Ran Blake - All That Is Tied
iTunes
Amazon

This record is gorgeous. Ran's extensive discography. This record feautres 12 solo piano tracks that mesh minimalism and impresisonism. Not that I know for a fact that Mr. Blake is trying to paint a picture, but the music somehow describes... er... something. I think its different for each listener. Here's a little snippet from the allmusic bio. Oh yeah and if you don't believe me, Wire called this record a "Masterpiece." And as an added plus, the packaging, artwork, and liner notes are AWESOME.

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Charles Gayle - Time Zones
iTunes
Amazon

Like Blake, Gayle's album is a solo piano record, which is interesting considering he's known for his sax abilities. However, unlike Blake, this record is brooding, spastic, and downright evil. I saw Gayle play at the Stone over on Ave C + 3rd and I can safely say i'd never heard a piano sound that way. It's a mish mash of melodic and percussive bashing that moves so perfectly you'll wonder how anyone could imagine this stuff in their head. Check it out, the photos in the liner notes is worth it alone. Great packaging. It's only $6.99 on iTunes!

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Christian Kiefer & Sharron Kraus - The Black Dove
iTunes
Amazon

Holy folk explosion batman. This is roots folk with an art house twist. There's no "O' Brother Where Art Thou" here. Tracks range from the Sufjan-esque "Cold Blue Room" to the chugging head nodding of "On The Chase" where Kraus croons over a rolling banjo line. If jazz isn't cup of tea, check this out, fans of all types of artists will love this record. At least listen to the iTunes samples if you're THAT cheap. For fans of: Joseph Arthur, Joanna Newsome, Sufjan Stevens, Red House Painters, and too many others to name. Catchy, haunting, etheral, and FOLK!

Patrick Wolf – Wind In The Wires

It must feel good to know that you've become king of singer/songwriter meets calculator programming.   Wolf excels at Viola, Ukelele, Guitar, and BOOTY THUMPIN ELECTRO BEATS.   Apparently, one dose of harmony can cure a some weird machinist type apathy, and Wolf serves up some glimmering counterpoint to offset the android sequenced beats that explode out of everything from horse hooves to string quartets.   You're nuts if you own Bright Eyes' coffee table coaster “Digital Ash In A Digital Urn” and not this gem.   Hit up iTunes

LCD Soundsystem – LCD Soundsystem

Hell yeah.   Fucking Hell yeah.   Never in my life has one middle aged Brooklyn man surprised me.   I never liked dance music. Ever.   Once I heard this record, I went crazy.   Supersystem, Soulwax, etc I bought em all and love.   And let's not forget main man James Murphy's incredible remix skills.   Did you hear his remix of NIN's “The Hand That Feeds”   GENIUS!   From the hilariously idealistc “Daft Punk Is Playing At My House,” to the spastic “Movement,” to my favorite scene critique ever “Losing My Edge,” this record redefines what we consider dance music.   Sorry Ace of Base.   Sorry Real McCoy.   Best line on the whole record “I'm losing my edge to the art-school Brooklynites in little jackets and borrowed nostalgia for the unremembered eighties.”   EAT IT NYU STUDENTS.

The Cribs – The New Fellas

This record just kicks ass.   It is completely one dimensional, but who cares?   The Cribs are awesome because their songs are simple, but not overly predictable.   Killer harmonies, memorable riffs, and great lo fi production made me fall in love with pretty much every track on this album. The New Fellas is a must have if you drive frequently.

Test Icicles – For Screening Purposes Only / Various Singles and EPs

I didn't believe Nick Hardcourt, I just didn't.   Arcade Fire meets Slayer?   Seriously, you can only make that up in some pitchfork fantasy world.   Well I hear it.   Go ahead and read my review of their “Boa Vs. Python” single on my music page.   But the real treasure is the wonderfully catchy “Circle Square Triangle.”   The opening buildup, the incredibly high screeching yelps, and four to the four slam beat, oh dear god, wheres my fog machine? And strobe lights? I demand strobe lights

The Chariot – Unsung EP

Probably the best hardcore band that actually tries new techniques in its songwriting.   Banjos?   Slide guitar?   Whodduhthunk?   Not Madball fans.   This EP isn't for those that want a meathead screaming about rising up and overtaking.   Oh no my friends.   This is for those who like carnage.   Not like Lightning Bolt carnage, like if Converge and Judge somehow ended up in a food processor and were emulsified with Glassjaw Oil.   This is still doing it no justice.   Flat out, Josh Scogin used to sing for Norma Jean.   This means he's probably one of the best hardcore vocalists of all time.   He took the music style of Norma Jean and expanded on it to make every 10 second clip interesting.   There's nothing boring in this entire EP.   If you think Atreyu “rocks” this will rip your face off.   If you think Hammerfall is “the savior of all music” please don't buy this.   Instead, jump in front of an Amtrak.

Honorable Mentions In About Ten Words:
The Decemberists – Picaresque
"Engine Driver." Indie Rock Placebo. "Eli The Barrow Boy" HEARTBREAKING.

The National – Alligator
Easily one of the most under appreciatd/exposed records of 2005

Nine Inch Nails – With Teeth
I wish it were faster, but its beauty evolves every listen

Oasis – Don't Believe The Truth
They're sober, healthy, and putting out some of the best music of their lives

Spoon – Gimme Fiction
Who knew the tambourine could be a feature instrument?

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Howl
Talk about a 180... Where'd the drone go? Who cares its awesome.

Tim Fite – Gone Ain't Gone
I saw him play solo in a basement, but his record is samples galore

Bloc Party – Silent Alarm
2005 keyword: Angular. Still a great (tho overhyped) debut.

MIA – Arular
Everyone thinks she sounds foregin, but her producer is from philly.

Denison Witmer - Are You A Dreamer?
Sounds like a quiet drive in California hills.

Good But Overrated Records... And Bad Records too (in no particular order):
Antony & The Johnsons - I Am A Bird Now
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Sufjan Stevens - Illinoise
Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
The White Stripes - Gimme Satan
System Of A Down - Mesmerize/Hypnotize
Death Cab For Cutie - Plans
Kanye West - Any album he's ever done
Thrice - Vheissu
Animal Collective - Feels

Random Note:
Also, my acquaintances in Aberdeen City are featured in the latest Notes Underground podcast.   A sweet live set.   (the production is surprisingly great way to go Mitch).   Recorded live in LA.   The interview is a hilarious drunken clusterfuck. Check it out here.

Every Time I Die
Gutter Phenomenon
Ferret Music

One time I was driving down the road blasting some Skynard when I almost hit a deer. Had I hit that deer, I think the results would’ve sounded much like Every Time I Die’s new release Gutter Phenomenon. It’s simple, take one part southern rock and throw it in a particle accelerator and bombard it with some hardcore carnage. The result is a record that bounces between good ole’ driving rock n roll and the technical brutality of the new wave of metalcore. Keith Buckley’s voice and delivery has changed considerably form the band’s 2nd release Hot Damn!. While his scream is still gutteral and fully developed, it sounds much throatier, mimicking that of prior Machine (what a great name for a metal producer) records like Lamb of God’s Ashes of The Wake. Buckley takes the role of a singer much more seriously. While I still really love it, the delivery of every scream doesn’t have the same “If I don’t get this line out I’ll die” urgency as heard on Hot Damn! (see Hot Damn!’s “Floater" for refernce).

With many more melodic vocal moments, this record is more appealing to those who found Last Night In Town and Hot Damn! too angry for their tastes. Plus, with song titles like the amazing “Guitared And Feathered” you can’t go wrong. This is a record for those that love upbeat metalcore without the ridiculous image and lyrics of Nu-Metal dinosaurs like Slipknot. Definitely another great release from Ferret Music. Grade: B+

This record will undoubtedly be the official make out hit of emo kids in 2005/2006. If we’ve learned anything about past Ben Gibbard releases, it’s that no one will pick up on the quality of this record until two or three years after it’s released. When I was a freshman in high school, I picked up a copy of Something About Airplanes, their first official CD release on Barsuk. The record didn’t leave my stereo for quite some time due to its oddly catchy and distinct sounding production. There was simply nothing like it. The purity of Gibbard’s voice is something that still baffles me. As we passed through The Photo Album and the re-released You Can Play These Songs With Chords, DCFC became the “it” band in Americana Indie-Rock. As Transatlanticism was released, something bad happened. Don’t get me wrong, the record was brilliant, but in a movement that mimicked that of some horrid viral infection, the “cool” youth of the nation embraced the band. Emo kids sick of listening to New Found Glory somehow assimilated Gibbard’s writing into their ironic t-shirt wearing existence and the band, without them knowing it, became a high school commodity where listening to it made you seem "deep" and "different" rather than just a music fan. This happens all the time to great bands that then get the cold shoulder from long-time fans and the press. Heck, if you believed the press, you'd believe that Thom Yorke hasn't made a good record since 1998.

It used to be that you would attend a DCFC show and the crowd would sit in utter silence witnessing some sort of recital by the band. But upon the release of Transatlanticism, it was almost deafening to stand in the crowd at the shows. 14 year-olds dropped off by their parents on a school night at Irving Plaza making-out and socializing at a DCFC show like some sort of sock hop was not my idea of a pleasant listening environment. It was like the band provided the elevator music to more important gossip. Unacceptable. Now I’m only 21, but having some doofus in an Atticus shirt say “How do you know about the band? I thought they were only known by younger kids” made me want to bite his face as I watched Gibbard & Co. in an odd opening spot for the severely overrated Ben Kweller (Corky called he wants his lyrics back).

Plans (Atlantic) finds the band mildly reinventing the songwriting and production of Transatlanticism. The melodies are pretty, the record is crisp yet lacking dynamics, and the lyrics are pretty much all about an ethereal “you” or significant other. Perhaps the band was pressured into making a repeat hit. While tracks like the brooding opener “Marching Bands Of Manhattan” and the driving “Your Heart Is An Empty Room” soar above the boring lack-luster single “Soul Meets Body,” the record as a whole reminds me too much of those released prior. Maybe it’s the fact that “What Sarah Said” has the exact same bassline as Transatlanticism’s “Lightness” and ends with a similar piano buildup as the previous record’s title track, but something here feels like the band has taken a step to the right. But there's still a lot to love here. The solo acoustic wonder "I Will Follow You Into The Dark," is absolutely phenomenal. Gibbard and his guitar with a cache of brilliantly clever lyrics shows that he still can write some of the greatest yet simplest gems today. Everyone raves about Conor Oberst as the singer songwriter, but Gibbard is far more listenable. Afterall, it was The Postal Service that allowed the wonderful Oberst to shit out that horrible electro record. The guy practically bought the entire staff involved with The Postal Service but ended up with mediocrity.

Overall, this direction is safe for DCFC, nothing on this record surprises the listener in the same way other releases have in the past. Sadness and melancholy are the norm for the band, but this time it feels like they’re writing a soundtrack for the O.C. vs. Garden State MTV Inferno hosted by Dave Mirra - whether they're trying to or not. They've been downright pigeonholed and it really sucks. That said, I know I’ll be listening to this record for the next couple of months because it is entertaining, but there’s something gilded about the whole disc. Am i being coaxed? Or just too much of a music snob and hardcore fan? (probably the latter). If you’re new to the band, you will love it. But if you own an original cassette copy of You Can Play These Songs With Chords, you might feel otherwise. Grade: B+

Sex Positions
Sex Positions
Deathwish Records
Buy on iTunes

I believe this record came out at some point in 2004, but I somehow missed it up until early July (kudos to Sam). With the capacity to mutilate your eardrum and melt your face in only 27 minutes, the self-titled debut shows the new progressive angle hardcore bands are gravitating towards. Experimental production courtesy of noise blips, pitch shifted distorted vocals, heavy editing, and nice handful of digital dirt, allow Sex Positions to carve a spot between Norma Jean, Converge, At The Drive-In, and Nine Inch Nails. This record is anything but repetitive, each track offers something new and with few repeated choruses in each of the 2 and 1/4 minute songs, the album appears to be in constant motion. The opening track alone was enough to make me sit and listen to the whole album... Few records do that to me these days, and this one sounds like the Blood Brothers murdering Big Black in some cave on the Island of Dr. Moreau. Obligatory list of arty words: ethereal, vicious, noisy, fist pumping, anthemic, intelligent, jaw dropping. Grade: A

Test-Icicles
Boa vs. Pyton 7"

NOTE: For the sake of my sanity, I will murder someone you love if I receive any emails asking about phallic innuendo. Get your giggles out now. When I was over in the UK, I had heard that Domino Records had gone on a signing spree picking up bands left and right. I heard whispers of a band that was described by many as The Arcade Fire meets Slayer. Test-Icicles is as close as that marriage of musical styles will ever come. Let's break this down into a math equation... just like Entertainment Weekly does! The following is a transcript of a EW music meeting I attended re: Test-Icicles.

Carter: Ok guys what does Test-Icicles sound like-

Marc: It sounds like a buncha BALLS to me

<gunshot>

Mary: Oh my god.

Carter: It wasn't even a real pun.

Mike: Well man I think it sounds like the Shins and like Death Cab For Cutie! Yeah! Have you heard of that Post Office band?

Carter: Do you only get your musical tastes from The O.C.?

Mike: Dude, Adam Brodie is so coo-

<Gunshot>

Mary: Oh my god...

Carter: Mary, wipe the blood off the donuts and hit me with some prose. I'm having a hard time writing this review

Mary: Ok well... We could do one of those cool math problems like we did for Bloc Party

Carter: Ok go.

Mary: Ok take one part Lindsay Lohan, multiply that by the Olsen twins' resemblance to ET, and add some hard rockin' dudes like Creed.

Carter: That was inconceivably retarded.

Mary: No think about it. I posted one last week abou-

Carter: Oh I think I'm seeing it now but you're missing one thing that will REALLY make the soccer moms get it.

Mary: What's that?

Carter: You forgot to divide it by <Gunshot>

<fin>

This Test-Icicles single brings rolling dance beats under high energy guitars that smell of an appetizer at a Slayer buffet. Its not really metal, but you can imagine Kerry King digesting some of it. The screaming vocals and relentless four-to-the-floor drums make Test-Icicles the most high-energy angular-punky-dance band to come out of the UK thus far. Silly synths and some incredible riffs make me believe that Elkland was not infact the nail in the coffin to 2005's dance-rock craze. (Check out the synth breakdown in the unreleased "Scene Damage" - if you can find it) This is fun dance music, but there is something quite evil lurking underneath this lo-fi metallic disco. They all have afros, be afraid. Grade: A+