Just in...fun.: Some Nights

    The first of my highly anticipated releases of 2012 comes in the form of fun.'s sophomore release, Some Nights, just out February 21st (caution: contains explicit songs btw). Some of you may already have heard the hit single, "We Are Young", featuring Janelle Monáe, or seen one of the official videos; stage brawl version here, acoustic version here, music video here (the one I like the most, because (1) they aren't lip synching! and (2) acoustic is kind of lame in comparison). The show Glee also did a cover, which you can see here (I give so shameless promotion to the show in any way, I actually never watch it and don't ever care too! brutal honesty there for ya). Anyway, I did actually buy this one without any other prior knowledge of the rest of the album the day it was out, hard copy of course; so, I've been enjoying it for the past two days. This speaks highly of the band for me, I typically wait to listen online or something where the band has streamed the album before I commit. There are a few bands that are the exception to this, and this time fun. was one of them.
    Some Nights is a little different take on fun. than their previous album, Aim and Ignite (2009), which I have also written about here. For one, there is a distinct hip hop influence, clearly admitted by the band, who brought in Kayne West (among others) producer, Jeff Bhasker. The band decided to elicit his aid because of Kayne West's 2010 album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, which they listened to a lot during the production of Some Nights. So, Bhasker was brought in to work on a number of songs and create a more distinct meld of hip hop and what fun. has always done so well, power pop. I might suggest that this album is less power pop, and simply more pop rock, but that label is boring, not as fun.. There is also a hint of new wave, perhaps, but in a post-punk kind of way, as in the song "It Gets Better".
    Another big development in the process of Some Nights was that fun. joined Fueled By Ramen Records, which is a leap for a band that has always been anti-label. Apparently the negotiations took nine months and what sold the lead singer Nate Ruess was the employees of the company were actually buying tickets to fun. shows themselves and loved their music. I actually plan on going to a concert of theirs myself at Water Street Music Hall in Rochester, NY in April! Super excited!
    Some of the highlights of the album include: the guitar riffs in "Some Nights"; "Carry On" has some excellent moments and is this sort of accordion implementing Irish march, also a fantastic guitar solo midway, with strings in the background; the intro to "It Get's Better" is really unique, in your face, gotta give probable props to producer Bhasker there, love the post-punk-ness of the rest of the song too, driving and fun.; "Why Am I The One" is like a pop rock ballade, nice groove; the sweet beats in "One Foot" that totally evoke the Brooklyn hip hop drum core scene, very cool; the resulting transition into "Stars" is phenomenal, perhaps the greatest single moment in the whole album, with the guitar in the background and the crowd ambiance; and the bonus track (how is it a bonus track if it is on the physical and digital release?) is plain old fun. goodness!
    I hope you enjoy Some Nights, check out the entire stream on their website: ournameisfun.com. Or just check out the song, "Carry On" over under the 'Monthly Sample Tracks'. Have fun.!

Everything Everything: Man Alive

    It's great to know that hidden among the past few years is still a wealth of quality albums that I have not yet heard. Everything Everything's August 2010 release, Man Alive, is nice mix of upbeat progressive rhythms, with post-punk undertones. I have a hard time classifying it as art rock, not because it is the wrong term, but because I just don't like how art rock is a way of describing more syncopated, rhythmically "difficult" music. I guess it comes off a bit snobbish is all. If I had to label art rock, I'd put it under the umbrella of Sigur Ròs or dredg, the latter of which in actuality is closer to Everything Everything than I give credit.
    Anyway, the four man group is based in Manchester, though not originally from there, and made some waves with this their debut release, shortlisted for the 2011 Mercury Prize for Best Album. The band also received an Ivor Novello Award nomination for Best Album, which is given annually in London for composition and songwriting. Their songs are written by guitarists Alex Niven and Alex Robertshaw, who both also provide back up vocals [EDIT: see comment below]. In fact, there are a lot of vocals floating around on different songs, in harmony or as background, and the main singer employs falsetto mainly, à la Passion Pit.
    Highlights on the album include: the trumpet part and nice guitar licks in "Come Alive Diana"; the carefree and ethereal "Tin", which is just pleasant to listen to, sit back and dream along with; the opener for sure, "MY KZ, UR BF"; "Qwerty Finger", which is probably the most post-punk and maybe a bit power pop; continuing along in order, "Schoolin'" (yes that's an apostrophe, not a mistake in punctuation), which is funky and groovy; the synth electronica dance nature of "Final Form"; there's a great moment towards the end of "Photoshop Handsome", that just explodes with glee (NO nod to the TV show mind you); and the ending of the closer, "Weights", which seems like it implodes on itself or something. So, a lot to like about this album! Hopefully they have something on the near horizon.
    Listen to the full album on their MySpace, including the bonus track, "Hiawatha Doomed", here. For a quick taste, listen to "Qwerty Finger" over under the 'Monthly Sample Tracks', it reminds me of Tokyo Police Club, which is excellent! Enjoy!

Just in...Big Sir: Before Gardens After Gardens

    Big Sir is the collaboration of singer Lisa Papineau and bassist Juan Alderete. Before Gardens After Gardens (Feb. 7, 2012) is their third full album, the others being Big Sir (2000) and Und Die Scheiße Ändert Sich Immer (2006). They also released a remix of Big Sir in 2001 called Now That's What I Call Big Sir. Their website is here.
    Lisa Papineau is a solo artist who has a couple releases to her credit through Sargent House Records, most recently Red Trees (2010)  but also Night Moves (2006). Plus, she put out an album with Matthew Embree under the moniker EM & LP, Chez Raymond, just August of last year. Among others, she has performed with the French electronica band, Air (on their third album, 10,000 Hz Legend, in 2001); with M83, though I have not been able to track down what albums or songs; and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez on Cizaña de los Amores (2010), which I have previously written up here. Lisa Papineau's website is here.
    Juan Alderete (or John Alderete as sometimes credited) has had a much more extensive career, as part of the following groups: heavy metal band, Racer X, which started in 1986 and whose last album was in 2002; The Mars Volta as their bassists for all but their debut album; and with the Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Group for a large number of releases. You can read more here.
    Big Sir has a unique sound, which is mainly the combination of Lisa Papineau's distinctive vocal timbre and the bass sound that Juan Alderete has made a standard with Big Sir. Overall, their songs tend to fall into two categories, (1) the more experimental, electronic sounds included, or (2) simple vocals and bass, with generally nice melodies and pleasant to listen to. One is more avante-garde, the other is more accessible. Before Gardens After Gardens, however, branches out a bit more with the inclusion of more members. There is a greater emphasis on the drums, guitars, keyboards, and electronic sounds as a whole, instead of having a more pared down sound. I do find some of the keyboards or electronic beats a little wonky, or fake sounding, purposefully so I reckon, because it is not as if they do have the capability to produce quality MIDI. Consequently, for me, this is a hit or a miss, some songs are really nice, others are take it or leave it. For example, track two, "Ready on the Line", is quality, but the next track, "Infidels", is limited in my mind by its electronics. Some other musically pleasing songs are "Old Blood" or "The Kindest Hour", the latter including some nice Andrew Bird-esque violin playing by Heather Lockie.
    Check out the entire album streaming on Bandcamp here. If you want to hear the typical Big Sir bass sound, listen to "The Ladder". Or just check out the song "Ready on the Line" over under the 'Monthly Sample Tracks'. Listen to hear something new, or just to enjoy!

King Creosote and Jon Hopkins: Diamond Mine

    I love to go through all the lists of year's best albums, songs, etc. because I find new music I've never heard of before. This qualifies as such, and I was pleasantly surprised to read that Diamond Mine (released end of March 2011 by Domino Records), the combined effort of King Creosote and Jon Hopkins, was picked by Bob Boilen of NPR's "All Songs Considered" blog as his favorite of 2011. I was excited because I had never heard of it, among numerous other albums on his list of 11, but it just sounded like a good combination. Indeed, Scottish indie singer-songwriter, King Creosote, and English producer and ambient/electronica musician Jon Hopkins have together made probably the most relaxing and sometimes evocatively gorgeous album of 2011. The album was also nominated for the Mercury Prize this past year.
    I won't go into a full bio of both contributors as usual, but I will say that King Creosote (actually named Kenny Anderson), along with having an extensive solo catalogue started in 1998 (through Fencer Records here and now Domino here), is also part of a band called The Burns Unit, a Canadian Scottish conglomerate, and put out a solo album Thrawn in February of 2011. Jon Hopkins was originally the keyboard player for Imogen Heap, then went on to produce, collaborate [with artists the likes of Coldplay--Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends], and start an ambient electronica career, with three LPs (more at his website here) and a recent soundtrack to a British movie called Monsters in 2010. Enough, though little, said about that.
    Fun fact, amazingly, Diamond Mine took seven years to finish, and was made one track at a time. Three songs, "The Racket They Made", "Admiral" and "Leslie" were not included in the release, but given a birth in other albums. King Creosote and Jon Hopkins also released a 3-track follow up EP, Honest Words, in September 2011.
    Musically, Diamond Mine is sublime. It contains background noise of sorts, conversation between people at a pub or something, as in the first track "First Watch", seagulls in the next, "John Taylor's Month Away", and other white noise as with ambient sounds that might help someone sleep; for example, a sifting, airy "shhh" sound (don't know how else to describe it than by use of onomatopoeia). Often this is the beginning or end of a track, a transition between songs, but each track expands into King Creosote singing simple folk-inspired melodic material with acoustic guitar, accordion, synth or piano, with light drumming perhaps. It is truly soothing music. A female vocalist appears on maybe a couple tunes as well, I believe she is Sarah Jones, who later appears again on the Honest Words EP.
   Check out Jon Hopkins' albums here as well as King Creosote, Thrawn, here on their respective MySpace sites. Also, listen to "Bubble" on the Domino Records page for Diamond Mine here. The 'Monthly Sample Tracks' has a link to the same song, as I do not currently have a legal link to a different song. Finally, do check a video of "John Taylor's Month Away" on The Guardian's internet site here. Enjoy!