October 11 Album Releases, 2011

By: Scott Smith, Album Reviews Editor

A Radiohead release could be considered the biggest release of the year, let alone a given week. But TKOL Remixes 1234567, a series of reinterpretations of the band’s latest release, The King of Limbs. Ironically, the album that I personally criticized for being too short is packed with material from some of the electronic music worlds brightest rising stars including Caribou, and Jamie xx (of The XX.)

A similar endeavor was embarked upon for Caribou’s most recent album, Swim, and garnered fantastic results. Radiohead themselves seem to be overseeing, or at least, embracing the project as they always have in the past like their “Nude” remix contest from a few years back. This time their throwing a party featuring many of the DJ’s on the album and Thom Yorke himself will be spinning for the enjoyment of the lucky attendees.

The album is up and streaming right here and after listening to a few tracks, I can definitively say it’s a fun mix. Caribou made a boring song in “Little By Little” a raucous and bombastic track, but my favorite track was the remix of the new age Brazilian samba “Feral” by Lone, someone I’ve never heard of before this moment.

That’s the best part about these kind of releases: Discovering new artists--there are usually so many up and comers.

Strangely again, the second biggest release of the week might not even be a full-length album, but an EP. That may sound peculiar, especially if you aren’t familiar with the kind of work James Blake can produce on an extended play.

Blake, one of the biggest critical darlings of 2011, assaulted the web late last year with a three EPs, that revealed his large scope of abilities in recording techniques. Each EP was Blake in a specific mindset--a showcase of how well he could work within different genres to create something entirely his own. He’s now already being coined as the father of post-dubstep, a movement away from the grimy bass-rattling that has flooded our speakers over the past two years or so.

Blake’s newest EP, Enough Thunder, was met with the loftiest of expectations. Among the six tracks is a cover of Joni Mitchell’s “A Case of You.” Arguably Blake’s most quintessentially James Blake tune is his heartbreaking, drowning cover of Feist’s “Limit to Your Love,” so this only made the hype more unbearable. Luckily the beautiful piano ballad is a highlight.

To only up expectations and ‘indie cred’ of the work, Enough Thunder also includes “Fall Creek Boys Choir” featuring the only person critics are drooling over this year more than Blake: Bon Iver. Maybe I’m crazy, but Blake’s uninspired production on the track does nothing to aid Bon Iver’s layered, effectually smooth growling. Listen for yourself here, but I can only surmise this EP as a dud that got swallowed by its own hype.

Those are the biggies, but there are still some other releases that may tickle your fancy. The first release from Future Islands drops this week. They’ve received some buzz on the web recently, most likely because their name is Future Islands. Peter Gabriel still refuses to act like a normal human being, and that’s fine with me. The former Genesis front-man is releasing his own, orchestral, remix album of his own solo material.

Lastly though is a welcoming release from everyone’s favorite whistler, Andrew Bird. No it’s a not gorgeous homogeneous mixture of classical violin with contemporary music sensibilities (and of course, some whistling), it’s a soundtrack for the upcoming low budget black comedy/ drama Norman.

The film centers around Norman, a high school student who lost his mother and now must live with the reality of life's being just him and his stomach-cancer-ravaged father. Sounds like it’ll contain some of the great black, morbid humor I love (Louis C.K. is my hero) before switching to a heartfelt drama about growing up and living with what life deals you.

This sort of premise sounds tailor-made for Andrew Bird, a musician who can switch from the light and whimsical to dark and emotional as quick as a whistle (sorry for the pun, I’ve been trolling Reddit a lot lately.)

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for next week’s post, which should be spectacular with all the great albums coming out.

February 8 Album Releases

Is it February already? No, really? Must I admit that I am still living in 2010, even though best-of-the-year lists have been filed away, far away, in our hard drives? I suppose I must, but thankfully there are a few albums coming out this week that may yank me out of my rut and bring me up to speed in this newest year.

How better to get acquainted with new music—and edge on some high-strung hype—than with a cover version of a song from the catalogue of a high-profile indie artist. In London producer James Blake’s case, he chose Feist’s “Limit to Your Love.” He casts the quiet song with an equally stark cover version, directed with quiet clarifications. An impactful piano and Blake’s soulful, vibrato voice heat up with dub effects and electronic ticks and snaps. His ability to craft poignant pauses in his music is staggering—spine-tingling even. Indie admirers are ready to snack on what seems to be a meticulously plotted self-titled, full-length debut, and I am right there with them.

I never know what to expect from an Akron/Family album. Akron/Family is a band that choreographs psychedelic, love-soaked, raucous songs, but each album has a distinct personality. However, the band’s newest seems to have multiple rainbow-anchored personalities, as the title, The Cosmic Birth of Shinju TNT, suggests. The album starts with “Silly Bears,” a childish fable-telling song depicted with bursting electric guitars and sing-along vocals, all ending with cricket chirps—not a first for Akron/Family (See the insect-themed track on their album Love Is Simple for obvious evidence). It might seem silly, but this opening song does not lack fun. I haven’t dared to listen to the rest of this idiosyncratic concept record yet, but I would only expect more gaudy confusion and more outright amusement.

Speaking of amusement, Gruff Rhys of Super Furry Animals is set to greet the world with his third solo release, Hotel Shampoo—an album so-titled due to his unstoppable accumulation of free hotel loot, which he recently used to craft a doghouse-like art installation also entitled Hotel Shampoo. Led by the single “Shark Ridden Waters,” the album continues his string of sugared '60s melodies and friendly, out-of-the-ordinary lyrics.

Also coming out this week are Cut Copy’s Zonoscope (led by the soothing electronic appeal of the single “Need You Now”); Vivian Girls/Woods/Bossy side project The Babies’ debut self-titled album; and Silk Flowers’ sophomore album, Ltd. Form, which is so obviously affected by Joy Division in every trance-like musical sense.

Of course there is more to be heard and methodically discussed and reviewed, but it will take me careful steps to reacquaint myself with the process of suffering through many upon many new albums, seeking what is new and good. One album at a time, please. I’ll start with these few.


-Jessi Finn, Album Reviews Editor