March 3, 2017 — Stinkweeds
This Week’s New Releases & Staff Picks – 3/3/17
STAFF PICKS
kimber – temples
lindsay – chicano batman, grandaddy
dario – chicano batman
THIS WEEK’S NEW RELEASES
Blanck Mass – World Eater CD/LP (Sacred Bones)
“As half of the experimental electronic duo Fuck Buttons, Benjamin John Power has spent most of his musical career pushing toward extremes. His solo affair Blanck Mass has been a little more subtle; while never shying away from overload, Blanck Mass’ instrumental vistas have been less blinding and more illuminating—to the point where ‘Sundowner,’ a track from the project’s 2011 debut, was rerecorded with the London Symphony Orchestra and played during the 2012 Olympics. It was a perfect fit, seeing as how Power’s edgier, noisier impulses mask a symphonic scope of veritable Vangelis proportions. Those two sides of his aesthetic don’t vie for dominance as much as strike a nervy balance on Blanck Mass’ third full-length, World Eater.” – WUWM Milwaukee
Chicano Batman – Freedom Is Free CD/LP (ATO)
“Chicano Batman has always exuded soulfulness in a broad sense of the term, but with Freedom Is Free, they’re deliberately playing with ’60s and ’70s R&B influences. Ample credit goes to new collaborator Leon Michels, the Brooklyn-based soul producer who’s worked with everyone from Lee Fields and the late Sharon Jones to the Black Keys and Wu-Tang’s Raekwon. Together, he and Chicano Batman don’t transform the group’s sound so much as subtly expand it. Gabriel Villa’s funky drumming becomes a more prominent anchor, especially on the album’s outstanding, mid-tempo stepper, “Jealousy,” while the title track still hums with dream-pop guitars, but now adds a boogie bounce on bass. As Freedom Is Free’s title suggests, Chicano Batman is also making a statement on the current moment, a deliberate rejoinder to the militaristic bromide that ‘freedom is not free.’ I’m not sure Chicano Batman has ever cut a track as explicitly political as the album’s penultimate song, ‘The Taker Story.’ Martinez, normally so languorous on vocals, brings a more forceful presence, like a latter-day Gil Scott-Heron or Eugene McDaniels, singing about the predatory nature of mankind and how it leads to ‘genocide and extinction, all the functions of civilization.’” – WUWM Milwaukee
Béla Fleck – Juno Concerto CD (Rounder/Concord)
Béla Fleck is the world’s premier banjo player, a 16-time Grammy Award winner nominated in more categories than any other musician, a genre-busting collaborator, a film producer and a composer. Foremost, though, he is a dad. The impact of fatherhood on Béla is reflected in Juno Concerto, named for his firstborn son with fellow folk musician Abigail Washburn. The album was recorded with the Colorado Symphony, conducted by José Luis Gomez and also includes two tracks with the Brooklyn Rider string quartet: “Griff” and the second movement of “Quintet For Banjo And Strings,” the latter a previously unrecorded collaboration with friend and mentor Edgar Meyer, representing Béla’s first experimentation with classical music. The banjo in these movements embodies the voice of doom, interrupting the music with dark, dissonant interjections culminating in a melancholy banjo solo-a contemplative end to the album that reveals Béla’s true depth as a composer. Juno Concerto is a reminder that Béla Fleck is among the most innovative and virtuosic musicians of our time.
Grandaddy – Last Place CD/LP+MP3 (30th Century)
Last Place, Grandaddy’s first new album since 2006, is a perfect addition to the band’s celebrated, critically-acclaimed catalogue, that includes their breakthrough sophomore album, Sophtware Slump, and their debut, Under The Western Freeway. It’s a symphonic swirl of lo-fi sonics and mile-high harmonies, found sounds and electronics-gone-awry mingling with perfect, power pop guitar tones. Lytle’s voice sounds as warm and intimate as ever, giving graceful levity to the doomsday narratives that have dominated the Grandaddy output. “Grandaddy‘s comeback album finds Jason Lytle and crew picking up right where they left off over a decade ago. The band’s easygoing style, fuzzy guitars, arpeggiating synths and Lytle’s world-weary vocals, is ageless and Lytle’s lyrical themes of alienation in a world of creeping urban development and technological advances seem more pertinent than ever. It’s welcome return for fans and doesn’t make a bad entry point for the initiated” – Brooklyn Vegan. [Limited brown color vinyl pressing also available.]
Ibibio Sound Machine – Uyai CD/LP+MP3 (Merge)
Fronted by London-born Nigerian singer Eno Williams, Ibibio Sound Machine is a clash of African and electronic elements inspired in equal measure by the golden era of West African funk, disco, modern post-punk, and electro. The album title Uyai means “beauty” in Ibibio language and refers to the strength and free spirit of women in general and, in particular, the courage of the women in Eno’s family, to whom she often refers in her writing. “It is a continuation of Ibibio Sound Machine’s story in which the worlds of West African highlife and electronic London collide via the storytelling lyrical thread of frontwoman Eno Williams’ vocals in the Ibibio language of Nigeria,” the band explains. “There is a darker, edgier quality to the sound that maybe reflects the difficult journey the band took from making the first album to completing the second one. The songs are based more around themes of empowerment, freedom, and the liberation of dance for women, and people in general.” The songs of Uyai tackle the stories of life—both large and small. Weird and wonderful folk stories, recounted to Eno by her family as a child in her mother’s Ibibio tongue, form the creative fabric from which the band’s unique musical tapestry is woven. Evocative poetic imagery and empowering messages set against an edgy, Afro-Electro soundscape give the band a unique space within the current wave of modern Afrocentric sounds sweeping across the globe. [Limited blue color vinyl pressing also abailable.]
Junius – Eternal Rituals For The Accretion Of Light CD/LP (Prosthetic)
Junius’ anthemic post punk/post metal reaches new levels on their new album. [Limited clear/dark green color vinyl pressing also available.]
Tim Kasher – No Resolution CD/LP (15 Passenger)
Brand new album from indie rocker Tim Kasher, best known as the frontman for Cursive and the Good Life. The follow up to 2013’s Adult Film, No Resolution finds Kasher employing lush arrangements of strings to color the indecision and despair of an engaged couple on the brink of a break-up.
Kneebody – Anti-Hero CD (Motema Music)
New album from the rambunctious quintet consisting of Ben Wendel on tenor sax, Shane Endsley on trumpet, Adam Benjamin on keyboards, Kaveh Rastegar on bass, and Nate Wood on drums.
Holly Macve – Golden Eagle CD/LP+MP3 (Bella Union)
“The singer/songwriter as a storyteller is the foundation of country music, yet as a genre it’s often perceived on these shores to be a one-dimensional world, where lonesome cowboys muse upon why their girl has gone and doggone left them. With her debut Golden Eagle, Holly Macve proves such thinking to be a fallacy … Golden Eagle is a wonderful collection of songs and tales that ultimately find a sense of redemption. Over its ten songs Macve displays an innate talent for exquisite songwriting and storytelling in a voice that is just jaw-dropping. In doing so, she’s given country music an enthralling new spin that sounds both out of time and modern, and shown that the modern incarnation of the genre has stories to tell that are just as engrossing.” – The Line Of Best Fit
Methyl Ethel – Everything Is Forgotten CD/LP (4AD)
Methyl Ethel’s new album was co-produced by James Ford (Arctic Monkeys, Foals), in collaboration with the Perth trio’s frontman Jake Webb. Written and recorded by Webb, Everything Is Forgotten finds Methyl Ethel refining sounds and rendering them in 3D, thanks in part to London-based James Ford, who has been working with Webb on the follow-up to debut album Oh Inhuman Spectacle. The pair’s collaboration across the coming release has infused their shoegaze dream-pop palate with electronic flourishes, further evolving Methyl Ethel’s sound from initial EPs Guts and Teeth.
Minus The Bear – VOIDS CD/LP/Cassette (Suicide Squeeze)
On their sixth album VOIDS, Minus the Bear started with a blank slate, and inadvertently found themselves applying the same starting-from-scratch strategies that fueled their initial creative process. Album opener “Last Kiss” immediately establishes the band’s renewed fervor. An appropriately dizzying guitar line plunges into a propulsive groove before the chorus unfolds into a multi-tiered pop chorus. From there the album flows into “Give & Take,” a tightly wound exercise in syncopation that recalls the celebratory pulse of early Bear classics like “Fine + 2 Pts” while exploring new textures and timbres. “Invisible” is arguably the catchiest song of the band’s career, with Jake Snider’s vocal melodies and Knudson’s imaginative guitar work battling for the strongest hooks. “What About The Boat?” reminds us of the “math-rock” tag that followed the band in their early years, with understated instrumentation disguising an odd-time beat. “Erase,” recalls the merging of forlorn indie pop and electronica that the band dabbled with on their early EPs, but demonstrates the Bear’s ongoing melodic sophistication and tonal exploration. By the time the band reaches album closer “Lighthouse,” they’ve traversed so much sonic territory that the only appropriate tactic left at their disposal is a climactic crescendo, driven at its peak by Cory Murchy’s thunderous bass.
The Muffs – Happy Birthday To Me [Reissue/1997] CD/LP (Omnivore)
When singer, songwriter and guitarist Kim Shattuck took the production reins for her band’s third album, The Muffs knew they were going to deliver something special. As she writes in the liner notes for the album’s re-release, “It was the first time I ever produced, and I was super proud of my new batch of songs. “Happy Birthday To Me had more hooks than my daddy’s fishing hat,” according to drummer Roy McDonald, and, bassist Ronnie Barnett says, “All cylinders were firing, our collective dream was being lived, and it was on our terms.” Twenty years later, Happy Birthday To Me has been reissued on CD (expanded with a UK B-side and six previously unissued demos) as well as on vinyl for the first time in almost two decades (first reissue pressing on white vinyl, with black to follow). Both formats feature photos, liner notes from the band, track-by-track commentary from Shattuck, and new mastering from multiple Grammy winners Gavin Lurssen and Reuben Cohen.
Noam Pikelny – Universal Favorite CD (Rounder/Concord)
Noam Pikelny has emerged as the preeminent banjoist of his generation. He is a founding member of Punch Brothers, a three-time Grammy Nominee and was awarded the first annual Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass in 2010. Universal Favorite is the fourth record Noam Pikelny has released under his own name, but it’s truly his solo debut. The album features Pikelny playing lovely originals and covers that showcase his unique approach to the banjo and compositional flair. He recorded the tracks without accompaniment, coaxing a wide array of sounds and colors out of his instruments, embracing the challenges and exploring the new possibilities of the solo setting. And, for the first time in his career, Pikelny even sings. It turns out he has a striking deadpan baritone that conveys humor and melancholy in equal measure. This album, he says, is ‘the most personal statement I’ve put forward. The setting couldn’t be more stark and I think it lays bare my musical core. Most importantly, it’s an incredibly honest solo album, in that there are honestly no other people on this record other than me.” [Vinyl edition due March 24.]
Senses Fail – In Your Absence CDEP/12” (Pure Noise)
New EP from the post-hardcore band containing acoustic versions of old and new tracks.
Ed Sheeran – ÷ (Divide) CD/2xLP (Atlantic)
Ed’s third studio album sees the 25-year-old Suffolk native in his finest form yet. The genre-defying LP is the result of an artist who consistently pushes himself in new directions, uncovering fresh musical ground using a seemingly limitless musical vocabulary. Drawing inspiration from a host of personal experiences and subjects, Ed takes you through a hugely personal journey; be that reflecting on past relationships, family memories, his musical career or his time off travelling the world in 2016. Musically ÷ (Divide) is an array of beautifully orchestrated and emotive ballads, impassioned raps laid over hip-hop beats, timeless acoustic guitar masterpieces and innovative, idiosyncratic pop music.
Sleaford Mods – English Tapas CD/LP (Rough Trade)
Call them minimalist agit-rock, beat-based political punk, or…don’t, but what you can’t call Sleaford Mods is half-arsed. They’re aggressive, abrasive, and unabashed in their lyrical support for England’s working class and in railing against the oligarchs who deny people their basic human and civil rights. Vocalist Jason Wiliamson shouts against austerity-era Britain’s malaise and stagnation with plenty of profanity, but even more cleverness and wit; and while his lyrics specify conditions in his home country, his anger and call-to-arms can unite all of us who witness and work under a system that privileges the wealth of the few over the bare comfort, and even the survival, of the just-as-worthy many. With Andrew Fearn’s deceptively simple beats and melodies underpinning Williamson’s virtuosic vocal performances, this would be a fascinating record, message or no; but the drive, meaning, and compassion behind these catchy, and even dancefloor-ready tunes make this album as vital politically as it is artistically. Sleaford Mods are at their sneering, yowling best with English Tapas. [Limited red color vinyl pressing also available.]
Temples – Volcano CD/LP (Fat Possum)
It doesn’t take too long with Volcano to realize that, while all the things that made Temples special the first time around remain intact, a noticeable evolution has taken place. It’s there from the outset: the beefed-up beats of “Certainty” reveal an expanded sonic firmament, one in which bright synth hooks and insistent choruses circle around each other over chord sequences that strike just the right balance between nice and queasy. it’s harder to spot the influences this time around. It would be disingenuous to evade the psych-pop tag, for sure, but mystical language has been supplanted by something a more direct – and while those influences are still there, it’s no longer possible to pick them out. They’ve been broken down and blended together – fossilized into a single source of creative fuel, so that what you can hear this time around, sounds like nothing so much as Temples. [Limited edition neon orange color vinyl edition also available.]
Why? – Moh Lhean CD/LP+MP3 (Joyful Noise)
The final words sung on the sixth album by Why? are an apt place to begin: “Hold on, what’s going on?” Because while there’s much familiar about the oddly named Moh Lhean — mastermind Yoni Wolf’s sour-sweet croon, his deadpan poet’s drawl and ear for stunningly fluid psych-pop-folk-whatever arrangement — a great deal has changed in the four years that’ve passed since 2012’s Mumps, Etc., an LP that honed the band’s orchestral precision and self-deprecating swagger to a fine point. It’s significant that this is the first fully home-recorded Why? album since the project’s 2003 debut. Made mostly in Wolf’s studio and co-produced by his brother Josiah, the result is obsessive, of course, but also intimate, and flush with warmth and looseness. [Limited color vinyl pressing also available.]
Animal Collective – Hollinndagain [Reissue/2002] LP (My Animal Home)
Hollinndagain documents Animal Collective’s live performances from their 2001 US tour with Black Dice. Tracks 1-3 are taken from a performance on Scott William’s radio show on WFMU. 4-7 are from performances in New York, Nashville, and Austin (these latter two shows occurring on their tour with Black Dice).
The Besnard Lakes – The Besnard Lakes Are The Divine Wind 12” (Jagjaguwar)
Two exclusive tracks written and recorded at the same time as their 2016 album A Coliseum Complex Museum. “Laura Lee” is a sibling track to the album’s illustrious first single, “The Golden Lion” — spacious reverb-y drums echo around an almost sci-fi vocal line sung by Olga Goreas. Meanwhile, the title track “The Divine Wind” is the Besnard Lakes at their expansive, psychedelic best: a sustained keyboard building through to a bombastic coda, complete with Jace Lasek’s unmistakable falsetto.
Bleached – Can You Deal? LP (Dead Oceans)
Fueled by the experiences they’ve had as women in their calling for music, Can You Deal? takes on the complexities of issues female musicians encounter in an industry dominated by men. Four tracks featuring their triumphant mix of sunny melodies, thrashing guitars and lyrics highlighting the darker sides of life. White color vinyl pressing.
City And Colour – Peaceful Road b/w Rain 12”+MP3 (Dine Alone)
Two never-before-released tracks from the If I Should Go Before You sessions recorded in Nashville. Dallas Green is a Canadian singer/songwriter who records under the alias City And Colour. He plays melodic acoustic and folk music and is often accompanied by a rotating number of Canadian indie rock musicians. He is also known for his contributions as the vocalist, guitarist and songwriter for the post-hardcore band Alexisonfire.
FKA Twigs – EP1 [Reissue/2012] 12” (XL Recordings)
FKA twigs self-released debut EP is now available via Young Turks. An original super-limited run of 500 units was pressed back in 2012.
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum – Grand Opening And Closing [2001] 2xLP (Blood Music)
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum – Of Natural History [2004] 2xLP (Blood Music)
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum – In Glorious Times [2007] 2xLP (Blood Music)
The legendary avant-rock band Sleepytime Gorilla Museum’s three albums are available on vinyl for the first time. A band that leaps beyond mere categorization, SGM represents a defiance against anything we’ve come to expect about musical delivery. Steeped somewhere in the pantheon of 19th-century scientific lectures, vaudevillian blasts of excitement, puppet shows, self-made instruments, formless abstraction, soothing atmospheres, man-on-the-street interviews, and death metal – SGM has proven itself as one of the most prominent experimental forces in the musical underground of the last 15 years. Harkening back to the mischievous influences of The Residents, Frank Zappa, and Captain Beefheart; SGM has fashioned their own intense Dadaist universe out of a string of legends that manifest in the mysterious manners of being unable to be proven true or untrue.
NEXT WEEK’S NEW RELEASES
HURRAY FOR THE RIFF RAFF – The Navigator CD/LP
ELLIOTT SMITH – Either/Or CD/LP reissue
TENNIS – Yours Conditionally CD/LP
VALERIE JUNE – Order Of Time CD/LP
SHINS – Heartworms CD/LP
MURS – Captain California CD
THUNDERCAT – Drunk 4LP
MAGNETIC FIELDS – 50 Song Memoir CD/LP
AVERY CAMERON – Ripe Dreams Pipe Dreams CD/LP
PIETA BROWN – Postcards CD
BUZZCOCKS – Times Up CD/LP
GREG GRAFFIN – Millport CD/LP
JAY SOM – Everybody Works CD/LP
LUYAS – Human Voicing CD/LP
ROLLING BLACKOUTS COASTAL FEVER – French Press CD/LP
SOUNDGARDEN – Ultramega OK LP
ODDISEE – Iceberg CD
REVEREND PEYTON’S BIG DAMN BAND – Front Porch Sessions CD/LP
ALEX CLINE – Oceans Of Vows CD
HA HA TONKA – Heart-Shaped Mountain CD/LP
LAURA MARLING – Semper Femina CD/LP
DAUGHTER – Hell Songs LP
MINIATURE TIGERS – I Dreamt I Was A Cowboy LP