»Album Reviews For Release Date: 06.09.09
by Joshua Krage

Soooo much I want to listen to more this week, but alas there is no time. Some of the year’s best music is hitting store shelves over these next few months, and a few of those are on this week’s list below. Check it out:

Trey Anastasio & Don Hart
Anti-Flag
Black Eyed Peas
The Blackout
British Sea Power
Busdriver
Cake – Motorcade of Generosity reissue
Chickenfoot – rock supergroup with Joe Satriani (guitar), Chad Smith (drums), Michael Anthony (bass) and Sammy Hagar. Interesting? Maybe. Good? Um…
Cinematic Orchestra
Crown of Thorns
Deerhunter

Dirty Projectors, Bitte Orca – see our Hype section for a full report on this one, but I’ll say this: it may be a bit obtuse for mainstream listeners, but it’s one of the best things I’ve heard in years; great orchestration and really inventive without being caustic. Highly enjoyable.

Dredg, The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion – I was honestly dumbfounded that their last album, 2005′s stellar Catch Without Arms, didn’t catch on with the masses. It was so damn good! This LP seems just about to match its predecessor in sonic quality, and they’ve upped the scholar bar so that the slightly progressive dynamic musicianship propels words of artistic substance, arranged in memorable melodies and delivered in Gavin Hayes’ crystalline-cavern rock tenor. This band inhabits the middle ground between melodic emo-core and literary prog, which may be why some find them inaccessible, but for my money, they’re at the top of the modern rock genre, incorporating elements of many colors without being owned by any.

Elizabeth and the Catapult, Taller Children – the physical copy of Brooklyn’s best working songwriting band’s debut LP on the Verve Forecast label. I loved it a month ago when it dropped digitally, and love it just as much now; Elizabeth Ziman has a voice that just nestles in your soul and dances ballet there, pristine, affecting and playful all at once.

The Features
Freeland – also known as DJ Adam Freeland
Nanci Griffith
Heavy D
Peter Holsapple / Chris Stamey
The Horse’s Ha
Infected Mushroom
Joan of Arc
Quincy Jones – “exploring” Henry Mancini
Kasabian
Los Amigos Invisibles
LMFAO – somebody seriously named their band this. Seriously.

The Low Anthem, Oh My God, Charlie Darwin – absolutely genuine folk/Americana trio who has garnered accolades from all the big folk publications. Most folk is kind of cookie-cutter to my ears, so to hear this music played so singularly and with such an affecting sound was quite jarring, to say the least. Frontman Ben Knox Miller’s angelic choir falsetto is the shortest path to awestruck tears you can take (his low, dry whisper and barn-burning blues growl aren’t bad, either), and the arrangements and harmonies are handled perfectly, from the unadorned acoustic guitars, to the blues-hall rhythm shuffles, to the sustained organ and harmonica lines. This is organic music at its finest, straight from the soil.

Teena Marie
Miike Snow
Rhett Miller

Mos Def, Ecstatic – I wish I had more time to listen to this. It’s a real return for the rapper who has spent so much time out in Hollywood, and it’s great to hear him in top-form with rhymes to spare.

Pigface

Placebo, Battle For the Sun – I wish I could have given this a proper listen, but luckily my buddy Kevin stepped up to the plate and gave it a once over. He reports that the first half kicked his ass in a wonderful way, but the second half left a lot to be desired. Thanks, Kev!

Pleasure P
Portland Cello Project
Ben Reynolds
Todd Snider
Sonic Youth
Stardeath / White Dwarfs
Paul Van Dyk – best of
Darryl Worley
Yung LA

I’d have more, but I’ve got 40+ songs I’ll be performing this Saturday, and most of those I’ve never played before. I love a challenge! See you next week, and enjoy what music you may find.

P.S. Enjoy a sampling from this week’s new songs on my MySpace page. It’s updated pretty much weekly now…

—–

To view past reviews, visit our archives.

»Album Reviews For Release Date: 05.05.09
by Joshua Krage

Feliz Cinco de Mayo! Compras mas musica nueva! If you have to buy tejano or norteño just to stay authentic in your celebration, then so be it, but if you want something different (i.e. non-banda), you’ve found it here!

One of the most long-awaited albums on my list drops (digitally) this week, so I’m pumped. There are also some other big-time surprises, especially from some well-established artists who evidently got tired of resting on their laurels (whatever that actually means). Read on, o music fanatic:

Akron/Family, Set ‘Em Wild, Set ‘Em Free – not from Ohio (different Akron!) and not a rap-star affiliate collective (different Akon!), this is one of the small family of bands that both fuel and benefit from legions of web-savvy, concert-going hipsters and their rapid-fire live-blogs, and with good reason. They’re like Animal Collective planted on a mountain, with full-on vintage rock freak-outs nestled snugly amidst down home folk missives, and live show interplay that dwarfs even the mightiest of mental-synergy bands. Check this band out, they’re like almost nothing you could imagine.

Arctic Monkeys – live CD/DVD
British Sea Power
Nick Cave – 1st 4 albums remastered
Toni Childs
Ciara
Cracker
Deradoorian
Rick Derringer
The Devil Wears Prada

Elizabeth and the Catapult, Taller Children – I’ve been waiting for this album (out digitally 5/5, physically on 6/9) for over two years, ever since their self-produced 6-song EP arrived in my mailbox and completely dominated my stereo. Amazing, simply amazing songcraft, musicianship, arrangements… everything this band does is a well-nurtured product of three kindred souls who celebrate a broad palette of musical enjoyment, and Elizabeth Ziman’s voice is the most style-elastic croon I’ve heard. No other vocalist I know can glide from the tell-off tone of “Momma’s Boy,” to the playful romp of “Race You,” to the warm intimacy of “Right Next to You,” and straight into the weary-eyed herald of Leonard Cohen’s “Everybody Knows,” effortlessly inhabiting each song’s emotional center and fully conveying its feel and message. These are 11 dynamite compositions (plus one cover) in a wide, meaty variety of shapes and colors, styles and genres, and with inventive, masterful arrangements at every turn– I mean EVERY turn. I just can’t say enough about these guys, so I guess I’ll stop typing, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better all-around band than this.
[Read our interview with Elizabeth and the Catapult here.]

Fischerspooner, Entertainment – it’s difficult to describe this duo. Start with techno beat, add high-art sophistication, augment with intentional lyrical exploration and mysticism, bring just to a boil in a Parisian dance-club, and you’re headed in the right direction. Experimental electro on many levels, adventurous in a cavernous and haute couture fashion.

Future of Forestry, Travels EP – hits me like David Crowder fronting The Cure. Eric Owyoung’s breathy, inspiring tenor soars above sprawling highways of dynamic guitar interplay, ethereal keyboard beds, firecracker drumming, and introspective string arrangements. High standard of quality = maintained.

Gallows, Grey Britain – decent modern UK punk band out of London, heavy in all the right ways without devolving into hardcore gibberish.

Gucci Mane

Ben Harper and Relentless7, White Lies for Dark Times – anyone familiar with the homegrown funk/soul/rock of Ben Harper generally knows what to expect from anything he does, but he ups the ante on this LP by sidelining his longtime Innocent Criminals sidemen in favor of three Texangelenos called Relentless7, resulting in a sound somewhat like Ben Harper backed by the North Mississippi Allstars. Solid, delta- and tex-tinged rock and roll with less jam-fueled wandering and, well, more balls than bongs, which is just what Harper’s meandering groove needed to really kick some relevant ass. Some really jaw-dropping work here…

Jon Hopkins, Insides – British electronic innovator and longtime Coldplay concert cohort (and recent producer) finally takes advantage of some of his press, releasing his first album people might actually get to hear, since most of his work falls into the ambient/new age category. You might recognize one of these tracks as the bread in that luscious Coldplay sandwich that was “Viva La Vida.”

The Horrors
Iglu / Hartly
Isis
Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens)
Elton John – Red Piano DVD
Madina Lake
Ziggy Marley
Ralphie May
Chrisette Michele
New York Dolls
Newsboys
Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band

Peaches, I Feel Cream – I’ve never really been into this German provocateur’s riotous brand of oversexed electro dance floor pump, but the web journos seem to like her well enough, and at least she’s interesting.

Rusted Root, Stereo Rodeo – a welcome return from the most organic of all the world-inflected jam bands. My buddy Darren just witnessed their resurrected brand of virtual reality live in Vegas and got to hang with the band afterward, says they’re “really down-to-earth,” which fits with their earth-rooted ethos.

RZA – instrumentals
Frank Sinatra – live at Meadowlands
Rick Springfield

St. Vincent, Actor – winning pretty much unanimous love from the hipsternet blog community with her kitschy blend of pristine, classical-tinged alt.pop arrangements and distortion freak-outs, Annie Clark has conjured a sound wholly unmatched by her peers. Picture a quaint, wholesome department store holiday display with blankets of white and glittering tinsel; now imagine a bespectacled, bloodied mutant limping across the linoleum with a severed head in one hand and a Dickens novel in the other, and you’re halfway there. She’s witty, she’s wicked, she’s wry and world-weary with just the right perky sheen to make a civilized crowd unsure over how off-the-rails she truly is, but stay alert – she’s fully in control and has a vision with laser-point clarity. There is no adjective to sum up the creativity on this record; it’s exceedingly worth notice and will be tough to match.

The Toxic Avenger Musical
VA – Causes 2
The Vaselines – 2-disc retrospective
Elliott Yamin

Yoshida Brothers, Prism – one of my longtime favorites. Taking a traditional Japanese instrument and reshaping its uses for contemporary modern majesty, the virtuosity of these two brothers extends far beyond their mastery of the 3-stringed tsugaru-shamisen, with muscular arrangements of original compositions and mind-expanding takes on other artists’ works, like Radiohead’s “The National Anthem” on this LP (brilliant, BTW). Counts towards your cultural cred as well as your hipster cred.

Zao

So if I didn’t make it clear enough, Elizabeth and the Catapult should be first on your list to hear this week, and I’ll probably tell you the same thing in 5 weeks when the physical copy drops (you’ve been warned, approaching superfan freak-out!). Beyond that, for anyone waiting for Ben Harper to be relevant again and return to his original fire, this is the week you’ve been expecting– that album NAILS it, really incendiary stuff.

p.s. you can check out a sampling of some of this week’s new songs on my MySpace page. Just let the playlist play! It’s updated pretty much weekly now, so enjoy.

—–

To view past reviews, visit our archives.

Audioholic Media: How are you doing today?

Elizabeth Ziman: I’m in a wondrous place, the record’s coming out in just a few hours, and I’m trying to decide which karoake bar is calling out my name.

AM: Thanks abundantly for talking to us. You’ve been generating constant buzz mostly by word of mouth and press lovin’ for quite awhile now, and are finally poised to have a full-length album released by a major label imprint. How does that hit you?

EZ: It’s new and rather chewy. And definitely filling.

AM: You’ve written quite an amazing array of songs up to this point. How did you decide which ones to record for this album?

EZ: We recorded a lot and and then usually went with the newest songs possible. As a writer you always believe your latest is your greatest, no matter what the case actually is. But we’re quite happy with the final contestants.

AM: How has your experience been so far, working with the Verve Forecast label?

EZ: It’s a big pond, but we’re grateful to still be swimming.

AM: You recorded the album with Mike Mogis in his Nebraska studio. How much of the album came out of your sessions there, and how much was ready to go before you hit the studio?

EZ: We thought lots were ready before we arrived, but in the end even the songs we thought we were going to keep exactly the same like “Momma’s Boy,” “Race You,” “Golden Ink,” “Rainiest Day of Summer”— we changed little bits of, or added strings to— on top of that we recorded a good eight or nine songs out there and then picked our faves out of the bunch.

AM: What was the vibe like recording in Nebraska, away from NYC?

EZ: Much more organic and peaceful than we’re used to. No car horns, no angry neighbors, no needless distractions. We felt so lucky the whole time we were there, couldn’t stop gawking and giggling at all the fancy gear!

AM: The title track has a sort of Greg Kurstin / Bird and the Bee feel to it. Were there any particular artists or genres that influenced you during this album’s recording?

EZ: We love the Bird and the Bee– but it wasn’t intentional. Although I take it as a super compliment! “Taller Children” was one of the first songs we jumped into in a real studio– and it kind of sounds that way. Jim Eno [of Spoon] set the stage for that one in his studio in Austin. It’s super clean, a little self conscious– and completely out there. I can only listen to that song while sitting in a really comfy couch. I like to imagine it’s like riding a very spiffy space ship.

AM: That’s a rather ace Leonard Cohen cover you’ve got on the record. How did you settle on that one, and do you have any other takes on other artists’ work hiding up your sleeve?

EZ: Thank you much. It’s such a weighty, powerful song that it’s hard to ignore it. It says so much, but musically there’s also so much space to explore. I heard all of the strings and the percussion almost immediately. Other songs I love singing are “This Will Be Our Year” by the Zombies– especially lately– “I Think It’s Gonna Rain Today” by Randy Newman, and Pete [Lalish, guitar] does a great cover of “I Don’t Wanna Grow Up” by Tom Waits.

AM: Out of the many people who will hear the new record, who do you want to hear it most?

EZ: [laughs] This is a funny question for me because you’re forcing me to totally nerd out. But out of all the living artists who could hear this, I’d be most grateful for David Byrne or Maya Angelou’s ears.

AM: Where do you find the inspiration for all these amazing compositions?

EZ: Mostly good films and books, but I’m also inspired if I have an especially random or out-of-the-ordinary experience. I also wrote about six songs after first discovering [celebrated American photographer] Diane Arbus. She’s a big inspiration for me.

AM: Is there a favorite moment for you on this record, and/or from its recording?

EZ: My favorite song and experience recording has always been “Golden Ink.” It was recorded the day I wrote it, so it feels the most fresh and honest and sacred to me.

AM: What do you hope to find in the coming days/months/year?

EZ: Like everyone else, I’m always looking for new ways to develop what I do, so of course I’d love to meet lots of new wonderful inspiring people on the road, but most importantly I want to learn how to cook good sushi. And host a mean sushi party.

AM: Sounds tasty– and fishy. If you could be a superhero what would your superhero name be and what would your special power be?

EZ: Faaa-reaky Fauna. I’d be able to turn into any animal I wanted to at the drop of a hat.

AM: What’s the best advice you’ve heard up to this point?

EZ: To never believe or discount anything you hear. To take everything with a grain of salt, and to eat lots of ben and jerry’s ice cream whenever possible.

AM: You step out your door and head down to the town square to confront an angry mob of people bent on sending you up the river. Who’s got your back?

EZ: OBAMA! I’m keeping the faith!

—–

Taller Children releases 6/9 on Verve Forecast, with the digital copy available at fine virtual retailers on 5/5.
Peep the songs on the Elizabeth and the Catapult MySpace page, and the band will be playing some east coast dates in early summer. Plus, if you’re in or around the Brooklyn area, you can catch them serving up a satisfying slice of their live show at Southpaw (125 5th Ave) on Wednesday, May 6th, at The Deli’s Best of NYC Festival (alongside the wonderful April Smith, among others).
Go see them, and buy the album, you’ll feel all warm and fuzzy inside.