Vampire Weekend

Modern Vampires of the City

XL Recordings.

Paul Simon as an indie rocker? What if Paul Simon had adopted indie rock, or even college rock, instead of making Graceland? Those are the questions raised by the new Vampire Weekend. 

Ezra Korning, like Simon, sounds like the English major he was in college.  Like Simon, he’s added the nuances, musically and lyrically, sly, knowing, ironic, and wise that Paul Simon is famous for, and all of this comes as the band, has matured. This is a logical, yet somewhat unexpected progression from Contra, but an absolutely brilliant one.

Every track has something to like about it, and also to think about. All of that makes the album’s single “Diane Young” about a woman of the same name, which also could be a pun on Dying Young, and both are suggested by the lyrics.  The vocals here are processed, maybe even with auto-tune. The track is a spiky rocker, and the only track where Ezra’s guitar is really heard.  Please Ezra, more guitar. You play so well! I started out hating this song. It rapidly grew on me, and it sounds like nothing else on the album. That made me curious about the album, and made me love the song.

Hopefully, old fans won’t be scared off or let down by this change of direction, as this is VW’s most indie rock album yet.  There is a lot to love here, on one of the best albums I’ve heard all year, and gives weight to my opinion that Vampire Weekend are one of the finest bands in the US. If people would stop loathing them for being preppy Ivy Leaguers, for the band has moved far beyond,  “Diane Young” would be their first top 40 hit, and their album hailed as a masterpiece. 

http://www.facebook.com/VampireWeekend

Andrea Weiss

MS. MR.

Secondhand Rapture

Columbia

As good as their EP Candy Bar Creepshow, MS MR’s full length debut, Secondhand Rapture is even better.  While this does sound like Adele, it is also a lot rougher than what Adele gets up to. It’s stronger, darker, more propulsive, and in the end, more organic.  It’s more straightforward early 90s sounding too, rather than the smooth jazz that Adele goes for.

 I like Adele, but I like MS MR much more, as the duo never goes for more than thoughtful fun, and light entertainment, with lots of drama, but no melodrama, and without all the moaning and wailing that Adele sometimes tilts toward a little too much.  All told, a very good debut, and anyone who likes Adele should love this, or like me, wishes Adele was better than she is. MS MR does that for me in spades.    http://www.facebook.com/msmrsounds

Andrea Weiss

MS MR

Hurricane

CHVRCHES Remix

And video, Director Luke Gilford

I like the video.  It's arresting, with striking images, but rather confusing to follow.  It seems to be about a man who wants a woman, but is beaten  up by  two other guys.  Were some of these images, especially the ones showing intimacy, friendly or sexual, meant to be homoerotic or not?  

This is why the remix works better.  It's a bubbly, zooming, swooshing take on Hurricane by CHVRCHES.  It’s fun, and brings out a playfulness that's not in the version used as the soundtrack for the video.  That’s not to say the soundtrack version is a bad song.  It’s just that the remix is infectious. 

https://soundcloud.com/msmrsounds/ms-mr-hurricane-chvrches-remix 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sj684zcmzw

Andrea Weiss

Children By The Millions Sing For Scott Miller

A Tribute

Scott Miller, my all-time favorite musician, is dead. We will know more in the coming days.  His music got me through the highest highs and lowest lows.  I don’t do traditional blog posts often, but tonight is one big exception.

I heard Here It Is Tomorrow on Princeton University’s WPRB and ran to buy the album it was on, The Big Shot Chronicles. That was the mid 80s. I’ve been a huge fan ever since, have all his albums, both GT and the Loud Family’s brilliant 90s/00’s output. I love them all, and it’s heartbreaking that there’ll be nothing new from him, as he was about to start on a new album at the time of his death. 

Scott’s music was power pop of the most experimental ever.  For Game Theory’s classic albums like Lolita Nation, imagine a Beatles/Big Star fusion, with many other bands mixed in, with lyrics in the style of Joyce, say Finnegan’s Wake or Ulysses.   Head spinning, maybe, but also catchy as all get out.  The man had a great gift for melodies and turns of phrase.  A songwriter's songwriter.  And all the people he played with, big talents in their own right, who Got It, and made it their own as much as Scott did.

The Loud Family dropped Joyce, and was more 90s alternative rock than 80s college rock, but just as good, different, but still all Scott, and like nothing else out there, which can be said for Game Theory, too.  Scott retired in 2000, came back in 2006 with What If It Works, a collaboration with Anton Barbeau, and I welcomed it fully.

I saw Scott live twice, on the Loud Family’s last two national tours, and he was wonderful.  Two of the best concerts I’ve ever seen.  There were no flashy moves, no big stage show, just a lot of good music. And Boy Could He Play Guitar.

I also am on the email discussion list, Loud Fans, and have met so many wonderful people on there, friends to this day.  It was the first list I joined back in the 90s, when I first came online, and when everything migrated for the most part to Facebook, I was there, too. 

Words fail me now, but I’ll try two last thoughts.  One: If you've never heard his music, go to the Loud Family’s site.  There is a place to download his Game Theory albums for free.  You will never, ever regret doing this.

Two: Scott’s book of music lists, and his observations about music, Music: What Happened, will live on just as much as his music. I’m posting the link of my interview with him for this blog as my second tribute to him.  My thoughts are with his wife Kristine and his family.  And to all Loud Fans, or Louds, we will keep his music alive forever!

http://allaroundrecords.blogspot.com/2011/01/i-became-fan-of-scott-millers-music-in.html

http://www.loudfamily.com

Andrea Weiss

Chrissy Murderbot

Greatest Hits

Murder Channel

What I like about techno, any kind of techno, is that it conveys emotions and thoughts with no lyrics, just the music,  without a hint of showing off, which can be the case with rock instrumentals.  Even when there are words, it’s usually a phrase or maybe one sentence that is meant to complement the emotions of a piece, not make things separate,.

On this comp, the emotions here are joy, woderment, amazement,  happiness, love, and pleasure, letting all kinds of synths carry the load, rather than guitars, and vocals.  To me this is the best kind of techno, If you’re going to dance, it should be because you’re happy, not sad or angry.  And this comp is made of one non-stop party, something to play and replay, until you’re exhausted.

Now all of this may be obvious, but I’m a newcomer to this type of music, so bear with me if I sound like I’m making basic observations.  I like this comp a lot. Indeed anything Muderbot has sent me has been excellent. Even though I really do have two left feet, I like this for bringing cheer, and for making me want to shimmy around the room, and get me moving. Actions can speak much louder than words here.

https://soundcloud.com/chrissymurderbot/sets/chrissy-murderbot-greatest 

Andrea Weiss

British Sea Power

Machineries Of Joy

Rough Trade

This is BSP’s cleanest, most straightforward album yet. It’s a little disconcerting at first to hear how much their echo, murk, and other atmospheric sonics have receded.   But get past that, and you’ll find a great album, smart, thoughtful, and gentle. The gentleness is new, although balanced by that the band still sounds exasperated and disgruntled. That’s also a welcome sign that cleaning up their sound hasn’t  lightened it. This is heavy music in the best sense,  dealing with weighty topics,  emotions,  and  situations.

BSP has never failed to disappoint, and while all of their albums are recommended, this is the one to start with, and work backwards.  You’ll be introduced to one of the great British indie rock bands around, and you’ll never regret it. http://www.facebook.com/BSPofficial

Andrea Weiss

Caveman

Caveman

Fat Possum

What seems at first glance to be very samey-sounding, musically, is actually a very subtle, nuanced sound, with many layers and details that demand close attention.  And if you give the music a chance, you’ll find something wonderful, very deep, and even comforting, a sense that someone feels the same as you.

This approach extends to the lyrics as well, which seem to be about a relationship, where the singer loves someone dearly, but knows he’s getting nowhere with her yet can’t quit.  Everything runs together after awhile, making the effect of the lyrics seem like episodes in one very long, bad day that never seems to end. But when it does, things will be better and there will be understanding, and possibly a resolution.  Anyone who’s ever been in a relationship like this will relate. These lyrics are striking in terms of examining every aspect of the relationship.

CoCo Beware, Caveman’s self-released debut, deserves every bit of hype thrown at it. This self-titled sophomore beats the cliché of the sophomore slump, and is a very worthy follow-up to their debut.  This is modern psychedelic music at its best, and  a very good trip at that. 

http://www.facebook.com/CavemanBand 

Andrea Weiss