05/27:

Screaming Females, Castle Talk

Screaming Females opened for Ted Leo & The Pharmacists when I saw them in 2010. I had never heard of them. I left that venue a believer. I bought then most-recent album Power Move on site, hunted everything else down in the intervening weeks and was pretty excited when Castle Talk made its appearance later that year. It did not disappoint. Straight up rock music (all-too rare these days) by some great players, with the distinctive voice of singer/guitar Marissa Paternoster to seal the deal. Paternoster is also a dynamite guitar player, but wisely keeps her ability to play thrilling, tumultuous solos in check as a secret weapon rather than filling every moment. It’s a killer album by a great band that keeps getting better.

Screaming Females, “Wild”


Okkervil River, The Stand-Ins

Okkveril River’s two-album experience, The Stage Names and The Stand-Ins, is a wonderful thing. Will Sheff’s is the kind of layered, clever songwriting that ranks up there with some of my all-time favorites, and the performances are as varied as they are memorable.

Okkervil River, “Lost Coastlines”


Beastie Boys, Hot Sauce Committee, Part Two

Hey, I’m happy to say I like this. To the 5 Burroughs didn’t do much for me. The obsession with old school hip hop seemed a big misstep. Both because the Beasties had previously been characterized by their willingness to experiment and try new things, making a regression like that seem really weird, and also because it was so dependent on samples from better songs. The best part of every song was the sample from a song as much as 20 years old (Even the guitar riff from Dead Boys’ “Sonic Reducer” in “Open Letter To NYC”). This, tho’, is not that. This has a quirky new sound to it. While in a sense it’s still something of a look back, at least it’s a look back to more adventurous fare. They play their instruments again, there’s a punk song again, there’s an instrumental. And the production is interesting, sounding as if they may have jammed on their instruments and then chopped up the sessions and made beats out of them. However it was made, I found it much more engaging and interesting than its predecessor, and that’s good news.

Beastie Boys, “Make Some Noise”


Dredg, Chuckles & Mr. Squeezy

I really don’t know what this band is doing anymore. They’ve evolved considerably over the years, but I must admit I’m baffled by this latest incarnation. Working with Dan the Automator, they’ve issued a record based much more in instrumentation you wouldn’t expect, reigning in past guitar pyrotechnics in favor of the dreamy, atmospheric production that has always been on the edges of their work, but never the focus. And the title and lyrical content... Dredg is a band I would call “pretentious” (Their last record was called The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion, for cryin’ out loud), though not in a way I couldn’t enjoy. And now they have an album called Chuckles & Mr. Squeezy. I just don’t know what’s happening anymore. But, whatever it is, it’s not bad, really.

Dredg, “The Thought Of Losing You”


Clutch, The Elephant Riders

The essential 3rd album. Originally planned as a concept album about an alternate history US Civil War fought with zeppelins and elephants, the final album has no overriding concept, but a lot of the imagery remains.

Clutch, “The Soapmakers”


DJ Shadow, ...Endtroducing

Generally speaking, when this album appears on this list (As it has often in the past), it was late in the evening and I was trying to relax. This album was amazing when it came out and my estimation of it has only risen since. The atmosphere is spectacular. And unlike most people with the word “DJ” in their names in the late 90s, the music feels organic, moving and powerful.

DJ Shadow, “Building Steam With A Grain of Salt”


The National, High Violet

The follow-up to Boxer, one of my favorite albums of the last ten years for sure, is moodier and mopier. Lead single “Bloodbuzz Ohio” is the only song to really carry on the catchy-yet-low-key feel of that album. But High Violet has its own charms, with a more expansive sound and darker tone. Also: this video is incredible.

The National, “Conversation 16”


Yup.

--D

05/20:

Of Montreal, Thecontrollersphere EP
On 2007’s Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?, a typically impenetrable set of Kevin Barnes’ freaked out lyrics simply repeated “Skeletal lamping. The controllersphere. False priest. The controllersphere.” As the next two Of Montreal albums rolled out with the names Skeletal Lamping and False Priest, tho’, it still didn’t make sense, but at least it became interesting. And now here is Thecontrollersphere, just an EP this time, and yet its short running time offers more interesting twists and turns than either of the albums preceding it. Skeletal Lamping was too manic, song snippets instead of songs, while False Priest felt surprisingly complacent and formulaic for such a weird band. Thecontrollersphere is more akin to the adventurous, surprising, but still polished sound of Hissing Fauna..., and a welcome sign from a group that was wearing out its welcome.

Of Montreal, "L'age D'or"

Thao & Mirah, Thao & Mirah
From the first listen, this was in contention for my album of the year. Folk singers Thao & Mirah bring their very different approaches to a true collaboration, each bringing 5 songs to the table and working with the other to push them in directions they wouldn’t choose on their own. They are aided and abetted by Merril Garbus of the frustratingly-named tUnE-yArDs (Welcome to the internet circa 1999) as producer, who wrote album opener “Eleven” to finish the recording session. This is deeply infectuous music, bringing the skittery, energetic sound of Thao and the dreamy, intimate music of Mirah together together in an unlikely but engrossing set of songs  (Garbus’ influence on the sound and in the percussion is so prevalent, powerful and welcome that the record should probably have been called Thao & Mirah & Merril.) Every track is a winner. Can’t recommend this album enough.

Thao & Mirah, "Teeth"

Bob Dylan, Desire
I mentioned it a few weeks ago, and that’s probably why I listened to it. Desire is such a rich album. It’s Dylan doing everything people love him for in a way not quite like anything he’d done to date. Social commentary, story-songs, honest autobiography, it’s all in there, in one of the most cohesive sets of songs the singer ever produced.

Bob Dylan, "Romance In Durango (Live)"

Electric Six, Switzerland

The spectacular 3rd album by the comedy rock group, and a surprisingly adventurous one. E6 are that rare breed of comical music wherein the music is serious and good but the lyrics happen to be funny.  The joke goes a lot farther when the song is actually worth listening to.

Electric Six, "Infected Girls"

Beastie Boys, Ill Communication
I like the new record, but it’s hard not to miss the Beastie Boys that were trying all kinds of approaches to music and not obsessed with the 80s.

Beastie Boys, "Root Down"

Veil of Maya, The Common Man's Collapse

Second album by the metalcore band. Metalcore gets a bad rap, and a lot of the bands deserve it, but I think these guys are an exception. Metalcore is to metal what hip hop was to soul music. It’s all the cool breakdowns strung together. Which can make for songs that just sound like a bunch of parts, but I think Veil of Maya pull it off.

Veil of Maya, "It's Not Safe to Swim Today"

Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 1

A go to feel-good record for me. It’s fun, funny, breezy music from a bunch of seasoned veterans. It just brights my day.

Traveling Wilburys, "Handle With Care"

Yup.

--D

05/09 -- 05/13.

Frightened Rabbit, The Midnight Organ Fight
Still my favorite of their albums, in no small part because of the fantastic wordplay. I believe this is my favorite set of lyrics on the album, if not my favorite song as a whole.

Frightened Rabbit, "Good Arms vs. Bad Arms"

Bad Brains, Bad Brains
I Against I is considered the masterpiece, but I have to give it to the self-titled album. Pure, uncompromising energy, even in the reggae songs.

Bad Brains, "Attitude"

Now, Now, Neighbors EP
Now, Now (formerly Now, Now Every Children) is a band I randomly discovered browsing new releases one night and latched on to. From what I understand, they had some trouble with their former record label, but they reemerged last year with a fine EP of great new tunes. Their songs have wonderful atmosphere, vast and mysterious even as they perform a pretty great rock song.

Now, Now, "Giants"

Now, Now, Every Children, Cars
This came after the EP and I just let it run. Their first full-length, the material that got me hooked. They have two earlier, also cool EPs. The below video is for the EP version of my favorite song on this album. It's slightly different, but still great.


Now, Now, Every Children, "Friends With My Sister"


Mirah, (a)spera
The 2009 album is probably her most cohesive. It really maintains a tone and feeling, whether on slower songs or an up-tempo number like the one below. I've come to like it the most out of all the albums in her quality catalog. Every song is a winner, but I think this is my favorite.

Mirah, "Country of The Future"

Andrew WK, Mother of Mankind
Last year's truly bizarre collection of outtakes spanning Andrew WK's three albums is, unsurprisingly, a mixed bag. Some really insane, essential songs, some really not-so-good songs, and some obviously unfinished ideas. But when it's good... it's weird.

Andrew WK, “I'm A Vagabond”

Marvin Gaye, Trouble Man
Marvin's less-known entry to the even less-known film from the blaxploitation craze of the 70s, it's very interesting to hear the legendary singer's mostly instrumental compositions here. Even most of the vocals on the album are non-verbal, using his voice as an instrument instead of singing words (with two notable exceptions). Also, the hero of the movie was called Mr. T (no relation), which gives you the chance to chuckle as Marvin sings, “Don't mess with Mr. T!” near the end.

Marvin Gaye, "Trouble Man"

Beastie Boys, License to Ill
I was revisiting segments of their career in anticipation of the new album. Still goofy fun.

Beastie Boys, "It's The New Style"

Yup.

--D

Soundtrack for 05/02 -- 05/06.

05/02 – 05/06:
Paper Tiger, Made Like Us

Paper Tiger, one of the producers for the unstoppable Doomtree collective, absolutely enthralled me on his full-length debut last year. Heavily reminiscent of DJ Shadow in his prime, the haunting soundscapes and dark ruminations he conjures here are fantastic.

Paper Tiger, "2nd Day Back"


Atmosphere, The Family Sign
The rare rap group that seems to be aging gracefully, Atmosphere are back with an album that builds on the developments of their last outing. Slug's skills as a storyteller have gotten sharper even as his subject matter has gotten more mature (and not in the movie rating way, in the real life way). The inclusion of live instrumentation by members of their touring band really gives the album a unified sound. Most of it is pretty dark, but there are points of light, like single "She's Enough," which is remarkable not only for being so much happier than most of the album, but for being a happy relationship song from the notoriously disgruntled Slug.

Atmosphere, "She's Enough"


PJ Harvey, To Bring You My Love
Ah, 1997. Or was it 1996? Not being too hip as a teenager, it was "Down By the Water" making it to radio & Mtv that first brought PJ to my attention. But I'm a quick study when it comes to music, and soon had all the back catalog. I love that every PJ Harvey record sounds different. I really respect her desire to continually try new things. But I'll always have a real soft spot for this one.

PJ Harvey, "Down By the Water"


Candiria, 300 Percent Density
The last album before their van accident which had the baffling side effect of making them go in a weird, radio-friendly direction (and then break up), 300 Percent Density is probably the apex of Candiria's career. Fully integrating their love of hardcore, jazz, hip hop, and electronic music, it's everything that made them great.

Candiria, "Without Water"


Fear Factory, Demanufacture
Still the best Fear Factory album. Still one of my go-to records when I need to get my energy up.

Fear Factory, "Zero Signal"


Meshuggah, Obzen
The most recent Meshuggah record is still amazing. It sounds like it was being played by a factory, so complex and precise is the music presented. A very angry factory.

Meshuggah, "Combustion"


Tom Jones, Reloaded
One of the very few hits packages in my record collection. I'm not sure I (or anybody?) needs a vast selection of Tom Jones, but you got to have the classics. "Delilah" has always made me chuckle. It's such a weird song, and a weird song to be sung by him, and he just went for it.

Tom Jones, "Delilah"

Yup.

--D