ARTIST:
HOT CHIP


ALBUM:
ONE LIFE STAND


KEY TRACKS:
ALLEY CATS
HAND ME DOWN YOUR LOVE
ONE LIFE STAND


"how did we get ourselves so lost?"  


Is disco dead?  According to Hot Chip it's alive and well...and in London?  The Brits behind all the "discoteca" have produced a steady stream of albums since 2000 and haven't calmed down yet.    

One Life Stand, whose ridiculous title the bandmates openly admit is lame, is their fourth studio effort.  And although making a record is nothing new to Hot Chip, the creation of this release took them down a very different and somewhat challenging route.  This release took both a tremendous amount of time and effort for the artists, producing a record that is as cohesive as it is textured.  Having listened to Hot Chip since their debut, it's easy to admit that a few of their singles have been a bit one dimensional.  Then again, it is dance music so there really isn't a good deal of room for movement in the structures behind all of the heavy beats.


Throughout the years, Hot Chip has produced some catchy singles like Boy From School and, a personal favorite, Ready for the Floor.  And as much as I like these tracks, they don't really inspire movement from me the way America's dub step does.  Where dub step is aggressive and sometimes abrasive, Hot Chip's is distinctively lighter and playful.  Maybe it's just the kind of person I am, but if I'm going to a club I don't feel like skipping around and holding hands.  


So what is Hot Chip's genre then?  Euro techno?  Dance music you can't dance to?  Electronic/ambient?  It's difficult to say...however, although lacking for me as the listener, Hot Chip do manage to polish out some diamonds on the album.  Alley Cats is a delightful romp of a track that is a glorious standout track for the album.  Lead vocalist Alexis Taylor (he's a guy, don't worry I wondered the same thing), finally displays some dimensionality on the track.  Delightfully subtle, but still spritely (a style that you could use to describe Hot Chip altogether) this track is a refreshing standout for the album as a whole.


Hand Me Down Your Love is another fine example of dimensionality on the album.  This track is more heavily textured with looped vocals and a lovely backing string quartet towards the end.  Again, still keeping the music light, but just enough to quench the listener.   


One Life Stand is probably the most musically aggressive for the group.  And despite the heavy pulsing beat, there is still enough room to include some interesting distortions and even a steel drum!  But Taylor's vocals are quite flat, almost dull, and don't add much to the overall feeling of the track.  It kind of feels more like a drag.  


I guess for me what's lacking is some sort of emotion behind Taylor's voice  Instead of a dynamic range, there is just one steady note for vocals here.  Which would be understandable if there was an overwhelming musical score backing him...but there's not.  So what results is an album that really feels like a really long mixtape.  There's really no distinctive feature for each track and although this does enhance cohesiveness, it certainly is bland on my palate.  Here's to the next one, Hot Chip!  Till then, I'll still be listening!

LISTEN:  ALLEY CATS  |  HAND ME DOWN YOUR LOVE  |  ONE LIFE STAND

NEXT WEEK:  TEARS FOR FEARS  |  TEARS ROLL DOWN

ARTIST:
NEW ORDER


ALBUM:
POWER, CORRUPTION, & LIES


KEY TRACKS:  
AGE OF CONSENT
LEAVE ME ALONE
BLUE MONDAY



"I'm not the kind that likes to tell you just what you want me to"
Ah the 80s!  A time is distinct and unique as Crystal Pepsi (ok that was the early 90's but who cares!)!  This album was very much ahead of its time.  Released in 1983, New Order's Power, Corruption, & Lies sounds very much what is trending in current music.  It's no secret that 80's like sounds and beats are being heavily sampled by acts like Washed Out, LESANDS, The Drums, and even M83.  The 80's are back and it's not only evident in music, it's in fashion, makeup, even advertising.  There is an overall appreciation for regression not just to all things 80's but to that oh-so-fashionable word "vintage".

So why this need to go back to a different time?  Perhaps it's the recession?  Maybe people want to think of a time when gas wasn't $4+ and terms like "global warming", "war on terror", and "economic depression" were unheard of.  Maybe musicians are catching on to the importance of history and that timeless idea that you can't move forward until you know where you've been.  That's why New Order is an important band for me.  

I was first introduced to these English rockers on the Marie Antoinette soundtrack, which if you haven't heard I highly HIGHLY recommend.  Their single, "Ceremony" was used both in the film and for the previews as well.  It's interesting that this was the first track I heard from this band because this was an effort by New Order's earlier incarnation Joy Division.  However it was released under the new moniker and still remains to this day one of the most celebrated and recognizable tracks.  However, Power, Corruption, & Lies is a first listen of the rest of New Order's catalogue.

The album's opener Age of Consent is a firecracker of a start.  The guitar riff alone is a triumph.  the track steadily builds on that guitar riff to drums, vocals, and of course a bit of synth.  But fortunately it's just enough synth to keep this track timeless and not in the dated realm of the 80's.  

Of course there are some tracks on here that do fall prey to that categorization, however there are other tracks that are still memorable even today.  Case in point is Blue Monday.  I'm really embarrassed to admit that the first time I heard this track was from some shitty 90's band called Orgy.  What's worse is that I liked the song and didn't even realize it was a cover. Now, I'm enlightened.   Blue Monday has one of the most iconic kick drum beats in the history of music.  Trust me, you'll recognize it.  This is certainly a landmark of a track, not just for the 80's, but for music as a whole.  At over 7 minutes long, this track is a massive statement.  

Lastly, I've really fallen hard for the closing track.  It's a really nice way to end the album, and strategic, because it leaves you wanting more.  Sometimes artists drag out end tracks making the listener antsy.  I sometimes even find myself thinking "Jesus, is it over yet?!"  I don't get that sense from this album, or this ending track.  This track is New Order doing what they do best, solid guitar riffs with just enough electronics.  It's a perfect mix.  A perfect mix that not all 80's bands - or Crystal Pepsi - could sustain to survive their era.  

LISTEN:  AGE OF CONSENT  |  LEAVE ME ALONE  |  BLUE MONDAY

NEXT WEEK:  LESANDS  |  SWEET SKIN

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