Review: Clogs - The Creatures In the Garden of Lady Walton

Review: Clogs - The Creatures In the Garden of Lady Walton

For whatever reason, the music of today's youth (as proclaimed by the blogosphere, at least), is categorically steeped in escapism. The political and social angst that sharpened the edges of independent music for the past four decades has all but disappeared, leaving behind a post-romantic generation much too cynical to believe in the world-changing power of music.

How else can we explain the incoherent impressionistic lyrics that pervade the music scene today? Pastoral scenes are abundant: Animal Collective's adobe slats; Grizzly Bear's Veckatimest island; any Joanna Newsom song, ever.

The independent music of the past half decade has been consistently drawing itself away from the political world and finding comfort in simple, natural landscapes. This movement may in itself be a protest against the seemingly ineffective quagmire of today's politics.

In many ways this new musical escapism has been captured in the work of Clogs, a quartet of classically trained indie-rockers (including two members of The National) that compose a complex hybrid of folk and classical music that is drawn from improvised jam sessions. The band's last album, Lantern (2006), introduced a dimension of accessibility that was absent from their earlier albums. They continue this movement with The Creatures in the Garden of Lady Walton, a sprawling yet compact album that introduces vocal structures to the band's instrumental landscapes.

From the very first track this realignment becomes obvious. A round of choral vocals introduces the "creatures" of the album; the listener is transported to a medieval realm at the sound of these minstrel harmonies and one could argue we never leave.

The strongest song on the record is "On the Edge" sung by My Brightest Diamond's Shara Worden. Her vibrant melodies are complimented with a delicate arrangement of guitar, strings, bassoon, and percussion that elevate the song, along with her celtic-classical vocal style, beyond indie-folk into the previously mentioned pastoral scenery.

With The Creatures in the Garden of Lady Walton, Clogs has successfully drawn a structural boundary around their wandering style that utilizes strong vocal performances from a variety of indie musicians (Sufjan Stevens, Matt Berninger, Shara Worden). The end product is an otherworldly work of paradox that is strange and vast yet is consistent and contained within its own predetermined space. 


8.4 / 10


The Creatures in the Garden of Lady Walton is released today, March 2 on Brassland 
Purchase the album


mp3: Clogs - On the Edge 

Review: White Hinterland - Kairos

Review: White Hinterland - Kairos

White Hinterland

Kairos - [2010; Dead Oceans]

8.0/10

Under the moniker White Hinterland, Casey Dienel has been making music that is just a little off for a few years now; her myspace page appropriately reads "keep it surreal." Her excellent-but-patchy 2008 release, The Phylactery Factory, fused intricate orchestrations with a jazzy back beat or piano and occasionally shy occasionally boisterous vocal delivery. Despite being at the center of this strange set of combinations, nothing really stood out for the majority of the album. Not so on her 2010 followup, Kairos. The opening track, "Icarus" (see below), immediately demands your attention with a brief other worldly vocal loop, giving to a strong beat and immediate vocal line. While not every song on the album is like this one, it definitely sets a new tone. Something that does carry through the album, though, is a distinctly R&B influence in Deinel's vocal melodies. The second track musically recalls Bat For Lashes' Two Suns but Deinel makes it her own with a superb, winding vocal exploration that keeps the song entertaining throughout. She is at her best, however, in the third track entitled "No Logic" which utilizes Dirty Projectors-esque vocals and guitar stabs but separates them with ambient vocal tracks that remind me more of the vocal loop in Panda Bear's "Im Not." Speaking of Dirty Projectors brand R&B, "Bow and Arrow" sounds like it could fit straight into Bitte Orca and probably warrants a Solange cover in its own right. All in all, Deinel it seems has come into her own vocally. Adding to this strong orchestration and dynamic composition leaves White Hinterland with a fantastic third album. Definitely recommend! (oh yeah, and check out the Justin Timberlake cover below).

Pre-order Kairos here. Its out March 3rd.

White Hinterland - "Icarus" - Kairos

White Hinterland - "No Logic" - Kairos

White Hinterland - "My Love (Justin Timberlake cover)"

Review: Owen Pallett's Heartland

Review: Owen Pallett's Heartland

I have always considered Owen Pallett to be one of those artists who consistently fall just shy of their enormous potential. His earlier albums were released under the moniker Final Fantasy, inspired by the popular video game (and changed in anticipation of copyright lawsuits). With Pallett's new name tag comes the powerful artistic statement of Heartland-- a sprawling, downright medieval epic album that hardly takes a breath from beginning to end. And why waste any time breathing? Pallet has shed the intimate skin of his earlier work and embraced orchestral whimsy. The skinny violinist who arranged strings for Arcade Fire and released albums with names like He Poos Clouds has fully realized himself as a musician and pop artist. Don't be fooled by the lack of guitar or the abundance of neo-classical arrangments-- Heartland is a pop album and a damn good one at that.

From the very opening of the album ("Midnight Directives") there is an energy that pulses throughout with restrained but stated percussion (both acoustic and electronic). The first song slowly builds towards the emergence of explosive violins that rush with a violence not heard in his earlier work. But before we can even gain our composure we are rushed head long into the second track ("Keep the Dog Quiet") where we find a whole new world of playfully plucked violins straight out of some sixties heist film. It's nothing short of theatrical.

One senses that Pallett is constructing a drama in twelve parts and indeed the album, according to Pallett, has some conceptual elements: "I just wanted to make a really good album. There is sort of a narrative and there are some ideas I was piecing out when I was writing the orchestral parts, but I was just trying to make a beautiful orchestral album." The story supposedly centers around a farmer named Lewis who struggles with his Creator, but in all honesty the lyrics of this album come across more as an impression than a narrative. Sequence and character are lost in the orchestrations, but one can't help feelings chills at certain lines ("I will not sing your praises...") that spike out of the symphonic landscapes. 


Among several standout tracks, "E is for Estranged" is Pallett's finest. The song slowly unfolds itself over five minutes and reaches an emotional intensity that could certainly rival the most moving of broadway ballads. The tension breaks at three minute mark as a chorus of string and wind instruments flow forth, echoing the delicate textures of Sufjan Stevens or Antony and the Johnson's. It's the type of song needed for such an ambitious record, and Pallett delivers. 


Heartland demands the attention of it's listeners. The album finds the rare balance of both immediacy and growth. It will please on first listen and continue to evolve and amaze as one takes it off their computer and out into the real world. In my opinion, Owen Pallett has thrown himself into the early running for album of 2010.  


Rating: 9.0 / 10 


Buy Heartland
Mp3: Lewis Takes Action 

Mountain Man: Mountain Man (2009) Review.

Mountain Man: Mountain Man (2009) Review.

I feel weird listening to Mountain Man on my ipod. The ironically named band of three women folkies have produced an antiquated record that sounds like a cassette recording of your hippie neighbor's backyard vegan barbecue. The songwriting is exceptional; harmonies slide back and forth in a traditional folk style, sure to evoke some scene from "O Brother Where Art Thou?".

Mountain Man walk a fine line between Sacred Harp (think Cold Mountain OST), gospel, and Gregorian chant that makes for quite an eclectic mix of tunes. Opener "Animal Tracks" finds all three singers weaving their voices together; their slurring style recalling the rawness of Bon Iver's debut. One feels, in some nostalgic sense, that the lyrics of the chorus could not be sung in any other way ("And the sweat will roll down our backs / And we'll follow animal tracks"). It has the sound of some lost childhood anthem of adventure, sung in unison as the three women trudge through the forest. For such a humble recording, its quite devastating.

On the other side is "Bathtub", a short (2 min) ceremonial song that takes a few listens to appreciate. The opening acoustic guitar is ugly; octave notes, slightly out of tune, played with a harshness that is only matched by the sheer power of the vocals. The forcefully sung chorus eventually falls into a gorgeous chord, ending with the three-part harmonized: "And the bath water's still running." The otherwise petty line holds a significant weight that sends chills down the spine.

Mountain Man's self-titled debut album is only seven songs long, none of which cross the three minute mark. Totaling about 16 minutes of music, the record feels compact and subtle, as if it was secretly recorded and never meant to be heard. You feel as if you've been listening in on an intimate rehearsal; some notes are out of tune, the sound isn't mastered well. You find yourself turning up the volume on softer sections only to be blasted with the sharpness of an elevated refrain. But it is exactly this dynamic physical connection that gives the album it's charm.

8.5 out of 10

Mountain Man :: Animal Tracks (from, Mountain Man [2009])

Review: Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band

Review: Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band

Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band

Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band

[Dead Oceans - 2009]

7.6/10

The Seattle quintet Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band have been getting a lot of coverage for three reasons. The first is their undeniably endearing back story. Via Poptartssucktoasted:

"The band started with me (Benjamin) teaching my adopted little brother how to play drums. I promised Marshall we would play a show when he progressed. His rate of his progression was faster than expected. I encouraged my friends Jared and Matt to join the band and lastly, my wife, Traci agreed to be a part of MSHVB." When Matthew took up the drums as an 11-year-old, Benjamin promised him that when he got good enough, they'd start a band togetherThe second reason is for these Public Service Announcement videos that they created for the band's myspace to generate interest before they even had any music up. The third and most warranted is, obviously, their music. MSHVB is a rock band and their songs are as dynamic and frenetic as the Tower of Terror. In fact, they sound as coffee infused as our beloved city itself.

The Good: Much of their music is imbued with the incessant energy of Wolf Parade and the playful dynamics of fellow northwesters Modest Mouse. Because MSHVB's structural shifts are more shifts in tempo or volume rather than the more sudden and abrasive key changes of band's like Of Montreal, their sound is remarkably at once accessible and shocking. Each of their songs is a layered, multi-segmented journey through energy. Saturated with playful melodies and endearing hooks galore, I get the sense that they are just out to have fun and they would love it if you would join them. On the album's second track "Masquerade" a Guitar Here worthy riff start out the song, giving way to an upbeat verse that nearly demands dancing. The best moment comes shortly after this however, when the persistent beat drops into the anti-chorus waltz, backed by multipart harmonies wailed in such a way to make Akron/family proud (particularly half way through "Going on a Hunt"). The album was recorded by Scott Colburn who has graced the likes of Animal Collective, Arcade Fire. So yeah, they got that going for them.

The Bad: The songs can get a little too frenetic at times, occasionally crossing the line from dynamic to chaotic. Sometimes it feels like they just try to fit too many parts into one song. While this may just be an antidote for cultural ADD it also tends to make some of the songs difficult to recall. As soon as something begins, it is over. Live, this sort of thing can translate into awe as in "what just happened?!" But unfortunately on the record it can come off as a little impatient. Also, the ever persistent guitar riff-age borders on the more over indulgent side of bands like Fall of Troy and Mars Volta.

The Verdict: Despite the about 50 references to other bands I have made already, Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band is almost certainly as creative as their moniker. The music is at once extremely confident and immediate yet still innocent and inviting. It took me a little while to decide if I liked this band. I wondered if their technical prowess and shifting structures were just a front, hiding shoddy songwriting. I have actually had this interview sitting in the draft box for about a month and a half. So far the record has not only held up, but only gotten better. Its as catchy and rewarding a listen as it was the first time.

Review: Anni Rossi - Rockwell (2009)

Review: Anni Rossi - Rockwell (2009)

Anni Rossi

Rockwell [4AD - 2009]
Rating: 7.8/10

Annie Rossi has been plagued by (and praised through) endless comparison. Not a review goes by that doesn't immediately situate her among Final Fantasy, Regina Spektor, and/or especially Joanna Newsom. And while this triumverate is most certainly fantastic company (and would surely make a brilliant album if they ever to collaborated), I tend to think that focusing too heavily on the various parts distracts from the mysterious and piercing beauty of the whole.

The Good: Her debut full length, Rockwell (4AD), is as chilling as it is short. Her instrumentation is extremely sparse which makes the fact that she is consistently praised for her ability to captivate audiences with her nonchalant and intriguing stage presence all the more impressive. To the detriment of each of her previous releases (2007's Scandia and last years Afton) the energy of her live shows was more or less lost in the sterility of the studio. This time, in addition to toning down some of her vocal quirks, she enlisted the help of legendary producer (insert Newsom comparison here) Steve Albini with aim to capture the detailed interplay between her vocals and instrumentation.

Rossi, a Minnesota native who resides in Chicago by way of L.A., is as nomadic musically as she has been physically. For example, the track entitled "Venice" begins sounding like middle eastern folk music until working its way shortly toward the song's chorus of a downcast march with a strikingly beautiful string melody. From there she displays her viola talent by playing music that I could hear Yo-Yo Ma covering on cello and yet simultaneously resists classical formality by makes a noise that sounds like a little kid imitating a motor boat. If you aren't consumed by her quirks at this point, Rossi is probably not for you. Throughout the album her restless vocals rise and fall, punctuated by piercing falsetto jumps and dissonant bends that consistently threaten to fall out of tune in a way that would seem lazy if it wasn't so manically effortless. Unafraid to change tempos when it suits her, she often strums and plucks her viola rather than using a bow, using the instrument as an sonic highlighter to accentuate the subjects of her lyrics. Having begun her musical training at the ripe old age of three, she is able to manipulate her viola and voice for so many different and unexpected sounds that it can seem like milking a cow and getting a bicycle.

The Bad: Interestingly, many of her songs that were re-recorded for the Rockwell got a bit of a trim with only two tracks making it over the three minute mark. It seems as if her frantic performance's are like sprints that she can only maintain for a couple minutes. With the intensity of each song, the brevity makes it hard to find an entrance point. By the time I feel like I am finally on the same page as her and can immerse myself in the chilling landscape she has crafted, the song is over. The only other criticism I will offer is that while Rossi tends to ruminate on the same unsettled dissatisfaction that say, Hail to the Thief revels in, it does so without being as emotionally varied or convincingly dark. The album feels to me less like an emotional exploration than a demonstration of obsessive dreariness that seems contrary to Rossi's unpredictability.

The Verdict: Rockwell ultimately reminds me of bones. It is chillingly bare and at once extremely personal. While somewhat emotionally singular and rather short, it is certainly an improvement on her former releases. Rossi shines through her eccentricities, having created a captivating and intriguing album.

See Rossi on tour with Seattle stop details here.

Listen to a few tracks here.

Buy Anni Rossi - Rockwell here.

Watch Rossi cover Radiohead's "Creep" here.

Download "Wheelpusher" - Rockwell here.

Cryptacize: Mythomania [2009]

Cryptacize: Mythomania [2009]

Cryptacize: Mythomania (2009)

8.3/10

Much of Cryptacize's new album, Mythomania, sounds like it should the soundtrack to a Clint Eastwood western. For example, "I'll Take The Long Way", one of the album's stand out tracks, begins with a great tack-piano line and a cowboy electric guitar riff. Its one of those songs that makes you feel real badass. I honestly fantasize tumbleweed blowing about me when I walk around listening to this album, and thats a good thing. This may also explain the cowboy on the album cover being strangled by a cloud (?)

Fans of Deerhoof will certainly find much to love here. Former Deerhoofian guitarist Chris Cohen drives each song with his incredible rhythmic riffs, and the resulting sound is very similar to his prior band. Like Deerhoof, Cryptacize doesn't take themselves too seriously, allowing for cute theatrics to dominate several songs. The most notable difference between the two bands, which may at first seem like a similarity, is the vocals. On a few songs Nedelle Torrisi's voice bounces and chirps like Deerhoof, but when she slows down and drags her singing embodies a beautifully full aesthetic. And the melodies, oh the melodies! They are all over the place, dropping and lifting where you'd least expect it. Cohen and company certainly aren't pushing boundaries here, but they have crafted a light and intricate album that is full of imagination.

Cryptacize releases Mythomania April 21 on Asthmatic Kitty Records.

Cryptacize:: I'll Take the Long Way (from Mythomania [2009])

Review: Lily Allen - It's Not Me, It's You

Review: Lily Allen - It's Not Me, It's You

Lily Allen

It's Not Me, It's You

[Capitol Records - 2009]

Rating: 7.5/10

The Good: Lily Allen's new album, It's Not Me, It's You, seems like the same loud, witty, and infinitely catchy Lily (Ah, how I wish I was on a first name basis). This, people, is in no way, a bad thing. On her second LP, Allen continues to produce the same vocal driven, upbeat pop songs that got her famous in the first place, while tweaking things just enough to make it sound new.

The album's sound is predominately keyboard lead, but she seems to have toned down some of the ska/reggae influences, excluding the European sounding (accordion!?) "Never Gonna Happen."  On this album, Allen occasionally ventures in to the wide world of electronics, using samples to build ambience on songs like "I Could Stay" "Back to the Start" and "Chinese" (the intro to “Back to the Start” sounds like something The Knife could have written). “The Fear” is an obvious single, though darker than the ones from her first album. “22” is also single material and features a Mark Mothersbaugh sounding harpsichord. Overall, she generally stays with the same foundation of pop/rock chord progressions, melodies and commanding hooks that made Alright, Still such a great vehicle for her infecting voice and pointed lyrics.

Again on this album, like her first, she draws her lyrics from a wide range of subject matter. From vulnerable introspection ("22,"), to relationships ("Chinese"), politics ("Everyone's At it," "Fuck You,") and even theological ruminations ("Him"), its clear Lily Allen has a lot to say. On several tracks, she seems particularly frustrated with the degenerate aspects of society and social pressures, singing on “Everyones At It,” “I’m not trying to say that I’m smelling of roses/ but when will we tire of putting shit up our noses?” continuing, “it’s meant to be fun/ and this just doesn’t feel right.” This marks a stark emotional contrast with “Alfie” from her first album, which is a bouncy, almost comical plea for her brother to stop smoking weed. She goes on to deplore the increasing reliance on anti-depressants, prozac, illegal and medical marijuana and general level of despair and dependency. She continues her bitingly sarcastic and critical narrative through the next track, “The Fear.” In the first verse, she sings “I am a weapon of massive consumption/ And it’s not my fault, its how I’m programmed to function” invoking the word play that would seem witty if it wasn’t so scathingly delivered. Ironically, the verses, in which Allen assumes a dispassionate and mechanistic persona, are initially founded on a sparse, organic picked guitar line. This ultimately gives way to the blatantly contrasting and expansive chorus, which finds Allen sincerely, almost desperately declaring “I don’t know what’s right and what's real.” The synthetic, electronic backing noises in the chorus provide a stark contrast to her sincerity, invoking a sense of conflict that pervades the rest song. Whether you agree with her or not, you can't deny the force of her sarcastic wit and passionately conveyed opinions.

The Bad: While most of the time, the effectiveness of her delivery and the bitter sincerity of her narration redeem the redundancy of the songs’ insistent pop structures, the repetition does occasionally detract from the flow of the album, making it sound a bit like a collection of well crafted, but independent tracks. The album is weakest on slower songs like "I Could Say" and "Chinese" which never really go anywhere, drowning in a pool of over produced synth ambience. "Who'd have known" which plays like a sentimental anthem for the lonely, seeming somewhat tame and thereby rather unconvincing.  “Never Gonna Happen,” despite fantastic instrumentation in the verses (I want to do that Russian/Jewish leg kicking dance!), relies too heavily on its heavy beat to carry what is otherwise a chaotic and lackluster chorus, and later becomes half-filled with da da da’s. With Allen’s lyrical prowess, what would be for other bands a joyous and celebratory moment, turns into a musical cop out.

The Verdict: To some, the lack of the summery, ska backing music completely kills the album, finding Allen's admonishing tone hard to deal with. To those, I would ask why it is that we can be excited for Grizzly Bear to completely change seasonal moods, and not her. 

Ultimately, the fact remains that Lily Allen is the only pop artist who could sweetly sing "fuck you" in multipart harmony after a key change, using helium-like vocal effects and carnival-esque noises in the background and still somehow make it sound sincere.

Elsewhere: Over at (my favorite) Stereogum, there is a great live video of a song from the new album that they label "Never Gonna Happen" but which I am pretty sure is "The Fear." Regardless, I found the performance convincing and shockingly chilling. 

Although it's not set to release until February 10th (via Capitol Records), You can listen to It's Not Me, It's You in its entirety on Allen's myspace page.