Ah, another night of musical travesties courtesy of people who “know” something about music. Oh you need proof. Well….
This….
…beat this!
And if that wasn’t enough, this…
…beat this!
It just goes to show you, the Grammy awards aren’t about music, they’re about influence. Enjoy the videos, and congratulations to The Flaming Lips, who walked away with a couple awards, but then again, they were also robbed by this!
*sigh*
Today, The Shins announced new tour dates with their tour buddies Viva Voce, including a stop in Houston on March 6th at the Verizon Wireless Theater. Don’t let this opportunity pass you by.
Tickets will go on sale next Tuesday, February 13th at 5:00pm. You can buy them HERE when the time comes!
Also, my experience with NIN tickets allows me to give you this precious piece of information: have a T3 Internet Connection
Good luck!
Field Music – “A House is Not a Home” from the album Tones of Town.
Kevin Barnes and Of Montreal live for the music. Somewhere in the midst of non-stop touring around the world, Kevin still manages to find time to write and record brand new music. Of course, it’s never enough to release a great LP every one or two years, as they have consistently done since their inception. No, Of Montreal is also all about the EP, ususally releasing one in conjunction with their main releases. “Icons, Abstract Thee” is the thematic companion to the group’s latest release, “Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?” For those smart enough to preorder the album from Polyvinyl Records’ website, you are probably the proud owner of this nice little EP. Everyone else has to either order it separately from the Polyvinyl Records website, or pick one up the next time the band comes through your town, as they will be made available on tour. Is it worth it though?
Kind of. You see, Of Montreal’s EPs are largely collections of songs that didn’t work on the full LP. For example, the Bonus EP that was released with “The Sunlandic Twins” was thematically similar to the album itself, but the style of the songs just didn’t mesh well with the rest of the album. It’s the same here. “Icons, Abstract Thee” is a collection of five songs that deserved to be heard, just not on “Hissing Fauna.” There area couple songs about depression and relationship turmoil (“Derailments In A Place of Our Own” and “No Conclusion”), as well as your typically joyful songs about a band touring an evil kingdom (“Du Og Meg”). The standout track on the EP is arguably “Voltaic Crusher/Undrum To Muted Da” in which Barnes reflects on a relationship, saying, “You gave me your hand, I gave you a fist. Please don’t lose any sleep over me, baby. I hardly exist.” Of course, that upbeat dance track is countered quite beautifully by “Miss Blonde, Your Papa Is Failing,” an acoustic guitar ballad that has Barns singing “When I look in your eyes I see me looking back” to what I’m assuming is his own child. It’s an extremely touching song that sounds like it could’ve been ripped right off of “Cherry Peel” due to it’s lack of electronic flourishes.
Overall, the EP has a much heavier feel to it, tackling the same subject matters as their latest LP, but doing so much more bluntly this time around. On “No Conclusion” Barnes cries out “Tonight I feel like destroying myself,” followed ever so gently by “I’m O.D.-ing on your c**ksucker blues.” It probably wasn’t a bad idea to leave these songs off of the album. None of them are really all that terrible, and most are actually really good. But musically, these songs would just be a distraction on what is otherwise a fantastic album.
The hardcore Of Montreal fans should definitely check it out, but I have trouble recommending it to anyone else.
Key Tracks:
1. “Voltaic Crusher/Undrum To Muted Da”
2. “Miss Blonde, Your Papa Is Failing”
There came a time that the true meaning of pop music was lost in popular culture. Somewhere along the line Britney Spears, *Nsync, and dozens of other now-forgotten “artists” came to exemplify pop as a here-today, gone-tomorrow music made to satisfy the wallets of record label executives more than the public. And while the pop explosion of the late 90s came and went, The Apples in Stereo were subtly staying true to what pop music was all about. Over a decade after the band released their debut album, The Apples in Stereo are back with their first new album in about 5 years, “New Magnetic Wonder.” For fans of The Apples, it’s been quite a long time coming.
The album starts out about as strong as The Apples have ever sounded, with a vocoderized “Turn up the stereo-o” leading into a full-fledged guitar driven pop-rock sing along called “Can You Feel It?” Here, Robert Scheider’s unique voice calls out “Oh, Turn up the stereo! Oh, drown out the static on the FM radio!” It’s an amazing way to start out the album, and a fantastic toe-tapper at that! The opener runs head-on into “Skyway,” yet another great guitar and vocal-driven pop song, complete with an all-too-catchy “Doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo” complementing the chorus.
Taking a page right out of former Elephant 6 pioneers, The Olivia Tremor Control’s, playbook, “New Magnetic Wonder” almost has as many short sub-minute tracks as it does full-fledged pop songs (10 to be exact). While these tracks can be somewhat distracting to the overall feel of the album, they also serve as quick-breathers on what would otherwise be a non-stop upbeat pop album. On that note, both “Mellotron Pt. 1” and “Mellotron Pt.2” are kind of funny to listen to, if only to hear The Apples in Stereo try their best at lo-fi 40s lounge music. It seems as if a few of these tracks are just excuses to play around on a vocoder, but some, like “Non-Pythagorean Composition Pt. 1” are just really short, beautiful instrumental songs.
“Energy” is a spirited affair that just begs to be clapped along to. It’s highlighted by it’s incredibly catchy chorus where Schneider sings, “And the world is made of energy. And there’s a lot inside of you. And there’s a lot inside of me.” “Same Old Drag” is piano-heavy pop song that’s hard not to consider perfect, at least when it comes to pop music. Of course, an album with 24 tracks is sure to have it’s set of missteps, but The Apples are fortunate to have these kept to a minimum. “Sun Is Out” is more of a repetitive meditation than an actual song, and at over two-minutes, no one’s going to blame you for skipping ahead.
Other highlights of the album include “Sunndal Song” and “Sunday Sounds” both sung beautifully by drummer Hilarie Sidney, as well as the heavy pop-rock sounds of “7 Stars” and “Open Eyes.” Above all, however, is probably “Beautiful Machines,” a powerful 4-part song that’s played out over 2 tracks. By the time Part 4 comes around, you’ll have forgotten that you’re listening to The Apples in Stereo, as it sounds more like Doves or even Snow Patrol. Of course, the band is sure to remind you who you’re listening to with the short, yet catchy “My Pretend,” a song that caps off a wonderful album flawlessly.
The Apples in Stereo have been out of the indie music scene for some time now. During that time, other bands have risen up and tried to take their place at the top of the indie pop-rock totem pole. Though The Apples may have died long ago in the minds of many hipsters and college students, true fans have been eagerly anticipating this album for some time. They will not be disappointed. “New Magnetic Wonder” not only brings The Apples in Stereo back from the dead, but it puts all the lesser, would-be dethroners in their rightful place; miles below this great, American band.
Key Tracks:
1. “Can You Feel It?”
2. “Energy”
3. “Same Old Drag”
4. “7 Stars”
5. “Beautiful Machines”
January always sets the tone. Ultimately, the albums released in the first month of the year are usually a good indicator of how awesome the rest of the year will be. Last year, The Elected, Jenny Lewis, and Sia all dropped some huge albums and 2006 never really disappointed. This January totally whooped the hell out of last January, so I really can’t wait for what 2007 has to offer.
The Winner
Of Montreal: “Hissing Fauna, Are you the Destroyer?”
Kevin Barnes is one of the only people I know of who can record an entire album by himself and make it sound like it’s a full-band effort. Every single second of Of Montreal’s latest indie-pop masterpiece is overflowing with depth, creativity, and so much complexity that you’ll need a c-clamp and a few rolls of duct tape to keep your jaw from dropping. On top of all that, it’s also a fun, energetic album at the same time that it is poignant, depressing, hilarious, or even confusing. “Hissing Fauna…” is such an accomplishment for Of Montreal and a huge step forward after their last two albums. Though a thousand times more difficult than their most popular albums, it is ultimately much more rewarding in the end. After a few listens, you’ll be glued to it.
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah has never been a band for the masses. Their self-titled debut was fairly good, but the album’s hype far outlasted it’s replay value. Though laced with great songs like “Heavy Metal” or “The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth,” once the initial appeal wore off, there wasn’t much to keep you coming back. So the band is faced with a dilemma. How do you follow up one of the most-hyped indie releases of the last decade? The band’s answer is “Some Loud Thunder,” a respectable sophomore album from a band that proves that they are more than hype.
That being said, “Some Loud Thunder” isn’t really a departure for the band either. It seems as if little musical progress has been made between their debut and their second album. Most, if not all, of these songs could easily have been placed on their debut without interrupting the flow of the album . But “Some Loud Thunder,” while lacking the initial magic of the first, does have some terrific songs on it. “Mama, Won’t You Keep Those Castles in the Air and Burning” is really the first standout song on the album, followed soon enough by the perplexing, yet enchanting, “Satan Said Dance.” The latter of the two is my personal favorite on, and one of the greatest songs Clap Your Hands Say Yeah has released. “Goodbye to the Mother and the Cove” has a surprisingly soft, subtle sound to it and it eventually builds into a semi-anthem, carried by sweeping harmonies, while “Underwater (You and Me)” utilizes a steady rhythm and bass line to create an enthusiastic sing-along feel.
When it’s all said and done, not much has changed with Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. People who had the opportunity to listen to their first album and enjoyed it will find little to complain about here. Though I would have liked to see a musically different album, hearing the band rely on their formula yet again isn’t as disappointing as it should be. After all, their unparalleled sound is part of the reason that the band is so beloved. That being said, if you weren’t a fan of their first album, you may want to pass this one up. If you are new to the band, there’s no better way to be introduced to the quirky sounds of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah than by picking up a copy of their album and giving it a spin.
Recommended for fans of Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah, and anyone who wants to hear some of the most peculiar music around today.
Key Tracks:
1. “Mama, Won’t You Keep Those Castles in the Air and Burning”
2. “Satan Said Dance”
3. “Underwater (You and Me)”
Audio Overflow 