Jam of the Day: Solange - "Locked In Closets"

Fantastic track off her new EP True.

Videos of the Week

I can't believe tomorrow is going to be December. Where the hell did this year go to? Ok, to take my mind off the fact that time has entered hyperspace, here are some videos to peruse:



Haunting/disjointed video for one of the highlights of Flying Lotus' new record.



Fun clip where the band keeps multiplying.



Hyper-kinetic song and video from Deerhoof.



Gorgeous guitar ballad and dreamy video.



The acoustic nature of this track is perhaps the most unusual thing about this song.



Interesting black and white clip from Charli XCX.



Jonny Pierce, frontman for The Drums, is releasing a solo album next year. This glitchy synthpop track is the first taste.



I never knew there was a video to this amazing song. It is not what I imagined for the video, but it works very well. Visually stunning.

Jam of the Day: Girls Names - "Hypnotic Regression"

Shimmering art pop from the Belfast quartet.

Jam of the Day: Flume - "Paper Thin"

Quirky electronic music from Australian producer Flume.

Album Review: XXYYXX - XXYYXX

XXYYXX
XXYYXX
Rating: Grrrr

16-year old wunderkind producer Marcel Everett, who goes under the moniker XXYYXX, is in that sort of undefinable stage where his musical output is frequently all over the map, trying a little Dirty South, two step, garage, dubstep, chillwave, and glo-fi before swirling around and starting all over again from the beginning. He is young enough to where this comes across as youthful experimentation and not a case of ADD. On his second full length, the self-titled XXYYXX, he is still searching for his own distinct style, often wearing his influences a little too brashly on his sleeve, but despite some musical similarities, his producer chops are too instinctive to dismiss the music as outright aping. I suppose if you want to get general about his sound, this music could be called future garage. Using mostly hip-hop inspired beats under atmospheric synths and rumbling bass, XXYYXX focuses on a slowed down aesthetic with vocal samples stretched and pitch shifted into almost unrecognizable forms.

First track "About You" points towards his strength as a producer and the first step in his own "sound." Glacial 808 beats meander as vocal samples are stretched across like saltwater taffy. Analog synths add a bed of warmth to the icy sound. There is a hint of James Blake's post-dubstep sounds here, but it is a starting off point only and not a focus.



And it's these tracks where you get a feeling of his influences but nothing overt where the album is sublime. On "Good Enough" a standard two-step beat is just the launchpad for a left field sample of "Scrubs" that slams the track into a forward thrust of Dirty South beats.



"Alone" has a subterranean feel to it, spartan beats under a muddy, murky screwed vocal sample, sounding like a body struggling up through mud.



Haunting vocals punctuate the lilt of acoustic guitars and skittering beats on "Closer."



And the gorgeous closing track "TIED2U" with the sample "everything's a memory/with stings that tie to you/in my dreams" that gets more and more cut and broken up as the song goes on, creating a highly emotional end to the record.



These tracks are the ones that really stand out and say something personal about Everett as a producer. This doesn't mean the other tracks are vastly inferior by any means, just that they seem more like the work of someone in love with certain sounds of different artists and trying to emulate them in some form. His debt to Clams Casino is very evident on the dreamy "Never Leave," skittering "Witching Hour" and the ghostly strains of "DMT."



And as previously noted, links to James Blake are inevitable; from the buzzy synths and intricate drum programming of "Breeze,"



to the clipped and fractured "Set It Off" with its rumbling sense of menace underneath the surface.



I don't want to harp on his age, because good music is good regardless of age, but he is still young and developing his own sound and is showing remarkable progress in reaching that stage. XXYYXX is an album that subtly gets under your skin and is a good entry point in the career of a rising young producer with a lot of talent.

Rating Scale:

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 releases of the year.

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

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

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.

Jam of the Day: Elliphant - "Down On Life"

Ping-pongy electronics highlight this track from Elliphant.

Album Review: El Perro Del Mar - Pale Fire

El Perro Del Mar
Pale Fire
Rating: Meh

Swedish singer/songwriter Sarah Assbring, who performs under the name El Perro Del Mar, releases her 5th album Pale Fire which is inspired by house music and trip-hop from the 90s. On paper it sounds like a match made in heaven, Assbring's breathy, coy vocals seemingly perfect for edgy electronics and slick grooves, but curiously it never seems to achieve lift off, never really moving from pretty to something more substantial. Unlike her compatriots, Assbring lacks the aggressiveness of Lykke Li, the oddness of Fever Ray, or the pop pixie charm of Robyn. The slim melodies, gossamer synths, and muted drum programming don't particularly help her cause, slipping in and out of the mix, creating a listening experience that is frustratingly opaque.

It is more frustrating when the album does get a bit of a pulse going, pointing out what the record could have been. Despite a very obvious sample from Massive Attack's "Unfinished Sympathy," "Walk On By" struts and preens through its trip-hop beats and canned synth horns,



"I Carry The Fire" is a stripped down house track with Assbring's vocals finally coming out of their slumber, while "Hold Off The Dawn" picks up the pace with an insistent beat and trance like synth effects.



But the majority of tracks just spin in a monotonous, ethereal realm, barely making any impression or mark on the listener. "Dark Night" is a meandering, almost instrumental, that pulses and pulses but never ignites, merely trailing off into the ether; title track "Pale Fire" is a drone of horn synths, twinkling keyboards, and Assbring's soporific vocals;



and the lazy, reggae lite of "Love In Vain" is just plain embarrassing.



Even when there is a little more edge to a track, like the dark "To The Beat Of A Dying World," the song just plods along aimlessly, never really being more than just atmosphere. And the lullaby "I Was A Boy" is so slight, the vocals and music barely register.



Pale Fire is ultimately dissatisfying because all the elements are there for a really great record, but the elements only rarely come together to make anything memorable. It is never a good thing when you are listening to a record on headphones and there are many moments where your thoughts overcame the force of the music, rendering it superfluous. I wanted to like this record, and it certainly is pretty enough, but the lack of any true weight and heft to it makes me unable to recommend it very highly.

Rating Scale:

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 releases of the year.

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

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

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.

Jam of the Day: XXYYXX - "About You"

Slowed down samples and glacial beats highlight this haunting track off the 16-year old producer's new album.

Album Review: Blaqk Audio - Bright Black Heaven

Blaqk Audio
Bright Black Heaven
Rating: Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It

It is with albums like this I wish I had a better gradation between ratings. Sort of a Meh and 1/2 or Yeah Daddy Kinda Make Me Sorta Want It, where an album just doesn't neatly fit in a category. Blaqk Audio's new album Bright Black Heaven is definitely one of those records that I hate myself for liking, but like it despite myself. Mixing 80s synth pop and industrial with trashy Euro-trance, Bright Black Heaven is the cheesiest record of the year, and does everything in its power to make you like it. And although half the time I am shaking my head with all the uber-hyper beats and overload of swirling synth hooks, the record is so damn catchy you can't fight it. The duo is made up of AFI members Davey Havok and Jade Puget, which means they are not strangers to over-the-top, dramatic music, but here trade the goth-pop of their main band for strictly electronic flavors.

Bright Black Heaven actually works better when it goes completely over-the-top. "Fade To White" is a blizkrieg of 160 BPM and splurting synth lines.



"Let's Be Honest" sounds like that bevy of Depeche Mode imitators from the 80s like Camouflage, but still is too damn hooky to dismiss, featuring a great chorus and strong vocal from Havok.



"Bon Voyeurs" adds some needed guitar textures over pulsating beats and thumping basslines.



While "Say Red" is so furious and fast you can barely keep up with it, but has a thrilling back end breakdown that shows the band's great sense of dramatics.



And despite all the fireworks and overkill, there are some moments where the band can slow things down and still make strong statements. Closer "Ill-Lit Ships" is a gorgeous ballad, with a tender vocal from Havok, and a lovely melancholic lilt on the chorus.



While "Bliss" has a dark undercurrent of early NIN industrial pathos. I love its moodiness and quieter nature.



The rest of the tracks sort of tow the line between bland and inoffensive synth pop ("Cold War"), silly Euro bounce ("Everybody's Friends), to ultimately uninvolving ("The Witness"). But despite these tracks that wear my patience out, the silly lyrics, and everything-but-the-kitchen-sink production style, I can't stop listening to this record. It is fun and dumb and just makes you bob your head up and down. Sometimes it is good to have records like this, that you can just play and enjoy without things being so serious.

Rating Scale:

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 releases of the year.

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

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

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

Happy day after Thanksgiving! In lieu of getting out in the nightmare of Black Friday, here are some videos that caught my eye/ear this week:



From his long-awaited album, here is the collaboration between Big Boi and Kelly Rowland.



Awesome track from shoegaze outfit Nothing.



Hot collaboration between BenZel and Jessie Ware.



Completely bizarre innuendo-filled video from Le1f and Boody.



Sassy, bloopy house music from The Crystal Ark.



Haunting clip from Moonface.

Jam of the Day: Bjork - "Mutual Core (These New Puritans Remix)"

Haunting remix from These New Puritans.

Album Review: Blackbird Blackbird - Boracay Planet EP

Blackbird Blackbird
Boracay Planet
Rating: Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It

San Francisco based pop musician Mikey Maramag, operating under the moniker Blackbird Blackbird, infuses his pop confections with elements of electronica, tropicalia, chillwave, and Balearic pop. While at first the record drifts along on a seemingly unsubstantial air, multiple listens reveal a surprisingly subtle ear for melody and atmosphere. In fact, Maramag's catchy songs have already been used in commercials. Chevy is using opening track "It's A War" in its new add campaign. Although the track has a delicate surface, once the main section of the song begins there is a striking muscularity to the guitars, which are buoyed by bouncy drum programming, stark piano chords, and squeltchy synths.



Most of the tracks start off simply, almost like demos, before all the elements gather and combine into something stunning. "Happy With You" jumps off with simple guitars lines, while synth strings wash over delicate drum programming. The guitar lines unfold into more intricate patterns while the track takes off into the stratosphere.



The instrumental "Tear" features a more insistent dance beat, with fuzzed out guitars, and tropically inflected keyboards.



I love the driving rhythms of "Keep It Up" with its ringing guitars, deep synth bass, and breathy vocals.



"All" begins with a more melancholy sound to it, with mourning guitars over a thumping beat before a slight change midway when the synths take over, adding a swirling, tropicalia feel to the track.



The rest of the EP is made up of two remixes, neither of which really add much to or detract to the originals. A nice way to fill up an introductory release. Based on Boracay Planet, it is difficult to see how a full length will go, as he sticks to a slightly limited palate, but it shows promise as to his songwriting capabilities. He is definitely one to watch out for in the future.

Rating Scale:

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 releases of the year.

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

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

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.

Jam of the Day: Featureless Ghost - "Flash"

Robotic and sleek synth-pop from the Atlanta based duo.

Album Review: Karin Park - Highwire Poetry

Karin Park
Highwire Poetry
Rating: Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It

Swedish singer Karin Park had a strange upbringing, growing up in a remote Swedish town before being sent to school in a Japanese missionary with no Western cultural touchstones. This disjointed development translates into a fairly odd listening experience on her latest album Highwire Poetry, which dives headfirst into a gothic electro groove and rarely lets any light in. The immediate touchstones with Park are obviously Karin Dreijer-Andersson (The Knife and Fever Ray) and Bjork. In fact, it is almost impossible to listen to Highwire Poetry without hearing Dreijer-Andersson in almost every facet. This would not be such a bad thing if Park did something new and fresh with the music and sound, but unfortunately it comes across more as a homage than something truly original. With that said, however, Highwire Poetry is not completely without merit and has some pretty great dance tracks.

"Thousand Loaded Guns" is a pounding synth-pop anthem with a gorgeous chorus.



"Tiger Dreams" takes off from a trip-hop beginning, making its way through dubstep and post-dubstep; Park's voice fragile and moving.



The warped synths and bouncy rhythms of "Restless" get under your skin.



Actually, and this is odd for me to say, Highwire Poetry works best when she sticks to a more pop leaning sound. It is when she lays on the experimentation thick that the comparisons to Karin Dreijer-Andersson are more apparent. "6000 Years" is completely odd and bizarre, almost like a Eastern religious hymn sung by the undead,



"Fryngies" uses a skittering drum pattern and echoing synths that can disguise the fact that the lyrics are just plain odd,



and the droning "Wildchild" becomes more of a focus on Park's voice which again draw all the comparisons to her influences.

But overall, Highwire Poetry has enough good tracks to at least keep you interested while The Knife and Fever Ray are dormant. From the swirling "Tension," dark electro-pop of "New Era," and the slow burn of catchy pop track "Explosions" it is rather hard to resist her penchant for good hooks.



I'm guessing there is not much Park can do to alleviate the Karin Dreijer-Andersson comparisons, and it doesn't seem like she cares all that much. I suppose if you are going to wear your influences on your sleeve you might as well go for broke. There is nothing at all bad with this record, and honestly I find myself coming back to it more often than not. But I wonder if I am coming back for Park or because it sounds like The Knife/Fever Ray?

Rating Scale:

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 releases of the year.

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

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

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.

Jam of the Day: Holly Herndon - "Fade"

Compulsively creepy dance music. A pulsing beat steadily grows as half-moaned lyrics rise from a sea of burbling synths.

Album Review: Rihanna - Unapologetic

Rihanna
Unapologetic
Rating: Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It

Right on target again, Rihanna releases her new album Unapologetic almost a year after her last album Talk That Talk, which featured one of her biggest singles ever, the Calvin Harris assisted "We Found Love." Talk That Talk featured some killer singles but overall felt rushed and slapdash, almost buckling under the weight of lots of filler. Unapologetic is a definite improvement, however, it is basically overshadowed by some very questionable calls, primarily the inclusion of her ex (and abuser) Chris Brown on the track "Nobody's Business" which is for all intents and purposes a unity anthem for their rather twisted relationship. This track, which incidentally is a pretty fabulous old-school house track, haunts the album in many ways, making a lot of the lyrics throughout the record circumspect. For a record titled Unapologetic, there is awful lot of focus on her relationship issues, and a very confused thematic line. Which is disappointing because sonically Unapologetic is her most focused and adventurous record in years.

Leading off with the warped synths and crisp 808 beats of "Phresh Out The Runway" Rihanna is pure attitude, radiating a strength that unfortunately gets muddled over teh course of the record.



Working with a whole host of producers, Rihanna embraces the latest EDM trends and merges them forcefully with her innate pop sensibilities. On the Chase & Status assisted "Jump" she throws in a Ginuwine sample and a fierce dupstep drop.



David Guetta contributes to the fast paced electro-house anthem "Right Now."



"Lost In Paradise" is a dubstep influenced track with a killer build and chorus.



There are also several songs which are texturally more interesting. The trip-hop/Dirty South influenced "Numb" featuring a rap break from Eminem is actually one of the most intriguing tracks she has done in awhile,



and "Pour It Up" has nice dark edge to its beats and twinkling synths.



And even the ballads, which usually are the worst thing on her records, have interesting twists to them. "Stay" a duet with Mikky Ekko is minimally backed and features a strikingly open and vulnerable vocal from Rihanna;



"What Now" is a big ballad that works for some reason, it tows the line of going over the top and just holds it in;



and "Loveeeeeee Song" with Future is a strange, spacey R&B track that has a laid-back vibe, making it a killer jam.



But all this good will is tempered by just the overall weirdness of the lyrics throughout that actually seem to be apologizing for her odd relationship with Chris Brown, making her look like a victim of Stockholm Syndrome. And they waver back and forth between her lauding her relationship with Brown on "Nobody's Business" where they sing about "becom[ing] love's persona, to showing obvious fear on "No Love Allowed" where "Your love hit me to the core, I was fine til you knocked me to the floor." You start suffering from whiplash after a point. Which is disappointing considering Unapologetic is actually a fantastic record, sounding fresh and forward-thinking, and edgier than 90% of what is on Top 40 radio. It is Rihanna's life to lead and she can do what she wants, however destructive and misguided it is, but honestly, I would have more respect for her if she would make up her damn mind one way or the other. If you are going to be unapologetic, then stop with the mixed messages.

Rating Scale:

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 releases of the year.

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

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

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.

Jam of the Day: Rihanna - "Jump"

Off her new album Unapologetic, Rihanna hits dubstep territory with this track produced by Chase and Status, and featuring a sample of Ginuwine's hit track "Pony." The drop is awesome.

Videos of the Week

Another week gone by. I still can't believe Thanksgiving is next week. Oh well, time marches on, and here are the videos to help with it:



Goofy video from Azealia Banks.



Another visually stunning video from Bjork.



Surreal clip from Purity Ring.



Really great track off the upcoming solo album from Johnny Marr.



Haunting track and video from Wiz Khalifa ft. The Weeknd.



Bleak video for standout track from Beach House.

Guilty Pleasure: Blaqk Audio - "Bon Voyeurs"

Blaqk Audio, and electronic due made up of AFI members Davey Havok and Jade Puget, is my current guilty pleasure. Their second album Bright Black Heaven is a set of cathcy as hell goth-electro-house tracks. "Bon Voyeurs" is one of my favorite tracks.

Jam of the Day: Karin Park - "Tiger Dreams"

Ok, let's get this out of the way first. Swedish singer Karin Park sounds like a dead ringer for Karin Dreijer Andersson of The Knife and Fever Ray (crossed with some Bjork-ish affectations). But despite this comparison, and obvious influence, Park's new album Highwire Poetry is a surprisingly good record. I love this bass heavy track.

Video: Icona Pop - "We Got The World"

More silly fun from the Swedish duo.

Jam of the Day: Lusine - "Another Tomorrow"

Damn this song worms its way into your brain.

Album Review: The Soft Moon - Zeroes

The Soft Moon
Zeroes
Rating: Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It

San Francisco based The Soft Moon (the solo project of multi-instrumentalist Luis Vasquez) has a laser-sharp focus on its aesthetic and never veers from its trajectory. Over the course of two early EPs and now full length Zeroes, Vasquez draws from the synth-punk nihilism of Suicide, goth grandeur of Pornography-era Cure, with touches of everything from Cabaret Voltaire, Bauhaus, and krautrock. Synths are rough-edged and harsh, guitars are brittle and icy, all rushing forward with intensely precise drum machines. There are no warm or contemplative moments on Zeroes, it all moves at a breakneck pace to its bitter end.

The best tracks on Zeroes are the ones that keep things streamlined and focused. From the brutal aggression of "Machines" with its vocals buried in the mix amid the swell of twisted synth lines,



the arctic chug of scraping guitars and thudding drum machines of title track "Zeroes,"



gloomy squall of "Insides,"



to the pounding rhythms and buzzy/squeltchy synths of "Die Life," these tracks get to the point quickly and remain in the memory.



The missteps on the record only occur when the focus veers off course or the tracks become too cluttered. "Remembering The Future" starts off promising with a bouncier beat, but soon loses itself with annoying synth drones,



"Crush" gets mired in its own synthetic gloom,



while "Want" reaches new heights in trying one's patience with its unrelenting swirls of drones and clattering percussion.



There are enough excellent tracks on Zeroes to keep me coming back to it, but the narrow focus of the record keeps me at arms length from loving it outright. A little more diversity and perhaps some changes in dynamics and tempos would have alleviating the all-consuming dourness of the record. But still, it is a bracing listen, and should have a deeper impact in a live setting.

Rating Scale:

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 releases of the year.

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

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

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.

Video: Beach House - "Wild"

Gorgeous song from Beach House gets a rather bleak video.

Video: Wiz Khalifa ft. The Weeknd - "Remember You"

Dark, disturbing video from Wiz Khalifa's upcoming album O.N.I.F.C.

New: Foals - "My Number"

Foals performing a new song from their upcoming album Holy Fire on Later...With Jools Holland.

Jam of the Day: Autre Ne Veut - "Counting"

First single from the Brooklyn based art-pop band's second album Anxiety is just so weird and amazing.

Album Review: Deftones - Koi No Yokan

Deftones
Koi No Yokan
Rating: Woof Daddy

Seven albums in, one wouldn't expect a band to be still toying with and expanding their sound, but Deftones still are working subtle changes into their music, making one of their strongest, if not best, albums ever. Coming off the devastating car crash that leaves their original bassist Chi Cheng still recuperating, it was not known how it would effect the band. After shelving the Eros album, Deftones released Diamond Eyes which was amazingly assured and their most direct work yet. Focusing more on sound dynamics and less of their aggressive side, it was an album that many were confused about because it almost hinted at a dormant "pop" side to the band. Honestly, while I love their harder edged material, I do have more of a soft spot for when the band goes off grid into a more alternative/indie/shoegaze direction. Koi No Yokan is probably the best of both worlds for people who like all the sides of the band. There is a nice mix of rougher material and more esoteric numbers, with vocalist Chino Moreno toning down his more annoying screamo qualities. And most striking about the album is how amazing it all sounds; the production work makes each track soar with dramatic touches.

Opening with the punishing riffs of "Swerve City," the album begins on a high note and keeps going forward,



rushing ahead with the caged tension of "Romantic Dreams," then pulling a bait and switch with the ambient opening of "Leathers" before erupting into a harsh car crash of punishing riffs and screamed vocals.



While I am usually not a huge fan of their harsher tracks, here there is a better focus on the dynamics of the track, rather than just pure aggression; from the grinding "Gauze" with its subtle electronic flourishes,



and "Goon Squad" with its pummeling fury of guitars that lock in hard with a tight rhythm section.



But of course, for me, the tracks I go back to constantly are the more shoegaze/alternative leaning tracks. "Entombed" is probably the most gorgeous track they have ever done, the guitars floating over liquidy drumn programming, Moreno's voice full of emotion.



"Tempest" features some amazing soft/harsh dynamics that create a dynamic flow.



While the moody and atmospheric "Rosemary" builds into a furious swell of guitars before fading out on a ambient note.



Deftones have basically left their nu-metal peers in the dust with each release, not chasing trends, but making music that is distinctly theirs while referencing their influences through nuance and not a cudgel. With Koi No Yokan, they are in a universe all their own. It is indeed one of their best releases, and will feature pretty high in my best of 2012 list.

Rating Scale:

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 releases of the year.

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

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

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.

Video: Bjork - "Mutual Core"

Another deliciously weird video from Bjork.

Jam of the Day: Deftones - "Entombed"

Gorgeous track off their latest album Koi No Yokan.

Review: Crystal Castles - (III)

Crystal Castles
(III)
Rating: Woof Daddy

After their abrasive debut album, I really pondered where Crystal Castles could go with their sound as they seemed to have boxed themselves into a corner. With their second album, not much really changed, however, there seemed to be a better flow and mix to the their tracks when generally follow a "pretty" and "harsh" pattern. With (III), again, there is not a change up in sound so much as a change in focus, leaning more towards "pretty" and almost completely forsaking "harsh." For some, this lack of a push and pull over the course of the record might seem to be heresy, but for me, this clarity, if you will, adds a much needed element that has always seemed to be lacking. Here, the tracks flow into and out of one another seamlessly, without the crazy juxtapositions of earlier releases. Where the music is more streamlined and trance-like, the unsettling vision of the lyrical themes is where the contrasts are now focused. And with Ethan Kath holding production duties, he almost renders Alice Glass' vocals inhuman, twisted and manipulating them beyond recognition for the most part, only letting slight glimpses throughout the fog of electronics.

On first single "Plague," the music and Glass' vocals build from muted beginnings into something scary, with lyrics blurring the line between disease and social ills; "Infants in infantry/Rewrite their history/Uproot their colony/You're ripe for harvesting."



On electro-banger "Kerosene," Glass' vocals are almost unrecognizable, mutitracked to death, each line fighting over the next. The lyrics a recounting of childhood horrors, with Glass seeking to provide solace, cooing "I’ll protect you from/All the things I've seen."



There is a softness and tenderness in the music to a lot of tracks that is comes as the biggest surprise on (III). Closing track "Child I Will Hurt You" is an almost lullaby, with twinkling synths married to Glass' gorgeous vocals.



"Affection" buries Glass' vocals in murky effects while the keyboards swoon and swoop over witch-house drum programming.



But there will always be that side to Crystal Castles that enjoys making things ugly and confrontational. From the acidic, brutal industrial clatter of "Insulin,"



to the fractured hip-hop inspired "Pale Flesh" with some seriously antagonistic vocals from Glass,



The album of course soars when there is a meeting between the two styles. "Mercenary" glides along a haunting synth riff and goth tone while Glass' voice floats on top,



"Wrath of God" is positively charming with glittering synths that devolve into a muddy, barked vocal from Glass,



while "Sad Eyes" is a pounding four to the floor banger that merges the pounding beats with Glass' breathy vocals.



While some will feel that (III) is not much of a departure or change for Crystal Castles, and it is a valid point, their sound and aesthetic just doesn't call for extreme changes in direction. They have kept to their vision, while playing around with the conventions they have set up. (III) is by far their most coherent and satisfying album so far, and also one of the best records of the year.

Rating Scale:

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 releases of the year.

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

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

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.

Video: Purity Ring - "Lofticries"

Surreal video for one of the standout tracks off their amazing debut Shrines.

New: Kate Boy - "Northern Lights"

For those bemoaning the lack of new material from The Knife can take solace in this new song/video from Swedish electro outfit Kate Boy.

Jam of the Day: Blackbird Blackbird - "Happy With You"

I am totally obsessed with this song.

Videos of the Week

I'm looking forward to a busy, yet fun weekend. Here are some videos that made my week bearable:



Trippy visuals perfectly suit this amazing song.



Gorgeous song from Ofei.



Creepy as shit video for Class Actress' slinky electrojam.



Awesome track from Daphni (a.k.a. Caribou).



Fun song and video from FaltyDL.



Moody black and white clip from dreampop merchants Fear of Men.



Awesome reworking of Missy Elliot's "Gossip Folks."



Hallucinatory video from the collaboration between The Weeknd and Drake.



Gorgeous track from buzzed about singer/guitarist Kid Krule.



Amazing live performance.

New: Crystal Castles - "Kerosene"

Love this slinky, electro track off the upcoming album III from Crystal Castles.

Jam of the Day: Deftones - "Rosemary"

Amazing, atmospheric track off their new album Koi No Yokan.

Video: Tame Impala - “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards”

My favorite track off their new album Lonerism gets a very visually stimulating video.

Jam of the Day: Kill The Noise - "Rockers"

Fun track off his new EP Black Magic.

Album Review: Vitalic - Rave Age

Vitalic
Rave Age
Rating: Meh

In my review of Calvin Harris' latest release one of my complaints was that Harris sticks too close to his signature sound, never going outside very rigid parameters he has set for himself. At least Harris has a signature sound that works for him, and when you hear one of his tracks, it is unmistakably him. With Vitalic, French house producer Pascal Arbez, he has struggled on the opposite front, coming up with a distinctive sound to separate him from the rest of the electronic music masses. His first album OK Cowboy was firmly in check with the latest electro-house trends, while follow up Flashmob stuck to the template but did add some subtle disco elements that gave it a little more personality. Latest release Rave Age still finds Arbez searching for his sound, however, instead of sticking to a familiar template throughout and adding different elements he elects to take an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach, mixing in a variety of styles to limited success. Branching across everything from traditional house to rave, synthpop, electro, dancehall, and even techno, the album never gets in a groove and feels at best calculated and at worst disjointed.

Not that the album is unlistenable or anything, it merely lacks a distinct voice and vision, which ends up being frustrating; especially when Arbez throws down some amazing tracks. First single "No More Sleep" contains some furious drum programming over harsh electro synth stabs that propel it forward at a breakneck pace.



"Stamina" adds a thumping, grinding beat to its electro-trash agenda, as vocal samples are taken to the edge of chaos.



While "March of Skabah" adds an interesting touch of dancehall to his cluttered aesthetic.



In an attempt I guess to add more of a structured pop element to the album, Arbez features several vocal tracks which, based on the output here, is definitely not his strong suit. "Rave Kids Go" is a meandering electro-track with a completely uninvolved vocal.



"Under Your Sun" feels like an unwanted B-side from Royksopp.



"Next I'm Ready" marries a very repetitive riff with an equally repetitive vocal.



While "La Mort Sur Le Dancefloor" attempts to be a French Crystal Castles and shows how effortless Crystal Castles' sound is to them in comparison.



The remaining tracks are pleasant but fairly unmemorable synth pop confections ("Fade Away"), Daft Punk knockoffs ("Lucky Star"), or completely misplaced techno tracks ("The Legend of Kasper Hauser"). Overall, Rave Age never coalesces into something coherent. The disjointed nature of the tracks and the flow keep everything at arms length. Arbez has shown he can put together some great tracks, but this indecision about what he wants to do with his sound ultimately defeats that good will.

Rating Scale:

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 releases of the year.

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

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

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: The Weeknd - "Twenty Eight"

New song from The Weeknd can be heard from a radio rip on this fan site.

Jam of the Day: Halls - "Shadow of the Colossus"

One of the many many highlights on Halls' debut album Ark.

Album Review: Icona Pop - Iconic EP

Icona Pop
Iconic EP
Rating: Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It

Swedish DJ/electropop duo Icona Pop, made up of Aino Jawo and Caroline Hjel, have garnered buzz from their ridiculously catchy singles, and while we await their full length debut set for release some time in 2013, they have thrown out this teaser EP Iconic to whet our appetites. It is a perfect encapsulation of their style and aesthetic, and while it won't shake the earth off its axis, it is diverting set of tracks that definitely paves the way for more to come. A significant improvement over their first EP Nights Like This, Iconic, while never subtle or low-key, is brash, catchy, and an interesting bratty twist on Ace of Bass style pop, adding a fresh sheen of electro-pop and dubstep elements to the mix.

Iconic leads off with the brilliant summer smash "I Love It" co-penned with goth-pop chick Charli XCX, a furious electro track that is all drop and no filler, it is the ultimate kiss off song with lyrics like "I crashed my car into the bridge/I watched and I let it burn/I put your shit into a bag/and pushed it down the stairs/I crashed my car into the bridge/I don't care/I love it."



The rest of the tracks, which sadly don't reach the highs of "I Love It," are still excellent pop tracks with an empowered side to them, the girls not willing to let their men get in the way of them having a good time, or let them off without some snide comments. The bouncy "Good For You" wonders why a one-night stand has such an emotional attachment, singing "You laugh my love, you're never gonna' find better love/
(and I don't want you to)/You hate my love 'cause you're dead without it."



"Top Rated" is frothy, synth driven pop that puts her man in his place, "Try to take me down/I'll be right up/'cause you aim too low/And I've had enough."



The EP is fleshed out with the robotic synth pop of "Manners," pop/R&B/rap hybrid "Sun Goes Down," and the dubstep influenced party anthem "Ready For The Weekend."



All in all, Iconic is an enjoyable little stop-gap until their full release next year. As long as they continue to improve on their sound as shown here, I have a feeling it is going to be one of the better pop releases of the year.

Rating Scale:

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 releases of the year.

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

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

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: Foals - "Inhaler"

Denser sound from Foals upcoming album Holy Fire.

Jam of the Day: Reso - "Axion"

Intense dubstep/drum n bass track from Reso.

Video - Alt-J - "Fitzpleasure"

New video from the Mercury Prize winning Alt-J.

Album Review: Andy Stott - Luxury Problems

Andy Stott
Luxury Problems
Rating: Woof Daddy

This past weekend I was up in the North Georgia mountains with a close friend and some of his friends I hadn't met before. My friend Greg has a thing where he doesn't like silence and needs either the TV on or music in the background. As the cabin did not have cable/satellite, and the only music was an outdated boom box, I was asked to play music off my MacBook. It is a always a dicey proposition for me to play music as my tastes lean a little over to the alternative side, but I always have some playlists of more "normal" music just for these situations. But still, what I consider "normal" still is not heard as such, and I got a lot of confused reactions throughout the weekend. Which gave me a long time to think about what people like. And why do I like something, and consider it some of the best music I have ever heard, but other people look at me like I am crazy? There really is no rhyme or reason to any of it, to be honest, it all comes down to I know what I like when I hear it. I suppose for me I have constant musical ADD, and don't like hearing the same thing over and over again, so I am constant looking out for music that excites and shocks me. I want to hear something unusual or unexpected.

Manchester producer Andy Stott will never be considered "normal" by any stretch of the imagination, and that is why I find his music so interesting and intoxicating. Over the course of two EPs last year, We Stay Together and Passed Me By, Stott put out some of the most challenging and haunting techno to be released. Working from a very minimal palette, and bordering on spartan, his music vaguely insinuated itself, always a feeling of creeping dread in the background. His unsettling compositions keeping you on edge, never quite sure how they will play out. On his new full length Luxury Problems, Stott doesn't change up his sound much at all, but adds different elements that move his sound in new directions. Working with classically trained vocalist Alison Skidmore (who incidentally taught Stott piano), her operatic vocals add a needed human touch to the frequently ominous and dense tracks.

Skidmore's soft voice is multi-tracked over a rush of spectral synths and muted programming on opener "Numb," sounding like a ghost trying to be heard from the dark beyond.



Her voice is of angelic mercy on the throbbing pulse of "Hatch The Plan."



On "Lost and Found" her classical training is evident, as her rich operatic tones add contrast and texture to the ominous push and pull of chugging rhythms and creepy synths.



While on closer "Leaving" she takes on an ethereal guise as harsher bass heavy notes try to overtake the soft washes of keyboards.



Stott doesn't completely forgo instrumentals on Luxury Problems, but this time the focus is more on the mixture of sounds and vocals. I love on "Up The Box" he subverts drum and bass into his own perverted industrial mixture, never letting the beat go where you think it is going,



or the clattering drone of "Expecting" which builds in intensity over its 8 minute run time.



I am not so blind that I can't see that most people will not like Andy Stott's music. It is a little too deconstructed for most people who might not see/understand how this all builds from the past into something different and interesting. But unlike this previous EPs, this is not typically "difficult" music, there are melodies and beats, and it can be fairly accessible. For those who like their music a little off the well beaten path, Luxury Problems is one of the best dub techno records of the year.

Rating Scale:

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 releases of the year.

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

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

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.

Jam of the Day: Four Tet - "Lion (Jamie xx Remix)"

Skeletal and ghostly remix of one of the stellar tracks off of Four Tet's latest release, Pink.



Here is the original track for comparison.