Welcomes

Last post, I mentioned some new things going on here at WRR, and today we're rolling out one of them: our new staff writer Sarah W. Currently residing in the Windy City, She hails from the same educational system that produced such luminaries as Andy C. and me, Sean B.

Be on the lookout for some BIG THINGS next week.

Nine Inch Nails - Ghosts I-IV and The Slip

By Andy C.

Trent Reznor is a happy boy, believe it or not. In 2007, Nine Inch Nails released Year Zero, a sprawling, confusing, multi-media mess that was delayed by Interscope, who later that year parted ways with their once-formidable cash cow. It seems to this observer that it was exactly what the original DIY man wanted. 2008’s Ghosts, I-IV, and The Slip¸ are both flawed, yet prolific works of art for an artist who clearly has a new sense of purpose and freedom.

Ghosts I-IV is a collection of 36(!!) instrumental tracks that, according to Reznor, is a “soundtrack to daydreams.” Each album of Ghosts simply has track numbers, perhaps to leave your imagination unabated. I enjoyed playing a game while driving to Ghosts, imagining where the ghost of each particular track came from. Unsurprisingly, a lot of the ghosts died from piercing accidents, getting trampled at an Autobahn show, or from auto-erotic asphyxiation.

Some of the tracks aren’t worth the work at all - the 3 tracks with banjos particularly grated my nerves (the ghosts of Boss Hog and Roscoe P. Coltrane kept popping up). However, a good number of these songs are some of Reznor’s best work. I’ve often had issues with some of NIN’s lyrics, and to hear the music speak for itself is refreshing. Reznor has always been particularly stunning with the piano - “track 4” on Ghosts II (how annoying is that?) builds slowly, but horizontally instead of vertically—the sound becomes more lush, instead of harsh.

The Slip, a more traditional NIN album, came out just months after Ghosts for free download—Reznor was happy to point out that his system was far superior to that of those 'other guys'. Again, back to the point that Reznor is relishing his independence from a big label—this album is his best in a decade. The opposite of Ghosts, The Slip runs at just 45 minutes. The first half sounds a little too overproduced, and the Reznor self-righteousness is certainly there, but the B-side is royal: sparse, spacey, and menacing.

Where does this leave you, loyal reader? There’s a lot of new Nine Inch Nails out there in 2008, and I’m betting you haven’t thought about ‘em since The Downward Spiral. I’d say take a chance. Besides, it’s free. Bottom line: love, hate, or indifference to NIN, its always invigorating to hear an artist so reinvigorated.

Note - There is a youtube channel with vid-art done to the tracks of Ghosts. Neat.

Lambchop - OH (Ohio)
By Sarah W.

In order to get my facts straight about Lambchop, I turned to that fount of all knowledge: Wikipedia. My eyes immediately settled on the words “alternative country,” which was almost enough to scare me away, but I refrain from labeling them as such. Plus, this album is so lovely, and so completely and utterly worth listening to, I decided to get over my genre-phobia.

Lambchop is a conglomeration of revolving musicians from Nashville, a town so rich in musical history that it’s almost requisite for music from there to be heartfelt, emotional, and twangingly lovely; OH (Ohio), is all of that and more.

On my first listen, I was completely and utterly enthralled before the opening and title track “Ohio” was even over. The song is understated and gentle and with an unexpected lounge-y feel, aided by female background vocals and soft drumming. And it contains the subtlety brilliant lyric: “Green doesn’t matter, when you’re blue…”

Frontman Kurt Wagner is, without a doubt, another champion in the singer-songwriter tradition. His lyrics are less Dylan, more Gary Wilson and his voice is reminiscent of other white guy singers, most notably Cat Stevens, with tones of Nick Drake and Wilson. Wagner’s voice is warm, yet restrained, like he’s speaking rather than singing. But that’s part of the slow charm of this album. Aside from the warm vocals and sweet lyrics, Wagner also has quite a sense of humor, with songs like the cheekily titled “National Talk Like a Pirate Day” (which may be my favorite song, with its up-tempo and slightly rockish feel) and clever/random “Sharing a Gibson with Martin Luther King, Jr.”

I must admit, I’m not entirely sure what Wagner is singing about with some of his off-kilter lyrics, but I’d like to think that he’s singing about love. In “I Believe in You,” his voice follows the same gentle, sway-worthy accompaniment that the rest of the album does:

I don’t believe the price of gold, but certainly of growing old
That right is right and left is wrong, and north and south can’t get along
East is east and west is west, and beaten first is always best
I believe in love, I believe in babies, I believe in mom and dad, and I believe in you

This album is the kind of album that gets me excited about music again. By the end of it, I find myself totally smitten and wanting to replay it all over again. Which is what you should do with this album. Listen once—love it. Listen again—notice the lovely and quirky lyrics. Listen again, and again, and again.

NOOOOO AAAAAAAH!!!!!

Well, big things are happening here at WWR. But we're not quite ready to unveil, so in the meantime, enjoy...

Noah and the Whale - Peaceful The World Lays Me Down

So, if I were to tell you I'm reviewing an album where they sing about a baby being exposed to the elements and wolves eating it, you'd probably expect that I were delving into the hardcore offerings of Satan's Colostomy Bag. Well, you'd be wrong. Instead, I'm talking about the folksy foursome Noah and the Whale, hailing from London, England. And while that may sound morbid, it's presented in a more holistic, cosmic manner. See for yourself:

Oh, when the baby's born, lets turn it to the snow
so that ice will surely grow over weak and brittle bones

Lets leave it to the wolves so their teeth turn it to food

its flesh keeps them alive, always death helps life survive

Oh, the world can be kind in it's own way...

It's an awkward thought for most people to have, but it does kinda make sense.

Turning to something more pleasant, the best and leadoff song, 'Two Atoms In A Molecule', starts of with a frolicking, finger-picked riff and steady back beat. The catchy delivery and witty lyrics of front man Charlie Fink (cool name, huh?) are reminiscent of Paul Simon, at least on this song.

Most of the album continues thus, with a quicker pace and intelligent, emotionally relatable lyrics. The primary sonic element throughout is acoustic guitar, but depth is added to songs with strings, horns, accordions, and keys. One of the other standouts is 'Five Years Time.' Watch the video and see if you can figure out what TV commercial you. recognize it from.

A Rededication To Blogging

Hey folks. So we're back and as noted in the title, we are rededicated to bringing you the latest in already reviewed albums. Also, readers are encouraged to post comments, thoughts, rants, ideas, suggestions, etc in the comments section. Lastly, look out B-more, but Los Campesinos! are coming your way on January 15.

TV on the Radio - Dear Science
by Andrew C.

TVotR had 2 years to toy with my expectations about their follow-up to 2006’s Return To Cookie Mountain, a challenging and powerful rookie LP effort. Whatever I had prepared to hear on Dear Science, took about four tracks to evaporate out of my overloaded synapses.

The dense shoegaze is still in denizens, as is the genre-mashing rhythm section, but the finished product is polished ear candy. “Halfway Home” leads off the album, recalling “Wolf Like Me” only with more zenith drum power and post-punk doo-wop. The album really doesn’t come up for air until “Stork and Owl” disarms at track four with the sinister beauty of femme fatale. And then the bounce of “Golden Age”, the shimmer of “Family Tree”, the wah-wah horn funk of “Red Dress”. And on, and on and on.

One of the things that make this album more accessible than previous efforts are the vocal stylings of Kyp Malone and Tunde Adebimpe, both of whom belt out strong and versatile lyrics on every track. TVotR has proven that they lacerate your ears with sonic density—Dear Science seems to be their statement that they can soothe them just as equally with the same formula. There won’t be a better album all year.

Starter Tracks: “Golden Age”, “Halfway Home”, “Family Tree”, “Dancing Choose”, “Lovers Day”

Best Played With: Right after you get home from happy hour.

Los Campesinos! - Hold On Now, Youngster...
by Sean B.

Warning! Listening to this album while typing will result! in! extra exclamation points! everywhere!

After an eight second warm up, Los Campesinos! debut album “Hold On Now, Youngster…” leaps out of the gate with a power pop ferocity that rarely lets up of the course of the next forty three minutes. L.C! package plenty of the musical elements that I have a soft spot for, starting with the one-two punch of a rough around the edges sound smoothed out by catchy hooks. They bring another great combo in the forms of singers Aleksandra and Gareth Campesinos! (All seven members coincidentally share the same sur name!) And finally, most important and awesome of all, they are (sort of like me) Welsh!

Fans of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Architecture in Helsinki should buy right into Los Campesinos! Like those two, L.C! share an unpolished but poppy sound and an affinity for quirky instruments (Do you really get chicks in a band if you play the glockenspiel!?), but they also pack a little more punch. Lyrically, the two singer/shouters shift between clever, thoughtful and meaningless lines, and they’re probably not always aware of when those shifts take place.

The album has a youthful energy, stemming from the fast pace and the somewhat shouty vocals, but it’s not pure sugar and there’s definitely a streak of artfulness that runs throughout! While they don’t tread any new ground, they move expertly over well traveled territory!

Peter Bjorn & John – Seaside Rock
by Sean B.

Everyone’s favorite Swedes quietly return to follow up on their super popular Writer’s Block LP. This time they deliver a gem of a (mostly) instrumental album. “Inland Empire” kicks things off with a funkily serious and seriously funky high-hat ride that would have Isaac Hayes in tears. Ominous drums, acoustic guitars and horns all gradually kick in until tension rises so high that you’re sweating, hands clenched to your steering wheel (and you’re not even driving!). But that’s okay, because the song drops you off to be swept away by the pleasant steel drums of “Say Something (Mukiya)” Now you’re kicked back on a Caribbean beach, pina colada in hand and a smile on your face. “Where will the next song take me?” you must be asking. That ride is yours to take, my friends.

The album really loses itself when it switches to the three spoken word pieces, in Swedish one can only assume. Rhythm and melody take a back seat to what sound like crusty old fisherman telling fish tales. But overall, PB&J takes the listener on a thoroughly enjoyable journey.

MGMT in NYC

Hi there, WRRheads. I know it's been a while, but I promise we will get things back up to speed. For now, here's a concert reviewish from a recent MGMT in Brooklyn on Halloween night. Big thanks to Jess who got us tickets to the biggest in the Big Apple that night.

The show took place at the Williamsburg Theatre in Brooklyn, the mecca of hipsterdom. The pretension was so thick that you could cut it with a knife. My least favorite of these coolest of cool kids was glow stick man who wouldn't stop pogoing right in front of me. But onto the show...

We caught the tail end of the final opener, Amazing Baby. I liked what I heard, especiall the closer Pump Your Brakes, which is available as part of a free ep download. The exact details of the show are a little hazy, thanks to the RBV's, but I'm fairly certain that MGMT opened with Weekend Wars. The show didn't deviate too much from the last time I saw them. The big difference was the encores. Last time they came out to play the 13 minute freaky/prog jam Metanoia (free d/l) which transitioned into Kids. This time they played both of those songs earlier and played some seemingly very old electro songs for the closer, which I was not feeling. For me, the highlight was The Youth, with its chorus of:

The youth is starting to change
Are you starting to change
Are you together, together, together, together....

As change was in the air, I felt it to be a very poignant moment. Overall, it was a solid show and the crowd was fully into it. We had to leave a bit early, as to not end up trapped in Brooklyn, but I've heard rumors that at the very end they jammed out to the Ghostbusters song. I, for one, was really hoping they would play Thriller.