tUnE-yArDs - w h o k i l l

I had a great time last night...well, it didn't end all that great, but still fun. I can still taste whiskey in my nose and in the back of my throat. I haven't been that drunk in a long time.



Today's album: tUnE-yArDs - w h o k i l l (4AD 2011)
Genre: Indie pop
Running time: 10 tracks, 42:16
In a nutshell: Fun, politically-conscious hispter music

1. My Country - 3:42
   
2. Es-So - 3:31
   
3. Gangsta - 4:00
   
4. Powa - 5:51
   
5. Riotriot - 4:15
   
6. Bizness - 4:25
   
7. Doorstep - 4:18
   
8. You Yes You - 3:15
   
9. Wolly Wolly Gang - 6:09
   
10. Killa - 3:12

When I first heard this album, I just assumed that front-woman Merrill Garbus was black. Her vocals sound like a more powerful and versatile Macy Gray, while her band plays an eclectic mix of soul, jazz, R&B and hip-hop. The politics of the album also gave me the impression of blackness. The lyrics explore sexual identity, ghetto violence, economic inequality...all themes that the African-American perspective has always been able to speak to most eloquently in my opinion. The fact that Garbus isn't black seems somewhat encouraging to me. She is engaging with ideas that are perhaps becoming more universal, and in the process is forging a new consciousness that can easily be shared. Does this sound a bit pretentious? It's not really. The ideas and music might be challenging, but they never become inaccessible. More than anything, this album is fun. I think Garbus is going to be prominent figure in music in the years to come because of her ability to make cultural and political transcendence an accessible and thoroughly enjoyable experience.

Teebs - Ardour

It's good to be back. I need to find a job though. Is it just me, or do most people find entry-level stuff by pulling strings within their social network? Keep your eyes and ears open for me, please! Blogging is fun, but it's not going to pay down my credit card bill. Enough about my shitty life, let's talk music.


Today's album: Teebs - Ardour (Brainfeeder 2010)
Genre: Electronica, glitch, downtempo
Running time: 18 tracks, 51:38
In a nutshell: Beep boop click swoosh

1. You've Changed - 2:11
   
2. Bound Ball - 2:06
   
3. Double Fifths - 2:11
   
4. While You Doooo - 1:31
   
5. Moments - 2:33
   
6. Burner - 3:12
   
7. Wind Loop - 3:14
   
8. Lakeshor Ave. - 1:45
   
9. Arthur's Birds - 5:17
   
10. Gordon - 3:26
    
11. Bern Rhythm - 2:35
12. Felt Tip - 2:59
13. King Bathtub - 2:55
14. My Whole Life - 3:11
15. Long Distance ft. Gaby Hernandez - 2:53
16. Why Like - 2:57
17. Humming Birds - 4:38
18. Autumn Antique - 1:58

Teebs is another electronic artist from the L.A. school, which is home to artists such as Baths and Flying Lotus, but unlike his colleagues he actually got his start as a visual artist. I think that really comes across in his music; he really has a knack for using arranging abstract textures and sounds in a way that invokes natural beauty. And take my word for it, this is a fucking beautiful album. Oftentimes electronica and hip-hop seem like they belong in urban settings, with flashing lights and bustling crowds, whereas Ardour sounds like it belongs out amongst the mountains and forests. Take for example, the gurgling water effect on Gordon, the humming windchimes on Burner, or the bird-like squeals on Bern Rhythm. But this isn't to say that this music is necessarily ambient. The beats are still there, pushing the songs forward and keeping the listener engaged. The pacing of the album is important too. The more hushed moments are relatively short, and serve to highlight specific sounds or textures for the listener, showcasing them before moving forward again. It's like walking through the woods and stopping to sniff at flower or watch a bird soar by overhead. You don't stop long enough to get restless, nor do you feel like you're being rushed forward. The result is a beautiful listening experience, highly recommended.

Benoît Pioulard - Précis

Nathan totally called me on my shit the other day. Every time I tell people that I'm starting this blog back up, I end up neglecting it. This time I'm not making any promises, although I might actually be more willing to post more now that I'm done with school. We'll see.




Today's album: Benoît Pioulard - Précis (Kranky 2006)
Genre: Psych-folk, Shoegaze
Running time: 15 tracks, 36:59
In a nutshell: Hazy textured autumnal folk

1. La Guerre de Sept Ans - 3:08
   
2. Together and Down - 3:08
   
3. Ext. Leslie Park - 2:42
   
4. Triggering Back - 2:30
   
5. Moth Wings - 1:16
   
6. Alan and Dawn - 2:50
   
7. Corpus Chant - 1:43
   
8. Palimend - 3:04
   
9. Coup de Foudre - 1:32
   
10. Hirondelle - 2:22
    
11. Needle & Thread - 2:43
12. R Coloring - 0:39
13. Sous la Plage - 2:59
14. Patter - 2:58
15. Ash Into Sky - 3:18
    

It rained yesterday. Wasn't that weird? Totally out of the blue (not literally, the sky had actually turned a weird pinkish purple hue), just a tiny sprinkle that lasted a few precious moments. Seemed out of place, didn't it? So does this album. Pioulard's hazy mix of finger picked guitars, organic percussion, and foggy electronics is perfect for the cooler months. But like yesterday's short-lived sprinkle, this album is actually a refreshing break from the heavy heat of the summer. There isn't a lot here to get excited about, nothing to work up a sweat to. The tracks on the album tend to blur into one pleasantly cool mess. There aren't really any particular moments that are really worth mentioning; it's the aesthetic as a whole that you have to either take or leave. Most likely you are going to take it. Pioulard's hushed vocals and gently flowing compositions are just so lazy and relaxing, you probably won't be very motivated to turn it off.

Shiner - The Egg

First post since July. I should have posted more during my long, leisurely Summer, instead of posting in the middle of a particularly busy school week. I guess I feel inspired by Eva and Sam, who both started up little bloggy poos of their own. Also, I've been listening to this really good album...

Today's album: Shiner - The Egg (Island 1969)
Genre: Alt-Rock, Indie Rock
Running time: 11 tracks, 49:01
In a nutshell: Brainy, Tool-like alt-rock

1. "The Truth About Cows" - 3:21 (Epley, Shiner)
2. "Surgery" - 3:23 (Epley, Shiner)
3. "Play Dead" - 3:30 (Epley, Shiner)
4. "The Top of the World" - 4:11 (Epley, Shiner)
5. "The Egg" - 5:42 (Epley, Shiner)
6. "Andalusia" - 3:56 (Newton, Epley and Shiner)
7. "Bells and Whistles" - 4:12 (Epley, Shiner)
8. "The Simple Truth" - 7:57 (Epley, Shiner)
9. "Spook the Heard" - 2:29 (Epley, Shiner)
10. "Pills" - 4:53 (Epley, Shiner)
11. "Stoned" - 5:27 (Epley, Shiner)

Sometimes I add music to my library without listening to it, forget what it was or why I sought it out, and then finally listen to it months later. This usually yields some sort of pleasant surprise, as the listen-through is divorced from any preconceived notions of what the music should be like. Too often I read a record review first, or somebody recommends the album, or I see a forum RIYL (read-if-you-like) tag, or something of the sort before I actually listen to the music, and it tends to spoil the experience a bit. I actually added Shiner to my iPod because I thought it was a new chillwave artist I hadn't gotten around to listening to yet. In fact, Shiner is the furthest thing from the steady hip-hop beats and atmospheric keyboards; instead, it is a whirl of mathy rock compositions and angsty, introspective vocals. I thought the album title was rather appropriate. Listening to this album is sort of like watching an egg roll across a flat surface: it might go relatively straight with just a bit of wobble, or the wobble might take over and take the egg for an unexpected turn. At one moment, the band will be surging forward with a fist-pumping hook, and the next it will devolve into guitar noodling and spastic beats. What's satisfying about this is that the Egg never seems to lose its momentum, making it both interesting and consistent. This is also its downside, as the record never seems technical enough for a full math-rock enthusiast, and the vocals come off as a bit abrasive without enough pop to back them up.

Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left

I'm not gonna lie, I didn't shuffle this time. Today's album is handpicked, fresh off the vine. I needed some relief from all the "teenager's music" that's been popping up lately.


Today's album: Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left (Island 1969)
Genre: Singer-songwriter, British Folk
Running time: 10 tracks, 39:33
In a nutshell: Lush, introspective folk

1. Time Has Told Me
2. River Man
3. Three Hours
4. Way to Blue
5. Day is Done
6. 'Cello Song
7. The Thoughts of Mary Jane
8. Man in a Shed
9. Fruit Tree
10. Saturday Sun

Take a look at the cover art above. Right off the bat, you can tell this is a much more mature album than the stuff I've been covering recently. You see a well-dressed, 30-something year-old man looking contemplatively out a window, as if he's searching for something. Obviously he won't find what he's looking for outside the window, but the act is analogous to what's going on internally, an external method of focus. Ever notice how your eyes will dart about, or turn upwards when you're trying to remember something?

Singer-songwriter Nick Drake is searching for answers, and provides none on Five Leaves Left. What's that cheezey saying about life? It's not about the destination, it's about the journey? Well that's definitely the case with this album. On the opening track, Drake sings And time has told me/Not to ask for more/For some day our ocean/Will find its shore. Perhaps all our problems will just resolve themselves in time, and this should be good enough for us in the present. Likewise, Drake seems to confirm the futility of searching for a master with answers, only to become a slave in Three Hours.

What's particularly beautiful about this album is how well the music synchronizes with the lyrics, like looking out a window when you're trying to remember something. The wandering guitar arrangement on Three Hours seems to follow its character, Jeremy, as he searches for answers and a home. On the other hand, the blaring strings on Way to Blue match Drake's more straight-forward demand Tell me all that you may know/Show me what you have to show.

I don't want to make it seem as though this whole album is just some folkie's mid-life crisis. There are lighter pop moments, like The Thoughts of Mary Jane, or Man in a Shed. There are also more themes in the album than the one I picked up on and described above. Even if you aren't in the mood to analyze the deep, introspective lyrics, the finger picked guitar melodies and acoustic arrangements are pretty satisfying on their own. This was my first time listening to Nick Drake, and I found him to be quite enjoyable.

800Beloved - Bouquet

A slow night spent in the bedroom. And the kitchen, actually. Doris and I made an amazing chicken tortilla soup, minus the tortilla. Fat, happy, buzzing slightly from a couple beers and a glass of wine. Let's get to it...

Today's album: 800Beloved - Bouquet (Self-released? 2009)
Genre: Shoegaze, Goth-pop
Running time: 11 tracks, 46:06
In a nutshell: Punky shoegaze tailored for a new generation of goth

1. Show Me Evil
2. Colours
3. The Skeleton Collection
4. Mortgage Your Organs
5. Go
6. Yesterday Tomorrow
7. Kiss Me Crooked
8. Your High School Photo
9. The Devil Etc.
10. Galaxies
11. Cut Flowers

This album would fit in quite nicely on a Hot Topic CD rack. Bouquet is bread-and-butter teenage music, gloomy and anguished, but somehow fast-paced and energetic. The pop-punk drumming doesn't let the pace slack for even one track.

The saving grace for me on this album is the production. There are enough neat fuzzy guitar effects and interesting synth textures to make the songs enjoyable in shuffle. I particularly enjoyed the buzzsaw guitar stabs in Kiss Me Crooked, or the Shieldsesque warped riffs on opening track Show Me Evil.

But the album as a whole can be too much. The lyrics range from sad-sack, to uncomfortably gothic. Take Mortgage Your Organs for example, in which frontman Sean Lynch sings Spread your legs wide/this may hurt, but you won't feel a thing. Too much, man. Too much. I won't even go into details about the barforama that it is Your High School Photo. Your worst guesses won't be far off, trust me.

Bear vs. Shark - Right Now You're In the Best of Hands

I'm not actually using iTunes anymore. Why? Because iTunes is a fucking piece of shit. I use mediamonkey now, definitely the best player I've ever used.


Today's album: Bear vs. Shark - Right Now You're In the Best of Hands (Equal Vision 2005)
Genre: Post-hardcore, Emo, Indie Rock
Running time: 12 tracks, 40:43
In a nutshell: There's more than one emotion in "emo" you know...

1. Ma Jolie
2. Campfire
3. Buses/No Buses
4. Employee is Not Afraid
5. We Were Sad, But Now We're Rebuilding
6. Kylie
7. MPS
8. Second
9. Don't Tell the Horses the Stable's On Fire
10. Bloodgiver
11. Michigan
12. Broken Dog Leg

Another relic from my adolescence pops up in shuffle. I seriously know this album like the back of my hand, I've listened to it countless times. Like In Reverie, this album has survived the corn and cheeze of my turbulent high school years and proven itself timeless. I remember seeing this on the rack at a Best Buy with a little sticker on it namedropping both Modest Mouse and Fear Before the March of Flames. You can't deny that the combination is at the least intriguing. Also like In Reverie, it does seem to hit the niche somewhere between indie and emo.

Is it 'emo'? I suppose you could call it that, but only if you don't associate angst with emo, and instead embrace the whole gamut of emotions. I've heard the album described as "happy hard-core", referring to the jubilant chorus and hand-claps of opening track Ma Jolie. The screaming on the album confers more than anger or sorrow; rather, what most comes across is some form of indescribable exhilaration. The sappiest tracks seem to be lost-love song Kylie, which I've read is actually the band's least liked song, a product more of label pressure than artistic intent. If I was going to suggest tracks for first-time listeners, I would suggest listening to the MPS and Second back-to-back. The former is somewhat poetic emo, just a clean electric guitar strummed over "deep" lyrics. The latter has lyrics which conclude in 30 seconds, followed by a 3 minutes of post-punk jam, spinning downward and landing softward.