So you say the Arcade Fire isn't coming to your town or ticket scalpers were able to land hundreds of tickets while your hungover attempt to score seats for their DC show was futile. Worry not faithful Arcade Fire fan, Saturday Night Live has become relevant for the first time in years and invited the Canadian sensations to perform. Those willing to suffer through Rainn Wilson and a few terrible skits were rewarded with two songs: "Intervention" and "Keep the Car Running".
"Intervention" has the feeling of "Rebellion Lies" from Funeral. A big sound (heavy on the organ) and an undeniable tension. The song starts with organ, bells and guitar and transitions with ease, adding in strings, bass and a french horn. While the song was tight and well played, Win really stole the show with charism and intensity (a "Joshua Tree"-era Bono????). About half way through the song, Win breaks a string on his guitar which irritated him, since as the song closed he broke several other strings and smashed his guitar.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xia3WiqPUY
"Keep the Car Running" starts with the band playing drums, guitar, piano and a few other instruments that I'm pretty sure I have never seen before. Regine is playing something that kinda looks like a violin with a crank on it, yeah, beats the hell out of me. The song is fairly indescript and doesn't really go anywhere, but an indescript Arcade Fire song is still pretty great. It's a straight forward rock song with an airy, woodsy feel (I think due to Regine's crank instrument and a bass clarinet).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iyu_VvR0i1Y
25 February 2007
11 February 2007
Review of January '07 Releases
Why do several individual reviews when I can write one post with three mini reviews? Yeah, I couldn't think of a reason either. Anyway, here's what came out in January and how good they were.
The Shins - Wincing the Night Away
Rumor has it that James Mercer started the Shins in order to develop and evolve the three minute pop song. Well James, it might just be time to break up the band. While the Shins get off on the right foot with "Sleeping Lessons", a song that starts out with an airy "Oh, Inverted World" feel and effortlessly transitions into a rich, full sound that rivals the high points of "Chutes Too Narrow", the rest of the album lacks the distinct flavor of their previous works. No song sums up Wincing like the first single "Phantom Limb", an inoffensive track thats major characteristic is that it's inoffensive. "Phantom Limb" features standard drum beats, straightforward guitars, boring lyrics and little else. While I would have no problems putting this song (or album) on as background music, it's mostly devoid of anything that would interest Charles Darwin.
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Some Loud Thunder
Rock criticism works under one rule: The critic is smarter than the reader and assumes it his responsibility to tell the reader what is good for them. If the proletariat starts gravitating toward a band or album, the critic had better bash the living hell out of it before the readers start wondering why they need psuedo-journalists in the first place. Never has this been more apparent than with DIY legends and one-time indie critical darlings Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. With Some Loud Thunder, words like "incomplete" and "indifference" have replaced the "genius" and "revolutionary" labels given to CYHSY's debut.
The truth of the matter is that Some Loud Thunder is much more thought out and complete than its predecessor. While the CYHSY debut succeeded with the basic formula of teaming Alex Oundsworth's unique voice and lyrics with undeniable beats, Some Loud Thunder explores intricacies far more cerebral than "David Byrne over dance rock". By slowing down, distorting and reconstructing their sound, CYHSY have created something more lasting, creative and soulful than their impressive first effort. (oh, and if you still want to bop, CYHSY throw you a bone on the infectious "Satan Said Dance")
Deerhoof - Friend of Opportunity
I didn't hear this record, but I'm guessing it's as shitty as their first.
The Good, The Bad and The Queen - s/t
The Good, The Bad and The Queen seem to fit the part of Damon Albarn's personality that lives somewhere between the audacity of Gorillaz and the sincerity of Blur. Albarn teams up with former member of the Clash and the Verve to form his newest "supergroup" and gets fellow "Gorilla" Danger Mouse to produce.
While this album definitely is not bad, and has grown on me, it has a very sterile feel to it. Almost like four guys taking their lunch pails, going to work and punching out at 4:30. Sure they are good at their jobs and are making a quality product, but there doesn't seem to be alot of emotional investment (the only guy who appears to have been working overtime was Danger Mouse, whose production is top-notch as usual). The album does gain momentum, ending with the incredible "The Good, The Bad and The Queen", but ultimately makes me believe that Albarn doesn't quite know what he wants his post-Blur legacy to be .
Upcoming February Reviews: Fall Out Boy and Bloc Party
The Shins - Wincing the Night Away
Rumor has it that James Mercer started the Shins in order to develop and evolve the three minute pop song. Well James, it might just be time to break up the band. While the Shins get off on the right foot with "Sleeping Lessons", a song that starts out with an airy "Oh, Inverted World" feel and effortlessly transitions into a rich, full sound that rivals the high points of "Chutes Too Narrow", the rest of the album lacks the distinct flavor of their previous works. No song sums up Wincing like the first single "Phantom Limb", an inoffensive track thats major characteristic is that it's inoffensive. "Phantom Limb" features standard drum beats, straightforward guitars, boring lyrics and little else. While I would have no problems putting this song (or album) on as background music, it's mostly devoid of anything that would interest Charles Darwin.
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Some Loud Thunder
Rock criticism works under one rule: The critic is smarter than the reader and assumes it his responsibility to tell the reader what is good for them. If the proletariat starts gravitating toward a band or album, the critic had better bash the living hell out of it before the readers start wondering why they need psuedo-journalists in the first place. Never has this been more apparent than with DIY legends and one-time indie critical darlings Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. With Some Loud Thunder, words like "incomplete" and "indifference" have replaced the "genius" and "revolutionary" labels given to CYHSY's debut.
The truth of the matter is that Some Loud Thunder is much more thought out and complete than its predecessor. While the CYHSY debut succeeded with the basic formula of teaming Alex Oundsworth's unique voice and lyrics with undeniable beats, Some Loud Thunder explores intricacies far more cerebral than "David Byrne over dance rock". By slowing down, distorting and reconstructing their sound, CYHSY have created something more lasting, creative and soulful than their impressive first effort. (oh, and if you still want to bop, CYHSY throw you a bone on the infectious "Satan Said Dance")
Deerhoof - Friend of Opportunity
I didn't hear this record, but I'm guessing it's as shitty as their first.
The Good, The Bad and The Queen - s/t
The Good, The Bad and The Queen seem to fit the part of Damon Albarn's personality that lives somewhere between the audacity of Gorillaz and the sincerity of Blur. Albarn teams up with former member of the Clash and the Verve to form his newest "supergroup" and gets fellow "Gorilla" Danger Mouse to produce.
While this album definitely is not bad, and has grown on me, it has a very sterile feel to it. Almost like four guys taking their lunch pails, going to work and punching out at 4:30. Sure they are good at their jobs and are making a quality product, but there doesn't seem to be alot of emotional investment (the only guy who appears to have been working overtime was Danger Mouse, whose production is top-notch as usual). The album does gain momentum, ending with the incredible "The Good, The Bad and The Queen", but ultimately makes me believe that Albarn doesn't quite know what he wants his post-Blur legacy to be .
Upcoming February Reviews: Fall Out Boy and Bloc Party
01 February 2007
Tales of Interest!
Did you think it was safe to like M. Ward in public? Think again.
Calling the Clash "local punk legends" is like calling LeBron James "one of the Akron area's best basketball players."
Not sure which is more surprising/disturbing; the Shins debuting at #2 or the fact that they were beat out by a band called Pretty Ricky that we've never heard of.
Lamest rap beef ever?
MTV asks why so many band reunions? Or: an example of why magazines are better than the internet; magazines, in an effort to save ink, would answer the article's question in one word, or maybe even use a symbol: $. Bonus quote: "The Smashing Pumpkins audience won't pay Genesis prices, that's for sure."
Girl Talk: There's something for everyone here - artists, lawyers, biomedical engineers! Over/under on how many samples we hear on Friday night? 1000. Over/under on beers poured on his head? 1.5
Calling the Clash "local punk legends" is like calling LeBron James "one of the Akron area's best basketball players."
Not sure which is more surprising/disturbing; the Shins debuting at #2 or the fact that they were beat out by a band called Pretty Ricky that we've never heard of.
Lamest rap beef ever?
MTV asks why so many band reunions? Or: an example of why magazines are better than the internet; magazines, in an effort to save ink, would answer the article's question in one word, or maybe even use a symbol: $. Bonus quote: "The Smashing Pumpkins audience won't pay Genesis prices, that's for sure."
Girl Talk: There's something for everyone here - artists, lawyers, biomedical engineers! Over/under on how many samples we hear on Friday night? 1000. Over/under on beers poured on his head? 1.5
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
