Father Divine – Requiem for Intellect 8.0

                Father Divine knows how to overwhelm. The album sprawls, taking up almost all 80 minutes of an entire CD. In case the sheer length of it didn’t let you know what you were getting into, there’s the sound. Had Mr. Bungle continued after their last album “California” it would not be inconceivable that they continued in this vein. Of course, I use that comparison as the highest compliment. 

                “Requiem for Intellect” skronks, thrashes, blows up a couple of times into pure anarchy, and generally does what it wants. Let it. You’ll be surprised where they take you. The horns happen to be a nice touch for me. Horns are over a lot of this album in various ways. A few times I’m reminded of the absolute joy of “The Flying Luttenbachers” or perhaps “Shining” that wonderful Norwegian Jazz/Metal band. Certainly the chaos is there.

                There’s the warning. You’re not going to get your kicks easily with this album. Instead, you’ll have to do some serious listening. As a fan of a band that puts in this amount of effort, I’m quite frankly amazed. Considering all the bands following a more minimal (say accessible) approach, it’s doubly refreshing to hear a maximal approach to sound. Even the track lengths are long. You really need to get into it, this isn’t for passive listening.

                Perhaps that’s what I enjoy most about it. All of it is done in a specific way, their way. While they were making this, they were doing it out of a pure appreciation of the sound. Listening to it, I can be confident in saying they made this for intense focus. It’s a weird album for sure; it gets hard to pinpoint a specific favorite track as they each have so many movements. 

                If you ever wondered what happened to the early 90s New York weirdness, well it has been hiding in New Jersey all these years. Come find them.

Archers of Loaf

                 Yeah, I’ve been holding my breath for some massive 90s revival. I call it a revival since so many of the 90s bands had such a devoted following, bordering on the religious.  Every album I have from the early 90s I’ve studied fairly well whether it be Post-Rock (Slint) or the embodiment of indie rock perfection (The Pixies). Both of those bands have since gone touring, along with smaller bands with more rabid fan bases (Polvo in particular, where one fan flew from the Midwest just to see them rock out at Brooklyn Bowl).

                There’s one group I want to see return: the slackers. I miss slackers a lot; I grew up with some of them. Now they either got productive or remained in their parents’ basements. Slackers created some sweet tunes, perhaps some of my favorite music of all time. Now I’m not saying that I’m upset Pavement has returned to us, that is a good start for the slacker wave, but not really the definition.

                No, I’m talking about those bands that will never come back to us. Ones who got busy, got money, and will thus fail to return to us. So when I see one of those ‘Jesus, I never thought you’d return’ bands do so, I’m usually fairly psyched. If they decide to release another album, I’m happy but it really isn’t necessary.

                Archers of Loaf are coming back for what appears to be a fairly decent-sized tour. They will hit north, south, east, west, and even the middle section of the United States of America. Countless college radio stations will see DJs from decades past reconnect for the sole purpose of scoring free tickets. I may decide to call a few people and see if I can get some if I promise to do a ‘webcast’ or something.

                Really though, I think Archers of Loaf might be next to the word ‘slackers’ in the dictionary along with Guided By Voices. Both of those bands sounded more like they were hanging out than making actual music. That remains a selling point for both of them especially thirty or forty-somethings who wax nostalgic for the early 90s, when allegedly better indie music and film existed, before it was co-opted by market forces.

                In preparation, I’ve decided to revisit the Archers of Loaf seminal album, Icky Mettle. Listening to it, I’m reminded I got into them as soon as I became a college radio DJ. For some college radio stations, it is required listening before you start on the air. “Web in Front” I wanted them to be my spine, to keep me strong against the forces of work, the needs of our economy, GDP, and so on. When I heard this song, I think I played it on repeat for a couple of days. Never has two minutes of my life sounded so nice. 

                Slackers will make a comeback with this reunion tour, I’m certain of it. Like the early 90s, we have high unemployment and what I’m beginning to realize is a pretty interesting underbelly of countless bedroom musicians, bedroom writers, bedroom film makers, and so on. Let’s hope Archers of Loaf lead us to that lazier, happier land.

Beastie Boys – Five Years Must Have Passed

               Ah, the Beastie Boys are the perennially lazy boys of the music world. Every Presidential administration they are contractually obligated to come out with a new album. Whether or not it is good is a whole other question. For those youngsters, too young to remember what the Beastie Boys sounded like, let me remind you.

                Long ago, in a fabled time called the 80s, a band came from New York City. They called themselves “The Beastie Boys” and played thrash punk. After realizing how much more people cared about rap, they changed their style. Instead of being some sweaty guys in an abandoned factory playing on a Wednesday night to a flock of the converted, they asked the question “So Watcha Want?” 

                The last time I paid attention to them was when “Hello Nasty” came out. For me, that was the last time they had an impact on my life. I’m not sure what caused the attention. Perhaps it had to do with the radio. Back in the late 90s, the internet was painfully slow for downloading. K-Rock still existed. Put together, it was inevitable I’d be exposed to them at some point. 

                Going back to Paul’s Boutique and Ill Communication, I’m sort of amazed at how amazing these albums are, literally decades after release. “Sabotage” is just as much fun as it was when it came out. The video itself directed by Spike Jonze wrecked roughly $70,000 worth of video equipment. It was worth every penny. Even now as I heard “intergalactic planetary” play in a Planetarium as I was drinking beers, I thought “Man, I miss these guys.”

                I might want to get upset for what happened to the Beastie Boys but I know plenty of bands who did the same thing. Countless bands from the 90s made it big back then and now they can sit back. They got grandfathered in by developing a fan base before people downloads, before people streamed, before people did a lot of things. Beck did the same thing; think back to what interesting projects and concerts he’s having now compared to the 90s when he’d freak out on a regular basis. No, I can’t dislike the Beastie Boys for taking this well-traveled road.

                Their new album is called “Hot Sauce Committee, Pt. 2”. While they say it will be more rap-orientated than their last album “The Mix-Up” which was an all instrumental-affair, that doesn’t reassure me. I completely ignored that instrumental album after I heard their 2004 album “To the 5 Boroughs”. Perhaps “To the 5 Boroughs” confirmed the fact they were getting cheesy. Sure, their heart was in the right place when they wrote “An Open Letter to NYC” but it sounds terrible. I mean, I enjoy living here, but as I heard that song I sort of cringed as it appeared to confirm all the hubris New Yorkers are stereotyped to have. In case that wasn’t bad enough, the rest of the album was completely forgettable, a particularly bad thing as it took about six years to make. Oddly I do remember their review on Allmusic as being one of the first times I began realize the internal politics of review sites. When I first saw the review it was two stars and said they sounded old with dated references. A few weeks later, I noticed it got 4 and a half, the same score as Faust’s first album. I guess whoever first wrote it was being honest; whoever re-wrote it was remembering the tenure the Beastie Boys had collected. 

                Now I hold my breath. From the few tidbits I’ve heard, it will at the very least avoid the badness of the last two albums. Will they return to their greener pastures or will this be another attempt to remind people they exist and are from New York. We’ll see.

Low – C’mon 8.6

               Low take their time in making their albums. Their last album came out in 2007, “Drums and Guns”. Before that, we had “The Great Destroyer” in 2004. Even their albums I haven’t been too keen on still show a band dedicated to a peculiarly slow-tempo vision. Their work's quality justifies this slow approach.

                This might be the album that brings me back to their underrated album “Trust” or the better received “Things We Lost in the Fire” phase. For me, “The Great Destroyer” felt overproduced and drowned out a lot of what made them so special. “Drums and Guns” had that drum machine which gave the proceedings a kind of far-off feel. When I listen to Low, I usually like their more intimate, graspable sound. Having a drum machine and other electronic effects took away from that, for me at least.

                So “C’mon” makes me happy from the first song “Try to sleep”. As it starts up, I’m glad. Most of the album has similar moments. “You see everything” sounds fantastic, like a long-lost early 90s pop song. It sounds elegant, large, yet still has the fragility Low excels at. “$20” has no percussion at all; it is the sparest out of the bunch (which is saying something for Low).

                I’m happy to see they’ve embraced a lower-key approach this time around. Hearing the delicate drum work is a nice relief after the bombast and artificial sounds which populated the last two albums. This sounds more like a proper follow-up to “Trust”. 

                A dreamy attitude is present all over the album. Maybe it has to do with the guitars or the lyrics themselves. Either way, it is greatly enjoyable. The longest song “Nothing But Heart” even gives credence to this as it soars out of control towards the end (it actually gets surprisingly wild but the 8 minute length makes it feel justified). 

                Personally, I’m enjoying this album a lot. That Low I knew and loved, with its slow pace and quiet dynamics had come back after a several year hiatus. I welcome them back. C’mon is a hug for the ears from a friend who had me worried.

The Wrens – Secaucus 9.0

                Right from the beginning, you’re hooked. I enjoy it when I hear the first song and get the impression everything else is going to be just as good. Though I have a definite bias towards more experimental music, I also love a good pop album. “Secaucus” a name belying The Wren’s New Jersey roots, is just that: a fantastically good album with no fat whatsoever.

                Take a look at the track list. 19 songs might seem like a lot of songs, but they come at you at a blisteringly fast pace. Each song stays at exactly the amount of time you’d want. It’s like they know what you want before you know it. As soon as you feel overwhelmed by the sheer tempo of the songs, they throw in a quieter, laid-back track such as “Jane Fakes a Hug”. Sure, I talk lot about pacing, but not every band pulls it off well. The Wrens are a quartet who understands this important skill.

                “Yellow Number Three” introduces you to the album in the best way possible. Comparisons to the Arches of Loaf are inevitable, especially regarding the vocal delivery. However, The Wrens maintain a higher quality product than those College Radio darlings. Constantly I heard songs where I longed for the 90s all over again. Songs like “Surprise, Honeycomb” and “Joneses Rules of Sport” made me wish these guys had more money and success. Quality is consistent all the way to the very end of the album with “I married Sonja” building up nicely into a chorus which I’d hug if it was a person. Even at the last song “It’s Not Getting Any Good” they manage to have this interesting guitar work with literate lyrics.

                Overall, as I read about them, I’m a bit saddened. Apparently their label Grass Records decided to drop them for the appalling awful Creed. The Wren doesn’t have anywhere as big of a discography as you’d expect for a band founded in 1989. However, we’re just entered a new decade, and that means another release called “Funeral” slated for this year 2011. If it is anywhere as good as this, I might have my album of the year.

RadioSeed – Train of Transformation

                I’m really hoping there’s some sort of 90s ambient trance revival. Maybe it is on the cusp of happening, as witnessed by such groups as Games and RadioSeed, who seem to hold the same feeling of nostalgia I had for the era. Each day I’d turn on the radio to get constantly more unabashedly sweet, well-paced vocal heavy stuff. Those times, I’m convinced, need to return.

                Well, it appears RadioSeed’s been busy concocting another bunch of songs for an upcoming EP. Regarding when it will be dropping, we’ll have to hope around springtime, though who knows when spring will arrive with all these false starts. 

                Here’s one of the songs which will be on that EP. The sample selection in the beginning “You’ll never reach” is so perfect. Peter really has done a great job with the sounds, pacing, and melody. Everything is rather subtle, the approach, the style. Light little flourishes help it rise above a great deal of just endlessly looped stuff. If you listen closely, you can hear the sound growing thicker and thicker. 

                Maybe the EP will come out right in time for spring. Let’s hope. 

                The Song Itself.

Gescom – Gescom EP 7.5

For me, Gescom appealed to me as the place where I got to hear Autechre cut loose. Usually they concerned themselves with making another extremely relevant and critically acclaimed album in their day job. Gescom allowed them to explore more of their impulses, so you could get a better idea of what they’d do if nobody was watching.

This particular release ends up being probably one of my more beloved Gescom releases. Containing some excellent melodies and that beautiful smell of early 90s IDM, before IDM became extremely stuffy, it works. Only four tracks long, it manages to keep out all filler, leaving only the ‘best of’.

“Dan One” sounds a lot like “Djarum” from their Anti EP of the same year. No worries, it is fine to have two different variations on the same theme. This take has a bit more on it compared to the sparser Autechre version.  “Five” has one of those builds on it. You know, one of those fantastic layers upon layer. Each little segments snaps so perfectly into place, with the slight melodies being embellished more and more as the song grows. 

Finally, the latter half is a bit more ambient in scope. It isn’t the boring type of ambient, it remains teeming with life. Honestly, the latter songs could be placed into an early Future Sound of London album and I don’t think anyone would notice.

I’m thankful that throughout the years they’ve kept up this little side project. By hearing them with some of their defenses down, it shows just how talented they really are in such a crowded field.

RadioSeed – There Has to Be More 7.2

                 Peter Wikström heads up this delightfully happy summer-obsessed band.  In case you needed more evidence on how nice the Swedes are, there’s this album. As I hear the radiators shaking, I remember that at some point things will become colorful again, like this work.

                Most of the sound is based in 90s style techno. House influences are immediately recognizable, as the beat goes on. Sounds seem to whoosh around. The vocals could be seen as somewhat cheesy, but it is delivered so sincerely as to feel like he truly means it. If you missed 90s ambient trance, well, here’s your chance to revisit those good times. Peter’s not joking with this homage to that great sound.

                “Raspberry Cream Dream” might strike some as being too sweet or sugary. You might have encountered this song on one of the famous “Blalock’s Indie/Rock Playlist”. There’s a reason for this song’s inclusion, it is overlooked and one of the true gems of the album. Swirls of synthesizer joy help make the song live up to its title.

                Other songs possess even more happy energy, in case that was possible. Sweden’s actually a pretty dark place, so it is amazing how such bright and shiny music can emanate from such a dark, cold place. “You make me better” is another extraordinarily sweet spot.

                I liked this. Mull over the tracks a bit. While the first reaction might be “this is cheesy” try to temper the cynical impulse and take it for the leisurely pop it is.  

Saint Etienne – So Tough 8.8

Saint Etienne’s “So Tough” is wonderful. I can’t think of anything that better captures the UK’s “Second Summer of Love”. Everything needed is here: samples, nods to dance and acid, and a romantic sensibility. Usually I think pop from the early 90s ages horribly, almost to a laughable degree. But this has kept itself up well.

“Mario’s Café” contains numerous English-only references. I caught “Did you see the KLF last night?” and a few others. Most of the album is actually an unabashed celebration of all things English. Being an Anglophile, this only helps the album’s case. It is a bit refreshing having an album framed in terms of samples from British television and film.

What does it for me is “Avenue”. This easily surpasses anything else on the album. Having an almost 8 minute pop song is pretty great, and the coy nature of the song makes me truly adore it. Somehow the drum machine even has a certain charm to it, with its strange programming. 

Dance is present throughout the album. The hit from this was “You’re in a Bad Way”. Even the quieter, more blatantly 90s songs like “Conchita Martinez” and “Junk the Morgue” are still engaging. Somehow the album sidestepped a lot of the bad parts of 90s dance and managed to infuse it with soul.

This is a great album for remembering 90s Brit pop, 90s dance, or just if you were curious what all the fuss about Saint Etienne was ever about.

Big Troubles – Worry 8.0

This is an album that gets better as it progresses. You’re immediately introduced to some sort of The Jesus and Mary Chain/synthesizer hybrid with “Video Rock”. Oh, and you may want to watch out for the volume on this. Its main ally seems to be pure volume.

But don’t let the volume scare you off. First and foremost, this is unabashed pop music, and another victory for New Jersey and the Olde English Spelling Bee respectively. Meeting at Ridgewood High School, they separated for college and got back together to make this great stuff. Each song is pure hyperactive sugar to the brain. 

My preferred picks would be the slow jam “Georgia” which reeks of the best of late 80s. An ultra-distorted guitar plays in the background of the song, adding emotional resonance rather than being an annoying distraction. “Drastic and Difficult” reminds me of surf music fed into a computer and spit right back up at you.

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Don’t let your initial gut reaction determine your feelings for it, it took me a few listens but proved to be more than worth it.

Greatest Hits – Danse Pop 7.9

Olde English Spelling Bee is on something of a roll with these releases this year. Here’s another great pick of nostalgic pop music, but it is sadly only an EP.

Sure, the Games project for Oneohtrix Point Never did cover this same kind of territory, but Greatest Hits mine it even harder. Besides just using the average pop samples, there is some acknowledgment of internet humor on here: listen to the end of “Danse Pop” where it sounds like a song from Homestar Runner. In case there’s too many references on here, no worries, the music works well as straightforward pop music as well.

80s nostalgia isn’t all that’s here: more than a few times I felt like some early 90s lite.fm hits were being resurrected from the dead. “Make You Mine” sounds like an Ace of Bass song gone very wrong. Or that might just be my own wish.

As the painfully short collection of songs ends, we’re treated to the darker “Ambulance” which is a great, glitched up electroclash beauty. In case you needed more evidence, may I present you with their wonderful video? Enjoy!

Ambulance 

Grandfather – Why I’d Try 8.1

Grandfathers are known for being kind, caring people. They are the sort of people who spoil their grandchildren with diabetes-inducing candy and feigned interest. But this Grandfather is a bit different. Rather than do that cutesy nonsense, he drinks heavily and tells you about how he got into bar fights when he was young, punching multiple people in the face. His closest contemporary would be the grandfather in “Little Miss Sunshine”, shooting up heroin in the bathroom and being extraordinarily cynical.

“Why I’d Try” was produced by Steve Albini at his famed “Electrical Audio” studio over the course of three days. It sounds just as crotchety and warm as they had probably wanted, so their efforts of raising the money to do it were not for naught.

This has a nice range of dynamics. Not only do they focus on the bombastic like “You’re Strange”, but they also work well on the spacious “Caught off Guard”. I’m a bit surprised that Grandfather is from Brooklyn, as they don’t really share the sound that’s popular there right now. It has a good, rough, early 90s sound to it. You know that sound that got ignored as people obsessed about mediocre grunge music. 

My favorite songs would probably be the aforementioned “Caught off Guard” and “By Myself”. The lumbering bass throughout these songs is a pretty nice treat as someone who does have a sort of soft spot for it. Hopefully these guys will get a bit more attention, since I’m sort of digging the sound and the fact that there isn’t a weak spot. Also, that my hopes for a 90s revival is coming closer.

As an added bonus Grandfather offers there entire album for download free on bandcamp. Plus, the album artwork is weird as hell.

Free Download

Did “The Thong Song” embody the ethos of the Clinton era?

The Hipster Grifter, a shot of class.

Ah, the Clinton Era. What a great time it was to be alive under one of the most laissez-faire politicians known to man. He interfered in so little, let business do its thing, and generally a great time was had by all. Especially during his period with an unnamed intern who changed the world forever. 

Communism had been defeated. The internet came about and increased productivity. Even the economy grew so fast that a group of people known as the “middle class” still existed. Obviously this happened before the economy tanked hard after Bush’s tenure and real incomes (for the vast majority of America) stopped experiencing any actual growth.

Life could not have been better. Sure, the Republicans tried clamping down on this happy atmosphere by accusing Clinton of improper relations with an intern. But having parental advisories for the news backfired. Watching the news for more improper conduct became a national pastime, and gave Saturday Night Live a new lease on life. Children learned more about what college would be like through NBC news with Tom Brokaw (via explaining sexual techniques and stained dresses). 

That’s where “The Thong Song” came from. Sisqo decided to write a tasteful, respectful song about women’s undergarments and his love for them. Keeping up with the delicate sensibilities he demanded, he decided to make the music video an understated affair, only showing about 800 different women in the video in stages of undress. Originally his benefactors wanted 3,000, but Sisqo convinced them of the importance of letting him do “his art”. His art consisted of different close-ups of women’s asses of various sizes and plumpness. 

Class reeked from the song itself, complete with a beautiful orchestra made of people who needed to pay rent by the end of the week. Together, they embodied the positive spirit that was about to leave the great country of the US of A. Clinton would be leaving this plain of existence, moving to a level so high that he could talk to Kim Jong Il whenever he felt like it and unlimited use of various pornographers’ private jets.

What happened after that golden era of the thong song was brutal. No longer could songs be written with the deliberate intent of being “ironic”. Instead, everybody started taking themselves seriously, since we were at war. Vice Presidents became more interesting than the Presidents they served under (Bush was boring, Cheney was entertaining). 

Many rued the day that the “Thong Song” lost its popularity. How could any other artist hope to do the thong justice the way Sisqo did? Who else could create an entire song based purely on a suggestive undergarment?  Sisqo couldn’t even bring his art back up, after dedicating an entire album to advertising IPODs, cell phones, and whatever else held the imagination of little children. Later he ended up being a lawyer in Miami specializing in sexual harassment cases.

Really it is disappointing how technology has replaced our desire with “thongs” for “3G networks”. Perhaps one day a new sun will shine on America and remind it of wholesome tongue-in-cheek lewdness. We can only hope.

A Mix CD for Glenn Beck

Glenn Beck plays an emotionally unstable teenager on television. People watch him out of the hope that he will ‘lose it’ on the air. Sadly for them, Glenn only cries like a small child all the time. Most of the time he’s predicting some sort of catastrophe based off of what tea leaves on the bottom of a cup tells him. After he’s done crying (crying usually takes up half the air time) he teaches the audience 5^th history, including such unknown historical figures like George Washington and Benjamin Franklin. Beck states how these people probably would support his efforts today before making several voices and passing out from sheer insanity. Those who watch him consider his word to be pure “genius” despite the fact that he never even went to college or displays anything popularly known as ‘intelligence’.

I worry about Glenn. Each time he’s on TV or being interviewed, he’s always getting really vulnerable, talking about how he used to be an alcoholic and doing a ton of drugs. But now that he’s overcome his failings, he feels it is his right to not allow anyone else on Earth any sort of leeway

.

Below is a playlist I’ve created that might help Glenn through this difficult period in his life called “his actual life” Maybe when he listens to it, he can finally relax with some diet soda as he pretends to rock out. 

1.       Galaxie 500 – Fourth of July

Since Glenn loves America so much, this might do the trick for him. I can imagine him playing air guitar at the end, as he bops his head up and down in front of a fan, to give the illusion that he is bringing down the house.

2.       The Pixies – Havalina

I think that Glenn Beck probably has a soft spot in his heart for the Pixies. They were around while his life was total garbage. Plus, he can then imagine being chased by the pigs in Washington (that’s what the song is about, kind of).

3.       Low – Words

Yeah, Low will reach his very soul. Perhaps this song will make him cry, as he realizes that they embody all that is good with slowcore. They are Mormons just like him, and they understand what he’s going through, that is, if they had a TV show and made millions of dollars a year.

4.       Rodan – Tooth Fairy Retribution Manifesto

Whenever I think of the words “paranoid”, “uncomfortable” and “American”, Rodan comes to mind. Glenn feels like the tooth fairy. He takes away our ignorance and leaves pure country-fried wisdoms under our pillows, along with nightmares. 

5.       Shellac – Dog and Pony Show

Up to this point, there’s been less anger. Steve Albini is probably the only indie rock musician capable of reaching Beck’s seething, misdirected rage. Plus, there’s talk of being a preacher, which is something Glenn most currently thinks of himself as, so I know he’ll enjoy this.

6.       Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 – The Operation

Yes, I know it seemed hardly the place for an operation. According to what Glenn thinks about socialized medicine, this may scare him greatly, thinking doctors will operate on Americans in public squares. But that dual bass attack might win him over to the idea. 

7.       The Sea and Cake – Choice Blanket

After the reminder of public health care, he might need a mellow track. “Choice Blanket” sounds like something Astrud Gilberto would’ve sung, had she been more rock inclined. 

8.        Codeine – Vacancy

So there’s a lot of slowcore on this mix, I know that. I want there to be a lot of exposed, raw emotions on here. Glenn’s hurting. His heart yearns for love, hugs, chocolate, sunshine, kittens, happiness, pretty flowers, 2 for 1 sale at Target, Ecto cooler coming back, and more. At least now he’ll know he’s not alone in his suffering.

9.       Tortoise – Gamera

One of the sweetest songs Tortoise ever wrote. This will help Glenn relax, maybe he’ll decide to mediate or do yoga as this plays. 

10.   Bedhead – The Present

This will end things off. I think Glenn will relate to the lyrics about living in the past rather than the present. Here, sing along with him:

It's always this year's gift
Is it ever what I wanted
Was I unhappy living in the past
Has my growth been that stunted
When to be ashamed is to be defined
And all this self-awareness
The blind led by the blind
An empty conscience is sensitivity
I have to pretend I'm overcome with humility
It always comes on time
Not a second before the instant
But this year I think I'd rather be a relic
Than part of the present

If you noticed, I kept all the music references within the early 90s. That’s probably the last time Glenn had his finger on the musical pulse, so going all nostalgic with him might allow him to pay closer attention. But we’re all worried about him going crazy on TV, some tuning in for that. Others put him on mute and watch his facial contortions as he does “Kermit the Frog” impressions. Let’s hope this reaches him in time.