Songs Of The Week #81: TCDroogsma & MinneSarah

Thumpers, Elizabeth & The Catapult, Angel Olsen, & Lizzo...

Well hello again, MP3 junkies!  Welcome to Songs Of The Week #81!
 
For those of you who are new to the SOTW column, here's the story:  TCDroogsma and MinneSarah are both fans of The Current's Song Of The Day podcast.  They're also both opinionated and have access to computers.  Seeing an opportunity to let them indulge in their MP3 habit and put them to work writing reviews we created the Songs Of The Week column.  Over a year later later and here we are.

As always, we strongly suggest that you follow this link and subscribe to the podcast yourself.  It's free and it's fun for the whole family!

To that end, once you've given each song a spin or two, feel free to cast a vote for your favorite song of the week in the poll to the right side of the page.  The artist who accrues the most votes wins the validation that comes from winning an anonymous internet poll, arguably the loftiest height to which a modern musician can aspire.

As per tradition TCDroogsma and MinneSarah have not read each other's reviews prior to posting

So... Droogsy, Sarah... thoughts?

01. Thumpers - Sound Of Screams (from the album Galore)

 
TCDroogsma:

     Before I get into the reviews this week I'd like to take a moment to point out that we were only given four songs to review this week.  Why?  Because Monday was President's Day.  That's right, MPR takes President's Day off!  What are you, the fucking Post Office?  Rough gig.

     Anyway, on to the songs.  Thumpers.  They're a duo, they're British, and they like everything at once.  "Sound Of Screams" takes massive drums, skewed keyboard blips, fuzzed out bass guitar, shouted vocals, oohs & aahs, and some handclaps and just plays them all at the same time.  Believe it or not, this leaves "Sound Of Screams" a little murky.  I know that there's a hook in there somewhere, but I'll be damned if the boys of Thumpers don't do everything in their power to hide it.

MinneSarah:

     "Sound of Screams" skews more summer than I'm really able to handle this time of year.  The lyrics are nostalgic, so much so that the thought passed my mind more than once that this could be the end of summer "Camp song" for hipster summer camp.  In addition to drums, they sample handclaps and footstomps and run them on a loop.  While the title, "Sound of Screams" could be macabre, it appears here to be the reaction the band had to the Postal Service reunion.  I guarantee you I'd be feeling this song more, were it not -13 F as I write this review, but as far as circumstance goes, this one is coming off my iPod. 

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 3/5
                     MinneSarah: 2.5/5

02. Elizabeth & The Catapult - Shoelaces (from the album Like It Never Happened)

TCDroogsma:

     The "Elizabeth" of Elizabeth & The Catapult is Elizabeth Ziman, a classically-trained musician from Greenwich Village.  Somehow knowing that little bit of information helped me make sense of "Shoelaces."

     "Shoelaces" is a lament about a woman who resists falling in love because she can't get her own shit together (an admirable sentiment, but really, you're a music major from Greenwich Village, nobody expects you to have your shit together).  The song is meticulously executed, riding a bouncing bass line and a twin acoustic/electric guitar attack through the verses and into a chorus that's half-lyrics, half-"do dum do."  If Neko Case tried to write a Fountains Of Wayne song it would turn out like "Shoelaces."

MinneSarah:

     The singer, who I can only imagine is the marqueeing Elizabeth, has a powerful voice.  It skews a little Country, with planned breaks and extended enunciation, but the song itself is surprisingly poppy.  The lyrics are about how she can't invest in a relationship because of a litany of metaphors relating to housekeeping, songwriting, and gardening.  While it's my personal opinion that relationships aren't worth getting into unless you go head first - it must be nice to have that foresight to take it slow.  While all the examples make me wonder who would want to date anyone racked with such self-doubt, the song turns it around and makes perfect sense.  It has elements of happy-go-lucky pop and moody intervals of singer/songwriter reflection, making it more listenable than just one of those genres.  

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 3/5
                     MinneSarah: 3/5

03. Angel Olsen - High And Wild (from the album Burn Your Fire For No Witness)

TCDroogsma:

     Angel Olsen has been kind of blowing up the indie music blog world over the last week, so when I saw that we'd be reviewing "High And Wild" this week I was looking forward to finding out what all the hype was about.

     Turns out, not much.  "High And Wild" shows up in a haze of fuzzy guitars, old-timey piano and spoke-sung lyrics and proceeds to just sit their nearly four minutes.  Angel Olsen comes off like Courtney Barnett minus the Dylan infatuation, which, I realize, seems like a compliment, but Barnett was such a blank slate that copping Dylan's style was the only thing noteworthy about her song.  Lyrically Olsen comes off like the id to Elizabeth Ziman's ego.  She's struggling to find love too, but it's definitely somebody else's fault.  When she delivers lines as cringe-inducing as, "I'm neither innocent or wise when you look me in the eyes, you might as well be blind, 'cause you don't see me anymore!" it leaves me wondering why anybody would want to see her anymore.  "High And Wild" comes off like a Tumblr post that should probably should have been taken down once the hangover wore off.

MinneSarah:

     "High and Wild" is a roller coaster of a song with a sixties feel to it. While I'm not interested at all of the talking-toned singing at the beginning, listener take note - Angel Olson has an emotion-filled voice when she wants to use it!  At those moments, this song takes on another level of feeling that is more than the you may have thought you've gotten into from the beginning.  The lyrics are relate-able - relationship problems and emotionally charged miscommunications are always familiar fodder.  The way the song picks up towards the end, is extended a little longer than it needs be, as the last 40 second sounds like a 60's drug-fueled jam band session.  

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 1/5
                     MinneSarah: 3/5

04. Lizzo - Paris (New Single)

TCDroogsma:

     My distaste for Lizzo was pretty well-established over the last year.  Between The Chalice, GRRRL Party, and the singles off LizzoBangers, I was sure I'd seen every side of Lizzo and even more sure that I didn't like any of them.

     That said, "Paris" is not bad enough to push my distaste for Lizzo any further, and that's the nicest thing I have to say about it.  This time out we find Lizzo putting style over substance yet again, rapping about how Prince & Jay-Z are fans (dubious), how she can't by liquor on a Sunday (confusing, evidently), and how she's "like a muslim and you a piece of ham, I will never touch you, rather you will never touch me..." (about as poorly crafted a boast as I think I've ever heard in a hip-hop song).  Like most Lizzo songs, it's about absolutely nothing whatsoever.  Even the well-crafted chorus that asks if, "you've ever been to Paris at night?" loses its luster when she claims that, if you say yes, she probably won't believe you (the implication being that nobody is higher up the food chain than Lizzo, so if she hasn't been there, clearly, you haven't either).  If I got paid to try to promote songs this bad I'd need to take President's Day off too.

MinneSarah:

     Last month, I saw Lizzo perform this song at First Avenue.  While I love her energy, I often don't identify with lyrical content, which can seem base and non-sensical.  While listening to this song in person, it was one of the few unifying moments of the evening - I can relate with the chorus - I, too, have never been to Paris...at night (or otherwise).  However, the rest of the song is slower and doesn't showcase what fans really go crazy over - her lightning fast rapping ability.  Part of the song actually sounds like it is modeled after Dave Chapelle's Tupac song - she references a cousin who you'll probably never meet.  While I'm not averse to any possible insight in Lizzo's lyrics,  I'm not seeing them in this song - "You a piece of ham," really?  

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 0/5
                     MinneSarah: 2.5/5

Well there you have it, MP3 junkies!  Another week's worth of songs downloaded, reviewed, & filed away!

As always, please keep in mind that neither Newest Industry nor our contributors are in any way affiliated with the artists above, The Current, or MPR.  We're just music fans with laptops and a bit too much time on our hands.

For more TCDroogsma be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma).  He can also be found right here on Newest Industry hosting our free weekly podcast Flatbasset Radio

For more MinneSarah be sure to give her a follow on Twitter (@MinneSarah).  In addition to  filing reports out of St. Paul for our Big Day Out column she occasionally joins TCDroogsma as co-host of the Flatbasset Radio podcast.







For more Newest Industry be sure to give us a follow on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1) to stay up on the work being done by all of our contributors.  More importantly, we have a Facebook page here.  Trivial as it seems, stopping by and giving us a "Like" is a free & legitimate way to support the blog.

Flatbasset Radio Presents - MinneClassics #2: TCDroogsma On "Flowers On The Doorstep"

Making milestones out of mistakes...

Well hello podcast fans!  Welcome to MinneClassics #2!

As you can probably tell from the fact that this is Episode #1, MinneClassics is a new feature here on Newest Industry.  Basically, TCDroogsma decided to create a feature which allows him (or his guests) to take some time and really shine the spotlight on a local artist and a song of theirs that is deemed "Classic."  They'll discuss the song, why they think it deserves "classic" status, and then play the song.

In this 2nd installment of MinneClassics TCDroogsma discusses Martin Devaney's "Flowers On The Doorstep" from the album Letters Never Sent.  Along the way he touches on the day he purchased the album, his love of 3/4 time signatures, how nostalgia colors the way people remember things, and a time he was too drunk to talk to Martin Devaney.

Give the podcast a listen below or download it for free by clicking on its title.

 

MinneClassics #2: "Flowers On The Doorstep" by Martin Devaney

MinneClassics #2: "Flowers On The Doorstep" by Martin Devaney by Tcdroogsma on Mixcloud

There you have it, podcast fans!  MinneClassics #2! Enjoy!

For more TCDroogsma be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma).  Previous episodes of Flatbasset Radio are archived on his Mixcloud page.  Stop by Flatbasset Radio's Facebook Page & give it a "Like" if you have the time.

For more Newest Industry be sure to give us a follow on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1) to stay up on the work being done by all of our contributors.  More importantly, we have a Facebook page here.  Trivial as it seems, stopping by and giving us a "Like" is a free & legitimate way to support the blog. 

Songs Of The Week #80: TCDroogsma & MinneSarah

Doug Paisley, Temples, KINS, Hospitality, & Erik Koskinen...

Well hello again, MP3 junkies!  Welcome to Songs Of The Week #80!
 
For those of you who are new to the SOTW column, here's the story:  TCDroogsma and MinneSarah are both fans of The Current's Song Of The Day podcast.  They're also both opinionated and have access to computers.  Seeing an opportunity to let them indulge in their MP3 habit and put them to work writing reviews we created the Songs Of The Week column.  Over a year later later and here we are.

As always, we strongly suggest that you follow this link and subscribe to the podcast yourself.  It's free and it's fun for the whole family!

To that end, once you've given each song a spin or two, feel free to cast a vote for your favorite song of the week in the poll to the right side of the page.  The artist who accrues the most votes wins the validation that comes from winning an anonymous internet poll, arguably the loftiest height to which a modern musician can aspire.

As per tradition TCDroogsma and MinneSarah have not read each other's reviews prior to posting

So... Droogsy, Sarah... thoughts?

01. Doug Paisley - Song My Love Can Sing (from the album Strong Feelings)

 
TCDroogsma:

     Before I get started here, I'd just like to take a moment to congratulate Doug Paisley.  In addition to being devastatingly handsome, "Song My Love Can Sing" is the new record holder for "Most dramatic swing of opinion over the course of one week."  Not an easy award to win, but a true testament to just how great this song is.

     The first time I listened to this one I thought, "Good god.  I'm going to have to spend the next seven days starting my morning with some whining, boring country."  Then, over the course of the week, the myriad little rewards in the song began to reveal themselves.  The lyrics and down, but also grounded & realistic.  Paisley has perspective on his situation, which is a hell of a virtue.  Musically, the entirety of the song wobbles charmingly left-of-center (or centre), with the verses seeming starting a half a beat late and the hooks coming half a beat early.  With a swirling organ and a piano filling in the blanks (at least until a second Paisley voice shows up in the chorus), "Song My Love Can Sing" is one of the richest, most well-realized singles I've heard in a while.

MinneSarah:

     How can anybody argue with the validity of emotion in a troubled love song sung in a twangy tone with some country keyboards behind it?  Especially when it comes off of an album called Strong Feelings.  While "Song My Love Can Sing," sounds lighthearted, it is still a song of discontentment and loss.  If Canadian alt-country is not your thing, you may still like the liberal use of keyboards - I sure did.

     Doug Paisley lets his lyrics do the work of convincing the listener that he feels optimistically conflicted about love.  A pleasant sounding song with some real emotion behind it, "Song My Love Can Sing" wasn't written for people like me, but somehow I think Doug Paisley is okay with that. 

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 4/5
                     MinneSarah: 3/5

02. Temples - Shelter Song (from the album Sun Structures)

TCDroogsma:

      In most circumstances I'm more than willing to ride the wave of England's "Next Hot Young Band."  Of course, it doesn't always work out long-term (I'm looking at you, Hard-Fi), but for the most part you'll come out of the whole thing with at least one or two great singles.

     Which is why I'm disappointed in "Shelter Song."  Temples has been getting great write-ups in both England and the United States, but, based on this single at least, I don't see what the big deal is.  "Shelter Song" has almost nothing going for it by way of originality.  This jangly-psychedelic sound is half Animals/half Byrds and not much else.  Now, being derivative is no sin, but wearing their influences so brightly on their sleeves ultimately leaves "Shelter Song" without its own personality.

MinneSarah:

     Leave it to the Brits to take sixties psychedelic pop and make it sound more polished than it ever really was.

     I've been listening to Temples a little lately, toying with the idea of catching "as close to Tame Impala as I can in my hometown" this April, and this song is a bit more over the top than the others I've heard.  The chorus sounds whimsical and the guitar is quintessentially sixties.  Tambourine and echoed vocals complete the sound.  "Shelter Song," is a throwback to another time, which when done well doesn't sound contrived - I think Temples pulled it off.  While listening to this song, it cemented my desire to sway underneath the twinkle lights of the Turf, pretending I'm at an outdoor festival in Bristol. 

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 2.5/5
                     MinneSarah: 3.5/5

03. KINS - Mockasin's (from the album KINS)

TCDroogsma:

     I was reading up on KINS before writing this review and learned that the singer & guitarist hail from Australia while the rhythm section came together after those two moved to Brighton.  This struck me as interesting because, as I spent the week with this song, the rhythm section on "Mockasin's" is by far the best part of the song.

    "Mockasin's" stumbles ahead on a twitchy, post-punk bass-and-drum momentum, giving the song its irregular heartbeat.  That canvas, however, is smeared with a mix of aimless, jangly guitar work and falsetto vocals, both of which fail to coax anything more out of the song.  I've read that KINS really brings it live, so maybe this all makes a little more sense in person (it's easy to imagine "Mockasin's" being an absolute monster live), but here on record it comes off lacking.

MinneSarah:

     "Mockasin's" starts out fantastic - a little eighties, heavy on the bass - then takes an unexpected turn.  The singer's voice is extraordinarily falsetto, as is so popular with the kids these days.  The chorus delivery is less Tiny Tim than the rest, which allows the listener to once again groove out to the slow jam instrumental for a while longer.

     This band of Aussies, now living in Brighton is also making an appearance at the Turf this spring. While I did listen to some of KINS other songs for perspective, some of which were amazing, this song did not do it for me.  "Mockasin's" is too lulling and the falsetto puts me on high stress out alert!  Feeling a little like when I'm on a ferry and the waves are bearable/unbearable and the overall feeling is memorable but not fun.  While I'm not giving this one high marks, I would encourage listeners to check out their latest album for a glimpse of just how big this band can sound. 

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 2.5/5
                     MinneSarah: 2.5/5

04. Hospitality - I Miss Your Bones (from the album Trouble)

TCDroogsma:

     "I Miss Your Bones" starts off a charming little love songs.  The song is hopelessly romantic, but derives a sense of urgency from its instruments.  Hospitality works up the sort of tight, start-stop rhythm work that implies that the band has worn through at least one copy of Room On Fire.

     Unfortunately, they only keep up this pace for about 90 seconds.  At that point the song goes full Benjamin Button, devolving from a tightly-wound pop song to an ambiguous guitar solo to merely a simple 4/4 beat & bassline with some power chords strummed on top of it.  By the time you get to the end of the song you feel as if you're listening to the jam session that eventually yielded "I Miss You Bones."  It's an odd trick and I don't totally see the point.  By the time you've finished listening to the song that dynamic first 90 seconds seems like a distant memory, leaving the whole presentation feeling frustratingly half-formed.

MinneSarah:

     "I Miss Your Bones" is uber poppy!  Guitar pop is always a welcome sound on these Song Of The Day offerings, as they can be quite rare.  The overall impression of this song is that it is upbeat, guitar driven, and catchy.  While the band is from Brooklyn, it sounds as though the singer is feigning an accent. There is also a fair amount of guitar noodling - the song has a transition which results in the last two and a half minutes of the four minute song being nothing but guitars.

     Really, this song is two songs, a hyper-poppy, somewhat affected minute and a half long song, and then almost twice as long distorted guitar and mellow bass.  While I can't say which part I like better, the end result is disjointed.  Probably for the best - four minutes of the intensity of pop, and I may have called it too saccharine.

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 3/5
                     MinneSarah: 3/5

05. Erik Koskinen - Six Pack Of Beer And A Pack Of Cigarettes (from the album American Theatre)

 
TCDroogsma:

     When you see a song titled "Six Pack Of Beer And A Pack Of Cigarettes" it can mean one of three things:

     1. A punky rave-up
     2. A blues dirge
     3. An old-timey country song

     Sadly, Erik Koskinen traffics in a mixture of options two and three.  Putting aside my hopes for a the punky rave-up, "Six Pack Of Beer..." doesn't offer much beyond the usual cliche of taking this job and shoving it (which Koskinen straight quotes in the song).  The execution is flawless, I suppose, but so rote that it borders on parody.  I mean, if you were trying to write a song mocking old country songs, you'd probably come up with something like "Six Pack Of Beer..."  It's easy to see something like this holding the attention of the regulars at Lee's, but 4:00 on an iPod is an awful lot to ask.

MinneSarah:

     I've heard country music in the background of my whole life.  Between my mom's affinity for sixties country vinyl and taking her young daughter barhopping through Southern Minnesota and Wisconsin, and visiting my dad for summers in Texas, let's not say I haven't been exposed.  However, every country song I hear these days, my first thought is, "why?!"  "Six Pack of Beer and a Pack of Cigarettes" is part of the Country Blues genre, so make sure you shed some tears in that six pack, because nobody understands you, not even Country music.

     Now onto the good stuff - Erik Koskinen has offered this little ditty with a tongue in cheek attitude that lets the listener in on it.  Also, his vocals sound as though David Byrne picked up the craft, which will delight hipsters across these cities.  My advice is if you feel the need to go barhopping in Southern Minnesota - bring Erik!  He'd surely be able to explain to you the history of the genre and put his own spin on it.


Final Score - TCDroogsma: 1.5/5
                     MinneSarah: 2.5/5

Well there you have it, MP3 junkies!  Another week's worth of songs downloaded, reviewed, & filed away!

As always, please keep in mind that neither Newest Industry nor our contributors are in any way affiliated with the artists above, The Current, or MPR.  We're just music fans with laptops and a bit too much time on our hands.

For more TCDroogsma be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma).  He can also be found right here on Newest Industry hosting our free weekly podcast Flatbasset Radio

For more MinneSarah be sure to give her a follow on Twitter (@MinneSarah).  In addition to  filing reports out of St. Paul for our Big Day Out column she occasionally joins TCDroogsma as co-host of the Flatbasset Radio podcast.







For more Newest Industry be sure to give us a follow on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1) to stay up on the work being done by all of our contributors.  More importantly, we have a Facebook page here.  Trivial as it seems, stopping by and giving us a "Like" is a free & legitimate way to support the blog.

Newest Industry Presents - Flatbasset Radio: Episode #32 (w/MinneSarah)

My only friends are koalas & hedgehogs...

Hello again, free music fans! Welcome to Flatbasset Radio: Episode #32!
 
For those of you who are unaware of the Flatbasset Radio format, here's what you're looking at: TCDroogsma is our resident MP3 junkie. As you've probably noticed in his Songs Of The Week column, he's not always the most positive music fan. In an effort to prove that he is, in fact, a fan of music, we give him an hour each week to play the songs he's digging and talk a little bit about them. Once he's recorded his podcast we put it right here on the website for free to stream and/or download!

In this week's episode TCDroogsma is back in St. Paul to play some jams with co-host MinneSarah.  Along the way they discuss Damon Albarn's heartache, whether Mexico City is behind or ahead of the times, Droogsy's favorite Canadian rapper, the slight differences between America & England, President's Day, the merger of D.C. hardcore and Spelling Bees, The Guardian's magical way with words, their favorite Steely Dan song, De La Soul's gaming of the system, the dominant music trend of 2014, their all-time favorite Twin Cities radio stations, and play a Flatbasset Flatclassic to celebrate Valentine's Day a week after the fact.

You can download the podcast for free by clicking the episode's title or stream the episode by clicking on the Mixcloud player below.

Flatbasset Radio: Episode #32

Flatbasset Radio: Episode #32 by Tcdroogsma on Mixcloud

01. Rey Pila - Alexander
02. Buck 65 - All At Once
03. Fila Brazilia - Nature Boy
04. Gorillaz - Crystalised
05. Q And Not U - Soft Pyramids
06. Kwabs - Wrong Or Right
07. The Presidents Of The United States Of America - Stranger
08. De La Soul - Eye Know
09. Say Yes Dog - Get It
10. British Sea Power - Waving Flags
11. The Cure - Mint Car

There you have it, music fans! Enjoy!

For more TCDroogsma be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma).  Previous episodes of Flatbasset Radio are archived on his Mixcloud page.  Stop by Flatbasset Radio's Facebook Page & give it a "Like" if you have the time.



 

For more MinneSarah be sure to give her a follow on Twitter (@MinneSarah).  She can also be found right here on Newest Industry filing reports out of St. Paul for our Big Day Out column







For more Newest Industry be sure to give us a follow on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1) to stay up on the work being done by all of our contributors.  More importantly, we have a Facebook page here.  Trivial as it seems, stopping by and giving us a "Like" is a free & legitimate way to support the blog. 

Sounds Of Sota #3: "You Are So Loud That I Want To Die" by Human Kindness

Hardly getting through to you...

Hello again, music fans! Welcome to Sounds Of Sota #3!

For those who are unfamiliar with Sounds Of Sota, it's a running column in which we ask one of our contributors to review new albums & EP's from Minnesota artists. In sticking with our desire to rank and rate everything the albums are given a score of 1-10 at the end of the column.

This time around we asked TCDroogsma to give us his thoughts on "You Are So Loud That I Want To Die," the debut EP from Human Kindness.

TCDroogsma, thoughts?

It was just over a month ago that Human Kindness came roaring out of the U Of M camps and onto the Twin Cities music map with their album You Are So Loud That I Want To Die.  It's an album filled with energy, yelled out hooks, and the sort of calamitous guitar rock that makes you wonder if they didn't steal their album name from a note left under their door.

The album eases to life on the swirling guitars of lead single "Krishnaagain."  It's a fine song, I suppose, filled with a chorus that punches and energy to burn. Given its accessibility, it makes sense as a lead single.  What it doesn't do, however, is give an accurate picture of just what Human Kindness is (or seemingly aims to be).  It treads the same familiar post-hardcore/math rock terrain that hundreds of bands have already worn thin.  More than a stand alone single, "Krishnaagain" marks a departure point, an acknowledgement of the influences & ideas that formed the base of the band's sound.

You Are So Loud I Want To Die genuinely takes off with the second & third songs on the album, companion tracks "Breathing Deep (for Walking)" and "Breathing Deep (for Breathing)."  Combined, the two tracks make for nearly seven & a half minutes of fuzzy, wirey, mostly-instrumental grooves.  It's obviously a ballsy move to devote that much time so early into an EP to instrumentals, but it's a move that pays of in spades.

Where "Krishnaagain" showed where the band is coming from, the two "Breathing Deep" tracks illustrate where it hopes to go.  Sure, there are still cues taken from D.C. hardcore (note the shuffling drums & funky bass work), there are also hints of something grander.  They aim for lofty heights with these instrumentals, building up, breaking down, and rebuilding as though taking cues from both Fugazi & The E Street Band.

"When I see you call, it's like church bells ringing, and I can't help thinking of the highs from which I could fall..."



That's how we're greeted on album centerpiece "Prescription Drugs."  Ask yourself, does that sound more like Guy Picciotto or Bruce Springsteen?  It's tough to say, and that's what makes it so great.  "Prescription Drugs" is the moment on the album when this collision of hardcore aesthetics & arena ideas mesh perfectly.  While the lyrics may be lovelorn, the dueling guitar work express the buzzing head & exploding heart of a man who ends a verse asking plaintively, "I'm falling for you, do you want to see my bedroom?"  It's the rare song that keeps its upward trajectory pushing through the duration of its three and a half minutes, closing the first half of the album with a bang.

After a 1:10 breather known as "Katherine Drone" (which, despite the fact that I have no idea who Katherine is, is still a perfect title for the interlude), the album's second half kicks off with the almost-ballad "Donnellan, Sam's Tape."  Lyrically, it's the disappointed ex-lover to the anxious young man of "Prescription Drugs."

"I don't believe that dreams hold any higher meaning..."

These are the first words we hear, and the rest of the song proceeds to follow through on that thought.  The furious, excitable energy of "Prescription Drugs" is nowhere to be found as "Donnellan, Sam's Tape" drifts along with the pace of a man wondering what went wrong.  Taken as a whole, the three song run of "Prescription," "Katherine", & Donnellan" tell the story of a whirlwind relationship envisioned, consummated, abandoned, and dissected.

After the one-minute-plus dual vocal freakout that is "Limited Jest," Human Kindness takes one last big swing with album closer "Giant People."



As a group that seems to have been raised on The Hold Steady & Titus Andronicus, the band knows the importance of ending an album on something epic.  I mean, the song opens with our protagonist talking to God!  It's hard to get more epic than that, though the band tries admirably more than five minutes.  From the 2:35 mark on they focus their collective power on building up a web of guitars and mini-climaxes.  At 4:00 mark they let the whole thing collapse, only to come roaring back with the most straight ahead, Nils Lofgren-esque guitar solo of the entire album.

There's a lot of potential on this album that's realized only intermittently.  Whether that's a product of time, equipment, desire, etc... I don't know, but the songs on this album show a band who hasn't yet caught up to their own ambitions.  Will they get there?  Let me put break it down like this:

There's a scene in the first episode of The Sopranos that any fan of the show will instantly recognize.  In that first episode Tony has a family of ducks living in his backyard pool.  Tony's become mildly obsessed with the ducks, feeding them everyday, taking care of them, etc... At one point in the episode the ducklings attempt to fly and Tony gets very excited, yelling for his family to come watch the birds struggle to lift out of the pool.  Later in the episode, when the birds actually manage to fly away from the pool, the moment is bittersweet for Tony.

I bring this up because, admittedly, I don't know much about the guys in Human Kindness or their story as a band.  They seem to be a band that takes pride in the fact that they've gone from idea to album in a relatively short amount of time (they formed in 2012).  As such, I have no idea if You Are So Loud That I Want To Die is the first step of a band finding their sound or if it's just four college guys having a good time, leaving their album destined to end up in the "Lost Classics" section of Twin Cities music.  My point is that, whether or not Human Kindness ever make good on their desire to fly, You Are So Loud That I Want To Die is their "ducks struggling to fly for the first time."  It's exhilarating to watch, but be sure to enjoy it, because once they learn to fly, they'll belong to everybody.

Final Score: 8/10

There you have it, folks!  High marks for "You Are So Loud That I Want To Die," the debut EP from Human Kindness.  The album remains available as a "Name Your Price" download on their Bandcamp page.

For more TCDroogsma be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma).  He can also be found right here on Newest Industry hosting our free weekly podcast Flatbasset Radio.








For more Newest Industry be sure to give us a follow on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1) to stay up on the work being done by all of our contributors.  More importantly, we have a Facebook page here.  Trivial as it seems, stopping by and giving us a "Like" is a free & legitimate way to support the blog.

Newest Industry Presents - Flatbasset Radio: Episode #31

Do you have the time to listen to me whine?

Hello again, free music fans! Welcome to Flatbasset Radio: Episode #31!
 
For those of you who are unaware of the Flatbasset Radio format, here's what you're looking at: TCDroogsma is our resident MP3 junkie. As you've probably noticed in his Songs Of The Week column, he's not always the most positive music fan. In an effort to prove that he is, in fact, a fan of music, we give him an hour each week to play the songs he's digging and talk a little bit about them. Once he's recorded his podcast we put it right here on the website for free to stream and/or download!

In this week's episode TCDroogsma is flying solo from Planet New Basset.  He spends the week celebrating the anniversaries of several of his favorite albums, uses one of his theories on life to justify playing U2, tells Beyonce to "put it away for a while," concedes to being years late to one of the 2000's great bands, does his best not to get sued, gets "super pumped" for the new Hold Steady album (while firing shots at their tour itinerary), discusses the roots of Kanye's controversy-filled career, misreads song titles, can't figure out how old he was 20 years ago, discusses three albums that shaped "music kids" in 1994, explains just how he spent ten years in a "punk rock wormhole," and plays the song that sent him on the path to music nerd-dom!

You can download the podcast for free by clicking the episode's title or stream the episode by clicking on the Mixcloud player below.

Flatbasset Radio: Episode #31

Flatbasset Radio: Episode #31 by Tcdroogsma on Mixcloud

01. Franz Ferdinand - The Dark Of The Matinee
02. Psymun (w/Chester Watson) - Dead Albatross
03. Damaged Bug - Photograph
04. Future - Drunk In Love
05. U2 - Invisible (Red Edit Version)
06. The Walkmen - The North Pole
07. Beat Culture - Drifter (Saint Pepsi Remix)
08. The Hold Steady - The Only Thing (Live On WYEP)
09. Kanye West - All Falls Down
10. The Autumn Defense - This Thing That I've Found
11. Kelis - Jerk Ribs
12. Green Day - Basket Case

There you have it, music fans!  Enjoy!

For more TCDroogsma be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma).  Previous episodes of Flatbasset Radio are archived on his Mixcloud page.  Stop by Flatbasset Radio's Facebook Page & give it a "Like" if you have the time.

For more Newest Industry be sure to give us a follow on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1) to stay up on the work being done by all of our contributors.  More importantly, we have a Facebook page here.  Trivial as it seems, stopping by and giving us a "Like" is a free & legitimate way to support the blog.

Songs Of The Week #79: TCDroogsma & MinneSarah

Mogwai, Dog Bite, The Autumn Defense, Leif Vollebekk, & Little Man...

Well hello again, MP3 junkies!  Welcome to Songs Of The Week #79!
 
For those of you who are new to the SOTW column, here's the story:  TCDroogsma and MinneSarah are both fans of The Current's Song Of The Day podcast.  They're also both opinionated and have access to computers.  Seeing an opportunity to let them indulge in their MP3 habit and put them to work writing reviews we created the Songs Of The Week column.  Over a year later later and here we are.

As always, we strongly suggest that you follow this link and subscribe to the podcast yourself.  It's free and it's fun for the whole family!

To that end, once you've given each song a spin or two, feel free to cast a vote for your favorite song of the week in the poll to the right side of the page.  The artist who accrues the most votes wins the validation that comes from winning an anonymous internet poll, arguably the loftiest height to which a modern musician can aspire.

As per tradition TCDroogsma and MinneSarah have not read each other's reviews prior to posting

So... Droogsy, Sarah... thoughts?

01. Mogwai - Remurdered (from the album Rave Tapes)

TCDroogsma:

     Over the years, I've talked a lot of shit about The Current.  While I don't see that ending any tie in the foreseeable future, I will give them credit for this: They've made me a Mogwai fan.

     "Remurdered" marks the third time that Mogwai has turned up as a SOTD track, and I've loved each one of them unconditionally.  I'm almost certain that's because I don't think I would enjoy listening to an entire Mogwai album.  However, taken in 4-6 minute chunks (and stacked up against the indie flotsam that typifies The Current's playlist), they sound phenomenal.

     "Remurdered" doesn't stray far from the Mogwai formula.  It starts off slow, humming along on a guitar & keyboard warble for a minute before the guitar begins to bloom (with some help from the drums).  That, however, is only a teaser.  The whole song blossoms a couple of minutes later, when the keyboards expand, the drums go full post-rock, and a thick bassline glues the whole thing together.  It may be Mogwai-by-numbers, but for six minutes, there's nobody like them.

MinneSarah:

     I approached this song thinking, "I'll bet this track is a six minute droning instrumental" and I was dead on.  Mogwai was the "it" band while I was in college about which everyone fawned over to prove their hipster cred.  Nobody ever followed up on by seeing them live or buying all their albums (or truly enjoying the background music)?  Mogwai, in my mind, plays the soundtrack to every dorm room in Minnesota circa 2003.

     This offering didn't push that idea out of my head, though it did sound more "90's electronic" than I remember them sounding in the 90's.  In fact, it reminded me of Orbital's ebbing and flowing electronic technique.   This track starts softer during the first three minutes and louder during the last, making it sound like two separate songs drawn together.  The song title, "Remurdered," doesn't give a lot of context to an instrumental song, though I think it would be the perfect song title for a cover of a cover, especially if the first cover was a bad try.

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 4/5
                    MinneSarah: 3/5

02. Dog Bite - Lady Queen (from the album Tranquilizers)

TCDroogsma:

     Dog Bite is best known as the side-project of Washed Out keyboardist Phil Jones, which is really a shame.  While "Lady Queen" may share an affinity for hinting at melody (rather than simply indulging in it) with Washed Out, Dog Bite definitely stands on its own.

     "Lady Queen" appears to be a tongue-in-cheek shot at a woman who demands she gets her way despite not having a firm grasp on what it is she wants.  The vocals aren't necessarily prominent in the mix, but they definitely fit in with the overall "shoegaze with keyboards" aesthetic of the song.  Vocals and keyboard lines drift in and out of the song, yet it retains a pop structure that Jones full-time gig typically abandons.  It shuffles and builds for nearly two minutes before collapsing in on itself, never overstaying its welcome.

MinneSarah:

     My new kitten has a new theme song!  "Lady Queen" is also her new nickname, just surpassing "Princess Baby" this past week (she's growing up)!  If "uptempo downtempo" is a genre, Dog Bite hit the nail on the head. The vocals are disinterested but trustworthy. I love the 90's fuzzed out guitars with a hefty dose of well-planned electronics drums.

     "Lady Queen" is a fun listen - the lyrics aren't too serious, and it definitely made me wonder what else Dog Bite is working on right now.  While I can't really pin this song down, the wondering what could come next makes me love it all the more.

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 3.5/5
                    MinneSarah: 4/5

03. The Autumn Defense - This Thing That I've Found (from the album Fifth)

TCDroogsma:

     A couple of things came to mind when I first set upon reviewing "This Thing That I've Found:"

     First, I'm a huge Wilco & Uncle Tupelo fan, yet had no idea that bassist John Stirratt had his own band (let alone five albums worth of songs).

     Second, given his longevity within Jeff Tweedy's universe, I always assumed Stirratt was the quintessential "good soldier."  That he was more than willing to indulge in Tweedy's moods & left turns in the name of great songs and great paychecks.

     While I'm still not sure if that second part is true or not, "This Thing That I've Found" shows that Stirratt may have been able to put up with the ebb & flow of Wilco because he was more than capable of burning his creative energy elsewhere.  "This This Thing That I've Found" arrives just in time for Valentine's Day.  It's a smoothly written, expertly performed love song for the over-30 set, most of whom can appreciate the sentiment of acknowledging both their own & their significant other's past and leaving it where it belongs.  It also sounds like a long lost ELO single, which, considering I'm part of that over-30 set, I mean as a genuine compliment.  The songs celebrates feelings & mood over specific words.  Stirratt may have no idea what the thing that he's found is, but he's old enough to know its special.

MinneSarah:

     Everyone knows I want nothing to do with Wilco.  I was blown-out-of-my-mind surprised to find that The Autumn Defense is Wilco bassist John Stirratt's side project.  Songwriting doesn't get more perfect than this song!  The only complaint I have is the slight twang at points during the song...and the Wilco associations.

     But seriously, this song is timeless - it'd describe your life if you lived it anytime from the 60's onward - any season.  The lyrics are hopeful, but there is a sense of ennui in the guitars.  It leaves the listener tapping their feet and wanting more.  What a song. 

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 4.5/5
                    MinneSarah: 4.5/5

04. Leif Vollebekk - Southern United States (from the album North Americana)

TCDroogsma:

     I hate to say it, but "Southern United States" is exactly the type of country-tinged song that only somebody who's never lived in the southern United States could write.  To his credit, Leif Vollebekk opens the song by stating, "I had a dream I was standing under the Memphis moon..." which frames the whole song as merely a dream, rather than an actual portrait, of Dixie.

     Unfortunately, that doesn't bring much comfort during the remaining three and a half melody-averse minutes of the song.  There's some exceeding loose character sketchers, a very cliched take on southern music (violins & pedal steel guitar abound), a clumsy reference to Lou Reed's Berlin, and nary a chorus to be found.  By the end of the song I was at a loss as to just what the point of "Southern United States" was. This is less a song than a fictional travel log entry.

MinneSarah:

     If Canada could offer a Jeff Buckley, I believe that Leif would be the best they can do.  While I've been pining for a legitimate Buckley replacement for the past 20 years, I'm not entirely sold that he should play "Americana" (personal bias).

     While Leif issues a convincing stab at Southern Americana, one cannot help but see it as Canadian romanticism of the American South - which can be more sanguine than an actual Southerner would offer.  The lyrics annoy me because they use the same Bob Dylan moment by moment storytelling that I've ripped other songs for using.  Throwing in a reference to Lou Reed's "Berlin" may be for hipster cred, or it might just embody the sentiment better than using his own words to describe it - only Leif can know the answer to that question.  Note I'm giving above a three to a song featuring a prominent harmonica solo - I don't forsee this happening again. 

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 1/5
                    MinneSarah: 3.5/5

05. Little Man - Flip You Over (from the album Original Face)

TCDroogsma:

     I really shouldn't be allowed to review Little Man songs.  I've been a big fan of this guy for years now, and he's yet to make a misstep.  He can go folk, he can go glam, he can go pop... It all sounds great to me.

     "Flip You Over" clocks in at just 2:00, and pretty much sums up the spirit of Little Man in its opening seconds.  "Every little thing's been done, wanna get out and have some fun..."  For a guy that's been battling Marc Bolan comparisons from the day he strapped on a guitar, that's a battle cry, a mantra, or both.  He's right, there's nothing original going on in "Flip You Over."  So what?  It's loud, it's fast, it's catchy as hell.... Sometimes that's all you need.

MinneSarah:

     "Flip You Over" has contagious energy.  While I spent most of the weekend thinking this song sounded like it came from a familiar place, the distilled thought on this is, "what if the glam rock bravado of Spacehog was influenced by Led Zepplin?"  I'm a huge fan of bands embracing and building upon 70's glam rock, and Little Man does just that.

     From what I can glean from the lyrics, they are incredibly empowering.  If you create a get up and go playlist, don't leave this one off your tracklist.  There is a little twang in this ditty as well, but it seems like it is for emphasis rather than the direction the song takes.  This song, a charismatic band performance, a night at Lee's with just the right amount of gin and tonics - well, this scenario could only turn out swimmingly. 

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 4/5
                    MinneSarah: 3.5/5

Well there you have it, MP3 junkies!  Another week's worth of songs downloaded, reviewed, & filed away!

As always, please keep in mind that neither Newest Industry nor our contributors are in any way affiliated with the artists above, The Current, or MPR.  We're just music fans with laptops and a bit too much time on our hands.

For more TCDroogsma be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma).  He can also be found right here on Newest Industry hosting our free weekly podcast Flatbasset Radio

For more MinneSarah be sure to give her a follow on Twitter (@MinneSarah).  In addition to  filing reports out of St. Paul for our Big Day Out column she occasionally joins TCDroogsma as co-host of the Flatbasset Radio podcast.






For more Newest Industry be sure to give us a follow on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1) to stay up on the work being done by all of our contributors.  More importantly, we have a Facebook page here.  Trivial as it seems, stopping by and giving us a "Like" is a free & legitimate way to support the blog.

Flatbasset Radio Presents - MinneClassics #1: TCDroogsma on "Purexed"

Hush, let 'em try to find the beauty in your face...

Well hello podcast fans!  Welcome to MinneClassics #1!

As you can probably tell from the fact that this is Episode #1, MinneClassics is a new feature here on Newest Industry.  Basically, TCDroogsma decided to create a feature which allows him (or his guests) to take some time and really shine the spotlight on a local artist and a song of theirs that is deemed "Classic."  They'll discuss the song, why they think it deserves "classic" status, and then play the song.

In this edition of MinneClassics, TCDroogsma discusses "Purexed" from P.O.S.'s album Never Better.  It's the 5 year anniversary of that albums release, so Droogsy discusses why the album was important to him, talks about his time living in NYC, what it was like when the Never Better tour rolled into the town, and how the video helped him make a major life decision.

Give his 12 minute podcast a listen below or download it for free by clicking on its title.



MinneClassics #1: "Purexed" by P.O.S. 

MinneClassics #1: "Purexed" by P.O.S. by Tcdroogsma on Mixcloud

As TCDroogsma mentions in the podcast, here's the "Purexed" video.

There you have it, podcast fans!  The first in what will be a long line of MinneClassics! Enjoy!

For more TCDroogsma be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma).  Previous episodes of Flatbasset Radio are archived on his Mixcloud page.  Stop by Flatbasset Radio's Facebook Page & give it a "Like" if you have the time.

For more Newest Industry be sure to give us a follow on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1) to stay up on the work being done by all of our contributors.  More importantly, we have a Facebook page here.  Trivial as it seems, stopping by and giving us a "Like" is a free & legitimate way to support the blog.