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.  

Born Ruffians - Birthmarks

What? No way, Luke's actually writing a review?! Bullshit!

Nope. It's the absolute truth. The moment you've all been waiting for, breath held in quiet, trembling anticipation, scarcely daring to allow yourselves to hope, has arrived at long last. 

I've had this album in mind and have been planning on writing this review since August. Birthmarks is the third studio album from Born Ruffians, indie rockers from the Great White North (that's Canada, to the lay person). And you know what? It's fuckin' snappy. I dig it. 

St. Lucia - When the Night

I know I know....not only was I over a week late, I am submitting someone I've already done. This is the debut full length album to complete St. Lucia's original EP (which was my first review). If you enjoy dancing to 80's synth pop when no one is looking like me you have to add this record to your collection. It is a nice change of direction from the typical indie frontline these days. Most of the goodies from his EP are on this album with of course the addition of a handful of new nuggets of listening pleasure. He is playing in Atlanta at the Buckhead theatre on a Monday, November 11. I'll be headed that way, plenty of room. Grab your slap bracelets, tease your hair, and lets party like its 1999.

-Ryan O'Hagan

Jack White - "Blunderbuss"

Jack White

“Blunderbuss”

With White Stripes, Dead Weather, The Raconteurs and now solo, Jack White is a certified badass and everything he touches turns to gold.  Loud guitars, odes to old school country, fiddles, 60’s soul and tender ballads- “Blunderbuss” has it all.  How amazing is it White can play an entire set with an all female backing band, then, the next night or even next set, bring the dudes out to rock some more?  Take a second to consider the spectrum of artists, and I use the term loosely, White has collaborated with over the years:  Loretta Lynn, Meg White, Alicia Keys and the Insane Clown Posse.  How does that group even make sense?  Yet White manages to draw inspiration from said musicians (ICP is excluded of course) and create something  uniquely all his own.

            “I want love to stick a knife inside me/and twist it all around.”  White is usually loathe to talk about his personal life but songs such as “Love Interruption” can give us an idea on what inspires White.  The ballad is a masochistic love song leaving the listener wanting to slam their face into a wall while begging for more.  It is painfully brilliant, much like many of the songs on the album.  Want to roll your windows down and turn the volume all the way up?  “Sixteen Saltines” and “Freedom at 21” are your go to tracks.  Love and long for the rocking soul of 60’s R&B?  “I’m Shakin’” will have you shaking.  The song is actually a cover of Little Willie John’s song from the 60’s.  It fits perfectly on “Blunderbuss” and White manages to own it by putting his rockin’ spin on it. 

            Hot damn!…Jack White always leaves us wanting more!  Every album he’s involved with gets better with his touch.  I hated to see the White Stripes disappear but Dead Weather and the Raconteurs have allowed White to continue making great music while being a part of a bigger band.  But his first solo effort proves White can do whatever he wants and it will be epic.  The man is a true talent.  Keep on rockin’ Jack!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bl-sagy3uzI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkcGuZHPbKk

Paul McCartney - NEW

And on the 8^th day, God created Sir Paul McCartney.

At 71, McCartney is making the best music on the planet.  NEW is the BEST album of the year.  No one else is even in the same ballpark.  Not even close.  This isn’t even up for debate.

Packed with the wisdom of a man who has been there done that and the giddiness of a 14-year-old kid who has just been given his first guitar, these songs are an all-ages experience.  Delivering an album full of youthful maturity, Macca proves again he will only grow up on his own terms. 

Sir Paul, doing what he does, pushes the envelope even further on mainstream music again, whether solo or with that band (whatever they were called) he used to be in, he continues to create music that is for the masses without compromising his long standing credibility as an artist.  In an era when his contemporaries (Young, Dylan, Elton) are making albums only serious fans can embrace, McCartney is still making popular music the world can easily revel in.

NEW finds our hero mixing in a more modernized texture of instrumentation.  Some fuzz, tasteful synths, and signature McCartney bass runs are sprinkled delightfully throughout the album making for a very interesting and yet still very listenable pop record.  And the harpsichord! He uses it like no one else.  After a synth riff kicks off "Alligator", in jumps the harpsichord we remember from "Fixing A Hole" and upon launching into the verse, "I want someone to come home to, I need somewhere I can sleep," you're strapped in and ready to ride this wave with him.   

There's another instrument at play throughout NEW- the studio.  The crystal clear sound made possible only by today’s unparalleled technology is an entire trip alone.  You feel like you’re inside Abbey Road with the legend himself, hovering over the board with fellow producers Mark Ronson, Giles Martin, and Ethan Johns.

Lyrically, McCartney doesn't give you everything, he gives you only what you need.  You're not going to go inside a day in the life of a Beatle here.  Instead, Macca treats the listener like an audience of fans rather than a group of intimate friends.  It's like having afternoon tea with the man as opposed to late night cocktails.  He vents to you, but he doesn't reveal a thing he doesn't want you to know.  Yet, you still come away feeling as though he opened up his world to you.      

Yes, McCartney is still crafting incredible pop songs for one of the most impressive catalogues the world of music has ever known.  It all comes down to timeless songwriting.  An art that you could argue has been lost on many current songwriters or perhaps even an entire generation.  NEW will stick around.  Always timeless.  Always NEW.

Macca is back.  He never left.

Key tracks: ALL OF ‘EM. 

JK’s picks: “Save Us”, “New”, “On My Way To Work”, and “Turned Out”

Lorde - Pure Heroine

 

 

Artist: Lorde

Album: Pure Heroine

Release Date: September 27, 2013

 

You've probably heard her song Royals on the radio and thought "Why is this on the radio? This is really good..." (Can we talk about how the radio has been killing it recently though? Enjoy it while it lasts.)  She's 16, she's from New Zealand, and she has a crazy interesting voice.  I don't even know how to describe her music.  Non-obnoxious electronic/hip hop beat with a pop writing style with the good good harmonies? I hesitated to make this my pick for October because I am sure most of you have already heard the album. But fuck it.

 

 

 

Glory and Gore is probably my favorite upbeat song.  It's a champion's anthem and fight song.  Maybe it's because the chorus style reminds me of the chorus in Sophie B. Hawkins Damn I Wish I was Your Lower. 90s throwbacks. I DON'T KNOW. 

 

But for the softer side of things, Ribs is my favorite low song on the album

 

 

 

 

Maybe it's the deep, crooning vocals that I like (see: Lana Del Ray).  Either way, if you've been on the fence about giving the whole album a try, hop down. Then go get this album. 

 



 Cassidy