Song of the Week: "Coquete Coquette" by Of Montreal

False Priest, the new album by Of Montreal is out this September. I'm so excited I could punch my own mother in the face. This is the first song off the forthcoming LP, "Coquete Coquette" It seems like a much smoother affair than the more cathartic experience that was Skeletal Lamping. I dig it.

Watch Interpol's Weird New Video

Interpol are making quite a splash lately- is it 2002 again? They have a new album coming September 7- called Interpol. Their 4^thLP is self titled? Are you kidding me? It was bad enough when Broken Social Scene did that for their second album. The group also is on the cusp of starting an expansive tour, but they're not hitting Vancouver so I don't care. We gather here today to watch the new video for their single “Lights”. Directed by Charlie White (who also did the clip for Interpol's song “Evil” from Antics), the video is sterile, morose, and fetishizes boredom and slow movements. So its definitely Interpol. Elsewhere Consequent of Sound is streaming a couple live recordings of two new songs from the upcoming album, “Summer Well” and “Success”. Appropriate summer listening no doubt.

Top 30 Albums of the Decade- Part 3

20. The White Stripes- Get Behind Me Satan- 2004

Instantly earning points for having the coolest album name ever, most would agree that Get Behind Me Satan is Jack and Meg’s most unorthodox album, and not necessarily the most loved. But I appreciate what they were trying to do and I think they a did a great job of it. For a band that had at the beginning of the decade been praised along with The Strokes for being rock and roll’s great white hope, The White Stripes seemed to be starting to tire of the genre that they done so much to save. As a result we have less grainy spontaneous indulgences in Jack’s guitar, and instead we get a bluesy piano and bass orientation for much of the album. Lyrically it is more submissive and less frenetic, as evident in tracks like “Forever for Her is Over for Me”, and “Take Take Take” to name a few. When Jack dose return to the guitar, it is more often than not acoustic. With this album, the pair tried to approach music with a different style and set of instruments to go with it. The problem is that this style isn't as conducive to a two person band as the electric guitar and drums are. As a result certain songs feel incomplete or with gaps like “The Nurse” or “White Moon”. But When it works, its extremely compelling and fun to see a more thoughtful and deliberative side of Jack White. And “Little Ghost” is a classic, it alone makes the album worth it. A few tracks in previous albums gave hints of what the group wanted to attempt, but in Get Behind Me Satan, they finally did it. Even though they returned to a more traditional, but still satisfying formula with Icky Thump, much of their ambition here would be continued by The Raconteurs.

Best Tracks- Blue Orchid, Little Ghost, The Denial Twist, Take Take Take

19. Metric- Old World Underground, Where Are You Know?- 2003

I think this album is extremely interesting, lyrically speaking. Throughout the album Emily Haines and co. explore how the vapidness of consumerism has swallowed and distorted real problems of war and globalization, reducing them to nothing more than trends only to be cynically invoked when relevant and ignored the rest of the time in favor of the superfluous. Superficiality and malcontent over what’s important are warped and twisted around each other until you can’t tell what’s what like in tracks like “Combat Baby” (now its all cafine free/ faux-punk fatigues) and “Succexy” (Follow the pattern, the hemlines, the headlines). Haines addresses how music has also suffered from this glossy homogenization of all things cultural. What I like about this album so much is that while all these issues are confronted, this album isn’t some call to arms to change things and make them right, as musical acts so often and naively think they can accomplish. Rather this album mourns the loss of substance in the world and instead tries to figure how to live with it and even regrettably integrate into it. This, through a voice that manages to be angered but nonchalant at the same time. Haines has really great vocals, it’s very soft and flighty, but also deep and penetrating. Musically it’s crafted in a somewhat simplistic and archaic way (at least as far as post-punk-whatever-pop goes) but its catchy as hell. I really like the flowing wave form aesthetic created by the keyboards. It’s also really well paced, as groups of songs growing more and more cynical and synth heavy are punctuated by tracks like “Calculation Theme” and “Love is Place”, which are slower and change the tone to something more personal and reflective. As a result its album that’s really easy to listen from start to finish without it growing tiresome or laborious towards the end.

Best Tracks- IOU, Succexy, Love is a Place

18. The Walkmen- Bows and Arrows- 2004

All you have to do is listen to “The Rat”- one of the best rock songs of the decade. The drumming is fantastic, and its just so scathingly mean. Hamilton Leithauser says exactly what we’ve all wanted to say to people at one point or another, but he fucking screams it. Luckily, the rest of Bows and Arrows is also really great. It’s hard to describe any sort of prevailing tone in it. The only consistent aspect to the album is that it has this sort of slumberous element to it. Many of the songs have a sense of finality or conclusion to them, as if its music best listened to at the end of the day when you go to sleep. For example, listen to “Thinking of a Dream” and you'll notice the keyboards are somewhat foggy and off focus for lack of a better description. At times though, the songs just sort of wander from one tangent to the next, but it works here, giving a fairly traditional rock album a sense of spontaneity and freshness. Its all held together by the fact they group is made of really darn good musicians. And Leithauser has this great graininess to his voice without being too abrasive on the ears.

Best Tracks- The Rat, Little House of Savages, Thinking of a Dream

17.Radiohead- Hail to the Thief- 2003

After the seemingly alien and alienating directions that Radiohead went in with Kid A and Amnesiac, the group returned to somewhat more comprehendable waters with Hail to the Thief. But that's not to say they were treading the same waters. While they were always moody and full of angst, this album is certainly their darkest album in terms of tone. It's gloomy, mysterious, morose, full of imagery that was encapsulated in the video for “There There”. “2+2=5” lulls you into this sense of slight discomfort before exploding with animosity. “Where I End and You Begin” wants to assure you that you are indeed alone and you are not safe. “Sit Down, Stand Up” builds an impending yet exciting sense of dread, only to surprise you in the end. “Myxomatosis” is a cathartic cocktail of neurosis and dementia. “Wolf at the Door”, utilizes an array of simple keys that create a haunting atmosphere. So it's fun stuff. But as always, its preformed by an incredible set of musicians. Hail to the Thief strikes an excellent balance of the strange and bizarre, with more traditional tracks like “Go to Sleep”, which wonderfully transitions from a quaint acoustic piece into a jarring stomper. “Punch up at a Wedding”, shows an unexpected more bluesy side of the group. Fun side note: the name Hail to the Thief actually had nothing to do with Bush, despite what was often though at the time of the albums reales in in 2003. It's actually a name the group came up with many years before.

Best Tracks- 2+2=5, Sit Down Stand Up, Where I End and You Begin, Myxomatosis

16. The Rapture- Pieces of the People We love- 2006

The Rapture's first album Echoes showed everyone that they could take shallow, not terribly thought provoking pop and make it incredibly layered and free it from the trappings of petulant whiners who only sang about the same things. The Rapture took that fun kind of music, but applied it in a more jaded and cynical way, resulting in really a really great album. In this album they are much more refined and in control, rather than franticly hammering out beats and lyrics with abandon. It's a bit of a slower album with a more waveform and fluid sound to it- hear “The Devil” and “Don Gone Do It” for examples. Of course one notable exception is “Woo! Alright Yeah Uh Huh”, which is as blinding fast paced as they come. It's a great song about how pop music used to be about having fun instead of the pretentious sanctum of emo brats its been perverted into. And if adults are too concerned with image to wave their arms and dance, then The Rapture will just have to find a bunch of kids to party with. The entire album benefits from Luke Jenner's slightly sour and just short of falsetto voice. There is great variety to the album from brassy horn sections in “Get Myself into It”, to low bass club beats in “First Gear”. The high point is “Pieces of the People we Love”, with its blend of funk, blues, pop, and dance. Here we see Jenner at his most genuine and sincere; no matter how much he and the group love this stuff, it can't last for ever and it won't get you what you really want. But it's a fun ride while it lasts.

Best Tracks- Pieces of the People we Love, Get Myself into it, Don Gon Do it, Whoo! Alright-Yeah...Uh Huh

Review: Dead Weather- Sea of Cowards

No one tells stories like Jack White. Listen to “We Are Gonna Be Friends”, “Take Take Take”, “Carolina Drama”, or a dozen other tracks from his illustrious career for proof of this should you be foolish enough to dispute such a claim. That's whats kind of strange and disorienting about Sea of Cowards (continuing the Jack White trend of giving his albums impossibly cool names). There aren't much in the way of focused tales or stories this time around. Rather this album appears much more impulsive with White and co vocalist Alison Mosshart spitting out, admittedly bad ass, but certainly tangent and meandering one liners. From an audience stand point, this cannot be classified as a criticism, but merely an observation. If there is fault to be found in such a tactic, its that it gives the album a slightly deranged quality. Rather than natural progressions insofar as lyrics are concerned such as climaxes, chorus- you know, structure- the album seems to be a series of non-sequeters fearlessly cobbled together by a pair of mad scientists. This is no doubt by design as the Dead Weather has always been an experiment in modernizing and recreating the the off the top of your head spontaneity and improvisation of traditional blues rock that has done so much to influence White's journey through the industry. This isn't indicative of the whole album, just much of it- some songs still follow a more defined route like “the Difference between us”. The non linear nature of Sea of Cowards actually reminds me a little of Skeletal Lamping by Of Montreal. I never thought I'd compare the Dead Weather to the work of Kevin Barnes, but here we are.

Interestingly enough, much of the musical content of the album, melody and harmony, guitar and piano- are actually more linear and logical in terms of pacing. Keyboards are more rhythmic and flowing proving to be a functional apparatus- especially in tracks like “The Difference Between Us” and “Invisible Man” as opposed to obtuse distractions in the Dead Weather's first effort Horehound. Piano and guitar play well of each other creating an nervous sort of urgency that continuously builds until a visceral explosion in the albums centrepiece “Die By the Drop”. “Gasoline” opens with a goofy but playful carnival vibe; however you soon forget it once the song escalates into its blisteringly convoluted solo that will no doubt piss of Jack White when it winds up in future iterations of Rock Band. The result is tracks like “Old Mary” with a cool and calm melody with a sense of direction that is applied to basically one not fully realized thought, “Now to the moment of your last breathe”. The opening track “Blue Blood Blues” has a deadly catchy guitar hook with Mosshart panting in the back ground while Jack White screams “shake your hips like battleships” and “when I come home all the neighbours are pissed, I make them now this”. Does it make sense? Not really. But it's still pretty cool.

As with Horehound, One of Sea of Cowards best attributes is the interplay between Jack White and Alison Mosshart. The duo bonce abrupt screeches, under the breath mumbles, psychotic boasting, frail cascading wails and breezy one liners off of each other with ease and vigor. Its actually not easy to figure out exactly who is singing at all times as the two sound not entirely dissimilar. White has this feral femininity to his voice where Mosshart can drag and pull her voice into the guttural lower octaves like she was born with a cigarette in her mouth. She lives up to her reputation as the person who only stops firing automatic weapons in the suburbs to light a smoke. Its especially satisfying when she channels her inner DFA 1979 and starts moaning in this bellicose manner, “I don't need a sweetheart, I need a machine!”. Both of their voices manage to at least approach if, not occupy this liminal space between genders. Their voices mix and blend together in to a intimidating, aggressive but strangely inviting cocktail. Unfortunately there is too much post production distortion and obscuring applied to the vocals. This not only doesn't help with the who is singing this part conundrum, but it seems to be an anathema to the more organic quality to the sound and feel of the instruments.

Sea of Cowards is a more nonsensical spontaneous outing than Horehound. But its also more catchy. Nothing grabs you by the whatever part of your self is effected the most by a song like “Treat me Like Your Mother”, But there are still some real stand out tracks like “Blue Blood Blues”, “Die by the Drop” and “The Difference Between Us”. You will listen to these songs more than once. Beyond that, comparative analysis between the first album and this one is not very instructive. They're actually fairly different albums. With this album, White shows that he has more than just a good folk tale in him; I'm just not sure how much of it anyone wants.

Watch the New Crystal Castles Video: Celestia

One of the more vocally logical tracks off Crystal Castles 2010 LP, "Celestia" has a
video; it was either this or "Vietnam", I suppose. Is it just me, or is there something strange about seeing Alex Glass acting mostly normal as opposed to trying to claw your eyes out? And look, it's filmed in a cemetery. That's how you know their shit is legit!

Playlist: Bjork

In My continuing attempts to get people to listen to Bjork, I shall now attempt to get you to listen to Bjork. Put it on in the background while doing something else. You can thank me later. Track list is below

A quick note- divshare for some reason doesn't have a skip button. This is silly and dumb I realize. In the future I will endeavor to find a more suitable uploader. You could always put on shuffle I guess.



1.There's More to Life Than This
2.Cvalda
3.Mouth's Cradle
4.Isobel
5.Declare Independence
6.Hyper-ballad
7.Earth Intruders
8.It's Oh So Quite
9.I Miss You
10.Army of Me
11.Oceania
12.Dull Flame of Desire
13.All is Full of Love
14.Oveture

Top 30 Albums of the Decade- Part 2

25. Yeah Yeah Yeahs- Fever to Tell- 2003

I really wanted to put It’s Blitz on this list, mostly just cause of the track “Dragon Queen”, as I think it’s easily one of the best things they’ve done- more so than anything on their debut LP. But as a whole I’ve gotta give it to Fever to Tell. Karen O and crew created a scathingly raw sound that even at it’s most volatile carries a sense of playfulness. Her voice effortlessly transitions from spastic and feral to restrained and demure. As the guitar grinds and distorts through the songs her voice thankfully carries the melody along for it. Lyrically, Fever is a collection of aggressive and intimidating one liners (“dropping brides at the alter/ we’re sweating in the winter”), And lines like “We’re all gonna burn in hell, cause we do what we gotta do, be willing, we got the feeling too!” are about as anthemetic as anything I’ve heard. Throughout the album there is a wonderful blend of pulsating sonic hooks like in “Rich” and “Y-Control” and short lived yet heart pounding freakouts like “Pin” and “Tick” that seem to be a more effective form of release than anything as blase as actually talking about your feelings. Of course she does that too in “Maps”, yet that song seems to conclude in something of an unresolved manner as opposed to a more exhausted satisfaction found in the former as well as tracks like “Date with the Knife”. Also, I love Karen O.

Best Tracks- Rich, Date with the Knife, Man, Y-Control

24. Spoon- Girls Can Tell- 2001

It was a really tough call between this or Spoon’s Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga; Girls Can Tell barely won out. For a band that normally takes a somewhat lighthearted and modest approach to rock music, Girls has more of a darker tone. Not to say that it’s a depressing album; more like it carries with it a sense of mystery and intrigue- something you listen to in the dark. Many of the songs create a sense of night, using melodies, hooks, base leads that invoke a thought of after hours. There is a remarkably consistent feel to the album, with notable exceptions being the surprisingly cheerful “Anything You Want”, and “1020AM”, which carries an obvious morning after vibe. The songs for the most part move a little more slowly and deliberately, carefully inserting pop mannerisms into what would otherwise be more traditionally bluesy music. Britt Daniel has just a hint of a rasp in his voice at times even reminding me a little of Kurt Cobain, especially in tracks like “Me and the Bean”. Spoon deserves a lot of attention as they consistently put out great work, but if you only have time to check out one of their albums, I would start here.

Best Tracks- Believing is Art, Anything You Want, 1020AM, Chicago at Night

23. Beck- Guero- 2005

Beck made a robot mexican album; that’s as good a way as any to describe it. And it’s really great. After Midnight Vultures psychedelic funk-out, Guero seems a little more down to earth, with Beck a little more chilled out. One of the things I always liked about Beck’s music is that is that there was always his single, isolated view in whatever he was singing about, as opposed to to a consensus of other people, producers, what-have-you; even when the Dust Brothers are helping him out. This is very present to me here, creating a more personable album. With Guero, Beck takes the recent traditions of American music- hi tempo pop beats and grungy rock, with that of Latin America- mariachis, simple string and harmonica sets and bridges them in his own unique cobbled together sort of way. Tracks like “Missing”, “Black Tambourine”, “Go it Alone”, “Farewell Ride”, and “Emergency Exit” create a sense of departure, traveling to a distant place by oneself and seeing how they do things there. That seems to be the lens through which Beck made these collections of songs. But he brought that collection back home and finished them there, they way we do it, creating an unexpected but engaging synthesis. Beck first made his strides with his awkward loser persona, and while he’s mostly outgrown that mood, it’s till somewhat prevalent at times. It’s not as if he got any cooler, just more confident. The fact that the disc includes a number of remixes (some better than others) is just gravy.

Best Tracks- Hell Yes, Black Tambourine, Farewell Ride, Still Missing (Royskopp remix)

22. Lupe Fiasco- Food and Liquor- 2006

I’m not really a huge fan of hip hop- I don’t hate it in general, it’s just not my stuff. But I love Lupe and I love this record. To me Food and Liquor is the exact antithesis of gangster rap. Whereas the latter is slow, dumb, and full of gratuitous excess, Food and Liquor is extremely intelligent, focusing on the downsides and underbelly of whatever you qualify as a hip hop lifestyle. Too often rappers mention briefly humble beginnings only to make it seem more impressive that some producer gave them an escalade and some whores to ride in it, but Lupe spends entire songs about childhood abuse, single parent households, having nothing to do other than bum around on a skateboard. It’s all so much more genuine and realistic than hip hop, even most music is. It’s also very fast passed; the most offensive hip hop to me is so monotonously slow, in small part because the rappers are too incompetent or lazy to keep up with a real beat. Rather than rely on cookie cutter club beats or shamelessly sampling lesser known groups (you stole that entire song from Crystal Castles, 50 Cent!!!) Food and Liquor has big and bold horn and orchestral sections accompanied by full bodied choirs doing back up vocals. While not my favorite track, “Daydreaming” is noteworthy as it perfectly encapsulates just how shallow, cynical, and vanilla hip hop- or at least the popular and most exposed from of it- has become. I don’t believe a thing I hear from the likes of Lil Wayne, T-Pain, and whoever the hell else is popular right now, but I always want to hear more from Lupe.

Best Tracks- Just Might Be Ok, Kick Push, Hurt Me Soul, Pressure (feat. Jay Z)

21. The New Pornographers- Twin Cinema- 2005

This was the hardest call on the list, deciding which New Pornographers album to pick. It’s just about impossible for me to decide which one is better- Mass Romantic, Electric Version, Challengers, or Twin Cinema. No matter which one I go with I’m gonna want to change my mind, so to hell with it, let’s do Twin Cinema. I really do think this album and the group in general are just awesome. The New Pornographers get as close to making relentlessly cheerful music as you can get before it gets so sickeningly sweet that it sounds a little embarrassing (Camera Obscura and Belle & Sebastian, I’m looking at you!). This is a less aggressive album (by their standards at least) than say, Electric Version; its more soothing and comforting. There’s a lot of interplay between guitar and piano, which is a lot of fun. Tracks like “Use it”, “Streets of Fire” and others create a reassuring sense of nostalgia. My favorites have to be “Sing me Spanish Techno” and “Star Bodies”; both have instantly catchy beats and the male and female vocals mix and compliment each other perfectly. It’s a shame that this group doesn’t get more attention, even in Western Canada which is where they come from; especially since they’re the perfect music to listen to when the torrential down pour that is the B.C. winter starts to depress the hell out of you. Twin Cinema will cheer you right up.

Best Tracks- Use it, Sing me Spanish Techno, Star Bodies

Review: Wild Nothing- Gemini

Wild Nothing are not subtle. This may seem perplexing considering their frail breezy pop mannerisms and non threatening musings. It is in regards to their influences however, that they are not subtle; Even upon first exposure we are immediately aware of a somewhat obvious laundry list of groups that clearly steered Wild Nothing's thoughts and stylings throughout this album's genesis. It has the back room low fi playfulness of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart (albeit less frenetic), the hazy distanced vocals of the Jesus Marry Chain, and the dreamy summertime heart of Beach House. This can be problematic as these influences are a little too present, in varying synthesis through Wild Nothing's debut LP, Gemini- the opening drum beat in “My Angel Lonely” is the exact same as “Just Like Honey”, for example. Is there a statute of limitations on this sort of thing? As a result the album sadly lacks distinction. It feels simply like a collection of b sides from any of their more established contemporaries. You don't really need to listen to this album to decide if you like it or not. Do you enjoy listening to any of the previously mentioned groups? Congratulations, you're a Wild Nothing fan. No? Well then, there's the door.

When the group does venture out of their comfort zone however, and leaves the cradle of their inspirations, they surprise you with something not only genuinely unique, but pretty good too. “Bored Games” takes a glossy guitar line and layers it with a bubbling yet anchoring mashed together drum machine/synth beat. Leisurely and fluttering keyboards punctuate the bass line in “The Witching Hour”, to wonderful effect. When Jack Tatum and crew are willing to toy with and reorient the dreary indie pop checklist of melodies and beats that have been cemented in our memories since the days of XTC, they breath new life into genre, if only for brief moments.

Jack Tatum's voice is certainly an asset, but he treads territory that has grown all too familiar in the indie anti-hipster scene. He is soft spoken, deliberately so, with a slightly lethargic swagger that carries only hints of anguish and malaise and remnants of memories. He is evocative and intriguing, yes; but did we really need to hear another echoing somber sub-falsetto? You can do this kind of music differently. You can wail and wear your heart on your sleeve without hiding behind a nonchalant demeanour- just ask Camera Obsura's Tracyanne Campbell. You can be lurchingly guttural like Beach House's Victoria Legrand.

Tatum seems passive aggressive and non committal in his lyrics- contradictory even. In the opening track, Tatum is evasive saying, “I'd rather live in dreams” and “I'm dying to let things go”. In the next track, “Summer Dreams” he instead searches for a more tangible sense of company, drafting plans to hide away with someone in the family cabin. Such sentiments are continued in “Bored Games”: “Where are you going? Can I come with you? I don't feel right without you”. Later on the album we wonders, “oh, if I could only get to you”. Yet almost immediately after in the chipper yet haunting “Chinatown”, Tatum testifies, “we're not happy till we're running away” Certainly such messages are inconsistent, but if the idea is to convey the excitement, anxiety, freedom, and trappings of trying to determine if you are better off alone or not, then he hits the mark. He concludes “Live in Dreams” by repeating, “we've got eyes in the back of our heads”- conveying that so much of what seems impossible to understand and act upon makes so much sense in hindsight. He may be caught up in nervous, adolescent, irrationality, but at least he realizes it. A nice touch.

Wild Nothing's talent and skill are readily apparent in Gemini- they are obviously equipped to handle the subject matter and tone they so effortlessly approach. But hearing so many other groups do it before them, for them even, saps much of the impact and implications from their work here. Regardless, Wild Nothing is a band I want to hear more of. The best parts of this album are when they break out of their shell and leave their own mark on indie rock. They just need to prove that there is something out there- in terms of melody, tone, and intent that they are uniquely equipped to harness. With more time and and a little more confidence I believe this band can produce something that does just that. I can't wait to hear it.

Ed' Obrien: New Radiohead LP Almost Done

Yesterday, Radiohead guitarist Ed O'Brien stopped by BBC 6 Music to chat with Adam Buxton, and Ateaseweb has some excerpts. In addition to revealing some surprising details about the drudgery and frustrations of piecing together In Rainbows he also dropped some info about the new album; specificly, its almost done. O'Brien claims this time around the collaborative process was a much less stressful. What does a more efficient, less anguished Radiohead mean for the new LP? Will the term In Rainbows take on a new sugary denotation? Hopefully will find out soon. Funny how the wait between Hail to the Thief and In Rainbows seemed to be forever, but it feels like just the other day Radiohead dropped the last one.

Review: Crystal Castles

Crystal Castles opening track from their debut LP in 2008 was a paranoid but melodicly soothing introduction to their take on the burgeoning but already too trendy for its own good french art-house synth scene. They were more melodramatic and frenetic than their contemporaries but they carried with them an intriguing sense of mystery that they gently laid out before you. Two years later, there is no such hand holding or coddling. This time the opening track, “Fainting Spells” begins with a grating raucous before balancing into something more palatable to the ears. Depending on your attitude, balance is something Crystal Castles struggles to find this time around. Much of the album finds its euphonic melodies and beats overwhelmed and even assaulted by cacophonous, blunt, and abrupt freak outs. By comparison, their first album could be described as easy listening. There are still a number of sleek gently flowing tracks such as the dreamy “Celestica” or the sparkling twighlight melody “Vietnam”, but even these are often punctuated or prefaced by bizarre audio distortions.

Once you get used to tension of unknown outbursts to come however, one appreciates all the effort and success that come from such experimentation. “Doe Deer” is as abrasive as it gets, but is actually one of the more melodicly focused tracks. “Intimate” takes its time allowing you to get accustomed to its beat before tearing it apart with a 20 second or so static shit storm. As you begin to question the motivations of a group that would ever consider recording such noise, the initial beat begins to fight back. A deep penetrating bass line kicks in with a cleansing gravitas and you realize why that schizophrenic blitz was there in the first place; to make the climax all the more impressive. Closer examination to many songs reveal their talent for balancing and mixing as simply adjusting the levels and prominence of existing beats and rhythms greatly affects the tone and content of songs like “Fainting Spells” and “Birds” for the better.

As with their first album, Crystal Castles distinct approach to language and vocals is very much present here- more so even. Alice Glass's vocals are altered, distorted, manipulated, deconstructed and reconstructed, and repurposed. The end result is barley comprehendable on a couple tracks like “Empathy” but for the most part unrecognizable. Its not as if it doesn't sound like language, quite the opposite actually as it feels like the group has crafted an entirely new and much more pleasing syntax- one that was designed for music. That's what so frustrating yet compelling about the whole affair; they created a unique array of vocals that we want to understand but we lack the logical points of reference and interpretive context to discern anything beyond mysterious sounds. By the time you reach the last third of the album you stop trying though, instead focusing on its delivery and tone; things like sense of urgency or playful aloofness. Through this, meaning can be derived. Such tactics are present in their earlier work but here it is explored with much more depth and variety. Not always with as much success however, at least as far as being crowd pleasing is concerned. The amount of depth and exploration here can result in a overly dense and cluttered album at times in comparison to their leaner easier to follow debut.

It depends on what your in the mood for perhaps. Their first album may have been more conventional and appealing in terms of rhythm, but this time there is much more to interpret and analyze which in the end is vastly more fulfilling. Whether or not this album sounds better is not necessarily relevant when determining if this album is a success. This album is a positive contribution because it shows that the group has managed to take great strides in escaping the confines of a blase sub genre that has already lost much relevance and been relegated to the me too scenster bin. This is a feat that groups like Justice and MSTRKRFT have yet to accomplish. MGMT boldly attempted something similar but instead came off as bat shit insane. Crystal Castles however have proven their talent for expansive, experimental, and compelling work- even if we don't quite get it.

Song of the Week: "VCR" by The XX

LCD Soundsystem at the Malkin Bowl

Malkin Bowl, LCD Soundsytem, May 31

Mother nature is a cruel and venomous bitch. For those of us who saw LCD Soundsystem at the Malkin Bowl on Monday night, there is no argument on this matter. Rest assured, one day the earth will be a sterile and barren wasteland, and she won't be able to hurt us ever again; and we will be safe. To the person that insisted that it continue to rain- shut up. Miraculously, the rain stopped before the show. It appears even the elements bow to the will of James Murphy- as they should. Just to be sure, as LCD made their way to stage and began taking their positions, Murphy stepped beyond the constrictive confines of the stage and held out his hand and checked just make to sure the rain had stopped. It had; the show would go on, as if he wanted to make us worry.

As he positioned himself on stage- a mike to his a front and a tantalizingly foreshadowing cowbell to his left, the initial drum and bass beat began to take shape and blossom into something tangible and recognizable. The first song would be “Us V. Them”. It's build up is long, frustratingly so even. It bleeds anticipation, and not once but twice the song manipulates you into expecting a grand explosion of content and excitement, only to not. Of course then it does. The point here is it is an inspired way to open a show by a band that has made a career of great releases. When Murphy and associate Nancy Wang finally start wailing even those in the crowd who were casual observers of their efforts over the decade became noticeably excited. It makes one wonder if the arrangement on Sound of Silver would have benefited from opening with this not quite epic. We were all dancing, most of us in the mud; an ironic image considering the group just released a hedonistic track called “Dance Yrself Clean”.

The Malkin bowl does not afford the most advanced of set ups, insofar as a good light show is concerned. There is a modest set up of not particularly awe-inspiring lights creating a spine of sorts around the rear of the stage. It would be sufficient, as long as there was a disco ball, perched above us all. We were not expecting the chandelier of visual insanity that a Radiohead show would provide. This became almost comically apparent as the smoke machine let out its first and sadly not very impressive gasp. Even Murphy was seemingly confused by the sub par effort put forth by the ailing an aging machinery. He was no doubt faking it. The rest of us were generally surprised when we realized the murky cloud was aimed so precisely towards that disco ball that hadn't begun to rotate or oscillate yet. As the lights dimmed, and the rays danced their way to the metallic sphere and the resulting beams fractured and pierced their way through that initially unimpressive smoke cloud- well, it was pretty impressive it turns out.

Murphy and company segued next into their most recent single, “Drunk Girls. The initial build up was much longer, at least two, maybe three times as long. To those who had not scoured every last artifact of This is Happening, it might not have been immediately obvious as to what was coming next. These would be common themes throughout the show; anticipation and mystery. With so many songs, they would gently ease their way into the beat at such a leisurely pace that it was at times generally difficult to tell what the next anonymous drum beat would turn into. “Drunk Girls” of course became identifiable as soon as Murphy and Co opened their mouths. It's simple and fun and easily enjoyable, but to those who have seen the Spike Jonze directed video with its wonderful and imaginative vocal layering, the LP and even live version seem slightly lacking. As if it is somehow less than the sum of its parts.

Murphy was more playful and engaging with his audience than memory of past shows recall. He would often preface songs with partial monologues or anecdotes, introducing new members of the group, sharing moments from the tour so far, checking to make sure it wasn't raining again. At times he was so spontaneously charming one wonders if he had plants in the audience to work off of. For a man who claims he is too tired and exhausted to do another tour, he seems more comfortable and engaged in such a role than ever before. The other members were a treat as well. Band member David Scott Stone was one of the coolest dorks you will ever see. When he had nothing to do he grabbed some drum sticks and started flailing his limbs with utter abandon, convulsing through the sporadic bursts of smoke. He looked ridiculous and confident; he belongs in this group.

I hoped they would play “Get Innocuous”, and they did not disappoint. It's not my favourite LCD track, nor even my favourite from Sound of Silver. It is an intentionally obscuring and sterile song on the album that comes alive when performed on stage. It explodes right before you. The seemingly cold and, well, innocuous beat on the album is replaced by an equivalent rhythm comprised of roaring guitar and imposing- not laid back- synth. Its abrasively loud; startlingly so. Its important to note the analogue nature of what the group was doing. This wasn't some pre recorded set of beats or a show run from a mac book. This wasn't YACHT two years ago. They were building this stuff on stage. It was the high point of the show for me.

A lot of the important classics were played at the show, to no ones surprise. “Movement” was awesome- its always been a truncated song, so when they kept it going, it was pretty great. Everyone wanted to hear “Daft Punk is Playing at My House” and “Loosing My Edge”, but at the expense of their most recent material? Im not so Sure. It seemed like they didn't delve into a enough of their new album. That they didn't play “Dance Yrself Clean” or “Home” seems like glaring omissions. Why aren't they touring with these? “Dance Yrself Clean” rather than being relegated to the side lines should be marketed as an anthematic icon of they're perspective on music and culture. And “Home” is easily one of the best things they've ever done. Like “All My Friends” before it, it shows how reflective, nostalgic, affected and sincere Murphy is capable of being, while still being incredibly catchy. A missed opportunity.

The initial set was concluding with “Yeah”. Some may think that ending with the same song as they did on their last tour may be slightly redundant. They likely have not seen LCD perform “Yeah” live. It is an assault on your senses. Every one of them, short of perhaps smell (sadly this was not the case for me as I was uncomfortably close to a feral pack of shirtless neon e-tards and their... aroma). Nevertheless, all restraint exercised by the band was cast away- they knew they'd get a break soon. Remember the aforementioned modest light show that was patched together? It blossoms into an incendiary display of lasers and strobes that was sure to cause an epileptic seizure or two. It was pretty neat. Good thing it was a 7 minute long track as it was an experience you wanted prolonged. Think of the part at the end of 2001: A Space Odyssey; it goes on for ever, and everyone loves it. “Yeah” yielded a similar, albeit more cathartic and spastic experience. It was visceral- this is a song less about content and more about delivery anyways. Which is to say it was awesome.

The interlude between the first set and the encore was brief, thankfully. Again, as opposed to diving right into a song, they instead prolonged one pulsating not quite entirely constructed beat so as to leave the crowd guessing for a moment. Eventually it would become apparent they were playing “Someone Great”. No one will argue the genius of this song, however something appeared to be lost in translation when performed live. The point of this song is that its subject matter is so difficult to approach that Murphy does so from a detached and distanced position. When performed live, without the sterilizing, robotic nature that post production applies to Murphy's voice that detachment is gone. The song takes on too much of an organic quality which weakens its thematic punch. It seems inverse to many of the other songs they performed, but here we are.

As the show drew to a close, LCD ended it the only way they could, with “New York I Love, But You're Bringing Me Down”. How did they ever end a show before Sound of Silver? “New York I love You” was designed to be performed live. Its slow, quiet, contemplative build up creates an atmosphere allowing you to reflect on what you'd seen throughout the night. This of course does not last as they let loose one final cacophonous roar just to make sure we were still paying attention. Normally this would be it but by now we were all aware of the New York/ Empire by Jay Z mash up they had been doing on the tour. It was simple and brief, but a nice touch; anything that gives Nancy Wang another chance to sing is always welcome. It was a high point to a show with many. The band is as tight as ever, and though Murphy claims to grow tired of the scene, he and his crew are still able to create as vibrant and unique a soundscape as ever. Then it started raining again.

Top 30 Albums of the Decade- Part 1

Because 25 is a far too restricting number...

30. Grizzly Bear- Veckatimest- 2009

In some circles Grizzly Bear's music is unfairly dismissed as being too sophisticated in its construction that it looses its semblance of personality and comes off as artificial. The word construction is indeed an apt way to describe how the group writes and records. Songs are not slapped together, there are no rashly or hastily formed bits improvised into the album. Veckatmest is meticulously, even painstakingly pieced together. This may not make it the most exciting album you will ever here, but it is certainly one of the more engaging. One may not appreciate just how intricate music can be until you hear songs such as the ones from this collection. Every hook, melody, vocal echo, fade in, segue and so forth are timed and paced perfectly. Much of the content may be understated creating an air of malaise and monotony; but this is misleading as the aesthetic of so many of the songs constantly morphs and progresses into something else, doing so in a natural way so as to avoided schizophrenic shifting from one sound to the next. “Southern Point” starts as an unassuming meanderer but then creates a spiraling assent into something so much more expansive and vibrant. “Fine For Now” slowly but surely shifts from a quite acoustic nature to an epic electronic display. “Foreground” is one of the few tracks that holds its initial shape for its entirety; but its haunting and simple nature evokes the best of Thom Yorke's solo efforts. A great way to close such a deceptively complex album

Best Tracks- Southern Point, Two Weeks, Dory, Foreground

29. Fleet Foxes- 2008

Only recently have I started enjoying acoustic folk music, so Fleet Foxes came along at just the right time. What I enjoy most about this album is Robin Pecknold's voice. It’s very hollow and constantly echoes, yet it also carries a great deal of weight to it; something very unique and pleasing. The group realizes this it would seem, giving him ample time to be the only sound present for several parts of tracks like “Oliver James” and “White Winter Hymnal”. When it becomes more melodic or instrumental they make no effort to rush things, as if they have nothing to do other than do what they enjoy. That being said, the group still manages to avoid loitering or playing without any direction. Instead their music seems to carry a great deal of intent; something I find uncommon among their contemporaries and it is much appreciated.

Best Tracks- Sun it Rises, Ragged Wood, Your Protector, Oliver James

28. Vampire Weekend- 2008

In a way I can kind of understand the Vampire Weekend haters. It must be frustrating to see a group so effortlessly turn out such expertly crafted, precise, and intelligent pop and rock- almost to the point where it seems they don’t even notice what there doing might have some significance. But it’s foolish not to enjoy this album as the group is so clearly on the side of the haters: they have no interest in pretention or grandiose ambition in their music, instead they are more content to spin subtle tales about innocuous every day happenings in their lives. They’ll take the occasional break from their polite and wonderful melodies at times to simply linger in whatever moment the seem to be pondering. This is all the more perplexing yet refreshing as these boys are all Harvard grads and teachers. Even the climaxes on tracks like “M79” and “Oxford Coma” seem to just happen in an understated sort of way in spite of the restraint the band employs so as not to get too worked up- after all, this is indie, not emo. They have a wonderful talent to mix the highest breed of diction and vocabulary with more down to earth and colloquial mannerisms. It’s slurred together sometimes at such a pace that it’s hard to keep up with- as evident in, the at times relentless track, “A-punk”. The fact that they probably just threw together these lyrics between classes must be all the more infuriating for the haters.

Best Tracks- A-punk, Campus, Walcott

27. Broken Social Scene- You Forgot it in People- 2002

Canada’s ever present parental band got its start early in the decade, but even today maintains its ability to create very specific and encompassing yet unique tones in each of its albums and offshoot LPs. In “You forgot it in People” the group dances around a number of somewhat unpleasant issues in morose and depressing ways. Songs like “Cause = Time”, “Stars and Sons”, and “I’m Still Your Fag” mix topics of homosexuality, radicalism, feminism, abandonment and a bunch of others I probably missed into one not particularity pleasant pile. But it’s not an emo album, its one of defiance against these stigmas. Often when you think a song is giving way to a subdued nature, it breaks out in to a violent burst of screeching or guitar. At other times it rises above the unpleasantness and anger and fines something good in the aforementioned pile, such as Emily Haines plea to enjoy the little things in “Anthems for a 17 Year Old Girl”. The one track that is inconsistent with the rest is actually one of the best- “Pacific Theme”; completely instrumental, but maybe may favorite summer song ever.

Best Tracks- Cause = Time, KC accidental, Stars and Sons, Pacific Theme

26. Boards of Canada- Geogaddi- 2002

Trying to explain Boards of Canada to someone is just about as impossible as anything gets. The closest approximation to BoC I can think of is maybe Sigor Ros. Only Sigor Ros is like the playschool version of Boards, and far too pleasant in comparison. Boards, and to me Geogaddi more so than their other incredible albums, is the music that aliens would listen to; even the music that aliens would create. Its subtle, its mysterious, its unsettling, its subliminal. When you listen to this album you feel like something is going on in your head beyond just computing audio stimulus. What ever drugs the two gentlemen living on a farm somewhere in Scotland were doing when they made Geogaddi, they were doing a lot of it. BoC is definitely not for everyone though. Many even, most people would just call it noise. But its not, Boards is music in the same way that 2001: A space Odyssey was story telling; unconventional, extremely hard to interpret full of sounds/visuals that carry with it mysterious artifacts and clues. Once you get a sense of what it’s all about it becomes extremely engaging, creeping in your body in a way that most music can’t. As for the track Magic Window… I have no idea. Is it possible to hook a record player up to a projector, because I hear there is somehow an image embedded within the 90 seconds of silence.

Best Tracks- Music is Math, The Beach at Red point, The Devil is in the Details, 1969