Sonic Youth - The Eternal (CD purchased 6/9/09)

Another Sonic Youth album, and a pretty good one. Probably not one I'll reach for much in the future unless it's just to hear "Antenna" and "Anti-Orgasm". Outside of those two tracks, I tend to forget that this record is on. It's probably just that I'm too used to Sonic Youth at this point, especially the way they sound now, but some of the tracks do seem pretty weak this time out. It's definitely a pretty uneven album, but it still delivers a sort of soothing comfort throughout in just sounding like Sonic Youth.

(Edit) Rating: 6.5/10

Definitely deserved all the accolades and praise it received when it came out. SY, despite their incredible solo work ethic, was sorta starting to get stale on the band end. They still delivered pretty good records, but they seemingly were showing their age. This record gave us hope for what is to come. Its well-written and is a great live record. Couldn't have asked for more from my favorite band.

Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca (emusic download 6/9/09)

I'm surprised I like this as much as I do. I couldn't stand Rise Above when I first got it, but it gradually grew on me over time. I decided to give this one a chance, and I'm glad I did. I guess once I had a better idea of what to expect from this band, I was a little more receptive to all of their twists and turns and vocal wackiness. The guy's vocals are still not my favorite part, but they certainly don't bother me. I probably appreciate their harmonies a little more now than I did before, but I'm generally not consciously aware of them. What stands out more for me on this record is the guitar and the way it adds punch and dynamic range to key parts.

Now I kind of have a hard time understanding what's so polarizing about this group. In a way this reminds me a little of that Danielson album from a couple of years ago, but it's not quite as eccentric as that was. Hopefully this will have a little more staying power than that did because I have to admit that it's not hitting me quite as hard as it was at first. Solid record, anyway. More people should give it a shot.

Dirty Projectors - "Useful Chamber"

(Edit) Rating: 8.5/10

Wolf Eyes - Always Wrong (downloaded 6/10/09)

The last Wolf Eyes album (Human Animal) and this one have both shown a sort of refinement in what they do. They aren't as unrelentingly harsh, and as such, they may seem a little boring to people who are used to their general sound. But I've found with both of them, and really just with my last listen to this one, they really reveal a lot more depth on subsequent listens than some of their previous stuff did, especially Burned Mind (probably one of their weakest "proper" albums, IMO). Of course their sound palette is still pretty much limited to oozing, rotten, decaying sounds vs. blistering, shreiking, burning sounds. No melodies and funereal paces. It might look painful on paper (and it can be), but in the right time and mood, it's totally satisfying and immersive in a completely unique way. This album is among their better works, I think, and I like how they now seem more interested in developing and maturing their sound than shocking or antagonizing anyone, if they ever really cared about that anyway.

(Edit) Rating: 7.5/10

Busdriver - Jhelli Beam (CD purchased 6/14/09)

It's not that I'm tired of Busdriver or that I'm "over" this kind of music. This album just isn't as good as his earlier ones. I still haven't listened to Roadkill Overcoat, but from what I've read, this one is somewhat similar and possibly a little inferior to that. He's just missing something this time around. It seems like there's a growing cynicism and ambivalence toward his audience and his own music. He was always self-deprecating and a little on the negative side, but he used to be funny. His music used to be fun. He also used to be a lot more technically impressive as a rapper and lyricist, both for the speed that he could spit out lines and for what actually had to say. Everything just seems a little diluted and soured now on this album.

I've been listening to Temporary Forever and Cosmic Cleavage a lot lately, and both of those albums are still excellent. So it's definitely not that I've gotten tired of his whole persona or shtick or whatever. I really hope he can get his act back together on future albums because when this guy is on, he's unsurpassed. And that said, this is still some of the only hip-hop I have any interest in listening to these days, even if it's totally sub-par for Busdriver.

(Edit) Rating: 6/10

Tortoise - Beacons of Ancestorship (CD purchased 6/2709)

I never gave It's All Around You very many listens, but aside from "Salt the Skies", it never really seemed worth it. And that album of covers they did with Will Oldham was just awful. So I guess it's pretty safe to say that this is a "return to form". It's closer in sound to Standards and It's All Around You than any of their older stuff for the most part (although "Gigantes" is a little bit reminiscent of some moments from TNT), and it manages to pull the best from IAAY while not quite reaching the heights of Standards. It contains a pretty broad range of sounds, from aggressive distortion-driven rock to mechanical funk to wistful synth ballads, but all of it is definitely Tortoise. And if there's a general criticism that brings to mind, it's that it's all vaguely synthetic, if not overtly so.

So, basically, it's a pretty good Tortoise album, but not a great or essential one. If you're a fan (I am), you'll like it, and it's a worthwhile addition. If you're not, don't bother.

(Edit) Rating: 7.5/10

Tim Hecker - An Imaginary Country (CD purchased 6/29/09)

More Tim Hecker. Always a good thing (probably), but there's not a whole lot to say about it. If you know his stuff, you know what to expect. If not, it's generally a wash of layered tones and noise, often pretty, sometimes melancholy and sometimes uplifting, but always blending into one big seamless mass that's equally suited to early mornings and really late nights. He always kind of evokes that feeling of staying awake to watch the sun come up.

In terms of better/worse in the context of his other work, I've really only listened to Harmony in Ultraviolet more than once or twice, and I'd say this is not quite as a good as that. That one managed to both be a little more intense/interesting and a little prettier. This one persistently fades into the background and avoids calling too much attention to itself. Which is fine. This could, after all, be classified as ambient music, and it works great in that regard. Great spacial music, it's the sort of thing I'd love to put on for a quiet morning of reading.

(Edit) Rating: 7.5/10

Lhasa - Lhasa (emusic download 6/29/09)

I remember seeing a lot of people refer to this album as boring, and I guess that's fair. It's pretty downbeat and low-key compared to her last one. It's still really good, though, I think. It's proven to be a fairly deep and rewarding album for me, and even if I probably won't end up naming it as one of favorites of the year, it's made for some great late-night driving music.

A lot of the songs seem more traditional this time around. The melodies seem familiar and well-worn, but the lyrics, arrangements, and her vocals keep it from being too humdrum or run-of-the-mill. I know a lot of people who liked her last one have already given this one a shot, but if you didn't think it was worthwhile and have shelved it or forgotten about, revisit it and give it a little more time.

(Edit) Rating: 7/10

Wilco - Wilco (The Album) (CD purchased 7/1/09)

All in all, I suppose it's fair that Wilco would choose to make this their (semi) self-titled album. It's a reasonable summation of what Wilco is and has been, leaving out most of the "experimental" tangents, although not ignoring them 100%. "Bull Black Nova", a more easy-going and friendly take on the Krautrock of "Spiders (Kidsmoke)", is still probably the album highlight for me, though, as I like Wilco when they dare to get a little weird. (And weird for Wilco was never really that weird anyway, aside from that infamous migraine track from A Ghost Is Born.) The rest of the album breezes by - much like Sky Blue Sky - on a fairly even mix of self-aware wit, hopeful sentimentality, and mild melancholy, without really leaving much of an impression. It's satisfying in a pleasant and familiar way, although it's hard to say if this will be a Wilco album that I'll ever reach for in the future. I think I prefer the more flawed, comparatively ballsy A Ghost Is Born and Being There to this or their previous album although I may prefer this album over Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, which in hindsight has seemed increasingly bland to me. And where YHF can seem weighed down by an overly heavy-handed approach, this album feels like it was made with very little deliberation. It's both a good and a bad thing, I suppose, but there's always a certain degree of pleasure to be derived from listening to musicians that have so finely honed their craft and haven't given themselves over to pure self-indulgence.

(Edit) Rating: 6.5/10

Mika Miko - We Be Xuxa (CD purchased 5/7/09)

Yeah, so this band is really nothing special. They're pretty bad, really. But they still have a certain amateurish charm. Both this and the comp they put out last year are plenty of fun to listen to, and they can hardly wear out their welcome at around 20 minutes a pop. "Turkey Sandwich" is actually a pretty good song, even, but maybe not as good as they seem to think (it's on here twice).

Nobody really needs to spend any time or money on this record - or this band, based on what they've done so far - but if you do, well, you could do worse. I mean, your basic, quick, get in/get out punk rock doesn't really need to be much more than this, does it? Of course a lot of bands have done a lot more with it, and certainly done it a lot better. But I don't see how someone like, say, Jay Reatard, is really any better than this.

(Edit) Rating: 6/10

Should I go through and assign some kind of number rating to all of these? It's tempting... I think I'll start with this one.


Marissa Nadler - Little Hells (CD purchased 5/7/09)

That May 7th trip to the record store was not one of my finer moments. Sure, as mentioned above, I do enjoy that Mika Miko album despite its shortcomings, but to have walked out with these two CDs and about $25 poorer... not good.

This album is just flat out boring, and I really should have seen that coming. Her last album was pretty much a snoozer as well even though it was critically well received and all, just like this one. I remember when she was new on the scene and almost seemed a little "quirky", somewhat similar to Joanna Newsom but considerably less odd. It's really hard to imagine now that I ever would have compared the two at all. Nadler just seems to muddle around in maudlin, arpeggiated predictability. There's not a note here that is the least bit surprising or interesting, or even moving for that matter. It's one bit soporific haze, perfectly pleasant and soothing, but a little tiresome if you pay attention too closely. I'm not sure why I bothered with this album except that maybe I just don't listen to many female songwriters, and at one time she seemed pretty promising. I think this is the last chance she's getting from me.

Rating: 6/10

Rating for the other ones I've already done:

Antony and the Johnsons - The Crying Light: 4.5/10
themselves - theFREEhoudini Deluxe: 3/10
Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion: 9.5/10
Japandroids - Post-Nothing: 6.5/10
Thee Oh Sees - HELP: 8.5/10
Abe Vigoda - Reviver EP: 8/10
Times New Viking - Stay Awake EP: 8/10
Sonic Youth - The Eternal: 6.5/10
Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca: 8.5/10
Wolf Eyes - Always Wrong: 7.5/10
Busdriver - Jhelli Beam: 6/10
Tortoise - Beacons of Ancestorship: 7.5/10
Tim Hecker - An Imaginary Country: 7.5/10
Lhasa - s/t: 7/10
Wilco - Wilco (The Album): 6.5/10
Mika Miko - We Be Xuxa: 6/10

Bibio - Ambivalence Avenue (CD purchased 7/3/09)

I really like this album cover, and I really wanted to like this album. I do like it, but I don't love it. It's definitely admirable, both for how far Bibio has come since Fi (his 2004 debut and the only other work of his I'd heard prior to this) and just as an achievement in arrangement and production in and of itself. I just can't really get into it. Maybe it's that it sounds a little bit too far behind the curve. In a way, I feel like this is the sort of thing that seemed really exciting 5 or 6 years ago, and now a lot of the practitioners of this kind of organic digital cut-and-paste have moved on or fallen out of favor. This primarily reminds me of stuff like The Books, Prefuse 73, and a bunch of Mush Records stuff - the label Bibio started out on. The homespun, earthy sound doesn't really help to endear any of it to me, either. Rather, it just takes an album without any really strong hooks or any truly unique character and makes it seem murkier and less distinct.

It's nice music, certainly, with some really nice details and a wide breadth of styles somehow seamlessly blended together. All of that could make for a nice study on a focused headphone listen, but for me the whole thing always seems to float by mostly unnoticed. It's another pretty, wistful electronic pop album in a year that's been full of them, being one of the better ones, admittedly, but also lacking any real standout moments or any one distinctive element that would make me want to put it on.

Rating: 7/10

I really didn't like Bibio's record for the same reason that it's "nice", upon first listen. But when someone else put it on in the office, my ears always because interested in it. I'd return to this for an occasional work listen.

Totally agree about Nadler. She needed only ever release her first record, what was it, the Saga of Mayflower May?

That was the first one I heard, yeah. I think she did one before that that was recently reissued, but who cares, right? I doubt she did anything more interesting before Mayflower May, either.

When are you gonna tackle them Six Organs releases of this year, Drinky?

I haven't heard any of them yet, so not for a while. I've honestly gotten a little out of touch with his stuff lately. I'm not sure what all he's put out aside from that one comp, and I already had a good portion of the material on that (although I haven't listened to that stuff very much).

that comp is right up your alley. you need to listen to it as an album. it plays as such. the full-length he released this year "luminous night" is excellent, but you may not like it as much.

Yeah, I'll get those. I also still need to get the new Flaming Lips, and I've been wanting to give the Super Furry Animals album from this year a shot. I kinda gave up on them after Phantom Power, but it looks like I might have missed some good stuff from them in the past few years. I thinking I might even want to check out the new Mountain Goats even though everything he's released since Tallahassee has been a disappointment to me.

There's those, plus there's a Lightning Bolt album out soon, right? And then there's still tons of stuff I've gotten that I haven't written about yet. Not sure if I can finish this before the end of the year, but I'll try.

Spoon - Got Nuffin EP (emusic download 7/6/09)

Nuffin special. The title track might be kind of a throwaway, but it chugs along in the usual satisfactory Spoon manner. 2nd track: some kind of half-assed home demo/drum machine thing that goes on for way too long. 3rd and final track: easily the best thing here. It's another familiar-sounding Spoon song, but it has a nice weighty darkness and is a little rough around the edges in a perfectly suiting way. It's what keeps this little mini-EP/single from being totally unnecessary.

Rating: 6/10

Suckers - s/t EP (emusic download 7/7/09)

This offers up a nice intro to this band. They seem pretty promising. I've seen them compared to Yeasayer - who I've never really liked - pretty frequently, but aside to whatever stylistic comparisons you might want to draw between to this band and whoever else, the four songs here are just flat out solid. It does bear some resemblance to a lot of recent things, from MGMT to Arcade Fire to Vampire Weekend to Man Man to maybe Wolf Parade (I wouldn't really know), but this has a nice woozy, casual party vibe to it that makes it go down a lot easier than some of their contemporaries. There's just something warm and friendly and irresistible about this. I can't really find anything wrong with it.

Rating: 7.5/10

i hated that suckers ep.

Yeah, well


UUVVWWZ - s/t (emusic download 7/7/09)

Definitely one of the worst band names I've ever seen, but this band really isn't that bad. The band itself, the actual dudes playing the instruments, is pretty good really. The problems pretty much center around the singer, whose attempts at edginess and artiness become pretty grating. A lot of her lyrics are pretty annoying, too. There are moments, though, when she just sings, that she's perfectly fine.

If this is "Nebraska's answer to Deerhoof" as Promethium put it, I don't think Nebraska understood the question. (They certainly didn't answer it as well as Baltimore did with the band Ponytail.) There are maybe a couple of songs, out of the 9 here, that evoke something of a Deerhoof vibe, but nowhere is the innovation, spontaneity, or flat out playing skill of Deerhoof even approached here. This is some competent, driving psyche-rock, that could possibly have some potential to grow into something more worthy of attention, but I hope they at least change their name before getting good. I really don't ever want to say the name "UUVVWWZ" out loud when telling people what bands I've been into lately.

Rating: 6/10

this belongs in the worst cover art thread.

Yeah, there are a lot of things wrong with that.

The music is fine, though.