Networking

Why not subscribe to Culture Clash's email newsletter? Fill in your details below to sign up for regular updates about what's on in-store and more!



News & Updates

Record of the Week: Toro Y Moi – Causers of This (Carpark)

Posted February 2nd, 2010 by Shane

A smaller release week than we have seen in the past recent weeks but definitely not short on good albums. Now that January ‘10 is over though, I can honestly say, I don’t remember a year that had so many great new releases this early in the year. Definitely shaping up to be a great year in music.

Our record of the week comes from a very unlikely place considering the music. Columbia, South Carolina’s Toro Y Moi have released their debut album, Causers of This, and it’s gotten a whole lot of play around here. I say “their” debut album but Toro Y Moi is just one person actually. If you’ve been in the store the past couple months, odds are you’ve heard us playing the Washed Out Life of Leisure 12″. Well if you were one of the lucky ones to pick that up, or get into the Neon Indian record that came out a bit ago, this one is right up your alley.

The sound of this is probably best described as the sound of Don Johnson’s Miami romps circa 1986 while filming Miami Vice. It’s all very relaxed and laid back, essentially the sound  you’d probably hear in your head if you’re weaving in between Miami dance clubs, fueled by cocaine, millions of dollars and the fact that you just released Heartbeat.

A couple darn good albums as well that deserve honorable mentions. First is from the Soft Pack, releasing their debut album AS the Soft Pack. They were formerly known as the Muslims and released an album under that name. The Soft Pack’s self titled album is a damn good garage rock album with some killer catchy tunes. Check out the album opener, “Cmon” below for a taste of what they are doing.

Next is another debut album, this time from Bristol, UK’s Malachai. Their album, The Ugly Side of Love is one of the more bizarrely catchy albums you are bound to hear in a long time. If you could imagine Syd Barrett being born circa 1978 and becoming something that could be compared to the Streets, you’d be somewhat close. This is a psych infused, hip-hop/garagey/trip-hop album with songs that seep into your brain and you’ll find yourself humming them later without even knowing what it is. Excellent stuff.

Last but certainly not least comes from across the pond as well. Hailing from Berlin, Germany, Nils Frahm has been composing quite a bit in his short life, being only 27 years old, and was taught by a student of the last scholar of Tchaikovsky. His new album, Wintermusik, is one of the more fitting names for an album I’ve heard in awhile. A great winter companion made up of mostly solo piano with some celeste and reed organ thrown in for good measure. Recommended for fans of Peter Broderick, Max Richter, and Rachel’s.

"Blessa" from Toro y Moi's Causers of This

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

"Talamak" from Toro y Moi's Causers of This

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Honorable mentions for February 2nd Record of the Week:

  • The Soft Pack – The Soft Pack (Kemado)
    "C'mon" from The Soft Pack's 2010 album The Soft Pack

    Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

  • Malachai – Ugly Side of Love (Domino)
    "Snowflake" from Malachai's 2010 album Ugly Side of Love

    Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

  • Nils Frahm – Wintermusik (Erased Tapes)
    "Ambre" from Nils Frahm's 2010 album Wintermusik

    Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Record of the Week | No Comments »

Record of the Week: Beach House – Teen Dream (Sub Pop)

Posted January 26th, 2010 by Shane

This might be the toughest Record of the Week choice we have ever made, or will ever make. I might have said this before and hell, I’ll probably say it again. This release week though has brought so many phenomenal new releases that picking one was damn near impossible. So hard in fact, y’all have me swearing twice in the opening paragraph.

So instead of naming two Record of the Week’s like I have in past weeks, I am just going to put an abnormal amount of honorable mentions and I have to stress, do not look past these.

The new Retribution Gospel Choir(featuring Alan Sparhawk of Low!) is one of the best albums I have heard in a long time. Glacial, anthemic indie rock from one of the pioneers of slowcore, Retribution Gospel Choir is Sparhawk’s time to cut loose and create one of the most bombastic albums you have heard in quite awhile.

The new Four Tet, There Is Love In You, explores a bit of new territory than he did on prior releases. Having a minimal, almost dub techno feel to it, these are undoubtedly some of the best songs Four Tet has crafted. And whatever you do, don’t let techno be a dirty word here as you’ll be doing yourself a great disservice if you dismiss it on that word alone. This is a truly great album that has found itself in high rotation around here.

The new Infinite Body has been a highly anticipated album for myself after picking up their 12″ CMBCMEINAPTD sometime last year. While I would love to call their new album, Carve Out the Face of My God, ambient, it certainly has a quality to it that speaks above and beyond that tag. Whereas Eno described ambient as something that should be “as ignorable as it is listenable,” Infinite Body’s sound falls somewhere between that of Belong and Growing. Mostly synth based, it can be very loud and very demanding, leaving you awash in sound.

Fucked Up’s Chemistry of Common Life was one of our favorite records of 2008. A straight up rocker of a hardcore punk album. Well on their new release, Couple Tracks, they take all of those singles from the beginning of their band all the way up until their last full length and compile it onto two CDs. It just goes to show how hard working this band is, to have this much music out apart from their full lengths. This is really some of their best stuff as well, some of it much better than anything found on Chemistry…

And our final honorable mention goes to the new Basia Bulat. This album really took me by surprise and is making me go back to listen to her older stuff. On Heart of My Own, this Canadian based singer songwriter writes songs that could easily be lumped together with artists such as Feist, My Brightest Diamond and so on, but they definitely stand apart from those comparisons as well. The music has an almost gaelic sound to it and is some really great instrumentation.

Last but not least is the Record of the Week itself, Teen Dream by Beach House. I always notice when talking about music with people a common saying is “Oh I like their older stuff better.”  While this is true in quite a few cases, this is the last thing a band wants to hear. They want to think they are growing and maturing with each new song they put out. But, with some, the new ideas and passion they put into those first songs end up being some of their finest input. This is certainly not the case with Beach House, who not only have gotten better with each new release, they’ve nearly rendered the prior release unusable with each new album. Not to discredit those albums as they are still really good but what Beach House have done on Teen Dream is definitely the culmination of all the ideas they have put forth so far paired down to a concise and nearly perfect album. Right from the opening track “Zebra,” you can tell this is going to be a special album. “Norway” is one of the best tracks this year, on any album. There is something for everyone on this album and is one of the better dream pop albums in a long, long, long time.

It’s a big list this week and we still left off a lot of really good stuff. New albums from Los Campesinos, Mondo Drag, Cave In, as well as the long lost album from Harvey Milk. All really great stuff but the list can only be so long!

"Norway" from Beach House's 2010 album Teen Dream

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

"Used to Be" from Beach House's 2010 album Teen Dream

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Honorable mentions for January 26th Record of the Week:

  • Retribution Gospel Choir - 2 (Sub Pop)
    "Hide It Away" from Retribution Gospel Choir's 2010 album 2

    Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

  • Four Tet - There Is Love In You (Domino)
    "Love Cry" from Four Tet's 2010 album There Is Love In You

    Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

  • Infinite Body - Carve Out the Face of My God (PPM)
    "Dive" from Infinite Body's 2010 album Carve Out the Face of My God

    Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

  • Fucked Up - Couple Tracks (Matador)
    "Triumph of Life" from Fucked Up's 2010 album Couple Tracks

    Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

  • Basia Bulat - Heart of My Own (Rough Trade)
    "Gold Rush" from Basia Bulat's 2010 album Heart of My Own

    Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Record of the Week | No Comments »

Record of the Week: Surfer Blood – Astro Coast (Kanine)

Posted January 19th, 2010 by Shane

I am not sure what it is with this Winter and bringing us killer beach records but I certainly don’t have a problem with it. Earlier this winter we had the Real Estate record that gets listened to non-stop still around here and now we have Surfer Blood’s Astro Coast, which is hands down, this week’s Record of the Week.

That’s not to say there isn’t much good in terms of new releases this week. Au contraire my good friends. This week has brought us the long awaited new Spoon album, Transference($9.97 in the store for the remainder of January and February!), the surprising debut album by the Hotrats, Turn Ons, as well as new releases by Cold War Kids, RJD2, and Eels.

The new Spoon is one of the best things they have put out. After the Got Nuffin’ single, I was actually a bit excited about Transference coming out, whereas before, I never really put much stock in the band. I might have to go and re-listen to their back catalog a bit more as there are some really great pop songs on this album in “The Mystery Zone,” “Written in Reverse,” and “Trouble Comes Running”. Not only are they great pop songs but these guys can hit some tight, nearly krauty, grooves sometimes!

The second honorable mention this week is from The Hotrats. Seriously everything about this album says we shouldn’t like it. An entire album of covers? Members of Supergrass(no offense Supergrass fans!)? Well this album manages to buck all conventions as it’s seriously one of the more fun albums we have come across this year. The two piece consisting of a singer/guitarist and drummer manage to make a lot of these songs sound very full as well. Their version of “(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!)” is nearly unrecognizable until the chorus and is one of the more chill songs on the album. Their play on Squeeze’s “Up the Junction” is a seriously killer late 70’s jam turned seriously killer mid 90’s slow jam. Plus the great covers of Bowie’s “Queen Bitch,” the Doors “the Crystal Ship,” Roxy Music’s “Love Is the Drug,” and Elvis Costello’s “Pump It Up,” well you get the point now that I’ve named half the tracklisting.

Last but not least, the Record of the Week itself, Surfer Blood’s Astro Coast. Hailing from Florida, this band plays beach friendly indie pop that is seriously infectious. Like a more refined Real Estate, Surfer Blood’s music has a certain level of reverb as evidenced on their song “Swim” below. I have read a lot of people compare it to early Weezer although I suppose I’m not really an authority on that as I didn’t ever dig Weezer so much. But I do love Surfer Blood! A strange thing does happen on this album right around track six, “Twin Peaks,” where the singer seems to get a bit of a Morrissey accent out of nowhere, which totally makes the song.

All in all, it’s a pretty great week for new releases and I highly suggest you check out the songs we posted from these albums below. And if you find yourself making a trip to the store this week, odds are you’ll hear one of these three albums being played as we haven’t really been able to stop!

"Swim" from Surfer Blood's 2010 album Astro Coast

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

"Twin Peaks" from Surfer Blood's 2010 album Astro Coast

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Honorable mentions for January 19th Record of the Week:

  • Spoon – Transference (Merge)
    "Written in Reverse" from Spoon's 2010 album Transference

    Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

  • The Hotrats – Turn Ons (Fat Possum)
    "Queen Bitch" from The Hotrats' 2010 album Turn Ons

    Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Record of the Week | No Comments »

Record of the Week: Nick Cave & Warren Ellis – The Road: Original Score (Mute)

Posted January 12th, 2010 by Shane

The first major release date of the year brought some pretty big heavy hitters in terms or releases.

The biggest of them is the sophomore release from Vampire Weekend, Contra. If you liked the first album, you are sure to like the follow-up as well. As an aside, we have the indie-exclusive version that features a second disc at no extra cost, in stock right now. This is very limited so if you want this second disc, you’ll want to come pick it up ASAP.

Next we have the new album by Owen Pallett, formerly known as Final Fantasy. You might best know his work from both Arcade Fire albums as he wrote and arranged all the strings for those albums. His new album,Heartland, is an adventurous album of orchestral bombast under pop music structures that brings to mind the last album by Psapp, which was excellent.

Last but not least though is our first Record of the Week in 2010. Having worked previously on the score of The Assassination of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford, amongst many others, the duo of Nick Cave & Warren Ellis are back again scoring the soundtrack for the post-apocalyptic, Cormac McCarthy film-adaption of The Road.

While I personally haven’t seen the film yet, listening to the score that Cave & Ellis have put together has certainly piqued my interest. The score is constantly walking the line of modern “indie-classical” compositions by artists such as Max Richter, Rachels, and Peter Broderick to tracks that bring about a looming sense of doom that bring the mind the soundtrack to the television show Lost.

While, The Road: Original Score might not be something you would put on all the time, or even listen to as much as the honorable mentions this week, it stands above as an excellent album and certainly deserving of your attention.

"Home" from Nick Cave & Warren Ellis' 2010 album The Road: Original Score

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

"The Road" from Nick Cave & Warren Ellis' 2010 album The Road: Original Score

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

"The Cannibals" from Nick Cave & Warren Ellis' 2010 album The Road: Original Score

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Honorable mentions for January 12th Record of the Week:

  • Owen Pallett - Heartland (Domino)
    "Lewis Takes Action" from Owen Pallett's 2010 album Heartland

    Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

  • Vampire Weekend - Contra (XL)
    "Cousins" from Vampire Weekend's 2010 album Contra

    Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Record of the Week | No Comments »

The Great $9.97 Sale!

Posted December 27th, 2009 by Shane

Don’t make those best of 2009 lists just yet! There is no way you’ve heard everything you need to hear and we’re here to make it a bit easier!

Running from this Tuesday, December 29th to Tuesday, January 12th, we have put hundreds of CDs on sale at $9.97, most of these being releases from 2009!

This is the perfect time as we always run into the lull of nothing big being released right away in 2010 and once the sale is over, we see releases like the new Vampire Weekend, Final Fantasy, and OK Go come out on January 12th!

Some select titles for this sale include(but are certainly not limited to):

•AFI – Crash Love
•Alexisonfire – Old Crows / Young Cardinals
•Amesoeurs – Amesoeurs
•Anathallo – Canopy Glow
•Blues Control – Local Flavor (Record of the Week on July 14th!)
•Boy Least Likely To – Law of the Playground
•Cage – Depart From Me
•Jeremy Enigk – OK Bear
•Ganglians – Monster Head Room
•Horse the Band – Desperate Living
•Job For a Cowboy – Ruination
•Mewithoutyou – It’s All Crazy! It’s All False! It’s All a Dream! It’s Alright

Not to mention the hundreds of great titles we already had at $9.97 including(but again, not limited to):

•Califone – All My Friends Are Funeral Singers
•Converge – Axe to Fall
•Dinosaur Jr. – Farm (Record of the Week on June 23rd!)
•Felice Brothers – Yonder Is the Clock
•Magnolia Electric Co. – Josephine (Record of the Week on July 23rd!)
•Oneida – Rated O (Record of the Week on July 7th!)
•J. Tillman – A Year in the Kingdom
•Volcano Choir – Unmap

Posted in Events | No Comments »

5th Anniversary Celebration!

Posted December 1st, 2009 by Pat

Our 5th Year Anniversary Sale and Celebration!
Let me first say thanks to everyone for helping us make this milestone. We have a whopper of a sale for you
Friday Saturday & Sunday, December 4, 5,& 6.


33 1/3 % off all used records, used CDs & used cassettes!!

20% off all other regular priced items (CDs LPs Turntables, Books Etc)


10% off on sale goods! We will even give 10% off gift certificates!

We also have 3 great instore shows.

Friday Dec 4 @7:00 The Great Lakes Crew (Preceded by DJ @6:00) Toledo’s foremost Hip Hop crew stops by

Saturday Dec 5 @4:00 Frank & Jesse – Toledo’s newest teen heart throbs!!!

Sunday Dec 6 @2:00 The Coosters Feat Steve A. Toledo’s oldest teen heart throbs!

Tags:
Posted in Website | 1 Comment »

Record of the Week: Om – God is Good (Drag City)

Posted September 29th, 2009 by Shane

Om - God is Good

A bit of a slower release week certainly doesn’t lessen the killer releases out this week. A bit of a surprise with the Fool’s Gold album that features members of Foreign Born, the Fall, and We Are Scientists that is great little afro-pop album. Frank Fairfield’s debut album on Tompkins Square is also a great album. Fairfield is on tour with Fleet Foxes right now with his impressive fiddle and banjo playing. The proper release of Cymbals Eat Guitars album Why There Are Mountains is out this week as well and is a great genuine indie rock record.

Last but not least though is the Record of the Week itself, Om’s newest album God is Good. Om’s fourth album sees a bit of a departure as long time drummer and former Sleep member, Chris Haikus, left the band before the album was recorded. Stepping in to his place is the drummer of one of our favorite bands around here, Emil Amos of Grails. It seems that Emil has had a bit of influence on where Om is going as well as a lot of the Eastern sounds that have been found on the more recent Grails albums are showcased here on God is Good.

God is Good is four tracks long but these are 3 minute songs. The first track, “Thebes,” is nearly 20 minutes long and very trancing. On the second track “Mediation is the Practice of Death,” Amos shows that he is very apt at taking Haikus place behind the kit. The final two songs is a two parter and mostly instrumental.

Om also brings in a bit of new instrumentation to the mix on this record with flute being played on “Meditation…” and tamboura on several tracks as well. All of it makes for a pretty great “stoner spiritual” album. This is one of Om’s finest efforts and it makes you think, with the little amount of time Amos and Al Cisneros had together before this album came out, we’re just seeing the beginning of what is going to turn out to be a great pairing.

"Meditation is the Practice of Death" from Om's 2009 album God is Good

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Honorable mentions for September 29th Record of the Week:

  • Fool’s Gold - Fool’s Gold (Iamsound)
    "Surprise Hotel" from Fool's Gold's 2009 album Fool's Gold

    Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

  • Cymbals Eat Guitars - Why There Are Mountains (Sister’s Den)
    "Wind Phoenix(Proper Name)" from Cymbals Eat Guitars' 2009 album Why There Are Mountains

    Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

  • Frank Fairfield – Frank Fairfield (Tompkins Square)
    "Nine Pound Hammer" from Frank Fairfield's 2009 album Frank Fairfield

    Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Record of the Week | 1 Comment »

Record of the Week: J. Tillman(of Fleet Foxes) – Year in the Kingdom (Western Vinyl)

Posted September 24th, 2009 by Shane

J. Tillman - Year in the Kingdom

I’ve mulled over this for like a week and a half now. I’ve put it off as long as I possibly could. It’s finally time to name a Record of the Week for September 22nd. It’s just that, there are so many records that should have that honor. First off, how could a collaboration between Bon Iver and Collections of Colonies of Bees, aptly named Volcano Choir, NOT be Record of the Week? How could the new Castanets record, which coincidentally is THE BEST Castanets record, not be Record of the Week. Then there is the new EP from Pains of Being Pure at Heart which is just excellent. Le Loup threw us for quite the loop(HA) and put out an absolutely outstanding album that brings forth the best moments from recent Grizzly Bear, Animal Collective and Fleet Foxes discs. New albums from Owen, Girls, Múm, Twilight Sad, Times New Viking. These are allllllll excellent albums. Maybe the obvious choice would be Monsters of Folk where Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes, M. Ward, Jim James of My Morning Jacket have teamed up to make an album. The choice after all was said and done though was…

J. Tillman’s A Year in the Kingdom is a testament that you can be as prolific as you want to be and still release killer album after killer album. Better known as the drummer of Fleet Foxes and one of their best backing vocalists, J. Tillman’s albums always stand on their own without bringing his pedigree up.

J Tillman’s solo stuff would appeal to the fan of Iron & Wine, Bon Iver, or Nick Drake. Hushed vocals over acoustic guitar but the backing instrumentation helps this release even more. Hammered dulcimer, banjo, recorder and very great string arrangements. There is a bit of that Fleet Foxes vocal harmonies as evidenced early on in the record with “Crosswinds.”

“Crosswinds” is definitely an album highlight along with “Earthly Bodies,” which has a very early Iron & Wine feel to it. Sort of around that Our Endless Numbered Days material where it was still stripped down but had some interesting instrumentation to it.

In short, if you liked Fleet Foxes, you’ll love this. If you like Iron & Wine, Nick Drake, Bon Iver, chances are you’ll like this as well. It takes a damn good record to stand out over the rest of the other records this week, and that’s just what this is. It’s also $9.97 at the store for the next month!

"Crosswinds" from J. Tillman's 2009 album Year in the Kingdom

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

"Earthly Bodies" from J. Tillman's 2009 album Year in the Kingdom

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Honorable mentions for September 22nd Record of the Week:

  • Castanets - Texas Rose, the Thaw & the Beasts (Asthmatic Kitty)
    "Down the Line, Love" from Castanets's 2009 album Texas Rose, the Thaw & the Beasts

    Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

  • Volcano Choir – Unmap (Jagjaguwar)
    "Island, IS" from Volcano Choir's 2009 album Unmap

    Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

  • Le Loup – Family (Hardly Art)
    "Forgive Me" from Le Loup's 2009 album Family

    Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Record of the Week | No Comments »

Record of the Week: Blk Jks – After Robots (Secretly Canadian)

Posted September 10th, 2009 by Shane

Blk Jks - After Robots

A little bit of a late start to Record of the Week this week but with Beatlemania happening around here it’s finally here.

After releasing their debut EP, Mystery, earlier in the year, Blk Jks were already my favorite new band of 2009. I was incredibly excited for their debut full length and wasn’t let down in the slightest.

The band, hailing from South Africa, made their second trip to the U.S. to record this full length, After Robots, with Brandon Curtis of Secret Machines producing. If you are not familiar with Blk Jks, their sound is an incredibly unique blend of afro beat and progressive rock. More song oriented than Mars Volta but definitely on par in terms of musicianship, with vocalist Lindani Buthelezi goes back and forth singing in English, Zulu and Xhosa.

The album is full of bombastic highlights. From the huge honrs and chanting on the first track “Mololatladi” that builds and builds into a monster of a song to the dub sounds of “Skeleton” the band churns out one memorable tune after another.

While the band mixes complex songs together seemlessly, they also strive when working with a limited pallette of sounds. “Lakeside,” which appeared on the Mystery EP, gets stripped down to it’s bare essence of a song to show just how proficient they are at writing. Perhaps even more telling is the closing track, “Tselane,” which strips the band down to mostly just acoustic guitar and vocals being sung in one of their native tongues.

This album is not just record of the week but a strong contender for record of the year. Just an absolutely refreshing record and one of the most promising debuts I have heard in some time.

"Molalatladi" from Blk Jks' 2009 album After Robots

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

"Lakeside" from Blk Jks' 2009 album After Robots

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Honorable mentions for September 8th Record of the Week:

  • Health - Get Color (Lovepump United)
    "Die Slow" from Health's 2009 album Get Color

    Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

  • Vivian Girls – Everything Goes Wrong (In the Red)
    "When I'm Gone" from Vivian Girls' 2009 album Everything Goes Wrong

    Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

  • Nudge – As Good As Gone (In the Red)
    "Burns Blue" from Nudge's 2009 album As Good As Gone

    Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Record of the Week | No Comments »

Record(s) of the Week: Pissed Jeans – King of Jeans (Sub Pop) & Mount Eerie – Wind’s Poem (P.W. Elverum and Sun)

Posted August 19th, 2009 by Shane

Pissed Jeans - King of Jeans

Pissed Jeans are one of the most unlikely bands to sign to Sub Pop in the new millenium. In the early 90s it might have made a bit more sense but after releasing records from the Shins, Fleet Foxes, Postal Service and Band of Horses, going back to their roots and releasing a record like this seemed to be the last option for the label. Yet here we are in 2009 and Sub Pop is releasing Pissed Jeans third record, their second on Sub Pop. And not only is it refreshing to see Sub Pop continue to support Pissed Jeans, it’s a good thing they have because this might be the best record the label, or any label for that matter, has put out all year.

If you aren’t familiar with Pissed Jeans, they are a hardcore band that is equally influenced by Flipper as they are the Birthday Party. What separates them from any other hardcore band and lets them cross-over to other crowds is the fact that their sloppy brand is actually played incredibly well and you can either laugh or relate to the overly-nihilistic lyrics.

For me, the lyrics and vocal delivery of them are really what shines for this band. Singer Matt Korvette’s lyrics are generally way over the top and always self-deprecating. This might be most evident on the final track of the album, “Goodbye (Hair),” an ode to getting old and losing your hair. Halfway hilarious, halfway “uh-oh, this is going to be me soon.”

While the word hardcore and punk might turn a lot of people off who wouldn’t normally listen to this type of stuff, this record really has a lot of special moments and stands hands and feet above the rest. It’s catchy which I am not sure hardcore punk has ever been. Do yourself a favor and time some time out of your day to check this album out.

"False Jesii Part 2" from Pissed Jeans' 2009 album King of Jeans

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

"Dream Smotherer" from Pissed Jeans' 2009 album King of Jeans

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Mount Eerie - Wind's Poem

For the second time, we have two albums that get Record of the Week honors. Joining the newest album from Pissed Jeans is the newest album from Mount Eerie titled Wind’s Poem.

Phil Elverum, who is Mount Eerie, has played under a couple monikers, most notably Microphones. After Microphones released their album, Mount Eerie, Phil decided to release music under the new moniker. He has released quite a few albums with Mount Eerie and each has gotten decidedly darker and darker until he released the E.P. Black Wooden Ceiling Opening last year and finally went off into the murkiest of musical waters. Mixing in his singer-songwriter, lo-fi folk with black metal, Phil stumbled upon a new genre which he titled “black wooden” for it’s organic feel. Wind’s Poem is Phil’s first black wooden full length album.

You can tell Phil has been listening to a lot of Xasthur for his black metal influence. There is a lot of layered, desolate sounding guitar like waves crashing against rocks in a not so peaceful manner. Phil’s voice remains a soft spoken one over it all though. The beginning track, “Wind’s Dark Poem,” shows Phil getting it out of the way right at the beginning that this is not going to be your typical Mount Eerie release. Drums and distorted guitars crash away before falling apart to reveal it is still him behind all of this. There are several nods to legendary black metal band Burzum from the synthesizer sounds on “Between Two Mysteries” to the lyrical homage on “Stone’s Ode.”

All in all, Phil did something with Mount Eerie I didn’t think would be possible. Put out an album that has a large black metal influence and for it to actually be good, let alone great. If you have been a fan of anything from Microphones or Mount Eerie before this is an absolute essential album to check out.

"The Hidden Stone" from Mount Eerie's 2009 album Wind's Poem

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

"Between Two Mysteries" from Mount Eerie's 2009 album Wind's Poem

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Honorable mentions for August 4th Record of the Week:

  • Antlers - Hospice (Frenchkiss)
    "Bear" from Antlers' 2009 album Hospice

    Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

  • Jay Reatard – Watch Me Fall (Matador)
    "It Ain't Gonna Save Me" from Jay Reatard's 2009 album Watch Me Fall

    Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Record of the Week | No Comments »

« Older Entries

Copyright Culture Clash Records 2009
Culture Clash | 4020 Secor Rd. | Toledo, OH 43623 | (419) 536-LOVE | (419) 536-5683