Friday, January 23, 2015

REVIEW: Computer Controller Acoustic Instruments pt2 EP by Aphex Twin

    

      Aphex Twin is a man of many sounds. It's hard to believe that same mind created both "Come To Daddy" and "Flim", let alone put them on the same EP. Richard D. James jumps from style to style between tracks, yet manages to make each song sound distinctly his own. Last year's Syro was a fantastic and relatively accessible collection of many different songs from the artist. It was a perfect album for both new fans and old fans alike. Following up one of his most accessible albums comes a very inaccessible, but equally great, EP. From what I can tell, James made this album after listening to Sun Ra while probably doing some sort of drug. While Syro got as upbeat and happy as IDM can get, this EP goes into the dark crevices of electronic music. Every synth sounds like the Korg from hell. Aphex Twin separates these tracks with piano and drum interludes. While these interludes don't work on their own, as a part of the EP, they work beautifully. "piano un10 it happened" stands out because it is neither an interlude or a hellish electronic song. "piano" is one of James's absolutely beautiful piano pieces, but it feels slightly out of place on this otherwise dark EP. This is EP is James at his most experimental (yet still beat-driven) and the experiment pays off. The EP can feel slightly disjointed at points, but it's mostly another great Aphex Twin release. I'm giving this EP 8/10 stars for succeeding in it's experiment.

BEST TRACKS: 'diskhat ALL prepared1mixed 13", "diskhat1", "hat5c 0001 rec-4"

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆  

Monday, January 19, 2015

REVIEW: No Cities To Love by Sleater-Kinney

Sleaterkinney nocities 1425

      I'm having trouble figuring out how to start this review. First off, I haven't written a review in awhile. Second, Sleater-Kinney are one of the most formidable acts in all of indie rock. They are one of most famous bands of the riot grrrl movement because of seven albums that range from good to classic. All of the members of the band are extremely successful individually, Carrie Brownstein with the hilarious Portlandia, Corin Tucker with Heavens To Betsy, and Janet Weiss with the Jicks, Elliott Smith, The Shins, and Wild Flag. The indie community was ecstatic when they heard that these talented individuals were coming together once again to record as a full group. Based off the amount of amazing work behind them, I and many others were extremely excited for the group's new album and they do not disappoint. 
      Sleater-Kinney have the remarkable ability to have every part of a song stand out, but blend together well. Every amazing guitar riff couldn't stand on it's own without Janet's pounding drums. Corin's vocal power is astounding, lyrically and musically. The band transcends questions of punk grime versuses catchiness and just makes some really good songs. If this description above sounds like it could describe any Sleater-Kinney release, it's because it could. The band knows how to make a good record, so why change the formula?
      The band has described this release as Sleater-Kinney 2.0, which I find to be very accurate. Every song on here is immediately recognizable as a Sleater-Kinney song, but that doesn't mean the album sounds like a rehash of previous material. Sleater-Kinney's core sound stays the same, while the details change. This is why completely different albums like The Woods and Dig Me Out sound like their coming from the same group. Sleater-Kinney don't do anything to revolutionize their sound, they just change it enough to keep themselves sounding fresh. I'm going to give album 8/10 stars for sounding new and fresh, while keeping their core sound intact.

BEST TRACKS: "No Cities To Love", "A New Wave", "Bury Our Friends"

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆  

Friday, January 16, 2015

NEWS: Lightning Bolt Announce New Album

Lightning Bolt Announce New Album Fantasy Empire

Iconic noise rock band Lightning Bolt have announced a new album entitled Fantasy Empire. It will be released March 24th via Thrill Jockey, the band's first release for the label. The press release says that this is band's first release recorded on hi-fi equipment.You can preorder the album here on CD or limited edition vinyl. The band doesn't has a bad song in their discography, so I'm very excited to hear what they have in store for us.

Monday, January 12, 2015

NEWS: Death Cab For Cutie Announce New Album

Death Cab For Cutie - Kintsugi
Legendary indie rockers, Death Cab for Cutie, have announced that their new album will be released March 31. It's called Kintsugi after a form of Japanese art. This is the first album the band has released since drummer Chris Walla has left the group. I feel the like the band is primed to release another classic after the slightly disappointing Codes and Keys.

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

NEWS/MUSIC: The Go! Team Announce New Album


The Go! Team will be releasing a new album, The Scene Between, on March 24th. The title track was released today and I've embedded it below. While the single isn't the best work The Go! Team has ever put out, it's good enough that I'm excited for the rest of the album.