Someone To Love More Than Music: June 2008

June 28, 2008

What? A Dog Wearings Sunglasses?! Best Premise Ever. How Can We Build a Film Around it?

Whoa! It's been like 5 days since I've last posted. crazy! well I'm going to a show tomorrow and things will be different. P.S. Summer Classes = little time to do things other than summer classes and hang with friends.

June 23, 2008

"Give Me Your Banana, Let Me Taste Your Banana"

Yozoh - My Name Is Yozoh
Verdict: Love (<)
Spare me this: her voice is so cute that I can't help but be in love with her. the music is cute and completely harmless, on top of being lovely-sounding. Granted I have no idea what she's saying most of the time, but it sure sounds cute :)

Yozoh - 바나나 파티
Yozoh - Love
Yozoh - 그런지 카

"You're Forgetting Who You Are"

The Gossip - Live In Liverpool
Verdict: Love More (<3)
Here's the thing: I like music that gets my energy up, and the live variations of these songs make the studio version quiver with fear. This album stays out late at night, and scares your mother. Good music or no, I had fun with this album and that's all that matters to me ... this time.

The Gossip - Are You That Somebody (Aaliyah Cover)
The Gossip - Standing in the Way of Control
The Gossip - Careless Whisper

"Rasta Man Was Born to Bear Tribulations"

Earth, Roots and Water - Innocent Youths
Verdict: Like ()
I don't claim to know a whole lot about Reggae, but I do claim to know a whole lot about what I think is good music, and these cats got it on lock.

Earth, Roots and Water - Tribulations
Earth, Roots and Water - Jah Les' Lament

Lakes of Russia - Stars Decorate the Fire
Verdict: Love (<)
Epic ambient chill-out Post-Rock. A very large sound from just one guy.

Lakes of Russia - Fireflies
Lakes of Russia - Watch The Silhouette Fade

June 22, 2008

"It Took All of My Courage To Make This Call

The Heartbreak Scene - The Szabo Songbook
Verdict: Love (<)
Dan Bejar/Destroyer added some vocals and played guitar sometimes. But it doesn't feel like a Bejar side project, and that good, because his music stands alone, and The Heartbreak Scene can do the same ... if that makes any sense at all...

It feels like female lead Bruce Springsteen in the 80's sometimes (which I count as good). I dunno, the whole thing has a retro-but-only-a-little-retro feeling to me. I like that.

The Heartbreak Scene - Love Outside Movies
The Heartbreak Scene - Remember Free Love
The Heartbreak Scene - I Should Be With You

"I'm Just Sitting On the Shelf"

She & Him - Volume One
Verdict: Like ()
At times it's a little bit like Pop-Joanna Newsom, other times it feel like pop versions of other underground folk artists. I feel bad saying that it just wasn't the best. I think the second album will be better, if it happens (which I hope it does).

She & Him - Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?
She & Him - You Really Got A Hold On Me (Smokey Robinson Cover)
She & Him - Sweet Darlin (Jason Shwartzman composed this one)

"My Last Name Should Be 'That's That Nigga'"

Pharoahe Monch - Desire
Verdict: Love More (<3) +
So I've been listening to this Pharoahe Monch album like crazy as of late, and couldn't help but lay down a few choice words in relation to the album: Best. Amazing. Astonishing. Yes. I can't believe I missed out on this one last year, even though Tom told me to check it out like every other week. Just another instance of how Tom is pretty much on top of good hip-hop.

Pharoahe Monch - What It Is
Pharoahe Monch - When The Gun Draws
Pharoahe Monch - Hold On
Pharoahe Monch - Agent Orange

June 21, 2008

"Just a Link, Just a Link In a Paper Chain"/"Naked in the Kitchen Again"

The M's - Real Close Ones
Verdict: Love (<) +
The M's - Ultraviolent Men
The M's - Naked
The M's - Papers

The Square to the Foot

I would just like to make a post to say hello to one of my readers way out in Louisiana by the name of Andrew. He is a friend/co-worker of my buddy/fellow blogger Shan, and I just wanted to say hi to both of them, public-like. Hi there.

I also wanted to stop the current madness that is my "not writing about the albums" style of reviewing that I'm currently employing in order to get through my list of albums that I've got piling up to review and say this: I'll start writing about the albums again as soon as I've slimmed the list down again. So if you read my blog for my randomness, don't worry, I'll be back to normal shortly. For those of you here to grab the mp3's and couldn't care less about what I'm writing ... well I suppose you're not even reading this, so nevermind haha :) These quick posts may continue on into next week. I'm not even sure how many albums I've actually got to get to, because I'm a little afraid of becoming discouraged.

Dosh - Wolves and Wishes
Verdict: Like ()
Dosh - Don't Wait for the Needle To Drop
Dosh - Wolves
Dosh - The Magic Stick

Meat Beat Manifesto - Autoimmune
Verdict: Indifferent (~)
Meat Beat Manifesto - I Hold the Mic!

"Distant Parties, Distant Parties"

65daysofstatic - The Distant And Mechanised Glow Of Eastern European Dance Parties EP
Verdict: Love (<)
65daysofstatic - Goodbye, 2007

"Ain't Been One Three Way Since I Was In 8th Grade"

Jabee/OB-one - Because I Won EP
Verdict: Like ()
Get the whole thing right here

"Put Me On A Train Mama, 'Cause Things Just Ain’t the Same No More. Put Me On a Train Mama, I'm Leavin’ Today"

3 Doors Down - 3 Doors Down
Verdict: Didn't Like (ø)
3 Doors Down - Train

Mouse Eats Leaf - Adrift
Verdict: Love (<)
Mouse Eats Leaf - We Are Wolves
Mouse Eats Leaf - There Should Be Something Here
Mouse Eats Leaf - Drifting, Drifting

Ott - Skylon
Verdict: Love (<)
Ott - From Trunch to Stromness
Ott - 382 Seaside
Ott - The Queen of All Everything

Desperate Times.

I've decided that I'm too backed up because of the move and the busy-ness to give full write ups for each of the albums I've heard recently, so I'm just going to be rating the albums. Sorry, but desperate times call for terrible clichés. Expect the first couple ratings to fly out here within the hour.

"In The Stadium Parking Lot"

so my buddy/fellow Coloblogger JJ informed me of a lil happening going down in the Coors Field Stadium Parking Lot that just happens to have a line up that looks a lil something like this:

Gnarls Barkley
Blonde Redhead (one of my all time favorite bands)
Bassnectar
Dead Confederate
Eagle Seagull
Hot IQs
maybe more. info is hard to find.

When? 2PM on Sat. June 28th.

How much? Free.

I think you have to be 21+ though. lucky for me...

Westword and Karma Spares No One have a little more info

"By Now We're Running Away"

There is a Denver based band that goes by the name Dinner With Cannibals that recently friended my band's myspace, and I was so impressed with their music that I had to talk about them.

Dinner With Cannibals - Dinner With Cannibals E.P.
Verdict: Love (<)
Dinner With Cannibals sounds like a combination of Man Man, Dog Fashion Disco, and Sleepytime Gorilla Museum. Please check them out, I think they're a talented bunch of guys:

Dinner With Cannibals - Lets Play Football
Dinner With Cannibals - Keepsakes of Addiction
Dinner With Cannibals - Pish Posh
Dinner With Cannibals - Whipping Boy
Dinner With Cannibals - Big Time Cum Shot City

Heloise & the Savoir Faire - Trash, Rats, and Microphones
Verdict: Didn't Like (ø)
Straight up the whole thing sounded like "Indie-dance-rock-by-numbers." I felt that it was too formulaic. That may not be the case, but I didn't like it either way.

Heloise & the Savoir Faire - Illusions

"Would You Let Me Be Your Girl?"

The Alligators - See Ya Later
Verdict: Love More (<3)
Reminding me of really early You Say Party! We Say Die!, but cuter and more focused on indie rock than indie dance rock, The Alligators have made a quiet the little EP, if I may say so myself. Without sounding stale, The Alligators sound familiar and comforting, like the night during summer. Catchy hooks and sweet melodies grab you, and then you basically have the best time ever. I would love to see these cats, but it seems like they're a little tied down to Provo at the time, and I suppose that's all right. One day though, I hope to get to see them :)

The Alligators - Oh Oh Oh
The Alligators - Touch

Aaron Neber - Conversations You've Had When No One Was Listening
Verdict: Like ()
Ambient and heavy and lo-fi and noisey, Conversations You've Had When No One Was Listening, is an album/collection of songs that one can only assume has an interesting story behind it. But, regardless of the motives behind the music, I can't help be be drawn to the spaced out nature of the songs. It reminds me of the leaked "Karen O" demo cd and of what early Velvet Underground demos might have sounded like. To a degree, it reminds me of Jandek and his whole "I'm gonna just wail and moan for about an hour while randomly hitting the guitar, and you're going to love it" thing. Not for everyone, but certainly for some:

Aaron Neber - This is Muddy
Aaron Neber - Eat Your Young
Aaron Neber - DrumDrum_BeatBeat

June 20, 2008

"Strip Me Naked"

The Night Marchers - See You in Magic
Verdict: Indifferent (~)
I just wasn't interested. But other people seem to be, so maybe you should give it a shot? I was just bored.
The Night Marchers - Closed For Inventory

"What a Life Indeed When That Ancient Seed"

Fleet Foxes - Sun Giant EP
Verdict: Love More (<3)+
There are few examples of EPs that truly win me over, but in this case, it didn't even take more than a few seconds for me to fall madly in love with this band. I've recently acquired their new album, and will be reviewing that one as soon as I get around to listening to it, so I'm going to keep this short. Fleet Foxes make plants want to grow. That's how rad this EP is. Not a bad song in the bunch

Fleet Foxes - Sun Giant
Fleet Foxes - Drops in the River

"I'm Waiting, For You To Come Home"

Pacific UV - Longplay 2
Verdict: Love More (<3)
Pacific UV does one great thing with this album: it gives me faith that there will be, at some point, more than 3 or 4 really great Pop-Rock bands out there that people can point to and say "man, every thing they make is just transcendental." Longplay 2 starts off letting us know that they do, in fact, know of that one band that basically started Post-Rock (eh-hem, GY!BE), but also lets us know that, while they are minorly indebted to Godspeed, they don't need to basically reproduce what Godspeed has all ready done. I think the best way for me to describe these cats is to say that they sound like a mix of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Explosions in the Sky, and Sigur Rós, taking the best elements of what those bands have done, and reshaping them in new and exciting ways. No One can claim that this band isn't in the know.

Pacific UV - Alarmist
Pacific UV - Something Told Us
Pacific UV - Waiting

June 15, 2008

Lets get mega-underground for a second:

Ametlles - Ti Voglio Bene
Verdict: Like ()
I think the biggest draw this album has to it is it's almost dissonant guitar work and almost apathetic piano-ish type noises that accompany a few of the songs. The songs are, thus, rather creepy in nature, but, I think beautiful because of it. Not the most stunning piece of art ever to be pushed into the world, but I actually do like it :)

Ametlles - #11
Ametlles - #28
Ametlles - #35

"I'm Fearless, Now Hear This, I'm Earless, And I'm Peer-less, That Means I'm Eyeless, Which Means I'm Tearless"

I just want to say that the first time I saw this album cover, I thought "who does he think he is, Tool?" I know I'm a little late on this review (it did come out last year after all), but I'm only 1 guy, and can only hear so much music in 1 year.

Lupe Fiasco - Lupe Fiasco's The Cool
Verdict: Love More (<3)
I wasn't dogging on him for the album artwork, I actually think it's a really interesting and bold-ish move to have such an intricate, non-bitches-and-clams-filled album artwork. I think it's the first step into the awkward and alternative world of Lupe Fiasco. Granted, some of the songs are rather typical Pop-Hip-Hop (not Pop-Hop, mind you), but some of it is actually quite interesting and peculiar, which is what drew me to it. As I listened to it more, I discovered that, regardless of whether or not I agree with what he has to say, he, admittedly, does have something to say, which, as an MC, is really good (especially considering most Pop Hip-Hop). Even better, he has inventive rhymes, which means that not only does have have something to say, but he's saying it in ways that people may or may be accustomed to, which I really like. Another thing that I think is something that needs to at least be mentioned is that Lupe sounds really relaxed on this album. He doesn't need to shout to get you to listen, and that, my friends, is triumphant. Here are some of the more interesting tracks:
Lupe Fiasco - Dumb it Down
Lupe Fiasco - Little Weapon
Lupe Fiasco - Put You On Game

"Anywhere Is Good Enough, Hook Me Up, Hook Me Up, Hook Me Up, Anywhere Is Good Enough, Hook Me Up, Hook Me Up, Hook Me Up"

Okay, I've been loving on albums too much, I think it's time for a low down hating:

The Veronicas - Hook Me Up
Verdict: Hate (-)
I would just like to start off by saying that the only reason I have no problem dogging on this album is that there is a really good chance that my review isn't going to take any money out of their pocket; everyone who would have purchased their album or gone to their show will still do so regardless of what I have to say. Now let me just say that if this album were a lemon, it wouldn't be worth the squeeze to make lemonade. It was described as The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and The Sounds, mixed. Yeah, if the two bands were children who listened to Brittany Spears and liked it. This album is a terrible excuse for a rip off of the current surge in interest in the Indie-Dance genre. It's Pop people. It may not sound exactly like stereotypical late 90's, early Odds pop, but the formula is still in place, and the soul is still not there. Now, if this really is the work of a group of musicians who really are putting all their hearts and souls into music that they see as pertinent (of course, who decides what is and is not pertinent? I hope I've not gotten so conceded that I think that person is me ... anyway... continuing...), then call me the clueless critic who reviews Hop On Pop and essentially casts it in a storm of stale poo. All I can say is that I think this is the least interesting piece of music I've encountered all year, and that, really, the only reason I'm talking about it in the way that I am is because I was tricked into thinking it was going to be a raucous romp in ridiculously rad Whatever-The-Heck-They're-Calling-It-These-Days, and I felt betrayed. There, now I feel better. Maybe I'm wrong. Try it for yourself:
The Veronicas - Untouched
The Veronicas - Hook Me Up

"If I Get Nothing, That's Fine, Because Nothing's What I go

One of those albums that I've loved for a while but just haven't reviewed yet:

Jacob Borshard - The Last Brontosaurus
Verdict: Love More (<3)
There are two amazing things about Jacob Borshard: 1) his music and 2) he allows people to download his music for free (this album is available here, in it's entirety). The only problem with this album is it doesn't have my favorite song by Mr. Borshard that is called "Six Million Dead Punks Can't Be Wrong (Punk's Not Dead," but you can only release that song once. His songs are continuously cute/adorable/you get the point. There is absolutely no reason why you shouldn't check him out.
Jacob Borshard - Brains Brains
Jacob Borshard - Mary 1994
Jacob Borshard - Did You Know Rousseau?
Jacob Borshard - Hello Buddy

"Got My Rum and I Got My Tequila, Got Somewhere to Beya"

Up next is:

The Tom Fun Orchestra - You Will Land With a Thud
Verdict: Like ()
At first I thought maybe this band was a Tom Waits cover band, but then I realized that Tom Waits has a little more style than these folks, but don't hold that against them, because, seriously, who is as stylin as Tom Waits? Maybe there are a few deities that might beat him out, but that's about it. That said, the album was really fun, for a couple songs at a time. I didn't really make it all the way through, but when I did go back and listen to a few songs at a time, I had a really good time. I can only imagine what these cats will sound like when they develop their sound even more. I'd love to see them live.
The Tom Fun Orchestra - When You Were Mine
The Tom Fun Orchestra - Rum & Tequila
The Tom Fun Orchestra - Throw Me To The Rats

June 14, 2008

"The Last Significant Statement To Be Made in Rock'n'Roll"

And here we see:

The Indelicates - American Demo
Verdict: Love More (<3)
Julia Clark-Lowes, of The Pipettes, now has a main project, which is an outrageous ode to themselves ... or, at least, the first song on the album would have you believe so. Having a song titled "The Last Significant Statement To Be Made in Rock'n'Roll" can have that effect. To be frank, however, the album is actually quite good, sounding more like a collection of singles than a debut album. I find it interesting, however, that Julia's vocal parts are, I'm embarrassed to say, kind of the weaker moments of the album. I had a really hard time narrowing it down to these 4 songs:
The Indelicates - The Last Significant Statement To Be Made in Rock'n'Roll
The Indelicates - America
The Indelicates - Better To Know
The Indelicates - If Jeff Buckley Had Lived

"I Thought I Might Have Heard You On The Radio, But The Radio Waves Are Like Snow"

I'm back. and I think I'm going to do things a little differently. I'm going to post the reviews I make individually, and as I finish them. We'll see how well that works out. Here we go:

Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer
Verdict: Love More Than Music (<3>)
Um. So here's the thing, I'm utterly in love with this album. As far as I'm concerned, it may very well be the best album of the year, with a possible exception titled Umalali. There is a type of album that I've often remarked upon that is called "Instantly Nostalgic." Albums that are Instantly Nostalgic may at first sound like you've heard it before, and maybe you'll think that the artist is just treading old paths, but, in reality, the band has perfected their sound to the point that they sound like something that you've been in love with since you were a kid. When you hear it for the first time it's like you're hearing it again, just to feel the way that the album makes you feel. Few albums are like this. At Mount Zoomer is a triumph. I think it's one of the first times I've ever really noticed how well a well produced album sounds. It's perfect. I can't find anything wrong with it. It would be impossible to give you the "best songs," because I don't think that any of the songs are much better than the others, but when the songs all rate somewhere around 10 out of 10 anyway, that makes a little more sense ... anyway, I'm just goig to give you my favorite song on the album, California Dreamer, and then the last 2 that I heard:
Wolf Parade - California Dreamer
Wolf Parade - Bang Your Drum
Wolf Parade - Language City

June 12, 2008

Guest Blog Time

I just did a guest blog over at Cause=Time that is a bit of a "best of so far" of this year, but if you've read all my stuff, it won't be very new. Still, this means I've got the internet in my house finally, and that means I'm going to start posting again, 4 reelz. Doooooom.