Archive for March, 2009

3/4/09

Better Late Than Never

Chaz Jankel “Get Yourself Together (Hercules & Love Affair Hercbump Mix)”

I’m not sure if “Get Yourself Together” is the right title for this song. That phrase implies that the singer is issuing some sort of ultimatum, whereas the actual sentiment of his words is a lot more passive, even when his language comes across as a demand. Basically, Chaz Jankel is singing about not understanding his lover, and the confusion that comes from not being able to anticipate — much less comprehend — their mood swings. In some cases, this is a surefire sign of a self-absorbed person who can’t handle the inconvenience of other people’s emotions, but in the context of Jankel’s sweet falsetto and Andrew Butler’s lush yet subtly anxious disco arrangement, it’s easy to give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he’s genuinely trying to please and understand the person he is addressing.

Buy it from Juno

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3/3/09

Sleep In The Dragon’s Mouth

Clues “Cave Mouth”

People have been referring to electric guitars as ‘axes’ for who knows how long now, but I don’t feel like I actually hear enough music in which guitars actually swing and slash in the manner of a big ol’ medieval battle ax. “Cave Mouth” does just that, and it’s rather specific. It’s not the sound of a knife or a sword; the particular tone and the velocity of attack imply the weight and the pendulous motion of a big fuck-off ax wielded with strength and grace. It’s pretty rad, and I’m not even the type of person to get excited about medieval weaponry. My impression of this is greatly influenced by the way Clues are (inadvertently?) combining the aesthetics of three bands I love in an unexpected way: The sharp, cutting chords of Chavez, the fantasy novel vibe of late-period Helium, and the oddball drama of the Danielson Famile. They’ve got the menace and violence, but the tone is not dark or serious — the genre of this song is adventure, not horror.

Pre-order it from Constellation Records.

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3/2/09

The Bold Future

These Are Powers “Double Double Yolk”

These Are Powers specialize in making pleasurable music that nonetheless feels a bit sickly and gross. In some tracks, particularly their earlier work, their percussive grooves and metallic tones evoked dull, persistent headaches, or the stinging-eye sensation of going just a bit too long without sleep. On their debut full-length album, the music feels more like an upset stomach. Just listen to “Double Double Yolk” — it’s all churning rhythms and gurgling synthesizers, vertigo and nervous acid. It’s severely disorienting, but somehow it still reads as being a bit pop. The vocals probably help, as least in as much as they sound a bit sexy in the context of some seriously icky sonic textures, and that they feel somewhat level and grounded in a composition that seems to float on a stormy sea of gastric juices.

Buy it from Amazon.

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