The Rock Blogger

Swans. White Light From the Mouth of Infinity. 1991 4 Stars.

A dark gem from New York’s industrial/metal underground, Swan’s White Light From the Mouth of Infinity was the band’s magnum opus, weaving majestic melodies with bleak and heavy lyrical themes. These existential beatings ruminate in despair, hopelessness and failure as Micheal Gira’s sorrowful baritone growls across the pounding percussion and stunningly intricate, Far-Eastern-inspired guitar work. Jarboe, Swans’ accompanying female singer, provides beautiful vocal harmonies that will send chills down your spine, rounding out the ethereal spirit of the album.

“Power and Sacrifice”, “Love will Save You” and “Song for Dead Time” are among the most artful and lyrically nihilistic tracks, spinning tales of self-loathing, remorse and loss, fitting with the band’s perpetual tug-of-war with religiosity- evoking the power of a distant God, seeking reconciliation and redemption.

The emotional and instrumental gravitas of this record will definitely appeal to those interested in industrial or Gothic (counter) culture or even those who find comfort in the grievances of Joy Division, The Doors and The Tea Party. Again, this is a very dark and depressing work but that is where its beauty lies - in the band’s ability to reflect their innermost troubles through poetic intensity. Where most rock bands try to convey emotion through sheer volume, Swans create terror through their compositional and avant-garde sensibilities.

Here are three videos of Neutral Milk Hotel’s Jeff Magnum playing tracks from the landmark album In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. (1998). While the quality of these videos isn’t prestine, it doesn’t detract from the intimate power of Magnum’s performance. These are trully lyrical masterpieces.

Holland 1945

In the Areoplane Over the Sea

Oh Comely

The Mars Volta. The Bedlam in Goliath. 2008. 3.5 stars.

Here it is folks, the first blockbuster release of 2008. Easily one of the most divisive hard rock bands of this decade, The Mars Volta have returned with yet another mammoth prog-rock adventure that will continue to challenge and confound. The Mars Volta’s output has always been difficult to review, as their music is so layered, dense and cryptic that it takes several listens to really figure out just what the hell is going on. The guitars squall, the horns wail and the drumming pummels everything into submission. There is no denying that these guys are masterful musicians, harnessing the most complex arrangements and song structures imaginable. Cedric Bixler-Zavala’s vocal acrobatics and stream-of-consciousness lyrics are as astounding as they are baffling.

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Ulver. Shadows of the Sun. 2007. 4.5 stars.

A dark, brooding and beautiful album, Shadows of the Sun sees Norway’s Ulver continue on with the reinvention of their sound, opting for symphonic ambiance with black metal and electronic flourishes. The songs here are subtle, tense and mystical, crafting a mournful testament to days and loves long past.

The album as a whole is incredibly cohesive, with each track progressing seamlessly into the next, building from sparse, reverb-drenched sonic landscapes to full-fledged arrangements complete with horns, saxophones and gorgeous piano lines. While Ulver prove their compositional virtuosity with their experimental passages , the album’s moody atmosphere remains consistent and immersing. The vocals are also deep and haunting without the wailing histrionics that made some of Ulver’s past work so divisive.

The only complaint I have against Shadows of the Sun is that it rarely reaches the impenetrable crescendos associated with the band, as it strives toward tranquility rather than pure apocalyptic transcendence. Still, as an ambient metal record, Shadows of the Sun is remarkable for its originality, its restrained intensity and its melancholic imagery - a masterful work of art that defies genre conventions.

This is a beautiful video tribute to the late comedian/philosopher Bill Hicks and his take on “The War on Drugs”. I think the song on the soundtrack is a remixed Godspeed You Black Emperor track, but I could be wrong. Anyways, the animation and editing in this is hypnotic. Take a look.

“Today, a young man on acid realized that all matter is merely energy condensed to a slow vibration … that we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively. There’s no such thing as death, life is only a dream, and we’re the imagination of ourselves. Here’s Tom with the weather.”

Venetian Snares. My Downfall (Original Soundtrack). 2007. 4.5 stars.

Winnipeg’s Aaron Funk can feel my pain. Hailing from the frozen prairies, Funk (yes that is his birth name), has crafted cinematic suites that seem to capture the chills of a dark, Canadian winter. Under his Venetian Snares moniker, Funk revels in insanely kinetic drum and bass compositions (a la Aphex Twin), that blend seamlessly with weeping classical string, synth and choral movements - treading in the same post-rock shadows as Godspeed You Black Emperor, Mono and World’s End Girlfriend.

The combination of seemingly disparate musical forces is surprisingly seamless and fluid, allowing Funk to craft a unique musical language of his own, touching on his most frantic, isolated or contemplative frames of mind. The album’s progression moves from haunting choir samples and moving string arrangements to drilling beats and then back again, maintaining lush and organic transitions that are as emotive as they are composotitonally complex.

My Downfall provides, like its proto-classical contemporaries,  a soundtrack to a movie never made, with all its tension filled buildups, chaotic breakdowns and exhilarating climaxes. If you are looking for a companion piece for your winter odysseys, look no further than Venetian Snares.

A rather tense and crackling acoustic performance from indie stalwart Will Oldham (Bonnie Prince Billy, Palace Music), that clearly demonstrates the man’s distinctive lyrical delivery and weathered persona.

My favorite Oldham works would have to be Bonnie Prince Billy’s I See a Darkness and Palace Music’s classic Viva Lost Blues. Recommended for fans of Tom Waits, Neutral Milk Hotel and Nick Drake.

Bonnie Prince Billy. I See a Darkness. 1999.

Palace Music. Viva Lost Blues. 1995.

Meat Puppets II 1984. 4.5 stars.

An underwritten and incredibly influential record, Meat Puppets’ II is a strange and satisfying romp through sun-blasted deserts, combining punk and hardcore swagger with laid back country themes and instrumentation. The impact this work has had on alternative and indie rock becomes ever more apparent with each listen, as the grimy and dusty aesthetic has been used to great effect by Pavement (Cooked Rain, Crooked Rain) and of course Nirvana, who famously covered II’s “Oh Me”, “Plateau” and “Lake of Fire” for their Unplugged in New York set.

Meat Puppets wallow in drug-induced stupors, getting lost on South-Western freeways (”Lost”), and confronting their inner anxieties (”Split Myself in Two”, “Climbing”). The acid-tinged lyrics are made ever more poignant by Curt and Cris Kirkwood’s pained vocals. The instrumental tracks, scattered throughout the album, also ring through in their Southern virtuosity, as the brothers furiously finger pick away.

The overall feel of this album, in spite of its psychological fits, is laid back and resolute, making it the perfect soundtrack for watching tumbleweeds blow across the dirty streets. Recommended for all the Nirvana fans out there who have yet to delve into Cobain’s influences and for punk fans looking for a more expanded retrospective of the genre.

Boris with Merzbow. Rock Dream 2007. 5 stars.

Easily one of the most intense live albums I’ve ever come across, this 2 disc collaboration between psychedelic/drone masters Boris and famed Japanese noise artist Merzbow is a sublime exercise in wailing guitar solos, monstrous feedback, distortion and impossibly raw energy - this rocks you to the core.

The first disc features the mammoth, 35 minute “Feedbacker”, where Boris lays down their heaviest guitar drones as Merzbow plays deliriously with delays and electronic effects, creating an incredibly dense wall of sound that progressively swallows up everything in its path. The following three tracks edge off into shorter bursts of propulsive noise and jangly guitar solos, with neither artist overpowering the other. The timing and pacing between them is impeccable.

The second disc is a more prominent showcase of Boris’ more punk inspired diversions, as the band rips through the most powerful and energetic tracks from their 2005 LP Pink. Just as that album rollicked in reckless abandon, their live counterparts are equally explosive.

For those not familiar with the work of either Boris or Merzbow, this is an excellent place to start. Rock Dream, in all its fuzzed out and psychedelic glory, has raised the watermark for all the rock genres Boris has dabbled in, from punk to drone to the avant garde.

While going through rateyourmusic.com, you often come across some pretty bizarre entries. Because the website allows users to post any album in existence up for review, you expect to find some esoteric musings. Here are some of my favorites:

CD Laser Lens Cleaner. Average Rating: 2.2

Best Review:

“Not a little disappointing after the wildly inventive 2-Way Cassette Head Cleaner, but fans of clean production will find something to like. Favorite track: (Untitled)” -jimmyjems.

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