Young Jesus’ new album Welcome to Conceptual Beach is an ambitious and artful indie rock album that leaves behind much of the Midwest-emo sound of 2018’s Everything is Just There. It instead it favors more of a more progressive style of rock while pulling from a vast pool of influences. The album’s opener “Faith” combines jazzy rhythms and post-rock instrumentals with digital vocal effects, sounding something like a mix of Talk Talk and Bon Iver’s 22, a Million. Later in the track, vocalist John Rossiter uses a more soulful singing style similar to that of Jeff Buckley’s, one he sticks with for a good part of the album to great effect. “(Un)knowing” employs reverb-soaked glide guitar and ethereal female backing vocals that could have come directly off of My Bloody Valentine’s shoegaze masterpiece Loveless. My personal favorite track, “Meditations”, features improvised sections that balance a mellow sound with a free-flowing quality that gives the song plenty of life. The song’s progression brings to mind prog classics like Yes and King Crimson, complete with spacey synthesizers and fast, precise, complex drumming. Essentially every track on Welcome to Conceptual Beach takes a different approach to rock. While this may be a barrier-to-entry for some, much of the band’s ambition pays off, making for one of the more interesting indie/alternative rock releases this year. 

-Jake Bisson

Microphones – Microphones in 2020

Phil Elverum has been an indie staple since he began his career in the mid-90s, producing mixtapes that would later fall under the now infamous Microphones name. When he released The Glow pt. 2 in 2001, he forever cemented his blend of mellow indie palettes and droning, distorted rock as required listening for any alternative-loving music fan. Promptly after the 2003 follow-up to The Glow pt. 2, Elverum departed from the Microphones name to continue his musical career as Mount Eerie, only sporadically playing under the former, eponymous title. After nearly 19 years, Microphones in 2020 was released not so much as a return to the project, but as an open conversation about it and its creator’s winding past. The album is in actuality a 44-minute song, flowing through a number of stylistic switch-ups that encapsulate the varying degrees of the project’s musical influences. The continuous building and receding of the instrumentation lulls the audience into a sense of peace that is both disconcerting and comforting. Elverum softly ambles his way through the narrative of his life and career, sometimes unsure of his footing, sometimes blissfully confident. Lyrically, he incorporates themes from previous albums, hints at specific lines, and offers deeper insight into their personal origins. Even if the specificity of some details may go over listeners’ heads, the tide-like, droning instrumentation paired with Phil’s unrefined vocal delivery and lyrical honesty will still draw out an unabashed desire for inner peace and to know, as he sings, “the true state of all things…”. 

-Sydney Sjobakken

Tkay Maidza – Last Year Was Weird Vol 2 EP

On her new EP, Australian rapper Tkay Maidza pulls from a wide variety of styles and genres, and performs fantastically in each. Aside from her pen game and singing ability, what Last Year Was Weird Vol. 2 makes most clear to the listener is Maidza’s versatility. The opener, “My Flowers” begins with laid back guitar chords and a simple vocal line before giving way to drums, bass, and futuristic synths. Maidza lays out a chill flow as she considers her own worth, both personally and in the music industry. “24k” is a grooving hip house song with propulsive kicks. Above this dance beat, Maidza’s flows are effortless and cool. The chorus shows off the lighter side of her vocal register with airy inflections. Then of course, there are the bangers. “Shook” brings heavy bass throughout, with flashy synths on the chorus, plus energizing use of drum and vocal samples. Most memorable about the track is the last hook, where Maidza playfully works in a new melody for her rapped vocals to respond to. The off-kilter synth lines on “Awake” and “Grasshopper” are reminiscent of Tyler, the Creator’s production, and bring a darker tone to what is mostly an optimistic EP. With each song feeling so unique in the track list, there’s much more to prattle on about, like the cathartic silliness of “You Sad” or the chorus on the pop RnB tune “PB Jam” which may have the best melody on the project. Features from JPEGMAFIA and Kari Faux are also well executed. Last Year Was Weird Vol. 2 is an EP that knows the importance of having compelling songwriting at the center of each track. 

-Jaden Amjadi

Crisis Sigil- small towns. 

Crisis Sigil’s new album small towns. is a weird, wonderful take on grindcore from Ada Rook (of Black Dresses). Crisis Sigil’s music is stylistically far-removed from the pop-oriented sounds of Black Dresses, but Ada’s production abilities still shine through to create a unique and personal style of digitized grind that could not have come from any other artist. Though packed with the same chaotic energy of long-running grind acts like Napalm Death and Pig Destroyer, small towns. is by no means strictly a grindcore album. Rook works in plenty of other styles like digital hardcore, metalcore, and industrial metal, providing the album with moments of mid-tempo riffing and melodic sections that break from the more pummeling conventions of grindcore. The closer “away.” shows off her genre-bending talents with harsh vocals, distorted guitar riffs and drum machines brilliantly produced into an extreme techno-cybergrind hybrid, like a dance track pulled from your worst (or best?) nightmare. The title track delivers incredibly heavy grind that unexpectedly shifts into electronic synth sections and even some spoken word poetry. Listening to the album several times over I couldn’t get enough of the chaotic shifts between all-out aggression and emotional tenderness. At just eight tracks running one-to-two minutes each, Ada Rook manages to keep the short-and-not-so-sweet energy of grindcore while still finding plenty of room to work in her own unique sound. 

-Jake Bisson

PVRIS – Use Me 

Once again, PVRIS’s new album, Use Me, succeeds in demonstrating their ability to go out of their comfort zone. After switching labels and hiring JT Daly to produce, the band stated these changes signified a new era of music that was clearly present on the album. Tracks like “Old Wounds” and “Death of Me” stay within PVRIS’s alternative genre but hint at a new, poppier sound. These tracks feature a dark mix of guitars, drums, synth, and vocals that increase intensity as the song builds. PVRIS’s new laidback pop sound shines in “Loveless” and “January Rain.” The stripped instrumentals give room to highlight Lynn Gunn’s raw lyrics. Gunn is the creative mind of the band, and this third album allows her to fully step into the spotlight. Lyrically, Use Me takes a more personal tone portraying Gunn’s struggle with depression, damaged vocal cords, and a breakup. Despite some simple instrumental lines, the honest lyrics make the album stand out and resonate with listeners. The darker sound of the band is still present but now coexists with a new brightness emphasizing PVRIS’s evolution. 

-Daniela Rybarczyk

Backxwash – STIGMATA EP 

Arriving hot on the heels of her breakout album God Has Nothing to Do with This Leave Him Out of It, rap firebrand Backxwash’s STIGMATA EP is a solid expansion, carrying forward the bleak, anguished lyricism and use of Christian themes as its predecessor. More than just cut content from the previous entry, however, STIGMATA kindles its energy by piling on layers of distortion and string shreds to deliver a hard-hitting, vengeful sound. The titular opening track immediately distinguishes itself with the addition of some sizzling metal samples that mirror a darker progression into the artist’s own psyche–as if the inner rage that fueled God Has... belied only a greater and hotter rage. Biting, punchy vocals throughout and a catchy hook easily make this a highlight that’s hard not to keep on repeat. “Demons” makes use of slower riffs and noise to transition into a more unsettling tone, highlighting the hauntingly distorted guest vocals from Devi McCallion. The EP kicks into a more traditional beat with “PSALMS 23.” The sonic space here allows Backxwash to lay it all out on the table with some utterly scathing lyrics, culminating in her brilliantly harrowing signoff with a claustrophobic burst of noise reminiscent of the exact sort of mental break alluded to throughout the project. Eerie samples and a rolling buzz in the instrumental closing track carry a subdued yet intimidating ambiance that seems to threaten, rather than hint, at more to come. 

-Sam White

Bright Eyes – Down in the Weeds Where the World Once Was 

It seems as if indie rockers Conor Oberst, Mike Mogis, and Nate Walcott of Bright Eyes knew when their fans needed them the most. After a nine-year hiatus, Bright Eyes released their ninth album, Down in the Weeds, Where the World Once Was. As a band that never fully stuck to one genre or sound between releases, fans were unsure of what to expect with this long awaited—some may even say overdue—release. On early listens, the singles (Persona Non Grata, Forced Convalescence, Mariana Trench) sound like songs that had already existed in the Bright Eyes catalogue—not intrusive, but not necessarily staking their claim either. However, the full release pulls these tear-stained pieces together and wraps them nicely into a cohesive, enjoyable album. Lead singer Oberst is back in full force with the ceaseless, quivering, and honest voice he has become known for. The instrumental and melodic palette isn’t far from a typical Bright Eyes album, though with consistently cleaner production. The lyrics are raw, though soft imagery floats through the album, with occasional flickers of twisted optimism that cut through the somberness. In the song “Dance and Sing”, Oberst sings ”all I can do is just dance on through, and sing”, which right now, hits a bit close to home. 

-Emma Graening

Merzbow – EXD

EXD archives recordings from 1997-1998 by the legendary Japanese noise artist Masami Akita a.k.a. Merzbow. The album, released on Lawrence English’s label Room40 is comprised of drum machine creations far more rhythm-based than most of Merzbow’s more brutalizing “wall of noise” releases from this era, like the infamous Pulse Demon. On EXD, white noise and distortion overwhelm repeated drum patterns to create oddly hypnotic and intense static-soaked beats. Each beat is heavily mutilated and twisted into a sonic endurance test that pushes raw texture through feedback, often drowning out drum loops into little more than safety handles for the listener to grasp in the back of their mind. The title track even incorporates a mix of dance and hip-hop oriented beats which are met with waves of feedback, like some monster of DJ Shadow, clipping., and Throbbing Gristle patched together with tangles of exposed wire. Merzbow’s relentless treatment of the drum machine manages to create a sound that could send the average metalhead clamping their ears. As unapproachable as this may sound, this album (and countless noise records like it) sends a powerful artistic statement: that any sound is fair game in the world of art, and the palette for “musical sounds” extends endlessly beyond those of conventional instruments. Even those least forgiving on the ears can be used in incredibly dynamic ways as tools of musical expression – Merzbow’s music takes this to the extreme, and EXD is certainly no exception. 

-Jake Bisson

The post The Best Releases of August: Music Staff Picks appeared first on KRUI Radio.

With Valentines Day just occurring, I thought I’d take a look at some of the best indie love songs that are perfect for the occasion.

Bright Eyes– “First Day of my Life”

Perhaps the most recognizable indie love song ever made, no list would be complete without “First Day of my Life”. Conor Oberst combined his tender songwriting with a soft acoustic backdrop as he says, “Yours is the first face that I saw/ I think I was blind before I met you/ Now I don’t know where I am I don’t know where I’ve been but I know where I want to go”. With over 18 million views, the music video even furthered to popularize the song, with a touching display of couples on a couch listening to the song together.

Wilco– “You and I”

Wilco is not usually known for having guests appear on their songs, but Feist works incredibly well next to Jeff Tweedy on this heartfelt soft song from 2009’s Wilco (The Album). The back-and-forth between Tweedy and Feist shows the struggles of staying together as a couple before ultimately proclaiming, “You and I/ I think we can take it/ All the good with the bad/ Make something that no one else has”.

The song is a nice change of pace for a band known for pushing music and song to its limits; sometimes simple arrangements and straightforward lyrics can be just as powerful.

Daniel Johnston– “True Love Will Find You in the End”

With a pure, childlike spirit and a devastatingly honest way of conveying emotion through his lyrics, Daniel Johnston’s words have weight to them that other artists simply don’t have. By saying less, he says more. Nowhere else is that seen more clearly then on his most popular song, “True Love Will Find You in the End”.

The song is incredibly simple, consisting of only the slow strum of a guitar as Johnston proclaims, “Don’t be sad I know you will/ Don’t give up until/ True love will find you in the end”. The song is a small glimpse of hope from an artist who had to work hard to find any at times.

Neutral Milk Hotel– “Naomi”

Maybe the most touching and heartfelt song that Jeff Mangum has ever written, “Naomi” is an ode to Naomi Yang of the band Galaxie 500, who Mangum dated in the 90’s. The imagery and excited rhythm that Mangum speaks of his significant other is romantic and urgent.

As a cacophony of fuzzy guitars and noise erupts, Mangum exclaims, “I’m watching Naomi, full bloom/ I’m hoping she will soon explode/ Into one billion tastes and tunes/ One billion angels come and hold her down/ They could hold her down until she cries”. “Naomi,” is the best song from Neutral Milk Hotel’s first album and the best love song Mangum has written.

Radiohead– “True Love Waits (Live in Oslo)”

Radiohead and Thom Yorke have plenty of love songs to choose from, the nod ultimately goes to “True Love Waits,” however. The song has been played live for years by the band, but never saw an official album release until 2016’s A Moon Shaped Pool.

The live version that was released on the band’s 2001 live album I Might be Wrong features only Yorke and the rollicking strum of his guitar that propels each one of his poignant lines forward. Yorke closes out the song with simple yet effective imagery in the last few lines: “And true love waits/ In haunted attics/ And true love lives/ On lollipops and crisps/ Just don’t leave”.

The Postal Service– “Such Great Heights”

With the affectionate lyrics of Ben Gibbard and the sputtering electronic pulse of Jimmy Tamborello, the Postal Service created a classic with, “Such Great Heights”. The song has been featured in numerous commercials and movies, and has stood the test of time as the golden standard for indie love songs. Gibbard opens the song with the touching, “I am thinking it’s a sign/ That the freckles in our eyes are mirror images/ And when we kiss they’re perfectly aligned”.

The slightly cheesy lyrics paired with the soaring beat make for a highly enjoyable love song that has plenty of replay-ability, even 15 years later. The song finishes with the beautifully simple chorus of, “They will see us waving from such great heights/ Come down now, they’ll say/ But everything looks perfect from far away/ Come down now, but we’ll stay”.

The post Music Matters (Valentines Day Edition): Best Indie Love Songs appeared first on KRUI Radio.

His back-up band was none other than The Felice Brothers, longtime collaborators of his. With a conventional folk-rock band lineup, the band compliments Conor’s unshakable control of the stage and never overpower him. They also opened up the show with a set of their own music, and even though they looked like the didn’t really care, the music was fine and didn’t cross any barriers for opening bands.

Before Conor came on, the crowd got a little bigger and continued to grow through the small delay, caused by a malfunctioning piece of equipment which had to be replaced. By the time he played it was pretty packed, rightfully so for someone of his stature.

He opened with a newer song that quickly transitioned into a Bright Eyes classic from their album Cassadaga called “Four Winds,” which featured the full-length violin solo from the original recording, served up with the same urgency and vitality that comes across on record. I’ve seen Conor a few times and this rendition of the song seemed more unhinged than any other instance. It fit with the sound because he used more electric guitar than acoustic or piano.

One of his latest albums, Ruminations, resonates with its title by being a solemn album featuring low production and small instrumentation: Conor on the guitar or piano with a harmonica slung around his neck. These songs are introspective and the songs surprisingly hold up as an album despite being very local to a certain sound. His most recent album, Salutations, contains 10 full-band fleshed out versions of Ruminations songs plus some brand new ones.

“Gossamer Thin,” a song that exists on both of the albums, was the best performance of one of his new songs. It’s catchy as a solo song and even better expanded, using the Felice Brothers in their fullest extent.

Conor reached back into his own solo career, playing “Time Forgot” before reaching back even further and pulling out a Monsters of Folk song. Monsters of Folk is a super-group band that Conor was in featuring Jim James of My Morning Jacket, M. Ward, and Mike Mogis, a longtime collaborator of Conor’s and a member of Bright Eyes.

It was interesting to see him pull from different points in his life while trying to tie it all together. He played the songs with a practiced certainty but still remained open to the sometimes improvisational nature of his singing. Unlike the Felice Brothers, Conor did not seem bored at all, and responded very well to the large crowd, who continually let him know how much they loved him.

His talking with the crowd was sometimes humorous, asking us at some point “What did you guys do all day? Have barbecues? Write poems?” He even took some time to make a jab at the president, following suit with his anti-Bush songs during that era.

“Poison Oak” and “Train Under Water” were two of the Bright Eyes classics he pulled out, feeling as emotional as they day he wrote them. He was called on for an encore, per usual, and closed out the set with “Napalm” from his latest album.

The most evident part of Conor’s current creative head-space is his seeming attachment to his back-up band. He seemed musically in love and very connected to their music and to their interpretations of his songs. Will these be the people he’s making music with in five years? We’ll see.

The post Concert Review: Conor Oberst @ Englert Theatre 3/26/2017 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

“I think I was blind before I met you … This is the first day of my life / I’m glad I didn’t die before I met you / But now I don’t care, I could go anywhere with you / And I’d probably be happy”. 

Oberst’s trademark voice of existential shakiness might not quite get you to therapy—but it’s honest. “First Day of My Life” without any usual politics leaves it mushy with honesty. It effortlessly tugs at heartstrings, and tugs hard.

Malcolm “Mac Miller” McCormick is a lofty and boisterous American rapper—confidently in contrast to Conor’s dark, Midwestern grounded-ness. His latest 2016 release, The Divine Feminine, puts him right up along artists like Tyler, The Creator and Earl Sweatshirt. So Miller’s hip-hop production—laced with loyal themes of a dude’s rowdy night out—appears out of touch with anything “indie songwriter” by a landslide.

“Yours was the first face that I saw / I think I was blind before I met you / I don’t know where I am, I don’t know where I’ve been / But I know where I want to go.” 

That said: Slightly stoned-sounding, Miller’s “First Day of My Life” coming from the same artist of Dang! and My Favorite Part demonstrates some wholehearted versatility that many musicians so carefully craft. Shredding all traces of “gangster” was not for naught, even with the amount of vocal layering.

Miller’s version has less arpeggio in its chords, instead lending a more steady, straightforward sound with more predictable syncopation. It’s a pleasantly modest cover, sticking to the status quo of the original. An air of charming confidence hints at Miller’s jazzy roots, especially with “I’d rather be working for a paycheck / Than waiting to win the lot-te-ry”. 

…”I didn’t die before I met you” is definitive in comparison. Oberst wins in sincerity, but perhaps Miller does in expressing it.

The faster tempo with generally smoother guitar boasts Mac’s softer side, without glorifying love at first sight. He adds years of modern romantics to a sometimes-dingy track that can really head both ways.

A slowing solo finishes with a twangy, sundrenched feel, while leaving out Oberst’s footnotes of “Besides, maybe this time is different / I mean, I really think you like me.”  If anyone could make Bright Eyes so slick and stylish, it’s probably Mac Miller. Oberst’s original has irreplaceable soul, but Miller again proves his dedication by covering “Lua” from the same album.

Whether or not there’s something in Bright Eyes for all of us, Oberst’s writing and Miller’s wits make a strangely satisfying love song as “First Day of My Life”—on polar ends of the spectrum.

The post “FIRST DAY OF MY LIFE”: Bright Eyes vs. Mac Miller appeared first on KRUI Radio.