Album Review: Farm

In 1987, Dinosaur Jr. released You're Living All Over Me. It was a ground-breaking record, covered in distortion and widely regarded as one of the most influential alt-rock albums of all time. Now, after twenty years, the trio is back in full force. Their recent album, Farm, ignores all that is hip, and it couldn't be better. Singer/guitarist J. Mascis leads with nonchalant confidence as the band rides their own wave of sound through layers of country, punk, and straight-up rock. It's refreshing to see that bands like Dinosaur Jr. can stick around for a long time and still produce great albums instead of falling into obscurity or wearing out their welcome with predictable and mundane releases. With Farm, Dinosaur Jr. have made rock and roll cool again.

Dinosaur Jr. - Pieces
Dinosaur Jr. - Ocean In The Way

Amazon / iTunes

-Chris

Album Review: Dragonslayer

"Get this album."

I have to admit: the first time I heard this album I was rather underwhelmed, and the only track that really stood out was the epic ten minute closer "Dragon's Lair." As it would turn out, this is such a great example of an album that swells up with goodness and grows to perfection with more listens. I have no idea how Spencer Krug keeps up this ridiculous amount of musical output (he's been a part of twelve full length studio albums in the last four years), but I think this may be his finest release to date. Every song unravels with subsequent listens to reveal the intricate melodies and, more importantly, the lyrics. The album contains some of the most beautiful and captivating lyrics I've heard in a long time, and following Krug through his journey while his words spill out is just as impressive and enjoyable as the backing instrumentation, if not more so.

It's clear that Krug is maturing, and his music is obviously doing the same. While some may say At Mount Zoomer was weaker than Apologies to The Queen Mary (and it was), I think a steady progression can be seen over all his projects. And if this continues, I'm actually kind of scared to see what he whips up next. The energy on the album is so palpable thanks to it's mostly live recording, I don't know how Krug could possibly top himself now. I guess we'll have to see.

I know a lot of people (including myself) were blown away by Sunset Rubdown's previous effort Random Spirit Lover, so I certainly wouldn't say I enjoy Dragonslayer more if I didn't absolutely mean it. To clarify: I mean it. I can't do anymore to express my love for it: Get this album.

Sunset Rubdown- Silver Moons
iTunes / amazon / jagjaguwar
Sunset Rubdown Myspace

-Chandler

Album Review: Far

It's been three years since Regina Spektor's last studio album, Begin to Hope, was released. At the time, I remember thinking to myself that despite certain strong tracks, it was no Soviet Kitsch. But there were definitely some strong tracks, "Fidelity", "On the Radio", "Apres Moi" and "Summer in the City" to name a few. The real problem with the album for me was when she took the focus off of herself with guitars and a more bandlike sound, moving away from just her piano. In particular, "Better" demonstrates a song for me that stopped working after a few listens. On her latest album, she moved farther away from the sound that originally enveloped me, and despite a few standouts, maturity isn't doing it for me as much as her earlier material. The songs I find I like the most are the ones already released on Demo Cassette almost 10 years ago. Sonically, the album sounds great, her voice really sounds amazing, the production is very good. The problem is that she sounded better lo-fi, in my opinion, it almost sounds too dressed up, too professional. She was the best at making songs that didn't sound good sound good, if that makes any sense (maybe only to me...) I liked it better when she was the one drumming, and not some random person who didn't write the music. Despite seeming ornery, the truth is that Far is a very good album, very professionally done, and I'm just a little sad that the woman who captivated me a few years ago is changing, but that's my problem, not her's. The truth is, she's doing better than ever, and so long as she's happy, I should be happy. Back in 2005, when I was 15, I didn't know much about music. And when I heard Soviet Kitsch for the first time, it was a total and complete musical renaissance for me. It completely and utterly changed my opinion of what music could and should sound like. So while Far may not be as groundbreaking for me personally, there's no reason it can't be as groundbreaking for a lot of people, and maybe this album does have that capacity in itself. But to be honest, it seems like the person who said, "Can't I just be left alone? I want to take a fucking bath."[1] seems to have changed, maybe for the better, maybe for the worse. You should still check out Far, but you should definitely also check out her other albums if you have not done so already.

Regina Spektor - Daniel Cowman[1]
Preorder Far:ITunes

-Donovan

Album Review: Yesterday and Today

The Field follows up his spectacular debut with an arguably better effort, and turns in a breathtaking collection of sampled and organic sounds

Alex Willner, aka The Field, wowed everyone with his fantastically received and amazingly named debut, From Here We Go Sublime, which I hope most of you have listened to by now. His follow up, Yesterday and Today, was released yesterday on Kompakt. And it's good. Really good. It picks up where Willner left off with Sublime, but tends to veer off into a more organic sound than his debut. The end of the title track shows this subtle addition very well, as John Stanier's drumming turns the song from something great to something astounding. Like Sublime, this collection of songs doesn't belong on the dance floor necessarily, but I feel like Justice could have a field day (pun intended) remixing any one of these tracks and creating something amazing (pretty please?).
I felt like this album was much more of an adventure, and was more cohesive than its predecessor. The listener approaches something as the faint sounds that begin the opening track are slowly amplified, and then is taken through this beat-driven utopian environment as the album goes on. The album closer, "Sequenced," is just pure bliss, and ends with that "waking up to the rising sun, ready to start fresh after the shit went down" feeling. At least that's what I thought. Whether you categorize it as dance, ambient techno, or whatever else you can come up with to describe it, my guess is there won't be a better album of that kind this year. So I strongly suggest picking this up. I'll leave you with the album opener, "I Have the Moon, You Have the Internet."

The Field- I Have the Moon, You Have the Internet
iTunes / amazon
The Field MySpace

-Chandler

Album Review: Women

I bought the self-titled debut album from Women on a total whim, with no idea what to expect. I'm still not sure what I got. It was released in October of 2008, but I can easily imagine it as a lost gem from an earlier time. Women sounds like 60's pop, with punk and psychedelia influences galore. I can tell you virtually nothing about the band, except that it's made up of four guys and no women. That's okay though, it only adds to the hazy mystery that makes this album so appealing.

Women - Black Rice
Amazon / iTunes

-Chris

Album Review: Bromst

"a stunning achievement filled with beautifully convoluted, yet highly orchestrated sounds and textures"

As I was listening to this album today knowing that a review was imminent, I began panicking, simply because I don't know how to describe this. It's electronic music, sure. But beyond that it's open to interpretation. Here's how I would describe it: It's like the soundtrack to a film of a child's birthday party, but sped up like action scenes in old movies, and accompanied by a large array of instruments struggling to keep up with the tempo. If I've turned you off by this description, it's not my intention. The point is: this is one of those times where you listen to something and you don't know what to make of it because you haven't heard something quite like it before. When in the split second between songs you think "What the h did I just listen to?" and before you can answer, another song, equally as complex, starts to take off. After listening to the album opener "Build Voice," you should be able to tell if you will love the album or not, because the energy in it never really stops throughout the album's entirety. Standout track for me: "Snookered." This song is pretty much 8 minutes of bliss, and if someone offered me the chance to make the second half of the song my background music for the rest of my life, I might have to take it. Deacon's voice is altered and used in unconventional ways throughout the whole album, but on "Snookered" it really shines to create something magical.

There isn't really a bad song on here, so bottom line: get this album. It's headphone music, walking music, and dancing music all rolled into one giant ball of energy and fantastic chaos. It's a little rough around the edges and at times can seem a bit abrasive, but give it some time and it should sink in. It most certainly has for me.

Dan Deacon- Build Voice
iTunes / amazon
Dan Deacon MySpace

-Chandler

Album Review: Fantasies

Metric is a Canadian indie rock group that finds its musical style somewhere in between the bubblegum pop of The Blow and the harder side of Broken Social Scene. After four years of absence, they're back with a full-length record called Fantasies. It will be released on April 7th, but we had the opportunity to hear the press copy early. Anyways, here goes-

To be totally honest, I had never listened to Metric before I listened to Fantasies this week. So for those Metric fans out there, you know more about their vibe than I do. From the perspective of a brand new listener, Fantasies is very pop-oriented. Every song has a great big glistening sheen of production on it, at times a little much so. But apart from that, I'm impressed. Metric knows what they're doing. Throughout the album, they take time-tested rock recipies and rehash them to make songs that are simple but satisfying. "Gimme Sympathy" and "Front Row" are two standouts, they're clean and polished with a real sense of direction to them.

Before you listen to Fantasies for the first time, take a few things into account. First of all, this is pop music. You need to accept this right off the bat and absorb it with that in mind. Secondly, there are moments during the album that feel familiar, lyrics that feel predictable. Take these spots as minor flaws within the larger piece. If you can do all these things, I think you'll agree that Metric has put a lot of effort into this album, and that overall it's really solid. Who knows, I think there may be a lot of people out there that will enjoy this much more than I did. All I know is that it's worth a listen.

-Chris

Album Review: Hospice

"...it's pulchritudinous and delicate, eerie and nostalgic."

Stream the entire album here while you read the review.

About three weeks ago, after crowning them a Band To Watch, f/k sat down with Peter Silberman from The Antlers to talk about music and life while we anxiously awaited their newest album Hospice. Well, now it has arrived and I'm here to tell you all about it.

Hospice has been two years in the making, and it shows. It is one of the best albums, start to finish, that I have heard in a long time. I could go into detail about every explosion, every vulnerable moment and every lyric that hits home with me but then my colleagues would be angry because it would take up too much of our lovely home page.

One of my favorite parts of Hospice is the story that it tells, it's pulchritudinous and delicate, eerie and nostalgic. With every lyric we learn more while becoming more bewildered. Silberman has found new ways to evoke and convey raw emotion and, although many times it's indirect, he gives the listener insight into his or her own life. It leaves us itching for more.

Upon finishing the album I found myself calm but abashed as I wanted to listen again. But I was afraid to evade the emotions stirring within, so I sat until they settled and eventually double-clicked again.

The Antlers - Two
iTunes/Insound

-Bishop-

Album Review: Keep It Hid

Keep It Hid is the new solo album from Dan Auerbach, singer and guitar player for The Black Keys. For those of you familiar with The Black Keys, this album will not be too surprising. The music’s foundation rests upon pure blues, fused with psychedelic influences and that incredible voice. A native of Ohio, Auerbach has the voice of a grizzled man who truly knows the blues. He’s one of my favorite musicians to listen to, even though at times his music can be predictable. This album is not an exception. Auerbach played most of the instruments on the album, recorded most of it himself, and had friends and family join him to fill out the rest of the cast. Who knows the reasons behind his decision to try going solo, I certainly don’t think that it matters all that much. Keep It Hid is a solid album, simple at times but always satisfying. Knowing that Dan did most of it by himself makes its even better.

Dan Auerbach – My Last Mistake
Amazon / iTunes

-Chris

Album Review: March Of The Zapotec/Realpeople Holland

A fantastic combo of old and new...Beirut released a double EP in record stores today, titled March Of The Zapotec / Realpeople Holland. They split it in half, so that the first disc is classic Beirut, and the second disc is an electronic side that is some sort of solo project for singer Zach Condon. What’s the outcome? A fantastic combo of old and new. For your listening pleasure, I’ve decided to post a sample song from each disc. “The Shrew” is from March Of The Zapotec. Full of tubas, trumpets, and other various horns, there is something about its simplicity that makes it great. “My Night With The Prostitute From Marseille “ is arguably the best song of the dual EP set. It’s dancey and joyous, with a steady bass drum and some catchy synth to seal the deal. I highly recommend that you go out now and download the full release. Enjoy.

Beirut - The Shrew
Beirut - My Night With The Prostitute From Marseille
Buy Beirut: Amazon iTunes

-Chris

Album Review: Vacilando Territory Blues

While most people (my self included) just know Joshua Tillman as the drummer of Fleet Foxes, apparently this is actually his fifth full length release. Needless to say, I really wanted to like this album, considering how fantastic Fleet Foxes' debut was. Unfortunately, it boils down to a couple songs that stand out, while most of them blend together to form a sort of folk-ier Ray LaMontagne tribute cd. Throughout most of the album I couldn't help but think of LaMontagne's voice being channeled through Tillman, or that it shuffled to Trouble without me knowing.

The standout track for me on the album is "New Imperial Grand Blues," which is the only song that doesn't seem to drag on and monotonously wallow in sadness. With jangling guitars and piercing cymbals, it shakes you out of the acoustic coma, before you get to slip into another one for the end of the album. But the last 45 seconds of "Barter Blues," the song preceding it, is what I find the most intriguing part of the album. Honestly, after the first half of hush acoustic noodling, the explosive end scared the petootie out of me. It sounds great, with wailing guitars drifting overhead, but then just fades into "New Imperial Grand Blues." Why not take out the first seven minutes of the song, which is reminiscent of the rest of the album, and extend that fantastic ending? Anyway, all of the songs are filled with pretty good lyrics, saving it from being more of a disappointment. However, it does contain many "Is this country?" moments, which always scare me when listening to something.

This isn't to say those who like Fleet Foxes won't enjoy this album. They are vastly different due to the absence of Pecknold's voice and their vocal harmonies. But I'm sure there are those will eat this up, perhaps even at fork/knife, and will enjoy it's quiet and sentimental mood. I'm just not one of them. Sorry.

Chandler's Rating- 6.0
Chris's Rating- 7.7

J. Tillman- New Imperial Grand Blues

-Chandler

I have to disagree with Chandler here, I think Tillman sounds like the male version of Cat Power, but he's still definitely trying to figure out what he wants his music to sound like. Overall, this album is above average.
- Chris

Album Review: Noble Beast

Andrew Bird's most anticipated release of his career has landed. With Noble Beast, Bird is trying to make it three great albums in a row. His previous two albums, 2005's The Mysterious Production of Eggs and 2007's Armchair Apocrypha, have been critical acclaimed, leaving music critics and lovers anxious to hear his newest release. The Onion (A.V. Club) stated that "he collides substances that shouldn't mix to create a sound that not only survives the impact, but thrives in the aftermath."

With all the anticipation and pressure, I would have to say that Bird did a pretty good job at following up his previous albums. With this being said, I do not feel that this tops Armchair Apocrypha, but it is difficult to compare the two because both albums have their own, unique sound. His newest album takes the listener on a ride of sonic entropy, from the prototypical Bird songs like "Nomenclature", and "Natural Disaster" to the gallant endeavors of "Not a Ghost, But a Robot".

Bird's signature sound - violin, guitar, glockenshpeil, and whistling combining to make one deliciously juicy music sandwich - gets a bit lost at times with busy drumming of Martin Dosh, but when done right, Dosh's drumming adds a whole other element to Bird's already timeless sound. Another attribute of Bird's music that has set him apart from the crowd are his lyrics that sometimes require a Master's Degree in English in order to decipher. At times this makes the music somewhat inaccessible, but usually Bird's lyrics are so gloriously jumbled that you could pop the album in and be entertained just by listening to his quirky yet ingenious way of looking and writing about the world. In "Tenuousness" Bird starts of the song with this verse:

"Tenuous at best was all he had to say when pressed about the rest of it the world that is from proto-Sanskrit Minoans to porto-centric Lisboans Greek Cypriots and harbor sorts who hang around in ports a lot"

Point proven.

Overall, Bird has produced an above average album, but if you are looking to buy just one of his albums, I still suggest Armchair Apocrypha.

Standout Tracks: Oh No, Effigy, Nomenclature, Not a Ghost, But a Robot and Anonanimal

Bishop's Rating - 7.2

Stream the Entire Album on NPR.
Buy Album: iTunes


-Bishop

Album Review: The Crying Light

If you listened to last year's fantastic single 'Blind,' then you know what the voice of Antony Hegarty sounds like, and this is basically showcasing that voice for an entire album. Now, when I first listened to this all the way through, I really didn't think much of it. It seemed like the songs blended together too frequently, and Antony's deep voice became too repetitive to listen to for a whole album. Yet, more listens have given me a much deeper appreciation for it, and chances are the same thing will happen for you. This is not for everyone, and it's more likely that you'll give it a listen and turn it off than stay for the whole thing. But it really is beautiful when you give it a chance.
The main attraction is 'Another World,' a somber, piano-driven ballad that is exactly the soapbox Antony needs to belt out that haunting voice of his. My favorite track, however, would be 'Daylight and the Sun.' Also focusing on piano, this six minute epic also features some powerful strings as well, and some chilling vocals and lyrics to boot. There are some other quality songs on the album, yet some of the weaker ones still seem to drift in and out of relevance when put up against the stronger ones. All of the lyrics focus on Antony's mortality and are quite moving, and that aspect combined with his voice gives you a sucker-punch of emotion throughout.
This is an album to listen to through headphones while watching the sun rise or set, contemplating your existence and path through life. Deep, right? I know. But in all honesty, this is a somewhat fleeting, yet beautiful glimpse into a man's search for answer and reason. Breath-taking at times and monotonous at others, it takes a while to get adjusted to the sound and style of this album. But once you do, it's an album that deserves the attention it's getting.

Chandler's Rating- 7.9

Antony and the Johnsons- Daylight and the Sun
Buy Song: iTunes
Stream the entire album at Spinner, where the fantastic Merriweather Post Pavilion is also streaming in it's entirety!

-Chandler

Album Review: Merriweather Post Pavilion

Every so often a band releases an album that showcases the unique sound of the artist perfectly, and makes great leaps for music in general. Albums like OK Computer, The Moon and Antarctica, Aeroplane Over the Sea, and Funeral are examples of such works that truly captivate the listener and propel the artist to unreachable heights. I believe you can add this album to that list.

This is Animal Collective at their very best and most accessible. While they change their sound almost every album, a steady upward curve in quality has produced this, the pinnacle of their music. I could go on and on about each song, taking up a great deal of space pointing out where I get chills, or where the lyrics are no less than brilliant and beautiful. But the fact is, this album will probably be different for every person, and each person can pick out a song that has that same effect on them. If you do want to read more, head over to the Pitchfork review, which does a great job of explaining why this is so great in detail.

The majority of this is pop music, but it's pop that you've never heard before and what no one else can produce. It comes out today on vinyl, but you'll have to wait until Jan 20th if you're not part of the vinyl revolution yet. In any event, find a way to buy this album, because it's an achievement of music, and should be heralded as such.

-Chandler

Album Review: Glasvegas

f/k Rating- 3.7

This album was released in September last year in Europe, but is being released in the U.S. tomorrow, so I figured I should still throw a short little review up. Glasvegas is from Sweden, and this is their debut. That's about all you need to know.

The first thing you need to do when listening to these guys is to try and ignore lead singer James Allan's rather annoying voice. Approaching whining at times, his voice has no real soul behind it, and contains that "Hey, listen to our music 'cause I have that cool Swedish accent thing goin' on" deal. No thanks, I'll pass guys.

At times, they do create some decent Coldplay-sounding melodies (which I'm going to try and sell as a good thing), but nothing is really exciting or fresh. "Geraldine" is probably the best song on this skid mark of music's underpants, which contains some good lyrics and an alright melody, but really could have been played by any other band that sounds like them. If that's the high, I guess the low would probably be "Go Square Go." Containing two minutes of real lyrics, the rest of the song is filled with "Here we, here we, here we fuckin' go" being sung while the band does their best "sweeping high pitch guitar" attempt. I'm surprised to see the praise that some people are giving this album (NME said it was the third best album of '08) because Glasvegas doesn't sound unique in any of their songs, and don't even make an attempt at doing so. An absolutely average debut, it seems to me like Glasvegas will just fade into oblivion in the future.

Glasvegas- Geraldine (This file has been taken down after receiving an email asking me to do so. This post had been up for less than 24 hours, and the file was instantly removed from my box account. Wow, Glasvegas. Not cool. And for that, you get minus 1 point)

Chandler's Rating- 4.7 - 1 = 3.7

-Chandler

Album Review: The Ortolan

f/k Rating -

I'm pretty sure I know what you're thinking: So Chandler, why are you reviewing an album that came out in '07? Well, the album is fantastic, and chances are you haven't heard of them. I first heard The Deadly Syndrome when they did a Daytrotter session the day after Christmas in '07 (If you haven't realized it yet, a lot of awesome bands do Daytrotter sessions before they're well known, so you should check the site each day). Their session was amazing, and prompted me to seek out their debut album, The Ortolan.

The cd starts with "Eucalyptus", a great opener with exceptional lyrics and infectious xylophone segments, accompanied by fantastic cymbal-based drums and lead singer Christopher Richard's extraordinary voice. It then continues to fork/knife favorite "Wolves in the Garden," one of their softer songs that reels you in at just the right moment. Following is "Animals Wearing Clothes," probably my favorite track off the album that features epic guitar matched with bone chilling lyrics that make this the standout song. The album meanders a little until the closer "The Ortolan," a lyric-less synth jam that is as much energetic as it is beautiful.

The Deadly Syndrome are known throughout L.A. for their vibrant live shows, and The Ortolan does a fairly good job of capturing their intensity in studio. Is it the best debut album ever? Absolutely not. But it showcases the strengths of The Deadly Syndrome extremely well, and they have potential written all over them. I strongly suggest checking these guys out, because this is an album that you should listen to as a launchpad of a great band. Hopefully there will be some new material from them soon, but until then throw them some love via their MySpace page and/or their website.

The Deadly Syndrome- Wolves in the Garden

Chandler's Rating - 8.1
Chris' Rating - 7.7
Donovan's Rating - 8.5
Bishop's Rating - 7.5

-Chandler

Album Review: Fun DMC

Here at f/k, People Under the Stairs are one of our favorite hip-hop groups. They are a duo from Los Angeles that has quietly been making great old school hip-hop records since the late nineties. The closest thing they have to a hit is their song "Acid Raindrops," a song that highlighted their raps about partying and just hanging out. Fun DMC is their new record; it was released in September of '08.

You can always count on People Under the Stairs for fun party music, and on Fun DMC, it's more of the same. For the most part, they don't rap about social issues or any intense subject matter. They don't talk about guns, hos, or their new gold teeth. They are an independent group that is all about staying true to old school hip-hop traditions. There are no choruses, just straight flow laid over vintage samples that are taken from old soul records. In an industry dominated by egomaniacal prophets and over-the-top clowns, this group is refreshing and genuine. Listen to "Anotha BBQ" from the new record and see what you think. If you like it, check 'em out at their myspace. I hope you enjoy.

Anotha BBQ - People Under the Stairs: mp3

People Under the Stairs - MySpace Page

-Chris