Who Is MGMT?

Here’s a statement that might shock: MGMT (and Andrew Vanwyngarden in particular) love the 60s. The headbands, the long skirts, the psychedelic videos, Vanwyngarden talking to animals, these sort of things hint that the above statement is true. Ok, maybe the music as well. News that they would team up with Spacemen 3’s Peter Kember for their new album wasn’t much of a shock. Yes, it spawned endless ‘OMG! THIS IS GOING TO BE EPIC”, but it pretty much followed the “60s were all the rage” line. News that Gaga and Kanye influenced Congratulations overshadowed the collaboration. Fear took over and a murmur of “You know, they were great back in the day, these guys, but now… man, I just don’t know what happened to them’. Alas, we all coward behind the mouse before pushing the download button when Flash Delirium was posted on the band’s website.

Luckily, the song’s all-over-the-place atmosphere/instrumental was sign that maybe Gaga and Kanye influenced them in the way that they tried really hard to make an album that could never come close to the mainstream. Insane as it was, Flash Delirium was finger-licking delicious. It was Of Moon, Birds and Monsters’ younger, moodier and more paranoid brother. And just so, Congratulations picks up just were Oracular Spectacular has left us. The band is morphing, Andrew’s new found passion (being Dr. Doolittle the white edition) and Peter Kember shape (and influence) the sound is a grand way.

Their influences move from Bowie and Flaming Lips (while still owing a great deal to the two) and come closer in time: It’s Working’s eerie vocals and aural instrumental have a delightful scent of Blonde Redhead. But as soon as you sink into the album, you come to realise the temporal closeness was just a trick. Song For Dan Treacy sounds more like The Beatles and the British Invasion, while still anticipating the mood shifts of Flash Delirium. Something’s Missing is so surreal (and a bit too short) you actually think it was a breeze not an actual song. And its blooming, glorious end leaves you craving for more.

Quickly passing by Flash Delirium (for the sole reason that we might get stuck here for several days), we move on to what could just be the most overwhelming song on the entire record, I Found A Whistle. And honestly, you can’t tell what it was that made you sing as loud as you could and maybe made you feel a bit teary. Maybe the incredible acoustic guitar, or the song’s crescendo, or the way Vanwyngarden doesn’t sound (for once) like he’s kidding and being way too ironic for his own good. We’ll just ignore the need for a bonfire and a bunch of hippies singing around it.

And when John isn’t enough, the guys turn to Sean Lennon: Siberian Breaks’ intro sounds awfully like it belongs to Sean Lennon’s Into The Sun. But, like the rest of Congratulations, it’s not really just one thing. It’s trippy but calm. There are mood shifts by the dozen but not for one minute do you get confused or find it hard to follow. It’s Sean for a minute but it could be Leonard Cohen or The Who just as well. Some might go ahead and call it indie-prog but the song defies tags like mad and plays with a diversity of sounds, concepts and musical niches. It shamelessly takes you on a rollercoaster music ride and forces to listen to it from second one to minute 12:09 without even the slightest desire to press next.

While Siberian Breaks ends in what might as well be slow motion, Brian Eno starts like a mad chase. Its alert key shifts add up to the hilarious story and make for one fun future festival anthem. If not, at least the next soundtrack to some Scooby Doo movie. Because we’re in subtle land, MGMT offer us Lady Dada’s Nightmare. Yes, you can think of She-who’s-name-we-must-not-speak. It’s simply haunting (sure, the screams in the back and the though of Gaga’s face help) and has a great progression chord. Just that, somewhere deep inside, you were craving for some lyrics just so you could use them in a random conversation about She-who’s-name-we-must-not-speak.

The album draws to an end, the title song kicks in and it’s something like “Hello, Marc Bolan”. Relaxed as it is, Congratulations is an incredible mix between 70s Bowie, T-Rex and contemporary Devendra Banhart. And, for once, instead of the playfulness and edge of youth, MGMT sound mature and deeply melancholic. As the song ends, as you hear the hand clapping, you feel like giving the band a big round of applause. For maybe it is not perfect, but Congratulations is a soulful, fun, boundary-shacking experience. Ever since the debut, we were all sure MGMT had so much more in the bag and with this second album they prove the bag is bottomless. Imagination had no limits and neither do MGMT.

*photo courtesy of www.whoismgmt.com

Dark Night Of The Soul

Among those bands we love or deeply hate, we all have some we think of as… OK. Those bands we can’t really say something coherent about besides that magic word. You’ve heard them once, might remember how they sound (though most of the times, you don’t). Occasionally, there will be those OK bands you kinda enjoy but most of the times, these bands aren’t able to convince you to listen to their music more than once. Then again, if one of their songs comes on the radio or is played in a club, it won’t bother you.

Matt Pond PA, sadly, were one of those bands. Their latest release, Auri Sacri Fames, was deeply forgettable thought not bad musically. Too lo-fi, you said and left it in some dark corner of your hard disk. The Dark Leaves, their new album, however (hence the were) is a nod better. Starting, while unremarkably entitled for the intro of the album, is a fun folk song, slightly bubbly but still showing a bit of despair. And then the songs flows nicely into one another, all of them leaving the impression of a mixture of Arcade Fire and Bright Eyes.

This time, the trouble with Matt Pond PA’s work is that it all sounds the same. No longer deeply unremarkable, the album stops representing an object of interest for the listener after song… four, Remains. So while they might make you tap your foot, hum along or get a mild obsession for a random song off The Dark Leaves (I do strongly recommend The Dark Leaves Theme, a dreamy and bluesy piece), Matt Pond PA fail to bring a solid work to the table. Sadly, if I might say, because they do have a lot of potential.

Hip Hippie !

Often people make that cheesy remark towards their significant other, the one that goes something like “If I got you than I own the world’’. If the significant other is a girl, she gets all mush, and the dude voicing it thanks whatever movie he fished it out of. And if the case stands the other way around, the girl pops the romantic remark to which the guy gets all cocky and swells himself like a peacock. I mention these because translated into a musical scenery and you get a drum kit and a guitar (with give or take a bass) you got the perfect tools to pop an album. You could own the musical world.

American band Harlem launch this year their second album. Name of the album? Well considering the fact that the album is nothing more than a string of inspired tracks from late bohemian 60’s stage, the name is Hippie. Indeed dreadful fashion (Buddha, those pants – awful), but great political stir. Curiously the boy-trio from Harlem presents their new album under a proper wrapping for such a strong influence. The album sounds exactly like a raw demo recording, but great sound nonetheless. Track after track the drumming beats with passion and strength and the string instruments complete evenly the sound equation.

There are songs to be remarked, and shall be from the quite long list, and that do stand for a clear characterization. The beat makes a fine breakthrough from a fired up, oh-so-reminiscent like Gay Human Bones and Friendly Ghost, to a slightly addictive cool Spray Paint and a feminine/romantic Be Your Baby. Even the amazing Faces, with its vocal repertoire and dandy instrumental, or the melancholic cherry Prairie My Heart make the list fit for a hippie album. Towards the end, with Stripper Sunset, the boys gets a tad aggressive, all play and fun but we can jam seriously too – statement. It’s doomed to like this change of mood and the idea of taking it further. The next song Pissed levels the change and Poolside gives a mild closure far from a finality idea.

The album is not exceptional. But it supports the name or vice versa. Every bit of this album is a constant great reminder of a certain current, of a most loved inspiration. It follows it and pays a dazzling homage to a defining movement dedicated entirely to youth.

picture courtesy of Amazon

Distorted Abyss !

On a cultural level, Kingdom of Norway is home of all historical hot Vikings. But on a musical level, we must mention it is the home of Serena Maneesh. Serena appears as strange looking boys parading around as a cool band with a tall skinny blond girl on guitar or bass. Her hair stops the retina from moving forward to her instrument, musical one of course. You do notice a string instrument being floundered on her thighs, nevertheless. But because it’s rather large one, it’s a bass. What can I say, I once had intentions towards bass but just didn’t have the hair.

The guys from Serena Maneesh, (big apologies for the girl but due to the cock majority ergo…), they release a second album, 5 years later from their previous self titled debut album, S-M 2: Abyss In B Minor. Song after song, you quickly become convinced that Serena rocks it. The old school coated with that 2000 musical foam of let’s jam like cool people and see what comes out of it is there. The voice for them is not that important, that is very obvious. But it merely entices, like another noise in the crowded background (Reprobate), or used simply as a swift whisper. (Blow Your Brains In The Morning Rain).

If the voice is alluring and barely there, the sound is another matter completely. It is alluring as well, but, most important, it is far from clean. The distortion is being fervidly abused, a statement maybe, that the dudes are instrumentalists above all else. And furthermore the intended aggressive, edgy (Melody for Jaama) and provocative feeling (Ayisha Abyss) coming from the sound is becoming a reality. All those attributes round up successfully towards the sixth track on this album, towards Honey Jinx. Still, each song is like destined for a treasure discovery, or more adequately saying an instrument discovery. The complexity of the orchestration makes a rather subtle invitation for the audience to listen closely and then separate in a more logical/easier way, each instrument’s sound.

Whether Serena Maneesh have made the long waiting worthwhile, is not that much of a debate. Because from all this musical work presented in the form of this new album they sure prove that is was worth it, otherwise you don’t get or are into them. Greetings serenity.

picture courtesy of Amazon

The Candy Man

We're making a habit out of missing the launch dates of Arctic Monkeys videos. Probably because the last ones were utter shit. But with My Propeller, they seem to try and wash away all their visual sins. And we forgive them.

Energy Is All

What makes a good album? Maybe nobody can answer this question properly. Of course, we can elaborate a sort of a theory and say "Well, a good album is an album with intricate instrumentals, some kick-ass vocals, and deep/introspective/funny in a pleasant way lyrics." But the truth is that sometimes you start to listen to an album, you actually like it, but you can't say why.

Maybe you're wondering what's with the babble. Well, the main idea is that another Swedish musical release is on its way now, and I'm talking about Love Is All's new album, called Two Thousands and Ten Injuries, which will be released on 23rd of March. At first sight, it's not that kind of oh-my-God-I-love-it-it's-a-fucking-good album. Actually, one could say that you might not particularly remember any of these twelve songs.

And still, you have to give this album thumbs up, and there are a few reasons why. First of all, it's about Josephine Olausson's voice, which is crazy in the best sense possible. And then the instrumentals. You can't actually call them "elaborate", the guys (and girl) keep it simple, so simple that it's actually refreshing, like a glass of cold water on a hot sunny day. Least but not last, you might not remember any of these songs after the first play of the album, but you remain with the impression of a nice, energetic and cohesive piece of work, which makes you want to listen to it once more – and that's the point where you might actually fall in love with tracks like Bigger Bolder (punk all the way, baby!), Take Your Time (that keyboard line is wonderful) or Repetition (pure drum energy). And so, at the end of the day, you realize that we're actually talking about a really nice album.


*photo courtesy of Love Is All official site

Romance Part 2!

How can you not love the Deschanel sisters? Whether you like the one digging in dirt for bones with an adoring detachment in the Bones TV show (that’s Emily), or the one threatening a mocking bird’s life with a BB gun and chanting The Smiths alongside Joseph Gordon-Levitt in an elevator, I can’t decide. Due to an event back in 2006, Zooey and M. Ward decided to expand their collaboration and form a band. This time in 2010, She & Him are back with their second album entitled Volume 2.

Volume 2, as his predecessor, holds thirteen tracks that without any surprises continue to expose Zooey’s enchantingly soft voice. I always considered that characterizing two people as salt and pepper is not quite dry or foolish, but rather the ultimate condiments, musical ones of course, and the perfect combination, the heavenly match. And in music that is a real delightful feast. Is Zooey with her vocal timbre the salt and Ward the pepper, you choose. By their musical talent, both instrumental and voice, they mix it up and contribute on all levels, scoring again something completely romantic.

Acoustics is a brand for She & Him and they flaunt it continually. The percussion shows mostly brushes dancing on snare drums, on songs like Home or Thieves. And the drumsticks are used with great fragility (Lingering Still) or are just purposely left out. On tracks like Home and In The Sun, the clapping becomes an actual instrument and the piano is added just like another great spice. And In The Sun also has electric guitars here and there, sprinkled throughout the song. That same thing happening in Over It Over Again. Whether it’s only Zooey (If You Can’t Sleep) or both Zooey and Ward (Ridin’ In My Car or the amazing song Thieves), both purely enchant. Their new volume is as sweet as a sunny day in May, dancing or sinking your toes in the warmest sand running away from the waves. Now, that’s cute and romantic.

A Rumor In Africa

The National – Terrible Love

In my world, it’s sheer blasphemy not to play The National’s music on repeat. If a song comes on the player, I listen to it at least twice. Which means less time to listen to other songs/bands. And because time is of essence these days, I’ve been trying to fight it now. I really have albums I should be listening to at least once. Alas, I have failed. I wake up singing it, I feel sorry I don’t have it on my phone, I have to play it before I go to bed. And I don’t even have a decent version of it but the rip of their Jimmy Fallon live. And I now realise I could’ve written one line: Damn them, they’re doing it so right again it hurts!

65daysofstatic – Weak4

With these guys, it’s really different. 180 degrees different, even. I always tell myself I should listen to their music carefully but I never do. Weak4, their new single, is probably their first song that got me. It is true what they say, if we were to judge by this little gem, the new album due in April is going to be epic.

Like A Monkey With A Miniature Cymbal

Turns out this is comedy week in video land... Check out the moment when the five Hot Chip show up in the middle of the crowd.

Somewhere Over The Rainbow

...and this, darlings, is a musical rainbow.


1. Kumm, Red Coffee
Angels & Clowns (2003)

One of the best songs written by a Romanian band. It has a wonderful instrumental: the violin, the keyboards, the drums and the guitars blend together just perfectly. But the main beauty of it is actually given by lyrics (an example: "turn off the light and fill me up with coffee, let me undo your skin from my hands"). It is the kind of song you have to listen with somebody else at your side, at least at a live concert. That is if you don't want to sink into a never-ending sadness.


2. R.E.M., Orange Crush
Green (1988)

According to Michael Stipe, Orange Crush is the story of a young American football player, who leaves his home for the war in Vietnam. The song's title is a reference to a chemical defoliant used in the Vietnam War (Agent Orange). It is a catchy tune, and its lyrics are really ironical at some points ("we are agents of the free, I've had my fun and now it's time to serve your conscience overseas").


3. The Raconteurs, Yellow Sun
Broken Boy Soldiers (2006)

This is a love story, another one of those stories where he is a shy guy who is in love with her, and she is just a bitch with a cold heart. However, the song is not a lament (it would have become really annoying otherwise). It actually keeps a very light tone, due to instrumental, but also due to the vocals.


4. Pink Floyd, Green Is the Colour
More (1969)

This is one of the Pink Floyd songs that appear on the soundtrack of More (a 1969 film, which is about a young student who tries to forget about his conservative life and ends up tragically). It is a gentle acoustic ballad and it gives a very peaceful feeling. Roger Waters stated in a concert that the song is about Ibiza (which is the main location of the movie).


5. Placebo, Post Blue
Meds (2006)

The title represents a metaphor for "deep helplessness". It is the story of a person who is so much in love that forgives every mistake the partner does, because he or she is the sole reason for living. It has also references to drugs ("bag of golden brown", which means heroin). As singer Brian Molko said, "Our lyrics are more twisted. We talk about impossible love, complicated love, destructive love. As destructive as drugs."


6. Duke Ellington, Mood Indigo
(1930)

A very well known jazz composition, this song has been sang by many artists, including Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone and Nat "King" Cole. On the original recordings, Ellington turned upside down the traditional jazz arrangement, putting the trombone right at the top of the instrument's register, and the clarinet at the lowest. The song is performed both as an instrumental and as a vocal (the verse "I'm just a soul who's bluer than blue can be" makes me shiver).


7. Coldplay, Violet Hill
Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008)

This was the long expected comeback of the band, back in 2008, and it is the first anti-war song written by them. It starts with a piano line performed by Chris Martin, with the rest of the band joining him short after. The lyrics are not just a protest against the war, but also a story of a man in love with a woman who does not love him back ("If you love me, why'd you let me go?")

On The Stereo

Seriously, Jules...

VideoPhone

I like my moments of consumerism. Capitalist whoredom. Moments when plain brainless commercial songs fill my elitist heart with joy. No, really, I like Timbaland’s The Morning After or Rihanna’s Rude Boy. I keep it a secret, but I like those songs. Surprise, surprise, ever since Let’s Dance, like a plastic Jessica “Is it chicken or fish” Simpson, I jumped on the Gaga bandwagon (and made no secret out of it). I’ve played Bad Romance at parties and rejoiced when NME gave The Fame Monster an 8/10. I admire her for writing her own lyrics (imbecile at times, but her own) and for being able to pull some off-the-hook outfits.

But my elitist self decided that backlash is upon us. There is only as far as I can go and the name “Beyonce” is one of my limits. I hate that woman. She is nothing but a talentless, vulgar attention whore. And she has ugly legs. Now Gaga brings upon us The Apocalypse and records a song with this woman I would gladly put down using a shotgun. The end is near, my friends. Save yourself and your Smith vinyls while you can.

Bad taste? Tacky? More like plain stupid. Ok, I love the cans. But the rest is awful. God awful. There are too many abrupt cuts in the evolution of the song (forget about remembering the song after you watch the video), the story line is boooooring, the lines are so cliché it hurts. And, can you bail someone from a prison? Not a simple police station, but a state prison. Gaga is embarrassing in her attempt to reinvent herself once more (forget that Bowie-esque chameleonic ability), Beyonce is over-whelmed by it all.

Verdict: OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!!!!

P.S.: The video is also further proof Beyonce can’t act. The song is

proof she can’t sing (or at least can’t pick the instrumentals that fit her

voice). Gaga can’t act either, but at least she can sing.

Look At This!

We Were Promised Jetpacks describe their new EP, The Last Place You'll Look, as a some kind of "The Twilight Sad meets Frightened Rabbit". Some critics agreed. But it is also to be noted the sound seems to be more melancholic than the one on the debut album. Something just as important is the fact that the new EP features three new songs and two new versions of some songs of their debut album

It sets of with A Far Cry, Adam Thompson's voice backed off by a guitar which builds some kind of a dreamy atmosphere. After a minute and a half, the drums enter powerfully and keep it that way until the end. However, this seems to maintain the atmosphere I was talking about earlier, rather than to bring you back to reality. The next in line is the alternate version of Short Bursts, one of the most energetic tunes on their debut album, and I must say it is very interesting to observe the way this “bring the house down” tune is turned into a slower piece, with a more than wonderful and elaborated instrumental (I'm sure I've heard violin out there somewhere, and those drums continue to kick ass).

After that it's time for The Walls Are Wearing Thin, a two minutes instrumental piece, really slow, maybe the most calm part on the material. Then comes With the Benefit of Hindsigh, another slow tune, with powerful guitar riffs and heavy drums that don't actually let you fall asleep. Oh, and that violin… The last song is a new version of This Is My House This Is My Home, the sixth track on their first album, and it's quite difficult to decide which version you should like the most. They are both strange in the most wonderful way possible, with a more pronounced touch of sadness on this version (that violin again…).

In short: it's a very good material and it certainly makes you put yourself some questions about how their next album will sound.

*photo courtesy of myspace.com/wewerepromisedjetpacks

Not Sleeping Here!

Charming Scandinavian musical fragrance. Fragrance number 357 or so. I told you before, Scandinavians are pouring artistic human beings into the world’s musical market; and not only. This time it’s The Kissaway Trail, a band form Denmark that step up to dazzle with their second LP entitled Sleep Mountain. There is such a strong feeling of a musical grandeur when listening to this gathering of idyllic like songs.

The voice is sweet and with a true matching passion to the sound made by all instruments that we’ve come accustomed to in these last decades of contemporary music. The sound is not completely fresh, it does contain the youthful/innocent touch, but it can also give a certain reminiscent feeling. Whether it’s from the vocal timbre or even more from the overall orchestration. Nevertheless even if we’ve heard it already, The Kissaway Trail scent here is not just burrowing but rather developing the strong influences, thus challenging and succeeding to capture attention.

It is really laudable the fact that this album can easily face a chameleonic attribute or better say function. If originally I declared the album as a passionable romanticized statement, I then, just as easily, pictured it as a genius soundtrack. Philadelphia for the perfect kiss scene, Sdp for an editing of happy scenes, New Lipstick for a bike ride on a sunny day, even Enemy for a sad or a pensive scene where the character is rummaging through his memories. The track called Friendly Fire could be used in a reuniting scene, Prelude for a dramatic ending or the song Don’t Wake Up, for a Hollywood ending. And even though the lyrics may not fit at all, quite poetic and strong ones I may say about every one of them, the sound alone is a tour de force. It proves eloquence, consistency, composition, elegance and class performances from each instrument.

An album that is simply delightful from top to bottom is to be congratulated and made reason for a request of as many more like these or better to follow. From The Kissaway Trail, from anybody, but let there be known that The Kissaway Trail with Sleep Mountain are on that list of plain good albums. Listen to it loud and it will capture you.

picture courtesy of Amazon

Back to you, Keith!

Sometimes it's better for us to shut the fuck up and let bands speak. So we should let We Are Scientists describe their own comeback:

'With the budget of a 30 Seconds To Mars clip, the raw fx firepower of James Cameron's Avatar, and the intensively rehearsed, flawless timing of an OKGO video, the new music vid from We Are Scientists proves once and for all that rules -- ahem -- truly do not stop these New York City dynamos.'

And here you have it, the new video from the legendary band...WE ARE SCIENTISTS!

Take Them On Your Own

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club ooze coolness: the jackets, the ties, the cigarettes, the bluesy guitar riffs, Peter Hayes’ hair. It’s in their bone marrow. So when Nick Jago exited the stage and Leah Shapiro took the drumsticks, fears she wouldn’t fit the dynamics of the group were justified.

Luckily, Miss Shapiro rocks the leather jacket she was supposed to fill. And she hits it hard from song number one, more precisely the title song off BRMC’s new studio effort Beat The Devil’s Tattoo. A heavy blues meet Americana infused pieces that makes one think of the band’s older Ain’t No Easy Way Out. It even comes, in your head, with the images of a video along the lines of the older song’s one. Its smoothness is fit for an introduction in the new BRMC that unfolds in front of us. Except that, the band has reached such a musical maturity that by now they have their own branded sound. And while the means to achieve the said sound are different, the end result is the same. BRMC are fucking back, you say with a smile to yourself and light another cigarette.

Surely, there are many songs on the album that would make worthy singles. But the one that underlines the idea stated at the end of the paragraph above is Conscience Killer. Another blow in the face that should and will be a wonderfully well received song at concerts. The coolness drips out of the speakers and with it the underlying sexual tension: guitar distorts that clash with angry drums. And one great opening line: “I’m a constant sinner”. Bad Blood takes things 180 degrees. Maybe not exactly 180, more like 150. In short, it’s the other face of BRMC: slow, seemingly introspective, calm. It’s almost a gem, a mood(y) song (listen to it carefully, the swirling distorts that take over the rest of the instruments).

War Machine is moodier: the lingering guitar notes, the heavy bass, the distorted vocals, all so rock’n’roll meets industrial. Here, the sexual tension is even harder to pin point, but easier to feel that on Conscience Killer. By this time, you’ve probably smoked a whole pack of cigarettes. And this song in particular urges for the listener to be surrounded by heavy amounts of smoke. Americana we said, and Sweet Feeling, another slow moment, embraces this genre blindly. And once more, BRMC’s undeniable talent shines. Plus, you get one of the most wonderful harmonicas ever.

Evol is, well, love. Pure love. It’s sweeping, emotional, dreamy and makes you do something you’d rarely (ok, never) do when talking about this band: go ‘Awwww’ when you hear the line “I’m waiting for you to say the words to make me stay”. It also hard not to think of the song’s sound as a typical BRMC one. Which is the same for Mama Taught Me Better: the distorts are once more impeccable, the drums badass and the bluesy vibes sexy as hell. It’s a controlled blast of energy that leaves you craving for more with every guitar chord.

And more comes in the shape of a bite of blues, River Styx: a raw chorus and heavy guitar riffs. Seriously, it’s one song you’d most likely hear in a southern bar. And once again, the sheer sexuality their music has fills your ears. Harmonicas and sweet acoustic guitars blend to give you The Toll, a song that probably has some of the best backing vocals ever provided by Courtney Jane. And this is how you thank the guys not only for existing but also for introducing you to a great singer.

Aya’s harsh guitars bring you back to the smoky bar: a love song, but it’s a painful love song. The lyrics really shine on this one. Just as heart-wrenching as the swirls of guitars. The vocals add to the effect: few times have you heard lines delivered so peacefully only to turn right away into sheer despair while not being cormy or overly theatrical at all. Shadow’s Keeper seems to be Evol’s smaller (but by no means less worthy) brother: the guitar sweeps everything in its way, the vocals are delivered with a touch of detachment that remind you of just how cool these guys are. But somewhere towards the end, the distort pedal is push to the maximum only to leave the impression of urgency and alert.

But instead of a blatant riot, BRMC are subversive: Long Way Down is one more (and the final) slow moment of the album. And this time, the boys go full throttle and use a piano, turning this piece into the darkest off the album. It’s further prove of how versatile and worthy of every blessing ever they are. And because this is BRMC we are talking about, they don’t tone it done in the end: the album outro is, to put it simple, a fucking masterpiece. Half-State, an epic ten-minutes song, has no mercy: it’s what BRMC are all about. There’s heavy sexuality underneath the layers of distortion, the vocals are smooth and bluesy, the bass falls heavy on the rest of the instruments, the overall effect is that of dreaminess. There are, in fact, endless ways to praise this instant classic. And if you think ten minutes is too long, wait until minute seven, when the guitars nearly explode and make it all unbelievably mind-blowing. By now, you’ve probably finished another three packs.

Beat The Devil’s Tattoo signals not only BRMC’s return but also a mature band that can’t be shaken by internal problems. It constantly delivers, not leaving you unsatisfied for even one second. Leah Shapiro is one great drummer, Peter Hayes and Robert Loven Been two musicians that should be quoted more often. And their new album is an instant classic, probably the band’s best.

*photo courtesy of BRMC's official site

Caught by the bell!

James Mercer from The Shines and producer Danger Mouse are releasing this year, as Broken Bells, their self titled debut album. So what does the outcome sound like? By putting together the voice on New Slang and the producer of (lets choose among many) Gorrilaz’ Demon Days and half of that overrated and overstuffed duo that introduced the hit single Crazy (awful combination of sounds, just awful), you get a polite album.

Short and simply saying it, the album is a chill-out one, smart experimental work with a mellow garnish represented by the voice, something like Your Head Is On Fire. Something of a sound pattern is to be recognized into each song linking them all as an album. And if on some tracks the instrumental is the one that shines, on other songs the instrumental simply supports Mercer’s voice. That matter of fact is a downside for the overall impression of these boys. In the case of other albums, both ways would have worked out fine. Whereas here as mentioned, where the instrumental shines and the voice is just an adding, that adding becomes useless (such is the case of October and Citizen). When both the instrumental and the voice come together shining, songs like The High Road, Vaporize or The Ghost Side truly are to be noted.

Only a few songs reach impressiveness or so, Sailing To Nowhere, The Ghost Inside and the first song on this album, in all matters of speaking, The High Road. That is so above it all in comparison with every other song, I tend to mark it as a lucky strike in musical working hours of Broken Bells.

Both guys try to expose their undeniable talent, whereas they succeed or not all the time to come together beautifully in a musical note, it’s irrelevant. But the issue is that they fail in choosing from their work as a band, those compositions that suit, that hold their talents and make the proper convergence.

photo courtesy of Wikipedia

Enter Plastic Beach

It's difficult (almost impossible) to classify the music Gorillaz make. Is it rock? Is it hip-hop? Is it electronica? Actually all and none of these, but it's damn good. And you have the chance to enjoy it once again, as Damon Albarn's twisted faces have just released a new album, called Plastic Beach. It's their third studio album, their previous one, Demon Days, being released in 2005. A long waiting, I must say.

Plastic Beach has sixteen tracks (including the first single, Stylo, released on 26 January 2010). The idea of the title came to Albarn while he was standing on a beach next to his house and he was looking for the plastic within the sand. It features artists like De La Soul (with whom Gorillaz previously collaborated on Feel Good Inc.), Little Dragon, Snoop Dog, Mos Def or Lou Reed. The Horrors also have been invited by Albarn to record a track, after he heard Primary Colours, but they don't actually appear on the final version of the album. What a shame.

The first song on the album, Orchestral Intro, serves, as you probably have already guessed, as an introduction, and it features sinfonia ViVA. After a minute, you're passing to the next song, Welcome to the World of the Plastic Beach, which is a three and a half minutes hip-hop piece with electronic touches, featuring Snoop Dog and Hypnotic Brass Ensemble. White Flag opens with a flute sound, and continues with violins and tribal-like percussion, performed by The Lebanese National Orchestra for Oriental Music, before turning again to hip-hop (Kano and Bashy make a really good job here). Through the end, it comes back to the sound from the intro, keeping at the same time the hip-hop beat.

Damon Albarn's voice (or 2D's, if you prefer), appears for the first time on Rhinestone's Eyes, which is a fascinating mix of fresh electronic sounds (my mind screams "SOS single", and I hope time will give me right). After that comes a track you already know, Stylo, that features Bobby Womack and Mos Def. I must say it's a great choice for a single. The voices fit almost perfectly and that bass effortlessly makes you shake your head. Superfast Jellyfish, the next song, a collaboration with De La Soul and Gruff Rhys, has already been announced as being the next single. Murdoc Niccals, the fictional Gorillaz member, described it in an interview as being "A lot of fun. If you turn it up loud enough all the colours start spilling and washing out of the speakers. You could flood your room with a track like this."

Empire Ants apparently uses samples from the theme music to Tomorrow's World. It features Little Dragon, an electronic Swedish band and its first part is one of the most peaceful moments on the album, with the second part becoming a bit louder. Glitter Freeze, next in line, has been recorded with Mark E. Smith, and ends the peacefulness, using chaotic electronic sounds. The phrase from the beginning, "Where's north from here?", was uttered by Smith himself, as he wanted to record his part facing north. Albarn liked it and included it on the song's final version.

Some Kind of Nature is another brilliant track. It is said that Lou Reed asked everyone to leave the studio while he was singing his part. But an important contribution to the track's brilliancy is brought by his voice. "Solid gold" as Murdoc commented. On Melancholy Hill amplifies the joyful touch that can be felt on Some Kind of Nature, turning itself in a perfect piece of pop. Broken is one of those songs you hear and enjoy, without knowing precisely why - it just works. Not the same thing can be told about Sweepstakes, which seems a little bit too much. Its instrumental is so chaotic that it becomes monotone; and I'd also say that the combination between Mos Def and Hypnotic Brass Ensemble is not the most inspired.

Plastic Beach, the title track, brings in Mick Jones (yeah, that Mick Jones) and Paul Simonon (yeah, that Paul Simonon). No more comments are needed. To Binge brings back Little Dragon. On this one Yukimi Nagano's voice comes out even more powerfully that on Empire Ants, giving you the real measure of her talent. Cloud of Unknowing is a contemplative and emotional track, certainly one of the best on the album. The combination between Bobby Womack's voice and sinfonia ViVA almost brings tears to your eyes. The final song, Pirate Jet, comes as an epilogue to the story, with Damon Albarn singing "The plastic creating people", with a sound that reminds you about jazz music in the background.

This album will make you completely forgive Albarn for the fact he made you wait almost five years to release a new Gorillaz album. Because it's great. As one of his twisted faces, Murdoc, said "It's not a green record. It's not a judgement on the world. It's just a picture. Plastic Beach: it's another place, another way of looking at the world. And this is its soundtrack...."

*photo courtesy of Gorillaz official site

Why Alice is not Tim Burton’s Alice

Even most of the OST smells like a different director

The Dormouse tells The White Rabbit, “You’ve got the wrong Alice,” but you know it’s the right one. The trouble is, by the end of the film, you don’t know if it’s the right Tim Burton. Sure, the characters are great, they are real. The lines sound like Lewis Carroll. Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham-Carter are dazzling, Anne Hathaway and Stephen Fry a delight. Even the 3D thing (a complete waste of time, if you ask me) works wonderfully at times (like when Alice falls through the rabbit whole).

But it’s just not Tim Burton. There’s no epicness, his imagination seems very limited. It’s as if he lost himself in Underworld and can’t find himself. Sure, he had his own take on Wonderworld but Underworld is not gloomy enough to be considered a Burton product. It’s not quirky enough either. And the music adds to the lack of Burton-ness. A short description: nothing, nothing, crap, nothing, Avril Lavigne.

The official score is bland (why Danny Elfman was on the credits, beats me). But what’s beyond sad is the music inspired by the film. If you thought Avril Lavigne was sinking low, wait until seven. Yes, Tokio Hotel. I forgot to mention, I puked a bit in my mouth between tracks one and seven: Owl City, All Time Low, Metro Station… and Shinedown. For some reason or another All-American Rejects pulled the track off. Which isn’t something I can say about 3OH!3. And then some more blandness with Plain White T’s, Mark Hoppus and Kerli (why, oh, why?).

There are some bands that do it wonderfully: in short, Robert Smith and the last four acts on the cd (Franz Ferdinand, Motion City Soundtrack, Wolfmother and Grace Potter and The Nocturnals). Franz Ferdinand are mostly delicious and Robert Smith’s song is so quirky (both are so-so Burton as a matter of fact) you actually wonder why in the world Tim Burton didn’t ask them to write the whole official score. Go on, just listen to Smith’s Very Good Advice and Franzie’s The Lobster Quadrille. Don’t take my word for it, you’ll believe me anyways after you hear them.

And why weren’t Hatcham Social asked to give permission for their song Jabberwocky to be used on the soundtrack?