Odd Gila

Kanye West & Daft Punk (Discovery Pt. 2)

2012-01-24T01:04:00.002-07:00

I figured since I mentioned it yesterday and in an effort of trying to keep consistent (January already has more posts than December!) I thought I would mention the one song I was familiar with off Discovery – albeit super popular!

I first heard the mention of “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” off Kanye West’s “Stronger.” I loved the way the was able to slow it down and build it into a tremendous flowing of dynamics and thrills. The original version by Daft Punk is fueled by high-paced beats that sound both 80’s-inspired and entirely robotic. The inflection of their voices, the way the beats are layered on top of each other, the way it all seems to speed up as it passes by, is seamlessly rendered. The song continues to build and build off the original melody in magnificent effort: harder, better, faster, stronger. It has the perfect combination of utter pop and catchy dance while encompassing a greater reach for the dramatics of cymbals and snares, ha. There’s a back-paced slow section at the end that feeds off the glowing crescendo from before and with a timeless synthesizer, an obvious hit.

The West version is entirely a few 60 bps or so slower and much more altered – in terms of everything from speed, to flow, to vocals. Here the climbing melody from the Daft Punk original is twisted into a looping scale that supports around the verses that ‘Ye delivers. The sample comes in every form – through the counter melody, the robotic atmosphere, the synthesizers – there’s an obvious influence from the robotic state Daft Punk perfected on Discovery. It’s much more a back-drop to the chanting chorus on this song and the way West inflects it all with bite and grit but the sample is definitely Daft Punk. There’s a few parts where the music cuts away to reveal a few sections where a speed up seems possible and while this is probably mostly a nod to Daft Punk, “Stronger” ends up killing it on its very own right; while still showcasing the magic found on just one amazing song off Discovery. – Bryan

Daft Punk - Discovery

2012-01-22T23:44:00.002-07:00

I’d be lying if I didn’t come right out and admit that other contributors writing here isn’t a great thing: it’s an awesomely great thing. And it makes my posts seem somewhat worthwhile. Here’s to hoping the January infusion of posts is not an aberration; here’s to hoping we can get all contributors on here.

Whenever I buy new music I always get a little bit sad for a myriad of reasons, mostly dumb I know. Like the fact that a new album is another to add while another unopened CD or record (what, I know…) goes, well unopened. Ha, I’m bad at that. I’m bad at keeping all music together. But I love when I buy new music because I can tear it open and get lost in it for quite some time. I’m so glad this has happened recently. I’m hoping to buy more stuff soon.

Either way, I never was much of a Daft Punk fan. I definitely think the nico probably knows way more in this territory. But after buying Discovery on a limb (after never hearing any of it front to back, nor really many other songs except “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger”) and for a few great reasons too, it’s been slowly melting my brain apart. First I heard this song while hanging with a friend and he simply played it with a preface of it being one of his favorite Daft Punk songs. Not thinking much but wondering what upbeat favorite he was going to play, I was stunned to hear the lush, ornate sounds pouring out of the speakers. There’s the way it creeps in and lulls you with these 70s-like synthesizers and a bubbling beat that sounds just as robotic as it does, peaceful. And then of course, the lyrics; somewhere in between falling in love and realizing that while she isn’t necessarily the right one, there’s just ‘something’ there: "There’s definitely something about us to pursue and get lost in, even if it maybe isn’t meant to be." It’s amazing because it combines both the aesthetic with the ambience of electronic music and refines with gentle synths and lush chords. After hearing the song for the first time I was blown away, now it’s one of my favorites too, ha.

So I bought it on vinyl and poured the time into the album I felt it deserved. I heard about how all these people just loved it and how it was an album you just had to own. I never seemed to understand in my stubborn, foolish head that Daft Punk are utterly amazing. And as the album played through my headphones, on my phone and everywhere else, I was just left in awe. But for sure, by the time “Digital Love" played I was entirely won over. There’s the beginning with the chugging guitar and the growing of beats into one snappy, tight melody. It’s about falling in love again, about digitalizing the love before it’s even begun and how she’s so amazing you dream about even being able to be with her. The beats and music joyously try to envision it all with fantastic rhythms and styles. I just wish I could’ve heard it like ten years ago, at least, ha. I mean, it came out in 2001; I envy people that got to hear it simultaneously with albums like Girls Can Tell and Vespertine or whatever. There’s so many things I learned about the duo, I would need to say that they’re absolute romantics and the music simply wins because of it. It makes your heart jump up and down and it makes you change all around; this is definitely music for all ages. – Bryan

Shut Up and Play the Hits

2012-01-17T23:07:00.003-07:00

I'm never a real big fan of bands and artists having big send-offs for themselves when they "retire". Maybe I'm the ultimate cynic but too many times I feel like it's just an elaborate method to bank on the moment they inevitably come out of retirement or re unite. Maybe artists like Jay-Z made it way less authentic a move for possibly other, actually sincere artists to try and fallow suit. Oddly enough, fellow New Yorker James Murphy, iconic brain child behind dance-punk outfit LCD Sound System, finds himself in the same "self proclaimed" final concert at Madison Square Garden as Jay-Z did in 2003. Premiering in this years Sundance Film Festival, "Shut Up and Play the Hits" focuses around Murphy and days leading up to the final show at Madison Square Garden. How Murphy and LCD Sound System choose to walk off into the sunset is completely up to them, in the mean time we can all hopefully get a taste of what it was like to party one last epic night with the old gang.

-Nick

Ricky Gervais' Comedy

2012-01-15T23:23:00.002-07:00

There was a time when “The Office” was the funniest show on TV. And there was a time when it really embraced its own hilarity with just off-the-wall, brilliant jokes. But there really should be credit to the original “The Office” as well. That show brims behind the sheer genius of Ricky Gervais. There was a lot of talk around his hosting the Golden Globes for the third straight time – a lot of ‘should he?’ and ‘why again?’ – and I really started to wonder what the big deal was. I’d seen his comedy on the aforementioned classic show (please watch all of it if you haven’t) and he also did a fantastic cameo on “Louie”’s first season and well, he’s just flat-out hilarious. Such a comedic genius in every way and his jokes are honest, blunt and always poignant ha. He gives true imagery to the fact that every joke has some truth to it.

So I started digging around and found this video that splices together his opening monologue from last year’s globes with a bunch of funny other introductions he does (as a host does on an award’s show.) However, he places a ton of amazing jokes that make fun of all the pompous actors in the room. I mean, the Golden Globes were always just a big party – it’s literally a dinner party where all the TV and movie nominees drink away three hours of their oh-so-busy lives – so I’m not sure why Gervais’ was ever questioned. Either way, he’s typically sarcastic as expected and makes jokes and comments that many would never dream of saying. I especially love the jab at Steve Carell when he introduces him. He’s bad ass because he says what everyone mostly thinks but just won’t admit. There are actually a lot of funny comedians like that, that’s what makes them so awesome really – Louis C.K. again! This year’s rants (on tonight’s show) he did were far friendlier than before and didn’t quite sting like last year. I watched a couple of episodes of “The Office” to get my fix back but until then, here’s the hilarious video of all his jokes from last year. – Bryan

The Weeknd & Beach House

2012-01-12T00:59:00.003-07:00

I remember hearing House of Balloons a good ten times and realizing that The Weeknd had major potential. I remember reading about his other mixtape and how he was to put out another mixtape in December. I liked it quite a bit, it was a sweet sound. And then I remember meeting with a friend and how he commented “eh it’s good, the best stuff on it is some Beach House samples.” Then I started to see more and more love for The Weeknd and more and more attention made me check out his other two albums (deservedly) and now am definitely feeling a lot of love for The Weeknd. It’s definitely not what my friend described (he wont be too upset for the choice words quoted here ha) and very much deserving of a ton of praise.

All three of his individual albums kill it. This is just a small mention of tiny, insignificant relevancy haha.

On House of Balloons, The Weeknd mixes smooth beats with an R&B/dubstep/electronic/hip-hop blend of utter bliss. The mix of sounds makes for songs that both reach atmospheric highs both in terms of scope and sound. He sings about how women are the most beautiful and horrible things in life and how the rise has slowly just begun. There is a part where the album gets to “The Party & the After Party” and the Beach House lull begins. I remember getting lost in the sounds amassed here – there is a rich texture all throughout – all of his music really should get more and more talk as time passes. Heck, especially if he continues to make 3 amazing albums a year.

Here’s the song that he samples, “Master of None” by Beach House. It sounds a lot like the early progressions where the chops and movements were developed and later explored in full depth on future classics. It has this heavily drifting feel and the way she sings is so mesmerizing; the sheer bliss of the sounds and how everything melts around each other are sweet. I gotta get this whole album now. I might need to reconsider their first two albums some more ha.

Here there is a focus on the use of the sample at the beginning but other than that, the song swirls into a mashing of sounds that emphasize heavy bass, the stuttering guitar and The Weeknd’s twisted lyrics. There’s many theories to the lyrics on House of Balloons but whatever your take is, there is never no need to be so serious about it all. If anything, he’s talking about a girl he’s trying to get with and how she might overdose when it is all said and done. It’s pretty morbid sure and there is plenty of drama but it all sounds so lush and enveloping that it all seems to feel just fine. The song that follows is ridiculously perfect for the aftermath, maybe I can write about it soon. – Bryan

Oh Land

2012-01-11T20:12:00.002-07:00

Its not all the time someone actually has something of substance to offer when I ask them if they've listed to any good stuff lately. However after a listen to classically trained ballerina turned musician Nanna Oland Fabricius, the brain child behind the stage name "Oh Land", I can definitively say there are people actually listening to good stuff out there. The daughter of a organist father and opera singer mother its obvious she fell back to her musical roots after a serious back injury ended her ballet career. To be honest she seems quite at home as a dancer turned musician. An accomplished producer and singer songwriter "Oh Land" is pushing what we should expect from true creative musicians, trying to stay relevant in our technologically saturated times. Here's a great example of Oh Land dancing herself around the topic of a jaded lover on the single from her self titled 2nd album "Oh Land", the single "The Wolf and I"

Calling Brooklyn home now, keep your ear out for Oh Land.
-nick

TV on the Radio - Nine Types of Light (Will Do)

2012-01-10T02:27:00.004-07:00

Well I’m not too good at keeping my word on here. Everything below I wrote on Sunday afternoon, before the rain came...no editing necessary but some preface is decent, ha.

Energy is one thing but lack of drive is another. I’m not entirely sure where my head and heart are at the moment. But haha, this blog needs more writing if it’s gonna sustain much more.

2011 is long over. Like a week ago over. It feels like a shift in time, into a further progression. As in, the last year was a challenging and rewarding one, here’s to making the new one even better.

This album has to be one of my personal faves at the moment. It’s adoring with touches of art rock in the best possible way: genuine, melodic and all-around exceptional. I remember digging TV on the Radio back in the day (’04) but it’s been a love affair with them ever since. This new one is one of my favorites because of the love theme of course but how it’s all so earnest and endearing, instead of boring. It’s intelligent rock music with modes of pop, electronic and jazz and more. Such an awesome album. Hopefully more to come soon. It has started to rain here.

The most immediate thing I remember about “Will Do” is the beat-driven pulse of the music. It lulls you in with its pensive feel and then the atmosphere clashes for a chugging, charming love song about how anytime will do. It’s true that I used to be a sucker for love songs and it’s true I haven’t found some as beautiful as the ones on Nine Types of Light. Maybe it’s that they’re all bunched together in a different format for ten stunning styles of awesome music (probably) or that I just might be getting that loving feeling back in my soft… blah blah. Either way, when Tunde Adebimpe sings “how your fire grows Hermosa caldera, glistening” before it all washes away into a repetitive drive of “anytime will do…my love…” always leaves me with goose bumps. Well, more so suddenly than always but I’m glad this album was in my top 20 because it’s really amazing. This song being just one slice example. – Bryan

St. Vincent – Strange Mercy (Cruel)

2011-12-20T01:28:00.004-07:00

On the last St. Vincent album, Actor, the amazing Annie Clark was still finding out the strengths of her craft. An album that was one of the best of that year, she returned with Strange Mercy for more of the great form we’ve come to expect from St. Vincent. Already a strong discography, this album featured more of the same bite with a fusion of songwriting and blends of sounds that focused more on the greatness of timely touches, rather than Disney love. There were a lot of strings again and more of the fitting guitar solos with her now trademark spectacular voice and yet I barely got it on vinyl today. I wanted to share at least some of it here and well, mostly her since she is so tremendous (for sure) here as well. Maybe some other and more later.

On “Cruel” she sounds instantly sweeping at first, with those lush and enveloping strings before she paces it with a steady beat. As she sings “Crr---uuu—ee—lll” and the guitar comes scratching in, the way the strings balance out the grittiness with the whimsical is brilliant. There’s a play on rhythms and how the drums can bounce off each other’s beats, her guitar as it gets a little more forceful as the song sways in and out and her voice: bellowing, sounding entirely mesmerizing. Her voice really is a thing of beauty – the way she is able to maneuver the slightest of adjustments and turn them into head-turning twists of magnificence – there’s a strong skill set due to her classical leaning but man, she sounds so assured here. The song is crisp and in your face. An unabashed good time of morbid decadence. It’s pretty bad ass really.

I found this video just recently and decided it would be good to show it here. I love the way she shows off her guitar playing and how she’s in these beautifully dainty and sweet outfits. – Bryan

The Antlers – Burst Apart (the best of 2011…)

2011-12-18T22:42:00.002-07:00

I’ve written about this album a lot this year. I’ve been able to group a lot of my music into one semi-cohesive ball of gel in my head and during much of late November and most of December I focused on really honing in on a tight 2011 list of favorites. Burst Apart was probably one of the safest hitters in that I knew it was easily a top 5 album for me but without a doubt, my #1 of the year. I am still searching for music to find and am still finding various 2011 albums that will probably be added to my list later on but until then, I was able to make a solid list and this is my favorite. I might list that whole thing later, I might write more about it. But before I exasperate all I have left to say about Burst Apart, some more songs here to check out.

I love the very beginning of it, with “I Don’t Want Love,” it brilliantly leads into the overflowing charm of “French Exit.” There’s just something so defiant about it and yet so reassuring and resounding with it: I don’t want love. The guitars are rough around the edges, a pacing melody is heard throughout and while the vocals highlight on a moving-on theme, there is no doubt that this is all about personal growth. The music swells to where the drums are forcefully on full display and Peter Silberman’s voice is allowed to sing in falsetto above everything else. It’s like a blend of U2 when they made Achtung Baby with a blend of Radiohead back when The Bends was currently being made. It’s a lovely entryway onto the album – it neatly introduces a lot of the themes, moods and expressions felt all through Burst Apart – and it justly places the focus off the desolation of Hospice and onto the aching beauty of this new album.

While the album maintained itself as my personal favorite, it was always due to its flawless flow and sequencing. Every song is a new slice of life, a new rendering of magnificent music to take hold of. On “Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out” the macabre appears in lush and ornate The National-like style with chugging guitars and swirling keyboards that are juxtaposed between soft, tempered verses and banging, rousing choruses that feature fantastic percussion. The song melts away the scope for a rigid look into pop and rock perfection and how the two still seemingly work hand-in-hand. And still, it’s just part of one massively great album. Ha, as already probably noted too much before. – Bryan

Atlas Sound - Parallax

2011-12-16T00:09:00.003-07:00

The best sounds of 2011 came at different times for me. It’s always best to find as much music as possible but sometimes I can sure get in a rut. But still, music was flowing like a river and by the time Parallax flowed in, I was lost. I’ve probably already developed a bad case of fanboyism for too many bands and artists; regardless, I love Deerhunter and well, now this album is probably the best thing Bradford Cox has done in three years? So better than Halcyon Digest is my main take; it’s by far my favorite Atlas Sound album so far and well, Logos, is spectacular. Here’s “Mona Lisa” and flawless guitar pop with enveloping vocals.

I love “Te Amo” probably the most. It begins with this arpeggio-like melody played on a scaling keyboard that introduces a soft light; there’s a dark, but very subtle shade of gray that permeates in the atmosphere, you hear it in the beginning and it leads into the swell before his voice appears – just listen to the light mist at the very beginning. I love the tapping pattern of the drums and the way every instrument and new layer counter off each other: it’s endearing how advanced his compositions are, now. Everything sounds vibrant and very lush and ornate, as if you’re inside of the dreams (or nightmares) that Cox lives. He sings, “You can come around, when you’re down you’re always down…always down,” and there’s a tremble of guitar and bass that coalesces into a perfect slice of pop. It’s mostly what Parallax is about, he’s still sad, we all are but the music is just so sugary bliss. – Bryan

Feist - Metals

2011-12-15T01:11:00.005-07:00

I love the new Feist album because of how amazing everything around her tremendous voice sounds. Right off the bat, on “The Bad in Each Other,” she rides on a grimy, biting, trudging-along rhythm that focuses on the terrible-ness in relationships. Her voice has always sounded very very very great but on Metals she sounds like a magnificent instrument on top of her fantastic arrangement of instruments. This particular songs starts off the album with rich colors of sounds that are provided through a careful attention to stirring effects; her voice is like a persevering hope and her range is downright impeccable. It took me a long time to find out the magic of Feist’s music, I’ll admit I am not a fan of previous efforts but am going to re-visit them based solely on how much I love Metals. Because I do, I really do.

I’m glad I gave it an honest chance, although I knew I didn’t like her previous albums. Simply because it sounded great and well, it just made sense. And well, also, my ears suck. Ha.

I like “A Commotion” because it reminds me of Spoon with its stabbing drums and propulsive hits. It sounds out of place and when the voices shout “A commotion!...A commotion!” with the horns blaring, it all sounds some kind of fantastic. Pulsating like a chugging train, the motion underneath Feist is supported by strings and she’s allowed to dance around it all. Her voice sounds breathy and seductive most of the time, dynamically-flavored throughout and stunning all of the time. The song ends up being like something left off Strange Mercy (reminders, reminders)? That’s the beauty of the album, her amazing voice and how it’s front and center. This song places the strong, impressive force of her songwriting and matches it to her stellar voice. Plus this song is a recent live recording of it and you can see her ha. Just a couple of songs off this probably already over-talked, but very deserving spectacular album. – Bryan

Little Dragon - Seconds

2011-12-11T16:11:00.005-07:00

Man on man, I've been bad lately. But I've been really good in other, professional aspects. I'm not sure if anyone even really cares on this side of the pond anymore. I find myself constricted on where to focus my attention a lot of the time. And still, I find myself singing those great lyrics: "But honestly, and be honest with yourself, how much time do you waste? How much time do you blow every day?" It's pretty honest stuff really.

I'm here writing about my end of year lists for various outfits and I'm thinking about the blog in the back of my head. December has been a mostly good month I would say and it certainly hasn't dragged on - it's moved like a fast, steady roller coaster actually. Anyways, I'm writing about how I love that M83 album, the Burst Apart is the best, Feist's voice (reminders reminders) and actually making a list and compiling a major one for a print magazine and I got this song, "Seconds," in my head.

I'm spinning all kinds of music and listening to all kinds of stuff, while writing about an assortment of different albums and I got this song in my head. Her voice is spectacular for starters, the steady beat is sweet and as an album closer, it's remarkable. I've got to say that this is an awesome band that I really enjoy, this album is firmly in my top 20 of 2011 with a feel every now and then to sneak in the top 10. it's so good. Here's to this song being engraved in my musical memory for a bit before I jam out to Undun again - amazingly special album, too, btw.

Anyways, the lyrics too. They are very sweet. This album kills. I hope to write more. - Bryan

Atlas Sound – Logos

2011-12-01T23:59:00.005-07:00

I was presumptuous last time when saying November would have double digit posts. I am bummed we didn’t get more than five. December will be different; let’s be modest and say at least double that. Here’s to not being presumptuous.

By the way, I’ve never said this here I’m not sure but "Breaking Bad," please watch it. I might write on it soon. I think I could form some decent, objective reasons as to why it is the best show on TV. Then they would turn into passionate, deep subjective reasons that has everyone wondering if I’m nuts. I might be. I’m not. But that show, is spectacular. The best. Until then, "It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia" is the best show too, comedy wise. Nothing beats it, except maybe "Louie." But those three, yes, the best right now. "Breaking Bad," I highly recommend it.

This album, Logos, has barely seemed to set in for me. I’m not sure what it is with music but I can live with something for years and barely get the magnificence of it years after. This happens maybe because I have a lot of sounds coming in and out. It might be because it gets filed in a categorical, canon-style like manner. It could be just poor excuses that amount to a lack of focus on what music is really about: bursting aesthetic pleasure. Wait, that’s still an excuse.

Either way, somehow I didn’t quite understand the glittered luster of “Sheila” and its driving percussion, the drowning guitar and Bradford Cox singing “Cuz no one wants to die alone…” and how it is pop bliss. There’s a shimmering guitar, layered in between a tattered shaker and Cox’ longing vocals to Sheila. Like a modern-day, awkward and dorky Stanley Kowalski – as heroic really – shouting “Stella, Stella.” He’s crying for her, he’s calling to her, and he’s yearning for her. And if she comes, yes, please, let’s die alone together.

I’m talking about this album because his new one, Parallax, is amazing. The year is slowly coming to a close and I am going to try and better it all here. The last song here, title track, powers with drumming pulse and shrouded, cloudy vocals from Cox. It’s an upbeat, springing feeling to end it all and I love the hopeful vibe. It’s a ray of light at the end, a great album for all to enjoy, now or later or whenever. – Bryan

Nine Inch Nails

2011-11-30T00:19:00.002-07:00

Back when I was really starting to sort myself out, I would definitely lean on good, solid advice for music. Many times it would come in the form of being able to find something/someone (that in turn, amazingly has grown with you through thick times that it has grown unique, singular to your own tastes and loves for specifically personal reasons) through a great tip. In high school I would get shelter and aid from many people through my times there – living twenty minutes away from school – I could probably share stories about so many different friends. There was one who loved Nine Inch Nails and really was the kind of fan Trent Reznor would be proud of. I remember two distinctive times driving with him.

There was one time when we were driving and he had just made a cassette copy of The Downward Spiral. At this point most of Nine Inch Nails’ material was foreign to me: strange and spectral for sure. We got to “Closer” and I remember being in awe of the massive beats blasting through his modest stereo. Later, after exploding gun shots came “A Warm Place.” I still remember sitting there in awe of how carefully constructed every passing note was. We discussed the softness, the gentleness and it was something extraordinary for me. It’s downright stunning music, yes, it’s very short too. It’s almost classical in both its delivery and composition and yet, it’s this resting spot towards the end of Reznor’s breakthrough album. It’s melodically beautiful and gorgeous in every aspect of the word – it’s one of my top ten songs of all time probably. The spiral spins down and it gets further depressive but on “A Warm Place” everything is flawless for three minutes and change.

And then I remember another time driving home and hearing the opening strands of “Somewhat Damaged” through the much more advanced stereo system; a different vehicle of course. Here the focus was on the addition of layers and layers. I remember hearing the overcoming layers and getting lost in the bliss of sound. As the beginning to The Fragile (it is here where my love for the word begins), it starts with a trickling guitar part and a higher octave pickling before the stomping beat rears through. There’s the hi-hat in the form of a shaking synthesizer and the actual synthesizer that comes blaring in from above before Reznor sings “Tried so hard to be like you…lost my faith in everything” (taking out of context). As his voice gets shrouded by his forceful singing the music continues to rise and rise before it swells into massive guitar riffs and his shouting of the wretched damaged. This song is such a stark difference from the previous one for myriad ways of style and demeanor but each highlights his skill at precise compositions that shake and rattle and roll through entirety. – Bryan

Elliott Smith – Either/Or

2011-11-27T17:13:00.002-07:00

I used to write for a very small, independently run and non-profit magazine called The Stripe a few years back. Well, quite a few years back now. It was a tiny black and white magazine that was available in less than ten locations in El Paso that lasted for maybe like one, two years?

One time we met for a collective meeting on ideas. Brainstorming about latest releases and such – I remember talking about how Get Behind Me Satan was great as usual and how I didn’t like Coldplay – you know, being topical and such. One forgets how much is shown in one’s character through a debate on ideas and creative delivery. I remember sitting back because well, I only write about music mostly. There’s a lot of films and TV shows I love, there is art that I can share and think about, there is an opinion on almost many topics of interest but music is my passion. While most discuss current events to detail, people they’d like to interview, I didn’t really care much.

So then this dude pulls out these drawings he’s made. He’d drawn and colored various images of things – idols, people, significant figures, et al – and he pulls out these three different drawings he’s made of Elliott Smith. I remember thinking they were decently done and somewhat similar yet, dissimilar, from the original person and then he showed one of Smith with a green background and his first name in huge letters in front, like a marquee: ELLIOT. It was like in some cursive type manuscript he had done, in bold black letters with a white border to make it even more distinctive. I remember instantly wanting to correct him for the misspelling; the drawing is nice, yeah yeah but you don’t even know how to spell his name? That’s like saying my favorite artist is Jon Lennon or something, it’s small, but huge. But I waited, I stayed quiet. I hadn’t said anything in our meeting yet, why would I contribute something now? I figured, too, that he would maybe state that the drawing was unfinished, that maybe he misspelled it on purpose, some kind of explanation. It never came and neither did the question by anyone there on why it was misspelled.

I maybe should’ve spoken up back then, could it be that he himself was unaware it was misspelled? Or am I just that pretentious when it comes to music: “You better know how to spell it if you’re gonna say you love it!” It doesn’t matter much anymore but whenever I think about Elliott Smith and the impact he left, it’s a pretty substantial one. Anyways, back then I was heavy and still am on From a Basement on the Hill but as much as I liked it, I couldn’t get past how it might’ve sounded if Smith finished it himself.

But back on Either/Or Smith was on top of his game and really making the music of his own fruition. It was here, on his third album, that many consider his breakthrough and for me, well it’s probably my favorite album of his. There’s a lot to be said here and maybe I can make a part two very soon about it to highlight more of the music and less lame stories from my past haha. Smith was a master at songwriting in demonstrating the uncanny ability at being raw, uncouth and emotional while still being poetically poignant. His words were as beautiful as his own voice was. He would layer it in a manner that it multi-tracked as backing vocals, harmonies, the melody layered on top of his and much more. Aside from that, all of the instruments on Either/Or are all played by Smith. It’s really a spectacular album; many other, much better and much more sophisticated words have gone on to be written about it.

Here is “Angeles” which has come out in two Gus Van Sant movies and is probably one of the most well-known. It’s an acoustic guitar with Smith’s voice singing about wanting to be that special someone for her.

And this is “Ballad of Big Nothing” which in my opinion, is a perfect song in many ways. It has the amazing verses that sing about arguments and living life in a broken relationship and the choruses are these big sing-offs to her, “You can do what you want to, whenever you want to…though it doesn’t mean nothing. Big nothing.” It’s surely ironic but more so, grippingly devastating. The big guitar and drums pounding away behind him, it’s the perfect balance of heartfelt desire and sadness. – Bryan

Blonde Redhead – 23

2011-11-24T01:14:00.003-07:00

Poppy music derails me sometimes. There’s usually not so much of an attention for it and yet again, I don’t really dig for music the way I used to. But pop music is either hit or miss with me; Blonde Redhead is definitely a hit.

I really like the cover to this one for whatever reason. I’m guessing it’s the combination colors with the blue being the most encompassing, the red being the most distinct and the legs being the most interesting. I especially liked the CD version with its sleeve and how it was stylishly elegant and simple. The way the music was able to layer a dreamy landscape of sounds and the way everything sounded lushly enveloped against Kazu Makino’s breathy vocals: 23 was a dreamy escape. There’s music coming out now that sounds like it and still, it’s a few years dated now.

The songs I’ve chosen here intersect the album somewhere around my imaginary midway point. The first one, “Spring and by Summer Fall,” pounds with relentless drums and male vocals for a change of pace. The song is somewhere in between a marching pace and the driving fall of leaves from trees. The melody travels in and out, and around, through the thick wall of sounds that you forget there’s a true depth here. The subtle changes in mode and mood are just that, subtle, and mostly, it’s a chase for the percussion throughout but there’s energy, intensity and plenty of fervor on this song. It goes on for a briskly pumped up drive of pop hyperflow.

On “Silently” the pop takes a step back for more dreamy proof of how the perfect ‘boom’ can sound so seamless. The moment of the song for me is when the drums come pounding through for the ultimate delivery but everything before and after is so flawlessly crafted that it all melts away together. Makino’s vocals are back as they reign in on top of the light guitar melody and swaying textures. There’s a tender amount of pumping fusion and while her voice remains the brightest star in this galaxy, the combination of beats, drums and ambience on “Silently” is where pop perfection is truly made. There’s lots more around and about on 23 but for now, here’s a slice of it to enjoy. – Bryan

The National – High Violet Pt. 2/3? ---- England -------

2011-11-15T00:55:00.002-07:00

I’ve been blasé about it all lately. About writing, about the blog, about the way it all works. It’s not necessarily an entire waste though. Lately some of the lyrics on this album have continued to creep in. This album is still one of the best albums last year had to offer. There’s probably newer stuff we could discuss, until then here’s some words on “England” here.

There’s a sort of stomping presence throughout – this type of relentless beat that mimics a sort of heartbeat filled with emotion – and as the music builds and builds, the beat’s momentum follows. I love the way the piano melody is heard towering above and intertwined with the soaring vocals and it acts as part of that stomping presence. They guide the song through a massive amount of sounds and tones that eventually disperse for a resolute ending. The same piano melody begins it all and each texture comes flowing in: the stirring strings, the thumping drums, the chugging guitar, the amazing words.

Personally, it sounds like they’re evoking some kind of love for what London must feel like, through metaphors like rain, loneliness, runners. They’ve mentioned runners before so it makes sense to me when he sings, “Someone send a runner through the weather that I’m under, for the feeling that I lost today,” that he feels as if life is just passing him by. The words most likely feel like wanting to have a love in your life because of all the emotional pull you go through. A lot of the themes on High Violet encircled adulthood, finances, growing and breaking relationships and they were highlighted with subdued shades of gray and charcoal. As a sensitive adult, there is a lot of interesting layers to the grind and being able to feel them and encompassing what they mean, while wrestling with what we want, and ensuring we get what we need, The National simply know how to pinpoint all of that so utterly well and “London” is just more of that amazing presence. – Bryan

(Above pic: Chelsea bridge in London //// Nothing associated w/ The National or High Violet...Chelsea FC #1)

Real Estate - All the Same

2011-11-05T13:40:00.002-06:00

We saw this band once on an epic Thanksgiving night here in El Paso. They played to a rowdy crowd of fifty or so people, packed into a dirty bar with no stage to perform on what is now a memorable night. I’ll try to see if I have any pics of that night anywhere, I’m pretty sure I have some of a weatherman for sure. Haha.

Anyways, Real Estate put out a new album last month that I missed out on it. But the time is new and changing and I just got their album and am quickly falling for it. Their last album, Real Estate, was a stellar ride of heady ambience and folk-rock tendencies. And now, their newest album, Days, shines with refined sensibilities and more gorgeous melodies and harmonies.

This is the first song off that album, “All the Same.” The band sings about how everything ends up being all the same, the night is just another day. Many of the growing passages one takes is exploring life during the night, I like how the band relishes in realizing the night life has many opportunities. The song glistens with a looping melody that travels throughout the song’s seven-minutes into a realm of glory. At first they shift from verse to chorus with magnificent ease before ending it all with a growing mass of instruments and sounds.

It’s a stellar way to start an album, for sure. November will be a month where this blog reaches double digits in posts, that’s a for sure. Until, then more music to come soon I hope. – Bryan

The Strokes - Machu Picchu

2011-10-20T01:36:00.000-06:00

Wow, nothing by The Strokes.

I play a lot of FIFA. The new one came out a month or so ago and I play it about five times a week. Sometimes, lately, seven times a week. Sometimes an hour and a half at the most in a sitting, always with music blaring. The game has a soundtrack too, though. This isn’t about that soundtrack. But when I turned it on today, it played “Machu Picchu” by The Strokes.

Machu Picchu is an icon in the Inca world. It means ‘old peak’ and it’s an estate that was built in Peru and is still standing today. It’s mostly special because it’s a beautifully-constructed ‘thing’ that stands in these mountains that creates amazing atmosphere, exposure and well, views. Once I started reading up on it a bit I had to find a way to include the picture I found of it, at the top. It was apparently voted as one of the new Seven Wonders of the World; nothing official on that though.

It’s just the title of the opening song off their latest album, Angles. For starters, Julian Casablancas has emphasized the band doesn’t really weigh too much impact on the words but that the whole band including him are way more focused on the music. Another fact is that the band recorded all of the music for this album without Casablancas before he came on to sing on the album. So it makes sense when thinking about the lyrics and especially the line before the tearing guitars, “I’m just trying to find a mountain I can climb,” that maybe the song is merely about consistently staying busy. Always focusing on steadying a boat of various pressures and stresses, the ultimate climb would be Machu Picchu – if one ever were to arrive.

So the song begins with a ringing twitch before the drums explode with a nervy guitar battle and a resonating bass line. The music twitches along with a chugging atmosphere, as if you’re simply living your life. As the music rises into the turbulent swells where the guitars continue to clash against each other, the drums pound through and the harmonies counter with bite, there is a lot to overcome. Your patience is tested, you’re continuing to worry with social statuses, the voices in your head continue to torment you, etc. It’s a really awesome choice to kickstart the album.

They’re a super popular band so it’s not much of a miss to have not mentioned them before. However, they’re a very important band in my personal musical life (they were my first ever concert, saw them through first and second album tours, I’ve seen them four times total, each album was heard as it came out as I was growing up through high school and beyond and now blah blah blah) so that’s why I was mostly surprised to see no mention yet. I even had to search it lots of times to make sure I wasn’t repeating it.

So this is just one song by them, off their latest album. Here’s to more to come from them maybe. – Bryan

Radiohead - I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings

2011-10-16T20:36:00.002-06:00

I don’t think I’d mind it much if this whole blog was majority Radiohead posts. I think that would be a pretty decent representation of my music background in one all-encompassing shell of bliss. I think the blog still invites diversity but well, I seem to be the last one standing at the moment. I think, though, if not anybody cares that by the new year at this rate, I’d be foolish to survive it alone. But if I could present a solid amount of deserved praise for a band, before and after In Rainbows, it would need to be Radiohead.

There’s some sort of ‘getting back to basic’ fundamental reach for Radiohead in a large sense as well. Their music has always felt strongly enveloping; moments where they’ve been able to rush goosebumps to my skin are hard to all recount. So before when I was still lost in myself as a young soon-to-be junior in high school, I remember reaching for my walkmen and getting lost in the haze of “Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors.” And recently I got back to basics and pulled out my vinyl copy of the other album they released in 2001 and it brought me all back again.

Well Amnesiac was the sordid smash hit of the summer of 2001. Released on June FIFTH it acted as a sort of prerequisite to some of the madness that was soon to follow. But mostly, it was an emotionally-packed release that followed up Kid A with sort of, more than, lofty expectations. I remember it being good, not great. Then I remember the I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings and their release in the winter of 2001. Drastically different times for me both as a growing person and times of the year, the latter is a live collection of songs from their two previous albums and of course, the masterful “True Love Waits” is on it too.

There’s the solemn, subtle version of “Like Spinning Plates” and its chilling strings. In a way, for me at least, the way the piano melts in and around Thom Yorke’s voice is a thing of beauty. So much so that I’d dare argue that this version is probably better than the original. Sure, the regular version resonates into that album’s (Amnesiac) cloudy discord and this version basks in the glory of a soaring piano and towering strings but it’s still spectacular. It’s partly cool when you realize the crowd finally clamors when they realize what it is because of how dissimilar it all starts and ends from the original; there’s a silence the song demands and finally receives.

The recordings are mostly endearing because of how it’s a quick, eight-song excerpt of what the band sounded live at that time. Easily the best band of our time, the I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings were a great treat for Radiohead fanatics like yours truly. Here the version of “Everything in its Right Place” is added with more atmospherics, less bumping beats and drums, and more manic lulls by Yorke. It twists and shouts in a circular motion as the heady synth line maintains current the whole way throughout: a seven-minute revealing of musical chaos. It’s getting great to be able to hear a lot of this again and remember the music, more so than the time, although they both weigh importance. Naturally, the past is past and music is much more current here than ever before. – Bryan

Deerhunter - Microcastle

2011-10-11T23:14:00.003-06:00

Back in the winter of 2008 was a band called Deerhunter and their subtle, yet timely ways. I was nothing more than a fresh, young-faced 23-year old punk kid that was lost in the world. Without a soul to stand by and without a way out of the encaged sadness that I was living in for the past year I latched onto the music that was pouring into my heart. Weakness aside, Deerhunter had made an impression on me a year before with Cryptograms and its endless bliss of beauty – please remember to write about that one some. But it wasn’t until the splendid seamlessness of Microcastle that it all finally made sense to me.

See, back in that winter they decided to stop by El Paso for a memorable show. While I reached for the front, we were torn apart by the sheer loudness of the music as we were prime and center. The band wore ear plugs but I remember just feeling overcome with the wave of sounds. “Cover Me (Slowly)” seems like the perfect introduction to “Agoraphobia” anyways and the way Bradford Cox sings, “cover me, cover me” at the beginning of the latter, it just makes sense. I love the way the former is a cloudy disarray of ominous shade and distortion before leading into the sparkling guitar and keyboard of “Agoraphobia.”

Agoraphobia is described as the ‘abnormal fear of being helpless in an embarrassing or inescapable situation.’ I read somewhere else that it’s like being afraid of getting a panic attack during a difficult situation. You feel the smoothness of the fuzzy droning in the background and the way the music ebbs and flows against both the atmosphere and rhythms, like a calming medicine – like if being paranoid and not being able to escape the paranoia – it washes all away. The song is pure pop sugar, one of the myriad of facets Deerhunter pull off so amazingly.

And then there’s the last song on here, “Twilight at Carbon Lake.” Imagery first: a ray of light flashing in the sky in the middle of the sordid water. (how can water be sordid and how can the ray of light flash in the sky? Haha) There’s a lulling, twirling guitar melody that always seems to be creeping in and out of focus. Behind the warbling vocals, the desperate atmospherics and the entire calamity is a soaring entrance and as it swells and swells – adding layers and layers of sounds – into a huge wall of sound, it all disappears so easily. It’s fitting as a closer because of the way it ties in all of this nonsensical dreariness into a blasting array of explosions: it’s beautifully awkward in the way it’s constructed. And it’s devastatingly intense as one of the best songs Deerhunter has ever written. – Bryan

The Flaming Lips – One More Robot/Sympathy 3000-21

2011-10-02T23:36:00.002-06:00

Only a few years after the Flaming Lips had presented The Soft Bulletin came an album about a female protagonist destined to survive amongst and against the robots: Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. While each album encompasses a side of the Lips many have garnered to love – concept albums filled with emotionally-enriched, soulful songwriting about innovative worlds and stories – there’s a heavy debate amongst the music-fanatic-brethren about which of the two is superior. And so instead of dwelling on that, because much could be said in a separate post – but then who wants to read pretentious dribble as to why The Soft Bulletin is better, no. Instead, there’s beauty on this album that I was recently rediscovered with.

After the reflective entrance of “Fight Test,” where production values maintained from the previous album with sparkling, booming drums and a wide open canvas of vastness, is the tremendous pull of “One More Robot/Sympathy 3000-21.” The obvious facets first: its dreamy bass line throughout the entire song is amazing. The way it blends into the drums and the way each pounds against each other. There’s the story about a robot designed to work as a machine that slowly realizes perhaps, there is more to life than just monotonous work. He/she begins to feel the initial draw of love and its tumultuous breakthrough, he questions it: “Cause it's hard to say what’s real, when you know the way you feel. Is it wrong to think it’s love, when it tries the way it does...” During this time there’s an argument to be made about how Wayne Coyne’s voice had also improved and sincerely, his vocals shine like a fantastic luster on the song. Through the bumping ride of blissful bass are atmospheric glitches in the production wall, an ascending keyboard line as support and growing, growing, growing flow.

The ebb of the song is seamless: like a perfectly conscious stream of circuits. So really, you could measure it as one of the finest compositions they did on the album, without a doubt. I can’t help but feel like the song has to be a metaphor to someone first learning how emotions and love are connected and how one comes out of their shell in order to reach and attain love. Like all of us, whether it’s the very first time, or even after coming back to it all after a long break, feeling emotions and sentiments is a delicate manner. So this robot is a bit awkward and pondering it all still.

Then everything sort of transcends, almost motionless, into an abyss of metallic feedback and reverb on the “Sympathy 3000-21” part. Borrowed from the beginning of the song, it’s unsettled but not chaotic. Only instead of creeping into the beats there’s a soft guitar intro before the synthesizer in the background - well the melody at the foreground - like a lonely lullaby is paired with lush, orchestral swells. Sweeping and majestic, they’re heavenly flourishing strings that uncover a stellar symphony. It’s a brief segment of music that acts more as resolution to the massively gorgeous endearment before it; but before, during and as it reaches and exhales, it’s gorgeous in and of itself. – Bryan

(P.S. Wall-E has/had nothing to do with “One More Robot/Sympathy 3000-21,” as through no official meaning by the Lips. Love the movie though, unabashed. If I could write about movies, I’d write a story about it.)

The Cars - Greatest Hits

2011-09-20T02:06:00.003-06:00

We connect to music through so many other mediums that often, influence has a huge impact on our overall, subjective feeling of music. I can remember my dad always playing The Cars’ Greatest Hits and it blares in the forefront of my mind when I think of certain memories that it’s definitely become something of a classic to me. I’m not sure what The Cars sounded like on their albums but whether they planned it or not, this album of collective hits is surely sequenced like a proper album.

Looking at it lately, now that I’ve been playing a lot, I noticed the 1985 release year. I don’t feel like asking but maybe it was played a lot during that year I was born. Maybe they had time to buy it since it came out in October and well, it could’ve been playing a lot in the background. I’m not too positive but it’s a great album for sure. One that still showcases just how good Ric Ocasek sounded; maybe even way ahead of his time?

I remember a specific time where my dad drove me early in the morning to a band competition on a brisk and early Saturday. I remember it being dark outside and with a chilly temperature; we drove with the heater all the way down the road. We’ve always lived far from everything: far from school, far from other family, far from jobs, far from the outside community, haha. So naturally the ride allowed for a smooth 25 minutes of streaming music to be enjoyed. I guess that’s where I got my notion of always wanting to play CDs in the car and allowing the albums to flow throughout: it was always something my dad deeply enjoys too. But I remember feeling annoyingly sleepy but still, intrigued by the sheer way the songs began. The introductions of the first few songs (the flickering guitar intertwined with stamping drums on “Just What I Needed” and how it built into a groovy, synth-heavy design, the dribbling, tapping rhythm of “Since You’re Gone,” as it alludes to the guitar’s dramatic entrance and the drum’s pounding scope, the syncopated style of the synth as it clashed against the guitar on “Good Times Roll” and how the drums come thundering in) was what really had me dialed in to the album’s moods. It surely sounds dated now because of how the production relies on the mist and movements of the 80s but there’s a refreshing vibe of nostalgia with its mood.

Through the blend, I’m guessing that one of the last songs I heard on the trip was “Touch and Go” and how it sounded blissfully sweet to me. The way the synth clasps in the background and the way the snare and bass drum play off the bass line for what’s a terrific rhythm section was a brilliant combination. I especially dig the way the songs always melted around each other and how each one was layered with careful compositional aspects intact: a building of sounds, clever and subtle but assured. You can hear the chugging ring of the guitar and the various tones decorating the song with touches of 80s glam all over. Eventually I would snag the CD away from my dad’s collection and surely took it all over the place during my high school days afterwards. It still sounds good to me now. Here are some of the songs off it. – Bryan

Wilco – One Wing

2011-09-17T21:20:00.004-06:00

There’s gonna be a new album by Wilco this year. Maybe it’s already out there, maybe it’s already out, too. But I’ve been a beloved follower of the band for some time and lately their latest album, Wilco (The Album), has been playing a lot. I’ve been listening to a lot of gloom and downtrodden music like Interpol, some newer stuff like Wooden Shjips and older touches, too, but I recently kicked up my turn table a few days ago and I dusted off this album. It’s not that old, ha, either but the record hadn’t been played in a very long time. But with that album, I always dug the way it gelled at showing something relaxed that still had some mesmerizing moments. This is just one song off it, where Jeff Tweedy sounds especially awesome, so it’s not to cap it as only this song but hopefully I can find inspiration to discuss more of the album later.

It’s a weird weekend too. First one not at ACL for me in three years. Bummed. Yeah.

So back to the song…there’s a driving guitar that rings the entire way throughout; the lyrics are blunt, sincere and honest. “One wing will never fly, neither yours nor mine…I fear we can only wave goodbye.” By this point the guitar skill and flair of Nels Cline had nestled with the band long enough to where the guitar solos were now towering over the music: here connecting the bridge and chorus while delivering a fantastic solo. The aesthetic options – the fusing of the solo, the way Tweedy sings, the music’s swelling throughout – is something best discovered alone but even this seasoned, Wilco still sounds great. The basis of the story is observable imagery to a wrecked bird that now has only one wing to fly on. The lovers each shared a wing to connect what must have been a beautiful bird to behold but in the end, it dies away. It’s life at one of its most pure forms: it started off as something promising and wholesome and it gradually darkened. And it wasn’t even that she wasn’t great (“you were a blessing and I was a curse”) but that it was the inevitable cycle that every thing eventually dies, even a flightless bird, sad and broken. – Bryan

Twin Shadow - Forget

2011-09-04T19:42:00.001-06:00

I’m notoriously bad at updating this blog now. This is Twin Shadow (George Lewis Jr.,) you’ve probably heard about him already. He’s playing in El Paso on Sept. 18 at the now-infamous, or is it, Lowbrow Palace. The night before he plays at ACL. I missed him at Coachella this past year but whether I do Austin or Chuco that weekend, Twin Shadow will definitely be one of my destinations. I was listening to his album from last year, Forget, and was remembering how downright awesome it is. Married to an 80s influence that supports instead of hurts, it’s like a dreamy blend of pop that never stops with hooks that kill. And I mean, that name, Forget, what a bad-ass name for an album.

This is “At My Heels” where Lewis is both optimistically fragile and still wondering, “why a ghost is following me.” The music transitions from melancholy touches into a soaring chorus that finds Lewis sounding both like Morrissey at his most boisterous and downtrodden. Songs like this chug right along with Lewis’ masterful command of beats in knowing how to keep the hips shaking. Such great music all around.

And so this is “Forget” where the music is reflective and somber in light of the subject matter. The snare is heard throughout and the background atmospheres give off an Oriental vibe that does the music well but the overall swoon of the song is what makes it effective. The recurring melody is the constant in the song and again, the word, Forget, is powerful here. Lewis is singing about the sadness in meeting someone knowing they will give us something to forget. It’s a depressing reality but sincere in its theme, Lewis sings: “You wrestled your nightmares, the sweat from your bedsheets…this is all of it, this is everything I'm wanting to forget.” It’s tough when all you wanna do is forget someone but gosh, it’s beautiful when you finally do. – Bryan

Jay-Z / The Throne / Kanye West - "Lift Off" Featuring Beyoncé

2011-08-20T16:02:00.004-06:00

Through it all, I’m glad this blog will have more posts already in August than the month of July. It’s been a sad couple of months for relationships and still, thriving in some scenarios. It’s strange for a myriad of reasons. This album hasn’t nearly died down yet, here’s more ranting on another song and more.

The way Yeezy allows the strings to declare the beginning, like some kind of fanfare is truly creative on its own. The album is segued with these panther roars and an old sample that West inflects after/before some of the songs and here it leads into those aforementioned strings perfectly. There’s a bellowing horn and then “All engines running.” Some would call it typical, others call it amazing, while I mostly think it’s genius for artists to surround themselves with amazing artists and here, Jay-Z and West bring in Beyoncé for what is definitely one of the album’s extreme highs.

It’s the kind of song that will surely get ton of radio play once everyone realizes that behind the coincidence of the artists, the song is flawless in every kind of pop sensibility. West allows the drums to take over with more rapid snares and although people forget he’s made so many albums on his own, his drums are the magic behind his production. You see, Watch The Throne isn’t just a duo album where they phoned it in, West produces most of the album’s highest points and him and Jay-Z were relentless in ensuring they worked together, face to face. This makes for moments on the album where the energy is bursting with chemistry and brilliant skill. There’s another song that showcases that better than no other which I can hopefully mention soon.

This particular song is, for me, a highlight in Kanye’s compositional skills. The booming of the synth that background’s Beyoncé’s voice is married beautifully to the backing vocals and they all just melt away. It’s masterful the way he cuts the bass away in various parts – revealing his awkward voice and a jittery piano sometimes, or just Beyoncé in other parts – the way a true composer would take works and re-craft them to create both not just highs and lows but changes in mood, style and theme. Here it’s done with artists that are making music in the here and now. I don’t think there could be anything more terrific than that last fact: that there is gorgeous new music being made now and here.

By the way, I mean, they did whatever it took to prevent a leak. We all got to hear this and are getting to hear this exceptional album at the same time. That’s petty for most but for me, it’s astonishing. Being able to allow artists to dictate when we hear their music is talk for another day but boy, no leak, so we all get to hear it together, hell yes. – Bryan

Jay-Z & Kanye West ft. Beyonce - Lift Off from XOXOXOXOXOXO on Vimeo.

Jay-Z / The Throne / Kanye West – Watch the Throne: The Beginnings

2011-08-18T01:32:00.001-06:00

I hadn’t bought new music in so long. I’ve been writing much much more. I feel as if it could possibly get somewhere pretty great if I really keep pushing. But I needed to pick up the Yeezy album after hearing it in entirety over the weekend. (Part of the absence comes in seeing so many movies at the Plaza Classic Film Festival. Part of me wants to write about some but part of me says not to, either way, awesome thing they have here) I heard it and was so sad I couldn’t finish all of it right then and there! It’s mind-blowing the strength that Kanye West blows into all of his albums. It’s no wonder why both the aficionados and lame masses can combine in really admiring West’s skill, this time with Jay-Z. So here are some songs from it until more digesting can be done.

By now many have probably already had enough time to blast “Otis” and hopefully we can sort out how stunning it is. The liner notes say ‘featuring Otis Redding’ and well, Jay-Z starts off by saying “sounds so soulful don’t you agree?”— and later on he asks “I guess I got my swagger back?” Hell yeah. You’d think that the bitterness of haters would tear at you til it took over (they can really be annoying as hell) but instead, West’s ability at placing the perfect samples, the perfect hooks and aligning them with something both fresh, refreshing and simply sublime – there’s nothing but genius going on here. Picking apart the way they each rap within each other’s spectrums, playfully borrowing ideas and chantingly singing together, “What more can I say?”, there is absolutely nothing but greatness going on here. Or something the other, here is “Otis,” officially:

After the ornately lush ending to “Made in America” (where the strings are left to bounce against the backdrop with absolutely zero support) there’s a brief half second pause before the intensity of “Why I Love You.” It’s fair to take the immediately catchy chorus and throw it out there:

“ooooh, I love you so but why I love you, I’ll never know…”

The ooooh is pretty important, too, because it just screams of emotion. Many of us live our lives with sordid relationships that never reach that maximum output and whatever it may be, the longing for more is felt. It’s like a wicked kind of love that teases you while never fully satisfying you at the same time either. Here you take Jay-Z and Kanye West rapping in between this hyper-melody that features Mr. Hudson’s maddening vocals and a celebratory, 80s-flowing drum machine. There are so many lyrics that jump out at you; part of the album’s greatness is how well Jay and Yeezy compliment each other. And here they are rapping about how people are fake and how the closest ones to you will tear at you when you’re least looking. It’s sad, really, how jaded we allow ourselves to get and they never cease to mention how we’re all human, all filled with flaws. There’s one line where Jay-Z questions, “What do you do when the love turns to hate?” and West quickly replies “(Gotta separate from these fuckin’ fakes).” Here they are breaking down life and relationships and showcasing their stronger-than-ever unity (The Throne) – they’re both amazingly flashy – but amazingly great, no doubt. – Bryan

Revolution Mash Good Night: The Beatles – The Beatles (White Album)

2011-08-04T01:22:00.002-06:00

Back when music was still beginning to really pull me in, The Beatles was were foundations seemed to bridge my inner strings. It’s not as if it’s the most cliché of choices but I’d come right out and admit that this is my favorite album. . The second dot is because that’s a pretty huge statement…even if it is superficially cliché. Don’t judge me! But I found the album during a time when my surging feelings for music were just initiating and it’s always maintained as something that’s quite perfect, in my eyes.

Mostly, when you hear about The Beatles, it’s about how versatile it is. That’s a huge bullet point that always needs to hashed out and well understood. But why talk and talk about something that’s already been talk, talk talk talk, talked about so much before? I heard their producer insisted they slice the material down to one disc. I’m not sure. There’s talk that leaving all the music in was ego and nothing more. I don’t think so. But what I am sure of is that I could talk and talk talk myself all day but instead, let’s get to some of it now and more later.

I mean, I don’t know but The Beatles weren’t just amazing because they were so significant – for gosh’s sake, their music was actually magnificently created. I think we could sit here and probably break down the sheer breakthrough of their arch but that would mostly be far too objective and well, some people think ALL music is subjective. Regardless, there are some concrete beauties to point out: sequencing for their part was probably as close to perfection as possible (there’s songs that go hand-in-hand with each other simply because of their placing in the massive albums they crafted), the pure fact that every album since Rubber Soul was an attempt to re-invent, re-create, re-define the boundaries placed on their music and well, pair just those with each musician’s ability at illustrious songwriting that was and still is, beloved. These are just a few of the reasons why The Beatles, in it of themselves, were awesome and still, each one of those is never more brighter than on The Beatles. Everything just seems so much sloppier, sure, but there’s great chemistry behind the stress they were living in that even in separate studios, in separate musical worlds, in separate dimensions, they were bringing the best in each other out to the world. All of that spills onto the album’s 30 essential songs – each one a budding gem of wonder – where each one sprawls with exceptional diversity.

Part of what makes something like “Revolution 9” (I’m throwing in the easier-to-enjoy-I-guess “Revolution 1” [still wow!] at the bottom too) so appealing to weirdos like me is the way it just swirls around this tremendously trippy motif of atmospheric sounds and twitchy, jagged patterns. Instead of piecing the song together through the act of rhythmic movements that incorporate melody and harmony, the beauty of this song is the utter collage of sounds thrown against the wall to make a whirlwind of noise. You can hear crowd chatter, screeching yells, aristocratic mumble and the repeat of “number 9, number 9” and still, it’s never quite complete. I think that’s why it’s over eight minutes long, because it needed to be embellished to ever have any sort of impact. It really is genius, I think, especially when you consider the way it blends into the closer, “Good Night,” with sublime precision. The latter is nothing more than string and harmony but after the clutter and clank of the former, it just sounds sweetly like heaven. The fact that Ringo’s the only Beatle on it (singing at that) really matters little because it’s obvious the flow and closure was far more important than who was present. – Bryan

The Antlers – Hospice: Part1 (Two)

2011-08-02T02:22:00.004-06:00

Bad writer’s block. The kind that sort of grips and pulls, before it sucks you in and drags you through its aching path. Don’t worry, I’ve opted to start keeping a journal where I can try to piece together some, hopefully, splendid words. But ugh sometimes it’s like being a sheep in fog – I get it. Still, there’s not much reason to really drag such affairs out and although there’s a lot in terms of personal affairs, why bore here with niceties. Ha, life can be a drag sometimes and still, there’s music like Hospice so why drag this out even more…

Tremendous, really, the beauty of The Antlers’ music is many, many things; a myriad of varieties of greatness – Hospice was where it began for me. Dissimilar from Burst Apart, like, well, two fine albums that highlight dark and light with brilliant displays of musicianship, it’s outstanding on its own spectacular levels. I’ve been writing all of this about one song in particular, “Two,” so here is some ranting on it because I have a feeling there’s more to say about this album later.

Entering with a guitar that strums away to the background of a chugging drum and with a spinning, swirling and enveloping style in Peter Silberman’s singing, the song almost – as its style would like it – passes you by. The lyrics are downright stunning in the way they convey the even, whole feel of ‘TWO’ and how it takes at least two people to develop a relationship, a friendship, a partnership. It’s cruelly beautiful the way he’s watching her slip away knowing that there is nothing he can do, it’s bitterly cruel in how he’s aware of what can make her happy and it’s even poignantly cruel for the way it points out how everything, including our sordid pasts, continue to shape our present lives. The music swells and encircles with the same aforementioned flow and before you know it, the complexity is best noticed in this fitting selection:

“Two ways to tell the story (no one worries)
Two silver rings on our fingers in a hurry
Two people talking inside your brain
Two people believing that I'm the one to blame
Two different voices coming out of your mouth
While I'm too cold to care and too sick to shout”

There’s solace in the delivery, even through the puns, it’s a clever idea that amazingly displays a vicious but complicated truth. The doctor calls out that “enough is enough” and the enduring battle is finally put to rest. One of the strongest points about Hospice is the way emotions and words marry crushing sounds and although most of “Two” is about as ‘bright’ as it gets, the words completely crush you themselves.

The ending, with a lulling and almost droning cadence is ominous as a concluding sentiment. The beginning of the song rises with a chiming guitar and here the ending is fifty seconds of translucent sound: dense, foggy and bleak. It’s a stark contrast from where it started and quite possibly, the other half to complete the being. – Bryan

From Dj Haircut to M. Hawthorne; The Mayer of soulfulness visits El Chuco.

2011-07-28T17:29:00.007-06:00

Before there was Mayer Hawthorne, and before he became a big part of a small group of rising young artists creating undeniably retro music he was one,Dj Haircut. Growing up in Ann Arbor, Michigan right outside Motown, there was never a shortage of soulful funky records for him to digg on. However retro his music may sound now as Mayer Hawthorne, when Dj Haircut graces the 1's 2's it is an eclectic ride through soulful music from disco funk to techno and dance music alike. And thanks to Joe Nava and Late Night Social Club tomorrow night, Friday the 29 that is exactly the trip we can all expect to take with Dj Haircut as he rolls through Chuco Town for the first time. If you like to hear good music, if you like to shake yo ass and you wanna see a truly talented up and coming star, don't sleep on this one and get to Lowbrow Palace early. It's gonna be good. Oh, and I better not hear anybody complain that its just a Dj set. Sure I would love to hear homeboy croon his lungs out for us, but getting the opportunity to see him do what he's been doing way before Stones Throw signed him as Mr. Hawthorne is something you shouldn't take lightly! Headed to Austin on Saturday, lets do our part to make El Paso rep hard for the Mayer of Soul!! -nick

Stick to My Side

2011-07-13T02:08:00.002-06:00

You can hear something expressive and moving and realize that from the instant you heard it, it’s saved in your mind forever. You can hear something wild and rambunctious and feel the same way about it: forever imbedded in your mind. Music has a way of affecting like no other art; it’s the most natural, the most seamless and again, for the billionth time, the most aesthetic. Whatever that means, electronic music is also the most unforgiving when it comes off as dry, dull or otherwise, cold. Pantha Du Prince’s blend of electronic music is fortunately, the blissful collaboration of classical with techno in a way that it enthralls the various senses. Like a whirlwind of all-encompassing emotion, stirring strings, bumping drums and more, he’s made music as an electronic DJ/producer for years now. Mostly because I’ve drum up a bad block, here is a song off his latest album Black Noise, which features Panda Bear and a remix of it by Four Tet – all done so seamless and smooth that it’s sublime.

Everything just seems to happen so naturally. The best things in life come through effortless wonder and in a likely manner, the layers and beats and drums continue to fuse together. You can hear a distant rustling that almost beckons a tide of crushing waves and then you hear a stumbling bass line that always seems to propel forward; the synths are striving through swift terrain, by the time Noah Lennox’s voice comes warbling through everything opens up. Like his methods for Animal Collective Lennox’s vocals aren’t like a shining ray of light but more like an emotive effect of the best kind: atmospheric and aesthetic, like the rest of the accompanying music it just seems to happen so naturally. As the washing and waning of the melody continues to soak, there’s an underlying tension built upon the flowing strings and those same tinkling chimes heard throughout, it’s obvious why the song was such a fantastic hit last year.

Supplying a scrolling synth line that seeps of space travel, Four Tet’s version is immediately much more conducive to live instrumentation. Whereas you start to bleed into the singular Four Tet traits of exceptional percussion parts that sparkle with enticing rhythms, the intertwining he does with the melody and those aforementioned synths is directly impressive. The amazing aspect of the original “Stick to My Side” was the way Pantha Du Prince meshed Panda Bear’s vocals so they came in timely and still, grandly sneaky, is still ever so sweet on Four Tet’s version. Where the liveliness of the music has opened up, Four Tet greets it with a forward-thinking remix that supplies the impeccable ebb and flow Pantha Du Prince’s music is known for. Employed by a skillful approach, even the ending is creatively crafted – it all happens so naturally, too; as all best things in life. – Bryan

Gang Gang Dance – "Glass Jar"

2011-07-04T00:53:00.003-06:00

Unassuming at first, the entryway is filled with a misty fog that while permeating, never truly dissipates neither shrouds the view too much. You feel as if you’re sort of reaching for a new horizon into space and as if the onward frontier is moving closer. The background chatter is maybe intended to ease the mood a bit – as if to say to the listener, “you’re not exclusively required to consume all of the inflated noise idly by” – but it’s mostly a mere afterthought once everything comes together. There’s a distant discourse of tones delayed in the bells while the percussion and auxiliary continues to embellish with spurts of energy here and there. The wooooosh that supplies the atmosphere when the whistling melody comes bursting through the hedges is then purposely steadied with the trembling, yet potent awakening of the drums. There’s a constant flicker of light that always points straight and while the journey is extensive and undeniably testing, it’s not a race. Ethereal in essence: anticipation, anxiety and above all, a profound synthesizer blare through the discord with the calling of the rush and after it all pounds away around the 6:15 mark it’s all sayonara from here on out.

Follow the mist and haze with an ending four minutes that pulse and vibrate with tension and fervent passion. Gliding on some sort of aircraft, we’re greeted with desirable female vocals that pair up with an almost ‘steel drum-esque’ timbre melody that reigns in on the ending dissension. The drums pound louder and louder, the sounds cascade like a rushing, gushing waterfall – there’s distinct clamor in the music’s identity. It’s forward-thinking merely because it challenges your ears to take in its ten minutes of sheer grandeur but even through the wire, the basis is still a tremendous hook that explodes for a blaring, boisterous ending.

And in the end, I’ve played it so many times throughout the past month or so (attempting to discover within myself whether I seemingly like it or not) that it’s desperately obvious I have some kind of fondness for it. The rest of the album continues to soak in my drenched brain but I thought I’d share this first song since it’s pretty impressive and maybe the rest later, if you really wanna hear about it. – Bryan

My Morning Jacket - Circuital

2011-06-29T22:04:00.005-06:00

If people weren’t busy being phonies then they’d probably realize how amazing a band like My Morning Jacket really is. I wrote about Z before and hopefully it’s gotten some good talk and now the band has returned with Circuital. Although it’s probably not as good as that 2005 masterpiece, the wonder with My Morning Jacket is the way they reign in on their strengths. Haters or shall we say, downplayers, will say “well, their live show is amazing but no one album can reach that height,” and really, that’s just phony, lame talk. A band can be judged for making great studio albums without needing to prove anything else to anyone else. And their merits lie in the fact that they make fantastic music: music that both entices and thrills with a sense of energy and spirit. So add another great album to their arsenal; it’s more than just an aphorism if you ask me, this is one awesome band.

On the title track to the album (click on the picture above to see the image in full size [bad ass liner notes that came with the vinyl]) Jim James’ voice is a marvelous thing to behold. Starting with a light drum stomp that is highlighted by a bright guitar part through the segues, James’ voice shines as the star of the show. You can hear the atmospherics that drive the band’s depth to an immersing spectrum and then you hear the roar of the drums as the songs kicks in and as everything breaks away, James sings “Circuits, all in and out…connect my body, deep into the ground.” The song rolls through its seven-minute pace with a sparkling keyboard that cascades the ending. Fully spreading the aforementioned spectrum into something lush, radiant and colorful, the music justly soars over everything else. It’s probably the most exciting moment on the album and really, tremendous.

Of all the other great tunes on this hit record, I couldn’t tear away my sentimental heart from “Moving Away”’s sad tones. It’s hard to really know what the song means but I’m guessing that he’s got no other choice but to move away, although he admits – with great dear care – “I won't forget the one I left behind.” The troublesome piano part lends itself as the lonely melody to support James’ bittersweet words as he sings, “I'll always be an alarmist who'll jump at a chance: anything for romance!...I hope I'll always be what you want.” There’s deep sadness in the sentiment he’s expressing but it’s as if there was no other choice and although she probably means a lot to him, he made the drastic move in moving away. In the end, it’s about looking for something new and exciting and well, as James sings, “A new life to create,” the somber piano closes out the album in lulling fashion. – Bryan

Arctic Monkeys - Humbug

2011-06-21T01:02:00.004-06:00

Straight after two pretty stellar ‘hits’ – albums that many considered pretty awesome, some the first more than the second and then some, the second more than the first – the third album for Arctic Monkeys was some sort of a clash. Like a turtle that’s racing alongside of two sleek hares, it never seemed to catch the attention of most…let alone make ground on their prior successes. Most of it was due to the fact that Humbug features a stark new sound that enveloped the band's tones and instruments, instead of flashing them in their liveliest setting: like they did on bangers like “Teddy Picker,” for example. Still, this kind of turtle moves slowly but gradually, once you reached the ending suite of songs and you get into the blistering intensity of “Dance Little Liar” – where everything explodes into a cascade of overflowing towers – there is no doubt just how sweet this album is.

The biggest dissension for something like Humbug was the mere fact that it was far more produced than their previous two albums. And while the stormy atmospherics allow the music to creep in a lot smoother, the affect was noticed on the presence but never on Arctic Monkeys’ attacks. On “Crying Lightning,” they quickly ensure that everyone is aware that this is still a loud, rocking band with booming dynamics enabled. But once you dig deep into the all-encompassing mood of the music, Alex Turner’s words are pure and honest when he sings, “And your pastimes consisted of the strange…And twisted and deranged.” To me it’s as if he’s singing about falling for the wrong kind of girl and how their twisted ways are always due to some kind of past damage. He’s lost in her alluring ways and even offers some optimism (“Uninviting, but not half as impossible as everyone assumes”) but in the end, he hates the malicious game she plays with his heart– crying lightning – and forever tries to avoid her.

And so while their latest album continues to soak, there’s the beauty of the storytelling on “Cornerstone.” Lonely and heartbroken, the protagonist in this story is a lost soul that is trying to find anything, anyone to fill the void left after losing her. In so many ways, he tries to find lust with various close females that by trying to entice them (“She was close and she held me very tightly”) he could hopefully just call them by her name. The song’s glimmering guitar lightly decorates the song and while most of the popularity came after the great video, the song’s ending is even far crueler. Love is a bitter minefield and after meeting up with her sister, he notices that she is alone. Very poignantly, very pointedly, it all ends somewhat positive for both: “She was close, well you couldn't get much closer…she said ‘I'm really not supposed to, but yes, you can call me anything you want.’” Twisted and deranged, for sure. – Bryan

Wild Beasts – Two Dancers

2011-06-16T01:19:00.002-06:00

I don’t know about you but time can pass us by and life can pass us by but music, well, music always seems to hold on strong. Part of me wishes I could be immersed into music all the time and part of me realizes that while that’s somewhat possible, I’m not nearly quite there yet. Still, it feels as if life is moving at such a fast pace recently that while it’s whizzing by me, the music that springs up from different corners is still incredibly great to find. The band Wild Beasts is an English-based band that has now crafted three seriously good albums. Their latest is a lighter, softer affair but their previous album, Two Dancers, was one that really stood out for me and continues to do so. And although this is during a time where so much other new 2011 music is still coming out, it’s just more proof that music is an evergoing process that never ceases – fortunately.

PLUS, I found these two awesome videos of the band performing the songs in a cool studio version live and yeah, they’re super cool.

The melodies on this album are simply something to fully take in. “The Fun Powder Plot” sets the mood with an atmospheric blend of synths before the guiding guitar creeps in. More and more layers of instruments are added to the fold before everything is left shining, sparkling around the guitar that blends in between the cracks of the music. It’s like the shimmering entity to an all-around soaring song and a stunning introduction to the album’s massive lull. Now once you get to the singer’s voice and his gentle, playful and interesting lyrics about a “booty call” and about being “left dumbfound as a donkey,” you’re either going to be entirely sucked in or left, somewhat awry. The music delves further into an immersing cage of sounds that continue to fuse with intellectual shifts and modifications: the melodies, always, driving through every new twist and direction.

After the suite of songs that are the double-bill for the album’s title comes “This is our Lot” and another attentively shimmering slice of life. Part of me wants to mention the second or even third song off the album here but it’s outstanding to find such amazing value at the end of the album. Melodies, again was the point of everything and believe me, Wild Beasts are the kind of band that are well aware of crafting flourishing melodies. Here they meld a glittered guitar part again but with the rhythmic pounding of thriving drums and the song eventually descends with a dynamic ending. An older album that I was completely dubious of two years ago, better late than never I suppose. – Bryan

Stone Rollin & The Way I See It: Part 2 in the Evolution of Raphael Saadiq

2011-06-02T01:03:00.005-06:00

So we left off in 2002 with Saadiq's first solo album "Instant Vintage", a great example of neo-soul present at the turn of the millennium. His next album, "Ray Ray" released in 2004 was slightly more funk oriented and slightly more radio friendly but still didn't get him much recognition beyond the R&B charts. However in 2008, Saadiq returned with an album that sounded completely different. Returning to the roots of R&B, Saadiq created an album with the classic Motown sound. Entitled "The way I see It", Saadiq began to to get more credit for his originality and even saw him landing spots on the summer festival circuit. Any time I play the album for first time listeners I ask them to guess when the songs were recorded. If it weren't for the high fidelity 9 out of 10 listeners would say late 60's. Everything from the style of the songs to the equipment used in recording beckon back to the early days of rythm and soul.

Here is a track that sounds equal parts Earth, Wind and Fire and The Shirelles all stirred up in the Big Easy. Featuring The Infamous Young Spodie & the Rebirth Brass Band, here the song aptly entitled "The Big Easy".

Somebody tell me, what's goin wrong
I ain't seen my baby in far too long
Somebody pleeease tell me what's goin wrong
They say them ladies broke and my babys gone
(listen) Its been a couple of days and a real dark night
I miss my only child, I ain't seen her since that night
She left home about eight, and never to return
Our bodies floatin, flowin through that River"

Another favorite track that shows Saadiqs doo wop side is an up beat little tune finding Saadiq lamenting about the fear when entering a new love affair. Entitled, "Sure Hope You Mean it", here Saadiq performs live on the Jools Holland Show.

"do you mean what you say when you say that you love me
with all honesty i think i love you
it's every day i think about how special this could be
and how your love is everything to me
in my mind i can see no one but you
like in my dreams i know i'm holding you
so now tell me truth cause i need to know
see i wanna take control but you gotta let me know
don't fool me baby"

Finally this brings us to his latest effort, "Stone Rollin". Now many might say that the classic soul and R&B thing revived over the recent years is just a fad or a bandwagon artists have been jumping on, but from acts like Sharon Jones and The Dapkings to Adele, and of course Raphael and this lates effort, its simply not true. Soul, the way it was created, will be here for plenty years to come. Saadiq's and others latest efforts are a sure testement of this ideal. Where "The Way I see It", ventures back in time to a Motown era of poppy ballads and doo wop sing a longs, "Stone Rollin" explores the grittier more electrified aspect of classic soul and R&B. Where the Motown sound was clean around the edges, Saadiq takes sharp turn into Soulsville USA with a bluesier lo-fi sound Stax Records was known for.
Right out the gate the opener sounds more Chuck Berry than Smoke Robinson, but Saadiq undeniably makes "Heart Attack" his own.

"You giving me a heart attack
Girl I want you back
I just cant stand it no more
You giving me a heart attack
Girl I want you back
My heart cant take it no more"

Here's the title track from the Album and though it sounds semi familiar from "The Way I See It" territory, 5 seconds in the harmonica gives it an edge absent and the previous album.

"Fat lady shakin, backbone breakin (come on)
(This girl of mine)
Everything she's got is movin and hot (come on)
(This girl of mine)
I was just a friend but she took me in said (come on)
(This girl of mine)
Everything was right I felt like the light said (come on)
(This girl of mine)"

The last song I'll leave you with has a plush arrangement of stings and sounds like It could've possibly been produced by Stax's own Black Moses..Maybe that's just my ear, but here is "Good Man".

Long Live Soul Music-Nick

The Evolution of Raphael Saadiq

2011-06-01T00:03:00.003-06:00

There are few artist that truly embrace change through out there career. Most find that one little niche in the music scene that they do well and hole p for most of their careers. Then there are others that either intentionally or not, change the game multiple times in their career, album to album evolving their sound and shredding through styles in the process. Raphael Saadiq is an artist from the latter school of thought. Here is a small taste of what I speak of...

From his endeavors into boy band R&B fame with Tony! Toni! Toné! here's a early 90's classic that every real mack should bust out for his special lady once a year!

He finally branched out on his solo career in the late 90's releasing some albums at the hay day of the neo soul era. Durring this time he was working with the Soulquarins, an affiliation of artistsand producers like The Roots, Dilla, D'Angelo, Erykah Badu and others. Needless to say almost 10 years later success was coming, but the sound was quiet different.
From the 2002 release "Instant Vintage"

Faithful

"To get respect
I know I have to show respect
Thats why Im by your side goin nowhere
Now that Im with you
Every girl wants a piece of my mind and soul
Cant have it"

Body Parts

Parts

"It's been a long time
We haven't Kissed each other
No one can interrupt us.
Now you can walk slow,
I wanna watch ya baby
Everything that ya show"

to be continued
-nick

Lykke Li - Wounded Rhymes

2011-05-24T00:54:00.005-06:00

I still feel really amazed when realizing – or I guess when I’m corrected – when a band/artist is way more/way less popular than I think/assume. I bring it upon myself, sure, but I mean I don’t really think you should have to watch TV or get on social networks unless you want to and so well, I didn’t know Lykke Li was a huge star now. I remember her last album being previewed on a Carson Daly show and her music seemed very intriguing. And so while I kept her new album on my radar, I got onto it a few weeks after it was released and definitely realize why she’s so beloved. I mean I guess it’s lame to be so behind and out of it but once I got Wounded Rhymes soaked in; it was maybe better that the hype was kept locked away. I’m not sure how much influence such mediums play but there has to be some kind of head trick with it all?
Either way, the first song I instantly loved and couldn’t get away from was “I Follow Rivers.” For obvious reasons, the music’s bumping beats away played that forceful, yet carefree boom to her honest words about following him all the way down the river, into the deep sea. I think part of her magic is the fact that she weaves these personal, introspective stories through playfully clever metaphors and while she’s obviously someone still very young, her songwriting is great. So even a song about following him ‘deep sea baby’ is sincerely from the heart and still, poppy and smooth.

The ten songs that span the album are rich and filled with depth that by the time you get to the pouring sounds of the closer, “Silent My Song,” everything just seems to wash away. The pensive manner of the stomping sounds give in to Li’s towering vocals as she doubles her layers so that her voice comes shining through. It’s like a call-and-response type of feel but where her voice clashes against the music in a great wave of immersing voices. She’s incredibly sad, too, and again it’s genuinely clear as she sings, “No fist is needed when you call,” because he hurts her so much without ever needing to even touch her, he ‘silents her song.’ And in many ways, it’s a cheerless way to close it but for me, a resounding, resonating story about harsh, bitter life that simply makes us stronger and hopefully, for the better. – Bryan

The Antlers - Burst Apart

2011-05-21T16:01:00.001-06:00

I know that by now, this album has to be a pretty safe bet to land on a lot of year-end lists and I know that it’s probably really HUGE, too, but I’ve been listening to The Antlers’ Burst Apart non-stop for the past week or so. I was a fan of their previous album, Hospice, a lot and I was really mad at myself for waiting so long to finally dip into this new one because it’s truly amazing. And although it might not be the desperately sad album Hospice was, it’s soaring sounds are every bit as good. I mean, Hospice was about a sordid, broken relationship with no hope and here they open with “I Don’t Want Love” and a declaration for the openness that is life without complication. It depends on how you look at it but after the sadness that love can bring, there’s strong resonance in saying, “I’ll pass on it for now” so, in other words this is definitely different territory for The Antlers.

Still, I love the way that aforementioned song bleeds into “French Exit.” With its chiming guitar, it leads way into the second song’s stuttering new guitar melody and towering keyboards. The entire song is decorated with layers of sound before lead singer/songwriter Peter Silberman sings about the bitterness around his unforgiving lover. I love how he describes the unbearable feeling of it all, “If I don’t take you somewhere else, I’m gonna pull my teeth right out.” The stunning music is gradually built into a massive wall of noise; you can definitely hear The National’s influence with a style that is still very personal. In the end, it’s best not to get any kind of pity really, “I’m not a puppy you take home, don’t bother trying to fix my heart.”

There are so many good songs on this album and I’ll try not to overhype it too much but I love “Hounds” and its almost, advising words. “Slow down” is what he’s calling out and it’s somehow about how he’s only trying to protect her, trying to just “belong to you.” The music is pensive and reflective with the soothing tones of a melodic guitar and while the words still leave a lot to wonder, the title implies a racing dog just trying to get to the breast of his lover. Even in the night while others are trying to loosen her up with drinks and trying to look at her, he declares: “While I look everywhere for you.” It’s a beautiful sentiment, one that makes perfect sense in the moment and in the end, a gorgeous way to deliver it all; this album’s filled with special songs all over. – Bryan

Wolf Parade - EXPO 86

2011-05-14T15:44:00.005-06:00

About a year ago I wrote this pretentious post about how I was so excited to hear the new Wolf Parade album, EXPO 86. Bad ass as they are, I got around to the album, wrote a long-winded review of it here and never came back to share how I felt about it. I’ve gotta be honest in that although I heard it many times, something always felt a bit empty about it for me. I always maintained that it had to be the fact that I never got around to buying a physical copy of it on vinyl or CD because the quality was not up to par. And still, I felt stupid because they’re definitely one of the better bands out there and I couldn’t find time to buy a vinyl copy in all of 2010? I’m terrible I know but come on. But now, I’ve gotten down to the heart of the album with a copy that is rich and pretty gorgeous.

The guitar and synths on “In the Direction of the Moon” are such a driving force that they shake and rattle the song with a defining presence. It’s the same menacing melody over and over; traded between different instruments that get’s passed around through a swirling mist of noise. It’s this massive, very nearly six-minute long, song that pummels with a relentless drive and the entire time, you can’t get enough of that singular melody. The best thing about Wolf Parade is that Spencer Krug’s styles go so well with the more muscular stuff Boeckner creates. On this song Krug delivers climactic lines with the help of soaring lines and raucous thumps of drums. These songs sound so epic, so HUGE, and still, lines like “I - I'm a wall of sand and stone. And you - you're some kind of ivy I'm trying to hold, as best I can.” are so bitterly personal.

So much so that when it trades into Dan Boeckner’s “Ghost Pressure,” you find yourself sort of still left with a missing feeling but by the time you hit the glorious chorus on this song, everything is downright seamless. If the wall on the previous song wasn’t enough, the nervy groove on this song is where it’s at. There’s times where everything slams away against a pounding drum before it all comes together on a blissful tremble of Boeckner singing “Little vision come shake me up…” I love the way they blend all of their styles onto a song that is merely part of a rather diverse entity. So even with each song sounding different from the rest, within the song there is so much territory covered that the band’s range is amazing. – Bryan

The National - Terrible Love

2011-05-11T02:11:00.002-06:00

I’ve been slowly getting into a huge lust over The National’s High Violet. I’ve been lucky enough to see them live twice now and I think just that – seeing that energy, that passion, that amazing spirit – has moved me into digging even deeper into their music than before. Compared to the way Boxer starts, many would say the new opener was a slump but “Terrible Love” is a downright classic and I’ve finally realized that. It’s got the heart of a champion and the bitter re-telling of sordid advice. They sing about how it “takes an ocean not to break” and it highlights the many themes they cover on the album: drinking, adulthood, love, etc. And even still, it’s a divisive opener because there are other versions that for some sound better than the album version.

I think the drums on the alternate version – with the way they relentlessly pound away and the way they mix in different amazing rhythms – would’ve been a more ‘signature’ way for The National to open the album. Something like “Secret Meeting” or more sure-fire, like the “Fake Empire” magic that broke them through onto the other side, it probably would have made more ‘sense.’ But then you have the album version’s murkiness with the opening piano notes and more somber, subtle drum pound. When the music breaks into the section where he’s singing about he “can’t sleep without a little help,” the breakdown in the middle is gorgeous before he announces that he won’t follow her into the rabbit hole. The thing about The National’s lyrics is that they’re never printed anywhere so a lot of the lines could be blurred out for intended purposes. The haziness of the song is what makes the album’s leading songs, especially with the back-to-back hits of “Sorrow” and “Anyone’s Ghost” that much more compelling. I love the imagery of how “It’s a terrible love and I’m walking with spiders” and how he probably knows it’s a terrible, horrible mess of a relationship he has and yet, he’s already well deep in the spider-web. It’s just a small glimpse as to why they’re such a great band and why their main man’s songwriting is so beautiful to many. Here’s both versions for fun. – Bryan

Neon Desert Music Festival Preview

2011-04-28T18:36:00.004-06:00

I have been saying for a few years now that El Paso, or what natives affectionately call it, El Chuco, has been going through quite the cultural renissanince. The music scene has flourished and us here at Oddgila have tried to do our part for the scene with spotlights on some of our personal faves coming up here in the city. Bands like The DA, Bulletproof Tiger, Frontera Bugalu, The Royalty and so many others have really been doing their part to make the scene here in El Paso what it should be. There are more art venues, DJ collectives, new bands, and innovative events going on in Chuco than ever before (La Parrada, LNSC Djs, etc). Even the culinary scene has seen it's fair share of cultural growths with new and fresh bistros and restaurants you would never imagine being successful en El Paso. I could go on and on about how this city is in my eyes a sleeping giant that needs to be awakened, but the truth is, the wake up call could be easily coming this Saturday when Chuco puts on its first bonafide music festival.
The Neon Desert Music Festival is the idea of El Paso ex-pats who moved to, you guessed it, Austin Texas (Editors note: That city has to really thank us, cause if it weren't for the thousands of sexy, smart, cool and rad fucking native Chucotowners that move to Austin all the time, it would be only fractionally as cool). Through their organization, Splendid Sun Production a small group of individuals have put together a one day festival packed with not only local talent but some big name international groups.
Fisrt on my list of headliners I wanna see are Brazilian indie rockers CSS(Cansei da ser Sexy, Portuguese for tired of being sexy), who's frontwoman knows how to keep shows very interesting to say the least. How can't you with a nickname like Lovefoxxx. SEXY!! Fo Sho!

Next on my list would be Grammy award winning Venezuelan rockers Los Amigos Invisibles, who mix equal parts funk and Latin flavor for the perfect blend of sounds.

Mastermind behind the Mars Volta, Omar Rodriguez-Lopez's band will headline with special guest, and vocalist for the Volta Mr. Cedric Bixler-Zavala joining the group. These guys have headlined major festivals and seeing that they are Chuco most famous indie sons, it's quite appropriate they close the night.

The other headliner will keep the electro crowd moving until hopefully midnight and beyond. From Toronto, MSTRKRFT is one of the biggest names in the emerging out of the indie-electro scene.

There are a ton other great bands, local and from around the country that will grace the inaugural fest. When its all said and done all I can hope for is an amazing turn out and that things go smoothly. That includes the springtime winds Chuco is famous for. May they be absent, if not, at least manageable that day. However, wind or shine, this Saturday El Paso will really see what we're made of when The Neon Desert Music Festival blows through town! I hope the giant is awakened here in Chuco and as ACL celebrates its 10th glorious year, we can celebrate the birth of a new era, a new festival, a new time for a city that's been waiting for the right opportunity to shine! -nick

Radiohead - Supercollider

2011-04-23T19:08:00.001-06:00

Last Saturday was Record Store Day. It was also – coincidentally – day two of Coachella. I heard there was a street sale at All That Music, I heard there were some good deals and when I checked my e-mail I heard Radiohead released a special 12” for Record Store Day. Whoever got the vinyl, luuuucky. They sent digital copies of the two songs they released; “Supercollider” is such a perfect song. It probably sounds the most different from The King of Limbs and that’s probably because although started during those sessions, it was finished after the album.

I really like how at first it’s just this electronic beat that almost tricks you into believing its something different. It acts more as the set up to the mysterious strings that creep in and by the time Thom Yorke’s voice has appeared, the heavens have already been far removed. I’m guessing the song’s about the new possibilities out there, the darkness and ominous textures act as uneasiness and how there might be a super collider out there that separates everything. The ending lyrics are perhaps the most cryptic, ‘I put the shadows back into the boxes’ is sung against a sweepingly cold line and the angels that hang over the balcony could be nothing but everyone’s lost faiths, unproven. Mostly I think the song sounds like a typical Radiohead beauty: a perfect melody, a perfect flow and absolutely perfectly sung. I don’t think there’s anyone that has a better voice than Yorke and this sounds like heavens opening – it almost makes it hurt that it wasn’t included on The King of Limbs. – Bryan

The Black Keys – Thickfreakness

2011-04-19T22:43:00.002-06:00

Long before The Black Keys were huge mega-stars, they were always an outstanding blues-rock duo that was always very awesome. Their second album, Thickfreakness, was where I first started to notice just how massively huge their sound was. And it was on this album that I found out just how great they were because of how they could weave the best emotional stories through gritty, stunningly special rock music. They’re definitely a band to listen to loud on vinyl because it sounds that much better.

On “Hurt Like Mine,” the guitar travels through a grinding bluesy riff that always bites while the words focus the hurt on a guy that’s gotten his heart broken by a girl that just wants to be friends. “How you hurt me, oh how you cause me pain” is what he first asks but she simply doesn’t understand because, well, she doesn’t feel the same. And in the end, since she wants to be friends, he can lay his crying head on her shoulder? Yeah right. I love how it’s almost like what The White Stripes were doing at the same time but with more of a lonely, down-on-his-luck kind of sad blues. I’m still not sure why it took 8 years later for them to ‘take off.’

The album’s got two covers on it and still, it’s “I Cry Alone”’s old vibes that sound the most traditionally blues out of all of them. It’s about crying alone after letting go of a girl that had such a hold on you “so tight, so tight that I [you] could not see.” The guitar’s basic riff is accompanied only by a soft tap and it’s solely Dan Auerbach’s voice as he laments his sad story to the listener. He never says why he had to let her go but that “At night, I cry alone, I weap all night, til the early morn'.” It’s a beautiful way to end the album really, in the most basic sense of blues possible. – Bryan

Kanye West – Late Registration

2011-04-12T16:56:00.002-06:00

I still remember when people would talk about Kanye West’s rapping as something that was decent, never amazing but promising and always improving. I’m not sure how much I agree with that kind of thinking but when The College Dropout came out, a lot of the purists bashed its rhymes and MCing while many, loved its production. So I love how even that album’s big triumphs, Kanye is still optimistically down and slumbering at the beginning of Late Registration. Like always, feeling behind, always running late, the album’s dark tones run a gamut through times where everything still seemed ominous. It’s not quite like Graduation’s tight and concise way but perhaps, his hungriest and grittiest (well, that was until My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy) album and maybe, his best.

The simplicity of “Roses” was always the most endearing to me. It’s like Kanye’s basically speaking to the crowd while a vibe gently lulls behind him. The soul samples and the choir of voices that come through take over at the end with an over-pouring of sounds; while at the beginning it was the lonely keys and Kanye’s genuine, “he’s stttrrrroooong” words. I’ve always appreciated the honesty and the earnest sincerity behind his music and how everything almost feels relatable in many ways and this song is a slamming basher that kills with grace.

I really like the middle section of this album so I was trying to pick a song between either “Crack Music” or “Bring Me Down” and I wanted to mention the latter mostly because it’s still minor and I think Kanye’s choice of Brandy to sing the hook and chorus is surprising but definitely awesome. There’s so many great things about a Kanye West album and while the samples is a personal fave, just his list of guests is never without class either. On “Bring Me Down”’s sour and uplifting mood, Brandy sounds raw and somehow, there was an injection of great singing done all throughout the song. It sounds so nice right before “Addiction” and its rhythm-heavy, stunningly beautiful sounds. Man, maybe that’s the best song in the end. – Bryan

Arcade Fire – Neon Bible

2011-04-11T16:43:00.002-06:00

There was a brief period of time where one probably thought Arcade Fire couldn’t possibly match Funeral ever again. I mean, even I remember listening to this album and wondering if it was too angry, too angst-filled, too bitter? And obviously, back then, that was many people just over-thinking such amazing music way too early. A few years later, after making one of the best albums of 2010, Neon Bible is definitely, a magnificent album on its own.

I still remember listening to these crashing, pounding waves through my speakers in my small studio. I always think of the huge atmospherics on “Black Mirror” as the sound of the ocean beating against a heavy wind as everything comes pouring down. The song’s atmospherics are definitely significant but the keyboard’s repetitive pound, Win Butler’s soaring singing and the ending strings’ explosion is for sure, HUGE, too. There was always a certain beauty to it and I love the way it introduces the album in a dark and booming way. I probably played it over 100 times in 2007, and many times over and over and even still now, it’s worth it every time.

When it comes to closers, like Arctic Monkeys and few others, Arcade Fire are masters of them. Speaking about Funeral, that album’s closer is majestically gorgeous and even the proper ending on The Suburbs is an interpolation of that opener’s melody with poignant, lasting words; in short, both are awesome. Well for Neon Bible, they bellow with a traditional organ that shifts through heavy pedal tones and the pounding of a soft drum before everything explodes around the 2:10 mark. The production of a big open space allows the organ to reign throughout and while the thump is always the focus, the pure largeness of the ending overtakes you, like a massive wave. It’s hard to say really, but maybe this is their best closer? – Bryan

Kings of Leon - Because of the Times

2011-04-10T18:03:00.001-06:00

After their first two albums, Kings of Leon were still mostly known as a Southern version of The Strokes. They were always a good band but I guess they needed to change things up a bit. With their third album, Because of the Times, they proved that their music could be ever-changing and entirely different and still, very very good. And this was during a time where Kings of Leon were starting to identify themselves as a tremendously good rock band before “Sex on Fire” would hit. Now that they’ve got a good five albums under their belt, this one is probably my favorite and one that I’ve been listening to a lot lately.

There’s the hopeless romantic in all of us and I think that “Knocked Up” is that kind of crazed love, where nothing else comes in the way. And besides the subject matter, it’s easily one of their best songs with how it shifts and twists throughout its entire seven minutes with amazing ease. It’s so cliché but like Romeo and Juliet, the two lovers are bound to prove everyone wrong and have their baby together. Especially when he sings, “Always mad and usually drunk, but I love her like no other…” it’s probably the most romantic line of the whole song and still, wickedly ironic. The light chug of the drum and the guitar’s melodic grind is all the song really needs and even at the very bitter end, you never quite want it to end as it spectacularly sets up everything else on the album with such a poignant touch.

And so then there’s the album’s opposite side, the closing “Arizona” and it’s sordid love story of getting way too head over heels over some girl. The song’s got a soaring smoothness to it that even when the guitar shines through, it never sounds too polished. He’s basically fallen for a girl that’s checking him out even though she has someone else on her shoulder and in the end, he decides to stand up to the guy before getting knocked out and eventually, lays on the pavement. The song drives through nothing more than a beautiful verse and in the end, he still admits that he likes her. It’s more of loveless kind of lust than the love-filled passion in the first song but something else that only happens, because of the times. – Bryan

Phoenix - Rome

2011-03-31T22:37:00.007-06:00

The biggest thing I always liked about Phoenix, or what first really grabbed me about them, was obviously their huge, stadium-sized pop hooks and tremendously monstrous songs. They're like a Muse but a really amazing Muse and that's coming from someone who actually likes Muse. But as time passed by and I was able to delve into their music deeper, their amazing approach to instrumental music really stunned me. I still remember getting a vinyl copy of Wolfgang and getting lost in various different parts because it's all so nice.

So when it came to "Rome," this was yet another example where the music blew me away long before the songwriting did. The guitar is a shining and subtle touch and the way the drums and guitars balance the sound is genius. The imagery on the song is awesome itself because of the way they play on the burning cigarette to symbolize the dying relationship, "ashes til it falls, falls falls." And the way they explain how he goes crazy from being able to see her silhouette in the candlelight. I love how everything comes together until he says "always and forever now" and the music dies down. It's like a kiss-off to an ex lover but knowing that time has long passed, much like the times from old Rome have passed. - Bryan

Radiohead – Feral

2011-03-19T13:07:00.004-06:00

Part of the reason why some people prefer vinyl over digital is the pure improvement of sound the former has on the latter. And honestly, for me, that’s like 90% of the reason, while the other 10 would be made up of different aesthetics. I think the point of music is for it to be loud, rich and clear and if you can get it at its BEST sounding state, go for it. So after hearing “Feral” for a solid 3 minutes, on full blast with headphones, on my computer, I can’t wait to hear how it sounds on vinyl. There’s something about that last section where everything is ten times louder than before – far more extensive and far more immersive – that it sounds absolutely perfect. I can’t really place why the song is exactly named “Feral” either. You can definitely hear Thom Yorke singing some kind of words maybe? I always just picture a wild horse roaming the free area again after finally being let loose and other crazy images, ha. But either way, it follows “Little by Little” so nicely and precedes “Lotus Flower” so well, too. It’s like an electronic-influenced song that is soaked in jazz influences at the same time; you can hear so many different voices throughout it all and in the end, it’s memorable. Loud is always better in my opinion so hopefully people can listen to this and just blast it because it’s worth it. – Bryan

Radiohead - Bloom

2011-03-13T14:44:00.002-06:00

Little by little, this is really starting to become quite an obsession. I’ve realized so many different thoughts with this album; the first song, “Bloom,” (Above is "Almond Branches in Bloom" by Van Gogh) seems to be about the budding growth of knowing that it’s time to move on – that you’re finally ready to make that first step. Whether it is knowing that you’re ready to move to a new town, or that it’s best to switch jobs or that it’s time to fall in love, the bloom is where the natural desire comes in to play. So I think “Bloom” is probably a very meaningful choice to open it all and it sounds…so right.

I think the crazy snare rhythm – the triplet repetition – is downright infectious. I find myself crazily tapping the rhythm away to myself either in my head, out loud or even just tapping it incessantly as if the rest of the instruments are all playing alongside of me. Some people look at me like I must be nuts and a few recognize what I’m doing and probably still think I’m nuts either way, ha. But the emphasis here is probably on realizing that what you’ve been trying to chase is actually what’s been holding you back. There’s these rapid keyboard and piano lines trading off melodies and a ghost of voices behind Thom Yorke as he declares “While the ocean blooms, it’s what keeps me alive” before wondering “So why does it still hurt?” and the music is so justly poignant. Typical fashion, all of the words are embellished and elongated and this whole time, on top of all this mist, clutter and denseness is that crazy rhythm always pounding away. It’s like if you don’t know what to focus on and the entire time, all the band is doing is merely gelling off each other. In the end, it’s about never taking yourself seriously really, “Don’t blow your mind with why” and just go with it. Or at least that’s what my weird head thinks. – Bryan

Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not

2011-03-08T00:52:00.002-07:00

I hope I didn’t overdo it…though I probably did. I love how you can find completely different sounding stuff and how it all hits so many different moods and vibes for you. This album by Arctic Monkeys, their first one, is probably one of my favorite albums of the entire past five years because of how much energy it packs inside its walls. I remember being entirely compelled at how freakingly loud and intense “The View from the Afternoon” was/is: it absolutely just rips your face off if you do it right. And by the time the whole thing soaked through, I was convinced that this was a bad-ass album. So it’s awesome how one can switch it up and still be just as thrilled by it all – as corny as that sounds.

I think the most impressive aspect of the album is how it’s a deeply substantial amount of music packed into thirteen thick tracks. There’s these heavy guitar sections that trade off between the vocals and the bass, there’s some parts where they explode with amazing drums and there’s a lot of shifts, modifications and twists all over. “Mardy Bum” is like that song that if I ever learned how to play guitar, I’d love to play over and over. It’s got such a lovely melody and in three short minutes, it’s progressed from a soft guitar part into this soaring story about a loving couple. And the best part is how the sparkling guitar is always heard throughout, shimmering on top of everything.

Speaking of guitars, the way they sound on “When the Sun Goes Down” has to be some kind of perfection on its own. There’s the way the drums hit around the 50 second mark and the way the guitars trade off for about fifteen seconds before the bass licks in, that everything sound so intense and just so right. From there, the song’s about how everything seems to change a little bit when the sun goes down and how everything seems to say that it changes once that time of day hits. It’s a pretty honest aspect of life and one that most will either admit or deny but it’s seemingly true. The music’s downright blistering with every single rush of sound pouring out of the band – it’s easily one of the best explosions I mentioned earlier – and the beginning and closing guitar sadness is definitely memorable. – Bryan

Radiohead - Little by Little

2011-03-05T20:31:00.002-07:00

Here’s the third song off the album, “Little by Little.” It’s channeling these worldly sounds while driving through a thick groove of headiness and percussion. You can almost feel Thom Yorke’s shaking pulse throughout the song’s seams and everything just seems to burst with stunning skill. There’s darkness in it sure but it’s amazingly good darkness.

So there’s the fact that Yorke’s voice sounds just so perfect on every word right? I mean, I certainly don’t think that could be a gross exaggeration because it is downright perfect, it really is. I love the way he sings about never being nervous, never getting judged before affirming, “I’m no idiot, I should look…once you’ve been hurt you’ve been around enough.” The last line in particular is so apt about everyone today that’s ever been hurt at one point or another (that’s everybody) in that once you've been hurt that first time, you’re in a way, ruined forever. And not in a bad way per se, but you’re always gonna be that much more careful, that much more weary and that much more skeptical of jumping into something with anyone else. No one likes to be hurt, ever. But I also think the song’s about how ‘little by little’ we just tend to grind away, we tend to die a little, we get a little more sordid. He sings that routines and schedules and how they 'drug and kill you' and that, is in my opinion what Radiohead have always been about. They’ve always been about telling it like how it is - morbid and critical and absolutely vivid with imagery. That’s why people find them so ‘weird’ and how it could be ‘depressing’ music when really, it’s gorgeous stuff. In the end, they make another observation, ‘I’m just a tease and you’re such a flirt,’ it’s just such great stuff. – Bryan

Radiohead - Give up the Ghost

2011-03-03T01:25:00.003-07:00

I’m not entirely sure if it’s weird to like a certain saying or phrase but something about ‘give up the ghost’ always, affected me, for some reason. One of the processes in getting over my breakup was through many great friendships that included discussing music, movies and well, life. There’s something to be said about simply being able to discuss your passions and desires with people in sharing a close bond. One close friend I had made was a wiser person who was chock-full of great advice and was always able to convey certain notions in the best of ways. And I remember one day being paranoid and bitter and annoyed and he said, “man you need to give up the ghost already” (or something very close to that nature). Now, I’m the kind of person that if someone says something like that and I obviously don’t get it, I’m gonna ask first what it means before I bother thinking about it. Yeah, it’s very annoying in it of itself to be that way but hey, I like being taught. Ha. So he took a while to get back to me and in the meantime, I came across a bunch of different meanings for the saying. Eventually, he vaguely said something else about it and by then, I had already sorted out my own ideas on the saying myself. Where this goes is that I’m guessing it’s best to try and learn and discover and find things on your own, too. It’s amazing to have great guidance but sometimes, life needs to be battled with on an independent level and maybe then, the successes and ‘overcoming the impossibles’ are that much better. And now, I love that saying because of its simply subtle imagery and well, it has its own personal stuff too and that’s probably more significant, heh.

Anyways, so Radiohead decided to write a song entitled “Give up the Ghost” and it serves as that head-changing moment on The King of Limbs where maybe – for some, finally – it makes sense just why people love this band so much. For starters, it’s this broken down, stunning acoustic guitar melody that supplements Thom Yorke’s voice in the sweetest of ways. His voice sounds so sad and disappointed when he sings lines like “I think I have had my fill…in your arms” and the memorable way he sings the song’s title is definitely amazing. Then there’s all the gorgeous details intertwined in it: the soaring birds that sing to introduce the song’s lush sounds, and the fact that the first uttered words are “don’t haunt me.” It’s a defiant request and it’s definitely uplifting; this is like the outpour of the album’s entire fruitions. There’s all these themes about letting go, about losing all of the bad and about finally just giving in and now, it’s time to give up the ghost. It’s like that lulling and bearing figure that has been haunting you for far too long and you’ve been just dreading its presence – it’s finally time to shake it off you. I think that’s what I’ve developed is maybe what it means but either way, it feels amazing when one is rid of it. I mentioned how “Lotus Flower” was followed by the album’s two heaviest hitters and so this incredibly spooky but soothing song is what precedes “Separator.” Hopefully others have enjoyed it so far too. – Bryan

Radiohead - 4 Minute Warning

2011-03-01T01:22:00.002-07:00

So back when I wrote about the bonus disc for In Rainbows I probably didn’t properly disclose how awesome the six, formal, songs are on it. Radiohead’s last album is still the ten-song beast we’ve come to love but with it are these other choice cuts that while they aren’t on the album, are probably just as amazing as anything else on it. Either way, “4 Minute Warning” is the gorgeous closer to that bonus disc and in talking about “Separator” last night, it made sense to maybe touch on why this other stuff that they were making before The King of Limbs is so good too.

There’s just something so perfect about it: its structure is a basic verse-chorus combination that gels in just over, well, four minutes, there’s a great deal of noisy darkness at the beginning of it and then, by the end of it you’re left with a beautifully light stunner. There’s background chatter on this one and there’s even more amazing words on it. I think the part about nightmares that’s most scary is the fact that you’re just dying to wake up from them and yet you just can’t seem to. I got to see most of Eternal Sunshine… yesterday (through an awesome pick by an awesome person) and wow, dreams and feelings and nostalgia. Radiohead’s beautiful in pin-pointing those aching feelings we feel when we’re in complete denial: “I just want to run and hide” is what Thom Yorke sings to the support of a choir of voices that sound like ghostly creatures. At the end, he’s even more uplifting, “Soon I'm going to wake up…someone’s going to bring me around” and it’s that sort of swoon one feels when their lover shows up to take them away. Then again, this could just be about wanting to escape or it could be about something concrete and much deeper than silly feelings. I’m not entirely sure but well, Radiohead’s been destroying me all over lately and this is still part of the massive collection of music they made during the In Rainbows. Their depth is what’s so amazing, you can hear U2 and R.E.M. on something like this and still, it’s a Radiohead singular closer. – Bryan

Radiohead - Separator

2011-02-28T03:01:00.004-07:00

I love how this is simply, fittingly titled “Separator.” After “Lotus Flower” come the two heaviest songs on the album before this lulling song sweeps in. The memorable guitar line shimmers on top of everything and eventually Thom Yorke is singing, “If you think this is over then you’re wrong,” while the entire time he’s been asking to be awaken. There’s something about the way the drums sound – they’re crisp and precise when needed, looming and booming in other parts and they have an impeccable tempo. When the music creeps in and you hear the snare against the sound of background chatter, there’s something great about that for some reason. After you’ve come out of the deep abyss that the previous two songs put you in, this is like the sky opening up only to find that you’re in a deep slumber.

The song itself is probably about a million different things but I think the line, “I wanna slip over and get back under” is probably the most poignant one. Something tells me that a lot of the songs are about letting go and often, our dreams take over our realities and blur them. The words recall a lovely encounter with someone that you still long for and desire but she continues to reject you and so in the end, you want to be awaken from the bittersweet dream of being with someone who can’t give you what you want. There’s uplifting confidence everywhere on the album and it’s such a stunning way to close it all out. – Bryan

(P.S. Apparently there's been talk that maybe Radiohead is getting ready for another album to release to all - which i personally doubt - but it's interesting to note the song's words and how the song title refers to a separation of sounds. Maybe like one album to another...supposedly orders for the album are classified as TKOL1 (The King of Limbs 1?) meaning that maybe TKOL2 is out soon but who knows. Thought i'd share it too.)

Radiohead - Lotus Flower

2011-02-24T03:09:00.002-07:00

The new Radiohead album. I’ve been in love with it since Friday night. I pre-ordered my copy after a smart bird told me about it and was waiting for the digital copy on Saturday. I found out about the day before trick later on in the day on Friday so I got home in the evening and next thing you know, I had a fever and was pretty sick. Around midnight I decided to get my copy and listen to it right then and there from front to back as I played FIFA. It was a pretty amazing experience actually. Here I was with a sordid fever, a bad cough and a throat that was killing me and I was getting rewarded with Radiohead’s gorgeous new album. The album was a shock to my ears and it still is, every single sound off it continues to just pour this amazing energy, soul and heart, it’s absolutely beautiful.

I find it crazy when reading reviews that say it’s not that good, or that it’s gonna be their most divisive, that it’s too short, that it’s not In Rainbows. I mean, come on.

So through the weekend, I tried to get better by taking vitamins and drinking lots of liquids. It didn’t work because I found out Monday afternoon that I had a throat infection and well, I was pretty sick apparently. But through that time, The King of Limbs tried to nurse me back to health the best way it could. I’m finally almost better although yes, I still have a small sick vibe ha, and now, I cannot listen to this album without finding something else I love in it. I’ve probably already outplayed the heck out of it but it’s a new album, it takes a lot of listens to finally ‘get’ and yes, it’s a Radiohead album – too – so it’s gonna be awesome, always.

“Lotus Flower” was one of the first ones that I really connected to when it came to the lyrics. But there’s so much going on here. The patterns the percussion plays envelope this circular path where there’s hand-claps, scattered snare parts and a relentless kick-drum that bangs away forcefully and that’s percussion only. All the other instruments shift in and out focus while Thom Yorke’s voice is in the spotlight again. But the words, right, he’s singing about maybe the fact that it feels beautiful when you can feel that empty space in your heart for the one you used to love and tonight, we get to set them free? There’s that affectionate side where you’ll inch up to someone and next thing you know you’re the little toy in their pocket and basically, they’ll do whatever they want with you. And that’s because all you do is balloon their head even more by showering them with love. Radiohead’s songs can also draw various inspirations, Buddhism is felt here, especially with the lotus and the fact that it’s all about accepting your faults, your strengths and everything as whole. And the way he sings, “Because all I want is the moon upon a stick” and how his voice climbs the walls is amazing. I was even more enthused when I found out that they did a video for the song where you get to see Yorke dance the entire time and it is below. They’re amazing for not selling out to vevo, for making such an amazing video on such a basic idea and well, after listening to the songs about 20 times and then seeing a video where Yorke moves to the aforementioned different beats and patterns is amazing too. It’s an amazing song, but I’ve probably already mentioned that and so are the other 7 songs on the album and maybe I can talk about them later. There’s a more ‘professional’ review of the album by me in other publications but here, it’s all from my heart. And why not, ending it all, Yorke offers some advice to this harsh world: “Listen to your heart.” Sounds good to me. – Bryan

The work of Dougal Wilson

2011-02-22T20:49:00.006-07:00

I wish I could say I've been up on Mr. Wilson's amazing work for a while, but the truth is I just barely came across it. Born in Heswall, England, Dougal studied physics at Durham University. He went on to work for an advertising agency before moving to London to pursue his career in directing. And Thank god he did. Most famous for his music videos, Wilson also has directed many commercials and even short films. His style is very unique, blending a fair share of classic cinematography with a touch of the avant garde sensibility so many new directors like Michel Gondry and others have. Here are a music video, a commercial and a short film from one of my new favorite directors.

An amazing video shot for Melbourne rockers The Temper Trap's song "Love Lost" from their 2009 LP Conditions. Everything about this video is awesome from the kids lip syncing abilities and heart felt performances to the mad cheesey but right on point choreography!

Having a daughter myself, this commercial almost brought me to tears. Oh and for non Brits, John Lewis is a faceless department store throughout the UK, how ironic.

A truly cool short silent film based on the aria from the Opera "The Barber of Seville"

Okay one more music video from Mr. Bad Ass director. For The Lcd Soundsystem jam "Tribulations".

Holy shit speaking of Lcd Soundsystem, did ya know they're calling it quits!!! Seems like frontman James Murphy is ready to hang up the dancing shoes for record exec shoes. Alls I know is seeing them this past year at ACL makes it all that much sweeter knowing it was possibly one of the last times to ever catch 'em.. The Last song on one of 2010's best best best albums This is Happening, here's the dope ass vid for "Home", also the closer from an amazing show under a sun setting sky one beautiful evening in ATX! -Nick
Bonus Bonus Vid

Grizzly Bear - Friend EP

2011-02-13T15:48:00.003-07:00

There are so many superlatives that have already been used before to describe Grizzly Bear’s sound: it’s aesthetically rich and substantial, it’s built around the foundation of four stellar musicians that all take turns singing, playing melodies, delivering harmonies and in the end, they create a truly gorgeous sound. I remember hearing Yellow House and being amazed at its dark palette of colors, that although their music was definitely never ‘bright,’ it was surely colorful. The Friend EP is something they did before Veckatimest came along and it features a few originals by the band, a few covers by the band and a few covers of their music by other bands. I’ve been reminded of them a lot this past week in finding someone else that also loves them, plus Blue Valentine was a terrific movie to see last night and the music in it is 90% Grizzly Bear.

For fun, here is CSS’ cover of “Knife” in its electronically-infused, poppy sheen. It’s cool to hear such depressing lyrics in this upbeat manner:

I’m still not entirely sure on the story behind “Deep Blue Sea” but I’m pretty sure it’s a cover of an old traditional song. I imagine it probably sounds entirely different to the one on Friend. I was gonna post that one here (and say some flowery stuff about how its simplistic nature leads to subtle and stunning beauty) but I can only find the version that’s found on the Dark Was the Night compilation. And they aren’t that different but well, they’re dissimilar for sure, either way here’s that one because it’s still a lovely song:

And so Blue Valentine ends with the choir version of “Alligator,” the same version used on Friend. It’s a downright classical blend of swirling instruments and voices that turn into a huge cascade of sounds. I think the fact that it’s so disjointed and never really in focus is what makes it that much more endearing and then suddenly, when it explodes and the beat kicks in, everything sounds just right. They’ve got such a knack for finding the perfect balance in their music that even when they’re singing “You are my alligator” over and over, it sounds sublime. – Bryan

The Flaming Lips - The Soft Bulletin

2011-02-06T22:53:00.003-07:00

Back in 1999 when I thought I knew a lot about music one of the first heavy, new, albums for me was this one by The Flaming Lips, The Soft Bulletin. I had heard old records for the first time (stuff from the 60s and 70s) but I wasn’t too keen on knowing what to buy that was currently coming out at the time. All I would go off of was if it got above 4 stars in Rolling Stone or if it was commonly compared to Radiohead. I remember getting lost in the haziness of “The Spark that Bled” and being confused as to whether the wild noises were from the song or maybe the bad speaker system I had in my El Camino. And I remember getting lost in the way the music was equally pretty and stirring in a classical sense (big walls of horns, discord in the string and percussion sections) and forcefully beat-heavy in other parts. Their music sounds so large on this album and as grippingly different as it is, it’s an easy listen from front to back. And looking back, that’s what really enthralled me about the possibility of music outside of my comfort zone: that it could be different and still this amazing:

So at this point, the music purists and snobs start to think and wonder what’s so different about The Flaming Lips. They’ve been used in movies and TV before and they’ve got a pretty stellar following. I still feel guilty and ashamed for not seeing them at ACL last year – although that was to get a close spot for The National so not I’m necessarily regretful – but they’re not the most traditional band either. Midway through the album you get to “The Observer” and its wavy atmospherics; behind a propulsive beat the song blends strings, choral vocals and soaring dynamics to an outstanding peak. So while this is definitely a beautiful piece of music, it’s definitely not the most standard of sounds either.

It’s probably my favorite album by them – by a lot. It’s cohesive and its concept story about being lost in a new territory and waiting for your superman to come is entirely ambiguous and open to various interpretations. Even as epic as their music may seem, the personal ties that you can draw on your own are monstrous. With “Feeling Yourself Disintegrate” the song itself could have tons of meanings behind the absolutely gorgeous music. There’s only four lines and tons of repeating of the title, the guitar swirls behind all of the noise and the culmination of everything – the pieces of structure and all the instruments – is something out of this world. Personally, it’s about getting dumped and apprehending that ‘life without death is just impossible’ and so in life, relationships die. It’s inevitable but still, realizing that something or someone you dearly love is ending/dying is a dreadful sentiment to come to grips with. I hear this now and I think: how could someone not LOVE this? And well, there’s the snob in me again. – Bryan

The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds

2011-02-05T14:58:00.004-07:00

Speaking of that 60s sound, talk about nostalgia when I dug out my vinyl copy of Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys to play today. I used to think of it as my favorite album of all time and while it still has the best song ever created on it, it’s not my absolute favorite but really up there nonetheless. This was the album that caused The Beatles to make Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and the one that Brian Wilson made in response to The Beatles’ Rubber Soul. Paul McCartney has been asked about it before and he acknowledges Pet Sounds as one of the best of all time. Still, even in 1967, I can’t imagine how amazing it must have sounded to those fresh ears then; even almost 50 years later and “Sloop John B” still sounds terrific. Right in the middle of the album, it precedes the following song with an upbeat flavor and although it’s a cover on its own, the Beach Boys’ version is still timeless.

Not only is “God Only Knows” my favorite song of all time – the song that holds so much deep sentiment for me – but it’s downright perfect if you ask me. I remember hearing this song on “The Wonder Years” and then finally realizing that it was the centerpiece of Pet Sounds, it was a perfect that match. If anyone remembers that episode, Kevin realizes that at a different school, with new boys to chase her, Winnie is gone…for now at least. And they play this song as he sees another guy walk her on to the opposite bus as they drive off into the night, on separate buses, in different directions. The song’s construction is built around soaring vocals and beautiful harmonies. And the lyrics – beguiling, poignant and heartfelt – are some of the best I have ever heard. They sing about how if she ever left, ‘the world could show nothing to me so what good would living do me?’ It’s that feeling of realizing that if she ever left you, you’d be the most miserable side of lonely ever and well, who knows what it would be like without her. Either way, it wouldn’t be great at all, ‘though life would still go on, believe me.’ – Bryan

Broadcast - Tears in the Typing Pool

2011-02-05T02:23:00.010-07:00

I have much more to say about Broadcast but here’s “Tears in the Typing Pool” because I think it’s pretty amazing. There’s such a sadness to the way Trish Keenan’s voice sounds on this song and I can’t think of any other Broadcast song that sounds like this one. I read a review that mentioned how Tender Buttons was far more stripped-down than before and “Tears in the Typing Pool” is a fitting example of that transition. I can’t get over how gorgeous her voice is and how she sings, ‘roo-oo-oom,’ and especially this line:

“The letters are sighing, the ink is still drying
I told you the truth and now I sigh too.”

I read somewhere what Keenan saidthis song means but it’s open-ended on so many levels. I have my own interpretation but I just wanted to post it because it sounds so good, so late at night; its emptiness is almost that much more mesmerizing. – Bryan

Bibio - Ambivalence Avenue

2011-02-03T23:42:00.002-07:00

I love that cover and how its simplicity stands out at you. I love how the trees probably took the most time but the street's buildings and vehicles stand out probably the most. If you look closely at the right side, there is a red tint in one of the windows, the only shade not in grayscale. And well, the lettering too, that’s great. It’s always the simple things in life that matter the most, Bibio’s Ambivalence Avenue has a way of proving just how simple beauty can be so well done. I love the bigness of “Sugarette” and how it just explodes off the black and white canvas that Bibio has presented. On the previous song, “Haikuesque (When She Laughs),” he tenders towards a soft guitar and atmospheric blends to make up a misty demeanor but on “Sugarette,” through its own hazy introduction, the booming bass is what instantly stands out to you. Perhaps this is where Ambivalence Avenue shines over Bibio’s other albums – there’s a larger-than-life sound to his music this time around and the imagery was astounding – but whatever it is, “Sugarette” is definitely one of the highlights.

Here is the remix version of “Sugarette” by Wax Stag, found on The Apple and the Tooth. It’s a lot more dance-heavy but it manipulates the melody in such a way that it comes off as fresh and inviting, instead of over-polished. The effects are far more entrancing and well, it’s a great song on its own.

So after “Sugarette” neatly caps off the first part of the album, “Lovers’ Carvings” comes dashing in with a gentle guitar that simply swoons around a sunny, warm melody. The first half of the song follows this subtle and serene flow before Bibio brings in the drums and vocals on the back-end. The song’s so simply done that it’s downright stunning because of it and the words showcase the feeling of carving your initials with a lover and even as they fade away over time, “the meaning will never disappear.” But even at that, there’s so much to get lost away in when it’s this lush. – Bryan

Peter Bjorn and John "Young Folks"

2011-02-03T03:48:00.004-07:00

Have you ever met someone, started talking with them, and in short, things seemed to have just, “Clicked”. That the resulting conversation from said meeting, which may or may not have included a number of adult drinks has come to a conclusion that the night for the two of you due to the awesomeness of your meeting shall not end at the close of whatever establishment you may have met at. Maybe this person became your beloved spouse... probably not. Maybe your “significant other” or whatever the hell the kids are calling it these days?? Maybe, but still probably not. One night stand?? Still, it’s hard to say... Actually, there’s a pretty good chance you didn’t even get a shot at getting into this persons’ chones! But that’s neither here nor there. What is here though, is an amazing ode to the very conversation that occurs during such chance meeting. The sheer rush of meeting someone you’re really really fucking into. Hoping the whole time your drunk ass isn’t just imagining that they digg you too, and then realizing that they actually do find you interesting and for someone reason has listened to you blabber about god knows what for who knows how long. The rush of realizing that the both of you are in no hurry to part ways.
Well this is how Peter Bjorn and John apparently imagined the conversation. It goes a little like this... -nick
Peter bjorn and john -young folks by amnyam

Boy: If i told you things i did before
told you how i used to be
would you go along with someone like me
if you knew my story word for word
had all of my history
would you go along with someone like me

Girl: i did before and had my share
it didn't lead nowhere
i would go along with someone like you
it doesn't matter what you did
who you were hanging with
we could stick around and see this night through

Both: and we don't care about the young folks
talkin' 'bout the young style
and we don't care about the old folks
talkin' 'bout the old style too
and we don't care about their own faults
talkin' 'bout our own style
all we care 'bout is talking
talking only me and you

Girl: usually when things has gone this far
people tend to disappear
no one will surprise me unless you do

Boy: i can tell there's something goin' on
hours seems to disappear
everyone is leaving i'm still with you

Both: it doesn't matter what we do
where we are going too
we can stick around and see this night through

and we don't care about the young folks
talkin' 'bout the young style
and we don't care about the old folks
talkin' 'bout the old style too
and we don't care about their own faults
talkin' 'bout our own style
all we care 'bout is talking
talking only me and you

Interpol - Antics

2011-02-02T15:57:00.004-07:00

I finally got out of my Spencer Krug kick with some snow and a day off from work. It’s a little strange really in that I’m at home and not really sure of what to do with myself. But so I’ve gotten tired of listening to music on the computer speakers because it sounds so bad and I decided to grab something on vinyl and just blast it off the stereo speakers. I remember listening to Antics in 2004 and loving its dark undertones and currents, and how everything swirled around their lead singer’s spectacular voice. I remember reading how this was ‘light Interpol’ as compared to the supposed ‘dark Interpol’ on Turn On the Bright Lights and well, I was still confused. Interpol’s always had a dark sound – and it’s a genuine darkness too, unlike what all the haters say – but on a few songs on Antics, I guess, they shine some light on the ominous snow.

One of the instantly recognizable songs is “Slow Hands” and its hugely dance-able rhythms and patterns. Not to mention that the words are some of the easiest to sing along to; but what really makes it stand out is how well everything seems to fit together. It’s kind of about being awe-struck with someone and realizing that there is so much going on around you that you’re missing out on. He sings “And I might stop and look upon your face…disappear in the sweet, sweet gaze” in where he simply gets lost by her “charms & grace.” The guitar is the stunning melody that always drives through and I especially love the way the instruments come in and out of focus before exploding on the choruses. All of it’s so well done, I wish I knew how to play guitar so I could sing “You make me want to pick up a guitar and celebrate the myriad ways that I love you” and actually mean it. Ha, until then.

For the longest time, I always thought of Interpol lyrics as some of the best around. It wasn’t until most recently that I found out they aren’t really that good? I’m not sure but I love the honesty and sincerity in something like “C’mere.” I remember being deeply in love listening to this song and lines like “Oh, how I love you, and in the evening, when we are sleeping” are easily affecting because of how they pinpoint just how beautiful normal life can be. The ‘oh how I love you’ line is so endearing, in how you get lost in her gaze (like mentioned before) and you just need to tell her how much you care for her. I still love the song as much as I ever did before – I’m glad it didn’t lose that luster and glean – but I can appreciate it for its overly lovely presentation now more so ,too. It’s a nice soundtrack to a snow day in. – Bryan

Sunset Rubdown - Dragonslayer

2011-02-01T13:29:00.001-07:00

Speaking of Spencer Krug, Sunset Rubdown is his main gig – his main band in which he has now released three stellar albums with. This album, Dragonslayer, is easily still my most favorite album of all of 2009: it has heart, it has poignant stories, it has tremendous dynamics and diversity and it definitely has some of the most uplifting moments I could remember on any album from that year. I remember buying this and I think it’s the only vinyl I own that is autographed by all the band members; they were amazing to see live and even that experience still seems surreal. I tend to canonize things too much but in respect to what else came out, this is probably still the best album Krug has been involved in, in my opinion of course. And although this is the only song I will mention here, because it’s just so long and because I just found this amazing video for it, the entire album feels like one huge, gripping ride.

The last song, “Dragon’s Lair,” is not only the perfect kind of closure you would want – epic, plenty of different moods and a spectacular theme – but it’s this ten-minute beast of a song that is a thrilling ride all on its own. The story circles a dragon slayer who is realizing that at this point of his life, “it’s time for a bigger kind of kill.” He bids goodbye to his lover but in the most confident of ways, “I am sharpening my sword…so you can take me to the dragon’s lair, you can take me to Rapunzel’s windowsill.” And in the end, it’s still a love story on its own as he sings, “I see your face…when I close my eyes.” – Bryan

Wolf Parade - Apologies to the Queen Mary

2011-01-30T16:47:00.002-07:00

I’ve been going back and listening to a lot of albums I haven’t heard in a very long time. Lately, I’ve been going to the year 2005 on my computer and playing stuff from that year because 1) it was a monster year for music and 2) it was a year that WAS muffled and stuffy with nostalgia for me but now, I feel entirely invigorated by it. I remember hearing this kind of stuff and being bummed about the past and now I hear it and it simply galvanizes me as I strongly look towards the future. I mentioned Illinois earlier – which is also from ’05 – and now here is what many consider the best album of that year (not me but I still love it) Apologies for the Queen Mary.

For starters, the first song, “You Are a Runner and I Am My Father's Son” is such a great way to start any album: its stomping drums are a singular call to arms, Spencer Krug’s voice is the flat-out BOMB and that stampeding piano has left me exhilarated each and every time I hear it. “I was a hero early in the morning, I aint no hero in the night” is one of the best lines on the song and it also showcased just what Isaac Brock was capable of in terms of production. The sounds were open here, the clarity was surrounding the band’s impressive musicianship and this is a downright beast of a song.

I’m inclined to mention “Modern World” here because the transition from the aforementioned into it is one of the best on the album. It’s especially skillful in the fact that it goes from a wild, romping Krug song into this howling, smooth but tenacious Dan Boeckner song. I’ve always loved the way each musician can bring so much to the table and how they’re so different from each other and yet, they go hand-in-hand. The chemistry is undeniable and still, you can distinctly always tell who wrote what song. Looks like this is the official video to the song which I had never seen before until now:

And of course, I couldn’t mention this album without including “I’ll Believe in Anything” (power of 3) because it’s very simply one of the best songs I’ve ever heard. Sure it’s cliché but the way everything comes together around another stomping drum and this time, a stampeding guitar, and of course, Krug’s maniacal, awesome voice is amazing. At first he’s singing and asking for her to trust him “And I could take another hit for you, and I could take away your trips from you, and I could take away the salt from your eyes” and essentially saying that if he’s gonna believe in anything, she has to trust him too. It’s an entirely romantic song and well, I’m a foolish romantic so it definitely hits home here too. I love it when he sings, “So give me your eyes, I need sunshine” because everything looks beautiful with her eyes; what a wonderful line. – Bryan

Queens of the Stone Age - Make it With Chu

2011-01-27T12:56:00.002-07:00

This has to be one of my sweetest hitting songs of all time. It hits the spot in every possible way for me: it’s catchy, it’s sing-able, it’s got a tremendous guitar melody and ensuing solo and it’s downright poignant. I love how it’s basically about making it with someone, in the sense that you know and feel that you want them and that there are no holds barred. That sort of confidence is fantastic when the feeling is mutual and this kind of song is great for all those kinds of moments. The line that’s especially sweet to me might be “If I told you that I knew about the sun and the moon, I’d be untrue. The only thing I know for sure is what I wanna do, anytime, anywhere.” I’ve played this song so many times on “Guitar Hero” and it’s the centerpiece moment of their album, Era Vulgaris. I feel like this is just one terribly long bad post, sorry for the writing but the song is truly awesome. – Bryan

Sufjan Stevens - I Walked

2011-01-22T15:43:00.002-07:00

Throughout time, I’ve really come to love this new sound that Sufjan Stevens created this past year. With the All Delighted People EP (the gorgeous vinyl I just got as an awesome present from someone really awesome) he stunned with a huge wall of sound that featured clashing guitars, soft-paced ballads and intensely crafted compositions. And The Age of Adz was just as equally striking and drastically massive; albeit two entirely different recordings, as compared to the soft, muffled production of Illinois, these new creations really blew my mind.

But even through listening to all of the music, it’s amazing just how tremendous his voice sounds, as compared to before as well. On the title track, he’s declaring that he’s “lost the will to fight” and on “Get Real Get Right” he sings about getting right with the Lord and his voice sounds a lot more confident, a lot more assured, a lot more willing to take risks and in the end, everything sounds just so much better because of it. “I Walked” is your ‘typical’ heartbreak song but Stevens’ turns it into a poetic, bitter, poignant new way of explaining the process of moving on. I’ve well documented my heart many times and it’s only been through the last year or so – I’d say 2010 firmly solidified it – that I could say it’s probably entirely healed. So in many ways, I’ve finally gotten to the point where certain pasts can be closed without ever having any kind of linger in the back of the mind.

Stevens sings about being forced to walk away from someone because he has no other choice and although he’s still madly in love with her, he’s now dead in her eyes. I love how he’s directly singing to her, calling her ‘lover’ and how he depicts details of being left on the floor where they made love the last time and just crying. Ha, so he doesn’t say crying on the floor but he says “the worst has arrived” and I love how he says “for at least I deserve the respect of a kiss goodbye.” The chorus is downright beautiful and it’s a strong kiss-off, good-bye kind of “it’s my fault that you’re gone, whatever, I wish I could be strong but I’ve got nothing left to love so…I’ll walk.” Part of the inspiration comes from the schizophrenic artist Stevens takes influence from, but I’m sure there has to be some kind of personal story inside it as well and if you’re able to make the personal connections then the song’s even more affecting. It’s deeply sad but entirely uplifting at the same time; in some kind of ridiculous, or gorgeous (depends on how you see it), way very depressing music can be somewhat joyful and “I Walked” is just that. This last paragraph is just one long rant so I’ll close it at that :) Bryan

A Funky Mix For Fun

2011-01-19T06:14:00.004-07:00

mix numero UNO by nick alvarez
So I decided to throw a little mix together all last minute. No real method to my madness on this one. However I did realize 3 Roots tracks get love on this one (see pic above). Maybe I got some ?uestlove on the mind, since drummer extraordinaire for The Roots will be throwing down a Dj set here In Chuco on Tuesday, January 25 at the Reyn Theater. Mark your calendars, save the date, whatever it takes make sure your ass is there cause its a great venue as well as an assured funky set top to bottom from ?uesto himself. Until then enjoi some tunage

The Decemberists - The Crane Wife

2011-01-17T23:57:00.004-07:00

So the story on this one is based around a Japanese myth, the crane wife. A gorgeous white crane appears at a man’s door with an arrow in its side. Nurturing it back to health, after a few days, he lets the bird go. A few days after that, a woman appears at his door, they soon fall in love and marry. Looking for means to make money, she promises to weave a gorgeous cloth that they can sell in the market as long as she can weave it in entire privacy. This continues and they get wealthy but eventually he peaks in on her one day and notices that she’s a crane who’s been pulling feathers from herself into the cloth, thus making it so beautiful. Upon seeing him, she turns into a crane and flies away…never to return. Take from that what you will, I have many countless interpretations but they’re pointless to share unless anyone actually cares; it’s a wonderful story really.

That’s what The Decemberists opted to conceptualize their 2006 album, The Crane Wife, around. The album’s filled with encompassing song suites that feature various shifts and moods. They’ve always been known as an intelligent band that weaves intricate stories around epic, progressive music that is always cycling through a myriad of waves. And while Picaresque is also stunning, The Crane Wife always hits home for me because of those aforementioned suites; here’s “The Island: Come and See/The Landlord's Daughter/You'll Not Feel…”

Though the entire album isn’t solely about the crane wife, the concept is felt all throughout. And the brilliant closure comes with “The Crane Wife, Pts. 1 & 2” and its soaring melody. It’s a heartfelt closer and a naturally illustrious depiction of the myth. I can definitely hear the picturesque sounds and even now, with their new album just out, The Crane Wife is still such a magnificent listen each time. – Bryan

Sufjan Stevens - Illinois

2011-01-16T14:16:00.002-07:00

Before The Age of Adz I was always, mostly, in love with the way Sufjan Stevens’ music sounded. Someone great recently helped me in pointing out just how poetically visceral Stevens was and well deservedly, has always been. And sure, I immediately loved the way the title track sounded way before I could appreciate what he was singing about on “All for Myself,” but over the time, the words affected me and naturally, it’s been a well-publicized love that I gush over way too much.

So I was more recently listening to Illinois and it’s here that I developed my love for Sufjan’s magical compositions. “The Black Hawk War, Or, How to Demolish an Entire Civilization and ...” was simply jaw-dropping the first time I heard it and it remains, one of my all-time favorite instrumental works. It’s the kind of choice I would make if I ever got to make a video, win some kind of award, play it for someone special, etc… It’s amazing because to me, it’s a glorious fanfare that reigns in the charging piano and mallets of “Come on! Feel the Illinoise!: Pt. 1: The World's Columbian Exposition” and yet, that long-ass title is definitely meaning much much more than ‘fanfare.’

Illinois is an album devoted to the said state and it’s filled with lifting stories all over; it has continually won over more fans because of his purely impeccable songwriting. Again, it was stuff like “To the Workers of the Rock River Valley Region, I Have an Idea ...” that won my heart over, originally. The trumpet and how sad it sounds, almost yearning; the way the piano dangles over everything else, like a guiding light; the crashing percussion and how it’s calling but not reaching. I love whistling a lot and it’s got a personal bias too I’m sure, but it’s absolutely gorgeous, too. And still, these are two tiny sample of juice from an album of 22 massive pieces of life. – Bryan

2010 Songs

2011-01-05T00:47:00.004-07:00

Various songs from my own batch of top songs of 2010, my lame edition. Haha, I finally made some kind of list and here are a few of my fave songs.

This one’s the opener off Booka Shade’s latest. Just a downright sexy song to get down to and jam out to in the morning, as you’re getting ready for work, as your driving to work, as your on your lunch break or whenever, it kicks ass.

A ridiculous, rambling, ridiculously good sample of Billy Joel’s “Movin’ Out (Antony’s Song)”, acts as the center piece to Das Racist’s “You Oughta Know.” Naturally, the original song is what has my interest slanted, but have a listen here to the old classic by Joel:

And then here is the sped-up, crazed, super smoked-out version that Das Racist tuned out. Both their mixtapes from this year (Shut Up, Dude & Sit Down, Man) are downright awesome. I read someone’s description of these two cats as “very intelligent people willing to not take themselves too seriously and actually, willing to be downright stupid.” Love it.

And I’ve gotta include this one here to at least throw in some kind of sentimental value…right? The Hold Steady’s newest wasn’t one of my absolute favorites but this song definitely hits the spot for me. It’s genuinely sweet and the chorus’ line about how heaven is getting together, listening to records with your favorite girl, sounds like such a fantastic idea. I’m guessing the theme is that heaven is whatever we make it out to be, as good as we want to be and entirely in our control (my interpretation of THS’ album, not my own point of view) and it’s a pretty great thought: the most simple, easy things can be the most enjoyable. – Bryan

MMXI !!!!!!!!

2011-01-01T14:57:00.007-07:00

A New Year has officially arrived, and us at ODD GILA would like to wish everybody much prosperity in 2011. A special thanks to any regular followers we might have out there, we hope to keep you entertained in the new year. In this post I wanted to pair a song for the new year, maybe something that summed the year up... I really couldn't come up with anything, but I do know that last night the straight party rocker, dance floor crowding, almost panty dropping song the DJ played was Miss Lauryn Hill, "Doo Wop"! And it's like, somethings are just straight classic. I'd love to chat about all the reasons why this jam is dope on every level..but I got places to go, people to see and things to do in 2011!!! So enjoy Miss Hill for now Feliz Ano Nuevo!! -Nick

Tin Man

2010-12-27T00:12:00.001-07:00

- Bryan

Vince Guaraldi Trio, "A Charlie Brown Christmas"

2010-12-25T01:19:00.005-07:00

There is no other music that gives me that warm feeling the holidays are supposed to represent than the jazzy tunage of The Vince Guaraldi Trio and the work they did for the Peanuts Charlie Brown Christmas. Obviously a jazz record as much as it is a Christmas classic, this album is remarkable in capturing the spirit of a Charlie Brown Christmas. Struggling to find the true spirit of Christmas in the 1965 tv special, Charlie Brown is accompanied by a beautifully melancholy score of tunes that are light hearted and tranquil, yet have a slight jazzy bight the wintery cold of the late december might bring. Its truly amazing that such timeless music can be created by only three people. On this Christmas Day, whatever amazing people you might be surrounded by, throw some of these tunes on, and I'll promise you the mood will be perfect for sharing good times and good spirits. Merry Christmas to all -Nick

and a personal favorite, cause its so lively and oh how I love skating with 2 fingers over beautiful people when this song comes on...

Broken Social Scene - Forgiveness Rock Record

2010-12-23T21:42:00.003-07:00

So I've been really busy lately. I wish I had more time off from work but until the new year starts, I am out of personal and vacation time. Lately, I've been pre-occupied with trying to work on 'extra-curricular' activities while trying to balance my personal/work life. To look at something I've been recently working on, you can read anything on this page (http://www.adequacy.net/) to get an idea of the fruits of my labor. I also recently wrote stuff for a few other places but alas, I am probably done writing about music for the year. It's pretty sad really; I operate on a schedule, my close friends call me a task-man. And that means that music gets shuffled into a tight, neat schedule where I can evaluate a year and then move on. For now, it has to be like that - otherwise it's far too overwhelming - and plus it gives me a concrete excuse to say, "Hey, well I need to write about it." Whatever the case is, it'd be awesome to let loose, like on Black Swan (which if you haven't seen yet, please do) but even Natalie Portman gets tired right?

So with that, my personal top whatever of 2010 is almost over. I've mentioned before about listening to stuff and trying to grasp what I feel for it. Your own music loves/likes will surely be personal but I try not to make it entirely subjective because then, everything would be all about the emotionally moving stuff. Still, Broken Social Scene has been one of those steady loves that never seems to pale, when compared to other flickering lights. They're like that great girl that you can always turn to and know that she has all the right goods for you, instead of being damaged goods, haha. Bad jokes aside, I remember showing 2005's self-titled album to Nick a while back and he really liked what he heard. I had the new one on me for a while, the greatly titled Forgiveness Rock Record, and lately, it's hit a new shift for me. The sounds are still sprawling and I've never considered BSS to be an 'easy' band to listen to but man is this music good. "Sweetest Kill" is a downtrodden smooth ride that peels back the layers of the band's huge sounds to reveal an honest and genuine sound. Lead man Kevin Drew leads in with gorgeous lines like "All the time, we get by, trying to figure out our lives. Like a fade out." Definitely a stand out here.

I had almost entirely forgotten about this band and this new album until I finally realized how foolish I had been. I've been trying to make some kind of final list, maybe I can post that within the next few days. Sometimes I wish I had more time to just chill and live a casual life. I desperately miss when I could just go to school and jam out to music on the side. And I especially miss walking around the music stores in town and just grabbing a ton of music to lose myself in. Speaking of losing yourself, I was talking to an awesome girl yesterday and she mentioned something about her love for instrumental music, with tons of guitar. "Romance to the Grave" doesn't have 'tons of guitar' but it showcases BSS as one of the most musical bands still around. Beginning with tranquil shifts in strings and volume, the vocals come through with a dynamic presence. I remember eating up the huge walls of sound they achieved on previous albums and nothing changes on Forgiveness Rock Record - other than that cool name of course - it's probably just as good as their previous stuff. Maybe I'm biased since I've always liked them but there's not much to dislike here. - Bryan

Radiohead - True Love Waits

2010-12-21T00:39:00.003-07:00

The basis of my love for Radiohead is probably Thom Yorke’s voice or the fact that, in my book at least, they are the most musical band of my time. And I remember falling in love with their words and music in my primitive years, when everything was forming inside of me – it’s like if we bonded but not really. Their lyrics always get a huge flack from haters that don’t seem to grasp the bigger picture: sure “All I Need” is a shattered lovelorn shout for attention but it’s also completely beautiful isn’t it? In many ways, Radiohead’s lyrics are some of the best I’ve ever heard and there will probably be no one greater for me – no matter how jaded or nostalgic they may imply to be.

“True Love Waits” was one of the few songs during the Kid A/Amnesiac sessions that spoke to me; and it didn’t even come out on either of those albums. It’s somewhat of a guitar ballad that features Yorke’s voice in prime position. Hard to believe this was going on in my head when I was nothing more than a punk high school kid because it’s pretty powerful and endearing. The twists are magnificent; it’s also depressing in many ways and entirely downtrodden. At the end, “don’t leave” is all he can say as he begs for her to stay. Nothing more or less than an outstanding song, just kind of feeling it. Here's an awesome version I found when they did MTV's "$2 series." – Bryan

John Lennon – Plastic Ono Band

2010-12-10T13:27:00.002-07:00

I’ve still been on a Beatles/Lennon kick for the last few days and I knew I had this album in both CD and vinyl format for reasons other than just to be a trendy douchebag. The line-up is tight and lean with Yoko Ono being the fourth member adding “wind,” it’s the only post-Beatles album that features two Beatles on every single song (Ringo Starr and Lennon) and one of my all-time favorites. I remember hearing the individual songs on different greatest hits collections but I found a lot of them all on here, Lennon’s debut, Plastic Ono Band.

Part of the reason why it sounds to good to my ears, at least, is the fact that Starr is still playing drums on every single song here. Lennon definitely marks the occasion away from his Beatles days with pride (his full name “John Lennon” credited under every single song, the cover of just him and Ono) and still, he holds on a bit. The energy on “Remember” is tremendous and the clustered piano with sheer dissension is an amazing choice. Lennon asks if we remember and the music pulses with an intense pull. Right before “Love” it’s surely startling but the change of pace is excellent and the sequencing is one of the best aspects of Plastic Ono Band – everything just made sense.

I love how it starts with this harsh snarl “these freaks on the phone, won’t leave me alone…” before tearing into this blistering stomp. The music is so incredibly direct and the drive is on a physical ride for the best. I imagine bands like Queens of the Stone Age and others of similar style listening to this and being blown away. This came out in December 11 of 1970 so it sounds so fitting right now to hear it; but it’s crazy to imagine that Lennon had all of this music ready just months after The Beatles broke up. Everyone talked about how Lennon finally tackled his demons, denouncing everyone, “They can’t do you no harm to fell your own pain,” and it was justly poignant. Especially after the gorgeous swoon of “Hold on John,” “I Found Out” is a buzzing, freak-out gem of rock music.

I’m gonna get into some great hip-hop soon and hopefully write about it but Lennon was still in my mind and I’m blasting the record now so it made sense.- Bryan

John Lennon - I'm Only Sleeping/Love

2010-12-08T21:57:00.003-07:00

I always solidified whatever thoughts I had about love with what John Lennon sings about on "Love." I think that there are so many arguments you could make about him being the best Beatle and I'm not sure if I even care, but "Love" was always the quintessential love song that was always genuine and never fake. I'm grateful for being able to grow up around such good music and I remember stealing Lennon's collection of hits from my dad to jam out to. "Love"'s simple piano melody and Lennon's voice are about as close to perfect as you could imagine. This song came out on his debut solo, Plastic Ono Band, and as I've been listening to that album a lot today, it still sounds vitally new. I still remember putting on the headphones and blasting the beginning just to be able to fully take in the quietness he was reaching for. The lyrics are so endearing and it's pretty special really.

Have you ever gone through your Beatles stage where you wanna find out who really wrote the song, who really sung the vocals and who really wanted it written to begin with? Sure, they had agreed on the Lennon/McCartney label long before but many songs were chiefly Lennon or chiefly McCartney. I always knew and felt "I'm Only Sleeping" as one of Lennon's song. The jangled melody allows the drums and bass to trip over each other and his words are so delectably easy to sing ("Please don't spoil my day, I'm miles away"), I could sleep all day. Revolver gets a lot of attention but this song just might be my favorite Beatles' song and it's a Lennon one, I'm sure of it. - Bryan

Gilles Peterson: The Brownswood Bubblers Series and Havana Cultura

2010-12-05T15:12:00.004-07:00

The one driving force that inspired me to assemble a rickety ol' dj setup that I've been fooling around with for the past 5 years was Mr. Giles Peterson. Described as a globe trotting purveyor of all sounds soulful and inspired, Gilles Peterson is one of the most eclectically minded DJs I've ever heard. Based out of London, this Brit knows good music from all over the world, spanning every genre and era. Undoubtedly his love for record collecting and the immense collection he has amassed over the years is a major reason Peterson is one of my favorite DJs. What he may lack in technical ability on the 1's and 2's, he totally makes up for in song selection. He has the ability to drop an up tempo jazzy track obscure to all, like this one he remixed by Italian singer Raphael Gualazzi.....
and right when you think you figured out his musical palette, he flips this one on you....
A flat out, head bopping, spacefunk masterpiece from hip hop electro production duo Javelin.
Both these tracks can be found on his most recent release on the Brownswood Buubblers Series, (named after his record label) which is are all wonderful collections of up and coming soulful talent from all over the globe. This is off Volume Six

But the thing is, Gilles doesn't stop there, he can't because he's on a mission to open your ears to new and exciting sounds from all over the world. He recently produced an album of various artists displaying the emerging sounds in Cuba. Entitled "Havana Cultura". Gilles assembled an array of amazing Cuban musicians to record beautiful, new material. A stand out track has to be a cover of J Dillas classic hip hop track"Think Twice by Danay and Obsesion.

Lets hope Gilles doesn't stop traveling anytime soon, so keep the good music coming brother. -Nick

The Impossible Soul

2010-12-03T16:49:00.003-07:00

I'm starting to get pretty drained lately. I guess I don't have that drive in me that I used to have and it's been severely lacking lately. Part of me wishes that I could do more and a part of me wishes to just let everything go and start new. Sometimes everything just seems sort of helpless really, almost impossible. And before I turn this into some kind of bad Darcy post (because at least his posts are well written, albeit super personal), I know that there is still music to be found.

I know I mentioned year-end lists earlier. I think I have been able to slowly get somewhere with the process but even that feels futile. Maybe because it's officially become work in some sense but that would just be an excuse. Anyway, I went to All That Music the other day and hauled home 3 records. One of them was Sufjan Stevens' latest LP - which I have exhausted here already. "Impossible Soul" is that album's last song, all 25+ minutes of it. It's a gripping story and definite closure to the hugely grandiose statements Stevens made with The Age of Adz. I recently got a jolt to relisten to the words when someone smart mentioned just how powerful the lyrics really are, until next time - Bryan

Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest

2010-11-26T17:04:00.003-07:00

It's always around this time of year that I start to closely look at my albums and songs for the current year and I try to place them in some kind of arbitrary ranking. And without trying to make it seem as if I only make lists for the publications I write for, I've always been a fan of lists. I feel it's a fun way to learn more about music and it's especially great to read and share lists amongst people you respect and like. Either way, in trying to get all of my favorite music of 2010 and immersing myself in it, I went back to one of top albums of 2009, Grizzly Bear's Veckatimest, to find what is it that makes an album great and very importantly, long-lasting.

The entire album has a gripping pull to it, all of the band members deliver timely and fitting touches when needed. Their ear for melody is one thing but to be able to harmonize four different voices with various moods, themes and keys is something else. I always loved how everything opened with "Southern Point," and how it was just Daniel Rossen's voice and that glorious guitar line. It sets the mood for the album's colorful sounds and it starkly marks a new sound from where they were before, 2006's haunted Yellow House. Here is a cool video for a recording they did of the song:

Seeing them up close for last year's ACL was a surreal experience. Looking back, they were one of the 'buzz' bands last year and they played a gifted set in the middle of the day, around a fierce rainstorm. Anyone who knows me closely knows that I consider this band to be one of the best. (After Radiohead made In Rainbows, they were looking for awesome bands to open for them, they chose Grizzly Bear and Liars. And before that, when I got to see Radiohead in Berkeley, they had The Black Keys and Deerhoof opening for them. I saw the latter - apparently Radiohead know their stuff.) Regardless, long before Veckatimest, they premiered "Two Weeks" and "While You Wait for the Others" on late-night talk shows, a year before the album came out. It left a strong set of great expectations and surely, they didn't disappoint. The sound that Rossen gets out of that guitar is undeniably mesmerizing, everything about it still moves me. Here is the official video for "While You Wait for the Others" - Bryan

The Deathly Hallows and Nick Cave

2010-11-21T16:52:00.004-07:00

I finally got to see the new Harry Potter movie. I say finally because I hadn’t seen a movie in the theatres since…I wanna say Up but not sure…a very long time. But these movies/books are definitely high on my list of current favorites. I still remember reading through all the books in hopes to latch onto this immense band-wagon by the time the fifth movie came out in 2007. Back then I was a substitute teacher and I would pour into these books every day at work and got through all of them, finally, in the winter of 2007. I ended up watching that movie alone in the dollar theatres back then and hell, I still loved it, but fortunately, I was able to watch the new one in a packed theatre with good friends yesterday and as another good friend told me earlier, it was simply magical.

Besides that ridiculous rant (and really bad run-on at the end there, yikes. HOVA would say “that shit is…fucking ridiculous!”), the point of this post was that in the movie, they usually only use classical scoring. However in the new movie, there is a scene written specifically for the film that features Hermione and Harry dancing to Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds’ “O Children.” I was stunned that they would feature some kind of rock music with lyrics but even more surprised that it was this gorgeous song. It’s off their 2004 double-album, Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus, and it happens to fall under the category of one their better albums to date. There’s swooning adoration (“Babe, You Turn Me On”) and still, shining rolls (“Supernaturally”) all over.

Cave is a master songwriter that is capable of soaring highs – in my opinion, all of his music has always been downright spectacular. This particular song is on the second disc and it closes everything with a beautiful closure. There’s a memorable piano line that’s, Cave’s battered voice and the background singers are a fitting touch; the director of the Harry Potter film probably said it best, “It has that capacity to lift you up and break your heart at the same time.”

Hmm, a lot of music is that way when you think about it; especially the bitterly good stuff – the stuff that hits you that much harder than the rest. Then again, the same could be said about women. – Bryan

Bon Iver – Blood Bank EP

2010-11-18T00:59:00.001-07:00

I’ve been wanting to write about this EP for quite some time now. It’s lame for me to say that with the Kanye album flying hot! Some said Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon was cashing in after For Emma, Forever Ago with a quaint, short four-song EP that was more about its use of auto-tune than anything else. I’m not sure but to me at least, it was a chillingly new sound to get lost in while dreaming of snow. The music all over the EP is softly strung – the title track creeping in with a chugging stomp of voices – and it’s truly an embracing grip of mesmerizing music.

This is “Babys,” the penultimate song that has the menacing piano line that clanks away at the sides of the walls. Vernon’s voice is solemnly sweet as he bluntly sings about the feeling when it’s right to make a baby. I have no idea what that feeling is like, I’m guessing it must be awesome but in the meantime, there is brightly layered music to listen to as we think about it. (Sorry about the accompanying video, but the song is what matters)

I’m not sure, either, how much Kanye West was inspired by this EP, to make his auto-tune smash 808s and Heartbreak but surely it meant something to him as he decided to essentially use all of “Woods” to set up and support “Lost in the World.” Vernon’s song is drenched with auto-tune and built around layers of vocals that travel in a round. Like a choir of fantastic tones, here are the song’s sole words:

'I'm up in the woods
I'm down on my mind

I'm building a still
To slow down the time'

Looks like Vernon was still dreaming about the cabin where he lived in while writing For Emma, Forever Ago. Fortunately, there was someone mainstream enough to get him some much, more, deserved attention because even just as “a quaint, short four-song EP that was more about its use of auto-tune than anything else,” it’s pretty bad-ass. – Bryan

Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago

2010-11-16T12:32:00.001-07:00

I was talking about nostalgia earlier and I was also talking about fall/winter music that just happens to sound better during the coldness. The fall/winter combination of 2007 was a downright dreadful one for me and there was a constant struggle within myself to try and find some kind of music to find solace in. So much of what I had loved had been, suddenly, mired with broken thoughts that there was nowhere else to turn but towards new music. As Bon Iver, Justin Vernon’s debut For Emma, Forever Ago was that kind of new sound I was looking for. It came during a time where everything seemed darker than dark and it fittingly captures the coldness of the physical weather as well. One of the best singer-songwriter albums of the past five years or so (check out what this lowly writer poorly wrote about back in 2008) , it’s been on rotation for me with the cold weather taking over.

Dear, I remember listening to “Flume” for the first time and having nothing but tears pour down my face. As unnecessarily honest as that may be, it wasn’t so much me at the time but maybe, the gripping pull of the music that moved me to those extremes. The lovely chug of the guitar and Vernon’s soothing falsetto were instant memories and all the atmospherics – the shrilling spindle, backing vocals and the open spaces – would make for a mesmerizing beginning. Before all the black peals away to reveal some kind of white, the music tears away coming back to Vernon singing, “Only love is all maroon, gluey feathers on a flume…sky is womb and she’s the moon.” It’s such an endearing sound – a warm and calming one – and at times, moving.

What really moved be about “Creature Fear” was the way it just cascaded from such a quiet territory to something downright soaring. As somber and solemn as a lot of the music sounds, here were some gushing sounds to relish in. The opening sounds are slowly ominous, before Vernon’s frail voice shows up, “I was full by your count, I was lost but your fool.” It solidified its diversity to me then and I’d really love to know what I thought about it back then – I probably ruined some of the music with foolish decisions – but now, it’s simply gorgeous music. Now if only I could just learn how to play the guitar so I could sing, “I was teased by your blouse, spit out by your mouth” too. – Bryan

Kanye West - Monster

2010-11-13T18:21:00.002-07:00

If anyone’s gonna embrace the Kanye West theme of our blog lately, it’s me. The crazy thing with all of the guests on the album is – again – how seamless West makes everything work. The song Nick mentions, “Lost in the World,” is an unbelievable song that serves strangely awesome as the next to the last song. Crazy is that the last song is one called “Who Will Survive in America,” which I am still researching in order to be able to write about it better. But needless to say, it’s a less-than-2-minute song that leaves everything, almost, well unanswered.

But speaking of Bon Iver, he’s on “Monster” as well – which is my current favorite off My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. I mean, I didn’t even like Nikki Minaj before but her verse on this song simply kills, alone. Sure there is Rick Ross, West’s awesome verses, too, and hip-hop royalty with Jay-Z but Minaj destroys everything in her path with a ridiculous display of game. She sounds fiercely in-your-face and like The National sung, she’ll eat your brains, too. Here is a version with the lyrics to read along with, more on this album (another cover up top) to come for sure. – Bryan

Kanye West is "Lost In The World"

2010-11-13T16:57:00.008-07:00

So I had heard about the "Runaway" video a few weeks ago as well, and like Bryan I hadn't had a chance to see...till now that is. And let me tell you, regardless of whether you're a Kanye fan or not, anyone can take some sort of appreciation from this short film. From the cinematography, scenery, and to obviously the music, the aesthetic he creates here is amazing! Based around the story of the Phoenix myth, or better know to many as the Firebird, Kanye creates a lengthy exploration of love and acceptance (something I think we can all agree that Kanye struggles with). I won't get into the video too much, I think you just gotta watch for yourself. But I will say Miss Selita Ebanks of Victoria's Secret fame stole my heart in this video. She is absolutely gorgeous and I think does an amazing job portraying such a frail and beautiful character. There's a lot going on in this film, almost to much to talk about with out sounding like I'm writing a term paper for a film studies class, but I think its obvious Kanye took this process very seriously.

The one song I found myself addicted to after watching the film was the closer. Entitled "Lost In The World" it is featured as the closer on the album as well and features indie darlings Bon Iver. It's a beautiful song that starts out with some intense autotune very reminiscent of Imogen Heap's "Hide and Seek". The beat finally drops with the heavy tribal drums we heard on 808's. The vibe is very upbeat and almost danceable, however the accompaniment of Bon Iver keeps the track undeniably melancholy. Check it out below and I'll be waiting anxiously to hear the Album in its entirety very soon ;) Enjoi -Nick

Kanye West – Runaway

2010-11-12T10:59:00.001-07:00

I recently got Kanye West’s newest, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, and it’s been on constant rotation. Personally, it’s pretty spectacular but to me, I’ve enjoyed everything West has ever put out so I am terribly slanted. But the facts remain that it’s unlike his previous album, 808s & Heartbreak, and a complete return to form to his hip-hop grandiosity that he displayed on his first three albums. The album is sprawling with various styles and well, twisted fantasies (up top is one of the many different covers), and all are outstanding.

Dreary-eyed and coughing with a sore throat, I saw the official video for “Runaway” on TV last night and was blown away. Supposedly there is a 35-minute official video, too, and I don’t include either here; instead, here is the explicit version because it’s definitely better. On the album the song is 9-minutes long and it stretches out into a massive mix of auto tune and walls of sound. In all honesty, it’s a pretty special album but I might just be wrong as well. I’ll talk more in detail about it later, maybe. – Bryan

The Blues Post

2010-11-09T20:31:00.005-07:00

I was talking to someone the other day about my personal musical taste and it got me thinking. Why is it I love what I love so much and where did it all start? During the conversation I realized that the very first genre of music I got into on my own was The Blues. Early on I can remember investing my meager allowance on Blues cassettes from Sam Goody. One that sticks out in my mind that was on constant rewind on a particular yellow Sony Walkman everyone seemed to have back in the day was Eric Clapton's "Unplugged". Why an 8 year old Mexican kid became infatuated with the blues is still kinda unknown to me, but it definitely shaped my musical taste from that point on. From the Blues I naturally gained interest in Jazz music and more popular forms of "Black" music like R&B and hip-hop. My youthful exploration into rap and hip-hop turned me onto the "sample based" culture of the time. I started reading linear notes of rap artist to figure out what amazing soul singer unknown to me that was being sampled. From there I was introduced to the funky and soulful hooks of Soul and Funk music. Till this day I attribute my love for all these musical genres and everything they have to offer because first and foremost fell for the Blues. Here are a few classics I'll always love and some new stuff, which is proof that the Blues ain't dead and never will be, because people will always have the blues and will always need to express them musically.
The Classics
From what was touted as the Black Woodstock, Albert King, a blues legend plays at "Wattstax" a concert at the LA Coliseum in the summer of 1972 that brought together some of the biggest names in Black popular music. "I'll Play the Blues for You" (I love his intro, he speaks to exactly what I just expressed earlier, saying, "This is for all the Blues lovers and to those that ain't hip to the Blues. We gonna learn them to you, or rather teach them, cause we'll be around for a while".

A little taste of what little Nico was jamming to on his Walkman back in '93. (A white man from England who knows how to play some mean blues guitar, a testament to the power of the Blues)

The New School
The undisputed kings of the Blues for this generation in my book, The Black Keys have been doing it with class and doing it for some time now. Amazing Lyrics and blues licks that rate up there with the best. (I love how this little studio session shows the inceprion of an amazing track,,, and lyrics like, "I wish loneliness would leave me, but I think it's here to stay" really help to love this song.

Crystal Antlers, a band I have had the amazing opportunity to meet on a few occasions as well as have play in a friends basement, these dudes, and chick from Long Beach California know how to rock! A great example of how the Blues ideal has married post punk sensibilities and transformed into an exciting hybrid that holds to a bluesy standard that I hope will never leave music, actually I know it won't.

So the next time your lover leaves you and you feel the Blues a coming on, don't get worried there will be a plethora of music to drown your sorrows in, All Thanks to the Blues.
-Nick

Joanna Newsom - Have One On Me (Disc One)

2010-11-07T21:57:00.003-07:00

I’ve posted about Joanna Newsom before, twice actually. Starters and bias out of the way, I think she’s an absolutely beautiful woman and I always love being reminded to listen to her music. Whether it’s just another excuse to drool all over her gorgeously unique voice and then, in turn, to be able to look for some images to drool of…well, she’s pretty bad-ass right?

I was recently reminded of her when reading a thread on a forum I post on. Basically, the gist of the thread was to put up some kind of mix tape – called Frankenstein’s mix tape – and in it, you could be a master DJ of some sort and come up with an album of songs off your favorite albums of the year. The point being that although they could be diverse, the songs needed to be placed at their original track order at least. Here is the one I came up with for fun’s sake:

1.Dance Yrself Clean – LCD Soundsystem
2. Love Cry – Four Tet
3. XXXO – M.I.A.
4. Locked Inside – Janelle Monáe
5. Gone Baby, Don't Be Long – Erykah Badu
6. I Saw the Light – Spoon
7. Empire Ants – Gorillaz
8. Djohariah – Sufjan Stevens
9. I Want to Be Well – Sufjan Stevens
10. The Undoing – Interpol
11. Animals – Bonobo
12. I’m Not the One – The Black Keys
13. Half-State – Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
14. Sprawl I (Flatland) – Arcade Fire
15. Back Up Plan – Big Boi

So anyway, I noticed that a lot of people had the same Joanna Newsom song on their mixes, the fourth song off her triple disc of an album, Have One On Me. If you ever get a chance to see the photos she took for each LP of the vinyl edition, WOW. The first disc is probably my least favorite of all the discs only because of how slow moving the songs are. But “Good Intentions Paving Company” is beyond remarkable, in my opinion. Her voice cracks as she sings but with the piano’s rolling melody and the percussion’s timely touches, the sheer chug of the song is what really gets me moving. The words are especially stirring, “Like I’m in a fist fight with a fog, baby” and to end everything, “When I only want for you to pull over and hold me, ‘til I can’t remember my own name.” I almost feel tired trying to describe it because I would hope that people would click on the video and just listen to the 7-minute song. Not because I’m lazy or it’s not worth it but there’s not really anything adequate enough to say about Ms. Newsom that DOESN’T over-hype it but for whatever it is, she’s a tremendous artist and this song showcases all of her strengths: creative songwriting, her singular voice and her impeccable musicianship. – Bryan

The Death of Superman

2010-11-07T01:11:00.013-06:00

I tried writing this post once before. I was ready for it, but for some reason something wasn't right, and so I left. Maybe the timing was off.

Awhile back, way before I started reading Chuck Palahniuk, I came across something that sent chills running down my spine. It was a work by Ernest Hemingway, a flash fiction piece he wrote to settle a bet with some drinking buddies. It went like this -

For Sale: Baby shoes, never worn.

They wanted a novel in six words. I imagine they got more than they waged for.

I also read that in his senility, he took his life with a shotgun blow to the head. I don't think I've been the same since.

It's terribly numbing to hear things like this for me. You read about these people who do what you dream about, and then hear how they erase themselves, perhaps not even knowing the scope of their influence. Not knowing how important they were.

And maybe there's good reason behind each story. Depression, addiction, heartache. Maybe. Maybe at that point, when they had to decide whether this was all worth it or not, the thing everyone else saw and what they saw didn't line up. Maybe the timing was off.

I wonder if they regret it.

Right at the point you realize there's no going back, there has to be a split second of lucidity. In that moment, the depressed can feel and the brokenhearted are whole.

There's got to be something like that going on in those milliseconds before death.

Maybe not.

Maybe there's just violent jerking or useless flinching or empty gasping before the dead silence. Before the walls are painted with shame and secret and bits of skull and brains. I'm sure there would be regret if they saw what we saw.

I wonder if that's why we've never heard from Superman, though. He's probably seen what it means to be special. To be adored. It means nothing really. Because Cobain was a modern day poet, but in the end we couldn't save him. And similes never hit as close as Plaith's, but not even our medication could keep her from her demise.

Maybe that's why Superman has never shown.

Or maybe he has, but he's gone just the same.

For the seconds he was here, he made their lives better. He showed them what love is... shared with them the things they crave - good music, good reads, prime time things - but he couldn't stay, because the love was too uneven. The love he gave wasn't in line with the love they gave. And when he had to make a decision about whether all this was worth it or not, he did. And in the milliseconds of lucidity, when the heartbreak turned to love and the weight of the world never seemed so light, he knew what he did was done.

I'm sure he regrets what he did. But he had no choice. The timing was off.

My Morning Jacket - Z

2010-11-06T18:25:00.004-06:00

Did anyone else see the horse race today? I like watching the major horse races and the talk with everyone was how the mighty Zenyatta would do. Long story short, she was undefeated (19-0) heading into the race today, where she looked to end her career a perfect 20-0; she’s also a female horse and she’s named after The Police’s Zenyattá Mondata. Pretty impressive right? She hung around the back of the pack for most of the race before roaring after the last turn to come in a close but futile, second place. It was something beautiful to see, really. Here was this gorgeous horse, who had never lost and on the last race, she gave it everything she had to be beat by some dude. I was rooting for her too, sure, but with such an awesome name, I thought of an album Z, by My Morning Jacket. So maybe my tastes are far too generic but come on, this is still, very good music right?

I’ve always loved the middle section probably the most. There’s the giddy energy of “What a Wonderful Man” and by the time the driving guitar chug of “Off the Record” comes on, it’s pretty awesome. I remember back in 2005, this all sounding so fresh and new for me and it’s still relatively original. I mean, I don’t think that you could find many other voices that truly resemble Jim James' soaring vocals and the band is able to diversify from sound to sound, style to style, with such skill that it all seems entirely easy. And so “Off the Record” is perfect in showcasing just how all-encompassing the sounds on here are. I remember reading Rolling Stone and the headline was something to the effect of “My Morning Jacket: The American Radiohead.” Z was their breakthrough and arguably, their highest point and so naturally, word was huge around this band and album.

One of the first capturing moments with me and Z was when I realized how impressive the bookends were. “Wordless Chorus” is seemingly perfection in opening any album and “Dondante” is this nostalgic, reflective, almost ghostly ending. Music should always maintain some kind of importance to you, solely – without any kind of interference or inconvenience because of some kind of other force. So while Z was deeply rooted in past memories, it’s amazingly fresh and real for me now. At first “Dondante” is slowly maneuvering around James’ words with a menacing guitar line. The band is patiently foreboding with their massive progression and once the explosion hits, it’s downright stunning. “You had me worried! So worried, that this would last. But now I’m learning, learning that this will pass.” – Bryan

Caribou - Swim

2010-11-03T12:10:00.001-06:00

So I haven’t written in a while, sorry for those that happen to read this blog. I’m gonna try to get back into music – at least consciously – because I realize I am very behind on everything. It’s hard to be organized and it’s even harder to follow through on whatever tasks you set out for yourself; I am really learning that now. Still, whatever, I’m not gonna draw this out…so music…

I think I was at The Terror (Oct. 29) and I heard one of the DJs sample or really, just play “Odessa” and it instantly reminded me that I needed to get back to this album, quick. Caribou came to El Paso a couple years back when he released Andorra and he was pretty tremendous. And Swim is arguably, a bit better than his previous album and still, I hadn’t given it enough listens. So anyway, “Odessa” is the awesome opener (also featured in FIFA 11’s bad-ass soundtrack!) that is easily becoming one of 2010’s most beloved songs. The menacing melody is downright infectious and the song’s seamless flow through various instrumentation and beats is really, masterful. It’s a popular pick, sure; but it’s probably popular for at least a few good reasons, right?

“Leave House” has this certain kind of nervy synth that’s always underlining the music – I swear that when I heard the chorus the first time I though it was Franz Ferdinand’s Alex Kapranos – the bass is sublime and I love how it just grows and grows until it manifests into a huge wall of sound. I also think it has something to do with the layering and the rhythmic patterns at the front, that share a lot of LCD Soundsystem’s same tendencines; however, once you hear the vocals and the bubbling keyboards, it’s definitely Caribou. There’s some kind of 80s-influence in his music, too; it’s one of the many ‘other’ great songs off this album. – Bryan

Smile

2010-11-02T03:31:00.005-06:00

I used to have a theory of how people found other people... of how lovers met. I used to think we're walking puzzle pieces, just wandering around, experiencing life, waiting, or not waiting, for the right person to come and complete us...to "fit" perfectly with us, like we're one piece of the puzzle and them the other. I used to think like that.

But it wasn't all right.

There were people out there who didn't make it all right. I have this one friend; he's a sex god, a bonified pussy pleaser, not to mention he's got a smile and charm that could melt any girl's heart; and he's got substance. He's every girl's missing puzzle piece, or that's how it seems, at least. And it's people like him that throw me off.

So I had to revise my theory. Maybe we're all walking puzzle pieces, but some of us are universal pieces. Maybe some of us walk around with grooves and pegs that are constantly changing, and any piece we encounter could be the one we "fit" into. Maybe that's how it is... but it doesn't really matter.

And that's the point, because really perception is everything. A piece of shit to one girl is a superman to another, and maybe they're both right in the eye's of superman; but what doesn't matter is what the other thinks. You could envision your fitting piece, and you could find your piece, but if you're piece doesn't see what you see, then there is no finished puzzle. Walking this entire Earth a million times over and encountering your soul-mate mate each time won't make them yours.

Even if the pieces do somehow align, there will always be something lodged between them. Insecurities, past relationships, trivial issues, fetishes...always something.

But there's one thing to remember, no matter what the outcome of the story...never lose hope. It's the one thing we have against the odds, because the odds are against you. Just look into a mirror and try to see what everyone else sees. You'll see your reflection, if you're lucky. But with a little hope you'll smile at the possibility that someone might see you for more than you think you're worth. And with a little hope, you'll see yourself standing there smiling...knowing you're not gonna throw it all away.

If you don't smile, remember... you're not alone.

We Create These Hells

2010-10-30T20:43:00.005-06:00

Its a weird feeling knowing everyone in the world is out and about when you're at home, alone. It's not depressing, just weird. You feel genuinely alone. I hate to be so dismal but I have nothing else to do. And I know I hardly know what being alone is but on this one day it's hard not to feel this way.

My mom would tell me stories of when she felt genuinely alone. These were stories from when she was younger and I was just a baby. There's lots of these stories, and I genuinely wonder how she survived. She had me there by her side, but at only two, three, four years old, I doubt I could give her the companionship a soul mate could. You could hardly believe in soul mates after you heard these stories. You could hardly understand how she could ever love again. I don't think she ever did.

These stories are always playing in my mind, like a movie on loop. Always keeping me from becoming something I don't ever want to be. She's created a hell for me, but I love her more than anything...and that's how 'but' should be used.

Every once in awhile the movie will pause and I'll be free. I'll forget the pain I've lived with her. And it's in these times that a friend of mine always takes me back to that hell. A friend of mine who always texts me the same lyric just at the right times: "Wait for the day you come home from the loneliest part". "Look for the girl who has put up with all your shit", I always text back.

Its become something of a tradition, and every time he texts, I wish it was something we never started. Because I always come home from the loneliest part, but I'm afraid my shit is too much. I'm afraid she won't want to live this hell with me. I mean, who wants to stay at home when everybody in the world is out and about.

he was there

2010-10-28T04:50:00.005-06:00

I imagine you can sense the end of a relationship. Not the way you sense something ominously visible - like cancer for a chain smoker - but more in the way an animal can sense fear, or knees a coming storm. I imagine it to be the saddest part of the break up - knowing that there's nothing to stop what's coming.

There's a story I think of when I imagine this heartbreak. It's of a girl, madly in love with a boy; so in love, even her mother's bitter hatred can't keep her from him. One day, after an exhausting fight with the girl's mother, the boy has had enough; and, in a romantic attempt to rescue his love from anymore heartache, he promises her they will run away. She couldn't be happier; it's all that she's been dreaming for. So, with her heart in her hand and her luggage all packed, she waits for him. She waits with more hope than she's ever known...than she's ever had. But she waits. And the hope fades, because he never calls.

I imagine you can sense the end of all things...close things, at least. It would be unimaginable not to imagine so. 'Imagine' used to be the word she hated. "Don't imagine...just do." Of all the things she said, that stuck the strongest; probably because I do it so damn much. I always told her she should try it more often, told her it was like dreaming. Everyone dreams.

After she told me her story, though, I never asked it of her again. I didn't have the heart, I'd be asking too much. "Imagine he called", she'd hear. In her blue couch she'd sit, staring blankly at the doorway, the hinges intact, imagining if he had called; imagining she didn't have to carry her heart and her luggage to his doorway; imagining she could forget the face of his sister, unable to give an answer, just as confused as the poor girl standing in the doorway; imagining she could understand why he didn't call...why he wasn't there.

It's things like this I imagine we must be able to sense. How could we not. How could something expected hurt so much? Sure. But how could it not.

I don't think she meant to tell the story of the girl. She was showing me a song, "Aca Entre Nos", by a famous Mexican singer. I think she sensed other things that day, though. It was the first time I had heard the story and, as it stands, I'm the only one who's heard it in its entirety. I had never cried that hard. I had never seen her cry that soft. I imagine she sensed something that day, because 1 year later she died.

It was a sad funeral, but a happy one.

I have this fear that at my funeral nobody will show. My arrangements will have been made, my friends and family will be notified, and my children will be in good health, but the pews will be empty. There'll be rows and rows of silence. Nothingness. I imagine her to have had the same fear. But it was nothing like that for her. There wasn't a single pew empty. Everyone was there. And between you and I, I think he was there.