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Editor's Note: My apologies, but I didn't get a chance to listen to Genghis Tron's new release, Board Up The House, until this column was completed. That's a shame, because it's quite possibly the best metal record I'll hear all year. Just brilliant, do check it out on Relapse.
This Canadian trio have made what might one of the most perfect records of 2008 with Come Into My House, an album inspired equally by Janet Jackson, '40s musicals and Arthur Russell. Utilizing charmingly off-kilter vocal harmonies, thick bass lines and brash instrumentation (not to mention the bassoon solos, esoteric time signatures, and Cher-inspired warble-effect vocals), No Kids have crafted one interesting LP. The band earned a grant from the Canadian government to work on the record, and brought in an additional 9 musicians to bring the cinematic landscapes they hear in their minds to life. Although tracks like "The Beaches are Closed" smack of '90s R&B (think Usher reminiscing about a girl who dressed sexy at a party, forcing him to sing to a rain-soaked window to his own reflection later that night), it doesn't stink of irony. Gorgeous strings layered over the crackling drum machine (flourished with sweet harmonies) sing praises to a genre often deemed joke-worthy, demonstrating the elegance inherent therein. "Bluster in the Air" employs a muted horn section ripped straight from a smoky jazz bar, "I Love the Weekend" is a love letter to Brazilian pop and jazz master Dom Um Romão, and "Neighbor's Party" kind of reminds us of Sufjan, but in the way that Sufjan reminds us of the Cure's unabashed pop musings, such as "Close to Me." There's really not enough time to fully describe what to expect out of this one, you'll have to try it for yourself.
No Kids MySpace
No Kids "For Halloween" (mp3)
Queen Latifah "Come Into My House" (YouTube)
By now you've heard the story: Justin Vernon retreated to his father's cabin in Northwestern Wisconsin cabin, after his band (DeYarmond Edison) dissolved. He started writing some songs, and For Emma, Forever Ago emerged. It's funny to think that you've probably already heard all about this, considering the fact that the album is only officially released today. Vernon's self-release made the rounds, though, and even landed on Pitchfork (earning an 8.1, no less). Thankfully (for us as well as the O.C.), Jagjaguwar is giving the world an official offering. What's so special? Vernon's wavering falsetto, haunting acoustic guitar and simple melodies combine to form emotionally wrought odes that stick to your bones. The perfection isn't in noise, effects, or over the top arrangements, though. What makes these songs great are the spaces in between the notes -- nothing is rushed, nothing is taken for granted and (almost) everything is left natural and unadorned by the studio, yet there is a fullness to each song which can't be denied. For Emma is a collection of soul songs performed by a wildly talented folk singer, and one that doesn't stray from the genre far enough to ruin it with any sort of "everything all the time" kind of mantra.
Bon Iver MySpace
Bon Iver Official
Bon Iver "Skinny Love" (mp3)
Bon Iver "Flume" (YouTube)
Deerhunter's Bradford James Cox has been recording as Atlas Sound since he was fourteen, and claims he will never abandon the project. The Marfan Syndrome suffering, ill-fitting dress wearing, fake bandmate fellating “true queer art punk” has done something unexpected with his new record, but not in the way you might think. The songs are dreamy ambient pop tunes, carefully crafted at home using a computer, utilizing soundscapes and sounds that Cox has argued wouldn't work with a four or five piece band. Where Deerhunter might be more of an ambient garage band, Atlas Sound's new record is striving for some kind of ambient recognition of a wider array of tastes. "Quarantined" is perhaps the easiest aural explanation of what he means, combining Harold Budd-inspired drone with house music's compelling percussion, all while a soothing vocal ("I am waiting to be changed ... ") and tinkling (sampled) xylophone flutter about the mix. All along Cox has remained outspoken in regards to his influences and his affections, and just as his physical condition inspired his revolt against nature (and into the more nihilistic punk scene), his music follows a path that simultaneously acknowledges and revolts against the music that he adores. He demonstrates a patient affection for drone and repetition, but doesn't stop moving forward, and the compositions (especially "Winter Vacation") co-mingle '90s dance music with ethereal mystique nicely. In some ways, Let the Blind Lead ... is a perfect partner to the No Kids release, as both offer a new perspective on R&B, dance and pop from the late '80s and early '90s without missing a 21st century beat.
Atlas Sound MySpace
Official (ish)
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Allison Moorer: Mockingbird
American Music Club: The Golden Age
Apes: Ghost Games
Arlen Roth & Levon Helm: Toolin' Around Woodstock
Atlas Sound: Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel
B.B. King: Live
Bell X1: Flock
Big Sleep: Sleep Forever
Bon Iver: For Emma, Forever Ago
Chuck Berry: Johnny B. Goode: His Complete '50s Chess Recordings
The Company: Old Baby
Crushed Stars: Gossamer Days
Cryptacize: Dig That Treasure
A Cursive Memory: Changes
The Damned: The Chaos Years: Rare & Unreleased 1977-1982
Danny Schmidt: Little Grey Sheep
Doug Hoekstra: Blooming Roses
The Denmark Veseys: The Denmark Veseys
Envy: Compiled Fragments 1997-2003
The Epochs: The Epochs
Flowers Forever: Flowers Forever
Flying: Faces of the Night
Gary Louris: Vagabonds
The Grand Archives: The Grand Archives
Growing: Lateral
Headlights: Some Racing, Some Stopping
The Heavenly States: Delayer
Jack Kerouac & Steve Allen: Poetry For The Beat Generation
Jim Lauderdale: Honey Songs
John Coltrane & Duke Ellington: John Coltrane & Duke Ellington
Kula Shaker: Strange Folk
Marianne Faithull: No Regrets
Megafaun: Bury the Square
Mike Doughty: Golden Delicious
Morcheeba: Dive Deep
Monade: Monstre Cosmique
Mountain Goats: Heretic Pride
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds: Dig, Lazarus, Dig
Nick Lowe: Jesus of Cool
No Kids: Come into My House
Panther: 14 Kt. God
Parlour Steps: Ambiguoso
Paul Thorn: A Long Way from Tupelo
Ponies in the Surf: See You Happy
Porcupine Tree: Nil Recurring
Raveonettes: Lust Lust Lust
Ray Davies: Working Man's Cafe
The Republic of Tigers: EP
Roky Erickson and the Explosives: Halloween (Live 1979-1981)
Sambassadeur: Final Say
Shauna Burns: The Moon And The Fire Circle
Sian Alice Group: 59.59
Throw Me the Statue: Moonbeams
Tom Paxton: Comedians & Angels
Various Artists: Putumayo Presents: Euro Groove
White Stripes: Conquista (single)
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