Sorry For The Bad News (Part II)

Computer's still in the shop. Sorry bros.
Look for new stuff Monday.

- Dominick Duhamel -

Sorry for the Bad News, But...

My hard drive crashed on Monday and I'm not sure how much data I've lost or when I'll have it back--I hoping for this weekend, but I can't be sure. Until then we're not going to be able to post. Look for a new post on Monday and, if it's not up, then Wednesday for sure. We've got a new Panda Bear track review and a Coachella lineup mixtape waiting for you when it happens. Thanks for your patience.

A word of advice: backup everything you have onto an external drive. Now. Seriously. When you lose 60 gigs of music, hundreds of pictures, and every single document of music journalism (as well as homework, creative writing, and a list of every concert I've ever attended) you've ever written, you'll understand why I say this. Fucking shit.

- Dominick Duhamel -

Album Review: The Shins

“Wincing the Night Away”
Sub Pop; 2007
8/10

It’s been just about three years since everyone’s last heard of the Shins. Since their last record, “Chutes Too Narrow,” they got a pretty big boost in popularity thanks Natalie Portman and “Garden State,” which probably placed a huge amount of pressure on the band to not release a dud. And did they release a dud with “Wincing the Night Away”? Well, most people seem to think so. I keep hearing that it sucks, it’s too different, or some combination of the two. I, however, happen to enjoy the album and find it a pleasant departure from the norm.

So what’s different? Well, the production this time around is very clean and very slick, which gives a crispness to the band’s sound that was not there in prior albums. This is really the only major change that’s apparent, which is most likely a result of their newfound popularity. Also, nothing in the Shins’ previous repertoire quite adds up to it in terms of the volume of sound. It seems the band has gotten more comfortable and confident of itself, and they are willing to experiment with new ideas. “Sleeping Lessons,” acts as an amazing opener, with water-like keyboards, sweet melodies, and eventually full band crescendo featuring brilliant guitar work. “Sea Legs” is a pretty syncopated, groove-oriented song with some strings that isn’t your typical Shins. “Split Needles” is also very beat-driven, with a nice, heavy, confident drum sound. They were so heavily guitar driven before—this song is actually the first time I realized the Shins had a drummer that can take command of the band.

Yet, overall the album still maintains that same Shins-quality that is apparent with their other two albums. “Phantom Limb,” the single, is perhaps their most straight ahead track on the album, and the one that harks back at their old sound the most. It’s pretty damn catchy too. And then there’s “Red Rabbits,” where the sweet vocal melodies and ambiance just seem very familiar and friendly. And the little time signature change in the chorus? Wonderful. There are a few forgettable tracks though. “Black Wave” just goes nowhere for 3 minutes, “Sea Legs” feels like it wears out its welcome midway through, and “Girl Sailor” sounds a little too much like a New Pornographers song for some reason.

In the end, I feel that The Shins made the right choice. They were going into a lose-lose situation with this third album. I have a feeling that if they maintained their trademark production and sound, critics and fans would quickly grow tired of it and demand change. But really, I don’t need another album that’s just a slightly-below-par version of “Oh, Inverted World.” And now, since the group decided to make a few changes here and there—all pretty much cosmetic, of course, since the heart of their sound still remains intact—critics and fans dislike the new direction. Well, don’t believe what you’re hearing. Listen to this album and try it out for yourself. You just might find something that’s pretty damn cool.

Since the album hasn’t released yet, we can’t post any mp3s, but you can download “Phantom Limbs” from the Sub Pop website by right-clicking here and saving the linked file to your computer. Be sure to pick up a copy when it hits stores tomorrow.

- John Higgins -

Live: Subtle 1/19/07

For your viewing pleasure, a photo montage:


Opener Pigeon John being awesome.


Pigeon John apparently crying about something.


Probably the coolest stage prop ever.


Doseone and his assortment of magical effects.


Doseone and his list of fallen wage slaves.


Jel busting mad drum machine skillz.


Doseone wearing his sweetass mask and being awesome.

- Dominick Duhamel -

Artist Profile: John Frusciante

Though most know John Frusciante from his guitar and backup vocal work with the Red Hot Chili Peppers (from 1989’s “Mother’s Milk to the present), as an artist his scope extends far beyond. He began his solo career in 1992 when he left RHCP for six years (during which the band made what is widely considered their worst album, 1996’s “One Hot Minute” with Dave Navarro in his stead). Since then, he has released ten solo albums, several collaborations, and has worked with artists from Johnny Cash and Ziggy Marley to the Mars Volta’s Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and Deep Purple’s Glenn Hughes. Rolling Stone ranked Frusciante 18th in their “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time”. Heavily influenced by the likes of Captain Beefheart, Frank Zappa, and Jimi Hendrix, he is one of the most recognizable and innovative guitarists of our generation.

John Frusciante – “I May Again Know John” [Download]
Written for his strangest and most stream-of-consciousness album, 1997’s “Smile From The Streets That You Hold”, this song is Frusciante in the lowest depths of his cocaine addiction, chronicling the degree to which Frusciante considers himself lost, even in his own mind. The lyrics are cryptic, the vocals painful and desperate, the guitar impulsive. Many consider this album to be a total waste of listening time, while others consider to be Frusciante’s masterpiece, his most innovative and emotionally wrenching work to date. I, of course, side with the latter.

Josh Frusciante & Josh Klinghoffer – “The Afterglow” [Download]
Taken from Frusciante’s 2004 collaborative effort with Josh Klinghoffer, “A Sphere in the Heart of Silence”, “The Afterglow” showcases his more electronic, often ambient side, incorporating synthesizer and a drum machine. The track kicks off with Frusciante singing “Death before life” over and over. A fantastic, driving track with a great sense of space.

John Frusciante – “The Mirror” [Download]
The most quiet, pensive track from Frusciante’s best post-RHCP-reunion solo catalogue, 2004’s “The Will to Death”. Consisting mainly of piano and a track of ambient noise, it’s home to some of Frusciante’s most profound revelations, the opening line of the song describing the disconnect that still seems to haunt him: “There wasn’t always a place for you to cry / everyone knows becoming’s what you do when die / the face in the mirror’s not me”.

Johnny Cash – “Personal Jesus” [Download]
Cash personally asked Frusciante to reword an acoustic guitar track for his version of “Personal Jesus”, which was released on 2002’s “American IV: The Man Comes Around”. I can’t imagine how anyone would say no to that.

Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Don’t Forget Me (Live)” [Download]
From their double live album, 2004’s “Live in Hyde Park”. Frusciante’s guitar work comes this close (holds fingers only several millimeters apart) to melting my face off. Also, check out the solo around 3:10 and tell me your head’s not spinning by the end. His backup vocals and outro solo are pretty badass, too.

Omar Rodriguez-Lopez – “Here the Tame Go By” [Download]
From Rodriguez-Lopez’s first solo album, “A Manual Dexterity: Soundtrack Volume One”, a score to a film that is yet to be released. The song features Frusciante on guitar, beginning with a quiet acoustic line before breaking into a spacey, affected series of solos.

- Dominick Duhamel -

Film Reviews: The Queen, Blood Diamond, Children of Men, Pan's Labyrinth

I realized that Paper Stereo has yet to stray from subjects that are strictly music-related, but with so many fantastic movies that have recently come out, I thought it would be a shame not to mention them. Here are some short reviews of four movies I’ve seen in the last month, all of which are worth the price of admission and then some.



The Queen [Trailer]
Though the subject matter, consisting mainly of the royal families reaction (or lack thereof) to Princess Diana’s death in the week following, may seem dry and uneventful, the result is anything but. Director Stephen Frears handles the whole ordeal masterfully, contrasting the apparent heartlessness of Queen Elizabeth with the shoulder-worn grief of the British people without making either seem in the wrong. Helen Mirren plays her role flawlessly, remaining consistently stoic but betraying ever so subtlety her own, inner emotional struggle, though the supporting cast seems, at times, to be rather one-dimensional. Apart from an excessively symbolic couple of scenes involving a stag, the movie flows comfortably, avoiding the dramatization that so many almost-nonfiction films fall into and instead making the existing drama both tangible and affecting. 8/10




Blood Diamond [Trailer]
Upon seeing the preview for this movie, it was my natural reaction (and I am not alone in this) to wonder how awful Leonardo DiCaprio’s accent would be. But when you become acquainted with the movie’s setting and the events that bring forth his character, DiCaprio truly shines. His acting is superb, playing a man torn between conscience, debt, and love and, as such, the audience is never full aware of his motives. Jennifer Connelly and Djimon Hounsou also provide powerful supporting performances, giving the numerous action-oriented sequences of the movie depth and meaning beyond simple entertainment. The plot, which focuses on the conflict surrounding the diamond mining industry in Sierra Leone, is powerful without sounding preachy. And, though the big name actors, the love story subplot, and a fair amount of adrenaline-pumping scenes betray that there is a certain Hollywood influence on the film, the message nevertheless strikes home. Suffice it to say that this film will make you never want to buy a diamond again. 8/10




Children of Men [Trailer]
Director Alfonso Cuarón commanded this movie more virtuosity and confidence than I’ve seen in a long time. The film is set in England in the year 2027, and the future is grim. London is in shambles, riddled by bomb explosions, while refugees are caged in the streets, arrested, and relocated to camps by the thousands. Trash and rubble are everywhere, while the woods are filled with rebels, hiding from the law. The reason: women are no longer able to have babies. Clive Owen, in what I would say is his much-deserved breakout role, plays the unwitting cynic who suddenly stumbles upon Kee, a young girl whose pregnant belly provides new hope for a world on the brink of destruction. The film follows them as they work to find a way to The Human Project, a haven for scientists and researches that may or may not even exist. Their journey is long and hard, realized by Cuarón’s relentless and consistent portrayal of this desolate wasteland of the future, all of which feels almost too real for comfort. The film provides no real answers of any sort but the real point is the journey, the transformation of Clive Owen’s lost character and the battle of hope and destruction in a world where destruction has all but won and, as such, succeeds admirably. 9/10




Pan’s Labyrinth [Trailer]
You will never see another movie like this one. Guillermo del Toro has created something magnificent and utterly singular in “Pan’s Labyrinth”. Set in Fascist Spain, the film follows the young Ofelia in a coming of age story that has one foot in the harsh reality of war and death and the other foot in the dark, fairytale world of her childhood innocence interrupted. Del Toro combines seamlessly the sickness of Ofelia’s mother, the ongoing war, and the birth of her baby brother with a strange tale of a princess of the underworld, who had long left her kingdom and was sought out by her father, the king. The fantasy characters are wonderfully imagined, from the horrifying child-eater to the giant toad sapping the fig tree of its life. The human characters are multi-faceted and entirely believable; the hidden cowardice of the Captain is slowly revealed as he becomes universally hated, the audience falls instantly in love with the bold Mercedes, and Ofelia herself is so flawlessly lost among a world she is not ready to accept that her struggles become the audience’s own. The violence can be graphic and brutal, but none of it is unnecessary; as another contrast between childhood innocence and brutal reality, it serves its purpose wonderfully. There exists in the film a sense that every single image and word serves a purpose and that “Pan’s Labyrinth” is truly a magnificent feat of storytelling, an almost flawless dichotomy of the girl and the woman, the imagination and the world, the devils inside and the devils without. 9.5/10

- Dominick Duhamel -

Track Review: Wolf Parade

“The National People’s Scare”
from “Wolf Parade” (Self-released 6-Song EP)
6.5/10

I dug up a copy of Wolf Parade’s 2004 self-titled, self-released EP at Lou’s Records, an excellent independent music shop in San Diego, and I couldn’t resist the purchase—I mean, Wolf Parade put out what was arguable the best album of 2005 and Spencer Krug seems almost inexhaustible in both creativity and quality; one day, this EP could definitely be worth something. At least, I like to think so. I kind of like the idea that the next generation will grow up listening to their dads’ old Wolf Parade records.

“The National People’s Scare” is one of the two tracks on the EP that weren’t on their following Sub Pop releases. Like the rest of the songs on the EP, the quality of the recording isn’t quite up to par, lacking in depth and energy when compared with their later albums. This stripped down, low-fi approach, however, actually benefits this song.

Dan Boeckner’s vocals are home to some dark introspection, frustration, and some strange, ambiguous references. The word “bear” is used nineteen times—I presume it’s used metaphorically for the catalyst of whatever national people’s scare the song’s title refers to—but without more of an understanding of what the bear refers to, it’s the other verses that hit the listener on a gut-level. “Daughter keeps me up at night / cars sound like a ruined choir / the sounds of God’s radio, why? / thousand people scare was a lie” he sings, establishing early his distaste for certain technology (which comes up later on the song “Modern World”, my personal favorite song off of “Apologies to the Queen Mary”) and a negative attitude toward God and religion that Krug would champion on songs like “Dear Sons and Daughters of Hungry Ghosts”.

The song in itself sort of plods along, slightly muddled by the recording quality and, when paired with the often desperate sounding lyrics, sounds like a man walking slowly toward his end. It’s much slower in tempo than your average Wolf Parade song, allowing for less yelping and more emoting, which Boeckner takes full advantage of. The track is more about feeling than actual listening in a lot of ways, an approach not superior to their later efforts but made more interesting in their light.

“The National People’s Scare” will not get as many plays as the tracks off “Apologies”—and it shouldn’t, because we all know how amazing those are—but for big fans of Boeckner and Krug, this track is an important look at the group’s formative period and the maturity they’ve developed since.

Download:
Wolf Parade - The National People’s Scare

- Dominick Duhamel -

Album Review: The Protomen

“The Protomen”
Self-Released; 2006
8.5/10

There are a quite a number of video game cover bands. Most of these bands like to take the restricted 8-bit arrangements of music from games like Super Mario, Metroid, and Legend of Zelda and expand them to a full, live band. The Protomen, however, take it a step further to pay tribute to one of the longest video game series of all time, Megaman.

If you are a nerd, like me, and remember a lot about the original Megaman series, you’ll remember that it was pretty amazing. You’ll also remember that Protoman, Megaman’s brother, was the coolest character in the game. With his awesome red helmet, scarf, kick-ass theme song, and pretty wily (haha, get it?) attitude there is no need to why The Protomen chose to name themselves after him.

And what they’ve done with their first album is create a seven part rock opera telling their history of Protoman. It’s a different story then the one told in the games, but it is also much more dramatic one, to give it more of a musical boost. The first song, “Hope Rides Alone,” acts as sort of a prologue, telling the story of Dr. Wily using his robot forces to enslave the world and how Dr. Light created Protoman in order to save mankind. Protoman fails, though, and mankind turns their back on him. Musically, the band keeps up with the story’s pace, building up when it needs to and going into very solid drum break downs and in big moments of the story.

It’s also interesting to note, even though it’s fairly typical of most concept albums, that some of the songs on this album are pretty diverse in terms of song structure. Sometimes there will be no real reoccurring chorus that comes up, or no lasting hook that carries on throughout the song. Yet it’s not a real problem since these guys have such a compelling energy to their music that it’s already captivating enough. Just listen to some of the loud, rock-out sections in “Unrest in the House of Light” and “The Stand (Man or Machine)” to see what I mean. The album is also pretty diverse musically, taking aspects from different genres. There’s a funeral song, western song, punk, hard rock song, and so on. And what’s even more important is that the band performs them all very, very well. It’s just further evidence of the musicianship these guys have.

And if you are huge fan of the music of Megaman and are wondering if The Protomen have stayed entirely true, the answer is a yes. Bright guitar melodies and heavy guitar solos are bound to happened in every song, and they get better and better as the album progresses. And even every now and then, there are a few little keyboard tones that mimic the sounds off of the NES songs. It all works flawlessly and blends in so well. The album is only 37 minutes long, but you can just tell at the amount of effort it took to craft such a well made homage to a much-loved series.

And it must be an entirely different experience to see the Protomen live, since they do play in costume. If you check out their website, you will see some of the few, awesome photos. And to be quite honest, this album should’ve appeared on my Top 10 list for 2006. Why I forgot about it I don’t know.

Listen to a few songs off of The Protomen’s album on their myspace.

Also, check out my radio show on UCLAradio.com, 3pm on Thursdays, to hear different a song from them each week for the winter quarter.

- John Higgins -

Back to School with Will Oldham

For most of our writers, today marks our first day back to school in a few weeks, so we've got nothing substantial to post. Until Wednesday, enjoy these Will Oldham-related tracks.

Download:
Pink Nasty - Don't Ever Change [Feat. Will Oldham]
Amalgamated Sons of Rest - Major March
Sage Francis - Sea Lion [Feat. Will Oldham]

- Dominick Duhamel -

Track Review: Benoît Pioulard

“Triggering Back”
from “Précis”
8/10

“Précis” is a dense album; Michigan multi-instrumentalist Thomas Meluch (aka Benoît Pioulard) imbues the tracks with layer upon layer of reverb, instruments, percussive clicks and hits, crackling background drones, and subtle samples with an astounding sense of organization and precision. With regards to dynamics and tasteful busyness, Meluch’s work is masterful. In fact, his only quality that fails to consistently deliver is his vocal melody. Though the grandiosity of his compositions often far outshine his own voice, there are exceptions that, needless to say, provide for the album’s highlight tracks. “Triggering Back” is one of those exceptions.

“Triggering Back” is not a long song by any means—clocking in at two and a half minutes, it breezes by effortlessly. Propelled mainly by an acoustic chord pattern and backed by his standard army of noises and instruments, the first minute of the track is home to a vocal melody that skips happily downscale, spends a few minutes brooding in his mid-range, and climbs back up. It’s an unforgettable vocal performance, really—those first fourteen notes have a way of staying with you, putting a spring in your step.

Though Meluch’s lyrics, as on the rest of the album, are somewhat mysterious (but significantly so—you get the sense that they’re not just babble, you just don’t quite understand them), the verses of “Triggering Back”, as with the melody, contain a few exceptions. Meluch seems to be dwelling on memories of a love lost (“I found away to set aside / the fact that I adore your / laundry lists and long promenades”), even in its worse moments (“some hesitation bears ready mention / turn off the station / to multiply the tension, darling”).

Then, at the minute mark, the song breaks down to a simple acoustic picking pattern and spends several measures quietly building up before giving us one last verse melody and fading out under Meluch’s vocalizations. It’s over before you know it. But what’s really impressive about the song is its tendency to linger, despite its brevity. The song may have ended, but its far from getting out of your head. And this is what hints at Meluch’s true potential; the ability to take his stellar sense for songwriting and give it a catchy and emotional vocal delivery to match.

Download:
Benoît Pioulard - Triggering Back

- Dominick Duhamel -

Album Review: Mark Kozelek

“Little Drummer Boy Live”
Caldo Verde; 2006
5.5/10

If there’s any complaint about Mark Kozelek that holds any water, it’s his tendency to linger too long in the world of sad bastard pseudo-pop and confuse repetition with soul. And I can understand that: Kozelek is a troubled man with deep, nasal vocals that often shroud what subtleties may exist and, when he extends song sections without changing anything, those subtleties are either lost or extend their welcome. I’m not saying I agree, though. Kozelek’s work, especially Sun Kil Moon’s “Ghosts of the Great Highway”, has always resonated with me and his lack of editing skills have been forgivable, if not a little endearing.

I have to admit, however, that “Little Drummer Boy Live” does suffer from Kozelek’s tendency to drift off into uniformity. Drawing songs from his 2003-2006 acoustic tours, “Little Drummer Boy Live” takes from the Red House Painters back catalogue, both his albums under the moniker Sun Kil Moon, and several covers.

What perpetuates this problem first and foremost is the acoustic approach and, more specifically, what is lost in translation from the song’s original recordings. The Red House Painters’ west coast rock loses much of its charm without it layer of atmosphere with songs like “Katy Song” and “Void” coming off as flat and colorless. The songs off “Ghosts of the Great Highway” lose their energy and potential to stay interesting without the backing band, especially on the extended jams of “Duk Koo Kim” and “Salvador Sanchez”. The three tracks from Kozelek’s Modest Mouse cover album, “Tiny Cities”, pretty much sound the same as on the album: pretty boring. And finally, the covers, which include a Neil Young song and the Christmas tune “Little Drummer Boy”, are nothing to get excited about.

The album’s most disappointing moment is the live rendition of “Glenn Tipton”, my personal favorite Kozelek song and the beautiful opening track of “Ghosts”. Like he does with nearly every other song on the album, he replaces the gentle strumming with arpeggios, throwing the rhythm of his vocals off and preventing him from hitting those out-of-character notes that make the song so incredible.

The quality of the recording itself is decent; the acoustic guitars are bright and everything, including the mistakes, is audible. Kozelek’s vocal mic is a bit too doused in reverb at times, obscuring what he’s saying, but in general the recording is warmer than most acoustic performances.

But if it seems like I’m only criticizing Kozelek, it’s only because I expect so much from him. The songs are still decent in their live context; only when they’re compared to the album versions do they falter. And there are still some truly beautiful moments on the album; old RHP songs “Mistress” and “Bubble” are delicate and intimate, not only doing their original versions justice but presenting them in a whole new light. “Carry Me Ohio” also works surprisingly well when stripped down.

In the end, the four or five good songs on the album aren’t quite worth the fifteen you have to work through to find them. “Little Drummer Boy Live” will please Kozelek completionists looking to lessen the pain of being unable to find “White Christmas Live”, but to everyone else I recommend looking into his other work before coming here.

Download:
Mark Kozelek - Bubble [Live]
Mark Kozelek - Carry Me Ohio [Live]

- Dominick Duhamel -

Tags: Mark Kozelek, Little Drummer Boy, Sun Kil Moon, mp3