Fourtet – There Is Love In You

Fourtet (aka Kieren Hebden)’s new album, There Is Love In You, is just the beginning of a fantastic year in electronic music. Massive Attack, Groove Armada, Goldfrapp, David Byrne and Fatboy Slim, Gorillaz, and Autechre all have albums due out before the end of March. Holy shit, you guys. I didn’t even realize how awesome this year is until RIGHT NOW!

If the rest of these albums are as good as There Is Love In You, I’m going to be one happy kid! Hebden’s new album is trip-hop in it’s finest hour, seamlessly blending the minimalistic into twinkling, Atari inspired beats. The album starts off with “Angel Echoes” which has these incredibly haunting, abbreviated female vocals eking out the phrase “…there is love in you”. For as pixelated as the vocals are, there’s just such yearning in that voice. This is how vocals should sound on a trip-hop record. I want my heart to break a little.

I’m hopelessly addicted to “Love Cry”, the first single from the album, right now. So. Much. Fun. It starts off with this barren wasteland of minimal beats, but by the end of it, it’s a cacophony of well placed notes and breathy, angelic vocals singing a mantra of the track title. Two more of my favorites have to be “Sing”, an 8-bit throw back, and “This Unfolds” which does just that. It’s got this swell to it that just simply kicks ass.

This album is by far the most punctuated of Hebden’s career and I’m sure his residency at London’s Plastic People has helped. I mean, imaging being able to try out that new track in front of a live crowd at any given moment just to see their reaction. While Rounds has been considered the Fourtet “classic” (and it is a phenomenal album), I really think this one’s going to climb to the top for a lot of Fourtet fans. Even though this album is of such high quality, it’s certainly not perfect, as no album should be. I want to hear where you transition, I want a little but of dust on the vinyl, you know? This is really a fantastic, chill-out album and a great note to start a year in electronic music on. A!

Fourtet’s Site

Los Campesinos! – Romance Is Boring

So I really thought that these guys (and gals) had more albums than they do. Apparently, We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed and Sticking Fingers Into Sockets don’t count.

Alright, for the sake of being correct for the masses: Los Campesinos! released their second feature length album, Romance Is Boring today! It’s so much fun! They’ve really evolved from that hyperactive, messy indie noise and have this excellent razor-edged punk sound going on, but with enough melodic female harmonies to make up for it. It’s a surprisingly good blend.

This album has a little bit of everything. From guest appearances from  Xiu Xiu’s Jamie Stewart, Parenthetical Girls’ Zach Pennington, and Dead Science’s Jherek Bischoff to the horns, strings and distorted guitar of the Welsh(ish) septet, this album has a myriad of flavors to be had. Indie goes punk to early 90′s synth-pop and back again.

I’m absolutely addicted to “A Heat Rash in the Shape of the of the Show Me State; or, Letters From Me to Charlotte” right now. One of the poppiest tunes on the album (sans the song below, “There Are Listed Buildings”), it is downright catchy. Gotta love that Modest Mouse inspired name as well. This album really builds well…I find myself getting more and more into it the longer it goes on and the more plays I go through. It’s refreshment in the face of mass produced, radio wonders. With albums like this though, it’s only a matter of time before people realize how awesome Los Campesinos! are. A for you, Los Campesinos!

The Los Campesinos! Site

Vampire Weekend – Contra

You know, I really tried to like Vampire Weekend and their new album Contra, but I really just can’t get over how fucking pretentious these guys are.

Seriously!

I appreciate an African vibe and a solid appreciation of African music, but really?

You’re four Ivy League white dudes with trust funds. Really, just get the fuck over yourselves already. Vampire Weekend is simply too hip for me, I guess.

Vocally, it’s kinda neat, and musically, too. Ezra Koenig’s got this Bob Marley/Paul Simon thing going on most of the time, except for the shrieking in “House”. I don’t know what that’s all about, but it’s really unnecessary.”Horchata” is kind of catchy, except when Koenig tries to rhyme “horchata” with “baclava”. It’s like Rivers Cuomo trying to rhyme “bitch” with “kids”: Painful.

What also gets me on this album is the track, “I Think UR A Contra”. You’re talking about a Nicaraguan revolution here, man, you can’t take the time to actually spell out the word “you’re”? Also, Vampire Weekend is certainly not, and never will be, The Clash. Give up on that now, guys and leave Sandinista! alone.

On the plus side, I think that they guys of Vampire Weekend love this album. It’s something to listen to with their hipster friends while they puff away on cigarettes and sip their Starbucks with their superior smugness.

These guys are really pathetically hip.

I just can’t do it. I can’t get into this album or this band or even give them a good college (pun intended) try. Because of the one catchy song, it gets a D. Minus.

Vampire Weekend’s Site

 

HIP. STERS.

OK Go – Of the Blue Colour of the Sky

OK Go released their third album, Of the Blue Colour of the Sky, yesterday and already there’s some serious hype. This album seriously has everything. It’s a little bit of Prince, a little bit of Bowie, a little bit of Nine Inch Nails, a little bit of Modest Mouse, and it seems to me, a little bit of what U2 would sound like if they were any good. Plus, a million other completely awesome musical influences (Peter Gabriel, early 90′s acid-rock, I could go on for DAYS), but this album still has a vibe all it’s own.

Weighty percussion, psychedelic guitar, and heavy synth are definitely the recurring themes of this album, but it’s amazing in how many different ways they pull it off. From the groovy “Skyscrapers” to the straight up disco of “White Knuckles” to the industrial vibe of “WTF?”, there is never a dull moment. It’s kind of funny to think that four white dudes have this much funk. They’re like Jamiroquai, but less creepy. For guys who are as in to sweater vests and ties as they are, you sure can’t hear it on this album. It’s far more leather pants than pocket protector.

I seriously can’t wait to see them dance on treadmills to ” I Want You So Bad I Can’t Breathe”. Dear god, let it be in ass-less chaps a la Prince. That’s the money right there.

Other than that, I really don’t even know what to tell you about this album. It’s awesome. It makes me want to dance and invest a lot of money in glitter. Seriously, check it out even if you aren’t an OK Go fan because this album is so far removed from OK Go or even Oh No, it’s not even funny. This album gets a serious A.

OK Go’s Site

The Bouncing Souls – Ghosts On the Boardwalk

So, when I first listened to The Bouncing Souls new album, Ghosts On the Boardwalk, I was wholly undecided, but it really has grown on me in a remarkably short amount of time.

I guess I need to come out and say that I love The Bouncing Souls and have so for years. I’ve seen them live countless times, and have funny stories involving Bryan Kienlen trying to give me beer and signing a shirt that I still have (and wear, even though it’s tattered and holey. For those of you who know the story of “The Shed Shirt”, there you go). I do have to admit that I came into this album skeptically. Twenty years and eight albums later, what could they POSSIBLY do on this album?

Oh yeah, they could kick the shit out of your eardrums with it. That’s what could happen.

After a few listens, I started to realize that this album isn’t so much about making new music as celebrating 20 years in the music industry. It has a little bit of everything that a punk album should have…love, lies, politics, and just the tiniest bit of anarchy. It’s a rich, full sound without seeming overproduced. It’s like a best of…except with all new songs. Instead of rolling though their discography for songs, they merely searched for content. For all those similar themes.

It has pop-inspired, infectiously catchy songs that sound straight from the cutting room floor of Hopeless Romantic and How I Spent My Summer Vacation to the hardcore early punk sound of Maniacal Laughter. At this point, I really don’t think the Souls give a shit about what you want…they’ve been around long enough (I was a toddler when they formed. I know, I’m ashamed) that they’re just going to do what they want to do anyway, so why not make it good?

I complain all the time about how bands put all of their good songs at the beginning of the album and the end of the album just keeps droning on and on. Ghosts on the Boardwalk is the complete opposite of that. Damn, after 20 years, I sure hope that The Souls would be able to aptly organize a record. Anyway, this album only gets better as it goes on. It does start off promisingly enough with “Gasoline”, it does go into a few forgettable if not bland tracks like “Airport Security” and the sweet, yet decidedly boring “I Think That the World”.

Soon, though, it picks up with the rough and heavy “Badass” that reminds me of all those summer festivals. Hot and drunk, which is never a good combination. Getting my ass kicked in pits and coming home in a layer of people’s bodily fluids that I honestly don’t even want to think about. Same with “We All Sing Along”. It’s the same feel-good, breezy summer, let’s go get drunk kind of track that “Hopeless Romantic” was. A track that everyone can get along to.

The real gem of this album is “Dub Says True”. Heavy bass, Greg Attonito’s patented vocals, and just catchy enough to make you not be able to get it out of your head. Like “T. Frankenstein” over on Frankenstein Sound System…I remember when The Bouncing Souls weren’t “punk enough”, whatever that means, and it’s super awesome to see them still around, still making music, and still rocking the fuck out. I’m telling you, you may need to listen to it a few times through, but it’ll be worth it. B

The Bouncing Souls Site

An Interview with Mikey Shanley – 12/19/09

Finally it’s here! The very first video interview on That Girl With A Blog. I’m going to be honest with you, it was terrifying. Thankfully, it was with a good friend and a great amount of booze. So here it is, everybody…my one on one (ish) with Mikey Shanley. Make sure to check out his new EP, GAga Night, streaming for free on his Myspace.

Part 1



Part 2



Part 3



Thanks again to Mikey Shanley for agreeing to do this. Thanks to Adam and Casey for being our faithful cameramen. Thanks to Shelby Proie and her family for the use of their awesome movie room. And thanks to all of you for tuning in to the very first video interview here on That Girl With A Blog!

International Call Day for Lolita #2 – January 23, 2010

Thanks again to everyone who called in for the first International Call Day for Lolita in September, now we’re asking you to call again. This past September, over 100 people worldwide called the Miami Seaquarium asking them to retire Lolita and release her to be with her family in Puget Sound, Washington, prompting them to actually close their phone lines and designate a button to press if you wanted to talk about Lolita!

Please call the Miami Seaquarium on  January 23, 2010 to let them know that her illegal confinement will not be tolerated. You can contact them at (305) 361-5705. If the line is busy, try back in a few minutes!
If you’re not sure of what to say on the phone, you could say something like:

“Hi, I’m calling from [your city] and I am concerned about Lolita’s living conditions. her tank is sub-standard according to APHIS and about the size of a standard hotel swimming pool. My family and myself will be boycotting your aquarium until Lolita is retired and released.”

or

“Please retire Lolita the killer whale. I understand she is important to your business, but she has been in the same small tank for 40 years now. Her family is still alive in the wild and there are thousands of people willing to pay for her retirement. Captive dolphins and whales have been released before very successfully and Lolita is a great candidate. Until she is retired, my family and I have decided to boycott Miami Seaquarium.”

And really, people, you know this isn’t in vain…YOU are the ones that plugged their phone lines, YOU are the ones who prevented the Seaquarium from winning a spot on TV with Nickelodeon. YOU can do it again!

Also, in Lolita news, check this out from Shelby Proie with Save Our Oceans Now:

Finally, everyone that wants to help Lolita but doesn’t live in Miami or even the United States now can!  Thanks to Niki we are starting an international day to protest for the retirement of Lolita, the lone captive orca kept in an illegal sized tank at the Miami Seaquarium.   On Saturday May 15th we are looking for city captains from all around the world to organize a protest (in front of a captive facility, city center, or busy town square) to show the Seaquarium that people from all over the United States and the WORLD want to see Lolita retired back to her native waters off the coast of Washington.  Pictures and videos of the protests will be broadcast and then sent to the Seaquarium.  I’m sure local media will get involved and we will raise more awareness than ever about Lolita’s plight and why she must be retired.

If you are interested in being a city captain and organizing a protest in your city please contact Shelby at  Shelby@savelolita.com. Let’s all fight for Lolita and show the Seaquarium and the WORLD we are not backing off until Lolita is retired!

So on January 23, 2010, please take just a moment out of your busy day to call for Lolita. It only takes a minute of your time, but you’ll do so much good! Thanks, everybody!

30 Seconds to Mars – This Is War

Thanks to John for this recommendation.

30 Seconds to Mars has released their third studio album, This Is War. Very late and after royally pissing off Virgin.

It’s funny to think about it now, but I saw these guys live many, many moons ago before ever really realizing who they were. I still have picture  I mean, I knew it was Jared Leto, and I think I was just still a little creeped out over Requiem For A Dream. Like, was he going to jump off of stage and steal my TV? I do give them props for not using the Leto name. In fact, Leto will refuse to play a show if the venue had used his name to promote. I actually still have pics of them, back in the good old days when Metropol was still open in Pittsburgh. Where we youngsters would always go because it was rarely over 21 and you could smoke.
I’ll admit I went out and bought their first album. It’s wasn’t bad. Much like a lot of the music that was coming out around then. Somehow 30 Seconds to Mars got intertwined with all these seemingly unrelated bands. They were touring with bands like Chimera and American Headcharge and all these seriously heavy bands. Then you have all like, 5’2″ of Jared Leto with his blond hair and eyeliner. It’s kind of the same thing that Orgy went through, I guess. They just were something else entirely, but they got lumped in with all these metal bands.

30 Seconds to Mars I appreciated for their vintage synth sound and that little…edge. I don’t know what the hell it was. Maybe just Leto’s charisma. I’ll admit that I totally missed their sophomore album, A Beautiful Lie, and now that I’m listening to the new album, I have to wonder what the fuck that album was because This Is War sounds NOTHING like their self-titled. I mean, the self-titled was released in ’98, but damn.
I honestly don’t know how I feel about this album. I kind of like it. It’s a little screamo for me, but I’m a huge fucking emo kid so it kinda makes sense. While it doesn’t sounds like the 30 Seconds to Mars that I know, it sounds like this is what they should have been making the entire time. Like the title track, “This Is War”, it’s heavy with a killer chorus and a raw, screaming Jared Leto. It’s kinda hot, I’m not going to lie. But while there’s tracks like that, there’s also tracks like “Closer to the Edge”, “100 Suns”, and “Escape” which are really just awkward. The end of the album seems to veer into a weird emo place and you really lose the momentum.

Reading the band’s own thoughts on the album and what they were going for, I really don’t get it. “Rock opera”? “Concept album”? Not so much. Where they’re coming up with this shit, I’m really not sure.
It’s a decent album. It involves Jared Leto yelling a lot and some semi-decent music. Currently, I’m feeling kind of…indifferent about this album. If you’re into 30 Seconds to Mars already, I’d say check it out. If you’re not, I doubt that this will be the album to make you a fan. C

30 Seconds to Mars’ Site

Patrick Wensink – Sex Dungeon For Sale

I have to come right out and say it: I love Patrick Wensink and I love his new book, Sex Dungeon For Sale. It’s like someone put all of my favorite authors into a meat grinder and fashioned this book out of it’s meaty goodness. That’s kinda fucked up, actually…but after reading this book, you’ll understand.

From six year old Frenchmen to Wensink’s own futuristic version of Typhoid Mary, this book is full of laughs and moments of sheer vulgarity, which elicits more laughs. Vulgar in the sense that Fool was vulgar. (Read: In the most enjoyable manner.)

Wensink’s debut of short stories is really one of the best books that I have read in a long time. Especially coming from a new author. It seems like the first book from a new author is either the absolute best, or the absolute worst, but I have a feeling that Wensink’s only going to get better from here. More of a Christopher Moore than a Chuck Palahniuk. (Sorry guys, I love Chuck as much as anyone, but the last few books…well, some things are better left unsaid.)

While reading this book I had the urge to yell, “Oh, the twist!” about 100 times. I did refrain, however…for the most part. “My Son Thinks He’s French” did actually actually evoke a grunt of…I don’t know what it was…a mixture of shock, enjoyment, and disgust? I read it the very first day I got it, made such a noise, and immediately handed it to my husband and told him that he had to read it. It’s like one of those, “This smells terrible, smell it!” moments. It’s fantastically disturbing.

“The Many Lives of James Brown’s Capes” is a silly good time. I have two words for you to sum up this story: Sex. Machine. If I had been drinking something while reading this book, this would have been the one to make liquid come shooting out of my nose. Then there’s “Johnny Appleseed’s Punchateria”. What I would give to have one of these actually exist… god, just read this damn book. Then convince all of your friends to buy it so you can understand how hilariously funny Johnny Appleseed becomes as an inside joke. You’ll see. Also hilarious is “Me and Gerardo, Down By the Schoolyard”. This one can also be summed up in two words: Biz. Markie.

Also, I do have to add this to the list of Favorite Moments of Blogging, and it explains why I love this guy so much…

So I get this book in the mail, rip open the packaging like a rabid badger and there it is in all of it’s shiny glory. Also included in the package was a coloring book and this:



Yes folks, you read that correctly. I AM a Wentastic Club Ranger AND I am very good looking. Take that. This seriously made my day and I have kept it in my wallet ever since.

Seriously you guys, go buy this book. It’s on Amazon right now for less than $10. Support new authors, the fantastic New Bizarro Author Series, and Eraserhead Press.

I addition to his website, you can catch Wensink on Facebook and Twitter. Go check him out! A!