Sunday, December 30, 2012

Emotional Drumming Mix #5

Here is a mix compiling tracks from the last 20 albums I have covered in my Emotional Listening posts. It is zipped and shared on my Mediafire account.

This one is all over the place. Please enjoy!

Download HERE.

1. "Girl Don't Tell Me" - The Beach Boys (1965)
2. "Let Her Dance" - The Bobby Fuller Four (1966)
3. "Kinky Afro" - The Happy Mondays (1990)
4. "Sounds of Sebring" - Swirlies (1996)
5. "Lux & Royal Shopper" - Blitzen Trapper (2004)
6. "Alternating Current" - Field Music (2006)
7. "Care of Cell 44" - The Zombies (1968)
8. "Yes She is My Skinhead Girl" - Unrest (1992)
9. "So Shy" - Sam Prekop (1999)
10. "Gumboots" - Paul Simon (1986)
11. "Lovers in a Dangerous Time" - Bruce Cockburn (1984)
12. "Cut Self Not" - Faraquet (2000)
13. "Pamphleteer" - The Weakerthans (2000)
14. "These Eyes" - The Guess Who (1968)
15. "Red Eye" - Devo (1979)
16. "Over There" - Brilliant Colors (2009)
17. "5 Years" - Bjork (1997)
18. "Broken Radio" - Rainer Maria (1999)
19. "A Worrying Thing" - Yo La Tengo (1993)
20. "Day" - Bill Callahan (2007)

Metz/Up and Down, Away!/Dwell & Dwell EP

Metz
Metz - Metz (Sub Pop, 2012)
Finally, Sub Pop Records has signed a band that actually is reminiscent of the Sub Pop of old. Metz are loud and heavy, almost like a mix between early Nirvana and The Jesus Lizard. Albini-core! The production is polished  but still just dirty enough, the guitars are gnarly and the drums are absolutely enormous. "Get Off" and "Mule" are THE jams.

Up and Down, Away!
Up and Down, Away! - The Rants (self-released, 2012)
The Rants were a Detroit/Ann Arbor based band in existence quite a while ago that never saw the recognition that they deserved. After releasing the full-length Spirit! in 2006 (it had been in the making for several years, I believe), they pretty much disappeared. Vocalist/songwriter/guitarist (in this band which featured a couple of songwriters) Ian Saylor released a solo record in 2010, but has otherwise been quiet. Little did I know that the band released a new album in 2012 via iTunes, with no promotion behind it at all (though, with the possibility of releasing it on vinyl on 2013). Up and Down, Away! is pretty much classic Rants: upbeat 60s pop with chimy and jangly guitars and exquisite melodies. The main difference is that this record is less precise and more jammy (in a good way) and loose (also in a good way) than prior Rants stuff.  Up and Down, Away! sounds like a group of dudes hanging out in the basement drinking beer and banging out some garage tunes with awesome melodic sensibility. This is a party record, and it rules hard.

Dwell & Dwell EP
Dwell & Dwell EP - Snooze (self-released, 2012)
My friend (and wife of Alec Jensen) Emily Jane Powers and her friend Andrew have self-released an indie pop EP under the moniker Snooze, and it is excellent. Moody, gorgeous and relatively upbeat in places, Dwell & Dwell would fit perfectly on Slumberland Records. Tight, simply drumming, quality boy/girl vocals singing catchy melodies and the jangliest of guitars, I really can't wait to see what these two do next.

About to Die EP/An Obscure Moon Lighting an Obscure World EP/Blonde Album

About to Die EP
About to Die EP - Dirty Projectors (Domino, 2012)
"About to Die," from Dirty Projectors' excellent 2012 LP Swing Lo Magellan, plus five more tracks. Some folkier, some gnarly, quirky, almost lo-fi balls-out rawk. There are some really great moments, but I can certainly understand why these songs were left off the album.

An Obscure Moon Lighting an Obscure World EP
An Obscure Moon Lighting an Obscure World EP - Glocca Morra (Kind of Like, 2012)
2012 = the year of Glocca Morra. They just killed it.Their LP from this year, Just Married, is about as close to perfect as a band can get. Then, they come out of nowhere to end the year with this sweet EP? If I've read correctly, these songs were even written and recorded before the full-length. This probably explains the lower, dirtier fidelity, and overall gnarly feel of these songs as opposed to the crisp production and clean guitars of Just Married. An Obscure Moon Lighting an Obscure World is a little less emo and more pop punk mixed with 90s indie rock like Pavement and Archers of Loaf. I hear some Pinkerton in there too.

Blonde Album
Blonde Album - Lightning Love (Quite Scientific, 2012)
Lightning Love's sophomore LP, Blonde Album, has been a long time coming. It was a little deceiving to me at first, as I had seem them play half of these songs countless times live by this point. And, don't get me wrong, they're still great songs, but the surprise jams were very much welcome. They're still doing the cutesy piano/synth, guitar, drums thing that's contrasted with juvenile yet clever lyrics, but there has definitely been some immense maturation since 2008's November Birthday. There's no "Friends" on this joint, but there are plenty of awesome chord progressions and melodies to make up for it. Second track, "Just Friends," is without question the most exciting moment on the record in every way.

The Advanced Genius Theory/The One Trick Rip-Off/The Shipping News

The Advanced Genius Theory
The Advanced Genius Theory - Jason Hartley (2010)
What if Brian Wilson's lost rap track, "Smart Girls," isn't awful, but just so brilliant beyond our grasp that we are below and cannot accept it? Jason Hartley's The Advanced Genius Theory: Are They Out of Their Minds or Ahead of Their Time? covers this and many other similar pop culture queries. While I absolutely do not agree with these sentiments, this was a really fun read.

The One Trick Rip-Off
The One Trick Rip-Off - Paul Pope (1997)
This is my first foray into the works of Paul Pope. The One-Trick Rip-Off is a short, intense, thoroughly enjoyable, action packed crime tale with some subtle touches of sci-fi and magical realism. Definitely a good place to start.

The Shipping News
The Shipping News - E. Annie Proulx (1993)
E. Annie Proulx's 1994 Pulitzer Prize winning novel The Shipping News is a darkly comic, touching and sad story of physical and romantic loss as well as family unification. It sort of reminds me of a modern John Steinbeck. The main characters are strong, and the supporting ones are fascinating and sometimes hilarious. I liked this, but did not outright love it.

Centipede Hz/Our House on the Hill/What Are You Wrong With/Nope/American Radass

Centipede Hz
Centipede Hz - Animal Collective (Domino, 2012)
Underrated. So much. I'm not saying that Centipede Hz is anywhere near Merriweather Post Pavilion, or Strawberry Jam, or Feels. Not even close. But, still, it is a damn fine album. This is a less challenging version of Strawberry Jam: swirling synths, schizophrenic rhythms and song structures, almost non-stop intensity, but all of it through a more polished lens. The melodies of Avey Tare and Panda Bear are about as good as usual, and even Deakin gets a song on this one, and it might be my favorite. I did not need Centipede Hz to be the best Animal Collective record. I just needed it to be really good. Mission accomplished.

Our House on the Hill
Our House on the Hill - The Babies (Woodside, 2012)
Solid follow-up to last year's self-titled album. The Babies are Cassie Ramone (Vivian Girls) and Kevin Morby (Woods). They play jangly power pop/punk and they do a good job at it. Our House on the Hill doesn't quite hit the highs that The Babies had, but that's okay. It's existence is still appreciated.

What Are You Wrong With
What Are You Wrong With - Bedroom Eyes (self-released, 2012)
I know barely anything about these guys, but they have a good thing going, playing in the whole shoegaze/post-punk feel. These songs sound like a modern take on SwirliesSwervedriver, and Drop Nineteens to name a few. Looking forward to more from them.

Nope
Nope - Coping (Protagonist, 2012)
More emo! 2012 killed it with new emo music, and Coping almost went unnoticed to me due to how late in the year I decided to invest time into them. But, it payed off. Like a lot of the new emo I like, Nope brings to mind a cross between Braid and Cap'n Jazz (complex song structures, noodly guitars), but maybe with a little more positive vibes? Am I sounding like a broken record? Deal with it. This shit rules.

American Radass
American Radass - Dads (Flannel Gurl, 2012)
Guess what? More quality emo. Dads may have the worst band name in the group, and also, American Radass is a stupid title (trying a little too hard to be cleverly silly?), but there are still some good songs here. Dads are a bit more finger-tappy than the other emo bands I've gotten into this year, which is totally cool by me, but there are just a few things that hold them back versus all the other bands (not a fan of the production, don't like the singer's voice). I won't complain too much, though. They still do the style well.

Emotional Listening #27

Introducing
Introducing - Brilliant Colors (Slumberland, 2009)
Bad ass, fuzzy girl punk located somewhere between Vivian Girls (chords) and Chin Chin (toughness). Snotty, but not trashy. Their 2011 follow-up, Again and Again, is less punk and more jangly and hazy. Introducing is my preference.
Top jams: "I Searched," "English Cities," "Yell in the Air," "Over There," "Mythic," "Should I Tell You"

Stealing Fire
Stealing Fire - Bruce Cockburn (True North, 1984)
I'm not even sure how to begin to describe this. 80s singer/songwriter pop? There are some awesome power pop moments, namely in opener "Lovers in a Dangerous Time," which is pretty much my favorite song in my life right now. "Maybe the Poet" has some subtle nods to Talking Heads. Some of the songs here remind me of 80s Paul Simon too, especially the closer, "Dust and Diesel." Don't get me wrong, there is some overly cheesy crap here, but the good far outweighs the bad.
Top jams: "Lovers in a Dangerous Time," "Maybe the Poet," "Sahara Gold," "Making Contact," "Dust and Diesel"

Wheatfield Soul
Wheatfield Soul - The Guess Who (RCA, 1968)
This pretty much came out of nowhere for me. I had no idea that The Guess Who were legit aside from "These Eyes," but Wheatfield Soul has some jams. Sure, there are some Doors-y psych rock moments that are laughably awful too, but those can be overlooked thanks to quality Beatles-esque 60s pop like on "A Wednesday in Your Garden," "Lightfoot," and "Maple Fudge." The surprising complexity of "Pink Wine Sparkles in the Glass" helps it to land in second place for song of the record (just short of "These Eyes").
Top jams: "These Eyes," "Pink Wine Sparkles in the Glass," "I Found Her in a Star," "A Wednesday in Your Garden," "Lightfoot," "Maple Fudge"

Imperial F.F.R.R.
Imperial F.F.R.R. - Unrest (Teenbeat, 1992)
I probably should have started off spending more time with 1993's Perfect Teeth, as it seems to be far superior after one listen, but Unrest's prior album, Imperial F.F.R.R. still has it's moments. I've been listening to the UK version, which features four extra songs (including the absolute best track here, "Yes She is My Skinhead Girl"). This band did a cool thing, mixing the 90s indie/alternative rock of the time with the guitar-driven 80s post-punk of early New Order and The Cure. There's a lot of space in their sound, whether they're doing the upbeat jangly thing or the bizarre, percussive experimental thing (most of which I dislike in this case). Totally solid, to good album, though.
Top jams: "Suki," "I Do Believe You Are Blushing," "Isabel," "Cherry Cream On," "June," "Yes She is My Skinhead Girl," "Hydrofoil No. 1," "Wednesday & Proud"

Odessey and Oracle
Odessey and Oracle - The Zombies (CBS, 1968)
Several things are weird about my recently listening to The Zombies' magnus opus, Odessey and Oracle a lot. First off, the fact that I'm just now finally becoming a true fan, here in 2012, is probably strange. Also, in spite of pretty much every song here being good if not beyond good, somehow, I feel the album is a teensy bit overrated. I still prefer Pet Sounds, without question. I still prefer most of the psychedelic Beatles albums.  And I haven't gone all in with The Kinks yet, but I can already tell that I will strongly prefer them as well. While I am more partial to The Byrds' chimy guitars, I must say that from a songwriting standpoint, The Zombies do have them beat. Anyway, all of that being said, Odessey and Oracle is a lush, gorgeous, psychedelic pop album, and still one of the greatest of the 60s. DUH.
Top jams: "Care of Cell 44," "A Rose for Emily," "Maybe After He's Gone," "Beechwood Park," "Brief Candles," "Hung Up on a Dream," "I Want Her She Wants Me," "This Will be Our Year," "Friends of Mine," "Time of the Season"

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

I'm Going to Kill Myself/Lonerism/Floral Green/Good Vibes

I'm Going to Kill Myself
I'm Going to Kill Myself - Sneeze (self-released, 2012)
Gnarly, fuzzy pop punk with the shittiest but still cool sounding distorted guitars. The lo-fi quality here is a nice contrast to this typically nicely produced genre. It definitely adds to the 90s feel going on, and adds a cool sense of griminess that sits well with the album's title. "Canker," "Bad Head," "Crumb" and "Red Bullgirls" are delicious.

Lonerism
Lonerism - Tame Impala (Modular, 2012)
2010's Innerspeaker was good, but this follow-up, Lonerism, is so great it almost makes me sick. It is perfect through seven songs, and then things get really weird and interesting, which is not a knock on the record by any means. It's just that it's a little bit of an awkward transition, even if it only helps the album's status as possibly the most memorable (memorable, not BEST) one of 2012. The guitars, synths and drums (thanks to Dave Fridmann's mixing job once again) are all incredible sounding, and help to make Lonerism not just an awesome psych-pop album, but a futuristic masterpiece that sounds like absolutely nothing else. There are way too many inspiring moments to begin to even think about commenting on them individually. Yes, I am GUSHING.

Floral Green
Floral Green - Title Fight (Side One Dummy, 2012)
Wow. I don't know that I have the appropriate words to describe exactly how good Title Fight's latest LP, Floral Green, is. Perfect? Um... yes, I think so. If not, then pretty darn close. Exquisitely produced? Definitely. Great melodic, shout-y vocals? Yep. Makes you nostalgic for your high school days when you were really into music like this (melodic, poppy, emo-y hardcore punk)? For sure. Smart chord progressions and wonderfully layered, outstanding sounding guitars that make you feel the same way you did when listening to last year's Fucked Up record, David Comes to Life? Uh huh. Songs to boot? Oh my god, YES. Title Fight have improved tenfold since last years very good Shed. This sounds like old Title Fight mixed with Small Brown Bike with some Hum thrown in for good measure. It is unfair how good they have become.

Good Vibes EP
Good Vibes EP - William Bonney (Songs From the Road/Sometimes I Get Drunk, 2012)
More music that brings me back to my high school and early college years. Earlier in 2012, I posted about a split EP from these guys with another similar-minded band called Droughts. This EP is all William Bonney, though, and I dig it. Melodic hardcore/screamo/whatever with memorable licks and formidable musicianship as the main stars. Yup, I'm into it.

Mature Themes/Family Business/Runner/Falling/Sirs

Mature Themes
Mature Themes - Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti (4AD, 2012)
Somehow, Mature Themes is both more accessible (in ways) and a lot weirder than what has to be considered Ariel Pink's seminal album now, 2010's Before Today. Sure, the latter has some silly songs, but I'd say the overall feel, sonically and thematically, is darker and more serious. I mean, Mature Themes has songs called "Kinski Assassin," "Schnitzel Boogie," "Symphony of the Nymph," "Pink Slime" and "Farewell American Primitive," all of which have appropriately clever and hilarious lyrics. And guess what? These really are great songs on a sonic level, too. Like pre-Before Today, the structures of these songs are little more complex, and Pink's band is as impressive as ever. Funky bass, swirling synths, jangly and chimey guitars, and Pink's variety of character voices all dominate Mature Themes, and, yeah, it rules. I'm tempted to say that I prefer this to Before Today, but it doesn't even matter. I'm having a harder time trying to decide if the title track or "Only in My Dreams" is the album's best track.

Family Business
Family Business - Prayer Breakfast (Flannelgraph/Crossroads of America, 2012)
Prayer Breakfast are sort of a Bloomington, IN supergroup, featuring members of Memory Map/ex-Rapider Than Horsepower, Husband & Wife/Mike Adams at His Honest Weight, and Sleeping Bag/ex-Arrah and the Ferns. I have been waiting for this full length for some time, and I am so glad it finally came to fruition. Family Business is definitely along some of the same lines as a lot of the 90s revival that is going on right now, but there are a few things that set it apart. I am way into the subtle, loose, almost lazy drumming (don't get me wrong, the dude RULES). Also, to me, the vocals sort of sound like a mix of Jeff Mangum and Jeremy Enigk. The music is definitely in the realm of Built to Spill and Pavement, but there are enough quirks to keep ya on your toes. Definitely a welcome inclusion on the list of quality 2012 music.

Runner
Runner - The Sea and Cake (Thrill Jockey, 2012)
The Sea and Cake are yet to release an album that is less than GREAT, and this year's Runner is just par for the course. Not as many standout jams as I'm used to be, as a whole, it is just about unstoppable.  If anything, I'll admit that the band gets more subtle and heavier on atmosphere with each release, but otherwise, the sounds here are pretty much what you'd expect. The albums bookends, "On and On" and "The Runner" are two of their best songs yet. I am glad to say that they are still my second favorite band of all time.

Falling
Falling - Seapony (Hardly Art, 2012)
Not much different from last year's Go With Me, on their latest, Falling, Seapony continue to play safe, jangly, surfy indie pop with nods to 80s production and dreamy female vocals (which certainly can get boring). I would argue that Falling is a slight improvement thanks to four outright jams ("Outside," "Follow," "Be Alone" and ESPECIALLY "See Me Cry").

Sirs
Sirs - Sirs (Topshelf, 2012)
Another band that I've been looking forward to a full length from for a while now. These Sirs dudes play awesomely upbeat and intense emo that lands somewhere in between classic Braid and Bear Vs. Shark, maybe? They've softened up a tiny bit since they're fantastic 2010 debut EP, Vas Deferens, but there's still plenty of energy to go around. Yelpy but melodic vocals, gorgeous, sometimes jangly guitars and precise drumming right up my alley. Though this self-titled full length didn't end up being quite as great as I was hoping, there is absolutely nothing for me to complain about.

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

The Cabin in the Woods/Super 8/Mulholland Dr.

The Cabin in the Woods
The Cabin in the Woods (2012)
Written by Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon, directed by Drew Goddard

I'm gonna try and make these super quick. The Cabin in the Woods was about as good as I expected. Awesome horror film satire that doesn't take itself too seriously, criticizing and poking fun at its own genre. Extremely and hilariously meta. Totally enjoyable cast, too. Up there with Paranormal Activity, Drag Me to Hell and The House of the Devil as one of the best horror films to be made in recent years.

Super 8
Super 8 (2011)
Written and directed by J.J. Abrams
Fun as all hell. A mature, slightly grittier throwback to classic youth-oriented sci-fi and adventure films like E.T. and The Goonies. The child actors are so good and convincing, and the big reveal, while maybe a bit too ridiculous, is very charming. I will never be interested in Lost, and I haven't seen his entry in the Star Trek franchise, but considering that I also loved Cloverfield, I guess I am a fan of J.J. Abrams film work.

Mulholland Dr.
Mulholland Dr. (2001)
Written and directed by David Lynch
Unsurprisingly, as this is a David Lynch film, Mulholland Dr. is dreadful (appealingly so) and confusing. That is why I am attracted to Lynch's films though. Sometimes I desire to be unsettled by something completely unbelievable and relatable that isn't exactly a horror story. Mulholland Dr. did the job with all of its impending doom, meandering and scattered, unfollowable plot. It took to reading internet analysis of the film to really make sense of what happened, but even without, the desperation, gorgeous yet haunting visuals and overall art expressed here made the viewing well worth it. So, I've seen this, Blue Velvet and Eraserhead. Where do I go next, Lynch film-wise?

Monday, December 24, 2012

Shields/Talent/I Know What Love Isn't/Fear and Doubt EP/Silver Age

Shields
Shields - Grizzly Bear (Warp, 2012)
Pitchfork seemed to LOVE the new Grizzly Bear album just as much if not more so than their last two, and I have no idea why. On first listen, I thought it was pure shit. And I really liked both Yellow House and Veckatimest. I've since come around. It is a solid album with virtually no standout tracks, and really nothing memorable about it, except for the fact that, like I said, it is solid. Ok, "Gun-Shy" is a jam, but aside from that everything just runs together. All the guitars sound the same, there are no cool, fancy production tricks, all the vocal melodies are just there and blend in with everything else. The mood and atmosphere here is much more along the lines of Yellow House, which is very appealing (if I have one complaint about Veckatimest, it is that it was a little TOO polished and poppy, and the ghostly vibe of Yellow House is a little more preferable). But, I don't know. I feel like I should still hate this, because it is really really boring. But it's Grizzly Bear. They are talented dudes, and Shields is still sort of good sometimes, when it doesn't put me to sleep.

Talent
Talent - Heavenly Beat (Captured Tracks, 2012)
Heavenly Beat's John Pena has spent time with Beach Fossils, one of the more underrated bands around, if you ask me. I'm not really sure how to describe Talent, his debut full-length, aside from it certainly fits on Captured Tracks: reverb, 80s, bouncy bass, low key and sad singing, etc. I guess you could say it's brighter and even more chill than the usual suspects due to the overwhelming presence of acoustic guitar, cheesy synth strings and soft drum machine instead of the typical new wave/goth-pop feel of the other CT bands I love. On Talent, Heavenly Beat doesn't come close to those other bands, but this is still totally good, and fun and dance-y in the most subtle of ways.

I Know What Love Isn't
I Know What Love Isn't - Jens Lekman (Secretly Canadian, 2012)
Finally, Jens Lekman's follow-up LP to 2007's utterly brilliant Night Falls Over Kortedala. Unfortunately, it is only good, not great. There is not nearly as much variety as I've grown accustomed to on a Lekman release. Also, the songs just simply aren't as good as we all know he's capable of. To me, it almost feels like he just mailed this one in. The arrangements are as gorgeous as ever though, and that's what keeps I Know What Love Isn't afloat among the other good or better albums of 2012.

Fear and Doubt EP
Fear and Doubt EP - Lightships (Geographic, 2012)
Earlier this year I discovered this little Teenage Fanclub side project called Lightships (featuring Gerard Love). An LP titled Electric Cables was released, and it was great in all of its Byrdsian glory. Several months later the Fear and Doubt EP appears, with "Silver and Gold" from the LP and three unreleased tracks (I assume that were recorded in the same seesions). The EP is more of the same, but that is not a bad thing, as the songs continue to be beautiful. The opener/title track is the nicest jam.

Silver Age
Silver Age - Bob Mould (Merge, 2012)
Alternative rock! In the truest sense. Bob Mould (Husker Du/Sugar) really nailed it here. I haven't listened to Sugar a ton, but that is pretty much what Silver Age reminds me of. Awesome production all around (guitars and drums both sound most excellent), and Mould's voice still has some power. And, the songs... Whew boy! "The Descent" and "First Time Joy," especially. Admittedly, my passion for this record has waned a little with each listen, it is still a doozy with great throwback qualities. Fun fact: On my very first listen, I predicted that it would be Bravender's favorite album of 2012. Guess what? TRAVISROCK.

Needful Things/The Pale King/The Book Thief

Needful Things
Needful Things - Stephen King (1991)
I'm not sure why I ended up reading Stephen King's Needful Things, as I expected it to be terrible. Turns out I didn't hate it, and even enjoyed it! Focusing on the human instincts of greed and jealousy, Needful Things actually is a clever and unique horror story that I was pleasantly surprised by. It has plenty of blatant Stephen King-isms, love 'em or hate 'em, and the obvious characters you're supposed to be rooting for (which I find annoying here), but the plot's complexities and originality of the story made for a fresh read. Additionally, the intense violence and gore helped. While I strongly prefer The Shining and It, one can add Needful Things, believe it or not, to the list of King novels worth reading, even if its ending is one of the most ridiculous I've ever read.

The Pale King
The Pale King - David Foster Wallace (2011)
I was sooooooooo looking forward to David Foster Wallace's posthumous novel, The Pale King. Now, after finally getting through it, I'll be straight up: it was disappointing. Severely. His first two novels, The Broom of the System (1987) and Infinite Jest (1996), were lights out. It is unfair how much better of a writer Wallace was than pretty much everyone else in his brand of art/school of thought and beyond. His amazing prose is definitely present throughout The Pale King, but, while I know that the novel is technically unfinished, there was little else that I found appealing here. I will say that one of the most frustrating things about the book also was one of the coolest: one of the prime themes is boredom and dealing with it, and how else would DFW go about this than to make the chapters within so incredibly boring and tedious. I feel like I've been Punk'd, and for some reason I'm into that. Like I said, Wallace's masterful language is there in spades, it's just that the details are so complex yet mundane (the characters work for the IRS, so in ways, especially those of DFW, this is fitting). Sure, some of these characters are completely fascinating, and tidbits of this fractured plot (it feels more like a collection of short stories and essays than a novel) were really fun in Wallace's darkly clever way. It's all just much too much. Most people I talk literature with I have recommended David Foster Wallace to, and I will continue to do so, but certainly The Pale King is not the place to start.

The Book Thief
The Book Thief - Markus Zusak (2006)
The Book Thief, the popular, critically acclaimed young adult novel, was touching and featured wonderfully rich characters, and also was sad and dark in all the right ways. However, in spite of its subject matter (coming of age in Nazi Germany in the late 1930s/early 1940s, helping a Jew in said Germany during the early stages of World War II), it didn't carry as much weight as perhaps it should have. Granted, it probably would have been very effective had I read it in early high school or something like that. Additionally, Markus Zusak's decision to narrate the story under the flowery and poetic guise of Death, while unique and clever, ruined any chance of me taking this story as serious as I'm sure he would hope.

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Breakup Song/Broad Shoulders/I Bet on Sky/Everyone Everywhere/Long Slow Dance

Breakup Song
Breakup Song - Deerhoof (Polyvinyl, 2012)
Due to the quick turnaround from 2011's Deerhoof Vs. Evil, I'm not surprised that this great band's latest, Breakup Song, is under 30 minutes. I'm into it, especially when an album is as scatterbrained as this. I can't take it for too long. Anyway, something is off with Deerhoof here. I don't know. I'd say Breakup Song is probably a fresh update on their sound: more polished, more keyboards. However, it is not nearly as immediate as their last two albums, and while maybe there are more pop hooks, they are not as memorable. But, this is a double-edged sword, as the complexity and zaniness on Breakup Song keeps you on your toes a little bit more than those last few albums, which is interesting, because you often don't know what to expect from this wonderful band. There are great songs here (especially the doozy of a closer, "Fete d'Adieu"), but the lack of those interwoven, classic rock guitars leaves a gaping hole. And Greg Saunier's drumming isn't as wanky or impressive as I usually prefer. That's another complaint. Don't get me wrong. Breakup Song is a serviceable if not downright good Deerhoof record, I'm just not as into this more futuristic path they're headed down.

Broad Shoulders
Broad Shoulders - Dikembe (Tiny Engines, 2012)
2012 has been a fantastic year for the emo revival. Instead of the east coast, Dikembe are from Gainesville, FL, and are on the wussier side of the punk scene there that is headed by No Idea records. Basically, they are noodly emo that is a little bit more groove-oriented and not so difficult structurally as, say, Algernon Cadwallader or especially Glocca Morra. The vocals and vocal melodies are nothing to write home about (they get a bit monotonous), but otherwise, Dikembe are top notch players. Excellent musicianship, and the production quality on this debut LP, Broad Shoulders, is pretty much pro. To mine ears, these dudes are a little bit more like Braid and The Promise Ring than Cap'n Jazz. I'm pretty much all-in on the emo revival, and Dikembe are another excellent discovery. Broad Shoulders is not the best emo record of 2012, but it is a damn good one.

I Bet on Sky
I Bet on Sky - Dinosaur Jr. (Jagjaguwar, 2012)
I Bet on Sky is the third Dinosaur Jr. album after reuniting, and it is the least memorable, obviously meaning, that it is disappointing, also meaning that it is the worst. Not, like, THE WORST. Not in that way. It's just a solid Dinosaur Jr. album that just is, riding along with no lows but no real highs either. Sorta jangly, mid-tempo opener "Don't Pretend You Didn't Know" is a nice surprise, as it is relatively subtle with no real guitar wailing. "Almost Fare," "Pierce the Morning Rain," and "What Was That" are jams, but nothing here comes close to touching an "Almost Ready" or a "Back to Your Heart" or any of their great classics. Still, this is Dinosaur Jr. we're talking about, and I Bet on Sky is better than a lot of albums that came out in 2012. I'll take this over Grimes any day.

Everyone Everywhere
Everyone Everywhere - Everyone Everywhere (self-released, 2012)
Everyone Everywhere are another cog in the emo revival machine from Philadelphia, and Everyone Everywhere is not only their sophomore LP, but it is their SECOND SELF-TITLED LP. Believe it. I got into this around the same time as Broad Shoulders, so I think I will associate the two together for forever, even though they are a bit different. The former is a bit spacier and showcases a more "beautiful" sound, I guess, where the latter is more jagged and more punk, I guess? I'm not sure if Everyone Everywhere's pretty vocals and heart-wrenchingly simple and honest lyrics are annoying or just a non-factor, and the melodies are sort of whatever, but, the music is big and gorgeous, and their are some nice touches like aux percussion and horns that keep things fresh. "Queen Mary II" is a true jam. Good to great stuff.

Long Slow Dance
Long Slow Dance - The Fresh & Onlys (Mexican Summer, 2012)
Once a straight-up lo-fi psych pop band, The Fresh & Onlys continue to broaden their palette and improve upon their fidelity with each release. I have spent time with all of them, and I haven't liked anything by them as much as I do Long Slow Dance since their 2008 self-titled debut. Well, aside from Play It Strange's (2010) opener, "Summer of Love," which is without question their best song to date. While Long Slow Dance still hints at the 60s psych thing, I feel that it has more of an 80s thing going for it, mostly in the production, and also in the way that Tim Cohen's vocals here bring to mind Ian McCulloch of Echo & the Bunnymen. The sounds are pretty varied on Long Slow Dance, combining crisp 60s psych pop with some 80s post-punk drama (like E&tB, albeit subtly), but it feels pretty focused. Prettay good album all in all, and "Presence of Mind" = JAM.

Title Fight/Pianos Become the Teeth @ The Magic Stick, 10/27/12

Title Fight
I have been neglecting this blog pretty hard the past two months, and I have a lot of things to post about before I'm ready to even figure out let alone share my year-end music list. So, here I go to try and power through all of this shiz as quickly as possibly. If the writing is shottier than normal, I do apologize.

The weekend before Halloween, on a whim, my girlfriend and I decided to hit up the Magic Stick Lounge for a Title Fight/Pianos Become the Teeth show. We missed the two openers, Single Mothers and Face Reality.

Pianos Become the Teeth (terrible band name), who call the popular and impressive Topshelf Records home, were just about what I expected: true screamo/melodic hardcore with post-rock flourishes. Totally good at what they do (tight, put on a good show), and though I have recently discovered other bands in this genre that I actually do like (brings me back to high school, blah blah blah), PBtT just were not my thing.

Now, Title Fight just ruled. Bravender tipped me off to them a couple of years ago, and I was pretty into last year's album, Shed. But, this year they released Floral Green, which is a complete masterpiece (more on that in a couple of posts). This tour obviously was to promote that album, and thusly, they played mostly Floral Green songs. They did treat the crowd to two choice Shed cuts, the title track and "27," which fuse pop punk and modern hardcore wonderfully. As I'll get to further down the road, Floral Green is a whole other monster, bringing in elements of emo (or, more of it), "space rock" (ala Hum), and pure rock 'n' roll. The highlights of their set were surely "Leaf," "Secret Society," and "Sympathy," all of which are more on that pop punk/hardcore side of things. "Head in the Ceiling Fan," which perhaps is their song that sounds most like Hum, was a nice treat too. These dudes look super young, but talent-wise are one of the more mature punk bands around, and that really came through in their performance: unhinged energy, yet tight as all hell. If you like punk rock and you get the chance, see them.