OK, getting back to business with yet another current music post.
Paavoharju - Laulu Laakson Kukista
Already I've noticed the reception to Paavoharju's latest album is not as warm as their past album "Yhä hämärää." Does no one care about this album besides me and Boomkat? Oh well. I'll admit "Laulu Laakson Kukista" is not as good as "Yhä hämärää," but the album is clearly one of the best of the year. The hybrid of sounds that form Paavoharju are probably a music journalist's worst nightmare. The Finnish band has a subtle Bollywood vibe, particularly in the vocals. The instrumentation itself is like a psychotic trip to the carnival that's haunting, yet dainty. Stand out track "Kevatrumpu" is like an Indian club track with Nordic roots, while "Kirkonvaki" starts off gentle and then explodes into an orgy of church organs that feels epic. I could go on forever about this album. Just stunning.
Lau Lau - Nukkuu
Fonal Records just keeps cranking them out. Fonal (home to Paavoharju and Islaja) are the best at finding these little bizarre experimental Finnish bands, you know, if you're in to that sort of thing. What Fonal is to Finland, Noble is to Japan (another favorite label of mine). Lau Lau's experimental folk sound is nothing new, but the album starts off strong with sweet, moody songs. The album wanders off a bit and doesn't come back until the end with "Vuoren Iaelle," a strange tune that could be a church hymn. It's still a solid debut with songs too gorgeous to ignore.
(Correction! This is actually her second album. Oy, I need fact checkers.)
Subtle - Exiting Arm
Somewhat abandoning their trademark alt-hip hop sound, the Anticon band takes a more accessible, pop turn in their latest release. Subtle has always been chronically underrated, mostly by the lack of focus in the presentation of their music. The new sound on this record should definitely catch new listeners. At least a track as awesome as "Day Dangerous" should do the trick.
Brael and Tokyo Bloodworm - Living Languages
The first album from this duo is an immersive piece full of droning atmospheric music crawling with intricate details. Introductory track "Saturn Shine" is a dreamy escapade, while other tracks like "Blue Fields" are delightfully dark and claustrophobic.
Monday, May 26, 2008
What's Playing Now
Friday, May 2, 2008
What's Playing Now
Tujiko Noriko - Trust (2008)
Not wasting a beat, Tujiko Noriko is back again with a new release after last year's excellent "Solo." "Trust" is a mixture of both old and new; the album is part remixes and part new songs. The remixes simply sound like re-worked, perfected versions of the originals, while the new songs sound surprisingly over-produced. Noriko's music has always been sparse, esoteric and unsure of its direction. This Noriko is loud, experimental and content with its weirdness. It's not as good as "Solo," but worth a download.
Santogold - Santogold (2008)
Here comes the next M.I.A! Except she sounds nothing like M.I.A. But hey, they're both brown! That's close enough, right? Unlike M.I.A, Santogold takes herself more seriously, and her music is a reflection of that tinge of intellectual maturity. Musically she's more daring, jumping from punk, to ska, to electronics, to hip hop, she's definitely not afraid to experiment. Possibly one of the better albums of the year.
Ladytron - Velocifero (2008)
Sometimes I think Ladytron will never live up to the greatness of "604." Their last album (I can't be bothered to look up the name) was an interesting, if not over-produced effort that I enjoyed, but "Velocifero" takes a weird step in the wrong direction. Instead of the clear, super crisp sounds of "The Witching Hour" (Yay, I remember!), the music here sounds muffled and badly rendered. I'm not an audiophile, but this combined with tracks that sound like leftovers from the b-sides of some horrible '80s band is enough for me to just wash my hands of them. "Black Car" and "Ghosts" are catchy and great, but the rest of the album sounds too rushed.
Tape - Luminarium (2008)
I'm going to hold my opinion on this one. I'm listing it here to show that I am currently listening to it, but I haven't let the album sink in fully yet. To be continued.
Aus - Lang (2006)
Aus is quickly becoming one of my favorite musicians. After the release of "Sonorapid," Aus has become a quiet underground celebrity. Older albums that previously never saw the light of day are tip-toeing to the surface as more and more people discover Aus. I actually think "Lang" is superior to "Sonorapid" in many ways. "Sonorapid" seemed a bit lost in its quiet excellence, preferring its points of brilliance to be more subtle. "Lang," on the other hand, is cutely in your face with confident beats and a surprising surge of energy. Fyi, he also remixed a track on Tuijko Noriko's "Trust."
Animal Collective - Water Curses Ep (2008)
Although "Strawberry Jam" was just released last year, Animal Collective are charging back with a short EP of four new songs. Very much in the same vein as "Strawberry Jam," except with less hijinks and more subdued insanity.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
What's Playing Now
I tend to stumble on the best albums post-hype - that way I can judge the music on its own merits without feeling pressured to succumb to trends. "Fur and Gold" was released last year, and although I remember stumbling on the excellent video for "What's a Girl to Do," I didn't hear the rest of the album until recently. Beautiful moody music that's unconventional, yet distinctly pop.
Portishead's long-awaited third album (and what an appropriate title) had tons of buzz as fans eagerly waited for the '90s' trip-hop act to splash back into the music world. Unfortunately, all the buzz and hype has swallowed this album whole and only left tiny morsels of brilliance to dissect. I actually loved "Third" the first time I heard it, but as my excitement wore down, so did the music. Of course tracks like "Machine Gun" are excellent, but the rest of the album sounds so lost, like they were aimlessly wandering the music sphere looking for their new sound. An interview with the band said it was the hardest album they ever made. Well, it definitely shows.
Well this was a surprise. And I like surprises. Lykke Li is a Swedish singer/songwriter and her album is a light-hearted, pop-ish romp with plenty of other styles mixed between. "Little Bit" is the clear stand out, but other tracks like "Time Flies" and "Let it Fall" are just too damn catchy. I've noticed a steady string of hype building behind this album, so I think we'll be seeing more of Lykke Li soon.
OK, I'll admit it: It was all because of that damn Nike commercial! There, are you happy? Of course I heard of Saul Williams before his music graced commercials, but I didn't actively pursue his music until recently. Saul Williams is less of rapper and more of a poet who recites intelligent musings on the issues of race, politics and hip hop. His self-titled first album is probably my favorite. His most well-known album, the Trent Reznor produced "The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust," sounded too much like, well, Trent Reznor. I like Saul Williams, though. I'll keep my eye on him.
"Film" does actually sound like a film. It'll be the perfect backdrop for a sinister underground tunnel running through a vacant city. OK, so my imagination is all over the place, but "Film"'s sparse, yet surprisingly eclectic album will reward those with enough patience.
There's something about "Treny" that feels like judgment day, like a "marching to the gallows" type thing. This isn't a depressing album, but it is a chilly album. From the violins to the classical singers, everything is sharp and prickly, like ice chilling in a cavern. Simply beautiful.
Well ain't this cute. Lullatone returns with a concept album revolving around bedtime. The majority of the beats and sounds are taken from usual bedtime objects, like bathwater and bed sheets. Refreshing on first listen, but somewhat obnoxious on the others. Sometimes concepts can go too far.
Everyone loves Beach House now, right? Right? A lot has been going on with this duo and their latest album has gotten a warm reception. "Devotion" relishes in its simplicity. There's nothing over produced or overly complicated here. Just quiet, delicate songs. But for something that is overly complicated...
...we have Fuck Buttons! I'm letting my bias show here, but I can't stand noise music. I like to listen to music on headphones and noise music simply makes that impossible. Fuck Buttons are a bit different from your typical noise band. There actually are melodies hiding beneath the ear-bleeding-fuzzy-glitch-of-doom, and because of that it has a lot of crossover appeal. But this reviewer has yet to listen to the entire album all the way through. Review pending.
Who are Jade? I have no idea. Their music lacks any true identity for me to even begin wondering who they are or where they're from. "Analogic" is perfect throw away music. It's not terrible, but it's not brilliant either. It's best to play it in the background while you do something else.
From the label that brought us Islaja and Paavoharju, here comes another Finnish singer who has some major competition. I have yet to let this album sink in yet, but the music here is strange, experimental pop. "Kodinrakennusohjeet" is the stand out so far, and you can here it on her Myspace.