Hear
HEAR is the enema your iTunes needs. Bringing you the most thought-provoking and up-to-date music reviews this side of Lester Bangs, HEAR sifts through the ever growing mountain of press releases and promos to only feature albums, EPs, LPs and mixes that we want to, not that we have to. Also, we try and make things make sense in 200 words or less so that you can just listen to the music.
Xiu Xiu interview
Jamie Stewart's band Xiu Xiu are intense. Actively experimental yet equally rock, they juxtapose noise and industrial sounds with hooks and riffs making music that's disorienting, heavy, intoxicating, and beautiful. With lyric matter pulled from real life events - in the band member's lives, or people close to them - their songs alternate between creepy, sad, cryptic, poignant, and funny.
'Strange Weather, Isn't It?', !!!
!!! new full-length Strange Weather, Isn't It? is a reflection on the bands glary decade together. The lyrics point towards a serious life stock-take; "you'll never hear the same song again/nothing in the rear view mirror/except a trunk full of reasons" or "I felt strangely free as I caught the last bus from the place I'm supposed to be/and it's a good thing I like being alone I made a promise to the mirror long ago".
Ous Mal, 'Noujuva Halava'
Twenty-two-year-old Finn Olli Aarni is a lot like Girl Talk. No, really - okay, he relies far less on the generosity of Fair Use, but both men compose primarily by sitting around, listening to mountains of music. What a living! The similarities end though when you consider what each man samples for.
'King Of The Beach', Wavves
So Wavves - or namely, the bro behind Wavves a.k.a Nathan Williams - is pretty much universally known for his doucheism. He looks like your standard garden-variety cool dude, which comes with the matching attitude. Known for being a jerk-off in interviews/in general and experiencing an acid freak-out onstage at Primavera last year, it's lucky that his music is bangin' enough to make up for any personality flaws.
'That's How We Burn', Jaill
This self-described psych rock gang from the American Midwest write cold songs. Don't get me wrong. They're not cold like the metaphorical shoulder; they're cold like bitter dark chocolate ice cream. There's strength in honesty in both the lyrics and production, especially in lead track and first single ‘The Stroller': "When you panic, do you count to ten? / When you're surrounded, do you hold your breath?"
After this though, the album does take a turn.
Perfume Genius, 'Learning'
So, confession time...I am completely and totally addicted to the Perfume Genius album Learning. It's one of those disgustingly lovey-dovey type things where I just can't get enough of this record and need to hear it all the time every day and need everyone else to feel the same way or at least drive them insane trying.
Crooks & Lovers, Mount Kimbie
According to Kai Campos, one half of post-dubstep outfit Mount Kimbie, their alpine-y namesake is, "A place inside all of us where buses arrive on time." There I was, thinking that was Japan.
But I dig the description; Mount Kimbie's album Crooks & Lovers is a well-oiled and timely machine; taut, layered with technical cogs and sprogs, and yet super-relaxed.
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