Big Wreck: "Albatross"

As I have said before, my youth consisted of an overdose of a few genres of music: dream pop, glam rock, goth rock, (early deep) house, industrial, new wave, (campy and kitschy) pop, post-punk, punk, shoegaze, synthpop, etc… So it should come as no surprise when I say that by 1997 I was becoming disenchanted with music. Just look at was on offer from the veterans: Erasure’s “Cowboy” (1997, a return to the mundane after an amazingly experimental eponymous album), Crane’s “Population 4” (1997, grew on me eventually, but devoid all of the band’s grandiosity), Siouxsie and the Banshee’s “Rapture” (1995, an anti-climatic end to one of the most underrated bands of all time), Ride’s “Tarantula” (1996, a disappointment only overshadowed by the disappointment of the band breaking up), The Cure’s “Wild Mood Swings” (1996, inferior to all their prior albums), Depeche Mode’s “Ultra” (1997, with the obvious exceptions, really….really?) … and the list can go on and on and on. But then I heard “That Song” … How does the cliché go? Hook, line and sinker! Considering that Big Wreck is anything other than those genres mentioned above, it even surprised me back in 1997 that they were one of the bands instrumental in reigniting my passion for music. And, when I decided that I would wait for July to relaunch SlowdiveMusic Blog (since I would be free of all responsibilities other than tanning and spending wasting hours without my feet ever touching the ground), the best place I could think of starting once again from is the reformed Big Wreck and their new release, “Albatross” (6 March 2012).

Another thing I have said before is that I am sucker for literary metaphors. Whether or not Big Wreck intended on bringing up visions of Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” it is where the metaphor of the albatross being a psychological and/or spiritual burden comes from. Lyrically, Big Wreck delivers on this theme of tortured souls and restless contemplation. Musically, Big Wreck continues to elude conventional labeling. Are they post-rock? Post-grunge? Progressive rock? Perhaps it is best to acknowledge that Big Wreck brings in all the above references with a slew of others, including the blues, and, after a decade since their last release, they are still able to stir up that sense of anxiety and angst that makes you breathless. But, unlike so many bands that have reformed, they are not relying on old formulas or old monuments … they are creating the next chapter, not wallowing in the last one for the sake of nostalgia. And there is Ian Thornley’s voice. Suffice to say it is one of the most haunting voices in music.

The album opens very subtly with “Head Together,” and then the beat drops: “Those glances ricochet off everybody else, but they’re sticking to me like glue. And if the situation ever was to change, who’s to say what the hell I’d do.” Big instrumentalisation and tight arrangements, this is the kind of song you expect from Big Wreck. The second track, “A Million Days,” with a new-wave-esque opening that repeats, has one hook after the other, endlessly changing it up. Then follows the first “wow” moment, “Wolves.” Musically, the mandolin work is very unexpected. Lyrically, the weight of the words is belied by the levity of the music (“I said bleed out your heart, if it’s still beating for someone else….”). Then the titular track follows: “One last cup of starlight, before I wake and start my day. A past so filled with promise, before I lost, I lost my way. Ah that’s okay, and I’m alright; I guess I’ll be lost again for one more night. Oh and that’s alright, I’m okay; I’ll wear the albatross for one more day.” And even though the song is ripe with bluesy elements, Ian Thornley’s voice is uplifting and oozing more hope than it has ever before.

The rest of the album is as brilliant as the opening four tracks. “Glass Room” demonstrates Big Wreck’s pop sensibility, without compromising their style, while “All Is Fair” is a contemporary (indie?) take on 70s rock. “Control” slows things down (eerily) to ditch out a bit of harsh reality (“It’s the same old world, where we grew up, and there’s no one to blame for why we’re all screwed up. You can bury your head in a great big hole, did you ever believe that you were in control?”), while “Rest of the World” is this big, loud, harsh monster of a song, where all of the metal and post-rock references are running rampant. “You Caught My Eye” is a study in contradictions: musically anti-sultry but seductive, lyrically harsh but coquettish – yet it all works so well when put together. The cacophonous “Do What You Will” plays with your expectations over and over, and then slips into the final track: “Time.” This is the biggest surprise on the album. From all the acoustic elements to the unexpected shifts, Thornley’s is profounder than ever before: “If I could go back in time, what would I change of mine? I wasted way too much of it just wishing I could go back in it. It takes time to figure out why I’m always running out.”

And what have always said if you wanted the job done right? Get a veteran to do it! “Albatross” is an amazing album and a very welcomed return of Big Wreck. Check this album out immediately.

Track Listing:
1. Head Together
2. A Million Days
3. Wolves
4. Albatross
5. Glass Room
6. All Is Fair
7. Control
8. Rest of the World
9. You Caught My Eye
10. Do What You Will
11. Time

Keep up with Big Wreck at their homepage, Facebook, and Twitter.

Here are the videos for “Albatross,” “Control,” and “Wolves” from the bigwreckmusic YouTube Channel.





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Koortwah: "Lay Them Wise"

A bit over a month ago, DJ Chauncey Dandridge told me about Koortwah; he did not so much ask me to listen to Koortwah’s music, but rather demanded it. With permission from Koortwah, I was forwarded a link to download and listen to the music, a collection entitled “Vertical Demos.” Honestly, I did not take the needed time to really listen actively and thoroughly, but on Saturday, 11 February 2012, I was in Manhattan with friends to catch the musical interpretation of “Carrie” at the Lucille Lortel Theater. Chauncey sent me a text that evening telling me that Koortwah was performing at Rock Bar, three blocks away from the theatre. After the musical (which I do recommend), we headed down to Rock Bar, and I have to say that by the end of the first song, I was smitten.



That night, I went home and really listened to “Vertical Demos,” which apparently has been released under the title of “Lay Them Wise” (7 February 2012) via iTunes. Koortwah is the brainchild of Jake Courtois; the moniker is the phonetic spelling of his last name. He migrated to New York City, in his words, to “escape from his fundamentalist overseers,” where in New York, “rats, being largely misunderstood, felt like family.” These two quotes sum up so much about what you can expect from Koortwah. Metaphoric with a sense of humor, his music celebrates the misunderstood or ignored, oftentimes the obvious we forget to mention, leaving behind the fundamentalist ideas of how people should behave and even how music should comport itself. Essentially treading through electronic soundscapes, the references are much wider than the average electronic outfit. From synthrock to IDM (intelligent dance music), electro and synthpop to trip-hop, the electronic coldness is juxtaposed by the occasional use of an acoustic guitar strumming and Courtois’ eerily alluring voice.

The opening track of “Lay Them Wise” (also the opening track of the live performance that night) is “Night Vision.” There is a feel of dream pop etherealness in the vocal arrangements, grounded by the IDM beats, the ambient music and ostinato is occasionally interrupted by some “harsher” sonic elements. The following track, “Candy In The Sun,” slows down the beat to a near downtempo feel, musically less ambient, the coarseness of the music mirrors the lyrics: “Candy in the sun, we all come undone, insides on the outside, wave good-bye.” Sometimes, however, there is a bit of mid-80s post-punk mentality in the music, where the feel of the music belies the lyrical profundity. “Amen” captivates you with its dance-ready beat, savvy hooks, and a controlled cacophony of sounds; lyrically, there is definitely a dark motif running through the song, where the religious “Amen” is highlighted in the vocal arrangements: “I don’t want what you want, maybe I should die alone; hold my hand, I want to go home… Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen.” Now, it is my understanding that Courtois does not explain his lyrics, so I wonder if this is an allegory of gaining self-confidence to continue alone, or a nifty take on the crucifixion. Either way, the song is infectiously disarming.

“There Go Your Teeth” (with a line that is going to be my new mantra, “Everything is boring, you’re boring, maybe I don’t need new friends”) is an anti-love song which musically juxtaposes harsh electronic sounds with the warmth of a piano, while “Wrong Tree” basks in its electronic soundscape, fluttering easily through its arrangements, even when the beat drops away and the acoustic strumming begins. The mood instantly changes with “Built To Burn,” especially when Courtois sings, “You know what I’d do for money…” The closest thing to a ballad on the album, what the song really made me think of is that this is how some of the slower tracks on the “Chorus” album [by Erasure] would sound like if it were recorded today – poppy, yet heart-rendering; electronically generated, but musically and lyrically greater than its medium. Then the jazzy titular track drags itself in. What I really like about this song is how the ostinato and the main key arrangement during the verse are so distinct from one another and yet, somehow, work well in tandem.

The most disturbing song is “Pound of Sugar”: “I had children, yes, I once had sons; they lived and learned, I guess they all died young.” What I really like about the vocal arrangements is that the song is not sung line by line in the traditional way we are accustomed to; quite often, the last word of the bar is the first word of the next line. It adds a sense of drama and suspense to the song. Then the album (unfortunately) comes to a close with “The Water’s Gold.” Instead of ending on the clichéd power song, the album closes with a slower paced song that oscillates between coarse and ambient, between ethereal and earthier arrangements.

It is not often on this blog that I have felt compelled to comment on each and every song on an album; this, in and of itself, really reflects what I feel about this album. Here is secret about my musical collection: there are only a handful of albums that I can say that I feel an intimate attachment with each and every track. “Lay Them Wise” joins this group of albums. What Koortwah has created here is a musical experience of elements we may all know, but are presented in a way that is disarming and gives you pause to reconsider what you think about your own musical expectations. This nascent, truly indie artist has composed the kind of album that some of the veterans he lists as influences would like to produce themselves. Furthermore, when I think of what post-punk means – a budding movement from the late 1970s that stayed true to the punk ideology of rejecting conformity, while at the same time experimented with a broader range of sounds and references, always with a twist as it usurped popular formats – it is hard for me not to consider Koortwah among this tradition.

(I would be remiss if I did not say a few words about the live performance. A drummer joined him on stage, he occasionally strummed away on his acoustic, while the rest of the music was produced electronically; throughout the performance of each song, there were images being projected, which ranged from curious to poignant. However, there was no sensory overload; the music, the vocals, and the images all conspired together to suck you right into the performance.)

“Lay Them Wise” is the first album of 2012 that I can honestly say is a must! Check out Koortwah’s music and follow him at one (or all) of his sites to keep abreast of new music and future live performances – you may just find yourself falling in love with the music as much as I did. (Of course now I need to track Jake Courtois down among the rats to get him to answer a few questions.)

Track Listing:
1. Night Vision
2. Candy In The Sun
3. Amen
4. There Go Your Teeth
5. The Wrong Tree
6. Built To Burn
7. Lay Them Wise
8. A Pound Of Sugar
9. The Water’s Gold

Keep up with Koortwah at his homepage, Facebook, and Twitter.

Here are a few of the interation iTunes links to Koortwah’s “Lay Them Wise”: Canada, Deutschland, España, France, Ireland, The United Kingdom, and The United States.

Here are the tracks “Built to Burn,” with the videos used during live performances, and “Night Vision” from the KOORTWAH YouTube Channel.



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Katrin The Thrill: "Earth Is Calling Us"

My many thanks to Independent Music Promotions for keeping me in the loop!

There are a few female vocalists, who when I hear them sing, the sound of their voices continue to haunt me for hours. Grace Slick and Siouxsie Sioux are two of these vocalists; the one thing that they have in common is that when they sing, their vocals seem to “lift” from the songs and dominate the soundscape. In more recent years, Skin of Skunk Anansie and Marina Lambrini Dimandis of Marina and the Diamonds also have this quality to their vocals. Katerina Panopoulu, who writes and performs under the moniker Katrin The Thrill, is another female vocalist to possess this quality. Her debut EP, “Earth Is Calling Us” (20 December 2010), not only frolics in darkish, brooding music that straddles both grunge and post-punk revival, it showcases her powerful and compellingly alluring vocals.



This is one of those releases that I kick myself for not discovering or being told about earlier! The genesis of the EP harkens back to 2009, when fires swept through Greece leaving havoc and devastation in their wake. “Earth Is Calling Us” is not only a reaction to the fires, but also a means to help; part of the profits will go towards the reforestation of the burned forests. In essence, this EP is more than just aesthetics; it is the chance, the potential, of doing something meaningful that transcends music.

“Earth Is Calling Us” opens with “You Make Me Wanna Die” – musically straightforward and lyrically blunt: “Now you’ve hurt me enough, so please decide to stop. Yes you made me sad, how cruel is your love…” Do not dismiss this song as that ramblings of a jilted lover; take notice of how the atmosphere between verse and chorus shifts, when Panopoulu repeatedly sings, “You make me wanna die.” It becomes obvious that this song is about the effects of an abusive situation, an issue rarely addressed in music. And it is obvious from the start that there is conscious consideration of how music and lyrics will work in tandem. The following track, “Unreal,” is darker and more brooding than the first; the guitar playing/arrangements on the track, though not the most complex on the album, really create an amazing lulling atmosphere. “God” is a surreal, narrative track of death (maybe suicide) and a “trip to find God” in order to find love. The song is as dramatic as they come; from the verses that seem to inch slowly, building up suspense, to the grandiose, yet ambient, feel of the chorus, everything about the song is disarming in a good way, especially when she sings the line, “I am God. I am God.”

The titular track follows, sharing some of the same underpinnings of the preceding track in terms of how suspense is built in the song. What I really like about this track is how the music and vocals bounce back-and-forth from resigned to angry. The radio edit of the song closes the EP. But before reaching that point, you go through “Sorry.” The music goes poppier than before, definitely more on the grunge side, with a bit of “shoegazy” guitars for effects. The main lyrical content is the repetition of “I’m sorry.” What really gets you about the song is how the near bubbly music and the idea of contriteness in the repeated phrase are really mutually exclusive and yet work wonderfully together (definitely my favorite track). But like good lyricists, there is an air of (total) ambiguity about this song: what are you sorry about? How did it go wrong? But, at the end of it all, it doesn’t matter, because the song really captures that moment when you want to give into your remorse and ask for forgiveness, but still stubbornly holding onto the façade of being happy and upbeat.

Just as I always say about Scandinavia, Greece stands outside and relatively at a distance from the Anglo-American world; though drenched with its music, it is experienced in quite a different way than a kid in Boston or Manchester would engage it. It is that distinct perspective about music, genre, and even language that really gives some international artists something special and alluring to their music. Katrin The Thrill (though having studied prior and now living in the UK) is one of those artists that have that alluringness of being the outsider producing something familiar, but yet refreshing and distinct. “Earth Is Calling Us” is the evidence of that. It is everything about this collection (that amazing voice, the infectious rifts, knowing that your purchase helps reforest parts of Greece, and that distinct approach of familiar elements) that keeps me hitting repeat and making me wish I knew about it earlier.

Track Listing:
1. You Make Me Wanna Die
2. Unreal
3. God
4. Earth Is Calling Us
5. Sorry
6. Earth Is Calling Us, Radio Edit

Keep up with Katrin The Thrill at their homepage, MySpace, and Facebook.

Here is the video for “Earth Is Calling Us” from the manoouz YouTube Channel.

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Doug Prescott: "The Journey & The Deep Blue Sea"

My many thanks to Independent Music Promotions for keeping me in the loop.

For some reason or other, I have typically swayed away from making political commentary on the blog, but I think it is obvious from the musicians that I tend to cover where I stand politically. It is perhaps why I usually sway away from certain genres of music and a certain set of musicians – their politics revolt me for the most part. Though I listen to some country music, it is for those said reasons that I usually sway away from it as a genre, so when I received Doug Prescott’s “The Journey & The Deep Blue Sea” (1 November 2011), at first I scoffed at the fact that I was about to listen to country music. Though it is hard to categorize this album as purely being “country,” as many other elements (from lounge to funk) permeates through the music, at the heart of the songs there is something undeniably American. However, I think that the folks in the metaphoric Nashville (who think they have the market on “Americana”) would thumb their collective nose at this album, which, in my book, is a good reason to listen to it.



First let me admit some of my ignorance. I know little about Doug Prescott; I did cheat a little and read a snippet of his biography (crooning by night, by day the CEO of Prescott Environmental Associates, consulting clients to operate cleaner and greener) and know even less about his discography. And even though I do listen to some country music, it is by far not enough to actually tell you what is trendy or not. I say these things to point out that this is truly a blind review. But what speaks volumes to me is the fact that I am listening to Prescott even though I am post-punk overdosed, shoegazed-obsessed.

The album kicks off with the ironically titled “Happy Enough Song,” which really displays some great blues arrangements. “I just do my thing and do my best to sing a happy enough song,” sings Prescott, and it is not just the music that sucks you in, but also the universal reality: we all go through life, the mundane activities of everyday, as we wait for something better, always keeping our chins up – that happy enough song. Starting an album with such a song only makes you wonder just what is coming next. “Hideaway,” more traditionally country than the opener, is about Prescott’s need for change from the mundanities of everyday life: “Break away, I just might need to break away…. Hideaway, I wish I could hideaway. There are decisions to be made, but I don’t want to make them.” (Just about how I feel every Monday.) The third track, “Patience,” brings in the funk, succinct lyrics (“Better just get in line, you just might have to wait; might not be your time, you might get lucky sooner or later…”), and a detached, matter-of-fact vocal style. And already in the first three tracks, Prescott shows a wide diversity of musical and vocal styles, really elaborating on the concept of just what is “country.”

The album closes with “Little Elvis & Fat Cat Eddie” – a strong blues ending to mirror the opening. And by the time you have reached this closing point, you are realize that one of the reasons you have been drawn to the vocals is because they are fashioned after an older, 60’s, style of singing which is warmer and more alluring that contemporary singing, which makes it perfect for the continual narration throughout the album. My favorite track is “Silence Speaks Volumes.” With a near Caribbean-feel and a line I think we all must have said at one time (“Don’t patronize me when we’re trying to talk it over”), it is the outlier of the album. Musically it is disarming in the context of the rest of album, and lyrically it is the line that comes before the aforementioned that is the most poignant: “Sometimes what you don’t say hurts more.” I would be remiss, though, if I did not mention “Let’s Get Wide Open.” In terms of the arrangements, no song on the album compares – this is great arrangements! There is nothing superfluous: from the vocal crooning to the use of the horns, every moment of music and vocals helps propel the mood of this 70s-esque song.

Doug Prescott’s “The Journey & The Deep Blue Sea” is essentially a country album, but it is those musical references to other genres that really brings it to life. His non-purist approach to songwriting is refreshing, as anything that is done by the book easily bores me. Furthermore, Dough Prescott represents one of the independent country musicians, a set of musicians that rarely get any mention in the world of the “independent” music. And as a true independent artist, he is able to compose music that is outside of the norm or the expected. This, I state emphatically as a post-punk overdosed, shoegaze-obsessed fan, is the kind of music that might have me going out to buy a Stetson. Check it out.

Tracks:
1. Happy Enough Song
2. Hideaway
3. Patience
4. Silence Speaks Volumes
5. Oh Maggie
6. Let’s Get Wide Open
7. It’s About Oil
8. Beach Wedding
9. Right Time, Right Place
10. Little Elvis & Fat Cat Eddie

Keep up with Doug Prescott at his homepage and Facebook.

Here is Doug Prescott’s video for “It’s About Oil” from the davstill YouTube Channel.

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Free Swim

Paul Coltofeanu, the man behind The Android Angel moniker, has in these past months simultaneously produced music behind another moniker, Free Swim. Now, the first thing I have to admit is that most of this post should have been up last year, but life continued to get in the way. However, as I sat back this morning, listening to the first two releases and the brand new one, I instantly remembered why this truly independent musician has always fascinated me: incredible song writing. All three of these EPs are written with a narrative in mind, where music is used not only as a melodic accompaniment to narration, but used to signify mood, setting, and characterization. Collectively these three EPs may be a break from Coltofeanu’s personal introspection as The Android Angel, but they are a deep mediation on universal truths that we often forget.

“Two Hands is OK” (17 January 2011)



There are many things that I can say about “Two Hands is OK,” such as the music is universally appealing, as it acts as the background of the narrative of the story. But I think I am going to frame this EP in terms of its narratology.

The “Two Hands is OK” EP opens with a very catchy instrumental, “The Eureka Moment.” Think of the song as the exposition of the narrative, the background – the anxiousness of living in this fast paced world, then having that moment, that singular idea that will solve everything: two new hands. Then the rising action kicks in the second track: “I’ll Graft Two Extra Hands on My Chest”: “There was once a man so incredibly busy, being a father, a son, and a saleman. He grafted two new hands to his chest.” This of course will allow him to “sign more documentation and multitask much more efficiently.” But this sense of productivity goes beyond work: “He pleasured his wife, he pleasured himself”

Continuing the famous narrative graph that haunted most students in secondary schools, “Actually, Two Hands is OK” would be the climax, when others finally take note and form an opinion of the man: “I guess you’d hope he’d more than cope with the demands of life in the fast lane.” But his unfurling comes with a Rubrix Cube (those damn things!). His hands become obsessed with completing the puzzle that he finally loses control, not just of his hands, but also of life in his obsession to straighten things out. Then the falling action comes in “Rubik’s Rue.” With a bit of postmodern self-reference (“I’m aware that’s a slightly lazy metaphor, but I only studied English to GCSE.”), his wife suggests he has the extra hands removed. He thinks that life “wasn’t so bad” with two hands. Ultimately, the operation is a success. In the resolution of the narrative, “Quality Time With the Wife and Kids,” there is the realization that “sometimes life get hard, sometimes thing get tough, but most important is quality time…”

The moral of the story: the wear and tear of everyday life and everything we do to be more efficient in the wage-labor market is all for naught, compared to the quality time we spend in our lives. Here is the laziest of clichés: we should work to live, not live to work.

Track Listing: The Eureka Moment / I’ll Graft Two Extra Hands on My Chest / Actually, Two Hands Is OK / Rubik’s Rue / Quality Time With the Wife and Kins

[“The Eureka Moment” from the paulcolto YouTube Channel.]



“Yolanda the Panda” (28 March 2011)



Again, the EP is arched around a narrative, but this time around the narrative and music is definitely more ambitious. For instance, Colteaufeanu takes out that acoustic guitar and does some of his most beautiful strumming – and let me state for the record, that he is, in my opinion, one of the most emotive acoustic strummers out there. As the narrative is even more fantastic (a Panda, a Willet, and an Englishman are going mountain climbing!), the music this time does not simply just mirror the urgency of the narrative, but rather amplifies the characterization in terms of capturing their emotions.

From the start, “I Want to be a Mountaineer!” there is the consciousness of “I want to feel some adrenaline.” This sets the actions of the narrative, but (in the next track “Harmlessly English”) it is when Yolanda meets “a willet bird who told me all about Sir Edmund Hillary and what he did on Everest,” that both decide that they will “conqueur Everest…” They build a boat, they sail (to beautiful strumming), and encounter Michael Perham, the Englishman – described as “weird and overbearing, but he was harmlessly English…”

Again, with a bit of postmodernist self-referencing and intertextualizing, “Swooping Swoopily like a Swooping Swoop” references the debut LP. The story gets all convoluted here, when the Willet is seized by Chinese authorities, who want to force Yolanda back to San Diego (as she was on loan to the USA, which is profitable to the Chinese government). But long story short, Yolanda is able to escape and scale Mount Everest. With the “sponsorship from Michael Perham,” she is reunited with her parents. The Willet flies back to San Diego. And Yolanda is able to return to an ordinary life, much like the man with two removed hands at the end of his EP, in the final track “Scoring Bamboo Shoots.”

The moral of the story: Not only does Coltofeanu like happy endings, but also at the end of all the adventures returning to the mundane, the everyday routine is comforting. How did Dorothy put it? “There’s no place like home.” (Another lazy metaphor.)

Track Listing: I Want to be a Mountaineer! / Harmlessly English / Swooping Swoopily like a Swooping Swoop / Scoring Bamboo Shoots

[“Swooping Swoopily like a Swooping Swoop” from the Free Swim Bandcamp page.]



“Dennis” (20 February 2012)



The latest offering by Free Swim is the EP “Dennis.” Again, Paul Coltofeanu pins this collection of music to a cohesive narrative: a bromance. There is something intrinsically homoerotic about all bromances, no matter what anyone says. The opening title is not simply, “Dennis,” but rather “Oh Dennis.” As the monologue of the song points out, the name Dennis is derived from the Greek god of grape harvest, winemaking, and ecstasy – can you say drunken orgies? The music, very straight forward 80s style indie, with some electronic fare in the background, just drives the point of urgency straight through “getting to get to know someone called Dennis.” Then the partying starts in “Croydon Fernandes,” but Dennis meets a girl with a Dickens-esque name, Sophie Buttercup! Our narrators’ reaction, “I dropped my phone, left all alone in my home, all alone,” all the time the near punky music just driving both the sense of camaraderie in the bromance and the sense of dejection of a woman coming between them.

In “The Smell of Pregnancy,” he acknowledges losing the bromance, surrounded by young couples (whose “smell of pregnancy was genuinely over-powering”), and finally meets “an alcohol-fuelled Peter Pan,” whom he goes on tour with to obscure German cities. Time elapses before the final track, “Cyclying Holidays in the Ardeche.” After putting on his favorite jeans, he is surprised by a call from Dennis, who wanted to meet up: “It was good to see him, can’t deny I’d missed him; glad I didn’t kiss him, but we hugged like men.” Dennis came to ask the narrator to be his best man at his wedding, and at the wedding (after his speech) he (the narrator) falls for the maid of honor, whose name is Denise.

The moral of the story: the final line of the song says it all, “Life is what you make of it my friends.” As we never know the ups and downs and twists and turns that befall us, it is best to just ride it all out and appreciate every moment.

Track Listing: Oh Dennis / Croydon Fernandes / The Smell of Pregnancy / Cycling Holidays in the Ardeche

[“Oh Dennis” from the Free Swim Bandcamp page.]



Keep up Free Swim at their MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter. Head over to their Bandcamp page where you can preview and download all three EPs. Read more ...

The Big Pink: "Future This"

Despite my head cold, I sat down and listened to The Big Pink’s “Future This” (16 January 2012 in the UK, 17 January 2012 in the USA); it played through – the first thing that I struggled with was the idea of expectations. In the wake of their debut album, “A Brief History of Love,” and the slight success of the single “Dominos,” would The Big Pink avoid a sophomore slump and record an album that would take them one step further? In the weeks leading to the release of “Future This,” I could not avoid hearing all the expectations that people had, and, upon my first listen, I realized that most of them would consider this album a sophomore slump – a few friends told me much. But, I listened to the album again, putting aside expectations (theirs or mine). After a second (and third) listen, I am here to give you three reasons why “Future This” is not a sophomore slump, but rather an album you should pay close attention to.



First, both the debut and sophomore albums share a lot of the same underpinnings and references – noise pop, shoegaze, and electropop. That is perhaps why “Dominos” and “Stay Gold,” the lead single from “Future This,” have a lot of similarities (I have not sat with a guitar or keyboard and played around, but I would not be surprised if there is a bit of musical interpolation going on here). While “Dominos” boasts that “hearts collide and smash any dreams of love … these girls fall like dominos,” “Stay Gold” admonishes to “[f]orgive your lovers, but don’t forget their names and let their spirit remain.” There is one important thing going on here: growth. There is an obvious growth in maturity in terms of social skills and conduct, but the maturity is seen throughout the album, a sort of conscious awareness of self and actions. You can say that “Stay Gold,” in essence, is the continuation of “Dominos” – the obvious growth, from complete reckless carnal passion to conscious reflection on relationships. And this could be applied to the entire album – “Future This” is the mature outgrowth of “A Brief History of Love.”

Second, keeping in mind the personal maturity, there is also musical growth. “Future This” uses much of the same ingredients as “A Brief History of Love,” but mixes them over again in a more prudent and mature fashion. There is not that recklessness of sound going on, everything seems more directed, more precise. Much of the growth derives from looking backwards; for instance, “Hit the Ground (Superman)” is a definite throwback to 80s new wave and “Lose Your Mind” has some of the sophisticated flair of the new romantics with a touch of post-punk. The most obvious growth musically is in the rhythm section. While the debut album pretty much capitalized on variations of indie rock beats, “Future This” frolics in the beats of electropop and breakbeat – a dramatic difference from their debut.

Third, this is not your traditional pop album in the least, nor is it a carbon copy of the indie album with feigned anthems. The Big Pink could have easily dropped the noise pop references and/or carried them stereotypically like bands seeking pop success. But they choose a different, quite disarming (discomforting?) approach; where most bands try to jam-pack albums with forty minutes of upbeat tracks and sing-along anthems, The Big Pink chose to be more introspective. This is most obvious with the closing track, “77.” Even though this is the last song of the album, it is not a stadium ready anthem, not even an arena ready one; this final track is more of the brooding kind, as the line “77 ways to say no” is droned repeatedly in the chorus. On the journey towards the end of the album you encounter “The Palace” (electronic noise pop), “1313” (sweet musical cacophony), “Rubbernecking” (proto-industrial meets electro-rock with choral singing), and the titular “Future This” (a modern day post-punk pop track with a harsh ostinato), but what you never encounter again is the same bubbly feeling as the opening track. Instead, you are lead through contemplation, mediation, and more musical experimentation than the debut.

Since The Big Pink’s “Future This” is probably not what people expected, and I can conclude that there are many that feel the same way about the album as some of my friends, I can already imagine people disagreeing with me. But expectations are a funny thing; they impose a measuring post that more often than naught are unfounded. And, of course, I refuse to argue with anyone who has already decided not to be convinced. Nonetheless, the fact remains that artistically this is no sophomore slump; it may not project the band into the stratosphere, but something tells me that is not what The Big Pink wanted anyway. “Future This” is a solid sophomore album, and anyone who disagrees should take another (close) listen to the album.

Track Listing:
1. Stay Gold
2. Hit the Ground (Superman)
3. Give It Up
4. The Palace
5. 1313
6. Rubbernecking
7. Jump Music
8. Lose Your Mind
9. Future This
10. 77

Keep up with The Big Pink at their homepage, MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter.

Here are the videos for “Stay Gold” and “Hit the Ground (Superman) from TheBigPinkVEVO YouTube Channel.



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Monks of Mellonwah: "Stars Are Out" (EP) and "Neurogenesis" (Single)

My thanks to Independent Music Promotions for keeping me in the loop. (Check out their link on the side bar under “Other Stuff.”)

As I have said countless of times before, I was raised (dragged!) on an overdose of post-punk and just about everything associated with it – from dream pop to shoegaze, industrial to dark wave. That is the root of the stereotype that I only listen to dark, brooding (often time tragic) music; this could not be farther from the truth. The real problem is that when I hear the bulk of musicians that have been influenced by the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and 90s (American) “alternative” rock, it all sounds the same – a smelting pot of sub-mediocrity, with the same five chords, over and over and over again. But every time I think I am done with “alternative” rock, a band surfaces that simply sucks me in. Sydney’s Monks of Mellonwah is the most recent band to draw me back in with their complex web of alluring arrangements and astounding soundscapes. I am not usually drawn into a band simply because they are up for an award, but Monks of Mellonwah are up for two awards (Best Indie Rock Band and Best Rock Band) at the upcoming All Indie Music Awards (held at the Key Club in Los Angeles, California USA on 10 February 2012); if ever a nascent band deserves such accolades, this is the band.



Of course it is impossible for me to keep up with every new band and/or release, as hard as I try, but when I was first told about “Stars Are Out” (18 June 2010), a five-track EP, I sat down and listened and was completely smitten right from the opening track, “Fire in the Hole.” From the simple, syncopated opening, to the infectious guitar arrangements, the song is simply amazing. With out-of-the-box lyrics (“Time is twisting everywhere, falling off the page…”), it becomes obvious that though MoM was influenced by such aforementioned greats and 90s “alternative” rock, they are not reproducing these sounds. From the opening track, there is no feeling that the band is trying to reproduce someone else’s sound or attitude; MoM is more intent on showing off their own chops and they do so beautifully with these five tracks, each demonstrate a different side of the band; from the sensual guitar arrangements of “Swamp Groove” to interplay between passive and aggressive music of “Stampede,” the band keeps offering up something different track-to-track. My favorite track is definitely “The Calling.” The fifth track on the collection, by this point it was already hook line and sinker for me, but I was blown away by this song. Compared to the other tracks, the musical arrangements are simpler, the soundscape thinner, and the lyrics more straightforward, but it is that simplicity that generates this amazingly visceral undertow and you can’t help but to react physically to the chorus.

Their most recent single, “Neurogenesis,” definitely takes the band in a new direction – again, another side, a new dimension, of the band. Darker than any of the tracks on the “Stars Are Out” EP, the lyrics opens with “The salt will clean the exit wounds…” If you have never had salt on your wounds, you have no idea how sadistic this line is, but the song is one of lost love (“so you’re gone, you’re gone…”) in which, at the end of it all, “salt can’t clean this exit wound.” And this is a universal truth: purity after love is impossible.

So here are two reasons (other than I said so) for why you should take the plunge and listen to Monks of Mellonwah. First, if you love good ole rock ‘n’ roll, that does not suffer from the prepackaged angst and cookie-cutter mentality that is prevalent in music right now. MoM is the band for you. Second, with each successive song, MoM is demonstrating songwriting chops that allow them to never come near to reproducing the same song; the luscious diversity track-to-track is a godsend. Check out “Stars Are Out” EP and their newest single, “Neurogenesis”; I am sure you will not be disappointed. Then support Monks of Mellonwah. Head over to the All Indie Music Awards and show your support for the band by casting your vote.

Track Listing of “Stars Are Out”:
1. Fire In The Hole
2. Swamp Groove
3. Stars Are Out
4. Stampede
5. The Calling
6. The Neverending Spirit, bonus track

Keep up with Monks of Mellonwah at their homepage, MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter.

Here is the video for “Swamp Groove” and the audio their latest single, “Neurogenesis,” from the MonksofMellonwah YouTube Channel.



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The Silent Numbers: "Calculator"

I am not going to play hypocrite – I listen to tons of music that is produced by major labels and have more corporate sponsorship than it deserves. And I am not going to be naïve – most self-recorded and self-produced music is quite often horrible. So I think any savvy fanatic of music is going to listen to a wide range of not just music, but a wide range of how music is produced. And again and again this year, it has been two kinds of artists that have really reaffirmed my love of music. The first, not pertaining to this post, are veterans. The second are the truly independent artists, who understand music as art (not just business) and are truly producing some of the best music out there. The Silent Numbers is one such band, and their release of “Calculator” (3 July 2011), released as a four-track digital download or a physical three-track, is a collection of non-traditional shoegaze. Unlike the majority of contemporary shoegaze on my radar, which is heavy on the dream pop, this is shoegaze more grounded in traditional post-punk. Shoegaze, which traditionally relied heavily on noise and dream pop, is sonically an expansive genre, and what is on display with “Calculator” is a darker (dare I say more sensual) take of shoegaze that is riveting and infectious.



The collection opens with “Calculator Watch.” With a thick “dark” bass and subdued but harmonious vocals, this song is very reminiscent of the late 1970s and early 1980s post-punk. The bass propels the song, with the assistance of very symmetrical drumming, while the guitars in this song are very reminiscent of the post-punk guitars of bands that bordered on or gave into the gothic movement. But just like the second track, “Canadia,” which is an instrumental, the point is not to revive a post-punk sound. Rather it is to bring out a new dimension and possibility for shoegaze. Right from the first two tracks, especially since one is an instrumental, it becomes obvious that the band is placing a lot of emphasis on the listener’s visceral reaction to the music. The fact that this instrumental is so strong and alluring that you never long for words/vocals is evidence of songwriting chops – something that most contemporary bands cannot pull off.

The second half of “Calculator” takes the band in a different direction. “Foundation” is sultrily mysterious, as the initial guitar arrangement builds anticipation and a very asymmetrical bassline creates cohesiveness, the song really has hints of space rock (without the cheesy key arrangements). The breathy vocals (the only hint of dream pop) are subdued but create a beautiful counter-melody is the chorus. The closing track is “Ruthless.” With a soft opening, which lasts through the two-thirds of the song, inspiring a hopeful feeling, the song then becomes cacophonous for nearly a minute, before regaining its softness. Symbolically speaking, the song is more about the calm before and after the storm, the sort of serenity that is elusive because there is often nothing there to compare it against. Where as the cliché of most songs is to bring attention to the “rocking” part, here it is the serenity of the music that really entrances you.

Anyone who reads what I write knows that though I appreciate just about all kinds of music, shoegaze has always been special to me – and, as a result, I am more critical of shoegazers. I always remember an era in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when nascent shoegazers were releasing amazing EPs that till today are some of the best collections of music I have ever heard. 2011 is much like those years, and The Silent Numbers’ “Calculator” may very well stay the test of time to be one of those EPs. Perhaps there is something in the water in Portland, Oregon USA that makes for such great shoegaze, but one things for sure is that this is a collection you need listen to. Whether you are fans of shoegaze (and post-punk) or are simply curious and are a music lover, this small, but grand, collection will definitely leave an impression.

Track Listing:
1. Calculator Watch
2. Canadia
3. Foundation
4. Ruthless

Keep up with The Silent Numbers at their homepage, MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter. Head over to the band’s Bandcamp page where you can preview and download “Calculator” and the rest of the band’s discography.

Here is the video for “Ruthless: from thesilentnumbers YouTube Channel.

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Five for December

As I warned earlier this year, here is the second bundled review for 2011. And though it has been a hectic year, we did not want to start closing out the year without mentioning the following five albums – so Mirage and I put together these brief reviews. Brief, because even though at this point we think many people may have heard them and been overwhelmed with some hype, we still felt the need to put our two cents into it. Albeit, the brevity or the fact that the reviews are posted together does not mean we do not feel the same way about these albums as we do about any we wrote about this year. These facts have more to do with our own time constraints, as opposed to the quality of the music found hear in. And as this singles the first of the last few posts before we whine down this year and think/argue about our Best of 2011, there is no doubt that these albums, tracks, covers, and videos are amongst some of the best of the year. So, in the word of Björk, who inspired me many years ago with this one word, “Enjoy!”

Björk: “Biophilia” (11 October 2011 in the USA)



Björk Guõmundsdóttir (she does have a last name!) has been part of the soundtrack of my life for many, many, many years – from the psychedelic twist on the post-punk of The Sugarcubes to her electronic, heavily IBM influenced, solo career, Björk continues to push the envelope as very few musicians are willing to and capable of. With her eighth solo album (“Debut” was really not her first solo album), “Biophilia” demonstrates both her socio-political and musical growths. Biophilia, as a concept, is all about how human beings are intricately linked to all the living systems of the world, and it is almost ironic that such an electronically heavy album has such an organic name. But Björk does not just pay lip-serve to eco-consciousness, she is now singing about biophilia. Furthermore, “Biophilia” is being hyped as the first “app album” (technically, it is not). Also a lot has been made about that it was partially recorded on an iPad. This does not surprise me; it was only a matter of time. When we consider the advancement in the last two decades in terms of recording in the studio going digital and high quality home recording becoming accessible, that it was done on an iPad is not surprising. But being the first “app album,” it comes with ten separate applications for the iPad, controlled by one master app, with each of the smaller apps being related to a specific song. And this is Björk pushing the envelopes of how we consume and experience music.

It is not that Björk is trying to be more inaccessible, but rather she is trying to redefine the confines of exactly what is accessible in terms of music in a modern world. The music is a bit more “minimalist” than I usually expect from Björk, but as her voice interplays with the music/noise, just as humans with the world around them (back to that biophilia motif!), it becomes obvious that things may sound simple, but actually are sophisticated and intricate, just like the world around us. “Crystalline” is my favorite track on the album; her voice has never sounded more beautiful! The near symphonic “Hollow” is perhaps the most harrowing song of her career. And though there is really no IDM here, when you listen to tracks like “Virus,” you wonder when the remix collection is going to be release – as the apps will evolve. And I know I am being scarce here in terms of actual “review” and that is because I am hoping that those who have not heard the album yet and/or have not experienced the “app” side of this album will do so blindly, without influence, and enter the amazing world of Björk.

Track Listing: Moon / Thunderbolt / Crystalline / Cosmogony / Dark Matter / Hollow / Virus / Sacrifice / Mutual Core / Solstice

Keep up with Björk at her homepage, MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter.

Here are the videos for “Crystalline” and “Moon,” as well as a live version of “Thunderbolt,” from the bjorkdotcom YouTube Channel.







The Subs: “Decontrol” (12 April 2011 in the USA)



So, I was blasting the Belgian electronic outfit The Subs’ “Decontrol” the other day, while getting dressed, as a friend of mine was waiting for me to get ready to go out. She said, and I quote, “I can’t believe you are listening to this shit.” Her reaction to my listening to The Subs is just the stereotypical response I get from a lot of people when I am not listening to something pensive, dark, or “rocking” – though they get a real kick out of early synthpop! Reality, no one lives in a world where all the music seems to flow in one direction. To me, an album like “Decontrol” is a break, an escape (perhaps to a dance floor), where you can whirl around in your imagination without thought to anything or anyone (other than perhaps the person cruising you or who you are cruising on that dance floor).

Though “Decontrol” does not meet my criterion for deep house, The Subs have essentially produced a feel-good, dance ready album, which is universal enough to appeal the large range of musical tastes from electropop to deep electro house. With songs like the 90s harkening “The Face of the Planet” and the 80s-esque “Hannibal and the Battle of Zama,” the music is party ready, dance ready, and fun mood inducing; yet there are moments that give your pause, even briefly. Tracks like “Hairdo,” constantly playing with the consistency of the beat and melody, the most consistent element being the ostinato, display the chops that The Subs have as song writers – this is not simply throwaway, bumble gum music. And with tracks like “Dry Lemon,” it is obvious that the band has their eyes on real dance music, not radio frivolity.

Track Listing: The Face of the Planet / Don’t Stop / The Hype / Dry Lemon / Hannibal and the Battle of Zama / Itch / Hairdo / Lemonade / The Visible Man / Decontrol

Keep up with The Subs at their homepage, MySpace, and Facebook.

Here are the videos for “The Face of the Planet” and “Don’t Stop” from the lektroluvrecords YouTube Channel.





Bombay Bicycle Club: “A Different Kind of Fix” (29 August 2011 in the UK and the USA)



Getting a contract and/or managing to release your debut album by hook or by crook is an accomplishment these days; surviving your sophomore album and not ending up in a deadly slump is even a bigger accomplishment; but the biggest accomplishment is releasing a third album that people are interested in. The shelf life of bands is not that long, the shelf life of a band continuing to be interesting and relevant is even shorter, but, with “A Different Kind of Fix,” Bombay Bicycle Club is proving that though they may not be the center of the hype-machine, their music is as urgent and perhaps even more relevant than those bands swept in hype.

“Shuffle” was the appropriate lead single. Fun, intelligent, and beguilingly alluring, you may hate yourself for listening to Bombay Bicycle Club but you will be sucked in. Though they have their share of slower, more ponderous tacks on the album (such as “Still,” which eerily reminds me of Thom Yorke’s [of Radiohead fame] singing style), the album is definitely at its best when being mysteriously upbeat. Just take the track “Lights Out, Worlds Gone” as the model; you are sucked into the ambient keys in the background, the jangly guitar arrangement, and the sophisticated vocals. But you should have been aware that this was going to be a great album right from the opening track, “How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep.” This is just one of those songs that is hard to define what makes it good … it is just so damn catchy. And that’s the rub: the album is catchy, infectious even. And anyone can start making faux comparisons and slag off this band, the very fact that people cannot stop talking about Bombay Bicycle Club (even though they are not the center of any hype-machine) says something about “A Different Kind of Fix”: this is not an album easily ignored.

Track Listing: How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep / Bad Timing / Your Eyes / Lights Out, Words Gone / Take The Right One / Shuffle / Beggars / Leave It / Fracture / What You Want / Favourite Day / Still / Beg – bonus track

Keep up with Bombay Bicycle Club at their homepage, MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter.

Here are the videos for “Shuffle, “Lights Out,” “Still,” and “Leave It” from the BombayBicycleVEVO YouTube Channel.









The Wombats: “This Modern Glitch” (22 April 2011 in the UK; 26 April 2011 in the USA)



My introduction to The Wombats was when I saw them live at the Stone Pony (Asbury Park, NJ USA), opening up for The Kooks; in a nutshell, I felt that they stole the show. Whereas The Kooks are more melodic in a 60s rock sort of way, with the ability of making an audience as pensive as they are on stage, The Wombats will make you jump up, down, left, right, and diagonal. They know how to please the crowd. I was excited when I heard about their sophomore album, “This Modern Glitch.” Their first album made sure that I was out of my seat and dancing to Joy Division, but this album made me a fan.

They have taken a different route from their debut album, especially in terms of their use of keyboard! “Tokyo (Vampires & Wolves)” is The Wombats that I am accustomed to. A beat that will keep your body pulsating and then when the chorus hits, you’re belching out every word to it. One song that threw a curveball at me was “Anti-D.” It is hands down one of the most beautifully composed songs they have written to date. The song makes sense in a way if you are telling a person that I will be there to pick you up, but it is a very odd song by them. It is definitely Cureish. (On a side note, doesn’t Matthew Murphy have a similar hair due as Robert Smith?) Now as I said before, they have introduced keyboards, but you’re thinking, big deal. Another curveball would be “Techno Fan,” which is sort of saying, “Hey, not only can we play a guitar, slap a bass, and bang on some drums and make a killer song, we can use a keyboard and make a song that will keep you dancing all night!” (On another side note, didn’t The Cure start relying on keyboards and “dancier” beats on their sophomore album too?) After giving this album a listen a few times, “1996” is that song that really stuck to me. There is a beautiful blend of the melodies of the keyboards to the guitar playing.

Track Listing: Our Perfect Disease / Tokyo (Vampires & Wolves) / Jump Into the Fog / Anti-D / Last Night I Dreamt… / Techno Fan / 1996 / Walking Disasters / Girls/Fast Cars / Schumacher the Champagne

Keep up with The Wombats at their homepage, MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter.

Here are the videos “Tokyo (Vampire & Wolves),” “Jump in the Fog,” “Anti-D,” “Techno Fan,” “Out Perfect Disease,” and “1996” from the TheWOMBATS YouTube Channel.













Cut City: “Where’s The Harm in Dreams Disarmed” (6 June 2011)



Viva Sverige! I am constantly arguing my point that some of the best musicians and songwriters out there hail from Sweden – with their access to British, American, and continental scenes, not to mention their own, what they create is panoramically breathtaking music that references a plethora of styles. Cut City is no different than the rest of their brethren, and “Where’s The Harm in Dreams Disarmed” is the evidence of that. Their brand of post-punk may harken back to the likes of Bauhaus and Joy Division, but Cut City has a different sound and feel to others (like Interpol) that travel this musical road. For instance, the second track on the album, “A Modest Recovery,” comes out of left field considering the opener. The song, though essentially post-punk, demonstrates the same kind of pop sensibility and infectiousness of such bands like Editors. (And for the record, they do not sound like Editors.) Of course, like in tracks such as “The Kids of Masochism High,” the band is able to really stay true to the original post-punk structure of music, and yet making it relevant to an audience today.

The album closes with an eleven minute epic, “Ghost Pose – 1) Lover, 2) Drifter, 3) Floater.” Of course, this is my favorite track on the album, though it defies everything about post-punk epics. Lyrically, all of the post-punk dejection and despondency is there: “So realize we’re bleeding dry all of my dreams, and don’t you know there’s something here we could not fix.” But like the post-punk that bands such as The Cure or Echo and the Bunnymen have been known to produce, this song is musically uplifting! At least it is so for the first half of the song; the long repetitions are not weighty, and the consistent wallowing in a singular musical trope is non-existent. And even the discordance of the second half of the song is more like shoegazers making noise, like My Bloody Valentine, than droning.

Track Listing: Void / A Modest Recovery / The Sound & The Sore / Cults Revisited / Future Tears Today / War Drum / The Kids of Masochism High / Left of Denial / Ghost Pose – 1) Lover, 2) Drifter, 3) Floater

Keep up with Cut City at their homepage, MySpace, and Facebook. Check out their Bandcamp page where you can preview and download “Where’s The Harm in Dreams Disarmed” and the rest of their discography.

Here is the song “A Modest Recovery” from their Bandcamp page.

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Golden Gardens and The Living Arches

I could not let the year close out without writing about the last two releases by Golden Gardens. The first is a split four-track EP with songs by both Golden Gardens and The Living Arches. When I heard that they collaborated on an EP, I immediately remembered the phrase “the scene that celebrates itself.” Though the phrase was originally intended to be insulting, the reality is that it described one of the most fascinating aspects of shoegaze. The original shoegazers all had connections to one another, celebrating each other’s music. And that is what Golden Gardens and The Living Arches are doing now … collaborating on a project, celebrating their music. The second is an EP of covers. Any collection of covers is a tricky thing that usually fizzles down to clichés and silly attempts at covering a “hit” song. But Golden Gardens stayed true to form, assimilating these songs right into their repertoire with ease.

“The Living Arches/Golden Gardens Split” (24 September 2011)



I know little about The Living Arches (though I plan to educate myself thoroughly during the holidays), who offer up the first two tracks of the EP. Touted as “electrified-acoustica,” I could not have been happier with my introduction to this duo of Michael Hooker and Jensen Kistler, who hail from Tampa, Florida USA. Minimalist in approach (essentially guitar and vocals with some musical accents), these tracks are not bare in the visceral sense at all. From the allure of the guitar playing to the lusciousness of the vocal arrangements, these two tracks are enrapturing. “Our time is limited,” are the first words of “500 Years,” the first track of the collection. Folk meets dirge, with an incredible pop sensibility, this is one of those heart-tugging tracks you will hit repeat on various times. The bluesy “The Serpent and the Bird” has one of the most interesting vocal harmonies. It just has this ability to make you listen to every word, as their singing accents exactly what they want you focus in on.

(The Living Arches’ “500 Years” from Golden Gardens’ Bandcamp.)



The last half consists of the two Golden Gardens’ tracks, “In the Rosebuds” and “An Apparition.” If ever Golden Gardens mixed the same amount of dream pop and shoegaze into one track, it is “In the Rosebuds” – wispy and distorted, layered and ethereal, what I really like about this track is how classic dream pop/shoegaze it sounds. The final track on the EP is “An Apparition.” Just like Cocteau Twins and The Cranes, these vocals are more than just conduits for lyrical expression; they are intricately woven into the musical arrangements, like another layer of music. Though ethereal, Golden Garden manages to “darken” the mood with this track, bringing them closer to their post-punk influences.

Track Listing
1. 500 Years – The Living Arches
2. The Serpent and the Bird – The Living Arches
3. In the Rosebuds – Golden Gardens
4. An Apparition – Golden Gardens

“The Covers” (9 December 2011)



As I said above, covering a song is a tricky thing. When I think about collections of cover songs, I immediately think of two collections that have become the measuring rod for all cover collections in my book. The first is Siouxsie and the Banshees’ “Through the Looking Glass” (1987). With some completely unexpected songs (for example, “Strange Fruit” and “Trust in Me”), what makes this an incredible collection is how the band was able to at once expand their sonic repertoire and eerily “own” the songs. The second is Annie Lennox’s “Medusa” (1995). Lennox proved that one of the reasons to cover music is to save a song from obscurity (for example, “No More I Love You’s”). (I have always imagined that the meaning behind the album has to do with the fact that mythological Medusa transmutes people into other (stone) versions of themselves, just has she has transmuted those songs.)

The first cover of this collection is of The Creepshow’s “The Garden” – gone are the tinges of rockabilly, as well as the upbeat tempo and all that goes with it. Golden Gardens transmute this song into a minimalist dream pop faire that is elegantly haunting. The second cover is of Morrissey’s “The Loop” (one of the last songs by Morrissey I thought anyone would cover!). The opening of the cover is reminiscent of the opening of The Smith’s “How Soon Is Now,” but then the intact lead guitar arrangement is juxtaposed to an ambient key background and vocals that could not be more disparate from Morrissey’s. It is this juxtaposition that really brings out a new dimension to the song that could not have been imagined from the original. And if “The Loop” was a curve ball, then the third cover of Red House of Painters’ “Summer Dress” is surreal! Never in a million years would I have thought of Golden Gardens covering this track, which they really interpreted á la post-punk – down to the early Simon Gallup-esque bass sound.

Golden Gardens then ambitiously goes for Tears For Fear’s “Pale Shelter” on the fourth track. I have always thought that Tears For Fears should have explored their new wave and post-punk influences, which they forsook after their debut album. Golden Gardens concentrates on the mournful, ambient aspects of this song that Tears For Fears did not. The fifth track is a cover of Hole’s “Violet.” Like the first track, their interpretation forgoes the upbeat tempo (and angst). Golden Garden’s interpretation is much more pensive and reflective, loaning itself to deeper introspection than the original. The final cover is of Julee Cruise’s “Into the Night,” a song that I have not thought about in more years than I care to admit. This is homage to dream pop! In many ways true to the original version, but more ethereal, the vocal arrangements are sung in tandem with the musical arrangements, as opposed to above them as in the original.

Do Golden Gardens pick at least one unexpected song? Check. Do they own these covers? Check. Do they save at least one song from obscurity? Check. “The Covers” is an excellent cover album, which meets with all of my personal expectations for cover collections. I for one am really happy that the band did not tread down the road of clichés; not that I have anything against anyone covering Cocteau Twins, but that would have been too easy! They engaged music that was not in their realm of references, continued to keep dream pop and shoegaze alive, while simultaneously paying homage to the past and pushing the classic form a bit further – and these two releases are just further reasons to delve into the world of Golden Gardens.

(Golden Gardens’ cover of Red House Painters’ “Summer Dress” from the Golden Gardens Bandcamp page.)



Track Listing:
1. The Garden
2. The Loop
3. Summer Dress
4. Pale Shelter
5. Violet
6. Into the Night

Keep up with The Living Arches at their Tumblr and Facebook. Head over to their Bandcamp page where you can keep track of future releases.

Keep up with Golden Garden at their homepage, Facebook, and Twitter. Head over to their Bandcamp page where you can check out both of these EPs and the rest of their discography. Read more ...

Widowspeak: "Widowspeak"

I have this propensity to listen to a lot of dark, brooding music that lets me drift into deep contemplation and ruminations; it was that quality that instantly attracted me to Widowspeak. From my very first listen to the band, the combination of sultry vocals and sensually dark music had me stuck like a dullard on a wire, waiting for more. With the release of their eponymous debut album (9 August 2011), it has become more than obvious that what the band’s moniker refers to is not the “widow’s peak,” but rather the darker “widow speak.” But this is not the kind of dark music that is gloomy, and it is worlds away from the musings of post-punk; this is more akin to the kind of brooding that you slip into on sunny days that makes you feel good in a cathartic way.



What has haunted Widowspeak since I first heard of them (and probably before) is the constant comparison to Mazzy Star, asserted mainly because of Molly Hamilton’s voice similarity to Hope Sandoval’s. (I hate when vocalists are compared on the sound of their voice, as opposed to style; one you are born with and cannot do anything about, the other is choice.) Of course, a comparison to Mazzy Star is not a bad thing, but it is (in my opinion) a wrong and lazy comparison to make; the more apt comparison would be with fellow Brooklyn outfit Elysian Fields. Like Elysian Fields, whether conscious or not, there are plenty of hints of dream pop in the vocal style, while the musical arrangements (especially the guitars) flirt playfully with the vocal arrangements. Meshing up the dream pop with grunge, a pinch of late 60s, and standard indie fare, what Widowspeak has created is a luscious album of music and vocals that do not have to rely on “loudness” or volume, because the visceral and ponder-inducing qualities of the music easily outstrips most of their brethren and contemporaries.

“Widowspeak” opens with “Puritan,” which builds playfully like a classic Jesus and Mary Chain song – though worlds away from that sort of “noise,” the moment that the beat drops, the song takes off with a distinctly different speed and new urgency. Juxtaposing warm resonating and jangly guitars, the song is the perfect peephole into the pop sensibility of the band: play with variant pitches, carried by a strong steady rhythm section, with vocals that act at once as the conduit of lyrics and another layer of arranged music. The poppier “Puritan” gives way to “Harsh Realm.” This is the moment that the band starts its tread into the world of dream pop à la Elysian Fields: a breathy, but not ethereal brand of the genre. Though I have heard many ethereal bands from New York City, it seems no one does this more grounded take on dream pop better than New Yorkers, and Widowspeak is on top of their game here.

“Gun Shy” (starting with soft sounds of birds chirping) is the most cinemagraphic track on the album, which probably led the choice of making the track a single prior to the album release. However, it is not the poppiest song on the album; this would be “Fir Coat.” What makes this song a gem is how the guitar and vocal arrangements seem to be an exercise in frolicking. Their anti-pop moment comes with “Ghost Boy.” This is the darkest track (and, you’ve guessed it, my favorite track) on the album. This is brooding captured in music to perfection: from the sedate, subtle brooding to the manic insistent need to ruminate, the closing track of this album is haunting in a way that the other songs are not. Even at the points of crescendi, the song generates a harrowing feeling because of its sense of resignation.

Widowspeak is one of the posts I should have gotten up sooner! What I ultimately like the most about “Widowspeak” is simply how straightforward it is. It is not minimal, nor is laden with extraneous, unneeded overlays or studio gimmickry. Heartfelt and amazingly crafted, this is the kind of brooding music that anyone can find him/herself fixated on.

Track Listing:
1. Puritan
2. Harsh Realm
3. Nightcrawlers
4. In the Pines
5. Limbs
6. Gun Shy
7. Hard Times
8. Fir Coat
9. Half Awake
10. Ghost Boy

Keep up with Widowspeak at their MySpace, Facebook, or Twitter.

Here is a live performance of “Gun Shy” from the kexpradio YouTube Channel.

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SebastiAn: "Total"

In an age of visual superficiality, where else should we start with SebastiAn’s debut album, “Total” (30 May 2011 in the Europe; 7 June 2011 in the USA), than with the cover? Seemingly, it is a black and white cover of two men kissing themselves; however, it is the image of Sebastian Akchoté (the man behind the moniker SebastiAn) kissing himself. Photographed by Jean-Baptiste Mondino (known for directing videos for the likes of Björk, David Bowie, and Madonna), the image on the cover, on the level of the psyche, captures the relationship of the “person” to the “artist.” Like all great love affairs, which are the merging of two individuals, art is created with the merging of two distinct ingredients: the consciousness (the person behind the artist) and the ego (the insistent drive to create something from nothing). It is when this coupling is immaculate that “art” (in the classic, non-pejorative sense) is created. Akchoté self-kissing image is of the man embracing with the artist, the conscious logic with the subconscious drive to create. The culmination, aptly, is “Total” – an electronic wonderland of riveting sounds, extensive melodies, and the unpredictable.



Let me be a stereotypical American: it would take a French man with balls to produce this kind of cover! And this French man not only has the balls, but also the chops to truly push the French electro-house tradition one notch higher. Sebastian Akchoté has all of the basics down when it comes to house, but there is more than dance floor antics going on here. While flirting with 80s beats, 90s musical tropes, and current indie urgency, Akchoté has created a musical soundscape where house, electronic body music, intelligent dance music, French electronica, and Euro disco all collude to create an amazing experience. What I really like about “Total” is Akchoté’s ability to keep the listener on his/her toes, unable to predict when and where there will be a shift and how it will shift, yet the album is never disarming. From beginning to end, the listener is sonically induced into the experience.

“Total” opens with “Hudson River”; it is near piano driven indie, under one-minute track that sublimely draws you into the collection, right into “Love In Motion,” which features Mayer Hawthorne. Closer to downtempo than electro-house, the distinction between the two opening tracks couldn’t be starker: from indie urgency to dance floor funk, “Total” is a plethora of musical styles and genres. Furthermore, I am usually put off by small interludes, which often time are nothing more than an artist annoyingly killing a few seconds on an album. This is not the case with “Total,” which is laced with quite a few interludes (“Though Games,” “Water Games,” “Cartoon,” Mean Games,” “Night,” and “Bird Games”). These (mini-)tracks are as riveting and captivating as the longer tracks and act brilliantly to segue between tracks. The best way to think about them is to consider this album the set list for an hour on a dance floor; these interludes are the transition from one style of house to the next, with fluidic ease.

If you are accustomed to house music that comes in radio format, not only have you been deceived about what house is really about, “Total” is going to be a total eye opener. It is always ideal to remember that this is music meant to be listened to on a dance floor, not over speakers in your house or car. “Total” is gritty, grinding, and sensually dark and euphoric and meant to be danced to. And with this album you get an experience that takes you all over the map. For instance, “Dogg,” in its orgiastic and aggressive arrangements, brings a rock mentality and sound to house music, while “Arabest” has the same underpinnings of 80s R&B pop music. “Motor” uses the sound of an accelerating engine, at times without a beat, to create a gritty moment on the dance floor, while “Fried” collides EBM, funk, and French electronica brilliantly. My obsession on the album is the track “Kindercut.” This track is perfect house frolic, as it oscillates through sounds and variant degrees of layered music (with a disco-esque guitar loop).

Of course, I should have taken the time to post this one weeks ago! But I still remember my first listen to this album. I am always on the look out for good house music, which radio has adulterated to the point of being painfully unlistenable, but Sebastian Akchoté, a.k.a. SebastiAn, really gave me repose from the unfortunate world of radio house mediocrity. He has created an electro-house tour de force with “Total” that is thoroughly infectiously addictive and one of the “must haves” of 2011.

Track Listing:
1. Hudson River
2. Love in Motion, featuring Mayer Hawthorne
3. Tough Games
4. Embody
5. Ross Ross Ross
6. Fried
7. Kindercut
8. Water Games
9. Total
10. Jack Wire, instrumental version
11. C.T.F.O., featuring M.I.A.
12. Cartoon
13. Arabest
14. Prime
15. Mean Games
16, Tetra
17. Motor
18. Night
19. Yes
20. Bird Game
21. Doggg
22. Frustra
23. Organia, Bonus Track

Keep up with SebastiAn at his MySpace and Facebook.

Here is his video for “Embody” from the officialEDREC YouTube Channel.

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