Oscars 2011

Once again it is time for the Oscars. Usually by this time, I have seen all of the main nominated pictures, but this year, I have only seen one of the best picture nominees. I am a little embarrassed, but oh well, nothing I can do about it now. These comments were blogged live while the pre-show and show was airing. It's just little comments here and there.

6:00 pm E! Red Carpet Coverage

Jennifer Lawrence looks like Jewel. Red is a good dress color for her.

Melissa Leo's dress looks like her 5 year old son made cut-outs with scissors.

Hailee Steinfeld looks so cute. Hard to believe she is only 14. Very mature for her age.

Mila Kunis looks lovely in a purple Elie Saab dress.

Cate Blanchett Givenchy dress is a little too unusual.

Florence Welch looks like a tired doily.

Love Michelle Williams.

Sharon Stone is heading back to her web at the end of the awards.

7:00 pm ABC Red Carpet Live

Tim Gunn. Yay!

Hailee Steinfeld had got the most amazing personality.

Jesse Eisenberg looks like he just rolled out of bed.

Amy Adams looks like Auntie Mame, in the later years.

Is Kevin Spacey drunk?

Russell Brand, fresh from the shower.

Correction, Melissa Leo's dress looks like Elvis' jumpsuit from the 70s.

Is Mark Ruffalo stoned? And why is with Anna Wintour?

Scarlett Johansson does not look good in purple lace. Excuse me, I heard from Tim Gunn it was amethyst. Still looks bad.

Matthew Connaughey is actually wearing a shirt.

Annette Benning's dress looks like a costume from Kiss of the Spider Woman.

Awww, Warren Beatty was so cute when he started tearing up about his wife.

Valentino needs to stop tanning. He looks like an old basketball. And he needs to have his tux pants hemmed properly.

Anne Hathaway looks stunning in the Valentino gown though.

Colin Firth is a stunning man, but man he needs a haircut.

Reese Witherspoon is lovely in Armani Prive.

Jennifer Hudson looks amazing in red (or tangerine apparently) Versace; and her boobs are defying lots of laws of physics.

Natalie Portman is doing what she can with all that purple. Looked a lot worse on television. Doesn't look as bad in the photo.

Is James Franco stoned?

JT wears a tux very well.

Red seems to be the color of the year for the Oscars.

Nicole Kidman is fabulous in her beach house shower curtain.

Gwyneth Paltrow skin is flawless, but that dress is way too shiny shiny.

Christian Bale is the Unibomber.

Hugh Jackman: Grrrrrrrr

Halle Berry: flawless bitch.

2011 Oscar Telecast

Very nice opening with snippets from each of the Best Picture nominees.

The insertion of Anne Hathaway and James Franco in the movie clips, not so much.

James Franco does have a lovely butt in that leotard.

Anne has personality, James so far is acting like a stoner.

The opening is really really bad.

Tom Hanks looks great. Love the glasses.

Best Art Direction: Alice In Wonderland
I would have given it to Inception.

Best Cinematography: Inception
Good choice. Beautifully shot movie.

Best Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo
I don't think she should have won because she campaigned for it. Was just tacky. Helena Bonham Carter should have won.

I'm glad they've gone back to showing clips from the movies for the actors.

Best Animated Short Film: The Lost Thing
I picked it, but haven't seen any of the nominated films.

Best Animated Feature: Toy Story 3
I picked it to win, but would rather it have been How To Train Your Dragon.

So far, 41 minutes into the show, it is dreadfully paced and poorly hosted.

White tux jackets are a no-go. Josh Brolin and Javier Bardem look like cater-waiters. That aside, they are still two hunky men.

Best Adapted Screenplay: The Social Network
Excellent choice.

Best Original Screenplay: The King's Speech
Should have gone to Inception.

James Franco's energy level went up with the dress.

Helen Mirren is perfection.

Best Foreign Language Film: In A Better World
Never heard of it. I had picked Biutiful.

Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale
Good choice, although I like Bale more as an actor than a person.

Best Original Score: The Social Network
Trent Reznor is now an Oscar winner. Rocking that tux too!

Best Sound Mixing: Inception
Awesome choice. Great movie.

Best Sound Editing: Inception
Good choice again. The sound in the movie was perfectly done.

Cate Blanchett's dress is intriguing, bless her heart.

Best Makeup: The Wolfman
Terrible movie, but the makeup was definitely worth an Oscar.

Best Costume Design: Alice In Wonderland
I picked The King's Speech, but thought it should go to I Am Love, but the Academy is not one to give the award to modern dress.

Kevin Spacey, who I used to think was somewhat attractive, gets creepier and weirder each year.

Randy Newman, America's treasure or nails on a chalkboard?

I get sooooo bored of these Broadway-esque songs nominated for Oscars.

Jake Gyllenhaal = drool

Best Documentary Short Subject: Strangers No More
Didn't see or know about any of these movies.

Best Live Action Short Film: God of Love
I picked it, but have no idea why. Luke Matheny is pretty damn funny though.

At least Anne Hathaway has some personality.

Making songs from dialogue from the movies (a la Antoine of "Chimney Intruder") was the highlight of the evening. Which is kind of sad.

Best Documentary Feature: Inside Job
Never saw it. Was hoping Exit Through The Gift Shop would win to see if Banksy would actually show up.

I missed The Amazing Race for this?

Billy Crystal's face does some weird things.

Jude Law looks scrumptious; and his voice is like butter.

Best Visual Effects: Inception
Excellent choice. Amazing effects.

Best Film Editing: The Social Network
I picked it, but it should have gone to Inception, which wasn't even nominated, WTF?

Florence's dress for her performance looks much better than her Red Carpet dress.

I love Gwenyth, but her voice is just ok.

Best Original Song: Randy Newman
Such a shock. Not.

The In Memoriam portion of the show is always very sad to watch. So many wonderful people have passed on.

Hilary Swank is taking the Black Swan trend too seriously. And she needs to eat something. Again, the dress looks better in the photo than it did on television.

Best Director: Tom Hooper
Hmph. Should have gone to David Fincher.

Best Actress: Natalie Portman
Yay. Not much of a surprise though.

Sandra Bullock is always fun. She would be a good host.

Best Actor: Colin Firth
I have been a huge fan of his ever since his first role in Another Country. Glad to see him finally get the recognition he deserves.
Very charming acceptance speech.

Best Picture: The King's Speech
Haven't seen it, but would have given it to either The Social Network or Inception.

The 2011 Oscars are now over with and I can get back to my life as it is, of course minus the three hours I wasted last night. I would give the program a C. It was mercifully shorter than usual, but Anne Hathaway and James Franco had no chemistry together. Anne at least gave it her all, showing some personality; Franco, on the other hand, looked like he was stoned throughout the entire program. Several presenters throughout the evening demonstrated they would be better hosts. I think they need to give it to Robert Downey Jr. or Sandra Bullock. They are effortlessly funny and charming.

Videos of the Week

Ahhhh, Friday! Couldn't come soon enough. Here is a roundup of the videos this week that slap my ass and call me Judy:



49 days to go until Coachella! I'm really starting to get excited about the trip. Trentemoller is considered the Danish Moby. I don't really know much about him or his music, but, based on this live performance from the Roskilde Festival, it looks like he puts on a great show. I doubt the Coachella show will be this elaborate, but you never know.



Unofficial video for one of the best LCD Soundsystem songs. A re-imagining of the U2 video "Where The Streets Have No Name," featuring the muppets in Brighton. The video is a lot of fun and really fits the song well. I love the part where the drums kick in and the crowd starts cheering.



My anticipation for Jamie Woon's debut album is reaching a fever pitch. His track "Night Air" was in my top ten singles of last year. He has a gorgeous voice and his move into the dubstep realm is revelatory. This is the latest single, and it has a more Justin Timberlake/Timbaland meets dubstep sound to it. I really like it.



NSFW slasher video for the HEALTH song. I like the twist at the end.



Icy and haunting electronica from Lorn.



Before watching the extremely silly genre thriller Unknown last weekend, we saw the trailer for this movie. Looks kinda kick ass!



Video for the new single from Kanye West's brilliant cd. The video is just ok, but is watchable if only for the outfit Rihanna has on.



Love me some Robyn!



Although my Coachella compatriots hate this band, I am really loving the cd. Nice stoner, psych-rock.

Mini-Reviews

Adele
21
Rating: Meh

Let me get this out of the way first: I love Adele's voice. It's supple, strong, and very expressive. I only wish she would find a way to showcase it better. 21 is a lot more varied than her debut 19, that for me was only notable for the amazing single "Chasing Pavements." 19 feel off the rails with too many songs following the same traditional structure and using the same instrumentation. 21 starts off very strong with the meaty first single "Rolling In The Deep," the rollicking "Rumor Has It," and standout ballad "Turning Tables," that highlights her amazing range. Then the album just derails again for me, with stretch of indistinguishable songs all in the same tempo, and a completely misbegotten cover of The Cure's "Lovesong." She salvages the downward spiral with another stunning song, "Someone Like You," but by then it is just too late. I am not giving up on Adele, as I think her voice is an amazing instrument; she just needs to find a producer/collaborator that will take her out of the rut she is finding herself mired in.

Toro Y Moi
Underneath The Pines
Rating: Meh

Toro Y Moi rode high on the chillwave band wagon last year with his debut cd Causers of This. I enjoyed that album's beats and smooth vibe, but noted that the majority of songs kept to the same template and needed to be varied a little more. As the chillwave genre begins to fade into the background, Toro Y Moi releases his second album Underneath The Pine, that takes an almost completely different approach. Instead of the hazy, gauzy chillwave of the last record, he begins to mine sounds and ideas from the 70s disco and light rock era. Is this change successful? In some ways yes; first single "New Beat," is a blast of liquidy disco. "Go With You," slinks, slides, and moves effortlessly. "Divina" is a gorgeous instrumental, refreshing the light electronica of Air. But the same problems remain. A lot of the tracks feel like sketches that are not fully formed. And Chaz' voice is just too weak to hold interest over an entire album. He would do better to remain more in the background and have guest vocalists.

Dark Party
Light Years
Rating: Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It

Producers Eliot Lipp and Leo 123 make up the electro-duo Dark Party. Their debut album Light Years is a frothy mix of slinky beats, old-school synths and bass, and whole lot of fun. From the Daft Punk-isms of "Patrol Patrol," the Nu Shooz aping synth cut-up "Flats," and the icy tech beats of "Fifth," Dark Party keeps things moving swiftly. There is nothing very innovative about Light Years, but sometimes all that's needed is a good album you can put on and bob your head to.

Salva
Complex Housing
Rating: Grrrr

West Coast producer Paul Salva certainly knows his way around a production studio. His debut cd Complex Housing runs the gamut in styles from standard hip-hop, electro-house, LA beat obsessives, Dirty South, to dubstep, barely letting the listener catch their breath. Even with so many different genres, each track still flows together seamlessly. Standout tracks are the hyper-programmed "Issey Miyake," glitchy throbbing bass-heavy "Blue," and the re-imagining of Robert Owen's Chicago house classic "I'll Be Your Friend." Complex Housing is constantly morphing itself, new sounds and textures emerge and disappear, all floating in a perfect mix; it is definitely worth taking a listen.



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 great; could have either been trimmed or polished.

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.

Young Galaxy: Shapeshifting

Young Galaxy
Shapeshifting
Rating: Woof Daddy

Canadian synth-pop duo Young Galaxy (Stephen Ramsay and Catherine McCandless) were unknown to me before the release of Shapeshifting. Having released two albums on the Arts & Crafts imprint, I was assuming they would have a similar sound to that label's two most popular acts: Broken Social Scene and The Dears. Surfing through some clips on Youtube all I found were some pleasant, yet rather dull, dream pop-like songs, that didn't give me much hope for liking the new record. Apparently, switching labels and enlisting the help of enigmatic Swedish producer Dan Lissvik of Studio has completely sparked new life into the band. The band provided Lissvik with the finished tapes of the record and he, via Skype, helped polish and mold the tracks. Throughout the album you can hear the bones of the record and how Lissvik added his warm synthesizers, thick guitars, and hazy Tropicalia to the mix. The pairing of the two together is pure genius, and they have collaborated on one of the best adult-dance pop albums of the year.

The songs on Shapeshifting are all full of killer hooks, sparkling instrumentation and arrangements, tethered to the ground by McCandless' almost operatic voice and Ramsey's world-weary croon. McCandless' voice has been getting most of the accolades, but her voice, strong as it is, can be a bit much in large doses. Ramsey's more subtle voice really acts as a palate cleanser between richer courses. His voice is rich and warm on standout track "The Angels Are Surely Weeping"



McCandless follows with "Blown Minded," her voice low and sultry in the mix, erupting passionately in the chorus:



The album is sequenced almost perfectly, ebbing and flowing between moodier tracks and more upbeat material. First single "We Have Everything" rushes by on waves of undulating synthesizers and gradually intensifying guitars, McCandless' voice angelic and haunting:



Lyrically, Young Galaxy lean heavily to more heavenly and spacey matters, which in the past could border on the silly. Although there are still some strange lyrics here and there, most of the lyrics on Shapeshifting are more personally grounded. I love the lyrics of "We Have Everything"

"I wept when we parted
And wept when we united
In poverty, my love, we have everything"

Although they do not do it often enough, some of the best tracks have a beautiful interplay between the two vocalists. Riding on gentle, tropical beat, "Peripheral Visionaries" is a gorgeous track that highlights each of their vocal styles. When they link together to sing "We have seen tears from the eyes of God," the hair will stand up on your arms:



One thing I love about Shapeshifting is how some of the tracks seem like they are going to be fairly generic, and then something out of character is added to them, making them really stand out. On "Phantoms," the music is very light and frothy, which is changed dramatically by a very interesting vocal turn from McCandless, reaching notes so high you get a nose bleed:



A simple, Tropicalia melody on "Cover Your Tracks" is subverted with a mini-moog synth part and interlocking guitars. The two vocalists' slipping in and out of each other's lines is amazing. And the lyrics are so beautiful:

"Throw away your letters and numbers
And make sure to cover your tracks
Throw away your desires and treasures
And make sure you burn all the maps"



Young Galaxy come across as a poppier Eurythmics (crossed with a little bit of Hugo Largo) on the sunny "B.S.E." Again, what initially seems like a cute little pop song is altered by a haunting and longing vocal turn in the middle-section from McCandless:



Shapeshifting is a phenomenal pop record, light and playful on the surface, but with amazing depth and ear for detail. Each spin of the record unearths new treasures and charms. I have no idea if Lissvik is the reason why the band sounds invigorated, or if Young Galaxy really came up with some killer tracks that are merely enhanced by his touch. In the end it doesn't matter, the results are what is important, and Shapeshifting is a brilliant collaboration.

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 great; could have either been trimmed or polished.

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.

Nicolas Jaar: Space Is Only Noise

Nicolas Jaar
Space Is Only Noise
Rating: Grrrr

21 year old Providence/New York/Chilean producer Nicolas Jaar has a lot on his plate these days. In between running his own record label (Clown and Sunset), remixing other artists (Matthew Dear, Azari & III, The Bees), and attending Brown University, he has been releasing his own singles and EPs. He has been compared favorably with Chilean techno lord Richard Villalobos, however, Jaar's sound is not likely to make you move swiftly to the dancefloor. While his base is dance music, he, like James Blake/Mount Kimbie et al, are interested more in texture and subverting the normal expectation as to what dance music is. I mention Blake because that is probably the most common artist he will be compared with. Both started out taking uncommon soul and R&B samples, cutting them up, and inserting them into disjointed soundscapes; full of loping rhythms, sub bass, and icy keyboards. Blake has since moved on to a more singer-songwriter approach, moving his own vocals to the forefront. I was more of fan of Blake's earlier work; and his debut album James Blake, while pretty, seems almost too sketch-like and not polished enough.

On the other hand, Nicolas Jaar's debut album Space Is Only Noise, is what I wished James Blake to be. Blake's album was too one-note at times, which resulted in killing the album's momentum. Jaar's album is more varied and interesting, constantly keeping the listener on edge, not knowing where he is going to lead. He balances the track list with gorgeous instrumentals, full of found sounds and audio collages, along with haunting electro ballads that show his bank of impressive production skills. Jaar's voice is not as lovely an instrument as Blake's, but he uses his more texturally, making it more of another component of the music.

His voice waivers between a deep, Matthew Dear-like croon, and a delicate falsetto. His voice is tender and endearing on the gorgeous "Balance Her In Between Your Eyes"



Deep and foreboding on "Too Many Kids Finding Rain In The Dust"



And he loves to take his voice and manipulate it, either tonally, or masking it entirely to make it another element in the mix. "Problems With The Sun" pitchshifts his voice to sound almost like a blues song sung by Satan:



"Keep Me There" takes his repetition of a phrase and makes it a background motif in the piece, surrounding it with lovely treated piano and hazy electronics, spiked with samples of flamenco guitars and warped horns:



Jaar's best tracks take disparate elements and combine them in unique and tantalizing ways. Lead single "I Got A Woman" takes a loping trip-hop beat and pairs it with a looped Ray Charles sample, jazzy piano, and French film dialogue, creating an aura of haunting despair:



The striking "Space Is Only Noise" merges an echoey, monotone vocal, with a dense, viscous bass line that is so heavy you can feel it in your bones:



One of the other standout tracks is the lonely, noirish "Specters Of The Future," with treated pianos, sampled film dialogue, post-dubstep beats, punctured with what sounds like samples of gospel vocals twisted and tortured into tortured wails.

Space Is Only Noise is not without its faults. Several of the tracks seem like sketches that should have been fleshed out a little more, and Jaar's voice, unlike James Blake's, is not very strong. He utilizes it well, but the songs with vocals would have stood out better had he used someone with better pipes. This are all pretty minor quibble though considering the strength of the production work. His ear and attention to detail are so sharp, these slight missteps are hardly noticable. So for fans of intriguing, left field electronic music, Nicolas Jaar's debut is 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 great; could have either been trimmed or polished.

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

Once again the weekend is mercifully upon us and we are supposed to have incredibly unseasonable warm temps for at least another week. So, to get things started out right, here is the roundup of the videos this week that made my spring sprung:



The shock surprise of the week was the announcement that Radiohead was releasing their new album this week via download. Another surprise was them moving up the download date from tomorrow to today. Of course, I left home before finding out and won't get to download until later. To whet my appetite, they've released the first single and video for "Lotus Flower." Sounds very minimal and beat heavy. I like it so far. Not so sure about Thom Yorke's dancing though.



My friend and Coachella buddy Dan introduced me to this band, and their album Eyelid Movies keeps getting better with each listen. This is the second single/video from the album, and I hate to say I never noticed how hot Josh Carter is. I might have to get on the rail at their show at Coachella.



If you have ever been around enough hipsters, you will understand how true this video almost is.



Tremendously silly first video from Cut Copy's new album.



Bouncing and buoyant song from Daedelus; with a really cute, sweet animated video.



I think Adele has one of the best voices in music today; unfortunately, I think she needs to stretch the boundaries of the songs and music she sings. This remix from Jamie Smith of The xx shows how, in the hands of the right musicians/producers, she could really stand out.



This is another remix from Jamie Smith, taking a stark and almost impenetrable track from Gil Scott-Heron and making something wonderful out of it.



Kele, the lead singer of Bloc Party, released a solo album this year of really cool electronica. The album is a definite grower. This is one of my favorite songs.



Really well done commercial that takes a long time getting to what it is about, but makes you immediately want to watch it again to see how you could have missed it.



PJ Harvey commissioned Seamus Murphy to direct videos for a majority of tracks for her brilliant new album Let England Shake. This is one for the title track.



Arcade Fire won the Grammy for Album of the Year. Here is the amazing video directed by Spike Jonze for the title track.



Flood and Alan Moulder produced the new album from The Pains of Being Pure at Heart and you can definitely tell they have given their sound some extra muscle.



Duran Duran is playing Coachella this year in support of their phenomenal new album. This is probably my favorite song by them. If they do not play it I am going slap a bitch.



I was lucky enough to see Baths at this show. He has some boundless energy.



This Kraut-rock inspired track is one of my favorites off Mogwai's latest album, Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will.

Non-Sequiturs

Had a wonderful surprise this week with Radiohead announcing the release of their latest album King of Limbs this Saturday. There is really no idea out there what this album is going to sound like, so my anticipation is at a fever pitch.

Busy day today. Having lunch with LA friends John and Keith who are in town visiting. Haven't seen them since Coachella last year, so it will be nice to catch up. They are total sweethearts (and quite hunky)

And my parents are also in town so my mother can check in with my grandmother who is in assisted living. Meeting them tonight for dinner, and my dad is meeting Kurt for the first time. I hope Kurt survives all this family stuff.

I will admit that I am not a fan of the Zac Brown Band's music, but I will have to say he is a really cute bear (for a straight guy that is):

Surprisingly, I watched the entire Grammy Awards broadcast. It was such a train wreck I couldn't help myself. Very happy that Arcade Fire won for Album of the Year, and how all the little pop music morons went ballistic that Lady Gaga didn't win.



Lyrics Rattling Around My Brain

"Lifted up
Reflected in returning love you sing
Heaven waits
Someday Christendom may come
Westward
Evening sun receded
Set my resting vow
Hold in open heart"

Talk Talk
"New Grass"

"We exist in more than time and space
Keeping unwritten mythologies
We exist in more than time and space
Keeping unwritten mythologies

It's the peripheral way, it's the peripheral way
It's the peripheral way, it's the peripheral way

We'll see tears from the eyes of God
And godless and godless"

Young Galaxy
"Peripheral Visionaries"

"Everybody hopes and waits
I can't believe
Everybody hopes and waits
I can't relate to my predicament

Brother, if you're feeling low
Tell me one thing I should know of your situation
I could stand out in the hall
I could be your suicide policeman

Arrest your fall
When you're afraid to hit the ground"

Yuck
"Suicide Policeman"

Appealing Things

Nicolas Jaar
Talk Talk's Laughing Stock; listening to it again is like catching up with an old dear friend
Arcade Fire winning Album of the Year for The Suburbs
Young Galaxy
My new Knoll office chair

Annoying Things

Hypochondriacs
The depression after finishing a series of books I didn't want to end
The uninviting seating at the newly renovated Starbucks we frequent (the tables are the size of thumbtacks)
Trying to navigate the murky waters of getting a CLE approved without any secretarial support
Lady Gaga's tired attempts to be edgy

Yuck: Yuck

Yuck
Yuck
Rating: Grrrr

Back in the early 2000s and Interpol came onto the scene, you couldn't get more than 2 sentences into a review or commentary before someone mentioned how their sound was influenced by Joy Division. I am sure for Interpol it became more than annoying to constantly have to deal with those comparisons. Luckily for them, even though there were some (in my opinion, minor) Joy Division qualities to their sound (to be honest they drew from more post-punk influences than just Joy Division) they had their own distinct approach to their sound, which allowed them to transcend the comparisons. UK buzz band Yuck is similarly saddled with comparisons to their heroes, however, in this case, instead of post-punk bands such as Joy Division, their albatross around the neck are the 90s alterna-guitar bands like Dinosaur Jr., Sonic Youth, Pixies, Pavement, Jesus and Mary Chain, et al. See, I made it 4 sentences in before I made the comparisons, must be a record! There really is no way to sidestep these comparisons I'm afraid. The band definitely wears their influences on their sleeves, but unlike bands who are mere parrots, Yuck uses those sounds merely as a base, building their own unique take on driving, fuzzed out, effects heavy guitar rock. And with the band members barely into their 20s, it is amazing how fully formed that sound is.

The band's bread and butter are driving rock songs filled with explosive guitar parts, that has to have the band making mincemeat out of their effects pedals. From the blistering "Get Away"



the ear bleeding fuzzed out "Holing Away"



and the Sonic Youth-esque droning "Operation"



the band knows loud well. While these are some of my favorite songs on the album, what really takes the band out of merely proficient into the area of amazing is in the quieter moments. What is wonderful about Yuck is that the band is willing to slow things down, try different styles, and even using unique instrumentation.

The delicate "Suicide Policeman" even has a sweet bridge featuring horns and xylophones straight out of Lawrence Welk.



"Stutter" takes a page from the Pavement slacker oeuvre:



"Georgia" even has an alt-country feel to the chorus:



What is truly going to make Yuck a band worth watching is that, based on this album, they are not satisfied sticking with the identical sound throughout. The album meanders, takes chances, is not afraid to do the unexpected. This is most evident in the final two tracks. "Rose Gives A Lilly" is a gorgeous instrumental full of echoing, shimmering guitar that veers ever slightly towards the post-rock sound of Mogwai:



which then segues into "Rubber" which is 7 minutes of slow building fuzz guitar, erupting into a maelstrom of feedback that would make Jesus and Mary Chain grab their earplugs:



In the end, comparisons with other bands are unnecessary, as Yuck is not a 90s alt-rock cover band. It's as futile as comparing The Rolling Stones to their blues influences, or, as I mentioned earlier, Interpol with their post-punk forefathers. Yuck made wear their influences out in front, but they wear them proudly and with their own innate style. Yuck is a fantastic debut album, one that will long linger in your head.

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 great; could have either been trimmed or polished.

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.

Tim Hecker: Ravedeath, 1972

Tim Hecker
Ravedeath, 1972
Rating: Grrrr

The album cover is a striking image of the first piano drop at MIT. There is an amazing tension at play with the piano perilously perched on the edge of the building just before it plummets to the ground, shattering into a million pieces. Ambient-drone artist Tim Hecker found this photo while researching images of the tremendous amounts of digital garbage in the world: piles and piles of used up CDs, floppy disks, and other effluvia. Hecker claims "there's some connection between the computerized engineering that led to the codification of MP3s and music's denigration as an object and thus a viable means of economic survival." Thus, Ravedeath, 1972 is Hecker's comment on how music (specifically electronic music) in the digital age is becoming more homogenized, sanitized, and sterile.

Hecker attempts to bring back a solemnity and purity to music, recording the album in one day in a church in Rekjavik, Iceland, using an old pipe organ as the basis for the 12 tracks. All of the pieces are dense, sculptural, and breathtakingly beautiful. The album is divided into shorter, singular tracks that are almost a battle between organic, analog elements and harsh digital effects, evoking the tension of the album cover photo; and longer suites of music that are simple and haunting.

Lead track "The Piano Drop," has a lush tug of war between bursts of angelic organ, and rushes of digital feedback:



"No Drums" unfolds under thick waves of liquid organ:



And the striking "Studio Suicide," with its ghostly drones and uplifting washes of keyboards:



But it is the longer, multi-part pieces that form the core and heart of the record. "In The Air I-III" owes its obvious debt to Eno's ambient output, melding icy, treated piano with shuffling, digital atmospheres:



"In The Fog I-III" rolls in with echoed and reversed piano, moving into drones of organ and synthesizers, and eventually erupting into a cacophony of digital abstraction:



In the end though, aside from the carefully crafted backstory behind Ravedeath, 1972, what really matters is whether the music touches you in some way. These pieces are technically challenging, but are not impenetrable. In fact, I will go so far as to say these pieces are some of the most beautiful music you will hear all year.

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 great; could have either been trimmed or polished.

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.

PJ Harvey: Let England Shake

PJ Harvey
Let England Shake
Rating: Woof Daddy

I just realized that I have been following PJ Harvey since the year I graduated college. 20 years is an awful long time for any artist to still be making music, and even more so for it to still be relevant. Harvey has thankfully remained ever searching in her music, changing her sound ever so slightly; from the angular blues/punk of her debut Dry, through the electro-noir of To Bring You My Love, the haunting tales of Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea, and the slightly bizarre interior musings of White Chalk.

Now we get her 8th album of solo material (not counting two releases with Jon Parish), Let England Shake, which is a major departure for her, at least lyrically. Instead of her biting and pointed observations of relationships and life of the interior mind, Let England Shake is a song cycle (or concept album, if you prefer) about war, past, present and future affects England and its people. It is a particularly difficult record to wrap one's heart and mind around, but once you let it in, it is a powerful listen. The lyrics are some of the most brutal and direct Harvey has ever written, frequently focusing on horrible images of war: "soldiers fall like lumps of meat," "flesh quivering in the heat," corpses lying in no-man's land are "unburied ghosts."

While the above description makes the record sound like a dour polemic, Harvey knows better than to make everything one note. She definitely brings some of her most interesting music to back up her ideas and lyrics; using non-standard instrumentation, off-kilter vocals, and odd time signatures.

In "The Glorious Land," she uses a sampled fox hunt horn call to add a subtle motif on her commentary that the lower classes are typically those whose blood is spilled so that the upper classes can retain their privileges:



"Written On The Forehead" samples Niney's reggae classic "Blood And Fire" which adds to the incisive lyrics about England's current immersion in the wars in the Middle East:



"Let England Shake" uses jaunty guitars and xylophones to counterpoint the acidic lyrics about England's current state:



Even though Let England Shake is a challenging, serious record, it is far from being one note musically. There are some lovely passages throughout; some of the most beautiful music Harvey has written.

"All and Everyone," with its subtle percussion, soft organs, and simple acoustic guitars, perfectly balances the haunting lyrics about how wars post infect the wars of present and future:

"Death was in the ancient fortress,
shelled by a million bullets
from gunners, waiting in the copses
with hearts that threatened to pop their boxes,
as we advanced into the sun
death was all and everyone."



"Hanging in the Wire" is another standout track, is sung almost as a lullaby, even though the song is a tragic tale of a man dying in the trenches:



Let England Shake is not a record that will immediately grab you; and I don't think it is intended to do so. I will even admit that after my first listen I really didn't think I would like it. Music this challenging and powerful takes time to sink in and do its work. In our must have satisfaction now culture I am not sure if that work against the record. I, for one, am very glad I gave it a chance to get inside my heart and mind, as it is now definitely in the running for album of the year.

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 great; could have either been trimmed or polished.

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.

Happy Valentine's Day

I always return to the classics.

Videos of the Week

Another long and drawn out week. Here are the latest videos that have made turning one year older more bearable:



Really interesting video for the new Erykah Badu single directed by Flying Lotus.





UK buzz band Yuck actually lives up to all of the hype. While their sound is very reminiscent of late 80s early 90s alternative rock from Dinosaur Jr., Sonic Youth, Pixies, Pavement, etc, the band throws enough of their own swagger into the mix to keep it from being mere pastiche.



Ok, I will admit that Miley Cyrus' "Party In The USA" was a pretty big guilty pleasure of mine. Having Rye Rye use it in her new mixtape is pure genius.



I just love her. She is cute, adorable, can rap, and dances with a lot of energy. She is a definite must see at Coachella this year.



The new single from The Strokes is finally out. It's a decent single, but I was expecting more from them.





Gayngs is a 23 member supergroup featuring Ryan Olson, Justin Vernon and Mike Noyce of Bon Iver, Zak Coulter and Adam Hurlburt of Solid Gold, Jake Luck of Leisure Birds, Ivan Rosebud of The Rosebuds, Brad Cook and Joe Westerlund of Megafaun, and Mike Lewis of Andrew Bird and Happy Apple. They mine their sound from lite rock from the late 70s early 80s, and it is groovy and slick, but with a good tongue in cheek sense of humor.



Alex Clare is a new artist I have been digging lately. He has a very deep, soulful voice and thankfully teams up with cutting edge producers that really showcase his vocals with interesting sounds. This video is slightly NSFW.



Toro Y Moi move in a completely different direction from their last chillwave inspired release, opting to release a more funky, disco inspired album. I am really digging this squelchy track.



I am really loving this all female quartet. They have a really nice Interpol meets Lush sound. A lot of their songs start off slow, but once all their guitars kick into the mix, they can really lock into an amazing groove.



Another amazing track from Alex Clare, produced by Diplo and Switch. It takes a heavy metal meets reggaeton approach that blasts out of your speakers. In a perfect world, this track would be huge.



I got to see Baths (aka Will Wiesenfeld) in concert this week, and was lucky enough to meet him before and after his set. As you know, I have been touting him all last year, and "Lovely Bloodflow" was one of my top tracks of last year.



Nosaj Thing is another electronic artist in the Flying Lotus stable. I've really been enjoying his music lately and am looking forward to hopefully catching his set at Coachella.



Cut Copy is one of definite must-sees at Coachella. The new album is phenomenal, and this is one of the best tracks off their previous one.



Cold Cave is on my to see list as well. Their new single is very heavy, much heavier than their previous songs. I have no idea what to expect now that they appear to be leaning towards an industrial sound. Should be interesting.



Slammin track from Ciara. One of my favorite tracks of the year so far.

Non-Sequiturs

Yesterday was my 41st birthday; not exactly a monumental number. I still don't really think of myself of being in my 40s. Aside from some creaks and pops in my joints, I am in pretty good shape thankfully. Didn't do anything major for my birthday, but Kurt did cook me a wonderful steak dinner and bought a sinfully good Hershey chocolate pie. I about threw up from eating so much.

Has been a nice birthday week. Got to see one of my favorite electronic acts, Baths, at the Masquerade on Monday.

Aside from some horrible sound problems that were the venue's problem not his, he put on a really fun show. He has some amazing energy and is a really sweetheart. Got to meet him briefly while his opening band Braids played. Braids played a short set, but it was nice enough. I am not a huge fan of their debut album, but I actually enjoyed them more live.

I could understand why Michael Jackson did odd things; having that much money and worldwide fame, being able to get almost anything you wanted, I'm sure it was easy to slip into a mindset that you were somewhat above it all. But Lindsey Lohan? She is at best a B grade actress; how on earth does she keep doing all these common-senseless things? Like showing up to a court date dressed like this:

What a complete and utter idiot. Please go away and leave us all alone.

Lyrics Rattling Around My Brain

"Night and day
I dream of making love to you now, baby
Love making on screen
Impossible dream
And I have seen the sun rise over the river
The freeway reminded of
This mess we're in"

PJ Harvey with Thom Yorke
"This Mess We're In"

"Throw your fucking sets up
Know how we start, come catch up
Ain't nobody fucking with this I bet yah
And my age you should name on the check up
Bang, while you wait, it all goes down
Swipe through the city, that I call my town
And if you fucking up, damn right you a clown
Ain't bangin high, don't make no sound
Episodes of the violence bang
Shots go hard, make your brain cells ring
Floating with the stars in the city of the caine"

Rye Rye
"Bang"

"She come in alone
A firestorm
Waitin' on a spark
Leaving me alone she feels it after dark
Keep it down boys
The fire inside
Figure it out sort it out
Your foot in the mouth"

Gayngs
"The Gaudy Side of Town"

Appealing Things

Rye Rye's mixtape
Snow in Atlanta that doesn't slick or ice up the roads
Meeting Will Wiesenfeld of Baths
A wonderful birthday meal made by Kurt
Hershey chocolate pie
Baths' Pop Songs/False B-Sides for only $5
J-Lo on American Idol; I'm sorry but she looks fantastic

Annoying Things

The fact that it was freezing at The Masquerade Monday night; brrrrrr
Druggie stoner kids who bring those stupid day-glow balls to concerts and twirl them around making a nuisance of themselves
Fabio being kicked off Top Chef Allstars