Twin Sister - In Heaven

Last year I kind of overlooked at Twin Sister, not because I didn’t knew the band, I certainly had to look what was the buzz about, but the music was all into detail, thing that got me thinking that the haziness of the production and droned soft melodies were kind of toning down the potential that the band really had. Is the same feeling I get when I listen to the Puro Instnct LP. I sure had to wait and see how this band could sound in the LP and I knew that I couldn’t entirely give up on them. In 2010 Twin Sister was all about some hazy songs with an exciting 80’s revival pop tune loved by many, and the home run achieved by “All around and away we go”. Don’t get me wrong, I loved this song as well, and I liked the EP, but even though I overlooked at them in my best of 2010 list I didn’t completely forgot them.

In the wait, between the two past EP’s, Twin Sister had a direction, they just had to follow the path and enjoy the ride; and then came In Heaven, back with all the production and focus to fully take advantage of the bands potential. The LP is less about the haze and more about taking each and every detail and giving them time to shine.

Even though In Heaven takes time to make room for details, this doesn’t mean that’s going to be boring, for example, the first single “Bad Street” takes a lot of references of club disco music, kind of reminding me of Chic’s “Le Freak”, is one of the finest party songs I’ve ever heard from a dream-pop (ish) band, and shows the wide rage of styles and influences Twin Sister can have.

Another difference that twin sister also have distinct to other dreamy bands this time around, is that they don’t compromise the quality of the music in the use of drones and shoegazy sounds that could drown the detail. It still has these sounds, for example, the last song “Eastern Green” or the recent single “Kimmi in a Rice Field”, the first one adding heavy noise guitars and the second one has long sounds and echoes but in both of them the aesthetic doesn’t drown the vocals and is completely intelligible.

Overall the LP was an improved Twin Sister and, for me, one of the best “dram-pop” albums of the year.

Tracklist:

1. Daniel

2. Stop

3. Bad Street

4. Space Babe

5. Kimmi In a Rice Field

6. Luna's Theme

7. Spain

8. Gene Ciampi

9. Saturday Sunday

10. Eastern Green

Rate: 8/10

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Wilco - The Whole Love (2011)

Almost a decade has past since Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, the first Wilco album that granted them media exposure and worldwide success, and its only natural that Wilco, being as North American as they can be, had to earn a place in the worldwide music scene more than being one more American band; in time they’ve delivered a particular sound and the public has been starting to acknowledge that.

Strangely The Whole Love doesn’t go straight forward to this particular sound, thus the consistency in the album is not on sight, but the exploratory sounding on the high end of the spectrum make this a not so typical Wilco album, but for me, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

In The Whole Love we find a comfortable Jeff Tweedy in the front man seat, he’s come a long way since he’s rockabilly and country background since Uncle Tupelo split; but also its notable the very comfortable chemestry of the band rushing to experimentation back and forward, for example, the first song “Art of Almost” starts glitchy and muddy with heavy synths and amazing drumming, it goes building the sound contrasting the bands entire contribution and then a flawless set of strings, it also struggles with constant teasing sounds and false endings of the song, despite this, the best thing about it is a really spectacle between the band unspoken communication and contribution, every single member shine with something new to the table, creating a not typical Wilco vibe but leaving clear the capacity of any of the bands members; special emphasis in the guitar of Nels Cline hitting hard at the end of the song.

The second song and single “I Might” also has the presence of playfulness between the members but leaving to shine keyboardist Mikael Jorgensen and guitarist Nels Cline who play a sort of a jam feel with on and offs, also the muddy bass line of Pat Sansone give the song a deeper tone to the happy melody that goes around with the rest of the band.

“Capitol City” is another song that takes the listener to some new territory not so often seen on Wilco albums, in my opinion, the best vocals of Jeff Tweedy in the album and also a sort of city surfing sentiment on a summer day, it kind of reminds me the Feist feeling, good, cute, sweet and impossible to listen if you’re not having a sentimental journey to some cool big city lifestyle without loosing the small town warm welcoming people.

Ofcourse, this album has also a softer side, after all is called The Whole Love and it comes with songs like “Black Moon” and “Rising Red Lung” or alternative ballads like “Born Alone” or “Open Mind”.

But nothing says Wilco best than a good Wilco song, and probably the best over 10 minute song I’ve heard all year. This year has another artist with extremely long songs and critically acclaimed reviews: Josh T. Pearson’s new album Last of the Country Gentlemen and my point about that album was that the songs are too long, and they would be masterpieces if they were some couple of minutes shorter, just like he’s doing them live. But, returning to Wilco, “One Sunday Morning (Song for Jane Smiley's Boyfriend)” is a very repetitive song that has a lot of subtle transitions but never changes radically, and is 12 minutes of blissful singing about a weekend, and I was listening and thinking “man, this is how you do a 12 minute song”, for sure one of my favourite Wilco songs ever.

Overall the album has ups and downs, not all the songs are great but the album remains good with a fantastic opener and a killer (and I mean killer!) closing track.

Tracklist:

1. Art of Almost

2. I Might

3. Sunloathe

4. Dawned On Me

5. Black Moon

6. Born Alone

7. Open Mind

8. Capitol City

9. Standing O

10. Rising Red Lung

11. Whole Love

12. One Sunday Morning (Song for Jane Smiley's Boyfried)

Rate: 7.9/10

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Bon Iver - Bon Iver (2011)

There's not much I can say about Bon Iver to people that already love them. But for the record: Bon Iver is a band, not a person (that because a lot of people mistake Justin Vernon with Bon Iver). These guys have been working a lot for the last years on separate projects or collaborating with other artists, like the song in the eclipse soundtrack with St. Vincent, the 2010 buzz worthy collaboration with Kanye West in not one but two songs, and also Justin’s electronic side project Vulcano Choir and S. Carey’s solo album; everything showing different faces of the Bon Iver talent.

Talking about Bon Iver self titled release will never be like talking about the previous releases just because the amount of fame and respect they’ve been getting since “For Emma, Forever Ago” make them a different caliber of artistry. That said, is normal that the buzz around this album overshadow everything that was good in “For Emma, Forever Ago” and over appreciate everything that good in “Bon Iver”.

For this album they play with every influence they’ve had in the past, it’s still Bon Iver being Bon Iver, but all the production tweaks inherited of Vulcano Choir adding a little electronic stuff and pumping up the variety in instrumentation. The opener “Perth” for example, it has the same song structure of old familiar Bon Iver songs starting slow, building up and then chilling down, the typical Bon Iver crescendo but this time around with a lot more of horns and instrumentation. And then you take the second song “Minnesota, WI” and do exactly the same but with electronic synths mixing with a banjo and some 80’s sounding sexy saxophone and electric guitars.

“Bon Iver” is bigger in terms of production and sound quality but in the same time some songs miss the intimacy that the acoustic simple songs tend to have in “For Emma, Forever Ago”. I can’t help to be a little bit on the fence in the case of taking the bigger Bon Iver as the better one, it is indeed a good album, I’d never say that is the best of the year (like Pitchfork pretends to be saying up to this point), but it is really a good album. I really loved how they included in every song a little bit of horns and sexy saxophones, this details make the LP more pop oriented and maybe that’s why it loses a little bit of intimacy.

None the less, I’m not resisting to the change and I’m sure it will grow on me, and even though is not the best album of the year it’s up there with the ones that stand out.

Tracklist:

1. Perth

2. Minnesota, WI

3. Holocene

4. Towers

5. Michicant

6. Hinnom, TX

7. Wash.

8. Calgary

9. Lisbon, OH

10. Beth / Rest

Rate: 8.5/10

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Junior Boys - It's All True (2011)

Canada strikes back! Jeremy Greenspan and Matt Didemus together form the highly underrated electronic duo Junior Boys and for 2011 they follow up the amazing “Begun Dull Care” with the also amazing “It’s All True”. But before I get into the review (and since is the first review I make of Junior Boys) I’ll take some time to talk about their previous work.

In the beginning, Junior Boys were constantly rejected for their experimental and lo-fi room-made songs from 1999 to 2004 when they released their first LP “Last Exit” (some EP’s before that), a poorly produced album that demonstrated the awesome creativity of the band and the ability to create quirky synths to go along with the sweet vocals; this first album was like the little train that could and became a moderate hit of that year in some indie circles. Time Passed and for the 2006 release “So This Is Goodbye” everything changed, the production was sounding brilliant, the synths were tight and from beginning to end the album was 80’s revival and swag, relaxing airy songs but with seriously dance vibes that never made it to the party scene but could be really enjoyable. However nothing really matters when it came to the 2009 release “Begone Dull Care”, this was the million dollar baby, amazing production, amazing musical progressions and patience, they take their time to reach perfection on each and every song. Despite the awesomeness of the band “Last Exit” still sounded more quirky than the others and that’s always a beautiful thing.

The amazing thing about “It’s All True” is that Junior Boys are not trying to move forward with each and every album, the natural progression between the first three albums was not necessarily incoherent between one and another, but with the good production quality the quirkiness got lost on the way until this year. The opener “Itchy Fingers” opens with an upbeat move and amazing 80’s revival synths to then jump to the airy “Playtime” that has airy keyboards and in the middle Asian instrumentation. I also love how the quirkiness is back in every song.

On other note, if there’s one thing Junior Boys have mastered through the years is that they have the capacity to take a really long and soft song and keep you interested until the end, is something that this year can be compared to Cass McCombs or Destroyer as well, and Junior Boys always take time to work each song.

Another win for Junior Boys is the ability to give cohesiveness to all their discography with this album, I won’t say that this album is better than “Begun Dull Care” but I see myself being seriously addicted to this album in a similar way that I did with the 2009 release, in part because I’m patient with my music and I love the way that Junior Boys take their time to deliver every song.

This album is a High-Class-Pop-Dance glory and a world cultural reference tribute to the 80's dance pop, so I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

Tracklist:

1. Itchy Fingers

2. Playtime

3. You'll Improve Me

4. A Truly Happy Ending

5. The Reservoir

6. Second Chance

7. Kick the Can

8. ep

9. Banana Ripple

Rate: 8.7/10

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Cults - Cults (2011)

Since the beginning of 2010 Cults has been consistently making a big buzz, from free giveaways to songs featured in HBO’s Weeds. But this indie fame doesn’t matter when it comes to the quality of the songs. Music tends to be in a way a revival of something else and Cults is no exception, they take all that was good from the 60’s and Phil Spector and take it again in the same level. Of course, this will always be a good thing, and if you like this kind of recordings you’ll like this record.

But now the downside, the few EP’s created such a buzz that made the wait for the album unbearable; if 4 songs together were amazing 11 were going to be pure bliss and in reality the album never gets to a point where any song is better than the EP’s, and the over exposure of the songs I already knew damaged the wow factor of the album, the best songs were already known and some of them since last year (already in my best of the year list).

This is not necessarily a bad thing; people will already know what to expect from this album, the moral of the story for the music lovers would be “don’t have any expectations”, because high hopes only work to be crushed down. The new songs “Walk in the Night”, “Never Heal Myself”, “Never Saw The Point”, “Bad Things”, “Bumper” and “Rave On” sound like Phil Spector covers and never really reach the level of the EP’s which is a shame because with the singles and the only song missing was “The Curse” of the 7” that was probably the worst song so that was a good judgment call. Overall the album is good to listen, short and sweet but contrary to what Pitchfork and probably the indie world thinks I don’t think this is one of the best albums of the year. For sure is a must listen and definitely popular, but the worth of the album is overshadowed for the fame of the songs everybody knew.

The 2011 singles are very good “Abducted” and “You Know What I Mean”; I really thought that the aggressiveness and heartache that these two songs had were going to set the tone for the new record but sadly no, the best songs were released separately from the album and some have a long time running around, is like the album is new and I’m already tired of it. Again, I like it and some of the songs I love, but as a whole, the album is just not making it for me as one of the “best of the year” is pretty standard good.

But you be the judge and listen to it, drop a comment, tell me that I’m crazy.

Tracklist:

1. Abducted

2. Go Outside

3. You Know What I Mean

4. Most Wanted

5. Walk At Night

6. Never Heal Myself

7. Oh My God

8. Never Saw The Point

9. Bad Things

10. Bumper

11. Rave On

Rate: 7.3/10

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Beastie Boys - Hot Sauce Committee Part 2

This one is not as old for it to not be reviewed, in fact, even if it was; the Beastie Boys are the kind of bands that need to be talked about.

The beastie boys are the kind of band that has such a distinctive sound that if you like one song you’ll like every song, and this is not because they’re repetitive (or not just for that) but because they can make anything sound like them and no one else. Since the beginning they’ve been in the rock, the pop and the rap all over the place and never compromising the personality of the band.

Lately they’ve been exploring a bit more into more mature territories, just remember the instrumental 2007 album “The Mix Up” that had more of a funk and experimental old school sounds that were a little bit more adult. And later this year the remake of the “Fight for your right to party” video that was very fun.

But in the case of “Hot Sauce Committee Part 2” they stepped up the game with the sound, this album is very cranky, not in the same way of “Ill Communication” that had the really loud songs like “Sabotage” but in a really new sound and produced sound that can saturate a bit more the drums and the vocals, for me this was a good thing, what was the down side of the record? The collaborative songs featuring songs with NAS and Santigold weren’t really good because the invited artist tends to be overshadowed by the Beasties and their distinctive sound. I can agree with people that say that the Beastie Boys are so loud that they need really special people to work with; it doesn’t go right with anyone thrown into the mix.

If one thing I can say of this record is that the beastie boys can still bring new stuff no matter how many years pass, they are catchy and fun and that’s the greatness of them, is really hard to get bored by them if you like them already.

This time around, the beastie boys are no committing with one idea at a time like they did on many on their previous albums, this album seems more of a combination of everything in one; a travel through the history of the influences that have taken part in the band, punk, rock, hip hop, reggae, and new and old tricks of production. I’ve been enjoying this album a lot and if you decide to give it a shot you’ll probably won’t be disappointed. Everyone has had some sort of contact with the Beastie Boys in life, but if you’re one of those rare cases of people that never been around them, this record is a good way to start because you can have a glimpse of everything they’ve been about through out the years.

Tracklist:

1. Make Some Noise
2. Nonstop Disco Powerpack
3. OK
4. Too Many Rappers [new reactionaries version] (featuring NAS)
5. Say It
6. The Bill Harper Collection
7. Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win (featuring Santigold)
8. Long Burn The Fire
9. Funky Donkey
10. The Larry Routine
11. Tadlock's Glasses
12. Lee Majors Come Again
13. Multilateral Nuclear Disarmament
14. Here's A Little Something For Ya
15. Crazy Ass Shit
16. The Lisa LisaFull Force Routine

Rate: 8.5/10

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What was I about?

I’m not going to take the time to review the albums I’ve been listening to this past months therefore I’m going to post a brief list of the top albums I’ve been over and keep moving forward with the blog and the music. The list is in no particular order.

The Antlers - Burst Apart
Big K.R.I.T. - Return Of 4Eva
Bill Callahan – Apocalypse
British Sea Power - Valhalla Dancehall
Cass McCombs - Wit's End
The Cave Singers - No Witch
Colin Stetson - New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges
Craft Spells - Idle Labor
Deerhoof - Deerhoof vs. Evil
DOM - Sun Bronzed Greek Gods (EP)
EMA - Past Life Martyed Saints
Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
Friendly Fires – Pala
Gang Gang Dance - Eye Contact
Gil Scott-Heron And Jamie XX - We're New Here
Holy Ghost! - Holy Ghost!
Kurt Vile - Smoke Ring For My Halo
Metronomy - The English Riviera
The Mountain Goats - All Eternals Deck
Natural Child – 1971
The Pains of Being Pure At Heart - Belong
Panda Bear – Tomboy
Timber Timbre - Creep On Creepin On
tUnE-yArDs - W H O K I L L
TV On The Radio - Nine Types Of Light
Tyler, the Creator – Goblin
Woodkid – Iron (EP)
Wye Oak – Civilian

These were just the ones I liked a lot, but there was a lot of music that if I’d had the chance to review It would have been very well rated as well, but these were my above 8 ranked albums this past time, now I’m going to move on and start reviewing, hopefully you’ll listen what I was up to on this hiatus when the best of 101 comes on December ;-)