REVIEW: Magnolia Electric Co. - Josephine

HANK ALTOGETHER:

Inside the already cultish world of indie rock, Magnolia Electric Co. has succeeded in forming their own cult. Lead by Jason Molina, the group has survived a transformation from one of the oddest band names ever "Songs: Ohia" into the fourth proper album under the Magnolia Electric Co. moniker: Josephine. Yet, what connects the names is not only Molina but the sparse, dark, brooding sound -- the two packs and 30 min. to heaven sound.

A concept album based around the death of the band's bassist, Evan Farrell, Josephine is a startlingly focused, lonely album perhaps even more focused and lonely than any of the group's previous work. And for a band that uses sorrow as capital, that's saying something. The opening track "O! Grace" as well as follower "Rock of Ages" conjure a Biblical tone with pianos leading both melodies as Molina's croon seems to beckon us not to the pews but to graveyards and solace. Farrell's death cuts across this album in a way that is not nostalgic or passive but remorseful and somewhat constant. In the tradition of folk music, death remains (as it does in life) a harsh inevitablility--one that brings despair as well as hope. As Molina sings on "Song for Willie," "As long as there are sundowns / there will always be a west / there will always be the west." It's a bold stroke for an already bold band. One so confident in their work not only as a band but also in their masterful parternship with knob twiddler extraordinaire Steve Albini that they seem at their best to reinvent hymns to God and turn them into hymns for men.

This album has some of the most easily rendered, difficult lyrics that I've heard this year. From the opening "I felt as lonesome as the world's first ghost" to (possibly) the lyric of the year "Why Lord always the valley? / Why Lord always the dawn? / Is it so goodbye and I love you / will echo on?" in "Heartbreak at Ten Paces" this is Molina's masterwork as a lyricist. Capturing not only desolation but also indifference and possibility, Molina's words draw us in and out of the brooding instrumentation capturing an emotive quality absent from most music these days. The ghosts that haunt these lines are the dead, but us who continue living with out those who have passed along.

In the full, boozy light of summer this album is a somber, bitter pill. All the more reason we have to take it.

REVIEW: The Fiery Furnaces - I'm Going Away

ZACH THAT:

I guess the critics finally won. Over the last seven years, The Fiery Furnaces have brilliantly evolved through their six studio albums. They started off as a southern twang rock band and mastered the electro sound, proving that “weird” can be high art. To give some context to the comments that follow, The Fiery Furnaces are my favorite contemporary band. While Blueberry Boat is my favorite album, I found Rehearsing My Choir to be one of the greatest musical accomplishments of the decade…while other music journalists labeled it unjustly as unfocused and bizarre. The great thing about the Furnaces is that when the critics panned them, they went even further into the bizarre, which lead to astonishing results. Their last album, Widow City was the perfect fusion of every sound they had created previously and proved that they were in complete control of their songwriting. Their newest offering, I’m Going Away, while better than most stuff out there, marks a sad day for me as a Furnaces fan.

While there are nice moments on I’m Going Away, the album is ultimately bland - fat free vanilla ice cream with no toppings. “Drive To Dallas” feels like a long drive, but without a clear destination, as the track really goes nowhere. “Take Me Round Again” feels like a band trying to mimic the sound of the Furnaces, but without any of the tact that they have shown on previous albums. For those who are on the fence about this album, I suggest giving Gallowsbird’s Bark a spin, where one can see what a successful Furnaces album sounds like when the synths are absent. Their debut album already proves what I’m Going Away tries to say, that the band can do a thoughtful, but pulled back, normal album.

Now, one must understand that, like a caring parent, I’m extremely critical of The Fiery Furnaces. Since their debut, I’ve given each of their albums over 8.0 and placed Blueberry Boat, Rehearsing My Choir, and Widow City as my albums of the year (2004, 2005, 2007)…that’s a pretty good run. While I’m disappointed in the overall feel of the album, there are some tracks that make me feel like I have my favorite band back. “The End Is Near” is a great shift for the Furnaces, delivering a nice little song that is filled to the brink with emotion. The title track “I’m Going Away” launches the album perfectly, with a gritty guitar and saloon piano riff that gets the head nodding and toe tapping. The Furnaces are at their best on this album with the track, “Even In The Rain” which feels like perfect B-side to an “Evergreen” 7 inch. The song is a little off it’s rail, but comes together nicely with the chorus.

That’s the thing about the Furnaces…they’ve never been on the same path as other bands. They do their own thing and if the listener dedicates enough time and brainpower to raise themselves to the bands level, they are greatly rewarded. After spinning “I’m Going Away,” I got it immediately…it’s a nice album full of beautiful arrangements and nice ballads, highlighting a new stripped down sound. I bought the album on vinyl and suggest everyone does the same, but this is definitely their weakest album to date.…which makes me sad. On the upside, I think this album will allow for a lot of people to “get into” the band…and the more people who fall in love with the unmatched Fiery Furnaces…the happier I am in the long run.

REVIEW: Discovery - LP

ZACH THAT:

You know that asshole that has a lot of fancy keyboards and their own in house studio who always makes you listen to their pain inducing demo? I think we all have a person like that in our lives. Now imagine if two less than talented groups, Vampire Weekend and Ra Ra Riot joined forces to create an album so disastrously douchebag, that it makes you yearn for those crappy demos your friend made.

The side project from this “Super Group” ironically picked the name Discovery. If bands are explorers and the art of music is untouched land…then Discovery’s contribution is on par with me declaring I stumbled upon America while on a spice hunt. The point here is, Discovery has not stolen, but photocopied from the pages of Passion Pit and other contemporary synth pop bands, while throwing in a little auto-tune if the product wasn’t cheesy enough. The music will be described by many critics and fans as “fun”. You know what…I’m sick of this statement. I like “fun” music as well…but I really can’t have fun with awful music, it bothers me too much. People defending music by saying it’s “fun” lead to us having to endure the likes of Lady Gag and in a few months question why that person even existed in the first place.

The music is simple and often verges on insulting. Many of my friends have claimed that this side project is a joke…making a comment on the current state of pop music. I really hope this is true, but I’m afraid this album these guys are serious. The album sent me over the edge when I hit the Jackson 5 cover, “I Want You Back”. A perfect cover in my mind is a track that can make you look at the original song in a new (positive) light. Never in my worst nightmares did I think I would be forced to hear this Jackson 5 classic raped by auto-tune and the simplistic pounding of Discoveries keyboards. For a great cover, look to Starfucker, who recently covered “Girl’s Just Want To Have Fun” on their new LP “Jupiter”. That’s a “fun” cover that is clever with its take on the Lauper tune.

Look, I get it. Some people really love this album…they have every right to love it. The flip side to this is I have every right to express my disgust that people find Discovery enjoyable. The album receives .4 points because it is so damn successful in being a complete failure. If the guys ever want to confirm my friends notions that this project is a joke, I would be glad to bump up the score to a 5.0…it’s about as funny as that Lonely Island album…but sadly these guys think they’re writing quality music. Discovery has taken a top spot, however, as my front-runner for worst album of the year.

REVIEW: Deastro - "Moondagger"

BEN SHEENE:

Allow me if you will to copy and paste and excerpt from the Ghostly International website about Deastro’s Moondagger: “When Randolph Chabot, the 22 year-old auteur behind Deastro, is asked about the title of his new album, he recounts a dream about a prince, a kingdom, an evil King of Darkness, and a search for the mythical “Moondagger,” the bearer of which wields ultimate power.”

Holy Crap…

As you explore the depths of Moondagger it helps to keep this dream in mind. Not only does it ground the listening experience a bit in “reality” but it also makes for an extremely exciting listen; after all, how could you not want to listen to something that was inspired by kings of darkness and magical weapons?

I would like to offer a word to you, dear reader: celestial. That is the word that seems to fit the best when describing Deastro’s music. I am perfectly aware that what we are listening to is electronic music or electronic pop or whatever but Moondagger transcends that somewhat vast genre. Each song has this layered feel to it; movement after synthed movement is piled on forming individually epic (in their own way) songs. When I first heard opener “Biophelia” I thought for a minute that I was about to rock out to some sort of video game. In fact, that is part of the glee I get when listening to Deastro. After hearing Chabot’s debut Keepers I pictured some sort of ship flying through space passing planets and shooting lasers and vanquishing aliens. Weird, huh? Sorry, at times I have a hyper-vivid imagination. When Moondagger opened up I yet again felt that I was in for that same 8-bit ride. However, I realized that the scope for this album was more than what I was to initially believe. That is where this concept of “celestial” comes in. Yes, it is true that the sweeping and brilliant moments of electronics and syths that fly throughout the bulk of the album are something worthy of being bright and colorful like stars and planets.

There are also moments here that cause us to become more introspective. Like a barely visible star or a cloudy nebula there are quieter moments among all the epic grandeur. The standout “slow” track for me is the album closer “Kurgan Wave Number One” which feels like a moment to catch your breath and push all the air back in your lungs after having climbed so high in the past eleven tracks. That might take care of the obvious but the lyrics range from the visions of Chabot’s “moondagger” dream to more deeply introspective moments. It is a nice trade off. You don’t feel like you are being bludgeoned to death all the time with computer noises. In fact, I feel that the frantic tracks “Moondagger” and “Vermillion Plaza” have a sort of stealthy dream pop attitude towards them. It might just be me but that is how the album catches you as a whole. You really have to allow yourself to be put on this space ship of an album. Each song represents a new moment to look out your window and say “wow” (except in audio form) and each individual will be left with a different impression.

If you are a fan of deep and varied electronic pop Moondagger is for you. The same goes for those of you who like their music on the dreamier side. Don’t be deceived by the frantic and loud nature of what is first presented to you. Like I said, this album has a lot of layers for you to peel over and digest. As a final and side note, there is one thing that makes me undeniably happy while listening to this album and that is the inclusion of “The Shaded Forests (Gift Giver’s Version)”. “The Shaded Forests” is a perfect song and was on Deastro’s first album Keepers. More or less I suggest you listen to the original because it encapsulates the epic and celestial (yes I use that a lot) nature of what I like about Deastro’s work. Here, though, we get a remix and it is, like the subtitle suggests, a gift. I was pleasantly surprised to hear this remix because it strips away a couple layers from the original but maintains the deeply emotional and sweeping feeling I get from the song every time I hear it proving that Deastro isn’t just about the music but about the feeling. So, in other words, I really suggest you check this album out; it is one of the most pleasant and unique albums to come out this year.

REVIEW: Wico (The Band) - "Wilco (The Album)"

HANK ALTOGETHER:

As a longtime Wilco fan, I must confess that I'm pretty baffled by the current state of the band. Have the once alt-country superstars turned avant-experimental idea band seem to have slipped into the inertia ridden landscape of a adult contemporary jams. In a word, sadly, yes. Turns out Sky Blue Sky wasn't a fluke. The group's latest effort Wilco (The Album) is an amalgamation of schlock, pretension, and slick production. Wha happened?!?

I know a lot of people have opinions on the band and, frankly, unless you start talking about AM or Being There, I'm apt not to listen. You have to understand (or at least appreciate) the group's roots to understand both their genius and what has happened since. See, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot -- one of my favorite albums of the millenium -- didn't arise out of nowhere. And the sound that Wilco cultivated on it; skyscrapers of electronics, out of tune guitar riffs, and infectious melodies filled with akimbo associative lyrics; persists as some of the best songwriting of the past decade. They distanced themselves from drummers and the recently deceased Jay Bennett. Got former Sonic Youth member, guitar all-star Jim O'Rourke and released the self-hating, panic attack that is A Ghost is Born. What remained the still point in the turning axis of Wilco's lineup was Jeff Tweedy, the kind of idiot savant of Uncle Tupelo. Tweedy's storytelling ceased to lineup with the straight punk-influenced country of Tupelo and became word clusters and associations to places, emotions, themes. Listening to Tweedy on these two albums is like having cognitive dissonance with reality -- both charmed and frightened by it at the same time. In the heyday of Wilco, they managed to do what possibly only Radiohead has managed -- change who they were album to album while still being uniquely themselves.

Listening to Wilco (The Album), as a Wilco fan, you can't help but feel some sort of nostalgia for these Ghost and Yankee. And, if as some have suggested this album is some attempt to pin the band down, I have to ask: Why? You were so much better when you were trying to figure out who you were. Instead, this album is a seeming rehash of genre-songwriting with a few Nels Cline riffs that seem more like frosting than cake. Tweedy's hushed delivery falls flat or like he's better than you are particularly on the uninspired "You Never Know" -- "C'mon Children, you're acting like children, acting like children..." A lyric that I would normally let pass, if it sounded like the band was having fun, but this album doesn't sound like fun at all. It's at best an affirmation and at worst a sermon. Gone are the associations and angst. What we're left with is a rather bland, unappealing statment of fact...yeah, we're a band, yeah, we named this album after ourselves, clever, huh?

The beauty of Wilco is that they were never aware of being clever. They were fucked up and they knew it. They made the kind of music that someone fucked up making something beautiful would make. I'm not saying they should get fucked up again, but I am saying that I wish they wouldn't make something that is like what everyone else would think is beautiful. Who they are is all Wilco needs to be. Sadly, this album is not that.

2 tracks make this album not a total waste. The lonely wanderings of "One Wing" and the headphone masterpiece "You and I." In both tracks, there are the rumblings of Tweedy's past gold -- the desperate ache to relase yourself from knowledge, knowing that you have to know to feel. This a condrum that Wilco does so well. Probably because it's not static. I, for one, hope they return to those ways.