MusicEATER

Badly Drawn Boy’s newest release, “It’s What I’m Thinking Part 1: Photographing the Snowflakes,” is infrequently exciting.

Interesting orchestration rouses the listener from Damon Gough’s sleep-inducing, slow storytelling — but not often enough.

Paired together, the instrumentation and melodies sound similar to Beck’s “Sea Change,” but “What I’m Thinking” is much more depressing in a straightforward way.

Songs such as “This Electric” and “Too Many Miracles,” which are upbeat and injected with occasional electronic drums, stand out when contrasted against the backdrop of sad, sappy diary entries about loneliness, loss and nostalgia while proclaiming feelings such as “for the first time it feels real since the day I saw you walk away.” 

Mercury Prize winner or not, the sentiment is laid on a little too thick for this particular release and is not as charming as the rest of the Badly Drawn Boy discography; it is especially a long way away from the 2000 release “Hour Of Bewilderbeast,” too.

C

http://www.idsnews.com/news/weekend/Story.aspx?id=77829

Ryan Martin: Let’s get right down to it. Where are you now?

Richard Edwards: “I’m in St. Louis”

RM: You come to Bloomington pretty often, how would you describe the relationship with Indiana cities versus others? Do you get the best reception back home?

Edwards: “No, we actually get better reception elsewhere. It changes as time goes on. It doesn’t quite feel like ‘home’ shows anymore. It feels like part of the tour. I’ve lived in Chicago for a while making music there with the people. But, I love Bloomington; I like the people that come to our shows—always a nice stop on the trip.

RM: Not too long ago, you were a student, what was playing music like for you in college?

Edwards: “Same as it is now. We would practice in basements after class.”

RM: Has becoming a Father affected your music?

Edwards: “Probably. It’s hard to tell. A couple songs on the record are about my daughter”

RM: Which ones?

Edwards: “’My Baby Loves the Animals’ and ‘Tiny Vampire Robot’”

RM: What exactly is a Tiny Vampire Robot?

Edwards: “I don’t know, man—its something different to me than everybody else. I’ll let everyone come up with their own.”

RM: Since the band has switched line-ups, there’s been less orchestration. Guitar makes much more of an appearance. What were some of the factors that caused Margot to evolve this new sound?

Edwards: “I just didn’t want to hear fucking strings anymore. It gets fucking old. I don’t want to cry in my beer at 26 years old, you know? I don’t feel like doing it—I listen to different records. There’s nothing that makes me want to vomit more than thinking about strings, you know? Everything I do is based on how I feel at the moment. The next time maybe I’ll want to do strings again, maybe I won’t— I’m not sure.

RM: Why would anyone Paint Their Teeth Green? What’s that mean?

Edwards: “The song is about violence in the world. It’s about paranoia— the whole record is about paranoia. That’s why it sounds the way it does. Paranoia doesn’t sound like pretty strings, it sounds like grindy guitars. It’s hard to say though—I’m a little too close to it to analyze it.”

RM: Who’s on the front of the Buzzard cover?

Edwards: “A girl named Chris, I don’t know her. She’s friend of the photographer who’s a friend of mine.”

RM: Are you planning another release?

Edwards: “Yeah, we are making another record in December, we will probably finish it in January or February. We will try and have something out next year. We’ve got a bunch of songs and a name and everything—A bunch of pals we are going to record with.”

RM: What’s the name of it going to be?

Edwards: “I can’t say yet, because I’ll probably change my mind in a week.”

RM: We will look forward to it as well as your stop in Bloomington. Finally, how’s the world going to end?

Edwards: Oh, God. I don’t know—Mass, Mass Stupidity: a bunch of idiots in a room put together are going to find a way to end it all.

SUFJAN STEVENS: AGE OF ADZ (Pronounced “aah”-dz, like the response to letting go of a big dump/the BQE release—just kidding. Totally electrified-Newfjan)

TRICKY: MIXED RACE (Youtube comment: Phreemunny [20 hours ago]: “I feel like Tricky’s found his groove again—hasn’t sounded this good since Maxinquaye”)

ANTONY AND THE JOHNSONS: SWANLIGHTS (Abrams Image simultaneously releases a special edition including a 144-page art book of Antony’s paintings, collages, photography and writing. Album only version contains a duet with Bjork.)

BADLY DRAWN BOY: (British Folk. Elliot Smith-meets-Beck-meets-SSLYBY. Recently riding atop a stynthesizer and drum machine)

BELLE AND SEBASTIAN: WRITE ABOUT LOVE (new album contains a collaboration with Norah Jones called “Little Lou, Ugly Jack, Prophet John”. Here’s a link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLpikhIqgug)

The available position of “hip-hop innovator” has been outsourced to Das Racist (pronounced “that’s”). On their new album, “Sit Down, Man,” members Himanshu Suri and Victor Vazquez inject provocative cultural perspectives and witty introspection into a genre of music that frequently suffers from a lack of creativity.

Das’ intellectually driven lyrics might have you searching Wikipedia, but the punch lines are nothing short of sidesplitting when you do eventually get them. Between obscure literary and pop-culture references, the duo expounds on what it means to be a minority (“pan-brownism,” as they’ve called it), and they represent today’s hip, educated youth. Instead of rapping about fortune and status, the group often celebrates the intricacies of everyday lifestyle and the non-event.

“Sit Down, Man” will get you thinking, even about their previous hit “Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell.” Is it a deceptively subtle commentary about America’s rampant obesity and irresponsible consumerism? Probably not.

Either way, though, you’ll be more cultured after hearing them out.

http://idsnews.com/news/weekend/story.aspx?id=77464&search=ryan%20martin&section=search

Das Racist, “Rappin 2 U”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYjdiOn5-AQ

Working as an intern for Secretly Canadian, I was not only exposed to some of the relationship dynamics between artist and label, but I also became more familiar with the Bloomington label’s renowned roster.

Secretly Canadian, located just off of Second Street, serves as the headquarters for not only Yeasayer, but a few other bands worth noting.

Take Here We Go Magic, for starters. The Brooklyn-based indie rock group began with frontman Luke Temple’s solo effort at creating a psychedelic, yet somehow sparse and minimalist, sound.

The band’s self-titled debut was originally released on the Western Vinyl label and gained the band notoriety for their catchy songs “Fangela” and “Tunnelvision.”

Here We Go Magic signed to Secretly Canadian in September 2009 and released their sophomore album “Pigeons” this past spring.

The new record was an impressive next step with airy compositions and kraut-rock reminiscence, which shine brightest in the tracks “Collector” and “Moon.”

Another interesting band is Magnolia Electric Co. This band also owes its origin to its frontman, Jason Molina.

A native of Lorain, Ohio, Molina began recording with Secretly Canadian in 1997 under his name and the name Songs:Ohia, which consisted of a cast of revolving musicians with Molina as the band’s only permanent member.

In March 2003, Molina renamed the band Magnolia Electric Co. He has stuck with Secretly Canadian to this day.

Both Songs:Ohia and Magnolia Electric Co. have a low-fi, folk sound, but neither can be pinned down by one genre. The diverse sound is best represented by Songs:Ohia’s “Captain Badass,” and Magnolia Electric Co.’s “Hard to Love a Man.”

Damien Jurado is another artist I discovered while running through endless catalog numbers and the vast warehouse aisles of the distribution center. Jurado is a singer-songwriter from Seattle who plays poignant and lyrically moving songs.

He has been produced by David Bazan in the past and also worked with the Sub Pop record label.

Since the beginning of his career, Jurado has released over 10 full-length albums. His most recent album “Saint Bartlett,” issued by Secretly Canadian, is exceptional, with songs “Arkansas” and “Rachel & Cali” as highlights.

Finally, one more band I can thank Secretly Canadian for introducing me to is Throw Me the Statue. The band plays fun, bouncy pop music and has issued two albums full of captivating tracks.

Early 2008 saw the band signing and re-releasing “Moonbeams,” while 2009 was the year of their masterpiece “Creaturesque.” Standout tracks include the danceable “Hi-Fi Goon” and the irresistible “Lolita.”

Interning was a valuable experience, and for just a few hours every week, I worked alongside the label’s staff and learn even more about Bloomington’s music scene and influence. Tons of free promo CDs and early listens didn’t hurt, either.

http://idsnews.com/news/story.aspx?id=77269&search=ryan%20martin&section=search

As singer Richard Edwards said, the new songs on “Buzzard” are “much louder and more aggressive in general, but the quiet moments are much more bare — no strings or horns.”
 
Along with those instruments and band members, Margot and the Nuclear So & So’s have shed what made them worth hearing.

The subtlety is gone from the songs and replaced by crunchy, distorted guitar effects and dark riffs. The music is often abrasive, and the band seems to be headed closer toward the indistinguishable mainstream of alternative rock.

Awkward spoken-word introductions and fillers add to already uninteresting lyricism — one of the most disconcerting factors of the album, considering the beauty of the words in their three previous albums. Now Edwards is singing, “I like you the best, I like you the best, yes I do”, along with other nonsensical utterings in an attempt to capture that “couldn’t-care-less” rock ’n’ roll attitude.

“Buzzard” seems effortless. But in a bad way.

Margot & The Nuclear So & So’s, “Birds”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pu7jAl9Sxgg

(Join the commentary! http://idsnews.com/news/weekend/story.aspx?id=77299&search=ryan%20martin&section=search)

On this self-titled debut, music savant Dave Sitek and a stacked lineup of guest artists team up to make an album fully capable of inducing both sex and dancing. In fact, the entirety of Maximum Balloon’s tracklist can be separated into one of the two camps when measured by lyrical content and dirty, raw groove.

Sitek, hailed as today’s “most forward thinking person in music” by NME, takes on a electronica dance-hop theme with Maximum Balloon. The album is energized and expanded by a long list of talent, including David Byrne of the Talking Heads.

Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s makes a powerful appearance on the album’s sexiest track, “Communion” to beg and scream, “On your knees, keep that beat,” while Holly Miranda contributes her moan and wail to the very sensual runner-up, “The Lesson.”

The levity of the album’s subject matter makes for fun, yet ephemeral songs. Though you’ll probably never get the chance to see a live set, it’s likely you’ll hear Maximum Balloon (or at least the single “Tiger”) at the next hip party, whether it’s in the dance-room or the bedroom.

Maximum Balloon, “Tiger”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G06zb2yCTKY

The Kinsella Brothers

From the depths of the punk/emo movement come Mike and Tim Kinsella, the influential artists of Cap’n Jazz. They play fast-paced, distortion-laden tunes that are quick, raw and effective. Anyone who claims they know anything about the beginnings of the punk and emo movements (and by “emo,” it’s not Hawthorne Heights or Simple Plan) needs to know Cap’n Jazz and recognize their significance. Since Cap’n Jazz, Mike has gone on to make bands such as American Football and Owen. Both projects are must-hears and will delight any Appleseed Cast or Death Cab for Cutie fan with incredible anthems and songwriting.

Cap’n Jazz, “Oh Messy Life”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83BRULUXqlI

American Football, “Never Meant”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OV0LJ0Dnl7A

Owen, “Good Friends, Bad Habits”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqPAQT1YldI&ob=av2e

Anathallo

Creativity knows no bounds with Anathallo, which makes songs with an array of percussion and brass instruments , “renewing” the indie-rock genre as their name suggests.

Anathallo, “Don’t Kid Yourself, You Need a Physician”: http://www.purevolume.com/anathallo

The Good Life

Tim Kasher’s side project is just as melodically and lyrically impressive as his more popular group, Cursive.
The Good Life, “Album of the Year” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YACtsj84Zxo

Much of this generation’s first exposure to music came via our father’s CD collections.

They sat us down and explained the importance of Les Paul and Marshall Amplifiers, told us about the temporary heaven on Earth that was Woodstock, and cautioned us of the infamous “man” who eventually makes nearly everyone sell out. We were raised on a diet of Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin albums. Rock ’n’ roll was for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Black Mountain is a blast from that very past, melting all of Dad’s favorites into an explosive combination of classic rock and metal. 

The nostalgia of “Wilderness Heart” brings back the raw distortion and fuzz of a bygone era while being attentive enough to employ all the tricks that worked way-back-when.
Stephen McBean’s voice, raspy and rough, pleases even the most skeptical classic-rock enthusiasts while the rest of the group shreds as if it’s 1979.

Get this album for the folks, if nothing else, because it’s not a tired theme to them, yet.

Black Mountian, “Rollercoaster”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6rbqRh_v-Q&feature=related

http://idsnews.com/news/weekend/story.aspx?id=77106&search=ryan%20martin&section=search

There’s a plethora of bands nowadays whose sounds hark back to the ’80s, but no band is closer to an imitation than The Drums.

The group muddles the line between influence and cover not only because their singer sounds exactly like Robert Smith, but also because the guitars, drums and keys all seem a little too familiar.  Take The Cure, New Order and Joy Divison, put them on a beach, and give them some Vampire Weekend CDs to create this self-titled album. Also, you should tell them to pick the most generic name they can think of.

Despite the lack of originality, the songs are fun, catchy and quick.  The most addictive song on the album, “Let’s Go Surfing,” runs just under three minutes and is packed full of highlights, including a whistling melody sure to stick with you, just like a dirty acronym for remembering the order of the planets.

Novelty collectors, ’80s lovers and reincarnates of Ian Curtis will enjoy The Drums. No one else, though.

The Drums, “Lets Go Surfing”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdyJUrEJD9U

http://idsnews.com/news/weekend/story.aspx?id=77102&search=ryan%20martin&section=search

There are three letters in “pop,” four chords in punk, and a million literal “garage” bands that have tried to perfect the sound that comes so effortlessly from The Thermals. Does that sweeten their newest album, “Personal Life?”

It might be the only thing they’ve got going for them.

It’s been suggested that by saying less you’re actually saying more (and the phrase undoubtedly fits when applied to Hutch Harris’s succinct, yet provocative observations). But hasn’t this rebel-yell of a scene run out of breath yet?

Undoubtedly, The Thermals are much more authentic than some of their peers.  They helped define their era with artists on labels like Subpop in 2002, a time just after Green Day’s beginning-of-the-end release “Warning” and the debut of candy-rockers like Simple Plan. Over their entire discography, The Thermals never changed their sound or sold out.

The problem is that Punk is a genre where “growing up” is completely unacceptable. The archetypal punk song, born of angst-ridden paranoia, is designed to enrage testosterone levels, induce moshing, and tends to be fairly simple to compose. Time takes its toll and it comes as no surprise that after five studio albums, The Thermals, much like their genre, are running out of new ideas.

The Thermals, “I Don’t Believe You”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOLC9gELguQ

http://idsnews.com/news/weekend/story.aspx?id=76922&search=ryan%20martin&section=search