Duster - Stratosphere

Duster is strangely enjoyable. It's hard to think of why such simple music as this sounds as good as it does. It's guitar based wall-of-sound with light singing, but I wouldn't call it shoegaze. It's heavy and sludgy and really lazy, like staring at a wall for hours. But I wouldn't call is stoner rock. This fuzzy piece of under the radar music is spaced out, highly atmospheric and floats around aimlessly yet structured as it could be.

Tropical Solution is pretty much the same light riff over and over again for 5 minutes, yet you listen to the whole thing and don't even realize you've spent any time at all listening to it. It's like the successful theory behind Drone music. Except Duster does it even better, and it's not even Drone.

It's loud as hell, but it sounds really quiet

at the same time. Melancholy at its finest.

My favorite find this year.

Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra

I had the rare privilege to see Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra last night. They played in front of a sparse crowd of their loyal fans for almost two hours. It's not easy listening to the same song for twenty minutes, especially for a band who focus on a minor sound in pretty much all of their songs. They found a way to keep the sound flowing, changing up tempo, key and time signature just enough to hold your full attention for the entire song. If you know what sounds good, you will appreciate what they do.

It's easy to write a pop song. It's mindless to follow structure. However it is not simple to create beautiful and emotional music that goes where it wants to. Each song is a novel of sound. Silver Mt. Zion is a unique post rock band. You give a lot to the listener that others don't. They don't rely on unbearable amounts of distortion, they don't give you cheesy made up words as their lyrics, there's no sweepingly ultra emotional crescendos, and they're by no means ambient. It's a dark, heavy and extremely organic, earthy sound. The only thing plugged into the wall is the one guitar, everything else is a sting instrument.

It was a dark, yet comforting show.

Live from Lincoln Hall

Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works 85-92

Richard D. James' first full length as Aphex Twin. Select Ambient Works 85-92 is just what the title suggests. It's laid back, atmospheric and beautiful electronic music. Although I wouldn't be so quick to call it ambient, well, maybe it is to Aphex Twin it is. I mean, there's still a beat on most of the tracks, nothing here is boring, but it still takes you for a visual ride like ambient music should.

The album starts out perfectly with one of my personal AT tracks Xtal, and quickly takes off from there. It covers a lot of ground too. There's the light fluffy pieces which he contrasts with darker ones. There's some heavy and loud borderline big-beat tracks like Green Calx as well. Not every song is amazing, but it's worth the trip.

Toro y Moi - Causers of This

(9)

I would call this the best album of 2010 but I've had a copy of it all winter. So to me, it's one of the best album of 2009, definitely the most played by far. Toro y Moi leads the young chillwave movement. His production focuses on a futuristic wavy R&B sound where Neon Indian focuses more on their instrumentation, especially the guitar and Washed Out focuses on their heavy repeating synths.

What makes the album so intriguing is Chaz' production skills. From the first track "Blessa" and "Fax Shadow" you know he knows what he's doing. They show me that he has potential in electronic music, which is why i'm a little disappointed his new single features live instrumentation. It takes on some influence to glitch hop with the in-and-out bass throbs. "Minors" is my favorite track, it's epic and fills you with a sense of nostalgic familiarity.

Both "Blessa" and "Talamak" have been redone from his demo, I personally like the fuller sound of Blessa but the original Talamak just had more to it. The entire album is a lot cleaner and clearer than a lot of his earlier work.

The over all feel of this album, to me, is this dreamy fog of dense soaring R&B sounds that'll make you feel like you're nodding on opiates. But most importantly it sounds like something completly new yet fimiliar at the same time, as it takes on a lot of influences in 80's electro and R&B, and current blunted hip hip production (think Dilla). Maybe thats why he called it Causers of This.

Youtube - Minors

Sounds Like

Future Electro R&B

Indian Jewelry - Totaled

(7)

Biggest disappointment of the year. It's not that Indian Jewelry makes simple music. It's for sure not like they make music that sounds good. They are the best at making ugly music that sounds offensive. Thats why they are at the top of the drone scene. IJ's cult fallowing will love whatever they put out. "They're artsy, misunderstood" That may be, but their 2010 release does not stand up to any other LP they're ever put out.

It's not easy for me to admit that this album is flat and uninspired and they're one of my favorite bands. But this really isn't good. Compare "Totaled" to their previous albums. "Free Gold!" showed listeners that they can successfully add a number of ethnic influences into their drone drenched ugly sound. "Invasive exotics" was dark, borderline gothic and had a good amount of electronic sound. Their debut "We Are The Wild Beast" was loud as hell, but still perfectly distinguishable. "Totaled" just sounds like a tired mix of everything they've already done, in a more "pop" way. When I say more "pop", I mean they ditched the weirdness. If I had to put on an indian jewelry album with my grandma, it would be totaled.

It's not a terrible album, it just doesn't stack up to the rest.

Sounds Like

darkwave disco indian jewelry

Baths - Baths

(7.5)

Baths is an out-of-the-blue producer who combines the throbbing in-and-out bass and twinkling bleeps of glitch hop and the overall chill vibe of the chillwave/glo-fi scene. Most of the tracks are 'instrumental' but when vocals are added, they're sparse and perfectly placed.

Maximalist is the most uplifting glitch hop beat I think I've ever hear. Just as the name suggests, it got that 'love your life live it to the fullest' sound and includes vocal samples of the same life theory. Lovely Bloodflow is a windy track in a complex time signature that features a vocal sample that flattens it out. And the highly experimental Hall puts use to production techniques I've never even heard before.

Sounds Like

Mix between Clark and Bibio

Teebs - 09

(7.5)

Artist, producer and Brainfeeder Label member Teebs has been very busy this year. He has a new LP out this month called Tropics and he's been touring internationally. Just last year he was virtually unheard of. Teebs' form of glitch hop is different from his fellow Brainfeeder producers, who lean toward big beat buzzing video game-esq hip hop. Teebs is the laid back little brother. His sound is carefree, swirling and beautifully light for a glitch hop producer, it's almost tropical is a way you've never experienced from anything else.

What's so impressive about him is his ability to work a steady and catchy beat into all the sparkling and fluffy ambience. I would;nt have believed it was possible until I heard it for myself. Teebs has the that overpowered blunted bass thing going on (think Toro y Moi) which is what I love about his sound. I can't really talk about specific tracks as their are all untitled, but this album is definitely worth checking out as the sound is so fresh and light.

Woods - At Rear House

(8)

Woods is my favorite of today's folk groups. A good folk group has to keep their distance from too much electronic influence in their sound. Good folk should sound good around a campfire.

We find Woods in their sophomore album going away from the freak folk and more just spright folk with a darker sound. You have more of the electric side on tracks Be Still, which sounds like a Neil Young with Crazy horse track from '75. It's a slow down tone waltz that ends in a rusty guitar solo. Best song on the album by far. Don't Pass On Me foreshadows their sound-to-be. Then there are the acoustic lullabies like Hunover that really picks up at the end, and the quiet Bonetapper. What sets "At Rear House" part from their newer two is the diversity and dynamics.

The over all sound is half dark and fuzzy and half peaceful. It's the most organic output from the band.

Sounds Like

Neil Young and Crazy Horse + freak folk

Suckers - Suckers EP

(8)

Sucker's first EP containing their only 4 officially released songs is now more than a year old and I find my self still constantly playing it. It was the best unheard of release of last spring for sure. It's kind of the guitar pop of Yeasayer mixed with the weirdness of the Talking Heads.

Beach Queen has an echo-y tropical vibe. Afterthoughts & TV is my personal favorite, a drunken sing along. Easy Chairs is just the most care free and innocent song and the closing ballad It Gets Your Body Movin' sounds like it should be the epically epic encore of a really long LP, so it sounds a little out of place. All the tracks are sunny as hell.

Suckers are just another t'ake on today's indie scene except their fresh. I can't really place my finger on what it is exactly that makes the stand out. Of course, the EP is only 4 songs, but four out of four amazing track aint bad. We'll have to see what their upcoming LP sounds like.

Titus Andronicus - The Monitor

(8.5)

I'm going back to New Jersey, I do believe they've had enough of me

I'll be the first to admit that lyrics are not a huge deal with me. Bad or good lyrics, meaningless or meaningful, it doesn't matter at all. I'm usually to into the music of whatever the hell is in the background to even notice what they're singing about. Not Titus Andronicus.

Talk about your drinking album. This is a a tough scruffy country/punk New Jersey concept album that revolves around themes from the American Civil War. Weird, I know, but the album probably wouldn't have been half as good with out it. From the beginning lines of in the album opener A More Perfect Union, you know it's that raw, raging energetic punk sound you haven't heard since the 90's. You even get a few Springsteen homages in there too. The songs areas long and epic as the battle of the Civil War, and the pull the load of one.

Once again its the lyrics and themes that make this album. Theme From "Cheers" is the highlight of the album. Just try and listen to it without wanting, needing a beer. It must be that twangy sound and all the booze references and "fuck it" quotes. It transitions perfectly into the most beautiful piece of the album, To Old Friend And New where the band get help from an unknown female singer (I think she's from Vivian Girls, fuck yea) who lends her emotional vocals for a great change up of sound.

The closer Battle of Hampton Roads is the "final battle scene" with some of the best lines on the album. Is there a girl at this college who hasn't been raped / Is there a boy in this town whose not exploding with hate / Is there a soul on this earth who isn't too frightened to move? It may sound shocking but it'll make the hair on the back of your neck stand up when you hear it. The only down side of the The Monitor is it lacks a tad musically, then again, it's a punk album.

You're going to feel really good listening to this album in that revolting youthful way. It's something you just have to hear to believe. Now when I drink, I will drink to excess.

Sounds Like

Backwoods punk

Little Dragon - Little Dragon

(8.5)

I say screw The Knife and their disturbingly grotesque singing voices. Little Dragons is the best band from Sweden. I'm reviewing their debut album because I personally believe it's the best vocal centered album I have heard in ever. In ever. their new LP Machine Dreams is good, but it's just not as sensuous and more poppy than their original sound.

You'll hear the first song, the quite piano ballad Twice, and literally fall in love with Japanese-Swedish singer Yukimi Nagano. She's like the white Erykah Badu, a great R&B singer with an amazing voice. The music is great too. It's like a weird sleek minimalist electro pop thing (probably from the Japanese half of her) with an urban feel. Constant Surprises is my favorite track on the album. Possibly my all time favorite R&B track as well. It's one of those late night looking-at-the-city-though-the-window-of-an-el-car-song. The closer Wink is a highlight as well, probably the most upbeat and dynamic pieces on the album.

So much soul. Such great production. Too under the radar for it's own good.

Sounds Like

Future R&B

Constant Surprises Video

The Mars Volta - Octahedron

"I'm the Matchstick that you'll never loose"

This is TMV stripped down. The "acoustic" Volta album that they've been threatening fans with for years. Obviously it turned out it wasn't actually acoustic, but it might of well have been. For the Mars Volta, this IS acoustic. Basically all Volta songs are pop songs, structurally speaking. After they have created the basic foundation of the song, they add ass the crazy complex shit to 'disguise' it. this is an insight to the song crafting process of the band as these songs are the songs before the "crazy shit"

You hear it right away on the first track Since We've Been Wrong which is a an epic ballad that compared in sound and epic-ness to Televators from Deloused In The Comatorium. It's soft and beautiful, yet powerfully emotional.

Teflon takes things in the opposite direction. This dark track features a pounding drum groove thats in an exceptionally strange time signature, even for The Mars Volta. Halo Of Nembutals is where things get really enjoyable. It starts off really erie and you wonder where it's going to go, waiting for it to explode with raw energy, and then it does, into one of the best Volta chorus ever. Now that they are making straight up pop tracks, they get to write all the catchy chorus they want. Cotopaxi is simply the new Goliath. Its loud and it throbs with energy.

Desperate Graves has Cedric singing a little weird. It's kind of lame the first time you hear it because he's never sung like that in anything else before. But it fits the track perfectly especially against Omars waving guitar effect. Again, the chorus is perfect.

Within the last two tracks, the band experiments with new sounds and techniques. They have sound electronic drumming with borders IDM and song almost completely structureless songs. You pretty much go through the whole album without hearing one insane guitar solo by Omar but you don't even notice it until you hear the only one on the album at the end of the last track. It's awesome obviously. Your face will melt.

Over all it's the Mars Volta's most pop and 'pretty' sounding album. It's the most easy listen of any of their works and it's a great follow up to Bedlam in Goliath which I hated (If I could hate a Volta album) If you're a fan of the band and can't get into the new direction, give it time, it will grow on you.

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Before Today

(10)

By Far the best album I've heard in a long time, and I mean a long time.

Ariel Pink's music has always been really creative and catchy as hell. But the messy lo-fi noise has kept him at cult following status. I actually read in an interview that the sound is a result of lack of funds in production and that he doesn't mean for the sound to be so lo-fi.

Now Ariel Pink is on a new label and all that has changed on "Before Today". The ever so thick cloud of lo-fi that has covered the 70's AM gold (think Bread, Todd Rundgren)of his music is finally lifted. I miss the old sound, but I really like what I hear on this album so it evens out. Now Ariel Pink can focus on making his sound as smooth and wavy as his 70's influences.

There is still a lot of spaced out strange noises, although he's no longer creating the drum sounds with his mouth and the over all sound is cleaner and not as...weird. (It really wouldn't have worked out on this one) The first single Round and Round is the smoothest song i've heard since Rundgrens Hello, It's Me. It the catchiest track of the bunch and you'll find you're self playing it over and over.

You'll play this album for the first time in strange curiosity. For those who are familiar with the earlier The Doldrums and Scared Famous, you'll wonder if it's actually Ariel Pink. Those who have never heard of Pink will be so curiously interest and hooked on the sound that you'll want to play it over again right away.Beverly Kills is a glowing funky track, Can't Hear My Eyes is warm and probably the most AM gold sounding track since authentic AM gold from the 70's. Reminiscence is a tight instrumental with an awesome bass line. And the closer Revolution's A Lie has a hint of Joy Division.

This album is great. It's funky, smooth and weird. I can't help comparing it to MGMT's new album. It's like Ariel Pink succeeded at what MGMT failed miserably to do.

Best album of 2010 so far

Sounds Like

Pure 70's am gold with a new sound

The Radio Dept. - Clinging to a Scheme

(9)

I've been waiting for this album since I first heard their first album. When I got the leak I wondered what their new sound (if any) would be like. After listening to it extensively for the past two months I've decided that it sounds a lot like Lesser Matters only a lot more polished and with better ideas overall.

The Radio Dept. are my favorite of the "nu gaze" bands. They have the best sound hands down. They can play their instruments to say he least. And they know how to incorporate the fuzzy loud shoegaze sound while still making each instrument stand out. It really shows on The Video Dept. The sound is real moody like later The Cure work. Its kind of dark but not at the same time.. in a dreamy way? the album is more centered on a pop foundation than the rock foundation of their earlier work. Memory Loss's bassline reminds me of Joy Division but the guitar work is something new. David is something you wouldn't expect to hear from them. It's kind of a synth pop that sounds like a hybrid of new and old, comfortable and uneasy. Its those extreme dynamics thats what The Radio Dept. do best on this album. The over all sound is beautiful and extremely pleasant.

This is the under-the-radar highlight of 2010 so far, check it out.

Sounds Like

Nu gaze fuzz

Upcoming Shows

Toro Y Moi -- 6/5

Indian Jewelry -- 6/16

Tinariwen -- 6/17, 6/18, 6/19

The Books -- 6/21

El Guincho -- 7/12

Cap'n Jazz -- 7/17

Ariel Pink -- 7/20

Know of any other good shows

around the city this summer?

Someone help me with acquiring an ID so

I can get into Indian Jewelry, as it's my

most anticipated show of the summer by far.

Black Lips - Let It Bloom

(9.5)

The Black Lips are my favorite band, putting aside the Volta/Drive-In/DeFacto creations of the great Omar Rodriguez Lopez. It's not just because their garage legends. Not because they have the best and dirtiest live shows EVER. Not because they got kicked out of India. It's because of their energy and their insanely raw sound combined with their ability to make the catchiest dirt punk of all time.

This is my favorite of their albums, and a top 10 favorite album without question. The Black Lips are a legendary garage punk band from Atlanta, the Mecca of the garage punk scene. If you want to narrow down their style, they call their music "flower punk" and I think that term accurately describes their sound. It's like happy punk, but still in a raw hardcore way, filled with catchy singalong lyrics and an overall coolness that no other band has to the extent of the Black Lips.

Let It Bloom is their most accessible and catchy album. Every song is a hit. The album opener Sea Of Blasphemy lets you know right from the start the raw energy and passion you're about it lay witness to. The bass line walks with swagger, it's my favorite Black Lips song. Can't Dance follows, which is just as good as the opener. Still so much energy, except this one is fast, really fast. It shreds. Hippie, Hippie, Hoorah is a cover of an old french song. Its an amazing ghostly sound that no other Black Lips song even comes close to sounding like. Feeling Gay sounds like a drunken haze. Fairy Stories and Dirty Hands are probably the bands happiest, most joyful songs ever, they glow and the lyrics are great. And Punk Slime is an epic western-ish song with a dirty gritty sound.

The over all sound of this album is what makes the Black Lips the most notorious garage punk band since The Sonics. It's dirty and raw. It echos and screams. Most of all, it's energy is without comparison. I saw them live for the first time last month. It was the best show I've ever been to. Crowd surfing. Moshing. Stage diving. Best show Ever because of the energy they put out.

Sounds Like

Sun drenched lo-fi flower punk

Javelin - No Mas

(7.5)

I love this album, it's so much fun. It's like taking a bunch of the most fun upbeat electronic genres and sounds and putting them all together, its like and electronic Ween, full of colorful J Dilla esq beats. The whole album doesn't hold up together as good as I would have hoped, there's not a lot of meaning. But for what is is, a fun beat collection, it serves its purpose well.

Vibrationz is like a funky 80's groove, Oh! Centra sounds like a take on a J-Pop hit, which they rap over with sped up voices, Susie Cues is a glitch hop track, Tell Me, What Will It Be? sounds like a crazy mix of lo-fi surf guitars with a psyche overtone and a tine of asian sound. I see a connection between the music and the retro cut-out artwork of the cover. The tracks sound like a bunch of random music cut out and pasted together with a neat and successful result of a brand new sound.

Probably the most enjoyable colorful album I've heard this year, it's got it all.

Sounds Like

J Dilla beats done by white boys

Omar Rodriguez Lopez & John Frusciante

(7)

The first record that features the duo (Omar from The Mars Volta and John from the Chili Peppers) exclusively. It came out this week as a free download. The album is basically an instrumental that comes off as a study of the guitar.

If you listen closely, and are familiar with each mans previous body of work, you can tell who wrote what part of the song and who's playing what guitar. Both of them put their own style into the songs are are evenly distributed evenly. Effects are used extensively. If you've ever been up close at a Volta show, you've noticed that Omar must have 20 different effects peddles at his feet. A very smooth and thick sound, good both fans of both bands.

Highlights are ZIM and 0

Sounds Like

An even mix of Omar and John and their love of the guitar

Ween - Godweensatan

(8)

An immature college album if there ever was one. Ween are a special duo. Pop geniuses.

Godweensatan was their first release, back when they were just teens, and it shows. If you were going into this album not knowing anything from Ween, and played the first tracks You Fucked Up and Tick, you'd think it was some hardcore band. When you get a little further into the album, things start loosing it's boarders, and things sound looney, almost Primas looney. But Dean and Gene Ween are just the kings at creating thoughtfully vulgar and humorous "pop" tracks.

And best of all they are so talented in music in general that they are able to play any genre of music and create a pretty decent song that does the genre justice. Nicole is a 9 minute stoned reggae dub track, Nan is a psyched out folk track and Birthday Boy is the lo-fi-est sounding treble drenched song you'll ever hear, almost to the point where its annoying, except the song it's self is sooooooo good that you'll literally keep coming back to it.

Forget animal collective, if' you need a new album to trip hard to, this would be it.

((see how many pop music references you can spot, like the single piano key strike at the beginning of Pink Floyd's Echos in Birthday Boy))

Sounds Like

A good multi genre pop mind fuck

Ducktails - Landscapes

(7.5)

Probably the most equally mellow and enjoyable album i've heard ever. It's the guitarists from Real Estates first project so the sound is vaguely similar. The difference is that it's so lo-fi that some parts can sound like you're listening to it though a tin can. The sound is to relaxed and blissed out, without a care in the world tropical folky sounding shit. I must have listened to this album a hundred times while I was in Hawaii this winter, it's that kinda mellow.

Defiantly get this if you're a big fan of Real Estate. Check out Wishes, Spring and Welcome Home

Sounds Like

Insanely mellow beach music

Delorean - Subiza

(5)

Not really my favorite thing. It's like a disco Merriweather Post Pavilion, and I'm sure it will be just as popular this summer. There's a lot of jumpy dance tracks packaged in the chillwave/glo-fi sound with a hint of new age disco/techno that makes it stand out more. But I don't see it being an amazing album sober of mdma. There's just not a lot of depth. I'm sure you could put it on with friends and everyone will enjoy it but it doesn't make me crave it. I never find my self really having the urge to turn it on.

The album is danceable, fun and fresh sounding. It just lacks depth and replay value (just like Merriweather Post Pavilion), but I'm sure it'll get big anyway.

Sounds Like

Techno for hipsters

Cap'n Jazz - Analphabetapolothology

(8.5)

Awesome post hardcore pre emo album by the notorious Chicago suburban punks who defined the sound of the early 90's hardcore punk scene. This raw gritty album was the first of it's kind. The best part of the sound of this album is the dynamics, they're all over the place. One second it will be a soft strumming of a guitar and the next minute lots of screaming. It's emotional, dramatic, fast, slow, loud, soft and highly energetic. They do shifting dynamics better than the pumpkins.

The album was comprised of the best tracks of their 8 track demo tapes and their first and only album. My favorite jumpers are Que Suerte!, The Sands Have Turned Purple and Little League.

Sounds Like

At The Drive in minus all the crazy effects and sound manipulation