The Rock Blogger

Guided By Voices - Everybody Thinks I’m A Raincloud (When I’m not Looking) Live

Oh man, does Bob look old in this video.
He’s been running on beer for 20 years!
Haha, still a great performance.
For some reason I always get back into Guided By Voices this time of year
I have a feeling that I’ll look like Bob here when I’m done these exams.

Matthew Good Band. The Future is X-Rated.

Kerbdog. Kerbdog. 1994. 4 stars.

This sick grunge/alt-metal band is from Ireland, so that probably explains why I have never heard of them (sorry Emerald Isle, but I only know of U2 and Primordial). Seriously, they sound like they were from the Seattle scene, though have more have a metal touch to their heavy slabs of riffs, perhaps resembling early Soundgarden. The vocals are expressive, loud and melodic. They almost have a Metallica or Kyuss type roughness to them, and they go brilliantly with the chugging guitars.

If you like early grunge records, i.e. the only good grunge records, get a hold of this underwritten album. It has great psuedo-thrash guitar work and cool vocals. Its very accessible and may even bring back fond memories of a long dead scene. Hits for the bong.

“Dry Riser”

I’m coming back, to the sounds of my city
This time here was relative
Stretching out the calender grid
Since they can’t fit feelings in such tiny little boxes

Constantines - Young Lions

Broken Social Scene - Cause = Time

Death From Above 1979 - Romantic Rights

Radiohead - The National Anthem (live)

I thought about posting the Star Spangled Banner, but I like this song better.

…And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead. Festival Thyme EP. 2008. 4.5 stars.

Trail of Dead’s latest EP has effectively slipped under the radar to take me by surprise. This release comes two years after their last LP So Divided and marks a fantastic return to form for these Texan art-rockers. While they are still verging closer to the prog-rock aspirations of Worlds Apart than the raucous noise rock of Source Tags and Codes, they sound far more confident than on their last two records, pumping these 4 songs full of intricate and boisterous melodies. Since this is being released under their own Richter Scale Records imprint, the boys seem to relish in their new found freedom, staking out new sonic territory and abandoning the often restrictive demands of crafting a single - though there are plenty of accessible moments here.

Festival Thyme is, like any other TOD release, grand and climatic, with songs like “Creation Bells” building from soft orchestral chimes to bloody, propulsive crescendos. Those explosive moments may be loud and cathartic, but they also remain in the same shimmering, progressive prism the band has so steadily crafted over the last few years. It seems like all the hard, and often risky work has finally paid off. That delicate balance between alternative rollicking and artful grandeur has finally been struck, as every crashing transition flows beautifully across this EP.

While Conrad Keely’s vocals are still slightly grating in contrast with the gorgeous piano lines and soaring guitars, they are far more restrained than before and seem fitting within the joyous cacophony of this record. This EP has a very uplifting mood to it, especially as it reaches the final, bursting instrumentals of “The Betrayal of Roger Casement & the Irish Brigade” which sounds almost regal with its slamming piano keys, glorious cymbal crashes and electronic mayhem. Festival Thyme may not have the same breakneck, play-like-your-life-depends-on-it urgency as Source Tags and Codes had, but its still an incredibly satisfying listen. It seems as if Trail of Dead have finally moved past the turbulent transition period that hung over their last two albums and are now facing the future with vigor and excitement. I can’t wait for what’s (soon to be) on the way from these guys.

(not sure if this is the right cover, but it’s what’s showing on RateYourMusic now).

Deerhunter. Microcastle. 2008. 4.5 stars.

Deerhunter’s much anticipated followup to last year’s breakthrough Cryptograms is a dreamy shoegaze record full of trippy melodies and crystal-clear ambiance. The majority of the songs on Microcastle are far more focused than those on their predecessor, with a more streamlined, psych-pop structure that delivers quick bursts of shimmering energy. Beautiful numbers like “Never Stops” wash over you with their cool, hazy atmosphere, sending off druggy, blissful vibes not unlike My Bloody Valentine. The expansive production also lets psychedelic songs like “Little Kids” breathe with full vigor, spreading out into a sea of mellowing reverb.

While Deerhunter may be more focused and refined this time around, the album isn’t called Microcastle for nothing. There are several labyrinthine tracks that lure you into densely layered passages, immersing you in ambient detail. Songs like “Green Jacket” are mysterious, ghostly and gorgeous despite their general lack of direction. They lie in the middle of the album like dark pools of water, a comfort zone for the sleepy astral traveler.

Microcastle, as I have hoped to indicate above, is a richly textured album that moves between tight, wiry alternative rock (”Nothing Ever Happened”) and lush experimentation with ease. The divergence between moods and tones can often be challenging, as you’re not sure whether to fall asleep to this album, or have it blaring along to reckless hedonism. There is no doubt in my mind that Microcastle will be named as one of 2008’s greatest albums, even though segments of it are somewhat ’samey’ and indistinguishable from each other. Taken as evidence of Deerhunter’s speedy evolution, or as a colorful shoegaze album, Microcastle is a fresh, exciting and seductive listen.

“Nothing Ever Happened” Live

Her Name is Calla. The Heritage. 2008. 3.5 stars.

The Heritage is a mini-album from a Leeds based post-rock band that places emphasis on haunting vocal performances and tense song writing as well as instrumental passages and atmosphere. The attention to lyricism, in tandem with melodramatic buildups, gives Her Name is Calla a slight advantage over the strictly musical aspirations of the competition. This is an emotional bunch whose hushed style sound somewhat similar to recent  genre-bending acts like Odawas and The Pax Cecilia. Aside from the progressive-tinged melancholy of the songs themselves, The Heritage features striking noise compositions that manipulate esoteric sounds into full-blown fits of psychedelia.

The contrast between emotional song craft and experimentation is striking and welcomed in a crowded field of thoughtless emulators. That being said, many of the epic adventures the band takes loose direction at times and meander dangerously off course. While everything from the delicate guitar work to the stark percussion is instantly compelling, the sheer weight of the work detracts from its immediate psychic impact. Given ample time to digest however, The Heritage is undeniably beautiful and deserving of repeated listens. In recognizing their own incredible potential, Her Name is Calla was not reluctant to show their ambition, even if it meant dragging down the otherwise succinct aspects of their sound. Despite its flaws however, The Heritage has enough gravity to make it a worthwhile addition to your post-rock playlist.

“Wren”

Jesu . Why Are We Not Perfect EP. 2008. 3.5 stars .

Yet another Jesu release, though this latest EP is actually just a collection of Justin Broadrick’s contributions to the Jesu/Eluvium vinyl split they put out last year. Consisting of three full songs and two remixes, "Why Are We Not Perfect" sees Broadrick going deeper into the shoegaze territory he has mapped out before, scaling back on the crushing guitar drones for dreamy ambiance and refined digital percussion. His vocal presence is also more prominent, with soft speak-singing gliding across the slow-moving psychedelic haze. Broadrick often sounds like a dead ringer for Trent Reznor on these tracks, with his calm and drifting style conveying the same sad detachment found on "Hurt" and "The Day the World Went Away".

We are certainly seeing more of the blissful side of Jesu here, as the omnipresent sludge of "Friends are Evil" or "Old Year" is no where to found on this disc. While this may upset some purists longing for the good old days of Godflesh or even the first Jesu album, keep Justin Broadrick’s prolificness in mind. He has put out more material in the last 5 years than most bands can create in a decade, so his catalog is bound to diverge in many different directions, broadening the scope of his song craft. As a hybrid between doom and ambient styles, Why Are We Not Perfect works really well despite its reluctance to push the envelope any further from where Jesu has already been. It is deeply relaxing to listen to, an odd thing considering the crushing heaviness of Jesu’s more industrial sounding material. Very cool and well produced, though I’ll be more likely to listen to Conquerer or the Silver EP for my next Jesu fix.

Snowman . The Horse, the Rat and the Swan . 2008. 4 stars .

I followed a glowing Pitchfork Media review to land on Snowman’s Myspace page, and despite the shrill, abrasive noise that greeted me there, I couldn’t turn away from it. My first reaction to Perth Australia’s Snowman was both of shock and admiration. They’ve managed to take some of the snarliest, sickest and most disturbing post-punk sounds imaginable and give them an infectious, surf-inspired spin.

Their sound can be poorly described as the spooky artiness of Liars mixed with the Gothic industrial sounds of Coil. Even some traces of New York’s avant-noise scene slip in here, with some of the bleaker psychedelic passages reminding me of early Swans (White Light, Children of God). Far from being a mere encyclopedia of rock’s darker corners, Snowman is compellingly original, with foot-stomping darkwave grooves pounding behind psychotic vocals and eerie guitar work. Despite the gritty asylum atmosphere haunting the whole affair, this album is surprisingly accessible, as the songs are direct and full of alternative hooks to keep them focused. "We are the Plague" shows the band’s tight cohesion between punishing beats and fractured melodies. Other moments verge even closer on the side of madness, with songs like "The Gods of the Upper House" sounding like clamors from a bloody horror film kitchen.

Whether they are hell-bent on laying down powerful post-punk rhythms, or dabbling in the rolling ambient of tracks like "The Blood of the Swan", Snowman offers a highly defined, profound and menacing listening experience. Its steady arrangements and pacing will also keep you on your toes throughout. Like any good, sinister work of art, The Horse, the Rat and the Swan grows on you over time. If I wasn’t so keen on getting this review up here, I might wait to give this a 4.5. But oh, well - this is good, scary stuff thats sure to be generating some critical praise as it finds its way across the globe.

Snowman - We Are The Plague