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

Jónsi - Go / King of Asgard - Fi’mbulvntr

XL Recordings

Released: April 5th, 2010

An elf from a mystical land writing weird Icelandic children's music.

What the fuck is this shit? It sucks. I'm sorry, I try to keep an open mind when come to music, and I have a pretty diverse taste, but this is just not fun to my ears. NOT INTO IT SORRY. "Animal Arithmetic" is an OK song. This would of sounded great to me if I was eight and it was the soundtrack to some Neverending Story-type movie.

Similar: Sigur Rós, Elves

Rating: 2.5

Seriously wtf is up with Iceland? They were settled by mother-fucking Vikings. What happened? Plus their country looks like a giant metal-video. BRARRRRRG! Fuck this I'm reviewing some Viking shit:

Metal Blade Records

Released: August 18th, 2010

VIKING METAL.

This shit is equally cheesy as the above album. While Jónsi is cheesy musically, King of Asgard sings about Vikings and battles and other LARP shit. But this is better, because most of the time the dude growls in Swedish/Finnish/Norge/whatever so who cares what he's singing about. The music slays. That's all that matters.

There's nothing new here as far as Viking-Melodic-Death-Metal goes. Just some tunes to get you pumped before you sail into the sea to pillage, ride into battle to slay, or play 12 hours of World of Warcraft. These dudes definitely rip-off Amon Amarth though.

Here's an anecdote on Viking Metal: I once went to a VM show in Montreal. It was a hoot, let me tell 'ya. There were kids with CHAILMAIL, HELMS, and fucking DRINKING HORNS, which they were drinking their beers out of. It was the most unintentionally funny show I've ever been too. AND you know what? I had GREAT TIMES. (I'm pretty sure my Elfish friend above's show would not be nearly as entertaining as this show was.)

Similar: Amon Amarth, Emperor, old In Flames

Rating: 7.0

Swans - My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky

Young God Records

Released: September 23rd, 2010

Legendary thundering noise-rock triumphantly returns!

This album is Awesome in the true sense of the word. Powerful. Soulful. Deep. It really is more of a work of creation/destruction than a musical album.

The buildup of the thunderous guitars and storming of noise in the first song "No Words/No Thoughts" sets up the apocalyptic prophecy to be told here. Quiet interludes are sprinkled amongst the crushing cacophonies. What is true with this song is true for the whole album.

Funeral dirges come to mind. Not of a loved one, but of one that is stumbled upon in a foreign land.

As are folk songs of a long forgotten society.

As are the fever dreams the ill, the hallucinations the mad, and the withdrawals of the addict.

This is Noise.

Awesome.

Similar: Harvey Milk, Sonic Youth, Nick Cave

Rating: 9.5

Bad Religion - The Dissent of Man

Epitaph Records

Released: September 24th, 2010

30-year-old West-Coast-style skate punk.

Ok I won't lie: Bad Religion was one of the first punk bands I ever got into. I've probably listened to them for half of my life now. They been around for as long as I've been around on this planet (15 fucking albums now!). So this band has nostalgic meaning for me. And although my tastes have greatly diversified since those snotty, teenage punkrock days, I'll always have a place in my heart for punkrock (hell I'm wearing Subhumans "Religious Wars" t-shirt as I type this).

So I'll always check out a new Bad Religion album when one comes out. Their time Atlantic Records carreer was complete crap (Stranger Than Fiction was OK). But when they returned to Epitaph for The Process of Belief in 2002 (and a reunion with guitarist Mr. Brett) it signaled a comeback of sorts. It was a great album, but since then, the spark they got from the return has waned. Each subsequent album has been lacking. Sure the hooks are there, the whoas, the ooooh, the ahhs, the biting social commentary, and all of the other bag of tricks that the band uses are all there. But its just lacking something.

I find when I listen to The Dissent of Man that I hear bits and pieces of the entire Bad Religion back catalog. There's some Suffer-era guitar noodling, Recipe for Hate hooks, and more recent melodic output. The album is an ok listen. There is some standout tracks like "The Resist Stance", "Meeting of the Minds" and "Turn Your Back on Me" but for the most part, there isn't anything here you haven't heard before.

And if you haven't listened to Bad Religion, you should pick up 1989's No Control. Amazing shit.

Similar: Pennywise, Ramones, The Clash

Rating: 6.5

3 New EP's out of T.O.!

So in order to give some props to the local scene here in Toronto, here's three (fairly) recent EP (of the 12" and 7" varieties) reviews:

The Bitters - Have a Nap Hotel 12" EP

Sacred Bones Records

Released: Um summer 2010 I think.

Great Garage-Rock-Pop, with the perfect mix of tape-fuzz.

The Bitters are a dude (Ben Cook from Fucked-Up) and a girl (Airen Fogel) that make great pop that is while on the one hand refined with synths, melodies, and pop-structures, on the other hand the music is rough, dynamic and jarring due to the nice layers of tape-fuzz. This 5-song EP is excellent and is definitely worth picking up.

Similar: Dum Dum Girls, Vivian Girls, X

Rating: 9.0

Mellenial Reign - Bones Dust Nothing 7" EP

A398 Recordings

Released: September 10th, 2010

Brutal Cleveland-Style Hardcore/Metal.

This 7" was actually recorded a few years ago and has finally been shown the light of day on A398 Recordings. Speaking of Fucked Up: the band consiststs of Damien (of FU, Fox News, being an awesome dude), Jorden and Jesse (of No Warning). This band is three dudes fucking around and playing homage to Integrity, Ringworm and the whole Cleveland brutal-ass hardcore scene. I fucking love this shit. Plus "Moore's Law" is a great song and great subject matter.

Similar: Fucked Up, Integrity, Ringworm

Rating: 8.0

Little Girls - Thrills 12" EP

Mexican Summer Records

Released: Sometime in 2009.

Fuzzed-Out, Stripped-down post-rock and shoegaze.

This band has been getting quite the buzz on the internets lately. It has that whole super-tape-fuzz kind of sound of all the other "shit-gaze" (or whatever) bands that were popular last year. Frankly the layers of fuzz (while I love lo-fi) are a bit distracting, from the actual songs, which on this 5-song EP are just ok. "Pigeon Lady" is a good song though. If you're going to go for a lo-fi sound, the songs need to rise above the tape hiss (J&MC and GBV did this the best).

Similar: Blank Dogs, Times New Viking, Joy Division

Rating: 6.5

Prince Rama - Shadow Temple

Paw Tracks Recordings

Released: September 14th, 2010

Now-Age, Psychedelic, OM-tastic head trip of a swell electronic time.

I love it when: A) A buddy is throwing on a show in a week (Deakin (kind of boring btw)). B) When checking out the openers for said show, you realize that Prince Rama is incredible and their new album (Shadow Temple) is SO AMAZINGLY GOOD! C) You then realize the show you were probably not going to go is now a must-see-event. D) You go to said show and even missing a member of the band, Price Rama still is absolutely amazing. E) PLUS when you purchase the new record at the show it's motha-fuckin' BEDAZZELED with SWEET-ASS JEWELS. Yeah that's right: jewels.

This record is very very swell. The first listen made me exclaim "Hare Krishna! this is soooooooo good!" The band hails from Brooklyn, but got their beginnings in the Boston underground/experimental music/art scene. The two ladies in Prince Rama have actually known each other for much longer, having met at an Hare Krishna community in Florida years ago. This new-age, mantra influence plays a heavy part in the bands sound and style.

The album is very psychedelic (in a non-druggy kind of way), but also very powerful. They rely heavily on synths and drums and vocal harmonies between the two female singers. There is some reverby-distorted guitar accents sprinkled in as well.

The album is absolutely PACKED from beginning to end with mind-expanding songs. About half of the songs are based on traditional Hare Krishna mantras and chants, while the other half are originals. At the end of the day the band seamlessly blends the two. "Lightening Fossil" is the best song on the album and is the only one with a bit of a dance-y beat, but "Raghupati" and "Satt Nam" are equally good for blending zen mantras with keyboards, drums and harmonies.

Excellent, excellent album. OM.

Similar: Hare Krishna chants, Gang Gang Dance, Silver Apples

Rating: 9.0

Black Mountain - Wilderness Heart

Jagjaguwar Records

Released: September 14th, 2010

Stoner Rock that "Gets IT" instead of singing about bongs and weed.

Stoner Rock (and it's heavier brother Sludge/Stoner Metal) can either be immensely awesome or fucking stupid. I have no interest any more in listening a bunch of potheads singing about bongs and wizards and shit. No interest in 15 min crunchy guitar jams either. Give me the the riffs, the head bobbing bass and drums, and the trippy vocals. Leave out the bullshit. Black Sabbath did it the best. (Oh wait they sang about weed and wizards. OK but it was the seventies, everyone was high.)

Black Mountain certainly knows how to create fucking rocking licks, keep the rhythm tight, and the dueling vocals of band leader Stephen McBean and Amber Webber* create amazing harmonies that layer nicely over the sludgey guitars. Wilderness Heart is their 3rd full length, and while its good and I like it a lot, it is not nearly as amazing as 2008's In The Future. That album was my personal favorite of that year. This new album is lacking the dramatic impact of the songs that were on their last album.

This is not to say that the album is not worth listening checking out. The songs are varied enough to create a good flow throughout the album. Some of the songs are even a little more upbeat and faster than their previous material (especially "Let Spirits Ride" which almost has a thrash-metal vibe to it. It rules.) Other up beat songs that are rad are "Old Fangs" and the title track "Wilderness Heart". Slower jams (but not too slow or jam-y) worth checking out are "Rollercoaster" and "The Way To Go".

Not their strongest effort but good none-the-less. Check it out.

*I have the biggest crush-on for Amber Webber btw. Any of you Vancouver-ites that can hook me up with her I'll will paint your portrait, cook dinner for you, and high-five you 50,346 times.

Similar: The Black Angels, Pink Mountaintops, Black Sabbath

Rating: 7.5