Eschewing Obfuscation

Watch the "Who's Gonna Win The War?" official promo video

Album no longer available at eMusic

Vintage Review: Hawkwind: Levitation [B+]

Artist: Hawkwind

Album: Levitation

Released: 1980

Label: Atomhenge/IODA (2009 re-release)

Genre: Space Rock

Purchase date: 1 November 2010

Format: AAC files

Source: iTunes

Hawkwind is a British hard rock band that formed in the late 60s. They pioneered the "space rock" genre, and were the first band that metal-god Lemmy Killmister (of Mötorhead fame) every played with. (Note: Lemmy got the name for his new band from the last song he'd written and recorded with Hawkwind). Led by Dave Brock, Hawkwind is probably one of the closest British analogues to The Grateful Dead when it comes to die-hard fans who follow them around. (There isn't much similarity otherwise.)

One of my college buddies turned me on to Hawkwind back in the late '90s. (Hi, Curtis!) At the time, this band's records didn't have a US label, so I dubbed copies of his tapes and CDs onto cassette.

Levitation has a hard rock sound, bordering on heavy metal. The band downplays the intricate guitar solos typical of metal and instead uses sound effects, electronics, and spoken word interlude to evoke science fiction imagery that's typical of space rock. It's not a terribly intellectual take on science fiction, but I think it's a whole lot of fun.

Rating: B+

Listen to "Mighty Fine Pie"

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Review: Endless Boogie: Full House Head [C-]

Artist: Endless Boogie

Album: Full House Head

Released: January 2010

Label: No Quarter Records

Genre: jam band / blues-rock

Purchase Date: 5 Oct 2010

Format: mp3 files

Source: eMusic

I first heard of this Texas-based country-rock jam band on the Sound Opinions radio show. Back in August, Jim and Greg did one of their semi-regular "Buried Treasures" shows, in which they talk about some new releases that they really liked but hadn't caught the attention of other critics. (That's also where I first heard of Sweet Apple.)

As you might guess from their name, Endless Boogie is a jam band with a danceable beat. They meld Texas blues-rock with a jam band sensibility to craft very long, droning songs that are still kind of catchy. I really liked the excerpts that they played on Sound Opinions, and I found the 30-second snippets on the download sites appealing, so I bought the album.

While I can see that this band must be pretty fun live, this recording didn't do a lot for me. The guitar work is very good, and I liked the bluesy droning at first, but after a little while, it all starts to get monotonous. The songs are all very long, and I was looking forward to the end of many of them. I also wasn't a fan of the lead vocalist's style-- it's more of a growl than singing, which I found mildly unpleasant.

Sound Opinions called this album buried treasure, but I wish it had stayed lost.

Rating: C-

View Sharon Van Etten's "Tiny Desk Concert" at NPR

Friday, March 11, 2011

Review: Sharon Van Etten: Epic [A]

Artist: Sharon Van Etten

Album: Epic

Released: September 2010

Label: Ba Da Bing Records

Genre: acoustic folk / singer-songwriter

Purchase Date: 5 Oct 2010

Format: mp3 files

Source: eMusic

Sharon Van Etten is an acoustic singer-songwriter from New Jersey. Her music is deeply personal without being over-earnest, with an elegant simplicity that gives it a sound that's a whole lot bigger than it should be. The title to the album, Epic, is at once ironic due to the scaled-back instrumentation and production, and fully apt due to Van Etten's intense guitar style and emotional vocals.

It's a short album, clocking in at a little more than half an hour, but those minutes are completely arresting. There is not a weak track on this record. This is one of the best albums of the year.

Rating: A

Album Listing at Amazon

Album Listing at eMusic

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Review: Vampire Weekend: Contra [B+]

Artist: Vampire Weekend

Album: Contra

Released: January 2010

Label: XL Recordings

Genre: indie rock

Purchase date: 5 Oct 2010

Format: mp3 files

Source: eMusic

Contra is the sophomore album from this polarizing band from New York. The band is an indie rock act that incorporates world music instrumentation, most notably the clean, staccato sound of Afro-pop guitar. (That none of the members of this band of recent Ivy-league graduates are African has drawn criticism of cultural appropriation.)

With Contra, the band has tightened their musicianship and songwriting. The songs are breezy, catchy, and positive, although the lyrics are sometimes hard to decipher. The whole album exudes a level of up-front pleasantness that some critics have objected to (I heard one critic refer to this as "anti-punk"), but I like it. There is so much music that's depressing, dark, and difficult, that I found Contra to be a breath of fresh air. It's music thats...nice, without being saccharine.

So, if you haven't yet checked them out, I do recommend Contra. It won't change your world, but just might make you smile.

Rating: B+

"Holiday" official video

"Do You Remember" official video

Artist not currently available at eMusic

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Review: Sweet Apple: Love & Desperation [B+]

Artist: Sweet Apple

Album: Love & Desperation

Released: April 2010

Label: Tee Pee Records

Genre: hard rock

Purchase Date: 07 Sep 2010

Format: mp3 files

Source: eMusic

You'd think that a band composed of vocalist/guitarist John Petkovic, guitarist Tim Parnin (both of Cobra Verde), drummer/guitarist J Mascis (of Dinosaur Jr), and bassist Dave Sweetapple (of Witch) would be another angsty '90s-inspired indie rock band, but Sweet Apple's debut album is a rollicking throwback to '70s arena rock.

With an album cover that's an homage to Roxy Music's 1974 release Country Life, this album packs a nice punch with its sound: good riffs, tight drumming, and witty lyrics. Standout tracks include "Do You Remember" and "Flying Up A Mountain." While it isn't groundbreaking, this was a nice reminder of the kind of classic hard rock that I grew up with.

Rating: B+

"Lawless Lands" official video

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Review: The Sword: Warp Riders [A]

Artist: The Sword

Album: Warp Riders

Released: April 2010

Label: Kemando Records

Genre: metal

Purchase date: 7 Sep 2010

Format: mp3 files

Source: eMusic

Although I never used to like to admit it, I've always had a soft spot for harder-edged music. The Sword is a metal band from Austin TX. Warp Riders is their third album, with a sound that leans more toward classic hard rock that's reminiscent of early Black Sabbath.

Warp Riders is a science fiction concept album. The story involves a swordsman, a time-traveling wizard, a starship, and space pirates, and I'm not going to try to make sense of it. The music is what counts, and it's great. This is hard-driving guitar metal with a strong 1970s vibe. Even the album cover looks like hat of a '70s scifi novel. The band plays extremely well together, and the music is a whole lot of fun. Looking over my iTunes play history for music from 2010, this album has the most plays.

If you like hard rock or metal, I highly recommend it.

Rating: A

"Small Talk" official video

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Review: Faded Paper Figures: New Medium [B+]

Artist: Faded Paper Figures
Album: New Medium
Released: May 2010
Label: Shorthand Records
Genre: electronica / indie pop / synthpop

Purchase Date: 19 Aug 2010
Format: mp3 files
Source: eMusic

I first heard of this LA-based synthpop trio when the CD Baby Music Discovery Podcast played "Small Talk" back in July. Synthpop normally isn't my cup of tea, but I really liked this song, so I bought the album from eMusic on a whim.

This is another band with male-and-female singers who trade off the lead. It's an effect of which I'm rather fond. Their sound is like a cross between MGMT and Belle and Sebastian. It's reserved synthpop that still has a beat, but you probably won't hear it at a dance club.

I liked this album quite a lot, and it's currently on high rotation during the work day.

Rating: B+

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Review: Railroad Earth: Amen Corner [C-]

Artist: Railroad Earth
Album: Amen Corner
Released: June 2008
Label: SCI Fidelity
Genre: Americana / country

Purchase Date: 19 Aug 2010
Format: mp3 files
Source: eMusic

I hadn't heard of this band before when I saw them perform at the 2010 Finger Lakes Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance in July 2010. They put on a wonderful and energetic show, and I really liked them. Their music is country-folk, with long on-stage jams. They kind of reminded me of a country version of Phish. I purchased and downloaded their most recent (at the time) album a few weeks later and was really looking forward to hearing their recording.

Unfortunately, this album showed once again that terrific live acts often don't translate well to recording. Amen Corner is lively enough, but over-produced, such that the sparks that the live act throws have been airbrushed out. I found the record to be kind of boring, which was a huge disappointment for a band that was so much fun live.

Rating: C-

Live performance of "Down This Road Before"

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Review: Freelance Whale: Weathervanes [B]

Artist: Freelance Whales

Album: Weathervanes

Released: April 2010

Label: French Kiss / Mom+Pop Records

Genre: chamber pop / indie pop

Purchase date: 06 Aug 2010

Format: mp3 files

Source: eMusic

Weathervanes is the debut album from this unfortunately-named band from Queens. Their music is much more interesting than their hippy-dippy name (which came up on The AV Club's 2009 list of bad band names) would otherwise indicate. Their sound owes quite a bit to bands like Death Cab for Cutie and Belle and Sebastian, with a nod to the neo-folk-rock movement, but is just different enough to stand out. It didn't knock my socks off, but I liked this record.

Rating: B

"Hannah" official video

Listen to "Higher Ground"

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Review: The Believers: Lucky You [B-]

Artist: The Believers

Album: Lucky You

Released: April 2009

Label: Bona Fide Recordings

Genre: Alternative Country / Country Rock

Purchase date: 06 August 2010

Format: AAC files

Source: iTunes

I first encountered The Believers about four years ago as a live act at the Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance in Trumansburg, NY. (Yes, I already have Early Bird tickets for this summer's show.) The band is a duo from New Orleans, made up of guitarist/vocalist Craig Aspen and vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Cynthia "Cyd" Frazzini. They self-describe as being "a rock band with a country problem." They have amazing stage presence and put on a wonderful show, and I do recommend seeing them live if they ever play in your area.

Lucky You is the band's third studio album. The album opens with the title track, a strong rock number with a bit of an edge and a touch of twang. Despite the rocking opener, the rest of the album has much more of a country sound, and while very good, doesn't return to the power of the opening track. While I found that a little disappointing, as their live act has a whole lot more energy than this album would indicate, I did still like this album, and do recommend it to country-rock fans.

Rating: B-

Album not available at eMusic

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Review: Surfer Blood: Astro Coast [B+]

Artist: Surfer Blood

Album: Astro Coast

Label: Kanine Records

Released: January 2010

Genre: indie rock

Purchase Date: 10 July 2010

Format: mp3 files

Source: eMusic

An impressive debut release from this very young band from West Palm Beach, Florida. Astro Coast is a guitar-driven indie rock album with strong influences of garage rock and Afro-pop sounds. The sound is powerful and straightforward, but with some feedback buzz and deep reverb that deliberately muddies the sonic waters, giving it an extra depth. The songs are all very strong melodically, with great hooks and West African-tinged rhythms. The standout track is the single "Swim," a perfect summer song.

A really fun summertime album. Recommended.

Rating: B+

"Swim" official video

Official video for "A More Perfect Union"

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Review: Titus Andronicus: The Monitor [A-]

Artist: Titus Andronicus

Album: The Monitor

Released: March 2010

Label: XL Recordings

Genre: punk / alternative rock

Purchase date: 7 June 2010

Format: mp3 files

Source: eMusic

You can't fault this New Jersey-based punk band of lacking ambition. Their sophomore release, The Monitor, is of all things a loose concept album that uses the American Civil War as running metaphor. The music is brash and raw, but the songs themselves are extremely well-crafted, with wonderful melody and clever lyrics. The emotions of the music really carry this record: the highs are high and the lows are low. There's a wryness in the lyric, as if they're at once extremely serious and winking at the camera. They paraphrase their local hero Bruce Springsteen in the opening track, singing, "Tramps like us, baby we were born to die." This music is as subtle as a fist to the jaw, and man, can they rock out, with nods to '70s arena rock and the LA hardcore scene.

There's a joy to this music along with the anger, and that joy is infectious.

Rating: A-

Live version of "Tugboat" from 1989.

Artist not currently available from eMusic

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Vintage Review: Galaxie 500: Today [B+]

Artist: Galaxie 500

Album: Today

Released: 1988

Label: Domino Records

Genre: dream pop

Purchase date: 7 June 2010

Format: mp3 files

Source: eMusic

I was very excited when I heard that Domino Records was re-releasing the three studio albums of the late-'80s dream pop act Galaxie 500. I had been a bit of a fan back in the day, and I still have a very worn-out cassette copy of this album that actually managed not to get eaten by my '83 Dodge Omni's terrible cassette player.

Named for the lead singer's car (a 1971 Ford Galaxie 500), the band was a Boston-based trio that formed in 1987 and released three albums before breaking up in 1991. Their sound owes a great deal to The Velvet Underground, including laid-back rhythms, droning guitars, and half-spoken, half-sung vocals. They were one of the bands of the era that set the stage for the slowcore music movement of the '90s.

Today was the band's 1988 debut album. Standout tracks are "Flowers," "Tugboat," and "King of Spain." I really like this music both as something mellow to play in the background, and as a headphones album. Hearing this album again was a great blast from the past, and it did hold up for me after all those years.

Rating: B+

Infinity Guitars official video

Monday, January 10, 2011

Review: Sleigh Bells: Treats [A-]

Artist: Sleigh Bells

Album: Treats

Released: May 2010

Label: Mom & Pop Music

Genre: noise pop

Purchase date: 28 May 2010

Source: iTunes

Format: AAC files

The debut album from this noise pop duo from Brooklyn is brash, loud, as subtle as a sledgehammer, and one of the most fun records of the summer of 2010. Singer/keyboardist Alexis Krauss and guitarist/producer Derek E. Miller form a band that generates some of the most polarized opinions this side of Capitol Hill.

Treats opens with "Tell 'Em": a drum machine assault on the eardrums backed with a heavily distorted blaring electric guitar, showing Miller's previous experience with hardcore punk and thrash metal bands. The intensity of the energy is arresting, and then Krauss' extremely melodic voice brings a humanity to the aggressive energy. The drum beat outro of "Tell 'Em" becomes the intro beat of "Kids," which together make the best one-two punch of an album opener as I've heard in a long time.

Other outstanding tracks include the more radio-friendly "Infinity Guitars" and electro-noise track "A/B Machines." The band slows things down with "Rill Rill," which incorporates a long riff sampled from Funkadelic's "Can You Get To That?" from their 1971 classic Maggot Brain.

While this isn't the kind of music that I normally like, I loved the energy of this album, and I played it a lot on my car stereo over the summer. Critics seem to either love this album or hate it. I'm in the former camp, and I strongly recommend that you give this record a listen.

Rating: A-

"Your Hands" official video

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Review: The New Pornographers: Together [A-]

Artist: The New Pornographers

Album: Together

Released: May 2010

Label: Matador Records

Genre: power pop

Purchase date: 06 May 2010

Format: mp3 files

Source: eMusic

It's always a good year for music when The New Pornographers release an album. This has been one of my favorite bands for a few years now, so I downloaded their fifth album on its release date without hearing any of it. While I wasn't disappointed, Together finds this indie rock supergroup playing it safe and not messing with their formula: hooky, catchy melodies paired with very obscure lyrics (mostly penned by A.C. Newman). Newman is the main creative force behind New Pornographers. Neko Case provides lead vocals to many of the tracks, with Newman singing most of the other songs that he penned. Dan Bejar sings lead on the two tracks he contributed. The standouts tracks are "Crash Years" and "Your Hands."

While very good, this isn't the band's strongest effort. (That would be, in my opinion, 2003's Electric Version.) The songs sound a little too much like other New Pornographers songs (or A.C. Newman songs, for that matter), and the track sequence is a little disjointed. There also isn't a bowl-you-over-with-sheer-awesomeness track that all of their other albums seems to have. However, all-in-all, it's still a very good album-- just not their masterpiece. In a weaker year for music, this would probably still make my top 10 list, but 2010 has been an exceptional year, so they have a lot of competition in that regard.

Rating: A-

Live performance of "1999"

No longer available from eMusic

Monday, December 27, 2010

Review: Shout Out Louds: Work [B-]

Artist: Shout Out Louds

Album: Work

Released: February 2010

Label: Merge Records

Genre: indie rock

Purchase date: 04 May 2010

Format: mp3 files

Source: eMusic

I got a free month's worth of eMusic downloads in May as a loyalty bonus, so I bought a few extra albums that month. One of these bonus albums was the third full-length album from the Swedish indie band Shout Out Louds.

I heard a concert by this Swedish indie rock band broadcast on the All Songs Considered Live Concerts podcast, and the show gave a brief positive review of the album. I decided to give this studio album a try. All-in-all, this is a pretty solid album, and a good listen. The best track is the opener, "1999." The band doesn't really break any new ground. They sound like a solid late-aughts indie rock band, and while I do enjoy this record, the music just doesn't have all that much distinctiveness to it. It's one of those albums that you like well enough, but never think to spin up very often.

Rating: B-

Artist no longer available on eMusic

Flashback Review: Black Mountain [C-]

Artist: Black Mountain

Album: Black Mountain

Released: January 2005

Label: Jagjaguwar

Genre: hard rock / stoner rock

Purchase date: 04 May 2010

Format: mp3 files

Source: eMusic

I was a big fan of this Vancouver-based hard rock act's 2007 sophomore album In The Future, which made my top-10 end-of-year list for that year. I was even more impressed with the 2009 release of the Black Mountain spin-off act Lightning Dust. So I decided to buy the band's 2005 debut album without listening to much of it first. Unfortunately, I was disappointed.

Black Mountain is heavier, murkier, sludgier, and a lot less distinctive than the band's later release, and leans more toward stoner rock. Song titles like "Druganaut" highlight this. The un-ironic retro-70's heavy metal vibe, which I liked so much about In The Future, is mostly missing from this release. It is also much less polished and far less ambitious.

So, while I do give a lukewarm recommendation to Black Mountain fans (who probably already have this record) and to stoner rock fans, everyone else can probably pass.

Rating: C-