Feed The Animals

“Feed the Animals” by Girl Talk- Out Now, Available for download on pay-as-you-go basis at Illegal Art. The CD is out now.

Do you remember that goofy Toni Basil cheerleader song “Mickey”? Or what about “Jessie’s Girl” by Rick Springfield? Of course you do. They’ve been sitting in the dark recesses of your mind for years, and now they’re back, along with Ace of Base, Faith No More, Heart and hundreds of other artists in the form of Girl Talk’s new CD, “Feed the Animals”.

Girl Talk is the name of musician Greg Gillis, who actually used to be an engineer and has made the radical move to song mash-up engineer. Gillis takes little tidbits of samples from radio hits and hip-hop or rap songs, and puts them together to create new songs. It’s like a music trivia lovers’ dream. While the concept is probably new for a lot of people, “Feed The Animals” is something that deserves a listen.

Besides using well-worn radio hits, Girl Talk also uses deep tracks from artists such as Radiohead, Genesis, Temple of the Dog and The Guess Who, but the majority are songs or artists you would normally hear as you wiz around the radio dial. It remains to be seen if this is truly art, or simply copyright. The cd is upbeat and fast-paced. Sometimes the blends seem effortless, at other times a bit choppy.

Although the songs don’t run longer than 4:47, sometimes it’s difficult to get your bearings. It’s easy to forget how the song started when you’re two minutes into it. But what’s good about “Feed the Animals” is that if you don’t like a certain song- say Kenny Loggins‘ “Footloose,” appears- that’s OK, it won’t hang around long. Some parts of songs are sped up, like the chorus from The Carpenters’ “Superstar,” bringing a very different vibe to the new song.

The backbone of many of the tunes are hip hop and R&B-based, samples from LL Cool J or Jackson Five. Then he’ll rip in some Nine Inch Nails, Faith No More or Twisted Sister on top of that. Among other artists and songs that appear on “Feed the Animals” are Phil Collins, Huey Lewis and the News, The Cure, “Maniac” from the movie “Flashdance,” Queen, The Band, Sinead O’Connor, Elvis Costello, Michael Jackson (during his Jackson Five and “Off The Wall” days), James Brown, Chicago, The Police, 50 Cent, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Rod Stewart, and Dexys Midnight Runners.

One of the more interesting songs is “What it’s all about?” which features two Beastie Boys songs, followed by Collins’ “In the Air Tonight.” The portion where Busta Rhymes is married with Police’s “Everything she does is magic” is tantalizing. James Brown pops in for a visit, and a tiny section of a Lauren Hill song can be heard. Kanye West and Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” make their mark. It’s like a puzzle that fits together perfectly.

Kelly Clarkson’s “Since You’ve Been Gone” is spiked quite shockingly with Nine Inch Nails’ “Wish” on “Here’s the Thing.” “No Pause” starts right in with Missy Elliot’s “Work It” that pumps with Nu Shooz’ “I Can’t Wait.” The resulting melody comes off so catchy it melts. On “Still Here,” Blackstreet’s “No Diggity” raises up Kanye West’s “Flashing Lights” to a dreamy new level of soul that sounds like it was meant to be.

Is it art or just a guy ripping off actual musicians? The line between real music and programmed sound goes grayer by the day. What matters though is these creations should still evoke memories of when music was simpler and shows that those old beats are not yet dead.

Download this track now: “Still Here”

What sounds like a humorous premise actually delivers a sweet product – Hushabye Baby offers CDs that present the hits of country artists such as Johnny Cash, George Strait and Carrie Underwood as instrumental lullabies.  Beautifully-packaged from 100% recycled materials, the CDs feature sweet illustrations of barnyard animal friends, each who “enjoys” a different artist.  They even come with a folksy related recipe inside, like “All American (Girl) Apple Pie” with the Underwood disc.

“Dawn the barnyard kitty” loves the music of Underwood, all of whose top hits are reimagined here, including “Jesus Take the Wheel,” “All American Girl” and “Some Hearts.”  My 2.9-yr-old listening companion enjoyed doing balletic moves around the living room to the laidback songs. The only amusing moment for adult listeners is realizing the dreamy, soporific tune they’re hearing has the bitter, pro-vandalism lyrics of “Before He Cheats” in its original form.

The Johnny Cash CD – featuring “A bull named Sue” on the cover – wasn’t quite as sleepy-time friendly, although still definitely easy-listening for the footie-pajama set.  The tunes were well-done, and again, pretty funny for those who know the originals.  My toddler enjoyed bouncing on the trampoline while listening to “Ring of Fire” and “Folsom Prison Blues.”

The George Strait offering was beautiful.  The music was comforting, well-crafted and definitely relaxing.  Bell-like xylophones, acoustic guitar picking, and pedal-steel all create a cozy blanket of music.

More artists are promised to be added at a later date.  Check out www.hushabyebabymusic.com for more information.

Download this track now: “Wrapped,” off the George Strait CD

“Fleet Foxes” by Fleet Foxes (Sub Pop and Bella Union) - Out now

While listening to Fleet Foxes’ debut full-length CD “Fleet Foxes,” you may have the distinct feeling of another time, another place. With its several-part harmonies and pastoral rounds, something like a bustling market in 15th-century Europe, or, with its organ flurries and tamborine backdrop, early 1970s Berkeley, Calif.

No matter. What does is that this Seattle band dug deeply into musical history and emerged with a rich, expansive sound, one that speaks directly to the human longing for nature, its raw comfort, its wild tranquility, its primordial justice.

Perhaps “White Winter Hymnal” best captures this quality. It starts with a haunting a capella round – “I was following the, I was following the, I was following the, I” – adds just a few strings and percussion and then opens into a full, lush pastoral. The lyrics give us children setting out in the open, against the elements “with scarves of red tied ’round their throats / to keep their little heads / from fallin’ in the snow.”

The sound is the brainchild of 21-year-old lead vocalist Robin Pecknold, who grew up listening to his parents’ Joan Baez and Beach Boys records. The young quintet’s “Fleet Foxes” draws on those roots.

“We decided to put an emphasis on harmony, simple three- and four-part block harmony,” Pecknold wrote on his MySpace page. “The songs would be simple as well, songs about our friends and family, history, nature, and the things around us in the Pacific Northwest.”

That homage to Mother Nature is omnipresent from the choral first track, “Sun It Rises,” – “Red squirrel in the mornin,’ / Red squirrel in the evenin’ – to the dirge-like “Tiger Mountain Peasant Song” – “Through the forest / Down to your grave / Where the birds wait / And the tall grasses wave.”

And the folk rock influence couldn’t be clearer. Listen to “He Doesn’t Know Why” and beneath Pecknold’s vocals you’ll hear Neil Young and America. And in “Blue Ridge Mountains” loom Joni Mitchell and Cat Stevens.

But while some of this is a throwback, it isn’t derivative. The band has applied these elements to carve out a 21st-century sound all their own. In “Quiet Houses,” the tight, 60s-style vocal harmonies are matched with three stanzas each with just one line, the effect being almost hypnotic in its simple elegance. And there’s “Heard Them Stirring” with its monastic whoas and oohs, and “Your Protector” with a driving frontier drum beats and a ghostly flute.

But despite the many influences and elements, or perhaps because of them, there is something here profound, earthy, spooky and most of all, human. It’s good these guys are young; better assurance they’ll be taking a few necessary steps back for some time to come.

You & Me

“You & Me” by The Walkmen (Gigantic)- Out now

NYC’s The Walkmen have channeled the 60’s to create “You & Me,” a collection of songs that play on the melodramatic, and work on the listener’s emotions to the singer’s sad plights. Happily, the tunes are catchy, and the cd is memorable for wearing its heart on its sleeve.

The Walkmen is made up of members of the ex-band Jonathan FireEater- Paul Maroon on guitar and piano, Walter Martin on organ and bass, and Matt Barrick on drums. The rest of the band is made up of two guys from The Recoys-Peter Bauer on bass/organ and Hamilton Leithauser on vocals and guitar.

Leithauser’s voice is reminiscent of singer Frankie Avalon, conjuring up Beach Blanket Bingo days, and he’s got more than a touch of Bob Dylan in him. The opener, “Donde Esta La Playa,” is one of the more representative songs from that time. But as “You & Me” goes on, the Dylan reference tends to fade as Leithauser’s personality takes over. Like Dylan, his voice is dreamy, unadorned, plaintive, pleading with some faint vibrato. But the band is certainly not folk, nor political in any way. Leithauser’s voice is married tightly with the guitar, bass and drums. The slow pace, coupled with the singer’s pleas, drag the listener in.

The guitar is mainly there in the role of rhythm and melody, playing drowsy tunes, while the drums follow the singer’s moods- crashing, pounding, thumping, sometimes sounding hollow. The songs are extremely romantic, in the way a desperate bobbysoxer waiting for a guy to ask her to dance is. But it doesn’t get bogged down in sappiness. The tunes are ethereal, with a myriad references to nature– the moon, the sky, the clouds, the dirt road, the water, or the ocean. He’s constantly looking within himself to find the answers to his problems- holding a lover, finding a lover, trying to make sense of things.

There are no specifics in the songs about old girlfriends, other than he lost her, or he’s trying to forget her, or wondering where she is. Simply put, he’s lovesick. But you still want to see what happens next- will he find happiness, or whatever it is he’s searching for? His insistence shines through.

“You & Me” makes easy work of describing a long journey and the feelings that surface when emotions take hold.

Download these tracks now: “Red Moon” “Postcards From Tiny Islands”

“Carried to Dust” by Calexico (Touch and Go/Quarterstick) Out now

You can just picture Calexico playing the back room of some no-name little cantina along the border.

The sound that’s bouncing off the walls is marinated in Southwestern and Mexican accents — explosive at times but subdued enough to avoid being overwhelming.

The Arizona indie rockers have honed their sound over through several iterations since the early ’90s, but they’ve still kept it organic, even as they’ve left their low-fi days behind.

The guys known for working with junk-store gear have started to get some real traction, too, with a slew of songs (teaming with Jim James of My Morning Jacket, Iron & Wine, Roger McGuinn of The Byrds, Willie Nelson and actress Charlotte Gainsbourg) on the amazing indie-heavy soundtrack for the 2007 Bob Dylan flick “I’m Not There.”

They even seem to have influenced the influential-in-his-own-right Iron & Wine after they collaborated on 2006’s “In the Reins.”

The Arizona indie rockers have done all this by tapping into an instinctive kind of vibe that’s distinctly Southwestern, with plenty of rhythm and lots of grainy layers that make it easy to get into the groove. And that’s definitely true with “Carried to Dust” — each listen yielding new discoveries.

But it’s easy to drift off, too. That might go back to that vibe — it’s well-layered and not loud, so sometimes the whole thing can melt into background noise.

Unfortunately, some of the more memorable moments (”Victor Jara’s Hands,” “Inspiracion”) get dragged down by duller moments like “The News About William.”

The high points, though, are too good to be washed out. A repeating xylophone line and squealing distortion punctuate the dark “Man Made Lake.” Parading horns bookend the tango-ready duet “Inspiracion.” And “Writer’s Minor Holiday” speeds along and peaks like a top-down, open-road Kerouac adventure.

It’s all a nice escape from the everyday blah of New England — kind of like finding a great Mexican place, even if it’s not all that authentic.

Download this track now: “Insipracion”

“Dark Shades of Blue” by Xavier Rudd (Salt X Records) - Out now

When my co-worker Andrew asked me if I’d be interested in doing some reviews for this blog, I gave an unquestioning “yes.” He then proceeded to hand me a CD that included the phrase “…didgeridoo-laden sound.” It was then that I wondered what I had done to make Andrew hate me.

Being the game sorta gal that I am, I listened to Xavier Rudd’s “Dark Shades of Blue” anyway (pre-planning my vengeance upon Andrew). The title cut has those typical basement-tape nonsensical lyrics that anyone who’s been in a band will recognize. They’re the lyrics from that one guy who’s “taking the band more seriously than the rest of you!” To wit: “I place it inside my brain/and sheild [sic] it with everything/I see it come into you/you paint it dark shades of blue.” Um… yeah. Pass the bong.

Despite being produced at an ostensibly “real” studio in Australia (hence the foreshadowing threat of didgeridoo), I was not surprised to see in the liner notes the credit “Additional recording in Xavier’s basement by…”. This CD has basement-tape-itis - of the 11 tracks, five are over five minutes, and two of those are over seven minutes. Repetitive stoner jams should remain in the basement, folks. Or at a Dead concert. Perhaps this is because there is no “Sound Editor” credit in the liner notes.

My realPlayer music trivia informed me that “Xavier Rudd is a surfer by day and sensitive acoustic-guitar player and songwriter by night.” I suspect he still lives with his parents and may be friends with Matthew McConaughey.

I can hang with the track “Gulu.” Rudd apparently has indigenous people collaborating on it, with the repeated phrase “You’ve found a new world/and now, my brother, you’re gone.” It does bust out the ‘doo at the end of the song. Plus, it clocks in at a blessed 4:06.

On “Edge of the Moon,” Rudd channels his best Beck impression with the “Where It’s At” fuzz-vocals. A tune is actually carried in this one, with a jaunty little reggae feel to it. It’s a feel-good irie tune that notes “we are blinded for now by the goodness of Groove.” And I do always like a good slide guitar.

Rudd has his mouth jammed onto the mic again for “This World as We Know It.” I never thought I’d be hearing heavy-metal power chords bouncing off didgeridoo, but here it is. I have no idea what he’s saying, but this would be the head-bobber at the concert. “Up in Flames” would be good background music for a video of snowboarders shredding their way down a mountain at breakneck speed. But just as quickly as he starts to get my attention with two (comparative) rockers in a row, Rudd plops back down on the metaphoric couch with a snoozer like “Hope You’ll Stay.” This CD can’t seem to make up its mind whether it wants to be “angry message rock” or “tunes to do tai chi by.”

The final cut, “Home,” has such clear vocals, comprehensive lyrics, compelling story and sharp mixing, it seems to belong on another CD. It’s by far the most melodic and radio-ready song in the collection. Logically, it should be the one I recommend you download; but that would give you a false impression of the rest of this CD, and I don’t want you to come after me and beat me with a didgeridoo.

Download this track now: “This World as We Know It”

“Neiji/Tori” by Nisennenmondai (Smalltown Supersound) - Out now

The three piece girl band Nisennenmondai (English translation - “Computer Bug Problem”) have been around since 1999 and have slowly gained popularity. They hail from Tokyo, Japan, and their latest release, “Neiji/Tori,” is a combination of two of their previous extended releases.

“Neiji/Tori” has a lot of depth to it, but that doesn’t mean it’s soothing or straightforward or commonplace or pretty, but that’s ok by them. The first song, “Pop Group,” is reminiscent of a James Bond type of sound. It starts off sounding like an amplifier is getting together with a guitar that’s encased in metal. That layer of noise is followed by rapid percussion by drummer Sayaka Himeno. But the main sound is the guitar, driven by Masako Takada, sounding like all there is in the world are heavy metal strings that can only hit one note. Her guitar also serves the purpose of adding the fuzz element and keeps the song, and the cd, somewhat grounded. Bassist Yuri Zaikawa provides the necessary fuel to maintain a backbone.

The entire album is instrumental, which makes it a bit easier to understand lyrics would bring in too many elements. The guitar, bass and drums can stand on their own. Despite all the layering, the album holds together and is quite cohesive.

“Niji/Tori” is also like a blank canvas, with the different levels of sound create that canvas and lets you form your own imagination, your own opinions about the music, which seems to be a blend of metal, punk, garage, and clash. A lot of the sound is very 60’s retro, very Beach Boys, as in the beginning of “Iyashi”, but with a cool Japanese vibe to it. Nisennenmondai would make perfect sense in a Quentin Tarantino movie.

“This Heat” starts off very experimental as well. The whole cd is avant garde, unlike anything the stereotypical radio listener may have heard before. It lets you open your mind to how you perceive sound, what “sounds” good to the listener, or what songs are supposed to be like. They smash that concept. “This Heat” experiments with drums and cymbals going off at different beats, with the same note on the guitar constantly in the background. There’s an excitement in listening to the cd, waiting to see what sound combination they come out with next.

“2534” sounds like they are running their pick along the heavy thick steel strings, and their garage band-style is strong on “Kyuukohan.” They change chords in a deliberate way, but it’s very abstract, and it’s serious business for them. The song starts to get even more intense with hardcore drumming at the end. “Kyaaaaaaa” has a weird screeching sound thrown in at random times, almost sounding like a guitar pick rapidly moving it down the neck of the guitar. It faintly sounds like a scream, almost robotic, and very metal.

“Ikkkyokume” just has one guitar note strummed over and over again at the start, but then it ramps up, and the song really takes off. It’s a recognizable guitar beat, which then gets lost in the noise. The drum solos are manic, quick, then the bass comes in. The guitar is raw, and it sounds like the whole thing is playing out in a dark damp basement.

Listening to “Neiji/Tori” is a good idea if music to the far left of the dial seems too tame. The full effect can only be felt when you hit play.

Download this track now: “Pop Group”

]]> http://blogs.nashuatelegraph.com/pressplay/2008/08/21/review-tokyo-band-crosses-boundaries-of-sound/feed/ http://blogs.nashuatelegraph.com/pressplay/2008/08/19/review-dr-dog-want-you-to-take-a-chill-pill/ http://blogs.nashuatelegraph.com/pressplay/2008/08/19/review-dr-dog-want-you-to-take-a-chill-pill/#comments Tue, 19 Aug 2008 17:37:38 +0000 andrew toland http://newmedia.webfactional.com/pressplay/2008/08/19/review-dr-dog-want-you-to-take-a-chill-pill/

“Fate” by Dr. Dog (Park the Van) - Out now

For a band whose sound is rooted so firmly in the past, Dr. Dog seems more concerned with the present (and future).

From the opening moments of “Fate,” the message is the same: just sit tight — things will get better.

Far from all that overwhelms you now and all in the past that weighs you down, “Fate” is a calming breather; it’s a reminder to slow down, wrapped in retro-rock accoutrements.

And this, of course, is where the whole “Fate” thing comes from.

But singer Scott McMicken said the band didn’t intend on keeping that constant theme. “It just became apparent to us at a point that it was already going on,” McMicken said.

Kind of fateful, right?

But “Fate” is more than just an concept album, flowing naturally from the Philly rockers finely honed throwback sound — indie rock suited up in fine vintage clothing.

They give off a bit of a late-Beatles vibe, but sometimes also smack of Three Dog Night and other ’70s gold. No paths that haven’t been traversed before here, but there are enough diversions to make the trip worthwhile.

McMicken and Toby Leaman — Dr. Dog’s other singer — toss the vocal duties back and forth from song to song, transitioning smoothly from Leaman’s nasally delivery to McMicken’s Steven-Tyler-meets-Paul-McCartney delivery.

The combination conveys that shared feeling of resignation. As a whole, though, the collection of songs is more of a thoughtful response than passive acceptance. Just sit tight, and it’ll come to you.

Download this track now: “Hang On”

"New York City" by Brazilian Girls (Verve Forecast) - Out now

According to the press materials, the newest release from Brazilian Girls aims to pay homage to New York City as well as all four corners of the globe, an ambitious goal to be sure. The band nearly makes it, including sounds from every continent but Australia and Antarctica.

Overall, "New York City" possesses a cosmopolitan European flair with African and South American influences. It’s the perfect traveling companion should you happening to be jet-setting off to Paris or Moscow for the weekend (or if you just wish you were) and should you hit the clubs while you’re there, you’ll be able to slip it into the rotation of your favorite international DJ without missing a beat.

All of the tracks are listenable and most of them are danceable, making for a CD that even listeners with a particularly itchy trigger finger can play all the way through without skipping around. The only thing that may keep you from getting through the entire CD in one go is the urge to hit "repeat" to better appreciate the layers and complexity of each song.

The opening track, "St. Petersburg," is a definite standout, from the tribal percussion and jauntily-whistled hook to vocalist Sabina Sciubba’s Natasha-esque vocals. "Do you like my accent?" she asks coyly. Yes, very much so. It’s a breezy, whimsical, yet musically rich tune - pop music for listeners who value creativity and innovation in their hooks and beats.

"Noveau Americain" is another favorite, with train-like percussion adding an increasing sense of urgency and a hint of Olde World accordion lending an underlying warmth to the track. "Internacional," which features Senegalese musician Baaba Maal, is the most chill geography lesson you’ll ever have, with Sciubba reciting the names of major international cities over an infectious bass-and-percussion-driven groove.

The more mellow tracks, such as "L’Interprete" and "Mano de Dios" (which have underlying Asian and Middle Eastern elements respectively), provide a pleasant change of pace and are potentially danceable in a tai chi or yoga type of way.

All in all, "New York City" is a must-listen for any pop music aficionado with globe-trotting aspirations. Whether you’re a jet-setter or simply a commuter, these songs will be right at home in your travel rotation.

Recommended track: St. Petersburg 

"No, Virginia" by the Dresden Dolls on Roadrunner Records- Out now

 The Dresden Dolls are purveyors of self-professed “Brechtian punk cabaret,” a style of music based on German Weimar-style cabaret era from the ’20s and ’30s. Concerts by the duo (singer/pianist/lyricist Amanda Palmer and drummer Brian Viglione) are usually a circus, filled with an entourage of odd folks dressed up in the audience, playing mime, juggling, or doing other strange tricks. Palmer and Viglione will dress up in cabaret-style clothing and paint their faces white as part of the performance.

Palmer is a gifted storyteller, painting pictures of teens messed up and/or just misunderstood, suffering well-known angst of a drug culture full of cliques, and people performing self-mutilation. Her songs are often autobiographical and can be extremely personal.

  “No Virginia” is a sort of companion piece for songs left over from 2006’s “Yes Virginia,” with b-sides and songs played from their concerts. Part of the Dolls’ cabaret style is to put on a “show” on the record; to sing about things that are shocking to elicit a certain dramatic response. A slice of those organic feelings are evident on “Dear Jenny”: “Boys wear overcoats in heat like this to keep themselves from showing/Girls fill out prescriptions for the tricks that keep their hearts from growing.”

 “Night Reconnaisance” continues that theme, as she romps sarcastically on the piano, thinking back to those fun high school days. “Think you’re a poet a folksinger poseur nah-oh/A volleyball player you’ve got to be kidding us all” Palmer’s piano-pounding melodies are almost always married perfectly with the beat of Viglione’s crashing drums and cymbals.

It’s easy to figure out that her high school years must have been very isolating. But she’s still exorcising those demons three albums into the Dresden Dolls. It can make one wonder when she will be able to move on.

  Besides the teen factor, many Dolls songs describe rape, sex, death, or some kind of injustice. A feeling throughout “No Virginia” is an undeniable sense that something is wrong, that someone must have a hidden agenda and as the song progresses, things get darker, the person falls down their rabbit hole and sometimes they don’t make it out. “Lonesome Organist Rapes Page Turner” says it all.

There’s definitely a dichotomoy on “No Virginia”; some songs on the cd are so deep you can’t find your way out, and some can be so transparent you walk right through them. The Dolls work better when they stick with the creepy side of life.

  Her voice is usually unsophisticated and raw, but whatever might be lacking is replaced by anger, insistence, and pain. She starts off with a whisper and sometimes ends by yelling. Her talent is her delivery of the lyrics, which helps the listener interpret what is going on. The fact that there’s so much agony is not a problem, but what can be an issue is when Palmer becomes so self-involved that making a connection is sometimes impossible.

While “The Mouse and the Model” is one of the most engaging and chilling on the release, it’s difficult to decipher her lyrics. It’s difficult to get close to many of the songs other than with the melody, because the lyrics are so abstract. “The Gardener” fares better, and draws you in to hear her soft lyrics about a group of people trying to control another. Her piano melodies are catchy and dramatic. She pounds on the piano, then plays the keys delicately. “The Gardener” is easier to visualize than “Mouse.”

  “Sorry Bunch,” about a tight group of friends, does not quite work; it’s like their anthem song of the cd, like the crappy high school party that she references. But that’s as far as it goes. It hearkens back to “The Jeep Song” from their self-titled debut, a sappy love song which didn’t work either.

  They do an interesting, happier spin on the Psychedelic Furs’ “Pretty in Pink”. It’s easy to see why they would be drawn to that song, since it’s about being an outcast (recall the movie of the same name), where actress Molly Ringwald eventually comes out a swan in her pink dress at the prom.

 Unlike Ringwald, The Dresden Dolls have not been kissed by their prince, but they’re not meant to be. The two are still living in the land of negativity, where everything that glistens is black.