The Soft Bulletin – The Flaming Lips
A few days ago I was talking to a buddy of mine about The Flaming Lips (his favourite band), and naturally the question arose as to which album we each preferred the most from the illustrious repertoire of the best band to ever come from Oklahoma City. When I said that my favourite was 1999’s The Soft Bulletin, I was met with a look of puzzlement – he had never even heard of it. I don’t mean to gush, but The Soft Bulletin is THE Flaming Lips album to know, and it seems to be criminally underappreciated. Moreso than even Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots, this is a true musical adventure in which different genres come together so magnificently that an attempt to categorize this music would result in one of those really annoying super-hyphenated imaginary sub-sub-sub-sub genres. This is just plainly good music. Just listen, and be in awe. Check out the leading track “A Spoonful Weighs a Ton” above. Happy Listening!
Bad Veins make good music!
Bad Veins is a Cincinnati duo that perhaps didn’t get the amount of buzz that they rightly deserved with the release of their self-titled debut last June. It’s chill, melodic electro-pop that will simultaneously satisfy fans of LCD Soundsystem and Stars. The reason I mention Bad Veins is the upcoming release of their Outliers EP on June 15th from Dangerbird Records. A thorough scouring of the Internet yielded no advance downloads, but we’ll keep our ear to the ground and we hope you do too. Check out “Go Home” from their LP above. Happy listening!
New Wolf Parade (Part 2 of 2)
“Ghost Pressure” is the second featured tune off of Wolf Parade’s new Expo 86, and it further demonstrates the triumphant return to form which was evidenced by “What Did My Lover Say”. Crunchy synths give way to a propulsive beat that gives this track a forward energy – unlike much of At Mount Zoomer, this is an exciting song to listen to. No, the lyrics aren’t as ingenious as some of Sunset Rubdown’s best moments, but here that doesn’t really matter – a great tune and beat means that only truly cringe-worthy lyrics (not something that Wolf Parade is known for anyways) could spoil this one. Happy listening!
New Wolf Parade! (Part 1 of 2)
The most remarkable thing about Wolf Parade is the amazing number of “side projects” that are connected to the band. The Handsome Furs, Swan Lake and Frog Eyes et al. are worthy of artistic merit in their own rights, but Wolf Parade remains the most noteworthy of these despite the fact that the main project is far outstripped by the side projects in terms of output.
The eclectic sounds of these side projects crept their way into At Mount Zoomer, Wolf Parade’s second LP. Their sound suffered as a result, the accessibility of their strangeness barred by an incoherency not seen on Apologies to the Queen Mary, their stunning debut. The first song featured here from their upcoming album Expo 86, “What Did My Lover Say? (It Always Had To Be This Way)”, represents a return to form. Direct, punchy and crunchy, the tune sustains itself nicely for over 5 minutes, a real feat. Take a listen above a see for yourself, and check out Your Ex-Lover is Dead tomorrow for another new song from Expo 86. Happy listening!
Don’t Worry Baby, this cover does its justice.
Surfer Blood is a new band that is getting a lot of hype, and listening to their take on the Beach Boys’ classic legitimizes it. While not appearing on their new release Astro Coast which came out in January, this lo-fi take on this well-known tune shows great promise and a sense of artistry harkening back to Pavement, the undisputed masters of lo-fi awesomeness. The deliberately awful sound quality makes the cover sound as if it was made in someone’s basement, which is perfect for a song about adolescent love. It could also sound as if you were listening to the original version from about 100 feet away blaring from someone’s car as you lie on the beach, the rhythmic bass dominating the mix as it floats through the summer breeze. It’s a refreshing take on a classic, and most importantly of all, the cringe-worthiness is removed from the “making love to me” line. Happy listening!
Eau Claire Memorial Jazz 1 ft. Justin Veron- Rocks In My Bed
Folk icon Justin Vernon in a white suit? Yes, it’s true! A few months ago (well, in December), Eau Claire Memorial Jazz 1 released the live album “A Decade With Duke”, recorded back in April 2009. Here’s the thing that makes this even cooler: Vernon, Eau Claire’s hometown hero, joined the group for their second set! The release consists of 6 Duke Ellington covers, and renditions of Vernon’s Lump Sum and For Emma. What makes this album so great is the fact that his full-bodied falsetto fits the old Duke standards so incredibly well. It seems that these songs could have been composed for Vernon himself! This track I’ve posted, “Rocks In My Bed” features a slinky sax hook, and really highlights Vernon’s extreme versatility as a musician. If it is not clear by now, I have the biggest man crush on Justin Vernon. Every track on the release is great. Check out the aforementioned rendition of Lump Sum. It features a 2 minute Jazz flute solo. All I can say is that it is magical. Enjoy
Daniel, Fred & Julie- No One Knew My Name
This folk outfit, composed of Daniel Romano (Attack in Black), Fred Squire (Calm Down It’s Monday), and Julie Dorion (Julie Dorion, Eric’s Trip), recently released a self titled album with You’ve Changed Records, and went on a small tour that wrapped up at the end of April. These three multitalented musicians came together to record a handful of songs in Fred’s Garage in Sackville, New Brunswick last summer, using a single microphone and a tape machine. Each track was recorded with out any over-dubbing or editing, producing one of the most pleasingly simplistic, easy listening folk records i have heard in quite some time. Levels we’re achieved by trial and error, as they experimented with positioning around the microphone. They describe the album as a collection of ”Songs of romance, justice, murder, loafing, complaint, horses and gambling. Old songs, in the public domain. Public songs for singing together”. This track i’ve posted here, “No One Knew My Name” is an energetic narrative-like tune, harmonized from start to finish, that i feel accurately captures the feel the album as a whole. This refreshing blend of timeless traditional songs and new compositions is well put together and definitely deserves a listen.
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club is still awesome, if you thought they were awesome before.
“Conscience Killer” is a track from Black Rebel Motorcycle Club’s new album, Beat the Devil’s Tattoo, and it is both what you expect from these unsung stalwarts of grungy blues-rock as well as step beside the sound of their last proper LP, Baby 81. Drummer Nick Jago is gone, and has been replaced by Leah Shapiro of The Raveonettes, leading to the dissolution of the latter band. Immediate comparisons to Meg White arise, but the drumming on “Conscience Killer” is clearly a step above White’s brand of eager but flailing basement determination.
As for the quality of the track overall, BRMC’s present fans need not be worried – the band’s sound still falls somewhere between The White Stripes and Queens Of The Stone Age, and this relatively focussed effort on producing a bluesier sound on this album makes things interesting without making things alienating. Like most BMRC, this is not music for everybody and is best enjoyed when drunk, preferably on Jack Daniel’s or SoCo, or anything brewed south of the Mason-Dixon. Happy listening!
Old Man Luedecke – Youth and Age in Perfect Balance
Chris Luedecke (Loo-Duh-Kah), a.k.a. Old Man Luedecke is a singular talent that finds beauty and profundity in simplicity and allows a melody to be undiluted and undisturbed by effects or any sonic gimmicks that have become all too common in popular music today. Old Man Ludecke is not actually an old man, but has mastered the ‘clawhammer’ style of banjo-picking that gives his songs an old-timey folk feel. However, Luedecke also has a keen ear and undeniable pop sensibilities, making his music a foray into folk that folkies and hipsters alike can appreciate. While he rejuvenates his genre with pop song structures, he also shows his maturity with lyrics full of weariness, doubt and longing that make his stage name so appropriate.
A great example of all of these attributes is “Sugarman” found on his latest album Mole In The Ground and in streaming audio above. It features a catchy hook supporting lyrics that are achy without being hokey – a rarity indeed. Happy listening!
The Tallest Man On Earth- King of Spain
In April, Kristian Matsson released his sophomore album after signing with Dead Oceans Records. Better known by his moniker The Tallest Man on earth, the incredible Swedish folk artist has leaped (with vigor i might add!) over the sophomore slump many artists face in creating a second album that lives up to the debut. The new album is a well-crafted blend of energetic and slightly slower tracks. The album starts with the catchy, upbeat title track “The Wild Hunt”, and things do not slow down from there. It takes incredible skill to write an enthralling record that consists only of a single guitar and voice, occasionally accompanied by some sparse banjo. Closing with the reflective , slightly-out-of-tune piano ballad, “Kids on the Run”, “The Wild Hunt” is definitely an early candidate to be one of my favourite albums of the year. Honestly, his voice gives me shivers. This track here, King of Spain, is a single he released prior to dropping the album on April 13th. Give it a listen, I hope you like it as much as I do!
For the record, his first album is called Shallow Grave, and it is equally as awesome.
Check out his myspace for some other great tracks of both albums!
