Track Listing
1. "The Vowels, Pt. 2" - 4:04
2. "Good Friday" - 3:50
3. "These Few Presidents" - 3:04
4. "The Hollows" - 3:55
5. "Song of the Sad Assassin" - 4:13
6. "Gnashville" - 3:49
7. "Fatalist Palmistry" - 3:53
8. "The Fall of Mr. Fifths" - 3:16
9. "Brook & Waxing" - 2:35
10. "A Sky for Shoeing Horses Under" - 2:29
11. "Twenty Eight" - 0:44
12. "Simeon’s Dilemma" - 3:33
13. "By Torpedo or Crohn’s" - 4:04
14. "Exegesis" - 1:37

Tracks To Listen To: ‘Good Friday’, ‘Gnashville’, ‘A Sky For Shoeing Horses Under’
Tracks To Avoid: Fatalist Palmisty

Why? has traditionally combined indie rock with hip hop to create a unique form of music.  It would be fair to say that they sound like nothing you’ve ever heard.  A mix between The Geto Boys and Modest Mouse.  These elements mix together to create a fine color to paint across the 14 tracks of Why?’s newest album, Alopecia.

"I’ll suck the marrow out and rape your hollow bones."

Coming straight out of left field, lyrics similar to those from ‘Song Of The Sad Assassin‘ are scattered throughout the entire album.  So perhaps this isn’t the masterpiece anyone could be hoping for, the lyrics are bizarre and contrived, but it sounds good, which should ultimately be the most important aspect used to judge this album.  Vocals in songs like ‘The Vowels’ are nasally and out of place next to the other half of the albums vocals which sound like the Geto Boys.  Some songs such as ‘Gnashville’, mix a variation of softer vocals with nasally and monotone vocals.  Additions like these maintain the quality throughout the album.

So perhaps the lyrics are a bit goofy, and the nasally vocals could get on your nerve, but Why? is able to take repetitive chorus’s with a medium tempo and create catchy songs.  Somehow they are able to take the best of indie rock and minimal parts from hip hop to create a great sound.  Because they can’t compare with any similar bands, it is hard to gauge whether someone would like this album.  Alopecia is one of those albums that will appeal to a very selective group of people.  While all the songs may sound very dissimilar, if you like one you’ll probably like the rest.  Alopecia is one of the better experimental albums coming out thus far this year, give it a chance and you may be surprised. (81/100)

 
Tracks To Listen To: Sax Rohmer #1 (Above), San Bernardino, Autoclave, How To Embrace A Swamp Creature, Sept 15th 1983
Avoid: New Zion, So Desperate, Tianchi Lake

Despite limited exposure, The Mountain Goats, have come together once again to release their 16th full length album, Heretic Pride.  The Mountain Goats started in 1991 as a solo effort of John Darnielle (Vocals, Guitar, Keyboard).  Over the period of a decade Darnielle recorded nine albums under the band name.  In 2002, Darnielle would see an addition of the second official member, Peter Hughes (Bass).  The band is unique in that each album in the discography is connected through a series of themes.  The latest release, Get Lonely, was met with mediocre reviews.

Not being a fan of Folk Rock as a genre, I hated a majority of John Darnielles vocals, shrugging them off as being shrill and nasally.  However, The Mountain Goats make up for this a unique mix of instruments ranging from synthesizers to violins.  While sticking with the genre they have decided to embody, this variation shows experimentation that few artists are willing to commit to.  The guitar work doesn’t attempt to cram as many notes as possible into a song, instead slowing the tempo down to create a simple and elegant mood. The semi folk/indie feeling of the album lends to a very upbeat sound.

Although comparatively the title track is one of the worst on the album, what sounds like criticism is actually a compliment. It is an excellent song and gives way to the better songs of the album. Songs like "Autoclave" and "How To Embrace a Swamp Monster" exhibit the better side of an unrecognized genre.  Many of the songs are rather unique, however a few of the songs begin to mesh together.  Songs like "New Zion", "So Desperate" and "Tianchi Lake" are boring and lack the creativity and splendor of other songs.  Overall though, these songs are pushed behind the rest.

Despite falling into a genre I’ve never been fond of, I did enjoy this album.  It has a mood that tops any other folk album coming out this year.  If you like simple acoustic albums and can tolerate high pitched nasally vocals then this album is a must buy. (84/100)

Track Listing
1. Guilt By Association
2. Air Traffic Control
3. Misguided Sheep
4. There’s a Traitor in This Room
5. Sometimes You Just Want To
6. Tina
7. Stalker
8. Free Won’t Be What it Used to Be
9. Swarming of the Bees
10. Hopesick
11. Slick Dogs and Ponies
 Favored Few: Tina, Guilt By Association, There’s A Traitor In This Room, Sometimes You Just Want To

I remember liking Louis XIV three years ago after hearing them on a late night radio show promoting their first album.  Their sound was large and confident, striking guitars and a heavy back beat that kept you in the song.  But I never followed up on them, their first release had come and gone and I never made notice of them until recently when their newest album, Slick Dogs and Ponies fell into my lap so to speak.  It has been a long trip from their initial release and if anything can be taken away from this album, it is that they have matured a lot on the way. 

This new found maturity is in no way abandoning the working formula they used three years ago.  Louis XIV takes the raw sound one would expect from garage rock and works in the classical style and instrumentation of the Victorian kings era they take their name from.  While some of the solo’s sound like someone with no fingers trying to play guitar hero, the steady beats matched with the brash and sometimes shrill vocals sound off together in a pleasant harmony.

The first time listening to the album, a lot of it blends together.  Each song kind of sounds similar to each other and picking out a favorite few can be hard to find.  However, after two or three more plays through the album, you’ll start to find specific aspects of the album that stick out.  Tina and Guilt By Association will be recognizable by the immediate shrieking vocals of Jason Hill, which are oddly reminiscent of AC/DC.

In the end there really isn’t much tying this album down other than personal preference.  While some may love this genre of music, some may not and that is going to be the deciding factor here.  If you like the style of music Louis XIV is based on then this album will fit right in.  However on any straight Indie collection, this album might stick out uncomfortably.  Either way, Slick Dogs and Ponies is a great album. [87/100]

Tracks To Listen To: None
Avoid: The Rest
Xiu Xiu has always been known for their experimental sound, considered by some to be ‘genre-defying’.  I suppose that is an accurate enough description considering noise wouldn’t be considered genre.  When the band is described as experimental it should be considered an understatement.  From its sparse horn inclusion in the first track to ineptly utilizing silence towards the end, this album mixes unsavory elements into the already lacking songs.  To preface, I’ve always been a  fan of experimental bands.  It brings innovation, but this is anything but inspiration.  It is merely abstract for the image, not the sound.  While some songs may teeter on the border of tolerable, the remaining tracks are painful.  Trudging through this album isn’t an enjoyable experience.

If the poorly mixed tracks aren’t enough, Jamie Stewarts can not be considered a musician in any sense of the word.  They are airy and lack melody.  Take the annoying wavering from Bright Eyes and force it to repeat for 43 minutes and you have Jamie Stewarts attempt at singing.  It would be easier to write it off as spoken word, but the uncomfortable noise he rattles off as talent makes no improvement to the songs.  In an otherwise good song the vocals would detract a level of quality, but these songs just aren’t good.  The most welcoming track on the album is the cover of Queens Under Pressure.  But qualities ranging from the chaotic drums that lack rhythm to the god awful horns quickly churn the song into a sad reminder that somewhere other than on this album is a good song.

Perhaps you hate yourself or perhaps someone hates you, but if you actually do subject yourself to this album, you will be begging for an end about 30 seconds after the first track starts.  Somewhere in this album there must be a message, lyrics spreading a message of great intent, but if there is, it’s buried deep in this mess.  Taking the time and effort to find it isn’t worth it however, with a relaxing substitute ranging from car accidents to good old silence.

While the original album will only foist 14 tracks of experimental garbage on you, the iTunes release will come packaged with an additional five tracks.  After listening through this album a couple times, I can’t imagine wanting to spend anymore time than i’d have to.  With a complete lack of composition and melody, this album hits a note far from innovative.  Considering all this, I can’t suggest this to anyone hoping to enjoy something.  Perhaps if you are tone deaf and spend your weekends tapping your feet along to middle school bands suffering through the star spangled banner, then I could suggest it.  But even then, it is doubtful. (10/100)

Shortly after releasing a music video for ‘After Hours’, the first single for We Are Scientists newest album, the band has announced a small set of tour dates around Europe.

Tour Dates
04 -12 - Glasgow Barrowland
04 - 13 - Aberdeen Music Hall
04 -14l - Newcastle Northumbria University
04 -15 - Manchester Academy
04 - 17 - Sheffield Octagon
04 -18 - Birmingham Carling Academy
04 -19 - Nottingham Rock City
04 -20 - Norwich UEA
04 -22 - Southampton Guildhall
04 -23 - Bristol Carling Academy
04 -24 - London Shepherds Bush Empire
04 -25 - London Shepherds Bush Empire

Songs To Listen To: Joy, Knock Me Out, Winter’s Coming
Avoid: The Rest
Mix Mindless Self Indulgence, Depeche Mode, an unhealthy amount of electronica and you’ve got producer, Luke Busby and singer/songwriter Robert Diament’s electronica band, Temposhark.  Formed in 2004, the band has managed to keep a steady flow of releases.  Four years and seven EP’s later, Temposhark feels they are finally ready to release a full length, The Invisible Line.  However, four years may not have been enough time to make this album a worthwhile endeavor.

"In my crown - I am king
Love their endless worshipping
I am raw - A dinosaur
But I will never be extinct"

Despite this being their first release, the starting track details a gaudy manifesto to an unknown popularity.  The entire album follows this unjustified ego.  Granted it is impressive that two artists can get together to create a full album, but the songs mesh together an uncreative mess for 45 minutes of medium paced electronica.

In principle nothing stands out as horrendous, but unfortunately nothing stands out either.  Capturing the one part of electronica I don’t like, a majority of the tracks sound very similar and become repetitive after a few listens.  What does stand out are the lyrics, which are consistently a poetic failure.  The lyrics, unfortunately, are the only highlight of the album as they are the only aspect of it that aren’t bland.  While they may have been able to embody the repetitive aspect of electronic music, his grasp on poetry seems to be a weak one at best.

While the lyrics may be lacking in almost every definition of the word, they fall behind the monotonous electronic music.  In theory this could have been a half way decent album, but it never realizes its potential and ends up falling short.  If you’re looking for a an average electronica album, you could do worse, but you could do much better. (43/100)

The review may be eight days late, but let’s be honest, was anyone really rushing to see this? Durell (Ice Cube) graduated with SAT scores surpassing his classmates.  So when he gets stuck with LeeJohn (Tracy Morgan) he turns to a life of petty crime.  When told he has a week to find $17,000 to keep his ex-wife from taking his son, him and LeeJohn come up with a plan to rob their local church.  However, they end up spending the night attempting to find who stole the money.  If the plot sounds like an urban Scooby Doo sans a monster, it isn’t ill founded.

To start, this movie isn’t a comedy, so don’t go in expecting one.  The jokes are short and far in between and as hard as it tries, you won’t laugh.  The characters either lack any depth or are eccentric to the point of absurdity.  Characters like Durell, Tianna (Malinda Wiliams), the Deacon (Michael Beach) and the Pastor (Chi McBride) all lack the depth of a wading pool.  On the other side of the spectrum, Rickey (Katt Williams) and LeeJohn add a much needed variety.  While this variation keeps the movie from being a complete disaster, they can’t keep this titanic afloat.  Ultimately the differences between the characters create an uncomfortable rift causing the character dynamic to just not work.  Relationships between the characters are poorly fleshed out and ultimately the agonizingly predictable end isn’t justified by the apparent lack of development.

Parts of the movie do come off sincere in their efforts.  Ice Cube manages a mediocre performance towards the end.  The plot has its heart in the right place.  You can see a glimmer pleading you to love this movie.  But as much as it begs, this movie isn’t good.  It mixes painful cliches with the weak sense of unity it strives so hard to achieve.  You come out of the theater wondering why you wasted 2 hours waiting for a story when you left with what feels like an outline.  If you’re looking for a comedy, this isn’t it.  If you are looking for a movie to move you, this still isn’t it.  The only way I’d suggest this movie is if you had time to spare and have a mild disdain for yourself. (34/100)

Being a fan of Arrested Development stars, Michael Cera and Jason Bateman, I was giddy to find them both starring alongside Hard Candy star Ellen Page in this year’s best independent film fighting its way to the big screen. Juno (Ellen Page) is a typical 16-year-old girl, living with her father and stepmother, Mac and Brenda MacGuff (J.K. Simmons and Allison Janey). From the beginning, the movie sets up a complex relationship between Juno and Paulie Bleaker (Michael Cera). Paulie spills his love for Juno, but she rejects his feelings by denying her own, culminating in a one-night stand and leaving her pregnant. With the help of her close, but polar opposite friend, Leah (Olivia Thirlby), Juno decides to give the child to a young affluent couple, Mark and Vanessa Loring (Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner). The pregnancy and the movie progress through the seasons and Juno finds herself struggling with a deeper issue of maturity.

Juno has been receiving endless praise, and for good reason. The movie doesn’t strictly revolve around the pregnancy, instead it uses the familiar high school setting as a backdrop for the life changing development of these strongly written characters. The realistic way in which this movie communicates these elements is what makes it one of the better and more original movies in recent years (which is odd considering I said the same thing about The Bucket List. A trend? Let’s hope). Couple this with the dynamic interactions of the cast and you have immense potential for a perfect movie.

However, in a small sense, this potential was never fully met. While as a whole, the cast was excellent, Jennifer Garner painfully battles to match the rest of the talent. She makes awkward attempts at seeming like an expectant mother, but it comes off as nothing more than poor acting. Luckily, her role was both small and eclipsed by the rest of the cast. Jason Bateman deviated from his normal, stable leading role, to play a failed rock musician riddled with issues of growing up and hesitation to become a father. His character plays wonderfully against Page’s opposite role of a child sophistically decades ahead. Fleshed out contrasts like these carry this movie beyond initial expectations.

While the dialogue, alongside the story, may have been one of the most heralded aspects of this film, certain facets quickly grow old. As with any movie based around high school students, the writer apparently felt it necessary to include painfully forced slang in an attempt to add credibility to the characters. However, it comes off as just that, forced and inaccurate. The characters use awkward dialogue similar to Napoleon Dynamite, a movie with dialogue so painful and inane I could not appreciate the two or three jokes. This similarity is apparent even from the beginning when Juno exclaims to her barking dog, “God, Banana! Shut your freakin’ gob!”, with emphasis mimicking Napoleon Dynamite to an excruciating perfection.

When the characters aren’t rattling off archaic slang, the silence is filled in with a sorry excuse for a soundtrack. Granted this is simply personal preference, but if you don’t like Anti Folk, a very limited genre with an extremely small fan base, you won’t enjoy this other diminishing aspect of the movie. While it does not kill the entire movie and in some sense adds to the character’s personality, it still detracts from the movie.

However, even with all these weak attributes, it remains a wonderful movie. Despite the fact that there is some wrong with this movie, the positive aspects upstaged the bad making it a brilliant experience. The movie combines elements that everyone can relate to with an unfamiliar story that piques the audience’s interest. With all these great aspects culminating into a possible ‘movie of the year’, you can see where all the praise is coming from. In the end you are left with a feeling of satisfaction and an urge for more. See this movie while it is still in theaters. (93/100)

Edit: As an aside, I’ve received a couple questions as to the relationship between Juno and Matt and personally, towards the end of the movie I felt like Matt may have been harboring feelings for her.  While some people have argued that with me, my gut instinct is to say that this was an intentional part of the movie and anyone who extrapolates that from watching the movie, isn’t that far off base.

Noise Pop duo, The Raveonettes have finally set a date for the North American release of Lust Lust Lust. So North American fans can look forward to February 19th, along with two exclusive tracks not included on the UK version. To build up excitement for the albums release, The Raveonettes have also announced set of North American Tour (Along with Italy) dates.

Tour Dates
01-19 New York, NY - Terminal 5 *
02-07 Turin, Italy - Spazio 211
02-08 Treviso, Italy - New Age
02-09 Ravenna, Italy - Bronson
02-10 Milan, Italy - Musicdrome
02-12 Rome, Italy - Circolo Degli Artisti
02-13 Florence, Italy - Flog
02-29 San Diego, CA - The Casbah
03-01 Pomona, CA - Glasshouse
03-02 Costa Mesa, CA - Detroit Bar
03-04 Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theatre
03-05 San Francisco, CA - The Independent
03-07 Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge
03-08 Vancouver, British Columbia - Plaza Club
03-09 Seattle, WA - Neumos
03-12-16 Austin, TX - SXSW
03-17 Minneapolis, MN - 7th St Entry
03-18 Chicago, IL - Double Door
03-19 Detroit, MI - Magic Stick
03-21 Toronto, Ontario - Opera House
03-22 Montreal, Quebec - Les Saint
03-23 Hoboken, NJ - Maxwell’s
03-24 Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club
03-27 Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda’s
03-28 Baltimore, MD - The Ottobar
03-29 Washington, DC - Black Cat
*with Blonde Redhead

Pitchfork

Los Campesinos!, translated from Spanish as The Farmers, have been quickly picking up speed along the Indie Pop scene from their formation in 2006. The seven piece from Wales have since released two EP’s and are gearing up to release their first full release on Wichita Records February 18th.

Hold On Now, Youngster [2006] (95/100)

Track Listing
1. "You! Me! Dancing!" – 6:28
2. "It Started With A Mixx" – 1:30
3. "Sweet Dreams, Sweet Cheeks" – 4:57
4. "Death To Los Campesinos!" – 3:09

Hold On Now, Youngster is LC’s debut EP, recorded in mid-2006, the 4 demo tracks were never officially released. However, the tracks have made their rounds through both downloads on their myspace and CD-R’s handed out at gigs. The demo set the standard for where the band stands today, with the first two tracks finding themselves re-recorded and re-released on the first label endorsed EP.

Quick, catchy and satisfyingly unique, each song plays through like a well built machine with ADD. Aleksandra and Gareth contribute their Welsh accented vocals to each song, trading off to create an awareness of the humorous aspects of the Indie scene, as can be heard in It Started With A Mixx. For the life of me I can’t find anything not to like about this EP other than the small annoyance of the accent, which starts to wear thin after several plays of the album. If you are a fan of bands like Broken Social Scene, Pavement or Yo La Tengo, this EP is a definite addition to any collection. However, the best parts of this can be found on their next release, which reduces the purpose of this in the context of a band discography.

Sticking Fingers Into Sockets [July 3, 2007] (90/100)

Track Listing
1. "We Throw Parties, You Throw Knives" – 2:18
2. "It Started With A Mixx" – 1:19
3. "Don’t Tell Me To Do The Math(s)" – 3:20
4. "Frontwards" – 2:18
5. "You! Me! Dancing!" – 6:12
6. "Clunk-Rewind-Clunk-Play-Clunk" – 0:35

Less than a year after forming, Los Campesinos! found themselves releasing their first official EP on Toronto label, Arts & Crafts. The six tracks spanned a whopping 16 minutes, with 2 tracks coming off their demo, one track being only 35 seconds, and Frontwards being a Pavement cover song. With this in mind, the question becomes whether this EP is indeed an improvement from the original.

While the recording may not be as good as the Demo EP, the two new songs are very nice additions and the re-recordings do sound better as far as production values go. The overall sound is the same, still pulling from their Indie Pop roots. A distinct improvement can be heard between the old and new EP, mostly improving on Gareth’s originally strained vocals along with better inclusion of Harriets violin. The two new songs (and the cover) are fully capable of playing nicely with the old songs, though the small differences cause a little friction in transitions. While the recording may not be crystal clear, the overall sound of Los Campesinos! has been maintained, with a slight hint of improvement. This release is a better version of the original demo. So between the two, this is the winner despite the lower rating, which can be attributed to small issues that should have been addressed in production.