en http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/ Thu, 1 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 Thu, 1 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 60 http://www.audioscrobbler.net/data/webservices http://www.last.fm/user/japieee/journal The Last.fm journal for japieee. Last.fm journals are a place to talk about all things music. http://www.last.fm/user/japieee/journal/2007/09/22/26c1v_in_concert%3A_feist_%28live_%40_melkweg%29 Sat, 22 Sep 2007 10:51:59 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/japieee/journal/2007/09/22/26c1v_in_concert%3A_feist_%28live_%40_melkweg%29

Fri 21 Sep – Feist, Bob Wiseman

It's very rare for me that I award a record extra credit for production values, but Leslie Feist’s The Reminder is one of the exceptions. Like TV on the Radio’s 2006 smash hit Return to Cookie Mountain before it, the production that graces the disc enhances the experience of listening to the songs. Feist has an impeccable skill for songwriting, but the songs exhale such warmth and intimacy due to its production. You really feel like Feist is standing right there in front of you, singing these songs live while jamming with her friends.

Ironically, when Feist is actually standing right there in front of you, singing these songs live while jamming with her friends, like last night in Melkweg, the effect is not as overwhelming. The place was packed, which gave me a good feeling. Not to be a major indie snob, but seeing such a big crowd coming from the music audience that inhabits our country makes me happy. And happy for Feist too. I’m glad that she is getting such recognition, because she a truly talented songwriter and performer.

Sadly, whatever talent she possesses, she left some at home during her performance in Amsterdam. It may have something to do with the fact that I wasn’t feeling well which quickly led me to explore the venue for some fresh air and ended up on the balcony where the sound was limited. However, it may also have had something to do with the fact that it just wasn’t that good a show. Don’t get me wrong, I liked it and I had fun. Seeing Feist perform songs that have been blasting through my headphones all year was a great experience, and there were some nice surprises that she had in store for us. Of course, she played all the greats: Mushaboom, I Feel It All, Limit to Your Love and several others from her critically acclaimed The Reminder.

However. The excellent production that makes The Reminder such an overwhelming and inspirational listen is naturally absent when performing them before 500 people in a live setting. Therefore, due to the skinny quality of the compositions, the show came off as somewhat of an unpolished, sloppy endeavor. Feist’s voice is one of wonders, but while it’s spine-tingling on record, it doesn’t fare as well in live setting. Perhaps she was having difficulties with her health, but by the time she got her voice to reach the high notes, the song had already passed them. I will give her credit for creativity and improvisational skills, as she started the concert with a nice little puck-and-pluck improv about Amsterdam. And hey, let’s be realistic, it’s not like I could perform a concert with the quality that she did last night. However, with the string of excellent concerts I’ve come to enjoy this year (Joanna Newsom, !!!, Chromeo, among others), Feist’s show strikes me as somewhat underwhelming. Pity.

Picture credit: saar_jt]]> http://www.last.fm/user/japieee/journal/2007/09/11/26bxc_record_review%3A_night_falls_over_kortedala_%28jens_lekman%29 Tue, 11 Sep 2007 11:16:42 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/japieee/journal/2007/09/11/26bxc_record_review%3A_night_falls_over_kortedala_%28jens_lekman%29

Night Falls Over Kortedala
Jens Lekman

There are well over two thousand songs recorded throughout human history called 'I Love You', but I don't think any of them get the message across as effectively as Jens Lekman. On his second proper full-length, Night Falls Over Kortedala, none of the songs are called 'I Love You', but love, romance, girls and first kisses are the primary subjects of his material. It starts with the cover (for your pleasure and convenience placed on top of this review). It looks like a seemingly innocuous portrait of a haircut, but one spin of the stunning Shirin will teach you that every time she cuts his hair it's like a love affair.

New listeners of Jens Lekman should be noted that the romance in his songs is as unsubtle as the vicious treble punch of Justice, but somehow that's also part of the charm. Your Arms Around Me is an exaggerated love song (arguably the lesser song of the set), complete with corny handclaps and a bouncy guitar line. But Night Falls Over Kortedala exhales such warmth and comfort that it's bound to win you over, take you in its lap and tell you that everything's gonna be okay, while rubbing your head (or ears) with lush melodies and witty lyrics.

Not to label myself a total hipster, but somehow this record reminds me of a scene in Garden State, in which Zach Braff defines family as a group of people all searching for the feeling of home that doesn't exist. On this stunning 50-minute set, Jens Lekman has found it. It's like he has found a way to bottle the rapturous memories of his childhood (and those of everyone who listens to his record) and then pour them into twelve concise and quite frankly heartwarming songs, of which many already feel like classic pop songs.

One could argue that Jens Lekman's excessive use of samples is somehow cheating, that without these samples the album would be nothing but a few drum patterns, a random guitar line and his warming melodies. While I dare to state that even without the samples the album would be worth a listen, the samples here are indeed the instantly striking aspect of this record. And good for Jens, what better to compliment your purest memories with than your favorite soundpieces from that time, or any time for that matter. To Jens, these samples have the same emotional weight as the stories, the melodies and the memories: they mean something to him. And that's so easily audible, he lets every horn sample, string bit and drum loop take center-stage. This is his world, his story, his record and he's not gonna shy away of drowning deep into his own head and life.

But if exquisite songwriting and powerful pop hooks don't do it for you, Night Falls Over Kortedala is worth a spot in your iTunes Library for the lyrics alone. It is ofcourse Jens's writing that fuels the stories, the memories and the explanations (or lack there of) behind them. And for a songwriter which such a golden ear for pop, it's almost unfair to lesser songwriters that he also happens to be a charming and witty writer. On A Postcard to Nina, he tells us a hilarious tale about his lesbian pen pal from Berlin, who uses Jens as a fake boyfriend to keep her heavily Christian father quiet about her love life. Stunning album closer (and lead single) Friday Night at the Drive-In Bingo gives us insight into the worst job he ever had. They are stories no one should really give a damn about, but Jens's impeccable songwriting and cynical way of looking at things makes you wanna care.

Although the music is, on its own, hardly experimental or unconventional, this record's form is hella inventive. Sampling has been an over-exercised technique ever since technology allowed us to do so, but I have yet to hear a record that uses sampling so honestly and accurately than on Night Falls Over Kortedala. Which is of course something Jens Lekman could write a fun song about: the paradox in taking the work of others to convincingly fuel your own memories. But Jens's immerse talent makes it click, and Night Falls Over Kortedala plays like a CD-R burned with the greatest tunes you used to listen to as a kid; in the car on your way to holiday in France, or (for the readers beyond my generation), sitting breathless on the floor with headphones listening to your father's records. This is the sound of a charming songwriter at his most creative: cutting and pasting songs, memories and stories into what could very well be the most striking collage of the year. Or as Jens Lekman says it: Sipping on the Sweet Nectar of your memories. And boy, does that taste phenomenal.


]]> http://www.last.fm/user/japieee/journal/2007/09/10/26bnh_real-time_review%3A_strawberry_jam_%28animal_collective%29 Mon, 10 Sep 2007 22:11:19 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/japieee/journal/2007/09/10/26bnh_real-time_review%3A_strawberry_jam_%28animal_collective%29

Before we begin...

The foursome that calls itself Animal Collective has always been a weird thing with me. Somehow it feels like this band could become one of my favorites. Silly as it may sound, but they have that certain quality about them - their endless string of critically acclaimed records, their creativity and eccentricity and their ability to create wonderful solo records (Person Pitch!).

And for a moment it seemed that my dreams were all coming through, the first two tracks of their record Sung Tongs were two instant favorites. Especially Who Could Win a Rabbit was instantly striking, nestling itself into my great grey mass and never letting go.

But the other songs never really clicked. And so now, heavily triggered by a 9.3 rating from a certain publication I won't mention but which I trust blindly, I have their Strawberry Jam ready for my first spin. So this real-time review is sort of a defining moment for me, and a hit-or-miss or sorts for Animal Collective. Will this be the one that clicks, or will I just have to regret not being able to hang with the cool kids for not quite getting Animal Collective?

01 - Peacebone

0:00 - I have already heard about half of this on a Youtube video somewhere. Was intrigued by its electricity, but didn't really click yet. Let's see.

0:06 - I thought I heard someone say that Animal Collective wasn't experimental. I think this is impetus that they are. Very.

0:31 - Woah! Stomping beat!

0:59 - He sounds a little bit like Jack White. Or is that a very non-hipster thing to say? This is Avey Tare, right?

2:38 - This is so much more pop than what I'm used of them. It's slightly disturbing too. Somehow I imagine someone getting completely postal, doing the Sara Goldfarb when listening to this under the influence of any psychotropic substance.

3:46 - I like this, but it's stretching a bit long. But then, again, 'Who Could Win A Rabbit' is heavily crammed with ideas. Perhaps I should quit using Sung Tongs as a reference point.

5:02 - That wasn't bad at all.

02 - Unsolved Mysteries

2:09 - It's not at all that I don't like it. I just can't really form an opinion yet. It has a distinct otherworldly formula and structure. Which is, I think, why they call it 'experimental music' after all :)

3:10 - I do have the feeling that once the little quirks settle in your head it's a lot easier to follow. Right now, there's just so much going on everywhere that it's hard to focus.

03 - Chores

0:27 - It has the feeling of what the Beach Boys would sound like in a sadistic and twisted parallel universe.

2:49 - Ah, this part is nice. They're really good with the 'ooh-ahs' and 'la-las'.

04 - For Reverend Green

0:44 - They are really good in creating melody and composition with seemingly structureless random noise.

1:57 - This strikes me as my favorite so far. I could listen to an entire record of this (of course I'll come to realise that I am listening to an entire record of this.

5:18 - God this singer is very powerful.

05 - Fireworks

0:22 - Hey, I know this one? Perhaps another YouTube preview I forgot about.

2:33 - I really like the vocals on this. The music, I'm not so sure. It's inventive, creative, energetic and all that. But it just doesn't strike me as extraordinarily enjoyable.

3:21 - I mean, I thought Battles was 'hard'.

3:58 - Time for the hook, pals.

4:22 - The reason I haven't turned it off yet is just that it's intriguing. I have the feeling that this will warm up eventually. But then, again... 'Person Pitch' was considered to be 'experimental' too and that instantly stunned me.

6:08 - The hook with the vocal chanting is amazingly fun and electric. I like this one overall.

06 - #1

1:25 - Oh, great. Semi-ambient pieces. Just what I needed. >_>

1:36 - Oh this vocal is brilliant. Just what I needed. ^_^

3:29 - This actually fares pretty well. The noodling quality about it make it somewhat easier to endure than some of the more eccentric tracks. Still haven't turned it off though, which is a first for Animal Collective records and me. Then again, with this real-time review thing I have a little more purpose to complete the album.

07 - Winter Wonder Land

0:12 - Hey, it's the Twisted Beach Boys again.

0:54 - But like, come on. Compare this with, eh... D.A.N.C.E. or Atlas. Where does this stand in the 'memorable hook' list? Not to argue that all music should be fit for radio and iPods. But in terms of experimentalism and avant-garde songcrafting, a record like Drum's Not Dead was equally unconventional, but that made a bigger impact on first listen.

2:29 - And it hurts, because I want to like this band so much.

08 - Cuckoo Cuckoo

0:00 - Oh, wow, we're almost through the thing. Short record then? 43 minutes. That's not so short.

0:54 - Hey, more noodling.

1:10 - Okay, so there's one of those things. Here you have this beautiful and fragile piano-piece, and then these noises and quirky sounds set in. Loving the creative vibe here, but are you sure you're not just being creative for the very sake of being creative? I'd never thought I would say this, but this strikes me as pretenious.

2:06 - Here we go again. I appreciate it, I really do. But I just can't imagine four dudes sitting there on the floor, playing some random stuff. Recording this and going 'Wow, this is going on the record.' Loving the whole 'letting yourself free of prejudice and convention' and all. But... come on. Am I such a sucker for pop music after all?

3:15 - And the worst part is. I like this singer a lot, his falsetto is spine-tingling. The guitarist is impressive too. I almost feel like it's a waste to use their talents for a record like this. When they would let Panda Bear control everything, they could be creating the greatest rock record since OK Computer.

4:40 - I want to like this band. I want to like this band. I want to like this band. I want to like this band.

5:01 - And you'll see - in a year-or-so, when everyone is all 'Strawberry Jam is so last year', I'll be reading this journal entry and be like: 'My dear boy. What an insolent child you are.' I have a knack for 'getting things' when everyone else has already moved on. Although I started obsessing about 'Person Pitch' before Pitchfork did. I'm still convinced they stole some of my review (not really: P)

09 - Derek

1:06 - Hey, I like this. See? This is like a pop song. Pretty weird pop song, but a pop song nonetheless!

3:01 - The end. Wow. Time to digest.

Conclusion for now:

"You didn't think it was gonna be that easy, did you?"

"You know. For a second there? Yeah, I kinda did."

"Silly rabbit. Tricks are -"

" - for kids."]]> http://www.last.fm/user/japieee/journal/2007/07/19/26b9o_record_review%3A_favourite_worst_nightmare_%28arctic_monkeys%29 Thu, 19 Jul 2007 14:12:49 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/japieee/journal/2007/07/19/26b9o_record_review%3A_favourite_worst_nightmare_%28arctic_monkeys%29

Favourite Worst Nightmare
Arctic Monkeys

If anything, we can confidently state that Arctic Monkeys have received their accolades way too quickly. Their record-breaking debut was a merely okay record, but was praised by certain publications like something Jesus Christ himself would concider sacred. The fact that the ever so ignorant ‘mainstream’ wholeheartedly agreed with this made me look at the Monkeys with an immaturely hateful and viciously deep rooted irritation. Never mind a harpist’s brave journey through personal struggle or a Swedish brother-sister duo summoning the darkest of spirits in kitschy electro; along comes a rookie brat quartet wh fill their nights yelling about fake tales, mardy bums and certain romances and suddenly they’re the biggest band of the century.

But a year has gone by and now that all of the pre-buzz analogies and post-hype theories have worn off, we can finally look at Arctic Monkeys as a matured and settled band trying to secure a spot in rock’s history. And if you know me at all you’ll be surprised that I’m saying this, but Arctic Monkeys have delivered a fun and confident record that might just earn them the recognition they’ve been fighting for. Finally, with Favourite Worst Nightmare, the aforementioned publications can stop cuddling them like a 2-year old who just learned to walk. Just listen to the powerful lyrics and wonderful anthemic buildup of Do Me a Favour or the groovy guitar lines on Old Yellow Bricks and you’ll realize: Arctic Monkeys are no longer kids.

Not all tracks on Favourite Worst Nightmare are worth their running time, though. After the solid three-track start, the sloppy and annoying Balaclava taints the record like a rotten grapefruit in the refrigerator. Likewise, in the surprisingly strong second half of the album, both If You Were There, Beware and The Bad Thing fail to leave much of an impression (although ‘If You Were There...’ gets fairly closer than ‘The Bad Thing’). But besides those rough edges, the record runs a smooth 40 minutes and due to tight compositions and an uncanny immediate delivery it’s already over before you know it.

Favourite Worst Nightmare is in no respect a brilliant or even a fantastic album. Although the silent thrill of Only Ones Who Know and the impossibly powerful hook on Teddy Picker hint at the Monkeys’s undeniably great songwriting, on most of the songs that same songwriting fails to give the extra push that would make the songs classics. As such, even the better tracks on the cd would have a hard time staying afloat as singles. But listen to the tracks in concession and you will be listening to a concise work of slightly imperfect art that finally defines the Arctic Monkeys as a band that should be taken very seriously. But in the end, if the record proves anything, it would be that music can be just good fun without the so-said ‘importance’, and you don’t really need battles, hissing faunas or Ed Banger Records to create a solid and enjoyable experience.

]]> http://www.last.fm/user/japieee/journal/2007/06/24/26b2t_halfway_2007%3A_highlight_records Sun, 24 Jun 2007 16:13:35 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/japieee/journal/2007/06/24/26b2t_halfway_2007%3A_highlight_records

2006 was undoubtedly the year of beats, hihats and synths. Although conventional songcraft did spawn some exceptional records, the biggest thrills we've had the pleasure to experience came from dance music. This theory is mostly fueled by the year's best record: Silent Shout, but let's not forget Junior Boys, Simian Mobile Disco and hell, even Justin Timberlake who all packed their creative ideas into neat, electronic packages. Alas, it wasn't all bleeps and bits in 2006, as Joanna Newsom, The Pipettes and Liars proved that even with good ol' fashioned harps, guitars en doo-wops true magic can be created.

We're also at a time where the line between 'mainstream' and 'indie' is slowly fading. A few exceptions aside (let's not forget Modest Mouse's crossover way back when), but it's not until now that 'mainstream' listeners discover the virtues of more indepedent bands, and vice versa. Both hipster and mainstreamer could not deny Promiscuous, nor did anyone dare to not acknowledge the brilliance of Crazy.

Cut to 2007, and I find it very hard to label this year. Is it the year in which folk is finally free from prejudice? The year in which dance continues it's world dominance? The year of revenge of the boybands? No, no and thank god not. If anything, 2007 is but the year in which unconventional methods of songcraft are recognized by larger amounts of people and in which listeners embrace adventurous bands and records. Thank god, too - since so many wonderful music is lost these days due to people's lack of patience and good will.

Halfway through, I decided to compile of list of what I think are this year's highlights. Records that have managed to make us yet again excited about another year of music. Now although there's nothing I like more than lists where there's rankings and ratings, these are in no particular order. My definitive ranking and #1 of 2007 will be here in December.


Battles - Mirrored
The debut LP of the supergroup Battles will probably go down in the 2007's yearbook as one of the most widely praised records. It also happens to be one of the prime examples of adventurous songcraft. The combined resumé of this group's members makes it an intimidating setup, and such they've established themselves as a group that could do or make basically anything. The music on Mirrored is on itself adventurous enough, drawing from abstract time signatures and rythmic deviance. That, combined with a surgeon's precision and melodically brilliant composition makes for one of the most rewarding and refreshing listens of the year. Favorite track of mine is lead single Atlas, that trolls through your speakers like a bulldozer on acid. Its indecipherable lyrics and chipmunk voice palette make it somewhat of an awkward listen but hang in there: it'll pay off like not many records do.


LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
In my review of LCD Soundsystem's incredible Sound of Silver I mentioned that it was a great notch above their debut (which was in comparison a 'fusty shade of bronze'). Now although in my enthusiastic pursuit of LCD Soundsytem I've gained a newfound love for the debut, if my admiration for Sound of silver has altered at all, it has only increased. From the opening clatters of Get Innocuous! to the closing balladry of New York, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down - every single note on this work of perfection is worth gold silver. It's one of the few records where 'mature' is actually a positive label; James Murphy has showed to be capable of releasing his pseudo-rebellious songwriting and focusing on what he does best: creating a wonderfully vibrant and excellent masterpiece that blends the best of [old punk band here] with the funk of [new dancepunk band here] into something that's entirely his own. Best record of 2007?


of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?
Not everything great in 2007 has something to do with an avant-garde approach to pop or rock writing. Best example of this is Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? - a wonderful and colourful journey through heartbreak and reconcile. Although the record runs over fifty minutes, not a lot of this year's releases feel this immediate. Almost all the tracks blend into eachother, leaving absolutely no room for silly synthscapes or long outros. Bar one exception: the 12-minute centerpiece The Past is a Grotesque Animal which is one of the most collosal and solid songs of the year. Building layer upon layer of repetitive dark synths, the track dips into the darkest shade of macabre, while keeping somewhat of an upward vibe and speed. On nearly all the other tracks, the closest I can come to describing this excellent record is like a wonderful cotton candy, neon letters, roller coaster ride speedrush, without feeling sick afterwards.


The Field - From Here We Go Sublime
Gliding through the clouds at 300m/h, From Here We Go Sublime is one of the few hints that dance music might not have died back in 2006. Although notibly different from last year's dance, Alex Willner (founding and sole member of The Field) has managed to create a record that is both ridiculously simple but somehow incredibly ethereal. A hilarious comment on the Metacritic page (which has this record as the #1 of 2007 so far) says: 'Play record. Boom, chk, boom, chk, boom, chk. Album over.'. While this is true to a certain extent, the looping on this record is simply aces. Alex Willner proves himself to be a master of sound engineering and creating new world by taking hints of the past. Sure, listening to this record all in once might be a bit of a challenge, but who would've thought hearing the same Kate Bush fragment six hundred times within six minutes could actually prove to be an exceptional experience? Boom, chk, boom, chk, awesome! Repetition never sounded this grand.


Panda Bear - Person Pitch
At the core, Noah Lennox (Panda Bear)'s exceptional Person Pitch is an electronic record. However, it's nowhere near proof of dance's resurrection in 2007. Person Pitch is not a dance record, nor is it ambient or IDM or techno. It's the sound of a young and adventurous composer clearing his mind from all forms of boundary and restriction, sifting through decades and decades of songcraft and channeling bits and pieces into a work that will leave many amazed. This is usually the part where I draw comparisons (Beach Boys, Beach Boys and, oh - Beach Boys) but I'll leave that be. Just listen to the record, listen to the way it embraces everything, swallos everything into a enormous wall of sound. In my review of this record I said it manifests itself like a gargantuan sandstorm with enough power to blow everything away. Yup. And then some.


Also Great:
The Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
Joanna Newsom - Joanna Newsom And The Ys Street Band
Feist - The Reminder
Liars - Liars (Released in August)
Justice - †
Patrick Wolf - The Magic Position
!!! - Myth Takes]]> http://www.last.fm/user/japieee/journal/2007/06/14/26axz_plaster_casts_of_everything Thu, 14 Jun 2007 18:43:29 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/japieee/journal/2007/06/14/26axz_plaster_casts_of_everything Who would’ve thought. Liars only need five seconds into their newly leaked track Plaster Casts of Everything to completely whipe our minds clean of last year’s succes Drum's Not Dead. Boasting a guitar riff with the power of a monster truck rally gone astray, the Berlin-based trio once again pull a one-eighty on their previous work and offer us a chunk of godly hard-rock-metal-edge awesomeness. Although I’ve gushed about and gorged myself upon several of this year’s excellent releases, I can’t say I’ve heard something this refreshing yet. Pretelling true apocalypse in less than four minutes, Plaster Casts of Everything is deceivingly simple yet strangely addicting. Molesting the guitar strings to the point of snapping, this little tune makes Fell in Love With a Girl seem like a lullaby. But all bombastic, pretentious metaphor aside, this track is at least the clear indication that Liars is one of the most remarkable bands in modern rock. We might as well assume that inspite of last year’s avant-garde masterstroke Drum’s Not Dead, Liars’s career-defining moment is yet to come. So in the year of sometimes exceptional but often disappointing follow-ups, thank god for these three weirdos who with this tune finally prove that drum’s really not dead; and give the term ‘power chords’ a whole new meaning.]]> http://www.last.fm/user/japieee/journal/2007/04/08/26axy_live%3A_the_shins_%28paradiso%2C_amsterdam__05-04-2007%29 Sun, 8 Apr 2007 11:09:36 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/japieee/journal/2007/04/08/26axy_live%3A_the_shins_%28paradiso%2C_amsterdam__05-04-2007%29 Live: The Shins



Tricky... tricky tricky tricky...

So The Shins have never been one to take unexpected turns. Their best records are wonderful journeys to beautiful but sometimes dangerously familiar territory, and as such they are oftenly labelled boring. Wincing The Night Away has a few semi-abstract quircks, sure, but that record only proves that The Shins shouldn’t move away from their formula. While it’s charming and great at times, it never really gets to the monumental songcraft that appears on Chutes Too Narrow and Oh, Inverted World.

The formula? Fresh-faced son-in-laws making OC-friendly indie pop. With ooh-ooh’s and la-la’s. If you come to their live shows expecting nothing less, then you’ll be blown away. The Shins can repeat their songs almost flawlessly, hitting all the right notes and pulling off every guitar solo. James Mercer is an impressive vocalist (he should really concider turning up the mic a notch or two though) and the guitar work is nothing short of perfect. The big rub with Shins shows, though, is that they’re not really shows. The Shins don’t give a performance, they give a rendition of their work.

Which is not always a bad thing. There were magic moments (a filled-to-the-brim Paradiso backing helping with the lala’s on Saint Simon) and a few surprises (a slightly awkward but beautiful cover of Breathe) but for all I care, I could’ve been listening to the CD or just watch a few videos on YouTube. While it was great to see one of my favorite bands live in possibly my favorite venue, with the money I paid to see them I could’ve just bought all their records and might have gotten the same kick out of it. Because when I’ll look back in a few years, what I’ll remember is the songs. The Shins are a great band, and they make simply incredible music - but they focus so hard on delivering the perfect arrangements that they sometimes seem to forget that there are about a few hundred people watching.

Thu 5 Apr – The Shins, Viva Voce]]> http://www.last.fm/user/japieee/journal/2007/03/25/26axx_record_review%3A_myths_of_the_near_future_%28klaxons%29 Sun, 25 Mar 2007 18:42:53 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/japieee/journal/2007/03/25/26axx_record_review%3A_myths_of_the_near_future_%28klaxons%29

Myths of the Near Future
Klaxons

You shouldn’t blame it on Klaxons. After a few great tracks and monsterous amounts of praise by a certain publication we won’t talk about, suddenly they’ve become the biggest band of their generation. The pioneers of the ‘new rave’ movement (what a ridiculous genre, does Joe Daniel even know what rave sounds like?) or better yet ‘The Four Horsemen of 2012’.

But this is 2007, and in five years there is a good chance the boys have ended up somewhere in rehab, and all there will be left is their record: Myths Of The Near Future. It features re-recorded tracks of 2006’s Xan Valley EP plus a handful of previously unreleased tracks. Its fifty-three minutes are wisely built around the two monumental singles that initially made them famous. Waiting on the third spot is Golden Skans, a light and progressive synth track spunked up by Klaxons’s impressive vocals. It’s one of the most melodic tracks on the CD and stands out for mere nerviness (those high notes!) and catchiness (those ooh’s!).

Seventh spot is for the true centrepiece of the record, the excellent Gravity's Rainbow. It’s a heavier assault then the aforementioned Golden Skans, floating on a heavy bassline and hypnotizing drums. The chorus (‘Come with me! Come with me! We’ll travel to infinity!’) is a text-book example of hit potential and has thus made a much deserved impact on music fans.

But that’s just over four minutes of excellent music (ironically, their best tracks are amongst the shortest) and the rest of the thing doesn’t really provide anything. Like the hidden (oops) extra on Four Horsemen of 2012 clearly shows, these tracks all sounds like they’re missing a direction. When listening to these songs, I find myself asking: ‘So what’s your point?’. Sure, opener Two Receivers has premise, and It's Not Over Yet has a great deal of potential. But there’s no spark, no ambition. There’s nothing there. And sure it’s supposed to be simple. But there’s spare and there’s boring. And by the time Magick sets in, their oohing and aahing becomes redundant.

Because like artists such as The White Stripes and Death From Above 1979 have proven, simplicity is never an excuse for dullness. Perhaps Klaxons were right, and this record is really one for the future, but then they should’ve waited until 2012 before releasing it, using those extra years to refine their sound. Because now, the time-induced sloppyness is everywhere and no matter how many times I play it: nothing really sticks. Myths of the Near Future is a charming record, but even impeccable styling and two monumental singles are not enough to drag this thing towards a memorable experience. Next!

]]> http://www.last.fm/user/japieee/journal/2007/03/25/26axw_record_review%3A_sound_of_silver_%28lcd_soundsystem%29 Sun, 25 Mar 2007 18:36:37 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/japieee/journal/2007/03/25/26axw_record_review%3A_sound_of_silver_%28lcd_soundsystem%29

Sound of Silver
LCD Soundsystem

Sound of silver talk to me. It takes a lot of guts to start your second record with the exact same loop you’ve used on one of the best tracks on your debut. But James Murphy does it anyway. Of course, it’s what we could’ve expected from him. On his self-titled debut as LCD Soundsystem he showed his audience a wonderful hybrid of dance, rock and punk. Heaps of cowbell and hipster tales of Daft Punk playing at your house met somewhere in the middle, and produced the celebrated LCD Soundsystem, widely regarded as one of 2005’s best releases.

But that record had it’s problems. The punk-ish approach to the songs proved itself appealing at first, creating a very raw and deviant feel to the songs that would hit you right in the heart. But sloppy production and too farstretched simplicity can also result in a record getting old too quick and that’s exactly what happened. Now, two years later, I find it’s don’ts outweighing the do’s - enough for me to not attend the show they played near me a few days ago.

And boy do I regret it, now that I know what I could’ve been listening to. On Sound of Silver, Murphy distills everything that was amazing about that debut and repacks it into just under 56 minutes of concise dancepunk and for the first time in his career, nearly every second is worth gold.

Opening track and highlight Get Innocuous! starts out with that familiar loop I’ve discussed before. This is of course irony, a perfectly orchestrated moment of shattering expectations. Because the track isn’t Losing My Edge, Part 2. It’s Losing My Edge 2.0. Get Innocuous swells and soars, it becomes larger and larger with every passing second and when James Murphy and his dark choir of multiple selfs set in the chorus you can practically see the words ‘sophomore slump’ being pulverized by the beat.

And it’s only the start of a concise, solid and truly magnificent record. I could go into detail about the greatness of every track here and god knows I’ll be able to. But let’s be realistic: it’s not like I have many more words to spare before you doze off and I’d rather have you spending that time getting caught up in the wonderful world that is Sound of Silver. So let’s close this thing down: James Murphy’s second round is the perfect follow-up that also happens to be contender for 2007’s Most Suitable Album Title (as if there was such a moronic prize to win). Because LCD Soundsystem’s sophomore attempt really does sound like silver. It’s shiney, glamourous and precious. A big step forward from their debut, which was great, but is in contrast with Sound of Silver merely a fusty shade of bronze.

]]> http://www.last.fm/user/japieee/journal/2007/03/21/26axv_record_review%3A_person_pitch_%28panda_bear%29 Wed, 21 Mar 2007 14:05:13 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/japieee/journal/2007/03/21/26axv_record_review%3A_person_pitch_%28panda_bear%29

Person Pitch
Panda Bear

When the storm of praise surrounding Person Pitch that is inevitably going to set kicks in, there is an artist that will roll off of every reviewer’s tongue: The Beach Boys. That’s obvious. Noah Lennox’s twisted melodies do indeed strike a resemblance with Brian Wilson’s and his vocal harmonies are just as soothing as the 60’s heroes’s. But Panda Bear is also something more, an inventive and courageous songcrafter, brave enough to dispose of some of pop music’s laws and rules and create his own world that rings true from start to finish. Listening to his latest record: Person Pitch is like taking a dive in a sea of sonic deviancy that’s being swept up in a storm of spectral harmony.

One of the things that’s instantly striking about the record is how worldly it sounds. Being unfamiliar with the heritage of Lennox (besides that he’s a member of the celebrated outfit Animal Collective), I’m having the hardest of times guessing where he hails from. There’s hints of sunny California, especially at the start of the deeply layered monster that is Bros and there's even sunnier Hawaii on personal favorite Take Pills, but there’s also an African soul buried in the sweeping percussion of Good Girl/Carrots. He is infatuated with reverbs and echo’s, which makes him eligable to be put aside Berlin’s experimental trio Liars. Hell - his music could even be recorded during a terrible storm on Saturnus. It’s almost a natural fact then that he actually comes from none of those places. Instead, he is married and currenlty living in Lisbon. Portugal.

It’s not a coincidence that I’ve used the word ‘storm’ four times (and will use it a few times more) in this review. Lennox’s breathy instrumentation, careful layering and spacious harmony embrace the listener like only a storm can. This thing is everywhere. The more you listen to it, the more you discover and the overwhelming wall of sound that it is will on repeat listens show you more and more of it’s true identity. There’s guitars, there’s vocals, there’s owls, choirs and stomping, almost protest march-ish percussion. It’s so full of nothing and at the same time so full of everything, that it’s almost impossible to label it anything besides ‘experimental’.

When you look at this year’s other great releases (Sound of Silver, Hissing Fauna..., The Magic Position) you can safely say that it’s already shaping up to be a good year for music. Inventiveness and has served these artists good fortune, and their records are indeed great. But in comparison, none of them have the imaginative power and courage of Noah Lennox’s latest creation, and Person Pitch thus manifests itself like a gargantuan sandstorm with enough power to blow them all away.

]]>