Gas Lantern Media | audio, video and words in review

Cloud Nothings - Attack On Memory

2012-01-29T18:18:00.000-07:00

Bombastic, high-speed, energized, and strained (in a good way) the Cloud Nothings' newest album Attack On Memory captures the potency of punk with a more refined, jam aesthetic that feels at times, nearly Hendrix-ian. Gone though, are the lo-fi tendencies that marked 2011's Cloud Nothings. Where that album felt like it could have been a basement recording, generated by a talented up-and-comer, Attack feels like a full embrace of production and a battle cry onto the rock scene. The sound here is full, lush, and ear-fucking in its power. But what remains are the grainy vocals and lost-but-not-directionless lyrics of Dylan Baldi. The changes between the debut and this album are for the most part good ones. Lo-Fi as an aesthetic can only do so much, and it became a band-wagon way of recording in recent years that sometimes gives an impression of artistic spareness, even if the material didn't really warrant it. But, it served Baldi well on those first two releases. On Attack it is somewhat of a mixed bag. The physical, punishing nature of the music, so well mixed, is beautiful, but sometimes feels like a late-'90s power-pop group, especially on "Stay Useless."

The opening track "No Future/No Past" is excellent, but sets a precedent that's different from much of the album. It's a slow, loping, heartfelt track that seems like a funeral march or a stay in Purgatory. Baldi cranks up the power on "Wasted Days" a nearly nine-minute track that breaks down into a brutal, overpowering jam in the final minutes. "Separation" is phenomenal, falling in at track 5. It's a speeding, somewhat Jimmy Eat World-esque song loaded with crashing and splashing cymbals, and a brilliant hook. It also has no lyrics, but doesn't need them because it feels like a sort of impromptu big of rocking out. That gives way to "No Sentiment" a screaming, straining flex of muscle. The somewhat brighter and lighter "Our Plans" follows, again with a perfect hook and a lot of charm. It feels sadness, but sounds like promise, and that's a powerful thing for any song. And the closer, "Cut You" has a similar mellowness that's almost more pleasing. It's a track about worry and the future and what things will be, and our respect for patience and our respect for ourselves. A gorgeous track to close the album, and it's all about fear in regards to love. Listen to Attack On Memory below, or check it out on Spotify here.

SOPA, PIPA and the Internet

2012-01-18T12:37:00.001-07:00

It's all black today. Dozens upon dozens of websites are shut down to protest SOPA and PIPA, two wanna-bills that could fuck the internet, users of the internet and this country for a long time in the name of whiny conglomerates. You can still go to Wikipedia today and look them up, but that's it. Luckily, lots of congresspersons are backing out of their support for the bill already, but here's the thing, and here's what should really be said, aloud, in fiery language.

1. If the United States is a free-ish market economy, then companies like the record labels, NewsCrap (sorry, Corp) and so many others need to LEARN HOW TO COMPETE AGAIN. Just because your model is broken, because there are tools now that allow certain aspects of your materials (and I'm a writer, and I write a comic, and it sucks having material used without payment) to be misused, then change the way you distribute. If a film company realizes that off-shore sites steal their movies, well, that will ALWAYS happen, but they can take action to release the film online for a reasonable price in a safe, consistent, well-designed online venue. If I have the option to go to a shitty, pop-up laden site to watch new movie for free, or the option to pay $2 to see it on my browser, I'd pay the money. Not everyone wants subscriptions, not everyone likes iTunes, so please guys, take some initiative and become competitive in a new way instead of crying that the world changed and left your dinosaur ass with mouthful of rotten fern. Look at Louis CK.

2. Whether you believe it or not, various lobbying industries, people who link, even to sometimes questionable content, are providing you free press and free marketing. If I talk about an album in this space, and I offer people tracks that were uploaded somewhere, there's a better chance that they'll buy the album. The same goes for links on message boards, comment streams and all of it. Assuming that one pirate makes a slippery slope where no one will ever buy your shit is stupid. I mean, Adele's two albums topped the sales charts this year... and you know those are free tons of places.

3. If you want people to respect your industries, engage them instead of litigating against them. You can't change the minds of the population by telling them they're wrong and punishing them. Guess what, that just makes people think you're an even bigger dick. People don't like being told what to do. We all have a conscience. We will pay for things if you treat us like people instead of wallets.

4. Just make better shit. Part of the reason that people steal movies and music and other media is because there's a pretty heavy consumer risk involved. If I go to some terrible new release film like Anonymous, I'm out $15, plus 2 hours of my life, (which if I'm working is another $40). That makes me not want to take chances on movies because they more often than not SUCK. Music is similar. And even while I listen to a lot, I wouldn't if I had to drop $15 for every risk. You guys realize that a lot of people don't have money right? Maybe if you designed your system to entice buyers by giving them the option to buy into something, we'd trust you more. And hey, if we pay for it once, and our computer breaks or we lose it for some reason, how about you guys take the initiative to give us what we paid for again.

5. More than that, the internet isn't some magical territory that requires magical new laws. It's an extension of the world that already exists. People were lending each other records and CDs and VHS a long time ago. People were recording movies from TV and pirating that way too. It's unfair, yes, but you can't just brutalize your way out of the changes in the world. So, really, let's get smarter, not more litigious. If you don't want people to experience your art, don't put it out there. If you don't want them to steal it, don't put it out there. If you want people to see it, then expect it to be stolen, but count on the fact that if you do great work it will motivate more people to pay a little instead.

That's all I have to say about that. This rant is meant only to create new positive relationships.

Thoughts on Lana Del Rey's SNL Performance

2012-01-15T14:10:00.001-07:00

Yes, Lana Del Rey was far less than good last night on Saturday Night Live. She warbled, often seeming to forget how, yes HOW to sing her songs. And while some places have said she was pitchy or off-key, it was more that Elizabeth Grant seemed unable to sing the songs the way she had on the YouTube videos for both "Blue Jeans" and "Video Games." Her stiff stage presence has come under fire, but I don't care about that nearly as much. SNL has a small stage despite its vast reach, so Del Rey's stillness is fine. The problem really was the singing. And it wasn't that she was even that bad, you see, she just wasn't anywhere near the hype that had built over the entire preceding Summer of 2011. Is that okay? Yes. If we each thought about it, we'd probably be just as nervous and stage-frightened to have been thrust suddenly into the live spotlight after months of harmless web-based fame. But, here's the thing that IS troubling. I think I, yes, me, could sing her songs more to the exact tune of the videos than she did. And that's all she had to do. She didn't need to take chances, or try vocal histrionics, or bust out Rhianna-style dance moves. All Del Rey had to do last night was sing the songs the way they are on YouTube.

She did not. She lost the melody multiple times. She garbled words. She seemed almost drugged to the point of disaffection. So, it brings to mind the greater Lana Del Rey issue: Is she any good... really? Her inability to perform either song well, or even just warm up by the end and rock on, is troubling because she is an internet phenom artist. Is it possible that she can't sing these songs? She did it once. Or. She succeeded in creating the pieces once. That's my main question. Can she do this or is she strictly a studio, carefully produced artist? The bigger issue, though, is what she really is and what she really wants to be. Grant (again her real name) released an album in 2010 called Lana Del Ray (with the "a" instead of the "e") that was bank-rolled by her father, and after being available for a short time, completely disappeared. By all accounts it was a fairly non-exciting pop album, but even I can't be sure. Then, one year later, "Video Games," a new image, a new style, a new persona (potentially) and lots of pseudo-indie-web-cred.

Who is Lana Del Rey really? Is she this new iteration, or is she a more traditional pop artist? (Videos from her new album would point to latter.) I'm starting to think that she's the musical equivalent of a Barbie Doll. She's poseable, but not very. You can dress her up in lots of pretty costumes and you can put her in lots of interesting settings wherein she, too, becomes interesting. But, I don't mean to rag on her either. She has put out at least 2 great songs. And whether she's the Second Coming, or just a flash in the pan, "Video Games" made my best songs list for last year. Still, if she's an entirely fabricated creation, who would let her go out and do so little, so seemingly doped up and unsure? I mean, the least she could've done is tear in half a picture of the pope. Especially if you're nervous... MAKE IT A JOKE. At least then, people can say, well, she wasn't too good, but she sure can cover her ass with more than a jig. <= Because Ashlee Simpson is once more briefly relevant!

We will see how Lana Del Rey bounces back. My guess is that she'll be fine, but her album will meet with mixed reviews here in the States. And with time, she'll hone her live performing skills, and she'll decide how to sing her songs, and she'll own this. Because, here's the thing, if she can really sing, if she really loves music, then she's earned this. And if not, then she may just be a repackaged attempt to sell some records and make some rich asshole richer. It's a tough call, but considering that most of SNL is as inconsistent, it seems unfair, at least, to lambast her right now. And if you haven't seen them, take a look at the videos below.

The Shins - "Simple Song"

2012-01-13T10:48:00.000-07:00

Wowsers we've got to welcome the Shins back into our arms warmly! A couple days ago, we were graced with the release of a brand new track, one that is as creative, delightful and fucking incredible as anything the band has ever done before. It's called "Simple Song," but it's far from that. This new sound, one that's more generally rocking, with hints of warbling madness and goofiness, retains the same old love we remember from Chutes Too Narrow and Oh, Inverted World! with catchy-as-hell riffs, and true and earnest lyrics. Plus, it's a song that flies forward despite being one of the longer songs in the band's ever-growing repertoire. Bottom line, "Simple Song" is perfect and teases you with every lyric and note. Now, who else (other than me) can't wait for their new album? Oh, I see hands... so many raised hands.

Another point of accolade: The site for the song, linked here, uses such a wonderful reel-to-reel player graphic in place of the traditional timeline for the track time tracking. (Confused yet?) It's a sweet and simple design point that really speaks to the Shins' fans and to a certain '70s nostalgia that is evident within the track. Dig on this. And happy Friday the 13th... Muwahahaha.

2011's Top 50 Songs by Kellen O'Brien

2012-01-08T16:36:00.000-07:00

With great joy and feelings of gratitude, we at Gas Lantern Media would like to thank guest writer Kellen O'Brien for his Top 50 of 2011 song list. You can find a Spotify playlist of Kellen's great countdown here. If a song isn't available through the Spot' then it will be linked in the list. And this is a fantastic list. - Ed.

As the first few categories of this list will show, I wasless than satisfied with the overall product of new music in 2011. Very littlemerited purchase and in the aftermath of 2010 it was that much moredisappointing. Only three or four 2011 albums would compete for 2010’s Top 10. Mostof my music comes from recommendations and free blog mp3s so maybe I missedsomething.

Stuff Others Liked That I Didn’t Like As Much: TheThrone, James Blake, Bon Iver

MGMT-Style Kiddie Electronica That Fights For The Earspaceof MGMT Apologists Like Myself

50. Starfucker –“Bury Us Alive” Iconsume candy synth like Mitt Romney consumes hair gel.

49. Foster the People– “Helena Beat” There are 64 words in “Pumped Up Kicks.” Way to stretch yourselves guys.

48. Cults – “You KnowWhat I Mean” They’re like Sleigh Bells. But soft. So they got rid of the best part of SleighBells.

Stuff I Like (Maybe Just Me)

47. Childish Gambino– “Freaks and Geeks” I like my rap lewd and literary: “The beat is witches brew/but beware this shitis potent/ee cumming on her face/now this poetry in motion.”

46. Amos Lee - “Windows Are Rolled Down” It’s catchy. It’s dorky. It’sadult-contemporary-friendly. But it putsa smile on my face.

45. Robert Plant –“Angel Dance”

44. Walk the Moon –“Lisa Baby” The bass linetastes like sharp gouda.

43. Elephant Revival– “Old Rogue River” Up-and-coming bluegrass band from Nederland, Colorado. They will make earlyafternoon music festival sets a little bit dancier this summer.

42. High Highs – “Flowers Bloom” Soaring melodies perfect for a slow-motion summer drive through the mountains.

41. April Smith –“Terrible Things” School girl sea ballads.

40. Adele – “Rollingin the Deep” You say everyonelikes Adele? Really? Nice to see the new pop superstar made it entirely on hertalent.

Sitting On The Couch Music

39. The Weeknd – “GlassTable Girls”

38. Washed Out – “FarAway” The title says it all. Washed Out did anadmirable job translating their sound into a live setting when I saw them openfor Cut Copy. On record, their songs are best when they slowly drift intosoothing nothingness.

37. Toro y Moi – “NewBeat”

36. The Hood Internet– “VCR” with Jamie XX and Freddie Gibbs XX has been around for a while, but I really started liking them this year.

35. Painted Palms –“Canopy” Painted Palmswon’t be flying under the radar much longer.

34. Radiohead – “Morning Mr. Magpie” This sounds like the title of a late-era Beatles song. Even though it continuesto transmogrify with the remix project, King of Limbs was a bit of adisappointment.

Peppy, Fun Stuff

33. Man Man –“Knuckle Down” Perfect for a Mentos commercial.

32. Tennis –“Marathon” Slightly annoying,but wow what a back-story!

31. Alabama Shakes – “You Ain’t Alone” Transparent knockoff, but she hits the high notesand her band knows how to jam.

30. The Go! Team – “ApolloThrowdown” (Star Slinger remix) Heavily involves black panthers.

29. Feist – “How ComeYou Never Go There” (Clock Opera remix) Feist has pipes.

28. U.S. Royalty –“Equestrian”

27. St Vincent –“Cruel”

26. Lightouts – “AllI Want/Heroes” Did you ever wonder what a cover-style mashup of Bowie and James Murphy mightsound like? Wonder no longer. The singer pulls off a solid Murphy too.

25. Chain Gang of 1974– “Undercover”

Americana Interlude

24. Fleet Foxes –“Grown Ocean” BEARDS!

23. Decemberists –“Down by the Water” I was an English major.

22. Head and theHeart – “Rivers and Roads” I liked it the first times I heard it. Then I stopped liking it. Then mygirlfriend and radio station started liking it. Now I like it again.

Dance Party Standbys

21. Ford and Lopatin– “Emergency Room”

20. Nerves Junior –“As Bright As Your Night Light”

19. Chromeo – “Whenthe Night Falls” (Hercules Love Affair remix) This song is like a threesome with two bands I once flirted with at a bar.

18. Yelle – “LaMusique” Sultry Frenchsinger purrs and coos over cylindrical synth and percussion beats.

Just Missed The Cut

17. The Strokes –“Under the Cover of Darkness”

16. Dodos – “GoingUnder” They would behappier in a basement rocking out until their hands turn blue.

15. New Villager –“Rich Doors” Super catchy, butno one in the band looks like Adam Scott so I’m not sure how they will marketthemselves.

14. Rosebuds –“Woods”

13. Architecture inHelinski – “Contact High”

12. Battles – “IceCream” If the Red HotChili Peppers were never a band and the original members had indie sons thatformed a band and that band had the same imagination and energy RHCP had in1984.

11. Girls – “Vomit” I haven’t skipped this song since it found itsway onto my iPod. It starts off all moody, goes quiet/loud, and then melts intoone of the finest guitar solos of the year.

Cream Of The Crop

10. m83 – “Midnight City” This song would make driving in circles in agiant Suburbia mall parking lot seem exciting.

9. Lykke Li – “I Follow Rivers” (Dave Sitek remix) Moods! Horns! Metaphors!

8. Black Keys – “Lonely Boy” Greasy riff.

7. Wilco – “One Sunday Morning” The prettiest song of the year!

6. Tune Yards – “Gangsta” (Ad Rock remix) A fresh jolt of energy!

5. Cut Copy – “NeedYou Now” Did LCDSoundsystem officially hand them the title belt for best dance band or was itsomething they had to go to Brooklyn and retrieve.

4. Beirut – “EastHarlem” Beirut proves you don’t need guitars if you haveharmonies coming out of your pores.

3. TV on the Radio– “Second Song” Othermusicians have caught up to TV on the Radio, but that just makes their songsmore triumphant.

2. Holy Ghost! –“Wait and See” I don’t know why people aren’t more ecstatic about Holy Ghost. Their songsspill hooks like a bait shop.

1. My MorningJacket – “Holdin’ Onto Black Metal” I love that my favorite band still knows how to have fun.

Again, you can find Kellen's Spotify playlist here! Enjoy! - Ed.

The Weeknd - Echoes of Silence

2012-01-05T20:41:00.002-07:00

Echoes of Silence opens with an explosion of energy and emotion, signaling immediately that it is an album of a much more volatile nature than Thursday. And Abel Tesfaye croons like before, but now without the weeping overtones. Instead, there are some distinctly Jacksonian dance and R&B beats that do more than merely ask for your poetic attention, they now demand it. "D.D." is a powerful and instantly catchy cover the Michael Jackson original is laden with pop sensibilities, but one that still tells the truth in that traditional (after 3 records I think it's fair to use that term) in The Weeknd way even if its not Tesfaye's. That's not to say that Echoes of Silence is all drive, surge and power compared to the previous two albums, but the theme here seems to be a healthy dose of slapping, metallic, sampled drums. Sometimes it sounds distinctly 1980s, but the vocals and lyrics remain straight shots from the hip, refreshing in their honesty and lucidity. Tesfaye remains completely uncompromising in his urgency and ability to wail effectively and overtly sexually.

"Montreal" and "Outside" recapture and re-emphasize the brokenhearted undercurrents throughout The Weeknd's previous tunes, too. With healthy doses of sensual French, "Montreal" is a mood piece that's also all about the girl thinking of the other guy, and Tesfaye, quite resilient and rebellious, stating that it doesn't matter because he wants her. "Outside" has more of a subtle, echoing, vaguely-Asian Traditional quality. But the large part is Tesfaye telling his object of affection what he plans to do to her, namely, sex her up, and eradicate all memories of her previous man in the process. "XO/The Host" with its party dynamic and clear visualizations of the party lifestyle's fallout is an epic, sprawling song that impresses, especially with its intricate layering of samples and tracks. The marching, speeding, rambling and energized "Initiation" is haunting and artistic, enjoyable, but a little rape-y and claustrophobic. But "Same Old Song" has a bluesy vibe, and in thoughtful fashion, recaps the same old songs of love and loneliness.

Essentially, Echoes of Silence is, for fans of The Weeknd, essential. It's a great third part to the arc Tesfaye began with House of Balloons, showing increasing experimentation, quality lyrics, excellent vocals and an ever-growing awareness of the darker sides of life, love and music. It's almost documentary. In the best way. Most of the tracks are below, but you can just download it for free, from the-weeknd.com.

"What Are You Doing New Years Eve?" and a Glaring Omission

2011-12-31T14:05:00.000-07:00

After compiling my 12 Best Albums of 2011, I realized, about 8 hours after posting it, that I left off one album that was incredible and necessary... essential even! That album is Nine Types of Light by TV On The Radio. It's truly excellent from beginning to end and harkens a charming and potent return to form for the experimental, shoegaze outfit. You should list to that too. And if I missed anything else, I'm truly sorry. It's tough to throw together a comprehensive list without neglecting some of the excellence that is all around all the time.

But, with that wrong righted, "What Are You Doing New Years Eve?"

And for the Scrubs fans out there... a fun little version of a Christmas classic.

GLMedia's Top 12 Albums of 2011

2011-12-29T15:59:00.000-07:00

You didn't ask for it. You don't really need it. But here it is! This is our Top 12 Albums of 2011. It has been quite a year, and while I haven't had the incredible luxury to listen to everything that came out this year, I have listened to a whole lot. That breadth and pool of great music means that it's a bit tough to round the list down to a simple 12, but with such brevity comes wit, as they say. Before we start the list, a minor programming note. I have and will be adding, from time to time, a track or two to the 30 Greats of 2011. Yes, that means the list will balloon a bit, but I will add only tracks that seem so perfectly essential. This week, well this today, I'm adding "Die" by Girls from Father, Son, Holy Ghost and Amerigo Gazaway's "Beanie Weather." The former is an epic piece of shredding, spacey, soulful, guitar rock and the latter is a beautiful Christmas-themed hip-hop track by the exceptional Fela Soul producer and Gummy Soul contributor. These are great tracks! Incredible pieces of 2011 like these deserve attention.

But now, your TOP 12 Albums of 2011... chosen by Gas Lantern Media.

12. The King is Dead/Long Live the King by the Decemberists - Despite having two of my favorite and most memorable songs of the year, the Decemberists' The King is Dead and Long Live the King EP were inconsistently spectacular. Both are undeniable offerings of new Americana, and each feels like an influence-powered homage to Neil Young, REM, James Taylor, CSNY and others. Truthfully, these two albums slip to the twelve-spot only because there are so many albums that were ever so slightly better. It was that kind of year.

11. Stone Rollin' by Raphael Saadiq - An album that my friend Carrie first alerted me to, Stone Rollin' fast became one of my favorites for its combination of soul, funk, guitar rock and infectious melody. Saadiq impresses throughout the album's first half, but it falls off a bit after that, ending on the dark, excellent, and haunting (especially if you've seen the video) "Good Man." Were it a more thoroughly complete entry, this would have landed in the Top Five.

10. Apocalypse by Bill Callahan - This incredibly lush and calming, often raucous and protesting, but always poetic album didn't get enough props this year. Callahan has long been an unsung writer of great tunes, but with Apocalypse he submits a magnum opus on par with the best. It is an album that is solid from start to finish and leaves the listener feeling both haunted and informed, while projecting age and knowledge that doesn't stop with its musical aptitude. If you haven't listened to it, you should, right now.

9. Zonoscope by Cut Copy - The Australian dance pop outfit returned in 2011 with a quieter, less dancey album that remained full of ornate instrumentation, thoughtful samples and tight lyrics. Zonoscope encompasses everything you could want in a chill afternoon or evening soundtrack, but its pace is at times inconsistent, which is the main reason it fills the nine-spot. Even so, it's a clear indication that Cut Copy continues to make great music and will, hopefully, do so as time marches. Or, perhaps, as time dances.

8. The King of Limbs by Radiohead - This highly-anticipated album is truly great, but marred by the dour and spare instrumentation that caused many to show concern with the inevitable Yorke-ification of the perennially-incredible band. The King of Limbs is still an album that makes you think and one that drives discussion as well as serving as the best background music one could ask for. Clear influences, like the late-Beatles catalog, shine, but fans craving more experimentation and epic guitar work will be disappointed.

7. David Comes to Life by Fucked Up - Probably the best theme album of the year, the punk band's great 2011 entry is powerful, thoughtful, complex and enjoyable from start to finish. As a narrative, it is complete, and as an album it is thoroughly addictive. There are at least 7 songs on David Comes to Life that grab your ears and scream into them passionately, and the rest are still incredible even if they take a little bit of growing. Punk like this isn't for every listener, but the stories and the philosophical revelations within the lyrics are for everyone.

6. Burst Apart by The Antlers - From start to finish The Antlers topped their amazing Hospice with an album that is lighter-hearted, more pop-minded and thoroughly enjoyable. Frank and thoughtful, Burst Apart speaks to all the fear and pain of break ups, relationships, loves and life. And it's so much fun to listen to each and every time. There's joy to spare in this album, and hints of a bright, beautiful future for a truly great and mostly unsung band.

5. Undun by The Roots - Jimmy Fallon's incredible catch of a house band, The Roots, submitted their newest at the 11th hour of 2011. It's a socially conscious and brilliant collection of hip-hop and lyrical masterpiece, and it even includes a beautiful and decadent breakdown of classical music for the last four tracks. This album will certainly make tons of lists for next year, as it was illegible for submission on various other internet music 'zines, but for me, it deserves a mention now, amid the other greats.

4. Bon Iver by Bon Iver - Justin Vernon's Bon Iver's self-titled second album is beautiful. Plain and simple. When you hear songs like "Perth" and "Holocene" you shudder with joy and anticipation. The songs are thick and complicated, drowning in ambiance and thriving on incredible melody. And while over time, this album wavered, not maintaining the same consistency and novelty of Vernon's previous, Bon Iver is still a crowning achievement in songwriting and design. It's a mood album. And it's so powerful that it makes you into the mood it wants, no matter how you go into it.

3. The Rip Tide by Beirut - As complete as an album can be, Beirut's newest offers you more than just baroque, delightful tunes about time, space and contemplation. It also offers some hits that will stick with you from the first time you hear them. Mellow and thoughtful throughout, The Rip Tide, doesn't demand your attention so much as peacefully earn it. And when you need a dose of hope, and some brilliant horns and strings, Beirut is there to answer your call. You can do only slightly better this year as far as music is concerned, but at the three-spot, it's clear that you can't do much better.

2. Metals by Feist - Leslie Feist just never stops amazing. Metals isn't perhaps as catchy or poppy as The Reminder, but it is more full. From beginning to end, you find poetry and subtly at the forefront, with beautiful arrangements and experimental amazement everywhere else. The album is a bit of a grower, requiring a few trips through to latch onto all of its grace and dignity and epic quality, but once you've heard it, once you've tapped in, it's almost impossible to get away. If Feist makes another album on par with this one, she will cement herself as one of the most prominent and incredible musicians of our time. Easily.

1. Strange Mercy by St. Vincent - Annie Clark is a sonic goddess. She does things with a guitar, with complex arrangements and with lyrics that no one else can even challenge. This album, the third, and a clear cap to the arch she started with Marry Me, covers identity, desire, passion, love, loss, confusion, fear, family, society, gender roles and so much more. And the thing is, it's just great the whole time. As a treatise, it is mind-altering, and as a piece of music it will change your heartbeat, drive your emotions and create joy and a haunting sublime experience. It is almost a piece of literature more than an album, and it's an indication of what music can do! 2011 was better for her contribution. And there's no denying it.

Now, an honorable mentions for album of the year Bad As Me by Tom Waits. It was great, but it just wasn't my favorite for the year. Still, it deserves note because Tom Waits is an American treasure. Okay, that's it for GLMedia for 2011. Have a safe and happy New Year's, and we'll see you back here in 2012.

30 Great Tracks from 2011 - Part Two: The Convergence of the Twain

2011-12-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Part Two: The Convergence of the Twain in my amazing two part 30 Great Tracks from 2011 Playlist. Last time we covered the first 15 tracks. And I'll remind you that these are not ranked, they're just in an order because well, every track list needs a beginning, middle and end. So, before I tackle 16 - 30, let's talk about something that's complicated. That thing is this very thing, the creation of a list. The problem is that we (and here I mean I) are absolutely, definitely, undeniably going to mess it up and forget a few tracks that were still exceptional in their own right. Last year I pretty much left Mumford & Sons off altogether. That was mostly just a mistake, a true and honest oversight. You see, it's a sin to have to make a list because you MUST leave something out. I could make a playlist that's 1000 songs long, but who in their right mind cares for that long... that's at least 3000 minutes, or 50 hours. No one wants that.

So, here are a few of the bands I've neglected to include, but whose work made 2011 an epic year: Fleet Foxes, Amerigo Gazaway, James Blake, The Black Keys, She & Him, Fruit Bats, Vetiver, The Head and the Heart, Josie Charlwood, The Weeknd, Lil Wayne, Chad VanGaalen, Friendly Fires, Austra, Panda Bear, Dustin O'Halloran, Pink Hawks, The Dodos, Bill Callahan, The Strokes, Toro Y Moi, Gruff Rhys, The Dears and many, many more... You should check each and every one of them out. Just open those links in tabs so you can keep going here? Thank you.

Okay, so now that we've all got a little perspective on who has been left out, let's see who found spots among 16 - 30! As in Part One, you can find the list through Spotify or ShareMyPlaylists.com by clicking either of them pretty links right there.

16. Bon Iver "Perth" from Bon Iver - It's pretty much a no brainer. This had to be on the list. But here, following Fucked Up's "The Other Shoe," it calms the pace and primes you for the second half.

17. Death Cab For Cutie "Doors Unlocked and Open" from Codes and Keys - The rumors of Ben Gibbard's death were greatly exaggerated. He returned with a strong and pleasing new album in 2011, including this track that bores into your brain like a space slug. Still, it's lamentable that he and Zooey didn't work out.

18. How To Dress Well "Suicide Dream 2: Orchestral Version" from Just Once EP - It's a retread of the track from Love Remains, but the delicate piano, lessened echoes, and more prominent vocals make this version ever more haunting and beautiful.

19. Beirut "Santa Fe" from The Rip Tide - Beirut established some pop cred with The Rip Tide. It's an album that never wavers far from pleasing. And with this song, there's a funky, electronic warble that is both groovin' and completely suitable to their traditional style.

20. Eleanor Friedberger "My Mistakes" from Last Summer - The first time I heard this song I was hooked. It perfectly captures youth turning into reflection. And the quirky Fiery Furnacer's voice is as great as ever. Dig that syncopation.

21. Dirty Gold "California Sunrise" from ROAR - I first heard this track through Turntable.fm. And as I look out at the snow falling past my apartment window, I can only wish that this song will take me away to a warmer place. And despite its sad tones, its goodbye to summer, it's still warmer than now.

22. St. Vincent "Cheerleader" from Strange Mercy - The album is SO GOOD. You need it. You do. And "Cheerleader" is just the track that popped for me the most after the initial loves for "Cruel," "Surgeon" and "Chloe In The Afternoon."

23. Jens Lekman "Waiting for Kirsten" from An Argument With Myself - Jens is in true form here, telling a cute, mostly funny story of waiting for love... with Kirsten Dunst. It's referential, intelligent and tongue in cheek, but always sincere.

24. Lana Del Rey "Video Games" from Lana Del Ray - We've all heard this song a lot. And while it may have reached critical mass in indie circles, it remains one of the best individual pieces of work for the year. It's haunting and honest, heartbreaking and powerful.

25. Feist "How Come You Never Go There" from Metals - Teamed with the great video that came out last month, Feist's return was made ever more triumphant with this instant classic. Leslie Feist is just so great, and this bouncing, understated track just highlights that fact.

26. theendisthebeginning "Tropics" from Tropics - This is what happens when the internet exists. I'd never have heard this band without it. And this full-figured track is the best of their album, but not by an incredible margin. They are worth checking out... but I think I've implied that.

27. Mikey Joseph O'Connor "(Not All) Pretty Blonde Girls are the God Damn Devil" from The Day I Stopped All This - Call me a homer if you wish. Mikey is part of the It's A Thing! podcast, but he also wrote a really, really, incredible song. This is that song.

28. Tom Waits "Kiss Me" from Bad As Me - The wolf with the jazzy clothing returned with one of his best albums ever. "Kiss Me" is the sweet, piano bar, nightclub, smoke-dripping, whiskey-soaked love song we all need a little bit of.

29. The Roots "I Remember" from Undun - One of this year's best albums, by far, came out at the end of the year and produced tons of great tracks. It was very difficult to choose one, but "I Remember" has some excellent vocals and a distinctly delicate feel that just seemed to fit as we close this list out.

30. Oddisee "Skipping Rocks" from Rock Creek Park - The last album I will have reviewed for 2011 features some of the greatest jazz/beat and rhyme work I've heard all year. That said, the mellow, contemplative, enjoyable and peaceful "Skipping Rocks" closes this out... because as much as you'll hate to see this playlist go, you'll love to hear it walk away.

That's it! There's your list. It's Christmas Eve! Merry Christmas, if that's your bag. If it's not, then may all your holidays, travels and quality times be great ones. May love and peace fill your heart. And may you dream of a new year full of possibilities. And if you don't have Spotify, you can find most of the complete list in a streaming grooveshark player... here.

30 Great Tracks from 2011 - Part One: In which Doris gets her oats

2011-12-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

In 2011, we saw a lot of chaos unfold around us. The economy continues to stumble. Occupy surged, slowed and soldiered on. And a several great (and unequivocally not-great) people died. But, for all the shit-storm action in 2011, it also brought us some truly incredible music, yet again. And a lot of that music slipped past/under the collective popular radar. We saw old stalwarts continue making great stuff. Great returns by Sloan, TV On The Radio, The Decemberists, Raphael Saadiq, PJ Harvey, Radiohead, St. Vincent and so many more, made the year, as crazy as it was, a tolerable one. Also, I turned 30. So, in admittedly vain and somewhat hackneyed honor of the beginning of my 31st year on this little ol' planet Earth, here's a list of 30 great tracks from 2011. This post is Part One: In which Doris gets her oats. (And if you don't get that reference, please seek out a little song called "I Dig A Pony" by the Beatles.) Because, we're referential as hell around these parts. You know, it's literary.

The tracks on this list are in no particular order. There are tons of music mags and blogs that rank them based on quality, but really, the listening experience is so subjective (based on mood, repetition, likes and dislikes) that it's difficult (if not impossible) to properly assign an arbitrary, or even critically determined, number to each one. Instead, here's the first 15. If you're savvy, and I know you are, you can check out the whole list by hitting up my Best of 2011 GLMedia playlist on Spotify. Of course, if you've got a bit of Christmas/holiday spirit left in you, you can also stop listening after the end of this list and wait until the next post (coming oh, so soon) to finish it out.

But, before we get to the other tracks, I have an honorable mention. This track, and its creator were not active in 2011. The Popovers were active between 2004 and 2009, a joint, exceptional pop band comprising Tim LaFollette and Catie Braly. They never played live, but they did create some memorable, incredible songs over those 5 years, including my honorable mention track, a cover of Snuzz's "The Worst In You," one of 12 perfect tracks from their compilation album Make It So! Sadly, Tim was suffering from ALS over the last few years, and this year he succumbed to his illness. It was tragic not merely because of the loss of life, but because LaFollette was such a talented song-writer and a brilliant lyricist. The loss of potential is terrible. With a heavy heart, I give 2011's honorable mention to The Popovers' "The Worst In You," a song you won't find on Spotify, but one that I hope you will listen to.

Now, the list.

1. Sloan "Follow the Leader" from The Double Cross - Sloan has been active for 20 years, and they just continue to write amazing power-pop. This song opens the playlist with vigor, and some appropriate "leadership."

2. TV On The Radio "Will Do" from Nine Types of Light - One of the best albums of the year, TV On The Radio returned triumphantly. And this sweet, romping, twinkling, experimental and instantly catchy track highlights just how great they can be. And that's VERY great.

3. Raphael Saadiq "Go To Hell" from Stone Rollin' - Saadiq, formerly of Tony! Toni! Toné!, gave us one of the year's best soul, funk and 50s-60s genre rock albums. And with "Go To Hell" you get a song with beautiful horns, true lyrics, and complex instrumentation. It's beautiful.

4. Okkervil River "Wake And Be Fine" from I Am Very Far - Will Sheff and the boys of Okkervil River provided one of my favorite shows of the year, despite an ankle injury that made my experience hellish. And this track has all the pop sensibility and energy of their best, with the maturity only a veteran band can possess.

5. The Decemberists "I 4 U & U 4 Me" from Long Live The King - This track, a home demo from the band's post The King Is Dead EP, is just about as purely folk-tastic and sweet as anything they released on the full record. It's a great love song, and a brilliant piece of Americana Redux.

6. Cut Copy "Hanging Onto Every Heartbeat" from Zonoscope - While their 2011 release wasn't as perfect as 2008's In Ghost Colours, it still produced a large handful of mellow, dance-rock wonder. This is one of those, and believe me, I had a hard time choosing only one.

7. PJ Harvey "Bitter Branches" from Let England Shake - England's post-punk, fuzz-rock, experimental darling PJ Harvey returned with an epic album. "Bitter Branches" is perfect mix of her old-style clatter blended with some palatable song structure. It's raucous, driving and enjoyable.

8. Radiohead "Morning Mr. Magpie" from The King of Limbs - Well, it's Radiohead. The album is still better than many remember. It's not an instant classic, but it has a lot of quality and a lot of character. And this song is one of the best they gave us this year; chaotic, jumbled and satisfying.

9. The Decemberists "Down By The Water" from The King Is Dead - Yeah, I know, two songs by Colin Meloy and Co. I'm a fan. I won't apologize. This one is so fun, rousing and delightful that it had to make the list, even if that makes me seem a little biased. Long live the Decemberists! (I bet no one used that doozy of a pun-continuation all year.)

10. Big K.R.I.T. "Sookie Now" from Return to 4EVA/R4 The Prequel - Big K.R.I.T. is doing some of the best rhyming around right now and this anthemic, party-starter, leaves you full of energy and ready to rock the faces of every crowd you meet. Beat that Bon Jovi.

11. Starfucker "Mystery Cloud" from Reptilians - This is just a beautiful, dream-space dance tune. Starfucker is instantly catchy. And the climbing pseudo-8-bit strings and measures are infectious. It's a good disease of the ears.

12. The Antlers "I Don't Want Love" from Burst Apart - I mean, tell me this isn't amazing. The opening line "You want to come up the stairs, I wanna push you back down," is a perfect bit of a-romantic hyperbole. (I hope.) Just beautiful.

13. Maritime "Paraphernalia" from Human Hearts - While it might not even be the best song they've written (still a tie between "Twins" and "People, The Vehicles" from We, The Vehicles) this perfectly captures their style and really calls to that great album. Beautiful lyrics and jangling guitars.

14. Peter, Bjorn & John "Second Chance" from Gimme Some - After "Young Folks" PB&J were kinda pigeonholed. Then they released Living Things and fans jumped ship because of the sonic darkness, but Gimme Some brought back the pop and the glee. It's not as folksy, but "Second Chance" is great and hey, listen to that cowbell!

15. Fucked Up "The Other Shoe" from David Comes To Life - Fucked Up's concept album about heartbreak and starting over was a huge surprise for me, simply because it's so complex and ornate, pulling away from punk toward a more theatrical design. This song is a perfect example, with great harmony and a powerful, addictive riff.

Alright, that's Part the First. Dig into the list on Spotify. Or use Share My Playlist at this here link: http://bit.ly/vV9axP

Oddisee - Rock Creek Park

2011-12-20T18:49:00.000-07:00

Here's another toast to the beauty of the internet! It was by the grace of Amerigo Gazaway's Fela Soul that I came up Oddisee and the grooving, smooth and mellow Rock Creek Park. Having a great network of music, especially artists who aren't immediately recognized by major or even Indie labels, is the soul of the internet music scene. And I have to give a shout out to Mello Music Group's bandcamp set for opening my ears and my proverbial eyes to something truly wonderful. Through 12 tracks, Rock Creek Park provides a seemingly endless store of goodwill, charm and honestly, genuine great feelings. The musical arrangements, complete with horns and strings and some excellent drum beats, are nothing short of perfect. This is an elegant, peaceful album that brings joy every time it plays. And in Oddisee's own words: "This album is my interpretation of [Washington, D.C.'s] Rock Creek Park through break beats, samples & live instrumentation." And the album feels like that. It's a park day album. It is a calming refuge from the hustle of the city and the day's responsibilities. And it's really infectious. Since listening to it the first time, I have chocked at least 5 additional listens (all in a couple of days) and considering how music I find around me all the time, this staying power is a testament to the quality and the beauty of Rock Creek Park.

There isn't a bad track here. And while I could nitpick a phrase or two, I don't have any interest in doing so. Songs like "Skipping Rocks" and "The Carter Barron" create such a chill atmosphere that they're almost impossible not to like. But the kicker, especially with those two tracks, is that they're also incredibly memorable. This isn't just mood music. These aren't just songs that feel good but digest faster than Chinese food. They stick with you. For all of the light pleasure inside, they're still stick-to-your-ribs music. The break-beat, funky, horn-strewn "Scenic Route to You" is brilliant and bass-heavy. The delicate and jazzy "All Along the River" feels like a careful prance along the banks that leads you to the dancier "Uptown Cabaret." And as I said, there's just not a bad piece to this pie. "Clara Barton" and "Beach Dr." are both stellar. But "Mattered Much" may be the best of the final 5. It just seethes with jazzy passion and quiet joy. And there's a little bit of something I've heard before in there. Ultimately, Rock Creek Park is an album that takes the Jazz Fusion of late Miles Davis to another level, but it's never inaccessible or problematic. It's just really, very fucking good.

The final two tracks, one a lyric'd version of "Mattered Much" featuring Olivier Daysoul, and the closer "For Certain" featuring Diamond District are two epic ways to end this already chill and exceptional set. The quality rhymes and pacing guide you to the inevitable silence when the music ends, and leave you feeling empowered, refreshed and positive. It's just good shit. That's it. Just good shit. You should listen to this. And then buy it. Paying a mere $7.99 for this is a steal. And I'm sure you'll find yourself listening to it time and time again. Check it out here. And then go to the bandcamp site.

&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://mellomusicgroup.bandcamp.com/album/rock-creek-park"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Rock Creek Park by Oddisee&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;

The Roots - Undun

2011-12-14T19:20:00.002-07:00

Undun is a lush, beautiful, goddamn perfect album. Don't be fooled by reviews to the contrary (I'm looking at you Pitchfork!) because The Roots offer a wonderful, low-key, groove-heavy, charming and almost CONSTANTLY ENJOYABLE album. Considering that the band also holds down a day job as Jimmy Fallon's Late Night house band, the achievement of Undun is even more remarkable. And frankly, this album is probably the most exciting thing to happen in media this time of year short of the Chris Paul trade situation(s) and, dare I evoke the name, Timothy Richard Tebow. The fact is, Undun opens with a polite, warming swell and ends on notes that are downright classical. The content in between is amazingly poetic, overflowing with harmonies, delighting loops, and some rhymes that are both socially responsible and politically driven, and fucking killer.

The wistful "Sleep" kicks off the album on a proper, emotional note. Addressing what it means to be awake and alive. And Big K.R.I.T.'s turn on the mic in "Make My" is a treatise on what being rich really means, and that slippery slope that it involves. But "The Other Side" and "Stomp" have a special place for me, both driving, drum-powered pieces of pure excellence. I'm reluctant to even say it, but the album has a couple misses, "Lighthouse" is a little too dissonant, with hollow beats backing it, as if The Roots wanted to pull out all the stops on this track, but all the stops, well, they just don't work together. Sometimes harmony means recognizing that some parts must not be involved. And, I know that I'm railing here, but the chorus feels like something Friendly Fires might utilize on one of their weaker pop-dance fusion pieces. It's not terrible, but it's definitely skip-able. The rest of the album, however, is not.

The beautiful, music-box-esque, "I Remember" brings the album back to form and really re-centers Undun before we reach the final five tracks. "Tip the Scale" has a perfect blend of soul and rap. It's all slow-burning, pristine groove. And it has a social conscious. Without being heavy-handed. That's a crowning achievement right there. And hey, indie-kids, there's a Sufjan track on here and it's beautiful and classically Stevens. "Redford (For Yi-Yi & Pappou)" creates a truly elegant lull following the album's central hip-hop peaks. It's a brief experience, but a hauntingly beautiful one. And the three movements that follow, each a progressive breakdown from the track previous, capture the album's name well. Undun isn't just about the emotion and the social conscious in the songs with lyrics, it's also about the decay of the album, turning from kind of beautiful sound into something knock-down, drag-out chaotic. Undun is one of the best albums of this year. Even with a couple of "meh" tracks, the bulk of it is so emotionally and intellectually affecting that choosing not to give it a listen is a sin. Don't make baby Jesus cry. Listen to it below, and then get a copy. It's great music for just about any situation.

The Black Keys - El Camino

2011-12-11T15:32:00.001-07:00

El Camino is by no means a bad album. Nor is it a bad Black Keys album. The major issue with El Camino is that it lacks the heights and greatness the band has reached previously. No band is always perfect, but sometimes these things are just matters of dilution. El Camino is the seventh studio album by the Akron, Ohio duo. And there seem to be signs here that their trademark blues-rock sound is growing slightly stale. Fans of the band, and I count myself as one, have experienced true greatness from Thickfreakness and Magic Potion, but even on 2008's Attack & Release there were tracks that felt only like they were there, rather than being there to dazzle. Part of it is that when you put out anthemic power-tracks like "Set You Free" and "Have Love Will Travel" some of the newer touches just never feel quite as strong. It's not the Weezer Effect, though, because El Camino is still infinitely listenable and much of it grows on you as you churn through it. Some tracks, though, sound a little like Beck/Eels take-aways. And others are just too muddled to be catchy.

But there are some powerful highlights. "Lonely Boy" has all the essential ingredients. It features thunderous drums and a continuous, powerful guitar riff with some quality blues-standard lyrics. Check it out below.

The Black Keys - Lonely Boy (RSD Exclusive) from wbrdigital on Vimeo.

"Dead and Gone" is another especially interesting track, with some sweet backing vocals that make the track memorable. And "Little Black Submarines" is great too, a delicate, heartfelt Led Zeppelin-esque acoustic ballad. And there's the catchy, whining "Run Right Back" too. El Camino is plainly solid for the most part, but it doesn't resonate quite the way Brothers did, or any of the great work they've done on their other 5 previous albums. What's most interesting is that The Black Keys refuse to stream the album on any of the usual services. No Spotify. No Grooveshark. No anything. Instead, the album is a buy only proposition, so I suggest giving it a try. If you are a fan of The Black Keys, then this is definitely a good buy. There are enough gems here to make it worthwhile. But if you expect a return to most recent form, you may be disappointed.

Bon Iver's Justin Vernon in a Workout Video

2011-12-09T15:00:00.001-07:00

Not much to say. Just watch it. Wonderful!

On the road DVD Trailer from Rogcity Fitness on Vimeo.

The Walking Dead - Pretty Much Dead Already

2011-12-07T21:31:00.001-07:00

Out of fatigue, I'm only finally getting around to the first-half finale of AMC's The Walking Dead. There have been a lot of disappointments this half of the season, but luckily, and well, frankly surprisingly, "Pretty Much Dead Already" pulls out everything it needs to make the show compelling for its extended holiday break. Parts of the episode speak to a sort of utopia, not entirely unlike Plato's Republic, wherein the living, breathing, thinking humans, now the best of their species by proxy, could attempt to at least respectfully store and protect their zombie counterparts, their walkers, their former friends now turned to fools with blood-rage by whatever mystery caused all of this in the first place. But the climax, another twist, but this time a good one, comes in the form of a boiling-over of negative energy, a great outpouring of fear, that means those with the minds to think and choose take out those who have long since lost their true humanity. While it provides a titillating bit of zombie gun-violence, it also feels strangely evil; an act of execution undertaken by those who fear what they still don't really understand.

There are threads that continue, Dale confronts Shane, even needling him about killing Otis. Lori is still pregnant. Rick tries to convince Hershel to let them stay, both to have normal lives, but also to preserve his unborn child's chance at survival. And while Rick and Hershel go off to round up some of the walkers who were trapped in bog mud, Shane falls entirely off his proverbial rocker. And sadly, Carol and Daryl go off to search for Sophia (who has long been a bit of a joke, but whose story takes a tragic and incredibly effective turn here).

But the big storm comes right at the end. Shane, freshly angry at Dale for even considering ditching their weapons to preserve some kind of truce with Hershel and his family, catches a glimpse of Rick and Hershel bringing in two walkers humanely. They intend, of course, to put them in the barn. But Shane can't take that. The world is dangerous. He is out of patience and out of belief. He is all fear. And he charges, shooting one of the walkers and then cracking open the barn. I have to commend the writers and the director for making the final battle, a sort of no-holds-barred gun-violence-orgy, so emotionally effective and poignant. As the walkers leave the barn one-by-one. Shane shoots one. Then Andrea jumps in and shoots. Then Daryl. Then T-Dog, and finally, reluctantly, Glenn. Rick does not shoot. And Hershel falls to his knees, heartbroken that the people he believed he could save were now destroyed. It's only once they've taken down 15 - 20 adult walkers that we get the slow reveal.

SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS!!!!

Sophia, the long lost somewhat joke of a side-story little girl emerges. She's a walker. She's gone. And she still looks mostly like herself. It's a horribly emotional reveal. And possibly the greatest thing The Walking Dead has done since its premiere. She walks out slowly. Crossing the pile of corpses, heading for the group. And as Carl hides. And no one else can move, everyone so fucking shocked. Rick steps up, set to do the truly noble thing. If the walkers are beyond cure, then he is one who is willing to euthanize. It's almost a perfect mirror of the scene in Season One when he shoots a little girl near the gas station. Or when he shoots the half-a-body-walker from the premiere. He takes no pleasure in it. That's Shane's thing. He kills for the sport, out of fear, to feel alive. Rick, though, shoots Sophia with a careful aim. She falls. The End.

For a show that has been such a mixed bag, "Pretty Much Dead Already" gave us some good pay-offs. Sophia's becoming a zombie felt reasonable, if only because Hershel wanted to save her too and couldn't bear to break what had happened to her. He almost certainly would have when he and Rick brought in the zombies they "caught." But this episode calls into question the nature of humanity more than most of these episodes have. Despite appearing only briefly, and to be shot down, the walkers seem to represent a lesser class, or at least, simply the result of our grasp on order suddenly removed. Are we that far away from them, really? Is Shane? Those are the questions that I hope the series will answer after the hiatus. And I hope to feel like reviewing the show then too. As long as it doesn't drag like it can.

Star Anna and the Laughing Dogs - Alone In This Together

2011-12-06T16:07:00.001-07:00

With beautifully heartfelt, sometimes growling vocal intonation and brisk, guitar and piano work, Star Anna and the Laughing Dogs, with their newest release Alone In This Together, provide a collection of songs that speak to every person's failed relationships, every person's unfulfilled dreams and every person's fears of the future. Their folk, alt-country, rock mix that features splashing percussion and pristine melodious harmonies, has a very radio friendly quality without sacrificing the purity of emotion attached to each individual line of lyrical poetry. While they do have a somewhat late-'90s/early-'00s Lilith Fair quality at times, Star Anna and the Laughing Dogs also infuses a strong and evident love of the blues. It's a sturdy album about situations we all know well, and one that never drifts too far into the sad-sack or pathetic. Star Anna, lead singer, rhythm guitarist and leader of the group, a vocalist from Ellensburg, WA., has such a powerful, enjoyable voice that she carries (and could carry) just about any song, even if it were trite. Luckily, the growls and lush arrangements around her on Alone In This Together never require such carrying. Instead, they simply benefit. And that, ultimately, benefits the listener.

The title track "Alone In This Together" is a powerful, sad, and wistful track that gives an exemplary taste of the rest of the album. Check out the video below for the FULL EFFECT. But even beyond that song, which will sure see some radio time over the next months, the album has some great highlights. "Time" and "Wolves In Disguise" serve as testaments to different sides of the romantic/life coin, touching both on sadness and on a sort of strong, vengeful desire to battle back deceptions. "Just Leave Me There" has all the sad-mixed-with-a-middle-finger anyone could ask for. Despite a slower pace, it's decisive and aggressive lyrically. And some of the best tracks finish the album, so as you wander the wilds of the internet to sample before you buy, make sure to check out "Don't Go Yet." You'll be pleased when you do, especially as Star Anna's voice and style reveal themselves more and more to have hints of Fiona Apple and Cat Power. Check out a few of the tracks below the video, and then hit up the band's website to pick up a copy. It's talented artists like these, who fly somehow under the radar, who deserve our love the most.

Star Anna And The Laughing Dogs 05 Time by Local 638 Records

Star Anna And The Laughing Dogs 07 Wolves In Disguise by Local 638 Records

She & Him - A Very She & Him Christmas

2011-12-01T17:15:00.001-07:00

You already know all the songs. You already have positive, negative, or otherwise associations with the songs. The real wildcard when it comes to She & Him's A Very She & Him Christmas is weather or not you like Zooey Deschanel. And not just Zooey Deschanel as an actress or person, but her voice, the syrupy dulcet tones that are both precious and breathy, and if you like the "idea" of Zooey Deschanel making a Christmas album. I don't bring M. Ward into this because he's just not divisive. Also, he brings another round of strong, but subtle guitar garnishment and occasional backing vocals to this newest She & Him entry. It's not that he's a non-factor, but he's the unsung hero of the band. He keeps them moving and he provides the sonic decoration in the form of their pseudo-'50s echo-y guitar, but he's just not the face. But, anti-Zooey-ites, assuming you exist, there is nothing here to complain about. Her vocals are calm, and perfectly suited to these standard classics. And if anything, she avoids any vocal histrionics of any kind. This may be an indie-rock album, but it's charmingly traditional (excepting some echo, and vocal overlay effects) to the extent that you could sit by the fire, burn a Yule log, drink some Wassail, and hope that the Chim-in-ney Sweep isn't in Santa's way. In short, it's beautiful.

Deschanel excels particularly on "Christmas Wish" where her occasional, charming, geographically-confusing drawl is perfect. But songs like "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" is another treat too. M. Ward does some interesting stuff on "Sleigh Ride," frolicking up and the neck of the guitar and providing additional vocals. And then "Rocking Around the Christmas Tree" has some style too, but She & Him don't do anything crazy with it, save for some more solid guitar riffs from M. Ward. "Blue Christmas" is one they knock out of the park, but that's just as easily because of the quality of the song too. And their rendition of "Little Saint Nick" by the Beach Boys is wonderful, though not too far from the original. The bottom line when it comes to A Very She & Him Christmas is whether you like She & Him AND you like Christmas songs. Those are the components in question. If you like both, then you will be pleased by this heartwarming, not-too-challenging set of songs. If not, then you're just well off with classical versions of the songs. For me, it's a great, peaceful, sometimes semi-jaunty mix of great holiday tunes. "The Christmas Song" as the album's closer, nearly got me choked up, but it's a beautiful song that cannot be denied.

Give the album a listen below. Let it soundtrack a snowy night (like this one, here in Denver) and then decide whether you need it or not. It could be an integral part of your holiday collection. If you have a holiday collection. No matter what, if it doesn't warm your heart, well, go get your Grinch card now, because it's probably two sizes too small.

And on an unrelated note: R.I.P. Napster. You were a cute way to get viruses and lawsuits filed against you in college, but you did open up the internet, and potentially strike the knock-out blow that started the death of the Old Music Industry.

Amerigo Gazaway - "Who We Are"

2011-11-28T00:30:00.000-07:00

Gummy Soul artist and the great creator of the mash-up masterpiece Fela Soul, Amerigo Gazaway, recently released a politically charged Occupy: Wall Street-themed song called "Who We Are." Brilliantly, the song is a strong, poignant rallying cry. It also functions as a note of negativity that, while hopeful for the future, acknowledges that it's already too late. This type of sincerity and depth sets Gazaway instantly apart from the crowds. His anger in "Who We Are" isn't merely directionless, it is a frustration that solutions could be found, but we are so constantly bogged down that they remain elusive. It's also one of the most educated, well-formed pleas I have heard in recent history. This isn't just a "ra ra" piece about how everything is broken, it's a philosophical thesis about ending the corporate greed in this country and around the world. And keeping the one planet we have clean and alive. It's truly moving stuff. Download the single here.

Tom Waits - Bad As Me

2011-11-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

It's not often that you can say an artist, especially one fondly remembered for past epic successes, actually gets better with age and time. The surviving Beatles tend to disappoint compared to their past works. The Rolling Stones just don't write good music anymore. And well, poor Lou Reed lost some poker game and ended up working with Metallica on the most tragically masturbatory event since Dr. Cecil Jacobson. So, it's a fucking treat, goddammit, when Tom Waits keeps making quality music 38 years after Closing Time set the stage for his greatness. Bad As Me is actually, surprisingly, better than 1999's Grammy-winning Mule Variations. That's saying something, for me at least, because it was Mule Variations that really turned me on to Tom Waits in the first place. It's probably sacrilege to say so, but I didn't hear much of him until then. And once I did, I realized the error of that choice of ways. So, with Bad As Me, Waits creates 14 tracks that are excellent. And the fusion of jazz, funk, rock, and folk that happens here is one that makes a perfect potion. Even the tracks on which Waits sings "falsetto" are incredible.

Waits makes a strong, playful callback on "Satisfied" where he invokes Jagger and Richards. And shows exceptional tenderness on "Kiss Me," a slow-burning, retro, jazz club track. Those are not necessarily the best songs on the album, but they are fine representations of the color and flavor and the undyingly powerful songwriting that this man is capable of. Bad As Me is an album that sets its own tone. It creates its own atmosphere. And it defies distractions. In fact, while writing this review, my friend Jared, of It's A Thing! fame, has called me multiple time for consultations on a plant purchase, as well as to inform me of, first, the existence of a band called Chokebore, and then that they are similar to Weezer. The moral here... Tom Waits will not be denied. If you don't care for Waits, generally, I really recommend giving this album a shot. It has a timeless mix of genres, each of which is executed perfectly when separate and innovatively when blended. Bad As Me is a likely candidate for more awards. But more than anything it is a thank you note, intentional or not, to fans that says "I've not even begun to write my best music." Listen to it below via Grooveshark, and then go get it or download it or something. And listen to his interview with Terry Gross from NPR's Fresh Air in which he discusses his process.

The Walking Dead - Secrets

2011-11-26T09:24:00.001-07:00

That whole Thanksgiving thing, and the days leading up to it delayed this post. The good news is that "Secrets" isn't a new low-point for The Walking Dead this year. And the bad news is just more of the same stuff that is the bad news each week. "Secrets" plays up Shane's character-dichotomy, gives Glenn a chance to look like less of goon after last week, forces us to tolerate more Lori-centric melodrama, and offers heaping spoonfuls of Dale. It's big failing comes from Daryl's near-complete absence, he is healing, but no one checks back with him after the initial 5 minutes. Oh and the opener, before the titles, was great, as one of the farmhouse survivors breaks chicken's legs by hand, stuffs those little squawkers in a sack, and then dumps that sack into the zombie barn. It's a pity that nothing cool came of the barn... Of course, it will, I'm sure... due to some disastrous asshole move perpetrated by an uneven Shane, but for now we just have to be content knowing that the barn is holding the "sick" in Hershel's opinion. He and Maggie don't consider them monsters, they call them "wife" and "mom" and "brother." Still, the opener was shot so well, with such a focus on the horror elements of film and great pacing, and NOT TALKING ALL THE TIME, that it was too bad we didn't get to explore that line further... or, hell, that show. Now to the characters:

Shane: First, he's helping everyone learn to shoot, looking like a bit of a leader and getting the gratitude he'll need to hang around despite all of the moral compromises he's made. He and Andrea even go out to look for "Sophia" (I'm putting quotes around her name because at this point she's more like a myth.) and after Shane uses a bit of the tough-guy tough-love to get her shooting zombies with accuracy, and they don't, of course, find "Sophia," Andrea cups Shane's manhood in the car... and they presumably have frustrated, slightly amoral, pseudo-adolescent, post-gun-firing, action movie romance sex. But, earlier, Shane shows an interest in Carl again, and he seems to be back on the reservation... until Dale confronts him and things get very threaten-y. Shane is still the wild card. And since his pride leads him to snap quickly to anger at Dale, it seems entirely possible that he'll start killing barn zombies or let them out just to be a dick. As long as he can take Andrea with him.

Glenn: He finally knows that Maggie actually digs him. He gets the most brutal zombie kill of the episode. And he also tells Dale about both the barn (which Maggie is angry about for about 10 minutes) and Lori's pregnancy. Glenn turns out to be someone we used to call "Switzerland" back in high school. "Switzerland" is the person who listens to a lot of people, offers non-biased advice, and stays out of the situations for the most part. This is Glenn now. He doesn't want no trouble. So, after Glenn gets Lori's abortion pills, he also grabs some prenatal vitamins to give her a VERY CLEAR to the audience CHOICE. Not bad for Glenn though, he's kinda dumb, but more considerate and more like the glue for the group that he was in Season One.

Lori: She's still pregnant. And how can someone raise a baby in this here world of undead creatures? So she decides to abort the child with a handful of morning after pills. Then she immediately vomits up the pills. And since her decision takes up about 7 minutes of the show, she and Rick talk it out. And she's upset. And he's upset she lied. And then they seem to decide to keep the baby. And Rick seems, almost too well, to understand that she was with Shane. But there's a lot of crying. And a lot of brooding. And well, it's Lori. She's over the top. And this is the tip-top for over the top.

Dale: Is the catalyst. He talks to Hershel and gets us an unfulfilling narrative scoop. He gets Lori to admit she's pregnant, after already knowing via Glenn, by telling a story about his wife's meat aversion following her pregnancy. And he confronts Shane for being a complex, likely dangerous dickhead. He even brings Otis back up. Dale has guts, that's for sure. It's an exciting thing. Because without Daryl, this episode was almost without a leading man.

Other people do stuff too, but who cares... "Secrets" was just what it says it was, an episode with lots of secrets. New ones and old ones. Reveals and new burials. But, at least it didn't have a twist ending this time.

Feist - "How Come You Never Go There"

2011-11-21T07:37:00.001-07:00

An austere, quirky, and Feistive track from this year's excellent Metals, "How Come You Never Go There" is imagery rich, and ties itself back to Feist's previous video work (for "1234" and "My Moon, My Man") with more of her trademark bob-and-pop dancing. Check out the video because you like Feist, or you don't. But also because this is one of the poppier tracks on the album and joy just shoots out of it like a Slip-N-Slide hose in summertime.

The Walking Dead - Chupacabra

2011-11-19T17:13:00.001-07:00

You know what? It's not fun writing about The Walking Dead anymore. And that's mostly because in each episode, I feel only fleeting moments of clear interest in what's going on. I find myself walking away (get it!) from the screen every 10 minutes, not particularly concerned when the "conversational" parts take precedent. Mostly, that's because I've learned, as I'm sure you have too, that The Walking Dead is a show that loves BIG TWIST endings. All of the twists are saved for last and they almost never have much to do with anything that takes up the bulk of our time in the preceding 46 minutes. (The Shane-Otis thing, notwithstanding.) Lori's preggers! Shocker! Carl gets shot! Shocker! And in "Chupacabra": Barn-full of zombies! Shocker! I for one am tired of cliffhangers. At some point it just feels too convenient when stories keep wrapping up in unsatisfying, often uninteresting revelations. (Again, the Shane-Otis thing, notwithstanding.) And truth be told, the barn of zombies is great. My assumption is that Hershel (who episodes ago stated that humanity would find a cure) is keeping the zombies in the barn because he thinks he may be able to bring them back, someday. My guess is that it's a bit of white knight something-or-other, or just a need for control. It would cool if he just likes to go in there and pop one every few days to feel powerful, but I doubt they'd go that far in absurdity or in coolness.

But "Chupacabra" generally sucks. And the reason is that other than Daryl's excellent side-story, this show can't decide if it wants to be plot-driven or if it wants to be My Dinner With Andre. Rick and Shane has a talk, and Shane says, outright, that he doesn't think Rick's doing a good job. These people talk about their frustrations too much. And while good communication is important in real life, it's often hard to believe that these people could be so transparent with each other. They say what they think almost all the time. And no one really does that. No one is "conflict avoidance" enough. And the character's don't develop themselves through their actions as much as they do through saying what they're thinking and doing when they're thinking and doing it. Also, Glenn's little misogynistic menstruation concern is just plain stupid. Hershel, though, who maintains a weird fatherly racism/fascism is interesting, if only it weren't so thickly plastered into his every sentence. So, I'm kinda tired of writing about the show because the show doesn't "wow" much. It's like I started reviewing Weezer's catalog: The Blue Album was great. Pinkerton was great. But I'm struggling to keep finding the good bits among the muck as it goes on.

Some brief notes:

1. Why (and this is a questions asked all over already) would Maggie let Glenn pick the hook up spot if she knows about the zombie barn?

2. Why is anyone letting Andrea do things when she's so completely terrible?

3. Why does Daryl see a specter of his brother, Merle, going all Cletus the Slack-jawed Yokel meets David Lynch?

4. How is it that when this world should be dangerous, it feels so often completely safe... too safe?

5. When are these characters going to start at least considering their actions in advance of doing them? They spend a lot of time philosophizing, but no one ever seems ready or capable of making a plan that makes sense... And no one seems capable of questioning the plans that don't make sense.

And 6. How disappointed are we going to be when we get a little explanation of the zombie barn and then spend another episode where a bad decision/circumstance is the conflict?

And 6.1. Who cares about Sophia anymore?

November 15: Crooked Fingers

2011-11-16T16:20:00.001-07:00

There's intimate when it comes to shows and then there is something special that I'm going to call hyper-intimacy that applies to last night's Crooked Fingers show at the Larimer Lounge in Denver. The hyper-intimacy in question occurred when Eric Bachmann stepped away from the mic and out onto the edge of the stage where he began playing a song, completely unplugged, with a cappella backing vocals by Liz Durrett. In that moment, this show, which was already epically great in its own right, took on a new level of excellence. We were all with the band. It became a sing-along, rather than a performance, or a conveyance of information from the artist to the audience. It turned into a group activity. And in the Larimer's tiny, low-ceilinged, corridor style venue, the intimacy was additionally enhanced. The show covered, largely, Crooked Fingers' newest release Breaks In The Armor, and featured incredible album-quality performances. And Bachmann even went back to 2006's To The Races for a small handful of tracks too.

What was so amazing, first and foremost, is that Eric Bachmann is one-hundred feet tall. That's hyperbole of course. No one is that tall. But Bachmann is probably more than six and one-half feet. And it's that size, in tandem with the smallness of the Larimer that makes this show extra memorable. In total, opener Ian Cooke was great, though sidelined by a couple of looping issues and a cello that he claimed was his training, learners, kiddie cello that wouldn't stay in good tune. The second opener, too, was solid, but when Crooked Fingers took the stage, they literally, to use the old joke parlance, TOOK THE STAGE. This was a show that resonates with some incredible power and made a Tuesday night feel like a Friday or Saturday, packing the small house with fans and elevating the emotional feeling in the room to something similar to a stadium rock show. I can't, really, I can't say enough about how excellent this show was. And when Bachmann played "Man O' War" I very nearly started to cry. It was that good. Watch the video below and cry with me. And I apologize for the lack of photos, but some USB problems with Windows 7 is currently crippling my upload ability. Balls to that! UPDATE: Fixed, but the photo isn't very good. The center-set blob is E.B. Check it!

ZAHAR - "It Washed Away"

2011-11-12T15:04:00.001-07:00

Talent is everywhere. While a lot of the business end will lead you to believe that film making and music are extremely hit-or-miss almost all the time, the truth is that there is compelling material floating around the world. I have been lucky enough to know and meet some of these talent-purveyors first-hand, too, and to be subsequently blown away by the continuing excellence. This is a new track, an acoustic track called "It Washed Away" by an old friend now traveling artistically as ZAHAR. Now, if you're suddenly questioning my objectivity, first let me say that Ayn Rand is full of shit. Second, I had never heard ZAHAR perform way back when, and I had little idea of his capability and capacity for writing, or guitar-maestro-ism until listening to the song embedded below. So, nuts to objectivity. This is great stuff.

Take note of the excellent guitar work, a periodic, ambling, hypnotic line that maintains the simple semblance of order that the song needs to build to the crashing "breakdown" moments. It reminds me of another track, a little known song called "Closed Rooms" by The Standard, which functions with a similar rambling riff, but lacks the vocal complications featured here by ZAHAR. I mean, listen to the range here. It's not soul/opera/super-range, but ZAHAR offers appropriate delicacy and softness to kick off the song, and then succeeds in demonstrating incredible frustration and power as the rough, gravely tones overtake the song. It's a brilliant contrast to the sweeter opening, and to the continuous, melodic riff. There are good songs that are danceable, or fun, or poppy, but this is one of those good songs that has pieces assembled to convey the greater point. ZAHAR's political and social commentary heat and boil over in a fervor of anguishing growls, and then so gently, they fall back into a perfect silence. Hear "It Washed Away" out and then listen to it again and again. It's a grower that's also a show-er (to use the Savage-parlance). And check out ZAHAR's website here to show your support.

The Walking Dead - Cherokee Rose

2011-11-10T18:31:00.001-07:00

We're gonna have a Shane-baby! Probably. Lori's episode ending, completely anti-climactic positive pregnancy test only serves to unravel the tenuous relationship she has with Rick and Carl, but it also seems a little trite given the circumstances. Sure, she slept with Shane in Season One, but the reveal isn't going to be the complicated thing. The trick will be in how to get around as a pregnant lady in a world of death and danger. If this turns into an emotional point of contention with Rick, then that's just stupid, because Lori should be able to pull a Joan Holloway-Harris and lie through it. After all, The Walking Dead broods and melodramas like it wants to be Mad Men, but it never plays its cards appropriately. And there's only so many times we can use the ol' "people in an impossible situation can act impossibly" argument. Just lie. If it keeps the group together. Just lie. Especially now that Lori knows Rick is feeling less a man, as demonstrated by his overwrought badge and gun in the drawer routine. But at least Rick and Carl are closer now that they've both been shot and, interestingly, cuckolded (in a way) by Shane. Shane tricked Rick's friendship and tricked Carl's need for a father. Oh it's a tangled little bit of fuckery.

But, "Cherokee Rose" is generally an uneven episode, but a decent one. Shane, who is forced to lie about Otis' death, is phenomenal. Daryl, who ventures out alone in search of Sophia (yeah, she's still lost), finds a flower, Georgia's State Flower the Cherokee Rose, and gives it to Carol as a sign that her daughter may yet come back. Note: Daryl is turning into the best guy on the show. He's undaunted by fear, faith-shakings, or anything else. He is an electrified bad-assery machine and it's a pity and possibly a mistake that he doesn't do enough on the show week to week. Or maybe it's because he doesn't spout philosophical ramblings that HE IS the bad ass. And Glenn, who awkwardly and accidentally talks his way into some abandoned drug store sex with the gorgeous cowgirl Maggie, is also exceptional. Those are the three upsides to the episode. Unfortunately they are, once more, surrounded by some questionable writing and "meh" character development.

For starters, watching our bloated, water-logged zombie of the week lugged from a well, rip in half, and then consequently contaminate the water supply was a bit of quality special effects and decent consequences to the mini-storyline. Had the group succeeded in getting him out, well, they'd have a victory, and other than Carl's recovery, victories really aren't what this show is about. Also, it was just such a stupid thing to undertake in the first place that it was right for them to fail. USE A DIFFERENT WELL. OR FILL THIS ONE IN WITH DIRT SO THAT THE ZOMBIE "CONTAMINATE" CAN'T GO FURTHER. Something else. Instead, they lower Glenn in on a rope. And the rope, well the rope doesn't break. But the steal, bolted well pump does and they just barely save Glenn. The problem here is that the plan was dumb. AND there's no real sense of urgency. Glenn won't die because he's not an Otis. We haven't seen a regular cast member die yet... except for Amy. And she was cursory at best. It's a neat way to include zombies, but one where we know what's going down and there isn't any real tension.

Shane and Andrea's conversation about guns, about "the kill" was solid. But it was the best talking point in the episode. Rick and Herschel have a moment of faith, another, where we seem only to rehash the conversations of last week. Really, the episode fails by giving too little time to Glenn and Maggie. Nothing else really happens anyway. Just a lot of quick conversations about failing faith. And then failing confidence. But Glenn and Maggie are something. Maggie specifically, who boldly undresses at Glenn's accidental suggestion of sex. It's a perfectly awkward moment in which Maggie's character is strongly defined. She's bold. She's in charge. And she doesn't say it. She just is it. That's what The Walking Dead is doing wrong. They keep using dialogue about faith to establish who is faithful and faithless. They use conversations about fear that way. And conversations about love. And hope and anger and confidence and all of it. Instead people need to do things that define them as SOMETHING. Maggie, undressing, is a more fleshed-out (pardon the pun) character in that moment, than almost anyone else. It was the same with Glenn boldly leading Rick through Atlanta in the second episode. We need more of that.

"Cherokee Rose" wasn't bad, but it felt like a stop-gap in a lot of ways. We could have moved forward, but instead the group takes a rest and so do we. It's not a total waste, but it is a sign of fatigue in the writing staff, whether it originated with the comic series or not. A new medium allows for new choices, options and storytelling modes. And if we're not going to tie all the flashbacks into the main story, let's leave them out entirely, shall we. Next week "Chupacabra."

The Walking Dead - Save The Last One

2011-11-03T20:44:00.000-06:00

Way to go The Walking Dead! You've entered your most truly compelling episode of the season into consideration and have, over 40+ minutes, created a compelling villain and a lot of interesting character dynamics that may well carry you through to something that is wholly watchable. The upside of "Save The Last One" is that it's the best episode front-to-back of the year. We have Shane's soul-losing, turning-to-the-dark-side, Anakin-to-Vader moment. (Watch that clip and then explain to me how 3 Jedi get slaughtered so quickly. Sure, the Emperor is a tough guy, but he's still 70 or so. You'd think he'd do something a little cooler, like electrocute them...) But we also have to deal with a lot of somewhat forced dialogue about life and death and what living means in a world devastated by zombie apocalypse. "Save The Last One" is the kind of episode that turns a series like this one into a must watch, rather than a wait-and-see. It is really the most intriguing and unsettling episode since the series premiere, too. But, it's still not perfect.

First, the good: Shane killing Otis, or at least turning Otis into time buying bait by shooting him in the leg is the first real character development we've seen since Rick met Morgan and Duane and we saw the torture that is deciding whether to kill a loved one to spare them permanent decay and waste. Andrea killing Amy was a close second, but in this episode, by featuring a simple narration by Rick with footage of Shane and Otis bravely making their way through the FEMA station/high school, sets the stage for something particularly harrowing. That, in addition to the opening, in which Shane pulls a Deb (from Empire Records) to demonstrate how torn he is about something bad having happened, creates something this show needed badly, a villain that's more than Chaos. When, at the end of the episode, we discover the truth, it's all the more shocking. We've only seen Shane trying to be a better man and do right by Rick this year, and we were due for an outburst that kept the ante rising. First, it was sleeping with Lori. Second, it was beating the shit out of Ed (a noble deed given Ed's rapier/abusier qualities). Now, he sacrifices a comrade, albeit a non-main-cast comrade, but a decent fella just the same in Otis.

Oh, and they saved Carl. So that was cool. But good mostly because we ended that storyline. Carl will be fine. Rick and Lori are bonded over a closer tragedy of the familial variety. And Andrea and Daryl take a walk. We also hear from Glenn again, talking with Maggie about faith. But really, all of these things feel like stalls. Carl is only particularly cared for (by the audience) because he's a kid. He's the next/last generation. But knowing that the series will go on for at least one more season means he's obviously not expendable. Not yet. Instead, he's a means to an end. His predicament means that we talk about death, and more giving up. It's important, sure, but those are the times when the writing is so thick with monologues and messages that it's clear nothing will burst in to cause Chaos, and that makes those parts a little less interesting.

So, back to Shane and Otis. After a successful escape from the high school gymnasium, the men are separated and Shane clearly fears that Otis didn't make it, until a few covering shots save his life. It's a great moment of "rah rah" for Otis. And for a second, we all get to think that the group finally has another competent leader. But, when Shane and Otis are making a final break for the truck, and run out of ammo, excepting a single bullet each, Shane turns and pulls the trigger. When Otis goes down, it's a moment of utter sadness. He's a good man, trying only to make amends for his mistake. Otis is the capable, last vestige of social order. He's a hero. So as he's fighting Shane for his life, and we already know he didn't make it, there's a moment where we MUST root for him to take Shane down, or at least drag himself away to a safe place. Instead, Shane beats the man back and leaves as a horde convenes on Otis's face, tearing him to pieces. A good man dies, by another man's hand, and a whole new problem arises. When will Shane lose his shit? What humanity is left in him? And who will he be able to convince to turn with him? We're in double-agent country now, folks.

"Save The Last One" does great with its scares and gore. And the Shane and Otis section feels particularly tense. It's too bad that the rest does not. Even the lone, hanging zombie that Daryl and Andrea encounter adds no tension, even if the design and execution were excellent. High marks to the bulk of this episode. It's a roller coaster, though, not really for Carl's situation. He's fine. He was always going to be fine. So there's that.

The Decemberists - "Burying Davy"

2011-11-01T17:45:00.001-06:00

Rolling Stone has an exclusive stream of the new Decemberists' track "Burying Davy" from their brand new outtakes/B-sides/really solid EP Long Live the King that came out just today. The EP follows the established mold of awesomeness set up with this year's The King is Dead. "Burying Davy" is as Rolling Stone describes, a creepy, charming and straightforward piece of work. And it holds onto some of the shanty-style majesty of the band's earlier releases. The other thing is that this track is good enough that it will explode your very testicles. And failing that, either because of a lack of testicles or a lack of scientific backing to the statement, it will make you damn, damn, damn happy. Dig in on it via the link above. And keep in mind that Colin Meloy and Company continued excellence is a wonderful sign of grace and greatness in a world that now has to weather the combination of Lulu, Kim Kardashian's sadly collapsed perfect romance, the end of Zooey Deschanel and Ben Gibbard, and the divorce of Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore. Oh, and the economy continues to be shitty, and protests are rampant. Can we even make it to 2012? Or the next, somewhat inevitable Rapture predictions?

The Walking Dead - Bloodletting

2011-10-26T18:09:00.001-06:00

Whew. Well things turn around in season two's episode two of AMC's The Walking Dead. In "Bloodletting," the contrivances that got our band of survivors separated, some on the highway by the RV, some in the middle of the woods walking back, and Shane, Rick and Carl (who was shot by a stray deer-hunting bullet) out looking for Sophia, have led us to a point where real, believable conflict can grow. "Bloodletting" is a refreshing return that keeps the energy of the season going, really cranking it up, and it's also an episode that lets some of the odd bullshit (Andrea and Shane and their departure?) fall by the wayside.

The show opens with a flashback. People are everywhere, and they're the alive the kind of people we know and love. Lori is waiting to pick up Carl from school. She's also venting to another mother about an argument she and Rick had the night before. Things are not good in the Grimes house. But before she can vent too much, Shane pulls up to tell Lori that her husband has just been shot. That's when Carl walks up. And that's when we cut to titles. The flashback doesn't do a whole lot. It seems more like an appetizer for fans who haven't seen season one. That Lori knew Rick was in the hospital, that Shane told her, that there was tension in the Grimes' marriage, was all established in episode one, season one. But, notably, seeing other humans alive and well, societal order intact, was actually briefly emotionally affecting.

After the first break, Rick is running, carrying a shot and bleeding Carl, toward a secluded plantation/farm house. When he's there, strangely, there are another 6 people (give or take) who have all survived this long. It's a great callback, a quiet one, to the original Night of the Living Dead, where the protagonists hold up in a similar farm house. It's also a fine play on something we know about zombies and surviving them: Don't go into the city. There are too many people. And the supplies are not worth it. You'll last longer living off of the land, treating the zombies like wild animals, than trying to coexist with them in a dense setting. It's a nice set piece and nice detail writing. Luckily, one of the people in the house is a doctor and he's prepared to help Carl. The bad news is, Carl has bullet fragments in his chest and the doctor doesn't have enough supplies to help him. Oh, and the doctor, well, technically he's a vet. Not a combat doc. A veterinarian.

Elsewhere, Dale and T-Dog are looking for supplies in the highway cars to keep T-Dog from dying of blood poisoning after his arm injury during the horde attack in "What Lies Ahead." Dale is ever the voice of reason and also a sort of charming puppeteer. He wants to keep the group together, and since he's not a fighter, he's the group's kind, philosopher idealist. In short, Dale is one of the best characters on the show, even though some of the very "move-the-plot-forward" lines he's given here aren't his best. T-Dog on the other hand starts fretting his injury and how his race, being the only black man in the group, may play into his death or, failing that, sacrifice. Lori, Carol, Daryl and Andrea are walking back in the woods. Andrea seems to have dropped her whining for a week. Maybe the writers didn't know how to keep her going without making her unlikeable? And as they're walking back, a walker attacks Andrea, who reacts fearfully, but seems to have, at least temporarily, rediscovered her desire to live. And for her luck, a rider, the doctor's daughter (I think) comes up on horseback and bats the zombie to the ground. She also picks up Lori, because, well, her son was shot.

What's odd at this point, about halfway through the episode, is that Sophia has been dropped, other than a moment where Carol likens her potential demise to Amy's, thus hurting Andrea. And T-Dog's blood poisoning problem? Well, Daryl has a bag of drugs for that. No muss, no fuss. This means that the episode can focus entirely on Carl and Rick and Shane and now the doctor, and Otis, who accidentally shot Carl. Rick and Lori have a moment to worry about Carl, as is expected. Rick blames himself. As is expected. And then we find out that there's a FEMA medical pop-up at the local high school should have the stuff the doctor needs to save Carl. Shane volunteers, as a clear olive branch to Lori and to keep Rick from sacrificing himself. With Otis, Shane goes to the high school FEMA pop-up, they find what they need. Everything is perfect. And then, with some quality tension, a horde of walkers appears and traps them. It's a trap that we expect to happen, but it's also one that is perfect for the genre. In trapping Shane and Otis, this one horde traps Rick and Lori and Carl. But they also throw a wrench in the rest of the group's life with the RV. There will almost certainly be some tension, some will want to drive on without Rick and Lori and Shane. Especially since T-Dog hinted at that when ranting to Dale.

Now, visually, the show is stronger here. It's not as gory, but it is, luckily beautiful. There is something pastoral about the settings, something that proves the point that while humanity may be in shambles, the Earth doesn't really notice. The doctor's short speech about how mankind has weathered every other plague, his hope that they can crack a cure, is a bright spot. There is hope. Should there be? Maybe not, but everyone has been pretty down so far this season, and hearing that something good might just happen, somewhere, sometime, a long time away, is especially resonant. Also, the conflict is about parents and children and belonging. These are all tangible, reasonable lines for the conflict to run because we can handle zombies, but maybe excessive melodrama is too much. AND: It sounds like we'll get back to the hunt for Sophia next week. And something that's not quite right...

Mikey Joseph O'Connor - "(Not All) Pretty Blonde Girls are the God Damn Devil"

2011-10-25T07:56:00.001-06:00

Just a follow up to last week's review of Mikey Joseph O'Connor's EP The Day I Stopped All This, here's a tasty bit of recorded-live video in which the singer-songwriter performs the song "(Not All) Pretty Blonde Girls are the God Damn Devil" with guest backing vocalist/harmonizer Sarah Lynn. It's a catchy tune, if you haven't already listened to it. Get your JOY on.

(Not All) Pretty Blonde Girls Are The God Damn Devil [live] from Mikey Joseph O'Connor on Vimeo.

The Walking Dead - What Lies Ahead

2011-10-21T16:17:00.001-06:00

Alright, folks. Here we are again. Another season of blood-curdling, spine popping, heart-stopping, organ-grinding (monkey not included) zombie action with AMC's The Walking Dead. Last season, we were introduced to the post-zombie outbreak world in seamlessly amazing style, and then the rest of the season of was a little too up-and-down. Enough so that I considered whether I should resurrect (get it?) these reviews at all. There were some substantial ups last year, though, excepting the bland bait-and-switch of thugs tending to a hospital/rest-home and a somewhat chemistry-less romantic/cheating subplot that has yet to rear its head. But, hell, over the off-season, they shook the show up, getting almost an entirely new staff of writers to try the whole thing again. What we get, luckily, is a great product in "What Lies Ahead," even if it hasn't completely abandoned some of the overwrought melodramatic parts of last year.

"What Lies Ahead" has one obvious literary vibe right there in the title. It's the season premiere, so yeah, what DOES lie ahead? But also, what lies, as in un-truths, are up ahead too? It seems like Shane and Andrea have some incentive to become anti-heroes. And then there's Lori... and all that business with Rick's not-being-dead-but-her-needing-a-little-lovin'-anyway. So, we get a little wink-wink, nudge-nudge here. The conflict upcoming will more than likely stem not only from the undead hordes, but from good ol' fashioned human fucked-upped-ness. Hurray, right? The episode opens with Rick making a probably fruitless transmission over that walkie-talkie. This serves to catch up the audience as much as anything, and while Rick may have really given a summary like this, saying things somewhat like "once we were many, now we're few" (allowing for some convenient montage images of the people from the group who have been lost, many, again, of whom we didn't like or didn't really care about), but that seems a little unlikely. Essentially, the opening 5 minutes are pretty fucking contrived. That doesn't mean they're without emotional effect, but well...

After the hand-holding opening minutes (I almost chose to go with "hand job") to cater to the new influx audience, "What Lies Ahead" gets right into the action. The group is divided among three vehicles, leaving the CDC area, taking the highway, presumably to heaven rather than hell. No one looks very happy. Andrea still wears depression on her face. Dale is quiet. Rick and Lori seem to be in the best shape. But still, no one is high-spirited. This is a group of sadsacks. And who wouldn't be when confronted with the end of humanity? Well, the gang rolls up on a traffic jam, actually a car graveyard, that they try to navigate, but then, oh man, the radiator hose on the RV breaks... again. It's a well to which the show has gone two times previously, and it's a little tired. So, instead of going somewhere unique, the gang is stranded again. The group splits up to loot the vehicles and corpses, and Shane even finds an essentially boundless source of freshwater in the form of a water delivery truck. Oh the joy of it! Oh nothing could possibly go wrong! Things are looking up. And that's when the zombies show up.

Obviously.

Everyone hides and the zombies move through, no prob, Bob. But then Sophia, daughter of the formerly abused wife Carol (her asshole husband was eaten, so there's some karma), gets caught up with a straggling walker. Start up the banjo chase music!! Rick, of course, goes after Sophia, finds her and tells her that he'll distract the now two walkers while she runs to safety, but Sophia doesn't make it back to everyone. Nope. She just disappears. And this is where the tension gets interesting. Daryl and Rick begin a search, even gutting a zombie to determine if he may have eaten the little girl, but it turns up nothing. And meanwhile, Andrea wants a gun, but the misogynistic menfolk won't let her have one. Dale is at the forefront because he doesn't want her to off herself. And she doesn't much like being coddled. That's the key to "What Lies Ahead." Andrea is turning into the bad guy here. She's rapidly making a The Stand style turn from good group to bad group. And she's keen on breaking Shane away from the group too. And he's being less and less kind to Carl and Lori. Bottom line, the group is fracturing. And now there's a little girl lost.

More searching happens. They don't find Sophia, not yet at least. But there's a spiritual moment. And we also find out that Dale fixed the radiator way faster than he said. He wants everyone to regroup and he's being a little bit of an ass about it. The kind of ass that might get people eaten. "What Lies Ahead" sets an interesting stage. The Walking Dead is a soap opera with zombie set pieces, and it may still develop into something essential. This season shows that the gore is still top-notch, and that these remaining characters have a lot of drama yet to plumb, but the writing needs to get a little more inventive. This is not a video game. There's not enough interactivity for bad things to just keep happening in the same contrived way. And it could've used a little more build up to some of the emotional issues. But. BUT! I'll be watching next week. And I will be hoping that this show turns itself around. It can't live forever on Andrew Lincoln's sad, strong glances.

Mikey Joseph O'Connor - The Day I Stopped All This EP

2011-10-13T20:16:00.000-06:00

Friend of Gas Lantern Media, leader of The Most Awesome Protagonist and co-host of It's A Thing! podcast, Mikey Joseph O'Connor [or MJO'C as I like to call him (rather, I've never called him that, but what the hell, I'm gonna try to start a thing and abbreviations {or abbreves} are totes in right now)] is not merely a proponent of the Ska'd for Life movement. He's also a talented singer-songwriter who generates tunes reminiscent of the sad-times Shins, The Replacements and with The Day I Stopped All This EP, a bit of almost-dub-steppy, Bon Iver-ian lamentative reflection. But beyond all the direct, sincere and vulnerable lyrics, O'Connor creates elaborate sonic tapestries that venture from subtle, folk rock beats to downright church-choral-style lovelorn-ness. Above all else this is a break-up album, and if I were to sum its sincerity and emotionalism into one word, that word would be Pinkerton. The Day I Stopped All This is fragile and angry, frustrated and nostalgic, heartfelt and seething, but it's also a sort of love letter to a bygone era. Or, failing that, a final, resigned, but sturdy, goodbye.

The EP opens with "(Not All) Pretty Blonde Girls are the God Damn Devil." It's a track that demonstrates mostly strongly, perhaps, O'Connor's signature scratchy, nearly-Westerberg-ian wail. That wail is what gives this song the extra dose of character that makes it so strong. Sung by a more "traditional" vocalist, the direct, clear, concise and vulnerable lyrics may have sounded twee or whiny, but here, O'Connor's voice feels as torn up as the lyrics would have you believe. Plus, the chorus and refrain, backed by graceful harmonies and some subtle drums, flesh out a song that could have easily been left spare and hollow. The result is that catchiness that runs through your head, and this writer's head. On "The Winter River Bridge" O'Connor paints an elaborate picture of not merely losing someone, but losing time and place in the process. And the chorus, oh em gee, the chorus, so thick with guitar, fuzz, and some vocal clouding effects, feels as catchy as that from "(Not All) Pretty Blonde..."

From that darker place, though, things pick up a bit on "The Best Last Day," a lively goodbye note or "thank you" with syncopated, jangling guitar and a chorus of backing "Oohs." It's a mature piece, really, that while still as dark as the preceding two tracks, is also something of an olive branch. It is the musical equivalent of seeing an ex months or years later, having reflected, and saying "It was fun while it lasted," while fighting the urge to hold up your middle finger. And the closer "Someone Smiling/Someone Shining" is one part Gilbert O'Sullivan, one part Leonard Cohen and one part, well... just Mikey Joseph O'Connor. It is a full, lush, pastoral track that feels like an old Polaroid of the girl you loved once, but can't any longer. The piano/keyboard work and wall-of-voices vocal complete the picture. It feels, if I may create a semi-hackneyed image from a film, like that one final look upon an old lover's photo prior to letting the wind carry it away into the ocean.

You can hear The Day I Stopped All This EP at Mikey Joseph O'Connor's reverbnation page here. Or just give it a listen here, via the streaming player below. And of course, listen to It's A Thing! and visit their website to keep up on all that world-hopping madness.

Fruit Bats & Vetiver, Cut Copy, and The Head and the Heart LIVE in Denver

2011-10-13T08:38:00.000-06:00

Earlier this week, we received some great footage of the St. Vincent show in Boulder from our dear friend-of-the-Lantern, Max Winkler. Well, today, we've got even more greatness, capturing a handful of shows that we were unable to cover with full reviews (except for one, the Fruit Bats and Vetiver performance at Twist and Shout made these "pages" already). Thanks to the indomitable Mr. Winkler, whose Roots Verdes tumblr features some killer design and photography from around the globe, we happily present video from that Fruit Bats/Vetiver combo, October 4th's Cut Copy show, and October 10th's The Head and the Heart show. Check out "Tony the Tripper," "Lights & Music" and "Lost In My Mind" below. And for the love of all that is sacred, holy and hopefully coated in a fine layer of powdered sugar, have a charming Thursday! X's and O's from Gas Lantern Media.

Podcast: It's A Thing! #16

2011-10-11T09:15:00.000-06:00

THE SHOW CAN DRIVE! Mikey implies danger of sidewalks today, for ladies perhaps worried about getting out of one man's dreams and into one's man car... Also, a two-man horse costume, ready for Halloween, must weave, no matter how many asses there are! It's a High energy, Good vibe show! Watch out for ska sightings, checkered-braces, loafers and continuous positivity. Also, watch out for Nu Metal... there should be an umlaut there, but we have shortage because of the war. And for the college poster-purchasing, dorm-decorating set, an impromptu review of the bildungsroman/coming-of-age film Scarface. Big news, the studio is now in beautiful, unstable, Egypt, where a Sphinx-head space is surprisingly cheap and tourist friendly. Jared's dad! Hanging up! And weird voices! Jared has sand in his shoe because of Egypt's many beaches. Jared plays more SAD SONGS by sad Scotsmen... It's an emotional show. It's a show filled with revelations. Mikey is a sucker for a Scottish accents. And introducing Major Bummer, a super-hero sent to quash any and all versions of fun. He's kind of a dick, but you'd still read one million of the books.

Mikey wants to talk about the LIVE Fringe Festival shows at the Exit Theater. Jared is reluctant. "Hell is a half-empty auditorium..." Luckily, despite the horrifying lack of audience, they were able to churn out a documentary, seen here at Gas Lantern Media and at It's A Thing's website. The Hippos are greatest killers of people, excepting, of course, a group of badgers linking together into a single, giant human form. Oh and let's talk about Blink 182... pudgy and pale dudes taking in a show, maybe after a brunch. But remember, it's not an insult to say, "That's so Jared!" Or is it? Secular is the word of the day...

October 8: St. Vincent @ Boulder Theatre

2011-10-10T11:09:00.000-06:00

Photo courtesy of Max Winkler

A little bonus for your Columbus Day enjoyment, courtesy of Max Winkler, one of Gas Lantern Media's great roving film/photo concert contributors, here's a video of St. Vincent (our e-crush darling Annie Clark) performing last Saturday at the historic Boulder Theatre. The track is "Dilettante" from her new album Strange Mercy, previously reviewed (and loved) here among hundreds of other places. So sit back, have a cup of tea, and prepared to be simultaneously rocked and freaked. What else would you want from a Monday like this? Oh, a cookie? Well, yes, we have those available in the commissary too. But, it's a fictional commissary...

theendisthebeginning - Tropics

2011-10-06T15:23:00.000-06:00

Blending some Genesis-era Peter Gabriel style affectations with a kind of dreamy, but poignant drone, theendisthebeginning, headed by Clint Kaminska, Joseph Nichy, Robert Armando Flores, Ryan Hone, and Matt Kjorvestad, creates music that is both stadium minded and coffee-shop applicable. That's not to say this is like early Coldplay. Instead, theendisthebeginning merges the grungy '90s guitar fuzz of a Gen X "I don't give a shit" culture with the '70s and '80s electronica that was all about possibility and a future of sure technological advance that would force our humanity into stark contrast with our robotic overlords. With Tropics, the band's newest EP, there's are hints here and there that say the whole album could shift into a Filter/early-Radiohead/The Cure sort of guitar-laden sad-guy, philosopher rock, but as a whole the album resists even that contrived and convoluted kind of genre assignment.

In ways, theendisthebeginning is as dreamy as Pink Floyd and as earthbound as Blur. They have taken the best aspects of the '90s, stirred in a presumably-proprietary blend of herbs and spices, and created a sonic stew. The tracks comprising Tropics are sturdy, thick and dense with production and sound, but at the same time, they are spare, deep and constantly satisfying. There's not really any filler here, even as some songs aren't as strong as others. Instead, there are hushed, rattling drum and cymbal lines. There are delicate, ornate guitar accents. And on a track like "Blueswallow" there are distinct hints of TV on the Radio and always, always, by virtue of the vocals, there's a Peter Gabriel vibe. That is NEVER a bad thing.

You must, repeat MUST listen to the title track "Tropics." And then there are the equally, but more conventionally virtuous "Massive" and the sad, but sturdy "Blueswallow." "Weapons" is the most machine-gun-rocking, with a continuous, driving, pounding guitar backing and lush, simple riffs and fills. But the jaunty and bright "Concreep," in a different key than the other songs on the album, really shines through some thoroughly poetic lyrics and some delightful '90s-ish song structure. With this track, you feel a little bit of Steve Winwood mixed with Ben Folds and the complex instrumentation and jagged-aspects of some Wolf Parade.

Listen to the EP here, via theendisthebeginning's bandcamp page. Then, umm, drop the LESS than $4 on the 5 tracks. It's worth it and you're more than likely going to have all of these tracks stuck in your head in no time... especially "Tropics."
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Special Documentary Film Podcast - It's A Thing!: The Greatest Show That No One Saw

2011-09-30T09:04:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago, our noble heroes and podcasters-extraordaire journeyed to San Francisco's Fringe Festival, set on performing It's A Thing! before a live, in theatre audience. Things didn't turn out quite the way the boys hoped, but in the interest of lemonade and documentaries, Mikey and Jared turned the bullshitstorm of disappointment into a crafty expression of emotion, frustration, love and proper pronunciation of common words. So, like with the train wrecks and car wrecks of old, look upon the tragedy of two young men's lives and gawk and laugh! This is It's A Thing!: The Greatest Show That No One Saw... live, in pre-recorded, streaming internet video! Also, go to itsathingshow.com, for special, exclusive web-tastic updates!
It's A Thing: The Greatest Show That No One Saw from Mikey Joseph O'Connor on Vimeo.

Feist - Metals

2011-09-29T18:08:00.001-06:00

Seeing official release next week, Leslie Feist's long-awaited new album Metals, having been teased through a short, documentary-style video in the last two months, is now available in a free stream form. Other than entering your email address, with the extra gift of getting emails from indie-rock-goddess-wondercrush Leslie Feist, we are also treated to another year-alteringly exceptional album. Metals finds a strong and mature spot between the more spare Let It Die and 2007's breakout, pop-strong The Reminder, and Feist feels more confident than ever to concoct sprawling, orchestral soundscapes that both dazzle and frighten. This is another case, as with Bon Iver and St. Vincent earlier this year, where an artist comes to us in 2011 with a new release that offers a sort of climactic magic that both reinvents and summarizes their entire catalog. Metals isn't so different from anything you've heard before either, and like the artists I've just mentioned, Feist delivers on her central promise. You will receive great lyrics, beautiful vocals, big, emotional material, and moments of overwhelming rock... plus, now more than ever before, there's a healthy dose of experimentation.

Opening with the duet-ish "The Bad in Each Other," Feist seems ready to continue the romantic dialogue she has started so long ago. It's a sincere and tender song, but one that also has a sturdy, somewhat grungy structure. "Graveyard," though, implies a sort of drive for reinvention and invigoration. The refain, "Bring them all back to life" that closes the track is energizing and a little creepy. This is a pop song at the strangest extreme, not quite as grungy and complicated as St. Vincent's work, but still theatrical. And that's really the word for the whole album. Metals is theatrical. The beautiful, jazzy, and mournful "Caught a Long Wind" follows. It's like classic Feist. Rather, it is classic Feist, but later in the timeline. "How Come You Never Go There" is likely one of the first songs from the album that will catch fire in the mainstream. It has a swagger and bounding nature that's both sultry and direct. Of course, "A Commotion" will be up there too, with it's nearly Fiery Furnaces-style mashing of keys and driving drums. Feist's syncopated vocals and the barked, all-male chorus, will stick this song in your head. Then comes "The Circle Married the Line," which beautifully paints a lovelorn story of the kind we are used to from Feist. It is nearly a showtune, but there's enough darkness mixed in with the hope and nursery rhyme aspects that it will never be confused.

"Bittersweet Melodies" opens with a subtle background drone... cymbals and guitar feedback. Then Feist comes cooing in. It's a beautiful song, sweet and chirpy, but still there's an underlying sadness throughout. The jazzy and gorgeous "Anti-Pioneer" is all sliding and twanging guitars mixed with a subtle back beat that almost screams out. Layers of vocals give parts of the song a muddled, complicated quality, too. It's a beautiful tapestry of a song. "Undiscovered First" has some of the most rocking and chaotic instrumentation on the album. It's one of my favorites, possibly the best track on the album. The beautiful, folksy "Cicadas and Gulls" offers up the intimate kind of Feist we loved from Let It Die. And the penultimate track "Comfort Me" is one of the most gorgeous songs of all time, with rattling guitar and vulnerable lyrics. And it may be the best track on the album too. It's something here because Metals builds steam and gets better as it goes. It grows more vibrant and aggressive, leaving the early calm quiet behind. The closer, "Get It Wrong, Get It Right" is just insanely, perfectly, immensely beautiful.

Like the driftwood-built "F" on the album cover, Metals is both sturdy and vulnerable. It is a structure that can hold itself up, but also one that needs only a great wind or fire to muddle the works. It is representative of life, but itself not alive. And that speaks to the cool opening, and hefty beats that populate the record. Get Metals when it comes out on October 4th. And listen to it before hand through Feist's website, www.listentofeist.com.

Jens Lekman - An Argument With Myself

2011-09-26T16:48:00.000-06:00

Other than last summer's website only mash-up compilation track "A Summer in 3/4 Time," Jens Lekman has been quietly touring the world, playing his music, but not churning out a whole lot new material. That feels especially savage considering Night Falls Over Kortedala came out way back in 2007. So, with An Argument With Myself, a relatively meager 5 song offering, Jens has definitely had plenty of time to sort out, fine tune and whittle away the bark from the good wood. The great news is that he was entirely successful. An Argument With Myself is 5 perfectly designed tracks, none of which are as sweepingly orchestral as his last release, but each having the tender, delicate, melodramatic heart that we've come to expect. It's also a compilation of perfect pop. The only problem is that it's so short. But, as my friend Ian said just the other day, "would you rather have a full album with 5 good songs, or an EP comprising ONLY good songs?" The answer, I think we can all agree, is the latter. Although, Lekman's blog provides a quality of Smalltalk unique to him, which we can all nearly validate as extended insight.

"An Argument With Myself," the song, is a post-Paul Simon-Samba-African pop track that covers the eerie travels of a man throughout the city streets and around his own mind. It is as much a prose poem, an essay and a diatribe as it is a song. Especially highlighted by a spoken word section in which Lekman likens backpackers exiting a reggae show to a "tidal wave of vomit." "Waiting For Kirsten" posits a hypothetical situation in which a dreamy, lovelorn Jens and friend wait for Kirsten Dunst outside her hotel. It has a distinctly just-post-'90s vibe about it, and it's nothing if not catchy and hopelessly romantic. Jens spends much of the song trying to convince Kirsten that life is different where she is, that she needn't hide. It's cute. And for a Jens fan, it is wheelhouse. "A Promise" is one of the most, dare I say, promising tracks on the EP. It has a defined and unique sound, combining strings with a sort of calypso percussion, and it also has the deepest, darkest version of Jens. I'll rank it number one on the disc... with a bullet. "New Directions" is also promising, with bright horns and great backing vocals. It's the most ornate track on the collection and one that feels a little rambling, but in the enjoyable, Lekman-esque way. "So This Guy At My Office" has a reggae beat to it, and a casual demeanor, as if it's not too concerned with being a song at all. It is good, with Lekman's paranoia seeping through the lyrics, but it's also as much an experiment with style as a full-on commitment. Though, the EP as a whole is that way.

For Lekman fans, An Argument With Myself is a brilliant addition to the collection. It is wonderful, peaceful, summery, and pop-ready. It is twee at points, melodramatic at others, and on-the-nose often, but those are aspects one must love about Jens to love him. In offering 5 great tracks, rather than 9 mediocre ones, Lekman has at least tided us over. But the appetite continues and will require a full-length response soon. Jens? Someone must find your reviews, right? Pass it on. We want more. Thank you. Listen to the EP below, then buy it. It's 8 bucks. What do you want, a sandwich?

Twist and Shout In-store Concert - Eric Johnson and Andy Cabic

2011-09-23T09:19:00.000-06:00

Twist and Shout is a wonderful record store because it not only trumps all competition in selection and vibe, but they make a habit of inviting bands to play short, intimate, wonderful sets in the store too. For fans of Fruit Bats (and I am one) and fans of Vetiver (and I am newly intrigued), last night Twist and Shout welcomed the bands' respective leaders Eric Johnson and Andy Cabic. Johnson and Cabic sat atop zebra-print stools on a small stage in the back of the building, in an area where some of the LPs generally stand and they were accompanied by two, one from each band, electric guitarists who sat aside their amps. As shows go, it was a short one, and unpolished, but in the most heavenly positive way. Johnson, Cabic and the guitarists shared quiet whispers back and forth, as they chose which songs to play and even discussed chord progressions, scales, tuning and the like. At one point Johnson and Cabic even joked with us that we, the small audience of perhaps 40 or more, would know how to play all of the songs by the end too. They were close to right. The beauty of being that close to the band, when the band is parts of two bands who haven't really played together is that you can see how being a musician and collaborating is always complicated. If you don't know, you don't know, so you try your best to keep up.

Johnson and Cabic harmonized amazingly, performing two songs by Vetiver, two by Fruit Bats and one cover of Loudon Wainwright III's "The Swimming Song." They closed on the Fruit Bats' excellent "When You Love Somebody." And after that great song, which is still stuck in my head this morning, the guys quietly took down the stage, spoke with the audience, and signed autographs. It's always staggering to be that close to a band, to feel the creation and artistic expression at that close proximity. It's also a continuing reminder that bands, rock stars, artists, are often humble, kind, slightly embarrassed people. They are real. It's essentially a halo of amazing creative and expressive energy with an amazing, immersive presence. But, enough new age-y talk. There will be video to come. Check back for updates.

Various Artists - SPIN's Newermind

2011-09-21T16:16:00.000-06:00

We're getting to the point, now in 2011, where many of the bands we grew up with (by "we" here I mean me and my late-20's early 30's contemporaries) are going to become "classic rock," at least in the traditional definition. Once a car is 20 years old it can be registered with classic plates. Music is much the same. Only people, probably because we always assume each of us is an instant classic, avoid this time-linkage. Still, here we are, living in a world where an album like Modest Mouse's triumphant The Moon & Antarctica is already 11 years old. That wonderful album is five years from getting behind the wheel of some hybridized new Beetle with 48" wheels and a Coca-Cola dispenser. (Yes, the future WILL BE that strange.) What is showing itself to be inevitable now though, is the rapid and undaunted onslaught of tributes, mash-ups and reworkings. And those are the ones that require some additional creative input. There will also be endless remasterings and re-releases. And I'm not really complaining about this. I think it's a wonderful, monster-hugging, lovable sort of thing. I embraced the Smiths tribute cover album Covered that was released in full-form earlier this year, despite some of its holes and miscues. So, when SPIN, the venerable music rag, released Newermind, a tribute to Nirvana's 1991 (on my birthday no less, I turned 10) album Nevermind with loads of covers by great artists, well, I got a little excited.

I'll admit, I was 10 when Nevermind came out. I didn't listen to it at length, really, for another couple years. Largely, this was due to my parent's divorce, and the fact that I had MTV at my mom's for the first time. Also, there's the middle school factor. I can remember at least that I liked it. It was different from the other pop and rock around. I won't dare state here or anywhere else that I "knew they'd be HUGE" or some shit like that, but I will say that it was intriguing to me, and a little dangerous, what with the baby swimming for cash. The bottom line though, is that this album ended up altering a lot of lives. And it is one of the first albums I remember having that was LOADED from start to finish. And most of the bands that caught on after couldn't create this prolifically. Nevermind is just insanely good. Newermind, the tribute, is close, but it has its failings. It also has versions of these songs that refresh the original. There's a lot of artistic bulk around these digital songs, so it's hard to imagine a full failure. There are just some very minor ones. And that's okay.

Meat Puppets open with "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and do a fairly conventional, true-to-the-original version of the song. It is solid. Butch Walker & The Black Widows cover "In Bloom" very well too. But things get weird with "Come As Are You Are" as performed by Midnight Juggernauts as a dreamy, wistful, pixie-land acid trip. Titus Andronicus comes in and blasts "Breed" straight out the stadium. It's brilliant. As are the next two tracks, wherein the album gains real steam and inspiration. The Vaselines version of "Lithium" is pristine, perfect and impeccable. (Don't even try to pecc it!) And Amanda Palmer comes in to do a sweet, haunting and wonderful version of "Polly." You cannot miss those two tracks, even if you don't care for Nirvana. Surfer Blood does great with "Territorial Pissings." But Foxy Shazam's version of "Drain You" has the energy and force of classic Queen, slightly watered down, slightly loaded with horns. Then Jessica Lea Mayfield brings some sweet, silky vocals to "Lounge Act." It may be the best track of the last handful, for it's spare qualities. Charles Bradley & The Menahan Street Band just murder "Stay Away" by infusing it will soul and funk and the tricky wobbles of classic Motown... plus, Bradley is 62. Telekinesis does a serviceable and poppy version of "On A Plain" that's also really fucking fun and straightforward. Jeff the Brotherhood covers "Something in the Way" nicely, really dragging the slow sad pace of the track out into the open and covering it in fuzz. But EMA's version of "Endless Nameless" closes the album on a grungy, overdrive-heavy, raucous and screaming note. It's a brilliant finish.

The album is free through SPIN at their website linked here. You'll have to give SPIN your email to download it, but it's a valuable addition for Nirvana fans, sonic archivists, and those who wish to see old dogs (songs) perform new tricks.

Fela Soul - Gummy Soul Mixtape by Amerigo Gazaway

2011-09-16T12:54:00.000-06:00

In a world overwhelmed with shitty remakes and re-hashings of past ideas (see the remakes of Charlie's Angels, Beauty and the Beast - the Linda Hamilton one, not the Disney one, and George Lucas' BluRay re-release of the all 6 Star Wars films now with EVEN MORE digital effect tampering) it's pleasing, hell, wonderful, to see the mixtape revolution occurring in our music world. Of course, all the mash-ups and mixtapes are really re-hashings of bygone material. And yes, this type of manipulation, taking the already created by someone creative and turning it into something new potentially reeks of the same stink emanating from the "genius" outlined parenthetically above. But the beauty of this new sub-culture is that it requires an immense amount of skill to do properly. A fine mash-up or mixtape requires intimate, broad knowledge of the groups involved. Now, I made a case like this when reviewing Girl Talk's All Day, but he is a man who deals primarily in volume. You have to know music to be Girl Talk. You have to understand the pieces and understand narrative structure so when you drop Boston or Bell Biv DeVoe mid-track, it has to hit hard but not take over. That's a different skill set.

With Fela Soul, a mixtape via Gummy Soul, built by Amerigo Gazaway, and featuring Fela Kuti and De La Soul, the skill set is far different. More difficult, perhaps, perhaps not, but certainly different. What Gazaway does so well on the 9 tracks is assemble brand new, stand-alone works that also call-back credibly to their original source. It helps that Fela Kuti's jazz, afrobeat, fusion tracks fit well with the syncopated early beats of De La Soul, but Gazaway doesn't just put them together, the common mash-up problem, he lovingly paints with each on a single sonic canvas. So, it's only two groups combined, unlike the Girl Talk excess, but it's also done with such authority and knowledge that neither feels underwhelming, or underutilized. What comes out is one of the most enjoyable mash-ups of 2011. By far, too. It's just really fucking good. You will lose yourself in the bright, cascading horns and fire-starting rhymes. Add in the inclusion of MF Doom on "Rock Co.Kane Flow," Redman on "Ooh," Yummy on "Much More" and a special cover of the Gorillaz' "Feel Good Inc." featuring De La Soul, and there's no denying the quality and the excellence.

So, really, this is less a review than a thank you note to Amerigo Gazaway, Gummy Soul and their great efforts. Of course, we thank De La Soul and Fela Kuti too. And the Gorillaz. And the muthafuckin' internet! Listen to Fela Soul in the stream below. Download it for free. Own it, love it, and cherish the new movement in music.&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://gummysoul.bandcamp.com/album/fela-soul"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Fela Soul by Amerigo Gazaway&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;

Podcast: It's A Thing! #15.5

2011-09-10T17:18:00.000-06:00

Since Jared and Mikey are performing live for San Francisco's Fringe Festival, and because they have been away for the last couple weeks, here's a little stopgap, bonus, wonderpod! We get the final word from Mikey's dad regarding that whole broken leg, scooter incident. Don't worry, it's thrice as wonderful as you can imagine. If you're in SF, hit the old Exit Theater. You can find out about the event here... And as always, enjoy...

Words On Film: Never Let Me Go vs. The Island

2011-09-10T09:42:00.000-06:00

Watch out for spoilers! I probably won't say it again, so if you haven't seen 2010's beautiful, if sometimes slightly off-step film Never Let Me Go (or the 2005 film The Island), and do not want to know how it goes, cease your ingress now. Both of these films deal with medical science gone to its next semi-logical extreme. And both deal with the complex notions and rules that define each of us as human, or to use a vile, Republican vernacular, "persons." But, really, both movies are about clones. Clones specifically created for organs, or to be the "data back-up" for some wealthy individual somewhere who no longer fears having cancer or heart disease when new bits and gibblets are OTC. The approaches between these films are very different. And most especially in their presentation of the protagonists. Because in both cases, Science (capital S) is the villain...

First, Michael Bay's The Island, starring Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson hits the action and sci-fi side of the issue as Lincoln Six Echo (McGregor) and Jordan Two Delta (Johansson) grow up in a jump-suited, ideal of Tomorrowland world bubble. They believe that the world outside has been contaminated and that life outside is impossible. But there's one place called the Island (right!?) where fresh air, water and other Earthly delights exist without contamination. The people inside their bubble compete to win a lottery that sends them there... to, for lack of a better term "heaven on Earth." But, over the course of the film we learn that the Earth is fine, just like we remember it, and Lincoln and Jordan are, in fact, clones of wealthy people who need some extra organs. Along with everyone else inside their eternal indoor prison. And, oh yeah, that Island, well, it's a myth... when you win and go there, you actually just get harvested because someone drank their first (or second) liver away. Upon discovering the truth, Lincoln and Jordan run, Logan-style, and learn about the world that they didn't really know at all. You see, these clones are naive. They know nothing of their world. They only know the tiny ordered, systems they are placed in to keep them sane, but not smart enough to revolt. Science has made people it can control... for organs... until, well, Science can't control them anymore. And in typical Bay-fashion, shit blows up all over the goddamn screen. And people, well, even as clones, we are human... we have personhood, so Lincoln and Jordan help all the clones escape... and then get to fuck on a boat (implied, not shown).

But, Never Let Me Go takes a different route. A film not directed by Bay, there are exponentially less explosions, helicopter chases and action sequences. In fact, there are none. Brooding and contemplation are the names of the game for Kathy H. (Carey Mulligan), Ruth (Keira Knightley) and Tommy D. (Andrew Garfield). Opening at a typical British boarding school, Never Let Me Go holds onto the revelation of clone-person-ship until shortly before the end of the first act. Instead, we see these characters, first through child actors, behaving as normal kids, and told merely that they are special so they must never smoke or do other detrimental things that may harm their health. When a caring teacher tells them the truth, that they will grow to be young adults and then be harvested, the children do not react. They have no concept of the reality befalling them. They are too young to know that they aren't just children. Over time, though, they come to terms with it, insofar as they acknowledge that they are clones. But rather than run, or fight, or escape, Kathy, Ruth and Tommy simply trudge forth to their destiny like chip-registered cattle. They fall in love and they want, but they also seem so resigned to their fates that they barely have to will to be "persons" at all. The greatest tragedy of Never Let Me Go comes from a last ditch effort, one that is meant to merely defer Kathy and Tommy's deaths so they can be together. It turns out to be a hoax, a fairytale concoction. Mulligan's Kathy, after losing both of her friends to "completion" (the Science term for dying because there aren't enough organs left to support the clone) and learning that she too will begin donations soon, looks out over a pastoral plain and contemplates whether her life is actually any less meaningful than someone who lived a "full life." Her final argument being that time isn't as valuable as experience because we all "complete."

For The Island, clones are charming, naive and childish, but quickly learn, only because of a failure in the system, what they are and what will happen to them. From there... it's just any action movie. It's Total Recall. For Never Let Me Go, clones are charming, naive and childish, but slowly learn about life (not because they lack the capacity, but because they seem to lack the need) in a system that NEVER fails to keep them in line. From there... it's a tragedy, but a tempered one. It's a more painful tragedy. As viewers we can't do anything to halt the system, to at least save Mulligan's Kathy. They won't run. We can't make them. So, while both films show Science gone awry. And both films imply that the wealthy will access the greatest care in the future with no regard for the human life created to meet their requirements. Only Bay's action flick offers humanity an escape. Instead, Never Let Me Go leaves us with a lamentful thought and, perhaps, the knowledge that some people (the teachers at the Clone Academy) fought to show that all these kids have souls. Where The Island becomes a thriller, Never Let Me Go turns to the dour reality of bureaucracy. It shows that if we started growing humans for harvest today, there would be opposition, but only from those who cared never to benefit. It asks a greater question about human nature. And poses the terrifying answer that each of us will almost always look out for ourselves given the chance.

Same premise. Same theme. Same Science villain. One side tells of revolution, allegorical American resistance. The other side tells of silent, disappointed whispers as life is yanked from three kids piece by piece. They ask the same questions. What is human life? What makes you a person? Who deserves to die in the name of another? But these films ask them in different ways. And the elegance and inflection is what makes the questions most resonant. Remember to look at the people you pass on the street and see them as people, persons, like you. If you actively do that, you will feel differently. That's all.

St. Vincent - Strange Mercy

2011-09-06T15:37:00.000-06:00

There will be no arguments, no complaining, and definitely no temper tantrums. The only acceptable reaction is quiet distemper, with a heaping side of malicious mischief. Strange Mercy, St. Vincent's forthcoming third album, is all of those things, and because of its epic, complex, multi-layered awesomeness, you will listen to it and you will buy it. It is a commandment. And it's also in the title. Strange Mercy is an album throughout which, to her greatest ability thus far, Tulsa's Annie Clark combines the austere creepiness of noir fantasy with pure vocal and melodic beauty. On one hand, this new album is her strangest, her darkest and her most directly lamentative, but it's also her most enlightened, most sweepingly arranged and most brilliant. Strange Mercy hearkens back to some of the softer side that made 2007's Marry Me so revelatory, lightening up on the grungy guitar rasp of 2009's Actor. But where Annie Clark cuts back on the heavy sounds, she fills in with tone and mood accents that up the creepiness as necessary, and in turn, exponentially up the tension between horror and beauty, strange and merciful.

Opening with the hypnotizing, unsettling "Chloe in the Afternoon," Strange Mercy sets its psychologically weighty tone immediately. But it's with "Cruel," and its video appeared here just a short while ago, and "Cheerleader" that the beauty-horror meets best with complex harmonies, pristine vocals and themes that stagger and mystify as they entertain. On the former, Clark sings of the abuse that lies in not valuing oneself, letting oneself be taken and then taken advantage of. On the latter, easily my favorite track after two listens, she intones "I don't want to be a cheerleader any more," in haunting, gorgeous tones. The ante is upped once more with "Surgeon" and the building, energetic and boil-over-into-electronics beauty of "Northern Lights." What's clear, through the first half of Strange Mercy is that St. Vincent is no longer just an idea about making palatable indie rock that's a little unsettling. It's now about making unsettling rock that is undeniably palatable... even lovable.

"Strange Mercy" reins the chaos in a bit, with a synthy, echoing track that is half love letter, half ransom note. Even as Clark's beautiful vocals say wonderful things, there's a hint of danger, especially when she speaks of what she'll do if she ever "meet[s] the dirty police man who roughed you up." On "Neutered Fruit" a choral beginning turns quickly to a feeling of ghosts moaning in the darkness. The guitar, with some especially strong riffs, comes through most here. "Champagne Year" has a very Leonard Cohen quality, but with another point of dark self-reflection as Clark sings "I make a living, telling people what they want to hear." The rest of the song is spent qualifying that choice, slowly, sweetly, but somewhat desperately. "Dilettante" is more direct, with crunchier guitars and a stronger rock vibe. With a jaunty, wobbling beat, "Hysterical Strength" lives and dies by fuzziness and a sense that there's nearly a olde timey piano fight about to occur, in ghost town. But it's on "Year of the Tiger" that St. Vincent really knocks everything out of the park. A heavy bass drum breaks down to a very beautiful acoustic guitar strum that while spare feels powerful and complete. Moments like these, where an album diverges from most of its previous sound, make me wonder if it's a hint of things to come. It's a beautiful song.

Strange Mercy is available for a limited time through NPR's First Listen. You can also pre-order it through the official Beggars Group website. I suggest you do both.

Josie Charlwood covers "Feel Good Inc."

2011-09-02T11:03:00.000-06:00

Here's your holy-shit-how-wonderful-is-the-universe moment of the day. Josie Charlwood, whose great tunage can be purchased here, does a madcap super-looping cover of the Gorillaz "Feel Good Inc." And guess what, it's better than everything, ever! Observe the various personas she takes on easily and god-damn-staggeringly. And you know, listen to it 5 - 100 times, because that's what Friday's are for. That and ice cream sandwiches. Gorgeous. And 'like' her on facebook too... unless you're a goon.

The Barry Brothers - Yawnin' in the Dawnin'

2011-08-28T17:50:00.001-06:00

Purveyors of self-declared "folk from the sticks of Western New York," the Barry Brothers, comprising actual brothers Patrick, Benjamin and Bradford Barry, offer up a strong, charming and catchy, if not entirely revolutionary collection of tracks with their new EP Yawnin' in the Dawnin'. The boys bring with them a powerful sound and a solid choke-hold on pop songwriting combined with the kind of down-home honest, clear, yarn-spinnin', country folk stylings one might expect from the album's title. The beauty of Yawnin' in the Dawnin' is that is balances tongue-in-cheek musical frolicking with heavier, more serious experimentation. It's in this way that the Barry Brothers can hold onto some of the roots of folk while also calling out and back to the Allman Brothers (not used as an example purely because of their "brotherness") and even a little bit of the pop sensibility of bands like Coldplay, Kings of Leon and even older heroes like Neil Young and CCR.

The opening track is entirely a capella, introducing the folk-historical roots for the band and getting the impetus for the title out of the way first thing. It's a strong opener, demonstrating not only the brother's chemistry as singers, but also the endearingly off harmony harmonics. There's no overproduced vocals here, or intricately layered effects to smooth out the edges. In a way "Yawnin' in the Dawnin'" declares those ideas unnecessary. This is folk. And it's back to basics. "For Your Own Good" falls in at track two. It's a catchy, by-the-book pop song. And while it is enjoyable and memorable, with a chorus that gets stuck easily in your head, it feels too big. Especially in contrast to the stark, voices only, narrative opener. "Carnival(e)" does a fine job of correcting that tonal shift by reining everything back in. Darker and building only for the choruses, it's a song that feels less radio-friendly, and less aware that it should be, but also has most of the ingredients to arrive on the radio. More on the side of rock, again, than folk. "Three Years in Carolina," is the strongest song on the EP. Using carefully layered vocals and the brotherly harmony, it's also lighter on guitar, feeling like a song that might happen in a fine saloon. The lyrics here are very pure, operating on the storytelling interests we are used to. It's also the most throwback-esque song. And it has something that is elemental to this genre, fine, lamentative, fucking harmonica! And the line "I got a place I'll get high every day." Winner.

"Drink One More" has a great storytelling idea too. Referencing Ali v. Frazier and human frailty. It's a drinking anthem with a casual drum line, a subtle guitar drizzle, and the kind of personal touch (as each brother sings about his birthday) that you can only really get with folk. This may be the purest folk song, though it becomes knowingly self-aware at one point, to the point of the distraction. "Love Something Too Much" has a Springsteen-like storytelling quality, and feels vaguely like Cee Lo's "Fuck You," but it never feels like it gains a melodic momentum. The chorus, layering cries of disappointment, is fully formed, but the verses can be rambling, trying to tell too many things. The song builds, and builds, but never feels like it boils over. "Great Unknown" is a stronger track, though. It's very honest. It's very direct. It is folk narrative meets modern world. And it also blends in a little bit of pastoral keys to fill out the ballad.

With Yawnin' in the Dawnin' you get 7 solid tracks that feature clear, linear lyrical schemes and well-honed verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus-verse-chorus songs. While the album isn't perfect, often relying on cliches about pop-folk and soft-ish rock, it is heavy on heart, which makes it respectable. You will find at least two or three songs here that stick in your head. And repeat listening value is moderately high. The Barry Brothers are vocally strong, nearly coffee shop folk-rockabilly troubadours, and ultimately, sturdy, honest, pop songwriters. Listen to the album below. And visit the band's website.

St. Vincent - "Cruel" Music Video

2011-08-25T10:25:00.000-06:00

Let's keep the creepy-yet-undeniably-excellent train a rollin' with the brand new "Cruel" video by the beautiful and hyper-talented Annie Clark (aka St. Vincent). As the title suggests, it's a track about cruelty, love, loss and many of the usual sonic-friendly tropes. The music is just as unsettling and crunchy as any St. Vincent fan wants, and finds Clark's voice and lyrical composition in top form. And wow, how about getting buried alive. After being kidnapped and forced to be the "mom" in a strangely-too-normal-looking family. With lush imagery and defiant, yet super catchy sounds, "Cruel" raises the anticipation bar for Strange Mercy another notch. Watch it here, from the original by the Huffington Post.

St. Vincent - "Surgeon"

2011-08-24T18:29:00.001-06:00

St. Vincent's new album Strange Mercy is probably my most anticipated of the year, and is high on the lists for many other music maniacs. The release of "Surgeon," a beautiful, even higher-concept, brilliantly complex track that is both haunting and instantly catchy seems to point to the vast potential of the coming album. This is a song that seduces just as it keeps you on edge. It is brilliant. But, don't take my word for it... And, please, don't tell LeVar Burton and the rest of the Reading Rainbow people that I borrowed their catchphrase. Now listen!

The Weeknd - Thursday

2011-08-23T16:20:00.000-06:00

Aren't we all so blessed by the glory of free shit!? "Shit" in this sense is far from and not even remotely pejorative. "Shit" in this instance is a new album, er, "mixtape" by The Weeknd, also known by the given name Abel Tesfaye, the phenomenal indie-dance-new-R&B singer from Ontario. Anyone even vaguely familiar with House of Balloons, the first such mixtape, and one of the most memorable genre-blending pieces of pure joy to grace the year 2011, Thursday, the second part of The Weeknd's intended mixtape trilogy, is another powerful step in the right direction. Tesfaye's reliable and passionate vocals perfectly complement the often grungy, post-dubstep electronic work. In short, or maybe in long, this music is the embodiment of man-and-machine. And, fully risking the possibility of saying something hilariously alarmist: This could be the very beginning of the singularity. That's the one where the robots start eating our brains, right? Or guitars start hitting werewolves with those inflatable hammers that have a squeaky toy in them? Or something.

Thursday opens with the gorgeous subtle crackle of a record needle finding its groove. And in large part, that is what "Lonely Star" does, offering a lush, complex song construction that sets the tone for the album. We find our beat. We feel the slow but determined bass blips and crunches. And we get full wind of Tesfaye's voice, starting syrupy and mysterious and becoming progressively more immediate and vulnerable with time. It's an immaculate start. "Life of the Party" loads a vibrant, cinematic quality into the album using a haunting melody, an uneasy beat and echoing, almost blaming choral vocals. The thunder and lightning quality to the percussion adds to the general sense of danger, too. It's a potently evocative track. Titular track "Thursday" swings to the spacier end of the spectrum. And also to a much sweeter, more traditional R&B style. We are treated here to something that seeps sincerity and urgency. The Weeknd plays with our emotions here too, but does so carefully, nimbly plucking at our heartstrings while simultaneously lulling us into a state of security. It's a potent mix.

"The Zone" features a similar sincerity and slow-burning groove. At this point we realize that Thursday is an album of pleas, dreams, and careful deceptions. "The Birds Part 1" is a powerful march and rallying cry. It's a song that fights against love. It's decries love. But not Love, only the individual love that The Weeknd can give. It's a brilliant idea, that we have the power to make one fall in love with us, unbeknownst to our efforts. This is possible the best track on the album. "The Birds Part 2" continues the theme, using the same lyrics, but spreading it over a much sadder backing track and slower beat. In "Part 1" the refrain is warning, but by "Part 2" it's a tragedy. "Rolling Stone" uses a pleasing guitar intro, an acoustic repetition that lays the backing for a song of street life, sadness, addiction and disappointment. It's an amazing vulnerable song, including the line "I'll keep on smoking til I can't hit another note," which serves only to haunt the listener additionally. This is tragedy continued, but outside of romantic love. "Gone" is crunchy and subtle, slow and lilting. But, the real treat is the slight build, one that ends in escalating lyrical frustration and a pounding drumbeat. The brief closer "Heaven or Las Vegas" has a distinctly "call to arms" design blended into its rousing beat and somewhat simple, relaxed melody. Around 1:48 in, it builds into a grunting guitar riff that is amazing.

Did I mention that this album is free? Oh I did. Well, it's free. And it's amazing that such a thing can happen. I suggest that you download it now. And when given the chance, see The Weeknd live, making the completed trilogy fully and delightfully possible. Great music deserves our support, otherwise we all turn to black and white... not even the cool hipster sepia tone. Or you can stream it below too.

The Weeknd Thursday by the weeknd thursday

Dirty Gold - ROAR EP

2011-08-18T20:34:00.000-06:00

Like the endless crashing waves that strike a beach, so there seems to be a plethora of beach-core-surf-rock-island-beat-samba bands. As infestations go, this is a good one. Ask the Egyptians when frogs and locusts tore through their fair farm zones (according to that famous storybook), or ask any of the people, and you know one even if you don't know you know, who have been afflicted with bedbugs. We'd all of us take the hundred odd summertime solace and joy of a great, rolling beat-heavy, slow-dance, mellow-out, get stoned kind of album over just about any other epidemic. And that's not even to add in some delightful shoe-gazey qualities either. ROAR is an EP, nearly an album in its delightful theme and body, by Dirty Gold. It came out early this year, on the Spring end of things, in April, but it has a place just about any time you can find it. A solid, thoroughly enjoyable collection of poppy, but zone-out ready indie tracks, ROAR should have found its place into your summer rotation by now. And if it hasn't, there's still about a month left before the SCOURGE OF AUTUMN takes these hot days away. Stream it below, at Dirty Gold's website, and then buy it. It's only $4.99!

Opening on the brief, elegant and crooning "North," Dirty Gold seem to beckon us away from the powerful and beating heat of summer time, flying us on a gull wing to a cooler place. The cooler place is adorned with bright guitars, outfitted in pleasant, charming and fun jangling riffs, and keeps us afloat and moving with bounding xylophonic/steel drum sounds. The beauty, for those of you, and me, who thought, "oh more Vampire Weekend" is that the vocals here have far more of a Paul Simon Graceland quality. And, the smoothness and vulnerability in that singing, makes it all seem far more real. The winner of the EP is track two, "California Sunrise." It's the kind of song that like Passion Pit's "Sleepyhead," defines an EP and sets a path for a band. In short, ROAR could be the next Chunk of Change. "California Sunrise," though, just emanates a vulnerability and kindness that shows a sweet and romantic view of love, quoting, "where our love ends my end begins." That's a fucking beautiful lyric. "Sea Hare" keeps this sincerity going. If there's a fault in this album, it's that it is so pure. Often, indie rock consumers, especially when dealing with a well-tilled genre like this one, demand some sarcasm, irony or self-awareness. Instead, Dirty Gold give us quality, beautiful, solid music, straight from the most technicolor of Brian Wilson's daydreams.

Amid some sampled tracks of rushing water and ringing phone, ROAR stays pretty fully attached to finely crafted, melodic guitar work and beat-keeping, flourish-light drums. On "Quiet Life," the lyrics deal with misunderstanding, giving up, starting again, and finding a path. The music wanders in a similar rut to the poetic content, but never to full detriment. It's a great track. It's a pure track. And it's largely a pastoral track. The closer, "Overboard" ups the mix and adds a quality, dreamy wall of sound to the situation. Echoing vocals add to the theme, but may have been a bit too much. Still, it's a brilliant song. And it has an expert grasp not only of classic pop-rock, but of the genre from which it borrows. This is possibly the best way to spend 20-plus minutes of your life. Unless of course you have a partner with whom to carnally express those 20-minutes. But then, listen to this while you do. It's pretty romantic.

Podcast: It's A Thing! #15

2011-08-14T16:05:00.000-06:00

The penultimate to DRIVING podcast! Number 15. Holy gods. Oh... oh... Shit. There's talk of the incredible film franchise the Gremlins. Jared gets angry. But, we all come together to WILL Mikey to one day know the gentle, sensual, coital touch of a woman. With limited ado, it's Jared Reads the News. Unlike last week, there's actually some news. And then the boys do the bit. It's delicious... with background streetcar ambiance. The glory... and horror of some all-year-all-the-time Burning Man. Deserts... Mel Gibson... poorly dubbed Australian action film dialogue! Mikey has a great idea... seriously. Post-pre-anti-contra-Irony! And that's it. The whole podcast ends there.

But then it doesn't. Because they play some tunes. Car chase tunes. Tunes by which one might travel speedy distances wielding a gun and a gorgeous lady. Nic Cage is coming for you. His hair is a bird. There's some Rat Facts backlash. The prize... went to Mikey's roommate. Is there some nepotism afoot? Or roommatepotism? Dicks! And then... Girl problems. GIRL PROBLEMS! And Jared and Mikey wed, come apart at the seams, and divorce, all on good terms because each of them get half of the other person's stuff. It's like a trade. And then they play more music. But this time, neither Jared nor Mikey like each others songs! They hate each other. So much! Jared's dad! Mikey's old apartment! STORIES that will make your funny bone flip out with orgasmic jubilation! Mikey chats us up with some taxidermy too! It's a special, wonderful, ramblingly charm-heavy, gut-busting, ass-blasting, thigh-mastering It's A Thing! And for the last time, it's just It's A Thing! not The It's A Thing! No "the!" Cut that shit out!

Beirut - The Rip Tide

2011-08-13T15:07:00.000-06:00

Zach Condon is a compositional genius. Of course, I'm only parroting the sea of Beirut lovers around the interweb, regular web, and globe. And parroting in this case with full, unadulterated honesty. Beirut is incredible. And after the diversion (a beautiful one) of March of the Zapotec, etc., this band/project/concept/amazingness returns with something incredible that leans toward the form of The Flying Cub Cup, but also strides ever forward into a world of infinite sonic promise. The Rip Tide, like so many albums released this year, has some '80s vibing all over it. Even Beirut is not immune, as synth-y tones occasionally populate the tracks here. But rather than emulating Ric Ocasek or Bryan Ferry, et al., Condon keeps the baroque majesty of the band's ethos intact, letting the horns and choral vocals to the heavy lifting, while using those flecks of nostalgia as a garnish. I'll get this out of the way now... you have no reason not to listen to this album. Your life will be better for it. Your day will be better for it. And who knows, it may increase the size of a certain part of a man's anatomy... (probably not).

"A Candle's Fire" is strong, catchy and pastoral, everything you'd want from Beirut, either as a long-time fan or as a late adopter. But the real greatness comes in when "Santa Fe," a set of bounding keys and pounding drums turn into a horn laden, memorable, forever LOVABLE track that will keep your feet moving and your dreams soaring. Condon and the boys dial it back to a more waltzy love song with "East Harlem," with lyrics that set a clear stage of place and time, namely "waiting for the night to fall." Thunderous drums and beautiful horn accents keep the song lively and energized. With "Goshen" we feel instant sadness, instant quiet and instant ease. Delicate piano and Condon's voice usher us into a story of sacrifice and mistakes. A slow march comes in, with funereal horns. It's elegant and pristine and devastating in a quiet way. Violins and strings blend us away from that sadness into the far more spritely and excited "Payne's Bay." It's a song about getting away from a town. It's about getting away from winter. It's about getting away from the end... or wanting to. The title track "The Rip Tide" is epic. Entirely, undeniably epic. A start with strings and rattling drums, a subtle looping, percussive, electronic tone, it's brilliance.

The jaunty "Vagabond" opens with motivated keys and a gorgeous horn riff that feels as if it were pulled from the soundtrack of some movie that exists outside of time. Condon croons like a mutha on this song. And his lyrics about wandering, somewhat happily aimless, nicely contrast the comforting structure of the track. Everything calms back down with the pastoral "The Peacock," which combines beauty and social commentary to illustrate the passing of time, a sort of death of time, and a great return to the beginning. The beautiful chorus of vocals makes the track feel deep and complex while remaining so intimate. And the closer, "Port of Call" lifts the spirits with some charming xylophone and calm strumming. It feels like the acoustic version of the song you might know one way that closes a show and leaves the crowd in awe. When the keys come in, the song flourishes. It's a great way to close out the album on an optimistic, but measured, intelligent note.

You can listen to The Rip Tide in its entirety via NPR's First Listen here. You can also stream it up below. But, you should really get this, and toss some dime and nickels toward Beirut and Zach Condon. Art that is this well executed, glorious and beautiful needs to get some cash monies in return.

Podcast: It's A Thing! #14

2011-08-08T07:41:00.000-06:00

After a short break, two weeks during which our hearts only grew fonder, the boys, Jared and Mikey, move from their studio in the Alps to a new one in beautiful Paris, France. Jared had a birthday. And to him we say lovingly, "Fuck you, Jared. Fuck your handsome face." He's 78 years young. Well, no, let's not be silly. He's 84, but he doesn't look a day over 78. The boys talk costumed flag-wavers and then Jared plays some music close to my heart, music by Ted Leo, who is not at all involved directly in either of our blood-moving organs, but are super dear to us. Oh man, Jared and Mikey need a sponsor, who will tolerate their need to get pumped! There's an It's A Thing! Sings! musical not just in the works, but touring in a dingy warehouse with a sign that says "Theetrr" written in crayon, near you. It's pretty great. Except for the pain and nose bleeds it causes. 1 in 3 viewers will die. The other "It's A Thing" is gone from the internet. Mikey moved, but that the first rule of noose ownership is that you've gotta put up one of those "hang in there, kitty" posters in the place before you set the noose out. It adds drama and inspires. And POP PUNK! POP PUNK! POP PUNK! Jared starts babbling about the Turkey Trot... And that's all in the first 20 minutes! What would you pay for this kind of entertainment? Wait. Don't answer yet... No, seriously. Quiet down. Here... comes... RAT FACTS! And haircuts... and the magic of conversations with new people. The sadness of corporate mascots... standing and dancing in the sun... And Jared's job history. It's RESUME READING ACTION right here on It's A Thing! the Podcast that wants to take you out to dinner and won't try anything until after you finish that third glass of wine.

August 6: Ben Sollee

2011-08-07T09:40:00.001-06:00

Photo Courtesy of Jon Vanderweit

Save perhaps Ted Leo, I've met no other musician who is as humble, affable and genuine as Ben Sollee. Following last night's Larimer Lounge show, during which Sollee's very particular blend of soul, R&B, blues, jazz, classical and rock (all played on a cello) rocked the house, we were lucky enough to meet Sollee. And as his honest, humble, politically savvy and thoughtful lyrics would have you believe, he is a down-to-earth, kind human being. Hell, he let me, overwhelmed by the awesomeness of the show, give him a somewhat prolonged guy hug to thank him. Sollee's touring violinist and bass guitarist, Phoebe Hunt also did us the honor. As did drummer Jordan Ellis. This is the glory and grace of a smaller venue, but it's also the greatness of musicians who are happy to play music and who show that kind of fulfillment on their faces. But, right now, I'm flipping the show upside down and giving out the lowdown on the end. What about the beginning?

After we filed into the Larimer, for a show that was less than packed, but really, given the temperature of the venue and its size, that's probably for the best, we took seats at the bar and waited, drinking PBRs and mixed drinks as showgoers are wont to do. And then, as Sollee came out, we shuffled into the main room and were able to squirrel our way into some great standing room. And then Sollee just crushed everything. As did Hunt. And Ellis. The cello is this amazing, but semi-forgotten instrument that gets relegated to high school bands or lofted to symphony orchestras, and what Ben Sollee can do with his, just using fingers, a bow and a couple of effects pedals is nothing short of spectacular. So, since Sollee doesn't have a massive following, at least, I imagine some readers are mere seconds from clicking away to another review, or heaven forbid, another site, here're a couple of songs.

Photo Courtesy of Jon Vanderweit

What you end up getting is a soulful singer-songwriter who can do just about anything with one instrument. If you want, and you do because we did, a raucous, bass-heavy buildup, then you got it because Sollee will grind away staccato on the low strings. Or he will soften everything and the cello will sound like a banjo or a ukulele or an acoustic guitar. Sollee plays a broad spectrum of his portfolio, of which, I'll admit I'm not fully aware, but he does play "Panning For Gold," "Bury Me With My Car," "Bible Belt," and "Electrified" (thank you grooveshark!) I've gone ahead place those plus one below in a stream so everyone can get the idea. He closes the show, pre-encore, with an incredible cover of "Wild World" by Cat Stevens. Of course, there's nothing quite like the experience of seeing this go down live, and hearing the power of unmixed, or at least live mixed music. Between songs Sollee's affability pours from the stage like honey. He tells us the story of his tour, currently a bike tour, whereby he tows his cello and other equipment with drummer Jordan Ellis pulling the drums and other tour members assisting. He also discusses Oxfam.org, political causes and tells a story of biking through East Wilmington, DE, a place in rough shape as I have seen, and simply recounts that a little boy nearly jumped on their tour had his mother not called him back home. Also, he used the phrase "If I had my druthers" with sincerity. Extra points from me.

Photo Courtesy of Jon Vanderweit

The point of all of this gushing, I guess, is that Ben Sollee, in addition to playing an incredible show, also has a heart for causes and a mind for connection with people. He talked with us for ten or fifteen minutes after the show, but the kicker is that I felt like we had to decide to leave to end the conversation. Neither Ben, nor Phoebe, nor Jordan wanted us to go away, they'd've talked with us for hours (maybe one hour) if we just hung around. Also, when a drunken ass-clown, who apparently had been giving the band shit throughout the show lashed out a final time when they returned from encore, Ben Sollee, who had just picked up a banjo for the first time all night, sat looking sincerely hurt and then put the banjo back saying simply that he knows one guy isn't all of us, but that anyone who'd mess with his band isn't something he'd get behind. And for a moment, it seemed like they wouldn't play anymore. Luckily, Sollee said, "Screw it. Play it out," and they did. Just an incredible show. Pick up or download Ben Sollee's tunes through his website, and go to Oxfam.org if you wanna make a donation to a cause he loves.

Eleanor Friedberger - Last Summer

2011-08-04T16:46:00.000-06:00

Eleanor Friedberger earned the pedigree for solo success long ago. Throughout 9 years and 9 albums as The Fiery Furnaces, she and her brother Matt have demonstrated an acuity and lust for the weird, while still maintaining a hand on the pulse of pop music and classic composition. Now, on Last Summer, Eleanor goes her own way and compiles a set of 10 tracks that feels both familiar and pleasantly mellow. The casual, cavalier approach to composition and pacing that we've seen in flashes from The Fiery Furnaces remains, but Eleanor also manages to hold onto pop and genre, bending them in more subtle, still accessible and pleasing experiments. Specifically, "The Inn of the Seventh Ray" reads very strongly like one of the epic medley tracks from recent Furnaces albums, but it also never breaks down into brutal madness. Instead, it progresses much the way we believe a song should. Eleanor Friedberger's songs are big, lush and beautiful. They lack abrasiveness, for the most part, and more often grind along as streams of consciousness. Of course, Last Summer, is excellent, loaded with callbacks not only to her band, but to the traditional progressions and gorgeous arrangements of blues, rock and jazz from the past.

The opening track, "My Mistakes" sets the tone for an album that embraces genre and takes a hopeful, if aware view of life in its lyrics. The track really is so good that saying more about it would only make it sound less amazing than it is, so here's a video:

Next up is "Inn of the Seventh Ray," a track that is reminiscent of Furnaces stuff, but also calls to mind the lyrical idiosyncrasies that makes Eleanor Friedberger so interesting. Her stilted, breathy vocals combined with the melodic, story-telling nature of the song makes for something like "My Egyptian Grammar" or "Cabaret of the Seven Devils" from Widow City. "Heaven" slides into a more conventional rock/folk ballad narrative, painting images of heaven in a pile of elegant lyrics and soft-spoken vocals. And "Scenes from Bensonhurst" parades her gorgeous, syrupy voice and her poetic free-verse writing style. What is beautiful here, and throughout the album, is that a combination of piano and energetic guitar and electronic work, with vocal looping, among other things comes together to very nearly understate every song. This is an album that speaks softly and carries a big stick, but it's also an album loaded with insights about life, growing up and other philosophical concepts. Essentially, Friedberger takes complex ideas and makes them feel not only accessible, but elegantly simple, leaving the listener with a calm "a ha!" moment.

"Roosevelt Island" picks up the pace, grinding away with some funky guitars and frenetic and harried lyrics, the kind we Fiery Furnaces fans love. And then "Glitter Gold Year" takes on blues and Motown elements, lead with the lyrics "It's a glitter gold year, two thousand and ten," backed by stomping pianos and thumping bass lines. But "One-Month Marathon" may be the best song, for its slow burn and contemplatively creepy overtones involving a child jealous of a new sibling, among other things. And there's subtle guitar work and unnerving sounds to cap the track. "I Won't Fall" is a strong song, in a very different vein from the tracks that precede it, but its breakdown is exceptional. And "Owl's Head Park" takes the long story-telling aspect of her songwriting to its extreme, beautifully. The instrumentation is chaotic and unpredictable, but still desirable and accessible, including of staggered call-and-response. The closer, "Early Earthquake" takes on a more conventional love song design, with quick stroke, clean electric guitar and click-clacking, clapping percussion.

I've stopped handing out grades and scores, after a short experiment with that, but Last Summer deserves the special recognition of receiving a 38.5/44 on the Arbitrary Grading Assessment Numerical Representation scale (or AGANR scale). Listen to it below on he olde stream. Buy it from Friedberger's Merge Records page and love it, over and over and over again, the way it deserves.

Words On Film: Captain America - The First Avenger

2011-07-29T08:24:00.001-06:00

My oh my it has been a long time since last I went to the theatre. I've seen a few movies since a late viewing of Exit Through The Gift Shop, but I just haven't gotten around to putting them on "paper." This time though, as my geekiness goes all a-flutter, I saw a superhero film that just happens to be the best thing to happen to that genre since Spider-Man 2. That film was Captain America: The First Avenger. Despite Captain America's potent patriotism, this film never uses that as a crutch. Instead, to great effect, it plays a few jokes on the premise of this great American hero. But all of those jokes are in good fun, ultimately leaving Captain America rooted strongly as a World War II movie, in the wonderful spirit of past revisionist history pieces like Raiders of the Lost Ark and Inglourious Basterds. Director Joe Johnston employs as many charming gimmicks as possible. He brings back the glamorous '40s vibe he brought to The Rocketeer years ago, but this time avoids too much befuddling "gee-golly" style naivete. Overall, the film lives by gutty performances, a tongue-in-cheek ethic, and by embracing the charming action-adventure ethos of its imagined WWII-era.

Chris Evans plays Steve Rogers very well. And in a staggering bit of effective, finally! CGI work, appears at the beginning of the film as a waifish, but proud and brave version of himself. Captain America demonstrates how to use CGI well. Even as I was looking for cracks in the veneer, trying to find some errors in the "shrink-job," I was impressed that they didn't try too much. We should commend any director of action, adventure or comics for not falling into the "Because we CAN, we SHOULD" trap that plagues many movies. But besides that, Captain America gets great performances from a quietly all-star-ish cast. Tommy Lee Jones provides a large portion of the quippy, drawling humor, calling back to his smart-ass-man-with-a-plan from The Fugitive and U.S. Marshals, only with a much lighter heart. English actress Hayley Atwell is excellent as love-interest/bad-ass woman-warrior Peggy Carter. And then there's Hugo Weaving, who is convincingly hammy and over-the-top as Johann Schmidt/Red Skull. But, the entire cast deserve props for playing big, comic book/1940s-as-we-glamorize-it characters like Dominic Cooper's Howard Stark (great) and Stanley Tucci's Dr. Erskine.

Beyond the humor and the excellent color palette, Captain America's script is strong, offering only what it needs and never going on long, drawn out rants. Rather than having Steve Rogers expose on patriotism or freedom, the film embraces friendship, love and perseverance. And the story, brilliantly really (compared to many other contemporary comic book films), keeps quality content coming from start to finish. Some moments are predictable, as they will be in a genre film like this, but Johnston doesn't use long battles or pointless hero v. villain dialog to fill in gaps. Add the excellent book-ending, which sets up for Captain America's role in next year's The Avengers, and the functionally emotional and understated ending that it emphasizes, and this is simply a great film. Plus there's a great a joke made by Weaving's Schmidt regarding the aforementioned Raiders of the Lost Ark in the first 20 minutes. And it's just a well written, Allies v. Nazis, Good v. Evil piece. Go enjoy this film. It is worth seeing in the theatre for comic buffs or summer fun film seekers, but would be worth the rental too. Just see it.

How To Dress Well - Just Once EP

2011-07-27T08:41:00.001-06:00

Way way way back in 2010, when we were all but glimmers in our fathers' eyes and still dreaming of the days we'd be knee high to a June bug, How To Dress Well also known as Tom Krell released Love Remains. The album did some amazing things with R&B and melody, but was most notable for the extreme layers of static and fuzz piled over top. In fact, the fuzz, to me, buried any melody there was. So much so that I only gave the album a few listens before turning toward other cacophonous fuzz merchants like Sleigh Bells. Hearing that this new EP, Just Once, from How To Dress Well, has dialed back the fuzz (more accurately, scraped, raked and chopped it all away like a machete to jungle overgrowth) I had to give it a shot, just to know if I had missed something. Turns out, I had. The EP illustrates, as a companion piece/alternate take on a couple of Love Remains' tracks, that Tom Krell's R&B and Soul sensibilities are turned up to amazing. And save for some minor vocal failings, Just Once is exactly the Rosetta Stone one may need to go back and listen to Love Remains with fresh and understanding ears.

On the somber "Suicide Dream 1" Krell pours his heart out and an arrangement of sparse piano and layer vocals gives the song additional weight and emotion. It's a brilliant version and a clearer feel than on the original. This becomes even more pronounced on the beautiful, and really, my favorite on the EP, "Suicide Dream 2," in which Krell's voice is strongest. (Check out the originals via YouTube below.) These end up showing all of the influences Krell has throughout the Soul and R&B world. And the only weakness, really the only weakness, is that Krell sometimes over-extends his voice. But even that only bothered me once, as I was so easily lost in the melody. The relatively huge "Suicide Dream 3" follows. A new song for the EP, it features a hefty string accompaniment. And Krell's voice is a bit more buried here, but the end result is just as beautiful as a sunset, but more sad because you can't be sure you'll hear the song again. The closer is a reworked version of "Decisions" that keeps the beat and a lot of the original layering, but just peels back the fuzz. And it works great. You'll love it. I swear.

Listen to How To Dress Well's Just Once EP below, then make a couple clicks and buy a digital copy. Now, I'm gonna go back to Love Remains and listen to it again and again, now that I better know the language.

&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://yourstrulysf.bandcamp.com/album/just-once-ep"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Just Once EP by How To Dress Well&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;

July 21: Fleet Foxes with Alela Diane

2011-07-22T09:02:00.003-06:00

Some shows ask you to dance, like an awkward teenage boy. And some shows make you dance. It's a question of greatness, pace, passion and love of the band, and of course, the crowd. Despite the mid-90 degree temperatures inside amid the human huddle of sweat and waving limbs at last night's Fleet Foxes show, we danced. And we battled. But mostly we danced. There are few shows that generate in me the kind of elation, positivity and pure energy as this one did. It was so excellent that immediately following the show, I could only speak in foul, terse superlatives like "Fuckingest amazingtastic!" and "Wondermost cockrockingest!" Of course, I didn't actually say those things. Those are dumb things to say. But this show was amazing. Even if the place it occurred could have been outside, in the cool of the night. And even if it was going to be inside it could have been anywhere but where it was. I've never minced words when it comes to my hatred of the Fillmore as a concert venue. It's a dance hall. It's a roller rink. It's a big tube. But it's not an acoustically brilliant space. And the biggest gripe for last night's show is the Fleet Foxes ended up sounding a little tinny. Tolerable, but still an affront to their pastoral perfection. But, hey we've got a couple of videos, provided by my dear pal Max Winkler.

Courtesy: Max Winkler

My great friend Jon commented specifically on the tinniness, saying that the show felt like a really good band "covering Fleet Foxes." And I get his point. But, ultimately, Robin Pecknold's vocals were supreme, if too bright due to the cavernous awfulness of the Fillmore. And the harmonies were exquisite. And the band sounded immaculate. But even greater was the energy. As they played their set, an amazing and perfectly designed fly-over of their best and smartest tracks, the crowd was at their mercy, in the good, hypnotized, enthralled way. They played "Mykonos" and "White Winter Hymnal" and "He Doesn't Know Why" and "Blue Ridge Mountains" and "Oliver James." They played the center of the Fleet Foxes as a medley. And to close it all out, they played "Helplessness Blues." But it's not just the songs that matter. Because we, the audience, were singing with them, and that communal exercise changed this from a show to be seen into a show to be experienced. There's something incredibly powerful about a roomful of people singing "Tell me anything you want. Any old lie will do," in perfect unison and near-perfect harmony. That's what I'm most thankful for.

Courtesy: Max Winkler

But, not to forget opener Alela Diane, whose Neko Case-ian vocal stylings and growling folk/country/rock guitar work made for an excellent appetizer. I'm fairly certain that she is an angel in disguise. My last experience at the Fillmore that was even close to this one was the phenomenal Decemberists show back in 2009. If you have a chance to see Fleet Foxes over the remainder of their tour, please do it. You will not regret a cent spent. And hey, check out Helplessness Blues, their new, phenomenal album... There's a little stream below.

The Amends - The Amends

2011-07-19T08:46:00.010-06:00

Just a couple weeks ago, I reviewed the Amends free EP, a collection of four songs that hinted at greatness, but also left me hungry for a clearer angle on the band's music. Releasing on July 23, and available for pre-order through their bandcamp site is that clearer angle in the form of a self-titled debut full-length. And the surprise with The Amends isn't that it's good, it's just how good and insightful it can be. Those moments of musical experimentation that were so thrilling on The Creatively Titled "Full Album Coming July" are everywhere on The Amends. And they appear to greater effect, tapping into just about every layer of post-punk, true-rock, sad-sack revelation and garage-door-exploding power riffing. Shared from the EP are "Dance," "Hey Regina," "Real Life" and a well-assembled studio version of the excellent, pseudo-olde-timey "Hotel Lobby." And, as they were before, they represent as the "holy shit, who are these guys?" tracks that will grab your brain. But wait, don't pick up that phone now, there's more!

Opening The Amends is a track called "Depraved" that rides a crunchy riff and swift, debonair vocals to a phenomenal, but brief guitar bridge. It possesses an undeniable groove and an exceptional lyric: "Love is just a metaphor." Following the brilliant "Dance" and "Hey Regina," is "Bored & Mean," which shows an incredible maturity and insight in lyric writing, chronicling the break down of a relationship in no uncertain terms. It's also perfectly decorated with keys that fit perfectly into the backdrop of once more groove-powerful guitar. Really. Great. Track. Then "Real Life" blows every one's minds, just as much as it did on the EP. "Down in the Water" lives by growling vocals and a potent drum line. It toes the line between punk and garage perfectly and features an incredible, dare I say "Wolf-Parade-ish" breakdown to end the track. But, then HOLY SHIT (and I don't drop the H-S bomb much here) the grunge and mellow groove returns with "Don't Tell Him," a song that drips with Black Keys-style blues/rock fuzz excellence. It also almost makes the role of "that guy who steals the other guy's girlfriend" seem heroic.

"Fall My Way" has a similar kind of passionate appeal at its core, but this time more sweetly and desperate. And the chorus is an instant catchy breakdown with a set of disparate and intriguing keys to fill in the gaps. And again, a great set of lyrics. Prior to "Hotel Lobby" in the closer position, is "Dandelion Man," a song with a great "Wild Horses"-era Rolling Stones vibe, but also the most harried lyrics. The song feels rushed at times, which works with the sort of desperate plea and stream of consciousness tone of the track, but the chorus, becoming so measured and carefully plotted, detracts somewhat. Still, this is a track that does some amazing things with music, taking full advantage of the keys/guitars combo that drives the Amends' sound. And then, we get "Hotel Lobby," which is phenomenal as a studio track too, though the vocals may be mixed a little high.

Tyler Taylor, vocalist, keyboardist and guitarist in the band says, "What we’ve tried to do with our first album is to create a kind of love letter to rock n roll—an attempt to create something new from the music that’s inspired us. Song by song, you’ll hear some blues, some punk, some indie anthems, some screaming guitar solos, some jangly pianos, and some old fashioned rock n roll. And it’s our hope that by the end you’ll also hear a unifying sound beneath the melodies and varying styles." He pretty much sums it up perfectly, which makes me glad that he's playing the music and not blogging about it. Check out their new album through their bandcamp site for pre-order and give some of these tracks a listen here in the stream below. But, really, throw these kids some cash because it's worth all of our time to find out what they can do with another record.

Latest tracks by The_Amends

Podcast: It's A Thing! #13

2011-07-17T10:29:00.001-06:00

The importance of staying limber should be the title of this edition of It's A Thing! but it's not because we try not to be too obvious around here. Jared confronts cartoon animals in one of the Alps-bordering countries of Europe. And there are SEGMENTS. First you get a little "Jared Reads the News" and back by popular demand, another thrilling, eyeball popping, genital engorging edition of Rat Facts! Like I said, segments, and not like a centipede. Not at all like a centipede because that would be disgusting... and leggy. Jared uses a tale of dentistry in a glass house (where one ought not throw teeth) to make an important point about the American health care system. Oh, and bloody teeth and apologies. Somehow, Jared and Mikey make jail into the ultimate excuse for being late. I think I'll try it on Monday morning. Also, Lil Wayne gets a SportsCenter tattoo. Brilliant! The moral and the lesson is that Lil Wayne is dumb, but his music is great. And then... oh my. Jared reads the news. About Ecosexuals! And a couple who has married the moon, the sky, some mountains... etc. And it's all been Nudist-friendly. ECOSEX. All in all, a successful segment. It even has a theme song. In other news, Jared loves Bryan Adams, Canada's Crown Prince of Music. Wait? Ryan? Oh. Well. Now, I want you to think of something. Close your eyes and think of Jared playing a snare drum in a patch of paws. Actually, imagine him with a Tuba. It's a much funnier instrument. Rat Facts! Education! It's an epic show. And if you have a day that needs saving... have we gotta thing for you! If you want some Denver music love... Jared will provide it! That and talk of mythical animals. And cargo planes... And the origin of Nature's vendetta against Mikey. It's an action packed, can't miss, It's A Thing! podcast.

Lil Wayne - Sorry 4 The Wait Mixtape

2011-07-14T08:39:00.000-06:00

Eh. Lil Wayne's mixtape Sorry 4 The Wait, which serves primarily as a place-holder for his forthcoming, but still probably long off The Carter IV, is actually really solid, loaded with quality samples, funky grooves and heavy bumps and grinds. The problem is that despite some creative and intriguing arrangements and music choices, Lil Wayne's lyrics just aren't that great. He spends most of his time concocting ways to include the ideas of drinking, fucking and killing, and as a result, the information surrounding those obviously planted-with-care moments of edgy vitriol is pretty dead. Or, more often, the sections that aren't about Lil Wayne forcing a women to swallow a penis-colada or other ejaculatory reference, are just him rambling like he has no idea what is meant to fill in the space around his "show stopping" words. And largely, that's Lil Wayne, except that this time around he a little clumsier than before, working hard to establish a tougher guy persona for his post-prison existence. The big upside is that the mixtape is free for download, and streaming below, so there's no real sacrifice in hearing it, other than time. And you can't get that back anyway.

There are moments like with "Tunechi's Back" and "Marvin's Room" where a clear combination of skill and artistic consideration happen, hand-in-hand. "Sure Thing" comes close as well, at least in its ambition. But, for every moment where Lil Wayne seems to recognize, becoming momentarily self-aware of the irony within his prostrating, he will throw four verses about glocks, pussies, cash, drinking, picking up white women, etc., until really he's just a parody of himself. Or at least the idea of Rap Excess. And there's not enough asides or alternate viewpoints presented for me to believe that he's trying to send a message. Where Sorry 4 The Wait could have been a statement about his career bouncing back, or at least about something, and I mean SOMETHING, anything, the real album just doesn't have a direction. Unless you count having sex, committing violence and drinking Patron. That's it. There's your common thread. And a few really great sample tracks and back-beats. At times, Lil Wayne even seems to have become bored with his own songs, falling back into a drone that is as unsettlingly bland as it can be uninventive. But, it's not a fully pointless piece of work. And a true fan will probably garner greater enjoyment from it.

Download Mixtape | Free Mixtapes Provided by DatPiff.com

Podcast: It's A Thing! #12 - All Special Guests All The Time.

2011-07-11T08:09:00.001-06:00

How much would you pay to get kicked in the balls? Here's the 12th It's A Thing! right up in your collective face. Jared and Mikey are joined by two special guests. One is Jared Horney, Mikey's rat and the human Jared's namesake. The other... is me, Nate Ragolia. The question is can any of us handle this? The boys cover profanity and the glory of retirement parties. But Jared is sad. And I try to fix it, with Mikey's help, by telling the story of the first time I met Jared... back in college... in a writing class... and he was dressed... ~~comically~~ boldly. Mikey gives me an excellent music recommendation and we tease Jared mercilessly. As he deserves. For what he's done. And he knows what he's done. And then... Mikey tells a tale, a tale of Friday night, and a tale of brotherhood. It's a tale of Mikey viewing a vast, impenetrable and permanent nerdiness, but just as Mikey tries to save himself with a roll of the 12-sided die, he is struck down by a level 48 boy-mage named "Questionable Cleaning Practices." Everyone is old. Or are they? It's a violent tale of time scorning the young... and trying to sell advertising space. Jared, upon seeing a Rap Contest poster, decides to save the local youth center from closing, by spitting fiery word rhymes. The youth center is demolished... A little plug for a great band, The Most Awesome Protagonist occurs, preceding a story about a man not merely picking a fight, but just asking for one, in Oakland. Oh, and there's talk to lady boobs. And, in a last, emotional tirade, they try to put a little cap on that whole other It's A Thing thing. There's music! There's jokes! There's unresolved sexual tension!

Handsome Furs - Sound Kapital

2011-07-09T10:45:00.000-06:00

When I heard that Wolf Parade was going on an indefinite hiatus, I was extremely disappointed. Expo 86 is a fantastic album and it felt as though the band had returned to its powerful, hook-heavy, poetic roots. Of course, just because Wolf Parade is on indefinite hiatus (They are definitely on hiatus for an indefinite window of time, more accurately.) doesn't mean that I ought to cry over the loss of their sounds. Handsome Furs and Sunset Rubdown will continue to exist. And really, continue to dazzle. In a lot of ways, other than the perfect brilliance of Apologies To Queen Mary, and the peaks on At Mount Zoomer and Expo 86, Spencer Krug and Dan Boeckner work just as well alone. Not that I would support a Wolf Parade dissolution. I wouldn't. But if I'm given the option to hear two great albums because they split up, I'll take that every time. It's kind of like how having divorced parents can mean you get two Christmases. The more you know... So, Dan Boeckner's project, Handsome Furs, has drummed out another incredible trackstack to follow up on 2009's excellent Face Control. This new album is called Sound Kapital and it kicks a definite amount of ass.

Boeckner and Alexei Perry, his stunning wife and the keyboardist-half of the Handsome Furs, have built an electronic, industrial, dance-rock, new wave masterpiece. They creating massive, fuzzy and undeniable soundscapes all over the album, each one backed with solidly danceable beats that fill you with energy. The album is so good that I'm actually having a hard time not using disgustingly cute superlatives. The opening track "When I Get Back Home" lives on the repetition of the titular line and grinds out through great keyboard work, including some beautiful fills that give the song tangible heart. It's a song about changing, about growing with time, and it sets a great tone for the rest of the album. "Damage" is blustery and chaotic, again with brilliant keyboard parts and a build that feels almost like an '80s workout montage soundtrack, and when Boeckner kicks in with the vocals it turns into a catchy-as-hell pop song. "Bury Me Standing" has a similar effect, seeming dense and mechanical at the start, but getting progressively more lively, more human and vulnerable as it goes on. There's a bit of a Junior Boys vibe that rears its head most in "Memories of the Future." It's a brilliant way to cross up the two styles too, bringing one part electronic lamentation and one part raspy guitar. Boeckner's voice really sells a lot of these songs because it's so recognizable and so strong, even in its exasperation.

"Serve the People" uses a slower build to get to a rousing combination of marching, pounding drums and a wall of sound. It's a call to arms sort of song that remains ever self-aware. "What About Us" embraces the '80s synth vibe most fully by taking it into a rational, downtrodden love song. The keyboard crawls that decorate the background of the track are phenomenal here and really give the song a fleshed out vibe. The only song on the album that feels bland, at least through two listens (claim subject to change... it could be ultimately awesome) is "Repatriated," only because the song appears to build a couple of times, but never boils over. Instead it just teases. And the explosions turn out to be rumbles that settle back down. Still it's a song with virtues. The powerful, grinding "Cheap Music" features Boeckner wailing as each guitar chord is struck and let resonate in its own fuzz. It also has some of the most wonderful lyrics on the album. But the closer, "No Feelings" is an epic gem. Warbling, guitar and heart-beat drums open the track as it begins to build, and build, and build. At the midway point it all mashes together into a voice, guitar scratch and synth sandwich before falling back to its opening smoothness. It's a beautiful way to close the album.

Listen to Sound Kapital below. And then buy it in some form. If not only for the music, then for the album cover... which you can see above is exceptional.