featured releases
(Domino) CD, LP is you desire it so.
My, my – These New Puritans’ sophomore album sure is an astutely sculpted mish-mash of musical worlds. The opening track “Time Xone” plays like the sparse woodwind score to a cinematic epic, before “We Want War” breaks in with a seemingly appropriated crunk anthem. Thankfully, the lyrical considerations are more akin to PiL than Lil’ Wayne, meaning yes: this is a morose and melancholy record. At alternating times, it’s as much Steve Reich as it is M.I.A. as it is Liars. Frequently deconstructed back to the bellow of the bassoon and the re-occuring sword-out-of-the-sheath sample – this is a seriously sterling palette of vision and sound.
These New Puritans on MySpace
10 March 2010 by Tara Campbell
(Sub Pop) CD, LP
The third installment from the band based around the New Zealand-settled, California born, Ryan McPhun. On Fight Softly, the quirkiness is more distilled and the oh-so-ubiquitous Animal Collective pastiche more apparent; but it stands strong with its reputable melodic arc and production – and a vocal grace that doesn’t sound flat – a near anomaly in the world orbiting around “chillwave” (ahem). McPhun coos in styles which periodically allude David Longstreth (Dirty Projectors) and Panda Bear (see the opening half of “Cranberry”!). Meanwhile “Haunted House” is so well tailored with its rollarskate-disco-ball esteem, it sounds like it’s chasing heavy on the tail of an Arthur Russell record, namely: World of Echo. Aces to that.
Ruby Suns on MySpace
26 February 2010 by Tara Campbell
(Drag City) 3CD & 3LP (!)
Wow. Little murmurs, a few web peeks & then BAM: three pieces of wax like THAT! It goes without saying that Joanna’s Ys quickly ascended the ranks of “modern classics” – it’s quietly grown & maintained an untarnished sense of purity & beauty over the last couple of years. The big question was; where does Joanna go from here? The answer has turned out to be even bigger. Have One On Me is a triple CD/LP affair & while it will take a few weeks to soak in all of its splendor, right off the bat with “Easy”, it’s a relief to hear some new tunes from Ms. Newsom. After a couple of rotations, it’s nice to hear some new arrangement ideas, with full accompaniment along on many tracks (including drums). Song lengths aren’t quite as daunting as Ys (even though they’re still 5 minutes +) & sonically the terrain is very familiar, with harp & other plucked instruments alongside piano & Newsom’s voice which seems to have made the same progressive leap from Ys that it made from The Milk-Eyed Mender. A worth of enjoyment awaits with Have One On Me – what a treat to have someone like Joanna Newsom making music in a time like this.
23 February 2010 by Chris Long
| Pop / Rock
(Constellation) CD & 2LP
Their legacy might stem from folky ensembles & collective idealism but the remnants of Godspeed! still got some gusto; Thee Silver Mount Zion sound inspired here, at one moment tapping well worn post-rock grandiosity, the next, busting out punked-up Fugazi-esque post-hardcore. Impassioned tunes & great structuring keeps Kollaps Tradixionales from falling under the “another post rock record” category, with riffs alongside the poetic bleakness that TSMZ execute so well. Kollaps Tradixionales‘ emotional arcs mirror the arduous, challenging, yet rewarding path that the Constellation collective has endured over the last 15 years.
Thee Silver Mount Zion is also on MySpace
17 February 2010 by Jeremy Robinson
| Avant-Garde, Pop / Rock
(Carpark) CD & LP
Toro Y Moi is producer Chaz Bundick’s solo dreamwave (or chillwave, WHATEVER!) endeavor that adds another quaint little album to the slowly building mountain of shoegaze miniatures that are seamlessly melding 80’s synthpop, post-electro &… well, Boards Of Canada songs (yeah, we said it). Much of Causers Of This sounds like Panda Bear if he went all super synthy & turned down the reverb. Tunes like “Thanks Vision” have that warbly tape vibe of Neon Indian & Washed Out, but still retain the structure of a catchy as hell modern pop tune.
soar through cyberspace to Toro Y Moi’s MySpace
17 February 2010 by Jeremy Robinson
| Electronic, Pop / Rock
(Rough Trade) CD & 2LP
German Hendrik Weber has a pretty impeccable track record so far when it comes to melancholic, melodic minimal techno. His last full length effort This Bliss was one of 2008’s electronic highlights. Along with Dial label mates Sten & Efdemin, Pantha trolls an eloquent little nook of the minimal techno pantheon that focuses mores on melody & emotional gravity than bass weight & dancefloor propulsion. With Black Noise, Weber has refined the glistening sheen of his beats even more. Weber’s propensity for lilting, chiming bell-toned techno is in brilliant form here, as Black Noise artfully straddles the line separating chill-hour microhouse & sleek minimal dancefloor mastery. Features “Stick To My Side”, a great duet with Panda Bear. A great start to what promises to be a strong year of electronic full lengths.
visit Pantha Du Prince on myspace
17 February 2010 by Jeremy Robinson
| Electronic
CD & 2LP (Sub Pop)
A jump from Carpark to SubPop & the third dreamy installment from Victoria LeGrand & co’s Beach House project is here. There’s a slight bit more pep here, although the wisping melancholia is still abound, with LeGrande’s sinking, swooning vox doing that thing that worked so well on Devotion & their debut. A early contender for 2010 critics’ lists.
hang out with Beach House on MySpace
6 February 2010 by Jeremy Robinson
| Pop / Rock
CD (Domino)
Kieren Hebden has trasversed a great deal of beatsmithery over the last few years. On top of successful forays through “folktronica” (can we now officially retire that silly term) with Rounds & Everything Ecstatic, he ventured deep into the free-music ether with jazz legend Steve Reid. Surprising perhaps, that There Is Love In You sees Hebden in a mode that renders him as accessible as he’s likely to get. Much like 2008’s teaser EP Ringer, Hebden has become well acquainted with 4/4 kick structures & cycling psychedelic techno voyages. Early single “Love Cry” has won over clubs — not a typical Four Tet thing to do — and much of There Is Love in You hovers close to the dancefloor. The grounded rhythms & thrumming grooves are a fresh respite from all that twinkling, strumming, glistening petite electronica that litters the glut of Hebden’s back catalog.
28 January 2010 by Jeremy Robinson
| Electronic
CD & LP (XL)
Like, come on already. Stop being so bloody catchy! Vampire Weekend seem to be “guilty pleasure” for many a music fan these days… um, what is that all about? How about Vampire Weekend are really good. We’ve seriously played this album twice in the store & I’m already singing tunes from it. “Cousins” is the “A-Punk” of this record for sure & despite the slight misstep with the auto-tuned silliness, Contra is a great follow up to one of the best debut albums of the last couple years. Get over it, they’re good. Stop hating life so much. Enjoy yourself. Sing along to these tunes & not smile – I dare you.
stream the album at vampireweekend.com
9 January 2010 by Jeremy Robinson
| Pop / Rock
CD (local)
Out of nowhere this pops up. Well not really nowhere; My Lovely Son is a dude named Satnam, a loyal Ditch regular & as of late, one of our favourite new local artists. As My Lovely Son, he crafts painfully broken ballads that sit on clouds of reverb-drenched bliss. Amazing attention to production detail makes this stand out, but graceful, sinking hymns also posits My Lovely Son as a formidable songwriter in his own right. Think Mazzy Star meets Doves – dreamy & a bit of a downer, but rewarding & soothing at the same time. Check out the myspace.
My Lovely Son on MySpace
9 January 2010 by Jeremy Robinson
| Pop / Rock
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