Pantha du Prince - Black Noise

Add date: 2/9
Artist: Pantha du Prince
Album: Black Noise
Label: Rough Trade
Genre: Psychedelic electro-acoustic

Although not as dancefloor-y as previous album This Bliss, Pantha du Prince is sure to please an audience of true lovers of psychedelic electro-acoustic music. To the untrained ear, the tracks all sound a bit similar, but in actuality this album consists of an interesting mesh of layered sound – ranging from typical electronic influences, to tribal-sounding instrumentation, accompanied by industrial noise and a sick bassline (provided by Tyler Pope of LCD Soundsystem) on 3 “The Splendour,” to outerspace-worthy sound + chimes on tracks like 7 and 8.

(And despite my love for Panda Bear, I have to give his featured track (4, “Stick It To My Side”) a non-thumbs-up. Not a thumbs down necessarily, but I really felt as though it sounded like a wack Fedde le Grande cover which got forgotten outside and rained on, possibly hit by a car as well.)

The bells n stuff draw my attention, but somehow the otherworldly sound doesn’t escape the feeling of “I’m listening to this in a basement right now.” I do approve of this album, but in general I expected a bit more of a mature sound from Pantha du Prince.

Efterklang- Magic Chairs

Add date: March 9
Artist: Efterklang
Album: Magic Chairs
Label: 4AD
Genre: Scandinavian Indie-pop

Efterklang’s newest album can only be described as the younger sibling of Shout Out Loud’s most recent CD Work. You know the type- softly sung vocals like Grizzly Bear plus semi-ambient chamber pop. Oh, and they’re both Scandinavian. Opener “Modern Drift” is a delicate song of rumbling drums and violin swoons, while “Raincoat” is a vaguely tribal track driven by its staccato drumbeat, claps, and beautiful little guitar riff that is reminiscent of early Talking Heads- one that won’t leave your head. (Not all tracks are so stunning- “Harmonics” is a blatant Dirty Projectors ripoff. There will only be one "Stillness is the Move"). A bit too unfinished at time, Magic Chairs is still a feat of indie pop that shouldn’t be ignored.

The Knife in collaboration with Mt. Sims and Planningtorock- Tomorrow, In a Year

Add date: March 9th
Artist: The Knife in collaboration with Mt. Sims and Planningtorock
Album: Tomorrow, In a Year
Label: Mute
Genre: Electronic, opera, typical Knife craziness multipled by 100

I was initially super excited to see The Knife releasing work after a too-long hiatus (that spawned the greatness that is Fever Ray), only to find out that this is a 90 minute opera about Charles Darwin and “Origin of Species”. Say wha? (Also, neither member of the Knife sings on the album, giving vocal duties to their collaborators and various trained opera singers). Here’s a breakdown of the album:

-First 10 mins: dripping faucet and weird buzzing.
-50% of album: operatic howling over grinding industrial noises.
-15%: actual Amazon field recordings of birds/rain taken by these crazy Swedes (“Letters to Henslow”, which feature said bird noises AND the Dreijer siblings, in one of their only vocal turns, making whooping noises)
-10%: a few ambient stunners like the graceful “Ebb Tide Explorer”, which features undulating waves of sound that reflect the sway of the seaweed being described.
-10%: Epic, yet beautiful 10 minute tracks like "Colouring of Pigeons" or the bouncy "Seeds"

This is an interesting and ambitious project, but this 90 minute concept album needs to be listened to in its entirety and doesn’t lend itself well to the radio format. The problem is also that the second disc is enormously better than the first. I get the point- the first CD is meant to evoke the beginnings of life and the formation of the earth- but it’s the type of music you can’t just throw on in the background and not focus on. By the second disc, we’ve arrived at the human era in the timeline of evolution, and it’s not coincidental that the songs are much better.
A band as excellent as The Knife should not be backtracking so much at this point in their career: song “Heartbeats” is a classic 2000s indie love anthem and 2006’s critically acclaimed album Silent Shout shows the band at the top of their game. In considering their oeuvre thus far, let’s consider Tomorrow, In a Year as an ambitious one-off project, and hope for a better album next time.

Nini + Ben - The Reasons We Try

Add Date - 2/16

Artist - Nini + Ben

Album - The Reasons We Try

Label - Self-Released

Genre - Folky Blues / Appalachia

Sounds like Norah Jones and Joanna Newsom, with a hint of Appalachian-country-twang. Country you say? Strangely I don’t hate it. Nini’s pure voice croons folk-blues anthems such as “I Won’t Look Back” and “You Don’t Love Me.” Clean instrumentation, especially featuring Ben’s piano talents and a possible ukulele on track 6 emphasizes detail – interesting in comparison to the part where Nini and Ben sound like they should be playing in a local blues club near you. All in all, a cozy-sounding cd perfect for a rainy day.

Liars- Sisterworld

Add Date- March 9
Artist- Liars
Album- Sisterworld
Label- Mute
Genre- beyond words, kids

Liars’ are backkkkkkkk and creepier than ever! The haunting soundscapes of Drum’s Not Dead meet the more straightforward song structures of Liars. Returning to the United States after recording their last album in Berlin, singer Angus Andrews was supposedly inspired by the violence and artificiality of Los Angeles, the apparent “city of angels”. Anyone who’s been there knows that’s a joke. How do we confront the seedy side of LA: Skid Row junkies, the homeless, the bizarre outcasts that all exist despite the glamorous idea of Hollywood? (Drawing inspiration from location is nothing new for Liars; sophomore album They Were Wrong So We Drowned (2004) centers on stories of the Salem witch trials, and while recording 2006’s Drum’s Not Dead in Berlin the band delved into the spirit of old Krautrock and Brian Eno’s residence there in the 1970’s).

Opener “Scissor” begins with mournful crooning over Angus’ inability to help a hurt woman he finds, only to explode noisily when the tension is too much. On “Scarecrows on a Killer Slant”, a typical Liars track, the three-piece hammers the listener with shrieks and walls of stomping noise. “The Overachievers” is a terrifically funny critique of West Coast culture that’s driven by yelps of “L.A! L.A!”. Like all Liars albums, there are softer, atmospheric moments that balance out the noise-rock. I suppose that above all this album is about confronting the reality of the world: gang violence, asshole hipsters, urban decay. Weird, hypnotic, tribal yet always beautiful, this album is a winner.

Gorillaz- Plastic Beach

Add Date- March 9
Artist- Gorillaz
Album- Plastic Beach
Label- Virgin
Genre- Chill, trippy, happy aka typical but more mature Gorillaz

Gorillaz (or technically, Damon Albarn of Britpop group Blur & artist Jamie Hewlett) is back with their first new album since 2005’s smash hit Demon Days. For the first time, it feels like Gorillaz has evolved beyond a (gimmicky by today’s standards) “virtual band” composing of soundtracks to 4 cartoon characters. As groundbreaking as Gorillaz’s sound and ideas (statements on consumerism and the music industry abound) were back in 1999, the music world has caught up to the group. Before, the music seemed incidental to the storyline of 2D, Noodle, Russel and Murdoc. For those of us who never got caught up in the group’s mythology, this album is warm, beautiful and inviting, so long as you don’t expect a smash hit like “Clint Eastwood” or “Feel Good, Inc.”

This album is good, very good in fact, and the combinations of traditional music (the Lebanese Orchestra for Oriental Arabic Music) and rappers (Mos Def and Snoop Dogg, most noticeably) sounds much more fluid than similar attempts by groups like N.A.S.A. Musically, without considering the rapping, I’d say that Plastic Beach most closely resembles Blur’s last album, the fantastically lush Think Tank from 2003.

Single “Stylo” combines the crooning of Bobby Womack to Mos Def’s understated verses to an electro-funk beat reminiscent of the 70’s. “Superfast Jellyfish”, helmed by hiphop vets De La Soul, veers off into upbeat glitch territory. “Empire Ants” is a stunning chill-out ballad that is one of the best tracks Albarn’s ever recorded, and “Some Kind of Nature” is the best cranky ol’ Lou Reed has sounded in years!. Also, anyone with 2 ears and a heart will LOVE album standout “On Melancholy Hill” (which isn’t sad despite the title).

You Say Party! We Say Die! - XXXX

Add Date: Feb 16
Artist: You Say Party! We Say Die!
Album: XXXX
Label: Paper Bag
Genre: Synth dance-punk

First things first- “XXXX” does in fact not refer to any type of porn rating, so don’t expect anything lewd here. The four X's stand for LOVE. Thumping basslines propel slick synth-dancey tunes through this album- think the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s It’s Blitz! with more dance tracks. The vocalist here alters between a Siouxee/Karen O persona (2) and a more vulnerable sound akin to Bat for Lashes or Fever Ray (1). Track 7 (“Laura Palmer’s Prom, a nice Twin Peaks reference!) is a really stunning work of synth-pop. It’s nice to see YSP!WSD! adopting a more mature, sentimental sound but that great catchy dance-punk sound is still there. Get ready to pogo.

Shout Out Louds - Work

Add Date: Feb 23rd
Artist: Shout Out Louds
Album: Work
Label: Merge
Genre: Indie

These Swedish indie darlings are back with a third, more mature album . The type of earnest synth-rock that gave the Shout Out Louds’ an indie hit with their song “The Comeback” is still audible on opener “1999”. The songs lack bite, but if you’re into glossy indie-pop (they share a producer with the Shins and Band of Horses) you’re in for a treat. The sound is darker than their previous albums but it comes off as Phoenix-meets-The Cure. Overall this album is a pleasant listen- one that won’t make a much of an impression in the long run, but it’s worth giving it a chance. Shout Out Louds have always been a singles band, and although that statement rings true on Work as well, this is the closest they've come to crafting a cohesive album.

The Magnetic Fields - Realism

Add Date- Jan 26
Artist: The Magnetic Fields
Album: Realism
Label: Nonesuch
Genre: Typical MF weirdness

The new Magnetic Fields album was.....a dud. This sounds like acoustic children’s tunes sung by a doll and a guy with a creepy deep voice. No joke. Each song sounds artificial and stiff instead of the acoustic warmth it seems like they were aiming for. It’s too cutesy, too folky, too twee. Leader Stephen Merritt is a good songwriter- listen to their 1999 album 69 Love Songs if you don’t believe me- but here any wit is hidden beneath the fake saccharine sound. If you were already a Magnetic Fields fan then you’ll find this enjoyable but it didn’t convert me.

Local Natives - Gorilla Manor

Add Date- Feb 16th
Artist: Local Natives
Album: Gorilla Manor
Label: frenchkiss*
Genre: Folky-Indie AWESOME

Rustic Fleet Fox-y vocals abound, percussion and guitar riffs like the Dodos, and an awesome folkified Talking Heads cover (“Warning Sign”). What more could a music fan ask for??? This is like the West Coast version of Grizzly Bear-meets- Ra Ra Riot. Standouts like “Camera Talk” are carried by upbeat percussion and pretty vocal harmonies, while the jangly piano of “Airplanes” cements its status as the best song for mourning in 2010 with a singalong chorus of “I want you back”. The CD’s second half drags a bit with the exception of the lively Talking Heads cover that won’t let listeners down. Although their sound is a familiar one that’s popular right now, this is still worth quite a few listens

The Ruby Suns - Fight Softly

Add Date - March 2
Artist - The Ruby Suns
Album - Fight Softly
Label - Sub Pop
Genre - Hippie Electronic Pop

Sounds like Animal Collective’s Merriweather Post Pavilion did acid with Neon Indian’s Psychic Chasms, laced with Discovery. Aka: pretty damn good. The vocals are a little soft, but other than that I can find little wrong with this album. I thought the opening track was sweet, but as I kept listening to the album, the beats just got catchier and catchier – plenty of bass and synth to satisfy an electro junkie like me. Beginning with “Sun Lake Rinsed,” which plunges you into trippy reverb, you know you’re in for a ride. “Mingus and Pike” sets an easygoing pace for the rest of the album. By “Cranberry” and “Closet Astrologer,” you’ve hear d all manner of beat-driven-but-still-chill tracks. The Discovery similarity is at its peak on “How Kids Fail” with my favorite riff of the bunch. “Dusty Fruit” sounds closer to the equator due to a solid bassline accompanying marimba and steel drum effects. The album winds down with the chill “Two Humans” and “Olympics on Pot” (Michael Phelps reference?). All in all, it’s bomb.