Album Review: Frightened Rabbit - State Hospital (EP)

EP Rating: B+

Everyone has a dream collaboration; a pair of artists who, in some misplaced reality converge purely for the sake of that listener with appropriately mind-blowing consequences. It's a romantic concept, but one which rarely comes to fruition, partly because musicians can't pamper to the needs of every last fan, and partly because the results in practice scarcely live up to the fanciful standards built in one's imagination. Even so, the lure of such endeavours remains strong, so strong it'd be inhuman not to feel some form of excitement on the odd occasion when one does crop up. You'll forgive me then for losing my metaphorical shit upon discovering that Frightened Rabbit's eagerly awaited comeback EP was to be rounded off with an appearance from the master of the dark arts himself, Mr. Aidan John Moffat.

Album Review: Solace - Call & Response

Rating: A-

The disbanding of Misery Signals took a huge toll on the hardcore scene and fans alike.  With the release of Mirrors, they raised the bar of what should be expected in a quality hardcore album, and then exceeded those expectations with Controler.  Every chord progression, melodic interlude and breakdown were meticulously placed, and well deserving of all of the appreciation they received during their time together.  Fortunately though, vocalist Karl Schubach hasn't thrown in the towel yet.  With Misery Signals no longer together, he's taken it upon himself to write and record a solo album under the name Solace, which is just as amazing as his former band, if not better.

Artist of the Day: Listening Mirror

Listening Mirror has been a hive of activity since the project was formed in 2010 by Jeff Stonehouse and Kate Tunstain. In the last two-and-a-bit years the two busy bees have released a honey pot (I'll stop now, I promise) of 14 pristine drone-ambient EPs, and since their compilation/LP Resting in Aspic released earlier this year the two have been enjoying a well deserved buzz (okay, now) of acclaim.

The Clearing/ My Hiding Place is the first release since the LP, and Listening Mirror don't disappoint. The new EP takes a similar tack to the artists' previous work - with a very tangible sense of space carefully developed through field samples and texture, as well as a constant veil of a very sinister kind of danger - except it develops the idea further. With each of the three tracks, the album becomes progressively darker: giving the sense of the danger circling closer and closer around you.

It falls short of being their most successful release, sadly, but it's still exceptionally well crafted and has obviously had hours upon hours of time, thought and effort crammed in to its duration. So don't worry, the Listening Mirror are still unbelievably good at what they do, and this release is certainly worth the £3 asking price.

Buy the EP on Bandcamp

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Artist of the Day: Teknian

Glitch hop looks to be on the way in. It's a genre of electronic music (around 100-110 BPM with a hip-hop-styled beat) that's attracted a lot of young blood recently, and some young artists like KOAN Sound (read my review of their new EP here) and Kairo Kingdom have had some major successes in the electronic world recently. Major electronic labels such as Skrillex's OWSLA and Deadmau5's Mau5trap are starting to open up to the world of glitch hop, and labels that are primarily glitch hop, like Simplify Recordings, have gained a lot of popularity recently. Glitch hop is the thing to do nowadays, and on that note Teknian should be introduced. The 18-year-old Swedish prodigy recently signed with Inspected Records, a major player in the realm of wobbly electronic (with releases from artists like Zeds Dead, Gemini, KOAN Sound and Culprate) run by InspectorDubplate, arguably the second-most famous electronic music promoter on YouTube behind UKF. He'll also continue to release with Screwloose Records (who have also released some major stuff from producers like KOAN Sound, Culprate, Tim Ismag and Asa), where he's released a number of EPs consisting of various styles of electronic music. What makes him so special in my eyes, though, is his glitch hop. His recent Boombox EP (free off his Facebook page) has been supported heavily by many top producers, most notably KOAN Sound. It's been supported for good reason, too. Lead track "Boombox" takes a classic hip-hop-sounding synth line that seems like it's straight out of the '80s and throws on a boatload of nasally effects that just have to make you smile. "Dart Frog" and "Guns," while not of quite the same caliber, still throw down a nasty hip-hop beat and some sick scratches en route to a very well done "drop" of sorts that's been proven to work quite well in glitch hop as of late. Teknian is a talent to watch in the future, and now that he's been getting some attention from big-time names he'll hopefully progress even farther in the realm of electronic.

Again, his "Boombox EP" is free here (with a like), and if you're a Twitter person you can follow him here as well.

Artist Of The Day: Everyone Everywhere

If you haven't noticed from my recent posts on Algernon Cadwallader, Empire! Empire!, and Dikembe, I've been on quite a twinkly kick over the last few months. But, even while I've been enjoying a large portion of bands from the genre, it's started to become repetitive and very few new bands are actually breaking into my favorites. Everyone Everywhere's unique take on the sound has launched their latest self-titled album into my top ten of the year, and no song describes them better than their six minute opener "I Feel Exhausted." The band's songwriting is top notch; while a tad repetitive, the buildup keeps the song interesting, while tempo and time changes sophisticate the track beyond those of the band's peers. It's immediately catchy, yet extremely interesting, and is one of the strongest accomplishments in emo this year. The rest of the album is just as great, and you can buy the album for only one dollar on the band's Bandcamp page. While you're there, order the record, as the color is gorgeous and it sounds absolutely great. It's also one of the best of the year, and if you haven't heard it yet, you're missing it.

Album Review: KOAN Sound - The Adventures of Mr. Fox

Album Rating: B

The electronic music label OWSLA is a curious one. Created mid-2011 by Skrillex amid the meteoric rise of brostep around the world (especially in the U.S.), it’s garnered both great acclaim and heavy criticism for its ever-growing catalogue. The label’s massive influence on the electronic world can’t be denied, as it’s been making waves since its first release (Porter Robinson’s Spitfire EP), which crashed the Beatport servers upon first being released due to overwhelming demand and launched the young electro prodigy’s career into the stratosphere. This has prompted music fans all over the Internet to either bash or praise fervently the label’s signees, with names like Kill the Noise, Zedd, Nick Thayer and (especially) the label boss himself being alternately flamed and lauded probably more than artists on any other electronic label out there today. And no wonder: one has to appreciate the wide variety of controversial talent Skrillex and his team have assembled. From club-destroyers like Porter Robinson, Kill the Noise and Zedd, to the lesser-known styles brought about by Birdy Nam Nam and Hundred Waters, to widely respected artists trying out new (and often unappreciated) things, i.e. Skream and Sub Focus, the material OWSLA has released so far almost seems crafted intentionally to spark debate.

Artist of The Day: Passenger

With music, there is a certain point where creativity turns into narcissistic over indulgence that makes the music disingenuous and almost unbearable.  All of the glitches, auto tuning, beats and atmospheric sounds we used to call progression know sound like unintelligent remnants of what we used to consider good music.  When creativity happens for the sake of creativity it turns the most beautiful art into something we cannot stand sinking into.  Artist just throw chaotic electronic noises together with no structure, no purpose, no originality and no real creativity, yet they expect us to recognize it as the most progressive, relevant, and creative piece of work we have heard in our entire lifetime.  Records like Animal Collective's Centipede HZ which are supposed to be as groundbreaking, life changing, and special pieces of art end up being nothing but overindulgent, irrelevant, and everything but creative.  Creativity requires the work of a free mind, their chaotic progress requires everything but the work of the mind.  It is records like Centipede HZ that not only make you lose faith in what critics consider "good," but it makes you lose faith that any artist can produce something using their mind, their guitar, and their own voice.  After I put myself through the musical water boarding that was Centipede HZ, I needed my faith restored in creative simplicity.  Passenger and their new album All The Little Lights did that for me.

Artist Of The Day: Jimmy Eat World

Ah, Jimmy Eat World. Jumping in on the second wave of emo music a bit late in the game, the band nonetheless released a couple of fantastic records in the day. Alas, though, like many emo bands of the time period, they just weren't able to stick with their sound. The last record that I listened to and really liked was Clarity, so I won't even delve into anything past that (Bleed American fans, hate all you want, I still am never going to say anything good about it).

Static Prevails was the tidy little album that could have been so much more, had Capitol Records decided it should be. However, with all of the pop-punk hits on the album, it's like the entire record was designed for lots of radio hits, which would be instant advertising for the band - and the record company. Unfortunate to say the least, since there are some nice tracks on the record like "Anderson Mesa" and "Seventeen," and the entire album has potential to be like that.

Album Retrospective: Radiohead - In Rainbows

Album Rating: A+

Is it possible to define a band with as diverse a catalog as Radiohead?  The band has grunge songs and gregarious rock anthems, they have acoustic ballads and all-encompassing electronica albums, albums that sound cinematic and albums that sound apocalyptic, and albums that are safe and albums that end up being The King of Limbs. Radiohead is a band of constant change that it seems would be hard to define in just one sentence or just a couple of words.

Artists of the Day: Adaje

Adaje is band that caught my interest at the beginning of this year and has just recently released a brand new EP entitled Yore Veils.  They're the kind of progressive/screamo band that showed potential at first, and utterly blew away any and all expectations with this new album.  The ferocity they emit is staggering, with an immense amount of thrash vocals and highly technical guitar work, which is then further built upon with a knack for ethereal interludes and highly melodic guitar solos.  The transition between the two is seamless, always tying in perfectly with the vocals, so in the end you get is an album that is every bit as aggressive as it is emotive.

Artist Of The Day: Savages

It's been a while since a debut single has caused such a stir as Savages' "Husbands." Already set for a repress, the track was swiftly seized upon by indie tastemakers upon its May release, earning the London quartet a reputation among the UK's finest new bands less than a year on from their inception. In a country with a notoriously overzealous and premature hype machine, this was a rare instance of initial fuss being fully justified. A raw clusterfuck of hell raising riffs and eerie basslines, "Husbands" was an example of post punk at its most vital and energized, with a startling vocal from Jehnny Beth only adding further depth to its sizzling pit of intensity. There's plenty more where it came from too, as evidenced by a hugely successful nationwide tour during which the impressive depth of their catalogue was exposed. It certainly bodes well for the immediate future, during which their bubble will surely only continue to swell.

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Artist of the Day: Olafur Arnalds

There's something stunning about simplicity these days. In this day and age of rampant overcomplexity, it's rejuvenating for at least one artist to remember that only a couple elements are necessary for memorable music. For me, this musician would be Olafur Arnalds. His most acclaimed album ...And They Have Escaped the Weight of Darkness captured our hearts with straight-forward tracks that were also emotionally complex, bouts of optimism accompanied with prolonged bursts of cynicism. It can actually be quite difficult to tell which emotion wins in the sparring matches contained from one song to the next; listen to "Kjurrt," for instance. It's so serene, so elegant, but it seems to possess a steady undercurrent of paranoia.

Artist Spotlight: Hold Tight!

The amount of exceptional bands that have been coming out these past couple of years has been overwhelming to the least; particularly in the realm of pop punk/emo. It takes a great commitment to try and keep up with everything that's going on in the music scene, and thanks to websites, blogs and Bandcamp, it's safe to say that most of these bands are receiving a decent amount of recognition. With that said though, there is still a fair amount that are slipping under the radar, or not getting the amount of attention they deserve. Hold Tight! is one of these bands, so I thought I would take it upon myself to give you a brief history of their discography up to this point, seeing as how they are probably the most criminally unknown pop punk/emo bands around right now.

Jukebox: The Dimes - Walden and the Willow Tree

The Dimes are very much indie folk, working with a lot of acoustic instruments in order to find a traditional sound. The Portland-based outfit self-released four EPs before being picked up by Pet Marmoset and recording a debut full length. Each one of their songs on their most recent album, The King Can Drink The Harbor Dry, has a vintage sound that brings an instant charm to their sound, and stand as the indie folk band that's instantly likable.

"Walden and the Willow Tree" is first and foremost an acoustic song. It's laid back, and floats along like a cloud, or like the ship on the album cover across a clear, gently moving ocean. The song style feels akin to early Owen tracks, when Mike Kinsella would have essentially zero effects besides his guitar and his voice. A harmonica lazily drones over the single guitar, and Johnny Clay whispers about romanticism, Oregon, and facial hair in a voice that doesn't seem to care much about any of it, but intently focuses on finding his own quietude: "Far from Salem by the sea, to Walden and the willow tree / stop and ask Elias how / the beads stay on your dressing gown." The song talks about all of these trivial things and finds some relation with the world outside with an easy inner peace that grows within.

It's really not tough to jump onto this record. I'd recommend it, as you can find it on their Bandcamp and stream it for free. Definitely check it out.

Artist of the Day: Jack's Mannequin

Although Andrew McMahon recently, in so many words, cryptically hinted that he would be dropping the moniker "Jack's Mannequin," the music that he made doesn't have to die with him. From 2005's brilliantly upbeat Everything in Transit to last year's more subdued People and Things,  McMahon made some of the most touching, personal music of the new millennium. Touching on everything from his cancer diagnosis, subsequent recovery and his drug addiction, McMahon found a way to connect to listeners in the most direct way with heavily metaphorically lyrics- the level of sophistication of which is untouched in modern pop music.

Live Review: Leeds Festival 2012

It's not exactly been a vintage year for the UK's major festival circuit. Mediocre lineups, Glastonbury's absence and the odd cancellation have, truth be told, made for a rather quiet season, with no real success stories or headline grabbing antics to speak of. Reading and Leeds, the last of the summer giants can usually be relied on to liven things up, but this year even they appeared a tad underwhelming, with a pair of generic headliners topping a bill which looked average at best. This twin event's ace card, however, has always been its depth, so there was a certain inevitability in the way that the schedule became more and more attractive with each new announcement.

Jukebox: Anberlin - Someone Anyone

Anberlin, for as different as their albums sound, never really change. Although the thematic elements may differ, the band never seems to try anything but refine its sound. Aside from differences like the synth line of "Paperthin Hymn" the formula for success seems to be heavy emphasis on powerchords and a catchy chorus with little substance in the verses with a bridge section to break the monotony. But, as the saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. With songs like "Feel Good Drag" making an impact on rock-radio charts, there's no reason to break away from the norm.

Jukebox: Born With Stripes - "Sundream"

Born With Stripes' "You Stole The Laces From My Shoes" was probably the single finest slice of youthful exuberance which didn't soundtrack your summer. Frighteningly advanced for a band of novices, the track struck a truly exceptional balance between the slacker vibes of American indie and the sugary abandon that most pop-punk acts crave for. You really will struggle to find a more addictive song all year, although its list of challengers is one longer now that they've conceived a follow-up. Tapping into the same fiercely upbeat sentiments, "Sundream" is the sound of a group whose confidence is on the up, having this time included a killer chorus to perch atop their mountain of hooks. It may stick with their distinctly lo-fi aesthetic, but this is a song of universal appeal; perfect for lazy afternoons sipping cider in the type of weather its artwork depicts. Summer 2012 came too early for Born With Stripes, but don't be at all surprised if their time comes a few years down the line. Make no mistake, these Nottinghamshire scamps are on to something, and I for one can't wait to hear what they do next.

You can download "Sundream" on a name your price basis from Born With Stripes' Bandcamp page.

Interview with Dark Time Sunshine

Dark Time Sunshine have been tearing up the modern hip-hop scene as we know it, and it's been our pleasure to interview one of the men behind the curtain. After seeing the duo live (a delightful opening act that might have outshined Aesop Rock himself,) I asked lead vocalist Onry Ozzborn several questions, many of which are regarding their latest release ANX. Tune in if you've been following the two as long as I have, or even if you have a particular question on your mind.

Album Retrospective: The Album Leaf - In A Safe Place

Album Rating: A

I featured The Album Leaf as Muzik Dizcovery's artist of the day about a month back. However, when talking about my favorite album from them, which is In A Safe Place if the title didn't already give it away, there was more to say about the entire record than I could have possibly listed out in the short article featuring the band. So, I decided to take a look back at the first couple of times I listened to this record, and really draw from both the album itself, as well as the nostalgia I have for it and what it's taken me through, in order to convey why I think this is a really fantastic album, and why it rests so very dear to my heart. In short, In A Safe Place has actually put me in a safe place, giving me a place to retreat from a messy divorce, extended periods of depression, and generally, anything outside that makes me feel out of control.