Aural Cleansings fashionably late to the 2007 party

With the coming of age comes a bit of a delayed reaction to many things. I know that I am a little bit slower now when I run, I have sluggish reflexes when it comes to sports and I buy into the “next big thing” a little bit more hesitantly. The decision needs to be made by me to find out how good something actually is and if it is really all that it is hyped up to be. I can say that for two female releases of 2007, they do live up to the hype (although one was EXTREMELY more hyped than the other). These albums were Feists’ “The Reminder” and Jesca Hoops’ “Kismet.”

Feist was on every top 10 listing of 2007 that I came across but I could not figure out why. I did enjoy her IPOD commercial featuring the “1234” video but it wasn’t the best song I have ever heard. I can say that this album is one of the best start to finish albums that I have heard in my recent memory. There is a wide plethora of musical variation displayed on the album ranging from acoustic songs (So Sorry), heartfelt lyrics (Honey Honey) and lots of diverse instruments and guests (A little known fact is that the “1234” video features many of the artists that Feist has collaborated with in the past).

Feists’ voice is very unique in that it is not overpowering nor is it quiet. It holds a lot of emotion but not to the point where you want to slap her being too pouty or too excited about something. She has found that equilibrium that many female artists can not seem to find and has a wonderful sound. Her voice is just another instrument in a spectrum of sound. A nice example of her voice’s ability to work in cohesion with instruments is the final song on the disc “How My Heart Behaves.” It is an exquisite duet and an exquisite ending to an superb sophomore release.

A bit on the opposite end of the hype spectrum is Jesca Hoop. I saw her open for one of my favorite bands this past year at the Double Door. She had a very eccentric performance but it left me wanting more so I finally bit the bullet and picked up “Kismet.” I can say that the release had the exact opposite effect that Feist’s did. It was not very accessible initially but I kept listening because I was intrigued by her arrangements, key changes (most of her songs seem to be written in a minor key) and interesting time signatures that sometimes would alter mid-way through her songs.

As I said, this disc is not very listener friendly for the first 10 to 15 listens but there were a few songs that stood out after just one or two listens (Summertime, Dreams in the Hollow, Intelligentactile 101). Hoops’ voice is bit more whispery and softer than Feist but it also has a sarcastic overtone to it. In other words, it is right up alley.

“Kismet” has many stand out songs on it but as an album, I wouldn’t say it was as strong as “The Reminder.” I do think that as a song writer, Hoop should be listed along with the top song writers today just after this release. I believe that Sufjan Stevens could learn a thing or two from her arrangements even.

Please don’t hold it against me for not acknowledging these fine efforts until now. They deserve a second look, if you can spare one.

Aural Cleansing and the concert review

So those two readers out there that do read my blog entries were probably wondering to themselves, “ I wonder where Kramer’s review of that Pela show he promised us?” Well wonder no longer you crazy twosome of loyal readers, here is my take on Pela’s 2/29 show at Schubas. I was impressed that Pela did sell out the venue, which presented promise in my book.

Even though I was forced to go to this show on my own, with my wife bailing out on me at the last second, Kyle was wonderful enough to come and use my extra ticket for most of Pela’s set. He did miss the amazing opening act of Liam Finn though. Liam Finn is the son of revered songwriter and singer Neil Finn of CROWDED HOUSE fame. He hails from New Zealand and he performs with a woman (of which, I didn’t catch her name) who compliments his vocals nicely. I was really excited about seeing him because he recently had been receiving a lot of buzz and the night before, on 2/28, he had performed on Letterman. I was not disappointed. His set-list and lyric writing were a bit eccentric but his music performance was a wonder to witness. He managed to play multiple instruments on just about every song, looping some melodies on his guitar using various pedals and then busting out a crazy drum beat and solos on the drum kit. All the while, his compatriot would be adding in some other percussion and vocals on top of what was already happening. For two people, it was remarkable to witness and it was also lovely to my ears.

As much as I was excited about Finn, the real reason I was at Schubas was to see if Pela could be as good live as they were on their recording. In contrast to Finn’s set of eccentric indie rock, Pela’s set consisted of straight rock songs, presented charismatically. The lead singer was sweating crazily by the end of the first song and the entire band was enjoying themselves quickly and consistently throughout the night. They played a lot of material off of their future 2008 release but still played all of their big “hits” off of their 2007 debut. The crowd was definitely there to see Pela and were singing, clapping and swaying to all of the songs along with the band. I have to say that the band lived up to my lofty expectations and I think that their new material will possibly exceed them. They seem to be taking a step forward in their music aptitude tests and I have high hopes that disc #2 will be solid.

Aural Cleansings take on 1/8/08’s releases of merit

There were a few new releases on Tuesday that were worth mentioning. I unfortunately have been able to procure 1 of the 3 that came out but the other two deserve mention at least.

1. SIA “Some People Have Real Problems”
I have read some reviews of this album already that have given a lot of merit to Sia’s voice. I have only listened to snippets on her website and on ITUNES. I will say that she does have a unique sound and I am interested to hear her full tunage to make a better assessment of the mad skills that are obviously present. http://www.siamusic.net/

2. Medeski, Martin and Wood “Let’s Go Everywhere”
This is the cd that I really want to hear the most because it is targeted towards kids. MMW are probably the tightest jazz trio I have ever witnessed in concert or recorded (and you really need to check out there quad stuff with John Scofield for it “Rocks the Party”). As are most things that MMW releases, it has received glittering recognition. I have to admit I haven’t heard much of their latest experimental stuff but since this is for kids, I can pretty much guarantee it is going to much more accessible. http://www.mmw.net/

3. Various Artists “Juno Soundtrack”
This is the one cd that I have heard and I have to say that it has not disappointed me. I saw the movie about 3 weeks ago and I thought while I was watching it, “This soundtrack makes me feel like I did when I first saw that ‘Tonight, Tonight’ music video. All warm and full inside.” This cd is a bit schmaltzy and a lot poppy but it also is one of the best soundtracks I have heard in a long time. Some people have said that it might rival the “Garden State” soundtrack (I disagree. Garden State had many individual songs but I didn’t feel it flowed very well. Juno has individual songs and flows, song to song, moment to moment) in regards to sales and popularity. The songs that make me the happiest are those by Kimya Dawson, Belle and Sebastian and the opener by Barry Louis Polistar. I highly recommend this for your pop infusion for the day. http://www.rhino.com/Juno/

Arctic Monkeys “Favourite Worst Nightmare”
An Aural Cleansing with Kramer

The 2nd Arctic Monkeys disc provides more of the same hard-driving, clever indie from some of the best rockers currently producing music. I have to admit I was a late arrival to the Arctic Monkey’s band wagon. I had read multiple reviews of their initial effort before I finally gave it a listen. Even after I listened to their first album a couple of times, I still did not understand what all of the fuss was about.

However, the A. Monkeys are a “grower” band. One of those bands that require 10-15 listens to their discs before you start to appreciate what the kids are doing. Then you realize that the majority of groups are NOT able to do what they are doing.

Alex Turner’s lead vocals fit their sound so perfectly and his Yorkshire accent adds an entirely individual sound. His voice and slang add a whole new element to the music.

There are a number of standout tunes on the album namely the fifth track, FLOURESCENT ADOLESCENT. This song has very catchy melody and guitar riff that even after one listen; you find yourself repeating the song a 2nd and 3rd time to enjoy it some more.

Other stand-outs on the album consist of: THIS HOUSE IS A CIRCUS (note the clever tempo changes), BALACLAVA (any song that adds clavinets, I’m a sucker for), D IS FOR DANGEROUS (just hard rock in its finest, most raw form) and 505 (Arctic Monkeys, like the Shins, always end their albums with a very high quality track).

Overall, “Favourite Worst Nightmare” is a definite progression of the Arctic Monkey sound. The group has made some major steps in terms of song structure, arrangements, tempo changes and you can hear it. I enjoy their first effort a little more still but that is most likely just because I have listened to it more. I believe that in time that “Nightmare” will take its place since it has grown on me already.

As Kyle stated in his top albums column previously, this year really was a rather unimpressive year for music. I would reiterate his words in that 2006 had many stand out albums that really hit home lyrically, musically and were flawless fits for their time. [Kyle's note: I didn't necessarily think it was an unimpressive year for music, I just didn't have a lot of CDs that I heard and fell in complete love with. However, I think it was a great year for songs]

With that being said, 2007 still had some very good music and my top 5 artists made some enormous steps forward. Especially in regards to musical prowess and much broader sound than their previous albums featured.

Since I hate doing “top 10” lists, I am going to do a top 5 list with a few honorable mentions and an “outstanding debut artist.” Feel free to completely mock and/or disagree with any and all of my selections. These are just what my ears have enjoyed the most this year.

5. Arcade Fire-Neon Bible

The Arcade Fire continue to be that one band that I yearn to hear live (I can never wake up early enough to get tickets but that goes along with the fact that I’m getting too old). I loved FUNERAL but Win Butler’s lead vocals would grate on me after a while. I have to say that Win polished up his pipes nicely in the off-season and his voice was twice as good on their sophomore release. I was happy that the album lived up to the hype.

4. Iron & Wine-The Shepherd’s Dog

This falls into the “major step forward” category. Sam Beam, the brainchild behind Iron and Wine, has been spending a lot of time with another band called Calexico (even touring with them and recording an EP). Their influence can definitely be heard on Beam’s new disc. The sound has moved from just a stripped down guitar-folk vibe to a full-fledged band. This was probably the biggest surprise in my top 5 because I had anticipated an average offering on Iron and Wine’s 3rd full length.

3. The Shins-Wincing the Night Away

The love the Shins and the Shins sound. Many people believe that they have become too commercial now. I believe they are an Indie staple and their sound continues to develop slowly, but surely. The stand out songs on this album are “Sleeping Lessons” with its awesome explosion and build-up and “Red Rabbits.” As with previous Shins albums, the songs flow seamlessly into each other so it is a nice album to pop in and listen in its entirety.

2. Bloc Party-Weekend in the City

My buddy gave me a copy of this cd and Travis’ The Boy With No Name at the same time. Initially, I listened to the Travis album a lot more than Bloc Party’s sophomore release based primarily on vocals (see Arcade Fire; Kele Okereke, Bloc Party’s lead singer, also has a very “distinctive” sound to his voice). I was able to see both bands perform their albums live this past summer. Prior to attending the Bloc Party show, I revisited the album and realized that the band had matured a lot from Silent Alarm. Kele’s sexuality and his race, amongst other things, are addressed in the lyrics of this album. Because the material is more mature, it took me a little longer to recognize and absorb the complexities and layering on the songs. After I saw them live, this album was consistently in my rotation. If you have written it off, I highly recommend giving it another listen or six.

1. Radiohead-In Rainbows

Enough has been said about Radiohead’s innovative release of In Rainbows. However, there really hasn’t been much focus on the album itself. I have been a huge fan of Radiohead since The Bends and I still argue with people about it being my favorite Radiohead album. In Rainbows is the best “musical” album from Radiohead since OK Computer. It takes multiple listens but there some very beautiful melodies underneath the layers of samples. This album, along with the Shins’, is one that I can put in and listen all the way through without skipping a track. The standouts are “15 Step”, “Nude” and “Weird Fishes.” To top it all off, they are streaming a live show of them performing the album in its entirety on NYE (and I believe that Al Gore’s CURRENT TV is rebroadcasting as well). I can’t think of a better way to ring in 2008.

Honorable Mentions

Travis-The Boy With No Name
Spoon-GaGaGaGa
Norah Jones-Not Too Late
Air-Pocket Symphony
Sigur Ros-Heim/Hvarf

Debut Artist of 2007

Pela-Anytown Graffiti

My wife was asking me the other day why I love Pela’s album so much. I tried to explain it to her but I really couldn’t vocalize it or put it into words. I think the reason why I love them so much is that popular music now is so repetitive, bland and mediocre. Pela take it up a notch. Their sound is tight, their lyrics are insightful and I heard they put on a good show (I will let you know for sure when I see them in February). Bands like Pela give me hope that there is still a level of music that I can identify with and not cringe when I hear them. As sad as that may sound, it give me hope and that is why they are my debut artist of 2007.

Your parents probably reminded you to clean behind your ears, but what about inside of them? Kramer is going to be helping out with that in his new column, An Aural Cleansing with Kramer. Kramer is the most dedicated (read: only) reader of this here little blog, and he was more than a little disappointed that 2007 didn't offer much reading material. He has offered to help with that situation, by becoming a regular columnist. I was a big fan of Kramer's previous blogging efforts, and he is a welcome addition to the team! Maybe now there won't be so many blank pages greeting visitors to the site.

Thanks Kramer!