album of the week: 4.4

The Mars Volta

Noctourniquet

(2012)

why you'll love it: A step back in the right direction after a lull

why you'll hate it: Not as epic or insane as they have been known for

It feels like it's been a whole generation since a Mars Volta album. A lot of contributing factors led to this thought. The At The Drive-in reunion tour, Omar Rodríguez-López's endless solo discography, trying to pretend Octahedron (2009) never existed, and the excellent but not quite Volta El Grupo Nuevo de Omar Rodriguez Lopez album. The Bedlam in Goliath (2008) was the last time The Mars Volta has been able to produce that unique otherworld feeling. With all these distractions, lineup changes, and the constant threat of aging effecting performance; it seems like a reboot would be in better interest than trying to outdo their own reputation.

Noctourniquet feels like a clean slate. Omar has taken more creative control of the band, convincing Cedric Bixler-Zavala to change up the way he writes and even sings. Gone are most of the Freddie Mercury sized notes, and many of the perplexing vocabulary words. Omar himself has toned back on the 10 minute guitar solos. This album feels less like a "wizard painted on the side of a van" Led Zepplin sized classic rock approach to prog, and a more electronic and layered Yes style.

Amputechture (2006) is my favorite Volta album; so I do miss that psychadelic-jazz sound a lot, but also respect the change. The Mars Volta that had become popular was not the Mars Volta that was born. If you go back to their debut EP, Tremulant, you'll notice the kind of simplicity heard here. The Volta that became so infamous with Frances The Mute and Amputechture was just one of a few directions they decided to go in. Think of this album as if the real follow up to their debut EP, Tremulant (2002).

Cedric is speaking more like a common man, and no songs break the eight minute mark, but the band still knows how to be strange and progressive. A lot of synthesizers of all shapes and sizes fill out the space on this album. Not as many guitar solos here as there are scratches and strains coming from all angles. "The Whip Hand" dishes out some of the most abrasive sound they've come up with. Cedric delivers an intimidating performance on "The Malkin Jewel". "Zed And Two Naughts" is my favorite song on here. Something that could have easily been on the fan favorite album, De-Loused in the Comatorium (2003).

"Dislexicon" is pretty action packed, but most of the songs are a slow burn. The first couple times I listened to this album, my attention drifted, only to be snatched back with the revelation "holy crap, is this the same song? How did it get to this point? This is crazy!" Going back and listening to the songs again to discover the slow transitions is fun. Most of these songs start out very simple and unassuming, but devolve into a wonderful cacophony. Others in the second half drag throughout. A little big of slog still holds this band down, but for the most part, this is the darker and "what-should-have-been" version of Octahedron.

Compared to what this group soared to between 2003 and 2008, this seems like a timid album, but I appreciate the new direction. To continue to try and outdo what they already did would just result in a destructive and redundant white noise. Now the haters have to create a whole new series of excuses to discredit this band.

album of the week: 4.3

capsule

STEREO WORXXX

(2012)

why you'll love it: No lame party cliches or rapping, just dance music

why you'll hate it: pretty generic stuff for this group. No outstanding tracks

I don't think there is a single artist in my iTunes library as inconstant as capsule. In both style and quality, capsule has run the gamete of criticisms from "exciting next-generation electro-disco" to "embarrassingly derivative party anthems". The 2008 album, MORE! MORE! MORE!, struck at the right time, with aggressive fashion-pop and heavy drops before the world popularized the names Lady Gaga and Skrillex. The two albums leading up to and following MORE! MORE! MORE! have failed to capture that same magic. capsule takes big risks. That's usually something I enjoy; but their failures greatly outweigh the accomplishments. Albums usually have two or three absolutely killer tracks, lost in a sea of missed opportunities, hackneyed party cliches, terrible raps, and predictable beats and progressions.

STEREO WORXXX doesn't bring capsule back to electro-pop glory, but at least stops the bleeding. Yatsutaka Nakata wisely pulls back on a lot of gimmicks and themes for this album. No guest performers, no rave sirens. Even the face and voice of capsule, Toshiko Koshijima, has a more subtle presence than usual. Her contributions aren't catch phrases, and her voice is mostly background flavor, almost treated like another synth layered on to the mix.

The music itself is the real star here. I'm actually a little impressed by the way the tracks are put together. The first three songs connect in the strangest way. They don't fade or bridge. It's like Nakata just flips a switch and screams "I'm bored, next song NOW!" Extended versions of most of these songs exist, but I love the way they are cut for this album. All the songs are pretty solid. It seems more about the consistency and pace of a song this time than just building up to a big moment. That's a good change, because the songs on the last two albums were very formulaic. I do miss those great bug-out moments capsule has been known to do, but I don't want to hear any more until a less predictable method is comprised.

I'm pretty torn on this release. It's definitely one of the most focused and successful capsule albums in a long time. Just about everything that made me cringe or roll my eyes about them over the past few years has been cut. On the other hand, so much has been reduced, I'm not sure what kind of personality remains. At what point does this just become generic club-music? STEREO WORXXX is the kind of album I usually chastise an artist over for "playing it too safe" but capsule has had so many misses over the years, maybe I'm just happy to listen to a full release without guilt.

album of the week: 4.2

†††

††

(2012)

why you'll love it: The perfect bridge between artsy depressing electonica and radio-friendly rock

why you'll hate it: Vague lyrics, not very attention grabbing

I got into the (then) hardcore/nu-metal band, Deftones, when I was a dumb kid in high school, pretty much just to fit in and make other kids think I wasn't as much of a wuss as I looked. As I grew up and found my own confidence and taste, Deftones stuck with me by revealing a softer and more electronic focused side. This all came to a head with the one off Chino Moreno side-project / collaboration album - Team Sleep (2005). ††† is sort of like the follow up that we never got to that fantastic Team Sleep album.

In †††, Chino joins forces with his friends in the band Far, to create something further into the electronic realm. Last year's debut EP, †, gave us exactly what most expected and wanted. Moody, atmospheric, sort of depressing or gothic electronica. It wasn't as attention-grabbing as Team Sleep or even when Deftones started experimenting with the sound; but still a type of sound so infrequent from Chino, it's very welcome.

†† stirs up a different tone; something a bit more positive. "Fron†iers" kicks things off with a rousing triumphant feeling. "Prurien†" follows, a very radio friendly love ballad. The momentum climaxes with "†elepa†hy"; the most rocking composition they've come up with so far. Seeming by design, the last two songs are like the crash after the high. You can feel the gears come to a halt in "1987". It's a familiar sinking feeling that I expected to get from this project when it was first announced. With just 5 songs, †† creates a journey of emotional highs and lows.

I like that these guys are testing the range of their sound. Even though I'm not as jazzed about this stuff as I was for Team Sleep, I hope that these EPs continue, and they take on a slightly different attitude in each one. Trying to convince people that Deftones is a band with actual substance has been a challenge over the years. Like Team Sleep, these EPs help reveal the side of Chino Moreno's songwriting and delivery that few people bother to discover.

album of the week: 4.1

Polysics

15th P

(2012)

why you'll love it: Great for Poly fans - lots of guests

why you'll hate it: not a serious release - experimental stuff not so successful

Nothing in music gets me hyped more than a new Polysics release. This year I'm even more hyped than normal, because 15th P isn't exactly an album (or even an EP). It's a 15th anniversary release (both in years, and the band's 15th non single release since 1999's 1st P).

Last year's first LP since their lineup shake, Oh! No! It's Heavy Polysick!!!, featured subtle treats of fan service buried within a refined, sequencer driven sound. 15th P, however, is pure fan service. While the band seems to be creatively adjusting to their live instruments mixing with the hyperspace fast sequencers, this release doesn't have the evolutionary "next step" that Polysics has managed to create with nearly every new album. This is essentially a collection of super wacky experimental songs that feed off Polysics nostalgia, only with a quality above that of your typical b-sides.

I don't care much for track-by-track reviews, but there are less than ten on here, and I have something to say about each of them. Sorry about this. I'll make it as painless as possible...

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"Buggie Technica 2012" is the most recent version of the landmark Polysics song that is played at least once every show. This is the third proper version of the song recorded. They remade the song in 2004 when they got a new drummer, and it would only make sense that they make a new version now. Especially since (having just discovered in this version) they introduce the lineup of the band through vocoded vocals. The song still rocks, and it is an absolute necessity that it be made, but eh, it's "Buggie Technica". Nothing for a long-time fan to get excited about.

The Polysics history lesson continues with "ありがTOISU!", a 5 minute medley with over 10 years of lyrics and melodies. The melodies are mashed together in very impressive ways. The references come flying so fast and furious that the band even released a website listing them all out, so you can keep up. The song is compiled together in such a way that if you aren't getting that "Hey, I know that song!" sensation, it must sound like a jumbled mess. Aside from the middle-8 (a brilliant mash-up of the "TAX IN" bass line, "Get Back To 8-Bit" guitar riff, and the keyboard ditty from "Rocket"), this is a song for fans only. Especially during the compiled lyrics, which seem to be nothing more than arbitrarily listed. I wish they had spent more time sorting out the lyrics in ways as clever as they had with the melodies. Still, a pretty rad thing to create, and like "Buggie Technica 2012", this release seems to be tailor made for things like this.

"Mix Juice" introduces the most significant theme of this release, guest appearances. In this rap song (yes, RAP). Eriko Hashimoto does a verse (great voice) and TAKUMA does one (not so great. Worst guest on the LP). Despite TAKUMA's awkward Rastafarian style rapping, the song is alright. It's better than "ありがとう" off of 2008's We Ate The Machine. So if you can hang with that, you can hang with this.

"Whip And Horse" has no credited guest, but features a horse race event being called before each chorus. A fun concept, slightly diminished by the fact that GlassJAw beat Polysics to the punch a long time ago. This is still the best traditional Polysics sounding original song on the release.

"明るい生活" is a fast paced song that shows off some great high-speed technical interaction between the band and the sequencers, but it's the least notable song on here.

"友達ケチャ" is a track that left many fans gutted. a 60+ guest track (with friends of the band such as Ahito Inazawa, Masafumi Gotō, the telephones, and half of Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra). I personally was hyped to find out exactly what this song would be. Turns out it wasn't a song. It was just a strange a cappella sort-of cover of YMO's "Nune Tanz". Again; if it's gonna be made, it might as well be here; but you can skip this track.

Despite being a cover, "Mecha-Mania Boy" is probably the best track on here. Firstly it's an actual song, not some crazy experimental thing. Also, it's a dream come true for Polysics and their fans, because Mark Mothersbaugh himself reprises his role as lead singer for his own song. Polysics holds back a little bit on the bells and whistles, and lets the song stay true enough to feel like a modern day re-make, with Mark at the helm. It actually sounds better than the original Devo version. Simply a great song made better.

The one song that feels tailor made for its guests is "1.2.ダー!" It's peppy bubblegum rock number. The sweet side is represented by Kojima Mayumi; while Yumi Nakashima (of surf-punk bands, チリヌルヲワカ and GO!GO!7188) lends her unmistakable voice, along with Polysics bassist, Fumi.

This technopop variety show closes out justly, with the piano driven sing-along, "783640". Yet another song outside their comfort zone that, enjoyable as it may be, would not fit in with most Polysics releases. Each member of the band gets a verse to sing (that must be Yano [drums] at the end, I'm not so sure though).

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There are a few nitpicks I have with some of the songs on here, but the whole tone of the release is too jovial and nostalgic to care. It would be like complaining that The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular did not have a satisfying enough plot. The 15th P special edition is packaged with lots of nostalgic content art, including a set of Polysics badges in the form of lapel pins. Being such a fan service package, I don't know what this release comes off as to people who only own We Ate The Machine and/or the 2004 compilation, POLYSICS OR DIE!!!! Maybe newcomers can just just shrug and treat as "oh, that wacky Japan.", but even that is pretty far off. Polysics have by now created their own culture of repurposed 70's post-punk, new wave, and electronica. They're practically their own independent island by now.