Blog.WBRU » Albums

Interesting Dirty Projectors/Björk Collaboration: Mount Wittenberg Orca

eramadan — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 00:02:16 +0000

You would think that if the Dirty Projectors and Björk came together to work on an album written by Longstreth about whales communicating with each other, it would be an awesome, groundbreaking musical creation. Which it is. But Mount Wittenberg Orca is at times not enjoyable, and a challenge to the ears. The song “Ocean” is 2 minutes and 8 seconds of controlled moans and screaming. “Beautiful Mother” takes the whale theme to an unpleasant level with sudden cringe-inducing outbursts of what I can only assume to be baby whales showing off a new song they made up to mama whale Björk. “When the World Comes to an End” is the closest thing to an up-beat, typical Dirty Projectors song, but only sporadically, as the song quickly lapses into a slow ballad almost immediately after the fun intro. On the other hand, it’s an unusual and exciting sensory experience to listen to the sharp, harsh and loud voices of Amber Coffman, Angel Deradoorian, and Haley Dekle contrast with the smooth, muted tone of Björk’s voice in “Sharing Orb,” and in “All We Are,” the softer voice of David Longstreth helps bridge the gap between the harsh and the smooth, bringing the song to an enjoyable, but slow and soft, place. The highpoint of this album is the song “On and Ever Onward,” which represents what beautiful musical creation can result from the partnership of two extremely different-sounding, but similarly experimental talents. The different tones of the multiple female voices work together and compliment each other, rather than sitting confusingly next to each other on top of the track. If you only listen to one song, make it that one. The rest of the album may grow on you in time. MWO is definitely not background music to your homework, but good to listen to while lying in bed or driving somewhere at night. Although you may not enjoy every song on Mount Wittenberg Orca, it’s definitely worth listening to because it’s so unlike anything else. It’s also amazing to think of the Dirty Projectors and Björk collaborating and singing together on these songs. If all that doesn’t convince you: it’s for a good cause! All the proceeds of this album (which can be purchased here: http://www.mountwittenbergorca.com/) go to the National Geographic Society to create international marine protected areas. Now take David Longstreth’s advice and forget “those tinny computer speakers – put it on the stereo and blast dat shiiiiiiiiiiiii!!”

New Best Coast Album: Crazy For You

eramadan — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 18:24:21 +0000

I’ll be honest: Crazy For You sounds like one long rant about pining after a boy in basically the same tone (or celebrating a boy in basically the same tone in “Happy”) for an hour straight. But for fans of Bethany Cosentino’s voice and singing style such as myself, this album is roughly an hour of bliss. When I close my eyes to “Summer Mood” I can picture myself back home in California lying on my Aladdin beach towel, squinting my eyes in the sun to people watch, with a huge bag of salt water taffy next to me. The songs send out carefree, summery vibes that can put you in a joyous, dreamlike state if you’re not bothered by Cosentino’s complaining that she is “waiting waiting waiting waiting waiting by the phone.” Listen to “Boyfriend” and “Our Deal.” If you like these tracks, you’ll probably like the whole album. If you hate both, skip the album and listen to the bonus track, “When I’m With You,” which is very different from Crazy For You in that it has changes in rhythm and tone, and is just in general a great song.

Crazy For You is streaming in full here.

New Scissor Sisters Album: Night Work

eramadan — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 04:35:48 +0000

Listening to Night Work is like watching that scene in an 80s movie where the main character walks into a hoppin’ night club and everyone around them is dancing and having a great time- over and over, every time the next song starts. The entire album is just irresistibly and undeniably fun. As each song starts the thought crosses your mind that maybe this song is a bit too much for you. Perhaps too catchy or too corny. But by the chorus you’ve stopped fighting it and you find yourself singing along to every catchy and corny line. The songs make you feel good. So good, in fact, that you almost dance through “Whole New Way” without thinking about the questionable undertones throughout the chorus. Night Work employs all the elements that make a feel-good song: the sassy disco beat in “Every Which Way,” the easy to learn and hard to stop singing lyrics of “Fire With Fire,” and of course the shimmy-inducing melody of “Invisible Light.” No boundary-pushing, thought-provoking tracks (except maybe “Whole New Way”) but no complaints here. Sometimes what we really need is to dance and feel good, and that’s exactly what this album accomplishes. Listen to “Fire With Fire” via Hype Machine. The first time you listen to it, you might write it off as too corny or faux-inspirational, but by the end of the song you’ll shyly replay it, and by your third listen in a row you’ll be belting it aloud wherever you are, be it shower, dorm room, or workplace.

Listen to Young Veins Album Online

Ross — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 14:53:52 +0000

Stream Take A Vacation, the debut album from The Young Veins, formerly known as half of Panic At The Disco, on NME.

Arcade Fire Give Album Release Date

Ross — Thu, 27 May 2010 16:26:59 +0000

Arcade Fire’s upcoming album The Suburbs will be released on August 2. They released a 12-inch record with two songs today.

Tracklisting for Ra Ra Riot’s Upcoming Album Announced

Ross — Wed, 26 May 2010 16:33:11 +0000

Image from rarariot.com

Ra Ra Riot have set a release date for their new album and announced the tracklisting. The Orchard, which was mixed by MGMT’s Chris Walla and Vampire Weekend’s Rostam Batmanglij is set for release on August 24. Read on for the tracklisting.

The Orchard
Boy
Too Dramatic
Foolish
Massachusetts
You and I Know
Shadowcasting
Do You Remember
Kansai
Keep It Quiet

Tracklisting Announced for Eels’ “Tomorrow Morning”

Ross — Wed, 26 May 2010 15:28:22 +0000

Image from eelstheband.com

Eels have announced the tracklisting and released the cover art (right) for their upcoming album Tomorrow Morning (to be released August 24). Read it after the jump.

In Gratitude for This Magnificent Day
I’m a Hummingbird
The Morning
Baby Loves Me
Spectacular Girl
What I Have to Offer
This is Where It Gets Good
After the Earthquake
Oh So Lovely
The Man
Looking Up
That’s Not Her Way
I Like the Way This is Going
Mystery of Life

Album Review: Congratulations by MGMT

zethraeus — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 21:29:05 +0000

Remember MGMT? No you don’t. You never really knew MGMT. Savvy?

If there is any sentiment to be excised from MGMT’s sophomore offering, Congratulations, then that’s it. And that’s fine. Any band is entitled to change their own persona and to mold themselves in the way they choose. And we as listeners are similarly entitled to move on to new frontiers if said identity crisis induced change crosses the subtle line between piquing our interest through its eccentricity and losing its sheen by wallowing in its own boorish attention seeking.

So has the band’s transition been constructive or has it been a net loss? In this respect, MGMT’s rebranding vaguely reminds me of a high school friend who, in dealing with her first heartbreak, dyed her hair, got her nose pierced, and was found ever more often with a cigarette in hand. Sure she’s might have made herself more ‘interesting’, but all of the sudden it seems like she’s flirting with a totally different crowd.

You’ll simply have to accept the new MGMT for what they are. They’re the band that goes to Coachella and refuses to play their biggest hit because they’ve moved on. They’re the pseudo-intellectuals who name a song ‘Lady Dada’s Nightmare’ because “…it’s really kind of messed up sounding, and we thought it would be funny…” They’re the phased post-success band that has achieved it all and has returned to report to the plebeian masses that it’s not actually all it’s cracked up to be.

All of that said, Congratulations is an enjoyable experience. The title track is an easygoing if sarcastic and self-deprecating melody with a hook more that satisfying enough to induce grooving. Brian Eno is a frantic anthem which holds your interest for long enough that the irritation it induces is but a backtrack and whilst Lady Dada’s Nightmare does verge towards being more of a haphazard noisy placeholder pre-empting the finale, the rest of the songs are amply listenable.

From any virgin band, Congratulations would be seen as the promising result of a nod to modern experimental, psychedelic and indie rock largely infused with the band’s own brand of personality. From MGMT, the album can be seen in much the same way, however in the wake of Oracular Spectacular and the Kids era, the listener is left with an uncomfortable insecurity in the authenticity of the band’s personality.