1 Xiu Xiu - The Air Force
After having personally almost given up on Xiu Xiu, my interest was revived by this release, which is more a reversion back to their stronger "Knife Play" and "Fabulous Muscles" releases while still moving on and developing their music. The most pleasant surprise is that cousin Caralee comes out to sing, adding herself to the forefront on the arguable gem of the album, "Hello From Eau Claire" (she also sings on "Buzz Saw"). It's a wonder why she doesn't sing more often as her voice is very down-to-earth and homely, causing you to focus on it, but not in an annoying way.
For those who appreciate Xiu Xiu's tendency to strike at taboos as subtly as a slap in the face, there are still the oblert sexual references and general innuendos, although certainly nothing that should make the listener overly uncomfortable. Xiu Xiu, aside from making us uncomfortable, are also excellent and capturing a sort of schizophrenic childhood innocence. "Buzz Saw" has that quality. Its beginning as a pretty piano line devolves quickly with what sounds like someone striking a piece of wood against the ground repeatedly. Other random percussion and vocals enter as well, sometimes on a beat and in a key, but usually not.
Other stand-out tracks include "Vulture Piano" and "Save Me Save Me", which are both probably as radio-friendly as Xiu Xiu has ever gotten, the deeply melancholic "Bishop, CA" (one of their best ever, in my opinion), as well as the more introspective "The Fox & The Rabbit". The album as a whole works well together.
The title may give you a clue as to its overall concept, although it does not seem like a concept album in any sense, and the cover introduces an entirely new direction. All of these ideas are explored in an interesting poster project on the group's web site that is worth a look.
2 Ghostland Observatory - Papparazi Lightning
This odd duo apparently made a huge impression at this year's Austin City Limits festival, which itself is no small feat, as they played alongside such established groups as (take a breath) fellow Austinites Explosions in the Sky, Calexico, Cat Power, The Flaming Lips, Massive Attack, The New Pornographers, Tom Petty, Willie Nelson, Thievery Corporation, Ben Kweller, and Iron and Wine, just to name a few. But they have apparently had a large local following for over a year.
The album flows well and has some truly stand-out tracks, especially the aggressive opener "Piano Man", which itself sets the tone for the album while making the listener interested in hearing more. "Sad Sad City" has that same lyrical spark and clever arrangement that worked so well for the early glam of the late 70's making it the perfect sing-along song. However, although Ghostland is retro, they're certainly not cheesy fluff spending all of their energy on image. The live show is usually the two in street clothes (although one usually wears a cape) simply playing their instruments.
But despite the lack of theatrics, that live show sells their music. Aaron Behrens (lead vocals and the occassional guitar) is a fabulous dancer, and his sheer energy and command of the stage seal it for the audience and most in the crowd will find themselves dancing. This is not to say that you can't dance to this CD at home. You certainly should.
Even if you don't buy this CD, take the time to check out this group if they come through or near to your town. It'll be one of the better shows you go to.
3 Hypatia Lake - ...And We Shall Call Him Joseph
Hypatia Lake, a relatively unknown Seattle music collective, have produced less an album and more an audial novel constituting their emotions and influences. The MBV, Swirlies and Pink Floyd list constitutes the obvious inspiration behind several of the tracks, but this disc still flows too well to be a random collection of homages and the style of most tracks is truly unique to this group. Even the track titles themselves, numbered "Scenes" introducing each title, allude to a more comprehensive exploration. Some tracks are more epoch and post-rock, building on a theme until an explosion of layered instrumentation. However, there are also more pop-friendly, even indie tracks, like "Fishes vs. Lines" where the song follows a more traditional progression.
Even though this album itself is, in my own mind, a bit of a masterpiece, the group has continued working and is expecting another sometime in early- to mid-2007. Whether or not it will reach the level of "...Joseph" remains to be seen.
4 Aloha - Some Echoes
The boys in Aloha are good. Damn good, in fact, and no one should ever doubt that. And, although their music, multi-instrumentation and jazz sensibility won't appeal to every listener, they are certainly a musician's sort of band. "Some Echoes" brings the group down a few notches from the more aggressive "Here Comes Everyone", yet it also seems to be much a more mature album. Still there is the poetic nostalgia of a Midwestern childhood and the characteristic vibraphone (it actually opens the album), but this album flows as a more captivating (and not captured) release.
"Weekend" has become a favorite mix CD track for me, "Summer Lawn" is one of those musician songs, almost reminiscent of Iron Butterfly's "In the Garden of Eden" (crazy organ solo at the end), but still strikingly powerful, while the uplifting "Mountain" closes the album.
It took me quite a while to like this album. I had it for close to two months before I finally started to like it, when I took it with me to Chicago. In Chicago, it became a soundtrack for the trip and fit the mood and landscape so well. Maybe some sort of Great Lakes thing.
My only complaint is that this CD seems way too short. There are also a couple of tracks that break the energy the previous ones had built up. And, there is a strange song on here ("Come Home") that is obviously about Jesus' second coming. It's strange because Aloha has never done a religious song and have never struck me as a Christian band. However, this may just be some sort of statement actually against religion, or one of those flukes like Black Sabbath's "After Forever".
So, with all of these complaints, it's difficult for me to justify why I think this is a great album. And, really, like I said, many will not like this. But there is so much going on here, that it's absolutely one of those albums that will keep you interested with progressive listens as the songs themselves unfold and reveal more about their nature and actually make you more appreciative of the band's talent as musicians and songwriters. Aloha fans will already be there because of their previous, strong releases, but this is still an excellent introduction to them, I think.
5 Camera Obscura - Let's Get Out of This Country
Scotland's Camera Obscura were in Tucson in July, at Plush specifically. The Weekly had written them up, so the crowd was relatively large. Tracyanne, the cute-as-a-button lead vocalist, remarked on the turn-out and also expressed a new dream to return to Tucson to buy the bar, which she stated had a very David Lynch-esque quality to it.
The group's third full-length Merge release follows their mantra of creating timeless music, while still having plenty of pop sensibility. "Hey Lloyd..." provides an exceptional opener, whereas "Razzle Dazzle Rose" sums it all up well. In between, the tracks meander between the quiet, sentimental songs ("Country Mile") that are so good at capturing her vocal style, to the stronger, more pop-oriented and danceable numbers ("Let's Get Out of This Country" and, especially, "If Looks Could Kill") that sell the group to some and could easily get them on the radio. But also there are some incredibly well-done, memorable tracks on this album, such as "I Need All the Friends I Can Get", which begins (and ends) with group clapping accented by a simple guitar riff, and layers pieces on from there, but never neglecting any of those layers.
I have the feeling that Camera Obscura will be around for a while. At their show, despite the general grueling nature of US touring coupled with the cross-Atlantic journey, the band was still in good spirits and seemed to genuinely like each other. The singer, maybe still in awe at the turn-out (bands don't seem to expect much from Tucson), wished aloud that she could invite everyone back to their hotel room. I hope for their success.
6 Letting Up Despite Great Faults - Movement
I don't know how I found this band, but I'm glad that I did. They have one of the most interesting setups I've ever seen: two guitars, two cellos and a sequencer. The music is excellent. I honestly cannot say enough bad things about the City of Los Angeles and the majority of the bands that are now coming out of its scene, but this group is a very refreshing exception, and I wonder how they could even be from LA.This was one of those hard-fought ones. I think that, although, again, the music is excellent, it still needs development. (I had written some critiques at this point, but they sounded horrible when I re-read it, so I've omitted them since a group member may actually read this) Maybe it's just that they sound almost exactly like a group I was in in Houston (even the singing is similar). But, despite these horribly critical things I'm writing, I still think they're a great band, and I'm anticipating their next release probably more than any other.
They do some wonderful things with their music. The opener ("Disasters Are Okay") spills beautifully into a multi-faceted instrumental piece with an interesting progression and rhythm, only to end with a very unanticipated single line of vocals ("I will let you down again"). It's one of those songs that make you not mind the lack of vocals throughout because the instrumentation does such a good job of filling that void. Another interesting one is "If You're Here Today" which does something that I love, but always seems to confuse others: a long stop in the middle of the song. At their show, the audience was definitely confused and clapped during it. It works well though as the song doesn't lose its momentum, and actually gains it by doing this and going right into a vocal line (one of the singer's better performances, I think). "I Hear You Drowning But I'm Tired" is another gem, speaking mainly through a simple, catchy synth line against an acoustic guitar base. That wonderful catchy synth again comes back on "Mixtape Receipt", which is probably my favorite track on the album.
Some of this sounds very much like The Album Leaf. At their Tucson show in August (their only out-of-LA show to date), I was yet again the only one at the front. After the set ended, and the disappointing local favorites Lagoon took the stage, I left to drunkenly chastise the sound guy (who had not only cut the backing vocal mic and failed to turn it back on when it was used, but had also delayed the start by not being able to handle one of the cellos being direct in) to one of the members. I think they appreciated having a fan in town, and talking to them certainly broke my stereotype of pretentious Angelino musicians, so I really, genuinely wish them success and, again, cannot wait until the next release.
http://myspace.com/lettingup
http://lettingup.com (whoever does the photography for these guys should get an award)
7 Band of Horses - Everything All the Time
Why has Band of Horses not gotten big yet? It's a little bit of a mystery to me. Emerging out of Seattle (although the singer is originally from Tucson and left at 18), Band of Horses' debut received quite a bit of attention, making its way onto blogs and personal playlists all over the inter web. But, alas, popular radio play seems to have eluded them thus far. But why?
Band of Horses mixes a bit of country (they use a steel guitar for some tracks) with southern rock and the more expected indie rock. That itself makes it difficult to pigeonhole and "genrify" (as I like to say) their music, and they seem to realize and play off of this. Tracks like "Great Salt Lake" and "Funeral" (both which have videos available on their MySpace page) are the more obvious radio friendly tracks, and span several genres while still maintaining a pop sensibility.
Maybe they just need to be requested? Maybe it's just a matter of time.
8 Built to Spill - You In Reverse
Built to Spill, although never overly popular or mainstream, have one of the most devoted legion of fans of any group. On a trip to Seattle this year, I found out that they were playing the night I arrived. When I got to Seattle, I went into a bar (after being directed to the wrong place) and attempted to call the venue about tickets. When the bartender found out who I was going to see, he just laughed at me: "Of course they're sold out. Built to Spill shows always sell out way in advance." He was right, and I missed them. And, although he wasn't going, two other employees in the bar were, and both scoffed at the idea of me getting tickets. Even though I had seen them a few months earlier, I was still very disappointed.
This album was highly anticipated by fans, being their first release since 2001, and, in my opinion, it doesn't disappoint. The opener is a 12+ minute jam song, a style that the band has been slowly moving toward the last few albums (to the chagrin of some of their fans). However, fans of old school Built to Spill (who certainly already own this album) should not be totally alienated: the more straight-forward rock songs still exist.
The only thing that bothers me about this album is its flow, and especially the last few tracks. Track 5-7 really do sound like perfect closers, but the album keeps going. This is not to say that it's repetitive, the tracks are all very different in styles and the succeeding tracks are as good, if not better.
9 Mogwai - Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait
The Glaswegians have been very busy this year. After coming in early with a brand new LP, "Mr. Beast" (their first in three years), they began work composing a score for this soccer film. While the film is set to be released in January 2007 in the UK, Mogwai's soundtrack for it came out in October. Mogwai have also been included in Darren Aronofsky's ("Requiem for a Dream") latest film, "The Fountain", performing in the soundtrack written by Clint Mansell. All of this on top of a rather extensive world tour in support of "Mr. Beast".
I had a hard time deciding which release should go on here (because surely one of them has to make it). I've owned "Mr. Beast" since it came out, and, although I like, it's no where near where Mogwai was or, in my opinion, should be going. There are tracks that strike you with their beauty ("Friend of the Night") or power ("Glasgow Mega Snake"), but there are also the "WTF?" tracks, such as "I Chose Horses" which is essentially a monologue in Japanese backed by ambient guitar and synth noises.
I can't say much about "Zidane" because I don't own it and have only heard sound samples online. Of course, I'd like to own it, but it's currently very difficult to get it in this country, unless you're willing to pay the ridiculous import prices ($20-40 right now). Hopefully though, I will eventually get my hands on this.
10 Stereolab - Fab Four Suture
I don't know that Stereolab could release an album in a year and not have it make my list. In March, "Fab Four Suture", a collection of tracks released on various singles since the group's last full-length, 2003's "Margarine Eclipse", was released. In spite of this disconnected source for the tracks, the album flows quite well, even including a very Stereolab-ish, very repetitive intro and outro (yes, the same track). I think putting the CD into someone who is unfamiliar with the group's car stereo, letting it proceed through the last track's five or so minutes of repetitive incessancy (and trying not to talk during those long minutes), only to begin once again when the CD automatically repeats, is absolutely priceless. Although no one has yet really gotten the joke.
And maybe that's the problem: getting it. Some people just really dislike Stereolab. Others like them but only for certain albums and find other releases (usually the misunderstood "Sound Dust") trite and too abstract. But then there are those like me, who obsessively track their tours and releases, always awaiting the next. People like me will pour over any bit of new material Stereolab (even Monade, front-woman Laetitia Sadier's side project) puts out and will sing its praises regardless.
"Fab Four Suture" is not Stereolab's best, but it is still very Stereolab and, in my opinion, very good. And, just like other previous releases, the album gets better with subsequent listens as your mind works past the initial, less prolific elements of each track and into the gritty core of the 'Lab, forming a better understanding of what the group was trying to accomplish. That said, this is certainly not a good introduction to Stereolab, that being best saved for "Dots and Loops" and "Emperor Tomato Ketchup", but Stereolab fans should still eat this up just the same.
11 Stars of Track and Field - Centuries Before Love and War
Stars of Track and Field's style is a little difficult to pin down, which usually means that it's a good, original band. However, this sounds absolutely like other music, but it's such a plethora that it's still good in my opinion. Those who have written "sounds like The Postal Service" regarding this album and band should actually listen to more electronic music: just because a band is labelled "indie" but uses samples and other electronic instrumentation does not automatically mean that they are like The Postal Service.
The band was in Tucson for Halloween, playing at the Congress. The crowd was unfortunately light and, as is typical with Tucson shows where the band is not well-known, most people stayed toward the back in the dark with their cliques. And, as is typical with Colin at shows, I got right up front and was the only one at the stage for the first few songs. The set was great: very tight (quite a feat considering their instrumentation and set up), powerful and even entertaining. Being Halloween, the singer remarked on how they were the only ones dressed up in costumes. However, when I looked on their web site later, they were literally wearing the exact same thing as in their press shots, which confused me. But, when the set ended, the guitarist, who I had stood under the whole time, extended his hand down toward me, saying "Thanks for coming up front". Class act? I think so.
The CD apparently had initial distribution issues of some kind because, for quite a while, it was only available on iTunes. However, I was in Zia's late one Friday night and stumbled across it, and for only $8 (used, so I guess someone didn't like it as much as I do). The highlight of the album for me is "Say Hello" which comes with a beautiful chorus and marks the band's best use of dynamics and their semi-unique instrumentation. "Centuries" also makes great use of the vocal layering that they seem to really like (which makes me think that they spent a lot of time in the studio on this one) and, again, some fabulous dynamics, really pushing their power.
The downsides of this are the vocals, and possibly even the lyrics, which both get a little whiney at times. And, at other times, the harmonies are so on that the "pitch shifter" (a common thing among mainstream music, but almost a taboo in the indie world) comes to mind, but, seeing them live, this is actually not the case and they're just damn good singers.
But I still like this band and what they're doing, probably because they're doing what I would like to do musically: infusing guitars, drums, synths and samples in a way that is not cheesy or cliche and works so well with the music that you don't really focus on any of it. Like several others on here, they're not for everyone, although Radiohead fans may like it for its novelty, and, even though I hate the Postal Service comparisons, those fans also may appreciate this.
12 Yo La Tengo - I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass
Why 12 on the list? Because I simply couldn't decide between this album, the previous one and Stars of Track and Field, seeing that the choice would knock the other off the list. And they're all good albums.
Yo La Tengo have produced an album that is much more reminiscent of their earlier material, which I think many had missed. Moving to a softer, more ethereal, electronic-oriented sound on "Summer Sun" alienated some fans who were used to the more lo-fi, grittier Yo La Tengo. However, I love "Summer Sun" and thought it was a great direction for the group, especially considering that it was a huge departure from what they had done prior to its release.
But, for Yo La Tengo, this is a much better representation of the group because, as I said, this is more who they really are. As the title leads one to believe, they are not a group that takes themselves too seriously, although they are still excellent at making music and some of the better songwriters out there. And, with just a 3-piece (although, so is Stars of Track and Field), it's amazing what they can pull off.