The always reliable Stereogum has already said everything that needs to be said about Jónsi‘s new video for Go Do. This wonderful, bird-filled video was filmed in Iceland over the winter – a time when there may only be a few hours of sunlight a day on the small island nation.

Unfortunately, the video seems to have been taken down from it’s host at Pitchfork.  It was up barely long enough for Stereogum to post and tweet about it.  We hope this beautiful music video will be back up before long.

Make sure to check out their page for other gems, including The Album Leaf, David Bowie, Vampire Weekend and more.  And stay tuned for more information on Jónsi‘s upcoming album.

65daysofstatic's studio set-up, as seen on flickr.

Today, in a message to their 65propaganda mailing list, Sheffield-based math/post-rockers 65daysofstatic announced their upcoming album, We Were Exploding Anyway.  With no specific release date other than, “the vaguest of times, THE SPRING,” We Were Exploding Anyway will serve as the long-awaited fourth studio album for 65daysofstatic.  Track list after the jump.65kids will likely be keeping their eyes on the new album.  After all, this will be the first we’ve heard from 65daysofstatic in some time.  Their last album, The Destruction of Small Ideas, was released in 2007.  Since then, the only thing 65daysofstatic have given us has been their 2008 EP, The Distant and Mechanised Glow of Eastern European Dance Parties.  Years For Beards eagerly awaits any new sounds from 65daysofstatic.

Track List:

01. Mountainhead
02. Crash Tactics
03. Dance Dance Dance
04. Piano Fights
05. Weak4
06. Come To Me
07. Go Complex
08. Debutante
09. Tiger Girl

Also announced in the message were additional tour dates in the UK, with Nedry and Loops Haunt tagging along.

In a final piece of 65dos news, BBC‘s adaption of Kurt Vonnegut‘s classic Slaughterhouse 5, which featured some “incidental time-travel music” by the band will get a re-airing soon.  Catch it on Radio 4 as the afternoon play on Saturday, February 13th.

Happy New Year!  It is the year 2010 and alien technology has taken over the world.  Humans are slaves to machines that replace all the simple things in life with a series of ones and zeros.  I have harnessed the power of this secret formula and cranked out a list of 50 best releases of the year (in alphabetical order).  Here it goes…

Animal Collective-Fall Be Kind (EP)

Many listeners are a bit reluctant to allow themselves to enjoy Animal Collective’s weirdness.  Fall Be Kind is an excellent place to start.  The EP is a big blurry trip through the lands of Björk and The Beach Boys all at the same time.  Those who enjoy more structure will be soothed by the string bass that gently carves chord progression into electronic sound clouds.  Unexplainable transitions will keep you on your toes while recurring vocal themes, synths, and samples bridge the gap between them.  Fall Be Kind is definitely one of the best releases I’ve come across this year. (From Micro Beards: 15 Dec 2009 by Corey Murphy)

Animal Collective-Merriweather Post Pavillion

The Antlers-Hospice

Hospice seamlessly blends haunting sound clouds into effected guitar ambience all based on a careful musical foundation.  Lead singer, Peter Silberman whispers a soft and lonesome melody over all this, “I wish I had known in/that first moment we met/ the unpayable debt/ that I owed you”.  The album, which is based on the death of a loved one is fittingly unsettling.  The Antlers present in Hospice, a mix of crunching instrumentals and liquid flowing vocals set perfectly to a crashing basement drum kit.  Hospice is incredibly artful and powerfully progressive.

Akron/Family-Set ‘Em Wild Set ‘Em Free

While everything on the album is recognizably Akron/Family, the album spans genres inexplicably.  Starting in a bit of a dirty blues-rock feel and moving through electronic tracks and folk concoctions, the band even hits on some borderline scream punk just to say they did it.  Often, transitions between acoustic and more electronically derived tracks are rough and uncomfortable but this Frankenstein of an album dances gracefully the entire time.  The band, from New York City, remains relatively undiscovered but they ought to be.  Akron/Family has a lot to add to the musical scene and effectively captures the style that many bands strive for. (From LIST 2000 to 2009 [Corey's Staff Picks] by Corey Murphy)

Atlas Sound-Logos

Black Moth Super Rainbow-Eating Us

Blind Pilot-3 Rounds and a Sound

Bon Iver-Blood Bank

Surprisingly, when Bon Iver’s new EP dropped on January 20th, things were kosher.  For an album so critically acclaimed as his debut LP For Emma, Forever Ago, it seemed as though future works would be doomed to fall short in the eyes of purists. But the release did well from the beginning, entering the Billboard 200 at number sixteen.  Blood Bank, which is comprised of three new tracks plus one track left off For Emma, proves that Bon Iver is no one hit wonder. (From REVIEW: Bon Iver-Blood Bank by John Kruse)

Continue Reading

The Builders and the Butchers-Salvation Is A Deep Dark Well

Califone-All My Friends Are Funeral Singers

Camera Obscura-My Maudlin Career

Clem Snide-Hungry Bird

Dan Auerbach-Keep It Hid

Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse (Feat. Various Artists)-Dark Night of the Soul

Based on a book of photography shot by David Lynch, acclaimed american filmmaker best known for Mulholland Drive (2001), Blue Velvet (1986) and the television series, Twin Peaks, Dark Night of the Soul is an accompanying soundtrack written by Brian Burton (Danger Mouse) and Mark Linkous (Sparklehorse).  Each track seems perfectly suited for its featured vocalist which include (if that wasn’t enough name dropping) The Flaming Lips, James Mercer of The Shins, Vic Chesnutt, Suzanne Vega, Julian Casablancas of The Strokes, Iggy Pop, Scott Spillane of Neutral Milk Hotel, Jason Lytle of Grandaddy, and Frank Black…just to name a few.  Due to a legal dispute with EMI, the music is very difficult to find without the help of the wonderful world of the internet and the book is sold with a blank recordable CDR.

The Dead Weather-Horehound

The Decemberists-Hazards of Love

With the bands fifth release, The Decemberists delve even deeper into the story-telling style that they are known for.  On this album every track flows seamlessly to the other and themes come and go throughout the duration of the album representing the stories that are interwoven inside it.  The band draws on its resources for The Hazards of Love as Shara Worden of My Brightest Diamond,Becky Starke of Lavender Diamond, and Jim James of My Morning Jacket are all brought in to play various characters in the stories and provide vocals for the album.  The Hazards of Love is a seamless blend of music steeped in an ancient troubadour tradition and converted by modern themes and musical styles into what can best be described as a musical. (From LIST 2000 to 2009 [Corey's Staff Picks] by Corey Murphy)

Derek Webb-Stockholm Syndrome

The Dirty Projectors-Bitte Orca

In english, Bitte Orca is “please, killer whale”.  The album’s title is as unexplainable as the music.  Perhaps the reason that Bitte Orca is so effective is that it is so damn unexplainable.  We’ve been drowned in the same old rock progressions for so many years that Bitte Orca catches us completely off guard.  While tracks like “Stillness is the Move” come off as catchy pop hooks on the surface, it is the fact that they are this way that makes them so progressive.  In the midst of so much indie music that tries to be experimental, The Dirty Projectors have created a sound that is a very effective experiment in the mainstream.

DM Stith-Heavy Ghost

This is an extremely daring debut album from graphic artist David Stith. Stith contributed the album artwork to My Brightest Diamond’s album also featured in the list [Zach's Staff Picks], with contributions made to Heavy Ghost by both Shara Wordan (of My Brightest Diamond) and Sufjan Stevens (who, according to the liner notes, on the song “Pity Dance” clacked a stapler, and a pair of scissors, and played a Lakewood 18 inch 3-speed high velocity fan with a Vermont state quarter). This experimental pop jem is just the beginning of things to come from Stith. (LIST 2000 to 2009: [Zach's Staff Picks] by Zach Harris)

The Dodos-Time To Die

Fever Ray-Fever Ray

Flaming Lips-Embryonic

Soon after “Do You Realize” was named “Oklahoma’s state rock song” The Flaming Lips must have grew tired of pleasing the masses.  On the latest album, this psychedelic pop has degenerated into a crunchy nonsensical pile of sound.  I mean that in the best way.  Embryonic is an ingenious layering of textures through which lead singer, Wayne Coyne, leads us on a sort of psychedelic journey.  While the lyrics and compositional aspects of the music are by no means spectacular, it is their presentation that is spot on.  The thought that most frequently crosses my mind when I listen to Embryonic I bet the studio is a mess…I mean absolutely trashed.  By the sound of this music, it seems like Coyne is just walking around smashing on objects lying around the room and pushing buttons on synthesizers with no particular method to the madness.  But then you realize, in the midst of all this noise, a very careful bass line is emerging.  And then if you can sift through all the crunching and crashing you will realize that these sounds have quickly evolved into drumbeats.  Still drenched in overdrive, distortion and the like, the first track “Convinced of the Hex” rises from the sound. (From REVIEW: The Flaming Lips-Embryonic by Corey Murphy)

Continue Reading

Fruit Bats-Ruminant Band

Known also for his work with The Shins, frontman Eric Johnson is famous for creating simple and accessible indie rock.  Ruminant Band is no different.  The album is a collection of recognizable guitar riffs paired with uplifting and energetic melodies.  Ruminant Band is everything you want to hear in a song done in a tasteful and interesting way.

fun.-Aim and Ignite

Grizzly Bear-Veckatimist

Veckatimist is, in my opinion, the single greatest recording on this list.  It is the third release for the band and the second since Daniel Rossen of Department of Eagles was added to the mix.  Rossen’s collaboration with frontman Ed Droste, has proved to be very rewarding for the group as the result is a perfect blend between Rosen’s progressive folk style with Droste’s kitschy hooks and operatic vocals.  All four members bring a lot to the table on Veckatimist, as Christopher Bear’s unique reverb drenched drum sound and Chris Taylor’s thick and rich bass are absolutely essential on the release (not to mention their participation in the frequent multi-part harmonies).  Grizzly Bear has certainly set the bar high for musicians across the board as Veckatimist is nearly perfect in every regard.

Ida Maria-Fortress ‘Round My Heart

Japandroids-Post-Nothing

Japandroids debut album, Post-Nothing, is mindless fun and pure genius. The album is an infinite reincarnation of the loudest and most exciting basement shows and captures the intensity in its overwhelmingly distorted guitar sound and painfully shouted vocals. The equation is as simple as the music itself, guitar riff plus crashing drums plus two sentences that are fun to yell through the course of a three minute track equals Post-Nothing. (From REVIEW: Japandroids-Post-Nothing by Corey Murphy)

Continue Reading

MF Doom-Born Like This

Everything MF Doom touches to gold.  It makes me wonder why the man has to resort to “supervillainy” to obtain his wealth.  Doom casts his flow of conscious lyrics as if they were carefully contemplated tongue twisters.  “Villain here, have em shrillin’ in fear/won’t stop top illin’ til he a gazillionaire” Doom spits effortlessly on the first track, ”Gazillion Ear”.  Its hard to imagine Doom breathing at all during this record as it is a constant flow of though from front to end.  Born Like This is easily the best hip-hop release this year.

Miike Snow-Miike Snow

Modest Mouse-No One’s First and You’re Next (EP)

Monsters of Folk-Monsters of Folk

Mos Def-The Ecstatic

Mount Eerie-Wind’s Poem

Neon Indian-Phsycic Chasms

Passion Pit-Manners

Phoenix-Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix is an intelligent brush with radio pop music.  Phoenix, who is based in Paris, will make girls blush with cute mispronunciations of their english lyrics on tracks like “Lisztomania” but Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix has something for everyone as the band will show of its technical side in the nearly instrumental “Love Like a Sunset” epic.

Ramona Falls-Intuit

Real Estate-Real Estate

Sea Wolf-White Water, White Bloom

This scope of this album is unbelievably vast for its indie-folk claim.  The first track, “Wicked Blood” flashes hints of Neon Bible-era Arcade Fire, but the tracks that follow can be described so much differently.  Acoustic guitar and violin lie at the core of every track but the electric instruments and drums that surround them work to pull each song in an entirely different direction. (From Micro Beards: 15 Dec 2009 by Corey Murphy)

Sing Fang Bous-Clangour

St. Vincent-Actor

St. Vincent’s lyrics are often subtle but the music that surrounds them is energetic and complex.  Take the track “Marrow” for example,  “H-E-L-P/help me, help me” sings Annie Clark as a line of woodwinds come in crashing around her.  The effect in this particular track is extremely energizing but this power is not unique to just “Marrow”, every song on Actor has such a vivid life to it that it is impossible not to get lost in the album.

Stadeath and White Dwarfs-The Birth

Sufjan Stevens-The BQE (Motion Picture Soundtrack)

The BQE offers a more diverse palette of sounds and textures than any other previous work by Stevens. Equal parts the familiar soft-spoken piano, choral voices, and layered counter-rhythms, as things borrowed from John Williams fanfare, 70s cop show themes, Gershwin-esque jazz breaks, and electro-club explosions. (From REVIEW: Sufjan Stevens-The BQE by Zach Harris)

Continue Reading

Sunset Rubdown-Dragonslayer

Various Artists-Dark Was the Night (Compilation)

Volcano Choir-Unmap

White Rabbits-It’s Frightening

Why?-Eskimo Snow

Wolfmother-Cosmic Egg

The xx-XX

The xx is amazingly simple but still a sound that’s very rarely made.  The London quartet functions with two vocalists in what seems like a dialogue relationship.  Overall, nearly every song has a calm intensity to it that satisfies repeatedly.  xx is greatly successful for the group’s first release so releases in the future will surely be under radar. (LIST 2000 to 2009 [Corey's Staff Picks] by Corey Murphy)

Y.A.C.H.T.-See Mystery Lights

Yo La Tengo-Popular Songs

With so much new music released every year, it’s hard to keep up.  With Micro Beards, we’re here for your weekly dose of bite-sized reviews both new and old.

This week on Micro Beards:

• Stereogum Presents… Enjoyed: A Tribute To Björk’s Post
• Royal Bangs – Let It Beep
• Sea Wolf – White Water, White Bloom
• Animal Collective – Fall Be Kind

Enjoyed: A Tribute to Björk’s Post (November 2009, Stereogum)

It’s been 15 years since Björk released Post. The album was met with high critical acclaim and Bjork has since become driving influence in international music.  To pay homage, Stereogum has teamed up with a stellar cast of current indie rock artists including The Dirty Projectors, Xiu Xiu, No Age, Final Fantasy, and Ed Droste to recreate the album in its entirety.  Enjoyed, amazingly, stretches listeners far beyond the weirdness that was the original work.  Drum samples are chopped and hurled through the air and vocals are sputtered and effected in an operatic anthem-like tone characteristic of Björk herself.  

Enjoyed is available at Stereogum as a free download.

(3 out of 5 beards)

Notable Tracks:

01. Army of Me (by Liars)

04. It’s Oh So Quiet (by Bell)

08. Possibly Maybe (by Final Fantasy & Ed Droste)

Royal Bangs – Let It Beep (September 2009, Audio Eagle Records)

Tenessee’s Royal Bangs reminds us what dance-rock is like before the radio destroys it.  This band follows a very accessible format that will allow hipsters to finally replace Passion Pit on of their wop party playlists.

(3.5 out of 5 beards)

Notable Tracks:

01. War Bells

03. My Car is Haunted

Sea Wolf – White Water, White Bloom (Sept 2009, Dangerbird)

This scope of this album is unbelievably vast for its indie-folk claim.  The first track, “Wicked Blood” flashes hints of Neon Bible-era Arcade Fire, but the tracks that follow can be described so much differently.  Acoustic guitar and violin lie at the core of every track but the electric instruments and drums that surround them work to pull each song in an entirely different direction.

(4 out of 5 beards)

Notable Tracks:

02. Dew in the Grass

05. O Maria!

Animal Collective – Fall Be Kind (November 2009, Domino Recording Co.)

Many listeners are a bit reluctant to allow themselves to enjoy Animal Collective’s weirdness.  Fall Be Kind is an excellent place to start.  The EP is a big blurry trip through the lands of Björk and The Beach Boys all at the same time.  Those who enjoy more structure will be soothed by the string bass that gently carves chord progression into electronic sound clouds.  Unexplainable transitions will keep you on your toes while recurring vocal themes, synths, and samples bridge the gap between them.  Fall Be Kind is definitely one of the best releases I’ve come across this year.

(5 out of 5 beautifully unshaven manes)

Notable Tracks:

01. Graze

05. I Think I Can

The following represents what I consider the top ten albums of the last decade. The decision was beyond hard, but this reflects the albums which hit me the hardest and stuck with me the longest.

10: DM Stith – Heavy Ghost (2009, Asthmatic Kitty Records)

This is an extremely daring debut album from graphic artist David Stith. Stith contributed the album artwork to My Brightest Diamond’s album also featured in this list, with contributions made to Heavy Ghost by both Shara Wordan (of My Brightest Diamond) and Sufjan Stevens (who, according to the liner notes, on the song “Pity Dance” clacked a stapler, and a pair of scissors, and played a Lakewood 18 inch 3-speed high velocity fan with a Vermont state quarter). This experimental pop jem is just the beginning of things to come from Stith.

Notable Tracks:

02. Pity Dance

11. Braid of Voices

9: My Brightest Diamond – A Thousand Shark’s Teeth (2008, Asthmatic Kitty Records)

Shara Warden’s followup to her debut surpasses the album in most every way. An American Björk, Shara Warden’s voice runs the show. Trained in opera and the daughter of musically talented individuals, Warden uses her pipes like a surgeon uses a scalpel. The instrumentation is so lush it could stand on its own if it were required to, thanks to the contribution of the Osso String Quartet. The lyrics maintain the same personal exploration of relationships through simple imagery and observation which made Bring Me the Work Horse so great, but here they have the benefit of maturation a couple years can bring.

Notable tracks:

01. Inside A Boy

02. Ice and Storm

04. Apple

8: Jonny Greenwood  – There Will Be Blood (2007, Nonesuch Records)

Director P. T. Anderson took a risk when he asked Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood to write the score for his feature length story of ambition, power and betrayal. The risk paid off in a big way, giving us one of the most unconventional and unnerving scores in all of cinema. Equally as expansive and moving as the film which it was made for, the soundtrack is as rich and rewarding as oil itself. This album is a must have for any fan of the movie or of other similarly interesting neo-classical experimentation.

Notable tracks:

08. Proven Lands

09. HW / Hope of New Fields

7: Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago (2007, Jagjaguwar)

An exercise in minimalism which continues to reward repeated listens, Justin Vernon’s product of a Wisconsin winter thrust him into the indie spotlight. This album, more than most, proves that one does not need flashy, expensive studio equipment to make an incredible album of music. With the Blood Bank EP release and contribution to a few compilations being the only thing we’ve heard from him since his arresting debut, all of us are anxiously awaiting his follow-up.

Notable tracks:

01. Flume

03. Skinny Love

04. The Wolves (Act I and II)

6: Anathallo – Canopy Glow (2008, Anticon)

Anathallo is easily one of the single most talented bands which still has not had a real breakthrough record. Comparisons to Sufjan Stevens abound, with the major difference being that while Stevens himself often wears many hats, Anathallo is more of a many-headed creative hydra. Canopy Glow is a wonderfully collaborative effort, with every band member pulling at least triple duty, playing multiple instruments and contributing to the complex glee-club vocals and multi-layered chorals. It is the next step of maturation from their brilliant 2006 concept album Floating World. Unbound from any clear narrative, Canopy Glow is the sound of a musical collective, which has seen many lineup changes since 2000, finally find firm footing and create something truly unique.

Notable tracks:

01. Noni’s Field

05. Cafetorium

08. John J. Audubon

5: The Acorn – Glory Hope Mountain (2007, Paper Bag Records)

Being their LP debut, Glory Hope Mountain is a rich, folk-driven record which plays more like a punk-rock album. Each song is both bursting with energy yet quietly intimate under the surface. The album is loosely built around the story of songwriter and lead vocalist Rolf Klausener‘s mother, Gloria Esperanza Montoya. The album title is a loose translation of her name.

Notable tracks:

04. Crooked Legs

07. Low Gravity

12. Lullaby (Mountain)

4: Damien Jurado – Caught in the Trees (2008, Secretly Canadian)

This benchmark of songwriting is the culmination of Jurado’s long career as troubadour. The songs feature deeply personal, narrative driven lyrics which while not unique to the genre, are visible here in a form only a mature. While not quite as intimate as Ghost of David or 2005′s Where Shall You Take Me?, Caught in the Trees features a more mature instrumentation and attention to detail not found to the same extent in any of Jurado’s back catalog. This album is a perfect example of a singer-songwriter at the top of his game.

Notable tracks:

03. Caskets

09. Everything Trying

10. Sheets

3: The National – Boxer (2007, Beggar’s Banquet)

Boxer is an album which on the surface appears to be a simple and solid piece of work, but upon repeated listens reveals complex facets in both musical craftsmanship and lyrical depth. The National have been doing their thing since 1999, but they didn’t gain much notoriety until this release eight years later. Apart from the guitar work by Bryce and Aaron Dessner, Padma Newsome’s orchestra flourishes add a depth to the instrumentation that compliments perfectly the deep baritone moan of Matt Berninger. What truly drives the album is the drum work from Bryan Devendorf. The entire album makes for the perfect late night, driving through the city, windows down, staring at all the lights, soundtrack to your life.

Notable tracks:

02. Mistaken For Strangers

06. Slow Show

11. Ada

2: Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002 , Nonesuch Records)

There remains very little to be said about this album, given how much has already been exposited upon pertaining to its bold experimentation, brilliant songwriting, and now legendary story surrounding its creation. Listening to it over and over again, there is still no track which gets old, no song that didn’t live up to its creative potential. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot will go down as one of the greatest pieces of music of this generation, and one of the greatest rock albums of all time.

Notable tracks:

01. I Am Trying To Break Your Heart

06. Ashes Of American Flags

10. Poor Places

1: Sufjan Stevens – Illinois (2005, Asthmatic Kitty Records)

Speaking of anxiously awaiting a follow-up (see Bon Iver above), it has been four years since the Brooklyn-via-the-Midwest multi-instrumentalist gifted the world with this epic masterwork. No concept album has ever used its subject material better in order to delve deeper into the self. The song “Chicago” isn’t about Chicago at all. Instead, Stevens’ personal association with the city throws the song into an existential meditation on traveling through different cities, the choices made along the way and where home might ultimately be found. Although he has kept plenty busy with a B-sides album, a box set of Christmas songs, a multimedia ode to The BQE, a couple producing roles on other albums, and compilation track contributions a plenty, the indie-rock world is rapt with attention watching what he will do next. Even if it his 50 States project won’t continue, it will be interesting to watch and listen to where Stevens will go.

Notable tracks:

10. Casimir Pulaski Day

15. The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out to Get Us!

19. The Seer’s Tower

This morning, members of the Sigur Rós mailing list were sent a simple email that said in plain lettering, “www.jonsi.com“.  Following the link leads to what you can easily guess is Sigur Rós vocalist Jónsi Birgisson‘s new personal website.  eighteen seconds before sunrise, the official Sigur Rós website, confirms the undoubted fact that it is Birgisson‘s new site.  For the moment, the site consists of text like that pictured above, and a space to enter your email address to join a mailing list, but the band’s website gives a little more information, stating “go explore and check back over the next few days and beyond as more information is revealed.”

Click around the site for a little surprise.  We here at Years For Beards hope that this means what we are all thinking.  That j sure sounds intriguing…

UPDATE: It’s official (as if it took any real guessing).  All the letter samples are active, and members of the site’s mailing list were sent a free download of the track “boy lilikoi” from Jónsi upcoming solo album.  We here at Years For Beards are very excited by this new track, and we think you will be too.

Click here to download the track.

What do an acclaimed jazz pianist, a death metal vocalist and a five piece band have in common?  The answer is, not surprisingly, Tom Waits.  Seven Norwegian musicians from Trondheim’s metal, rock and jazz scenes have come together to form the traveling show titled “Earth Died Screaming (while I lay dreaming of Tom)”, a tribute to Tom Waits.  What comes from this union of Trondheim’s various music communities is an experience that is truly greater than the sum of its parts.  The single disappointment: that the group is sticking to Norway (as far as Years For Beards knows).

When I first heard about the show, I became immediately excited, and then immediately wary.  I continued to waver between hope and skepticism up until the minute the show – put together by the Bø jazzklubb – started on the sixteenth of October, 2009.  The small stage at Grillen (“The Grill”, a pub in Bø, Telemark, Norway) was a mess of instruments.  There was even one man whose sole task was sitting on the floor playing with a pile of percussion instruments around him.  The band began clapping and stomping layered rhythms, leading into an amazing rendition of – what else? – “Clap Hands”.  Every moment a new instrument or voice joined in was a new surprise.

Marita Røstad (vocals, piano) was amazing, and she is known in the area for her solo jazz album and performances.  The main band – consisting of Stian Omenås (trumpet), Daniel Elide (drums), Kurt Sprenger (electric guitar), Magnus Mortensen (contrabass) and Allesandro Elide (percussion) – was amazing.  Each and every one knew their parts and their instruments inside and out.  Of course, what you are undoubtedly most curious about is the part played by Stian Leknes, the man singing most of the Tom Waits lines.  Would he sing in his own voice?  Would he sound like an idiot trying to imitate Tom Waits’ decided growl?  Any doubts about a Tom Waits cover band’s legitimacy were instantly put to rest the moment Stian Leknes opened his mouth.

Leknes, who serves as the vocalist in Trondheim-based metal band Manifest, found the perfect balance between emulation and tastefulness.  His experience screaming in a metal band has most certainly prepared him for the part.  At times, Leknes sounded just like Waits, but never in a bad way.  It was easy to tell that Leknes was singing with a very natural voice, and not forcing the Tom Waits style too much.  Never once did it seem overdone or out of place.

The band played two sets with a short intermission in the middle of the night, so there were more Tom Waits songs than I could list.  Despite the long list of Waits pieces, none of them felt rushed.  Every song was carefully tailored to the band’s strengths, and it was easy to see that the band is passionate about both the work of Tom Waits and the show they are traveling with.  I am a huge Tom Waits fan (and he ranks in my top three artists of all time, easily), but what I am about to say may be blasphemy, so brace yourself.  Though most pieces were really wonderfully made, some songs actually came close to sounding better than the originals.  Any fan will, of course, always prefer Mr. Waits’ original compositions.  But it must be said that the band’s versions of songs like “Singapore”, “Clap Hands”, “Rain Dogs” and the titular “Earth Died Screaming” were simply breath-taking.  The band took already amazing pieces created by one of the best artists alive today and turned them into ten minute jazzy noise-rock epics.  And for that, I must give this band a ton of credit.  Their final piece was the song the show is named after, and it was the most fitting end to a show I have seen in a long time.  It was during this finale that the normal bar patrons – who had earlier been rudely yapping away – finally had no choice but to remain quiet and listen.

Besides the fact that the show was a full night of surprisingly high-quality entertainment, it was the cheapest show I have seen during my time here in Norway.  The shows I have seen advertised thus far in Norway have often ranged between $35 and $80 per ticket, whereas this show cost just over $15 (100 NOK).  Definitely a great deal, and hopefully this is an indication of the ticket price at other stops on the tour.

It is hard to find information about this traveling show online, but there is some basic tour date information available with a little searching.  If you are lucky enough to live in Norway, I highly recommend you check out “Earth Died Screaming (while I lay dreaming of Tom)” at your earliest convenience.  It is hard to say how long this band will be traveling, but it would be a shame if they did not remain together as a band after the tour is over.  Judging by their individual talents and accolades, one would hope that the band could write some quality, original material.

Here are some photos taken from the band’s facebook page:

PROS: fan-serving | full-band parts not overdone | heart-felt songs

CONS: not memorable as a whole

If you have heard the name Allison Weiss before, then you probably already know her story.  When she was fifteen, she began playing guitar to impress a boy in her creative writing class.  Several years, a profile on every social networking site you could imagine and eighty-some YouTube videos later, Allison Weiss continues to build an ever-increasing fanbase.  Unfortunately, any fan of hers can tell you that Allison Weiss is most certainly underappreciated.  There is no lack of dedication, talent or heart in the sounds Allison Weiss creates, and it seems as though she just needs a little something to push her over the top.  Her newest release, …Was Right All Along, is a step in the right direction.

Any Allison Weiss fan will have seen a number – if not all – of her solo acoustic YouTube videos, featuring originals and covers.  If you are hoping for a studio-quality album of these solo pieces, you will probably be disappointed.  Instead, we are treated to full band, fleshed out versions of some really great songs.  Whether this is what an Allison Weiss fan really wants or not, it is hard to complain about the quality of the individual tracks on …Was Right All Along.  To fund the album, Allison Weiss used the crowd-sourcing pledge site Kickstarter.com, raising nearly eight thousand dollars – almost 400% her original goal.  And you can hear every penny in the tracks.  With …Was Right All Along, Allison Weiss’ sound has changed from that of a hobbyist to that of a professional musician.

There are a few places on the album where one could nitpick (for example: the ebow on “Ghost Stories” just sounds off for some reason), but a number of the tracks reward the listener for each additional play.  “You + Me + Alcohol”, “Fingers Crossed” and “Let’s Leave” steal the show in this department.  “You + Me + Alcohol” may not be the most poetic of Allison Weiss’ large repertoire of songs, but it is just so damn fun to listen to and sing along.

The album features an extended band for most tracks, but it certainly does not entirely ignore the solo acoustic pieces that captivated most fans in the first place.  “I Was An Island” (a personal favorite of mine) eases the listener in by slowly building on Allison Weiss’ solo acoustic guitar.  It serves as a fitting transition, taking the listener from behind a webcam and into the studio.  The second track on the album, “Fingers Crossed”, shows exactly how far Allison Weiss’ sound has come, even in just the last few years.

Perhaps the most satisfying track on the album is “July 25, 2007”. It is Allison Weiss at her core.  A simple guitar, a catchy melody and chorus, and heartbreak – everything we have come to expect from this Athens, Georgia songwriter.  The only thing that could possibly improve the piece would be light harmonies, but the song is flawless as-is.

Though the individual tracks are often spot on, it seems for some reason that the entire album is lacking something.  It is certainly fan-serving and full of great songs, but the album as a whole is not as memorable as it could be.  Long-time fans will most definitely listen to this album on repeat (as I have several times in writing this review), but new listeners might want to skip around to the best bits first.  The album could probably do without “From You To Me”, “Try To Understand”, “Why Bother” and/or “Yer Going Down”.  They are, of course, good songs, but they just do not stick in your mind like many of the other tracks on the album.  It leaves me to believe that this album could have been better at EP length (as originally planned), or with a slightly different selection of tunes from Allison Weiss’ long line of webcam performances.

All-in-all, …Was Right All Along is a great album, but it certainly serves fans more than anything.  While not a bad thing, this might not be the release that rockets Allison Weiss into complete stardom, as her fans would love to see.  The full band parts are rewarding, rather than overdone as some artists are wont to do, and this album is definitely a step in the right direction for Allison Weiss.  It would be hard to imagine her next release being anything less than stellar after this entry into her discography.

…Was Right All Along is out now anywhere mp3s are sold (this girl is all over the net).  Years For Beards recommends visiting the official Allison Weiss shop to buy the physical CD or the mp3s (which come with an exclusive bonus track when purchased directly from the artist).

(4 out of 5 beards)

Track Listing:

01. I Was An Island
02. Fingers Crossed
03. From You To Me
04. July 25, 2007
05. You + Me + Alcohol
06. Try To Understand
07. Why Bother
08. Yer Going Down
09. Ghost Stories
10. Let’s Leave

PROS: can mend a broken heart | more mature sound

CONS: depressing | boring | emotionally draining

Noah and the Whale’s second album The First Days of Spring, which came out October 6th, was not “fun fun fun” to listen to.  The album was written about the lead singer Charlie Fink’s recent split from girlfriend Laura Marling, who also used to be in the band. The band lacks variety without a female voice to offset the deepness of Fink’s sound.

Where their first album was full of energy and uplifting spirits of The First Days of Spring leaves listeners depressed. With lyrics like “I’ve been looking for hope these days/ but loves not finding me/ but now my hearts been broken there is nothing you can do/ I’m impenetrable to pain” from “My Broken Heart”, this album is perfect for those mending a broken heart. But for those of us just trying to find an album reminiscent of the first, this album is not up to par.

The First Days of Spring is more musically advanced than their former album Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down, with a more grown up sound with more sophisticated guitar riffs and more unique composition of sounds. But Fink’s voice does not sound as strong as it once did, and it was more difficult to get through the entire album in one sitting. When hearing a song from this album one at a time it sounds good, but when listening to the entire album it is too emotional draining to enjoy. The singles that especially work are “Blue Skies” with its catchy melody and mildly upbeat pace and “The First Days of Spring” which anyone getting over a broken heart could relate to.

However, one can still hear ruminants of the old Noah and the Whale sound on tracks such as “Love of An Orchestra”, which is a small bright spot amongst the depressing drones of the songs. This song starts with a chorus feel and then breaks into a keyboard solo, which makes it very uplifting.

The First Days of Spring is out now on Vertigo Records (UK) and Cherrytree Records (US).

(2 out of 5 beards)

Track Listing:

01. The First Days of Spring
02. Our Window
03. I Have Nothing
04. My Broken Heart
05. Instrumental I
06. Love of an Orchestra
07. Instrumental II
08. Stranger
09. Blue Skies
10. Slow Glass
11. My Door Is Always Open

The following is a list of the ten albums that I feel, are the best releases in the last 10 years.  None of the decisions were made based on critical acclaim but merely on what I think are the most progressive and meaningful albums from 2000 to the present.  Every band is trying to do something different with their music and the following are examples of success in that goal.  Every one of these has a quality or style that is purely unique and influential.

10: TV On The Radio – Return to Cookie Mountain (2006, 4AD / Interscope)

While Return to Cookie Mountain is not the most recent release by the band it is certainly the most notable.  On this album billows of drum and guitar sound accompany a very vocal-based album that is melodic and sing-able at times and merely a wall of sound at others.  The band, which operates out of Brooklyn, has created a name for itself in its unique genre-less compositions similar only to that of Radiohead and top 40 radio in Mars.

Notable tracks:

03. Province (this track features David Bowie on backing vocals)

06. A Method

9: Akron/Family – Set ‘Em Wild, Set ‘Em Free (2009, Dead Oceans)

While everything on the album is recognizably Akron/Family, the album spans genres inexplicably.  Starting in a bit of a dirty blues-rock feel and moving through electronic tracks and folk concoctions, the band even hits on some borderline scream punk just to say they did it.  Often, transitions between acoustic and more electronically derived tracks are rough and uncomfortable but this Frankenstein of an album dances gracefully the entire time.  The band, from New York City, remains relatively undiscovered but they ought to be.  Akron/Family has a lot to add to the musical scene and effectively captures the style that many bands strive for.

Notable tracks:

01. Everyone Is Guilty

03. Creatures

07. Many Ghosts

8: The xx – xx (2009, Young Turks)

The xx is amazingly simple but still a sound that’s very rarely made.  The London quartet functions with two vocalists in what seems like a dialogue relationship.  Overall, nearly every song has a calm intensity to it that satisfies repeatedly.  xx is greatly successful for the group’s first release so releases in the future will surely be under radar.

Notable Tracks:

03. Crystalized

07. Shelter

7: The Arcade Fire – Funeral (2004, Merge)

I don’t know what to call The Arcade Fire’s but after I saw a concert on the Neon Bible Tour I was convinced that they were the house band from Eli Sunday’s church in There Will Be Blood. Apparently, living in Haiti leaves you pretty oblivious to American culture and the way music is being made over here because The Arcade Fire has created in Funeral an experience that is completely different than anything…ever.  There is a very eerie vibe surrounding the album and a deep emotion that lies within it.

Notable Tracks:

04. Neighborhood 3 (Power Out)

06. Crown of Love

07. Wake Up

6: Why? – Alopecia (2008, Anticon)

Lead singer Yoni Wolf’s music is disturbingly honest but for some strange reason that is what keeps you coming back for more. Alopecia says everything you’ve wanted to say but haven’t had the guts.  It’s Jewish hip-hop that in all the ways Matisyahu is not.  Whereas most hip-hop is about the ego, Alopecia is about life.  These are stories of bad decisions, failures, and missed opportunities and they are all presented in very honest and effective ways.

Notable Tracks:

02. Good Friday

08. The Fall of Mr. Fifths

10. A Sky for Shoeing Horses Under

5: The Decemberists – The Hazards of Love (2009, Capitol)

With the bands fifth release, The Decemberists delve even deeper into the story-telling style that they are known for.  On this album every track flows seamlessly to the other and themes come and go throughout the duration of the album representing the stories that are interwoven inside it.  The band draws on its resources for The Hazards of Love as Shara Worden of My Brightest Diamond, Becky Starke of Lavender Diamond, and Jim James of My Morning Jacket are all brought in to play various characters in the stories and provide vocals for the album.  The Hazards of Love is a seamless blend of music steeped in an ancient troubadour tradition and converted by modern themes and musical styles into what can best be described as a musical.

Notable Tracks:

03. A Bower Scene

08. The Wanting Comes In Waves/Repaid

10. The Rake’s Song

4: Architecture in Helsinki – Places Like This (2007, Polyvinyl)

This album is beautifully fucking crazy.  Enough said.

Notable Tracks:

02. Heart It Races

03. Hold Music

08. Lazy (Lazy)

3: Bright Eyes – I’m Wide Awake Its Morning (2005, Saddle Creek)

When Conor Oberst double released Digital Ash In A Digital Urn and I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning in 2005 he had officially divided his music in two.  Previous albums, which had mixed darker and more electronically-derived tracks like “Lover I Don’t Have to Love” with folk tunes like “Bowl of Oranges” had given birth to both a pair of very different-looking twins.  While Digital Ash was ill-recieved, I’m Wide Awake its Morning broke into an entirely different well of musical possibilities.  Not only did this album influence every Bright Eyes release since, it also spawned tons of followers in what is now “indie-folk”. Conor Oberst is the Bob Dylan of his time.

Notable Tracks:

04. Lua

06. First Day of My Life

10. Road To Joy

2: Radiohead – Kid A (2000, Parlophone / Capitol)

Kid A marks the transformation of Radiohead from a band to a soulless fucking robot.  Fortunately it is the soulless fucking robot that people prefer.  Its amazing that an album as experimental as this one achieved as much success as it did but even though Kid A debuted without a single or music video, it was able to draw itself enough attention to go platinum in a week.  You know the rest.

Notable Tracks:

01. Everything In Its Right Place

03. The National Anthem

08. Idiotheque

1: Department of Eagles – In Ear Park (2008, 4AD)

You may not have expected this one but I have a strong faith that, although very undiscovered In Ear Park is the greatest album that has been released all decade.  There is a huge difference between bands that record songs and bands that record art.  In Ear Park is not about chords and progressions but about what the music does when it gets inside your head.  While Department of Eagles consists of just Daniel Rossen (also known for work in the band Grizzly Bear) and Fred Nicolaus, this particular album was scored on a huge scale.  Starting out from the very beginning with a pretty simple guitar melody the album soon erupts into a very symphonic experience that will make your hairs stand on end.

Notable Tracks:

01. In Ear Park

03. Phantom Other

07. Classical Records

PROS: effectively experimental | change in pace

CONS: Karen O can be a frog

Soon after “Do You Realize” was named “Oklahoma’s state rock song” The Flaming Lips must have grew tired of pleasing the masses.  On the latest album, this psychedelic pop has degenerated into a crunchy nonsensical pile of sound.  I mean that in the best way.  Embryonic is an ingenious layering of textures through which lead singer, Wayne Coyne, leads us on a sort of psychedelic journey.  While the lyrics and compositional aspects of the music are by no means spectacular, it is their presentation that is spot on.  The thought that most frequently crosses my mind when I listen to Embryonic I bet the studio is a mess…I mean absolutely trashed.  By the sound of this music, it seems like Coyne is just walking around smashing on objects lying around the room and pushing buttons on synthesizers with no particular method to the madness.  But then you realize, in the midst of all this noise, a very careful bass line is emerging.  And then if you can sift through all the crunching and crashing you will realize that these sounds have quickly evolved into drumbeats.  Still drenched in overdrive, distortion and the like, the first track “Convinced of the Hex” rises from the sound.

If you’ve ever been to a Flaming Lips concert before, you’ll know that it is essentially an acid trip minus the paranoia.  Surrounding themselves with people dressed up either in Santa suits or giant golden sun costumes, The Flaming Lips have been known to walk across the outstretched hands of audience members in space bubbles.  A very colorful set of drums, amps and instruments ranging from synthesizers to theremins are often scattered across the stage at one of these shows.  How will Embryonic affect the live show?  It can only get weirder.  This album lends itself perfectly to the craziness that goes on during a Lips show and may very well have been inspired by it.

Overall, the album is great.  Some standout tracks include “Convinced of the Hex” and “See the Leaves”.  These two tracks feature some rather singable vocals set to a very blippy, beepy backdrop full of rugged drums and a slew of unexplainable sounds.  “Aquarius Sabotoge” is a crunchy instrumental track that feels like space-age panic and MGMT joins the group on the track “Worm Mountain”, a five-minute anthem of even more chaos.  Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs also makes an appearance on two tracks, though; one has her merely making animal sounds.  Embryonic is spread over two disks but the tracks flow steadily from one to the other to create a singular Embryonic experience.

The album is a great change in pace for the band after its previous two releases, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots and At War With the Mysitcs and effectively plays on their older styles and focuses.  While the album is very experimental, it has feel similar to that of Clouds Taste Metallic that will satisfy older Lips fans while keeping the newer ones on their toes.

Embryonic is out now on WEA/Reprise Records.

(4.5 out of 5 beards)

Track Listing

01. Convinced of the Hex
02. The Sparrow Looks Up at the Machine
03. Evil
04. Aquarius Sabotage
05. See the Leaves
06. If
07. Gemini Syringes
08. Your Bats
09. Powerless
10. The Ego’s Last Stand
11. I Can Be A Frog
12. Sagittarius Silver Announcement
13. Worm Mountain
14. Scorpio Sword
15. The Impulse
16. Silver Trembling Hands
17. Virgo Self-Esteem Broadcast
18. Watching the Planets

PROS: catchy | quality musicianship | never drawn-out | great replay value

CONS: “Fashion Is Danger” | few true “new” songs

I Told You I Was Freaky is, from beginning to end, undoubtedly fun – and perhaps the best comedy music album released in recent memory.  Though ten of the thirteen Flight of the Conchords tracks on this album have been released as singles on the American iTunes store, I Told You I Was Freaky is the first time these songs have been put together in one package for worldwide distribution, and more importantly, this is the first chance fans have gotten to own these songs on an actual disc.

Right from the get go, Flight of the Conchords draws you with dancey beats and catchy lyrics.  The simple chorus in “Hurt Feelings” will have you singing “I got hurt feelings, I got hurt feelings”, most likely before your first run through the song is over.  I Told You I Was Freaky keeps the momentum going throughout the album with few snags.  “Sugalumps” is a dance floor proclamation of testicular sexiness, much akin to a male version of the Black Eyed Peas’ “My Humps”; while “We’re Both In Love With A Sexy Lady” makes fun of long-winded story-based hip-hop tunes and still manages to fit a catchy chorus in the mix.

The album’s title track is more on the silly side of things, but never goes so far as to get old.  Lyrics like “Here I am, all dressed in snake skin/ Now I’m in your kitchen making love to your cake tin/ Oh no. Is this the one you bake in?” and “At ten o’ clock I asked some ghosts for a three-way/ Yes it’s creepy/ I told you I was freaky” prove that Flight of the Conchords’ particular brand of humor is still ever present in this album as in last year’s self-titled debut.

Clocking in at only three minutes and fifteen seconds, “I Told You I Was Freaky” is the second longest track on the album, which is one of the album’s strongest points.  With most tracks hovering between two and three minutes, Flight of the Conchords does not allow time for tracks to grow old.  Often the downfall of comedy songs – or even full albums – it is really hard to say that any of the album’s jokes are dragged out too long.  The Lonely Island and “Weird Al” Yankovic could learn a thing or two from I Told You I Was Freaky.

Few tracks on the album really hold it back.  “Rambling Through The Avenues Of Time” does not quite live up to the quality of some of the other tracks, and “Fashion Is Danger” is the track most likely to grow old quickly.  These two songs, right in the middle of the album, are perhaps the lowest point in the album.  But because the tracks are only a couple of minutes long, you will probably not find yourself reaching for the skip button the next time through the album.  “Petrov, Yelyena And Me” picks the album back up.  With its classic feel, the song sounds like it was taken from a children’s album, and is one of the few tracks on I Told You I Was Freaky that does not mention male genitalia.

Besides being genuinely funny, the songs on I Told You I Was Freaky are quality pieces.  If Flight of the Conchords were to replace the silliness with serious lyrics, the album would have no problem passing as a legitimate (that is to say, non-comedic) release.  Some songs, like “Carol Brown”, actually tread the line between comedy and serious sentiment very closely.  With lyrics like “Carol Brown just took a bus out of town/ But I’m hoping that you’ll stick around” and instrumental arrangements that mirror their more serious contemporaries, Flight of the Conchords strike a masterful balance between comedy and quality musicianship.

As an added bonus for those who pick up a physical copy, the band has said on their myspace blog that the CD will ship with a sticker, four buttons and a lyric book complete with chords so you can play along.  It is an ingenious advertising plan – not only do fans get bigger bang for their buck, but YouTube will soon be filled with acoustic I Told You I Was Freaky covers.

I Told You I Was Freaky is out now on Sub Pop Records.

(4.5 out of 5 beards)

Track Listing

01. Hurt Feelings
02. Sugalumps
03. We’re Both In Love With A Sexy Lady
04. I Told You I Was Freaky
05. Demon Woman
06. Rambling Through the Avenues of Time
07. Fashion Is Danger
08. Petrov, Yelyena and Me
09. Too Many Dicks (On the Dance Floor)
10. You Don’t Have to Be a Prostitute
11. Friends
12. Carol Brown
13. Angels

PROS: incredible sonic landscapes | inventive album packaging

CONS: a lot to chew

As classical music goes, I am no connoisseur. I want something that will hold my interest and that I can appreciate for its artistic merits. The BQE is an innovative piece of artwork. It is a mirror that we can see ourselves in and reflect upon the state of industrialization, innovation and American culture. What The BQE is not is easily accessible. True, you can listen and enjoy with greater ease than the typical neo-classical Phillip Glass or Steve Reich, but it remains challenging even for the most die-hard fan.

The BQE is the Brookline-Queens Expressway, a lumbering, ugly thorn in New York’s side. An unlikely subject for a symphony. But, then again, Sufjan has made his name in the unlikely.

Sufjan Stevens has quickly become a legend. His releases have garnered critical acclaim across the board and earned him a place in indie rock’s canon of patron saints. Sufjan Stevens, patron saint of unbridled creativity, rambling yet intimate conversations and general eclecticism.

But it seems that all of the pressure of recognition has seeped into Sufjan’s creative output. It has been a full four years since Illinois. He’s been busy in the meantime, never ceasing to put out great tracks for compilations, produce and appear on other people’s albums (like label mates Welcome Wagon’s eponymous debut and DM Stith’s Heavy Ghost), and just recently embark on a small tour laden with strange new material.

It was around two years ago when I wished more than anything that I could be in the Big Apple to witness Sufjan and full orchestra perform his little multi-visual/aural assault on The BQE. Now, finally, the endeavor is available in full wide release (and not just in disparate, jumpy youtube videos of the live performance).

But, if you are expecting another pop gem like Come On, Feel the Illinoise! or the subdued introspection of Seven Swans, expect to be confused and/or disappointed.

The BQE offers a more diverse palette of sounds and textures than any other previous work by Stevens. Equal parts the familiar soft-spoken piano, choral voices, and layered counter-rhythms, as things borrowed from John Williams fanfare, 70s cop show themes, Gershwin-esque jazz breaks, and electro-club explosions.

One of the problems with the piece is related to the overall structure, in that the peak comes too early. Almost exactly half way through the album the slow building crescendo of orchestral instrumentation erupts into the electro glitch of “Movement IV: Traffic Shock”. At first listen I was thrown off to the point of thinking my iTunes had started playing something else.

Now beyond the music, it is important to touch upon the supplementary material, as the album is incomplete without it. The DVD included in the two-disc physical album consists of The BQE film to which the piece was originally performed live. Scenes of highway advertising, a carnival, a giant inflatable gorilla bearing an American flag, and unexpectedly sexy hula-hoopers bring a new sense of revelry and critique which is far less tangible in the music by itself. All of the places where the music doesn’t make sense on its own gain new ground with the inclusion of the accompanying footage of The BQE.

Plus, stick around after the credits and you will find a super special treat which I don’t want to spoil.

The packaging was designed by Stevens himself and is filled with his self-depricating, introspective sense of irony. The liner notes include a comprehensive, albeit confusing and longwinded, existential thesis about the project. Stevens goes a long way to explain the concepts he was aiming to explore. The album art features trippy, illegible, futuristic graffiti graphics layered atop stills from the film. Also included is an all but useless Stereo-scopic 3D image reel, playable in all View-Master® viewers. Like the stickers included with his Christmas compilation box-set, it’s an endearing little keepsake.

The BQE is a lovely, multi-faceted, flawed gemstone. Overall, the release sags under the weight of the same grand ambition which burdened Robert Moses’ abomination from which the album gets its name. For die-hards, it is worth it to shell out a little extra cash to experience the project in full. But for most, if anything, it is a guarantee that we will remain anxiously awaiting Sufjan’s next move.

Available now from Asthmatic Kitty Records, on CD/DVD and limited edition vinyl.

(4 out of 5 beards)

Track Listing

01. Prelude on the Esplanade
02. Introductory Fanfare for the Hooper Heroes
03. Movement I: In the Countenance of Kings
04. Movement II: Sleeping Invader
05. Interlude I: Dream Sequence in Subi Circumnavigation
06. Movement III: Linear Tableau with Intersecting Surprise
07. Movement IV: Traffic Shock
08. Movement V: Self-Organizing Emergent Patterns
09. Interlude II: Subi Power Waltz
10. Interlude III: Invisible Accidents
11. Movement VI: Isorhythmic Night Dance with Interchanges
12. Movement VII (Finale): The Emperor of Centrifuge
13. Postlude: Critical Mass

PROS: good song progression | unique voice | good harmonies

CONS: first track feels out of place | not enough female vocals | too simple

With the recent Kanye West outburst, which once again demonstrated the egotism and entitlement of some artists, it is refreshing to see a genuinely nice band. And that is exactly what The Rural Alberta Advantage is.  In their recent appearance at the Memorial Union Terrace, the band was earnestly interested in meeting their adoring fans and humbly getting acquainted with them.

In my first face-to-face encounter with the band, I was pleased to overhear Nils Ederloff, the lead singer of The Rural Alberta Advantage, conversing with a group of fans. Nearby were Paul Banwatt and Amy Cole who make up the other two-thirds of the band. The three of them all grew up in Toronto. Together, The Rural Alberta Advantage recently re-released their first full-length album entitled Hometowns, where they told stories about their hometown (hence the title).  The album was originally independently released in early 2008, and has now been re-released after signing with Saddle Creek Records.

With the stale, recycled sound of many indie rock artists these days, Hometowns offers a restorative fresh sound that distinguishes it. Many of the songs have folk elements, reminiscent of their Canadian home.

However, this recent album’s content is far darker than it would seem on the first listen. With subjects ranging from the downfall of a Toronto mining company to their respective heartbreaks, one is struck by the comparison that listening to the album doesn’t put one in a depressed mood, but rather just the opposite.

The upbeat melodies and ballads between Ederloff and Cole make for a very uplifting tone. The best example of harmonizing comes during the catchiest ballad song on Hometowns called “Don’t Haunt This Place”. Cole singing offers a sweet balance to Ederloff’s nasally voice.

With The Rural Alberta Advantage’s remarkable complementary voices, more opportunities for Cole to harmonize could have drastically improved its esthetics. Utilizing her talent might have generated better balance throughout the album. She was especially needed on the first track “Ballad.” Going into this song, it seems like it will be a nice simple song, but instead there is oppressive shouting and not enough of Cole’s soft voice to smooth it out.

This first song doesn’t seem to fit with the rest of the album, which is quite unfortunate because it is the first impression of this new band. It does not give the listener a good feel for what they are into. Someone who is quick to judge may not make it past this song and miss out on a great album. But despite this rocky start, this album is a must have.

Hometowns is available now from Saddle Creek Records.

(4 out of 5 beards)

Track Listing

01. The Ballad of The RAA
02. Rush Apart
03. The Dethbridge In Lethbridge
04. Don’t Haunt This Place
05. The Dead Roads
06. Drain The Blood
07. Luciana
08. Frank AB
09. The Air
10. Sleep All Day
11. Four Night Rider
12. Edmonton
13. In The Summertime