Music

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• Music 02/28/06

  Junior Boys—Last Exit
  This album is a real bargain. The Junior Boys sound rich and sophisticated, but you get two CDs for the price of one with a second disc of bonus remixes. When you have such acts as Caribou remixing the classic track "Birthday" with bells, warped keyboards, and pitch shifted vocals, you know this is a coupon you've got to clip, asap. Junior Boys are both fun and sad, minimal yet lush electronic-based (dare we say?) "slow jamz." Repetition is key here, for it's the slowly building synth lines with the soft, understated yet heartfelt vocals that keep you coming back for more and with the money you saved, you can afford to.
  
  The Liars—Drum's Not Dead
  The Liars last effort made us want to claw our ears out in a major way. It was tediously difficult prog rock, so it was with skepticism that we popped the Liar's latest disc into our CD tray; and behold, what's going on? It seems they've entirely re-created their sound whilst living in their presumably large and cheap loft in Berlin and have emerged with an incredibly lovely album. Trading their old abrasive sounds for almost doo-wop, vocal heavy slow builders, this album churns slowly through your system and leaves you in an almost euphoric, semi-drug-induced haze of glee; like when your feet thaw out after the cold, it's warm, tingly, and it burns a little, but where would we be without just a little pain?
  
  Scout Niblett—Kidnapped by Neptune
  Why doesn't anyone care about Scout? She's cute, she's shaggy and she's British. Ok, so she sounds a bit like Cat Power crossed with PJ Harvey and at times lacks a distinctive approach to her song writing but we've come to terms with the fact that it's brilliant. It's so simple: just her voice, guitar, and her somewhat amateurish drum beats. There are times when the songs crunch under your feet and head toward "Hole"-type directions, but mostly she's just a great indie-rock girl. We especially like her press picture where she's riding a bike (go ahead, Google it). Girls on bikes are really cute.

• Music 02/08/05

  Department of Eagles—Whitey on Moon
  In Europe, this album has been released in three different forms with various titles, but any way you shake it, this CD is destined to become a classic. Sample-heavy songs mingle with homemade beats and rather complex guitar parts to create compelling, catchy songs. Rarely does an indie album manage to simultaneously emote sincere pain as well as genuine slap-stick. It's a fine line to walk yet the ballads and the rockouts work side by side.
  

  Final Fantasy—Has a Good Home
  Owen Pallett, string arranger to the stars (Arcade Fire among others), has released his own solo record on the charming Cologne-based label Tomlab and offers up a rather epic yet goofy album of 15 sputtering tracks. Staccato violins and mournful cellos make up a large part of this innovative but borderline "musical theater" album. One of the most wonderful elements is the overt humor that is laced throughout the sometimes melodramatic tracks allowing the listener to realize just how wonderful this little album is.
  

  Midlake—Bamnan and Slivercork
  While you won't be finding us doing a feature on Denton, TX, anytime soon, it does seem to produce a lot of bands these days. Most notably, Midlake, a band that wears its influences on its sleeve (read: Flaming Lips, Beatles, etc.), manages to remain unique. Really it's the harmonies that drive this album and little songs like "They Cannot Let it Expand" which turns into a vocal round that topples over and over on itself until it disintegrates. We've recently been fortunate to hear, "Roscoe," a track from their new album. Track it down if you can, it sounds like the Beach Boys covering the theme song to M.A.S.H. Amazing.
  

• Music 01/25/06

  Chap—Ham
  This is one of the more idiosyncratic and numbingly bizarre albums we've heard in a while, and we mean that in a good way. Hand claps, skittering glitches meet heavy bass lines and slow building beats accumulating to a somewhat random stew of sounds and songs. In the end, each track whispers a soft but potent "pop" in your ear, forcing you to give it just one more spin.
  

  Jamie Lidell—Multiply
  This scruffy hot british singer delivers what many would call "retro soul," but let's not be silly this isn't a Jamiroquai knockoff. At times he harks back to Otis and Sly but only if you are looking and listening closely. Mostly he just has a fantastic voice and to boot an amazing ear for penetrating beats. What's really lovely about the album is the sheer diversity of the tracks, some to dance to, some to smooch to.
  

  Paul Duncan—Be Careful What you Call Home
  The best kind of folk is the simplest. Paul Duncan, a New York singer-song writer who is beginning to make waves in the indie world, has released his second album of tender ballads. No gimmicks here, just a beautiful voice and thoughtful songs. It's all so intimate and personal you almost wonder how he had the balls to share it with us.

• Music 01/10/06

  Various Artists—Cult Cargo: Belize City Boil Up
  Small label Numero Group has been releasing the best archival compilation albums on earth—albeit under the radar—for the past year or so. Prior releases mined the catalogs of unheralded '60s soul labels, but with this album they have captured a vibrant music scene in the tiny Central American country of Belize. The music, known locally as Boil Up, is the perfect mixture of R&B, calypso, funk, and reggae, a potent blend of all the best '70s sounds that is still vital today.
  

  J Dilla—Donuts
  This album doesn't actually come out until February 7, but we got our hands on the promo and we already believe this to be the best instrumental hip hop album to surface in ages. Dilla (aka Jay Dee) has made a name for himself by producing hits for the likes of A Tribe Called Quest, D'Angelo, and De La Soul (he's also more than likely your favorite producer's favorite producer). On Donuts, he mercilessly and creatively cuts up classic soul records, creating an off-beat, soulful sound that is undoubtedly hip hop and undoubtedly all his own.
  

  Gang Gang Dance—God's Money
  Full disclosure: Upon first hearing this band, we were less than impressed, thinking GGD yet another experimental band with too many ideas and no clear vision. Well, quite a bit of time has passed, and we're still thinking about them, hypnotized by the spaced-out sounds, hard ethno-beats, and effects-laden vocals. This album may be only for the adventurous, but it is cohesive enough to reward you with every listen.
  

• Music 12/19/05

  Grand National—Kicking the National Habit
  With a nearly universal appeal from hipsters to teenyboppers, this undeniably catchy band seems able to transcend markets and rule the airwaves. Kicking the National Habit is one of those albums that should have had that big push and sold millions, but is still just an import-only album. Who knows, maybe it's massive in Latvia, but honestly it deserves to be big here, too, because every song is a danceable, radio-friendly pop song that manages to remain fresh.
  
  
  Diane Cluck—Countless Times
  Diane Cluck is the little-known singer-songwriter who hangs with the likes of trendy "freak-folkers" Devendra Banhart and Coco Rosie. Evvvverybody already famous loves her, yet nobody in the real world knows her, and it's a shame because she certainly has a much more authentic and sincere approach to her music than the aforementioned. At times difficult, but always heartfelt and gorgeous, Diane Cluck is bound to make headway soon. Mark our words.
  
  
  Konono No. 1—Congotronics
  These guys were discovered by some obscure Belgian label exec and are from an area that straddles the border of Angola and the Congo. They've been making their own instruments and music for over 25 years and have finally found an international home among left-field music aficionados throughout Europe and North America. The music is wonderful, a combination of amplified thumb pianos and found percussion (kind of like Fat Albert's junkyard band if they came from Africa). Hopefully they can bust out of playing trendy smaller spots and find a broader audience within the rather large world music market (perhaps Nonesuch Records will take some interest?).

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