Archive | September, 2009

Monsters of Folk Monsters of Folk

23 Sep

Despite the immense talents of all involved, Monsters of Folk never really get anywhere.

Release Date: September 22, 2009
Record Label: Shangri-La Music
Rating: 77

It’s easy to be cynical of supergroups– more often than not they’re expendable, self-indulgent and self-aware, releasing only half-baked material before they fade away and are forgotten about. Then every so often, there’s something that comes about like a spark– a sudden glow of hope that this could in fact be something special that’s being witnessed. Anyone with even a waft of knowledge about the long-discussed Monsters of Folk project likely was approaching the album with expectations that fell in line with the latter way of thinking– and out of those people, it’s likely that more than half of them are going to be disappointed.

Monsters of Folk is Jim James (or Yim Yames) of My Morning Jacket fame, M. Ward (of She & Him fame as of late), Conor Oberst (aka Bright Eyes), and producer extraordinaire Mike Mogis. They gave hope by releasing a couple of very slick tunes in “Dear God (Sincerely M.O.F.)” and “Say Please,” and then followed up with an album that is, at the very best, underwhelming.

It would be easier if this were a flat out bad album, but it’s not– instead, it’s a jangly collection of songs that would be better suited as a record label sampler than a supposed supergroup. Even better, the song titles really could’ve been- “Conor Oberst song #1,” “M. Ward song #4,” “Jim James being weird song #14″ and so forth. There isn’t any true interplay between the artists, and for such a creative core of guys, it seems that there should be enough experimentation to last for longer than just the opening track. Also, with the album clocking in at nearly an hour, these faults quickly lessen the listening experience.

They do have their moments, as both the aforementioned “Dear God” and “Slow Down Jo” display what this band is capable of, and perhaps they’ll get there next time around. For now, however, you can only dream about what would’ve been and try to enjoy Monsters of Folk for what it is, a slightly above average side project.

Monsters of Folk - “Dear God (Sincerely M.O.F.)”

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The Black Keys turn to Hip-Hop with Blackroc project

17 Sep

So apparently working with Danger Mouse on Attack & Release was something of a gateway drug for the Akron, OH duo. Due out on November 27, the Black Keys worked with some of the best rappers around boasting a guest list that includes Q-Tip, Mos Def, RZA, Raekwon, Pharoahe Monch, and the late ODB. If the music matches the talent on paper, this should be a highly entertaining collaboration.

Blackroc (The Black Keys, Jim Jones, and Mos Def) – “Hoochie Coo”

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Kid Cudi Man on the Moon: The End of Day

17 Sep

An ambitiously clumsy beautiful mess.

Release Date: September 15, 2009
Record Label: Motown
Rating: 85

Riding high after a hit mixtape and several impressive guest spots and performances (including Lollapalooza this year), it’s interesting to hear Cudi’s Man on the Moon concept fully fleshed out. It’s really quite a sprawling mess, complete with a hokey narrative from Common, but yet so incredibly ambitious– especially for a debut, that it’s frustrating, tiresome and impressive all at once. Yet, these seemingly contradictory statements really are the make up of Kid Cudi as an artist, he’s everything and nothing all at once– more often than not he seems caught between singing and rapping, and he never fits any particular mold of what we tend to define as a hip-hop artist. Through and through, both he and the album are an anomaly in every sense.

While Man on the Moon is a concept album of sorts, the execution is so vague that it’s more of an obstacle than a buoy in terms of appreciating the material. The accessible tracks such as “Day ‘N Nite” and “Make Her Say” are buried to the back end of the album, with it instead opening with the incredibly sleepy “In My Dreams (Cudder Anthem),” which walks on the verge of being a bad George Clinton trip before “Soundtrack 2 My Life” and “Simple As…” mercifully give the album some sort of a pulse. The latter is really one of the few songs where Cudi’s skills as a rapper are higlighted. While he occasionally falls into the habit of using clichéd rhymes, his quick-witted flow helps him from falling too far into such traps.

If you have the patience to make it through, Man on the Moon is a highly rewarding album, as the easiest listens come on the second half of the album. Besides the aforementioned singles, “Cudi Zone,” “Alive” and “Pursuit of Happiness” are all highlights and even best the material on the Kid Named Cudi mixtape.

Clearly, Kid Cudi was out to make a statement with an album, and that’s a very good sign. After getting so much attention for what he had already accomplished, he easily could have phoned in the debut and thought nothing of it. Instead he churns out a highly innovative, yet ungainly, album that will likely solidify his place into both the mainstream and critics hearts.

Kid Cudi - “Pursuit of Happiness”

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Pete Yorn and Scarlett Johansson Break Up

16 Sep

Breezy? Yes, definitely. Memorable? Meh, not so much.

Release Date: September 15, 2009
Record Label: Rhino
Rating: 71

Despite just coming out this year, the Break Up project started way back in 2006, before Scarlett Johansson embarrassed herself by covering Tom Waits songs and around the time where there was still hope for Yorn following through on the promise he showed on Musicforthemorningafter. The first glimpse of this collaboration came in the form of a leaked mp3 of “Shampoo” which was originally attributed to Yorn alone. Now, three years later, we’re presented with the Serge Gainsbourg/Bridgette Bardot inspired revival Break Up, an effort that actually likens itself more to the Jennifer Anniston/Vince Vaughn film than anything that Gainsbourg/Bardot ever produced. It has it’s moments, and truthfully it seems like a really good platform for a Yorn album, but it never culminates into anything worthwhile. Instead, it’s like wallpaper treatment that’s been forced into place by Yorn and Johansson, lathering as much adhesive as possible to try to make the whole thing stick.

“Relator” is a great start, as are the Yorn-driven  ”Wear and Tear” and “Shampoo,” but unfortunately for them, somewhere along the way, everything falls apart. While I suppose that’s what happens in a break up, they certainly could’ve made it one worth remembering. Instead we’re left wondering what the hell kept them together to begin with. It’s too bad, really, because if you ever hear some of the demo sessions, or take a listen to the mentioned highlights, you’ll see that there was quite a bit of potential, but in the wake of She & Him (not to mention trying to liken yourself to Gainsbourg and Bardot), it was likely doomed from inception.

Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson - “Relator”

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BLK JKS After Robots

13 Sep

A very good album that comes just short of being something great.

Release Date: September 8, 2009
Record Label: Secretly Canadian
Rating: 85

This Johannesburg formed rock group sprung onto the consciousness of many with their Mystery EP re-released earlier this year. Unfortunately for them, being a highly-experimental black rock group, the TV on the Radio comparisons were inevitable, and while there may in fact be some truth to that statement, the shoes are simply too large to fill at this point for this band. Even so,  After Robots does not disappoint by any means.

Some of their songs, such as “Banna Ba Modimo” or “Kwa Nqingetje,” fringe on being overwrought, but even in those moments, the sincere yet lofty ambitions of the band prevent it from being off-putting, but rather falls short of becoming the masterpiece sound they were likely aiming for. The opening “Molalatladi” is the result of BLK JKS at their absolute highest, and it’s quite a densely-layered beautiful mess of African-influenced rhythms and song structures channelled through a familiar-yet-other-worldly rock music. “Lakeside,” which was originally from the Mystery EP, is another standout and fits much better within the framework of After Robots than it did on the EP.

As referenced earlier, the only disappointing aspect of the album is that there’s a definitely high ceiling that BLK JKS reach, but they never quite break through. If they weren’t so damned inventive it’s not something that would even be noticeable, but they are just about there and never get the extra oomph necessary to push the album over the top. That being said, BLK JKS is a band to watch out for, they truly have something original brewing.

BLK JKS - “Molalatladi”

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Stream Yo La Tengo’s Latest via NPR

5 Sep

Yo La Tengo’s highly anticipated release, Popular Songs, the 16th album of their illustrious 25-year career, has made its way to NPR’s webpage. The album won’t be released until September 8, so this will give fans some time to preview their latest effort.

Click Here to Listen

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