? Oh yes there will!”

Tracklist:

1. 1 Samuel 15:23
2. Psalms 40:2
3. Genesis 3:23
4. Philippians 3:20-21
5. Hebrews 11:40
6. Genesis 30:3
7. Romans 10:9
8. 1 John 4:16
9. Matthew 25:21
10. Deuteronomy 2:10
11. Isaiah 45:23
12. Ezekiel 7 and the Permanent Efficacy of Grace

Get it. (link updated Oct. 5, 2009)

Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest (2009)

If you don’t have this yet, it’s a necessity. It’s stunning chamber pop at the height of perfection; this album received so much attention to detail there isn’t a note that wasn’t labored over with the utmost meticulousness and care. And it worked.

Tracklist:

1. “Southern Point” – 5:00
2. “Two Weeks” – 4:03
3. “All We Ask” – 5:20
4. “Fine for Now” – 5:31
5. “Cheerleader” – 4:52
6. “Dory” – 4:25
7. “Ready, Able” – 4:17
8. “About Face” – 3:21
9. “Hold Still” – 2:23
10. “While You Wait for the Others” – 4:29
11. “I Live with You” – 4:58
12. “Foreground” – 3:28

Enjoy.