album of the week - 2.4

Bomb The Music Industry!

Scrambles

Quote Unquote Records (2009)

Why you'll love it:  Classic hardcore ska-punk

Why you'll hate it: Too many ballads / unintelligible lyrics

The flash drive I write all of my entires on beforehand got lost this week, so I've fallen behind and don't feel like rewriting all of this shit. Here's the short version...

BTMI! is this generation's Suicide Machines/Op Ivy. It's crass and manic punk rock that's danceable as all hell. They release all of their albums for free download, and mainly act as a mouthpiece for every aging jaded punker making minimum wage.

Songwriter, Jeff Rosenstock has a lot of interesting things to say about society, loneliness, and how pathetic the punk scene is; but the real draw is that he rants all of this off at high speed like a crazy hobo on a subway platform. There are a few ballads on this album, and as someone who doesn't really dig lyrics, I feel they are a total drag. Still, the insanity overwhelms the somber stuff, and anyone who grew up listening to punk rock while simultaneously hating "the scene" should be all over this. After all, it's free!

nerd alert

I am not a fantasy nerd. I've got fingers in various nerd bowls, but once wizards and orcs show up I go into a vegetive state of disinterest. I would go as far as to suggest you are as well, so take it as a seal of approval that these Dungeons & Dragons podcasts I've collected for easy consumption are hilarious and well worth your time.

The podcast features the writers of webcomics Penny Arcade and PVP playing a full game. One of which, like some of us, has never played before and has no real understanding of the process. Basically these three goof their way through the whole campaign. Warning: there is math involved, but also plenty of cursing and riffing on DnD nerdom.

I only mention these old podcasts now because a new series as just begun, which you can listen along to here, but it requires you to occasionally traverse through or subscribe to the podcast until it ends. If you're too lazy/cool to do that, at least enjoy the first series, which I conveniently stored for you. Seriously, swallow your pride and listen to them. You won't regret it.

Album of the week: 2.3

Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra

Paradise Blue

Cutting Edge (2009)

why you'll love it: professionally made big band dance hall instrumentals

why you'll hate it: for old people

I've lost track of how old this band is, how many albums they've made, how many players they've gone through, and how many styles of music they've played... All I know is by now, they've made enough tunes to fill a week long old fashioned Great Depression era dance marathon. Paradise Blue doesn't stray that far from the group's last two albums, with its high production and cool laid back style. It stands out a bit for being a bit more relaxed than any release in a long while, and for an increased number of instrumental tracks. Nothing new here, but they're still the best in the game.

more 8bit

A few weeks ago we took a look at the latest YMCK release, here is a music video from Family Cooking I found last weekend.

And here is a specatular semi-8bit video of "Buck And Judy" by Deerhoof.

Album of the week - 2.2

Go!Go!7188

Antenna

BMG Japan (2009)

Why you'll love it:  High energy versatile pop-punk

Why you'll hate it: not as memorable as most of their albums 

Be it a minor one, the first disappointment of 2009 has arrived. The ridiculously named Go!Go!7188 is veteran pop-punk trio from Japan. With talent and creativity to boot, they've managed to constantly reshape their sound every two albums. Starting off as dirty eleki-punk, maturing into a darker tone, and recently flexing their pop muscles; it's possible that with their 7th album, Antenna, they may have finally hit a creative wall.

Whereas previous albums have had a constant musical theme, Antenna is like a piniata of experimental styles. There are tons of energy put into these new songs (the most in years), but the whole album has a directionless ADD feeling. It was at about 3/4s of the album, where a straight up metal song makes an unexpected appearance, I wondered if Go!Go! had finally jumped the shark.

The very fact that they push a seven minute song to single proves that the band isn't softening up one bit. Normally I would be thrilled to see a band be so unpredictable, but it's obvious that they perform best with structure. When I saw them live two years ago, I was floored by Yuu's guitar solos, command of voice, and the altogether tightness of the band. Without their familiar rockabilly style composition, they can't accomplish these things as well, and we're left with what sounds like a b-sides album. In fact if this was a b-sides album, or even Yuu's pet project band, チリヌルヲワカ, it would leave a better impression on me.

Antenna culminates with a sing along featuring all three members of the band contributing vocal parts. I can't help but compare this to Weezer's last album, and their similar attempt at bringing everyone to the mic. The difference is clear, Weezer has run out of talent, and no experimentation can hide it. Go!Go! still has plenty of talent (these songs are quite catchy), but they're currently having trouble focusing on somewhere they haven't yet gone. Seven albums is a lot. If they make another, hopefully they'll find what they're looking for.

Tank controls or die!!!!

I've taken a reprieve from the world of next-gen (current gen?) and fallen back into my survival horror ways. Decided to pick up Fatal Frame III again. A game that is quite rewarding in scares, but a real headache to progress through. In pure Japanese gaming style, you're challenged in the must frustrating of ways. There is no real guide except ghosts you may or may not see pointing you in vague directions; as well as doors "sealed by an unknown power" (which means "you can't go here until we decide you can, and when you have to, we won't tell you.")

At hour seven, I've finally caved in and started following a FAQ. Chasing dead ends (some that lead you down gauntlets of ghosts, even fighting bosses again) have tried my patience, as well as all the damn health and film I have.

For those of you not as determined as I to enjoy all the scares first hand, here is a fun playthrough of the game I've found recorded by three people. They didn't even get as far as I have before giving up...

Part 1

Part 2

Album of The Week - 2.1

Animal Collective

Merriweather Post Pavilion

Domino (2009)

Why you'll love it:  pop music through a surrealist filter.

Why you'll hate it: annoying fans / songs take repeated listens to register.

It may not be all that relevant to review 2009's most anticipated indie album two weeks after its release (and probably two months after it originally leaked); but I can't help but share my thoughts...

Animal Collective's reputation usually brings out the best and worst of a music fan. Their psychedelic shoegaze pop has divided fanbases into waring factions. But when the dust has settled, and the mess of bearded corpses with ironic t-shirts soaked in blood and PBR have been cleared, the album will stand on its own. Let's see if we can judge this work on its own merit, not hype and pretension.

Merriweather Post Pavilion is AC's 8th album. Over the years they have gone through a series of transformations to get to this point. Beginning as a tribal-like noise band, the fluctuating lineup would experiment with highs, lows, and a lot of random yelping in between. Over time, they took their meds, and released a series of albums that played with acoustics, while still prone to fits of panic. With their last album, Strawberry Jam, heavy electronics and pop elements worked their way into the mix; all the while, still retaining that intimidating dirty tribal music aethstetic.

For Merriweather Post Pavilion, Animal Collective looks up to the heavens rather than the earth. The departure of (and refusal to replace) guitarist, Dekin, is felt here; as if master of electronics, Geologist, is left to fill the void. This is where an otherwise very good album disappoints me. The fuzzy feedback that I enjoyed so much on Strawberry Jam and Feels is replaced by a hi-pitched glissando of synth sounds. The garish production of the songs oversaturate what could have been some brilliant ambient moments.

But alien synths can only hold back the group's new pop renaissance so much. Despite its production, the closer, "Brothersport", is an epic gospel spaz attack that is impossible to ignore. "Bluish" is the most beautiful song I've heard them make. Offensively catchy pop melodies in "My Girls" and "Summertime Clothes" manage to debase the stereotype of your typical stoner band. The trio isn't just freaking out squares here, they're pushing music snobs' buttons and deceiving the casual listener.

I usually end up trimming the fat on Animal Collective albums, leaving only 5 or so tracks to remain, and the ambient crooning to rot; but I'm finding this new Beach Boys influenced sound to have much more pleasant filler tracks. Like 2007's Strawberry Jam, only one song from the album has been expelled from my iPod (the second half of "Daily Routine" is a total bore). While I'd much rather have them win me over using their dirtier soundscape, as they had with last year's Water Curses EP, this Heaven's Gate side of Animal Collective has plenty of quality beyond its glossy exterior.

The last six minutes of Super Bowl XLIII