Jam of the Day: Hooray For Earth - "Racy"

The dramatic and soaring title track from synth-rockers Hooray For Earth's new album is a definite highlight.

Videos of the Week

Videos!!!!!



Another gorgeous clip from the astonishing talent known as FKA twigs.



Haunting, and slightly creepy, video from The Child of Lov (aka, Martijn William Zimri Teerlinck, aka Cole Williams) who sadly passed away from surgery complications last year.



Tunde Olaniran rocks some wicked hair and outfits in this outre video.



Cryptic video from Hooray For Earth featuring motorcycles, dark forests, and human skin.



Very NSFW video from Steve Aoki, Diplo & Deorro (feat. Steve Bays).

New: Hooray For Earth - "Keys"

From their upcoming record Racy, Hooray For Earth release the first single, the epic and churning number "Keys."

New: Hooray For Earth - "Never"

Awesome new track from Hooray For Earth. From a single due out August 21.

Album Review: Man Without Country - Foe

Man Without Country
Foe
Rating: Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It

Welsh duo Man Without Country (with a third man for live performances) are in a community of synth-pop/shoegaze acts that focus less on synth hooks and more on a broad cinematic sweep of lush synth washes. Bands like M83, Hooray For Earth, Bear In Heaven, and Delphic come to mind. In interviews the band describe their band name as referring to a feeling of not being connected. In keeping with this description, Man Without Country's debut album Foe is a hunting and gloomy batch of tracks that hold a fairly despairing view of humanity, relationships, and life in modern times. Although a reading of the lyric sheet can get a little depressing, thankfully the music is for the most part lush, with pulsating dance beats meant to bring you on the dance floor and not isolated in a headphones cocoon.

Foe starts out with the M83-esque title track, built on a bed of cascading keyboards and airy drum machines. The song, a bleak depiction of a Sisyphean life in the suburbs, features a bland, monotonous computer generated voice intoning bleak statements like "For every bomb that you defuse I will plant another," surrounding the track with an air of menace. The band uses this voice throughout the record as a touchstone for their themes of soulless despair.



Which leads into the rushing synths and beats of single "Puppets," whose driving force belies the lyrics of the track, singing about "The inability to think for yourself is all you've ever known" and that we are only a "prisoner in this place that you call home."



Elsewhere, Man Without Country pick up the beats again on "Closet Addicts Anonymous," a despairing view of a man's antagonistic relationship with his father; realizing that he will never get his father's love: "Before me you'll grow old/"I'll still be your scapegoat."



"Clipped Wings" is another gorgeously lush track swimming in a sea of sparkling synths, which again deflect that the song details a man haunted by a failed relationship. The chorus is stunningly moving. While the music of "Migrating Clay Pigeons" mirrors the narrator's descent into almost madness at the thought of being "Freed like a discarded fish/Unprofitable, too old to learn new tricks." The clamoring drums and sweeping synths battle against one another.



Before the beats and keyboard layering seem to get too much, Man Without Country know when to take things down a notch, providing a respite from the sonic fury. "Parity" is a simply beautiful track built on soft beds of synthesizers and piano, although once again the lyrics are quite sad, detailing a meaningless suburban existence: "The walls you decorate/Surround you everyday /The waste that you inhale/Dictates this empty space." And "Ebb & Flow" is a stunning mid-tempo track focusing on the artist's dilemma of whether to stay true to one's instincts or to sell-out. The narrator resigned, singing "I'm pale as a ghost/And its why I'm uninspired."



Foe is a solid release that only falters when the gloom gets a little too oppressive, or where the band attempts to focus on broader, less interesting themes, like the diatribe against a cheating lover, coming up with the almost ludicrous lyric "How can I send you shivers when you don't have a spine?" Or the attempt at Pet Shop Boys' style archness on the gossip rag bemoaning "King Complex," but with none of their trademarked wit. Overall though, I find myself consistently coming back to Foe, and enjoying it more and more. A little less gloom and some more polished lyrics should vault Man Without Country into higher reaches next time.

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

This week seemed both long and short. Oh well, here's to Friday:



I love this song and video.



Song from Perfume Genius written about his mother and starring her in the video.



Wild video from synth-poppers Hooray For Earth.



Trippy visuals from AU.



More trippy visuals for the Of Montreal track.

Video: Hooray For Earth - "No Love"

New clip for one of the standout tracks on Hooray For Earth's brilliant album True Loves.

2011 Albums of the Year: 20-11

Getting closer to the number one album in my list of 2011 Albums of the Year. Here are numbers 20-11:

20. WU LYF - Go Tell Fire To The Mountain

In this Internet age where you can find out basically everything about anything or anyone, it is a bit refreshing when something maintains a bit of mystery. WU LYF (or World Unite/Lucifer Youth Foundation) is a gang of Mancunians who don't have a Facebook/MySpace/Bandcamp/Twitter/Tumblr page, and not much is known about them other than their live shows are practically legendary (selling out before the band had even properly released any music), they famously ignored phone calls from famous producers to work with them, and have refused to work with major labels, choosing instead to record the album in an abandoned church and self-releasing the record on their own. Whether all of this behavior is truly meant to be a way of life, or just a PR stunt, remains to be seen, but, as I am fond of saying, at the end, all that matters is the music. Go Tell Fire To The Mountain doesn't reinvent the wheel per se, as some UK critics have pontificated, but is a stirring collection of songs drawing from many disparate sources (early U2, Sigur Ros, post-punk, post-rock, etc.), but bound together by a rich solemnity and vocalist Ellery Roberts' bizarre warble, which will either intoxicate you or make you run for the hills.

19. Iceage - New Brigade

Danish punk/post-punkers Iceage draw from Wire's precise minimalism and Joy Division's icy, cathartic despair. In a spare 25 minutes, New Brigade's 12 songs never overstay their welcome, quickly getting to the point, never containing a superfluous note. While they are really not bringing anything new to the table in terms of sound, what makes this band special is the energy they bring. It brings to mind The Strokes' Is This It? in terms of pure swagger and attitude. The band's live shows are apparently extremely aggressive affairs, the audience members referred to as "victims" and photos of the aftermath of gigs are usually posted to the band's website.

18. Chad VanGaalen - Diaper Island

In addition to his solo output, Chad VanGaalen is probably best known as the producer for Women's last two albums. He records out of his home studio and infuses a homespun, earthy quality to his records, yet always throws in some curve balls, like weird synth freakouts, and use of quirky instrumentation. Diaper Island, his fourth full length, and his most fully formed, is such a shockingly well-produced record, it provokes audio equivalents of a double-take. While there is still a homey quality to the production values, the record as a whole is musch more clear and concise. VanGaalen records primarily in a low-fi, late 80s early 90s alt-rock manner, evoking artists as diverse as Pavement, Miracle Legion, Grizzly Bear, and early post-punk Cure. The album veers back and forth from gorgeous, almost country-folk ballads, and raucous guitar raveups; linked by his wry lyrics.

17. Craft Spells - Idle Labors

Craft Spells' debut album Idle Labor travels in the same territory as 80s revivalists/chillwave acts such as Twin Shadow, Memory Tapes, and Toro Y Moi. The songs all feature delightfully tinny drum machines, echoing/chiming guitars, and soaring synths, borrowing from forbearers such as New Order, The Smiths, and Echo and the Bunnymen. I don't think it is just coincidence that the album cover blatantly recalls Power, Corruption, and Lies. When they hit their heights, as on lead song "For The Ages," with its gorgeous interlocking guitars and synths, and on "Scandinavian Crush," and its sing-song melody, you get the sense that the sky is the limit for this band. This album will take awhile to grow on you, but once it does, it is impossible to get out of your head.

16. When Saints Go Machine - Konkylie

Every once in awhile, a band or artist comes around with that spark of trying something different and challenging, but working in the realm of pop music. Danish quartet When Saints Go Machine, led by otherworldly vocalist Nicholas Vonsild, don't necessarily sound like Depeche Mode, other than the fact both primarily use synthesizers, however, they share the same restless creativity Depeche Mode enjoyed during their mid-80s tenure. It is actually quite difficult to describe the band's sound. Imagine a cross between the heavily treated electro-pop of The Knife and Fever Ray, the fluttering, archly fey vocals of Antony Hegarty, and the house music stylings of Hercules and Love Affair, and you might get slightly close to their sound. Instead of spending time trying to spot the influence, it is better to just allow the waves of quirky synth-pop wash over you. Word of caution, however, you will either love Vonsild's voice or will hate it.

15. Hooray For Earth - True Loves

Sounding like a lot of bands, but commanding their own distinct sound, Hooray For Earth is rooted in the dense, lush synth-pop of the 80s, brought into a 2010s context. Each track on their debut True Loves is built on layer upon layer of gorgeous, warm synthesizers, almost tailor made to hit the cheap seats of a stadium, but intricate and emotional enough to entrance the most jaded bedsitter. Perfectly paced, with melodies like earworms, True Loves is chock full of endlessly catchy singles that get more infectious with each listen. Their self-titled debut album and subsequent EP Momo only hinted at what this band was capable of, and subsequent tours with The Pains of Being Pure at Heart and work with Twin Shadow over the past year really honed their craft, creating a truly wonderful album.

14. Young Galaxy - Shapeshifting

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.

13. Arrange - Plantation

The experience of listening to Plantation, the self-released debut album from Florida teenager Malcom Lacey, is akin to rummaging around a stuffed attic, coming across old photo albums, journals, and keepsakes, being washed over by the floods of memory: the triumphs and failures, the joy and sadness, the important and the mundane. It is also an album steeped in loneliness and sadness, Lacey's voice almost a monotone, afraid to let the emotion crack the surface, less the anger break free and overtake him. The restraint fits well with these gorgeously evocative ten tracks. Despite his youth, Lacey has an amazing ear for arrangement (no pun intended) and builds these songs in layers, never adding too much or making things too bare. Plantation is truly an album that must be experienced in one sitting, as the themes and melodies flow throughout the record and with each listen, you pick up more and more, it all fitting together like pieces of a puzzle.

12. Lykke Li - Wounded Rhymes

Swedish indie pop princess Lykke Li's first album Youth Novels was a favorite of mine from 2008. Produced by Björn Yttling of Peter Bjorn and John, the album highlighted Li's odd voice, setting it up against non-traditional instrumentation and song structures, yet sometimes the songs seemed to veer too close to twee territory. With Wounded Rhymes, Li, once again working with Björn, doesn't exactly reinvent herself as much as she beefs up. Her voice is stronger and meatier (though it can still be an acquired taste), and the songs, drawing from 60s girl groups, garage rock, and the wall of sound perfected by Phil Spector, are cavernous and heavy, every note dripping with decay and dirt. Drums are deep and pounding, guitars rich with reverb, and her voice settles so well into the mix, sometimes triple and quadruple tracked. The songwriting on Wounded Rhymes is more complex and varied than its predecessor. Li shows that she still can project fragility while also showing strength within herself.

11. St. Vincent - Strange Mercy

Diminutive, angelic looking singer Annie Clark, performing under the name St. Vincent, has released two albums of slightly subversive pop songs, Marry Me and Actor, which traffic in deceptively calm surfaces, with a dark undercurrent that is always surprising and thrilling. With the release of her third album Strange Mercy, Clark completely comes into her own. While her previous albums are quite wonderful, Marry Me could feel a little cloying at times, and Actor was almost too stuffed to the gills with embellishments that cluttered rather than enhanced the tracks. With Strange Mercy, Clark laser focuses the songs, highlighting her superb, innovative guitar playing, allowing only a few embellishments throughout, which actually add to the texture and or tone of the song to give it an extra kick. Clark still sticks to her trademark song writing style, singing tales of squeaky clean perfection always hiding dirt and grime in the background despite the characters' desperate attempts to keep up appearances.

Future Islands: On The Water - Album Review

Future Islands
On The Water
Rating: Grrrr

Over the course of now three albums, Baltimore via North Carolina synth-pop outfit Future Islands has gradually moved from synth spazz outs on Wave Like Air, to more modulated dance workouts on In Evening Air, and now progress even further with On The Water, taking their synth based template and toning things down, without taking away from what makes them so special. And most of that is due to Samuel T. Herring's vocals and lyrics. Let it be said, that the main entry point to Future Islands is Herring's voice. You will either be completely on board with it, or will want to turn it off immediately. It is grandiose, over-the-top, and steeped in drama; each word positively dripping with meaning and portent. But it is just so fascinating and gripping you can't ignore it, and it is what makes this such a great band to listen to. With On The Water, Herring has scaled things back a little bit, not from wanting to fit within what people want him to sound like, but more because the music and lyrics call for more restraint. This is serious album about disintegrating relationships, and love gone afoul, and the somber tone of the lyrics finds its way into the music, with less dancefloor oriented sounds and more moodier pieces. Although I loved the dancier aspects of In Evening Air, this new approach takes their sound and aesthetic to new levels.

The new mood and feeling comes across loud and clear on opener and title track "On The Water." Soaring synths and a mid-tempo beat hold, but can't restrain Herring's voice that swoops and growls at a potential lover, imploring "can't I be your lover tonight."



While the album is comprised of mostly mid-tempo numbers, there is always room for Future Islands' trademark dance pop. "Before The Bridge" rushes forward on New Orderesque bass lines, whooshing synths, and a rather understated vocal from Herring that gathers in intensity:



"Balance" bears the briskest pace of all the tracks, with a sprightly beat and sparkling keyboards, with another subdued vocal from Herring.



"Close to None" begins as an ambient, drone number but from the clouds of synths come muted beats and those throbbing baselines, erupting into a swirl of synths and Herring's portentous vocals, barely able for him to keep them hemmed in.



This is not to say that the less beat driven tracks are any less enjoyable. Where Future Islands in the past tended to go full throttle, it is nice to see them pare things back and allow breaks from the beats. "Where I Found You" is a lovely ballad, with a melancholic sense of loss and regret, as Herring mourns the loss of a lover, hauntingly singing over and over "I loved you, and I still do," desperately trying to hold on to the past.



Likewise, the following song continues in that vein, "Give Us The Wind" floats along on pillows of synths, with Herring's melodramatic voice imploring and wishing for something to propel his failing relationship.



But probably the one song that truly takes you by surprise is the practically acapella track "Tybee Island," with Herring's voice stripped of artiface and laid bare with emotion. Singing almost in a whisper, his reticence draws you in so you can hear him. It is quietly devastating.



With Young Galaxy, Hooray For Earth, and Neon Indian, Future Islands is helping to bring synthpop into the 21st century, making it more adult and less campy. The focus here is on the songwriting and delivery and making sure the music heightens the mood and expression of the songs. Although Herring's vocals might be off putting, their distinctiveness, in my opinion, is the draw for this type of music. On The Water is a fascinating album that I can't stop listening to, and I hope this is just a foreshadowing of things to come from this band.

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 releases 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 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

Short work week is almost over with and onward with another lovely weekend. Here are the videos this week that got me up and attem:

Hooray For Earth "Black Trees" (Feat. Zambri) Live @ RAD Studio from stereogum on Vimeo.

Live performance video of Hooray For Earth, doing the closing track from their latest album. I am thrilled to see them in Atlanta soon, opening for Cymbals Eat Guitars.

Get More: Diamond Rings, Music, More Music Videos

I love this catchy little track from Diamond Rings. And he always puts out fun videos for his singles. I can't wait to see him live tomorrow night opening for Twin Shadow.



Video from synth-poppers Miracle Fortress. Love how they shot the video to look like old home movies.

Youth Lagoon - Montana from Tyler T Williams on Vimeo.

Youth Lagoon, the bedroom-rock project of musician Trevor Powers, makes music that sounds far older than his 22 years. "Montana" is a epically building track that gets one of the best shot narrative videos I have seen in awhile. It fits the mood of the song so very well. I am really looking forward to his debut album.



While I think the debut album from SBTRKT has stronger parts than the whole, "Pharoahs" is a killer track, which now has a killer video.



Second video ever from Explosions From The Sky, and like the above video from Youth Lagoon, this is another sad, cathartic narrative, this one involving a furry red alien's search for acceptance.

Videos of the Week

Here are the latest videos that are wetting my whistle:

Hooray For Earth - "Sails" from Dovecote Records on Vimeo.

Amazing track from Hooray For Earth gets a great video treatment.



Another soon to be classic video from The Beastie Boys.

Pure X - "Easy" from Malcolm Elijah on Vimeo.

Dreamy song and video from Pure X.

NEON INDIAN - HEART : DECAY from gorillavsbear.net on Vimeo.

Wonky first song from the new Neon Indian album.



Although I am not a fan of the album, this single from Washed Out is one of the better tracks.

Hooray For Earth: True Loves

Hooray For Earth
True Loves
Rating: Woof Daddy

Sounding like a lot of bands, but commanding their own distinct sound, Hooray For Earth is rooted in the dense, lush synth-pop of the 80s, brought into a 2010s context. Each track on their debut True Loves is built on layer upon layer of gorgeous, warm synthesizers, almost tailor made to hit the cheap seats of a stadium, but intricate and emotional enough to entrance the most jaded bedsitter. Perfectly paced, with melodies like earworms, True Loves is chock full of endlessly catchy singles that get more infectious with each listen. Their self-titled debut album and subsequent EP Momo only hinted at what this band was capable of, and subsequent tours with The Pains of Being Pure at Heart and work with Twin Shadow over the past year really honed their craft, creating a truly wonderful album.

The trance-like synths and beats of "Sails" is the perfect entry point to Hooray For Earth, steadily gaining in intensity, the swirling keyboards in perfect combination with the chanted vocals.



First single, and title track, "True Loves" is heavily percussive, recalling Yeahsayer with a more industrial, reggae feel.



The standout track for me is "No Love" with its quirky hip-hop beats, bubbling electronics, and 80s synth stabs and horns, taking over a darker tone at the chorus. The synth/guitar breakdown is stellar.



And there are plenty of just flat out great pop songs. "Bring Us Closer Together" sounds like a number 1 hit from back in 1984, a mix of Tears For Fears and Go West.



"Last Minute" is a slowed down, synthed up take on 60s wall of sound production techniques, featuring a lovely vocal from Noel Heroux. "Hotel" also borrows some synth and guitar melodies from The Cars back catalog, but adds their own unique spin.

Hooray for earth - Hotel by sthelion

But always brings me back to the album is their relentless experimentation and ability to turn odd sounds into something warm and inviting. The almost tribal, Yeahsayer-like closer "Black Trees" builds from a base of dense percussion and ghostly keyboards into a hypnotic swirl of a song.

Hooray For Earth - Black Trees by Dovecote Records

"Realize It's Not The Sun" is an impeccably constructed opener, using mostly voices as effects, until the percussion and abstract guitars move in on Heroux's lush falsetto.



Hooray For Earth have been making music since 2006, slowly building their sound and releasing singles here and there, but hesitant to release their second album too quickly. Based on their earlier material (aside from Momo), True Loves did not seem the likely outcome. In this age of everything being released quickly with little forethought, it is a breath of fresh air seeing a band take the time to work on their sound so that they are releasing quality music. True Loves is exciting and one of the best records 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 releases 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 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

Just the latest videos that have been grabbing my attention:



Explosions In The Sky have been around awhile but I have never really been that into them. For some reason, they all of a sudden clicked for me. Their new album is phenomenal and I love this lead track.



Stunning visuals in this video from Hooray For Earth. Same director did Bath's video for "Lovely Bloodflow."



NSFW video for the witch house progenitors.



Beautiful video to go with a beautiful song.

Clams Casino : "Gorilla" from Jamie Harley on Vimeo.

Great, dense track from Clams Casino. Video uses old footage of David Copperfield, which becomes more and more bizarre as the video goes on.

Beastie Boys - Make Some Noise - Free Music Videos - Top Songs

Video for Beastie Boys new single "Make Some Noise."



My favorite song on the otherwise just ok debut from Holy Ghost! This video has the duo's fathers playing them. It's a pretty great clip, which sort of borrows from the feel of their shot by shot cover of the New Order video for "Confusion," from their last single.



Fun video from rapper Wiley. Very inventive.