Moroccan Role

Site Update:: Bar Exam Looming...

2007-06-26T16:49:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the lack of updates around here recently. I'm sitting for the Bar Exam in late July and within the past couple of weeks I've officially started to feel the time crunch. Consequently, I have not had the time to update this site. Unfortunately, this trend will undoubtedly continue throughout July. There will probably be no updates for the entirety of the month. However, once the exam is over, I will return to regular updates. Thanks for supporting Moroccan Role and I will see you all in August.

Earlimart - Mentor Tormentor

2007-06-20T23:51:00.000-05:00

Earlimart will release their fifth LP, Mentor Tormentor, August 21st on Majordomo Records-- an imprint formed as a partnership between Earlimart and Shout! Factory. This effort will follow their 2004 release, Treble & Tremble, which was received warmly by critics and indie-pop fans alike. Mentor Tormentor is a 15-track affair written and produced by Aaron Espinoza and Ariana Murray at The Ship, the band's studio in Eagle Rock, CA. Earlimart completed this album some time back, but shopped it around and saw a few record deals fall apart prior their decision to put this album out essentially on their own. There is an impressive stylistic diversity present, from upbeat pop numbers to more ballad-orientated cuts, along with a few rockers. My initial favorites tend to be of the more poppy variety; "Nevermind the Phonecalls", "Bloody Nose", and "Nothing is True" all stood out upon a first listen. Among of the band's most defining characteristics is frontman Aaron Espinoza's breathy vocals, which often sound quite reminiscent of his late friend, Elliott Smith. "Nothing is True" is a vaguely melancholy number guised as a twee head-bobber. The song relies mostly on acoustic guitar and piano but is fleshed-out nicely by an excellent whistling bit and a brief Beatles-type found sound “dream” sequence serving as a bridge about 3/4 of the way through. If you enjoy the tunes below, you'll find plenty to like about Mentor Tormentor.

MP3: Earlimart - "Nevermind the Phonecalls" (link via Pitchfork)
MP3: Earlimart - "Think About Me" (link via Pitchfork)

Earlimart on the web.

Angels of Light - "The Man We Left Behind"

2007-06-18T23:10:00.000-05:00

I'm not going to pretend I know much about Michael Gira's work with Swans or his Angels of Light material aside from the '05 split LP with Akron/Family. Nevertheless, I've been listening to and greatly enjoying the upcoming Angels of Light album, We Are Him, most of this evening. Akron/Family are back on board for this album and their presence is readily apparent throughout. My early favorite track is "The Man We Left Behind"-- which opens with a meditative two-minute instrumental intro featuring a low-key single-note guitar part that will sound instantly familiar to A/F fans, along with droning violin and ambiance aiding, monotone harmonic vocal "ahhs". The main body of the song initially employs only acoustic guitar, piano, and voice. From there, Akron/Family methodically add layer upon layer until finally arriving back to the instrumental section that got it all started. The tune fits my mood just about perfectly this evening and is precisely the kind of song I needed to help me unwind after a long day. Gira's voice provides much of the character here and carries with it considerable authority. At once somber and strangely/vaguely celebratory, his lower-register croon occasionally reminds me of Lou Reed a bit-- which could hardly be considered anything but a positive.

MP3: ~~Angels of Light - "The Man We Left Behind"~~

We Are Him is due August 13th on Young God Records. You can listen to two other album cuts, here.

Deastro - "The Shaded Forests"

2007-06-15T20:38:00.001-05:00

A couple of days ago, I stumbled upon Deastro's unassuming MySpace page. His page has only registered 2,000 views as of this writing and this is a shame, because this act has definite potential and with a modicum of exposure he would win-over a horde of converts. Detriot native Randy Chabot handles all vocals, drums, piano, synth, guitar, and programming duties. His best song I've encountered is "The Shaded Forests"-- a tasty slice of ethereal electro pop-rock that proves Chabot has melodic chops in spades. The song succeeds largely due to the endearing combination of the lo-fi recording aesthetic and anthemic, stadium-ready choruses. Starting with a laid-back synth riff reminiscent of CYHSY's "Over and Over Again (Lost & Found)", the tune builds and blossoms into a near mini-epic. Chabot proves his songwriting instincts are keen, as this bad boy is brimming with strong hooks at every turn. The attention to detail and little things really give this one character-- see, e.g., the studdering "I t-t-t-t told ya"s during the verses and the wall of shimmering guitars before the chorus. While obviously recorded on a limited budget, the sound works quite well and the song is all the better due to this fact, as this brand of stuff could easily veer into dangerously poppy terrain with the application of excess studio sheen. However, with its bedroom recording feel and almost U2-sized ambition, "The Shaded Forests" is an undeniable winner.

MP3: ~~Deastro - "The Shaded Forests"~~

*Had to make this one short and sweet as I'm off to see the National at 20th Century Theatre...Cincy folks, your asses should be there!

New Animal Collective:: First Impressions

2007-06-14T00:33:00.000-05:00

Earlier this week, the first three tracks from Animal Collective's forthcoming album, Strawberry Jam, made their way into the internet. I initially resisted sampling the tunes for want of my first exposure to the album being a listen in its entirety, but my curiosity eventually got the better of me. These opening three songs ("Peace Bone", "Unsolved Mysteries", and "Chores") undoubtedly provide valuable insight into the sound and feel of Strawberry Jam. As anyone familiar with the band knows, their sound is subject to significant change from album to album. Many consider Feels to be their masterpiece up to this point (I'm in this camp) and a radical stylistic departure from this album may have proven a disappointment. The sampler-heavy material the Collective have recently been playing live is from another potential album due after SJ and, consequently, only the most rabid AC fans had a concrete idea what to expect from this album. Judging from these first three tunes, Strawberry Jam does not seem too far removed from the, um, feel of Feels. These songs and Feels are sonically closer than perhaps any two Animal Collective releases have been up to this point. However, the prominent electric guitar and more traditional rock band set up employed on Feels's opening third is mostly scrapped in favor of dense electronics-aware compositions.

"Peace Bone" is probably the most accessible thing the Collective has done yet. The song features a bouncing rhythm, prominent vocal melody, and easily decipherable lyrics. Bubbling keyboard flourishes, touches of steel drums, and "Grass"-like clipped vocal screams flesh-out the tune. "Unsolved Mysteries" is the most similar to the band's previous album and methodically builds layer upon layer while intermittently featuring great vocal interplay between Panda Bear and Avey Tare. My personal favorite among the three new tunes is "Chores". The song's first half evolves and morphs continuously, but ever feels too busy or, if you'll excuse the pun, labored. But, it's on the more amorphous second half-- where the band settles into a relaxed, tribal chanting groove-- that things really get interesting. Only time will tell if the rest of Strawberry Jam lives up to the promise of these opening three tracks, but there is a distinct possibility that this will be the Collective's best album yet.

Strawberry Jam is due in September. Here's the tracklist:
01 "Peacebone" (5:13)
02 "Unsolved Mysteries" (4:25)
03 "Chores" (4:30)
04 "For Reverend Green" (6:34)
05 "Fireworks" (6:50)
06 "#1" (4:32)
07 "Winter Wonder Land" (2:44)
08 "Cuckoo Cuckoo" (5:42)
09 "Derek" (3:01)

Get new Animal Colletive MP3s: Here.

Liars - Liars Preview

2007-06-12T22:45:00.000-05:00

Liars will release their self-titled fourth album 8/28 on Mute Records. It seems like only yesterday their fantastic third album, Drum's Not Dead, was released and subsequently ended up on nearly every blogger's the top albums of 2006 list. (#14 on mine) Well, here they come again. The forthcoming album has surfaced considerably earlier than many (including myself) had anticipated-- a full two-and-a-half months prior to its release date. In fact, Pitchfork posted an "Exclusive Premiere" limited duration stream (48 hours) of the album's opening track, "Plaster Casts of Everything", just today. So much for that type of "exclusivity". Drum's Not Dead was a demanding, yet ultimately rewarding listen that relied heavily on abstract droning and sometimes eerie dynamic tension. The majestic closing track, "The Other Side of Mt. Heart Attack", provided a resolution that made making it through the often-challenging record all the more satisfying.

Liars is more initially accessible than the concept-orientated Drum's and often finds the band embracing electric guitars and more traditional instrumentation, song structures, and even pop melodies. But, this definitely not to say all traces of Drum's are gone. In fact, a few of tracks would have fit nicely on that record-- "Leather Prowler", "What Would They Know", and "Pure Unevil" in particular. Upon a cursory listen, the album seems to strike a nice balance between Drum's abstract elements and their more pop-orientated dance-punk roots. Liars is a smaller record than its immediate predecessor, both in terms of conceptual scope and simple run-time (just over 39 minutes). But, the songs appear to be a bit stronger in their own right and not as dependent on album context when compared to those on Drum's. Most instantly appealing are the chilled-out electro pop numbers "Houseclouds" and "Sailing to Byzantium". The more rocking numbers are strong, too-- especially the thrashing opener and the balls-out rocker "Cycle Time". While there's no "The Other Side of Mt. Heart Attack" on the new album, the closing track "Protection" does a fine job considering the incredibly large shoes it had to fill by default. Over the next couple of months, you will surely hear a great deal about this album and I plan to give it plenty of spins.

As we are so far away from the album's release date, I'm only gonna post Pitchfork's stream of the opening track...

Stream expired :(

Portugal. The Man - Church Mouth

2007-06-11T23:55:00.002-05:00

Portugal. the Man is an experimental rock trio from Alaska who will release their sophomore album, Church Mouth, on July 24th. Their debut album, Waiter: “You Vultures!”, was released in early 2006 and enjoyed very enthusiastic reviews in some circles, but went largely unnoticed. Regrettably, I've yet to hear the debut, but thanks to the strength of the second LP, this is likely to change rather quickly. Based on my initial listens to their upcoming album, these guys are proving to an incredibly exciting and promising young band. The first two tracks explode out of the speakers with results similar to what would happen if Mars Volta decided to cut the bullshit and just rock. These guys are a unique indie band that doesn't have any qualms embracing the heaviness of harder rock or feel the need to obscure its psychedelic-tinged pop-rock chops with unnecessary noise around the edges. The have just a touch of a proggish feel, but this can be attributed more to the impressive technical aspects of their playing and arrangements rather than any tendency to sacrifice solid songwriting in favor of unnecessarily complicated or otherwise self-serving instrumentation. For a band that sounds this instantly familiar, their sound is surprisingly difficult to accurately describe. For lack of more clever analogies, imagine if Wolfmother were more original and paid homage to late 60s/early 70s psychedelic hard rock instead of early heavy metal or if Mars Volta streamlined their songwriting and avoided their often-unfortunate habit of being purposefully abstract and willfully difficult.

The title track wastes no time introducing the album's high-wired, near frantic intensity and characteristic solid songwriting and musicianship. The song's undeniable energy carries on through the second track, "Sugar Cinnamon", which employs pounding drums and an awesome psychedelic rave-up feel. Aside from the lackluster "My Mind", the record's first half is practically flawless. Initial album standouts also include tracks three, ("Telling Tellers Tell Me"), five ("Shade"), and later album cut, "Bellies Are Full". While the album maintains a break-neck energy level nearly throughout, the songs are surprisingly well written for a band that rocks this hard. It will take a few more listens to recover from my initial excitement and approach this album critically, but that's for another day. For now, I feel compelled to gush all over this record and when you hear the tunes below, you'll understand why.

MP3: ~~Portugal. The Man - "Church Mouth"~~
MP3: ~~Portugal. The Man - "Shade"~~

Pre-order the album here.

Bridging the Distance - A Portland, Oregon Covers Compilation

2007-06-09T19:31:00.000-05:00

It's pretty obvious I've been feeling a bit nostalgic lately. To wind down this brief detour into yesteryear, I offer a couple of tunes from the April 2007-released Bridging the Distance compilation. As the title alludes to, this album is a collection of Portland-based bands covering 70s and 80s (mostly) classic rock tunes. Notable contributing bands include indie heavy weights The Decemberists and Spoon's Britt Daniel, along with numerous up-and-upcoming acts such as Viva Voce, The Joggers, and The Thermals. The complete track list can be viewed here. I'm generally uneasy when it comes to any sort of tribute or covers compilation, as they are often completely unnecessary, glorified whack off sessions. But this compilation is for a good cause (Portland homeless youth mentoring program, p:ear) and offers enough variety to keep things fairly interesting. The source material is primarily FM classic rock radio staples and a number of the usual suspects are present-- the Boss, Skynyrd (dude), Fleetwood Mac, ELO, and Yes.

It's always risky to completely deconstruct and re-envision a classic and well-loved tune, but the most successful songs here are ones that take a radically different approach from the original. The Minus 5 take Lynyrd Skynyrd's tale concerning the trappings of rock stardom, "That Smell" and render it more somber by stripping the song down to its core. Most interestingly, singer Scott McCaughey manages to hit some notes that sound remarkably Jaggeresque. (think: the verses of "Angie") And with the minimal arrangement, the song's cautionary theme resonates loud and clear. The dudes of Blizten Trapper tackle Heart's "Crazy on You" and re-imagine the Guitar Hero II highlight as a synth-pop gem that wouldn't sound out of place on an Of Montreal album. A simple vocal hesitation during the chorus gives the song a slightly different feel, and with the wall of electro beeps and buzzes, it all works surprisingly well. The compilation standout comes from Whip, a one-man project and pseudonym of Portland songwriter Jason Merritt. Merritt's haunting folk rendition of Billy Idol's "White Wedding" is so far removed in sound and spirit from Idol's 80s anthem it feels like a completely new song. Employing minimal acoustic strums, sparse banjo plucking, and despondent vocals, Idol's fist-pumping rocker is effectively remodeled into an affecting, woeful meditation. Don't be surprised to hear this one popping up on a film or television soundtrack or two in the near future. The strength of this tune and the compilation's charitable cause more than justify its reasonable $10 price tag.

MP3: ~~Whip - "White Wedding" (Billy Idol cover)~~
MP3: ~~The Minus 5 - "That Smell" (Lynyrd Skynyrd cover)~~

You can snag Blizten Trapper's version of "Crazy on You" over on Stereogum.

Buy the compliation here.

Moroccan Role's Top 10 Power Ballads in the World...Ever

2007-06-07T22:26:00.000-05:00

I got the idea for this post upon encountering the June 1st, Top 5 Hair Metal Songs, entry on Ryan Adams' MySpace blog. While there's precious little to celebrate about 80s hair metal, the sheer majesty of the power ballad is undeniable. This glorious art form is often maligned due to its cheesy, out-the-top sentimentality, but every one of us has a soft spot for these tunes. The fail-safe formula for 80s hard rock success was brilliant in its simplicity: a rocking first single, followed by the requisite power ballad. There were countless bands that followed this blueprint and hordes of power ballads were released, but here we are concerned with the best of the best, the crème de la crème. As a preliminary matter, we should clearly define a true power ballad. I'm of the opinion that a power ballad is characterized by the following formula: a hard rock or metal band utilizing (a) soft/loud or clean/distorted guitar dynamics, (b) shameless sentimentality and/or unabashedly romantic lyrical themes, and, of course, (c) obligatory air guitar-worthy solos. As such, some fine tunes had to be eliminated for not quite fitting the niche. Noteworthy eliminations include: "Beth" by Kiss, "Patience" by Guns 'n Roses, and "More Than Words" by Extreme [all violative of (a)]; "Fade To Black" by Metallica, "Mama I'm Coming Home" by Ozzy, "Novemeber Rain" by GnR, and "Winds of Change" by Scorpions [violative of (b)]; and Prince's "Purple Rain" because as a non-hard rock or metal artist, he's without standing for inclusion. Without further ado, here's the list...

10. Styx - "Lady"
“Lady” is the grandfather of them all. Styx is often credited with creating the power ballad genre with "Lady" in 1973. They are arguably the cheesiest band of all time due to frontman Dennis DeYoung's tendency to craft the most un-rocking rock songs imaginable and flair for the theatrical-- see, i.e., the laughable concept album Kilroy Was Here and its subsequent tour. However, as a pioneer and one of the earliest examples of this brilliant musical style, "Lady" definitely merits a spot in the top 10.

9. Europe - "Carrie"
From the moment the incredibly schmaltzy, lite-rock keyboard enters, you know you are in for some serious, grade-A power balladry. This song illustrates the most effective use of a single, solitary word in hair metal history. The tune is almost completely uneventful and rather drab aside from the chorus, which utilizes the brilliant hook, "Care-air-air-rie, Care-air-air-rie". I'll be damned if hearing Joey Tempest longingly sing that lovely name doesn't nearly bring a tear to my eye every time...

8. Def Leppard - "Love Bites"
Straight off, singer Joe Elliot, never one for subtlety, implores whether his love interest looks in the mirror when she's doin' it. I'm not exactly sure what he's getting at there and it's still jarring every time I hear that opening line. But, it matters not. The powerful and melodic chorus is so strong it renders everything he says completely inconsequential. He could discussing the finer points of String Theory or reading from the back of a cereal box, it would still be a great tune.

7. Journey - "Faithfully"
Lately, I've had a bit of a problem with Journey. This has nothing to do with their music, it relates to the would-be ironic sheik-ness attributed to it by the undergrad (predominately frat) set. I live near the University of Cincinnati and you cannot spend a night in a college bar without hearing "Don't Stop Believing" (with 15 drunk dudes singing along, no less) at least twice. It used to be the very same way for Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline", and it took years for me to hear that song without puking in my mouth a little. Oh, about this song...it's admittedly a bit soft for the list and "Don't Stop Believing" will probably replace it when the the above-mentioned phenomenon fades away, but Steve Perry's got a huge and versatile voice and this is arguably his best vocal performance ever.

6. Foreigner - "I Wanna Know What Love Is"
I'm pretty much a Foreigner fan. Of course, I disclose this only when appropriate, but these guys have a lot of solid tunes. I mean, "Feels Like the First Time", "Dirty White Boy", "Jukebox Hero", "Hot Blooded", "Cold as Ice"...c'mon now. Did you happen to see that episode of Aqua Teen Hunger Force when the Mooninites acquire the magical Foreigner belt? That episode was awesome.

5. Whitesnake - "Here I Go Again"
This song utilizes the soft/loud dynamic better than perhaps any other power ballad on this list. When those first two power chords come in, it's nearly impossible to resist pumping your first in appreciation or jamming along on your imaginary guitar. Although all of these tunes are excellent karaoke fodder, this one works especially well in that venue. Plus, that Dave Coverdale really had some great hair-- he could give Jon Bon Jovi a run for his money.

4. Poison - "Every Rose Has Its Thorn"
"Every Rose" is the archetypal hair metal power ballad. A rocker showcasing his sensitive side while gently strumming an acoustic-- Check. A memorable melody and impossibly catchy chorus-- Check. An obligatory and air guitar-worthy solo-- Check. It's more or less a perfectly constructed pop tune and this genre classic is, by far and away, the best thing the band ever created.

3. Night Ranger - "Sister Christian"
Like a number of tunes on this list, it begins with a contemplative piano figure and slowly builds from there. This song hit #2 on US charts back in 1984, but enjoyed quite a resurgence upon being prominently featured in 97's Boogie Nights. If you've yet to see the movie or don't remember the scene, check it out. As the song is supposedly about Night Ranger drummer, Kelly Keagy's sister coming of age and "motoring" (driving around) with their friends, it has a truly unique (perhaps a bit creepy) theme for power ballad. Regardless, it still fits the within my definition under the totality of the circumstances.

2. Mötley Crüe - "Home Sweet Home"
Released in 1985, this was one of the biggest hits of the hair metal era and MTV's most requested video for four months(!) straight. "Home Sweet Home" was a rare example of the Crüe showing off their softer side, but it isn't too soft. This was always a crucial element in the artistry of crafting a power ballad, as the goal was to appeal to a wider audience without alienating your established fans. The success of this song propelled countless other bands to follow in Mötley Crüe's footsteps and craft a power ballad of their own. This was probably the single most important song in shaping the genre in the 80s.

1. Skid Row - "I Remember You"
Skid Row arrived right near the tail end of the hair metal party and had plenty of time to study the craft of writing a killer power ballad prior to releasing their debut. In many ways, this gave them and other Johnny-come-latelies an almost unfair advantage. By the late 80s, the power ballad blueprint was firmly in place. "I Remember You" is the perfect power ballad-- perfect song structure, glossy production, and Sebastian Bach sings with technical precision. It's probably too perfect, in fact. In many ways, the single is emblematic of the end of hair metal's heyday and why its demise was inevitable. By the time "I Remember You" surfaced in 1989, hair metal was extremely bloated and had become too predictable, too easily emulated, and way too homogenous.

The White Stripes - "Rag and Bone"

2007-06-06T21:13:00.000-05:00

It's no secret that I love me some White Stripes and shower them with fanboy-type praise nearly every opportunity I get. Well, tonight there's another good reason to do just that. A special 7" vinyl of the Stripes' "Rag and Bone" came packaged with the new issue of NME Magazine, which hit newsstands today. The 7" is the first official hard copy taste of the duo's highly anticipated new album Icky Thump, due June 18th. Although already released on iTunes, the physical copy of upcoming album's first single and awesome title track will be released on Tuesday. The full album is also becoming quite leaky, but don't tell Jack White...ole boy gets rather pissed (understandably, I suppose) about these things. While a number of the initial leaks were of rather low quality, excellent quality rips have started showing up on the intertubes as of late. I've resisted the temptation to seek out the suspect quality leaks because I don't wanna spoil the experience of first hearing this album by listening to crappy quality MP3s. As of this writing, I've only heard "Icky Thump" and "Rag and Bone". But based on the quality of these tunes, "I'm finding it harder to be a gentleman [and hold back] every day". (sorry, it was way too obvious)

"Rag and Bone" creeps in with a nice little blues boogie guitar line and brief dialogue between Jack and Meg. It steadily gains steam through the verse and chorus, followed by another bit of clever dialogue concerning the duo's ever-growing urge to get their hands on goods contained in the "mansion" introduced early in the song. The best snippet comes when Jack chides his counterpart with the hilarious, "Oh Meg, don't be rude" at the 2:30 point. Just listen to it, you'll definitely agree. The Stripes are the only band in the universe that could take a song this simple and turn it into a 3 minute, 45 second slice of brilliance that completely transcends its component parts. Forgive my "uber-hyperbole", but these guys make it super hard to disguise my excitement. Speaking of which, during the course of drafting this post, I've officially decided I cannot wait any longer to hear this album in its entirety. Please forgive me, Jack.

Stream:

Why the New Smashing Pumpkins Tribute Album Sucks...

2007-06-05T22:18:00.000-05:00

This thing was doomed from the start. The words "MySpace" and "Smashing Pumpkins tribute" alone are a dead giveaway. The CD's only redeeming quality is that it's free with the July issue of Spin. Well, that and some of the covers are so bad they could provide a few laughs, I guess. I'm an admitted Pumpkins fanatic, but tribute albums are generally shitty. I cannot think of a single tribute album in existence that is worth the price of admission. What's worse this time out is the fact that the Pumpkins have such a unique sound-- due in no small part to Billy's signature nasally whine-- and a good portion of their material is essentially worshipped by their dedicated fanbase. Oh, and then there are the bands featured here-- a hodge-podge of the offensively bad (so tempted to name names), the utterly vanilla (ditto), and the unknown. Ben Kweller and the more tolerable of the two Blink 182 splinter groups also contribute. While it's hard to pick a favorite cover, it's even more difficult to determine who massacres their tune the worst.

Let's start with the best: Kweller's laid-back, stripped-down rendition of "Today" is about what you would expect. He's smart enough to resist any temptation to radically reconstruct or go at it recklessly and the tune is all the better for it. It's essentially harmless, but like everything else here, is completely unnecessary. The New Amsterdams' version of "33" is basically okay, but dude painfully over-emotes and takes too many liberties with the vocal melody in a few spots. However, the original is such a beautiful song that one would really have set out to destroy it to make a solo acoustic and vocal cover utterly unlistenable. +44 tackle Gish opener "I am One" and cover it nearly note-for-note, but it will never sound anything other than silly hearing Mark Hoppus singing a Pumpkins song. In fact, Hoppus somehow manages to make the song sound more like 311 than the Pumpkins.

The rest of the bunch are complete stinkers. Oh, where to begin? How 'bout with the very worst? Ironically, Young Love (whoever that is) manage to strip "1979" of every bit of its youthful spirit, turning it into a bland piano and vocal number that could serve as the background music at an Oprah's Book Club meeting. Josh Groban is pissed, dude. The Academy Is... take the epic "Mayonnaise" and render it completely flat and borderline monotonous. This track is among the top-tier anthems of the 90's and if you choose to undertake the endeavor of covering it, you need to bring a hell of a lot more than this to the table. The rest fare slightly better, but you probably won't make it through them once without skipping to the next track. Since I couldn't locate The Bravery's cover on the internet, I cannot say how that one stacks up. But, considering it's The Bravery, I wouldn't get my hopes up.

So, I get the point-- the Pumpkins have a new album coming out and they were a highly influential and well-loved band. It's an undeniably nice gesture to honor the band with something like this, but if the product is ever going to see the light of day you should take more pride in the material than what is presented here. Even with a better group of bands or better performances, it is highly doubtful the results would have been much different. The Pumpkins were completely unique and sound like no one else, even to this day. Sure, they had their influences, but they are in a elite group of bands. They are the rare example of a group that have great songs and are instantly recognizable and unmistakable despite mostly using the common instrumentation of rock music (drums, guitar, bass, and vocals). With the infinite number of bands out there and how it sometimes feels like everything has been done a thousand times before, this feat is becoming increasingly more difficult. Upon tackling the source material of a group like this, the results will inevitably be poor.

Stream:

You can listen to the individual tracks by clicking on the Pumpkins' top friends on MySpace. (click at your own risk!)

As a bonus, here's a video of the reunited Pumpkins playing a new song, "Starz", live in Germany on June 2, 2007:

Map of Africa - s/t

2007-06-04T19:39:00.000-05:00

It's this kind of stuff that makes this blog exciting to write. Map of Africa basically came out of nowhere and knocked me on my ass. Friday afternoon, my friend Christi pointed me towards a recent post on Gorilla vs. Bear that declared the band's "Bone" one of the highlights of May. GvB Chris was dead-on as usual. Shortly after snagging the tune, I had to hear the debut in its entirety. I spent nearly all weekend with this thing playing almost non-stop and the self-titled album is one of the most interesting things I've heard in awhile. This stuff lends itself incredibly well to clever descriptions such as these ones referencing "Bone": "swampy psych-rock jam...scoring a chopper scene in some ill Vietnam flick" (GvB Chris), "makes me want to drive around town in a Z28 with the windows rolled down...hang out with chicks in cut-off jean shorts and dudes wearing headbands...and give people more high-fives" (GvB commenter Jared), and "muggy summer night outside on patio with beer in hand & cig in mouth jam of '07" (Christi).

Map of Africa comes out of the gate strong with a knockout cover of the Equals’ “Black Skin Blue Eyed Boys”. The tune sounds gloriously out-of-step with the current musical climate and is one of best straight-ahead rock songs I've heard all year. The opening three tunes pull off a down-n-dirty classic rock 'n roll swagger much more convincingly than any retro-revivalists out there currently. While there are obvious sonic reference points, Map of Africa do so without sounding particularly indebted to any one musical era. "Gonna Ride" employs a confident Dire Straits-type strut fleshed out with a ZZ Top guitar tone and occasional lead figures. This track formally introduces the sexed-up lyrical content and feel of the album and while the lyrics are sometimes purposefully kinda cheesy ("she was a skater dater/coordinator/four door hatch-back two days later"), they fit the tone of the music to a T. "Dirty Lovin'" is the most overtly sexual song here and also contains an obvious nod to ZZ Top.

A midsection containing more ambient material follows the killer opening trio. While the funky, low key "Freaky Ways" is a highlight and easily accessible, the title track/band namesake and the instrumentals ("Creation Myth", "Ely Cathedral", and "Western Love") mostly serve to aid in giving the album an overall arc. The track 4-8 trek initially comes across as self-indulgent, but upon a more attentive listen(s), the track sequencing starts making a whole lot more sense.

It's on "Bone" where the album's second half really starts warming up. The two proceeding tracks are fine; it's just that the strength of the first and last quarter of the album overshadows the other material a bit. You need only refer to the descriptions of "Bone" included supra for an indication of the track's awesomeness. The penultimate track "Snake Fingers" finds the band returning to the guitar-driven classic rock feel of the album's first quarter and the fine closer "Here Come the Heads" may be the best Dire Straits tune Mark Knopfler never wrote.

Map of Africa's Harvey Bassett and Thomas Bullock are more commonly known as club DJs and this suggests the duo laid out the track sequence with an overarching theme and feel in mind. Upon my first couple of listens, I thought the midsection was flabby and the more ambient material was mostly mere filler. It's tempting to write off this album as uneven due to the instantly and insanely enjoyable tunes bookending the album, but stick with it-- in short order, it begins to reveal itself as a record with considerable depth and definite grower potential.

MP3: ~~Map of Africa - "Black Skin Blue Eyed Boys"~~
MP3: ~~Map of Africa - "Bone"~~

Buy the LP here.

Common - "The People" & "The Game"

2007-06-01T19:29:00.000-05:00

My knowledge of hip-hop is very limited, but I like to think I'm pretty adept at distinguishing the good stuff from the crap. I liken this ability to former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart's famous definition of obscenity-- I know it when I ~~see~~ hear it. Common's 2005 album, Be, was my second favorite hip-hop album of that year, topped only by Kanye's sprawling, flawed masterpiece, Late Registration. Last year I really dug Lil' Wayne's Dedication II, Clipse's Hell Hath No Fury, T.I.'s King, and unanimous hip-hip album of the year for the indie set, Ghostface's Fishscale. Three of these albums ended up on my top 25 albums of 2006 list. Wayne is my favorite modern rapper by a long ways, though I probably only fully absorb about a handful of albums from this genre in a given year. I'm admittedly a bit of a rockist, but as an obsessive music fan, I can get into and appreciate rappers who have a little something special. I do not think this indefinable something necessarily correlates to hip-hop that is geared towards or more friendly to a white audience-- I mean, can Wayne really be considered hip-hop for white 26-year-old recent law grads? Whatever this elusive element is, Common is one of these rappers who just clicks with me.

Common's seventh album, Finding Forever, is due July 31st on Geffen. Recently, two tracks from his upcoming record were made available on iTunes. Kanye produced first single "The People" and it features r&b singer Dwele on the hooks. Kanye's production is excellent and gives this track and warm and organic feel, providing the perfect background for Common's voice. After seeing him perform at the University of Cincinnati awhile back, I was impressed by the diversity among dude's fans. The unifying theme on this track suggests that this phenomenon is far from a fluke. "The Game" strives for a bit more of a street feel and reminds me quite a bit of Be's "The Corner". While trying to sound "hard" has never been one his strengths, he doesn't veer too far into this territory here. After all, how hard can one sound whilst referencing global warming, vegetarianism, Akeelah and the Bee, and MTV's Sweet Sixteen? The song features some tasteful scratching from DJ Premier and though it lacks the lush production of "The People", it works almost as well.

Stream the tunes:

The Arcade Fire - Recent 7" vinyl B-sides

2007-05-31T21:35:00.000-05:00

On May 5th, Merge Records released the Arcade Fire's "Keep the Car Running" 7" vinyl single here in the US-- which came backed by B-side, "Broken Window". The 7" for the band's second single, "Intervention", was released in the UK on May 21st and comes out here on July 10th. This second single also includes Calexico's cover of Neon Bible tune, "Ocean of Noise". I'm sure most readers of this website are well acquainted with the tunes on the Arcade Fire's excellent sophomore album and the first two singles from it, but I thought there would be more than a few individuals interested in hearing the tunes backing the singles. Accordingly, they are posted in all their streaming glory below.

"Broken Window" is more restrained than we are used to hearing these guys and though the tension ebbs and flows throughout the tune, it never quite reaches the type of catharsis or climax showcased on their best material. The song builds slowly but surely until right around the 3:20 mark, when the tune feels right on the verge of a huge, anthemic crescendo, but then unexpectedly retreats back into "quiet mode". This is fine, but when you're listening to a band capable of producing soaring epics like "Wake Up", it is inevitably a bit disappointing. Afterward, the tension begins building again, but after the initial anticlimactic moment, one never quite expects it to completely turn the corner. This tune is decent (we're talking about Arcade Fire here people), but has a definite B-side feel and is not as fully realized as their album cuts.

Calexico's take on "Oceans of Noise" is quite cool and is exactly the type of B-side treat fans truly appreciate. The band's Martin Wenk and Jacob Valenezuela played the horns on the Arcade Fire's version of the cut, so it makes sense the entire band would eventually cover the track. Live recordings of the tune were posted around the net in early April, but the studio version is (not surprisingly) a superior sounding take on the song. Though Calexico is pretty much completely faithful to the original, the Arcade Fire version is far more dramatic and theatrical than Calexico's understated cover-- precisely what one would expect from these bands. The accents of harp provide an excellent touch and the trumpets are given more room to breathe in the mix than on the original. Hell, after listening to Calexico's version, one might even start to find Arcade Fire's rendition a bit over-the-top. But, alas, their tendency to be highly dramatic is an integral part of the Arcade Fire's charm.

Stream the tunes:

The National - "Blank Slate" vs. "Keep it Upstairs"

2007-05-30T19:09:00.000-05:00

As anyone who reads this blog with any regularity knows, I am a huge fan of almost all things The National. On April 30th (nearly a month prior to the street date of the new album), the band released a limited edition single for Boxer standout, "Mistaken for Strangers". The UK CD single featured two B-sides: "Blank Slate" and "Santa Clara". Since the new full-length was already widely available prior to the release of the single, I just recently got around to listening to these B-sides. Featuring the more traditional National sound, "Santa Clara" is stylistically closer to Boxer and would be a better fit on either of the band's last two albums than would be "Blank Slate". However, "Blank Slate" is the more interesting of the two and, in terms of quality, rivals nearly anything appearing on the new album. The song features a straightforward, driving backing beat and some of the most playful/whimsical lyrics I've heard from singer Matt Berninger. He speaks of finding love by kidnapping someone famous, fending off armies with tennis rackets, and tackling young girls off bicycles. More typical of Berninger, he also states his head is like a "buzzing three star hotel" and that he keeps all his puzzling urges at bay, i.e., "upstairs for the grand finale".

After hearing this tune a couple of times, I felt it was somehow strangely familiar. I realized soon after that "Blank Slate" is a reworking of an earlier National tune, "Keep it Upstairs"-- a B-side from the 2005 "Abel" single. While they share most of the same lyrics, the songs could not be more different. On the most basic level, it appears that someone other than Berninger is singing on "Keep it Upstairs". At the very least, he is employing a falsetto that renders him virtually unrecognizable. His distinctive baritone is unmistakable after all. "Blank Slate" is also much more upbeat than the deliberate, slow churning pop stylings of "Keep it Upstairs". While "Keep it Upstairs" is intriguing because-- for someone unfamiliar with the tune-- it is difficult to detect that is even The National, I nevertheless prefer the re-working. It would have never quite worked on Boxer, but this is one of my favorite tunes from these dudes this year.

Stream the tunes:

***************************************************

Recent highlights from around the blogs:

This week, nearly every music blog in existence posted this first MP3 from The New Pornographers upcoming full length, Challengers, due 8/12-->
MP3: The New Pornographers - "My Rights Versus Yours"

While their 2005 album, Black Sheep Boy, was among the top tier albums released that year, I nearly forgot about this cool tune from Okkervil River's forthcoming LP, Stage Names, due 8/07-->
MP3: Okkervil River - "Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe"

Here's a video of Sufjan Stevens performing "The Lakes of Canada" (the Innocence Mission cover) on the roof of Cincinnati's Memorial Hall, the day of the MusicNOW Festival:

Finally, Mental Floss posted this neat little album cover art quiz. The quiz features the 15 biggest-selling albums in music history and asks if the album covers have been altered in any way. I got 12/15...

Modest Mouse - "King Rat"

2007-05-29T17:22:00.000-05:00

This track first appeared exclusively on a 7" vinyl promo opposite "Fire it Up" from Modest Mouse's newest album, We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank. The promo was given to individuals who pre-ordered the new album through online retailers. It now also appears on the UK version of the "Dashboard" CD single, released yesterday. In an April interview, MM frontman Isaac Brock explained the tune will eventually be included on an upcoming EP featuring songs that did not make it onto the new album. If that doesn't satiate your desire for info about this song, Brock also stated that actor Heath Ledger has signed up to create a video for the tune with Monty Python animator Terry Gilliam. A vinyl rip of "King Rat" was posted on a few blogs in late March, right around the release date of We Were Dead, but the CD conversion of the song sounds quite a bit cleaner and is available for your streaming pleasure below.

The song sounds closer to the band's Good News... material than the newest album, largely due to the drunken horn parts which introduce the tune and reappear intermittently. A simple, catchy banjo lick shapes the intro but gives way to a similar-sounding guitar part during the verses. "King Rat" revisits the new album's nautical theme-- most explicitly with the ominous repeating of "deep water, deep water" during the song's darker second half. While the quality of this B-side is surprisingly strong, it was probably still wise to keep this one off the already (in many ways) overstuffed We Were Dead. As the album is 14 tracks and an hour long, another five-and-a-half minute tune would have certainly been excessive. This song would truly shine in the live setting, as the second half seems tailor-made for one of Isaac's near psychotic freak-outs. Let's hope the other material from the forthcoming EP all sounds this good.

Stream:

The Clientele - God Save the Clientele

2007-05-28T16:18:00.000-05:00

UK dream-popsters The Clientele released their third album, God Save the Clientele, May 8th on Merge Records. The album features more of the mellow, atmospheric indie pop tunes that the Clientele have made their name on. Their 2005 sophomore record, Strange Geometry, was a sleeper hit among the indie set and was among my top 20 of that year. The new album is not as initially catchy as its immediate predecessor, but is another fine set of tunes that blossom nicely after a few listens. Opener "Here Comes the Phantom" is a breezy summertime head-bobber and definite album highlight. When frontman Alasdair MacLean sings, "My heart is playing like a violin" in his honest and breathy voice overtop tasteful string figures, it is a near perfect pop moment. Upbeat lead single, "Bookshop Casanova" is another highlight that also benefits from Louis Philippe's masterful string arrangements. Two of the best songs here are incredibly lush and beautifully produced ballads: "The Queen of Seville" features gentle acoustic guitar plucking, piano twinkles, and brilliant pedal steel work while "Isn't Life Strange" employs swirling, delicate strings and one of the album's best vocal melodies. This album just sounds great-- it is elaborately orchestrated but never comes across as busy or too ornate.

The Clientele craft mood music, in the best possible sense of the term. Their music evokes visions of rainy days, early summer romances, and lazy weekends. A number of tunes here are great mix CD fodder, but the entire album is consistently strong and is a undeniably cohesive piece of music. These songs have a sort of understated charm that is unique to this band. You can put on a Clientele album and just chill out and relax without interacting with it substantially, or you can listen intently to uncover the subtle intricacies. Basically, whatever level of effort you wanna put into the band's music will yield a corresponding reward. At this point, I still prefer Strange Geometry by a touch, but this new one has really started growing on me and has provided the perfect soundtrack for my recovery from this long weekend.

MP3: ~~The Clientele - "Here Comes the Phantom"~~
MP3: The Clientele - "Bookshop Casanova" (link via Toolshed Media)

Stream the entire album here.

Buy the album here.

Bonus: Here's a highlight from their 2005 album, Strange Geometry, and one of favorite songs of that year-->
MP3: ~~The Clientele - "(I Can't Seem to) Make You Mine"~~

From the Vault:: Paul Westerberg - Suicaine Gratification

2007-05-25T13:08:00.001-05:00

Suicaine Gratification was released in 1999 and is the third solo album from former Replacements frontman and songwriter Paul Westerberg. The Replacements were a highly influential 80s post-punk band hailing from the Twin Cities. They had highly devoted following and released a couple of near classic albums, including 1984's Let it Be and 85's Tim. While the band had a string of minor hits, they seemed content to remain relegated to, even relish, their perennial underdog status. The 'Mats always appeared on the cusp of a major commercial breakthrough, but the band had an endearing, yet severely handicapping self-destructive streak. A prime example of which occurred when the band showed up wasted to a Saturday Night Live taping and Paul dropped the "F" bomb on the air, incurring the wrath of SNL main man Lorne Michaels.

After The Replacements fizzled out, Paul's solo career officially began in 1992 with two songs ("Waiting for Somebody" & "Dyslexic Heart") on Cameron Crowe's Singles soundtrack. His first two solo albums, 93's 14 Songs and 96's Eventually, were released to critical acclaim, but sales were modest. Paul signed to Capital Records and released Suicaine Gratification in 1999, but as the label was undergoing massive reorganization, they did not extensively promote the album and it was a commercial disappointment.

Suicaine Gratification was initially fairly well received by critics, but the album is not generally remembered too fondly these days. For example, in a 2002 Pitchfork review of his Stereo solo album, they implored whether SG came as a result of an aneurysm. The truth is, this album was a bit of a departure for Westerberg and many of his piano and voice explorations here fell upon deaf ears. This record came shortly after the birth of a son and is probably the most personal of his career. In retrospect, the album feels like Paul was finally putting his past to bed and looking towards the future.

Excellent opener "It's a Wonderful Lie" is a quiet and minimal acoustic lament with a number excellent lyrical lines-- see, e.g., "So don't pin your hopes, don't pin your dreams/to misanthropes, guys like me". "Best Thing that Never Happened" is a mid-tempo garage pop-rock tune that vaguely references the 'Mats lost opportunities of widespread commercial success. "Final Hurrah" also seems self-aware and here Westerberg appears to equate this record to his "latest last chance" at an elusive breakthrough album. The album's lead single "Lookin' Out Forever" sounds the closest to his Replacements glory days and is a strong upbeat rocker with one of the album's most memorable vocal hooks. Despite its wanky lead guitar work towards the end, my favorite track here is "Fugitive Kind". The song starts as a somber, introspective piano ballad and transitions into a driving pop-rock anthem. When Paul shouts simple lines like, "Is this where I belong?", he strikes a nerve and taps into a rock and roll spirit that many other singer-songwriters are unable to reach their entire career. Later on, when Paul proclaims, "I'm a bad idea whose time has come" near the very top of his range, it is especially powerful knowing the man's history.

While the piano and vocal tunes ("Self Defense" & "Sunrise Always Listens") are a bit self-indulgent and do not play to Westerberg's songwriting strengths, the album is almost uniformly strong. Other album highlights include the romantic "Born for Me" and the sweet "Tears Rolling Up Our Sleeves". I have kept this CD in my vehicle since originally buying it 8 years ago and still pull it out fairly regularly. Admittedly, it is a bit of a grower and probably not even one of Westerberg's best solo albums, but it is just one of those albums that clicked with me. I suspect every music nerd has a handful of albums that they personally love without regard to their critical merit or appeal to others. For one reason or another, the record just works for you. For me, Suicaine Gratification is exactly that type of album.

MP3: ~~Paul Westerberg - "Fugitive Kind"~~
MP3: ~~Paul Westerberg - "Lookin' Out Forever"~~

Buy the album (cheap) here.

Ryan Adams - Easy Tiger Update

2007-05-25T10:40:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, Lost Highway Records released a few tracks from the upcoming Ryan Adams album, Easy Tiger. All of these already short tunes are curiously faded out around the 2 minute mark, so I suppose they are intended to be good quality teasers. They provide a feel for the tone of the upcoming album regardless. Although I wrote about a couple tracks from the album last Tuesday, I felt compelled to share these songs. Besides, with Cold Roses-type guitar noodling and a fine vocal melody, "Everybody Knows" is a marked improvement on "Halloween Head" and "Two" is starting to grow on me.

MP3: Ryan Adams - "Two" (feat. Sheryl Crow)
MP3: Ryan Adams - "Everybody Knows"
MP3: Ryan Adams - "Halloween Head"

**all tracks are two minute snippets**

Easy Tiger is due June 26th on Lost Highway.

Patrick Wolf - "The Marriage" & "The Magic Position"

2007-05-24T15:44:00.000-05:00

With his tune "The Marriage" making the rounds on the internet yesterday, I figured this was an excellent opportunity to discuss an album that I really enjoy but never got around to posting about. Patrick Wolf is an extremely talented 23-year-old singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. His third album, The Magic Position, hit stores here in the U.S. on May 1st, but the indie world had been buzzing about this album even prior to its original February 26th UK release date. The album is an inventive and ambitious slice of fully realized, tasteful pop songcraft. A good portion of which provides some of the most listenable indie pop tunes of this year. First single "The Magic Position" is a joyous, unabashed pop ode to "major key" revelry. Wolf employs a dance-y rhythm and sunny electro instrumentation to guise the song title's thinly-veiled sexual innuendo. "The Marriage" is a B-side appearing on his "The Magic Position" single and while it is in line with the overall feel of The Magic Position, the backing music feels a little too glitchy and busy. For this reason, it was wisely relegated to B-side status.

This album was in heavy rotation here at Moroccan Role headquarters (my apartment) for a solid month and is probably among my top 10 or so of this year. Aside from the title track, other album highlights include the strutting electro pop gem "Accident & Emergency", the stunning "Bluebells", and the haunting piano ballad "Magpie" which features vocals from Marianne Faithfull. Wolf's voice is powerful and stately, showcasing maturity far beyond his years. This album is, by nearly all accounts, the best of his young career and has been compared to classics such as David Bowie's Hunky Dory and Beck's Odelay. While the album runs out of steam a little towards the end, I would contend that these generous comparisons aren't terribly far off.

MP3: Patrick Wolf - "The Magic Position" (link via Pitchfork)
MP3: ~~Patrick Wolf - "Accident & Emergency"~~

Stream:

Buy the album here.

Interpol - "The Heinrich Maneuver"

2007-05-23T11:17:00.000-05:00

Dapper NYC rockers Interpol will return with their long-awaited third album, Our Love to Admire, July 10th. The album marks the group's major label debut and will be released on Capital Records. First single "The Heinrich Maneuver" has been making the rounds on the internet for a few weeks now and the song suggests the boys are hesitant to depart from the formula that worked so well on their two Matador-released albums. Our Love to Admire will come nearly three years after their sophomore record and one might expect the lead single from a band's "difficult" third album to be a bit more controversial or challenging. The track finds the band sticking to the well-established formula of their first two albums and would not sound a bit out of place on Antics. "The Heinrich Maneuver" features the familiar spiky (mostly single note) guitar lines, insistent drumming, and fluid bass work one has become accustomed to hearing from these guys. Singer Paul Banks's lyrics and vocal melody are the most interesting elements here and this tune is thematically more direct than usual. Interpol's songs have tended to be brooding and ambiguous, but lines like "How are things on the West Coast?" and "Today my heart swings" almost certainly allude to a break up while coming across as uncharacteristically upbeat.

While "The Heinrich Maneuver" is a good tune, it unfortunately leaves this listener longing for something more. With their upcoming album, Interpol has the opportunity to challenge both their fan base and the potential new converts a major label album offers. But, based on this song, it appears they are content to play it a bit safe. Hopefully on Our Love to Admire they tweak and expand their sound more than this single would suggest. Their incredible 2002 debut Turn on the Bright Lights sounded fresh and unlike anything else at the time and remains one of the strongest albums of the 2000s so far. Antics was also great and played to their strengths, providing a fine follow-up. However, five years after their first album, it is probably time the band took a few chances and shook things up to keep their sound moving forward. Let's hope the album cuts provide a greater sense of progression and evolution than does this first single.

Stream the tune:

If you are seeking a MP3, the track is available via iTunes or try here.

Check out Interpol's summer tour dates.

The White Stripes - "Icky Thump"

2007-05-22T16:54:00.000-05:00

The White Stripes will release their sixth album Icky Thump via Warner Bros. on June 19th. Most of you have probably heard the first single/title track from the album by now, but I still feel compelled to share my thoughts about the tune. "Icky Thump" made its way onto the internet and radio about a month ago and initially came across as much weirder than it really is. The "weirdness" is mostly due to the awesomely eerie late 60s/early 70s heavy metal synth-organ howls permeating the track and the intermittent stop/start feel. Jack and Meg are playing heavier on this track than we have yet to hear them. Yes, this means crunchy garage metal riffage and deliberate, crashing drums. Jack yelps come across like a possessed Robert Plant (see, i.e., the "la la la las" at the end of the second verse) and his lead guitar licks are reminiscent of an early Stripes classic, "Hello Operator". The third verse has the best lyrics and the overtly political ("White Americans, what nothing better to do/Why don't you kick yourself out/You're an immigrant too") is washed down with the downright witty ("You can't be a pimp and a prostitute too"). Jack White knows he's a rock star and not some sort of political figurehead, as such he's too smart to ever come across as preachy or pretentious. The tune strikes an impressive balance between the classic White Stripes sound and just the right amount of experimental flare, making “Icky Thump” an anthem that will appeal to long-times fans as well as mainstream radio audiences.

The Stripes last album, Get Behind Me Satan, saw the band expanding their sound while maintaining a firm grasp on what made them great in the first place. Some of the chances the band took fared better than others, but GBMS was still an impressive work. Upon listening to "Icky Thump", it appears their progression is not losing steam and is leading the band to even bigger and more interesting places. Jack White is arguably the best rock star in modern music, not to mention one of the most talented and prolific. Shortly after wrapping the recording sessions for Icky Thump, he entered the studio with his fellow Raconteurs in the hopes of hammering out their sophomore record before the White Stripes went out on tour. Even though he rarely (if ever) stops to catch his breath, it often appears the man can simply do no wrong.

Stream the tune:

If you are seeking a MP3, the track is available via iTunes or try here.

Notable Album Releases This Week: 5/22

2007-05-22T13:29:00.000-05:00

Today is a big release date in the indie world and this post is dedicated to offering a bit of info about the records I recommend you check out. This may very well become a weekly Tuesday feature here at Moroccan Role. Enjoy!

The National - Boxer

The National's much-anticipated and blog-loved Boxer finally arrives in stores today. Click here to read my post on their first single "Mistaken for Strangers". Unsurprisingly, the album has been receiving rave reviews from critics. This is another strong and cohesive album from these Brooklyn-based Cincinnati transplants.

MP3: ~~The National - "Mistaken for Strangers"~~
MP3: The National - "Fake Empire"

Buy the album here.

Handsome Furs - Plague Park

Wolf Parade co-vocalist/guitarist Dan Boeckner and his fiancé release their Handsome Furs debut today via Sub Pop. Click here to read my thoughts on the album. Basically, I believe it is the best Wolf Parade spin-off yet and Plague Park is one of my favorite albums of the past couple of months.

MP3: ~~Handsome Furs - "Cannot Get Started"~~
MP3: ~~Handsome Furs - "Handsome Furs Hate This City"~~

Buy the album here.

Battles - Mirrored

So-called "math rockers" Battles follow a couple of EPs with their debut album, which adds vocals to the mix for the first time. I've just started giving this one some serious spins, but it is proving to be an excellent and completely original listen. Click here to see what the critics are saying. If any mostly electronic-based music can ever be accurately described as "muscular", Battles are more deserving of that descriptor than any band I've yet to hear.

MP3: ~~Battles - "Atlas"~~
MP3: ~~Battles - "Ddiamondd"~~

Buy the album here.

Shapes and Sizes - Split Lips, Winning Hips, A Shiner

Last, but not least, Canadian experimental indie-popsters Shapes and Sizes released their sophomore album today via Sufjan Stevens' label Asthmatic Kitty. The band received much blog love over the past couple of months, but I've finally just stumbled upon their new album. This record may be overlooked due to today's other more high profile releases, but this blurb should serve as a reminder you may wanna pick this album up if you enjoy the tunes below.

MP3: Shapes and Sizes - "Alone/Alive"
MP3: Shapes and Sizes - "Head Movin'"

Buy the album here.

Smashing Pumpkins - "Tarantula"

2007-05-21T13:15:00.000-05:00

As anyone who really cares already knows, the Smashing Pumpkins will return with their first album of new material in nearly seven years upon the July 10th release of Zeitgeist. The band's line-up has been a topic of much speculation and as of this writing, the only two members confirmed for the upcoming reunion are head Pumpkin Billy Corgan and his steadfast drummer Jimmy Chamberlin. However, we do know that former Pumpkins guitarist James Iha did not participate in the reunion album nor will he involved with the upcoming tour. While Iha's presence would have made this reunion feel more like the Pumpkins, his absence will not likely affect the sound of the band to a large degree. Let's be honest-- aside from helping define the band's look and feel, Iha's most memorable contributions to the band were his co-writing credit on Siamese Dream standout and 90s anthem "Mayonnaise", his tune "Blew Away" from Pisces Iscariot, and perhaps the most memorably, his donning a dress and playing a disenchanted, androgenous hitchhiker in the "Today" video. The Pumpkins were always primarily Billy and Jimmy and despite the fact we'd all love to see all four original members (although I doubt few swear allegiance to D'Arcy Wretzky on the level many do Iha) involved in the reunion, the creative forces behind the band are on-board and ready to go. Let's see how they fared on the first single from the upcoming album shall we?

On Friday, the first single from Zeitgeist, "Tarantula", was played on the radio in its entirety for the first time and was leaked onto the internet shortly thereafter. Corganites and casual fans the world over let out a collective sigh of relief upon hearing the tune and realizing that is was actually good. I, for one, was incredibly anxious to hear the new tune as it potentially could offer significant insight into the sound of the upcoming album. Any reunion album brings with it the possibility of tarnishing a band's reputation, not to mention the overall strength of their discography.

"Tarantula" is a (mostly) no-frills rock song with heavily distorted guitars and pounding drums. The guitar sound is ripping and there are a few sweet solos scattered throughout. Billy still sounds like Billy and Jimmy's drumming is powerful and showcases his characteristic virtuosity. Whoever is filling in for James and D'Arcy do their part to keep the tune propelling forward. The verses have a more straight ahead rock feel and the choruses veer into more pop/rock terrain. About 3/4 of the way through, there is a brief bridge which is quieter and more contemplative than the rest of the tune. In other words, this has the feel of a classic Pumpkins rock song.

The Pumpkins were my favorite band in high school and Mellon Collie was released on my 15th birthday. I learned every Siamese Dream song on guitar and saw them live about 10 times. Obviously, this band is very special to me. While Billy let many of us down with his ill-fated Zwan project and an utterly forgettable solo album, I have high hopes for this upcoming album. There is no way that Zeitgeist will be another Siamese Dream or even Mellon Collie, but judging by this first single, it has the potential to be a fine addition to their catalog. If nothing else, Pumpkins fans can look forward to hearing all of their classic tunes live once again when the band heads out on tour.

Stream the tune:

If you are seeking a MP3, the song is available for download on iTunes starting today or try here.

Animal Collective Live @ Southgate House, Newport KY 5/15

2007-05-18T14:12:00.000-05:00

The fine folks of the greater Cincinnati area were blessed with two great shows at the Southgate House this week. On Monday, The Hold Steady brought the rock to a crowd around 10x's the size of the one they had at the very same venue less than two years ago. This was obviously great to see. The show was (at least for this guy) exactly the kind of beer-drenched good time one would expect when attending one of their concerts. Animal Collective played the next night and, although the shows couldn't have been any different, they were probably even better.

As this was my first Animal Collective show, I did not know quite what to expect from the band in the live context. Let's just say the band more than lived up to my expectations. I assumed that the Collective played nearly all, if not the entirety, of their upcoming album Strawberry Jam along with a some of their of older tunes (Doggy, Who Could Win a Rabbit, Loch Raven, Leaf House). But, I was informed by a courteous and well-informed reader that the new songs were actually tunes from another new album that may surface sometime after Strawberry Jam. So basically, the band is apparently two albums ahead. The crowd responded well to the new material and was virtually transfixed while Avey Tare, Panda Bear, and Geologist tore through their set using only a small drum kit, keyboards, and samplers. The boys had a problem with the power supply during the fourth or fifth tune, which had to be aborted. After shaking off the technical difficulties, the rest of the set went according to plan and was incredible. The new stuff was unfamiliar to the crowd, but no one seemed to mind being treated to the electronics-heavy unreleased tunes.

While a good portion of the new material appears to showcase the Collective in "song-mode", the studio versions of the new songs are likely going to be a departure from their 2005 masterpiece Feels. Feels was the band's most straightforward and accessible album, due in large part to the traditional rock band feel of many of the tracks-- although Animal Collective's version of a "traditional rock band" is obviously going to be far from the ordinary. Based on Tuesday's show, the new material is going to be more ambient and rely more on electronic elements than did Feels. The new stuff felt sonically closer to Panda Bear's Person Pitch-- albeit darker in tone and theme-- than previous Animal Collective efforts. The band has been constantly improving with each studio album and, although topping Feels is going to be nearly impossible feat, I'm eagerly anticipating the release of both Strawberry Jam and studio versions of these tunes.

Here's a highlight from their 2005 album Feels-->
MP3: Animal Collective - "Grass" (link via Spin)

Download some live versions of tunes slated to appear on Strawberry Jam: Here & Here.

Watch a video of the band performing "Cuckoo Cuckoo": Here.

Check out Animal Collective's upcoming tour dates: Here.

Art Brut - "Post Soothing Out"

2007-05-17T14:31:00.000-05:00

British art-punkers Art Brut will release their sophomore album, It's a Bit Complicated, on June 26th. Their debut was critically acclaimed and much loved by many indie rock fans. The band began streaming a trio of tunes from the upcoming album on their MySpace page about a month ago and the full album leaked recently. Like the debut, the forthcoming record features singer Eddie Argos' signature self-effacing wit delivered in his sing-speak cadence with heavy accent intact. "Post Soothing Out" is the most melodically evolved tune these guys have produced. The song features an infectious and hooky guitar lick along with some uncharacteristically pretty vocal harmonies. The climax comes during the outro/bridge shortly after Argos employs a vocal melody that mimics the recurring guitar figure-- at the 2:34 point, a wall of guitars kick in and Argos briefly sounds more genuine and emotional than we've ever heard him. The last minute of this track alone make it a jump-start contender for my favorite Art Brut song yet.

While I've only heard this album a couple of times through, I feel it improves on the debut in nearly every way. Bang Bang Rock & Roll demonstrated these guys were on a unique tip and contained some insanely fun and memorable tunes. (Personal favs: "Emily Kane" & "My Little Brother") It's a Bit Complicated sounds better produced and tunes themselves are better put-together. "People in Love" is the new album's answer to "Emily Kane" and is an ode to break-ups on which Argos explains his need for change through the clever line, "People in love lie around and get fat, I didn't want us to end up like that". Lead single "Nag Nag Nag Nag" is a catchy upbeat punk tune with some lyrics ("A record collection, reduced to a mixtape/headphones on, I've made my escape") that will surely be appreciated by music nerds (read: music bloggers) the world over. Other highlights include the opening combo of "Pump Up the Volume" & "Direct Hit". Argos's voice is potentially polarizing, but if enjoy the tune below, you should definitely get your hands on It's a Bit Complicated.

MP3: ~~Art Brut - "Post Soothing Out"~~

Pre-order the album here.

Spoon - "You Got Yr Cherry Bomb" & "The Ghost of You Lingers"

2007-05-16T12:13:00.000-05:00

Indie favs Spoon will return with their sixth album Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga on July 10th. This record will come a little over two years after their excellent and popular Gimme Fiction. Bits of the upcoming album began appearing this week, followed shortly by a full-blown leak. "You Got Yr Cherry Bomb" is exactly the kind of upbeat indie pop tune that we have come to expect from these guys. Further, this song serves as a reminder that Spoon always seems to deliver each time out. Straightforward and catchy, the tune is anchored by Rob Pope's pulsating bass line and features well-used synthetic saxophone snorts. Drummer Jim Eno solidifies the groove and Britt Daniel employs his falsetto in the right places. A couple of days ago, the band "leaked" the second song from the album, "The Ghost of You Lingers". This track is a somewhat befuddling choice for an introduction to the album and with choppy electric piano pounds and Daniel's reverb-drenched vocals, it sounds different than anything we've yet to hear from these guys. As the track's name suggests, the tune has a haunting, would-be eerie (for Spoon anyway) tone. It's a bit of a change to hear a Spoon track without drums, bass, or guitar, but the track begins to seep under your skin after a couple of listens.

While I've only listened to Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga one time in its entirety so far, it appears to be less of a "rock" album than was Gimme Fiction. The new album is more groove-orientated and less guitar-driven than its immediate predecessor. Opener "Don't Make Me a Target" sounds closer to their 2005 album than anything else here, although "The Underdog" sounds similar to "I Summon You". From my cursory listen, it appears this album is not as initially catchy as Gimme Fiction and has a number of tunes that will likely be growers that take a few listens to totally click. I'm sure the indie world will be abuzz with talk about this album in the coming months, over which time I plan to give it a multitude of listens.

Stream:

MP3:Spoon - "The Ghost of You Lingers"

Pre-order the album here.

Ryan Adams - "Two" & "Halloween Head"

2007-05-15T20:12:00.000-05:00

Ryan Adams's upcoming album Easy Tiger is due June 26th. A couple of days ago, two tracks from the album made their way onto the intertubes. These tracks were featured on an exclusive promo only CD alongside a "mini-greatest hits" collection of older Ryan Adams tracks. While "Two" fares much better than the more rockish "Halloween Head", I have to say that I am less than overwhelmed by these tunes. "Two" is a mid-tempo alt-country number with nice lyrics ("Well my money's no good, when I'm up to no good") and features tasteful backing vocals from Sheryl Crow. There is a undercurrent of resignation throughout the song and Ryan is letting a lover know that he is willing to sacrifice, as "it takes two when it used to take one". The song is mostly true to the live versions, but feels a bit short at 2 minutes 38 seconds. "Halloween Head" sounds like a Rock n Roll B-side and suffers from the tossed-off feel and lazy-ass lyrics that plagued tunes like "Wish You Were Here" from that album. Here are two examples of the offending lyrical atrocities: "It's all the same old shit again, I've got a Halloween Head" and "What the fuck's wrong with me, God I'm a Halloween Head". Seriously? He even shouts "guitar solo!" before the simple, effect pedal-heavy "guitar" lead, for christsakes. Why? When many of your critics are quick to point out that your version of rock and roll is sometimes cartoonish (denim jackets, American flags, etc.) and prone to posturing, why even bait them with this type of shit. With that said, Ryan's vocal performance is actually pretty excellent if you can get over the crap that comes with it.

While I'm disappointed with "Halloween Head" and a bit indifferent towards "Two", I still have a feeling that Easy Tiger will be strong. This is based on the strength of live versions of the material and the early reviews of the album. Filter Magazine gave Easy Tiger an 86%, calling the album "focused and fortified", "the real deal", and said it would "likely be adored by many". In an album "preview" that pretty much reads as a review, Rollingstone similarly gushed about the album. But, they also referred to "Halloween Head" as a "great track", so that doesn't bode incredibly well. Still, I've been a fan of Ryan for years and get excited about every release. It's just unfortunate I had to hear a clunker like "Halloween Head" before the presumably numerous better tracks on the album.

Stream the tunes:

Here's a previously recorded version of a good tune (from the Suicide Handbook sessions) that will appear on Easy Tiger-->
MP3:~~Ryan Adams - "Off Broadway"~~

Download/listen to live versions of many of the tracks on Easy Tiger: Here.

Watch a sweet video of Ryan and the Cardinals performing the excellent tune which will be the opener on Easy Tiger, "Goodnight Rose": Here.

The Twilight Sad - "Cold Days from the Birdhouse"

2007-05-14T12:03:00.000-05:00

The debut full-length from this Glasgow band, Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters, was released on April 3rd has deservedly garnered excellent reviews. Singer James Graham's thick Scottish accent is the first thing a listener will notice upon their initial exposure to the Twilight Sad and his vocals go a long way towards defining the band's sound. "Cold Days from the Birdhouse" is the opening track on their debut LP and is a definite builder. This song serves as a fine introduction to the album and sets the stage perfectly for the second, and probably strongest track, "That Summer, at Home I Had Become the Invisible Boy". This band has been likened to a Scottish Arcade Fire and while this is an obvious touchstone in a post-Funeral indie atmosphere, it is also a somewhat accurate, albeit lazy comparison. Though the two bands sound virtually nothing alike, these Scots have a knack for nailing a similar brand of anthemic, emotional and dramatic indie-rock as the one that helped make the Arcade Fire a favorite among the indie set. This track creeps in slowly with distant piano twinkles and tasteful touches of slide guitar before Graham begins crooning in his unmistakable accent. Eventually the song crescendos with wall of distorted electric guitar, pounding drums, and Graham's impassioned wail. There are similar moments of high drama throughout Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters, as this album has no shortage of mini-epics.

After spending about a month and half with this album, I keep coming back to that damn accent. It almost gives this band an unfair advantage. I'm a huge sucker for rock songs by foreign bands who sing in their native tongue without trying to guise their regional dialect. And I'm sure I'm not alone in this. Bands like these guys and the Futureheads, for example, have an added exotic flare for us Yanks because of their respective singers' thick accents. It's interesting how in the past singers desperately tried (or would be otherwise persuaded) to sound "American" in an effort to cross over and appeal to our ears and how we have now basically come full-circle-- many of us find an "un-American" accent one of the most compelling attributes a band can have.

MP3: ~~The Twilight Sad - "Cold Days from the Birdhouse"~~

Buy the album here.

Arctic Monkeys Contest: Win "Brianstorm" 12" Vinyl!

2007-05-10T11:03:00.000-05:00

That's right, I'm giving away a copy of the Monkeys' new "Brianstorm" 12" vinyl single. The single also contains three tracks that do not appear on their new album Favourite Worst Nightmare. To enter just leave a comment below (be sure to provide an email address so I can contact you) or send me an email [(hammmd (at) gmail (dot) com) with the subject header "arctic monkeys contest"] outlining your favo(u)rite Arctic Monkeys song from their debut album and your favorite from the new one. You have until Monday 5/14 at 5PM EST to respond and a winner will be chosen at random.

"Brianstorm" Tracklist:
1. If you found this it's probably too late
2. Brianstorm
3. Temptation greets you like your naughty friend
4. What if you were right the first time?

Here's a personal highlight from Favourite Worst Nightmare:
MP3: ~~Arctic Monkeys - "Flourescent Adolescent"~~

Queens of the Stone Age - "3's and 7's" & "Sick Sick Sick"

2007-05-09T11:33:00.000-05:00

Queens of the Stone Age will release their sixth album Era Vulgaris June 12 on Interscope. These two tracks mark my first taste of the forthcoming record and have me itching to hear the album in its entirety. "3's and 7's" is the better of the two and features a nice riff-heavy rock groove and some of Queens frontman Josh Homme's signature slippery guitar squeals. The refrains briefly shift the tune into more poppy territory and provide a nice contrast to the more straightforward rock verses. Perhaps the most interesting element is the slightly dissonant bridge, which is well structured and perfectly transitions the tune into the outro guitar solo. "Sick Sick Sick" is more aggressive and features some sludgy (perhaps de-tuned) guitars and distorted bass. Homme is in top form here and his vocal performance and occasional guitar runs make the tune. Towards the end, Homme shares vocal duties with the Strokes' Julian Casablancas who offers a few lines in his trademark slur. As his role is limited, Casablancas offers little to the tune aside from a conversation piece and (thankfully) does not distract or detract from the overall product. On the basis of these two songs, it appears Queens are likely gonna add another strong album to their discography.

This band is operating in a genre (commercially viable hard rock) that, for the most part, is bereft of anything exciting or even marginally original. Besides these guys and the White Stripes, I'm having trouble thinking of a single other band that gets much mainstream rock radio play that I would bother listening to. Queens's success is a testament to the fact that hard rock can still be profitable AND fresh sounding. But, make no mistake, this is an exceedingly difficult feat to pull off. Though there is a definite market for music with potential cross-over appeal to indie kids, metal heads, and mainstream rock radio fans, it's much easier and more safe to stick to formulas (i.e., grunge retreads) with known success. It's a shame record companies don't give consumers enough credit to tackle more adventurous music and that more hard rock bands haven't stepped up to the challenge of creating it.

MP3: ~~Queens of the Stone Age - "3's and 7's"~~
MP3: ~~Queens of the Stone Age - "Sick Sick Sick"~~

Pre-order the album here

Queens of the Stone Age tour dates

The National - "Mistaken for Strangers"

2007-05-08T12:41:00.000-05:00

When Boxer first started trickling out, it seemed people were divided into two camps: those who instantly fell hard for the new album and those who were a bit let down by the lack of "rockers" present. "Mistaken for Strangers" is the closest the upcoming album comes to an "Abel" or a "Mr. November" and, while it is both up-tempo and energetic, it still lacks some of the intensity heard on those tunes. Forgoing the (nearly) reckless abandon of the above-mentioned Alligator highlights in favor of something a little more refined, "Mistaken for Strangers" is no less passionate and showcases many of The National's best qualities. Singer Matt Berninger's distinct baritone provides much of the color in the band's sound and sets them apart from countless other indie bands, but another element crucial in shaping the band's sound is often overlooked-- the drumming. While drummer Bryan Devendorf nearly destroys Boxer opener "Fake Empire" with his overly busy playing (from the 1:45 point to when the vocals exit), he and Berninger bring their A-game on the majority of the new album and on "Mistaken for Strangers", in particular. Instead of competing for the spotlight, they compliment each other perfectly on this track. There is something truly electric that happens when the band is plugging away at their instruments and Berninger is busy narrating his street smart tales filled with broken, stream-of-consciousness imagery. When The National hit their stride, the band is nearly impossible to deny.

Other Boxer highlights include the simple, yet gorgeous "Start a War" and "Apartment Story". There will be inevitable comparisons between Alligator and Boxer, but this is a mostly fruitless endeavor, as nearly all fans of the band will greatly enjoy both albums. However, if I had to choose one album over the other, I still have to go with Alligator. This was one of my very favorite albums of 2005 and, for me, the songs are just a bit stronger.

MP3: ~~The National - "Mistaken for Strangers"~~

Buy the album here

Wilco - Sky Blue Sky

2007-04-26T20:49:00.000-05:00

Wilco will release its sixth studio album, Sky Blue Sky, May 15th on NoneSuch Records. This will end a nearly three year period since the band's last studio effort, the sometimes unfairly maligned A Ghost is Born. The entirety of the album has been available on the internet for well over a month now, and while some initial impressions around the internets were less than overly-enthusiastic, it appears some subsequent listens have changed at least a few minds. Sky Blue Sky contains scarcely any of the experimental flare that shaped their last couple outings and, truth be told, it initially comes across as a bit flat. But, stick with it, the subtle intricacies and masterful musicianship reveal themselves in due time. Considering the strength of Tweedy's back catalog, you owe it to the man (not to mention yourself) to spend some time fully absorbing this effort.

The band's last album A Ghost is Born was, upon its release, often referred to as a "transitional" record. Whatever direction critics imagined Wilco would take following that effort, I'd surmise that few would have predicted the band would follow it with a record as straightforward, understated, and mellow as Sky Blue Sky. Accordingly, this album is precisely the type to usher in a new era for the band and Ghost's "transitional" label now seems apt. Considering the plight of a group unsure of how to follow-up a masterpiece like Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, they produced an album that-- notwithstanding a couple of experimental clunkers-- had more than its share of good tunes. In fact, if you start the Ghost on track 4, it's pretty solid. But to many ears, it came across as tired and bloated and I can understand that criticism to some extent. On Sky Blue Sky, Wilco's mid-career growing pains give way to an adulthood marked by quite confidence and assured professionalism.

Instead of employing their recent tendency to obscure songs in noise and experimentation, here the songs are given ample open space and room to breathe. In light of Jeff Tweedy's well-documented struggle with painkillers, it would not be a stretch to view his newly found soberity as a key in informing the clarity in the songwriting and vocal performances on this album. Sky Blue Sky's most apparent sonic reference point is 70's-Americana and the breezy feel of the album is unmistakably the product of a band completely comfortable in their own skin. While the songwriting is clearly the focus of any Wilco album, Nels Cline's amazing guitar work occasionally comes close to stealing the show-- see, i.e., the outro of "Impossible Germany". The laid-back and loose vibe of this album supports the accounts of how the album came together organically and spontaneously in the studio.

Album opener "Either Way" is a sleeper and could potentially be overlooked by many. This is a shame, because although it initially comes across as unassuming and deceptively simple, its masterfully layered, tasteful performances provide an excellent example of musical economy. "You are My Face" starts as a gentle ballad, then Nels Cline's inspired guitar work serves to transition the tune into a shuffling pop-ditty with playful organ figures, and then finally returns to where it started. "Impossible Germany", a recent live favorite, is one of the most immediately catchy tunes on the album and features a killer dual-guitar outro. The title track and "Please Be Patient With Me" find Tweedy in alt-country balladeer mode and the latter could be viewed as addressing the listener directly-- imploring us to hang in there until the album's second half picks up steam. The album's last three tracks are among the strongest: "Walken" is a top-tapping piano-led pop tune which features Tweedy employing his best McCartney-type falsetto in the choruses and some album's best guitar work; "What Light" is a weary, yet ultimately uplifting tune that, like "The Late Greats" from Ghost, vaguely refers to the modern music community; and "On and On and On" is an excellent closer that forgoes the album's breezy vibe for heavier subject matter, and thus, is the most emotionally-affecting tune present.

Every new Wilco album is greeted with a bit trepidation and uneasiness on the part of their fanbase, and Sky Blue Sky will be no different. What is different this time around is the fact that this album is difficult to pigeonhole stylistically. The album is not easily referenced by referring to one of their previous efforts, nor can it be easily tagged as falling within a particular genre (e.g., "experimental rock" or "alt-country", etc.). Provided listeners approach this album without preconceived notions that is too "soft-rock" or "easy listening" or particularly lofty expectations that is a "return to form" (whatever that really means) or "hits upon the best of the band's back catalog", they will undoubtedly find something they enjoy here.

Perhaps the most impressive accomplishment is that the band seems to have made the album they wanted to make on their own terms. Despite the amount of critical praise they've received and the fanbase they've garnered, they've done so without fear of how this album would be received by others. That type of move takes balls-- and taking these kinds of risks is part of what made Wilco great in the first place.

MP3: ~~Wilco - "Impossible Germany"~~
MP3: ~~Wilco - "Walken"~~

Buy the album here

Handsome Furs - Plague Park

2007-04-24T14:46:00.000-05:00

Handsome Furs are Dan Boeckner (Wolf Parade guitarist/co-vocalist) and his fiancée, Alexei Perry. The duo will release their debut album, Plague Park, 5/22 on Sub Pop. While the dust has been slowly accumulating on Wolf Parade's excellent 2005 album Apologies to the Queen Mary for a little while now, Boeckner’s partner-in-crime, Spencer Krug, has remained quite busy during this downtime with various side-projects. These included an EP and the incredibly well-received full length Shut Up I'm Dreaming from his Sunset Rubdown project and the Swan Lake LP with buddies Carey Mercer of Frog Eyes and Dan Bejar of Destroyer and New Pornographers fame. Personal preferences regarding favorite Wolf Parade vocalist aside-- in the wake of Krug's side projects, it's fair to say that Boeckner has increasingly become known as the "other" dude in Wolf Parade.

Accordingly, Plague Park couldn't have came at a better time for Boeckner. He handles vocals, guitar, and keyboards, while his fiancée takes care of the drum machine programming and keys. But, make no mistake, this album sounds like a Boeckner solo project. His disenchanted vocals are featured prominently throughout, sounding fantastic and providing the album a good portion of its appeal. This short effort (9 tracks & 36.5 minutes) is fairly small in scope, but it is, by far and away, the strongest and most consistent Wolf Parade spin-off project to date. And, yes, this includes Shut Up I'm Dreaming.

A distinct big-city/rural tension is readily apparent on Plague Park-- not only in terms of lyrical content and song titles, but within the music itself. The juxtaposition of the traditional "rock" elements (ragged guitars, charismatic vocals) and the more synthetic elements (drum machine and keyboards) underscores this thematic restlessness. The urban isolation and open road escapism described in "Dead + Rural" resonates loud and clear when Boeckner repeats "wheels just spinning in the ground". Album standouts "Handsome Furs Hate This City" and "Cannot Get Started" also highlight this longing for change of scenery, but seem to recognize the fact that maybe what we're running away from has little to do with our immediate environs.

The lo-fi recording and sense of open space only gives these songs more character and serves to showcase Boeckner's unique and compelling vocal performance. Surprisingly, his voice sounds remarkably close to Beck's on a few of the tracks-- see, i.e., the great "Sing! Captain" and, to a lesser extent, "Hearts of Iron". He wisely forgoes any tendency to yelp (like his Wolf Parade brethen Krug) or to employ his Springsteen-esque drawl ala "This Hearts on Fire" from Apologies to the Queen Mary, making significant strides towards finding his own voice in the process.

With both Boeckner and Krug demonstrating they have no shortage of creative juices, the upcoming Wolf Parade album ought to be something special. Judging by their respective material outside of their main gig, it's becoming increasingly clear that one of Boeckner's roles in Wolf Parade is to rein-in Krug's more esoteric explorations and maintain their pop sensibilities. Animal Collective's Panda Bear and Avey Tare most likely share a similar working relationship, although their roles are not nearly as clear-cut. Plague Park is so strong that it just may re-ignite the classic 2005 indie-nerd "Krug vs. Boeckner" debate. Consequently, it's highly doubtful Boeckner will remain relegated to "other guy" status for long.

MP3: ~~Handsome Furs - "Cannot Get Started"~~
MP3: ~~Handsome Furs - "Handsome Furs Hate This City"~~

Download the album opener, "What We Had", via the band's MySpace page.

Buy the album here

Man Man Live @ Southgate House, Newport KY 4/12

2007-04-13T11:14:00.000-05:00

Last night marked my second time seeing Man Man and I did my part to spread the word by dragging about a handful of people to the show. This was also the second time I've seen the band at Newport, Kentucky's Southgate House and there's simply no other venue in the area that would be a good fit for them. Unfortunately, I didn't bring a camera. And we all know the cameras on cell phone generally blow, but I decided to take one from the balcony and posted it below. There was at least one other blogger in attendance who most likely snapped some fine pictures, so keep an eye on his blog.

The opener finally started around 9:45 or 10 and was relegated to performing on the floor-- as opposed to the stage-- for one reason or another. Once I heard them play a couple of songs, I no longer felt sorry for them in the least. They played some shoegazey instrumental brand of post-rock that just did not jive with the mood that should surround a Man Man gig. It seemed that everyone was anxiously, albeit politely, waiting for them to finish up throughout their set. The band was far too passive and I cannot even recall their name, as I do not think they even announced it-- at least in anything above a murmur.

Man Man did not disappoint. They donned their usual all white get-up and war paint and tore through a set comprised of a few new numbers from their forthcoming album (hopefully this fall??), a few from The Man In A Blue Turban With A Face, and a good portion of Six Demon Bag. The only new song I'm familiar enough with to recognize and comment on by name was "Zombies", which was making the rounds on the blogs yesterday and can be copped, along with a couple of other unreleased new tracks, here. Honus Honus and his crew brought their usual manic, swashbuckling energy despite obviously being a bit road-weary. Who wouldn't occasionally get tired performing the way these dudes do night after night? While he was chatting up someone-- presumably his lady-- on a cell phone in men's room, I overheard Honus say that he had hurt himself somehow the previous night. This might explain why the boys were marginally less crazy than usual on Thursday night.

The venue was at about 60% capacity and they drew a crowd about on par with the one for Ted Leo's most recent Southgate appearance. The enthusiastic crowd contained many that had never seen the band before and it is nice to see the band's extensive touring and positive live reviews are getting people out to the shows. We were fortunate enough to hear the amazing "Van Helsing Boombox", which the band did not play the last time I saw them and, according to the band, they reserve only for when the mood is right. Personal highlights included "Van Helsing Boombox" and the bat-shit crazy rendition of "Black Mission Goggles". If you've yet to catch these guys, you're missing out on one the best live acts in modern indie rock.

MP3: ~~Man Man - "Van Helsing Boombox"~~

Also, I purchased a neat little 10" vinyl of Six Demon Bag at the show. Peep the pics below:

Best of First Quarter 2007, Part. III

2007-04-06T18:31:00.000-05:00

The third and final part of this series showcases a couple albums that I have spent a lot of time with over the past two months. This post will conclude the listing of what I view to be the Top 10 8 albums that have been released so far in 2007. It just so happened that when I finally had the motivation and time to start regularly posting again, my laptop hard drive died and I was without a computer for about a week and a half...but all is straight now. I was planning to discuss a couple of other records from earlier this year (Of Montreal & Patrick Wolf), but I'm ready to move on to some new stuff...The National, anyone? Following this post, we will be back to previews of upcoming records, highlighting lesser known acts, and individual tracks reviews/recommendations. Hope you enjoyed this quick series and thanks to everyone who, despite my lack of posts, still reads this thing.

The Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
Expectations were off the charts for Neon Bible, the sophomore record from the Arcade Fire. Their widely loved 2004 debut Funeral was the album of the year and is one of the strongest albums of this decade. After a recent outbreak of the sophomore slump, (see, i.e., The Killers, Bloc Party, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah) a potent mixture of anxiety and excitement was in the air around the time when bits of the album started trickling out. When I first heard a few of the tracks that became available, I was not terribly confident this album would be nearly as good as it turned out to be. All was remedied once I heard the album in its entirety with the intended track sequencing. Thankfully, they did not set out to record Funeral part II nor did they undertake a radical stylistic departure; the band was smart enough to stick to their strengths and, as a result, produced a second great album. Comparisons between the two albums are inevitable, but they are, in many ways, two completely different beasts. Besides the thematic differences-- Funeral took internal pain and mourning and expressed them in a universal manner, while Neon Bible analyzes global events and makes them personal-- the scope of this album somehow feels smaller despite the use of huge church organ, ornate instrumentation, and political and religious lyrical content. This is a testament to just how epic and grand the debut really is. There is nothing on this album that quite packs the emotional punch of the two strongest tracks on Funeral, "Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)" & "Wake Up" ("Intervention" is the closest), but with these phenomenal tracks notwithstanding, the albums are basically equivalent. The most important aspect of this album is that is solidifies the Arcade Fire as a band with definite staying power and, now officially, indie rock's premier act.

MP3: ~~The Arcade Fire - "Keep the Car Running"~~
MP3: ~~The Arcade Fire - "Intervention"~~

Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
Full disclosure: I'm a bit of a Modest Mouse fanboy. For one reason or another, I seem to be among the minority who claim to enjoy both their earlier material and Good News. This collection of songs is perhaps the most stylistically diverse yet from Isaac's ever-expanding troupe. There's a bit of everything here, as the album is bookended by a pair of aggressive teeth-clinched rockers ("March Into the Sea" & "Invisible") and, due in large part to backing vox from Shins frontman James Mercer, the midsection contains two of the most poppy songs of the band's career ("Missed the Boat" & "We've Got Everything"). First single "Dashboard" is the slickest thing yet from MM and even with the horns, strings, and disco-type feel, it still manages to sound like them. (Quick aside: Am I the only one who thinks this song is somehow reminiscent of Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire"? I'm always wanting to sing, "woulda been, coulda been, Russians in Afghanistan" when I hear the verses) "Fire it Up" is probably my least favorite track and is a somewhat uneasy marriage of old-school Modest Mouse and nearly lowest common denominator accessibility, and as a result, has a distinct possibility of becoming a fratboy anthem. While clocking in a 5:37 and 8:30 respectively, the two longest tracks are among the best: "Parting of the Sensory" starts as an acoustic lament and evolves into a manic rave-up with its killer "steal your carbon!" outro and "Spitting Venom" contains expert shifts in dynamics (from quiet folkish top-tapper to loud guitar-driven indie rocker and back) and a triumphant horn-driven second half. These two are the type of works only a band this seasoned is capable of producing. Even though the original concept (envisioned as a concept album about a boat crew that dies in every song), was mostly abandoned, a distinct maritime/nautical feel still remains. The many faces of Isaac all make an appearance on this album, as he yells, barks, howls, croons, and talks (often within the same song) his way through these 14 tracks. For an incredibly accurate and detailed diagnosis of Isaac's multiple personalities see Will Hermes's Interview with the band in the most recent issue of Spin. The album ends strong with two excellent tracks, the awkwardly-titled "People as Places as People" finds Brock and crew at their most comfortable and the aforementioned rocking closer ties things together nicely. Is this their best album? No. Is this another fine entry into their already stellar catalog? Most definitely.

MP3: ~~Modest Mouse - "Missed the Boat"~~
MP3: ~~Modest Mouse - "People As Places As People"~~

Best of First Quarter 2007, Part. II

2007-03-22T22:55:00.000-05:00

Part II of this short "Best of" series showcases three albums that leaked awhile back (late December - mid January) and have all received their fair share of blog hype and critical praise. Coincidentally, all of these album were released this week, so pick them up if you've yet to do so.

LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
James Murphy is much cooler than you or I. He manages to seamlessly blend many of the best elements of rock and dance music with an abundance of wit and humor. Sound of Silver is most compelling in how the music strikes a balance between so many would-be divergent elements-- stupid fun and undeniably strong quality, euphoria and melancholy, indie rock attitude and straight-up dance beats, being "too cool to dance" and shaking your ass off, producing both killer singles and an amazing and cohesive album. Further, Murphy pulls this off without the music coming across self-serious or sounding labored/over-thought. All 8 songs are very strong, but the mid-section (tracks 4 & 5) is the heart of the album and contains two incredibly great tunes. With an addictive techno beat, pretty yet simple vocal melody, and longing lyrical content, "Someone Great" is one of best songs in recent memory. "All My Friends" is right up there with "Someone Great" and even ups the emotional ante. This stunning track (to paraphrase a track review in Cokemachineglow) is like the Baba O'Riley of 21st century indie. I have been listening to this album for 3 solid months and it still sounds ridiculously good. Whether or not you were an LCD convert prior to the release of this album, if you give it half a chance, you'll fall in love with this album.

MP3: ~~LCD Soundsystem - "Someone Great"~~
MP3: ~~LCD Soundsystem - "All My Friends"~~

Panda Bear - Person Pitch
I never cared much for Panda Bear's Young Prayer until recently and still do not think it quite merited the critical praise it received or stands up to Animal Collective's stronger material. Person Pitch is another story. While Panda's new direction was hardly a surprise given the majority of the material on this album was previously available on singles, this album is markedly different and much more focused on melody than the aforementioned Young Prayer. There are two incredible tunes here: the psych-pop meets campfire chant opener "Comfy in Nautica" and the sprawling 12.5-minute lo-fi pop journey "Bros". The strength and great pop melodies of these two tracks overshadow much the rest of Person Pitch and the album sounds a bit same-y and indulgent in places, i.e. "Good Girl/Carrots" which feels overly long and "Search for Delicious" is a mere ambient distraction. The best stuff here comes across a spacey, lo-fi 21st century Beach Boys and takes the listener to another time and place altogether; it's too bad there's not quite enough of it to sustain its 50-minute run time.

MP3: Panda Bear - "Comfy In Nautica"
MP3: Panda Bear - "Bros" (Edit)

Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha
Andrew Bird's 2005 album The Mysterious Production of Eggs ranked among my favorite albums of that year. I'll be damned if dude didn't go and top himself this time around. Unfortunately, this album may get lost in the shuffle with all the high profile releases this week. Showcasing a level of musical virtuosity heads and shoulders above most of his singer-songwriter peers, Bird crafts unique, intelligent, and undeniably catchy pop tunes. It has become increasingly rare to hear this type of depth in pop lyric writing and Bird's varied subject matter never comes across as pretentious or overwrought. The first five tracks jump right out of the speakers and-- while not as strong as the first half-- the latter half of the album also contains a pair of great tunes, "Simple X" and "Scythian Empire". First single "Heretics" is probably his most catchy tune yet besides 2005's excellent "A Nervous Tic Motion of the Head to the Left" and in combination with the following two songs "Dark Matter" and "Plasticities", these tracks highlight some of the strongest work of his career. Bird has set the bar very high for his next album, but I would not be surprised to see him shatter even loftier expectations.

MP3: Andrew Bird - "Heretics"
MP3: ~~Andrew Bird - "Plasticities"~~

**Stayed tuned for the third and final part of this series to be posted soon...

Best of First Quarter 2007, Part. I

2007-03-21T14:33:00.000-05:00

During the past couple of months-- which included one of the longest periods of inactivity for this blog-- I contemplated completely abandoning this operation numerous times. Mostly due to a pesky issue I had with the template (not to mention my lackluster html skills), I labored under a serious lack of motivation to post new content. Alas, I fixed the technical issue yesterday and decided to make another run at this thing...

As I have been inactive for the entirety of this young year, I've decided to dedicate this "first post back" to a recap of what I've been enjoying the past few months. This three part series of posts will chronicle the 10 albums that I've listened to the most in 2007 and will be presented according to the date when I first heard them.

Menomena - Friend and Foe
With my promo copy of this album arriving in mid-November and landing in heavy rotation throughout the remainder of 2006, this one feels slightly less than fresh at this point. But, the 12 track set is uniformly strong and one of the best albums to be released so far this year. From the spectacular opening three tracks, "Muscle n' Flo" (one of my favorite tracks of year), "The Pelican", & "Wet and Rusting" to other album highlights "Rotten Hell" and "My My", Friend and Foe most definitely deserved the widespread blog attention and "first great indie rock record of the new year" praise it received from Pitchfork back in January.

MP3: ~~Menomena - "Muscle n' Flo"~~ *recommended*
MP3: Menomena - "Wet and Rusting"

The Bees - Octopus
I first heard a taste of these guys' latest effort right at the end (12/27) of 2006 when the venerable Gorilla vs. Bear posted the sensational and sure-fire "end-of-the-year mixtape" contender "Listening Man". On the strength of that cut, I immediately got a copy of the album and I've been listening to it regularly since. Opener "Who Knows What the Question Is?" sounds like a modern reworking of the Ringo-sung "Don't Pass Me By" from The White Album with the fiddle swapped for slide electric guitar and sped up a bit. While similarly aping 60s classic rock and soul throughout the remainder, the songs stand up on their own well and rarely come across as mere pastiche. The album is strong from top to bottom until they run out of steam after track 8 "The Ocularist" and proceed to tack two throwaway tracks onto the end. Many other acts mine this same set of influences, but very few do so with the skill, tact, and genuine love for the source material as the Bees.

MP3: ~~The Bees - "Who Knows What the Question Is?"~~
MP3: ~~The Bees - "Listening Man"~~ **highly recommended**

Do Make Say Think - You, You're A History in Rust
You, You're A History in Rust is album five from these Toronto-based instrumental post-rockers and marks my first real exposure to the band. Within my first couple of listens back in the earliest days of this young year I was hooked, and I haven't gone long without returning to it. There are a few standout tracks on this eight song, 48-minute piece, but this is the type of album that demands absorbing as a coherent whole and even the best songs sound that much better within the context of the album. Vocals are only present on one tune "A With Living" and are courtesy of members of Akron/Family and Great Lake Swimmers. Sounding quite a bit like Broken Social Scene at times (minus the vocals, obviously), the feel of this album is more focused and uniform than BSS's often thematically varied soundscapes. Don't be fooled by a few middling reviews in some publications that seem somehow disappointed with the direction the band took on this album; it is an expansive sonic experience that I strongly recommend you devote a bit of time to. If you choose to do so, your efforts will undoubtedly be rewarded nicely.

MP3: ~~Do Make Say Think - "The Universe!"~~

**Stay tuned for parts II & III to be posted very soon...

Favorite 25 Albums of 2006

2007-01-04T15:16:00.000-05:00

25. Yo La Tengo - I'm Not Afraid of You and Will Beat Your Ass
Probably the best straight-ahead indie-rock/pop album of the year from a band I've only been a casual fan of in the past. These vets try their hand a wide variety of styles and succeed at every turn.

MP3: Yo La Tengo - "Pass the Hatchet, I Think I'm Goodkind"
MP3: Yo La Tengo - "Beanbag Chair"

24. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Show Your Bones
Karen O and company may have gotten a little too ambitious and perhaps sound a little too stadium rock on this album, but it is still a mostly great collection of and solid tunes. Plus, I just love Karen O...who doesn't?

Web: Stream various YYYs tracks

23. The Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
The Monkeys suffered the worst backlash of the year and I cannot say that I have listened to their debut in 6 months, but this album was in nearly constant rotation for a good week or two. Caused widespread excitement upon its release and had people talking about rock 'n roll again...even if for a short period.

Web: Stream various Arctic Monkeys tracks

22. The Fiery Furnaces - Bitter Tea
Probably my favorite Furnaces album to date overall. Their tunes can still be unneccessary long and meandering at times but tracks 4-6 are some of the year's finest.

Web: Stream various FF albums

21. Clipse - Hell Hath No Fury
One of the best rap releases of the year with bonus points for cutting the obnoxious skits that plague the vast majority of hip-hop albums.

Web: Stream the album

20. The Hold Steady - Boys & Girls in America
Loved this one upon my initial listens, but I not returned to it in some time. "Stuck Between Stations", "Chips Ahoy!", and "First Night" all remain truly great.

MP3: The Hold Steady - "Stuck Between Stations"
MP3: The Hold Steady - "Chips Ahoy!"

19. Joanna Newsom - Ys
I only enjoy it when I'm in just the right mood, but the strength of Joanna's performance cannot be ignored.

18. Sonic Youth - Rather Ripped
The best in a long time from indie gods who prove to be aging quite gracefully.

Web: Stream the album here

17. DJ Drama & Lil' Wayne - Tha Dedication II
Best rapper alive? Yes.

MP3: Lil Wayne - "Georgia...Bush"

16. The Raconteurs - Broken Boy Soliders
The songs which feature Jack White on lead vocals were great from the onset, Brendan Benson's turned out to be growers, and the album held up well all year. But, as Rolling Stone said, it is a shame that nothing on the record seems to be as good as they are live and does not quite live up to this band's infinite potential.

Web: Stream a couple of tracks here

15. Phoenix - It's Never Been Like That
The "soft rock Strokes" delivered a great effort packed with hooks and amazing choruses. "Consolation Prizes" and "Long Distance Call" are perfect guitar-pop songs and should have been bonafide hits.

Web: View a couple of videos here

14. Liars - Drum's Not Dead
Upon my initial listen, I knew that this record would end up on a ton of year-end Top 10 lists. The dynamic tension and eerie drone throughout much of the album giving way to the incredible resolution finally achieved makes Drum's Not Dead an intense and demanding listen. "The Other Side of Mt. Heart Attack" is not only one of the best tracks of the year, it is also a perfect ending and denouement. Without this track, no one would still be talking about Drum's Not Dead, no way.

Web: Stream the album here

13. Islands - Return to the Sea
A pleasant surprise for me. Not sure what to expect following the dissolution of the Unicorns, this record may seem a bit too conventional for Unicorns die-hards, but the songwriting on this record is a big step forward for these guys. The infectious melodies and breezy vibe combine for some great pop music.

Web: Stream various album tracks here

12. Ghostface Killah - Fishscale
My favorite hip-hop album of the year. Obviously not my preferred genre, but I came back to this one over and over. Often described as "brutal" and "potent", Ghost may very well tell the best stories in hip-hop and has the requisite grit to make them completely believable. While he may not have the most unique flow or be as versatile as the "best rapper alive" Lil Wayne, his vast appeal lies in the strength of his writing and his never abrasive vocal style.

MP3: Ghostface Killah feat. Trife - "Be Easy"
MP3: Ghostface Killah - "Shakey Dog"

11. Man Man - Six Demon Bag
My favorite live act of the year, hands down. You often hear the term "carnivalesque" or the mention of Tom Waits, Frank Zappa, and Captain Beefheart when reading a Man Man review. You also hear things like: "More power to those who can do it, but from this perspective, it's nearly impossible to enjoy Man Man's Six Demon Bag while sober." (Alternative Press) & "Most of this stuff is just too damn weird for all but the most experimental music listener. " (All Music Guide) While Six Demon Bag is often an acquired taste, songs like "Feathers" and especially, the incredible "Van Helsing Boombox" should appeal to nearly everyone who is adventurous enough to tackle anything a little more spicy the Bing Crosby.

MP3: Man Man - "Van Helsing Boombox"

10. The Decemberists - The Crane Wife
Colbert's favorite "hyperliterate prog-rockers" hit the big leagues with an album that is not really out-of-step with their back catalogue. At first, I thought this was probably their strongest record, now...I dunno. I really enjoy the band branching out a bit and tackling the prog-ish material and feel like the long songs are the by far the strongest tracks on the record. Starts great and remains so until the second half of the record, which stalls a bit until the last two tracks. I now almost invariably skip tracks 6-8. Minor gripes aside, it's still quite an album.

Web: Stream the album here

9. Midlake - The Trials of Van Occupanther
Nothing else this year sounded like this. Perfectly out of step with current trends, Midlake crafted a incredibly interesting and strong take on 70s rock. The record is densely layered sounds perfectly rustic. The lyrics and lyrical content can seem a bit forced and even border on silly at times, but the strength of the songs and the overall ambiance more than make up for it.

MP3: Midlake - "Roscoe"

8. The Knife - Silent Shout
One of the few electronic-based albums that never once left me cold or came across as even slightly mechanical. With otherworldly vocals and spooky, "haunted house"-stylized beats and atmospherics, Silent Shout is a incredibly hypnotic record. The Knife seemed to be among nearly everyone's Top 10 this year and despite being released in the early part of '06, their record seemed to generate buzz throughout the year. A truly unique album that will remain relevant for years to come.

Web: Stream the album here

7. Grizzly Bear - Yellow House
Yellow House took me a few listens to truly appreciate. I never gave the album a decent shot until hearing it on vinyl and that is definitely the way to hear it. This one is slow burner with excellent production and tasteful performances that are at once intricate and restrained. Once you get past the rich reverb-drenched atmospherics, the actual songs start to reveal themselves, then my friend, you are hooked. There is something timeless and elusive at play here, something that will hopefully inform the next Grizzly Bear record.

MP3: Grizzly Bear - "On A Neck, On A Spit"

6. M. Ward - Post-War
Ward outdid himself with this one. Post-War showcases some of his finest songs and vocal performances yet. His new backing band suits his sound well and serves to flesh-out his tunes nicely. "Poison Cup" and "Chinese Translation" both among my favorite tracks of the year. A career-highlight from an artist who has quietly built an impressive body of work without the fanfare or hype he deserves.

MP3: M. Ward - "To Go Home"

5. Bob Dylan - Modern Times
I wasn't quite ready to give this album a chance when I heard it the first time, but when I came back to it a few months later, it blew me away. Dylan, at 65, proves not only to still be relevant, but vital in 2006. All ten tracks solid, "Working Man's Blues #2" and "Nettie Moore" holding their own against Dylan's best work.

4. Destroyer - Destroyer's Rubies
I kept coming back to this album a various times throughout the year and enjoyed it more every time I interacted with it. The first 7 tracks are flawless in execution and sequencing, but the album stumbles a bit towards the end. Regardless, this remains one of the year's best albums on the strength of great tunes like "European Oils" and "Painter in Your Pocket". Dan Bejar's songwriting is completely unique and he often crams far too many words in a given line, but it always seems to work and his voice never fails to endear the listener.

MP3: Destroyer - "European Oils"
MP3: Destroyer - "Water Colours Into the Ocean"

3. Band of Horses - Everything All the Time
This album started with nowhere to go but up. Many feel that their sound is too easily defined, with the My Morning Jacket & the Shins talk coming from everywhere. The reality is that is album is smoking from start to finish...the cliched addage, "all killer, no filler" is apt. Everything All the Time features 10 tracks, all of them perfectly sequenced. The best straight-ahead rock album of the year, without question. So what if they used the very same guitar scale on 4 of the 10 tracks, these dudes made an album that stands up against any album all year and after 9 months, still sounds great. You know you love this album...get over it.

MP3: Band of Horses - "The Funeral"
MP3: Band of Horses - "The Great Salt Lake"

2. TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain
Cookie Mountain seems to the perennial #2 album this year. Undoubtedly technically impressive and incredibly well produced, TVOTR crafted an album that was universally respected and enjoyed. This album was highlighted by their best batch of songs yet and some truly great vocal work. But, no matter how many times I hear this album, I cannot help but feel that is has a indefinable element that keeps it from being completely user-friendly. There is still a tiny something about TVOTR that remains slightly mechanical, preventing them from being the best band in the land and preventing this undeniably incredible album from being the #1 album of the year.

Web: Stream various TVOTR tracks

1. Califone - Roots & Crowns
As soon as I heard this one, I knew it was on my short list for album of the year. If you are fortunate enough to have given this one a remotely fair shake, you know just how great this album flows from beginning to end. Simply put, it is complete and rewarding song cycle. With great songwriting and just the right amount of studio experimentation, Roots & Crowns is a record that is at once accessible and incredibly dense/layered. There have been so many good things written about this album, I could not possibly add anything more to the dialogue...just give it a couple of complete spins, you'll thank me later.

MP3: Califone - "The Orchids"
MP3: Califone - "Spider House"
MP3: Califone - "3 Legged Animals"

The Results of the Drinking Game...

2006-12-26T00:21:00.000-05:00

In a somewhat surprising twist, Pitchfork named the Knife's - Silent Shout as the album of the year. So now that all we all have "crushed [an] entire bottle" of booze and "soiled" ourselves, let's see how the rest of the game shaped up without this first provision.

The Junior Boys came in at #11, just missing the Top 10 (my estimate #8), and mandated 3 drinks. The rest of the bunch listed under the "take 3 drinks" section were Top 10 selections. Liars [PK: 7, my prediction: 4], Clipse [7, 5], Ghostface [4, 7], Scott Walker [10, 10]. That's 3 drinks so far...

Our collective livers took a beating on the "take 2 drinks" section. Only 3 of albums listed (The Knife [1, 6], Grizzly Bear [8, 11], and Band of Horses [12, 14]) made it into the Top 20. The Knife was the #1 album, so it could also have qualified for the "slip into the Top 10" contingency. So that makes either 6 or 8 drinks (9 or 11 total) depending on your math...

As for the rest of the "take 1 drink" section for albums not in the Top 50, Lindstrom, Islands, Beirut, Subtle, The Blow, Rock Plaza Central, Malajube, Guillemots, Evangelicals, and Swan Lake all required a drink. That's 11 drinks for this round, 20 or 22 total. Clearly, my guesses were simply not up to snuff in this category. 19/30 (63.3%) is obviously not all that great. I purposefully took some chances to make the game interesting, but I honest tried to make it a bit more accurate.

In sum, I guessed 34 of the 50 albums on the list and all of my projected Top 15 made it on to the list. I only made 45 "predictions" so my final accuracy percentage was a respectable 75.56%. The biggest surprise obviously was The Knife being the number one album of the year. I knew that this album was a "wild card" and while it received "only" an 8.6 upon its initial review, I suspected it would end up high (#6) in the ranks. Danielson fell way off over the course over the year according to the Pitchfork staff and while rated a 9.1, it only clocked in at #31. Good riddance, as I could never get into anything off Ships but "Did I Step On Your Trumpet" and thought they totally blew when I saw them follow Man Man. I think Califone and M. Ward were very underrated and Be Your Own Pet was significantly overrated. I was pleasantly surprised to Pitchfork back peddle a bit on the "soft rock Strokes" tag and see the Phoenix album get the respect it deserves. Minor gripes aside, this was probably the most accurate list I've seen.

So, we all would have to consume 20 or 22 drinks prior to even undertaking the "friends bonus round". Even the most seasoned drinkers among us would surely agree this is far too much for one sitting. In any event, this was one of the most popular (heavily trafficked) posts ever on this blog and I'm glad it was well received. Being a "drinking game", it was obviously not intended to be a straight "prediction" of the Top 50 albums. It was intended as a good-spirited jab, nothing more. In all fairness, 75.56% correct is probably too high for any outsider's "prediction" of any publication's Top 50 albums without the notion of predictablity coming to mind. I know I could not have "predicted" any other publication's list with that kind of accuracy. FYI: I know this post required absolutely no skill whatsoever to compile, as the list was fairly true to the initial ratings. Regardless, this was the most fun I've had with this blog in a very long time.

Pitchfork's Top 20 Albums and my "prediction"
1. The Knife: [6]
2. Tv on the Radio: [2]
3. Joanna Newsome: [1]
4. Ghostface Killah: [7]
5. Hold Steady: [3]
6. Liars: [4]
7. Clipse: [5]
8. Grizzly Bear: [11]
9. Boris: [n/a]
10. Scott Walker: [10]
11. Junior Boys: [8]
12. Band of Horses: [14]
13. Phoenix: [*Top 50]
14. Tim Hecker: [*Top 50]
15. Sunset Rubdown: [*Top 50]
16. Beach House: [*Top 50]
17. The Thermals: [*Top 50]
18. Destroyer: [*Top 50]
19. T.I.: [*Top 50]
20. Man Man: [*Top 50]

*only 1-15 given a numerical "prediction"

Pitchfork's Top 50 Albums of 2006: The Drinking Game

2006-12-15T19:40:00.000-05:00

Vs.

IT'S ON, MUTHAFUCKAS!

PRELIMINARY REQUIREMENTS:

You will need at least 1 liter of decent quality Kentucky bourbon (absolutely no lower than Jim Beam) or of cheap-ass tequila (absolutely no better than Jose Cuervo), 2 or more friends*, and, most importantly, an ability to stomach pretentious and oft snarky post-graduate prose.

*see Friends Bonus Round.

DRINKING REQUIREMENTS:

If one of these albums is not #1, crush the entire bottle and soil yourself...

Joanna Newsom - Ys (projected rank: 1)
TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain (2)
The Hold Steady - Boys & Girls in America (3)

(don't worry it won't happen)

Take 3 drinks for every one of these NOT in the Top 10...

Liars - Drum's Not Dead (4)
Clipse - Hell Hath No Fury (5)
Ghostface Killah - Fishscale (7)
Junior Boys - So This is Goodbye (8)
Scott Walker - The Drift (10)

Take 2 drinks for each of these that slip into the Top 10 OR are not in the Top 20...

The Knife - Silent Shout (6)
Danielson - Ships (9)
Grizzly Bear - Yellow House (11)
Mastodon - Blood Mountain (12)
Herbert - Scale (13)
Band of Horses - Everything All the Time (14)
Califone - Roots & Crowns (15)

Finally, take 1 drink for each of these not in the Top 50...

Sunset Rubdown - Shut Up I'm Dreaming
The Decemberists - The Crane Wife
Destroyer - Destroyer's Rubies
Lindstrom - It's a Feedelity Affair
Belle & Sebastian - The Life Pursuit
Pete Bjorn & John - Writer's Block
Tim Hecker - Harmony in Ultaviolet
Islands - Return to the Sea
Fujiya & Miyagi - Transparent Things
Yo La Tengo - I'm Not Afraid of You...
The Thermals - The Body, The Blood, The Machine
Man Man - Six Demon Bag
M. Ward - Post-War
The Pipettes - We are the Pipettes
Beirut - Gulag Orkestar
Subtle - For Hero: For Fool
Justin Timberlake - FutureSex/LoveSounds
I'm From Barcelona - Let Me Introduce My Friends
Beach House - Beach House
Tapes 'n Tapes - The Loon
Girl Talk - Night Ripper
T.I. - King
The Blow - Paper Television
Swan Lake - Beast Moans
Malajube - Trompe-L'oeil
Rock Plaza Central - Are We Not Horses
Lupe Fiasco - Food & Liqour
Guillemots - Through the Windowpane
Evangelicals - So Gone
Phoenix - It's Never Been Like That

Friends Bonus Round:

For every friend present matching the following descriptions, drink accordingly.

Cliched Pitchfork Readers - 1 drink, 3 drinks if this is you...

Any person with 3 or more of the following characteristics/clothing items:

*black plastic framed glasses
*ratty Chuck Taylors or classic Vans (if new, no dice)
*a clip-on key thingy attached to your pants
*jeans greater than or equal to 10 X's the cost of your shirt ("skinny" jeans, 1 bonus drink)
*any sort of ironic/intentionally shitty facial hair (mustache, 1 bonus drink)
*unnecessary bandana in back pocket
*absolutely HATES or LOVES Ryan Adams (no fence-riders or casual fans)
*black and white stripes or polka-dots on shirt
*smokes American Spirits or Parliment Lights
*ugly-ass ballet shoes
*anything that can be construed as a "military jacket"
*short-brimmed or rapper-type round, fitted hat (stickers still on, 1 bonus drink)
*"hates" Pitchfork, but checks the site every single day

Pitchfork Unawares/Newbies - 1 drink, 2 drinks if this is you...

Any person with 2 or more of these characteristics:

*has not heard 75% or more of the albums in the Top 50
*has no opinion on which state Sufjan should do next
*does not appropriately pronounce "SOOF-yan"
*does not know who Sufjan is
*actually has some semblance of a life

*Their list should be posted by the end of next week...drink up!

Pitchfork Media

Top Albums of 2005 (Revisited)

2006-11-18T17:42:00.000-05:00

After reading a 2005 Revisited post on Gorilla vs. Bear, I decided to take a look back at my Top 10 picks from last year:

10. My Morning Jacket - Z
9. Spoon - Gimme Fiction
8. Bloc Party - Silent Alarm
7. Andrew Bird - The Mysterious Production of Eggs
6. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - CYHSY
5. Wolf Parade - Apologies to the Queen Mary
4. Okkervil River - Black Sheep Boy
3. Animal Collective - Feels
2. The National - Alligator
1. Sufjan Stevens - Illinois

View the rest of my Top 25 here.

Pretty typical. A year later, I would make some changes. First by taking My Morning Jacket out of the Top 10 and swapping it for the Decemberists' Picaresque [last year's ranking: (11)], New Pornographers' Twin Cinema (12) , or Devendra Banhart's Cripple Crow (22). I listened to all three of those albums way more than MMJ over the past 12 months. I would also take Spoon out of the Top 10 and replace it with one of the remaining from the 3 albums mentioned above. Fuck it, here's how my Top 10 of 2005 would look now:

10. The Decemberists - Picaresque
9. The New Pornographers - Twin Cinema
8. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - CYSHY
7. Okkervil River - Black Sheep Boy
6. Bloc Party - Silent Alarm
5. Andrew Bird - The Mysterious Production of Eggs
4. Wolf Parade - Apologies to the Queen Mary
3. The National - Alligator
2. Animal Collective - Feels
1. Sufjan Stevens - Illinois

Subtle changes mostly; no major differences. Although I listen to Feels and Alligator more than Illinois these days, I cannot help but think that 2005 was Sufjan's year and about how huge that album was.

I have been making lists of this sort for years now and with 2006 coming to an end, I have been spending a fair amount of time mulling over my favorite albums of the year and working out a rough estimate of how things are going to shape up. Right now I have about 5 albums or so that are contenders for Album of the Year, then about 5-7 second-tier albums and roughly 10 third-tier albums. Don't fret, I'm sure you're all (read: the handful who still look at this blog) dying to read this and I'll be sure to post again in the next week or so. While I have heard more new music this year than ever before, there is no clear favorite so far and it will be incredibly tough to narrow it down to a Top 25. Top 50 anyone??

Califone - Roots & Crowns

2006-10-12T15:48:00.000-05:00

In this era of ever-decreasing attention spans and what's the next-next-big-thing mentality of many indie music fans (sadly, I am sometimes in this camp), it is a sign of a truly special album that compels one to go back and discover the entirety of the relevant band's back catalog. Such was the case upon hearing Califone's new album Roots & Crowns. Admittedly, I was pretty much a Califone newbie prior to my listening to this album, but I have since acquired both Heron King Blues and Quicksand/Cradlesnakes. My only question is how this band managed to fly under my radar for so long-- I'd heard a few songs here and there ("2 Sisters Drunk On Each Other", "Don't Let Me Die Nervous", and "Mean Little Seed"), but for some reason or another, I'd never given them a remotely fair shake.

Roots & Crowns has not received the hype or blog love it deserves. While bloggers drooled all over Grizzly Bear's Yellow House, I've encountered scantly a mention of this album, which is strange because I cannot help but think fans of that album would actually enjoy Roots & Crowns even more. For me, Yellow House is a strong album pervaded by a pleasant atmospherics and solid production, but the songwriting seems sometimes secondary to the overall sonic feel. Don't get me wrong, I think "On a Neck, On a Spit" is hell of a track and I'm still giving the album some spins...but, nothing on that record excites me the way this new Califone record does.

This album couldn't have came along at a better time for me-- as I was suffering through a pretty significant drought of exciting new music and this was almost exactly the kind of record I wanted to hear. Roots & Crowns is abstract and rewards multiple spins, but is also incredibly enjoyable right out of the box. It has plenty of experimental components but any avant-garde tendencies never obscure the actual songs, sounds both incredibly fresh yet deeply rooted in rustic Americana elements, and, perhaps most importantly, has the indescribable and elusive flow that is requisite of a great album.

Considering she is one of my favorite rock critics, it comes as no surprise that Amanda Petrusich's review for Pitchfork was insightful and incredibly well-written and I do not see how I could improve on her concluding paragraph: "Califone have always been stupidly underappreciated, and the further we stumble into the 21st century, the more this music starts to feel both familiar and necessary: Roots and Crowns is bluesy and soulful without reverting to revivalist schtick, and experimental without relying on blind cut-and-pasting. It is old and new, dirty and clean, alienating and accessible, sweet and ugly, organic and industrial, doting and vicious. It is one of the most quintessentially American records imaginable."

At the risk of sounding like a broken record lately, this album has entered the short-list for my favorite of the year within about 5 complete listens. This record evokes exactly the kind of feeling that inspired me to start this blog in the first place. A feeling of genuine excitement and joy upon hearing a silly little piece of music. A feeling that compels me to share this music with anyone who'll read/listen. A feeling, as instanced by the lack of post recently, that has been exceedingly rare as of late. For that feeling-- thank you, Califone.

MP3: Califone - "The Orchids" (link via Pitchfork Media)
MP3: ~~Califone - "Burned by the Christians"~~
MP3: Califone - "Spider House" (link via Cokemachineglow)
MP3: Califone - "3 Legged Animals" (link via Cokemachineglow)

Buy the album here.

The Decemberists - The Crane Wife

2006-10-10T23:29:00.000-05:00

October 3rd was a big day for album releases (Hold Steady, Killers, Beck) and in an effort to catch-up a little, it is high-time I posted something on my favorite album to be released that day and one of my favorite albums of 2006. Having been in heavy rotation for well over a month, I have no reservation in placing this album among the highest tier albums released this year.

The Crane Wife is the Decemberists major label debut and is yet another strong effort from Colin Meloy's troupe. This album continues the tradition of the band topping itself with every release and considering that Picaresque was one of my Top 10 albums of 2005, this was/is no easy task. The Decemberists really have their work cut out for themselves next time around, as The Crane Wife is a truly impressive work.

The album opens perfectly with "The Crane Wife 3" and doesn't look back. The pacing and track sequencing is nearly flawless and there is a musical versatility present that helps the band fully realize strengths only hinted at on previous albums. The multi-part, 12+ minute prog epic "The Island" which is divided into three parts ("Come and See/The Landlord's Daughter/You'll Not Hear the Drowning") builds slowly, yet purposefully and hits it climax when Meloy unleashes a "La-aaahhh" falsetto, which is unlike anything else we've heard from him to this point and one of the album's finest moments. Other highlights include "O, Valencia!", one of their best straight-forward pop songs to date, "Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then)" a strong folk-rock duet with singer-songwriter Laura Veirs, and "Summersong" a bittersweet ode to the end of (you guessed it) the summer.

The "Crane Wife" series is divided into 3 parts and comprised of 2 songs (with parts 1 & 2 grouped together). The aforementioned "The Crane Wife 3" is great tune and a perfect selection to open the album, but still slightly pales in comparison to first part in this series. "The Crane Wife 1" begins as a finger-picked folk ballad with a great vocal melody and slowly crescendos into the track's soaring chorus, which is one of the best and most memorable on the album. I happen to agree with Derek from Good Weather for Airstrikes in that part 1 is much stronger than part 2 and the album could have probably benefited from separating these songs into individual tracks.

"Sons And Daughters" closes the album on a high note and completes what can only be described as an "impressively realized song cycle". Colin Meloy's superb songwriting (highlighted by hyper-literate lyrics and the usual cast of rogues, thieves, and star-crossed lovers) are the focal point of much of the record, but it may be the fact that rest of the band are able to spread their wings a bit that makes The Crane Wife their best album yet.

MP3: ~~The Decemberists - "The Crane Wife 3"~~
MP3: ~~The Decemberists - "Summersong"~~

Buy the album here.

The Hold Steady - Boys and Girls in America

2006-10-10T18:42:00.000-05:00

It's taken me a bit of time to get around to post about this album (or on anything else for that matter), but better late than never I suppose. When writing about a much-publicized album an entire week after its release, a music blogger runs the risk of being viewed as incredibly behind the curve and as a complete hack, but alas, I still plan to post on the Decemberists' new album as well.

The album has been heralded by virtually every publication that has reviewed it and my personal favorite line written about the album was this one from All Music: "This is a smoking little record. Its focus is small, its reach is large; it's a winner." Right on. If you've yet to hear it, just give in and invest 40 minutes in this album. One complete spin and you'll be on-board with the rest of us. Did it merit the months of hype and incredibly enthusiastic 9.4 rating it received from Pitchfork? Probably not. However, it is a concise, fun, and rocking effort; one that really shouldn't be scrutinized on any deep level...one that should just be enjoyed without over-thinking it.

Released the same day as the Killers' much-maligned sophomore album Sam's Town, some comparisons were made between the two albums. First thing's first, the bands sound nothing alike-- but, they do share a strong Springsteen influence on their new albums. Where, as P-fork's Rob Mitchum correctly pointed out, the Killers' Boss aping all-too-often resulted in cheesy cringe-producing Meat Loaf-type faux grandeur, the Hold Steady seem much more genuine when channeling Bruce and crafting tales of common people struggling in a nearly poetic fashion. (See also, Pitchfork's spot-on review of Sam's Town)

Boys and Girls in America is not as conceptual or large in scope as its predecessor, Separation Sunday, but it is more immediately accessible and a stronger overall record. My only real complaint about the album: I still kinda cringe every time I hear the female singer on the first chorus of "Chillout Tent"; it's pretty awful. As always, frontman Craig Finn's vocal style (more speak, less sing) will still rub some the wrong way, but you'd be hard-pressed to find any indie rock fan that couldn't find something they enjoy here.

MP3: The Hold Steady - "Chips Ahoy!"
MP3: ~~The Hold Steady - "You Can Make Him Like You"~~

Listen to the entire album here.
Buy the album here.

Forget Cassettes - Salt LP and Woxy in-studio

2006-09-27T23:15:00.000-05:00

The Forget Cassettes have a new album, Salt, and they were back in the Woxy studio last month for a live performance. They have changed the lineup, as Donni has left to be the drummer for And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead. However, as the singer/songwriter, Beth has kept the band name and borrowed a few musicians from labelmates Apollo Up. The Donni and Beth shows were raw, loud, and freaking awesome. Donni hits the drums so hard I thought something would break, and sweet little Beth will shoegaze and then--snap--scream her ass off.

Donni is back in the band on this live performance, so it's theoretically both the old and new bands put together. They'll rock your socks off.

MP3: ~~Forget Cassettes - Live in Woxy studio, 18 Aug 2006~~
Web: Forget Cassettes - Salt (playable on website)

P.S. My name is Phil, I have the honor of being invited to post on Moroccan Role!

Tim Williams - Merchant Heart EP

2006-09-08T17:55:00.000-05:00

It's always a pleasant surprise to pop in a CD with absolutely no expectations and actually enjoy what you hear. This was the case with the new Tim Williams' EP I received a couple of days ago from Dovecote Records. The Merchant Heart EP features 5 tracks (2 of which are demos) from the upcoming When Work is Done LP.

This effort consists of haunting acoustic-based songs with sparse instrumentation and some fine hushed vocal melodies. There's scarcely anything on the EP that we all haven't heard many times before, but Williams succeeds where countless others fail. Most modern singer-songwriters struggle to avoid the seemingly irresistible need to over-emote, but Williams' tunes contain the rare characteristic of being affecting and personal while remaining subtle. In a genre brimming with semi-talented dime-a-dozen d-bags playing the sensitive singer-songwriter card in the hopes of getting laid (I'm looking at you James Blunt, Howie Day, et. al.), his tunes come across as both passionate AND genuine. This ability to effectively convey emotion and feeling without beating the listener over the head with it (i.e. restraint) makes his songs downright pleasant and allows them to be absorbed effortlessly.

I've struggled for 15 minutes trying to describe his music in a way that wouldn't seem terribly average or just plain boring on paper and I've obviously failed miserably. The point is simple-- this EP showcases a talented young singer-songwriter with a wealth of potential. If the tunes present on this EP are any indication, this guy's upcoming full-length could be something special.

MP3: Tim Williams - "Novel"
MP3: ~~Tim Williams - "I Am Wearing It"~~

Buy the album here.

Band of Horses & Chad VanGaalen Tonight in Cincy

2006-09-06T13:37:00.000-05:00

Just a quick post to remind those of you who live in the Cincinnati area that Band of Horses will be performing tonight at the new Alchemize in Northside. This show marks the grand opening of the venue in its new location. Tickets are still available, but Alchemize & Desdemona Festival main man Nick Spencer advised those hoping to attend to get there early. Come out for what is sure to be a great night!

DETAILS:
Band of Horses
w. Chad VanGaalen & Simon Dawes
3929 Spring Grove Ave in Northside (look for the Preacher's sign)
Tickets $10, available at door starting at 7:30pm, Doors @ 8, Music @ 8:30, 18+

Here are some MP3s for the uninitiated:

MP3: Band of Horses - "Funeral"
MP3: Band of Horses - "The Great Salt Lake"

MP3: Chad VanGaalen - "Flower Gardens"
MP3: ~~Chad VanGaalen - "Dead Ends"~~

MP3: Simon Dawes - "The Awful Things"
MP3: Simon Dawes - "Salute the Institution"

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*Finally, peep Band of Horses' brand-new video for "The Great Salt Lake":

M. Ward - Post-War

2006-09-01T14:55:00.000-05:00

Singer-songwriter M. Ward released his fifth album 8/22 on Merge Records. Post-War marks his first release with a full backing band and is his most focused and consistent album to date. This album has been in heavy rotation all Summer here at Moroccan Role headquarters and has probably one of my most listened-to records of the past few months.

M. Ward's singular brand of Americana is both easily accessible and technically sound. Deeply steeped in the folk tradition, Ward's music is not particularly ground-breaking or forward-thinking, but never comes across as derivative. It is this timeless quality, along with top-notch songwriting and musicianship, that make his records so enjoyable. Ward's hushed and slightly off-kilter vocal delivery is the focal point of Post-War, but the album also features Rachel Blumberg of the Decemberists and the Thermals' Jordan Hudson handing percussion duties and My Morning Jacket's Jim James and alt-country chanteuse and New Pornographer Neko Case providing backing vocals. While his strong 2005 effort Transistor Radio had a number of great tunes, its 15 tracks came across as a bit excessive, even with its modest 40 minute run-time. Post-War is more carefully edited than his previous efforts (fewer instrumental interludes and transitional mood pieces) and contains more shifts in sonic dynamics-- making it a far more potent statement of Ward's talents.

Many critics have spun their wheels attempting to articulate the significance of Post-War as a statement on the current political climate, but this is essentially an exercise in futility. These songs were undoubtedly inspired at least in part by our current war and its far-reaching implications in all of our lives, but this is no more than perhaps a very loose unifying theme for the mood of the record...this is not a concept album or concrete statement of Ward's politics. However, Ward did tell Billboard that two pieces of post-war literature, Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises and Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five, helped inspire the album's "coming home" theme, particularly when applied to the ongoing war in Iraq and our soliders returning from the conflict.

Having always existed somewhere outside current trends in music, M. Ward has quietly built an impressive body of work without much fan-fare or hype and Post-War further solidifies him as a unique and compelling musician. Take this album for what is it-- an impressive work and career-highlight from one of our best modern American singer-songwriters.

MP3: ~~M. Ward - "Poison Cup"~~
MP3: M. Ward - "To Go Home"
MP3: ~~M. Ward - "Chinese Translation"~~

Buy the album here.

Listen to the entire album here.

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M. Ward Tour Dates:

September 2006
1 - Seattle, WA - Neumo's
2 - Vancouver, British Columbia - Plaza Club
5 - Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theatre
6 - Omaha, NE - Scottish Rites Hall
7 - Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theatre
8 - Chicago, IL - Metropolis
9 - Columbus, OH - Little Brothers
11 - Toronto, Ontario - Mod Club
12 - Montreal, Quebec - La Sala Rossa
14 - New York, NY - Webster Hall
15 - Alexandria, VA - The Birchmere
16 - Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of Living Arts
17 - Somerville, MA - Somerville Theatre
18 - Charlottesville, VA - Satellite Ballroom
19 - Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle
20 - Nashville, TN - Belcourt Theatre
22 - Denton, TX - Hailey's
23 - Austin, TX - The Parish
25 - Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theatre
26 - Tempe, AZ - The Clubhouse
27 - San Diego, CA - San Diego Woman's Club
28 - Los Angeles, CA - Henry Fonda Theatre
29 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
30 - Portland, OR - Aladdin Theater

Newest Blog Darlings and Band I'm Excited About:: ANNUALS

2006-08-29T19:48:00.000-05:00

My initial exposure to Annuals was via their tune "Brother" and its entry onto Pitchfork's Infinite Mixtape series. The P4k blurb called the band a "fantasy hybrid of Animal Collective, the Arcade Fire, and Broken Social Scene" and this description grabbed my attention and made me excited, yet not-a-little skeptical. I feared this was a gross example of critical hyperbole. Upon a cursory listen to "Brother" (through my laptop speakers, even), I was totally impressed.

This band's sound will be immediately familiar to those who listen to modern indie-rock and to round out the above-mentioned blurb from Pitchfork, let me provide this: "Brother" features the raw, explosive energy reminiscent of the rockers on Animal Collective's Feels, Arcade Fire-type grand orchestration, and even a bit of Broken Social Scene's communal vibe and densely layered production. The other two tunes I've heard are just as good, albeit maybe not quite as immediately compelling. "Bleary Eyed" illustrates the band effectively craft a (mostly) straight-forward rock song and "Dry Clothes" is a toe-tapping, head-bobbing indie pop number. On these three tracks, Annuals provide a fairly strong case that they are no one-trick-pony and have the versitility, chops, and songwriting skills to craft an impressive full-length.

Annuals will release their debut album Be He Me October 17th through Ace Fu Records-- home of MAN MAN, DeVotchKa, An Albatross, and Pinback. The band will be sharing some dates with Man Man and Art Brut before hitting the road with Tapes 'n Tapes in October.

While I am eagerly awaiting my copy of the album to arrive, the band has made a few tracks available for download. If you are into the music featured on this site, you will like Annuals; it's that simple. Enjoy these tracks and watch out for these guys, it looks like they are gonna be huge. With Pitchfork's main man Ryan Schreiber and many influential bloggers on-board, how could they possibly not be?

MP3: Annuals - "Brother"
MP3: Annuals - "Bleary Eyed"
MP3: Annuals - "Dry Clothes"

ANNUALS Tour Dates:
Sep 1 The Brewery Raleigh, NC w/ House of Fools
Sep 12 Khyber Philadelphia, PA
Sep 14 Sin-E (KEXP) New York, NY w/ Friction
Sep 15 North Six Brooklyn, NY
Sep 16 The Middle East Boston, MA
Sep 18 Grog Shop Cleveland, OH w/ Man Man
Sep 19 Subterranean Chicago, IL
Oct 19 Irving Plaza New York, NY w/ Art Brut
Oct 20 Starlight Ballroom Philadelphia, PA w/ Art Brut
Oct 22 Bottletree Birmingham, AL w/ Tapes 'n Tapes
Oct 24 Club Down Under Tallahassee, FL w/ Tapes 'n Tapes
Oct 25 Common Grounds Gainesville w/ Tapes 'n Tapes
Oct 26 The Social Orlando, FL w/ Tapes 'n Tapes
Oct 27 Cafe 11 St. Augustine, FL w/ Tapes 'n Tapes
Oct 28 Tasty World Athens, GA w/ Tapes 'n Tapes
Oct 29 The Loft Atlanta, GA w/ Tapes 'n Tapes
Oct 30 The Local 506 Chapel Hill, NC w/ Tapes 'n Tapes
Oct 31 Black Cat Washington, DC w/ Tapes 'n Tapes

Visit Annuals on MySpace.

A Couple of New Releases of Note This Week:: 8/22

2006-08-25T12:43:00.000-05:00

Chad VanGaalen - Skelliconnection

Singer-songwriter Chad VanGaalen's sophomore album was released this week on Sub Pop and this 15 track collection is all over the map stylistically. I caught the tailend of Chad's live set nearly a year ago at the Southgate House in Newport, KY when he was opening to Fruit Bats and Rogue Wave. Though I enjoyed his performance and really dig "Clinically Dead" and "Kill Me in My Sleep", I have not absorbed his debut Infiniheart in any real respect and this album marks my first substantial exposure to his music. I cannot say exactly how the new album compares to the debut, but I can definitely say there are some excellent tracks present on Skelliconnection.

VanGaalen employs a distinctively DIY approach to his art-- playing nearly every instrument on his records, recording the material in his "bare-bones" home studio, and even undertaking the illustration of the album artwork and his videos. I have only had the album a few days now, and I'm torn as to whether I prefer his more folk rock-orientated material ala the Neil Youngian "Graveyard" & "Mini TVs", his guitar-driven post-punk "Flower Gardens" & "Burn To Ash", his synth-pop explorations "Red Hot Drops", or his sublime stripped-down acoustic ballads "Sing Me To Sleep". Hell, my favorite track is probably "Dead Ends" and it doesn't fit into any of the above categories. His myriad of influences are readily apparent, but what makes this album special is that fact he transcends these influences (with little-to-no outside help) to create a work that is uniquely his own. HIGHLIGHTS: "Dead Ends", "Burn to Ash", "Sing Me to Sleep"

MP3: Chad VanGaalen - "Dead Ends"
MP3: Chad VanGaalen - "Sing Me to Sleep"
MP3: Chad VanGaalen - "Flower Gardens"

Buy the album here.

BONUS: A highlight from his debut Infiniheart -->
MP3: Chad VanGaalen - "Clinically Dead"

Snowden - Anti-Anti

Snowden's full-length debut saw its release on Jade Tree Records Tuesday. These guys are clear blogger favorites-- briefly skimming through Elbo.ws could yield 7 tracks from Anti-Anti at the time of this writing. This Atlanta quintet specialize in melodic, occasionally dark post-punk. The title track is probably the most immediately accessible track here and so what if the intro sounds vaguely like Jimmy Eat World, I dig the songs not-so-subtle poke at hipster concert attendees who assume the requisite completely still with arms crossed stance. The subject matter is not always so light and these dudes are not afraid to tackle politically-tinged material. (see e.g., "Victim Card" & "Counterfeit Rules") So what exactly do they sound like you ask: Take 1 part dance-rock, add a healthy dash of Interpol and a pinch of the Cure, drench the whole thing in classic shoegaze elements (reverb, distortion, and ethereal effects) and stir liberally. HIGHLIGHTS: "Anti-Anti", "Black Eyes", "Counterfeit Rules"

MP3: Snowden - "Anti-Anti"
MP3: Snowden - "Black Eyes"
MP3: Snowden - "Counterfeit Rules"

Buy the album here.

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Don't forget Ratatat's new album Classics hit stores this week as well. Click here for info about the album and a couple of killer MP3s.

New Akron/Family :: Meek Warrior

2006-08-23T10:04:00.000-05:00

I became a fan of Akron/Family upon first hearing their March 2005 self-titled debut album and their excellent tune "Running, Returning". My interest in the band increased significantly upon hearing their late 2005 split LP with Angels of Light. In fact, I still consider their epic psychedelic freak-out jam "Raising the Sparks" (which appeared on the split LP) to be one of the finest songs of last year. Now, they have a "mini" LP due September 25th on Young God Records and I am even more eager to hear their "proper" follow up to their debut album.

Meek Warrior is 7 track collection which features "very special guest Hamid Drake, as well as contributions from members of Do Make Say Think and Broken Social Scene" and will be sold at a "special low price" (currently $11 on Young God's website). It appears this album is meant to hold-over fans until they finish touring this fall and winter and wrap recording on another new album, to be released early next year on Young God-- this according to Young God Main Man, Micheal Gira.

Though there are a couple of rockers present ("Blessing Force" & "The Rider" (Dolphin Song)), this effort is mostly a subdued and backporch folk affair. Opener, the aforementioned "Blessing Force" has its moments, but ultimately never quite gets off the ground and this 9-and-a-half minute behemoth comes to an end with 2 minutes+ of nearly unlistenable noise. (See also, Pitchfork's track review) The other rocker, "The Rider" (Dolphin Song), suffers a similar fate-- a good melody and guitar lick that are spread too thin over its 7 minute plus run-time and, as the lyrics suggest, the track seems to have "no destination" in mind.

The folk numbers fare much better and have a distinctly Winterish vibe. "Gone Beyond" features simple, yet catchy acoustic guitar figures, minimal percussion, and its one line, "Gone, gone, gone beyond/ gone completely beyond", provides the most memorable vocal melody on the record. The title track is another highlight and finds the guys seemingly at their most comfortable. "Meek Warrior" is a whimsical folk-pop song showcasing acoustic guitar, mandolin, handclaps, and some fine vocal harmonies. Things come to a close nicely with "Love and Space"-- which features barely audible single guitar strums and fine (at least 3 part) southern gospel vocal harmonies.

Meek Warrior was most likely intended to be a gift to tide over fans until their new full-length arrives and as a vehicle to allow these guys to continue their neverending tour itinerary. It is modest effort and probably should not be viewed as a proper album. This collection ultimately serves to make what the more savvy among you already knew even more clear-- Akron/Family are an incredibly exciting young band and potentially a force to be reckoned with. Whether they revert to the more folkish material of their debut and featured prominently on this effort or decide to crank up the electrics ala "Raising the Sparks" and "Moment" on the split LP, provided they remain focused and trim the fat seen on the two rockers on Meek Warrior, these guys can go virtually anywhere from here.

HIGHLIGHTS: "Gone Beyond", "Meek Warrior", "Love and Space"

MP3: Akron/Family - "Gone Beyond"

Buy the album here.

Viva Voce - Get Yr Blood Sucked Out

2006-08-21T00:58:00.000-05:00

Viva Voce is comprised of the husband-and-wife duo Kevin and Anita Robinson. Anita handles the guitar work, Kevin mans the skins, and they share vocal duties. Their upcoming Barsuk release, Get Yr Blood Sucked Out, will hit stores September 12th. The new album is a pleasant mix of a variety of influences-- from classic psychedelic guitar rock ("Beliver", "When Planets Collide", "So Many Miles", "Faster Than a Dead Horse") to shoegaze pop ("Drown Them Out", "Special Thing"). Get Yr Blood Sucked Out is a dark and sexually-charged affair and is more of a "loud" rock album than the usual release from a band on Barsuk's roster.

The album starts strong with "Believer", a straight-ahead acoustic guitar and heavy-handed percussion stomper with occasional harmonica, fuzzed-out guitar leads, and subtle vocal harmonies. "When the Planets Collide" and first single "From the Devil Himself" keep the rock a-comin' and the handclaps and guitar work on the latter transition nicely into one of the album's more pop-orientated numbers, the pretty "Drown Them Out".

Following an instrumental interlude, "So Many Miles" -- an 8 minute+ noise rock jam -- again brings the distorted guitar leads to the forefront and features a tasty trumpet figure about 4 minutes in. "We Do Not Fuck Around" begins with Kevin's plaintive piano and vocal work and slowly builds until the one line chorus hits you over the head with its brilliant simplicity. The last half of the album is highlighted by the downbeat Kevin sung pop dittes "Special Thing" (on which he sounds reminiscent of Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne) and "Never Be Like Yesterday".

Get Yr Blood Sucked Out grinds to a halt on the last two tracks. "Helicopter" is too similar to a number of the album's other rockers and has a lackluster vocal melody and uninspired guitar riffing which render it flat and vaguely monotonous. When they sing, "just keeps going on and on" near the end of the track, the line hits a little too close to home. The (mostly) instrumental closing number isn't bad, but comes across as somewhat of an afterthought and unnecessary filler.

Overall, a very solid effort with a few standout tracks. The album drags a bit in places but has enough bright spots to keep you coming back for repeated listens. HIGHLIGHTS: "Believer", "From the Devil Himself", "We Do Not Fuck Around"

MP3: Viva Voce - "Believer"
MP3: Viva Voce - "When Planets Collide"
MP3: Viva Voce - "We Do Not Fuck Around"

Buy the album here.

*****************************************************************

Viva Voce will hit the road with Silversun Pickups in the fall:

September
28 - Rickshaw Stop - San Francisco, CA
29 - Howie and Sons - Visalia, CA
30 - The Echo - Los Angeles, CA

October
1 - Modified - Phoenix, AZ
3 - Emo's - Austin, TX
4 - Opolis - Norman, OK
5 - Randy Bacon Gallery - Springfield, MO
7 - Courtyard Cafe - Urbana, IL
8 - Southgate House - Newport, KY*
10 - Iota Club and Cafe - Arlington, VA
11 - Mercury Lounge - New York, NY
12 - Mercury Lounge - New York, NY
13 - Johnny Brenda's - Philadelphia, PA
15 - Middle East Upstairs - Cambridge, MA
16 - The Bug Jar - Rochester, NY
17 - Lee's Palace - Toronto, ON
18 - The Lime Spider - Akron, OH
20 - Empty Bottle - Chicago, IL
21 - Maintenance Shop - Ames, IA
24 - Hi Dive - Denver, CO
26 - Neurolux - Boise, ID
28 - Doug Fir Lounge - Portland, OR

MP3: Silversun Pickups - "Well Thought Out Twinkles"

WOW...this was way over-due.

2006-08-18T16:48:00.000-05:00

So, it's been over 2 months since I've done this. There are a number of reasons why I haven't blogged lately, but it has nothing to do with a lack of great new tunes. I've heard a ton of good stuff this summer and have seen some really great shows. Among the artists I've seen live over the past 2 months or so: Man Man & Danielson, Ghostface et. al. at Desdemona, Phoenix & the French Kicks, and Sound Team & Cold War Kids. If you ever get the chance to catch Man Man perform, do not miss these guys. They are insanely good live; frenetic on-stage energy coupled with the fact they all can actually play. I saw them opening for Danielson a little while back and the dudes absolutely blew them out of the water...Danielson came across like completely bookish nerds (looking downright silly in those little uniforms) who were in the unenviable position of following the BEAST that is Man Man. Phoenix and the Cold War Kids are both very talented live bands who played impressive sets, but Man Man's live show is simply in a league of its own.

I've decided to post a little blurb about some albums I've been enjoying lately and a couple of MP3s to sample. I plan to resume updating the blog regularly, so keep the CDs and emails coming. I listen to every CD I receive, but I only open a few of the emails a day due to the sheer volume.

I'm From Barcelona - Let Me Introduce My Friends

I had never heard this 29 member collective prior to reading the Pitchfork Review and I've only been listening to the album a little over a week now, but it is revealing itself to be one of best indie-pop albums of the year so far. These Swedes do not rely on their outrageously large roster as some sort of gimmick; they stick to penning catchy pop ditties with melodies that burn in your brain long after you've stopped listening. HIGHLIGHTS: "Collection of Stamps", "We're From Barcelona", "Treehouse"

MP3: I'm From Barcelona - "We're From Barcelona"
MP3: I'm From Barcelona - "Collection of Stamps"

Buy the album here.

Midlake - The Trials of Van Occupanther

Like many others, I first encountered Midlake via Gorilla vs. Bear and their great single, "Roscoe". This Denton, TX five-piece have a sound reminiscent of '70s AOR; warm, folk-aware, guitar-driven mid-tempo rock. Midlake often garner comparisons to Fleetwood Mac and this is quite accurate, but I would add the caveat that they sound more "masculine" in comparison to FM's often estrogen-laced feel. HIGHLIGHTS: "Roscoe", "Head Home", "Young Bride"

MP3: Midlake - "Roscoe"
MP3: Midlake - "Head Home"

Buy the album here.

Ratatat - Classics

I usually don't care much for instrumental albums. It usually takes me quite a long time to warm up to a band or album with no vocals, but this album grabbed my attention almost immediately. This electro-rock duo have crafted one of the year's most crushing riffs on the thunderous "Lex" and have placed themselves as front-runners in the "Best Use of an Animal Noise" category via the infectious "Wildcat" and its sweet cougar roar sample. This is really great driving music here people-- not only because it gets the blood pumping so effectively, it also sounds so hip and modern that you feel like the coolest person on the road with it blasting. HIGHLIGHTS: "Montanita", "Lex", "Wildcat"

MP3: Ratatat - "Wildcat"
MP3: Ratatat - "Lex"

Buy the album here.

Girl Talk - Night Ripper

This album virtually came out of nowhere and knocked me on my ass. Pittsburgh native Greg Gillis created this work, which is definitely the most enjoyable mash-up CD I've yet to hear. This album relies on samples from nearly every genre of popular music: hip-hop, 80s pop, indie/alterna/classic rock, and countless others. Provided he's not residing in a jail cell for crafting this highly illegal work (kidding), Gillis will surely have no shortage of artists approaching him to collaborate in the near future. This is a great party album and as Pitchfork noted, "the soundtrack for Summer '06". HIGHLIGHTS: "Smash Your Head", "Minute by Minute", "Bounce That"

MP3: Girl Talk - "Smash Your Head"
MP3: Girl Talk - "Bounce That"
MP3: Girl Talk - "Hold Up"

Buy the album here.

Tokyo Police Club - A Lesson in Crime (EP)

In just 7 songs and 16.3 minutes, these dudes from Toronto have got the indie-rock world buzzing and have effectively demonstrated some serious potential. All of these tracks clock in at about 2 minutes and rock with the urgency of the early Strokes. They guys employ amphetamine-fueled garage rock riffing, tasteful keys, and earnest singing with good melodies on this very promising EP. I'm definitely looking forward to a full-length from this band-- as you will be upon hearing them. HIGHLIGHTS: "Nature of the Experiment", "Citizens of Tomorrow", "Be Good"

MP3: Tokyo Police Club - "Nature of the Experiment"
MP3: Tokyo Police Club - "Be Good"

Buy the album here.

2 Really Cool New Bands Worth Your Attention :: Ladyhawk & Evangelicals

2006-06-14T17:46:00.000-05:00

Ladyhawk released their self-titled debut album June 6th on Jagjaguwar Records. I am a fan of a number of bands on the label, including Black Mountain, Pink Mountaintops, and Okkervil River. Ladyhawk sound similar to labelmates Okkervil River on the most straight-forward track on the album, the rollicking "My Old Jacknife". The standout track features a simple guitar line which perfectly accentuates the most memorable vocal melody on the record.

The album features plenty of heavy roots rock riffing and boozy, weathered vocals. The band obviously attempted to capture their live sound on the album and it was undoubtedly recorded with minimal takes and no frills. Ladyhawk are already garnering comparisons to everyone from Crazy Horse to Uncle Tupelo and if you like those bands or are a fan of any Jagjaguwar's other bands, you'll find something enjoyable on Ladyhawk. While I have only listened to album a couple of times through, I can already tell it's a grower-- "Came in Brave" with its melancholic stomp and the bittersweet, Okkervil River-evoking ballad "Sad Eyes/Blue Eyes" improve significantly upon multiple spins. Grab the tunes below and if you like what you hear, the album will not disappoint.

Tunes:

Ladyhawk - "Dugout"

Ladyhawk - "My Old Jacknife" *recommended*

Ladyhawk - "Came in Brave"

Buy the album here.

I had not heard Evangelicals prior to reading the Pitchfork review yesterday, but I pretty intrigued by their sound thus far. This young Norman, Oklahoma trio have a unique sound that is probably best described as some sort of exuberant psychedelic pop rock. Critics have cited Dinosaur Jr. and the Flaming Lips as apparent touchstones, but a list of influences (however expansive) will not give an accurate picture of this band's sound; you simply need to hear it for yourself. Singer Josh Jones' high-pitched vocals have a distinctly feminine quality to them and with only three members the band manage to create the type of racket that is often thought relegated to bands with much more expansive rosters such as Broken Social Scene. On the tracks below there is an undeniable enthusiasm and a feeling that the songs are gonna implode from the excitement of the musicians performing them, while remaining ever-conscious of pop hooks.

Tunes:

Evangelicals - "Another Day"

Evangelicals - "Here Comes Trouble"

Evangelicals - "Goin' Down" *recommended*

Buy the album here.

Visit Evangelicals on MySpace.

Phoenix - Its Never Been Like That

2006-06-07T13:51:00.002-05:00

This album dropped a few weeks back and stirred up a bit of attention on the blogs, but the buzz seems to have fizzled a bit. What better time to mention this album again?

I have only recently (within the past few days) started to listen to the band/album, but I am enjoying it. Phoenix specialize in straight-ahead, hook filled indie pop/rock which comes off as immediately familiar. Much like Band of Horses debut-- this album doesn't break any new ground and is too straight-forward to make a huge impression on the indie radar. Occasionally, we all need reminding that just because an artist/album does not require a significant learning curve it doesn't make the songs inferior and being accessible is not a bad thing. It's all about the songs themselves and there is no shortage of really strong ones contained on this concise 10 track set.

"Consolation Prizes" could easily be a radio hit in a cooler world and reminds me of George Michael's "Faith" mixed with the Shins' sophomore record. "Long Distance Call" is another highlight and Prefix Mag reviewer John Ziess was quite accurate describing the tune as reminiscent of two of 2005's great indie rock singles, Spoon's "I Turn My Camera On" and My Morning Jacket's "Wordless Chorus". Other highlights include the lushly textured, laid-back "One Time Too Many" and beat-driven "Courtesy Laughs", which again brings Spoon to mind.

Think: Strokes-lite, Spoon, and the Shins. Sounds good doesn't it?

Tunes:

Phoenix - "Consolation Prizes"

Phoenix - "Long Distance Call"

Buy the album here.

Visit Phoenix on MySpace.

"I Know That Crime Doesn't Pay, But I Don't Know Any Other Way" :: The Long Winters - Putting the Days to Bed

2006-05-30T11:55:00.000-05:00

The Long Winters third album Putting the Days to Bed will be released 7/25/06 on Barsuk Records. As we have been blessed with unseasonably warm weather here in Cincinnati since I received my promo copy of the upcoming album, it has felt like mid-July these past few days. Nothing ground breaking or avant garde is to be found on Putting the Days to Bed, just straight ahead, melodic indie pop-rock. Songwriter John Roderick's sunny, warm, and confident tunes are fleshed out by a talented backing band and glossy production. The songs have a vague 90s feel and will likey make some hipsters initially cringe, but after a few listens you'll be singing along to these tunes with the windows down in your car while smoking cigs...or maybe that was just me.

Still not convinced? Here's why Long Winters auteur John Roderick says you should care about the record: "Good songs are hard to write, hard to find, and are unrelated to fashion. There's a lot of music being made as an accessory now, music to match your distressed denim, your deconstructed jacket, your asymmetrical hair, but there will always be a need for actual songs. The Long Winters are working on making those."

Tracks:

The Long Winters - "Pushover"

The Long Winters - "Teaspoon" *recommended*

Get four tracks from The Long Winters previous full-lengths: here.

New Favorite Song of the Moment: The Gossip - "Standing in the Way of Control"

2006-05-26T16:31:00.002-05:00

The Gossip's third album Standing in the Way of Control was released January 24, 2006 on Kill Rock Stars. While I am totally unfamiliar with the band's previous work, the current single and title track from the new album is f-ing sweet. They've got a pretty killer video for the tune as well. I've listened to the entire album a couple of times and while SITWOC is by far the strongest track present, a couple of others are almost as good. See, e.g., "Yr Mangled Heart".

"Standing in the Way of Control" features the standard dance punk elements (prominent disco hi-hats, jagged and angular guitar work, and distorted bass accentuating the backbeat) and would be fairly unremarkable if not for singer Beth Ditto's bluesy and soulful pipes. Think: Franz Ferdinand fronted by a 20-something white Aretha.

The Gossip - "Standing in the Way of Control"

Check out the video for the tune: here.

3 more tracks from The Gossip available: here.

The Raconteurs - Broken Boy Soldiers : A Comprehensive Review

2006-05-08T16:54:00.000-05:00

Rating: 76/100

As one of the most-anticipated records of the year so far, expectations were understandably quite high for the Raconteurs' debut full-length. I'll begin under the assumption that you are already aware of the band bio and each member's respective resume. If not, you are probably reading this blog by mistake and won't make it through this rambling mess anyway.

Broken Boy Soldiers comes out of the gate strong with first single, "Steady, As She Goes". While the bass line is a nearly note-for-note rip of Joe Jackson's "Is She Really Going Out With Him?", it quickly transcends its laughable template and blossoms into a simple, yet tasty pop treat. "Steady, As She Goes" provides a glimpse into how the band's dynamic will unfold, but it is second track "Hands" which serves as the first true indication that the Raconteurs are not going to be the White Stripes-redux. "Hands" features Brendan Benson on lead vocals and -- considering Benson's solo material sometimes veers towards the MOR singer-songwriter territory -- it initially comes across like a standard Benson album cut with White on backing vocals. While "Hands" is a grower and improves upon multiple listens, it was ultimately a poor choice for the second track position.

Following the lackluster "Hands", BBS recovers quickly and with a vengeance on the title-track. "Broken Boy Soldier" is a charged romp featuring droning guitar figures, White's best Robert Plant meets Geddy Lee vocal stylings, and Patrick Keeler's ride cymbal assault. White sounds like a man possessed when he wails through lines like, "I'm child and man then child again." It is moments like when Jack screams "THE BOY!" at the 2:25 mark that make him arguably the best rock star in modern music. You simply have to hear the tune to truly appreciate this point.

Having fully recovered from the second track misstep, the band plunges head-long into "Intimate Secretary"-- another heavily Benson-influenced track. While the song has some cringe-producing forced lines such as, "I've got a rabbit, it likes to hop/i've got a girl and she's likes to shop", Jack White does his best to keep the song afloat with his distorted, panned a little too far back-in-the-mix vocals during the psychedelic refrains. He succeeds to some extent, and though the song is not incorrigibly written, one does get the distinct impression that without the star power present on the track it would not fare nearly as well.

At this point of the record, one is understandably concerned that things could go south fast. But, thankfully, the one-two punch of "Together" and "Level" arrives to quickly to quash that fear. "Together" starts off with a fairly ominous sign: Brendan Benson again on lead vocals. While he's is in no way a bad vocalist, up to this point his more-prominent presence has coincided with the album's weakest tracks. But, Benson redeems himself here and the song is the album's most pleasant surprise and probably the best example of collaboration between the two vocalists. The song has the effortless vibe and strong songwriting reminiscent of when John and Paul were on top of their game. "Level" is most White Stripes-ish song here and, while incredibly straight-forward, the vocal trade-off and lead guitar work are spot-on.

The next two tracks are fairly unremarkable. "Store Bought Bones", the B-Side to "Steady, As She Goes", seems a bit rushed and vaguely like a work in progress. Aside from White's slide guitar flourishes intermittently scattered throughout, it fails to stir up much excitement. "Yellow Sun" is a mid-tempo number featuring acoustic guitar and organ and while pleasant enough, the song is lacking the type of hook that will draw one back for repeated listens.

The last two songs are essentially solo numbers from Benson and White respectively. White's closer "Blue Veins" fares much better than Benson's "Call It A Day", which is the weakest track on the album despite its curious Beatles-meets-Alice in Chains backing vocals. The track's primary problem is the simple fact it is essentially a series of o.k. verses in search of a chorus that never appears. Things are rounded out by "Blue Veins"; a strong -- albeit buy-the-numbers -- blues ballad on which Jack tolls the virtues of his lady friend. The song was the most logical choice as the closing number, but Jack could most likely write tunes like this in his sleep.

So, there you have it. To be sure, the album is not the blockbuster many people (including me) thought that this indie super-group was capable of; but that is not to say there are not a few great tracks present on Broken Boy Soldiers. I believe the record would have greatly benefited with Jack White taking more of a lead role, but it is entirely understandable that the new-found freedom of being in an actual band was a breath of fresh air and he was content to let things come together naturally. The most lasting impression one gets upon listening to Broken Boy Soldiers is that it is the product of four very talented musicians not over-thinking it and just creating tunes that they enjoy playing with very little concern with writing hit songs or over how the end result would be viewed in the eyes of critics.

Suggested Downloads: "Broken Boy Soldier", "Together", "Level"

Buy the album here.

Perusing Sub Pop's MP3 Vault...

2006-05-08T15:26:00.000-05:00

Another tune from Band of Horses debut was recently made available for download via Sub Pop. "Great Salt Lake" is strong cut from one of my favorite records of this year so far Everything All Time. In fact, their tune "Monsters" is among the my most listened to songs in the past few months. You can purchase the album: here. Not a bad song on the entire thing...totally recommended.

Band of Horses - "The Great Salt Lake"

Band of Horses - "The Funeral"

Here's the strongest track from The Constantines' 2005 effort Tournament of Hearts, "Soon Enough". I dig how it has a simple chord progression and melody line but nonetheless evokes a Springsteenian blue collar aesthetic and "everyman" truth. You'll like it.

The Constantines - "Soon Enough"

Pearl Jam - Pearl Jam : Don't Believe the Hype - A Reactionary Review

2006-05-06T03:01:00.000-05:00

Rating: 59/100

Don't get me wrong, I grew up on this shit. Jacob "Cry-Baby Blue" Barnes will attest to this fact. Seriously though, m'man hooked me up with my first PJ tape (courtesy of his big sis Sarah) circa late 1991. That's 6th grade for anyone who's counting. My singular goal in originally picking up the guitar was to perform a half-assed version of the intro to "Alive". In sum, it was that damn tape of Ten that became the first music I identified as "my own".

With that said, it hurts just a bit that I simply cannot recommend the new album and fear I have officially outgrown the band. Take a gander at the Metacritic score...I mean, c'mon. They do have a few future single candidates once "World Wide Suicide" fizzles out; opener "Life Wasted" and "Marker in the Sand" are the most likely suspects. The best stuff here comes off like B-rate rehashes of their back catalog-- see e.g., "Comatose", which was way better when it was called "Spin the Black Circle". While Pearl Jam may be their best work in years, who's been able to sit through an entire Pearl Jam record since Vitalogy? I guess P'fork's David Raposa is the only one who listened to the entire album besides me. Nearly every other review reads like a fucking press release.

While musically pretty solid (esp. Matt Cameron's drumming, which perfectly balances power and technical proficiency), the biggest flaw is Eddie's vocals -- the template for far too many grunge re-tread acts in the mid-to-late 90s (hell, to this day if you count Nickelback etc.) -- which are mixed way too front-and-center and simply do not compliment the music. To boot, they are in full-on wailing mode nearly throughout...blatantly ignoring the restraint which has always marked any decent modern-era PJ cut.

A return to form? Guys, all the PR people in the world cannot dress this turd up to look like anything other than what it is-- a turd. (OK, that's way too harsh...but I like the way it sounds) Basically, a good portion of album lacks memorable melodies and ultimately blends together in a muddy mix of nondescript rockers. What's even worse is that this is the most blatant style-over-substance album of Pearl Jam's career. It's just a little too obvious they are trying to reclaim their past glory; while there is certainly nothing wrong with that, don't beat us over the head with it. This album reminds me of what Billy Corgan tried to do with Zwan...with similar (maybe marginally better) results.

In all reality, if you are a Pearl Jam fan and are feeling nostalgic, by all means give this record a chance...you most likely already know what to expect and won't be disappointed. The guys were attempting to achieve a sound that could be slotted in between Vs. and Vitalogy in the Pearl Jam discography timeline. And, if this record came out right after Vs., or even Vitalogy, it would have been absolutely huge. The record is decent, but don't believe the "Strikes with a magnificent urgency"*-type hyperbole you are reading elsewhere.

My biggest problem with this record is based on a change in taste and the fact I'm no longer an angst-ridden awkward adolescent. With this stage went my love for PJ, but for some reason I still can rock out to Siamese Dream. Once a Corganite, always a Corganite I suppose. (For the record, TheFutureEmbrace was pretty much terrible.)

Suggested downloads: "Marker in the Sand", "Unemployable"

Buy the album here.

*=via Prefix Magazine

An Open Letter to Pearl Jam:

Dear Eddie et. alia,

Did Mike McCready relapse and recently run through all of his cash on that pesky blow habit of yesteryear? Why are you guys catering to the mainstream rock radio set to such an extent on this album? You guys made a career with your mercurial brand of "stickittothemaniosis"...why pander to the lowest common denominator at this point of your career? Eddie, we get it-- you surf. Was the painfully generic "Big Wave" really necessary? And Mike, it's due time you retired that damn that wah-wah pedal once and for all.

Sincerely,

Moroccan Role.

*oh yeah, you can stream the entire album here.

New Look, Recommended New Tunes.

2006-05-04T22:51:00.000-05:00

I'm in the midst of finals, so the most logical thing for me to do today was to waste all kinds of time changing the look here at Moroccan Role. I think it's a vast improvement...still, I'd appreciate any feedback anyone has. I know posting as been very spotty lately and unfortunately, it will probably continue to be the next two weeks.

BUT, here are a few things I've been listening to lately and enjoying.

Cold War Kids have been blowing up all over the blogs recently and here's your chance to download a couple of their tunes, including the great "Hospital Beds". It's one of my personal favs. at the moment. "Hospital Beds" appears on their 2006 EP Up in Rags and "Tell Me in the Morning" appears on their 2005 EP With Our Wallets Full.

Cold War Kids - "Hospital Beds" (PC: right click, "save as" | Mac: ctrl click, "download linked file")

Cold War Kids - "Tell Me in the Morning" (PC: right click, "save as" | Mac: ctrl click, "download linked file")

You've probably read Pitchfork's review of Sunset Rubdown's most recent full-length Shut Up I'm Dreaming by now, so here's a chance to download the opening track from them album. I posted on these guys awhile back but it was nice to see Spencer Krug's troupe get some love from Pitchfork. You can purchase the album and the band's previous works here.

Sunset Rubdown - "Stadiums & Shrines II" (PC: right click, "save as" | Mac: ctrl click, "download linked file")

Sunset Rubdown - "Us Ones In Between" (PC: right click, "save as" | Mac: ctrl click, "download linked file")

I know I'm playing catch-up by posting on Beirut, but here are the links to download two tracks from 19-year-old Albuquerque native Zach Condon's band. Everyone and their brother has posted on these guys...because they're good. Their music is difficult to accurately describe, but Amrit over Village Indian did the best job I've seen: "Their songs waltz, they lilt, they feature trumpets, accordions and gorgeously layered, elastic vocal harmonies." Pitchfork is even on the bandwagon-- they reviewed "Postcards From Italy" today. Go to elbo.ws to get plenty of more of their material.

Beirut - "Postcards From Italy" (PC: right click, "save as" | Mac: ctrl click, "download linked file")

Beirut - "Mount Wroclai (Idle Days)" (PC: right click, "save as" | Mac: ctrl click, "download linked file")

That's it for now.

Incoherent, Rambling Link Dump Post.

2006-04-21T15:12:00.000-05:00

So, today I read P'fork's glowing review (4 and 1/2 stars) of Kelis' (yes, of "Milkshake" fame) new track and remembered I got an email from someone in her camp pimping the song...so here's a link to stream the tune:

Kelis feat. Too $hort - "Bossy" (explicit version...meaning Too $hort says "bitch" a lot)

Below is the video for The Raconteurs' first single, "Steady, as She Goes". Jim Jarmusch (Broken Flowers, Coffee & Cigarettes) directed.

*Related: In case you haven't seen/heard it, here's the commercial for the new Jack White penned Coca-Cola jingle:

The Cee-Lo & Danger Mouse collab. Gnarls Barkley has been blowing up on the music blogs for some time now...here's your chance to stream the album in its entirety: Gnarls Barkley's MySpace page. I'd be really surprised if anyone has yet to hear the first single "Crazy"...its already a HUGE hit in the UK. Track description in the new issue of Spin: "Cee-Lo unleashes his inner gospel choir as Danger Mouse creeps in with a Gorillaz-style beat and an ooh-child melancholy that lingers like a question mark."

Cincinnati folks, I trust you've seen the line-up for the Desdemona Festival. It will take place June 23-25 at Sawyer Point and will feature 30 acts on 3 stages. The first wave of acts were announced this week and go as follows: THE WALKMEN, THE FIERY FURNACES, THE STILLS, RADIO 4, THE HEARTLESS BASTARDS, SMALL SINS, RICHARD SWIFT. Nick Spencer is running the operation and you can get updates via his blog or via Desdemona on MySpace.

Finally, here's a link to a great new Cleveland, OH based music blog: GoodHodgkins.com.

He's only been at it at for a short period of time, but the site obviously has a great name (from Curb Your Enthusiasm)...let's just hope he keeps updating at the feverish pace.

Since you made it through all of this mess, here's a treat. The epic opening track from Islands' acclaimed new album Return to the Sea. Read what the critics have said about the album: here. Buy the album: here. It's not the Unicorns, but I really enjoy the album.

MP3: ~~Islands - "Swans (Life After Death)"~~ (savefile: follow link)

Figurines - Skeleton

2006-04-17T16:06:00.000-05:00

Figurines are not going to change your life. They are not gonna alter the indie music landscape in any way either. What they have done with their sophomore album, Skeleton, is create a charming little indie power-pop gem. Their sound borrows heavily from Modest Mouse and Built to Spill-- esp. frontman Christian Hjelm's vocals. Sure, there is essentially nothing on this record that we haven't heard before, but to simply write off Figurines for being overly derivitive would be a mistake. That is, unless you have no problem missing out on a well-written pop album with infectious hooks and a pervasively enjoyable vibe. It's your call.

Tunes:

Figurines - "The Wonder" *recommended* (PC: right click, "save as" | Mac: ctrl click, "download linked file")

Figurines - "Rivalary" (PC: right click, "save as" | Mac: ctrl click, "download linked file")

~~Figurines - "Release Me on the Floor"~~ (savefile: follow link)

Video for "I Remember"* -- a stand-out track from Skeleton:

*this video loads pretty slowly...so just press play then pause to let it load up before you watch it.

What some critics have said about the album:

Pitchfork: 8.3

Rolling Stone: 4 Stars

Buy the album here!

*Bonus: tracks from their debut Shake a Mountain:

Figurines - "Bright" (PC: right click, "save as" | Mac: ctrl click, "download linked file")

Figurines - "Debate Because It's Over" (PC: right click, "save as" | Mac: ctrl click, "download linked file")

Figurines' Web Site

Figurines on MySpace

Wolfmother is pretty much awesome...

2006-04-15T15:20:00.000-05:00

Wolfmother's long-awaited debut LP will hit stores May 2nd. I marked a bit of a buzz surrounding these guys based on their EPs, but had yet to give them any listens prior receiving their full-length. Man. A couple of tracks on this album are absolute BEASTS! Wolfmother are remarkably well-versed in the classic rock canon and obviously cut their teeth on copious helpings of Sabbath & Led Zep. Do I detect a bit of Jethro Tull aping on "Witchcraft"? I fear I do...but the flute/piccolo leads are undeniably tasty (ironic or not).

Early favorite cuts:
the above-mentioned "Witchcraft", "Joker and the Thief" (featuring a Slash-worthy guitar intro and a nice Sabbath-esque extended outro), & "White Unicorn" (this song may be the most beastly of all).

Future fans of Wolfmother:
Ozzy, Tony Iommi, Dewy Finn, Jack White, Ricky Rakman, Dave Grohl, Josh Homme, people who like bands with "Wolf" in their name, occasional Moroccan Role contributors.

New favorite adjective of music bloggers:
Lupine:
1. Characteristic of or resembling a wolf.
2. Rapacious; ravenous.

Limited Downloads: (all files are yousendit --> follow links)

~~Wolfmother - "White Unicorn"~~

~~Wolfmother - "Joker and the Thief"~~

~~Wolfmother - "Witchcraft"~~

Buy the album here!

Wolfmother on MySpace

New Futureheads Single: "Skip to the End"

2006-04-11T18:28:00.000-05:00

Below is great quality version of the song from an apparent promo copy of the single. Their debut album was among my favorites from 2004 and I wore it out. The single is catchy as hell and has my hopes up for News and Tributes.

The single is due May 15th. Their upcoming album News and Tributes is due out May 29th. Both dates refer to the UK releases.

Tune:

~~The Futureheads - "Skip to the End"~~ (savefile: follow link)

The Futureheads website

The Futureheads on MySpace

the Brunettes - Live @ the Southgate House & Highlights from Mars Loves Venus

2006-04-07T16:09:00.000-05:00

I caught the Brunettes Wednesday night opening for Clap Your Hands Say Yeah at the Southgate House in Newport, KY. While totally unfamiliar with their music prior to seeing their performance, I was quite impressed. The band's principle members are Jonathan Bree and Heather Mansfield, but they tour with "a changing, waxing and waning crew of amateur instrumentalists associated with Auckland's Lil' Chief Records", the so-dubbed "Lil' Chief Pop Orchestrette". (via the band's bio) There were 6 people on stage Wednesday night; many of whom were multi-instrumentalists. Some interesting/unusual instruments played: banjo, trumpet, clarinet, sax, vibraphone/xylophone/glockenspiel/marimba (at least two of these, but i'm not that great at telling them apart), synths, and (my perennial fave) harmonica. The band played an extended set and while the crowd was slow to get on board, they won over the majority of those in attendance by the end of their set. Their next record will be released on Sub Pop "sometime around summer/fall 2006"-- according to the label.

I picked up their 2004 effort Mars Loves Venus at the show...and had to get it signed, simply to get the chance to meet the charming Heather Mansfield and listen to her intriguing New Zealand accent.

Two stand-out tracks from Mars Love Venus:

~~the Brunettes - "Polyester Meets Acetate"~~ (savefile: follow link)

~~the Brunettes - "Loopy Loopy Love"~~ (savefile: follow link)

Buy the album here!

The Brunettes on MySpace

*Of course, CYHSY were great. That was expected. The band played a few new tracks including "Cigarettes" and the incredibly well-received "Satan". I spoke to guitarist Lee Sargent, who said that we could expect new material in September. Awesome.

The Raconteurs - Broken Boy Soldiers

2006-04-05T14:45:00.000-05:00

The upcoming full-length from the highly anticipated project between Jack White, Brendan Benson, and The Greenhornes' Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler has leaked. I've listened to the album about 3 or 4 times from front-to-back and I'm totally diggin' it.

~~Your Head's Not Right has two excellent tracks~~, including the title track...which sounds like mid-career Led Zep. mixed with a lo-fi Rush or something. The song features high pitched vocal wailing, eerie/droning guitar work, and propulsive, 'everything but the kitchen sink' percussion. Great stuff.

The album hits stores May 16th.

The Eagles of Death Metal - Death By Sexy

2006-04-04T19:12:00.000-05:00

The sophomore album by The Eagles of Death Metal will be out Tuesday, April 11 on Downtown Records. The band's line-up includes frontman Jesse "the Devil" Hughes and Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme. Homme produced the new album and plays drums for the band.

File under: straight-ahead, dirty rock 'n roll featuring tongue-in-cheek misogyny.

Tracklist:

01 I Want You So Hard (Boy's Bad News) *first single* (PC: right click, "save as" | Mac: ctrl click, "download linked file")
02 I Gotta Feeling (Just Nineteen)
03 ~~Cherry Cola~~ *recommended*
04 I Like to Move in the Night
05 Solid Gold
06 Don't Speak (I Came to Make a BANG!)
07 Keep Your Head Up
08 The Ballad of Queen Bee and Baby Duck
09 Poor Doggie
10 Chase the Devil
11 Eagles Goth
12 Shasta Beast
13 Bag O' Miracles

Buy the album here!

Here's the video for the first single, "I Want You So Hard (Boy's Bad News)", featuring cameos from Dave Grohl and Jack Black:

*per Gary's keen knowledge of cheese-tastic late 70s - early 80s rock...the Death by Sexy album cover possesses a striking similiarity to the Loverboy "classic", Get Lucky:

Best. Fanmail. Ever.

2006-04-04T17:27:00.000-05:00

Apparently, the title of this blog can be quite confusing. At the very least, this e-mail left me with a smile on my face for the rest of yet another miserab.. I mean wonderful day on surgery.

Dear GK guliani,

I am a Moroccan student applying for the Master ofScience in Finance program at Vanderbilt University.

I have discovered your blog on the Internet. I wonder ifyou can give emails of Moroccan students or alumni from VU.

Many thanks,
T**** E******

Thanks for the e-mail T. I think you are a little confused. Understandably, though. This blog is all about "Rock 'n Roll." We listen to it. We live it. And we want More of it.

Unfortunately, I never met any Moroccan students when I was at Vanderbilt. Good luck getting your MS in Finance.

- GKG

Band of Horses - Everything All The Time

2006-03-22T14:35:00.000-05:00

I had not heard Band of Horses prior to reading the Pitchfork review, but I read music blogs with regularity and saw their name mentioned on a few occassions.

Their sound is very reminiscent of a few current indie-ish acts-- My Morning Jacket and fellow Sub Poppers The Shins immediately come to mind. The vocals are a nearly spot-on ringer for Jim James'...without the vague southern tinge.

But, their newest album Everything All The Time is an undeniably enjoyable listen. Ten strong tracks-- no filler to speak of...this album will hold us over for a bit. 2006 has thus far proven to be a weak year for music, so this album is a welcome break from this. Besides a handful of albums (Arctic Monkeys, Liars, the Knife, Fiery Furnaces), this year has not really had much to offer.

Give the stand-out tracks below a listen...you won't be disappointed.

Tunes:

Band of Horses - "The Funeral" (PC: right click, "save as" | Mac: ctrl click, "download linked file")

~~Band of Horses - "Monsters"~~ (link expired)

~~Band of Horses - "The First Song"~~ (link expired)

Buy the album here!

Hot Chip - Coming On Strong

2006-03-03T06:11:00.000-05:00

Rating: 57/100

With their forthcoming album The Warning due in May and with them garnering tons of attention on the blogs lately, I figured I'd review their debut full-length which was released November 29, 2005 on Astralwerks.

Ultimately, Hot Chip is best enjoyed as a side dish. Hint: in small portions.*

There's a certain aura of pretense surrounding these guys which is strengthened by lines like: "I'm like Stevie Wonder, but I can see things", "Give up all you suckas, we the tightest mothafuckas", and "You peelin' potatoes while we sonic alligators". Mind you, these fine examples of lyrical profundity all appear in one song, "Keep Fallin'".

But beyond their occassional sophomoric flirtation with faux-gangsta posturing and sometimes downright stupid lyrics, there lies a vague sense of sincerity and a somewhat endearing tongue-in-cheek charm in these sparse electronic soundscapes. An impressive stylistic diversity is present on Coming on Strong; from the above-mentioned white-boy 'thug-pop' of "Keep Fallin'", to R&B, soul, and electronica. Hell, the impressive "Crap Kraft Dinner" features an extended saxophone outro for christsakes. The lo-fi buzzes, beeps, and casiotones do little to guise the group's evident musical knowledge (clearly music nerds) and a laundry list of influences is readily apparent-- including, but certainly not limited to, four artists name-checked on the album: Stevie Wonder, Prince, Yo La Tengo, and the brothers Ween.

While frequently sounding unfocused and, at times, even blatantly tossed-off, the most conspicuous flaw is the length of the record. At 14 songs and about 65 minutes, Coming on Strong would have greatly benefited from more careful editing. The album is front-loaded and second half drags considerably. Three or so tracks could have been removed and would not have been missed. The most obvious of these being "Shining Escalade", which sounds way too much like a tune Coldplay's Chris Martin would write for a Spike Lee "Joint", and the sweet but utterly forgettable "One on One".

I have never really read Alternative Press (seems painfully generic), but they provided this very apt description of Coming on Strong: "Could pass for a set of lo-fi synth demos Sir Paul McCartney cooked up one long weekend for shits and giggles."

File under: Soulful, lo-fi laptop geek-hop.

*so what if their name most likely references chips of the micro variety and not any sort of food...admit it, the lame joke still kinda works

From Coming On Strong:

~~Hot Chip - "Keep Fallin'"~~

~~Hot Chip - "Take Care" *recommended*~~

~~Hot Chip - "Crap Kraft Dinner"~~

What the critics have said:

Pitchfork: 8.0

CokeMachineGlow: 78%

Prefix Magazine: 3.5/5

Metacritic: 65

Bonuses: These tunes are from their upcoming album The Warning due out in May:

~~Hot Chip - "The Warning" *recommended*~~

~~Hot Chip - "Boy From School"~~

Man Man - Six Demon Bag

2006-03-02T15:05:00.000-05:00

What do you get when you cross Tom Waits' gravelly vocals and the under the bigtop, carnivalesque feel of the opening track on Clap Your Hands Say Yeah's self-titled 2005 album? Yep, you get Man Man's Six Demon Bag.

Critics invariably mention the Waits, Frank Zappa, and Captain Beefheart influence triumvirate when reviewing Man Man albums. The waltz feel of many of the tracks and the high pitch call-and-response vocals are also obvious fodder for the critics. What's lost on the reader amidst all of this self-referential music criticism is the simple fact that when Man Man are on their game, their charged romps are about as fun as any pop music in recent memory and listening to them is the closest musical equivalent to a drunken riot you're likely to hear. The fact that Man Man simply cannot be serious and most of their appeal is based on caricature and shtick is of little consequence; their tunes are too absurdly entertaining to be ignored.

Derek Miller offered this great allusion to the feel of Six Demon Bag in his review for Stylus Magazine: "There's a fiesta foaming in the drunk tank again. The inmates have doped the lawmen and hollowed out their few toilet rolls for percussion. They've pulled their teeth and thrown them at the bars, plink, plunk, and pink plop. They're squealing in chorus, leaping at these steel rods and filling the cell with the thud of their skulls, mayhem. This is extravagance in the night, within the cage; a group of sensualists done gone rabid, in a commune that supports them body and mind via chain and steel. But they don't want to leave. " Now, how could I possibly improve on that?

What the critics have said:

Prefix Magzine: 90

Pitchfork: 8.3

Stylus Magazine: B+

Tiny Mix Tapes: 3.5/5

From Six Demon Bag:

~~Man Man - "Engwish Bwudd"~~

~~Man Man - "Black Mission Goggles"~~

Man Man - "Van Helsing Boombox" *recommended* (PC: right click, "save as" | Mac: ctrl click, "download linked file")

Buy the album album from Amp Camp and receive the out of print "10 lb. Moustace" single free.

Obligatory Fiery Furnaces & Tapes 'n Tapes Post

2006-02-28T23:54:00.000-05:00

Recently, there have been an abundance of posts on the music blogs about these two artists. With The Fiery Furnaces' forthcoming album leakier than an octogenarian's bladder and with Pitchfork finally getting around to reviewing Tapes 'n Tapes newest album today, nearly everyone has posted on these bands the past week or so.

The Fiery Furnaces

As anyone who reads this blog with regularity knows, I've never been the biggest Fiery Furnaces fan. Recently, I have started to come around a bit. About a week ago, I purchased a used copy of their early 2005 disc EP -- which I had never heard previously and is hardly an "EP" at all given it features 10 songs and clocks in at 41 minutes -- from my favorite local record shop, Shake-It Records, for only $2.99 and it hasn't left my vehicle's CD player.

I do not particularly care for their much-hyped 2004 effort Blueberry Boat, can't stomach 2005's Rehearsing My Choir, and have not listened to their debut Gallowsbird's Bark enough to form a legitimate opinion; but, I dig EP and have to say I'm enjoying the forthcoming album Bitter Tea quite a bit as well. It toes the line between their more accessible material ala EP and their more avant garde, polarizing Blueberry Boat-style tuneage nicely. Striking an intelligent and mature balance between melodic, hook driven pop and their more 'difficult'/experimental tendencies, Bitter Tea is the best FF album to date. Oh, you don't trust me...just wait until Pitchfork gives it a 9.0+ and other indie-ish publications drool all over it as well.

Bitter Tea will be released April 18. And, as with any good album, it is best enjoyed as a coherent whole. Below I have posted 3 of the best tracks from the forthcoming album that have been widely available on the blogs and a rare example of Matthew Friedberger handling lead vocal duties, "Sing for Me", a highlight from EP.

UPDATE: Here is the front cover artwork for Bitter Tea

From Bitter Tea:

~~The Fiery Furnaces - "Bitter Tea"~~ *recommended*

~~The Fiery Furnaces - "Teach Me Sweetheart"~~ *recommended*

~~The Fiery Furnaces - "Waiting to Know You"~~

From EP:

~~The Fiery Furnaces - "Sing for Me"~~ *recommended*

Buy EP here.

Tapes 'n Tapes

As you most likely are already aware, P'Fork gave Tapes 'n Tapes most recent album (released Nov. 2005) The Loon an 8.3 and it became the latest entry in their 'Best New Music' section.

Although this album received quite a bit of attention from a number blogs (esp. You Ain't No Picasso, Gorilla vs. Bear, and My Old Kentucky Blog) leading up to and soon after its release, I have only recently started to give it some listens.

Tapes 'n Tapes has 3 strong tracks available for download via their website (and on every other blog in existence). Below I have posted these tracks, as well as one of my favorites from The Loon, album's closer "Jakov's Suite". What's up with my obsession with the final track on albums lately?? (see, e.g., my recent Liars post)

From The Loon:

Tapes 'n Tapes - "Insistor"

Tapes 'n Tapes - "Cowbell"

Tapes 'n Tapes - "Omaha"

~~Tapes 'n Tapes - "Jakov's Suite"~~

Buy the album here.

Sunset Rubdown: Self-titled EP & forthcoming full-length Shut Up I Am Dreaming

2006-02-27T16:05:00.000-05:00

As many of you are already aware, Sunset Rubdown (side project from Wolf Parade's yodeler extraordinaire Spencer Krug) has been generating quite a buzz as of late. Pitchfork gave the EP a 7.8 on Friday and just today reviewed the opening track "Stadiums & Shrines II" from their highly-anticipated forthcoming LP, giving the tune 4 stars.

Your opinion of Krug's vocals will determine the level at which you will enjoy this material. I, like many others, prefer the Wolf Parade tracks with Krug supplying the vocals to those tracks on which bandmate Dan Boeckner sings. While affected yelping is hardly a rarity in modern indie rock, Krug's unique phrasing sets him apart from his contemporaries and makes him one of the genre's most interesting and compelling vocalists.

The tracks from the upcoming full-length seem to be more fleshed out and are not as lo-fi as the tracks from the EP and the band's first album, Snake's Got a Leg. Shut Up I Am Dreaming will be released May 2, 2006 on Absolutely Kosher Records. Pre-order the LP: Here. Buy the 5 song EP: Here.

Below I have posted 3 tracks from Shut Up I Am Dreaming and my favorite track from the self-titled EP. Enjoy!

From the upcoming full-length:

~~Sunset Rubdown - "Stadiums and Shrines II"~~ *recommended*

~~Sunset Rubdown - "They Took a Vote and Said No"~~

~~Sunset Rubdown - "Us Ones in Between"~~

From the self-titled EP:

~~Sunset Rubdown - "A Day in the Graveyard II"~~ *recommended*

Commercially Viable, Pre-Packaged Rebellion: Nine Inch Nails - US Bank Arena 2/25/06

2006-02-27T01:05:00.000-05:00

I did not have the highest expectations going into Saturday's show at Cincinnati's US Bank Arena. I've never been a big fan of Nine Inch Nails, but -- as with any music nerd my age -- I am familiar with the majority of their catalog. However, I did enjoy the only albums I've owned by Reznor's troupe, Pretty Hate Machine and The Downward Spiral.

With the disclaimers out of the way, I'll share a few brief observations regarding Saturday's show here in Cincinnati.

The crowd:
Comprised almost exclusively of an interesting mix of 30ish nine-to-fivers a little to eager to disclose they saw NIN on the inaugural Lollapalooza tour in '91, "goth" teenagers with dyed hair (usually black, occasionally a more daring blue or green), dark clothing, eyeliner, and, most importantly, a decidedly "dark" persona cultivated by a painstakingly detailed MySpace profile, and finally, the generic 20-something mainstream rock radio dudes (if you listen to WEBN, i'm talking to you) with a distinct Kentucky redneck accent and an embarrassing $50 [NIN] tattoo prominently displayed via rolling up the sleeve of a Nine Inch Nails concert tee from a recent tour or, better yet, via taking the shirt off completely.

The music:
A pleasant mix of fan favorites and the hits, spanning the bands entire catalog. Clearly pros, Trent's band was pretty much amazing (esp. the drummer), with an abundance of on-stage energy. The sound and light show were top-notch and the midset video vignette featuring a parade of disturbing visuals was genuinely affecting. This was the first show I've seen in a venue this size since maybe the Pumkins on the Mellon Collie tour, but aside from the inevitable lack of intimacy, I cannot find fault with anything concerning the actual production. Well done.

Overall impressions:
I'm a people watcher and have to admit the characters present at this show supplied the most lasting impression. Fact: I actually did see "that guy" with his shirt off sporting the above-described, nearly jailhouse quality tattoo. At $40 and up, it was a little too pricey for all but the devoted. On a personal note, the show was an enjoyable send-off to my friends Tom & Andrea who moved to LA on Sunday (hopefully I can make it out for Coachella) and a pleasant evening overall.

Purported setlist: (via WOXY.com message board)
1. Pinion
2. Love Is Not Enough
3. You Know What You Are?
4. Terrible Lie
5. The Line Begins To Blur
6. March Of The Pigs
7. Something I Can Never Have
8. Closer
9. Burn
10. Gave Up
11. Eraser
12. Right Where It Belongs
13. Beside You In Time
14. With Teeth
15. Wish
16. Only
17. Every Day Is Exactly The Same
18. Getting Smaller
19. Dead Souls
20. Hurt
21. The Hand That Feeds
22. Head Like A Hole

Posted by: Matt

Animal Collective - "Fickle Cycle" (B-Side from "Grass" single)

2006-02-24T20:47:00.000-05:00

So I purchased the "Grass" single earlier this evening and thought I'd share this cool B-Side. The track is stylistically similiar to the material on their great 2005 album Feels. While the UK edition of the single is the only one currently available, the US version arrives March 21. I may have to purchase the US version as well because it contains 4 videos in its CD/DVD format.

The "Grass" single:

01 "Grass" (MP3 via Salon.com)
02 "Must Be Treeman"
03 ~~"Fickle Cycle"~~

DVD extras on the US version:

01 "Grass" (video directed by Superhate)
02 "Who Could Win a Rabbit?" (video directed by Danny Perez)
03 "Fickle Cycle" (recording session footage, directed by Scott Colburn)
04 "Lake Damage" (video/sound collage directed by Brian DeGraw of Gang Gang Dance)

Buy the single here.

If you don't own it yet, do yourself a favor and buy Animal Collective's most recent album Feels: Here. It's simply great.

Posted by: Matt

Liars - Drum's Not Dead

2006-02-24T14:49:00.000-05:00

To be sure, Drum's Not Dead is a 'difficult' album. Sonically, the album rests somewhere between the impressive confines of late-era Radiohead and Animal Collective's less pop-orientated material. In late 2004, the Brooklyn-based band packed up and moved to Berlin to record their third album and the resulting product proves the move and the wait were well worth it. Drum's Not Dead is a concept album focusing on two characters: Mt. Heart Attack and Drum. "Drum represents creative energy and production, it is Mt. Heart Attack who is the reaction to Drum; an embodiment of self doubt." -Amp Camp. Pitchfork gave this album a (thus far seemingly well-deserved) 9.0 yesterday and placed in their Best New Music section. Read P'fork's review here.

The album relies heavily on slow, pulsating drumming and the impressive falsetto of singer Angus Andrew. It is permeated by a droning, eerie tone. This piece is best enjoyed as a whole and is some pretty heady stuff. I'll need a few more listens to feel like I have a good grasp on the album. Below I have posted my early favorites, including perhaps my favorite song of 2006 thus far -- the album's majestic closer "The Other Side of Mt. Heart Attack". Drum's Not Dead will be released March 21st.

Tunes:

~~Liars - "A Visit From Drum"~~

~~Liars - "It Fit When I Was A Kid"~~

~~Liars - "The Other Side of Mt. Heart Attack"~~ *recommended*

Funny tidbit: Online music retailer Amp Camp described the "Ideal Audience" for the album as Schizophrenics, Hipsters, and Art School Ex Students.

Buy the album here.

Posted by: Matt

Ben Gibbard & Andrew Kenny - Home EP Vol. V (2003)

2006-02-24T14:25:00.000-05:00

On this popular installment of the "Home" series, Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard and American Analog Set's Andrew Kenny each contribute 3 new songs and one cover of the other guy's band. Gibbard covers "Choir Vandals" from Know By Heart and Kenny covers "Line of Best Fit" from Something About Airplanes. Gibbard and Kenny recorded these songs themselves in their homes using only acoustic guitars and vocals. This EP was originally released on Post-Parlo Records in May 2003.

The "home" theme is subtly interwoven in every song and the tracks have a whispery, intimate vibe. This disc is not only for the devoted, even casual fans (like me) will enjoy these stripped-down acoustic numbers.

Tracklist:
1. ~~"You Remind Me of Home"~~(Gibbard)
2. "Carolina" (Gibbard)
3. ~~"Farmer Chords"~~ (Gibbard)
4. "Choir Vandals" (Kenny, performed by Gibbard)
5. "Hometown Fantasy" (Kenny)
6. ~~"Secrets of the Heart"~~ (Kenny)
7. "Churchmouse in the Churchhouse" (Kenny)
8. "Line of Best Fit" (Gibbard, performed by Kenny)

Buy the album here.

Posted by: Matt

Built to Spill - You in Reverse (Who is Mike Jones? Remix)

2006-02-22T22:15:00.000-05:00

My buddy Zach over at Touch That Dial commented on this phenomenon way back on 1/16, but I've been listening to the album quite a bit lately and cannot help but to mention it again. The entire upcoming Built to Spill album has leaked, but (at least on the early leaks) Mike Jones appears intermittently on each of the tracks shouting his catch phrase, "Who is Mike Jones?". You simply have to hear it to truly understand. After listening to this leak a few times, I now officially hate Mike Jones...and really wish I didn't know who he is.

You in Reverse sounds like it is going to be quite a strong album. Somewhat less straight-forwardly poppy than their previous work, the album features extended guitar figures and interludes but still contains the catchy hooks we have become accustomed to from Built to Spill. I am going to reserve an official opinion until I can enjoy the record without hearing Mike Jones interrupting every 30-45 seconds. The album hits stores April 11, 2006.

As most of you already have the Mike Jones-free MP3 of excellent opening track "Goin' Against Your Mind", I'll refrain from posting that song. In any event, the tracks posted below are still enjoyable despite the severely annoying "guest appearances" by the Houston MC.

Tunes: (PC: Right click, "save as" | Mac: Ctrl click, "download linked file")

~~Built to Spill - "Liar" (Who is Mike Jones? Remix)~~

~~Built to Spill - "Wherever You Go" (Who is Mike Jones? Remix)~~

~~Built to Spill - "Conventional Wisdom" (Who is Mike Jones? Remix)~~

Posted by: Matt

Guns N' Roses - Chinese Democracy Begins to Leak

2006-02-22T13:55:00.000-05:00

I'll spare you this album's long-winded backstory...you are already aware of the finer points anyway. These tracks have been floating around for a good week or so now, but I figured I'd post for any of you who've yet to hear them. Not overly terrible, but they are sorely missing Slash's guitar work and are not even slightly memorable after you stop listening. Just blah in my opinion. At least Axl's vocals sound better than they did when the new GNR played the MTV Music Video Awards a few years back. The unfortunately titled "T.W.A.T. (There Was A Time)" (how clever!) strives for the epic grandeur of GNR classics such as "November Rain", but falls far short. While Slash's guitar leads had an almost vocal quality and are as memorable as any of Axl's vocal melodies, the guitar leads on "T.W.A.T.", although certainly not lacking technical proficiency, are simply meandering wah-wah pedal wack-off sessions. The other tracks fare no better...but all are worth a listen, if for nothing more than a conversation piece.

Tunes: (PC: Right click, "save as" | Mac: Ctrl click, "download linked file")

~~Guns N' Roses - "T.W.A.T. (There Was A Time)"~~

~~Guns N' Roses - "The Blues" (Remix)~~

~~Guns N' Roses - "I.R.S." (Demo)~~

~~Guns N' Roses - "Better" (Demo Sample)~~

Posted by: Matt

"A Crucial/Frivolous Omission"

2006-02-21T15:55:00.000-05:00

My goal in writing this is to craft a drawn out work which in no way will apply our fifth building block of orthography, thus crafting a work orthographically void of such an orthographical factor. Though, to what point? A point is thus: to nonplus a glut of idiots and brainy individuals, and to occupy a lasting instant in my days, but apart from this goal and its prior cousin, I craft this manuscript in total futility.

Notwithstanding futility in my activity, I will try to impart a small amount of comical distraction to rally your typically boring days and nights, and with any luck you might gain an outstanding grasp on our silly world, or, if nothing truly important, you might laugh a bit at my whimsical rambling and its knavish pomposity. On what basis shall I start? This is a truly significant topic upon which to quiz. But I shan't throw away vigor on this solicitation. I'd more willingly start haphazardly and without aim, and thus I shall (as I did in launching this work).

Can I truly jot down a full work without using our fifth building block of orthography? It is outstandingly tricky, but I shall try with awful passion, fighting through all words until my product is total. I cannot maintain this analytical pitch; thus, a story will start forthwith…How should my story go?

I'm living for giving our Lord his owing tax, but only insofar as I uncaringly want to do so. Notwithstanding this audacity, I find it troubling that our Lord instills your author with a capacity for inquisition so highly distinct. Why, you might suitably ask? (Oh, irony!) I say, "Our lord fails to subsist! That's why!" Simply put, faith is tommyrot, and only fools fall into its alluring and comforting trap. But this philosophy is archaic, and similarly only fools broadcast it blindly and without caution. What, thus, is an apt philosophy to transmit, you might ask? A singular philosophy, intrinsic and important to you, is our only right form of thinking... .

Graciously submit solutions to this cryptogram in submittal communications apparatus infra this post.

*Mark you, photographs hint toward conundrum clarification.

Posted by: Gary

Torino: Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars

2006-02-21T09:19:00.000-05:00

A Midpoint Review

Every 4 years, the Winter Olympics provide a welcome distraction to the customary garbage that permeates our TV screens: namely, American Idol. Since NBC decides to make itself an Olympic Network, armed with the Olympic rings under its technicolored peacock, you can tune into the events of Torino 24 hours a day on the Universal networks. Of course, NBC does pay $2.2 billion to show us spectacular moments in Cross-Country Skiing, so it might as well show Los Olympicos all day.

Remember, the ancient Greeks didn’t celebrate glorious spectacles such as Ice Dancing and Curling, but it is nonetheless the Olympics. It is tradition. It is a worldwide event. It celebrates homosexuality like no other event other than “Brokeback Mountain.” True to the original concept, the world has stopped all killing in observance of the Greatest Show on Ice and Snow (well, apart from the carnage in the name of evil cartoons.)

So, in case you missed NBC’s tear-jerking profiles of Our Olympians (USA! USA!) and all the intriguing drama of Curling, here is a review. For I am an Olympic expert. I even luged twice in Calgary and broke a scintillating 18 mph:

1. Hot-t-t-t Athletes
Have there ever been this many hotties at the Olympics? Tanith Belbin, Sasha Cohen, Gretchen Bleiler… all models. And some of those Russians look like they came straight out of the St. Petersburg “Ve Vant Amerikhan Husband” mail-order bride catalogue (probably three out of four did). Not to mention the Swede and Norweigian hotletes.

Did they pass out condoms again at the Olympic village? And if so, can I take a break from my Orthopedics rotation for some Gynecology research? The Flying Tomato, snowboarder Shaun White, has the right idea. He told Bob Costas he won the gold medal to win babes: “I’ll just be like.. hey baby.. and then, you know, flash this thing around my neck…yeah baby.”

*Edit: Per request, a visual aid to accompany the above described hot-ness:

2. The Whole World is Here
Yes, the entire world has gathered here in Torino. 87 nations have Winter Olympians (out of nearly 200 total), and more than 50% of Winter Olympians are from just 5 nations (Canada, USA, Finland, Norway, Russia). India, with 1.2 billion people, has 4 representatives, or approximately one for every 300 million people. The Winter Games are International!

3. Shani vs. Chad: High Noon on Ice
Shani Davis, Chitown Southsider, White Sox worshipper and fastest man on ice in 1000 meters, became the first gold Winter Olympian to win black…I mean, the first African American Winter Olympian to win gold. Seriously, all joking aside, huge accomplishment. He’s the Jackie Robinson of the Winter Olympics.

Now the controversy. Shani didn’t skate in the Team Relay. The US finished 5th. Chad Hendrick, the man on a quest to win 5 golds (one of those donut medals for each finger on his huge hand), is pissed that Shani didn't skate: “I was part of Team USA. I'm going to do whatever it takes to make my team as strong as it can be. I didn't care about how it was going to affect my individual race. I don't care about that. I care about being part of the team. And all the people who work hard with me on the team, I owe it to them.” Then, when he was asked about whether he was happy for Shani, Chad said he was happy for teammate Joey Cheek. (Joey, Shani, Chad… are these guys the Backstreet Boys?)

Shani said Chad would’ve done the same thing. He said he is here “as an individual.” Shani refused to talk to Big Shot Bob Costas. And Melissa Stark said Shani was “angry.” That’s it, no one offends Melissa!

Then there’s Shani’s mother, Shani’s biggest advocate. She accused the U.S. Speedskating Federation of racism. And she acts like she could’ve raised Venus and Serena and Jessica and Ashley both. But…like the good son he is, Shani said he wouldn’t be anywhere without his mom.

Shani vs. Chad in the 1500 meters. Coming to a TV near you Tuesday. Ahhhh, the gripping drama of speedskating.

4. Are You a Bodeist?
Bode Miller skis drunk! Hey, let’s put him on the cover of Time and Newsweek and
let’s say he’s going to win like a thousand gold medals. Yay! And let’s give him this big Nike campaign where he talks about his “religion.” Cool dude! And then let’s watch him finish fifth (or even fail to finish) in his races. Who cares, he’s so awesome. He skis drunk.

5. NBC’s Novices
I love that people that have never held a microphone in their lives are commentators for the Olympics because they are former Olympians. For example, during the Women’s Bronze Medal Hockey match, a former women's hockey player went mute for a full 5 seconds on air. Fantastic. And then you can’t beat commentary like this in Ice Dancing: “When you’re singing your national anthem, you want to be Whitney Houston, not Roseanne Barr. And they were Whitney right there.”

6. Snowboater… I mean Snowboarder
Lindsey Jacobellis all but won the gold in women’s snowboard cross… and then she decided to pull a Leon Lett on snow. Jacobellis was almost across the finish line when she pulled some crazy Tony Hawk stunt, and then didn’t land it. Faster than you can say “oh shit” she had to settle for Silver. And then faster than you can say “Leon Lett,” Jerry Jones signed her to be the Dallas Cowboys’ new defensive end.

By the way, The U.S.A. has R.O.C.K.’ed in snowboarding. Hannah Tetter and Gretchen Bleiler won gold and silver. Seth Wescott won gold in the very Playstation 2-esque snowboard cross (coolest event at the games). And Shaun White won gold and won a brand new gravity bong so he can sound even more baked when he talks.

7. Apolo Anton OH NO!
He was huge at Salt Lake in 2002. He made millions in endorsements. Then he lived in a closet for 4 years and trained his Anton ass off so he could top himself at the 2006 Games. And so far, he’s got one bronze to show for it. Damn Koreans.

8. The Terrible on Ice
Tied Latvia. Lost to Sweden. Lost to Slovakia. But hey, we beat BORAT and Kazakhstan! Do you like the hockey? I like the hockey. U, S. and A! U, S and A! In Kazakhstan, we have many hobbies: disco dancing, archery, raaaape and table tennis. High Five!

9. Canada: All Bets Off
Well at least the Canadians from Canadia suck too, and hockey is their national pastime. They lost to Finland. They lost to Switzerland. Janet Gretzky is to blame. Word is, she bet on the Fins so Wayne told ‘em to lose (not to start any conspiracy theories or anything).

10. To come… Women’s Figure Skating
Michelle Kwan had to run. Sad to see you go Michelle, but you’ve already been upstaged. For the savior of this year’s games is none other than Sasha Cohen. Thank you Sasha for being so hot.

Posted by: Gaurav*

*Editor's Note: Gaurav is a good friend of mine from undergrad at Vanderbilt University and he is a current 3rd year medical student. I've asked him to contribute whenever he gets free time in his hectic schedule. I'm sure everyone will enjoy his posts. -Matt

"When I'm at war I insist on slaughter and getting it on with the hangman’s daughter": Destroyer - Destroyer's Rubies

2006-02-20T19:35:00.000-05:00

The seventh album from Dan Bejar's Destroyer will be released on Merge Records tomorrow Feb. 21st. Destoyer's Rubies receieved an 8.5 and was placed into Pitchfork's Best New Music section today. Many of you will recognize Bejar more from his involvement in the New Pornographers than from the previous Destroyer albums...and I have to admit I am neophyte to Bejar's work outside the confines of A.C. Newman's troupe. In his review for P'fork Matt Lemay said: "Dan Bejar's vocals are, like many of his indie contemporaries, yelpy and dramatic, and many of his lyrics seem preordained to serve as mp3 blog headers." Accordingly, I decided to nab the title for this very post from "European Oils". The lyrics are unquestionably the focal point of the album and they are often intricate, witty, and bare an apparent Dylan influence (esp. "Dangerous Woman Up To A Point, A").

I plan on downloading the remainder of the album (5 tracks) from Emusic tomorrow (i assume it will be available on the website on the official release date), but below I've posted my favorites of the tracks I've attained thus far.

For fans of The New Pornographers, The Decemberists, & The Shins.

Tracklist:
1. ~~"Rubies"~~
2. "In Your Blood"
3. ~~"European Oils"~~
4. ~~"Painter In Your Pocket"~~
5. "Looters' Follies"
6. ~~"3000 Flowers"~~
7. "Dangerous Woman Up To A Point, A"
8. "Priest's Knees"
9. "Water Colours Into The Ocean"
10. "Sick Priest Learns To Last Forever"

Read Pitchfork's review of the album here.

Buy the album here.

Posted by: Matt

New Strokes Video: "Heart in a Cage"

2006-02-15T15:54:00.000-05:00

The Strokes announced that "Heart in a Cage" will be the next single from First Impressions of Earth. Veteran music video director Sam Bayer (all of Green Day's videos from American Idiot and numerous others) directed the video for the single and it will premiere on music.yahoo.com on Friday. Does anyone else dig how the lead guitar figures on this track sound reminiscent of Ride the Lightning-era Metallica? Think: "For Whom the Bell Tolls".

Here's a sneak-peek:

For anyone who's interested, there are numerous photos of Julian from the video shoot: Here.

Posted by: Matt

Music From the ole Inbox: Plajia

2006-02-14T21:40:00.000-05:00

I received an email from Patrick of the Montreal-based band Plajia yesterday. They do not have the sound we have become accustomed to from Montreal indie bands like Arcade Fire, Wolf Parade, and numerous others. Their sound is tough to accurately describe (always a good thing), primarily because the tracks I received showcase an impressive stylistic variety. From the (nearly) epic prog-rock of "The Party" to the restrained balladry of "Sleeping", the band seems unwilling to stick to particular formula. Their influences are evident but they do not sound overly derivative. With OK Computer-era Thom Yorke style vocals, atmospheric/ethereal guitar work, strong melodies, and tasteful arrangements, the band has quite an enjoyable sound. Give these guys a listen, Plajia demonstrate some serious potential on the three tracks below.

Constructive criticism: You guys probably need to re-record the guitar leads on "The Party"; it sounds like you used a 15-watt Crate amplifier w/ a DOD "Grunge" distortion pedal to get that tone...which is disappointing given the rest of the track is otherwise so sonically impressive.

Tunes: (right click, "save as" for all tracks)

Plajia - "Sleeping"

Plajia - "The Party"

Plajia - "Am I a Magician?"

Plajia's impressive website

Plajia on MySpace

Posted by: Matt

Pitchfork's Best New Music: The Knife - Silent Shout

2006-02-13T20:06:00.000-05:00

Today Pitchfork gave the third record Silent Shout from Swedish electronic duo/siblings The Knife an 8.6 and placed the album in its coveted 'Best New Music' section. There are all the usual suspects of electronic music present here: synths, samplers, beeps, buzzes, and computers. So far, what makes this band sound refreshing are the vocals. While relying heavily on vocal effects is nothing new in electronic music, Karin Dreijer Andersson's vocal stylings are often so produced/manipulated they sound almost otherworldly.

P'Fork's Mark Pytlik referenced Kid A in his review when describing the widespread difficulty electronic musicians have with marrying electronic textures and vocals effectively: "only a handful of electronic full-lengths have navigated the vocal/textural divide as inventively as and refreshingly as Kid A. The latest is Silent Shout."

I have no problem admitting I am a complete idiot when it comes to electronic music. But, read the Pitchfork review--Pytlik does a great job of conveying the dark and forbidding feel of the album and the impressiveness of the vocals. He even offers up the new (to my knowledge) and quite apt term "haunted house" to describe the album. This type of music usually only holds my attention for 10-15 minutes tops and I have made it through the entire album on my initial listen. I would venture to say that anyone not completely thrown by the knee-jerk genre shock will find something they enjoy on this record.

Read Pitchfork's Review of the Album Here.

Online music retailer Amp Camp has this neat (albeit only marginally helpful) little "Degree of Difficulty" calculator for every album available on their site. Here is their breakdown of Silent Shout:

Vocal Idiosyncracy: 3.0
(1=Bing Crosby, 5=Gwar)

Unconventional Song Structue: 2.5
(1=Ramones, 5=Os Mutantes)

Unusual Instrumentation 2.0
(1=Buddy Holly, 5=the Polyphonic Spree)

Parental Approval: 3.2
(1=U2, 5=Twisted Sister)

Art School Factor: 3.0
(1=Limp Biscuit, 5=Velvet Underground)

Attention Required : 2.4
(1=Billy Ocean, 5=John Cage)

Hard to Dance to: 1.6
(1=Bananarama, 5=Elliott Smith)

OVERALL: 2.5

Tunes:

The Knife - "We Share Our Mother's Health" *recommended*

The Knife - "Silent Shout"

The Knife - "Neverland"

The Knife - "Forest Families"

Pre-Order the Album Here.

*Bonus: Here is perhaps the group's most well known and poppy tune, "Heartbeats", which many of you will recognize from Jose Gonzalez' excellent cover.

The Knife - "Heartbeats"

Jose Gonzalez - "Heartbeats"

Posted by: Matt

Kurt Cobain Getting Blasted in the Head and Kicked by a Bouncer

2006-02-13T18:48:00.000-05:00

I'm not exactly sure of the date when this video was shot, but based on bassist Kris' hair length it was pre-"End Times" (1994) era Nirvana-- I'm guessing around 1991-92. Edit: ~~The audio is so shitty you cannot really tell what song they are even playing.~~ If you listen closely to the beginning of the video you can hear Kurt sing (nearly unintelligibly) the last line of the refrain of "Love Buzz" from Bleach. Since Dave Grohl appears in the video, I stand by my estimate concerning the time frame of the video. An interesting video--esp. when the band and others immediately come to Kurt's aid following the assault.

*the video loads pretty slowly-- so after you press Play, press Pause to let it load up and then start it again.

Tune:

Nirvana - "Love Buzz"

Posted by: Matt

Cursory MySpace Analysis

2006-02-09T13:45:00.000-05:00

Well, after much alarm and debate, I have finally joined MySpace, and already I have a few observations concerning this website and its participants that I would like to consider. First, it has come to my attention that most members of MySpace fit rather agreeably into one or more of five categories, ranging generally from the absurdly plain to the absurdly flamboyant. Let’s begin with the first category, the unwilling participant.

The unwilling participant is one who has been forced by the sheer duress of constant begging of friends to join the website. This individual has posted one picture or less, and usually hasn’t been online in over a month. The total of friends never exceeds 4, and the life details of this enigmatic figure remain undisclosed, with the exception of the basics, e.g., gender, relationship status, location. This person is truly uninteresting for purposes of discussion (because they’re probably normal), so let’s jump right into the preposterous.

The next category up for discussion is the “look at me now” individual. This person utilizes the website as a vehicle for conveying to former friends and acquaintances that they are no longer the aesthetic garbage can they used to be. A few years have passed since high school, and these people have socially evolved into a more complex organism, trading in their Nancy Drew books, board games, and bibles for fake ids, cigarettes, thongs, and a decidedly sexy perspective on life. They are usually involved in a relationship, and prominently display pictures that expressly illustrate the current beauty of both themselves and their superficially enviable significant others. This person is typically a female, and enjoys going clubbing with her girls and spending cozy nights with her douche bag boyfriend, who is tragically unaware of her former life in the shadows of mediocrity. Intention: ignite envy and regret.

The next category is the poser, (also commonly referred to as the epitome of a douche bag) who is chiefly a college student (both university and community) and sometimes a 20 something male who likes to wear his hat sideways, flip his collar, and take pictures of himself with his shirt off (in the more tragic cases, the pictures are professionally done, and sometimes in an alluring black and white). This individual incessantly posts comments on girls’ pages in the vein of “Whaddup Girl! Just wanted to holla attcha!”, “Hey SEXY”, “Just showing some love”, et cetera. This offending individual usually has a headline taken directly from a rap song – offensive, sexy, confident, and definitely pimping. Undoubtedly this retard has a customized page with photos of models and Lamborghinis, suggesting to all the ladies out there that this is his lifestyle, knowing full well he’ll be working at Sound Waves and driving a civic with an offensively clamorous muffler the remainder of his life. But, hey, at least he’s getting laid by high school girls. Intention: Getting laid.

The next individual, who is a direct offshoot of the immediately prior category, is the scary 30 something male, typically a body builder of sorts, and undoubtedly without a shirt, and typically flexing. Even though this individual works at Gold’s Gym or is a “Sale’s Rep.”, and constantly says “bro”, he always earnes over $75,000 per year. To the keen observer, this is a sad case of a man desperately clinging to his glorious 20s, and one who is completely oblivious to the absurdity of his page. His confidence is reinforced, however, by the surfeit of gorgeous albeit mindless women who make suggestive public posts on his page, proclaiming him the “sexiest stud on MySpace.” This guy is clad in a striped shirt on the weekends and is always reaching toward a “goal”. Intention: Getting laid.

The final category I would like to discuss today is the soul-searching/confessing mystery girl. She is probably the most complex of the bunch, as her intentions are not exactly clear – although it probably boils down to a need for attention, even if it exclusively stems from the posers and 30 something males. This girl has Evanescence or some other garbage, post-grunge “rock” band as her background music. She wants to meet someone who is “real” and doesn’t like “mind games”. She can be a “great companion”, but she can also be a “real bitch” with her “no-nonsense” attitude and “expectations”. She doesn’t like “random messages from weird guys” even though she has photos of herself in her underwear. She is just waiting for the right guy to drift her way in this wearily dark world of “players” and “pimps” (see, e.g., Poser, supra). And although she purports to be endlessly insightful, she is far too stupid to appreciate the absurdity of her online soul confession.

That’s all for now. After all, I am new.

Posted by: Gary

Music From the ole Inbox: The Exit

2006-02-09T13:05:00.000-05:00

So, I received an email about The Exit on Tuesday. The band is from New York and both the MP3s below are from their second album Home For An Island. The trio play a unique brand of political/socially aware rock 'n roll. Songwriting duties are undertaken by both Ben Brewer (guitar/vocals) and Jeff DaRosa (bass/vocals). Their tune "Soldier" is a traditional protest song, but thankfully does not veer into preachy "When the President Talks to God" territory. The band is currently out on tour with the most suspect of characters O.A.R...but, after initially writing them off upon hearing this blasphemy, I gave their tunes a chance and they are not bad at all. Give a listen to The Exit, I forgave them for touring with one of the lamest bands in the land, I suggest you do the same. That is, until they start covering "Crazy Game of Poker"--if this happens, all bets are off.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention this story, and will not likely have another opportunity to do so--one of my friends told me about going to a Dave Matthews Band & O.A.R. concert and seeing a douche driving a car with a customized "DMB OAR" license plate. Though "my friend" attended the show simply in the hopes of getting laid, he took such personal offense to said license plate that he felt compelled to remove the plate from the vehicle prior to entering the concert. Moral of the story: Even though "my friend" stooped to an unacceptable level of douchebaggery for even being at the show, he was able to redeem himself by reprimanding the individual with the above described license plate for making the effort and spending the dough to pay homage to the most generic couple of bands EVER.

Tunes: (right click, "save as" to download all media in this post)

The Exit - "Soldier"

The Exit - "Don't Push"

Video:

"Don't Push"

EDIT: YouTube is Addicting...Here is their excellent video for "Don't Push":

theexitrock.com

Posted by: Matt

The Minus 5 - The Minus 5 [the gun album]

2006-02-08T20:10:00.000-05:00

This album marks the seventh from Scott McCaughey's The Minus 5. The record was released Feb. 7th on Yep Roc Records and features appearances from the guys from Wilco, The Decemberists' Colin Meloy, The Long Winter's Sean Nelson, members of Ministry and the Posies, and frequent collaborator Peter Buck of R.E.M (who appears to handle much of the guitar work). The record runs the gamut of rock 'n roll styles, from garage rock ("Aw Shit Man") to alt-country ("With a Gun") to baroque singer-songwriter territory ("Cemetery Row W14"). Even upon a cursory listen, you get the distinct impression that McCaughey is rock classicist and is very well-versed in his chosen discipline.

As I just bought the album yesterday, I am unable to offer much more insight into the record at this point. But, as far as I can tell, Stephen Haag of PopMatters was able to sum up the record nicely: "Nobody else quite sounds like the Minus 5, and certainly nobody celebrates defeatism and life as a fuck-up with more energy and humor than Scott McCaughey."

Read what the critics have said about the album here.

The Minus 5 Tour Dates:

02/23/2006 Belly Up Tavern w/ Robyn Hitchcock - FM 94/9 Presents! San Diego, CA
02/24/2006 Coach House w/ Robyn Hitchcock - KCRW Presents! San Juan Capistrano, CA
02/25/2006 Key Club w/ Robyn Hitchcock - KCRW Presents! Los Angeles, CA
02/27/2006 Slim's w/ Robyn Hitchcock San Francisco, CA
03/02/2006 Sam Bond's w/ Robyn Hitchcock Eugene, OR
03/03/2006 Doug Fir Lounge w/ Robyn Hitchcock Portland, OR
03/04/2006 Crocodile Cafe w/ Robyn Hitchcock Seattle, WA
03/16/2006 Continental Club SxSW 2006 Showcase - w/ The Moaners, Ian Moore, Tres Chicas, Chatham County Line, Jake Brennan & The Confidence Men! Austin, TX
03/16/2006 Threadgill's WHQ Roky Erickson Ice Cream Social! Austin, TX
03/17/2006 The Parish New Orleans, LA
03/18/2006 Hi-Tone w/ The Silos Memphis, TN
03/19/2006 Mercy Lounge w/ The Silos Nashville, TN
03/21/2006 400 Bar w/ The Silos Minneapolis, MN
03/22/2006 The Abbey w/ The Silos Chicago, IL
03/23/2006 Beachland Ballroom w/ The Silos Cleveland, OH
03/24/2006 Club Cafe w/ The Silos Pittsburgh, PA
03/25/2006 The Iota Club and Cafe w/ The Silos Arlington, VA
03/26/2006 Southpaw w/ Richard Buckner Brooklyn, NY
03/28/2006 Mercury Lounge w/ The Silos New York, NY
03/29/2006 World Cafe Live w/ The Silos Philadelphia, PA
03/30/2006 Pour House Music Hallw/ The Silos Raleigh, NC
03/31/2006 Smith's Olde Bar w/ The Silos Atlanta, GA
04/01/2006 Georgia Theatre w/ Elf Power, The Silos Athens, GA

Tunes:

The Minus 5 - "Rifle Called Goodbye"

The Minus 5 - "With a Gun" (feat. Wilco)

The Minus 5 - "Cememetry Row W14" (feat. Colin Meloy)

The Minus 5 - "Twilight Distillery" (right click, "save as")

Buy the album here.

Posted by: Matt

Music From the ole Inbox: Division Day

2006-02-08T17:47:00.000-05:00

Kevin from Division Day sent me a very gracious email today introducing himself and his band. As I have said before, I read every email sent by bands and always listen to their music as well...the quality of the material varies widely, but Division Day are quite solid. They are an unsigned band from LA and have thusfar completed one EP entitled The Mean Way In (recorded in 2003 at John Vanderslice's Tiny Telephone studio) and are currently putting the finishing touches on their debut full-length album Beartrap Island. I recommend checking these guys out if you have yet to do so. I mean, any band whose bio contains this amazing quote-- "Truly, the band's reputation for debaucherous promiscuity is eclipsed only by their sordid and widely documented history of frenzied psychotropic drug abuse."-- deserves a listen, right? I thought so.

File Under: Intelligent West Coast indie-rock with strong melodies and tasteful arrangements.

They currently have two tunes available for download/streaming from The Mean Way In on their webpage.*

Division Day - "Bad Black Moon"

Division Day - "There is No Telling"

*right click, "save as" for both tracks.

They also have a few tunes from their upcoming full-length Beartrap Island available for download/steaming on their MySpace Page.

Division Day - "Colorguard" *recommended*

Division Day's MySpace Page

Division Day's Website

Posted by: Matt