A great review as usual from Anthony, but seriously a 7?! I have absolutely no problem with him dishing out sevens I just do not understand how he comes up with that grade when 90% of what he said was above average. I was expecting more of an 8, considering a 7 usually means average, ohh well. I agree with him that some of the tracks are weak and could definitely use some truncating. Also I dig the appreciation for “Someday Soon,” indeed a fantastic musical/lyrical moment and one of the better album openers I have heard.
Artist: Lost Sounds Full Title: Lost Sounds Year: 2004 Label In the Red Tracks:
1) There’s Nothing- 9
2) Destructo Comet- 9
3) I Get Nervous- 9
4) Clones Don’t Love- 9
5) I Sit I Watch I Wait- 8
6) Ophelia- 8
7) Your Looking Glass- 8
8) Let’s Get Sick- 8/9
9) And You Dance?- 8
10) We’re Just Living- 8
11) Mechanical Feelings- 9
12) Bombs Over M.O.M.- 9
Grade: A Comments: I’m always glad to hear “new”- meaning music I’ve never heard before- material from my favorite artists. Being a massive Jay Retard fan, I had to check out his earlier, Synth Punk band, The Lost Sounds. This was their last record and it is simply a delight. Much of it sounds nothing like Jay’s previous and later works. This is obviously due in part to the excessive (in a good way!) use of keyboards and vocalist/guitarist/synthist lol, Alicja Trout. “There’s Nothing” is a solid opener and sets the mood for the rest of the album. In fact, the songs do not really vary in sound/presentation all that much, but I do not see that as a flaw, it works very well here. The songs nicely flow into one another, creating an entire experience, rather than simply some songs thrown together, which often happens with other records. With that being said, the best tracks are at the beginning and the end, as indicated above. Most of this record, as I mentioned before, to me, does not resemble other Reatarded music, but the track “Mechanical Feelings” really does, especially the lines “don’t count me out, don’t count me out, I’ll scream and shout, don’t count me out.” The “ohh no no no, they won’t get me, they won’t get me” in Jay’s “Waiting for Something,” but faster and more intense. Anyone? Well, for me they sound alike. The LP concludes with the triumphant, “Bombs Over M.O.M.” one cannot help but chant along to the impassioned chorous, “All the Walls are Falling, Falling DOWN!” Trout then continues to sing, “FALLING FALLING FALLING….” for what seems like an eternity. Excellent closer, one of the best I have ever heard. Most closers are weak, in my opinion, parce que, they make overly ambitious attempts to floor the listener with an EPIC! ending. BOM is just right. This record honestly sounds like it could be a follow-up to 2009’s Watch Me Fall , if Jay added synth and a feamle vocalist. In other words, it’s nothing like his earlier Reatards work and in some ways sounds futuristic, if you will. All in All, I recommend this to Jay fans and anyone else. It’s KLYAM RECOMMENDED, but I’m not grabbing that little logo lol.
Artist: Shellac (of North America!) Full Title: At Action Park Year: 1994 Label: Touch and Go Grade: A Tracks:
1)My Black Ass– 10, Open up a can of whip (black) ass!2) Pull the Cup- 7
3) The Admiral- 8/9
4) Crow– 9
5) Song of the Minerals– 9
6) A Minute– 9
7) The Idea of North- 8
8) Dog and Pony Show– 9
9) Boche’s Dick– 9
10) Il Porno Star– 9
Comments: Steve Albini is Killing Me Slowly with His Songs! At Action Park delivers a full blast of audio assault and yet it’s so soothing to my ears. Albini and crew whip you with their guitars, so brutal you are wetting yourself in Kim Gordan’s panties. But, it aint rape man ahaha, it’s a fucking fix! Most artists I adore are very pop like in nature. With Albini, it’s a whole other kitten to tackle. The Albini “sound” is heavily guitar driven, mean fucking guitars complemented by pounding drums (“Crow” is a great example of this). The record opens with the beloved, fan favorite, “My Black Ass,” an immensely catchy number and one of the best guitar riffs in all of Rock music. There’s a spectacular groove that just rolls through your headphones and slides down your skin; it feels better than sex… ok, I have no authority to say that :( but, it will one day feel better than sex :). This groove thang is commonplace throughout AAP, but is best exemplified in the closing track, “Il Porno Star,” which highlights one of Albini’s greatest talents: Dark, strangely humorous, and often malevolent lyrics. Albini shouts, “Porno Star Arrives… No English… No Money.” Go Figure. Overall, I highly recommend this classic to all Albini fanatics and newbies as well. If you don’t like it, you can kiss MY (BLACK) ASS!
Artist: Spaceshits Full Title: Misbehavin’ Year: 1998 Label: Sympathy For the Record Industry Grade: A/A- Tracks:
1) Can’t Fool With Me– 9
2) We Know Where the Girls Are– 9
3) C’mon Let’s Suicide- 8
4) Won’t Bring You Back- 8
5) I’m In Love– 9
6) Jungle Beauty- 8
7) Turn Off the Radio– 9
8) Piss On Your Grave– 9
9) She’s A Bad Luck Charm- 8
10) 60 Nights Of Boredom- 8
11) Creepy Says- 8
12) Kill Me- 8
13) Tell Me Your Name– 10 Saved the Best for Last!
Comments: Before the Shrines, before the King Khan & BBQ Show, hell before the names King Khan and BBQ meant anything to the music world, there was the notorious Spaceshits! I know some of y’all are familiar with their name because they were “crazy” and constantly blacklisted, which is true, but unlike most performers that rely on childish antics like food fights, the shits had the music to back it up, they had their shit together! Misbehavin’ opens with “Can’t Fool With Me,” a fast, catchy, Rock and Roll number, pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the record. Mark “Creepy” Sultan lol primarily takes care of the vocal duties and he demonstrates some of his best screaming, shouting, and straight up singing on this album. The soulful, delicate, “Into the Snow” like vocals are nowhere to be seen. The fun continues with the second track, “We Know Where the Girls Are,” a tune that must have got the Canadian, garage rock, femme enthusiasts racing to the dancefloor! Most of the songs are about the hunnies and rockin and dancing and what not, you know the good stuff, Chuck Berry style, but ocassionally you witness some fucked up, but hilarious themes relating to death, as seen in “C’mon Let’s Suicide,” “Kill Me,” and “Piss On Your Grave,” which has now become my new favorite insult. The LP closes on it’s highest note with “Tell Me Your Name,” a track not as fast or as loud as the previous rockers, but still heavy and tremendously danceable. All in all, this is one of the best Rock records you can find, it’s everything great Rock and Roll should offer. Essentially, we have sped up versions of 50s-60s Rock and Roll, definitely not the most original artistic expression out there, but certainly the funnest!
1) Cover Me (Slowly)- 9- Epic as fuck! Deerhunter kicks right in with a trippy, psychedelic, almost Pink Floydish triumph. I’m sure fans will cover it slowly over time.
2) Agoraphobia- 9- The first track perfectly flows right into this ditty. Lyrically, Pundt desperately moans, “Come for me, cover me, come for me, comfort me,” thus making these first two numbers inseparable.
3) Never Stops- 9- The flow keeps going. This is a pretty catchy tune actually. As spacey as Deerhunter can be (and they really are on this record) they never stop reeling you in with their pop hooks. Ok, I’ll cease making retarded puns from here on!
4) Little Kids- 9- This track is a bit slower than the others and doesn’t necessarily jump out at you, but it works in its own way. I dig the little bell like sounds in the background. They’re barely noticeable at first listens and yet so vital. That’s what I really appreciate about Deerhunter, the little things you continually discover after much needed ear time.
5) Microcastle-9- Very atmospheric, much like the opener: slow vocals in the background, really spacey. The emotion lies far more in the sound of the vocals than the actual lyrics themselves. I really dig it when the music unexpectedly explodes into a massive rocker. Truly a surprise that makes this track stand out as a Deerhunter classic.
6) Calvary Scars-8- This track makes heavy use of strange sound effects.
7) Green Jacket- 9- As with most of the songs, the previous track smoothly weens it’s way into this track. The highlight of this track is the beautiful piano work.
8) Activa- 8- Not much to say here lol.
9) Nothing Ever Happened- 9/10- Certainly one of the record’s strongest tracks. Unlike, other Deerhunter songs, this one is rocker you can bop to. The lyrics are demented and disturbing, but insanely catchy.
10) Saved By Old Times- 9- Starts with some simple strumming on an acoustic guitar, just like Old Times, bluesy garage stuff of the Black Lips fashion. Speaking of the Black Lips, midway into the song, everyone’s favorite cocksucker, Cole Alexander provides some bizarre, hilarious vocals. I swear he mentions being trapped in a basement, well he would know.
11) Neither Of Us, Uncertainly- 8- Psychedelicly like the others. It’s a decent track, but doesn’t particularly stand out.
12) Twilight At Carbon Lake- 9/10- Fantastic closer of grandiose proportions; just as epic, if not more, than the opener! In fact, it has a reprise feel to it, like you are just picking up where you left off at the beginning and everything in between was just a haze. Simply, the number has a very pop like, inviting sound to it, supported by 50s-60s era vocals, which makes you feel all warm inside ahah. Of course, the experience culminates into a heavy meltdown, as manic as anything else on this record. It’s an explosion of all the instruments and passion these Atlanta fellas have to offer. To Be Continued…
Weird Era Cont.:
Unlike Mircro, for Weird Era I will provide some deep analysis as always, but not track by track rundown. First things fucking last, Micro is the superior of the two, but Weird Era perfectly complements it’s predecessor. With the first track, “Backspace Century,” the ambient, shoegaze flow is continued. In “Operation,” we find ourselves dancing and prancing to it’s catchy, electronic beat. As I said, much of this record shares the psychedelic/ambient sound of Micro, but it lacks in popability. The tracks have cool sounds that are stimulating to my ears, but they don’t make the hair on my testes jump up in excitement, like memorable Rock and Roll songs should do. In many ways Weird Era and Micro are like brothers and sisters and other ways they are their own entities, to be heard separately.
Final Comments/Grade: A-, this is the kind of album that you have to experience as an album, from start to finish to really appreciate. And, I’m positive several, if not many listens will be required to truly grasp the brilliance of Deerhunter. There are pop songs and rock songs and yes even dance songs here. But, they do not jump out and dangle their naked bodies at ya and beg you for acceptance. In contrast, you have to dig deeper. May I suggest, a quiet place, alone perhaps, when it’s dark, just getting dark, dusk, early in the wee hours of the morning before you start to see light. I can imagine this would be a terrific record to lie back and stare at the stars to. Personally, there is a wintery feel to this record that enhanced the beauty of the record. All in all, a kudos to Cox and crew, I hope their musical/emotional exploration never stops…
Kids Like You & Me (KLYAM) 