Girl With The Dragon Tattoo Soundtrack - Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross – Review

Girl With The Dragon Tattoo Soundtrack - Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross – Review

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (Mute Records) has a soundtrack that takes no melodic prisoners. Trent Reznor, in collaboration with English composer and musician Atticus Ross, comes bearing a monolithic 39-track beast. Fresh from their  triumph at the Oscars (They won Best Original Score for The Social Network) they have hit the ground not running but barreling. Ross has collaborated with Reznor on past Nine Inch Nails albums and it’s a fusion of dark vision.

The staccato clattering machinations of “Oraculum” chime and skitter along at a frenetic pace that brings to mind OCD and the agitation brought on by any painful thought or situation you just can’t seem to escape. It’s a sonic distillation of discomfort and visceral ill-at-easeness. The cover of “The Immigrant Song,” the gem of the OST, unites Reznor and Karen O from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs taking Led Zeppelin to the factory and churning it back out as industrial puree. The effect is sharp, not overstated and free of the eardrum-popping overdoing that’s so tempting to give into when covering a powerhouse like Plant.

“The Sound of Forgetting”  manages to be both upsetting and catchy and memorable. “The Heretics” thump and clang and echo never relents. Reznor’s talents are a natural fit for the thriller adapted from the novel by the late Stieg Larsson. “She Reminds Me Of You” with its quirky vibrations is a soundscape of sadness and coming unraveled In all, it’s perfect music to pulse along to the story of someone who’s been brutally backhanded by fate like Lisbeth Salander, GWTDT’s main character.

As the force behind Nine Inch Nails Reznor, built a career on the hard-edged creative manifestation of suffering. Joined with Ross, the combination hits hard and hits home.

Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross - She Reminds Me Of You (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo Soundtrack)

Skrillex – “Bangarang” Review

Skrillex – “Bangarang”

Over the last two years, Skrillex (aka Sonny Moore, the former frontman of early-2000s emo act From First To Last) has quickly become the universally-recognized faceplate of American dubstep. Where dubstep’s UK origins drew on the eerie loop-and-effect ethos of dub reggae, the US’s adaptation (sometimes referred to by its detractors as “brostep”) is on the whole more taken with the thumping intensity of contemporary house. And in Moore’s case, that intensity often smacks of his pseudo-metal musical history.

On his new EP, Skrillex delivers pretty much exactly what’s expected: glitched-out synthesizers, impeccably cavernous bass-lines, and filthy half-time breakdowns. The power of Skrillex’s music has always been his ability to make the extremely weird palatable and to make the merely palatable seem weird, and Bangarang is no exception. Moore chops apart his own voice, stitching it back together with the saccharine rubble of digitized keytars and yawning filters, leaving behind something you can almost, but not quite, sing along too. It’s indulgent, fist-pumping music, typical to his own brew of chaos and the type you might use to soundtrack a bank heist or something featuring Vin Diesel.

Aside from a rather puzzling collaboration with the remaining members of the Doors, “Breakn’ A Sweat,” there are no real surprises on the EP, and in fact, most of these songs would have fit in well on any of his other releases. Which is not to say that it’s not a fun listen – the glitch freefall of “The Devil’s Den” and the guitar-heavy Right In are clear standouts – but that Bangarang feels like more of the same. One of the blessings of many more-established electronic dance music acts is the freedom they have to experiment: genre-bending DJ/producers such as Dieselboy and Diplo spring immediately to mind as artists whose tastes expanded outwards with their fame. On Bangarang it seems the opposite is happening; rather than diversifying, Moore is consolidating and defining, and frankly, it’s a let-down. Hopefully he’s loosen up next-time around.

SKRILLEX - Bangarang feat. Sirah [Official Music Video]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJVmu6yttiw

Papercuts – Fading Parade

Papercuts – Fading Parade

Sub Pop has consistently supplied the masses with incredible groups like The Postal Service, Iron and Wine, Sunny Day Real Estate, and Mogwai. Not surprisingly then, they have proven this once again with Papercuts’ fourth album, Fading Parade. An interesting mix of complex, yet understated instrumentation, hazy vocals, and perfectly simplistic songwriting.

Sub Pop labels Fading Parade as “dream pop of the highest order” – I find that statement completely true and quite an accomplishment, but itsfatal flaw might be it is a bit too dreamy and definitely not in that cute 80′s guy way. It is lo-fi in a very polished way, something I appreciate, yet I still can’t shake the I’m-falling-asleep feeling. This is probably best listened to on a summer day, intoxicated by sun, and dripping laziness.

There’s a mellow ambiance created by Fading Parade. Like the world is collapsing around you, spinning slowly, and all you can do is stand and watch in awe as everything is enveloped in fog. Each track offers another realm of dreaminess, and because of the similar musical qualities and the different mood in each track, they are incredibly complimentary. In fact, the whole album plays very synched, as if it could be one 38 minute song, which is generally an indicator of a keen awareness and appreciation for overall composition.

“Chills” offers a love story about pills and clouds that has impeccable (and very simple) rhyme schemes, but the intriguing segment of this track is in the middle when there is this interruption by an indiscernible vocalist that doesn’t fit completely, but close enough. This is indicative of the many elements within the album that seem weird, but nevertheless support the quality of the album. The opening of “Marie Says You’ve Changed” intrigued me with its held notes and emotive lyrics in that I’ve-so-felt-that-way way. The track continues in this style which entices me even further and gets to me with an instrumental break just after the first half. This is the type of music that gives hope to those yearning for elementary songwriting that isn’t banal.

Papercuts is obviously going places in 2011: first Sub Pop release, SXSW, Urban Outfitters compilation. Whether or not one likes any of these things doesn’t matter, what does matter is these particular things have predicted indie greatness. Fading Parade is the love of your life evaporating slowly in front of your eyes, like the last float disappearing down main street.

Papercuts, Marie Says You've Changed

Stars – We Don’t Want Your Body

Stars – We Don’t Want Your Body

The Stars have always been pretty twee, a typically groan-worthy genre, but they’ve managed to win me over (versus, say, The Field Mice). They also put out fun, original videos and I have lingering good feelings for “Bitches in Tokyo”, “Sleep Tonight” and other cleverness. Unfortunately, the promo for their single “We Don’t Want Your Body” off of The Five Ghosts departs from the creative trend and lands in Disappointing-stan. [Editor's note: Woah. I can't believe I wrote that. Sorry guys.]

In what must be a tribute to Olivia Newton John’s “Physical”. Even the soft, blurring lighting and 80s quality footage is reminiscent of Olivia’s gym terrorizing. Of course, the recognition of such a close relation also invites us to compare the homage against the original. Both of the videos have the same running joke: overly muscly brutes are thoroughly absurd people, especially when you watch them go through their grueling and sweaty rituals. It’s a bit much to handle in both cases.

But unlike “Physical”, this Stars effort doesn’t soften the gross exercising with a (albeit wispy) narrative or light commentary beyond “lol they look like monsters.” Instead, all we get are a few visual gags – body builders lip-syncing Torquil Campbell and Amy Millan, the meatheads flex dancing in unison and the other antics – which becomes tedious very quickly. The body steam runs out and we’re left to watch the absurdism go on for 3.5 minutes. That’s too much protein powder to swallow.



Stars - We Don't Want Your Body [Official Video]

Twin Sister – In Heaven

Twin Sister – In Heaven

In Heaven (Domino) is a good, fun, unhurried ride through the neighborhood of a band from Long Island that took their vision to Brooklyn and developed a following and released one well-received EP, Vampires, with Dreaming Kids in 2008 before their first full-length debut.

Andrea Estrella has the ethereal vocals and the flexibility to shift from siren song into popville without it being jarring. In “Kimmi In A Rice Field,” she exhibits  the transcendent psychedelic floataway cool of Debbie Harry. Flecked with Asian influences, this rack is nicely trancy and outerspacy,  but at times  it’s unevenly leveled and your ear may need to scramble to find its footing. “Bad Street” is a pulsing danceable  and saucy groove, twangy and out there. Gwen Stefani and No Doubt come to mind here.

“Daniel” has a charming bossa-nova “Girl From Ipanema” feel to it. It blends well  into the background of your daily life and tasks but if you focus on it you’ll still recognize its merits. The cool, comfortable breeziness of it expands Twin Sister’s sound beyond the defining confines of “indie” or chillwave even though those elements are undeniably present. ”Spain”  juxtaposes Doors-esque electronic touches but Estrella’s lyrics come across muddied almost as if she were speaking in tongues which may well be the desired effect.

The band definitely enjoys experimenting with the genre switchoff, creating an effect something like playing the first few notes of multiple songs in a consecutive block. “Saturday Sunday” shifts into upbeat poppy single mode and it’s a much-needed varietal injection into the bloodstream of the album with its punk pop new-wave mashup. The lineup change-up continues with ”Stop,” a surprising foray into mellow jazzy soul.  ”Gene Ciampi” has the swingy island-breeze calypso sound that Blondie captured so deftly. Twin Sister’s easy playfulness,  rather than music to worry by, is music to escape worry by.

Twin Sister - Stop

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eO84V2FAAJw

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Worldbeats: Burning Spear - Reviews

Worldbeats: Burning Spear

Saint Anns, Jamaica born reggae artist Winston Rodney has been releasing music since his 1969 single “Door Peep,” which he produced with the help of legendary ska and reggae producer Clement Dodd. Better known by his stage name, Burning Spear, Rodney has released 30 studio albums, 6 live albums, and 16 compilations over the past 43 years. In that time, he’s become known as one of the most influential and widely respected reggae musicians in the industry. In addition to his work with Dodd, he’s recorded with Bob Marley’s Tuff Gong record company, EMI, and won two Grammy Awards for Best Reggae Album. (He’s been nominated 12 times.)

Burning Spear devotes a great deal of focus in his music in lyrics to the Rastafari Movement, more general messages of peace and love, and the struggle Blacks faced during slavery and segregation. Three of his albums are named for the Jamaican activist Marcus Garvey, and several of his songs make reference to Garvey’s efforts advancing the causes of Black Nationalism and Pan-Africanism. Not one to allow too much time to pass between releases, Burning Spear is working on his 31st studio album, No Destroyer. Set to be his first LP since the Grammy Award winning 2008 release, Jah Is Real, he’s released a few tracks from the mix. “Music Business” just came out yesterday, and “Musical Sharks” & “No Fool Rough” have been around for the past several months.

Burning Spear - "In This Music Business" (Reggae)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kv8IYgcA2Jg

The Latest: Sleigh Bells – “Comeback Kid”

The Latest: Sleigh Bells – “Comeback Kid”

Sleigh Bells are back– are you listening? With a brand new, sophomore album single that’s as good as the abrasively catchy “Comeback Kid,” you should be. The Brooklyn duo’s 2010 debut LP, Treats, instantly crowned them with the title of major buzz band; it’s a tough act to follow for the soon-to-be released Reign of Terror. If “Comeback Kid” is any indication, though, Derek Miller and Alexis Krauss are sticking to what they do best: hardcore, floor-shaking beats, riffs that pulse like machine guns, and an energetic, badass attitude all juxtaposed with the high, delicate innocence of Krauss’ singing voice. Fighting off any notions of a slump, “Comeback Kid” plows through with guns positively blazing. Don’t call it a comeback– Sleigh Bells are here to stay.