Here’s a quick run down of the sounds that have been pleasing my ears over the last couple of weeks…Click the album artwork to listen in Spotify
The Builders And The Butchers – Salvation Is a Deep Dark Well
Portland, Oregon’s The Builders and The Butchers make a noise like no other, combining bluegrass, folk, gospel, blues and indie rock to create intensely energetic records. The story-telling nature of the lyrics is captivating, the album opens with the line “When your heart’s deep and dark as a well, everything that is golden and green goes to hell” and from there on the messages are as deep and stirring. Strings, horns and other accompaniments are used to beef up the sound in places but it’s on the albums closer ‘The World Is A Top’ when they really reveal their magic.
Get onto: The Cave Singers, Motel Motel and The Arcade Fire
Os Mutantes – Haih Or Amortecedor
Back after almost a three decade hiatus, the legendary Brazilian pioneers of Tropicalia have totally revamped their line-up and also their sound. Repressed from free expression by a military run state in their early days, the band had to work hard to get heard. They do retain their inherent sense of rebellion and experimentalism with an eclectic array of musical ingredients combined to form a slow cooked Brazilian musical stew.
Get onto: Secos & Molhados, Novos Baianos and Tom Ze
Yo La Tengo – Poplular Songs
It’s possible to argue that Yo La Tengo are the most predictable band in the world – in terms of releases that is, not content – they have a knack of banging an LP out every three years. However, when the content is as sporadic and inspired as Popular Songs it feels like sacrilege even mentioning the word predictable. Highlights include the Beach Boys inspired ‘Avalon or Something Similar’ and ‘If It’s True’ which is a classy Motown sounding affair.
Get Onto: Wilco, Broken Social Scene and Built To Spill
The Flaming Lips – Embryonic
Paranoid acid-soaked psycheldelic head fuckery laid out over a 70 minute double album – what more could you want? The Flaming Lips have made their most audacious, creative and darkly-insane collection of music since 1997’s Zaireeka. Saying that this album is an introverted listening experience would be an understatement but for all it’s dark-tripped out cavernous beauty it also offsets moments of enlightenment to add an extra dimension. There’s also a refreshed sense of tightness in the band evident in songs like ‘See The Leaves’ and ‘Worm Mountain’ in which they actually sound like band and not just an experiment.
Get Onto: Mercury Rev, Sparklehorse and Animal Collective
Atlas Sound – Logos
Atlas Sounds is the side project of Deerhunters charismatic front man Bradford Cox. Never one to shy away from debate, Cox has made a name for himself as an opinionated and quite controversial figure. Logos embodies his talent and passion for music, from opening track ‘The Light That Failed’ – with its sugary sweet plucked guitar and shuddering bass drum pounding like the steps of a Jurassic Park T-Rex – you know that you’re in for an interesting musical experience. The highlight has to be ‘Walkabout’ with Noah Lennox, one fourth of Animal Collective.
Get Onto: Panda Bear, Neon Indian and Deerhunter
Mew – No More Stories…
Actually the full album title is “No more stories/Are told today/I’m sorry/They washed away/No more stories/The world is grey/I’m tired/Let’s wash away”. Such a ridiculous album title may suggest pretentious, style over substance music yet that’s not the case with Mew. The Danish trio play elements of prog’ish rock with electronica, funk, folk and lots of other good stuff. Definitely an album requiring ample care and attention and also several listens to appreciate the depth and unseen layers.
Get Onto: Silversun Pickups, Mute Math, Autolux
