Wild Beasts – Two Dancers

I don’t know about you but time can pass us by and life can pass us by but music, well, music always seems to hold on strong. Part of me wishes I could be immersed into music all the time and part of me realizes that while that’s somewhat possible, I’m not nearly quite there yet. Still, it feels as if life is moving at such a fast pace recently that while it’s whizzing by me, the music that springs up from different corners is still incredibly great to find. The band Wild Beasts is an English-based band that has now crafted three seriously good albums. Their latest is a lighter, softer affair but their previous album, Two Dancers, was one that really stood out for me and continues to do so. And although this is during a time where so much other new 2011 music is still coming out, it’s just more proof that music is an evergoing process that never ceases – fortunately.

PLUS, I found these two awesome videos of the band performing the songs in a cool studio version live and yeah, they’re super cool.

The melodies on this album are simply something to fully take in. “The Fun Powder Plot” sets the mood with an atmospheric blend of synths before the guiding guitar creeps in. More and more layers of instruments are added to the fold before everything is left shining, sparkling around the guitar that blends in between the cracks of the music. It’s like the shimmering entity to an all-around soaring song and a stunning introduction to the album’s massive lull. Now once you get to the singer’s voice and his gentle, playful and interesting lyrics about a “booty call” and about being “left dumbfound as a donkey,” you’re either going to be entirely sucked in or left, somewhat awry. The music delves further into an immersing cage of sounds that continue to fuse with intellectual shifts and modifications: the melodies, always, driving through every new twist and direction.


After the suite of songs that are the double-bill for the album’s title comes “This is our Lot” and another attentively shimmering slice of life. Part of me wants to mention the second or even third song off the album here but it’s outstanding to find such amazing value at the end of the album. Melodies, again was the point of everything and believe me, Wild Beasts are the kind of band that are well aware of crafting flourishing melodies. Here they meld a glittered guitar part again but with the rhythmic pounding of thriving drums and the song eventually descends with a dynamic ending. An older album that I was completely dubious of two years ago, better late than never I suppose. – Bryan

Stone Rollin & The Way I See It: Part 2 in the Evolution of Raphael Saadiq

So we left off in 2002 with Saadiq's first solo album "Instant Vintage", a great example of neo-soul present at the turn of the millennium. His next album, "Ray Ray" released in 2004 was slightly more funk oriented and slightly more radio friendly but still didn't get him much recognition beyond the R&B charts. However in 2008, Saadiq returned with an album that sounded completely different. Returning to the roots of R&B, Saadiq created an album with the classic Motown sound. Entitled "The way I see It", Saadiq began to to get more credit for his originality and even saw him landing spots on the summer festival circuit. Any time I play the album for first time listeners I ask them to guess when the songs were recorded. If it weren't for the high fidelity 9 out of 10 listeners would say late 60's. Everything from the style of the songs to the equipment used in recording beckon back to the early days of rythm and soul.

Here is a track that sounds equal parts Earth, Wind and Fire and The Shirelles all stirred up in the Big Easy. Featuring The Infamous Young Spodie & the Rebirth Brass Band, here the song aptly entitled "The Big Easy".

Somebody tell me, what's goin wrong
I ain't seen my baby in far too long
Somebody pleeease tell me what's goin wrong
They say them ladies broke and my babys gone
(listen) Its been a couple of days and a real dark night
I miss my only child, I ain't seen her since that night
She left home about eight, and never to return
Our bodies floatin, flowin through that River"

Another favorite track that shows Saadiqs doo wop side is an up beat little tune finding Saadiq lamenting about the fear when entering a new love affair. Entitled, "Sure Hope You Mean it", here Saadiq performs live on the Jools Holland Show.

"do you mean what you say when you say that you love me
with all honesty i think i love you
it's every day i think about how special this could be
and how your love is everything to me
in my mind i can see no one but you
like in my dreams i know i'm holding you
so now tell me truth cause i need to know
see i wanna take control but you gotta let me know
don't fool me baby"

Finally this brings us to his latest effort, "Stone Rollin". Now many might say that the classic soul and R&B thing revived over the recent years is just a fad or a bandwagon artists have been jumping on, but from acts like Sharon Jones and The Dapkings to Adele, and of course Raphael and this lates effort, its simply not true. Soul, the way it was created, will be here for plenty years to come. Saadiq's and others latest efforts are a sure testement of this ideal. Where "The Way I see It", ventures back in time to a Motown era of poppy ballads and doo wop sing a longs, "Stone Rollin" explores the grittier more electrified aspect of classic soul and R&B. Where the Motown sound was clean around the edges, Saadiq takes sharp turn into Soulsville USA with a bluesier lo-fi sound Stax Records was known for.
Right out the gate the opener sounds more Chuck Berry than Smoke Robinson, but Saadiq undeniably makes "Heart Attack" his own.

"You giving me a heart attack
Girl I want you back
I just cant stand it no more
You giving me a heart attack
Girl I want you back
My heart cant take it no more"

Here's the title track from the Album and though it sounds semi familiar from "The Way I See It" territory, 5 seconds in the harmonica gives it an edge absent and the previous album.

"Fat lady shakin, backbone breakin (come on)
(This girl of mine)
Everything she's got is movin and hot (come on)
(This girl of mine)
I was just a friend but she took me in said (come on)
(This girl of mine)
Everything was right I felt like the light said (come on)
(This girl of mine)"

The last song I'll leave you with has a plush arrangement of stings and sounds like It could've possibly been produced by Stax's own Black Moses..Maybe that's just my ear, but here is "Good Man".

Long Live Soul Music-Nick

The Evolution of Raphael Saadiq

There are few artist that truly embrace change through out there career. Most find that one little niche in the music scene that they do well and hole p for most of their careers. Then there are others that either intentionally or not, change the game multiple times in their career, album to album evolving their sound and shredding through styles in the process. Raphael Saadiq is an artist from the latter school of thought. Here is a small taste of what I speak of...

From his endeavors into boy band R&B fame with Tony! Toni! Toné! here's a early 90's classic that every real mack should bust out for his special lady once a year!


He finally branched out on his solo career in the late 90's releasing some albums at the hay day of the neo soul era. Durring this time he was working with the Soulquarins, an affiliation of artistsand producers like The Roots, Dilla, D'Angelo, Erykah Badu and others. Needless to say almost 10 years later success was coming, but the sound was quiet different.
From the 2002 release "Instant Vintage"

Faithful



"To get respect
I know I have to show respect
Thats why Im by your side goin nowhere
Now that Im with you
Every girl wants a piece of my mind and soul
Cant have it"

Body Parts

Parts

"It's been a long time
We haven't Kissed each other
No one can interrupt us.
Now you can walk slow,
I wanna watch ya baby
Everything that ya show"

to be continued
-nick

Lykke Li - Wounded Rhymes

I still feel really amazed when realizing – or I guess when I’m corrected – when a band/artist is way more/way less popular than I think/assume. I bring it upon myself, sure, but I mean I don’t really think you should have to watch TV or get on social networks unless you want to and so well, I didn’t know Lykke Li was a huge star now. I remember her last album being previewed on a Carson Daly show and her music seemed very intriguing. And so while I kept her new album on my radar, I got onto it a few weeks after it was released and definitely realize why she’s so beloved. I mean I guess it’s lame to be so behind and out of it but once I got Wounded Rhymes soaked in; it was maybe better that the hype was kept locked away. I’m not sure how much influence such mediums play but there has to be some kind of head trick with it all?
Either way, the first song I instantly loved and couldn’t get away from was “I Follow Rivers.” For obvious reasons, the music’s bumping beats away played that forceful, yet carefree boom to her honest words about following him all the way down the river, into the deep sea. I think part of her magic is the fact that she weaves these personal, introspective stories through playfully clever metaphors and while she’s obviously someone still very young, her songwriting is great. So even a song about following him ‘deep sea baby’ is sincerely from the heart and still, poppy and smooth.


The ten songs that span the album are rich and filled with depth that by the time you get to the pouring sounds of the closer, “Silent My Song,” everything just seems to wash away. The pensive manner of the stomping sounds give in to Li’s towering vocals as she doubles her layers so that her voice comes shining through. It’s like a call-and-response type of feel but where her voice clashes against the music in a great wave of immersing voices. She’s incredibly sad, too, and again it’s genuinely clear as she sings, “No fist is needed when you call,” because he hurts her so much without ever needing to even touch her, he ‘silents her song.’ And in many ways, it’s a cheerless way to close it but for me, a resounding, resonating story about harsh, bitter life that simply makes us stronger and hopefully, for the better. – Bryan

The Antlers - Burst Apart

I know that by now, this album has to be a pretty safe bet to land on a lot of year-end lists and I know that it’s probably really HUGE, too, but I’ve been listening to The Antlers’ Burst Apart non-stop for the past week or so. I was a fan of their previous album, Hospice, a lot and I was really mad at myself for waiting so long to finally dip into this new one because it’s truly amazing. And although it might not be the desperately sad album Hospice was, it’s soaring sounds are every bit as good. I mean, Hospice was about a sordid, broken relationship with no hope and here they open with “I Don’t Want Love” and a declaration for the openness that is life without complication. It depends on how you look at it but after the sadness that love can bring, there’s strong resonance in saying, “I’ll pass on it for now” so, in other words this is definitely different territory for The Antlers.

Still, I love the way that aforementioned song bleeds into “French Exit.” With its chiming guitar, it leads way into the second song’s stuttering new guitar melody and towering keyboards. The entire song is decorated with layers of sound before lead singer/songwriter Peter Silberman sings about the bitterness around his unforgiving lover. I love how he describes the unbearable feeling of it all, “If I don’t take you somewhere else, I’m gonna pull my teeth right out.” The stunning music is gradually built into a massive wall of noise; you can definitely hear The National’s influence with a style that is still very personal. In the end, it’s best not to get any kind of pity really, “I’m not a puppy you take home, don’t bother trying to fix my heart.”


There are so many good songs on this album and I’ll try not to overhype it too much but I love “Hounds” and its almost, advising words. “Slow down” is what he’s calling out and it’s somehow about how he’s only trying to protect her, trying to just “belong to you.” The music is pensive and reflective with the soothing tones of a melodic guitar and while the words still leave a lot to wonder, the title implies a racing dog just trying to get to the breast of his lover. Even in the night while others are trying to loosen her up with drinks and trying to look at her, he declares: “While I look everywhere for you.” It’s a beautiful sentiment, one that makes perfect sense in the moment and in the end, a gorgeous way to deliver it all; this album’s filled with special songs all over. – Bryan

Wolf Parade - EXPO 86

About a year ago I wrote this pretentious post about how I was so excited to hear the new Wolf Parade album, EXPO 86. Bad ass as they are, I got around to the album, wrote a long-winded review of it here and never came back to share how I felt about it. I’ve gotta be honest in that although I heard it many times, something always felt a bit empty about it for me. I always maintained that it had to be the fact that I never got around to buying a physical copy of it on vinyl or CD because the quality was not up to par. And still, I felt stupid because they’re definitely one of the better bands out there and I couldn’t find time to buy a vinyl copy in all of 2010? I’m terrible I know but come on. But now, I’ve gotten down to the heart of the album with a copy that is rich and pretty gorgeous.

The guitar and synths on “In the Direction of the Moon” are such a driving force that they shake and rattle the song with a defining presence. It’s the same menacing melody over and over; traded between different instruments that get’s passed around through a swirling mist of noise. It’s this massive, very nearly six-minute long, song that pummels with a relentless drive and the entire time, you can’t get enough of that singular melody. The best thing about Wolf Parade is that Spencer Krug’s styles go so well with the more muscular stuff Boeckner creates. On this song Krug delivers climactic lines with the help of soaring lines and raucous thumps of drums. These songs sound so epic, so HUGE, and still, lines like “I - I'm a wall of sand and stone. And you - you're some kind of ivy I'm trying to hold, as best I can.” are so bitterly personal.


So much so that when it trades into Dan Boeckner’s “Ghost Pressure,” you find yourself sort of still left with a missing feeling but by the time you hit the glorious chorus on this song, everything is downright seamless. If the wall on the previous song wasn’t enough, the nervy groove on this song is where it’s at. There’s times where everything slams away against a pounding drum before it all comes together on a blissful tremble of Boeckner singing “Little vision come shake me up…” I love the way they blend all of their styles onto a song that is merely part of a rather diverse entity. So even with each song sounding different from the rest, within the song there is so much territory covered that the band’s range is amazing. – Bryan

The National - Terrible Love

I’ve been slowly getting into a huge lust over The National’s High Violet. I’ve been lucky enough to see them live twice now and I think just that – seeing that energy, that passion, that amazing spirit – has moved me into digging even deeper into their music than before. Compared to the way Boxer starts, many would say the new opener was a slump but “Terrible Love” is a downright classic and I’ve finally realized that. It’s got the heart of a champion and the bitter re-telling of sordid advice. They sing about how it “takes an ocean not to break” and it highlights the many themes they cover on the album: drinking, adulthood, love, etc. And even still, it’s a divisive opener because there are other versions that for some sound better than the album version.

I think the drums on the alternate version – with the way they relentlessly pound away and the way they mix in different amazing rhythms – would’ve been a more ‘signature’ way for The National to open the album. Something like “Secret Meeting” or more sure-fire, like the “Fake Empire” magic that broke them through onto the other side, it probably would have made more ‘sense.’ But then you have the album version’s murkiness with the opening piano notes and more somber, subtle drum pound. When the music breaks into the section where he’s singing about he “can’t sleep without a little help,” the breakdown in the middle is gorgeous before he announces that he won’t follow her into the rabbit hole. The thing about The National’s lyrics is that they’re never printed anywhere so a lot of the lines could be blurred out for intended purposes. The haziness of the song is what makes the album’s leading songs, especially with the back-to-back hits of “Sorrow” and “Anyone’s Ghost” that much more compelling. I love the imagery of how “It’s a terrible love and I’m walking with spiders” and how he probably knows it’s a terrible, horrible mess of a relationship he has and yet, he’s already well deep in the spider-web. It’s just a small glimpse as to why they’re such a great band and why their main man’s songwriting is so beautiful to many. Here’s both versions for fun. – Bryan