Archive for: review
After four weeks of ball-frostingly cold weather, February has mercifully yielded control of the calendar. Despite its chronological impotence, February did find time to produce for us a belly-warming assortment of new music (which we continue to savor, mmm). Unfortunately, we also choked on a few bitter concoctions along the way, and hoping to protect our dear readers, we have chosen to include those in this month’s report.
Without further ado, Brasky team is happy to humbly offer up our assertions on the best–and worst–of new music in February 2010.
+Continue Reading
2 comments
Time for another Publix dick-riding session! The following five beers are not the craziest, tastiest, or most amazing beers, but they are definitely more cost effective than the last five. These will all set you back about seven to eight bucks a six pack. If you’re not from the south, then you’re probably confused as to what I’m talking about. Publix is a grocery store that specializes in going balls-out for its customers. Its headquarters are in Florida, and the majority of its stores are also located within the penile state. I once read a ‘Laughter is the Best Medicine’ column in Reader’s Digest (the best the doctor’s office could afford) that claimed that a little girl mispronounced the pledge of allegiance by instead saying ‘and to the Publix where we buy our stamps.’ As if the world needed more convincing that little kids are stupid. That being said, we begin our list of Publix-available beers.
+Continue Reading
4 comments
A phantogram is an image that has been color adjusted in order to make the picture, with the help of 3-D glasses, emerge from the page with new-found fidelity. Immediately upon settling the needle down on the imaginary vinyl of Eyelid Movies, the rookie album from the New York duo that record as Phantogram, the sound emerges in much the same manner… it seems to diffuse out from the speakers, a highly textured mixture of viscous sexuality and fearless mystery-pop that requires no special glasses to tickle your amygdala.
I have always asked myself the question ‘What will music sound like in ten years?’, and usually I come up with a generally far-fetched image of some total fucking weirdos making music that is a distant cousin of our relatively blaise current music. Generally that idea is disproved, although music does evolve, and yes, performers continue to get stranger. I am not usually disappointed, but I am a bit baffled at music’s predilection for recalling old tones and tunes and presenting them as new, and some genres’ musical oeuvre is so narrow that any progressive move would put new material in another category. Phantogram’s new album has come the closest possible to fitting my imaginary mold of some of the future aspects of music. It relentlessly blends styles, keeps sonically pleasant tones in mind, and doesn’t skimp on the quality for the sake of sounding authentic or ‘indie’.
For me, the best music evokes not an immediate emotional response or motivation, but rather summons a vaguely interrelated cloud of adjectives. I have prepared two graphs to give my best shot at scientifically explaining what happens when virgin ears happen to run into Phantogram’s album. The first is an interrelated scatter chart of adjectives in an (X,Y) arrangement with ‘cool’ on the X axis and ‘strange’ on the Y axis, and the second is a pie chart attempting to account for the dozens of influences one will encounter on Eyelid Movies.
Ten pervasive adjectives are listed on the left, and they form the basis for the left to right flow of the infographic. As we can easily see, initial reactions of the ‘strange’ variety give way immediately to a growing trend toward ‘cool’. As the album progresses, strange moments pop in here and there (consider a song titled ‘Futuristic Casket’, which starts out with gangster rap beats, yet ends with tender xylophone arpeggios), but the prevailing feel is that this is an unflaggingly hip, dark, and exciting album. Etiolated means bleached by lack of sunlight, by the way.
The next chart offers a detailed analysis of the songcraft and sonic 
texture of the album in terms of possible influences. The three strongest are Serge Gainsbourg, a deceased French songwriter (whom the band themselves cite as their prime influence), the Postal Service, and the Cardigans. Other influences are peppered in without abandon… I could have sliced this pie into slivers trying to characterize single songs, let alone the entire thing.
To wrap this up, this is an amazing debut album. My only regret is that it will be some time before we can hear new material from Phantogram, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a 2011 follow-up.
8.5/10
3 comments
January releases in cinematic terms mean one thing: we are embarrassed, we know these movies suck, but here they are anyway. A studio has to make money, even when Oscar season is stepping up. Who releases a musical album in January, then? The answer is Geniuses. I’m not sure if it is a psychological attempt to be ‘firstsies’ on the new decade so far as releases go, but January was packed with big name offerings. Highly anticipated releases from Vampire Weekend, Beach House, and Jaga Jazzist are exciting early contenders for album of the year. Without further ado, we have reviewed seven albums complete with ratings out of ten. Enjoy (read: Raucously disagree).
Albums:
| Vampire Weekend – Contra |
7.5/10
Highlights:
Holiday
White Sky
Cousins |
This upstart foursome from New York may still be reeling from the success of their first offering, 2007′s self-titled album. Widely regarded as one of the best indie albums of that year, the buzz in anticipation of their sophomore studio album must have seemed daunting. In today’s fast-moving, Internet-spurned music industry, it seems few bands have succeeded in keeping favor with the hip for more than one album. We’re here to say that we think they survived (Just avoid “Horchata“)
.
There is no mistaking that this album is by the same band that we all fell in love with in the summer of ’07. Ezra Koenig’s vocals slide all over the scale, as chirping keyboards and peppy guitars weave around each other in that distinct Vampire way. We think this is no truer than on Holiday, this album’s A-Punk. But despite the familiarity, this album seems to experiment a bit more, perhaps influenced by producer Rostam Batmanglij’s explorative journey as part of the duo Discovery. We have all been running through this album and I think we agree that the tracks almost all seem to grow on you–except that damned vocal hook in “Horchata“. Perhaps we have a band that is here to stay. |
| Beach House – Teen Dream |
8.0/10
Album Highlights:
Norway
Zebra
Used To Be |
Teen Dream is both beautiful and atmospheric; the subtle, almost unnoticeable accompaniment of the piano in most songs is a testament to the band’s instrumental harmonization. Upon first listen, though, this characteristic causes the songs to seem indistinguishable, requiring several listens before I was able to truly appreciate their finespun appeal.
I especially love Used To Be. Its introduction is more powerful than that of the other songs, but it slowly tapers, which is suggestive of a progressively emotional ending – a good formula for this group. |
| Four Tet – There is Love in You |
5/10
Album Highlights:
Love Cry |
For those among us who have followed Four Tet, we know that a Kieran Hebden track is a layered and linear cerebral event. There is Love in You is a collection of tracks carries on his legacy of sample-heavy, drummy, beat-loyal chillout music. This album leans toward the minimalist house ingredient in the Four Tet arsenal, making this album less-than-ideal for a focused listening session. Some of the tracks feel a little lackluster, but it’s hard to dismiss the work of an artist whose stirred the emotions of so many with passionately engineered sonic offerings…. but I think we should suggest listeners skip this one unless they know exactly what they’re bargaining for. |
| Ok Go -Of the Blue Colour of the Sky |
7/10
Album Highlights:
WTF |
Ok Go have historically bucked the trend of being easily ‘classifiable’. Are they a radio rock mainstay, as hits like ‘Get Over It’ suggest? Are they niche-pop superstars, measured roughly by the arcing success of singles like ‘A Million Ways’? Are they
the first true internet band? One would not have to have ever paid a visit to Youtube to have seen their treadmill jumping antics (the original video is nearing 50 million views). But even after all that exposure, has Ok Go successfully cemented themselves as a perennially popular band?
They continue to raise questions with their newest album, Of the Blue Colour of the Sky. Although devoid of jaw-dropping, guitar hero worthy anthems, this album is ready for radio, dance halls, and parties across the world. It is unabashedly sexy, fun, and strange. Many of the songs on the album could be from reunited 80s bands, or even dance-punk masters like The Faint or Electric Six. The bass slams, as usual, and many tracks get under your skin enough to force you to stand up and shake them out. The sexy, ‘licked whisper’ lyrics may polarize many listeners, yet the tone is consistent enough to have manageable highs and lows of stylization. Overall, it appeals to all classes of listeners without forgetting what the band set out to do: be as cool as fuck. This is Ok Go’s ‘Icky Thump’… energetic, daring, confident, refined, and well-honed. It also possesses that quality not often seen in major label releases: it gets better with repeated listens. It is well suited as an early decade release: a step forward, and in the right direction to boot. |
| Eels – End Times |
6/10 |
Many gloomy themes have passed through Eels’ world in the past twenty years. After his sister committed suicide, Mark Everett (or simply ‘E’) recorded the dark classic Electro-Shock Blues, and songs like ‘Novocaine for the Soul’ and ‘Cancer for the Cure’ have achieved some commercial success despite desperation and hopelessness at their poignant souls. End Times, Eels’ newest album, was recorded nearly exclusively on four track, and it thematically follows E’s recent divorce. His aging voice hasn’t lost the articulation to adequately voice heartbreak, confusion, and bitterness, and although the album may find itself exploring the new realm of relationships, a moribund approach is what E does best. As E says in the album’s final track, ‘On My Feet’, “I’m pretty sure that I’ve been through worse, [...] but I’m still dying inside.”
Through and through, End Times is a familiar record. Familiar tones, timbres, and topics. But what stands out beyond the foundation of the Eels repertoire is the ease with which these songs seem to flow, and the sardonic sense of humor that it takes to sit alone with a guitar and pluck out hopeful tunes about death by anonymity and suicide bombing is E’s happy place. If you mix Bob Dylan and Beetlejuice, this is the album that would likely be produced. It may not make any year-end lists or top 40 charts, but it does prove a point: that Eels is a consistently powerful band that always finds its muse, even if that muse may resemble a big stone angel hovering above a gravestone. |
| RJD2 – The Colossus |
6/10
Highlights:
Giant Squid
Let There Be Horns
A Son’s Cycle |
On his last album, The Third Hand, RJD2–a.k.a. Philadelphian RJ Krohn–experimented with more instrumentation and started singing on tracks. Krohn offers up vocals again on The Colossus, but shrewdly limits his singing to a few tracks, seeking out the vocal assistance of others instead. The Colossus features guest vocalists and performers on five tracks, varying from loungy serenades (see: Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Kenna) to a full-on hip hop (courtesy the stylings of The Catalyst, Illogical & NP on a strong track, “A Son’s Cycle”).
The album’s overall mood is mellow (psychedelic), funky, and important-seeming in a Flaming Lips meets Amon Tobin way. The production is impressive, something we come to expect from RJD2, but this album’s brew of popular funk/jazz sounds (Jamiroquai? Squarepusher funkscapes?) feels un-serious at times. Or perhaps fit for the movie soundtrack of a PG-13 movie? Or something I’d hear playing in public?
Criticism aside, the album has some good tracks. I especially enjoyed “Giant Squid“, a funky jam that seems closer to the style I had previously associated with RJ’s music. “Let There Be Horns“, the leadoff track, succeeds in entertaining by immersing its listener in Krohn’s world of funky drums, android synths, and–as you may guess-horns. I don’t think fans of RJD2 will be flat out disappointed, but I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone else (in its entirety, at least). |
| Jaga Jazzist – One Armed Bandit |
7.5/10 |
In their new album, One-Armed Bandit, Jaga Jazzist manages a number of feats: they take from their previous styles, while also improving on them and moving in new directions. Lush soundscapes form the background, while a blend of prog-rock, jazz fusion and electronica take the fore.
A Living Room Hush, their most acclaimed album, featured tracks that had musique concrète stylings. (As an aside, some of their songs have been remixed by Dat Politics and Matthew Herbert, groups often classified as musique concrète).One-Armed Bandit sees them moving away from this a bit, and more towards grand orchestral tracks fit for a movie score. Jaga Jazzist has been and continues to be an amazing creative machine that produces music fit for musicians, hipsters, and music geeks alike, |
Songs:
Here are some of our favorites from this month from releases not mentioned above:
I Blame Coco (Feat. Robyn) – “Caesar (Diplo Remix)
The Knife – Colouring Of Pigeons
The Xx – Islands (Nosaj Thing Remix)
Phoenix – 1901 (Memory Tapes Remix)
Gucci Man – Photoshoot (Flying Lotus remix)
Air – Sing Sang Sung (Black Moth Super Rainbow remix) (Download)
Rogue Wave – Stereogum (Download)
3 comments
“WHERE SHOPPING CAN PROBABLY GET YOU LAID”
+Continue Reading
9 comments
For many of you reading this, this is your first time visiting Brasky. We claim no precise niche here, but with us being a bunch of music geeks living all around Florida, music and Florida-related culture will be our focus. We will do our best to serve up content that is worthy of your interest.
The idea of a top 10 albums of the year helped spark the reinvention of Brasky.org, so we spared no effort in preparing a well-researched, carefully contemplated list. We hope that you enjoy this music as much as we have. And note, while we shy away from pop music because of its commercial contaminants, we do keep everything on the radar and do not necessarily dismiss popular acts (but trust me, we choked down some shitty albums during the review period).
Without further ado, here is our first offering, made from 100% Brasky.
+Continue Reading
5 comments
CRYSTAL METH FOR HOP-HEADS
On a recent trip to Northern California, on a beautiful cloudless August day, something fortuitous happened. A small pit stop from Highway 101 would turn out to be one of the most glorious moments of my beer-loving career… for what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a modest little sign acknowledging the presence of Lagunitas Brewing Company, in a non-descript industrial park. After a peek around the corner of the building, we soon found out that yes, it was THAT Lagunitas Brewing Company… the men and women responsible for single-handedly crushing any reason to ever drink shitty beer again. The laid back staff opened their arms to my family and I, and showed us around the bar that they were building on their ‘campus’, one that I sorely wished would have opened two weeks sooner. Regardless, on that August day, I got to see the birthplace of some of my favorite beers.
+Continue Reading
1 comment
What would you say if Brasky were to tell you that there exists a beer, made right here in America, that was nearly ten percent alcohol, came in a corked 750 ml glass, was made from 2% cherries, and sold for eight bucks or so at most respectable beer vendors? Well, if you were as epic as you think you are, you would say ‘Dude, I love Three Philosophers!’
Ommegang Brewery in Cooperstown, New York, continues to bring Belgian beer-geekery stateside. Three Philosophers is an intense brew, dark red in color, and almost indescribable in flavor. At 9.8 percent alcohol, it is not for the weak of heart, or rather for meek beer drinkers. Yet it contains some affable quality that could just win over even the staunchest of swill-lovers… the lingering aroma of cherries and the identifiable sparkle of alcohol make this a crisp, flavorful brew. The official designation is a quadruple-bock, although this beer almost runs over into the ‘unique’ category.
+Continue Reading
1 comment
This post is being added retroactively for posterity’s sake.
Most of these songs below were chosen with a sense of their actual impact and/or buzz generation among music crowds (from a pretty wide range of scenes).
Aether – Little Bit (remix of Lykke Li)
Anamanaguchi – Blackout City
Andrew Bird – Not a Robot, But a Ghost
Animal Collective – My Girls
Animal Collective – Taste
Atlas Sound – Shelia
Atlas Sound – Walkabout (w/ Noah Lennox)
Bassnectar – Boombox (iLL Gates remix)
Chase & Status – Eastern Jam
Dan Black – Symphonies
Dirty Projectors – Stillness is the Move
Discovery – I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend (ft. Angel Deradoorian)
Flying Lotus – First Friday Funk
Ital Tek – Massive Error
KOAN Sound – Mafia
Metric – Help, I’m Alive
Monsters of Folk – Dear God (sincerely M.O.F.)
My Brightest Diamond – To Pluto (Son Lux remix)
Nosaj Thing – 1685 Bach
Odd Nosdam – Fly Mode
Prefuse 73 – Yule Tide
Robot Koch – KILLA
Sufjan Stevens – Blood
Team Teamwork – Slim Thug & Mike Jones – Still Tippin’ (Great Fairy’s Fountain)
The Bird and the Bee – Polite Dance Song
The Faunts – Feel Love Thinking Of (Mexicans with Guns remix)
The Heartless Bastards – The Mountain
Untold – Discipline
Wu-Tang Clan – Now Or Never (Parson remix)
Zomby – Spliff Dub (Rustie remix)
0 comments
