The Mountain Goats - All Eternals Deck

Folky-Emo, Starbucks/NPR music.

Let me say that when I first listened to this I was expecting something way more alt-country. But what I got, I immediately went "wtf is this emo shit?" I was not impressed. I was ready to fully rip this album a new asshole. BUT as a personal policy I like to give every album I review a full three listens, and on further review this album has a few redeeming songs.

I've never really listened to this band, but I remember they had an alt-country album some years ago when I was at a college radio station. I remember kind of liking it. This album sounds like nothing I remember and that was disappointing. The Mountain Goats are the moniker of some mid-90's lo-fi folk dude, who was prolific back in the day or something but I could care less now. The dude's voice is really whinny and annoying.

But after listening it a few times I really liked the opening track "All These Vampires" and "For Charles Bronson." The best song on the album, "Estate Sale Sign" is also the most upbeat and fun. That song is actually really awesome. But the rest of the album is boring music for white people with "creative" office jobs, a spouse, mortgage and a stupid golden retriever, who live in the expensive part of town with "unique" cafes and restaurants. Barf.

Similar: Wilco, Starbucks, NPR

Rating: 4.5

Merge Records

Released: March 29th, 2010

Listen to "Estate Sale Sign"

Moon Duo - Mazes

Psychedelic/Shoegaze (Psyche-gaze? Shoe-delic?) Hypnotic Proto-Punk.

Moon Duo is a duo (duh?) from SF consisting from the dude from Wooden Shijps, Ripley Johnson and Sanae Yamada (just look how cute/badass they look together). The duo's older stuff on Sacred Bones and Woodist Records was much more psychedelic than this album. This album has a decidedly more pop-feel to it. It's an album thats takes the simplicity of pop and layers reverb, distortion and draws it out in a hypnotic way.

It's the pop element that really caught me on this album, especially on the title track "Mazes" (listen to it below). Moon Duo has crafted a pop/distortion thing more in the vein on The Modern Lovers than JAMC. There's a minimal feel that draws you into the hazy swirl in other songs like the opener "Seer". This and a few others have more of a Suicide feel to the songs. These songs are less successful in my opinion. In both cases, you are awash with psychedelic distortion of guitars and keys.

The album is a success, but it does suffer from its own sound. While the hypnotic nature of the simple beat and chords (popularized by Nue!'s metorik) give the music character, it also drags it out at times too. This is worth a listen to any fans of psyche-rock, shoegaze, post-punk that enjoy a fair dose of pop once in a while.

Similar: The Modern Lovers, Suicide, Wooden Shijps

Rating: 8.5

Sacred Bones Records

Released: March 29th, 2011

Moon Duo- Mazes by sacredbones

Kurt Vile - Smoke Ring For My Halo

Kurt Vile explores a more classic rock n' roll sound, moving away from previous experimentation.

Smoke Ring For My Halo is Kurt Vile's fourth solo album since departing War On Drugs. One of the reasons for his departure, evident through Vile's earlier solo albums, is that he was interested in exploring more of an experimental sound than the Springsteen-influenced classic rock sound of his former band. But this album is interesting because of how closely he has come back to his former band's sound.

Kurt Vile has defiantly made a truly American classic rock n' roll album here. There is no doubt about it. Even my mom was in the kitchen when I was playing this album the other night (yes I'm currently living at home. It's only temporary I swear) and she remarked how it sounded like Tom Petty and the Dire Straights. I will defer to her 40-plus years of listening to rock n' roll and agree. Tom Petty is far and away the most obvious influence.

This shift back to a stream-lined rock n' roll sound thankfully has paid off. Although the experimentation in sonic layers and textures are largely missing from this album, the strength of the song writing more than makes up for this. Kurt Vile has penned some really great rock songs like "Jesus Fever" and my favorite "Society Is My Friend" on the album. Although the music isn't pushing any boundaries, this is still a great album to just sit back and listen to.

Similar: Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, War On Drugs

Rating: 8.5

Matador Records

Released: March 8th 2011

Arbouretum - The Gathering

Sludgey stoner-rock with some epic, mythological droning folk-vibes.

The Gathering marks Arbouretum's fourth album and is a mix of stoner-metal, drone, folk-rock and an americana-style feel. The feel to album is very old. Old like a tree (duh) or a dusty old old town off the highway. Not old like your Dad's record collection or some lame retro vibe. Old like the Earth.

I just recently traveled around the country on the train. I saw so much of this country and this album reminds me a lot of it. When I listen to this I think of plains, rivers, forests, mountains, deserts, snow and oceans. This album has a very earthy feel to it, but not in a cheesy hippy way. This is an album not celebrating the Earth but revering it as a force not to fuck with.

The opening track "The White Bird" is already one of my favorite songs of the year. It's just so fucking epic. The whole album is an awesome listen front to back. The other big highlight is their cover of "The Highwayman" (popularized by Glen Campbell and the Cash, Nelson, Jennings and Kristofferson super-group) which is an absolutely perfect song for this album. The Gathering is a weighty album and if you like epic-shit, this album is right up your alley. Spark a joint and enjoy, mannnn (or don't. I enjoyed the album perfectly fine without doing that.)

Similar: Dead Meadow, Midlake, The Highwaymen

Rating: 8.5

Thrill Jockey Records

Released: February 15th, 2011