AC Newman’s Get Guilty

(A.C. Newman – Get Guilty (Matador)

Here’s the thing. Get Guilty is filled with the simple, upbeat, a little catchy, but easily forgotten indie pop songs that have been on his previous release, 2004’s The Slow Wonder. There has been no evolution. Don’t get me wrong – it’s easy to listen to, but there’s really no change in the past 5 years for A(llen) C(arl) Newman.

There is differentiation  from track to track, like  “Submarines of Stockholm”  is an upbeat, toe tapper,  sing along while  “There Maybe 10 or 12″ is a slower-ballad-like song, “complete” with pizzacato.

A few songs on this album remind me of ABBA because their  simplistic structures and layered vocals of “laa laa”’s and “Baa-baa”’s (Especially in “The Palace at 4 am”). The lyrics are storytelling, with characters and places. I’ve always liked his  style  of developed lyrics.

Overall, it’s digestible and an easy listen but not captivating, memorable or new. Maybe I heard what Matador heard, which was a great sound that could evove into something special. I’m not giving up on AC Newman but Get Guilty just hasn’t gotten there yet. Maybe I’m guilty of having high expectations.

Track Listing:

1. There Are Maybe 10 or 12*
2. The Heartbreak Rides
3. Like A Hitman, Like A Dancer
4. Prophets
5. Submarines of Stockholm*
6. Thunderbolts
7. The Palace at 4am*
8. The Changeling (Get Guilty)
9. Elemental
10. Young Atlantis
11. The Collected Works
12. All Of My Days and All Of My Days Off

Merriweather Post Pavilion – The Best Album Evaaa??

(Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion (Domino)

When discussing with a friend about what she thinks of the album, she said she heard one song and it was upbeat and fast tempoed. So I ask which song was it “My Girls” or “Summertime Clothes”, two of my favorites? She said no. But the fact that there are multiple upbeat songs on an Animal Collective means something has changed.

Animal Collective has been in the process of an evolution ever since I started to seriously listening to them in 2005 (even though they have been around for even longer). Merriweather Post Pavilion seems to be the pinnacle of their ever evolving sound. With the addition of  pop elements to the electro-psychedelic sound, Animal Collective  seemed to have taken a cue from the successful sound that AC member Panda Bear released on his 2007 release, Person Pitch. The same sound of psychedelia and congruent melodies was also heard on  2008 Water Curses.

The album starts with”In The Flowers” with  spooky sounds (including one that sounds like “we gotcha”, at least to me). The songs have messages, stories, themes all on their own unique, but fairly new, sound. “In The Flowers” starts as a quiet psychadelic song but changes at the mid-mark to a pumping beat and shrill electronics only to fall back to a sweeter sound but never losing the unique mix Animal Collective has mastered over many releases.

“My Girls” is the intended single. It flowed straight out of the overflow from “In The Flowers.” With almost round elctro-bleeps, it sings about something that is rare in today music. It’s about building a life for his family; his wife and daughter. The last I heard a song with a clear message to a family was Will Smith’s “Just the Two Of Us” and that wasn’t in the indie/experimental genre. With claps, and choral repeats and an actual chorus, this is the most pop song Animal Collective has created, even though it timed in at around 5 minutes.

However, the songs seem to have a pattern. Electric white noise turns to psycha-electo then would lead to a break where the pop elements come through (except on “Brothersport”which starts with fast psycha-electro).

“Summertime Clothes” uses strong imagery not to express places but feelings. It is relate-able through metaphors. The power of Animal Collective is that they can transport. Water Curses took me to an Atlantis world where things floated by in a surreal way. In this album, they htake you on a tour; to the dessert, to the ocean, to the jungle and even to a family room.

Repeating lines and creating choruses. Animal Collective brings thier even-developing sound into a semi-familiar format. Now, while all the tracks are at least 4 minutes long, they dreamily flow past. Overall, it’s an enjoyable album But best of the decade (As indie blogs have been calling it)? Favorite evaa? No.

Track Listing:

1. In The Flowers
2. My Girls*
3. Also Frightened
4. Summertime Clothes*
5. Daily Routine
6. Bluish
7. Guys Eyes
8. Taste
9. Lion In A Coma*
10. No More Runnin’
11. Brothersport*

Fleet Foxes continue Sub Pop’s Legacy

Fleet Foxes are the next big indie band from giant indie label, Sub op. After years of bringing great indie artists to the spotlight, it’s only expected they bring another “soft, but hard” and “quiet, yet unexpected” and other contradicting cliché type group into indie acclaim. Enter Fleet Foxes, with their self-titled EP. With a whopping 9 out of 10 on pitchfork media and reaching #1 on the CMJ charts, there may be more to this 5 piece from Seattle’s suburbs that meets the ear.

Thinking about their sound and influences, a few things come to mind. One, they are from the suburbs, two, they are from Seattle, and three; there is a strong folk sound on each track. Beware these are just unconcrete thoughts, with that said, let’s being. I’m from the Suburbs and let me tell you. There is nothing to do there. It’s boring. And like a ghetto, the only way to leave is by being unique or successful. And Fleet Foxes succeeded.

Their Seattle area also brings another stream of consciousness connotation onto Fleet Foxes and their indie scene all together. A connotation I will try to explain. Seattle music brings to mind one major reference, Nirvana and grunge. And before you leave an angry comment, let me explain. Fleet Foxes are not grunge, nor am I calling them equivalent to Nirvana in influence. However, grunge was a movement in music that grew momentum in the 90’s. Could it be that the folk influences of this Seattle band along with the folk renewal of the indie scene be the “grunge” movement of today? Even though this folk movement (or any movement) will have as large of an impact as grunge did, it still has this sweeping effect in new releases in the indie realm. For an example, Sigur Ros’ 2008’s Með Suð í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust and Animal Collective’s Water Curses are more folk pop than their ambient and noise beginnings (respectively).

Onto Fleet Foxes’ music: Comparing them to Sub Pop family members, the Shins, Fleet Foxes has got the beat with their stronger harmonies, fluctuating emphasis on volume and varying instrumentals. Fleet Foxes would have made Garden State a better movie.

The album opens up with folk-lyrics but progressively built with “Sun It Rises” and gets stronger with its single “White Winter Hymnal”. I’m glad this is their single because I really like it. There’s breeziness to it and the harmonies build on each other that lead to an instrumental climax. “Tiger Mountain Peasant Song” resembles the 60’s folk revival with its simple guitar playing and tempo changes. Even with its older influences and classic structure, it avoids being “retro”.

Also, people (especially haters) have been saying that all new music is just rehashed old music. And the Fleet Foxes could be accused of that. With the apparent influences by classic rock artists like the Beach Boys, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Simon & Garfunkel, and Bob Dylan, they are combining the sounds they know with a style they have created, which ends up being an album “delicate, yet strong”, “aged, but fresh” and “peaceful and commanding”.

Rating: B

Skamper makes me skamper… away

The first time I heard Skamper was on a compilation someone sent me in an attempt to court me (the song being “She Called It Happy”). It was electro-based but crazy contagious. But that was ages ago, and the courting attempt did not work. And really, that was the first and last time I’ve come into contact with Skamper. Until now…

High energy emerges from a dark dingy room on Skamper’s Thunderbeast (from Second Floor Noise). There are strong riffs accented by electronic keyboard scales with an element of futuristic. Skamper combines the grunge and the grit of one scene with the glitter and glam of another. there are few tracks that lack luster (like “Sugarhate” and “The Garden”) but they are forgivable with track like “#9″ and “Ladyfingers”, which are bizzare but strong in beat and/or energy.

If someone was going to try to court me again using Skamper, even with Thunderbeasts’ high points, it wouldn’t work. That is both a warning and my total conclusion on the album.
1. Don’t make me mixes with Skamper on them and
2. It’s alright, even enjoyable on some tracks, but overall, it is not as catchy as “She Called It Happy” and not all that attention grabbing.

Rating: C