Man Man - On Oni Pond

Artist: Man Man
Album: On Oni Pond
Released: September 6, 2013

The best way to describe Man Man's sound (at least on this album) is a cross between Modest Mouse and The Black Keys.  Maybe I just think that because of the horn intro in Oni Swan at the beginning of the album.  The lyrics are catchy and absurdist and I provided you below with my pick from the album that I think everyone will enjoy called Loot My Body (best title ever right?).

Feel free to loot my body / Just take whatever you want / But please don't start a band

Matthew E White - Big Inner: Outer Face Edition

This husky stud muffin has been whispering sweet nothings into my ears all month. His most recent Outer Face Edition is an addition to his previously released album Big Inner. Matt's music can initially come off as painfully subtle, just plain beige at times. There are a few tracks that have to be at the most 10 beats per minute. With a clear head and a quiet soul Whites album will reveal a plethora of string and horn layers, soft but intricate bass lines all eloquently tied together with Whites baby booty soft voice. This album has a resounding theme of love; lost, found, new and old, he hits every color on the wheel. Most of these feeling are brought out by the subtle but passionate gospel/funk back up singers to help bring home the refrain. Sit back and let Mr. Whites silky soft melodies scoop you up and woo you away.

-Ryan O'Hagan

Arcade Fire - Reflektor

Arcade Fire

“Reflektor”

It’s weird, scary, discombobulated at times, different, rockin’ but I love it.  “Reflektor” has received reviews ranging from one star to five stars.  How is this possible?  Where the poor reviews a result of the brilliance of their previous albums?  Did the five star reviews think this was a better album than the Grammy Award winning “The Suburbs” album?  I was really confused and had to find out for myself.

            When listening to an album from a band I love, I try to let the album stand on its own.  I knew not to expect another “Funeral” or “Neon Bible” which both have stood the test of time and are still brilliant.  Truth be told, I did not care for “The Suburbs” on my first listen.  I came to love the album after several listens and was pleased to see it win Album of the Year.  Regardless, I was waiting impatiently for some new stuff from the band.  Three years and a well-documented Haitian sabbatical later, the band gave us “Reflektor.”  The first text message I received from a fellow fan was “I don’t know about this new album.”  It scared the shit out of me.  How could this gloriously weird band spend three years on an album and turn out something so divisive?

            I bought “Reflektor” the day it came out and was hesitant to listen to it.  I didn’t want to hate it.  I had heard the opening track, “Reflektor” on XM radio and thought it was a great song.  Where the rest of the tracks terrible?  I hit play and rocked out.  I envisioned Win Butler sitting outside of a club in Port Au Prince as the sun went down.  He was listening the faded beats of a song he had never heard but could not get out of his head.  The beat rocks but makes him dance…he can’t sit still.  Clocking in just over seven minutes, “Reflektor” sets the tone for the rest of the album.

            Now for the nervous part, I moved to the second track, “We Exist.”  It sounds like the beginning of Billie Jean.  Is this Arcade Fire?  Wait a minute…I DIG THIS!  Track three, the same.  I thought the album would wane but “Flashbulb Eyes” kept the party going…Win’s body…still captured by the beat outside the club.  By the time “Here comes the Night Time” began I was ready for anything.  The track was an instant favorite.  I loved it, and still do.  “Normal Person” is vintage Arcade Fire and fits perfectly on this album while “Joan of Arc” finishes the first disc nicely. 

            Had the album ended with “Joan of Arc” not many people would have raised a fuss.  It was a solid seven songs brilliant in their own weird way.  The second disc needed a few more listens for me to understand what the band was trying to do.  Upon first listen, I thought “Here Comes the Night Time II” was a bit forced.  Perhaps Win found himself back at the same club for a second night except this time the club was playing a much more mellow set.  I am okay with this.  I am okay with the rest of the tracks on the second disc as well.  “Afterlife” and “Awful Sound (Oh Eurydice)” seem to stand out.

            I will never read reviews about an album prior to buying it.  Arcade Fire deserves an honest assessment from their fans.  I tried not to trust their hard work, but I was mistaken.  I really like “Reflektor” more and more with each listen.  My buddy now agrees with me.  He loves it as well.  Perhaps the one star reviews just need one more listen.  Keep on rockin’ Arcade Fire!

Kurt Vile - Wakin' On A Pretty Daze

The opening of an album can make or break it.  It’s foreplay, a set up, an introduction, the caesar salad before the pan-seared halibut with salmoriglio.  And if it doesn’t hit right off the bat, pack a solid punch, make the listener want more, then it’s in the dumpster right next to the day old pomelo chicken francese. 

From Tom Petty’s “baby, don’t it feel like heaven right now” kicking off Hard Promises, to Nirvana’s “teenage angst has paid off well,” rocketing us to In Utero, those who have graduated before us from the School of Rock have declared that great albums start with great opening lines. 

Kurt Vile’s Wakin’ On A Pretty Daze lifts off with “wakin’, the dawn of day, and I gotta think about what I wanna say”.   And while that may not do anything for you on paper, once you’re exposed to it amidst the music floating effortlessly behind Vile’s almost spoken word delivery, steady strumming acoustic guitar and care-free lackadaisical riff deriving from a wavy psychedelic effect pedal, you’re onboard.     

Aside from the production, consisting of very meticulous, detailed, epic musical compositions that go on and on for an average of 7 minutes, the most unique element of this album are the lyrics.  “You met a young man who was a wild child, who harmonizes keys in his dronin’ mind, saxophones sing from inside his head, cryin’,” KV sings in ‘Never Run Away’, one of the shorter songs of this set, weighing in at just 3 1/2 minutes. 

Vile’s vocals are akin to loud whispers. It’s his thing, this kind of Lou Reed swagger with Petty/Dylan accents.  And he owns it.  It’s this delivery that brings the image of a “phone ringing off the shelf, I guess it wanted to kill itself,” to life like no other.  

KV is a great artist to get hooked on. Like many, I started with his 2011 Smoke Ring for My Halo, that was my main jam last year.  And this year, you’ll find Wakin’ on a lot of Best Of 2013 lists.  And while those Best Of lists are amongst the stupidest things on the internet, Wakin’ On A Pretty Daze will rightfully belong up near the top, right behind Miley Cyrus’ Bangerz, of course.  

“Everyone’s sayin’ I should probably give up, and hey, I wouldn’t wanna waste no time, I couldn’t look myself in the mirror, then again, why would I?”  

White Denim - Corsicana Lemonade

White Denim first caught my ear in 2011 with their single Street Joy. They fell off of my radar but now, they're back baby!

White Denim is a four-piece originally assembled in Austin, TX. Even though their home state doesn't show much love for their own in White Denim's case. They played the 58th slot (just like 5 years ago) at this year's Austin City Limits festival. Somehow, White Denim has managed to keep their garage, fast-paced, pseudo-funk, jazz induced, soulful, sound from making huge waves in the U.S. - but, Corsicana Lemonade will change that completely.

This album was recorded in a homemade studio just a few miles outside of Dallas. The band hunkered down with Jeff Tweedy (yes, Jeff Tweedy) as an occasional producer and created an album that these typical Texans refer to as a "Barbecue" album. Not that the album isn't tangy, or overall delicious to listen to; rather the term "Barbecue" pertains to family, friends, and community. These three things are what White Denim, as a whole, have begun to appreciate as they are all surprisingly engrossed in adulthood in their fast-approaching 30's. 

Early White Denim tracks were light in content and heavy in sound. As the gang grew up, they've tapped into what their true values are and this album is rich with that. White Denim still has managed to maintain their playful and charismatic nature. Known for trying fun and surprising things on stage, White Denim's live performances are full of smiles and damn good jams. If you want to be sort of slightly surprised at what these guys are like, check out White Denim's performance on Letterman. Not what you'd expect.

                               

Just a coupla' dudes playin' some fine tunes. They aren't image obsessed, they aren't particularly "Rock N Roll", hell, they aren't even easy to categorize. They are true Americana musicians who take pride in making a song fun but still meaningful - a balance that is difficult to task. Rolling Stone described their sound as "Steely Dan raised on video games and weed." Each song is action packed, filled with energy, and unique. James Petralli's voice is versatile. At the beginning of the album, he's howling in At Night in Dreams, but by the end he's smoothly crooning in A Place to Start (eat your heart out Jeff Tweedy). 

Do me a favor; next time you're at a Barbecue, remember this album, take a look around, see what's important, and CHOW DOWN.