Hello SpartanEdge music fans. Welcome back to spring semester with your favorite obnoxious alumnus who refuses to go away. I’ve been trying to ride along on my 2008 End of Year Special (see posts below, or click here for my Top 10 Albums of 2008), but I figured I should post something new, seeing as y’all have been back in school for a couple weeks now.
It seems like, as time goes by, I have a harder time trying to snub the indie music press and bloggers. They tend to chomp through new music like it’s a juicy steak, because they want to build the reputation of precognizant tastemaker who can predict and control the future of music. Well that’s impossible, and anyone who seems to be doing that is either consistently lucky, or they’re controlling the system from behind the scenes. If it’s not obvious that I’m complaining about Pitchfork Media…well, I am. They do a damn good job with music news coverage, but they are devious editorial control freaks down to the very core. (For more ranting on that subject, please see the essay I published on Supraterranean.com back in August 2008).
The point of this ugly noise is that Pitchfork’s first Best New Music choice of 2009 was Animal Collective’s eigth album, Merriweather Post Pavillion (fully released on January 20). Like I mentioned recently, AC’s music wasn’t quick to grow on me. Then I saw them live last summer and was totally blown away. I got into their back catalog, and joined in the anticipatory excitement with all the other fans. But no matter how much I want to hate Pitchfork, I cannot disagree with them (or the legions of music bloggers who immediately hyped this album when it came out). In fact, the hype got out of control around November 2008, when there were a few controversies over MPP tracks leaking on the Internet. Someone even hacked into the AC email account and sent a message to a magazine, asking them to post the entire album on the mag’s web site!
Now that the album is out, I wanted to wait a bit for the fuss to subside before discussing it here. I also wanted to listen to it a few times, to let it really sink into my brain and mesh with my neural activity. As far as I’m concerned, there’s only one way to get the full MPP experience. That is to output the iTunes 8 visualizer to a 1080p screen (preferably over 40″), with the audio sent to some kind of juiced up sound system (5.1 would be ideal, but stereo will suffice). Whether or not you’re intoxicated is ineffectual; this audio/visual experience will sent your head into orbit on its own. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride!
An album this complex and noble won’t really show it’s true nature for a few months (or even longer), but my first impression ties in with my current philosophical musings regarding the kind of creative experimentation that requires dedicated inward exploration (inspired by Steppenwolf and other literature). I think that’s the direction we’re slowly but surely heading. Perhaps not coincidentally, Animal Collective just released the music video for “My Girls,” which is likely the first single from the new album (I’ve embedded it below for your convenience). It actually stands as decent competition to the abovementioned visualizer scenario…that is, if they offer it in HD somewhere on the web. At this time the best quality version is seems to be on their web site.
Getting back to the music video, it shows the three-man band arranged how they would be on stage, except their bodies are shadows, and small bacteria-looking globules float around them. Everything is given digital treatment, so at times the musicians seem to be wearing the stars of outer space. (That raises an interesting question. Was one artistic intention to demonstrate that both microscopic bacteria and the stars appear to be the same size from our human perspective? Well, I think it’s interesting…but I’m also a science nerd). At other times, the globules appear to be sweating like a glass holding a cold drink on a hot summer day. In other words, it’s a psychedelic roller coaster.
As if we needed another reason to keep breathing, AC will play the Royal Oak Music Theatre on May 18. (They’re also playing at the Henry Miller Memorial Library in Big Sur, CA, on May 27 — but that one is sold out).
Best New Artist: Crystal Castles: I don’t know if they need further argument. In addition to my fondness for their music, I’m also drawn to their attitude. Even the way they’re looking down on the album cover sends a message of indifference towards the world’s response. They don’t need the music media – the old alt weeklies or the new e-mags – to help them find fans; the band handled that on their own. But they don’t really need fans either. Crystal Castles seem to be making music because it’s the best way to spend their time. Whether or not they garner fame for it is irrelevant. They are a testament to what even one or two people can create with a few electronic devices and a lot of pent-up energy.
Best Michigan Artist: Deastro : Deastro is actually Randolph Chabot of Sterling Heights, Michigan, and Keepers was billed as a compilation of his previous work. To me this is an example of the type of creative energy I know exists in Michigan, but (up until recently) has never had the proper outlet. Chabot is definitely a talented musician, taking a lot of flashy styles from the past three decades and molding them into a modern synth pop lens. Ghostly International will release Moondagger — the first full-length album on that label — in early 2009. Cheers to them for supporting Michigan music. Now might I recommend Jeff’s Holiday (aka my musical brother).
Overrated Artist of 2008: MGMT : It’s not that I dislike MGMT. In fact “Kids” was one of my favorite songs of the year. However, I think they might be a band that we regret liking a few years down the line. Musically speaking, their songs are pretty simplistic. They even have a cheesy ass key change on “The Youth.” Their complex and funny lyrics are a saving factor, especially on “Time To Pretend.” Still, I think they were almost as over-hyped as M.I.A. was last year, and they’re destined to spend the rest of their band life on alternative FM radio stations. Plus, they bit it at Lollapalooza, and everyone ditched them for Booka Shade next door.
Favorite Live Performance: Animal Collective at Pitchfork Music Festival : Up until July 19, 2008, I couldn’t get into Animal Collective. I wanted to oh so badly, ‘cuz I could recognize that they were pushing the limits of American experimental music. But the singer’s voice got on my nerves and the music made me itchy and paranoid. Then came this live show, three men standing at the front of the stage, one holding a guitar and singing, two using keyboards, synths, drum machines (and one of those with a flashing headlamp on his noggin). Their set was one continuous performance, melding various songs together with seamless transitions. I began to approach the band as electronic artists, and their albums just as one interpretation of a greater artwork. I also realized that I like Sung Tongs and Feels a lot more than Strawberry Jam, but I’m still extremely excited for their upcoming 2009 release.
Favorite Festival: Rothbury : Four days of incredible music. 75-and-sunny weather throughout, and not a drop of rain. A magical place called Sherwood Forest. Notable efforts for sustainability. A memorable event for Michigan. It went extremely well for a debut festival, and if they stick to their mission statement, it should be equally enjoyable in years to come. And I’m tiring of Lollapalooza’s over-blown ego (fed by the everlasting ego of Perry Farrell). For more on Rothbury, read my essay published on Supraterranean.com.
Best Soundtrack: Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson : I haven’t gotten a chance to see the film yet, so that probably made this soundtrack more rewarding. It’s basically a compilation of HST’s favorite music from the wild “Gonzo” years, with interspersed recordings of Johnny Depp reading Thompson’s work. There’s also a song written by Thompson and Ralph Steadman: it starts like an outtake from Fleetwood Mac’s Tusk, but then changes to a Pink Floyd The Wall sing-along. It’s weird.
Best EP: The Twilight Sad – Here, It Never Snowed. Afterwards It Did : A short release mostly containing quieter reinterpretations of songs from their 2007 debut album. Ultimately shows that they are brave enough to scale back the intensity of their regular shoegaze style. It also reveals a wider array of influences and presents a greater scope of opportunity for future releases.
Best DJ Mix: Cut Copy – So Cosmic Mixtape : The band released this on their blog back in January, but I didn’t find it until around May. DJ mixes have become one way that I keep up to date with the world of electronic music. This mix didn’t serve that purpose as well as others, like the continuing Fabriclive series, but So Cosmic has other virtues. For one thing, they offered it as a free MP3 download. I loved how transparent the band was being about the influences that went into In Ghost Colours. I’m not familiar with most artists on the tracklist, but just seeing the names Aphex Twin, Fleetwood Mac, and Alan Braxe & Friends together is enough to make me curious.
Best Album of Remixes: Sally Shapiro – Remix Romance, Vol. 1: The first of two remix releases from the Swedish duo that goes by the name Sally Shapiro. This one contains awesome reworkings by artists I had heard of (The Juan Maclean, Junior Boys, Lindstrom), as well as some I hadn’t (Tensnake, The Cansecos). The second album was less focused and also less danceable, with inclusions from the likes of Russian Futurists and Dntel.
Best Music Video: Empire Of The Sun – “Walking On A Dream” : My brother visited from L.A. last week and introduced this music video to me. Apparently it was filmed on a new type of camera that has even higher resolution than HD cameras. The song is the kind that’s subtle upon first listen, catchy on the second, and addictive from the third to the tenth. Then it requires a break, since the song loops in your head from that point on. The band is an Austrialian duo who seem better suited for the ’80s, by which I mean they seem to take themselves really seriously: filming in Shanghai, never smiling, posing awkwardly, wearing goofy outfits, etc. However, the video looks spectacular and hardly (if ever) repeats itself.
Close Runner Up: Lyyke Li – “Little Bit” (I had chosen this until I saw “Walking On A Dream”)
- The Ruminant Bant by Fruit Bats
- Logos by Atlas Sound
- Psychic Chasms by Neon Indian
- Eyelid Movies by Phantogram
- East of Eden by Taken by Trees
- Ephemeral Exhibits by Starkey
- Immolate Yourself by Telefon Tel Aviv
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