Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago

Bon Iver
For Emma, Forever Ago
(Self released)
10.0/10

After the break up of Justin Vernon’s former band, DeYarmond Edison, he packed up his bags and moved to a remote cabin in Wisconsin to be alone for four months. While in his solitude he passed the time by recording For Emma, Forever Ago, under his new Moniker, Bon Iver. He self released the album, selling it only through myspace and streaming his full album on Virb. Someone at Pitchfork stumbled across Bon Iver and wrote a praising review which exposed Vernon for what he is, a musical revelation. Attention and praise for the album resulted in Jagjaguwar deciding to put him on their roster. Bon Iver’s For Emma, Forever Ago will be released on Jagjaguwar sometime next year. Until then I suggest you go to his Virb page and hear for yourself one of the most gorgeous and soulful albums of the year. I cannot sing enough praise for this beautiful slew of songs. The rumination of mumbled lyrics and ghostly experimental lulls ebb and flow on like a beautiful ocean tide. For Emma, Forever Ago is simple and expressive, and heartbreakingly lonely. It’s quiet reflective folk, with sentimental lyrics, but not sappy by any means. After the album finishes, the melodies haunt you. They will stay with you, change you mood, your outlook on the day, and force you back for a second listen. Indeed, I have listened to the album all the way through 9 times today. I am completely satisfied with it and only it and doubt that anything else will be appealing enough to make to break away from pushing repeat over and over and over.

-Sassigrass

Stream For Emma, Forever Ago on Bon Iver’s Virb page

Black Lips - Good Bad Not Evil

Guest Review
Black Lips
Good Bad Not Evil
(09.2007, Vice Records)
7.5

They always say that you only get one chance to make a first impression. I’m not quite sure who they are that always say that, but it seems true enough. And so it goes with albums. For some reason the first song from Black Lips’ new album that I listened to was the third track, "Step Right Up." My first thought was that they want to be The Velvet Underground. Since that inauspicious beginning I have hardly been able to extract the Lou Reed from my impressions of Good Bad Not Evil. And when I finally do, it’s only to replace the direct lineage of Black Lips songs from one historic band to another. "O Katrina!" is a band trying to be the Animals. "It Feels All Right" is the B-52’s. "How Do You Tell A Child That Someone Has Died" was meant to be on the O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack.
In truth, I really like this album, and more so with each listen. However, Black Lips lack an identity of their own that would add credence and power to their catchy, bluesy songs. In fact the few songs that don’t reflect a direct influence from some other band are the weakest ones of the bunch, and to their credit, Black Lips limit those numbers to a curious few. Whether my perceptions of direct influences are accurate or not, Black Lips’ Good Bad Not Evil, is an album that buoys itself up with the strengths of past bands, and not necessarily to its detriment. Their songs don’t seem out of place, or dated, and their energy and straightforward presentation adds to the bands character. This is not an innovative band, nor an album of far reaching influence, but it is one that will appease any inclination to rock, and encourage you to nod your head as vigorously as your uppity hipster attitude will allow.

-Spruce Lee

Aa - GAame

Aa (BIG A Little A)
GAame
(04.2007, Gigantic)
9.5/10

Like an invading tribe of electronically advanced, alien gorillas, Aa (BIG A Little A) seamlessly combine the prehistoric and the futuristic in their tenacious attack. And, building on the previous comparison, they are both violently absurd and gloriously entertaining in their musical assault. The forefront of Aa's power is their passionate polyrhythms. Imagine the alien gorillas again in a blazed drum circle, chanting and screaming as they pound away, and you will begin to capture the essence of the experience of GAame. And now the futurism – gorillas seem to be an animal a little too dense to be managing some of the elaborate distortions and freakishly wonderful melodies that come into play on top of GAame's drum-beat cacophony, so you will have to lend your mind's eye to some other, more mischievous, smaller primate to take the task of these embellishments. Before you know it you'll have some mashup of The Jungle Book, Congo and Total Recall playing in your head to this tightly wound, musical sprawl. The album is short; just over thirty minutes, so as not to evoke madness. It is a perfect length really, and an almost perfect CD. It feels like a lighter companion piece to Raccoo-oo-oon's Behold Secret Kingdom or a distant cousin to Animal Collective's Here Comes the Indian, but trumps both on accessibility. Gloriously executed, Aa's GAame is here with it’s alien apes to destroy your senses and jump you into its gang of quasi-dance destructionism? Trust me, its good.

-Mr. Thistle

Aa (BIG A Little A) - Thirteen

Seabear - The Ghost That Carried Us Away

Seabear
The Ghost That Carried Us Away
(10.2007, Morr Music)
9.0/10

Have you ever been somewhere that you feel incredibly safe, the sun coming though a window, wrapped in a blanket, closing your eyes in the mid afternoon, and just realizing how incredible it feels to be in that place, alive, taking a nap, reading a book, or just thinking? The Ghost That Carried Us Away feels like a soundtrack to just those moments. It's soft and simple, and yet somehow very full and abundant. It's pattering drum beats keep the music optimistic, while the cool, slowly sung vocals keep it mellow. A myriad of other instruments fill in any bare spots leaving a warm innocent acoustic sound that is emotional in a subtle way. The Ghost That Carried Us Away is an incredibly appealing album, but not in an in-your-face kind of way. It won't jump out and force you to love it. Rather, it waits for you to be listening to it at the right moment, and Fall seems to have a lot of those right moments. It's Earthy sound, wandering violins, slight tambourine, piano, and dual vocals perfectly compliment falling leaves, afternoon walks, and blankets.

-Sassigrass

Searbear - "Arms"

Alex Delivery - Star Destroyer

Alex Delivery
Star Destroyer
(04.2007, Jagjaguwar)
7.0/10

The opening track of Star Destroyer, "Komad" is a glitchy experimental mess of a song, with loud percussion, screeching noises, and haphazard vocals that almost harmonize, but not quite. It builds up for some time before going into an industrial bridge which brings you into the last half of the song, reminiscent of the Dozers on Fraggle Rock mixed with other mythical creatures and the harsh monsters that pursue them. "Komad" is an absolutely great track, if only that could be said about the rest of the album. The subsequent tracks on Star Destroyer loose that "Komad" edge, replacing it with a lot of messy haze and mediocrity. There are great moments scattered throughout the entire album, but there really isn't another track without at least a bit of boring in it. The vocals especially loose their edge and begin to sound like a drunken karaoke lazily thrown across the music rather than working with it. Star Destroyer has loads of potential. I just don't feel that it reached as high as it could have. It's still a very interesting listen and I am excited to hear more from Alex Delivery. They have stumbled across a great sound, I'm just not sure they know quite what to do with it yet.

-Sassigrass

Alex Delivery - "Komad"

Shows This Week

Shows This Week Friday, (11/02) Regina Spektor will exude her playful charisma at In The Venue. This should be a really charming show.



Friday, (11/02) same night as Regina but undoubtedly later because of being booked at the Urban Lounge, David Kilgour will be playing his hazily beautiful songs till who knows what time. Catch both shows!

David Kilgour – "Son of God"

Saturday, (11/03) our live pick of the week is Velella Velella who will be bringing their electro glitch hop party blitz to Kilby Court. Unmissable.

Velella Velella on Myspace

Sunday, (11,04) Cryptacize will be playing an awesome set at Kilby Court. The band contains Ex-Deerhoofians, Nedelle; essentially it looks like the exact lineup of Curtains minus the bassist from last year’s tour. Check the video – should be wonderful:



Sunday, (11/04) The Ponys and Chin Up Chin Up will be playing at The Urban Lounge with Alela Diane. Good indie show for the kids...



11/7 – Ghostface, Rakim, Brother Ali – Harry O’s
11/7 – Do Make Say Think, Apostle of Hustle – Urban Lounge
11/9 – De La Soul – The 23rd Floor
11/13 – The Velvet Teen – Kilby Court
11/13 – Charalambides, Alasdair Roberts – Urban Lounge
11/14 – Kid Theodore, Sea Wolf, Saturday Looks Good To Me
11/15-18 – “High School Musical” on Ice Tour – Energy Solutions Arena
11/16 – Celebration – Kilby Court
11/16 – Of Montreal, Grand Buffet – In the Venue
11/16 – Fog, Old Time Relijun, Vile Blue Shades, The Soundtrack Scene – Urban Lounge
12/4 – David Bazan – Kilby Court
12/7 – Iron and Wine – Salt Air
12/14 – Eyedea and Abilities – In the Venue

Valet - Blood Is Clean

Valet
Blood Is Clean
(04.2007, Kranky)
8.5/10

Valet is the ethereal alias of Portland's Honey Owens. On her solo debut, Owens has created a menacing spectral treat that drifts magnetically through air. The opener, "April 6," quickly aligns Valet with Portland compatriot Liz Harris (aka Grouper) with its whispery, layered vocals before giving way to lightly layered tribal sounding percussion. While the general feel of Blood Is Clean maintains similarities in tone to Grouper's wonderful releases, Owens definitely creates her own ghostly persona with a welcomed variation of instruments and vocal approaches. The second, and title track, "Blood Is Clean," is upheld by a grainy guitar and propelled by a haunted lyrical sermon which then transitions into a distorted six-string exorcism. The remainder of the album wades through minimalist tapestries covered with noise shrapnel, hollow vocal eulogies and subtle, looped drums. The result is a series of deliciously cold soundscapes that are more dynamic and engaging than your average experimental drony-ness. A perfect mention for the October season, Blood Is Clean is a veritable ghost of a record and a searing addition to Kranky’s already towering year of releases.

-Mr. Thistle

Valet- "April 6"

Foot Ox - Ghost

Guest Review
Foot Ox
Ghost
(10.2007 String Wind Percussion)
8.0/10

"You're staring at your sleeping 3-year-old daughter. Just remember she can't survive on Top Ramen and tap water. So send her back to the factory where they make human beings. Her tiny crippled face will always haunt your vivid dreams until you're numb." And so goes the morbid romp that is Foot Ox's debut album, Ghost. Foot Ox hails from Tempe, Arizona and plays a strange brand of pop folk that reminds me of a quirkier, more youthful Neutral Milk Hotel (minus the distortion) with Sad Sappy Sucker era Isaac Brock vocals. Foot Ox is lead by Teague Cullen with the help of over a dozen friends and a toy box full of instruments ranging from a circuit bent Casio, pianolin, xylophone, harmonium, singing saw and anything else you might pick up at a thrift store. On each of the twelve tracks Teague paints mental pictures with his pre-pubescent vocals (a draw for me, maybe a turnoff for others) about horrible demons, bad mothers, a girl with a pig's head, and growing up. All of these mini adventures are quick and the whole album is over is under twenty minutes. Which is fitting, because often life's most simple pleasures are over as soon as they arrive. But I guess you can always press repeat.

-Wooly Mammal

Foot Ox on Myspace

Wooden Shjips - Self Titled

Wooden Shjips
Wooden Shjips
(09.2007, Holy Mountain)
6.5/10

Hype can get you into a lot of trouble. Voxtrot, for instance, seemed to be the perfect examples of hype as they released three solid EPs in a drawn out period awaiting their debut. Increasingly anticipated, once the album dropped the overwhelming expectation destroyed the mediocre album. Wooden Shjips are in the same boat. Having released two wonderful, limited edition vinyl releases (a 7" and 10") of blaring, sun-baked psych, the band seemed destined for a gloriously lauded debut. But alas, on their self titled debut they have lightened their sound and broken their previous promises. The hazy retro outfit’s extended jams have turned stale, lacking the previous buzz and rumble. The bands ancient 70's grit has also started to resemble, more than idly, The Doors. Simply add a lazy, slightly reverberated psych guitar to Morrison’s vocals and Manzarek’s keyboard and there you go. The potential here is still thrilling which makes the record all that much more disappointing. Not a terrible record by any means, but also not terribly exciting by any measure.

-Mr. Thistle

Wooden Shjips - "We Ask You To Ride" excerpt

Gowns - Red State

Gowns
Red State
(03.2007, Cardboard Records)
9.0/10

Like an army of dark clouds devouring a vast Midwestern skyline, Gowns' debut album, Red State, is a dark, brooding storm of dangerous Americana. Architected by Ezra Buchla and Erika Anderson, Red State feels like a dilapidated town in the middle of nowhere between Salt Lake and St. Louis. Aside from its inherent, decomposed beauty, Red State also contains a loosed beast whose tense presence reeks of an impending attack throughout the album. What Gowns have created here is something of a beautiful horror. The songs alternate succinctly between Ezra and Erika on the lead vocals over tormented guitar and a few ominous, broken electronics treatments along with occasional drum flourishes from contributing member Corey Fogel. The effect is simultaneouly minimal and overpowering. As an album, Red State is a masterfully series of emotional highs and lows, perfectly sequenced, working cinematically like a Darren Aronofsky film. By the time Ericka's voice desperately croons over the last half of the closing track, the completion of the album feels like some harrowing, unfathomable journey. Gowns play kind of like an amalgamation of PJ Harvey, Bonne ‘Prince’ Billy, A Silver Mt. Zion and Sonic Youth in their grittiest forms. Who knew folk and noise would create such a satisfying marriage? And, even with all its' austerity, Red State makes for a highly repeatable, beautifully fractured ride. Red State is an album to marinate with; perfect for Halloween too!

-Mr. Thistle

Gowns - "White Like Heaven"

The Future of The Ghost - Freak Out

LOCAL REVIEW
The Future of the Ghost
Freak Out
(10.2007, Self Released)
8.5/10

Local rock star Will Sartain has yet again assembled an incredibly solid group of talent for his current musical project, The Future of The Ghost. Their first album, Freak Out, was released in conjunction with an exceptional opening set for Deerhoof earlier this month. The Future of The Ghost is a great live band. Their sound is solid and consistently gets the crowds' heads rocking. I was worried that the energy from their live shows wouldn't carry over well to disc, but surprise, it does! It's twelve song of pure energetic pop rock, catchy as all get out. Will's forced vocals work well in this standard rock setting. The recording quality is high. The sound is crisp and precise. The only downfall of this album is it's occasional likeness to subpar pop punk of the nineties, and by that I mean- some songs remind me way too much of Millencolin (particularly track #3.) Don't get me wrong, those moments are few and far between. Most of the album is comparable to standard rock masterminds of our time, particularly Figurines, (especially on "Love") whom I absolutely adore. Most of the stand-out tracks are in the first half of the album. "Run Free Little Bird", which opens Freak Out, title track "Freak out" and "Counter Culture In The Twenty-First Century" are some of my favorites. Although, I am also quite fond of the closer "It Goes Down" as well. It's a perfect track to finish off an incredibly solid and consistent rock album.

-Sassigrass

The Future of The Ghost on Myspace

Splint! - Moro

Splint!
Moro
(03.2007, Lampse)
8.0/10

Tangling a new highlight in the surprisingly sprawling arena of experimental Norwegian free jazz, Splint! (so many exclamatory punctuations hanging off band titles nowadays. Its as trendy as having 'black' or 'wolf' in your band name.) actually carry some defined boundaries to their improvisational charm and are all the better for it. Utilizing a heavy dose of electronic meddling and electro-acoustics, Moro is simply an audio treat for the exploratory music fan. Drawing comparisons (as well as former members and contributors) to the juggernauts of Scandinavian free jazz, Supersilent, Spint! ruminate over similar peaks and valleys under the former's towering shadow, but, in light of Supersilent's recent release of 8, have beat the group at their own game with Moro. The band is at its best when drummer Jarle Vespestad is propelling them forward, but they still manage some entrancing numbers that operate at much slower, more contemplative speeds. Interesting as these tracks are, a string of slower tempos during the middle of Moro strain the 'fun' that the Norwegian album title translates to. Though not without its faults, Moro is a exciting debut and welcome addition to a burgeoning scene.

-Mr. Thistle

Splint! - Sintjom excerpt