Ghostface’s new album is disappointing, to say the least. Read why here or below.
When Ghostface’s new r’n'b-based album was announced, you may have thought of “Holla,” the track off of 2004’s The Pretty Toney Album that featured him rapping over a virtually untouched Delfonics song (“La La (Means I Love You)”). Unfortunately, you thought wrong.
Ghostdini is, in many ways, a very traditional hip-hop album, almost every song featuring Ghost’s rhymes book-ended by lustily sung r’n'b hooks. The supporting cast is mostly up to the task, but in an extremely unexceptional manner. Raheem DeVaughn helps out on two songs, “Do Over” and “Baby,” the latter heavily soaked in AutoTune. John Legend contributes an uninspired vocal refrain to the silky funk of “Let’s Stop Playing.” “Lonely” finds Jack Knight singing the hook, supplementing the storyline of a seriously humbled Tony Starks, whose girl is clearly cheating on him – “Someone been sleeping in my bed, eating my food… walking around in his boxers, like everything’s cool.” Infidelity pops up many times on the album, best exemplified in the aggro “Guest House.” This is one of the better songs on the record, featuring Fabolous as the cable guy Ghost’s lady is messing around with.
This is the Ghost we know and love, spinning outlandish tales, making mundane occurrences exciting – “He watching BBC, eating a salad / I’m on the couch hitting the chalice, checking my texts”). “Stapleton Sex,” on the other hand, features some of the most visceral rhymes about sex since Ironman’s “Wildflower.” What started as silly innuendo on Raekwon and company’s “Ice Cream” has progressed to the literal – “My face is wet, got hair on my tongue / Guess I’m a greedy nigga, absorb pussy juice like a sponge.” That’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Ghostface’s latest effort is no masterpiece, and feels a bit lazy and strung together. Everyone keeps talking about how impressive it is that he retains such legitimacy as he enters the realm of “elder statesman of hip-hop.” But if Ghostface Killah really wants to earn that title, he’s gotta practice a little quality control.
Sometime Yeah Yeah Yeahs member and solo artist Imaad Wasif’s latest, The Voidist, brings his classic rock traditionalism to the forefront. Read all about it here or below.
Despite, or perhaps because of, his indie rock pedigree, Imaad Wasif is something of a classic rock purist. From 2006-2007, he toured with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs as an auxiliary guitar player, and he cut his teeth in the LA band alaska! and Palm Desert-based lowercase. The Voidist, however, his third solo album and first for Tee Pee, is everything these past and current projects aren’t.
It seems that Wasif’s heart lies in the big, traditional rock riffs and the folksy plucking of bands like Led Zeppelin and their ilk, as opposed to the dancey post-punk or lo-fi experimentation he has flirted with in other projects. An element of mysticism pervades his music, as it did on his last solo album, Strange Hexes, from the dreamy “Our Skulls” to the Olde English folksong meanderings of “Widow Wing.” These moments are nice, and showcase a confident singer/songwriter working in a medium and style that suits him well, but the traditionalism that he clings to isn’t always very exciting or inspiring. Songs like the pop-rock “Priestess,” that chug along at a brisk pace and are actually more conventional in some ways, fare better.
Over all, while one can’t argue with the conception and arrangement of Wasif’s work, there is nothing that stands out here. Perhaps that is not what he was going for. Perhaps his goal was simply to a make a no-frills rock and roll record with deft guitar playing and sweet singing that is removed from any trends or fads. In that, he has succeeded.
Bradford Cox’s (Deerhunter) side project, Atlas Sound, just released a new album, Logos, on Kranky. Read my review here or below.
The subtleties between Bradford Cox’s two main musical outlets, Atlas Sound and Deerhunter, can be, well, subtle at times. In general, though, the former has been the testing ground for Cox’s experimental solo work, while the latter has consisted of his more rock-oriented (but still experimental) full band arrangements.
On the new Atlas Sound album, Logos, these lines are sometimes crossed and blurred. “Sheila,” for example, a droning but somehow poppy dirge, would feel right at home on the last Deerhunter record, as Cox intones, over and over, “We’ll die alone, together…” Over all, the new album has a more organic, cohesive, ensemble tone and construction than the previous Atlas Sound album, Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel. Songs like the eight-minute long “Quick Canal,” featuring Stereolab’s Laetitia Sadier on vocals, though, hearken back to that first record, as a whispering programmed drum track skips along under synthesizer waves and thumping bass. The same can be said for the ambient electronics of “Kid Klimax.”
But from the album’s acoustic/IDM opener, “The Light That Failed,” to the ‘60s pop-referencing collaboration with Animal Collective’s Noah Lennox, “Walkabout,” Logos is clearly an ambitious evolution in sound. Whether trading riffs with his fellow band members in Deerhunter or digging into the recesses of his mind with Atlas Sound, Bradford Cox continues to make fascinating and beautiful music.
Timing can be a bitch or a blessing. The LA band-as-collective Fool’s Gold releases their debut record of lithe, African-influenced dance-pop with a Hebrew slant on the heels of Vampire Weekend supremacy and a new album from Matisyahu. Valid or not, comparisons are inevitable, especially with the former. Such is the nature of music criticism and wonkery.
This is not really fair, though, as Fool’s Gold’s musical range and motivation are very different animals from these other bands. Yes, bassist/vocalist Luke Top sometimes makes an unfortunate choice by appearing to mimic a generic African patois, at least when he’s not singing in Hebrew, which he does on much of the record. But the music that Fool’s Gold makes is expertly woven into rich tapestries of poly-rhythms, percussion, horns, and spidery guitar lines. The album’s opening track, “Surprise Hotel,” is the band at its best, mellifluously and smartly embarking upon a journey through West African melodies. Indeed, Africa is the source for most of the record, but it’s not the only inspiration. “Poseidon” finds the band flirting with ‘80s indie-pop, something the members would most likely proudly acknowledge, as guitarist Lewis Pesacov cites The Smiths as one of his many influences.
Fool’s Gold goes way beyond Graceland as a reference point, and Luke Top’s nod to his Israeli roots is really not the same as an orthodox Jew doing dancehall reggae. So let’s let bygones be bygones and ignore recent events, because Fool’s Gold’s music offers too much pleasure to write off as just another drop in the bucket of popular trends.
If you didn’t love Polvo in the ’90s, they are back and you have no excuse. Read why:
Polvo, you’ve been missed. The standout band of the school of ‘90s-indie rock has returned, a reunion that should overshadow Slint, Dinosaur, Sebadoh… hell, even the Pixies. A bold statement, perhaps, but one given muscle by the quality of the band’s new album.
This is the Polvo you know and love-twisted passages of guitar lines curling over one another, frantic drum breaks, raga-like transitions, hypnotic noise jams. The better moments on the album, such as opening track “Right the Relation” and “Beggars Bowl,” are ones that furiously rock with agitated fervor. Power chords, discordant riffs, and bass thumps start and stop at the drop of a dime. But the band is also in good form when it’s subdued, as on the nine-minute closing track, “A Link in the Chain.” Polvo’s voice remains one of the most unique in guitar-based indie rock. Though you can hear its influence in countless bands making music today, no one does it quite like the originators.
Chad VanGaalen’s got a lil’ side project, the weird, experimental, electronic Black Mold. Read my review of his new album, Snow Blindness is Crystal Antz (Flemish Eye) here (or below).
Canadian singer/songwriter Chad VanGaalen has released several albums for Sub Pop, pursuing his fancy in melodic indie rock and ‘60s-influenced garage. Now, however, he’s up to something completely different. Black Mold is VanGaalen’s musical MacGuffin, a plot shift that works nicely but doesn’t ever really amount to anything.
This is not to say that this Boards of Canada and Black Moth Super Rainbow-inspired album lacks for charm, creativity, or quirk. It’s just that all these skittering beats, alien bleeps, synthesizer warbles, and moments of electro chamber pop don’t feel like music that will stick in your head for long once the album ends. But maybe that’s not the point here. Maybe this is just an opportunity for VanGaalen to do something completely different; a Thom Yorke Eraser, a McCartney II. In that, he has succeeded.
Italian producer Bob Rifo makes punky dance music under his pseudonym Bloody Beetroots. What’s it worth? Not a great deal, although fans of Steve Aoki’sDim Mak label will enjoy. Read my review here or below.
Steve Aoki-approved Italian electronic producer, Bob Rifo, better known as his Bloody Beetroots alter-ego, certainly has a wealth of cool to cash in on. His new album, Romborama, is out on Steve Aoki’s Dim Mak label (Aoki himself puts in an appearance on the song “Warp 7.7″), and notables like The Cool Kids, The Locust’s Justin Pearson, and Vicarious Bliss all help out to propel these fast and furious dance tracks along.
But hell, Justice did what the Beetroots are doing without any guest spots at all a few years ago, and managed to do it damn well. And herein rests the problem. Yes, the Beetroots’ amalgamation of electro, techno, house music, disco, and what the press release sentimentally calls “punk” is spot-on in terms of energy, rhythm, and well-placed breakdowns. But you’ve heard it all before. So the question remains: if this is just a rehash of the same old neo-club anthems that are blasting through Cobrasnake-patrolled hot spots every night of the week, but the production is on point, is it worth an hour of your time? At times, no – for instance, “Awesome,” featuring the Cool Kids, is a trite excursion into acid synth waves and forgettable lyrics. On the other hand, “Have Mercy On Us,” a riff on classical music conventions, feels relatively fresh and inspired.
So the Beetroots new album is something of a mixed bag. The best thing to do is take it for what it is – a not always original, and sometimes vacuous, collection of bass-heavy dance tracks – and just enjoy the ride.
By now, it’s sort of a given – anything released under the auspices of Canadian label/collective Arts & Crafts is going to be pretty good. Whether it’s an album from Broken Social Scene, Stars, or any of their members’ and friends’ various solo efforts, at the very worst the music will be competently boring. But more often than not, it’s vibrant, textured, engaging, and musically rich. All of this can be said in regards to The Most Serene Republic’s third album, …And The Ever Expanding Universe, a record that bridges the gap between traditional, expansive Built to Spill-referencing indie rock and spacey Mew-style progressive experimentation.
The Most Serene Republic’s sound is twitchy and prodigious, but transitions between parts are smooth and, even at their most introspective and melancholic (“All Of One is The Other”), songs never meander for too long. From the soaring lead track (“Bubble Reputation”) onwards, vocalists Adrian Jewett and Emma Pitchburn create an interplay that is poppy and smart. In between their singing, the various members’ excellent musicianship does the talking. Waves of piano, horns, strings, and orchestral punctuation accent and enhance an instrumental song like “Patternicity,” but it’s purposeful rather than precious.
This is a band obviously infatuated with the craft of songwriting and melodic construction, but willing to bend the rules as it sees fit in order to advance beyond the expected. …And The Ever Expanding Universe may be a reference to the existential and the cosmic, but it certainly also pertains to the musical world of the album’s creators.
I reviewed Scott Hardkiss’s new album, Technicolor Dreamer, for Blurt recently. I’ll let my words do the talking, as they should, about this mediocre effort:
Scott Hardkiss has made his name producing and DJing acid house, techno, and breakbeats all over the world, along with fellow Hardkiss members Gavin and Robbie. On his debut for his own God Within imprint, Scott attempts to enhance and expand his repertoire by singing, rapping, and playing a variety of instruments on a collection of songs that range from electro-pop to electro-funk to electro-tech.
Unfortunately, the music is full of clichés (like Alvin and the Chipmunks-pitched vocals over the funk numbers) and cheesy programming and synth sounds, turning what could be an eclectic mix informed by a veteran DJ into an exercise in how not to make an album. The occasional song offers a breezy party vibe, like the disco-influenced “Hey Deejay!”, but even this feels unfocused and lazy. It appears Scott Hardkiss is much more capable as a spinner of records than he is a songsmith.
The Beastie’s 1994 classic, Ill Communication, has been reissued as a remastered “deluxe” edition, complete with a bonus disc of remixes and B-sides. Dated? Sure. But it still sounds good. Read my review below:
The Beastie Boys classic 1994 release, Ill Communication, was indisputably a milestone for the group. After the frenzied sample-fest of 1989’s Paul’s Boutique, Check Your Head introduced the world to a new and improved Beastie Boys in 1992. Although hip-hop remained the binding force, MCA, Adrock, and Mike D proudly showcased their punk-rock roots by playing and sampling their own instruments on most of the tracks, simultaneously exploring funk and lounge. Ill Communication, now in full re-mastered glory, continued this trend, with hardcore rave-ups like “Heart Attack Man” buttressed up against Buddhist mediations like “Bodhisattva Vow” and the happy-go-lucky hip-hop of “Get It Together” (featuring Q-Tip at his carefree finest). And let us not forget that this was the album which spawned one of their biggest hits to date, the ‘70s-punk-funked “Sabotage,” and its MTV-dominating video directed by Spike Jonze.
Sure, it all sounds a bit dated now, but I can remember how much this album excited me at the time. The Beasties were masters at splicing genres without ever sounding cheesy (well, most of the time), something not many hip-hop groups can do these days. Mario Caldato’s production work fused the futuristic-for-their-time sounds the band was exploring with a lo-fi, almost DIY aesthetic. Everything was coated with distortion – vocals, bass, even drums were blown out the house. Yet songs like “Root Down” and “Alright Hear This” were crisp, clean visions of NYC/LA rap music that were executed brilliantly.
The bonus disc contains some worthy remixes, including The Prunes’ dark, 1990s version of “Root Down” and their European B-Boy mix of “Sure Shot.” Also included are several live tracks – most notably a killer version of Check Your Head’s “The Maestro.” “Mullet Head,” previously available on the Clueless soundtrack (and credited by some as bringing the concept of the mullet to the masses – thanks, Beasties), is another standout. The inevitable question posed by any reissue is if the album stands the test of time. In Ill Communication’s case, the answer is yes.
Bjork’s new album, Voltaic, a live CD/DVD combo, is sonically and visually spectacular. I know her last record, Volta, wasn’t in many people’s top-ten lists, but give those songs, as well as her entire catalogue, a fresh listen in this live setting. Read my review below.
Watching the DVD portion of Bjork’s new live album, Voltaic, it’s fun to imagine her aging into a bizarro-world version of Etta James. As a pop singer, Bjork arguably matches James’ tunefulness and iconography, and the two women are both masters of a unique version of show-woman-ship. But age takes its toll. At a live appearance at the Hollywood Bowl last year, James was randy, possibly drunk, and though she remained seated, exuberant in her performance for one so, shall we say, seasoned. Her singing was also as close as possible to pitch perfect. On Voltaic, Bjork, of course, matches James’ mellifluousness, but she injects her show with energy and color – literally, from the stage lighting to the vibrant bird costumes to her manic dancing – unmatched in today’s pop performances. Bjork is only in her early forties, after all, while James is in her seventies. Still, one can imagine Bjork continuing on for another 40 years to become the elder stateswoman of abstract electronic pop music, giving her live show everything until all she can do is sit on a chair, possibly drunk, and entertain.
Bjork’s live ensemble recreates songs from throughout her entire catalogue with creativity and rigor. From newer, dancier numbers like “Wanderlust” and “Declare Independence” to the orchestral majesty of “Joga” to classics like “Army of Me,” Bjork and her merry band of drums, horns, backup singers, and electronic musicians manage to bring an almost improvisational feeling while still nearly matching the albums note-for-note. Synthetic and organic are matched effortlessly, as programmed beats and electronic creations one may have never seen used on stage before blend seamlessly with voice, percussion, and brass.
One can purchase Voltaic in a variety of forms – audio CD only, CD and DVD, or several CDs and DVDs along with some vinyl. I would recommend at least getting a version with one DVD since the live footage is so excitingly shot. This is also another chance for the Volta naysayers to give Bjork’s most recent album another shot. Perhaps hearing some of these songs rendered live will change opinions, perhaps not. But the overall quality of Voltaic’s sound is a prime example of how a live album should be produced, reason enough to listen to this album. Here’s looking forward to many more years of Bjork.
Wye Oak’s latest, The Knot (out tomorrow), is one of the better albums I’ve heard this year. As I explain in my review, there are some similarities to Low, but clearly this is a band forging its own path. Read my take below.
It’s not so farfetched to point out some similarities between Wye Oak and Low. Both bands are fronted by a male-female duo sharing vocals. Both bands explore dark, slow-paced songwriting terrain that punctuates emo-tional stretches of quiet with blustering waves of distortion and guitar squeals.
From there, however, Wye Oak’s path diverges from their slow-core brethren. The language of country and roots music permeates their borderline shoegaze rock, as slide guitars, pedal steel, and folksy vocal arrangements splash light onto the band’s sometimes-gloomy musical tableau. Jenn Wasner’s vocals are always clear and softly melodic, never more so than on a song like the down-tempo “Siamese.” Here, violins creep up into the mix, shades of Arcade Fire grandeur that remain grounded in simplicity. On the other hand, at over seven minutes, “Mary is Mary” slowly builds as Wasner sings over partner Andy Stack’s atmospheric guitar arrangement. And “Take it In” features a slowly chugging guitar line that subtly explodes into classic rock licks at each chorus, adding a dose of energy without destroying the fabric of the song.
The Knot is a thoroughly engaging and consistently interesting new record full of sentiment and shifting dynamics. Wye Oak is a band to keep your eye on this year.
Ever heard of samba soul? I hadn’t, until this compilation, Black Rio 2 (Strut Records), hit my desk. DJ Cliffy compiles the best of the Brazilian genre from the ’70s. Read my review here.
