Lukrecia' Best Album Picks of Mid-2012
Chromatics - Kill Of Love
Sample song: Back From The Grave
After appearing on Drive's soundtrack with two of his bands (Desire, Chromatics), Johny Jewel finally released the third Chromatics album under the label of Italians Do It Better. Just a quick look at the label's name will give you a good hint of what to expect: italo disco, synth pop, the mainstream music of the 80s, blended together, creating the perfect soundtrack for a late night drive around the city. Ruth Radelet's icy vocals fit perfectly to the music, and Jewel is great songwriter. Still, I can't really call it a perfect album - Jewel went a bit too far, and put seventeen tracks on the album - which is the smaller problem. The bigger one is that half of the songs are a way too long (ranging from seven to fourteen minutes long), without getting anywhere, being boring 'cinematic' filler tracks, restricting the album from being the year's absolute best. But still, the album contains one of the best songs of the year, and within it's style, it's a great choice.
Ty Segall & White Fence - Hair
Sample song: Scissor People
Ty Segall, hailing from San Fransisco, is one of the most important figure of the so-called new garage revival: remembering and recycling old musical ideas, knowing the 'traditions' the rock music, but at the same time, reinventing them - just listen to 'You Make The Sun Fry' from him, for example - sounds like a typical T-Rex song, but with some 'segallness' added to it. No surprise that many of the music critics call him the new Jay Reetard. White Fence (Tim Presley) comes from the same scene, but with some more folk-rock. On this release, they join forces, bringing one of the best rock albums of the year. Just check 'Scissor People', and you will get what I'm talking about.
The Men - Open Your Heart
Sample Song: Open Your Heart
The first band that came into my mind about The Men is The Strokes. From the aspect that both bands ripped-off many previous bands and 'reintroducing' them on their album. The Men did it, and I must say, they did a very good job - Open Your Heart is simply one of the best songs of the year, followed by a pseudo-Beatles song (Candy), which is followed by noisy-punkish, mesmerising rock 'n' roll, from the Daydream Nation era of Sonich Youth. Animal is like a lost tape from GG Allin's (or maybe Iggy Pop's) garage, with a catchy refrain, Please Don't Go Away is like a lost My Bloody Valentine track...clearly not the most innovative album of the year, but to be honest, as long, as they can write so good songs (some of it didn't even made it to the album), I really don't care. Great work!
LA Vampires By Octo Octa - Freedom 2K
Sample Song: Wherever Boy
Amanda Palmer (Pocahaunted), who runs the label 100% Silk and Not Not Fun is back with her LA Vampires project. LA Vampires teamed up with artists like Ital or Zola Jesus, and now, they worked together with Octo Octa. The result is a great trip into sexy and haunting house music, with piano and tunes that will make you want to make love and dance at the same time, synthetic beats, and some ravey flashbacks. Good collabration!
Sleigh Bells - Reign Of Terror
Sample Song: Demons
Sleigh Bells, one of the loudest bands is back again - Reign Of Terror, at the first listen, isn't too different from Treats: heavy hip-hop beats, simple, but effective drumming, and a _loud_ guitar spitting out riffs varying from Black Sabbath to glam metal. The duo is still good at being minimal, but brutal(ly loud), hardcore but popish at the same time. Alexiss Krauss gets more space and more chance to _sing_ in some slower, softer tracks like Road To Hell or End Of The Line, Miller still knows, how to play extremely good riffs, and the whole atmosphere is like Japandroids' Celebration Rock - we came here to celebrate and to rock out and there's nothing that could stop us. Altough there aren't any ultimate hits like Infinity Guitars from the first album, the second coming of Sleigh Bells is still a freakin' musical earthquake, worth a listen.
Death Grips - The Money Store
Sample Song: Punk Weight
So, do you remember when Public Enemy said, 'bring the noise'? Well, Death Grips certainly brings it with some free headkicks. Forget Odd Future, this is the real screaming out from the filth, certainly a different kind of anger, but it's pure anger, a real sonic whirlwind, where you can see the sight of artists like Public Enemy, Tricky, El-P, or Slayer...yes, Slayer. I never expected a hip-hop band to sample Black Flag in a song, but Death Grips did it (Kink, from their previous mixtape, Exmilitary). While their previous mixtape was good, it was hard to find the difference between the tracks - however, on The Money Store (which was released by Sony), the bands tries out something new in nearly all of the tracks, from M.I.A.-ish ghettoish dance tracks to 'avant dancehall'. Punkish DIY-mentality, crazy rhytms, and of course MC Ride, who is better at shouting and spitting words than rapping, but the amount of hate would amuse even Henry Rollins, I guess. Clearly not for everyone, but imho one of the more important (and better) (hip-hop) releases of the year.
Japandroids - Celebration Rock
Sample Song: For The Love Of Ivy (The Gun Club Cover)
In 2009, Japandroids' Hüsker Dü inspired, awesome debut album was released, filled with noisy guitar riffs, shouting, californian punk hymns was released straight from the garage, and it made it's way into my very favourite albums list. It had shitloads of garage-y coolness, great guitar riffs, and songs like 'Young Hearts Spark Fire' or 'Wet Hair' - songs that were THE songs for me, songs like they could only do. After a number of smaller releases and some awesome covers (Jack The Ripper from Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds and Racer-X from Big Black for example), here is the second coming, with less effects, maybe a bit less upbeatness, but with some more experimenting (think of the disco drums in The House That Heaven Built for example). To be fully honest, I'm a bit disappointed, because the new album lacks some of the screaming coolness, that lazy awesomeness the first album had, but Japandroids are still great at what they do, and honestly, can you come up with a better summer song than Younger Us?
Other albums, without description:
Actress - R.I.P.
Sample Song: Caves Of Paradise
Beach House - Bloom
Sample Song: Lazuli
Alt-J (∆) - An Awesome Wave
Sample Song: Breezeblocks
THEESatisfaction - awE naturalE
Sample Song: Deeper
number0 - PARALLEL/SERIAL
Sample Song: AO
Luis Nanook - 丘の上のロメロ
Sample Song: Faust
