Music

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• Music 05/04/06

  The Dirty Projectors—The Getty Address
  Oh, the crazy things Yale students will do: study, read, create insanely innovative prog rock with R 'n B-influenced, stuttering vocals. We thank ye Ivy League. Dave Longstreth, the man behind the projector with the golden diploma, has put out myriad albums that meander, puzzle, and sometimes irritate. This 2005 gem finds his music still wildly "difficult" (mind the quotation marks), but all the while fascinating and charming. With yelps and dissonant barber-shop harmonization, "The Getty Address" is something that will likely be more of a divider than a uniter, but regardless it's 100 percent worth investigating. (Their live show is a MUST.)
  
  The Black Angels—Passover
  Thank God we fell in love with this album before we found out it was a Vietnam War-theme album, because that's just silly coming from a bunch of Reagan-era Seattle hipsters. However, looking past the lyrics this is really a great collection of Velvet Underground'ish retro rock. The vocals can sometimes walk the "Ian Curtis" line, but fear not, this is no Joy Division rip off...(cough, cough, Interpol). The songs have a dark, enticing underbelly and there is plenty of reverb to go around on this overall stellar album. Not great for Vets or Acid Flashbacks.
  
  The Knife—Silent Shout
  Why must Sweden's premiere nightmare electro duo The Knife be so elusive, play no live shows, and always wear masks? Because they are so good we can forgive them for all their theatrical tomfoolerly. Yes, you know that "Heartbeats" song. Yes, it's still their best song, but the other day as we were driving around town with our strictly classic rock friend, we made a convert out of him, and he said, "I really don't usually like electronic music, but this is the shit." Sorry for the swears, but seriously, this is the shit.

• Music 04/20/06

  Circlesquare—Fight Sounds
  Artist/musician/Canadian about town Jeremy Shaw makes the most lovely, yet nightmarish electronic music around. Having recently seen his exhibit at Toronto's MOCCA where he enlisted the help of 20 friends and gave them all DMT (and filmed their "trips"), it's easy to see the connection between his art and music. Like a Sonic acid trip down the rabbit hole, peppered with Shaw's smooth, deep vocals, Circlesquare makes music that is at times slightly uncomfortable, slightly catchy, but entirely unique. "Fight Sounds" is something worth investigating (and so is that DMT exhibit if you live nearby, rather creepy really).
  
  Neko Case—Fox Professor Brings The Flood
  Alt Country's favorite red-head comes back with her trademark syrupy, reverbed out vocals and a whole new slew of solid and enchanting songs that wilt delicately in your ears with each listen. It's truly "country music" for a David Lynch film, brimming with dusty landscapes and abandoned silos. The New Pornographers live without her presence, while Neko truly thrives when left to her own devices. (Bonus points: Go to this disc because your parents will probably enjoy it).
  
  Destroyer—Your Blues
  Refinery29 was recently introduced to an older album of the band Destroyer that completely changed our opinion of the band, which we were never that hot for before. With the help of a midi keyboard and forsaking his jangly guitars, we love "Your Blues." Something about his voice sounds better when it's complimented with cheap '80s synths (and we mean that in a nice way). It may sound like a crazy idea, but it works well. Skip the new album as "Your Blues" is the real hidden Destroyer gem.

• Music 04/07/06

  Hey Willpower—Hey Willpower EP
  Gay white boy R n' B has always had its bad rap, but Will Schwartz, formerly of Imperial Teen is stunning everyone with his Brittney-like hooks, readymade for hipsters who list Nordic pop queen Annie (they re-did a duet together of her hit "Chewing Gum") as one of their "guilty pleasures." This semi hard-to-find EP is worth the hunt because at the end of the day you'll be singing along to his songs with the top down and the bass turned way up as if they were Top 40. Shame it'll never get the airplay and fanbase it deserves.
  

  Voxtrot—Raised By Wolves EP
  Aside from being an insane touring machine and the friendliest bunch of guys ever (Refinery29 tip #2473, always talk to the band at the merch table), Austin's Voxtrot is in blog-hype heaven right now, poised to essentially explode in your face with their Belle and Sebastian meets Morrissey Twee pop. Charming, goofy, and totally unpretentious this is a band that you would honestly feel like a bad person for hating on. Already setting the teenscape on fire, maybe it's time to put down the Jack Johnson "Curious George" album and try something twee on for size.
  

  Jose Gonzalez—Stay in the Shade EP
  Goodness gracious, do we love cover songs, and Jose can't stop covering pop songs. First it was The Knife's "Heartbeats" and now Kylie Minoque's "Hand on your Heart," and that's not all there is on this desolate and heart breakingly lonesome EP. He's got B-sides galore, which really should be A sides since this Swedish-born Argentine can do no wrong in our eyes, especially after seeing him on Conan ('swoon!'). Point being, this is music for all times of the day, like Iron and Wine but with more substance. Can't....Get....Enough....
  

• Music 03/30/06

  Various Artists—Wayfaring Strangers
  Numero Group, the premier American label for re-issues and compilations, have dug even deeper than usual with their latest release, Ladies of the Canyon. Named for the classic Joni Mitchell album, Wayfaring Strangers brings together a host of obscure female folk performers from the early 1970s who arose in the wake of Mitchell's personal approach to folk music. Be warned, those expecting sunshine and lollipops from this album will be well disappointed. As Numero Group head Ken Shipley told us when he sent the album, "This thing is like darkness in a bottle."
  
  Ghostface—Fischscale
  Charter Wu-Tang Clan member Ghostface Killah has distinguished himself from his crew by continuing to release relevant, exciting albums while his group sadly fades into mediocrity. As a rapper, Ghostface is one of the most soulful voices in hip hop, injecting his songs with heartache and passion, something sorely lacking in the genre. By using vivid imagery, Ghost doesn't exactly tell stories but instead paints pictures—on the album there are heists gone wrong, coke dealer paranoia, and, believe it or not, fond memories of childhood abuse. Backed by the soaring strings and punchy drums of classic soul samples, Ghostface proves that hip hop can still age gracefully.
  
  Various Artists—One Kiss Can Lead to Another
  This beautifully detailed 4-disc box set, housed in a striped hat box and overflowing with lost pop masterpieces, reveals the brief girl group craze of the 1960s to be far more multifaceted and brilliant than we ever suspected. We presumed the Phil Spector-produced Ronettes would be represented but we didn't count on seeing Carole King, Dusty Springfield, and the Supremes as well as the psychedelic weirdness of unknowns The Cake. Every track brings another treat and surprisingly, after more than 120 songs, we're still left wanting more.

• Music 03/15/06

  Kelley Polar—Love Songs of the Hanging Gardens
  We feel silly for being late on the Kelley Polar tip. Had we known he was one half of the hard-hitting electro-disco duo Metro Area, and that this album was produced by Morgan Geist, we may have lined up at Monday night midnight for the new release at Tower Records. Imagine a more raucous Air, with even lusher vocals and arrangements. Kelly does it just right with somewhat synthetic, yet altogether pleasing vocals that harmonize atop various arpeggiated synths and subtle percussion. The songs are both catchy and provocative; we just wish we'd scooped it up last fall when it first emerged.
  
  The Yeah Yeah Yeahs—Show your Bones
  We loved the YYY's first hit "Maps," but weren't so into the rest of their debut, which played itself out to be as sincere and intriguing as front woman Karen O's notorious stage antics. It's amazing how much they have changed since then. Some fans might bemoan the lack of smeared makeup, tattered, yet strategic outfits, and punk-rock anthems, but we say out with the old and in with the new. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs finally prove to be a great simple pop band on this latest effort, where the songs are basic in structure, but catchier and more melody driven than most everything on their first release. We're glad they decided to drop the schtick; it makes their artistic effort all the more credible.
  
  Liz Phair—Exile in Guyville
  Not every week do we talk about "New Releases," so we've decided to dust off one of our all-time favorite records and remind you of what an instant classic this ultimate Ode to the Blow-Job really was. Granted, Liz has recently begun to spiral down a VH1 whirlpool of shame, but can't we all remember how fresh and amazing this 18-track masterpiece was back in 1993, when supermodels were still super? Well, so was Liz, and while everyone, including ourselves, liked to focus on her raunchy lyrics, it's really her melodies atop rustic piano tones, warped vocals, and paper-thin basement guitars that granted her Indie Queen status for the first half of the '90s. Then, sadly, the major labels arrived, hired the Matrix, and the next thing you know she was mommy Phair, belting out cheap Avril-style radio pop. But we'll always remember this album fondly—just like that first blow-job.

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