Dagger Paths

Forest Swords
Dagger Paths
Rating: Woof Daddy

I was trying to explain to someone what Forest Swords sounded like. It became a muddled jumble of "well, they sound like so and so, mixed with whoseit, tossed with thingamajig, with a little bit of milkawhat." I hate comparing a band to someone else; unless of course, the band is basically mimicking another. No one is going to come up with something so revolutionary and new that it will stand out on its own. All new music is basically subtle variations on something prior. With that said, Forest Swords is primarily echoey guitar, tribal drums, and deep droning bass, with snippets of vocals and samples, and atmospheric touches of keyboards and organs. The touchstones are primarily dub, drone, r&b, hip-hop, dubstep, glitch, etc etc. See, I just start with another list.

What I am trying to say is that Dagger Paths just doesn't sound like anything else out there right now. Forest Swords is UK Producer Matthew Barnes who allows his music to breathe; lets his music get into your head, almost hypnotically, before changing into something else as the song mutates. Of the 6 tracks on Dagger Paths (each of them well over the 5 minute mark), I don't think one of them ends the way it begins. Barnes has a uncanny ability to know when to move on, subtly catching you off guard. Each track is a soundtrack to a hallucinatory dream.

The song "Glory Gongs" meanders in a sheen of Asian influenced textures before settling into a bass heavy dub groove, with heavily treated guitars and organs, and decayed vocal samples.



First track "Miarches" starts off atonally, almost obnoxiously, building into a measured attack of slashing, angular guitars and manipulated voices.



And the lonely and forlorn foghorn like guitar swells and tribal drumming of "Visits," surrounded by the deep, howling vocal samples.

Forest Swords - Visits

The music sounds like it was unearthed from long forgotten vaults. His aesthetic even extends to the videos for the songs, patchworks of old films put together into new ways that highlight and draw more emotion from the songs. The songs are mostly lyric-less and formless, except for the dazzling cover version of Aaliyah's "If Your Girl Only Knew." It is one of the most exciting singles of the year. He brings a very haunting homoerotic subtext to the aching song.

Dagger Paths is not for everyone. It surely will not end up in the Top 40, but if you are looking for adventurous music that is exciting and different, it is well worth your time to seek it out. Highly recommended.

Rating Guide

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top albums of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and peaks one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not good; could have either been trimmed or spent more time on.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.

iPhone Envy

Ok, I will admit that I am completely envious of all my friends with iPhones. It just looks so much more fun to use than my utilitarian BlackBerry. As a phone itself, I am not unhappy with the BlackBerry (it does serve its purpose well), but I am woefully unhappy with the system going down periodically with no warning. I have yet to get a good answer from my carrier Sprint or from Research In Motion (RIM), the maker of BlackBerry, as to whose fault it is. The finger pointing becomes quite humorous after awhile.

So, just as I was resigning my fate to BlackBerry forever, my friend Ken gets the new iPhone 4 which is quite beautiful and looks like a lot of fun to use. I am totally a Mac person aside from the phone and really love my iPod and MacBook, so I had to sit there gazing longingly and drooling over its beauty. And just as I was getting over my pea-green envy BlackBerry goes down for two days. I had had enough. I took this for a divine sign and went ahead and ordered the iPhone on-line and now am just waiting for it to arrive at the end of July so I can cancel my crappy Sprint account (at a hefty cancellation fee of $200). Believe me, after all the problems I have had the past couple of years with Sprint/Nextel and BlackBerry I can't wait for a change.

I know the iPhone is not the be all end all of the phone world, but I think it has to be better than what I have been dealing with. Besides, I have been with Sprint for over 12 years and when I called to explain that I wanted to upgrade to their 4G phone the Evo, I was told I could pay for the phone full price ($499) or go elsewhere. Just goes to show that there is really no such thing as company loyalty anymore. So Sprint, once I get my phone you can kiss my ass.

Disintegration (Deluxe Edition)

The Cure
Disintegration (Deluxe Edition)
Rating: Chilfos

For me, Disintegration was perhaps THE defining cd of my college years. And there were a lot of great cds released during 1988-1992: among them, Loveless from My Bloody Valentine, Violater from Depeche Mode, Pretty Hate Machine from NIN, Surfer Rosa and Doolittle from The Pixies, Spirit of Eden from Talk Talk, Jordan: The Comeback from Prefab Sprout (to name merely a few); cds that I continually go back and listen to and always find something new. But Disintegration for some reason is the one I go back to the most often. And the funny thing is that I probably list Loveless as my favorite cd of all time (I guess it is the hipster douchebag in me coming out). I suppose I will alter my list if I ever come up with one.

I'm not really going to review the Deluxe Edition of the cd, mainly because the live show is just ok and doesn't really add anything to the songs other than offer a pristine live performance, and the bonus material is nothing brilliant either; only demo versions and songs that didn't make it onto the initial release. But, the cd itself sounds so much clearer and less murky than my copy from 1989. Because what Disintegration is all about in The Cure's discography is Robert Smith making a true "Cure" cd, something that is cohesive and not sounding like bits and pieces strung together. Although it is 100% Robert Smith, Disintegration sounds like the work of a very tight band; and in fact it was probably the most members Smith had been working with for the longest time. Don't get me wrong, I love almost all of The Cure's output before Disintegration, but a lot of times the albums sounded like they were compilations from different periods. Disintegration sounds so whole and direct.

Immediately you know the album is going to be something different. The gorgeous, epic rush of "Plainsong" is perhaps their finest opening song ever. It almost sounds like a coronation anthem (which is perhaps why Sofia Coppola used it do effectively in her Marie Antoinette film).



And the singles still pop with energy. From "Fascination Street"



to "Love Song"



and "Pictures of You" the songs still sound as fresh and dynamic as they did over 20 years ago.

Of course, to me the album is always about the title song:



Such a wonderful song that just seethes with tension and raw emotion. It is definitely the centerpiece of this monumental album. And for me, Disintegration is one of the rare albums that has no weak songs. Each song could have been released as a single. And I love the air of dread and melancholy that pervades the album. Some of The Cure's most atmospheric songs came of this album:

The sinister "Prayers for Rain"



and haunting "Swimming the Same Deep Water As You"



Robert Smith was definitely at the height of his creative powers. While he may have written some individually better songs later on, he would never again match this overall high quality for an entire release. I can remember exactly where I was when I first heard this album, and remember listening to it for weeks on weeks, never tiring of it. I sort of miss the days when you couldn't get an album so quickly online, where every purchase took effort and so you chose wisely and with deliberation. I love putting my iPod on shuffle and getting one of Disintegration's songs in the mix. Inevitably it will mean I stop and play the full album and experience it as a whole. When was the last time you could say that about a current album?

Videos of the Week

Here are the latest videos this week that have been entertaining me.



The new Robyn cd Body Talk Pt. 1 was a bit of a disappointment to me when I first heard it, but it is starting to grow on me more. I still think it is too short and surprisingly has filler. The first track on the cd "Don't Fucking Tell Me What To Do" seemed like filler at first but it has gotten into my brain. Catchy little tune.



A funky old school rap from Afrika Bambaataa, featuring a great sample of a Kraftwerk riff.



Definitely gearing up to be my top single of the year, here is a live performance of "Celestica" from Crystal Castles on the Jools Holland show. I think I have a bit of a crush on Alice Adams.



Here is the official video for "Celestica" as well. Alice Adams would have been an amazing actress for silent films, such beautifully expressive eyes and lips.



Seductive, sensual, and a bit scary. The new video for Interpol's "Lights" is a hauntingly erotic tableau.



Gorgeous song from Rusko featuring Amber Coffman from Dirty Projectors on vocals. I don't care that Rusko is taking his sound into a more mainstream direction, this song kills and his live shows look like a blast.



Probably my favorite Side A, Track 1 song of all time. Full of swagger and brilliance. Too bad they fell apart after their debut album.

Non Sequiturs

Sometimes you are damned if you do and damned if you don't, and sometimes you burn bridges in the process. I wish things had ended up differently, but at this point all I can do is realize that I went about things the wrong way and try to learn from it.

Pets and people are an awful lot alike. My old cat Daphne once had a door slammed on her paw and she limped around for days seeking sympathy for her injury. For years afterward if we got mad at her she would start limping so that we would shower her with affection. A friend recently had surgery several weeks ago and when his partner is not around he acts completely fine, but when the partner comes home he immediately starts acting like he is in pain and wants to be taken care of.

I will admit that I wish I had an iPhone, but seriously people, standing in a line with 5000 people to get one is ridiculous.

How is it I have been at my new job for two months and I just now noticed the painting right by my door?

It was sad seeing Screen On The Green in Piedmont Park turn into such a disaster this summer. For those that don't know, Piedmont Park is the Central Park of Atlanta and hosts on the big lawn a series of movies each Thursday for about 5-6 weeks. It was initially run by Turner Classic Movies, and they would always show a variety of classic movies like Breakfast at Tiffany's, Casablanca, and Psycho. It was a delightful way to see a movie outdoors with friends. When we had the drought for two years they moved the event to a more concrete park over in Centennial Park and most people stopped attending. That was when Peachtree TV took over the event, and they have a more current take on movies. They brought it back to Piedmont Park this year and the event was a complete disaster with lots of unruly teens running around the park starting fights and robbing people. The more current movies tended to bring a younger crowd and that seemed to bring the crime. Sad to see, because it was such a nice event. I hope TCM takes it over next year; assuming there is a next year.

Lyrics Rattling Through My Brain

"Remember how it used to be
When the stars would fill the sky
Remember how we used to dream
Those nights would never end
Those nights would never end

It was the sweetness of your skin
It was the hope of all we might have been
That filled me with the hope to wish
Impossible things
To wish impossible things

But now the sun shines cold
And all the sky is grey
The stars are dimmed by clouds and tears
And all I wish
Is gone away
All I wish
Is gone away"

The Cure
"To Wish Impossible Things"

"All that I see
Show me your ways
Teach me to meet my desires
With some grace

All that I fear
Dont turn away
And leave me to plead in this whole other place
Cause what if I never break?

Estuary
Wont you take me
Far away
Far away

All that I seek
Please police me
I want you to police me
But keep it clean"

Interpol
"Lights"

"On the floating, shipless oceans
I did all my best to smile
til your singing eyes and fingers
drew me, loving, to your isle.
And you sang, "sail to me, sail to me;
Let me enfold you."
Here I am, here I am waiting to hold you.
Did I dream you dreamed about me?
Were you here when I was full sail?
Now my foolish boat is leaning, broken lovelorn on your rocks.
For you sang, "touch me not, touch me not, come back tomorrow."
Oh my heart, oh my heart shies from the sorrow.
I'm as puzzled as a newborn child.
I'm as riddled as the tide.
Should I stand amid the breakers?
Or shall I lie with death my bride?
Hear me sing: "swim to me, swim to me, let me enfold you."
"Here I am. Here I am, waiting to hold you."

Tim Buckley
"Song to the Siren"

Appealing Things

New eyeglasses
Finding old (but still good) bottles of medication I used to take and am taking again and saving me 5 months of paying for it
Finding money in a pair of pants
Finding new music you had never listened to before

Annoying Things

Not getting service for several hours on my BlackBerry
This heatwave
Taking so long to see what was right in front of me
Missing Bear Week in P-Town

Interpol: "Lights"

The new official video for Interpol's single "Lights" from their upcoming self-titled cd Interpol. It sounds like a return to the original sound from Turn On The Bright Lights: chiming guitars, slow building tempos, and a typically impassioned vocal from Paul Banks.

The video is stunningly realized; a fetishistic tableau of haunting erotic imagery in a striking palate of crisp blacks, whites, and grays. I have no idea what any of it means or represents. The title card merely says it is a pheromone-harvesting ritual deep within the inner chambers of the Rinoceros Beetle. Regardless of the meaning, the bizarre images stick in the brain long after viewing.

The ArchAndroid/Flesh Tone

Janelle Monae
The ArchAndroid
Rating: Grrrr



Kelis
Flesh Tone
Rating: Jeez Lady

I am reviewing the debut full length cd from Janelle Monae along with the latest cd from Kelis for one reason. Sonically the two artists couldn't be more dissimilar, but both are comparative based on amazingly quirky debuts that forecast interesting and rich careers. Hard to say what the future holds for Janelle, time will tell; however, with Kelis, the future didn't really pan out the way I expected it to.

Kelis came out of nowhere with her first cd Kaleidoscope, and the deliciously weird first single "Out There," which was punctuated with Kelis screaming "I hate you so much right now." While the whole cd did not live up to that wonderfully bizarre opening salvo, it was quirky and distinct enough for me to think she was well on her way to a very interesting career. Strangely, after several cds, she finds herself in a odd place. She came out of the gate as the outre-weirdo, but never really caught on with the public, aside from her wonderful single "Milkshake." Now, she finds that the public has caught up with what she was doing ten years ago, but the public has moved on to the Lady Gaga's of the world.

What she comes out with on Flesh Tone is just generic dance music. There is nothing there that is distinctive. She aligns herself with IT producer of the moment David Guetta, but he does nothing to make her stand out. Kelis still has a lovely, smoky voice, but it is essentially held to one tone throughout, and all the whirring synths and Ital-disco/techno trappings just push her into the background.

The only song that really stands out among the mere 9 tracks is first single "Acapella:"



The rest, including second single "4th of July (Fireworks):"



are just hollow, predictable dancefloor material that any generic dance diva could sing. I'm not writing Kelis off yet; as I noted in my review of The Chemical Brothers yesterday, there is always the chance that an artist will redeem themselves. Flesh Tone just sounds like a stab at making a very huge hit record, and instead ended up being something that belongs in a bargain bin.

Unlike Kelis, who doesn't seem to know what she wants to do, Janelle Monae comes out with The ArchAndroid (a supposed album suite about a time-traveling android) which showcases her firm grasp of what she wants to be. Through many different styles of music, Monae shows an almost perfect sense of melody, pacing and simple joy for making music.

She moves effortlessly between genres, be it the old school R&B of "Faster"



The toe-tapping, butt-shaking funk of "Tightrope"



The psychedelic pastoral folk of "Sir Greendown"



Or even the freak-out fest with Of Montreal, "Make the Bus"



Janelle Monelle just excites at every turn, like an artist going through their eclectic record collection and wanting to make an album in tribute to favorite bands and singers, but making it solely their own. It is an infectious listen, one that I find something new in each time. The album is far from perfect; it is overlong and not everything she attempts is perfect, but I applaud her for not trying to pigeonhole herself in one style. There is a lot of room for her to grow. I just hope in the future she doesn't find herself in the position Kelis finds herself in, adrift and looking for a port in the storm.

Rating Guide

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top albums of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and peaks one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not good; could have either been trimmed or spent more time on.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.

Further

The Chemical Brothers
Further
Rating: Grrrr

It is very rare for me to follow a band throughout their entire career. Or I should say, it is very rare for me to have the patience to follow them. Most bands follow an arc where they either descend into an almost parody of themselves (U2, Echo and the Bunnymen), become stagnant and release similar if not the same music over and over (Depeche Mode, New Order), or become increasingly experimental and obscure (Autechre, David Sylvian). It is very rare for a band to continually straddle the line between advancing their sound and not betraying the sound that made them so special to begin with. The only artists that I can really say I keep following are Bjork and Radiohead. I used to get so excited when a new Chemical Brothers cd came out, because they were always doing something interesting and different. Then after Surrender their releases became shockingly boring. Although Come With Us had a few decent tracks, The Chemical Brothers hit their lowest point with Push The Button, and the abysmal We Are The Night; seriously, "The Salmon Dance????"

I had stopped even thinking about new music from them, and was even unaware that they had a new album out. To be honest, I had no plans of even seeking anything out about it, but something made me read a couple of reviews and both reviewers said the same thing, that they weren't expecting anything good at all, but were both extremely surprised by what they heard. Gone are the umpteen-million guest stars, and the ridiculous reliance on the "big beat" sound that they have been so closely associated with. When I finally broke down and got the cd, I was blown away by what I heard, as I wasn't expecting that noticeable a change from the last two cds.

The difference is noticeable off the bat with first track "Snow," with its droning feedback and blips and humming bassline. A melancholic female voice intones almost a mantra with "Your love keeps lifting me/lifting me higher." There is a total absence of beats.



Beats almost seem completely absent until the second minute of "Escape Velocity," the ten minute focal point of Further. The song crests and builds on what sounds like a copy of the Who's "Baba O'Riley" self-destructing.



What is great about Further is that it sounds like The Chemical Brothers but doesn't. There are touchstones, such as the goofy wit in the percussion of "Horse Power"



and the psychedelic drugginess of "Wonders of the Deep"



and even the one stab at recognizable Chemical Brothers, with first single "Swoon."



But gone are the attempts to grab onto latest trends that they are not responsible for, like dubstep, though you can almost sense they wanted to travel further in that direction, based on the wobbly bassline of "Another World."



Further is definite step in the right direction for The Chemical Brothers. It is not as immediately thrilling like Exit Planet Dust or as cohesive and defining a statement as Dig Your Own Hole, but it shows them forging their own path ahead and making great music once again.

Rating Guide

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top albums of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and peaks one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not good; could have either been trimmed or spent more time on.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.

Videos of the Week

Wow, it has been a long time since I have posted one of these. Now that my job and life have stabilized a bit, it is much easier to consistently post on the blog, so I will try to maintain the habit of 5 days a week. So, without further ado, here are the latest videos that have been interesting me lately.



Bassnectar puts together some amazingly stomach rumbling bass in his music, and usually infuses it in all his remixes. What I love about his remixes is he doesn't really do much tinkering with the original track, but highlights the good parts while also making the track sound specifically like his trademark sound. Of course, with Massive Attack, it is hard to mess up perfection anyway, but I love what he does with this track.



Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti is a band that I really don't care for in large doses. Their new cd is so manic it gives me a headache. But small doses of them are quite nice. This is a lovely summery kind of song.



The Chemical Brothers were a huge favorite of mine until they almost became a parody of themselves. Their last two cds were borderline awful. I vowed never to listen to them again. So of course, what do the bastards do? They come out with one of their best cds ever. Assholes.



La Roux has a top ten single in the US. Milkawhat? What cave have I been living in, on Mars, with my fingers in my ears? I thought surely that was a misprint when I read it. Oh well, can't argue with facts. Very surprised and very happy for them. This is a live performance of "Bulletproof" on Good Morning America. I saw them live at Coachella and they put on a great show. I get to see their full show next month at Variety Playhouse which I am very excited about.



Back when Outkast released Speakerboxx/The Love Below, I assumed I would be more drawn to Andre 3000's side of the album and that Big Boi's would not interest me. Strangely, I hated Andre's half of the album, thinking it unfocused, juvenile, and needlessly messy. Big Boi's half turned out to be amazing, and was one of my favorite cds of that year. He is finally releasing some new material slowly and surely. If this song is any indication, I think Big Boi's next cd will be very very fun.



Grandaddy have long since disbanded, but I always enjoyed their Pavement meets Radiohead sound. And Jason Lytle and the drummer are such cute bears!



New single from M.I.A. One of her producers, Diplo, stated that aside from his three tracks the rest of the cd sounded like Skinny Puppy. Based on the first minute of this single, I would sort of say he is right.

Non Sequiturs

It has been a week of amazing changes. I thought my life was going in a completely different direction and that the future was leading to something far away from Atlanta, my home for the last 17 years. Turns out what I have always been wanting was right in front of me the whole time. I just needed some punches to the gut to alert me to the fact that I was about to lose everything.



Had a scare with my old cat Abbie. She is the cute little grey tabby in the picture. My ex Will messaged me on Friday and said that she hadn't been eating or drinking. He took her to the vet and she initially had an undiagnosed gastrointestinal problem. Will was in a state because he had to go out of town for a conference and leave Abbie in the care of his most recent partner. Luckily on Monday we heard from the vet and she was diagnosed with feline leukemia. While this is not great news, they were able to get her on some medication that she will have to take for the rest of her life, but should keep her pain free and alive for another 2 years or so. It was difficult dealing with that and not being able to help in any way. I just think of Abbie as this cute little kitten; not the 10 year old cat she is now.

Atlanta appears to have bypassed spring altogether and fully embraced summer. We've had temperatures in the 90s for over a week, with the heat index well into triple digits. We all complain about it, but I would much rather have the heat than have to endure polar temps during the winter.

Lyrics Rattling Around My Brain

"Is your dad a dealer?
'Cos you're dope to me
You throw them balls across the country
You win gold medals when you're with me"

M.I.A.
"U.R.A.Q.T."

"And although
You're the only home I know
As if by Magic
Thoughts of you are gone
And now I'm keeping my head in the clouds
And it's not so tragic
If I don't look down"

La Roux
"As If By Magic"

"Get out, and go and find everyone who cared for you
They, won't be there to see you tomorrow
Get out, don't forget everything you cared for
For it, won't be nothing more tomorrow"

Foals
"After Glow"

"And there you stand
Making my life possible
Raise my hands up to heaven
But only you could know

My whole world stands in front of me
By the look in your eyes
By the look in your eyes
My whole life stretches in front of me
Reaching up like a flower
Leading my life back to the soil"

David Sylvian
"Brilliant Trees"

Appealing Things

Kurt
Hanging out at Kurt's pool with the boys
Diplo
Klaxons new album cover
Tater, Tater Head, Tater Tot
Top Chef DC

Annoying Things

Cracked out pedophile ponytail man and his jailbait crew
Being at a party and standing around the food for an hour because the host forgot to put plates and silverware out
The phone catch 22: can't upgrade my Sprint phone to the Evo because it would cost me $450, but can't break my contract and get an iPhone because it would cost me $250 to cancel the contract and then another $200 for the phone

The Drums

The Drums
The Drums
Rating: Make Me Want It Daddy

There seems to be another trend of 80s revivalism going on this year, with bands as diverse as La Roux and Wild Nothing each coming up with their own unique spin on classic 80s styles. Another band to add to that list is Brooklyn's The Drums. Based on a listen to their debut album, as well as looking at their retro videos, one could easily be tricked into thinking they were the latest British buzz band of the moment.

I first came across them through their video for the single "Forever And Ever Amen," which looks like it was fresh from the first days of MTV.



Lots of angular guitars, echoing percussion, and analog synths easily shows these boys to be accolytes of bands from that era: New Order, The Smiths, The Cure, Haircut 100, Orange Juice, Talk Talk, etc. Like Wild Nothing, this could easily be a game of spot the influence, but The Drums show that they have a flair for taking a genre and making it their own. When they are firing on all cylinders they make some magical music, such as the gorgeous pop of "Let's Go Surfing"



Or the mad rush of "Me And The Moon"



I love how the poppy music in that song is contrasted with the desperation of the lyrics where the narrator feels he is losing his love:

"It's a lovely night with that look in your eye-e-oh
But you still sleep with your back to me.
Is me and you or is it just me and the moon?"

What intrigues me most about The Drums is when they begin to explore outside the confines of the 80s revisionalism; particulary in more thought out pieces such as "Down By The Water" which is a beautiful 50s style song, filled with lovely harmonies and backing vocals.



You can still tell The Drums aren't quite there yet with their songs. Too many songs sound like sketches or demos that should have been polished ("We Tried" and "I'll Never Drop My Sword") and the front half of the cd is definitely front loaded with the stronger tracks. It is not a cohesive release such as the debut from Wild Nothing. Give them a chance to tour more and polish things and I think we are going to hear some good things from them in the future.

Rating Guide

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top albums of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and peaks one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not good; could have either been trimmed or spent more time on.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.

Lazerproof

Major Lazer & La Roux
Lazerproof (Mixtape)
Rating: Woof Daddy

Until Coachella I was only a nominal La Roux fan and even less of a Major Lazer fan. My friend Kurt drug me along with my newly met Facebook friends John and Keith to see Major Lazer's set and it was a blast. I had no idea that Major Lazer was actually composed of producer/DJs Diplo and Switch, who have done lots of work with artists such as M.I.A., Santigold, and Robyn. The show was completely off the hook and wild. I don't think I have danced and jumped that much at a show since I was in college. La Roux's set at Coachella was also a highlight of the festival. Elly is a fantastic singer live and really had a great rapport with the crowd. So imagine my surprise when I heard the two artists were teaming up for a free mixtape.

I will be the first to admit that I am not an authority on mixtapes, or what the purpose of them are. Generally, from what I understand, it usually is someone (a rapper most often) who takes existing music and puts their own raps or spin on the song, sometimes to the point where the original song is not even noticeable. In this case, it is one artist (Major Lazer) taking another artist's album (La Roux) and doing something with the entire release. In some instances it is merely remixing the song or adding new touches, as in the reggae version of the lovely ballad "Cover My Eyes"



Other times it is Major Lazer taking their biggest hit ("Pon Da Floor") and mixing it with a La Roux song ("In for the Kill") and giving it to another dubstep producer to finesse (Skream):



Taking it to another level by mixing another artist's song (Candi Redd's "Independent Bitches") with La Roux's song ("In for the Kill"):



Blending and merging several elements from different artists into one new whole; like taking Gucci Mane's "Lemonade" and merging it with "I'm Not Your Toy."



The amazing thing about this mixtape is how two very different styles of music, Major Lazer's Jamaican dancehall/dubstep and La Roux's icy Brit synth pop, really do merge together and work as well as it does. At first glance it would look like there would be a couple of killer tracks with a lot of misfires, but after listening through again and again, it is phenomenal how cohesive and brilliant it all is. Lazerproof is by far the biggest and most pleasant surprise of the year and is jockeying for album of the year in my playlist.


Rating Guide

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top albums of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and peaks one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not good; could have either been trimmed or spent more time on.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.

Non Sequiturs

A couple of years ago a friend of mine turned 40 and said that on many online dating/chat sites he was all but invisible once he switched his age from 39 to 40. At the time I thought that there must be something about his profiles that turned people off: either some bad pictures, or perhaps some comments that were not appealing. I really didn't think much of it until this year when I had to make the fateful change from 39 to 40. Before turning 40, I didn't have much trouble chatting with people online and I wondered if I would have the same issues once I hit 40. Strangely enough, I have noticed that the number of times I am contacted has significantly decreased. As an experiment, I changed my age back to 39 to see if there was any difference. I was a little shocked to see that the traffic increased pretty substantially. I'm not the type who is age conscious and freaked out about turning older. I am certainly not going to keep my age as Internet 39 just to have a few more people contact me. It just made me curious why I was more desirable with a 3 before my age than a 4.

Been thinking a lot about aging these past few weeks. Not in a bad way though. I have been listening to a lot of new music inspired by some of my favorite bands growing up in the 80s. Funny thing is I doubt many of these new bands' members were even alive or even coherent during that period. But it is certaintly interesting seeing how they interpret those sounds in a modern context.

Lyrics Rattling Around My Brain

"If you fall asleep down by the water
baby I'll carry you, all the way home

If you fall asleep down by the water
baby I'll carry you, all the way home

everybody's gotta love some one
but I just wanna love you dear
everybody's gotta feel something
but I just want to be with you, my dear

I know it's hard
I know it's hard
I know it's hard to be in this forever
if they stop loving you
I won't stop loving you
if they stop needing you
I'll still need you, my dear"

The Drums
"Down By The Water"

"One of a kind
I need to keep you here
I need to picture you still
I need to clear the fog

We're not happy 'til we're running away
Clouds in your eyes"

Wild Nothing
"Chinatown"

"Now the waves they drag you down
Carry you to broken ground
Though I find you in the sand
Wipe you clean with dirty hands
So god damn this boiling space
The Spanish Sahara
The place that you'd wanna
Leave the horror here"

Foals
"Spanish Sahara"

Appealing Things

Getting a tan
Satie's Socrate
Zappos
80s college guitar band revival
Scoring good seats to see The National
No more medicine induced intestinal issues (for the time being)
Having your property taxes reduced 40%

Annoying Things

A feeling of dread with no cause
Having to make a decision you don't want to make
Getting your eyes dilated
Having your property value reduced by 40%
People who can't control their dogs

Gemini

Wild Nothing
Gemini
Rating: Woof Daddy

Where is the line between drawing from your influences and making something distinct and your own, and becoming a flat out imitiation of those influences? For every Interpol you have a Crocodiles. Interpol drew from bands like Joy Division and The Chameleons to forge a distinct sound, while Crocodiles just sound like a Jesus and Mary Chain cover band. Now we have Wild Nothing, who draw from a whole litany of artists; mainly faves from the 4AD catalog (Cocteau Twins, Dif Juz, Lush, Wolfgang Press), Factory Records (Joy Divison, Durutti Column, A Certain Ratio), along with 80s stalwarts Cure, Depeche Mode, and The Smiths, and Siouxsie.

Wild Nothing came to notice with their amazing cover of Kate Bush's "Cloudbusting":



Now they have their initial release Gemini, that takes all of those influences and meshes them into a completely original package, filled with bold hooks, and wry songwriting.

One can see hints of almost every 80s college guitar band in the driving and sunny "Summer Holiday"



Or echoes of the crystalline guitar work of Robin Guthrie in "Drifter" and in "Bored Games"



And hints of Cure in "Confirmation"



I suppose it would be easy to play spot the influence with each of their songs, but it really isn't the point of why I like Wild Nothing. If it was only about what bands they sounded like, I wouldn't waste my time and would be listening to the originals. Here, Wild Nothing makes their own mark and does so with bold strokes. This is never more evident than in first single "Chinatown"



Just a gorgeous melody and perfect summer song. The album has such strong memories of my years growing up and listening to music and finding what sounds spoke to me. As I grow older it becomes more and more difficult to capture that feeling; the joyous rush of youth. Bands like Wild Nothing show me that the years may come, but you never fully lose the ability to experience those feelings, unless of course you allow them to go away.

Rating Guide

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top albums of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and peaks one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not good; could have either been trimmed or spent more time on.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.

Total Life Forever

Foals
Total Life Forever
Rating: Grrrr

Foals' first album Antidotes was touted so highly in the British press you would have thought it was the second coming of Jesus. Lesser bands would have been crushed under the weight of all the pressure. I, for one, was not really impressed by the album. All the elements were there, great hooks, solid songwriting, interesting approach, however, it all felt too calculated and exhausting. The density of the songs was overwhelming, plus the singer practically barked his vocals, which was headache inducing. I didn't expect to hear much from them afterwards.

My friend Joey was a huge fan of theirs and kept pushing me to try the new album. Of course, being stubborn, I held off for the longest time. Finally I gave in after seeing the wonderful video for "Spanish Sahara"



What one immediately notices is that singer Yannis Philippakis is not barking anymore, but is actually singing! And unlike the songs on Antidotes, the song is not crammed with too many ideas, it is allowed to unfold and given space to breathe. I was completely taken aback.

I was even more taken aback when I heard the whole cd and how it is a mighty step forward for the band. "Spanish Sahara" was not a fluke, the rest of the album is measured, intelligent, and gorgeous. Yannis Philippakis' voice is beautiful and full of emotion throughout.

First track "Blue Blood" has a wonderful pace, starting slow and dramatic and building to a frenzy of interlocking, chiming guitars.



One of the best things about Total Life Forever, is that every day a new song becomes my favorite. I love it when a cd has that much depth to uncover new pleasures each day.

At first I loved "Black Gold," with its delicate, chiming guitars, that transforms into a swirling juggernaut of a song.



Then I moved on to "After Glow," with its increasingly desperate vocal, and haunting lyrics:

"Get out, and go and find everyone who cared for you
They, won't be there to see you tomorrow
Get out, don't forget everything you cared for
For it, won't be nothing more tomorrow"



And now "2 Trees," pittering drumbeats, sparkling guitar work, and delicate vocals, the lyrics admonishing the character "don't let go/just breathe slow/so hold on it will pass/don't give up/don't let go/grey clouds they all break up."



Foals even show their range by getting a bit funky on "Miami," with its strong back beat and hysterical video featuring a smackdown fight between some trannies and bodybuilders.



Not everything works on Total Life Forever. There are a few songs that meander a bit ("This Orient") or are just pretty to the point of blandness ("Alabaster"), however, the disappointments are few and far between.

I will go out on a limb here and say that Total Life Forever is Foals' The Bends. The next album will determine if this is just a one off success. Based on this striking leap forward, I expect great things to come.



Rating System

Chillfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top albums of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and peaks one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not good; could have either been trimmed or spent more time on.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.

New Rating System

Ok, I will mea culpa and admit I stole the other rating system from Pitchfork, but it seemed to be the best way to delineate between minor differences of albums so I could stress which one I liked better. To be honest though, it was more trouble than it was worth, and I found that I would rank a cd one way and then later on wish to change it. Plus, I would run into the issue of at year end liking something more that had a lower ranking and not wanting to put it above something else. Sigh.

With that said, I have come up with some completely ridiculous ranking terms, but I like them, and come from things me and my friends say to each other all the time, which I feel is fitting. Feel free to comment on them and give me your thoughts. I most likely won't take any of them seriously, but you can dare to dream.

So, without further ado, here is my own distinct reviewing platform. There might be some tweaking along the way, but here is the general formula:

Chillfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top albums of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and peaks one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not good; could have either been trimmed or spent more time on.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.