Diggings - musical musings of matthew sigur

Album Roundup #20

The Embryonic Family of Wild Things drinking Horchata

This week, I have three heavyweights (Vampire Weekend, Flaming Lips and Karen O of Yeah Yeah Yeahs) and one pleasant surprise that trumps them all—Think About Life’s latest Family.

Gotta love young, hungry bands.

Let’s get this one out of the way.
I’m a fan Vampire Weekend’s first album, but the big problem with this single is the lyrics.
I have no fucking clue what horchata is. I’m pretty sure I don’t have enough money to buy it. I’m too lazy to open a Wiki page. It doesn’t help that the music sounds like a weird mix Animal Collective and Graceland-era Paul Simon.
I’m sure the new album, Contra, will be fine, but this song is just awkward and meandering.

If you think The Flaming Lips can do no wrong, think again.
The hype surrounding Embryonic was palpable. The album cover looks amazing, like some kid is being birthed from a Sasquatch. The band would return to the acid-drenched sounds of their earlier albums.
With this news, Lips fans and the entire state of Oklahoma collectively jizzed their pants.
On Embryonic, the band is trying to shed their Honda-commercial, happy-hippie vibe they perfected with their last two albums.
A note to my dad, this is not the band you fell in love with. There are no songs that sound remotely like “Do You Realize?” or “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Part One.” 
I’m fine with that. I’m OK with a band wanting to change. I’m not OK with the production and obnoxiousness of this record.
I’m not going to dig through distortion and what sounds like afternoon drug binges to hear a melody. 
That isn’t to say some songs aren’t cool. It’s the Lips, there will be some cool ideas. “Evil” is just a nice song with its Christmas on Mars-like space effects.
Otherwise, this is a boring, loud album. I’m not going to make time for Dave Fridmann shooting a load of distortion on something then panning it to the absolute left then calling it “production.” 
Pot heads and Jeff Lebowski-wannabes, you can have this. I’ll stick with their earlier, better stuff.

Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs is the perfect choice for the soundtrack to Where the Wild Things Are.
Her voice can be synonymous with vulnerability and heartbreak. She has the power to make me feel like a junior high school girl who just sat in mud. 
“Igloo” harkens back to those feelings rather quickly.
(No, I’m not a junior high girl. I know, it’s a mixed metaphor.) 
I love how a lot of Americans are expecting this film to be directly geared towards children. The same goes for the soundtrack. With people like Spize Jonze and Karen O in the mix, you’d think people would get the point that this will be smarter than G-Force.
But no.
The soundtrack works best when it’s just Karen O and some sparse instrumentation. She’s a truly under-appreciated talent with a helluva voice.
It’s also interesting that the best song (“Lost Fur”) is by composer Carter Burwell. His score might be better…

Anointing a band and getting caught up in the surrounding hype is easy. So much so that I forget about what I’m listening to and just remember that one exciting song. 
Time hasn’t been great to TV on the Radio’s last disc, Dear Science. It’s got its share of good songs, for sure, but I don’t go back to much of it because it’s laborious to listen to.
And, yet, I thought it was going to change pop music. 
Yeah, I was wrong. Big whoop. 
Then I find Think About Life’s latest Family. This is how I wanted TV on the Radio’s pop album to sound. It’s not melodramatic. It’s not political and hitting you over the head with an Obama-hammer.
(Yeah, I voted for him, too, but the dude needs to get the fuck off ESPN.) 
I thought the love for Family would die down after a couple of listens. You know the feeling, man this is good, but you worry you won’t be able to go back to it.
It gets old, like when you eat grits for every meal for a week. Then you all of the sudden hate grits.
But this album isn’t like eating grits every day for a week.
It’s much better than grits. 
It’s a cool pop disc. It’s the sound of a band having fun and going for broke, infusing each song with an attitude of “What would Michael Jackson do?”.
I don’t need “Horchata” or embryos or the kids’ “l-o-v-e.” I just need a cup of coffee and Think About Life’s “Sofa-bed,” and I’ll start the day smiling, dancing and singing.

Album Roundup #19

The Speed, The Axe….The Backspacer?

For those about to rock, or workout, or do something that requires energy, indeed, I salute you.

If you’re like me, you might need some rocking tunes this time of year. Perhaps, it’s the midterm exams, or the fact that it’s raining more often. Whatever the case, here are three options to keep your wheels churning.

If the single “1,2,3 Party!” didn’t convince you that Mission of Burma still has it, check out the glorious cover of their latest album, The Sound The Speed The Light.
I want a poster of this in my room. I don’t normally buy random posters, but I might just browse the internet for anything resembling this album cover.
OK, we get it, Matt, you wanna make children with this album cover. How’s the music?
Mission of Burma fans will love it. They have surprising consistency especially for quitting in the ’80s then rising up like a phoenix and becoming the best punk band to reunite out of the whole bunch.
Their reunion doesn’t sound forced. You can tell they aren’t doing it for the money (Pixies, Rage, Dinosaur Jr). The band’s music still has that sloppy presence to it, and they have the capability to destruct into chaos at any second.
In short, the album is turning me to into an obsessed fan.

What am I doing listening to Converge? I’m not 13. I can’t wear skinny jeans. I don’t have tattoos. I don’t start fights at bars. 
But if I ever had to start a fight, I would want to listen to Converge’s latest, Axe to Fall.
Let’s get one thing straight—I hate that screaming, “BLAARGH,” excuse for metal. Yeah, I liked it when I hated everyone in junior high.
But, these days, I only listen to this while working out. I rarely ever find myself listening to metal outside of the gym.
Axe to Fall might be one I would listen to outside the gym. First off, the drums are spectacular. Ben Koller, I don’t know how he hasn’t broken his ankles or wrists. This is the type of album that will make you want to air drum all day.
Me, in my old age (21), I can’t listen to too much of this, but I’ll use it as an alarm clock. For fans of metal, you will love this. It’s relentlessly loud and consistently rewarding. 
Yeah, I know, I’m a pussy.

Speaking of pussy…
Pearl Jam’s latest album, Backspacer.
Reviewing this album is a Catch-22 for me. You can’t fault the guys, they’re in their 40s, and they still have the ability to make four good rock songs. Then again, there’s a song about surfing (“Amongst the Waves”) and another about breathing (“Just Breathe”).
It’s too clean, but shows some signs of life.
Note that I am reviewing this album after listening to Converge, so everything sounds girly now.
Look, this album isn’t a game-changer. It’s got a few good songs. Pearl Jam, I hate to say it, but they are going to make good singles from here on out. I’m not saying I hate the band, but you can’t count on them to make Vitalogy or No Code again.
Not gonna happen.
For now, enjoy “Unthought Known” and “The Fixer.” Then go see them live.

Playlist 9/28

1. The Field — Mason Jennings
Last week, it was “Pittsburgh,” and now this song is my new obsession. This guy has a gift with infusing his lyrics with dark imagery. Blood of Man ain’t your momma’s protest album.

2. Born Again Revisited — Times New Viking
One of the best tracks from the lo-fi band’s latest of the same name.

3. Island, IS — Volcano Choir
Justin Vernon’s latest collaboration isn’t my favorite thing he’s done. It’s mostly interesting sounds, and this track is my favorite of them all. 

4. Die a Little — Viva Voce 
Hearing this song makes my dreams of being in a band one day die…a lot. 

5. You are the Blood — Castanets
I read The A.V. Club’s list of Top 25 Album You Could Listen to from Front to Back. Castanets’ Cathedral should be added to that list. 

6. Evil — The Flaming Lips
I heard this was The Lips’ most drug-induced album. Oh, so this is what they sound like on drugs!

7. No Time, No Hope — Times New Viking
In the vein of Rip it Off, meaning it’s a catchy-ass punk song with tons of distortion and child-like yells about life’s meaningless.