19th Mar2012

Album Reviews: Anna Vogelzang – Canary In A Coal Mine

by Adam Finley

Recently, Nick Wan wrote an interesting piece centering on the concept of selling out, and how no matter how much corporate sponsorship or how many Youtube hits a band gets, the absolute best approach to building a fan base is a holistic one: practice your ass off, play a million shows, talk to people, and be around for longer than a week before you try to say you’ve made it.

Anna Vogelzang has been around longer than a week; more like a decade at this point. She’s a mainstay of the Midwest DIY folk scene. She writes, records, promotes, performs, and even teaches at a girl’s rock camp. She’s done this without the backing of a label, funding her newest full-length, Canary In A Coal Mine, via Kickstarter. Anna has built not only a moderate following (a random dude in a bowling alley in Seattle told me last month that he has seen Vogelzang live twice) but some critical acclaim as well for her voice and songwriting, both of which are at their finest on Canary In A Coal Mine.

Listen to “Volcanoes” While You Read

The Pros

Everything about this album shines, but for me the biggest gold nugget is the lyricism. I often play a game when I listen to an album for the first time: I pick random lines and try to guess the coming rhyme, if not the next line in its entirety. You can play this game with almost any genre (you win again, classical music!) and I personally believe that you can tell a lot about how good a writer is by trying to predict their writing. I am about as far from a good songwriter as a Bengal tiger is from a stapler– I’m just a dude who listens to a LOT of music– so if I can predict half of your lines, you may not be trying very hard.

There’s no issue with that on Canary In A Coal Mine. Vogelzang’s lyrics are crisp, fresh, and constantly engaging. There’s hope, despair, humor, rage, heartbreak, and silliness in these songs, the wordplay and imagery slip-sliding in such a way that it’s nearly impossible to predict. Here is one example, chosen not because it’s the best example, but because it is literally playing as I type:

“My fuse is itching to run out
Is there machinery you could bring?
See, I was born into this broken mess
not even miles seem to fix.

With every day, a little death
and I hope that trip is beautiful
but maybe the gears that grind against your wheels
could spark a kickstart to my chest.”

–from “Heart Beat Faster”

The Cons

Almost none, honestly. Folk may not be your thing, and that’s cool, but in terms of songwriting, arranging, vocal performance, and overall construction– production, pacing, etc.– Canary in a Coal Mine is almost flawless.

The Verdict

Lately I’ve been listening to a lot of solo female folk: Emily Hurd, Fay Wolf, and Gillian Welch off the top of my head, but Canary in a Coal Mine is the best new folk album I’ve heard in a really long time. It’s the best example I currently have for how bright the future of music can be: give an artist with a unique vision a few dollars and creative control then step back and wait for the magic to happen.

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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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08th Nov2011

Album Reviews: Childish Gambino – Camp

by Blake

Last night I was watching some “Maniac Cop” with a good friend of mine. I needed some 80′s nostalgia, but that has
little to do with this review. I mentioned “Community” to him and a few phrases later he said “You know that dude is Childish Gambino, right?” “No way!” said I. Through the grapevine I had heard about the rapper, but didn’t connect the dots myself.

I’ll be honest. I thought this year was going to be a sleeper. I got hit with M83 and thought, this is absolutely phenomenal – this year is gonna be an easy choice. After hearing Gambino’s debut, I’m beginning to wonder why the hell these great musicians are waiting until late in the year to blow us away.

For Your Ears

Bonfire by Childish Gambino

Pros

The album opens up with “Outside”, a crushing rap anthem about rejection while growing up in the Bronx. Complimented by a soul choir that connects the verses, the tune yanks at your heartstrings. There is no feigned vulnerability here, and Gambino wears his persona on a sleeve. On “Fire Fly” his style is reminiscent of Kanye West‘s College Dropout optimism and flow style. The track he performed on The Late Late Show recently, “Bonfire”, is a perfect example of how alternative rock can groove with rap. Gambino takes that idea and with a raw flow matching that of Lil Wayne, rocks the hell out of the track and proves the genres can mix and sound really, really good.

“All the Shine” has some more soulful bridging that makes the tune soar to a dreamy level. In fact, it is actually reminiscent of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony‘s “See Me Shine”. If you listen closely to how the tracks transition, and the luminescent trips he takes you on, they are really similar to a Sufjan Stevens album.

On the final track, “That Power”, Gambino tells a brief story about a girl and a bus. It is one of those tracks that the album builds toward and by the last word, you realize that Gambino’s humility makes him even more of a mature act in the rap genre.

Cons

He changes over from harsh vocals of Wayne, ethereal Sufjan, and classic Kanye. It isn’t necessarily a conflict if you do a straight listen, but if single tracks were played, some would sound out of place without the confines of the album listing.

Verdict

This is a debut album and Gambino threw everything on the table. The majority of rap I have heard this year, and those prior, dealt with the success they attained after leaving the projects and getting picked up by a big producer. Gambino works backwards in this respect and trades the gold chains for poise, humor, and emotionally wrenching storytelling. This album is a much needed wake-up call to a gaudy genre. Who would’ve thought Gambino could have done so much in an hour while taking many cliched rap messages and turning them on their head?

I watched a panel interview with filmmaker Quentin Tarantino a while ago. In the interview, he was telling up and coming filmmakers how to “make it”. Although it is about filmmaking, his message fits quite well for this album. After hearing answer after answer from the rest of the panel, he finally broke the formula for success down: “You make a piece of nitro and throw it in someones lap – they notice.” Donald Glover’s album is pure, honest, provocative, and volatile. Stand close and you’ll be moved.

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24th Oct2011

Album Reviews: M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming

by Blake

M83 (Anthony Gonzalez, more or less) have been around since 2001. I remember listening to Saturdays=Youth my freshman year in college and loved the dreamy “Kim & Jessie”. The album was pretty damn good, but I have to admit, I forgot about the band a few months later and didn’t care to revisit their discography. That is, until their newest album caught my attention and I decided to give it another try. All I can preface this review with is a feeling I felt while listening to the album: I was so emotionally overwhelmed and covered in goose bumps that I could barely function while listening. To call this album a masterpiece is an understatement. Well, look what I just did – my preface gave away my entire review. You really don’t have to read anymore, really, but I want you to because this is some key info on THE album of 2011, period. Sorry Radiohead :(

Oh, Please Listen, Friend.


Download M83 OK Pal

Pros

The “Intro” song to the album begins with a chilling voice over and a brooding electronic beat. At about a minute in, Gonzalez breaks into wrenching vocals that let you know what you’re in for in the next 1.2 hours (thanks iTunes).  “Midnight City” breaks out with a massive dreamy beat that conjures up feelings of 80s nostalgia and neon strobe lights. “Raconte-Moi Une Histoire” is a very simple tune that is spoken over by a young girl telling a story about being a frog. At first, it is really cute, and then you realize what is happening – you have just been suckered into revisiting the innocence of your childhood and contrast it with you current life. It is a surreal song. I suppose the meaning will differ from person to person, and I would like to hear about the different reactions, but this one had me floored with emotion.

As soon as I began listening to disc 2, the first few tracks crept up on me almost preparing me for the best song M83 has ever made: “OK Pal”. What is part 80s jive and part lathered up with the best vocals Gonzalez has ever recorded. Toward the midpoint of the song, there is a break-off where the same female voice from the intro track gives us a hyper-sensual trip into an empty neon city where two lovers embrace each other. It is really stunning and beautiful. I won’t admit how many times I had this track on repeat (maybe 15-20…). Toward the end of the album, “Echoes of Mine” breaks down the doors with a sharp electronic track with choirboys in falsetto. It was at this point I realized that the entire album is really a spiritual successor to Mew’s And The Glass Handed Kites. The dark dream-pop of Mew can segway into this album’s more optimistic (but still gut-wrenching) atmosphere. Think Wizard of Oz and Dark Side Of The Moon.

Cons

Have I turned into a softie recently? I was fortunate enough to hear some great music in the past month. Most of the 402 staff knows me for the scathing reviews I write, and tearing down 90% of the albums I hear. This album is an example of why I hold bands to such high standards. For every uninspired shoegazing indie band out there, I remember that this music exists – there are bands pushing genres to the max and creating something that evokes a true limbic response. This album is why I love music. Look at that, I just turned the “Cons” into more “Pros”.

Verdict

I am nominating this record for “Album of the Year”. However, I am not only putting in a nomination, I am sending out a challenge to all readers, all writers, and even Nick Wan, my editor and inspiration – find me an album that is better than M83’s Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming that came out in 2011 and you will have done the impossible. This is the alpha and the omega of the year, and I have had it on repeat for about a week now. Dedicate your ears, put your headphones on, lie down, and let the dream wash over you. When you wake up, you won’t know what hit you.

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19th Oct2011

Album Reviews: M+A – Things.Yes

by Blake

M+A is an electronic duo from Italy who are an average of 20 years old between the two (19 & 22) – 20.5 if you’re an asshole. Things.Yes is part ambient and part electronic. If it was a noun, which it is, I would say it is a place. The place? Remember that episode of Twin Peaks with the midget in the red room who speaks backwards with that delightful lisp? These fellas’ are his surrogate musicians – vocally, anyway.

A Sample For Your Ears

Pros

I really enjoyed listening to this album. How much? Well, as much as you can enjoy an album that equates with taking a bottle of muscle relaxers without the risk of overdosing. The album begins with a little edge and rounds off into fairly fast-paced tuneage, but relaxed all the way through. “Yes.Pop” is something I would hear from a DJ like Helios mixed with a bit of the Sigur Ros/mysterious midget lyricism. This is what you can expect from most of the album, and it is enjoyable. As soon as “Liko Lene Lisa” picks up at about 1 minute, the hook is smooth like sleeping in silk boxers. Not arousing, mind you, but definitely soothing. “Bam” is a little more straightforward in its approach to structure. In fact, the tune is really reminiscent of “Over the Pond” by The Album Leaf. There is that ever-so-slight chipmunk whisper that makes you want to cry. Why? I don’t fucking know – because it sounds helpless, that’s why. Later on we get hit with some dreamy pop with “(We)”. It definitely reminds me of M83 a bit, maybe because I’ve been binging on them as of late.

Cons

None that I could find or even care to point out.

Verdict

There isn’t necessarily anything bad to say about this album. The fact that they recorded it in home and it sounds this good, coupled with the fact that I will keep it in my music library for future use means I really liked what I heard. These guys might not be reinventing the wheel, but as a genre piece, it is definitely expertly crafted and thoroughly enjoyable. The only thing left is trying to decipher the ID3 tags on this puppy. It looks like Pasolini covered them in the circle of shit.

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25th Aug2011

Album Reviews: Speculator – Nice

by Blake

Speculator is the brain-child of Nick Ray who loves his lo-fi about as much as I love red licorice. This album is entirely ambient so if you’re looking for a “pop” record, you came to the wrong place.

Noise (But really, it all sounds like this)

Speculator: “(It’s on) Every Channel” by alteredzones

Pros

Ray’s fondness for 80′s synth is apparent in Blue Rose. When the sounds of this tune return you to a murky (Depeche) mode, it is satisfying for a minute or so. I’m trying to dig from the bottom of my stomach for more to say here. If you added this album to Stephen Hawkin’s speak-easy, it would make everything he says a lot creepier.

Cons

This is another product from the indie scene that doesn’t deliver anything special. The dark shot of nostalgia it delivers on a few tracks is about the only atmospheric edge it offers. It is a bland record of sounds melting into other sounds. The separation is only visible because he decided to give the tracks names. His vocals echo beneath layers of static and offer a brief reprieve from an obnoxiously monotone record.

Verdict

I’m mulling over the concept in my head and could see this record looping for eternity in some abandoned suburb near Nevada. The static discharge that radiates is nauseating.

 

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24th Aug2011

Album Reviews: Noxious Foxes – Legs

by Blake

Noxious Foxes is a band from Brooklyn who joined together after meeting in college. Never heard that story before.

 

Anyone Can Play Guitar

Pros

Well, we have another math-rock band playing with time signatures with no vocals. On Wherever Hugo, Guido, I enjoyed some of the playful palm mutes and bass lines. O…k…

Cons

I don’t enjoy being mean. I’m really not a mean person. In fact, the only reason I can be mean is because the abstraction I can create for a lot of these bands I really don’t like consist of twisted mustaches and scarves. This entire album is a giant clusterfuck of noise that leads nowhere. This is coming from a guy who loves things like John Zorn‘s thrash jazz group Naked City and a fair amount of Faraquet who also play with fun time signatures. This “math-rock” album made my head hurt. Fellas’ anyone can play guitar and find a drummer to jam around with. You recorded a jam session with people who know how to play music – but that doesn’t make you a good band. In fact, that doesn’t make you much of anything.

Verdict

This isn’t a good album. This isn’t math-rock. This is noise and it doesn’t do that genre justice either. If you’re gonna make a math-rock album then give us something we haven’t heard before. Playing with electrics and a drum kit is so boring it makes my toes curl. In fact, halfway through the album I wanted to get out a piece of graph paper and make a maze just to diffuse the mess in my head. I really don’t like this album and hope I hear some better math rock come out of the indie scene sometime in the future. The last good band to do math was Into the Moat, and they were a hardcore band. A HARDCORE BAND!

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23rd Aug2011

Album Reviews: The Wine Thieves – Hot Hor D’oeuvres

by Blake

The hip-hop underground scene has melded into slam poetry put over a ghetto beat. Folks like Sage Francis and Aesop Rock have made their way into a more “visible” underground by doing it really well. The Wine Thieves both have the voices to pull off a decent record, their flow is decent, but the lyrical delivery isn’t there.

Tuneage

Pros

Tunes like The Official Countdown have a trippy scatter of samplings that defies the rest of the albums more linear approach to writing. It has that old school feel to it and I could really get into the flow. The funny thing is, it is probably the most Sage Francis-style tune on the album. Hell, for the most part the beats that lay the foundation are pretty creative and trippy. Everything from radio signals to cobra-charming hypnosis. Powerlines is a good example of a groove that doesn’t so heavily rely on the lyrical content, but sound delivery. The result is pretty fun.

Cons

The final tracks were pretty decent compared to the rest of the album, but I will tell you why this duo will not be successful if they don’t evolve from the sounds I heard off the album. The key to a great hip hop song is either to sell out and create a club track that makes women instantly wet or taking the more difficult route of crafting tracks with clever lyrics – appealing to the dark underground. The reason Aesop Rock and Sage Francis had their successes is due (in-part) to their brilliant songwriting ability. They craft such amazing timing that a lyric punches you in the face and sends chills down your spine. That line becomes popular. The song gets popular.

Example #1: “If the Jesus piece around your neck is bigger than your pistol it makes homicide ‘okey dokey’ and your god will forgive you. Just show the saints at heaven’s gate – you should be on the list – I hear he overlooks manslaughter for a tatooed crucifix.”-Aesop Rock

That is what every rapper should strive for – a line that shoots you into audigasm. There are many examples in the underground scene, but this is a strong one.

Now, I’m not trying to stack this duo up against a massive opponent or belittle them. In fact, I think they have a lot of potential. The biggest issue is that their lyrics do not evoke any passion that lingers or feels like a punch in the gut. After listening I could only recall lines about different drugs and “tits”. If you want to break ground, you have gotta’ do better than that. Unless you light a fire in the audience’s lap, you won’t go anywhere in such a bloated scene.

Verdict

While the album didn’t move me, I sense a bigger picture for The Wine Thieves. With such great beats and slick vocals, I’m surprised their lyrics feel so shallow. Give these guys time to cook up some fiery flow and you might have the next big thing in the hip-hop underground. Until they spike the punch bowl, there isn’t going to be a party.

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25th Jul2011

Album Reviews: Sister City – Carbon Footprint

by remy

Sister City - Carbon Footprint
It has been a good long time since I was a pop punker. Years since the last time I attended my once annual tradition of The Warped Tour. I shaved off my last Mohawk the better part of a decade ago, and these days all of my skateboarding is done almost exclusively for the utilitarian benefit of wheeled travel. But for this review I have an album slid across my digital desk that immediately brings me back into the middle of a crowd trying to get a leg up in hopes that I can crowd surf my way close enough to the stage for a bitchin’ dive into a sea of supportive hands. Sister City’s Carbon Footprint is the modern day soundtrack to my teenage years, but how well does that stand up to the year since I’ve started exploring a broader base of genres?

Check out the album below!



The Pros:

What I first noticed while listening to this album (after the Say Anything-esque spoken-word lo-fi intro) is the literary writing style. Sister City don’t give the impression that they fight their words into the songs, but instead write out a thought and find a way of singing it. They do this well, and offer a melodic and catchy style of lyrics written around an idea and adjusted to fit within the song.

The drums stand out to me as being used as an instrument and not just as a time piece. Daniel Abzug (drummer) is definitely doing his part to keep the momentum running through the songs. He’s definitely doing his work to keep any of the riffs from stagnating.

The Cons:

While the content of the lyrics is solid the delivery leaves something to be desired. The vocals frequently bring too much of the nasal, sarcastic tone that spawns most of the critical commentary of the genre. This style of singing can be used appropriately but is entirely too common on this album.

The Verdict:

This album is solid but leaves me wanting more. There is nothing wrong with the album (except, I suppose, the Cons mentioned above) but I get the feeling that this duo has more to offer. I hear in them the ability to develop, and really hope they do. They have a style about them and I hope they allow it to develop. Maybe it’s the band bio shout outs to Against Me! (the old stuff, of course) or a persistent DIY spirit, but I feel like this album is just a teaser of what will come.

That said, this album holds its own and deserves a listen. If you’ve got a soft spot of bands like Midtown, Taking Back Sunday, or The Academy Is you’d do to head over to http://sistercity.bandcamp.com/ and have a listen and maybe a download. I know that the next time I’m cruising around on a summer day (which could be at any point here) I can see myself putting on this album and some sun glasses and throwing destinations to the wind so I can focus on enjoying the journey.

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12th Jul2011

Album Reviews: Valter – All Is Lost Tonight EP

by Blake

Valter (Paul Pitkin) is a singer/songwriter who released this EP in a less traditional way than his previous. According to his biography, he decided to go with the flow and not necessarily stick to traditional song structure. For this EP, I’ll be doing a track by track review to trace some of the things I really liked about this release, and a few that I didn’t dig. When you overtly claim influence from Snow Patrol, Radiohead, and Massive Attack, you get my ears to perk up. Actually, forget about the Snow Patrol part. Weren’t they the band who sang the “light up, light up” song?

Let Me Share This

All Is Lost Tonight

Mild guitar reverb swells with a 90′s drum kick over vocals taken straight from the same period, or, if you’re familiar, Jars of Clay. The hook – “she won’t mind if all is lost tonight” compliments the mood perfectly. This is one of those tight emotional songs that doesn’t reach too far into the profound, but still leaves you hot and bothered.

Free Fall

Although a much simpler track, “Free Fall” manages to crescendo closer to where it was meant to be. At the beginning it passes over without notice, but once you run into the bridge near 2:00, Valter grabs you again and matches the tempo with your state. While not an incredible song, it definitely isn’t a slouch. If you listen hard enough, there is definitely some Morrissey influence toward the beginning and some great spacey vocal presence. I really wanted him to take the bridge somewhere darker, but he pulled a Police and threw us back into happiness again. It is just preference.

Is The Day Beyond The Night

Guitars are strapped to thick liquid oars as Valter’s vocal presence jumps into the spotlight. His tone on this track is reminiscent of Bono’s trademark range jumps and vibrato. I felt apathetic after finishing the EP with such a stock-sounding tune. There wasn’t enough variety to keep me engaged. With a less than stellar ending, the track tapers off. Let me just skip back to track one…there.

Conclusion

I can’t say I heard the Radiohead or Massive Attack influence, but definitely the Snow Patrol. This EP wasn’t mind-blowing. Having briefly listened to his debut LP, Valter has a lot to offer the indie music scene. The acts that have that innate melancholy tone without plunging into the pretentious are far and few. He manages it well. The title track is definitely an ear catcher and one that I will probably be listening to again. The other two tracks were more bland than the first and were possibly only let-downs because of how much I enjoyed the first. If you really want a taste of what this guy is capable of, check out Spaces of Extraordinary Size. I will keep my eye out for this artist, and you should too.

 

 

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