Vol. 5 Issue 38 February 2009
Recovering from the Superbowl? Ha. You know I just caught the highlights Hulu style. How contrarian of me. I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I was completely won over by Springsteen’s endearingly dorky “I can’t believe I’m playing the Superbowl Half-Time Show” enthusiasm – what a performance. Well, not to be outdone by all of yesterday’s excitement February brings some of the best new releases in the Bank Robber canon – new music from BRM heavyweight: M. Ward – And landmark stuff from Here We Go Magic/Luke Temple, Mountains, Say Hi, Odawas, Julie Doiron and more!
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Current Releases
- Click to see:
- Merge
- Thrill Jockey
- Drag City
Merge
www.mergerecords.com
M. Ward
"Hold Time"
2008 was a huge year for M. Ward. The man made miracles happen with indie cutie actress, Zooey Deschanel. Ward’s talents as not only a producer/arranger, but also a mighty fine guitar player actually managed the feat of making a record from an actor sound awesome. She & Him’s Volume 1 (Merge) managed to top many an ‘08 Best Of list. Now Ward is back on his own with Hold Time (Merge). All his records have been absolutely timeless and brilliant. In fact, if there can be any criticism leveled at Ward, it’s that if anything he has been too consistent. Well, Hold Time while keeping with the reverb-y/folksy fold, is undoubtedly Ward’s most uptempo, diverse, and accomplished record to date – it’s his classic, it’s where to start if you’ve never heard an M. Ward cut before, and it will also certainly become a jewel to his die-hard fans. Featuring contributions from Zooey D, and Jason Lytle of Grandaddy, a killer cover of “Oh Lonesome Me” with Lucinda Williams, and Tom Hagerman of Devotchka, Hold Time is destined to endure. Check out the Gary Glitter drums on “Never Had Anybody Like You,” and “Oh, Lonesome Me”.
Thrill Jockey
www.thrilljockey.com
Mountains
"Choral"
Back in my days “slumming it” as a fine purveyor of awesome music (ie. A record store clerk) in New York, I knew the two dudes in Thrill Jockey’s newest signing, Mountains. Both Brendon Anderegg and Koen Holtkamp seemed all around good guys with impeccable taste in super obscure organic, minimalist electronic music a la a million Brian Eno related projects and anything on the Rune Grammofon label, 70’s kraut and folk reissues and god knows what else too. Of course this “tastefulness” comes through in blazing colors on Choral, the duo’s debut for Thrill Jockey Records. To my ears Mountains always sounded like some sort of Taoist Fennesz record – all intimate warm tones, blanketed in a fuzziness that was anything but exclusionary. Choral follows suit. It’s an album as much about the faintly percussive hum of a bow hitting strings, as it is about the melodies being played on those strings. In other words, it’ll draw you in. Let it.
Drag City
dragcity.com/
Azita
"How Will You?"
Holy Kate Bush Alert! Drag City songstress Azita is back with How Will You? (Drag City). The multi-tracked estrogen-vocal energy is in the house on this one folks. But so are some absolutely killer arrangements and playing; Azita is backed by an all-star rhythm section featuring Matt Lux (Isotope 217/Iron and Wine), John Herndon (Tortoise), and Emmett Kelly (Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy). There’s a definite smokey Cabaret pop vibe on How, that almost gives the record a very Cat Power lost in Paris vibe. Come to think of it, a modern Edith Piaf is not a bad way of thinking of Azita. Crack open your best Merlot and listen to one of the sweetest most breezy female pop albums to come through our headquarters.
Death
"...For The Whole World To See"
Death is not the most promising of names. It sounds like the name of a drone metal band – perhaps one that Byron Coley might go ga-ga for, and perhaps one with too-obvious a name. But Death were not a drone metal band at all. In fact, they were a group of 3 African American brothers who in 1974 started making anthemic garage-rock inspired by Iggy and The Stooges, but coming off more like the most accessible moments of the MC5. They hooked up with Parliament/Funkadelic producer of all people and started “kicked out the jams.” Clive Davis wanted to sign them, but his only condition was that they change their dreaded name. Needless to say, the brothers wouldn’t do it. So until now, Death had only ever put one single. A huge debt must be paid to Drag City who have dug up Death’s never-released debut lp from the vaults - ...For The Whole World To See (Drag City) is a lost rock classic. Every song on this thing has sprawling Pete Townsend windmill guitar-lines, rollicking tempos, and just enough sloppiness to give it all a hooky punk heart. “Keep On Knockin’” shoulda been on the Dazed And Confused soundtrack – come to think of it, this whole record shoulda been. Call ‘em Dogtown and D Boyz....
- Click to see:
- Barsuk
- Western Vinyl
- Jagjaguwar
Barsuk
www.barsuk.com/
Say Hi
"Oohs & Aahs"
Over the course of five albums, Eric Elbogen, has quietly become a low-key master of self-produced quirkily infectious indie-pop. His latest, Oohs & Aahs (Barsuk), is not only Elbogen’s debut for Barsuk Records, but it’s also his first under his “bands” shortened moniker of Say Hi (they used to be called Say Hi To Your Mom). We at BRM certainly approve of this abbreviated name-change. Furthermore, we dig on Elbogen’s slightly revamped sound. Less self-conscious than his previous efforts, Oohs displays a newfound maturity. Despite titles like “Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh,” Say Hi’s hooks have never been more pronounced, and slightly dare I say “melodramatic” sounding. You supervisors should eat up all the catchy pop drama. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that the previously mentioned “Oh x8” sounds something like The Shins if they were orchestrated by Sufjan Stevens. Check out the teenage anthem: “Hallie and Henry”
Western Vinyl
westernvinyl.com/
Here We Go Magic
"Here We Go Magic"
Here We Go Magic is Luke Temple. Luke Temple is Here We Go Magic. Temple had already firmly established himself as a fine songwriter of the melancholy vaguely Tin Pan Alley variety, but nobody could’ve predicted the panoramic genre-defying brilliance of the man’s latest project. Here We Go Magic’s selftitled debut (Western Vinyl) sounds so very now, in the best possible way. “Tunnelvision” sounds like some otherworld collaboration between Bon Iver and Animal Collective. “Fangela”, and “Only Pieces” channel a more lo-fi Vampire Weekend with the dustiness of a Grizzly Bear/Department of Eagles. Some people will even say this thing sounds like Graceland. However, the genius to Here We Go Magic is that it manages to evoke these textures and sounds without sounding too much like any of them. Temple writes strong memorable hooks, and with this modest little home-recorded gem wraps these melodies in textures and obscure rhythms implacable vintage sounds and loops and a beautiful warm gauziness. It’s a winter record. I’d also be surprised if it managed to not be in my Top of ‘09. I’m calling it now.
Jagjaguwar
jagjaguwar.com/
Julie Doiron
"I Can Wonder What You Did With Your Day"
Julie Doiron’s latest may be ruefully titled, I Can Wonder What You Did With Your Day (Jagjaguwar), but the record is surprisingly “up” for Miss Doiron. Harkening back to her early day’s in grunge-y Sub Pop trio, Eric’s Trip, Day is a huge step backwards in the most awesome way possible. All her bewildering melancholy confession pop paens are now electrified and dusted with grime and distortion lending a very retro-early 90’s vibe to the preceedings. Its a good look. “Consolation Prize” sounds like some great lost Liz Phair track from when Liz Phair was actually listenable – all raw scornful ex-boyfriend lyrics and minimalist chugging powerchorded out Telecasters. Meanwhile, “Tailor” drifts along on a shuffling drums and open-tuned melodic guitars – equal parts math rock, and, um, Feist. All in all, one of Doiron’s best efforts. Dig on “Consolation Prize”.
Odawas
"The Blue Depths"
80’s flavored psychedelic duo, Odawas, have made one hell of a record with The Blue Depths (Jagjaguwar). Drawing equally from ambient Reagan-era staples like The Blue Nile and Phil Collins, as well as kitschy 60’s style Jack Nitsche Americana, Odawas have put two tastes together that I never thought would fit. The Blue is a slow burn of an album – a tangle of acoustic guitars, harmony laden vocals, and lush 4AD keyboard patches. It’s wistful, beautiful labyrinth of sound – the type of band I imagine that could’ve opened for the Cocteau Twins back in the day. Let it slowly drift you away...