diary: 1.16.13- everything is changing

Diary 1.16.13- everything is changing by Shalloboi on Mixcloud

song- artist- album

1. young and cold- the raveonettes- 'observator'
2. i follow you- melody's echo chamber- 's/t'
3. long was the year- broadcast- 'peel sessions'
4. apocalypse dreams- tame impala- 'lonerism'
5. inside my head- bare mutants- 'without you' 7"
6. venus in furs- blasted canyons- 'the velvet underground & nico by castle face and friends'
7. 'a' song- spiritualized- live at rockpalast 2012
8. in the new year- the walkmen- 'you & me'
9. new year- beach house- 'bloom'
10. we no who u r- nick cave & the bad seeds- 'push the sky away'
11. afterlight- tamaryn- 'tender new signs'
12. joke or a lie- sharon van etten- 'tramp'
13. waiting- low- 'plays nice places'
14. let time breathe- jessica bailiff- 'the speed by which we fall' comp
15. quick canal- atlas sound- 'logos'
16. dearly departed- holly golightly & the brokeoffs- 'medicine county'

embarrassing oversight: swans- 'the seer'

Something about this record had been calling to me since it came out. I’d always heard about Swans for much of my music-listening life and just never quite gotten around to them. The first instance I can remember was in 1998—an attractive gothy waitress at an IHOP saw the my bloody valentine T-shirt I was wearing and told me to check out Swans. Reading Sonic Youth’s biography a few years later there were a few strong cases for checking them out as well—I had no idea their first tour had been with Swans. Several more times over the next ten or so years they popped up time and time again—a club owner in Ft. Wayne, Indiana played the Angels of Light CD for my band after a show, we were compared to them in a review of our weakest EP unfavorably. When ‘The Seer’ was released last year I kept seeing it and I kept thinking, ‘maybe I should get this—it’s been getting a rapturous response.’ I finally clicked on a few video links in a friend’s year-end list and was promptly blown away by what I heard. I’ve found myself scolding myself for not enduring the misery of the Metro for a third time last year to catch their undoubtedly intense live show. Judging from the patterns of their renewed activity they won’t be back for at least another two years.

I would normally wait until the end of this year to admit this oversight, but after living with this amazing record for the last two weeks I simply can’t bear to not admit my inexcusable ignorance for any longer. This record would’ve easily placed in my top ten. I’m guessing it would’ve bumped everything underneath the newest Godspeed record (which this beautiful, cathartic, transcendent beast of an album effortlessly outshines). What I find most impressive is how much intensity and raw ferocity has been captured so clearly on tape here. Pummeling is difficult to effectively translate through the filter of the recording process. I can’t tell you how many hours I’ve pumped into getting my own brutal sounds to cut through a mix effectively—it sounds easy enough in concept, but when you actually try to get it done it can be daunting for reasons that you couldn’t have possibly imagined when you started.

In a lot of ways this record reminds me of Godspeed as the extended multi-movement tracks are a good parallel. Not only are these tracks even longer, but they are even more effective and with even more drone and repetition. It’s lack of clearly classifiable genre only adds to this—it’s the sound of a band with a million imitators effortlessly outshining them every time. This album features bagpipe noise drones, menacing use of orchestral bells and dulcimer and a healthy dose of ‘I don’t know what the fuck that is’ type of sounds. There’s also a decent amount of heavy metal brutality layered in there where necessary. Somehow all of these incredibly disparate elements are all tied together through the terrifying clarity of Michael Gira’s overarching vision. It’s about time I took notice of this band. My prediction is that I’ll spend a generous amount of the new year gathering the many pieces of their back catalogue.

ruminations: most anticipated releases of 2013

Low- 'The Invisible Way' (Subpop)- 3.19

Putting this up here almost seems like a waste. The whole thing's on youtube and I haven't had time to check it out yet (I've been busy working and listening to the new Broadcast album). It will be interesting to see what they've come up with working with Jeff Tweedy. I'm not one of those hopeless Wilco-obsessives, but I am partial to Wilco's favored production style and pairing it with Low straight off of their triumphant 'C'mon' (which is easily my favourite Low record in at least ten years) seems like a match made in heaven. I'm pretty sure it'll be a pretty safe bet- Low have only released two albums that I would venture to call disappointing. My only worry is that when they come through town they'll stop at the dreaded Metro rather than Lincoln Hall (which was PERFECT last time) as their show there was packed to the gills.

my bloody valentine- (as of yet untitled)

I'm a lurker on the my bloody valentine 'to here knows web' forum (I used to post a little, but people there can be a bit uncivil). It always seemed foolish to me to go there to get breaking news on the limited workings of Kevin Shields and the band until I discovered that pitchfork were using the forum as their source for news tips. A mysterious and benevolent person started posting prophetic musings informing us that Shields was working around the clock and finally making some significant headway on finishing the third abandoned MBV album from the mid-90s. We read. We nay-sayed. We wanted to believe but didn't have the strength to withstand the disappointment if these wonderful things we were reading weren't true. Announcements in the press trickled in confirming all of this mystery person's predictions. The album was mastered in December. It officially exists. It just has to be released. The current hold up? Album artwork. The band's long-dormant website is being tweaked. Domain names are being bought up. We wait with baited breath assuming that the album will appear quickly and without much warning. It's only been a week and a half since we've known it has been mastered. I've never felt as much torture as I feel waiting for this goddamned thing to appear. I'm almost certain I'll love it. I don't even give a shit if it's not as good as 'loveless' or as groundbreaking. It's just an album I've been dying to hear since I was 16 years old. PLEASE GET THE LEAD OUT!!!!!

Veronica Falls- 'Waiting For Something to Happen' (Slumberland)- 2.12

I'm not expecting anything terribly different from Veronica Falls' debut. When I saw them live back in the spring of last year they played a handful of new and excellent songs that I enjoyed more than the self-titled album material. The songs had more of a shimmering, stark, dream-pop element to them. 'Teenage' I remember loving immediately (see above). 'Bury Me Alive' is another great moment which they included in their insound live session which is also included here. As with the new Low album hearing this one is just a few clicks away as it's already leaked. I'm trying to be strong this year and not download leaks. I've tried every year since 2011 and I'm rarely strong enough. Just another month...

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds- 'Push the Sky Away' (Badseed)- 2.19

I was wondering when we'd get another Bad Seeds record. After 'Grinderman 2' I wondered if we'd get another Bad Seeds record as quickly as we'd gotten 'Dig Lazarus Dig' after the first Grinderman record. Most intriguing to me is the fact that this newest Bad Seeds record is essentially an album made with the entirety of Grinderman and one other person, but Grinderman is supposedly no more. Interestingly this will also be the first Bad Seeds record made without multi-instrumentalist and sole remaining link to the Birthday Party Mick Harvey. Lead single 'We No Who U R' has a nice electronic sheen to it and definitely sounds distinctive in Cave's massive back catalogue. It sounds to me like a space-age version of something from 2001's 'And No More Shall we Part.' Yes, please! Their show at the Chicago Theater is the only upcoming show that I have tickets to right now. It was the first priority- Sharon Van Etten is opening, it's a seated show and it's their first since 2008.

The Warlocks (Cargo)

Another hold-over from last year's list. As of last year the band had signed contracts with Cargo and headed into the studio. According to their website it should be out soon! They've added a handful of tourdates as well including a stop at Austin Psychfest 2013. Oh how I wish I could get down there for that marathon- the lineup gets better every year. I'm sure once the record's released they'll go on a fairly exhaustive tour which is fantastic news- they've been gone for far too long.

Kurt Vile (Matador)- Spring

'Smoke Ring for my Halo' was #2 on my 2011 list. Every time I throw it on it manages to impress me every time. This newest record is reportedly like Fleetwood Mac's 'Tusk' album without the cheesy parts (I don't know- I've never heard 'Tusk' to be honest). I consider Vile a pretty safe bet regardless at this point- he hasn't really released anything that I don't like. 'Constant Hitmaker' is my least favourite album of his and I still like listening to it the whole way through. My guess is that a few of the new songs that he peppered his sets with the three times that I saw him last year might be on it. I certainly hope so- the two that I heard are both fantastic (watch the video, for instance).

Mazzy Star

File this under 'hope against hope' (pun unintended, but left in because I hardly ever make them). Much like my bloody valentine, Mazzy Star are one of those amazing 90s bands that, despite releasing a nice steady stream of quality albums during that decade, can't seem to finish anything that they start these days. When the 'Common Burn' single appeared out of the blue at the end of 2011 it seemed like the wait might be over soon. When a promising string of tour dates followed at which more new material was played (including the shit-hot bluesy number up above) it seemed like it was imminent. Now? Silence. That better mean they're getting things finished up. My guess is that, like the my bloody valentine album and the 'Common Burn' single, the announcement will be completely last minute. Is that better or worse? I don't know. I just don't know...

best of 2012: part four of four

Best of 2012 by Shalloboi on Mixcloud

song- artist- album

1. i'm gone- tamaryn- 'tender new signs'
2. will we be scared?- thee oh sees- 'putrifiers ii'
3. balance yr heart- white fence- 'family perfume vol. 1'
4. wave goodbye- ty segall- 'slaughterhouse'
5. free action- moon duo- 'circles'
6. summer chills- radar eyes- 's/t'
7. i am what i am- spiritualized- 'sweet heart, sweet light'
8. i want to hold your other hand- the brian jonestown massacre- 'aufheben'
9. feels like we only go backwards- tame impala- 'lonersim'
10. only heather- wild nothing- 'nocturne'
11. southern heart- the walkmen- 'heaven'
12. rock races- sic alps- 's/t'
13. your ghost is not enough- jessica bailiff- 'at the down-turned jagged rim of the sky'
14. varud- sigur rós- 'valtari'
15. all i can- sharon van etten- 'tramp'
16. irene- beach house- 'bloom'
17. ashen snow- dirty three- 'toward the low sun'

best of 2012: part three of four

10. The Brian Jonestown Massacre—‘Aufheben’ (A Recordings)

One of the most fascinating byproducts of the tangential nature of Anton Newcombe’s last two albums (2008’s ‘My Bloody Underground’ and 2010’s ‘Who Killed Sgt. Pepper?’) was the reaction of his supposedly devoted fanbase. Neither release was particularly beyond question for someone of Newcombe’s demented genius to create and yet it got so many peoples’ panties in quite the twist. I’m not sure who these people thought they were dealing with—expecting someone as unapologetic about anything as Newcombe is to do the expected seems misguided to say the least. When ‘Aufheben’ arrived in May it all made sense, though. The songs had already been leaked for the better part of a year, but as was the case with the previous two records the songs benefited greatly from a proper mix and master. The result is the most thoroughly satisfying BJM record since 2003’s ‘…And This is Our Music.’ I had to convince several to check it out as EVERYONE seemed skeptical when it first came out. As if that weren’t enough the new songs were all played live and sounded fantastic on the band’s latest rambling tour. ‘Aufheben’ is a German word that means simultaneously ‘to destroy’ and ‘to rebuild,’ after all.

9. White Fence—‘Family Perfume vols. 1 & 2’ (Woodsist)

Tim Presley has officially completed an impossible task with the ‘Family Perfume’ double set—a double LP in the truest sense and an indispensible one at that. The whole set doesn’t fit on a single CD, but fits neatly onto two separate and distinctive LPs that still manage to be pieces of a whole. ‘Family Perfume’ prompted me to dig out Darker My Love’s ‘2’ record and give it a few more spins. It’s difficult to imagine that the same man is largely responsible for both. It sounds like it could’ve been made in the 60s and yet there’s so much on it that would’ve been inconceivable to try then. What holds it all together is a dense set of solid songwriting. There are six or seven highlights that I can think of off the top of my head (‘Balance Yr Heart,’ ‘It Will Never Be,’ ‘Do you know IDA know,’ ‘Down PNX,’ ‘Breathe Again,’ ‘Lizards First,’ ‘King of the Decade’ all come to mind the quickest). I love that it was released separately first to test the waters and when both volumes quickly went out of print the complete version was made the only version.

8. Thee Oh Sees—‘Putrifiers II’ (In the Red)

Another year, another Oh Sees album. ‘Putrifiers II’ is nothing less than a delightful curveball, a dazzling surprise on their, what, 14th album in less than a decade?! Last year I crammed ‘Castlemania’ and ‘Carrion Crawler’ into a single spot. This record is almost as if the best elements of both records were mixed together perfectly with a dash of the beauty and grace of their overlooked mellow full-band period (2006’s ‘The Cool Deaths of Island Raiders,’ 2007’s ‘Sucks Blood’ and 2008’s haunting, audience-less live album ‘Thee Hounds of Foggy Notion’). When I heard that this album featured string arrangements I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but should’ve known that it would result in something as amazing as ‘So Nice.’ There’s more where this came from, too, as evidenced by their closing song at the late show with Ty Segall at Logan Square Auditorium as they played an amazingly psychedelic and driving song to close out the night. It was similar to seeing them play most of ‘Carrion Crawler/The Dream’ at Lincoln Hall in 2010 before the record had come out.

7. Tamaryn—‘Tender New Signs’ (Mexican Summer)

I reviewed this album as soon as the stream of it appeared on ‘Gorilla vs. Bear.’ My words were delirious and fawning, a fact that I remain unashamed of. It seemed to evoke a similar reaction in others, I found. The reason for this? Well, it’s a very passionate and dense album—it’s immersive and heartfelt. It’s a fresh take on a sound that’s been recycled so many times its initial impact seems to have been hopelessly lost forever. What’s more it takes that familiar sound and re-invigorates it and makes it their own. This is not an easy thing to pull off, but pull it off they definitely did. Again.

6. Godspeed You! Black Emporer—‘’Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!’ (Constellation)

Despite being their first release in 10 years Godspeed sound like they haven’t missed a beat here. To say that this release sounds ferocious is a bit of an understatement. Pick a few adjectives that you like, they all apply—‘cathartic,’ ‘harrowing,’ ‘passionate,’ ‘emotional,’ ‘transcendent,’ ‘intense,’ ‘sublime,’ etc. I’ve also been enjoying how the album came packaged on vinyl—it seems to make far more sense than the way it’s supposed to be listened to. I listen to the two intense, 20-minute pieces first and then the two shorter drones to come down. It hits on everything that they do best—incorporating field recordings without it being too much of a fuss, the grandiose power of their ensemble at full throttle and the pin-drop grace of the impressive restraint that they are also capable of.

5. Jessica Bailiff—‘At the Down-Turned Jagged Rim of the Sky’ (Kranky)

Like the new Godspeed album this one appeared practically from out of nowhere with an announcement on Kranky’s website that it would be out in barely two weeks. This record pulls Bailiff’s music out of that 3am music category with some prominent drums and heavy fuzz bass. Her songs are still wrapped in ethereal ambience, but the rhythm section is the focus here along with some of Bailiff’s most prominent melodies. A few songs could be radio-friendly if they were drowned in compression and auto-tune and such. It’s a good thing they aren’t here as they sound breathtaking as always wrapped in Bailiff’s careful production.

4. Sigur Rós—‘Valtari’ (XL/Krunk)

I waited to buy this album for about a week after it came out. I wasn’t that excited when I heard that Sigur Rós had ended their two year hiatus, either. I think a friend posted a link to one of the extra tracks that came with the pre-order download (‘Logn’). Despite being completely lyric-less (I’m talking not even their imaginary language ‘Hopelandic’) and largely arrhythmic it was ambient without being boring or unengaging. It was also intensely emotional and strikingly intimate. Naturally I went out and snagged the album and found that the rest was hitting me with the same impact. I’ve not always been on board for their more drifting, exploratory moments but this has to be my favourite album of theirs possibly ever. It’s most similar to their ‘( )’ album from 2002, but a much more enjoyable and fulfilling listen. Most of their albums seemed to hold you at arm’s length (except for ‘Takk…’ which drew you in with accessibility), but this one seems to wrap you into its own cocoon. So beautiful—my faith in them is completely restored.

3. Sharon van Etten—‘Tramp’ (Jagjaguwar)

I only recently discovered Sharon van Etten. At least I made it to the party in time for this third release of hers. Talk about fully-formed—last year’s borderline EP ‘Epic’ was packed with great and intense songs that made the hair on the back of your neck stand on end. It also saw her pairing her songs with more of a band-driven format, but on ‘Tramp’ every song appears to have been arranged with a completely different band in mind. The stylistic and instrumental diversity is pretty staggering. The only choice I wasn’t wild about was having Sufjan Stevens sing on ‘We’re Alright’ but that’s mostly because I’m just not wild about his music. I have a difficult time finding a single song on here that doesn’t pack one hell of an emotional punch. ‘Warsaw’ is driving and fierce without being angry and without sacrificing subtlety, ‘Joke or a Lie’ is light, airy and minimal without sacrificing clarity or blending into the background. You’d think the jig would be up at some point, but so far it doesn’t appear to be any time soon.

2. Spiritualized—‘Sweet Heart Sweet Light’ (Fat Possum/Doublesix)

This one was a shoe-in for the top of the heap. It got a head start, admittedly, when I heard all of the songs on the aforementioned Albert Hall bootleg back in November of last year. It’s greatest strength? These are all really great songs and the production is unique among any other Spiritualized release. They have a dry, precision cut and layered sound that expands and improves upon the sound of 2008’s ‘Songs in A&E’ (which was also their last album). It takes the focused songwriting that’s been developing steadily since 2001’s underrated ‘Let It Come Down’ to its apex. It’s no wonder that Jason Pierce has mentioned in interviews that he’d like to make a more electronic Spiritualized album next as it’s something he’s always wanted to do. Judging by ‘Ladies and Gentlemen We are Floating in Space’ reissue bonus tracks ‘Rocket Shaped Song’ and ‘Beautiful Sadness’ this would be an appealing direction for him to take. Probably a wise choice as it might get him back to the more zoned-out atmospherics of ‘Lazer Guided Melodies’ and ‘Pure Phase.’ Truthfully there isn’t a lot Pierce could do that I wouldn’t find satisfying. It’s been a pleasure hearing his songwriting blossom over the last decade. Well done, Spaceman. Also, this is the best Spiritualized album since 1997’s benchmark ‘Ladies and Gentlemen…’

1. Beach House—‘Bloom’ (Subpop/Bella Union)

The only album to conceivably oppose Spiritualized for the top spot. The tie-breaker? I compared the number of plays and this one won by a landslide even when I tallied up the number of plays I logged on the Albert Hall bootleg where Spiritualized played all of ‘Sweet Heart, Sweet Light’ that I listened to from last winter and the promo version of the album I have. Not too shabby for an album that didn’t blow me away at first. ‘Bloom’ is a grower in a way similar to ‘Devotion’—its consistency of quality throughout its running time can be a hindrance upon first listen. While I still don’t like it as much as ‘Teen Dream’ (which they may never top, who knows) this album is filled with amazing songs that stand out in Beach House’s body of work. Plus it has ‘Irene’—a serious contender for their best song. These songs are all much more ‘up’ sounding compared to anything else they’ve done before (as long as you don’t take the lyrics into account, that is). They move along with an urgency and a velocity that didn’t really exist before, or only did in isolated instances. They also pop and explode in dazzling new ways.

best of 2012: part two of four

Honorable Mentions

Dirty Three—‘Toward the Low Sun’ (Drag City)

As if it weren’t enough that the Dirty Three broke their seven year silence, they did so with this compact gem of a record—which is probably their best since 2000’s ‘Whatever you Love, you Are.’ These songs are passionate, intense and probably their most varied—the sonic palette is wide. The orchestral ‘Ashen Snow’ features piano and mellotron in addition to the standard Dirty Three base trio. More layers doesn’t mean that the songs lose their breathing room, either. The requisite yearning and intense emotion are all there in spades. Like many of this year’s great surprises it landed pretty much out of nowhere.

Moon Duo—‘Circles’ (Sacred Bones)

It’s interesting that Moon Duo’s full-lengths are proving to be the releases that they fill with their most compact songs. After the release of ‘Mazes’ last year I thought that that was just the direction they were headed in, but then after hearing the ‘Horror Tour’ EP and then, of course, the 21-minute track ‘High Over Blue’ I was proven incorrect. I can only conclude that their main concern with every release—whether it’s an EP, 7” or full-length—is how the entire experience is perceived as a whole and it’s clear that their full-lengths are imagined as varied, extended sonic journeys. This one reminded me of ‘Honey’s Dead’-era Jesus and Mary Chain and early Dandy Warhols at times. The crisp, clear production is a natural progression from ‘Mazes’ with a further emphasis on melody. You can even make out a lot of the lyrics. They continue to wring so much from what so many have been quick to dismiss as a narrow, one-dimensional sound.

Tame Impala—‘Lonerism’ (Modular)

I avoided this one for quite a while due to the overwhelming hype. Interestingly, once the hype began to backlash was when I searched it out. At first it didn’t seem like it was that special, but the album quickly became addictive. Now, I’ve still never heard Tame Impala’s debut ‘Innerspeak’ (which I’ve heard written-off as a Dungen soundalike), but what I liked the most about this album is the lightning-speed immediacy of it. The layers of synths and monumental mountains of effects piled onto pretty much everything on here works brilliantly where normally melodies and dynamics become suffocated under the weight. ‘Apocalypse Dreams’ is the rosetta stone of this album for me. It goes from driving and upbeat to dirgey and emotionally wrecked in its verse-chorus-verse structure. Despite the springy, sharp reverb and slapback of delay you can make out main man Kevin Parker’s lyrics pretty clearly throughout. The closing run starting with ‘Feels Like We Only Go Backwards’ is just perfect. They’ve also pulled off a remarkable feat in making a song in as odd of a time signature as ‘Elephant’ such an accessible and compact single. ‘Like an elephant shaking his big, grey trunk for the hell of it,’ actually does a lot to explain the appeal of this album—it seems effortlessly tossed-off and celebratory, but so beautifully and deliberately constructed.

Ty Segall—‘Slaughterhouse’/’Twins’ (In the Red/Drag City)

Ty Segall fulfilled nearly all of his promise in one blinding year—he released three records just as promised, each one better than the last leading up to ‘Twins,’ which is his strongest release to date and then giving his all on a multitude of high profile television appearances. Could he possibly break through into mainstream awareness? It didn’t seem that possible before, but it certainly does now. ‘Twins’ would certainly be a great platform to do so from. It’s like a more straight-ahead rocking version of last year’s good weird ‘Goodbye Bread.’ Every song could conceivably be a great single. He’s also toned the scuzz down just enough that it won’t be off-putting to listeners who crave fidelity, but it’s still there in all of its fuzzy glory. ‘Slaughterhouse’ gets a mention here because it’s his first record done entirely with his excellent live band. When you subtract the 10-minute feedback exercise closing track it’s really more of a mini-album, but it also features the gut-punching opening couplet of ‘Death’ and ‘I Bought my Eyes’ as well as ‘Wave Goodbye,’ possibly one of his best tracks ever, and the glorious crash-and-burn of ‘Diddy-Wah-Diddy.’ Oh yeah, and he also teamed up with White Fence’s Tim Pressley to collaborate on a record called ‘Hair’ that is entirely worth your time.

Grizzly Bear—‘Shields’ (WARP)

‘Veckatimest’ hasn’t aged so well for me. It shook off all the cobwebby weirdness of 2006’s ‘Yellow House’ in favor of a more accessible sound. While the songs on it were all pretty solid, that cobwebby weirdness is what made me love them so much in the first place. Here they’ve taken the weirdness and woven it back into a set of songs that leap off from the poppy accessibility of ‘Veckatimest’ and give them a substantial shot in the arm. These songs are pretty fierce, formidable and oddly constructed. Every song is a force to be reckoned with. While I still don’t think it’s better than ‘Yellow House’ it’s about as close as they’re likely to come as ‘Shields’ registers as a jumping-off point—a band with too many ideas to contain. These songs were the first where Grizzly Bear has written collaboratively and it shows in the joyfully schizophrenic structures. Keep it coming!

Wild Nothing—‘Nocturne’ (Captured Tracks)

I had high hopes for this record at the beginning of the year and it turned out to be one of the eagerly anticipated records that surpassed my expectations. It took some getting used to, but then so did 2010’s brilliant debut ‘Gemini.’ ‘Nocturne’ has grown on me in a similar way—initially I found the 80s angle a bit cumbersome, but soon the more subtle and dreamier aspects dripped into my ears as if through an IV. Songs I didn’t care much for became highlights depending on the day or the hour. As with ‘Gemini,’ Jack Tatum’s consistent care with his songs is what forms the heart of this album.

The Raveonettes—‘Observator’ (VICE)

It seems odd to think that in their 10+ years as a band that Raveonettes have never used a piano on any of their recordings and yet, when the instrument appears during the closing strains of lovely opening track ‘Young and Cold’ it’s one of those simple ideas that hits like a ton of bricks. So obvious, why hadn’t it happened before? There’s a lot about this newest Raveonettes album that carries similar weight. At first it doesn’t seem like there’s much to distinguish it from anything else they’ve done, but when paired up as a companion piece to last year’s chilly, synth-heavy ‘Raven in the Grave’ it seems like further evidence of 2007’s ‘Lust Lust Lust’ as a creative jumping-off point for the Danish duo (well, as long as you leave out the hiccups from 2009’s ‘In and Out of Control’). The Raveonettes have managed to create their own world while simultaneously being written off by so many as derivative. Perhaps the lack of respect has liberated them creatively—they do seem to release their best work when they aren’t trying to impress anybody. The double 7” release ‘Into Night’ is worth checking out as well.

Melody’s Echo Chamber—‘s/t’ (Fat Possum)

This one surprised me. Quite a bit. Just as Broadcast were always burdened with the inappropriate label of being Stereolab soundalikes, Melody’s Echo Chamber is so far being billed as Broadcast soundalikes. There is plenty of evidence to support such a label, but considering how distinctive Broadcast’s records were it seems pretty ridiculous to compare them to much of anyone. I’m inclined to think that the Broadcast comparisons stem from the creative spirit that Melody’s Echo Chamber show off on this self-titled debut (produced by Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker). What made Broadcast so great was their ability to meld experimental and avant-garde sounds to pop melodies in addition to a complete lack of reserve as far as genre-mixing and sound/instrumental juxtaposition were concerned. Melody’s Echo Chamber seem to be taking that spirit on this record and using it as their foundation as they already seem to be jumping off into a different direction from the same point.

Sic Alps—‘s/t’ (Drag City)

Last year when writing about Sic Alps’ double LP ‘Napa Asylum’ I spent a little time moaning about a ‘lack of focus’ or some other nonsense in relation to the second half of it. I understand in retrospect that the supposed ‘lack of focus’ is actually one of their greatest goals as a band—they will go wherever their songs take them whether it’s readily accessible or incredibly tangential. I also mentioned how ‘Goodbye Bread’ sounded to me like what a more polished and reined-in version of Sic Alps might sound like. These sentiments mixed with the string of excellent 7” releases they’ve been churning out steadily since last summer caused me to wonder what Sic Alps would sound like in a more chiseled and focused form. This record arrived as my answer and what an answer it is. The last two tracks are probably my favourites of theirs. When I heard that the record incorporated the use of string arrangements I was confused as to how this could possibly work (I thought the exact same thing about Thee Oh Sees’ 2012 release ‘Putrifiers II’), but ‘Glyphs’ gets things rolling nicely and puts any doubts swiftly to bed. They manage to sound accessible without sacrificing any of their strengths. I’m not sure how they did it even while I listen to the album, but it’s one of those cases where by the time I flip the record over to side two I’ve already quit caring. Does it matter? Not really—this is their most focused and cohesive album with their most beautifully and perfectly rendered songs. ‘Rock Races’ is simply gorgeous. ‘Lazee Son’ is hilarious and addictive. If you crave weirdness there are plenty of places to look for it in their back catalog (the ‘Vedley’ 7” for instance). They continue to be a band that I truly have no clue what they could possibly do next.

Radar Eyes—‘s/t’ (Hozac)

Ending the string of self-titled albums by bands both old and new is the debut from Chicago locals Radar Eyes. This album couldn’t be more perfect if it tried—it’s a higher fidelity recording than much of the Hozac Records catalog, but it’s got just the right amount of scuzz, it effortlessly mixes psych and garage into a balanced stew, just the right amount of reverb, a nice amount of nicely woven analog keyboard lines amongst those beautifully realized interwoven guitar lines. The drums work that minimal, insistent beat and incorporate some nice percussive colours into the mix as well. While they’ve taken a lot of the same lift-off points as fellow locals Disappears (who also turned in the excellent ‘Pre Language’ this year) they really don’t sound like them at all. Some tracks are nicely extended to dazzling effect (‘Disconnection,’ ‘I am’) while others pack a quickly served wallop that’s usually more typical of punk rock (‘Summer Chills’). The closing track manages to sound like Joy Division without even meaning to. A lot of the new material that they’ve been playing live takes a much darker turn and bears very little resemblance to this formidable debut. How has the fertile psych/garage-melding scene in this fair city continued to elude national notice? At one point during Radar Eyes’ show-opening set at Lincoln Hall with the Fresh & Onlys there were more people gathering to hear them than had bothered to stick around for all of the headliners’ set.

ruminations: unwound- 'live leaves'

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Even though I couldn’t put this record in with the others for my end of the year best-of list, I can’t resist the urge to post about it. When Unwound broke up ten years ago it was sudden and came with absolutely no warning. The casual nature of their post on the Kill Rock Stars site saying they were cancelling their European and Japanese tours in support of their amazing final record ‘Leaves Turn Inside You’ because they were breaking up hit me like a ton of bricks. I was crushed. I’d just started digging into their back catalog. They’d played at the Granada in Lawrence only a few months before the announcement and I hadn’t gone as it had fallen during a period of time just before I’d gotten ‘Leaves Turn Inside You.’ In the announcement, however, they had promised a live compilation culled from the tour where they’d expanded to a five-piece and there was talk of a live recording archive website. As time continued to pass it seemed as though this was not to be. I continued to search out the records in their diverse back catalog. They were proving to be one of my favourite bands of the indie rock ilk—in a lot of ways it seems like that classic idea of indie rock died with them. A lot of bands on independent labels these days are mining material from very different sources. The punk roots and ethics are less of a concern these days.

Unwound were always an incredibly unique band. I recall hearing them dismissed as everything from Fugazi soundalikes to second-rate Sonic Youth imitators. I always found it a bit odd back then, but listening to them now any comparison seems baffling. I’d always heard that they were a force to be reckoned with live—they were certainly well-traveled. This live set is something else though. As if I weren’t already kicking myself for never having seen them live hearing this live compilation has sent me from ‘kicking myself’ to ‘completely gutted.’ These recordings are all technically bootleg quality, but honestly they seem to suit the songs better than the coarse sterility a lot of soundboard sourced recordings tend to have. I enjoy the slew of talkers during ‘Below the Salt,’ the sound of the odd clinking beer bottle (I have some live recordings from the Granada that feature this sound heavily) and, perhaps best of all, the stage announcement at the end of the jaw-dropping ‘Arboretum’/’Below the Salt’ onslaught. ‘You have 15 minutes to finish your beers.’ Very nice touch.

While the emphasis is on the ‘Leaves Turn Inside You’ material (it is called ‘Live Leaves’ after all) the old stuff isn’t completely forsaken. Nearly every other Unwound album is represented here—‘Valentine Card’ was always a personal favourite of mine from ‘Fake Train’ and is represented here, for instance. Their older tracks sound great in their five-piece format. It’s clear that the liner notes are being a bit self-deprecating—it’s hard to imagine a band that is clearly at the top of their game having a mediocre night. I guess it’s just a symptom of coming of age in the 90s—there was something that existed called ‘modesty.’ Most remarkably this set doesn’t reek of nostalgia—its delay wound up being a virtue that has helped solidify Unwound’s place in an independent music world that has become increasingly disjointed. They were one of the bands in the trenches paving the way for countless artists working today. What I’m most relieved about is the fact that this has put them back at the forefront of my mind and listening where they’ve always belonged. Sometime around when all of my cassette tapes were stolen out of my van in 2005 and I switched to an iPod shortly thereafter there were tons of bands that I used to listen to constantly that became mere passing thoughts. Unwound was one of those bands and whenever I would be reminded of them I would realize that if any band didn’t belong in those forgotten recesses of my shifting awareness it was them. As much as I enjoy the type of great new music that I’m constantly being bombarded with these days, I do miss these days when anything seemed possible. Unwound were always one of those bands that made me think this—they made amazing music that was bursting with ideas, existed seemingly independent of any other band or musician past or present and seemed to work from an endless well of amazing ideas and concepts that were entirely their own. Plus they were an honestly hard-working, brilliant and modest band—there are fewer and fewer of them these days.