Wooden Wand - Death Set

Young God Records

Released: November 1st, 2010

Dark, introspective and stripped-down folk, country and soul.

Wooden Wand has always been a band that I have always flirted with, but have never truly taken a dive into. I really think Wooden Wand (aka James Jackson Toth) with his former backing band The Vanishing Voice almost had me on a few releases, but I think the combination of production quality and my lack of giving those previous records enough time, led to this feeling.

With this album, I have given Wooden Wand enough time, and it was worth it. Wooden Wand released Death Set on Michel Gira's label, Young God Records (one of the fore-runners of freak-folk in NYC). Gira of course fronts the legendary no-wave/noise rock band Swans which has just released one of the best albums of the year in my opinion. Gira's influence on this record is undeniable. He produced the record and I hear a lot of musical and thematic parallels between Death Seat and this year's Swans record.

While Gira's My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky explores the darkness and solitude through funeral dirges and noise in an thunderous way, Death Seat explores the same themes in an introspective, brooding way. It is almost as though Gira has laid an apocalyptic sermon shaking the Earth, and Toth sits in wastes after the storm, contemplating what has happened and how to move on. If Gira was the Rapture then Toth is Oblivion.

Death Seat is a great complement to My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky. It was perfect timing by Gira to release this album immediately after his. Death Seat is ultimately mournful, deep, and is a record that deserves to be played front to back. The songs "The Mountain", "Ms. Mowse" and the last track "Tiny Confessions" are most powerful songs on the album, but really the whole album is amazing and there really isn't a low point on the whole record.

Similar: Swans, Six Organs of Admittance, Neil Young

Rating: 9.5

Salem - King Night

IAMSOUND Records

Released: September 28th 2010

There's a lot going here. Um... Shoegaze, Goth, Darkwave, House, "Chopped and Screwed" Houston hip hop. Fashion Music.

So here's the thing: new music can be a decisive topic. One can think that a particular album is amazing while somebody else thinks it's shit. An online publication can gush about something and it's single lone opinion has the ability to sway thousands to freak the fuck out about it (Pitchfork), while this lone reviewer with a handful of readers has the ability sway two or three people with a single opinion (I hope you all get second or third opinions as well). Music gets hyped up beyond recognition via blogs and Hype Machine, which further creates a rift in the music listening public. While some rely on only listening to hyped-up music, others completely shun it. As a music nerd myself for quite some time, I really try to embrace both sides of this argument: To Follow or Discredit trends is popular music?

Salem is just one of these groups. They exemplify everything that is hip and cool in the fall of 2010. The music has Shoegaze and Darkwave elements which rely heavily on synths and distortion. There's also an element of irony and cultural mining in the fact the King Night contains a few songs that directly borrow from Houston's "Chopped and Screwed" hip-hop style from the late 90's and early 00's. This being performed by three very attractive and fashionably-dressed men and women. This is pure and simple fashion music.

There has been many groups in the past that would fall into this category. Where the group's style, sound and look were completely of the time and place. Hell, greats like The Velvet Underground, Bowie, The Jesus and Mary Chain as well others all fit into this category. But at the end of the day the music itself was great.

And while I'm in no way implying that Salem is at any level close to those bands I mentioned above, at the end of the day King Night is a really good album. I am highly impressed with it. But I also understand how many people will completely write this band off, because of their style. I know some of my fellow music-nerd friends won't even give it the time of day, but I have and I like it damnit.

I'll review the new Dolphins in the Future cassette or some obscure shit like that next time for any of you nerds out there.

Similar: Crystal Castles, My Bloody Valentine, DJ Screw

Rating: 8.5