Just in...Atoms for Peace: Amok

    It's always high time for a Radiohead/Thom Yorke release, and this time it comes under the name of Thom Yorke's new supergroup (if you will), Atoms for Peace. The name comes from a few different references, one being a song off his debut solo album, Eraser (2006); the next from a 1953 speech given by former President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Also interesting is that on their website is the Cornish (a Celtic language of the house of Cornwall that thrived up until its gradual decline starting in the late 18th century) text "Nerth Nuclerek? Na Vynnav", which is a translation of the Smiling Sun logo, "Nuclear Power? No Thanks". Cornish is having a modern day revival and is slowly growing in interest and use again, and is recognized as a minority language in the United Kingdom. The Smiling Sun is the symbol of the global anti-nuclear movement, and was created in 1975 by Danish activist Anne Lund.

    Atoms for Peace was a work in progress for a while, meaning the group existed and was working on material, even playing Thom Yorke's music as his solo act, but it wasn't until 2010 that they decided to actually name themselves Atoms for Peace. The group includes: Thom Yorke, magnanimous head man to Radiohead; Flea, bassists for the Red Hot Chilly Peppers; producer extraordinaire, Nigel Goodrich, who also produced and composed and performed with his own side project Ultraísta recently; Mauro Refosco, a Brazilian percussionist who plays with Red Hot Chilly Peppers on tour and with a neo-traditional Brazilian band called Forro in the Dark; and Joey Waronker who plays drums with Ultraísta and does a lot of studio work for films. Apparently, the members share a love of Afrobeat and came together originally to "get wasted and listen to Fela Kuti". Meanwhile, the creation process is fairly organic, after the Eraser tour Yorke and friends spent time jamming and recording music Yorke wrote electronically. He would show it to the group and they would try and recreate it using live instruments. He further writes: "The music I do on my laptop is so angular. When you get people to play like that, it's so peculiar. Most of it, technically speaking, they can play. But there were times when we used the electronic sounds, because it was more brittle, more exciting ... One of the things we were most excited about was ending up with a record where you weren't quite sure where the human starts and the machine ends."

    Taking a close look at Amok, you'll hear a lot of electronic beats, Thom Yorke's typically floating falsetto voice, and some really neat percussion backing up the process. There will also be those sludgy electronic synths the seem to be akin to the early/mid experimental years of Radiohead, Kid A, Amnesiac. I love how Radiohead uses layers and each layer is created to be cohesive with the others, yet they wouldn't quite make sense by themselves, or at least would reconstituted the sound of the song if/when they were alone (i.e. "Kid A", "Packt Like Sardines in a Crushd Tin Box", "Pyramid Song" being good examples). "Default", one of the singles from Amok is a perfect example of a song that could have possibly come out of the Amnesiac era. Even so, it's so hard to pinpoint Radiohead's style to a particular album or year, however, as they have always been Radiohead no matter what they create and their style is so reflective and reflexive at the same time. I guess I just went on a tangent about Radiohead, and as much as Thom Yorke is a part of Radiohead, this album is not something that Radiohead would have put out. Rather, Eraser seems more an extension of Radiohead. Still the comparisons are unavoidable and warranted.

    Some of the highlights of Amok are:

Track #1: "Before Your Very Eyes..." has a catchy Guitar ostinato providing the changes in the harmony, before the electronics take over with that sludgy sound I don't think can be used too much.

Track #2: "Default" is probably the best track on the entire album, it is just mixed meter syncopated excellence and yet has this brooding synth in the background that flows so effortlessly. Then the main synth chords come in and the song builds beautifully with dissonances really accentuating the tensions in the melody.

Track #4: "Dropped" is interesting, with very metallic sounds incorporated, like clinking spoons on crystal or something, and has a nice contrasting section while maintaining the almost hyper upbeat nature of the song.

Track #6: "Stick Together Pieces" has a sort of In Rainbows feel to the melody and use of "ooh" in the background in harmony. I wonder if it was a track that didn't quite make the album (except that there was a CD2 release of In Rainbows already).

Track #7: "Reverse Running" also has that crystal glass clink, but it's main interest to me is the intricate beat pattern. This probably doesn't make it sound complex, but this is one of the many tracks that contain a hip ho type beat or feel in a way. Other examples are "Ingenue" and "Judge, Jury and Executioner". It's not as drastic a nod as say fun. though, don't get the wrong idea.

I also gotta put a plug in for the b-side of their single, "Default", "What the Eyeballs Did". It has a killer bass part and anthemic parts where the synths suddenly announce themselves, it's really cool and would have been a nice addition to the album. But, I'm just an American and we don't really do singles and stuff here like they do in true House/DJ/Electronica/European culture.

    Well, that's all for now, it's too late to check out a free stream on NPR's First Listen, here, my apologies for not getting this out sooner. Check out their website, here. Scroll over to the one of the clock towers and mouse over the clock tower, it's hands will start to move and you can click it to receive a free download of "What the Eyeballs Did". Interesting blurb, here, at SPIN about Atoms for Peace and Nigel Goodrich putting up some unknown songs for people to listen to and then removing them. You can also listen to "Judge, Jury and Executioner" at XL Recordings, here. They may have at one time had a stream, here, too, but it isn't loading for me. Because it was a free download, I've linked "What the Eyeballs Did" over under the 'Monthly Sample Tracks'. Enjoy!

Darwin Deez: Songs for Imaginative People

    (Be forewarned, the first two tracks on this album contain explicit language...) This is a double dose post today to make up for all the time I've missed and the albums I've been dying to write up but just haven't been able to yet, so if you're just showing up to read, check out the previous post as well!
    I've been looking forward to Darwin Deez's sophomore album for a long while, and Songs for Imaginative People does not disappoint, though it might not contain as many memorable songs. Arriving on the scene on February 13, 2013 on the Lucky Number label, Songs for Imaginative People is upbeat and peppy, even more so perhaps than his debut, Darwin Deez (2010--Side note, this is one time I would prefer that an artist just pump out music instead of spending all their time touring! Rant over.). Some fun background information about Deez: he attended Wesleyan University, now a secular school, which was originally named after John Wesley who founded the Methodist church movement; he used to be a rapper; and he played guitar for the Creaky Boards (which is the band that has not so much as accused Coldplay of ripping of their song "Viva la Vida" from "The Songs I Didn't Write"). He currently resides in Ashville, North Carolina, which is indie music central to be sure! Just kidding.
    Darwin Deez is a guitar lover's paradise. His chords are in your face and clean and yet raw at the same time. I think it comes off that way because he doesn't muddle his music with lots of other background sounds. There's no synths or really anything that isn't created by drums, guitars or his own voice--such a unique voice at that, probably one the thing that I really like the most about Darwin Deez. A few songs here and there contain electronically induced noises, but they are tasteful and not overdone. That and his quirky  rhythms and memorably melodies that get stuck in your head, like the songs, "(800) HUMAN" (I like how he sort of incorporates the [structure of the] Lord's prayer into the lyrics) and "Free (The Editorial Me)"--one of his all time best songs! There is a fantastic music video for that song, btw, check it out on YouTube or I believe his website, here. There's also a sort of fake beat feel to some songs, like "All in the Wrist" and one song is definitely 80's inspired, "Moonlit". I just love the juxtaposition between the flowing and lyrical sections of a piece and the alternative grungy guitar. Deez takes more liberty with his guitar this time around too, with little solos instead of relegating it to just rhythm.
    Well, this post is somewhat short, but I have already written up Darwin Deez before, so you may already have an idea of what his music is like, or if not check out my previous entry using the tags at the bottom of this post. And, listen, listen, listen. Check out the full stream of Songs for Imaginative People on his Bandcamp site, here. Or, just want a nibble, hear the song "Free (The Editorial Me)" over under the 'Monthly Sample Tracks. I do hope you enjoy what you hear!

ON AN ON: Give In

    One of my favorite albums of 2011 was by a band called Scattered Trees, Sympathy. Sometime thereafter, Scattered Trees held a Pledge Music, here, to raise funds for their sophomore release. Things don't always go as planned or foreseen, however, as one or two of the members left the band and Scattered Trees changed its name to ON AN ON (can't say I'm a fan of the new name...for one thing it conflicts with other similar names when you search Google or Grooveshark). Still, they did manage to release their latest album, January 29, 2013 on Roll Call Records, AND sent me a copy of their old album along with it, which I actually already own (I'm still figuring out who I want to donate my extra copy to btw!). Apparently, the "new" group only had about three weeks to put something together since they had a studio booked and they were going to be working with Dave Newfeld from Broken Social Scene. Anyway, I've listened to the album cover to cover more than a few times and I have a couple thoughts.
    First, I miss the melancholy, pared down, approach of Scattered Trees; without the reverb chamber or mix of sounds that although are nicely pieced together take away from the melody. Granted, it all works together well, but it just wasn't quite what I was hoping for. Regardless, its good to see they didn't just break up and go their separate ways and I'm always grateful for new music! Second, most every song is sort of busy, full of little sounds here and there that don't necessarily detract from the music, but I sometimes wonder how much they just added things in without much thought specifically why they wanted it. It will make duplicating their studio effort on stage somewhat of a daunting task I feel. Now, I may also be speculating, because maybe they just played it down while recording, but I don't quite get that feeling--especially two members short. I wonder if they will continue to evolve their songs or just hire more people to play alongside on tours. Maybe band auditions are imminent?
    Some of the highlights of the album are "Ghosts", which is most like their original album, Sympathy, and is what they previewed for listeners on their Pledge Music site. I figure, after the fact, that it was the right choice because it made us all hungry for more of Sympathy, without us knowing what not to expect. I also enjoy the really bright soundings synths on "All the Horses" and probably my second favorite song is "Every Song", followed by "American Dream" and "Hunter". Ironically, my favorites go from the first track in order, so maybe if I just keep listening they will all continue to grow on me. One thing I disliked was the redo of "Panic", gotta admit. There are a couple remixes of both "Ghosts" and "The Hunter" that came with the deluxe version of the album too.
    Well, you're in luck if you want to listen first, head to ON AN ON's Bandcamp site, here. There's some cool album artwork to their two singles, "Ghosts" and "The Hunter" you can see there too. Also, check out "Every Song" over under the 'Monthly Sample Tracks' for a taste, enjoy!

Just in...LEAGUES: You Belong Here

    This album is just a week old, and I heard it first on one of the local radio stations here in Rochester, NY, probably 89.7 WITR, The Pulse of Music, since WBER has fallen off the grid in terms of how much I listen to it anymore--just not providing the same great stuff they used to. So, we've got You Belong Here, by Leagues (or LEAGUES as they often write it on their website), out on the Bufalotone Records label January 29th, 2013. Leagues is a Nashville project that started sometime around 2005, as members started to meet each other and collectively grouped together to start playing some music that singer-songwriter (solo act at the time) Thad Cockrell had written, music that did not fit his lonesome self. So, slowly they put stuff together and did their first show in 2010 in Manhattan. The crowd loved their music, was surprised by Thad Cockrell's additional musicians, but just started dancing and loving it, so naturally they did too. Finally, in 2013 this is their debut album together. They did a Pledge Music project for the album, which you can check out here. Apparently there are two pledger-only tracks, "Ribbons" and "She Kissed Me" which you can listen to previews of here.
    You Belong Here is somewhat of a dance album. The music is reminiscent of all sorts of dance steps, but with an obviously more complex beat and that is one of the reasons I kind of like this band, because without that differentiating factor from any other indie rock or regular old rock band they'd fall flat in my opinion. Their melodies are alright, stage-y (or stadium-esque), but not particularly memorable. One notable exception to that is the opening song, "Spotlight", which has definitely been going through my head lately. A lot of their songs have catchy guitar hooks, while others are more synth dominated, but not in the sense of a synth pop group. They are supported often by alternative-esque distortion, and contain harmonized and backup vocals. I do not, however, know if they are just for the album or another member of the group joins in (this is why every band should have a Wikipedia site. Quite often Leagues reminds me of MUTEMATH's last album Odd Soul, from the guitar timbres to the blues rock kind of feel. In all, You Belong Here, is a solid mix of different styles that all work well together, find cohesiveness and are probably good for feel good driving or a semi-relaxed party.
    To check out more, find some reading material and other information on their website, as well as a free download of the song "Spotlight", here. Also, MTV Hive has a full stream of the album, which started a week previous to its release, here. It is on Leagues' SoundCloud also, here, but not the complete tracklisting, just four songs. It also doesn't include what I believe is an iTunes exclusive track (#10), "Friendly Fire". Check out the link to the song "Haunted" over under the 'Monthly Sample Tracks'. It is a lighthearted song that is similar to a lot of the jungle or Afro-beat kind of stuff going around these days. Enjoy!