Architecture in Helsinki.

Okay, so this band is really weird. Really, really really weird. But they take that weirdness and parade it around like they just won every Grammy award possible and want to let everyone at Disneyland know. If there is an instrument that exists, they will use it to the weirdest of their abilities. Fortunately, in addition to be weird and unique, they actually are skilled in being catchy. Here's their video for "Heart it Races" from the album "Places Like This."

Andrew Jackson Jihad

Sometimes it's fun to walk into a record store and buy an album from a band you've never heard of. This is how I came into contact with Andrew Jackson Jihad. They're an absolutely crazy folk punk band from Arizona that takes the line between seriousness and ridiculousness and attempts to erase with a smudgy eraser. This however, just leaves a mess all over the proverbial paper. They are deeply immersed in DIY ethic and it seems like they recorded their latest album "can't maintain." in an old garage or someone's basement. It's a surprisingly eclectic mix that only consists of an acoustic guitar and an upright bass. The band sometimes brings other instruments into the fix, like a piano, saxophone, or kazoo. The back cover also credits a member with "hitting himself in the face 106 times." As a warning, their lyrics range from seriously vague to hilariously blunt; and they don't take time to avoid vulgarities. This does add to the overall effect; cussing over punky bluegrass I will admit sounds interesting...

Highlight tracks:

• Kazoo Sonata in Cmaj
• Olde(y) Tyme(y)
• We Didn't Come Here to Rock
  
  As stated before, listen at your own risk.

All For A Woman

The Airborne Toxic Event has been releasing a string of new material lately, and this is one of my favorites.

Radiohead - Lotus Flower

Radiohead has just released a new video for their single "Lotus Flower." Yeah, it sounds like a lot of their other stuff, but in someway it's different. They still manage to transform simplicity into complexity; they're still creating this grand sound without almost no effort whatsoever, but the song is thoroughly enjoyable. And, Thom Yorke is crazy as usual.

Oh, and their new album comes out today.

The Generationals

If you ever to see wanted pop-funk basslines combined with a folk 80s crossover would sound like... Well here you go.

Roads - Portishead

Not enough people have heard of Portishead. Now, granted, they've been off the map for quite a while, but they recently released their album Third in 2008, but they still seem invisible.
Here, I post one of my favorite songs, Roads. I can't really explain this song, but it's powerful.

Foals

This band has been around for a while but I really haven't listened to them due to lack of interest. I guess I changed my mind. They're about as weird as an indie-post hardcore band can be, and they pull it off well. they somehow pull off this majestic, complex style, without really doing anything at all. Also, they're British.

(I can't help but wonder how much the people in this video had to be paid...)

Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend

So to initiate my beginnings into the musical blogosphere, I am going to review Vampire Weekend’s debut album, aptly titled, Vampire Weekend. Even at the album’s lowest points, it still manages to keep an incredibly upbeat atmosphere. Vampire Weekend utilizes an impressive repertoire of instruments to create such an atmosphere. We are visited by various hand drums, an organ, Chamberlin, harpsichord, synthesizer, and a string section reminiscent of Romantic era composers. Also, your normal rock band instruments take their places as well.
            Now, one could go on and on about their creative use of instruments that people forgot existed, but, we would not be giving credit where credit is due if we did not discuss the fact that all our “normal” instruments exist. This band is practically run by the drummer. Of everything you hear, the drummer sticks out the most, and it is immediately established that the drummer leads this band. More evidence of such is the fact that there is very little guitar whatsoever. As evident in “Oxford Comma” the only guitar is the mini solo presented in the middle of the song. The guitar then promptly leaves us alone, causing us to wonder if it was even there at all. The bassist seems to have more prominence than the guitar itself, which seems unheard of in modern music (What does the bassist do again?). The main melody creator appears to the keyboardist/pianist/organist/harpsichord (ist?)/ anything involving keys. He’s the guy responsible for everything that gets stuck in your head.
            The way each of the members work together makes each track a unique experience. The album opens with “Mansard Roof,” an upbeat, longing track ruled by a combination of both Ezra’s guitar playing and Rostam’s synthesizer. The themes presented here follow through to the end of the album: Reggae, Afro, romantic era strings, catchy drum beats, and so and so forth. The next track “Oxford Comma” opens with laidback sarcasm and continues with subtle attitude. If you’re not paying attention, you won’t be sure if Ezra is even upset. “A-Punk” counters the last track with spiky energy, with the song ending as fast as it started. The song takes a break from its own energy during the chorus, simply to build back up into it. “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” backs down a bit with a catchy, thoughtful guitar riff, but still seems to be relaxing. It grabs your attention by being as laidback as possible. “M79” opens with a string arrangement backed by harpsichord that reminds me of entering some grand palace of a great king wearing an old T-shirt and jeans. It’s extremely lively and definitely danceable. “Campus” is one of the more generic, forgettable tracks on the album, but it still has the power to keep you from hitting the snooze button. “Bryn” is also a more forgettable track. The guitar here almost seems too demanding, with not a lot to keep your attention. “One (Blake’s Got a New Face)” opens with a very 60’s riff, but there goes on a completely different tangent, being bass led from then on out. The only qualm is that hearing that “Blake’s got a new face” over and over gets a little annoying after a while. “I Stand Corrected” seems to be the lowest point on the album. It begins almost mournful, but returns with a more content feeling, thanks to the drummer, when we return to the chorus. “Walcott” seems to have the most energy of all the tracks on the album. They immediately shove a piano/surf guitar combo into your face immediately. They give you a break for thoughtful singing during the chorus; then shove more piano in your face. It’s a good thing though. The album then ends with the chill “The Kids Don’t Stand a Chance,” which is basically how Reggae would sound if white people decided how it would sound.

This whole album grabs your attention without doing much at all. There’s no magnificent string arrangement that fill your stomach with butterflies or cymbal crashes that reverberate through your ribs. 4 stars.

NOTE: Both “Oxford Comma” and “Walcott” contain explicit lyrics.

Inaugural Post

I think everyone can agree that whenever you do something for the first time, it tends to be pretty awkward. The same thing seems to apply to blog posts. So, for the sake of making things less awkward, I just pointed out that things are awkward. And thus, the blog posting has begun.

As you are probably aware, this is a music blog. Over the course of this blog, I'll be reviewing albums, new, old, and in between, I'll be introducing music that I enjoy to the readers that you may or may not have heard of, and so on and so forth.

Enjoy it. Or not. That's up to you.