Hot Chip - One Life Stand

Add Date: February 2nd
Artist: Hot Chip

Album: One Life Stand
Label: Astralwerks
Genre: Pasty Electro-pop

Disclaimer: I'm a huge fan of Hot Chip. They're the only band to have surpassed 1,000 listens on my last.fm page, and I've caught them live at every given occasion (which, unfortunately, happens to have only been once). Their blend of soulful singing and thoughtfully arranged electronica compositions taps right into my pleasure center, alongside bands like The Xx and The Notwist. Hot on the heels of the excellent solo album Harvest Festival by Hot Chip member Joe Goddard, One Life Stand is fittingly short for the band, coming in at only 10 tracks. Where Goddard's album uses deep synth lines and slow progression, One Life Stand is more of a full-frontal attack on the senses (alas, no true nudity). "We Have Love" is a unabashed club-banger, with vocal distortion straight out the dancehall and a relentless adherence to four on the floor bass drones. While the song is nothing new to the world of music, it is wholly successful and further proof that Hot Chip can adapt to most any sub-genre of electronica. "I Feel Better" has cheapo 90s synths, but don't kid yourself, Hot Chip knows exactly what era it is evoking. The Cher-autotune and stutter-step percussion craft a song better than it has any right to be, and Alexis Taylor's choir-boy vocals fit here perfectly. As with the rest of the Hot Chip's catalogue (The Warning excepting), One Life Stand is a competent collection of singles with a few missteps. "Slush" wastes a beautifully orchestrated ending on a track overwhelmed with grating vocal background noise. "Brothers" is a deflated musical circle jerk, with Taylor and Goddard taking turns congratulating each others musical successes. Luckily, the skip button exists on most, if not all, music-playing devices, and on-the-whole, One Life Stand is both an improvement on Made in the Dark and a vital entry in Hot Chip's career.

The Watson Twins- Talking to You Talking to me

Add Date- Feb 9, 2010
Artist- The Watson Twins
Album- Talking to You Talking to Me
Label- Vanguard
Genre- Indie folk with a splash of soul

These twin sisters had a brief brush with indie fame back in 2006 working with Rilo Kiley’s Jenny Lewis on the album Rabbit Fur Coat. Their second album without Lewis finds the two veering towards the sort of retro-pop that came into prominence with Amy Winehouse (remember her?) or Duffy. The Watson Twins prevent their sound from being too predictable by adding touches of Southern influences. This is the type of sultry pop that I imagine being played in smoke-filled gentleman’s clubs in the 60’s.

The Watson Twins will be in Pittsburgh on February 10th at the Rex Theater on South Side.

Eels - End Times

Add Date: January 26
Artist: Eels
Album: End Times
Label: Vagrant
Genre: Sad Men with Guitars

Eel's latest, End Times, isn't about the apocalypse that is so in vogue these days, but, with plenty of expletives and themes focusing on singer-songwriter E's divorce and broken heart, it's equally depressing. Just to give an idea, here's a glance at some of the tracklisting: "Gone Man," "High and Lonesome," "I Need A Mother." The fun synthesizer noodling of old is nowhere to be found, replaced with four-tracks and acoustic guitars. Opener "The Beginning" is the most arresting: E's croons sound broken (it's easy to imagine him singing between swigs of malt liquor) and carry over the sparse arrangement of guitar and bass. In giving E's lyrics more room to bleed through, End Times is unrelenting and, at times, unintentionally corny. The dichotomy of the rhythmic, hummable hooks and Eel's serious lyricism was always a draw, and that element is lost here. A few grabs at heavier singles fall uncharacteristically flat (Paradise Blues, Unhinged). I'd recommend spending your money on buying these guys some flowers or something, hopefully they'll cheer up and get back to the downer music we can actually dance to.

Bonus Lyrics: "Outside there is a cat in heat, shut up, cat, and leave me alone."

Fanshaw - Dark Eyes

Add Date: January 26
Artist: Fanshaw
Album: Dark Eyes
Label: Mint Records
Genre: Girls that grew up with Kate Bush/PJ Harvey

If Fanshaw's debut, 5 years in the making, has a major flaw, it's that the album fails to truly identify itself. Seriously, if you told me one song was Cat Power, another St. Vincent, and yet another Gregory & The Hawk, I'd believe you. What becomes immediately apparent, however, is that whomever Olivia Fetherstonhaugh is aping, the songwriting shines. Whether you're listening to the sing-song "Vegas" that recalls Jenny Lewis's pristine vocals in early Rilo Kiley releases or the rhythmless "Diana" that channels deep-throated Kate Bush, the songs get the head bobbing. Fetherstonhaugh has range just as varied as the songs, and it remains the one thread for the listener to hold on to through the album. Despite lacking the sizable fanbase the aforementioned hold, Fanshaw's song-writing matches and occasionally surpasses her peers. Keep an eye on Fanshaw, hopefully come second album she can find a musical crook to settle into. Be warned, Olivia: you probably won't get 5 years this time, though.

V V Brown - Travelling Like The Light

Add Date- January 26, 2010
Artist- V V Brown
Album- Travelling Like The Light
Label- Universal Island Records
Genre- R & B

Travelling Like The Light is the first full-length album by British singer, songwriter, and producer Vanessa Brown; known professionally as V V Brown. She has a very soulful style similar to her fellow Brit divas, Amy Winehouse and Adele. On this album Brown writes and plays instruments for numerous songs. The album is inspired by 50’s sounds and electronic devices such as Game Boy and Nintendo. On some songs, Brown was even reminiscent of the legendary Lauryn Hill. Overall, a fun go-to R&B album.

Editors- In This Light and On This Evening

Add Date- January 19, 2010 (US edition)
Artist- Editors
Album- In This Light and On This Evening
Label- Fader
Genre- Electronic

Editors’ third album has finally been released in the US and although I was excited to review this cd, it left me underwhelmed. It’s frustrating to see a band with such a great sound phone in such a sloppy and dreary album of cheesy synthesizers and bad Depeche Mode vocals. The world doesn’t need another song comparing love to a “papillon” (that’s butterfly for anyone who doesn’t speak French; this band clearly doesn’t). Without the clever lyrics of Interpol or the postpunk guitar twitchy guitars that carried them to popularity back in 2003, Editors ends up sounding like another terrible 80’s cover band. For anyone who really wants to hear another Joy Division ripoff, go ahead and give this a spin, but I prefer the Horrors’ Primary Colours when I want my dose of somber synth-rock.

The Soft Pack - The Soft Pack

Add Date: January 19
Artist: The Soft Pack
Album: The Soft Pack
Label: Kemado
Genre: Beachy Indie Garage Rock

Formerly known as The Muslims, The Soft Pack has delivered a charming debut album. Think garage rock with a suave So-Cal-couldn't-care-less vibe. At times the hooks can be a bit sophomorically grating, and I'm not sure I agree this group lives up to their comparison to the Strokes, but I found myself genuinely drawn in by the melodic feel-good riffs. The Soft Pack's carefully orchestrated punk energy has saved these tracks from an otherwise lackluster sound. The first 5 or 6 tracks get your feet moving (try Answer To Yourself and More Or Less), while Mexico adds a pleasant ballad to the collection. For their genre, I give The Soft Pack a thumbs up.

Beach House - Teen Dream

Add Date: January 19
Artist: Beach House
Album: Teen Dream
Label: Sub Pop
Genre: Dream Pop

How can such a pure sound with vocals pulled from the ether come from the depths of Baltimore? Only Beach House knows (I suspect dark magic), and at last they've really honed in on their craft. Their previous efforts were beautifully haunting without being wholly engaging, but with Teen Dream we have an album that demands multiple listens. These twinkly guitars refuse to just pass by, they're always moving in tandem with the deep, jaw-dropping voice of Victoria Legrand. Their friends Grizzly Bear paved the way with the last year's Veckatimest, and Beach House has released an equally impressive collection of songs. Like the album name, these songs will stay with you, curled up in the corner of your frontal lobe, until they're played again. But they're the good dreams - the ones about sex and candy, not the ones about turning in your research paper late.

Seven Saturdays- Seven Saturdays

Add Date: -January 12, 2010
Artist: Seven Saturdays
Album: Seven Saturdays
Label- Self-released
Genre: Post-rock

Delightful post-rock that is the definition of “headphone music.” Although this album is completely instrumental, I didn’t find myself bothered by the lack of vocals. Lead track “The Shallow End” stuns with distorted feedback that sounds positively orchestral. Each song swells and soars with hypnotic ambiance. Anyone who likes The Album Leaf or Explosions in the Sky will not be disappointed.

Owen Pallett - Heartland

Add Date: January 12
Artist: Owen Pallett (formerly Final Fantasy)
Album: Heartland
Label: Domino
Genre: Orchestral electronica pop

To be honest, I appreciate the name change simply because Final Fantasy games suck. Anyway, Owen Pallett has finally released a follow-up to his adored 2006 release, He Poos Clouds, and while the album name is certainly less juvenile, the music just doesn't hold up. Owen has taken a bit of a turn, possibly to fit in better with Domino's electronic ethos, and the result is an album that is less unique, less immediate, and less satisfying. That's not to say there aren't stand-outs, however. "Keep the Dog Quiet" is a traditional crescendo wrapped in French horns and pizzicato viola. For once, Pallett's inner brooding matches the musical tone, and it's a welcome change (although the production is very reminiscent of Planningtorock). "Oh Heartland, Up Yours!" shows that Pallett hasn't quite grown up too much, and again works well with negative space and short, pulsing basslines. Unfortunately, Pallett's orchestration, his biggest draw in an age that shies from classical pop, is noticeably restrained in Heartland. His synthesized work with Beirut has bled into his own releases, and a handful of songs here sound like The Flying Club Cup's B-sides. Heartland is still more than worth the price of admission, but I recommend you check out Final Fantasy's backlog before diving into this flawed beauty.

Oh No Ono - Eggs

Add Date: January 12
Artist: Oh No Ono
Album: Eggs
Label: Friendly Fire
Genre: Queen fed through a meat processor

Oh No Ono is a Danish experimental pop quartet whose intricate and other-worldly music defies conventions and expectations. The ten dense, hypertextured opuses found on their US debut album, Eggs, are truly breathtaking to behold; the band creates bewitching pop symphonies that unfold themselves more with each successive listen. It's hard to compare the band's sound with contemporaries because it changes from song to song. "Icicles" flirts with Queen's acapella, "Internet Warrior" sounds like Mew's (ponder: why do so many Danish bands have singers that sound as if they're victims of chemical castration?) dream-pop awash in orchestration and distortion. Eggs' vivacious, even lustful approach to songcraft is the trademark of a band determined to approach pop music via the hard road, without ever losing track of the essential pop music sound.

Oh No Ono - Helplessly Young (Youtube)

Vampire Weekend - Contra

Add Date: January 12
Artist: Vampire Weekend
Album: Contra
Label:XL
Genre: pop

I know many of are aware of the existence of Vampire Weekend and have been exposed to their music in some way or another. I also know many/some at the station detest and turn your noses up at theses preppy afro-pop, Paul Simon wannabe, ivy leaguers, and instead of living down this pedigree on their sophomore release, Vampire Weekend are totally living it up. This idea of confronting their critics is a major theme of Contra, and it shows in Ezra Koenig’s lyrics. As Mike Powell put it succinctly in his review for Pitchfork, “His point is simple: Image is important, but don't think yours is better than anyone else's, especially if it's constructed by things you buy.” Sonically, Contra is more exciting and diverse, but builds on the tropes and themes of their self titled. Production whiz kid, Rostam Batmanglij’s arrangements are much more layered and colorful this time round and the genres that VW takes cues from are more expansive. One my favorite tracks, “Diplomat’s Son” features an awesome arrhythmic beat, is about 6 minutes long and features an M.I.A vocal sample throughout. Spend some time with this album, even if you’re not a huge fan, they are totally stepping up their game and it would be a shame if your preconceived notions got in the way.

Ólöf Arnalds- Við og Við

Add Date- January 12
Artist: Ólöf Arnalds
Album- Við og Við
Label: One Little Indian
Genre: Folk

So this is an Icelandic singer-songwriter who is labelmates with Bjork…you can already imagine what this sounds like based on that information alone. Olof was previously a member of Mùm and a member of Sigur Ros produced this album. Originally released in 2007 back in Iceland, the album has recently been released in the US. These acoustic tunes are simple and gentle folk tracks are pleasing to listen to but break no new ground. Sparsely-picked guitars and lutes provide a soft sonic backdrop for Olof’s icy voice. The songs all sort of run together, but either way they are still little tunes perfect for a cold winter day.
(Note: pronounced “O-luff” and album title as “Veeth o’ Veeth”)

Dessa - A Badly Broken Code

Add Date- January 12
Artist: Dessa
Album: A Badly Broken Code
Label: Doomtree Records
Genre: Hip-Hop

Dessa is a female lyricist, singer, and poet from the Minnesota alternative hip-hop crew, Doomtree. Some of her fellow emcees include the well known P.O.S., Lazerbear, and Cecil Otter. Listening to the first song, I was a little skeptical if Dessa would be worthwhile or if she would just be following the current trend of female emcees. After listening to “Poor Atlas”, I knew I was in for a treat. She is very refreshing on this, her first full-length album. She hits the listener with a breath of fresh air, from singing songs in her alto voice, to dropping lines like “Forget the bull in the china shop, there’s a china doll in the bullpen”. There are also guest appearances by Matthew Santos, who we last heard on Lupe Fiasco’s “Superstar”, and Jessy Greene, the violinist from the Foo Fighters. Dessa has definitely arrived, and is an emcee to watch out for.

Asobi Seksu- Rewolf

Add Date: January 12
Artist: Asobi Seksu
Album: Rewolf
Label: Polyvinyl
Genre: Acoustic

This EP has vocalist Yuki Chikudate and guitarist James Hanna reworking the band’s tracks into acoustic songs that are true gems. By stripping down their songs from each albums, the pair highlight the true beauty of songs that may have been overlooked when filtered through Asobi Seksu’s usual shoegaze sound. Chikudate’s voice is stunningly delicate and ethereal, and Hanna provides pretty melodic backdrops with little more than an acoustic guitar and a xylophone. It’s refreshing to see a band take a good long look back on their discography and offer up such startlingly different versions of their old tracks. Absolutely gorgeous.

Music Reviews

This is where the music department here at WPTS will be posting reviews of new records you can hear at 92.1fm. Expect some features on bands, maybe concert/event reviews, weekly charts and adds, you know all the awesome stuffff!

So if you wanna get involved and get your hands on some of the newest releases to review, send me an email at wptsmusicdirector@gmail.com.