Sunday, June 22, 2014

Album Of The Week: June 16th-22nd, 2014


Flatbasset Radio's Album Of The Week for the week of June 16th-22nd, 2014:


The Starfolk - The Starfolk

01. The Great Unknown
02. Come And Play
03. Kindness Of Strangers
04. To The Gate
05. Sow The Seed
06. Midnight Moon
07. Sleeping Without Dreaming
08. True Blue
09. Into The Clouds
10. Winterwalk
11. Wake Up Machine
12. From Above


The Starfolk's been on my radar for quite a while now.  Back in October of 2008 The Current posted "Wake Up Machine" as their Song Of The Day.  As you probably know by now, I have a needlessly elaborate system of spending a week with each SOTD track (which eventually birthed the Songs Of The Week posts) as well as consistently revisiting those tracks over the years.

I was never particularly blown away by "Wake Up Machine" (in my defense, the version posted in '08 is far inferior to the fully realized version on The Starfolk).  However, last August The Current posted "To The Gate," a song both MinneSarah & I thoroughly enjoyed.  Since that week I've always kept The Starfolk in the back of my mind as an album I should spend some time with.

Fast forward to last Sunday when, in my search for this week's album, I strolled through the Electric Fetus until this one caught my eye.  I picked it up and, a week later, I couldn't be more pleased with the record.



As I understand it, most people came to The Starfolk with somewhat formed opinions of the band.  Co-lead singer Brian Tighe is well known from his work fronting The Hang Ups & The Owls and fans of those bands inevitably make up a good chunk of The Starfolk's fanbase.  Hell, three quarters of The Starfolk are made up by people who also play in The Owls.

I, however, have never knowingly heard The Hang Ups or The Owls.  After spending a week with this album I'm certainly inclined to check them out though.  The Starfolk is a well-exectuted, thoughful pop album.  Tighe and his bandmates Allison LaBonne, Jacqueline Ultan, & Stephen Ittner have been playing this sort of bouncy chamber pop for so long that the songs come across with a sense of ease that makes the album breeze by.   There are hints of Luna, hints of Ivy, hints of The Velvet Underground... If you're a fan of any of that, definitely look into The Starfolk.

In fact, look into it right here on The Starfolk's Bandcamp page.  Really.  Give it a spin.

Songs Of The Week #95: TCDroogsma


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

Rotary Downs, Nathaniel Rateliff, Sturgill Simpson, & Atmosphere...


Well hello again, MP3 fans! Welcome To Songs Of The Week #95!

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.

Unfortunately, this week MinneSarah took the week off due to what could kindly be called "Current-based fatigue."  Trust us, her words were considerably more harsh.

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.

So... Droogsy... thoughts?


01. Rotary Downs - Flowers In Bloom (from the album Traces)


 
TCDroogsma:

     Rotary Downs is a five-piece out of New Orleans, but "Flowers In Bloom" bears little of the Big Easy's trademark musical sounds.  Instead we're treated to a galloping indie rock number that sounds a lot like British shoegaze.  The song hinges on an enjoyable descending guitar riff that spirals into psychedelics during the chorus.  Vocally lead singer James Marier sticks to a calm yet forceful delivery, never flying off the edge, but definitely controlling the tone of the track.  When the song finally breaks down with about a minute left, it's a welcome turn, with Marier's vocals finally standing front and center while the band ambles their way out the door.

Final Score: 3/5

02. Nathaniel Rateliff - Nothing To Show For (from the album Falling Faster Than You Can Run)


 
TCDroogsma:

     Kudos to Nathaniel Rateliff.  By definition he's a singer/songwriter and a straight reading of the lyrics to "Nothing To Show For" would definitely back that up.  In the song Rateliff is confused about both himself and his generation.  "A wave could carry you away, leave you somewhere else, leave you in the flames..." is a line that's both vague and completely relateable.

     Now, if you've been reading this column for the past 94 weeks you'll know I'm not too high on the singer/songwriter vibe.  However, from the first chorus Rateliff abandons the stereotype of "sensitive singer" that such lyrics typically call for.  Instead he and his band work up a racket of guitar, drums, and organ.  Perched on top of this teetering sound is Rateliff's voice, worn in & angry at the confusion, as if he knows the answer is right in front of him, but he just can't see it.  "Nothing To Show For" is a textbook example of a song that plays to its performers strengths, becoming greater than just the sum of its parts.

     (Bonus half point for the dog in the picture.  Can't argue with that guy.)

Final Score: 4/5

03. Sturgill Simpson - Turtles All The Way Down (from the album Metamodern Sounds In Country Music)




TCDroogsma:

     Like Nathaniel Rateliff, Sturgill Simpson is a singer/songwriter by definition.  Unlike Nathaniel Rateliff, Simpson steps in every landmine that comes with the title.

     Simpson's out of Kentucky and is attempting to carry the torch for the "outlaw country" sound that traces back to Merle Haggard & Johnny Cash (and is thoroughly beloved by the type of MPR jerk-offs who claim to "love old country music" but are disgusted by the actual sound of new country music).  Simpson makes references to drugs, the devil, Jesus, & hell, proving that he's at least read the first chapter of An Idiot's Guide To Being A Rebel Country Artist.  Unfortunately, "Turtles All The Way Down" loses the plot from there.  There's reptile aliens, journeys to the center of the mind, all kinds of other random shit that , "Might make you go crazy...might make you go sane."  All the while the song is wrapped up in a very straight-forward country skiffle.  Frankly, I kind of wish this song was just about turtles.

Final Score: 1/5

04. Atmosphere - Bitter (from the album Southsiders)




TCDroogsma:

     I was a little surprised to find this song waiting for me.  "Bitter" came out at least a month before it was posted here as a SOTD track.  I remember playing it back on Flatbasset Radio: Episode #33 back in the first week of March.  I guess there's no sense rushing to play the new Atmosphere single when you're busy commissioning craft beer & Actual Wolf songs.

     As such, I've already spent a week with "Bitter's" parent album Southsiders as an album of the week.  I bring this up because the song takes a somewhat different tone within the context of an album as opposed to a stand alone single.  As a single a couple of things stand out:

     First, the live band is nowhere to be found (and thank God).  This is an Ant beat the core.

     Second, Slug's taken on an almost sing-song tone with his rapping.  Nowhere near the sound of Chance The Rapper, Yung Thug, etc..., but the delivery is more than Slug's previous presets of either "angry" or "celebratory."

     And that's the third thing - "Bitter" is a shot at the local scene that's not comfortable with the worldwide success Atmosphere's found.  However, in delivering the message that too many other people are bitter about Slug & Ant's success, Slug himself comes off as bitter.  He's far too smart of a lyricist not to realize what he's doing here.

     Which is why the song works significantly better within the contest of the album.  Southsiders is the most autobiographical Atmosphere record since You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having.  Throughout the album Slug paints himself as a relatively content 40-something.  I realize that sounds like anathema to most rap fans, but to those of us who are easing through our 30's (which I suspect is still a large chunk of Atmosphere's fans), it's a refreshing take on hip-hop.  To that end "Bitter" comes off almost as a reminder that you can't please everybody all the time and that no matter how successful you may be at your job, people will still bitch.  Much like a young Slug pushed people to choose their own path back on tracks like "The Bass & The Movement," "Bitter" is a song for those of us who chose a path back then and are now faced with the prospect of never reaching that goal and the prospect of abandoning the path for the comforts of adulthood.  Slug's reminding us that no matter how far you go down that path, it's never easy.

Final Score: 4/5

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 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.


 

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Newest Industry Presents - Flatbasset Radio: Episode #38 (w/MinneSarah)


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

You heard that we were great, now you know we're lame...


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!

This week's episode TCDroogsma heads over to St. Paul to reunite with his estranged co-host MinneSarah & play some summer jams!  Along the way they discuss the cruelty of summer in Minnesota, seasonal drinking habits, the work ethic of 90's pop bands, European weather patterns, the cinematic tour-de-force that is Good Burger, haggling over the price of an EP, pronouncing English bands with Minnesota accents, how to pass time when summer hits its bad stretches, MinneSarah's favorite Nashville band, the struggle to cast a vote in the 2002 election, how context turns a good song into a "summer jam," and reminisce about the first time they saw one of their favorite bands and  seeing that band again last weekend!  All that plus the Cover Of The Week & Flatbasset Flat Classic!

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 #38
 


01. National Bird - In Summer
02. Vic Mensa - Orange Soda
03. Art Brut - Alcoholics Unanimous
04. Sugar Ray - Day 'N' Nite
05. Klaxons - Echoes
06. Poolside - Slow Down
07. F. Stokes - Gots To Save You
08. The Streets - Roof Of Your Car
09. The Thermals - Now We Can See
10. Har Mar Superstar - Freedom Summer
11. Bad Cop - The Wind
12. Local H - All The Kids Are Right

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.

Sunday, June 15, 2014

Album Of The Week: June 9th-15th, 2014


Flatbasset Radio's Album Of The Week for the week of June 9th-15th, 2014:


Kougar - Cold Room

01. Street Urchin
02. Where Would You Go
03. Phantom Traveler
04. Renewal

A couple of weeks ago I made Naptaker's Siestecita my album of the week.  Along the way I described the Bandcamp wormhole I followed to discover the album.  If you haven't read it, have a look.  Really, it's pretty gripping stuff.

Anyway, following the wormhole even further (this time via Naptaker's Facebook page), I found out about Kougar.  The two bands played a show together to celebrate the release of Cold Room.  Considering that I had enjoyed that Naptaker record so much I figured I'd give it a shot.

After spending a week with Cold Room, I can tell you it has almost nothing in common with Siestecita besides geography.  Where Naptaker wastes little time getting to the hooks, Kougar meanders in a very pleasant way.  The songs are generally upbeat, mixing indie rock with a bit of a jazzy swing that's part Steely Dan, part Vampire Weekend.  Though the album would benefit from some, I dunno, "bigger" production, it still stands up as a compelling debut.  All four songs check in over the 4:00 mark, but none of them feel overly long.  Instead the band rides some clever hooks, Marr-esque guitar work, and compelling instrumental sections to make a record that sounds both familiar & new.  I'm genuinely excited to see what the band does when they have a little bit more time/money/studio gear at their disposal.

If you'd like to check out the record for yourself, head on over to Kougar's Bandcamp page and grab it at whatever price you'd like.


Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Songs Of The Week #94: TCDroogsma


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

HTRK, Architecture In Helsinki, The Family Crest, The Ghost Of A Saber Tooth Tiger, & Actual Wolf...


Well hello again, MP3 fans! Welcome To Songs Of The Week #94!

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.

Unfortunately, this week MinneSarah took the week off due to what could kindly be called "Current-based fatigue."  Trust us, her words were considerably more harsh.

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.

So... Droogsy... thoughts?


01. HTRK - Blue Sunshine (from the album Psychic 9-5 Club)


 
TCDroogsma:

     Australia hasn't had a great run here on SOTW.  Most of the song's coming out of the land down under have been clunkers (Alpine, Connan Mockasin) while only a couple of stellar entries from The Veils really leveling things out.

     Enter HTRK.  HTRK evidently stands for "Hate Rock" though initially I held out hope that it perhaps stood for "Hat Trick," a turn of events that would have easily garnered "Blue Sunshine" another half point.  As it stands, "Blue Sunshine" is the sort of atmospheric electro-jam that's all the rage today.  The best of those songs either lean on a heavy hook at some point or on some sort of fragility.  Unfortunately "Blue Sunshine" doesn't go either direction.  It's strengths lie in some very well put together, slow burning synths and a just a touch of reverb. The lyrics, however, bring nothing to the table, which is no sin if there's a good hook.  Unfortunately, not only is the hook not very good, it's essentially non-existent.  I can't give the song less than 2/5 because it's clear that it would be a thoroughly enjoyable downbeat instrumental.  However, the most prominent part of the song (the vocals) are also its weakest link.  Kind of a shame.

Final Score: 2/5

02. Architecture In Helsinki - I Might Survive (from the album Now + 4Eva)


 
TCDroogsma:

     I saw Architecture In Helsinki at the 400 Bar back when "Heart It Races" was all the rage.  They put on such an ubpeat, positive, energetic show that it was almost a little sickening.  Maybe the fact that I'm a dyed-in-the-plaid Midwesterner who bleeds cynicism kept me from throwing myself into the show, but it was all just a little too much.

     Here on "I Might Survive," the band is still pretty damn upbeat, though the hook of, "I'd rather be with you than alive..." certainly has some dark undertones.  The band has evidently abandoned the "kitchen sink" approach to their songs, however, as "I Might Survive" is a slick, streamlined poppy number.  The song glides along enjoyably with some technicolor horns providing the real punch.  I can say with 85% certainty that I won't see the band live again (as they're clearly still just too damn happy), but at least they seem to have settled into crafting songs that stand on their own, without five shiny, happy people giving them the hard sell.

Final Score: 3/5

03. The Family Crest - Beneath The Brine (from the album Beneath The Brine)




TCDroogsma:

     According to the internets, The Family Crest is the brainchild of Liam McCormick (the one up above that looks like Pete Wentz & Win Butler procreated).  His idea was to write a few songs and then put out ads for musicians, with the goal being to get as many musicians as possible.  Evidently it didn't matter if these people could play instruments or not.  The idea was to create an operation that was wholly inclusive no matter how rudimentary somebody's musical knowledge may be.

     On the one hand, then, "Beneath The Brine" is surprising in that it's a very well crafted, well performed single.  The song features a whole orchestra's worth of dramatic string turns, percussive flourishes, and group vocals.  Unfortunately, all of that work is in the service of a song that is just not very good to begin with.  McCormick's vocals aim for "sweeping & epic" and land at, well, Pete Wentz meets Win Butler.  It's comically dramatic.  McCormick's lyrics are a pretty straightforward want-the-girl, can't-have-the-girl tale that would likely sound kind of insufferable regardless of the musical style they were wrapped around, but hearing them built into this sort of symphonic grandeur leaves the whole thing sounding like an exercise is excess more than a genuinely exciting idea.

Final Score: 1/5

04. The Ghost Of A Saber Tooth Tiger - Animals (from the album Midnight Sun)




TCDroogsma:

     There are several certainties in life.  Death.  Taxes.  The fact that it's completely unfair to compare Sean Lennon's work to his father's.  This is all just part of the deal.  Unfortunately for Sean, he seems to go out of his way to make music that bears all the hallmarks of his dad.

     Now, let me note first that "Animals" is clearly a Sean Lennon jam.  Back in the late 90's he built some nice songs out of heavy, fuzzed out bass and solid hooks (as was the style at the time).  Here we are some 15 years later and he's still got the bass cranked to 11 (which is a compliment).  The chorus' hook hits loud & heavy.  Unfortunately for poor Sean, he spends large chunks of the song using his voice to produce nasally "Aaaahhhh's" which, I hate to say, sound exactly like his dad's work on "A Day In The Life."  Throw in the fact that he plays the same sort of half-assed mysticism card ("Do you believe what you read in the tea leaves?  Messages from Jesus in the crease upon the grilled cheese?") and the song starts to sound like the work of somebody who's genuinely trying to write a John Lennon parody song.  Sorry, Sean.  I know you can't choose your parents, but you don't have to seek out their shadow to stand under either.

Final Score: 2.5/5

05. Actual Wolf - Thinking Of You (from The Current's Beer EP)




TCDroogsma:

     The last time we reviewed Actual Wolf was in SOTW #59Both MinneSarah & I thought that "Victims & Things" was a pleasant, though inconsequential song.  Since then Actual Wolf (Eric Pollard) has taken the time to slowly pull his dick out of The Current's mouth & decamped to Nashville.  At the time it seemed like a bold move for an artist who was genuinely starting to build an MPR-sponsored following here in the Twin Cities.

     Well, turns out their isn't much risk involved when The Current continues to pump you up as a "local artist" when you don't actually live here.  Evidently you can have your country-fried cake and eat it too.  Savvy move, Wolfy.

     "Thinking About You" comes hand in hand with The Current's new custom-brand beer (which reminds me, stop asking me for money you custom-beer-creating bastards) and that seems appropriate.  "Thinking Of You" is straight autopilot for a Nashville tunesmith.  The song skiffles along on the same country twang you've heard a thousand times while Pollard wades slowly into the shallow end of country music history for the melody.  Frankly, I can't imagine a song being as slight as "Thinking Of You."  And that's really the word for it: slight.  Pollard opens the song by singing, "I woke up from a dream," and that seems appropriate because I'm sure he could toss off shit like this in his sleep.

Final Score: 0/5

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 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.


Sunday, June 8, 2014

Album Of The Week: June 2nd-June 8th, 2014


Flatbasset Radio's Album Of The Week for the week of June 2nd-June 8th, 2014:

F. Stokes - Liquor Sto' Diaries


01. Caps
02. Can't Call It
03. Summer Coldest
04. Gots To Save You

First thing's first, sorry I'm late with this post.  I typically try to get these posted at the beginning of the week, well before I've had a chance to spend the week with the album.  However, I was busy this week.  If these posts had any consistent viewers I'd feel pretty bad, but they don't so, meh...

Anyway, I had the pleasure of spending the week with Liquor Sto' Diaries, a surprise free EP from New York by way of Madison by way of Chicago MC F. Stokes.

You know I like to stay Minnesota with my AOTW picks, but F. Stokes is essentially Minnesotan at this point.  His Midwestern roots are clear, with Chicago being home and regular stops back in Madison.  His best known album (I think) is Death Of A Handsome Bride, a nine song record produced by Doomtree's Lazerbeak.  That album is consistently excellent from front-to-back, showcasing Stokes' ability to be both serious & playful, innovative & classic all in the same breath.

Liquor Sto' Diaries spins more of the same stories.  Stokes reminisces about the good times growing up in Chicacgo and the hard times of becoming a man in Chicago, all in a voice that shows he's grateful for both experiences.  For production, Stokes turned back to his friends in Doomtree.  Lazerbeak turns up to bookend the album.  Both "Caps" and "Gots To Save You" ride Beak's patented rich, soulful beats.  Paper Tiger turns up to provide the beat for "Can't Call It" and "Summer Coldest."  Both of these stay away from the expansive sounds of Paper Tiger's solo work and hue more closely to his excellent Beat Tape.  F. Stokes is a thoroughly enjoyable MC in his own right, but pairing him with these beats is just ridiculous.

Anyway, the album's available as a free download over at the Potholes Music Bandcamp page.  Go download it and let it soundtrack your strolls to the liquor store this summer.

Songs Of The Week #93: TCDroogsma


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

Kelis, Fear Of Men, Truckfighters, Fujiya & Miyagi, & Haley Bonar...



Well hello again, MP3 fans! Welcome To Songs Of The Week #93!

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.

Unfortunately, this week MinneSarah took the week off due to what could kindly be called "Current-based fatigue."  Trust us, her words were considerably more harsh.

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.

So... Droogsy... thoughts?


01. Kelis - Cobbler (from the album Food)




TCDroogsma:

     A few months back I received my bi-monthly e-mail from the label Ninja Tune that included a link to download a single from Kelis' upcoming album Food.  I don't know enough Kelis songs to say whether or not I like her, but I figured I'd throw it on my weekly playlist and find out what the story was.

     That single was a song called "Jerk Ribs," a horn-stuffed, Motown-type workout that I found so enjoyable that I played it on my Flatbasset Radio podcast that week.  It seemed like the famously-difficult-to-pigeonhole artist had found a new home rapping herself up in the music that inspired her.

     I suppose it's possible that spending a week with such an enjoyable single would make it tough for a second single to stand up, but I couldn't help but be disappointed with "Cobbler."  Those rich, funky horns are gone, replaced by some shuffling percussion & afro-beat style horns that comes off like the most forgettable Dave Sitek song you've ever heard.  Kelis' whispery, melody-averse crooning brings almost nothing to the table, lacking enough mystery to create atmosphere and enough ooomph to sell an almost non-existent hook.  Even the breakdown (which features Kelis "hitting notes she never sings") feels forced.  I don't know if The Current ever embraced "Jerk Ribs," but "Cobbler" sounds like just the kind of mundane, sorta-indie, sorta-R&B that is right in their wheelhouse.

Final Score: 1.5/5

02. Fear Of Men - Waterfall (from the album Loom)




TCDroogsma:

     Remember last year when I couldn't stop ranting like a lunatic about Veronica Falls & their single "Teenage?"  I think we've finally found this summer's sequel to "Teenage's" youthful, innocent charm.

     Where "Teenage" lived in a world of the trivial teenage infatuation presented through the eyes of "this is life and death!" teenagers, Fear Of Men present the grown up sequel.  The guitars are excited, yet controlled.  There's a synth line that hints at the melancholy lurking underneath the chorus' repeated call of "I'm not alone in this..."  This is an "adult pop" song in the best possible sense.  A world of excitement, sadness, longing, & hope delivered in a way relatable to everybody who knows what it's like to be overcome by those feelings all at once.

Final Score: 4/5

03. Truckfighters - Prophet (from the album Universe)




TCDroogsma:

     As I spent the week with "Prophet" I kept stumbling across the same adjectives to describe Truckfighters. "Stoner Rock."  "Desert Rock."  "Metal."  I was kind of surprised by this.  The band owes an obvious debt to Queens Of The Stone Age, but just give the song a spin.  They may love Josh Homme, but it sure sounds like they enjoyed Room On Fire & First Impressions Of Earth as much as Rated R.

     Lead singer Ozo comes out crooning like a smitten Julian Casablancas during the verse before lashing out like... well... a bitter Julian Casablancas in the chorus.  The band around him works up a Polvo-esque fuzzy/precise racket right up until the chorus, when they snap into place like Albert Hammond & Fab Morretti in their prime.  Basically, this is what The Strokes would sound like if they adopted Josh Homme as a guitar player (which is awesome).  I'm sorry to be so redundant, but just listen to it!  There are no other conclusions to be drawn here. 

Final Score: 4/5

04. Fujiya & Miyagi - Vagaries Of Fashion (from the album Artificial Sweeteners)




TCDroogsma:

     Fujiya & Miyagi have built a career out of creating subversive electro songs that wouldn't be out of place in a packed European club or on Mogwai's tour bus.  "Vagaries Of Fashion" fits nicely with their work in the past, continuing their winning streak of sneaky hooks, sneakier lyrics, and an overarching feeling of suspense that gives the impression that they know something you don't.

     "Vagaries Of Fashion" opens with the lines, "You keep pickin' the scabs 'round the edges 'till it bleeds crimson red, cracks concrete grey..."  Pleasant stuff, to be sure.  The song goes on to add all kinds of guitar lines, blips, & bloops, but stays anchored on singer David Best's vocals.  With him crooning slyly throughout, the song never gets too high or too low, never completely revealing itself.  It's a clever trick and it allows "Vagaries Of Fashion" to be better with every spin.  Even when you know what's coming next, it's still exciting.

Final Score: 4/5

05. Haley Bonar - No Sensitive Man (from the album Last War)




TCDroogsma:

     Damn!  Haley Bonar's really changing the game these days.  Where she used to be the Twin Cities sappy, boring, female counterpart to Jeremy Messersmith, Bonar evidently got bored with that folk sound this time around (and not a moment too soon).

     MinneSarah & I discussed the the track "Last War" way back in SOTW #78.  While that song was also a dramatic departure from the Bonar of old, I lamented that the new synth-heavy sound left Boanr's voice lost in the mix.  Well, here on "No Sensitive Man" the synths have been replaced by some buzzy guitar work while Bonar's vocals are the star of the show.  Bonar's voice has a rougher, more worn in sound than it used to and frankly, it suits the song perfectly.  Evidently Bonar's boredom with folk music also extends to the kind off "sensitive, artistic, fawning" men you meet when you play folk music for a living.  "Once you loved his hippie ways... but now you want to cut off all his hair, see what he's made of, wipe his tear's away..." God bless you, Haley Bonar.

Final Score: 4/5

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 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.