The Audio Club

Like a book club, but with music.

[kilgoretroutman]

"With the Ink of a Ghost" is the first track off of José González’s beautiful new (released today) album, Vestiges & Claws.  If you don’t know anything about José González, a Swede of Argentine heritage, he’s been making great music for about a decade now.  His first solo album, Veneer, was released in 2005.  He’s also collaborated with Zero 7 on their 2006 album The Garden, one of my all-time favorite albums, and he’s a member of the folk-rock group Junip, whose last album, 2013’s Junip, was also really good.

González has a unique sound for a singer/songwriter.  I liken his music to acoustic trance.  His music usually involves a complex, repetitive acoustic guitar accompaniment under his very soft, almost hypnotic singing.  There is enough variation from song to song that it stays interesting throughout a whole album.

González begins this fantastic new album with the hauntingly beautiful “With the Ink of a Ghost”.  Other songs to check out from the album include the sublime “The Forest”, “Every Age”, “Open Book”, and “Stories We Build, Stories We Tell”.  

For more José González, check out “Crosses”, “Stay in the Shade”, and “Lovestain” from Veneer; “How Low”, “Teardrop” (a Massive Attack cover), and “Cycling Trivialities” from In Our Nature.

I am really excited to go see him, along with another favorite Ólöf Arnalds on tour this April.  In the meantime this album will be in heavy rotation.

[scothw]

Looks like some exciting this for us to talk about are coming!

[theaudioclub]

Check out the new albums on their way!

[theaudioclub]

Discovered this band a while back via an app called 22 Tracks. The app features curated playlists by various DJ's organized by country and genre. I latched on to one playlist from the Netherlands in particular - one that featured slow, atmospheric yet interesting tracks by artists I'd never heard of. Warpaint was among them. I hadn't listened to whole album until this weekend. Admittedly, you have to be in a certain mood to find it appealing. The lyrics are unintelligible on first listen and the tracks on the album can bleed together; but it's been the perfect soundtrack to the fog-laced long drives I've been taking this Winter Break. Enjoy...

[kilgoretroutman]

I really hate superlatives because I find it so hard to say what is “the best” or the “most favorite” thing.  At best, I usually cop out and say that something is in my top 5 or even top 3 of whatever it is that I happen to be talking about.  That said, I think that if I had to nail down a “favorite” album I could say that Fisherman’s Woman by Emiliana Torrini would fit that bill and not feel like I am slighting any other of my “favorite” musicians.

This is in many ways my “first” album.  I, of course, had interest in music before 2005, but as far as stuff that I still regularly listen to, Fisherman’s Woman is probably the first thing that I “discovered” as an “adult” and it has really shaped my music tastes since then.  There are certainly things older than this that I listen too, but they are either nostalgia for things I listened to as a kid or things that I found after, sometimes well after, the fact.  I found this album during a turbulent time in my life and it just spoke to me in a way that really nothing else does.  It’s something that I keep coming back to that helps me recenter myself, both musically and personally.

FIsherman’s Woman is Torrini’s second (wide release) album and it’s a real departure from the previous album Love in the Time of Science, which is a really good trip-hoppy electronica album.  I remember reading at the time that she was working on a second album when someone she cared very deeply about (I believe it was a boyfriend/fiance) passed away and she had to do something completely different.  

Though almost every song on this album is about loss or regret, for me the album is so hopeful as the approach of all these sad topics is as a dark time that will end, that just needs to be weathered like a storm.  I think this is why this album resonates so much with me, is that sometimes you just need the reminder that this too shall pass.  

I don’t know where to begin as far as highlighting this album because I feel that so much of it just feeds off of itself, as if it were a concept album.  This track, “Nothing Brings me Down”, is the first track of the album and does a great job of showing of the mood of the whole album and the quality of all the parts.  Other brilliant tracks include “Fisherman’s Woman”, “At Least it Was”, and the key to the whole album is “Serenade” the last track and the one that is most hopeful for the light that comes after the long dark night.

[scottgendel-blog]

So back in the day (and still a little bit now) I was super-obsessed with the label 4AD, which had a very clear aesthetic sense that’s almost impossible to describe.  One of the most interesting 4AD bands from the early 90s was “His Name Is Alive,” which was mostly one guy, Warn (or Warren, depending on the album) Defever, a Detroit native who played a billion instruments, and messed around in his home studio, and took the most weird left-field conceptual risks of almost any band I know.  You’d be listening to his albums, and suddenly there’d be a great reverb-drenched reggae song with 7 female vocalists.  And then the next thing would be a really pretty song with random free jazz solo.  Then something Beach Boys-ish but with distortion and violins.  And you just never knew what was going to happen, but 95% of the time it was totally awesome, if sometimes a little inscrutable.  If you’d curious about this stuff, you should check out his album “Stars on E.S.P.” which is both an absolute masterpiece and kind of impossible to understand.

This is all to say that I pretty much lost touch with what he’s been up to until last month, when I read a glowing, very convincing review of his new album “Tecuciztecatl.”  Don’t ask me how to say that.  As Pitchfork describes it: “A concept record that comes with the worrisome descriptor of ‘psychedelic rock opera,’ Tecuciztecatl involves a proggy narrative about a young woman who discovers she is pregnant with twins - one good, one evil - and must seek the help of a demon-hunting librarian.”  And then each track is written from the perspective of a different character.  And then there’s that unpronounceable title.  And then there’s the crazy maneuver where the album, mostly made of short songs, opens with a 14-minute guitar-fueled jam full of slow builds and choral vocals and loud guitars. And basically: WTF?!?!

If I haven’t scared you off yet, you should know that the album is completely amazing.  The first few tracks have an intensely guitar-heavy feel, very “70s classic rock but weirder” in sound, then the album slowly turns more and more inward as it goes, and by the end is kind of like folk music on acid, covered in a layer of electronic soundscape.  But the thing is, these songs are GREAT.  I get them stuck in my head all the time.  The production is BEAUTIFUL.  It shifts between so many styles and completely inhabits and NAILS them all. Somehow the concept works, in that the album feels really cohesive as a narrative, so that listening to it feels like a real emotional and musical journey. I am completely head over heels in love with this album. 

I feel like I can’t ask you fine people to just sit down and listen to the album, so this is the first 9 minutes, a track called “The Examination.”  It goes directly into the next track, but let’s just start with this one.  It’s kind of a straight-up hard rock song, and it’s also kind of a minimalist-inspired textural exploration, and it’s also got beautiful vocal harmonies, and a really cheezy Frampton-style guitar solo, and it’s as good a place to start as any.  If you enjoy it, I VERY much recommend giving the whole album a listen, as it’s one of those “the whole is stronger than the parts” kind of albums.  SO SO SO GOOD.  AND WEIRD.  AND GOOOOOOD.  

[theaudioclub]

CHRISTOPHER O'REILY (plays Radiohead) | Let Down

It's a little schmaltzy at times, and certainly suffers from the "I'm a good pianist... look at what I can do" trap, but all in all, Christopher O'Reiley's covers of Radiohead for solo piano are really awesome. I think Let Down is my favorite because of all the different things he manages to capture. I also wasn't as familiar with this song when I first heard his version of it, so I wasn't as stuck on what I thought the song should sound like. It sort of reminds me of the ease and activity level of some of Tori Amos' playing, and he's really good at getting the melody to speak clearly among all the other business he throws in. The point of arrival in this song is really great, very bangy, in a good way.

Check out his cover of Airbag too. It's pretty awesome.

[kilgoretroutman]

I feel like Iceland produces more good music per capita than any other country in the world.  There are a half dozen artists that I love that are from Iceland.  Ólöf Arnalds is one of them.  She performs in both English and Icelandic.  Her music is playful, peaceful, joyful and melancholy at the same time, delicate yet not fragile. If most melancholy music in the US or UK is “rainy day” music, Arnalds’ music feel more “snowy” to me in its lightness, its delicate beauty, the kind of subtle joy that comes from being able to stay home and drink tea on a snow day.

"Surrender" is my favorite track of hers.  It’s from her second album Innundir Skinni and it’s performed on the charango, which is one of my favorite instruments.  Other tracks to check out are title track “Innundir Skinni" and "Crazy Car" as well as the rest of Innundir Skinni.  Her last two albums Sudden Elevation, and new album Palme, are fantastic as well.

[theaudioclub]

Hopefully, everyone has heard of Lake Street Dive by now. They're all conservatory-trained musicians...they met at NEC...and now they're becoming semi-popular/well known. I just saw them play a show in Baltimore and it was incredible. Tons of great energy, musicianship in spades...ability to harmonize...amazing lyrics...I could go on. Brendan was swooning over the lead singer, and I have to admit...she's super foxy/great at what she does. 

The opening act wasn't bad either. He and most of his band are from Oklahoma, and I was not prepared for his voice...in the best way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPW6WyxeqKU

[theaudioclub]

LAURA VIERS | FIRE SNAKES

In 2004 or 2005 I was living in Madison and my friend Kate and I took a trip to Borders to look for new music. I'm kind of having a hard time remembering how it could have been the case that going to a store, randomly choosing a CD and scanning it underneath a pair of headphones to sample tracks could have seemed like the most reasonable way to find new music... but hey, those were the days. (Admittedly, those were well past the days, I think it was just nostalgia, even then). 

In any event, one of the albums I picked up was Laura Veirs - Year of Meteors. It was so intricately conceived, the music was so original, and her voice was really distinctive. It was the triumvirate of qualities I needed to really like an album. Fire Snakes is the first track on the album, and it's where I started when I decided I was going to buy it, so it's where I'm starting you all. I find a lot of the songs on the album cool. She seems like she's still active, but I evidently haven't done a good job of keeping up with her. Shame on me.

[scottgendel-blog]

Okay, so let me preface this before you listen: This is a playlist of my ten favorite a-ha songs that are NOT “Take On Me.”  Let’s be clear: “Take on Me” is pure awesome, a 1980s classic.  But I’m always a little bummed out that nobody knows anything else by a-ha, because they’re a surprisingly good band.  I mean, the synth sounds are cheezy as all get-out, and some of the songs are rather melodramatic and/or corny.  BUT!  If you are able to enjoy some cheese, you will find very well-crafted songs with fascinating harmonies, great singing, powerful dramatic arcs, and generally a whole lot of super-catchy awesomeness.  So, give it a shot!  Learn about a-ha beyond “Take On Me.”  You’ll be glad you did (I hope)!

[kilgoretroutman]

There are many aspects to music (variations in tonality, rhythm, etc.) that I think of as “tools,” or techniques that can be called upon to accomplish the task of creating music.  I love when artists in two different, often divergent, genres use enough of the same tools as to create a natural bridge between the two genres.  This playlist is the product of one of my favorite examples of this kind of synergy. 

I present A Tribe Called Portishead, or The Low End Dummy, which is a combination of the 1991 album The Low End Theory by A Tribe Called Quest, and Portishead’s 1994 release, Dummy.

If you aren’t familiar with either group, Portishead is a British trip-hop, down-tempo electronica band and A Tribe Called Quest is an American hip-hop group.  Dummy is considered to be a genre defining album, and if you don’t know anything about trip-hop get thee a copy of this amazing album right now.  The Low End Theory has been called the Stg. Pepper’s of hip-hop.  

While the albums have a similar pedigree and come from the same era, the similarities don’t stop there.  Both albums are laid back or down tempo, both use sampling combined with stripped down instrumentation, both are working within the same kind of dark/melancholy tonality.

As far as traits unique to each album, the singing from Portishead’s Beth Gibbons is a-ma-zing and the fantastic jazz sampling in Low End Theory includes musicians such as Miles Davis, Art Blakely, Aretha Frankiln, and James Brown.

If you haven’t heard either album, I recommend checking them out on their own merits since they are both worthy of the praise that has been bestowed upon them.  Highlights of Dummy include “It Could Be Sweet”, “Roads”, and “Glory Box”, and you should check out “Excursions”, “Buggin’ Out”, and “Butter” from Low End Theory. 

[theaudioclub]

Hot Feet is a blues influenced folk-rock band from Gloucestershire, England.  "Thee Black Crosses" is the first track off their new EP which was released on Saturday.  I love the lead singer's (Marriane Parrish) voice.  I love the balance they have found between a folky singer with a lot of soul, a bluesy guitar, and a jazzy drummer.  I fell in love with these guys from their first EP (check out "Wood House" and "Pine Needle Blues") and am happy to have more.

[theaudioclub]

CLEAN BANDIT (feat. JESS GLYNNE) | RATHER BE

So, I'm not a huge club person, but I was listening to the radio the other day and came across what is evidently a relatively popular song. (Popular enough that it's on PTX Vol. III (http://youtu.be/OPWPa-HMpj8)). This British electronic group is cool because they've got a lot of classical roots. Sometimes that pops out in some contrived ways like just inserting some Mozart with a house beat behind it in a song like Mozart's House (http://youtu.be/rd0cT7Dnpt8), but it does mean that their tracks are pretty symphonically conceived. You hear that right away in Rather Be which has a great little synth action and beautiful string writing. Another thing I'm struck by is that while they are definitely in the I-V-vi-IV category, they do some other interesting chords throughout their tracks and there are some songs that are downright adventurous. The whole New Eyes album is worth a listen if you're into the track above. My favorites are Extraordinary, A+E, Heart on Fire, and New Eyes. New Eyes is particularly crazy with effects and harmony.

[kilgoretroutman]

Listen to The Flaming Lips cover all of 'Sgt. Pepper,' with a little help from friends

The Flaming Lips have kind of just done whatever weird projects they want to lately, and their newest is a cover album of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band that has a whole bunch of other…

I don’t know how I feel about this yet, but I am open to a little irreverence in reinterpreting one of the best albums ever.  It should be interesting.

[theaudioclub]

Speaking of covers, I'm curious what all of you think of this.  Sgt. Pepper's is by far my favorite Beatles album, but I don't think anything in music (at least popular music) is so sacred that it can't be played with and reinterpreted.

[theaudioclub]

All right, another obsession.  My Brightest Diamond, and singer Shara Worden.  She's on the front lines of the "let's blend classical music and indie rock and see what happens" movement, and I think she's probably the most successful at it.  Her songs work incredibly well as pop tunes that will get stuck in your head for days... but also there's incredible instrumental parts, clever rhythmic & metrical tricks, and so much musical detail it boggles the mind.  And her voice is AMAZING.  She actually works quite a lot as a singer for other composers' works... many of the hip NYC-type composers use her as the vocalist for their art songs and such.  She started out as a classical singer before moving into this realm, and the control she has over her voice as a result of that is a big part of her appeal to a vocal nerd like me.

This is the first track and "single" off her new album "This is My Hand."  There are other songs I like better at the moment, from this album and from others, and I'd be happy to share them (I'm obsessed with three of her albums, so I have lots to choose from)... but this is a great intro to her style, and the way she seamlessly blends so many different ideas into one awesome thing.  Also, she used a drumline on this album.  Because hell yeah!

Also also, I am 99% sure that I'm going to get to see My Brightest Diamond in concert next month at a cool little bar/club, and I could NOT BE MORE EXCITED.  I hear their shows are ridiculously awesome.

[kilgoretroutman]

Jesca Hoop is a contemporary singer/songwriter that uses a lot of different moods in her music.  Sometimes her songs are eerie, wistful, and introspective. Other times she’ll use almost mythic themes or go almost full pop.  Regardless of the mood I think that she has a great sense of matching her style to her lyrics, but is also flexible enough to have releases two of her albums in full acoustic renditions, “covering” herself and providing a new take on her own music.  She used to nanny for Tom Waits and he helped her get started in the industry.  I love his take on her, saying she is "like a four-sided coin. She is an old soul, like a black pearl, a good witch or a red moon. Her music is like going swimming in a lake at night." 

“Whispering Light” and “The Kingdom” are the first two tracks off of her second album Hunting My Dress, and I think they make a good pair that should be kept together (though she has them in a different order on Undress, the acoustic version of the album, so what do I know!).  These two songs also come from her more mythological/Tolkein-esque epic style, battles and journeys of self discovery.  “Whispering Light” has this amazing multitracked dissonant harmonic motive that she keeps returning to as a quasi-ritornello.  “The Kingdom” has a really cool transition from the sweet idyllic intro into a more militaristic section, using percussion accents during the description of a battle with a lot of religious imagery.

“Born To” is the first track off her latest album of new material The House that Jack Built basically straight pop/rock, but I really like the mandolin-y counter melody in the chorus.

“Murder of Birds” is probably in my top three favorite songs of all time.  I love everything about this song; the guitars, her introspective vocals, the back-up by Guy Garvey, the imagery in the lyrics and the hope for a relationship that she just can’t seem to make work.  I absolutely love the line: “I’ve got demons/when I need ems/don’t ask to see them/they’re not supposed to be used/against you”

“Summertime” is the first track from her first album Kismet.  This one starts out with an almost quaint, sing-songy, innocent children’s song kind of feel, but then she keeps adding these layers; first guitar then percussion, each getting more intricate under the second verse, with a cool drum-set rhythm coming in before the song goes off in a completely different direction.  The bridge is one of the sexiest transitions I can think of in music.

“Intelligentactile 101” and Moon Rock Needle” are probably the most pop-y songs in her rep.  Intelligentactile tells of an alien that is coming to earth in the form of a soon to be born baby.

“Phonograph” and “City Bird” show off this really beautiful, ethereal quality of her voice; definitely the “swimming in a lake at night” that Waits was talking about.

“Seed of Wonder” is a bit of a deep cut (something deeper in the catalog that is maybe a little harder to access).  I love the form and transitions in this song.  It’s a little long, but it’s neat to see how much she can do with a few simple tunes, nice harmonies, layered effects, and some strange lyrics.

“Hunting My Dress” and “Love and Love Again” are the last tracks on Hunting… and Kismet. Hunting is an interesting almost mythological love poem with hunting imagery and Love is one of her most beautiful songs, a sad waltz about lost love and hope for the future.

[theaudioclub]

Let me start by saying that Ryan Adams is maybe my all-time favorite artist....and it's all because of The O.C. You remember...that shitty TV show that aired in like 2003 starring Mischa Barton and Adam Brody - detailing the scandalous lives of teenagers living in privileged yet laid back Orange County, California? As a fifteen year old girl, I was naturally obsessed....mostly with the music on the show. One fateful episode, I heard a haunting song I later found out was "Wonderwall" by Ryan Adams (it took me an embarrassingly long time to realize it was a cover) and I was hooked.

Speaking of artists who walk the line between country and folk and straight rock & roll, Ryan Adams seems to straddle genres effortlessly, and he's so prolific that he doesn't even ask for permission. So prolific that it was SO. SUPER. HARD. to pick even one of his songs to share. If y'all like him, I'm happy to supply a short "favorites" playlist, but for now I'll let this stand on its own.

"This is It" is one of my go-to happy dance, feeling great about life songs...and I love how the tonality established in the verse isn't exactly happy-go-lucky. The lyric "let me sing a song for you that alters your belief" bowls me over, and I love the drive the Cardinals create every time the chorus rolls around. I'll stop gushing now....enjoy.