Sounds of Summer
.
October 23, 2009 • Caleb Nyberg, Conrad Scheid
Filed under Arts & Entertainment
Mos Def-The Ecstatic
It is not a comeback, but it is as close as it gets. The Ecstatic announces Mos Def’s return to his A-game, and it is good to have him back.
Following the landmark classics of “Black Star” (with Talib Kweli and DJ Hi-Tek) and his debut solo album “Black on Both Sides,” the MC released two very un-classic albums during the 2000s. Whether this was due to frustration with contractual obligations or his burgeoning acting career remains to be seen. But we can put that all behind us now, because The Ecstatic is the album we have all been waiting for.
The Ecstatic certainly lives up to its name; 16 tracks, clocking in at around 45 minutes, make for a high-energy display of brevity and power. Representing a wide variety of musical styles within a hip-hop context, almost every track is backed by a different producer bringing some vibe from a different corner of the globe: from India on “The Embassy,” the Middle East on “Wahid” and “Auditorium” or the sweat-soaked clubs of Europe on “Life in Marvelous Times.”
Mos remains as lyrically sharp as ever, locking into grooves and spitting rhymes about poverty, sucka MCs, travelling and (metaphorical) gun fights. Lines like “Ends don’t meet where the arms can’t reach/mean streets, even when it’s free it ain’t cheap,” continue his representation of his Brooklyn home from which he garners much of his inspiration.
Most importantly, the album doesn’t sound like a rehash or an attempted return to his glory days. It is something new and fresh, a different direction for a different time.
Once again Mos has worked his magic, and though we all know that he has nothing to prove, it will not stop him from doing it anyway. -C.N.
The Deadweather-Horehound
Jack White is one busy guy. Starting with The White Stripes in ‘97, and moving on to the Raconteurs while saving time to collaborate with, among others, Beck, the Rolling Stones, and Bob Dylan. He has now started yet another band, The Dead Weather. Taking with him the Raconteurs’ bassist, Jack Lawrence, and guitarist Dean Fertita of the Queens of The Stone Age, the main vocal duties have been handed over to Alison Mosshart of The Kills.
The best way to describe Horehound is that it feels dirty; as if grunge had grown straight out of classic rock rather than coming from the metal of the eighties. Rhythm and melody grind and conflict, all fighting for space against Mosshart’s scorching voice. Some of the songs featuring both an organ and Mosshart and White singing together are reminiscent of a twisted, warped version of the Decmeberists, which, in my book, is a compliment. -C.S.
Dirty Projectors-Bitte Orca
David Longstreth has a certain knack for twisted, convoluted melodies, so it makes sense that his career would follow a similar path: a long, knotty road filled with unexpected twists and turns (Including a “reimagining,” from memory of Black Flag’s “Damaged,” and a rock opera about Don Henley) that would at least reach that resounding high note that sends a shiver down your spine. That climax is “Bitte Orca.”
This is a record for anyone who ever wondered what would happen when art-rock, African guitars and R&B vocals, along with a pinch of Led Zeppelin and a dash of Timbaland, are mashed up by a creative madman.
If that sounds strange, let me assure you, it is. Each song is filled with elegantly spastic vocals, skittering guitars and occasional startling bursts of noise. This is an album that pushes right toward the edge of “too strange” without ever jumping off.
Each song is elegantly crafted and composed, clear proof of Longstreth’s classically trained pedigree, his harmonies and melodic layering are masterful to say the least. The album also contains a certain unique bombast and forward momentum that evokes sunny days full of excitement. This forward momentum keeps the songs from dragging, and makes getting through all of the nine songs an easy and pleasing experience. At the end of the day, it is a surprisingly fresh and original album, a truly new sound. -C.N.
The xx-xx
In the modern day music industry, hype generally doesn’t deliver. With the power of the internet, bands are often hailed as the second coming before they even record a song outside of their native basement. Most of the time such hype crushes bands, or at least makes their debut disappointing in light of the unreasonable expectations.
Luckily, the xx are no such helpless victims of the internet age. They aren’t anything like the typical buzz-bands from the UK, flashy and over the top. In fact, you will find that they are quite the opposite. If the name didn’t already tip you off, the niche the xx have carved out for themselves is more in the realm of understatement and minimalism.
The adjectives that come to my mind upon first listening are spacious, and dare I say, dark. Skeletal guitars, minimal percussion and hushed singing dominate the songs. While there certainly is something almost gothic about it, the beautiful male-female vocals create a certain sexual tension that keeps things from becoming a drag. A band that cites Rhianna, Missy Elliott and Aaliyah as influences has to know something about the carnal side of life.
Influences aside, the xx seem like a band that can stand up on their own, without having to stand on the shoulders of other groups or copping any tricks. They sound like, well, themselves, and that is a great thing to sound like. One of the most surprising debuts of the year, the xx offer a startlingly original, sincere and mature album, and that’s exactly what we need more of. -C.N.
BLK JKS-After Robots
The latest artist to interpret African music for the mainstream was Vampire Weekend. The combination afro-pop rhythms and guitar chirps with an East Coast indie-rock sensibility make for simple, catchy and overall pleasant tunes.
BLK JKS (pronounced Black Jacks, for those struggling with the lack of vowels) do exactly the opposite. They are South Africans who hijack western musical styles to make chaotic, noisy, powerful music. And for the most part, it works.
Prog and psychedelic rock are the cornerstones of the band’s frenetic, claustrophobic sound, and they bring a certain exotic quality to these well-worn genres. Racing rhythms, chorused vocals and fiery distorted guitar lines make up a great majority of the album. The songs are crowded with horns, guitars and generally high-register vocals (a duty shared by all four band members).
However, the album does explore other sonic territory, seamlessly verging on dub and traditional African folk. The singers too show quite a range, and sometimes abandon the enthusiastic wailing for a more introspective croon.
Being a new band, they sometimes handle their overflowing creativity and energy with in a less than graceful manner. The songs can be over-crowded and confused, much like the Mars Volta, with too much going on at once.
But I think this is a good sign. I think that we would all rather have a new band with too many ideas, and too much energy, as opposed to too little. Above all, BLK JKS show potential, and that is never a bad thing. -C.N.
I Come to Shanghai-
I Come to Shanghai
You probably haven’t heard of this band. In fact, almost no one has. The only reason I of know them is because of band member Robert Ashley’s primary career as a journalist in the tech industry.
If you want a point of access for I Come To Shanghai’s self titled debut album, listen to the track “Don’t Get Lost in Heaven” on the Gorillaz Demon Days. That kind of dreamy, faraway sound is found throughout ICtS on both the instrumental melody and vocals.
The entire album was composed, performed, and produced by Sam Frigard and Ashley, and they managed to make something that sounds remarkably full and instrumentally varied.
The album slows down enough as it progresses to be called psychedelic, and the tone gradually shifts from poignancy to melancholy. “Salvation is a Country Club” is about Ashley’s search for spiritual gratification, and his inability to find it. In “I Want to Die”, Frigard seems to be mocking heavy grunge and emo songs about suicide, but still lends enough sadness to the lines to indicate that he isn’t quite happy with his life.
In fact, the whole album seems to mock. While Ashley and Frigard are singing about serious subjects, they refuse to take themselves too seriously, further evidenced by the fact that they released their entire album for free, vis-à-vis Radiohead’s In Rainbows or NIN’s The Slip. For ten dollars, they’ll personally mail you a CD. This strategy seems to have worked well for such a small band, as Ashley stated two weeks after the debut that they were almost out of albums.
So, if you like what you’ve read here, go to their site at www.icometoshanghai.com, download the full album, and if you enjoy it, donate or buy the whole thing. After all, it’s hard to go wrong with free. -C.S.
Amadou et Mariam -The Magic Couple
The blind couple from Mali – as husband and wife Amadou Bagayoko and Miriam call themselves – Have done well for themselves.
After meeting each other at Mali’s Institute for the Young Blind, the two produced several albums and began touring the west coast of Africa, mixing the sounds of traditional African music with popular western instruments such as electric guitar, trumpets, and even harmonica.
In 2008, they opened for Coldplay throughout the ‘Viva La Vida’ tour.
The Magic Couple isn’t exactly a new release. Rather, it is a collection of songs from Amadou et Mariam’s first three albums, giving newcomers an access point for their fantastic music.
If the lyrics weren’t sung in French and Malese, it would be easy to associate much of the music with American soul of the late 50’s and 60’s. It does, however, retain a very ‘world’ music feel to it, especially brought out by the percussion, which is much more often of the tribal rather than kit variety.
Both Amadou and Mariam are incredibly gifted vocalists, filling each song with its own happy warmth (at least to someone like me who can’t understand a word) that makes this album especially easy to listen to. It’s the kind of music that makes you feel happy by the fact that you are listening to it, never mind how good it sounds. -C.S.
Band of Skulls-
Baby Darling Doll Honeyface
Band of Skull’s first album was released July 28, 2009 (in the US) to incredibly mixed reviews. New Musical Express gave it an 8 out of 10, while Under the Radar gave it a 4 on the same scale.
It is, however, my favorite album of the summer. After the first three tracks are over, many reviewers complain, it sounds like you’re listening to a different album. And while Fires, the fourth track on the album, points the tone in a somewhat more morose direction, Band of Skulls demonstrate that they are able to do quiet and contemplative just as well as upbeat.
With Patterns, (my personal favorite track) the tempo comes back up and the acoustic guitars are switched back out for electrics. Bomb and Impossible are the two disappointments of the album, seemingly building up to an energetic finish, but instead they just repeat themselves into oblivion. The next two tracks, however, make up for it, putting Emma Richardson firmly back in the lead vocals spot, where she belongs. The album ends with Cold Fame, a surprisingly balanced triplet between all three band members.
If someone only listens to one of the albums on my list, this is the one I would suggest. -C.S.
Loading ...
Comments
Feel free to leave a comment...
and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!