March 24, 2007

Maximo Park--Our Earthly Pleasures

Brace yourself for this one. Fusing a delicious union between the crashing post-punk of The Futureheads the pop-friendly dance-driven rhythms of Bloc Party, Maximo Park rocket into 2007 with Our Earthly Pleasures. Vocalist Paul Smith’s style in tracks like "Girls Who Play Guitars" and "Our Velocity" possess a smack of Futureheads’ vocalist Barry Hyde, and explosive guitar instrumentals follow a vein of The Futureheads (see "A Fortnight’s Time")—but toned down, giving the overall impression of a pop-indie sound delicately toeing the post-punk waters. Drum-beat led tracks ("The Unshockable") elude to A Weekend in the City or even Franz Ferdinand, but fall short of being as eruptively monumental. Other tracks such as "Russian Literature" are more modest (think a more interesting Razorlight, or modern Smiths) and have horrendously catchy melodies that will haunt your long after listening. Smith’s vocals are always easy on the ear, and quieter pieces such as "Your Urge" work beautifully where Barry Hyde or Kele Okereke may falter.

Maximo Park pepper-spray Our Earthly Pleasures with a healthy mix of contrasting songs to keep things interesting, and by the closing riffs of "Parisian Skies" your only thought will be of starting the whole thing over again. A release that will surely attract more than its share of comparisons to The Futureheads, Bloc Party, Franz Ferdinand, and Withdrawal, Maximo Park’s sophomore full-length is strong where previously mentioned heavy-hitters are weak. Our Earthly Pleasures may not rocket up the charts as fast as A Weekend in the City or News & Tributes, but it is a delightful treat for anyone who loves what’s been coming out of England lately—and will surely generate some Maximo Park buzz.

(Published at ComfortComes.com)

March 19, 2007

The Nyquist Frequency--Elephant Art

Not to be confused with the Nyquist rate, the Nyquist frequency is half a sampling frequency from a signal processing system. No wait...it has something to do with bandwidth? Fortunately, a degree in physics is not needed to understand Elephant Art, the debut release from a collective led by Keith Nyquist. Originally from DeKalb, Illinois, Nyquist takes a few Ubique Records friends along for the ride (Mark Mattson from Captains and Craig Swafford on drums). Modestly subdued, The Nyquist Frequency keep most of their 13 tracks bland—but a few shining gems break the tricky "same-old, same-old" layer of overused indie sediment. Taking root in some ‘70s influences (the band offers up comparisons to early Byrds, although I think that’s stretched and it would be better to jump into Elephant Art with neutral expectations), Elephant Art is generally a warm glowing mass of indie-pop, made ever sweeter by the delicious musk of DIY found all over the album. "Sand" sets up some vintage melodies complete with a tastefully distorted guitar solo. In a contrasting set-up, "Dark Skies" is one of the brightest tunes in Elephant Art, with a wonderfully pop melody (complete with applause) that still keeps a foot both in warm ‘70s memories and low-fi indie influences. Indeed, The Nyquist Frequency do a respectful job of blending many influences, and in a way come out sounding very original—albeit rough in spots. "Sunset" closes the album with bittersweet guitars and a forget-me-not lyrical track provided by Mark Mattson and Molly McNett. While the majority of Elephant Art may be forgetful (though better with each listen), the few catchy hits speak volumes at just where further development might take this young band—and specifically Keith Nyquist himself. A very respectful debut, I would not be surprised to hear from (and of) The Nyquist Frequency more in the future. Until then though, they’re your DIY indie treasure.

(Published at MusicEmissions.com)

March 14, 2007

Youth Group--Casino Twilight Dogs

Australian rockers Youth Group have a warm shimmery halo wrung about their heads and engraved in their music. Its almost indescribable – and quite magical really – how easily they snap up your ears and have you totally captivated by their brand of summeresque dream-indie found in Casino Twilight Dogs. The quick doses of orchestral blends add a professional resonance to their music—and even in such allegedly sarcastic songs as "Sorry," Youth Group compels a warmhearted emotional undercurrent.

Yet they always linger on the edge of indifference. The lecturing vocals on "Catching & Killing" force my finger to linger over the skip button, but soon enough the group is safely back within the caring arms of their sunny instrumentals and warmly melodic choruses. "Dead Zoo" continues the summer melodies with some bittersweet lyrics, which evolves into the very vividly picturesque "Under the Underpass." Toby Martin’s tender vocal talents are a key part of Youth Group’s warm sound, and "Sicily" shows Martin off as the instrumentals take a back seat ("They'd need a surgeon / Because in this version / We'd become one person"). If the opening tracks of Casino Twilight Dogs didn’t convince you of Youth Group’s wrenching summer-melodies, I give you "Forever Young." The infamous cover that got picked up by The O.C., "Forever Young" seems to culminate the general feeling experienced throughout Casino Twilight Dogs: the desire for an unending summer, the death-like grasp of the feelings and experiences under the burning sun, and thoughts on what the hell it all means.

In my opinion though, "Forever Young" is beat out by "TJ," a song inspired by the death of TJ Hickey after being chased by the police. A slower and mellow tune, "TJ" features a blisteringly strong and haunting melody: "Do what we like / Go about our lives / Happy to see it says nothing about us / Read in the news / Just shake our heads / Happy to see it says nothing about us." This is indie, at its very purest form: innovation after innovation that never prescribes to what I, the listener, want to hear, but to what I may like. They may hit or miss, but Youth Group offers up flowery summer images, deep introspective and deliberating thoughts, a slew of different influences and techniques in a glorious attempt to connect with listeners—there’s so much here for everyone. Youth Group win a strong victory, gain a mass of fans, and rocket into 2007 with one of the best albums of the year.

(Published at MusicEmissions.com)

Claudio Parodi--Horizontal Mover

One track. One hour. One hell of a story. One crappy piece of music.

This is Horizontal Mover, the first track of a seven part series from Italian pianist and electronic avant-garde musician Claudio Parodi. Each feature will use one of seven tracks of Tiziano Milani’s Suoni 2005 as a starting point—and is dedicated to the work of Alvin Lucier. The use of reonsators and humming amplifiers was styled after Lucier, directly mimicking his work "I am sitting in a room," which involved playing that speech line until the loss of speech. After much cutting, stretching, distorting (what Parodi describes as "uncovering a new detail in Milani’s accumulative work"), the song was so incredibly long that Parodi’s computers failed and he had to revert to "pioneers’ age of electro-acoustic music." Just what was he recording? A room. The reverberations of a room.

Naturally, the story behind this odd piece of art is more interesting than the art itself. I spent an hour of my life listening to the chopped up and faded reverberations of an empty room, and I want that back Parodi. For those who appreciate avant-garde art, you need no review to hype this record, and forgive me for saying this is boring tripe. Yes, I may have missed the deeper artistic message behind it all, but I have my own rooms to listen to for an hour. For those who like music, stay clear.

(Published at MusicEmissions.com)

Unlucky Atlas--Unlucky Atlas


"The new American century waits and weeps to a dream, not all a dream, a new frontier." Such the weight of bitter-sweet lyrics that accompany the biting acoustic instrumentals Unlucky Atlas has to provide. A quick listen at just over 30 minutes, the Chicago group’s self-titled release is a power-packed punch of acoustic ramblings and orchestral ballads. Just take a listen to the opening seconds of "Noble Enterprise" to feel the power pint up in Unlucky Atlas’ fingers. Quick and nimble at times, slow and calculated at others ("Great Awakening"), the acoustic instrumentals become Unlucky Atlas’ signature touch—along with heart-bending orchestral effects that add a classical touch to songs. That classical touch comes through also in their female-sung lyrics which drip with literary care, taking a page from romantic poets in a way that comes off not unlike The Decemberists (with song titles like "Jacobin Waltz" and autoharps and fiddles in your instrumental arsenal, how can you not come off as Decemberist-offspring?). Unlucky Atlas offer a wealth of unexpected acoustic delicacies and siren-song instrumental tracks full of mournful, introspective, and romantic drudgery. A wonderful find from the Windy City, pick this one up if you can get your hands on it!

(Published at MusicEmissions.com)

March 10, 2007

Malajube-Trompe-L'oeil


Rocketing straight out of French Canada, Malajube rip up the stage with a blisteringly good take on Muse-like instrumentals, coupled with delicious French vocals that convey meaning in other ways than the words themselves. With songs ranging to a slamming drum explosion of rock sound, to a piano-supported track with all the pomp and raunchiness of a French salon, Malajube provide great dynamic and some awesome tracks. "Le Crabe" is an obvious winner off Trompe-L'oeil, playing to the soft delicacy of Malajube’s French vocals, then contrasting that fragility with the onslaught of a Muse-like guitar melody coupled with more forceful vocals. Moving into "Étienne d'Août," Malajube are quieter, with more of a Shin-indie sound (not unlike "Phantom Limb"), and as always their foreign speech adds a romantic touch of exotic emotion—as does the addition of a sweetly charming string part. "Ton Plat Favori" opens with a bouncy piano solo that reminds one of raunchy salons, an idea much supported by Malajube’s high-spirited vocals soon after. The song is a peppy, light-hearted track that fits right in with the ups and downs of the rest of the album. "Fille à Plumes" is straight off a Muse album, combining dramatic guitar riffs with slamming drum beats and an ever changing melody. A fast-paced rhythm pulls you along for the ride, a sweetly divine mixture of some great influences. Malajube never stay on one thought for long, and (unless you know French quite well), we can only assume what those thoughts are. From forceful to introspective to fun-loving, Trompe-L'oeil is a great find and an essential album for fans of Muse, The Flaming Lips, or Super Furry Animals. Yay for French Canada!

(Published at MusicEmissions.com)

Streif--Nordic Winter


The title tells all: this is the music playing in the humble log shelter in which you’ve taken shelter from the harsh Scandinavian elements. Quiet traditional Scandinavian tunes are coupled with a soft-jazz influence for a very pleasing album that’s modestly touching. The four-man outfit from Scandinavia use a variety of traditional instruments to craft exotic and truly chilling folk music, simulating the frigid gusts of their Nordic homeland. Tracks like "Estlandsk Vuggevise" and "Ballade" are softly gurgling springs of melancholy feeling, mixed with a few jazzy saxophone touches—adding an interesting modern touch to what would otherwise feel quite classical. Great background music for a snazzy party or for a rainy day at home, Streif puts the indie in Scandinavia traditional music…a fact I’m positive you were not aware of before today. Nordic Winter – chilling, melancholy, and even jazzy – is a very interesting listen if you can get your hands on this release. Don’t pass it by.

(Published at MusicEmissions.com)

March 08, 2007

The Hunt Is On

There’s an excitement in hunting for music. A primeval evolutionary leftover from our species’ humble hunter/gather stage is activated as I open the door to my town’s dinky used record store. Immediately the scent of delicious bands and scrumptious music hiding in the shelves and among the brush cater to my overwhelmed nose. With predatory speed and instinct I rip through the rows of albums, delighting when my fingers finally reach the plastic foil of my desired music, salivating on the cashier as he rings up my total. An exaggerated account it may be, and entirely a false one. Why? There are no dinky used-record stores in my town.

Like Tower Records’ 89 store closings and the other 1,200 retailers who have gone the way of the dodo across the nation, my music shops are dying. This void of musical discovery needs filling. And by what? I cringe at the thought of relenting myself to MTV and XM Radio, letting their choices of music be force-fed down my stagnantly passive ear-drums. Where can I feel the same exhilaration of a record store hunt? The digital revolution provides the answer: the Internet.

In what has become the most massive record store the world has ever seen, the Internet attracts billions of users to thousands of music sites which feature millions of artists—an overwhelming scope of musical discovery and listener interaction. Over 155 million users have registered with the online community behemoth MySpace, over 3 million of which are unsigned artists. PureVolume claims over 360,000 artists, posting 315,000 songs for the 750,000 registered users to enjoy. Last.fm offers social networking for their 15 million users blended with music from 7 million bands, Bandwagon has attracted nearly 6,000 bands, and Sputnik Music lets its 455,000 users review and discuss any sort of music. But more than that, anyone with an opinion can open their own Web site to the world, creating a vast intricate network of music recommendations and artist samples. From the bloated networks all the way down to the unknown bloggers, all patiently await the arrival of your ears. Its a music hunter’s dream come true.

Imagine a record store filled with millions of customers – all gossiping, discussing, and recommending music to one another – while paroling by music being actively shown off by the bands themselves like a vast sonic bazaar. Listeners stalk and devour a hundred times the number of bands previously available to them in the record stores. This is the Internet, and its no surprise to see so many music hounds glued to their computer screens. Two such bands lured me over to their respective online booths, and shared with me their thoughts of this new field of musical play.

Dickie Haydon – leadman of young Kentucky indie-outfit Petticoat, Petticoat – voiced his opinion of sites like MySpace after his band’s 2006 debut Every Mother’s Child. "40 years ago I’m sure there were tons of bands that could have made it big, but nobody had any idea who they were because the only way you could find them out would be if they had some record deal." Surely he has his band in mind when saying this. Petticoat, Petticoat have MySpace to thank for the majority of their fan-base, and the realization of their 2006 tour. "We booked all through MySpace," he admits, revealing just how heavily Petticoat, Petticoat relies on the community Web site.

"I definitely think there's a change coming in the industry," agrees Sleeping At Last bassist Dan Perdue. After a brief stint on Interscope Records, the Chicago rock group opted to release its latest album Keep No Score independently. "We're going to start hearing a lot more stories of bands…selling like 100,000 [albums] without any label," predicts Perdue. Sleeping At Last chose to go independent because of the freedom provided to them online. With their established fan base behind them, the band felt sure promoting their album online would yield just as much success as through a restrictive label. "The big labels are going to have to change the way they do things. They don't hold all the cards anymore." They certainly don’t: Sleeping At Last’s independently-promoted new tracks were recently featured on popular TV show "Grey’s Anatomy."

Indeed, record labels should take heed. The Internet is the new battleground for the attentions of listeners and consumers like myself, and those who don’t adapt to the new environment will not survive. With traditional offline music businesses sinking in deep water, it is becoming clearer that bands can survive happily without big labels—supported by online fans. Labels now have a choice: attempt to refocus on the Internet and try to recover, or to pass away like so many record stores. Either way, we’ll go on hunting…one Web site at a time.

(Property of Crawdaddy!)

March 04, 2007

C-Jay--Scheurbrie

The newest release on Babylon Records comes from the Dutch artist C-Jay. The multi-talented DJ has been involved in music since age 11, taking influences from the likes of Jean Michel Jarre, Vangelis and Tangerine Dream. He owns his own record store, owns his own record label, DJs, produces, and runs his own underground dance nights (called The Sessions). His first release came in 2004 with Dutch engineer BlueSparkle, and since then has signed multiple record deals and traveled all across Europe. Schreurbrie is his latest release.

The original track is extremely busy. A quicker-than-normal bass-pace plows the ear along through effects raining down like a snowstorm on the dancefloor. The 8 minute track rolls up and down, containing its overwhelmingly powerful moments and subtlety touching slices. A good track for any club, Schreurbrie contains just enough rave and pop to keep things interesting without derailing.

The Roger Martinez Dirty Dub Mix dices up the driving bass beat found in C-Jay’s original, adding a slew of fuzz and sliced up tidbits. A touch longer than the original as well, the remix sounds very similar to its namesake—with the difference of busier effects. Gone are a few quiet moments, as many sonic sidesteps and alleyways rush by the listener without pause.

A decent entrance into Babylon Records, C-Jay proves himself to be a favorable artist making some darn good music. Not anything to blow your mind over, but definitely a worthy soundtrack for your evening.

(Published at 365Mag.com)

Gui Boratto--Chromophobia

With hordes of fans and Kompakt Distribution kissing his feet, Sao Paulo releases his first full-length: Chromophobia. The Brazilian – under the guise Gui Boratto – has been producing for over 10 years, working with such acts as Pato Banton, Steel Pulse, Mano Choa, and Desiree. His long stream of singles has built up quite an expectation for this full-length, and he effectively lives up to them. Chromophobia is a healthy blend of many electronic influences, including dance, house, and pop—providing a fascinatingly diverse range of sounds often lacking in full-length techno albums.

Boratto includes the tracks you would come to expect to blast out of your speakers. Tracks like "Terminal," "The Blessing," and "Shebang" contain well-mixed dancefloor beats and the standard blips and beeps dancing around the foundation of bass. However, Paulo throws in some different sorts of tricks you may not have been expecting.

"Acrostico" is much more on the pop-side of the spectrum, with less-emphasis on the driving bass-beat and more on wonderful melodies in a slew of sounds that could easily make its way into an indie-rock playlist. Further capitalizing on this style is "Beautiful Life," which adds more pop-effects and even ambient vocals to a pulled-back pulse. In addition, "Mala Strana" is a complete departure from the ever-driving dancefloor tunes found in "The Blessing." Here is ethereal worlds, where the listener is invited to drift amongst the ambient landscapes like some distant dream.

"Hera" moves back towards the dancefloor, incorporating more of a bass-beat but still staying very much pop (think VNV Nation). These tracks, the ones that incorporate the bass of the dancefloor with the ambient sounds of another world, are the ones where Gui Boratto truly shines. The more traditional dancefloor tunes are frankly nothing out of the ordinary, and while the ambient tracks are beautiful they tend to have little dynamic and are less engaging.

"Beautiful Life" and its like are the happy medium, throwing a monkey wrench into the old techno-beat game without completely disrupting the machine. All in the all though, the machine Gui Boratto has created is dynamic, with changing styles and diverse influences. From one spectrum to the other, Boratto masters the art and creates an album that refuses to let your attention go.

(Published at 365MAG.com)

March 02, 2007

The Arcade Fire--Neon Bible

I will readily admit that a few weeks ago, I was not an Arcade Fire fan. Funeral never did much for me, and – although I by no means disliked it – I never understood why it was such a celebrated and treasured release. And so I felt about Neon Bible...until "No Cars Go." Embraced by the caress of orchestral soundscapes that rocket throughout the song, I was immediately won over. I rushed to start the album over from the start, and every song pulled me deeper and deeper into alcoves of Arcade Fire.

"Intervention" is the clear single-worthy track off the song, pushing Arcade Fire’s organ instrumentals straight into the spotlight with a scathing commentary on religion, and those within it. The dramatic lyrics feel right at home amongst the majestic instrumentals, as Win Butler sings, "Working for the church as your family dies / Take what they give you and keep it inside / Every spark of friendship and love will die without a home." Building and growing in volume and scope, "Intervention" explodes into a climactic spine-chilling climax, showing off everything that makes The Arcade Fire a spectacular outfit.

Other tracks like the steady drudgery of "Black Mirror," the organ-infused-blues of "My Body Is A Cage," and the shout-out against society and America in "Windowstill" show off the range of instrumental expression available to Arcade Fire—and the dynamic range in lyrical content. "Black Wave _ Bad Vibrations" puts the contrast between Butler and Regine Chassagne’s vocals on display, bounding along with a instrumental beat the hints at growing unrest—hinting at the feeling that all is not quite right. As Butler takes over the lyrics, the song becomes stronger with a pounding drum-beat, driving home the "Nothing lasts forever" theme relentlessly. Chassagne’s backing vocals add an ethereal and haunting quality to a breath-taking work. Crank your speakers on this one, and feel the chills run up and down your very being.

"No Cars Go" is my clear favorite, and revealed the entire album in a new light. A snappy drum beat supports a pop-friendly instrumental line as the song builds into the duo-vocals, singing of a place where society is left behind…where "No cars go." The lyrics and instrumentals crescendo in desire and desperation before finally unveiling a majestic composure of orchestral landscapes and imposing vocals, demanding everyone to come along: "We don’t know where we’re going / But let’s go!" This is what its all about.

I feel no doubt saying Neon Bible blows Funeral clear out of the water. I found a connection here that was missing in Arcade Fire’s first release, and its made a raving fan out of me. The incredible diversity of instrumentals and lyrical content, as well as the masterful use of non-traditional and emotion is wonderful. The Arcade Fire took my breath away and sent chills down my spine more than once, and they will for you too. The first release that will make it on everyone’s "Best of ‘07" lists, Neon Bible is simply a must-have.

(Published at ComfortComes.com)