Summer Lovin' Torture Party

Apologies for the break.  We have been busy.  Shuffling cities on the Eastern seaboard, ending one job, starting another.  Keeping in touch.  Making ridiculously unimportant board game showdowns overly dramatic.

In a word, 2014 has been a clustercuss. Not horribly bad, not blissfully good. Just 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week, eat-while-you-can, sleep-while-you-can, pure, unadulterated holy shit. And this blog has been a casualty. Collateral damage, so to speak. I'm so very sorry.

So much has happened since my last post. So much turnover in my musical interests, but so many songs and artists that have left an indelible mark. Memories. Melodrama. On with it.

Sylvan Esso - Coffee

Listen to this song, and then let me tell you two things that won't surprise you at all. Number one: Amelia Meath, the sweet-and-savory vocalist for North Carolina duo Sylvan Esso, was once a part of Feist's touring band. Number two: Nick Sanborn, the other half of the duo, is an alchemist. Most recently the bassist for Megafaun, another folky outfit from the Carolinas, Sanborn has somehow developed the ability to take two completely disparate forms of music and meld them craftily into some magical alloy that is somehow so much greater than its individual parts. In Sylvan Esso, this is on broad display, as he takes Meath's purely folky vocal stylings and puts a gorgeous electronic twist on them, wrapping them in simple but compelling beats to take them to a completely unfamiliar place, where dancefloors and dirt floors somehow coexist. "Coffee" was the first track that grabbed hold of me -- not coincidental, since it was the first single from their self-titled debut -- and served as the perfect gateway drug to the rest of the album.

Related track:

KHUSHI - Magpie

This one took me by surprise. Of late, I've (regrettably?) made an unconscious shift away from the lo-fi, trending more and more toward electronic influences and melodic pop. "Magpie" made me remember why it wasn't always that way. Sounding like a unique hybrid of folk and West Coast synth-pop (think Lord Huron plus Wildcat! Wildcat!), KHUSHI are able to put together a memorable track that's a rare breed: heartbreaking and plaintive but catchy. And while they're clearly trying to carve out their own path, they're savvy enough to throw in some The National-style horns to wrap up the track. I see what you did there, KHUSHI. Very clever boys.

Related tracks:

Ben Khan - Youth

In "Youth," I think I may have found my guilty vs. guilt-free (TBD) pleasure pop summer anthem for 2014. The recipe is can't-miss gold: Khan starts with equal parts M83 synths and Twin Shadow hooks, delivers with his circa-1975 Peter Gabriel vocals, and somehow blends it all using Prince's soul sensibilities (along with some brilliant samples that contribute to the "Youth" theme -- hello, MIA's "Paper Planes"). It's powerful pop, somehow overcoming it's deeply rich layers of sound to stay bouncy, never feeling as heavy as it seems it should. Shimmery.

Related tracks:

Are you kidding me??  This album is amazing.  I just spent a rainy weekend in Philly not leaving our apartment and playing this on our (G's wedding gift - excellent) SONOS the whole time.  We did turn it off to watch The Dallas Buyer's Club, but I feel that is understandable given that McConaughey looked like a cachectic person and probably did deserve the Oscar.  Decent movie, great acting.  

To the subject at hand: this WOD album is tighter and more distilled than Slave Ambient,  also more polished and mature.  It's a keeper.  Give it some time, at first I felt like I was being pulled too far into the past glory of Dylan and earlier Springstein but ultimately came to love it for that very comfortable sensation tempered by a crisp newness that keeps it relevant.  Check out these tracks, yo.

Don't be put off (as I may have been) by the songs' duration... 

This track may be the most complex and entrancing on the album...

And from Slave Ambient:

This shizz is the shizz.

Sincerely,

2014 has started off buuuusy.  A few of the tracks that have kept me buzzing despite the hours...  cram it and enjoy.

Future Islands - Seasons (Waiting on You) [track]

Saw an update on the 'fork mentioning David Letterman liking the lead singer's dancing during their performance on his show, so opened the clip to see how amusing it was.  I will say the moves are remarkable - as in worth a remark, but there is a lot of heart and soul and energy and vocal finesse carrying this track, and I cannot get it out of my head since first hearing it, and have re-watched numerous times and forced friends to watch as well.  Cannot remember the last time a lead singer created such an air and character during a brief talk show performance.  The official music video is not a favorite but the polished version of this track from their upcoming album Singles is cleaner yet still excellent.  I am definitely looking forward to the rest of this album on March 25th.

Bombay Bicycle Club - So Long, See You Tomorrow [album]

A few prior tracks by BBC had them firmly on my radar awaiting the release of their newest album, the excellent So Long, See You Tomorrow.  After a few spins, both G and I found that the outro title track burned brightest.  Give it a chance, it's a grower.

Chvrches - Do I Wanna Know (Arctic Monkeys cover) [track]

Thoroughly enjoying this reinterpretation of this lead-off track from the Arctic Monkey's 2013 release AM, performed in-studio on the BBC. For me, the cover brings the song's excellent lyrics to the forefront as compared to the original, granting it a markedly different, refreshing, less-sinister existence.

And the original...

Chromatics - Kill for Love [track]

Another late on the wagon track, my friend PC turned me onto this group a few months back but this one has some serious staying force and I do not have enough ego to care that it has been around longtime.  This is a blog about music not just new music.  

Real Estate - Atlas [album]

New one from the uber-laid back boys of New Jersey.  Like a dose of  weekend day-drinking on a late summer day in New England with just enough breeze to keep you slightly chilled.

  The Range [band]

This is different.  Enjoy. "Metal Swing" is off of Nonfiction, debut full-length released in late 2013.  "Slow Build" is a teaser from the EP dropping March 24th.

From the 12th floor of my life (a.k.a. the hospital).

Hobbes, looking down on all of us.

The top of the New Year?  The top of the mornin'?  Whatever, this is my year in music, in extremely brief and stream-of-conscience fashion.   Was hoping to get it up before 2014 rolled in (with a bunch of snow and temps in the single digits for us in the Northeast), but hey! this is real life(!) people, I'm usually tardy.  

Will just list this out.  Albums/tracks/movies (why not?), etc.

Ultraista - "Smalltalk (Four Tet remix)" [Track]

Yeah yeah yeah WHATEVER.  "Smalltalk" debuted in 2012 but this remix came out at the end of the year and played a central roll at a very important event I held in January 2013, during which my incorrigible friend TS played it on repeat for about two nights in a row.  Silly good, with silly good memories of it.  Crammed it, as should you.  

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Haerts - "Wings" [track]

As noted in my post from July 4th, this band was great live.  Big vocals, great stage presence.  Keep an eye on them in the New Year.  

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The Hobbit: the Desolation of Smaug [Movie]

Just saw this in 3D.  For some reason I waited about a year to see the first Hobbit movie, which was stupid, it was in keeping with the level of quality Peter Jackson dealt to the Lord of the Rings trilogy.  I had been skeptical given that they were making The Hobbit novel into three movies.  I was wrong: while the first movie was a nice addition to the LOR saga, the most recent installment was fairly epic.  If you are one of the 2-3 people reading this (ever) then you should endeavor to see the movie in theaters in 3D.  It has everything a fan wants from the series - industry-leading production quality and CG-effects, as well as one of the most amazing fight scenes in any movie I can think of (the river/barrel fight scene, obviously), it also is unbelievably vibrant in 3D.

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The National - Trouble Will Find Me [Album]

While this album made many top album lists this past year, it is near or at the top of mine.  Following on the unbelievable subtlety, critical success, and finesse of High Violet, many of my fellow fans (and me) were wondering what they could possibly come up with next to keep evolving and proving themselves worthy of ongoing adulation, and they proved their continuing commitment to the craft with this phenomenal collection of songs.  For me, this kept their body of work high on my music rotation and ensured they remained utterly relevant.  New, intricate songs from a band that has really defined a decade or more of my life.  Haters, don't hate, just give it a few listens, it's a grower.

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Jagwar Ma - "Come Save Me" [Track]

Howlin' was a late find for me, but I love the energy and flow of this album.  "Come Save Me" was the hook that got me into this group and I look forward to their upcoming tour.  

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Foals [Band]

As noted previously, I went to see Surfer Blood open at House of Blues for Foals and came back a Foals fan.  "Inhaler" was my early grind but "My Number" is the track that led me into Holy Fire as a whole, leading me to choose it as one of the top handful of albums that came out this year.  

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American Hustle [Movie]

This was a good movie.  Near or at personal-best acting from all four main characters, intriguing plotline and good momentum; character development is ridiculously poignant and succinct.  David O. Russell directs winners and seems well in form on this one.  Other notables:

-The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (nearly a stand-alone production in itself - excellent interpretation of the book without sacrificing central tenets of the trilogy, Jennifer Lawrence in fine form)

-Gravity (a 3D must-see, even if you are a Sandra Bullock skeptic)

-Others: Ender's Game (solid effort but impossible to convey the unbelievably captivating gravity of the plot/book in a single film); This is the End (hilarious but a bit "wtf" addition to the stoner genre); I am sure 12 Years a Slave, Captain Phillips and a few others are great flicks but this was a pretty light year for me movie-going due to schedule constraints.

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Seinabo Sey - "Younger" [Track]

Late in the year find by the G himself (the bum), this line is a refreshing, captivating take on soul/electronic.  Enjoy!

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Frightened Rabbit - Pedestrian Verse [Album]

I like Scottish bands.  There is a good reason: Frightened Rabbit.  One person I keep trying to push them onto keeps calling them Pepper Rabbit.  This is unexceptable.  They are the reason I got into We Were Promised Jetpacks and Chvrches - two of my favorite bands at present.  Despite being a tried-and-true Rabbit fan, Pedestrian Verse took a few listens to really insinuate itself into my waking and sleeping thoughts, but once it did it was there to stay - this is yet another dinger of an album from one of my top bands ever.

This group found me during grad school and has never let me down (I wasn't looking but somehow found myself listening to them on repeat).  Every album they have is excellent but I still think The Midnight Organ Fight is the most compelling.  That said, I have enjoyed them live a number of times and beyond the songs themselves they bring a passion and drive to playing music that has been nothing less than a foundation for why I feel compelled to share/vent my music onto others ever since.  This is a band.  And no, I actually knew about italics before this post, I just didn't have the wherewithal to use it, or maybe the subject matter, or composure - I digress.

Go back and listen to a few tracks from Organ Fight and see what I'm talking about.  Then go see them live.  Then re-listen to Pedestrian Verse and tell me I don't know what I'm talking about.  This album represents the continuation of heart and soul music coming out of Scotland, viable on the international stage to those willing to listen.

From The Midnight Organ Fight:

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I've already repeated enough from earlier posts, but Chvrches was a G and me fav, both live and the album.  Son Lux "Lost it to Trying," Lorde, Chance the Rapper Acid Rap, Atlas Genius live and album, Arcade Fire Reflektor(!!!), St. Lucia live and album, Volcano Choir album and live, Phantogram album and EP, Mutual Benefit album were all tops in my book.  Go listen to that music, ya bum.  Cheers to 2014 and another undoubtably compelling year in music, life, love.  Wish you all a year to cherish.

Alaska in Winter - "Berlin" [track]

This track crept up on me on Spotify via the browse/discover tab... and damn if I haven't admitted my lack of awareness and kept it high on my playlists.  Further listens to the unbelievably-retro and devotedly sculpted Space Eagle LP have me looking for more bit-rock chill music.  That being said, I'm in a weird place right now.  

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Mutual Benefit - Love's Crushing Diamond [album]

This intricately spaced and unhurried chamber folk debut album by Brooklyn-via-Boston's Jordan Lee is garnering plenty of praise on the blog circuit, and for good reason.  The sound is both refreshing and delicate without redundancy, new- and old-sounding concurrently.  A robust review/feature on Pitchfork guarantees that this group's stock will continue to rise as they gain exposure by virtue of a currently evolving national tour schedule.

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Twin Shadow - "Old Love / New Love" [track]

Finally, this Twin Shadow contribution to GTA V is money.  Like stolen money.  

And let's all give it up to mama G for finally posting again!  I know right???!!  He's growing up before our very eyes!

Hi. It’s me, Geof. The strong, silent partner in this Torture Party. One half of the pair that conceived this brainchild (I’ll leave it up to you to decide who was the daddy and who was the mommy). And I’m here to apologize for being a deadbeat. For leaving this blog in a proverbial wicker basket, floating down a proverbial Nile River, like a baby in an allegory that I don’t fully remember anymore.

But I’m back, and I hope to be contributing on a regular basis from now on. Although I am constantly passing music on to J and to other friends and loved ones – many examples of which J has been gracious enough to post here – it’s always been my intention to share my thoughts about songs that move me with the world using a forum like this. And although the backlog of notable tracks has grown too long for me to possibly catch up on reviews, I hope to put together a retrospective of 2013 in mixtape form at year’s end.

For now, I’m hoping to consistently post a couple tracks that have my ear – maybe once every week or two – while their impact on my psyche/ethos/soul is still fresh. So here’s what I’m listening to this week.

Adventure Club feat. The Kite String Tangle - Wonder

If The Kite String Tangle hasn’t turned the corner into mainstream success by 2014, I’ll be (a) shocked and (b) disappointed in humanity. Another one in a long, impressive string of Australian acts, Brisbane’s Danny Harley serves up amazing downtempo electro-acoustic ballads supplemented by his gorgeous, heartwrenching vocals. He first nabbed my attention with his cover of Lorde’s “Tennis Court” – which in itself is a must-hear – but in the months since then, has evidently drawn a crowd. In addition to releasing an additional single, “Given the Chance,” in September, he has teamed up with electro-pop Adventure Club for a beautiful anthem: “Wonder.” Harley’s vocals are sampled in the bridges and featured prominently through the verses and choruses, dripping with angst and regret while driving bass and tinkling keys push the song forward. “I know I should have held you closer, and I know I should have treated you better / In a perfect world, but we’re not always what we promise to be,” he says, lamenting every good relationship you or I have ever lost.

Related Tracks:

CHVRCHES - Lies (Tourist. Remix)

Here’s my secret: I am deeply, passionately, head-over-heels in love with CHVRCHES’ Lauren Mayberry. It’s not a particularly well-kept secret. But I digress… The band’s debut album, The Bones of What You Believe, is a pop masterpiece, capable of bringing white boys to dancefloors in droves (yours truly notwithstanding). It’s powerful and unapologetically synth-driven, using rich sonic layers to complement their catchy drum machine. And while I adore the album, the beauty of this Tourist remix is that it’s everything the album is not. It takes “Lies” – a driving banger of a track – and flips it completely on its head. Stripped down and gripping, it places the focus squarely on Mayberry’s voice, which is at once striking and vulnerable. And with the perfect piano accompaniment, Tourist is able to break your heart in the first two minutes of the track, only to piece it back together with pensive beats that close the song.

Related Tracks:

The build-up to this album's release on October 29th has had enough smoke, mirrors, hijinx, and tomfoolery to satisfy even the most avid magic-show-loving amok-running amoks:

http://pitchfork.com/news/52041-arcade-fire-finally-confirm-reflektor/

http://pitchfork.com/news/52698-report-arcade-fire-play-new-tricks-in-brooklyn/ 

Amok is a word, can be a noun, and that is how it is spelled, although it is sometimes spelled amuck I prefer this spelling.  Merriam-Webster eat your heart out.  To my point: Arcade Fire have employed all of the latest marketing bells and whistles to promote this album and early feedback seems to be validating the hype.

I've given singles "Reflektor" and "Afterlife" a few listens and they are indeed a new iteration for the band's sound, celebrating new influences while remaining almost instantaneously recognizable as AF tracks.  I'm expecting big things from this album, and, accordingly, near-unprecedented popularity for the indie rock poster group.

The full album is currently streaming on Youtube:

Cheers.  -J

Always hungry for new tunes - perhaps it's the novelty but definitely mingled in with the newness is my constant hope that I will find my next favorite band, one I can add to the panoply crowding out my previously-assumed-more-than-adequate Macbook Air's hard drive.  In the vein of new bands that become old faithful choices that evoke all the imagery and sensations of when they were first heard, I'll start this brief list with a new remix by a constant favorite: James Murphy remixing Bowie for the DFA.  It's interesting from the get-go, and the track evinces Murphy's uncanny ability to re-envision classic sounds in a way that feels cutting edge.

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Lorde's album has dropped and for me lives up to expectations, which were not insignificant.  Look for this Kiwi to be making a world tour soon with stops around Australia and NYC already booked.

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Son Lux's new track got my attention, tearing about on Hype Machine and whatnot.  A nice progression from their previous material, more catchy but still riffing in that ethereal post-rock vein.

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The new Phantogram EP is a nice addition to their growing catalogue that stays true to their electrorock niche.

Managed to make it to this Tuesday night show.  Was mildly enthused to go, love the Atlas Genius album and sound but after all it's Tuesday night and I had a big Wednesday at work.  Nonetheless, good willed out and G, A and I made it over to the venue.  Caught part of the second opener, wasn't intrigued, and then Atlas Genius took the stage.  Their sound live was tight and clean like the album and they had definite stage presence.  These guys seem to be ready for the big stage.  Overall, it was an enjoyable show and the crowd had a good time.  Recommend seeing them this tour if possible, as the next one will probably be at a venue that would preclude the kind of intimacy that made it a good night.   Cheers, -J

Last night I was able to run home from work and use G's tickets to go to this Scottish electropop trio's show in the Fenway with A.  G had to stay at work, sniffle sniffle whimper.  The reasons the group is already selling out a venue like HOB so early in their American exposure were easy to see; the set - albeit on the short side given that their 1st album is only about to drop - was tight, energetic, and infectious.  Had a blast.  -J

jPhone vids:

Part of "The Mother We Share" -

    "By the Throat" -

                   -- Apparently the 1st time they played this live.  I can confirm this track sounds much better on the album, got a little too close to the speakers for the phone to handle, but no complaints here...

  Stream the new album, "The Bones of What You Believe," now at NPR.

Volcano Choir played an amazing sold-out show at the Paradise Lounge here in town last night.  G and I were in attendance, obviously.  Recs: catch them on this tour, as the next round will probably be at House of Blues-size venues.  #count-it  -J

This Bon Iver collaboration / super group is putting out some great stuff:

These tracks are dynamic, refreshing, and captivating, in part a result of Justin Vernon's familiar vocals, but also because of their "newness;" this is not Bon Iver and we get innovation accompanied by an excellent dose of refreshing.  Cheers, - J