Album of the Week: 11/16/08

Boris - Akuma No Uta

"Genre-hopping" is an activity practiced by few groups as well as Boris, whose alternations between 70's rock, drone metal, and stoner/grunge leave them perpetually unpredictable. Akuma No Uta makes this characteristic of the group evident immediately, with the listener's first glance at the cover. Guitarist Takeshi is seen in a parody of Nick Drake's Bryter Layter pose, holding an instrument which literally enables him to do two completely different things at once.

This unclassifiable aspect of Boris' music is part of the reason Akuma No Uta is such an interesting album. The opening track (aptly titled 'Introduction') is consistent with the heavy, feedback-soaked sound Boris experimented with on Absolutego and At Last: Feedbacker. As "Intro" screams to a close, however, the band suddenly tears into 'Ibitsu'- a much faster song which is more consistent with the style of the band's previous album, Heavy Rocks. I've always been impressed with Boris' ability to pull off phenomenal transitions, and this one is no exception. In some respects, the momentally slow, roaring atmosphere of 'Intro' makes 'Ibitsu' seem like the most intense song ever written, a trick that Boris seems to really enjoy.

Not all of the transitions work, however. 'Naki Kyoku', the album's longest track, begins with a very lyrical, relaxing guitar section, but Atsuo's vocals mar the surface as the tempo increases. 'Ano Onna no Onryou', which follows, seems almost tacked on, and is easily the weakest track on the album. As the final track brings the album "full circle," one cannot help but think that Boris could have tried a little harder, and released an album that was much better. Then again, at this point in their career, the band was recording everything in one take, which lends their music a sort of honesty that many artists lack entirely. When Wata manages to evoke a sort of post-apocalyptic Hendrix on 'Ibitsu', there's no sense that studio trickery was involved- when Boris rocks, they rock, and when they don't, they don't. If only everything were that simple.

Highly recommended.

Album of the Week: 11/2/08

Tim Berne's Caos Totale- Pace Yourself

Technically speaking, this is the album of the past three weeks, but I'm secretly hoping you'll smile, nod, and act like nothing happened.

Although I'm writing about this album now, I think it will probably take a few more spins before I really understand what Berne is trying to accomplish. For a jazz album, the material is remarkably diverse- varying from lengthy avant-garde saxophone jams to almost 70's-rock-like pieces. The group as a whole, however, isn't quite as interesting as the ideas frequently expressed by the individual musicians. In particular, Bobby Previte's drum work is absolutely outstanding, notably so during his extended solo on "The Noose". Berne's saxophone playing, while occasionally difficult to follow, is very striking and intense, and there are a few extremely clever plunger-brass sections. I wish I could say more about the dynamics of the group, but I felt like my attention was perpetually being drawn between members of the band, talented as they all are.

Recommended for fans of free jazz, or adventurous fans of regular jazz.

Also, I'm going to see Philadelphia-based mashup artist Girl Talk at First Ave tomorrow, so I'll try to post a review and/or pictures of that show. I'm excited.

Album of the Week: 10/12/08

The Notorious BIG - Ready to Die

Until this year, rap was one of those genres that I perpetually told myself I was "going to check out"- which essentially meant that I never listened to it. My only exposure to the art form was the occasional radio airplay, along with a few songs I'd somehow downloaded. However, after coming off of a long stretch of listening to electronic music almost exclusively, I decided to bite the bullet and pick up a few old rap albums, just to see what I was missing.

After Dr. Dre's The Chronic, I realized that I was missing a lot. The production on that album is famous for being extraordinarily well-done, and I was so impressed that I immediately picked up the debut albums of rap titans Nas (Illmatic) and Snoop Dogg (Doggystyle). After dismissing rap for so long, it felt almost comical to walk around blasting N.Y. State of Mind and Gz and Hustlas, but I did it anyway, because it felt right.

Ready to Die, although indisputably an east-coast album, seemed to me like a sort of bridge between the relaxed, metropolitan sound of Illmatic and the funky, suburban hustle of Doggystyle. Biggie practically waltzes between styles- performing flawless hip-hop chest-thumping on "Big Poppa", while still opening up on tracks like "Juicy". This subject-hopping keeps the album interesting for the duration, and the production, while not always fascinating, enhances Biggie's deep, smooth flow.

Biggie was a man who understood his art form. Rest in peace.

Album of the Week: 10/05/08

Steve Reich- Music for 18 Musicians

Today's post is, regretfully, one day late, because my Sunday evening rapidly turned into a grotesque, caffeine-fueled animal. My apologies to all four of my readers.

This week's album of note is Steve Reich's landmark minimalist work Music for 18 Musicians, originally released in 1976. Although a casual listener might put this release under the "classical" umbrella, closer examination would put it a bit closer to the "experimental" or "avant-garde" side of things. Listeners who are unfamiliar with the modus operandi of minimal music might find this album oppressively boring, but I encourage everyone to give it at least one listen. Reich's work with dynamics and harmonic changes is simply breathtaking, and in the right mindset, Music for 18 Musicians becomes a pulsating, hypnotic, stunning work.

Highly recommended, especially for fans of typical "classical" music.

Buy on Amazon

Album of the Week: 9/28/08

Bootsy Collins - Stretchin' Out in Bootsy's Rubber Band

Sometimes, when people make sweeping, detrimental statements about the quality of music in the 70's, I wish I had a copy of this record to throw at them. In the first few bars, Bootsy claims to be the one who "knows what the funk's about", and damn he's got it right. This is some straight-up classic funk. Even thirty years later, it sounds as if the music was coming from a different plane- a statement which, given all the drugs Bootsy was doing, is probably true on a few levels.

By writing an article about the CD, though, I worry that I'm breaking some secret rule of funk- in particular, the rule about not taking anything too seriously. I've got to continually remind myself that I'm writing about an album in which a man with star-shaped sunglasses often warns the listener to "watch out for friendly Fred," and pretends to be Casper the Holy Ghost. Bootsy's often-nonsensical statements and alternate personalities reflect the sporadic, bouncy style of funk, but they can also be disastrous if you aren't putting the record on to have a good time.

Recommended.

Highlights: 'I'd Rather Be With You', 'Physical Love'

Album of the Week: 9/21/08

Studio - West Coast

I think Swedish outfit Studio deserves an award for having the most difficult name to search for online (next to !!! and The Band, perhaps). If it hadn't been for a brief foray into an online music store, I probably never would have discovered this album at all. Fortunately, I did, because it's a classy bit of work.

If you're familiar with the work of Krautrock artists Can and Neu, this album should strike a few familiar chords, but Studio's sound is still quite unique. The first track, 'Out There' builds into a pulsating, tropical cadence, and 'Self Service' and 'Origin' add vaguely new-wave vocals to the mix. Most of the catchier hooks come from the bass guitar- an instrument which is often neglected, but used to its fullest effect here.

Highly recommended.

Highlights: 'Out There', 'Self Service'.

Studio on Myspace