Catching Up: Some Rather Late Album Reviews

Catching Up: Some Rather Late Album Reviews

Album Catch-Up

As a full time college student, its hard to find time to write a full-length album review. There are, however, many fantastic albums this year that we have rarely mentioned. This post is meant to catch up.

Bat For Lashes: Two Suns
scott's rating: 8.6
brandon's rating: 8.0
Natasha Khan has a breathtaking voice. On this, her second full-length album, her sound has expanded from her debut. The songs are epic, other-worldly even. With the help of members of Yeasayer providing bass and drums on several tracks, Bat For Lashes has created a gorgeous work that should be given multiple listens. Highly Recommended.




Akron/Family: Set 'em Wild, Set 'em Free
scott's rating: 8.0
brandon's rating: 7.4
Akron/Family lost a member of their "family" for their most recent album. And while the soft "buddhist" touch may be missing, the band never fails to deliver awesome songs. Its up and down at times, but if anything the album is worth getting for the first two tracks. "River" will most certainly be on my year-end list. The album is a grower (I nearly deleted it after the first few listens), and is best enjoyed outside in the sun and wind. Recommended.





mewithoutYou: It's Crazy! It's False! It's All A Dream! It's Alright
scott's rating: 8.5
brandon's rating: 8.6
Aaron Weiss has never really sang. He has always just yelled poetry behind post-hardcore music. On mewithoutYou's new album, (see above title), he sings a lot. For those familiar with the band, this may seem like a frightening concept--but it works (think Dylan meets Neutral Milk Hotel). The lyrics form a sort of manifesto of Weiss' worldview, which at times is a bit didactic, but it is easy to respect a guy who simply wants everyone to love each other. Highly Recommended.



Bill Callahan: Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle
scott's rating: 7.8
brandon's rating: 8.1
Callahan's latest offering is full of simple, delicate folk rock that is ripe for repeat listens. His rich, low voice doesn't move around much but it doesn't really need to. His lyrics, which stand out, are poetic and engaging. Only downside is that the album is a bit top heavy. The first four tracks are incredible (don't miss Eid Ma Clack Shaw), but the latter half fades off and becomes a bit repetitive. I would, however, recommend the album .

Black Box 4/10/09

Black Box 4/10/09

Friday's Black Box

Friday is a day to crash. Crash meaning "to kick back and relax." And also, for me, meaning to violently burn to the ground in a heap of broken pieces because of all of the things that I have neglected to write about during the week. Since this happens pretty much every friday, I've resolved to go the way of the airplane and record everything in a tiny black box. Also, for your convenience I have decided to forgo the inevitable casualties usually associated with plane crashes. Cheers.
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New Michel Gondry Video Collection

Michel Gondry directorial repertoire has embraced, in reverse chronological order (because I copied from IMDB), an episode of "The Flight of the Conchords," The Science of Sleep, Dave Chappelle's Block Party, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, White Stripes' "Fell in Love With a Girl", Björk's "Bachelorette", and Daft Punk's "Around the World" making him a good human being. But believe it or not, he has made even more visual candy throughout his career, some of which will be compiled on "Michel Gondry 2: More Videos Before & After DVD 1," due April 14 via Gondry's website. The vidlist is divided into a "Music Videos" section and an "Other Work" section. Some of the ones that I am stoked about are listed below.

From "Music Videos"
Paul McCartney: "Dance Tonight"

Björk: "Declare Independence"
Queen [ft. Wyclef Jean, Pras and Free]: "Another One Bites the Dust"
Radiohead: "Knives Out" *
The Rolling Stones: "Gimme Shelter"

From "Other Work"
"The Simpsons" White Stripes Parody
Booker T and The Michel Gondry’s
Michel Gondry Solves a Rubik's Cube With His Feet
Michel Gondry Solves a Rubik's Cube With His Nose
Jack Black Beats Michel Gondry With His Rubik's Cubes
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Sigur Rós' Jónsi has Side Project, Album

Ethereal Icelandic vocalist Jón Þór Birgisson aka Jonsi from Sigur Ros is planning to debut a side project entitled Riceboy Sleeps with his partner Alex Somers. You may have already encountered RS via the Philip Glass-y eight and a half minute Dark was the Night track "Happiness," which you may have noticed, was all instrumental. This is apparently true to form as July 20th will bring the debut release from the duo which is also completely instrumental.

According to a press release all of the songs are "played solely on acoustic instruments in Iceland (and featuring long-time string collaborators Amiina, as well as the Kopavogsdaetur choir) and then endlessly toyed with on solar-powered laptops in a raw food commune in some far corner of Hawaii." Awesome! Check the tracklist here, a video for "All the Big Trees" (which looks like a photo from Jonathan Safran Foer's Extremely Loud) and "Daníell in the Sea."

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Stream Part of Animal Collective's Remix of Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Zero"

While most 7"s are a chance for diehard fans to hear that b-side or alternate take that makes their collection complete, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs/ Animal Collective split 7" is generating a bit of buzz mostly due to AC's remix os YYYs "Zero." If you are that interested, you can listen to about 30 seconds of it here. There is an annoying little beep that interrupts the song so you dont steal it or something, but other than that it seems pretty interesting to me.

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Kanye West is a Gay Fish Says South Park

This sounds compellingly like "Heartless"

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Bat for Lashes "Daniel (lo-fi version)" Live

If you've been checking out Natasha Khan's new Bat For Lashes album, Two Suns, via myspace (or otherwise...) than you will most likely want to see this live version of an alternate lo-fi take of the excellent song "Daniel." I definitely love to see all the instruments they use. What is that tinkly thing?


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Ryan Adams + Mandy Moore =

Black Box 4/3/09

Black Box 4/3/09

Friday's Black Box


Friday is a day to crash. Crash meaning "to kick back and relax." And also, for me, meaning to violently burn to the ground in a heap of broken pieces because of all of the things that I have neglected to write about during the week. Since this happens pretty much every friday, I've resolved to go the way of the airplane and record everything in a tiny black box. Also, for your convenience I have decided to forgo the inevitable casualties usually associated with plane crashes. Cheers.

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New Joanna Newsom!

Ok, so here is what happened. On monday, I post about how I am frustrated that Joanna Newsom hasn't made any music for a long time. Then on tuesday, she plays a secret show debuting two and a half hours of music. So obviously, the only thing I can conclude from that is Joanna Newsom reads this blog! Right? Please...? Ok fine. But still, this is awesome news. Via Naturalismo Newsom, playing under the pseudonym "The Beatles's" played through her forthcoming 3rd LP which "combines the strong melodic presence of songs on The Milk-Eyed Mender with her continued instrumentational prowess and maturation beyond Ys." Apparently there are some "Only Skin"-esque songs over the 12 minute mark and a bit more of a focus on piano. Be sure I will keep you updated on everything I know about this.
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Phoenix on SNL

French popsters, Phoenix, will grace the Seth Rogen hosted SNL on the morrow promoting their forthcoming album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, which is out on May 26. Definitely sound promising.

Phoenix "1901" - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix [2009]
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Yeah Yeah Yeahs' "Maps" Covered A Cappella

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New Bob Dylan Track, Lp

Bobby D has made a track from his forthcoming 46th LP, Together Through Life, via this website. The track is entitled "Beyond Here Lies Nothin" and is free. Album's out 4/28 on Columbia.

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Cryptacize Have Video for "Blue Tears"

Sufjan loves this band. We love this band. Maybe you love this band? Check the vid.

If you do love this band, then buy their forthcoming (how many times can I say forthcoming in this post?) album Mythomania on April 21st via Asthmatic Kitty.

Cryptacize "Blue Tears" - Mythomania [2009]
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Bat For Lashes Album on Myspace

You can now Stream her forth-------- album for free. I am still on the fence about this one. Let me know what you think. It seems like it is trying to be really big and grand but I'm just not sure that it has enough content to fill all that space. Not to mention it employs the now ubiquitous synths.

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Yeasayer Video from Dark Was the Night

In addition to writing their follow album to the excellent All Hour Cymbals, Brooklyn's Yeasayer made this video of their also excellent contribution to the charitable Dark Was the Night compilation. It's a lot more intimate than the recorded version, which offers a new angle to the song that I think is really interesting.

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Stuart Murdoch Offers Song from his Musical

Belle and Sebastianite, Stuart Murdoch has written a musical. He calls this musical God Help the Girl. The music itself is mostly new material with a few old B&S songs. The album is due June 23 on Matador and the first single "Come Monday Night" is out May 11, but you can hear it right now on the God Help the Girl MySpace.
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Sigur Rós performed an acoustic version of the title track to last years beautiful 'Með suð í eyrum' for the French blog La Blogotheque. They bang on a bucket, which I think is rad.