Nov 28, 2006

New Buffalo - The Last Beautiful Day (2004)

The Last Beautiful Day, recently released in America via the Arts & Crafts International label (previously released in Australia in 2004 via Dot Dash) is a wonderful slice of quirky, sublime pop. Essentially a one-woman show, Sally Seltmann wrote, recorded and produced all of the songs on the album, with a little help from the likes of Beth Orton - who sings backing vocals on one track - and the Dirty Three's Jim White - who provides drums on three of the albums ten songs. It is difficult to pinpoint exactly what it is about the Last Beautiful Day that makes it such a joy to listen to. On tracks, such as the slow burning Come Back, Seltmann's voice is at once fragile and beautiful, with the quiet guitar accompaniment lending the song a certain poignancy. Elsewhere, the combination of live instrumentation with programmed beats and loops add a complexity to the songs that is always subtle, in keeping with the understated elegance of the album On the uplifting It'll Be Alright, when Seltmann tells us just that, it is impossible not to believe her. The Last Beautiful Day is a fully realized, left-of-center pop delight that delivers something new to the listener with each spin.

Check Out: www.newbuffalo.net

The Casanovas - The Casanovas (2004)

If it is rock you want, then it is rock you shall have! Hailing from Melbourne Rock City, The Casanovas carry on a tradition that can be traced all the way back to the first chords Angus Young strummed on AC/DC's classic first album, High Voltage. The Casanovas bring the same unabashedly rock'n'roll riffery that causes audiences the world to bow down and give thanks at the altar of all things rock. With song titles such as Livin' In The City, No Time For Love, and the awesome, Shake It, when it comes to The Casanovas, what you see is what you get: high octane, good time, balls to the wall rock'n'roll. Released in Australia in 2004 on the ever great Rubber Records, with a recent release in America via IRock, The Casanovas self-titled debut establishes them as purveyors of some of the finest rock riffs on offer at this point in time, with a firm grasp on the rock'n'roll torch that burns eternal. The albums closing track, 10 Outta 10, while a perfect summation of the album as a whole, is already a live favorite, and has a sing-a-long chorus that begs to be played at ear splitting levels. Consider yourself warned.

Check out: www.myspace.com/thecasanovas

Gogol Bordello - Gypsy Punks Underdog World Strike (2005)

Should you ever be passing through old London town, be sure to drop in on my old friend Charlie Farmer, and thank him for introducing us to Gogol Bordello. If you have ever wondered what a Ukranian gypsy playing raucous punk rock in a New York basement might sound like - and if we are being honest, who hasn't? - look no further. This album is brilliant. The way it fuses traditional gypsy instruments with a punk rock aesthetic is reminiscent of The Pogues at their shambolic best - that is if Shane McGowan had been born in eastern Europe, as opposed to Ireland. As Charlie originally told me, this album never fails to bring a smile to your face. With song titles such as Think Locally, Fuck Globally the album has a revolutionary zeal to it, that while tackling serious issues, is never overly earnest. Start Wearing Purple is one of the stand out tracks on the album; a manic sing-a-long that will have you jigging wildly around the room. So if you have been feeling a little sluggish of late, throw Gogol Bordello into your stereo, and as you gleefully shout the chorus to Undestructable, remember, there isn't much that is legal that can make you feel this good.

Check out: www.myspace.com/gogolbordello

Hilltop Hoods - The Calling (2003)

Observing the Australian music scene from afar for the past few years, I have realized that Australia truly does produce world-class music that is, more often than not, criminally overlooked - both at home and abroad. Which brings me to The Hilltop Hoods. I know what you're thinking, and believe me, I had the same mis-givings: hip-hop with an Australian accent... it just doesn't sound right. Oh, but it does, my friends, it does. It has taken me quite some time to come around to the Aussie hip-hop scene, but with this album, The Hilltop Hoods have finally legitimized that very scene. Released at the end of 2003, purchased by me at the start of 2005 (and subsequently played to death), this album is - for lack of a better adjective - the shit! The beats hit hard and the rhymes - always on point - are full of distinctly Australian wordplay, without pandering to any lame stereotypes. With lyrics like "Oi, Suffer you can't sing/ Yeah I can barely hum a tune/ But I'll make this place bounce like bed springs on a honeymoon", the Hilltop Hoods are sure to get any party jumping. For my mind, the stand out tracks are Testimonial Year (raise them beers), Dumb Enough, and The Nosebleed Section. I know there will be plenty of doubters out there, but give the Hoods a chance, and soon enough, you will be following their Calling.

Checkout: www.myspace.com/hilltophoods

Stars - Set Yourself On Fire (2004)

What are they putting in the water in Canada? How is it that so many cool bands keep popping up there? Broken Social Scene, The Dears, The Arcade Fire... and now Stars. Set Yourself On Fire was released in 2004 on the Arts & Crafts label (home also to Broken Social Scene), however, I have only recently discovered it. The opening track - Your Ex-Lover Is Dead - sets the stage for what is an album of wonderfully lush rock-pop songs. The vocal duties on the album are shared by Torquil Campbell (a guy) and Amy Milan (a girl) - both of whom have soft, warm voices that touch you in all the right places. With horns and washes of New Order-esque keyboards and computer bips and bleeps filling out the standard guitar, bass, drums line-up, Set Yourself Is On Fire is anything but a standard album. The lyrical content, like any great pop album, addresses matters of the heart most closely - and to read the lyrics alone, all seems like some beautiful poetry, cut-and-pasted straight from the human psyche onto paper. The album will lift you up and carry you along for the entirety of its 13 tracks. Calendar Girl - the album's final track - will leave you warm and fuzzy and wanting more. Its all about staying alive.

Check out: www.myspace.com/stars

Prefuse 73 - Surrounded By Silence (2005)

I think we can all agree on one thing: the state of mainstream hip-hop in 2005 is shaky at best, unlistenable at worst. I don't want to name check any of the main offenders -mostly through fear of retaliatory shootings - however, it is safe to say that the time has come for us to look for good hip-hop outside of the mainstream. One player who has been making waves in the underground scene in the USA, is a gentleman by the name of Prefuse 73 (a/k/a Guillermo Scott Herren). Surrounded By Silence is an awesome - if not always easily accessible - album. If you are a fan of DJ Shadow's Endtroducing, then chances are you will like this album. The beats are chopped up all over the place, the cut and paste sampling is on point, and a good deal of the production work is quite mind-blowing. The album is a mix of instrumental and vocal tracks - probably the coolest thing about the album is the line-up of MCs that put down rhymes. Prefuse 73 has pulled together some of the best known names in hip-hop (Wu-Tang Clan's Ghostface Killa, GZA & Masta Killa) and paired them with today's underground heroes (El-P, Aesop Rock - both from the Definitive Jux label). The combination works extraordinarily well. The highlight track for me is Hide Ya Face, which features both Ghostface and El-P throwing down. With 21 tracks in all, Surrounded By Silence is not always an easy listen - if you want verse-verse-chorus-verse, look elsewhere - but it is some of the most imaginative and forwarding thinking music put to wax recently, and is ultimately a rewarding listen.

Check out: www.prefuse73.com

The Herbaliser - Take London (2005)

If Surrounded By Silence (Prefuse 73) isn't the type of hip-hop that you'd put on to get the party started, then Take London most certainly is. With phat beats, razor-sharp rhymes and a heavy dose of the funky stuff, The Herbaliser will have your head nodding and your feet moving. Hailing from the U.K., The Herbaliser is a production team that combine the best elements of hip-hop, soul and funk, to produce a sound you'll want to revisit again and again. Similar to Prefuse 73, The Herbaliser recruit a slew of guest MCs to add rhymes to their rock solid productions, and they also divide the tracks between vocals and instrumentals. My only qualm with the album, is that the sequencing sometimes leads an up-beat vocal track into a slow grooving instrumental, which seems to upset the flow slightly, however, this is a small gripe. The highlight tracks for me are Generals, which features six MCs throwing down on the one track and never fails to get increase my heart beat (particularly when I'm doing my best B-Boy impression on those LA freeways); Lord, Lord, which features the inimitable Roots Manuva ('nuff said); and Gadget Funk, which is an electro-funk jam that is sure to have your bootie shaking. All in all, The Herbaliser is a quality album that should appeal to hip-hop heads and the casual listener alike.

Check out: http://www.herbaliser.com/

Toby Burke - Winsome Lonesome (2004)

It's a cold Sunday afternoon in the middle of winter. A bitter wind is blowing across the city and ominous dark clouds have gathered above. A heavy rain begins to to fall. Now is no time to be out walking the streets... Its a good thing, then, that myself and three of my closest friends have found our way into the warmth and comfort of this inner-city pub. There is a woodfire burning, and, luckily, the beer in our glasses is as cold as the weather outside. Sure, it may be ugly out there, but we're in here - at least until we have to stumble home at closing time. The barman puts an album on behind the bar. I catch his eye, and he nods at me - almost as if he knows something that I don't. I return to conversation with my friends, which continues, as before, with hazy recollections of the night before. At first I don't notice it, as it quietly provides the soundtrack to our boozy afternoon, however, it soon becomes impossible for me to ignore the sweet music that is falling from the speakers around the pub. Quietly strummed acoustic guitars; simple arrangements; a soft, smoky vocal; a harmonica here; a piano there. I sit back and let the music wash over me in warm waves. Suddenly, I am violently shaken - apparently it is my round. As I approach the bar, I listen to the instrumental track playing and am struck by its quiet beauty. Standing at the bar I ask for four beers, and "Who is this on stereo?" The bartender gives me the same knowing nod that he had given me earlier. "Toby Burke. He's from Melbourne. The album's called Winsome Lonesome." I tell him I like the title. "Great music..." he says. A smile crosses my face as I nod my head in agreement.

Check out: www.tobyburke.com

Bob Dylan - Blood On The Tracks (1975)

If you have recently broken up with someone, or have recently been broken up with, or simply remember the soul-destroying, life-changing, cold-sweat-inducing pain of having your heart broken, Blood On The Tracks is an album you must own. In fact, Blood On The Tracks is an album you must own regardless. Many before me have written about this album, and with good reason. It is quite possibly the best break-up album ever - not to mention one of Dylan's best. Written and recorded following a painful separation from his wife, Sara, in 1974, Blood On The Tracks is full of heart ache, pain and spiteful recriminations, just like any good end to a relationship. Songs such as Tangled Up In Blue show Dylan's unsurpassed skills as a songwriter, while Idiot Wind could have only been spawned from a bitter, thwarted heart. If you have never felt the sting of losing someone you loved, listen to If You See Her, Say Hello and you will know what it means to have loved and lost. Most importantly, though, Blood On The Tracks is an amazing collection of songs that should be a part of your collection.

Check out: www.bobdylan.com

Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - Cold Roses (2005)

It is no secret that I am quite fond of Ryan Adams. In fact, if I had a dollar for every time I had drunkenly threatened someone with violence unless they promised to purchase Heartbreaker (Adams' brilliant 2000 solo debut, which will be covered in a later issue - though, if you don't already own a copy, your lucky I'm not drunk right now), I would be a wealthy man. There is a fine line between passion and belligerence - a line that is often blurred in my mind's eye. The last couple of years have seen some releases that, while still of a good quality, have not been up to the (ridiculously) high standard Adams set for himself with his earlier solo albums and the music he made with the now legendary, Whiskeytown. As such it brings a big, stupid looking grin to my face to say that Ryan is well and truly back. Cold Roses is a brilliant double album that echoes the sound of Whiskeytown and Adams' rootsier beginnings. The music is great and the songwriting sees Ryan back to his best. It has a nice, country-flavoured tinge, though not in a lame Garth Brookes way (sorry Garth). It is a very accessible album with great songs, and would be a great place to start if you are yet to add Ryan to your collection. There a number of very fine songs on both discs. The final track on the first disc is titled How Do You Keep Love Alive - well, releasing more albums like this is a bloody good start. Welcome back.

Check out: www.ryan-adams.com

The National - Alligator (2005)

Don't you hate it when you find an album that is so good that you want to tell all your friends about it, yet you're unable find the appropriate words to describe just how good it is. Brooding, melancholic, self-deprecating, pretty bloody amazing. So many adjectives, and yet there lies a place for all of them. Lines - sung with tongue firmly in cheek - such as "I used to be carried in the arms of cheerleaders" or "This time the motorcade will have to go around me, because God is on my side" make this album an great one. The National have been quietly going about their business as a five piece band, living in Brooklyn, for a few years and a couple of releases now. They have thus far managed to fly under the musical radar, however, it looks like 2005 will be their year to shine - that is, if there is any justice in the world. The songs vary from slow, brooding gems to straight up rockers - with much in between - all of which are very cool. Lyrically, The National display significant talent, with storytelling abilities to match those of the songwriting greats, while the music serves to create a moving, moody canvas for the stories to be painted on. The album is awesome from the first listen, however, the more you listen the better it gets. There is so much going on that you find something new each time. It really is very good.

Check out: http://www.myspace.com/thenational

The Pernice Brothers - Overcome By Happiness (1998)

My plan, originally, was to tell you all about the fantastic new album from The Pernice Brothers - Discover A Lovelier You (2005). However, each time I try, I find myself smiling giddily, as I recall the first time I heard the Pernice Brothers' first album - Overcome By Happiness; the first time I saw Joe Pernice play live (February 20th, 1999); which was, coincidentally, the first and only time I asked him for his discarded water bottle at the end of the show (yes... quite strange). To say that Overcome By Happiness changed my life may be a little over the top, but that's not to say it isn't true. I'm not afraid to say that it is some of the prettiest music my 19-year-old ears had ever heard - and still is to this day. Probably my favourite track from the album, All I Know is a beautiful, melancholic number, that seems to hold a mirror up to the inner-workings of the (broken) human heart, and always manages to bring with it a strange sense of comfort. It was Overcome By Happiness that taught me that it is okay to be sad sometimes - because there is a true beauty that comes from within sadness. It is a great album to keep you company when you need a little 'you' time away from the world. In my humble opinion, it is simply an amazing album - not suited to all occasions, but perfect for the occasions to which it is.

http://www.pernicebrothers.com/

The Arcade Fire - Funeral (2004)

Here in America, there has been much talk of the Arcade Fire during the first half of 2005, and I, like any good sceptic, was concerned that they would not be able to live up to the hype surrounding them. As such, I held off on buying their album - Funeral - for as long as possible. Don't make the same mistake I did. This is an awesome album from this band from Canada. The sound is full, rocking and up-lifting. Guitars, drums, piano, violin, xylophone, synth, accordian, horns, harp - see... full. Track no. 7 - Wake Up - will have you jumping around the room, very possibly covered in goosebumps - definitely with a smile on your face. You would have to have a heart of stone and a soul of ash to not be picked up and driven along by this collection of songs.

Tom Waits - Bone Machine (1992)

For those of you that know me, will know that I have had a love affair with Mr. Waits that has run for almost five years now - and shows little sign of letting up. Bone Machine marks the fourteenth Tom Waits album in my collection, and I now found myself wondering why it has taken me so long to own it. Released on Island Records in 1992, I believe it is one of the great man's best (not that I like to choose favourites). It is the perfect mix of Waits' more eccentric leanings, and the slower balladry that so many love him for. I think it is probably his most accessible album since things took a strange, but cool, turn on Swordfishtrombones. Whether you like 70's TomWaits ot 80's Tom Waits (or have no idea what the difference is), Bone Machine is a fanastic album for those familiar with him, or a great starting point for those not yet fortunate enough to have Tom Waits in the life. Guests on the album include Les Claypool from Primus and Keith Richards.

http://www.anti.com/artist.php?id=1

Architecture In Helsinki - In Case We Die (2005)

If you like your pop in the vein of Pet Sounds (for those of you who don't know - and I hope there aren't many of you - Pet Sounds is the Brian Wilson led Beach Boys classic), and definitely to the left of centre, you will like In Case We Die. Don't be fooled by the somewhat dark title - there is an underlying happiness to these songs, that at times will have you bouncing around the room - or perhaps it is isimply I who bounces around the room. Some songs, such as Do The Whirlwind, are just down right funky. Any band that includes instruments such as a sytar, cello, bassoon, guitar, drums, tuba, marimba, vibraphone, and hand and power tools is alright by me. The fact that there is a theremin in there as well, is just the icing on the cake - really nice icing.

www.myspace.com/aihmusic

The Dears - No Cities Left (2004)

Some reviewers have likened the Dears (from Canada) to the Smiths. Never having listened to much of the Smiths, I'm not really in a position to comment. When I listen to the Dears, I hear hints of Pulp and Mercury Rev - though I also hear a band with a sound all their own. Lead singer, Murray Lightman, has an amazing voice. It conveys equal parts power and despair. The songs are all great, for me, however, track no. 3 - Lost In The Plot - is a classic. I told my friend, Tim, earlier this year that it would probably be the best song I hear in 2005 - I'm sticking to my story, although the Arcade Fire are trying their best to prove me wrong. I saw the Dears play a few weeks ago in LA, and after having heard the intricacies of some of the songs on their album, I was worried that they may not be able to pull off their sound in the live setting. Not to worry - they were awesome.

www.myspace.com/thedears