Fucked Up - The Chemistry of Common Life

Artist: Fucked Up
Album: The Chemistry of Common Life
Label: Matador

A prodigious string of released EPs—some released online; others, if pressed, only in quantities in the hundreds—scribbled and confusing album art and liner notes, violent live shows, multiple pseudonyms for bandmembers, debatable misrepresentation to the press, and a name considered by some to be unpublishable: for these reasons, among others, Fucked Up has been a band thoroughly (and intentionally) unfit for the traditional marketing of mainstream record labels.
Is it surprising, then, that the band is now reaching to a larger audience after seven years of marketing transgression? That Matador has chosen to re-release old material and put out this full-length album? In light of their superficial history, yes. A listen to the music, however, marks otherwise. Fucked Up do for hardcore what The Pixies did for rock, mixing pop hooks with gristle and grit. They make a debased nature somehow noble and fun, perfect for parties that slip into that I’ve-had-one-too-many-and-everyone’s-leaving moment.

Fucked Up – Twice Born

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This, like many of their songs, can be surprisingly catchy and disturbing. It is their knack for turning great melodies into something upsetting that makes Fucked Up a great band.

Fucked Up – No Epiphany

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A hardcore band doing shoegaze? Pretty good, I’d have to say. The atmospheric background vocals, buzzing background, and cascading guitars lend to, rather than distract from, the screamed lead vocals.

Anyway, check out the band’s blog, their wikipedia entry, and the Matador site. And as always, buy the album!

Fujiya & Miyagi - Lightbulbs

Artist: Fujiya & Miyagi
Album: Lightbulbs
Label: Deaf, Dumb & Blind

Albums often have that one element, that one instrument, that one voice, or that one lyric that turns you off from the album as a whole. This can be good—a helpful way to sort the millet from the straw—but it can also make you overlook (overlisten?) an album that is putting forward music meant to be enjoyed in a different way. On Lightbulbs, it is definitely the lyrics that, at first listen, annoy. Banal, at time nonsensical, and always prominent, the lyrics of Fujiya & Miyagi seem difficult to overcome. The music, though, is worth the effort, and it is surprisingly easy to relax and (!) begin to enjoy them once you accept the following fact: The lyrics are equally decorative and meaningful and don’t tell a coherent story or give a complete portrait as much as they add to the percussive and playful tone.

Fujiya & Miyagi – “Knickerbocker”

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“Vanilla, strawberry, knickerbocker glory . . . I saw the ghost of Lena Zavorati.” Don’t think about. Just let it happen. If you want to let images of flavors, underwear, ghosts, or Scottish pop singers bubble up, go ahead, but don’t try to string them together. Instead, enjoy the steady beat, the merging and prancing tones, and the general orchestration that is so simple and clean but also very fun and human.

Fujiya & Miyagi – “Hundreds & Thousands”

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I know: I dedicated the first paragraph to describing how the lyrics are great, and now I’m talking about the only instrumental track as one of my favorites. Deal. This makes me happy the way Stereolab makes me happy; though it is much more streamlined and precise, it has that chugging, well-orchestrated atmosphere that gets me every time.

If you are picturing two Japanese dudes rapping all Gertrude Stein over these beats, think again. The British Steve Lewis (Fujiya) and David Best (Miyagi) formed the band in 2000 and later added Matt Hainsby (Ampersand) in 2005 and Lee Adams (yet unnamed) this year. According to their wikipedia entry, a common love for krautrock and heavyweight wrestling unites the members to one another.

Check out their myspace and buy their album!

Technorati Tags: Fujiya & Miyagi, Stereolab, Gertrude Stein, Krautrock

Horse Feathers - House with No Home

Artist: Horse Feathers
Album: House with No Home
Label: Kill Rock Stars
Release Date: 9/9/08

Fans of Red House Painters and Holopaw, this is your new jam. Soft, dramatic, and rich, this album sounds good on a superficial listen and great on a deeper one. Justin Ringle, the founding member of Horse Feathers, has quite a wonderful voice that can sound restrained at one moment and expansive the next, and it is this tension—in the vocals and also orchestration—that makes “House with No Home” an engaging album. The sounds fluctuate from moments of punctuation (choppy strings, Ringle’s whispered voice, finger-picked guitars) to moments of strong and sweet melody (cascading strings, Ringle’s resonant howl, and guitar strumming). Each song, then, has a few moments of release, where Ringle’s voice resounds into the strings. Quite nice. Part of this is due to Ringle’s unique voice—it’s true—but also to the collaborative nature of the music; after several years of performing under the name Horse Feathers, Ringle met up in 2004 with Peter Broderick, who now arranges the music around Ringle’s songs.

Horse Feather – “Curs in the Weeds”

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I love Ringle’s slight yodel (à la Sarah McLachlan) paired with the shrill fiddle. The sounds sway and grow, and somehow the various instruments and vocals complement one another very well.

Horse Feathers – “A Burden”

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Again, the vocals and instruments are in a balanced dance that is quite good, and the song has different phrases—the third is my favorite, starting around 2:20—which is refreshing for a low-key acoustic song.

Check out the band’s myspace, read a cool interview with Ringle, and buy the album!

Technorati Tags: Horse Feathers, Red House Painters, Holopaw

Populous (with Short Stories) - Drawn in Basic

Artist: Populous (with Short Stories)
Album: Drawn in Basic
Label: Morr Music

With so much old cosmic disco being reissued in the last couple of years, it is easy to forget that Italy does have an active scene of musicians making some great music (you know, now). Though Populous (Andrea Mangia) does resonate with the electronic vibe inherited from Italy’s disco past, it is his ability to fold shoegaze hums and delicate vocals into the buzzing foam that makes this album worth a listen.
It is difficult to draw comparisons with other artists; even though the blending of pop song structures with layered, atmospheric electronic noise is similar to artists like Frou Frou and Zero 7, he does not have the elfin female vocals, intense hooks, and formulae that makes those bands so palatable to the commercial ear. These songs are shaken a little loose, allowed to buzz a little longer, and roughened enough to make the sounds more than just soundtrack fodder.

Populous – “Days”

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This may be just a short instrumental track, but it has an attraction and warmth that makes it immediately awesome. I return often to the forty-five-second mark of the track at the moment when the pulsing sounds flow into that vibrating, deep wave. Quite nice—though too short.

Populous – “Only Hope”

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This is a good example of the rest of the album: simple beeps and chimes hop under buzzing synth, guitars, and vocals that at times blend into one another.

Check out the label’s site, look through the band’s myspace page, and buy the album!

Technorati Tags: Frou Frou, Zero 7, Populous

Vacay

Hello, Friends. I’ll be on vacation for the next few days and won’t be posting until Monday (9/8). Until then, check out some of my favorite posts:

My Favorite Upcoming Artists:
No Bunny
She Keeps Bees
Crystal Stilts

My Bad Karaoke:
Ain’t No Mountain High Enough
Celebrate
Gotta Be

My Crafts:
iPod Sleeve
Record Bowl

Have fun, y’all.

The Walkmen - You & Me

Artist: The Walkmen
Album: You & Me
Label: Gigantic Music

This is an album I had to listen very closely to. It isn’t the sort of pop music I’m usually attracted to, and it isn’t an album of singles, so it took a close listen for me to enjoy. I am so glad that I took that direction, though; this album sounds beautiful and is quite special. Because these songs lie somewhat outside of my ear, I have disconnected thoughts, rather than a coherent description, to describe You & Me.
1. There is an interesting contrast between the vocals on this album and the rest of the orchestration. Hamilton Leithauser’s voice often sounds rough and strained, and pleasing in the same way that Carrie Brownstein’s is both raw and exciting on all the Sleater-Kinney albums. Unlike the pushed vocals, the instruments feel very relaxed and natural. None seem (at least to my ears) to be played to their limit. Instead, they pulse with the sway and breath of the players. This is remarkable to hear especially in moments when the songs explode. I wonder how instruments can sound so loud while still retaining a natural, easy tone.
2. I hear Bob Dylan throughout this album: big folk-rock sounds along with Leithauser’s strong voice. Dylan plays in the epic mode, though; his lyrics must be listened to, and they are filled with slogans, quotable shouts, politicized quips, and clever turns of phrase. Leithauser is in the lyric mode. The words aren’t concrete; one can enjoy the lyrics by listening to the sound of Leithauser’s voice and letting a stray word or phrase string up images and emotions. In general the songs are about personal situations and crises, not about the troubles of the world around.
3. There are pop hooks on this album—it’s true—but for the most part it is hard to intuit what the next few moments of any song will be. This does not mean that I feel worried of being thrown into something chaotic and shocking; it is just refreshing and surprising to hear what each moment will bring, and interesting not to have such a marked song structure (“Take it to the chorus!”).

The Walkmen – “Four Provinces”

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Great layered percussion, a fantastic pulsing flow, and do I hear a prominent bass line? It’s a winner. It is no surprise that the song I feature is the poppiest, but I don’t care: it has a great sound and somehow enlivens the album.

The Walkmen – “In the New Year”

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I love how in that moment when the intro kicks into the thick of the song, it is the bass that leads, beating under a really great vocal performance from Leithauser (“I know that it’s true!” is perfect). This is a perfect song for those great, blurry, drunken moments at the end of a New Year’s Eve party.

For more information, check out the band’s site and their myspace. And of course buy the album.

Technorati Tags: Sleater-Kinney, The Walkmen, Bob Dylan, bass line

Stereolab - Chemical Chords

Artist: Stereolab
Album: Chemical Chords
Label: 4AD

The best description of Stereolab that I ever heard came out of a Rock Hound music guide I owned in middle school. “Stereolab somehow makes songs that work, out of sounds that don’t” (very loose quotation, as I have lost that guide for many years). And this is how I have often approached them. I wonder, though, if my idea of them should shift. In recent albums the orchestration is tidier, the instruments are more organic (horns abound in Margerine Eclipse, strings draping in each corner of this album), track lengths are shorter, and the lyrics are fuller. In some ways this is good: song structures more in line with pop music (which I’m a sucker for), a fuller range of sounds that makes these songs really engaging to the ear, and soft lyrics that shift with each moment. For these reasons, I really enjoy this album. Another part of me misses the long, droning, otherworldly, beeping, repetitive, and often overwhelming songs from their classic albums. I realize there will never be another Transient Random Noise Bursts with Announcements, and that makes me sad.

So how can I decide if this album is a hit? The Stereolab litmus: It must have been in 2000 when I first went to their show in a small club in Tempe, Arizona. I was in the front row, and they performed songs that I would play on-repeat for years to come (“John Cage Bubblegum” will always make me think of that night). It is the tempo I remember most, and what makes me most excited about Stereolab. Somehow the tempo shifts when they play. A steady, droning songs picks up, and the song doesn’t fall apart, and my heart beats faster. Then the song picks up, and the song doesn’t fall apart, and my heart beats faster. Then the song picks up, and the song doesn’t fall apart, and my heart beats faster. And suddenly the song is spinning around, and I don’t care that it is now fifteen minutes long (I was not on anything, by the way, so just chill). Can I imagine this fervor on their new album? Yes. The songs are shorter and steadier—it’s true—but my heart still beats faster, and for this reason, I think this album works. I have been waiting for this album for a while, and I am satisfied. Yay.

Stereolab – Valley Hi!

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This song has that special ability to engage different emotional aspects at the same time. Consider the first few moments. The solid, deep beat behind makes a very cool beginning and provides encouraging strength and bounce. The prominent high guitar picking is sad and sweet. The softer keys in the background are constant and steady and follow the calming quality of Laeticia Sadier’s voice. Though song is short and quickly swerves from this moment into something different, the song as a whole maintains this ability to suspend many tones.

Stereolab – Nous Vous Demandons Pardon

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One reason I love Stereolab is their way of building songs. Play this song and count out sixteen steady beats, and then start over. Each time your start over a new element is added until the song is in full motion. It is like they give you an overture of the sounds before beginning.

For more information, check out the band’s site or their myspace. And buy this album.

Technorati Tags: Stereolab, Chemical Chords

Nobunny - Love Visions

Artist: Nobunny
Album: Love Visions
Label: Bubbledump

I’ve been holding on this one, waiting to get my hands on the album, but I have as yet been able to find a copy. Sad face. From what I’ve heard so far, this is definitely worth the trouble of tracking down, so that will be my goal this week. Nobunny is a crazy dude who wears a bunny mask and makes songs that should have been played at every party I’ve ever hosted.

Nobunny – I Am a Girlfriend

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First of all, this is a damn catchy song. Second, he quotes Buffalo Bill from Silence of the Lambs. There.

Nobunny – Boneyard

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This sounds a little like The La’s, you know, if they were crazy fey punks from the West Coast.

Love it! And you should, too. Check out Nobunny’s myspace and do your best to find a place to buy this album.

Technorati Tags: The La’s, Nobunny, Silence of the Lambs

She Keeps Bees - Nests

Artist: She Keeps Bees
Album: Nests
Release Date: 8/19/08

There’s a lot of loud music out there. Pumping out of bicycle-size car stereos or ear-ruining earbuds at full volume and, unfortunately, at full compression, a vast majority of newly released music makes even the loudest beat seem unimpressive. Simplicity and soul together is something rare, but it is something I found on She Keeps Bees’s newest album. It is a quality that can fill a room: Jessica Larrabee’s soaring voice braided with catchy, deep guitar riffs and simple drum beats. Rich sound like this is powerful, and perfect for lying on the floor and letting the noise roll around you. I was impressed with their last LP, Minisink Hotel, but “Nests” is an album I am happy to have for those moments when I want to listen to something both loud and clear.

She Keeps Bees – Release

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She Keeps Bees will no doubt be compared to Cat Power in the coming years, but I think Jessica has a swagger and strength in her voice that Chan Marshall doesn’t often match. Coming in just over two minutes, this song is short and sweet and makes me think of what could be if a band like Wire or The Minutemen were soulful rockers instead of punks.

She Keeps Bees – Gimmie

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Despite the at times uncomfortable lyrics (“Gimme gimme gimme . . . gimme to me daddy, work me like my back ain’t got no bone”), this is a song I’ve been listening to a lot since I first heard it last week. I especially like the howling that kicks in right before two minutes.

There are some great other tracks on this album, so learn more by visiting the band site or their myspace and buying the album when it releases next week.

Plus, look how cute they are:

Photo by Adriana Jovanovic

Technorati Tags: She Keeps Bees, Cat Power, Wire, The Minutemen, Soulful

Richard Swift - Ground Trouble Jaw

Artist: Richard Swift
Album: Ground Trouble Jaw
Label: Secretly Canadian

At first I thought these songs were comic; the falsetto singing, lo-fi production (including some real nutso synth sounds), and pastiche of older pop sounds all reminded me of novelty music, something along the lines of Billy Q. Effinger. After hanging with these songs for a while, though, I can say that the correct word isn’t really comic, but playful. Swift is at play, and it’s awesome. He has a crazy history of releases under a barrage of other names and side projects, and I think this album is trying, as best as it can, to incorporate his diverging impulses into an album that is unpredictable and yet coherent in its open play.

Richard Swift – “Would You?”

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This sounds like it should be on the Dirty Dancing soundtrack or behind an episode of The Wonder Years. The song is packed with sound: a pulsing piano beat, lightly glancing drums, soft backing vocals, Swift’s high voice, synth harp tones, and in the back humming and strumming and all sorts of pops, cracks, and slaps. Quite nice, and perfect for a romantic dinner with a goofy date.

Richard Swift – “The Bully”

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Uncut describes this song as “a schizophrenic face-off between his street-tough Onasis character and this new, falsetto Valli boy persona,” which I think is pretty convincing: the tough, shit-talking greaser quickly morphs into the falsetto-voiced Swift we hear in “Would You?” Silly perhaps, and definitely simple, this song nonetheless makes me smile and is slowly climbing my computer’s top-25-most-played list.

For more general info on Richard Swift, check our his official site or his myspace. Oh, and check out the label site for info on how to download the EP for free.

Technorati Tags: Richard Swift, Billy Q. Effinger, pastiche, falsetto, Dirty Dancing, The Wonder Years