http://blogcritics.org/ A sinister cabal of superior bloggers on music, books, film, popular culture, politics, and technology - updated continuously. en Copyright 2005-2007 by the authors Wed, 28 Jul 2004 00:41:52 EDT http://backend.userland.com/rss Blogcritics.org custom software http://blogcritics.org/ Phillip WinnSunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding. Administration0@blogcritics.org Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/07/28/004152.php Steve SaboNMWYH Rating: out of five stars. Rob Jovanovic first began listening to Pavement at about the same time that I did -- after having heard "Unseen Power of the Picket Fence" off the No Alternative compilation. But his biography of Pavement canvasses the band's nascent moments (including even a review of a 1986 live performance of the precursor to Pavement, Bag o' Bones) to the swan song with its aptly named final release, Terror Twilight. In his 200-page book named after Pavement's second EP on Drag City Records, Jovanovic, known for biographies on John Lennon and Beck among others, captures the most significant times of the influential band's decade-long career. The author relies on first-hand accounts and features hordes of college radio station chart listings, clippings from indie 'zines -- and Rolling Stone -- and various band memorabilia (e.g., setlists, photos, band commentary, etc.). Perfect Sound Forever, offers an enticing combination of facts, chronology and witty anecdotes that instill life into the author's succinct narration. Screw footnotes, Jovanovic handwrites additional pertinent information in the book's margins. Whether he's explaining the importance of New York's Casablanca Records (which, btw, according to Jovanovic, is credited for popularizing the 12-inch single) or the influence of John Peel, the author foregoes the traditional approach of end- or footnotes and opts for a less traditional 'zine aesthetic. The objective of this strategy is obviously to lend street cred to the narrative -- and it succeeds in that respect. The aspect of this book that will appeal the most to diehard (indie) rock fans, though, is the chronicling of the band's interpersonal relationships and their ultimate effect on the sound and direction of the band and each of the members as musicians. One detail that particularly interested me is how co-founders Scott Kannberg and Stephen Malkmus, who lived across the country from each other, recorded in the early days (through Crooked Rain). Each had his own preconceived (though still loose) ideas about the songs as they met to record -- and both understood that improvisation would play a key role during the recording sessions. Another interesting storyline is Gary Young's departure from the band. Gone were the band's charming unpredictability and a strong, though volatile, stage presence. But Pavement resurfaced with a more cohesive and mature sound. My favorite tale, though, was part-time drummer Bob Nastanovich's story of the early moments of the Silver Jews, Malkmus's side project with Nastanovich and David Berman: "Basically, we knew this girl called Tonya Small who worked at Pier Platters in Hoboken, a legendary records store, the best in the entire metropolitan area. She made the mistake of giving us Kim [Gordon] and Thurston [Moore's] phone number, and the Silver Jews would basically just play noise and those early songs into the Sonic Youth answering machine.... We'd realize that no one was home and the answering machine would pick up and we'd like jam for ten minutes and tape it. We'd do that once or twice a week." [p. 84]Pavement will stand as one of the landmark bands of 1990s indie rock. If you are a rock fan and unfamiliar with Pavement's work, Perfect Sound would serve as a nice narrative to accompany Matador's re-releases of the band's classic albums. And if you're a longtime fan, the biography helps explain the inner workings of the band and offers factoids you can use to, ahem, impress your friends. While no groundbreaking revelations are made in the book, it is certainly a worthwhile and enjoyable read. For more musings on the best independent music, the music industry, and the like, swing by No Matter What You Heard. Books17952@blogcritics.org Wed, 28 Jul 2004 00:41:52 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/04/15/220353.php Steve SaboNMWYH Rating: out of FIVE stars. Let's kick it off with one of the most promising releases this early year, 90 Day Men's Panda Park, which was issued a few weeks ago by Southern Records. From the reading that work has permitted me in the past few busy weeks, Panda Park is one of the most anticipated underground rock albums in recent months. Panda Park overflows with Eno-esque linear prog-pop progressions in which beauty and soulfulness pervade. The musical compositions of these seven songs are rich and complex, and the instrumentation is singular in present underground rock relying on the piano (and organ) as a driving force. Keeping the piano in check is a brilliant array of orchestral maneuvering, impeccable timekeeping, and acoustic guitar. To illustrate, check out the spellbinding "Too Late or Too Dead," one of the best tracks I've heard all year with its urgent piano melodies, shimmering guitar, and marching rhythm. Also captivating is "When Your Luck Runs Out," in which Andy Lansangan's piano skills are translated into a tripped-out keyboard stomp. Or check out the sprawling eight-and-a-half minute epic closer, "Night Birds," that best evidences the album's masterful balance between electronic experimentalism and acoustic prowess.The dual vocal attack is also intriguing, alternating between Case's whispery mutterings and Lowe's yelps that recall Jeff Buckley singing with his nuts in a sling. While Lowe's wailing is, at times, a bit theatrical, it ultimately is used with reservation and, consequently, does not overtake the stunning intstrumentation. The most significant detraction from Panda Park is the appearance of a third vocalist on "Silver and Snow," the album's penultimate track. While the musical composition of the track remains on par with the other six tracks, the exaggerated vibrato vocals remind me of a 1950s Las Vegas lounge singer. No doubt, the guy's got a great voice. It just seems wholly misplaced on this album (especially if added solely for kitsch value), and has prompted me to program MusicMatch to skip over the song.Panda Park will almost certainly appear on my year-end best-of list, my dislike of one song notwithstanding. You claim you're looking for a different brand of rock? Now you've found it. Panda Park is not for the masses, but it will satisfy your need for creative and intelligent music.For more musings on the best independent music, the music industry, and the like, swing by No Matter What You Heard. Music14780@blogcritics.org Thu, 15 Apr 2004 22:03:53 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/03/05/005345.php Steve SaboYes....Math rock superstars Don Caballero are back on the warpath. They are presently touring the U.S. and are making plans to record a new album.... and NoThe well-documented contentious relationship between drummer wunderkind, Damon Che (pictured in action to the left), and the master of delay pedalry, Ian Williams (check the gorgeous American Don - downloads), apparently has overcome the original lineup of Don Caballero. Damon Che is now the only remaining member from the original lineup. Che has teamed up with a cast from Pittsburgh-based math rockers Creta Bourzia (hear more at Epitonic) to form the new incarnation of Don Caballero. Man, this is starting to sound like G'n'R...From Pittsburgh's Pulp magazine: As for his relationships with the former members, Che feels no guilt. "I'm sure [Ian]'s not happy [about Don Cab going forward without him] as we're natural-born enemies," Che says. "We're like a cobra and a mongoose...I'm still friends with Pat [Morris, original bassist]. I don't hear from Mike that much, although I did call him about playing with us again." Ultimately, though, his comments about Williams are this: "If Ian's upset, I'm sorry. I would congratulate anything he's doing, I just can't work with him." And a bit more defensively: "He's got a band called Battles. If you like what he does, I encourage you to go out and see them." The current Don Caballero is looking toward the future. "We're probably going make the next record with Al Sutton, who we've worked with plenty of times before," he says. "I'd like to get the record to reach more than 13,000 people, which was all we could reach with [former label] Touch & Go, even if I don't make as much money. But I can't actually say we're not going to work with that label again."It is evident that Che's, uh, magnetic personality hasn't exactly won him friends. But all I really care about is whether his music makes my ears happy -- and without Ian, I am highly skeptical. The band is rolling through Triple Rock Social Club this Sunday. Doors open at 10pm (on a Sunday, WTF?). You can read reviews of recent performances from rabid fans at the fan page forum.For the record, I believe that Don Caballero's American Don is one of the 10 best albums released in the last 10 years. (Pic borrowed from the fan site, Don Fanallero) Music13409@blogcritics.org Fri, 5 Mar 2004 00:53:45 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/02/16/233029.php Steve SaboI randomly bought Oakland-based Numbers' debut album, Life, about 6 months ago. NMWYH staff writer, Kevin Gregorius, and I were immediately enthralled with the album and eagerly attended a rocking late-Fall performance here in Minneapolis. So when the opportunity arose again to see these cats, there was no question we would risk a tired day on the job the following day to partake.Ssion. NMWYH Rating: a measly out of five stars. We arrived at the Triple Rock Social Club before any of the opening bands had gone on. We were greeted rather rudely by the DJ's studies in sonic static and promptly removed ourselves to the adjacent bar. Following a monster tub of potato-fritter things, we meandered back into the venue hoping to catch the end of the performance by Kansas City's Ssion (pronounced "shun"), the final opener. Instead, Ssion hadn't begun. So, the "three-piece" prances on to the stage dressed in full body costumes (that looked pretty damn good, I have to say) as a chicken, a cow and a lion; according to their label's website their album, Opportunity Bless My Soul is a "concept album written and directed by Cody about animals who make a hit record and become famous, snooty aristocrats." The show consisted of pre-recorded music, elaborate costumes, sarcastic choreography, and an animated cartoon that synched up with the music -- this last element being undoubtedly the most captivating. Cody Critcheloe, the lead singer and mastermind behind Ssion, clearly is a talented artist. As you might be able to deduce from their album cover to the right, Critcheloe also designed the album cover for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs Fever to Tell. But in the 15 or so years of being a concertgoer, this was the least engaging, most ridiculous live show that I have ever attended. My opinion is not based on the fact that there was no live music; after all, I'm a big fan of Har Mar Superstar's live act. But taken in its entirety, the performance left a monstrous void in my evening. The music's social commentary aside, for the most part I found the music played over loudspeakers to be juvenile and obnoxious. Aside from a couple boogeymen up front, most of the crowd appeared to me to be equally as aghast. You can download a few album tracks from the band's website.Numbers. NMWYH Rating: a solid out of five stars. Finally at 12:45 p.m., Numbers came out on stage for an expectedly brief 45-minute performance. The three-piece is comprised of Indra Dunis on drums and vocals, Erik Landmark on vocals, a Moog and his homemade analogalicious Buzzerk (!), and Dave Broekema on guitar. Numbers fashions that type of danceable punk that has been oh the rave in the past 18 months. But while you can say that The Rapture sounds like a combination between Public Image Limited and the Cure or that Radio 4 sounds like Gang of Four, you can less accurately pigeonhole Numbers as derivative of one specific influence. Numbers are touring again in support of their latest LP, In My Mind All the Time, which was released on February 3. I hadn't purchased the album prior to seeing the show mostly because I wanted to give all the proceeds directly to the band. While I thought that Numbers' fall show earned at least a four-star (and possibly a 4 1/2-star) rating, this performance fell a bit short of my expectations. Let me restate that. The band put on as strong a performance as they had in their earlier appearance. Dunis's enthusiasm and energy is really the backbone of their live success. And a recording cannot capture how fat the analog sounds are that come out of Landmark's Moog and Buzzerk. In due course, Broekema provides a personable front to the band, always smiling and interacting with the audience as he skittered up and down his fretboard.On Wednesday, Numbers sampled from both 2002's Life and their recent release. To amass 45 minutes of performance, they played most songs off both albums -- a 3-minute song is an epic song to this band. What detracted from the show was less the band's performance and more the fact that the new album lacks some of the catchiness as Life. Though "Disease" and "Drunk with Pain" are fantastic bits of punk groove that match the best of Life's tracks, the rest of the album is not as immediately enticing as its predecessor. That said, I will certainly attend the Numbers' next Minneapolis gig. Their live show is unstoppable, even if their recent work leaves something to be desired. I implore them, however, to select a different opening band.For more musings on the best independent music, the music industry, and the like, swing by No Matter What You Heard. Music12820@blogcritics.org Mon, 16 Feb 2004 23:30:29 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/02/16/151836.php Steve SaboA new round of apologies from CBS, and this time no teats were bared. Was Outkast's Grammys performance racist? I abhor the Grammys (because (i) the music generally emphasizes popularity, not quality or creativity; and (ii) the Hollywood aspect deeply annoys me), so I missed the broadcast. According to the CNN article, a Native American Cultural Center member called it "the most disgusting set of racial stereotypes aimed at American Indians that [he has] ever seen on TV." Any opinions? (AP Photo)For more musings on rock, independent rock and the industry, check out No Matter What You Heard. Music12806@blogcritics.org Mon, 16 Feb 2004 15:18:36 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/02/16/002322.php Steve SaboTrans Am returns with their seventh full-length release, entitled Liberation. From Trans Am's press release for Liberation: "Liberation is the first album on which politics have crept into their music. Their position is unambiguous. Recorded in summer and fall of 2003 at National Recording Studio, built by the band in 1998, Liberation reflects and contains sounds of the tension coursing through the city. The hum of swirling helicopters, the din of police sirens, and culture of fear have become omnipresent in Washington, DC. It was in this environment that Trans Am finished their seventh album. Recorded live with the window of the studio open, the police car driving past their city studio was caught on tape. Today, on a normal commute through DC, one is likely to encounter a Humvee on the side of the road- not a workout guru's Hummer, but the real thing with mounted machine guns, surrounded by desert camouflage. New York's skyline is the most radically altered in the past three years, but life in Washington is palpably different."You can download the album's first single Remote Control, an arpeggiated Kraftwerky number (courtesy of Thrill Jockey Records). Though Allmusic rated this album as poorly as it did the band's last, T/A (Allmusic gave both a meager two and one half stars; my review of T/A here), if "Remote Control" is any indication of the quality of the whole album, I will be quite pleased. Release Date: This Tuesday! Music12776@blogcritics.org Mon, 16 Feb 2004 00:23:22 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/02/06/004147.php Steve SaboNMWYH Rating: (out of five)Touted as the new Strokes, Interpol or what-have-you, Glasgow's Franz Ferdinand is riding enough hype about their recently released EP, entitled Darts of Pleasure, to become the next big thing in independent rock. I can't count how many times recently that I've heard some band compared to the aforementioned acts (e.g., Stellastarr*, British Sea Power, The Stills, or even curiously the Walkmen etc.); I naturally rolled my eyes and carried on.Darts of Pleasure clearly demonstrates that, though the EP on the whole is noteworthy but not extraordinary, Franz Ferdinand has some serious potential -- and perhaps this is the source of the mammoth hype for these Scots. The five-song EP opens up with one of the catchiest songs I've heard all year (no silly, not just the last 35 days). Like several tracks from the Strokes materpiece, Is This It, the title track "Darts of Pleasures" is a vibrant and dynamic rock song. Singer Alex Kapranos flawlessly transitions between flaunting his rock mojo (belting "I know that you will surrender") and, in the next breath, seductively whispering "You can feel my lips undress your eyes / Skin can feel my lips / They tingle, tense anticipation". Although the percussion and fuzzy vocal effects of the title track certainly recalls The Strokes to some extent, the swift pace of the song and its overall energy are defining and differentiating. The icing on the proverbial cake comes at the end of the song: an introductory bouncing bass line, culminating in infectious repeated group chants of "Ich heisse Super Fantastisch / Ich trinke Schampus und Lachfisch!" (German for "My name is super fantastic / I drink champagne and salmon"). Absolutely brilliant -- download "Darts of Pleasure" now. While the title track definitely captures some of the new wave flare of, say, Natural History (yet more dancey), the rest of the album reflects such influences as the Beatles (chorus on "Tell Her Tonight"), the Fall (vocals on "Shopping for Blood"), early Talking Heads (guitar on "Tell Her Tonight") and funk (guitar on "Van Tango"), without at all sounding derivative. In itself, the uniqueness of Franz Ferdinand's sound warrants at least some critical praise.But the fact that two ("Van Tango", "Tell Her Tonight") of the EP's four unique songs spiral into cacophany at various points reduces the listenability of the EP. With the understanding that Darts of Pleasure is the band's first proper EP, though, that same fact also leads me to believe that the band is still in search of its groove. Though the EP is not an essential, it could very well be the precursor to a great first album. Domino releases Franz Ferdinand's self-titled debut on March 9 -- you can preorder it from Insound for thirteen bucks with an import 7" thrown in for good measure.For more musings on independent rock, visit No Matter What You Heard. Music12434@blogcritics.org Fri, 6 Feb 2004 00:41:47 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/01/04/013937.php Steve SaboI have finally pinned down my list of best albums of the year -- a little late given the journalistic trend of posting them first thing in December. Believe me, I started this epic last year.... Enjoy!The knock against ranking albums for a year is that, in addition to being an "exercise in cool" (I just like the ring of that...), it is also an exercise in arbitrariness -- how does one writer say what the 11th best album of the year is? Plus, readers can never estimate how many albums a critic has reviewed in arriving at his or her list. There are a truckload of 2003 releases that go unheard by even the most ardent audiophiles, me included. As Coolfer insightfully points out, I cannot say absolutely that these are the best albums released in 2003. What I can say is that each of these eleven albums rocked me in its own particular way and deserves my recognition for being one of the best releases that crossed my path this year. Without further ado, my top 11 albums of 2003 -- a great year for music, indeed. 11. Natural History -- Beat Beat Heartbeat (StarTime International). Brooklyn-based Natural History fashion some quirky new wave sans keyboard in the vein of Elvis Costello. Together with fellow Brooklyn/NYC sccenesters The Walkmen and The French Kicks (and Portland-based labelmates, The Joggers), The Natural History constitute the second wave of NYC bands' collective claim on what is "in" in independent rock. The band's success centers around Max Tepper's vocals, which recall Britt Daniels (from Spoon) and a more polished Bob Nanna (from Braid, Hey Mercedes). Stream the video for Costello-esque "Watch this House", one of the best indie rock songs that I have heard all year. The band's website also provides for the downloading MP3s for "Run de Run" and the captivating "Do What You Should". 10. Beulah -- Yoko (Velocette Records). Over the course of the last five years, Beulah has been one of the most consistently creative bands on the indie circuit, thanks in part to lead singer Miles Kurosky's well-documented great attention to detail. And this album is no different than its predecessors in that respect -- Yoko's production approaches perfection and in itself is worth any audiophile's dollars ("My Side of the City" and "Hovering" are two examples of Kurosky's mastery). Kurosky's melancholy lyrics are cleverly embedded in shifting and diverse pop music that is given depth by the addition of trumpets. Highlights on this album include the bouncing "Landslide Baby", the western-feeling "Me and Jesus Don't Talk Anymore," and "Your Mother Loves You Son." You can download three Yoko tracks, including the aforementioned "Your Mother Loves You Son," at the label's website. Beulah also puts on one helluva live show. Catch them before they deliver on their promise to break up...9. The Rapture -- Echoes (Universal). With Pitchfork having named Echoes its album of the year, the hype surrounding this album continues to exceed what the album deserves. Echoes is a very good album that deserves at least some of its lofty accolades -- including a spot in both my and NMWYH's Kevin's best-of lists -- since the Rapture's release of the "House of Jealous Lovers" 12" on DFA Records. The long-awaited Echoes has plenty of catchy, angular new wave stomps. The re-working of "Olio" is the closest reproduction of early Robert Smith that I have heard since.... well, Pornography or so. There are also distinct hints of Public Image Limited here as well. Check out danceable tracks like "The Coming of Spring" as well as the storied "Jealous Lovers," in which the the frolicking bass drives the rhythm and Luke Jenner's vocals shriek like Lydon's (a.k.a. Johnny Rotten). For how much I love 8 of the album's 10 tracks including the slowest track "Infatuation" (which was properly placed as the closer), however, the fourth track, "Open Up Your Heart", not only disrupts the fluidity of the album, but also plainly does not mesh well with the balance of the songs. The latter comment can also be said of "Love Is All", the second-to-last track on the album. In sum, the high points of this album are as good or better than any other music released this year. But with minor tweaks in track placement and the exclusion of a poorly placed song, Echoes would have appeared closer to the top of this list. Stream bits of each of the album tracks as well as all of "Jealous Lovers" at the Rapture's website. And check these cats out live when they swing by your local venue.8. Atmosphere -- Seven's Travels (Epitaph). Regional bias aside, Minneapolis-based Atmosphere could easily be the next big thing in hip hop. After having initially accepted an offer to move to a major label from his own label, Rhymesayers, emcee Slug (a.k.a. Sean Daley) reneged on the offer and, instead, signed with SoCal punk label, Epitaph. Slug hints at this wavering in his lyrics to the album's hit, "Trying to Find a Balance": "In the days of Kings and Queens I was a jester / Treat me like a God, oh they treat me like a leper / You see me move back and forth between both / I'm trying to find a balance." As much as any other MC on the scene, Slug truly lays it all out in his lyrics. But pigeonholing Slug's passionate lyrical style as "emo rap" (as some critics have done) is both misguided and misinformed. And none of this review is meant to overshadow Ant's creative and catchy, though not groundbreaking, DJ stylings. An essential. Download one of the best hip hop tracks of the year, "Trying to Find a Balance". Other tracks to check out are "The Keys to Life vs. 15 Minutes of Fame" and "Cats Van Bags".7. Yeah Yeah Yeahs -- Fever to Tell (Interscope). Another album that received its share of hype after the release of a single EP is the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Fever to Tell. Like no other that I heard in 2003, this record drips with sex, pairing dirty rock riffs and Karen O's lusty rants and squeals. Compared to the band's first two EPs, though, the YYY's not only tone the raucous rock down a bit on this record, but they also experiment with song structure (e.g., "No No No") and electronics (especially with my fave, "Rich"). Both changes work to single out Karen O's commanding vocal performance (check out the pulsating "Pin", the engaging "Maps" and the gorgeous closer, "Modern Romance"). I do not mean to imply that the YYY's have gone softie on us, as "Date with a Night" and "Tick" attest -- the trio has simply broadened their sound. Stream two excellent tracks off Fever to Tell: the dirty rock of "Date with a Night" and the previously mentioned "Maps" at Epitonic.6. The Shins -- Chutes Too Narrow (Sub Pop). In 2001, the Shins released, Oh, Inverted World, one of the best albums of the last five years. Bold statement? Hell yes. So, you see, I had already discounted my expectations for this year's release -- until I heard their jaw-dropping first single, "So Says I" (download from Sub Pop), put out prior to the album's release date. Though nothing else matches the brilliance of the first single, the Shins' sophomore effort, unlike the Strokes' Room on Fire, earns these props on its own merits. While certain songs recall the overall vibe of the first album (e.g., "Kissing the Lipless"), the Shins do tread new waters with Chutes Too Narrow. On this divergent path are a few tracks that have a distinct Kinks-esque off-kilter pop feel (e.g., "Fighting in a Sack" and "Turn a Square") and other more subdued (though magnetic) songs situated toward the record's close. While Chutes may not flow as smoothly as Inverted World, it is certainly an admirable follow-up record.5. Cex -- Being Ridden (Temporary Residence). With Being Ridden, a melting pot of hip hop, IDM, folksy acoustic guitar, pop, rock, and one hell of a lot of sarcasm, 21-year old Rjyan Kidwell (a.k.a. Cex) proves to be a musician well beyond his years. This is no coming-of-age album for Kidwell, who certainly came into his own sometime within the last six years, during which time he released at least 6 full-length albums and co-founded the cutting edge independent label, Tigerbeat 6. Being Ridden is without question one of the most original albums of the year, and Cex is woefully neglected by the underground media. But this is not new to Kidwell, as his "Earth-Shaking Event" lyrics demonstrate: "Middle finger to the indie rock singers / Middle finger to the whack MCs / Middle finger to the uncreative underground..." Download MP3s "Earth-Shaking Event" and instrumental version of a non-album track called "Bad Girls" at the Temporary Residence website. You can also download "Arms Length" and an instrumental version of "Earth-Shaking Event" courtesy of Rjyan's own website, where you will also find tracks from his previous albums.4. Ted Leo and the Pharmacists -- Hearts of Oak. Speaking of hype, Ted Leo's "Hearts of Oaks" garnered a boatload of hype, not from pre-release EPs, but from the quality of the album alone. True, Ted has slowly amassed a dedicated fanbase nationwide since he fronted the critically-acclaimed Chisel. But no one expected such recognition from more mainstream outlets, like a Top 15 album designation from Spin. "Hearts of Oaks" recalls Look-Sharp!-era Joe Jackson with Leo's impressive vocal range and infectious pop hooks. But Leo's music is not simply derivative. "Hearts of Oak" is infused with a dose of Irish rock ("Building Skyscrapers in the Basement", "Bridges, Squares") and, of course, Leo's hometown D.C. punk aesthetic. As Allmusic notes: "Ted Leo & the Pharmacists are playing the most exciting and original rock music around -- nobody else comes close. Hearts of Oak is a powerful and emotional record that you simply must own. Between this and The Tyranny of Distance (ed.: Leo's previous release), you are looking at a legend in the making." Download "Where Have All the Rude Boys Gone" and "The High Party" (links courtesy of Epitonic). There are also a slew of other downloads at Leo's website.3. The Constantines -- Shine a Light (Sub Pop). More than any of these 11 albums, Shine a Light came out of nowhere to surprise me. With one of the best album covers of the year, the Ontario-based Constantines have put together an impeccable rock album. On Shine a Light, you will find none of the fashionable new wave gimmickry, no Stooges rip-offs or other retro-stylings that have grown commonplace in underground (and, now, mainstream) rock. The Constantines have fashioned an album of rock with great range and character, featuring perfectly placed horns, organ and touches of hard rock/punk (e.g., "Nightime Anytime...") and, in slower times, a dose of Morphine (try "Goodbye Baby and Amen" and other slower numbers with horns). Vocally, Bry Webb, when using his inside voice, recalls Bruce Springsteen (e.g., "Young Lions"); but when he belts out his lyrics, his style is more of a growl than the Boss. On the whole, Shine a Light is an intelligent album whose intricacy challenges experienced and interested listeners, but whose song-to-song catchiness would also please casual listeners. Keep your eye out for these guys in years to come. Download the stirring "On to You" and the fierce "Nighttime, Anytime It's Allright" from Sub Pop's website. 2. Pretty Girls Make Graves -- New Romance (Matador). Andrea Zollo and Pretty Girls Make Graves are another band that have refined their sound with brilliant results. PGMG do not drift from the angular art punk of 2002's stellar Good Health. Moreso than its predecessor, however, New Romance manifests efforts by Zollo and company to add breadth to their music with more creative bridges, multiple time-changes within songs, and better integrated electronic manipulations. Some critics have complained that the polished production drowns the punk in their music. Personally, I don't find much difference in the production between this and the band's first release -- after all, both were produced by Phil Ek (Built to Spill, Modest Mouse, the Shins...). I think the difference -- no, the improvement -- lies in the musical differences that I've pointed out as well as in Zollo's more tempered approach to the album's vocals. No song on this album stoops to mediocrity, and, in this era of disposable music, that is quite a rare thing. Download "All Medicated Geniuses" and "Something Bigger, Something Brighter" (links courtesy of Matador). You can also stream their video for "This Is Our Emergency" here).1. Cursive -- The Ugly Organ (Saddle Creek). With The Ugly Organ, the concept album / rock opera in twelve acts, Cursive have established themselves as the most creative underground rock band right now. Like any classical theatrical work, The Ugly Organ has a beginning, in which the dilemma is set forth; a middle, in which the plot thickens; and a conclusion at which time the problem is resolved. The piece opens up as our hero, the young organist in "grotesque costume" takes the stage and addresses an "imaginary audience." The Organ's first two songs, "Some Red Handed Sleight of Hand" and one of the album's best songs, "Art is Hard," set the tone for the album. In the former, a prologue of sorts, singer Tim Kasher writes: "And now, we proudly present songs perverse and songs of lament/ A couple of hymns of confession and songs that recognize our sick obsession...."And, then, in "Art is Hard," which opens in grandiose, symphonic fashion, Kasher screams: "Cut it out -- your self-inflicted pain / Is getting too routine / The crowds are catching on / To the self-inflicted song / Well, here we go again / the art of acting weak / Fall in love to fail / To boost your CD sales...."Yes, this is an album about love, lust, guilt, cleansing, and renewal. While Kasher rants about failed relationships and haunting ghosts of relationships past, he also points out that songwriting, for better or for worse, is his confessional. In the album's middle songs, Kasher tells of love-less flings and sundry relationships with women -- his method of coping with a failed significant relationship [Ed. note: Kasher was divorced some time prior to this album]. Through creative literary and musical techniques, Kasher exorcises demons of a painful and painfully important relationship ("Bloody Murderer"). Finally, there are glimpses of hope in the final two songs, "Sierra" (in which Kasher sings of a daughter that may or may not have been) and the aptly-titled "Staying Alive". The lyrics are stacked with double entendres (most obviously, the "ugly organ"), recurring themes and symbolism, and clever wordplay that is not easily discernible from simply listening to the album. For how ingenious I find the lyrical/theatrical nature of The Ugly Organ, the musical aspect is equally as compelling. Improving upon 2000's tremendous Domestica, Cursive added celloist Gretta Cohn into the fold... and the results are spectacular. Collectively, the twelve songs musically are bold, fierce, and dramatic, yet subtle and soothing when it suits the lyrics. Further, complex song structures, unconventional chord progressions and unexpected time changes are the norm. With The Ugly Organ, Cursive offers an instant underground classic. Download "The Recluse" and "A Gentleman Caller" courtesy of Saddle Creek and Cursive. Honorable Mention: -Ten Grand -- This Is the Way To Rule. Before lead singer Matt Davis's untimely and tragic death, Ten Grand was primed to show the punk rock community their intent to rule the scene. This Is the Way to Rule is an excellent swan song.-Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks -- Pig Lib. Much better than the first album. Read my review here.-Calexico -- Feast of Wire. Great album, but didn't quite crack the Top 11.-Wire -- Send. Comeback of the year. Best Wire album since 1979's 154. And of course, to piss some people off... Most disappointing/overhyped albums of 2003:-Blur -- Think Tank. Artwork: one of the year's best. Musically, yaaaaaawn.... -Grandaddy -- Sumday. What I was afraid would happen to the Shins. Aside from a few great songs, mostly a bore.-Postal Service -- Give Up.. This falls under the "overhyped" category. The album's title is what I did after determining that the whole doesn't necessarily equal the sum of the parts, Dntel or Death Cab for Cutie.Check out Kevin's Top 10 albums of 2003 or meander back into old-school NMWYH with our Top 11 Albums of 2002 here. Music11423@blogcritics.org Sun, 4 Jan 2004 01:39:37 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/12/17/214133.php Steve SaboYep, I have finally pinned down the best ten albums that I have heard in 2003. But, first, I thought I would mention the best EP that battled for playing time this year. So here is the first installment in the No Matter What You Heard best-of series, which features first releases from two bands from opposite ends of the U.S. of A.Best EP of 2003TV on the Radio -- Young Liars. Brooklyn-based TV on the Radio recorded one of the most creative EPs in recent memory. Allmusic notes: "Elements of electronica, post-rock, film music, even spirituals and traditional African vocal music combine and recombine throughout Young Liars' five songs so organically that it's clear that TV on the Radio isn't striving to be 'eclectic' or 'atmospheric'." While the captivating epic, "Blind," might recall early solo work from Peter Gabriel, as the above quotation suggests, the band's inspiration and influences are markedly diverse. Further proof of the band's range is a not-so hidden extra track-- an a cappella rendition (and re-working) of the Pixies' "Mr. Grieves". Download "Staring at the Sun", the album's most urgent and catchy track, at Insound. Though this EP is superb, like the Rapture, TV on the Radio will almost certainly suffer from huge hype and unattainable expectations. Honorable MentionMoving Units -- s/t. Although more derivative and less diverse than TV on the Radio's work, L.A.'s Moving Units provide one of the most striking four songs in the recent post-punk revivalist movement. Less reliant on keyboards than the Rapture, Moving Units nail the ever-so "in" sound of Gang of Four's Entertainment and the Cure's Boys Don't Cry. Epitonic kindly hosts one of the excellent tracks on the album, "I Am".For more musings on the best independent music, the music industry, and the like, swing by No Matter What You Heard. Music11068@blogcritics.org Wed, 17 Dec 2003 21:41:33 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/12/02/003037.php Steve Sabo Pitchfork Media, that sassy and sardonic bunch of know-it-all indie hipsters. You either love 'em or ya hate 'em. But you at least have to give the independent media outlet some credit for revisiting their Top 100 list of the 1990s. Why now?, you might ask. Who cares! The revised list reflects an interesting assessment of how rock has changed and, consequently, how their historical perspective of rock and previous rock works has evolved. You can find the original list here and the amended list here. Below are a few of my thoughts and comments about the revisions:* As a commenter from Chrome Waves pointed out, the updated list interestingly includes considerably more rap and hip hop artists than the original. In hindsight have rap and hip hop played larger roles in the evolution of independent music? Or has Pitchfork's musical scope been broadened with the passage of time? Still, there is not a single rap or hip hop album in Pitchfork's Top 15 albums of the decade. Hip-hop-influenced DJ Shadow's first release, Endtroducing does appears at No. 7, but the first hip hop or rap album on the list is Public Enemy's Fear of a Black Planet at No. 17.* I am highly disappointed that among the casualties from the initial list were No Matter What You Heard faves, Chavez, as well as Morphine and math rock heroes, Polvo. Chavez's mesmerizing album, Ride the Fader, originally appeared as No. 38 on the list. Morphine's Cure for Pain was No. 86 on the first list. Polvo's Exploded Drawing held the 68th spot on the list.* Neutral Milk Hotel's In the Aeroplane Over the Sea ascended from a paltry No. 85 to the fourth best album of the decade. It is, at the least, coincidental that Magnet's Top 100 list from 1993-2003 featured this album as the best of the period.* Magnetic Fields' best album, Charm of the Highway Strip, which originally appeared as (coincidentally) the 69th best album of the decade, was replaced with the band's later and less remarkable 69 Love Songs.* Though Red Medicine appears at No. 42 on the revised list, Pitchfork's most embarrassing omission was Fugazi's masterpiece, Repeater, which originally appeared as No. 52 and is certainly one of the best ten, let alone one hundred, albums of the decade. * Smashing Pumpkins' magnum opus, Siamese Dream, was rightfully elevated from No. 50 to a position in the top twenty albums of the decade.* Pitchfork also correctly promoted Slint's Spiderland from No. 34 to No 12, though I am not fully satisfied without a place in the top ten.* Archers of Loaf's first and possibly best work, Icky Mettle, was another casualty of hindsight.* Radiohead's OK Computer and My Bloody Valentine's Loveless traded places as Radiohead took over the title of Pitchfork's best album of the decade. There's nothing like a best-of list to arouse the ire of self-proclaimed rock critics and rock fanatics alike, eh?For more musings on independent music, technology and the music industry, visit No Matter What You Heard. Music10591@blogcritics.org Tue, 2 Dec 2003 00:30:37 EST