Record Releases - November 23, 2010

Here's what's out this week. It's pretty barren for new releases during the holidays. Stuff marked * might be good:

Nov-22-10	Girls - Broken Dreams Club*	True Panther
Nov-22-10	Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy	Roc-A-Fella / Def Jam
Nov-23-10	Barn Owl & The Infinite String Ensemble - The Headlands	Important
Nov-23-10	Eleh - Radiant Vibrations	Important
Nov-23-10	Eleh/Ellen Fullman - Split	Important
Nov-23-10	Gentleman Jesse & His Men - Got The Wrong Man b/w Stufforn Ghost 7"	HoZac
Nov-23-10	Girls Names | Brilliant - I Lose / You Win 7"	Slumberland
Nov-23-10	Group Doueh - Beatte Harab	Sublime Frequencies
Nov-23-10	MF Doom - Special Herbs Box - Vol. 0-9	Nature Sounds
Nov-23-10	Nicki Minaj - Pink Friday	Young Money
Nov-23-10	Reading Rainbow - Prism Eyes	HoZac
Nov-23-10	Royal Baths - 7" EP	HoZac
Nov-23-10	The Happy Thoughts - The Happy Thoughts	HoZac
Nov-23-10	Yuck - Georgia 7"	Fat Possum

15 Second Record Review - Interpol by Interpol

Interpol's self-titled third full length is something of a departure constrained within the Interpol codec - all the Interpol parts are there, but the groove and songcraft is missing. It isn't until the seventh track on the album ("Safe Without") that the mournful hook is present, that constant so present on earlier Interpol releases that makes the band so alluring. The earlier portions and the remainder are interesting starts to songs, but lack any real cohesiveness or creativity. Which is a severe disappointment from this band that has excelled so in the past. Interpol has always been a solid if ineffectual live act, supported best by the quality of its recorded material. Unfortunately, this release mirrors much of the live performance - well-crafted, but largely dissatisfying. Buzz-Kill

Record Releases - July 13, 2010

Here's what drops today. Stuff marked * should be good:

07/13/10	Admiral Radley I Heart California
07/13/10	Blue Giant Blue Giant	Vanguard
07/13/10	Carissa's Weird They'll Only Miss You When You Leave: Songs 1996-2003	Hardly Art
07/13/10	Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse Present Dark Night of the Soul	Capitol
07/13/10	El Guincho Piratas de Sudamerica	Young Turks
07/13/10	M.I.A. M A Y A*	N.E.E.T./Interscope
07/13/10	Matmos and So Percussion Treasure State	Cantaloupe
07/13/10	Mystery Jets Serotonin	Rough Trade
07/13/10	Panda Bear Tomboy 7"*	Paw Tracks
07/13/10	R.E.M. Fables of the Reconstruction (reissue)	Capitol/I.R.S.
07/13/10	Royksopp Senior*	PIAS/EMI
07/13/10	School of Seven Bells Disconnect From Desire*	Vagrant/Ghostly International
07/13/10	Sun Kil Moon Admiral Fell Promises*	Caldo Verde
07/13/10	Superchunk Digging for Something b/w February Punk 7"	Merge
07/13/10	The Love Language Libraries	Merge

15 Second Record Review - Champ by Tokyo Police Club

 "Champ" marks TPC's second full-length album, neither of which comes close to matching the brilliance on their 2006 breakthrough EP "A Lesson In Crime". Champ continues the band's evolution first marked by the previous LP "Elephant Shell" from hyper-frantic ear-worm punk inspired pop to more nuanced, deliberate songcraft not too dissimilar from the tactic taken by Weezer, except in reverse. I can't help but feel that Champ is TPC's attempt at making its own "Pinkerton", which sounds promising on paper, but falls far short. Instead, Champ is merely a bland, listless record incorporating relatively few interesting aspects of every other beige indie band of the moment. This band's maturity is into something far from what worked so well on A Lesson in Crime, which after such a bombastic and exciting start, is nothing short of disappointment. Buzz-Kill

15 Second Record Review - LP4 by Ratatat

This, the 4th LP (duh) from NYC electronic/indie instrumental duo, Ratatat, is pretty boring. It would be ground breaking if it was LP1, but the world has already been witness to LPs 1-3. They're all just about the same. Ratatat has always been a pretty fun live act, which is bizarre since I generally hate bands that have zero audience interaction. I guess Ratatat is the exception, as they ooze fun dance party time, at least live. On record, though, especially this one, especially after they already put this album out a few times over, it's snooze-fest. I'd appreciate at least a different guitar effect. That bendy, stringy sounding thing they use is grating after awhile.

Buzz-Zzzzz

15 Second Record Review - High Violet by The National

I love The National, but mostly as a live act, which seems to run counter to the opinion of most people. 2005's "Alligator" and the 2007 followup "Boxer" are excellent albums, but Matt Berninger's extensive emotion is amplified, personified, made more explicit when experienced live. "High Violet" picks up where those two excellent albums leave off, but lacks any searingly powerful songs like Abel or Fake Empire, which makes the new album feel a lot like a collection of unreleased B-sides from earlier, more successful efforts. Which is something of a let down. High Violet is a fine album, very listenable, and won't disappoint avid National fans. The difficulty lies in failing to tread new ground, or even live up to ground already covered. Perhaps seeing the album performed live will cheer me up.

Overall rating for High Violet (Buzz-worthy, Buzz-Zzzzzz, Buzz-kill): Buzz-Zzzzzz

15 Second Record Review - This is Happening by LCD Soundsystem

So, James Murphy put out his third album. And as you probably know well by now, he tries to sing this time. It's nuanced, and way less hit-driven than previous efforts (the fact each song is over 7:00 would be a good indicator). But in many ways, This is Happening is the best album of the three. Other than the throwaway single "Drunk Girls" this album is much more in the vibe of what is LCD Soundsystem's best all-time song "All my Friends" - a meloncholy look at one's past, semi-desperate, semi-hopeful anticipation of the future, and a self-aware and knowing irony of the present. That sentiment, coupled with some of Mr. Murphy's finest arrangements, build-ups, deconstructions, and overall dancey fun make this a terrific album.

Buzz-Worthy

15 Second Record Review - Treats by Sleigh Bells

Darling buzz band of the moment and the next in a seemingly never ending line of Brooklyn indie sludge, Sleigh Bells' inaugural debut has been greatly anticipated for many months now. With nearly every track already a single, and the band already heavily booked at large summer festivals, it's impressive there hasn't yet been a significant push back of derision a la Vampire Weekend, et al. And the reason is simply because the music is so strong. Sure, the overmodulated bass is annoying after awhile (is it really necessary on every song?), and the band really only has one tempo. But it works b/c Derek Miller (self-admitted Nu-Metal and hardcore fan) pulls in some aggressive, almost industrial, elements to punctuate the trance-pop electro-groves, which nicely contrast singer Alexis Krauss' light and pretty vocals. It is this heavy riffing that weaves in and out of songs that separates Sleigh Bells from all the other fuzz bands currently pouring out of Brooklyn, seemingly endlessly.

Speaking of buzz bands, this review marks the first using our new ratings system.  Gone is the lettering system (A+/A/A-, etc.), replaced by "Buzz-worthy", "Buzz-Zzz", and "Buzz-kill".  So how does "Treats" rank on the new system? Buzz-worthy!

15 Second Record Review - Forgiveness Rock Record by Broken Social Scene

This, the third full-length release from BSS, is a dense album with more musicality and mature songcraft than earlier efforts. There's a fair amount of layering of multiple instruments here, and a few semi-strong singles that are sure to garner significant airplay this summer. Yet, despite the evident strides that the band makes on this album to a more cohesive and interesting place, it just seems like a more bombastic version of their 2005 self-titled album and 2003's "You Forgot It In People". And I don't particularly like either of those albums. Which isn't to say I dislike them, either. BSS has always been a meh band to me - perfectly listenable, occasionally very good, but never stelar or particularly worthy of much attention. This album does nothing to change that opinion. It's a fine record, and one I'll probably listen to again every so often when I'm looking for inoffensive backround music. But, it's not a superior record in any sense. So, for that, it gets a solid if unspectacular B-.

15 Second Record Review - Beast Rest Forth Mouth by Bear in Heaven

Bear in Heaven's sophomore effort is a surprising masterpiece, only hinted at by the well-traveled single "You Do You," somehow combining of-the-moment effusive indie synth and heavy-ish prog rock. It's kind of like taking the progressiveness from Midlake, leaving behind the forest folk elements, and layering it atop the parts of MGMT that work (not the hippie pop shit). I never really gave this band much thought until I saw them open for Cymbals Eat Guitars last month and totally blew me away. Vocalist Jon Philpot manages to go from earnest pseudo-falsetto to raging rocker voice often within the same song, which is pretty impressive. Then again, so is this whole album. It's sometimes plodding, sometimes groove based, other times aggressive, and always very pretty. It's just one damn good record. A

15 Second Record Review - Broken Bells by Broken Bells

This indie world-darling side project of James Mercer (Shins) and Danger Mouse (every band ever to exist) somehow falls short of expectations while also delivering 3-4 stellar pop songs. The 2 singles and maybe two additional tracks effectively combine poppy catchiness with a melancholy sophistication. The rest of the album is a murky slush of uninspired, of-the-moment indie menu-music. Two sides of a coin, so it merits a mixed grade. B-

15 Second Record Review - Besnard Lakes Are the Roaring Night by Besnard Lakes

The followup to their excellent sophomore effort Besnard Lakes Are the Dark Horse, BL Are the Roaring Night is even more sweeping and truly masterful. The same aesthetic is present here - that sort of orchestral forrest rock, but with a raw subtlety not found in bands of the archetype (Blitzen Trapper, Midlake) - but the new album punctuates the plodding tempos with occasional bursts of guitar and vocal emotion that equals or exceeds anything I've heard this year. Simply stated, this is an early candidate for album of 2010 and is an absolute must-buy. A+

15 Second Record Review - Charred Walls of the Damned (s/t)

Has Howard Stern ruined Richard Christy?

Richard Christy is arguably the finest drummer of any era or genre, who once regularly performed to sold-out arenas worldwide as a member of heavy metal stalwarts Iced Earth and Death. He was also an avowed loser who lived in a storage facility in Florida and hadn't gotten laid in almost 10 years. That was pre-Howard Stern.

He now makes a living doing phony phone calls on Howard Stern's daily radio program, often appearing naked, and occasionally performing such demoralizing tasks as dipping his balls in chocolate and making "raccoon masks"on fellow men's faces. He is both the originator of many classic Howard Stern moments and the butt of an equal amount of jokes.

So until now, the question of whether Howard has ruined Richard was a matter of taste. If you hate heavy metal, but love Howard, there is no denying that Richard has been a valuable addition to the show (he and Sal "The Stockbroker" Governale replaced "Stuttering" John Melendez when Melendez was inexplicably hired to be the announcer for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in 2004). If you, like I, was a huge fan of Christy's drumming and musical acumen, his departure from the metal performance stage was an enormous loss.

Charred Walls of the Damned, the self-titled debut album from Christy's new band, heralds his return to the metal craft he has helped shape. But, this is a dramatic departure from the death genre of his prior bands. CWOTD is pure, nostalgic power metal in the finest fashion. With Ripper Owens (of post-Halford Judas Priest fame) on vocals and Christy on drums, this is something of a supergroup reunion that, in combination with Christy's absence from the scene for so many years, might cause trepidation. But the songcraft here is very fine, with nice tempo changes, interesting time signatures, and melodic hooks that help immensely to mask the otherwise mundane guitar work (light shredding, mediocre chops, limp solos). Christy is not in top form here, but is still head and shoulders above 95% of everything else in production today.

Back in 1999, when Death was touring in support of the Sound of Perseverance album and I was writing freelance for heavy metal websites and fanzines, I caught their live show at the Double Door. Christy was simply amazing, at one point performing a 15 minute drum solo that was mind-boggling. Never before or since have I seen such a drumming display, nor do I expect to ever see such performance again. This man, and that band, were at their creative peak, both doomed to reinvent themselves and eventually disband. Christy has since taken a unique turn in his career working for Howard, but it's a blessing to have him back in music, writing and performing once again (even if you abhor heavy metal).

This is an album worth buying for many reasons. Curiosity what this redneck goofball you hear on Howard Stern was up to before joining the show, fascinated by all the accolades he has garnered over the years? Desire to revel in the return of an artistic master to his true medium? Or, just want to appreciate this album as it stands alone? Even without the backstory, this is a fine power metal album, a genre that is little appreciated or performed today, especially with such fervor. But the true story only adds to the allure. A

15 Second Record Review - One Life Stand by Hot Chip

This album might help get your groove back, but certainly won't help get your groove on. This is a sultry, romantic album, that verges on utter-boredom at time and peppered only sporadically with the dance-pop that makes Hot Chip a fun band. Call it progress, regress, whatever. It's a boring album. D

15 Second Record Review - The Courage of Others by Midlake

This is a relatively short album, given the folkrock revival genre, but disappointingly falls flat after track 8 (or so). Unfortunately, this mars an otherwise fantastic opening sequence of songs. "Acts of Man" comes close to meeting the band's prior, ultra rare, commercial-artistic pinnacle "Roscoe" and manages to build strength from there despite being self-confined to the narrow headspace of a plush, dreamlike Herbie Mann-meets-Fleetwood Mac Frankenband. As I was listening to this album for the first time in a beer-induced trance while riding the CTA home from downtown, I texted Condiment King how enamored I was with this sure-to-be album of the year. The closer I got to home, however, the more out of love I fell with this record. Finally, as I was making the short walk from the train to my door, the album ended. The frigid wind tore at my face, and my heart sunk. So much initial promise led to boredom. I've listened to the record 3 more times since then, and my heart has done the same dance of beat-skipping euphoria slowly devolving to complacency and eventual indifference. A strong album, this, that produces so much aesthetic diversity in one person. Alas, none intentional, and ultimately flat. B-  

15 Second Record Review - Chemicals EP by Elsinore

Elsinore continues to tease us with these EPs in anticipation of their long-awaited, and oft-delayed, debut LP.  But, when EPs are as good as this one, who can complain? The Chemicals EP (available for download here) packs 6 songs for $5, including the masterful title track and a standout remix of "Yes Yes Yes" (the first single of the upcoming LP) by Eric Enger of Gentleman Auction House. Those two tracks alone make the $5 entry fee seem downright cheap, and give the uninitiated a smart sampling of this genre-bending pop-indie-Americana band's capabilities and appeal. The remainder of the EP is slower and far more in line with frontman Ryan Groff's solo material, which is an added bonus for those unfamiliar. Hopefully the Chemicals EP is an indicator of the LP's craftsmanship (whenever it releases). A-

15 Second Record Review - Transference by Spoon

This is the hardest album I've had to review in recent memory. Is it that I don't understand where this album is coming from, or is the album confused about what it's trying to be? Several tracks on Transference are literally straight from the demo reel, while the others, including the singles, are much more raw and straight-forward than anything on the almost-masterful Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. New minimalism from a minimalist band. On first blush, this album sounds unfinished, cut-off, and disappointing. Yet on repeated listen, it starts to become comforting, satisfying. Spoon makes its mark by creating subtly dense soundscape from straight up, unprocessed, rock instruments that coalesce into hooky, poppy stimulation. That's not so much the case here. Instead, the Spoon elements are all there, but they just lie there, happy to follow whatever groove comes along rather than bend to the will of the song. It's not at all what I was expecting or hoping for, but it's not altogether unwanted, either. I have to go with my gut on this one, as I still can't seem to wrap my mind around it, and the feeling I get is largely warm and fuzzy. B

15 Second Record Review - Contra by Vampire Weekend

Contra will do nothing to change your opinion of this band. Did you find the over-hyped, smug, pseudo-intellectualism of the first album to be a huge turn off? Contra will do nothing to win you over. As a heavy metal fan I long ago learned to tune out dumb lyrics and listen more to the soundscapes and craftsmanship of otherwise annoying music. And this is why VW works for me. Yes, rhyming "horchata" and "balaclava" is painful, but the tighter yet somehow more bombastic world-music textures at play here advance the band into new territory not equalled by any other band, at least not commercially. And that is undeniable. It sure isn't groundbreaking stuff, but its definitely interesting. Not to mention catchy and enjoyable. VW is one of those bands my mind screams at me for liking, but not in a guilty pleasure way. More of in a "these guys are douches" way. Yet their artistry is undeniable. For that, Contra gets an A.

15 Second Record Review - Sainthood by Tegan and Sara

Sainthood marks Tegan and Sara's sixth full-length effort, and easily their most disappointing album since 2002's If It Was You . T&S is a singles band that can produce top-notch ear worm/candy pop hits. Unfortunately, even at their best (and their best is really quite fantastic), T&S albums are basically a few masterful pop singles swimming notably in a morass of filler. They may never make another So Jealous , but I'd be happy enough with another The Con . Instead, we get 13 tracks of filler. The first single, Arrow, is simply annoying. This band is capable of a lot more.  C-

15 Second Record Review - Raditude by Weezer

Pinkerton it ain't, but as one of the few non-eponymous Weezer releases (and even among the self-titled albums), this is the band's strongest release since that 1996 masterpiece .  Although the album cover has got to be considered one of the all-time best (the photo was a National Geographic user-submission contest winner ), its connotations somewhat belie the music within. Certain tracks manage to combine the creative faux-party aesthetic with the "I'm a big loser nerd" vibe that occasionally makes Weezer brilliant. However, as with much of the recent Weezer albums, arena-rock anthems are still too prevalent. And there are moments where the band tries to step out from its routine which fall flat, such as the Indian-style droning vocals in "Love Is the Answer." And there are moments where absurdity comes in such as the, admittedly amusing, cameo by Lil Wayne on "Can't Stop Partying" that make this record seem like a cast-away without any longevity. Nevertheless, I fear that much of the hype and accolades this album is receiving is simply a celebration of a return to form of sorts to "old" Weezer. But "old" Weezer was an occasionally over-reaching alternative grunge band that somehow managed to produce one timeless classic: Pinkerton. Taking this album as a stand-alone release would inevitably reduce its reception. In context, this is an A- record. If this were the band's debut, it's a C. Let's split the difference and give it the benefit of the doubt for being something other than complete garbage, as most people were fearing. B