TheBREAX’s debut album led Rawkus Records (their admittedly self-interested label) to declare them one of the most important new hip hop acts of our time. While the trio, which hails from Baltimore (DJ Beleaf), San Diego (Mic B), and Azerbaijad (Ruslan), established their credentials on their first record, the sophomore effort is intentionally more mainstream, with more hooks and bangers. But going “overground” hasn’t ruined this unique crew—it’s simply made them more accessible. Lyrically, they’re still about honesty and realness—eschewing gangsta posing or bling bling bling in favor of themes of unity, civil rights, and, of course, religion. Usually anything overtly Christian is a big turn-off for me, but theBREAX never get preachy ,and they’ve got the chops to back up their product.
Eye Am Productions (behind Jay-Z’s favorite remix of his own album, “Eye Am Gangster”) provides fantastic beats here—as good as anything on a major label with millions of dollars behind it. Other behind-the-boards contributors include Rocwilder and theBREAX’s own DJ Beleaf (who makes great use of a “Summertime” sample). As a result, the music is versatile. Whether it’s a Timbaland/Neptunes sound-a-like (“theBREAX Is Everywhere”) or something crunkier (“Get Ignorant”), Ruslan and crew prove themselves in every genre. “Wanna Love,” their foray into RandB, has a great electronica hook—like if Beck made real hip hop. I’m not a huge fan of rap love songs, but this one is pretty good, largely because of the music.
If “selling out” means doing what everyone else is doing, only better, then it’s a welcome development for these indie rappers.
Ready to Sell Out
BEACH HOUSE-“Devotion”
I missed the (apparent—according to Pitchf—-k) phenomenon that was Beach House’s debut record. However, I’ve been lucky enough to catch the follow-up, and it’s amazing. The Baltimore duo has been called “dream pop” and “indie rock,” and comparisons have been made to Mazzy Star, Sia, Galaxie 500, Slowdive, and Nico.But these descriptions barely do them justice. Devotion is more of a mood than a record—I wouldn’t recommend driving to it—and it succeeds where so many others get old before side B. This is music that will force you to shut down your other senses and allow the sound to cover you—echoey organs, mournful but never predictable guitars, and the perfectly pale, ghostly vocals by Victoria Legrand make the album consistent without being redundant. Because under the washy, wall-of-dreampop, there are hits of folk and rock that burst through like fireworks on a starry night.
If you’re like me, you think the Cocteau Twins haven’t released anything good since they jumped to a major label back in the late ‘80s. If it’s that sound you’re looking for—sort of a no wave shoegaze--then this is for you.
Wedding Bells
VINCENT BLACK SHADOW-“More Deeper”
Vincent Black Shadow is named after a motorcycle. This is appropriate, because listening to “More Deeper” is like sitting directly on an overheating engine. Adam Savage screams every song like he’s Howard Dean on the verge of losing his mind. In fact, about four songs in (on “Flash Roll”) he slows down (for about seven seconds), and we learn that he is actually capable of sounding reasonable. But it doesn’t last.
If you want to hear lyrics, this isn’t for you. VBS screams and snarls over one of the best punk bands I’ve heard in years, chainsaw guitars ripping, jackhammer drums pounding, and relentless bass thumping at a tremendous gallop. But this Baltimore 5-piece is so much more than punk. There’s Sabbath-style guitar work, with soaring solos (but Savage often shouts over them, too), vaguely psychedelic breaks, Iggy Pop riffs . . . And even cowbell!
For example, “Volume One” is so much more than just shouting. Under the anger is an ascending chord, playing off the vocal track in the odd sort of juxtaposition that made Black Flag so great. “Shamanix” goes through chord-and-tempo changes. “Wooden Kimono” does God-only-knows-what, but it’s fascinating to hear. It’s the albums brightest flame, but all the songs burn hot.
This is a short release (nine songs in about thirty minutes), but it’s all you need. By the time you’re done, you’ll need a cold shower and a nap. What a thrill.
On Heartbreak Beat Records and endorsed by Julian Cope's Brain Donor band, I’m giving this grimey, indecent, lewd, and obscene album my highest recommendation: Check it out.
Shamanix
Wooden Kimono
If you want to hear lyrics, this isn’t for you. VBS screams and snarls over one of the best punk bands I’ve heard in years, chainsaw guitars ripping, jackhammer drums pounding, and relentless bass thumping at a tremendous gallop. But this Baltimore 5-piece is so much more than punk. There’s Sabbath-style guitar work, with soaring solos (but Savage often shouts over them, too), vaguely psychedelic breaks, Iggy Pop riffs . . . And even cowbell!
For example, “Volume One” is so much more than just shouting. Under the anger is an ascending chord, playing off the vocal track in the odd sort of juxtaposition that made Black Flag so great. “Shamanix” goes through chord-and-tempo changes. “Wooden Kimono” does God-only-knows-what, but it’s fascinating to hear. It’s the albums brightest flame, but all the songs burn hot.
This is a short release (nine songs in about thirty minutes), but it’s all you need. By the time you’re done, you’ll need a cold shower and a nap. What a thrill.
On Heartbreak Beat Records and endorsed by Julian Cope's Brain Donor band, I’m giving this grimey, indecent, lewd, and obscene album my highest recommendation: Check it out.
Shamanix
Wooden Kimono
BARK HIDE AND HORN-“National Road”
Bark Hide and Horn call themselves a “four-man folk-rock orchestra,” and that’s a great term for them. Their songs are all busy, all big. Take a look at the bandmembers, and you’ll get an idea: Dusty Dybvig plays drums and other percussion; Andy Anderson Furgeson is on guitar, vocals, harmonica, violin, banjo, and pedal steel; Brian Garvey plays the mandolin, keyboard, synth, trumpet, saxophone, trombone, percussion, and sings; leaving Peter Valois to play the bass, vibraphone, vocals, glockenspiel, penny whistle, and, of course, percussion. Lots of instruments here, lots of percussion. It leads to a sound similar to Califone, only busier, or like Calexico, only somewhat less country. Songs like “Grandfather” start quiet and folky, and end up sounding like Sympathy for the Devil. Each song has a tendency to stop on a dime and veer off in a completely different direction, leaving the listener grasping for purchase. It’s music for the multi-tasker, for the modern listener who isn’t satisfied by a single genre (or even just two or three genres). It’s dynamic, versatile, fun, unbalanced, demented, uneven, unpredictable . . . And well worth a listen.
Trumpeter Swan
Treasure of the Everglades
BONUS COVER SONG:
Change Gonna Come-Arcade Fire (Sam Cooke cover)
MIKE DOUGHTY-“Golden Delicious”
Welcome to the most fun Mike Doughty solo album ever. That's right. Fun and Doughty. It's also, in my opinion, his most cohesive album.
The most powerful song on the album, by far, is anti-war anthem Fort Hood, with it’s interpolation of Aquarius (Let the Sun Shine Shine) and it’s powerful couplets: “I see them motionless, coming back, in an airport lounge” and “You should be getting’ stoned with a prom dress world/You should still believe in an endless world.” So powerful, I had to listen to it three times before I could go any deeper into this album.
There’s other gems here, too. In fact, it’s almost like Mike had a point to prove in the way he hits just about every rock album staple: “Like a Luminous Girl” is a sweet and tender love song. “27 Jennifers,” which is an obvious single, is a funny, bouncy pop song. “Navigating by the Stars at Night” is a solid, straightahead country-tinged road song, with a great refrain. “Put It Down” has a na-na-na chorus. He’s even got a semi-rap song (“More Bacon Than the Pan Can Handle”).” It’s all here.
I can imagine the reviews now, complaining that Mike’s sold out, gone pop, gotten soft, lame and old, lacks depth, etc. Whatever you read, it’s all bullshit. Perhaps I like this release for the same reason I liked Liz Phair’s eponymous album, which the critics also hated but which I found to be her most even album since her first. Another good example of this could be Mellencamp’s Mr. Happy Go Lucky album, although that one wasn’t nearly as good. Or Aerosmith’s Pump. Like those, Golden Delicious has a “sound,” a theme, an expression. It’s not a bunch of singer-songwriter cuts thrown together in a jumble. Does this mean that the album is what you’d expect from Doughty? Absolutely not. It’s different, it’s new, it feels fresh and alive. Where his prior albums are dark and thoughtful, this one give a shout out to Young Jeezy. I’m going to say it again: This is Mike’s “Liz Phair.” If you can appreciate Liz singing the praises of hot, white come, you should be able to dig a slickly produced Doughty rhyming easy, Japanese-y, and cutesy. I can. I do. And I’m saying this a great record.
It’s a pop record, certainly, but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.
27 Jennifers
Fort Hood
Reprinted from my old site
GHOSTLAND OBSERVATORY
arison is to Freddie Mercury (particularly on “Heavy Heart”). The less obvious comparisons are DFA 1979 meets the Darkness. Or perhaps the Scissor Sisters on crank.
Sometimes Robotique Majestique goes a little too far into the “big important silly bombast” category, and shows how thin a wire Ghostland Observatory balances upon. It’s so easy to slip off into a song that’s just weird and dumb for no good reason. Compare the title track to a song like “No Place For Me,” for example, which has the same kind of build-up and electronic intensity, but it just works better. Maybe it’s the consistent bounce, or maybe it’s that certain indescribable something that’s the difference between success and not-so-much-success. “The Band Marches On” is a marching song, that clearly owes a debt to Nine Inch Nails, but has this upbeat kinda thang going on that's just . . . Cool. And Freeheart lover reeks with attitude. Love it. Despite the occasional slip, this album should satisfy fans of the genre, fans of the band, and may even attract a few new followers.
Heavy Heart
No Place For Me
Sometimes Robotique Majestique goes a little too far into the “big important silly bombast” category, and shows how thin a wire Ghostland Observatory balances upon. It’s so easy to slip off into a song that’s just weird and dumb for no good reason. Compare the title track to a song like “No Place For Me,” for example, which has the same kind of build-up and electronic intensity, but it just works better. Maybe it’s the consistent bounce, or maybe it’s that certain indescribable something that’s the difference between success and not-so-much-success. “The Band Marches On” is a marching song, that clearly owes a debt to Nine Inch Nails, but has this upbeat kinda thang going on that's just . . . Cool. And Freeheart lover reeks with attitude. Love it. Despite the occasional slip, this album should satisfy fans of the genre, fans of the band, and may even attract a few new followers.
Heavy Heart
No Place For Me
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
