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
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