The new video for the first single, BZRK,
for the up coming Family Force 5 video is out today. Check it out!
Jonsi has helped out on the new single from the up coming
How To Train Your Dragon 2 movie. I can’t get the song to play on Soundcloud
but maybe you all can.
The first single has been released digitally for supporters
of the new OK Go album. Download it now if you have contributed at Pledgemusic.
Here we go...
This is the latest album from The Black Keys. It was
released on the ninth of May, 2014. This is their eights studio album. Dangermouse
is sited as co-writer for the album and has been working with them since their
fifth album, Attack And Release. This new album has a darker feel to it,
probably due to the fact that the lead singer had just gone through a divorce
before the album had been finished. The album shies away from the straight
blues-rock sound and heads for a more psychedelic and soul sound. There are
eleven tracks on the album. As I have read in other articles, the group did not
go into the studio with a bunch of songs in their back pocket. They create the
music in the studio on the fly, so to speak. This just shows how creative they
really are. The cover art was influenced by a Twitter dispute with Justin
Bieber fans in which he was recommended a movie called The Peanut Butter
Solution. The movie focuses on Mind control, hence the spiral on the cover. The
title of the album is a shout out to Ghoulardi, a fictional TV
character/announcer for horror television in Cleveland, Ohio.
There have been two singles released from the album so far.
The first single is called Fever. I talked about this song in Vol. 5
Episode 12. I had this to say about the song, “With the announcement of a
new album from The Black Keys, a new single has been released called Fever. You can get an
instant download with the preorder from The Black Keys web page. The song is
fun and takes the group in a new direction. The first time I heard the song I
was a bit hurt because it was not the sound that I was expecting from them. On
further listens I have opened up to the idea that they can branch out into
different avenues of old school blues music and use keyboards in a star roll
for example. The song lets the bass take the lead for the most part on this
track too. I think that Danger Mouse taking the producer position helps to
advance this group in those new ways again. I am very excited to get my hands
on this album when it is released!” It still stands as a good song
The second single is the title track from the album, TurnBlue. I talked about the song in Vol. 5
Episode 14. I had this to say about the song, “I actually like this track
better than the first single. The both of these new singles have been released
together in CD format. The CD single comes with a discount coupon for the new
album. It is a unique little something that I have not seen. The new title
track song, Turn Blue, has a really smooth blues feel that I like a lot. The
drums and bass combine to make this awesome sounding drive. There is also this
digital distortion that floats in the back ground that I really like. The
guitar work on the track reminds me of the old school R&B sounds. This
track really works well and I am excited for the new album based on these two
new tracks.” I still really like this song especially the distorted buzz that
floats in the background.
I have heard rumors that Bullet In The Brain will be the
third single from the album. This track is a slower track than the first two
singles and has a heavy acoustic feel to it. Although Danger mouse is all over
it with synth sounds. I really dig the bass guitar sound when you can hear it
on its own during the verse parts. The song really follows the loud quiet loud
ethic with the verse being the quiet part. The song has the potential to be a
single if that is where they are going to go with the song.
The following song on the album, called It’s Up To You Now,
has a great rhythm and keeps that rhythm through the song. I think this song is
really amazing with the rhythm, chords and instrument play that happens on the
song. The guitar solo is especially sweet. This is very unique for the band as
Auerbach is not known for the solos in The Black Keys music. I hope that this
is a new addition to the sound of the group on albums to come.
The last song on the album is called Gotta Get Away. The
song is completely different from the rest of the album. It smacks of southern
rock brought into the 2010s. It is good but, for me it doesn’t seem to fit the
album at all. This is actually what the group was after. They intended it to be
a pallet cleanser of sorts. Patric Carney said, “Actually, I think it works
well at the end, too. It erases your brain from whatever heavy elements there
are in the record. I think maybe it encourages you to go back and listen to the
record again.”
Sea Wolf – Song Spells No. 1: Cedarsmoke
Not much information has been released about this album as
of yet. It has been released to the Kickstarter funders early, May 14, 2014, in
digital format and will be released digitally to the rest of the world at a
later date. The physical formats and other perks will be sent out to supporters
as they are finished. I did get the colored and signed version of the album.
This is a kickstarter only deal and will probably take some extra time as Alex,
the lead singer, will be signing these limited colored versions. I will make
sure to keep you all posted when the items start coming in the mail. I am not
positive but when I get the record there may be a few extras in the box. The
albums sound goes back to the roots of the group. This is because of the
stripped down nature of the album. It is very meloncoly and reminds me of the
first album that Sea Wolf released, Leaves In The River. This is my favorite
album from the group but this new stripped down version is going to give it a
run for its money. It is not a happy album but I feel good after listening to
the album. The album consists of ten tracks.
I have no idea if there will be any singles released from
this album as it is the first time that Sea Wolf has done a crowd funded album.
There are some exceptional tracks on the album though. The second track on the
album, called Rams Head, is one of those exceptional tracks. The song is
basically just Alex and his acoustic guitar. The chord progression on the song
is perfect simplicity. There is an additional acoustic guitar and backing
vocals during the chorus and an additional instrument that I am not sure of
that comes in toward the end of the song. This is one of my favorite tracks
from the album.
I also like the track called Young Bodies. The song uses
some synth sounds in the background to add some atmosphere. There is also an
electric guitar that floats behind the acoustic guitar to give the acoustic
some depth. I have never heard this done before. I think it is a pretty way to
get focus on the acoustic guitar over the electric. I also like the finger
picking that Alex does with this track. The sound of the guitar has a grounded
earthy sound that works so well with his vocals. The first time that I heard
the song I thought that this was the title track since he uses the name of the
album, Cedarsmoke, in the lyrics. when I went back to figure out what track was
what I realized this was incorrect and that the title track was a music only
song.
The track Whitewoods also stands out for me. The title alone
reminds me of a birch forest. There is a squeeze box of some kind used in the
song. I am not usually a fan of this sound but since it was used on the first
album, I have kind of gotten use to the sound used within the confines of the
group. The instrument is used mainly as a background sound but it works very
well. This is more of a full band track and very sad sounding. It gives me the
feeling of a birch forest in the middle of a rain storm that can bee seen
through a hand made glass window in a log cabin from across the dirt road. I
don’t think that I can give a clearer picture. It is a very pretty song.
The last song that I really liked from this new album is
called The Water’s Wide. It is a quicker song that is pushed by the drums and
the picking of the acoustic guitar. The bass that is the link between the drums
and the guitar works just as hard as the guitar and the drums with the finger
picking that is done on this instrument. It is really amazing to hear these
instruments interact. There is also an electronic guitar that is used very
sparingly. It gives some atmosphere as does the strings that are playing at the
end of the song. There is something special about this chorus. It may be that
it reminds me of the song that I use to sing at church that talks about the river
being not only wide but deep giving reference to god’s love for us all.
I can’t recommend this album enough to those that have any
interest in Sea Wolf or in the new alt country movement that has been going on
for a while now. If you had any interest in the first album this one will sit
well with you.
This is the third album from The Pains of Being Pure At
Heart (The Pains). It was released on May 13, 2014 through a new record company
called Yebo Music. This release is labeled YEBO 001, so I have to go with the
idea that this is the first release from the record company. InSound records
put out a color variant of the vinyl release calling it bone white. It is more
of a pastel yellow in my opinion but is still a pretty color. There were only
500 copies pressed in this limited color and, as of this typing, there were
still a few copies left at InSound. Jen Goma, of A Sunny Day In Glasgow sang
back up vocals through the album along with singing lead vocals on two tracks
(Kelly and Life After Life).
Kip Berman leaked a black and white video prior go the release
of the first single of him playing the first song on the album called ArtSmock. This was the first clue that there was going to be a new album. The song
is super simple with, primarily Kip singing and playing acoustic guitar. The
accompaniment is super simple with a soaring light synth chord in the
background and a synth xylophone accenting the important points. There is an
electric guitar playing in the background as well but it just adds to the
ambiance in the background of the track.
The first official single is called Simple And Sure. I
talked about this track in Vol. 5
Episode 10. This is what I had to say, “The music for the song is happier
than the music that has been released from the group in the past. It is for
sure more pop and I think that is what Kip is aiming for. The specific parts
are more bright and different as his backing band line up has changed since the
last two albums.” I really like the fact that there is a physical release, 7”
record, for this song. I hope that there will be releases for the other singles
that have been released from this album too.
The second single from the album is called Eurydice. I hear everyone calling this 90s pop. I can’t
remember anything that sounded like this in the 90s. I think it is more late
80s pop than anything anyone has mentioned yet. It is gorgeous music though.
The synth layers combined with the thumping bass track and drums make this one
of my favorites on the album. The chorus, although noisy, has a wonderful lush
sound with that Pat Benatar styled backing vocal. It is a great sparkling pop
track that makes me feel good.
The newest single to be released from the album is called
Until The Sun Explodes. There has been a big deal about this song since its
release because of the video. The video totally reminds me of the cartoon from
the 80s called Jem with a logo at the end that resembles the He-man logo from
that cartoon. So much nostalgic fun, it is ridiculous. The video works so well
simply because the song fits that 80s aesthetic of cartoons that sold action
figures. I would totally buy the action figures of the characters that are in
the video. Maybe Kip will read this and try to get something going in that department.
I mean Korn did it as did Kiss. Why couldn’t The Pains!
This is a genius album that I would never have expected from
The Pains considering the pattern of the first two albums. I hope that this
trend of 80s indie pop continues or at least merges with the ideas that were on
the first two albums. All of the music that they have created is pure bliss in
my opinion. Keep it up Kip!
That is all for this week. I think that next week will be a double post for the holiday...
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