Why? is a hard band to pin down. In simplest terms they are an alternative hip hop / 

indie rock group, but they’re more complicated than that. A band with an almost 

impressionist nature that’s sometimes rap, sometimes folk, with a vocalist with a distinct 

nasal heavy delivery. Formed in 2004 by frontman Jonathan “Yoni” Wolf (who had been 

using Why? as a personal stage name for seven years prior). The album we’ll be 

discussing is their second full LP, entitled Alopecia. 

    Sex and death. These are the pervasive themes that flow throughout the album. While 

Yoni rarely spells things out in an sensical or detailed way, the feelings will be conveyed in 

nearly every stanza. The lyrics will come off as a stream of consciousness collection of 

phrases, but they serve more like personal revelations woven together to create an 

overarching feeling. The odd word play works off the strong melodies and the simple, but 

captivating, instrumentation. 

    It might seem like he’s just droning on spouting gibberish, but Yoni is baring his soul in 

the lines and the feelings between them. His mortality, relationship failures, feelings of 

emptiness, but also braggadocio and odd sarcastic quips. There will be verses that make 

you laugh, some will make you cringe, and, more often than not, make you feel his raw 

emotion.   
    
    I chose not to focus much on the instrumentation and the backdrop. It is by no means 

something that should be glossed over, but personally I find the strength of the album lies in 

the words flowing overtop it. When listening to Why? I find myself picking apart the word 

play, while the music keeps the train on the tracks. I know some of you are less into 

lyricism than I am, but I feel the band does a good job creating a tapestry for Yoni's verbal 

impressionist paintings. 

    This is a very solid piece of art. While it won't be for everyone, it is a unique sound and a unique

voice. It is an eccentric work, one that stands alone in today's indie-sphere. Why listen to Why?

Because something so fresh, something so odd, something so raw deserves to be heard. 

6:45 PM

Mew is a cool band, even though some of their lyrics and sounds can sometimes make it seem like that is not the case.  Their best example of general badassery is their 2005 album "And the Glass Handed Kites".  The album is a single continuous suite - the songs flow into one another.  The time signatures are all over the place, making this a prog-lovers modern dream.  The instrumentation is fabulous, with some really intricate guitar parts.  The rhythm section holds down some very tricky parts.

You'll recognize a familiar guest voice if you like 90's rock on Why Are You Looking Grave?, which, in my opinion, is the first standout track.  The transition from Fox Cub to Apocalypso is an absolutely incredible moment and my favorite part of the album.  Other favorites include The Zookeeper's Boy, and Saviours of Jazz Ballet.

The album does drag on a bit towards the end, which holds it back from being a perfect (or very close to it) record, but it's still pretty damn close for me.  Lots of memories of listening to this album while driving through a country I'd never been to, so there's some sentimental value there too.  Hope you like it.

One thing to note - on Spotify I think they add some extra tracks at the end that don't really make sense...here's the tracklisting:

1. "Circuitry of the Wolf"   2:45

2. "Chinaberry Tree"   3:33

3. "Why Are You Looking Grave?" 3:50

4. "Fox Cub"   1:15

5. "Apocalypso"   4:46

6. "Special"   3:12

7. "The Zookeeper's Boy"   4:43

8. "A Dark Design"   3:29

9. "Saviours of Jazz Ballet (Fear Me, December)"   3:18

10. "An Envoy to the Open Fields" 3:40

11. "Small Ambulance"   1:05

12. "The Seething Rain Weeps for You (Uda Pruda)"   4:18

13. "White Lips Kissed"   6:45

14. "Louise Louisa"  

7:18 AM

"Krill, Krill, Krill forever..." Whether exchanged in passing with friends or screamed in a crowd of a few hundred people at a dumpy bar, these words and this band are an icon among the Boston music scene. When the band announced it's breakup in September this year (about a week after I moved here) there was a sense of mourning among the music kids here. At almost every show I went to I heard conversations about Krill: stories of past shows they had been to, how great the guys in the band were, and friends lamenting that they had only a handful more shows to play. Luckily, I got here just in time and got to see them twice on their last run of shows, but there was still a sense that I had missed the chance to participate in the most special part of the community built around Krill.

At their last show they ended with "Theme from Krill", which at first I thought was pretty ironic, but then I realized it was actually more fitting than ironic. They never meant "Krill forever". They always knew this band was a temporary thing, but much like college and youth in general, we go into it with a mentality of immortality and act like everything we build will last forever when, in reality, we know deep down people will move away and lives will go on. "Krill forever" doesn't mean that Krill would or should last forever, but that projects and relationships should be treated as something so important it will last forever and that, if done right, these things will live forever in the memories of the people who were there to witness how special they were.

So anyway, you probably don't care about college kids in sweaty bars in Boston, but this is your peak into the scene. You may have heard their album from this year, A Distant Fist Unclenching, because it got a lot more popular than this one, but this one is much better, trust me. Krill and Pile are probably the best examples of what everyone is making here and if you want to hear more let me know because there's a lot of cool stuff happening here. The lyrics in this album are also very much a representation of the college experience. Social awkwardness, insecurities, inability to stay out of trouble, the fight against injustice, seeking people who understand you. It makes me nostalgic for a time I haven't even really had yet and I love it. Enjoy.

8:45 AM

For my first entry I thought that it would be best that I pick something I really love. I know some of you have probably heard this album before, but I think Ripely Pine has so much to offer that it warrants repeat listens. As a debut album, Ripely Pine it is an epic that transforms largely unheard singer/songwriter tunes into grand multi-instrumental indie rock and folk arrangements.

Lady Lamb the Beekeeper (or just Lady Lamb as she is currently known) is the stage name of New England native, Aly Spaltro. Lady Lamb first started recording her music in 2007 in the basement of the video store where she worked. The owner of the store would allow her to use unused space in order to record her music. Many of the songs found on Ripely Pine were in fact written in this video store and appear as reimaginings on the LP. After several years of playing local shows and limited distributions of her music, Lady Lamb relocated to Brooklyn, New York where she recorded and released this album under Ba Da Bing Records.

While largely keeping to the same overall style of folk rock, the mood of songs is often varied. From the at times airy and eerie Bird Balloons to the hopeful and intimate The Nothing Part II to the driving Aubergine. Song structures on this album are notable by their refusal to follow normal conventions. Tempo changes are common throughout. Melodies are often picked up and abandoned in smooth, non-intrusive ways. This all leads many of the songs on the album to feel like a journey starting in one place and ending in a whole new exciting direction.

Aly Spaltro herself is primarily the singer and lead guitarist on this album, and the album truly showcases her talents in these departments. Her voice throughout the album is strong and well developed and leads to a sound that is much more mature than I expected from a 23-year-old. She also does not shy away from testing the range of her voice. As far as the guitar work goes, I can’t really speak to the technical prowess of it but it shows a wonderful knack for catchy riffs and clever punctuation. Along with Aly’s primary talents, the album is filled with a variety of instrumentation including a variety of brass, a slew of bowed instruments, organ, melodica, and clarinet. All of these extra elements often add valuable atmospheric background to many of the tracks. They make it clear that this grand reinventing of her humble beginnings was worth it.

Many of the lyrics on this album are in some way about love, and even more are about heartbreak and longing. All of which is clear even if you only catch the lyrics that are most prominent. However, what Lady Lamb brings lyrically is more than just love and heartbreak. It is almost surreal. She often mixes scenes of nature with raw descriptions of blood and body. Several songs start with playful metaphors only to end with painful lament.

I think most of the elements that I’ve been describing in this write-up are showcased in the song You Are the Apple. This is a song that opens with a blazing southern rock intro that quickly transitions into something sultrier. Eventually, the song slows to what is almost a march before the strings come screaming in to spark new life. The song hits its climax in one of my favorite lines ever for its raw and desperate image of missing a lost love.

But this is just what I think! What about you guys? I’d love to know what tracks stood out to you all. 

9:37 AM

I knew y’all knew a hip-hop album would be coming sooner or later. I was struggling to pick one, I wanted it to be a classic but I also wanted it to have meaning while also still being accessible to those who don’t listen to much hip-hop. And because I love East Coast rap, I knew I’d have to go with something by Mos Def and ultimately went with my one of my favorite hip-hop records of all time, his debut album Black on Both Sides. 

Mos Def (now goes by Yasiin Bey) is well known for his hip-hop career but also for his activism both in and outside the hip-hop community. This album explores  racial politics, police brutality, as well as his left-wing political ideologies. I emphasize this because this was at a time in hip-hop history where it was more commercially acceptable to be rapping about anything but politics, but Yasiin embraces this and does it in a, in my opinion, masterfully creative way.

Each track features thought provoking rhymes laid over beats inspired by jazz, 80s synth, and rock. If anyone is familiar with East Coast rap, it’s pretty evident how much influence groups like A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul had on Yasiin. There’s enough sonic variety between the tracks to still grab your attention and make you want to hear what Yasiin is saying behind his passionate way of rapping. I know some here don’t care much for lyrics, but I feel like it’s kind of hard to not want to hear what Yasiin is saying - his way of getting his words across is quiet unique for his time. In a way, Kendrick sorry of reminds me of Yasiin’s style because of his ability to want listeners to hear a message - to get more out of a song than just a cool beat and some creative rhymes. 

I’m intersted in hearing what your favorite tracks are. UMI Says is a pure classic for me, one of my all time favorite hip-hop tracks. But songs like Mr. Nigga, Mathematics, and Brooklyn are also instrumentally and lyrically well structured within the album. I will say taking some time to look up the lyrics of a couple tracks will only add to the experience. It’s what this album is known for but it’ll also allow you to understand what Yasiin is about and how hip-hop has evolved (and revolved maybe?) over time.

Yasiin’s eloquence shines on this record. He effortlessly drops bar after bar of lines that make the listener want to engage with him. He does so in a very cool, calm, and collected way as well - his voice is so smooth even when he’s rapping about very real issues minority communities face like the prison industry complex or police brutality. He has one of the most charismatic personas in hip-hop and I remember first listening to this album and really being blown away by his style and what he had to say. Hope you all enjoy!

7:01 AM

When thinking of an album to choose, I wanted something that I was ultimately familiar with. I ended up going with David Lemaitre’s debut, and so far, only LP. I had a few other choices in mind, but wanted to chose the one that most reminded me of fall.

Born in La Paz, Lemaitre moved to Berlin to pursue a music career with a grant from the German government as part of Germany’s “Initiative Musik” program. He was part of the rock band “Schulze Meier Lehmann” (of which I have not been able to find much footage) until breaking off in 2008. Since then, his Latitude LP has been his only major release.

 I like this album for several reasons. For one, it has variety. If genres mean anything to you, Latitude is predominately folk/pop. However, there’s something for nearly everyone here; if you don’t like a song, just wait for the next one. Whether you crave the gentle musings of Bon Iver, the upbeat energy of Kishi Bashi, or the hypnotic shouting similar to that of Panda Bear (see: “The Incredible Airplane Party”), Latitude has a lot to offer. I’ve always thought David Lemaitre “bites of just as much as he can chew,” so to speak. David Lemaitre’s ability to craft unique and sonic environments and atmospheres really pulled me into his music.

All in all, I think Lemaitre is one of the best musicians in the German music scene right now, and is overdue for some exposure in the states. Have fun with this album. Relax, and enjoy the fall weather. I’m sure there’s a lot to dislike here, so don’t hold back on criticisms.

Spotify Link

6:39 PM

       Dear and Headlights was an indie rock band based in Arizona, being active from 2005 until 2011. They only released two full length albums, and Drunk Like Bible times is the latter of the pair.

     Lyrically the band shifts from relatable to complex. Making references to relationship troubles, or something as universal as feeling lost in the world, one can feel the personal side to what singer Ian Metzger is saying. There are also more in depth lyrical themes. For example, the song Carl Solomon Blues was inspired by and references a Allen Ginsberg poem.

      I know not all of you like to focus on lyrics in an album, so I wanted to pick something that has both interesting writing, but also instrumentation. I believe that can be found here. While not overly complex, they create driving backdrops that are more ear catching than the general indie rock fare. I can’t speak for the drumming, but I find the guitar work very entertaining.

     Overall, this is an album I adore. The last two songs meld together into an emotional ending that when listened to in the context of the whole piece shows a large personal development in the band. I don’t want to give it away really, but the ending pair is one of my favorites ever. I hope you enjoy this album as much as I do, but if you don’t, I’ll still like you.

9:08 AM

I was torn on what album to pick this week.  On one hand, I wanted to pick one of my favorite albums that I've listened to a lot over the past 6 or 7 years.  On the other hand, this album by the now-defunct Macha has been in my head a lot lately.  From Athens, Georgia, Macha was a quartet that...ah you know what, I'm just going to let Wikipedia do the description.  Whoever wrote it did a fantastic job, although I'm not totally sold on the Mogwai reference:

"Macha's music combined the precision tension-and-release post-rock of Mogwai with the lush, hypnotic grind of My Bloody Valentine, along with elements of post-punk, kraut-rock and especially Indonesian Gamelan. The CMJ New Music Report opined that the band "may have invented a new genre - call it Indo-rock.

They incorporated a variety of instruments into their sets: Javanese zither, Balinesebamboo flute, hammered dulcimer, Hawaiian slide guitar, talempong nipple gongs and Nepalese shawms, vibraphone, and a '70s-era thrift-store organ called the Fun Machine."

Did someone say nipple gongs?

The gamelan in particular is a really nice addition to the sound of the album.  It adds a totally unique quality but I appreciate that it's not overdone; it doesn't define the album in any way, but certainly adds a whole new layer to the music, which is already fairly complex.

I enjoy a good instrumental album opener - this one has a great one.  Some of my favorite songs are The Short Life, Double Life, and Cat Wants to Be a Dog.

Curious to hear everyone's thoughts!  Next week, perhaps, I'll choose an album closer to my heart, but I have a feeling one or two of you at least will really appreciate this record.  It's excellent.

8:19 AM

Sorry this is so late guys, my friends want to hang out like alllll the time, so annoying. My pick for this week is another from the "Nora Essentials List". I toyed around with a lot of ideas for this week but kept coming back to this so this is what you're getting. The Weakerthans, a band from Canada (s/o Mat, he knows what's up), put out 4 solid LPs from 1999 to 2007 before officially breaking up in July this year about a week before the 10th anniversary of their best album, Left and Leaving, sadly departing before I had the chance to see them live. Their split prompted a flood of musicians I admire (including Jeff Rosenstock, who called them his "favorite band") to tweet about how much their music meant to them, which was really nice for me since I've never talked to anyone (other than Mat) who cared about them at all. Singer John K. Samson, whose lyrics are really what make the Weakerthans an exceptional band, has released some solo stuff and is still active as a musician, but Left and Leaving was the pinnacle of his career.

There's not that much more to say about the album in particular other than listen to the lyrics, they speak for themselves and are the focal point of the music. This album has been a favorite since I started listening to music seriously and I still return to it pretty often so I hope you guys can spend some time with it and enjoy.

Definitely include favorite lyrics in the comments if any stand out. :)

2:09 PM

It's my first pick, and I did a lot of thinking about it. I did a lot of thinking about what people may or may not have heard already, what people would actually like, what fits with the other choices of the group, etc. I decided not to worry about that stuff.

I picked this album for two reasons. It makes me feel good, and I think this is the perfect time for it. This is a summer album, and it's possible that it's only a summer album.

Delorean is a Spanish band who have gone through several phases and sounds. They started in a punk rock space for their first two albums, and in present day, are sort of a more traditional indie pop-rock band. But in the sweet, sweet middle is where I appreciate this group the most. Between this album and their EP Ayrton Senna (which I might even like more or equally, but 4 songs so...) I think they perfected their sound.

Subiza is at its heart a dance album, and could by many standards be considered an electronic dance album. In that sense, it does take some open-mindedness to enjoy it from people who don't generally listen to music with those tags. However, it is still a band, with people playing instruments, that just happens to be heavily influenced by the Ibizan dance culture.

In my h opinion, it's beautiful, it's layered, it's unique, and creates a very specific aesthetic. I've been dying to find another band with this sound that doesn't just go for the lowest common denominator. It's probably not a mistake that I'm on an island for the first time in my life and this is the first album I picked, but I'm hoping this sends some positive vibes your way. If not, I love y'all regardless.

10:26 PM

This week I want you guys to explore the wonderful sounds from Taylor Mcferrin’s debut album Early Riser. Taylor is a Brooklyn based producer, son of Bobby McFerrin who you all probably know for his famous song “Don’t Worry, Be Happy". Released on Flying Lotus’ label Brainfeeder, Early Riser is piece of work that, in my opinion, beautifully blends together various aspects from jazz, R&B, soul, and electronica but in a balanced fashion.

The record starts off with an engaging build up of layered drums, synths, keys, and ambient sounds. Postpartum emotes feelings of a beginning - the start of something fresh and new for both the listener and Taylor. Early Riser doesn’t have a flashy sound, nor is it particularly moving in any tangible sense of the word, but it is fluid both in structure and sound - the vocals flow in and out and have a tendency to sort of reel you back into the sound when you least expect. Taylor is able to keep the chilled out vibe of the record by utilizing a light sub-bass along with airy synths and electronic sounds. It’s the type of sound that allows the listener to ease into the genre without it being too jarring or experimental. Taylor’s style is sort of like a sophomore version of Flying Lotus’. Not in a “Flying Lotus is better than Taylor McFerrin” kind a way, but in a “Taylor’s sound is probably more accessible than FlyLo’s to the layman listener”.

I think the album’s title describes the feel perfectly. It’s a bit drowsy and chilled out, and even with the tracks that have a more powerful sound, the heaviness and instrumentation are eased into and then eased back out of again. The track Decisions (featuring one of my favorite vocalists Emily King), showcases not only Taylor’s songwriting, but also his talent as a producer. I think the way he takes samples of various sounds is intriguing; he does it so that it doesn’t confuse the listener or alienate the lyrics/vocals from the rest of the sound which is hard to do when lots of different pieces are being used.

Early Riser is easily one of my favorite releases off Brainfeeder. It’s an album that has a consistent theme but still embodies Brainfeeder’s vision of pushing the boundaries of electronica and finding ways to creatively weave different genres of music together. 

I don’t want to ask questions as I’m interested in a more organic response to the album, but I would like to know why you liked and/or disliked certain tracks. Happy listening!

7:38 AM

I was extremely hesitant when picking this album. It is clearly something that exists more comfortably in the depths of winter, but I’m willing to take the risk. Lost Wisdom is the second LP by Phil Elverum under the Mount Eerie moniker. Formerly referring to his work as The Microphones, the switch was made in 2003. It truly was a new beginning, as this was the time Phil changed the spelling of his last name from Elvrum to Elverum. 

Normally a singular voice in his work, in both vocals and instrumentation, this time Phil has companions. Vocalist Julie Doiron and guitarist Fred Squire play a role on every track. This grouping was created by a stroke of luck. The aforementioned duo had a break in touring and payed Phil a visit, which found the three of them in a recording studio together. After brief hesitation, they quickly set to work. 

While he certainly uses electric sounds and distortion in his work, Phil mostly has an ambling and meandering acoustic style. Fred Squire punctuates this by providing a backdrop of somber electric guitar. It is unobtrusive, but provides a tone not normally found in an Elverum production. 

Phil has a certain amount of uncertainty in his vocal delivery. He is asking questions that don’t always have an answer ; pondering his existence and looking for things that can’t be found. Julie Doiron provides a more succinct voicing that plays off his existential musings. 

The intimacy of the tracks is opened up and allows the listener to more comfortably enter Phil’s world. 

An album by the Microphones or Mount Eerie is akin to dropping into an existence with Phil. Wether that be a respite by a fire, a cold moonlit night, or being lost in the woods, his music draws you into an experience. This time we have companions on the journey. They create a bridge so we can comfortably sit between our world and his. Phil is not going anywhere, but this time we have someone to hold our hand as we peer through the looking glass.

A couple questions you can expound on, or not. It’s a free country. 

1. Is this your first experience with an Elverum production? 

A ) If yes, did you enjoy it? 

B) If no, how do you think it differentiates from his other work?

2.   It is an extremely sparse album. Do you think like that adds to the feel, or do you want more? 

3.   Did you enjoy the vocal harmony? Do you feel like they played off each other well? 

10:56 AM

"Oh in the morning/I stumble/my way towards/the mirror and my makeup/it's light out/and I now/face just what I'm made of

There's so much more/left to do/Well I'm not young/But I'm not through"

And so starts one of my favorite albums of all time: Friend and Foe, by Portland art-rockers Menomena (dun dun dun dun dun).  Do you guys know how I am constantly preaching "creativity" as one of my favorite qualities in new bands?  And of course, being me, I grumble all the time about bands that lack it.  The way I see it, these guys are the gold standard for creativity in indie music.  Yet for all their creativity, they remain grounded in some damn good hooks and don't tend to leave the stratosphere like some other more "out there" bands and musicians.

The core members of Menomena are Justin Harris and Danny Seim.  Brent Knopf was with the band up through their third release, Mines, but left in what was a fairly publicized breakup.  It's no surprise, though - each member of Menomena writes songs individually and brings them to the band to flesh out, usually over email.  Naturally, not everyone's songs get picked, so feelings can be hurt.  While the loss of Knopf was certainly sad for fans of Menomena, 2012's Moms (their first sans Knopf) is an excellent record.  It doesn't top Friend and Foe though - their best work - which has the three core members of the band sharing songwriting duties and instrumentation throughout.

Harris plays bass, guitar, horns, and probably 50 other instruments, all of which are add unique layers throughout the record.  Knopf plays guitar and keys, and Seim plays drums and is in general a complete badass.  All three of them are wildly talented musicians, as it should become clear to you from the beginning.

In addition to the many different instruments being played throughout the record, Knopf wrote a computer program called Deeler that they essentially used to pass around the room and record loops one by one, building them into a full song.  So: take a bunch of multi-instrumentalists who all write songs, throw in a homemade computer program, record and send snippets of songs via email, and put them all together.  Somehow, time and time again, Menomena produce cohesive albums out of this chaos.

----

Listening to Friend and Foe is a completely nostalgic experience for me.  This was one of the first "indie" albums I ever really loved and have been listening to it constantly since it came out in 2007, when I was 17.  I was a late bloomer, and it would be fair to say that this album has been the soundtrack to my "growing up/growing old" (I know, I'm not old...and it sounds silly, but you definitely start thinking about growing old a lot more once you've been out of college for a couple of years) stage of life, which is why those first couple of lines really resonate with me in the opener.  The album only gets stronger from there.  Standouts like Wet and Rusting, Rotten Hell, Boyscout'n, and Evil Bee are all fascinating songs with simple backbones that are bolstered by intricate layering and musicianship.  Really, the whole album is fucking excellent.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the Grammy-award winning album art, too.  It's amazing.  Google it for more details.  In fact, it's so amazing that when I got my first original pressing vinyl copy of this (now apparently worth 50-100 bucks), and didn't have a record player/care, I hung it up on my wall as art...without protecting it at all.  Amazingly, Vinyl Me Please was able to repress it this year, which got me to join (and eventually quit after 3 months).

This album is pretty close to the perfect artistic package.  I hope you guys like it.

Questions to consider, if you want:

+ Which songs do you like the best?  Each songwriter adds some unique elements to the music, so it's possible you'd gravitate towards a certain set of songs written by one of the dudes in particular.
+ What do you think about the drumming and why are your thoughts all centered around how excellent it is?
+ How tall do you think the drummer is?
+ Thoughts on the use of horns and piano throughout the album?
+ Ron, does this meet Ron's Music Standards™?

6:53 AM

My new found love, Julie Byrne. She isn't super hot, she inst the next Tina Turner, she isnt an advance guitar finger picker like Shana Cleveland of La Luz. What is she? Well, simple. Not overly simple, however. She has a beautiful, wholesome voice that is incredibly comforting and she plays the guitar with this wispy gliding feel. I just recently found this album, Rooms With Walls and Windows, through a live video (here is one, another, and one more) of her and fell in love instantly. She is kind of new to the larger music scene (outside of local), so she is relatively unknown, but is about to go on an international tour.

I feel like the first half of the album has some songs that are very simple and kind of what you would expect from the indie singer/songwriter genre. But in songs like “Attached to Us…” the slight quiver you can hear in voice really adds volumes to the emotion and feel she is trying to convey. The second half of the album has more complete, fuller songs than the first, however, the it lacks the diversity the first half has.

From what I could tell, this album is a collection of EPs she released over the past 3 years, except slightly reworked and mastered. I thoroughly enjoy this album because of its simplistic nature, it’s pure, raw sound, it’s good use of the Lo-fi aesthetic, the dope ass synths, and Julie Byrne’s beautiful, calming voice. I think I enjoy this album so much because I don't listen to much music like this because I often find it boring. I feel like she standouts, but I don't know why. From what I have read off of her site, her lyrics are pretty good. I don't know much about lyrics, but they seem deep and emotional. haha. I think this is a good album to write in journal too, or sit by the creek and ponder (I sadly have no creeks near me). I hope you enjoy this and find the glory in the bits of this album that standout compared to other musicians in this genre. I present Julie Byrne's Rooms With Walls and Windows.

7:20 AM

Ok, crew, this group is about getting out of your musical comfort zone so this week that's what I'm gonna make you do. No, it's not Paramore, sorry to disappoint. This week I've chosen one of my all time favorite albums, mewithoutYou's third album, Brother, Sister. MewithoutYou probably fits most comfortably into the post-hardcore genre, but there has been a clear evolution of sound throughout their six-album discography. While their first two albums relied much more heavily on frontman (and lyrical genius) Aaron Weiss screaming, he made a very successful effort to incorporate more singing into Brother, Sister. Their fourth album made a sharp turn towards indie folk and dropped the screaming completely, creating a sound almost reminiscent of Neutral Milk Hotel (except way better). The fifth album, Ten Stories continued the more subdued trend but with a less folksy vibe and an stronger emphasis on storytelling, as each song was a sort of fable. The album they put out this year, Pale Horses, is an incredible blend of all the sounds they've had over the years.

If I had to choose one thing that makes mewithoutYou such a unique and intriguing band, it would definitely be their lyrics. The Weiss brothers grew up in a Sufi Muslim household with a mother who had converted from Christianity and a father who had converted from Judaism, so they were exposed to a plethora of ideas throughout their childhood which Aaron pulls heavily from in his songwriting. As someone who is intrigued by the ideas of different religions, regardless of personal belief, and especially by the way they can coexist, I completely eat this stuff up. Aaron's lyrics are so layered with allusions to philosophers and various religious texts that they really could be studied and picked apart in an academic manner and I tend to catch something new every time I listen to one of mewithoutYou's albums. So this paragraph was a sort of disclaimer/plea for you to leave any past religious biases at the door when you go to listen to this album and take it as a work of art. If religion is a fairy tale in your eyes, you can still enjoy the rich mythology presented here.

So anyway, your challenge for this week is to give this album 3 good listens. I would HIGHLY recommend sitting down with the lyrics at least once. If it's just not your thing that's cool but give it a chance. If you love it and you can't get enough I can help recommend where to go next in their discography and also talk to you about them forever. They also put on one of the most passionate and energetic live shows I've ever seen so if the opportunity arrises, GO. Thank me later.

(this post was done on behalf of Nora who was having technical difficulties in posting it under her account. cheers.)

6:43 AM

After doing some reading, it seems like Skalpel is pretty known in the Polish Jazz scene (which I unfortunately know nothing about but apparently is a thing?). A lot of their music takes hip-hop beats as well as samples from Polish jazz records of the '50s, '60s and '70s, the result being a distinctive yet rich sound that could be placed under "electronica jazz".

Their self-titled is quite diverse in its sound and gives off a nice live sounding quality that a lot of contemporary jazz records fail in, in my opinion. If you're familiar with styles of jazz, this record has a very retro sound- elements from '50s beatnik and '70s fusion are very apparent. The hip-hop style beats give it a more fresh and contemporary flair. One of my favorite aspects of the record is how crisp (goes back to the live-sounding quality of the record) yet complex the drum playing is, especially in songs like Not Too Bad and So Far.

If y'all enjoy it, I highly recommend checking out Jaga Jazzist and Cinematic Orchestra. Happy listening.

1:35 PM

All the information you need is on the right, including the order.  New posts with albums go up Friday.  If you're not posting, listen to the album as much as you can and give your opinions by the following Thursday as a comment to the first thread.

If you are posting: just tell me the album and I'll take care of the rest.

12:26 PM