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Music

August 19, 2008

Reviews

08/20/08

Silver Jews—Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea

Nico Muhly—Mothertongue With this lovely modern classical piece that emphasizes the human voice, Muhly makes electroacoustic music of exquisite beauty. His music connects with the listener in a way that much current classical fails—it's emotional and cerebral at the same time. In the past, Muhly has drawn attention for collaborations with Bjork and Philip Glass, but with this latest piece he will receive a lot of attention in his own right.

Basic Channel—BCD-2 Basic Channel, a team of sound-obsessed Berliners, infused dub reggae dynamics into techno music in the '90s, emphasizing atmosphere over danceability. Fast forward 15 years and every DJ in the German capital has incorporated some aspect of their sound—even Panda Bear name-dropped the group in the liner notes to his last album. This album is the second official compilation on CD of their seminal tracks, and it's a testament to the continuing relevance of the group that it does not sound dated in the least.

Silver Jews—Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea David Berman's barroom Nashville touring band provides the perfect soundtrack for your post-90s indie rock hangover. His country-fried roots rock sounds great on a jukebox at 2 a.m. when his off-hand, cryptic lyrics are most likely to spark revelations you'll forget come morning. Fret not, the Silver Jews may bring to mind despair, but within every song lies a glint of hope.

 

About Music
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