May 2, 2008
Three years ago Apologies To The Queen Mary established Wolf Parade as major indie players. Since then, though, the core members' various other projects and collaborations, including Handsome Furs, Frog Eyes, Swan Lake, and Sunset Rubdown (especially), became the main focus. In fact, at times we wondered quietly and to ourselves if there ever would be another Wolf Parade album. Well, of course, there would be, we just had Sunset Rubdown hype on the brain -- it's here, and it's very good. The Montreal band's nine new songs arrive under the At Mount Zoomer moniker, which as we mentioned, is named after drummer Arlen Thompson's studio Mount Zoomer, where it was recorded. Those devils.
CONTINUE READING PREMATURE EVALUATION: WOLF PARADE - AT MOUNT ZOOMER...
Posted at 5:32 PM in
Tags: Wolf Parade
latest by Don
April 23, 2008
Let's get this out of the way first: The worst part of Evil Urges is the admittedly crapola cover art. But then, nobody buys records these days anyhow, so that shouldn't be much of a problem (oh, how we kid -- besides, Coverflow). Seriously, though -- parts of My Morning Jacket's fifth studio album are schizo ("Highly Suspicious," anyone?) but the 13 tracks (and tiny, screeching "Good Intentions" sample that close the record) eventually do congeal into a powerful whole. If you give it some time. There are more than a few immediate standouts like the excellent title track (we've all heard that one by now) and a couple songs that lodged themselves into our eardrums the moment we heard them at Jim James' pin-drop quiet SXSW solo set: The instantly classic, post-James Taylor "Sec Walkin'" ("left leg, right leg, one leg at a time, I keep on walkin'....") and beautifully emotional, Rocky Mountain high "Look At You" ("such a glowing example of peace and glory..."). The latter would be comfortable on any soft rock station, and felt especially fitting when we listened to it in church, but each track has enough power to kick it like the bad-ass Kentucky roots-rock it is...
CONTINUE READING PREMATURE EVALUATION: MY MORNING JACKET - EVIL URGES...
Posted at 6:01 PM in
Tags: My Morning Jacket
latest by mmm
April 4, 2008
Formed way back in 2005, Tokyo Police Club have had a ton of success on the back of two very short EP's -- 2006's Lesson In Crime and Smith, the following year. On the Ontario quartet's first full-length Elephant Shell there are maybe a couple songs that aren't as crisp as band's best, but we have to say that the guys have successfully made the transition from the EP to LP format (granted, they blast through their 11 songs in 28 minutes). You've already heard "In A Cave" with its fuzz-up bass, handclaps, and group chants. Not a surprise. There are some, though.
CONTINUE READING PREMATURE EVALUATION: TOKYO POLICE CLUB - ELEPHANT SHELL...
Posted at 6:38 PM in , ,
Tags: Tokyo Police Club
latest by polyworm
March 25, 2008
The best laid plans and all that. We know the Raconteurs tried their darndest to get Consolers Of The Lonely to everyone at the same time with a super short release schedule, but it's impossible to prepare for everything (in this case, the dreaded, institutionalized iTunes leak). Realistically, the fact that Jack and Brendan and the boys didn't get their sophomore follow up to Broken Boy Soldiers into everyone's hands today (3/25) as planned won't hurt much besides Jack's feelings in the long run. Plus, it allowed for interesting interactions with your beloved Web Sheriff. And the music?
CONTINUE READING PREMATURE EVALUATION: THE RACONTEURS - CONSOLERS OF THE LONELY...
Posted at 6:19 PM in
Tags: The Raconteurs
latest by 12 :51
March 21, 2008
Danger Mouse is a good producer. Or at least we like the accents and aesthetic he brings to his projects. His dreamy sheen saves much of the mediocre Odd Couple, for instance. In general, there's better songwriting on the Black Keys fifth album, and follow up to 2006's Magic Potion, Attack & Release, but the woozy choirs, ghostly keys, and spectral whirls he adds to Daniel Auerbach and Patrick Carney's blues rock, pushes the Akron duo into engaging new directions. Remember, these dudes didn't always record in official studios. Then again, good blues players don't need to...
CONTINUE READING PREMATURE EVALUATION: THE BLACK KEYS - ATTACK & RELEASE...
Posted at 6:23 PM in ,
Tags: Danger Mouse | The Black Keys
latest by drgoop
March 14, 2008
As we mentioned, when discussing the demos at Peter Morén's MySpace, he sounds a tad sad without Bjorn and John. He also sounds wordy. And like Wham!. And Robyn Hitchcock (especially Eye). Recorded over two years, Morén's first solo album The Last Tycoon is an understated effort -- mostly the man alone with his guitar with some handclaps (ok, a ton), strings, vibes, synthesizers, piano, bedroom percussion, drum machine, vibraphone, harmonica, and a singing saw (see "Missing Link"). A wooden noisemaker adds a Latin flamenco flair to "Twisted" and its well heed words of advice: "Don't overrate yourself / it could have been someone else." True enough. The accents and different sonic textures add to the variety, but the focus is largely Morén's words and his elliptical storytelling. Listen closely -- the lyrics often don't add up to more than skeletal outlines for the shortest of stories, though there are enough charming details, smart lines. It's a different sort of narrative ... insert Writer's Block joke here.
CONTINUE READING PREMATURE EVALUATION: PETER MORÉN - THE LAST TYCOON...
Posted at 5:45 PM in
Tags: Peter Bjorn And John | Peter Morén
latest by Foster
March 13, 2008
We've already given a few hints about our feelings for Mountain Battles, the Breeders' first album since Title TK. In case you missed it before: We're basically blown away that Kim and Kelly sound so fresh after -- relatively speaking -- so long. Mountain Battles was recorded over a number of years, across locales, and with different producers (Steve Albini, Erika Larson, Manny Nieto), and languages (German, English, Spanish), but it impressively sounds cohesive and whole. We like some songs less or more than others, but there're no duds. Basically, the Deal sisters, along with Title TK players drummer Jose Medeles and bassist Mando Lopez. have returned to form to school any number of indistinguishable indie upstarts. Listen up indistinguishable indie upstarts.
CONTINUE READING PREMATURE EVALUATION: THE BREEDERS - MOUNTAIN BATTLES...
Posted at 7:09 PM in
Tags: The Breeders
latest by james
March 12, 2008
When we posted on Walk It Off's lead track "Hang Them All," we basically said: If you didn't care about Tapes 'N Tapes before, you likely still wouldn't. Well, after listening to all 12 tracks on the band's Dave Fridmann-produced sophomore album, we're changing our tune a tiny bit. What we noticed in the comments when the album streamed for a day is that people are actually discussing Fridmann's production. On songs like the catchy, clamoring opener "Le Ruse" (that jittery guitar) or "The Dirty Dirty" (great drum sound, though the song itself drags), Fridmann adds an element that was absent on The Loon (except for in some distorted vocals a la "Just Drums"). He makes the songs sound dirty, which makes things more interesting. For instance, check the depth of the drumkit on "Say Something Back." The almost Sonic Youth-y swells of "George Michael." Or, fittingly, the overloaded guitar channels of "Headstock." It may be a turn-off to fans of the debut, but it adds much-needed scum. Thing is, while the production points toward growth, the same can't always be said for the songwriting.
CONTINUE READING PREMATURE EVALUATION: TAPES 'N TAPES - WALK IT OFF...
Posted at 2:18 PM in
Tags: Tapes 'N Tapes
latest by Mplsdude
