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Brainwashed Handmade
For all of the undeniably interesting music,performance and aesthetic ingenuity that this scene has produced, ithas also spawned an equal amount of talentless opportunism andobnoxious marketing, and a surplus of overpriced limited CD-Rs and LPsfilled with senseless cacophony of questionable musical value. Imean, how many different ways are there for a bunch of unshavedbohos to pound tunelessly on a bunch of instruments they never botheredlearning how to play, anyway?
Live at VPRO Radio was recordedlive in 2004, in a performance by the Ensemble for the famous Dutchradio station, and it's one of the most stunning live albums I've everheard, without a doubt. The performance captured in this radio sessioneasily eclipses Daniel Padden's two studio albums, and also exceeds therather high standards set by his previous work with Volcano the Bear.The seven tracks on this CD showcase a marvelously talented composerand arranger leading an ensemble of adept musicians through hisstartlingly unique sound world. Far from sounding like some slapdash,impromptu assemblage thrown together for a one-off gig, the groupsounds as if they were born to play Padden's songs, and after hearingthis album, it's hard to imagine them playing anything else as well orconvincingly.
As on his studio albums, Padden freely borrows from the '60s psychedelicfolk of groups like The Incredible String Band, along with a widevariety of disparate ethnic musics, but unlike his albums, which oftensounded jarringly eclectic, Live at VPRO Radio soundsgloriously cohesive: a triumphant spontaneous creation of a whollyidiosyncratic style of folk music. Though it is tempting to pickthrough and try to identify specific ethnic signifiers in thisbeautiful melodies created here by bouzouki, cello, guitar, viola anddrums, all of the music here feels of a piece. Under the supervision ofPadden, this group effortlessly draws upon a veritable constellation oftantalizingly familiar musical traditions—Jewish Klezmer, Gypsy,Russian and British trad-folk, etc.—but at the same time, managesnever to directly reference any of them. Many of the songs areradically reworked versions of tracks that originally appeared on2004's The Owl of Fives, but they have been retrofitted to work within the live ensemble context, and arrive much the better for these alterations.
I mentioned ISB, and while the comparison seens an appropriate one, italso fails to get across the power and ferocity of these performances,many which build to loud, celebratory climaxes, Padden enthusiasticallyegging the band on with non-verbal chanting and cajoling. Though theplayers are drawn mostly from the free folk scene, it is perhapsinaccurate to refer to this album as a work of free folk, as each songis clearly a work of composition. However, the performances capturedhere do not seem over-determined or rigidly rehearsed. On the contrary,it seems as if the group feels perfectly confident to travel outside ofthe lines of Padden's songs, and his songs provide a wonderfully loosestructure upon which subtle group dynamics and improvisatory passagescan play an important part. I can't be the only one who has oftenwondered if ensembles like Sunburned Hand of the Man or Jackie-OMotherfucker might be better and more reliable if they actually tookthe time to write some songs. There isn't a moment of wasted space ordirectionless meandering on Live at VPRO Radio, because the group can always fall back on the strong backbone of Padden's impressive songs.
Live at VPRO Radio is a gorgeous and hypnotic work that joyously trips and tumblesthrough a dark, mediaeval wonderland that exists only on an astralplane; a collection of whimsical funeral dirges for a merry band ofwandering monks intoxicated on bad liquor and thujone. It is acollection of hymns to wood sprites and elves; it is the soundtrack tosuddenly noticing the glorious spectacle of an ant crawling up a treetrunk carrying a leaf. It is a magical conjuring act by a group oftrickster alchemists wandering in a foreign land. It is often all ofthese things and sometimes none of them, but it is always unmistakablybeautiful music.
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Rollie Pemberton (aka Cadence Weapon) isn't just another 19 year old MC / producer looking to provide the world with explicitly commercial hip hop to soundtrack international youth culture. He also isn't looking to strap himself stylistically to the back of MF Doom, Cage or Slug to get his dues as this self produced independent debut ignores both the obvious underground and overground.
Upper Class Recordings
To those who have better things to do than watch men in face paint and shorts get busy the definition of this LP's title is wrestling slang meaning 'to expose the fake/unreal' and Cadence Weapon attempts to shine the spotlight on writing and biting accompanied by a guttural Jew's harp snatch of "Sharks."
It's possible to hear tiny similarities in style to the clear spoken ferocity of El-P and Roots Manuva in his vocal mix (and even a brief Jay-Z assimilation during "Fathom"'s swordfight rhythm electro sound) and surprisingly for an incredibly erudite underground MC he never slips into logorrhoea. Even on the seditious "Lisa's Spider" where he incites resistance towards the current Hip-Hop scene's popinjays he never gets vainglorious. Pemberton isn’t afraid to be humorous without being silly or talk about what he knows either instead of playing to the crowd by dropping plentiful local references throughout the Wurlitzer and buzz saw clash of "Oliver Square" (and its hidden track tag team remix).
His productions are more akin to electronic tinkering/mauling than they are block party soundtracks and sometimes it's only the metronomic beat that manages to keep the tracks from bursting out of their recorded parameters. Almost without exception he knows exactly when to drop the metaphorical rock riff moments while keeping the electro ripped textures and beats exhilaratingly rough ended and lo-fi so not to lose the kick of the Sound-Ink production style sonic experimentation. It might be minimalist in terms of ingredients but it's what he does with those fragments that put him in line for the next 'hotly tipped' discovery. It's evident in the way "Holy Smoke" turns its organ riff into a piece of chopped and frantic riffage amongst scratching and rock intro beat and the bed of brittle grinding hum on "Diamond Cutter"'s take on the 'caught with your pants down scenario.' The only point he touches anything remotely ordinary is the suspiciously familiar but difficult to place sample in "Julie will Jump the Broom" and even then it lurches like some through the looking glass organic version of IDM.
The deeply biographical "Turning on Your Sign" is the best song on offer here and the perfect representation/combination of his beats and his lyrical skill. A repeated string sample grows emotionally through the tracks nodding beat as a punchy slamming piano chorus part captures the squeezed tight eyed edgy passion of the words. How many MCs spit verses like "Hearing my heart beat through my ears, years of tears / Leers and jeers from searing peers mirrored my fears / And that's junior high speaking, I've moved past it / I could hear the rocked bells, it started to get mastered" on their debut? Cadence Weapon may be better known at the moment for his highly regarded remixes (both official and unofficial) but this album heralds the start of a personal and potent mission that will soon have him bumping heads with those he regards as fake higher up the hip hop food chain.
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Archenemy
The music is blurry, dreamy, and distorted with barely discerniblevocals. There isn't a whole lot of variety between the songs, but Idon't mean that in a bad way. It's a long pleasant buzz like a nightspent sipping beer at a friend's place, as they say themselves in "TheCartographer": "At night we drink ourselves languid/And talk/Talkeasily." The songs slide into each other smoothly in a sugary blur.Lead vocals alternate between Annie Smidt and Rick Webb, and bothsingers' soft voices fit the shoegazing lyrics nicely.
"Fast Pop Song in D" is a standout track, easily the catchiest songon the album; according to the label's web site, the lack of a titlefor this song delayed the release of Departurefor nearly a year. Odds and Ends is a collection of unreleased gemsincluding a couple of live tracks and two songs originally released asa 7" single. Probably due to the band's somewhat monotonous sound(again, this isn't necessarily a bad thing) it works nicely as acohesive whole as much as Departure.
Rockets Burst fromthe Streetlamps might not have been the most original (or prolific)band out there, but they've left us a few tasty nuggets to enjoy.
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Shitkatapult (DE) / Tigerbeat6 (US)
After a brief under one-minute intro, "Ridin' Dirty" rides in in with abeat that is impossible to ignore and a hook sexy enough to get any assmoving. It's easily matched with the fervor of songs like "313Dumpsta Railin'" and the preceeding single, "Trick Or Treat," aHalloweenish tune featuring chopped up guest pest vocals from Ms. Kevin Blechdom. While hervoice is a reminder that this is a Tigerbeat6 release, "Aufschwung OST"is a clear reminder that this is also a product of T. Raumschmiere'slabel, with a very Raumschmiere-esque swingy beat.
The remainder of the album is equally relentless, combining a penchantfor clean and classy German engineering with San Franciscan sexualhedonism. "Busted in Da D," the album's other single features thesexual musings from MC Stadik 006 while the dancehall-influencedinstrumental "Bluehende Landschaften" keeps the feeling going by themealone. The only break from form is in the more subtle piece "EnDuo Avec George W.," featuring lyrics (en Francais) by Noica Llanoswith very few samples from my president, but it's in no way calm,quiet, nor any less punchy than the rest of the album.
As the ball drops in a few hours, I can only hope whoever's providingmy soundtrack has the decency to use something as energetic andcorruptive as this.
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Rykodisc
The clock strikes The Witching Hour with "High Rise," asubtle introductory-esque piece, starting quieter and patientlybuilding to a song full of live drums, guitar, and fat, well-roundedsynth sounds. From there the album pole vaults into one of this year'smost perfect pop anthems, "Destroy Everything You Touch." It's herethat despite Ladytron having absolutely no remarkably original sound,they prove to be able to craft a perfect pop gem. Even though theirsinger sounds like a carbon copy of Tracy from The Primitives, the songhas got an incredible hook, ready for prime time and dangerouslycatchy, staying long after it's gone. Getting past the first two tracksis difficult as Ladytron raised the bar so high so quickly.
They don't drop the listener off in terms of production, as they've donea very professional job maintaining an excellent sense of balance,using a variety of guitar and synth production techniques whileremaining within the bounds of their sound, however, few of the rest ofthe songs are as memorable or actually connect with me on any deeperlevel. "AMTV" is probably one of the bigger mediocrities. Here, thesinger has moved into the German '80s territory, replacing Tracy Tracystylings for a more Gina X feel. The production continues to standtall, however. Even in the slower-paced songs, the most carefuladdention to detail is paid. "Beauty*2" features lush string-likesynths while "The Last One Standing" is accented by pretty chimes overthe fuzzy keyboards and distorted guitar. Without the strong hooks,however, the songs don't have much of a life after they end.
While the album shows a strong evolution for the band in terms ofsound, I would appreciate more time into the art of songcraft, morespecifically: crafting more feverishly catchy songs with better hooksthat resonate long after the songs are over. The success of the firstcouple songs on this record means that Ladytron have cheated obscurity,at least until everybody's sick of playing them on their college radioshows and including them in their mixes, but I think I'll come back tothem for years for my own outlets.
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Faraway Press
The first thirty seconds of this record is alarming, mostly because I wasn't sure that it was Andrew Chalk I was listening to. The rest of the album slowly unfolds in ways that I never imagined Chalk would approach. Once I was finished being surprised, the rest of this record slowly mesmerized me. Its serenity is all-encompassing and natural. Instead of providing a steady wave of sounds all interlaced and humming, Chalk has delivered a series of slowly released guitar tones that fade into and out of each other. The silence that is left on the album and the spaces provided between the sounds is what makes all the difference and is cause enough for excitement. Add the inclusion of very distinct melodies and it becomes clear that Chalk is a composer capable of reinventing his music with grace and style.
While all drone music has a drifting quality to it, The River that Flows Into the Sands is worthy of that description for a different reason. The expanses that normally come to mind when I listen to Chalk are gone on this album and replacing those images is a sense of continuous movement. I can only imagine what the sudden arrival of silence and calm must feel like when astronauts puncture the atmosphere and escape Earth's pull, but the weightlessness that everyone has seen in the movies has been translated into sound by Chalk. I think almost anyone can imagine what that feels like. The bowed instruments and contracting moans seem weightless and inconsequential, floating away into nothing, but leaving a path for other sounds to follow. Like a fountain each drone bubbles up and slowly fades away or evolves into a new drone and each time a sound disappears, there is a new voice there to replace it. Multiple listens will reveal, however, that Chalk really hasn't left that much silence on the record. That illusion is generated via the way Chalk mixes very distinct melodic features with fairly constant tones. As they move about together, a sense of space is opened up that may not actually exist. The effects are as real as possible, though, and there is little room for doubt that this one of the most unique albums in Chalk's discography.
Chalk has also broken The River that Flows... into five distinct parts. This would make sense, normally, if all the pieces were of roughly the same length and if each represented some portion of a theme. But, each of the first four pieces hover around the five to seven minute mark and the final track spreads out over eighteen minutes. Not only has Chalk's music developed a new kind of movement that, up until now, was completely foreign to his work, The River that Flows... also marks the only time I have ever seen Chalk structure an album in a way that suggests each piece is a distinct song meant to be considered as an entity unto itself. Though I'd be hard pressed to listen to any of these by themselves, there is a sense that many of these songs are meant to stand on their own two legs. It is easy to think that this is meant to be an album of thematic proportions because much of the record is melancholy. The droning strings are reminiscient of the slowest and saddest of cello sonatas, but aside from that feature the characteristics that each of the songs share is minimal. Each moves in a different way and each elicits emotional responses in different ways.
Chalk's releases this year stand out. Not just because they are amazing albums of a beauty few can produce, but also because each one marks out a very distinct kind of drone record. The River that Flows into the Sands is perhaps the most distinct of the three. It is Chalk's most charming album and it is easily his most addictive. If nothing else, it is a record that might attract fans who wouldn't normally buy a drone album. It is an addictive hobby, so be prepared to spend plenty of time on websites searching for another fix as good as this one.
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City Centre Offices
While it’s not quite a pop record, there are some trappings of pop songwriting hidden in Pale Glitterthat keep the album from being just another collection of unoffensive ambienttechno. Miwon mixes it up here between minimal but dance-inspiredarrangements of icy disco and electro pop-flavored tunes with twinklingsynths and effervescent voices, and the whole thing works for me as amid-winter soundtrack. There’s nothing on the record that breaks themold already established by scores of other German techno producers whohave explored the 4/4 beat and its abstraction ad infinitum, but Pale Glitter is another well-done addition to that fold.
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Clairecords
Something about this EP from Eau Claire reminds me of being young andgetting lost inside those circular racks of winter clothes at thedepartment store. I would crawl into the center of a rack of dresses orwinter coats and enjoy that dark solace away from the harsh fluorescentlight of the mall for as long as I could get away with it. I couldsimilarly wrap myself up in the warm, fuzzy drift of guitars andreverb-drenched voices here and use this record as a refuge from therest of the world for hours on end if it were only a bit longer!
EauClaire's approach will be familiar to fans of either of the folksinvolved, or to fans of Clairecords' back catalog. This is blissful,slow-moving, dreamy pop with enough lo-fi grit to keep it from soundingcoy. The tracks are mostly short and simple but layered with effects,synths, and who knows what else to achieve a mysterious haze thatfrankly needs no deconstructing. Even the nine minute long track"Soaring" is completely free from bloat and self-important staging, andwhen it’s over I can’t imagine that nearly ten minutes have ticked by.Listening to Eau Claire feels like bathing in light or falling in slowmotion through clouds without any fear of hitting a bottom. I coulddescribe the sound all day, but what’s important is to close your eyesand just let it wash over you.
Even with a hidden bonus track,this 20 odd minute EP is just a taste of the fruits that thiscollaboration can bare, and with any luck we’ll hear a lot more fromthis duo in the future.
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Beggars Banquet
Film School wear their influences on their sleeves. I find it very hardto review this single without mentioning the bands they sound like. “Onand On” is a song heavily influenced by Sonic Youth. It’s a good song,not very original but plenty of passion and the guitars sound great. Idid think it went on a bit too long but then all of a sudden the songsteps up a gear and it finishes off in style. This is followed by “PlusOne” which sounds like Film School were listening to a lot of Pavementthe day they came up with it. It’s fairly dull and generic, soundinglike the default sensitive mode built into most late '90s American rockbands. “February” is more distinctive: it still doesn’t escape thestandard alternative rock mold but it works well. There is a goodproduction on it, the drums and synthesisers are particularly nice.
On and On would have been better without “Plus One” shoved in the middle of two much better songs. I hope the album sticks to the heavier side of Film School’s sound as their gentle side is too flaccid.
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Drag City
It’s a Game meanders slowly, awkward hand holding and sunny summerdays, floating above warm organs and Frost’s unadorned, warm voice.While the majority of the instrumentation on the album is spare andhushed, Frost side-steps the alt-country pigeonhole simply because sheavoids a great deal of the ostentation and melodrama that can be partand parcel of the genre. Rather, the gentle swing and warm bass fromolder Country &Western and Honky Tonk, along with a subtle popstreak, makes the majority of these songs a pleasure to listen to.
On“A Mirage,” Frost sketches a tale of lost love over a simple chord thatrises and falls with her spare guitar picking and voice. Even better is“My Lover Won’t Call,” a beautiful and melancholy torch song about thepain of waiting for something you know won’t come. Much like the musicfound here, Frost’s plain, yet personal lyrics are neither trite norponderous. Rather, they naively explore the every day highs and lows ofrelationships, reveling in each. It’s a Game is a charming record, andwhile it probably won’t win over any new fans, those already familiarwith her work will surely be delighted.
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