Johnny Greenwood of Radiohead fame has made it onto twitter
(@JnnyG)
Veronica Falls will have a new
single, the title track for Waiting For Something To Happen, released from
their latest album out soon on Slumberland Records.
Here we go...
This is the third album from Vampire Weekend. It was
released mid May, 2013. The material for the album was started during the tour
for Contra (second album). After the tour the band took a break to pursue other
musical projects but reconvened to work on the album in 2011. For the first
time the band brought in an outside record producer to work on the album. The
album was recorded in various locations including Martha’s
Vineyard. There was an XL Recordings exclusive white vinyl
pressing that was made available through XL’s web page. It was a couple bucks
more expensive plus shipping cost so I ended up getting my copy through Amazon.
The albums sound is darker and more grounded than the first
two albums were. This was done to show the bands growth and so that they did
not become pigeon holed into one sound. For me their sound is still there, it
is just shaded differently. If you listen for it the style of the first two
albums is still there on this new album but the music that is on the album is
darker, almost depressing but definitely down to earth. Where as the previous
two albums floated care free in the clouds.
There have been three tracks released as singles so far. The
first two are a double A side single. Diane Young comes off as a Prince
inspired fun track. The vocals use a pitch shift pedal during the chorus that
shift above and below the vocalists’ normal pitch. It is a trick that comes off
as odd but works well with the song. I first heard the track on my local radio
station 89.3 The Current. I thought it was an odd song the first couple of
times that I heard the song but it sort of grew on me. I was very excited to
get my hands on a copy of the album after hearing the song on the radio.
The AA side of this single is called Step. I had never heard
this track before getting the album. The song is a slow track with a cool piano
part that just makes sense. The chorus is a bit strange though. He sings, “The
gloves are off, the wisdom teeth are out.” Maybe I just don’t understand the
song but that pair of lines just doesn’t make any sense to me. That doesn’t
mean the song isn’t just as sweet as any of the other songs on the album
though.
The third single from the album is called Ya Hey. This track
is another slow track that I have not heard on the radio yet. I would have
thought that with a track called Ya Hey it would have been a lot more fun than
it actually is. The chorus comes off as a bit silly with an interesting high
pitch shifted response to the vocalists lyrics. It is so high pitched that it
is unintelligible.
The last two tracks on the album are so monotonous and slow
they bore me to pieces. I usually cut the album when the second to last track
starts playing. Those two tracks are called Hudson and Young Lion.
All in all a good new album with a new sound from the band.
I do think that every one should hear Diane Young but if you are not a fan of
the group then don’t worry about the rest of the album.
This is the groups fifth album release (including the
soundtrack to Tron Legacy). It was released in late May, 2013. There are quite
a few people that have helped out with this album. Some of those names include Panda
Bear, Julian Casablancas, Todd Edwards, DJ Falcon, Chilly Gonzales, Giorgio
Moroder, Nile Rodgers, Paul Williams, and Pharrell Williams. Daft punk
themselves have taken a step back from electronic styled music in favor of late
70s/early 80s pop rock and disco styled music. They have even limited
themselves to primarily drum machines, a modular synthesizer and vintage
vocoders.
There has only been one single released from the album so
far. That song is called Get Lucky. The song was cowritten and featureing by
Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers. The song is a disco/funk track about the
fortune of finding chemistry with someone and not just about sexual chemistry.
I was not really sure about this track as I had only heard the beginning or the
end of the track. I really like the vocoders that are used on the vocals with
this group. When I finally heard the whole song I was relieved to hear that the
vocoders were not abandoned. The use of live musicians, especially with this
track, gives a new light to the group.
I don’t think that there is really a bad track on the album
if you’re looking for a throw back to the late 70s/early 80s. This album is not
one that I could listen to over and over though. It is a good album if you’re
in the mood for a new retro sound.
This is the third and last 7” scheduled to be released for
the new album. This was supposed to be released as a download as well as 7”
vinyl but the band has still yet to put it up for download at any of the usual
sites. It is available still in black, everywhere, and purple, at chunklet.
There was also a clear pressing that was limited to 200 copies. I ordered my
copies as soon as it was available and got both the purple and clear copies.
This is a three track single with the A side coming from the
upcoming album and the B side having two tracks exclusively on this single. The
A side track is called Disintegrate. It features backing vocals from Liz
Durrett. Liz Durrett is a folk artist who is signed on Warm Electronic
Recordings, a small record company based in Athens Georga that Brian Causey
(A.K.A. Starcrunch) operates. The song itself is very punchy or hard hitting.
Starcrunch has his usual flat vocals that work well with the space theme.
Durrett’s vocals are fantastic and have a space like floaty sound to them.
The first B side track is called Baby’s First Spacewalk.
There are no vocals on this track. The song is very playful in nature and is
very easy to dance to considering the beat is quick and fun. This track is more
surf than space but considering the title there is an image in my head that is
more space than surf.
The second track on the B side is called Defcon 0. This is
an all electronic track that is more experimental in nature than anything else.
The song is very short, clocking in at just over a minute long. It is also very
depressing as it is the last number in the series of Defcon tracks (Defcon 5-1
will be on the album).
This is a special download put up by Sea Wolf and
Noisetrade. It is a pay what you want EP that contains two tracks from Old
World Romance and three rarities that come from the same recording session. The
songs deal with major life changes - the death of a close relative, the birth
of a child, relocation, relationships, and the general weight of life. They're
songs of growing up and facing the fears and realities of adulthood. All five
songs are very beautiful but I could tell why the rarities were left off the
album. They just don’t have that special something that the other tracks on the
album have. This could be due to production values on these songs or it could
just be that they are not as good as those chosen for the album.
I talked about the first track on the EP, Old Friend, on
Vol. 3 Episode 41.
I had this to say about the track, “This song is a great lead off song for the
album. It has a great beat. It is sort of funny because most Sea Wolf songs are
slow and this one has a quick beat that is unexpected. It is almost danceable.
I love the acoustic guitar and electric guitar back and forth that happens in
this song too. It is a pretty song that floats but still has pop sensibility
with the exceptional drums on the track.”
The second track from the album that is also on this EP is
called Kasper. The organ and backing vocals are what really make this song for
me. The vocals are standard Sea Wolf vocals but the organ and vocals that
happen in the breaks are so pretty they seem to float like clouds with the sun
shining through them. It is just beautiful. I could really listen to this song
over and over. The drums come off as sporadic but rhythmic almost a bit jerky
but they still work well within the parameters of the song.
The third song is called Old World Romance. Obviously this
would have been the title track but it didn’t end up on the album. This is a
slightly slower track. In the chorus he sings, “I don’t belong here, I don’t
belong here, I don’t belong here but I belong here.” This is really how I feel
about my life since I had to start all over, it seems, since my divorce ten
years ago. I am still not at the same place I was back then. This is good and
bad. It is a completely new life now.
The fourth song is called Sons & Daughters. This track
picks up the pace. I like the acoustic guitar that is played in this track. It
is very fast strummed. The organ that is used is very sweet but the synth that
is used comes off to me as a bit spooky. It is still a very good song but a bit
different than I would have expected from Sea Wolf.
The last track on this EP is called Two Strangers. This
track slows it down a bit again. It kind of reminds me of Leaves In The River
but a bit more striped down. It is a completely different track but has that
style. It has a break through uplifting feel. As if a struggle was taking place
but is over come in the end. The song makes me feel good that life may get
better if I keep at it.
Remember this is a pay what you want download EP from
Noisetrade. Don’t avoid this EP get it as soon as you can, you won’t be sorry. You can listen to all the tracks at the album link.
That is all I have for now...
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