The mainstream drew me back in a little this year, though mostly by looking back several decades to the same things I love and incorporating them into music that doesn't especially sound like 2014.
1. Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra: Fuck Off Get Free We Pour Light on Everything (Constellation)
I think of Silver Mt. Zion as the post-rock Pogues. They have the drunken singing and the scratchy fiddling and the punky energy, but in a sort of gritty yet sophisticated Godspeed! You Black Emperor musical context (and in fact founder/singer/guitarist Efrim Manuel Menuck used to be in Godspeed!). On their eighth album, the added intensity that appeared on their previous album is increased; this may be their best yet. My favorite track is "What We Loved Was Not Enough," where at first it seems like he's singing "The days come when we no longer fail," but then when...
1. Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra: Fuck Off Get Free We Pour Light on Everything (Constellation)
I think of Silver Mt. Zion as the post-rock Pogues. They have the drunken singing and the scratchy fiddling and the punky energy, but in a sort of gritty yet sophisticated Godspeed! You Black Emperor musical context (and in fact founder/singer/guitarist Efrim Manuel Menuck used to be in Godspeed!). On their eighth album, the added intensity that appeared on their previous album is increased; this may be their best yet. My favorite track is "What We Loved Was Not Enough," where at first it seems like he's singing "The days come when we no longer fail," but then when...
- 1/4/2015
- by SteveHoltje
- www.culturecatch.com
Nada Surf: The Stars Are Indifferent to Astrology (Barsuk)
I know it's early, but this sure feels like the album of the year. In fact, I'm even ready to crown this the power pop album of the decade. Oh, there's an occasional ballad ("When I Was Young" is especially notable) that reminds of Matthew Caws's twee side, but mostly this rocks out, with guest Doug Gillard (Guided by Voices, Cobra Verde, Death of Samantha, etc.) an important presence -- that wild guitar on "Teenage Dreams" has gotta be him. Rarely has bittersweet sounded so tough. Nada Surf's made lots of excellent albums, but this is their best yet. A limited edition version comes with a second disc containing acoustic versions of five of the album's songs.
Sharon van Etten: Tramp (Jagjaguwar)
I understood why van Etten was a Brooklyn indie fave already based on her earlier releases:...
I know it's early, but this sure feels like the album of the year. In fact, I'm even ready to crown this the power pop album of the decade. Oh, there's an occasional ballad ("When I Was Young" is especially notable) that reminds of Matthew Caws's twee side, but mostly this rocks out, with guest Doug Gillard (Guided by Voices, Cobra Verde, Death of Samantha, etc.) an important presence -- that wild guitar on "Teenage Dreams" has gotta be him. Rarely has bittersweet sounded so tough. Nada Surf's made lots of excellent albums, but this is their best yet. A limited edition version comes with a second disc containing acoustic versions of five of the album's songs.
Sharon van Etten: Tramp (Jagjaguwar)
I understood why van Etten was a Brooklyn indie fave already based on her earlier releases:...
- 2/11/2012
- by SteveHoltje
- www.culturecatch.com
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