Organized Konfusion - Self Titled

Genre: Hip Hop

Sounds like: De La Soul, Abstract Rude,

From my previous posts, this may seem a little bizarre to have me talk about early 90's alternative hip hop, but I have a deep seeded love for it. This includes varying types from intellectual "backpack" hip hop like Aceyalone, to "let's see how gnarly we can get with our lyrics" rap from Cage or Immortal Technique, It all has its place in my heart. Trying to trace back where my endearment for rap started, the earliest memory I have was when my mom got Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle and would sing along everyday on the way to kindergarten.

Organized Konfusion blends various aspects of what makes hip hop appealing to me, the ability to blend unique yet catchy beats, (with a little jazz and R&B into the mix) and display thought provoking lyrical content without sacrificing that "hardness" or edge that most people crave in their hip hop. Listening through their discography, the duo, Prince Po and Pharoahe Monch, both have different approaches and rhyme techniques. Pharoahe has been know to have the strangest lyrical patterns and meter of any rapper, with the closest thing I can relate it to is something off of Hella's Devil Isn't Red. He bounces between varying patterns of rhyme and timing, without sacrificing melody. Prince Po generally is the foundation for the songs as Pharoahe is able to dance around the beat, changing the dynamic every verse. The song "Fudge Pudge" demonstrates this, as Pharoahe in one verse creates a flurry of rhythm in a single melody.

Check it out, so you can be a closet hip hop head like me.

Self-Titled

Rivière Amur - Bois Flotté

Genre: Drone, Psychedelic

Sounds like: Deep Magic, earlier Pocahaunted

Bois Flotté is like discovering something unfamiliar through the familiar. An alternate perspective on reality. Side A begins with the familiar sound of the ocean, as meditative chants and slow tonal changes emerge from beneath. Crashing waves decrease in force as if Rivière Amur could calm the most violent of seas. Bells chime in the background, like a hypnotist signaling you in and out of consciousness. Don’t fight it. Forget everything you know and accept this new reality. Approach the world with a naïve eye, as if just born. All knowledge is now a priori. Disassociate objects around you from the names given to them. Focus on the aesthetics: shapes, color, and movement. What do you see? What do you hear? Whispered voices and chirping birds in the background have become nebulous and have fused with the droning soundscape. Familiar sounds have transformed into something new. Something radiant. Don’t fight it. You’re now ready for Side B.

Note: Rivière Amur is a musical collaboration between Belgium’s Je Suis Le Petit Chevalier and Pittsburg’s Inez Lightfoot. Purchase a copy of Bois Flotté from I Had an Accident Records.

2011: How Do You Like Your Emo?

I had a lot of favorites this year, but for me the emphasis was upbeat, fist pumping tunes. Being a year where I ended up back in my hometown, displaced after a five year relationship ending, landing a great new job, living in an awesome house with its own name, joining new bands and just a general sense of self worth, these albums resonated with me but not at the expense of awesome riffs. List in no particular order:

Algernon Cadwallader continues with each release to refine and mature that midwest/IloveCapn'Jazzmorethenyoudo emo sound that
is currently flooding the internet. Most importantly, what Parrot Flies also manages to sneak in a Eddie Money-esque riff on the last track of the album aptly named "Cruisin'".

Battles without avant-garde Tyondai Braxton released Gloss Drop, which turned it into a pop album. More Ian Williams in any fashion is a good thing to me. The featured vocalists on Gloss Drop was also a nice surprise, with every artist taking a different approach to the already eclectic sound.

Zona Mexicana finally put out their self titled 10-inch in November. 15 minutes of what would happen if Tera Melos collided with Cursed. the only way I can describe them is that they are just wild. pure wild punk rock.(There is post about them on this blog)

Glocca Morra's Ghoulish Intentions managed to do something I never thought of/seemed possible: a twinkly emo band made a record that sounds like it came off a Mclusky b-side. Made me wish there would be some more Mclusky someday.

The Speed of Sound In Seawater (I like to call them Speedwater) has the technical nerd riffage that gets all the math rock boys in a frenzy, but utilizes the vocalist's youthful and melodic approach that puts them in a bedroom pop space so your girlfriend can get into them just as you do. Immediately personable yet maintains catchiness, their third release, Underwater Tell Each Other Secrets is their best work, and a full length needs to follow.

If I had to pick one album for the year, it would have to be Prawn's You Can Leave It All Behind.

I have listened to this album more then anything else this year so that constitutes album of the year right? For where I was last year and currently, Prawn just caught me on everything. Great sing along riffs while you hug your friends, great post-rock riffs that come straight out of a Mogwai album and lyrics that are not cryptic, (a problem with a lot of these bands) but clear and concise. I generally could care less about vocals/lyrics in a band, but this album changed that. Its 2012 and this is still a constant in my car. I was lucky enough to actually play with these guys this summer, which just sweetens the whole deal.

Please give it all a listen, so you can scoff at how I still listen to bands that talk about problems you had when you're 16 and how they are the same when you are 24.

Chuckin' up the deuces to 2k11

Steve jobs made me forget how to enjoy music. I get so overwhelmed knowing that I can listen to any song in my iTunes library with the click of a button that I barely finish listening to a song before skipping to another. I’m absolutely pathetic! And I listen to tapes because I am so pathetic. Tapes remind me that I have an attention span. When I put one on, I don’t think about what other music could be listened to outside the casing of the tape deck. I’m intent on giving my full attention to the album and it’s usually the only way I can appreciate an album as an independent piece of music. For that reason, I decided to limit my end-of-year music list to the 60-something tapes I accumulated in 2k11. Rather than mulling over all of the crap I downloaded into iTunes, I figured limiting my denominator to tapes would help me choose my favorites. This wasn’t as easy as I originally thought since I bought/traded these tapes for a reason (i.e., they were already some of my favorites). Ugh, I feel pretty lame putting together one of these lists. Oh well, here are some of my favorites (Note: Albums are listed alphabetically by artist name. Yes, it’s a copout.).

Jon Barba - If we say it in unison…

2k11 was the year of the Barba. Dude put out some great stuff and it was tough choosing my favorite because everything Jon Barba does amazes me. If you’ve never heard Jon, this is a great starter album since it’s filled with catchy jams, great lyrics, and a general feeling of angst/apathy. Pick up a copy of this bad boy from Bridgetown. I predict 2k12 will be the year of the Kidman.

Asthma by Jon Barba

Kevin Greenspon – Common objects

I love this album so much that I own the LP, cassette, and mp3s. Needless to say, the cassette version is my favorite. I can easily pop this one into my Walkman and listen to it over-and-over again for hours at a time. It’s completely flawless, totally lush, and utterly heartbreaking. This one is guaranteed to send chills down your spine. The cassette version was a limited tour only edition, but you can snag a copy of the LP from Family Time or Bridgetown.

Kevin Greenspon - Threshold by Family Time

Mandarin Dynasty - Perpendicular crosswalk

I listened to this album about eight times the first day I got it. It’s not fuzzy. It’s not buzzy. It’s not drenched in reverb or delay. Well, then what is it?! It’s the best pop album I’ve heard in a long time. It doesn’t need to hide behind effects to sound good. Don’t believe me? Listen to the song below and tell me you don’t want to bang your head! After all, when was the last time you listened to something that made you want to bang your head?! Pick up a copy from Bridgetown and thank me later.

Mandarin Dynasty - Lap Steel Blues by Mandarin Dynasty

Motion Sickness of Time Travel – Dreamcatcher

Do you ever feel empty? Like you want something but can’t identify/articulate what it is? I was feeling that way about music before this one reached my front door. Dreamcatcher filled the void and told me what to want. I couldn’t have imagined anything like this before hearing it. It was like discovering a vibrant new planet in the dark abyss of space. Dreamcatcher is not of this world.

Nova Scotian Arms - Winds over Silmäterä

Winds over Silmäterä is a force against which you are defenseless. The oceanic soundscapes of drone and tape loops will pull you in, but the impetus lies in subtleties just beneath the surface. Like a lover that leaves you hanging on every word, you will find yourself at its mercy as you wait for a sign of warmth and affection. Listen closely and you will learn the virtue of patience. You will be rewarded.

Nova Scotian Arms- Veil Hollow (excerpt) by Hooker Vision

Pawko – Pawkward

Pawko's an honest man just trying to sing an honest song, and there's something really special about that given how dishonest the world can be. I haven't enjoyed a folk album for a very long time, but there’s something about this album that will get you thinking about life. It’ll make you ponder your past, recognize your present, and get you excited about the future. It’s equally enjoyable when listened to alone or as background music while hanging out with friends. I guarantee it will stimulate meaningful thoughts and conversation. Pick up a copy from Your Warmth.

Pawko - Little Stalin by halfhourhandshake

Reedbeds - Winds on high

Who the crap is Reedbeds?! In just under 45 minutes, Winds on high delivers everything I look for in a tape from guitar noodling, entrancing synth loops, to contemplative/gentle piano. Reedbeds crosses into disparate territory throughout the album, while bringing it all together under a common theme: beauty. I wish I could articulate exactly how incredible this album is, but you can pick up a copy of from Hooker Vision and find out for yourself.

Reedbeds- untitled (excerpt) by Hooker Vision

Solids – Generic dogs

It took about three weeks for this one to make it into my tape deck because the album art is pretty gnarly. I’m glad I listened because I was reminded of the old "don’t judge a book by its cover" saying. And actually, I really like the album art now. This album sounds like something I would’ve enjoyed in high school but would also enjoy today (and I do). In other words, it’s timeless. Side A repeats on Side B which makes listening to it over-and-over again even easier. Pick up a copy of the tape from L’oeil Du Tigre, or you can get the CD or LP from Machette Records.

Solids - Whatevers and Neverminds by Loeildutigre

Terrors – Inequipoise

I’ll admit that I downloaded this one first, but loved it so much that I had to order the tape. Terrors creates a haunting mix of folk, drone, noise, and field recordings. Lonely, nostalgic, and bittersweet -- Inequipoise is many things, but one thing is certain: Terrors sings the blues. This is bedroom music at its finest. Pick up a copy from Monorail Trespassing.

Vehicle Blues – Koz Park

Didn’t my last post convince you that Vehicle Blues is awesome?! Exhibit B: Koz Park. Never in my life has a cassingle left me so satisfied, yet thirsty for more. Try to find a copy on Discogs.

Burn it All to the Ground - The Worst of 2011

I found this as an unfinished draft from December. It is now March (I don't know what Blogger be will post this as). This isn't really that interesting besides that a) my best of list only has a few things that I consider best of, b) I wrote it right after I had lost my entire music collection and the bitterness just drips off the screen. OH YEAH, and just like this blog, c) it's half-finished and not very well thought-out. Cheers! - Max

I thought 2011 was a horrible year for music. Not because there wasn't anything good released or anything but because for some reason I just stopped enjoying listening to music sometime around last spring. I think it had something to do with me making the decision that I hated everyone and everything. Chalk it up to my choice to live a high stress, low productivity lifestyle. This is still unusual, however, because ubiquitous unfocused hatred is normally a very good motivator for listening to music. I'm not really sure what I'm getting at because this is a very bad way to start a bestof list. Whatever. Here's a lot of stuff I thought was cool.

Big Kids
Algernon Cadwallader
Drunkdriver
Pygmy Shrews
By Surprise
Capsule
Flashlights
Glocca Morra
Monument
Park Ranger Barkwood
Ten Thousand Leagues
Sneeze
Zona Mexicana
My Disco

Black Eyes - Cough

Genre: Noise, Punk

Sounds like: Mi Ami, maybe Q and Not U?

No more half-hearted apologies about not posting. All two of you who read this blog are just going to have to get what you deserve, which is an uneven posting schedule. As pretty much anybody who ever talks to me about music says: Max I want to hear more noise. And why the hell not? Here it is babies. The  second Black Eyes record starts where their first one left off, incorporating two bass players, two drummers and lots of falsetto screaming and putting a nice glossy layer of guitar wreckage on top. This album adds some ugly Ornette Coleman-style saxophone shrill too. Black Eyes is so awesome. They are so good. Black Eyes is so good.

Download

Vehicle Blues - 177

Genre: Shoegaze, Bedroom Pop, Real Loner Shit

Sounds like: Nothing else out there

Some things in life are obvious, or at least they seem that way in retrospect. When watching late night infomercials or seeing “As Seen On TV” products on department store shelves, I stop and wonder why I didn’t invent them. They seem so simple and so obvious. But if so, then why am I sitting here writing about music instead of raking in the Benjamins? I think the idea behind this is a phenomenon in psychology called Hindsight Bias, which explains that people have a tendency to overestimate their ability to predict the outcome of an event after being exposed to the outcome.

For me, Gabe Holcombe provides another source of hindsight bias. I find myself wanting to hit my forehead in frustration when listening to music he produces as Vehicle Blues. That’s so simple, why didn’t I think of that?! Though in reality, Holcombe’s music is far from simple. It’s easy to confuse perfection with simplicity, and that’s exactly what Holcombe creates: perfection. He’s a master of parsimonious bedroom pop. His music is neither too flashy nor bland, and every detail makes perfect sense. Take 177 for example: Though I don’t know a single lyric to this song, it resonates a feeling of hopelessness to which I can relate. I have felt the feelings that I imagine influenced this song. And it’s hard to imagine that something with such unambiguous meaning didn’t originate from my own mind, but it didn’t. It didn’t because I am not Gabe Holcombe and I’ll never be able to write music as perfect as his. And that’s when the feeling of hopelessness sets in.

Note: If this is your first time hearing Vehicle Blues, then I feel a little sorry for you because all of his amazing Bridgetown Records releases (e.g., Koz Park) are sold out. If you dig 177, you can find it on his split with Jen Paul/No Lakes released on his very own Lillerne Tapes. While you're at it, you should also try to pick up a copy of his split with Trudgers as it’s also a gem!