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Twin Town High (vol. 8) |
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Coming Soon to a CD store near you . . .
Wednesday 17 December @ 13:41:15 |
 by Celeste Tabora
When a friend mentioned they felt that “Fluorescent Gaze” off of Oh, Fantastica! was a break from the pretentiousness that otherwise overwhelmed Aspera’s latest record I was baffled.
Aspera
Oh, Fantastica!
[Jagjaguwar]
I personally find this album of electronic drum beats and otherworldly vocals (think Revenge of the Nerds gone karaoke) to be quite accessible for both rock followers and those looking for a beat to sh-sh-sh-shake it. I’ll agree Aspera might require a slightly more“advanced listener” with something of an attention span, but I don’t think this album is any more pretentious than any other album released in the history of man. I always wish more bands explored the outer limits of the already been done; I wish more bands were like Aspera.
Richard X
Presents His X-Factor, Vol. 1
[Astralwerks]
Remix albums tend to be a love/hate proposition. Every time the subject of them comes up, people either state their affinity for remixes as an interesting twist in the post-songwriting era they enjoy, or consider them noncreative theft of someone else’s hard work. Here’s an idea—why not judge on a case by case basis? In this case—I’m super into Richard X. His remake of a song made popular by Chaka Khan (“Ain’t Nobody”) in the 1980s called “Being Nobody” and his song (using a Mazzy Star loop) with Jarvis Cocker “Into You” show his restraint, class and sophistication as a remixer. You almost want to thank the gent for not butchering songs forever in your memory!
The Music Lovers
Cheap Songs Tell The Truth
[Marriage]
Americana and Britpop had a baby, and it’s name is The Music Lovers. Fluctuating between sounding like any 60’s pop act, ’90s piano rock a la Ben Folds Five—oddly enough without having the piano be the main driving instrument within the songs—and Britpop’s unsung heroes Gene or the more popular Pulp. The fourth song on this EP “Song from #406,” is driven by a tom drum and powered by a hopelessly romantic singing style that would make one swoon like a lightweight at bar close. Fans of twee pop, Barsuk bands and old pop music should take this EP into their collection.
Camera Obscura
Underachievers Please Try Harder
[Merge]
Release date: January 20, 2004
Be sure not to confuse this six-piece Scottish twee-pop band with Troubleman’s Camera Obscura from California. This Camera Obscura are cute and cuddly a la beloved indie institution Belle & Sebastian. The band even went so far in their emulation to have B&S main man Stuart Murdoch produce one of their albums. This is Sunday-spend-time-in-your-dainty-sun-filled-kitchen-having-a-good-dose-of-alone-time music.
The Special Goodness
Land Air Sea
[Epitaph]
Right now they’re better known as Pat Wilson of Weezer’s other band, but those who have actually heard The Special Goodness know that in comparison, this band rocks harder (like 70s style rock) and the songwriting is more indie and adult than that of Weezer’s. Some lyrics are a bit simplistic, but the fuzzy guitars and warm melodies make up for what is lacking in their words. Akin to: Superdrag and Built To Spill.
My Favorite
Happiest Days of Our Lives
[Double Agent]
This Long Island, N.Y., band have kept it on the D.L. (that’s “down low” for you nonstreet-smart kiddies) since the 1995 release of “The Informers and Us” and their ensuing media darling status. My Favorite’s latest is a double disc offering (half originals, half remixes). Honestly, the band may have gone overboard here, and would probably have been better off serving up one disc of 10 songs rather than this sprawling collection. Instead, I’m questioning whether or not My Favorite is losing their steam (or at least their editing skill).
The Unicorns
Who Will Cut Our Hair When We’re Gone?
[Alien 8]
Canada’s The Unicorns love to beat around the bush when it comes to their songs, and they have a great time doing it. The Unicorn’s sound relies just as much on their lo-fi recording aesthetic as vivid songwriting skills. There are parts within their strange songs that are catchy—causing many people to compare them to their other Canadian brethren, Hot Hot Heat. Luckily, The Unicorns are the brainier of the two, making their cheap keyboards and poor recording come across as “artsy,” not as “unprofessional.” (Picture: Broke-ass, minimal frills Flaming Lips.) It took a couple spins for me to appreciate this record (to truly “get it”), but with that out of the way, I don myself an advocate of this band.
William Elliot Whitmore
Hymns for the Hopeless
[Southern]
The first thing you notice about Whitmore is his voice: genuine, honest, strong. Whitmore was raised in a small town along the Mississippi on a horse farm—and his music sounds just like you’d imagine given his background. Hymns for the Hopeless is the recorded musical output of a hard-working-smokes-too-many-cigarettes-but-minds-his-manners sort of man. Even though this record doesn’t contain a huge wall of sound (most float by on little more than a solitary banjo)—it’s very powerful. I don’t know if it’s because the music is so beautifully sparse that it allows you to reflect on something other than itself or if Whitmore’s passionate tunes have a super power to summon emotions suppressed inside your head, but either way, listening to Hymns for the Hopeless has proved riveting.
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