Audio Is Imperative

Artist: The Plastic Constellations

Album: We Appreciate You

Label: French Kiss, April 15, 2008

Website: http://theplasticconstellations.com/

Rating: 4.5 / 5.0

Ever since 2004’s Mazatlan, The Plastic Constellations have been on fire. It’s almost as if it’s impossible for them to create a bad set of songs. Granted, it took them an EP and a full-length prior to Mazatlan to really get their formula down, but when you’re in high school and releasing decent records, who really cares? Loads of love for these guys.

It saddens me to hear of their planned indefinite hiatus after the release of We Appreciate You, but this has been the only band these wonderful boys have been in, and who knows, maybe it’ll be a welcome change for them musically. I do hope that whatever they do next is as honest as TPC was. Few bands are as good as TPC, and even fewer bands share their honest, tongue-in-cheek approach to music. I guess when you’re from Minnesota, you have to bare your true colors, since that’s all we can do.

We Appreciate You is packed with classic duel guitar riffage that makes the band who they are. Creative song structure and their trademark rap/sing style vocals may seem a little “nu-metal” when explained, but once you hear it, it’s very genuine and unique. The songs themselves on We Appreciate You are a tad more epic (if that’s possible) than previous works. For instance, Perched On A Porch, the fourth track on the record has a very powerful chorus element with a simple “la-la” vocal track. But, with the guitars combined, it’s not something easy to ignore. That’s what TPC intend to be–hard to ignore.

What’s great about this record is it’s different enough from their previous efforts, but still obviously a Plastic Constellations record. The band has a scope to their music, and they always stay inside of it. You know that you’re going to like it, and there’s nothing quite like that feeling.

Artist: Tapes ‘N Tapes

Album: Walk It Off

Label: Beggars XI Recording, April 8, 2008

Website: http://www.tapesntapes.com/

Rating: 3.0 / 5.0

Meh. There are always albums or movies that are popular with all the right people, but I simply don’t see why. It’s almost like indifference, but it’s still a tad bit different than that. The only way I know how to describe the feeling is “meh.”

Tapes ‘N Tapes, the Minneapolis-gone-New York poster boys of the current fringe indie scene have always been a little confusing to me. I guess I simply fail to see the entire appeal. Sure, there are moments of brilliance, like Insister on their debut The Loon, but in the end, there’s nothing really substantial about the group. This year’s Walk It Off is really no different, except slightly more cohesion between the tracks.

I think the main things that bother me about Tapes ‘N Tapes are there vocal and guitar styles. Fortunately or not, both come from the same guy. His vocal style is like a combination of Conor Oberst, the guy from Wilderness, and Black Francis of The Pixies, but not in a good way. Actually, come to think of it, a lot of their songs sound like The Pixies. Take, for instance, Conquest, the fifth song on Walk It Off. The way the chorus is sung, and the the timing of the instrumentals is very Surfer Rosa-era Pixies. Thieves.

Tapes ‘N Tapes just doesn’t amaze me. I can’t get past that. There’s this really old Tapes ‘N Tapes song on one of the Minnesota Spectrum DVD compliations. It’s a very raw, nasty sounding song that’s about a minute long, and it’s awesome. It’s so bad it has to be awesome. I guess I prefer that over this sort of thing. This is dead.

Artist: The Blow

Album: Paper Television

Label: K Records, October 24, 2006

Website: http://www.myspace.com/theblowus

Rating: 3.6 / 5.0

You know the feeling you get when you’re indulging yourself in one of your “guilty pleasures?” It’s a satisfying feeling, but this is a little different. The Blow’s Paper Television is not a guilty pleasure, because it’s actually good, and I’m not afraid to admit it. From the opening track that tells young boys to behave themselves in order to gain female’s “goods,” all the way through to the end, Paper Television ceases to let up the good times.

To quote from the liner notes:

“Paper Television was recorded in the northwestern USA between winter 2005 & spring 2006. In response to these dark times, nationally, and internationally, we spent a good part of our time making a pop record.”

All things considered, this statement is probably more true than not. When it comes to records that are reactions or reflections of current times, there’s generally two paths—a dark, epic record, or an insanely optimistic, upbeat record. This is obviously the latter.

The Blow on this record is Jona Bechtolt and Khaela Maricich. Khaela has released records under The Blow in the past, and I believe this is the first one with an additional member. With two members, The Blow is a tad more capable of producing infectious dance beats and clever lyrics that, while not necessarily absent in past records, are more abundant on this one.

There are quite a few good tunes here, but there are two complete stand-out tracks—Parentheses and Pardon Me. The chorus on Parentheses is too cute to ignore, and the thumping beat on Pardon Me is way, way too catchy to pass up. If you feel like getting something stuck in your head, I suggest repeating those two songs for a while.

Artist: Smog

Album: Red Apple Falls

Label: Drag City, May 15, 1997

Website: http://dragcity.com/bands/smog.html

Rating: 4.6 / 5.0

This is a tad bit out of the ordinary from what I usually do, but it falls within the scope of my project’s intentions, so I’m going to do it anyway. Think of this as marking the 10th anniversary of an amazing record, Red Apple Falls by Smog.

Smog, or Bill Callahan, however you want to spin it, is a band that’s genuinely under appreciated. Sure, there’s plenty of indie darlings who melt over Smog’s minimalistic tunes, but that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about real respect. Respect from people who matter, like important musicians, producers, and influential people.

Red Apple Falls, Smog’s sixth full-length record, was released in 1997, and to this day, is probably one of the most important independent records ever made. A bold statement? Not really, since every song and line on this record is important and appropriate. Songs like Blood Red Bird, Red Apples, and Ex-Con are very, very powerful, even with the lo-fi production that makes Smog who they are.

I think what works for Smog are their simple melodies and song structure, coupled with simple and curious lyrics. Take for instance, the first few lines of Blood Red Bird:

“I was not woken by the rooster
nor by the crow’s tough song
but the midnight cry
of a blood red bird
brought this sleeplessness on”

Red Apple Falls is full of great lines such as those. Bill is very good at creating imagery though his lyrics. When I listen to Smog, I love how I generate a rough mental image based on the lyrics, but ultimately it’s up to my imagination to finish the story. Songs that are too obvious are boring, and those that are too dense or nonsensical are far too pretentious. Smog falls right in the middle, just where I like it.

Full of slow, space-filled, and thoughtful songs, Red Apple Falls is one of the standout releases of the 90s. Unfortunately I was not aware of Smog in the 90s, but I still appreciate this record today. Smog’s songs are universal, which helps them remain timeless, similar to Bob Dylan, or The Beatles (not that Smog is anything like The Beatles).

Good thing I was reading through Rolling Stone’s review section of their website just now, because I saw something that I’ve been planning on reviewing for a bit, the new Tapes ‘N Tapes record.

Rolling Stone seemed to think it’s ok, giving it there typical three out of five star rating, but I’ll have to check it out just to “be sure.” I’ve had good luck with Rolling Stone’s reviews, and I’ve had bad. I have a tendency to dislike Tapes ‘N Tapes, though. There’s something about a mediocre Minneapolis band having to move to New York to get noticed that doesn’t float by boat quite right.

Keep on the look out for a review of Walk It Off here on AII soon!

Artist: Signal To Trust

Album: Golden Armour

Label: Modern Radio, April 24, 2007

Website: http://www.myspace.com/signaltotrust

Rating: 3.7 / 5.0

I’m been meaning to review this for a while, but for one reason or another, I kept working on other releases instead. Well, now it’s Signal To Trust’s turn. Are there any signals that you trust?

A year or so prior to this record’s release, Signal To Trust released Folklore, there full-length debut. Nearly immediately accepted with open and welcoming arms by the Minneapolis music scene, Signal To Trust quickly became one of the “must see” bands in the area, along with friends The STNNNG, and a few other new-comers. Folklore was a great introduction to the band’s tight, creative musical ability. Each great song was followed by another, all with their now famous speak-sing style of vocal delivery. After Folklore aged, people became interested in a follow-up album. This is the follow-up, and while still great, it lacks a bit of the flair their debut had.

At the center of Signal To Trust’s talent and aesthetic appeal is their drummer. He’s the glue that holds them all together, creating a beautiful, organized mess of things, and allows everyone to go in their own directions, without too much discord. The two guitar players help create the band’s very clever melodies and hooks. Working together, the two help generate a wall of trebly sound that more than pleasing to the ear. Underneath it all, the bass holds both extremes together, like a referee in a fight.

Fleets At Jutland Bank is the song that should have opened this record. The “chorus,” or “pre-chorus,” if you must, is a wonderful muted climb to the fuzzy guitar riff that follows. Repeating the lyrics “Ghosts/Ghosts by the furnace/It’s warm away from windows” are enough for the mind to wander, but not enough to brush them off as pretentious.

My personal favorite song is Seaspray, the sixth and most sonically assaulting song on the record. Key element: the guitar. It’s easy to misuse such an over-driven, wavery guitar sound, but there’s simply nothing else that would fit the song the way that guitar sound does. The name Seaspray makes me think of the guitar as a dying whale, letting out it’s final bellow of life.

Unfortunately, other than a handful of great songs, this record has many slower spots. While not forgettable, some of the other songs are just not as effective or gripping. In the words of a sleazy music executive, their formula simply isn’t as good on this record. But that’s ok, because follow-up records to great debuts are 95% of the time disappointments. It’s nearly an impossible feat, and I still love these guys even though they’ve done the expected.

Artist: Destroyer

Album: Trouble In Dreams

Label: Merge, March 18, 2008

Website: http://www.myspace.com/destroyer

Rating: 3.6 / 5.0

This record is what it would sound like if British literature professors and drunken pirates got together to create music. Dan Bejar, the lead man behind Vancouver’s Destroyer, is just as well known for his role in The New Pornographers. Trouble In Dreams, however, is not a New Pornographers record, but is something entirely different. After all, there is a false British accent.

Trouble In Dreams is packed with sing-along style choruses, whistling, and lots of garbly, kooky banter. This makes for the record to be a fun listen, as long as you don’t pay too much attention to the lyrics. Bejar’s writing on this record can get a little overwhelming. He has a tendency to put forth a bit more lyrically than the average listener can contend with. Regardless, the songs are fun, and fun’s good.

A great example of the overall feeling of the record would be the fifth track, My Favorite Year. Complete with a nifty lead guitar melody and the ambitious lyricism, the song sets the mood for the whole record. It’s my belief that alcohol played a significant role during the conception and ultimately the completion of this record. The structure of these songs are very intoxicated in sound.

Bejar has never been one too concerned about expectations, or even really pleasing his fans. He does what he wants to, and that’s a great thing from an artists perspective. No one will accuse him of locking himself inside of a box. Although this is true, Bejar has been receiving lots of criticism over this release. His fan base seems to be resisting his new direction, similar to the backlash of Guided By Voices fans when they began recording in proper studios and releasing professional albums, or Fugazi’s fans response to Red Medicine. This, however, never has much effect on anything. The artist will continue to do what they were intending to do, and the fans will adapt. This is simply how it is.

Like many musicians, Dan Bejar and his Destroyer project have their place in music. While Dan’s vocal methods may drive certain people up the wall, others will love him for it, and even more will be on the fence about the whole thing.

Artist: Black Kids

Album: Wizard Of Ahhhs

Label: Self-Released, November 1, 2007

Website: http://www.blackkidsmusic.com/

Rating: 2.1 / 5.0

“Listen to your body tonight, it’s gonna treat you right.” Oh boy. Take that, brain! I’m not sure what to think while I listen to this EP. On one hand, it’s kind of charming, in the way The Polyphonic Spree was charming, but on the other hand, it’s just silly. With music, your last feeling is typically correct. So I’m going to listen to my body tonight, and treat it right by not listening to this too much. What does that phrase even mean, anyway?!?

Jacksonville-based Black Kids are new-comers to the indie music scene. Their self-released 2007 EP entitled Wizard Of Ahhhs is available for free from their website, which is pretty radical, I suppose. The problem is that it’s really not that great. While listening to Wizard Of Ahhhs, it’s easy to get sucked into their repetitive, catchy grooves, but the problem is they’re far to catchy to have any staying power. The jams quickly lose their steam and begin to remind you of many, many disco songs you’ve heard over the years. Even if you like disco, this is awkward.

The problem with their songs are the choruses, and the wah-type synth that follows so often. Sure, the choruses are catchy, memorable, and have a mean hook, but that’s essentially what they’re songs consist of. It’s simple to get into briefly, but it’s hard to keep interest in. One predictable hook after another, followed by goofy, gimmicky synth riffs. Unless you constantly feel like dancing, this is not the record for you.

The reason I give Black Kids a 2.1 is simply because this isn’t a bad record. The songs are tolerable, and from time to time, they can be actually pleasing. This is most definitely mood music. I can see myself putting this on during a party, especially since it’s such a short release, but I can’t see myself hanging out by myself jamming to “listening to your body tonight, it’s gonna treat you right.” For the sake of normal, functional human anatomy, I hope my body doesn’t know how to treat itself right.

Artist: The Gutter Twins

Album: Saturnalia

Label: Sub Pop, March 4, 2008

Website: http://www.theguttertwins.com/

Rating: 4.3 / 5.0

In a time when rock music is not really the focus of most musicians, The Gutter Twins release a truly great rock record. It just goes to show there’s nothing like a great rock album, and no matter the current climate of music, a good rock album is a good rock album.

Self-described (sarcastically) as “the satanic Everly Brothers,” The Gutter Twins, Greg Dulli (Twilight Singers) and Mark Lanegan (Queens of the Stone Age collaborator), have created a very dark, and gorgeous rock record. The name Saturnalia refers to the ancient Roman festival in which slaves and their masters switched roles for a day. The name bares no importance to the actual music on the record, although it does fit the style and overall mood of the record.

Saturnalia has the distinct “Sub Pop” sound–a very clean, accessible production with great engineering, but slightly too edgy to be a major label release (think of the last Sunny Day Real Estate record while listening to this). Given the semi-high profile of the two men involved, it makes sense for Sub Pop to release this record.

The opening track, The Stations, sounds as if it crawled out of a dark hole, covered in filth, and gradually it grows into some sort of dark, disturbing monster. Sonically, The Stations is wonderful. The the alternation of the D chord and the driving percussion are hard to ignore. It’s no doubt there’s an “evil” sound in the air, but it’s beautiful. Some of the most divine musical compositions have a dark tone. It’s a condition that’s more compelling. Happy songs will only take you so far, but a villainous song can take you above and beyond.

The blues is also very prevalent on Saturnalia. Who Will Lead Us, for instance, the title alone is probably the name of countless blues standards. More than once there are moments of minimalism, resonant of traditional blues, complete with slide guitars and distant percussion.

Rock ‘n’ roll (which includes jazz and blues) is responsible for almost all of modern music. It can fairly be said that rock ‘n’ roll is the most important style of music of the modern era. While not everyone may agree, it’s still a fair statement. Few styles of music can move so many people worldwide. Rock ‘n’ roll is one example of our united humanity. If absolutely nothing else, at least rock music is a link of similarity between our collective beliefs.

Artist: British Sea Power

Album: Do You Like Rock Music?

Label: Rough Trade, January 9, 2008

Website: http://www.britishseapower.co.uk/

Rating: 4.2 / 5.0

I had a very great, in depth review of this record written, and when I tried to save it, my computer crashed. I have no backup, and I do not feel like writing it all again. This makes me very upset. So, here’s a summary of what I originally had:

1. This record is atypical of British acts. It’s not lame like most of England’s music has been lately.
2. It reminds of White Whale’s WWII album. Both are very dreamy and remind me of the sea.
3. Do You Like Rock Music? is entirely a rock album–great guitar parts, cool rhythms, and wonderful melodies.
4. The feeling I get while listening is akin to that of …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead’s Source Tags & Codes.
5. It’s a very good record.

Sorry for the lack-of-review on this one. It’s good. Like rock music? Check this out.