Never Remember

Holy shit. So many old standby bands released excellent albums this past month. 

Some of these new releases have gotten the praise they deserve, but a few were totally panned in reviews that didn't really seem to grasp the essence of the music, but are, unfortunately, influential. 

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1. "Mark of the Unnamed" by The Budos Band from The Budos Band III (2010). First, there's the Budos Band's most recent addition to their amazing family of albums. III sees the band with more confidence and swagger than ever before, as they delve further into Ethiopian jazz stylings and old soul-funk. 

2. "Hearts Of Love" by Crocodiles from Sleep Forever (2010). The Crocodiles' disappointingly short, but action-packed new lp, is full of more J&MC-esque rock anthems. Makes you almost forget that summer's headed out the back door.

3. "Impetus" by Gaijin Games from the Bit.Trip Runner OST (2010). I've been eagerly awaiting the release of the sountrack to Bit.Trip Runner, Gaijin Games retro-inspired game for the Wii, since I first played the game back in late spring. Runner is kind of a combination of Super Mario Bros. and Guitar Hero, with awesome 8-bit style graphics, harkening back to Pitfall, but with much more detail and 3D. If you have a Wii you can buy the game online for 8 bucks, the soundtrack is 6 or 7.

4. "Retro" by Surf City from Kudos (2010). Surf CIty finally release a full-length after several years of a couple of stellar ep's. There's nothing as epic as "Headin' Inside" but they definitely expand their sound and show their chops.

5. "A004" by Monroeville Music Center from Generic Product (2010). Monroeville Music Center makes off-kilter library music. Much like The Advisory Circle, The Focus Group and other such "hauntology" oriented bands. Sounds like MMC is getting some good use out of an Optigan, of which I am quite jealous.

6. "Barricade" by Interpol from Interpol (2010). Interpol have nailed it once again. On their forth album, they merge the tight pop structures of TOTBL and Antics with the beautifully crafted soundscapes of Our Love To Admire. "Tapped out and insecure" they are most certainly not. While this certainly isn't the Interpol of Bright Lights, all fresh faced and sparkeling new, these gents have matured and into a band with the confidence to step back and realize that quick pop songs aren't the end all be all of a music. If you're not hoping for another album like Bright Lights and enjoy listening to a band evolve, I think you'll find Interpol an exciting, rewarding listen.

7. "Torch Song" by The Walkmen from Lisbon (2010). The Walkmen have always been interesting to me as a rock band on the fringes, with a few stellar songs on each album and usually introspective and original lyrics, but something always kept me just outside of fully grasping what they were aiming for. Now I get it. Lisbon is thus far their masterpiece, combining all their previous efforts with magnificent effect. They can take a minimal structure, like nothing you've heard before, and some how sweep it up into a monumental epic of a song. Lisbon lead me back to their previous albums and they all make sense to me now. This is the best album I've heard in a long time, every track is a killer.

Here are some live cuts from La Blogotheque. the fourth track is another great one from Lisbon:

8. "It Don't Rain in Beverly Hills" by Dean and Britta from 13 Most Beautiful: Songs For Andy Warhol's Screen Tests (2010). This is an odd collection of quite a few songs by former Luna members Dean Wareham and Britta Phillips. This song in particular really grabbed me out of what is a diverse and fascinating collection of tunes.

9. "Inima, de ce nu vrei sa-mbatranesti?" by Ioana Radu from Muzica De Colectie (2007). I don't know much about Romanian singer Ioana Radu other than that she had a beautiful voice and that this album will transport you to another time.

 10. "The Metallic Year Pt. 2" by Imbogodom from The Metallic Year (2010). This transcontinental duo explores the darker areas of experimental music, conjuring visions of wastelands, caverns and high cliffs that hold ancient secrets. 

11. "Muuttujat/Saattajat" by Kemialliset Ystävät from Ullakkopalo (2010). Another surprise this month was a new release from one of my all time favorites, Finish freak-folkers Kemialliset Ystävät. With Ullakkopalo, they forge onwards into the depths of madness and find a bit more pacing and restraint, creating more tension in their otherworldly atmospheres. 

12. "Light From the Mesa" is a pretty freakin' awesome teaser track from the upcoming Barn Owl release, Ancestral Star. Noise-drone soundscapes to astrally project to. 

13. "The River Who Drinks All I've Had" by Makunouchi Bento from Swimé (2010). Makunouchi Bento are an experimental duo from Romania who specialize in bizarre sound worlds. They're in similar territory as earlier Gultskra Artikler (also making an appearance on this mix), that of Kafka-esque creepiness. Field recordings are intermingled with avant garde composition for a variety of fascinating yet disturbing soundscapes. 

14. "Fantasia In G Minor, Op. 77" by Rudolf Serkin from Beethoven: Piano Sonatas #8 & 29, Fantasia In G Minor (1992)(not the cover art). I was listening to an album of Rudolph Serkin's interpretations of Beethoven's Piano Sonatas a few weeks back and this particular piece really stuck with me. I've been listening to a lot of classical music recently, so more will probably start showing up on the mixes.

15. "Saturna" by Gultskra Artikler from Galaktika (2010). I always thought that if I had to choose how I was going to die, I would be jettisoned into space with an oxygen tank and just float until the air ran out. This album makes me rethink that a little. These cold and menacing pieces evoke the vastness and desolation of outer space, and seem to be an homage to the space oriented work of Russian film maker Andrie Tarkovsky.  

16. "Spain" by Blonde Redhead from Penny Sparkle (2010). The new Blonde Redhead blossoms slowly. They've always had a penchant for dark, brooding lyrics dealing with people on some Lynchian/Murakami-esque verge of collapse/shunting into a parallel reality. With Penny Sparkle they step over theevent horizon and plunge into the void. These are some seriously depressive songs about lust and despair in a loveless relationship. The sparseness of the music, which is mostly electronic, helps to take Kazu's lyricism to darkest, coldest place possible. I do miss the more exciting albums of their early years, but it's great to see a band push themselves. 

17. "How the Gods Kill" by Danzig from Danzig III: How the Gods Kill (1992).Something in the past month inspired me to revisit Danzig's last two albums. For some reason this song, which I haven't heard since I was fifteen, popped into my head. His last two albums, Danzig III: How the Gods Kill and 4, are like some undead Elvis crooning away about demonic stuff, backed up by a pretty sick metal band. Pretty funny in their melodrama, but also fairly unique and entertaining. 

18. "Vitium" by The Goslings from Occasion (2008). The Goslings (now defunct) made some heavy, evil noise. They (she?) come off like a pissed-off Grouper. Which I dig.

19. "Casting" by Hildur Guðnadóttir from Mount A (2020). I just discovered this album of lush, ambient cello music by Hildur Guðnadóttir. She's worked with múm and some other folks, but I think she stands well enough on her own, this is really beautiful solo work.