Sonic Youth
The Destroyed Room: B-Sides and Rarities
2006 | Geffen
This is quite possibly Sonic Youth’s last release on Geffen. If it signifies anything it’s that the band has been experiencing a re-birth since 2003’s outstanding “Sonic Nurse” and this year’s equally impressive “Rather Ripped.”
“The Destroyed Room: B-Sides and Rarities” is perfect for fans who want to hear what happens in the Sonic Youth lab while the band is building a song or just fucking around in the studio. The explorations in tonality and use of the guitar as a tool still sound exciting, like the band could play on for years with or without a label.
It begins with The 10 minute opener “Fire Engine Dream” and sounds like a group of kids who stumbled upon a batch of alternately tuned guitars and a few screwdrivers. The “melodies” actually work and transition into a dentist room experience of feedback, this is how I initially remember hearing Sonic Youth for the first time. “Fauxhemians” is jazzy and loose thanks to Kim Gordon’s pulsating bass line that dynamically shifts and always sounds restless. Kim ushers in the next bluegrass tinted ballad singing repetitions of “razorblade, razorblade…” over a bluesy slide guitar and brushed drumming. Their experimental guitar collages are just as refreshing to listen to during the first batch of songs as they were when I was a teenager.
“Blink”, “Campfire” and “Loop Cat” are the more ambient chill-out pieces using loops and tiny specks of guitar harmonics to create a passive mood. The sounds and metallic picking still resonates the work of Sonic Youth, only they’re just not as impressive compared to the more assaulting outtakes from Sonic Nurse. The art-rock resurfaces on “Kim’s Chords”. It’s basically a great song that needs a vocalist and is as structured and beautiful as most of their work from this year’s Rather Ripped.
The eruption and harness of noise is discovered again on “Beautiful Plateau.” Steve Shelly rides the toms and hi-hat while Lee and Thurston interweave guitar melodies and random chord progressions reminding me more of more playful and ambitious Daydream Nation-era Sonic Youth, probably my favorite track on the disc. The CD ends with the epic “The Diamond Sea”, all 25 minutes of it!!!, only there is an alternate ending.
The best stuff on here is definitely pulled from the Sonic Nurse sessions (“Fire Engine Dream”, “Kim’s Chords,” and “Beautiful Plateau”). And if Geffen does decide to let Sonic Youth go I still see the band churning out great albums. This CD demonstrates that the band is still excited to make music with each other and share the leftovers. This is a band who respects each other’s work and musicianship and obviously does exactly what they want, when they want to regardless of their label situation.
Eskimohunter: Musical Snowglobe Machine
(So Sweet, 2005)
Eskimohunter is Jason 71 from Los Angeles, CA. After completing an impressive residency in March at The Fold this year they’ve finally resurfaced with an EP that encompasses everything you wanted to hear from those gigs. What’s up with the numero for a last name? You’ll have to ask him yourself. Before you do that please buy this CD. It’s a fresh and modern take on the ground-breaking, noise-pop bands of the late eighties and early nineties only less washy and more dynamic. Sugary, noise-pop guitars are all over the place, but they don’t overwhelm the songs. They add beautiful touches of melody in equal parts to the Beach Boys influenced vocals, measured drumming, and sampled keyboards
“Walking Tour of Space 90013” is the triumphant, heavy-hitter of this six-song EP. It starts off with a pulsating, siren-like sample followed up by a blistering Medicine-era guitar hook. The rest of the song takes off the way Verve used to with loose drumming and melodic guitar strokes. “Speed and other Forces of Nature” and “Surfing at 32 F” are more bouncy and fun. They take off into space and still manage to retain that futuristic feel and positivity which is found on every track
What I love most about Eskimohunter is that you hear all the instruments and the building blocks of each song instead of the typical noisy, shoegaze guitar wash that can sometimes destroy a song. I just think it makes a band, and their music, more attainable and musical. The reason My Bloody Valentine made such astounding records is because they believed in songwriting and vocals first. And the layering was added to enhance that structure not cover it up. I mean let's be honest. If a band is going to be influenced by that genre it’s best to approach it by building a song that invites you in instead instead of creating a wall of sound that shuts you out. Eskimohunter write songs that are always uplifting, celebratory, and optimistic sounding in the way great pop songs should be.
The Brother Kite
Waiting For The Time To Be Right
2006 | Clairecords
Clairecords is typically known for being unknown. The label releases and reissues hundreds of shoegaze inspired bands and copycat fledglings attempting to recreate the worlds that bands like Slowdive, Lush, and Ride could only create. But they finally hit the jackpot with The Brother Kite’s second full-length, Waiting For the Time To Be Right. The album succeeds by avoiding shoegaze blandness altogether with a strong focus on overdriven pop melodies and dynamic vocal arrangements, it’s closer in feel to a reverb-laden Teenage Fanclub if they had never listened to Big Star.
Vocalist Patrick Boutwell’s passionate delivery is the real payoff here, a dead ringer for Smile-era Brian Wilson than anyone you’ve ever heard. His deep, haunting vocals are still natural sounding and remain at the forefront of every song. He helps to build a symphonic work of art with melodies and hooks floating above the ground but never too far off. The instruments follow suit with just the right amount of saturated keys and dense guitar sparkles.
The second track, and first real stunner, is “Out of Sight.” The guitars and drums bounce like a psychedelic parade leaving a trail of sugar a mile long. The tambourines join in adding to the mayhem while Boutwell delivers his best. The similarity to Brian Wilson on the deep, brooding melodies of “Hopeless and Unsung” are amazing. The song shines with shimmery guitar notes accompanied by a soft rhythmic pulse of tambourines and vibraphone. By the time the drums kick in it feels overpowering and larger than life. The power pop bangers “I’m Not the Only One” and “Bring it Back Home” are faster, demonstrating the playfulness and accessibilty in their songwriting.
The songs get bigger and bigger with the Black Tambourine inspired ”Get on Me” proving that blissful dreampop can be quick, fun and danceable. And the massive shifts on “Lay Down Your Burden” come across as big and sweeping as a pop song can be once the drums come in and blow you away. Waiting for the Time to Be Right is 2006’s best “end of the year” album, you won’t find anything that contains such strength and power in a pop format. My only grudge about this record is that I wish the cover would have been different. The pastoral and mellow feel falsely represents the outstanding dream-pop that jumps out at you the moment you hit play.
PJ Harvey
The Peel Sessions, 1991-2004
| Island/Def Jam
I’m sure many PJ Harvey fans have been anticipating this release forever and I can tell you it was worth the wait. The John Peel Sessions of PJ Harvey are outstanding demonstrations of her passionate delivery and ability to rock like few female guitarists can. The bio and press photos also display the care and mutual admiration these two greats had for one another, and it obviously rubs off when PJ hits her first note on the CD. The sessions span from 1991 to 2004 covering all the songs you’d expect to hear, I only wish there was more.
The first session is definitely my favorite and contains awesome renditions of the earlier and darker ballads “Oh My Lover”, the building rock and belting vocals of “Victory”, US radio hit “Sheela-Na-Gig”, and the melodic swagger of “Water”. PJ always manages to sound nervous, tense, and exhausted during every take and these Peel Sessions do justice in capturing her personality.
1993’s session has two tracks, “Naked Cousin” and “Wang Dang Doodle”. The performances are dirtier and looser, a mark of her talent being realized and sharpened. There’s a slightly better grip and aggressiveness emanating from her guitar chops on “Naked Cousins” while “Wang Dang Doodle” shows PJ really letting herself go as she wails on the mic almost sounding like Dio, awesome.
The 1996 set includes “Losing Ground”, “Snake”, and “That Was My Veil”. “Losing Ground” is pretty basic and chugs along with heavy guitar chords following Harvey’s vocal melody. When “Snake” comes in you get sufficiently rocked as PJ puts everyone on notice. She gives a truly candid and bellowing singing performance, translating levels of pain and frustration I couldn’t dare to understand. All I know is that if I was in that room I’d be scared shitless. “That Was My Veil” is the soft and delicate side of PJ utilizing acoustic guitar over a penetrating organ melody. The final vocal melody is yet another example of her amazing range and fearlessness.
“This Wicked Tongue” comes through hazier and heavier with vocal-effected echoes and PJ’s deeper range. There’s a really cool moment after the chorus when her guitar and voice are almost sustaining on the exact same frequency, that kind of moment is what Peel Sessions are made for. “Beautiful Feeling” is the partner to this 2000 session. An instant sadness comes across with an accompanying piano underlying PJ’s somber guitar playing.
The final track “You Come Through”, from 2004’s session, is simply PJ Harvey and an acoustic guitar. The title alone suggests the deep admiration that PJ has for John Peel, like a final ode to the man that played everything you wanted to hear and unearthed the bands no one else had the balls to play.
Division Day: The Mean Way In EP
(Self Released, 2005)
This is the L.A. band Division Day. It's their second release of detailed arrangements and structures, focused songwriting, and an overall concern with the originality. “There Is No Telling” is the standout for me. It's eerie and dense. And speaking of eerie and dense, most of the songs here lightly graze that territory but eventually take off into another realm completely. The drums can go from hushed and brushed during one passage to busy and powerful in the next, superb work.
Division Day also seem to cover a lot of genres without sounding like any particular band. It's largely due to the way each instrument opens-up or is "showcased" during a particular song. There's no specific style but every song on this EP has some unique guitar sound, synth, or drum-fill, without sounding tried and obvious. "Wings and Bones" really cuts deep. It reminded me more of a segue track into their next imaginary CD rather than a closer. And finally, the artwork is perfect! All bands should take note.
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