music muttt

A possibly pretentious mixed-breed tumblr about all things music.

[musicmuttt]

Deerhunter are back with a quirky, upbeat album full of their own brand of futuristic dread. Why Hasn’t Everything Already Dissapeared doesn’t rock quite as hard as 2008’s epic Microcastle, but it’s my favorite of theirs since.

I give it 3 out of 4 paws 🐾

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Cherry Glazerr Cover LCD Soundsystem's "Time To Get Away" Watch

Cherry Glazerr released their fantastic third album, Stuffed & Ready, earlier this month. Today, the LA garage-pop outfit stopped by SiriusX

Amazeballs

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“A Proper Cynic”: An Interview with Protomartyr’s Joe Casey - Los Angeles Review of Books

Robert Loss speaks to Joe Casey, lead singer of Protomartyr, about the literature that inspires his allusive lyrics.

Joe Casey is the rock star we need right now

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Beyoncé at Coachella. Kendrick winning a Pulitzer. Michelle Williams and Phil Elverum. Cardi’s “SNL” pregnancy reveal. And other distractions from the hellscape that was 2018.

Thanks for this, Pitchfork, we needed it

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TOP TEN ALBUMS OF 2018

10) Amen Dunes - Freedom A beautifully understated album of thoughtful narrations by Damon McMahon. It’s hard to explain the depth of these songs’ captivating, romantic natures but I find more to love with every listen. 

9) Shame - Songs Of Praise A young band of British punks who don’t give a fuck about what you think of them, in fact they like it better when you’re not around. It’s angry and flippant but also quite put together and a lot of fun. Let’s hope we hear more from these lads in the future.

8) Mitski - Be The Cowboy  I’m not always sure what Mitski is singing about but I sure enjoy it anyway. Her voice is mindblowingly precise and the abstract pictures she paints of discontented individuals can be quite captivating; she’s definitely blazing her own trail (Get the cowboy reference? But do you get it??).

7) Iceage - Beyondless A moody, lush album, Iceage have come a long way from their punk start but their songs still pack a big bite even though some of them are often quite (dare I say) catchy. Yes, Elias Bender Ronnenfelt evokes an 18th century lovelorn vampire but you act like that’s a bad thing #swoon. 

6) Pinegrove - Skylight  Pinegrove’s brand of emo folk is improved upon in this intimate collection of songs. The simplest statements sung from Even Stephens Hall feel fraught with meaning and the delicate arrangements accompanying them are a lovely touch.

5) Snail Mail - Lush Bright, uncomplicated guitar songs that are so easy to like, Lindsey Jordan is a master of her craft. These tunes take me back to my teenage emo days without ever feeling borrowed or twee.

4) Daughters - You Won’t Get What You Want A dark, confronting listen, this album happily rattles my cage. It’s not often you can call an album heavy AND cinematic but that’s exactly what’s happening here. It’s often unsettling, surprising and apparently just what I needed.  

3) Parquet Courts - Wide Awake It’s not easy to make an album rife with social commentary that is also danceable enough to be featured on The Ellen Show but somehow these guys have done it. Still full of DIY punk, quotable yet woke lyrics (“What is an up-and-coming neighborhood and where is it coming from?”) a touching song called Freebird II, this album has it all. In their prolific career, these guys have totally hit their stride.

2) IDLES - Joy As An Act of Resistance A necessary album for these trying times featuring a bunch of British punk dudes angrily singing about love and inclusion, IDLES lay it on thick with “Joy” without somehow ever sounding like they’re overdoing it. And yes, you can still be punk and tell your friends you love them, IDLES want you to know we’re all in this together.

 1) Arctic Monkeys - Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino Who would’ve thought an album that finds Alex Turner crooning “I just wanted to be one of The Strokes” would land on my number 1 but here it is. A hilarious, insightful, indulgent satire of our current times, the Monkeys have never sounded better. Yes, the world is an absolutely ridiculous place right now, but can’t we have a little fun in pointing that out? Maybe at the end of this dumpster fire of a year what I really crave is levity and the ability to poke fun at ourselves. 

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Deafheaven’s new release Ordinary Corrupt Human Love is the cinematic result of a talented group of musicians refusing to confine themselves to a genre.

I’ve always loved art that is starkly contrasted. The combination of small-town quaintness plus the chaos of violence in a David Lynch production, the beauty of Elliott Smith’s songs in opposition to his seriously sad and disturbing lyrics. There’s something about Deafheaven’s lush backdrop of music combined with George Clarke’s demonic screams that just light up my brain. Hell, even their album artwork is a study in contrast: 2013’s loud and complex Sunbather with it’s sunset-pink gradient and minimalistic typeface, and now Human Love’s wonderfully ordinary photograph on the front of an album that is anything but.

It’s interesting to look at Deafheaven’s “fans also like” section on Spotify. Aside from Converge, I haven’t heard of any of these bands-and judging by some of their names I’m glad I haven’t? I honestly worry about their being heard at all having been placed in league with these much more pigeonholed [what I’m assuming are] metal bands. Deafheaven aren’t a metal band, but who cares? Yes George Clarke is screaming his lungs out but read some of his lyrics (because you definitely can’t understand them otherwise). I doubt too many metal bands are screaming: “I have wondered about the language of flowers”.

Aside from the yelling, Deafheaven sound more like a rockier Explosions in the Sky or Mogwai. But on Human Love I actually find myself thinking more about The Smashing Pumpkins a la Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, the abstract beauty of early 2000’s Radiohead, or their piano work and guitar riffs that would be right at home in a Queen song. Deafheaven sounds like all of these, and none of these.

Deafheaven have done themselves (and us) a huge favor by not limiting their music by calling themselves a metal band. Deafheaven know no bounds, they will not be confined to a genre. Where will they go from here? The sky’s the fucking limit.

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Featuring stories and pictures of Waka Flocka Flame’s precocious French bulldog Angel, Girl Talk’s Collective Soul-loving cat Chloe, Thundercat’s inspirational kitty Turbo Tron, and many more.

how did I just find this?! <3<3<3

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3 bands that have altered my consciousness.

I owe a lot to these amazing artists who have changed my perception of music. These bands have dared to break the rules, to find their own sound, and have revolutionized music (for me) in the process.

Some of the most revolutionary music has straight-up repulsed me on the first listen. What I’ve realized is that can be an exceptionally good sign of something truly groundbreaking. This leads me to my first band:

The Blood Brothers

I will never forget the first time I heard The Blood Brothers. Sitting at my dinosaur of a computer, trying to download some AFI songs off Limewire (don’t pick up the phone mom! Kids these days will never understand) when the downloadee messaged me to chat (a rarely-used feature of Limewire). After seeming a little bummed that I wasn’t a dude, this 15 year old girl from California told me if I liked AFI I should check out the Blood Brothers so she sent me “The Salesman, Denver Max”. First reactions could be described as: confused, disturbed, nauseous? I had never heard such a brazen defiance for tune, song structure, content, or—fuck, anything. But like binge-watching a murder documentary, I couldn’t stop. I had to have all of Burn, Piano Island, Burn and it became my gateway drug into hardcore/DIY music. Everything I was listening to before was in comparison just pop/punk BS. Whatever this was it was raw, it was rough, it was real. I saw the Blood Brothers 3 times and although my memory is a little hazy (not what you think, it was just a very very very long time ago) I remember being utterly blown away. Unfortunately, as many of us know a star that burns that ferociously can’t last forever. Although subsequent releases Crimes and Young Machetes were respectable, they were nothing close to the molotov cocktail that Burn, Piano Island, burn was. 

Swans

I was pretty into reading music reviews at this point in my life and I was seeing a lot of buzz about The Seer. I listened eagerly to the title track and 20 minutes later, it was still going (the Seer clocks in at 32:14, that’s one song…)- what was happening? Who makes music like this? Turns out Michael Gira does, an art school multi-instrumentalist who’d been turning out albums with a revolving lineup of stellar musicians under the name of Swans since the ‘80s. I decided this type of music probably wasn’t meant for me so I stopped listening only to find days later that their tribal, vaguely demonic beats were working their way into my subconscious. There is something ultimately primal about Swans; during deep listens you can almost feel yourself reduced to your base nature and it is thrilling, terrifying and wondrous to behold. Swans refuse to follow the rules or make you feel safe; they are the Twin Peaks of indie rock. Gira is taking you into the black lodge to meet your doppelgänger so enjoy your pie and coffee while you can. Seeing Swans perform was one of the most amazing shows I’ve been to. The entire audience moved as one being, hanging on Gira and co’s every note, waiting to be told if it was ok to breathe. I don’t think this lineup of Swans will be adding to their holy trilogy of The Seer, To Be Kind and The Glowing Man, but I hope Swans continues in whatever form it can because this is unlike anything you will ever hear. 

My Bloody Valentine

This will hurt my indie cred, but the first time I recall hearing an MBV song was in Lost in Translation where Sometimes is used to such great effect, I was completely blown away and hooked to whatever this sound was. A big thing to note here is that I have synesthesia, which means I visualize music and no other band has made me “see” music more than MBV. Listening to Loveless at hazardous volumes completely transports me to another world; you would not imagine the colors and shapes that I see, unless you can, in which case, call me? I can only refer to the master behind MBV Kevin Shields as a wizard. His use of warped, fuzzy layers of guitars (like how the FUCK does a guitar make that sound?) plus toned down vocals from himself and the wonderful Bilinda Butcher create a sexy, disorienting and immersive sound. Shields has created his own world of music where notes bend to his will and you can drink from the fucking chocolate river, or whatever. The most magical part of course is how Mr Wonka- I mean Shields, isn’t done yet. The also wonderful m b v was released in 2013 (22 years post Loveless) and rumor has it 2 new EPs are coming our way this year.

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Iceage at The Sinclair

It was my first time seeing these Danish punks and I was not disappointed. Iceage tore through the biggies on their newest release and also a few old favorites (highlights for me: Beyondless and Plowing through the Fields of Love ❤️ ). The boys drew a decent crowd and even managed to stir up a little mosh pit, showing that their new, sleeker sound can still be rough and loud. Each member commands their instruments very well creating a searing backdrop for Elias Bender Ronnenfelt to spew his romantic musings over; he seems more like a 17th century poet than a frontman for a punk band, complete with a very respectable blouse and charmingly disheveled haircut. Very happy to finally see these gentlemen, here’s hoping they come back to the states soon.

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To Iceage, With Love

via Noisey

"I’ll hopefully remain Iceage’s number one fan, white straight male over 40 division, based purely on their music and both for how it makes me feel when I’m drunk in a room and soberly dissecting it for cash. It’s a strange fandom, one I doubt they’d appreciate, coupled as it is with my inability to not be a bit of a jerk about them. But Iceage is my favorite band, not the bosses of me, so they’ll have to take my love as it’s offered. Baby, ain’t that the world." 

This article is fucking bananas, and I love it.

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Watch My Bloody Valentine Perform For The First Time In 5 Years

Last night in Birmingham, My Bloody Valentine returned for their first live show since 2013.

WOW

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Protomartyr’s new “Consolation EP” is a politically-charged 4-song collection. Kelley Deal of The Breeders lends vocals on You Always Win and EP highlight Wheel of Fortune with the biting refrain “I decide who lives and who dies”. Deal’s voice adds a nice contrast to Joe Casey’s speak/sing (more like yell in some cases) vocals. I’ve loved pretty much everything Protomartyr have done and I’m excited to see where this angrier yet more collaborative sound might lead them next.

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Thank you, Scott Hutchison

I haven’t been able to listen to Frightened Rabbit since hearing of Scott’s death. But, this week I decided it was time. No, I couldn’t make it through one song without bursting into tears, but I was also reminded of the main reason I listen to these songs: not to be sad, but to find comfort. I can’t remember which article it was but someone compared listening to Scott’s lovely voice singing your feelings back to you to getting a hug. 

And it’s true, it’s still true. 

When I had a bad day I would put on “Holy” and sing along. Hearing Scott sing my feelings that I couldn’t put into words made me feel less alone. Pedestrian Verse is my favorite album, I think mostly because it’s the first one I heard (thanks KEXP) but I remember hearing “Dead Now” and wanting to laugh/cry/hug whoever wrote this.

The sadness of course comes from hearing Scott sing such overtly painful lyrics and knowing that he succumbed to that pain. But I think him sharing his feelings so openly has helped so many people like me and that is the amazing legacy he leaves behind. 

I don’t know what else to say, it just hurts. Here are some articles I’ve recently read about him that are much more articulate than I can be.

https://psmag.com/news/scott-hutchison-how-to-mourn-tortured-artists

https://noisey.vice.com/en_uk/article/kzkqja/scott-hutchison-frightened-rabbit-in-memoriam

https://music.avclub.com/i-don-t-think-people-come-to-a-frightened-rabbit-show-1798246097

Here’s a live KEXP session: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=n1rVe4X_FQY

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A rainy night in Boston with Grizzly Bear and Spoon. First time seeing both bands, wish it hadn’t been from so far away but an excellent show nonetheless. Also, how great are Spoon’s giant lights and G-bear’s appropriately moody mesh netting 👌🏻

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Your 2018 summer playlist

The albums you need for every summer scenario. Slap on some sunscreen and grab a cold one.

Beyondless - Iceage

Iceage’s best yet: a moody, polished, lovely album that still bites (almost) as hard their debut. Listen for the very complementary performance by Sky Ferriera on anthemic rocker “Painkiller”.

Perfect for: driving home from a family gathering you really really didn’t want to go to. Sunburned? Too much of aunt Ruth’s sangria? Don’t worry, this will bring you back to life.

7 - Beach House

Another lovely album from Beach House, I’m really not sure how they keep doing this. The duo do play around with some looser, more abstract moments which play very nicely with their usual systemic approach.

Perfect for: a day at the pool, or doing drugs before a festival. Maybe both?

Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino - Arctic Monkeys

See my previous post for a review of this smart, smarmy album. 

Perfect for: party time. Enjoy some cocktails, work on your Alex Turner impression.

Wide Awake - Parquet Courts

Smart, fun, reflective, electric. Wide Awake is PC’s masterpiece thus far. Bonus: listen on Spotify for some truly awesome visual accompaniment, you will not be disappointed. 

Perfect for: getting the party started, working out, or to throw on anytime you forgot how fucked up our country is and need to get angry about it all over again. Maybe all three?

God’s Favorite Customer - Father John Misty

Misty, you old ham. A bunch of lovely tunes from an aging narcissist that also manage to sound incredibly honest and endearing, not to mention often hilarious.

Perfect for: a post-boozy-brunch Sunday afternoon. Croon along with Misty; your dog will love it.*

*Results may vary.

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And back to the music…

I love trying to figure out why I love an album. For The Arctic Monkeys “Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino” I think it’s a mix of lovely hooks and all-too-relevant satire.

I enjoyed their last release “AM”, but Tranquility really brings the Ultracheese in a fantastic way. The Arctic Monkeys have turned their brash bad boys ‘tude into a more Blur-like hubris for the good of social commentary.

However Alex Turner has arrived at this new persona, a smarmy space-dweller (?) who was “maybe a little too wild in the ‘70s”, I’m glad he has.

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Happy bday to Yan and his beard ❤️✨🎸