Sunday, August 26th, 2007 // Paperhouse
It is impossible to have a conversation without someone bringing up the heat. Relentless sunlight boils our flesh and swampy humidity makes even typing a sweaty affair. My pink is peeling off and my brain is in a liquid state — and, reader, I am sure you feel the same. With that in mind, here is a playlist of songs for suckling popsicles.
Bauhaus, “Mask.” In “Mask,” Bauhaus sends you directly inside the thick stone walls of a subterranean dungeon. Peter Murphy moans in pain, with cymbals crashing like whips. It’s all dark and gloomy and goth until the 2:40 mark, when a beautiful, light guitar melody replaces whips and moans. “The shadow is cast,” Murphy cries. Hurrah! I need some shade.
Junior Boys, “Double Shadow.” The Canadian duo’s beats are always icy — especially this one, which has whispering vocals that are not warmly romantic. Instead, “Double Shadow” begins with some unromantic insults, and then launches into an understated beat with a compliment: “you good fuck.” At least whoever this song is tearing to shreds has that, right? That, and a surprisingly soulful track complete with handclaps in their memory.
Pluxus, “Solid State.” This Scandinavian electro track begins with a slow, jingling beat, reminiscent of ice cubes clinking in glasses. Quickly, other synthetic sounds roll in, sounding like the best parts of summer — clicking cameras, an oscillating fan, the hum of insects at nightfall, a carnival melody, the plinking of coins into a fountain. Still, the mood is not nostalgic. This slow, dark, and fizzy song seems tired of the summer heat.
M83, “Teen Angst.” What goes together better than teen angst and the dying days of summer? Ethereal male vocals, a throbbing beat, and hazy guitar washes make this an ideal song to listen to during a dusk walk amid the mosquitoes.
TV On The Radio, “Wear You Out.” “Wear You Out” begins as a vocal-driven track, with Adebimpe’s voice fluttering effortlessly above simple drumming. Soon, gentle chimes, horns, and bass arrive and his voice swoops back down to sensually meld with the chugging, bluesy orchestra. After a blast of heat, TVOTR cools it off with an icy flute jam.
The Flaming Lips, “Bad Days.” Just when students start dreading the start of class and the onslaught of work, Wayne Coyne reminds us, “You have to sleep late when you can, and all your bad days will end.” Take heed from this surprisingly low-key Flaming Lips track. Sleep will be torn from our sweaty grasp all too soon, and when the cool fall comes we will be wishing for summertime once again.
Sunday, April 29th, 2007 // Paperhouse
Below are descriptions of five choice active bands and artists from Pittsburgh.
Flak: Flak is one of Pittsburgh’s finest punk bands. Drawing influences from a wide array of punk and metal bands from across the ages, Flak’s ace instrumentalism and shifting song parts make for a very exciting band. The group’s first 7″ is available at stores such as Brave New World, and its first LP should be out soon. www.myspace.com/flakpgh.
Tusk lord: Tusk lord is a one-man musical outfit steadily producing a prolific and varying output that consistently increases in quality. His CD, Famililar Trails, came out a while ago; it features songs like “Sunbeams Piercing the Canopy” that call forth impressions of abstract images, situations, and feelings. Songs are largely electric; they are acoustic-guitar-based but employ a wide array of electronic sound generators. A new album is due out in the future. www.myspace.com/tusklord.
Caustic Christ: Caustic Christ is a Pittsburgh institution. Having toured extensively around the world, there are many who call CC Pittsburgh’s greatest band. It plays fast hardcore, filled with a rare, penetrating energy. Everyone should check out the classic Can’t Relate LP/CD as well as the band’s newest LP Lycanthropy. www.myspace.com/causticchrist.
Warzone Womyn: Warzone Womyn is another of Pittsburgh’s finest punk bands. Playing a style of hardcore known as “power violence,” Warzone Womyn features outstanding songwriting, perfected instrument sound, killer vocal delivery, and lyrics to produce mastery of all tempos. Songs like “Therapy Notes” — available for listening at www.myspace.com/warzwonewomyn — are maddening.
DBL D: DBL D is a somewhat new, very exciting improvisational band. With no set leader, members play off each other and swing collectively in and out of different ideas, as well as in and out of traditional rhythms. The band recently released a CD called Initiation of the Pulse. Check out www.myspace.com/dblddbld.
Sunday, April 22nd, 2007 // Paperhouse
Battles — MirroredMath rock meets heavy electronics. Battles is simply a powerhouse of talent that manages to somehow put it all together and become greater than the sum of its parts. This is the band’s first album, coming out soon on Warp Records. Battles combines beautifully intricate guitars with intense drumming, complex time signatures, and vocals filtered through trippy effects. Definitely one of the most original releases of the year.
Blonde Redhead — *23*Blonde Redhead expands on the melancholy shoegaze formula from its previous album and stretches things in many directions at once. Tracks like “Dr. Strangeluv” are reminiscent of My Bloody Valentine’s guitar textures, while the horns on “Sw” sound like The Beatles’s Penny Lane. This will definitely be one of the pop records of the year.
Gui Boratto — ChromophobiaBoratto’s first full length on Kompakt is a fantastic combination of minimal techno beats and beautiful melodies that expand and contract over time. The album is great in morsels and as a whole. I’d say it’s also a great introduction to minimal electronics for those who traditionally enjoy music with more guitars and vocals due to its varied sound and its suitability for both headphones and the dance floor.
The Field — From Here we go to SublimeAxel Willner’s debut, also on Kompakt records, is an entirely different affair from Boratto’s. The first track, “Over The Ice,” sticks to a two-second loop for a few minutes. The song almost builds a wall around you the more you listen. I found myself getting lost somewhere in the middle of the album; every minute change in the music felt like an erupting volcano. I’d recommend this release for those who are more eager to deal with intense repetition.
Of Montreal — Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?Of Montreal serves up an intense, exciting indie-rock album in the vein of previous releases, but not without some crazy surprises. The standout is the completely out-of-place 12-minute mountain of a track titled “The Past is a Grotesque Animal.” The song itself is an intense emotional journey, which feels much more serious than the surrounding tracks — fun to have in the middle of the album.
