Top 5 of 2011

Another year has gone (or nearly). This list is in no order, it's just the albums I've most enjoyed this year. I haven't reviewed all of them here, but I would have liked to if I got the jump and the music came to me early enough (hear that, musicians? Get me your stuff!!).

This was a great album for a great cause. A combination of folks you wouldn't expect to perform together and, as an added bonus, Neil Gaiman sings!

Donald Glover used this EP to come out in a big way as one of the most talented MCs the rap game currently has to offer while at the same time taking a shot at the game itself.

I tried not to like this album. I was afraid all the hype surrounding it would lead me to disappointment. Well...in short, it didn't. The album is brilliant and I thank Josh of Sinners Repent for showing me the error in my arrogance.

Young the Giant was a surprise that seemingly crept slowly up. Call it a come from behind victory. A great album of lament and life day-to-day.

The metal album of the year goes to Mastodon. Well played, technically salient, and their first non-concept album to boot.

Hopefully, 2012 will have even more to offer. Happy New Year!

Music Review - Sledding with Tigers/KIDS Split

This review is for a split release, therefore "Have Fun, High-Five and Stuff" will be a split review. For the first half: Sledding with Tigers!

SWT is nothing if not prolific. The great part about finding them so early on is having the chance to really see them evolve. When I first heard SWT, I was reminded me of a talented young man striving to get his punk images of his own life out on an acoustic guitar. But now, they've become more than that.

What we find now is much more reigned in acoustic guitar sound playing rhythmically and melodiously with a voice that has grown stronger and more sure of itself. Additionally, we hear the return of, and more prevalence of, violin, the inclusion of a banjo, and some nice texturing with an ambient electric guitar. The instrumentation is well balanced and well played, simple without being easy. It could be said these tunes are less punk and moving in a bluegrassy direction, easily seen on "Southbound!!! Northbound!!! Partybound!!! Dead", which also sneaks in some Charlie Brown-type whimsy.

The main stand out here is "Pizza Party! 1, 2, 3!!!". Here is a song that says, "we're growing up, and we're not 100% sure we're ready for that". The emotions of day to day life and the overwhelming feeling which can be felt is conveyed in such a way it becomes easy to remember being twenty-something all over again. With "They Sure Are Going All Out For Labor Day This Year, Aren't They?" we see a return to the poppier/punkier style we've come to know from SWT and it's reassuring to know, yeah, they still got "it".

RIYL: Greg Graffin, Paul Westerberg, Conor Oberst

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Part 2 of this review is, conversely, for a band I'd never heard before. Rumor has it these two bands are close and play quite a bit together. It's easy to see why when listening to the "second side" of this split.

With a full band (guitare, keys, drums, bass), KIDS has a slightly different sound, a mixture of mid-90's meets mid-50's feel. Dual (but not dueling) singers makes for a nice change of pace from song to song. The male and female vocal intertwine in a nice echo of each other that isn't simply call and response, but a conversation between two good singers. This is especially obvious on the cover, "Do you wanna dance?", which is really a re-interpretation of the song than a cover, strictly speaking.

With straightforward lyrics, KIDS seems to be striving to have a good night out. The songs are upbeat and the toil of the day-to-day is left behind. Songs such as "Monkeys" really pull out this feeling subtly whereas the final track, "Where have all the dancers gone?" Really point out that no one wants the party to end.

Tanya Donelly, She and Him, Coyote Shivers

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Where to find them:

• BandCamp
• Mediafire

This album is pay as much as you want, but that's all the more reason to pay $10 or so. Support independent music!

Music Review - Florence + the Machine

Florence + the Machine caught quite a few people by surprise. Whether it was during the vapid, worthless film lucky enough to have a song on the the soundtrack (Twilight), or when the sonic assault of the song "Dog Days Are Over" hit the airwaves, Florence + the Machine made a it clear that a rich, powerful voice and some less-than-usual instrumentation could combine for some very good music.

On their first album, Lungs, FTM (for brevity) were all over the musical map. With near-punk songs like "Kiss with a Fist" to soul throw-backs like "You've Got the Love" to goth-esque songs like "My Boy Builds Coffins", the album was best labeled as eclectic. This is less apparent on their follow-up, Ceremonials, where find a more matured Florence and a more robust Machine

Bringing in more traditional rock elements has not hurt this album in the slightest. Florence Welch's voice is still the main focus, but focus is a key word. Where Lungs was a few of Flo's favorite things, Ceremonials is a more honed experienced. The songs still vary from quiet and subtle to rocking and raucous, but seem to move in a similar vein.

Standouts are the nearly religious "What the Water Gave Me", a romp with power and overtones of self-redemption, "Never Let Me Go", a slower, softer tune seemingly about a love affair with the sea, and "Leave My Body" which has a strange gypsy/Celtic feel to it. The entire album is permeated with veiled religiousness and darker marks or a life of the experienced seeking redemption, from society or a lover or a god is left up to the listener to make a final decision.

Many critics worried the sophomore effort from FTM would be less charismatic or moving as they found Lungs to be. Fortunately, Ceremonials comes to us firing on all cylinders showing us a singer in her prime.

Where can it be found:

• iTunes
• The Flotique
• Amazon

RIYL: Siouxsie and the Banshees, Kate Bush, Tori Amos

Music Review - Apparat - The Devil's Walk

It seems the autumn music is upon us. And the upcoming album from Apparat, The Devil's Walk, makes for a great addition to any fall music collection or playlist.

This album is reflective, seemingly filled with songs of longing for instant nostalgia, like telling stories of a party you went just a few nights ago as if they were the childhood we've all lost somewhere along the way. These songs, "Escape" immediately comes to mind, have such a mix of melancholy and upheaving redemption, it makes it difficult to say this album is morose. It's really enjoyable as a roller coaster of surface emotions, the type that don't want to delve too deep and spill over into true feelings.

As far as instrumentation is concerned, it's all programmed. This might turn some people off, but the orchestration and the way a melange of sounds is pulled together to form melody and structure is pure genius. Then there are the voices: lilting, lazy, stretching themselves out to the point where it seems each breath is held standing on the edge of a 200 meter drop, but caught just in time for the next lyric. "Song of Los" and "Ash Black Veil" are great examples of taking that voice, slowly pulled from the throat, and stretching it over beats and tones that are moving at a frantic pace so that the two, juxtaposed, form a balance.

This album is a brilliant piece for your autumnal listening pleasures. It comes out next week and everyone should scoop it up as soon as possible.

Where to find it:

• Amazon pre-order (for regular or special edition)
• You can preorder on iTunes
• The Apparat Website

RIYL: Mogwai, Toe, Godspeed You! Black Emperor

Special thanks to CJR for the hook-up on this one!

Music Review - Ichabod

Ichabod is the latest dark pop/folk-ish artist to escape the hallowed halls and pubs of the UK. With a dark sensibility and a straight-forward delivery, Ichabod's latest 7 song release, All My Beloved shows some branching out compared to earlier releases while staying at home with themes that are easy to relate to and a sound that harkens back a bit to late-80's/early-90's alt rock.

On previous releases, Ichabod was a one man show with occasional help on percussion. This album finds him joined by The Inglorious, a capable backing band which gives the music a fuller, less controlled sound. This becomes apparent on the second track, "Godzilla Love", a campy, call-response love song that where the instrumentation is free and flowing. The one negative I can find on these recording, though, is, whether due to haste or desire, occasionally the mix is a bit off. The snare sound for the drums is tinny and obnoxious. Additionally, some lead guitar parts are so far up in the mix as to make it difficult to hear the rest of the band.

It's sad that the songs aren't better produced, because they are truly brilliant. Lyrically, each song is a dark poem depicting addiction, love gone wrong, and a generally rough life as lived by someone with experience in the less than light side of life. Ichabod's voice pulls it all together in a way that makes the poor production, almost disappear. Almost.

To be honest, though, the darkness is of a type where brief glimpses of hope shine through. On songs like the title track and "Edmund the Martyr", we understand that the bottom has been reached, and at the bottom, clarity has finally been reached. This is not an album that leaves you feeling all is lost, more that mistakes have been made, but even through the worst mistakes, we can learn and move on.

Where to find this album:

• BandCamp
• MySpace

RIYL: Jeff Buckley, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Built to Spill

Music Review - Bird

As we usher ourselves into new realms of music distribution, we need new monikers. For example, Liverpool's Bird have released 4 songs, so to speak, so I would call such a collection an EP. However, they are just on SoundCloud, not in an organized form. I think I like this, but let's focus on the music.

Lilting vocals from a female singer are the most noticeable features of Bird at first. These vocals are very reminiscent of mid-90's alt-rock vocal styling, with a touch of femininity splashed over a clear sensuality of power. This power emanates from the progenitor of the band, Adele Emmas, who gathered musicians for the project in order to give music to her words.

And the musicians responded. Playing what seems to be atmospheric styled dream pop, Bird brings together the ideas of alt/rock with the slow, folkiness of modern indie rockers. In songs such as "Tides" the guitars compete without overbearing each other or the listener. The bass and drums work together to form a cohesive unit, perhaps a bit understated in most songs, but providing a driving (if simple) churn to move the melodies along to. With other instrumentation added as needed, the "dash of this, pinch of that" approach allows the vocals to fill spaces that might otherwise be left vacant. Put all together, the sound is sexy and exceptional, although it harkens back to a time when this sound was underground and a bit more common.

Bird stands out on the basis of their willingness to not lock down on one style. They range from raunchy slow-churn blues ("Wanna be your dog") to choir-esque atmospherics ("Phantoms") with stops in between. If these four songs (which I will call an eponymous EP for lack of a better word) are a good indication, I think we have a lot to look forward to from Bird.

Where to find them:

• Thanks to user yflmd on Reddit, I was directed to Bird's website


• Their SoundCloud page

RIYL: PJ Harvey, Concrete Blonde, Tanya Donnelly

Music Review - ††† (Crosses)

It's been a while, but it's summer and I've been busy busy busy. So to make up for it, I bring you the latest solo effort from Chino Moreno, best known for his work with hardcore band, the Deftones.

I wasn't sure what to expect from †††, the name of this project (heretofore referred to as Crosses). Moreno is well known to experiment when outside of the Deftones umbrella, and this is no exception. While still tinged with guitar riffs and lyrics that follow the dreamy ghost story of Moreno's style, these five songs have a much dreamier and ethereal quality. Vocals are clear and concise with unquestionably straightforward poignancy. The music, while mostly electronic, doesn't overtake the lines of the main melody or overbear the vocals.

This nice part of this EP is that Crosses retains all the lyrical workmanship of the Deftones with a much less emotionally wrenching sound to bring it out. Sometimes, the lyrical message gets lost in Deftones songs, but with Crosses the vocals drive the music. A good example of this is "†hholyghs†" (yes, the whole '†' in the title of everything is a little ten angsty), where the emotion of the vocal pulls out the heaviness and softness alternatingly, making this a great, anthemic tune.

Listening through, this EP has been a great release with enough energy to pep a listener up, but no so much aggression so as to make the listener want to jump in the pit.

Where to find it:

• On the Crosses site


• iTunes

RIYL: Deftones, Nine Inch Nails (especially Ghosts), The Crow - OST