ARTIST:
M83

ALBUM:
HURRY UP, WE'RE DREAMING

KEY TRACKS:
MIDNIGHT CITY
WAIT
ANOTHER WAVE FROM YOU
NEW MAP

"the city is my church"

It's been awhile since my last update, so I've come back with a bang.  M83's masterpiece, Hurry Up, We're Dreaming has been one of the most played, most sampled, and most talked about albums of 2011.  Seriously, who hasn't messed with the iPod at a party just to put on "Midnight City"?

Hurry Up, We're Dreaming is as otherworldly as M83's namesake galaxy:  Messier 83.  Interestingly, the Messier galaxy is just as equally whimsical:  it's a pinwheel of deep reds, purples, and pinks in space's deep abyss.  This is the brainchild of French DJ Anthony Gonzalez who has managed to merge modern shoe gaze music with 80's beats to create a whimsical blend of wild joy.  If there is one thing I can say about Gonzalez, it's that he knows how to create a tense build up of emotions that burst into life through his music.  There's joy in this album, lots of it, some nostalgia, but most of all there's energy.  This is the album I've got playing in my apartment when I'm getting ready to go out.  This is the essential "going out" soundtrack.  

Yet there's some naivety as well ridden in the tracks.  It's quite funny actually to hear  two girls talk about frogs in "Raconte-Moi Une Histoire".  "I heard about this frog," the child says, "it's a very tiny frog...but if you find it and if you touch it, your world can change forever".  The dreamer in me wants to believe it's a fun little story the girls are telling, but the realist and cynical side of me thinks it's about "bufo" toads.  You know, those toads the kids are licking these days to hallucinate?  Regardless, the song still cracks me up every time I hear it.  Not to mention the backing music is probably some of the best on the album.  

"Wait" is such a gem on this album.  It's subdued, but it really showcases Gozalez's remarkable voice.  There's longing here, that incredible emotion that transcends the lush backing melodics.  "Another Wave From You" is another favorite, and really put's Gonzalez's talents for building and layering sounds until they burst.

"New Map" is another testament to the emotionality of Anthony Gonzalez's interesting voice. Just the opening line:  "there's a hole in your heart" is more like a full on wail.  It's emotive and longing qualities, much like the song's overall lust for adventure, are an interesting foil to a rather jumpy song.

Last, and most certainly not least, is the album's explosive single "Midnight City".  A track full of goblin-esque shouts, catchy loops, and 80's bass that all build up to one of the most ridiculous saxophone solos I've ever heard.  Ridiculous in that it sounds so right.  It's the cherry on top of a sundae:  just enough to make it feel over the top without going too overboard.  

I lucked out in scoring a ticket to see M83 live when they visited Nashville awhile back.  Let me tell you, the moment that saxophone player came out to round out "Midnight City".  The crowd, myself included, went bat-shit crazy.  There's just something about saxophones these days...as evident from it's heavy use with other mainstream artists like Bon Iver.

Overall Hurry Up is most definitely an album that will remain in heavy rotation for quite some time.  Interestingly, as much as I love the music, I love the album's title just as much.  It's telling you to hurry up and take it easy.  Hurry up and have a good time.  Hurry up and be happy.  Feel good.  Whatever it is, hurry up.  Get there.  

LISTEN:  MIDNIGHT CITY  |  WAIT |  ANOTHER WAVE FROM YOU  |  NEW MAP

NEXT WEEK:  ANDREW BIRD  |  BREAK IT YOURSELF

   

ARTIST:
JAMES BLAKE


ALBUM:
JAMES BLAKE


KEY TRACKS:
LIMIT TO YOUR LOVE
I NEVER LEARNT TO SHARE
WILHELM SCREAM


"I don't know about my dreams"


I was completely misled by everything about this album.  James Blake is a dub step producer and his album was categorized under DJ/dance...so naturally I assumed it would be in line with other dub step artists.  I was wrong.  Really wrong!  This album is heavily reliant on components found in modern R & B songs.

But to call this album R & B doesn't do it justice.  This album is very complex, very cerebral and needs a few good listens to really sit in.  Yes, there are R & B elements but Blake puts such a complex spin on it so that it really is in a category all its own.  Yes, R & B is most blatantly present in the top notes but there is also some dub-step, soul, and perhaps even ambient? Blake's musical talent is not derived from all the instrumentals he composes, but the lack of them.  


Most of the tracks are quite minimalist:  simple beats with looped vocal samples.  Now and then you get that heavy bass common in dub step, but it's often unexpected and layered with crisp beats.  As a result you get a genre that's....well, James Blake's.  Certainly a unique effort to say the least. 


Blake's self titled album has received critical acclaim from all the blogs for his musicianship, which is undeniable upon first listen.  This young man from Britain certainly has talent.  But is this something I'd seek out on my own?  Probably not.  I'm not one for soul, I prefer more...well, more!  But I do recognize talent when I hear it.  Also an enormous amount of auto tune is a pretty good way to turn my stomach which is present here but it's not at all abrasive.


In fact, Blake has a lovely, beautiful voice that doesn't need to be muddied up by auto tune or cloudy backing synths.  It's one of the best I've heard in a long time.  It's what's driving this album.


Overall this album is probably too progressive for it's own good.  Nothing out there sounds quite like this. In some ways its really refreshing to hear music that isn't overworked.  So is this what's in store for music in the future?  A turn towards the basic backbone of music production?  Minimalist styles do seem to be the fashion in the musical world, but I'll stick to heavier compositions for now.  

LISTEN:  I NEVER LEARNT TO SHARE |  THE WILHELM SCREAM  | LIMIT TO YOUR LOVE

NEXT WEEK: FLORENCE + THE MACHINE  |  CEREMONIALS

ARTIST:
WILD FLAG


ALBUM:
WILD FLAG


KEY TRACKS:  
ROMANCE
BOOM
SOMETHING CAME OVER ME
SHORT VERSION


"we dance to free ourselves from the room"
Thank GOD!!  As much as I love my gentlemen singer/songwriters: Beirut, Sufjan Stevens, Andrew Bird, etc. there is always a soft spot in my heart for those few crazy bitches who know how to throw it down.  WILD FLAG is just that.  This album is a sprint from the beginning and doesn't stop or slow down.


Interestingly, WILD FLAG isn't really a new band.  They're more of a collaboration of a four seasoned musicians from previous bands.  Let me tell you this pedigree is excellent:  Sleater-Kinney, Helium, Quasi, and The Minders just to name a few.  And much like the album artwork WILD FLAG is an interesting juxtaposition of musical talent that comprise something even more interesting than the pieces.  


So what does this supergroup sound like?  Well, if I was in a band this is what I'd want to sound like.     


Romance, is the hands down, bar none triumph of this album.  It's a momentous track full of spritely guitar riffs and pounding drums.  Notably the lyrics are something I really connected to here:

"Hey, hey, can you feel it? 

The way it sways you, The hum in your chest?

You make my feet move, you turn my head loose 

   That's why I love you the best"

That's what romance does.  It makes you crazy.  But more notably, and personal for me, is the aggression present here:

"Hands down we like, we like what we like

Hands down we like, we love, we choose you"

and 

"You watch us dance, we dance 'til we're dying

We dance to free ourselves from the room

We love the sound, the sound is what found us

Sound is the blood between me and you"

I'm a pretty straight forward girl and not one to sucker up to pining love songs.  This is my kind of love song.  If you want something (or someone) then get it.    

The lyric about dancing always cracks me up because anyone who's [had the misfortune of] seen me dance knows that I'm definitely disconnected from what's going on.  Music, whether at a concert, singing along in my car, dancing alone in my room or out with friends really is a freeing experience for me.  And as a listener, when a great track is on you do sometimes lose that abstract concept of reality.  ...Also the video is great and is pretty much what my friends and I would do on lunch break....

Next, Something Came Over Me has one of my favorite guitar riffs of 2011.  It's that minuscule pause between the chord changes that really gets me.  Boom is another colossal track with a chorus:  "one, two, three, four, I like the way you move across the floor that will linger in your hear for hours on end.  It's still in mind now.

Short Version is another wild romp of a track.  The fret work on the bridge (1:50) is a particular high point of the album.  Lastly, Racehorse lives up to its name. And clocking in at over 6 minutes it's more of a marathon.  In my book WILD FLAG has earned a hell of a lot more time than 6 minutes to send the listener off but it's still pretty damn great.  Again, if I was in a band, this is what I'd want to sound like.    

That being said, anyone want to start a band?

LISTEN:  ROMANCE  |  BOOM  |  SOMETHING CAME OVER ME  |  SHORT VERSION 

NEXT WEEK:  BATTLES  |  GLOSS DROP

ARTIST:
ST. VINCENT


ALBUM:
STRANGE MERCY


KEY TRACKS:
CHLOE IN THE AFTERNOON
CRUEL
SURGEON
NEUTERED FRUIT


"I've had good times, with some bad guys..."


The cover art strongly suggests the content within.  St. Vincent's Annie Clark sounds more ghostly than ever in her newest album, Strange Mercy.  Her voice is haunting yet oddly calm over her intricate guitar riffs.  Annie is one of the most talented guitarists in my musical library and I can never get enough of her distortions.  But even more satisfying is how sludgy she can make her instruments sound and how it gives a perfect contrast to the lightness of her voice.  

I love Annie Clark.   Not just because her music is great, but because she shows that pretty girls can rock the fuck out too.  This album proves that point even more than her previous two efforts.  The sound here is definitely darker and moodier with less reliance on electronics and more on Clark's manic guitar riffs.  


Even Clark's lyrics are more suggestive this time around.  Chloe in the Afternoon is an outright ode to adultery.  Here the focus is on "horse-hair whips", "no kisses no real needs", "send you home" then "back to work".  Annie's soft voice smooths over the lyrics while she shreds her guitar in contrast.  There's a duality here, and throughout the album between good and evil.  Sweet and sour.  But in this case it oscillates between gentle and brash.   


Cruel is definitely the catchiest on the album.  I've often found myself whistling that oh so catchy chorus line at work (most likely driving my officemates insane) so it definitely works its way in.  

Another particularly great track is Surgeon, which was a grower for me.  At first it's a bit too eerie, but then Clark's fretwork kicks in for the chorus and really ignites the track.  "Best finest surgeon" she says, "come cut me open": a line taken from an actual Marilyn Monroe quote.  The repetitive chorus in this track almost sounds like a challenge when I hear it.  All throughout the song Annie Clark talks about all the dull behaviors she does just to "get along, get along, get along" like laying in bed, sifting through mail piles, staying inside.  It's almost like this skilled surgeon she keeps calling to is going to cut out all the dullness in life.         


The bass line in the oddly named "Neutered Fruit" is also quite addicting. It's the St. Vincent that I'm used to hearing, ghostly chorus lines mixed in with equally haunting vocals, and heavy instrumentals.  


Like I said, I love Annie Clark.  Not just because of her talent, but because she's not afraid to push boundaries for female artists.  We need more gutsy eccentric artists like her.  There aren't enough.  There simply aren't enough.  

LISTEN:  CHLOE IN THE AFTERNOON | CRUEL | SURGEON | NEUTERED FRUIT 

NEXT WEEK:  WASHED OUT | WITHIN AND WITHOUT

ARTIST:
CUT/COPY


ALBUM:
ZONOSCOPE


KEY TRACKS:
SUN GOD
NEED YOU NOW
WHERE I'M GOING
PHARAOHS AND PYRAMIDS


"Are your going to give me your love?  Love would be enough"


This album has been on heavy rotation in my library ever since it was released back in February 2011 and it still sounds just as good as the first play.  Australia's dance-pop group Cut/Copy started in 2001 and  have been steadily progressing in sound (and size) ever since.  My first listen with Cut/Copy was on their sophomore album:  In Ghost Colours.  And let me tell you, I was instantly hooked.  This band knows just the right combination of synth dance beats and catchy guitar melodies to create a sound that delicately walks the line between rock and electro-pop.

It was initially Cut Copy's heavy synth sound that drew me to them.  I was also 20 at the time and obsessed with electronic bands like Passion Pit, MGMT, M.I.A. among others.  However, as time passes, people change and preferences evolve.  My musical tastes, much like the rest of me, have also grown up.  


What's particularly special about this album is Cut/Copy's evident musical maturity.  This band has really grown together and have produced a record that is sophisticated and perfectly cohesive.  The tracks blend seamlessly together (a trait that they've carried with them from Colours) with delightfully unique transitions.  It reminds the listener that listening to an album is an experience, not just a handful of tracks.  And much like a book, this album has a beginning, a middle, and a glorious 15 minute ending track.  It's really meant to be listened to in one sitting.  


The album's opener, Need You Now, gently lets you sink into that transient state necessary to appreciate electronic music.  What's interesting here is the duality of this track.  The fact that it really sounds both relaxing and energizing at the same time.  Tribal drums open for the album's next standout track Where I'm Going.  Probably the least "dance-rock" track on the album, but no less entertaining.  Pharaohs an Pyramids is a real triumph of a track from this record.  This track is a true showcase of the musical maturity of this group.  the melodies in this particular track are intricate and the vocals equally complex to match.  It takes great skill to accomplish such a distinctive melody and beat and this track serves as a testament to that.


My favorite is the albums epic --and I mean EPIC-- closer:  Sun God.  What a track, more like a musical odyssey.  This track envelopes you within the heavy bass and synths.  What's ridiculous is that you barely notice how long this track is until it's already hit the 10 minute marker.  This track --much like the album as a whole-- is just that easy to get lost in.

LISTEN: SUN GOD | PHARAOHS AND PYRAMIDS | WHERE I'M GOING | NEED YOU NOW

   

   NEXT WEEK:  BON IVER | BON IVER

      

ARTIST:

FLEET FOXES

ALBUM:

HELPLESSNESS BLUES

KEY TRACKS:

SIM SALA BIM

MONTEZUMA

THE SHRINE/AN ARUGMENT

HELPLESSNESS BLUES

LORELAI

GROWN OCEAN

What makes me love you, despite the reservations?

The New Year brings with it many new things: the possibility of change, starting fresh, and bettering your life.  It's also a time to look back and think on what you did --or didn't-- accomplish.  Many of you that knew me in 2010 know that I struggled with many many things.  I was in a dead-end job that was causing me to be both remarkably unhappy and unable to be financially independent.  I felt lost and was sick of it. 

So what did I do?  I vowed to make 2011 the best year ever.  

And so I did.  For me, 2011 brought about significant changes in my life.  I ran a marathon, moved out, got a new job, and have been fortunate enough to befriend the loveliest, kindest, and selfless people I have ever met.  I've grown.  My life has changed in every possible way and I'm so grateful for it because it's a change that I so dearly hoped for and needed so badly.       

Now I can look back at this year and be satisfied with what has changed and know that it is because of my own choices that I've come this far.  But with great happiness also comes a great struggle sooner or later.  I would be lying if I said that this was an easy road to travel.  Difficult and deep (often anxious) soul searching paved the way to where I am now.  You cannot know how precious happiness is until you lose it.  Eventually it does come back to you...but how long you wait for it is up to you.  That's where this particular group of artists come in.   

When I sat down to write this important review, my favorite album of 2011, I didn't have to think long.  Much like this year for me, Fleet Foxes' sophomore release Helplessness Blues was laden with struggle to create.  I remember reading an article in SPIN magazine earlier this year where frontman Robin Pecknold opened up the deep emotional struggle it took to producing this album.

Mid-breakup, isolated, and immensely pressured to record a successful sophomore release, Pecknold's life was completely consumed by this album.  Self doubt plagued him, scrapping entire songs before anyone could hear them.  He also admittedly lives with social anxiety which further contributes to his difficulty sharing his music with the public, much less his bandmates.  However, despite all the evident "helplessness" Fleet Foxes endured, have created something extraordinary and beautiful in Helplessness Blues.

The familiar lush chorales are still present, though in somewhat shorter stock.  But in losing some harmonies, the listener gains the extraordinary beauty of Robin Pecknold's voice rising solo above the plucking guitar strings.  Helplessness Blues starts sweetly yet with thoughtful lyrics that relate to what it means to grow up in Montezuma:

"So now I am older, 

Than my mother and father, 
When they had their daughter, 
Now what does that say about me?"

As we progress in life, everyone undoubtedly wonders where they will be in x amount of years.  Will I be in the same city?  Will I have children?  Will I have the same job?  Who will be in my life?  What does our path exactly say about us?  And in those feelings we sometimes question ourselves and out authenticity as addressed in the title track:        

"I was raised up believing I was somehow unique

like a snowflake among snowflakes, unique in each way you can see.

And now after some thinking, I'd say I'd rather be 

A functioning cog in some great machinery serving something beyond me. 

But I don't, I don't know what that will be

I'll get back to you someday soon you will see."

Everyone has these thoughts now and then.  You're not sure where to go and if you're ambitious enough to take those timid steps you do experience some level of uncertainty.  The struggle of finding your way and growing up, whether it's finding a job, finding happiness, or in this case writing album can leave you feeling helpless and small sometimes.  But sometimes it's the hope of "get[ing] back...someday" that keeps you going.  

But as you endure hardship, happiness is always not too far behind.  Thus the album closes on a happier note with the hopeful musings of  Grown Ocean:

"I know someday the smoke will all burn off

All these voices I'll someday have turned off

I will see you one day when I have woken

I'll be so happy just to have spoken

I'll have so much to tell you about it"

Overall it's hard to pick a favorite off the album because each song has a different strength whether it's the jangling strings in Sim Sala Bim and Grown Ocean, the sweet, gentle vocals of Montezuma and Lorelai, or the musical odysseys of The Shrine/An Arugment and The Plains/Bitter Dancer.  And although the lyrics are heavy, there is such a sense of hopefulness that is present throughout the album.  Beautiful harmonies are peppered with lush backing guitars and pounding  drums to create music that cocoons the listener into a lull.    

I adore this album and find it by far to be the most gorgeous thing I've heard this year.  Yet what makes this particular record so special, and what catapulted it to the top of my 2011 list is the back story behind it.  With this album, Fleet Foxes have triumphed over the struggles of creating a sophomore album.  They've created a mature, sophisticated album that has made them more then just another northwest indie folk band.  But most importantly, and what parallels my life so closely, it that they've worked through the hardship to create something extraordinary.  And that to me is the most important message.  In the darkness there is always light-- but you just might have to work a little harder to find it.  


So what's in store for 2012?  More love, more laughs, more happiness, and more friends.  I'm looking forward to it all.  

LISTEN:  SIM SALA BIM | GROWN OCEAN |  THE SHRINE/AN ARGUMENT | LORELAI | HELPLESSNESS BLUES | MONTEZUMA

NEXT WEEK:  FOUR TET  |  THERE IS LOVE IN YOU