Blackout Beach - Fuck Death

(Dead Oceans, 2011)

Long-term hypothetical boyfriend, Carey Mercer, dismisses death, cusses, takes our relationship to the next level.

Blackout Beach "Beautiful Burning Desire" by DOJAGSC

Akron/Family and their really weird/long album title

I went on a really long drive to see a friend this weekend and I tried out a few albums on the way.  Out of all the listens, the new Akron/Family, S/T II: The Cosmic Birth And Journey of Shinju TNT was BY FAR my favorite, and it was up against some total heavy hitters. I had to put it on repeat, cause after I went through it once that was all I wanted to hear the rest of the day. This actually surprised me, because even though I enjoyed their last release, Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free, I felt like it was a step back for them, and with backward steps, more backwards steps usually come, but not in this case. The Cosmic Birth might be one small step for Akron/Family, but it is one giant step for musickind! Akron/Family took all their chewy folky pop goodness and wrapped it in a rich layer of happy rock and roll this time around. The Cosmic Birth is completely seeping with creativity and lush full melodies all the while still keeping their DIY sounding aesthetic. Many of the tracks encase various movements and feelings within very cohesive 3 minute pop songs that are sometimes so subtle and quiet and lovely and dizzying, and at other times totally rocking/headphone shattering.  This time around they stuck to the harmonizing they know best: the yelly, clap your hands and shake your head kind of harmonizing. I'm a total sucker for that and their tribal/rhythmic drumming. OMG, I'm a sucker for it all.  This album will undoubtedly be on my year end list. Mmmmmm, the guitars are sticky, the rumblings are hypnotic, the bass is heavy, it's so sexy. Watch this really lame video and give me comments of agreeance.



And don't forget that they will be playing Urban Lounge on March 28th. We made a poster for it that you can see here 

Frog Eyes - Paul's Tomb: A Triumph

Frog Eyes
Paul’s Tomb: A Triumph
(2010, Dead Oceans)
RIYL = Sunset Rubdown, Xiu Xiu, Tom Waits

This happens: Carey Mercer and Co. unwittingly find a tomb, it’s Paul’s tomb. Probably not the Paul you’re thinking of, but then again, yes, yes it is. A resurrection takes place, Paul stands forth, wiping the sweat of resurrection from his brow. Mercer and his bandmates exchange toiled grins, exhausted but satisfied with their success. He, Paul, wobbles forward, bracing himself on the frame of the tomb door. Decades and centuries have thinned him into a tight sack of leathery bones. It’s not the sight you expect. Resurrections aren’t quite what you thought they were. So, it’s a triumph, sure, but it's now the responsibility of the band to rid the world of this weary figure whose head holds only a few disparate patches of lengthy death-grown hair. It happens with shovels. Lots of smashing and cleanly shattered marrow. Little blood. And so it is that the new Frog Eyes album collapses upon itself in a heap of shovels, all thunderous and clanging, the perfect companion to Tears of the Valedictorian, an album which has steadily sounded better and better every day since its initial release. The same is true of Paul’s Tomb, and, honestly, this album is a whole hell of a lot better than most of these warm-but-not-quite-ecstatic reviews have been painting it (and how can I not be wholly disaffected by the blunder of Pitchfork?). This is it. I don’t know if this is my favourite album of the year yet, but it is starting very high on the list, and if my past experience with Frog Eyes is any indicator, Paul’s Tomb will indeed be triumphant. Priceless.

-Thistle

Frog Eyes - "A Flower In a Glove"
Frog Eyes - "Lear in Love"

Califone - All My Friends Are Funeral Singers

Califone
All My Friends Are Funeral Singers
(2009, Dead Oceans)
RIYL = Phosphorescent, Castanets, Gowns

Two short, innocuous somethings written under the influence of All My Friends Are Funeral Singers:

(1)
Truncated elefant walks into forest – mechanized chaos patter (murmur murmur) – yells: “You anti-irridentites!” and the birds flush from the trees. She eyelashes them(!), her ear feathers bristling and shuttering at the thought of being birdly. He is the first in that history to climb down from the tree -(monkey)- walk to the corner of the forest, buy bees in a large net-balloon and pass them to her. They buzz at the tiny net holes, a constant engine puttering. She is satisfied. Murmur putter murmur down to the wooden lakeside and relax and sing at each other until tomorrow. A whole day. Truncated elefant is eyewide, her bees asleep and netted on the clay mud, monkey around her knee. He too zzzzs. The lake murks because of moonlight carried into the morning. Other bugs are also awake with the world – with her. It’s a funeral for her Walkman.

(2)
Driving against the glare of wide, speckled robots shoveling road shoulder dirt. Wires and poles gridding their backs, pumping arm shoveling oil about and leaking. Still, there’s grass atop their own non-road shoulders so they don’t have to stay out all night. Still, driving. Can’t swerve for ten points while taking one who is to give birth. It is hard to look straight through the hood weeds. There has been no engine trimming since the weekends stopped occurring. Just all of the sudden and “wow, seriously?” and then, no more Saturdays, no more Sundays, Fridays stop at 5, Mondays start on Fridays. Robots!

I think you might be surprised at how much I love this album. But then again, with somethings like those, maybe you wouldn’t be.

-Thistle

Califone on MySpace

Trailer for the movie All My Friends Are Funeral Singers (which Tim Rutili directs).

All My Friends Are Funeral Singers Trailer from Califone on Vimeo.

Akron/Family - Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free

Akron/Family
Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free
(05.2009, Dead Oceans)
Verdict: It's realllllly grood.

The Akron trio's influences run deep. I have read reviews citing Akron/Family's influences as Jimi Hendrix, Neil Young, and The Grateful Dead. Those three don't really seem to mix to me. I guess I can see where those comparisons might be made, but overall Akron/Family is it's own beast, and always has been. What's great is that every album they produce is also it's own beast, bridging new sounds and vast experimentation on their sounds while still holding onto a distinct Akron/Fam feel. Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free has new play with looping, especially on the track "Creatures," which is possibly my least favorite track. The Family is much better at yelling and causing a ruckus than crooning and I have a major beef with "Creatures" harmonic last half because it sounds exactly like the Avett Brothers harmonies, and I HATE the Avett Brothers. My favorite tracks are the more wild ones such as opener "Everyone is Guilty," but the slower moments hold the album together into a seamless cohesive album that is full of diversity and very pleasurable to the ears. Other than the brief Avett moment, this album is killer. There are a lot of haters floating around, but I say don't listen, they just don't like artist evolution. Set 'Em Wild comes highly recommended by yours truly.

-Sass

Here's a really stupid music video for title track "Set 'Em Free"

Evangelicals - The Evening Descends

Evangelicals
The Evening Descends
(01.2008, Dead Oceans)
Verdict = Magic in epic proportions

It seems that a dammed stream of viable indie rock has been unblocked in the opening month of 2008, releasing an array of solid albums each with their own wonderful quirks. Of the quickly flowing lot, Evangelicals’ sophomore release, The Evening Descends, is undoubtedly the cream of the crop. If the record were a super hero trading card the stats, spanning ratings from one to ten on the back, would run something like this: Melodic Agility – 10, Loveable Charm – 10, Quirkiness – 10, Astral Beauty – 9, Indie Rock Danceability – 9. Essentially the stats speak for themselves: Evangelicals are a band to be reckoned with (playing card wise). But what makes the band so sugary delicious is that they aren’t fighters; The Evening Descends is an album for lovers. That’s right (!), Evangelicals are pulling on heart strings here. These aren’t really romantic heart strings though; they’re strings that resonate of the fresh beauty of life. It seems almost impossible not to just absolutely love life when you are listening to this album. Seriously, the United States could become infested with a ravenous zombie infection, mad scientists could accidentally release a pack of wild man eating rabbits and Hilary Clinton could win the Democratic bid for President and I could still just feel like baby puppies and flowers when listening to this album. Yeah, it’s a life affirmer and though it isn’t a rookie card, The Evening Descends definitely deserves one of those super thick plastic cases to keep the whole thing mint and perfect for your fireplace mantle. I don’t know if there is much more praise I can heap up on to this thing – it just contains the perfect amount of pure indie rock, charming experimental quirks and a good ‘ole fashion dash of surreal diamond dust that allows the whole thing to just float you as if it were Tinker Bell’s magical powder seeping out of your headphones. It is only February and Evangelicals have already secured a spot within my top ten of 2008. (PS – Favourite album cover for a long time too.)

-Mr. Thistle

Evangelicals - "Skeleton Man"

Citay - Little Kingdom

Citay
Little Kingdom
(11.2007, Dead Oceans)
7.5/10

Citay makes squealing guitars sound like sissy mellow pushovers. Little Kingdom, Citay's sophomore release, is one of the most chill psych albums I have encountered. An ever steady slow 4/4 pace produced by maracas, bongo drums and other such hippie instruments keep all the songs marching passively along for choral anthem type vocals to be softly sung to. Citay's classic rock sounds a bit like Comets on Fire taking a large dose of Ritalin. Cascading harmonic guitars, electric and accoustic, are played flawlessly and hypnotically. It's classic rock, but it doesn't sound old. Little Kingdom has a refreshing swelling sound to it that makes it hard to compare to anything. A perfect fit into the Dead Oceans line up, Citay makes psych for nappers.

-Sassigrass

Citay on Myspace

Counterpoint - Phosphorescent

Counterpoint

Phosphorescent

Pride

(10.2007, Dead Oceans)

8.5/10

We have often discussed dueling reviews here at Forest Gospel but have yet to find an album for which we held widely divergent views while maintaining similar interest levels. I think Phosphorescent's Pride is now the first instance where this has been the case. We have both been sincerely interested and now, after viewing Sassigrass' review, have differing views on the album at hand. A burst of meandering avant country, Phosphorescent's third album should be the album to breakout him out of his previous undercover status. Lulling you away into a dream land, the album is brimming with atmosphere and space in its nooks and crannies. Phosphorescent is no hurry. Each track carries layers and layers of almost choral vocals from Phosphorescent and friends creating an organic entity that flows like a powerful stream. The effect is beautiful and beguiling. The album manages to haunt without being scary and sooth without being soft, finding that sharp edge between overly accessibility and alienation. In contrast to Sassigrass, I feel that "Wolves" is perhaps one of the most charming tracks. As one of the singular songs that has Phosphorescent leaning on his sole vocals without the choral layering, "Wolves" embodies the strength of his voice when stripped of embellishment. Each track reveals something new, something different making Pride an easy album to listen to from start to finish. In an admission, Pride can become a little belabored toward the end but manages to hold onto its vitality solely because of the strength of Phosphorescent's voice. Not perfect, but definitely worth the attention it seems to be getting as of late.

-Mr. Thistle

Phosphorescent - Pride

Phosphorescent
Pride
(10.2007, Dead Oceans)
5.5/10

Pride has me so confused. I am incredibly split on this album, probably more so than ever. There are tracks that I love and can listen to on repeat all day long, but there are some tracks that make me cringe. I can hardly get through them in order to review the album. It's a complete Dr. Jekyl/ Mr. Hyde transformation as Matthew Houck voice goes from hauntingly beautiful to nails on a chalk board obnoxious, and the music goes from mellow experimental to the slowest most boring and whiny alt-country you've ever heard. The sleepers number in about half, but the tracks that are good are SO good that it's definitely worth a listen. Opener "A Picture Of Our Torn Up Praise" sounds exceptionally good on vinyl. It has a layered howling Houck, a low bass percussive rumble, a gorgeous melody and beautiful movement between chorus and verse. "Be In The Dark" and "The Waves At Night" are slow, but not quite to unbearable yet. they still contain the layered folk yips and tunes, and are very reminiscent of being inside cuddled up during a thunder storm, or walking along an Oregon coastline. "At Death, A Proclamation" is a modern day Paul Simon's Rhythm Of The Saints, and my favorite track on the album. It's a redemptive track with swelling vocals and rudimentary percussion. Those are the four best tracks. Those along with the incredibly annoying "Wolves" are the first five tracks of the eight track album. The last three songs slowly sinks into monotonous country with crawling brush stick drumming. I can't finish the album very often. I'm not joking when I say it's unbearably slow and whiny. So there it is, leaving me confused and wondering.

-Sassigrass

Phosphorescent - "A Picture Of Our Torn Up Praise"