by Josh Taylor

Julian Shah-Tayler was born to make music. Putting out an EP every few months and pumping out 50-70 songs a year is no easy feat, unless you show prevalently the aspects of a well-rounded musician. His robust musicianship is responsible for his versatility as an artist. What I noticed after listening to his latest EP, Un Ange Passe, is that Julian is a songwriter who creates for his heart’s content. He strays from songwriting conventions and isn’t afraid to experiment if it amuses his untypical sensibilities.

Julian’s songs distinctly belong to their maker. Un Ange Passe is very personal and all the songs on the EP (with the exception of “Wetter”) were written for a dearly departed friend of Julian’s who tragically passed away. The literal translation of the title “Un Ange Passe” is “an angel is passing”, but is usually used when an awkward silence falls over the room. The EP tells a brief and interesting story about what happened to Christine. Julian tells it well, as the story is endearing and stripped down to the most honest details.

Instead of diving into the story headfirst, the EP begins with “Wetter.”  The songs on the EP are sandwiched by “Wetter” and the remix of “Wetter” by Karl Leiker. This song is definitely the black sheep… uptempo, naughty lyrics and electro influence. The feel of the song is great and could be a radio hit. The second song on Un Ange Passe is “Everything Is You”, serving as a good transition into the rest of the EP, which is more relaxed musically. The song begins with finger-snapping, chimes and some elusive and wandering exotic-sounding instruments. Then iit develops a direction and chooses to take on a New Order/Depeche Mode feel. The nameless exotics remain, lending a curious tone to the song. It’s almost as if they don’t belong, but are still welcomed.

“Communication” resembles the sparse feel of a desert. It’s expansive (at 5 and a half minutes) and filled with many instrumental breaks. The track lulls and winds but I don’t know that it goes anywhere. All I know is that when I listen to it, I start to space out.  If Julian wanted “Communication” to have a daydream-inducing effect, then bravo — well done, because that is exactly what happens.

“Christine” is where the EP starts to come together and the song clearly lays out what exactly happened to his late friend of the same name. Make what you want of the other songs and interpret them as you wish, but here is what happened, Julian seems to say. Musically, “Christine” brings to mind The Smiths “How Soon Is Now?” and has the same pensive inquiry.  One of the most striking and revealing lyrics is “as the kiss of the needle delivers you to the real world” followed by this lyric in the bridge “even if this life could give you all the love you need, I guess you had enough.” The verdict: overdose.

Un Ange Passe occupies a certain estranged darkness, but it is only when the listener gets to “Christine” that I feel they can go back and find its lingering presence in the background of the entire EP. Perhaps that misplaced discomfort is the awkwardness that the album title also refers to. Still, the way the song is handled is half ode, half something else that I can’t quite pin down. For a song written for a close friend the song isn’t particularly sentimental, which is odd to me. However,  I think those feelings find their way into the next song “Lullabies.”

From what I heard, “Lullabies” was written for Julian’s future daughter. But the listener is also led to believe that perhaps the song’s tender message is intended for Christine as well. The lullaby soothes the listener as well as the singer, perhaps reminding him that everything will be fine and there really is nothing to be afraid of during the night, and maybe in death…

Whatever the ultimate purpose of Un Ange Passe is, it can be listened to in many different ways. Julian is adventurous with his artistic choices and presents his subject matter though a twisted lens. This is not to say that his method is perverse, but rather aiming for artistic perfection on his own terms. Some say that’s a nifty idea. I would say it’s better than nifty, or original, or clever. I would say the whole EP is a noble effort. Too many musicians make music to turn a quick buck but lack the vision to make something worthwhile. Others write for their heart’s content, yet lack the talent to make sophisticated music. Julian, however, is the best of both. He is talented and passionate, which shows remarkably.

One last thing I noticed: None of these songs showcase Julian’s piano talents, but word on the street is that his full-length debut does. Entitled Coito Ergo Sum, it is due in the fall. So keep an eye out, or an ear rather.

RIYL: Depeche Mode, Dave Gahan, New Order, Erasure, Pet Shop Boys, Duran Duran, The Cure, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Alphaville, David Wrench, The Human League, Gary Numan, Tears for Fears, Soft Cell, INXS, Talk Talk, A Flock of Seagulls, Naked Eyes, Blancmange

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Julian Shah-Tayler – Everything Is You

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Julian Shah-Tayler – Wetter

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Julian Shah-Tayler – In Your Room (Depeche Mode cover)

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The post Julian Shah-Tayler appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

I often find March to be one of the dullest months of the year. Apart from the allure of St. Patrick’s Day and March Madness, there is little to get excited about. The weather sucks, the workload for classes is nearing its peak, and my inability to pick a decent bracket frustrates me to no end (damn you, Memphis and Pitt). But hey, classes are over about a month from now and baseball starts next week, so things could be worse. In a month where good music was vital in improving somber moods, several artists prevailed with some excellent material. From familiar faces like The Veils and Röyksopp to up-and-coming hype machines like Micachu, Tesla Boy, and Julian Velard, several artists made March a month to remember with a handful of releases that are sure to appear on my year-end list. The ’80s electro of Tesla Boy and the cabaret-pop of Julian Velard suggest some sort of throwback theme, but wildly successful attempts at innovation from Micachu, The Veils, and others make it a compilation that presents material derived from both nostalgia and contemporary innovation. I consider it to be an excellent fusion.

01. The Veils – The Letter (post)
02. Richard Swift – Already Gone (post)
03. The Deep Dark Woods – Polly (post)
04. Röyksopp – The Girl and the Robot (post)
05. Tesla Boy – Spirit of the Night (post)
06. Julian Velard – Jimmy Dean & Steve McQueen (post)
07. Micachu – Golden Phone (post)
08. The Mint Chicks – I Can’t Stop Being Foolish (post)
09. Chris Robley & The Fear of Heights – A Memory Lost at Sea (post)
10. Home Video – I Can Make You Feel It (post)
11. The Gift Machine – In the Middle (post)

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The post Obscure Sound: Best of March 2009 appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

Anti-normative behavior is expected from most successful artists. There is little reason for them to pay much attention to the Top 40, since worthwhile artists do not derive their material from popular opinion. It may seem like a bold statement, but there is little purpose in devoting a large amount of time to a songwriter who sounds like everyone else on the radio. Listeners come to expect innovation but there is often a personal struggle for artists that wish to find the middle ground between accustomed accessibility and staggering innovation. This process often cannot be resolved through practice though, as the proper ideology appears to be embedded within the talented scope of an artist whether it is before they start writing songs or not. If one has a tendency to gravitate toward the unconventional in the early stages of their life, it can provide good indication of such an embedded ideology. When Julian Velard was in his teens and started to become wildly interested in music, one can imagine the social circumstances that surrounded him. Unlike today’s auto-tuned R&B and subliminally linear pop music, the 29-year-old experienced the likes of Pavement, Nirvana, and the Pixies when music began to first tickle his ears. He enjoyed the emerging genres of grunge and indie-rock but, unlike his peers, much of Velard’s attention was diverted elsewhere: cabaret-style pop music.

While Velard’s similar adoration for stylistically contrasting groups like XTC, Hall & Oates, and Rage Against the Machine is indicative of his eclectic persona, his favoritism for piano-based cabaret pop in the vein of Elton John and Randy Newman shows most prominently in his music. However, Velard is not guilty of exploiting the past, as he allows his steady influences to be effected by components of contemporary pop music in order to ease the transition for his modernistic audience. Similarly to Rufus Wainwright, Velard’s demanding presence as a performer, vocalist, and songwriter is a simultaneous force that appears both on record and on stage. Hearkening back to the days of cabaret, he is a multi-instrumental whiz who uses his highly melodic vocals, engaging storytelling ability, and key-based instrumentation to construct a wide arsenal of uplifting pop hooks and melancholic ballads. In Velard’s case, this force is also inherent behind his webcam. Success has never been immediate for the NYC-based songwriter, but his practice of recording cover songs by the likes of Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Kings of Leon has provided him with nearly one million views on YouTube, being very symbolic of Velard’s method of obtaining success thus far. Although he has yet to attain substantial recognition in the US, Velard’s online fanbase continues to grow both domestically and internationally due to his personable online presence.

It was through Velard’s digitalized awareness that he has become a very recognizable name in the UK. One of the many spectators of Velard’s covers on YouTube and his online cult following were a few British music executives that eventually landed Velard a deal with EMI in 2007. Detecting that the British audience would be more receptive to his style of cabaret-pop, Velard moved to the UK and began writing material for his new album, The Planeteer. Prior to this, Velard had self-released three albums that were well-polished but went mainly overlooked. In the UK, however, the opposite was true. There are just certain groups (The Jam come to mind) who find momentous success in the UK and not in the US, and Velard’s case is fascinating since the US is actually his country of origin. Even so, it perplexes me as to how no American labels took notice of Velard before EMI picked him up. His style is distinctively accessible, enough so that his twinkling keys and impressive vocals craft hooks that are instantly prevalent and very radio-friendly. If I were to guess though, The Planeteer should be explosive for Velard’s stateside recognition. Apart from being his first release on a major label, it finds his excellent pop songwriting chops refined by sharper production, an increase in confidence, and less pressure due to his previous accomplishments (signing with EMI, touring with the likes of Goldfrapp and Ben Kweller, etc.). If both EMI and Velard accomplish what they have the potential to, The Planeteer could be one of the most prominent breakthrough albums of 2009.

Now that Velard has finally been given the opportunity to widely distribute his material, it is hardly a surprise that a few fan favorites are re-appearing on The Planeteer. Both “Jimmy Dean & Steve McQueen” and “Joni” appeared on 2006’s The Movies Without You, but they are certainly memorable enough to warrant placement on his first major release. “Jimmy Dean & Steve McQueen” is an irresistible ode to Velard’s appreciation of film and the idolized actors in them. Whether he sings of plastic surgery or unrealistic nostalgia, the loss of innocence relayed in “Jimmy Dean & Steve McQueen” is the perfect example of Velard’s delivery with its entertaining lyrical quips and assortment of saxophones, guitars, and keyboards. “Joni” is another particularly engaging pop song, being somewhat reminiscent to Ted Leo’s “Timorous Me” in its reflectively romanticized approach. The chorus here is marvelous, using an effective assortment of sparkling keys and swift strings to construct what has the potential to be Velard’s first stateside “hit.” Velard’s lyrical content is never particularly complex or thought-provoking, but his words are fun and his infectious melodies supplement them beautifully. As seen on any of these tracks, Velard has an astute ability to judge a pop song. His songs never stray too long or end too abruptly; they are always filled with enough melodic alterations to hook the listener from start to finish. It is a rare skill among modern songwriters and producers alike, and it is likely one that will finally carry Velard to success on a national level.

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Julian Velard – Jimmy Dean & Steve McQueen

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Julian Velard – Joni

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Julian Velard – Love Again for the First Time

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Official Web Site (this site won awards for a good reason — check it out)

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The post Julian Velard Is The Planeteer appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

by Mike Mineo

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50. Hot Chip – Made in the Dark

Before they earned a Grammy nod or topped the UK singles charts, Hot Chip had a considerable amount of doubt surrounding them. Their 2005 full-length debut, Coming on Strong, showed signs of potential here and there with a few stellar hooks, but many found the London-based group to be lacking in three things that are often vital in electronic pop: energy, wit, and consistent infectiousness. They answered the criticism resoundingly with their second album, The Warning, a year later and have not looked back. It somehow found the perfect divide between creativity and accessibility, proving more accessible than Coming on Strong while also suggesting that the group was steadily evolving into something that could be easily separated from the hordes of generic synth-pop acts. The songs were bouncier, more energetic, and – most importantly – more fun. That being said, it was hardly a surprise when their follow-up, Made in the Dark, proved just as successful and arguably even more so when considering how remarkably consistent the album’s quality is. The budding catchiness of “Ready for the Floor” may very well be the best song of their short career so far, while even the more emotionally demanding pieces like the seductive “We’re Looking for a Lot of Love” and the swanky “Don’t Dance” prove wildly successful, providing a fair amount of diversity to an album whose genre usually does not demand it. It simply proves that Hot Chip are beginning to think outside of the box and, in doing so, are succeeding dramatically.

Hot Chip – Ready for the Floor

Hot Chip – We’re Looking for a Lot of Love

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49.Little Joy – Little Joy

When you are a member like an internationally renowned band like The Strokes, it can be difficult when attempting to separate yourself from your past projects in order to form a new one. These initial thoughts may have ran through Fabrizio Moretti’s head when he first formed Little Joy, but after the widespread acclaim of their self-titled debut album, the association appears nearly obsolete. Never mind the fact that lead vocalist Rodrigo Amarante can sound eerily like Julian Casablancas on tracks like the tropical “No One’s Better Sake” and the rockabilly-tinged “How to Hang a Warhol”. Little Joy is ultimately the product of a compelling stylistic focus, resulting in carefree and extremely accessible effort that allows simplicity to flourish in the most complementary way possible. Beautifully interweaved backing vocal harmonies, subdued rhythm sections, and the gentle twang of acoustic and electric guitars are a few of the components at work throughout the album, as is the powerful usage of Amarante’s breezy vocals. Though Little Joy was released a month or two after the warm days of summer, it is inarguably a perfect album for the season. Additionally, even though Amarante is the lead vocalist throughout the majority of the album, Moretti’s girlfriend, Binki Shaprio, shines brightly with her backing vocals and on “Unattainable”, an unrequited love ballad that blends gentle acoustical melodies and hushed vocal harmonies. This track, in addition to irresistibly luxurious efforts like “The Next Time Around”, makes Little Joy a sure winner.

Little Joy – The Next Time Around

Little Joy – Unattainable

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48. Phoebe Killdeer and the Short Straws – Weather’s Coming

At one time in her life, Phoebe Killdeer was an eight-year-old who admired few people more than her musical hero, Tom Waits. As a college student, such a fact was quite alarming to me. After all, I have some friends my age who STILL are not mature enough to even respect Waits as a songwriter. For an eight-year-old to recognize such prevalent talent, it can perhaps prove to be an indicator of their future musical endeavors. Well, this was at least true in Killdeer’s case. Now a renowned songwriter who, like Waits, continues to defy stylistic and methodical norms, her solo debut, Weather’s Coming, exhibited both a raw display of talent and a veneration for artists of the past and present with a swirling stylistic fusion of jazz, Afro-pop, blues, and folk. The audibly emotional fury of “Big Fight” plays with a form of vocalized free-jazz that sees a variety of woodwinds and brass combine with the constant use of an upright bass to create a purely enthralling sense of tension. It sounds like something Matthew Herbert would have crafted, but the credit here goes to Killdeer and her noted producer Marc Collin. “Let Me” sees her pop approach in more conventional form, using elements of Afro-pop in the echoey keys and supplementing electric guitar. Combined with the serene elegance of Killdeer’s voice, it creates a resoundingly successful atmosphere that contributes to an album that has been criminally overlooked this year.

Phoebe Killdeer & The Short Straws – Let Me

Phoebe Killdeer & The Short Straws – Big Fight

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47. Firekites – The Bowery

Speaking of criminally overlooked albums, Firekites’ The Bowery has subtly emerged as one of this year’s finest folk-oriented efforts. The focus throughout the release is folk music, but the subtle implementation of jazz and even electronica is executed flawlessly by this Australian collective. Some tracks like “Same Suburb Different Park” tend to have more emphasis on electronica, while the beautiful “New Year Has Spoken” seems more inclined to tread in folkier and jazzier waters. Regardless though, every track on The Bowery flourishes with exceptional songwriting and instrumentation that gives the group more depth than the majority of their contemporaries, a complement that also weighs heavily on their ability to multifariously emit a selection of styles. Two tracks in particular, “Autumn Story” and “Paris”, are particularly indicative of this wildly successful fusion of folk and electronica. “Autumn Story” gradually shifts from a sole acoustical melody to one that is accompanied by tragically empowering strings and steady percussion, eventually supplemented by a gurgling synth pad that echoes the initial guitar melody elegantly. The usage here is subtle underneath the strings and intricate guitar progression, but it adds to the atmosphere of the track even more so. The instrumental “Paris” utilizes synth pads in similar form, throwing it under a variety of simultaneous guitar progressions. When the distant use of an upright bass is heard, the percussion picks up and introduces the listener to a more vigorous instrumental approach. The introduction, like every stylistic preface on this beautiful album, is one that proves highly rewarding and consistently satisfying.

Firekites – Autumn Story

Firekites – Paris

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46. Destroyer – Trouble in Dreams

Dan Bejar, better known under his Destroyer alias, has made a name for himself as one of the most consistent songwriters in contemporary indie-rock ever since the 1996 release of his debut, We’ll Build Them a Golden Bridge. He is also known as one of the most prolific, releasing eight LPs in a span of eleven years and appearing on a countless number of year-end lists because of it. Well, here he is again with Trouble in Dreams, an effort that sees him continuing with his uniquely invigorating delivery and continuously impressive songwriting. Whether you happen to be a fan of The New Pornographers, Swan Lake, or Destroyer itself, Bejar’s vocals has become one of the most recognizable in contemporary indie-rock for good reason. Trouble in Dreams, his eighth LP, finds . Debating which Destroyer album is the most worthwhile can be a trivial affair, as it is a widely accepted opinion that he has yet to release an album under the alias that lacks his usual vigor and strengths as a songwriter. That being said, Trouble in Dreams is simply like his other albums: engrossing and melodically rewarding, both in ways that improve with each successive listen. The eight-minute “Shooting Rockets (From the Desk of Night’s Ape)” proves to be one the album’s best efforts, throwing in plenty of Bejar’s expected metaphors over a forceful display of swift keys and roaring guitars to create something that is epic and masterfully constructed. The same can be said for the majority of the album, as Bejar has once again crafted something worth contributing to his status as one of the most consistent songwriters in indie-rock.

Destroyer – Shooting Rockets (From the Desk of Night’s Ape)

Destroyer – My Favorite Year

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45. White Denim – Workout Holiday

The Austin-based White Denim hold more importance than being identified as one of the first groups to embrace netlabels as a source of distribution. They also are showing that the quality of music does not have to be poor or even mediocre for this type of distribution. In fact, the material can be quite excellent, as their debut album, Workout Holiday, quite perfectly demonstrates. The first version of the album (the “Tour EP”) was released in 2007 under the digitalized RCRD LBL, resulting in a considerable amount of attention for a group who had always been a live favorite in their native Texas. The EP version of Workout Holiday was then re-released in 2008 under the same name, featuring several new tracks and re-recorded versions of older ones. “Sitting” and “I Can Tell You” are two examples of their newer material, being two of the more gratifying displays of the group’s gritty mixture of blues and garage-rock. “Sitting” is an outstanding display of the trio’s youthful energy, as vocalist James Petralli indicates immediately with his quivering croon over a slick piano progression. The remainder of the group – bassist Steve Terebecki and drummer Joshua Block – then come in with a very lively rhythm section, an aspect of the band’s repertoire that proves to be one of their major strengths throughout the release. “I Can Tell You” also proves worthwhile as an ode of sorts to early punk, using a repetitive structure over aggressive guitars, a bustling rhythm section, and – the best component – a small sprinkling of keys at the end of each verse. Their methods may have changed from self-distributing CD-Rs at shows to signing with a netlabel and then signing with an actual label, but the newest release of Workout Holiday proves vastly enjoyable regardless of the release format.

White Denim – Sitting

White Denim – I Can Tell You

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44. Benoît Pioulard – Temper

The concept of lo-fi music can occasionally end up being too pretentiously overbearing for some. It can be used as an attempt to cloak a songwriter’s inabilities or a producer’s lack of grandiosity, but there is little doubt surrounding a select group of artists who embrace the style and use it masterfully. Benoît Pioulard is one of them. He recorded his debut EP, Enge, on a built-in computer, an early indication of his lo-fi endeavors. Listening to his second full-length, Temper, though, I start to wonder whether that “lo-fi” tag can even apply any more. Pioulard has hardly changed, with his interests in tape decay and field recordings fusing together to create a sound that uses elements of folk, pop, and electronic in a delicately consuming form. However, the amount of intricacies that lie in any one of the album’s 16 songs makes it seem like it is from another world; it is usually not an aspect of so-called “lo-fi”. Often using ambiance in the background of tracks, whether it be natural elements like rain falling in “The Loom Pedal” or melodic attributes like the eerie bells on “Ardoise”, Pioulard’s success derives primarily from an impressive amount of well-executed ideas. “Idyll”, one of the album’s more accessible efforts, sees a very simplistic acoustic guitar progression being repeated throughout the entire duration of the track. Adding on numerous complementary instrumental layers is what to be expected and he does so here, but when combined with his caressing, lyrically indistinguishable voice, the result is anything but predictable. The same can be said for a track like “The Loom Pedal”, where a repeating acoustic guitar progression is warmly embraced by a synth pad that alters the barren atmosphere into something resoundingly effective. While Temper is perfect for a late-night listen with its gently plucked progressions and use of desolate electronica, the cumulative innovational success engineered by Pioulard makes it more than a nightly affair.

Benoît Pioulard – Idyll

Benoît Pioulard – The Loom Pedal

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43. Howlin Rain – Magnificent Fiend

Back in the day when groups like The Grateful Dead and The Allman Brothers reigned supreme, live performances were just as valued, if not more than, the albums themselves. Even if one was able to acquire the show’s setlist beforehand, it would likely prove absolutely irrelevant in determining the content of the performance. The musicians in each group altered their initial songs drastically, throwing in a variety of musical styles over structural dissimilarities in a form that sounded ingeniously cohesive and somehow reminiscent of the original song at hand. When listening to Howlin Rain’s second album, Magnificent Fiend, it is quite conspicuous that the Oakland-based collective lean towards a similar school of thought. Appropriately meshed in with the “jam band” standards of blues, rock, psychedelia, and folk, Howlin Rain have crafted an album full of unpredictable hooks that are highly indicative of a group with a studied vision of their stylistic roots. “El Rey” is an excellent example of the grup’s multi-instrumental prowess, utilizing a variety of keys and organs over a prominent brass section. The chorus is the biggest treat here, where a series of brass clashes with Ethan Miller’s wailing vocals to show just how perfectly implemented his soulful presence is. Miller’s howl during “Dancers at the End of Time” sounds like some sort of possessed preacher, with a backdrop of vigorous guitar progressions and straining organs acting as the composed followers. The main lyrical focus of “El Rey” describes this group best: “You don’t have to change; you don’t have to hold onto your past.” A similar musical style has been evident for several decades, but the unpredictably enjoyable way that Howlin Rain present their outstanding songwriting and integration of influences is what separates them from the rest.

Howlin Rain – El Rey

Howlin Rain – Dancers at the End of Time

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42. Hilotrons – Happymatic

Relying heavily on a genre that fans and critics alike generally tend to call “outdated” can prove to be a risky venture. That is, unless it is performed in such a unique way that it instead appears as an updated memento rather than an outdated . With a clever mixture of humor, wit, and stylistic accuracy, Hilotrons have released one of the surprise successes of 2008 with their third album, Happymatic. Whether Happymatic finds the Canadian five-piece tackling synth-pop on “Emergency Street” and “Streets of Science”, new-wave on “Love Suit” and “Caught on Video”, or odes to the spaghetti westerns of Ennio Morricone on the instrumental “Feet First”, there is something for everyone with at least a slight hunger for everything good that came out of the ‘80s. That is not to say the album is entirely a trip to the past though, as tracks like “Deep River” and “Big Plans” provide an inventive edge to contemporary indie-rock with snappy guitar progressions and superbly vigorous rhythm sections that allow such efforts to stay within the cohesive range of successful attempts at synth-pop and new-wave. “Big Plans”, while not the most intricately impressive effort on the album, proves to be one of the most fun with a chorus that borders on ska and reggae. Mix in a bit of Hilotrons’ trademark new-wave and you have yourself an extremely appetizing style to gravitate toward. For a more proficient example of their songwriting, the intense build-up toward the chorus in “Big River” is hard to beat. For an album that contains so many styles (many of which are blasts to the past), it is extraordinary how cohesive Happymatic. For a group who has been flying under the radar for over six years now, this is a fantastic effort that should give them some well-deserved recognition.

Hilotrons – Deep River

Hilotrons – Big Plans

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41. Cineplexx – Picnic

After the sleepless city life of New York City prompted Sebastian Litmanovich to pursue music as a producer and songwriter, he did something slightly unexpected: he returned home to Argentina. You would figure that with all the connections, sights, and opportunities that New York City has to offer, an up-and-coming artist would be at least skeptical of leaving. Not Litmanovich though, as he valued comfort to . This wise decision allowed him to flourish as an artist, playing with the post-rock group Amarena Incident and co-founding a design studio before Cineplexx was even orchestrated. Now, after ten years and five full-length albums, he is widely accredited as being one of the most talented Argentinian musicians of the decade. For his fifth album, the masterful Picnic finds Litmanovich at his absolute finest in crafting an album that defies all atmospheric expectations. Using a variety of twinkling keys, placid guitar progressions, and synthesizers, he has created an extremely lush arena for his beautiful songs to play out in. The standout “Droga Paliativa” fuses together electronic and acoustical aspects of pop music to result in something that proves quite extraordinary. The varying use of reverb on Litmanovich’s hushed vocals adds to the atmospheric brilliance, with the infectiousness of the track also being an unavoidable characteristic of the overall success found on “Droga Paliativa”. For a more poised representation of Litmanovich’s skills as a pop songwriter and perhaps future composer of film scores, the beautiful “Humedad” reaps benefits from twinkling keys and sweepingly somber string arrangements. The same can be said for “Novatone 500mg”, an instrumental effort that sees a highly ardent melody flourish with the appropriate touches of synthesizers, samplers, and automated percussion. Whether he is using dozens and dozens of synthetically engineered samples or a single acoustic guitar, the lushly invigorating atmosphere that Litmanovich stirs up on Picnic is nothing short of breathtaking.

Cineplexx – Droga Paliativa

Cineplexx – Humedad


[audio:http://mineorecords.com/mp3/cplexx-hum.mp3]

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The post Best Albums of 2008: #50 to #41 appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

It speaks to the confidence of a band when the name of one of their first singles is “Hitten”, a title that translates to “The Hit” in English. The native language, of course, should be no surprise; Swedish pop music has been invading US shores for decades in the most complementary form possible, and to have yet another band break through from the musically fruitful country seems more imminent these days than being even a slight surprise. The only surprising aspect of Those Dancing Days, though, is not their highly infectious melodic capabilities or rapid growth in national recognition, but instead how young the five-piece actually is. Just barely out of high school, they are crafting stellar pop music that is expected more so from professional songwriters than amateurs out of high school. Calling the five girls in Those Dancing Days amateur would be the worst of insults though, as they have created a sound that is both agreeably original and infectiously captivating enough to take both domestic and national audiences by storm. And I notice already that, like with most Swedish bands I feature, my overuse of the word “infectious” is becoming glaring. It is hard for me to help it though, as the word seems to be the most concisely applicable when it comes to acts like these.

Though it would not be shameful by any means to rightfully classify girl groups as a predetermined influence for Those Dancing Days, these five girls from Stockholm employ a formula that is too modernistic to be grouped in with other revivalists in the vein of The Pipettes. As shown on sparkling efforts like “Hitten” and “Actionman”, the melodic fixation is reminiscent of such ‘60s ideologies but the instrumental and vocal approach is more representative of conventional indie-pop. Simplistically engaging guitar progressions are often sharpened by slick synth lines and tight rhythm sections, with the vocals being an ardent display of melodic talent that allows the apt construction of stellar hooks to flow freely. Linnea Jönsson is the prevalent lead vocalist, utilizing an impressive set of vocals that should appeal to all Swedish and western audiences alike with her crisp and refreshing delivery. For the most part, it is difficult to tell that English is her second language, though the snippets of accentuated vocal tidbits provide for precisely executed moments of enjoyment in a gem like “Run Run”. Also, as many Swedish artists have shared with the western side of the world, their knowledge of the English language is often impeccable due to it being a mandatory school subject in the school systems since the 1940s. Quality Swedish indie-pop is not hard to come by, but something as thrilling as a handful of tracks Those Dancing Days have created is rare even in an international sense.

Much of Those Dancing Days’ official lineup came together during the latter part of 2007, when a group of Stockholm-based girls decided to disband their old group and form a new one. These girls happened to be current guitarist Rebecka Rolfart, drummer Cissi Efraimsson, and keyboardist/synth whiz Lisa Pyk Wirström, most of them high school friends who had graduated as recently as 2007. Afterwards, they turned to an elder in bassist Mimmi Evrell, who was actually just a mere college student. Seeing the potential of the trio, she joined and also brought former collaborator Jönsson with her, completing the five-piece and setting them up for a flurry of recognition. After recording a few demos, posting them online, and getting a variety of good press, the five-piece recorded and self-released an EP in August that prompted them to sign to Wichita Recordings. This was also preceded by appearances on MTV2 and publications like NME and Spin, setting them up for what could potentially be the “next big thing from Sweden”, even if dozens and dozens of bands recently could have fit that same exact level with perfection. The difference with Those Dancing Days, though, may be the high level of accessibility that they emit with their instantaneously memorable melodic tendencies, simultaneously memorable of quality indie-pop and nostalgic girl-group. The production is fresh and technologically active, but the songwriting itself appears old-fashioned in extremely commendable form.

Following the significant hype of their self-titled EP, Those Dancing Days announced that they would be releasing an album in the fall. And though the October 6th date has yet to arrive, a few of their tracks have already taken over the airwaves due to their addictive qualities, finely representative of the contemporary world of Swedish pop. One of the standouts on the debut, In Our Space Hero Suits, happens to be the aforementioned “Hitten”, a track that will already sound familiar to many Swedish readers. Immediately complemented by a chirpy synth line and a guitar-bass combo generally reflective of one another, the reason for its success is glaring. For one, Jönsson’s vocals carry the track to immense heights. Her vocals have been compared before by fans to being the female equivalent of either Morrissey or Julian Casablancas, both vocalists in the grittier realm of alt-rock but who often relay ardently melancholic vocal styles and lyrical content over instrumentation that appears outwardly more optimistic than downcast. It works remarkably well throughout the duration of In Our Space Hero Suits, particularly on the fantastic “Run Run” where she speaks of egocentric freedom through plenty of naturalized similes and a melody that serves as arguably the best on an album full of outstanding ones. Even in the competitive and wonderfully active world of Swedish pop music, Those Dancing Days are making a name for themselves in the most respectful way possible through solid songwriting and an engagingly familiar sound.

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Those Dancing Days – Run Run

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Those Dancing Days – Hitten

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Those Dancing Days – Actionman

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Oh, here we are again. I hope you were looking forward to this as much as I was. 2007 was a great year in music and, just like last year, I have rediscovered a bunch of great artists from the earlier months of ’07 in the process of compiling Obscure Sound’s annual “Best Albums” list. As for the most recent — it would be extremely easy for me to say that 2007 was a great year in music. Since this list is compiled from merely the viewpoint of one individual, I remind you to keep in mind that there is no “master list” of sorts. If you have found that our music tastes have overlapped in the past, I believe we will mostly be in agreement. If not, I look forward to engaging in a few cleverly worded comments below. Either way, I recommend a listen to anything that interests you. The aspect that separated 2007 from its near predecessors is the stylistic diversity that quality artists have put out. From indie-rock and dance-pop to dubstep and funk-jazz, I was constantly embraced with a plethora of different genre-led approaches this year. Due to this, I never found myself tired of one genre throughout the entire year. This list is reflective of such ceaseless enjoyment. So, enough with the rambling. Let’s get to it…

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50. Tunng – Good Arrows

We kick it off with Tunng, a collective of experimental folkies from the UK. After early careers as softcore pornography composers, frontmen Mike Lindsay and Sam Genders have found success after three albums with Tunng, offering unconventional folk-pop that sparkles with acoustical instrumentation, backing melodic vocals, and smatterings of electronica. With Genders’ delicate vocals carrying itself swiftly over Lindsay’s proficient guitar work, the result on their third album, Good Arrows, is often of initial enjoyment. It marks their most mature effort yet too, with a newly acquired stylistic confidence resulting in an increase of electronic implementation. The album’s centerpiece, “Bullets”, sees an array of pop hooks uplifted by several vocal accompaniments in the infectious chorus, led by a pair of keys that increases and decreases tempo on a whim. The variety of shuffled sounds implemented, from the chirping sound of an insect to the slight twinge of an unidentifiable woodwind instrument, among the song’s impressively intricate structure provides for an unpredictable, yet enjoyable, listening experience. With each song’s intricacy being intertwined with Tunng’s trademark form of oddball folk, Good Arrows is Tunng’s best effort to date.

Tunng – Bullets

Tunng – Take

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49. Dogs – Tall Stories from Under the Table

The punk-oriented aggressiveness that the appropriately named Dogs convey has been tough to match this year. Led by the snarling vocals of Johnny Cooke, Dogs’ second album, Tall Stories from Under the Table, encompasses all the traits of a post-punk revivalist band that actually does things right. Though it would be easy to initially dismiss their guitar-oriented sound as sloppy or disconcerting, Tall Stories from Under the Table has proved to be a very enduring listen. With the rapidly presented tale of suicide, “On a Bridge, By a Pub”, being a prime example, the abundance of hooks eventually becomes an undeniable factor as the album progresses. Depicting lonely nights and self-infliction over a faultless rhythm section and guitars, the social malcontentedness conveyed comes off ardently genuine. You can thank the uniquely capable vocals of Johnny Cooke and the outstanding guitar duo of Rikki Mehta and Luc Vargas for that one. The melodically empowering riffs incorporated behind the snarls of Cookie provides for an exciting listen that could push Dogs to the forefront of post-punk revivalists. If I did not convince you, maybe Paul Weller (former frontman of Dogs’ most glaring influence, The Jam) will. He contributed vocals on a track, “Let It Lay”, on the album after becoming impressed with the group’s debut.

Dogs – On a Bridge, By a Pub

Dogs – Soldier On

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48. Deer Tick – Deer Tick

Age certainly does not hinder John McCauley. The sole performer and songwriter for Deer Tick just turned 21 and has already amassed an extremely dedicated fan following. Listening to his debut album, War Elephant, it is not hard to see why McCauley has been labeled a folk sensation ever since his teenage years. One of the few rising folk artists who actually focuses on both melodic and lyrical depth, McCauley’s War Elephant is an extremely impressive debut. Though the majority of the songs tend to be acoustic, various forms of strings, percussion, and guitars are abundant throughout. With twangy vocals somewhat reminiscent of Neil Young or Dan Boeckner, McCauley’s mixture of yelps and emotional quivers prove to be extremely effective. “Long Time” sounds like a lost country-folk classic from the ’60s or ’70s, while “These Old Shoes” takes a Chris Paddock acoustic original and turns it into an energetic romp featuring intertwined strings and rollicking guitar riffs. Despite being one or two tracks too long, War Elephant is an extremely enjoyable debut that serves as a grandiose display of McCauley’s rich potential.

Deer Tick – These Old Shoes

Deer Tick – Long Time

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47. Julius Airwave – The City the Forest

As they perform on stage with a custom-made (tubes, light bulbs, and LCD lights) robot by their side, attendees at a Julius Airwave show may find it initially difficult to take the band seriously. However, once they kick into one of the excellent songs on their sophomore album, The City the Forest, the number of skeptics in the audience should reduce dramatically. Playing a straightforward set of infectious indie-rock, The City the Forest is one of the biggest surprises of the year for me. Having never heard of the Florida-based five-piece before, I popped in their latest album and was hooked immediately. Apart from lighthearted breeziness of the fantastic “Glory Glory” and the deadly synth-guitar combo in “Shipwreck”, the brilliantly infectious “Appley” is one of my favorite songs of the year. Though it amounts to structural simplicity, the chorus erupts into a series of guitars and synths that provides for immediate excitement. Comparisons to The Strokes should be abound, as frontman Rick Colado encompasses vocals that are eerily similar to Julian Casablancas, especially in the impressive “Appley”. Give that song in particular a listen; it gives The Strokes a run for their money.

Julius Airwave – Appley

Julius Airwave – Glory Glory

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46. Testa Rosa – Testa Rosa

For some, it may prove somewhat difficult to pinpoint Testa Rosa. After all, the trio’s influences are spread anywhere from ’60s Motown to synth-infused post-punk. Such circumstances can either create an epic mess or an audible state of diverse bliss. On Testa Rosa’s excellent eponymous debut album, the latter fortunately applies. Testa Rosa seems to be most masterful when attempting an fusion of folk and pop, an eclectic mixture that proved to circulate throughout one of the year’s most addictive songs, “Ollie & Delilah”. Detailing a contemporary Bonnie and Clyde, lead vocalist Betty Blexrud-Strigens “Delilah softly holds his arm while Ollie smiles, swallows heart,” she sings before the stunning chorus, “And he says, ‘Don’t be scared, I am here, you’ll always have my heart.'” Blexrud-Strigens relays a slight tinge of country in addition to her excellent range, reminding me of Stevie Nicks and her classic mixture of folk and country. Though the album’s best two tracks are the first two in “Ollie & Delilah” and “Book About Clouds”, Testa Rosa closes gracefully with “I Want to Be Alone on Christmas (Here With You)”, a melodically beautiful tale of loneliness at a time when “it’s too cold to cry”. For a heart-tugging array of dynamically written songs, you cannot go wrong with Testa Rosa’s wildly impressive debut.

Testa Rosa – Ollie & Delilah

Testa Rosa – Book About Clouds

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45. Dungen – Tio Bitar

Dungen, primarily the work of vocalist/composer Gustav Ejstes, has the pleasure of being the first Swedish artist on this year’s list. Obviously, considering the number of quality artists the country is outputting, he will not be the last either. Regardless, Ejstes has become reputable for straying outside the norms. He does not craft sugar-coated indie-pop like many of his native contemporaries. Instead, he incorporates instances of post-rock and psychedelia, with sprinklings of a Swedish pop mindset occasionally entering the picture. With flutes, organs, and strings accompanying other more conventional instruments, Dungen’s fifth album, Tio Bitar (“Ten Pieces”),. With guitar-led anthems like “Du Ska Inte Tro Att Det Ordnar Sig” blending seamlessly on the same album with intricately layered 9-minute epics like “Mon Amour”, Ejstes is a pure master of unpredictability. The beautiful string arrangement in “Carolina Visar Vagen” over the rapid plucking of an acoustic guitar and the hushed momentum of an organ serves as a good summation of Ejstes’ talents. He is able to blend several instruments together seamlessly, always keeping his arrangements excitably dramatic. Tio Bitar serves that sentiment well, with all “ten pieces” being worth the time.

Dungen – Du Ska Inte Tro Att Det Ordnar Sig

Dungen – Caroline Visar Vagen

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44. Interpol – Our Love to Admire

When Turn on the Bright Lights was released in 2001, Interpol could do no wrong. It proved to be one of the best debuts of the decade, conveying an original sound of contemporary garage-rock while simultaneously channeling legends like Joy Division and The Chameleons UK in the process. Few would argue that Interpol was easily one of the most likable bands in the earliest stages of this decade. Though many fans will continue to beg Interpol to stick with their original sound, it is perhaps in their own reluctance to “give something new a try” that sees each release decrease slightly in quality. Though I say that, remember I do not think Our Love to Admire is not bad by any means. After all, it made the list. Though Interpol’s quality is slowly but steadily decreasing, the enjoyment on Our Love to Admire tends to be more sporadically discoverable than their previous two releases. There is no denying that songs like the energetic fervor of “Who Do You Think”, the progressive “Pace is the Trick”, or the brooding “No I in Threesome” are Interpol at their near-best, but to once again reach their absolute best (“The New”, “Hands Away” most of TOBTL), a newly discovered transitional period of structural diversity would be something to consider.

Interpol – Who Do You Think

Interpol – No I in Threesome

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43. Shiina Ringo – Heisei Fuzoku

I always hold a decent amount of respect for foreign artists who draw a worldwide following. As one of the greatest songwriters Japan has ever seen, Shiina Ringo can seemingly do it all. As she has proven time after time with her own solo career and self-formed collective Tokyo Jihen, her eclectic offering of styles allows for a presentation that incorporates a numerous variety of excitable genres. Rock, J-pop, jazz, and funk are just a few that are shown on her fifth solo album, Heisei Fuzoku, and – as usual – it is done so in In the spotlight since her teenage years, longtime fans will see Heisei Fuzoku as no surprise. Though it is not even considered her best solo album (check out Karuki Zaamen Kuri no Hana for that), Heisei Fuzoku should please admirers of grandiose, orchestra-laden pop music, with additional tracks like “Meisai” capitalizing on a desirable “big band” sound. Heisei Fuzoku follows a 4-year solo absence, after Ringo previously vowed to devote all her time to Tokyo Jihen. Fortunately for everyone, she has chosen to now juggle both at once. The result is just as appealing as when she left, with songs like the epic “Gamble”, in which the orchestrally domineering hook in the chorus is viable to easily send chills up one’s spine, being devastatingly powerful. Though she is only 29, it seems that Shiina Ringo has been around forever with her plethora of quality releases. She is doing anything but overstaying her welcome.

Shiina Ringo – Gamble

Shiina Ringo – Ishiki

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42. Girls Aloud – Tangled Up

Undoubtedly the best thing to ever originate from a music-related reality television show (though Kelly Clarkson ain’t half bad), Girls Aloud have produced one of the year’s catchiest dance-pop albums in Tangled Up, their fifth and most accomplished album to date. Though they will be one of the most recognizable names on this list, I believe that Girls Aloud deserve all the acclaim that they receive. Led by writer/producer Brian Higgins and the insanely talented songwriting team of Xenomania (writers of 16 consecutive “Top 10” singles in less than 4 years), the five gals in Girls Aloud should be grateful with their latest output; “Girl Overboard” and “Can’t Speak French” are a pair of the best songs Higgins and co. have written – and they have written some great ones before. While those who oppose high levels of flamboyancy will likely not be in favor of Girls Aloud’s club-friendly version of techno-pop in the fantastic “Girl Overboard” or “Call the Shots”, those more receptive to variety should embrace it. Though I was never keen on one group being controlled behind a curtain by a group of songwriters, the talented vocalists in Girls Aloud were certainly well-selected on 2002’s “Popstars: The Rivals”. With sparkling choruses, seductive vocals, and infectious melodies being the core in each and every song on Tangled Up, fans of dance and pop music should walk away extremely satisfied with Tangled Up.

Girls Aloud – Girl Overboard

Girls Aloud – Can’t Speak French

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41. Joe Henry – Civilians

I previously mentioned that 2007 has been a year abundant with stylistic diversity. With that in mind, Joe Henry’s career is has been an epitome of what I consider a blessing in regard to this year. Stretching more than 21 years, the veteran songwriter/producer has consistently churned out quality album after album, whether he was writing his own solo material, scoring movies (most recently, the Knocked Up soundtrack with Loudon Wainwright III), or producing albums for the likes of Ani DiFranco, Solomon Burke, Elvis Costello, or Allen Toussaint. Henry’s solo career has encompassed a countless number of genres, from audacious country-rock and somber acoustical folk to rhythmic jazz and gritty blues. On his eleventh solo album, Civilians, Henry primarily chooses to dwell in an area of expansive folk, with collaborations from the legendary Van Dyke Parks (he supplies the tragic piano on the barefaced beauty of “I Will Write My Book” and the haunting “Civil War”) contrasting beautifully with Henry’s lyrical tales involving politics and nostalgia. “Our Song” is particularly gripping, where Henry uses an anecdote concerning a run-in with Willie Mays as a device to share his thoughts on the shameful state that modern baseball is in due to illegal substance and greed (Barry Bonds, anyone?). One of my favorite tracks on the album is “You Can’t Fail Me Now”, a romantically gripping track that sees Henry at his genuine best, both melodically and lyrically. “I lost the thread among the vines and hung myself in storylines that tell the tales I never would allow,” he declares during the rapturous hook, full of expressive honesty and raw emotional power, “God knows the name of every bird that fills my mind like angry words.” One thing is for certain – Joe Henry is one of the most consistent artists of the past two decades. With the powerful Civilians, it merely proves as more solidification to Henry’s prolific status as a highly skilled musician and producer.

Joe Henry – You Can’t Fail Me Now

Joe Henry – Civil War

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It must be a convenient experience to be in a band with a bunch of trustworthy individuals, particularly ones that you grew up being friends with. I imagine that squabbles concerning finances and personal differences are either minimized or nonexistent, putting a determined focus on what should matter most: the actual music. While it is never advisable to mix friends or family with business, there is certainly no harm in playing music with them. In fact, the convivial environment can often provide appropriately for an output of pleasurably genuine music. For one of the most obvious examples, take a look at Arcade Fire. Not many complaints there. The collective led by husband, wife, and a bunch of close friends even incorporate a familial theme into their deep lyrical focus, using their chemistry as a means for elaborately compelling production. Murder Mystery finds much of the same comfort in their own lineup. Lead vocalist and guitarist Jeremy Coleman is backed by his two best friends and his sister; three people that provide much more than instrumentation to the band’s creations. The songwriting is a joint effort and, though Coleman remains the lead vocalist, each member ultimately makes their presence known.

Apart from Coleman, Murder Mystery consists of lead guitarist Kevin Jaszek, bassist Adam Fels, and drummer Laura Coleman. The group began when Jeremy Coleman demonstrated a few of his written songs to Fels, gaining a sense of familiarity with possible direction their new project would take. Nearly immediately, Jeremy’s sister saw it as a hopeful opportunity and capitalized on it. Apparently a prominent tap-dancer, Laura Coleman found drumming to be second nature. After all, tap dancers and rhythm go together like peanut butter and jelly. After jamming out for a bit, they easily persuaded their mutual friend Kevin Jaszek to join the band. If their initial jam sessions sounded anything like their songs today, I am sure it did not take much convincing. Once the four-piece was solidified, they began to build up momentum in their native New York before touring with the respectable likes of The Wrens, Fields, and Sondre Lerche. With widespread critical praise likening Murder Mystery to nearly a centuries worth of influences, from Buddy Holly and Tom Verlaine to Television and The Strokes, the news caught on fast that listening to Murder Mystery is far from a culpable crime. Though they are still new to the industry, Murder Scene’s impressively wide array of influences and stylistic preferences have already allowed the band to grow away from the likes of typical indie-rock clichés.

Murder Mystery’s debut album, Are You Ready for the Heartache Cause Here it Comes, recently was released in August. Being a short and snappily enjoyable debut, the twelve tracks stretch just over a half hour. Though some may consider the fleeting time frame to be unusually short, Murder Mystery certainly makes good use of every sparing moment. Jeremy Coleman’s vocals are written from the point-of-view of a longingly desperate romantic, incorporating ironic one-liners and dry humor into songs laced with throwback guitar riffs and rapturous melodies. His wry delivery is intentionally monotonous, much in the form of Magnetic Fields’ Stephin Merritt or The National’s Matt Berninger. Considering the entertaining style of his despondently morose lyrical output, the result is just as effective as the similar style find in the vocal delivery of both Merritt and Berninger. However, unlike either artist, the tempo on Murder Mystery’s debut is generally consistent with little experimentation and outward risks. With the guitars on “Cold, Hard Workin’ Man” reflecting ’50s rockabilly and and the throbbing keyboards on the opening “Who Doesn’t Wanna Give Me Love?” relaying shades of classic Motown, Murder Mystery are not a band that forgets their pure musical roots. Though the slight incorporation of blues and rockabilly on several tracks provide for an uptempo progression and a hint of optimism, Coleman’s bleakly pessimistic vocals suggest otherwise during the opening track “Who Doesn’t Wanna Give Me Love?” He answers the question in the song’s name with a bleak reply: “everyone”. Funny – he echoes the album’s title less than one minute into Are You Ready for the Heartache Cause Here it Comes. Considering the hapless tone lyrical tone in the majority of songs featured on the album, I doubt that they could have named it more suitably.

With much of their guitar work rooted in the past, I was somewhat surprised when I heard the sound of electronic arps filling the introduction of “Love Astronaut”. Though Murder Mystery’s rock ‘n’ roll groundwork is merely planted under the throbbing of synths in this one track, it is also a display of their best melodic work. “But every day I find somebody who looks like she may be that one,” Coleman blurts out before a series of hypothetical questions, all designed to tug at the heart. “I’ve been searching for you, have you been searching for me? I go looking for love, but is it looking for me?” Though much of my raving so far has been largely accredited to Coleman’s vocal/lyrical delivery and Jaszek’s dexterous guitar work, the rhythm section consisting of Adam Fels and Laura Coleman is just as impressive. Fels appears to be the prime manufacturer of hooks throughout the album (one with plenty of them), most evident on bouncy pop tracks like “Think of Me” and the exceptional “What My Baby Said”; an simplistically charming brother-sister duet with a gripping chorus and short-but-sweet mentality that represents the album quite well. The excitable conclusion of “Think of Me” sees Coleman in rare vocal form where he sounds eerily similar to The Strokes’ Julian Casablancas; a coincidental liking considering their debut was co-produced by J.P. Bowersock (of Ryan Adams and Strokes fame). Though the title is gruelingly long, Are You Ready for the Heartache Cause Here it Comes is a concisely enjoyable debut that was most certainly worth 32 minutes of my time.

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Murder Mystery – Who Doesn’t Wanna Give Me Love?

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Murder Mystery – What My Baby Said

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Murder Mystery – Love Astronaut

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Lou Reed opened up his classic 1973 album, Berlin, with the lingering words, “In Berlin, by the wall, you were five foot ten inches tall.” A native of New York City, Reed’s lyrics were particularly striking at a time sixteen years prior to the abolishment of the Berlin Wall. Both politically eloquent and emotionally rousing, Reed’s album depicted two troubled youths in a deep state of love, even while forced into the perils of drug addiction, abuse, and suicide with the pressure of the country’s perilous past lingering on their minds. With lyrical intellect adorned with a political and emotional coat, Berlin was one of the first rock albums that interchangeably connected politics with natural human emotion, detailing the often overlooked sociological effects of an individual in the midst of a situation that renders completely uncontrollable. It was also arguably the first commercial album that effectively relayed the personal views of Germany’s past from a New Yorker, as Reed was born in Brooklyn and grew up in Freeport. Now over thirty years later, Berlin has transformed into a thriving city where industry and positivity have regained a new form of power. Much like New York City, it has become the central thriving point of its respected country, both in terms of industrial and artistic production.

Jason Friedman, the lead songwriter for The Boggs, can relate to Reed’s recollection thoroughly, even while Friedman has been placed in a less turbulent contemporary society. Based out of Brooklyn, Friedman relocated to Berlin for artistic intentions both revolved around music and video production after The Boggs’ second album, Stitches. After sketching out the ideas for Forts, the Brooklyn-based group’s third album, Friedman returned to his native New York to hammer out the details and record the final product. With an increased intellectual view of cultural diversity and domestic transition, Friedman appeared set to incorporate both his philosophical and musical learnings into their third album. Seeing the great potential that the first two Boggs albums held, Friedman once again gathered a few familiar figures from some very recently admirable acts, most notably Julian Gross of The Liars and David Lloyd of Cause For Applause. The first two releases from The Boggs were highly symbolic of great detail and dedication, with innovative production being shrouded by a variety of instruments ranging from brass and xylophones to bass and guitar. Despite the diversity and impressive use of range, the general view was that The Boggs were always a mere inch away from fulfilling their potential, with overambitious intentions portraying a generally unorganized collective of oddball pop. While their musical intellect was certainly representable, Friedman and his backing band often shrouded their most memorable hooks through numerous layers, producing what quite frankly was a very messy album in Stitches.

Hoping to correct this criticized form of disorganization, Friedman’s Forts holds a handful of songs that truly capture the intended essence of The Boggs. The self-titled opening track finds the band in form consistent to their first two releases, compiling non-traditional percussion over layers of keys and guitar swipes that sound nearly in the form of a rich tribal dance. “Forts” does indeed hold an infectious chorus that boasts a diverse transition from the initial verse; an aspect that the band previously struggled with on their first two albums. Surprisingly, the next track on Forts, “Remember The Orphans”, explores entirely new territory altogether for the band with vocals that sound oddly like Damon Albarn’s seventieth project, masked under accompanying female shouts that are regularly consistent throughout the album. The vocal approach also applies for the volatile “Arm In Arm”, a track led by a distinctively animated distorted guitar that treads through the track in a consistent manner, with an increase of rapidity signaling an eruptive chorus laced with Friedman’s husky vocals. Imagine such a thing. A contemporary band based in New York and Germany that sounds like a traditionally jumpy mid-90s British experimental pop band. Even so, this eccentric pop song is one of the gems on the often inconsistent Forts, an album that contains many of the same weaknesses that the first two albums possessed despite excitable songs like “Remember The Orphans” and “Arm In Arm”.

The first half of Forts is actually quite good in being the best batch of songs the band has ever written. The dramatic strings touched in “One Year On” provides a nice setting for a new set of vocals that sounds like an unconventional cross between Stephin Merritt and Stuart Stapley. Whether it is easy to adore or dislike the constant etches between Albarn, Merritt, and Stapley, those searching for forms of consistency will not be enamored with Forts. The latter half of the album is filled with dull acoustic attempts like the repetitive “After The Day” and the incoherent jumble that is “Melanie In The White Coat”. It gets no better with “If We Want (We Can)”, sounding like a drunken sorority with access to a furious percussionist. While The Boggs create several interesting innovations and excitable circumstances with tracks in the more coordinated vein of “Bookends” and the structural consistencies of “Remember The Orphans”, it appears that The Boggs’ only form of significant growth has come in the increased patterns of well-synchronized rhythm sections and early Brit-pop comparisons. While their potential continues to glow brightly, it will take quite a bit of newly constructed musical unity and organization to achieve their evident goal of being mentioned in the same sentence with Xiu Xiu, !!!, The Liars, and other groups in the upper tier of enjoyably unconventional pop music.

5.8/10

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The Boggs – Remember The Orphans

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The Boggs – Forts

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The Boggs – One Year On

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Universally analogous musical tastes appear to be growing stronger by the minute. Even though this site is based in the United States, I receive the majority of submitted albums from other countries all over the world; something that I enjoy considering my admiration for music that is not regularly played on declining American radio stations. One country that has been mentioned frequently throughout the past year on this site has been Australia. To a rather baseless person, thoughts of kangaroos and Crocodile Dundee will be the initial characteristics of “Down Under”, though music fans are one of the more consistent subcultures who tend to have a different and less stereotypical outlook, mainly thanks to the country’s blossoming music scene. Ever since fantastic bands like The Go-Betweens and The Church set a widespread tone for Australiaâ€s clear and vibrant musical intentions, the 80s and 90s have served as a prominent outlet for quality Australian music. Actually, this current decade may hold some of the greatest Australian music talents that you will ever hear. I have featured the likes of Gotye, Julian Nation, Youth Group, and Dappled Cities, among many others on this site, though they are merely the rim of great contemporary Australian artists. Whether itâ€s the Western influence or the desolate geographical location, Australian bands appear to be riding on a string of recent success. The most recent one to catch my eye goes by the name of Ancient Free Gardeners, representing three musicians from Melbourne who indulge in their noted influences of country, alternative, and straightforward indie rock. The band’s core consists of singer/songwriter/guitarist James Milsom and “kiss-loving, grass-growing” drummer James Sewell. I know what you’re thinking and no, it’s not that kind of grass. Sewell’s day job is actually as an agronomist, which is someone who studies and inspects crops, soil, and grass. Though it may sound grueling, Sewell takes measurements of grass, measuring fields blade-by-blade. Watching grass grow may seem boring to most people, but Sewell’s excitable style of drumming proves that some agronomists are far more interesting and lively than their jobs may represent, even if the occupation of agronomy is indeed considered prominent in terms of wealth and knowledge. Milsom and Sewell met at a university in their native Melbourne a few years ago, with their first bassist, Damian Anderson, becoming an acquaintance of the two shortly afterwards. At the time, Milsom and Anderson both saw themselves in the form of musical comedians, separately writing humorous songs in the vein of Weird Al or Steven Lynch. Even if the songs lacked emotional depth or musical complexity, college audiences got a kick out of their imaginative comedic songs. Eventually, Milsom and Anderson felt that it was time to take themselves seriously to see what they were capable of as authentic musicians. Teaming up with Sewell, the three formed what is now known as Ancient Free Gardeners. They began to write songs together, with their style and content improving with each attempt.

After about a year of this developing process, the three felt it was time to finally record their material in EP form. After rounding up a bunch of experienced studio producers and engineers, the group ventured to a beach house South Gippsland, Victoria to record their debut EP with producer Callum Barter. In addition to Barter, they were joined by backing vocalists Tobias Cummings, Ed Billings, and Jane Hendry, along with keyboardist Adrian Vincent. Ancient Free Gardeners’ debut EP is a self-titled effort containing five songs, all written by James Milsom. The most noticeable comparison that can be made about the band’s approach is to The Wedding Present. Milsom has the same heavy sigh and deep presence of David Gedge. All five tracks on Ancient Free Gardeners are enjoyable in their own unique sense. The opener, “When Your Years Are All Returned”, begins with a steady rhythm section complemented by a gradual increase of guitar. The chorus is slowly built upon through a crash of Sewell’s percussion, signaling the successful transition. Adrian Vincent’s keyboards also play a vital role in the dramatic chorus, providing for a sense of twinkling optimism. The backing vocals of Tobias Cummings sounds much too similar to Milsom’s to distinguish any sort of imaginative effect, causing me to believe that the song may have benefited better without the backing accompaniment. Fortunately, this aspect is used more effectively throughout the other four songs. “My Soft Bitten Thumb” is more instrumentally and vocally excitable, displaying more emotion than the rather continuous “When Your Years Are All Returned”. Stylistically, it is more of the same with the fuzzy guitar and the longing vocals, though the chorus is more stressed through Milsom’s stronger vocals and Billing’s fainter use of backing vocals. One of the most welcoming appearances on the album is from Jane Hendry, who provides her angelic singing voice in the backing of the EP’s last three songs. The most impressive is “I Am Not a Shipwright”, a very elegant song that touches on the band’s emotional durability to the highest extent. Vincent’s keyboards make another impressive entry, wrapping around both sets of vocals to create a serene atmosphere as Milsom softly questions, “Need I a shipwright to be swallowed in your sea?” The tone of desperate loneliness is highly evident, as is the beautiful instrumentation that surrounds it. When the song shifts from an elegant piano-led structure to the volatile riffs of Milsom’s guitar, the transition appears flawless. Such moments show fondness of Ancient Free Gardeners’ tendency for successful execution. After the EP was released last month, Anderson announced his departure from the band in order to play bass for the punk band, Perfect Reason. He has been temporarily replaced by Andy Williams, though the band is still in search of a full-time member. Ancient Free Gardeners have the appropriate sound to build a dedicated fanbase, with a craft for genuine songwriting leading the way.

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Ancient Free Gardeners – When Your Years Are All Returned

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Ancient Free Gardeners – My Soft Bitten Thumb

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Ancient Free Gardeners – I Am Not a Shipwright

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The five members of Dappled Cities comfortably define themselves as a band who creates “oddball pop”. Oddball pop? Well, the particular specification seems to be getting more common by the day with bands like Danielson, Sunset Rubdown, and Islands all making popular entries into the contemporary music setting. With non-traditional song structures accompanied by instruments originally only found in the closets of gypsies and priests, such artists are rapidly finding new and creative ways to express themselves. Ten years ago, one would have probably looked at you quite strangely if you told them that adding accordions, xylophones, musettes, rhaitas, and high-pictched squeals to a musical composition would equate to a large success. But as usual, innovation always strikes to those first who dare to disprove stereotypes. The five boys from Dappled Cities have a similar goal with their philosophy, being to create music that is both catchy and innovative, utilizing radical production techniques and vocal presentations in order to provide dramatic differentiation and atmospheric reliability between songs. They come to us from Sydney, Australia, in a country that has seen originating artists such as Melbourne’s The Temper Trap, Julian Nation, and Gotye, names that have all been featured on this web site, in addition to many others, due to their sheer creativity and factor of enjoyment. Those who were familiar with Dappled Cities prior to this article may have previously known them as Dappled Cities Fly, though they recent underwent a name change, omitting the “Fly”. Originally called Periwinkle when fifteen-year-olds Dave Rennick and Hugh Boyce met Alex Moore and Tim Derricourt (of English descent) in 1997 after discovering they all lived near each other, went to the same high school, and had a similar taste in music. They had musical originality even in the beginning, taking great pride in it as well. “We were surrounded by a pararecieveddoxical ‘west coast punk’ environment,” co-vocalist Dave Rennick went on to say, “[so] we weren’t too well received at bands competitions and the like.” Realizing that the close-minded suburbs weren’t the place for them, the band set their sights on the large city of Melbourne after graduation. After keyboardist Mark Bradshaw joined the band, the name of Dappled Cities Fly was settled. Following several lengthy tours of Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and the United States (most recently SXSW), in addition to the release of their debut, A Smile, Ned Cooke replaced Bradshaw as the keyboardist, in addition to the dropping of “Fly” from the band name.

For those wondering where the second name of Dappled Cities Fly derived from, co-vocalist Dave Rennick has the odd answer. “It’s hard to spell, hard to pronounce, even harder to remember, and has inevitably been coined on several occasions as the ‘worst band name ever'”. Such characteristics apparently brought a bit of satisfaction to the band, seeing the name as entirely original, just like their musical approach. According to guitarist and vocalist Tim Derricourt, the word “Fly” was dropped from the name for “artistic reasons”, mainly being that it looked better without it on the cover of their newest and second album, Granddance. Rennick also went on to clarify the situation, stating it’s merely an abbreviation. “We are just trying to make it easier so when we are in pubs trying to talk to people, we can just say it as Dappled Cities. It’s also that the label in the US [Dangerbird] wanted us to drop the ‘Fly’ entirely, which we weren’t keen to do at all,” Rennick continued to to say, “so we are just trying to get the best of both worlds, but in doing so we’ve actually just made it more confusing for everyone, which I guess is one of our traits as a band: confusing people. It’s part of keeping ourselves interesting and interested, but for the record we have not changed our name.” Granddance follows their first LP, A Smile, a the critically acclaimed debut that introduced the band’s creative sound to international ears. In addition to bands like Youth Group, The City Lights, and Red Riders, Dappled Cities are known as one of the distinctive bands in causing awareness for Australia’s growing music scene, a setting that prior to this decade was only recognizable for names like AC/DC, Olivia Newton-John, The Go-Betweens, and Silverchair. Now, we have a contemporary presentation of Australian artists like Kylie Minogue, Architecture in Helsinki, and The Avalanches in addition to my aforementioned newcomers.

Even though A Smile was a very well-recieved debut that introduced the band’s creative sound to international ears, the band was harsh in criticism of their own work, calling it a linear alternative rock album that consisted of stereotypical “noodly Pavement guitar rock”. After Smile was recorded in Australia, the five-piece decided made their trip out West to soak up the sights and sounds. Of course, they chose the city that represents Western pop culture in the brightest spotlight: Hollywood, California, which is the new destination for the recording of Granddance. Speaking of the new album, Rennick says, “it’s a lot grander, more bigger sounds – along the lines of the Beach Boys, late Flaming Lips and so on. Lots of synths and organized sounds, as opposed to noodly Pavement guitar rock.” Listening to the eleven tracks on the album, I certainly have to agree with Mr. Rennick, as the band’s sound has progressed significantly with a mature approach sounding off in most tracks under the watchful supervision of producers Jim Fairchild (ex-guitarist of Grandaddy) and Peter Walker (Dangerbird). Dave Rennick was quite fond of the producers’ contributions, saying “They were great. Theyâ€re both musicians so they’ve had a lot of experience in the studio and whatnot. It was like hanging out with chums and all of us making combined decisions.” That experience certainly showed, as it created an admirable sound in combination with the youthful talent of Dappled Cities. Tim Derricourt and Dave Rennick both split the songwriting on the album, with each contributing five or six songs apiece to the final result of eleven tracks. Grandance was released last November in Australia and saw a United States release on March 1st.

The album’s opener, “Holy Chord”, was written by Derricourt and it shows a certain factor of mature intensity that was not found in A Smile or any other previous Dappled Cities song, for that matter. Derricourt’s vocals have often been compared to Peter Gabriel’s and though this song isn’t the best example for a Gabriel comparison, one can easily see how unique Derricourt’s delivery is. In one instance, he goes from an underbelly of mumbles to a high-pitched squeal that is synchronized to the utilization of several bells and keys. Think along the lines of a mixture between the creativity of Danielson, the incoherent hooks of Carey Mercer, and the durability of Peter Gabriel. Somewhere in between that odd mess of enjoyment, you have Tim Derricourt’s “Holy Chord”. After an intense arrangement of guitars, lively percussion, and a mass diversity of backing vocals and effects, Derricourt concludes the song with a rather surprising question. “What does it mean to take off all our clothes and look into your eyes and say, ‘I mean it’?” Like the majority of the songs, “Holy Chord” is filled with hooks, some that are discovered on first listen and others that are found on the tenth. For this reason, in addition to the exotic nature of the track, it reminds me somewhat of a more vocal Animal Collective, if they had more emphasis on pop music. “Work It Out” moves a bit more slowly and dramatically, in large part to the synth involvement. Throughout the song, a largely noticeable synth pad composes a very distinctive melody that is dependent on Derricourt’s range and enthusiasm, resulting in a track full of enjoyment and artifical beauty. “Vision Bell” is not as diverse as the other tracks on Granddance and even recalls A Smile a bit, though when it’s all said and done, the song is one of the most accessible and enjoyable on Granddance. The vocals show a smug admiration for Brian Wilson in some sections over the elegance of melodious keys, reverb effects, and incessant guitars. The hooks, for the most part, lie in the vocal execution, often sounding like a bizarre duet. “The Eve The Girl” is a particularly bleak song calling on a family where the deadbeat father (“a useless man”) and disoriented mother (“a useless mess”) give birth to a “useless son”, setting the norm for a society of unrightful expectations, familial influence, and unavoidable loneliness. Such dramatic songs like “Beach” and “Watercourse” hold the same tone of effectiveness in overlaying a dramatic sense to a newly cultivated auditory presentation. Rennick’s “Fire Fire Fire” has the potential to do well on college radio charts with a straightforward approach that pushes forward a radiant chorus accompanied by a charming set of backing “oohs” and reverb effects. “You’re not a fire so I will not dance with you,” may elude to a sense of emotional and sociological relinquishment, with the enjoyable harmonies making it all the more satisfying. With the majority songs being nothing short of entirely gratifying, Granddance is an extremely impressive sophomore album from Dappled Cities, one that should certainly find them a larger international following. Even though we are only three months into it, Dappled Cities are my favorite Australian band of the year.

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Dappled Cities – Holy Chord

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Dappled Cities – Work It Out

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Dappled Cities – Vision Bell

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