The Tape

When I saw The Morning Benders play almost all new songs when opening up for Girls back in December, I knew they were on to something. When I heard that Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear would be taking the boys from Berkeley under his wing to help produce the record, I knew that they were really onto something. This “something” I speak of just happens to be Big Echo, the band’s Rough Trade debut. The record isn’t long or dense, it’s simply ten beautifully constructed pop songs.

The record starts off with “Excuses”, a track we got an early preview to when a video that featured Christopher Owens and John Vanderslice was released. “Excuses” opens with loud drums, and energetic guitar playing. Strings float along the track, as Christopher Chu’s voice leads everything along with his delicate and sincere voice. The sweetness of his voice distracts the listener from the song and its lyrics, which are pretty graphic. Lines like “When you tried to taste me, and I taped my tongue to the southern tip of your body” start off the song, which keep in mind, is the first introduction to the band for many listeners. The verse swings back and forth, serving as a filler of sorts for the wonderful chorus that’s about to emerge. The chorus fades into a breakdown, where most instruments are stripped and reset, waiting to enter once again. Voices and voices slowly emerge, accompanying Chu’s, before instruments come back in for another verse and chorus. The next track, “Promises” has a bit more edge to it, proudly showing off the Chris Taylor stamp. This song is everything Grizzly Bear is renowned for, except they’re not quite as good at it. Delicate vocals accompanied by a crunchy, full guitar line, as well as a creative and minimal drum part. The chorus is catchy, and the bass line is what makes this song go. The bass line doesn’t really stand out, but it does a fantastic job accompanying. Skip a track and we arrive at “Cold War (Nice Clean Fight)”, which is one of my favorites. It’s under two minutes, and may be the rawest track of the bunch - although it may be the catchiest as well. Chu’s voice isn’t nearly as delicate on this track, it really has an edge to it, which makes the chorus so wonderful. “All Day Daylight” is another upbeat beauty, that is really meant for summer. Chu’s voice is accompanied by some electronic handclaps, and a sparse guitar line. The chorus on this track is another favorite of mine, with the band showing a more aggressive side to them. The lyrics yearn for summer, as do the instruments. The instrumental part of this track is great as well, with some tom tom’s accompanying a finger picked guitar part. The record ends with “Sleeping In”, a real downer of a track. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy it, but when the rest of the record is at such a high, and is so much fun, it’s a bit depressing when the last track is so somber. Sure, the guitars and drums pick up with about a minute left, but it’s easy to tell that the entire band is depressed that the record is over.

Big Echo is a fantastic record, and I truly believe that it’s the start of something tremendous for these guys. I highly recommend you buy yourself a copy, which you can do here (LP or CD).

The Morning Benders- Excuses

The Morning Benders- Promises

The irony within the title of this record is quite tangible even after one listen. There is nothing hidden about These New Puritans, or this record. Everything is out in the open; it’s loud, epic, and really fucking good. Hidden is an evolution on a larger scale. Beat Pyramid was good, but this record is so much more. After the unnecessary “Time Xone” fades in and out, the aptly titled “We Want War” strongly enters. The track sounds as if it’s marching into battle, with the tribal drums accompanying a lurking synth and pitched down vocals. As the track progresses, the drums get more intense, and the vocals become more clear. This song’s intensity seems like an insane marker to base an entire record on, but These New Puritans somehow manage to maintain this level throughout the record. “We Want War” gracefully weaves in and out of its different sections, ebbing and flowing at just the right times. The next track, “Three - Thousand” starts off with a hip-hop sounding beat and a sampled knife noise. A piano enters the track, playing a creepy line that sounds like it was recorded on one of those tiny pianos. The vocals on this track are almost rapped, giving the song a really interesting feel.

The album progresses with “Hologram”, opening with an almost jazzy piano line. The track seems ridiculously out of place, but it’s such a nice track it really isn’t an important issue. “Hologram” never quite reaches the level of “We Want War”, but it flirts with us quite a few times. The restraint is an important part of this track because it really sets up the next one, “Attack Music.” “Attack Music” starts with some gun shot-esque sounding bass drum hits, before it gets into a bit of a dance-y feel accented by a bassoon or an oboe. Skip a track and we arrive at “Orion”, the record’s first single. The track seems to drag along, before the choir section hits and the drums start serving as an accent. “Orion” has a few too many parts for its own good, taking away from the track’s core idea, until the choir re-emerges. The choir parts are so well placed and accented with such perfect instruments, it’s hard to complain about the rest of the track. The album’s final track “5″, features some more wind instruments, with some percussive bells thrown in there for good measure. “5″ serves as the perfect closing track, cleaning up the ruckus created by the previous 10 tracks, while still keeping the listener engaged.

Hidden is the obvious next step for These New Puritans, because I don’t know if I would have been able to handle another Beat Pyramid. Hidden is loud at all the right times, but more importantly, it knows when to not be. A very good piece of work, These New Puritans have something to be very proud of with Hidden.

These New Puritans- Orion

To call Have One On Me a colossal achievement would be an equally colossal understatement. In magnitude, content, structural complexity, and tonal eccentricity, Joanna has transgressed the bounds of what we have come to expect in an album. But then, what should we have expected from such a relentlessly ambitious and challenging artist. Indeed, her compelling previous work, plethora of accolades, and variety of associates and muses including the revolutionary composer Van Dyke Parks and beau Andy Samberg point to nothing but a brilliantly honed capacity for producing some of the most unique music around.

Joanna’s debut, The Milk Eyed Mender, is comprised of 12 songs, most of which utilize a more generic pop structure than her latest release, and none which exceed 6 minutes in length. Her sophmore venture halves the number of tracks present on the debut, yet without sacrificing any time or substance. With Ys, Joanna chooses meticulously arranged orchestral formats in lieu of the aforementioned pop structure, yielding five of the most esoteric songs to date, reminiscent of archaic middle aged minstrel music. Ys defied accessibility and got away with it, becoming one of the most beloved and eccentric albums of the past decade. Yet to me, it always lacked the excitement of its predecessor. I appreciated it for the boldness of its statement, and its pristine string arrangements, yet I found I couldn’t connect with its epic narrative as well as I could the strongly defined compositions of its predecessor. The brilliance of HOOM is that it can embody the melodic accuracy of Milk-Eyed and the ambiguous narrative quality of Ys inside the easily misused triple album format. In this way, HOOM showcases every quality of Joanna’s person without deterring her increasingly forward-thinking and ambitious career path. It seamlessly integrates new instrumentation without distracting us from the integral vocal/harp pairing that characterizes Joanna’s music and this sonic variety yields a very listenable and relatable album. With this gargantuan release, she sustains a completely precarious balance between every element that has and will define her as an artist. Thus, HOOM leaves no room for the tried and true “I liked her old stuff better” interpretation for it is as much her debut as her debut it self: a fully integrated masterpiece as collaged, miscellaneous, and all-encompassing as the album’s jumbled cover(above).

For Your Listening Pleasure…a cut from each of HOOM’s 3 sides:

Side 1: Joanna Newsom-Good Intentions Paving Company

Side 2: Joanna Newsom-You And Me, Bess

Side 3: Joanna Newsom-Soft As Chalk

It’s very clear that with Odd Blood, Yeasayer wanted to do something different, moving away from what made their first album such a success. Layers upon layers of natural instruments were replaced with layers upon layers of synths, resulting in a pop masterpiece. Another difference between All Hour Cymbals and Odd Blood is the way the band splits up the vocals. On the first record, Chris handled almost all of the singing, but on Odd Blood, we see a lot more of Anand leading the way. A lot of people have labeled this record as “top heavy”, but the band has come out and said that they intentionally had a split in the record, with the first five songs being straight pop jams, and the backside being more experimental. Regardless of the experimental tag, I find the second half of this record just as enjoyable as the first half.

The LP starts off with the incredibly haunting “The Children”, featuring pitched down vocals and a lurching rhythm section. The track takes shape during the chorus, when a powerful organ hits, accompanied with some wonderful harmonies and half time drums. When the song returns to its verse, a creepy piano line enters, giving the song a bit of a dragged feel. The chorus re-emerges one more time, sounding a bit bigger and more epic as well. “The Children” is a great way to establish the records’ purpose; engagingly experimental, with brilliant glimmers of pop scattered throughout. The single, “Ambling Alp” hits next, just as powerful as the day it was released as a single. After seeing the video, it’s hard to imagine the track without its accompanying images, especially when the repeated vocals come in just before the drums. The headless horseman riding through the desert is etched into my mind, taking the audio track to a new level. Even more impressive, I recently learned that the main synth line is actually a bass part, played through some nifty effects. The skill this takes is incredible, just something to note. The album moves along with “Madder Red”, one of my favorite tracks on the record. The intro vocals are epic as fuck, resembling some kind of hipster war call. The cheesy tom drums are perfect for the track, helping transition into a wonderful verse. What makes the verse so good is its relationship with the chorus, holding back to make sure the chorus vocal melody is captured perfectly. My favorite part of the track has to be the guitar solo towards the end, trading fours with the vocal melody before Keating comes in for some last words. The next track is “I Remember”, reminding me of a cooler “Chariots of Fire.” Keating shows off a pretty high vocal range on this track, accompanying the fluttering synth line nicely. The high vocal part is once again effective, because of the way it accompanies Keating’s lower vocal part. The lower vocal part is pretty powerful, accented by some well executed “Woah-oh’s.” This leads us to the album’s second single, and the end of the first half of the record, “O.N.E.” I wrote about that here, so make sure to read that if you care to.

So the catchy pop tracks are out of the way, and it’s now time for the tracks that most don’t seem to like too much. “Love Me Girl” kicks off side two with a one and a half minute build up, before the band bursts into a super sexy sounding verse. The vocals are accompanied by a bunch of odd sounds, before some harmonies come in for the chorus. The song goes into a breakdown where everything drops out, except for the vocals and an old-school sounding synth. The chorus finally re-emerges with about thirty seconds left, giving us one last taste of the track. We then move in to “Rome”, an upbeat track, that’s catchy all the way through. The song only has a couple of sections, but the vocals and instruments are interesting enough to keep my attention. “Strange Reunions” has an odd intro, with odd claps accompanying the hi-hat. The vocals seem to wander with the guitar part, never really establishing an identity, but staying interesting nonetheless. The album then moves into “Mondegreen”, which would be an awesome track to do aerobics to. I don’t do aerobics, but it’s easy to imagine Richard Simmons spastically jumping around to this horn infested track. The record ends with “Grizelda”, another one of my favorites. The record ends on a bit of a somber note, with this track having a sad feel to it. Claps and some high pitched vocals are scattered throughout the track, mixing and matching with various noises before it all comes to a collective end.

Yeasayer have established themselves as one of the great bands in independent rock with Odd Blood, and I can’t wait to see where they go next.

P.S. Maybe the next move will be Anand Wilder’s musical? I’d be perfectly cool with that.

Yeasayer- O.N.E.

The buzz surrounding Heartland seems to be more focused on Owen Pallett’s recent name change, rather than the fact that he created an absolutely brilliant record. Pallett may have brought this upon himself, changing his name from Final Fantasy a mere three or so weeks before the release of Heartland, but the main focus really should be the change in his sound for the new record. Pallett released two records and a couple of EPs under the Final Fantasy moniker, with his sound evolving- but still evoking his established roots as a looped based violinist. Heartland shows off what Pallett does best… Arranging orchestral pieces. After arranging for Arcade Fire, Pet Shop Boys, and many others, Pallett joined forces with Nico Muhly to create one of the best orchestral pop records in recent memory. The way Pallett contrasts catchy pop music with complex arrangements is something few have been able to accomplish on such a high level.

The record starts off with “Midnight Directives”, an opener that establishes Pallett’s voice as a force, while also introducing complex percussion (which appears often on this record), and a use of electronics. Pallett’s main instrument, the violin, flourishes in and out at the perfect moments, giving the track an extra something. The song builds and builds, progressively growing in aggression but not in volume. The strings seem to battle against each other while massive amounts of various noises are played underneath. The amount of sound coming through ones speakers at this point is overwhelming, but in no way too much to handle. “Red Sun No. 5″ is another track I love, mainly because of its tremendous percussion. The timpani drum roars in and out of the track, complimenting Pallett’s wonderful melody nicely.

While the album as a whole works together in a way that makes it hard to pick a favorite, one track still stands out above the rest for me. “Lewis Takes Off His Shirt” is 5 minutes of musical perfection. The simple line “I’m never gonna give it to you” hits me in a way that is hard to describe. It may be the melody, it may be the instruments surrounding his voice. Whatever it is, Pallett executes it flawlessly.

Heartland is Owen Pallett’s masterpiece, but at the rate he’s going I doubt that this will be the last time I make that claim. A truly brilliant album, it really doesn’t get a whole lot better than this. Please pick up the record right here (LP or CD), and download “Lewis Takes Action” below.

Owen Pallett- Lewis Takes Action

My toplist for 2009 is really unsettled in spots 1-5. I feel obligated to put Bitte Orca at number one, but my heart tells me Miike Snow deserve the spot. Their debut was the album I listened to most this year (besides the perennials Enema of the State and Pinkerton), and Matt and Kim’s second effort, Grand kept me going all summer. But upon revisiting all the albums, one rose slightly above the rest. It was a really strong year. A lot of the choices I have in the teens would’ve made my top ten list last year, but without further rambling, here are my choices, 25 through 1.

25. Karen O and the Kids - Where The Wild Things Are OST

Karen O’s freak folk soundtrack takes the movie to another level, and stands out on its own as an impressive body of work.

24. Major Lazer - Guns Don’t Kill People… Lazers Do

“Pon De Floor” was ubiquitous. Diplo and Switch’s union was inevitable, and it’s exciting to see such a quality product. Not to mention this album gave us some of the years best videos.

23. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion

MPP was not everything it was cracked up to be. “My Girls” became a cliche, as did calling Animal Collective your favorite band.

22. Gui Boratto - Take My Breath Away

Boratto’s second album elaborates his tech-house roots. Big kick drums and minimal melodies are abound.

21. Wavves - Wavvves

2009 was an interesting year for Nathan Williams. He rose up a little too quickly, and fell down in Barcelona. His live shows with Zach Hill have been pretty great, post-meltdown.

20. Tiga - Ciao!

Ciao! is Tiga’s follow-up to the highly acclaimed Sexor and features a bunch of fun guests. Soulwax and Gonzales did some production on the album. Ciao! also gave us another brilliant video, the Tim and Eric-esque “Shoes.”

19. Japandroids - Post-Nothing

My favorite “noise rock” release of the year, Post-Nothing is simultaneously heavy hitting and incessantly charming. More accessible than No Age, but still way fuzzier than The Hold Steady.

18. Atlas Sound - Logos

Bradford Cox’s solo project is a fun diversion from Deerhunter. The Noah Lennox feature, “Walkabout” is one of the top songs of the year, and really develops a sound that was hard to avoid in 2009. Listen to it and you’ll know.

17. Yuksek - Away from the Sea

In a year where dance music moved away from the slap bass driven sounds of Justice and towards the warble and annoyance of Crookers and the Bloody Beetroots, Yuksek brought back the disco roots. “So Down” featuring Chromeo was one of the most overlooked tracks of the year, it should’ve been an instant classic.

16. Passion Pit - Manners

Following last year’s emblematic Chuck of Change EP, Angelakos & co. put out a debut full length that met the expectations. Maybe too much cheese and pop for some, but Manners’ charm is present in every children’s choir sample.

15. Neon Indian - Psychic Chasms

A big year for Alan Palomo, releasing an EP and an album as Neon Indian, and a brand new EP as Vega. Psychic Chasms takes the glossy shine of Ghosthustler (Palomo’s previous project) and applies it to glo-fi melodies and squelchy synthlines. Also has really rad album art.

14. Siriusmo - The Uninvited Guest

Similar to Yuksek’s album, Siriusmo’s offering provides just enough of that slap-bass driven groove to make your butt shake ever so slightly. “High Together” is the best dance track of 2009, (sorry “Pon De Floor) and if you listen to it, you’ll see exactly what I’m talking about.

13. Deastro - Moondagger

I place Moondagger this high in part because of Deastro’s other releases this year. The Grower EP is a brilliant instrumental collection at the intersection of Dntel and chiptune. Moondagger is a full-band project, and features Chabot’s vocals on every track. He takes the base built on the Grower EP and adds melodies and vocal lines that kinder memories of Wolf Parade and Spencer Krug.

12. Girls - Album

Christopher Owens’ story is harrowing. An ex-member of the Children of God cult, Owens channels his journey into 12 beautifully old school tracks. From the starting gates, “Lust for Life” pulses with Brian Wilson chord structures and Jeff Magnum whines. It doesn’t have any sour notes, and the good notes ring for the entire 45 minutes.

11. Volcano Choir - Unmap

Justin Vernon’s side-project, collaborating with Collections of Colonies of Bees, is his equivalent of the Postal Service. I didn’t expect to like this album at all, I didn’t want to have anything to do with “Woods” when it was on the Blood Bank EP. Somehow though, when it comes full circle on “Still,” I get shivers. It’s a very interesting complement to Bon Iver, and makes a very lasting impression.

10. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

There’s something about the way they irreverently riff on the Cure, Belle and Sebastian and Galaxie 500 all at once that just makes me smile. Their well executed fuzz-pop comes from a good place, and it doesn’t feel artificial. Their Higher Than The Stars EP was also really solid, and to be honest, pushes this up a little farther up on my list than it should be.

9. Joe Goddard - Harvest Festival

Another overlooked album, the solo project from Hot Chip’s keyboardist and backup singer’s debut may appear gimmicky at first. While yes, all the song titles are fruit themed, each delivers complex percussion and skillful production. The one song with vocals (other than the “Party and Bullshit” sample on “Go Bananas”) is a standout. “Lemon and Lime (Home Time)” could easily end a Wes Anderson film.

8. Discovery - LP

I loved the collaboration between Ra Ra Riot’s Wes Miles and Vampire Weekend’s Rostam Batmanglij the minute I first heard “Osaka Loop Line.” Their album is a quick one, 10 songs (8 originals, 2 covers) weighing in at 30 minutes. The covers, one of Ra Ra Riot’s own “Can You Tell?” the other being a version of the Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back” (recorded before MJ’s death) both fit perfectly in with the vibe of the album. They sit flush with the original tracks, which offer some pretty nice guests themselves. Dirty Projector’s Angel Deradoorian sings on “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend” and VW’s own Ezra Koenig lends his voice on “Carby.” The album does feel very cohesive, and it’s a really fun, summery sound. It also has some of the best album art, front and back.

7. Matt and Kim - Grand

It seemed to me almost impossible to follow up Matt and Kim’s self-titled debut. When “Good Ol’ Fashion Nightmare” came out via RCRD LBL, I got a little bit dubious. I didn’t want Matt and Kim to stray from the vintage synth sounds they employed oh so well. My worries were immediately dispelled with the release of “Daylight,” a song so great with a piano lead, it doesn’t need a cheesy bass riff to carry it along. The rest of the album more than makes up for that lack of vintage bass, with “Cutdown” and “Lessons Learned” being fist-pumping anthems. Matt Johnson and Kim Schifino are shameless about their love for their hometown of Brooklyn, but I’d like to think they have a small place in their hearts for LA, too. They bring the energy when they play live in Los Angeles like few bands I’ve seen. I have nothing but high praise for these two.

6. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

This album gave me two of my favorite songs of the year. “1901″ and “Lisztomania” are perfect pop-songs, continuing from the tradition set with It’s Never Been LIke That. Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix is a great body of work. I don’t have much more to say other than that it just works. Thomas Mars & co. just make it sound so easy and so simple. Everything melts down into their melodies, and their songs just won’t leave you alone.

5. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest

This album had the most hype out of anything I listened to this year. I suffered through the crappy leak just to get my grubby little hands on non-live versions of “Two Weeks” and “While You Wait for the Others.” Veckatimest met the entirety of its expectations, building off Yellow House and bringing “indie-folk” into the public eye. Aside from the aforementioned tracks, there are some non-single standouts. “About Face” is a beautiful work, as is album closer “Foregroun,” neither of which gained much traction after the release. Regardless, the boys released a stellar followup, and the best third album since Neon Bible. [I'm counting the first Arcade Fire EP as an album for comparison's sake. Deal.]

4. The XX - XX

Some of the guitar lines sound like Explosions in the Sky riffs. The XX take the haunting beauty and resonance of those riffs and apply them to New Order-inspired songs with the vocal style of a mellower Karen O. I must admit I didn’t “get” this album until a few weeks ago. It hit me around the time I listened to their cover of Florence + The Machine’s “You’ve Got The Love.” If that was on the album, this ranking would be even higher, maybe even at #1. The Pitchfork review noted that there was no standout track, but that’s wrong. “VCR,” “Crystalized,” and “Islands” all have the power to be huge hits, (in the UK at least) given the right amount of play on BBC Radio 1. It’s one of the most unique albums to come out this year, pioneering a sound that didn’t quite exist before. The XX created it for their own purposes, now let’s wait and watch the rip-offs begin.

3. Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca

Everyone’s instant #1 didn’t do as much for me as it was supposed to. Yes, it’s a great album, but it’s not the life changing magnum opus some have claimed it to be. The songs are incredibly well written, and impeccably performed, but on the whole I felt like there was just something missing that my #1 and 2 albums could give me. Bitte Orca is almost hollow, for me it didn’t get better with time. I “got” it at first listen, and it didn’t have any more gifts to give me after that. That all being said, based on the raw material on this album, it’s still in the top 5. I’m not hating, by any means.

2. Miike Snow - Miike Snow

This one shocked me as much as it might shock anyone who reads this. I doubt this album is on anyone else’s Top 10, Top 25 or maybe even Top 50 list this year. But there’s something about this album that “does it” for me in the way that Bitte Orca could not. It’s a primally satisfying pop record, each song constructed with such delicacy and care. The production technique is improbably good, but we’re dealing with the same two guys who made the beat for “Toxic.” The album does not let up, dipping below 110 BPM only twice, once for “Burial” and yet again for, “Plastic Jungle.” It’s the perfect 21st century pop album, and very definitive of the sound of pop music in 2009. It’s what you hear on the radio, just done right.

1. Dan Deacon - Bromst

I fell in love with Bromst before it came out. Pitchfork posted a video of Dan Deacon recording the album, using a player piano hook up to a midi send device, playing notes faster than humanly possible. Deacon’s quirkiness contrast and complement his classical composition perfectly, letting rhythms and melodies play in uncharted territories for experimental electronic music. “Snookered” is the top song of 2009, an 8 minute epic that builds and builds and never stops giving. It may be the perfect song of its type, Deacon perfecting his own form.

That is all for 2009, ladies and gentlemen. See you again next year, Beach House and Yeasayer are already in a fight for everyone’s favorite album of 2010.

An apt “yang” to the gleefully melodic “yin” of MWPP, FBK delicately compliments/offsets the buoyant harmony of its predecessor with obscured ambience and dark ambivalence. In listening to this song cycle, its almost as if you are experiencing the tracks through a dingy and translucent cellophane, forcing the listener to employ his/her most attentive ear to extract the cleverly concealed music within. Indeed, it’s quite uncanny that a group should undergo such drastic change only months after releasing what had been their most “easy listening” and “obvious” album to date. I might even call it a step back for the trio, not in quality, but in style. It is at once surprising and possibly unnerving to the many who became fans after the aforementioned January 09 release, while comforting to those self proclaimed “die hards” who deemed MWPP “too mainstream” and feared that their beloved Anco had taken a turn for commercialism. (Really, anyone who considers MWPP “mainstream” is probably a little too pretentious for their own good) FBK carries with it a certain disorder and randomness absent from the slick and calculated MWPP. The transition from the doleful and spooky opening of “Graze” to its final section, a melody that could easily find itself in the background of a Disneyland ride, acutely embodies this jumpiness. What Would I Want? Sky proves to be one of the more easy listening “poppy” Anco songs to date, while the following track takes on an air or slow atonal repetition that would make it almost unlistenable out of context. Unexpected from start to finish, the EP makes no attempt at structure, underlying theme, or melodic conformity- a truly miscellaneous collection of emotions and music. To me, it’s a little heavy in transitional ambience, a characteristic which would be expected from a full length, but is a little frustrating when it outweighs the more rhythmically and melodically “catchy” sections. Some will despise this, some will genuinely love this and commend the band for their disregard of convention, and some will passively and unfeelingly praise this because, well, it’s Animal Collective right? Regardless, the release is definitely a nice compliment to an already stunning and diverse catalog and demonstrates a rare disregard for commercial expansion. (To be fair, they could probably live off MWPP for a while) Be sure to snag a copy of Fall Be Kind when the physical EP gets released…

Even though this record was released last Tuesday, the New Jersey natives are making sure to stay busy. Bassist Alex Bleeker has a new LP coming out Friday, that’s sure to be great. It also features other members of Real Estate, along with the always great Julian Lynch. Another member of Real Estate is also Ducktails, who has a pretty legitimate following of his own. On top of all of that, Underwater Peoples has put out a tour only “live on the radio” record, that you can only pick up at their shows. If that’s not enough, they also have a 12″ coming out via Mexican Summer to help bring in the new year, because hey… Someone has to compete with Beach House for record of the year before 2010 actually begins. So now that all of that is out of the way, let’s talk about some music.

The Woodsist (instant-cred) released record starts off with “Atlantic City”, a track that accurately speaks its name. Amidst the beach-y guitar lines, the song starts off with a sludgy bass line that not only contrasts the guitar part, but does a pretty good job of contrasting the beach aspect of their music, with their equally apparent New Jersey roots. The track clocks in at just under two minutes, segueing in to one of my favorite tracks on the record, “Beach Comber.” I posted this track a while back, but if you don’t remember, let me just quickly tell you that this track is fantastic and easily one of the years best. Another beach vs. New Jersey battle, this track also features some nice vocals. Among the various lyrics, a Lorax reference is hidden in there, which immediately gives the band childhood/nostalgia points. “Black Lake” follows, which is a total chiller. The track floats along, drink with little umbrella in one hand, beach chair in the other. Hazy vocals float through the track, drifting in and out as effortlessly as possible. The next track is “Fake Blues”, which starts off with a nice guitar line, while other instruments slowly come in. This track is about as close as the band gets to “loud”, as the drummer rocks on his floor tom throughout most of the track. The vocals mirror the guitar line, something I’m growing fonder and fonder of as I hear it more. Skip a couple of tracks and you arrive at “Pool Swimmers”, which seems to be the track most influenced by Ducktails. Those swirling guitar lines he’s “famous” for are especially apparent here, with an effect being placed on the drums as well. However, when the chorus hits, the effects seem to get lost in the mix of pure Real Estate joy. Although the effects are still there, they seem to be overshadowed by the natural landscape that is a Real Estate track. The album ends with “Suburban Dogs”, a nice, but slightly disappointing closer. It’s not necessarily a bad song, but it’s nothing to remember. The closing track for the average listener is the most important, it leaves the final impression. If you’re listening to the album one time and the last track isn’t great, it may leave a stain over the entire album. Of course, if you’re a big fan of Real Estate and have devoured every track this isn’t an issue, but it may be an issue with an “average listener.”

With that being said, the good on this album overshadows whatever bad may be apparent, which is very little if at all. A tremendous debut LP by a tremendous band, I can’t wait to see what Real Estate has in store for us next. Based on their current output, we should be expecting some more very good music, very soon. Download “Beach Comber” below.

Real Estate- Beach Comber

Tape Deck Mountain’s debut record, Ghost is a self-proclaimed “mid-fi” record, with influences ranging from Phil Elverum to The Beach Boys. The record was written by lead singer Travis Trevisan, during all the free time he had after being laid off from his job. The record is really good, continuing the trend of great releases from Lefse Records.

Ghost starts off with “Scantrons”, opening up with some ambient electronics and gentle guitar strums. Trevisan’s voice slowly creeps in, surrounding everything around it. Huge drums kick in, giving this track a far more upbeat feel. Trevisan’s voice fades back in, and this is when I first realized that I was in for a treat with this record. Skip a track and you arrive at “On My Honor”, a really interesting track. The track seems to have an upbeat feel, but depressing lyrical content and delivery gives this song great contrast, before bursting into an even more interesting chorus. The song moves along this path for a little bit, before the band throws us a curve ball and spazzes out. Normally I’m not a fan of this kind of stuff, but it’s perfectly appropriate for this track. “80/20″ is another fantastic track, featuring a mesmerizing guitar line that intricately layers itself subtly as the track chugs along. After a bit, the guitar seems to calm down a bit, being used as an accent for the vocals. The drums serve the same function, with everything blending in and complementing each other. It’s actually some pretty cool stuff. “Ghost Colony” is the eeriest track on the record, the one which most reminds me of a Phil Elverum track (get it, Eerie… Ha!). The song’s title serves as the main content for the lyrics, with Travis Trevisan lamenting in the concept of his ghost colony. The instruments are what makes the track really stand out, with some interesting percussion accenting the drum kit nicely.

Ghost is a charming debut, not in its content, but in the result it produces. The album doesn’t necessarily have a theme, but it seems to focus in on a certain sound. The album’s really good, and I highly recommend you take a listen. You can pre-order it here (LP or CD), although by now it isn’t much of a pre-order. Download “On My Honor” below.

Tape Deck Mountain- Ghost Colony

Stream of consciousness hip-hop can be a bit excessive, when consumed in large quantities. Sole however, is one of those guys that never gets old. The former Anticon dude has a new record out with Fake Four Inc.

The single is “Battlefields”, a great track, if you can stand its glum atmosphere. It sounds a little bit like Cage, but that’s an unfair comparison since Cage wasn’t famous when Sole first started. The track features Markus Acher of The Notwist, and has a pretty cool accompanying video, which you can check out below. Another favorite of mine is “Black”, the epic closing track on the record. A big beat surrounds the listener, enticing it with some apocalyptic drums and synths. Various percussion instruments crash through the track, making themselves noticed while keeping a sense of mystery intact. Sole’s vocals come in, and slowly quiet down as the music does the same. The track ends larger than it started, which is something I’m glad he did. Check out the video for “Battlefields” below, along with the MP3.

Sole & The Skyrider Band- Battlefields

Sole & The Skyrider Band- Black