"You can't just put velvet in the shit and think they're nice headphones!"
This is the first installment of my new column of mini music reviews, intended to be briefer and breezier, with a slightly smaller chance of critical douchiness than normal.
"Put some treble in it... put some treble in it... that's my word!!!"
Pikara- PIKARA
When I was a wee lad eating cream of rice on a Sunday morning, reading Kipling, my mother's go-to album was "The Hissing of Summer Lawns." I've since used that one as well as a Sunday morning pancake music, and when I first ran through Pikara's self-titled album, I had high hopes that it would belong in the same sort of classic emotional bracket. On repeated listens, that hasn't been the case. Pikara frontwoman Sara Dryberg is, while immensely talented, perhaps too aware of her own confidence, and to create an album like this one, of beauty that is almost haunting is a pretty sure sign that any promised mystery will not be that deep. Nevertheless, PIKARA is cinematic and intense, and I would recommend the listener experiment with it to see exactly where it resonates with them. CD release party August 25th at Valentine's.
Secrets In The Salt- KRILL THROUGH BALEEN
I don't just write blogs for my health. One of the great things that I get to do is have abuse heaped upon me by mouth-breathing numbskulls who are defending some crap band of the week in lieu of maintaining their own dignity. Another great thing is that I get a chance to get intimate with cool bands, people from labels, talk to them about how they do their thing, and tell them how I do my thing. It's not a fan thing, necessarily, as technically I'm in the biz, and have been, but hell... it makes me feel good. Makes the old self feel young.
And sometimes, the latter comes from the former. One of the members of SITS contacted me after my vicious 'review' of Cage The Elephant, which he agreed with. We started shooting the shit about recording techniques, etc., and one thing led to another. He offered to send me a demo. Hey, why not? The song of theirs I had listened to on myspace was pretty cool.
Now, just to throw this in here, lest you out in Blogreadistan think we're complete idiots, Secrets In The Salt were talking up multiple bloggers from Crappy Indie Music and sending them review material. Now, while that might make me feel less special, you have to give the boys credit for hustle. Amber Dawn should be doing a more in-depth review of this album soon.
My main thought about Krill Through Baleen is that it was a world away from the demo song I'd heard on myspace, and overall a bit of a disappointment. It's well-produced, jangly, fun bouncy pop, but didn't strike me as a very mature work overall. This gives me high hope for their next disc, which sounds as if it's going for a grittier new wave feel with some '60s type vocal harmonies. I've heard elsewhere that this is a band to see live, so go check them out. They've got hustle!
Tobacco- FUCKED UP FRIENDS
Yeah... so this one is not new, and has been out a while, but is new to me. My little bro- of the record label and friends with WIBG fame- gave it to me to listen to. Thanks, Draeger. You were spot on with this one.
Tobacco- who needs to pick a new nom de plume- is the singer from Black Moth Super Rainbow, who I happened to be familiar with because last.fm puked them up as a similar artist to my band. Tobacco's solo efforts' are strictly analog synth and tape loop affairs, and it shows. The thing about Fucked Up Friends that surprised me was HOW FUCKING BADASS IT WAS. This disc goes all over the place, and rips and tears and never once bores. To me it is the modern stoner/glitch equivalent of Vernon Reid's Mistaken Identity. While it may lack the visionary power of that album, it is certainly its equal in energy. My only qualms are the gratuitous flute parts, and Aesop Rock's appearance on one track, while competent, seemed forced and pandering. Otherwise, pow!
Well, that's it for the first installment of TURN MY HEADPHONES UP. I'll be back soon with more.
I don't just write blogs for my health. One of the great things that I get to do is have abuse heaped upon me by mouth-breathing numbskulls who are defending some crap band of the week in lieu of maintaining their own dignity. Another great thing is that I get a chance to get intimate with cool bands, people from labels, talk to them about how they do their thing, and tell them how I do my thing. It's not a fan thing, necessarily, as technically I'm in the biz, and have been, but hell... it makes me feel good. Makes the old self feel young.
And sometimes, the latter comes from the former. One of the members of SITS contacted me after my vicious 'review' of Cage The Elephant, which he agreed with. We started shooting the shit about recording techniques, etc., and one thing led to another. He offered to send me a demo. Hey, why not? The song of theirs I had listened to on myspace was pretty cool.
Now, just to throw this in here, lest you out in Blogreadistan think we're complete idiots, Secrets In The Salt were talking up multiple bloggers from Crappy Indie Music and sending them review material. Now, while that might make me feel less special, you have to give the boys credit for hustle. Amber Dawn should be doing a more in-depth review of this album soon.
My main thought about Krill Through Baleen is that it was a world away from the demo song I'd heard on myspace, and overall a bit of a disappointment. It's well-produced, jangly, fun bouncy pop, but didn't strike me as a very mature work overall. This gives me high hope for their next disc, which sounds as if it's going for a grittier new wave feel with some '60s type vocal harmonies. I've heard elsewhere that this is a band to see live, so go check them out. They've got hustle!
Tobacco- FUCKED UP FRIENDS
Yeah... so this one is not new, and has been out a while, but is new to me. My little bro- of the record label and friends with WIBG fame- gave it to me to listen to. Thanks, Draeger. You were spot on with this one.
Tobacco- who needs to pick a new nom de plume- is the singer from Black Moth Super Rainbow, who I happened to be familiar with because last.fm puked them up as a similar artist to my band. Tobacco's solo efforts' are strictly analog synth and tape loop affairs, and it shows. The thing about Fucked Up Friends that surprised me was HOW FUCKING BADASS IT WAS. This disc goes all over the place, and rips and tears and never once bores. To me it is the modern stoner/glitch equivalent of Vernon Reid's Mistaken Identity. While it may lack the visionary power of that album, it is certainly its equal in energy. My only qualms are the gratuitous flute parts, and Aesop Rock's appearance on one track, while competent, seemed forced and pandering. Otherwise, pow!
Well, that's it for the first installment of TURN MY HEADPHONES UP. I'll be back soon with more.
2 comments:
thanks for the poke, now I'll get that finished.
Music is our life and fun music makes it more entertaining and enjoying. Fun music helps you in reducing the stress, it opens new doors of enjoyment, fun and entertainment. It gives you a sense of understanding and a power to achieve your goals in life.
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