Here’s your Friday edition of Pick Your Poison. As usual, download what you like. Have a great weekend!
Emanuel and the Fear – Dear Friend
Hooray for Earth – Surrounded By Your Friends
Hunter Valentine – The Stalker
Month: May 2010
Your liking of Sigur Ros and singer Jonsi’s side project don’t have to be exclusive to one or the other, and in fact it probably behooves you to like both. I was a slight bit timid in my review of Jonsi’s first solo effort “Go” a few weeks back, but my beef is that compared to his main band Sigur Ros, it wasn’t as good. In reality though, how could you expect it to be? Still, with a group of collaborators that included his boyfriend Alex Somers and avant-garde composer Nico Muhly, “Go” is one solid effort, even if it doesn’t eclipse his other stuff. Now in terms of a live show, Jonsi has pulled out all the stops for his current American tour. There’s a heavy theatrical element and a stage design that’s second to none. The photos and online video I’ve seen of both are nothing short of impressive. I would have and should have gone to see Jonsi when he stopped by Chicago for a pair of shows last month, but unfortunately I fell ill for a few days and decided against going. Hopefully there will be a next time. For those, like me, who are/were unable to see the Jonsi concert experience, this Live Friday should give you an idea of how good it is. In fact, for you collectors out there, this session from Minnesota Public Radio actually includes a performance of an unreleased song. Yes, Jonsi prefaces the song “Stars in Stillwater” by saying that he wrote it 10-15 years ago, and went so far as to record it for “Go”, but felt that it wasn’t good enough to include on the album. It is, in fact, pretty good. You also get the song “Go Do” performed with just a baritone ukelele, and “Around Us” on solo piano. To sum up, it’s a great session and most definitely worth downloading if that’s your sort of thing.
There’s also the streaming interview portion (link below) which, if you paid any attention to the “masters of awkward silence” interview Sigur Ros did with NPR a couple years back, had the potential to be equally as strange. Thankfully, Jonsi is very talkative and open about all sorts of topics. He discusses why he chose to release a solo album now, the Icelandic volcano situation, and his love of strawberry pies. Pretty good actually.
Jonsi, Live on MPR 3-24-10:
Jonsi – Stars in Stillwater (Live on MPR) (Unreleased song!)
Jonsi – Go Do (Live on MPR)
Jonsi – Around Us (Live on MPR)
Here’s the Thursday edition of Pick Your Poison, your weekday dose of free mp3s from my inbox to your ears. Good stuff today, including remixes of songs by Gorillaz and Cold Cave. Have a look, and download what you like!
The Art of Shooting – Japanese
Cold Cave – Life Magazine (An Optimo Espacio Mix)
Gorillaz – Superfast Jellyfish (Don Diablo Remix)
Julia Nunes – I Think You Know
One For The Team – I Got Tamed (feat. John Vanderslice)
Owl – Morning Eyes
Download Owl’s album “Chants (The Vibrations in the Streets Keep Me Weak in the Knees)” for free
Places and Numbers – Waking the Dead
Seven Saturdays – Beautiful Day
For those of you who’ve not heard the humble math rock beginnings of Minus the Bear, I strongly encourage you to go out and find a copy of their debut album “Highly Refined Pirates” as soon as possible. Between that and the EPs “This Is What I Know About Being Gigantic”, “Bands Like It When You Yell ‘Yar!’ At Them” and “They Make Beer Commercials Like This”, Minus the Bear had built their early career on making incredibly catchy, quirky, and subversive rock songs that sounded little like other bands around at the time. Throw in silly song titles like “Monkey!!! Knife!!! Fight!!!” and “I Lost All My Money at the Cock Fights” and suddenly you’ve got a really cool band that also clearly has a sense of humor. Those were the years of 2001-2004, when I was so impressed with the band that they quickly became one of my favorite new indie acts. Then 2005 arrived, and my excitement knew no bounds upon the release of their sophmore album “Menos El Oso”. But the funny song titles had disappeared, and with them a band that was far more serious about what they were doing. Playtime was over, and now they were making math rock with purpose and laser-like focus. By that same token, the album was excellent but not as catchy as its predecessor, and when I saw the band live for the first time the experience was marred by an excessively drunk guy next to me who eventually threw a bottle at the stage. 2007’s “Planet of Ice” pulled me in two different directions as I finally accepted the quirky and fun days of old were gone forever, but suddenly the band shifted their direction yet again and moved away from their math rock past into something more psychedelic and synth-dominant. Another good record, but once again I was bothered by the band’s inability to commit to a style and stick with it for more than one album. And despite their knack for writing compelling songs, their once unique sound had turned into an imitation of other, more classic bands. Now with a new album and record label in tow, Minus the Bear’s new album “Omni” is out this week, and surprise surprise, they’re once again experiencing another shift in their sonic palette.
When recording “Omni”, Minus the Bear were without a record label. They parted ways with Suicide Squeeze, the label they had been with from the very beginning. To help generate interest in their new recordings, they released the song “Into the Mirror”, which apparently earned them some attention from Dangerbird Records, who they signed with in February. The song was an early indicator of the stylistic shift that “Omni” would offer: a mid-tempo, slickly produced track that was extremely synth-heavy yet still pretty good overall. It was promising in the idea that the new record could be their most accessible and danceable yet, something that the pre-release single “My Time” backed up with flying colors. I may still be upset with the band for abandoning their math rock roots, but the early indicators were that at least the new stuff was going to be compelling in one form or another. Here’s the thing though: compelling as it might be, “Omni” as a whole comes across as a somewhat desperate attempt at currying favor with a mainstream audience. Completely overproduced is the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about the album. This thing has so much polish that the song title “Into the Mirror” might as well describe exactly how it sounds. The record is so clean I can hear my own reflection in it. Then throw in, outside of the two aforementioned singles, that after a half dozen times through I can’t mentally recall what any of the other songs sound like, and we’ve got problems. “Excuses”, something that describes what the band may be making after what’s sure to be a collection of negative reviews, is perhaps the only other song on the album I have a moderate liking for. Don’t even get me started on the lyrics either, which treats sex, drugs and rock n’ roll like it’s a new concept yet to be explored in song.
Despite my many complaints, I still find myself thinking that “Omni” isn’t a horrible album. Instead, consider this review like a parent chastising a child for telling a white lie: you’re upset and you may yell at them, but in the end what they did wasn’t THAT bad and you still love them anyways. The record may be overproduced and unmemorable, but there are no songs that I actively dislike. Inoffensive and easy is the name of the game, and Minus the Bear do it with pluck and dignity. Yes, they’re a bland shell of what they once were, but if that translates to a wider audience and higher record sales, more power to ’em. For the sake of my own sanity I can’t recommend that you buy “Omni”, but if you showed me a copy in your record collection I wouldn’t yell at you for it. The salad days of my love for Minus the Bear may be quickly going by the wayside, but I’m comforted by the idea that they might find solace in the arms of a teenage kid who doesn’t know any better. “Omni” is a risk that this band needed to take, and rest assured should they eventually choose to return to their sound of old, I’ll be waiting for them with open arms. Thanks for that killer game of Crisco Twister, guys.
Minus the Bear – Into the Mirror (mediafire)
Last summer, The Most Serene Republic released their third full-length album, “…And the Ever-Expanding Universe”. It marked a slight shift in direction for the collective, who previously were known for being the only band signed to the Arts & Crafts label that had no official affiliation with Broken Social Scene. That they sounded like Broken Social Scene, well that was just a happy coincidence. What made The Most Serene Republic so distinctive on their own was primarily their dense musical compositions, which tended to incorporate everything from horns and strings to computerized beats. They had some radio-friendly pop songs, but also liked to play around a bit and compose some beautiful instrumentals that added flavor and heart to their records. Since their 2005 debut album “Underwater Cinematographer”, band members have come and go almost as they pleased, though I believe at their highest they were holding steady around 7 or 8 members. Currently they stand at a healthy six members, as long-time guitarist/co-vocalist Emma Ditchburn has now left the band. Now without any female to at the very least provide a foil and solid harmonizer with Adrian Jewett’s vocals, what they’ll do with all those songs Ditchburn was featured on is a mystery to me (though you can go see them live and find out yourself). But like their counterparts Broken Social Scene, The Most Serene Republic actually have a brand new EP out this week, titled “Fantasick Impossibliss”. It’s the first piece of music to be released on the band’s brand new self-created label Home of the Rebels, and it marks a return to their humble beginnings in more ways than one.
Things are interesting right from the start of “Fantasick Impossibliss”, with the track “Comeuppance” going a heavy drum and bass route. Those two instruments with Jewett’s echo-laden vocals meandering through the sparsity is definitely a change from the immense compositions that were all over “…And the Ever-Expanding Universe”. The track builds to something of a head though, as flashes of acoustic guitar begin to slip in and eventually some loud electrics slam it home with some force. There’s not really a chorus to speak of, and at this point I’m not entirely sure if that’s a good or bad thing. “Pink Noise” features acoustic guitar as its anchor, along with a a drum machine and splashes of a horn section, which is reminiscent of the stuff on “Underwater Cinematographer”, and album I love quite dearly. It’s a surprisingly memorable and fun song, and might just be my favorite on the entire EP. The drums and bass once again stand out on “Jelly Chamber”, but this time there’s so many more layers to keep your ear attuned to. Between various guitars and a string section, I was largely reminded of the 2006 “Phages” EP, which just so happens to be my favorite release from the band. “The Church of Acorns” is one of the more normal tracks I’ve ever heard from The Most Serene Republic. Your basic combination of guitars and drums dominate for much of the song, but towards the end you can hear some light strings twitching in the background and a little bit of xylophone for added magical effect. The same goes for “Ache of Goon”, which doesn’t have any xylophone, but there’s a hint of trumpet and violin. The song gets by on sheer charm and a melody that’s attractive for reasons I’m still trying to comprehend. The final and title track of the EP stands in something of a contrast to what came before it. It’s the only song on the EP produced by Dave Newfield and goes on for 2 minutes longer than almost anything else. It’s also more of a sonic collage, featuring piano/keyboard and drums as the main noisemakers, while echo vocal effects are once again employed to both Jewett’s voice and the other members backing him up. The uptempo nature of the track helps it greatly, so much so that the 6.5 minutes flew by before I even started to wonder when it was going to wrap up.
If you’re looking for a commentary on the lyrics, well, they’re not horrible. Adrian Jewett has never been a highly prolific songwriter (no offense), and given the amount of time and precision spent on the instrumental portions of each song, his vocals serve more as another instrument in the mix rather than a collection of words intended to be analyzed and scrutinized to no end. Besides that, there are times where you can’t hear or pick out exactly what’s being said, so try not to get worked up over platitudes and generalizations that might be made. Outside of that, this really does feel like The Most Serene Republic are returning to their formative days on the “Fantasick Impossibliss” EP. Good for them, as their first couple releases were my favorites of theirs. Still, to relatively ignore the progress they’ve made these last few years, as good or bad as it may have been, feels like a step backwards. Surprisingly, the lack of female co-vocalist Emma Ditchburn wasn’t as much of a problem for me as I anticipated it would be, and the other guys in the band were able to fill in the gap with harmonies and backing vocals nicely. So, when it comes down to brass tax, is the “Fantasick Impossibliss” EP worth your time and your $5? Yes, sure, why not. I’ve been rooting for this band since their debut, and while they’ve had a rough spot or two in the past couple years, they continue to evolve and intrigue me with each new release. Now that they’re essentially on their own with their self-started record label, I hope you’ll support them keep them financially stable enough to at least continue making music for the near future. There’s a truly brilliant, game-changing album in TMSR’s future, it just might take a little more time for them to figure out exactly how to make it.
The Most Serene Republic – Pink Noise (zshare)
Buy “Fantasick Impossibliss” from Gallery AC
Buy it from iTunes
Buy it from Amazon MP3
The Most Serene Republic + Annuals Tour Dates:
5/06/10 – Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop
5/07/10 – Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle
5/08/10 – Minneapolis, MN @ 400 Bar
5/11/10 – Seattle, WA @ Crocodile Café
5/12/10 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
5/14/10 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill
5/15/10 – Los Angeles, CA @ Spaceland
5/16/10 – Phoenix, AZ @ Rhythm Room
5/19/10 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s
5/20/10 – Houston, TX @ Mangos
5/21/10 – Denton, TX @ Hailey’s
5/22/10 – Little Rock, AR @ Stickey Fingerz
5/23/10 – St. Louis, MO @ Old Rock House
6/15/10 – Washington, DC @ DC9
6/16/10 – Philadelphia, PA @ North Star Bar
6/17/10 – Boston, MA @ Great Scott
6/18/10 – Brooklyn, NY @ Knitting Factory
6/19/10 – Hoboken, NJ @ Maxwell’s
6/20/10 – New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
Happy Cinco De Mayo everybody! No Mexico-themed mp3s in Pick Your Poison today, but that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate Mexican independence by downloading a few songs. There’s new stuff from Ratatat down below, which you could call my “pick of the day”.
Kristen Wiig – Champion (feat. Lightspeed Champion) (from the “MacGruber” soundtrack!)
As a genre of music, indie pop is so immediately likeable that if you can’t find a band to love that plays this style of music, chances are there’s something wrong with you. Between The Shins and Phoenix, there’s a fair share of “crossover” indie pop acts too, working their way onto the radio and the general public’s consciousness. Despite being around for 10 years, The New Pornographers, for some reason, have yet to break through that wall. They’re now on their fifth long player, and not a single one of their songs has gotten airplay on a Chicago radio station. Considering at the very least their first three albums were critically acclaimed slices of sugary pop that stuck with you for days and weeks on end, it’s even more perplexing. That’s before you consider the roster of great talents that make up this supergroup, from formidable band “leader” A.C. Newman to Destroyer’s Dan Bejar and siren songstress Neko Case. What is it going to take to get this great band to finally break through? Or are many people scared away by the band name itself, not wanting to be caught searching the internet or talking to their friends about “pornographers”? This mystery is beyond my own comprehension, but the hope is that this new album “Together” might finally earn them the sort of attention they so richly deserve from the right kind of people.
Coming off the somewhat disappointing slow player that was 2007’s “Challengers”, The New Pornographers appear to be feeling better these days, because the quicker and more upbeat tunes of their earlier albums are back on “Together”. Granted, we’re not talking about the high speed sugar-fueled pop of songs like “From Blown Speakers” and “Letter from An Occupant”, but the tempo is definitely faster than most of what was on the last album. So you can’t quite call it a full return to form, but there are a few differemt elements that come into play and add a different dimension to this well-established band.
First is the instrumentation. It feels like The New Pornographers have graduated from the rank and file of other groups in a similar vein and moved into new territory with their sound. Guitars still form the basis for their sound, but for the first time we’re really hearing a full string section and/or horns present through most of the songs. They’ve dabbled in these sorts of arrangements before, just not with the breadth and depth they are now. It was mainly hinted at on their third album “Twin Cinema” and now that transition appears complete.
Secondly, though the vocals have always been shared relatively equally between Newman, Bejar and Case, “Together” truly is the first record where every single band member seems like they’re on the exact same page. There’s a cohesiveness present that takes away the glaring differences between tracks written by the band’s three principal members. Largely helping to create this impression is that they all sing on virtually every song, whether that means taking on a verse or simply adding vocal harmonies. In other words, even a Dan Bejar-fronted song doesn’t always stay that way, and the added vocal diversity does some great work in helping this album to gel from start to finish.
It’s the small things that don’t change which give me the most pause on “Together”. Problems mainly stem from the lyrics, which in typical A.C. Newman fashion, appear to be written from the heart and then colored in with shades of grey. It’s clear that many of the stories he tells are personal, sometimes intensely so, but the wordplay is so hazy and unclear, you’re never entirely sure what exactly he’s getting at. The same goes for Bejar, who’s basically been doing that for his entire career. By keeping the audience at a lyrical distance, an emotional connection to these songs is increasingly difficult to establish, forcing you to settle for the general upbeat fun the music and not the words are offering up.
Despite those minor quibbles, “Together” is a very strong effort from The New Pornographers. They do much more right than they do wrong here, and compared to their last album this one’s a treat. In terms of where this might stand amid their critically acclaimed catalogue, I’m still not entirely sure. What I can tell you with confidence is that “Together” isn’t first or even the second best thing they’ve done to date. The most important thing you need to know is that this album is essentially a return to form for the band, while at the same time taking some of the necessary steps they need for progression’s sake. It marks one of the better indie pop records I’ve heard so far this year, and naturally I would recommend you get a copy should you feel up to it. Now if only more radio stations would give this band a chance.
Pick Your Poison is my way of sharing the latest and greatest mp3s from up-and-coming bands with you. I encourage you to download what appeals to you, and maybe experiment just a little bit with some artists you’ve never heard of before. Above all though, have fun!
Andre Williams – That’s All I Need
The Frontier Brothers – You Should Start A Band
Man/Miracle – Pushing and Shoving
Mike Patton – Urlo Negro (The Blackmen)
Moby – Gone to Sleep (Acoustic) (follow link)
Momma’s Boy vs. Mikix the Cat – Party Rock
Red Wanting Blue – The World Is Over
Wolf Parade – Ghost Pressure
Wolf Parade – What Did My Love Say? (It Had to Go This Way)
When it comes to Broken Social Scene, I’ll confess to being stuck between a rock and a hard place. Asking me for my simplest opinion of the band, I’d say that I love them and that they’re one of my favorite bands. But lately things have become complicated. Specifically, since 2005’s self-titled album, which eventually turned into a “hiatus” of sorts for the band. The word hiatus is in quotes because while many of the loose members went their separate ways for a time, there was still a series of “Broken Social Scene Presents…” albums from main guys Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning to keep the name somewhat alive during that time. Those records were decent (not not amazing), and largely stuck to the same sound the full Broken Social Scene collective had established on previous albums. It was late last year that Kevin Drew announced the official reformation of Broken Social Scene, and their new album “Forgiveness Rock Record” arrives tomorrow.
On the surface, I should be leaping with excitement at the prospect of a new Broken Social Scene album. “You Forgot It In People” is among my Top 10 Albums of the 00s, and the last official BSS record was pretty damn good too. My excitement, however, has been tempered by the fact that little to nothing has really changed since the “Broken Social Scene Presents” days aside from the word “Presents”. Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning still lead a motley group of people, while former female powerhouses such as Leslie Feist, Emily Haines, and Amy Millan can scarcely be counted upon to make even a single track guest appearance anymore. Of course they’re all off doing their own things, what with Feist having two popular records under her belt, Haines gaining more press than ever for the last Metric record, and Millan’s band Stars preparing to release yet another album of delicious indie pop. Translation: I went into “Forgiveness Rock Record” under the belief that despite boasting a roster of nine “core” members and 22 “guest” musicians and vocalists, this was not nearly the same band as before. Or, to put it a different way, there seems to be no way any of us are ever going to hear “Anthems for a Seventeen Year Old Girl” performed live again, unless band members past and present all just “happen” to be in the same place at the same time. To help take away some of that pain and handle some of those older songs with female parts, new member Lisa Lobsinger is on board. I can’t help but think the way she does a “7/4 Shoreline” or a “Cause=Time” will be poor in comparison to the Feist versions. All these things being said, among a host of other concerns, let me dive in to talking about the actual content on “Forgiveness Rock Record,” and whether or not it lives up to the glory of the other albums under the Broken Social Scene name.
Things get off to a grand start with the 7-minute opener “World Sick”, a song that contains most of the Broken Social Scene trademarks, including a cool instrumental intro and outro along with a chorus that makes you want to shout from the rooftops. It’d make for a great single, except, you know, it’s 7 minutes. “Chase Scene” follows the high of the epic opening cut with a speedy, noisy adventure that’s in and out before you can catch up to it. “Texico Bitches” could be considered another highlight, a fast-paced anti-oil corporation rager that three tracks in seems to indicate that this might be a very revitalized, energized and more accessible (but still angry) version of the band than ever before. Honestly, I was expecting more quieter, or at least slower tracks that dominated past releases, instead of this propulsive and stadium-sized stuff. “All to All” is interesting as Lisa Lobsinger’s first lead vocal turn. It’s not a hugely remarkable track aside from its ethereal beauty, though I can’t help but think that Feist or even Amy Millan could have done more with it. “Art House Director” gets things all moody and atmospheric and features the classic BSS horn section with great aplomb. The album’s only instrumental, “Meet Me in the Basement,” might actually be the best instrumental they’ve ever done, and that’s saying something. I’m also offered quite a bit of relief in the form of “Sentimental X’s”, an Emily Haines-fronted tune with backing vocals from none other than Feist and Millan. I guess only the faster, louder jams are reserved for the guys, but the fact is lyrically and emotionally, “Sentimental X’s” hits all the right notes and really pushed my excitement about this band back into the red. At the end of the album are two interesting songs. “Water In Hell” sounds less like your typical Broken Social Scene song and more like a guitar jam that Dinosaur Jr. might put out. Given that band members are not only fans of J. Mascis & Co., but have played with them for a gig or two, the soundalike isn’t so much a surprise as it is impressive that they can pull it off so well. Then there’s “Me and My Hand”, Kevin Drew’s 2-minute quiet opus to masturbation. I don’t have anything to say about the song other than I’m glad that oddity closes the album out.
So if you can’t figure it out by now, I’m pretty pleased with “Forgiveness Rock Record”. I’m still a little unsure as to where it stands among the stellar Broken Social Scene catalogue, but it’s definitely better than both of the “Presents” albums that were released during the hiatus days. It’s nice to have the “band” back together, even if the lineup does continue to fluctuate and the chances of the full collective playing a live show become increasingly slim. Lisa Lobsinger is an okay addition to the group as their lone “full time” female member, though I still prefer the ladies of old. Mainly though, I’m just glad this band is still hitting their hallmarks while continuing to push their own boundaries at the same time. There’s a certain degree of new excitement and renewed strength among the BSS core that’s also refreshing. My concern now is how these songs will translate into their live show. The first half of the record seems especially built for the size and scope of venues that the band plays, so that could provide some increased potency to their performance. I’ve seen Broken Social Scene live a total of 3 times, once with the entire collective in tow (which was far and away the best time). Their massive celebrations and love-fests, which often include Kevin Drew commanding the crowd to yell as loud as they can, are cathartic and heartfelt. “Forgiveness Rock Record” looks to keep that spirit intact, and I think this marks the first time that similar spirit has really come through on one of their recorded albums. You bet your ass I think you should pick up a copy of the record. It’s no “You Forgot It In People”, but it does what only Broken Social Scene does best, and that’s about all any of us can truly hope for.
From my inbox to your hard drive, here’s Monday’s edition of Pick Your Poison, where you’re free to choose what looks interesting enough to download.
Ane Brun – Song No. 6 (feat. Ron Sexmith) (ZIP)
Doug Burr – A Black Wave Is Comin’
