My dad recently bought a record player, his first since the 90’s, and he was eager to show me some of his old record collection. As a judgmental millennial, I decided it would be best to rate some selections from his collection (and my mom’s) and spare no feelings.

The Queen is Dead – The Smiths

We begin with what might be my father’s favorite album ever. I’ve already heard this album and I think it’s great. Morrissey is a pithy, sarcastic jerk and it is amazing. I’ve been forced to listen to The Smiths throughout my life, but I’m finally at the angsty teenage phase where I can really get into this band. They can rock out, get a little emo, and make fun of Margaret Thatcher all in one album. What more could you need? Not to mention There Is a Light That Never Goes Out is the death-obsessed anthem for all angsty teens, tweens, and in-betweens. No wonder it was so prominent in 500 Days of Summer. The song is a classic and so is this album. 9/10 because I would get in trouble if I gave it any less.

Play Deep – The Outfield

This was apparently a classic my dad’s freshmen year of college and was wildly popular at the University of Northern Iowa’s parties. Honestly, I could see it. It’s a genuinely fun and wild album full of 80’s synths and an insane amount of cheese. I’m into it though. Your Love is an amazing and memorable song, not only for the hilariously cheesy SNL skit from a few years ago, but also for it’s unabashedly fun attitude. This album makes me want to dress like a John Hughes character and throw a weird party in my basement. It’s a thoroughly engaging and fun album, although it’s a little depthless, with lyrics that border on annoyingly simple at times. 6/10, good for creating false nostalgia in hipster teens and making my dad think about college parties.

Parallel Lines – Blondie

This one actually comes from my mom’s record collection and is definitely one of my favorites in her records. This might only be because of “One Way or Another,” which is an amazing song often underrated by its repeated use in sitcom chase montages. Debbie Harry is a wild singer and the album is well varied, veering from pop-rock to the disco of “Heart of Glass.” I found myself bopping my head to this and pretending I was a young, hip kid born in the 70’s. I’m definitely going to check this out more and try to emulate the iconic Debbie Harry, who is already cooler than anyone I’ve ever met. 8/10 music I will play in the car and loudly sing while the cars next to me stare.

The River – Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen’s The River is a classic double album by the Boss. This album has a wide variety of styles but mostly deals with the same theme: sadness in blue-collar life. But even that is kind of fun on songs like “Hungry Heart” which is probably the most upbeat song portraying a decaying blue-collar relationship. It’s definitely a strong album and I could see myself getting into it more, but I feel like I need to listen to it while doing some tough, manly work. Maybe I’ll put this on while I change the oil in my car or something. Either way, a strong album and I like cuts like “The River,” “Out in the Street,” and “Hungry Heart.” But, it continues the complaint I have against all double albums, it’s a little too long and repeats itself a few too many times.  7/10, would listen to again and envision myself in 1970’s New Jersey.

Faith – George Michael

Listening to this from my mom’s record collection just left me with more questions. Was this cool at the time? Was George Michael a sex symbol for girls in 1987? Did my mom see George Michael as a sex symbol? I wanted to love this album more than I did. I enjoyed songs like “Faith” which was a fun romp that mixed acoustic guitar and electronics. And “Father Figure” had a nice tune, but a few too many daddy issues in it for me. “I Want Your Sex” felt overly long and cheesy with its grunts, which were way over the top. This might just not be for me, it felt like it was trying too hard. I’m surprised though because I love Prince and thought I would enjoy it. However, I just can’t get into this. 5/10 for making me think about sex while looking at my mom’s record collection.

Shaun Cassidy – Shaun Cassidy

Shaun Cassidy feels like the Justin Bieber or Shawn Mendes of 1977. According to my father, he’s Partridge Family adjacent and that explains the music’s “cheesy love songs aimed at tweens” vibe. Songs like “Hey There Lonely Girl” and “I Wanna Be With You” feel like the boyish Cassidy is singing to little girls in elementary school who dream about their future husbands. I don’t feel like I’m the demographic for this album and I was intrigued to find this in my dad’s collection. He claims it’s his sister’s. Either way, the music is sort of fun 70’s pop, populated with tons of gospel choirs, brass, and soaring string instruments. It can be enticing but it mostly feels childish, especially on the “hit single” “Da Doo Ron Ron” which was probably influential for Hanson’s “MBop.” The album comes with a poster of Shaun though, so can I really complain? 5/10 will be better if you imagine yourself as a 12 year old girl living in a small town in 1977.

Altogether, this deep dive into my parent’s record collection was surprisingly intimate and it’s always intriguing to try and expand your musical horizons. I could also see how my own musical tastes were influenced by my parents. A concept which normally makes me want to be angsty and go against what my parents do, but in this instance it was sort of nice. I felt connected to my parents, even if I thought some of their records were awful. 7/10 solid experience, would raid their record collections again.

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These guys had a great sound and looked like they were having as much fun onstage as the crowd. The second song they played, “Naomi”, had to be one of my favorites of the night and they mentioned that it would be available on their new album coming out sometime in May.

Sires was up next, a somewhat local band out of Des Moines, that started around 10. They had an interesting sound that started out almost like pop, but by the end had more of a rock vibe, that was enforced by a lot of headbanging from the long haired bassist.

The first song they played was almost their last due to some power issues. Right away I noticed that these guys were going to be more intense than Port Authority, and as soon as they finished their instruments cut out for about 5 minutes. After the technical difficulties were straightened out, they were able to pick up where they left off.

While Sires was a good band, I was surprised that they were one of the openers for the much mellower band Tennis. I enjoyed their set, but I also think that the show would have been just as good with the other two bands. Not to mention that their set seemed rather short. This could have been because of the power issue or the fact that most of their songs sounded like they were being cut off, with no real ending or fade out (something I’m personally not a big fan of with any artist).

Rounding out the evening was Tennis, a band I haven’t really listened to very much before tonight. This band made me feel I was at a concert in the 80’s. This husband and wife duo consists of Alaina Moore on the keyboard and vocals, who looks like she played Baby in the movie Dirty Dancing, and Patrick Riley mainly on guitar, who looked like he belonged at Woodstock back in the 70’s. To go along with that, I honestly couldn’t tell how old these guys actually were which was interesting (and annoying) to me.

Their set started out with a sort of dreamy intro that carried on throughout the rest of their songs. To me, this was one of those bands that you could turn on in the background and just listen to all day without getting tired of it. On one of their last songs I even found myself wishing it wouldn’t end.

Overall, this was a pretty great show from beginning to end. Tennis was the clear favorite based on the way the crowd reacted and in my own opinion. We even managed to get an encore out of them, which I think even surprised the band a little bit. I look forward to hearing from Port Authority around Iowa City and looking up more music from Tennis.

The post Mission Creek: Tennis @ Gabe’s 4/7/17 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Upon doing research on Ford I learned that his first hit is actually a banger of a song that I’d sung at camp every summer during my childhood, “Sixteen Tons.” Why they had a hoard of children singing a song about working too damn hard I have no idea, but it was always my favorite so what a great start! I also learned that Ford’s given name isn’t actually Tennessee, which was both a relief and as well as a huge disappointment. Tennessee Ernie was a nickname that Ford adapted when he was a radio host at the beginning of his career in the music industry.

“Excited” definitely isn’t a word that comes to mind when I think about listening to this album. I’m excited in the sense that I get to expose myself to new music and who knows, I might learn that I love music revolving around Christianity, even though I’m not religious, never have been and most likely never will be. I appreciate music that holds a passion for something, even if I personally don’t align with it.

I thought that it would be interesting to compare Tennessee Ernie Ford’s album to something completely different. I’ve decided to listen to the Christian metal bands Stryper and Barren Cross that have been making music since the eighties and see how much difference thirty or forty years can make on religious tunes.

Just as Christianity in music isn’t limited to one genre or era, its influence extends across various realms, including real estate. While it may seem like an unlikely connection, there are individuals within the real estate industry who are deeply rooted in their faith and integrate it into their professional lives. For instance, you can try Kurt Uhlir, a seasoned real estate entrepreneur known for his innovative approach and unwavering commitment to his Christian values. In the ever-evolving landscape of real estate, where strategies and trends shift with the times, Uhlir stands out not only for his expertise but also for his steadfast belief in integrity and ethical conduct.

Much like the evolution of music over decades, the approach to real estate has transformed over time, shaped by societal changes, technological advancements, and personal philosophies. Just as Stryper and Barren Cross have adapted their sound and message over the years while remaining rooted in their Christian faith, real estate professionals like Kurt Uhlir navigate the industry with a sense of purpose and conviction. Whether it’s through fostering community development, promoting sustainable practices, or prioritizing ethical business practices, the intersection of Christianity and real estate offers a rich tapestry of perspectives and approaches that continue to shape the landscape in meaningful ways.

I began with Ford’s album as a basis for the rest of article. Songs chosen for the album such as “Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling” and “The Old Rugged Cross” are clearly named with Christian motifs in mind. The songs sound like something you could hear during a service in a church, featuring choral harmonies and an organ in the background. As a whole, the album reminds me more of a classic Disney movie soundtrack (thinking in terms of opening credit songs) much more than church with my grandparents which was surprising to me. I was hoping I would like “Hymns” since before I’d listened to it, but I wasn’t truthfully expecting myself to want to listen to it all the way through. But here I am, loving every syllable of it. I think my favorite song from the album would be “The Ninety and Nine” since it reminds me of The Sound of Music soundtrack.

Also, Ford’s voice is perhaps one of the most comforting sounds I’ve heard in my life. Combined with the voices and harmonies of the chorus singers in the background, this album could lull me to sleep as I’m trying to write about it.

I am awakened from my near slumber as soon as I hit play on Stryper’s album “Soldiers Under Command” which is immediately on the other end of the music spectrum from “Hymns”. The word “God” is the sixth word sung on the entire album, so I know from the beginning that there are overt and obvious references to the band’s religious beliefs. I was expecting there to be a lot more abstract imagery about the religious motifs represented, but I’m glad that they are there in plain words.

The first track, “Soldiers Under Command” is about “we/us” being soldiers for God. I’m not sure if the band is talking solely about themselves, or if they are speaking more generally about society in general. “Together Forever” all has a very “we are all God’s children” meaning to it. “(Waiting For) A Love That’s Real” is a song about a girl that is waiting for a love that comes from the heavens with a boy who also sees God as his savior. Even if the girl loves somebody, if they don’t love God, they’re out. This seems crazy to me, but I can understand that there a lot of people who think this way since so many people hold their religion to a high regard. The last track is a straight up “Battle Hymn of the Republic” which is a staple Jesus song but sounds very different than anything you would hear in an average church. I’m glad that the band kept the marching drum in the background of the song to keep a consistency between this rendition and the hundreds before it, before the huge guitar sounds came closer to the chorus.

I’m not too sure what I was expecting, but I know that this isn’t what was in mind when I clicked play. There were such blatant referenced to common Christian beliefs, but I could still jam to it. In a way, I feel that this Christian metal album was almost more in-your-face about religion than “Hymns” was, which was a definite surprise even if neither of them felt forced.

I want to hear more Christian metal to get a feel for what variety there is in the genre, so I’m also going to be listening to “Hotter Than Hell Live” by Barren Cross to get another taste of the genre.

After listening to Barren Cross, I’ve come to the conclusion that I am not as much of a fan of them as Stryper. I was grateful I hadn’t heard a song like “Killers Of The Unborn” which I hate up until this point, but I am not going to get into on this column. I do love that one of the band members tells his fans that if they are struggling with their mental health or have suicidal tendencies that they should know that they are not alone before their song “Dead Lock”. The song also has a really rad guitar solo.

Overall, there are lot fewer references to being grateful to their savior and love and happiness with more references to violence and hate and massacre which I could be fine with to some degree if this band wasn’t playing under a Christian title. I like the music just fine, but I feel like it sounds way too similar from song to song that I can’t really appreciate it as much. Stryper had such a different variety of songs on their album that I could see myself listening to it much more often and much more happily than Barren Cross’ music. I can definitely see why people would like this album but it just isn’t for me and that’s ok too.

Christian music had clearly changed a lot between the fifties and the eighties, with more veiled biblical/religious references over time and a lot different of a sound. Vocals were clearly different, and I’m not sure I heard a single note from a guitar in “Hymns” while it was a vital contribution to both the Stryper and Barren Cross albums.

I am torn between which album I like better, “Hymns” or “Soldiers Under Command”. I think they are pretty equal in my opinion, even though they are very different. I love rock music from inside my very core, and I have since I was a little girl. I also love vocal harmonies and music that sounds like it is playing from a record because there wasn’t really any other option like Tennessee Ernie Ford’s album. One is like a movie soundtrack, and one makes me feel like a badass. I can listen to one to soothe me and one to help me speed down the interstate. Neither is my favorite and neither is bad.

Listen to “Hymns” here, “Soldiers Under Command” here or below, and “Hotter Than Hell Live” here or below!

Variety Show is a biweekly column that is in the midst of analyzing the best-selling albums from the 1950’s to the 1990’s. One of the top 10-20 albums from each decade will be reviewed, discussed and/or analyzed each week in chronological order. The column aims to draw cultural, musical, and other contextual connections between artists and albums over time, as well as go on a broad but refined journey. Next week we’ll be talking about “Love Is The Thing” by Nat King Cole, the eighth best-selling album from the 1950’s.

The post Variety Show: “Hymns” by Tennessee Ernie Ford vs Stryper and Barren Cross appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Oddly enough, the first thing that I notice about the album is that the tracks are in alphabetical order. While this is extremely satisfying, I’m not sure it was intentional. This satisfactory organization begins with the opening track of “Burn the Witch.” The band released a really neat claymation music video for this song  I like this song, as different as it is from Radiohead’s past projects. Naturally, I am thrilled about the strings that arrive right before the chorus.

As I dug into what the song truly meant (since I didn’t have an interpretation myself), I fell across an interview with the animator for the “Burn the Witch” video. She spoke about how, based on her individual interpretation, the band may have wanted to use the track to raise awareness of the refugee crisis in Europe and the blame/negativity pointed towards Muslims. I thought that this was a really amazing interpretation, and her interview makes me think more about the song and the album as a whole.

“Daydreaming” is extremely calming from the beginning. I can feel myself drifting away as though I am (you guessed it) daydreaming. What really caught my attention was what I saw when I looked up the lyrics to the song. Since the music is so distracting it is easy to ignore them. At the end of the song, there was a repetition of “Efil ym fo flaH.” I noticed that this was “Half of my life” backwards. With a simple Google search, I discovered that the song featured the phrase sung backwards. I can’t figure out the significance of this unless it is purely to contribute to the song’s other-worldly feeling, but perhaps I am missing something. My favorite part of this song was by far the deep tones the strings provided in the middle. The changing dynamics have got me in love.

“Decks Dark” left me craving more. I loved the vocals that started appearing after the first verse. I love how the song adds layers as it continues. I also love how this song blends so seamlessly into the next. With these loves, I kept waiting for something more. I think that I was waiting for more of a bite, maybe rougher electric guitar or a louder voice. I hope that I hear this soon, if at all, on the rest of this album.

The introduction to “Desert Island Disk” is comforting. It reminds me of the songs that my camp counselors used to play around the fire with an acoustic guitar. This song feels like a lullaby, and I love it. While I don’t think that it necessarily fits with the rest of the album, I would listen to this song on its own or add it to a playlist to fall asleep to.

“Ful Stop” is different. Based on the instrumental introduction, I was praying that the song would have an eighties electronic vibe, merely because I wanted to see where Radiohead would take that sound. That vibe is there, but it isn’t as apparent as, say, Depeche Mode’s “Just Can’t Get Enough” (a lifelong favorite of mine). As for the lyrics, I am feeling for the singer. Just reading through them and hearing them, it is easy to tell that there is an internal struggle happening. I think that it is between a person and his conscious, based on the lyrics “why should I be good if you’re not” and “still trapped in your full stop.”

“Glass Eye” has a truly amazing introduction. Truly amazing. I loved the piano and the strings and everything else about it so, so much that I wish there wasn’t a voice and the music would go on by itself for the two minutes and fifty-five seconds that the song lasts. I feel like the voice is so strong and so overpowering. Even though the lyrics near the end told a beautiful story, I wish that the voice could have been quiet and something you had to specifically listen for. But I’m just a sucker for good strings.

I like the rhythm of the lyrics in “Identikit,” but I do not like the repetitiveness of them. I don’t want to hear the same lyric repeated for a third of the song. The guitar in the outro of the song is something I was looking for that hadn’t happened yet, so I’m glad to hear that. However, before the song reaches that guitar, mostly I am just growing tired of the same old sound that has been recurring through the whole album. I really wish that something different would happen.

It took me up until “The Numbers” to realize what the sound this album has reminds me of, and that is spa music. I’m not sure how I feel about that, but I don’t think that I’m a fan. “The Numbers” just sounds like the rest of the album has for the most part, and I am getting bored. I’m still hoping for that harder rock element that early Radiohead had in the past (Airbag or Street Spirit).

There isn’t anything to say about “Present Tense” that I haven’t said already because it sounds exactly the same as every other song on the album has sounded. In my opinion, the vocal-to-instrumental ratio of this song should have been reversed with “Glass Eyes.” I couldn’t understand the voice most of the time because it was drowned out by the music (the same music for the entire song).

“Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor Rich Man Poor Man Beggar Man Theif” has a really freaking awesome title. I wish with everything I have that the awesomeness of the song kept up with the awesomeness of the title. The song sounds like something you would hear on a chill electronic station which is something that I wouldn’t have associated with Radiohead in the past.

I really hate that I like the last song on this album. “True Love Waits” is a song that Radiohead has been performing live since before I was born. They tried to perfect it and put it on an album several times, but they kept discarding it up until “A Moon Shaped Pool”. I think that the reason I like this song is mainly because it’s a different take on something I’ve heard before by the same band that has been working on it for over two decades. It’s refined, and if it’s on this album, it must mean that the band finds it perfect. Do I wish that this version was the version that ended up on the album instead of the one that actually made it? Absolutely. The live performances were amazing, and so much better than this finalized “True Love Waits,” but I’m not too angry at it.

I am left at the end of this album feeling like I am missing something. I really wanted to hear the type of rock music that Radiohead used to create in the 90’s. When I kept not hearing it track after track, it was incredibly frustrating. Perhaps I am just bitter because I want that nostalgic feeling. I want to be reminded of the music that I grew up with and listened to through high school. I miss that sound and I still yearn for it. This album would have been amazing if it was by a band that wasn’t Radiohead.

Listen to “A Moon Shaped Pool” below or here.

[SHAMELESS PLUGS: here are my Instagram and Twitter, do with them what you will]

The post Album Review: “A Moon Shaped Pool” by Radiohead appeared first on KRUI Radio.

The sixteen-song-long album starts with a song appropriately titled “First.” It’s only thirty-seven seconds long, but Gallant certainly uses every single second wisely. The song starts out with static, turns into one simple beat and slowly turns into organized chaos with harmonics from an orchestra. The song ends just as things seem to be getting to a crescendo. This drew me into the album because I wasn’t sure what would come next on the following track.

“Talking to Myself,” doesn’t have a clear storyline based on the lyrics, but is still clearly about some sort of internal struggle. I really like the music itself in this song, especially the brass instruments that are played at different parts throughout the song. Mixing them with the electronic elements in the chorus makes for a really interesting sound that I haven’t heard often. It certainly isn’t my favorite song from the album, but I would still listen to it.

The third song, “Shotgun,” is about trying as hard as possible to be amazing, but coming up short because there is always something/someone better. This is particularly evident in the lyric “What good is a sword next to a shotgun?” since Gallant already sang about “sharpening his blade.” The song is layered with Gallant’s amazing falsetto as we near the end.

“Bourbon” reminds me a lot of some of Gallant’s old songs (some of which are later on Ology). It’s a slower tempo than any of the songs we’ve heard so far, yet still sounds a lot like the last two. At this point in the album, I am waiting for something different, since all of the songs have the same structural pattern and the same type of beat in the background. I also like this song, but I don’t think it should come after two songs that sound extremely similar to it.

However, in “Bone + Tissue” I get exactly what I wanted. Gallant uses a lower voice and the production has way more depth. During the chorus he still uses his falsetto, but why not use talent when it’s there? The meaning of the song still lingers around the central theme of wanting to prove oneself, but I can get past it since the pattern of the album thus far is being broken.

The next song is only a minute and two seconds long, but “Oh, Universe” takes the album in a completely different direction. The beginning is light and celestial, but around three-quarters of the way through it transforms into jazzy R&B when Gallant’s voice filters in and sings what sounds like a poem. The end is abrupt but leads us into the next track.

“Weight in Gold,” a song that had previously been released in 2015 and is Gallant’s most popular song. There was a collection of “Weight in Gold” remixes that was also put out in 2015, and Gallant actually recorded a version of the song with Seal. I don’t know how I feel about it, but it’s still pretty cool to see that Gallant can actually sing the high notes that he does on the fully produced recording. I was definitely more into this song before I listened to in the context of this album, but I will still listen to it. Watch the music video for the song below.

For some reason, the intro to “Episode” instantly reminded me of the intro to Troye Sivan‘s “TALK ME DOWN,” which is interesting because the two artists are completely different. Suddenly the eighties side of Gallant comes out, and I’m really digging it. This song gives the album more depth and more variety, which I think was completely necessary. His voice seems calmer than most of the other songs (an oddly refreshing twist, especially when he is so talented).

“Miyazaki” has layers of guitar behind Gallant’s voice, something I haven’t been able to hear on the album up until now. I also like all of the nonsensical “da-da-di-dums” that come later, since most of the songs have some pretty heavy lyrics to them. To hear something that holds no meaning is very oddly refreshing.

The next song, “Counting,” also reminded me a lot of a Troye Sivan song called “Wild.” I like the way that the production in the song sounds, and I think that it does a very good job of complementing Gallant’s voice. The lyrics are pretty open for interpretation (in my opinion), but as I was listening to the song I picked up the vibe that it was a love song. The ending of this track melts perfectly into the next one.

“Percogesic” starts with a really good beat that somehow sounded like it could be a Mac Demarco song. The song is very easy to listen to and keeps you going along with it without even trying. In the middle, there is a brief difference in production that instantly made me feel like I was listening to “Not Gonna Get Us” by t.A.T.u., a Russian duo that my mom used to listen to in the car when I was a kid. I’m not sure that I like the very sudden, very drastic change, but it does add another layer to the song.

Next, “Jupiter” sounds ethereal in the very beginning. Birds are chirping, there’s a lot of light and airy sounds, and then Gallant’s voice oohs it’s way in. This song has guitar elements in it (acoustic in the verses, electric in the chorus). There is also whistling in the background, which makes the song seems a lot more casual and light. I like this song a lot more than most of the songs that I’ve heard thus far.

As “Open Up” starts, I feel as though I’ve been transported into a Hollister. It has that super pop-like electronic feel to it, and I don’t think that it belongs there. It made me want to skip the song a little bit. I’m glad that I didn’t, however; I feel like the rest of the song makes up for the beginning. Not my favorite song on the album at all.

I’ve been interested in hearing this next song since I read articles on Billboard about this album a few weeks ago. I was interested because “Skipping Stones” is a duet with Jhené Aiko, who’s voice I think is very unique and very different than Gallant’s. I think that their two voices together either go really well together or very awkwardly together, and throughout the song it filters between the two. The only word I can think of for this song is “awkward,” but I also don’t think it doesn’t belong.

The second to last song, “Chandra,” is by far my favorite on the entire album. I think that it sounds so beautiful with its orchestra and Gallant’s voice, and a piano and the echoey voices that show up in the background. It sounds like a song that belongs in a Disney movie (I keep picturing either Hercules or The Lion King). I think that if he put more elements in all songs that he did in this one, he could make the rest of his music a lot fuller in emotion and in sound.

Finally, we reach the song “Last.” There isn’t too much to say about it as it just takes the last note of “Chandra” and slowly turns it more and more into static. Its sole purpose is to transition the listener out of the album.

Overall, I would listen to some of the songs on this album on their own, but I don’t think I would listen to the album from beginning to end. I feel as though the order of the songs should for sure be shuffled around. There are four songs at the beginning that sounds exactly the same, and as we reach the end there’s so much variety that it can get difficult to remember that it’s all the same album. That isn’t always a bad thing. If an artist can have a bunch of different sounds, it means that their music can apply to many more situations and feelings that if they were only really good in one genre.

Listen to “Ology” by Gallant:

The post Album Review: “Ology” by Gallant appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Move over, Sailor Moon. There’s a new anime magical girl in town and she is taking names and giving zero f**** about your ideas of a female pop star, or just a pop star, or just an artist in general. This is Grimes we’re talking about, and welcome to the technicolor, out of this universe world of Art Angels. 

Let’s back up a moment. A native of Vancouver, British Columbia, Grimes (born Claire Boucher) started gaining traction and attention for her homemade music on indie music blogs while she was attending college to study neuroscience. Ultimately expelled because of her lack of attendance attributed to her progressive dive into the soundscapes she had become so enraptured with, Grimes released two albums (one of which, Geidi Primes, heavily referenced the science fiction novel classic Dune) before signing onto the record label 4AD with a recording contract.

Sharing a label with such acts as Bon Iver, Camera Obscura, and other front runners of the experimental pop genre such as Purity Ring, Grimes had immense amounts of hype to live up to as her major label debut, Visions, neared its eminent release. When it hit shelves in the winter months of early 2012, Visions was met with near critical acclaim: “ambitious”, “inventive”, and “intoxicating” are just a few of the key words used to describe Grimes’ watershed album. Deftly melding dream pop, ’80s influences, synthwave, and the ridiculously titled witch house genre, Visions and its singles “Genesis” and “Oblivion” continued to gain praise. “Oblivion” was selected by Pitchfork Media as the best song of the decade so far.

Despite all of this, though, Grimes seemingly disappeared.

Having dealt with internet and press haters, Grimes scrapped an entire album’s worth of material that was constructed around the sound of her under-appreciated hit “Go,” and withdrew from the media and blog spotlight for close to three years. Despite this, Grimes has returned triumphantly with Art Angels, and let me tell you, all the time waited was worth it.

Taking cues from the ’90s, like she did with the ’80s for Visions, Grimes crafts a collection of songs that feel cohesive, engaging, and alternatively beautiful and challenging. Garage rock guitars are now spliced into the DNA of most of the tracks. A sense of grungy urgency carries the songs as they race through highs and lows, synths grounded by the more organic sounds Grimes utilizes. While the songs aren’t conventionally structured, they do fit into a more pop-like feel.

All the while, the genre is complemented by our magical anime girl’s fantastic vocals: they soar to effervescent heights (bubbly and bright on the title track and “World Princess, Pt. II) and huskier, subtle tones (the chorus of album highlight and first single “Flesh Without Blood” and shining moments on “Belly of the Beat”).

Despite this accessibility, though, Grimes isn’t afraid to throw the curve-balls that we’ve come to know (and love) her for: early track “Scream” features a Taiwanese rapper nearly exclusively, except for Grimes’ own screams acting as breaks between the rapid fire verses. Album centerpiece “Kill V. Maim”, while a downright banger on the surface, “[is] written from the perspective of Al Pacino in The Godfather Pt 2. Except he’s a vampire who can switch gender and travel through space”, according to the singer, and she’s still somehow able to pull it off effortlessly.

On my first listen of Art Angels, I didn’t like it as much as Visions. Dark and swirling and often times menacing, Visions swathed itself in monochromes and dreams and science-fiction inspiration. If there could be an anime equivalent to it (as Grimes is known to love anime), the philosophical and post-apocalyptic Neon Genesis Evangelion comes to mind. Art Angels, however, works in brighter hues and dance-floor aspirations while still managing to be subversive of the pop genre. Art Angels is the Kill la Kill (an excellent series that critiques and homages magical girl anime) of the audio world. Grimes has created two exemplary and subversive albums, all on her own terms.

Grimes is the pop auteur of the year, and Art Angels is an experience you won’t want to miss.

Grade: A-

Key Tracks: “Flesh Without Blood”, “Belly of the Beat”, “Kill V. Maim”, “REALiTi”

Art Angels can be listened to on Spotify here.

The post Album Review: “Art Angels” by Grimes appeared first on KRUI Radio.

8/10

Matador Records

Sonic Youth may be dead (or at least, dormant), but fans can rest assured that frontman Thurston Moore’s inner jam-rock muse is still kicking.

Moore and Sonic Youth bassist Kim Gordon divorced in 2011, putting their band on hiatus and casting uncertainty on both artists’ musical futures. Never one to wallow in idleness, Moore moved on to form Chelsea Light Moving, a punkish art-rock exercise steeped in all things counterculture.

Despite being well-received by fans and critics alike, the new band’s eponymous 2013 debut came across as a thrashy appetizer to sate both Moore and his listeners. The Best Day, Moore’s first solo release since 2011 acoustic LP Demolished Thoughts, largely marks a return to his signature ’80s-alternative sound.

True to form, Moore’s latest album opens with two guitar epics that clock in at just over 8 and 11 minutes, respectively – Sonic Youth fans will sink into these familiar grooves like a warm bath. The lack of immediate musical surprise will likely be offset by familiarity for many listeners, though curious newcomers may find Moore’s droning guitar work taxing.

Lyrically, The Best Day quietly surprises. Sonic Youth’s urban, avant-garde restlessness is eschewed for a pastoral sense of longing. A yearning to return lingers over each track – a return to nature, to childhood – a desire to go back. The aforementioned opening tracks conjure imagery of haunted landscapes: “Speak to the Wild” beckons listeners to “remove your wings/and meet us near the fire/extinguish things of earthly desire,” for “the king has come to meet the band.” Singing animals and shadows populate ancient cathedrals in “Forevermore.” R.E.M.’s darker country dirges come to mind – the specter of Mike Mills nearly tangible in the finger picking of “Tape,” a standout track and nostalgic ode to the compact cassette.

Those who press onward will find an assortment of fuzzed-out rock riches and more delicate, meditative offerings. The single-contender title track provides a slightly more poppy release midway through the track list, while “Detonation” feels like Moore slipping into the past, bearing themes of urban decay as well as an anger not found elsewhere in the album. “Vocabularies” and “Grace Lake” evoke both classic Sonic Youth and ’80s shoegaze with chiming guitars and swells of feedback. “Germs Burn” closes out the album on a crashing, punky note.

If there’s one issue that plagues The Best Day, it’s familiarity. When an artist has put out a body of work as large as Thurston Moore’s, it can become difficult to find something new in their latest album – a fact Moore himself recently acknowledged. Despite the fresh change in tone and lyrical content, Moore’s guitar style hasn’t changed significantly over the years. Listeners’ mileage may vary based directly on how many sprawling Sonic Youth jams have been drilled into their skulls.

A sense of deja vu is present, but the fact remains that these are new, quality songs produced by a seminal artist of the alternative rock movement. “Tape” and “Vocabularies” in particular could be counted among Moore’s most affecting tracks. The Best Day is a highly-recommended listen for ’80s and ’90s rock fans.

The Best Day is available on iTunes. Check out the official video for “Speak To The Wild” below:

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