That doesn’t involve Alex Ounsworth! Shocking…I know. I dig receiving updates via e-mail from these side projects of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Thanks to an update in September, I was informed of Flashy Python. His LP turned out to be one of my favorites. Ounsworth is also releasing another solo album on October 20. I’m really looking forward to that! Now, we have Uninhabitable Mansions. The group is made up of the likes of Robbie and Tyler from Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Annie Hart from Au Revoir Simone, Doug Marvin from Dirty on Purpose, and Chris Diken from Radical Dads. Their album Nature Is a Taker is available now for digital purchase! They are also playing at TT The Bears @ 11 PM on October 25 for 10 singles.
1. “The Speed Is Deceiving” – 10
2. “Big Kick” – 9.7 3. “Do You Have A Strategy” – 9.8
4. “Midnight Topography” – 9.6 5. “Maps Not Accurate” – 9.9 6. “The Brain Is A Slow Wave” – 9.7 7. “Static State” – 9.6 8. “This Drift” – 9.9 9. “Ex-Explorers” – 9.9 10. “We Already Know” – 9.9
Comments: This album is very Pains of Being Pure at Heart sounding. It’s, in fact, becoming status quo to use Pains as a reference point for bands of this “throwback-pop” sound. What really does it for Uninhabitable Mansions are two things in particular: vocals (lead and backing) and keyboards. That’s not to downplay the good old gui-tar, which is the principal instrument in “Midnight Topography.” Lyrics, which CLYHYS and its well-received side projects like Alec Ounsworth and Flashy Python have always been masters at, are just as beautiful as you could imagine. “Only you could make me believe your masterful eyes which you pass off as business as usual…it’s just just just society’s way,” a voice speaks on “Maps Not Accurate” in a tone only a teeny notch above a whisper. Tracks like “The Speed Is Deceiving” and “The Brain Is A Slow Wave” are mind-blowing. On many occasions I conjured up sounds of Galaxie 500 — an awesome slow-core band to be compared to. If you have an hour or so of boredom, just play these songs. Sit back and relax. If you fall asleep, that’s fine. I don’t think I’ve felt as much of an emotional connection to any band as I have with UM. And I’ve only known them for an hour. This is the album I’ve been waiting to hear all year.
Animal Collective is releasing something new on December 8. It’s called Fall Be Kind. EP or LP? Probably EP, but not much is known at this time. Stay tuned…
“Band quit! Fuck them! They are boring rich kids who can’t play for ahit anyways … Say hello to your ugly and boring wifes opps I mean lifes guys suck it.”
That’s Jay Reatard communicating the apparent demise of his touring band via Twitter this morning. If or how this will affect his upcoming U.S. and European tour datesis not known at press time. (A rep for Jay did not have any more information.)
UPDATE: It has been confirmed that bassist Stephen Pope and drummer Billy Hayes have indeed quit the band. Reatard is currently looking for new band members. However, no upcoming tour dates have been canceled.
Punk rock, dude. Punk fucking rock.
They did something right when we saw them play at Harpers Ferry last weekend. Of course, Stephen Pope sucks at bass. It’s not ground breaking, Jay. Ask him to play in the key of A and he will eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
1. “Year of the Ox” – 9.5 2. “Enjoy Your Rabbit” – 8.7 3. “Year of the Monkey” – 9.2 4. “Year of the Tiger” – 9.5 5. “Year of the Dragon” – 9.6 6. “Year of the Snake” – 9.3 7. “Year of the Horse” – 9.2 8. “Year of the Sheep” – 8.6 9. “Year of the Rat” – 9.0 10. “Year of the Rooster” – 9.4 11. “Year of the Dog” – 9.5 12. “Year of the Boar” – 9.4 13. “Year of the Lord” – 9.6
Comments: I was never much of a classical guy. I’m still not much of a classical guy. I can’t analyze classical music for shit, but I’ll say this: there are a lot of musical spasms. Fast/slow/fast/sloow/sloooow/slooow/FAST/FAST/FAST. And these spasms really make the music stand out. The music seems to be partially influenced by traditional schools of thought, but overall this album seems most likely to fall under the “experimental” category. When it comes down to it, this is a brilliant work of art. It’s not everyday that I take time out of my mainly rock diet to listen to this kind of music. I probably should.
Band: The Strange Boys Label: In The Red Records Release: March 3, 2009
1. “Woe is You and Me” – 9.4 2. “They’re Building the Death Camps” – 9.4 3. “Should Have Shot Paul” – 9.6
4. “MLKs” – 9.5 5. “This Girl Taught Me a Dance” – 9.7 6. “For Lack of a Better Face” – 9.6 7. “Heard You Wanna Beat Me Up” – 9.5 8. “No Way for a Slave to Behave” – 9.8 9. “Poem Party” – 9.7 10. “To Turn a Tune or Two” – 9.7
11. “Most Things” – 9.6 12. “A Man You’ve Never Known” – 9.8 13. “Then” – 9.6 14. “Who Needs Who More” – 9.6 15. “Probation Blues” – 9.8 16. “Death and All the Rest” – 9.6
Comments: Former label mates with the likes of Black Lips and Jay Reatard, The Strange Boys possess all attributes of vintage garage rock. Sounds similar to a cross between The Almighty Defenders LP and Black Lips!. The cow-punk of “Should Have Shot Paul” is as refreshing as can be for such an old-time melody. The thing too about these songs are they short and sweet…at times I feel like I want to hear perhaps another verse or the chorus again. “This Girl Taught Me a Dance” sounds like R&B inspired Bob Dylan, particularly in vocal delivery and lyrical structure. It’s probably a shame that not many will come to realize how good an album this is. If you aren’t the old time rock and roll type, you might cast this off as just another attempt at reliving the past. Well you know what? Sometimes we need to bring back the old times! I don’t remember the old times too well (they are ~ forty years my senior) so it’s kind of an amazing thing to hear a modern band do this kind of stuff. I asked someone in my house: “What decade does this sound like it’s from?” “The Sixties” was the response. I’m not shocked. This is easily the best sounding album coming from this style of music in 2009.
Boston Herald
BOSTON — Hip-hop artist Wyclef Jean has announced that he is going back to school to earn a degree from Berklee College of Music.
The former frontman for The Fugees before going solo said Friday the school has a flexible program tailored for him that includes on-campus classes and online courses at berkleemusic.com.
Jean is scheduled to attend his first class on Monday. His curriculum this fall includes courses in ear training, theory, improvisation, and guitar.
The Haitian-born artist said he left college after only one semester to pursue his career and going back to school has always been a goal.
The 36-year-old is scheduled to release a remix CD coming out on Nov. 10 called “DJ Drama Presents Wyclef Jean AKA Toussaint St. Jean.”
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Kids Like You & Me (KLYAM) 