times new viking – rip it off (2008)

there is a new and exciting sound creeping out of the american underground-music woodwork. some call it "no-fi", others comically deem it “shit-gaze.” but whatever popular music critics decide to call it, one thing is for sure: this is not your father’s garage-rock, and columbus, ohio’s times new viking are the front runners of this revolution. much like 2005’s dig yourself, rip it off is a collection of treble-heavy, fuzzed-out jams that will have the skate punk within us all cutting our jeans short and feeling that heavy summer sun. if you’re no stranger to bands like california’s wavves or psychedelic horseshit (also columbus, ohio natives), then you may think you know what to expect with this lp; but there is something to it that neither of those groups can offer.

rip it off comes packaged with a sort of pop sensibility and roaming melody that similar bands seem to find trouble placing: a seemingly effortless flow that leaves them somewhere in between the sonic youth and a hell-bent japanese go-go band. this authenticity can be found on every ear-splitting track, plunging the listener into the dismal, catchy world of times new viking. check it out, turn it up, and shut your blinds – this could get messy.


notable tracks:
(my head)
rip allegory
relevant: now

arthur russell - another thought (2006)

start out with two cups of bobby mcferrin. add the slow climb to a mountain's peak at sunset and stir in three tablespoons of experimental cello and a twist of african drums. mix with a cup of brazilian coffee at dawn and just a dash of electronica. throw it in the oven and bake at 200 degrees for six hours. your arthur russell concoction should yield a serving size of approximately three people.

this album, in fact, is very much a special feast. every song has been masterfully prepared and simmered to perfection. from the point at which the first egg is cracked (the title track) all the way down to the final garnish of "a sudden chill," it is no secret to all who partake that this dish was executed with care and love. you almost can taste the cello notes. enjoy.

noteable tracks:
keeping up
see through love
another thought

andrew bird - noble beast (2009)

the hot jazz influence deep in bird's past still shows its face in elegant melodies and bittersweet modulations. some of the experimental polyrhythmic sequences (like in anonanimal) are hard to digest, but they contribute to the catch and release effect this album tends to have on the listener. many of the songs on noble beast lack structure but not quality.

this album is full of unique instrumentation. the accompaniment in a few songs consists of only pizzicato violin and percussion. of course, bird employs his ironic ablilty to whistle, and whistle well he does. in one instance, bird harmonizes (whistling) with himself whistling the melody.

overall, the album's lyrics are rather lacking as far as meaning is concerned. with title tracks like 'oh no' and 'on ho!' bookending the track list, it's obvious that his mind was more interested in word play than relating a story or emotion. the lyrics on noble beast are more focused on contributing to the peaceful cacophonous invasion upon your temporal lobe.

noteable tracks:
effigy
the privateers
fitz & dizzyspells