The Brian Jonestown Massacre - "Aufheben" - 2012
Me being an extremely casual fan of this band, and really not knowing much about them, i'm probably not the most qualified to talk about it, but this is a really solid LP and makes me want to check out more stuff I missed by them. I was introduced to this band 2 different ways right around the same time. The first was a co-worker of mine playing their newest album at the time (2004) and me seeing the documentary, "Dig", which chronicles both this band and The Dandy Warhols and their interactions with each other. After seeing how they portray the singer of Brian Jonestown Massacre in that movie, it's really amazing that he's been able to keep a successful career going. He must have cleaned up his act or figured out a way to make his insanity work for him instead of against him. This is the first album i've heard from them since then, and I actually really enjoy it. It's odd how full the sound is on these songs. It feels like the speakers are going to burst with sound, but it never feels like the levels are peaking or clipping, and actually this album works just as good as background music as it does for an engaging headphone listen. A rare treat. I like how there is a dark and murky element to the sound, but the overall feel is a happy feel. There's lots of yin and yang to this equation and it adds up to a great album. I believe they just dropped a new one, so I better get on that. Check out "Seven Kinds Of Wonderful", Blue Order/New Monday", "Panic In Babylon", "I Want To Hold Your Other Hand", "Face Down On The Moon", and "Waking Up To Hand Grenades". You can purchase the album through the band's website.
Secret Chiefs 3 - "Book Of Souls Folio A" - 2013
After having caught these guys in concert a couple weeks ago, and being blown away by that performance, it had dawned on me that I hadn't even really fully checked out their newest release. I skimmed through it and heard some stuff I liked, but I never tried to get to know this album. The Secret Chiefs are an anomaly within the music world. Most of their music sounds like it belongs on a soundtrack, but to my knowledge, they have not done any film work, and just exist within their own realm. The styles of music range to almost anything in the world, but they have categorized certain sounds and given specific band names for specific styles, all of which still come out under the Secret Chiefs umbrella. You'll notice a lot of the song titles have the "band name" listed first, and then the song title. The funny thing about that, is that going by the fake band names, you still might not have any idea what the song is going to sound like before you hear it. These guys are world class musicians and anyone who is a fan of live instrumentation should definitely give these guys a listen. I'd also recommend them to people who listen to bands like Devotchka and Beirut and are looking for more progressive music with a similar sound pallette. The things that stuck me the most about their live show, was how talented the violin player is, and how much of the sounds actually come from synths. They use some really realistic sounding keyboard noises to make it seem like they have a much bigger band than they do, and it's quite impressive. Check out the video for "UR: Personae: Halloween". Also check out "Traditionalists: La Chanson De Jacky" (featuring Mike Patton!!!), "The Electromagnetic Azoth: Potestas Clavium", "Ishraqiyun: Balance Of The 19", "Forms: Scorched Earth Saturnalia", and "UR: Drive". You can purchase this album through their label's website.
Lazerhawk - "Skull & Shark" - 2013
This was a blind download that worked out extremely well. It falls in that vein of retro 80's synth stuff, whatever you might want to call that. Same pocket of music as Kavinsky, Miami Nights 1984, Justice, Tesla Boy, etc... I obviously really enjoy this style of music, and this album is no different. Some songs are more laid back and other are more menacing. A lot of these songs take a few minutes to build, which seems boring at first, but is a big payoff during repeated listens. Perfect car stereo music, in my opinion. Having no idea who this artist or act is, I looked it up, and apparently, it's one dude from Austin, TX. Sometimes the electric guitars on a couple tracks seems kinda cheesy, but other times, i'll be in the right mood for it, and it seems just right. Kinda like Chromeo without lyrics. Check out these ridiculous awesome, fan-made videos for "Skull & Shark", "Massacre", "The King Of The Streets", and "China Town". Also check out "A Promise" and "Dangerous After Dark". You can purchase this album through Bandcamp.
Nobody - "Vivid Green" 2013
On paper, this album looks like it could be a classic, or near-classic. In reality, it's just a decent to cool album, which is fine with me, because it's far from weak. There's a range of styles on the instrumentals, which I always like, and the guest vocalists are all people who are at the top of their game. There's a certain hollowness or sparseness to the sound of this album, which can be a good thing sometimes, as it allows your imagination to fill in the blanks, and make for a different listening experience at different times, but sometimes I wish for these songs to just be a tiny bit more complex. I suppose maybe they might be designed to be dropped in DJ sets, and you can fill in the blanks with other sounds from other songs as well, and that makes sense. In any event, this is a solid album from one of the best DJ's in the world right now, with songs of many styles to offer, whether you like beats, alternative pop, or underground rap. Check out the videos for "Our Last Dance" (featuring Cedric Bixler-Zavala) and "Beaches" (featuring Nocando and Baths). Also check out "Pentwater", "Sleeping Alone" (featuring Teri Gender Bender), "Rhombus", "Spliff" (featuring Anna Wise), and "Iceplants". You can purchase the album through Bandcamp.
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