Sounds and Zounds

Summer must be coming to a end. My music and the music being released right now, echo the changing of seasons and it’s melancholy feel. One of the more interesting releases is Luka Blooms “Tribe”.
This a very different selection of songs for Luka, thick bass lines with ebo textured guitars that brings a new sound to his work. It is familiar and balanced, new but not jarring and very enjoyable in these cool New England mornings.

When does strange turn to really enjoyable? When there is a cover the song “Brazil” that sends you into Terry Gilliam flash backs?

Cornelius, who yes does a cover of Brazil, is on of the modern artist that I have been watching and “Point” is a very approachable abstract almost dance music that explores music in a no conventional almost noise form. He fits somewhere between “The Books” and Fennesz, playing with loops and pressing on with a message of understand the “point” of view. I have to say I hate “I hate hate” thought I have been caught chuckling at the power cords once, I debate if the song is worth the hard-drive space.

I fall into the more laid back songs, Tone Twilight Zone and Brazil on this CD, but there are treats to be found if you are looking for it… Yes I think that is Fred… that Macintosh voice that visits on the weekends…

I think one of the hardest things about writing about music is finding a complete CD that you can make a fair comment on. The new / reissue Jenny Owen Youngs CD “Batten the Hatches” leaves me in the flux of trying to find a balance of very bad and really create music.

In the middle of this CD there are three very nice creative tracks (Voice on tape, P.S., Bricks) these tracks at times sound like Joni Mitchell with lyric writing that could take twist like Robyn Hitchcock. They are three very enjoyable folk pop tunes that I am happy to have in my collection.

But regretfully, the rest of the tracks seem deep in the youthful disfunction angst of relationships gone south and the desire to try to create some sort of shock, slim. That just turns the CD into a lost set of pop tunes that fall short.

The Clientele has always had a great talent of creating pop music that sounds as if it came from another time period. I have made comparisons to the songs on there latest CD “God Save the Clientele” as something that sounds like a lost Monkeys / Davy Jones and the Zombies.

I have to say that I have not enjoyed this recording as much as I enjoyed there 2005 recording “Strange Geometry”. That being said it still makes good background music in the kitchen that will not horrify the kids or guests.

But some sap on the floor might be expected.

I blame NPR. This is dance / house music and for the most part I don’t like this type of music, but the NPR reviewer made similarities to Talking Head, Bowie and the Pixes and I had to find out more.
First off, there are a few songs that are so repetitive I just can not stand them and the title track is so poor that it is just frustrating to listen to. Thought there are a few enjoyable tracks that stick out, Us V Them, Someone Great, Watch The Tapes and North American Scum, they stretch between of retro 80’s synth music to a more raw a scream.
This is music that you really have to be in the right mood for and sometimes I wish there was just radio versions of the songs.

There are times that you buy a CD with no knowledge or understanding of what you are purchasing. This is one of those CD’s for me and I very surprised on how enjoyable it has been. Mr. Watson has a raw jazzy feel to his work that has been working very nicely with my enjoyment of “The Good, The Bad, The Queen.” This selection of songs may have some dark undertones, but not depressing and has a great ability of create some real amazing transitions and crescendo of musical enjoyment.

When I first heared Funeral by Arcade Fire, I was struck by the music, listing to it over and over again. Then one day it struck me on how sad and depressing the songs were lyrically. Arcade Fire’s new CD Neon Bible is a bit jarring and striped down if you compare it to Funeral. There is a lot less hiding of themes and is a little more in your face. It is a brilliant work of music, that sonically simpler, darker and seems to challenges the political climate and the religious extremes of today.

Take a member from Blur, The Clash, Verve and add in Tony Allen and you get the sounds of The Good the Bad and the Queen. I have been listen to this disc for the last week and the retro non-interruptive feel to it has been a great pleasure to listen to in the studio.
There is a sort of dirty time machine sound to this group of songs that seems to want to transport me to some street in London. It has been a fantastic sunrise that seems fresh and familiar with a great balance in rhythm and expression.