Videos of the Week

Here are the videos that got me through this cold, rainy, gray, gloomy week:



Fun song and video from Santigold's contribution to the Girls TV show.



Goofy dancemoves highlights this track from Dutch Uncles.



Fun live video from Parquet Courts.



Brilliant song off his new album Grace/Confusion gets a oddly disconcerting video.



Strange dancing on a hillside.



Fuzzy, black and white clip perfectly suits this track.

Album Review: Memory Tapes - Grace/Confusion

Memory Tapes
Grace/Confusion
Rating: Grrrr

Returning quickly with a new record, Memory Tapes, a.k.a. Dayve Hawk, appears to be trying to do damage control after his second record, 2011's Player Piano seemed to stall his forward progression. 2009's Seek Magic was one of those records that came out of nowhere to bewitch and beguile, taking dance-pop to new levels with a focus on dreamy guitar and synth textures, using lengthy run times to completely bathe the listener in washes of ethereal gorgeousness. 2011's Player Piano made the mistake of trying to corral these meanderings into more traditional song structures, muting the impact that the tracks could have had. While it was not a disastrous record, it just didn't play to his obvious strengths, and left me wanting. In interviews, Hawk has mentioned that Grace/Confusion would return to longer song structures and be messier and more experimental. While this is true in theory, the record is actually more of a mix of both his records, featuring a little more structure to his usual wanderlust. While it still pales in comparison to the effortless nature of Seek Magic, it is definitely a huge step back on track.

With the shortest track coming in just over 5 minutes long, there is not a lot of succinctness here. There is a nice balance though between more traditional song structures and Hawk's penchant for lazily follow his own path. Opener "Neighborhood Watch" starts off in a dreamy haze before lifting off with a rising tide of keyboards and insistent guitars, and closing out with a lengthy, almost-psychedelic coda.



Two of the lengthier tracks really showcase Hawk's uncanny knack for blending different moods into a seamless whole. "Safety" strikes out from a muted beginning into a lightly funked up synth pop jam, morphing halfway through touching on guitar drone, dream pop, and shoegaze before circling back.



"Sheila," which despite its almost 9 minute run time could be the album's one "single" takes its time from its shambling opening, into a New Order-esque synth workout, climbing into more prog-guitar territory.



The more traditional tracks still offer lots of interesting textures and sounds in them, but on a more economical scale, from "Follow Me"'s mooning keyboards and aching vocals, "Thru the Field"'s dream pop romanticism, and the stunning eruption of synth percussion at the end of the mournful "Let Me Be." All of these tracks combine into a deliriously varied and inviting record. While it really doesn't advance his aesthetic much from Seek Magic, it appears more of a way to regain his momentum from the misstep that was Player Piano. When the music is this fun and engaging, however, I don't particularly mind an artist playing to their strengths again.

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

The videos this week that restored my faith in the universe:



Very excited about Coachella, especially when I get into a new band I haven't noticed much before. I'd heard of Scotland's We Were Promised Jetpacks (best band name ever) but had never given them a listen. Thank dog I did; this is some wonderful post-punk guitar power pop.

A Place to Bury Strangers "So Far Away" from Secretly Jag on Vimeo.

New video from noise purveyors A Place To Bury Strangers.



Swedish punk band Refused have reformed for Coachella 2012. Might have to check them out.



Funny video from Real Estate. Love this shimmering pop track.

Memory Tapes 'Trance Sisters' from Ooh Brilliant on Vimeo.

An Alphaville meets THX-1138 vibe runs through this video for standout single "Trance Sisters" off of Memory Tape's album Player Piano.



This track from Austra really showcases her unique vocals.

Videos of the Week

Wow, what another whirlwind work week. And that was a lot of Ws. Here are the videos that have propelled me into the weekend:



Beautiful video for my favorite song on the new Memory Tapes album.



New song and video from Orbital. Not among their best work, but it is still nice to know they are putting out music.



Another funny video from The Black Keys.



Great track off the uneven debut from Joker.

Real Estate - It's Real from 4eyes on Vimeo.

Performance video from the amazing new album by Real Estate.



New video from proto-shoegazers I Break Horses.

Neon Indian: Era Extrana - Album Review

Neon Indian
Era Extrana
Rating: Grrrr

Hopefully this will be the last review where I type the word chillwave, as it is a very short-lived genre that a lot of slightly similar acts were lumped into, ostensibly because they didn't fit anywhere else. Most of the artists that were thrown into the chillwave bag (Toro Y Moi, Washed Out, Memory Tapes) have since moved on to different sounds, seemingly in an effort to distance themselves from what is perceived as a negative connotation with the genre. Initially, Neon Indian (led by Alan Palomo) was one of the leading bands of the chillwave movement. His first album Psychic Chasms was on many best of lists, but for me, I felt its neo-psychedelica overshadowed the songwriting and made for a disjointed listening experience. When Era Extrana came out, I was reluctant to give it a try, based on my aversion to the first album. Of course, curiosity got the best of me, and now I really can't seem to stop playing it. This album is much more structured than Psychic Chasms, which is likely to the detriment of fans of that record. Apparently this is a concept record about a breakup, which I assume is tied in with a futuristic theme. The music on the record echoes this theme of a breakup, with most of the sounds played on analog synths that feel like they were picked up in an electronics graveyard, each note fighting through decay. Another interesting side note, as I reviewed the new M83 record yesterday, this album actually sounds more like what the new M83 record should have been. The music, though slightly decayed sounding, is warm, funky and inviting; with none of the chilliness and roteness of the M83 record.

The album is basically broken down into 3 parts with short instrumental breaks in-between, taking the listener on a journey through a breakup as it is occurring. Lead single "Polish Girl" (fitted with a stylish video) is a gorgeous slab of funky synth pop, with bleeping 8 bit electronics flooding the mix, Palomo wondering of his ex "Do I still cross your mind. Your face still distorts the time."



"The Blindside Kiss" borrows from Jesus and Mary Chain's fuzzed out guitar bliss, creating a gritty, dream pop classic.

Neon Indian - Blindside Kiss by neonindianiilove

"Hex Girlfriend" makes heavy use of whooshing synths and warm analog buzzing, sounding like a poppier New Order.



Two great later tracks really show how Palomo is stretching his sound and also working harder on his songwriting. Where Psychic Chasms felt more like it was all about the bizarre keyboards and sounds, this album is definitely his attempts at making a great pop record, albeit a very odd pop record.

"Future Sick" is what Prince would sound like if crossed with Kraftwerk.

Neon Indian - Album: Era Extraña by neonindianiilove

"Arcade Blues," aside from some abrasive vocal percussive effects, is probably the most radio friendly track on the album. I love the intense hook in the chorus.

Neon Indian - Album: Era Extraña by neonindianiilove

There are only a few hints of Palomo's chillwave past. The dreamy, lazy grooves of "Fallout" are pure chillwave bliss, as are the future pop-isms of "Halogen (I Could Be A Shadow)" with its lush analog bed of synths and breathy vocals.

Neon Indian - Album: Era Extraña by neonindianiilove

Era Extrana is a confident step forward for Neon Indian, moving away from chillwave and focusing on more pure songcraft rather than just interesting sounds. It's a dense record, bursting at the seams with really great ideas. While many fans of Psychic Chasms will bemoan the fact this record is not as distinctive and quirky, there is a lot to love here, and is well worth the investment.


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.

Washed Out: Within And Without

Washed Out
Within And Without
Rating: Meh

Ernest Greene, who performs under the Washed Out moniker, is a laptop producer who creates blissed out chillwave music from his rural Georgia home, about the most unlikely place you could think this kind of music would originate. Over the course of two EPs, Greene created a unique set of tracks that took vintage sounding keyboards and drum machines and molded new, sunny life out of them. It is basically impossible to listen to those tracks without getting a warm sensation flowing through your body. With the backlash against the chillwave genre, it was unclear what direction Greene would head in; would he change 180 degrees like Toro Y Moi, or subtly alter his sound like Memory Tapes? With his debut full length Within And Without, the answer is neither. He basically sticks to his same template, but brought Animal Collective producer Ben Allen to man the boards, brushing and shining the ramshackle nature of his earlier tracks into a buff sheen. Consequently, there are two effects on his sound: one, the album sounds great, full of depth and an expansiveness that wasn't there before; and two, this also, most likely unintended, gives the album a rather one-note quality. Individually, the tracks are all gorgeous and shimmering, creating a wonderful, relaxing backdrop, however, together it is difficult to tell them each apart, flowing in and out of each other with little distinction. Oddly, almost every track adheres to the same BPM and drum track, making this problem worse.

The album starts on a high note, with the lush atmospherics and treated guitars of "Eyes Be Closed," feeling akin to the opening track to The Cure's Disintegration, the song ebbing and flowing on a rising sea of building chords.



And this template serves them well when they stick to a dreamier, more upbeat sound. "Amor Fati" has a lovely, almost Caribbean lilt, which leads to a swirling, gauzy chorus.



"Before" starts out well on a bed of whirring synths, and uses some interesting vocal sampling as counterpoint to the hazy vocals.



But far too many tracks drag through somber trappings, never rising above a bland texture. It also doesn't help that Greene, whose voice is respectable but not amazing, covers most of his vocals in reverb and other effects. The majority of tracks sound like he is singing from deep in a well. "Far Away" has his vocals barely reaching a murmur.



Adult Swim single "You And I" is similarly morose and blue, with Greene's vocals a formless moan, which is further dragged down by the turgid beats.



The title track takes a light, hip-hop beat and pairs it will glacial synth washes, fading into aural wallpaper.



The final track, "A Dedication," finally emerges from the pea soup torpur of the album and injects some much needed variety and texture; adding pianos and spikes of keyboard atmospherics.



Within And Without is an album I really want to love. There are some great tracks on it and the production is impeccable, it is just like a Big Mac sandwich though, something I crave once every six months or so, then right after I have it is instantly gone from my memory until six months later. There really is nothing wrong with the record, it just doesn't leave a lasting impression. The tracks end up being too similar and fade into the background. I wish there had been more of the thrift store odd nature of his earlier EPs in order to provide some distinction between tracks. Unfortunately, what we are left with is a pleasant, but unmemorable experience.

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.

Memory Tapes: Player Piano

Memory Tapes
Player Piano
Rating: Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It

As a genre, chillwave had a very short shelf-life. There is really only so much you can do with a blissed out, sunkissed, dreamy sound that hasn't been done before. All the bands that were the stars of the scene, Washed Out, Toro Y Moi, and Memory Tapes, have released their follow ups to their defining albums and the results have been quite interesting. Toro Y Moi ditched the chillwave sound entirely, moving toward a more 70s R&B/disco vibe, which, at least for me, didn't work very well. Washed Out's first full length (after two lauded EPs) Within and Without has just been released, and I will likely review it next week, and at first listen sounds like his original work, but more expansive and with much better production values. By far the most notable member of the genre, Memory Tapes's (one man bad, Dayve Hawk) debut album Seek Magic was filled to the brim with experimentation, hooks, and a fun vibe. It was on endless repeat two years ago on my iPod. With breathless anticipation I have waited for his sophomore release, wondering where he would take his sound.

Player Piano is an interesting second album for Memory Tapes. The experimentation and hooks are still there (and it is obvious the production values are far better), but where on Seek Magic these worked off each other well, here they seem to be an odds with each other, creating a tension that is in some instances welcome, and in others in congruent. Almost all of the tracks start in one direction and then end up in a completely different place, making the album feel slightly schizophrenic. The good thing about this approach is that if a part of a song, or the album, is not to your liking, you merely have to wait a few minutes and something new will come along. In contrast, when you are digging a hook or melody, he inevitably mucks it up by taking it in a direction you don't want it to go.

When he gets it right, it is spot on. "Sun Hits" is a 3 and 1/2 minute piece of pure pop bliss, with chiming/ringing guitars and upbeat tempo, featuring the lyrical hook "Nothing's a dream if you never wake up."



"Trance Sisters" is slightly darker, but also benefits from a driving beat, fuzzy surf guitars, and funky synths.



"Offers" features a delightful use of oboes as a counterpoint effect to the lowkey instrumentation and laconic delivery of Hawk.



And first single "Yes I Know" is a complete surprise, a delicate, almost pastoral ballad, featuring lush synth strings and woodwinds to calming effect.



The problems with Player Piano are not many, but they are pretty glaring. First, on Seek Magic, Hawk only sung on a few tracks, the remainder being instrumentals. Here, he pretty much sings on every track, and his voice, which is thin and reedy, is best taken in small doses. And to mask his weak voice, most of his vocals are heavily reverbed or multi-tracked to mask his deficiencies. And second, as mentioned earlier, the songs that mutate have some diminishing returns. "Today Is Our Life" begins strongly as a midtempo electronic pop song, then midway turns into a synth-pop/country hootenanny.



"Worries," on the other hand, starts weakly with a bizarre organ churned melody and high-pitched vocal from Hawk, but erupts midway with gorgeous guitars and upbeat drumming.



The rest of the album is made up of slight instrumental passages that really don't add to the flow of the record or provide any direction to where Player Piano is going. Hawk still knows his way around a hook and how to put together sounds that you wouldn't think would go together; but where that talent was fully focused and brilliantly executed on Seek Magic, here it is mostly scattershot and unsuccessful. By trying to make himself into a "band" he has limited himself, and unfortunately his voice is just not strong enough to carry an album's worth of songs. For his next project, it would benefit him to rely more on his strengths, and to not try to be something he is not.

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

Friday! Well, I wish it were my Friday, but I have to work all weekend. I haz a sad. Oh well, beats not having a job. Here are the videos of the week that made me squeeee!



One of my favorite songs from last year gets the video treatment. It is a very literal version of the song, and quite disturbing. I am not sure how I feel about how a beautiful song is matched with a gory video. It is definitely eye catching, and certainly NSFW.



Gorgeous, surreal black and white video from Memory Tapes for his single "Yes I Know." I am so looking forward to his new album.

Monster by Kanye West from FRANKUPDATES on Vimeo.

The finished and uncut version of Kanye West's "Monster." Pretty disturbing, but a great track off his last album.



Video made up of footage from a Panda Bear show and some street scenes.



Bat For Lashes performing a gorgeous cover of Radiohead's "All I Need."



Kick ass dubstep track from Flux Pavillion and Doctor P.

Ford & Lopatin "World of Regret" from Thunder Horse Video on Vimeo.

Cool, computer animated video for Ford & Lopatin's electro-synth confection.



Interesting, Godard-referencing video from The Grates.

Memory Tapes: "Yes I Know"

Hauntingly surreal black and white clip for a track off the upcoming Memory Tapes album Player Piano, which is set for release on July 15.

Memory Tapes: Player Piano

The sophomore album from hazy/trippy act Memory Tapes, Player Piano, is set to be released on July 5. Up above is the bizarre cover art. Below are two tracks you can preview from the album, as well as the final track list.

Wait In The Dark by Memory Tapes

Today Is Our Life by Memory Tapes

Player Piano

01 musicbox(in)
02 Wait in the Dark
03 Today Is Our Life
04 Yes I Know
05 Offers
06 Humming
07 Sun Hits
08 Worries
09 Fell Thru Ice
10 Fell Thru Ice II
11 Trance Sisters
12 musicbox(out)

Memory Tapes Set To Release Sophomore Album, Player Piano

On July 5, Davye Hawk, otherwise known as Memory Tapes, will release his second album. Player Piano. He says that the album will be less like the chilled out synth-heavy work of his debut Seek Magic and more inspired by “keyboard-based psychedelic girl-group songs” and rather than using programmed beats will use “drums that sound like The Kinks’ ’60s records.” Should be an interesting listen. Below is the first peek from the record.

Vondelpark: "Jetlag Blue Version 22"

Not much is known about Vondelpark aside from the fact he is a producer from London and has one EP (Sauna) on the R&S label. He doesn't even have a MySpace or Bandcamp page. He just creates his music and puts it out there. His sound is quite intriguing, marrying the more interesting chillwave/80s formalist bands (Memory Tapes, Twin Shadow, Wild Nothings) with garage and two-step beats. The EP is only 4 songs, but each one is riveting. I am specifically loving the track featured below:



I plan on reviewing the Sauna EP in the next couple of weeks, so be on the lookout for it.