The Strokes – Angles (Fin)

Previously on Beach Sloth:

               I guess it had to happen. Today the verdict’s in: guilty. The Strokes are guilty of overstaying their welcome. Coolness gone, the party’s over and they’re busy talking up a storm of boring to a bunch of hosts who just want to go to sleep. Perhaps this was inevitable; a band which captured a moment so well was due to get some sort of backlash. 

                They received the exact same score they got the last time for “First Impressions of Earth” on Pitchfork. Of course, they are going to continue sloughing through like their even-worse reviewed compatriots Interpol. Bands created in 2001 have mostly given up the ghost. LCD Soundsystem is doing a ‘final call’ as James Murphy goes on to focus exclusively on his record label DFA Records. The White Stripes, a band I never really enjoyed a huge amount for reason I won’t fully explain here, called it quits as well. 

                What did Pitchfork exactly dislike about the new album? First, they didn’t like disconnect between the songs and lyrics. Apparently the band hadn’t realized they were no longer cool and continued on oblivious to their own irrelevance. Pitchfork I’m certain has a certain timespan for how long a band is allowed to be important in the giant blog-o-sphere. 

                Accusations were thrown around of the band phoning it in for most of the songs. Perhaps this is true. I feel that’s true for a lot of bands in general. Reading through the article, I felt parts of it felt a bit more optimistic than the 5.9 suggested. Especially towards the end where they complimented a few tracks. Keep in mind the 5.9 is around the cusp for Pitchfork. Though they panned this album, it was a light panning. The Strokes might consider this more of a warning if they continue down this path.

                Since the Strokes were pretty ambivalent about continuing the project in the first place, this may be the death knell of the group. Instead, all of them may break up and focus on their side projects rather than suffer another critical drubbing. Once they’ve announced they are breaking up, Pitchfork can then announce it on their left-hand sidebar with a disclaimer in the beginning saying “Told you so. Those guys blew.”

                Operation Make Everyone Satisfied, the condescending title of Julian Casablanca’s approach towards the album, summarizes it well. Julian couldn’t have cared less how this did. It is telling at live shows people scream for them to play their older songs. Their last attempt to reinvent themselves failed, crashing and burning behind them. Most of the songs got drubbed.  

                Personally, I liked the album more than the fellows at Pitchfork. No, I didn’t love it. But then, I never really loved the Strokes. Angles were a decent attempt to create a new sound which wasn’t entirely successful. The Strokes are just a band who fell out of favor with critical darlings. 2001 was a long time ago. Things change. 

                Hearing about this failure, countless people now realize they’re too old for this stuff. No longer can you accept beer in delightful red cups. All those great memories of the Strokes playing at some hip off-campus party are just that, memories. Instead, we should tell our children and grandchildren about that crazy band which virtually embodied being a twenty something and hip. The Strokes have officially gone into that magical place called nostalgia, where New Order and Depeche Mode currently reside. It was a good run guys. 

                Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

The Death of my first Musical Genre (IDM)

Yes, that means there were at least 16 volumes before this.

Everyone remembers growing up with a certain musical genre, one they truly could call their own. For me, that meant the Intelligent Dance Music, or IDM moniker. Used generally for electronic music that remained classified only by its unusual structures and lack of actual dancing, it served as the perfect gateway music for budding music snobs. The price of admission into this genre remained very low, basically anyone with a sense of melody and an interest in non-rhythmic music could join, so long as they had some ultra-cheap music software. 

Intelligent Dance music had to be the first musical genre created by and for the internet. Created in the US of A for the IDM list it was probably one of the first obsessive email lists dedicated exclusively for a specific type of music. Due to its origins in the US, a great deal of artists often described as “IDM” declared the term to be an American construct, particularly Richard D. James (Aphex Twin). Rather than just come to peace with the fairly stupid term, he decided to coin an even stupider term “braindance” and used that heavily for his own Rephlex record label. For whatever reason, the term “braindance” never caught on, probably because it looked so dang awful.

The weird thing remained how I never saw or heard the term “IDM” anywhere besides the internet. Even in what is commonly referred to as “reality” rarely did people bring up any artist who might have been considered “IDM”? What was going on? I later learned that this was an ultra-nerdy sub-sect of music which involved large doses of gear worship and familiarity with various avant-garde composers.

Just as I got it all together, that vast web of interconnected artists, it ended. That knowledge became useless, how this artist related to that one, when this one last put out a record, what record label released their first album. Genres never end swiftly, there’s always a few stragglers, a few artists who continue to follow their path. Listeners are even worse, I can’t tell you how many fans of Aphex Twin I’ve met, of undetermined ages, longing to stay young by listening to the music of their youth, when they were last relevant. 

Putting a year on it, I’d say 2004 marked the end. By then, only a few artists continually brought out a solid product, like Autechre, O9, and Venetian Snares. Most of the others had begun moving in other, more boring, directions. Squarepusher had passed his prime, Aphex Twin remained quiet. Pan Sonic came out with that absolutely monstrous Kesto 4 disc set, but those Finns could easily move themselves into the Glitch/Noise category if push came to shove.  

Snobby music changed in 2004. The indie renaissance began. Whoever were the arbiters of true taste decided that elitist music didn’t need to sound as masochistic as IDM. Instead, dance became simply dance music. DFA records confirmed that it was alright for us to re-explore the past, of what had gone on in that period between 1978-1989 in New York City. Dance music flourished, indie rock flourished. Even those who went the more masochistic route, by taking on noise, found that noise remained a less heavily curated genre than IDM ever was. Lacking the pretention of IDM while maintaining the weirdness, it fit those looking for something less accessible like a glove.

I remember releasing this genre had ended around 2004. As I looked around at the beach I was wandering around my friends put on Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and I simply danced. No longer did I have to use obscure terminology for what I listened to. Instead, simple words like ‘dance’ and ‘rock’ became usable words again. I felt human, like part of a real community, a community that didn’t exist exclusively online. 

Part of me still misses the deeply weird musings of IDM. For that I have a few artists left who occasionally let out a great hurrah every now and then. But for the most part the scene left without announcement into cataloged internet posts, various dusty corners of the web, still keeping them warm with the music of the past.  

What was the hardest genre death for you to handle? Will Chillwave live? Is Witch house a real genre? What will 2011 bring, new genre-wise?

Best of 2010: Mix CD

Well put, Fabio.

Extremely influential figures have asked me to create a MIX CD encompassing all of the best material from the best albums for the whole year. I answered them that ‘I’m game’. 

                What you’ll see below is my attempt to try and pick apart each track. Some of these tracks readers might recognize from their inclusion in previous Mix CDs. To them, I say that repetition isn’t always a bad thing, and with EPs, I don’t really have a choice. 

                Hopefully you’ll enjoy the said items. I know it is a MIX but it goes on for a bit (two discs). Each one of these songs is pretty exceptional and close to my heart. Since I do have a somewhat strange set of bands here, I’ll try my best to set them accordingly. Enjoy!

Disc 1

1.       LCD Soundsytem: One Touch

I feel a lot of people quietly liked this album. Usually though people ended up talking about some of the other tracks before this one. Each time I got frustrated this year, this song instantly played in my head. Personally, it served as my internal freak out song, allowing me to cope with whatever ridiculous situation came up. The nervous vocal delivery is excellent, and the music feels like it is about to explode at all times. 

2.       Peter Gordon and the Love of Life Orchestra – Another Heartbreak/Don’t Don’t Redux

Yeah, this got released on DFA, so I figured it ought to be followed James Murphy’s project. Peter’s stuff tends to be mellower, slower but still possessing that funk that makes him a good fit for what’s going on musically right now. It bounces and even has a saxophone in a song that I actually like (full disclosure: Peter is a trained saxophonist). 

3.       Laetitia Sadier – Un Soir, Un Chien

This is a cover of Les Rita Mitsouko’s classic hit. Laetitia tightens up the sound a little bit, and gives it a faster tempo. Even though they are cosmetic changes, I like her version more than the original. Perhaps the old one lacks some of the urgency Laetitia adds, like Catherine Ringer’s singing from too far away. 

4.       Beach House – Lover of Mine

Most of the album is solid, so I had a bit of trouble picking the best song. But I think the little buildup over halfway through the song does it for me. After we have all that stability of sound, she breaks it down a little bit. It is a minor thing, but it really wins me over. 

5.       Ja Prawn – Soulja Boi

Ah yes, I liked these guys. Nobody else did, at least on the East Coast. Perhaps they received a warmer reception in California, where they are based. This one conjures up images of Add N to (X) if the anger got replaced by mellow depression. 

6.       Toro Y Moi – Imprint After

Chad is the man. He created the happiest music I encountered this year. My thoughts are if he released his album in the summer, it might have gotten a warmer reception. Releasing it so early in the year worked against him, I feel. I’m going back to my seasonal attitude in music. Anyway, here’s a sweet little number off of “Causers of This”

7.       Deepchord Presents Echospace – BCN Dub

Some people have a thing for short songs. I’m clearly not one of them. Rather, I enjoy burning through the long haul ones, so long as they are good. BCN Dub is the centerpiece for their album, and I’d strongly recommend the whole thing. It is just perfect dance music, well-done and in little danger of growing stale (something dance music is always in danger of).

8.       Outer Limits Recordings – Burnin’ Through the Nite

Part of me wants to apologize to you, since you’ll have this stuck in your head for about 8 months. But I see this one as a way of blocking out those bad, modern pop songs. Whenever I get some garbage music stuck in my mind, I put this on and immerse myself in its innocent charm. 

9.       Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – Round and Round

Pitchfork put this as their track of the year, so it must be good, right? I have this after the radio announcer has drunkenly signed off. It just feels right. Ariel Pink is having an awesome year this year, so I guess you can celebrate with him by imbibing this track. Going to a few concerts in New York, there seems to be a knee-jerk reaction against this song, like it got overplayed. Honestly I think it is impossible to overplay this gem. 

Disc 2

10.   VHS Head – Remote Control

Nobody I know even heard of this, yet when I played it for them they adored it. Released this year on Skam, he ended up being criminally neglected. Maybe I’m a bit of an Anglophile regarding this kind of electronic music, but he gets the pacing down perfectly. 

11.   Mark Fell – Multistability 10-A

People either love or hate this guy. I put this on here to see your reaction. Mark Fell goes through years without putting out anything, and then releases two albums in the course of a month. Oh well, I’m glad he’s on something of a roll right now. Here’s one of my favorites from his recent output. 

12.   Women – Locust Valley

Now we’ve moved away from the electronic for the most part. Women remain one of my favorite bands of the whole year. Actually their album is pretty moody, so I wanted to pick out a song I thought best embodied the darkness they seemed best acquainted. I tend to put their album on a lot, listening to it from start to finish, always finding something new to like.  

13.   Stereolab – Sun Demon

A real bright light of sunshine we have here. This is Stereolab’s last output, perhaps forever. I like the multiple sections, and all the classic hallmarks of their good stuff. Really their album has more gems like this, so I went through some trouble picking out a song. Listen to the whole thing at some point, it is truly grand. 

14.   Rangers – Deerfield Village

In case you want to spend a day doing nothing but staring at clouds, I could think of worse records then this to do it. Rangers embody that lazy Sunday afternoon feeling to me, that is, if I didn’t work on Sundays. To be fair, their material does take some time to grow on you but I’d put it up there with Ducktails in terms of quality. 

15.   Chris Weisman & Greg Davis – Hat or Night

Chris’s voice takes some getting used to, but once it clicks you’re set. Nothing raises its voice here, it is almost pure calm. Only at the end does it actually create a sing-along chorus, as if it had always been there. 

16.   Weed – Quilt

Lo-fi rocks at its finest here. Not only do you get the joy of the warm layers of fuzz, but there’s some great pop song-writing here as well. I have no idea why this guy doesn’t get paid more attention, especially once compared to the lackluster Wavves dude. 

17.   No Age – Valley Crush

Valley Crush comes closest to No Age growing up. Here you have a full-bodied song. A lot of that static and grime you knew has been partly polished away, to reveal that they were always pretty good song writers. 

18.   Harlem – Crowd Pleaser

Harlem did get some great coverage. I’m happy for that. Seeing them live is absolutely worth it, they have a sort of psychopathic energy that so few bands have. If I had to describe it, it would be like a bunch of kids not knowing the rules and doing whatever. Here’s one of my favorites of theirs. 

19.   Nerve City – Armory

Nobody talked about these guys. That primitive beat, the western twang, all comes together to form a real stomper of a track. How this forms into a great drunken chorus at the end it beyond me, but I’m glad it exists.

20.   Keith Fullerton Whitman – Generator 1

Listening to this, I’m reminded of a living, breathing organism. The patterns are as natural as possible; Keith’s intention for the pieces was to let the music create itself. Setting a few basic perimeters, he created pure ambient bliss. I guess you could taste colors listening to this or some other absolutely bizarre thing, I rarely hear anything this trippy or good. 

21.   Panda Bear – Count on Me

I really wanted Panda Bear to release his album. He didn’t. But the singles are fantastic, and I wanted this song to bid you adieu. Have a fond farewell and let the man in a Panda Costume give you a hug.

Peter Gordon and the Love of Life Orchestra – Another Heartbreak 8.4

I guess the name is what happens when there’s too much democracy in a group. You end up with something unruly like that title. No worries though, the music is definitely pretty excellent.

DFA did everyone a favor by reissuing this gem from the far-overlooked Peter Gordon. He worked with people as renowned as Laurie Anderson and Rhys Chatham. Parts of the late 70s/early 80s burst through each piece, especially the saxophone playing which reminds me of Pere Ubu for some reason. 

The first track is a much easier one to wrap your mind around. Even though it is a medley of various bits and pieces (going from lounge to funk to dance) it works as a whole. A few things have been touched up, adding a synthesizer is pretty much expected for any DFA release. Listening to this, and the orchestral underpinnings of what is basically a dance track, I’m pretty glad that DFA gives credit where credit is due for all those bands that have influenced them.

“That Hat” is much stranger. Never before released which is a same. This one has a much harsher vibe to it, kind of like a “No Wave” jam session going on. Of course having Arto Lindsay contributing to the track tends to do that. Out of almost nowhere, from all these random shouts and skronk, comes a reassuring voice about that hat. Worth exploring.