For the past couple of weeks I’ve been indulging, some might say overindulging, in generous helpings of noise-rockers No Age. Though often described as a punk band, I’d say that while such a label manages to somewhat encapsulate their sound and broader underpinnings, it also sells them a bit short. Yes, Dean Spunt and Randy Randall adhere to a decidedly DIY aesthetic and their lo-fi rock often reveals itself in raucous two minute bursts, but their music ascends beyond the implied simplicity of “punk”. Now, you may be thinking, “Um, they’re a guitar and drum duo. Isn’t simplicity kinda the point here?”… and you’d be right, but with those meager tools, No Age manage to create some deceptively sparse noise soundscapes. On their awesome debut full-length, Weirdo Rippers — which is really a collection of songs from a series of vinyl EPs simultaneously released on five different labels — walls of feedback, distorted buzzsaw riffs, and calculated, chaotic, crash cymbal-heavy assaults of drums yield a work characterized by serene moments of surging drone and pure noise attack. I just wish I had spent some time with it a bit earlier, because it’d definitely be sitting somewhere on that 2007 list I just put up.
Besides releasing an incredible album last year, No Age are already set to release their solid sophomore effort (and debut for Subpop) tomorrow! On Nouns, Spunt and Randall flex a bit more of their pop-muscles, crafting a batch of even more infectious noise-jams. You can even catch a glimpse of some non-distorted instruments (!!) on this record… okay, there’s about one. But don’t worry too much — while there may be some more pop appeal here, the album is certainly still an uncompromising work. In fact, I’m starting to feel like it’s even better than Weirdo Rippers. In any case, it’s easily one of the best of the year so far.
Watch: On top of all that, No Age recently appeared on Pitchfork.tv to perform a few songs and talk about the new album, awkward tour stories, and family expectations when they hear that you’re “a singer”. Watch the whole session HERE.
Remember when I used to blog here? No? Well, here I am… and at the risk of appearing completely irrelevant, here are my 25 favorite albums from 2007. Many apologies for the delay and for my general lack of posts over the past couple months, but now that I’m done with college I plan on dedicating a lot more time to this undertaking. I expect I won’t post again until I finally sort out the move to my new server. I’ve just gotta deal with a slight technical hiccup, but hopefully you’ll be hearing about that move very soon.
2007 was quite the year for experimental psych-pop and Yeasayer’s excellent debut could certainly be categorized as such. Yet, to be more specific, these guys feel like a band of psychedelic-mystics from somewhere in the Middle East with strangely appealing weirdo-pop sensibilities. Full of rich, layered compositions and gonzo-choral harmonies, All Hour Cymbals is surreal, progressive, haunting, and easily the most satisfying debut album of last year.
Man, how did it take me so long to get into Lil’ Wayne? I’m not sure, but I made up for it this year by indulging in Tha Carter II (2005) and Da Drought 3 at near obsessive levels. And who could blame me? On this sprawling double-disc mixtape, Weezy lays down his ferocious rhymes over a vast collection of prominent beats from 2007 and beyond. And while this may sound like it would yield a pedestrian listening experience, it does anything but — all thanks to Wayne’s ceaseless energy, dynamic vocals, off-the-wall humor, absurd wordplay, and inimitable, off-kilter cadence. Here’s hoping Tha Carter III gets to see the light of day.
Perhaps behind only members of the Boredoms, Shugo Tokumaru is easily one of the busiest people in the Japanese music scene. Not only does the man provide his ample production skills for a myriad of artists, he also plays guitar and shares writing and vocal duties in the band Gellers, whose impressive debut landed at #19 on this list. Yet, Shugo is best known for constructing unconventional pop music as a multi-instrumentalist solo artist. His latest album, Exit, contains some of his most energetic and accessible compositions; in fact, “Parachute”, the excellent opening track, fits into both categories. Soaring, intricate guitars and fragile chime-like percussion frame a relentless composition that nearly leaves you out of breath by the last flurries of guitar. And though it borders on becoming repetitive, it’s so absurdly infectious you’ll probably find yourself hitting “repeat” for another listen.
I have to admit, I was caught off guard by this album… and that may be why I initially didn’t think a whole lot of it. However, on subsequent listens, I realized that Kanye West had not only managed to stage a convincing departure from the sound of his first two efforts, but also had created the most cohesive and enjoyable album of his career.
On the appropriately titled Graduation, Yeezy trades in his backpack and books for a DeLorean and some futuristic shades. Devoid of any skits (almost always a welcome change), we’re presented with a concise, 13 track powerhouse of a record that finds Kanye heavily utilizing towering walls of synth, interspersed with surging strings and melancholic piano. It’d be easy to argue that this effort is a mixed-bag lyrically (as his albums tend to be), but personally I think his trademark balancing of arrogance and introspection is more successful here than on his other two albums. And when it comes down to it, we’re willing to overlook Kanye’s occasional eye-rollers and relish in his seemingly simple extended moments of genius, genuine honesty, and stellar production… all of which are in abundance on Graduation.
There really were a whole lot of career-bests released this year, and I think Caribou’s Andorra easily gives Up in Flames a run for the top of the Manitoba/Caribou catalog. Though most of the 60s-centered psych-pop of 2007 tended to choose Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys as primary influences, Caribou mastermind Dan Snaith seemed to be pulling more heavily from Odessey and Oracle. Hell, the album even shares its title with an obscure Zombies track (…and a principality in Spain). A fantastically rich album, Andorra’s swirling soundscapes are seriously engaging, making it quite easy to get lost in the depth of its sound. [Original Post]
Though this foursome is from Evansville, IN, their latest album has, so far, only been released in Japan through Asian Gothic. I’m not exactly sure what the hangups are for labels and distributors here in the States, but they really should come ’round quick. I mean, any examination of the Mock Orange discography will make it immediately apparent that they’ve only gotten better with each subsequent release. And Captain Love, with its continuous barrage of killer guitar hooks and absurdly catchy melodies, is easily their most accomplished work yet. [Addendum: Finally, the album is coming out in the U.S. sometime this summer.] [Original Post]
Perhaps the most intriguing concept album of 2007, Dave Longstreth’s reconstruction of Black Flag’s classic Damaged (completely from memory) somewhat ironically also ended up being one of last year’s most original recordings. Dirty Projectors craft a mesmerizing blend of intricate guitar work, sporadic passages of strings and woodwinds, and beautifully haunting and complex vocal harmonies… and though not as vicious sounding as Henry Rollins’ snarls, Longstreth’s meandering murmurs and wails pack intense power in their own way, at times resonating with the painful self-deprecation of the original album. On Rise Above, the compositions themselves manage a greater emotional range, often skewing a bit lighter than Black Flag’s unfettered negative aggression. As Longstreth himself said in regards to “Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie” (and the project itself) at their encore Daytrotter Sessions: “These songs where I tried to remember Black Flag songs are cursed: singing them every night for months on end, it’s hard not to become the person in them. You have to fight the songs in order not to become them. We had to turn this one into a love song.” [Original Post]
Steve Albini has spoken on the obsessiveness of the Forms; the stories that came out of their recording sessions describe a band that often insisted on doing dozens upon dozens of takes and went over each session with an intense level of scrutiny and care. We can probably assume that such a meticulous approach (compounded with the token “label problems”) contributed to the four year gap between their outstanding debut, Icarus, and their latest opus. However, there’s little doubt that it also helped ensure they created an impressively subtle, near-masterpiece of a record.
Seriously, this was easily the most underrated album of the year. Some places gave the Forms’ self-titled sophomore release the respect it’s due (eg: Stereogum), but for the most part it was criminally disregarded or ignored by internet hype-makers… for shame. [Original Post]
One of the most intensely anticipated, and intensely lauded, albums of 2007, Strawberry Jam is definitely the next logical step from 2005’s fantastic Feels, as the Animal Collective delve further into a more-cohesive experimental pop. And while this may be their most pop-driven release to date, it’d probably be a stretch to refer to this album as “accessible”. A remarkably refreshing effort, Strawberry Jam serves up waves of bizarre and sweet future-psychedelia, with cascading layers of off-kilter instrumentation, samples, drones, and percussion. For me, the tracks on this album range from pretty incredible to awe-inspiring. For reals. So, no matter what hype you’ve heard… chances are that the listening experience is gonna live up to it. [Original Post]
To be honest, I’m a little embarrassed that Animal Collective has so dominated my year-end list. But, when it comes down to it, Strawberry Jam and Person Pitch were a complete one-two punch. And, in particular, it was just impossible for anything to surpass Panda Bear’s virtually flawless, Brian Wilson-esque, meditative collage of pop genius. This is one of those albums that goes far beyond simply requiring repeated listens — rather, it should ascend to the level of “soundtrack for your very existence”… at least for a little while. [Original Post… my first post, actually]
Between finals, sorting out my upcoming graduation, holidays, and securing my own webspace (look for a move shortly!), it’s been a quiet couple of months around here. But I’m back with a couple of lists to round out my contributions for 2007… even if we’re in 2008 now.
5. Grizzly Bear - Friend
I’ve been a bit slow to come around to these guys, but this EP of odds and ends is a remarkably strong follow-up to Yellow House, one of the best full-lengths of 2006. In fact, Friend stands alone quiet well. The only real “misses” are some competent, but also fairly boring covers by C.S.S. and Band of Horses. Outside of that the EP is chock-full of highlights, including new versions of old songs that improve upon already impressive foundations (”Alligator”, “Little Brother”, “Shift”), a sparse new track (”Granny Diner”), a beautiful home recording from Daniel Rossen (”Deep Blue Sea”), and a more successful cover of “Knife” by Bradford Cox’s Atlas Sound project. Yet, perhaps the best track on Friend is Grizzly Bear’s haunting cover of “He Hit Me (It Felt Like a Kiss)” (written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King, popularized by The Crystals and Phil Spector). Originally conceived as a kind of satire, the Grizzly Bear arrangement pushes the song into truly dark territory until it operates as a kind of antithesis to the somewhat vague Phil Spector/Crystals interpretation.
The works of Brock Schism always seem to have me captivated and Colonists is no exception. On this latest Nero’s Day at Disneyland EP he continues to push his sound into new instrumental territory, interlacing his screeching, maniacal breakcore with counterpoints of haunting ambience. The whole record is a kind of twisted balance between pure annihilation and ominous dread. Rich, chaotic, ugly, painful, exacting, and downright awe-inspiring, Colonists may leave you exhausted, but it also leaves you wanting more. Lucky for us, Brock also plans to release a full-length in 2008 (aptly titled From Rotting Fantasylands), his first since 2004.
Zach Condon has become quite the force in the indie world since his relative explosion onto the scene with 2006’s Gulag Orkestar, putting out another great full-length (The Flying Club Cup) and EP in 2007. As the first recording to feature his live band, Lon Gisland does not disappoint, as Condon’s sprawling Balkan-inspired compositions are imbued with a fullness he couldn’t quite achieve on previous solo efforts. Perhaps as a testament to this fact, Beirut reworks the largely electronic-based “Scenic World” into a new version that reveals the full potential of the song as a much richer, sorrowful piece. However, the strongest track on the EP may be the anthemic opener “Elephant Gun”, which makes it very apparent that Condon’s crooning vocals also benefit from this full-bodied instrumentation.
Zazen Boys, easily my favorite active Japanese band, have consistently put out albums that end up totally dominating my listening habits. And though this EP was a bit of a latecomer (released on December 16th), I have no qualms placing it so high on the list. One part off-kilter new wave, one part frantic math rock, and one part jazz fusion jam, I Don’t Wanna Be With You is the latest genre-bending vision from band leader Mukai Shutoku. Not only does it fit quite nicely into their state of constant progression, but it also finds Zazen Boys at the top of their game on every track, even after replacing bassist Hinata Hidekazu earlier in the year.
Listen: Download:Zazen Boys - DARUMA Buy: The easiest (and cheapest) way for us in the West to get this, or any other Zazen Boys release, would be at the iTunes Store. You can also order a hard copy from CDJapan, but it’ll cost you nearly three times as much.
1. Tera Melos - Drugs to the Dear Youth
There wasn’t much of a question on what EP would take my number one spot. I’ve listened to this sucker more than anything else this year and my appreciation for these guys just keeps growing. Drugs to the Dear Youth is steps ahead of Tera Melos‘ untitled debut, and truly showcases their proficiency and ambition. Adopting a kind of free-jazz approach to their highly complex instrumental rock, they largely abandoned traditional song structures and instead crafted an epic, emotional, and relentless EP that is best appreciated as a whole. Sure, they may be creating a sound that some love to hate (see the “Random Internet Dweller” quote series on their myspace page), but let’s face it… what progressive bands don’t? In my opinion, Melos have managed to strike a very convincing balance between technical skill and affective melody, while many progressive bands often lose sight of the latter in pursuit of virtuosity.
There were definitely some tough choices that had to be made as I narrowed these down, and this list just wouldn’t feel complete if I didn’t include these awesome EPs. Honorable mentions:
The last Futureheads album, News and Tributes, was met with somewhat of a mixed response from critics and fans when it was released back in June of 2006 — perhaps understandably as it seemed to lack some of the energetic immediacy of their self-titled debut. However, after spending some time with the album, some ultimately began to revise their initial thoughts, myself included. Though it may not be as instantly accessible as the first record, it reveals its subtleties on repeated listens, showing a more calculating, mature side of these infectious post-punkers.
That being said, those who weren’t huge fans of News and Tributes should be glad to know that the first track to be revealed from the Futureheads’ upcoming, yet-to-be-titled third effort finds the band harnessing a straightforward, punk-centered sound that recalls the feel of their debut record. “Broke Up the Time” is essentially three minutes of unfettered energy; a relentless onslaught of power chords and an angst-ridden, sick-of-it-all lyrical barrage. And it wouldn’t really be a Futureheads song if it wasn’t all masterfully accented with their trademark vocal harmonies. These guys are sounding as solid and catchy as ever.
Listen: Download:The Futureheads - Broke Up the Time Buy: No word yet on a specific release date for the upcoming album, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Futureheads camp announces one soon.
Why? has got a lot to live up to after Elephant Eyelash, which was easily one of the best albums from 2005 (and probably my favorite from that year). But if the first single off the upcoming Alopecia is any indication, Yoni and crew’ve still got this shit on lock.
“The Hollows” is certainly grounded in the kind of intricate pop that characterized Elephant Eyelash, but everything has been twisted into something significantly darker; soaring piano arpeggios are supplanted by ominous harpsichord and acoustic guitars have become cutting, muted electric riffs. Gone is the fragile, brokenhearted Yoni Wolf of yesteryear… instead, we find him replaced with a more bitter version of himself, relating stories of malaise and alienation. As usual, the lyrical imagery is vivid, abstract, and compelling, focusing more on conveying emotion and mood than on crafting anything too concrete.
On top of this gem, the U.S. single will also include a Dntel remix of “By Torpedo or Crohn’s” (another track from the upcoming album), Xiu Xiu covering “Yoyo Bye Bye” from Elephant Eyelash, as well as a medley of Why? songs performed by Half-Handed Cloud. Nice. Alopecia doesn’t come out until March of 2008, but hopefully that’ll be enough to tide us over until then.
While a good portion of the hip-hop world continues to flex its collective bravado, remains fascinated with sex, money and guns, or flaccidly attempts to address meaningful issues and ideas, social criticism is still a key component of the genre. And while there’s a lot of great MCs trying to call out the world on its bullshit, there’s no one that does it as ferociously as Sole… this guy is the Noam Chomsky of rap. And like Chomsky, Sole tends to place the U.S. on the chopping block often, attacking American elites, traditions, capitalism, consumerism, and the population at large (including himself) with biting sarcasm and skepticism.
He’s apparently been pretty busy since completing 2005’s piercing, but decidedly uneven, Live From Rome, having already released the layered soundscapes of poly.sci.187 under his Mansbestfriend moniker back in May, along with an eight track bonus disc of scrapped material originally planned as a more traditional follow-up to Live From Rome. On top of that, Sole just unveiled his collaboration with Flagstaff’s Skyrider earlier this week. And even if this latest effort doesn’t quite live up to some of his past works, it’s a definite return to form.
The self-titled Sole and the Skyrider Band debut, like his instrumental album released this year, finds the MC drifting even further from any kind of traditional approach to hip-hop. Though Sole is often noted for his experimentalism, the presence of a full band pushes mere “beats” to new heights; Skyrider provide shifting, rich canvases for Sole’s intricate political railings. And while this album may find Sole at his most scathing, like his other records, it’s lyrical content isn’t just a sum of its criticisms. Rather, he manages to intertwine his political ideas and philosophies with his characteristic contradictions, introspection, self-deprecation, pessimism, sarcasm, dark odd-ball imagery, deft word play, and stream-of-consciousness style ramblings… all packed into his distinct, off-kilter cadence. Like most works from any member of Anticon, the latest Sole album certainly lives up to his crew’s early self-labeling as “Hip-Hop for the Advanced Listener”. It grants no quarter, challenging preconceived notions of what a hip-hop album, or even what a political album, should be.
There’s a lot of standouts on this record, but check out a couple here. The closing track, “Stupid Things Implode on Themselves”, represents perhaps the most significant diversion from Sole’s previous works, yet also manages to provide a strong conclusion for the album. The song shifts tempos from near funeral dirge with its droning organ and slow, tortured violin that’s ultimately sped up and violently plucked against syncopated drums and synth strings, only to collapse back into the hope-stifling drones that open the song. Sole’s delivery is as sharp as ever, seeming to compact the emotional weight of years of frustration into just a few verses. “In Paradise”, on the other hand, seems to more immediately recall the production found on Selling Live Water (2003) or Live From Rome, but finds Skyrider subtly embellishing and expanding upon this sound as Sole paints a vivid portrait of our Orwellian present, bemoans domestic hegemony and the loss of individualism, and links American aggression to patriarchy:
In paradise, wars are created by our fathers
In paradise, wars are created by our brothers
In paradise, wars are created by our leaders
In paradise, wars are prevented by our mothers…
Sole and the Skyrider Band is available now (and you can order it from Sole himself).
Tera Melos is back again this year, now teaming up with Texas-based aggro-instrumental rockers By the End of Tonight for a split EP, Complex Full of Phantoms. These guys just can’t be stopped, giving us even more schizophrenic insanity and lacing their crushingly complex math-riffage with sporadic vocals and a bit more dreamlike, ambient electronica this time around.
We’re so ready for another full-length, guys. But, until then… the EP comes out in early November on Temporary Residence.
Not only is Tera Melos working hard in the studio this year, but they’ve also been in a near constant state of touring. Check out the dates of their upcoming tour with Heavy Heavy Low Low after the jump.
Any regular surveyor of Stereogum should be familiar with New York indie rockers The Forms. I somehow managed to miss the initial buzz for 2003’s Icarus myself, but after hearing about them a few months ago I’ve become totally hooked. What’s even better is that I’ve recently enjoyed some sweet instant gratification from The Forms camp, as they are finally prepared to release their self-titled sophomore album next month.
It’s been over four and a half years since the Forms unveiled their Steve Albini-produced debut and to say fans have been anticipating this release is an understatement. They chalk up the delay to “various hardships”, but they also wanted to be sure they created something that was better than their first album. Considering how good Icarus is, that’s not an easy feat… yet, the more I listen to the new record, the more I think they may have done it.
Their sophomore effort brings back many of the same elements that made their debut so fantastic: shifting, odd time signatures and an overall rhythmic complexity, catchy, devastating melodies, Steve Albini’s production, killer guitar tones, and a lot of raw power and emotion. However, the Forms don’t simply rehash the strengths of Icarus, but instead manage to successfully rework those elements into an album that feels completely different. The Forms is a relentless, soaring, ethereal opus… something like an aural-version of floating weightless in a cloudless sky at dusk. Except more rockin’. And though it’s an album that really should be heard in it’s entirety (as was their first), I’d recommend checking out these tracks just to get a taste.
Somehow it’s been three weeks since my last post. It seems like every couple months my time just gets eaten up by something. Well, I’m back… and I plan to get into a groove before I start my Fall classes and just ride that groove until finals. Let’s start with something that’ll kick my brain into gear:
Tera Melos, one of my favorite bands right now, put out their Drugs to the Dear Youth EP earlier this year in an extremely limited vinyl release. They encouraged fans who bought the vinyl to rip and upload the EP to any and all P2P networks so that other fans could get their fix when the vinyl sold out. And upload they did… however, the rips were all of fairly terrible quality (trust me, I heard a couple of ‘em). This unfortunate fact has, in part, driven Tera Melos to re-release this fine piece of music on Springman Records in CD form.
Not exactly a light listen, Drugs to the Dear Youth is arguably the most challenging record I’ve heard all year (not to mention one of the best-titled). Prior to this release, Tera Melos had once been referred to as a mixture between Ornette Coleman and Converge; yet, Drugs seems to fit that basic mold even more so than their untitled debut album, as it finds Tera Melos approaching their ferocious, electronica-tinged, instrumental blend of post-hardcore, metalcore, math-rock, and post-rock from a perspective that resembles free jazz more than anything else.
The resulting EP is chock-full of beautiful noise, mind-boggling complexities, and some captivating melodies. Though certainly brutal, and at times schizophrenic, Drugs to the Dear Youth has been one of just a handful of albums released this year that have been especially difficult to set aside. So, for those who missed out on the vinyl release, I’d recommend you pick this up now.
Those who dig this should check out the new track, “When Worms Learn to Fly”, from their upcoming split with By the End of Tonight on the Tera Melos myspace page. Are those vocals!?
Also, for those who don’t know already, The Passion of the Weiss has made the jump to WordPress… so check out the new design and update those bookmarks.
Whaaa??? I mean, I realize that in the internet age music listeners have widened their spectrums, shortened their attention spans, expect instant gratification, and now become bored with most albums before they’re even officially released, but the fact that heads are already diggin’ post-Strawberry Jam Animal Collective jams is still a bit ridiculous to me. That aside, these songs sound amazing. How do these guys do it? Well, as long as they keep it up… who the hell cares how? Check out all three new songs from their performance at the MIDI Festival. (via Gorilla vs. Bear)
1: “Tasty Place”, 2: “Material Things”
“Walk Around”
Remember, the fantastic Strawberry Jam comes out on Sept. 11th. Pre-order it from Insound if you haven’t already.
Edit: It’s been slow around here, I know. I’m working on a short film with my girlfriend and some friends right now and will pick up a more regular posting pattern after our weekend shoot. In the meantime, I somehow missed this gem from the various MIDI Festival videos, but here’s “Brother Sport” in case you missed it too:
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