2006 Listerectomy!

Like any self-respecting music blog, we here at Paper Stereo love making lists. As we celebrate the end of 2006, we’ve outdone ourselves—albums, songs, disappointments, debuts, live performances, you name it. So read on and enjoy the fine and varying taste of our writing staff. Also, be sure to check out the link at the bottom of this post to download our free end-of-the-year mp3 sampler, which includes a selection of fifteen of our favorite songs of 2006 in zip format. Regular posting will resume on January 3rd with a hip-hop mixtape so bangin’ it’ll make your head spin. As always, thanks for reading. Paper Stereo loves you.



Albums of the Year:
1. TV on the Radio – “Return to Cookie Mountain”
2. Bonnie “Prince” Billy – “The Letting Go”
3. Subtle – “For Hero: For Fool”
4. Liars – “Drum’s Not Dead”
5. Man Man – “Six Demon Bag”
6. Sunset Rubdown – “Shut Up I Am Dreaming”
7. The Velvet Teen – “Cum Laude”
8. Clipse – “Hell Hath No Fury”
9. Beach House – “Beach House”
10. Cat Power – “The Greatest”

Songs of the Year*:
1. Dr. Dog – “Ain’t It Strange”
2. Thom Yorke – “Harrowdown Hill”
3. Justin Timberlake – “My Love [Feat. T.I.]”
4. Six Organs of Admittance – “Black Wall”
5. Neko Case – “Hold On, Hold On”

Best Debut Albums of the Year:
Beach House, Brightblack Morning Light

Most Overrated Albums of the Year:
Destroyer, Joanna Newsom, The Decemberists

Best Live Performances of the Year:
1. Man Man @ the Epicentre, San Diego
2. Islands/WHY?/Cadence Weapon @ the El Rey, Los Angeles
3. TV on the Radio @ the Glass House, Pomona
4. Beirut @ the Troubadour, Los Angeles

*Does not include songs from albums of the year.




Best Live Performances of the Year:
1. Polyphonic Spree @ Henry Fonda Theatre, Los Angeles
2. Dr. Dog @ the Troubadour, Los Angeles
3. Man Man @ the Epicentre, San Diego
4. Jenny Lewis, Vista Theater, Los Angeles
5. Yeah Yeah Yeahs @ Coachella




Albums of the Year:
1. The Pipettes – “We Are The Pipettes”
2. Califone – “Roots and Crowns”
2. National Eye – “Roomful of Lions”
3. Dr. Dog – “Takers and Leavers”
4. Beirut – “The Gulag Orkestar”
6. Yo La Tengo – “I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass”
7. The Flaming Lips – “At War With the Mystics”
8. The Velvet Teen – “Cum Laude”
9. Sonic Youth – “Rather Ripped”
10. Josh Rouse – “Subtitulo”

Songs of the Year:
1. Grandaddy – “Just Like the Fambly Cat”
2. National Eye – “Juno3”
3. The Pipettes – “Pull Shapes”
4. Lupe Fiasco – “Daydreamin’ [Feat. Jill Scott]”
5. Dr. Dog – “Ain’t It Strange”

Best Debut Album of the Year
The Pipettes

Most Underappreciated Album of the Year
National Eye

Most Overrated Album of the Year:
Beck

Best Live Performances of the Year:
1. Flaming Lips @ Lollapalooza
2. Radiohead @ Bonnaroo
3. Broken Social Scene @ Lollapalooza
4. Wilco @ Lollapalooza
5. Beirut @ the Troubadour, Los Angeles




Albums of the Year:
1. TV on the Radio – “Return to Cookie Mountain”
2. The Hold Steady – “Boys and Girls in America”
3. J Dilla – “Donuts”
4. Ghostface Killah – “Fishscale”
5. Destroyer – “Destroyer's Rubies”

Songs of the Year:
1. TV on the Radio – “I Was A Lover”
2. The Hold Steady – “Party Pit”
3. The Decemberists – “Sons and Daughters”
4. Hot Chip – “The Warning”
5. Tokyo Police Club – “Citizens of Tomorrow”

Best Debut Album of the Year:
Lupe Fiasco

Most Unappreciated Album of the Year:
The Velvet Teen

Most Overrated Album of the Year:
Clipse

Best Live Performances of the Year:
1. The Hold Steady @ the Troubadour, Los Angeles
2. Radiohead @ the Greek Theatre, Los Angeles
3. Islands @ the El Rey, Los Angeles




Albums of the Year:
1. The Velvet Teen – “Cum Laude”
2. The Hold Steady – “Boys and Girls in America”
3. Mates of State – “Bring it Back”
4. Mystery Jets – “Making Dens”
5. Maritime – “We, the Vehicles”
6. Islands – “Return to the Sea”
7. Hot Chip – “The Warning”
8. The Zutons – “Tired of Hanging Around”
9. The Elected – “Sun, Sun, Sun”
10. Yo La Tengo – “I’m Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass”

Songs of the Year:
1. The Velvet Teen – “Gyzmkid”
2. Mystery Jets – “Zoo Time”
3. Muse – “Starlight”
4. Mates of State – “Running Out”
5. Radiohead – “15 Step”

Best Debut Album of the Year:
Mystery Jets

Most Unappreciated Album of the Year:
The Velvet Teen

Most Overrated Album of the Year:
The Mars Volta

“Worst Idea Ever” Award:
Disney, Fall Out Boy, She Wants Revenge, Panic! at the Disco, and Marilyn Manson for four horrendous covers of “Nightmare Before Christmas” songs.

Best Live Performances of the Year:
1. Radiohead @ the Greek Theatre, Berkeley
2. Islands @ the El Rey, Los Angeles
3. The Hold Steady @ the Troubadour, Los Angeles
4. Ozma Reunion Show @ the Knitting Factory, Los Angeles
5. The Velvet Teen @ the El Rey, Los Angeles




Albums of the Year:
1. Mclusky – “Mcluskyism” (3 Disc Version)
2. Boris – “Pink”
3. The Pipettes – “We Are the Pipettes”
4. Liars – “Drum’s Not Dead”
5. The Blow – “Paper Television”
6. Sunset Rubdown – “Shut Up I Am Dreaming”
7. Cat Power – “The Greatest”
8. Peter and the Wolf – “Lightness”
9. The Thermals – “The Body, the Blood, the Machine”
10. Blood Brothers – “Young Machetes”

Songs of the Year:
1. Regina Spektor – “Samson”
2. The Blow – “True Affection”
3. Cat Power – Love and Communication”
4. Califone – “The Orchids”
5. Man Man – “Engrish Bwudd”

Most Unappreciated Album of the Year:
Neutral Milk Hotel’s “In the Aeroplane Over the Sea”, this year and every year until Jeff Mangum is rewarded with a golden scepter, a throne made of seal pelts and human skulls, and a key to every city in the world.

Biggest Disappointments of the Year:
1. Ah yes, Chinese Democracy. I’ll preemptively cite that one for next year’s disappointment. That is, if it comes out of course.
2. The Raconteurs: If the album was half as well put together as their live shows it would be on a very different list of mine. Come on Jack White. Seriously.
3. The Hold Steady’s “Boys and Girls in America”: From the drop dead, breathtakingly awful cover to the painfully mediocre (with the exception of the amazing “Southtown Girls”) songs, one of my favorite bands definitely let me down. What happened to the “Positive Jam” and “Killer Parties”, Hold Steady?

Best Live Performances of the Year:
1. Ryan Adams @ the Palace of the Fine Arts, San Francisco
2. Brit Daniel @ Swedish American Music Hall, San Francisco
2. Cat Power @ the Fillmore, San Francisco
4. Blood Brothers @ the Glass House, Pomona
5. TV on the Radio @ the Glass House, Pomona
6. Man Man @ the Epicentre, San Diego
7. Peaches/Eagles of Death Metal @ the Glass House, Pomonoa




Albums of the Year:
1. Cat Power – “The Greatest”
2. Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s – “The Dust of Retreat”
3. Neko Case – “Fox Confessor Brings the Flood”
4. Simon Joyner – “Beautiful Losers”
5. Stephen Merritt – “Showtunes”
6. Man Man – “Six Demon Bag”
7. Joanna Newsom – “Ys”
8. TV on the Radio – “Return to Cookie Mountain”
9. The Blow – “Paper Television”
10. Dr. Dog – “Takers and Leavers”

Songs of the Year:
1. Cat Power – “Lived in Bars”
2. TV on the Radio – “Wolf Like Me [Live]”
3. Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s – “Light on a Hill”
4. Neko Case – “John Saw That Number”
5. Simon Joyner – “Fearful Man”

Biggest Disappointments of the Year:
The Mars Volta’s “Amputectureidon’tevencareifIspellitright.Itwasawful.”
Damien Rice’s “9”

Best Live Performances of the Year:
1. Cat Power Secret Show, Hollywood
2. The Blood Brothers @ the Glass House, Pomona
3. Ryan Adams and the Cardinals @ House of Blues, Anaheim
4. TV on the Radio @ the Glass House, Pomona
5. Cat Power @ the Fillmore, San Francisco




Albums to Look Forward to in 2007:
Deerhoof, Of Montreal, The Shins, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Sondre Lerche, Apples in Stereo, Grinderman, Aesop Rock, Akron/Family, Animal Collective, the Arcade Fire, Art Brut, Andrew Bird, Feist, Gnarls Barkley, PJ Harvey, Interpol, Madvillain, MF Doom & Ghostface, Modest Mouse, the National, the New Pornographers, the Pixies, Postal Service, Queens of the Stone Age, Radiohead, Rilo Kiley, the Smashing Pumpkins, Spoon, Stereolab, Wilco, Wolf Parade

In loving memory of Velvet Teen founding drummer Logan Whitehurst, James “J Dilla” Yancey, Pink Floyd founding member Syd Barrett, and the heroic Malachi Ritscher.

Album Review: Math and Physics Club

“Math and Physics Club”
Matinée; 2006
7/10

Please, please, please do not dismiss Math and Physics Club as a Belle and Sebastian sound-a-like. I know that on first listen, your ears might do a double-take because they definitely have a very similar musical style and lead vocalist. However, Math and Physics Club’s self-titled album boasts its own brand of quiet sweetness that doesn’t deserve to be compared to anything else.

Everything about Math and Physics Club seems young and tender. Clocking in at under half an hour, this ten-song debut is full of uncertainty and innocence. The lead vocalist is somewhat undeveloped, and when his quiet baritone reaches for the low notes, you can tell he has to try. However, the clear effort he puts forth makes his young-and-in-and-out-of-love lyrics all the more endearing. I think a perfect voice would just spoil the mood. That being said, he does have a really nice voice, and unlike a lot of male singers, he’s actually singing in tune.

Math and Physics Club doesn’t vary their sound much, but that’s fine by me. The drums are played almost entirely on the snares or with brushes, which makes the whole CD sound like being inside on a rainy day. The jangly lead guitar mimics the vocal melody like a second voice. There’s little other orchestration or backup vocals, but the album really doesn’t call for it. The best thing about Math and Physics Club is that they know when to stop: just before they get boring. The whole CD sounds warm and fuzzy, in the same way that the sweater your ex-girlfriend left at your house feels warm and fuzzy—that would be the ex-girlfriend who dumped you for an older guy with a nicer car and bad taste in music.

The more you listen to this album, the less like Belle and Sebastian it will sound to you. Gone are the worldly, sexually ambiguous, messed-up lyrics. This isn’t to say that Math and Physics Club is happy-go-lucky, but their sad songs are a little more innocent and relatable. There’s less urgency, and the lead vocals are comfortable among the instruments instead of in front of them. Math and Physics Club has a made themselves a fine album regardless of their influences, and they definitely stand on their own as a band.

It’s hard to choose favorite songs on this album because they’re all very well-crafted, both melodically and lyrically. They all get stuck in my head, and I can’t complain about it one bit. One of the best is “La La La Lisa.” It’s a little tune about having a crush on the bassist of an all-girl band: “She had the prettiest eyes, painted black like her lips / I would have died for just one kiss / or half a chance to hold hands / I knew I’d never really win / cuz I heard she only went with older kids.” It’s heart breaking without being depressing. It’s the best example of their style, with the lead guitarist nicely complementing the lead vocalist, who croons his “la la la la”s with the utmost sincerity. It’s light and airy, but still upbeat. The end features a small trumpet part, but the rest is just guitar, bass, and drums.

The track on the album that is the best example of what Math and Physics Club could achieve is “Cold as Minnesota.” Here, they prove that sometimes a little more can go a long way. They bring in recorded hand-claps after a basic, groovy bass intro. And then—synth and violin? In their subtle departure from the style of the other songs on the album, Math and Physics Club learns how to stick to their minimalist style while exploring the restrained use of other instruments. They are able to enhance their songwriting without crowding it. I love the whole album, but I think that if their next one sounds a little more like this song, they will be showing positive change and progress.

“Math and Physics Club” is an excellent debut album, and I will be listening to it for a while. All this band wants is a chance to be heard, and you’ll be doing yourself a favor to indulge them. I predict even greater things to come from Math and Physics Club in the future, and these songs couldn’t be a better place to start.

Download:
Math and Physics Club - La La La Lisa
Math and Physics Club - Cold As Minnesota
Math and Physics Club - April Showers

- Stacey Capoot -

Tags: Math and Physics Club, Matinée, La La La Lisa, mp3

Column: Joanna, I Need Closure

The problem of writing a review of Joanna Newsom’s “Ys” has been dogging me for some time now. I realize it’s already been beat to death in the blogosphere and there’s really very little of any meaning I could add to the enormity of material already out there, but if anything Newsom’s release should be considered “important” and, because of that, I’d feel morally remiss if I didn’t address it. I’ve tried to pass it on to my other writers, but they wouldn’t have it. And so the problem logically falls on my lap. Which brings us here.

Let me stress that I don’t want to write this review (and am not really going to), the main reason being that I have no idea what to say. To be totally honest, I have yet to be able to listen to all of “Ys” in one sitting. Anyone can tell you it’s a challenging listen; but where “Return to Cookie Mountain” yielded immense rewards when the challenge was overcome, I’ve yet to receive such compensation from “Ys”.

It’s not that I don’t think it’s “good”. I can’t say if it’s good or not quite yet. I can say it’s impressive: Van Dyke’s Parks’ string arrangements, Newsom’s ever-expanding harp virtuosity, unique melodies, songs exceeding ten minutes, ambitious and carefully crafted lyrical narratives, and its crisp production are all reason enough in themselves to be taken with “Ys”. Simply put, it deserves our attention. But I’m not so sure that this means it also deserves our praise.

I saw Joanna Newsom live at the El Rey in Los Angeles a couple weeks ago, and this only further encouraged my doubt. You could’ve heard a pin drop in the crowd; we were captivated, enamored with that beautiful pixie onstage, plucking away at her harp and bending her mouth around her words. I, as well as everyone around me, was in awe; but when the awe finally left me, the real question still lingered: did I enjoy it? Do I enjoy listening to “Ys”?

On a gut level, listening to the album can be a burden. There are several moments that are truly mind-blowing (the “skipping stones across the surface of the water” part of “Emily”, the chorus of “Monkey & Bear”, some of the harp breaks on “Sawdust & Diamonds”, for example) but, when the average song is eleven minutes long, these moments are few and far between. The more I listen to it, the more I realize what I’m actually experiencing: I’m waiting and waiting for those amazing, standout parts, working my way through the excessively long filler to arrive at the payoff. Were these sections of filler shorter, I’m sure I would like it more; taken in small chunks they’re charming enough, they way they’re pounded into your head over the length of the whole album they lose what makes them special.

But I’m starting to analyze the album, and analyzing without knowing what point you’re going to make in the end is a bad idea. If I don’t know if the album is “good” or “bad”, how can I possibly address its parts in those same terms? But perhaps this dilemma is the more indicative than anything than can be taken directly from the album.

The fact of the matter is (as you’ve probably noticed) I can’t seem to process this album. I don’t know if the filler is good or bad, I can’t tell if the standout parts are an exception or a glorious peak, I can’t tell if the lyrics are meaningful or not, I can’t figure out if Parks’ string arrangements are abrasive or genius—but this inability to process, I realize, is also an inability to connect to “Ys” on a personal level. If I can’t decide how I feel about this album, perhaps it’s because it doesn’t make me feel anything strong enough to sway me. That’s also probably why it feels like such work to listen to “Ys”; because there’s nothing on the album to which I can relate. I can’t possibly claim with any reasonable evidence that the album is “bad”, however. So where does that leave me?

If I can’t connect to the album, and it’s not bad, what is it? I realize in light of other albums I can’t connect to/can’t call bad, that, to put it simply, the album is mediocre. Yes, “Ys” is mediocre, and not because of any part of the album itself. It’s mediocre because it’s so inaccessible, so foreign, so distant from my cognitive capabilities that it will never be more than an album that’s “out there”, existing independent of any previously established set of music rules but also existing independent of everything that allows me to appreciate it.

Download:
Joanna Newsom - Emily
Joanna Newsom - Sawdust & Diamonds

- Dominick Duhamel -

Tags: Joanna Newsom, Ys, Emily, Sawdust & Diamonds, mp3

Track Review: Ghostface Killah

“You Know I’m No Good [Feat. Amy Winehouse]”
from “More Fish”
8/10

A lot of rappers spend their time rhyming about their life and past, trying to garner respect for their rough childhood and the hustling they (used to) do, as if the only thing that mattered was their own before-after scenario and how much they embody that classic rags-to-riches story we’ve all become so painfully numb to. Ghostface, he’s above all that. He’s a storyteller. He’s a creator and navigator of nascent narratives. He’s the village griot from thousands of years ago, back to kick your ass and beat his flow into your maladjusted head. It’s not about him, it’s not about what’s real—it’s about being lead around by his imagination like a dog on a leash.

“Fishscale”, though it was around a half hour too long, only reinforced the power Ghost’s soapbox fabrications. I expected much the same from “More Fish” and, for the most part, got just that. The one exception, however, is “You Know I’m No Good”; this is a rare glimpse of Ghostface, a song that could very well be entirely true and, as an exception to the rule, is so much the better for it.

The track kicks off with one of Amy Winehouse’s jazzy breaks that never fails to remind me of James Bond—schmoozy and classy to the point of no longer being either. The beat is smooth but unoffending, like a track playing from a public radio station out of a stereo in the other room, but these are the beats that suit Ghostface best, that give him the space to move around and the chance to be the focus of the song, as he more often than not should be.

But, like I said, this song stands out because Ghostface kicks down the wall he’s built up between him and his audience. The song’s about a girl, but not just any girl—this girl’s got Ghost all torn up, to the point of sounding panicked about halfway through. He regrets, he drinks, he questions—it’s so delightfully human it’s hard to believe that it could be another one of his stories. The usual high energy Ghostface maintains while he raps is, at points, almost doubled, and the result is impossible to ignore.

And, just as about he sounds like he’s about to explode, Amy Winehouse kicks it down a notch with her barroom vocals and the listener is caught in the emotional rollercoaster that Ghost himself seems to have endured to painfully.

Download:
Ghostface Killah - You Know I’m No Good [Feat. Amy Winehouse]

- Dominick Duhamel -

Tags: Ghostface Killah, More Fish, Amy Winehouse, mp3

Track Review: Frida Hyvönen

“The Modern”
from “Until Death Comes”
8/10

So first of all Frida Hyvönen is Swedish, which you might have notice from the umlaut above the “o” in her name. Not that all names using an umlaut are Swedish, considering that Mötley Crüe uses two in their name and they are in no way Swedish. This is all beside the point though of what I am trying to get at. Simply what I want to say is that she is now on my list of favorite Swedish artists. So that means her and Dennis Lyxzén from the Swedish hardcore band “Refused.”

“The Modern”, off of her album, “Until Death Comes”, is a great combination of poorly recorded vocals, which I believe to be on purpose, and the simplest of piano carrying the song. All I can say is that it works beautifully and it really gets you in the first second of the song. Especially with the opening verse being, “One day I wasn’t drunk and the sun was shining straight, I went blind and ran my fingers on his face.” Just that line makes you envision her sober happiness and going blind with the sun shining straight in her face, yet she still has the absolute joy of running her fingers on his face. You can hear it in the way she says it, and that is why I enjoy this song so much. As for the beginning of the second verse it is equally as good starting off with, “Won’t be ashamed of language as if it was my fault, won’t be afraid of happiness, won’t be afraid at all.”

Her vocals are very interesting in that she knows the right time to go higher and make a simple line more dramatic. At the end of the song there is a bridge part where she adds a heavier piano bass line and there is background singing from a woman, which might be her, and it sounds like it was recorded in the south in the 20’s. It kind of creeps me out, but at the same time I love it. The song ends with nothing more then a little slide guitar solo, if you want to call it a solo. It is exactly what you imagine you would hear and old man playing on his porch if you were walking down a street in some southern state such as Kentucky or Alabama. It is a great way to end the song, because it really goes along with the old sound of it. My only complaint with the song is that it is too short, not that I like long, overdone songs, but maybe one more verse would have been nice. Or maybe it is so good because it is short.

Watch:
Frida Hyvönen - The Modern [Music Video]

- Ryan Cox -

Tags: Frida Hyvönen, The Modern, Until Death Comes, mp3

Track Review: Sonic Youth

“Incinerate”
from “Rather Ripped”
7.5/10

My friends and I saw Pearl Jam this summer at the iPayOne Sports Arena in San Diego. Normally, I wouldn’t pay seventy bucks to see a band play live at an arena, but Sonic Youth were opening and I wanted to see both them and Pearl Jam before they bit the dust. Our tickets read six-thirty and so, thinking six-thirty was the time doors opened and knowing our seats were assigned, we showed up around seven. I was looking forward to between two and three hours of Thurston Moore and Eddie Vedder magic. Unfortunately, it was then I learned from someone sitting next to us that the show actually had started at 6:30, and that we had missed Sonic Youth’s performance.

There’s about a million things wrong with this picture. First, why the hell did they start the show at six-thirty? Pearl Jam and Sonic Youth attract primarily older crowds, it’s not like their parents want them home by ten. Second, Sonic Youth were really only given a half hour to play? If you have an opening band as huge as the Yoof are, you give them their due hour time slot. Especially if you’re gonna let Pearl Jam play for two-and-a-half hours after. And finally, the biggest question I had that night, why the FUCK did Sonic Youth open for Pearl Jam and not the other way around? Sonic Youth is twenty-five years old, puts on a great live show, and is a fucking monolith of American underground music. They’re still putting out quality music after a quarter century; come talk to me when Pearl Jam is putting out stuff this good in 2015.

In fact, I’d put “Incinerate” against any song put out by a band that’s been around for so long. It may not stack up against the epic tracks on “Daydream Nation” or “Goo”, but I’ll be damned if the whole thing doesn’t bleed style/maturity/class and go down smoother than a frosty. Sonic Youth has cleaned up a bit for this record, eliminating some of the noise and stripping their songs down to a few, simpler elements. “Incinerate” isn’t a dense track (it sounds like it could’ve been recorded live) but that makes for a breezy, effortless listen. The song glides on a sheet of air, propelled by tight-as-shit pocket drumming and modest but inventive guitar lines. Even the guitar solo flow is easy on the ears, bottling up a couple of ferocious licks but letting them free before they begin to grow restless.

Thurston’s voice sounds as good as ever, clean enough to highlight his melodies but dirty enough to remind you that at any moment he can send it all to shit. The lyrics aren’t outstanding, but there’s memorable moments (“I ripped your heart out from your chest / replaced it with a grenade blast”) and the simplicity of the verses suit the laid-back, artsy feel of the song. “Incinerate” is the whole package, really, a bright, cohesive track and a refreshing listen from one of the oldest, most important voices in music today and, as I found out at the Pearl Jam show this summer, one of its most underappreciated.

Download:
Sonic Youth - Incinerate

- Dominick Duhamel -

Tags: Sonic Youth, Rather Ripped, Incinerate, Thurston Moore, mp3

Album Review: Clipse

“Hell Hath No Fury”
Jive; 2006
9/10

There’s not much to say about the new Clipse album that hasn’t already been said, especially when the boys over at Cokemachineglow gave it such a thorough combing over. All I can really offer is the perspective of my experience. So here goes.

I didn’t listen to hip-hop until about a year ago. Even then, I was limited to Gorillaz, Danger Doom, and Madvillain, influenced mostly by one of my best friends’ obsession with MF Doom. I really only branched out in September 2006, amassing in a few short months an ample collection of Ghostface Killah, Jay-Z, Notorious B.I.G., Aesop Rock, Cadence Weapon, Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco, Nas, Roots, Wu-Tang Clan, Sage Francis, and Snoop Dogg records. And while I enjoyed most of them, hip-hop was far from becoming my genre of choice. I always had my inhibitions; the albums were often inconsistent, the beats paled by comparison to the instrumentation of my indie rock favorites, and even the rappers often failed to have something meaningful to say.

“Hell Hath No Fury” destroys my inhibitions. Everything bad thought I’ve ever harbored about the genre was simultaneously blown away. This shit is the real stuff, and, when put up against all the hip-hop albums I’ve accrued to this date, I have yet to find one I enjoy as much—and this includes Jay-Z’s “The Blueprint”, Nas’s “Illmatic”, and Ghostface’s “Fischscale”.

The reasons for this are many, but at the forefront is the flawless production of the Neptunes. It’s nothing short of epic; the menagerie of steel drums in “Wamp Wamp (What It Do)”, the spaghetti-thin guitar line of “Dirty Money”, the traipsing accordion of “Momma I’m So Sorry”, the ferociously dirty synths of “Trill”, the dissonant, sustained chimes of “Ride Around Shining”—as a whole, it’s just barely short of perfect. Fresh and inventive, “Hell Hath No Fury” witnesses the best Neptunes production to date, moving beyond the industry standard of tired samples and cut-and-paste arrangement to a veritable art, on par musically with any other genre.

And Pusha T and Malice, the Virginia Beach brother-brother duo, do those beats justice. Their rhyme scheme is the least inventive element of the whole album, sticking pretty closely to the traditional AA-BB pattern, but its hardly something to complain about; keeping the scheme conventional gives their rhymes excellent flow and allows for comfortable wordplay rather than the sort of forced delivery that sometimes troubles rappers like Jay-Z. The brothers have an excellent command of their flow as well, lending each syllable the perfect amount of spite, style, flippancy, or urgency that it requires.

The subject of their rhymes, however, is really what everyone is talking about; it’s no secret that Pusha T and Malice are coke dealers, and that the majority of their verses are somehow related to that fact. They bring to light every aspect of life as a hustler, from the lavish lifestyle it provides (“Dirty Money”) them to the imitators it draws (“Mr. Me Too”), the guilt it plagues upon them (“Momma I’m So Sorry”), and the chance it affords the oppressed black population (“Hello New World”). I’m not one to overwhelm you with quotes (though trust me about half the album is full of memorable ones), mostly because the verses mean so much more in their respective context. But let me assure you that these boys and their guests tackle complicated subjects (albeit slightly morally bankrupt ones) with such style, honesty, and intensity that you can’t help but listen to them.

You know what, I’m gonna admit it—this review kind of blows. It’s hackneyed and amateur. But that’s why we post free songs for download: so that you don’t have to take my lame word for it. The point is that “Hell Hath No Fury” is fucking amazing, and anyone who likes hip-hop even in the remotest sense needs to get their hands on it… like, now.

Download:
Clipse - Momma I’m So Sorry
Clipse - Wamp Wamp (What It Do) [Feat. Slim Thug]
Clipse - Dirty Money

- Dominick Duhamel -

Tags: Clipse, Hell Hath No Fury, Pusha T, Malice, mp3

Album Review: The Pipettes

“We Are The Pipettes”
Memphis Industries; 2006
8.5/10

Every musician borrows tricks from those who influenced them, and oftentimes it’s apparent: Oasis and the Beatles; Electric Six and the cheese-ball 80’s; Jakob Dylan and Bob Dylan. Artists who exaggerate their influences risk being labeled a follower that lacks any sense of creativity or aesthetic, a mutant carbon copy of the idols he strives to be. But the exceptions, though rare, arrange their influences in a tasteful new way; the Pipettes deliver one of those refreshing exceptions.

The Pipettes’ debut album “We Are the Pipettes” is the most feel-good album of the year. It starts with a short, spacey noise tease before opening up to the first of 14 shameless two-minute pop songs. The Pipettes have clearly dabbled equally in the a range of music: the high school sweethearts of the 50’s and early 60’s (The Ronettes); the psychedelic 60’s (Brian Wilson); 70’s disco; and quasi-cheesy 80’s arena pop (Cindy Lauper). It’s nearly perfect pop music – eagerly dancy with infectious melodies and countless surprises. The lyrics are sometimes trite (“you used to tell me that loved me every day / I didn’t know what to say”), but the Pipettes biting delivery compensates. Even with the prettiest lyrics, these girls can sound more sarcastic than Lily Allen.

“We Are The Pipettes” opens with the first of many 80’s “Mickey” drum beats on the album, with massive reverb and psychedelic cheerleader vocals. They introduce themselves bluntly: “We are the Pipettes / And we’ve got no regrets / if you haven’t noticed yet / we’re the prettiest girls you’ve ever met.” Yes. They. Are. Each Pipette (there are three) has a place in the mix – left, right, and middle. To complement the vocals, a fantastic backing band layers piano, synth, and most impressively, wild string arrangements, which keep the music continually surprising. The bass and drums are always anxious, but manage to keep it all perfectly together.

Songs like “Pull Shapes” make a sit-on-the-couch-and-soak-in-the-drink-and-music man like me dance. It’s essentially an early 60’s Frankie Valli hit with a hint of disco. The verse chords feel like a drive-thru burger joint, the chorus forces your body to move, and the sarcastic strings and horns swell with conviction. It’s unabashedly poppy. They even pull off sampling a cheering crowd, which is risky, but it works.

The first 15 seconds of “Dirty Mind” deliver yet another unforgettable melody with some enticing lyrics: “She’s got a dirty mind / just don’t know what you’re gonna find.” Nope, but I’d like to find out. The simple drumbeat is played with attitude, and a drunken, rambling piano sets the foundation for horn swells and a wall of three-point vocal counterpoint that would surely be the highlight of a live show.

“A Winter’s Sky” is the only ballad, and consequently the prettiest song, on the album. The party attitude is stripped away from the vocalists, the recording is clean, and the mellow strings and French horn make the vocals shine. Not the ones to keep things ordinary, though, a few short clips of spring reverb appear sporadically throughout the tune, making it just imperfect enough not to be shrugged off and forgotten as just another ballad.

The Pipettes have in some cases improved upon the original artists they recall. In others, they understand what components make it so great, and use them. The Pipettes are musical alchemists. They’ve made gold with the perfect proportion of elements from an array of influences. Some might say it’s already been done. Those people have not heard this album.

Download:
The Pipettes - Pull Shapes
The Pipettes - Dirty Mind
The Pipettes - A Winter’s Sky

- Austin Bauer -

Tags: Pipettes, Pull Shapes, Dirty Mind, mp3

Live: Cirque du Soleil presents "Love" 11/24/06

This summer marked the beginning of Cirque du Soleil’s newest Las Vegas show, “Love,” the brainchild of George Harrison and Guy Laliberté. What better timing than to see it right after Thanksgiving? My first plan was to review just the album itself. After all, it’s half the reason why anyone should go out and see the show. The father-son team of George and Giles Martin were given the entire catalog of the Beatles’ original recordings in order to create a soundtrack for the show. However, Pitchfork just beat me to it, and quite well I may add. George and Giles mix and match various parts of many different Beatles songs, and Mark Richardson points of some of the neatest ones. Perhaps the only big change Richardson missed is adding the drum beat of “Tomorrow Never Knows” to “Within You Without You,” it’s perhaps one of most awesome parts of the soundtrack.

But let’s put this music in context of the show. For about an hour and half, a group of around 70 or so people perform crazy acrobatic feats all set to the music of The Beatles. Part of it kind of tells the story of their career, and part of it is an attempt to embody the spirit and lyrics of the various songs in a music video-ish fashion. All of it takes place in a beautiful, circular stage. Giant video screens are on the opposite walls of the theater, and there are speakers located on the head rest of the chairs add a little bit surround sound-ness to some of the songs. It makes for an intimate, yet grand show since so many people are so close to the stage.

It all begins with one of Ringo Starr’s only drum solos in “The End” while the rest of the band warms up their instruments, with the silhouette of all four Beatles members on four suspended video screens in the middle of the theater (which were taken down at different points in the show). On stage was Liverpool, England with people break dancing to “Get Back,” jumping on various platforms, and lifting off onto little towers using a seesaw. You know, exactly how Liverpool, England was back in the early 1940s. Then war hits and people start busting through walls and other parts of the set. It all looks neat so far, but it’s about to get much, much better.

The first major point of the show is “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite.” Not only is it an amazing song, but the theme is perfect for Cirque du Soleil. The stage is all set as a circus with all sorts of crazy stuff going on all around the stage. On my side of the stage, a giant man with a sledge hammer was playing what seemed like that strength game (the one where you try to hit the target hard enough to reach the bell up on top). Only every time he hit the target, the women in front of him would spring up in the air with their feet planted, but their “legs” extending. It continues until she gets hit all the way to the ceiling of the theater. Also, up at the top of the circus was a man on a board that was connected to a rotating bar. He then proceeded to push himself from side to side until the board he was going on was going in circle. He would then remain on the board somehow and start performing somersaults and other tricks. It was pretty amazing.

My next favorite part was “Lucy and the Sky of Diamonds.” The song wasn’t fiddled around with all that much, but the setting was fantastic. Everything was pitch black except for long lines of small light bulb set all around the theater for the representation of the stars and sky. The light would then light up in various patterns, just making for a brilliant view. And on the stage was a nice little dance with a man and a woman who were attached to bungee cable up on top of the theater. She then proceeded to dance all around the stage and in the air. Awesome. It was the perfect setting of the song. Also, following that was “ Octopus’s Garden,” which in fact feature many bright jellyfish and many people in the air as octopi.

“Revolution” is also pretty awesome, since it was taking place during the whole sexual revolution and “free love” time of the 60s. Throughout the song, cops are chasing hippies around on a stage with a telephone booth and trampolines set all around it. The hippies then proceed to jump around on the telephone booth and nets there were set around the stage while avoiding the cops. Yeah, it all sounds fairly simple, but it was executed wonderfully.

And so was the whole show. Everything about it was simply amazing. The music may not have as experimental as it could’ve been, but that would be the only complaint (which, really, it’s not). Everything was just solid, and you couldn’t ask for a better pairing of feel-good music and awesome setting/acrobatics. And hey, did you know that John Stamos was watching the same show I was at only a few seats away from me? Pretty cool.

Download:
The Beatles - Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite/I Want You (She's So Heavy)/Helter Skelter
The Beatles - Within You Without You/Tomorrow Never Knows
The Beatles - Drive My Car/The Word/What You're Doing

- John Higgins -

Track Review: Centro-Matic

“Calling Thermatico”
from “Fort Recovery”
8.5/10

I had kind of grown out of my electric guitar-based indie rock phase, thinking that one could only do so much with a certain approach, and that any four-piece group with chord-based songs and little to no knack for experimentation was destined to repeat not only itself but the myriad of similar bands that preceded it.

Centro-matic has turned me into a believer again. Their latest release, “Fort Recovery” is nothing I haven’t heard before—that same gritty two-guitar approach and pocket drumming is all too familiar. Even Will Johnson’s honest vocals have been done before. But this, in fact, is what makes Centro-matic such a refreshing listen: they’re only doing what’s been done before, but they’ve managed to make it sound new, exciting, and above all, something worth listening to numerous times.

And speaking of numerous times, no song on “Fort Recovery” has seen more plays on my iTunes than “Calling Thermatico”. What always strikes me first (and this is not a common thing to be struck with, trust me) is the incendiary guitar tone. Both axes sound like they’re on the brink of totally crumbling, blurting out bass-heavy growls but somehow forming a tight groove that’s hardly devoid of melody or character.

The lyrics are kind of nonsense at times (“We’re calling Thermatico / ‘cause he may have options / within the sequence / to which we abide / ‘cause under the railway / he left colossal papers / and medicines to keep us alive”… what does that even mean? Anyone? Anyone?), but the lyrics are never really the point; it’s all about Johnson’s Tweedy-esque delivery and its accompanying melody. It spot on and smooth, quieting and opening up at exactly the right moments, giving the song’s dirty groove an alternating sense of suffocation and relieved respiration and thus, life.

But the real clincher here is the song’s final minute. The drums kick in with a sixteenth note rim groove and the guitars quiet to fade, all while Johnson’s falsetto stretches comfortably across a bed of nails. It’s slow-motion and fleeting at the same time, holding your attention the entire time but still feeling no longer than a few seconds when the last cymbal hits disappear from the mix and Johnson’s quiet behind the mic, content to know that stripping down the song simultaneously leaves the listener wanting more, and relishing it all the while.

Download:
Centro-Matic - Calling Thermatico

- Dominick Duhamel -

Tags: Centro-Matic, Fort Recovery, Calling Thermatico, mp3