Records of the Week 10/22/11: Three Great Albums From 2011

October 22, 2011 Leave a Comment

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks – Mirror Traffic

As of now, Mirror Traffic is my favorite album of 2011.  Singer/guitarist Stephen Malkmus’ first album post-Pavement reunion (and latest in a long string of awesome solo albums) is a more focused work than some of his past efforts, which makes it a great listening experience.  While it features some of Malkmus’ trademark sillyness (Senator has the line “I know what the senator wants is a blowjob”) Mirror Traffic is a little more personal.  “Share the Red” is one of his most emotional tracks, where he contemplates being “40 with a kid, living on the grid.”  It also features few of the catchiest Jicks songs, “Forever 28″ and “Stick Figures In Love”.  “Forever 28″ has one of the most memorable vocal melodies on the album in between electric guitar freakouts while “Stick Figures” moves along at a brisk pace fueled by an infectious guitar line.  It doesn’t hurt that the album was produced by Beck, who seems to have a great handle on making Malkmus sound his best.

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Records of the Week: 9/3/11

September 3, 2011 Leave a Comment

Various Artists – Inglourious Basterds Soundtrack

Quentin Tarantino is the master of selecting music for his films.  He seems to be a huge music fan, as many of the songs he selects are fairly unknown.  And he’s a master at creating the right atmosphere with his selections.  The soundtrack for Inglourious Basterds is a great example.  Whether it’s an Ennio Morricone classic or an obscure David Bowie song, everything fits in well in the film context.  The problem with most soundtracks of this type – compilations with no original music made for the film – is that often they won’t seem as a cohesive of a listen.  But this soundtrack flows together quite well, despite the varying musical genres found on it.  But like other soundtracks, it’s much more memorable after seeing the film and learning the context in which each song is played.  One of the biggest treasures on the soundtrack is Morricone’s “Un Amico”, one of the composer’s more emotional tracks.  It seems full of longing, and it fits well with the scene it accompanies – the death of two important characters.

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Records of the Week: 7/29/11

July 29, 2011 1 Comment

Stephen Malkmus – Stephen Malkmus

While Stephen Malkmus’ work with Pavement mostly leaned towards the loud, noisy, and distorted brand of rock, 1999′s Terror Twilight – the bands penultimate album – was a sparse, more melodic affair.  Twilight is subtle in a way that every other Pavement album is not.  Many have attributed this style change to the growing control of Stephen Malkmus, who was reportedly getting fed up with the group around this time.  After hearing his first solo record (which is self-titled) it’s easy to see how people came to that conclusion.  Stephen Malkmus is arguably the singer’s most poppy album.  But while Terror Twilight’s songs meandered on a little too long, or simply never hit the mark, this album is for the most part an interesting, easy listen.  “Jenny & The Ess-Dog”, a love story about the two characters named in the title, is one of Malkmus’ most pleasant songs.  “Vague Space”‘s falsetto chorus – despite it’s short length – is one of the best parts of the album.  And even the more eclectic songs, like the ridiculously infectious “Troubbble” and the catchy “Phantasies” both work well.  If you haven’t discovered Malkmus’ work beyond Pavement, definitely give this album a few listens.

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Records of the Week: 6/27/11

June 27, 2011 Leave a Comment

that dog. – Totally Crushed Out

That Dog (not going to stylize it to that dog. repeatedly because it looks weird in text) is one of the best kept secrets of the nineties.  The group was around from 91-97 and released three records before splitting up.  The band has moved on to solo projects, although they recently – and quite surprisingly – announced two reunion shows in Los Angeles.  I’m actually attending one of those shows, so expect a review and possibly a video afterwards.  Totally Crushed Out is an excellent listen.  It’s full of crunchy guitars, catchy pop melodies, and beautiful three part harmonies.  My favorite song is the opener, “Ms. Wrong,” which might be one of the catchiest things I have heard in a while.  There’s also the single, “He’s Kissing Christian”, which received a moderate amount of airplay on MTV upon its release.  The lyrics on the album may seem a little corny to some, but I think they’re endearing and charming and fit well with the musical style.  If you’re a fan of nineties alt-rock, check this album out.

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Nicklist #9 (Five Great Live Versions)

May 25, 2011 Leave a Comment

1.) “School” – Nirvana (from Live at Reading)

It’s become almost cliche to list Nirvana as one of your favorite bands these days.  They are arguably the biggest rock group of the past thirty years, and “Smells Like Teen Spirit” has been called one of the greatest rock songs of all time on multiple occasions.  If a band covers at Nirvana at a show, it seems ridiculous since it’s been overdone so many times.  But since older, Bleach era Nirvana is often ignored by many rock critics and music fans, I felt that it would be a good idea to share the best performance of one of the best Nirvana songs.  “School”‘s heavy guitar riff and heavy drums make it one of the group’s most powerful and “in your face” songs.  This version in front of thousands at the Reading Festival is even better than the original, and a great display of Nirvana’s excellent live shows.

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Nicklist #8

May 5, 2011 Leave a Comment

1.) “The Ballad of El Goodo” – Big Star (from #1 Record)

Big Star is one of the best rock bands of the 70s.  They’re probably more known for writing the original version of That 70s Show’s theme song “In The Street” (which was covered by Cheap Trick).  But #1 Record is as solid of a rock album you’ll hear from the decade.  Bands like The Replacements, who wrote a song called “Alex Chilton” after one of the group’s members, were noticeably influenced by Big Star.  They definitely had a lasting impact on the world of music.  “The Ballad of El Goodo” isn’t my favorite song on the record, but it’s definitely up there.  The chorus, “ain’t no one goin’ to turn me round,” is incredibly pleasing to the ear and the emotions.

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Records of the Week: 4/30/11

May 1, 2011 Leave a Comment

Red Hot Chili Peppers – Blood Sugar Sex Magik

The Red Hot Chili Peppers sometimes get a negative reputation because a lot of their fanbase consists of “bros.”  Considering the fact that they are one of the most popular bands of the past twenty years,  it’s natural that they have some fans who aren’t necessarily part of a likable demographic.  It’s a shame they have this reputation, because they are a great band with amazing chemistry.  Blood Sugar Sex Magik is the group’s second effort with guitarist John Frusciante (who left the band recently amicably) and it’s the album where his creative ability skyrocketed.  Blood Sugar is one of the most interesting records of the 90′s musically.  It consists of some funk songs (like “If You Have To Ask” and “Power of Equality”) and melodic songs (like “I Could Have Lied” and arguably their biggest hit, “Under the Bridge.”).  Flea – the band’s bassist – switched from constant “popping and slapping” basslines to more sparse, melodic playing, and Frusciante begun shaping his own style into something of his own rather than an emulation of the group’s previous guitarist, Hillel Slovak.  If you haven’t heard any of the band’s albums or only know the popular stuff, check this one out.

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Nicklist #7

April 25, 2011 Leave a Comment

1.) “Bachelorette” – Bjork (from Homogenic)

Bjork is one of the greatest singers I’ve personally heard.  Her voice is can be powerful (sometimes even scary) or beautiful.  It has a lot of resonance and is very dynamic.  “Bachelorette” is a great example of her vocal talents.  Despite the excellence of the backing track (soaring strings, a dark bassline) what manages to be the most interesting memorable part of the song is the melody and vocals.  The fact that she also arranged the instrumentation is just an addition to her talent as a musician.  The best part about Bjork, however, is her willingness to evolve and change – so if you like this, definitely check out some other stuff.  Vespertine, for example, is a little more minimalistic and electronic than her work on Homogenic.

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Records of the Week: 4/23/11

April 23, 2011 1 Comment

Sorry about getting this to you guys a few days late – but between watching NBA Playoff Basketball and playing music/hanging out with friends Thursday and family business Friday, I simply didn’t have the time.  I’m kind of bothered by that fact, but oh well – this is certainly better than nothing.  Next week’s ROTW will be up on time on Thursday, and expect some actual reviews this week (finally).  I’m really excited to share these albums with you guys though!

Titus Andronicus – The Monitor

If you can imagine the emotion of Arcade Fire and Neutral Milk Hotel with a punk energy played by a bunch of guys (and a girl) from New Jersey, you get a good idea of the sound of Titus Andronicus.  Their second record, The Monitor, is a concept album loosely based on the Civil War.  It’s got everything you want in an album of that type – reprises, long songs with multiple parts, and seemless transitions between each song.  Titus is really talented at writing poetic, realistic lyrics that are fun to sing along to, and it’s one of the things that makes The Monitor instantly great.  There’s a reference to fellow New Jerseyan Bruce Springsteen in the opener “A More Perfect Union” (“Tramps like us/baby we were born to die!) and catchy refrains throughout.  My favorite track is “Four Score and Seven” which starts out as a ballad before turning into a heavy rock song during the course of eight and a half enjoyable minutes.  The lyrics and melodies are memorable, the instrumentation is great and the album sounds very cohesive.

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Nicklist #6

April 18, 2011 4 Comments

1.) “Get Up” – Sleater-Kinney (from The Hot Rock)

Sleater-Kinney is one of the most underrated rock bands of the 90s – you hear a lot about the Nirvanas, and to a lesser extent the Pavements (one of my favorite bands) of the 90s, who gained a little more popularity than the girls from this band – but they rock hard.  “Get Up” is no exception – it has a great guitar riff and powerful vocals from lead vocalist Corin Tucker.  However, my favorite song is the bridge, where second guitarist Carrie Brownstein takes over the singing duties and sings a beautiful melody over some arpegiatted guitar playing.  Their drummer is Janet Weiss (Quasi, Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks, Elliott Smith) who is one of rock’s most solid, hard-hitting drummers.

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