PUP, Death Grips, M83, Colleen Green, Gordi

What this blog is:

These blogs are more about casual suggestions than a real analysis. I consider these to be on par with how I would recommend an album to a friend at a bar. I understand my audience, the around 10 people who are music lovers on my Facebook, and know a 2000-word song-by-song dissection isn’t something most people are looking for. I mostly want an outlet to “nerd out” about what I’m listening to, which I can’t really do in every day life.

Also, I know I give out a lot of medium scores, but here’s a guide to what I mean when I give out a rating:

·      1-3: Bad albums. In some big way, in my mind, these albums are devoid of serious merit and fail at what they set out to do.

·      4: Merely fine, nothing to hate. Can be skipped.

·      5: Have some good points and bad points that will excite a listener a little. It’s a “if you have the time” kind of listen.

·      6-7: Really solid albums. This is where most albums will end up. This is me saying to check this album out.

·      8-9: Superb album. Definitely check out.

·      10: Classic. You’d be dumb for not listening.

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Pup- The Dream is Over

            It’s been a long time since I was blown away by a punk record in the popular sense-- you know, gang vocals, LOUD, self-loathing and angry—but Pup thoroughly impressed me. I first listened to The Dream is Over when it first came out in May with my car windows down and the volume high. The burst of absolute noise from the album would make it audible even if I was in open air and the volume on low. The album is a snapshot of the band’s life on the road. Pup is one of the most hard-working bands going right now with their constant touring. They toured so much that the lead singer was told his vocal chords were damaged to the point of telling him, “the dream is over,” hence the name. Being on the road puts a lot of strain on musicians. The song “Sleep in the Heat” has to be one of the most heart-breaking songs I’ve heard in quite some time, detailing him coming back to his apartment after touring and seeing his “person” wasting away from neglect. It’s sad. It’s sad doing something you love but have it gradually kill you.

In a time in my life when I’m uncertain about the future and, in all honestly, feel like a loser, having someone yell back to me that they are too is pretty comforting. The lyric “Yeah, I’d be better off dead/I don’t give a shit, I just don’t wanna die and I don’t want to live” feels like a rallying cry rather than an admission of defeat. It’s therapeutic for those that want to say they’re fucked but can’t. This is amplified even more, both metaphorically and literally, by the use of collective vocals. The album is being sung by the many.

Songs to Listen to: DVP, Sleep in the Heat, My Life is Over and I Couldn’t Be Happier

Rating: 8.5/10

Death Grips- Bottomless Pit

            I once described Death Grips as a “montage of people fucking underneath the blood red sky of the apocalypse,” and I stick to it. To be fair, you could use any kind of gnarly imagery to describe them as long as it conjures the ideas of abrasiveness, deconstruction, and emotions blown up to Super Ape proportions. Despite my personal feelings, Death Grips are one of the most, if not the most, innovative bands on the planet as this moment. They combine different genres like rap, punk, industrial, electronic, hard rock, and metal effortlessly. The way they tear apart the idea of what a song is and turn it into something unrecognizable yet able to awaken a primitive sense of pleasure and feeling within the listener is remarkable. I’ve never seen a band draw willing people into warzone concert conditions like they have. There is no experience like listening to Death Grips.

            With Bottomless Pit, I believe they’ve made an album “accessible” enough for newcomers and experimental enough for their fans. I recognize a structure to these songs and the decision to keep the runtimes on the songs short was a wise decision considering how their last album was not only a double album but also contained longer songs (the Jenny Death portion of The Powers That B alone was 10 minutes longer). They pack so much in a song that one Death Grips minute is two regular minutes. I’ve listened to this album around 4 times and still don’t fully understand what’s going on, partly because I consider Death Grips’ lyrics to be more coherent stream-of-consciousness (if that makes sense) than conventionally written. In a way, I see their lyricism as a montage of visceral images that bring forth emotion. They’ll say “on fire like a margarita made of wood” and, while I don’t understand it specifically, I feel it. There’s not to say their lyrics are incomprehensible (I’ve spent the last 15 minutes going through “Three Bedrooms”), I just feel they are a band that is meant to awaken an emotion from you. After this last week, an album like this is needed for catharsis; it allows us to feel the anger that we must hold inside and, for 39 minutes, unleash it.

            Songs to Listen to: Bubbles Buried in This Jungle, Three Bedrooms in a Good Neighborhood, Giving Bad People Good Ideas.

            Rating: This will either be a surprising joy or an endurance test. 8.5/10

M83- Junk

            It’s slightly hard to take an album seriously when it’s title is Junk and its album art are two furry creatures, made even harder by how vigorously they shake the 80’s coconut tree. This is so heavy on cheesy synth that it could soundtrack an 80’s sitcom or a 90’s porno. From what I’ve read about the album, it wasn’t meant to be a coherent album in the usual sense. They wanted to make a collection of songs that go together but don’t seem like they do. If I’m going to be honest, every M83 song sound similar to each other if you aren’t listening (and amazing if you do). If you listen closely to this album, you’ll hear just how disjointed the album is.

            To stay true to the composition of the album, the following thrown together thoughts will be combined to create a full review. “Do it, Try it” sounds dirty, which is good because it sounds like the beginning of a wild night out. “Road Blaster’s” tittle tattle rhythm is the right kind of playful to dance on cobblestone to. God, why is Beck on this? Isn’t there enough male vocals on this that are acquired tastes? “Go!” is the best song on the album. It reminds of The Go Team’s breakout album Thunder, Lightning, Strike. Live, it was fantastic. In fact, I believe M83 to one of the best live bands I’ve seen. So full of energy, great light show, everything is mixed up, and great dancing from the guy playing the electronic drum. “Bibi The Dog” might possibly be the worst song I’ve ever heard. It’s somehow full of cheese despite the lack of “kraft.” “For the Kids” comes out of nowhere but it’s a definite show stopper. “Sunday Night 1987” is a gentle ending to an erratic ride.

            Songs to Listen to: Go!, Road Blaster, For the Kids

            Rating: Uneven album but with notable highlights. 6.5/10

Colleen Green- Colleen Green

            Anyone that knows me that I have a strange connection to Colleen Green. She’s one of my biggest regrets because of the time I theoretically could’ve driven her around town. She is also a musician I’ve held in high regard ever since I received a free magazine once, dropped it on the floor, and had it open to an interview with her where she came off as the chillest person in the world. I will never forget her response to a question of why she uses drum machines instead of real drums, “because I don’t know how to play drums.” To me, that’s a real musician, someone that has a vision and makes it work with what they have. I’ve never liked the idea of the “professional band” or the virtuosos, the Claptons and the Hendrixs. I love the working class bands that tour until they’re dead and make something remarkable despite being ordinary. Colleen Green is that kind of musician. Her voice isn’t great, choosing to sing in the same cooled out style in each song. Her instrumentation is never complex, but it works in the way that The Ramones worked. I still consider her last three albums to be real gems (I Want to Grow Up, Sock it to Me, Milo Goes to Compton).

            Alas, this is my biggest problem with this new ep. There doesn’t seem to be a progression from her previous work. I Want to Grow Up felt like a big step up. It signaled musical and personal growth in the form of her finally admitting to herself it’s time to grow up. Given that this is only an ep and probably won’t be the basis to a new album, I can give it some slack. The only part of the ep that interested me was the piano in “Between The Lines” that was reminiscent to The Stooges’ “I Wanna Be Your Dog.” Altogether, an alright release, but nothing that’ll prevent me from killing my darling.

            Songs to Listen to: Between The Lines, Green My Eyes

            Rating: Check out her full releases. 4.5/10

Gordi- Nothing’s as It Seems

            It took a while to find an artist that I wanted to write about given that I haven’t feeling that great lately. It’s surprisingly difficult to write 5 casual album reviews when nothing is really grabbing you, while at the same time wanting to give each album ample listening time and find a way to parcel out the amazing albums amongst more middle-of-the-road ones, as not to saturate them (general format- a “headliner,” 2 unknowns, rap or international, and a weaker release). I spent a lot of time listening to a few different albums looking for a one that would motivate me to write something, at the same time, not take focus. It took a while, but I found Gordi.

            Gordi has a big future. While not wanting to sound reductive, she’s the female Bon Iver, circa self-titled. Her vocals are multi-layered with a strong base in folk, lending herself to electronic music as an omnipresent enhancer (think Aurora, Lapsley, Sylvan Esso). This effect makes each little nuance into full blown emotion, allowing each piece of thread to swath you. Her desolation and her reaching coursing through every second of every song like snow swirling and twirling just above the ground of a tundra. A moment like her final “can you see now” in “Nothing’s as it Seems” can’t not break someone’s heart. The simple wistful nature of the guitar in “Wanting” could calm a fast beating heart. There is no doubt in my mind that when her full length comes out, she’ll get more attention then she’s getting.

            Songs to Listen to: all of them, it’s only an ep of 5 songs.

            Rating: 7/10

New Year: Edward Sharpe, The Lemon Twigs, Twin Peaks, A-WA, Ryley Walker

What this blog is:

These blogs are more about casual suggestions than a real analysis. I consider these to be on par with how I would recommend an album to a friend at a bar. I understand my audience, the around 10 people who are music lovers on my Facebook, and know a 2000-word song-by-song dissection isn’t something most people are looking for. I mostly want an outlet to “nerd out” about what I’m listening to, which I can’t really do in every day life.

Also, I know I give out a lot of medium scores, but here’s a guide to what I mean when I give out a rating:

·      1-3: Bad albums. In some big way, in my mind, these albums are devoid of serious merit and fail at what they set out to do.

·      4: Merely fine, nothing to hate. Can be skipped.

·      5: Have some good points and bad points that will excite a listener a little. It’s a “if you have the time” kind of listen.

·      6-7: Really solid albums. This is where most albums will end up. This is me saying to check this album out.

·      8-9: Superb album. Definitely check out.

·      10: Classic. You’d be dumb for not listening.

Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeroes- PersonA

            ESMZ are an odd group. Less so from their image of a bunch of barefoot hippies, bordering on cult, but more because they portray an image. Because they have this image, it’s hard to take their albums seriously. People connect to music when they feel that the artists are exposing themselves in some way. Something real must shine through. Putting on an act is similar to putting on a mask, it helps to wipe a slate clean and project ideals on to it. Edward Sharpe’s most successful album and reason for their popularity, Up From Below, was filled with anthems of love and carefree exuberance. Their subsequent releases failed to spawn any hit bigger than “Home” or “Janglin,” and I feel it’s because their sound was fresh in the beginning, however, two more albums that covered similar ground, minus the hits, exhausted both fans and critics. I haven’t met anyone who loved Here or their self-titled (both solid). Who are these people in the group? Who is Edward Sharpe? I believe PersonA is their first step in answering those questions.

            Edward Sharpe is crossed off on the cover and the album is named persona. There is a reason for that and it’s because the group wants to let everyone know that this album is cutting the bullshit. No more forced feelings, this album is genuine….and it certainly sounds like it. The classic Edward Sharpe sound is still present. Stuff like bongos, horns, and chanting are still there, adding a dense, jungle feel. What have been added to that sound though are vocals and lyrics that feel confessional and heartfelt. They are no longer singing around a campfire; the singer formally known as Edward Sharpe stops the play, house lights dim, he walks forward to the dead center of the dark stage, the faint stream of a weakened spotlight illuminating him, and he gets his chance to address the audience directly for the first time.

            Most of the songs never reach the marketability of their debut (Somewhere with it’s Beatle-eque guitar and No Love Like Yours that sounds like a Mellow-Yellow-era Donovon track come close), but as they say in “Uncomfortable,” “what you call ugly, I call real.”

            Songs to listen to: Somewhere*, Free Stuff, Wake Up the Sun, Uncomfortable

            Rating: A surprising album of quality from a band written off. 8/10

The Lemon Twigs- Do Hollywood

            I really really wanted to fall in love with this album. The Lemon Twigs became one of my hype bands upon immediately when I heard their single, “As Long As We’re Together.” It had this nice 60’s flower power revivalist feel to it, like a Rolling Stones b-side, circa Flowers. Although that’s not really unique in an age where everyone is trying to revive something, the song felt retro in the finding a pair of bellbottoms at a Goodwill way. Hopes were high for the upcoming full length. While it doesn’t deliver as much as I wanted it to, Do Hollywood is a powder keg of an introduction and shows how ambitious this young group is.

            First of all, Do Hollywood is a perfect title. It’s theatrical, seemingly intent on running through as many genres as possible. Each song is a film onto itself. We get hints of glam, sunshine, psych, do-wop, rock’n’roll, soul, and pretty much the two decades between the 60’s and 80’s. Sometimes this is a little overwhelming. Excitable would be the word I would use. So much blending and experimenting is done that you just know that the band was eager to finally release an album. At times, this mesh works out well. The first song, “I Wanna Prove to You,” is an early show stopper. It reminded me of the big number in a 50’s musical number when the main protagonist professes his love for the first time, then the second song, “Those Days is Comin’ Soon,” is the couple going to a carnival. Next, Haroomata uses these heavy Pink Floyd type synths, transitions into Benny Hill horns, and ends on a somber note. The duration of the album is an exercise in trying to keep up with your ears and it’s thrilling as much as it’s jarring.

            Songs to Listen to: As Long As We’re Together, Hi+Lo, I Wanna Prove to You

            Rating: It’s like someone trying to do a modern reinterpretation of Sgt. Pepper. 6.5/10

Twin Peaks- Down in Heaven

            Hands down, Twin Peaks was one of the best opening acts I’ve seen. They were just these trashy looking guys that came onstage and killed it. A great throwback to early punk bands that didn’t care about anything else besides putting on a raucous show. I got these images of a young Clash and MC5, watching one of the main singers (there are 3) yell into the microphone and letting out loud Oh Oh’s. It was really exciting to watch and be a part of. From there, I took a closer look at their earlier releases, Sunken and Wild Onion. Sunken was recorded very cheaply in a basement to have something to sell at shows and ended up being very well received by critics. Their follow up, Wild Onion, happens to be one of my favorite releases of 2014 and very underrated. “Making Breakfast” should be celebrated as a garage rock classic of the modern era. It is a wholly enjoyable and fantastic album.

            Down in Heaven isn’t the breakout album that their previous album promised, but it’s unexpected. They slowed down a lot for this album, almost saying, “we do whatever we want.” Very breezy, easy to listen. As a fan, it quenches my thirst. It also shows that they aren’t one trick ponies. This release is more sensitive, allowing their audience to see that there’s a day after the party. There’s romance and vulnerability, a cage for these animals. I think it’s amazing in itself that these guys took the time to create texture to their image, rather than play it safe and give the audience what it was expecting. That is a mark of a band that loves what they do.

            Songs to Listen to: Butterfly, Heavenly Showers, Getting Better

            Rating: Perfect for a chill night of drinking with your scumbag friends. 6.5/10

A-WA- Habib Galbi

            I love music from different countries. I don’t think they’re pushed that much in mainstream media, which is a shame because there are a lot of international artists that are creating music that should transcend cultural bounds. Obviously, there are a few reasons of their exclusion. American music listeners, as are other places, are conditioned to like certain styles and others will hit the ear wrong. For someone who doesn’t listen to, say, Bollywood or Bossa Nova, won’t be drawn to the staples of those genres. What is regular to them won’t be to others. Another reason, critics don’t know how to talk about foreign music because they aren’t exposed to them usually, causing them not to know how to rate or talk about the music (like myself). To expand on that, listeners and critics alike, most likely don’t speak the language. If a listener doesn’t know what a singer is saying, it creates a wall between the two.

            I believe it’s important to point out international musicians because it’s important to learn to accept different cultures and art forms to create a better world view, even if I don’t know exactly how to broach them. A-WA is a group that is a good starting point for people interested in getting into the Middle Eastern scene. Their style is very accessible to a lot of listeners. They speak in Yemenite and blend a lot of different genres together, such as, hip hop, traditional Israeli, psychedelic, reggae, and dance music. My favorite aspect of their music are the vocal harmonies and lush arrangements (love the keyboard!), even throwing in the well known rap, “heyyyys” in. Also, another notable thing about the group is that they are first No. 1 hit on the Israeli charts to be in Arabic.

            Songs to Listen to: Habib Galbi, Ala Wabda, Ya Shaifin al Malih

            Rating: Very impressive and danceable. Great for pissing off your conservative family at a reunion. 7/10

Ryley Walker- Golden Sings That Have Been Sung

            Ryley Walker is one of those troubadour guitarists that are really great in that realm of instrumentation and have a following built around them (think, Michael Chapman, Steve Gunn, Chris Forsyth, Kikagaku Moyo). He has this aura of coffee house singer but in a really hip neighborhood. Of the group I mentioned earlier, he probably has the most crossover appeal. He mixes the primitive guitar scene with jazz improvisation, creating very atmospheric, free floating landscapes. His album, Primrose Green, was a big success for him. Golden Sings was a good time for him to capitalize.

            In a way, I feel it fails to be exciting enough to garner further attention. A lot of the songs seem to languish in too much free association. I understand that it’s the jazz influence, but he’s missing a high point. Everything is beautifully composed, masterfully even, without any strong emotion. He’s mostly aloof, barely raising his voice. He’s very comfortable in his skin on this album doing what he’s an expert in. However, the main draw of an album is how an artist seeks to fit inside their skin. This is a great traveling record. We just never get out of the roundabout.

            Songs to Listen to: The Halfwit in Me, The Roundabout*, A Choir Apart.

            Rating: Chill record for guitar aficionados. 6/10