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
30 January 2007
Asobi Seksu Live at the Grog Shop, 1/29/07
Bears
After Sean the bass player was done fighting the Simpsons pinball machine at the Grog Shop - he was victorious after having lost a quarter and then tenaciously fishing it back out, Cleveland-based indie pop outfit Bears came out to an impressive crowd on a cold and snowy (in other words - "Cleveland in January") Monday night. The somewhat-hyped band played a fairly paint by numbers set. The band shined brightest when playing bigger sounding songs, the ones that featured more drums and louder bass. Sadly, the songs which sounded so sublime on their debut lost something in the translation to the live setting, as the drummer's weaker vocals were exposed and too much space in the songs left them somewhat muted. "How to Live", "Everywhere", and "Still Alright" were not done justice as the delicate but powerful songs that they can be. Luckily, two new songs as well as album-(and show-)closer "Stay" came off as mighty examples of what kind of live band Bears could be, and seem to be growing into.
JJ Magazine
I don't know anything about this band and their performance did not inspire me to learn any more about them. A five-piece with good musicians and a female vocalist with a nice voice, but the songs were lackluster. No new or interesting ground is being broken here. No more people showed up for this portion of the show than were there for Bears, giving the impression that no one else gave a dook about them either.
Asobi Seksu
Filling up an album with sound is a lot easier than filling up a room with sound. Going in, you know it will be difficult for Asobi Seksu's highly textural brand of new shoegaze to be satisfactorily reproduced onstage. The band was tight and clearly knew their strengths, Yuki's impeccable vocals and their branded soaring guitars and pulsating basslines. The only thing that sounded as good live as on wax was the aforementioned vocals, which were spot on and pure of tone throughout. Album standouts "Thursday" and "Strawberries" also shone through here, with the Pixies-esque loud/soft, start/stop dynamics being played up stunningly. However, other songs lacked power, and the set never really got rolling. By the time they closed with a cover of The Crystals' "Then He Kissed Me", the audience was left feeling like they'd already heard a variation on this sonic theme all through the show.
After Sean the bass player was done fighting the Simpsons pinball machine at the Grog Shop - he was victorious after having lost a quarter and then tenaciously fishing it back out, Cleveland-based indie pop outfit Bears came out to an impressive crowd on a cold and snowy (in other words - "Cleveland in January") Monday night. The somewhat-hyped band played a fairly paint by numbers set. The band shined brightest when playing bigger sounding songs, the ones that featured more drums and louder bass. Sadly, the songs which sounded so sublime on their debut lost something in the translation to the live setting, as the drummer's weaker vocals were exposed and too much space in the songs left them somewhat muted. "How to Live", "Everywhere", and "Still Alright" were not done justice as the delicate but powerful songs that they can be. Luckily, two new songs as well as album-(and show-)closer "Stay" came off as mighty examples of what kind of live band Bears could be, and seem to be growing into.
JJ Magazine
I don't know anything about this band and their performance did not inspire me to learn any more about them. A five-piece with good musicians and a female vocalist with a nice voice, but the songs were lackluster. No new or interesting ground is being broken here. No more people showed up for this portion of the show than were there for Bears, giving the impression that no one else gave a dook about them either.
Asobi Seksu
Filling up an album with sound is a lot easier than filling up a room with sound. Going in, you know it will be difficult for Asobi Seksu's highly textural brand of new shoegaze to be satisfactorily reproduced onstage. The band was tight and clearly knew their strengths, Yuki's impeccable vocals and their branded soaring guitars and pulsating basslines. The only thing that sounded as good live as on wax was the aforementioned vocals, which were spot on and pure of tone throughout. Album standouts "Thursday" and "Strawberries" also shone through here, with the Pixies-esque loud/soft, start/stop dynamics being played up stunningly. However, other songs lacked power, and the set never really got rolling. By the time they closed with a cover of The Crystals' "Then He Kissed Me", the audience was left feeling like they'd already heard a variation on this sonic theme all through the show.
26 January 2007
Review. Matmos - "The Rose Has Teeth in the Mouth of a Beast"
Life, at its core, is really a series of experiences. Rarely is there a unifying thread. This is not a sitcom where everything ties together and you are satisfied every thirty minutes. But our feeble human brains want some sort of resolution, and so it has a way of categorizing our experiences, so that you can say - "Oh, that was just like that one time..." so everything, even the shockingly new, seems comfortable. But every so often, you come across circumstances that make you question if it's all that easy, or if there's some higher power telling you - "This is not a coincidence!" Enter Matmos' The Rose Has Teeth in the Mouth of a Beast.
Trying to listen to The Rose Has Teeth in the Mouth... is precisely like slogging through an epic hangover. All the appropriate emotions will surface, and you'll just want it to be over. You'll even bargain - "I'll never buy off the used rack again" starts to sound an awful lot like "I will never drink 3 King Cobras and a bottle of generic NyQuil again". But all the promises in the world won't save you.
Waking up, your katzenjammer can't decide what form it will take. Massive headache, malfunctioning gastrointestinal system, vodka-scented "sweat", nausea, general spaciness? - they're all present, and they're all going to get worse. Meanwhile, Matmos refuses to commit to making music, "music", found sound (while we're here - note to bands everywhere: committing to wax the sounds of your spoons or toaster or other household items is clever...syke!), or even a coherent lyric. Either way, ten minutes in, you feel like you must be on a hidden camera show documenting how long you'll be able to last before giving up (either suicide or unplugging your headphones, depending).
Your parents/housemate/complete stranger offering to pick you up a Sausage McDisgusting is portrayed brilliantly by Matmos providing an unsolicited post-modern/feminist screed in the form of "Tract for Valerie Solanas" (sample lyric: Unable to relate with love, the man must work/ Females crave absorbing emotionally satisfying meaningul activity/but lacking the opportunity or ability for this they prefer to idle and waste away their time in ways of their own choosing - and this is from the track that actually delivers the most satisfying narrative). Believe me mom/housemate/Matmos - I don't want this and you should please leave me alone.
While TRHTITMOTB bombards you with non sequiturs, you are struggling to piece things together...last night, your life, the menial task that's currently got you flummoxed at work - you just can't make sense of the things going on around you. Sure, there are glimpses that you'll make it through. That first drink of the Gatorade you planted in the fridge (how you planned ahead for that one is beyond all of us) or that brief halfway-head-bob-able bassline. But your pleasant moment is snatched away so quickly by the feeling that your stomach isn't ready even for Gatorade or the random, not seemingly random, but legitimately random beats and bells and 5 o'clock whistles (seriously!) that you wish you never drank the Gatorade or picked up on the buried beat in the first place. This is a frustrating experience that you won't soon forget. Matmos so convincingly plays the part of an aural hangover that you might reconsider your stance on the whole coincidence or fate question.
At the end of this experience, you can sum up your feelings thusly: Dear alcohol/Matmos: I don't care how much Frank Sinatra/Bjork likes you - you and me are through. Except you, alcohol, we're still cool.
On the standard -500 to +1000 scale, Matmos' Rose Teeth Mouth Beast garners:
-225.
After all, the old indie maxim "It's better to be bad than boring" does ring true, and while they are certainly bad, Matmos manages to be boring only for half of the record.
Trying to listen to The Rose Has Teeth in the Mouth... is precisely like slogging through an epic hangover. All the appropriate emotions will surface, and you'll just want it to be over. You'll even bargain - "I'll never buy off the used rack again" starts to sound an awful lot like "I will never drink 3 King Cobras and a bottle of generic NyQuil again". But all the promises in the world won't save you.
Waking up, your katzenjammer can't decide what form it will take. Massive headache, malfunctioning gastrointestinal system, vodka-scented "sweat", nausea, general spaciness? - they're all present, and they're all going to get worse. Meanwhile, Matmos refuses to commit to making music, "music", found sound (while we're here - note to bands everywhere: committing to wax the sounds of your spoons or toaster or other household items is clever...syke!), or even a coherent lyric. Either way, ten minutes in, you feel like you must be on a hidden camera show documenting how long you'll be able to last before giving up (either suicide or unplugging your headphones, depending).
Your parents/housemate/complete stranger offering to pick you up a Sausage McDisgusting is portrayed brilliantly by Matmos providing an unsolicited post-modern/feminist screed in the form of "Tract for Valerie Solanas" (sample lyric: Unable to relate with love, the man must work/ Females crave absorbing emotionally satisfying meaningul activity/but lacking the opportunity or ability for this they prefer to idle and waste away their time in ways of their own choosing - and this is from the track that actually delivers the most satisfying narrative). Believe me mom/housemate/Matmos - I don't want this and you should please leave me alone.
While TRHTITMOTB bombards you with non sequiturs, you are struggling to piece things together...last night, your life, the menial task that's currently got you flummoxed at work - you just can't make sense of the things going on around you. Sure, there are glimpses that you'll make it through. That first drink of the Gatorade you planted in the fridge (how you planned ahead for that one is beyond all of us) or that brief halfway-head-bob-able bassline. But your pleasant moment is snatched away so quickly by the feeling that your stomach isn't ready even for Gatorade or the random, not seemingly random, but legitimately random beats and bells and 5 o'clock whistles (seriously!) that you wish you never drank the Gatorade or picked up on the buried beat in the first place. This is a frustrating experience that you won't soon forget. Matmos so convincingly plays the part of an aural hangover that you might reconsider your stance on the whole coincidence or fate question.
At the end of this experience, you can sum up your feelings thusly: Dear alcohol/Matmos: I don't care how much Frank Sinatra/Bjork likes you - you and me are through. Except you, alcohol, we're still cool.
On the standard -500 to +1000 scale, Matmos' Rose Teeth Mouth Beast garners:
-225.
After all, the old indie maxim "It's better to be bad than boring" does ring true, and while they are certainly bad, Matmos manages to be boring only for half of the record.
Comparison of Brother and Sister Bands of 2006
With the White Stripes disappointing effort on 2005s "Get Behind Me Satan" (along with the fact that they actually aren't related), the title of "Best Brother and Sistere Duo" is officially up for grabs. Lucky for us, two bro/sis combos were in the studio in 2006, working hard to be known as the best (of, well, basically only three). Anyway, The Knife's critically acclaimed "Silent Shout" and the Fiery Furnaces' always turbulent "Bitter Tea" are going head to head. Here's the scorecard:
Round 1:
The Knife open "Silent Shout" with the aptly named "Silent Shout", a fairly straight forward euro-electronica song with eerie vocals. My head is bobbing and I'm intrigued as to where these Swedes are going to take me over the rest of the album.
The Fiery Furnances waste little time on "My Little Thatched Hut" and, in typical Friedberger style, are throwing everything they have at the listener. Elanor's vocals are just about the only constant as this song changes tempos, styles and instruments every time I start to feel comfortable with it. Maybe the Furnaces are commenting upon how life is transient and always changing before you ever really get a handle on it. Then again, maybe they just have a bad case of ADD.
Scorecard: The Furnances threw some haymakers and were "busier". They get rewarded with a 10-9 round.
Early Rounds:
The Dreijer siblings continue with the so-so "Neverland" and spend some time getting the atmosphere just right on "The Captain" before getting into a thoughtful and complete arrangment. "We Share Our Mother's Health" proves the Knife are in full control of their beats, but leaves something to be desired vocally.
The Furnaces counter with the delightfully playful (but still disheveled) "I'm In No Mood" and the surprisingly focused (only two competing ideas!) and devious "Black Hearted Boy". The theme continues into the frazzled-at-first, but well laid out "Bitter Tea", which is easily the most enjoyable listen of record thus far. The tender "Teach Me Sweetheart" and the complete "I'm Waiting to Know You" show that the Furnaces are capable of settling down and letting their ideas come to fruition.
Scorecard: Usually the more sound an artist puts on a record, the greater their chances of failure, but the Furnaces have utilized every second so far. The Friedbergers are in complete control, winning two rounds 10-9. Tough to penalized the Knife for their unique style, so the other two rounds are 10-10.
Middle Rounds:
Both bands have established their style with their early tracks, so lets see who can execute down the stretch.
The Knife's "Na Na Na" is straight out of the Sigur Ros playbook. Is Sweden very far from Iceland? Thankfully, I'm American and it don't have to be bother by facts like that. Whoa, while I was busy pondering fjords, windmills and the homeland of Hamlet, the Dreijer's put together their most solid effort thus far. "Marble House" and "Like A Pen" are completely unique , yet easily accessible. Every detail of these two songs was carefully crafted and showcase the Knife's incredible talent.
Dammit all, the Friedbergers lost all of their momentum with the "Vietnamese Telephone Ministry" that was all build-up, but no follow through. Fortunately, my disappointment does not last long, since the first :25 seconds of "Oh Sweet Woods" is the most danceable thing I have heard in a long time. But of course with all things Friedberger, the song changes up before finally settling in funkytown. "Borneo" and "Police Sweater Blood Vow" are pleasant, but indistinct.
Scorecard: The Knife wins two rounds 10-9, the Furnances win the other 10-9.
Late Rounds:
The Knife continue their success with the intimate and fragile "From Off to On". "Forest Families" excels with its rising and falling tones and easily the best vocal performance thus far. Unfortunately, "One Hit" is forced and leaves me feeling indifferent.
The Furnaces respond with "Nevers" which seems to buckle under its own weight, but worry not, the soulful "Benton Harbor Blues" will carry the Friedbergers' home. Elenor's lyrics color (possibly blue?) a disappointing, empty time and the music matches it perfectly; interesting and fun, but ultimately shallow and frivolous. Well done Furnaces. "Whistle Rhapsody",which has the Furnaces playing with heavy piano and attempting to be guitar heroes, drags on and the "Nevers (Remix)" does as little for me now as the original did three tracks ago.
The Knife had two solid efforts and a dud, the Furnaces had three so-so songs and a huge effort. Sounds like 10-9, 10-9, 9-10 for the Knife.
Final Round:
It's not how you start, but how you leave me feeling as your record comes to a close. Who is better at concluding their ideas and wrapping up their album?
The Knife starts slowly on "Still Light" and start building, adding a death filled narrative, rising tones, the echo of a cymbal crash, before stealing away into the cold Scandinavian night. My mind wanders to all the places this song could have gone and how I could listen to this song for 10 more minutes and how it was nearly criminal that the Knife did not fully develop this idea. This, however, is the essence of the Knife, never letting the listener all the way into their world and restraining from overindulgence. A fitting end to their record.
For their last statement on "Bitter Tea" the Friedbergers' chose to reprise the ideas of "Benton Harbor Blues" in "Benton Harbor Blues (Again)". But as best as I can tell, the Furnaces simply hacked out the catchy part of Benton and played it again, so it's tough to call it a reprise. Part of me hates the idea of putting the same song on an album twice, but another part of me really liked hearing this song again and repetition does make for a good conclusion. Anyway, I'm not really sure how I feel about this, but that is pretty much par for the course with the Fiery Furnaces.
Final Round: 10-9 to the Knife
Final Talley:
The Knife 115, Fiery Furnaces 115
Shit, did not mean for that to happen. Anyway, since I'm the only judge, I'm giving this one to the Fiery Furnaces as Bitter Tea was one of their best performances to date. To the Knife, I say "stay hungry and next time you may catch the breaks".
Round 1:
The Knife open "Silent Shout" with the aptly named "Silent Shout", a fairly straight forward euro-electronica song with eerie vocals. My head is bobbing and I'm intrigued as to where these Swedes are going to take me over the rest of the album.
The Fiery Furnances waste little time on "My Little Thatched Hut" and, in typical Friedberger style, are throwing everything they have at the listener. Elanor's vocals are just about the only constant as this song changes tempos, styles and instruments every time I start to feel comfortable with it. Maybe the Furnaces are commenting upon how life is transient and always changing before you ever really get a handle on it. Then again, maybe they just have a bad case of ADD.
Scorecard: The Furnances threw some haymakers and were "busier". They get rewarded with a 10-9 round.
Early Rounds:
The Dreijer siblings continue with the so-so "Neverland" and spend some time getting the atmosphere just right on "The Captain" before getting into a thoughtful and complete arrangment. "We Share Our Mother's Health" proves the Knife are in full control of their beats, but leaves something to be desired vocally.
The Furnaces counter with the delightfully playful (but still disheveled) "I'm In No Mood" and the surprisingly focused (only two competing ideas!) and devious "Black Hearted Boy". The theme continues into the frazzled-at-first, but well laid out "Bitter Tea", which is easily the most enjoyable listen of record thus far. The tender "Teach Me Sweetheart" and the complete "I'm Waiting to Know You" show that the Furnaces are capable of settling down and letting their ideas come to fruition.
Scorecard: Usually the more sound an artist puts on a record, the greater their chances of failure, but the Furnaces have utilized every second so far. The Friedbergers are in complete control, winning two rounds 10-9. Tough to penalized the Knife for their unique style, so the other two rounds are 10-10.
Middle Rounds:
Both bands have established their style with their early tracks, so lets see who can execute down the stretch.
The Knife's "Na Na Na" is straight out of the Sigur Ros playbook. Is Sweden very far from Iceland? Thankfully, I'm American and it don't have to be bother by facts like that. Whoa, while I was busy pondering fjords, windmills and the homeland of Hamlet, the Dreijer's put together their most solid effort thus far. "Marble House" and "Like A Pen" are completely unique , yet easily accessible. Every detail of these two songs was carefully crafted and showcase the Knife's incredible talent.
Dammit all, the Friedbergers lost all of their momentum with the "Vietnamese Telephone Ministry" that was all build-up, but no follow through. Fortunately, my disappointment does not last long, since the first :25 seconds of "Oh Sweet Woods" is the most danceable thing I have heard in a long time. But of course with all things Friedberger, the song changes up before finally settling in funkytown. "Borneo" and "Police Sweater Blood Vow" are pleasant, but indistinct.
Scorecard: The Knife wins two rounds 10-9, the Furnances win the other 10-9.
Late Rounds:
The Knife continue their success with the intimate and fragile "From Off to On". "Forest Families" excels with its rising and falling tones and easily the best vocal performance thus far. Unfortunately, "One Hit" is forced and leaves me feeling indifferent.
The Furnaces respond with "Nevers" which seems to buckle under its own weight, but worry not, the soulful "Benton Harbor Blues" will carry the Friedbergers' home. Elenor's lyrics color (possibly blue?) a disappointing, empty time and the music matches it perfectly; interesting and fun, but ultimately shallow and frivolous. Well done Furnaces. "Whistle Rhapsody",which has the Furnaces playing with heavy piano and attempting to be guitar heroes, drags on and the "Nevers (Remix)" does as little for me now as the original did three tracks ago.
The Knife had two solid efforts and a dud, the Furnaces had three so-so songs and a huge effort. Sounds like 10-9, 10-9, 9-10 for the Knife.
Final Round:
It's not how you start, but how you leave me feeling as your record comes to a close. Who is better at concluding their ideas and wrapping up their album?
The Knife starts slowly on "Still Light" and start building, adding a death filled narrative, rising tones, the echo of a cymbal crash, before stealing away into the cold Scandinavian night. My mind wanders to all the places this song could have gone and how I could listen to this song for 10 more minutes and how it was nearly criminal that the Knife did not fully develop this idea. This, however, is the essence of the Knife, never letting the listener all the way into their world and restraining from overindulgence. A fitting end to their record.
For their last statement on "Bitter Tea" the Friedbergers' chose to reprise the ideas of "Benton Harbor Blues" in "Benton Harbor Blues (Again)". But as best as I can tell, the Furnaces simply hacked out the catchy part of Benton and played it again, so it's tough to call it a reprise. Part of me hates the idea of putting the same song on an album twice, but another part of me really liked hearing this song again and repetition does make for a good conclusion. Anyway, I'm not really sure how I feel about this, but that is pretty much par for the course with the Fiery Furnaces.
Final Round: 10-9 to the Knife
Final Talley:
The Knife 115, Fiery Furnaces 115
Shit, did not mean for that to happen. Anyway, since I'm the only judge, I'm giving this one to the Fiery Furnaces as Bitter Tea was one of their best performances to date. To the Knife, I say "stay hungry and next time you may catch the breaks".
18 January 2007
Songs that are in my head and bothering me... Volume 1
Bears - Everywhere
Please stream "Everywhere" - one of the best songs you're likely to hear anytime soon. The melody here rivals anything that Belle & Sebastian put out, and I guess that's the point. Pop perfection.
Also, this is a Cleveland band that you should check out before they become too cool for school. Buy the album...it's ten bucks well spent.
http://www.myspace.com/bearspop
Grizzly Bear - The Knife (Girl Talk remix)
This is an mp3 of Greg Gillis doing his thing with the Grizz and the results are pretty much incredible. Yes, Wamp Wamp sucks, and yes, Yellow House was overrated, but somehow he makes both Clipse and Grizzly Bear seem much better than what they actually are. Incredible party sounds here.
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/40443/Exclusive_MP3_Grizzly_Bear_Knife_Girl_Talk_Rem
Andrew Bird - A Nervous Tic Motion of the Head to the Left
Andrew Bird is well-documented as being multi-talented, but in my opinion he rarely brings it all together. Here, he scratches the itch, and it is a near perfect song that makes you wish for 5 minutes more.
http://www.andrewbird.net/listen.htm
Please stream "Everywhere" - one of the best songs you're likely to hear anytime soon. The melody here rivals anything that Belle & Sebastian put out, and I guess that's the point. Pop perfection.
Also, this is a Cleveland band that you should check out before they become too cool for school. Buy the album...it's ten bucks well spent.
http://www.myspace.com/bearspop
Grizzly Bear - The Knife (Girl Talk remix)
This is an mp3 of Greg Gillis doing his thing with the Grizz and the results are pretty much incredible. Yes, Wamp Wamp sucks, and yes, Yellow House was overrated, but somehow he makes both Clipse and Grizzly Bear seem much better than what they actually are. Incredible party sounds here.
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/40443/Exclusive_MP3_Grizzly_Bear_Knife_Girl_Talk_Rem
Andrew Bird - A Nervous Tic Motion of the Head to the Left
Andrew Bird is well-documented as being multi-talented, but in my opinion he rarely brings it all together. Here, he scratches the itch, and it is a near perfect song that makes you wish for 5 minutes more.
http://www.andrewbird.net/listen.htm
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