by Matt Keefer

Frontman Wayne Coyne approaches the tour at his own pace.

Few could predict that an indie punk group from Oklahoma City would have such an innovative presence in the music world. At 49, Wayne Coyne and his quartet of space-a-delic freaks, including bassist Michael Ivins and drummers Steven Drozd and Kliph Scurlock, have earned a Grammy, covered Pink Floyd’s “The Dark Side of the Moon” in its entirety, and toured relentlessly across the world. Currently on tour for their first double-album Embryonic (excluding Zaireeka, their 1997 four-album experiment), the self-deprecating Coyne delivers about the not-so-glamorous side of touring, as well as about future projects.

Matt Keefer: Thanks for your time. Do you mind if I record the interview?

Wayne Coyne: Sure. I don’t expect you to write it all down and remember it. I’m not doubting your ability to remember, but, see, I just talk. It might be a lot easier for you to say, ‘Nah, that fucker goes on too long.’

M: At 27, being 49 seems like a long way to travel.

WC: I remember when I was 27, I would think about someone who’s almost 50 years old: ‘Dude, are you alright?’ I don’t ever get the feeling that I’m any different. It’s only when I look in the mirror sometimes that I think, “oh wow, I look like a weird old guy.” I don’t feel different to myself. It’s a strange phenomenon.

M: How’s your tour for Embryonic going so far?

WC: We’re never really on tour for very long. We’ll go out for maybe about ten days, play some shows, then we’ll go home for ten days… we’re always doing everything at the same time. Since we’re playing some shows in the summertime, you always run into other groups, and we ran into a group, Trombone Shorty, just last night. They’re almost into their third consecutive month of playing. That can beat you down. I already did that several times – when I was your age – and it can be such a mind-fuck, you’re so torn away from your life that you’re trying to build, the people that you knew. Like I said, I’m 49 years old, and the other guys, they’re not as old as me, but they’re not in their early 20s. I think they don’t want to be taken away from their families and their lives for that long. And you can almost go endlessly the way we’re going. You can almost never stop, because we’re going full-time. Doing the Flaming Lips tour is kind of like working at Target: it just kinda is. It’s not too hard, you just get up and go to work.

M: I know some musicians that have kids, and touring must be rough on them.

WC: Especially for musicians. The reason I say musicians is that they have a sensitivity about them, or they probably wouldn’t like music. And all these things that play into human dramas and emotions are just a little bit more, either enjoyable, or a little bit more painful. Sometimes I think groups try to say ‘we’re going to play for six months straight,’ and then take three years off. You know, that’s easy to say, but a lot of things happen to people in six months that you cannot reverse. Especially if you have young children. Six months, they’ll be completely different little creatures by then. We don’t want that. We want to make our music, do our performances, do all these things because we love what we do, not put one thing that we love on hold so we can have another. We want to have it all at the same time.

M: On the positive aspect of that, do you have any good tour stories?

WC: (Laughs) I don’t know, a lot of times there’s not that much crazy shit going on. When we played at Bonnaroo about a month ago, you play into the night pretty long, and there’s a lot of young people there that are doing drugs and stuff. So those [gigs] always play more into the good old rock and roll stories. After we got done, it was about ten minutes after three in the morning, I went over to the LCD Soundsystem stage, where they had just started their set – and I sort of Tweeted about it the day afterward – but this big, naked guy sort of attacked the stage.  Me and, what’s this comedian’s name, Aziz Ansari? – this giant, freaked-out naked guy, had to be doing some acid or something, simply attacked the stage, and we sort of had to hold him down until the security guards could take him away. It was a very strange, charged moment, where that doesn’t happen to you every day. You know, where you’re suddenly assailed by a 300-pound, naked guy, and he’s all sweaty and he’s drenched. That’s probably the last phenomenal rock-and-roll moment that happened to us.

M: I guess at that moment you’re glad that you pump iron five times a week.

WC: I don’t do that much, but I do yoga almost every day. So, yeah, you’re glad that you have energy and you can react and you don’t feel intimidated. I know you’re saying that jokingly, but I mean it. To be in a group, and to do all these things; you wouldn’t want to do it if you don’t have a lot of enthusiasm. So yeah, I jumped right to task. We didn’t really want to. The guy was very strong but he was pretty slippery, because he was so sweaty. The slipperiness made it impossible to grab him. It’s a good trick. If you’re ever going to run from the cops, strip yourself naked and be slippery.

M: Sure. I should probably carry some cans of grease, too.

WC: (Pauses) Then their only solution is to tase you.

M: You’ve also toured Europe and around the world. Any places you’ve enjoyed outside of the US?

WC: It’s all pretty great when you’re a group like the Flaming Lips. Most everywhere that we would go nowadays, we’re invited to play by a group of enthusiastic ‘freaks.’ We just recently went to Croatia, and we played the Glastonbury Festival (in UK) and got to see Snoop Dogg, meet Mick Jones from the Clash. Hang out with Damien Hirst. There’s a lot of great things that can happen to you simply because you’re just traveling the world all the time. But the other side of it is that you spend a lot of time in airports and on airplanes. Sometimes you get done playing at two-o-clock in the morning, and you have to get to the airport at four-o-clock in the morning. Running from one show to the next, everything is ‘hurry hurry hurry’ all the time. Sometimes I think it’s too many experiences. It’d be like having to eat twenty meals in one day. There’s just no way you can enjoy all the things that are happening.

M: Do you have anything new on the horizon?

WC: We’re always – I don’t know if ‘contemplating’ is the right word – but you’re always considering new musical ideas, new things that you want to play into. We’re always doing little movies and little videos. I just shot an ending of a video for a song on Embryonic called “See the Leaves”. We were shooting this guy on the north side of Oklahoma City who has a big acreage where he’s burning a bunch of his brush that he had chopped down. So we saw this giant fucking bonfire. We shot for an ongoing piece in our storyboard there. So it’s always a kind of combination of everything: new music, and new movies, new videos, new things for our website, new toys, new t-shirts. Everything is a Flaming Lips creation. The great range of things that you can do readjusts your focus on music.

M: Last question: Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs made a brief appearance as a frog on Embryonic.  Would you consider a fuller collaboration with her?

WC: These are definitely collaborations of a sort. I don’t know. For me, I’m more comfortable doing these types of collaborations, where I have the song written, and I have the arrangement, and I just simply call Karen and say ‘All you have to do is be you, and I’ll do all the work.’ A lot of artists don’t really want to collaborate in the sense that people think they do. The art is a lot of times just made very intensely. You simply say, ‘I like this and I don’t care what you think.’ That is in a lot of ways how art is made. And when you’re collaborating with someone that you love and admire, the way that I was working with Karen O, it’s not so much a collaboration, as it’s me giving her a format for her to be her pure self. And that’s different than us writing a song or writing lyrics or writing an arrangement together. So, I don’t know. If whoever called me up and said, ‘Hey, do you want to do this,’ I would always be open for it. I’m open to new experiences and new failures or successes. But I could understand how a lot of people wouldn’t be. It’s nerve-wracking; it’s not always very pleasant. I try to make ours as easy, as quick, and as pleasant as possible. They simply can do this little thing, and be part of this bigger thing. That’s why most artists would want to do it in that way, more than a ‘Hey Henry (Rollins), why don’t you write a song today?’ A lot of people will do that to us. I’ll say ‘not really, but I will, if that’s what we’re doing.’

M: You’re definitely right: you talk a lot. But it works with interviews.

WC: (Laughs) I know I paint it like it’s going to be torture, but I’m trying to give you as much a lay of thinking about me as you can. Make me sound cool.

The Flaming Lips will be playing on 10/10 in Austin, TX. You can buy tickets here.

The Flaming Lips – Race for the Prize

The Flaming Lips – Fight Test

The Flaming Lips – It’s Summertime

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One would hardly expect the porno biz to produce something like this. A camera operator and make-up artist are more accustomed to visual appeal, after all, and music’s role in porn is little more than background music providing the next worst thing to elevator music. I introduced the duo of Mr. Gnome over a year ago in April 2008, when I was considerably impressed with their full-length debut Deliver This Creature. Camera operator/drummer Sam Meister and make-up artist/guitarist Nicole Barille produced an intense wave of emotions through an interpretation of gloomy post-punk, gritty alternative, and progressive metal, with Barille’s howling vocals managing to choke-hold the listener into unavoidable emotional fury that was dependent on Barille’s constantly alternating melodic capacity and Meister’s expert variation in percussion. The release’s ability to juggle anger, somberness, and regret through similar emissions of heavily distorted guitar chords and hectic percussion made The Yeah Yeah Yeahs or Blonde Redhead the most apt comparison in this case, both using a howling set of vocals to unveil predominant angst before occasionally reverting to a serenely consumed atmosphere more intent with mellower hooks and instrumentation. The reason for such immediate comparisons may have been the only weakness of Deliver This Creature, as many conveniently put Mr. Gnome into the girl-angst indie-rock category. Their new album hopes to put these linear assumptions to rest, as Mr. Gnome possess a rare type of stylistic allure that is darker and more thickly progressive than their contemporaries.

Many longtime readers that checked out Mr. Gnome last year should be interested in its follow-up, the similarly titled Heave Yer Skeleton. As the title implies there is no retreat from the dark and moody form of explosive indie-rock that made Deliver This Creature a generally successful debut, at least in the sense that it prompted others to check out their earlier EPs. As gathered after a few listens, Heave Yer Skeleton brings back all the things good about Deliver This Creaturee as they still attempt to modify their own unique approach in an effort to separate. Although we were already used to Meister’s demonic-like drumming capabilities and Barille’s haunting croon, a track like “Sit Up & Hum” exemplifies the growth spurts this band has experienced since Deliver This Creature early last year. “Sit Up & Hum” manages to beautifully pass between the two realms of ethereal guitar plucks and roaring distortion. Barille’s guitar playing is hardly the most technically impressive, but her intelligence shows in variation. The reverbed strains of guitar during the chorus recalls psychedelic-rock at its finest, while the preceding verse and subsequent bridge reap from howls and distortion that successfully symbolize points of contemplation, before the beautiful and stunning chorus brings listeners to a point of studied focus where there is no over-emphasis on either dialect or mood, but simply a marvel of consistency that improves upon Deliver This Creature with sophistication and freshness.

The album’s semi-epic opener, “Spain”, manages to muster up its strength through a fade-in of haunting acoustics that resemble an old-fashioned pirates song; Barille’s subdued and haunting croon only does more to enforce this. The chuggng of percussion is eventually joined by a coarse burst of electric guitars, each different verse finding a new instrumental or vocal addition as Barille patiently and subtly builds up the intensity in her voice. This is all leading up to a gospel-choir chorus of sorts that sounds both possessed and enthroned in passionate fury. When Barille cries out that she “sings for revenge”, the emotions run so thick through this effort that I would not be surprised if most listeners are trembling out of fear for their own well-being. This is the type of power that the duo of Barille and Meister are continuing to display, with the new release of Heave Yer Skeleton enforcing that much than ever before. From the infusion of rockabilly and folk in “Vampires” to the epic and emotionally empowering nature of “Spain” and ‘Sit Up & Hum”, Heave Yer Skeleton is a remarkable effort that solidifies Mr. Gnome’s status as one to look out for.

RIYL: The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Blonde Redhead, Death from Above 1979, Sleater-Kinney, Throwing Muses, Nurses

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Mr. Gnome – Sit Up & Hum

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Mr. Gnome – Spain

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Mr. Gnome – Vampires

[audio:http://mineorecords.com/mp3/gnome-vam.mp3]\

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Emotional variability is an aspect of art that all musicians value. An artist limiting one’s self to a consistent set of emotions can be detrimental to a listener’s perception of the artist, primarily due to the fact that an entire discography consisting of sulking or romanticized longing can become repetitively dull and topically overwrought if not done correctly. You can look at some fine artists who can do this successfully – The Smiths, Mark Kozelek, American Music Club, etc. – and find that their musical styles and structures often diversify the songs enough. And if not, the vocal diction is varied enough to capture a consistent audience for decades. There will always be a small select group of people who opt to only listen to somberly reflective alt-rock or mindless sexually-driven pop music due to their linear perception of the art of music in general, but most listeners enjoy occasional doses of topical diversity in the music the dedicate a lot of time in discovering. To combat such linearly mundane approaches while simultaneously delivering a consistent theme and set of central emotions, Daniel Smith has become notable for crafting songs with rich imagery, brooding contrasting instrumentation, and – arguably most importantly – the ability to interweave the two aspect to craft tales of bleakly entertaining circumstances. Under the alias of Begushkin, his lyrical journeys prove both wildly engrossing and startlingly unique.

When Smith’s debut, Nightly Things, was released in June of 2006, critics took note of the young Brooklynite’s prevalent ability to emit a plethora of lyrically-led topics without overwhelming the listener. Lovelorn desperation, violence and angst, maddening loneliness, and self-inflicted emotional wounds were a few of the relayed emotions involved, all with a supplemented cast of fictional characters and exotic locales that would make even songwriters in the storytelling vein of Tom Waits and Lou Reed grin with approval. The release’s style was centered in folk, with a few other elements like gypsy-rock and glam making subtle appearances. Acoustics often led the melody in the unique of forms, usually in a blatant minor key due to the brooding topics and backing instrumentation involved. It was by no means a solely acoustical affair though, as strings and accordions also made cameos that added to the rich qualities of Smith’s songs in extravagant form. His vocals are on another as well; they quiver and moan with a likeness to two other Daniel’s who dwell in the realm of oddball folk: Dan Bejar and Danielson, though the latter Daniel Smith ironically has no relation to Begushkin’s Smith. The main difference between these artists and Begushkin, though, may lie in Smith’s stylistic bearings.

Treading on a path located somewhere between Middle-Eastern gypsy-rock and folk-based Americana, his wholesome sound and derived influences turn out to be wholesomely his own. For Smith’s sophomore album, King’s Curse, he has chosen to expand upon a sound that was already enticingly original enough for the acclaimed reception of Nightly Things. King’s Curse sees a larger emphasis on the shades of gypsy-rock that made Nightly Things – particularly on the bustling guitar-led “Hearth Light of Our Home” – so memorable. The emotional intensity of Smith’s quivering vocals has also heightened the aspect of zealousness that complements the increased ferociousness of his general stylistic demeanor. The self-titled track is highly representative of his newly initiated narrative approach, with this track in particular being one of the faster-paced efforts on the album. The tempo is in accordance with the song’s narrative focus, one that tells of ruthless hierarchical figures and creatures that would appear to fit well in medieval folklore. “The gypsy king at last is dead!” Smith pronounces with glee, followed shortly by the ghastly accompaniment of female vocals. “But his soul I couldn’t save and hollers like a lunatic from the diamond cave.” Such a vividly haunting conclusion is one component that makes Smith so memorable; he seems to always establish a song’s focus and carry through with it until the listener reaches an extremely satisfying conclusion.

Though King’s Curse is more expansive and ardently expressive on a superficial level, “Murderer” demonstrates his more subdued attempts at plot-based thematic involvement in excellent form. “Cranberry wine, dripping down her spine,” he begins, backed by an ethereal electric guitar progression and the faint whirring of an organ. The chorus sees the rumbling of percussion enter with a sparse melodic shift; the song actually takes over three minutes to truly build up, resulting in a monstrously successful guitar solo that sees all formats of instrumentation enhance tremendously before the track reverts to its original subdued format before the conclusion. “Refugee & the Hag” is notable for Smith’s excellent vocal delivery and the guitar usage that contrasts it. He opts to use several sliding techniques in addition to his quivering snarls, a vocal element that appears most openly effusive in both “Refugee & the Hag” and “King’s Curse”. The last two tracks on the album, “The Beat & the King” and “Gone to Hell”, are easily the album’s most structurally ambitious. “The Beat & the King” recalls vintage Sunset Rubdown with its marching-band rhythmic pattern and increasingly volatile vocal accompaniment, while “Gone to Hell” sees some of Smith’s most commendable guitar work to date. Both exceed six minutes in length, but knowing Smith’s talents as both a storyteller and songwriter, he can make time fly by seamlessly. The bulk of King’s Curse is chock full of material like this; time just flies by so quickly when entertained by a master storyteller.

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Begushkin – Murderer

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Begushkin – King’s Curse

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Begushkin – Refugee & the Hag

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When describing The Lady Vanishes, Andy DeLoach chooses a method that would make most travel magazines proud. Almost making his solo music project out to be a luxurious hotel located in some exotic country, few would guess that he mainly relies on a simplistic blend of folk and pop music to perfect his craft. “The Lady Vanishes offers the most luxurious of musics for your relaxed bachelor lifestyle,” his MySpace boasts. “Qualified Songs are waiting to serve your every need and perhaps even get stuck in your head.” Such hyperbolic statements are usually meant for fun and little more than that, but the charm of DeLoach’s musical output is appealing and accessible enough to make the travel review method a rather attractive attempt at catching the attention of those already familiar with the world of contemporary folk-pop. The tour guide, Andy DeLoach, describes himself modestly in saying he is little more than an obsessive of ‘60s pop greats in the vein of The Beatles and The Zombies. DeLoach only recently turned 21 but his youthfulness does not lead to any signs of expected immaturity within his songwriting. He has been writing songs and collaborating with other musicians for years, most notably with Troy Stains (multi-instrumentalist in the recently featured gem from The Explorers Club) in a musical relationship that is continuing to blossom. “We’re trying to start a songwriting partnership that will provide songs for today’s musical scene the same way Burt Bacharach did for his,” DeLoach explains, already providing his veneration for influential artists of the past with wholesome intentions.

Such aspirations may seem a bit lofty for a 21-year-old without much credit to his name, but based on what DeLoach has offered on his self-titled EP, it may not be as farfetched as it initially seems. Based out of the “exotic locale” of Atlanta, The Lady Vanishes offers up plenty enjoyment in a simplistically appealing format. If one were keeping up with DeLoach’s hotel comparisons, calling the project something of a surprisingly affordable gem of a resort in a country with little to no western recognition would be accurate; there is more to it than meets the eye.“Karen, Don’t Stop Him” falls somewhere between the amiable lore of Simon & Garfunkel and Belle & Sebastian, guided by DeLoach’s boyish vocals and the gentle strumming of an acoustic guitar. “Karen don’t stop him, it’s only mid-day,” he sings as the subtle emergence of an organ occurs, softening the guitars in the process as a solidified rhythm section becomes prevalent. The twang of an electric guitar shortly follows, establishing DeLoach’s folk technique in which a naively pleasant melody is built upon by several other similarly laced instruments in an effort to boast a worthwhile hook. The track touches upon the common perspective of fate’s involvement in life’s routine, being an easygoing example of DeLoach slight metaphorical tendencies.

“Eliza at the Museum” is the most ambitious out of the three featured tracks, mainly due to cohesive adjustment between the “mmm”-ing backing vocals and the build-up effect of the involved instruments as they subtly increase in tempo before collapsing. DeLoach’s tends to stray inside the realm of conventional folk-pop and his ambitious nature appears to be at a halt as of now, “Wrapped in Cloth (All So We Can Love)” is more reminiscent of standard folk. Though the twinkle of bells adds for a nice touch in the conclusion, I am relatively certain that it was primarily written as a b-side or demo. Nevertheless, the unsigned DeLoan has already captured a good amount of buzz in Atlanta and his future appears quite bright, best evidenced by the affable characteristics of “Karen, Don’t Stop Him” and “Eliza at the Museum”.

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The Lady Vanishes – Karen, Don’t Stop Him

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The Lady Vanishes – Eliza at the Museum

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The Lady Vanishes – Wrapped in Cloth (All So We Can Love)

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I was considering devoting an entire post to Sparks before I realized that I had done so already about two years ago, shortly after this site had just gotten underway. In the post, I gathered a few MP3s from my 8 favorite Sparks albums, all of which were released during a period ranging from the early ’70s to present day. As I said a few years ago and will say again today, Sparks is easily one of the most stylistically eclectic acts of the past 40 years and most people are generally only able to count on one hand the number of bands who have achieved success for as long and as consistently as the Mael brothers. Releasing at least a few albums each decade for the past 4 decades, the longevity is impressive but what has built Sparks’ cult following mainly traces back to their form of songwriting which seems to never get old or overused. I personally prefer their first three albums to anything they did afterward but the sheer fact that I can listen to any Sparks album from any decade and find myself enjoying it impressive to me in its own right.

For album #21 in their sprawling discography, I would feel as if I were doing myself and others an injustice by not at least mentioning Exotic Creatures of the Deep. Apart from being arguably the best thing they have released since 1994’s Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins, it simply solidifies the sentiment that the Mael brothers have no expiration date for cranking out quality tracks. What has been very prevalent throughout their most recent releases has been an increased comedic tone, suggested merely by the title of memorable tracks like “Dick Around”, “Ugly Guys With Beautiful Girls”, and “What Are All These Bands So Angry About?”. This is a continuing trend on Exotic Creatures of the Deep, only this time being supplemented by an even more eclectic (it IS actually possible!). There is a noticeable increase in the use of guitar, a feature that should delight fans of their rock-oriented material from the early ’70s. Still though, most of the tracks are led by Ron Mael’s keys and a series of orchestral arrangements. Anyone with a comprehension of The Smiths or Morrissey should chuckle at “Lighten Up, Morrissey”, a very enjoyable effort that contains a fusion of guitars and keys that remains very reminiscent of their ’70s works. The track does not mock on Morrissey, but rather the tortured men who weep themselves to sleep every night because of a little thing called rejection. Somewhat oddly, the band considers it a tribute to Moz, as the duo and former Smiths frontman have requited admiration for one another (Morrissey’s lyrics usually stray on the unrequited side of things).

In addition to “Lighten Up, Morrissey”, other highlights include the synth-fused infectiousness of “I Can’t Believe That You Would Fall For All The Crap In This Song” and the piano-led “Good Morning”, the latter being the album’s debuting single. Both rely prevalently on melodic repetition amongst transitioning lyrical deliveries, with the topics containing plenty of witty one-liners and consequential hooks in typical Sparks fashion. Whether guitars lead the way in the contagious “Lighten Up, Morrissey”, synths carry the dance-pop flair in “I Can’t Believe That You Would Fall For All The Crap In This Song”, pianos aid a brisk progression on “Good Morning” and the hilarious mock on superficiality in “Photoshop”, or strings flow vigorously alongside all of the aforementioned instruments in “Strange Animal” and the infectious “This is the Renaissance”, Exotic Creatures of the Deep contains enough diversity to make even the most dedicated and harshest of Sparks fans contemplate deeply whether or not Sparks’ 21st studio album will land in their all-time top 10. It is certainly too early to decide such matters, but Exotic Creatures of the Deep undoubtedly serves as yet another extremely commendable feat from the talented Mael brothers.

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Sparks – Lighten Up, Morrissey

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Sparks – This is the Renaissance

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Sparks – Good Morning

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I can only imagine the diverse array of characters that encompass the set of a porno. Bubbly starlets who are either sexually conflicted or financially desperate, 55-year-old cameramen who consider their work to be an “art”, and a crew of makeup artists who have the goal of minimizing superficial faults and maximizing robustness are just a few of the hired individuals in the quest for erotic stardom. I could be entirely erroneous in my judgment, as I have unfortunately never stepped foot in such an amusingly humorous atmosphere, but I am sure that most of the people involved get considerably annoyed when someone looks at their occupation with disdain. The stars and starlets of the picture are easy to criticize, but most of the cameramen, writers, makeup artists, and producers are just trying to earn an income. And hey, like all jobs, they may end up meeting people that will end up being future business partners, occupational connections, or even best friends. Many people would assume that the only thing that would originate at a porno is a misconceived child, but as the duo of Mr. Gnome have proven, prosperous relationships with no sexual relevancy whatsoever can sometimes originate in the most unexpected of places.

Since I tend to be interested in how bands form and whatnot, I have read a variety of accounts over the past few years by band members who explain how their project came to be. And to be honest, I do not think I have ever stumbled across a story as unique and humorously vivid as Mr. Gnome. Guitarist Nicole Barille and drummer Sam Meister originally went to high school together in Ohio, though they had no familiarity with one another during that time. As it ends up, the two truly met on the set of a porno, where Meister was a camera operator and Barille was a makeup artist. During a brief break, Meister was working with his camera equipment when he was suddenly drawn to the enthralling smell of pot. He also took notice of some very enjoyable music that he had never heard before emitting from a tape deck, a location that he concluded with his sense of smell was coming from the same direction. He happened to come across Barille smoking a joint, conversing with starlet, and listening to Björk, an artist who Meister had not yet acquainted himself in full to yet. He instantly fell in love with the sound. “Normally when I have a group of naked women standing in front of me, that would be my main focus, but I couldn’t believe my ears,” he recollects. “Before I knew it, I was getting high with porn stars and talking to Nicole about Björk and our musical influences.”

This interesting meeting eventually led to the group’s first and now demised project, Draw Down The Moon, which never really saw the light of day. Next, the duo began experimenting with sound techniques that were unconventional in the realm of typical indie-rock, incorporating minimalist instrumentation with a plethora of transitional tendencies that included alterations in regard to volume, tone, and audible dichotomy in general. Calling themselves Mr. Gnome with their inception in 2005, their first EP, Echoes on the Ground, was released the same year. A self-titled EP followed up in 2006, guiding the duo on a newly originated national tour. Though the EPs sounded promising and they gained a bit of a following, they still classified themselves as a “homeless band” at the time, living in a van and sleeping on an occasional couch from time to time. However, with the release of their excellent full-length debut, Deliver This Creature, being May 6th, it looks as if the homeless days are long behind Meister and Barille. Like their sources of origination, it is one of the most interesting debuts I have heard all year. Their fusion of post-punk, alternative, and progressive metal provides for a sound that remains memorably dark in tone.

As I continue to listen to Deliver This Creature, it becomes increasingly prevalent that Meister and Barille are the type of songwriters who able to craft fluid hooks amidst a flurry of instrumental chaos, using stop-start guitar progressions and chaotic rhythmic supplementations as the primary devices of audible play. They have a tendency to go from heart-thumping velocity to a serenely invigorating soundscape in a matter of a seconds, usually resulting in enjoyable success. In addition to being the guitarist, Barille also serves commendably as the group’s vocalist, providing a sensually enthralling type of flair that improves upon the originality of an already impressive style. Their diverse array of styles have drawn comparisons ranging from Death From Above 1979 to the White Stripes, even if the latter seems mainly initiated because of the male-female duo arrangement. The ardency is certainly there though, as displayed on tracks like “Deliver This Creature” and “Night of the Crickets”. “Deliver This Creature” serves as a perfect example of the band’s gritty sound. Barille’s guitar and vocal usage go hand-in-hand, matching the intensity of one another with apparent ease. When the track shifts into a serene outro aided by keys and organs, the transition provides for a remarkable display of emotional variation. The opening “Pirates” sees a similar form of success, employing a variety of keys over Meister’s steady percussion until Barille erupts into a vocalized yelp of sorts upon the sporadic entries of her electric guitar. I am personally most impressed with the group’s grasp of emotional intensity on Deliver This Creature, making it a debut that is certainly worthwhile.

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Mr. Gnome – Deliver This Creature

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Mr. Gnome – Night of the Crickets

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Mr. Gnome – Pirates

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Some people say that twins have a sixth sense, an ability to mutually sense when their brother or sister is in a state of distress. Though telepathic interpretations remain too otherworldly to be of widely noted acceptance, it is not hard to fathom that twins often share a type of bond that is indescribable in mere words. Since twins are born and often raised together, I imagine that the shocking degree of emotional inseparability has something to do with paralleled brain structures, with both relaying similar emotions in regard to specific circumstances. That is just a mere guess though; apart from similar genetics, scientists do not have a concrete explanation for it. Now, if such twins happened to be musically capable to a collaboratively equivalent extent, imagine how flexible the working environment would be. With music often being a purging and delivery of emotions over wholly intended instrumentation, their similar ideals and emotions would likely create cause for a more efficiently productive atmosphere. I cannot speak for them personally, but it certainly shows on Ghost Bees‘ debut album, Tasseomancy, that these two Canadian twins possess the ability to work together in a form that simultaneously brings commendable results and expresses a bond that could only be found under familial circumstances.

Over the past year or so, I have noticed a pleasant developmental trend concerning the genre of folk music. Whereas stylistic limitations previously rendered the genre primarily inaccessible, indie music circles have increasingly been more acceptive of the style’s growing sense of ambition. Acclaimed artists like Marissa Nadler have shown no hesitation in their incorporation of psychedelic and shoegaze elements in folk, exposing a sub-genre that many have lovingly labeled as “dream-folk”. Ghost Bees are the latest to join the ascending ranks, portraying a hauntingly elegant form of folk music over lyrics that are poetically invigorating in meaning. Taking their lyrical influence from classic works of literature that deal with Gothic fiction, you can expect a slew of entertainingly original tales on the enchanting Tasseomancy. Whether the twins find themselves falling in love with a vampire on “Vampires of the West Coast” or recounting the candid circumstances of their birth on “Sinai”, the lyrical variability provides for plenty of engaging moments. Their instrumental focus remains one of subtle minimalism , incorporating a variety of brooding strings and subdued percussion over fastidious acoustic guitar progressions and hushed vocals; it is a style that lingers in less reverbed lamenting than Nadler, but the melodic consistencies create a more accessible listening experience when compared to the indie-folk likings of Joanna Newsom.

In proper alignment with Ghost Bees’ lyrical emphasis on components that are either foreign or wildly unconventional, Tasseomancy takes its name from tasseography, the method of foretelling the future by interpreting patterns of tea leaves, wine sediments, or coffee grounds. The process is completely unfamiliar to me, but so is the nature of the events described throughout the album. Take “Vampires of the West Coast” for instance, an enjoyable opener that touches on the importance of patience and genuineness in a romantic relationship. It would sound standard enough if left as it is, but the underlying tone that the Lightman twins convey is one of extreme ingenuity. Falling in love with a vampire can be a complicated ordeal, especially when he is on his last legs. They make the events endearing though, playing with the eerie tone to the best of their ability in the instrumental compatibility of the finger-plucked acoustic guitar and the forlorn use of strings. “He sings like a matchstick with wolves by the fire and old prairie candles that creak like a choir,” the girls sing delicately, both their tones being of a striking similarity. With that in mind, it makes sense that the girls exchange vocal usage equally on the album. It simply does not matter which one of the Lightman twins sings at any given time, as both of their vocals relay a form of captivating delicacy that is equal in comparison.

“Sinai” is another great example of the twins’ avant-garde tendencies, portraying their own birth as if they had the comprehension to remember their aligning emotions during the first moments of their lives. The first line spoken is, “You came tumbling outwards across the bedsheets across our mother’s bruised bloodroot thighs while I gathered courage inside the omphalos, too crooked and sorry to move.” Descriptive enough for you? Considering that Romy was born 5 minutes before Sari, it is apparent that the beginning of “Sinai” is from the perspective of Sari. While I imagine that the content will make some queasy, I can’t help but to commend the twins for making such an engagingly creative song. Though the strings do not make their usual noteworthy appearance on “Sinai”, occasional percussion and a twinkling glockenspiel provide the backing instrumentation over the consistent use of the acoustic guitar. The strings make their most memorable appearance on “Tear Tassle Ogre Heart”, with the track also being arguably the most melodically accessible on Tasseomancy. The twins’ vocals (in duet form) are most whimsical here as well, attempting a wider melodic range than displayed in their other tracks. Once again using a mythological creature for metaphorical purposes, the track is inherently descriptive of the Pol Pot Regime, depicting terror through cities “with their red embers burning”. The worthwhile debut from Ghost Bees will drop on April 15th, with it being a recommendation for all fans of unconventional folk music.

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Ghost Bees – Vampires of the West Coast

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Ghost Bees – Sinai

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Ghost Bees – Tear Tassle Ogre Heart

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It takes courage to recognize and reflect upon past mistakes, especially if the circumstances were difficult to describe or overcome. It takes even more courage to share such incidents with the general public, with the intrepidness often intentionally resulting in effecting others’ lives for the better. For 8 years in the early stages of her adulthood, Rachel Taylor Brown was a recluse, hidden away from society because of a nervous breakdown and a subsequent stage of depression. Unlike many young adults whose origins of depression trace back to their own personalized superficial issues, the main issue that drove Brown was an issue completely unrelated to her personal image. To channel her thoughts into a maintainable atmosphere, she resorted to one of her true loves in music and songwriting. In addition to her commendable melodic skill, she began writing lyrics that reflected her musings on mental frailty and sociological renunciation. Music broke Brown free and brought her to where she is today: a flourishing singer/songwriter with a future as bright as the sun. Instead of letting her depression consume and develop her into a sheer waste of space, her talents have unraveled at the hands of society’s innermost demons.

Brown is the type of songwriter that, regardless of the underlying musical content, delivers song after song of complete and utter fascination. This traces back to her ability to analyze the actions and possibilities of human nature, doing so entirely with an unbiased mindset. Her lyrical content delivers a variety of topics, with politics, religion, and history incorporating themselves seamlessly alongside the constant etchings of sociological analysis. It is this thought process that led to the name of her fourth album, Half Hours With the Lower Creatures. Taking its name from a marine biology textbook published in 1918 that Brown found at her favorite bookstore, she immediately found it to coincide with her impending lyrics. “That title sort of said everything to me about who we are,” Brown said, referring to society as a whole. “We always have to be at least one rung up the ladder from something else, even if it’s a jellyfish. It’s the history of humankind, one-upsmanship. It’s the disease that leads to things like war.” She does certainly have a point, but why mess with something so customarily accepted like human nature? Once again, her courage prevails. “I’m curious about motivation and why people do the things they do, partly due to my own personal history and pathology,” she said. “I think my songs tend to reflect a preoccupation with injustice and the underdog, but with some humor, too.”

Since her debut with 2001’s Do Not Stare, Brown has come a long way in terms of lyrical and musical depth. Encompassing an approach that was more lo-fi with less variation than her recent material, Do Not Stare was loaded with potential but failed to execute as well as Brown’s most recent releases. Her next album, Jonah Days, in 2005 saw an expansion in songwriting and collaboration, as Brown began working with other musicians in the creation process of her own work (Grammy-nominated harpsichordist Richard Egarr was the most prominent at the time). The year 2006 marked the biggest transitional period for Brown and her music career. In addition to signing with a new record label (Cutthroat Pop Records), she began working with a full-time producer for the first time. That producer was featured once before on this site too as the producer of Little Beirut’s excellent High Dive. Indeed, the work of Jeff Stuart Saltzman appears to be growing, and there is certainly nothing wrong with that. He has produced acclaimed albums by the likes of Stephen Malkmus, Menomena, and Sleater-Kinney, with his ability to produce an up-and-coming independent artist like Rachel Taylor Brown in addition to those headlining acts being very commendable. He produced her third album, the much improved Ormolu, in 2007 and also manned the controls for the most recent, Half Hours With the Lower Creatures. Brown sings his praises too. “Meeting Jeff was like coming home. He’s become a trusted friend,” she said. “I feel lucky to know Jeff, let alone work with him.”

Considering that the opening track, “Hemocult/I Care About You”, is a 7-minute experimental epic that is the result of complete improvisation, a few toy pianos, and a garbage can, Half Hours With the Lower Creatures immediately comes across as Brown’s most ambitious album yet. The trend continues too, as her constantly entertaining lyrical output is supplemented by a variety of styles ranging from ’60s pop to arena rock. The album’s most exciting track is “Stagg Field”, a catchy indie-rock snippet that shows Brown at her melodic best. With additional guitar work from the frequently mentioned Chris Robley, the song’s strengths rides on the infectiousness relayed by the halted progressions between Robley’s guitars and Brown’s keys, with the chaotically engineered percussion adding to the song’s intensified rush even more. “Mette in Madagascar” recalls well-natured ’60s pop with a flimsily enjoyable piano progression. It is later picked up by a variety of samples and an explosive addition of guitars, establishing the transition from soft ’60s pop to experimental rock in impressive form. The lyrical content concerns Brown’s aunt, a missionary who went to Madagascar and sent Brown letters frequently. “I’m trying to contrast the sweet little old lady with the damage done in the world by such sweet little old ladies and nice people,” Brown said, once again emphasizing her focus on the altering effects of human nature. In comparison, the biblically laced “Abraham and Isaac” relays the tale about a father who agrees to kills his son because God told him to. A controversial topic? Sure, but Brown’s lyrical tellings make it wildly entertaining as usual.

If you haven’t noticed already, every track on Half Hours With the Lower Creatures has a unique story behind it; “You’re Alright, Sorla One” is a song about Alzheimer’s Disease from the perspective of a brooding caretaker, “Passion” is a swipe at the reportedly melodramatic Mel Gibson film, and “Another Dead Soldier in Fallujah” was written when Brown watched a family lose their son in Iraq on Christmas Day. “I just kept thinking of how they would dread Christmas for the rest of their lives,” she reflects. “I cried the whole time I wrote that song, because people are so beautiful and so awful.” While her perspectives may tend to be too dramatically reflective for some, there is no doubting the genuine touch of sincerity that Brown pours into each one of her songs. When Half Hours With the Lower Creatures is released on May 6th, fans of her ardent portrayals should be quite pleased with the budding Portland-based songwriter.

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Rachel Taylor Brown – Stagg Field

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Rachel Taylor Brown – Mette in Madagascar

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Rachel Taylor Brown – Abraham and Isaac

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Rewind back to the mid 1990s. Though the previously bustling style of grunge was beginning to fade out, explosive alternative-rock was in full form. With stateside bands like Smashing Pumpkins and Pearl Jam finding success alongside the likes of Brit-poppers Blur and Oasis, it was inarguably a good time to be a music fan. Keep in mind, much of this was after tragedy had struck for Nirvana fans a few years earlier; oddly enough, the music scene was stronger than ever despite Cobain’s death. I like to think that his abrupt death instilled more motivation in those with the proper potential to do great things. However, in the midst of all the quality music that was released during the decade, an aspect of the production and promotion process often went overlooked. The ’90s opened up a new phase for the revival of music videos, establishing the cause as one that was not limited to the swift steps of Michael Jackson, cheesy pop music, or early hip-hop innovators. Smashing Pumpkins, Radiohead, and are just a few of the respectable names . Whether it be the elusively masterful nature of “Tonight, Tonight” or the startlingly innovative “Just”, the videos for the respected songs added a new sense of depth to their illusory creativity. Good music, good movies, risqué fashion statements – looking back, it was a pretty good time.

When I heard that Minipop‘s newest music video, “Like I Do”, was drawing widespread comparisons to the flawless cinematographic production of Smashing Pumpkins’ “Tonight, Tonight”, I just had to check it out. Upon watching it on the trusty ol’ YouTube, I saw that the likeness was justified – both in musical and cinematographic aspects. Directed by Andrew Huang, it is arguably the most entertaining music video of the year. Like “Tonight, Tonight”, the landscapes throughout the video are abstract and creatively illustrated, implementing watercolor as the four real-life figures of the band inhabits the fantasy world freely. However, instead of being a mock silent-film in space, the adventures take place throughout a variety of environments. From evading a giant cat-like creature in a house to flying off the edge of a sprawling city and into the treacherous seas, even calling this an interpretative acid trip would not give it enough justice. Oh, I may have forgot to mention the end; a winged creature takes the band up into the night sky. Illuminated stars? Futuristically hopeful space vehicles? Yeah, it smells like something familiar to me. All it is missing is a nasally bald man in trousers. Even with such a great video, it brings me satisfaction to know that it did not overshadow the quality of Minipop’s songwriting. To my pleasant surprise, it was not the video that turned me on to the four-piece in the end. It was their music.

It is readily apparent that the four-piece from San Fran takes great pride in their sound, as it is consistent and dutiful all throughout their first full-length album, New Hope. While the instrumentation is a light form of synth-oriented arena-rock from the decades past, the charmingly lighthearted vocals of Tricia Kanne provides for a parallel collaboration that is both heartwarming and illustriously engaging. The most impressive thing about Kanne’s voice is that she initially comes off as delicate in several songs, notably “Like I Do” and “Precious”. This is not to say she is not a force though, as she reaches great vocal intensity all throughout the peaking moments found within the band’s material. She is a driving force that capitalizes on the instrumental strengths of guitarist Matthew Swanson, bassist Nick Forte, and drummer Lauren Grubb, often making her presence known during zealously layered choruses. The band personally claims that it sounds like “marshmallows on morphine and care-bears on Xanax”, a description that is surprisingly accurate. Consider Kanne’s vocals to be the edible aspect, while the accessibly soaring instrumentation can suitably be the mind-altering circumstances. Keep in touch with their unconventional demeanor, their name actually appears to be quite ironic. Minipop’s sound is as expansive as most would be able to find out of the contemporary alternative scene.

New Hope was released last week and you can purchase the download through Amazon’s MP3 service for a measly $9. Considering the remarkable quality, it is well worth it. It covers the majority of Minipop’s material from their formation in 2004 to the present, with the beautiful “Precious” previously being on the Precious EP, released last year. New Hope was produced by ex-Jellyfish collaborator Chris Manning (I covered his brother, Roger Joseph Manning, Jr., over a year ago) and it contains ten songs that are primarily in the vein of “Like I Do”, “Someone to Love”, and “Precious”. The latter tends to be the band’s attempt at a ballad, coming through successfully with Kanne’s angelic voice gliding effortlessly over the slight strain of keys, synths, and guitars. While “Precious” and the concisely catchy “Someone to Love” are enjoyable, my favorite remains the exceptional “Like I Do”. The keys, guitars, and Kanne’s vocals are incorporated nearly flawlessly, exposing a rare form of hook-laden alternative pop. Looking ahead, Minipop seems to have a bright future ahead of them. As long as they keep up with their quality songwriting (and music videos!), it is a guaranteed success.

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Minipop – Like I Do

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Minipop – Someone to Love

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Minipop – Precious

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In a decade, I would not be surprised if the Arcade Fire are considered the absolute definition of a band whose popularization was vitally dependant by internet blogs and media. Their rise to fame was quick, as their debut album Funeral propelled the Montreal-based group from an unrecognizable status to the cover of Time Magazine. Funeral was arguably the most universal choice for the “album of the year” in 2004, reaching a rare stage of emotion with their stellar and unique sound complemented by busy guitars, effective strings, and stinging brass. With a lyrical focus on familial turbulence, the Arcade Fire’s debut felt extremely personal, giving a sense of rarely captured emotion. In one of the most anticipated releases of the year, their new album Neon Bible will be released this spring. Three confirmed tracks are ‘Black Wave/Bad Vibrations’, ‘Intervention’, and ‘Black Mirror’, with all three having already found their way onto the internet. The first single is ‘Intevention’ and it can be heard by calling (866) NEON-BIBLE, extension number 7777. As the story goes, the Arcade Fire uploaded the wrong version of the song to iTunes as a charity single for “Partners in Health”. The song uploaded by mistake was ‘Black Wave/Bad Vibrations’. The release of ‘Black Mirror’ was more intentional, as it was done on their official web site. You can hear the song by going to frontman Win Butler’s scrapbook, where you can also feed an odd creature some food. To avoid the oddness, you can just listen to it below. All three tracks are quite enjoyable, though I enjoy ‘Black Mirror’ the most. If this is any indication, Neon Bible looks to be even more darker than Funeral. ‘Black Mirror’ begins with an acoustic strum and a dreamy ambient effect in the distance, with a flurry of strings and keys indiciating a more energetic chorus. Butler sounds whimsical as usual, with his vocals adding the perfect touch to a song already clouded by insatiable darkness.

Arcade Fire – Black Mirror

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Unlike the Arcade Fire, Modest Mouse had to wait a bit for their national recognition. While they now are on MTV every other day with such hits as ‘Float On’, for about ten years they released great albums that were only appreciated by a minimal audience. Albums such as The Lonesome Crowded West and The Moon & Antarctica were fantastic and as you can probably guess, I enjoy their earlier material the most. In preperation for their new album We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank, legendary Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr joined the band as an official member last August. It will see a release this March, led by the single ‘Dashboard’. I have to say, this is quite a different approach by Isaac Brock and company. While Brock’s vocals maintain to be distinct, Marr has brought a much more formulaic approach, almost sounding like Andy Partridge and XTC. Though the song certainly is far from being their best, I enjoy it more than ‘Float On’ and numerous other songs on Good News for People Who Love Bad News. The exotic strings during the bridge and chorus add another touch and I’ve always been a fan of Marr, who shows his new touch with Washington’s finest.

Modest Mouse – Dashboard

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Despite my reports earlier this week, it appears that Blur won’t reform after all. While Damon Albarn’s offer will always stand to reform the Brit-pop legends, he has stated that he would not do it unless all four members decided to return. Guitarist Graham Coxon denied involvement yet again after the published reports last week stated that he finally gave in. That’s certainly a shame, as a new album from Blur would have certainly become my most anticipated release of 2007 if it had been the case. Well, that’s the bad news. The good news is that Damon Albarn’s new project The Good, the Bad and the Queen is coming along nicely. I gave a listen to their self-titled debut album the other day and there are a handful of extremely enjoyable songs. The group definitely dates back to Albarn’s Brit-pop days in the 90s, rather than his recent adventures with alternative hip-hop hitmakers Gorillaz. ’80s Life’ is one of my favorite tracks from the album, ironically calling on a melody reminiscent of the 50s, rather than the 80s. The Good, the Bad and the Queen will be released on January 22nd and it will likely satisfy the hunger of fans who adored Albarn’s previous projects.

The Good, the Bad and the Queen – 80s Life

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If you want to find information on Southern Rock Music, the internet is the obvious choice.  For the History of Rock Music and so much more, sign online today.  You can even find Rock Music Charts from many years gone past.

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10. Jarvis Cocker – Jarvis

The definition of the word “witty” is generally defined as one who combines clever conception and facetious expression, though if you would like an enjoyable example, I would suggest listening to most songs by Pulp. Indeed, “witty” is one of the many complementary adjectives that could be used to describe Jarvis Cocker and Pulp. Ever since Cocker formed the band at the tender age of 15, the public has had eyes and ears focused on Cocker, their oddly enjoyable frontman. After some amateur but promising albums in the 80s, they propelled in the 90s as a huge success with such classic albums as Different Class and His ‘n’ Hers. In fact, they were my favorite band of the 90s. Now at the wiser age of 43, Cocker has released his first solo album with the simple title of Jarvis. While those few who disliked Pulp will probably feel the same concerning Cocker, Pulp fans and admirers of well constructed pop music should find Jarvis particulary pleasing. Cocker’s lyrical wit is still present, especially in the productive ‘Big Julie’, in which Cocker describes the perilous ordeals of an overweight girl in a superficial suburban society, only finding enjoyment in life by listening to the great joy that is music. Cocker’s descriptive lyricism manages to be hilarious, somewhat perverted, and emotionally touching all at once. In ‘Big Julie’, he motions momentum by exclaiming that Julie “knows sex is just for dummies anway, something you do when you’ve run out of things to say”, before a fury of strings build up an emotional closing. Cocker successfuly engages us in the troubled mind of someone half his age, something that other artists have often trouble doing. The diversity of Jarvis is also impressive, with the dark strings and soft vocals in ‘Disney Time’ reflecting on the loss of childhood innocence, while the rougher and more frantic pieces like ‘Tonite’ and the silly fun in ‘Fat Children’ do the album a great deal of excitement for those who prefer not to tread in melancholy. Though I was displeased at Pulp’s inactivity for the past five years, Cocker’s emergance as a solo artist is very gratifying in the grand scheme of things.

Jarvis Cocker – Big Julie

Jarvis Cocker – Disney Time

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09. Some By Sea – On Fire! (Igloo)

It’s a shame that Some By Sea will never gain much recognition outside of their native Washington. Now that the band has announced that they are no more, it means that On Fire! (Igloo) is their ode farewell. With that in mind, it’s at least a fantastic way to go out. Compared to the other artists on this list, Some By Sea is arguably the least publicized. I could take the easy route and blame whoever was their publicist, but truly I think it lied in the length of their songs. Not often do you find electric folk artists creating songs that, on average, reach over six minutes in length for each and every track on the album. That would equate to a lack of commercial radio outside of colleges in Washington, with most looking for easily accessible three-minute pop songs. Lead songwriter and singer Chris DuBray certainly has the musicianship to create memorable songs of this length, though the album is certainly not recommended to impatient listeners who take songwriting for granted on first listen. Those who are patient will almost certainly be rewarded with Some By Sea’s musical grasp, with cellos, horns, fiddles, keys, and harps being a few of the dozens of instruments that Some By Sea packages neatly in each song. ‘The Beginning Of The World Often Comes’ is a perfect example of the band’s collaborative talents, with a variation of strings leading the emotional track upwards in quality. As the song displays, their appreciation for classical music is no secret, as DuBray has the proper longetivity and passion throughout the entire album to guide even the rougher spots out of the doldrums. ‘Fables (Kentucky Social)’ is exclusively one of the accessible songs on the album, something they achieve without completely selling out. DuBray’s nasally voice gains fervor as the effective backing feminine vocals of Rachel Bowman harmonize well with her musical surroundings. Some By Sea’s larger than life songwriting ambitions may have been what tore the band apart but their fantastic music is still in tact, whether it remains undiscovered or not.

Some By Sea – The Beginning Of The World Often Comes

Some By Sea – Fables (Kentucky Social)

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08. Tokyo Jihen – Adult

Honestly, it takes quite a lot for a foreign album to place in my top ten for the year. I know that music is universal but I am one who finds lyrical comprehension to be an important aspect of a listening session. If I can’t understand them it takes a slight factor out of the decisionmaking on whether I enjoy it or not. That said, some foreign bands tend to grip you on catchy melodies and instrumental participation alone. Tokyo Jihen is one of those bands. Led by Shiina Ringo, who is genius in her own right, Tokyo Jihen is a collection of proficiently trained musicians who range in styles from blues and jazz to shibuya-kei and hip-hop. Ringo has been such a musical presence ever since being declared a musical prodigy in her teens. She is not only one of the best songwriters in Japan, but one of the most naturally gifted in the world. Those who speculate can take a look at her solo career, which always seems about ten years ahead of her time. The variation on Tokyo Jihen’s second album Adult is astonishing, with the subtle classical guitar in ‘Keshou Naoshi’ serving as example of Ringo’s natural ear for musical consistency. The backing band works incredibly well together, live and in the studio. This can be heard throughout, as most songs sound as if they were crafted by a perfectionist, giving indication for great production. Whether it’s the R&B influences in the catchy ‘Blackout’ or the intensifying blues combination in ‘Himitsu’, Ringo’s Tokyo Jihen has put together an extremely impressive selection of eleven original songs.

Tokyo Jihen – Blackout

Tokyo Jihen – Himitsu

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07. Junior Boys – So This Is Goodbye

Jeremy Greenspan and Matt Didemus both were issued large expectations for the Junior Boys’ second abum, So This Is Goodbye. The duo avoided the infamous sophomore slump with a lack of modification. Why fix something that isn’t broken? While the electronic style of some songs such as excessive trance influence in ‘Like A Child’ or the synthetic effects used in ‘FM’ are new in comparison to the acclaimed Last Exit, the new album exists in a similar world in terms of production and musical usage. Greenspan still has the slick vocals that execute perfectly with the late-night electronic sounds that Junior Boys are reputable for, with actual vocal improvement concerning the harmonics and melodical figuration in songs where Greenspan is most reliant, such as the restful cover of Frank Sinatra’s ‘When No One Cares’. So This Is Goodbye is more frantic than the debut, partly in thanks to the lively percussion, whether it be programmed claps or a robotic reverb. That is not to say the songs are particulary energetic, as the song has the mindset of a relaxing Sunday. Those who let the album take over an open mind will find it most enjoyable, unlike those who attempt to analyze every electronic component. ‘In The Morning’ and ‘First Time’ are both representitive of the surprising hooks that Junior Boys are known to create, with mastered ease and abruptly rewarding choruses that cause even the toughest critics to grin with satisfaction.

Junior Boys – In The Morning

Junior Boys – First Time

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06. Islands – Return to the Sea

Formed from the ruins of The Unicorns, Nick Diamonds and J’aime Tambeur brought the same type of musical delight to their new project, Islands’ debut Return to the Sea. While The Unicorns were lovingly aspirant in traditionally lo-fi fashion, Islands tends to be more mature and self-conscious of their surroundings. Diamonds has always shown clear aspirations in his creative touch, from The Unicorns’ unique blend of lo-fi indie pop to the rap-pop-electrohop of Th’ Corn Gangg, with Tambeur at his side for each project. Unlike old Unicorns favorites like the simplistic ‘The Clap’ or ‘Jellybones’, the leap in songwriting skill is recognizable right off the bat in Return to the Sea. The nine-minute opener, ‘Swans (Life After Death)’ teases us with a hook right after the two-minute mark before jumping back into the usual verse. With The Unicorns, one would expect the usual verse-chorus/hook-verse-chorus, but Islands tends to have a different philosophy. That hook is not used once again in the song, instead Islands capitalizes on the song’s flow and uses it to craft a series of brand new hooks, mainly evident during the distorted guitar outburst in the last three minutes. The song presents a great first impression, though all other songs on the album are of a different, more traditional nature. I mentioned in July that ‘Volcanoes’ was my favorite track of the year and that has not changed. Indeed, ‘Volcanoes’ is my favorite song of 2006. What establishes this song as a marvel is the fact that it is merely a building point for about four minutes. The third time that the chorus comes around, Islands utilizes already familiar chord changes and adds several layers of strings and keys on top of the chorus to present an explosion of sorts. The structure acts like a volcano itself, slowly showing signs of an eruption until the apparent burst. Other sensations range from the tropical ‘Jogging Gorgeous Summer’ to the light synth glaze of ‘If’. Though Tambeur has left the band, Islands has planned to carry on as usual without him. This is certainly good news, considering the band’s already evident amount of potential.

Islands – Volcanoes

Islands – Swans (Life After Death)

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05. Scott Walker – The Drift

It seems that anything Scott Walker touches, I fall in love with. From his brilliant 60s cover albums to his contemporary ambient works of art, I have enjoyed every morsel of Walker’s historically ambiguous career. It’s interesting to see the reaction of my friends when I play Scott Walker’s Tilt or The Drift. They are either stunned or completely disgusted, remarking that they could make the same type of noise by croaking and smashing pans together. While it is true that not all can embrace Walker’s unique idealization of sound, those who can have discovered that The Drift is much more than a common album. Walker’s booming vocals have not lost a touch at all since his days with the Walker Brothers, though this time instead of singing coherent popular songs on black and white television sets, he is crooning in what appears to be the darkness of his own residence. His vocals sense a rush of sadness on the verge of tears, all while propelling anger towards all his vaguely presented characters. In ‘Jesse’, Walker sounds disturbingly personal over a series of direct strings, as he asks a musical shadow, “Jesse, are you listening?”. You can almost feel Walker breathing down your neck in moments of vocal intensity like this, as disturbing as that sounds. That would make sense though, as disturbing would be one way to describe Walker’s nature. At this point, Walker claims that he just improvises every bit of each song, which is not surprising considering he has been in the industry for about fifty years. The Drift is one of the only albums that I have heard that is entirely unpredictable. Walker creeps out of the darkness with several surprises, such as the infamous “Donald Duck” vocal maneuvering in ‘The Escape’. I won’t spoil which part of the song that it appears at, though if you want to jump in your chair and you have not heard it before, I suggest playing the song at full volume. Whether the chills on my spine are due to the thought of Walker’s amazing career or The Drift itself is up in the air, but whatever it is, Walker has proved himself to be one of the most visionary songwriters of all time with his second masterpiece in a row.

Scott Walker – Jesse

Scott Walker – The Escape

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04. Sunset Rubdown – Shut Up I Am Dreaming

Spencer Krug just seems invincible these days. Wolf Parade, Frog Eyes, Swan Lake, AND Sunset Rubdown? Wow. Someone sure knows how to pick ’em. Though collaborators are involved, Sunset Rubdown is largely considered Krug’s first solo project, which is evident by the meandering production of Shut Up I Am Dreaming. Predictably, the songs aren’t that far off from the quality of Wolf Parade. Krug uses his multi-instrumental ability to play a variety of keys, harmonicas, xylophones, guitars, and compressed drums to create an album that in the end focuses on Krug’s talented ear for melody. His signature vocals now seem common in the Canadian indie scene, with murmuring and yelping being main components in matching with each song’s unique formula. ‘They Took a Vote and Said No’ is the most accessible song on the album, working around Krug’s vocal harmonization with the keys and beyond. His lyrical instincts are particulary interesting, posing questions such as, “I’ve heard of creatures who eat their babies, I wonder if they stop to think about the taste” in the rather mellow ‘Us Ones in Between’. When the music gets all too familiar, Krug always seems there to offer some sort of lyrical line that either makes you grin or scratch your head. The brightest moment on Shut Up I Am Dreaming comes in ‘The Men Are Called Horseman There’. The seven minute epic is of outstanding nature, being one of the best songs that Krug has ever written. His yelps of emotion almost echo back, “If I were the horse, I would throw up the reigns, if I was you,” taking a slight pause as the chorus reverb gathers itself, “but I am no horse and you are no angel”. The song is deliberately poking fun at those who are intimidated by anything foreign and new to them, doing so in an effectively creative stance. Krug is one of the most active songwriters at the moment, also undoubtly one of the most talented.

Sunset Rubdown – The Men Are Called Horseman There

Sunset Rubdown – They Took a Vote and Said No

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03. The Veils – Nux Vomica

The Veils’ fascinating debut The Runaway Found showed a band with a a collection of talented musicians, the promising voice of Finn Andrews and an organically unique sound. The debut displayed something incredibly promising, though it was confidence that the band lacked to break through to the elite. One would have hoped that The Veils’ second album would bring more success and live up to the promises that the band foreshadowed in The Runaway Found. After all, frontman Finn Andrews has been considered a “child prodigy” of music, ever since Columbia Records offered him a record deal at the age of fifteen. Oh, did I mention that his father is Barry Andrews of the great XTC? Of course, Finn’s childhood must have been filled with pressures of society that caused him to drop out of school at the age of sixteen to pursue his musical career. When The Veils formed two years later, they had no clue what sound to pursue. Switching back and forth between alternative, glam, folk and even New Orleans-inspired blues brought them to one final conclusion: play whatever comes naturally. Nux Vomica is the type of album that bystanders have been expecting from Andrews for years. While only ten songs long, there is not one weak track on the album. ‘Calliope!’ demonstrates a wider expansion of their sound, with Andrews’ influence of Bob Dylan present, as his quivering vocals are devastatingly effective throughout the song’s common message of motivation, with a waivering, “you’ve come such a long way, with no one to comfort you to tell you you’re needed” being the glue of the chorus and the song. The sparkling keys of ‘Advice For Young Mothers To Be’ even touches on a bit of reggae, though Andrews still manages to maintain his studious vocals in perfect fashion. Andrews’ vocals are most certainly more welcoming than in The Runaway Found, though there will always be those who dislike his unique style. The album’s ballad, ‘Under The Folding Branches’ is particulary touching as well, with a melody that is one of the most beautiful I’ve heard all year. Nux Vomica is exciting, heartbreaking, original, and… well, you get the point. It’s most certainly worth your time.

The Veils – Advice For Young Mothers To Be

The Veils – Calliope!

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02. The Divine Comedy – Victory for the Comic Muse

I have been praising Neil Hannon and The Divine Comedy all year long, so I don’t expect any of you to be taking this to a state of shock. I consider Victory for the Comic Muse to be Hannon’s strongest album in ten years, bringing a bit of everything to the table. Humor, depression, satire, and artistic appreciation are all present in the album, each separated by song. In simpler terms, it is easy to listen to Victory for the Comic Muse in any type of mood. Hannon’s powerful vocals have always shown shades of prominent frontmen like Morrissey and Scott Walker and while it is not an insult at all, Hannon has taken his vocal delivery to a different level for Victory for the Comic Muse, sounding the least linear he has in his career. The hilarious ‘To Die a Virgin’ is sung with a grin on his face and vocal flamboyancy present, recalling Hannon’s previous ‘Generation Sex’. Like Jarvis Cocker, Hannon has always been intrigued by the topic of sexuality, half-mocking society’s infatuation with the subject. The song remains true to heart though and some may even feel some sympathy for Hannon, though we can be rest assured that the song couldn’t possibly be written from his point of view. Could it? ‘Diva Lady’ is another humorous gem, this time poking fun at the celebrities who treat materialism like their own flesh and blood. “”She’s got thirty people in her entourage,” Hannon snickers, “just in case her ego needs a quick massage”. ‘Diva Lady’ also contains the line: “She’s got special needs, she wants chocolate candies, but no blue ones please”, which is an oblivious reference to Van Halen’s antics (refusal to eat brown M&Ms). Such wit often comes overrused in music, but Hannon makes it fit into each and every song with ease. Hannon’s shining moment comes in the touching ‘A Lady of a Certain Age’, where Hannon chronicles the life of a lonely widow with a husband who left her and kids who are gone and do not care for her. The setting of a dark and misty pub is relevant, as Hannon’s beautifully arranged melody is perfectly complementary to the vivid image of an old woman sitting in a pub telling her life’s story for a shot or two. The mixture of acoustics and strings do great justice to the troubling emotion conveyed, as Hannon is at his best in the entire album.
The Divine Comedy – A Lady of a Certain Age

The Divine Comedy – To Die a Virgin

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01. Xiu Xiu – The Air Force

Whether it’s the innovatively love-obsessed poetic touch that Jamie Stewart formulates into each and every song, or the eclectic instrumental fury that is touched upon in each and every musical layer, Xiu Xiu’s The Air Force is my album of the year. There is a feeling of wholeness whenever I listen to The Air Force, an album that I have been playing for the past seven months and have yet to grow tired of. This is the most diverse collection of songs I’ve heard this year, with the catchiness of ‘Save Me Save Me’ and ‘Boy Soprano’ in comparison with the edgy experimental touches of ‘Wig Master’ and ‘Buzz Saw’ are beyond me, but I do know that the album manages to flow cohesively despite the wide diversity. This time around, Stewart discusses the topics of bondage, rape, unrequited love, shielded homosexuality, racism, and various other unappealing topics. As disturbing as it may occasionally be, Stewart captures such emotion even in the barest of songs. ‘Wig Master’ is the best closer Xiu Xiu has done based on lyrical effect alone. There is nothing more than shrieking ambience in the background, but honest and sympathetic lines such as “Loneliness isn’t being alone, it’s when someone loves you and you don’t have it in you to love them back”, which details the rants of a madman envisioning an actual “night out” with someone to accompany him, is designed to offer a new perspective on loneliness and how other pathetic puppet musicians portray the feeling.

‘Save Me Save Me’ is a simple pop song, even disguised under all the complex strings and cleverly executed percussion. The shrieking chorus is played to remain stuck in your head for quite some time, forced or not. Along with ‘Vulture Piano’ and ‘Boy Soprano’, it is the one of the only tracks on the album with a predictable structure. The predictability comes at a right time for these songs though, as even Stewart recognizes when a break from the morbid is necessary. The musical verse in the intro of ‘Bishop, CA’ lasts throughout the entire song, even unknowingly as dozens of instruments and synth pile themselves on until a counted “walla-walla-hey” signals a furious onset of percussion and buzz effects, followed by some sort of odd extraterrestrial sobbing. It is these sound effects that are somehow planted masterfully into each and every song that is another impressive aspect concering Xiu Xiu’s credentials. ‘Hello From Eau Claire’ is the only innocent sounding song on the album, mainly because it is sung by the charismatic vocals of Caralee McElroy, though the lyrical content vaguely portrays a woman who is in an abusively controlling relationship. As Xiu Xiu continues to expose societal flaws in the most unpredictable ways, it seems that both poetic license and skilled musicianship are only two components of many ideas at play. Xiu Xiu has accomplished their greatest album yet, with a trend that just keeps getting better.

Xiu Xiu – Save Me Save Me

Xiu Xiu – Bishop, CA

Xiu Xiu – Boy Soprano

Xiu Xiu – Vulture Piano

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