quickcrit - music reviews

I am not usually one to gossip, but for a moment I want to chat a little about this flossy new album from the Portland-based trio, Gossip. Music for Men is all about powerful female vocals, courtesy of Beth Ditto, and dance-inducing drum beats and guitar riffs... and despite the album title, I'm pretty sure the ladies will dig it too. For a band that has its history rooted in punk and rock, and pays homage to early 90s Morrissey on the album cover, they have put together a pretty glossy party album that just doesn't quit. Perhaps it was producer Rick Rubin's influence that adds that heightened level of glitzy, Hollywood club sheen, but it is Ditto's voice that carries the tone and attitude of the album. If you are not into the dance tracks as casual background fuzz, then slap this on during your next run or gym trip and get the party started. It's certainly worth a listen, and a play during your next stint as a late night dance party iPod DJ. Check out "Heavy Cross," "For Keeps," and my personal favorite, "2012."

I just got 95% of the way through this post only to accidentally lose it, so I'm going to begrudgingly try it again. It's going to be shorter this time, though.

Apologies for not embedding the video. Keep up the good work, those that do, it makes it so much easier to decide for myself when I can just click a button and listen. I'd do it too, but I don't know how. Links will have to suffice. [Update: videos added]

"Sleepyhead" - Passion Pit

Passion Pit is on every one's list this summer, so no new ground here. But this song is a standard deviation better than every other song on the album, and there are some other great ones. Video rocks too.

Here's a thought. Most of us have heard the story where Michael Angelakos, who was not in any band at the time, made a Valentines Day CD of six songs for his college girlfriend. (Not a shitty mixtape, mind you, his songs.) The songs got passed around campus, picked up locally, they turned it into an EP and formed a band and turned the EP into an album and here we are. Sleepyhead, as I understand it, was on that first CD. Here's my question, did that song on the CD sound like the song as I hear it on "Manners?" Because if it did...holy shit! Can you imagine being that girl? Or even, being the dorm room roommate of that girl? I suspect, on that particular Valentines Day, there wasn't a whole lot of sleepy, but a hell of a lot of...well you get it.

I'm just saying she owed him. Big time.



"Nothing to Worry About" - Peter, Bjorn and John

This song is a little long in the tooth but I just discovered it. It makes me want to dance until my ass falls off...or until two minutes and 58 seconds are over. Whichever comes first.

I've got to get me to Sweden at some point. There's too much coming out of there right now that I love...except for the IKEA tool. I hate the IKEA tool.



"Arlington. The Rap."

You don't really have to have lived in Arlington, VA to understand this. It makes it funnier, but it's not required. Could have just as easily been Annaheim or Schaumburg. Except for the Green Line joke.

I can't believe I lived there for 5 years. Sigh.



"Gifted" - N.A.S.A. (Featuring Kanye West, Santogold and Lykke Li)

Look at that lineup. Do I have to even explain why the song is awesome? The best part is, it is awesome, as opposed to, say, "The Best of Both Worlds."Decidedly not awesome.



"My Girls" - Animal Collective

This is as catchy an Animal Collective song as I am aware of. And I love catchy. The album is pretty great too. Very accessible, which means I can like it. Close runner-up is the Camera Obscura song French Navy, another great song off an album I'm loving.

I should start off by saying that I danced the entire show and that was after a long day that started with a West-East redeye, included a BBQ festival, three DC gogo bands (check out Mambo Sauce's "Welcome To DC"), plenty of beer, and a stop at a bar for a coffee, a water and two shots of Jamison. Following in his father's famous footsteps, Femi Kuti led the crowd through a boisterous set funky afrobeat. Although I was kind surprised I was still standing, I was swept up by the stage full of dancers, percussionists and horn players. However, for most of the show DC was it usual rigid self. Never known for its liveliness, it was still surprising how long the diverse crowd could resist the seductive shake of international dance music. As great as the performance was, the show fizzled out at the end as Femi rambled on about the virtues of tantric sex. Still a must see if you get the chance.

Decemberists - Hazards Of Love 4 (The Drowned)
I love this album and have been meaning to do a review of it forevs. The story is pretty standard Decemberist's insanity and I love every second of it. My favorite song? The one about drowning yourself alongside your true love of course. This song makes me teary but so did the Pixar opening short about storks and clouds that played before UP.



Phoenix - Lasso
Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix is nearly a flawless album to me. "Love Like A Sunset" is kinda long but fuck it I like that song sometimes too. "Lasso" however is 2 minutes and 47 seconds of straight up radness to me. They're french and a french guy won today's stage of the Tour De France. I bet you he was listening to this song the whole time.



Jeremy Enigk - April Storm
I loved his last album and am pretty happy with his current one. For me "April Storm" is totally the crowning jewel on this record.

Enigk described this song to Billboard magazine as being "on a Ryan Adams/"Love Is Hell"-type of kick."

Oh what?!? Jer Bear you know how to make a dude super happy!



Passion Pit - Little Secrets
After hearing so much about these dudes I finally listened to them. I love "Sleepyhead" and "Little Secrets" a super duper lot. the rest of the album is good but nothing else catches me as much as these two tracks. "Little Secrets" wins here due to it's sing song backing vocals and disjointed clusterfuck back beat. Loving it!



Kylie Minogue - Wow
I have a history of loving me some Kylie. I think this song is originally from 2007 but it is now my summer jammy jam. I knew I was done for once she says "your so hot / get me into the shade"... I also like the liberal use of the flanger effect as a nice respite from the autotuner. 2007 is the new 2009!

5. Copying dance moves from this kid and using them to make friends.


4. Discovery - I'm not a particularly huge fan of either Ra Ra Riot or Vampire Weekend, but a member of each got together to form Discovery and it's, frankly, wonderful. Especially this "Orange Shirt" song.


3. Supernova - "Mr. Hudson" ft. Kanye West
Don't tease. This song makes me want to party.


2. The Antlers - Hospice
When I'm done with all the partying to Supernova, I like to slow it down with this album.






1. Because really, there is no time like summer time to be on a boat. I really wish I was friends with T. Pain.

After wallowing in a music rut, it feels good love an album again. In this case, it's The Satanic Satanist by Portland transplant Portugal. The Man. While last year's Censored Colors had its moments, nothing was as good as the killer lead single and future rock anthem "People Say", which meditates on war and loss over a couple sweet guitar lines and a great sing along chorus. It kicks off a solid set of songs that merge classic rock and psychedelic soul. However, like other standout modern revivalists The Features and The Jessica Fletchers, it isn't just about a retro sound or mood — the songs are loaded with pop hooks. Although I dig pretty much every song, my other two favorites are "Work All Day", which rides a great rhythmic and repetitive chorus, and "Do You", featuring imploring lyrics and huge fuzzed-out riffs.

5) Danceable Hip Hop Songs and Summer Jammy Jams
I always inexplicably get more into hip hop in the summer and love the remixes of these already awesome tracks: Kanye West's "Love Lockdown" and Kid Cudi's "Day 'N' Nite." Unbelievably great danceable hotness that makes me car-dance with myself whenever they come on (looks more embarrassing than it sounds). But my summer anthem is Jamie Foxx's (feat. T-Pain) - "Blame It," especially that infectious chorus I know by heart. Not only does this track provide the impure thoughts, but it actually makes me wanna put them into action.. with or without the Goose ("gotcha feelin' loose"), the 'Tron ("gotcha in the zone"), or the Henny ("gotcha feelin' dizzy"). It's all good, just "blame it on the ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-alcohol."


4) Rediscovering Rogue Wave
Ever the huge fan, I've recently fallen back in love with their sonic beauty- namely, Descended Like Vultures and Asleep At Heaven's Gate. Tender, gorgeous, lush, melodic, layered, can't even begin to describe their arrangements. I've been known to fall asleep to "Missed" and actually lounged on my couch all pensive and shit last weekend listening to "Eyes" on loop (I do this quite often to their records, in general). Enjoy this favs. sampler: older (1, 2, 3, 4), newer (1, 2, 3, 4).


3) Going To Shows I Actually Care About vs. Being A Show-whore
I've been too tired for shows for shows-sake and these days only hit up "must-sees" or else I'll get in a fight with myself and brood for days type-shows. Stellar nights that have made my half-year: Phoenix, Harlem Shakes record release party, Duncan Sheik, Blind Pilot, and the GUK reunion show. All uber-worth it and kept me in a good mood for at least two weeks afterwards.


2) Indie Rock In Advertisements...?
TV-watching feels like less of a waste with all the goodass music in commercials of late. I don't even hit the mute button anymore just in case I may hear The Dodos hawk Miller Chill, The Moody Blues add to the wondrous nature of this Visa ad, Matt and Kim invite me out 'til "Daylight," Mazzy Star makes me rethink my cellular service (effin love this song!), The Submarines sell their souls to Apple, and/or watch Her Space Holiday soundtrack this confusing one.



1) Meeting Musical Peoples
Surreality mixed with WTF, with a dash of "I must call everyone I know/someone who'd care!?" I've discussed Dan Auerbach with Matt Pinfield as he exited his cab, jumped into another and learned my driver had just dropped off Courtney Love as I sat in her warm seat (do I have an STD now?), got snubbed by Kimya Dawson, asked Michael Stipe the meaning of "Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite," discussed alternate endings to Once with Glan Hansard, stared at Ingrid Michaelson's incredible rack while jokingly trying to hook her up with Rhett Miller (within earshot), asked Hootie himself where the Blowfish were, laughed with Guster about their pot-smoking "star-fucker moment" with Willie Nelson, and unwittingly asked Jeff Mangum of Neutral Milk Hotel if "the lasagna is vegetarian," only to realize 5 seconds later when he walked away that I'm an idiot who just asked Jeff Mangum from Neutral Milk Hotel if the lasagna was vegetarian. Yeah, that last one was very Baby "I, uhh, carried a watermelon" from Dirty Dancing.

After loving his melodic synth-based album, Moondagger, I was looking forward to ecstatic dance floor, imagining something along the lines of Passion Pit's stop at the Wonder Ballroom. Sadly, the concert was sparsely attended and I think that reigned in the dancing to just a handful of fans. That didn't stop Randolph Chabot from delivering a spirited and kinetic performance, hopping and convulsing across the stage and occasionally covering himself in a children's sheets. The full band (guitar, bass, drums, and computer) emphasized the rockier side of their songs; although the synths and blips were featured on the album, now I heard the drums first. I hope songs like "Toxic Crusaders" and "Parallelogram"catch on because I'd love to see him in front of a packed dancefloor.

Make sure you gorge on hot dogs and freedom!

Amazing Baby - Rewild (2009). I love catchy psych and this is by far my favorite this year, perfectly balancing the thumps and haze.






Passion Pit & Harlem Shakes @ Wonder Ballroom. I've been to a lot of great concerts this year, but this was a home run line up. I walked in hot on the Harlem Shakes, but was won over by Passion Pit as they wound the crowd up into a sweaty dancing frenzy.




Biking to Shows. Even when I am starting to fade a bit as the evening wears on and the bourbons wear off, zipping down Burnside gets me ready for just about just any show, and pretty much all my favorite venues are just a few pedals away.




Metric - "Waves". No matter how many times I've listened to "Waves", it never fails to make feel like dancing.






Portland Bands. I've never lived in city before that is home to this many great bands: The Builders And The Butchers, Blind Pilot, M. Ward, Loch Lomond, Blitzen Trapper, Hockey, Scotland Barr & The Slow Drags, and The Thermals, to name just a few highlights. And the best part is that there are so many more I haven't even heard yet!