Day one

I thought that I would hate listening to Jeff Buckley, but something inside me has changed. I love his songs. They made me cry a little bit today, but I really enjoy his voice and I appreciate what he created. It’s too sad that he left us too soon. 

I haven’t broken up with anyone, but I feel like his songs are just prefect in my life right now. It feels like I need someone to hug, but there is no one to hug. But I really don’t care. 

I’ve been trying to listen to something else with my Jeff Buckley, but nothing is really equal right now. It just isn’t getting to that spot in my soul that Jeff Buckley’s music gets to. It’s soothing. When I listen to his music, it’s like I’m touching a place that I’ve hidden away from for a long time.

Twin Sister - Color Your Life Review

Twin Sister: Color Your Life. 

Color Your Life is a really simple. There are only six songs, and the total album length is around thirty minutes, but  it is packed with atmospheric sounds that keeps drawing you in.  I never expected that I would get into Twin Sister, but after a couple of listens, Color Your Life has been on repeat in my head, and on my stereo ever since then. 

The Other Side of Your Face:

This one starts off with quite a bit of white noise and then transforms into something else all together. It is as if the song is lifting to another world. The Other Side Of Your Face sets the tone for the rest of the album. The lyrical content is present, but on this song, it doesn’t really add on to the overall impression. However, the breathy vocals add another element to the song that draws more attention to the light guitars and other effects. Seven minutes goes by quickly and then moves quickly into the next song. 

Lady Daydream: 

Lady Daydream picks up where the last song left off. It is quicker, and the lyrics draw more attention in the song this time around. The light guitars and driving bass lines. Add to the song overall. However, it ends just as quickly as it begins because the next song quickly changes the attitude and mood.

Milk and Honey: 

This one starts off slower, but the vocals come in a little bit quicker. The bass line really adds another dimension to the song overall. By the way this song starts, you’d expect it to be slower, but it picks up quickly. This is the first Twin Sister song I heard and I couldn’t stop playing it. Everything just sounds great. Milk and Honey really hooks you in in is just addictive overall. I want to say that this song sounds like a mash up of The Slits, The Raincoats, and any type of shoegaze. But it is great whatever it happens to sound like. 

All Around And Away We Go:

This one starts off quicker than Milk and Honey, but it keeps the tempo constant throughout the song. Lyric wise, they are great to listen to, but I can’t really find any substance in it. If I had to put this song in a category, I would put it into the “music I would dance to late at night” mix. The baseline is just really great, and it keeps you listening. 

Galaxy Plateau:

Galaxy Plateau is the atmospheric part of this album. It shows the most amount of range overall. I think that this was a good decision on Twin Sisters part because it really shows, how complex their songs can be. 

Phenomenons:

This is a nice song to end the album on. It is quick and simple, but at the same time it is just right. I can’t really say anything about how it caputres the end of the album because it just does, and that is what I like about it.

Twin Sister keeps things simple, and that is why I like this album so much. It is a little bit hard to find, but it is worth buying. 

Beach House - Bloom Review.

Beach House - Bloom review.

The thing that I noticed with Bloom is that you can't shuffle songs when listening to this album, and multiple listens makes it better. Unlike Teen Dream, Beach House wants to draw us in with every song, instead of picking songs that we will only listen to once, and others that we will listen to always. This balance is one of the reasons why I enjoy listening to Bloom so much. Bloom is a new page for Beach House, it does't sound like anything I ever heard before, and that might take some getting used to. However, One listen will have you hooked.


Track- By-Track Review

Myth
This was the first song that I heard from this album. I was sitting in a parking lot when one of my friends tweeted me a link to this song. I thought that it was a leak of the album, but this song started to play instead. Up to then, I was listening to Teen Dream almost every day. Going from Teen Dream, to Myth shocked me a little, but the melody started to grow on me after that. This song has a nice ring to it. It is defiantly slower, but it hooks you in. Myth is simple. It starts slowly, gains momentum, and rolls along from there. This song is of a moderate length, but it doesn't disappoint me in any way. Myth is a great way to start off this album, it flows right into the next song quickly.

Wild 
This song, just like Myth starts off slowly, but then slowly builds into something great. Wild is similar to Myth. They could be the same song if they flipped positions in the track listing and were merged together. The first time I I listened to this album, I started to get bored, but after multiple listens, that feeling started to go away. Wild flows greatly into the next song.

Lazuli
This one opens somewhat slowly, and then starts to rise with the addition of a light background sound, then the keyboard, vocals and guitar; then the mood just stays there. Lazuli isn't fast or slow, but instead it just has the correct pace to it. It is very light, and it always draws me in around one minute or so. Lazuli is a fitting title for this song because it is so rare. Just like Lapis lazuli, a song this nice this early in an album is a treasure. If I need to listen to one song from Bloom, I always choose this one.

On a side note, I have the Lazuli Record Store Day 7 inch (did you know that came out? Anyway, its Lazuli colored...). Listening to it, I realized that this song has a b-side called Equal Mind. Equal mind is a prefect complement to Lazuli, but it almost sounds like Troublemaker and Myth combined. Despite that, I really want to know why Equal Mind was not not included on Bloom. It is a shorter (3:40) song compared to the other ones on Bloom, but it is a little bit faster, and lighter on the effects. Maybe that's why it didn't make the cut onto this album.

Other People
I don't like this opening for some reason. I think it is how it doesn't flow with the ending of the last song. Despite that, I love this song once the opening is over. Again, Other People starts slow, and holds that strength over the duration of the song. Other than the opening, this song reminds me of Lazuli, except it doesn't have the repetitive guitar riff. Great song all around though.

The Hours
Another opening that I don't like, but again, that does not effect how I listen to this song. At this point in the album, I'm starting to feel hypnotized. I understand that all of the songs are different and wonderful, but they feel like they are apart of the greater work of Bloom. I like that.

Troublemaker
Troublemaker doesn't start immediately, but it has an introduction that I enjoy, so that hooks me into this song quicker than The Hours or Other People did. This song always makes me sway around to the beat of the song, and I always sing along with it. I guess the hypnosis worked. I'm left in a daze by this song, and by the other songs in this album, yet I still can't really describe what makes each song different. I think that that is a wonderful thing. Troublemaker is another one of my favorites on Bloom because of that reason. It is the summary of the album in a 5 minute song.

New Year
I say that New Year is the most upbeat song on Bloom. It moves faster, but is one of the longer songs in length. I'm completely fine with a faster song near the end of this album because it is a nice break from the slower tempo songs that have been playing for a while. New Year is another favorite. It is upbeat, and just a nice song to twirl around to (Or just listen to.Whatever floats your boat).

Wishes
Wishes is another slow one. I guess New Year was a temporary detour. Wishes starts off quickly and then starts to dazzle. Wishes is the slowest song on Bloom. The guitar riff at 2:20 is my favorite part. Wishes is simple, it starts, it gets amazing, and then it ends. I wish it didn't end because I like it that much.

On The Sea

The slower start to this one makes you feel like you are on the sea. On The Sea is not a bad song at all, but whenever I encounter this song on shuffle, I just can't get used to it. However, On The Sea is a nice song to listen to because it is very relaxing. I would expect an album like Bloom to finish with a light song like this, and it is not disappointing, although I might have to get used to it.


Irene

Although Irene starts off slow, just like the song before it, Irene sounds strikingly like the beginning of the album, Myth. This aspect makes me happy because I feel like the album has come full circle perhaps. Again this song is very simple. It starts off slow, it has a nice guitar loop in the middle and slowly ends. When I listen to this album from start to finish, I always want to listen to more and start all over again. If you read my reviews, you will know that that is the ultimate mark of a great album.

There is a hidden track after Irene. It might be a b-side, I'm not sure, but the song following it is a nice way to transition to the beginning of the album. It really connects things well.

Bloom does not disapoint whatsoever. It is a gentle album. It isn't heavy like Teen Dream before it. Instead, Bloom has a quiet intensity that drives Beach House to new heights.

Late Night Friday, Early Saturday Friday Five!

I had a party to go to earlier tonight, so I decided to go to that. Now that I had three cans of soda, I'm awake and ready to blog. So here you are, a late night Friday, early Saturday Friday Five.

St. Vincent - Surgeon (4AD Session). This is a crazy video. Look at her play the guitar riff at 3:16 - 3:31! I can't even play that! I should probably practice more than I do now.

St. Vincent covers Big Black at the Bowery Ballroom, 5-22-11. This is an awesome Big Black Cover. I never thought that she would do a Big Black Cover. it just felt out of the norm, but the plays it with just the right intensity.

Warpaint - Beetles. This is one of the better versions of Beetles that I've heard. It holds true to the original/album version, but this version just has an extra element that makes it sound amazing. Wait for the transition at 6:25!!

Warpaint - Elephants If you thought that the last video was good, watch this version of Elephants. It might be my favorite version. Everything sounds super accurate, and smooth, so it adds to the dimensions of the song. It is almost nine minutes, but every minute is worth it. Wait for the "ending" part at around 7 minutes.

Sonic Youth - Total Trash (1993/07/04). Today is Kim Gordon's birthday! Happy Birthday Kim!

The return of the Saturday six!

The busy part of my year is starting to end, so you know what that means! The Friday Five will be back along with my reviews! I have been saying that for a while, but I seriously have about five album reviews to finish and upload. Speaking of upload, I was going to upload this edition of the Friday Five yesterday night, but the embed code isn't working on my videos (I'm still working on it, but I can fix it soon. Anyway, enjoy!

St Vincent - Cruel. I love this song, and this video. Well, I like all of St. Vincents videos anyway, they capture the spirit of the song quite well.

Nite Jewel - Natural Causes. I like this "retro revival sound". I've been hearing it a lot recently. I just hope it doesn't grow out of control. This is a pretty good track, but it ends very abruptly (almost too abruptly for my taste).

Blouse - They Always Fly Away. Here is an example of " retro shoegaze revival" (in case you can't tell, I totally just made that up). But on a serious note, I really enjoy listening to Blouse.

Warpaint - Warpaint. This one is acoustic! Nifty!

Extra! Warpaint - Undertow. Here is another acoustic one. Oooh, they changed up the guitar riff a little.

And Finally, Classic Sleater Kinney! Check this out! Twenty Four Minutes of Sleater Kinney and Helium!

Tamaryn - The Waves

I enjoy The Waves because it takes me back to a time where shoegaze was at the forefront in modern rock music. Bands like My Bloody Valentine, Ride, Chapterhouse and Slowdive set the standard for new music. Now that that that era has passed, Tamaryn has connected me back to these old sounds, and somehow made them new to me again.

Tamaryn is the point where the shoegaze sounds of My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive meet the vast and dark sound-scapes of Siouxsie and the Banshees and Bauhaus. Tamrayn is not too dark, and it isn't too lush, The Waves shows us a new type of shoegaze that blends the best of both worlds together.

The Waves
This song opens pretty slow, but it does not take away from the song any. Right away, the guitar and bass duo create a wall of sound that slowly makes you float away. I guess this is where the title of this song comes from. The vocal delivery on this song and the whole album is just brilliant. The vocals are not too deep, but at the same time, they are not too glossy. The medium is just prefect. This song is just about five minutes long, but it really does not feel like that again. If a song usually begins like this, I can tell that it would be a good album.

Choirs of Winter
The second song opens slower, but it adds to the overall effect of the album. I personally like it when my shoegaze albums start off slow and continue to get slower. This song is just pretty. I love it. I can really hear the influence of other bands (particularly Chapterhouse, and Cocteau Twins.) This song fades right into the next one.

Love Fade
Love Fade picks the tempo of the album up again. I particularly like the guitars on this one, they go very well with the vocals. At this point, I'm pretty much done listening for meaning, because I can tell that this album is all about rhythm and pattern. Most shoegaze albums are like this, the lyrics are not that deep, but the delivery is what matters. Going back to the song, Love Fade is rather short, and ends abruptly. That is fine with me, the album flows quite well, and it does not take away from the album any.

Haze Interior
Haze Interior takes us back to the slower sounds of the beginning of the album. The opening is rather simple with a modulated guitar and a simple baseline that continues throughout the rest of the song. Haze Interior is a simple song, that just menders for three minutes.

Sandstone
Sandstone picks up the tempo of the album again. The loop that begins this song lasts for a minute or so, and then the main section of the song comes in, and the loop comes back. Listening to this song makes me want to spin around without stopping (trust me I tried it, it worked for a short while). The vocals are repetitive, but overall, they add to the character of this song.

Coral Flower
Coral Flower has a slow, droning, opening, but it sets the mood for the rest of the song. About a quarter way though, the song adds a perfectly placed wall of feedback that adds another layer to this song. Coral Flower sums up the theme and mood of this album, it has the patterns, wall of sound, airy vocals and delivery that I enjoy from this album.

Dawning
Dawning creates the opening that I associate with shoegaze. It is light, has the patterns, and the signature guitar sound. Dawning opens right away, and it does not take long to establish the mood of this song.
I really enjoy the vocals and lyrics on this song. They, along with the instrumentation makes me want to listen to this song nonstop. I really don't want this song to end. It just sounds that good.

Cascades
Cascades marks the return to the slower part of The Waves. Cascades has all of the essential parts that make up a shoegaze song; swirling and deep guitars, booming drums and a breathy vocal. This is the shortest song on the album. Because this song is so short I consider Cascades a opening to the next song, Mild Confusion.

Mild Confusion
This is the first Tamaryn song that I heard. I was impressed. I was simply sitting listening to internet radio, and what do you know, I heard shoegaze coming out of my speakers. At first, I thought that this was a song by Ride, or possibly Chapterhouse, but when I looked at the album artist, I was wrong. Mild Confusion simply proves that Tamaryn knows what they are doing when it comes to shoegaze. They even confused me, and that never happends. As for the insturmentation, this song is everything that you would expect from a shoegaze song, but for some reaso, it is just great. It might be because Tamaryn takes me back to a time where shoegaze was the new big thing in rock music.

Overall, The Waves is a great album, and if you haven't gotten it already, you should probally find a way to get it. I feel like this will be a classic shoegaze album in a few years or so. Also, this album is a pretty important bench mark for shoegaze revival or "nu-gaze".  Even if you don't pay attention to that, The Waves is a good album to bring in the start of Spring, or for enjoyment at any time of year.

SnowFriday Five!

There is at least 8 inches of snow outside of my house, but it is not hindering me from posting this special SnowFriday edition of the Five! I really want to post more frequently, and I will, but I never have time to do anything on Friday evenings. Just wait a month or so, and I will go back to frequent postings of the Friday Five! Keep checking back here in order to see my new album reviews! Dunes - Tied Together. I love Dunes! Dunes contains members from Mika Miko, Finally Punk and Talbot Tagora. This video was filmed on an iPhone and contains some people from some famous bands. I want to hear more from Dunes, so please Dunes, release more stuff!
Bleached - Dazed. I also really like Bleached these days. I think I'm still not fully recovered from the Mika Miko break up from years past. I almost went to their concert when they were in Denver not too long ago, but I had something else to do. The moral of the story is, go see Bleached!
St. Vincent - Cruel (live). I'm also addicted to St.Vincent. Her music is like blissful amazingness. She also has some of the best guitar riffs.
(Hey! If you want to listen to more St.Vincent, listen to this 4AD session! It just premiered!
Yeah Yeah Yeah's - Heads Will Roll. I've heard (but can not confirm) that Yeah Yeah Yeah's will release a new album later this year. I hope that is true! Save us from Lana Del Rey! (PS, if you play this at a party that I'm at, I will dance. Trust me.)
Blouse - They Always Fly Away. I'm also listening to a lot of Blouse. They just released an LP not too long ago, so buy it when you can (I know I will).
Gauntlet Hair - Top Bunk. I have to rep the local scene once again! I was really close to seeing one of their shows once, but I forgot about it. (I had something to do, I always have something to do). It's fine though because they should be playing in town soonish.
That's all for now! I'll be back next week with another installment of the Friday Five!