What The Hell Am I Listening To?!?
While I tend to keep the conversation around here on progressive, forward looking artists, I can still appreciate a more conservative, retro approach when it’s done well. Here are three local examples that can dig into older styles and still keep me more than interested:
Dead Confederate
Dead Confederate @ The Earl (6/7/08)
Dead Confederate‘s debut LP Wrecking Ball sees the band really define their sound. They have developed an interesting hybrid that seamlessly combines Nirvana-style ’90s with the jamminess and Rock ‘n’ Roll ethics of a band like My Morning Jacket. When you ponder the mass appeal of this mixture, it’s surprising no one has been as successful at blending the two as this until now. The only possible knock on this thing is that Dead Confederate may not be departing far enough away from their influences, but I think when you take a deeper listen, they are achieving a rather unique sound, and the album itself is an epic one. Here’s the beginning and the end of it:
Dead Confederate : Heavy Petting
Dead Confederate : Wrecking Ball
Dead Confederate Myspace
A Fight To The Death
I’m not sure exactly when I got turned on to A Fight To The Death, but I had got a copy of songwriter CJ Bargamian’s (ex-Crybaby, ex-Myssouri) EP under the moniker of A Fight To The Death called End Of Continent Sadness some time ago. Written while he was in San Francicsco in 2006, I thought the album had a lot of potential but sounded more like a demo, and in fact, it sort of was. Many of the tracks from it show up reworked and improved on the full band incarnation of A Fight To The Death‘s new self-titled debut LP. AFTTD sees Bargamain’s gorgeous songwriting surrounded by a very talented band that seems to compliment him perfectly and results in a tasty flavour of nu-Americana. Although, going back and listening to the stripped down versions on End Of Continent Sadness is even more enjoyable now that I know these songs so intimately.
A Fight To The Death : Killdeer
A Fight To The Death : Old Black Chains
A Fight To The Death myspace
Long Knives
Long Knives are another local band that has been on my radar for sometime, but I just never got around to giving them a deep look until now, and I found I was missing out big time. While I wouldn’t make much of a direct comparison to Wilco, Long Knives has the same sort of depth and innate ability to get me to bite hard into a genre I would usually be uninterested in. Another reason i think this album is so good is because it is so dynamic. It hits every end of the spectrum from a beautiful, downbeat ballad song like “Fuckwit” to the unbelievably stunning jammout of the second part of “Headlong Into The Abyss”. If you have been missing out on these guys too, it’s time to give them a try:
- Posted by Davy Minor on October 7, 2008 at 5:32 am
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What The Hell Am I Listening to?!?
Brendan Canning (Toronto, Canada)
I feel like this album and the Kevin Drew album from last year aren’t really getting quite their due on the interwebs just because they are solo albums and not proper Broken Social Scene records. I have been listening to a whole bunch of BSS lately, and I think that I almost like this and Spirit If… better than their older stuff because their songwriting has become so much more mature and refined. I just feel like there is no fat on these two records and that they are playing completely to their individual strengths. I might change my mind on this tomorrow, but either way, Something For All Of Us.. should not be overlooked.
Brendan Canning : Something For All Of Us…
Brendan Canning : Possible Grenade
Buy Something For All Of Us… Here
Brendan Canning Myspace
Takka Takka (Brooklyn, New York)
When I first heard of this band, I didn’t really give them a fair shake because they were always tied to Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (who helped these guys get big and their drummer produced this album) whom I don’t really like. But after enough recommendations from folks, I finally picked up their latest, Migration, and it is fantastic. Takka Takka do a really great job of incorporating interesting influences and creating an “art-rock” sound that is wholly poppy and accessible. You really need to check this out:
Takka Takka myspace
The New Year (Ithica, NY/Dallas, TX)
The New Year are a band I wasn’t really aware of until this recent self-titled album, but apparently this pair of brothers have been making great music for a really long time, including their former project in the ’90s called Bedhead. I have yet to emerse myself in their back catalog, but this album masters the simple, pretty, and perfect ideal reminiscent of bands like Deathcab, Grandaddy, and Built To Spill. I like how many of the songs themselves contain great, concise jams that only once push them past 4 minutes. This album is the paradigm of doing more with less.
The New Year : My Neighborhood
- Posted by Davy Minor on September 29, 2008 at 5:24 pm
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What The Hell Am I Listening to?!?
The theme for today is Atlanta artists. In fact, all of these acts are on the Atlanta label Stickfigure. I find myself liking so much of their roster.
Sorry No Ferrari
If you read Ohmpark regularly, you know I’m a fan of this mathy, posty 4-piece instrumental outfit. They totally destroyed it at the WonderRoot show we put on over the summer and this 5 track EP they have recently put out displays they are just as impressive on record as they are live. They will be at Lenny’s next Friday night, so don’t miss what may be their last show with their current drummer:
Sorry No Ferrari : Tuba Toothpaste
Buy The Get Down Syndrome here
Nerdkween
Nerdkween, the moniker of Monica Arrington, has been making lo-fi, ethereal pop music since the beginning of this decade, but just now released her first proper full-length album, Synergy. The album employs low-level electronic distortion that contrasts the gorgeous and minimalistic ballads she performs, creating an interestingly contradictory feel, combining the very human, naked emotions of her songs with a very unnatural, technological aura. Even though the distort-your-music-production craze of this year is starting to wear a little thin on me, the utilization here is unique enough to rise above being just a gimmick. Plus, the music is beautiful:
Nerdkween : Earning My Disgrace
The Subliminator
The word speaking and theremin playing avant-garde artist known as The Subliminator, aka Serson Brannen, returns with his sophomore album, Rake. This latest effort brings everything you would want and expect from his dark, experimental project. While you definitely need to be in the right mood to jam this one, I think it is a rather accessible album for something so crazy and over the top. Dive into the abyss:
- Posted by Davy Minor on September 3, 2008 at 2:14 pm
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What The Hell Am I Listening to?!?
The theme for this installment of What The Hell is seasoned veterans changing up their approach and putting out interesting and a bit underrated albums:
Beck (Los Angeles, CA)
When I think about where Beck is in his career, parallels to Neil Young come to mind for me. All the way back to the beginning through his catalogue, he has conquered tons of genres, amassed endless accolades, and made some super classic songs, and now while people think his best is behind him, he can go in whatever direction he wants free other people’s expectations. After his not-so-triumphant return to “old-school Beck” on Guero being his most dissappointing release to date, pretty much everyone still riding the “Loser” bandwagon had jumped off. The downside of that is that most people didn’t really pay attention to the spectacular The Information from 2 years ago, but I think maybe the lowered expectations helped take the pressure off to do some really interesting songwriting. Where Guero seemed so shallow and empty, just about trying to catch the listener with up-beat hooks, the two most recent Beck releases seem aimed at a deeper and more nuanced listen. Modern Guilt sees Danger Mouse take over the production duties this time (instead of the Dust Brothers or Nigel Godrich who have been trading off duties since Odelay), and the result is exactly what you would expect from this pairing, an album enjoyable to dance to or listen to by yourself in your headphones. While this isn’t the epic piece The Information was, the less than 34 minutes experience seems perfect for the upper music/downer lyrics dichotomy exploration he embarks on here. If you come to this album looking for some sort of Beck you want or expect, you might be disappointed, but take it for it is, and it’s a pretty damn good album.
Beck : Youthless
Sigur Ros (Reykjavik, Iceland)
Sigur Ros‘s newest full-length sees the band attempting to shake up a formula that has yielded some seriously stunning results in the past without steering too far away from their characteristic sound. This is of course a problematic area to be in when you are a band like Sigur Ros (sort of the same place The Mars Volta is in right now); Do you keep on doing the same thing that works over your entire career and people attack your for being one-dimensional, or do you risk your fanbase and go in a starkly different direction? Sigur Ros have choose a middle road with an album that sounds very different and very much like their previous work at the same time (and of course many critics have hated on this choice as well). They used an outside producer for the first time, recorded the album in different cities across the globe, and shortened the studio time to throw them out of their comfort zone. The finished product is a fairly schizophrenic piece that bounces around much more lightly and upbeat at times than their previous stuff, but remains soft and pretty at other times and still contains a familiar taste of the grand and sublime.
Buy Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust here
- Posted by Davy Minor on August 3, 2008 at 7:32 pm
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What The Hell Am I Listening to?!?
While I have been gallivanting around for the last month, hott new albums just keep on dropping. I’m abridging an already succinct segment to keep up. Here’s three episodes of What The Hell shrink wrapped together. Since I am a big fan of the run-on sentence, I give you micro-reviews of my summer soundtrack so far:
First up, some artists whose sounds characterize the best and brightest of this decade:
Animal Collective (Baltimore, MD)
One of the greatest bands of this generation offer up 25 more minutes of bliss.
(BUY Water Curses)(Myspace) Animal Collective : Water Curses
No Age (Los Angeles, CA)
2008 hypelicious duo that lives up to its praises, so don’t miss out on one of the best albums of the year so far.
(BUY Nouns)(Myspace) No Age : Teen Creeps
Excepter (Brooklyn, NY)
Electronic noise stuff that is as fun as it is creative and weird.
(BUY Debt Dept.)(Myspace) Excepter : Kill People
Pyramids (Denton, TX)
Post-rock that actually lives up to that genre’s ethic of breaking down conventional song structures rather than sounding like everything else, so pick up a favourite album of mine so far this year and blast it.
(BUY Pyraminds)(Myspace) Pyramids : This House Is Like Any Other World
Russian Circles (Chicago, IL)
Think Pelican except tighter, more epic, and in power-trio form.
(BUY Station)(Myspace) Russian Circles : Campaign
Ok, now here’s some dance music for those long summer nights:
Health (Los Angeles, CA)
Health‘s debut full-length from last year gets remixed into a perfect dance-noise album.
(BUY Disco)(Myspace) Health : Triceratops (Acid Girls Remix A)
Crystal Castles (Toronto, ON)
These controversial Canadians are making dance songs that sound fresh and interesting.
(BUY Crystal Castles)(Myspace) Crystal Castles : Crime Wave (Crystal Castles v. Health)
Femme Fatality (St. Louis, MO)
These guys are like the Eminem of the dance-rock world, and while not all of this album is top-notch, when they hit it right it’s really fun.
(BUY One’s Not Enough)(Myspace) Femme Fatality : Still Alive
Girl Talk (Pittsburgh, PA)
The king of the ridiculous ADD party-mash-up album ups the ante again.
(BUY Feed The Animals)(Myspace) Girl Talk : In Step
And then some indie-rock with an alt-country twang:
Silver Jews (Nasheville, TN)
Brilliant songwriting that makes an ancient pop genre sound new and intriguing.
(BUY Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea)(Myspace) Silver Jews : Suffering Jukebox
Bowerbirds (Raleigh, NC)
I missed this 2007 gem, but it got a recent re-release with bonus tracks, so make sure you catch it too.
(BUY Hymns For A Dark Horse)(Myspace) Bowerbirds : Hooves
Rotary Downs (New Orleans, LA)
This album is like Mellow Gold era Beck meets Kerosene Hat era Cracker meets Pavement.
(BUY Long After The Thrill)(Myspace) Rotary Downs : C’mon, Take A Hit
Ok, all new heavy rotation list coming.
- Posted by Davy Minor on July 9, 2008 at 2:27 am
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What The Hell Am I Listening To?!?
This is an “Underground Hottlanta” crossover edition of “What The Hell” with two stellar albums from two underrated local bands:
The Liverhearts
The Liverhearts have been a staple in the Atlanta underground music scene most of this decade. Their post-rock meets math-rock meets punk sound is anchored by driving rhythms on the drums under sweetly dissident guitar lines and intense, raw vocals. Their debut full-length, Ornament, is a 38 minute high energy sonic blast. Momentum only lulls briefly at the half-time instrumental track “Panicum Repens” to give the listener a break before opening up a second assault. This is one of those albums you have to listen to as loud as possible and one I’ve been jamming hard.
All The Saints
This Atlanta via Alabama trio take grungy, dirty sounds of the last 20 years and arrange them together with a post-modern aesthetic and a touch of psychedelia. One of the things I love most about their album, Fire On Corridor X, is that it achieves the fuzzy, distant The Jesus And Mary Chain feel that many bands have been aiming for lately without seeming like an overt, cheap ripoff. In fact its their tempered employment of this sound that make them so unique. Rather than hiding behind distortion, their song arrangements seem to shine with a dose of reverb. The album itself also has plenty of range and dynamics that takes you on a journey through their world of bluesy shoegaze.
All The Saints Myspace
Buy Fire On Corridor X here
- Posted by Davy Minor on June 20, 2008 at 1:24 am
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What The Hell Am I Listening to?!?
I love my eMusic account and I raided it for some recently released albums that I had not hit yet. Turns out that there were some sassy ladies waiting. Currently, they’ve got my attention in the headphones.
Santogold (Brooklyn, NY)
Santi White emerges as Santogold on her full-length debut of the same name. The revolving door of producers to appear on the release serve up indie-dub-punk with a side of 80’s sheen. Additionally, this former A&R rep for Epic made sure that she had help with the writing behind each track as well. This combination makes it easy for many of the songs to be winners. However, this method of production also detracts from the album holistically – at times it feels like listening to a lot of singles. Santogold showcases versatile vocal styles and perhaps I’m only impressed more by how many genres get crammed into several jams. This is one of those albums you’ll get caught bumpin when you think you’re alone and you’re doing the stupid dance you made up to your favorite track. It’ll be ok, though. You caught that friend listening to Barry Manilow that one time.
Santogold : Santogold : L.E.S. Artistes
Santogold : Santogold : Lights Out
The Long Blondes (Sheffield, England)
The Long Blondes return with Couples, their sophomore follow-up to the blazing Someone to Drive You Home. Kate and Co. are definitely stretching their legs and, despite a shorter album, offer greater extremes and richer textures than before. I’m rewarded by continued listens (the rule) and that’s just dandy because the first time I heard it (the exception) I wanted to run back to “Giddy Stratospheres.” At the moment, the tracks are more hit than miss. However, I’m not near declaring it better than their previous effort. We’ll see how time treats this album through the summer months. Don’t worry, Kate. I still have a crush on you.
The Long Blondes : Couples : Erin O’Connor
The Long Blondes : Couples : I’m Going to Hell
- Posted by Josh West on May 30, 2008 at 12:22 am
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What The Hell Am I Listening to?!?
The theme for today is artists that should be more hyped on the interwebs:
Evangelista (Los Angeles, CA/Montreal, Canada)
I discovered Carla Bozulich‘s Evangelista right when I started Ohmpark, and it was one of my favourite albums from 2006. She has now taken the name of that album as the name of her band and just released Hello, Voyager, which has gathered everything I loved about Evangelista and upped the ante. What Carla Bozulich brings to the table is dark and and in your face vocals and lyrics that hit you hard in the depths of your soul. She is experimental, but not in a way that is hard to appreciate, and she jumps from style to style without ever seeming ambling or lost. I’m totally in love with this release right now, so don’t miss out:
Truth Is Dark Like Outer Space
Genghis Tron (Philadelphia, PA)
I just caught this arty-metal trio this week and they were badass. With bands like Mastodon and Mastodon Jr (Baroness) getting attention in the indie rock blog world, it is only a matter of time before these guys get their own hype bandwagon. Armed with digital drums instead of a drummer and lots of keys, their synthetic brand of metal create a very interesting aesthetic that stands above a genre that doesn’t always reward outside-of-the-box thinking. No matter where your tastes lie, there is something worthy of your ears on Board Up The House.
Brass Bed (Lafayette, LA)
We had Brass Bed in Atlanta for a house party earlier this year and they absolutely killed it. They do a ’60′s psychedelic style blended with many other influences that feels fresh and original. Their first professionally recorded release, Midnight Matinee, is one of those rare albums where every single song on it is a hit, while the sum its parts make up a fun and engaging sonic experience. Get hip to them before the inevitable blow up:
So I Shrugged My Shoulders
Postcard: Paris
- Posted by Davy Minor on May 3, 2008 at 3:25 pm
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What The Hell Am I Listening to?!?
Ok, this episode of “What The Hell” is gonna be large on tunes. There seems to be so many worthwhile albums dropping right now, it is hard to keep up. A great problem to have. Here are the many bands I’m crushing on right now like a little music slut:
Russian Spy Camera (Athens, Ga)
I know Ichuda already did a review of this album, but I’ve really gotten into this one hard, so I’m going to continue to hype it. Let me stress that you can download their entire album for free from their website. If you like good music, you will be wronging yourself if you do not go pick that up.
Download Mutiny In The Kitchen With Knives here!!!
The Raveonettes (Copenhagen, Denmark)
One major trend from bands this year is albums produced with heavy distortion a la The Jesus And Mary Chain. Bands like The Magnetic Fields and Times New Viking are great examples. So far, though, I think The Raveonettes‘ new album Lust Lust Lust is my favourite to employ those sorts of techniques.
The Ruby Suns (Auckland, New Zealand)
The other popular trend in music this year is the Animal Collective influence. I’m surprised it took this long for AC to become so influential to new artists, but it was certainly inevitable. While The Dodos and El Guincho are fine acts, something about them feels like they are stealing the Collective‘s sound a little too much. Sort of like when I listen to Black Mountain or The Sword and their absorption of the ’70s sounds. Sure they are fun and enjoyable to listen to, but I could never get totally obsessed with someone who is bascially copy-catting someone else. But, The Ruby Suns‘ new album, Sea Lion, seems to me to be the perfect blend of AC love and originality. They will be at The Drunken Unicorn Monday night.
Hot Chip (London, UK)
The new Hot Chip joint didn’t seem to get its fair fill of the Internet hype, but I’ve really been enjoying it. There are certainly some songs that are better than others, but the many great ones are really incredible. If you like dance music with a soul like I do, check this one:
Destroyer (Vancouver, BC, Canada)
Mostly because of Daniel Bejar’s vocal style, Destroyer seems to be an act that you either love or can’t really get into. Being on the love side of it myself, I’ll make my plea to those who listened to it and thought “This sounds just like the last album”. On the surface, sure, but if you dig into it, you’ll find a much more epic experience and I think this may be his best yet. Destroyer will be in Atlanta later this month.
Shooting Rockets (From The Deck Of Night’s Ape)
- Posted by Davy Minor on April 9, 2008 at 6:28 pm
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What The Hell Am I Listening to?!?
Evangelicals (Norman, Oklahoma)
I think right now if I had to pick my favourite album to come out this year, it would probably be Evangelicals‘ second album, The Evening Descends. It is so psychedelic and so operatic. This is one of those albums where I get excited as each new song begins. The kaleidoscopic sonic journey certainly gives a nod to fellow Oklahomans The Flaming Lips as well as many other folks, but the last thing you could accuse this band of is being unoriginal with its mix of influences. If you haven’t rocked this one yet, don’t delay any longer:
Beck (Los Angeles, Ca)
Beck is one of my favourite musicians and every time I return to one of his albums, I fall in love with what he does all over again. I recently picked up a copy of the Deluxe Odelay, and have been partying like its 1996. I have really enjoyed the Deluxe reissues I have picked up over the years as they are always full of fun extras, but I have to say this may be the best Deluxe album version I’ve got yet in terms of bonus material. Very much worth purchasing:
Brother
Strange Invitation
Beck Myspace
- Posted by Davy Minor on February 26, 2008 at 10:35 am
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What The Hell Am I Listening to?!?
With the holiday season lull in new releases I had gotten really burnt out on just about everything I had been listening to and was worried it would be a while before I’d hear some great new albums. Then all of a sudden in the last two weeks I’ve discovered all sorts of cool stuff. Here’s two of my favourites from January:
The Magnetic Fields (New York, NY)
The Magnetic Field‘s newest album, Distortion, is their attempt to be more The Jesus And Mary Chain than The Jesus And Mary Chain. If that reference point doesn’t mean much to you, let me describe what this album sounds like to me: Imagine you are an astronaut alone on a spaceship that has malfunctioned and is spinning out of control into deep space for a long time. You are in the thralls of despair and going crazy being trapped alone. Then, suddenly your FM radio transmitter catches a signal of some ’60s oldies radio station from Earth. But between the distorted interference of the weak signal and your warped brain, the music sounds dark and evil. If that sounds interesting to you, check this one out:
Dengue Fever (Los Angeles, Ca)
With Dengue Fever, not only have I discovered a great band, but I’ve also learned some history lessons I didn’t really know. During the Vietnam War, native Cambodia ’60s pop music was heavily influenced by US Forces radio broadcasts of surf rock and soul music. When the Khmer Rouge came to power in the ’70s, they banned pop music and many of the artists making this sort of stuff mysteriously disappeared. Dengue Fever came about after LA native Ethan Holtzman traveled to Cambodia and discovered this music. He and his brother teamed up with lead-singer Chhom Nimol who sang in the Khmer language to form a nu-Cambodia pop band and thus Dengue Fever was born. Their third full-length, Venus On Earth, is a fun and psychedelic trip through some great world music:
- Posted by Davy Minor on February 3, 2008 at 2:24 pm
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