Album Reviews

Daedeuls has been making huge progress here at KBEACH and I want to continue that. Hailing from Santa Monica, there is no reason to show this local musician some extra love. Currently there are two cd’s of him charting in the Electronica/ RPM section of our studio. He is a musical genius. In an unusual twist, Daedelus showcases his vocal abilities on several Throw A Fit tracks (“It’s Madness” and “Remix of Nothing”). The first track on Throw A Fit, “Admit Defeat” is Alfred’s take on “electro and hip-hop egotism.” Track two is entitled “It’s Madness,” where you hear Daedelus “missing someone terribly.” The third tune “Remix of Nothing” is about “nothing really important. Just bounce, rock and skate (of course remixes as well).” The fourth track, “Unadventurer” features Alpha Pup label mate Subtitle, who waxes poetic about not liking people, places or fun. The next track “Humdrum Headspin” is “on mood swings and such things.” The closing opus, “A Complicated Geometry,” is abstractly described by Daedelus as “that moment when (and please don’t cast me too much the enthusiast even though I have known the inside of my eyelids perhaps too well at times in my life) dreams become troublesome labyrinths and you just can’t wake up until it’s through. Something has happened, but it was all just a dream and doesn’t feel that petty.”

Kieran Hebden is just one of those artists whose receptive audience is without classification. And that extends into the world of musical collegues. Four Tet has commandeered fans and collaborators as wide reaching as experimental rock bands (Radiohead), massive pop acts (Coldplay), underground hip hop producers (the late J Dilla), post-punk influenced upstarts (Bloc Party), electronic mavericks (Aphex Twin), folk chanteuses (Beth Orton & Juana Molina) and jazz legends (with Kieran?s ongoing collaboration with drummer Steve Reid). The first disc of Four Tet Remixes collects remixes of artists like Madvillain, Radiohead, Aphex Twin, Beth Orton, Bloc Party, His Name Is Alive and more. The second disc flips it around as it collects remixes of Four Tet’s original work by the likes of the late Jay Dee, Manitoba, Koushik, Battles, Sa-Ra Creative Partners, Boom Bip, Percee P and more! You can try and pack it all in two CDs, but as they say on ESPN’s Sports Center, “you can’t stop him, you can only hope to contain him!” RIYL: Mum, Fog, Yoko Solo, Manitoba Start: CD #2 is the shit!

I don’t know how many of you are into jazz but if you are ready to make a step forward and listen to something new, this is definitely a cd to listen to. It seriously one badd ass cd. On their new release OUT LOUDER, they make music not of this world, yet rooted in the earth tones of jazz, funk, and blues. Music from the heart, for the mind, and made to shake the earth, not to mention the body. OUT LOUDER reeks of the scruffy, spirited basement in which it was created. “Something about being down there made the music that much grungier,” says Wood. “It gave us that feeling of being a hungry garage band searching for the coolest licks and grooves without worrying about making everything perfect. We could just let it all hang out. Everyone was set up in the same room with all our amps and equipment, and you could feel what everyone else was playing that much better and really react to everything around you.” That, and the four musician’s yen for jazz, funk, rock, soul and reggae, go a long way towards explaining why OUT LOUDER’s deep grooves and sophisticated harmonies beg for closer inspection while simultaneously making you want to get up and dance. “People connect with grooves and funk, they feel it in their gut,” says Medeski. “We understand complex harmonies, but in the end we know that you don’t have to play all those notes to connect with people. The groove and spirit is what connects with people.” OUT LOUDER’s first track, “Little Walter Rides Again,” opens with perhaps the funkiest drum roll ever committed to tape, disc or thin air (“people may hate the disc,” jokes Medeski, “but they’ll still love that intro”) Yes, this music does come from a deep, hip, strange place, and Medeski Scofield Martin & Wood are ready to take it out there and everywhere.

First, let me say that there is NO reason for this CD not to chart in every dj show. Especially all you rockers. Last year I was ready to drive to Santa Barbara just to see this band play. I love it because when they rock, they rock hard. The lead guitar just goes to town. I find them to be a very “experimental” metal band. One that pushes the boundaries. John Frusciante, who is the genius from The Red Hot Chili Peppers, returns again to lend a phenomenal hand with his guitar skills. “The Mars Volta are continual contenders for the mantle of most experimental high-profile metal group, along with System of a Down, an artist they've toured with but who usually sell 20 times more records. Mars Volta aren't as popular, not because their riffs are less memorable or innovative but because their cycle of musical buildup and release, although similarly jarring, can last at least 20 minutes instead of System's two.” Don’t let the length of songs scare you, the length is definitely worth it. The length of the songs is somewhat of a staple of The Mars Volta’s music. Very conceptual very progressive and experimental. RIYL: System of A Down, The Blood Brothers, An Albatross, Hot Water Music Start with Tracks: 2,3

I don’t know if you all have heard of the band The Decemberists but seriously… they are the shit. Ya, you heard me, the shit. After the cd they last put out Picaresque, I was worried if they could make a cd any better but I definitely feel happy with this new cd. If you like some good chill Indie Rock with some creativity and awesome vocals, it is definitely THE CD to pick up right now. This cd is great if you enjoy the sounds of Belle & Sebastian and Neutral Milk Hotel. When was the last time you found a five piece band that was from Britain and had an accordion player. Huh? Anyway, recently the band made a huge jump from an Indie label to a major label… Capitol. Who knew that Capitol would consider The Decemberists as big money makers? The Crane Wife is loosely based on a Japanese folk tale that concerns a crane, an arrow, a beautiful woman, and a whole lot of clandestine weaving. The record's spirited opener and namesake picks off almost exactly where Picaresque left off, building slowly off a simple folk melody before exploding into some serious Who power chords. Give it a listend. Definitely give it some spins. Make me proud. Hahaha RIYL: Belle & Sebastian, Neutral Milk Hotel Start with Tracks: 2, 3.

Oh my golly I almost had heart failure when this cd came in. Yes, I was that excited. My first listening to The Grates was when I went to go see We are Scientists. The Grates opened up for the band and at once I was mesmerized. The lead singer has more energy than 20 kindergarteners. She seriously is running around and bouncing the ENTIRE time she is singing. Now THAT is talent. But seriously, the show was intense and wonderful. It was the first time I went to a sow and liked the opening band. On top of that, The Grates came into the station last semester to do a live interview and show in our lovely KBEACH studio. I was so jealous that it wasn’t me doing the interview. Anyway, let me tell you more about this cd rather than my experiences with the band. Haha. This cd is simply fun. It keeps you up and going. She sing with all her strength and you can tell that in each song the lead singer is giving her all. The songs are catchy and definitely worth a listen. Start with Tracks: 3, 2, 8, 6

Now let me just say that this cd is one of my favorites thus far this semester. And I know we JUST started school again but still! I have a fondness for electronic music.. it my private passion. Junior Boys have been around for a good bit but this was my first time I ever got a taste. And let me tell you- having to pull this cd from my cd player in order to give it to you was hard. I am selfish about my music and I wanted this CD to be my little secret love. But that is stupid. Sharing is caring. And I want this CD to do AWESOME at OUR station. Now I don’t know if you guys know about Pitchfork… the website. They are supposed to be the guru of music reviews. Some radio stations live by pitchfork. I, myself, don’t think that Pitchfork should reign over a station but when they give a good review to a CD it is definitely worth attention. Anyway, the reason I tell you this is because So This is Goodbye got rated as a 9. something by Pitchfork which is almost impossible. So heads up people. This CD is the shit!!!! So This is Goodbye is a cd full of stunning and intricate beats and mixes. And electronic doesn’t have to mean dance music. This CD proves it. Although you might feel the need to move your feet, this CD works just as well when sitting in traffic. The tight electro-beats mixed with simplistic singing makes for an awesome 10 track CD. There are catchy beats and hooks that are forever stuck in my brain. Quick rhythms and stellar use of synthesizes. There are separate melodies that are methodically intermixed. Each one is very simple but once one is added on top of another, suddenly there is an electronic masterpiece. I don’t know how to explain the music to you. Just catch a listen and you’ll fall in love like myself, Start off with: Track 5, 7, 3. Recommended if you Like (RIYL): Hot Chip, Telefon Tel Aviv, Goldfrapp.

It is in the purple section labeled “World.” This is seriously an awesome cd with an awesome story. All the singers and musicians on this cd are refugees from Sierra Leone. Recently, there was documentary made on the refugees from Sierra Leone and it became very popular. It was a documentary that helped people see the tragedies and bullshit that occurs in other areas of the world. Therefore, some people got together and decided to give the community some REAL instruments and put out a cd. All the money from this cd is given to the community. There is also a tour I believe that is making its way around the country. Pretttttyyy cool. It is an awesome CD that is different from all the others. SO GIVE IT SOME PLAY!!!! Focus on track #5.

Just 48 more to go! Sufjan Stevens's second installment on his promise to craft an album for each US state mines more rich material from the American heartland. A narrow-eyed view suggests its 75 minutes are a bit much for the shuffle generation, but this reverent musical diorama of the Prairie State is well worth its feature film length (c'mon people, it's shorter than Fever Pitch). Patterned around Stevens's banjo and acoustic guitar, the songs are dressed up in ribbons of jubilant trumpet and flowing sashes of somber strings, culminating in the most thematically and musically ambitious indie-pop record of the year.

The style of Jeremy Ellis shatters the glass ceiling separating musicians from electronic-based producers. Why? Because he is not only skilled at programming and a knowledgable and capable composer within countless subgenres--whichever you choose to pigeonhole him within--but he is also a classically trained pianist, and even includes a stunning piano solo piece in this album. "Lotus Blooms" succeeds in blurring any worthless lines between styles of music that share similar roots, and also in bringing together forms which are not so much related, including house, latin music, hip hop, and the aforementioned restrictive subgenres like broken beat, nu-jazz, and neo-soul. Those who discover this record down the road will regret their missed opportunity. Those who check it out now will confidently know that modern music can actually be soulful, skillful, and wonderful. Pay attention.

Surrounded By Silence should have been re-titled Bedroom Producer Gone Wild. What’s not to adore about laptop sound alchemist Prefuse 73 (Scott Herren), who, like RJD2 and Diplo, crafts rare soundscapes that Bjork fans, backpack rap dukes and Pluto natives adore. But what happens when such sonic experiments go slightly awry? Unlike Vocal Studies, where there appeared to be some cohesive links between tracks, Prefuse goes a bit collabo crazy here, with over a dozen multi-genre guest vocalists and emcee’s, with mixed results. When the unlikely duo of Ghostface and El P jump on "Hideyaface", they sound unfocused over Herrens audio clutter, as does the Masta Killa and GZA fuelled "Just The Thought". Was Surrounded Herren’s license to indulge his inner RZA or Def Jux (Aesop Rock and Beans also guest)? Perhaps. But when Herren sticks to what he does best, that is, building brilliant found sound collages, and digitizing any thing he can get his hands on, the results are gorgeous; "Expressing Views Is Obviously Illegal" carries that distinctly Prefuse-esque boom bip, as does "Pagina Dos" with it’s seductive banjo playing parts. When he teams his beats up with New York electro indie rock scenesters Claudia and Alejandra Deheza from On!Air!Library! on "Pastel Assasins" or Blonde Redhead’s Kazu in "We Go Our Own Way", the tracks breathe much better. An uneven yet stimulating listen.-- Dalton Higgins