Flatbasset Radio Presents - MinneClassics #2: TCDroogsma On "Flowers On The Doorstep"

(THIS POST ORIGINALLY APPEARS ON THE TWIN CITIES BLOG NEWEST INDUSTRY)

Making milestones out of mistakes...

Well hello podcast fans!  Welcome to MinneClassics #2!

As you can probably tell from the fact that this is Episode #1, MinneClassics is a new feature here on Newest Industry.  Basically, TCDroogsma decided to create a feature which allows him (or his guests) to take some time and really shine the spotlight on a local artist and a song of theirs that is deemed "Classic."  They'll discuss the song, why they think it deserves "classic" status, and then play the song.

In this 2nd installment of MinneClassics TCDroogsma discusses Martin Devaney's "Flowers On The Doorstep" from the album Letters Never Sent.  Along the way he touches on the day he purchased the album, his love of 3/4 time signatures, how nostalgia colors the way people remember things, and a time he was too drunk to talk to Martin Devaney.  


Give the podcast a listen below or download it for free by clicking on its title.  

MinneClassics #2: "Flowers On The Doorstep" by Martin Devaney

MinneClassics #2: "Flowers On The Doorstep" by Martin Devaney by Tcdroogsma on Mixcloud

There you have it, podcast fans!  MinneClassics #2! Enjoy!

For more TCDroogsma be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma).  Previous episodes of Flatbasset Radio are archived on his Mixcloud page.  Stop by Flatbasset Radio's Facebook Page & give it a "Like" if you have the time.

For more Newest Industry be sure to give us a follow on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1) to stay up on the work being done by all of our contributors.  More importantly, we have a Facebook page here.  Trivial as it seems, stopping by and giving us a "Like" is a free & legitimate way to support the blog. 

Album Of The Week: February 24th-March 2nd, 2014

My Album Of The Week for the week of February 24th-March 2nd, 2014:

The Van Gobots - Guantanamo Beach Party

01. Walk On Water
02. So Wrong
03. If It Moves Then Shoot It
04. Mickey Finn
05. Colorado
06. Proud Mother's Son
07. Any Means Of Destruction
08. The Ghost
09. Hostile Contender

Taking a little trip in the way-back machine for this one.

I'd heard the name The Van Gobots kicking around the Twin Cities for a while now, but hadn't really heard any of their work until they teamed up with Homeless for the album Twenty-Dirt (itself an AOTW back in December).  In my write-up for that album I wrote:

"In place of a producer on Twenty-Dirt, Homeless collaborated with The Van Gobots (@TheVanGobots).  I'd be lying if I said I was super-familiar with their work prior to Twenty-Dirt, but that may be for the best in this instance.  The band works up a nice post-punk racket for Homeless' rhymes.  Because I'm not familiar with their other work, it's possible for me to listen to these songs without wondering what they would have become without the restraint of the tracks being a canvas rather than the stand-alone art.  It's certainly enough to make me want to check out more of their work."

Well, here we are a few months later and, spurred by the band giving me a follow on Twitter, I think it's probably time to start digging in.  Guantanamo Beach Party came out back in 2009 and, based on what I've read, is the band's mostly widely known album.  I've only listened to it once so far, but I was surprised by what I heard.  On Twenty-Dirt the band plays fast and loose with the post-punk sound.  On GBP, the songs are much tighter and streamlined.  There's even a hint of soul music behind the rattle.  Here's hoping it continues to reveal itself over the course of the week.

If you'd like to check out Guantanamo Beach Party yourself, head over to The Van Gobots Bandcamp page where it's available as a "Name Your Price" download.

Songs Of The Week #80: TCDroogsma & MinneSarah

(THIS POST ORIGINALLY APPEARS ON THE TWIN CITIES BLOG NEWEST INDUSTRY)

Doug Paisley, Temples, KINS, Hospitality, & Erik Koskinen...

Well hello again, MP3 junkies!  Welcome to Songs Of The Week #80!
 
For those of you who are new to the SOTW column, here's the story:  TCDroogsma and MinneSarah are both fans of The Current's Song Of The Day podcast.  They're also both opinionated and have access to computers.  Seeing an opportunity to let them indulge in their MP3 habit and put them to work writing reviews we created the Songs Of The Week column.  Over a year later later and here we are.

As always, we strongly suggest that you follow this link and subscribe to the podcast yourself.  It's free and it's fun for the whole family!

To that end, once you've given each song a spin or two, feel free to cast a vote for your favorite song of the week in the poll to the right side of the page.  The artist who accrues the most votes wins the validation that comes from winning an anonymous internet poll, arguably the loftiest height to which a modern musician can aspire.

As per tradition TCDroogsma and MinneSarah have not read each other's reviews prior to posting

So... Droogsy, Sarah... thoughts?

01. Doug Paisley - Song My Love Can Sing (from the album Strong Feelings)

 
TCDroogsma:

     Before I get started here, I'd just like to take a moment to congratulate Doug Paisley.  In addition to being devastatingly handsome, "Song My Love Can Sing" is the new record holder for "Most dramatic swing of opinion over the course of one week."  Not an easy award to win, but a true testament to just how great this song is.

     The first time I listened to this one I thought, "Good god.  I'm going to have to spend the next seven days starting my morning with some whining, boring country."  Then, over the course of the week, the myriad little rewards in the song began to reveal themselves.  The lyrics and down, but also grounded & realistic.  Paisley has perspective on his situation, which is a hell of a virtue.  Musically, the entirety of the song wobbles charmingly left-of-center (or centre), with the verses seeming starting a half a beat late and the hooks coming half a beat early.  With a swirling organ and a piano filling in the blanks (at least until a second Paisley voice shows up in the chorus), "Song My Love Can Sing" is one of the richest, most well-realized singles I've heard in a while.

MinneSarah:

     How can anybody argue with the validity of emotion in a troubled love song sung in a twangy tone with some country keyboards behind it?  Especially when it comes off of an album called Strong Feelings.  While "Song My Love Can Sing," sounds lighthearted, it is still a song of discontentment and loss.  If Canadian alt-country is not your thing, you may still like the liberal use of keyboards - I sure did.

     Doug Paisley lets his lyrics do the work of convincing the listener that he feels optimistically conflicted about love.  A pleasant sounding song with some real emotion behind it, "Song My Love Can Sing" wasn't written for people like me, but somehow I think Doug Paisley is okay with that. 

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 4/5
                               MinneSarah: 3/5

02. Temples - Shelter Song (from the album Sun Structures)

TCDroogsma:

      In most circumstances I'm more than willing to ride the wave of England's "Next Hot Young Band."  Of course, it doesn't always work out long-term (I'm looking at you, Hard-Fi), but for the most part you'll come out of the whole thing with at least one or two great singles.

     Which is why I'm disappointed in "Shelter Song."  Temples has been getting great write-ups in both England and the United States, but, based on this single at least, I don't see what the big deal is.  "Shelter Song" has almost nothing going for it by way of originality.  This jangly-psychedelic sound is half Animals/half Byrds and not much else.  Now, being derivative is no sin, but wearing their influences so brightly on their sleeves ultimately leaves "Shelter Song" without its own personality.

MinneSarah:

     Leave it to the Brits to take sixties psychedelic pop and make it sound more polished than it ever really was.

     I've been listening to Temples a little lately, toying with the idea of catching "as close to Tame Impala as I can in my hometown" this April, and this song is a bit more over the top than the others I've heard.  The chorus sounds whimsical and the guitar is quintessentially sixties.  Tambourine and echoed vocals complete the sound.  "Shelter Song," is a throwback to another time, which when done well doesn't sound contrived - I think Temples pulled it off.  While listening to this song, it cemented my desire to sway underneath the twinkle lights of the Turf, pretending I'm at an outdoor festival in Bristol. 

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 2.5/5
                               MinneSarah: 3.5/5

03. KINS - Mockasin's (from the album KINS)

TCDroogsma:

     I was reading up on KINS before writing this review and learned that the singer & guitarist hail from Australia while the rhythm section came together after those two moved to Brighton.  This struck me as interesting because, as I spent the week with this song, the rhythm section on "Mockasin's" is by far the best part of the song.

    "Mockasin's" stumbles ahead on a twitchy, post-punk bass-and-drum momentum, giving the song its irregular heartbeat.  That canvas, however, is smeared with a mix of aimless, jangly guitar work and falsetto vocals, both of which fail to coax anything more out of the song.  I've read that KINS really brings it live, so maybe this all makes a little more sense in person (it's easy to imagine "Mockasin's" being an absolute monster live), but here on record it comes off lacking.

MinneSarah:

     "Mockasin's" starts out fantastic - a little eighties, heavy on the bass - then takes an unexpected turn.  The singer's voice is extraordinarily falsetto, as is so popular with the kids these days.  The chorus delivery is less Tiny Tim than the rest, which allows the listener to once again groove out to the slow jam instrumental for a while longer.

     This band of Aussies, now living in Brighton is also making an appearance at the Turf this spring. While I did listen to some of KINS other songs for perspective, some of which were amazing, this song did not do it for me.  "Mockasin's" is too lulling and the falsetto puts me on high stress out alert!  Feeling a little like when I'm on a ferry and the waves are bearable/unbearable and the overall feeling is memorable but not fun.  While I'm not giving this one high marks, I would encourage listeners to check out their latest album for a glimpse of just how big this band can sound. 

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 2.5/5
                               MinneSarah: 2.5/5

04. Hospitality - I Miss Your Bones (from the album Trouble)

TCDroogsma:

     "I Miss Your Bones" starts off a charming little love songs.  The song is hopelessly romantic, but derives a sense of urgency from its instruments.  Hospitality works up the sort of tight, start-stop rhythm work that implies that the band has worn through at least one copy of Room On Fire.

     Unfortunately, they only keep up this pace for about 90 seconds.  At that point the song goes full Benjamin Button, devolving from a tightly-wound pop song to an ambiguous guitar solo to merely a simple 4/4 beat & bassline with some power chords strummed on top of it.  By the time you get to the end of the song you feel as if you're listening to the jam session that eventually yielded "I Miss You Bones."  It's an odd trick and I don't totally see the point.  By the time you've finished listening to the song that dynamic first 90 seconds seems like a distant memory, leaving the whole presentation feeling frustratingly half-formed.

MinneSarah:

     "I Miss Your Bones" is uber poppy!  Guitar pop is always a welcome sound on these Song Of The Day offerings, as they can be quite rare.  The overall impression of this song is that it is upbeat, guitar driven, and catchy.  While the band is from Brooklyn, it sounds as though the singer is feigning an accent. There is also a fair amount of guitar noodling - the song has a transition which results in the last two and a half minutes of the four minute song being nothing but guitars.

     Really, this song is two songs, a hyper-poppy, somewhat affected minute and a half long song, and then almost twice as long distorted guitar and mellow bass.  While I can't say which part I like better, the end result is disjointed.  Probably for the best - four minutes of the intensity of pop, and I may have called it too saccharine.

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 3/5
                               MinneSarah: 3/5

05. Erik Koskinen - Six Pack Of Beer And A Pack Of Cigarettes (from the album American Theatre)

 
TCDroogsma:

     When you see a song titled "Six Pack Of Beer And A Pack Of Cigarettes" it can mean one of three things:

     1. A punky rave-up
     2. A blues dirge
     3. An old-timey country song

     Sadly, Erik Koskinen traffics in a mixture of options two and three.  Putting aside my hopes for a the punky rave-up, "Six Pack Of Beer..." doesn't offer much beyond the usual cliche of taking this job and shoving it (which Koskinen straight quotes in the song).  The execution is flawless, I suppose, but so rote that it borders on parody.  I mean, if you were trying to write a song mocking old country songs, you'd probably come up with something like "Six Pack Of Beer..."  It's easy to see something like this holding the attention of the regulars at Lee's, but 4:00 on an iPod is an awful lot to ask.

MinneSarah:

     I've heard country music in the background of my whole life.  Between my mom's affinity for sixties country vinyl and taking her young daughter barhopping through Southern Minnesota and Wisconsin, and visiting my dad for summers in Texas, let's not say I haven't been exposed.  However, every country song I hear these days, my first thought is, "why?!"  "Six Pack of Beer and a Pack of Cigarettes" is part of the Country Blues genre, so make sure you shed some tears in that six pack, because nobody understands you, not even Country music.

     Now onto the good stuff - Erik Koskinen has offered this little ditty with a tongue in cheek attitude that lets the listener in on it.  Also, his vocals sound as though David Byrne picked up the craft, which will delight hipsters across these cities.  My advice is if you feel the need to go barhopping in Southern Minnesota - bring Erik!  He'd surely be able to explain to you the history of the genre and put his own spin on it.


Final Score - TCDroogsma: 1.5/5
                               MinneSarah: 2.5/5

Well there you have it, MP3 junkies!  Another week's worth of songs downloaded, reviewed, & filed away!

As always, please keep in mind that neither Newest Industry nor our contributors are in any way affiliated with the artists above, The Current, or MPR.  We're just music fans with laptops and a bit too much time on our hands.

For more TCDroogsma be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma).  He can also be found right here on Newest Industry hosting our free weekly podcast Flatbasset Radio

For more MinneSarah be sure to give her a follow on Twitter (@MinneSarah).  In addition to  filing reports out of St. Paul for our Big Day Out column she occasionally joins TCDroogsma as co-host of the Flatbasset Radio podcast.


For more Newest Industry be sure to give us a follow on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1) to stay up on the work being done by all of our contributors.  More importantly, we have a Facebook page here.  Trivial as it seems, stopping by and giving us a "Like" is a free & legitimate way to support the blog.

Newest Industry Presents - Flatbasset Radio: Episode #32 (w/MinneSarah)

(THIS POST ORIGINALLY APPEARS ON THE TWIN CITIES BLOG NEWEST INDUSTRY)

My only friends are koalas & hedgehogs...

Hello again, free music fans! Welcome to Flatbasset Radio: Episode #32!
 
For those of you who are unaware of the Flatbasset Radio format, here's what you're looking at: TCDroogsma is our resident MP3 junkie. As you've probably noticed in his Songs Of The Week column, he's not always the most positive music fan. In an effort to prove that he is, in fact, a fan of music, we give him an hour each week to play the songs he's digging and talk a little bit about them. Once he's recorded his podcast we put it right here on the website for free to stream and/or download!

In this week's episode TCDroogsma is back in St. Paul to play some jams with co-host MinneSarah.  Along the way they discuss Damon Albarn's heartache, whether Mexico City is behind or ahead of the times, Droogsy's favorite Canadian rapper, the slight differences between America & England, President's Day, the merger of D.C. hardcore and Spelling Bees, The Guardian's magical way with words, their favorite Steely Dan song, De La Soul's gaming of the system, the dominant music trend of 2014, their all-time favorite Twin Cities radio stations, and play a Flatbasset Flatclassic to celebrate Valentine's Day a week after the fact.

You can download the podcast for free by clicking the episode's title or stream the episode by clicking on the Mixcloud player below.

Flatbasset Radio: Episode #32

Flatbasset Radio: Episode #32 by Tcdroogsma on Mixcloud

01. Rey Pila - Alexander
02. Buck 65 - All At Once
03. Fila Brazilia - Nature Boy
04. Gorillaz - Crystalised
05. Q And Not U - Soft Pyramids
06. Kwabs - Wrong Or Right
07. The Presidents Of The United States Of America - Stranger
08. De La Soul - Eye Know
09. Say Yes Dog - Get It
10. British Sea Power - Waving Flags
11. The Cure - Mint Car

There you have it, music fans! Enjoy!

For more TCDroogsma be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma).  Previous episodes of Flatbasset Radio are archived on his Mixcloud page.  Stop by Flatbasset Radio's Facebook Page & give it a "Like" if you have the time.



 

For more MinneSarah be sure to give her a follow on Twitter (@MinneSarah).  She can also be found right here on Newest Industry filing reports out of St. Paul for our Big Day Out column




For more Newest Industry be sure to give us a follow on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1) to stay up on the work being done by all of our contributors.  More importantly, we have a Facebook page here.  Trivial as it seems, stopping by and giving us a "Like" is a free & legitimate way to support the blog. 

Sounds Of Sota #3: "You Are So Loud That I Want To Die" by Human Kindness

(THIS POST ORIGINALLY APPEARS ON THE TWIN CITIES BLOG NEWEST INDUSTRY)

Hardly getting through to you...

Hello again, music fans! Welcome to Sounds Of Sota #3!

For those who are unfamiliar with Sounds Of Sota, it's a running column in which we ask one of our contributors to review new albums & EP's from Minnesota artists. In sticking with our desire to rank and rate everything the albums are given a score of 1-10 at the end of the column.

This time around we asked TCDroogsma to give us his thoughts on "You Are So Loud That I Want To Die," the debut EP from Human Kindness.

TCDroogsma, thoughts?

It was just over a month ago that Human Kindness came roaring out of the U Of M camps and onto the Twin Cities music map with their album You Are So Loud That I Want To Die.  It's an album filled with energy, yelled out hooks, and the sort of calamitous guitar rock that makes you wonder if they didn't steal their album name from a note left under their door.

The album eases to life on the swirling guitars of lead single "Krishnaagain."  It's a fine song, I suppose, filled with a chorus that punches and energy to burn. Given its accessibility, makes sense as a lead single.  What it doesn't do, however, is give an accurate picture of just what Human Kindness is (or seemingly aims to be).  It treads the same familiar post-hardcore/math rock terrain that hundreds of bands have already worn thin.  More than a stand alone single, "Krishnaagain" marks a departure point, an acknowledgement of the influences & ideas that formed the base of the band's sound.

You Are So Loud I Want To Die genuinely takes off with the second & third songs on the album, companion tracks "Breathing Deep (for Walking)" and "Breathing Deep (for Breathing)."  Combined, the two tracks make for nearly seven & a half minutes of fuzzy, wirey, mostly-instrumental grooves.  It's obviously a ballsy move to devote that much time so early into an EP to instrumentals, but it's a move that pays of in spades.

Where "Krishnaagain" showed where the band is coming from, the two "Breathing Deep" tracks illustrate where it hopes to go.  Sure, there are still cues taken from D.C. hardcore (note the shuffling drums & funky bass work), there are also hints of something grander.  They aim for lofty heights with these instrumentals, building up, breaking down, and rebuilding as though taking cues from both Fugazi & The E Street Band.

"When I see you call, it's like church bells ringing, and I can't help thinking of the highs from which I could fall..."



That's how we're greeted on album centerpiece "Prescription Drugs."  Ask yourself, does that sound more like Guy Picciotto or Bruce Springsteen?  It's tough to say, and that's what makes it so great.  "Prescription Drugs" is the moment on the album when this collision of hardcore aesthetics & arena ideas mesh perfectly.  While the lyrics may be lovelorn, the dueling guitar work express the buzzing head & exploding heart of a man who ends a verse asking plaintively, "I'm falling for you, do you want to see my bedroom?"  It's the rare song that keeps its upward trajectory pushing through the duration of its three and a half minutes, closing the first half of the album with a bang.

After a 1:10 breather known as "Katherine Drone" (which, despite the fact that I have no idea who Katherine is, is still a perfect title for the interlude), the album's second half kicks off with the almost-ballad "Donnellan, Sam's Tape."  Lyrically, it's the disappointed ex-lover to the anxious young man of "Prescription Drugs."

"I don't believe that dreams hold any higher meaning..."

These are the first words we hear, and the rest of the song proceeds to follow through on that thought.  The furious, excitable energy of "Prescription Drugs" is nowhere to be found as "Donnellan, Sam's Tape" drifts along with the pace of a man wondering what went wrong.  Taken as a whole, the three song run of "Prescription," "Katherine", & Donnellan" tell the story of a whirlwind relationship envisioned, consummated, abandoned, and dissected.

After the one-minute-plus dual vocal freakout that is "Limited Jest," Human Kindness takes one last big swing with album closer "Giant People."



As a group that seems to have been raised on The Hold Steady & Titus Andronicus, the band knows the importance of ending an album on something epic.  I mean, the song opens with our protagonist talking to God!  It's hard to get more epic than that, though the band tries admirably more than five minutes.  From the 2:35 mark on they focus their collective power on building up a web of guitars and mini-climaxes.  At 4:00 mark they let the whole thing collapse, only to come roaring back with the most straight ahead, Nils Lofgren-esque guitar solo of the entire album.

There's a lot of potential on this album that's realized only intermittently.  Whether that's a product of time, equipment, desire, etc... I don't know, but the songs on this album show a band who hasn't yet caught up to their own ambitions.  Will they get there?  Let me put break it down like this:

There's a scene in the first episode of The Sopranos that any fan of the show will instantly recognize.  In that first episode Tony has a family of ducks living in his backyard pool.  Tony's become mildly obsessed with the ducks, feeding them everyday, taking care of them, etc... At one point in the episode the ducklings attempt to fly and Tony gets very excited, yelling for his family to come watch the birds struggle to lift out of the pool.  Later in the episode, when the birds actually manage to fly away from the pool, the moment is bittersweet for Tony.

I bring this up because, admittedly, I don't know much about the guys in Human Kindness or their story as a band.  They seem to be a band that takes pride in the fact that they've gone from idea to album in a relatively short amount of time (they formed in 2012).  As such, I have no idea if You Are So Loud That I Want To Die is the first step of a band finding their sound or if it's just four college guys having a good time, leaving their album destined to end up in the "Lost Classics" section of Twin Cities music.  My point is that, whether or not Human Kindness ever make good on their desire to fly, You Are So Loud That I Want To Die is their "ducks struggling to fly for the first time."  It's exhilarating to watch, but be sure to enjoy it, because once they learn to fly, they'll belong to everybody.

Final Score: 8/10

There you have it, folks!  High marks for "You Are So Loud That I Want To Die," the debut EP from Human Kindness.  The album remains available as a "Name Your Price" download on their Bandcamp page.

For more TCDroogsma be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma).  He can also be found right here on Newest Industry hosting our free weekly podcast Flatbasset Radio.






For more Newest Industry be sure to give us a follow on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1) to stay up on the work being done by all of our contributors.  More importantly, we have a Facebook page here.  Trivial as it seems, stopping by and giving us a "Like" is a free & legitimate way to support the blog.

Album Of The Week: Feruary 17th-23rd, 2014

My Album Of The Week for the week of February 17th-23rd, 2014:

Moonlight Grammar - Lies, Cages, & Sharks

01. Everything's A Remix
02. Falling Apart/Coming Together
03. Lies, Cages, And Sharks (w/Whitney Chase)
04. Monitors (w/Whitney Chase & RAPPERHOOKS)
05. Holler At Sheboygan (w/Daniel Heavens & Rotten Ron)
06. BBQFU
07. Absolutely Clueless
08. Zach Brafghanistan
09. The Kit. The March. The Rubble.
10. 88 Keys
11. Severe Shit Storm (w/ECID)
12. By Any Means (Remix)
13. Spotlights (w/Ashley Gold)

Here's the short list of things I know about Moonlight Grammar:

01. He's a transplant from Michigan's Upper Penninsula
02. He has a fantastic name.

That's pretty much it.  I came across this one when Sims from Doomtree retweeted a treat from ECID referencing the album.  That's how you find out about music in 2014.

On first listen, Lies, Cages, & Sharks puts a Twin Cities spin on the the Strange Famous sound.  I'm certain Moonlight Grammar has had his compared to Sage Francis & B. Dolan more times than he'd like, but it's impossible not to notice the similarities.  Still, the beats are absolute monsters and spending a week with Moonlight Grammar's SFR-meets-MPLS sound will likely be a rewarding week.

Lies, Cages, & Sharks is available as a "Name Your Price" download over at Moonlight Grammar's Bandcamp page.  Give it a spin.

Newest Industry Presents - Flatbasset Radio: Episode #31

(THIS POST ORIGINALLY APPEARS ON THE TWIN CITIES BLOG NEWEST INDUSTRY)

Do you have the time to listen to me whine?

Hello again, free music fans! Welcome to Flatbasset Radio: Episode #31!
 
For those of you who are unaware of the Flatbasset Radio format, here's what you're looking at: TCDroogsma is our resident MP3 junkie. As you've probably noticed in his Songs Of The Week column, he's not always the most positive music fan. In an effort to prove that he is, in fact, a fan of music, we give him an hour each week to play the songs he's digging and talk a little bit about them. Once he's recorded his podcast we put it right here on the website for free to stream and/or download!

In this week's episode TCDroogsma is flying solo from Planet New Basset.  He spends the week celebrating the anniversaries of several of his favorite albums, uses one of his theories on life to justify playing U2, tells Beyonce to "put it away for a while," concedes to being years late to one of the 2000's great bands, does his best not to get sued, gets "super pumped" for the new Hold Steady album (while firing shots at their tour itinerary), discusses the roots of Kanye's controversy-filled career, misreads song titles, can't figure out how old he was 20 years ago, discusses three albums that shaped "music kids" in 1994, explains just how he spent ten years in a "punk rock wormhole," and plays the song that sent him on the path to music nerd-dom!

You can download the podcast for free by clicking the episode's title or stream the episode by clicking on the Mixcloud player below.

Flatbasset Radio: Episode #31

Flatbasset Radio: Episode #31 by Tcdroogsma on Mixcloud

01. Franz Ferdinand - The Dark Of The Matinee
02. Psymun (w/Chester Watson) - Dead Albatross
03. Damaged Bug - Photograph
04. Future - Drunk In Love
05. U2 - Invisible (Red Edit Version)
06. The Walkmen - The North Pole
07. Beat Culture - Drifter (Saint Pepsi Remix)
08. The Hold Steady - The Only Thing (Live On WYEP)
09. Kanye West - All Falls Down
10. The Autumn Defense - This Thing That I've Found
11. Kelis - Jerk Ribs
12. Green Day - Basket Case

There you have it, music fans!  Enjoy!

For more TCDroogsma be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma).  Previous episodes of Flatbasset Radio are archived on his Mixcloud page.  Stop by Flatbasset Radio's Facebook Page & give it a "Like" if you have the time.

For more Newest Industry be sure to give us a follow on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1) to stay up on the work being done by all of our contributors.  More importantly, we have a Facebook page here.  Trivial as it seems, stopping by and giving us a "Like" is a free & legitimate way to support the blog.

Songs Of The Week #79: TCDroogsma & MinneSarah

(THIS POST ORIGINALLY APPEARS ON THE TWIN CITIES BLOG NEWEST INDUSTRY)

Mogwai, Dog Bite, The Autumn Defense, Leif Vollebekk, & Little Man...

Well hello again, MP3 junkies!  Welcome to Songs Of The Week #79!
 
For those of you who are new to the SOTW column, here's the story:  TCDroogsma and MinneSarah are both fans of The Current's Song Of The Day podcast.  They're also both opinionated and have access to computers.  Seeing an opportunity to let them indulge in their MP3 habit and put them to work writing reviews we created the Songs Of The Week column.  Over a year later later and here we are.

As always, we strongly suggest that you follow this link and subscribe to the podcast yourself.  It's free and it's fun for the whole family!

To that end, once you've given each song a spin or two, feel free to cast a vote for your favorite song of the week in the poll to the right side of the page.  The artist who accrues the most votes wins the validation that comes from winning an anonymous internet poll, arguably the loftiest height to which a modern musician can aspire.

As per tradition TCDroogsma and MinneSarah have not read each other's reviews prior to posting

So... Droogsy, Sarah... thoughts?

01. Mogwai - Remurdered (from the album Rave Tapes)

TCDroogsma:

     Over the years, I've talked a lot of shit about The Current.  While I don't see that ending any tie in the foreseeable future, I will give them credit for this: They've made me a Mogwai fan.

     "Remurdered" marks the third time that Mogwai has turned up as a SOTD track, and I've loved each one of them unconditionally.  I'm almost certain that's because I don't think I would enjoy listening to an entire Mogwai album.  However, taken in 4-6 minute chunks (and stacked up against the indie flotsam that typifies The Current's playlist), they sound phenomenal.

     "Remurdered" doesn't stray far from the Mogwai formula.  It starts off slow, humming along on a guitar & keyboard warble for a minute before the guitar begins to bloom (with some help from the drums).  That, however, is only a teaser.  The whole song blossoms a couple of minutes later, when the keyboards expand, the drums go full post-rock, and a thick bassline glues the whole thing together.  It may be Mogwai-by-numbers, but for six minutes, there's nobody like them.

MinneSarah:

     I approached this song thinking, "I'll bet this track is a six minute droning instrumental" and I was dead on.  Mogwai was the "it" band while I was in college about which everyone fawned over to prove their hipster cred.  Nobody ever followed up on by seeing them live or buying all their albums (or truly enjoying the background music)?  Mogwai, in my mind, plays the soundtrack to every dorm room in Minnesota circa 2003.

     This offering didn't push that idea out of my head, though it did sound more "90's electronic" than I remember them sounding in the 90's.  In fact, it reminded me of Orbital's ebbing and flowing electronic technique.   This track starts softer during the first three minutes and louder during the last, making it sound like two separate songs drawn together.  The song title, "Remurdered," doesn't give a lot of context to an instrumental song, though I think it would be the perfect song title for a cover of a cover, especially if the first cover was a bad try.

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 4/5
                              MinneSarah: 3/5

02. Dog Bite - Lady Queen (from the album Tranquilizers)

TCDroogsma:

     Dog Bite is best known as the side-project of Washed Out keyboardist Phil Jones, which is really a shame.  While "Lady Queen" may share an affinity for hinting at melody (rather than simply indulging in it) with Washed Out, Dog Bite definitely stands on its own.

     "Lady Queen" appears to be a tongue-in-cheek shot at a woman who demands she gets her way despite not having a firm grasp on what it is she wants.  The vocals aren't necessarily prominent in the mix, but they definitely fit in with the overall "shoegaze with keyboards" aesthetic of the song.  Vocals and keyboard lines drift in and out of the song, yet it retains a pop structure that Jones full-time gig typically abandons.  It shuffles and builds for nearly two minutes before collapsing in on itself, never overstaying its welcome.

MinneSarah:

     My new kitten has a new theme song!  "Lady Queen" is also her new nickname, just surpassing "Princess Baby" this past week (she's growing up)!  If "uptempo downtempo" is a genre, Dog Bite hit the nail on the head. The vocals are disinterested but trustworthy. I love the 90's fuzzed out guitars with a hefty dose of well-planned electronics drums.

     "Lady Queen" is a fun listen - the lyrics aren't too serious, and it definitely made me wonder what else Dog Bite is working on right now.  While I can't really pin this song down, the wondering what could come next makes me love it all the more.

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 3.5/5
                              MinneSarah: 4/5

03. The Autumn Defense - This Thing That I've Found (from the album Fifth)

TCDroogsma:

     A couple of things came to mind when I first set upon reviewing "This Thing That I've Found:"

     First, I'm a huge Wilco & Uncle Tupelo fan, yet had no idea that bassist John Stirratt had his own band (let alone five albums worth of songs).

     Second, given his longevity within Jeff Tweedy's universe, I always assumed Stirratt was the quintessential "good soldier."  That he was more than willing to indulge in Tweedy's moods & left turns in the name of great songs and great paychecks.

     While I'm still not sure if that second part is true or not, "This Thing That I've Found" shows that Stirratt may have been able to put up with the ebb & flow of Wilco because he was more than capable of burning his creative energy elsewhere.  "This This Thing That I've Found" arrives just in time for Valentine's Day.  It's a smoothly written, expertly performed love song for the over-30 set, most of whom can appreciate the sentiment of acknowledging both their own & their significant other's past and leaving it where it belongs.  It also sounds like a long lost ELO single, which, considering I'm part of that over-30 set, I mean as a genuine compliment.  The songs celebrates feelings & mood over specific words.  Stirratt may have no idea what the thing that he's found is, but he's old enough to know its special.

MinneSarah:

     Everyone knows I want nothing to do with Wilco.  I was blown-out-of-my-mind surprised to find that The Autumn Defense is Wilco bassist John Stirratt's side project.  Songwriting doesn't get more perfect than this song!  The only complaint I have is the slight twang at points during the song...and the Wilco associations.

     But seriously, this song is timeless - it'd describe your life if you lived it anytime from the 60's onward - any season.  The lyrics are hopeful, but there is a sense of ennui in the guitars.  It leaves the listener tapping their feet and wanting more.  What a song. 

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 4.5/5
                              MinneSarah: 4.5/5

04. Leif Vollebekk - Southern United States (from the album North Americana)

TCDroogsma:

     I hate to say it, but "Southern United States" is exactly the type of country-tinged song that only somebody who's never lived in the southern United States could write.  To his credit, Leif Vollebekk opens the song by stating, "I had a dream I was standing under the Memphis moon..." which frames the whole song as merely a dream, rather than an actual portrait, of Dixie.

     Unfortunately, that doesn't bring much comfort during the remaining three and a half melody-averse minutes of the song.  There's some exceeding loose character sketchers, a very cliched take on southern music (violins & pedal steel guitar abound), a clumsy reference to Lou Reed's Berlin, and nary a chorus to be found.  By the end of the song I was at a loss as to just what the point of "Southern United States" was. This is less a song than a fictional travel log entry.

MinneSarah:

     If Canada could offer a Jeff Buckley, I believe that Leif would be the best they can do.  While I've been pining for a legitimate Buckley replacement for the past 20 years, I'm not entirely sold that he should play "Americana" (personal bias).

     While Leif issues a convincing stab at Southern Americana, one cannot help but see it as Canadian romanticism of the American South - which can be more sanguine than an actual Southerner would offer.  The lyrics annoy me because they use the same Bob Dylan moment by moment storytelling that I've ripped other songs for using.  Throwing in a reference to Lou Reed's "Berlin" may be for hipster cred, or it might just embody the sentiment better than using his own words to describe it - only Leif can know the answer to that question.  Note I'm giving above a three to a song featuring a prominent harmonica solo - I don't forsee this happening again. 

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 1/5
                              MinneSarah: 3.5/5

05. Little Man - Flip You Over (from the album Original Face)

TCDroogsma:

     I really shouldn't be allowed to review Little Man songs.  I've been a big fan of this guy for years now, and he's yet to make a misstep.  He can go folk, he can go glam, he can go pop... It all sounds great to me.

     "Flip You Over" clocks in at just 2:00, and pretty much sums up the spirit of Little Man in its opening seconds.  "Every little thing's been done, wanna get out and have some fun..."  For a guy that's been battling Marc Bolan comparisons from the day he strapped on a guitar, that's a battle cry, a mantra, or both.  He's right, there's nothing original going on in "Flip You Over."  So what?  It's loud, it's fast, it's catchy as hell.... Sometimes that's all you need.

MinneSarah:

     "Flip You Over" has contagious energy.  While I spent most of the weekend thinking this song sounded like it came from a familiar place, the distilled thought on this is, "what if the glam rock bravado of Spacehog was influenced by Led Zepplin?"  I'm a huge fan of bands embracing and building upon 70's glam rock, and Little Man does just that.

     From what I can glean from the lyrics, they are incredibly empowering.  If you create a get up and go playlist, don't leave this one off your tracklist.  There is a little twang in this ditty as well, but it seems like it is for emphasis rather than the direction the song takes.  This song, a charismatic band performance, a night at Lee's with just the right amount of gin and tonics - well, this scenario could only turn out swimmingly. 

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 4/5
                              MinneSarah: 3.5/5

Well there you have it, MP3 junkies!  Another week's worth of songs downloaded, reviewed, & filed away!

As always, please keep in mind that neither Newest Industry nor our contributors are in any way affiliated with the artists above, The Current, or MPR.  We're just music fans with laptops and a bit too much time on our hands.

For more TCDroogsma be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma).  He can also be found right here on Newest Industry hosting our free weekly podcast Flatbasset Radio

For more MinneSarah be sure to give her a follow on Twitter (@MinneSarah).  In addition to  filing reports out of St. Paul for our Big Day Out column she occasionally joins TCDroogsma as co-host of the Flatbasset Radio podcast.


For more Newest Industry be sure to give us a follow on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1) to stay up on the work being done by all of our contributors.  More importantly, we have a Facebook page here.  Trivial as it seems, stopping by and giving us a "Like" is a free & legitimate way to support the blog.

Flatbasset Radio Presents - MinneClassics #1: TCDroogsma on "Purexed"

(THIS POST ORIGINALLY APPEARS ON THE TWIN CITIES BLOG NEWEST INDUSTRY)

Hush, let 'em try to find the beauty in your face...

Well hello podcast fans!  Welcome to MinneClassics #1!

As you can probably tell from the fact that this is Episode #1, MinneClassics is a new feature here on Newest Industry.  Basically, TCDroogsma decided to create a feature which allows him (or his guests) to take some time and really shine the spotlight on a local artist and a song of theirs that is deemed "Classic."  They'll discuss the song, why they think it deserves "classic" status, and then play the song.

In this edition of MinneClassics, TCDroogsma discusses "Purexed" from P.O.S.'s album Never Better.  It's the 5 year anniversary of that albums release, so Droogsy discusses why the album was important to him, talks about his time living in NYC, what it was like when the Never Better tour rolled into the town, and how the video helped him make a major life decision.


Give his 12 minute podcast a listen below or download it for free by clicking on its title.

MinneClassics #1: "Purexed" by P.O.S. 

MinneClassics #1: "Purexed" by P.O.S. by Tcdroogsma on Mixcloud

As TCDroogsma mentions in the podcast, here's the "Purexed" video.

There you have it, podcast fans!  The first in what will be a long line of MinneClassics! Enjoy!

For more TCDroogsma be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma).  Previous episodes of Flatbasset Radio are archived on his Mixcloud page.  Stop by Flatbasset Radio's Facebook Page & give it a "Like" if you have the time.

For more Newest Industry be sure to give us a follow on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1) to stay up on the work being done by all of our contributors.  More importantly, we have a Facebook page here.  Trivial as it seems, stopping by and giving us a "Like" is a free & legitimate way to support the blog. 

Album Of The Week: February 10th-16th, 2014

My Album Of The Week for the week of February 10th-16th, 2014:

Minor Kingdom - Singles

01. Timebomb
02. Perfect
03. Wild
04. Crazy Charlie
05. Choir Of The Lilies (w/Haley Bonar)

This one was probably a long time coming.  My Last.fm homepage has had Minor Kingdom under my "Recommendations" for quite some time now.  Figured this week was as good as any to finally give it a shot.

According to Minor Kingdom's Bandcamp page:

"Minor Kingdom was born in a Minneapolis bedroom in the fall of 2007. What started as a solo recording outlet for frontman and songwriter Kristian Melom quickly grew to a collaborative platform, housing over twenty rotating members. The group fuses elements of post-rock, folk, and blues to create an eclectic genre they can call their own."

That page also contains the tags "alternative," "indie rock" & "folk."  Now, I tend to steer clear of things labeled "folk" most of the time, but after spending the last couple of weeks with Marijuana Deathsquads & Psymun, folk sounds like a nice change of pace.  Plus, folk music usually benefits from repeated listens, so spending a week with Singles seems like a pretty good jumping off point for me.

Singles seems to be just that, a collection of singles.  As such, each song seems to have been written to stand on its own.  What the EP may lack in continuity, I'm hoping it will make up for in quality.  I mean, why would you gather up five songs and release it as Singles if they weren't five of your best songs?

Anyway, the EP is available as a "Name Your Price" download on that aforementioned Bandcamp page.  Stop by and give it a listen if you're so inclined.

Songs Of The Week #78: TCDroogsma & MinneSarah

(THIS POST ORIGINALLY APPEARS ON THE TWIN CITIES BLOG NEWEST INDUSTRY)

James Vincent McMorrow, Damien Jurado, Drowners, Wild Cub, & Haley Bonar...

Well hello again, MP3 junkies!  Welcome to Songs Of The Week #78!
 
For those of you who are new to the SOTW column, here's the story:  TCDroogsma and MinneSarah are both fans of The Current's Song Of The Day podcast.  They're also both opinionated and have access to computers.  Seeing an opportunity to let them indulge in their MP3 habit and put them to work writing reviews we created the Songs Of The Week column.  Over a year later later and here we are.

As always, we strongly suggest that you follow this link and subscribe to the podcast yourself.  It's free and it's fun for the whole family!

To that end, once you've given each song a spin or two, feel free to cast a vote for your favorite song of the week in the poll to the right side of the page.  The artist who accrues the most votes wins the validation that comes from winning an anonymous internet poll, arguably the loftiest height to which a modern musician can aspire.

As per tradition TCDroogsma and MinneSarah have not read each other's reviews prior to posting

So... Droogsy, Sarah... thoughts?

01. James Vincent McMorrow - Gold (from the album Post Tropical)

TCDroogsma:

     While I'm loathe to pigeonhole a guy for a mere two traits, as a bearded, falsetto-loving singer/songwriter, James Vincent McMorrow sure seems like Ireland's answer to Justin Vernon.

     On "Gold," McMorrow is more Volcano Choir than Bon Iver.  He aims big, adding layers of harps, horns, and bonus falsetto upon one another until you find yourself with an IMAX-In-3D version of a very average Justin Vernon song.  I'll give McMorrow credit for aiming for highest heights here, but the cliche-ridden lyrics and general lack of hooks leave "Gold" feeling both hollow & heavy.

MinneSarah:

     Anyone who knows me knows that I'm not much of a romantic.  Give me a carnal DFA 1979 song and I'm satisfied.  Give me a falsetto pearlescent ode to love and I'll turn it right off - again and again and again.  "Gold" was a very trying song to get through.  The lyrics are cloying, the high pitched vocals are grating, and the fairy-like platitude is marred by horns building it into generic indie rock 2013 sound.  While this song may be a lot better without certain components - James Vincent McMorrow seems to think bigger is better.  If you like resounding love songs and high pitched vocals - give this one a chance!  I'll stick to grinding guitars and sensual vocals whenever the need for a love song arises. 

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 2/5
                              MinneSarah: 1/5

02. Damien Jurado - Silver Timothy (from the album Brothers And Sisters Of The Eternal Sun)

 
TCDroogsma:

     "Silver Timothy" was by far the biggest surprise of the week.  Anytime I read the words "singer/songwriter from Seattle, Washington" my skepticism needle skews all the way to "Uggghhhh....:"

     Fortunately, Damien Jurado keeps the Nick Drake-iness to a minimum and instead channels The Kinks circa Village Green Preservation Society..  He strums along, never committing to much of a melody, and spouting some nonsensical, psuedo-existential (or bad acid trip) lyrics, but it hardly matters.  He wraps the chorus up around a brilliant, simple hook and then simply launches the song into outer space.  The drums pick up, some keyboards flit around, and Jurado's voice just echoes away endlessly.  James McMorrow could learn a lot from "Silver Timothy."

MinneSarah:

     Wes Craven has a ton of material for his next movie's soundtrack.  Damien Jurado has always seemed so exclusively singer-songwriter to me and I'll admit to never having given him a fair shot.  "Silver Timothy" sounds like sixties West Coast psychadelica. It's got a grand sound, and makes the perfect backdrop to making mundane tasks seem like you're acting out a movie scene in slow motion - take that laundry!

     The lyrics are either cavernously deep or very simple, "you can never go home if you've never been shown." This is not at all what I thought I'd click on for the new Damien Jurado, but now I'm interested.


Final Score - TCDroogsma: 3.5/5
                              MinneSarah: 3.5/5

03. Wild Cub - Thunder Clatter (from the album Youth)

TCDroogsma:

     "Thunder Clatter" is pretty typical of the indie sound in 2013.  Which would make a lot more sense if we weren't a month into 2014.

      At its heart, "Thunder Clatter" is a pretty adorable love song.  Life can be a big stupid mess sometimes, and when singer Keegan DeWitt sings, "I hear it call in the center of it all, you're the love of my life," he strikes a very relatable chord.  Unfortunately, for the 4:00 surrounding that lovely sentiment Wild Cub illustrates just what "it all" is, namely shapeless percussion, group vocals, tedious guitar leads, and a search for hooks that just won't come.  In fact, the more that I think about it, "Thunder Clatter" just might be the most poignant love song ever written.

MinneSarah:

     There has been a lot of buzz around Wild Cub lately, likely because they just came to town.  This winter has been so rough, we haven't gotten a lot of musicians brave enough to trek into the polar vortex.

     Wild Cub is from Nashville and their upbeat guitars seem to bring sunshine to the dead of winter.  Another love song, the timing errs too close to Valentine's Day for me to give these amorous lyrics a fair listen, but they seem genuinely happy and not at all ironic.  If glitter had a sound, that quality is omnipresent in the background - perhaps that's what thunder clatter sounds like in Nashville?

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 2.5/5
                              MinneSarah: 3.5/5

04. Drowners - Luv, Hold Me Down (from the album Drowners)

 
TCDroogsma:

     Reading about Drowners prior to spending a week with "Luv, Hold Me Down" pretty much killed my expectations for the song.  Singer Matt Hitt (a Welshman living in NYC) takes flack for being a model, which seems kind of ridiculous, but gains a little more traction when he sings, "I don't live my life like you do."  You couldn't be more right, Matt.

     The other subject that came up repeatedly was the band's debt to The Strokes.  As much as I enjoyed "Luv, Hold Me Down," I enjoyed watching music critics accuse them of ripping of The Strokes just as much.  I mean, THE STROKES!  I love that band to death, but they were no bastion of originality.  In fact, they were arguably the most derivative and calculating band in a scene that included Interpol, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, AND LCD Soundsystem.

     However, they also had better tunes than all three of those bands combined (insert preemptive "shut up" to James Murphy fanboys here).  Drowners deserve every piece of those Strokes comparisons.  They're calculating, the fake kind of New York tough, and a thoroughly enjoyable band.  "Luv, Hold Me Down" has more hooks than the rest of this week's songs put together.  They may not be the most original hooks, but that doesn't mean they weren't the best.

MinneSarah:

     While certainly influenced by The Cure, Drowners bring an American rock quality to this love song.  The band obviously holds British music in high esteem, as the song's title would suggest, but this New York band pays homage with their American sensibilities. "But I don't live my life like you do," embodies the spirit of this song, keeping the lyrics from being too cliche.  The eighties guitars are familiar and welcomed. Drowners are coming to the Turf in April, possibly supplying the thaw out soundtrack we can all get behind.


Final Score - TCDroogsma: 4.5/5
                              MinneSarah: 4/5

05. Haley Bonar - Last War (from her as-yet-untitled new album)

 
TCDroogsma:

     I couldn't listen to Haley Bonar's "Last War" without thinking of No Bird Sing's "And War."  Sure, I probably drew the initial connection based on their titles, but the songs share several similarities.

     Much like No Bird Sing, Haley Bonar made her name by making her voice the star of the show.  Where Joe Horton & company's arrangements were sparse & cold, Bonar offered warmth, but both put the focus squarely on the vocals.  "And War" found Joe Horton's voice wrapped up in layers of drums, synthesizers, and, well, other people's voices.  The end result was a bigger, richer sound that relegated Horton to a role player in his own show.  "Last War" does the same with Bonar.  The drums are propulsive, the guitars pick & echo, and the whole things sounds like it was recorded in an airplane hangar.  Yet its big production leaves Bonar lost in the mix, struggling to stand out against a wall of sound.

MinneSarah:

     "Last War" is melancholy - more so than I would have expected from Haley for her new album.  Filled with energy, despite leaving a sense of longing, Bonar's vocals sound sweet, desperate, and authoritative throughout the song.  The listener feels a sense of urgency but also a sense of resignation.  While there is nothing as definitive as proclaiming something as the last - it pushes forward and builds as it goes.  "Last War" leaves me feeling intrigued about the new album, and glad that at least for now, Haley's back in Minnesota.

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 2.5/5
                              MinneSarah: 3.5/5
 
Well there you have it, MP3 junkies!  Another week's worth of songs downloaded, reviewed, & filed away!

As always, please keep in mind that neither Newest Industry nor our contributors are in any way affiliated with the artists above, The Current, or MPR.  We're just music fans with laptops and a bit too much time on our hands.

For more TCDroogsma be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma).  He can also be found right here on Newest Industry hosting our free weekly podcast Flatbasset Radio

For more MinneSarah be sure to give her a follow on Twitter (@MinneSarah).  She can also be found right here on Newest Industry filing reports out of St. Paul for our Big Day Out column 




For more Newest Industry be sure to give us a follow on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1) to stay up on the work being done by all of our contributors.  More importantly, we have a Facebook page here.  Trivial as it seems, stopping by and giving us a "Like" is a free & legitimate way to support the blog.