Denver Music Blog

(Julian Gilbert)

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Welcome to another edition of Sound Bites, our economy-sized album reviews, wherein we give you the lowdown in 75 words or less. Today, Nick Hall weighs in on recent releases from Grooms (pictured above), Elvis Perkins in Dearland, Converge,  Spiral Stairs, Naam and Flight of the Conchords after the jump.

​Modeselektor
Body Language Vol. 8
Get Physical Music

On Modeselektor's Body Language mix, the duo show an inventive and exciting approach to track selection and mixing. It's not easy to pull together a set that includes everything from Missy Elliot and Busta Rhymes to Animal Collective, with lots of space in between for material such as Robert Hood's "Unix" and a couple of Modeselektor's own technolicious tracks. Despite the omnivorous, anything-good-goes approach, the disc has an excellent flow and it's easy to see how a similar set could actually work on a dance floor with some minor tweaks. Yes, some of the transitions are moderately stark, but none are less than musical and there's nothing that makes you stop and ask, "WTF just happened?" It's a fresh, exciting mix that gets better with repeat listens and by the time they wrap things up with the gorgeous pulse of Moderat's "A New Error," you'll be ready to start it over and dive back in.

Ancestors

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Welcome to another edition of Sound Bites, our economy-sized album reviews, wherein we give you the lowdown in 75 words or less. Today, Nick Hall weighs in on recent releases from Ancestors, AU, the Mountain Goats, Brian Setzer Orchestra and xx after the jump.

Grand Archives (Hilary Harris)

​Welcome to another edition of Sound Bites, our economy-sized album reviews. This week, Nick Hall weighs in on recent releases from Grand Archives, Yo La Tengo, The Big Pink, Girls and Taken By Trees after the jump.

​Church of Misery
Houses of the Unholy
(Rise Above/Metal Blade)

The Japanese knack for musical mimicry reaches a new peak on the latest by Church of Misery, which sounds so much like the best hard-rock album from 1975 (or 1985) (or 1995) that listeners can be excused for checking their calendar while it's playing. The band's been around in one configuration or another for fourteen years, and in this case, experience counts. On tracks such as the crazed/brutal opener "Padrino," the scorched boogie blaster "Gray Man," and the Tyrannosaurus Rexcellent closer "Badlands," lead singer Yoshiaki Negishi growls and roars and spits like a shaggy maned hellhound against riff slabs tossed out by guitarist Tom Sutton, an Australian import who most assuredly brings the thunder from down under. Meanwhile, the rhythms created by bassist Tatsu Mikami and drummer Junji Narita crash and smash together with a merry lack of concern for life, limb or litigation. Sure, these elements have been around since long before Geezer Butler needed hair dye -- but the material doesn't give off the slightest whiff of moldy nostalgia. Rather, they erupt with a mad enthusiasm that will have inveterate metalheads lining up for a chance to worship at Church's altar.

​Maxwell
BLACKsummers' night
(Columbia)

Eight years have passed since Now, Maxwell's previous album. Fortunately, though, he's lost none of his musical sophistication, and he remains in possession of an impressively wide-ranging skill set -- one that allows him to achieve most, if not all, of his ambitions. Rather than easing into his return recording, he arrives astride "Bad Habits," a complex creation that requires him to shift vocal textures -- from falsetto to full-throated crooning and back again -- with each compositional change in mood and mode. That's followed by "Cold," a bold portrait of a cruel lover that belies its title with a spicy brass arrangement and a vocal that regularly brings the fire. The production on that cut and elsewhere makes no concessions to current trends, which could have made the material feel hackneyed and dated. However, the likes of "Help Somebody" are so strong that they seem more akin to buried treasures than contemporary attempts at capturing the essence of past masters. Tight and concise, yet impressively wide-ranging, BLACKsummers' night is more than strong enough to keep fans satisfied until the next Maxwell recording. Which should arrive in 2017.

​Cobra Starship
Hot Mess
(Decaydance/Fueled by Ramen)

Don't know why clueless reviewers continue to refer to Cobra Starship as "an emo band." At this point, the main emotion they display is giddiness, and frankly, that's a blessed relief. From the group's beginnings, frontman Gabe Saporta, Ryland Blackinton and the rest decided to embrace mindless dance beats and keytars as opposed to using their songs as forums to bitch about every bad date they've ever endured, and Hot Mess pushes even further in the direction of good times and tongues in cheeks -- theirs or those belong to anyone else who's willing. "Nice Guys Finish Last" is a celebratory ass-shaker so cheerfully dopey that when Saporta asks for some help from the single ladies, a simulated batch of them chirp, "What do you want us to do?" That's followed by "Pete Wentz is the Only Reason We're Famous," which might have been true but no longer is, "Good Girls Go Bad," an ultra-catchy single that makes canny use of Gossip Girl's Leighton Meester, and "You're Not in on the Joke," which comes closer to censoriousness than anything else here. Which is only appropriate -- because in Cobra Starship's world, not having a sense of humor is the worst sin imaginable. Take that, emo boys.

​Cale Parks
To Swift Mars
Polyvinyl

Taking elements of synth pop, fusing them to slowed-down, house-leaning rhythms and singing over the whole thing in a fey voice is a pretty decent formula for success these days. It's a formula Cale Parks works with some skill as both a composer and arranger on To Swift Mars, a just-released six-song EP. The songs themselves are subtle and perhaps a little too laid back for their own good. The best, "One at a Time," is easily the most energetic. Another standout is "Eyes Won't Shut" which is a bit like what George Harrison might have produced had he gone house-influenced electro-pop after the Beatles, and it's also one of the more uptempo numbers. Throughout, there are lots of little touches that shine like diamonds -- from subtle touches of vocoder here, hook-filled bass lines there -- albeit perhaps not quite enough such moments overall. What's there is good, but there could be something more -- more energy, a few more surprises, something. The entire disc is begging for the remix treatment and it would be fascinating to see what someone like Matthew Dear could turn these tracks into. That's not to say that they're bad - they aren't. But as much as they grow on you with each listen - and this is definitely a release that requires a few listens to really sink in -- they all seem to fall a little short of great.

Jonas Brothers
Lines, Vines and Trying Times
(Hollywood)

Of course the Jonai are interested in broadening their demographic appeal. At this point, after all, medical science is unable to prevent girls from aging beyond their twelth birthday. But their approach to sonic maturation is flat-out inexplicable. Late teens and early twenty-somethings are supposed to be enthralled by the corny brass lines and Vegas-lounge arrangement of the opener, "World War III," and the gruesomely mistitled "Much Better"? Only if they're into Blood, Sweat & Tears toward the end of the David Clayton Thomas era. And while "Paranoid," the lead single, is kinda catchy, that's only because it blatantly lifts the riff from "Everybody Wants You" by Billy Squier -- another artist who's not exactly battling the Black Eyed Peas for chart supremacy. True, the power-pop influence that made 2008's A Little Bit Longer guiltily pleasurable on occassion remains in force. But this time around, the results are often so dumb that they're capable of causing your medulla oblongata to scream in pain (exhibit A: "Poison Ivy"). Frankly, the boys would be better off cranking out parmesan like "Before the Storm," co-starring Miley Cyrus, and then putting the proceeds in the bank for as long as they can. Interest rates aren't what they used to be, but low yields are preferable to the humiliation caused by trying to grow from teenager to baby boomer over the length of a single "tasty" sax solo.

The Black Eyed Peas
The E.N.D. (Energy Never Dies)
(Interscope)

For the most part, the critical intelligentsia has looked askance at the Peas' latest due to its backburnering of the hip-hop style on which the act was founded, as well as the presence of more party-hearty exhortations than conscious comments. Frankly, though, I felt relief, not disappointment, over the approach. Frontman will.i.am's hip-hop productions have grown stale over the years -- the use of Dick Dale's "Miserlou" in "Pump Up" may have been the nadir -- and I don't think the world needs that many more rhymed paeans to Barack Obama at this point. Moreover, the album's lead single, "Boom Boom Pow," is among the most brainlessly exciting radio smashes in recent years. Predictably, nothing else here tops it, and "Now Generation" represents a different sort of brainlessness -- the kind that's capable of inspiring self-lobotomy as a defense mechanism. But thumping efforts such as "Rock That Body," "Meet Me Halfway" and "Missing You," which cleverly recast Fergie as a club diva, are divertingly superficial -- an invitation to dance your troubles away, or at least to ignore them as long as the beats continue. And in times like these, what's wrong with that?

Eric Skiff
Resistor Anthems
Self released

Released last year, Eric Skiff's charming Resistor Anthems is a nine tracks of chirping, lo-fi electronic beauty. Reportedly created almost entirely on a borrowed Gameboy hacked into a musical instrument, the album displays an impressive grasp of melody, space and sound design.

Green Day
21st Century Breakdown
(Reprise Records)

The five years since the release of American Idiot, an album so strong that most critics didn't believe the Green Day crew had it in them, have only added to the burden of expectations for 21st Century Breakdown, as Billie Joe Armstrong and pals understand all too well. Each note echoes with so much diligence and dedication that the material can't help but feel a little self-conscious, like a term paper turned in by a rapidly maturing student determined to get an even higher A than he did last time around. Which is not to say the recording's a bore. Tracks such as "¡Viva La Gloria!," "East Jesus Nowhere" and "Horseshoes and Handgrenades" are propulsive and powerful, and statement songs such as "21 Guns" earn their drama. But the themes at the heart of the three-part quasi-narrative tend to look back to the Bush era rather than anticipating what lies ahead - the chant of "I don't want to live in the modern world," from "American Eulogy," is a case in point - and the arrangements of "Before the Lobotomy" and the like are so willfully "classic" that they can feel calculated. These guys are still working at a high level, and the care with which the album has been constructed may well mean that the tunes will sound better over time. But some more spontaneity would have been welcome. After all, this is punk rock, not the Eagles.

Savoir Adore
Machines EP
Cantora Records

This follow-up to the New York-based quintet's 2008 debut, The Adventures of Mr. Pumpernickel and the Girl with Animals in Her Throat, is the latest in a long line of artists releasing free download EPs to hype upcoming full-lengths. However, this three-song, 10-minute collection shouldn't get lost in the crowd. Infectious-as-hamthrax melodies, deliciously varied instrumentation, and alternating boy/girl vocals from Paul Hammer and Deirdre Muro make Machines addictive, cavity-causing indie pop bliss. The opener, "We Talk Like Machines," which will be included on the outfit's sophomore full-length in August, is driven by a bouncy bass and guitar, chirping in unison, while Hammer and Muro's wistful and ingenuous vocals create just the right bitttersweet balance. If this is an indication of where Savoir Adore is headed, the next album should be a treat. Check out the EP for yourself for free at the band's website.

A Lull
Chicago scene veterans Nigel Evan Dennis, Mike Brown and Todd Miller have pulled together their collective indie rock experience to produce a lush, intricate, headphone-ready indie pop record that surprises, delights and frustrates - all in just over 11 minutes. Realized with countless percussion instruments, horns, strings and old-fashioned rock instrumentation, the four tracks that make up the Ice Cream Bones EP flow like mercury - dense, viscous, beautiful and unpredictable. The record's lead single and opening track, "Skinny Fingers," is the easiest to hold on to - at least, at first. For the first few minutes, its simple melody, enigmatic refrain and gently plucked acoustic guitar are reminiscent of Mike Kinsella's work in Owen. Then it builds to a repetitive, layered and trumpet-lofted second movement that is disorienting in a pleasantly ethereal way. The entire weird, rollercoaster universe of the record is contained in the microcosm of that opening track.

Eminem
Relapse
(Shady/Aftermath/Interscope)

The haters have been laying for this one, and there's no denying that Eminem has provided them with plenty of ammunition. Devoting an entire album to his drug problems and rehab struggles invites accusations of solipsism (yeah, yeah, it's a hip-hop tradition, but let's stay on point), and his out-of-date pop-cultural references to everything from Silence of the Lambs to Jessica Simpson suggest that he's about as current as music-master Dr. Dre's largely retro loops. But his wordplay and delivery are still the most distinctive in the genre despite his long layoff, and his devotion to spewing out whatever thoughts enter his noggin without fear that they might make him look like a dipshit (e.g., "My Mom," in which he blames the woman who bore him for his pill habit) is a helluva lot more interesting than the sort of self-censorship most celebrities prefer. Sure, there are plenty of times here where Em seems whiny, defensive or played out ("Old Time's Sake" is one title he should have avoided), but he remains a car crash impossible to drive past without rubbernecking. It really did feel empty without him.

Welcome to another edition of Sound Bites, our economy-sized album reviews. This week, Chris Callaway and Mark Bliesener weigh in on recent national releases from Quiet Company, Death Cab for Cutie, Pete Doherty, the Fratellis, the Life and Times and the View after the jump.

MSTRKRFT
Fist of God
Dim Mak/Downtown

MSTRKRFT's latest electro opus highlights both the duo's ace skill set and inherent limitations. The eleven tracks all feature gigantic synthesizer riffs and banging percussion arranged into head-nodding, fist-pumping anthems. That's a good thing in the sense that everything here is pretty catchy but it gets tiresome fast. After a few listens, the incessantly strident dynamics and full-bore tempos lead to ear fatigue and boredom.

Doves
Kingdom of Rust
Astralwerks

It's not exactly a mystery why Doves remain more popular in the U.K. than on these shores. After all, the band's music tends toward denseness, not instant accessibility -- and Jimi Goodwin and the brothers Williams, Jez and Andy, feel that brevity is highly overrated. But if Kingdom of Rust won't knock earlier efforts such as 2000's Lost Souls and 2002's The Last Broadcast off their deservedly high perches, the album remains a satisfying listening experience for reasons that are tough to explain but easy to enjoy. "Jetstream" conjures up notable sweep from the unlikeliest of elements (vintage keyboard Velveeta, "Theme From Shaft" high-hat); the title track and "The Outsiders" rock with more abandon than usual; and "10:03" and "Compulsion" revel in the sort of drama that Brits seem more capable of pulling off than Statesiders. Must be the accents.

Dish 
Ma Raison de Vivre Ton Amour
ROA Records

Filtering '60s pop and garage rock through filial rivalry and junkyard percussion, Roberto and Nathaniel Aguilar make heartfelt, heartsick indie rock that is clever without being cloying, dynamic without being deafening and poppy without being pablum. The wide-eyed optimism and ingenuity of the duo's minimalist love songs to life are both endearing and energizing. Elements of lo-fi rock, folk and even country mingle in well-constructed pop songs that fly beyond the limits of expectations. While there's enough sophistication and complexity to suggest an art school education, the earnestness and innocence that shine through on Ma Raison de Vivre Ton Amour (Your Love is My Reason to Live) suggest that school didn't do too much damage to the artists.

Josh Reichmann Oracle Band
Crazy Power
Paper Bag Records

After a perfectly respectable run as frontman of Toronto artsy punk outfit Tangiers, Josh Reichmann set off on his own last year, surprising fans of his earlier work by reinventing himself as a left-field soul man on the Life is Legal EP. With this year's debut full-length, Crazy Power, the transformation and evolution continue fervently. Not unlike Ian Svenonius's character in Half-Cocked, Reichmann croons, caterwauls and capers like Sly Stone fronting the Stooges. For more contemporary touchstones, look to the weird hinterland that lies between Ghostland Observatory and Jamie Lidell. Funky, punky and just plain quirky, Reichmann and his quintet will have your brain quaking, your body shaking and your soul aching.

Peaches 
I Feel Cream
XL Recordings

If, like me, you haven't tuned in to what electroclash pioneer Peaches has been up to since 2000's brash and bracing The Teaches of Peaches, her self-produced fourth album will take you by pleasant surprise. Collaborating with wizards like Soulwax and Simian Mobile Disco, the performer -- who, at one time, seemed content to simply shock -- has produced a surprisingly subtle and sophisticated collection that has 80 percent more electro and 40 percent less clash. The new album, which hits stores on Cinco de Mayo (May 5 for gringos), opens with "Serpentine," a dense, danceable track that explicitly distances the erstwhile Merrill Nisker from the electroclash epithet. While songs like "Billionaire" -- filled with jokes and genitalia -- are vintage Peaches, tunes like "Relax" showcase a kinder, gentler songwriter, capable of singing that goes far beyond the raspy sex-and-spandex rap she pioneered.

Chairlift 
Does You Inspire You 
Columbia Records 

Welcome to another edition of Sound Bites, our economy-sized album reviews. This week, Kiernan Maletsky weighs in on five recent national releases from Bonnie Prince Billy (pictured left), Fever Ray, Madeline Peyroux, Point Juncture, WA and These Are Powers after the jump.

Lily Allen
It's Not Me, It's You
Capitol

Alright, Still, Allen's 2006 debut, was plenty enjoyable, but it didn't seem like the kind of album on which to build a career. Just goes to show how far effortless charm can take someone. On her latest, the Divine Ms. L chatters about her fucking fantastic life ("The Fear") and how exhausting it can be to spend ages giving head ("Not Fair") with a casual cool that defuses oversharing accusations, and her taste in breezy melodies remains unerring. Sure, she tends to settle for pleasantness rather than risking perspiration. But who needs to sweat the small stuff anyhow?

The Subdudes
Live and Acoustic
Biographica Films and Recordings

Live and Acoustic comprises a well rounded cinematic visit with the pleasantly eclectic Louisiana-based roots group the Subdudes. The Live half of the package features an intimate gig at Annapolis Maryland's Ram's Head, a cozy venue that lends the performance the clubby feel of a VIP outing. After being introduced by an emcee with a British accent, who urges the crowd "to get behind them" for the documentary's filming, the band, with the help of the eccentric-looking John Magnie who mock conducts using a drumstick (in place of a baton), launches into the harmony-rich "Poor Man's Paradise."

Welcome to another edition of Sound Bites, our economy-sized album reviews. This week, Nick Hutchinson weighs in on two recent national releases from Shemika Copeland and Seth Walker after the jump.

Welcome to another edition of Sound Bites, our economy-sized album reviews. This week, Andy Thomas weighs in on five recent national releases from Bon Iver (pictured left), Cheap Girls, Frank Turner, Papermoons and Lemuria after the jump.

Bruce Springsteen
Working on a Dream
Columbia

Reviews for Springsteen's latest tend toward extremes, with most critics declaring it to be either a work of absolute genius or an exercise in vapidity whose lyrics could use a major infusion of seriositude. The confusion is understandable. After all, Working on a Dream is a scattershot effort that juxtaposes some mighty fine material with a handful of amusingly loony whiffs.

After a brief hiatus, Sound Bites, our economy-sized album reviews, is back. In this first edition, Andy Thomas weighs in on five recent national releases from Ben Nichols from Lucero (pictured left), O Pioneers, Two Cow Garage, Portugal. The Man and Jessica Lea Mayfield with Blasphemy after the jump.

Charles Spearin
The Happiness Project
Arts & Crafts

From Charles Spearin, member of Broken Social Scene and one of the founders of post-rockers Do Make Say Think, comes one of the most exciting and interesting records in recent memory. For The Happiness Project, Spearin interviewed a number of his Toronto neighbors, then worked with a cadre of talented musicians to translate the melodies and rhythms of their speech into musical compositions. On the opening track, "Mrs. Morris," a tenor saxophone mirrors the title character's lilting voice, turning her discourse on the delights of love into a jaunty, jazzy romp. "Vittoria" finds a swinging ensemble riffing danceably on a child's stuttering explanation of her schoolwork. Later on the record, a child's voice again provides the inspiration for "Ondine." This time, however, a violin either mocks or empathizes with a child's whining about a snack. The album, which runs just over half an hour, is packed with creative ideas that are far more listenable and accessible than one might expect from such an adventurous work. Modestly, Spearin calls these "the melodies of every day life," but he's accomplished something truly remarkable with these compositions.