Re-Up: Letting the once glorious shine again
Various Artists
"Local Customs: Lone Star Lowlands"
Numero Group’s back with a new collection of unheard gems – this time from Lowland Studios in Beaumont, Texas. Local Customs: Lone Star Lowlands is an album that sees a ragtag group of songwriters melding country, folk, soul, and rock’n’roll. Take “She’s My Daughter” by Sassy for example. This is just a simply great song that sounds like the Southwest’s answer to the Rolling Stones, or even The Velvet Underground. There’s a lot of classic “stand-in’s” here. Bobby Welch’s “Yellow River” has this Paul Simon “Kodachrome” thing going on (although strangely enough, I hear some of The Replacements in there – obviously predating the band, but it’s there.) There’s some full on bar band burners on here, too. Hope’s “Tomorrow” sounds like Thin Lizzy via CSNY. “Take A Look At Your Friends” by The Next Exit has straight up Led Zep-worthy riffage, chugging along like a bourbon-fueled juggernaut. The great things about these Numero compilations is that they give you the feeling you’ve heard these songs before – there’s an overarching sense of nostalgia of summertime driving with the radio blasting through Lone Star Lowlands.Bachelorette
"My Electric Family"
Bachelorette is New Zealand’s Annabel Alpers. Her music was recently described by my favorite Feminist rag, Bust Magazine, (not that I actually read Bust Magazine) as like “taking too many mushrooms and falling in love with your computer.” Awesome. My Electric Family is Bachelorette’s third release and it definitely has an otherworldly synth-pop quality to it. “Little Bird Tell Lies” is an incredible almost-acappella-styled breezy summertime love song that would make Feist blush, but it’s got some super-quirky electronics to live up to the “otherworldly” tag. It’s a track so good, you guys have to check it out.
Dinosaur Jr.
"Farm"
Farm is the first release from the original line-up of Dinosaur Jr. in forever. They are back with a new label too - the very fine, Jagjaguwar. Lou Barlow is also back in the house and he delivers two of the most memorable songs he's written - ever. Not to be outdone Sir J. sounds as gloriously bummed and cynical as ever - which is really saying something considering he's now happily married with kids and his old band is back in action - you'd think he'd be writing songs that sound like a Ringo Starr solo record. But no. Thank god. Just classic Dino shredding stoner jams.
Fiery Furnaces
"Take Me Round Again"
Take Me Round Again: The Friedbergers cover the Friedbergers.
The Fiery Furnaces have been reworking, rearranging, and rewriting their songs live since they first started touring in 2003. They have taken this practice one step further on their new record, Take Me Round Again. Recorded separately this past July in Michigan and New York, Matt and Eleanor each recorded 6 songs that originally appeared on I’m Going Away. All that remains the same are the words.
Eleanor: “I’ve gotten into the habit of rewriting songs Matt has written, just as a way of practicing and singing at home. Originally, I had wanted to record a folk-style record called Eleanor Friedberger sings the songs of the Fiery Furnaces. I thought it would make a nice greatest hits record, but reworking I’m Going Away before it even came out seemed a lot more exciting.”
Matthew: “After asking people to send us their re-write of I’m Going Away before having heard it, I thought we owed it to them to make an actual alternate version of the record. And not just leave all the new arranging for live shows.”
Tracey Thorn
"Love And The Opposite"
Another sentimental oldie comes hurtling out of my highschool diary and land’s on my desk at the BRM. I feel like 15 year old me is working at Merge Records now signing all my back in the day obsessions. Guilty as charged. I did love Everything But The Girl back in the day. “Missing” was “totes” my make-out jam. With Portishead. And then my CD carousel would wander into Brighten The Corners. Total mood killer. Nonetheless, EBTG’s Tracey Thorn had a buttery croon that somehow managed at sounding incredibly accessible without being, for lack of a better word, cheesy. It’s no wonder EBTG were chart toppers. It’s also no wonder that Thorn’s stark debut solo record for Merge, Love and It’s Opposite, is as gorgeous an album as you are likely to hear in 2010. I like to think of it as the lady version of an album Smog’s Bill Callahan might make. Broody, close-mic’d vocals, lyrics oblique and direct at the same time, sparse baroque cello-drawn arrangements – one of the standout’s is title, “Oh, The Divorces.” You get the idea. There are no synths and house beats on this one – but there are contributions from Jens Lekman and a member of Hot Chip. I suppose listening to Love And It’s Opposite might leave you never wanting to get married...on the other hand, if a piece of art this moving comes out of it maybe it’s worth all the happiness and heartache?
Gayngs
"Gayngs"
Ladies and gentleman, I have heard the future of music. Bone Thugs’n’Harmony is the future of music. Well...Gayngs at least. What is Gayngs you ask? Gayngs is the project from Ryan Olson and Solid Gold’s Zack Coulter and Adam Hurlburt. Gayngs’ Jagjaguwar debut, hilariously titled, Relayted, is like one great big love child of Bone Thugs, Prince, Bon Iver, Aerial Pink and chillwave bands like Neon Indian – which is all just to say that those folks who love falsetto-crooned vocals and spacey, druggy, keyboard music need this record like yesterday. It sort of makes sense that Gayngs come out of Bon Iver’s old North Carolina posse Megafaun. Gayngs’ echo-drenched sonics are not that far removed from Bon Iver's – it’s just these songs have...um...swagger...there’s no hurt here. Gayngs’ music aims to seduce – see: the woozy saxophones on “The Gaudy Side of Town.” I’d totally hit it.
Holy Ghost!
"Holy Ghost!"
Not ones to rest on their laurels, the boys in Holy Ghost have finally released their full length self-titled (DFA) debut. After teasing us with last summer’s insanely dancable Static on the Wire EP, and remixing literally everyone who ever recorded a song (I might be exaggerating) they have layed out before us a masterpiece of their ‘80s disco dance pop. Quite frankly, this album might win 2011’s award for most varied guest stars. You have an appearance from the sadly missed Jerry Fuchs, Chris Glover from Rapture...oh, and did I mention the guest spot from the immaculately bearded Michael McDonald? Yeah, you read right, Michael “Ya Mo Be There” McDonald. My kitsch-o-meter is getting some of the highest readings it has ever recorded. Okay, Doobie Brothers aside, this soon to be favorite is one helluva party, and your invitation just arrived in the shape of the album’s insanely catchy first single, “Do It Again.”
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
"Dirty Shirt Rock N' Roll"
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion is back! The Blues are back! The band is in the midst of a full catalog reissue, but this greatest hits package is already here making our re-up process just a little easier... Hopefully this will all lead to JSBX doing some gigs, as they were always one of the best live bands around then... and now? Well the P'fork kids are already behind the revival, and that's even more proof that that the Blues are, yup, still Number One (sorry). Check out the... classic? yeah, it's been long enough, this is officially a classic now: BELLBOTTOMS!
A Weather
"Everyday Balloons"
What makes the perfect Sunday morning record? .....You know, nothing that back in the day would offend the hangover, but now, well, something that won't annoy the family......So here we are with "Everyday Balloons" and it sounds great first thing any Sunday (hungover or not)......Hushed vocals, electric guitars (but nothing heavy), and drums played with either brushes or those rod things that were so big during the everyone Unplugged Era.......Check out "Winded" you'll be smitten and sleepy.
Tinted Windows
"Tinted Windows"
Hard to argue that that this one isn't a "Supergroup" by any standards... Featuring the dude from Hanson, a dude from Smashing Pumpkins, the dude from Fountains of Wayne and of course Bun E. Carlos from Cheap Trick! (aka one of Lyle's 5 favorite drummers of all time) Sure, supergroups always have mixed results (see: New Edition, The Firm, Dr. Janet), but this is beyond any of that noise... A basic premise of writing pop songs that sound like they are from a missing Rasberries album or perhaps even Badfinger outtakes -- how can you go wrong? Check out the future power pop classic "Kind of A Girl"
Trans Am
"Trans Am"
Building their reputation through synth squiggles, clicks and hisses before morphing towards driving rock albums and vocoder-fueled future explorations, Trans Am often came across as the snotty hyperactive little brother to label-mate Tortoise's tripped out mellow masterpieces. Looking back, now an astonishing 8 albums in, Trans Am was in fact the other necessary piece of the Thrill Jockey roster, and their self-titled debut is the perfect jumping off point. From the epic prog leanings of the nine-minute "American Kooter" alone, you can pretty much see the blueprint for their entire trajectory, while tracks like the riffy "Orlando" and the chugging (and super awesome) "Ballbados" teeter somewhere between heavy rock perfection and snarky vehicles for the band to show off just how tight and syncopated they really are. Later records in the catalog pull from all over this, and often improve on some of the ideas (and clichés), but none are as big, weird, raw and oddly enjoyable as what the band accomplished here. Check out "Ballbados".
Cornelius
"Fantasma"
In 1998 Cornelius’ Fantasma was one strange gem of a record. In 2009 it still is. A high-low marrying collage of thrift shop boom box beats, kitschy novelty pop, bossa-nova, 60’s psychedelia, drum’n’bass, and just about anything else you can think of. At the time, the closest comparison was Beck – but Keigo Oyamada aka Cornelius’ postmodern-blessed jams always seemed to me significantly weirder than anything Beck has ever put out. And that’s saying something. Maybe it’s cause dude was from Japan – who knows. But I’ll be damned if in 1998 Fantasma didn’t feel utterly timeless – completely falling from the heavens attached to nothing in particular –just a sprawling mind-boggling sonic document: the sound of an album pieced together out of a thousand obscure albums that have come before it. And even today, Fantasma retains all it’s awe - “Count Five or Six” is Sesame Street gone punk (sort of), “Star Fruits Surf Rider” is pure hazy Sofia Coppola mellow 80’s-loving soundscapes before Lost In Translation had even been thought of, “Mic Check” is some post-hip-hop awesomeness that boggles my mind to think was recorded in ‘98. In short, Cornelius’ Fantasma is a true modern classic. Check out "Count Five Or Six".
Superchunk
"Here's Where The Strings Come In"
Sure Yo La Tengo were more “artsy” and Pavement more “cryptically difficult,” but no band truly captured the sound of “90’s indie guitar-rock” quite like Chapel Hill, NC’s Superchunk. Here was a band that had it all – fractured atonal guitars, power-pop ADD-friendly hooks, so ironic they were earnest lyrics, and even a girl on bass. By the time I discovered 1995’s Here’s Where The Strings Come In (Merge), I needed a record that was smart, cynical, and could make me break a sweat inspiring me to jump up and down in the center of my bedroom with my door firmly shut keeping my parents and the outside adult world at bay. An album that wasn’t afraid to wear it’s heart on it’s sleeve without being sentimental of cloying or afraid of completely rocking out. Strings was that album. The opening track was titled, “Hyper Enough” - indeed it was. Kicking off with a triumphant high pitched-multi-note guitar attack and propelling onward toward 3 plus minutes of pure adolescent pop perfection - “Hyper Enough” remained like my favorite song ‘til 11th grade. And though, I’d never been to Detroit, Superchunk had me singing gleefully about the skyline there in the equally energetic “Detroit Has A Skyline” and wondering just what silver leaf was during the buzzy ballad, “Silver Leaf and Snowy Tears”. Sure, Superchunk had two certifiable classics before Strings (91’s No Pocky For Kitty and 93’s Foolish), and quite possibly even a few after (I submit ‘97’s Indoor Living) but to my ears Superchunk never sounded better than on this baby. Check out "Hyper Enough".
Julie Ocean
"Long Gone And Nearly There"
Long Gone And Nearly There is a treasured album at BRM HQ. It’s a rare record, and it will go down as one of a kind now that Julie Ocean’s entire career trajectory lasted no longer the entirety of ‘08. So sad. I guess it’s hard to keep a band together when all the members of said band have day jobs – some selling insurance, some as correspondents for CNN. Gotta send those kids to school somehow I guess. But look Julie Ocean proved that just because you used to be in seminal bands like Velocity Girl – growing older doesn’t necessarily have to mean you grow staler to boot. In nary 30 minutes, Long Gone... blasts by in pure hyper garage-pop perfection. Hook after hook – from the handclap-friendly, “Bright Idea,” to scathing and highly sing-a-longable, “My Revenge”, Julie Ocean proved that “youthfulness” is in your spirit and in your music more than anything else. It’s a heart-warming album that may not have been on all the blogs or getting a NY Times headline story – though, it should have. We love it, and you will too. Check out "My Revenge".
Okkervil RIver
"The Stage Names"
Okkervil River's The Stage Names (Jagjaguwar) has become somewhat of a defining moment for Austin's conceptual gloomy bar-rockers. A triumph, where Will Sheff and Co. made good on all their indie-promise and delivered one hell of an epic classic. Brimming with visceral storytelling, and raw orchestral production, The Stage Names, is definitely one of the most expressive and cinematic albums in the Bank Robber vaults – it's a shock to us that you all didn't greet it with a triumphant rapturous response. "Unless It's Kicks" was an explosive bar-rocker that could've gone head to head with any Hold Steady track out there, and we definitely thought "Our Life Is Not A Movie or Maybe" with it's timpani percussion, and rollicking, explosive chorus' would've had all you Arcade Fire lovers from note one ("Movie" really is absolutely perfect for all of those failed Arcade Fire requests, btw). And my personal favorite, "Savannah Smiles", sounded like Wilco doing their best take on a breezy Velvets style ballad. As Okkervil gears up to release a marvelous companion piece to The Stage Names, there is no more perfect time to re-inspect this under the radar classic.
Citay
"Little Kingdom"
So there are some albums in the proverbial BRM canon, I can understand people not picking up on right away. Citay's Little Kingdom (Dead Oceans) is one of those albums. Citay is a kinda enigmatic name for starters - is it a band?, a side-project?, a trans-gendered singer-songwriter? - what is Citay!? Well, turns out it's a duo sort-of sideproject thing whose bio I once went into in more detail in previous BRM scribblings. However, now, digging this baby out of the vaults, I want to talk about the music. And how freaking rad Little Kingdom was. First of all, it sounded like a greatest hits of all the awesomest electric guitar solos from your favorite 12-minute long Headbanger's Ball power ballads. Picture an album full of ebo-tweaked electric guitar solos heavily influenced by Metallica, "November Rain," Brian Eno, and well Trad, Gras, Stenar too and you've pretty much nailed the Citay aesthetic. It's a weird and brilliant and trippy listen, and it surely deserves to be dusted off for some more lovage.
Angela Desveaux
"Wandering Eyes"
Angela Desveaux’s Wandering Eyes (Thrill Jockey) came out almost 2 years ago, but it’s still the BRM’s “go-to” record for lush and beautiful female sung alt. country. With the world going nuts for females like Feist, and that Isreali chick in all those Macbook ads, we feel Desveaux’s moment is now. With production from the man who helmed all those killer Son Volt records, Brian Paulson, (not too mention Sea and Cake, and Superchunk as well), Eyes is a very pretty and weighty affair full of sparkling guitars, and slightly crackling pedal steels. Holy Lucinda Williams! Check out the title track, “Wandering Eyes.”
The Ladybug Transistor
"Can't Wait Another Day"
Brooklyn’s Ladybug Transistor were perennial indie popsters. If you don’t have any of their late-90’s baroque pop gems, hit us up and we’ll get you some must-hear music. Last year’s quiet comeback, Can’t Wait Another Day (Merge), saw Ladybug getting all dark and noir-y on us. The Technicolor sunshine pop of previous release, became muted with shades of grey, and merlot reds. In other words, Ladybug grew up. “Always On The Telephone,” “This Old Chase,” and the melancholy “So Blind” all were standouts on a gorgeous unexpectedly different release, that may have perplexed fans a bit. It also didn’t help that their San Fadyl passed away just weeks before Day dropped. Let’s give this baby a new…er…life.
Michio Kurihara
"Sunset Notes"
Michio Kurihara is a legend to music dorks/snobs etc…As allmusic.com dutifully notes, he basically “invented the Japanese Underground Psychedlic movement.” No surprise then that he went on to become a guiding member of the worshiped Japanese psych-rock collective, Ghost. In the last year, Kurihara has been very busy (not only recording with Damon and Naomi on the record I just gave props to in this very Re-Up), but dude also released one stunningly expansive instrumental solo album called, Sunset Notes (20/20/20), and a killer collaboration with beloved ambient, drone, metal rockers, Boris titled, Rainbow. For all of you looking for Explosions In The Sky level drama, Ennio Morricone-vibe’d western soundscapes, or even trippingly melodic Parisian guitar ditties, Kurihara does them all. A living legend.
Damon & Naomi
"Within These Walls"
We can give you all a pass at not jumping at the chance to listen to a group’s 7th (!) album. But Damon and Naomi are exceptional; exceptional, and exceptions to indie rock, and worldly phenomena. They’ve not only managed to stay together as musicians for 7 albums as a duo and a handful more as the “seminal” dream pop band, Galaxy 500, but they’ve also managed to stay together as a couple from their highschool days! Within These Walls (20/20/20) is only further proof of D&N’s staying power. The press called it one of the duo’s best – and it’s surely their most expansive what with mariachi horns, and “Moon River” – like string arrangements to compliment the trademark hushed vocal harmonies and sleepy guitars. Check out the title track – it’s a heartbreaker.
John Vanderslice
"Emerald City"
Admittedly John Vanderslice’s last record, Emerald City (Barsuk) didn’t have the most inviting PR campaign begging you to listen to it’s indie pop awesomeness. The release was greeted with some story about how it was so very lyric based a la The Decemberists (and we know how much you love those guys…irony!). To make matters worse, Emerald was a “concept” record based around some post 9/11 immigration politics. Exciting stuff right? It’s too bad, this baby got bogged down in so much context, because jams like “White Dove,” and “The Parade” showcase Vanderslice at his most melodic and accessible yet.
Nada Surf
"Re-Record"
"Popular" You know it. You love it. The best song ever featuring real lyrics from an old dating manual. I loved this song when I was an awkward teen, I love this song now that I’m an awkward adult. Only now, I get this awesome, super great sounding re-record. You guys might’ve missed this one – cuz it’s not on any of Nada’s albums, but it’s well worth reliving again.
Lisa Gerrard
"The Silver Tree"
Look. I’m not gonna sell Lisa Gerrard to you movie people. You know her. The spooky, super-talented, ex-Dead Can Dance chick that’s scored some really low-budget movies like Gladiator that you probably haven’t heard of. Well, she released a beautifully atmospheric solo album last year titled, The Silver Tree, from which “Abwoon” comes. Love that title: “Abwoon.” Don’t miss this one again.
The Wrens
"The Meadowlands"
Now I don’t know if you people just aren’t listening or what!? But when The Wrens released The Meadowlands on Absolutely Kosher in 2003, it was just about instantly hailed as a seminal east coast Indie Rock classic. And in less than 5 years since – I could already see reason for re-releasing this baby in an “expanded edition.” How has nobody licensed from this thing yet? If Lyle and I agree on anything, it’s that this record is one of, if not, the BEST in the entire BRM catalogue. “This Boy Is Exausted” is all but one small reason why…Rocky Votolato
"Makers"
Can you say “ghost of Elliott Smith three times fast”? Super pretty harmonies, all hushed over quiet acoustic guitars, “White Daisy Passing,” (off of Votolato’s Barsuk debut, Makers) shoulda been a smash with the sad guy music set. Here’s a second chance!
The Twilight Sad
"Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters"
Glistening, distortion-soaked indie rock from Glasgow’s version of The Walkmen! Off of the much under-loved Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters (Fat Cat), “That Summer, At Home I Had Become The Invisible Boy” is a brooding anthem classic.Portastatic
"Bright Ideas"
A knock out off of ‘05’s Bright Ideas, “I Wanna Know Girls” is a total juke box guitar ANTHEM about an average guy who just really, really wants to know girls, duh. Infectious, and fun, and it has “dimension” – there’s definitely a scene for this baby somewhere.
The Sea And Cake
"Everybody"
I don’t know how you folks missed this the first time around, but “Crossing Line" is one of the best things Chicago’s seminal, The Sea and Cake, have ever done. A total stand-out on this years, Everybody, (Thrill Jockey) (which incidentally is locked for my Top 5 Albums of 2007). Can you say “fuzz bass” three times fast?
Absolutely gorgeous female balladry off of Mark Kozelek’s label, The Long Winters
"Putting The Days To Bed"
C’mon people, these guys are WAY underrated. And to think sometimes, they sound super accessible…like Counting Crows accessible. Furthermore, I’m convinced LW-frontman is one of the sharpest songwriters my generation has, and this track off the band’s last album, Putting The Days To Bed (Barsuk), has a soaring chorus with the lyrics “the sky is open.” You music sups should be drunk with joy right now.