Day 229: The Temper Trap – Conditions

15 Oct
Love Lost

I try to give an album a few songs before forming an opinion.  The Temper Trap’s Conditions is making that a hard thing to do tonight. Only a song and a half in, I just don’t see how this band can possibly turn things around, or make up for the pure awful that has been molesting my ears for around six minutes now.

I took a little break after writing that first paragraph, and let the album go for a little while longer.  I only ended up proving myself right.  Truth is, I could have written this entire post after only the first 30 seconds of Love Lost, the LP’s opening track.  How can anyone be expected to take a song with a central line of “our love was lost, but now we found it” seriously?  Especially when the phrase sounds like it’s coming out of a guy doing his best Prince impersonation after a few too many drinks.

As someone who has spent more than a few posts defending lyrics about love and heartache, I may be coming off as a tad hypocritical here.  You’ve gotta trust me, though, this stuff would earn a cringe from the writer of that comic about the two little naked kids with the strategically placed hair.

But believe me, it’s not just the lyrics.  If you can get past those, don’t expect a reward in the instrumentation department. One could say that The Temper Trap has a reverse Midas touch of sorts; every (indie-prefaced) genre they touch turns to bad. The indie rock songs are trite, with uninteresting chord progressions and a general aura of boring.  When the band tries to go all ’80s on us with some indie synth-pop, they fail as well, mostly because of that obnoxious voice.

Today, I am the hater.  Guess what I’m doing.

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Day 228: Spider Bags – Goodbye Cruel World, Hello Crueler World

14 Oct

Hey Delinquents 

On my never ending search for music to feed this  monstrosity of a website, I do come up with some really random, tiny bands every now and then.  (Keep in mind, my only gauge on popularity is the band’s number of listeners on last.fm.)  The story behind today’s “discovery” is, like most of this project, relatively unexciting and hardly noteworthy. I’ve never let that stop me before, though.

Titus Andronicus’ The Union Forever came up on shuffle the other day, and while I had not forgotten just how much ass it kicks, that dose of pure musical adrenaline got me craving some similar, heavy stuff.  I turned to none other than last.fm, and looked at Titus’ similar artists.  At the top of the list resides a tiny band (with around 3,000 listeners — as a reference, Titus has about 160,000 listeners, and The Beatles have well over 2.5 million) called Spider Bags.  A little digging revealed that members of Titus Andronicus are huge fans of this band.  Titus has covered their songs, and the two have even played together. That’s good enough for me.

I didn’t get what I was expecting, though.  While I do hear a few similarities between the two groups—both employ a standard rock setup, and the singers both have deep, drawling voices—the Bags’ Southern influence is too prominent to be ignored.  Fortunately, I was thinking more along the lines of Wilco southern than say, Lynyrd Skynyrd southern.

It’s bands like this that make me hate phrases like “if they were good, they’d be popular.”  Here we have an example of a band with a cool sound and obvious skill in their field, that just hasn’t hit it big yet.  I hope their time is coming.

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Day 227: Bygones – by-

13 Oct

Cold Reading

Is it just me, or does that album cover look suspiciously like it was created in Microsoft Paint.  I’m not surprised, though, because by- also sounds like it was recorded and produced in Microsoft Paint.

That’s not just the 128kbs version of it that I listened to, either.  Yes, the audio quality is pretty low, but there’s definitely something off with the mix as well.  First of all, music like this needs to really fill the speakers to be effective (we’ll talk about why later), but by- just sounds faded and a bit washed out.  Various levels are off as well, with vocals taking a much too prominent stance throughout the album.

This is a noise rock record.  Lyrics don’t matter.  As anyone who’s listened to an acclaimed noise album, or perhaps been to a Lightning Bolt show knows, this genre is all about the angry, fast, mean, slicing, distorted, feedback-heavy, monstrous, bullying, psychotic, unpatriotic guitar, and much less so about the vocals.  Yet, during most songs on by-, the vocals completely overshadow the six strings of death.  This would be one thing if guitarist/“singer” Nick Reinhart were shouting decipherable words, but he ain’t—they’ve still got the standard noise-rock blur to them.  If we can’t even understand what you’re saying, chill it out.

Ultimately, it doesn’t matter where the vocals are on this record.  I’ve found out again and again (thanks partially to the Swole) that noise is not my genre of choice.  It all pretty much sounds the same to me, which I guess tells you something about my entry-level ears.   If liking an album that sounds as if it is being played through 1,000 drive-thru speakers is what will make me sophisticated, than I’m fine as I pleb, thank you very much.

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Day 226: Generationals – Con Law

12 Oct

When They Fight, They Fight

Some music is just made for the summer, but I couldn’t tell you if Generationals’ Con Law is that kind of music because every single minute of this positive indie rock/pop managed to annoy me to no end.  I believe that there are a few factors contributing to this phenomenon: the music is bad, I’m not in the right mindset for it, and the music is bad.  The reason that I can’t get behind Con Law is most likely buried somewhere in those three points.

Last.fm and its various users describe Generationals as a great summer band.  First of all, this is a classification that frustrates me, but I’ve come to terms with its validity.  The idea that a band with a happier, upbeat, danceable sound will be more relevant in the summer, when more people are in a happier, upbeat, dance-ready mindset, holds some truth.  But shouldn’t good music be good music year round?  I do appreciate the importance of mood in regards to music—no one would play The Antlers’ Hospice at a birthday party, but to say that a season is equal to a universal, constant state of mind is ridiculous. For me not to like this record just because the days at the beach (because that’s how I spend my summer) are over makes no sense.

No, what I think it comes down to is that Generationals is a bad, boring, generic band. Con Law’s slow pace and amateurish sound lacks any of the charm that you’re supposed to get out of a summertime album. Something tells me that I would have disliked this record even if I had played it back in July.

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Day 225: Chicago – Chicago II

11 Oct

25 or 6 to 4

Oh, a double record.  Dad, you shouldn’t have.  Really.  You shouldn’t have.  I almost pulled out the Swole Ear Constitution on this one, but then I thought back to Wilco Week, where I willingly (w)listened to tWo double-whammies.  My only option is to stop whining and tough it out.  It’s also important to keep in mind that Chicago II was released in the wonderful era of shorter records.  All in all, the album’s time of an hour and four minutes isn’t too bad, and is even considerably shorter than other (single) records that I’ve covered.

In addition, it helps just a bit that Chicago II is actually a solid piece (pieces?) of music.  I know, I’m probably not supposed to like this album.  It’s old and it’s kind of jazz-filled.  Part of Fancy Colors sounds like it was ripped from an episode of Sesame Street, with its spastic flute action.  Maybe it’s got something to do with the (very late) time of day (night (early morning, actually)) that I’m listening to this.  Maybe I just don’t care any more and like everything.  I sure hope that is (not) the case.  (Parenthese(s)).

What the hell? I just got to 25 or 6 to 4, the album’s eighth track, and heard an all-too familiar guitar riff.  Chicago must have acquired a time machine and traveled to the early nineties, just to steal Green Day’s riff from Brain Stew for the first 15 seconds of this mid-record track.  Understandable.  It is extra catchy.

Well, I can’t possibly recommend this band now. They plagiarize. If high school has taught me one thing, it’s that plagiarism should earn you nothing less than life in prison.

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Day 224: Into It. Over It. – Proper

10 Oct

Midnight: Carroll Street

First of all, let’s establish who we’re dealing with here.  Even if I tried to dislike Evan Weiss (the man behind the awesomely named Into It. Over It.), I would be unsuccessful.  In 2007, he wrote and recorded a song a week, and then released the result as a double record.  Plus, he’s from Chicago, and has an EP of strictly Chi-Town neighborhood song titles.  The deadly combination of obsessive-compulsive scheduling tendencies, as well as the same hometown (kind of), means that Evan could be playing a washboard and a glockenspiel, and I’d still eat it up.

Fortunately, the man’s angry/depressed music is better than that.  Well, I think it is, at least.

Proper, Into It. Over It.’s latest release, is catchy, short, and emotive—pretty much exactly what a pop-punk album should be.  Strangely enough, I couldn’t stop thinking of early Fall Out Boy while listening to this record.  Normally, I’m sure that’d be quite the turn off, but, perhaps for reasons previously discussed, the whiny lyrics and not-special guitar playing hit the spot.

It’s not just FOB that comes to mind, though.  There’s definitely some Ben Gibbard in the vocals, some Manchester Orchestra in the instrumentation, and even a little bit of Telekinesis in the lyrics and delivery.

I only heard of this guy because he’ll be opening for Andrew Jackson Jihad (who will be opening for Frank Turner) at an upcoming Chicago show.  Based solely on Proper, that’ll be a fun concert.  Well, except for the headliner.

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Day 223: The Who – Tommy

9 Oct

Pinball Wizard

Nope, it’s not Tuesday, and my father did not pick this album.  Is it really so strange that I wanted to listen to a rock opera about a blind, deaf, and dumb kid with a knack for pinball, though?  That’s what I thought.

But, like a million monkeys on typewriters given enough time, my dad would have definitely picked this record for me at some point.  He’s not The Who’s biggest fan, but Dad-Rock Tuesday has become a bit of a weekly music history lesson.  As the first record to receive the label of “rock opera,” I’d say that Tommy is pretty significant.

But is it any good?  Let’s face it, based on pretty much everything that I’ve previously written for Swole Ear, this album should be considered one of the worst things to ever penetrate my ear canals.  In the form of a bullet-pointed list, I present why Tommy should suck:

  • It’s long (1 hour and 15 minutes);
  • It’s old (1969);
  • It’s a concept album taken to the extreme;
  • It was/is extremely hyped; and
  • It’s supposed to be an influential game-changer.

I usually can’t stand long albums because they make this website take up more time than I have available.  I have very little patience for old albums, as old people often let nostalgia get in the way of objectivity.  I can never follow the story in concept albums, usually because there isn’t that much of a story.  Hyped music rarely lives up to the hype, and when I hear the word “influential” in a description of certain music, I immediately think of In the Court of the Crimson King.  We’re not going there today.

Tommy is different.  Sure, it’s really long, but it’s got a story to tell, and a good one at that.  I actually understand the concept too, thanks to the prominent vocals, understandable lyrics, and, of course, Wikipedia.  And I must admit that sometimes, hyped records are hyped for a reason.  This is one of those rare occasions where the album lives up to its press.

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Day 222: Foxy Shazam – Introducing

8 Oct

Yes! Yes! Yes!

Foxy Shazam’s self-titled release, which is actually their third full length and most recent work, is nothing short of spectacular.  Regular readers may remember that it was good enough to earn the #2 spot on my First Half Top 5.  I love the approach to rock n’ roll that the guys take on that record.  It’s one of the most exhilarating pieces of music that I’ve ever heard, as the band throws out track after track of flashy Queen-inspired gold.  There’s also no denying that it has one of the best covers in history, one that currently holds the honor and distinction of serving as my desktop’s background.

Long story short, any other record by these guys has a whole lot to live up to.  Introducing, the group’s second record, doesn’t just come up short of the band’s latter magnum opus, it falls flat on its face.

It’s clear that Foxy front man Eric Nally was not quite comfortable with his sound while recording Introducing.  Bits and pieces of the flamboyant and flashy Eric that I’ve come to love make all-too-infrequent appearances, usually on the slower, piano-dominated tracks like A Black Man’s Breakfast (don’t ask me about that title).  The rest of the time, he’s just screaming over generic guitar chugs and a noticeably less-catchy keyboard, perhaps doing what he thought was expected of him.

Fortunately for the entire human population, these guys reined it in and became a little more self-confident in time for their next album.  Yes, Introducing is disappointing, but it is kind of interesting to hear the origins of such a good band.  Now, excuse me, I’m going to give Foxy Shazam another spin. I recommend that you do so as well.

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Day 221: Kasabian – Velociraptor!

7 Oct

Days Are Forgotten

Having heard one other record by Kasabian, this new release didn’t surprise me all that much.  They’re Kasabian—they’ve got their sound, and they’re sticking to it.  They haven’t quite become boring to me yet, but this band’s sound has got to have an expiration date.  Perhaps that date has already passed for some; these guys have been around since the early ’00s.  Listening to two records by this band is manageable, but I just don’t think that they’re interesting enough to warrant long-term, discography-memorizing fans.

Their music is interesting enough at first—there isn’t too much bass-heavy indie rock out there, and Tom Meighan’s heavy accent still maintains its charm for this American listener.  The 30-second handclap breakdowns are catchy, and the aura created is still that of a street in Chelsea after dark.

So yeah, for now, I remain a fan of Kasabian.  What worries me is that this album sounds exactly like everything else that I’ve heard by them.  I know that bands often stay within walking distance of a certain sound, but the most successful ones (in my book) mix it up every now and then.  Once again, I point to none other than the king of bands, Los Campesinos!.  Sure, I love their old vomiting-rainbows-and-puppies sound, but really, could one take 4 albums strictly of that much sweetness?  Recently, they’ve toned things down and gone with a darker aesthetic, and it has paid off beautifully.  This Kasabian rut could ultimately lead to their downfall.  But don’t get me wrong, if they ever play a show in town, I’ll be there.

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Day 220: Boards of Canada – Music Has the Right to Children

6 Oct

Roygbiv

I don’t often call records “brilliant.”  Considering that I’ve listened to 218 of them in as many days, I’d say that I’ve become just a tad jaded.  An album has got to be really special in order to rise above the hours and hours of forgettable tunes that I’ve listened to since March.

Boards of Canada’s Music has the Right to Children does just that.  This record’s dark-yet-chill aura has been blowing me away for the past half hour or so, and I’m not even halfway done yet.  Instead of the usual dread that comes with the realization that I’ve only dealt with a portion of an hour-plus album, I’m actually excited, in a zoned out and relaxed kind of way.

Slow and intricate beats go on for what feels like eternity, yet every song seems to end too soon (considering that many songs go way past the 5-minute mark, this is a very strange remark coming from me).  Boards use a whole slew of sound effects and samples, and even support my theory that sampling little kids always works.  Dark, soft synth lines abound, and pull you further and further into this record with each note.  I couldn’t imagine listening to individual songs from this album—every track flows beautifully from one to the next.

Who knows what I would have thought had I been in an angry or hyperactive mood tonight.  Fortunately, my current calm and tired state of mind allows me to see the brilliance that is all up ons this record.

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