Atoms For Peace- AMOK Review

Now this is a hard one for me to review due to me being a huge Radiohead/Thom Yorke fan since Radiohead has been my favorite band since I was like 11. So Ill try not to come off as a total fanboy.

Now a little back story on this project. When Thom Yorke released his solo album The Eraser, which is hugely underrated, he enlisted Flea from Red Hot Chilli Peppers, his producer Nigel Godrich, and Mauro Refosco and Joey Waronker to play live with him on his solo tour. Well according to Thom, the results from the tour were so great that they knew that they wanted to create new music together. So after Radiohead released King of Limbs, Thom Yorke had enough off time to finally get started on this project.

The results are what you would expect. A lot of electronics, great production, and Thom's voice floating around in the mix. And that really is what the album comes to.

With the first listen, I was not very impressed and even said "its pretty forgettable but it might grow on me". I liked some songs and those songs started to come into my head after each listen and I listened to it again and again and again. After the 7th listen or so I felt I was ready to give my complete review of it. Now the first listen reaction was due in part to me thinking I knew what I was expecting, and why I did expect lots of electronics and Thom Yorke's voice floating about in the mix I started to pick up more on the production.

The production on the album, much like all Radiohead albums, by Nigel Godrich have been rich, complex, subtle, and just completely well balanced. But yet again it is an electronic album. The instrumentation is excellent. All the guitar, bass, and drums on the album are well placed and add to the groove of the whole thing.

I am not a big electronic music fan. Much of my knowledge of electronic music does come from Thom Yorke. When I read that Kid A was influenced a lot by Aphex Twin, I quickly become an Aphex Twin. Thom Yorke's collab with Burial and Four Tet made me a Burial fan and made me check out Four Tet. While I do like those artist, I am not all about it but I still like it a ton. With this album, Thom Yorke gets the chance to play DJ and create beats and sounds that are inspired from his favorite electronic music. The whole project is just an artistic freedom to him in every sense of the word. The beats are dancey, simple, catchy, and a perfect vehicle for Thom Yorke to have fun with. Every track on the album is upbeat compared to his moody solo album.

To me the album could have featured more sort of instrumentation from the band themselves, although I feel that the live versions of these song feature more of a band than the album. Another complaint is, surprisingly, Thom Yorke himself. Well now that I think about this is not a complaint. This is why my first initial reaction was so underwhelming. I expected this to be Thom Yorke filled. And it is but this is a different Thom Yorke. Gone is the moody Yorke from The Eraser. Here is a Yorke that is free and does not take the spotlight. He is just there and he is having fun with it, creating something he loves to do. This is a more laid back Yorke which at first may come off as a lazy frontman but the music is not meant to just be Yorke driven. You can feel Thom Yorke wanted this album to be just a full length electronic album but he even jokily said  in an interview that "no one would care for it if it was". Which is true. So this might be the reason why Yorke sounds like he is just there and why the vocal performance and lyrics seem just sort of bland and phoned in. But you can't blame Yorke for just want to lay back and just dance his ass off and have fun since he is the frontman of one of the most popular bands in the world, very hard work indeed. And with being a husband and a father, I understand wanting to just kick band and jam.

Still, now that I understand the means of the album, it does seem sort of forgettable in a sense. Its still fun to listen to if I'm in the mood. But maybe I just can't get into a happier Thom Yorke. I feel this music transfers extremely better live and can't wait to see if they tour. Overall all some of the songs are enjoyable, without sounding like it could be a Radiohead song, and some songs are just there but still enjoyable.

The album gets a good 6/10 from me, without any fanboy bump because its Thom Yorke.

Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds- Push The Sky Away

 

If I had  to pick out one man, one artist to consider as my favorite of all time that artist would have to be Nick Cave. Nick Cave has put out 3 decades full of music. All different genres, all quality. From fast jazz like hell raising punk music in his band The Birthday Party, the wide range Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, to the 'old guys playing garage rock' Grinderman. Nick Cave has done it all and is great doing it.

Nick Cave is obviously best when with The Bad Seeds, so I was pretty excited to hear him get back with The Bad Seeds. Only this time around key member and longtime friend/collaborator Mick Harvey decided to call a quits last record. Yet this is not a lost because Nick gained another collaborator, Warren Ellis. Nick Cave and Warren Ellis have created soundtracks for movies in the past years and Warren Ellis sound is apparent in the last Bad Seed album, Grinderman, and this latest one. 

The Warren Ellis 'sound' from Grinderman and Dig Lazarus Dig is strong on this one but its a lot more mellowed down than the straightforward rock sound. Which was a huge joy for me cause after Dig Lazarus Dig and Grinderman that sound was getting pretty tiresome. With this album Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds strive to make a subtle and beautiful records that sounds like its on the verge of a typical Nick Cave outburst of previous albums, only on this song Nick Cave is contained making the record a great listen. The music is soft and the instrumentation build and builds until the tracks just repeat the intense sequences of instruments over Nick Cave's voice. The album is sparse and dense yet has lots of subtle instrumentation that rewards the listeners with its underlying beauty and soft intensity. With each track sort of repeating itself, the track itself is minimalistic in a sense. The tracks are contained and don't wonder off. The results of the sounds are hypnotic and not to distracting unlike previous garage rock sounding albums from Nick Cave. Yet the music reviles each of the talented members of The Bad Seeds by having the listeners catch on the subtleties of the music.I feel its very important to really give The Bad Seeds props on their musicality because most reviews tend to focus on Nick Cave, which I see why, but without the band Nick Cave would be lost and he would even say so.

With this album Nick Cave isn't doing anything new but being Nick Cave. But he is being a better Nick Cave than he has been on the previous album and with Grinderman. Nick Cave returns to his more ballad, introspective side as well as the mad storyteller that he is. Each track is filled with wonderful lyrics, especially Jubilee Street and We No Who U R. Like the music, Nick Cave seems to be contained as well. There moments in which you think Nick Cave is gonna burst in typical Nick Cave fashion but he keeps his cool and continues the story on songs like We Real Cool and Higgs Boson Blues. Nick Cave reminds me more of Leonard Cohen, one of his own personal heroes, after each release. In this album Nick Cave sounds mature and he sounds as if he has mastered what he does. His vocal performance is a nice mix of the softer Nick Cave and the aggressive 90s era Nick Cave. Nick Caves voice, lyrics, and the music combined make the listener want to pay attention, that is if your a Nick Cave fan already. If you a first time Nick Cave listener I feel this album will be sort of lost on you.

Yet some of the album does come off as to me as boring and filler, but this is only two songs and those are Mermaids and the lackluster Push The Sky Away. This album is one of the better Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds output of the later Nick Cave era. The album is solid enough, for fans like myself, without too many complaints. Overall I am pleased with the album as a fan, if you are a Nick Cave fan and loved The Boatmans Call then you will love this album, if you are new to Nick Cave you might like it if you want something soft,simple, and layered.

I think a good 7.5/10 would satisfy the album. Has lots of strong elements, few weak moments, but might wear off after awhile.

Robert Delong - "Just Movement" Review

Robert Delong 

Just Movement

1- Just Movement

2- Global Concepts

3- Happy

4- Change (How You Feel)

5- Here

6- Few Years Make

7- Religious Views

8- Complex By Degree

9- ______

10- Perfect

11- Survival Of The Fittest

12- Basically, I

8/10

Here's Why:

Yes, Robert Delong is an electronic singer/songwriter, but if you’re looking for the next Afrojack or Tiesto you wont find him here. If you’re looking for the next game changing performer and producer then I think you might have come across what you were looking for. After finally releasing his debut album, Robert Delong brings us to the depths of his imagination and curiosity. He reveals his genuine interest in the universe through dance music. Usually when dance lyrics are powerful or moving, love is an influence. Love songs are definitely not a priority throughout Just Movement’s track listing. For the most part, the lyrics are in the 1^st person point of view as he describes his own experiences. After hearing the stories and opinions I’ve come to this conclusion: Robert Delong is EDM’s newest unique contributor.

The album, titled, Just Movement, simply describes fundamental reasons of existence. Everything we do is out of energetic movement. Either we feel that we are progressing in our daily lives or back tracking in the things we do, it is only movement. Robert did a wonderful job of explaining that in the opening track. The gentle synthy intro makes room for his voice to lead the song into an eye opening direction. The phrases “We call that progress” and “We call that better” are repeated several times after stating that every one of us wants to continue with out actually knowing why. Usually our motives are to go somewhere new or different.

“Be not afraid it’s just a game” the hook for Religious Views bluntly portrays Robert’s religious/spiritual understanding. Also in the ending “A Few Years Make” a line related to a disconnection with God is added. Robert Delong manages to incorporate serious yet rhetorical questions and statements. He blends his deep thinking within catchy hooks and techno beats. A majority of his writing and work can relate with the average curious thinker. (I thought it was strange to come across an “Awesome God” remix by Robert Delong.)

For those who just move to a good beat and could care less about lyrics this album may be hard to get acquainted with. Sure the beats and instrumentation throughout the album has originality written all over it but the quality of the sounds might no be up to par. Don’t get me wrong, I can dance to a Robert Delong song any day I just feel that for most it might take some getting used to. Like I said in the first paragraph he’s not aiming to be the next Afrojack with his music, if anything he has a chance to stand apart from all of those DJs. Robert has that pop sound that radio stations would want and have been asking for.

The album is strong throughout. 11/12 tracks are full-length songs having the last two sort of over lap for the ending. My personal favorite, “Perfect” sends a lesson that everything you were looking for was perfect. I had been waiting for this album for a while now. Ever since I got into Robert Delong I’ve needed to get a hold of these songs. Now that I finally have I am “Happy”. Though it may seem like I have a biased opinion and maybe I do, I can honestly say this is…really good! Couldn’t ask for a better debut album. Which is why I give it an 8/10.

Buy the album here:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/just-movement/id597691506

21 years of wait are over! Finally! My Bloody Valentine drops the long awaited follow up to their masterpiece Loveless.

Yes My Bloody Valentine finally came through. I am not even going to attempt to premature review this. This is just to say that the album is NOT a letdown and its very good. Its got what you would expect from the band. The production is top notch and its really does sounds like a follow up to Loveless. The album has the same effect as Loveless in which you sort of catch on to new things on each listen, which is the reason I'm not attempting to review.

Being a perfectionist comes at a cost but thank god for Kevin Shields being this way even though it got fans very irritated.

February Is Here! (Shows & More)

 (Coachella Lineup, Shows & Monthly Playlist)

February is here believe it or not. January was pretty fun, but what’s not to love about February? The Coachella line up is announced now and Weekend 1 is officially sold out! People are either ranting or raving about the line up, but wow check that bad boy out. With an umpteen number of talented bands and DJs you’re investing those 400 bucks into something great. I already got my Weekend 2 pass and I’m looking forward to it.  

After reading over the lineup, full of big names and such I’ve decided whom I should and shouldn’t see. There are quite a few names really admired among the music lover population. Even the most hipster person has his or her guilty pleasure and will want to catch some well-known acts, maybe even the Stone Roses. For some, the headliners are the main attraction, but there are also many opportunities to witness the talented and deserving up and coming artists.

As always, there are plenty of bands from radio stations, such as The Lumineers, Modest Mouse and Two Door Cinema Club. It’s been this way for years but this year Goldenvoice managed to book some amazing lesser-known artists. For example, Lord Huron, Diiv, Wild Nothing, White Arrows and Robert Delong are all worth seeing and put on quality performances.

Robert Delong performing live

Lord Huron's bright instrumentation (as I talked about in the First Fridays post) is easily danceable for a live band, and gets the crowd moving. The singer’s lyrical beauty is also something to pay attention to. The darker more washed out sounds of Diiv and Wild Nothing keep you mesmerized, as the music seems to absorb the world around you. White Arrows should be interesting. They are the perfect combo of indie/electronica similar to Robert Delong. His moombah/electronic mixture is great for live shows as he plays most of the instruments heard, live. It’s difficult to explain how great the energetic performance is, but if you’re going, I highly recommend checking him out.

 In my opinion Coachella made better decisions while choosing their DJs. Even if the big names aren’t on the list there are still DJs worth seeing. House DJs such as Julio Bashmore, Seth Troxler and Disclosure will be getting down at the electronic tent. Who could forget Knife Party and Baauer with the even lesser known, 3ball MTY.

            If you don’t have tickets or can’t afford them, I understand. If you were intimidated by what everyone said about the headliners, it’s all right. Actually, no you need to find a pair and go to this festival. The experience is unforgettable, unless you’re on drugs, of course. You’ll have a good time either way and maybe even fall in love with some of the artists performing.

Two stuffed animals in love

Speaking of love, Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and it’s time to come up with something awesome to do with that special person…or persons. There are a bunch of cool shows coming up this month. First Fridays happened again at the Natural History Museum with Gaslamp Killer and Adventure Time. If you’re local to Los Angeles, here are the shows coming up that you won’t want to miss.

Robert Delong @ Amoeba Music (Hollywood) 2/5

The Vaccines @ The Fonda 2/14

Gigamesh @ King King 2/17

The Orwells @ The Echo 2/22

Gold Fields @ The Troubadour 2/28

            Below, is another monthly playlist I put together with 15 different songs in it. It ranges from indie-pop to rock to electronica and I even threw a hiphop song in there. After going to the Groundislava and Lushlife show at the echo, I wanted to toss in a Lushlife track. So check it out and enjoy!