03/26 – 03/30:

Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Area 52

At first, I was going to skip this. It doesn’t have any new songs on it. But then I listened to samples on Amazon, and wow, did my opinion change. Herein we find mind-blowing guitar duo Rodrigo Y Gabriela teamed up with a 13-piece Cuban orchestra, reworking songs from their previous albums to take advantage of the expanded sound, and the results are spectacular. Some songs retain their original sound and flavor, just enhanced with horns, keys, and percussion. Others are so dramatically different they might as well be new compositions. Rodrigo’s impossible soloing goes electric here, which is exciting. If I have a complaint, it’s that Gabriela’s percussive technique is rendered unnecessary by the expanded group. Her deft use of the guitar’s body for percussion as much as the strings gives their usual work much of its character, but here her rapping on the guitar is replaced by drums, congas, all sorts of percussion options. Nevertheless, the intricate guitar work of both players is still center stage in these new takes, and they are a wonder to behold.

Rodrigo Y Gabriela with CUBA, “Tamacun”

Now, Now, Threads

It’s been awhile since Now, Now Every Children’s first full-length, Cars. Since then, they’ve had record label woes, dropped half their band name, gotten signed by Death Cab For Cutie’s Chris Walla, and released a tantalizing EP called Neighbors. And Threads makes good on the promises of that EP. The band’s sound is fuller now than before the name change, more polished and refined, but the dream-like atmosphere and ambiguous lyrics that allow you to get lost in their songs, coupled with occasional exhilarating bursts of speed, the factors that made me a fan, are still firmly in place. Now, Now has really stepped up their game in the last couple of years, and I’m really pleased to hear the results.

Now, Now, “Thread”

Every Time I Die, Ex-Lives

In the realm of aggressive music, it’s pretty well understood that most bands are either going to call it quits or mellow out, often pretty fast. I don’t blame them, either. Playing intense, crazy music to people going completely insane every night, the singer screaming himself hoarse... that just can’t go on forever (Unless you’re Slayer). So Every Time I Die is an interesting anomaly, indeed, as they seem to be getting only more extreme with age. A few years ago, 4th album The Big Dirty seemed to hint at a blueprint for the band’s mellowing future: leaning more heavily on the more Southern Rock aspects of their sound, with singer Keith Buckley relying more on clean vocals. It would’ve been a natural transition to continue making good, but different music.

Instead, 2009’s New Junk Aesthetic found them roaring back with renewed intensity, and now Ex-Lives takes them to dizzying new heights of speed and aggression. Ex-Lives is the most uncompromising explosion of aggression they’ve ever issued by far. New drummer Legs Leger’s first time recording with the band is a revelation, and seems to have energized the band completely, and the return of longtime bassist Steve Miccichie to join stalwart guitarists Jordan Buckley and Andy Williams is welcome.

A signature element of ETID’s popularity has been Keith’s unique, literate, often hilarious lyrics. The lyric sheet for this record are an honest, personal response to feelings of isolation and sadness while on tour with his side project, supergroup The Damned Things. As a result, there’s not a whole lot of laughs this time, and the darkened feel of the lyrics compliments the brutal music. But it’s not all just an abusive wall of sound. One of the album’s darkest hours comes in the relatively radio friendly “Revival Sickness.” A lively banjo lead creates a memorable moment, and closer “Indian Giver” has an atmospheric approach that is new territory for the band. Ratcheting up the intensity hasn’t stopped them from finding new ways to play. And the results are maybe the best album Every Time I Die has ever made.

Every Time I Die, “Underwater Bimbos From Outer Space”

Veil of Maya, Eclipse

I wasn’t too keen on the last album by this band, [id]. It mostly seemed like a retread of 2nd album The Common Man’s Collapse. The songs sounded really same-y and familiar, and while it had a few nice moments, I was worried that I was done with this group. Eclipse, then, is a welcome surprise, expanding on their strengths, showing positive growth, and really destroying everything in its path. It’s an all-out assault on the senses for 28 brief minutes, but that’s not all it is. These songs find the band really upping their songwriting game, exploring more coherent compositions without compromising anything that made their sound their own. They’ve infused their work with a little more melody this time out, especially in the instrumental title track, but the unbelievable guitar pyrotechnics and seemingly impossible drumming are still in full effect. The most amusing moment comes near the end of “Punisher,” where a sample of a youtube user making fun of Periphery’s guitar sound is answered by Veil of Maya playing his impression of them. With Periphery’s Misha Mansoor at the boards producing, that’s even more humorous.  Eclipse was a welcome surprise, and has become one of my most-listened albums in the intervening weeks.

Veil of Maya, “Punisher”

There you go.

--D

03/19 – 03/23:

UNKLE, Psyence Fiction

Once upon a time, Mo’ Wax Records boos James Lavelle recruited DJ Shadow into his project, UNKLE, to rejuvenate it and finally put a record out. The two put together a great, moody album, akin to Shadow’s solo work at the time but a little different, and featuring a line-up of guest vocalists including Thom Yorke, Kool G. Rap, Mike D, Richard Ashcroft and more. Shadow was only in for the record, and after some touring, he was gone, and while Lavelle kept bringing the group back over the years, it was clear who the driving force on this record was. Bottom line, Psyence Fiction is a great album. Its moody soundscapes are definitely of their time, but I think it holds up just fine today. A dark, expansive piece of work, peppered with Shadow’s genius for samples and trademark flourishes, it maintains an atmosphere from one track to another, even though the songs themselves can be pretty diverse. I dust it off and take it for a spin every few months.

UNKLE, “Main Title Theme”

The National, The Virginia EP

In the wake of their finest album, Boxer, The National released this collection in conjunction with a documentary about them. The film, frankly, was a disappointment. I watched it for a movie about a band, not seemingly endless black and white footage out the window of a moving bus. But The Virginia EP, an album-length collection of outtakes, demos and live material in spite of its name, didn’t disappoint at all, and actually provided a more interesting look into the band’s songwriting process than the movie. Outtakes “You’ve Done It Again, Virginia” and “Blank Slate” are worthy additions to the band’s catalog, while the demos show a fascinating path to Boxer. Songs from that album began with familiar lyrics but dramatically different music. The “Slow Show” demo is particularly interesting, as it features both lyrics from the final song and lyrics from what became “Blank Slate.” There’s a live version of Springsteen’s “The Mansion On The Hill,” as well as a great rendition of Boxer’s “Fake Empire” and a revelatory take on their older song “About Today.” It doesn’t have the coherence of a proper album, of course, but The Virginia EP is a really strong collection of work.

The National, “Blank Slate”

Brother Ali, The Bite Marked Heart EP

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Brother Ali released this short, free collection of songs with a romantic theme. Not autobiographical (I’m assuming. The singer does get killed one of the songs, so at least not in that one), but highly engaging, these songs about going to great lengths to talk to a lovely lady, the pitfalls of fame and infatuation, and the sadness of infidelity, among other things, really cement Ali’s turn toward storytelling in his lyrics begun on Us. He really knows how to draw you in and keep you ‘til his story plays out. This free appetizer precedes a full album later this year, and I can’t wait.

Brother Ali with Aby Wolf, “Years”

Mastodon, Crack the Skye

The intensely personal, weird, unpredictable 4th album from Mastodon was a pretty polarizing moments for fans. Predecessor Blood Mountain turned their most fickle so-called fans away by being ever-so-slightly less heavy/more progressive than their older material, but this was really the breaking point. Either you were ready to follow Mastodon into a future where they focus more and more on progressive experimentation, 70s-style groove and searing guitar solos rather than pummeling you into submission, or you weren’t. I was, as it turns out. Crack The Skye completes their cycle of albums based on the elements, but it goes way beyond that. The band’s first true concept album, it details the dizzying tail of a wheelchair bound kid who learns astral projection, gets lost in time, meets a secret society, and can only be returned to his body by the sacrifice of Rasputin, the famous Russian mystic. All of which is a sort of allegory for the death of drummer Brann Dailor’s sister. It is at once absurd and touching, silly and serious. The music rises to the occasion. It may not be as heavy as previous Mastodon albums, but it provides one of their tightest singles to date in opener “Oblivion,” some truly engrossing musical soundscapes, a great guest appearance by Neurosis’ Scott Kelly, and the stunning epic “The Last Baron.” It’s a great listen.

Mastodon, “The Last Baron”

There you go.

--D

03/12 – 03/16:

White Gold, The Best I Can Give Is 2%

Once upon a time, in the far-off year of 2007, The California Milk Processor Board was looking for a new spin on the “Got Milk?” Campaign, and decided to try to create an off-beat viral sensation. So begins the tale of White Gold, a fictional rock star who was given a milk-filled guitar, his ability to rock, and his spectacular hair by “a crazy angel.” The Best I Can Give Is 2% is a 2008 EP of songs by “White Gold,” actually written and performed by Electric Six’s Dick Valentine and The Colonel. some of them were adapted into TV spots and music videos with an LA actor & musician playing the role of White Gold, but lip synching to Valentine’s vocal recordings. The songs are hilarious, some of the best material in recent Electric Six history, made even funnier because they stay on message throughout. Whether spinning wild tales about how milk can help you get women, have better hair, fall asleep and even help women with PMS, the songs are as laugh-out-loud funny as they are informative. It’s a weird, weird project, worth listening to.

White Gold, “Tame the Tiger”

Shock Cinema, Our Way Is Revenge

Shock Cinema’s full-length, Hell & Highwater, came to my attention by chance via yet another night of browsing new releases on eMusic back in 2008. It was spooky and moody and really engaging, and a quick search found their website, which featured this bio:

“Autry Fulbright, Destiny Montague, and Miyuki Furtado met at a midnight meeting of the “Universal Order of the Cinematic Mind,” a movement started in Hollywood in the 1930’s. A group of filmmakers began meeting together to discuss the immortality of film. They believed that creating motion pictures would grant them immortality in the minds of others. There are still groups that meet in various cities across the world to discuss the teachings of this organization.

After meeting at one of these events, Destiny and Autry struck up a conversation that included the German Kraut Rock group CAN, the director David Lynch, and how they influenced the coming of the end of the world in 2012. Miyuki, overhearing, agreed that they along with composer Ennio Morricone and Sergio Leone would play a large a role in the coming Apocalypse. Having recently spent time in the band The Rogers Sisters, Miyuki suggested that they apply what they had learned from those midnight meetings, along with their ideas and influences and start creating music.

The group was performing live on a fishing boat they were swallowed by a gigantic whale. But they claimed they were unafraid, as this experience was foretold by the Universal Order. They quickly began fashioning instruments from the detritus in the belly of the whale: bones became drums, sinew became guitar strings, and skulls became microphones. After playing for months in the belly of the beast, the creature spewed them out onto the shore of the East River. Their songs retell the stories of their experiences together.”

I bought it immediately. But later I went back to the EP that preceded it, Our Way Is Revenge, and have ended up liking it even more. It’s got plenty of atmosphere and style, but it’s a lot more kinetic and upbeat, and as you may have noticed, that’s my sweet spot.

The band seems to have disappeared not long after Hell & Highwater came out. That makes me sad. The downside to finding cool, lesser known bands on eMusic has been watching them disappear...

So, there’s not studio songs on youtube, so I’m going with Spotify here. I don’t like to resort to something you have to sign up for, but what can you do?

Shock Cinema, Our Way Is Revenge

Spacehog, Resident Alien

When I was in high school, “In The Meantime” was a big radio hit. I bough the record and loved it. I was the only one. All my friends hated Spacehog but one, and I didn’t find out he was into them until awhile later (Shout out to Matt!). I distinctly remember an evening, waiting for some stupid after hours school function to start, sitting in my car with Matt, listening to this album and talking about how everyone else was crazy for not liking it. Its appearance in Rock Band 3 (Where I hit it up a lot after getting the keyboard controller last year) had it on my mind, so I put it on for the first time in quite awhile. If I find myself in the mood for this band, I generally reach for the 2nd album, because it is insane. But this holds up alright. It’s a little all over the place stylistically, but in the mid-90s, most bands were. It was an odd period in music, in that respect. It’s not been often in the history of pop music that bands who were just throwing everything at the wall also had mainstream hits. Honestly, I can’t say how much of the record is good and how much of it is just fond memories, but I still like it. and my hatin’ little brother came around eventually, so that’s got to count for something (Shout out to Daniel!).

Spacehog, “In The Meantime”

Bob Dylan, Love & Theft

This one, I have a real soft spot for. It’s a rollicking good time, and the beginning of a new phase in Dylan’s career, the first one I was present for. I’d only become an obsessive Dylan fan (As mentioned in a previous entry) around the release of Time Out of Mind. This was the first album released since I was a fully-fledged follower. And it kicked off the new troubadour persona for Bob, dusting off all manner of old blues and folk songs, rearranging, rewriting and updating them, and audibly having as much fun as he’s ever had in his career. It was a shock to hear “Mississippi” for the first time, having heard the Sheryl Crow version repeatedly working in a record store several years prior. “Is... is Bob Dylan covering Sheryl Crow?” Nope, he just gave her the song and I had no idea (Years, later, 3 separate demos of “Mississippi” by Dylan from earlier recording sessions would be released on The Bootleg Series, Vol. 8). Love & Theft is a rollicking good time, full of danceable rockers and subdued ballads, brimming throughout with a playful sense of humor not really heard in his music in decades. It’s one of the greats.

I always forget it’s impossible to find Dylan stuff on youtube, too. Drat.

Bob Dylan, Love And Theft

Heems, Nerhu Jackets

Every one in Das Racist promised new mixtapes this year, and Heems is the 2nd one out of the gate with Nehru Jackets. The whole thing is produced by longtime friend Mike Finito, and was released in association with New York non-profit SEVA, whose members appear on the album rapping and singing in Punjabi. There’s also guest appearances from the usual suspects like Kool AD, Lakutis, Danny Brown, Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire, Despot, Fat Tony, and Big Baby Ghandi. But it’s still Heems’ show, and while it might sound like he could get lost in the tide of guest stars and participants, he certainly doesn’t. He brings the ethos that has made Das Racist one of the most interesting forces in hip hop to bear here. That is, he has completely ridiculous songs like “Jason Bourne” (it’s about Jason Bourne) and “Computers” (It’s about liking computers) at one extreme, and then he has songs that are anything but ridiculous like “NYC Cops,” basically just a powerful list of atrocities committed by that police department, and “Juveniles Detained in Guantanamo Bay,” which is about what it says it is, at the other. He’s smart and silly in equal measure, and it makes for a lively listen.

Nehru Jackets is as much a showcase for Mike Finito as it is for Heems. His productions are fantastic throughout, and can be traditional boom bap or draw from some pretty surprising sources (Hip hop beats made from PJ Harvey and Kate Bush songs? Yes, please). Together, they created easily the most entertaining album I’ve heard so far this year, and they didn’t even charge for it. You can get it here.

http://sevany.com/

Heems, “Jason Bourne”

There you go.

--D

03/05 – 03/09:

Evil Cowards, Covered In Gas

Evil Cowards is a side project of Mr. Dick Valentine, singer/mastermind for Electric Six. Released in early 2008, it was better, funnier, and more engaging than the last couple Electric Six albums, and preceded their fine return to form on Zodiac by only about six months. Evil Cowards isn’t all that different from E6. More of a focus on electronic music and production, but the guitars are still there, and most importantly, the hilarious lyrics and deadpan delivery are still there. But several of these songs allow Valentine to get really weird in ways he doesn’t in his day job, and the results are fantastic. “Classon Ave. Robots” is one of my favorite songs from any project Valentine has ever been a part of, alongside “I’m Not Scared of Flying Saucers,” “You Really Like Me,” and “Love Pigs.” There’s allegedly a new Evil Cowards album coming soon, and I can’t wait.

Evil Cowards, “I’m Not Scared of Flying Saucers”

Many clips from this live show, in which they lip sync the album while doing ridiculous dance routines, are on youtube. You should watch them.

Tom Waits, Blue Valentine

Blue Valentine is something of a transitional record for Tom Waits. It comes a few years before the watershed of Swordfishtrombones, the moment when the old barfly spinning gin-soaked tales in smokey backrooms gave way to the mysterious, adventurous sage and soothsayer that is modern Waits. Tonally, Blue Valentine is more of a piece with his early material, but the intrumentation has changed, and Waits’ voice is well on its way from his old, more traditional way of singing to the unmistakable, love it or hate it voice we associate with him. The record kicks off with a singular take on West Side Story’s “Somewhere” before diving into a series of richly detailed, engrossing story songs from many points of view. Especially for a collection of songs clearly between paradigms, it’s remarkable that it’s a smooth, coherent listen, not awkward at all. Just a great record.

Tom Waits, “A Sweet Little Bullet From A Pretty Blue Gun”

Doogie, Yeahbrahcadabra

Somewhere in the West Bank of New Orleans, there lives a puppet named Doogie. He’s the creation of local rappers Ballzack & Odoms, voiced by Odoms. He starred in some successful internet videos and released an EP of music, but this was his debut album. It is steeped in New Orleans hip hop traditions, with the local bounce sound dominating the production (Which is sharper than ever for a Ballzack or Odoms production), giving Doogie a lively atmosphere over which to brag about his grades in school, brag about his rap skills, tell the ladies who they need to get with, and tell a story about body-switching with his Dad. you’d never expect a record by a puppet to be this entertaining.

Doogie, “Yeahbrahcadabra”

Faith No More, Introduce Yourself

Sometimes I wonder what it was like to be a Faith No More fan when Mike Patton came aboard. There’s no argument that Patton is a far more exciting and accomplished vocalist than the departing Chuck Mosley, but at the same time, he was what Faith No More vocals were supposed to sound like for two whole records. Like a lot of people, I guess, I’d heard “We Care A Lot” and thought it was funny, but didn’t really pay much attention to the band until “Epic.” But I bet there’s people out there that really resent the addition of Patton. Maybe swore off the band over it. And that’s hilarious. Nevertheless, Introduce Yourself is a pretty great record. Chuck Mosely doesn’t exactly have a a lot of range, but he’s an entertaining front man, and this, the 2nd Faith No More album (Mosley’s last) has the sound and production quality fully in place for the coming of the band’s more lasting legacy. A superior version of “We Care A Lot” is here, but there’s plenty of other songs that are worthy parts of the overall Faith No More legacy, too. I am a big fan of the title track.

Faith No More, “Introduce Yourself”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgAB7Gd0ENg

There you go.

--D