Hype Cat

A couple years ago I reported favorably on the Berkeley trio The Morning Benders. Yesterday they announced that The Morning Benders would be no mas. However, the band isn’t breaking up. They’re changing their name. It turns out that “bender” is an offensive slur in some parts of the world. Major bummer.

Also unfortunate is the new name they have chosen – POP ETC. I won’t make much of a fuss about it because it’s a done deal. But I feel I must register at least the slightest protest!

But the guys want to make it up to us. So they’re giving away a “mixtape” of all new material. By “mixtape” it seems that they mean “EP.” Not bad – free music!

And it’s pretty good music, too. Fans of Big Echo will immediately notice some big changes to their sound. However, the original breezy, poppy goodness of Big Echo is still at the core of these songs. It kind of feels like as the sun went down, they moved from the sand to the beachfront club. Different location and vibe, but still the same great party!

Brooklyn singer-songwriter Sharon Van Etten is letting us peer into her soul once again with her new album Tramp. This being her third album since 2009 she might be eligible for the Grammy for Best New Artist. But seriously, though, this is a damn fine album that should bring her a much-deserved wider audience.

SVE tends to get lumped into the shapeless, guitar strumming singer-songwriter dustbin. This is a terrible disservice because she has far more style than most of the acts in that category. For the uninitiated, Tramps will be a very rewarding entry point. She combines elements of other next-level indie ensembles that demonstrate her keen artistic sense. At some points she evokes the straight-ahead boozy-bluesy rock of Heartless Bastards. Other times she has a loose, jangly sound of Land of Talk. Then she will add layers of gauzy, shimmering guitars a la Wye Oak. (In fact, Jenn Wasner was one of many great collaborators on this album, including Zach Condon and Aaron Dessner.)

But the real star of the show is Sharon’s voice. She has a voice that quietly demands your attention. It conveys emotion without drama or pretense that is difficult for almost anyone to pull off. Her harmonies take the voice to the next level with a rich warmth that is arresting and beautiful.

NME is currently streaming the album here. But you might as well just save yourself some time and go out and buy it now!

Okay, let’s start with the pronunciation. For the past six months I’ve only been able to identify this guy by spelling his name. It turns out he was born in Belgium (family moved to Australia when he was two) and the anglophone version of his first name is Walter. The traditional French spelling of Walter is Gaultier – pronounced (approximately) GO-tee-yay. Now you know!

So let’s talk about the record, Making Mirrors. The break out track from this album, Somebody That I Used to Know, has been blowing up the interwebs for months now. Awesome song, great video, features Kimbra. Kinda can’t go wrong.

The album as a whole isn’t as strong as “Somebody” but offers some very nice moments. The first proper track, Easy Way Out, evokes some of the same dance rock sounds as fellow Aussie act Van She. From there, though, Gotye‘s individual voice becomes more clear. And that voice is quirky, to be sure! Gotye pulls from a variety of traditions: retro-soul, dance, art-pop, sampledelica, the list goes on. It’s tough to find a true unifying principle to the album. However, the closest thing you might find is an awareness of ’80s pop pioneers such as Peter Gabriel, The Police, Phil Collins, George Michael (in a good way – don’t laugh!), and Hall & Oats.

The album drops in the U.S. on January 31. In the meantime, the kind folks at NPR First Listen are streaming it for us.

What happens when one of my favorite artists makes an album with another one of my favorite artists? I get one of my favorite new albums! For the last ten years, Kathleen Edwards has quietly built up serious cred with (now) four fine albums, relentless touring, and a good sense for the business. That good sense let her into a romantic and musical relationship with Justin Vernon of Bon Iver fame. The result is a new album co-produced with Justin Vernon entitled Voyageur.

To be clear, Kathleen Edwards does not need Justin Vernon to make a great album. But his contributions are obvious and the result is stunning. Basically, what we have here is Kathleen Edwards’ painfully honest songwriting combined with Justin Vernon’s ear for layering and atmosphere. Together, they crafted an album that is Kathleen’s strongest offering to date.

Have a listen. I think you’ll agree that this is Kathleen’s moment!

Here’s a video of the lead single “Change the Sheets”.

Holy crap! One of my all-time favorite (or should I say “favourite”?) electronic acts has been tapped as Musical Director for the 2012 Olympic Games in London. The pioneering UK dance duo Underworld will work alongside long-time collaborator, film maker Danny Boyle. Together they will produce the opening ceremony spectacle in what promises to be a performance that oozes cool!

If you’re not familiar with Underworld, you should check them out. They have produced some of the smartest (in the intellectual sense) dance music ever. Their 1996 landmark album Second Toughest in the Infants still sounds very fresh and continues to rank high as one of my favorite albums. Their 2010 album Barking drew on the talents of several top-shelf electronic and dance producers (including High Contrast, Paul Van Dyke, Dubfire, and others) and offers some very solid tracks.

Last May I had the good fortune to see Oklahoma band Other Lives opening for S. Carey at The Mill. Their rich, dramatic approach to Americana absolutely blew my mind. I thought to myself, “this band is going places.” To register my enthusiasm, I documented the moment with this post. Wouldn’t you know – they’re now opening for Radiohead in their much-anticipated U.S. tour. This has me convinced that someone from Radiohead reads my blog!

Yes, yes. I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted. We don’t have time for that right now. I have something important to tell you.

Check it. Have you heard about the new Sigur Rós live album experience Inni? Basically, they attempted to capture a live performance through a uniquely artistic, intimate film. This thing is showing at the Englert Theatre on November 9. The album/DVD is available for preorder at your favorite Iowa City record store, the Record Collector. But, wait, there’s more! If you are one of the first fifteen to pre-order the album from the fine professionals at the Record Collector you get a free ticket to the screening of Inni at the Englert!!! Oh shit!

Take note.

Remember last fall when I freaked out about the S. Carey record All We Grow? You still haven’t listened to it yet, have you? Shame, really, it’s amazing. Tell you what – you can make up for it. HE’S FREAKING COMING TO THE MILL TOMORROW! That’s right, this is happening.

Sean Carey truly is a fine musician and you can expect this to be a first-rate show. And, if you haven’t already bought his record, you can support the musician directly by buying it at his merch table. Seriously, unless you are hospitalized or dead, you should be at this show. Actually, if you’re hospitalized, you might still try to make it. But not if you’re contagious or oozing something. I might be standing next to you and that’s not cool.

Sean Carey! Wooooo!

A year ago, techno stalwart R&S Records dropped three EPs from upstart dubstep artist James Blake that stopped me in my tracks. It was dubstep, to be sure, but there was something different. It had a warmth pushing its way to the surface, as if the icy prickliness of dubstep was merely the defensive mechanism for a warm and vulnerable sound.

Blake’s self-titled full length debut confirms my suspicions. James Blake is the sound of a soul album through the lens of a dubstep kaleidoscope: warm and soaring songs fractured, distorted, and rearranged into a cubist portrait. In one moment you’re in an echo chamber of voices and organs, the next he is whispering in your ear. Jittering chopped up vocal samples buzz around your head while long, low bass tones rumble under your feet. A chorus of James Blake’s croon over a sputtering synth bass line.

This record is unlikely to satisfy the dubstep purist. Blake takes his sound in directions that most dubstep artists wouldn’t dare. His cover of Feist’s “Limit to Your Love” is a great case in point. But, not to lose his dubstep cred, Blake flexes his muscles periodically – check out the chest-crushing bass drop in “Limit.” (Note: if you don’t have a system that can produce serious bass, don’t bother. Seriously, it’s below the frequency range of a bookshelf system or computer speakers. The man knows his bass!)

Blake moves both dubstep and popular music forward with this record. He thoughtfully marries the expressive abstractions of dubstep with the accessible songwriting of pop. The record is top-shelf material and the future is very bright for James Blake!

Have a listen courtesy of Dutch broadcaster 3voor12.