tUnE-yArDs - Bizness

There's a lot of stand-out moments in "Bizness", the first single from upcoming tUnE-yArDs album w h o k i l l. There's rimshots, flurries of passionate vocals, loops, african-inspired rhythms, and a whole lot of production value. The difference between "Bizness" and her first album, BiRd-BrAinS, is undeniable. By sacrificing her original lo-fi sound, tUnE-yArDs sounds much more powerful and overwhelming. Instead of directly observing her self-recorded mp3s, we're given the effect of listening to a live performance. Everything's loud and prominent in the mix, and the relentless singing brings emotion that breathes new life in this artist's career.

4/5

Radiohead - The King of Limbs

The release of a new Radiohead album is essentially the Superbowl for hipsters and music aficionados. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, the internet will surely fall into an unfathomable black hole of fanboys and elitism. Eventually, we are shrouded by endless debates comparing all eight LPs. Some choose to argue of Radiohead's ever-changing music direction while others whine of the album's length. By the end of the week, you'll be wondering if this isn't just an album but a cultural event taking place worldwide on the Internet.

The irony about all of this is that The King of Limbs, Radiohead's eight studio LP, is probably their most relaxed and subtle album yet. The guitar takes a backseat, instead replaced by repeating samples and buried synths. The band has never been so restrained before with their respective instruments. By sacrificing individual selfishness, the songs easily piece together forming a cohesive album rather than specific singles. It's a bold move from a band that looks at boldness as a virtue, and it's easily the most notable part of TKoL.

That being said, TKoL's subtlety is almost weakness. “Bloom”, “Little By Little”, and “Feral” are grandiose statements to Radiohead's rabid fans, but the impressive creation of these songs are masked by the lack of noteworthy riffs and moments. By just mentioning Kid A, fans will instantly think of the transcendental piano in “Everything In Its Right Place”, the feverish bassline from “The National Anthem”, the pulsing electronic punches from “Idioteque”; but what's Kid A without these movements? I'm not saying TKoL lacks catchy riffs, but compared to previous releases, TKoL relies much more on the atmosphere and the emotion. It's almost inoffensive, to the point where Radiohead is taking a chance by not taking any chances whatsoever.

But this is a fan base that has relentlessly followed a group who has consistently redefined their image. The fans are hungry, and the hype behind this album can only tell you the amount of pressure Radiohead faces. In the spirit of keeping their dedicated fans on their toes, Radiohead surprised everybody with the abrupt announcement of their 8^th LP. There was no information, not even a tracklist, but a quick google search would already find you dozens of theories and predictions on what the influential band would do next. And if the hype – which had only been building for four days – was potentially too much already, Radiohead again surprised everybody by releasing TKoL a day early.

Album opener “Bloom” sets the stage for Radiohead's most inaccessible album yet. Think Amnesiac, but less guitar and more emphasis on looping. Yorke has never sounded better, and his falsetto voice matched by the trippy sample cuts and dissonant bass are reminiscent of Flying Lotus and other experimental electronic musicians. The lyrics, short and to the point, carry the song like the band's key instrument. There's obvious jazz influence littered on the guitars and percussion and the effect-ridden horn samples only add to the song's mystery.

The abrupt segue into “Morning Mr. Magpie” feels slightly more natural. It's possibly a rejected In Rainbows single, but the emphasis on production rather than the individual instrumentation remains as prevalent as ever. The guitar stays at the rear, adding quiet but efficient details while Yorke defiantly sings: “You got some nerve / coming here”. It feels like he's singing right to the fans, acknowledging their stubborn dedication towards the band's experimentation.

“Little By Little” reaches out with level headed guitar, performed with such brevity that it's one of the album's most powerful moments. The album is full of these slight eccentricities, such as the horns in “Codex” or the lively guitar in the outro of “Seperator”. These small additions might seem like nothing to the average listener, but repeated listens increase there value.

It's to the point where TKoL might be Radiohead's biggest grower of an album yet. The album is so densely put together that you'll get lost in it's vastness, and with only a single non-attentive listen, one could easily disregard this as a poor attempt at creativity. But after spending a weekend with TKoL, my cautious optimism proved worthwhile. It's an album that's full of surprises, one that reveals itself with time and some dedicated listening. It lacks important moments in the foreground, but makes up for it with production and attention to detail. TKoL might not be the most approachable release, but it certifies itself as a unique release in Radiohead's unpredictable universe; only time will tell if this growing versatality will continue down the road of experimentation.

4/5

Recommended Tracks: "Morning Mr. Magpie", "Little By Little", "Lotus Flower", "Seperator"

Panda Bear – Last Night at the Jetty

“Last Night at the Jetty” is the third single released by Noah Lennox (known by the stage name Panda Bear) and yet another reason to look forward to his massively anticipated fourth LP Tomboy. Something to take note of is how the coveted, sample heavy Animal Collective/Panda Bear sound continues to be less relevant. Here, Lennox makes further use of synths and guitar, in turn creating an album that sounds live and organic.

This song's greatest success, however, is the improved production. Tomboy's first two singles “Tomboy” and “You Can Count On Me” were criticized for sounding quiet and uncharacteristically sparse. “Last Night at the Jetty” comes across as a dramatic shift in the right direction; with a new producer mixing the album, everything just sounds fuller and more refined.

You can say this about the synths and the samples, but the vocals are easily the most notable. Lennox has never sounded better, and at the two minute vocal crescendo, the repetition of “I know” along the building percussion and swirling samples transcend this song into an unpredicted level of aural bliss.

4.5/5

Avey Tare - Down There

Click here to watch the music video for "Lucky 1"
Click here to listen to "Cemeteries"
Click here to listen to "Heads Hammock"

Despite being a year without a new Animal Collective album, we've had our fair share of Animal Collective releases. From the trippy, visual eye-fuck of ODDSAC to the largely anticipated LPs from Panda Bear and Avey Tare, Animal Collective fans are surely being treated in 2010.

For an Animal Collective related record, however, Down There is surprisingly empty. The structure is laid back, nothing more than a man and is sampler.There's something oddly hypnotic about Avey Tare's voice and the drug laced samples that subtly contribute to it; and while it may directly contrast the Animal Collective most fans are certainly used to, I can't help but love the atmosphere it creates.

Yes, this album definitely swims; not in a lush, blue ocean though, but in a dark, murky swamp. The bass drum sustains and the background crawls with watery effects. The album's cover art of the crocodile is entirely appropriate here; Down There is truly an ode to the crocodile and the gloomy, indistinct life it lives.

Song of the Day 8/9/10

Animal Collective - Screens / Mr. Fingers
ACSAC by user482219


From Animal Collective's visual film ODDSAC, it appears that they're back to their mind blowing experimental past. "Screens" sounds like a track from Sung Tongs, while "Mr. Fingers" is a total clusterfuck of samples. This will definitely please the hardcore fans, but nonetheless, we're all still waiting on the August 10 DVD release (pre-order here).

Song of the Day 7/21/2010

Animal Collective - Baleen Sample (2006)



After releasing the magnificent psych-folk release Sung Tongs, Animal Collective had some songs left over. The follow up EP, entitled Prospect Hummer, was as lush and memorizing as what had been previously released. "Baleen Sample" is just beautiful, driven by hundreds of guitar samples flowing in and out. It's an endless fountain of youth and psychedelia, and when the song finally ends, it's just as easy to pick right back up again.

The Books - The Way Out (2010)

The Books have finally returned with their first full length album in 5 years. You can listen to the entire album over at NPR for free at this link.

Song of the Day 7/12/2010

Panda Bear - Tomboy



Low quality leaks of "Tomboy", the self titled single to Panda Bear's 3rd album, has hit the internet. I think I can speak for all of us in saying I'm really looking forward to this one. If you like what you hear, you can check out the b-side "Slow Motion" here.