Category Archives: Music

CD Review, Entertainment, Music, Wavves

CD Review: King of the Beach [2010]

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Band: Wavves
Release: 6/2010
Label: Fat Possum

1. “King of the Beach” – A+
2. “Super Soaker” – A+
3. “Linus Spacehead” – A++
4. “When Will You Come” – A-
5. “Baseball Cards” – A+
6. “Take On The World” – A
7. “Post Acid” – A
8. “Idiot” – A
9. “Green Eyes” – A-
10. “Mickey Mouse” – A-
11. “Convertible Balloon” – A-
12. “Baby Say Goodbye” – A

Comments: Ye gods, the production quality on this is fantastic. Nathan Williams goes from being a lo-fi tape hissing noise punk on his first two records as Wavves to a pop punk extraordinaire on this one. Count me in on The Impressed Club. These songs are simply warm-weather chilled out re-playable classics. For obvious reasons, Wavves does a much better job at this than any of those ’90s/early ’00s hype summer pop rock bands that birthed hit singles. Wavves is much more real. Thank God they got a nice studio to kick around and experiment. It seems like they really took advantage of that setting by trying out new sounds: a light organ and sleigh bells (reminiscent of something in between Panda Bear and Christmas music) on “When Will You Come,” snapping, more vocal samples, synths, and all around Panda Bear esque psychedelia on “Baseball Cards,” and uncontrollable laughter on “Idiot.” A song built around laughing behind someone’s back? There you go. Like I said before, I’m truly impressed that this is the same guy who recorded simple, but only sometimes really catchy tunes in his bedroom. This isn’t selling out folks. It’s exploring and expanding. It’s…surprising and unexpected. A stripped down “Mickey Mouse” would have fit in Wavves catalog fine a few years ago, but it would have had only two or three layers. The “Mickey Mouse” on here has at least six different layers and every single one of them truly makes a world of difference. “Baby Goodbye” might be really awesome live, but damn that ending is far too long. The first three minutes or so are just fantastic. This record is tied for being my favorite of the year. I really don’t see that changing much. The quality and immediate impact of these songs is currently blowing my mind, but that might be because I’m looking outside it’s 90 degrees and sunny. This kind of weather just works this sound. Good work, Wavves.

Grade: A (94)

CD Review, Entertainment, Music

CD Review: In and Out and Back Again [2010]

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Band: Woven Bones
Release: 5/2010
Label: HoZac

1. “I’ll Be Running” – B-
2. “Guess You Already Knew” – A-
3. “Seven Year Mirror” – B+
4. “If It Feels Alright” – B
5. “You’re Way With My Life” – B
6. “Creepy Bone” – B+
7. “Half Sunk Into The Seats” – B+
8. “Couldn’t Help But Stare” – A-
9. “Blind Conscience” – A-

Comments: Awesome drumming. Vocals can be a little disappointing, but am I the one to talk?! Woven Bones’ got Thee Oh Sees thing going on, but ho ho ho something is lacking. I may never figure out what it is, but it’s not like whatever isn’t here isn’t helping. Whatever is here works to a satisfiable degree. It might be the sometimes apparent cross between shoegaze psychedelia and no-gaze garage rock.

Grade: B+ (87)

Entertainment, Music, News, The Walkmen

Walkmen’s Sixth Album Titled “Lisbon”

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The Walkmen’s sixth studio album now has a name: Lisbon. Although the band has showcased at least sixteen new songs live and recorded twenty-nine in studio, Lisbon will only have eleven when it drops on September 14.

Click HERE to download a live recording of “Lisbon,” presumably the title track on the record. It’s of a pretty bad quality, but if you are really eager to hear something new then listen!

CD Review, Lists, Music, Random, rant

Top 5 Labels [1/2 Year 2010 Style]

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Top rated albums from January to June 2010 by label. If a label is a subsidiary or an imprint of some larger label, the larger label/owner will be used. Score multiplied by .4 if at least one album scored a 90 or above. Score multiplied by .3 if at least one album scored an 84 or above. Score multiplied by .2 if at least one album scored a 76 or above. Score multiplied by .1 for everything below that.

1. Beggars Group [Includes Matador Records, Rough Trade Records, XL Recordings, and 4AD]: Hippies by Harlem [95]; Gay Singles by Hunx and His Punx [95]; Be Brave by The Strange Boys [91]; Contra by Vampire Weekend [90]; High Violet by The National [88]; Minor Love by Adam Green [85]; The Monitor by Titus Andronicus [84]; Big Echo by The Morning Benders [83]; Before Today Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti [77]; Brutalist Bricks by Ted Leo and the Pharmacists [75]
– Grade: 272.5 (38+38+36.4+36+26.4+25.5+25.2+16.6+15.4+15)

2. Warner Bros. [Includes Sub Pop Records, Atlantic Records, Vice Records, and Epitaph Records]: Teen Dream by Beach House [95]; I Will Be by Dum Dum Girls [94]; Expo 86 by Wolf Parade [92]; Avi Buffalo by Avi Buffalo [89]; Male Bonding by Male Bonding [89]; Something For Everybody by Devo [89]; Adventures by Bobby Ray [82]; Brothers by The Black Keys [81]; Shame, Shame by Dr. Dog [75]; Realism by The Magnetic Fields [74]
– Grade: 213.3 (38+37.6+36.8+26.7+26.7+26.7+16.4+16.2+7.5+7.4)

3. Merge Records: Work by Shout Out Louds [89]; Swim by Caribou [83]; Transference by Spoon [81]; Volume Two by She & Him [81]
– Grade: 84 (26.7+24.9+16.2+16.2)

4. EMI (Includes Capitol Records, Mute Records, and Virgin): This Is Happening by LCD Soundsystem [81]; Plastic Beach by Gorillaz [78]; Sisterworld by Liars [76]; Head First by Goldfrapp [74]; Heligoland by Massive Attack [73]; Of the Colour… by OK Go [69]
– Grade: 68.6 (16.2+15.6+15.2+7.4+7.3+6.9)

5. Universal (Includes Interscope, Geffen, and A&M): Permalight by Rogue Wave [84]; Thank Me Later by Drake [78]
– Grade: 40.8 (25.2+15.6)

5. Secretly Canadian: Pigeons by Here We Go Magic [83]; Odd Blood by Yeasayer [81]
– Grade: 40.8 (25.2+15.6)

——————-

Predictions: If both Black Lips and No Age release new LPs in 2010 and they are awesome (as projected), then the Warner Bros. grouping might just gain some ground. I’m not so sure there are going to be any more really really noteworthy Beggars Group releases besides Interpol for the remainder of the year. We’ll see. Merge, I’m sure, will see its stake rise up with the release of Arcade Fire’s The Suburbs and Superchunk’s Majesty Shredding.

CD Review, Entertainment, Music

CD Review: White Mystery S/T [2010]

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Band: White Mystery
Release: 3/2010
Label: White Mystery

1. “White Widow” – A-
2. “Power Glove” – A
3. “Lions of Tsavo” – A-
4. “Overwhelmed” – B+
5. “Vorpal” – B+
6. “Switch It Off” – B+
7. “Farmer” – A-
8. “Take A Walk” – A-
9. “Don’t Hold My Hand” – A-
10. “Halloween” – B+
11. “Respect Yourself” – A-
12. “Aaron” – B+
13. “Ye Olde Stone” – A-
14. “Trance” – A-

Comments: That voice! She sounds eerily familiar…you know the female vocalist in this band? Maybe Alissa Mosshart? White Mystery know how to rock quick. Press the record, play some inspiring hooks and beats, press stop, and call it a day. Like the Hives and the Dirtbombs, White Mystery plays passionate ’60s rock revival. Sure, most of these songs — for no fault of the female vocalist — sound pretty much the same or have the same construct. That’s a turn-off for a lot of garage enthusiasts. BUT, these songs are too good not to like. They have that “right now” appeal that I treasure.

Grade: B+ (89)