20) Glocca Mora- Just
Married
While the opening track may be my
favorite, this album made me nostalgia hard.
I have never been a huge Midwestern Emo fan, but this album has a
general sincerity in its sound that I haven’t heard since the old Weezer. The difference being, however, Weezer always
reminded me of my insecurities as a teen trying to find my place. Just
Married, however reminds me of the years just after this point. This is an album which echoes the years of
having a niche, sneaking out, breaking bottles and causing mischief.
While the vocals quiver with an
uncertainty, the album seems to combine the vulnerability of hose younger years
with the excitement of first acting out and taking risks.
As far as the instrumentation, it is
pretty as expected: 4/4 time signatures, harmonizing guitars, breakdowns
occurring after each verse, and standard song structures. While they obviously aren’t reinventing the
wheel here, the instrumentation works fairly well.
Why I enjoy this album so much is
how well the instrumentation couples with the vocalist. It isn’t that he has a great voice. To be honest his voice would probably be a
complaint with any other style of music, it’s that the two just marry so
perfectly. The voice cracks at times
(‘theories of relativity by david nicholas’), but holds an exposed tenderness,
especially when coupled with the lyrical themes throughout the album (returning
home again, not wanting to wake up, ect.).
19)
Oren Amgarchi, Jim O’Rourke & Keiji Haino- Imikuzushi
When I saw Haino’s name on the bill
for this collaboration, I immediately knew I was in for a treat. Imikuzushi
did not disappoint either. This is yet
another great album which is determined to tread the line of noise and noise
rock. Walls of guitar feedback are flung
at the listener. Haino screams
occasionally in a language I cannot understand.
But once you get a few minutes in,
the trio really find their sound. The
bass goes from nonsense to rhythm. The
guitar occasionally turns off two of its distortion pedals, and though probably
all improv, it does create a great sound.
The drum work is by no means spectacular
on this album, and is probably the weakest end of the group. But that isn’t to say the drumming is
bad. No, the drumming, while not
rewriting the instrument, definitely provides the necessary background for the
others to play and for the listener to understand.
Probably the hardest thing for
listeners of albums on this top 50 is the song lengths. Here it is no exception. Imikuzushi
is four tracks long, totaling over an hour in length.
I have found that this album is one
I hardly listen to from start to finish.
Each of the four tracks feel great standing alone; so much so that
putting one on usually fulfills my urge for listening to this band. This is the only album I can make this
statement for this year, and while it is not necessarily a bad thing, it
definitely affects how I see this album.
On that same note though, this is both a testament to the fact that each
song feels complete and that others can youtube a track and quickly (well like
15 minutes) understand most of my opinions in this review and begin to form
opinions of their own.
18)
Kevin Drumm- Relief
Most ‘cool/hip’ 2012 lists try to
put a noise album on them. I have
noticed this year it is Jason Lescaleet- Songs
About Nothing. While I disagree that
this album is worthy to be on a top 50 list, I am still guilty of placing a
noise album on my own chart.
Relief is a single 36 minute track. Never during this time is there a moment of
silence; feedback is continuously occurring, high pitch drones come and go, and
swells of static bubble up throughout.
Although Relief is a harsher noise album, it is a rather calming piece. While the first minute may be rather off
putting to many listeners, Drumm does a great job at creating an
improvisational noise set that would be both great introduction to the genre,
all the while still being a complex, thought provoking, work.
One aspect of this albumthat is very impressive is how well Drumm is able to manipulate the sound. Multiple ranges are constantly changing, but never does one of the sounds feel out of place. Drumm does a great job of allowing these sounds to coexist. They all feel natural and do not feel like the screams of a laptop; rather it sounds crafted with real instruments and difficult to perform.
After hearing this album I have decided I am going to look further into Drumm's vast discography. I highly recommend this album to those interested in noise.
17)
Calibro 35- Ogni Riferimento a Persone Esistenti o a Fatti Realmente Accaduti e
Puramente Casuale
In all seriousness, this band is
cool. I mean the name of the album
translated means “Any reference to existing persons or actual events is purely
coincidental.” A fitting name for an album
that consists of Italian exploit film soundtrack covers with original works
fitting that theme sprinkled in.
While I am not too sure which tracks
on here are covers, I can say for sure that these songs truly embody that 70’s
funk vibe. Phantasmagorias of noir
landscapes and crime syndicates and Blaxploitation permeate my subconscious
when I hear these songs. But then again,
as an American listener I do not know too much of the Italian exploit film
genre.
Though all of the tracks are instrumental,
do not let that dissuade you if that is not usually your cup of tea. This is all grimy, gritty funk with solid
breakdowns. Each song has great pacing
and they flow well into one another.
Having played keyboards for a while in my past, I loved the mixing of
the organ. On the song ‘Arrivederci e
grazie’ the organ works so well because it stays in the background. If you don’t actively hunt it out it may pass
you by, but if you pay attention you can hear that even it has great
instrumentation to it.
The songs all keep a relatively
similar pace to them; nonetheless, Calibro 35 does a good job making them each
sound their own. Tracks like ‘New Dehli
Deli’ bring an Indian vibe to the funk, while songs like ‘La banda del B.B.Q.’
make good use of humming and harder hitting drums.
If you were looking for some music
that both you and your jam-band loving friends can enjoy, pop this album on,
you won’t be disappointed.
16)
BNNT-_ _
In case you didn’t know, I love this
band. Everything about them is
ridiculous, and congrats to their baritone missile player for winning that
Polish art award.
_
_ is a fierce album. Right from the first track, the album has an
unwavering, in-your-face attitude. The
drums pulsate, and the samples polish it all up perfectly. After its abrasive opening, BNNT start
experimenting in great ways. ‘The
armistice ended the first Chechen War’ is a splendid track which really jams
and throws some cowbell in the noise rock for good measure. The song flows perfectly into the next track,
which wouldn’t be a great track if not for the excellent xylophone in the
background.
It is impressive how good their
missilist is as playing his instrument.
At times it sounds like a bass (‘Child soldiers of Congo’), and other
times it sounds like a guitar (‘Operation Diesel_ British troops have taken
Afghan heroin factory’).
While the standout track is ‘Child
soldiers of Congo’, This is an album where the songs all seem to be reaching to
be the standout track. It is a shorter
album, but contains no filler. I look
forward to their next album, and will be sure to visit any shows or soundbombings
should they ever occur in Ohio.
15)
Superstorms- Superstorms
If you are looking for a more out
their ambient album that doesn’t quite venture into the realm of ‘dark
ambient’, Superstorms may be up your
alley. Labeled as ‘abrasive ambient’, this
was a marvelous 5-track album which can easily take the listener on a sonic
adventure.
Much of my praise for this album
will seem like a repeat of my first review of it, but it gets spot 15 for my
albums of the year for all of those reasons.
It’s a drone album that isn’t brooding, but is instead uplifting. It holds extremely harsh sounds but presents
them in a very palatable way. I stand by
my comparison of this to a collaboration between Tycho and Prurient.
What’s more is this albums length
(roughly 30 minutes) works greatly to its advantage. This album sounds like one epic piece, but its
brevity enables it to be listened to in a leisurely manner.
Overall, an astounding album from an
auspicious artist.
14)
White Lung- Sorry
This album works so well because of
its pacing. It is a short, quick album
that maintains high energy throughout, ending all too soon and leaving the
listener wanting of more. While 20
minutes is more an EP than an album, after a few listens, I am beginning to
agree that it is an album. It has ten
tracks and feels like a complete work.
This is another album that just has
no bad songs on it. Every track has the
potential to be an album single. The
singers voice is extraordinary and works perfect with their sound. I am surprised that Metz has received so much
love this year when Sorry does
everything Metz does but better.
Next time one of your friends makes
a remark about how women cannot play music, show them this and remind them that
three of the members are female.
Dandelion
Gum was always my favorite Black Moth
Album. It felt more put together than
their older stuff, but was still bringing more to the table than Eating Us. When I heard they were making this album I
was sort of skeptical, mainly afraid they would continue normalizing their
music as I felt they were doing with Eating
Us. Still, I paid the money for the
kickstarter and hoped for the best.
While this isn’t the best, it is
great and it exceeded my realistic expectations. Black Moth have such a unique sound and it
just works so well. Cobra Juicy perfectly displays how Black Moth are able to
experiment while still making accessible sounds. I could put this album on when my parents
come over and not feel uncomfortable, but at the same time this album has
withstanded multiple listens and has me still coming back to it.
As far as the sound of this album, songs
like ‘Hairspray Heart’ have an addition of some electric guitar and I think it
works well. It is sparse and compliments
the synths. The Song ‘We Burn’ reminds
me of beats that Odd Nosdam might make.
The Song ‘Gangs in the Garden’ demonstrated a more synthpop sound.
‘Spraypaint’ may be my favorite track on this album. It is slower, has relatable lyrics, and drags
on in a good way.
While I felt that ‘Windshield
Smasher’ may have been the worst song on the album, Black Moth chose it as the
single. Regardless, this album is fun,
uplifting, and worth a listen. Also the
songs were even better live (regardless of the moshpit for some reason
occurring).
What a solid throwback to 90’s
Memphis rap. Coming in at 18 tracks
long, this album has great beats, absurd lyrics, and a good flow to boot.
Now that you know it is, let’s get
who Lil Ugly Mane is out of the way so that we can discuss the music. Lil Ugly Mane is a white dude who used to
make noise music. If you played any of
these tracks for someone, neither of those two things would be guessed. I have read critiques who have said that Lil Ugly
Mane makes his music unbelievable…but to them I ask, is that not the point?
See this album is rap about smacking
bitches, killing fools, riding dirty, and getting loaded. Lil Ugly Mane recognizes that while these are
the themes, this is simply music. The
artist need not live this lifestyle to make a great album comprising of such
subject matter. And this makes sense,
seeing as the average listener to music of this style typically does not live
this lifestyle either.
As far as the beats, phenomenal. While I recognize that all beats weren’t
created equal on this album, even the worst beats (‘Radiation’) beat out the
majority of rap albums sounding like this that are trying to take themselves
seriously. But on the other end, songs
like ‘Serious Shit’ and ‘Bitch I’m Lugubrious’ have such killer production that
it is amazing he produced this whole album without any contributing artists.
Now to the lyrics. Absurd.
Lets take ‘Bitch I’m Lugubrious’.
Right off we get spit this:
Bitch
I’m Lugubrious (side note, yes that is a real word)
My
trap game the stupidest
I
been sick since the uterus
And it just keeps hitting as absurd throughout,
throwing misogyny in with references to Ernest Worrell. The man is a true linguist.
In the end, this album beautifully
reconstructs a 90’s Memphis album while exceeding on all fronts: beats, lyrics,
flow, and even artwork.
11)
Infants- Giant Leg
I learned about Brainiac around 2003 and was
immediately saddened to hear they had ended years earlier. I adored their crazy synth punk and until
Infants I really did’t know of any other bands that attempt to create such a
frantic sound in the same manner.
With Giant Leg a similar disappointment occurred. I found out about this album, listened and
enjoyed the hell out of it, only to find out that the album was recorded in
2009 and due to a series of events its release was postponed until 2012. Sometime during that span of three years, the
band broke up. While a good band, Gum
Takes Tooth, did form in the wake of their demise, I still prefer this frantic
freak synth punk.
This album is so great because of
all the things it throws into the pot at once.
Unlike so many synth-filled albums, this has real drums. Giant
Leg also makes minimal use of samples, and they are tastefully used. Often with bands with two vocalists, one is
subpar. Here, the male/ female vocal
combo works great. The female has very
Japanese sounding vocals (I believe she is from Tokyo), and while her voice is
very rocking, it couples well with male using slightly softer vocals.
On a first listen to this album,
there is quite a joy of wondering how the next song may sound. This album, while keeping to a frantic pace,
constantly switches up the sounds they are trying to achieve. Sometimes it is choppy and punk with tiny
mellow spots scattered throughout, other times every instrument sounds like it
is running through an overdrive pedal, and sometimes the instrumental breaks
are reminiscent of Boredoms.
This album is truly a landmark for
synthpunk, and I believe that it will garner a cult following should enough
people get the chance to hear it.
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