Sad Moth Smackdown: Boris' Amplifier Worship vs. Melvins' Lysol

just another fucking episode of our bullshit.  week, it's DRONE FOR DAYZ with

bORIS VS MElvins

amplifier WORSHIP vs LYSoL

Sad Moth Smackdown: Alice In Chains' Facelift vs. Soundgarden's Badmotorfinger

Sad mothsters discuss, compare and contrast the relative quality of two grunge albums sung by dead guys.  How the fuck is eddie vedder the last one left? How???

Sad Moth Smackdown: Elvis Costello's "This Year's Model" vs. Tom Petty's "Damn the Torpedos"

Back by no one's demand.

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Hug it out fellas!

Sad Moth Smackdown: Green Day's "Dookie" vs. Blink-182's "Enema of the State"

Real-life teenager SHIG joins the guys to talk seminal pop-punk LPs from the late 90's.

Sad Moth Smackdown: The Fray's "How to Save a Life" vs. Train's "Drops of Jupiter"

The east side kidz from the bay dissect two seminal alt-rock LPs from the mid-00's, The Fray's "How to Save a Life" and Train's "Drops of Jupiter".  Is Over My Head (Cable Car) a certified banger?  How does the rest of "Drops of Jupiter" hold up after it's stand out track?  Is Napa Auto Parts a nice place to work?  Answers to those questions in more in the audio that follows!

Sad Moth Smackdown: R.E.M.'s "Out of Time" vs. Teenage Fanclub's "Bandwagonesque"

Things get a little ~~heated~~ as our intrepid Sad Moth Podcasters Noah and Patrick go toe to toe over the relative merit of Out of Time by R.E.M. and Bandwagonesque by Teenage Fanclub.  **Warning** This one is VERY LONG and goes off the rails about halfway through as things get contentious over the quality of "Losing My Religion".  Listen with caution!

 

O'l Pat's 22 A Million Review

Artist: Bon Iver

Album: 22,  A Million (2016)

It's been about a year now since we as Sad Moth were originally going to publish our Bon Iver 22, A Million reviews.  His latest record, released after about a half decade album drought, polarized many a fan but didn't stop the thing for garnering rave reviews, as most Justin Vernon projects seem to do.  I seem to be having a difficult time trying to discern what side of the fence I'm on, with not only this album but Bon Iver as a whole. 

Sad Moth Podcast Episode 2: We Back Boiiiii: Hopefully This Works Special Edition

Last post didn't seem to work on podcasting platforms, I think because the file was in wav, not mp3.  Hopefully this works!

Sad Moth Interview: Buzz Osborne of the Melvins

Pc: Anmol Gupta

This is it fuckin it dudez.  Sad Moth Music has made it big tyme.  This is an interview with Buzz Osborne, singer/songwriter and guitarist of the Melvins.  We were given the opportunity to conduct this interview by the gracious media relations staff at the Eaux Claires music festival, and Melvins management.  Thanks to all involved.

What follows is a poorly moderated, meandering conversation about many things, including the Melvins' new album, an awkward tv appearance in 1995, good seats at a White Sox/Twins game, Alex Rodriguez, a theoretical fight between Robert Plant and Ozzy Osbourne, and novel masturbation techniques.  I added a good amount of links for those not familiar with various topics of conversation.  I conducted the interview, but Patrick gave me some of the best questions to ask.  Anmol Gupta was there also for some fucking reason and took the picture above.  No that's not me.  I'm a little off to the right.  An mp3 of this conversation exists, but I'm not showing anyone unless they really don't believe this happened and ask for proof or stfu.  It reads much better, as you don't get all of my long pauses, "ums" and annoying, waifish voice.

Jazmine Brown's Review: Weezer -- White Album

Review

By: Patrick Dillon


Artist: Weezer
Album: Weezer (White Album)


Like so many other people Weezer’s music deeply effected me during probably the worst series of years in a persons’s existence: middle school.  Records like Blue Album and Pinkerton with their lyrical sharpness and angst melded beautifully with their sense of humor and pop rock sensibilities, they really helped to define that point in my life (I know all the words to both…).  Although Weezer and I started to go our separate ways, particularly their mid-late 00’s output, I never really stopped listening.  Weezer brilliantly touched on the alienation, anger, and general malaise of these years, in an unpretentious and honest light that so few can truly emulate.  Rivers and Co. are in their forties now (far from youthful) and although they may be far past their best, their latest record proves that their creative moments are anything but fleeting (despite what Raditude may have you believe!)
While this may not be a ‘concept’ record pre se, it does try to emulate the sound and feeling of those magical California summers.  This is, after all, a beach record, and you can hear a certain group of Boys (who may or may not play songs about the beach)  influence all over this record.  Not least of all the closing track appropriately styled after the seminal Beach boys compilation Endless Summer) complete with the sunny harmonies and love lorn lyrics you’d expect.  In fact if you’re at all familiar with Weezer you probably know exactly what to expect here, catchy pop rock gems with explosive choruses, “clever” sometimes funny lyricism, and the best goddamn bridges in the business (at least on this record but more on that later).  All of these tracks rest snugly in that 2:45-3:30 comfort zone, sans the closer, with very few curveballs thrown at the general sound Weezer is known for.  For some that may be seen as a weakness but I argue that Weezer hasn't sounded this musically put together in a long time.  Even 2014’s surprisingly solid Everything Will Be Alright In The End, lacked the punch and fine details that i believe make this record their most compelling since Maladroit.
The record opens with “California Kids”, as anthemic a song as Cuomo has ever written, complete with soaring guitars and a typically killer refrain. Appropriately kicking off with the sounds of an ocean, complete with seagulls flying lazily in the breeze, it evokes the kind of idyllic exaggerated caricature of California the lyrics themselves paint throughout the song. Of course real California kids won't actually throw you a lifeline in any way shape or form, but this idealized image of the California dream fits snuggly in the concept and sound of this record.  “Wind in our Sails” continues the redemptive spirit of the opener with the one of the more clever hooks on the record.  I love the plinking piano throughout, and lyrically in continues Cuomo’s more recent streak of cleverly hip historical references and characters, perfectly utilized on the first excellent bridge on this record.  Really almost every track here features an excellently crafted pop formula, these bridges not only sound great, they lyrically tie these tracks together.  My favorite is probably on “Summer Elaine and Drunk Dory”, where after mentioning that god was a girl earlier in the track he pines: “Remember when we were only sixteen, you made me believe in God, but when I finally wake, both girls are gone”.
Lyrically this may be one of my favorite Weezer records, it’s jam packed with clever character allusions, hip biblical references, and genuinely excellent pop song craft.  Some of these tracks are actually some of the darkest Weezer’s sounded since Pinkerton like on the track “Do You Wanna Get High”.  Lyrically Cuomo recalls memories of his past relationship with not only his girlfriend (also mentioned on Green Album’s “O Girlfriend”) but their pill addiction.  Sonically it could be a Pinkerton outtake with blissfully distorted guitar and a killer drumbeat.  I love the descending chorus harmonies and Cuomo’s impassioned falsetto on the bridge.  “Thank God For Girls” is another lyrical standout, it confronts Cuomo’s hangups about the typified version of masculinity and the struggle to retain that facade, it also throws in a great deal of biblical imagery and characters with a healthy spoonful of absurdity and surrealism.  The piano returns from the previous track “Wind in our Sails” though it sounds much more dramatic and emotive here it perfectly compliments River’s rap like delivery (Not new for a Weezer track) with the fuzz of Brain Bell’s guitar.  There’s even a line here that dates back to 1997: “I'm so glad I got a girl to think of even though she isn't mine, I think about her all the day and all the night it's enough to know that she's alive”.
Sandwiched between the two darker songs of the album lies what may be one of the prettiest.  “Girl We Got A Good Thing” is the breeziest track here, the tambourine is lovely (and I love how they even make reference to tambourines and jingling in the lyrics, its the little things for me man) the 70’s California soft rock guitar sounds great with a little extra fuzz, and the returning piano comes in really nicely.  This may be the finest realization of the Weezer sound in a “Beach Record”, it’s upbeat, sunny, and (again) lyrically clever.  “King Of The World” is similarly lovely but not for all the same reasons.  While many of the songs on this record reference the sound of their older catalogue, this track sounds more like their later output, which at first was a little jarring but this song is definitely a grower, particularly when you look into the lyrics. This is first and foremost a song for his wife, it’s personal and familiar, and although the sound of the song is not nearly as intimate as the lyrics, it maintains the sharp song craft of the rest of the tracks here.  The guitar intro just launches you headfirst into that classic 00’s Weezer sound and continues to warp, twist, and change tone.  Brain Bell is really a great guitarist and his instrument soars over and plows through each of these tracks with energy and creativity, it sounds like he’s having a blast.
The wall of sound and guitar on “L.A. Girlz” is immense and lovely, contrasting well with the bright melodies of this ballad track and the result is, I think, a song that ranks as one of the best the band has ever put together. The sweet melodies work well with Cuomo’s bitter lyrics: “L.A. Girls please act your age”, a little unfair seeing as Weezer are hardly playing songs any traditional 40 year old men would.  Still the tune is undeniable and features another gorgeous bridge: “Does anybody love anybody as much as I love you, baby?”  Plus theres a Jaberwocky reference in the lyrics so what more do you need here? (seriously read the disney picture book based on the novel its brilliant).  The tail end tracks here end on a similar bummer note lyrically with Cuomo’s laments over being “Jacked Up” over a failed romance. The song features a great drumbeat and lovely impassioned falsetto.  It also features some of my favorite lines from the record: “Oh, why, why, why do my flowers always die?” and “We’ll sleep together minus one”.  The closer “Endless Bummer” may be the most explicitly Beach Boys song here with its acoustic harmonies and gentle melody (not to mention the title) but it doesn't get lost in the influence, this is still Weezer and this quaint guitar ballad builds organically to a nice finish before the sounds of the ocean appropriately bookend this record.
With only 10 songs on this album and  only one of them even approaching anything more than 4 minute length its very hard for this record to wear out its welcome, each song is sharp, instantaneous, and memorable.  Its not without its flaws, it can be cheesy, self referential, a tad formulaic at times.and for some those may be a legitimate problem but for me, when the formula is this well put together its hard to argue that this is the best Weezer record in years and stands as a worthy successor to their earlier work.  It really brings me back to being a kid again listening to Weezer effectively get the wind back in my sails (get it?).  Here’s hoping Black Album is even better.


8/10

Ol Pat's Review: Animal Collective

Meh.

3/10

Kanye West Life of Pablo Review

Review

By: Patrick Dillon

Album: The Life Of Pablo (2016)
Artist: Kanye West

*Note: This review was composed before any change Mr. West may have put up on Tidal, I don’t own a Tidal account so I’m reviewing the version and track listing i got upon the records initial release.

  At this time, the majority of you have, in all likeliness, already listened to and re-listened to this record.  It’s pretty obvious that my thoughts aren’t going to sway anyones already established opinion (negative or positive) or encourage the very few of you who haven’t already given this thing a listen to check it out.  That being said I think there are a few virtues in waiting to review this particular album, my being very very lazy just happens to be one of them.  For one; the explosive slow-motion car wreck of Mr. West’s promotional efforts seems to have died down a little, at least to the point where his antics aren’t trending on the daily anymore.  Regardless of what you think of Kanye’s artistic merit, there is no denying that he’s a marketing genius.  There is no such thing as bad press and I'm pretty sure Kanye, like a certain presidential candidate, has an earth shattering orgasm whenever anyone happens to mention his name.  Another virtue in reviewing this album so late, is that this record confounded me at first listen. To be quite honest with a few exceptions, the first time i heard this album i hated it.  That’s not to say i adore it now however, but this is a record that certainly takes a few listens to pin down. Hell one cant be sure if Yeezy himself has this record pinned down.

I’ll tell you what he does have pinned down though, opening tracks.  Kanye’s openers very rarely let me down, and “Ultralight Beam” is no exception.  Needless to say its a huge track in typical modern Kanye form.  Though he’s never shied away from religious songs before (“Jesus Walks” being a prime example), this is may be his most overtly religious sounding song.  Gospel fits in with Kanye’s typical larger than life production better than i could have imagined, I love the way the more traditionally hip hop drum beat works with the pretty chord progression, very nice stuff. All that being said it’s not really Kanye who is the best part of his own song, that honor belongs to none other than Mr. Chance The Rapper.  I mean we already know Chance has a huge Kanye boner (“Good Ass Intro” is an homage to Kanye’s Freshman Adjustment 2 Mixtape Intro) but he really outdoes himself on this track.  His excitement to appear on a Kanye album really comes through and his verse is appropriately poignant and elated.  This track to me shows Kanye’s true talent as a producer and an organizer,  but unfortunately for Mr. West he also has to rap.

Now i don't think the “Oh Father Stretch My Hands” tracks are necessarily all bad, on the contrary i think there is a lot here to like (Can we all agree it’s nice to hear Kid Cudi actually sing something decent again?).  On “Part 1” the production for instance is surprisingly messy and the bass and drums are very muddy sounding.  For a producer whose usual M.O. is huge, almost orchestral, rap tracks these songs sound remarkably unfinished, witch i can dig!  What i can’t dig however is the obnoxious high hats and off kilter auto-tune.  Kanye can use better auto tune, we’ve heard him use better auto tune, he uses better auto-tune on this very record so why it sounds to dull and lifeless here is anyones guess.  Maybe it was to distract from the god awful, and now infamous “Bleached Asshole” lyrics, though thats far from likely.  Even though lyrically “Part 1” is far far worse, at least the beat and chorus are interesting, the same cant be said of “Part 2” witch just settles for tiresome filler (nice vocoder at the end though).  What also makes “FSMH” 1&2 so insufferable is that they’re sandwiched between two of the better tracks on the album.

I didn’t expect to love “Famous”, in fact with all the things i heard about it prior to the album’s release i was going in with very low expectations, needless to say i was very pleasantly surprised.  Bb-B-B-BB-BBB-B-B-AAANNGER ALERT!! With two audacious samples on one track, Nina Simone’s “Do What You Gotta Do” & Sister Nancy’s “Bam Bam”, “Famous” easily could have crumbled under its own weight, fortunately  what we get here is easily the most fun  track on the album.  Nina’s vocal melody is of corse gorgeous, even though Rihanna’s vocals aren’t always my favorite, though the clear winner amongst the two is the excellently implemented “Bam Bam” sample at the beat change.  Even the now infamous Taylor Swift line i thought was funny even if it was thrown in to blatantly appease the click bait horde. The album actually continues a small quality streak with “Feedback”.  I really dig the almost industrial beat and Kanye comes of hilariously cocky if not as full of contradictions as he always is. Despite a few lyrical short comings i really think this is a great track, though i don't really understand or like the whole Ghetto Oprah part at the end.  Though he says he’s been “out of his mind a long time” the only real moment on this or really any Kanye album that even hints at genuine psychosis is “Freestyle 4”.  This may be the rawest we’ve ever heard Kanye (witch Kanye die-hards are sure to appreciate)  as he comes off truly manic and abrasive, he sounds unhinged spouting delusional nonsense.  Its nice (maybe nice isn't the right word, how about interesting) to actually hear a genuinely weird moment  from Kanye considering so much of this album, and his last album, were just shallow attempts to try and sound as weird and challenging as he does here.

Freestyle 4 rests in-between probably the weakest tracks on the album, not including the supposedly endearing “I Love Kanye” (Major digression but i really liked “I Love Kanye” at first listen as it was supposed to be a cute clever freestyle but a lot of the magic was really taken away when i watched Saturday Night Live stench posted a week before and in his supposed impromptu freestyle battle with Kyle Moony he just says the same thing even before the record was released! so its not a freestyle? Thats fine Kanye has never been good at freestyles but then why bill it as a freestyle? Thats what makes the whole track charming, now it just seems a little too calculated for me..whew sorry back to the review) , “Highlights”, “Lowlights”, and “Waves”.  Full disclosure “Lowlights” may just be my least favorite track on this record, this faux artsy pretentious go nowhere no substance bullshit goes on for like a minute and half to long and for some reason just pisses me off to an unbelievable degree. It’s Uninteresting even at the beginning, pointless even as a segue, and really doesn't say much of anything.  “Highlights” doesn’t fare much better as it’s really just heinous filler, the beat is nothing really special or noteworthy, and it’s not like Kanye has much of anything to say anyways.  I like the orchestral synths, and at leaf the auto-tune sounds good again but they're really not enough to save the track from just being meh, even if Kanye’s verse isn’t horrible.

Which brings us to “Waves”, why anyone (let alone Kanye) is still giving Chris Brown work is beyond me.  Even putting aside his being a horrible human being, he’s just really not interesting as a singer anymore, hell he’s not even on key the majority of the song!  If Kanye really had to fight to prove he had the right to use Waves as a title (even if it didn't even end up being the albums title) then this track is all the evidence you need to the contrary, despite the unnecessary “Silver Surfer Interlude” later on.  And does this mean at one time this song, this bland lifeless song, was the albums title track?!  But I digress, after all two of the best tracks on the album appear immediately afterwords.  “FML”, and “Real Friends” are in all honesty my favorite tracks here, and at least provide a sort of safe haven for lyrical quality, or at least competency.  “FML” is gorgeous, and here is where Kanye’s auto-tune balladry really shines in the opening, only of course to tag in the The Weeknd halfway into the track.  Tesfye’s feature fits perfectly with the really spacious production, this is an almost minimal stark track and the synths toward the end really surprised me, they almost sound like they belong on an art rock record Hudson Mowhawke really killed it here.  Kanye shouts his verse and really brings a palpable sense of urgency.

The melancholy vibes really continue with “Real Friends”, while its unfortunate that probably my favorite song on this whole record was released months before as part of Kanye’s G.O.O.D. Fridays, but whatever its still a great track.  I really like the watery and ethereal production here, he keeps the beat spacious and simple here and it sounds just great.  The track itself is almost reminiscent of the same “Old Kanye” Mr. West joked about earlier in the record.  I can definitely appreciate this more introspective side of Kanye as opposed to a lot of the nonsense he seems to be saying on the rest of this record.  I even like Ty Dollar $ign’s singing here i really cant say enough nice things about this track.  “Wolves” on the other hand has me torn, i don’t dislike this track, in fact i like a lot of the biblical themes and the beat is ok, i like descending synth lines, i just think for all the potential this track has it comes off as just boring.

But you don’t even know the meaning of boring until you hear the last half of the next track “30 Hours”.  The real tragic thing about this song for me is that i really enjoyed the first half, i really did.  I like Kanye’s flow here and even what he’s saying (that ex-girlfriend line was funny)  and i can even dig the beat but come on people this goes on for way, waaaaaayyyy too long.  Did you know Andre 3000 is on this track?  Neither did I at first cause Kanye just has him do fucking BACKUP VOCALS.  Are you serious? you're going to spend a good two minutes jerking yourself off (we all know you cant free style or ad-lib well) when you could have actually utilized Andre FUCKING 3000??  God dammit if that isn’t the most quintessentially Kanye thing he does on this album.  This song is an unfinished mess, he’s not being real, he’s not being “off the cuff”, he just being uninteresting and wasting my time.

Luckily on “No More Parties in L.A.” he actually does utilize the people he's working with and with those people being Madlib and Kendrick Lamar he certainly should be.  I like the way Kanye comes in for a second and then Kendrick just snatches the first verse, and its not bad although surprisingly I think Kanye actually has the better verse here even if its a little similar in tone to “Real Friends”.  The beat of course is fantastic, though Madlib rarely disappoints, the soul samples are great and i love the guitar and keyboard riffs.  It’s a great track but its not as mind-blowing as one might assume looking at the individuals involved.  I really wish the album ended here though, I think it would have been a much better ending than what we ending up getting with “Fade” which barely features Kanye on it at all, (and what the fuck is Post Malone doing on here? ) its probably not a horrible song but as a closer its horrendous.  Its just poorly written even if the house samples that make up the beat are at times interesting. I guess the only track I failed to mention is “Facts” and this too came out before the record, though this version is a million times better than the initial release.  At least the beat is great, it actually makes listening to Kanye rap about a beef no one cares about bearable and his flow isn’t terrible either.

I hear a lot of people asking: “What Pablo do you think Kanye is?”, “What do you think the album means?”, “How do you think it all relates, whats the point?”.  And thats exactly it, i don't think there is a point, I'm sure Kanye wants his fans to endlessly theorize and really dissect something thats not even there.  He may be an asshole but anyone who really thinks this record is some grandly planned out statement may even look like a bigger asshole.  It takes more than a few passing references to the name Pablo on a few tracks to actually put together a concept piece and this sure as shit isn’t a concept piece.  I find it hard to believe theres even a concept in its sloppiness and eclecticism, but hey if you really want to put the work in to try and “Figure this album out” by all means go for it.  Manny and i were talking last night about how Roger Ebert once said “If you have to ask what it symbolizes, it didn’t.” and i really think that fits this album nicely.  As a collection of tracks though i cant help but enjoy this record despite what it may seem like after reading this review.  I think the major problem i have is that at first i wanted to “get it” until i realized theres really nothing to “Get”.  While i don’t think this album is necessarily great, i do think its a worthwhile listen, it contains some absolutely fantastic songs as well as some very forgettable songs but i think ultimately there more to like here than hate and whats good here really is very good.  I don’t even think Kanye himself knows exactly what to make of this record, hence its existence in a state of eternal flux, Its not the return to form i think a lot of people were hoping for but hey maybe we’ll get that in four years as presidential thank you present, i sure hope so.

Favorite Tracks: “Real Friends”, “FML”, “Famous”, “Freestyle 4”, “Feedback”, “Ultralight Beam”, “No More Parties In L.A.”

Least Favorite Tracks: “Lowlights”, “Waves”, “Fade”

6.5/10

Taylor Swift 1989 Review

Review

By: Patrick Dillon 

Artist: Taylor Swift

Album: 1989 (2014)

Its a little ironic that one of the worst years for album sales ever features the highest sales week of any album in the past twelve years.  For this reason alone, Taylor Swift’s 1989 (The years only Platinum selling album) was always destined to become a pop classic.  I have to admit, its more than a little refreshing to see everyone excited to listen to an album in an age where the medium is becoming less and less relevant.  What makes this album successful is Swift’s ability to sound like herself through all the musical progression. Swift’s metamorphosis from country princess to bonafide pop powerhouse may not be as complete on a few of the 13 tracks here, but when she hits her stride, its clear why the artist has become a pop sensation without ever losing her artistic voice in the process.

When 1989 is at its best it combines it’s timeless pure pop production with Swift’s undeniable knack for catchy songwriting, (Blank Space, Style, Out of the Woods) culminating in her #1 smash “Shake it Off”.  The poppy horn-lead shrug placed Swift amongst the few artists whose singles debuted at the top off the Billboard charts.  It’s undeniably fun even with Swift’s high camp “Sick Beat” line.  The saxophone and horns create a timeless pop feel, and I like Swift’s confidence on this track.  Other highlights include two of the early songs on the album, “Blank Space” and “Style”.  These are exactly the kind of songs Swift should be making at this time.  Catchy, playful, pop gold.  “Style” is vintage synth-pop straight out of the album’s title year, with an anthemic hook and Swift at her campy flirty best, while “Blank Space” is funny self referential pop goodness that may represent her musical progression best on this album.  Its quietly sharp, and the hook is expectedly great. 

Swift knows how to surprise as well, tackling new styles and sounds.  “Out of the Woods” marks Swift’s first venture in the indie-pop realm, co-written by Jack Antonoff of fun. and Bleacher fame. Giant bursting drums and moody synths create a great atmosphere for Swift's dancibly anthemic chant-along.  Songs like “Clean” and “I Know Places”,  give 1989 a much appreciated boost in terms of lyrical quality and diversity.   “Clean” being the darkest song on the album, chronicling a tale of addiction, risk, and grief.  I love the warped bass over the rhythm section's textural pings and pongs.  These tracks explore new territory for Taylor, and while they don't completely delve into their ideas, they are a welcome change of pace over some of the more "vintage Swift" songs here.

Unfortunately not every song showcases Swift’s musical progression as well as these tracks.  “I Wish You Would” , and “How You Get The Girl” could have been on Red, and showcase a lot of the problems of that album (forgettable, shallow, boring), “Welcome to New York” goes a little too safe for my taste, painting a picture of a blandly magical New York.  It just feels too clean, and Swift’s innocent country girl persona can wear thin on this track.  “Bad Blood” features probably the worst beat on the album, and I personally don't care for the chanted hook whatsoever.  Songs like “Wildest Dreams” and “All You Had to Do Was Stay” are merely forgettable, but showcase some nice production nonetheless.  These songs just don't show off the focus Swift shows at 1989’s best moments.  

The only ballad-like song on the album comes in the form of “This Love”.  This may be the best song on the album, showcasing Swift's vocal ability over beautiful fluid harmonies, and tender stripped back instrumentation.  It presents a more mature side of Taylor, and is a genuinely lovely song.  Swift has shed her country crossover skin and transformed into a pop heavy hitter but manages to maintain her artistic voice through all her experimentation, and has produced her first truly fine album.  Its not perfect, but its exactly what it wants to be, and to me; thats admirable.

7.5/10

I Liked These Songs: “Blank Space”, “Style”, “Shake it Off”, “This Love”

Least Favorite Song: “How You Get The Girl”

Patrick's Top 10 Christmas Songs

Patrick’s 

Top 10 Christmas Songs

Christmas is an interesting time of year for me.  While I can never get into the marketing or religious roots of the holiday, the concept of showing love and appreciation to those around you or less fortunate does a little to warm my little  shriveled black seed of a heart.  It's similar to the kind of feeling I get riding up and down the elevators at Macy’s, I can’t really explain it, its just nice.  Christmas music however has always been hit or miss with me.  That being said the following ten songs are MY favorite Christmas related songs that I think might explain that holiday feeling better than I ever could.  Also I needed to do an obligatory holiday list to attract readers and no one writes songs about Hanukkah.  Enjoy!

Patrick- Alt J ∆ Review

Review

By: Patrick Dillon 

Artist: Alt J (∆)

Album: This Is All Yours (2014)

Its not too rare to find an artist experimenting with their sound on the follow up to their breakthrough album, in fact it’s quite common.  On their sophomore effort Alt J don’t offer any of the buzz worthy internet hits like “Breezeblocks” or “Tesselate” that made their debut: An Awesome Wave such a success. They do however serve up a more expansive and challenging set of songs that, while not quite as memorable or fresh as their previous record, still manages to refine their (dare i say) quirky sound, If only for about half of the album.

It’s actually quite hard not to compare This Is All Yours form their wacky debut, as my favorite song from the album is actually a sequel to a song off of An Awesome Wave.  “Bloodflood Part II” is an excellent continuation of the original track, i love the faint horns on this track, as well as the building harmonies.  In fact, these are aspects I like in a lot of these songs.  Witch leads me to my biggest complaint: this album can become slightly tedious.  Alt J follows a similar formula on almost all of the 13 tracks here (I’m not reviewing the “Hidden Tracks” because I think its stupid that they weren't just part of the track listing) There are some notable exceptions yes, but many of these tracks follow a similar formula of a soft opening, slow build, and layered climax.  Admittedly a lot of these climaxes are pretty cool, but i think this album could benefit from some slight trimming.

When the band does stray from their typical formula the results can be spotty but occasionally pretty great.  The song “Left Hand Free” is about as straightforward a rock song Alt J has ever written, but the poppy sound and bluesy riff are no less effective.  It’s not the first short, fun, pop-rock track about masturbation, (Elvis Costello’s “Pump It Up” is a favorite) but it’s certainly one of the more memorable tunes from this thing.  A statement that can’t be made of songs like the “Nara” song suite.  These tracks are almost completely uninteresting from start to finish, with their slow moving synths and  lack of any real direction . The fact that these tracks open and close the album (Technically “Intro” opens the album and I actually like that song but 2 “Nara” songs follow so…) really makes me lose interest early on.  There’s just no real point to these songs, and for a 3 song suite they don’t exactly carry on any ideas throughout them.  I’m disappointed that what could have been a cool album centerpiece for Alt J ended up being three of my least favorite tracks off this record.

Luckily some solid singles break up the monotony on the first half a bit, the aforementioned “Left Hand Free”, and the creepiest sex song i’ve heard this year: “Every Other Freckle”: One of the more signature Alt J sounding songs, complete with heavy synths, strange vocals and lyrics, and reverb-heavy guitar.   While these songs might not have the hit power of the singles off their debut, they’re actually some of the strongest songs on the album.  The strongest of witch being lead single “Hunger of the Pine”.  While terribly ineffective for a single, the song itself really grows on you and the Miley Cyrus sample fits in better than you’d think.  I love how it builds around the sample halfway into the track, and the instrumentation is very nice as well with some nice strings, and their typical heavy synths.  

After the singles I think the album hits it’s groove, and actually becomes more concise with one solid track following another.  “Warm Foothills”, like its title implies, feels warm and I love the group dynamic with the guest vocalists (featuring, among others, Conner Oberst) witch could have gone horribly but it works here.  “Pusher” is a more bouncy acoustic track that I think would have made a nice closer, but its hard to be disappointed with it’s following track “Bloodflood Part II”.  After an underwhelming first half, its good to see that Alt J had some good tunes under they’re belt as well.  It’s a Shame the same consistency isn’t shown throughout the entire LP.

The “Nara” suite aside, Alt J has offered up an adequate follow up to An Awesome Wave, while simultaneously seeking a more cinematic, and challenging aspect to their sound.  Its not perfect, and It starts out slow, but stick with it.  This is All Yours offers up enough  interesting sounds to be worth at least a listen.  The songs build nicely, the harmonies are great, and the overall sense of rhythm is refreshing.  Here hoping on the next album they’ll hit their sweet spot.

I Like These Tracks: “Hunger of the Pine”, “BloodFlood Part II”, “Left Hand Free”

I Didn’t Like These Tracks: “Nara”, “Choice Kingdom”, “Leaving Nara”

Score: 6/10

Top 10 (Instrumental) Jazz Starter Albums

Patrick’s Top 10 (Instrumental) Jazz Starter Albums

Thats right, this list is so jazzy; the title font is in Impact.  It took me a while to start listening to jazz, I mean I could usually appreciate it, I just never really had the urge to sit down and listen (Also a lot of jazz listeners aren’t exactly the most humble or unconceited of music fans).  But after listening to certain artists, (many of whom are on this list) i really found myself loving the openness of free jazz, as well as the more rhythmic side of the 50’s hard bop sound.  The following are a list of some of my favorites, as well as albums to check out if your ever interested in delving into the world of jazz. 

Patrick's Top 10 Real 80's Metal Albums

Well October is almost over and that means Halloween is here!  A time for slutty costumes, binge drinking, and parental shame!  Oh yeah, and scary stuff I guess… So what better time is there to catch up on the scariest genre of all?  Metal!!!  These albums are the REAL DEAL metal masterpieces of the eighties, so if you’re hoping to see some Poison or Bon-Jovi, i’m afraid you’ve come to the wrong place (and you need your ears checked).  These albums will rock your faces right into thanksgiving, give ‘em a try, you might just find a new favorite genre!

Patrick’s Top 10 Debut Albums of All Time

Being that this is my debut “Top Ten” i’m writing for this blog, I thought it would be only fitting to countdown my 10 favorite debut albums of all time! Don’t worry I’m not spoiling anything!  Presley’s Debut, like countless other more than honorable mentions, doesn’t make our list.  Though, in a way, it was the first of its kind: a bold artistic showcase perfectly encompassing the style and sound of “The King” before he even had one, ushering in the album age.  These 10 albums were chosen not only for their stand alone quality, but for the impact of their arrival.  These albums announced the presence of great talent, even if some could never again reach such musical heights.  

Disclaimer: 

These are ten albums that I think are great debuts, 

some of my favorite debuts aren't even on here and this is simply based on my opinion.

  Enjoy!

Patrick-Plowing Into the Field of Love Review

Review

By Patrick Dillon 

 Artist:  Iceage

Album: Plowing Into the Field of Love (2014)

“Ideally, Iceage should not only cover the emotions that come with a clenched fist, but everything that comes with living our lives,”  Frontman Elias Bender Rønnenfelt  replied when asked about the expansion of Iceage’s sound last year.  A lofty statement when you listen to their last LP, the brilliantly brutal: You’re Nothing.  Still, Iceage has matured quickly since they first raged onto the post-punk scene in 2011, and on their third full length album, Denmark’s finest craft a tremendous record that brings them closer than ever to their goal, bringing together beauty with power.  

The transformation begins with the instrumentation.  The sheer onslaught of feedback and noise found on their previous work is stripped back in favor of longer more layered songs, and the instrumentation evolves beyond the guitars, bass, and piano of their earlier LPs.  Its not so much shocking that mandolin, horns, and strings are found on this record, it’s that they sound so good amongst Iceage’s raw emotional brand of post-punk.  The rhythm section on this LP is noteworthy as well, with the driving bass and pounding frantic drums being a real highlight on almost very track. All of these instruments gradually build on each track leading to some pretty fantastic climaxes (The horns on “Forever" and strings and acoustics of the title track are especially good).  This new found musical complexity make’s each of these tracks stand up individually, but also ties the album together nicely.

But it’s not just the instrumentals that show Iceage’s musical evolution.  The band tackles many new styles and influences on this new LP.  Beyond the usual Joy Division and Bauhaus comparisons, there seems to be a bit of a Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds vibe coming from a lot of these tracks.  The track “The Lord Favorite” is practically a country song with its rollicking bass-line and rockabilly guitars, and attention must be paid to the excellent slow burner “Against the Moon”, a horn and string laden piano ballad par: brilliant.  Of course Iceage makes all of these sounds and influences sound distinctly their own and frontman Elias Rønnenfelt’s wounded howl sounds more confident and clear than ever.

Thats not to say this album is “upbeat”. On the contrary, the additional instrumentation and Elias’s up front and tortured vocal create a heightened sense of despair and isolation, assisted of course by his excellent lyrical ability.  It helps that you can actually hear what he’s saying (most of the time).  Rønnenfelt can sound swaggering and arrogant (“Lord’s Favorite”), drunkly powerful (“Abundant Living”), and downright defeated (“Stay” and “Forever”).  There's a certain power that flows through lines like “Whatever I do, I do not repent, I keep pissing against the moon”. Just listen to my favorite verse on the album from the track “Glassy Eyed Dormant and Veiled”: 

“The world was once seen burning in my eyes just as it is in yours now, A hurricane of memories put out the embers that remained and now I'm gone.  Though I'm obsolete, I’ll scold you in your dreams. A myriad of maladies, incomplete identity, hunger for the love I never gave.” 

His impassioned Danish croon brings a real sense of anger, melancholy, and emotion that prevails throughout each track of the album.

Not all tracks wow as much as others but even my least favorite tracks on this album are still very good.  “Let it Vanish” and “Simony” lack the impactful horns or strings found elsewhere on this album, opting for a more straightforward rock sound but keep the same passion and grit that make the more fleshed out songs so spectacular.  As straightforward rock tunes go they’re still great, if not as memorable as some of the more refined tracks.  Still, there are no bad songs on this album for me, just favorites and least favorites, and thats a very good thing.

Even with this album being nearly double the length of anything they've ever attempted, Iceage have crafted an excellently paced, excellently played, and excellently written album.  Not every tune is as “AMAZING” as some of the high points, but they’re not off by much.  All the risks Iceage took with this album have payed off gloriously, and we’re left with the most exciting and profound rock records this fall, and probably even this year.

I Like These Tracks: “Forever”, “Against the Moon”, “The Lord’s Favorite”, “Plowing into the Field of Love”, “Abundant Living”, "Glassy Eyed, Dormant, and Veiled" 

Least Favorite Track: “Let it Vanish”

Score:  9/10

Review By: Patrick Dillon Artist: Spoon Album: They Want My Soul (2014)

Review

By: Patrick Dillon 

Artist: Spoon

Album: They Want My Soul (2014)

Can you really fault a band for consistency? Over six solid studio albums (check out Kill The Moonlight, and GaGaGaGaGa) Spoon have proven, unlike so many other noughties indie rockers, that they’re in it for the long haul, consistently delivering killer grooves, varied instrumentation, and frontman Brit Daniel’s raw and impassioned vocal delivery.  It wasn't until their forgettable 2010 album: Transference, that the band began to show signs of deterioration.  Four years and many side projects later, (most notably Brit Daniel’s indie supergroup: Divine Fits), Spoon returns for their eighth studio effort with 10 new tracks, a new member (Divine Fit’s Keyboardist and Guitarist Alex Ficshel), and a new co-producer Dave Fridmann (of Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev fame).  Is it enough to keep Spoon sounding fresh into the new decade?

Yes….kind of. On They Want My Soul, Spoon offer up 10 solid Pop-Rock tunes full of sugary hooks, driving grooves, and great production.  The only major problem i have with this record is none of it sounds terribly, well, exciting!  Despite some really solid tunes on this thing i cant help but feel like we've been here before.  Songs like “Let Me Be Mine” and “They Want My Soul” aren't necessarily bad, on the contrary they’re well produced and well preformed, but they don't show much real progression as a band.  Its been over ten years since Spoon’s breakthrough Girls Can Tell, and Spoons sound hasn’t exactly evolved.

You get all the things you’d expect from a Spoon record; poppy hooks, solid grooves, and Spoon’s typical mix of layered pop, and soulful indie rock.  You also get the instrumentation you’d expect from a modern rock record; guitars, bass, and synths are all present with a few extra tricks to spice up the tracks.  And with only ten tracks, its not like They Want My Soul is exactly brimming with content either.

As far as I can tell the biggest risk Spoon takes on this new LP is enlisting new co-producer Dave Fridmann.  Fridmann’s typically psychedelic and layered production does wonders for a handful of tracks here.  “Knock Knock Knock”, offers probably the best beat i’ve heard on a rock record this year, and the layered and cascading synth leads on “Inside Out” nicely showcase Spoon’s slower, more stripped back side.  Even the tracks Spoon produce themselves seem to take influence from Fridmann’s style.  “New York Kiss”, builds and layers appropriately with a strong backbeat, poppy chorus, and powerful guitar, and lead single “Do You” is about as solid a pop-rock song as you could ask for, with a great hook, and some nice piano and synth closing out the track. 

Regardless of exactly who produced witch track, each of the ten songs on this album are mixed and recorded excellently.  I love the crisp, precision drums and warm bass that make up the rhythm section, and the thin crunch of the guitars are nothing to scoff at either.  New keyboardist Alex Ficshel’s cascading watery synths are a welcome addition to the Spoon line up and the extra instrumentation on some of these tracks really brings them to life with added personality.  Speaking of personality, frontman Brit Daniel’s trademark swaggering howl returns with full force on this LP, often improving the more generic tracks by injecting some much needed, well…soul! 

Spoon comes through with another very solid pop-rock record, full of well produced, well written, pop-rock tunes.  Other than some very small technical gripes, (some grooves fall flat, some endings are lackluster, a few generic lyrical topics) There isn’t much keeping me from recommending this album to anyone who loves indie rock.  It may not do anything really new or exciting, and it may only last under 40 minutes.  Still, what They Want My Soul does do, it does well. Rock fans will like it, Spoon fans will probably love it, I’d call that a success.

I Like These Tracks:  “Knock Knock Knock”, “Do You”, “Inside Out”, “New York Kiss”

I Didn’t Like These Tracks: “Outlier”, “Let Me Be Mine”

Score:  7.5/10