19th Jun2011

Weekly Digs #30 (6/19/11)

by Adam Finley

Time is even sneakier than the head-phoned leopard, and we’ve very nearly reached the halfway point of 2011. It’s almost time to do our January-June Album of the Year round up, but while we wait for Mr. Nick “The Man” Wan to put that together, let’s give props to our newest writer, Ryan, by letting him go first with the music recs this week.

Ryan’s Picks

The Who – Who’s Next [Bonus Tracks]

Yeah, bonus tracks.  I picked this up for budget price at a Best Buy not too long ago.  Apart from an obviously classic album, this includes a live version of “Water,” which kicks more ass than a steel-toed boot.

Guided By Voices – Self-Inflicted Aerial Nostalgia

I bought this as part of Box, which is a compendium of the group’s first four releases, plus a rarities disc.  For me, Self-Inflicted Aerial Nostalgia is their first step towards perfection.  Listen to “An Earful O’ Wax”:

Nick’s Picks

Police Sirens

For some reason (I think I know the reason) there has been way more cops on this street this past week. I’m thinking it’s because people are graduating. However, looting is also a possibility.

Far – At Night We Live

Vastly overlooked, vastly underhyped. When they came back with this, I went to almost every live show they had around northern California. Far is up there on my “most-influential” list. Hmm… maybe I should ask everyone for their most influential lists… good idea, me. Watch “Deafening”:

 

Blake’s Picks

Nero – Guilt

Nero has been throwing out amazing singles for a while now. This specific song is about as sexy as a dub track can get without climbing the trip-hop tree. We all know strippers dig Massive Attack.

Grateful Dead – Casey Jones

This song is about as relaxed as you can get. I enjoy driving around and listening to it at least once a week: “And not a single fuck was given that day.”

Nate’s Picks

Bad Books – S/T

I’ve really gotten into this album more and more recently. The Kevin Devine and Andy Hull really compliment each other well. The songwriting on this album is pretty unreal.

Big K.R.I.T – K.R.I.T Wuz Here

This guy’s one of the best MCs in the game right now. He’s got loads of potential and I can really see him blowing up in the future. Check out “Hometown Hero”:

Finley’s Picks

Tyler, The Creator – Goblin

The deeper I get into this album, the more interesting I find it. I feel like I finally have a grasp on it after eight or nine listens, and if I can keep my head above water this week it’s finally getting the review it deserves.

Harvey Danger – EVERY HARVEY DANGER ALBUM EVER

How is it that Harvey Danger is only remembered  as the band that did that “Flagpole Sitta” song from that stupid movie with the chick from Dawson’s Creek? That’s fucking criminal. Harvey Danger released dozens of excellent, cheeky songs that bridged the gap between Seattle’s grunge and modern indie scenes. These guys are the shit, and always will be. Watch the video for “Sad Sweetheart of the Rodeo”:

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15th Jan2011

Weekly Digs #14 (1/15/11)

by Adam Finley

How it got to be Saturday again so soon is anyone’s guess. The important part is that music was listened to this week, and your friends at 402 Reviews have some suggestions for you. Let’s get to it!

Finley’s Picks

Cage The Elephant – Thank You, Happy Birthday

Sounds like a mix of Deer Tick and the Yah Mos Def. Still not quite sure how I feel about this– I don’t love it, but I certainly don’t hate it.

Pendulum – Immersion

I don’t normally listen to a ton electronic music, but somehow it has been part and parcel of my listening lately and I’ve been digging this album. Stay tuned for a proper review next week.

Bring Me The Horizon – There Is a Hell, Believe Me I’ve Seen It. There Is a Heaven, Let’s Keep It a Secret

Also not my normal cup of tea, but if you’re looking for epic metal with unapologetic ferocity and lots of swears, look no further. (check out the awesomely silly video for It Never Ends below)

Nick’s Picks

Far East Movement – Free Wired

Why? I don’t club it up. I don’t know why. It’s fun though!

Bad Books – s/t

Trying to find that soundtrack for this semester but have yet to find one from this year. (watch the live acoustic version of Mesa, Arizona below)

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04th Dec2010

Weekly Digs #10 (12/04/10)

by Adam Finley

Each week we have a crazy picture of an animal to greet the Weekly Digs, and today’s picture is special for two reasons. 1) That is my crazy animal right there, a psychotic little kitten named Eliot, inspecting a box which he will inhabit for the next three weeks before finding a twist tie to obsess over. 2) That box is an early Christmas gift from my wonderful girlfriend: the record player I’ve talked about getting since moving to Seattle 2 years ago! In the spirit of this, my picks consist of the three vinyl records I currently own. What will the rest of the crew choose? Let’s find out!

Finley’s Picks:

James Gang – James Gang Rides Again

I picked this up at a flea market last year for $3. I may not have been able to play it at the time, but I knew that “Ashes, The Rain, And I” would sound amazing on vinyl. I was right.

Grateful Dead – Terrapin Station

No lie, I’m not a Jerry Garcia fan. But my girlfriend found this by the dumpster at our old apartment (in a huge building with a bad manager, someone was always moving out and leaving cool stuff behind). I’ll give it a couple of spins and see if I can’t find some common ground with the old hippie socialists giving away newspapers downtown.

Rocky Votolato – Makers

I’ve been a Rocky fan for a long time, but moving to Seattle made me appreciate him even more. Makers is the perfect accompaniment to a gray, drizzly day. If I didn’t have work piling up I would put this on, drink coffee, and stare out the window all afternoon.

Adam H.’s Picks:

Forgive Burden – Razia’s Shadow

Blitzen Trapper – Destroyer Of The Void

Fun – Aim And Ignite


Nick’s Picks:

Bad books – s/t

IT’S GOOD. I am not seeing straight.

Kevin Devine – Make The Clocks Move

I love this album. If I had to slow dance at a themed prom party, it’d be to this. The entire thing.

Hhsjsbshaiiaidj – Urieieioeototktjrjeh

Adam Finley’s secret band. Half of the members are from Vancouver, which is where one of the Quin sisters resides. I love tegan and Sara. More than Adam Finley’s band. And their covers of Nirvana’s “Lithium”.

(note: Nick was semi-correct. Half of us are from Vancouver, but my secret band is actually called Greenlake Walkers and our first album, ‘The Many Loves of Old Martha Dumptruck’ is an acapella fuzzcore hip-hop odyssey that will surely get a 10.0 from Pitchfork. Mark my words.)

P.S. The verdict from Eliot regarding the new noise box in the house? DOES NOT LIKE!

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23rd Oct2010

Weekly Digs #4 (10/23/10)

by Adam Finley

This is the single greatest image ever created by mankind. Don’t try to deny, and don’t try to hate.

Installment #4 of the Weekly Digs finds Halloween fast approaching and yet another 402 writer throwing their hat into the ring with some recommendations. We’ll start with our own Adam Haynes; here is what your 402 writers have been listening to this week.

Adam H.’s Picks:

Bad Books – s/t

Kevin Devine – Brother’s Blood

Bayside – Walking Wounded


Nick’s Picks:

Gigi D’Agostino – I’ll Fly With You

I heard this song on the radio driving back to my hometown a few weeks ago. Reminded me of middle school. Then, when I was working some weird party, the DJ was mixing this down. It doesn’t have that umpff that I would have thought it would have, like it did back in middle school, but it does have that nostalgic ring to it.

Sufjan Stevens – The Age of Adz

Hyped up? Yep. Does it match the hype? Yep.

Zach Hill – Face Tat

I’ll leave Nate to describe this one. It’s all over the place (in a good way)

Adam F.’s Picks:

The Bird And The Bee – Interpreting The Master, Vol. 1: A Tribute To Daryl Hall & John Oates

How good these covers are speaks to how good a songwriting duo Hall & Oates actually was, and that they sound at home alongside modern indie tracks speaks to how influential Hall & Oates actually is. Good luck getting this entire album out of your head.

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin – Let It Sway

A solid collection of songs from the awesomely-named Missouri indie-poppers, including a very mixtapeable title track.

B.o.B – B.o.B. Presents: The Adventures Of Bobby Ray

Genre-bending backpack-swag rap featuring a grab bag of guests (Eminem, Rivers Cuomo, and Paramore’s Hayley Williams to name a few), I’ve probably given this album more time and attention than it deserves, but I can’t bring myself to regret it.

That’s it for this week, folks! Check back soon for more recommendations and don’t forget to leave a comment with a list of your own favorite albums of late.

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18th Oct2010

Bad Books – Bad Books

by Adam Haynes

The Premise

Bad Books is billed as side project combination of Manchester Orchestra and Kevin Devine.  It plays out more as merger of MO’s Andy Hull’s solo project, Right Away Great Captain!, and the folk stylings of Kevin Devine with the other members of Manchester Orchestra serving as a backing band on a few tracks.

The two songwriters met while touring with Brand New in 2007.  They have been seemingly inseparable since then.  When Kevin Devine was dropped from his previous label he quickly joined his friends at Favorite Gentlemen, a record label made up almost entirely of the members of Manchester Orchestra.  In their time spent together since they had toyed with the idea of writing music together.  Bad Books is the result of their recent decision to act on their idea.  The result is impressive.

The Tracklist
  1. How This All Ends
  2. The Easy Mark & The Old Maid
  3. Baby Shoes
  4. You’re A Mirror I Cannot Avoid
  5. Holding Down The Laughter
  6. You Woudn’t Have to Ask
  7. I Begged You Everything
  8. Please Move
  9. Mesa, AZ
  10. Texas
Listen While You Read
The Album

The album has a decidedly lo-fi sound that is no surprise to those familiar with Hull & Devine’s solo works.  The production plays perfectly into the to style and content of the album.  From start to finish the album feels like a musical journey.  The album holds roots in the folk genre but often seems to be pulling inspiration from everything from The Beatles to The Beach Boys to Nirvana.

If there is any complaint about the album is that it’s no surprise.  It is very much just an album where the two songwriters take turns as lead while the other provides beautiful harmonies.  Of course this is like complaining that you knew the best thing you’ve ever eaten was going to be the best thing you’ve ever eaten.

The album’s opener, “This This All Ends”, swells with an ethereal quality until finally bursting into a Beatles-esque chorus.  Like the rest of the album that follows the opening track preserves it sense of simplicity even though it’s built on beautiful layers of complex instrumentation.

Kevin Devine takes the lead on the follow up track, “The Easy Mark and the Old Maid”.  It is essentially the Kevin Devine you’ve come to know and love from his previous efforts that is now being support by enchanting backing vocals.

Track 3, “Baby Shoes”,  begins with some surprisingly evenly mixed vocals.  As the track progresses Devine’s vocals fade almost completely away.

The album continues to trade back in forth between leads with Kevin Devine presenting tracks such as, “You’re A Mirror I Cannot Avoid”, which are almost completely solo efforts.  The presence of the other members of Manchester Orchestra becomes readily apparent on the track “Please Move” which sounds like it would have fit in perfectly on the MO’s most recent album, “Mean Everything to Nothing”.

Final Word

This album in unsurprisingly good and a major contender for my album of year.

A Little Extra Enjoyment for Your Ears and Eyes

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