Well, we have ½ old school style and ½ new school hopes mixing like an uncomfortable middle school dance on this mix. I blame Stacey Andersen for dragging me out on the floor then ditching me with some dude named Jason to dance out the rest of that Pet Shop Boys tune. Perhaps it was my velour shirt which fostered her abandonment issues …
On The Floor (Like A Dog)
Asteroids Galaxy Tour – The electro-themed cover and retro-80’s band name did not prepare me for this northern soul blast that echoes the best of Noonday Underground’s resuscitation attempts. While the vocals can’t quite measure up the enthusiasm buys back those style points.
The Heavy – Speaking of retro, they proved their 70’s soul allegiance on their last go-round and are here to back it up in world record style. This reggae infused effort still doesn’t replace Sean Bones in my heart, but would bump up with him nicely in any ipod mix trying to fool the casual partygoers.
Lake – Karl Blau’s amazing production job polishes this band’s rather reedy sound into something befitting an Al Stewart showcase, complete with delicious guitar licks and cult-style chanting of incomprehensible lyrics.
Echo & The Bunnymen – Not conscious that Echo is still taking complaints from anarchists all around the world? Well this title track hopefully changes that perception, though it likely won’t replace The Cutter in your personal top 10 list of Bunnymen tracks. Heck, it won’t replace With A Hip …
Tim Williams – Trolling the sea of sycophants angling for a possible Phoenix opening spot is this well-produced effort that puts the smooth in pop while still bringing the punch, well if only in the bassline.
Stars of Track and Field – Usually the “I forget what they sound like” track is reserved for the caboose, but instead we’ve moved it up to P6 given the sonic similarity to the previous track as they both hope some innocuous financial services firm is looking for a catchy commercial bed.
Slaraffenland – Stepping somewhat more south towards the arty types who still hope their efforts are friendly enough for Mercury Prize consideration, here’s a band whose lineage knocks them out of consideration though I’m sure their chilly homeland has plenty of other meaningless awards to consider.
Liam Finn + Eliza Jane – Liam Finn deserves a break in my ledger, as his slightly rootsy but supremely catch compositions always seem like superstars on first spin, only to wander back into the land of Pleasantville and positive opinions without any actual money exchanging hands.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Those still having Steven Jesse Bernstein flashbacks are dutifully hiding any mix with my name on it from their parents. Those unfamiliar will just have to sate their need to know with this mostly wordless mix of recent releases.
No Need To Speak
Fuck Buttons – This somewhat slow building battle of electronic and electric style should not be construed as a sign of coherence for the rest of the disc, which explores a less regimented definition of tempo and clarity.
Rickard Jäverling – Those fond of the delicate Kozelek style guitar on display here will be pleased to learn that vocals do accompany more than half the tracks on this disc, I just settled for one that recalls Cabezon more than Summer Dress.
King Kong Ding Dong – Discs that arrive in screen-printed cardboard packaging usually suggest lo-fi indiepop or abrasive experiments, this one tries to find its niche in both courts but settles in with Slint style drumming (and geetars) with plenty of humming.
Boys Noize – Music for car commercials. Somehow it feels like a brawnier more brainless version of Justice, or basically it’s like comparing G.I. Joe to Transformers 2 – one of ‘em has to be better and you shouldn't try to compare them in the first place.
Emptyset – Those in the audience familiar with the painfully rhythmic Pan Sonic may find some familiarity exists in the works of Emptyset, though this composition is nowhere near as sparse as the namedrop suggests.
Sleep Whale – Don’t kill the whale, but for heaven’s sake do let it rest a bit. Another wordless one from an album that does have vocals and lyrics, even if they’re buried under several layers of reverb. Here comes that skyward explosions feeling again … all drums and string(s) and such.
Lusine – Finally a relatively normal electronic track, one worthy of a late night train trip or soundtrack for an airport. Well, an airport moving sidewalk perhaps, as the chaos that follows a last-minute gate change never does quite show up here.
Charly Antolini’s Power Dozen – It’s difficult to tell the hopelessly retro from the honestly retro these days, what with advances in art direction and recording studios and their ability to recreate the path with more than faux authenticity. I believe this is the real thing though … I think?
No Need To Speak
Fuck Buttons – This somewhat slow building battle of electronic and electric style should not be construed as a sign of coherence for the rest of the disc, which explores a less regimented definition of tempo and clarity.
Rickard Jäverling – Those fond of the delicate Kozelek style guitar on display here will be pleased to learn that vocals do accompany more than half the tracks on this disc, I just settled for one that recalls Cabezon more than Summer Dress.
King Kong Ding Dong – Discs that arrive in screen-printed cardboard packaging usually suggest lo-fi indiepop or abrasive experiments, this one tries to find its niche in both courts but settles in with Slint style drumming (and geetars) with plenty of humming.
Boys Noize – Music for car commercials. Somehow it feels like a brawnier more brainless version of Justice, or basically it’s like comparing G.I. Joe to Transformers 2 – one of ‘em has to be better and you shouldn't try to compare them in the first place.
Emptyset – Those in the audience familiar with the painfully rhythmic Pan Sonic may find some familiarity exists in the works of Emptyset, though this composition is nowhere near as sparse as the namedrop suggests.
Sleep Whale – Don’t kill the whale, but for heaven’s sake do let it rest a bit. Another wordless one from an album that does have vocals and lyrics, even if they’re buried under several layers of reverb. Here comes that skyward explosions feeling again … all drums and string(s) and such.
Lusine – Finally a relatively normal electronic track, one worthy of a late night train trip or soundtrack for an airport. Well, an airport moving sidewalk perhaps, as the chaos that follows a last-minute gate change never does quite show up here.
Charly Antolini’s Power Dozen – It’s difficult to tell the hopelessly retro from the honestly retro these days, what with advances in art direction and recording studios and their ability to recreate the path with more than faux authenticity. I believe this is the real thing though … I think?
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Here’s another one of (mostly) guys and guitars scraping away at dull layers of desensitizing accrued through years of cynicism and regret. How ironic that those who would appreciate it the most are the least likely to find it. Or is that just a well-deserved conclusion to these stories?
Cruel and Constant
Vic Chesnutt – One of the more delightful moments of the Undertow Collective show in Boston was the on-stage banter between Mark Eitzel and Vic Chesnutt, two purveyors of broken promises who consistently find humor balled up in the shadowy corners of human existence. If that statement makes you metaphorically scratch your head, then I doubt you’ll understand Chesnutt’s meandering gut-punch almost worthy of Chocolate Genius’ “My Mom.”
Joel Plaskett – As one of the world’s most fervent Joel Plaskett fanboys I must admit the idea of releasing his Sandinista brought about ‘”is this a good idea” levels of hesitation. As you expect the conceptual side of it doesn’t hold up, the running time is far too long to sustain the interest of even his family members, and one song plucked from the field quickly restores my faith in the whole exercise.
Black Heart Procession – Don’t let me mislead you with this relatively tame track, there’s plenty of post-disaster disillusionment on their latest effort to satisfy the ardent fan. Though admittedly I kept hoping for that sprawling 7+ minute track that drags you through the filth of rain tarnished dirt roads, but it never quite arrived.
Exene Cervenka – I remember the unexpected joy of her late 80’s solo albums and the muted disappointment of mid 90’s follow-ups. Given this one’s on Bloodshot I knew to expect much more of the early 90’s faux-country and indeed it’s all inoffensive and uncomplicated beauty on display, better than a chick-flick soundtrack but nowhere near a day-after evidence envelope.
The Avett Brothers – You know how you get excited that your favorite (relatively) unknown band is finally getting that shot with the big name producer on a label with decent distribution? And you tell all your friends about how it’s the new pinnacle of the musical/emotional entanglement that’ll get even casual fans to speak in optimistic tones? Yet you know in your heart it has none of the spontaneous humour or emotion or risk-taking of their far superior unknown records? Yeah, I know that story too.
Simon Joyner – Our generation’s Townes Van Zandt continues to rake the leaves at a barren park the edge of a post-industrial Midwestern town, tidying a quiet plain that nobody wants to view anyways. A writer can do a lotta thinking about humanity in those moments, only a few people actually think to write ‘em down.
Redwood Red – Not quite sure where the label sampler came from (Germany?) but it has a hardened 70’s folk feel that eschews much of the unearned frivolity of the freak scene, leaving behind those who need to communicate beyond their daily grind and restless evenings.
Monsters of Folk – Two things nobody remembers about the Travelling Wilburys. 1) Everyone thought it was a stupid idea in the first place. 2) It was the second album (or, uh, third?) that proved the instincts behind #1 correct. Supergroup magic is incredibly difficult to capture, if you’re lucky you’ll get one decent song. Perhaps this is the one?
Cruel and Constant
Vic Chesnutt – One of the more delightful moments of the Undertow Collective show in Boston was the on-stage banter between Mark Eitzel and Vic Chesnutt, two purveyors of broken promises who consistently find humor balled up in the shadowy corners of human existence. If that statement makes you metaphorically scratch your head, then I doubt you’ll understand Chesnutt’s meandering gut-punch almost worthy of Chocolate Genius’ “My Mom.”
Joel Plaskett – As one of the world’s most fervent Joel Plaskett fanboys I must admit the idea of releasing his Sandinista brought about ‘”is this a good idea” levels of hesitation. As you expect the conceptual side of it doesn’t hold up, the running time is far too long to sustain the interest of even his family members, and one song plucked from the field quickly restores my faith in the whole exercise.
Black Heart Procession – Don’t let me mislead you with this relatively tame track, there’s plenty of post-disaster disillusionment on their latest effort to satisfy the ardent fan. Though admittedly I kept hoping for that sprawling 7+ minute track that drags you through the filth of rain tarnished dirt roads, but it never quite arrived.
Exene Cervenka – I remember the unexpected joy of her late 80’s solo albums and the muted disappointment of mid 90’s follow-ups. Given this one’s on Bloodshot I knew to expect much more of the early 90’s faux-country and indeed it’s all inoffensive and uncomplicated beauty on display, better than a chick-flick soundtrack but nowhere near a day-after evidence envelope.
The Avett Brothers – You know how you get excited that your favorite (relatively) unknown band is finally getting that shot with the big name producer on a label with decent distribution? And you tell all your friends about how it’s the new pinnacle of the musical/emotional entanglement that’ll get even casual fans to speak in optimistic tones? Yet you know in your heart it has none of the spontaneous humour or emotion or risk-taking of their far superior unknown records? Yeah, I know that story too.
Simon Joyner – Our generation’s Townes Van Zandt continues to rake the leaves at a barren park the edge of a post-industrial Midwestern town, tidying a quiet plain that nobody wants to view anyways. A writer can do a lotta thinking about humanity in those moments, only a few people actually think to write ‘em down.
Redwood Red – Not quite sure where the label sampler came from (Germany?) but it has a hardened 70’s folk feel that eschews much of the unearned frivolity of the freak scene, leaving behind those who need to communicate beyond their daily grind and restless evenings.
Monsters of Folk – Two things nobody remembers about the Travelling Wilburys. 1) Everyone thought it was a stupid idea in the first place. 2) It was the second album (or, uh, third?) that proved the instincts behind #1 correct. Supergroup magic is incredibly difficult to capture, if you’re lucky you’ll get one decent song. Perhaps this is the one?
Friday, October 16, 2009
Like a tin of supermarket sushi, this succulent batch of indie pop exceeds in its genre blandness, reworking familiar elements in familiar ways in the hope of finding a familiar endorphin rush of familiarity that breeds something more than contempt.
god's voice in the avenue
Thao With The Get Down Stay Down – More calculated than her whirlwind first effort, Thao has to actually break a sweat or two to forage for the cacophony that came so easily on her debut. That being sad it’s just as uneven, unfortunately the highs here can’t quick reach the same peak so attainable a year ago.
Via Tania - Through her breathy vocal delivery and snake-charmer backing Ms. Tania finds some rhythmically ethereal appeal in this rather simple offering. Indeed, the most shocking thing here is her 80’s style perm on the disc’s cover shot – by the way, did I ever tell you about the time my mother sent me down to the beauty parlor for the works? Oops, running out of space here …
Digits – Quite pleasantly living up to their name digits forges a synthetic path with restrained but movement friendly beats, heavily tweaked vocals, and overmodulation set to stun. If you prefer multiple synth solos in your retro-pop songs the key to your heart is contained within.
The Clientele – When the wind gets brisk and the collars turn upward it’s Clientele weather, and they continue to deserve their reputation for finding the emotional detachment with a warm creamy center, including horns and glistening Spanish guitars accentuating a longing that will likely never be sated.
Hornet Leg – The majority of this disc is dedicated to the raw garage punk cacophony that K records so mercilessly delivers in their normal junk-bin production style, though I’ve picked the one restrained morsel to be found in this heavily spiced meal. So pursue further at your peril!
The Fresh & Onlys – The rapid pace of these two concurrent releases makes me wonder if this crew is either ebulliently creative Pollard style or had a bit too much fun winnowing the track listing on the first disc. In any case consistency is their hallmark, as the retro 60’s garage vibe is just as evident and enjoyable on this fine follow-up.
The Rifles – Post-Revival-Post-Punk is likely passé by now but I had been predicting the revival for so long that I still find myself saving one song per release regardless of quality, especially if they so effectively work in heavy handclaps and a jangle worthy of the C-86 compilation.
Nudge – One day sonic archivists will wonder why some so doggedly captured the unfocused sounds of what seemed to be a basement band practice inside multiple cardboard sleeves seemingly intended for space-wasteful physical cataloging.
god's voice in the avenue
Thao With The Get Down Stay Down – More calculated than her whirlwind first effort, Thao has to actually break a sweat or two to forage for the cacophony that came so easily on her debut. That being sad it’s just as uneven, unfortunately the highs here can’t quick reach the same peak so attainable a year ago.
Via Tania - Through her breathy vocal delivery and snake-charmer backing Ms. Tania finds some rhythmically ethereal appeal in this rather simple offering. Indeed, the most shocking thing here is her 80’s style perm on the disc’s cover shot – by the way, did I ever tell you about the time my mother sent me down to the beauty parlor for the works? Oops, running out of space here …
Digits – Quite pleasantly living up to their name digits forges a synthetic path with restrained but movement friendly beats, heavily tweaked vocals, and overmodulation set to stun. If you prefer multiple synth solos in your retro-pop songs the key to your heart is contained within.
The Clientele – When the wind gets brisk and the collars turn upward it’s Clientele weather, and they continue to deserve their reputation for finding the emotional detachment with a warm creamy center, including horns and glistening Spanish guitars accentuating a longing that will likely never be sated.
Hornet Leg – The majority of this disc is dedicated to the raw garage punk cacophony that K records so mercilessly delivers in their normal junk-bin production style, though I’ve picked the one restrained morsel to be found in this heavily spiced meal. So pursue further at your peril!
The Fresh & Onlys – The rapid pace of these two concurrent releases makes me wonder if this crew is either ebulliently creative Pollard style or had a bit too much fun winnowing the track listing on the first disc. In any case consistency is their hallmark, as the retro 60’s garage vibe is just as evident and enjoyable on this fine follow-up.
The Rifles – Post-Revival-Post-Punk is likely passé by now but I had been predicting the revival for so long that I still find myself saving one song per release regardless of quality, especially if they so effectively work in heavy handclaps and a jangle worthy of the C-86 compilation.
Nudge – One day sonic archivists will wonder why some so doggedly captured the unfocused sounds of what seemed to be a basement band practice inside multiple cardboard sleeves seemingly intended for space-wasteful physical cataloging.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
I suppose everyone has influences, but Jesus couldn’t today’s artists And songwriters progress beyond Mary (not to mention peter or paul) and Chain together some moments of originality? Um, well, let me revise that opinion since flattery this sincere deserves positive recognition.
Everything Will Be OK
The Big Pink – This year’s Ned’s Atomic Dustbin? Their face-slapper of a debut hit me so immediately that it has made me doubt my normally reputable instincts for quality. It’s a decidedly British mélange of late 80’s and early 90’s influences that promises to either fade its colours or hold up to repeat washings.
The Raveonettes – A string of excellent efforts is a harbinger of quality as well, and The Raveonettes follow up last year’s big step upward with a level plane effort that deals you a pair of aces and promises several more are on the board.
Girls – Can’t quite fathom to furor around this pale effort at garage level feedback, though I have a feeling punchless production lets them down more than actual songcraft. There are too many murky moments to make much more than a watery bowl of oatmeal.
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – Their new ep delivers on the promise of the album by simply repeating the formula of solid pop songs so obscured by Henry’s Dress level feedback that your sorrows are immediately drowned.
A Place to Bury Strangers – Nice to see these gentlemen move up to the higher profile assignment of Mute records and even nicer that they retain the momentum from their ear bleeding debut. A bit more catch as catch can on this new one as there are a few soft spots but certainly the price is justified.
Amusement Parks of Fire – Another much anticipated follow up on the horizon as their first keeps delivering who-was-that moments when stumbled upon during serendipitous shuffle moments. When I consistently guess their pedigree is ~20 years old than actual born-on date that’s impressive enough for me.
Atlas Sound – Deerhunter side project that takes a detour into Xiu Xiu land for some odd reason. Their first was a perfectly acceptable exploration of sound and style, but this new one seems to layer in a predictable air of uninspired freakiness that never coalesces into anything beyond torpor.
Vivian Girls – We’ll appropriately end this mix with The End, courtesy of an all-female outfit that seems unconcerned with style or fashion and instead stomps around the graveyard on a sunny day with the intensity of a grade school class trying to identify the oldest stone.
Everything Will Be OK
The Big Pink – This year’s Ned’s Atomic Dustbin? Their face-slapper of a debut hit me so immediately that it has made me doubt my normally reputable instincts for quality. It’s a decidedly British mélange of late 80’s and early 90’s influences that promises to either fade its colours or hold up to repeat washings.
The Raveonettes – A string of excellent efforts is a harbinger of quality as well, and The Raveonettes follow up last year’s big step upward with a level plane effort that deals you a pair of aces and promises several more are on the board.
Girls – Can’t quite fathom to furor around this pale effort at garage level feedback, though I have a feeling punchless production lets them down more than actual songcraft. There are too many murky moments to make much more than a watery bowl of oatmeal.
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – Their new ep delivers on the promise of the album by simply repeating the formula of solid pop songs so obscured by Henry’s Dress level feedback that your sorrows are immediately drowned.
A Place to Bury Strangers – Nice to see these gentlemen move up to the higher profile assignment of Mute records and even nicer that they retain the momentum from their ear bleeding debut. A bit more catch as catch can on this new one as there are a few soft spots but certainly the price is justified.
Amusement Parks of Fire – Another much anticipated follow up on the horizon as their first keeps delivering who-was-that moments when stumbled upon during serendipitous shuffle moments. When I consistently guess their pedigree is ~20 years old than actual born-on date that’s impressive enough for me.
Atlas Sound – Deerhunter side project that takes a detour into Xiu Xiu land for some odd reason. Their first was a perfectly acceptable exploration of sound and style, but this new one seems to layer in a predictable air of uninspired freakiness that never coalesces into anything beyond torpor.
Vivian Girls – We’ll appropriately end this mix with The End, courtesy of an all-female outfit that seems unconcerned with style or fashion and instead stomps around the graveyard on a sunny day with the intensity of a grade school class trying to identify the oldest stone.
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
If you thought the last mix was sedate well, it wasn’t. But this one is, for the most part. Y’know I don’t think every song on every mix is brilliant, but at minimum they’re worth a critical assessment or two.
The Absence of Tenderness
David Sylvian – Landing somewhere between the full-on abstraction of Blemish and the more sultry song-oriented Nine Horses project, this teaming with the boys from Fennesz yields a field day of fractured fairy tails (or tales) that should please fans of either artist but doesn’t do much to combine their best elements beyond a cursory “Hey that’s David Sylvian singing over a Fennesz tune” recognition.
Grant-Lee Phillips – Speaking of former frontmen whose solo career has outlasted their more famous band tenure, here’s the former head of major label failures Grant Lee Buffalo. No, not Buffalo Tom … so wait, you’ve never heard of Grant Lee Buffalo? If you’re from the US I can’t say I blame you, check out their 1st album Fuzzy instead of this unfocused solo effort.
Richard Hawley – Ok you knew it was coming, and given the leadoff batter in this mix you knew it was coming very, very soon. The latest Hawley at least gets back some of the emotional focus left behind on Lady’s Bridge but doesn’t seek to do much more than wander around in a hazy fog bourne dusk of post-romantic failures.
Rose Melberg – Anything touching the legacy of The Softies (a band that truly embodied their name) always gets an immediate spin in my buffer, but this solo effort from half the band is as disappointing as anything either of them has released. Most of the tunes barely earn that designation, feeling more like demos that didn’t get proper warming in the studio’s toaster oven.
Anna Ternheim – I knew trouble was on the horizon when I first heard this release in Starbucks, and sure enough the Grey’s Anatomy crowd has gotten a hold of our promising Swedish transplant in hopes of luring housewives and hipsters to her troth. It’s not as terrible as that sounds, but nowhere near as positive as her stateside debut.
7 Worlds Collide – The Finn brothers try to load up their crowded house with relatives and collaborators from every continent, I think. Well, there’s some such lame concept at play which didn’t interest me enough to get through the press release. Just know that this song features Lisa Germano, and it’s better than the one where Johnny Marr lends vocals.
The Bats – These gentlemen feel like the Elvis Costello of the wave of quality New Zealand late 80’s/early 90’s exports in that they still have a well-deserved cache of goodwill thanks to their stellar early releases despite the fact that they’ve done little to entertain us in 15+ years.
The Clean – Staying back down below the equator to visit another former Flying Nun superstar effort, and luckily a far more entertaining one at that. Suffering from none of the slightness of their previous release, here they’ve made a good thing better by staying strong with a core of hazy jangle goodness throughout the whole enterprise.
The Absence of Tenderness
David Sylvian – Landing somewhere between the full-on abstraction of Blemish and the more sultry song-oriented Nine Horses project, this teaming with the boys from Fennesz yields a field day of fractured fairy tails (or tales) that should please fans of either artist but doesn’t do much to combine their best elements beyond a cursory “Hey that’s David Sylvian singing over a Fennesz tune” recognition.
Grant-Lee Phillips – Speaking of former frontmen whose solo career has outlasted their more famous band tenure, here’s the former head of major label failures Grant Lee Buffalo. No, not Buffalo Tom … so wait, you’ve never heard of Grant Lee Buffalo? If you’re from the US I can’t say I blame you, check out their 1st album Fuzzy instead of this unfocused solo effort.
Richard Hawley – Ok you knew it was coming, and given the leadoff batter in this mix you knew it was coming very, very soon. The latest Hawley at least gets back some of the emotional focus left behind on Lady’s Bridge but doesn’t seek to do much more than wander around in a hazy fog bourne dusk of post-romantic failures.
Rose Melberg – Anything touching the legacy of The Softies (a band that truly embodied their name) always gets an immediate spin in my buffer, but this solo effort from half the band is as disappointing as anything either of them has released. Most of the tunes barely earn that designation, feeling more like demos that didn’t get proper warming in the studio’s toaster oven.
Anna Ternheim – I knew trouble was on the horizon when I first heard this release in Starbucks, and sure enough the Grey’s Anatomy crowd has gotten a hold of our promising Swedish transplant in hopes of luring housewives and hipsters to her troth. It’s not as terrible as that sounds, but nowhere near as positive as her stateside debut.
7 Worlds Collide – The Finn brothers try to load up their crowded house with relatives and collaborators from every continent, I think. Well, there’s some such lame concept at play which didn’t interest me enough to get through the press release. Just know that this song features Lisa Germano, and it’s better than the one where Johnny Marr lends vocals.
The Bats – These gentlemen feel like the Elvis Costello of the wave of quality New Zealand late 80’s/early 90’s exports in that they still have a well-deserved cache of goodwill thanks to their stellar early releases despite the fact that they’ve done little to entertain us in 15+ years.
The Clean – Staying back down below the equator to visit another former Flying Nun superstar effort, and luckily a far more entertaining one at that. Suffering from none of the slightness of their previous release, here they’ve made a good thing better by staying strong with a core of hazy jangle goodness throughout the whole enterprise.
Friday, October 02, 2009
A largely synthetic offering that doesn’t rely on lyrical depth to get a directional proposal across your bow.
Flowing Forever
Tim & Puma Mimi – Japanese pop with a Euro twist sounds remarkably Japanese complete with attention deficit disorder vocal prowess and video game synths. I’ll take the title at face value and assume this song is about that moment when you enter a restaurant and realize the fish that are greeting could soon be on your plate.
Sissy Wish – Fulfilling this week’s Swedish requirement is this few-years-too-late import that didn’t have to be worth the wait but certainly fulfills that intention. The 60’s girl group overmod is entirely too authentic but the super-busy drummer gives away their true inspiration.
Air – They continue to do their best to embody the elements of their namesake that likely drew them international fame and fortune in the first place, though I wonder how anyone at all remembers they even existed despite always being around. I would have enjoyed some lighthearted patter somewhere late in the song.
Music Go Music – The myth of historical simplicity is reinforced by backwards looking musical confections like this offering. In truth time allows us an easier swipe at judging the relative merits of ABBA or Pilot, which makes retro-worshipping efforts somewhat of a cheat. When you already know what’s good, it’s easier to pick a starting point.
United State of Electronica – While not as delirious as their first effort, the suddenly shortened U.S.E. (do they have less members now?) still make copious use of the pitch correction technology at their disposal without forgetting that a bit of talentless rap can go a long way to building up billowing clouds of memory.
Eva and the Heartmaker – The whole exercise seems quite meticulously designed, and that’s just the packaging. Imagine the budget for the multiple clothing changes in one single CD booklet! I hope she rented that piano key necklace! Where do they find all these solidly colored walls?
Health – If ever a band name was a misnomer, this group seems determined to damage at least one internal organ of each listener, probably the pancreas. Rapidly forming squalls of dissonance mate with New Order-precise dance beats in an unholy cry for catharsis through unintended physical activity.
Signer – Bringing up the rear, once again some musical effort that arrived with little more than a press release, a naked disc and a google-proof name. At least this one seems like self-sabotage was the true intent, given the lack of puppy dog earnestness in the prose and the performance.
Flowing Forever
Tim & Puma Mimi – Japanese pop with a Euro twist sounds remarkably Japanese complete with attention deficit disorder vocal prowess and video game synths. I’ll take the title at face value and assume this song is about that moment when you enter a restaurant and realize the fish that are greeting could soon be on your plate.
Sissy Wish – Fulfilling this week’s Swedish requirement is this few-years-too-late import that didn’t have to be worth the wait but certainly fulfills that intention. The 60’s girl group overmod is entirely too authentic but the super-busy drummer gives away their true inspiration.
Air – They continue to do their best to embody the elements of their namesake that likely drew them international fame and fortune in the first place, though I wonder how anyone at all remembers they even existed despite always being around. I would have enjoyed some lighthearted patter somewhere late in the song.
Music Go Music – The myth of historical simplicity is reinforced by backwards looking musical confections like this offering. In truth time allows us an easier swipe at judging the relative merits of ABBA or Pilot, which makes retro-worshipping efforts somewhat of a cheat. When you already know what’s good, it’s easier to pick a starting point.
United State of Electronica – While not as delirious as their first effort, the suddenly shortened U.S.E. (do they have less members now?) still make copious use of the pitch correction technology at their disposal without forgetting that a bit of talentless rap can go a long way to building up billowing clouds of memory.
Eva and the Heartmaker – The whole exercise seems quite meticulously designed, and that’s just the packaging. Imagine the budget for the multiple clothing changes in one single CD booklet! I hope she rented that piano key necklace! Where do they find all these solidly colored walls?
Health – If ever a band name was a misnomer, this group seems determined to damage at least one internal organ of each listener, probably the pancreas. Rapidly forming squalls of dissonance mate with New Order-precise dance beats in an unholy cry for catharsis through unintended physical activity.
Signer – Bringing up the rear, once again some musical effort that arrived with little more than a press release, a naked disc and a google-proof name. At least this one seems like self-sabotage was the true intent, given the lack of puppy dog earnestness in the prose and the performance.
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