Atoms for Peace
Amok
XL
2013
Rating: 5 drug addled candles out of 10
I'm attempting to give a shit about this record by Atoms for Peace, and I'm not succeeding. It's not bad it's just...there. For those not aware this band features Thom Yorke and Flea and some other randoms and basically sounds like Radiohead outtakes. Yeah, you could do worse but that isn't saying much is it? Just listen to a Radiohead record. If you need more than that, just pretend Thom Yorke is wearing those stuffed animal pants Flea wears in Young MC's "Bust a Move" video. That sounds a lot more fun.
Hayden
Us Alone
Arts & Crafts
2013
Rating: 7.5 corn chip nail tips out of 10
I'm not sure I've paid any attention to Hayden since 2001's "Skyscraper National Park," and to be honest the only album of his I listened to a lot was his debut from 1996, "Everything I Long For." I always enjoyed his sound, but then I'd forget about him as soon as I stopped listening. I'd make a joke about this being because he is Canadian, but my love of Barzin and Neil Young and the Constantines prevents me from making Canadian jokes with a straight face.
This new record of his, "Us Alone," makes me realize I probably never should have stopped paying attention. Honestly, it doesn't sound that much different from that first record of his I heard over 15 years ago, but there is a warmth and honesty to his music that always makes it feel fresh to me. This record could have come out at any time in his career, but I'm really happy to be hearing it right now. Like always the instrumentation is very sparse (for some reason I thnk of him as the Canadian country-folk version of Low, but it's highly likely I'm the only person on the planet who thinks that), the tempos slow, and Hayden's deep voice feels very comforting. I'm especially fond of the album opener "Motel," and my favorite track is "Old Dreams," which has a melody that worms it's way into your head for days after you hear it.
I probably need to start digging into his back catalog, to see what I've missed this past decade...
The Mary Onettes
Hit the Waves
Labrador
2013
Rating: 7.5 vinyl johnsons out of 10
It's been a few years now and I still can't get over the fact that The Mary Onettes are not a garage pop band with a female singer. The name is just goddamn confusing when compared to the music. And the music, like the band, feels very very Swedish.
I had the most random thought while listening to this record - if this band were thirty years older, they'd probably be performing with Midnight Oil. Why Midnight Oil? I have no idea. I think I heard their hit song "Beds are Burning" recently and they've been stuck in my head since. Their fucking singer is just as creepy to me now as he was when I was a kid and once convinced myself he was in the woods with me on one dark night. Anyways, the Mary Onettes don't sound anything like Midnight Oil, instead more like a very poppy version of the Cure. They have a very cool, keyboard and synth driven sound - and by cool I don't mean hip, though that probably also applies. It sounds like music for a breezy fall afternoon.
I actually quite like this, and provided I can get over the name I could see this getting a lot of spins over the next few months.
Radar Bros.
Eight
Merge
2013
Rating: 6 strong backs out of 10
You'd never know it from the title of the album, but that is the eighth record the Radar Bros. have released. Is it possible for a band to sound like an area? Because all I've ever been able to think of when I hear these guys is the central valley of California. Maybe it's because they remind me of a slightly countrified version of Grandaddy with a tinge of Pink Floyd; maybe it's because I actually saw them once in a neat old theater in some run down central valley town, opening for Grandaddy; or maybe I'm just full of shit. All valid reasons.
I've only given this a few listens, but it isn't punching me in the ears like many of their past releases have. I highly doubt they ever top the outstanding "The Singing Hatchet" from 1999, an all-time favorite of mine, but fairly or unfairly I always have that benchmark in the back of my head. That's not to say this is a bad record by any measure, but when I listen to "Eight" it makes me want to put on "Hatchet."
Maston
Shadows
Trouble in Mind
2013
Rating: 7 tangled cords out of 10
Trouble in Mind have been on a real roll putting out quality psychedelic pop records lately - the stunning Jacco Gardner release is my favorite of the year so far, and this record "Shadows" by Maston is a damn nice release itself. Maston is apparently Frank Maston, a kid from LA who is looking backwards to make his forward and enjoyable music. The music almost has a "space age lounge" vibe to it ala Combustible Edison, though much more pop and not as jazzy as those cats were. Do the kids even have any idea who Combustible Edison are anymore? Maybe if I make a reference to later-era Beach Boys minus the harmonizing vocals, that will get better response. Hell, you could almost even throw a Burt Bacharach comparison in there if you wanted to. The only real difference is the vocals - Maston has a fine voice, and he pairs it with quite a bit of effects, but he's obviously no Bacharach or Brian Wilson - but few people are. It's gotten to the point that I will listen to anything Trouble in Mind releases, because they never let me down anymore. Great label.
Shout Out Louds
Optica
Merge
2013
Rating: 6.5 proper goodbyes out of 10
I'm at a loss as how to classify Shout Out Louds - there is no easily identifiable genre name for their music, despite there being plenty of bands that fit in this niche. Adult-oriented, mature pop with a heavy gloss to it but still not sounding overly commercial or, well, cheeseball. The Swedes seem particularly adept at this sound, the Shout Out Louds probably being the very best. Or maybe Acid House Kings. Let's just call it a tie. Anyways, good record...loved their first two, not sure I even listened to their third; this one is a step below those first two, but I'm not talking about any huge drop off. I don't really have anything more fruitful to say here - good, mature pop.
Mount Moriah
Miracle Temple
Merge
2013
Rating: 7 wifi passwords out of 10
Being a local band here to the Triangle, I've followed Mount Moriah from very early in their inception. It makes me both happy and sad to see them signed to Merge and getting greater recognition around the country. Selfishly, the shows are not only less frequent locally, but much less intimate; but I'm incredibly happy for the band, as they definitely deserve it.
I'm not in love with "Miracle Temple" the way I was with their self-titled record from 2011. And I would have been highly surprised and impressed if I was, as that record is one of my favorite things of the last few years. Nothing stands out on this one the way "Lament" did on the first album, but it's a very strong record from start to finish. My favorite song is actually the last one, "Telling the Hour," an interesting inclusion as a live version of this track was released as far back as their "The Letting Go" EP - the first thing they ever released as a band as far as I know.
This is still likely to be one of my favorite records of the year, but it;s definitely a grower compared to past albums. And let it be said if you were to give bonus points to a record review based on a band's live performances, this one would be ranked beyond perfect.
Bleached
Ride Your Heart
Dead Oceans
2013
Rating: 7 banana runts out of 10
Bleached set a pretty damn high bar with the release of the seven inch "Carter" in 2011, specifically because of the song "Think of You." One of the catchiest tracks of the last few years by any band for my money. I'm not entirely sure their first full-length "Ride Your Heart" quite measures up, but it comes a lot damn closer than I ever expected. Their sound has matured and gotten a lot "cleaner" - not sure if this was intentional, the natural progression of a young band growing, or just the by-product of recording on better equipment. There is nothing on this record quite at the earworm level of "Think of You," but "Dead in Your Head," "Waiting by the Telephone," and "Love Spells" all put in a good effort. I'm fully on the fence over this release right now - is this a quick sugary fix or will I still be listening six months from now? Only time will answer that. One thing is for sure - if you're looking for sunshiney California alterna-pop with a small nod towards sixties girl group harmonies, you could do a hell of a lot worse.
The Men
Electric 7''
Sacred Bones
2013
Rating: 7 joke camels out of 10
Highly listenable new seven inch from hot shit band The Men. It's kinda weird how different this band sounds from when I saw them a couple years ago, but I've genuinely liked all their different incarnations so...yeah. First side "Electric" is an anxious nineties alt-rocker, a wall of guitars that is impossible not to tap your toes to, as cheesy as that sounds. But I really like the flip side "Water Babies" the best of the two, which I would bet a thousand dollars was a Dinosaur Jr cover if I didn't know better. Maybe a little less guitar histrionics than J Mascis, but other than that holy shit was I surprised how much the Men sounded like them here. I could listen to these two songs over and over. In fact, I just did.
Ty Segall
Would You Be My Love 7''
Drag City
2013
Rating: 6 water bottles out of 10
A rather uneventful seven inch by the current god of the garage underground, Ty Segall. Side A is the title track "Would You Be My Love," which is already available on the "Twins" record - good song but nothing new there. The B-side "For Those Who Weep" is a mellow acoustic track that sounds a lot like the Beatles to be honest. Not my favorite work by Segall but a nice track. This release is worth grabbing if you're a big fan, but nothing I'd go out of my way for.
Mean Jeans & Big Eyes
Split 7''
Dirtnap
2013
Rating: 7.5 out of 10 for Mean Jeans, 6 out of 10 for Big Eyes
This split features two songs by each band. The front half is Mean Jeans, one of the best Ramones-ish pop-punk bands working. First track "I Miss Outerspace" is classic Mean Jeans, very enjoyable. then they cover a Big Eyes song "Since you Left," and definitely make it their own. The flip is Big Eyes, a band I didn't know shit about. They have more of a glam pop sound with female vocals, and pull the flip formula from the Jeans - one of their own and then a Mean Jeans cover. Not as into their half of the record, but it ain't bad. The Mean Jeans side is aces though.
Guided by Voices
The Bears for Lunch
Guided by Voices Inc.
2012
Rating: Watch me bulldoze every bulldozer away.
Hey, another Guided by Voices record! Imagine that! Look, it sounds pretty good. Some hooky songs, some filler, typical GBV. It's like this - never heard of these guys? Go buy "Alien Lanes,"it's one of the greatest records by any band of all time. Then work your way up and/or out to their more recent work, but get completely dick deep in their nineties output. As for longtime fans like myself...if you're keeping up with this recent resurgence, you might as well get this one too. You won't be disappointed, but you probably won't be wowed either.
Jon Mueller
Death Blues
Taiga
2012
Rating: 7 artificial cherries out of 10
I really love this Jon Mueller record "Death Blues" and want to promote it to anyone who will listen, but at the same time I feel completely unable to properly describe it in a way that would make people want to listen. This record makes me feel dumb, and despite my outward appearance it's not a feeling I'm accustomed to. Mueller is a drummer by trade, and percussion is definitely the foundation of all these songs; but he layers on top of that a smattering of other instrumentation including monk-style chanting and playing the guitar like a hammered dulcimer. It's very rhythmic and repetitive, but never boring. If I was the person in charge of genre naming, this one would go under "monastic kraut drone." Again, really loving this despite the stupid review.
A$AP Rocky
Long.Live.A$AP
RCA
2013
Rating: 7 laser blasts out of 10
Despite my typical taste in hip hop, I'm digging this A$AP Rocky record. God knows I'm not the audience he is shooting for, and the lyrics are pretty inline with the typical dumb pop rap that dominates the charts, but something about this stands out...the tone maybe, and definitely the music. I'd likely listen to an instrumental version of this, the music is so good. A$AP has a nice, pleasant voice and flow, something I don't say too often about today's popular rappers. I can't imagine my words are going to move any more units so I'm not going to waste them, but for anyone on the fence this record is worth a listen.
Low
The Invisible Way
Sub Pop
2013
Rating: 7.5 cup sleeves out of 10
Another new record by the musical institution known as Low. They've been a part of my life for so long that it's hard to imagine what it was like not being able to hear their delicate, wonderful music. Apparently "The Invisible Way" marks Low's 20th anniversary as a band, and they are one of a very small fraternity that I find just as riveting now as when I first heard them probably 18 years ago. They've done this by keeping things relatively the same and very simple - sparse instrumentation, quality songwriting, and some of my favorite vocals in all of music. I've read Jeff Tweedy of Wilco was their producer this time in the studio, but to these ears you can 't tell a difference - it still sounds like vintage Low. To be perfectly honest, so long as the record includes Alan and Mimi singing, they could probably put out an album that was 90% fart sounds and I'd be happy to listen. No fart sounds here though, just beauty.
