I Am Not A Camera

Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago

2008-06-30T01:41:00.036-04:00

Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
February 19, 2008
Jagjaguwar/4AD
Score: 8.9

This my excavation
And today is Kumran
Everything that happens
Is from now on
This is pouring rain
This is paralyzed

Catharsis. What is bottled up must eventually pour out. How this emotional purging occurs differs with every individual. For some, screaming into a pillow suffices. For others, a good cry will do. And for those whose woes cannot be remedied by the aforementioned solutions, there's always hibernation.

For Justin Vernon, seemingly endless personal turmoil culminates in 3 months of seclusion in a Northwestern Wisconsin cabin. Do not be fooled, this is not evasive action. Vernon does not hope to circumvent the issues plaguing him. He seeks to rather plunge into them headfirst in an attempt to unravel the coils of his past.

Whatever could it be that has brought me to this loss?

It becomes evident from the dulcet strums ushering the opener Flume in that this is no ordinary man-and-a-guitar endeavor; this is an intensely therapeutic journey. Armed with no more than aged instruments and his irresistible falsetto, Bon Iver puts forth 9 of the most haunting ditties to surface in years. Vernon wails atop deceptively dense arrangements and for 37 brief minutes, listeners lose their notion of time and place. His ruminations reveal themselves one by one with lines such as "I've been twisting to the sun I needed to replace" creating their own contexts within our lives. We are immersed in Vernon's woes; much like he was surrounded by notes lining every inch of his father's northern retreat. Walls were no longer confines. They'd become portals, snapshots he could observe and deconstruct in retrospect.

Contrary to popular belief, this is not folk. The ambience, the stirring, layered high-pitched vocals, the towering crescendo that closes out The Wolves (Act I and II). Imposing a genre on these songs is selling them short. Bon Iver is quite simply art for and from the soul. It wanders but never aimlessly. It's subdued but remains deliberate throughout. It's introspective but never intrusive. It's painfully personal but somehow universal.

I keep throwing it down two-hundred at a time
It's hard to find it when you knew it

Aurally living the depths of this man's troubles is no frivolous privilege either. It is profound and resonant. It crawls beneath your skin and tugs at you from the inside. Unlike with your typical troubadour bearing his heart on his sleeve, much is left to the imagination here. Vernon has laid the groundwork and it is up to the listeners to make sense of the fragments he's presented us with. Despite the vagueness of his writing, it all seems eerily familiar. So much so that before the chilling Skinny Love is over, you'll be reaching for those impossibly high notes as well, asking yourself "...then who the hell was I?"

This is not a case of an artist intending to play this way, this is him needing to do so. These oddly infectious numbers beg to be played repeatedly. Harrowing tales of life and loss are drilled into our consciousness, lingering for that additional second the average record would not. Such an accomplished debut is rare in this business. Do For Emma justice and listen to it over and over. Let Vernon's life echo yours. Escape into that bubble of solitary reverence if only for half an hour...and then once more.

This is not the sound of a new man or crispy realization
It's the sound of the unlocking and the lift away

While It Sings To Itself Or Whatever It Does, While It Sings To Itself Of Its Long Lost Loves

2008-03-03T16:27:00.003-05:00

To tide you all over until I really get into the swing of things, here are videos from the albums comprising the top 5 of 2007 as selected by I Am Not A Camera.

The National- Apartment Story

Iron & Wine- Boy With A Coin

The Cinematic Orchestra- To Build A Home (live)

Menomena- Rotten Hell

Radiohead- Reckoner (Scotch Mist version)

Song of the day

2008-03-03T16:14:00.003-05:00

As a preview of sorts for the soon-to-be-posted Bon Iver review, today's song of the day is Skinny Love.

Resurrection Fern

2008-03-03T10:25:00.006-05:00

For those of you who may have glanced at this blog once or twice, I have decided to update it more vigorously from here on out. Newfound conviction (read: unflinching boredom) will spearhead my efforts to purvey news/videos/reviews with greater consistency. The format will roughly follow this template: news, official/live videos, and random rants on a fairly regular basis in addition to a weekly album review.

The first review to buttress my glorious return to form will be of Bon Iver's For Emma, Forever Ago. You can expect that sucker up by Friday.

Best Albums of 2007

2008-01-02T02:40:00.005-05:00

Another year has come and gone and this brings with it a delightfully obligatory best-of list, compiling the cream of 2007's sonic crop. Along with 2005, this past year has been one of the finest in recent memory, gracing fans of all genres with fantastic albums sure to hold a place in our hearts for quite some time. In my case, the top 3 are already all-time favorites. Well without further ado, I Am Not A Camera presents to you its very best of 2007. Enjoy.

25) Coconut Records- Nighttiming
Bursting at the seams with radiant harmonies, Jason Schwartzman's debut is a shining example of proper pop music. Unlike twee contemporaries who take airy naivety to excessive lengths, Coconut Records keeps its feet planted firmly in the ground as Schwartzman sings of solitude with such quaint honesty that one can't help but relate. Enchanting ooohs and aahhs bolster the addictive melodies with great aplomb, as the band puts forth 33 minutes of pure sing-along bliss.

24) Josh Ritter- The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter
Eschewing his stripped down, intimate approach found on 2006's The Animal Years, Ritter dabbles in quirky, angular pop to great effect. While the pensive aesthetic proved to be winning last year, Ritter's novel direction is just as reliant on stellar lyricism. However, the musical content is more akin to upbeat rock this time around. Dashes of lavish instrumentation adorn the tracks as Ritter displays his versatility, being as proficient a troubadour as he is a rock n' roll man.

23) The Berg Sans Nipple- Along The Quai
Dreamy chamber pop weaved into addictive electronica. That's how The Berg Sans Nipple's latest was described to me when I inquired about Along The Quai at my local record store. I'm finding it hard to disagree as I stare blankly at my screen, enthralled by the dense, layered, electronics. Drowned out by computer-heavy releases from The Field and Battles, The Berg Sans Nipple's work may not be as immediate, but it is certainly more rewarding.

22) Low- Drums And Guns
Upon hearing the polished pop of Low's previous effort, it dawned on me that the slowcore pioneers were treading in dangerous territory. Was the band following in Belle & Sebastian's footsteps? Was crafting overly refined, glossy pop-rock an unfortunate eventuality for all indie veterans? Drums And Guns may not stack up to the Low of yore, but it's certainly a step away from The Great Destroyer; in other words, a step in the right direction. The band rediscovers its identity in 2007, shunning pop conventions once again in favor of its slow-burning flame. Chilling.

21) Flobots- Fight With Tools
We shall not be moved except by a child with no socks and shoes, except by a woman dying from the loss of food, except by a freedom fighter bleeding on a cross for you. We shall not be moved except by a system that's rotten through. Neglecting the victims and ordering the cops to shoot, high treason now we need to prosecute. So stand up, we shall not be moved and we won't fight a war for fossil fuel. It's times like this when you want to plot a coup. Put your hands up and I'll copy you.

Flobots is living proof that hip hop need not be vacuous nor superficial. Biting social commentary coupled with gorgeous viola-infused beats make this the pleasant surprise of the year.

20) Feist- The Reminder
The reigning queen of indie rock returned to the fray this year after her wildly successful 2004 effort Let It Die. Unlike said album, she presents listeners with an entire album's worth of original material this time around. No covers, all Leslie Feist. As expected, the songs are evidently catchy but also contain unexpected depth, a redeeming quality that may constitute just enough pull to draw listeners back for more. Led by the ubiquitous single 1234, The Reminder is such an irresistibly endearing collection of songs that it had to crack this list.

19) Bill Callahan- Woke On A Whaleheart
Bill Callahan's somber baritone is simply remarkable. Set to even the most effulgent melody, Callahan can evoke melancholy like none other. Woke On A Whaleheart is no exception. As his first album not under the Smog moniker, a novel path was anticipated and Callahan obliges in that regard. If his previous album A River Ain't Too Much To Love is the soundtrack to huddling under blankets in a dimly-lit room, this year's record is a vacant bus ride by rundown city streets. Hollow yet opulent, the songs reveal themselves slowly but surely, demanding patience from listeners. Don't worry though, with every listen comes a greater appreciation for Callahan's gorgeous, velvety timbre.

18) Bright Eyes- Cassadaga
As ominous dissonance transitions into a distant Conor Oberst speaking of "a revolution at a lower price", one gets the impression that Bright Eyes has finally made it home; the sonic nest being hinted at since 2002's Lifted. Ethereal, transcendent nu-folk washes over listeners and just as one gets comfortable, the rollicking Four Winds throws us all for a loop. Newly official members Nate Walcott and Mike Mogis also make their presences felt with a greater inclusion of orchestral elements than ever before. Cassadaga offers a curious dichotomy though, with a front half dabbling in folk-rock while the back delves into earthier, dreamier numbers. Perhaps the most compelling aspect of Bright Eyes' material is that every album serves as a bridge of sorts, Cassadaga representing the culmination of Oberst's myriad influences. Where does the Omaha troupe go from here?

17) The Shins- Wincing The Night Away
Bands don't know what they do well. Filtering out the bad and honing the good is a daunting task, especially when countless others have failed in that respect. The Shins are no different. Gone is the off-putting electronic doodling on Oh, Inverted World but with this riddance comes a few new wrinkles in The Shins' brand of indie rock. More melodic and polished than on prior releases, the band even channels its inner Morrissey, as most clearly evidenced on Sea Legs. Fortunately, the Portland quintet has forged itself such an undeniable identity that the music may borrow from past greats, but it remains The Shins'.

16) Field Music- Tones Of Town
Tones Of Town is a brilliant, contagiously urban slice of indie rock. A keen ear for melody has led these lads to craft an addictive, intelligent rock album that exudes big city despondency. Tepid topics such as unflinching boredom are touched upon, but with such flair that in a just world, the Sunderland boys would break out any day now . Far more compelling than the tedious Arctic Monkeys, Field Music actually knows how to tackle the mundane and does so in quite a refreshing manner.

15) St. Vincent- Marry Me
After background gigs for more prominent acts such as The Polyphonic Spree and indie-savant Sufjan Stevens, Annie Clark aka St. Vincent finally emerges onto the scene and with her comes an irresistible voice clamoring for attention. The music on Marry Me bears similarities to Mr. Stevens' work at times, with rich instrumentation augmenting Clark's sultry albeit vulnerable vocals. Arguably the best kept secret in the realm of female singer-songwriters, St. Vincent puts herself out there on her first release and hits one out of the park.

14) Pela- Anytown Graffiti
Stumbling upon terrific albums per chance is one of life's greatest pleasures. It had been posted on a message board that Pela resembled a tamer, less interesting Arcade Fire. After giving the band a listen, I can't quite discern the likeness...not that I mind. Impeccable working class rock and the most fitting vocals I've heard in years had me wondering where the hell this band has been hiding. It also had me thanking my good graces that the somewhat intriguing/inadequate comparison led me to this fantastic record.

13) Dr. Dog- We All Belong
Earlier this year, I showered this album with praise, positing that this is what pop music should be. Months later, all I can do is reiterate that sentiment. Drenched in reverb and three-part harmonies, Dr. Dog pens beautiful, honest pop songs. After a momentous year which saw the band play on Conan O'Brien and David Letterman, it's important not to forget the songs themselves. Infectious, dizzying tales of self-evaluation and uncertainty set to a backdrop of breezy indie pop. This year's perfect summer album.

12) Beirut- The Flying Club Cup
Ditching the Balkan flavor of prior recordings in favor of whimsical French song, Zach Condon comes one step closer to realizing his unearthly potential with The Flying Club Cup. Where Gulag Orkestar was occasionally quirky/gimmicky, Beirut's latest is a delightful amalgam of traditional and contemporary pop. As usual, Condon is spotless vocally, delivering with brio and precision extending far beyond his 22 years. But what is truly great about this release is the sound balance Beirut has struck between the past and present, as the band seamlessly incorporates its influences into loose, jaunty, and most importantly, memorable compositions.

11) Andrew Bird- Armchair Apocrypha
Andrew Bird is an unconventional singer-songwriter. He is not the solemn poet strumming his sorrows away on a guitar. He is the world-class whistler writing about monsters roaming the earth and crumbling financial institutions. But as fate would have it, Bird has done the unexpected again yes, but by releasing a safer album (see Fiery Crash, Dark Matter) in 2007. The Mysterious Production Of Eggs was filled to the brim with satisying twists and turns. Armchair Apocrypha for its part, is Bird seemingly striving for normalcy. Thankfully, his songs are anything but commonplace and the result is a dozen peculiar, catchy tracks as good as nearly anything released this year.

10) Akron/Family- Love Is Simple
Often likened to fellow New York act Animal Collective, Akron/Family proves it is its own beast with a psychedelic indie-folk work of art. Without relying on synthesized blips or needlessly unconventional melodies, the trio puts forth compelling, singular, addictive music. This refreshing approach to "experimental" music is so pure and sincere that instead of pigeonholing, listeners should simply appreciate. Love Is Simple sees three individuals sharing a love for off-kilter harmonies and chanted group vocals, offering listeners an organic, distorted slab of Americana.

9) Blonde Redhead- 23
Throw the Sonic Youth comparisons out the window. Blonde Redhead proves with 23 that it can stand on its own two feet, crafting and mastering its distinct sound for years. This has paid sweeping dividends as the trio's latest offering soars, ebbs, flows, and downright rocks. Kazu Makino's work is something to behold as her eerie, immaculate voice hovers atop a moody backdrop. Diverse while still adhering to a prevailing theme, 23 is just so damn enjoyable it could not be ignored.

8) Seabear- The Ghost That Carried Us Away
Blending the most pleasant portions of Utah Carol and Page France's discographies, Seabear's brand of ethereal folk-pop is not reinventing the wheel. With that being said, the Reykjavik natives have crafted such dulcet, soothing tunes that the lack of creativity isn't all that much of an issue. Actually, it is an issue...just not one I want to assess until I spin The Ghost That Carried Us Away once more.

7) Burial- Untrue
Electronica: glowsticks, sleeveless shirts, an endless string of remixes...the list of unpleasantness goes on.

The genre tends to be repetitive and dreadfully predictable. British act Burial stands out amidst a veritable sea of peers by deftly weaving a sullen, late-night aesthetic into a sound anchored in dub and trip hop. The electronic equivalent to this year's number one album, Untrue is a captivating exploration into boundless solitude and despair. No bouncy or jubilant beats here. Just beautifully distorted R&B set to evocative, wisftul undertones.

6) Soulsavers- It's Not How Far You Fall, It's The Way You Land
Borrowing from gospel, blues, electronica, and trip hop, Soulsavers' latest is a sumptuous set of songs buttressed by ex-Screaming Trees frontman Mark Lanegan. Equal parts melancholic and frantic, It's Now Far You Fall, It's The Way You Land is simply magnificent and one of the finest electronic albums I have ever heard. Atmospheric, enticing, and all around incredible, Soulsavers vastly improves on its debut and releases the type of record you can claim reinvigorated a genre without being scoffed at.

5) Radiohead- In Rainbows
The most important band on the planet releases a new album. It is phenomenal. The end.

4) Menomena- Friend And Foe
When it comes to unconventional rock music, no album topped Menomena's Friend And Foe in 2007. Crashing drums usher in the opener Muscle'n Flo. In this one track alone, the Portland trio proves no one could rival its strange, loop-based compositions this year. As the narrator wakes from his slumber and clumsily stumbles toward a mirror, he examines his existence. He ponders lofty goals and how they've been attained far too soon. Is this it? And then, quiet. While listeners bask in an unnervingly subdued few seconds, a previously innocuous organ line builds, swells, and explodes. "Come lay down your head upon my chest, feel my heart beat, feel my unrest. If Jesus could only wash my feet, then I'd get up strong and muscle on." Stunning.

3) The Cinematic Orchestra- Ma Fleur
Remember Talk Talk, that synthpop/new wave band from the 80s? Yeah, they were alright. What about when they released Laughing Stock in 1991 and were proclaimed visionaries and precursors of post-rock? Yeah, that was an incredible album. Guess what? The Cinematic Orchestra has followed suit this year, taking on Talk Talk's formula of incorporating dashes of jazz into ambient post-rock. Ma Fleur may not rival Laughing Stock but it sees the jazz contemporaries reaching for the skies and augmenting their sound with a sense of grandeur, breathing new life into the group. No longer bound by the shackles of genres, The Orchestra soars as collaborator Patrick Watson reveals a new ethos: "By the cracks of the skin, I climbed to the top. I climbed the tree to see the world."

2) Iron & Wine- The Shepherd's Dog
I was a quick wet boy diving too deep for coins, all of your streetlight eyes wide on my plastic toys. And when the cops closed the fair, I cut my long baby hair, stole me a dog-eared map, and called for you everywhere. Have I found you, flightless bird? Jealous, weeping. Or lost you, American mouth? Big bill looming. Now I’m a fat house cat nursing my sore blunt tongue, watching the warm poison rats curl through the wide fence cracks, kissing on magazine photos. Those fishing lures thrown in the cold and clean, blood of Christ mountain stream. Have I found you, flightless bird? Grounded, bleeding. Or lost you, American mouth? Big pill, stuck going down.

Song of the year and if not for Boxer, album of the year. One of the few geniuses left in music.

1) The National- Boxer
I can tie my tie all by myself
I'm getting tied
I'm forgetting why

This is growing while having no desire to. This is nostalgia in a 3-piece suit. This is that chasm, that abyss that divides providing for yourself and being provided for. This is leaving those who provided for you. This is their dream come true. This is becoming someone. This is making it. This is loathing the vehicle you drive, the job you've slaved for, the path you chose. This is lack of direction. This is settling down. This is compromise. This is pining for the past. This is regret. This is not teetering over lines but being trapped between them. This is working class prose. This is dubious goals becoming utmost priorities. This is complacency. This is living your life half awake in a fake empire. This is the whisper of a trumpet amidst a crowd. This is restlessness. This is the life of a professional. This has never sounded so good.

Underline Everything, I'm A Professional In My Beloved White Shirt

2007-08-02T01:11:00.000-04:00

The National recently made its tv debut on Letterman. The band played Fake Empire, off its fantastically gloomy latest album Boxer. Gotta love the horn section.

Nick Drake- Family Tree

2007-08-01T23:53:00.000-04:00

Nick Drake is the quintessential singer-songwriter. Listeners should be eternally grateful for Pink Moon, Five Leaves Left, and Bryter Layter. So when news arose of a posthumous Nick Drake album, fans rejoiced at the idea of new material. And while Family Tree is merely a collection of home recordings dating back to before Drake's first record, he has lengthened the runtime of his sonic legacy and has also added several gems to an already stunning discography.

Sprinkled in between rough cuts of Drake's b-sides are covers, with Family Tree containing renditions of Bob Dylan, Mozart, and Jackson C. Frank songs among others. Drake's sister Gabrielle and mother Molly also contribute to this release, appearing on numerous tracks to bolster Nick's hauntingly sparse guitar-and-vocals aesthetic.

To be entirely honest, this latest album isn't anywhere near constituting Drake's finest work. With that being said, any new Drake material is welcomed with open arms. So here's the real question: How does Family Tree stack up to Drake's other work?

The truth? Not that well. It does contain a few diamonds in the rough though, namely the cozy piano-laced Poor Mum and the sibling-driven All My Trials. The latter finds Drake's sister Gabrielle exhibiting her quirky lower-pitched vocals to great effect as brother and sister feed off each other and create goosebumps.

A stunning remastered rendition of Five Leaves Left's Way To Blue is perhaps the highlight of Family Tree. The originally grandiose aura of the song is scrapped for a more intimate, pensive state which relies on Drake's compelling vocals and delicate piano work.

Save for a few surprises, Family Tree is what one would expect from a b-sides album. Solid but mostly forgettable. Inspired but rarely ever poignant. Make no mistake, this is no Pink Moon II. However, the brilliant new version of Way To Blue in addition to the interesting Drake family dynamic make this album worth a spin.
6.6/10

Song of the day

2007-08-01T23:52:00.001-04:00

Today's song of the day is Revival by Soulsavers.

Women And Children First

2007-07-24T10:22:00.000-04:00

I've been on a major Radiohead binge lately and stumbled upon this live video of Idioteque that left me speechless. Enjoy.

Can You Understand A Light Among The Trees?

2007-07-12T23:13:00.000-04:00

Here is the new video for a remastered version of Way To Blue off Family Tree by the late, great Nick Drake.

The Panicked Paradox Of Day To Day

2007-07-12T10:37:00.000-04:00

Here is Bright Eyes performing one of my favorite songs off Cassadaga, Classic Cars live on Craig Ferguson (Isn't he that dude from The Drew Carey show?).

Video Trifecta

2007-07-12T10:25:00.000-04:00

While Hanson did craft a pop gem in Middle of Nowhere, their videos were for lack of a better word, awful. Enjoy them in chronological order of their release, with Mmm Bop being followed by Where's The Love and I Will Come To You.

Edit: The scoundrels at Youtube wouldn't let me embed the awesomely atrocious Where's The Love video so it will be replaced by some fan-made one because I honestly couldn't tell the difference at first.

Edit#2: I love I Will Come To You even more now that I know Taylor Hanson has a hilarious orange glow in the video.

Huzzah For Hanson!

2007-07-12T08:55:00.000-04:00

10 years ago, an album full of the most unapologetically catchy songs I had ever heard was released. The Hanson brothers went from being three fresh-faced kids from Tulsa, Oklahoma to overnight sensations in 1997, riding the indomitable wave of Mmm Bop and subsequent hits Where's The Love and I Will Come To You. On the strength of those well-chosen singles, Hanson became one of the biggest acts on the planet and rendered marginally effeminate features attractive (to 13 year-old girls).

However, the appeal of the band did not lie in the fact that Taylor was dreamy, that the three band members were brothers, that they all possessed magnificent golden manes, or even that they had written undeniably catchy, concise pop songs. What was so compelling about Hanson was that they crafted these songs as mere teenagers. To this day, no radio act has managed to encapsulate youthful exuberance the way the Hanson kids did on Middle of Nowehere and it's hard to imagine anyone ever will.

While it's easy to dwell on the immensely popular singles found on Middle of Nowhere, it's important not to forget the other stellar songs the Hanson siblings put out on this stunning effort. What distinguished Hanson from the countless other mainstream acts out there was their consistency. Middle of Nowhere wasn't an album with three obvious singles and filler; granted, Mmm Bop was just screaming for radio airplay. With that being said, Where's The Love could have just as easily been replaced by Madeline. The infectious chants of "Here we go round again" are as addictive as any other moment on the album and the chorus itself is as memorable as Where's The Love's if not more so.

This goes to show just how polished and surprisingly cohesive this album truly was, with many of the tracks vying for possible single status. While the record does exhibit a taste for disparate genres at times, every song is characterized by this radiant viscidity that holds the songs together while also allowing them room to breathe.

For instance, funk-infused tracks such as Speechless or Look At You clearly break from the radio pop mold with a groovier more soulful sound. However, these songs still contain the group's typically tight musicianship and Taylor's unique timbre which lets listeners know this is the same band.

One song that caught my attention the second it began was Lucy, where Taylor's crisp and dare I say it, impeccable vocals carry the song as he sings of love lost like it's never happened before. Everyone has known and probably lost a proverbial Lucy and while the Hansons have never been the most verbose nor ornate writers, they manage to convey the solitude and regret of a breakup with great flair and emotional precision.

In fact, the simplicity of the writing is what makes Taylor's broken-hearted sentiments so palpable. The Oklahoma boys' grasp of both the euphoria and despair that can come to the young remains unrivaled in the realm of pop music a decade after Middle of Nowhere's release (take that Jojo).

While there are 3 ballads on Middle of Nowhere, the real standout is I Will Come To You, a gorgeous piano-driven masterpiece in which Taylor Hanson attempts to reassure a special someone that he will stand firm and be there rain or shine. This is terrifically precocious on Hanson's part, in that most pop songs written by adolescents usually feature fairly self-centered subject matter. Here we see the Hansons pushing their own envelope and expanding the theme of Middle of Nowhere, transitioning from lovelorn saps to dependable friends. In addition to that, Hanson's keen sense of melody shines through on this track as pleasant piano work and ethereal na-na-na-nas reminiscent of Hey Jude enchant listeners.

I Will Come To You embodies all that is great about Hanson. While it isn't the most musically or lyrically grandiose song one will ever encounter, any established pop act could have released it and it would have still been the centerpiece of that artist's album.

Hanson were the voice of a generation for that one fateful summer, a 3 month period during which I was acquainted with effulgent pop harmonies and charming poetic naivety. While the jubilant and ubiquitous hit Mmm Bop did garner most of Hanson's praise and has to a certain extent defined the band, Middle of Nowhere was so satisfying a listen 10 years after its original release that I have to reiterate Taylor Hanson's words and wonder "Where's The Love"?

Song of the day

2007-07-12T08:44:00.000-04:00

As a belated birthday gift to Sufjan Stevens who turned 32 a few days ago, today's song shall be his track Chicago off the stunning album Illinois.

I Taught Myself How To Grow Old

2007-07-09T10:41:00.000-04:00

Here is the video for Off Broadway off Ryan Adams' latest, Easy Tiger.

Ryan Adams- Easy Tiger

2007-07-09T09:35:00.000-04:00

At 32 years of age, Ryan Adams is already one of the more prolific songwriters in the business. With 9 albums under his belt in a meager 7 years, Adams has become one of the most renowned alt-country artists on the planet. Sadly, many of the 9 albums he's released are average at best. In fact, it could be argued that everything since 2001's Gold has been dismal.

The final verdict on Adams' latest isn't clear just yet but Easy Tiger does mark a slight maturation in the ex-Whiskeytown frontman's bibulous twang, with the New York native putting forth crisper, more refined songs than ever before. While this album does contain instances redolent of the Come Pick Me Up era, Easy Tiger sadly suffers from the flaws Adams can't seem to shake from his more recent work.

Easy Tiger kicks off with a rock n' roll bang as dizzying guitar lines introduce Adams on Goodnight Rose. There is a prevailingly positive theme on the album's opener as Adams claims "Don't live your life in such a hurry, life goes by us so so fast. And the sun will come up again and I will be here. If you get scared, just hold my hand". Solid lyrics and a catchy chorus has me hoping Goodnight Rose may serve as this record's New York, New York.

The next song to capture my attention is the all-out rocker Halloweenhead. That's right Halloweenhead; I couldn't believe it was the name of a Ryan Adams song either. The songs preceding it were fairly pleasant yet forgettable tracks and when the guitar comes chugging in seconds into the fourth song, it was clear that this was to be one of the record's standouts. Chugging guitars and dirty rock n roll vocals is most certainly a departure for Adams but he pulls it off with surprising swagger and aplomb. The track is so damn enjoyable that I feel compelled to exclaim "guitar solo!" every time the second chorus comes to a close.

Oh My God, Whatever, Etc. follows Halloweenhead and despite being a mellow acoustic number, doesn't drag the album down and does a nice job in preventing Easy Tiger from losing any steam. The pleasant acoustic guitar-driven track finds a more self-aware Adams claiming "I'm open all night and the customers come to stay/And everybody tips but not enough to knock me over."

Things then take a turn for the worse. Tears of Gold is memorable for all the wrong reasons as the group vocals seem out of place and distracting while The Sun Also Sets has loud, busy choruses for the sake of cacophony.

Thankfully for Adams and his faithful fans, Off Broadway isn't far away and enthralls listeners with haunting vocal harmonies and dynamics that perfectly conjure melancholy. The brevity of the song (2:32) is its only shortcoming as it effectively manages to redeeem what was rapidly becoming a worrying situation.

Adams has clearly grown musically and while progression is to be commended, he happens to be one of the few musicians for whom regression would likely be the wisest artistic move.

Easy Tiger is a documentation of how far Adams has come and where he hopes to be as he clearly dabbles in all of his prior work on this release.

Hints of the more subdued, pensive moments from Gold can be found on Off Broadway and the throwback song-for-a-rainy-day aesthetic from Heartbreaker manifests itself on Oh My God, Whatever, Etc. Unfortunately, the poorer songs' faults outweigh the encouraging signs as far too many tracks take cues from Adams' less interesting releases.

No stranger to heavy criticism, he should get his fair share for Easy Tiger, a generally enjoyable, focused effort from a musician who's finally coming of age. Thing is, it was Adams' inebriated, unfocused ramblings that constituted the essence of his appeal.
5.7/10

Song of the day

2007-07-09T09:27:00.000-04:00

Today's song of the day is Ingrid Michaelson's The Way I Am, not to be confounded with the decidedly more abrasive Eminem song of the same name.

Song of the day

2007-07-04T01:18:00.000-04:00

The first song of the day in over a week I believe, is Prison Is Private Property by Rocky Votolato.

You Wouldn't Want An Angel Watching You. Surprise, Surprise, They Wouldn't Want To Watch

2007-07-04T01:16:00.000-04:00

Here is the first single off Boxer, Mistaken For Strangers.

The National- Boxer

2007-07-03T23:45:00.019-04:00

You're pink,
You're young
You're middle-class
They say it doesn't matter
Fifteen blue shirts and womanly hands
You're shooting up the ladder

Marked by the notion that we are aimlessly going through the motions, young adulthood can be downright dreadful. Reaching for the skies when standing on your own two feet should suffice, you work toward goals you had never set out to accomplish. You ogle that corner office, bemoaning it one moment and longing for it the next.

This is all too familiar to The National, who captures these fleeting wants and needs brilliantly on its latest opus Boxer. Boasting brooding orchestral arrangements, the band finally uncovers its sonic niche on this gorgeous ode to the disenchanted work force.

The most immediately distinctive facet of this New York troupe is the vocals. Hints of Lou Reed, Leonard Cohen, and Stuart Staples (of Tindersticks) can be detected within Matt Berninger's timbre as he speaks of blindfolded men being carried through trees with the nonchalance of someone merely describing their day. In Berninger, The National is fronted by one of the most compelling voices in rock music. It just wasn't always on display in the band's previous work. While 2005's Alligator is interesting at times, the occasionally raucous approach did not complement what Berninger brought to the table. And when you've got such a sensational talent at the helm, not taking full advantage is absurd.

The National commits no such blunders on this release. Every song on Boxer is an absolute gem which, while capable of standing on its own, serves as a chapter in one continuous, fluid tale; a bridge from one dissected moment to the next.

The band emerges with richer textures which accompany Berninger's engrossing croon far more adequately this time around. The piano, organ, trombone, trumpet, bassoon, cello, viola, violin, clarinet, flute, and french horn round out the band's arsenal as Boxer takes listeners on a late-night stroll by vacant stores and deserted city streets.

At first glance, this may seem overwhelming but the influx of new instruments perfectly adorns the baritone vocals without ever eclipsing them; Boxer never becomes grandiose nor does it ever transgress its prevailing message, which is one of personal ennui and drab day-to-day routine.

Sometimes you go la di da di da di da da
Until your eyes roll back into your head

On the lyrical plane, Berninger paints a muddled picture of urban despair. Detailing the tedium of professional life while offering the latitude necessary for interpretation, Berninger is either a true poet or a bumbling fool who can't string a coherent thought together. At this point, it has become inconsequential to the journey.

The National's latest effort defies all that "indie" has come to embody. No synthesized blips, no curveballs for the sake of diversity, no token instrumental track, no pretension. Only twelve numbers that come together to form a wistful, cohesive unit. A flawless marriage of orchestral composition and modern rock.

One time you were a glowing young ruffian
Oh my god it was a million years ago

This is growing while having no desire to. This is nostalgia in a 3-piece suit. This is that chasm, that abyss that divides providing for yourself and being provided for. This is leaving those who provided for you. This is their dream come true. This is becoming someone. This is making it. This is loathing the vehicle you drive, the job you've slaved for, the path you chose. This is lack of direction. This is settling down. This is compromise. This is pining for the past. This is regret. This is not teetering over lines but being trapped between them. This is working class prose. This is vague aspirations becoming utmost priorities. This is complacency. This is living your life half awake in a fake empire. This is the whisper of a trumpet amidst a crowd. This is restlessness. This is the life of a professional. This has never sounded so good.
9.1/10

So Let Us Rejoice In All This Pink Noise

2007-06-22T16:54:00.000-04:00

Here are are two singles off Cassadaga, posted in chronological order of release with Four Winds followed by Hot Knives.

Bright Eyes- Cassadaga

2007-06-22T14:52:00.000-04:00

Seconds into the new Bright Eyes album Cassadaga, listeners can tell this is a slightly different journey this time around.

Ominous, swooping dissonance drowns out a vocal track of a woman as she discusses self-actualization and how one shouldn't fear "the trip". Conor Oberst then enters the fray with his trusty acoustic guitar which is to later be met with light percussion and angelic, subdued backing harmonies. The song is entitled Clairaudients (Kill Or Be Killed), referring to clairaudience, a facet of parapsychology pertaining to extra-sensory perception and one's ability to obtain information by means of paranormal auditory channels.

The spoken word intro has become Bright Eyes' calling card, this time pairing a somewhat bizarre, cryptic conversation with an ethereal sonic landscape. Needless to say, this was quite the start to Cassadaga.

Having been released April 10th, I've deemed that a sufficient amount of time has elapsed in order for me to construct a level-headed, unbiased critique of my favorite band's most recent offering. As I've grown in tandem with Conor Oberst's stumbling, disturbing, and at times uncomfortably honest work, I had high hopes for Cassadaga.

After hearing the Four Winds EP which contains the new album's first single by the same name, and considering Bright Eyes' last album I'm Wide Awake it's Morning (I have written off Digital Ash In A Digital Urn as an unfortunate anomaly), a neo-folk album was to be expected. And the Omaha boys don't stray too far from the mold they created with their 2005 masterpiece I'm Wide Awake.

While Bright Eyes is usually characterized by Oberst's soul-crushingly personal lyrics, it has become customary to find lush, orchestral instrumentation within much of the band's work as well. This album is no different in that respect, with newly official member Nate Walcott manning the string and horn sections. In addition to that, long-time contributor Mike Mogis has also joined the ranks. The roster changes are quite apparent on Cassadaga as the songs soar within fuller, more expansive musical realms.

Oberst continues to evolve on his part as a songwriter, approaching his work with a more universal message in mind, as opposed to his earlier material which was anchored in self-evaluation bordering on self-pity; mature is the first word that comes to mind when attempting to qualify the new album.

While Oberst's relentless inability to censor himself will be missed, I am glad he has progressed as a writer and isn't content to remain stagnant and stick with what is quickly becoming a rote and contrived formula. Then again, Oberst has never been one to rest on his laurels when taking into account his mind-boggling output over the years (11 albums in 9 years). Easily one of the most prolific writers of the decade, his work is more polished yet abstruse than ever before, more focused while remaining entirely vague. This is perhaps the prevailing theme on Cassadaga, uncertainty.

After Clairaudients comes the album's first single, Four Winds. A fantastic song featuring Walcott's work on the violin and Oberst's stellar writing, this song encapsulates how much of a wunderkind Oberst truly is. The background vocals kick in at the just the right moment as Oberst exclaims: "She just can't sustain the pressure where it's placed. She caves". No other song on Cassadaga is quite as uptempo and energetic as Four Winds, which really was a curveball (but a welcome one) to the Bright Eyes faithful.

The following song is more indicative of how this album will unfold. If The Brakeman Turns My Way is also a strong track and does a decent job of not being lost in the shuffle considering what preceded it. The band's second single is next. Hot Knives meanders near what should become the band's new home as the band rediscovers its distorted, dizzying roots while coupling it with hints of lavish instrumentation. It's the best of both worlds and debatably the highlight of the album.

Oberst also writes what are arguably the finest lyrics of his career on this track with "Oh, I've made love. Yeah, I've been fucked...so what? I'm a cartoon, you're a full moon. Let's stay up."

Sadly, the susebquent song is the most disappointing track on Cassadaga. Make A Plan To Love Me is far too reliant on the background vocals of Eisley's Dupree sisters and the insipid, uninteresting string section had me reaching for the skip button seconds after it began.

Fortunately, Soul Singer In A Session Band is next and picks up right where Hot Knives left off. Bright Eyes strikes a healthy balance between rich sonic landscapes and an indie sensibility once again and strike gold. More outstanding lyrical prowess courtesy of Mr. Oberst on this track: "I had a lengthy discussion about The Power of Myth with a post-modern author who didn't exist. In this fictitious world, all reality twists. I was a hopeless romantic, now I'm just turning tricks."

Oberst really does impress me with every outing as he manages to craft one incredibly thoughtful tale after another. While he has always been the central figure of Bright Eyes, he has finally taken a backseat to the songs themselves and this makes for a novel direction.

Make no mistake, he remains the band's heart and soul. But Oberst humbly bowing out to the music has the band embarking on wholly different journey.

While Cassadaga is not Bright Eyes' finest work, it shows signs of great promise. Rock's "boy genius" has grown up and takes listeners on a swirling, dizzying albeit musically comforting ride in his head. All I can do as a listener is strap myself in and hope Oberst's prose can once again spin the needles on my musical compass all out of whack.
7.7/10

Song of the day

2007-06-22T14:42:00.000-04:00

Today's song of the day is a Starman by David Bowie, an artist pretty much everyone with ears should appreciate.

I Wish You Would Put Yourself In My Suitcase

2007-06-20T16:13:00.000-04:00

Here is the video for Coconut Records' first single off Nightiming, West Coast. Enjoy.

Coconut Records- Nighttiming

2007-06-20T15:05:00.000-04:00

It is fairly common nowadays to find Hollywood actors and actresses branching out into the music industry. Despite an utterly cursory knowledge of mainstream culture, I know that Bruce Willis, Keanu Reeves, and many other thespians have dabbled in rock music. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately for my ears), most of these "multi-talented" artists fail to make any waves in the business.

This actually renders Jason Schwartzman's diminutive Hollywood status beneficial to his musical aspirations. Schwartzman consequently has a better chance of being taken seriously without being scoffed at for wanting to be more than bespectacled toolbox Max Fischer from 1999's Rushmore. With that being said, crafting good tunes always helps.

Schwartzman's band Coconut Records doesn't fail to deliver either with its debut Nighttiming. The album embodies all that is great about balmy summer weather. Hot weather is at its best when shorts and flip-flops are required, by shirtlessness is not. When you can step out on your deck and not have to skip around frantically in order to avoid foot burn. Schwartzman and company achieve this healthy balance on their debut effort no less, which is filled to the brim with enchanting oooh's and aaah's as lead singer Schwartzman expounds on fairly tepid yet entirely relatable issues.

Let it be said now that this band is not anchored in lyrics. The band thrives on creating radiant pop melodies and they pass that sonic test with flying colors. Nighttiming, which sounds like some dismal dance record, kicks off with the band's first single West Coast. Within the first few seconds, listeners can tell that this is not just a pastime to Schwartzman. He has devoted time and energy into creating crisp, concise pop songs that can still be genuine and tell a believable story. Set to absolutely grandiose harmonizing in the background, lead singer Schwartzman weaves a story of solitude and homesickness as the aahhh's swirl and soar. Quite the start.

The next song is title track, one of the few songs that actually seems to fit under the album's moniker (which makes sense since it is after all the title track). With dizzying keyboard lines and pulsating drums, the song is essntially 170 seconds of indomitable head-bobbing and foot-tapping. The two aforementioned actions are all one should really want out of summer music and Coconut Records induces this behavior effortlessly with every addicting hook and vocal harmony.

Clocking in at about 33 minutes and a half, the album is terse as stated earlier, but it doesn't make it any less memorable. If anything, the brevity had me longing for more. Some albums tend to be overdrawn and as a result, forgettable. This album does not contain any filler. Sure there are weaker tracks (Summer Day, which coincidentally landed a spot on the Spiderman 3 soundtrack) but they are far from mediocre and still have their place within the album's big picture.

One thing to keep in mind when analyzing Nighttiming though, is the shift in direction midway through the record. The first half of the album is quite jaunty and uptempo while the last half is far more laid-back and often finds a solo (barring the background vocals) Schwartzman plucking away on his guitar with the odd synth line thrown in for good measure. While this aesthetic isn't as bouncy as the first 15 minutes of the record, the shift isn't sufficiently drastic to detract from the overall theme, giving Nighttiming an organic feel.

One by one, Schwartzman's quasi-lullabies run their course to finally lead into the fantastic closer, The Thanks I Get (not a Jeff Tweedy cover if anyone's wondering, although that would be interesting). This track is an appropriate culmination to the album, with the amalgamation of both halves creating a pleasant backdrop for Schwartzman's slightly distorted vocals as he claims: "It was obviously the summertime that made you change your mind". Pop bliss.

Schwartzman has managed to avoid the crossover artist stigma and his band has in turn constructed clever, ingenious, and most importantly catchy songs that are definitely worth a spin. Coconut Records have released one of the best of 2007 so far and are among the few artists capable of creating buoyant pop music that never falls into trite, saccharine territory. Buy it now.
7.5/10