Run The Jewels - RTJ3 (Self-Released, 2016)

Run The Jewels
RTJ3
Self-Released
2016

Rating: 9 dizzy eardrums out of 10

Hey look, another middle aged white dude who loves Run The Jewels!  That's definitely a unique thing that warrants further investigation!  Seriously, no one needs to hear another dipshit like me expound on the awesomeness that is El-P and Killer Mike.  They manage to feel both old school and modern at the same time, which is probably exactly why RTJ appeals to people like me.  There's about a million well written reviews already out there if you care to read such things, but here's the deal - if you're on the fence about Run The Jewels, they make it easy for you: go to the link above and you can download their album for free and decide for yourself if this is the best hip hop group of the last decade (hint: it is). 

Side note: this came out so late in 2016 I'm probably putting it on my best of 2017 list because fuck it why not.  It's probably going to be better than almost anything released in 2017 anyways. 

Nada Surf - Peaceful Ghosts (Barsuk, 2016)

Nada Surf
Peaceful Ghosts
Barsuk
2016

Rating: 8.5 pink skyscrapers out of 10

Hey, I'm writing about another live album!  This time it's the brilliant pop act Nada Surf, a band that can basically do no wrong in my book.  This past summer they played some gigs in Austria and Germany with local orchestras, and "Peaceful Ghosts" is the recorded output of (I assume) those gigs with the best takes cobbled together.  As with any release of this nature (assuming you're already a fan because a live album seems like a weird place to start listening to a new act), only one thing really matters - how does the recording sound?  The answer: brilliant, mesmerizing, moving.  In fact the recordings are so clean that other than the polite applause at the end of each track, you might think these are just alternate studio takes with an orchestra added.  And the orchestra WORKS...I mean really works.  They should look into actually recording some songs like this in the studio on their next album.  Like most official live recordings, "Peaceful Ghosts" almost works as a "best of" also: this is packed with classic songs like "Blizzard of '77,"Blonde on Blonde," "Rushing," "Inside of Love," and so many more.  Of course not every song I wanted is on here, but that just means they can release another live album like this include an entirely new group of their excellent pop gems.  

The Notwist - Superheroes, Ghostvillains + Stuff (Sub Pop, 2016)

The Notwist
Superheroes, Ghostvillains + Stuff
Sub Pop
2016

Rating: 8 museum debts out of 10

I didn't really have any intentions of writing about a live Notwist album - honestly, I've not paid a ton of attention to them since "Neon Golden," though there probably aren't a ton of albums in my collection that I've listened to more than that one.   Thing is, even though live records are often write-offs in my book, this is good - really fucking good.  The "Neon Golden" songs are why I decided to give "Superheroes, Ghostvillians + Stuff" a listen, but the recording sounds so fantastic that I've even enjoyed the tracks I don't know and it's inspired me to spend some time listening to their last couple of records.  There is an energy & life here that is hard to really describe or quantify but it makes for an album that's even more engaging than their studio output, and that's rarely the case (at least for my ears).  Built to Spill's "Live" from 2000 might be the last release of this nature to make me feel this way, and like on that record the band really lets the songs "stretch their legs" if you will...quite a few are twice or even three times longer than their studio counterpart.  This doesn't always work, in fact it rarely works, but it definitely works here. 

Terry Malts - Lost At The Party (Slumberland, 2016)

Terry Malts
Lost At The Party
Slumberland
2016

Rating: 7.5 fragile egg chairs out of 10

Terry Malts first record "Killing Time" was one of my favorite releases of 2012; their second effort "Nobody Realizes This Is Nowhere" was still decent, but a step down from their debut.  Given that, I wasn't sure what to expect from this third outing "Lost At the Party" - a continuing (very slight) downward trend, or a return to their previous form?  Luckily, it was the latter - the differences between this release and the last are subtle and I'm way too dumb to accurately put them in words, but this batch of songs has a little more punch or sheen (or whatever you want to call it) to them that was missing on the last pass.  As always, the Terry Malts sound is cold and very eighties, a combination of punk and new wave and pop...they're more or less a modern version of XTC, Jesus & Mary Chain, and/or Echo & the Bunnymen depending on the particular song.  I mean that as a compliment, for the record, as I've loved all three of those bands for much of my life.  It's not so much that Terry Malts are ripping off those bands as they are re-imagining the same sounds for a new, current audience.  Opener "Used To Be," "Won't Come To Find You," and "Seen Everything" are my picks for best tracks but there isn't a weak spot in the entire procession. 

Teenage Fanclub - Here (Merge, 2016)

Teenage Fanclub
Here
Merge
2016

Rating: 8 sand toddlers out of 10

I've been thinking for a few months on what to say about this latest Teenage Fanclub record, "Here."  I'm not sure I have a lot more to go with other than "sounds a lot like Teenage Fanclub" and "really damn good."  For my money, this is the best pop band in the world, and nothing about "Here" changes my mind about that.  If you enjoyed their last couple of records on Merge, "Man-Made" and "Shadows," then this is a must buy.  In fact, this is the best of these three records that I think of as their "mature pop" years.  "I'm In Love" and "Thin Air" is up there with one of the best one-two punches to start any of their records.  Maybe a few more mellow tracks than this band usually features, but even those are terrific.  If you've never listened to this band, go get "Bandwagonesque" or "Songs from Northern Britain" first - otherwise, a worthy buy to be sure. 

Preoccupations - Preoccupations (Jagjaguwar, 2016)

Preoccupations
Preoccupations
Jagjaguwar
2016

Rating: 7.5 eco-warrior latrines out of 10

Preoccupations used to be called Viet Cong, a band I had never heard of until there was a bit of hubbub over their name.  Apparently it was offensive to some folks - I'm guessing the Vietnamese - though I'm not entirely sure why, as it's the name of a group that fought with the North Vietnamese and not a slur I don't think.  I think a good rule to follow is that if you're a bunch of white dudes, don't name your band after anything that in any way has any connection to another culture, even if it seems non-offensive.  Non-white culture obviously - I can't imagine anyone would give a shit if you named yourself after somethingFrench or German or...er, well, maybe not anything Nazi related.  Unless you're a Nazi band, in which case I guess it makes sense.  Maybe don't be in a Nazi band though, okay?  That seems like a dumb thing to do.  Let me state for the record that Preoccupations are not Nazis, though they are Canadian.  The Stampeders and Pilot are also Canadian, so that's not necessarily a bad thing.  

Uh, where was I?  Anyways, old band with a new name, first record I've heard by them, and I like it quite a lot.  Sounds like the perfect combination of Wolf Parade, Constantines, and the Walkmen (token non-Canadian reference).  One of those rare cases where I was in a record store and heard this album playing and actually asked the clerk who it was.  I never do that - either I already know who it is, I'm too embarrassed to admit I don't know who it is to the music nerd clerk, or my desire not to talk to people is greater than my desire to know what it is.  I guess I could have just used Shazaam.  

This review has been almost entirely useless and pointless.  Just check this record out, it's worth a listen for sure. 

Lambchop - FLOTUS (Merge, 2016)

Lambchop
FLOTUS
Merge
2016

Rating: 7.5 big box deals out of 10

If you've ever wondered what would happen if Lambchop recorded a record where nearly all of the vocals were sung through tweaked-out autotune, have I got a treat for you...  Honestly, it works a lot better than you might expect.  Then again, when it comes to Kurt Wagner & company, it's best not to have any set expectations because they're surely gonna fuck with them in their own subtle way.  Even by Lambchop standards this is a very mellow album, more piano-led electronic lounge music than the off-kilter orchestral country in which the band typically traffics.  "FLOTUS" begins with the twelve minute long "In Care of 8675309" that sounds like the best song Bon Iver didn't write; ends with the eighteen minute long "The Hustle" that could have just as easily been on Wagner's electronic side project Hecta; and inbetween, tracks generally meander between different combinations of electronic beats, piano/keyboards, and (mostly) distorted vocals.  It sounds different from other Lambchop records, but right at home at the same time. 

Flock of Dimes - If You See Me, Say Yes (Partisan, 2016)

Flock of Dimes
If You See Me, Say Yes
Partisan
2016

Rating: 7.5 speedy game changers out of 10

Flock of Dimes is the solo project of Jenn Wasner of Wye Oak...and like with Wye Oak, it's more or less universally fantastic.  The woman has the Midas touch when it comes to writing pop songs. I would be curious to know how she decides when she writes something if it's for Wye Oak or Flock of Dimes.  A few years ago you could have said Flock of Dimes lacks the live instrumentation (particularly the guitar) of Wye Oak, and is a little...I dunno, dancier.  But then more recently Wye Oak released tons of songs on "Shriek" and "Tween" that fit exactly that description, so I'm really not sure what the difference is.  I guess it's just that Andy Stack isn't on this record, but given that he plays electronic drums as often as he plays real drums on Wye Oak songs these days, even that fact isn't really obvious.  I'm not sure where I'm going with this meandering nonsense...let's just say if you like Wye Oak I would be shocked if you didn't like Flock of Dimes, because the two sound mostly the same.  And that's ok, because Jenn Wasner is so damn talented and amazing no matter what the band name is on the record, I'm in. 

ISS - Studs (Self-Released, 2016)

ISS
Studs
Self-Released
2016

Rating: 8 glasses of frozen hamburger juice out of 10

ISS is Rich from Whatever Brains (now of Bodykit) and another dude from Brain F≠, and together they make this industrial punk that's got kind of a...dance pop vibe too it?  Because Rich is singing it's impossible for me not to automatically compare this to Whatever Brains because I've listened to them so damn much, but it's as if the goal here was to write the songs in the style of Le Tigre, and this is what came out.  I hear this particularly in the first two songs "Part-Time All the Time" and "Five Hours to Midnight."  Possibly thecraziest track is "Peniss Envy," where I guess they decided they wanted everyone to think they were a Revolting Cocks cover band.   

Only fifty of these tapes were made, so if you see one grab one.  It's only ten minutes long (six songs total), so you'll never get bored.  According to Rich/Sorry State, "some of these songs will be on the new FULL LENGTH TAPE on NEW BODY TAPES out later this year. that will be pro dubbed. These kinda sound shitty. Sorry!"

Wye Oak - Tween (Merge, 2016)

Wye Oak
Tween
Merge
2016

Rating: 8.5 squid landmines out of 10

All of the sudden, with little to no fanfare, Wye Oak put out a new record called "Tween."  If you were listening closely when I found this out you might have heard me squeak with excitement, because I've been all about some Wye Oak for the last couple of years.  A small part of it might be that I'm in love with singer/multi-instrumentalist Jenn Wasner, but it's mostly because they have such good damn songs (which certainly is one of the factors that makes me love Jenn so much SHHH NO ONE TELL HER I WOULD BE SO EMBARRASSED YOU GUYS).  

Anyways...good record overall, possibly great.  I don't love it as much as "Civilian" or "Shriek" yet, but I would not be surprised if it matched those two classics with more listens.  After burying her guitars under a pile of keyboards and basses on "Shriek," Jenn seemingly rediscovered a love for them here - though still not at the level of shredding you hear in "Civilian."  The best songs for my money are "Better (For Esther)," with it's badass synthy guitar solo, and "If You Should See," which sounds like a modern Cocteau Twins song, but better.

Definitely one of the best albums of the year, the only question is how high it will finish.  Right now I would guess top 5, minimum. 

Konvoi - Konvoi (Snot, 2016)

Konvoi
Konvoi
Snot
2016

Rating: 7.5 soft rubber lids out of 10

Konvoi is from Boone, North Carolina.  For any non-locals reading this, Boone is a hippy town in the mountains, and absolutely nothing good ever comes out of there (I say this as someone who grew up right down the road).  Apparently Konvoi didn't get this message, and instead decided to release this blast of post punk snarl that sounds like the Fall, early Whatever Brains, and maybe Ex-Cult all blended together.  I even hear a little bit of Strokes-style garage-pop catchiness to a couple of their songs, but there's a good chance no one else will agree with me on that one.  This is a great record (or actually, tape only much to my chagrin) on any level, but locally it might be the best thing this year and is definitely my favorite "new" local band/release of the last few years.   Nice job for once, Boone, keep up the good work. 

Outer Spaces - A Shedding Snake (Don Giovanni, 2016)

Outer Spaces
A Shedding Snake
Don Giovanni
2016

Rating: 7.5 moving bags out of 10

I've been thinking and thinking of what I want to say about this Outer Spaces record, and not a lot is coming to me...it's just a really damn pleasant pop record - no frills, no fuss, no muss, just solid, catchy songs.  Singer Cara Beth Satacino has a great, warm voice that sounds instantly familiar, and is very comforting.  With her voice and the way the songs are structured, this almost feels like an alt-country record minus all the twang.  That probably doesn't make any damn sense but it's something that keeps popping into my head while I listen.  This just doesn't move me to many words, but I'll be damned if I don't really like it.  Also: excellent live. 

Wolf Parade - EP 4 (Self-Released, 2016)

Wolf Parade
EP 4
Self-Released
2016

Rating: 8.5 drippy bottles out of 10

Hey, Wolf Parade is a thing again!  Color me glad, because I'll finally get to see them later this summer at Hopscotch after missing out the first time around.  During their hiatus or break-up or whatever the hell it was, I listened to a lot of the excellent solo efforts of the two frontmen: Dan Boeckner's Handsome Furs (as well as Divine Fits) and Spencer Krug's Moonface (as well as Sunset Rubdown).  So now when they get back together and come out with a new Wolf Parade EP, it no longer sounds like Wolf Parade to my ears but rather their solo endeavors, depending on the singer of the particular song playing obviously.  But...I don't really fucking care.  All four tracks on this EP are fantastic no what act they make you think of.  It's actually quite impressive that nearly everything either of those dudes touch sounds like gold to me...usually a split means weaker output, but somehow both Dan and Spencer have tapped a bottomless well of catchy goddamn songs.  Friggin' Canadians right?

Moonface / Siinai - My Best Human Face (Jagjaguwar, 2016)

Moonface / Siinai
My Best Human Face
Jagjaguwar
2016

Rating: 8 butter funks out of 10

I guess Moonface (aka Spencer Krug from Wolf Parade & Sunset Rubdown) enjoyed his first pairing with Finnish krautgazers Siinai so much that both groups decided to do the whole damn thing over again.  Before this pairing Moonface was plenty enjoyable, but could sometimes get a touch repetative with the organ dirges.  The addition of a full band to the proceedings have really given the songs focus, no more so than on the second track "Risto's Riff" - goddamn does that track burn white hot.  "Prairie Boy" also has a strong kraut vibe that I'm way into.  My only complaint really, and it's more an observation than a complaint, is that when you add a full band to what Moonface was already doing, you kinda just end up back at Wolf Parade...I'm guessing casual fans wouldn't be able to spot the difference.  I'm almost positive I don't really care though, as I'll definitely be spinning this record quite a bit for the next while, no matter who it sounds like. 

Also, we've got a real contender here for worst album cover of the year, right?

Fruit Bats - Absolute Loser (Easy Sound Recording, 2016)

Fruit Bats
Absolute Loser
Easy Sound Recording
2016

Rating: 7.5 fresh fish bets out of 10

It seems like bands don't really go away anymore, at least not like they did in my youth.  Not that I have a problem with that, mind you, just an observation.  Fruit Bats (aka Eric Johnson and whoever he gets to play with him for any particular record or tour) have been making really terrific, occasionally twangy, seventies-style soft rock since the early 2000s.  They would sort of disappear and reappear from time to time (or so it seemed), depending on if there was a new record to promote or not.  There was even an actual "break-up" of the band announced on the usual music websites a couple of years ago...and though it's not clear to me how (what is essentially) a one man band breaks up, apparently he patched things up with himself because here we have a new record, "Absolute Loser."  

All of that nonsense aside, this is a great "return" by the Bats.  Things kick off with the best track on the release, "From a Soon-to-Be Ghost Town," and never really let up.  Well, I guess they must let up at least a little bit if the first song is the best, otherwise they would all the best or better, and that makes even less sense than most things I write.  "Baby Bluebird" is also excellent, and there's honestly not a dud in the bunch.  That's typically true of everything Fruit Bats have released - I can't think of a bad song they've ever recorded.  

A few years from now when Fruit Bats release yet another excellent record, it's entirely possible I'll write this same stupid review again.  Next time it might include even more run-on sentences and grammatical errors!

The Egyptian Lover - 1983-1988 (Stones Throw, 2016)

The Egyptian Lover
1983-1988
Stones Throw
2016

Rating: 8.5 tadpole shrimp out of 10

I had no idea Egyptian Lover even existed until Moogfest in 2014.  A friend and I had driven up to Asheville just for the day to see Kraftwerk (one of the best shows I've ever seen in my entire life, for the record), and while wasting time that afternoon walking around downtown, came across the free, outdoor portion of the festival.  It was five in the afternoon, and here was this older, slightly chubby gentleman (and his assistant?) blasting some of the raddest 808 beats and synth layers on top of rapping that was straight out of the playbook of Afrika Bambaata.  It literally felt like I'd traveled back in time, and I loved every minute of it.  It was the perfect hip hop accompaniment to Kraftwerk, an urban version of their sound in a lot of ways. 

After that gig I searched out his material, but outside of Discogs it's not super easy to find.  Thankfully, the good folks at Stones Throw got a hold of the masters from the Lover himself, and released a four record compilation of all of his jams called "1983-1988" (despite the name, these songs are actually all from the period of 1983 to 1987).  It sounds so goddamn great, I want nothing more than to drive around and bump this in my car as if I was a kid again.  So many jams here - "Egypt, Egypt," "Computer Power," "Dial-A-Freak," "My House (On the Nile)," ...seriously, I love everything on here.  Just writing about it makes me excited to listen again and again and again.

Eric Bachmann - Eric Bachmann (Merge, 2016)

Eric Bachmann
Eric Bachmann
Merge
2016

Rating: 8.5 pink highlighters out of 10

I'm sure the "why" has been explained somewhere, but Crooked Fingers is no more, and now Eric Bachmann is just recording under his own name.  He's released recordings under his name before, and everyone knows Crooked Fingers was really just Bachmann solo anyways, but if he felt the need to jump through this hoop to keep going as an artist, who am I to argue.  I'm just glad he's still making music and I've got a new record to listen to...and a really, really damn good new record at that.  The second track "Mercy" is one of the best songs he's ever written, and certainly the closest he's ever come to producing music that would be confused with a sixties girl group.  there's actually quite a bit of backing female vocals ("Dreaming" and "Seperation Fright" are a couple of other outstanding examples, and there are more), which adds a nice extra layer you don't usually get with his sound.  I could see some (stupid) people being turned off of this slight turn, but Bachmann's deep voice still dominates - there is no changing that.  I feel pretty good saying this will be one of my favorite records of the year...then again, I can often say that about any music Eric Bachmann releases. 

Konono No. 1 - Konono No. 1 Meets Batida (Crammed Discs, 2016)

Konono No. 1
Konono No. 1 Meets Batida
Crammed Discs
2016

Rating: All the likembes!

I'm not even going to pretend I'm smart to be able to tell much of a difference from one Konono No. 1 record to another, I just know they're really fuckin' good at what they do, and this album "Konono No. 1 Meets Batida" is no different.  Totally mesmerizing, repetitive beats layered with electric likembes and lots of different vocals from multiple members (the band has a shitload of members).  There may well be other artists in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and elsewhere who are better at this particular style of music, but I've yet to hear them.  It certainly doesn't hurt That these cats (as well as the popular Tuareg musicians to the north of Congo) have hooked up with wealthy western artists who can not only get high quality recordings from top-notch studios, but world distribution contacts as well. 
 
Oh, in case you were wondering, Apparently Batida is a Portuguese DJ and producer who recorded this record, but it's not clear what he did beyond that to actually deserve his name in the title of the album. 

And let it be known that if you ever get a chance to see Konono No. 1 live, run, don't walk.  They're out-fuckin-standing. 

Mind Spiders - Prosthesis (Dirtnap, 2016)

Mind Spiders

Prosthesis

Dirtnap

2016

Rating: 8 giant codes out of 10

Despite this being their fourth record in five years and having connections to a ton of great bands (Bad Sports, Marked Men, Radioactivity, etc), somehow the Mind Spiders have totally escaped my attention.  It's punk, but that dark, synthy type that I always find myself drawn to.  The Devo-esque music combined with distorted vocals immediately made me think of Jay Reatard's side-project Lost Sounds, some of the heavier moments from Total Control...and hell, maybe one of the closest comparisons might be the late, great Whatever Brains, but I doubt anyone outside of the greater Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill area would have any idea what I was talking about.  Either way, this is catchy, good shit - gonna get a lot of spins. 

Nada Surf - You Know Who You Are (Barsuk, 2016)

Nada Surf

You Know Who You Are

Barsuk

2016

Rating: 7.5 radio kidnappers out of 10

The thing with Nada Surf is that even when you hear a new song by them for the first time, it already feels like music that has been in your life for a long time.  In particular, you could fully convince me that "Cold to See Clear" and "Rushing" were on other albums of theirs and I had just forgotten about it.  I suppose some could read that as the band being complacent and not growing, but when you write and perform pop songs as well as these guys do...well, I'm certainly glad they haven't changed anything and their sound is so consistently familiar.  Leave the "growing" to bands that still have shit to sort out - Nada Surf figured this all out quite a while back.  

As an aside, it still cracks me up to think of these guys as "one hit wonders," which I'm sure is how a lot of people still remember them (ditto for another amazing band that was more than that moniker, Superdrag).  I'm sure the band is well over it by now, but they must get the occasional drunken idiot at a gig who only wants to hear "Popular."