Posts
Cale's Recommendations
Portishead: Third
Preorder from Amazon | Insound
I just got my promo copy of this in the mail this week, and while I wasn't completely sold on it on my first listen, it's slowly growing on me. It's released April 29th, and I think it's worth mentioning. You should definitely consider picking this one up when it's released.
The Honorary Title: Anything Else but the Truth
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Dntel: Life Is Full of Possibilities
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Insound
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Erin's Recommendations
Of Montreal: The Sunlandic Twins
Buy from Amazon | Insound
I own 3 albums of Of Montreal and out of those three, The Sunlandic Twins is by far my favorite. I find that a lot of the songs on this album are lighter than on others and I generally like singing these more. Not to mention, “Wraith Pinned To The Mist And Other Games” is so recognizable now from the Outback Commercials, I feel like they could easily win over new fans. I play it all the time for people at work and they start singing the jingle… All this to say, The Sunlandic Twins is my favorite Of Montreal album and my favorite for the week.
Sufjan Stevens: Come On Feel the Illinoise
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Insound
Jaymay: Autumn Fallin'
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Friday, April 11, 2008
Weekend Recommendations (4/11/08)
Rearranging...
For those of you who weren't aware, Audio Overflow is on some sort of a weekly schedule. That means that on certain days, we post certain things. This way you know what to expect and what to look forward to. Of course, there are always posts that don't fit into our schedule (like this one), but for the most part everything is set in stone. Well, with the recent departure of one of our writers, I thought it would be a good time to mix things up a bit. Here is what the new weekly schedule looks like:
Monday: myspace music monday
Tuesday: Music Review
Wednesday: Video of the Week/Moods
Thursday: Retro Review
Friday: Top 5 Friday/Weekend Recommendations
Though the goal at the beginning of the year was to have a new post every day, the sad fact is that we weren't getting a lot of visits on Saturdays and Sundays. So we've moved things around in order to get every post and feature equal exposure. Take note of that schedule. That'll be how things work around here for the time being.
The Top 5 Songs of 2008 (Well...So Far)
At the end of every year, Audio Overflow always has the big Top 31 Albums of the year countdown. It's kind of a big deal. I literally keep a spreadsheet throughout the year and add and remove albums from it as time passes. But for songs, I tend to be a lot less set in stone. What I'm into changes drastically throughout any given year, so what may be a great song in January may have totally worn on me by June. So if you were to ask me right now what my favorite songs of 2008 were, I would respond with these picks.
#5: "Backfire at the Disco" by The Wombats, from The Wombats EP - It wasn't too long ago that I was against anything that sounded remotely "punk." Can you blame me? My only exposure to said genre, aside from Iggy Pop or The Ramones, was what MTV presented to me. That means, Blink 182, Simple Plan, Sum 41, and a whole lot of other bands that are too crappy too recall. But The Wombats are an indie punk band that I actually like. Their music is a little more complicated than their MTV counterparts and the melodies and lyrics are totally more enjoyable. This song is just a humorous little song that I can't get enough. I totally sing along to it in my vehicle...in a British accent of course.
#4: "Market Girl" by Headlights, from the album, Some Racing, Some Stopping - This is one of those songs that may or may not make it through the year. As it currently stands, I find the guitars in this song to be absolutely infecting. It's definitely one of the catchier songs that Headlights has ever made, which is saying a lot actually. I listen to this CD when I'm in the shower and this song always comes on right about the time I'm getting out. That means I always have to resist the urge to dance to it, because I'd be completely naked...and who knows what that could possibly mean about me. TMI?
#3: "Dark Leaves From a Thread" by Destroyer, from the album, Trouble in Dreams - I never got around to reviewing this album, mostly because I find Den Bejar's work to be difficult to explain or critique. If you're at all familiar with his work, though, you'll know that this is one of his more enjoyable tunes, complete with a convincing vocal performance and (believe it or not) a melody that begs to be sung along to. When Dan sing, "Perfectly at home with this dread/ dark leaves from a thread!" I can't help but syncopate head bangs with his lyrics. It's just a really great song that proves that you don't need actual lyrics to make a great chorus.
#2: "Mansard Roof" by Vampire Weekend, from their self-titled album - I can't help it. Every time I hear the first three notes of this song, I must shout out, "I see a mansard roof through the trees!" with the biggest smile on my face. This song is one of the most enjoyable songs I've heard in quite a long time. It's so charming, so energetic, yet lethargic; who couldn't like every second of it? That's pretty much all I have on this one. Listen to it and you'll know what I mean.
#1: "Sea Green, See Blue" by Jaymay, from the album, Autumn Fallin' - If you're noticing a theme in the songs that I've listed so far, it's that I totally dig a song that you can sing along to. If you can't sing along to it, it loses a lot of points in my book. This song from Jaymay is no different. The odd thing is that I find myself whistling or humming the chorus (which itself is just hums) to this song at random times throughout the day, even if I haven't heard it in a week. It's just one of the best, most touching songs that has come out this year. I have a pretty good feeling that this one will end up in my top 5 by year's end, and I wouldn't be surprised if it stayed in the #1 spot. It's simply that good. Listen for yourself in the playlist I've provided below.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Ace of Base: The Sign
Picture it. America. 1993. Ace of Base releases The Sign in the US. Kids go crazy. Girls watch handsome Swedish men on MTV. Boys watch hot Swedish women on MTV. We all sing along like the mindless freaks we were at the time. "All That She Wants" is making it huge. Why does this sound so sad? It's because music trends come and go and more than a decade later we look back and say, "My god, what were we thinking?" My answer... I have no earthly idea! Though I know most readers are pretty familiar with this album, I'll go into some detail as this is a review, but hopefully this will not be as painful as I anticipate. I'll try to be as brief as possible...
Big hits from this album "All That She Wants", "Don't Turn Around" and "The Sign" are all completely memorable songs, unfortunately. Though we've tried to forget them, as soon as you hear the synthesized melodies at the beginning of these songs, their lyrics come flooding back like a tsunami. You are completely at a loss for words as to how you actually remember EVERY lyric to these three songs. Why were they so popular? My only logical assumption is because they are so annoyingly catchy. Are they good? Not really, but that didn't change the fact that not only did teens listen to this, but teens' parents and younger siblings alike knew the songs. They each have unforgettable synthesized melodies, beats, and incredibly singable lyrics despite the obnoxious accents in which they're presented. They are all upbeat, no matter what the content. They're not necessarily fast, but you could have definitely danced to them in a club back in the day. Anyways, we move on...
Personally, when I was actually a fan of The Sign, one of my favorite songs was "Young and Proud". It begins as if it's an old Nintendo game theme. With an incredibly techno style, this song is not only danceable, but it's mostly enjoyable. I generally like the vocals in this song, though the lyrics are definitely cheesy... something about "the future" and what it holds and "love not being for sale". It's not a bad choice if you're wishing to grasp what Ace of Base is all about. "Living In Danger" is kind of dumb. Musically, it sounds like a mix between "The Sign" and "Don't Turn Around" except for there's a male rapper continuously in the background. He's terrible at best and never really featured in this track, so if he is better, the listener has no clue. "Dancer In A Daydream" is pretty cool as its very 80's in it's feel. The music and beats are reminiscent of music during that time. Although I was definitely too young to visit clubs during '93, I would have completely envisioned this song as being a big dance hit. The harmonies are pretty bad, but that's really my only complaint. It has some cool vocal melodies and synthesized fillers that make it interesting. A humorous observation of "Dancer In A Daydream" is that the female vocalist seems to sound hauntingly similar to Jessie Spano in the "Saved By The Bell" episode where she's taking pills and "so excited... and so scared". Seriously, listen to this track and see if you don't have the same opinion.
"Wheel Of Fortune" is awkward. It sounds a lot like "All That She Wants", only nowhere near as decent. It has a goofy chorus which is predominately irritating the whole time she's saying, "what'cha gon' tell your daddy?" Grrr... You're Swedish. It's funny sounding enough without the slang. There is nothing remotely memorable about this song and I can almost bet you will walk away with no morsel of enjoyment. The same can be said for "Waiting For Magic" in the annoying department. It's a dance track that is a purely techno remix which possesses almost nothing of a musical semblance. The words are actually "Kiss me baby, I'm attractive baby" and "I'm eternal lying in a coffin waiting for you" and metaphors of the vocalist as Snow White. So as we move on to "Happy Nation", my thoughts are "Please make it stop!" and "Why oh why didn't I pick another album?" (I keep telling myself that it's for the good of the Retro Review)... "Happy Nation" is just bad. It's hard to think of anything else to say about it. It's slower and has almost a middle eastern feel to it with something similar to a Gregorian chant at the beginning. It's almost as if they thought it might be a good idea to branch out, but it backfires and they have a complete bust where the only thing you walk away remembering, are the lyrics "Happy Nation". You'll skip over it... I can almost promise this.
"Voulez-Vous Danser" is the "return of the french song" song... The chorus "Voulez-Vous Danser avec moi se soir" ... a bit familiar right? I know, it's a language... you can say "baby I love you" in English 50 times, but these words seem too familiar to another song which I actually like. However, "My Mind (Mindless Remix)" is freakin' hilarious... it's truly a combination of the lost Mortal Combat theme and Madonna's Vogue. The same voice that Madonna uses to speak (not sing) the word "Vogue" is used in this song by a male who says, "Dance or fade out!" HA! Also, I'm not kidding about the Mortal Combat theme song... it was one of my favorite games growing up. It's recommended more than this album. And I thought it would never get here, but the last song on The Sign is a "Banghra Version" of "All That She Wants". Essentially, it's the same song only with a little more of an eastern feel and with less words. This song is comprised of only the chorus. There are no verses in this song. It gets pretty old after the first time the chorus is sung... And, there is not enough difference to make it a completely different song, separate from the first, and a better version. It's a dud.
Man, this was hard. So, in short, if you have never listened to this album, I lightly recommend the first 3 songs mentioned in this review plus "Young and Proud". Other than that, this album could be used as a coaster. Isn't is amazing how we like something so much and years later we realize that our hearing hadn't developed enough to recognize noise? Well that's all this is my dear friends... merely noise.
Key Tracks
1. All That She Wants
2. Don't Turn Around
3. Young and Proud
4. The Sign
5. Dancer In A Daydream
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Video of the Week - Week 66
It's been 6 years since The Notwists released Neon Golden, one of the best electronic albums of all time. Since then, they've been keeping busy with side projects and other things that don't matter. But they're finally back, with a new album due out in June! The following is a video of the first song released from that album. Enjoy!
Moods - Goofy
Have you ever been in one of those goofy moods where seemingly everything is funny? Where you feel more hyperactive than normal, and all you want to do is have a good time? Yeah, I get those sometimes. When such a thing happens, I usually try to encourage that mood with an equally goofy soundtrack. More often than not, that means I'm going to pop in The Sunlandic Twins by Of Montreal. But in the interest of variety, I've assembled what I feel is playlist that is goofy enough to stand on its own. Hopefully it will keep you in that goofy mood of yours.
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Sun Kil Moon: "April"
There's this trend in music today, that when you have a song that is 7 minutes or longer, it has to be "epic." That is to say that at some point in that 7 minutes, preferably at the end, there needs to be this triumphant climax. The rest of the song either builds up to that point, or maintains the epicness of it all. Apparently, Mark Kozelek has never received a memo on this notion. As Sun Kil Moon, his songs often far surpass the 7-minute mark, but almost always remain strangely restrained - forcing the listener to either embrace his style of music, or reject it for something more "exciting."
His debut album, Ghosts of the Great Highway is still getting regular plays on my iPod to this day! Songs like "Carry Me Ohio" and "Glenn Tipton" are haunting tales, told over mysterious guitars that I don't think I'll ever tire of. Naturally, I was excited when I heard that he would finally be releasing some new original material. It's been almost 5 years since we last heard from Sun Kil Moon (when not covering Modest Mouse, that is), and I am pleased to say that the wait makes everything about April better.
Like its predecessor, April doesn't dwell in the conventions of modern music; even in the indie realm. It slowly meanders through its 11 tracks, taking the listener on warm journey. Kozelek paints the most eloquent pictures with his words - of heartache, love, regret, and hope. On the album opener, "Lost Verses," he croons, "I've risen up from the dead/With the burning leaves of autumn/If only for one last chance/That all of whom have been defeated/To put on my father's wool coat/To smell my mother's fragrances and perfumes/To find my young brothers and sisters/To never leave or let them go." Such an image is vivid enough for most artists to write an entire song about, but for Kozelek it's part of an even greater vision.
As expected, many of the songs on April can seem repetitive. More often than not, Kozelek will take a single guitar riff and stretch it out over the length of the song, adding and removing layers as it moves along. Strangely, this has never really bothered me about his music. His voice, a mid-range whine or croon, has always captivated me and blended perfectly with the music that surrounds it. As such, I've often found myself completely lost in his songs, suddenly realizing that minutes have past while I enjoy them. For example, while listening to "Tonight in Bilbao" for the first time, I completely drifted off (in a good way) until the song's curveball coda at the 7:30 mark. "Mesmerizing" is an understatement, as these songs are just downright beautiful pieces of music.
Taken as a whole, April, can be somewhat draining, perhaps even tedious to some. But if the whole is in fact the sum of it's parts, then this album can only be considered a great achievement for Kozelek. Every song on this album is a beautiful, well-paced work of art. It is definitely not for everyone. April is an album that was made with patience, and performed with patience. Therefore, a bit of patience may be required from an uninitiated listener. But when it finally does hit you, prepare for hours and hours of entrancement and reflection. Great music has the ability to bring out some strange emotions. April has, at once, reminded me of that and made me glad for it.
Key Tracks:
1. "Lost Verses"
2. "Lucky Man"
3. "Unlit Hallway"
4. "Harper Road"
5. "Blue Orchids"