31st Dec2011

The Best Albums (and more) of 2011

by nickwan

As always, here are our top five selections as selected by the staff here at 402 Productions! The list was created in a few steps: first, all the writers from this past year listen to every album that has been nominated for album of the year for 2011. Then, they rank their top five selections based off of all the nominees. Lastly, I compile all of those lists into a spreadsheet and the top five albums with the “best” (meaning closest to the number integer 1) averages become the “best of” for 2011. In the event of a tie, the albums with the highest amount of #1 votes wins the tiebreaker. In the event of another tie, the album with the least amount of exposure (via number of Google results) is the victor.

Feel free to click on any album to read our review from this past year!

5. Stepdad – Ordinaire EP

Nate Pavlot on Ordinaire EP: Crazy catchy tunes. This band can’t help but put a smile on my face, and their music is immediately ensnaring. The 8-bit noises supplementthe band’s “not too serious or into ourselves” aura, creating a sound which is both fun and addicting. Definitely keeping these guys on repeat for a while.

4. The Weeknd – House Of Balloons

Adam Finley on House Of Balloons: The only album that’s ever made me want to cry and masturbate at the same time — looks like I’d better double up on the tissue!

3. Casiokids - Aabenbaringen Over Aaskammen

Nick Wan on Aabenbaringen Over Aaskammen: I very much appreciate the layering of both electronic and acoustic instrumentation, especially when it seems fairly massive and intricate. Hard to deny this album multiple listens when based off of the shear quality of instrumentation alone. When judged on actual songs and how they are strung throughout this album, it’s hard to deny this top honors.

2. M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming

Blake Rice on Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming: The finest album I have heard in recent years. The production is seamless and both CDs merge so beautifully that it is hard to wake up from the bliss. ‘OK Pal’ is probably my most-played track this year.

1. The Speed of Sound in Seawater – Underwater Tell Each Other Secrets

Nate Pavlot on Underwater Tell Each Other Secrets: This is math-rock done right. Not only is the guitarwork impressive, but thewhole band shines instrumentally. The sound is tight. The tracks all hold individual gleaming moments built over long, complex song structures. The overall talent level of this band relative to their young age baffles me. I expect great things in the future.

Honorable Mentions

Childish Gambino – Camp
Blake Rice on Camp: Donald Glover is Abed’s right hand man on the popular, but recently halted, Community. His first real album was a breath of fresh air for hip hop this year. While die hard rap fans will probably find ways to discredit this album, the honesty and intelligent lyrical content kept me engaged from beginning to end.

Adebisi Shank –  This is the Second Album of a Band Called Adebisi Shank
Remy Chan on This is the Second Album of a Band Called Adebisi Shank: Though slow to start, this album kicks you in the face. It reminds me of Fang Island jamming with Minus the Bear, and MTB thinking they miss being Botch.

For your reposting/reblogging pleasure

5. Stepdad – Ordinaire EP
4. The Weeknd – House Of Balloons
3. Casiokids - Aabenbaringen Over Aaskammen
2. M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming
1. The Speed of Sound in Seawater – Underwater Tell Each Other Secrets

 How we all voted

Here is a crude spreadsheet of how we all voted. I believe this spreadsheet is sortable… I haven’t used it in a year, so let’s hope it works. A few things to note:
You will see a lot of “N/A” votes. This is to be expected, as all the staffers (and everyone in the world) will have different ideas of what is the best albums of the year. A vote of “N/A” just means they didn’t include the album on their list. Also, you will notice a few ties. I explained how we do tie breakers earlier, but to be brief… we break a tie via the most #1 votes (followed by the most #2, #3, and so on). If we are still tied, Google results will help break it, via the album with the least amount of results will be on top.

The StaffNick WanRemy ChanAdam FinleyNate PavlotBlake RiceRyan GabosGrand averages
The Speed of Sound in Seawater2N/AN/A1N/A23.833
M834N/A241N/A3.833
Casiokids1N/AN/A5N/A14.167
The WeekndN/A41N/A2N/A4.167
Stepdad5N/A42N/AN/A4.833
Childish GambinoN/A3N/AN/A3N/A5.000
Adebisi ShankN/A25N/AN/AN/A5.167
Chase & StatusN/AN/A3N/A4N/A5.167
Dynasty ElectricN/A1N/AN/AN/AN/A5.167
Zechs MarquiseN/A5N/AN/AN/A35.333
And So I Watch You From Afar3N/AN/AN/AN/AN/A5.500
The Bony King of NowhereN/AN/AN/A3N/AN/A5.500
Mighty CloudsN/AN/AN/AN/AN/A45.667
Explosions in the SkyN/AN/AN/AN/AN/A55.833
Yellow Ostrich N/AN/AN/AN/A5N/A5.833

 

 

 

 Some notable things about our list

Nate Pavlot and Nick Wan had almost identical lists
A vote for #1 and #2 go a really long way
In true 402 Productions fashion, a band with little to no press and has yet to be signed is our #1 album of the year
M83 may be the only album on our list that is shared on other best of lists
Two EPs made it — pushing towards the idea that the EP generation has begun
There was no clear cut #1 album of the year (it went down to a Google tie breaker)

Nick Wan’s Top 5 Most Vicious  402 Reviews of 2011

As many of you know, our rating system is a little more black and white than the more common Likert scale stylings of other music reviews websites. Our system is based on a Good-Average-Bad, three-point system. Because of this, many of the albums we consider “bad” may actually be mediocre or not as bad as many people believe. Of course… many people will disagree with our decisions. And many are not afraid to speak about their disagreement. Here are my five favorite bad reviews of the past year from our writers.

O’Brother – Garden Window - Review by Ryan Gabos
The review itself is well-written. I personally didn’t think this album was 100% horrible… however, I wouldn’t go out of my way to say how much I disagreed with this review. Much less, if I were in O’Brother I wouldn’t blast Ryan Gabos’ review over Twitter.  The amount of responses in this review definitely makes this one of the more evocative reviews we’ve had in a while.

The Perms – Sofia Nights – Review by Adam Finley
I love the narration. This may be one of the only times breaking away from the formula of the website worked completely to Finley’s (or should I say, Professor Snivelmire’s) advantage. And if you chanced upon this album at all, you would definitely understand how this review really twists the knife.

Noxious Foxes - Legs - Review by Blake Rice
I seriously loved this review. Rice’s “Anyone Can Play Guitar” example was not only subtle, but a metaphor in itself. I wasn’t all that impressed with Noxious Foxes, and preferred the guitar-centric sounds of And So I Watch You From Afar’s Gangs much more, but this took it to a new scathing level.

aTelecine – A Cassette Tape Culture (Phase 2 & 3) – Review by Blake Rice
This review was not as subtle as the Noxious Foxes review, for many blatant reasons you can most likely discover for yourself. Some quotable gems: “She probably listened to Windowlicker and really liked it,” and “Personally, I was much more stimulated by her performance as Maria in Pirate’s II: Stagnetti’s Revenge.”

Aderlating - Spear of Gold and Seraphim Bone Part One - Review by Blake Rice
This review had pretty much all the key elements: a deviation from the normal 402 formula, an insightful review on what the album is and isn’t, a fairly rampant comments section… Although these top 5 bad reviews from 2011 are in no particular order, this may be one of my most favorite of the year, if not for all time.

Adam Finley’s 5 Best Tumblrs of 2011

I don’t Tumbl. I mean, I do get drunk and fall down a lot (thanks home made Four Loko), but I don’t use Tumblr, the short form blogs that let you quickly throw small bits of content at the interwebs like so many used tampons. Tumblr exploded this year; it’s popularity more than doubled, and with it came a glut of new content. Most terrible. Some amazing. What follows are the 5 Best Tumblrs of 2011.

#5 – Halloween or Williamsburg?

Much like People of Walmart, user-driven Tumblrs are hit and miss. But whereas Accidental Chinese Hipsters (which just missed inclusion in this list) is probably 30% lame, Halloween or Williamsburg is much more successful, documenting the ridiculousness of Brooklyn’s trendiest neighborhood. When gentrification has turned Williamsburg into a full-on yuppy town, we’re all going to look back at the good old days of 2011 and laugh at a recently dead Macho Man Randy Savage waiting for the train.

#4 – Hippo Coworker

We all know that coworker: the one who watches The Office too much; the one who is casually racist; the one who swears even when a swear word isn’t called for (typically me in any office setting). They’re all here, in the guise of a shouting hippo. Maybe the funniest part is the back story: these two hippos were best friends in some wildlife park when the female got pregnant and they had to be separated because the male would at least pull a Joe Jackson on those babies if he doesn’t kill them outright. After separation, the male spent hours each day hanging over the barrier bellowing to his friend; much like that D-bag in the cubicle next door.

#3 – Watch The Cradle

402 has its finger on the pulse of the indie community, but that doesn’t mean we’re deaf to the sounds of pop culture. This year, Jazy-Z & Kanye’s mega-hit album Watch The Throne was one of the most innocuous and fun albums of the year. But the internets took it farther– some enterprising individual started gathering baby pictures and stumbled on pure 2011 gold.

 

#2 – Pepper Spray Cop

Who can forget the image of the mustachioed cop casually macing the unholy fuck out of some protesters who had done nothing worse than sit in a place they weren’t supposed to sit? He was so casual about it. The nonplussed stare? The slow, repeated sweeps, completely ignoring the wails of the sprayed? He might as well have been at a picnic. It was a tragic event, but this is how the internet turns tragedy into hilarious triumph:

#1 – Texts From Bennett

Gay kittens, Drake’s breakfast cereal, Speaking Mexican, Birdman putting Lil Wayne in a car seat– this may be my favorite Tumblr ever. It’s the one I can go back to time and time again, show new people, check on a daily basis, reread old posts, and it never gets old. For a Tumblr consisting solely of screen shots of texts, this is as funny as it gets. Prepare to laugh until you piss.

 

 

 

Blake Rice’s Top 5 Films of 2011

As a brief introduction to this small list, let me say how difficult it is to see new limited release films in the Bay Area. When I was living in Southern California it was no problem. Regardless, searching out films you’re interested in is always worth the trip. Enjoy this list.
1. The Skin I Live In
Almoodovar is a visionary director who explores sexual taboo like no other. The Skin I Live in had great performances from Antonio Banderas and Elena Anaya. Held together by the best adapted screenplay of the year, this is one you won’t want to miss if you enjoy the work of provocateurs.

2. Melancholia
Lars von Trier returns with his follow-up to Antichrist which as one of my favorite films of 2010. Part spiritual sequel and part confession boot, von Trier continues his most recent work which tracing his own steps of recovery and delivering the purest and darkest portrait of depression in cinema.

3. Drive
Angelo Badalamenti’s neon 80′s soundtrack will grab you in an otherwise very silent film. Gosling pulls out his best performance to date, and Bryan Cranston has a great (but brief) role. If you liked M83′s new album and played Vice City as a kid, why haven’t you seen this yet?

4. I Saw The Devil
I usually don’t like modern Asian splatter cinema, but this film did it right. The dramatic atmosphere and phenomenal story progression really ties the film together. While definitely not for the queezy, it is a great film that was majorly overlooked in 2011.

5. Enter The Void
Gaspar Noe’s follow-up to the very successful Irreversible is really, really, long. So long, in fact, that the uncut version didn’t “work” for me. With all that said, it was something I had never seen before. The direction was extraordinary and if they cut it down by 30 minutes to an hour, it would have packed a larger punch.

Nate Pavlot’s Top 5 Fantasy Football Busts of 2011

While music is clearly the main passion of the writers here at 402 Productions, most of us also hold sports dear to our hearts. In fact, myself, Nick Wan, and Adam Finley even compete in a fantasy football league together. The nature of fantasy football dictates that any player can step up and become a desirable playmaker, but it also has the ability to render past star players meaningless. With that said, here’s my personal list of the Top 5 Fantasy Football busts of 2011.

5.) DeSean Jackson

Michael Vick’s partner in crime, the flashy Jackson really failed to live up to his expectations. Inconsistency, a poor attitude, and only 3 TD grabs have left Jackson in hot water with fantasy owners and Philly fans alike. Dream team, huh?

4.) LaGarrette Blount

This sucker-punching second year RB out of Oregon looked to be a solid 2nd round pickup this year, after coming on hot at the end of the season last year. With Cadillac Williams out of the picture, Blount stood as the clear number 1, yet he failed to produce the numbers expected of him. He was actually benched last week after an early fumble.

3.) Andre Johnson

Now I have nothing but respect for this guy, a true class act and a freakishly talented receiver, but Andre really did have an off year. His hamstring kept him out for a good part of the first half of the season, and with the Texan’s locking up the AFC South and an injured Matt Schaub to boot, Johnson has no reason to rush back into the lineup.

2.) Peyton Hillis

I felt this one personally, having blown a second round pick on the guy. Could you blame me? Hillis came on for a monster season last year for the Browns, earning him the dubious honor of being the cover boy for Madden. Then came the hamstring issues, and the strep throat, and the weight loss, and the tears. I should have known not to test the curse.

1.) Chris Johnson

CJ2K, the Titans’ halfback with “gettin’ away from the cops speed” (good call Gus Johnson) really didn’t help his case for MVP this season. After a pre-season holdout ending with $53 million over 4 years, Johnson performed abysmally. Generally picked in the top 3 in almost every league, CJ finished the year as the 17th ranked fantasy RB with a meager 4 touchdowns. Bet Hasselbeck is missing beast mode.

Ryan Gabos’ Top Five Bands He Wishes More People Knew About
The following are the five most deserving musical artists in my opinion that lack public knowledge.  Most of the time, I hate when a band I really enjoy becomes hugely popular.  I watched this happen with Death Cab For Cutie, and it just hasn’t been the same since Plans.  However, the groups I am about to list are all defunct, save for one or two that I’m pretty sure tour quietly at this point.  The important thing is, defunct or not, their primes have all been long gone.  Keep in mind that the Volcano Suns would have made this list if Merge Records didn’t recently (and very awesomely) reissue The Bright Orange Years and All Night Lotus Party.  So, without further ado…
1. Rein Sanction

Two brothers and a friend made up this incredible three-piece faux-grunge act from Sub Pop Records.  Their music was commonly compared to Dinosaur Jr. for some odd reason.  The reality was that Rein Sanction made their own distinct brand of sound.  Mark Gentry’s alternate tunings for his guitar resulted in several sprawled-out jams like the song featured above.  They released only two albums on Sub Pop; each one perfect.  Sadly, I feel like I am one of thefew who has heard of this group.
2. Saccharine Trust
SST Records was the birthplace of American punk music as far as I’m concerned.  Black Flag and Minutemen were just a few of the many fantastic punk-branded fellows to arise from the label.  Of course, there are always diamonds in the rough.  You may recognize Saccharine Trust from the ”opening act” portion of countless Raymond Pettibon concert posters.  Jack Brewer and company were no second fiddle in the game.  They were well respected by their peers.  Another interesting tidbit about them is that although punk was their starting point, by album number four, they had moved on to jazz fusion.  Why hasn’t anyone heard of them…
3. Six Finger Satellite
Okay, so Six Finger Satellite at least bears the description of ”esoteric,” but they still deserve much, much more than that.  Yet another undermined outfit from Sub Pop, they consisted of J. Ryan and a few others who collectively combined standard instrumentation with Moog synthesizers to yield a product that can only be depicted as “digital grunge.”  They dually pack an analog punch AND reminisce you with video game noises.  Everything about their music is hyper and tough, and it’s a shame that the extent of their notoriety comes from being featured for a few seconds on Beavis And Butt-head. Check out the official music video here.
4. Velocity Girl
At first glance, it looks like a bunch of spectacled dorks surrounding a pretty girl.  That might be true, but regardless, Velocity Girl made some of the best pop songs of the 90′s, and they made it look damn easy.  Singer Sarah Shannon isn’t just adorable, she also had the voice of an angel.  The hook to so many songs involved her common use of harmonizing with herself via tracking over the vocals.  It beats me as to how they aren’t one of Sub Pop’s most revered alumni.
5. The Bongos
Just one more.  Moby did me a huge favor by remastering Drums Along The Hudson a few years ago, making it available to the public once more.  That didn’t result in a boost of their popularity though.  Richard Barone’s pop trio from the 80′s still remains pretty obscure.  Their aforementioned album is their best work.  It’s fast and energetic, and it has a lengthy string of well-crafted tunes like the one above that make you want to get up and hop around.  Moby and I also have the distinction of being The Bongos‘ only two fans.
That’s all from us this year, folks!

Thanks to Adam Finley, Blake Rice, Nate Pavlot, and Ryan Gabos for a fantastic year. Especially to Adam Finley for making me feel like I’m doing something right. And definitely to Ryan Gabos for stepping up to the plate and becoming the head editor this coming year.

And of course, we would all like to thank the readers. There is always a disconnect between a person and what he or she puts out there for the internet to see. Just as well, there is a disconnect between a reader and acknowledging that the writer who put something out there for the people to read is actually some guy or girl on a computer typing some stuff up about what they think. I’ve been fortunate to meet some of my readers, as well as getting to know every one of my writers. Both groups aren’t too much different. And I think that’s why this website succeeds in the way it does — everyone apart of this website is searching for more music. It doesn’t matter if you’re a writer or a reader, both groups are listening to even more music than we present on this website. So, for the sheer fact that our readers come back here as a reference or in hopes to find a new jam for the day, week, month, year, or whatever it may be… I really do appreciate it. Thanks. Makes me feel like I’m not the only guy who gets excited for an unknown opening band or the girl quietly playing in the corner of a coffee shop.

See you next year!

Category : Interviews/Misc., Music, Record Reviews
Tags : ,
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19th Dec2011

Stepping down at 402 Productions…

by nickwan

There I am! Putting an EEG cap on one of my great friends, Kris Milland. I’m a bit haggard in this picture, as my unshaven face and bed hair will attest. This is truly the lab I have spent the better part of the past two years in. As I have spoken very openly in the past, neuroscience is something that is a big part of my life. Music is a huge passion, but research is something that I am also passionate about. If you notice the empty chair behind me in this picture… I’ve probably spent more hours in that chair than any chair I’ve ever owned. And I like that.

Something that is nice about doing data analysis is the fact that I was able to throw on any recently submitted albums for review as I was hacking away at my keyboard. It is this awesome blend of extremely hard work set to the soundtrack of my 402 Productions album submits inbox. Sort of like working two very time consuming jobs at the same time.

In that, doing what I do in my academic life and what I do in my personal life was becoming more and more convoluted. My sleep would be suffering because I was up all night reading literature on EEG studies and then writing reviews to be scheduled the next day. And then, when there were no more hours of sleep that could suffer, my grades and work ethic began to suffer. And then, my activity on 402 began to suffer.

There is a lot of suffering… and it is all hard to admit. So, I had to change my life fairly drastically in order to produce high quality work both in my academic life and my personal life. Unfortunately, 402 Productions was what I’ve had to “move away” from. So, with this, I am stepping down as the editor-in-chief, or boss, or head writer, or main contact, or whatever you want to call it. I will just be another writer for this website, and hopefully I can contribute whenever I can find time. And, by the looks of things, I won’t have much time (which is really tough to admit/say).

I wrote a really long statement about what 402 was and what it became, but at the very end of it I ended with some words to music bloggers. I found that in the same concept of this site, I’ll give some advice I’ve found useful when setting up 402 rather than having this extremely long poetic history about how big my dick is.

Write with furious passion

This website didn’t just wake up and have albums being submitted to us on a daily basis. I would go to class and have a new album playing into my ears for practically the entire day. At times, specifically in an anthropology class, I was made fun of for being the kid in a lecture listening to music. It wasn’t that I was not interested in the topic (anthropology is actually really interesting to me) but rather 1) the class seemingly went faster when soundtracked to music and 2) if I was actually bored in lecture, I had a place to escape to. At home, I really did escape. I would write up a review about this article I’ve had on repeat for the last handful of hours, spilling my guts out about how the track listing was not right or how the instrumentation could have been tighter or how it could have been split into two EPs rather than a single LP. So on and so forth. I really do give a lot of time to each album I listen to, and that time equals writing quality of an article to me. It shouldn’t be about the amount of hits you get or how fancy your site looks. It’s about wanting to just do something, even when no one is looking. The time you have alone to yourself and you’re thinking How can I do something constructive? My answer ended up being this website.

Don’t put the cart before the horse

After I began getting my first EPKs and album submissions from bands and artists, I began to think about getting into festivals. In doing so, I began to apply for press credentials for festivals even though our website didn’t had any respectable traffic. That was only a year ago, and I have now sent Adam Finley to Bumbershoot and Bryan to some traffic-sensitive shows. However, the point is that there are realistic goals and there are long term goals. Festivals was a long term goal. Something like getting 20 articles out in a month is a short term goal. Famous psychologists Maslow and Rogers attest that the distance between where you are right now and where your goals, dreams, ambitions, hopes, desires are has some sort of distance between each other. The shorter this distance is, the greater the quality of your life. This website works in that same sense. We aspire towards usually one big yearly goal and try to do the things that build us up to that goal.

Remember professionalism

In music journalism, especially for this website, being contacted by bands and artists directly is sometimes amazing and always unique. However, sometimes it’s fairly unfortunate. Some emails I get are extremely unprofessional. Usually filled with poor grammar, bad spelling, mentions about bitches and hoes, dropping f words every other fucking sentence. But then you listen to their album and their music is something completely different from their internet personality. It’s something we all have to acknowledge in the realm of internet talking — the personality we emote. Earlier, when I was still learning how to properly request for an album, I would write these very long and elaborate goals about what I was going to do with an album. It took a very nice press contact of mine (I can’t recall exactly who it was — it was a guy, that’s all I know) to tell me to cut back on the bells and whistles and just keep emails simple. It really dawned on me that this is really people’s 9 to 5. They want work to go swimmingly on a daily basis. Dealing with assholes like me is something that they don’t really want to come across — especially when I’m seemingly never going to go away for the time being. So, remembering professionalism goes both ways. I expect the equivalent of a handshake in an email, not a bro fist or a bro hug. On my end, I hope that I am returning what seems to be the equivalent of a handshake and not a mistaken novel of fandom and descriptions of useless things.

Define what you want to do and then have that define you

That’s the most important part about 402 Productions and me. I said I am going to review albums from bands and artists who get little to no press. I did that enough to the point where people wanted to write with me about bands and artists who get little to no press. Then, people around me started to take notice. Including my professors, who believe that 402 Productions is a full-time job for me (after calculating the hours… it is). It defines me now. I held this place and ran with it until it grew its own legs and began running on its own. I am not 402 Productions. Everyone on this staff are the components that make up 402 Productions. Every single reader is a component of 402 Productions now. I don’t have to get up and run with this place anymore. I can sit back and watch this place do marathons. And, in my opinion, I feel like I couldn’t run a marathon with 402 Productions even if I tried at this point.

Goodbye, 402!

With that, I am stepping down from the boss of the place. In my place, Ryan Gabos will be taking the lead on all projects and assignments. He’ll be the go to guy from here on out. I will hopefully contribute a review every so often in the coming year, but that will most likely be far and few. I hope this place can continue without me being the fearless leader. In a true sense, I know it can.

 

Category : Complete Miscellany
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16th Dec2011

Album Reviews: eLZhi – Elmatic

by Ryan

When Nas‘s debut album Illmatic came out in 1994, it was immediately hailed as one of the best rap/hip-hop albums to grace the game, and today it continues to be celebrated. The album dealt with the rapper’s upbringing in his hard hometown of Queensbridge, New York. eLZhi is a fellow wordsmith from a different generation and city. While Detroit may be far from the boroughs, Illmatic still hits very close to home for all rappers. After some moderately successful years in the business, eLZhi has decided to release a mixed tape in tribute to the ’94 cornerstone called Elmatic. The tape drops on the 20th of December.

Listen to “Life’s A Bitch”

Elzhi – Lifes A Bitch Feat Royce da 59 by INgroovesmarketing 

The Pros:

This mixed tape essentially takes the original songs from Illmatic and keeps everything but the verses. Every beat and sample is kept, and as a plus, they get cleaned up immensely. eLZhi puts his own spin on things of course, for instance, “N.Y. State Of Mind” gets changed to “Detroit State Of Mind.” It’s a touching tribute lyrically, also. He pays the perfect amount of homage to Nas by referencing “…the first time I heard Illmatic,” but most importantly does this all without pushing the envelope and full-on kissing his ass.

Stylistically, eLZhi’s rapping has a great meter of flow to it. His rhyme schemes are unique, often sounding like he’s tumbling over himself until he finally finishes a line. In other words, the verses pack so many syllables in one punch that it’s almost suspenseful hearing how he pulls off fitting it in one string so adeptly, while also discarding any obvious, quick breaths in between.

When analyzing the lyrics, it can be assumed that his head is in the right place. eLZhi can get raunchy and sexual like any rapper you can think of, but he chooses not to delve in that territory for too long. What stands out about his words is that he tends to stick to a realism theme, and often utilizes humor. At the pace that he spits, a few listens to this album will not reveal all of the quips to the listener, no matter how carefully they pay attention. Elmatic is a lot like a Marx Brothers film in that regard, it cannot be fully understood after just one run through. Because he blends oddball comedy with semblance, his content resembles MF DOOM. Strange and witty verbal play like, “Damn, this’ll be the twelfth time I lose my virginity,” and the fact that he is “…more vivid than Michael Bay films” is reminiscent of DOOM’s similar, albeit much weirder gags. Also, a bonus for you A Tribe Called Quest fans, (which should be all of you); in the opening to “Represent,” eLZhi makes reference to Phife Dawg: “When the mic is in my hand, I’m never hesitant.”

The Cons:

There isn’t much to say on behalf of Elmatic as far as negativity goes. There is a reason this is a “mixed tape.” eLZhi provides his own text, and just about everything else you hear came straight from Nas, including inspiration. If this were being released as an official studio album, it might catch some flack for lacking creativity behind production and overall ambition in making a record, due to the proverbial glue between the cracks being Illmatic. Fortunately, it is a mixed tape, which just means it’s a one-off. It’s essentially a step above a stablemate to Wugazi‘s 13 Chambers, because instead of giving new life to a legend, he implants his own personal take along with the original.

The Verdict:

It can safely be said that Elmatic is one of the best mixed tapes this year. Not just because you probably can’t go anywhere without hearing Best Day Ever blaring from whatever can be used as a speaker, but because it’s a tribute album, and a damned good one at that, that exists in a time of scarcely seen albums of the sort. I imagine Nas himself would approve of what eLZhi’s done in honor of his debut. The contemplated and clever rhymes that harmonize with those beats from seventeen years ago spell out eLZhi’s gratitude, and give us some good hip-hop as a nice bonus.

 

 

 

Category : Record Reviews
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15th Dec2011

Album Reviews: Norse Horse – Grids

by nate

Hailing from sunny Southern California, Norse Horse is Ryan Beal. Employing melodic guitar riffs, synths, and layered vocals, Norse Horse’s Grids EP was released digitally on December 8th by Polyvinyl Records. The EP, spanning five tracks in length, imparts a dynamic sense of mood change, with upbeat tracks like Sun Corridors giving way to the more mellowed out Starshores. A followup to 2009′s Secret Geographies, this new EP represents another step for Beal, with a full length LP slated for release in 2012. Keeping with the here and now, let’s see how Grids stacks up.

Check Out the Music Video for “Swells”

The Pros

The strength of this EP clearly lies in the instrumentation. Through the layering of various guitar, synth, and vocal melodies, Beal successfully creates a soundscape which is both unique and pleasing to the ear. By letting his skill with a guitar take center stage, Norse Horse delivers a sound which is immediately ear-catching and entrancing. Instead of following the usual setup, with instruments supplementing vocals, Beal has reversed the trend and built sunny pop tunes around catchy guitar hooks and sweeping synths.

From a production standpoint, this EP has great space to it. The blending of instruments produces a full-bodied and appealing sound, yet there is never a point in which we are overloaded with one too many tracks. The end result are songs that, while at times get hectic, constantly retain a polished craftsmanship to them. Beal’s vocals blend nicely into the mix, often affected with reverb and choral “oohs” and “aahs”. While this style of vocal has been growing lately with the rise of the chillwave and indie surf scenes, the lush instrumentation of Norse Horse truly sets it apart from the crowd.

The Cons

I don’t have a whole lot to say here. At times, the riff repetition in certain tracks can start to wear on the ears, and the percussion performances on the EP fail to live up to the vibrance offered by the rest of the instruments in the mix. Also, a change of pace acoustic track couldn’t hurt, but that’s merely a suggestion.

The Verdict

This EP is rock solid in almost every aspect. Through a masterful blending of intoxicating guitar riffs, poppy synths, and laid back vocals, Norse Horse offers up a bit of sunny Southern California in Grids. This EP plays out like a sweet summertime dream, and really makes me want to go live somewhere warm. Get this EP, you will not regret it.

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14th Dec2011

Album Reviews: Paul Parnell – Pretend It’s Christmas

by Ryan

It is well into the month of December, everybody. Let’s get in the spirit of things by taking a look at Paul Parnell’s recent debut album Pretend It’s Christmas. This scarf-garbed Hoosier pictured above is a middle-aged singer and pianist whose life has revolved around music for years now. He has a very active background in church choir involvement. Seemingly his most outstanding trait appears to be his absolute love for Christmas. Parnell’s affinity for the holiday stretches past that of the average Christian practitioner, and how! Even the most avid of churchgoers aren’t writing their own songs to commemorate the season, but Paul is a churchgoer with the gift of music. Thus, the world has eleven new and original songs, ballads, and jigs with which to celebrate.

The Pros:

Listening to this album is more than enough to make Ned Flanders cry tears of joy. I don’t think I have heard a more Christmas-fueled “Christmas album” than Pretend It’s Christmas. Yes, Parnell has admirable talent at the piano bench and the time and patience it took to compose these songs are virtues of his that he was more than willing to put to use. What is most impressive about this release thought is Paul’s commendable, brazen attitude dealing with marketing his music. Independent artists, no matter what genre, will release an album not only to share their art with the world, but also to be noticed in some fashion. Bands do not have to worry because they are putting out a (usually) unique brand of noise available for a demographic that is always hungry for new sounds. Whether it remains under the radar for good is left up to chance. Paul Parnell places himself in an even tougher marketplace, because as ignorant as “nobody is searching for independent Christmas albums” comes off, it is pretty undeniable. The label is far too specific and undesired, because people who want a holiday themed LP will easily grab Mariah Carey or Vince Guaraldi‘s exquisite Peanuts seasonal collection long before a copy of Parnell’s offering gets glanced at. You can more than assume that he is fully aware of this, and that is why he garners a lot of respect for choosing this path as his first career step. He’s in it solely for the music.

The Cons:

Artistic integrity aside, this album suffers from a lot of unfavorable cliches and weaknesses. In regards to what I was saying towards the end of the above section, this record actually does have a market. The sad truth is that it is most appropriately suited for dollar stores and budget sections of Barnes & Noble book shops, (since Borders is no longer). This isn’t bashing, and it isn’t mocking in the least bit, but Pretend It’s Christmas can be taken with no more seriousness than Jan Levenson’s former assistant’s “That One Night” song from The Office. Without even popping this in to see how it sounds, many people would be under the impression that it’s a joke just judging from the cover.

Since there was not any type of media that could be embedded in this article, it is difficult to really understand, let alone describe the cheesiness scattered individually to all eleven tracks that make up Pretend It’s Christmas. The title track kicks things off to an “is this guy for real?” beginning. Imagine the most cliched smooth jazz progression you can think of, and pair it with lyrics like, “Sitting on my patio/It’s 85° and there’s no snow, but I can… pretend it’s Christmas.” Tracks like “Christmas Time Is Here Again,” “The Christmas Tale,” and “The Perfect Lamb” are next in sequence, and the tone changes drastically from the first song’s longing for the holiday to a strictly religious standpoint. Each one not only grows less fun and more educational in lyrical context, but increasingly histrionic as well; sometimes to the point where it becomes laughable. Did I say smooth jazz just a bit ago? Make that smooth jazz as interpreted by a MIDI or some other facet-limited synthesizer. It seems that every other track is laced with a wimpy, pathetic, shudder-inducing “vibraphone” setting from a keyboard. Parnell himself has a propensity to get extremely vocally awkward depending on the religious seriousness of each song. He expands simple words so that they become weirdly and barely comprehensible enough for the listener. When he’s in this mode, it most accurately can be characterized as Donny Osmond on tranquilizers.

There is a plethora of other odd and questionable things that make up this LP, like the borderline offensive and ill-conceived belching sound effect used in “Christmas Indiana” at one point. However, listing all of them would come close to reaching the length of Santa’s naughty list. From an existentialist’s point of view, you could say that this album’s being is pointless because there are countless of other Christmas albums that are centered around religion specifically, and most of them are better in some way. That essentially goes to say that there isn’t much originality within Parnell’s debut. From a more lenient and sensible point of view, you could say that Pretend It’s Christmas not only doesn’t bring anything new to the table of music, but it also gives fresh meaning to the phrase “cheese ball.”

The Verdict:

Giving a poor review to Paul Parnell actually pains me a little bit, especially because his favorite holiday is just around the proverbial corner. A candle cannot be held to this man’s passion for Christmas, but his collection of inspired tunes quickly shifts from adorable to over-the-top and silly. Listeners are better off with Guaraldi’s classics. One thing is for certain though, and it is that nothing can hurt Parnell’s yuletide pride. I wish him a joyous Christmas time, and I know for a fact he will have nothing less.

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13th Dec2011

Downtime at 402: Nick Wan’s Facebook Pictures – Part 1

by Ryan

402 Productions’ editor and co-creator Nick Wan doesn’t always upload pictures to his Facebook, but when he does, he weaves his secret history of epic proportions through his photographs. Forget about the Nick Wan you thought you knew. I have been studying my boss’s Facebook page for months now, and after much frustration and trial and error, I have cracked the code behind the man’s system. Allow me to walk you through Mr. Wan’s real life story up until now, via a series of episodic articles.

Regarding Nick’s code for which he chooses to display photos on Facebook, it is a rather confusing ordeal. Keep in mind that I have spent countless sleepless nights and days ebbing away ever so slowly at the unexpected mystery that lay behind this guy’s seemingly harmless portraits. We are dealing with conspiracy on a very small scale here. One man’s social networking account somehow covered up years and years of a human being’s life and replaced it with lies. I do not wish to give headaches or fry anyone’s mind, so I will not reveal the algorithm necessary to exhume Wan’s TRUE past time. The overload of knowledge, comprehension, and subsequently horrific realization of what has come to pass would simply cause your cerebral cortex to explode if digested all at once. The world is not ready. Instead, all that I can say is that the equation deals with an abundance of “ironic” peace signs, guitars, and alcohol abuse.

I find that the best starting point to regaling Nick Wan’s secret history begins with the above picture. This is what he looked like at the ripe and tender age of fourteen… the age when things started to go wrong. Wan had always loved the sea. Venturing out to the beach was an everyday affair for young Nick. Early in the morning, he would prepare his large backpack and head out to the place he loved most: Dynamite Shoals. The area was a popular attraction for kids like Nick; naive, thrill-seeking, and aquatic. The backpack he brought was always used for any seashells that were found throughout the day. Unique or not, Wan was a conch fanatic. He would fill up that satchel with muscles and bivalves until he could fit no more, and then leave it under his beach umbrella so that he could go swim in the ocean.

One fateful day, after a great haul from high tide, Nick took his trusty bag up to his umbrella setup to wait for his return from riding the waves. A half hour goes by. He comes back to the sand, folds up his umbrella and beach chair, tosses his backpack on, and departs. Like always, when arriving home, Nick opened his backpack up to better analyze the day’s winnings. Only there were no seashells when he unzipped. On the contrary, fifty pounds of cocaine wrapped in individual baggies flooded out. The look on his face, went beyond astonishment. It looked like this:

Our protagonist, fourteen-year-old Nick Wan, sat and stared incredulously at the cornucopia of drugs that had somehow replaced the treasure chest of happy, joyous shells discovered on the beach just hours ago. Silence. Shock. Disbelief. A phone call. Without hesitation, Wan grabbed the phone.

NICK WAN: Hello, Wan residence.

???: If you ever want to go shell gathering again, you will bring the goods to Dynamite Shoals at midnight. Under the boardwalk. No tricks. Got that, smart ass?

…And that concludes the first installment of Nick Wan’s life as translated by his pictures on Facebook. As aforementioned, I will trickle more chapters out at random and without warning. Enjoy your day.

 

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12th Dec2011

Album Reviews: Goldmund – All Will Prosper

by Ryan

Keith Kenniff is a man of many faces. He is most widely known as the musician behind the curtain of Helios, an ambient project of his. When he’s not making music in such a style, he steps down to his second moniker, Goldmund. This is a completely different beast on its own, tending to resemble a more piano-on-reverb orientation. With his latest release using the latter surname, he has taken great influence in the Civil War. All Will Prosper, released on Western Vinyl, is a modest collection of pre-reconstruction era folk songs, sans-vocals. That means “Amazing Grace” without any “that saved a wretch like me.” Said album has interestingly been a work in progress, taking Kenniff five years of here-and-there recording to reach completion.

Listen to “All Will Prosper Teaser”

The Pros:

Even counting Goldmund’s sole original composition to the bunch, “Ashoken Farewell,” these are all very simplistic tunes and don’t require much out of Kenniff in order to give the song life and recognition. Minimalism is synonymous with beauty on this release. The empty room noise produced by the various recording locations throughout the years blows a cold, withering wind to these ballads and odes of the past. Music so crystal clear and note for note recalls an intimacy that is very rare now. The expression might be cliche, but if you listen to All Will Prosper in the appropriate setting, it really feels like you are in the same room as Kenniff. Every detail is pronounced, you can hear the clacks of the piano keys hitting the wood panel and the curt shriek of fingers sliding to different chord positions on guitar strings.

Apart from the excellently hushed and commanding production, (or lack thereof), Goldmund also does well on his part to provide adequate piano and acoustic guitar arrangements of classic Civil War melodies like “Battle Cry Of Freedom” and “When Johnny Comes Marching Home.” This album is truly an inspired work, and Kenniff pays his best respect to each song by contributing his own personal flavor, while maintaining its essence.

The Cons:

Fifteen tracks. What you do not think on before listening, is that you will be sitting through fifteen tracks featuring battle hymns and verses as interpreted by a piano and guitar. In other words, it gets incredibly boring after the first few. This album took me to a place, not too far away from where I am now. I journeyed back to an uncomfortable church pew, surrounded by kids much younger than me. I’m back in high school, and I am living out the last few piano recitals that I will ever have to sit through. If you listeners have ever had the happening of observing one of these, you know exactly where I’m coming from. They are bland, monotonous events. One after another, adolescents rise up to the ivories and hurry through a piece or two that they were semi-required to learn. A lot of these are basic tunes that many know by heart or can at least hum to themselves.

All Will Prosper is very much like taking part in a piano recital. Pop this LP in, and you will feel much like I did in the past; waiting impatiently for the lengthy litany of boring, plainly recognizable songs to be over with so that you can exit to the back room for cookies and punch. Except there is no cookies and punch in this instance. The only reward in store for you after listening to Goldmund’s latest record is that you have an above average sense of endurance.

The Verdict:

Mr. Kenniff offers up a sweet and sentimental tribute to the anthems that once were meant to uplift and mourn for our nation. The problem with All Will Prosper isn’t one of age though. Rather than sounding dated, Goldmund mistakes subtlety for flatness. There is no creative arc on this record. From the desolate luminescence of “The Death Of General Wolfe” to the very same attributes of “When Johnny Comes Marching Home,” no effort is ever made to shake things up. I admire Keith’s love for Civil War history, but his attempt at commemorating its spirit via musical release can be described only as repetitive and unyielding.

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08th Dec2011

Album Reviews: Kramies – The European

by Ryan

Kramies is a Colorado-based artist who has been releasing music under the supervision of Todd Tobias, the famed producer and collaborator of Guided By Voices and other Robert Pollard endeavors. The music of Kramies is quite a far cry from anything in the Pollard universe though. For one thing, he stays away from any lo-fi style recording techniques. He is a couple albums deep with Tobias, and just recently, his latest EP was dropped. It goes by the title of The European, (possibly in reference to his apparent Dutch roots), and for the first time listener, it should be known that his sound is pretty expansive for a solo artist. Apart from the acoustic guitar he plays, accompaniment ranges from all sorts of different instruments, so the product on hard copy is much more full than you would expect.

Listen to “Inventors”

Kramies – ‘Inventors’ by Hidden Shoal 

“Coal Miners Executive Club” may be the single from this EP, but I chose “Inventors” because it is a hell of a dirge and the better of the two.

The Pros:

For such a measly, five song extended play, it feels like you’re strapped in on a long, emotional journey led by Kramies. His music is powerfully melancholy at times. Judging from three fifths of this record, you would take the man for a very musically inclined sad sack. Painting a picture of his sound is quite easy. Halfway through the title track, there’s strong echoes of Mercury Rev‘s Deserter’s Songs; particularly a blend of the blissful nature of “Holes” and the decaying harmony of “The Funny Bird.” This combination best describes Kramies’ EP; not to mention that his slightly raspy vocals mirror that of Jonathan Donahue.

Kramies doesn’t use standard tuning on his guitar, or at least it does not appear that way to the trained ear. What can safely be said about his guitar work is that his chord structures are rather unconventional, but in a good way. It isn’t something out of left field, but it’s enough to catch your attention, especially when backed by all the majestic production value that surrounds it. All the stops are pulled out, from shimmering and just-the-right-amount-of-atonal keyboards to well-executed, complimentary supporting vocals.

Extended plays are wonderful things. They are small offerings from artists that often end up showcasing the scope of their palette. The most important aspect of The European is its fulfilling of this task. Over five tracks, the listener gets an indelible familiarity with Kramies and where his talents can take him. His record begins humbly with “Intro,” a pacifist’s bleak, acoustic guitar piece, and later builds up to the vastly different “Coal Miners Executive Club;” a song that relies largely on synths. No matter where Kramies ventures, the result is always heartfelt and hard-hitting.

The Cons:

Because The European is such an immersing experience, there isn’t much that will get stuck in your head or keep you humming on your way to work. This EP is best enjoyed and bears the punchiest impact when listened to as a whole, given its epic and commanding pretension. However, there is nothing outwardly pretentious about this release, it just so happens that Kramies packs a lot of songwriting and grandiose crescendos all into a little extended play. In short, what lies inside this release ends up being a lot more intimidating that you would assume.

The Verdict:

The European isn’t your typical sampler of an EP, but Kramies isn’t necessarily your run-of-the-mill solo artist either. His music is one to be tackled with a mind that is willing to be taken on a trip; one that is as instrumentally engaging as it is deeply pensive in regards to its lyrical content. It is also no question that Todd Tobias and Kramies make a great recording team. Tobias does every justice to the ethereal and occasionally gloomy soundscape created by Kramies, producing a truly beautiful and diversified release. This kicks other solo artists like James Blunt and Edwin McCain to the curb. In fact, it doesn’t even belong in the same league of the likes of those two. He delivers at such a high caliber that exceeds the title of “solo artist,” and leaves it in the dust as nothing more than a misnomer.

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02nd Dec2011

Album Reviews: Seatraffic – S/T

by nickwan

Seatraffic impressed me a few weeks ago at SFStation + BAMM.tv‘s SFLineup show. Their single for “Speed Limits” was the first (and only) song I heard from these guys, and needless to say… I was won over. It’s something about that slowcore shoegaze sound that gets me, especially if it’s done right. It was also a huge plus that Seatraffic is a local band for me. And now with this new EP out, I’m hoping to see more from them around town.

Check out all of their self-titled EP below!


The Pros

Seatraffic is a great example of capitalizing on what you can do without excuses. It’s a two-man band. They sound like some 4-piece bands I’ve heard. Their sound resonates those slower tracks from Action Action, The Radio Dept, or even the really good version of How to Dress Well (minus the hip hop, however). I think the most apt description of these guys would be what David Bazan‘s former project Headphones would have became if he continued producing Headphones. Headphones was a two-piece band as well, but much more lo-fi in production than Seatraffic. Seatraffic maximizes their sound, mostly in part to some great synth layering and heavily filtered vocals.

It’s clear that Seatraffic doesn’t suffer from an identity crisis. They don’t waiver between two types of genres, or even two styles within their synthy dreamy mix. In general, they are what I like to call “streamlined”. That is, they know exactly what they are doing. You know what you’re going to get from track one. It’s how they thread together tracks 1 through 5 that make it really interesting. In this case, fairly interesting. They have this very big sound that cuts through all of their tracks, as if they were filling out some sort of arena. I’m not too sure if this is by design or by happenstance, but it’s something that gives them an edge on most other acts that are similar. Using Headphones as an example, that was more of a singer-songwriter take on synth-based indie music with a clear focus on a more intimate or living room type feel to all the tracks. In Seatraffic, they are almost opposite in feeling, with a huge live drum feeling and a decent amount of reverb on all the other instruments. This doesn’t take away from that more unspoken affective component — that deep, heart-wrenching feeling emoted through song.

Maybe something that is most important here is the slow resurgence of dream-pop, shoegaze, and slowcore back into the Bay Area. There is a clear lack of a scene for that type of music here, and Seatraffic is a very prototypical shoegaze type band that can begin rooting themselves in a relatively unclaimed area. I have a sense that Seatraffic and this genre may be on the up-and-up, much akin to how that whole indie surf rock thing was popular earlier this year and all of last year.

The Cons

A less direct con of this album is that it is clearly overshadowed by the dream-pop album from M83, Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming, that was released this year as well. It’s obvious that M83′s album is one of the best dream pop albums many have heard, and in terms of synth-centric music they easily lead the pack this year. In terms of Seatraffic, I see these San Francisco guys more like the Mineral to M83′s Jimmy Eat World. Yeah… weird 90s reference right there.

A more direct con is that this suffers from what some other bands, particularly post-rock acts, suffer from: there is a well-built musical wall that is attacking, but the texture seems relatively the same. From start to finish, there isn’t a real hint of variation. This is a case of walking a very fine line between being streamlined and good and streamlined and flat. Streamlining your band is something that is essential in the beginning, as it beckons identity and flavor from the first meeting, but can pigeonhole you into a specific “type” of band. Based on this album, would I fall in love with Seatraffic? Probably not. But I did have the privilege to see them live before I heard an album proper from them… and that was definitely what sets them apart from other synth groups. They take their sound to the stage; this album does them no justice at all.

The Verdict

It’s sad because I know this band is great. I just didn’t feel it coming through this album. They couldn’t capture the essence I wanted them to capture. It was sort of like reading a book and then seeing the movie and realizing the book was way better. I had that exact same experience with the book-gone-movie Sideways years ago. Literally, I thought the movie was horrible. However, it was one of the best films of that year from what I recall. The thing that irked me was the portrayal of the two main characters in the book was seemingly more like two bad asses, rather than in the movie where they are just two assholes. The worst was that the screenplay was written by the same author, which initially got me pumped up for the movie but then completely let down when it was trash.

Seatraffic’s album isn’t that extreme in harshness, but it bears recommendation to see them live before judging them based on these five songs. That’s not to say this EP is bad (it is no where near bad) but it’s just not flooring. I look forward to the LP when it comes out, but until them I’m holding my breath.

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