Vol. 5 Issue 45 September 2009
Who knew? Back here at the BRM headquarters we are already breaking out pashmina for the early fall! Guess I don't have to worry about my crew showing up in shorts anytime soon...In the mean time, we've got the latest from The Clientele, David Bazan, Califone, Volcano Choir and more. Enjoy!
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Current Releases
- Click to see:
- Dead Oceans
- Barsuk
- Fat Cat
- Quannum Projects
- Team Love
Dead Oceans
www.deadoceans.com/
Califone
"My Friends Are Funeral Singers"
Experimental post-rock requires a scholar’s approach, and Califone are an extremely intelligent bunch of experimental post-rockers. They’ve definitely done their homework, building a grungy mountain jam session from their infinite and intimate association with all things rock-and-roll. The musical landscapes of their latest record, All My Friends Are Funeral Singers, are painted with the precision we have come to expect from this ever-evolving Chicago band. We can thank Dead Oceans for this epic addition to Califone’s discography, and the songs—the fun, tribal “Ape Like” or the reflective “Funeral Singers”—will stick with you. Check out "Funeral Singers".
Barsuk
www.barsuk.com/
David Bazan
"Curse Your Branches"
Singer-songwriters used to get famous first and start bands after, but, in a scene that readily welcomes solo acts and side projects aplenty, famous bands seem to generate a large number of respectable singer-songwriters. Regardless of which came first—the chicken or the egg—we here at Bank Robber are almost always happy to see a new artist fly the proverbial coop. The Bohemian booze ballads and deep fried junkyard spirituals of David Bazan’s latest full-length under Barsuk, Curse Your Branches, are a testament to the rewards of “goin’ solo.” Snare drums, handclaps and guitar strums keep the time in this fully realized album of poetry and rock. David’s songs dash back and forth between emotions; some are mournful, like “Lost My Shape,” some celebratory, like “Bearing Witness,” and the all lyrics stick around even when the music stops. Check out "Bless This Mess".
Fat Cat
fat-cat.co.uk/
The Twilight Sad
"Forget The Night Ahead"
Starting out as a post-rock band, The Twilight Sad (Fat Cat) rejected playing live shows for some time to concentrate on recording and zeroing in on their sound. This was time well spent. On Forget the Night Ahead, their Mogwai-esque wall of noise surrounded by anthematic rock is a refreshing sound. From the first beats of the album, you feel like you could almost be listening to Bauhaus, but that is quickly brushed aside by their almost pop sensibilities to song. "That Birthday Present" fades in slowly from what seems like the climax of the song and the rest of it seems to work backwards. This album has surely got some balls. Great stuff. Check out "That Room".
Quannum Projects
www.quannum.com/
General Elektriks
"Good City For Dreamers"
I think the last time the clavinet was relevant was when The Band was up on Cripple Creek. Well, no more, because the General Elektriks put it to great use on their move bustin’ new disc, Good City For Dreamers (Quannum Projects). They actually put everything to good use on this album. It truly is a masterpiece of psychadelic dance and soul. They are already wildly popular in Japan and France, but unlike David Hasselhoff, they deserve it. It is only a matter of time before they are on everyone’s late summer playlists. I dare you to listen to this album sitting still, it’s impossible. Check out “Bloodshot Eyes"
Team Love
team-love.com/
Simon Joyner
"Out Into The Snow"
Why Simon Joyner isn’t an indie-household name is beyond me. Able to stay relevant since emerging from the lo-fi boom of the mid 90’s, he has slowly become one of our most important songwriters. On his new album Out Into The Snow (Team Love) he continues along with his Lou Reed dream sequences on epic tunes like the album opener “The Drunken Boat”. It’s 9 minutes of lazy acoustic swelling strung together by some of the most heartfelt lyrics we have heard in a long time. “Why waste your time learning to swim, it’s how you float that matters?” gets me everytime. Or check out the no depression stylings of “Peace In My Time”, it’s perfect for drinking alone.. "Out Into The Snow" has some of the most heartfelt lyrics this side of Sun Kil Moon. Check out “Roll On”.
- Click to see:
- Merge
- Jagjaguwar
- Secretly Canadian
- Temporary Residence
Merge
www.mergerecords.com
The Clientele
"Bonfires on the Heath"
Boasting a pop sensibility to be envied by Brits and Yanks alike, London hypno-rockers The Clientele deluge their new album, Bonfires on the Heath, with an imaginative self-reared genre. Guitars lead the way for violins, horns, relaxed percussion and heady vocals, assembling a powerhouse of style and stride you’d expect to hear from Love's "Forever Changes" era and the Super Furry Animals. At the helm, lead singer Alasdair MacLean serenades us with bedtime story calm and summertime cool. It’s a lazy afternoon kind of sound backed by a busy, bar-hopping beat that still seems to maintain a spooky, spectral aura. High Fidelity Indeed! Check out “I Wonder Who We Are”.
Polvo
"In Prism"
Yeah. Polvo is putting out a new record, only twelve years after their last album, and they’re back with Merge, which is good news for everyone involved. Are we going to talk about how they nurtured indie rock in its infancy? Will we tout their geometric approach to orchestration and its injection of musical relevance into a genre that has since evolved into a movement of Renaissance proportions? Why not herald their prior accomplishments unceasingly? In all honesty, there’s just no need, because the new album, In Prism, is a brilliant come back that simply refuses to surrender to the status quo. Guitar is God in several tracks including “Right The Relation” and “Beggar’s Bowl,” giving Ash Bowie and Dave Brylawski a chance to crash their axes together once again. Polvo are firm in their musical mission, which began with Merge back in 1992, and the rock music they spew forth is still calculated and masterfully sewn together. Polvo is back, and they’re back for good. Check out “Beggar’s Bowl”.
Jagjaguwar
www.jagjaguwar.com/
Volcano Chair
"Unmap"
Jagjaguwar’s various indie treasures are typically pretty impressive, but now they’re releasing a full-length experimental collaboration between Justin Vernon of Bon Iver and Collections of Colonies of Bees. You can stop pinching yourself, because you’re awake and it’s true: Justin Vernon will have another studio album out this year. The album, Unmap, gets a fat Bank Robber Seal of Awesomeness and Stamp of Approval, and not just because the entire record is laden with that unmistakably sweet Bon Iver falsetto with which we’ve all fallen so deeply in love. No, this whole group is a serious talent powerhouse of guitars, banjos, hands claps and synthesizers, pushing loops to their extreme and overlaying genius choral harmonies. Fine, fine, since you’re wondering, yes, Vernon sounds better than ever, finally singing something a little less reflective and inward. Check out “Island, IS” for a prime example of how Justin proves how well he works with others.
Secretly Canadian
www.secretlycanadian.com/
BLK JKS
"After Robots"
I always joke that I am not progressive enough to listen to world music. After listening to South Africa’s BLK JKS new album After Robots, I have decided that most world music just isn’t progressive enough. BLK JKS have shown me how great it can be. Combining african beats, atonal indian melodies, and just about every other sound from the four corners into a sort of Afro-Prog delight ,it’s impossible to know what is coming next. Standout Banna Ba Modimo is like the love child of Mr. Bungle and Paul Simon’s Rhythm of the Saints. Check out "Molalatladi".
Temporary Residence
temporaryresidence.com/
Maserati
"Passages"
Like heroic meditations from on high, Maserati (Temporary Residence) moves through their first three tracks on Passages exploring one musical theme, but never repeating themselves. They then move on to "Monoliths", which is almost like the disco tune King Crimson never got around to recording. This is mind bending stuff. Perfect for complementing whatever mood you find yourself in. It would help to relax the relaxed, and further pump up the already pumped up. Its almost like classical music made by aliens. Long live Maserati, one of my new favs! Check out "Monoliths".