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"

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ 

REVIEW: No Cities To Love by Sleater-Kinney

      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"

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ 

NEWS: Lightning Bolt Announce New Album

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.

NEWS: Death Cab For Cutie Announce New Album

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.

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.

OPINION: Most Anticipated Albums of 2015

As I reflect on the year in my best of post, I also think about what I'm looking forward to next year. Here are the ten albums I'm most looking forward to in 2015.

1.   The Wrens – TBA

This album has been a long time coming. Since they haven't released any new material since their masterpiece The Meadowlands, this will be their first output in a dozen years. All signs point to this being a great album; the numerous hours of work being put in, unexpectedly hilarious and candid social media, and a single fantastic snippet they released in July. The Wrens' output has been remarkably consistent throughout their career and they left on a high note, so I'm expecting a great release from the veteran indie band.

2.   Sleater-Kinney – No Cities To Love

The legendary riot-grrrl band are releasing their first album in over ten years in a month. Anyone with any internet savvy can find the album now, but I'm personally waiting for an official release for some reason. The singles they have released are both fantastic and I'm sure the rest of the album will follow suit.

3.   Run the Jewels - RTJ3

Even though Run the Jewels released their incredible sophomore effort, RTJ2, only a few short months ago, the duo have announced that their third album is on the way. If they can top their past work (which seems likely because RTJ2 was much better than their already great debut) they've got a masterpiece on their hands.

4.   Chromatics – Dear Tommy

Every album the Chromatics has been better than the last. While they haven't released anything official since 2012's fantastic Kill For Love, I can't imagine the band putting out something less than great.

5.    Panda Bear – Panda Bear Meets The Grim Reaper

Whether he is working with Animal Collective or by himself, Noah Lennox (Panda Bear) is one of the most unique musicians working today. The lead single from his newest album, "Boys Latin" and the recent EP, Mr Noah, indicate that this will be another great release from Panda Bear.

6.   Kanye West – TBA

No one except Kayne, Seth Rogen, and probably Kim, knows what Kanye's new album will sound like. All I know is I'm excited to hear the result.

7.    Radiohead – TBA

Indie rock's most famous band recently announced they're working on a follow up to 2011's King Of Limb. Despite Thom Yorke's slightly disappointing side projects, I'm excited to hear where the band goes.

8.    Modest Mouse – Strangers To Ourselves

It's been awhile since Modest Mouse has made anything truly great, but with the recent reissues of their classic albums and a good single, the band seems primed to release another classic, or at least something good.

9.    Savages - TBA

I adored Savages debut when it came out, but the band has been silent since then (not counting the recent bizzare release with Bo Ningen). The band is supposedly returning with a new album next year, and hopefully the band will release another great album

10.    Joey Bada$$ – B4.DA.$$

Joey's work in and out of Pro Era has been great, so he is primed to release a great debut album. If the rest of the album is as good as the singles he's released so far, then it will be a great album.

OPINION: Ten Best Albums of 2014

As the year comes to end, people are starting to reflect It's been a hard year for the world, but some great music came out of it. Here are my top ten albums of 2014.

1.    Run The Jewels - Run The Jewels 2

If you had asked me what my top album of 2014 would be in 2013, I would have probably said RTJ2. It's funny how things sometimes actually work out. Killer Mike and El-P have been proving that their worth listening to since the beginning of their respective careers, but people were too stupid to listen. With their debut as a duo, they proved they were a force to reckoned with. With the sequel to that album, they prove they are the force to be reckoned with. No one else came close to them this year. Both El-P and Killer Mike are formidable rappers separately, but together they complement each other so well. Killer Mike's brutal Southern flow meshes amazingly with El-P's technical New York sound. And holy hell, El-P's production is miles ahead of what anyone else is doing. For many people like me who needed a release with the hell of a year we had, this album did exactly that without letting down for a moment.

2.    Open Mike Eagle - Dark Comedy

I feel like I have to justify this album being so close to the top of my list for some reason, which is ridiculous. It's on almost no one else's lists I've read, which is insane because this album is amazing. I have listened to this record probably more than any other album this year, even more than my number one pick. Open Mike Eagle has been consistently fantastic throughout his career, but this release goes light years beyond where he had been previously. The album switches between devastatingly funny to devastatingly sad in moments. Mike's delivery has intimate urgency that I just don't hear from other rappers. The production is as nuanced as Mike's rapping, which is saying something because Mike proves himself to be a fantastic rapper on this album yet again.

3.    Swans - To Be Kind

I have a confession to make, I haven't actually listened to this whole album. Yes, it's my third favorite album of the year and I haven't actually listened to the whole thing. Sure, I've heard the whole thing in bits and pieces, but I haven't just sat down and listened to it. I made it through the first disc, but that's it. I'm going to put it on this list because it's an amazing album and just because I can't sit through two hours of ear-breaking music doesn't mean that I don't absolutely love this album.

4.    Aphex Twin - Syro

Syro is not the best thing Aphex Twin has ever put out, but it's definitely up there. With so much hype behind this album, it's amazing it lived up to any of it. This is the kind of album an artist should release after a hiatus if they don't have an m b v  in them. This album didn't break any new ground like other Aphex Twin releases, but that doesn't mean it isn't great.

5.    Weezer - Everything Will Be Alright In The End

It's a weird feeling to have a Weezer album in my top ten list. I'm one of those Weezer fans; I haven't liked anything since Pinkerton, but I sure love those first two albums. I liked this album when I first listened to it, but since then it's grown on me more and more. It's really nice to have a good Weezer album in the world that's between Pinkerton and Maladroit in terms of quality, and actually gets closer to Pinkerton with each listen.

6.    Clark - Clark

I have a lot of trouble putting this album into words, which is bad when you need to put an album into words for a blog post. This album goes into so many directions at once, but it doesn't feel crowded in the least, every moment feels tightly orchestrated. Clark manages to blend IDM, pop, and so much more into this one album. And holy hell, is it catchy. These songs will be stuck in your head for days and the best part is, you'll be happy they're there.

7.    Priests - Bodies and Control and Money and Power

DC's Priests debut album is deceptively simple, but there is so much more than just what appears on the surface. The band blends punk, post-punk, and surprisingly shoegaze at moments to create an album that sounds like nothing else. Every instrument blends together beautifully, but still manage to heard by their self. I could write a whole blog post about Katy's amazingly strong voice and lyrics, but this one blurb about this fantastic debut will have to do.

8.    Protomartyr - Under Color Of Official Right

If I had to describe Protomatyr's official debut in one sentence, it would be if the album that Interpol would have released if they had formed in 2008, but there's so much more to this record than that description provides. Joe Casey's vocals are devastatingly beautiful and come close to matching the magnificence of Ian Curtis. The instrumentation is surprisingly catchy under this brooding voice, but that risk works out fantastically.

9.    Perfect Pussy - Say Yes To Love

Perfect Pussy deliver an absolutely brutal noise punk record in a year clouded by softness in music (War On Drugs, Grouper, Sharon Van Etten, etc.), but still manage to sound more beautiful than most of those artists. Pounding drums and Meredith Graves percussive voice blend perfectly with screeching guitars. Even if you can't tell what Meredith Graves is saying all of the time, it's clear that it's important.

10.   tUnE-yArDs - nikki nack

Merrill Garbus's third record proves to be her best. Dense both musically and lyrically, this album turns pop music upside down and inside out through interesting rhythms and instrumentation. The record manages to be both accessible and complex, which makes for a great listen.