Highlights of today’s Pick Your Poison include a song from Chicago’s own Caw Caw, something off the new Under Byen album, and a pair of pretty good covers.
Caw Caw – Sons of Sons of Saviors
Lana Mir – I Wanna Be Adored (Stone Roses cover)
Marina and the Diamonds – Starstrukk (3OH!3 cover, Live)
The Parson Red Heads – You Can Leave It
The Parson Red Heads – Knew A Young Girl
Let’s not sugar-coat or try to fool ourselves here: the main reason for Stone Temple Pilots’ existence thus far has been drugs. The drugs have come to define them, or at the very least singer Scott Weiland, who has been notoriously in and out of rehab for the better part of the last 20 years. Amid all the use of illicit substances though, STP gained notoriety in the 90s for writing a few great classic rock-inspired albums that just so happened to fit in quite well with the discordant grunge atmosphere at the time. That they lasted as long as they did before finally breaking up in 2002 is a little surprising given their troubled and tempramental history, but they were also smart enough to realize that they were all better together than they were apart. Further evidence of this came after that inital break-up, when Weiland graduated to mediocre supergroup Velvet Revolver and the DeLeo brothers went on to form the bland Army of Anyone with Filter’s Richard Patrick. After both projects became tedious and unproductive, Stone Temple Pilots reunited in 2008 for some touring and presumably to cash in on their legacy. The reunion train had long been rolling on a number of other notable bands from the 90s, and given how financially lucrative that was for them, STP could hardly be blamed for wanting theirs.
The thing about that first reunion tour was that despite Weiland and the rest of the band behaving themselves and staying away from drugs, things were still shaky both inside the band and in their relationship with fans. Early reports were that the band looked sluggish and bored on stage, and that Weiland’s vocals were sub-par compared to years ago. Add this to Weiland’s insistence that he continue to work on and complete his solo record “Happy in Galoshes” before even considering new STP material, and nobody was really happy. There was also plenty of record label drama, with Atlantic claiming the band still owed them albums on their contract. The band disagreed and wanted to release any new music on their own, but a lawsuit left them stuck with Atlantic who they’re now much more “comfortable” working with. Nobody ever said that STP didn’t do things with the maximum amount of drama. Anyways, after a 10-month recording process in which the DeLeo brothers wrote and recorded all the guitar parts before Weiland started piecing together lyrics and vocals, a new album was finally completed and released this week. Their sixth record and either a rebirth or a grand finale, the band chose to creatively name it “Stone Temple Pilots”.
It’s either a sly nod to their past or an eerie coincidence that the first new Stone Temple Pilots single in 10 years is titled “Between the Lines” and has a chorus with the line “even when we used to take drugs”. Weiland has gone on record claiming that the song is not personal or autobiographical in the least, but considering the song’s title and his checkered past, let’s agree to disagree on that one. It is a propulsive and engaging song though, the kind that STP used to be known for in their heyday. Of course times and music have changed so much these last several years that it can never be as brilliant as it once was, but given that the band has built their reputation by trying to imitate the greats like Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith, their sound has been backwards leaning all along. Unlike their past records though, the band has been far more forthcoming when discussing what influences played parts in the compositions of their songs. Dean DeLeo has confessed to attempting to match wits with Aerosmith’s “Same Old Song and Dance” for the track “Huckleberry Crumble”, and if you listen to both tracks carefully you’ll notice they’re structurally the same though they may employ different notes and chords. One of the most invigorating and interesting tracks on the first half of the album is “Hickory Dichotomy”, which adds a little bit of a country influence to the sound, with some slide guitar work done in the vein of Jimmy Page. “Cinnamon” is one of the poppiest songs that STP has ever written, almost pulling off a Kinks vibe with a heavy bass line that’s eerily reminiscent of Joy Division’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart”.
While STP do tend to wear their influences on their sleeves, over their five albums they did develop something of a signature sound, and that’s well on display for much of the second half of the record. It’s almost as if they got tired of trying to mix it up and decided to just go into automatic mode for awhile. You listen to a song like “Bagman” and think that not only have you heard the band do it before, but after its over you struggle just a little to remember what it sounded like. Outside of a great vocal performance from Weiland, “Peacoat” fails to impress as well as they continue to clutch to familiar straws. One of the second half highlights comes in the form of “Fast As I Can”, which gives off a “country music on speed” vibe that’s matched well with a chorus that positively soars. “First Kiss On Mars” is interesting for how much of it sounds like a bland ballad, but closer attention reveals not only science fiction-themed lyrics but Weiland apparently doing his best David Bowie impersonation…which is surprisingly decent. A soft and somewhat beautiful ballad “Maver” closes out the record, and while it makes good use of a piano, the harmonized vocals in the chorus betray the rest of the track and turn it from harmless to a poor imitation of Night Ranger’s “Sister Christian”. On the whole the song’s not bad, but that chorus can be just a touch bothersome.
When considering “Stone Temple Pilots” and where it stands amid the band’s legacy, this is probably the best thing they’ve released since 1996’s “Tiny Music…Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop”. “Their best album in 15 years” might read as a good quote for the cover, but considering how poor their prior two albums “Shangri-La Dee Da” and “No. 4” were, that’s actually not saying a whole lot. But it is a sign of positive momentum that the band does more good than bad on this record, and were it to actually be their last they’d be going out on a more positive note than where they were when the originally broke up. Whether or not this reunion is more constructed around money than anything else, you can be sure that STP are in a better place now than they have been in awhile. Hopefully that’s a product of staying off drugs and just growing up in general. Or maybe they’ve all come to realize that they’re far more talented musicians and are able to push each other harder when they’re working together rather than apart. As they’ve grown together, so have their fans, which makes you wonder exactly how successful Stone Temple Pilots might be in this renewed run. Once the glory haze of nostalgia wears off and people go back to caring about the newer, younger and hipper bands, who’s going to be left spending their time and money on STP? Time will tell on that one, but for the moment, Scott Weiland and the DeLeo brothers are back and proving they still know how to write compelling rock songs for the masses.
Today’s Pick Your Poison has a little something for everybody. Jam band heroes moe. have a track amid the collection below. You can also download a new song from the late Jay Bennett from an album the former Wilco member was recording shortly before his death. Kathryn Calder is best known as a member of The New Pornographers, but she’s preparing a solo debut for release soon, and there’s a song from that below. If you like punk rock, there’s a song from The Melvins, and hip hop fans can find something to like in a track from PackFM. Tons of choices, including a CFCF remix, are all available for your downloading pleasure right here. Enjoy!
Coltrane Motion – I Forgot There Was A War On
Coltrane Motion – Please Call It A Comeback
Drawn From Bees – Stand Against the Storm
Grupo Fantasma – Telarena (feat. Curt Kirkwood of Meat Puppets)
Kinema – Circles (Secondo Vocal Remix)
moe. – Spine Of A Dog
Preorder “Smash Hits, Volume 1”
Nacho Lovers – Deeper (CFCF Remix)
PackFM – I Fucking Hate Rappers
Billy Corgan doesn’t care what you think. No, he’s going to do whatever he wants, whenever he wants, lovers and haters be damned. He felt it right to officially dissolve The Smashing Pumpkins when James Iha left, and that led to an unproductive and synth-laden solo record called “The Future Embrace”. Plenty of fans abandoned their support for him after that album, though in hindsight it should have been expected he’d pull a rabbit like that out of his hat. Considering that solo effort’s failure, Corgan seemed to see it coming after all, publishing a full page ad the day of the album’s release announcing he would reform the Pumpkins. The claim was that he’d ask former members of the band if they’d like to rejoin him, be it ex-bassists D’Arcy Wretzky and Melissa Auf Der Maur or guitarist James Iha. Corgan would claim that none of them wanted to come back, but they also all publicly spoke out saying that they were never asked in the first place. Former drummer and longtime friend Jimmy Chamberlain did agree to rejoin the Pumpkins, and two other “hired hands” were brought in to play guitar and bass, respectively. The return of The Smashing Pumpkins came officially in 2007, when the new album “Zeitgeist” was released. Reviews for that record were mixed, with some proclaiming it the start of a bold new era for the band and others claiming it fell far short of the legacy Corgan originally left behind. The band’s live shows became equally divisive and often included sections in which Corgan would berate the audience. They would also largely avoid past Pumpkins hits in favor of new material with extended, ego-indulgent guitar solos.
The latest goings-on from The Smashing Pumpkins camp are again wrought with oddities. Jimmy Chamberlain finally left the band, so now Corgan is the only original member, and he held auditions for a replacement before settling on 20-year-old Mike Byrne. Earlier this spring, bassist Ginger Pooley quit the band and she has since been replaced by Nicole Fiorentino. Corgan also announced last fall that The Smashing Pumpkins were embarking on a wild concept record known as “Teargarden By Kaleidyscope”, a 44-song album that would be digitally released one song at a time for free, with each batch of four songs forming a limited edition physical EP box set available for sale in stores. Each wooden box is silk screened and contains the EP on CD, a 7 inch vinyl with a brand new song plus b-side, and a hand-carved leopard stone obelisk. Tomorrow sees the release of the first of those EPs, this one subtitled “Vol. 1: Songs for a Sailor”.
Believe it or not, “Songs for a Sailor” isn’t horrible. It’s also not great. Halfway decent is probably the phrase best applied to this four song collection, and given that you can download every song for free it makes everything that much more bearable. Starting with the six minute “Song For A Son”, the Pumpkins shoot for something exciting and epic in a similar vein to 70’s classic rock, but miss the mark by a little bit. The lack of brute force behind the drum kit thanks to the absence of Chamberlain is really what hurts not only that song, but the entire set of songs in general. It’s not that Mike Byrne is a poor drummer, rather it’s that Chamberlain was so good and played against Corgan so well, any other drummer by comparison is weak. Outside of the drumming though, this EP does have its strengths and weaknesses. “Astral Planes” is the most propulsive and loud thing here, and complete with rollicking solos and distortion, it seems like it’s headed towards something huge but never quite gets there. There’s lots of build up but never a pay off. That Corgan chose to largely ignore crafting lyrics that were anywhere near good and a chorus almost altogether are what really hurt the song in the end. First single “Widow Wake My Mind” is a slice of upbeat pop rock that’s far more reminiscent of Corgan’s first Pumpkins side project Zwan. That band wasn’t particularly bad, and this song isn’t either, serving as a reminder that Corgan can still write a light and breezy song with a decent hook when he works at it. “A Stitch In Time” finishes the EP, and it returns to the 70’s for inspiration but derives its sound more from the lighter pop fare at the time. Light organ and an acoustic guitar lead the way while a sitar floats through to create added mysticism. Drums are also completely absent here, and the suggestion is that you focus more on Corgan’s voice and the guitar in this briskly paced ballad. The lyrics are again not the best, repeating plenty of phrases over and over while appearing to wax poetic about time travel. The melody, relatively catchy chorus and overall performance are what hold the track together in the end, rescuing it from being called dull and uninspired.
For the die-hard Smashing Pumpkins fan who has been worried about the band’s output of late, “Songs for a Sailor” should come as something of a relief. It’s not nearly the best thing Corgan has ever done, particularly when taking most of the 90’s into account, but there’s enough here to give you hope for the future of not only this lengthy 44-song series, but for The Smashing Pumpkins in general. Compared to the crass anti-commercial, psychedelic journey that “Zeitgeist” was, this EP feels like an exploration of potential roads the band could possibly head down. Here’s the deal though – the Pumpkins were always best when they ignored expectations and influences and chose to go their own way. You couldn’t easily label the early stuff from the band as anything other than “Smashing Pumpkins style”, and given that at least half this EP sounds like it has roots in 70’s classic rock, the lack of true originality continues to be bothersome. Whether or not Corgan and company can reclaim that spark remains to be seen, but we’ve got 40 more songs coming our way in which to find out.
Smashing Pumpkins – A Song For A Son
Smashing Pumpkins – Astral Planes
Smashing Pumpkins – Widow Wake My Mind
Smashing Pumpkins – A Stitch In Time
Well, it’s the start of another week, and that can be depressing for a number of reasons. One of the more positive things I can say about today is that it heralds another daily edition of Pick Your Poison, where there are plenty of mp3s for you to pick, choose and download at your leisure. Today’s highlights include the newest Domino Records signing Chief, Deer Tick covering Katrina and the Waves, a John Prine live cut, and something new from Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin. Not half bad for a Monday.
Ball of Flame Shoot Fire – Mugs
Deer Tick – Sun Street (Katrina and the Waves cover)
The Great Red Shark and Jason Hunter – Wander With Me
Invisible Elephant – Communication Part II
Jenny Wilson – Only Here for the Fight
John Prine – Long Monday (Live)
Kids of 88 – My House (RAC Remix)
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin – Sink/Let It Sway (follow link)
It’s been a pretty good week. I hope you’re going to spend the weekend outside, in the sun, relaxing in the warmer temperatures. Before, during or after you do so, you might want to have a quick look at Pick Your Poison. Some of the highlights going into the weekend include a cover of TLC’s “No Scrubs”, a track from fellow Chicagoans BBU, a song from Jack White’s wife Karen Elson, something new from Suckers, and Venice Is Sinking doing a Galaxie 500 cover. Enjoy, and we’ll catch up Monday!
Avi Wisnia – No Scrubs (TLC cover)
David Cross – I Can’t Get Beer In Me
Karen Elson – The Ghost Who Walks
No Second Troy – This Is The End of Me
Tegan and Sara might not have earned any love from me for their latest album “Sainthood”, but I still think they’re wonderful. Shortly after “Sainthood” was released, the twin sisters put on a performance for Spinner’s The Interface which was coincidentally filmed and is available for streaming via the link below. Tegan and Sara apparently liked that set enough that they made the decision to press a 7 inch EP of the songs for this past Record Store Day. Titled “Live: Saints”, they play four tracks from their latest record sans an audience. It’s good, and about the only thing missing is the effortlessly hilarious banter between the sisters Quin. Check it out, it makes me smile.
Tegan and Sara, Live on The Interface:
Tegan and Sara – Alligator (Live on the Interface)
Tegan and Sara – Hell (Live on the Interface)
Tegan and Sara – The Cure (Live on the Interface)
Tegan and Sara – On Directing (Live on the Interface)
Who loves free mp3s? That’s what Pick Your Poison is all about. Every Monday through Friday I bring my inbox filled with free mp3s straight to you for your downloading pleasure. If you spot a song from a band you like or have heard a bit about, go ahead and download. If you’re looking for the “next big thing” and want to take some chances, download away. What I personally will recommend this Thursday are the songs from Cap’n Jazz, Darker My Love, New Young Pony Club, the La Roux remix, and the Tame Impala cover. All great, and worth your time. Of course the other stuff might be too, depending on your tastes. Go for what you like or might like!
Alejandro Escovedo – Street Song
Darker My Love – Dear Author (follow link; email required)
Kaz James ft. Macy Gray – Can’t Hold Back (Don Diablo Remix)
La Roux – Bulletproof (Hyper Crush Remix) (follow link)
Midnight Juggernauts – Get Connected
Rox – I Don’t Believe (Don Diablo Remix)
Shundak – Here I Am to Save the World
Expectations can be a tricky thing. Whether you’re talking about a star athlete, a band or simply your co-workers and family, the more familiar we get with a person, the easier it is to place expectations on them and anticipate they’ll be met. When that guy in your office went ahead and made back-up copies of all those important files just to make sure they were safe in the event of a catastrophic disaster, it creates an expectation. When Michael Jordan would hit that game-winning shot at the last second, that created expectations. They don’t always work out – that co-worker I just mentioned might get busted sleeping at his desk a week later – but when somebody does perform in line with however much we expect of them, there’s a certain pleasure we can take from the results. In the case of LCD Soundsystem, expectations are high. James Murphy, the singular man with the plan behind the moniker, has released two albums worth of dance music with indie rock pastiche so far, and both are critically acclaimed and beloved by those who have heard them. The last official LCD Soundsystem album, 2007’s “Sound of Silver”, was so highly regarded it not only wound up atop many publications’ “best of the year” lists, but it also tended to place quite well in the “best of the decade” lists. Crafting an equally compelling follow-up to that album has to be a near impossible task, but as Murphy has already shown us, near impossible is what he does best.
“This Is Happening” is largely cut from the same thematic cloth that “Sound of Silver” was. Murphy may craft a number of intense dancefloor beats, but lyrically speaking he’s an intense realist, choosing to make his subject matter about some of the sadder things in life, be it losing touch with your friends or ending a romantic relationship. The words may betray the tempo, but that’s part of the brilliance LCD Soundsystem brings to the table. It’s also something that many great artists have done before, in particular Brian Eno on many of his records. Of course Murphy isn’t always deadly serious, as on the first single “Drunk Girls”, which lampoons the differences between the genders when both have had too much alcohol. And though it may essentially be an angry rant against sell out, major label artists, there’s also plenty of humor to be found in “You Wanted a Hit” (which, coincidentally, clocks in at over 9 minutes long and has 0 chances of becoming a hit). Perhaps my favorite line on the entire album though comes from the funny but eventually darkly-themed “Pow Pow”, where Murphy exclaims “Eat it Michael Musto/You’re no Bruce Vilanch”. For those who don’t know, Michael Musto is a writer for the Village Voice, Bruce Vilanch is a comedy writer best known for scripting award show presenter banter. Murphy and Musto are in a pseudo-feud after Musto called Murphy a douchebag for “pulling a Kanye” (twice) at an awards show. So there’s some insider info on the insult.
When it comes to the really serious stuff though, “This Is Happening” tends to focus on romantic issues. “I Can Change” finds Murphy waxing poetic about how we’ll sometimes make personality adjustments to make a relationship work, while at the same time calling love a “murderer” and a “curse” and “an open book to a verse of your bad poetry”. The somber “Somebody’s Calling Me” is about the desire for a relationship with a girl, but all the lines of communication are shut down. The excellent and highly emotional “All I Want” laments a break up, with Murphy acknowledging his sorry state and begging her to come back by saying “All I want is your pity/And all I want are your bitter tears”. Nothing quite packs the same resonance as “Sound of Silver”‘s big moment “All My Friends”, but there’s plenty of relatable and highly effective highlights across this album too.
What makes “This Is Happening” a truly great record is that James Murphy makes it crystal clear that he’s working as hard as possible to try and top himself yet again. Though he doesn’t completely succeed, that he comes extremely close is nothing short of admirable. Where other artists might use the opportunity to take a few chances and try something experimental or simply forego putting up as much of an effort, Murphy refuses to take such success with ease and candor. The drive to consistently make strides forward in the face of immense pressure and opposition is the mark of a true champion. What this new album lacks in an expansion of the overall LCD Soundsystem sound, it more than makes up for with stronger writing and vocal performances from Murphy. And of course if words and emotions aren’t your thing, there’s also plenty of classic beats to keep you happy on the dancefloor. In a year already filled with excellent albums, chalk up another great one from LCD Soundsystem. We’re less than halfway done with 2010, but mark your calendars and anticipate hearing much more about “This Is Happening” when year-end listmaking season comes around.
Band of Horses have gone on record claiming that their new album “Infinite Arms” is a “game-changer” for them. What’s really changed about the group is the lineup. Several band members have come and go over the past two albums, and the only constant connecting the three records at this point is frontman Ben Bridwell. They are currently a five-piece ensemble, and “Infinite Arms” marks the first time these guys have fully collaborated in the writing and composition of the songs. This change in how they do business is also somewhat evident in their sound, as having a full band means fuller sounding songs on the whole, along with the addition of some intense vocal harmonies. If you were expecting some real curveballs like a shift in style, chances are you’ll be disappointed. Of course if you liked what Band of Horses were doing before you might be disappointed anyways.
On their first two albums, Band of Horses found a way to take an unoriginal sound and make it all their own. They were skating the thin line between traditional indie rock and alt-country, coming from the same angle that bands like Wilco and My Morning Jacket have succeeded at before them. What broke Band of Horses away from the pack were two things – a strong ear for invigorating and fun hooks along with the intense and distinctive vocal performance of Ben Bridwell. “Infinite Arms” is unfortunately missing both those elements. Listening to the album is closer to taking a sleeping pill with all the slow acoustic-driven songs. They’re taking a decidedly stronger alt-country angle here than they ever have before, and the couple songs (“Compliments”, “NW Apt.”) that feel like they could have found a stylistic home on the previous two Band of Horses albums feel whitewashed and flat rather than brimming with fun and soaring possibility. A few songs legitimately sound like the entire band was chained to their instruments and told they couldn’t leave the studio until the songs were finished. Following on that same beat, while Ben Bridwell is still the unequivocal leader of the group, his vocals are far more contained and less dominant than they have been in the past. There aren’t any choruses that allow him to stretch his singing wings and soar above everything else. That’s largely due to the subdued nature of the album, not lending itself as well to such expansiveness. Add in these new vocal harmonies, and Bridwell’s signature voice gets lost in the mix more often. The loss of his singular vocal presence at points can be just a little upsetting, but the harmonies actually do far more good than harm in the end.
The experience of listening to “Infinite Arms” can best be equated to watching a beauty pageant. Everything looks and sounds very well put together, and the record does contain some of the band’s most gorgeous songs to date. The problem comes when you try and look beyond that superficial beauty and try to find something deeper. The lyrics won’t help you any, because the generalized platitudes Bridwell has always written (and often covered up by an enthusiastic or unique singing of said lines) are still there, but with fewer acrobatics to distract you from their emptiness. Everything also feels like it’s covered in some sort of glossy sheen that may preserve it in time but lacks the emotional continence to give the accurate impression the band members believe in what they’re doing. Given that Band of Horses have made the leap from indie powerhouse Sub Pop to the major label dens of Columbia, a loss of distinction and the pressure to come through with a money-making hit sort of come with the territory. With “Infinite Arms” they’re submitting to at least one of those two caveats as they tend to sound like any number of country and alt-country bands making music today. Whether or not the album spawns a legitimate hit remains to be seen. The thing is, outside of this new album, all indicators suggested that Band of Horses deserved every shred of success they had gotten. The music world was supposed to be a better place once these guys finally hit the big time. Instead, it feels like they broke down and are now functioning with a chip on their shoulders. The album might be titled “Infinite Arms”, but despite its attempted warm embrace, those arms don’t stretch nearly far enough anymore.
My personal highlights from today’s Pick Your Poison are remixes of songs from Yo La Tengo and Tokyo Police Club (by Passion Pit, no less). Check those out, among other things. Download what you like!
Alasdair Roberts – The Daemon Lover
Caddywhompus – Let the Water Hit the Floor (ZIP)
Communist Daughter – Fortunate Son
The Happy Hollows – Monster Room
Human Life – In It Together (Acid Girls Remix)
Leopold and His Fiction – Golden Friends
Savoir Adore – Bodies (French Horn Rebellion Remix)
Shadow Shadow Shade – Is This A Tempest In the Shape Of A Bell
The Streets on Fire – No One’s Fucking to the Radio
The Telepathic Butterflies – Circle Man
Tokyo Police Club – Wait Up (Boots of Danger) (Passion Pit Remix) (follow link)
We are quickly approaching the 10 year anniversary of the birth of The Black Keys as a band, and during that time they’ve been remarkably productive. The duo of Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney have together released 6 albums if you include their new one “Brothers”, and that’s coming off a year-long break from the band where both guys went off and did their own things. Auerbach released a solo album that was basically another Black Keys record in disguise, while Carney got together with a group of fellow percussionists and created the beat-centric band Drummer. Back from their brief separation, despite essentially working the entire time, The Black Keys are returning a refreshed and reinvigorated band looking to reclaim the loose and fun blues revivalist sound that made their first few records so compelling.
With their 2008 album “Attack & Release”,. Auerbach and Carney practically admitted their sound had grown stale after four albums, so they hired Danger Mouse to shake things up a little bit and bring some of that edge back. The experiment wasn’t an unmitigated failure by most standards, and it did take the band away from their heavy blues influences for a moment to incorporate some psychedelic elements. Danger Mouse isn’t helping out with “Brothers”, but The Black Keys haven’t entirely forgotten a few of the tricks they learned from him. They continue to incorporate some hazy, drug-fueled bits on this new record, though the overall sound is far more easygoing and old school than anything else. Auerbach continues to stir up some seriously fierce guitar work while Carney’s rhythms remain some of the best around these days. The small innovations they have made for “Brothers” include an increased reliance on organ and piano, as well as the incorporation of harpsichord for “Too Afraid To Love You”. Auerbach also breaks out a brand new secret weapon in the form of a falsetto that he’s apparently been hiding all this time, which is surprisingly strong and compelling. It adds a new dimension to songs like “Everlasting Light” and “The Only One”. Where that really shines though is on their cover of Jerry Butler’s “Never Gonna Give You Up”, which becomes nearly indistinguishable from the original. They were smart to avoid trying to make the song their own or improving upon it, as you don’t mess with perfection. And that the song passes by and fits in so perfectly with the rest of the album is just another sign of how The Black Keys aren’t so much ripping off past records but instead making music that’s of no particular time and place – it sounds good in any era.
The real tragedy with “Brothers”, if you can call it a tragedy, is that it once again shows that The Black Keys aren’t exactly interested in taking many chances. If you pick up any Black Keys album, there are certain markers you expect them to hit, and they almost always do. Their fuzzed out, swampy blues sound has carried them across these 6 records and they don’t appear to want to do a whole lot to change that. Given that most of those albums have turned out quite well though makes their lack of ambition more respectable, because you don’t always need to mess with success. “Brothers” may not be the best record The Black Keys have ever done, but it is more of a return to form after their last couple albums took much darker and more serious tones. Hell, if the cover art announcing “This is an album by The Black Keys. The name of this album is Brothers.” doesn’t make you crack at least a little bit of a smile, perhaps the music video for “Next Girl” which features Frank the Dinosaur puppet will. The album thankfully maintains that looser and goofier vibe and is better for it. For those familiar with previous Black Keys albums, “Brothers” won’t change your opinion of them either way, but it just might attract some new fans to the fold. That’s about all they can ask for this far along in their careers, though you have to start wondering exactly when the bottom is going to drop out on these guys and they become just another band settling for being average rather than continuing to try and expand upon what they’ve already done.
Among today’s highlights in Pick Your Poison, there’s a brand new track from Dean & Britta, cool stuff from Holy Ghost! as well as Under Byen. Plenty to recommend, but of course what you actually choose to download is up to you. Have at it!
Dean & Britta – Making Me Smile
Gordon Voidwell – Ivy League Circus
Jews and Catholics – Up For Days
What’s the loudest bass you’ve ever heard? Are you the sort of person who enjoys buying a highly expensive subwoofer and cranking the volume up as loud as possible in either the car or at home? Is the noise loud enough to make the entire neighborhood shake? You might think that those sorts of albums are almost exclusively hip hop specific, with “those damn kids and their rap records”, but that’d be before you met the duo of Derek Miller and Alexis Krauss, otherwise known as Sleigh Bells. They caught the attention of critics and music fans everywhere last year thanks to their wild live show and an EP of demos that spread around the internet like wildfire. Their unique sound, combining Miller’s intensely loud guitars and Krauss’s calm and collected vocals, felt familiar even though most people have struggled to accurately define it. “Noise pop” is the tag most frequently affixed to Sleigh Bells’ music, and given that it’ll split your eardrums while bouncing around in your head for days, that’s not too far from correct. Now with debut album “Treats” released digitally last week (June 1st physically) on M.I.A.’s label N.E.E.T. Recordings, the duo truly seems ready for their close-up. The question is are we?
If you heard the Sleigh Bells demo EP last year, no matter whether you may have loved it or hated it, those tracks reappear on “Treats” in re-recorded form. The good news is that these new versions are still louder than you could imagine, they just sound a little clearer and better mixed. It also makes for some great highlights across the record, as songs like “A/B Machines” and “Crown on the Ground” are more compelling than ever. The bad news comes only in the form of lyrical content, because those looking for deeper meaning in the words of these songs will be left high and dry. Assuming that Krauss does all the lyrics, there are very few actual verses and many times songs will only feature a phrase or two repeated over and over ad nauseum. The great benefit of this is that they get stuck in your head that much easier. The thing about those words though is that their main purpose is to act as a supplement to all the insanity taking place across the rest of the track. These are beats and guitar parts probably best designed for somebody to rap on top of, and given that Krauss is smartly not feigning to have any sort of rhyming skills allows yout to accept her lack of lyrical meanings and variations with little to no thought. Besides that, the main intention of this album is to have a whole lot of fun with few consequences (except for maybe hearing damage), so Sleigh Bells hit it out of the park in that respect.
Assuming you’re okay with excessively loud rock music with a sharp, beat-driven edge to it, “Treats” is exactly what its title describes. Miller and Krauss are unique crafters of a record that’s both ambitious and a blast to listen to, if that’s your sort of thing. Divisive is one of the best words to describe how people are going to react to this album, because for all the interesting compositions and fun it might otherwise bring, there will be plenty who won’t understand or just generally won’t like all the noise. The real question now is where Sleigh Bells will go from here. Sustaining the same sandblasting sound for 30 minutes of excellence is one thing, but to pull it off for multiple records might get a little tedious. It also begs the question of how long “Treats” might remain in the good graces of its fans before they move onto something else and forget all about it. This isn’t a life-changing record, but it is a highly enjoyable one for the moment. Their popularity might only wind up a momentary blip on the music radar, but for the moment it feels like a crater filled with noise, announcing that a loud, brash rock and roll record can still wholly satisfy if done right.
To help start your week off on the right foot, Pick Your Poison has some extra mp3s today for your downloading pleasure. Or I just got more emails and links in my inbox than usual. A couple songs from Fang Island, a b-side from Inlets, a new song from Light Pollution, and a hot new band called 2:54. Most of the downloads today are fantastic, so be sure to check them out!
Cowboy Indian Bear – Mathmaticians/Colour
Cowboy Indian Bear – Saline
Fang Island – Daisy
Fang Island – Life Coach
Hamacide – Carnies (feat. Fielded)
Holopaw – The Art Teacher and the Little Stallion
The Radio Dept. – Never Follow Suit
Still Flyin – Higher Than Five
Teamforest – Blind
Teamforest – Most Things Are Doomed
Thieves Like Us – Forget Me Not Remix EP (follow link)
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