Vol. 5 Episode 30

There is a new Joanna Greusome split EP with Trust Fund coming out on Happy Happy Birth Day To Me Records. The web site, HHBDTM.com, did not have an actual release date but it was limited to 500 on LP and 100 on cassette.

Bleached will have a new EP out early this fall called ForThe Feel on Dead Oceans Records. It will have three new tracks.

Echo Lake have a new track, This Year, that will appear on Marshall Teller Presents: Broken Record LabelSampler Vol. 1. This record will be put out through The Line Of Best Fit.

I mentioned that you can preorder the new album, Get Hurt, from The Gaslight Anthem last week. I just found out this week there is a limited vinyl version of red and white vinyl (picture disc). The center of the record is heart shaped. This version will not be out until September though. You will have access to the album on the actual release date as a download though. This version is a deluxe version and has extra tracks.

Here we go...

The Gaslight Anthem – Get Hurt/Rollin’ And Tumblin’

With the pre-order of the new album, Get Hurt, you get two tracks as advanced downloads. The first track is the title track for the album, Get Hurt. It is a slower track but has a driving beat that pushes the track along. I guess if you get the slower track out of the way first you don’t need to worry about putting one out later. The song has a good beat and uses a synth sound to accentuate the vocals in the chorus. This is a new addition in sound for the group. I kind of like it actually. This is similar to what the Black Keys did on their last album.

Rollin’ And Tumblin’ is a faster track that I like just a bit more than Get Hurt. This track has a beat that almost reminds me of The White Stripes but the vocals keep it grounded in that classic Jersey sound. The group is not known for using full band staccato notes but they pull that style off very well with this track. The bridge of the song goes back to the classic Gaslight sound that I like. I think that the combination of the different styles works for the group on this track and hope that the rest of the album will have some more surprises.

Family Force 5 – Glow In The Dark

I think that this is the third single released for the new album that comes out around the corner here soon. The song is very exciting and uses the electronic and heavy metal sounds that I love from the group. I am very excited to have this album, especially if these singles that have been released are any indication of how good the album will be.

The Proper Ornaments - Wooden Head

This is the second album from The Proper Ornaments. It will be released on the 5^th of August, 2014 on vinyl and has already been put out on CD. I got my copy on vinyl from Slumberland Records early. This is usually the case if one preorders directly from the record company. I got the limited translucent red vinyl version. It does come with a download code and I also got a sticker of the cover art too. The group draws on the 60s psychadelia, The Jesus And Marry Chain album Darklands and Berlin era Lou Reed. There are fourteen tracks on this album. This means that they need to be short to fit on the album.

There has only been one single digitally released from the album so far. This single is called Magazine. The song is a slow burner but with the vocal style that is employed it works very well. The song is not a sleeper but could easily be put on a night time compilation if you know what I mean. I do really like the track though. The whole of the album has the same feel as this track. The song is not about the paper magazine but it is actually about a bullet in a gun that is ready to fire, just incase you were confused about the reference of the title.

I really like this album. I have read other reviews from people that hate this album because it is too boring or not adventurous enough. I have a feeling that those reviewers haven’t done much research on what the group is about. What I expected, and what I got, was a good representation of psychedelic and a side of the C86 era of the shoegaze sound that doesn’t really show up often on albums, although, it is slowly becoming popular again. It is a style that I really like and hope to hear more of in the future.

Black Tambourine – OneTwoThreeFour

This is a double 7” record that the group recorded together in 2012. It is a cover EP of four Ramones songs. The group had been separated for quite a while but got back together to record this and be a part of Chick Factor when that was started up again. The tracks were sort of pieced together since the members were scattered between two continents. The tracks do sound slightly pieced together but I really can’t complain about it as it is still mixed very well.

I am not a huge fan of the Ramones. I have the compilation of Mania and this is my main reference for the Ramones. As such, I have no reference to two of the songs on the EP, I Want You Arround and I Remember You. Both songs are great. I really like the female vocals of Pam Berry. She has a lazy feel in the vocals that relaxes me. This is somewhat disturbing at the same time as they are both hard core punk tracks.

The other two tracks that I do recognize are What’s YourGame and I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend. Although What’s Your Game isn’t on the Mania compilation I still remember hearing it from somewhere. This cover version is a slow track compared to the Ramones version it is completely sleepy. I almost prefer this cover to the original. I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend is also a slowed down version of the original. It is very beautiful.

I really wasn’t sure that I would like this set of four tracks. After listening to it a few times I have found that it is sleepy and easy to listen to. I am happy to have a copy of this EP.

That's all for now...

Vol. 5 Episode 29

I briefly mentioned this in the previous post but here are some more details on the Song Reader album from Beck. He has recorded his Song Writer sheet music finally. It will be released on CD and DL on July 29^th and sometime in September for the vinyl. Beck has invited many other artists to record the songs though. Beck has only recorded one of the songs. All of the other songs are recorded by other artists.

The Gaslight Anthem have a new album called Get Hurt to be released on August 19^th

Slumberland Records have announced a new band on their roster called Literature. They will be putting out their new album called Chorus on August 19^th as well.

Bleached have a new EP to be released through Dead Oceans on September 16^th.

Lastly, Whirr have a new full length to be released through Graveface Records on September 23^rd

Slumberland Records is repressing a couple of records for its 25^th anniversary from The Aislers Set. The albums are called Terrible Things Happen and The Last Match. The third album is being repressed by Suicide Squeeze and is called How I Learned To Write Backwards. I am unsure that I will be getting these records. They are good but something isn’t sitting right with me about the music.

I have still not received my copy of The Ar-Kaics new full length. The owner has sited warping issues with the pressing plant.

I have also not received my copy of the new album from The Proper Ornaments. I had ordered something else with them and the stock for that item has been damaged. I am being forced to wait for the stock to be replenished for the damaged record before I will see that record.

Here we go...

The White Stripes – Elephant

This is the fourth album from The White Stripes. It was released in 2003 on V2 records. The album was recorded over a two week period in April 2002 at London’s Toe Rag Studios. The album was recorded on pre-1960s recording equipment and an 8-track tape recorder. This was done because Jack White decided he didn’t want to involve any computers in the writing, recording or production of the album. I really liked the first single and, although it was recorded with the guitar, I learned to play the riff for the song on the bass guitar. It wasn’t until I learned to play the part on the bass that I learned Jack White played the song with a few peddles and the guitar. I was a little disappointed because at that time I had no idea how to play the guitar. I could probably figure it out now but I haven’t taken the time to figure out what peddles he is using. I know now that it is a DigiTech Whammy pedal set down an octave.

There are four singles released from this album. The first of these singles is the amazing Seven Nation Army. This song has become the duo’s most well known song. White has said in the past that the title comes from what he used to call The Salvation Army as a kid. The video is especially interesting as it features a kaleidoscopic tunnel of mirrored black, white and red triangles. In the center of the triangles are images of Jack, Meg and other strange things such as an elephant and skeletons. The triangles come onto the screen faster or slower as the pace of the song picks up or slows down. It keeps the tension of the song in time with the graphics. The Glitch Mob did a dub step remix of this track that nearly tops the song. It is not your typical dub step remix it really just expands on what is already there. It is a fantastic version.

The second single from the group is called I Just Don’t KnowWhat To Do With Myself. It is a cover of the song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. It didn’t chart well. Dusty Springfield was the first to cover the song and made it a hit in 1963. I think it becomes a different track with Jack White on the lead vocals as opposed to Dusty Springfield. I really like both versions. There are hints of vocals from groups that I was listening to in 1993 and 94. They were from when I was a senior or junior in high school and was dating a girl that was from a different high school. It was a strange time in my life. I had the freedom of being able to drive a car and this was why I could get away with dating someone from a different school. This was when the first Radiohead album was released as well as Beck’s album called Mellow Gold. Jack’s vocals remind me of Jeff Buckley’s album Grace and to some extent Ours album called Distorted Lullabies.

The third single from the album is called The Hardest ButtonTo Button. Jack White has said that the song is a bout a child trying to find his place in a dysfunctional family with a new baby in the family. The song has a cool bass like distorted basic riff that works well in the song. The drums are Meg White’s classic hard hitting style. The video is a very cool idea that uses multiple instruments of the same type popping up on every beat. It is a lot of fun.

The last single from the album is called There’s No Home ForYou Here. The song didn’t do very well. As a matter of fact, I have never heard the song on the radio. That doesn’t mean that the song isn’t any good. In fact it is very interesting and utilizes many different instruments and vocal styles. The chorus is very full bodied and uses drums, guitar, bass, keyboards (Rhodes) and multi-tracked vocals. Of course the song uses Rhodes keys so I automatically have interest in it.

This is one of the best albums that the group has ever put out. I still wish that they were together as they created some of my favorite music of the 00’s. I understand why jack won’t replace Meg and keep the group alive.

Ours  - DistortedLullabies

This is Ours first official release. It was released in 2001 on Dreamworks Records. I got into this group because one of my favorite artists had passed away, Jeff Buckley, in 1997 and I was not ready to give up his style of music. Ours had a style and sound that was very similar to Jeff Buckley and I had a way to keep a sound that I liked alive for a while longer. The lead singer, Jimmy Gnecco, has a vocal range and style that is very similar to Jeff Buckly as well. All these things worked in my favor to keep the sounds that I liked so much from Jeff alive in a way. I consider my self very lucky because of this. How many fans of artists that have passed away have been able to find a replacement so similar to the artist that has passed away?

There was only one single released from this album and it was a promo so it wasn’t fully released to the public. The single is called Sometimes. The songs guitar part in the chorus has a sound that resembles the Radiohead song Talk Show Host. The vocals are still Buckleyesque. Both styles are my all time favorites and to have them both on one song makes me feel very happy indeed.

The rest of the album is just as good or better than the single that was released from the first track, Fallen Souls, to the middle with Miseryhead, to the end of the album with Meet Me In The Tower. The album is an emotional roller-coaster with the amazing things Jimmy can do with his voice. The group is largely under the radar but deserves recognition.

Mushroomhead – Beautiful Stories For Ugly Children

This is the seventh album from Mushroomhead. It was released in September of 2010 on Megaforce Records. This is the only metal band of late that I have been actually enjoying. I bought the album on vinyl and was pleasantly surprised that the record was translucent red with translucent yellow dots. The yellow dots look brown when there is no light behind the record. I have never seen this effect before in a record. The album did really well in sales in its first week. This was particularly due to the fact that the lead single was pushed for a few months through different sources including Headbangers Ball and TNA Wrestiling with the fight of Rick Flair and Mick Foley.

There were only two singles released from this album. The first of those two is Come On. The band premiered the song themselves on Headbangers Ball. The video was later banned from air play not only on MTV but everywhere else for being deemed too graphic by network censors. It is very graphic and features people free wrestling in a warehouse. I think that Jeffrey Nothing’s butcher outfit is a bit over the top and disturbing in the video as well, not that the next evolution of the costume is any better, as seen in the video for Your Soul Is Mine. Come On is sort of an arena rock track where the crowd can chant with the group during the chorus. The song is still very heavy metal sounding even if it is an arena rock song in style. This is the best song on the album so if you don’t like this one you won’t like the rest of the album probably.

The second single from the album is called I’ll Be Here. It is a slower song that reminds me a little bit of the late 90s alt/metal drivel that was being pushed down our throats at the time. It has been over ten years since that crap was being put out so this track is not really as bitter as it could have been five or more years ago. I also think that this track sounds much better than that 90s alt/metal music ever could. This is because Mushroomhead are no afraid to use electronic sounds to make music. They can add melody parts and aren’t afraid to make a bad song better with electronic sounds at their disposal. There are so many bands out there that are still afraid of synth and samples. These tools when used properly can make the difference in any music.

This really is a great album and I hope that they keep making music. What they create is so much fun.

 

That is all for now...

Vol.5 Episode 28

Whirr has a new album coming out September 23^rd of this year. There will be limited edition version of the LP for record club members as well as standard colored vinyl, CD DL and cassette. If you order it from Graveface. They are trying to get them shipped as early as late August.

Beck has decided to release the Song Writer album. It is not all his band though. He has invited many famous artists to take part in the recording of this album. I never bought into the selling of sheet music in current times. I can understand for schools and orchestras but for myself, no thanks. If said artist puts out their recording I am totally willing to get a copy and will be getting a copy too.

Here we go...

Stereolab - Cobra And Phases Group Play Voltage In The MilkyNight

This is the sixth album from Stereolab. It was released in September of 1999. I had been introduced to the group many years before this album but didn’t find interest in them until Dots and Loops, the previous album. After getting into them I realized that there was something special about them. They made use of analog instruments nearly exclusively, including real brass and woodwind instruments. They also played with the stereo image quite a lot with their music. This made for very interesting music if you have the ability to pan left or right on your stereo. One could easily have three different albums by just playing with the right and left panning. I was no singles released from this album which was surprising to me. There is so much good music from this album that could have been a single.

Since there are no singles from the album I will just give some highlights of a few tracks that I really like. I like the first track, Fuses, on the album a lot. I will say that the intro for the song is not representative of the rest of the album though. The song starts off with a fair drum beat with what seems like random noise bursts from trombones and trumpets. It is kind of off putting to start an album. It all starts to clear up when the xylophones start up though, when the rest of the band kicks in the song completely smoothes over making some of the mellowest easy to listen to music ever. This is actually one of my favorite tracks for them ever.

My next favorite track is called The Free Design. This is anther smooth song that kind of floats back and fourth in the riff that is played in the track. the vocals have the, common for the group , lower toned female lead and higher pitched backing vocals. This has always seemed to work out so well for the group. I really like the horns that play in the foreground between the vocal parts. At times they are soaring and other times they are short staccato bursts. Everything seems to be meticulously picked out as to where each instrument plays. I think this is what I liked most about the group.

The next track that I really like from this album is called Italian Shoes Continuum. It is a slower track with the vocals starting off right away along with a synth part that plays with the vocals. There is also a bass part but it plays to only support the vocals and synth parts of the song. The drums are even more minimalistic than the bass with this track. The vocals are completely ululations with no discernable words at all. the song has a strange break in it and then it is almost like the song becomes something completely different. The song picks up pace and a guitar that is super modulated comes in along with the drums and an organ. The vocals even get some heavy modulation adding to the new and different feel of the song before it just completely cuts off.

Infinity Girl is the last track that I want to talk about with this album. It is pop perfection. There are so many instruments that are all playing to make this on of the smoothest tracks that I could ever think of. The backing vocals become an instrument of their own. The lead vocals are Englesh but to an extent is also their own instrument. The guitar has a cool wave sound on them. There are also xylophone and organ playing in the background. There isn’t really the signature plucked bass in this track that I really like but I don’t really miss it with how great the song is over all. There are also horn parts but they seem to get lost in the shuffle unless you’re listening for them. All in all this is my absolute favorite track from the album.

Subvibe – Resurgence

This is a new EP from Subvibe. It was released last month but I sort of forgot about it. I have remembered it now and am happy to share what I have heard. I don’t think this EP seems to be as good as the stuff that I have heard from them in the past. It certainly has the needed elements to be considered dub step but I feel like something is missing or the music has gone a little flat. I expect to hear hard hitting bass that has been modulated to pieces and it seems to be there but there is also elements of 90s techno. I think this is what is taking me out of the dub step feel. After listening to some dub step, to go back and listen to my 90s techno stuff it just seems watered down. This is the feel that I am getting from this EP.

There are four tracks on the EP. The first track on the EP is called Resurgence. The bass and drums are hard hitting but the Indian styled vocals that happen in the track don’t sit right with me. I think that the song would have been fine with out it.

The second track is called Isolate. This track has a slight reggae feel to it. I am not a fan of reggae but this seems to work well in the track. The beet feels off because of the reggae style but over all the music works.

The third track is called Overload. This one uses an old sci-fi clip repeated through the song similar to what Man or Astro-man? does but done in electronic music instead of surf music. I really like this track because of that. The music continues with the slight reggae beat but sort of evens it out a bit so it doesn’t quite feel so off. The bass line if so cool. It is loud and then soft alternating beats. It really sets the tone for the song.

The last track is called Uchigatana. This track uses lots of strings and sets the drums at the pace and style of an R&B track. The track keeps the beat but breaks in with some heavy dub step beats and fades back to the strings. The song kind of plays back and forth like that the whole way through. It is fun and frustrating at the same time.

There was also a pre-release single that is not a part of this EP called Conflict. I like this track a hole lot more than the rest of the EP simply because it sticks to strictly electronic beats and style. I could pin it down even more and call it drum and bass. It really is a smashing track that hits hard and keeps to the electronic standards that I like.

If you like Subvibe then get the EP otherwise look for some other dub step to pass the time. I do recommend the Conflict single though.

Mushroomhead – The Righteous & The Butterfly

This is the eighth studio album from Mushroomhead. It was released in late spring of this year (2014). This album marks the first time since 2003 that J Mann is included on vocals. This marks the first time that the group has used three vocalists. This album also has a replacement for the original bassist and guitarist. The albums title is a dedication to both JJ Righteous, the first guitarist for the group, and Vanessa Solowlow, Skinny’s (drummer) wife who both passed away, 2010 and 2013 respectively. I did buy this album on vinyl. It sounds very good but lacks the three remix tracks that are on the end of the CD. I didn’t find this that bad though. What I did find disappointing was that there was no download card to get the tracks digitally, other than that though the album artwork is brilliant and beautiful. The album has fourteen tracks, seventeen if you got the CD. That is almost too much music really.

There has been one unofficial single released from the album at this point. That track is called Qwerty. The song reminds me of everything I like from the group. Bands like Faith No More and Mr. Bungle mixed with carnival music. It is childish and angry at the same time. That is not to say that a child can’t be angry. What I mean is that nearly insane adult anger when you nearly lose control. I like this style and not many bands can pull it off.

The only other song that really grabbed me from this album is the last track called Rumor Has It. This is a cover of the Adele song of the same name. They do such a good job changing the song to something that they would have sung in the first place. It is so different but still has the basic elements of the song. They did some really cool electronic sounds to change the song just that little extra bit.

If I had to pick a third track that is still very interesting it would have to be We Are The Truth simply because the band doesn’t usually have a female vocalist in their music. Like the cover track, this song has an element of surprise for the group making it something that stands out over the rest of the album.

This is a good heavy metal album if that is what your into. This group is one of the few metal bands that I have any interest in. This is mainly because of the vocals. The vocalist that sings clear somewhat reminds me of Mike Patton who is the lead singer for Faith No More.

That is all for now...

Vol. 5 Episode 27

Not much news news worthy right now so I will just get straight into it.

Here we go...

The Chemical Brothers – Come With Us

This is the fourth album from the duo. It was released at the beginning of 2002. Richard Ashcroft and Beth Orton were featured on separate tracks as vocalists. The album did well in the UK but not as much in the US. This album is different from their previous works in the way that the album was created and there for in the resulting sounds. They started with the drums and built chords around that. This is different because most people start with the chords and build from there. The basic sound of the album was based on the white label release called Electronic Battle Weapon 5, later reworked and renamed It Began In Affrika. For those of you who don’t know, a white label is a record of limited release similar to a test pressing but with more copies and put out to the general public. Because of the limited release they usually go out to famous DJs and radio stations to get statistics back to the band or record label.

From what I can tell, there were five singles released from the album. The first single released was It Began In Afrika. As mentioned earlier, the song was released before the album was released as Electronic Battle Weapon (EBW) 5. The song was a big hit in the UK clubs. The song uses a sample from the song Drumbeat by Jim Ingram. I could only assume that it is the only words spoken in the track as it sounds as if it were taken from a recording. The song has a great conga beat that is all over the track. I am not a big fan of the sound and as such am not really a fan of this track. Nor am I a fan of the cut up sample that repeats through out the song. This is probably my least favorite song on the album.

The second single from the album is called Star Guitar. This is the reason that I bought the album. This song is absolutely genius. The song plays at about 126 BPM (beats per minute). 120 BMP is considered average for most songs. That means that this song is just a bit peppier than an average song and makes me feel like I should be dancing somehow. It has been said that there is a sample from David Bowie’s song Starman used in the song and is how it got its name. This is unconfirmed that I know of so take that info with a grain of salt. The video features a continuous shot filmed from the window of a speeding train passing through towns and countryside. However, the buildings and objects passing by appear exactly in time with the various beats and musical elements of the track. Parts are also cut up and repeated in time with the music. The video is what got me into the album.

The third and fourth singles from the album, as they were released as a double A side, are called Come With Us and The Test. Come With Us starts off with a progressive string loop. There are noises added to give it a spacey feel then the drums give a fill and the song actually starts. There is a sample of someone talking relating to some one asking you to “Come with us and leave your hurt behind…” The song then makes use of the first three words in the monolog repeatedly in the song. The song has a good beat and beautiful musicality.

The Test features Richard Aschcroft on vocals. Ashcroft has a place in music but this may not be the right place for it. The song has a great video to go with it though. The music that goes with the song is very special though. I just feel like there is to much negative space for the vocals that go on the song. Ashcroft needs more music under his vocals for the song to work better.

The song Hoops was released as Electronic Battle Weapon 6. This was done in a similar manner as EBW 5. Select DJs and radio stations received the record. It is a good electronic track but I think that it was not as well done as Star Guitar. I do like the sparkling feel at the end of the big hits in the track though.

This is a hit and miss album and probably a part of the reason that I have never picked up a full album from the group. I have picked up a few cheap EPs and singles from pawn shops though.

Talking Heads – Fear of Music

This is the third album by Talking Heads. It was released in late summer of 1979 and released on Sire Records. The album was produced by the band and Brian Eno. The album did well in both the US and UK. It is considered to be one of the best albums from the group. This is the reason that I had such a hard time finding a used copy. Although the album is a favorite from fans, it is not one of my favorites. It is still a great album from their catalog of music.

There were only three singles from the album. The first of those three is the song Life During Wartime. The song has a great beat with understandable lyrics. The song has a sound that digs back to some of their other singles before this one. I think that this is part of why the song made it as a single. It also shows where the band is going as a group. The song works well to also give an idea about the dangers of war time. Especially with the lyrics, “This Ain't No Party... This Ain't No Disco... This Ain't No Foolin' Around.” It is a great song.

The second single from the album is called I Zimbra. The song is inspired by African cultural music. I have never been a fan of the African music that was brought back to the US from the 80s. I never liked what Paul Simon did at that time either. I understand what the intent was but it has never sat right with me. I have on the other hand gotten into some of the current music, the past five years or so, of artists that have used ideas that were inspired by African rhythms. It is not the use of African rhythms that bothers me but the tones that were used to represent African music in the 80s.

The third single that was released is called Cities. The song is very fast paced with the bass and keyboards leading the song. With the lyrics the song has a simple point, find a city to live in. But, Byrne’s surrealistic/humorous delivery is anything but simple. This is not the song that I remember growing up as a kid but is still a good song that I can get along with.

All in all this is a good album that I like with the exception of I Zimbra. With the magic of digital I don’t even have to listen to it though.

New Order – Movement

This is the first album from New Order. It was released in late 1981 on Factory Records. It really was the go-between album as joy division, with the death of Ian Curtis, became New Order. This was the album that helped them find who they were going to be with such a big change to the group. There isn’t any way that I could afford to get this album on vinyl and most of the singles released from this time were not on the album. For this reason I got the collectors editions that not only contain the original album but also the singles that were released that were not on the album on a second CD.

Dreams Never End was intended to be a part of an EP that was never released. The song shows where the group will go in the future. Although Peter Hook sings lead vocals on the album musically the song shows great promise for the groups future and influencing the future of new wave music.

The other song that was supposed to be released as part of the EP was Doubts Even Here. This track is also sung by Hook. The song has a more open sound scape than Dreams Never End simply because of the synth sounds that are used. The sound is super long playing string parts that remind me of the sun rise on an open field with mountains or forests in the distance.

Both of these tracks are very good but I would rather listen to Dreams Never End over Doubts Even Here given that I already know what the sound of the group would be over time.

There were quite a few tracks that were included on the bonus disc that were released as singles under the groups name but were written by Joy Division. This is because New Order are Joy Division with out Ian Curtis. This means that New Order has rights to the Joy Division tracks. New Order then went ahead and released the tracks that they were working on so that the fans could hear all the music that had been waiting for a new album. Some of these songs are good and some of them are not so good.

There were four of these singles released during the two years following the release of this album. The first of these was Ceremony. The song was played and recorded by Joy Division but never released. With the reforming as New Order the group re-recorded the song with the new lineup and released the song in spring of 1981. It was re-recorded a second time with the new member of the band, Gillian Gilbert (who later married the drummer of the group Stephen Morris).

The second non-album single from the groups early days is called Procession. Here is a good explanation of the song from Wikipedia, “This [track] shows the band in an intermediate position between [the] post-punk [of] Joy Division and [the] light electropop [of] New Order. The lighter pop [feel], with a strong emphasis on rhythm, overcomes the song's gloomy title, Procession. This mixed message may help to explain why the song remains obscure in the New Order repertoire, despite having been a single. The sound is much like Movement's opening track, Dreams Never End, but with an even more upbeat [feel] and vocals that have nearly shed the Ian Curtis imitation. The lyrics are abstract and difficult to discern, given the density of the mix and the strength of the other instruments. The song is notable, also, because there are brief backing vocals by band member Gillian Gilbert, which serve as a bell effect.”

The third non-album single from this period is called Everything’s Gone Green. This was the first single to use a sequencer. The use of the sequencer would later become a big part of their sound. The use of the sequencer and the echo on the guitar work in tandem with each other making a sound that is the basis for not only their sound but the future sounds of new wave. I couldn’t say that this is the first use of that sound but it was put out at a very early age of what is the new wave genre.

The last single released from this period is called Temptation. There were two versions of this song recorded, one for the 7” version and one for the 12” version. There have been other recorded versions of this song for other compilations as well. There is a longer nine minute version called the Alternate Version as the last track on the bonus disc of the collectors edition. The song is a fun song that is not dark as most of their music from this time had been.

All in all this is a good collection of extra tracks and the original album. If you are a fan of new wave or Joy Division/New Order this may be a needed item for your collection of music.

That's all for now...

Vol. 5 Episode 26

It seems to be the thing to do at this time of year is to do a best of the first half of the year round up. So, that is what I will do with this Episode. There really has been some great stuff that has come out. The last half of the year seems to be shaping up pretty good for the future too.

There will be a new album coming out from Philip Selway, the Radiohead drummer. I have heard the first single and it sounds like he has built on what he created from his first solo effort. I am pretty excited about this one. It will be released on September 9th, 2014 but you can preorder the album on his web site.

Top five albums of the year so far:

1. LCD Soundsystem – The Long Goodbye

I had been waiting for this concert to be released since I heard that it was recorded. This was way back when I learned that it was going to be put to video. After I had seen the video I wanted an audio only version even more. It took James Murphy two plus years to finaly release this recording to audio but am I ever happy that he did it at all. That is why this is my favorite album up to this point this year.

2. The Pains of Being Pure At Heart – Days of Abandon

First off, they are one of the few all time favorite bands of mine. Second they bring back some fun childhood memories with this music on this album. I was an 80s child. Lastly, I like the new sounds that Kip brings to this new album. Although I love the heavy distortion of the last two, this new album comes off lighter and somewhat child like. It is a fresh sound for the band.

3. Sea Wolf – Song Spells No. 1: Cedarsmoke

Although this has not seen a physical release, I was a contributor to the Kickstarter campaign and there fore got access to the album digitally already. This album takes the listener both back in time to the first album and into the future with new music. This is a brilliant album and I can’t wait to get my hands on the physical copy. It has been a long wait (since before December 2013).

4. Temples– Sun Structures

I didn’t know anything about the band until the release of this album. I can only thank my local radio station, 89.3 The Current, for introducing me to the group and promoting the concert when it came. It is becoming more popular to pull sounds from the 60s as of late and this group is not to be left out of that swing. They have a great sound and a great look, all of which comes from the 60s and 70s. Thanks to my parents listing to the oldies station I have an appreciation of that sound.

5. Nothing – Guilty of Everything

This is the only album that has the shoegazing sound that I like so much in this list (Gold-Bears sort of falls into that category but not fully). This is another band that I had no idea about until I heard that Wirr was telling their fans to listen. After I did listen I was happy that I did. There is some great noise rock on this album that I an very happy with.

Best albums of the year (so far):

Beck – Morning Phase

The Black Keys – Turn Blue

Broken Bells – After The Disco

Coldplay – Ghost Stories

Eternal Summers – The Drop Beneath

The Faint – Doom Abuse

The Gaslight Anthem – The B-sides

Gold-Bears – Dalliance

LCD Soundsystem – The Long Goodbye

Linkin Park – The Hunting Party

Nothing – Guilty Of Everything

The Pains of Being Pure At Heart – Days of Abandon

Sea Wolf  - Song Spells No. 1: Cedarsmoke

Temples – Sun Structures

Withered Hand – New Gods

Best EPs

Black Hearted Brother – Got Your Love

Camera Shy – Jack-O-Lantern

Coil/Nine Inch Nails – Recoiled

OK Go – Upside Out

Poliça – Raw Exit

Squarepusher x Z Machines – Music For Robots

Best singles

The Ar-Kaics – Why Should I/Slave To Her Lies

The Ar-kaics – Make It Mine

The Ar-Kaics – Sick And Tired

Broken Bells – Holding On For Life

The Dodos – Yours Truly Session

Haim – Forever

The Pains of Being Pure At Heart – Simple And Sure

Withered Hand – Horse Shoe

Best compilations

Non Violent Femmes

The Proper Ornaments – Waiting For The Summer

This is the first album from The Proper Ornaments. The album was released in August 2013. The album was released in a gatefold LP replica sleeve with OBI strip. The sleeve also lists two bonus tracks that are not on the CD at all. I did not know this at first and was excited that there were two extra tracks. I was then let down that they were not included. I then felt enlightened after finding that they were not included on any of the CD that were manufactured.

A lot of the songs on this album I have already talked about as they were included on other releases that were put out around or before this album was released. Every song on The Proper Ornaments EP and the two songs on the Recalling/Are You Going Blind? single are on this album as is the song Nervous Breakdown which was included on the Indie Pop Lesson Compilation. This is eight of the ten songs on the album. So, since I have already talked about 80% of the album I will not re hash what has been said. Instead, if your interested in reading about the music on this album, here are a couple of links to reference this music: The EP is at Vol. 5 Episode 25  The single is at Vol. 5 Episode 24. Although I didn’t talk about Nervous Breakdown in my review of Indie Pop Lesson you can read what I did say in Vol. 4 Episode 14. It is after all a great compilation. If you have interest in Waiting For The Summer, the album it is cheap. Go over to Lo Recordings and get it there or find it on Amazon.

I have this week off. I am, there for, shooting to get two episodes out this week. I am also attending the Oh Hellos concert this week so expect a concert review as well. That is all for now…