A review of Hollands first EP Faces simply does not require the verbiage of the common critique. If that’s what you want visit their web-site. Granted, a review drenched in metaphor and simile has its purpose—to convey a description of an artistic aesthetic that cannot be truly experienced without an encounter, a close approximation by deference to a literary and poetic image. My first thoughts on Hollands are uncomplicated and antique in their creativity. I believe that by deferring the experience of Hollands’ music to memories of our bucolic summer evenings, and self reflective and still mornings we are missing an opportunity to tell it like it is. Save the gobbledygook; save the bullshit.
Hollands is a wide ranging band that draws heavily from early 70’s classic rock and country. The band has the pop sensibility of Rick Springfield, the poeticism of The National, and the sincerity of Wilco. The band is simply excellent. John-Paul Norpoth plays guitar and sings, sometimes with the awesome discipline of CSN&Y, and sometimes with the raucous croon of Uncle Sticky. In this respect they’d get on exceedingly well with the likes of the Whiskey Go Gos. The energy is strong and the music well written. Though Faces is a mere 5 songs long, it covers a lot of ground. Hollands release their 2nd EP this fall. Having begun from such a sturdy, straightforward debut, Hollands is destined for good things, great times, and increased attention.
Tour
Sat Sep 12 2009 – 6:00 PM Boulder Coffee Company – B…Rochester, NY
Sat Sep 12 2009 – 8:00 PM Lovin’ Cup Rochester, NY Age
Fri Sep 25 2009 – 9:00 PM Nines Ithaca, NY
Sat Sep 26 2009 – 8:00 PM Lovin’ Cup Rochester, NY
Tue Oct 13 2009 – 8:00 PM Mother EP Drop Drop! New York, NY
My first instinct would be to say screw AOL’s spinner.com. But they are distributing Darla Farmer’s live Mercury Lounge album for free, so suppose I can’t disrespect them too much. The show is a product of a collaboration between the band, Magic Hat Brewing Company, and vancar.tv. Below is some video of the show and a link to download the music.
“The burlesque attitude of Darla Farmer is delicious. The bright eccentricities sound as if they were lifted out of a carnival sideshow. Rather than overcompensating for the inherent problems that come with recording horn sections, the loose and live feel of the horns was captured and exploited very tastefully. Too often these types of recordings come off sounding like metronomed midi files, but the dirt is left on and the atmosphere is kept thick.”
Upcoming Tour Dates
9/11 – Nashville, TN @ Cannery Ballroom (Rabbit Release Party)
10/1 – Montreal, QB @ Syndrome (Paper Garden Records music & art party)
11/14 – New York, NY @ 3rd Ward (Paper Garden Records presents: Multiverse Playground)
Arthur Killroad
The things you should know how to do
July 30th 2008
Unigned
Arthur Killroad- This is Something Witty
Arthur Killroad-Breaking Everything in Sight
I’ve listened to this record over and over again and I can’t help think about my little brother, a two time Iraq War vet who loves to sing and wears his heart on his sleeve. He has steeped himself in the idiosyncrasies of indie music, while still harboring his guiltless pleasure of belting out every note from The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most while driving to get a burrito from Amigos. Similarly, Arthur Killroad’s 2008 release The things you should know how to do (the most?) captures the definitive sense of familiarity, intimacy, and disappointment. The music is steadfastly structured in acoustic pop—forceful open chords decorated with a voice that is gruff and masculine, yet sincere and emotionally wrought with plain spoken pleading. Sounds great eh?
Though the truth is that just like our bipolar moments of mania and displeasure, we are sometimes caught in an unflattering light. Rather than tactically avoiding looking contrived, Killroad seeks to make the telling of mundane moments his anchor. He criticizes the motifs and worn tropes of classic romanticism instead favoring the tactile objects of relationships—gifts, guitars, and shaving blades—trinkets of those quick moments between the archetypical peaks and valleys, unions and break ups. Known as Mike Petruccelli to his mother, Arthur Killroad is extraordinarily adept at addressing these experiences.
Like any Midwest punk cum everyman’s troubadour, Killroad can be confronted with his fair share of criticism. The metaphors can be dumb and the vocabulary can be dry. He runs the risk of forever being attached to the inexperience amassed during college. Some might say that the novelty of the scenester with sad eyes and sad words wore off somewhere around 2001, or that the verbal marshmallows created by Killroad’s songs may be everyman, but they are not important…they are notBukowski—just a kid bitching about a life short lived. Is it arrogance that he expected real happiness before he even graduated college?
Killroad then confronts this abasement by, what else, writing a song about it. The Starving Artists Convention is a reflexive monologue asking if Mike, Killroad the person, is truely a douche bag. The answer taken away from The things you should know how to do is no. However, along with his noble attempt at emotional exposure, he gets caught in uncomfortable moments. The opening words of Robots and Zombies, speaking to a deep sense of alienation, sets up and unravels a trivial metaphor. Killroad is at his best when he writes about common things in plain terms. Two songs particularly stand out among the rest. This is Something Witty, which ironically tells the critics to take a long walk, is Arthur Killroad‘s manifesto.
“I’m not apologizing; I’m only describing things and saying how I feel about them.”
This track distills what is best about Killroad, both in attitude and style. Breaking Everything in Sight succeeds because of the technical recording choices, from the simple introduction built upon with layers of vocals and an epic grand piano, making a powerful aside to the acoustic power pop tracks.
In all honesty, I have to write about this record from a measured distance because I simply would never have picked it up on my own. The record’s range of artistic value is great. In contrast to the remarkably well arranged songs mentioned above, others like Harvard on the Hocking come so close to Eve 6 that I am convinced Killroad just wanted to make his track list reach 10, no matter the consequences. Who would do that to themselves without a good reason? While I may just have to take a long walk, I know that Arthur Killroad has defined a specific place for himself and is comfortable with his songwriting methodology, and he obviously loves the process of recording his music as documented on his Myspace page. In all Mike Petruccell’s song writing skills are his greatest asset. While the use of an alias cannot insulate him from the criticism he duly receives when he takes the road most traveled, he certainly makes it clear that he is capable of going anywhere he pleases.
Sky Picnic has certainly chosen their niche. Any and all critical exposition of this band must inevitably dissect its work into multiple points of contention concerning what the band is, what it aims to be, and the marked difference between the two.
Psychedelia—a genre of music that is often slandered for its trite obsession with squirrelly questions like, “What if we are all dreaming and reality is like the effervescent foam of the shark infested sea,” and “LSD, mind expander or time vehicle?”
Psychedelia—characterized musically by extended “trippy” solos mostly written in a minor key and saturated with reverberation, tremolo effects, and oscillating time signatures.
Sky Picnic seeks to embody this genre, claiming that they recreate “the unique psychedelic experience that has been absent since the era of Sgt. Pepper and Piper at the Gates of Dawn.” Wow! And listen to this—they will take you to the “outer fringes of the universe.” The over-the-top promises of mind blowing enchantment and the band’s very name invite skepticism. Simply put, Sky Picnic’s biography is a caricature of late 60’s early 70’s psychedelic rock and roll. This is not a band that maintains its innocence concerning direction or purposeful marketing. They whole heartedly embody the anachronistic phrase, “far out,” and their music does them no favors. The album opens with a sitar…
As far as their instrumentation, it is clear that only Chris Sherman knows his way around the studio. I understand the frustrations that come with limited time and budget. You can’t do everything in Pro Tools, especially when recording an album meant to convey the nostalgia of classic pychedelia. Everything I am about to say I am willing to bet is known by the band members themselves. The drums are poorly recorded, giving the entire affair a dull matt. LSD is not a sedative. The bass is often out of sync with the drums, which is often out of sync with the guitar, which seems to be the only constant talent in the band. It is clear that before these cats take me anywhere, much less the outer fringes of the universe, they have to learn how to play together. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of bands I love who haven’t a clue how to play their instruments, but these bands are all equal partners in their cacophonous crimes, Sky Picnic struggles too much with who goes where, when. Synesthesia is a collection of 5 songs that because of structural, thematic, and stylistic problems would have been best left in the “ideas” stage of creativity.
Now what went right?
The post rock elements of Moons of Jupiter and the extended sprawl of Sequence IV are exceptional. The flavor tastes more of Godspeed You Black Emperor rather than the Beatles, but clearly this is a good thing. It is where Sky Picnic excels. In fact, I am going to rename the band. Sky…and just to give it that otherworldly aesthetic we’ll call them Caelum. Sky Picnic is hereby dubbed Caelum. The difference between the artistic direction of Moons of Jupiter and Half the Queen’s Face cannot be overstated. It is the difference between the rarely listened to, and thusly much cooler, Pink Floyd record Mettle, and Rocky Raccoon…bleeech! Of course Moons of Jupiter is the infinitely cooler song. Now this might expose a bias, some really love silly Beatles tunes and I hate them. While the dark tonal environment developed by Moons of Jupiter and Sequence IV do not justify the mechanical mistakes by the band- the errors are still present even in the best of moments- the tracks do set forth a vision of the band that is not amateurish or cartoonish. When they move into this cavernous space, the band demonstrates that they indeed can invoke images of the outer limits in a sincere and forceful way. Caelum (Sky Picnic) needs to vastly improve the production quality of their music, or at least use some more creative techniques in the recording process, and they need to continue to explore what is truly unknown about the human mind, rather than pursue a readily established and entirely exploited line of thought.
There is no denying that 2008 has passed with breathtaking speed. Frederick Foxtrott comes to you this year with our list of top ten releases just a few days shy of 2009. Rather than spend New Year’s celebration in New York City, we are going upstate to spend time in the out doors, at the base of the Adirondacks. There is something poignant about spending what is typically observed by thousands of people crammed together with bright lights and loud sounds in the isolated cold with small but extraordinary company.
There is also no denying that this year proved to be an interesting time for music. The industry as a whole is largely tending to homogenize, with publications as banal as the Florida Times Union regularly looking to Pitchfork top ten lists to inspire their own critical hierarchies. The style generated over the last decade that has dominated the genre of independent music has become standard fare. It is blandly ubiquitous and overly diffuse. Nonetheless, while we got nothing perfect, there was plenty to listen to—plenty to listen to other than Vampire Weekend or Fleet Foxes, both of whom received the latest dose of sickeningly strange love from most indie media. Seemingly lost in the midst of the hollow recordings that dominate the suggestion pages of the taste-making press are truly great releases. So here they are—known and unknown—loved and loathed.
Top Ten 2008
1. M83- Saturdays = Youth
Expanding from shoegaze to stargaze, as his name implies, Gonzalez managed to not merely replicate a style modeled by Tears for Fears, Echo & the Bunnymen, and Flock of Seagulls, but he has retroactively contributed to the bleak genre of gothic pop in a way that is insertive rather than derivative. With modern instruments and production, Gonzalez (re)vitalized a style, giving color and texture to a genre that many feel has been muted by twenty years of impersonation and distillation, killed by retro themed knockoffs and karaoke bars alike (Read Review).
2. Conor Oberst- Conor Oberst
Even as he releases a self-titled record, suggesting biography, Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band offer a personal narrative that is reflexive and acutely aware of where his lyrical perspective is anchored. Released on Merge Records rather than our beloved Saddle Creek, Conor Oberst is a record that disconnects from the iconic figure that the songwriter has become, allowing for the reclamation of personhood (Read Review).
3. Eagle Seagull- I Hate EPs (EP)
With its self-degrading title, I Hate EPs gives us a most vivid taste of what Eagle Seagull is up to. It is worthwhile to listen to every word on this EP. The lyrics are most certainly still emitted from the more noir recesses of our thought processes. They embody the violence that we inflict on one another with our thoughts, our lies, our manipulations, and the perfect memories that have since been pickled in the acerbic tension of current conditions (Read Review).
4. Sigur Rós- með suð…
Icelandic for “with a buzz in our ears we play endlessly,” með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust belies Sigur Rós’ self awareness that rejects the accumulation of star-power, instead favoring the humble roles of music makers with intimate attention to detail and an endless commitment to the art rather than constructed personae that sadly distract many once great contemporaries (Read Review).
5. Shugo Tokumaru- Exit
I am quite sick of the tendency for any musician who employs a whistle in their song structure to be labeled the next “Insert Nationality” Sufjan Stevens. Shugo seems to get shellacked with this honor quite often. His instrumentality relies on a menagerie of distinct sounds that have the sole intent of forming an effervescent ambience. I don’t imagine such a project can be said to be unique to Mr. Stevens. Indeed, Shugo Tokumaru’s Exit is one of the most original records released this year, and it is certain to endear many who listen. If you get the chance to see this guy upon his North American return, be sure to catch him at an appropriate venue, so that all the glorious array of whips and bobs don’t just float away (Read Review).
6. Hypatia Lake- Angels and Demon, Space and Time
There is the band and then there is the music. It is immediately understood when listening to Angels and Demons, Space and Time that Hypatia Lake has put together a record of enormous depth. The band itself is much less a physical entity, as it is a concept. The record is diffuse and eclectic, a psychedelic feast of beautiful noise and exquisite ambiances (Read Review).
7. Peasant- On the Ground
I have said previously that Damien DeRose’s voice is flawless, but his ability to bottle that beauty is remarkable. Usually such criticism is approached from the opposite angle. People rarely question what can be recorded after seeing such satisfying live performances. I have written at some length about Peasant’s talent and couldn’t be happier with this release. On the Ground offers 13 tracks without sounding repetitive or exhausting my patience and tolerance for sensitivity, which is rare these days. Peasant accomplishes this in part by keeping his songs under 3 minutes, making sure that the bitter moments do not overstay their welcome. I am happy to announce that Peasant will be re-issuing On the Ground in 2009 with the help of Team Love Records. If there is anyone out their with a modicum of taste, Peasant will make many more 2009 best release lists than he did this year (Read Review).
8. The Octopus Project- Hello, Avalanche
For those of you who are tired of bands that seek to reproduce the melodies of Tortoise, the sequence execution of The Album Leaf, or the gravity of Explosions in the Sky, know that Hello, Avalanche is a contribution to the modern music soundscape of unique and particular character. The Octopus Project allows the audience to dance as they marvel at a functioning collection of flesh and blood, rather simply to listen with a dissatisfied and disinterested ear. This is the balance they strike; they have a defined structure without sounding sterile or methodical. Who knew Austin…who knew (Read Review)?
9. Portishead- Third
No where on this record will you find the turntable scratching of Western Eyes or Only You. Clearly Portishead is not trying to recapture elements of their past. The lyrics are depressed and relaxed, sexy and sad, and in true form this relaxation is not brought on by contentment or happiness, rather it sounds opiate induced. It conjures the image of a dim room with the yellow haze of a poppy parlor (Read Review).
10. Magnetic Fields- Distortion
The Magnetic Fields…are extremely self-reflexively aware of Distortion’s influences and have taken steps to ensure that they do not appear to take themselves too seriously. This awareness not only saves the record from obsolescence, but it is exactly what makes it so relevant to how the music industry navigates itself forward, sometimes stopping to reflect on the nostalgic moments of its past (Read Review).
Other bands have blissfully welted the ears of the interested in 2008. Delta Spirit, released their debut, Ode to Sunshine. It was soulful and courageous. I usually prefer that bands keep their “gods” and “lords” out of my CD/MP3 player, but I’ll gladly make an exception for these impassioned song writers. Look for them on Jimmy Kimmel Live on January 16th. They split the rest of winter between Europe and North America, gracing the Bowery Ballroom stage on February 21st.
Canadian melody makers Wintersleep released Welcome to the Night Sky, an incredible record that offers exceptional lyrics and noisy pop riffs. Frederick Foxtrott reviewed their debut and recommends them with complete confidence. Welcome to the Night Sky is lyric driven record themed with violence and sickness. The guitars are distorted and heavy, accompanied by a barrage of cymbal crashes, but Wintersleep never fail to ebb back, allowing the listener to hear the calm after the storm, in addition to the silence before (Read Review).
Frederick Foxtrott thanks all of you for reading and visiting over the past year. We have expanded our readership greatly and only hope to continue in growth and reviews. We have some interesting things planned in the coming months so stay tuned. If you would like your record reviewed, give us an email and we will arrange something. We aim to keep you informed of not just what is happening in the world of independent music, but what should be happening.
Never one to talk up other music websites, I am uncharacteristically compelled to spread the word aboutPeasant’s live recordings with Daytrotter. The so-dubbed Daytrotter Session is an excellent illustration of Damien DeRose‘s stature as a performer. Sure his songs are good, but can he recreate the aesthetic outside of the studio? The answer is of course a resounding yes. The session is available at Daytrotter free for download. Think of these tracks as a precursor to Peasant‘s upcoming record On the Ground, which is being re-released January 2009. Frederick Foxtrott has been very interested to watch this artist and its seems that as yet another winter comes, Peasant‘s music will reach even more people.
Wayne Coyne sends out a little X-Mas/Hanukkah cheer…from Mars. His home movie titled Christmas on Mars has finally been released. This is excellent holiday news because the film was made over the course of 8 years. Was it worth the wait? We’ll just have to see. Coyne plays in Oklahoma City for New Year’s with his nephew’s killer psychedelic band Stardeath and White Dwarfs. You’ll remember these wide eyed and wondrous pyrotechnics from 2007′s CMJ Music Marathon.
National Snack
Apply Machine EP
December 8th 2008
Scatty Cat Records
National Snack- Working for the Devil
There is something offensive about a lofi band with fuck-you aesthetics. London based National Snack exudes this ethos unapologetically. Their music is a messy discharge of rock and roll not meant for paradigm friendly genre definitions. Listen people, they are called National Snack—you think they care what you think of them? I am barely able to write a review that doesn’t simply mention that they exist. Not because they aren’t distinct or impressive, but because their music is made entirely on their terms; listen and think of them what you like. National Snack have no problem making sexually solicitous songs. Their guitar is fuzzed over and basic. Loud gristle is the only concern for these mungrel music makers. The band is fronted by singers Gemma Storr and Joe Carlo, both of whom guiltlessly execute their tracks. They aren’t here to induce awe or weigh the heavier philosophical quandaries of life; they want to be loud, energetic, and foul mouthed. Although, “We are the disillusion, too well fed for a revolution” from Self Conscious is a pretty damn good line.
Apply Machine is a mixed bag. The opening track Mischief is all funk-punk energy, but something about it sinks below board. I love all the talk about mouths, but there are times when Joe and Gemma vocals are poorly intertwined. Disjointed, it certainly does not prepare the listener for what is to come. The four tracks that follow Mischief are what make Apply Machine succeed. Had Working for the Devil been a single with three bonus tracks—Self Conscious, My Head Hurts, and This is Not Enough—the release would have been perfect.
From the moment My Head Hurts begins, it is entirely apparent that this band’s idea of a national snack is piss and vinegar. Their angst against life is tempered by self assertive declarations.
“Cause every fucking day, it’s all the fucking same.”
-This is Not Enough
Gemma’s center pieces—Working for the Devil and This is Not Enough—are the glitter of Apply Machine. These tracks are excellent, showcasing National Snack’s best qualities. The EP retires with Rock n Roll, a track full of punchy guitars and clever melodies. Again though, Joe and Gemma’s vocals do not seem to work the way they were intended. Perhaps what alliviates this concern is that while there are thousands of bands that will spit in your face as much as look at you, few show the potential of Gemma and her boys. They are funding the release of their full length by selling space on the back of their record for £10. If it tells you how many of contributions the band needs, and indeed are receiving, to finish their record- you get a magnifying glass with your contribution so that you can amuse yourself at parties by telling other people that you helped develop this British trio’s album art.
The Volunteers
Spectrophilia
October 23rd 2008
Unsigned
The Volunteers- FckMyGhost
It seems as though Volunteers front man Dan Goddard took on a wager. I imagine he boasted, with inebriated mettle, that he could write a song about anything…just name it. In this concocted explanation of mine, a whiskey pickled friend shouted back a reply, one that would truly challenge the stature of Goddard’s authorial prowess… “Ghost fucking; write a song about ghost fucking!” Not one to go back on his word, Goddard took pen to paper and rattled out the little masterpiece FckMyGhost. In usual style, the song is laden with debauchery and the most splendid male chauvinism. In terms of rock ethics, Goddard makes it clear that he fucks even when he is dead. My favorite thing about this band, other than the punchy, expletive laden folk-rock, is their videos. Featuring scantily clad women always wins in my book. I don’t know what is going on between Death and Mr. Goddard, but I know I like that bikini. The Volunteers exude a particular hedonistic aura that will always be appreciated. They embody Dov Charney’s work ethic to a tee.
The Brooklyn band released their newest record Spectrophilia in late October. Topically, the band branches out. They explore the art of political diatribe in Danger Everywhere You Turn and mention their amusing scenester woes in Namedropper, but these sincere moments are sparsely strewn between gravelly expressions of booze adulation. The Volunteers occupy an interesting space between idealized maturity and recklessness. They are a worthwhile slice of New York Americana. I can’t wait for their next video…
Shugo Tokumaru
Exit
September 2, 2008
P-Vine Records/Almost Gold
The stuttered waltz and whimsy that is evoked by Shugo Tokumaru’s latest sonic fable Exit infuses Japanese flourishes with Lennonesque imagination. The record captures the color of a fairy tale and the levity of short bedtime story. He never requires much of the listener other than an appreciation for the occasional appearance of odd instruments and an appetite for extraordinary music. The record never seems to overreach with its Eastern idioms and playful melodies. That Exit is sung in Japanese (I think) adds a level of open-ended intangibility; meaning always remains peripheral to the feel.
Live, Shugo’s plays the guitar as if it were his Siamese twin. His instrument at times seems as big as the man himself. There is an unmistakable element of bluegrass that flavors his live performance. Much of the other nuance present on the record becomes lost in the open space of the venue leaving the defined plucks and strums to fend for themselves. Perhaps this is because his music is so dense that the guitar becomes consumed by the disjointed tinkering bells and ethereal polyrhythm. During his 2008 CMJ appearance at the Bowery Ballroom, as understated as his presence was, he exceeded every other act that night with sheer creativity. As always, the Bowery’s CMJ show was over priced and underperformed; Shugo would have been served by a more intimate venue and a less preoccupied audience.
I am quite sick of the tendency for any musician who employs a whistle in their song structure to be labeled the next “Insert Nationality” Sufjan Stevens. Shugo seems to get shellacked with this honor quite often. His instrumentality relies on a menagerie of distinct sounds that have the sole intent of forming an effervescent ambience. I don’t imagine such a project can be said to be unique to Mr. Stevens. Indeed, Shugo Tokumaru’s Exit is one of the most original records released this year, and it is certain to endear many who listen. If you get the chance to see this guy upon his North American return, be sure to catch him at an appropriate venue, so that all the glorious array of whips and bobs don’t just float away.
Expanding from shoegaze to stargaze, as his name implies, Gonzalez managed to not merely replicate a style modeled by Tears for Fears, Echo & the Bunnymen, and Flock of Seagulls, but he has retroactively contributed to the bleak genre of gothic pop in a way that is insertive rather than derivative. With modern instruments and production, Gonzalez (re)vitalized a style, giving color and texture to a genre that many feel has been muted by twenty years of impersonation and distillation, killed by retro themed knockoffs and karaoke bars alike 
Even as he releases a self-titled record, suggesting biography, Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band offer a personal narrative that is reflexive and acutely aware of where his lyrical perspective is anchored. Released on 
With its self-degrading title, I Hate EPs gives us a most vivid taste of what Eagle Seagull is up to. It is worthwhile to listen to every word on this EP. The lyrics are most certainly still emitted from the more noir recesses of our thought processes. They embody the violence that we inflict on one another with our thoughts, our lies, our manipulations, and the perfect memories that have since been pickled in the acerbic tension of current conditions 
Icelandic for “with a buzz in our ears we play endlessly,” með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust belies Sigur Rós’ self awareness that rejects the accumulation of star-power, instead favoring the humble roles of music makers with intimate attention to detail and an endless commitment to the art rather than constructed personae that sadly distract many once great contemporaries 
I am quite sick of the tendency for any musician who employs a whistle in their song structure to be labeled the next “Insert Nationality” Sufjan Stevens. Shugo seems to get shellacked with this honor quite often. His instrumentality relies on a menagerie of distinct sounds that have the sole intent of forming an effervescent ambience. I don’t imagine such a project can be said to be unique to Mr. Stevens. Indeed, Shugo Tokumaru’s Exit is one of the most original records released this year, and it is certain to endear many who listen. If you get the chance to see this guy upon his North American return, be sure to catch him at an appropriate venue, so that all the glorious array of whips and bobs don’t just float away 
There is the band and then there is the music. It is immediately understood when listening to Angels and Demons, Space and Time that Hypatia Lake has put together a record of enormous depth. The band itself is much less a physical entity, as it is a concept. The record is diffuse and eclectic, a psychedelic feast of beautiful noise and exquisite ambiances 
I have said previously that Damien DeRose’s voice is flawless, but his ability to bottle that beauty is remarkable. Usually such criticism is approached from the opposite angle. People rarely question what can be recorded after seeing such satisfying live performances. I have written at some length about Peasant’s talent and couldn’t be happier with this release. On the Ground offers 13 tracks without sounding repetitive or exhausting my patience and tolerance for sensitivity, which is rare these days. Peasant accomplishes this in part by keeping his songs under 3 minutes, making sure that the bitter moments do not overstay their welcome. I am happy to announce that Peasant will be re-issuing On the Ground in 2009 with the help of Team Love Records. If there is anyone out their with a modicum of taste, Peasant will make many more 2009 best release lists than he did this year 
For those of you who are tired of bands that seek to reproduce the melodies of Tortoise, the sequence execution of The Album Leaf, or the gravity of Explosions in the Sky, know that Hello, Avalanche is a contribution to the modern music soundscape of unique and particular character. The Octopus Project allows the audience to dance as they marvel at a functioning collection of flesh and blood, rather simply to listen with a dissatisfied and disinterested ear. This is the balance they strike; they have a defined structure without sounding sterile or methodical. Who knew Austin…who knew 
No where on this record will you find the turntable scratching of Western Eyes or Only You. Clearly Portishead is not trying to recapture elements of their past. The lyrics are depressed and relaxed, sexy and sad, and in true form this relaxation is not brought on by contentment or happiness, rather it sounds opiate induced. It conjures the image of a dim room with the yellow haze of a poppy parlor
The Magnetic Fields…are extremely self-reflexively aware of Distortion’s influences and have taken steps to ensure that they do not appear to take themselves too seriously. This awareness not only saves the record from obsolescence, but it is exactly what makes it so relevant to how the music industry navigates itself forward, sometimes stopping to reflect on the nostalgic moments of its past 
