[Video] - M. Ward - “The First Time I Ran Away”
Watch the video for M. Ward’s first single from his new album “A Wasteland Companion” titled “The First Time I Ran Away”.
After three She & Him albums, singer-songwriter M. Ward is returning with his eight solo album in thirteen years. His last solo effort, “Hold Time”, released in 2009, was a fantastic display quality music, and this first taste of “A Wasteland Companion” follows suit.
The video itself follows a young boy on his adventures as he “runs away”, and includes a surprise ending. Visually, it’s pretty charming, with some great animation. The music that accompanies the visuals is classic M. Ward, with light, airy vocals, gentle guitar and fait percussion.
Watch the video below, check out the cover above, and pre-order the album, due out April 10 on Merge Records here.
[Review/Listen] - Cloud Nothings - “Attack on Memory”
The amount of Rock records has been decreasing at a surprisingly steep pace in the past 10 years, as many bands have begun to embrace untechnical rhythms, hazy vocals, and instruments laced in reverb. The resultant change birthed several great bands (Japandroids, Cymbals Eat Guitars) and hundreds of horrible ones (practically all the rest). From somewhere in the middle of those camps came Cloud Nothings’ debut album last year.
Dylan Baldi, a student at Case Western Reserve University, began Cloud Nothings as a solo project to give himself something to do between classes. The music that came out of this idle time felt expectantly escapist and airy, and many critics, including myself, pegged Cloud Nothings as “Just Another Guitar Band”. A “guitar band” is basically a band that plays guitars, just like a Rock band, but which makes music that is too shiftless and flighty to be properly Rock. It’s music that’s destined to soundtrack commercials for Toyota Camrys, for a generation that has become increasingly accustomed to that sort of thing.
So you might understand the reaction I had when I first heard “No Future, No Past”, the lead single off of “Attack On Memory”. I was floored. The steady, proficient drumming, Baldi yelping that lyrical refrain with actual verve and grit, the fact that I could actually hear each instrument, with each note given it’s own ample sonic space - was I listening to the same band? “No Future, No Past” sounds like Nirvana covering Radiohead from somewhere in the flat Ohio countryside, wind whipping Baldi’s unbuttoned flannel shirt into a billowing cape as he screams his heart out about love gone sour. There’s no marshmallow fluff hooks on “Attack on Memory”. This is like when Ministry dropped their spangled synthpop act and released the brutalist “The Land of Rape and Honey”. This is a Rock record with a capital R, and one of the first great albums of a year destined to be full of them.
Although the stylistic shift from lo-fi powerpop to turbulent punk rock was clearly of the band’s own design, it’s impossible not to recognize recording engineer Steve Albini’s fingerprints on the sound of this record. The Big Black/Shellac frontman and “In Utero” producer might have been playing Scrabble on Facebook while the album was being recorded, as Baldi suggests in interviews, but the acoustics in his warm studio space, and his collection of vintage tube-amps, heighten the album by bringing Cloud Nothings down to Earth. Guitars growl and cuss, drums make all the sounds that your morning bowl of Rice Crispies did, and where vocals on previous releases sounded like they could have been sung into Baldi’s Macbook, they now feel sharp and weighty. “Our Plans” in particular, with it’s military-grade drumrolls and bass that bounces like it was trapped into a pinball machine, benefits from the sonic upgrade. The song’s chorus “No one knows our plans for us/We won’t last long” is brought into melancholy clarity, and when those jagged guitar leads rise up out from behind Baldi to steal the show with a teeth-baring solo of ferocious feedback, one wonders why the band didn’t just start out sounding so alive in the first place.
“Attack on Memory” is, according to Baldi, an “attack on the memory of what people thought the band was”. But the risks taken on this record go beyond the obvious changes from saccharine, C86-flecked guitar-bandery to a more aggressive, emo-influenced sound. This is the first of Baldi’s records to entirely focus around one concept, that being the end of a long, turgid relationship. Like the previously mentioned Ministry record, “Attack On Memory” is an exercise in brutalism, except of the lyrical variety rather than instrumental.
Thus, when Baldi sings of his heartbreak, he does so with all the fat trimmed off, vamping on the same three or four lines over and over again. “I miss you ‘cuz I’m not damaged/I need someone I can hurt” Baldi states matter-of-factly for the last minute of “Cut You”, all obliqueness pushed aside until the words ring as clear as the sound quality. “I need time to start moving/I need time to stay useless” he explains on “Stay Useless”, the album’s strongest hook and proof that Cloud Nothings isn’t aiming for Antlers-like levels of emotional trauma on “Attack on Memory”. The chorus of “Fall In” is the title shouted over and over again, and because it is mixed at such a higher level than the verses, they might as well be the song’s only lyrics. It’s a startlingly effective method of peeking inside a broken man’s psyche: I have found myself humming “Stay Useless” at work, the gym, and in the shower, the lyrics rattling around in my head much like the memories of a relationship gone awry rattle around a post-breakupee’s.
Then there’s the band itself. In the space of a year, Cloud Nothings has morphed from a bedroom solo project to a full-fledged group, with Baldi culling players from members of his touring act. The result are songs that feel composed rather than merely performed, Baldi’s unstudied drum-and-bass-playing replaced by clean, efficient downbeats and rolling basslines. “Wasted Days”, the album’s finest track, utilizes the new lineup to full, awe-inspiring effect. Beginning with showers of guitar sparks that emulate the sound oft the Foo Fighters being played through an alarm clock radio, the band tears through the first three minutes of “Wasted Days” like they have something to prove, with those drums getting attacked like Baldi has taped a picture of his girlfriend cavorting with Adolf Hitler on each drumhead. The tune is ferocious; Baldi sounds suicidal, as if he’s about to drive his car off the biggest cliff he can find, right into Lake Michigan, while taking his band with him.
Then, at 3:02, everything goes underwater. The only member that has managed to keep his head dry is Baldi, who rides a serrated surf-rock riff as his bandmates heads start to bob above the ocean surface. Finally, at 3:26, they begins to swim. The next five minutes are less Foo Fighters and more Fucked Up’s “Baiting the Public”, Baldi furiously downstroking on his guitar, waves of feedback propelling the song to a fiery climax, as if merely by playing as fast and frantically as they possibly can, upping the tempo with each passing measure, they can help Baldi forget. Those are the single most thrilling five minutes in music so far this year.
“Attack on Memory” forgoes the “sophomore slump” and provides a valid argument for Cloud Nothings as purveyors of a rare brand of Rock music that exists beyond trends. Now that they’re supposedly settled on this new sound, I think it’s about time for a name change.The name Cloud Nothings is saccharine, recalling the sort of sugar-coated, supplicating pop music that this band doesn’t make anymore. Their new name should reflect who they are now: a group of fine young gentlemen playing shitkicking, in-your-face power chords with all the panache of your favorite bands in high school. After a couple years spent contentedly quiet, it’s about time that Cloud Nothings made some noise.
[Video] - Daniel Rossen - “Silent Song”
Listen to a new song from Grizzly Bear’s Daniel Rossen titled “Silent Song” taken from his upcoming EP, “Silent Hour/Golden Mile” out on Warp Records March 20th.
Department of Eagles and Grizzly Bear member Daniel Rossen has just released a new song from his upcoming EP, “Silent Hour/Golden Mile”. The song is called “Silent Song”, though it’s anything but. The distorted guitars, funky bass and beat and fuzz-covered vocals all serve to make a racket, an incredibly satisfying one, that is.
If you’re in need of more, you can check out “Saint Nothing” another song from the EP. You can also pre-order the EP.
[Listen] - Dr. Dog - “Be The Void” (Full Album Stream)
Stream the new album from Dr. Dog, “Be The Void”, due out next week on February 7th.
Pennsylvania natives Dr. Dog are returning next week with their sixth album in ten years, titled “Be The Void”. Team Coco has an exclusive stream of the album which you can listen to below.
[Review/Listen] - Porcelain Raft - “Strange Weekend”
After a string of neatly arranged EPs, and an opening slot for M83, Porcelain Raft has finally released a debut album and “Strange Weekend” lives up to the hype. The appeal of “Strange Weekend” comes from the layering of reverb-soaked instrumentation, punctuated by Mauro Remiddi’s sweeping vocals. He ranges from crooning bedroom-pop to HEALTH-like vocals, which are textually thinner and sound more ambient. Even though the music is wonderful, the production quality of “Strange Weekend” is light-years ahead of his peers.
The album opens with “Drifting In And Out,” a hazy testament to Remiddi’s skills as a musician, which is evident from his masterful songwriting and easy-going percussion. It quietly builds up to the album, immersing listeners in a melodious cocoon. “Unless You Speak From The Heart” is the most striking track because of Remiddi’s aggression from the very start. The jangly beat is most noticeably fueled by a basic drumbeat accompanied by a tambourine and provides a wonderful framing for Remiddi’s falsetto to break-out into high-flying melodies. In comparison to the rest of the album, “Unless You Speak From The Heart” is the only one of it’s kind. “Shapeless And Gone” is another stand-out simply because the fragility of the melody is addictive and can easily get lodged in your mind.
Remiddi offers a variety of sounds throughout the album. “Backwords” is one of the slower tracks but his lyrics are displayed over a beautifully sparse, droning synth progression and eventually blooms as an all-out embrace of sound. He’s the forefront of the track until halfway through when the music overtakes him. Also, the clarity of the stop-go beat on “Picture” is satisfying to hear amongst the dreaminess of the rest of the album. “Is It Too Deep For You” is the track most likely to be incorporated into future DJ sets with a mellowed-out guitar and urgent beat. Remiddi’s wailing on the track shows a different side to his singing.
Some listeners may be unwilling to spend time with this album because it sounds one-note. If you find that’s the case, I’d suggest that you turn the volume up, past your comfort range, and feel the atmosphere that’s created and altered by Remiddi in each track. Honestly, my first few listens through this album were lackluster but I found myself humming melodies and craving specific tracks afterwards. This album may take some time to grow on you but once it does, you’ll be hooked on Remiddi’s songwriting and musicianship.
Even though the current state of bedroom-pop is flooded with artists, “Strange Weekend” stands out as a keystone album speaking to how far the genre is capable of reaching. It seems suitable for Porcelain Raft to have opened for M83 on their recent tour since they both seem to be exploring the spatial limitations of synth-driven pop music. At any rate, with “Strange Weekend” Remiddi has provided a strong album serving as a proper introduction to Porcelain Raft.
Connect with Porcelain Raft: Facebook | Twitter | Website | Bandcamp
[Video] - Die Antwoord - “I Fink U Freeky”
Watch the video for Die Antwoord’s “I Fink U Freeky”.
“I Fink U Freeky” indeed…
[Listen/Download] - COOLRUNNINGS - “Spirit Of The High”
Listen to a new track by COOLRUNNINGS, titled “Spirit Of The High” from their sophomore album due out February 12th.
It’s been a while since COOLRUNNINGS first album, 2010’s “Dracula Is Only The Beginning”, and now the band are back with a new album due out February 12th, of which, surprisingly, the title is still unknown.
What we do have is a taste of it, “Spirit Of The High”which has a pretty groovy bass line that almost sounds like a sax, some jangly guitars and off-kilter vocals that are more than doubled (I count at least three or four).
Listen to and download the song below, and stay tuned for an announcement on the upcoming album.
[Listen] - Evian Christ - “Kings And Them” Mixtape
Listen to the new mixtape by Evian Christ, “Kings And Them” below.
Evian Christ has just dropped the trip-inducing mixtape “Kings And Them” on Triangle Records. There is some creepy shit happening here. We don’t endorse drugs, but if you were to take some, this is a good listen.
[Video] - Bro. Stephen - “Tears On Tape”
Watch a video for Bro. Stephen’s “Tears On Tape” from their album “Baptist Girls” out now on Crossroads Of America Records.
[Video] - Bombay Bicycle Club - “How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep”
Watch the new video for Bombay Bicycle Club’s song “How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep” below, taken from the album “A Different Kind Of Fix”.
Connect with Bombay Bicycle Club – Facebook | Twitter | Website
[Flashback] - Beck - “Sea Change”
[In the first half of 2011 we ran a few “Flashback” posts giving a little hindsight loving to great/underrated/forgotten albums from 10 years ago. We didn’t really have a plan or timetable for those posts, but we loved writing them, and from our ongoing photo series of great albums on Facebook it’s clear that you guys like a little reminisce about old greats too, so for 2012 the “Flashback” is being resurrected as a fully fledged feature. We’ll be paying tribute to a great album from 2002 at the end of every month. Here’s my take on Beck’s “Sea Change”, hope you enjoy it and all the others that we have in the pipeline - Alex, reviews editor.]
“Sea Change” is an aptly named album. In fact, “Sea Change” would have been a pretty appropriate name for many of Beck’s pre-2002 releases. With the kaleidoscopic, genre-bending style of banner head albums “Mellow Gold” and “Odelay” tending to define our memories of Beck’s early sound, it’s easy to forget quite how many albums Beck released in this period, and how many of them were essentially genre albums: there was the lo-fi “Stereopathetic”, the folksy “One Foot In The Grave”, the bluesy “Mutations” and the funky “Midnite Vultures”. What was it about “Sea Change” that warranted a title so obviously hinting at a style shift from an artist who essentially did nothing but shift styles?
It certainly wasn’t the sound. The lush guitars and glockenspiel strikes that usher in gorgeous opener “The Golden Age” are executed to heart-melting perfection, but they weren’t new for Beck: the song would sit comfortably next to some of the more settled tracks from “Odelay”, like the closer “Ramshackle” [A brief aside: whichever cruel bastard decided to ruin that album’s serene conclusion by slapping the utterly hideous “Diskobox” on the end of it for some non-US releases deserves a smack]. In fairness, there probably weren’t many ways Beck could have sounded surprising by 2002, as even the more ‘out there’ moments on this largely chilled album, like what can only be described as an orchestra solo towards the end of “Paper Tiger”, come off as a routine: just Beck being Beck.
Where he could still surprise, though, was with his attitude. Beck’s popular explosion with the release of “Loser” in 1994 obviously had quite a lot to do with how awesome that song is, but it was also a result of the aesthetic he embodied: standards were reversed as lazy outsider culture became trendy insider culture, and Beck represented the epitome of a new philosophy of cool that was all about not caring. No matter the stylistic shift, Beck never gave the impression of giving a shit.
Until “Sea Change”. Being a loser was once a badge of honour, but on “Sea Change” Beck tackles his losses with something entirely new: sincerity. “It’s only lies that I’m living / It’s only tears that I’m crying / It’s only you that I’m losing…” croons Beck on “Guess I’m Doing Fine”, and any doubt as to the meaning of that song’s title is dispelled by a glance at the title of the next track, “Lonesome Tears”. This refreshing emotional plainness, with none of the playful conceit that informed Beck’s earlier albums, colours the whole of “Sea Change” as the mainly acoustic arrangements give Beck a chance to lay his heart bare.
The tonal shift was matched by a collection of truly beautiful songs. I’ve already mentioned “The Golden Age”, an opening track so strong that it risks overshadowing the rest of the album, but happily there are others that match it. “Lost Cause”, in fact, surpasses it. Ambient sounds wash over a simple melody as Beck tires of relationship breakdown until his vocals come to the fore for one probing question: “Is that what you thought love was for?” It’s a shiver inducing moment. Elsewhere, though “Sea Change” may be the most uniform in sound of all the great Beck albums, there is some variety, from the absolute minimalism of “It’s All In Your Mind” to the surprising descent into white noise and chaos at the conclusion of “Sunday Sun”. Even the less distinct songs like “Round The Bend” make for great late night listening and reflection.
So “Sea Change” was the first time a Beck album gave pause for thought. It was also the last. With “Guero”, a conscious attempt to return to the collage of sounds of “Odelay”, Beck went back to being the same old Beck, and he’s been the same old Beck ever since. I’m a fan of Beck’s recent output, but none of it captures the attention in the same way that “Sea Change” did. “Sea Change” doesn’t feel like a Beck album; it feels like a Beck Hansen album. It took us closer to the real man than ever before, and we’ll probably never get as close again.
[Listen/Download] - Toro Y Moi - “Dead Pontoon”
Listen to and download Toro Y Moi’s new song “Dead Pontoon” from “June 2009”, below.
As Pitchfork points out, South Carolina’s Toro Y Moi will release a compilation of his earlier works from 2009 as part of the “June 2009” box set.
Unlike some of the synth-laden and electronically-backed tracks he’s now known for like “Underneath The Pine”, the early demos are more lo-fi guitar-based, DIY bedroom rock at its most melodic and accessible. Below you can get the MP3 of “Dead Pontoon”, and “June 2009” will be released on April 24th via Carpark and feature 8 tracks, most of which are unheard before.
Connect with Toro y Moi — Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud | Last.fm
[Video] - King Charles - “Love Blood”
Watch the new video for King Charles‘ song “Love Blood” below.
Connect with King Charles - Facebook | Twitter | Website | Last.fm
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[Video] - YOUNGFUCK - “Black Tulips”
Watch the new video for YOUNGFUCK’s song “Black Tulips” below, out now on 7” vinyl via Cloudberry Records.
Connect with YOUNGFUCK - Facebook
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[Listen] - Keep Shelly In Athens - “Just Like Honey” (The Jesus And Mary Chain Cover)
Listen to Keep Shelly In Athens’ cover of The Jesus And Mary Chain shoegaze classic “Just Like Honey” below.
Greece’s Keep Shelly In Athens have covered The Jesus And Mary Chain’s seminal “Just Likey Honey” from their 1985 debut album “Psychocandy”.
It’s being released as part of a Charity compilation for Breast Cancer, details of which can be found here. Blogger Bertie B is raising money for the cause and asked some of his favourite bands to cover one of his favourite songs, “Just Like Honey”, so also found on the compilation are Seapony and Shark? along with a host of others.
You can get the entire thing for only $12 and every penny of it goes towards Breast Cancer Care. Or you can check out the tracks individually on the Bandcamp page.
Connect with Keep Shelly In Athens – Facebook | Twitter | Last.fm | Website
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