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| ‹ ‹ ‹ past FEATURE articles |
:: FEATURE :: |
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Selected by So MucH Critics Team
April 2008 |
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THE BIG BREAKS |
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A few years back, a friend of mine told me I had to
listen to this new CD she had just picked up. She
said he was the best new rapper she had heard in a
long time. So I picked up the disc, and I've been a
fan of Brother Ali ever since. In 2007, The
Undisputed Truth is Brother Ali's undisputed
breakthrough. This album has been my number one album
of 2007 from the first listen in the Spring of 2007 to
the last seconds of 2007. This album was unequaled in
the hip-hop genre this past year. No other hip-hop album
came close to matching the creativity and skill of
Brother Ali.
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Mirrored This incredible new band that goes by the name, Battles, is quite unusual. None of the songs on their debut album, Mirrored, would go over very well on mainstream radio. Their music is not something that would be described as pleasant, enjoyable or beautiful. It would, however, be described by some as inspiring, intelligent and original. This music is built on music theory and each note and sound is carefully calculated. Complex arrangements make each song unique and may take some getting used to, but with a little effort and some patience this album reveals an entirely new world of music, which is incredibly refreshing.
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Ash Wednesday This guy has two things that you might think are
against him: he has a famous name (Elvis) and a
famous father (Anthony Perkins who played Norman Bates
in the original Psycho). But Elvis Perkins carves out
his own space and separates himself from what could
keep him down. Perkins' debut album, Ash Wednesday,
takes the song-writing talents of Bob Dylan and Tom
Waits and mashes them together to make a triumphant
album. Perkins gives us catchy songs ("While You Were
Sleeping"), odd but entertaining songs ("May Day!")
and absolutely gorgeous songs ("Ash Wednesday"). I'm
really looking forward to Perkins' future releases;
he's definitely a singer/songwriter to keep your eyes
on.
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And Their Refinement Of the Decline They picked up right where they left off last time. I know this double album wasn't a "part II" to their last album, but when I first put it in my cd player it sure felt like it.
Stars of the Lid do what they do best yet again, hypnotizing you in to their minimalistic world. From start to finish, Their Refinement is a two hour opus, an opus for that OTHER dimension. I feel as if I'm floating in the air, a space with no walls. I could really hear the influence of classical music in every track. Varying a little from their last album, The Tired Sound of Stars of The Lid, which was more based around a rock theme, drowning in guitars and bass.
There isn't too much you can say about this album, critiquing it completely would never be possible in my opinion. Stars of the Lid create this music, almost sound if you will, that can never really BE defined, as it changes in meaning and feeling during each listen.
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Besnard Lakes Are the Dark Horse You ever have those days where you can't find anything you want to listen to? You cycle through your playlists on your ipod and you thumb through all your cds and vinyls; nothing is sticking out. Whenever I get in that situation, I throw in Besnard Lakes.
They give off a real Canadian indie vibe, somewhere along the lines of Broken Social Scene or the Dears. The reason I'm drawn to their music so much is that they are so broad within their style. They incorporate the faded echo sounds of TV on the Radio and blend it with an acoustic or almost post punk genre. These are the type of albums I listen to and realize just how creative artists can be, in the way they know exactly what notes to hit and mix melodies.
This is The Besnard Lakes first album and I can't wait to see what they come out with next. You feel as if you are hearing the echoes of the songs, putting you in to a sedated state, and then pulling you right back out with a strong electronic bass, hitting you with an unusual melody. Dark Horse is such a good album and fits perfect into its time, expanding the indie scene by adding yet another sub category.
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THE ESTABLISHED |
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The story goes that the lead singer, Kevin Barnes, moved to Norway right before starting on this album. Due to culture shock and missing his true home in Georgia, he was often depressed and always full of emotion.
Great, another album by an artist who cries about his hard life and the turmoil within. That is not what Hissing Fauna is all about, though. With the catchy melodies and indie disco they pulled out, the LP became so much more. It's weird because I would be bobbing my head to the funky beats and I'd have no idea that these were serious songs with emotional questions. The and fresh pop/funk music clash with the heavy emotions of Kevin Barnes, creating something I had never really experienced in music before. Am I supposed to join him in his pain or dance to his synthesized melodies? I still don't really know what to do except love it.
As the album goes on it has perfect crescendos and breaks for dance music, giving Hissing Fauna a full sound from start to finish. Of Montreal show that funk is still alive and they can incorporate it to the indie rock style of todays music. Selfishly, I hope Kevin Barnes repeats whatever emotions he went through for his next project because I think it really worked in his favor in the end. Hissing Fauna is a great listen.
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Tones of Town Since Field Music's self-titled debut was fun and enjoyable but not spectacular, I wasn't eager to hear their latest album.
Though, several raving reviews peaked my interest in Tones of Town.
When I finally had a chance to hear it, I was blown away during the first listen, and I still listen to it now and then
with the same amazement. Built on a strong beat that was evident on their debut album, the songwriting is now
tighter and catchier and the production is slicker, but not enough to take away from the edginess that gives the
album a depth that keeps me intrigued.
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II When viewers look at my list, they'll look at II and
think, "what?" But that's okay, because Maylene and the
Sons of Disaster's sophomore album is one of the
absolute best of the year. Imagine what would happen
if you took the hardcore metal sensibility of
Underoath and combined it with the southern-fried
hillbilly rock of Creedence Clearwater Revival or
Lynyrd Skynyrd; look no further then Maylene. Their
debut took me by surprise and II does even more so.
This is the most original and unique metal album I've
ever heard, and make no mistake, it is a true metal
album. What sets it apart is leader Dallas Taylor's
approach on every song. His vocals are gritty and
course, yet unlike many metal vocalists you can
understand him; Taylor is not a constant screamer.
Taylor's lyrics are poignant and powerful. And the
instruments sound like hard-core-country one minute
and straight rock the next ("Dry the River"). This is
one of the coolest albums of the year and definitely a
unique addition to my list.
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Friend or Foe There's nothing more catchy for me right now then the music of Menomena. Coming out of Portland Oregon, Menomena are the true definition of an experimental band. They incorporate so many instruments without making it sound cluttered. They also stay away from the indie styles of other bands with an array of sounds such as the Arcade Fire. They have a true rock sound deep down like the music of Secret Machines. Built on catchy bass and lyrics, they create unbelievably random beats played by random instruments. The second album in a row that's a huge hit in my book, I can't wait to see this group a few years from now as they slowy become more and more respected and loved.
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THE LEGENDS |
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I finally listened to Live At Massey Hall in December as I was trying to listen to as many albums as I could
that were released in 2007. I thought I'd give this live album a shot, even though Neil Young's live album Live
At Fillmore East that was released in 2006 seemed to have received better reviews. I love Neil Young, so I was
confident that I'd enjoy it, but what I was hearing was better than I had ever imagined. A lot of the songs that were played during this concert
were not even recorded, yet. Some of them had just been written and were partially incomplete ("Needle & Damage Done").
The interaction with the audience between songs is intimate and down-to-earth as he gives some background about the new song
that he is about to perform. It's weird to hear Young begin a song
that would soon become a major hit without any excitement and applause from the crowd. But when the songs end, the audience's
reaction can only be interpereted as amazement at the beauty and depth of the new songs.
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Raising Sand This album came out of nowhere for me. On a lovely
fall Saturday I was driving in my car and I heard a
song called "Killing the Blues" on the radio. I
thought, "wow that sounds like Robert Plant doing folk
music." And as the song went on, a female voice
emerged and I thought, "wow that sounds like Alison
Krauss." To my surprise, the DJ announced at the end
of the song that it was indeed Plant and Krauss -
TOGETHER. I got the album, and I must declare that
Raising Sand is the most beautiful album of 2007. The
album is a collection of American Folk songs by a
number of different artists sung by two of the most
unique voices in music. This album is a joy from
start to finish. Plant and Krauss may seem like an
odd pairing, but it works.
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The Good, The Bad & The Queen One of my personal favorites from last year, The Good, The Bad & The Queen
is a unique, yet familiar and comfortable album by my musical hero, Damon Albarn (Blur, Gorillaz), with some help from legends
Paul Simonon (bassist with The Clash) and Tony Allen (drummer for Fela Kuti). Simon Tong, from The Verve, completes the group on
guitar.
The songs carry a Damon Albarn Blur-era stamp with the narrative flow of the lyrics and the beautifully simple melodies.
The album was produced by Danger Mouse (member of Gnarls Barkley) which gave
the album a smooth, but unpolished, sound that is not usually associated with rock music but fits these songs perfectly.
Considering all the musical talent that makes up this group, no artist ever stands out, but they all play
perfectly together for the sake of the music and album as a whole. Wonderfully produced and gorgeously performed, this album
is near perfection, though it may not be groundbreaking, and it grows on me everytime I listen to it.
This is another spectacular project by a globally respected musician who will continue to push the bounderies of rock music!
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