Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust

Today's Music That Jason Has No Hope of Translating is Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust, by Sigur Ros.

Man I can't believe I got that formatted right. Anyway, this is the fifth (I think) album from Sigur Ros, an Icelandic band known for their dreamy, magical music. I actually bought this album, mostly on the strength of the opening track, "Gobbledigook". Immediately I was curious; whereas most of their past songs were quieter, more atmospheric tracks, "Gobbledigook" was much more rhythmic and involving, with a related sound but a much different philosophy. Was this an experiment? A first step towards becoming a pop band? An initial foray into foreign markets?

It turns out that it was a false alarm, sadly. The rest of the album wasn't all that interesting; it was mostly vocal-driven with a piano and hints of strings here and there. It's not offensive, really, just a fair letdown. This is mostly simple drawn-out ballad stuff here, even if it isn't in English. I'm sure this album will bring Sigur Ros plenty of money, as all of the nice ballads would be perfect in emotional romantic comedy scenes, maybe even for use on some melodramatic television dramas, but they're (dare I say it) formulaic and kind of bland. If your conservative aunt had any idea who Sigur Ros were, this would probably be her favorite album. If it is, let me know. She can have mine. Sigur Ros, I'm not giving up hope on you, but make another ( ) or another Takk..., please.

In Other News:
My keyboard is kind of going off the rails on me.

Thank goodness for weekends.

Dead Cities, Red Seas, & Lost Ghosts

Today's Music That Is Great But Not Super Friendly is Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts, by M83. No history lesson today, let's just talk about the album.

This album (well, double-album) is pretty great! It's got a desolate feel to it; the sound is almost exclusively electronic post-rock in nature. By that I mean the tracks are drawn-out synthesizer driven affairs, mostly, with a number of other instruments and effects, and not much in the way of vocals. Some songs are more uptempo than others, but there really isn't much you can dance to here. I don't think most of the songs are as emotional as the tracks on Before the Dawn Heals Us, but rather more scientific (if it's possible to say that about an album like this). The overall mood is spooky, really, as though this is what you would hear in the night if the Thompson Twins got really into synthesizers and then died and decided to haunt your house. This album seems to make the assumption that our future will be both our past and our science fiction, and that this is what it will sound like.

I don't know that any one track highlights the album, but the title track is fairly epic. There are some really interesting tracks here: "Birds" is a fine opener, "In Church" and "Tsubasa" are strong, "Cyborg" and "America" are also pretty good. The whole album is consistently strong; I can't say it will appeal to everyone's taste, though. If you like your music more 'organic', then this may not be for you. If I was to have a party where I invited a lot of sexy, well-read gothic robots, this is definitely what I would play for them.

In Other News:
Today was perfectly gloomy until the sun came out and ruined everything.

I am sore as hell today. Mostly good-sore, but the gym is not going to be much fun.

I have a cousin's wedding to go to in a small town this weekend. If you don't have any plans this weekend, and are extremely desperately bored, you can go with me. Otherwise I'll probably hang out with my 18 month old nephew, drink Bud Light from a plastic cup, and check my email on my phone about 6,000 times. Should be ok, though.

Don't Fall In Love With Everyone You See

Today's Music of the Day is Okkervil River's Don't Fall in Love With Everyone You See. Special thanks to eMusic for providing me with this album. It's actually Okkervil River's first album, so I am working backwards on this one somewhat.

This album has all the hallmarks of the Okkervil River sound: elements of folk and a hint of Southern flavor, not enough twang to play a square dance but not really enough guitar solos to open for Van Halen (or whatever band sells out arenas now). There's a little bit of banjo, too, but it serves as more of an alternative to the vocals; DFiLWEYS doesn't have the horns and keys that would fit into the subsequent works. The songs are very good though there doesn't seem to be a consistent sound yet, as compared to later OR albums. Perhaps it's just the arrangement of the songs on the album, or maybe just relative inexperience. Emotions run high here, to say the least; Will Sheff, the singer, is a capable screamer, but has enough gears to his voice to make the screaming poignant, or at least not tired. Sometimes I wish this album had more energy, or at least fewer ballads, but it's not bad by any means, just less energetic than I'd like.

While I wouldn't consider this a stronger record than Black Sheep Boy or The Stage Names, it's still a fine album. There are some really good tracks here - "Red" and "Kansas City" come to mind. Some of the song titles are just as good as the songs themselves: "Dead Dog Song" and "Listening to Otis Redding at Home For Christmas" are fantastic. Clearly, though, the high point of the album is "Westfall", a simple enough track that goes on for roughly five epic minutes. It rocks harder than the rest of the album and has a strong build to it; without giving anything away, I'd have to say the lyrics give the song its power, though.

Overall I would recommend this album to most anyone; it's a fine starting point to a pretty decent band.

In Other News:
Finally almost caught up on sleep. At least until tomorrow, I'm sure.

Pandora just played Neutral Milk Hotel's "King of Carrot Flowers" for me. I love love love that song.

Happy Songs For Happy People

Today's Music That Jason Should Have Freakin' Blogged About By Now is Mogwai's Happy Songs for Happy People. This album, in addition to being great, has a shiny silver cover! And it's worth listening to.

This is an album without lyrics; rather, the guitars do almost all the speaking. It's not much to sing along to, but the overall sound is pretty interesting. I wouldn't classify this album as 'heavy' or 'hard' but it's definitely ominous. The sound is generally reserved, though there are a couple tracks where the trend is ignored somewhat. I don't think this is that far removed from, say, Broken Social Scene, but Mogwai would definitely be the moody older brother to BSS if anything. I don't know if this is party music - I guess it depends on what kind of party it is - but this is wonderful atmospheric music, perfect for brooding or scheming.

I am a big fan of the first track - "Hunted by a Freak" - but there isn't a real weak spot in this album. "Ratts of the Capital" is pretty good, "Kids Will Be Skeletons" and "Killing all the Flies" are wonderful. "Stop Coming to My House", the album closer, has a fitting name and sound for its place; it really brings the subtle burn of the entire album to a head. In short, I like this album a great deal. It makes me really want to get my hands on Mogwai's Come On Die Young.

In other news:
Somehow, I think I am still sick. Please don't try to have makeouts with me for a few days. :(
Otherwise things are okay. Just sort of there, I guess. I'm thinking about skipping capoeira tonight in favor of sleep, and it's already making me a little cranky.

Also my keyboard is acting up so excuse typos.

Sorry!

No blog today. And actually, I've been neglecting the blog lately and I know it. I am not sure if this is temporary or more permanent, but there's a reason for it.

It's certainly nothing personal - I've just been listening to more music via Pandora than as individual albums. Pandora is great - the only problem is that the artists it suggests for me are somewhat obscure, hence the music is less easy to acquire through my normal conduits. I really like the random nature of it, though.

I did purchase the new Sigur Ros album this week, and while I'm only five songs in on my first listen, I really like it. This album seems to be more uptempo and actively involves the listener more than their past work; I don't know that this is good or bad but it is a little different. Hopefully a more detailed review will be forthcoming.

In other news:
I had a pretty great weekend. Everything came together very nicely. I don't know that any of it means anything, in the long run (probably not, given my inherent ability to make poor decisions) but it was certainly nice.

Sorry, no actual blog today

Today's blog was supposed to be about Iron & Wine's The Shepherd's Dog, but my initial listen was somewhat unattentive and I don't think I can adequately blog about it. It seems pretty good, if unfocused at times. I don't know, maybe I just miss the Iron & Wine I found in my file-sharing days: a man, a guitar, a big-ass beard. Oh well. Opinions forthcoming.

Tomorrow I plan to wake, eat about three bites of food, exercise, and get my butt in the car. The Omaha zoo beckons, and possibly the Old Market after that. No idea what the next day will bring, but I suppose if you actually read this and are in the Omaha area, I would kick it with you. Have a decent weekend and "Support Your Local Catgun" will return next week, unless it doesn't.

Bachelor No. 2

Today's Music That Is Wicked Great is Aimee Mann's Bachelor No. 2. Well, hopefully you know who Aimee Mann is; if not, her music is (in my opinion) worth looking into, if you don't mind feeling a little melancholy sometimes. Note: I'm sure most people know Aimee Mann from the band 'Till Tuesday, or maybe found out about her via the soundtrack to the film Magnolia. Me? My first exposure to Aimee Mann was probably via the band Rush, as she provides backing vocals on the album version of "Time Stand Still". That's right, Rush. Suck it, Trebek.

Well, anyhow, this is probably my favorite Aimee Mann album. It has a consistency to its mood if not sound through the songs, something of a mix between sadness and reserved anger. Mann's voice is probably the key element here, as it just smolders, waiting, and I couldn't imagine anyone covering these songs to half the effect. There's electric guitar and drums here, but everything is fairly controlled; this is a 'rock' album, I guess, but it isn't exactly easy listening or 'smooth jazz'. Some of the songs have a fair dynamic to them, though the overall mood isn't really threatened by any one element in particular.

The songs are great, catchy through the entire album. Could I pick a favorite? Not really. "Ghost World", "Deathly", "Red Vines", "Satellite" are all strong entries. Even the brassy arrangement of "Calling it Quits" is pretty good, and "You Do" is a sweet, lovely way to close the album. This album won't grab you with its energy, but I'd hardly call it an acquired taste. I can understand if it doesn't have enough teeth for some, but I think this is how you make a soft, graceful album. So listen to it, or don't. Either way, it remains a favorite of mine, something I listen to sparsely but wholeheartedly.

In Other News:
Almost not sick! More sleep necessary. This weekend was okay, nice in some spots and very disappointing in others. Time to look ahead, I suppose.

I really want to go to Ledges again before the weather turns. Maybe in the fall, when the leaves change?

How it Ends

Today's Music That Hopefully Didn't Mislead You Into Thinking The Blog Would Stop is How it Ends, from Devotchka. Now, if you're reading this, it's okay to admit that you either A) don't really know what Devotchka sounds like or B) that you were exposed to them via "Little Miss Sunshine". I guess it's possible that you are cool enough to already be sick of Devotchka, but then, you probably would be too cool to read things like this blog as well.

Devotchka does have a fairly distinct sound, one that is less common in the indie soundscape today. Namely, they have a very Mediterranean gypsy flavor, incorporating strings and some horns into their arrangements. They also use an upright bass and tuba for their bass lines, occasionally feature keys, and their singer plays guitar. The Devotchka sound tends to be more dramatic than cool, as the vocals are overly emotional, and the guitar commands attention strongly but during few moments. Apparently, Devotchka was the band for a burlesque show before seeking their own fortunes, which explains a few things.

The songs on How it Ends are grand and epic, without a hint of irony or much self-awareness. They're the type to lose yourself in, to sing along with (or at least mouth the words) and swoon to. While these songs aren't hard rock, they do generally have a fair bit of drive to them; they demand a more involved listener than a fair amount of music. How it Ends might be a little guilty of resting on its laurels; given that Devotchka is something of a young band in terms of songwriting experience, this isn't completely surprising, though hardly terminal. (I'll be curious to get my hands on A Mad and Faithful Telling, their most recent album.) Still, this is a pretty enjoyable album. The music is friendly and likable enough that it's hard not to root for the band, even if they don't make the kind of music you can talk down to people for not knowing about.

There are plenty of songs that stand out here: "You Love Me", "The Enemy Guns", the title track. I still think the band screwed up by not closing the album with the title track or "We're Leaving", but the album still succeeds. It's something of an anachronism, a modern sensibility mixed with an old-fashioned sound. I don't know if this is the album for everyone; maybe it wears its heart on its sleeve a little too much for some, but I'd recommend it to most.

In Other News:
I'm less ill today but still irritated about it. Adventureland tomorrow! Woohoo!

Know By Heart

Today's Music of the Day is Know By Heart, by the American Analog Set. This album is something I found via eMusic, after having listened to AmAnSet in various places throughout the city and finally realizing that not having any of their music was threatening my relative hipster status. Also, I picked up their album Promise of Love and liked it pretty well; I don't know that I've given Promise of Love a proper review on this blog so perhaps that should be forthcoming also.

Know By Heart is a pretty decent album, albeit one that had to grow on me a little bit. This album is very much what I expected, a traditional AmAnSet album: downtempo songs, reserved vocals, an overall restrained sound. The songs have a remarkable progression and build to them, given the small range of volume in the album as a whole. I get the impression that their sound is as much a mindset as it is a musical dynamic, that AmAnSet never wanted to kill an arena full of black t-shirts. This album isn't even as rambunctious as Promise of Love, which isn't even what I'd call uptempo. (I think I prefer Promise of Love myself, but opinions vary.)

I'd probably go to an AnAmSet show, but I'd be curious to see what it would be like; I'd half expect beer-soaked loudmouths to ruin it, but it's hard to say. (Is this group still together?) I'm not sure that I have a favorite song on the album, maybe "Aaron & Maria". "Punk as Fuck" is easily the best song title, given how mellow the actual song is.

So, in short, this is not a hard-rockin' album, but perfect for just chilling or doing whatever. It has a pretty hushed sound, so be warned if your badass self needs to go to 11 to get things done.

In Other News:
I have a cold today. How is this freakin' possible? If it's not gone by the weekend, I will be livid.

The Besnard Lakes are the Dark Horse

Today's Music That Jason Hopes He Got the Title Right For is The Besnard Lakes are the Dark Horse, by none other than the Besnard Lakes. Someday I hope one of you can tell me what exactly a Besnard Lake is. Probably just a lake that is somewhere near Besnard, I assume. Given that this is the internet, some who knows will probably leave a post here that is both smug and anonymous to tell me exactly where Besnard is.

Anyway, I rather like this album. Its sound is very much a throwback to the psychedelic music of the late sixties, the Byrds and their ilk, without being either a direct link or a blatant imitation of any particular artist. Initially I thought the album sounded more like a mellow cousin to Wall-era Pink Floyd, without the electric guitar or the overbearing misanthropy, but consequent listens have pointed me a little further back along the rock timeline. Probably the closest modern peers this album has would be Low, or maybe the Magnetic Fields.

The album is somewhat relaxed but never inactive; it isn't quite ominous, but it does have a looming quality to it. It's warm, but spooky in its own way, using plenty of strings and some sound effects to achieve its ends. The vocals are solid and very much in line with the mood of the album. Overall I think this is a strong work; if I was to make a top ten-or-whatever list of albums that I got this year, I suspect this one would be hard-pressed not to sneak in the bottom half. Maybe someone who doesn't appreciate Pink Floyd as much as I do would disagree, but I would recommend this album even in spite of my bias.

In Other News:
I'm not even sure what to tell you today.

In The Reins

Today's Music That Is Pretty Great but Also Gets Blogged About Because It's Too Hot Outside is In The Reins, from Iron & Wine and Calexico. This is a short album, an 'EP' as the kids say now, but it's very much quality over quantity.

This album, rather than featuring a clash of styles, features something of a mesh of styles. It has the hushed, reserved Iron & Wine vocals and guitar, but also something of the pop-mariachi sound of Calexico. The whole effect seems to find a happy middle, though most songs lean one way or the other. It's a wonderful collaboration, something that allows the individual talents to shine while not overexposing anyone.

The strings on this album are restrained but suit the mood well; the vocal harmonies are very much in the same vein. As a whole, this EP makes me wish that Sam Beam and the gents from Calexico would maybe get snowed in somewhere that had lots of scratch paper and some instruments, just for the sake of giving us all a full-length album. But for now, we have In The Reins, and let's not take it lightly. I won't go into much detail on specific songs, but I am partial to the title track ("He Lays In The Reins"). If it doesn't evoke something from you, well, you probably aren't doing it right.

In Other News:
What a ridiculous weekend. It was great, but let's hope it doesn't happen again for a while. :p