Press Play, Record

New Website Alert!

2009-07-29T17:59:00.002-05:00

You Can't Put Your Arms Around an Mp3.

Coming August 3, 2009!

Death and Rebirth

2009-04-10T17:28:00.002-05:00

I have an announcement to make:

My life has experienced quite a number of changes over the last few months. Some are drastic, some are tragic; all of them have had a profound impact on my life. I am not the same person I was a year ago; heck, I'm not the same person I was two months ago. I see life in a different way now; things that once meant a lot to me, they don't hold quite the same excitement and enthusiasm.

That's the case with this particular website. There's a reason I've not updated in quite some time, and part of it has to do with a general unhappiness with the whole concept of what this website was. It started off as an interview-only website, but then it wasn't. The reasons for that, we won't go into. But suffice to say, my affections for what I was doing here have changed. It wasn't intentional; these things just happen.

So that's why I've decided to retire this site. Seems like it's already passed, honestly.

But today's Good Friday, and with the tragedy of the day comes the hope of tomorrow. Apt, this day, because I have not stopped writing. In fact, I just created a brand new site, with a different focus, a different state of mind, and one that represents the common theme that has prevailed through PPR and Mundane Sounds: my profound love of music. This website will go live on Monday, May 4, 2009, and I will announce it that day, and will hope to see you there!I'm excited about it, and I hope you join me for it. It's a different sort of thing, and I think you will like what I am doing.

So please check back here on Monday, May 4, 2009, and I hope you have a wonderful Easter weekend. Thank you for investing your time with me over the past decade. Has it really been that long?

Love,
Joseph Kyle
Editor, Press Play & Record

2009-03-09T19:42:00.003-05:00

things are in flux right now...check back regularly for more information as it develops...

2009-02-16T17:52:00.001-06:00

PPR is on hiatus until March 2, 2009, as Joseph is dealing with the loss of his mother. Updates will return at that time.

Robbie Fulks 13 Hillbilly Greats

2009-02-06T06:00:00.000-06:00

Recording a record of covers is always a hit-or-miss, but Robbie Fulks really did it right. His 2001 album, 13 Hillbilly Giants, is, as you would imagine, a baker's dozen of mostly obscure songs from Hillbilly and Country & Western artists. Recorded in a slapdash two-day session with Steve Albini, this record is as fresh and as vibrant as many of the original versions. The songs run the gamut, too; some songs are about drinking, about not drinking because of paternal responsibilities, loving one's wife; one song, "Knot Hole," is an ode to the joy of voyeurism! Then there's "Jeannie's Afraid of the Dark," an utterly depressing and totally obscure weepie about a dead child, written by Dolly Parton. I'm also fond of "Family Man," a minor hit for Frankie Miller, about not being a carouser because there are babies at home. It's a nice sentiment, and Fulks has me convinced that it's his song. That's when you know a cover is effective; if you make the listener feel the words deep inside. Good show, sir, good show!

Listen To: Family Man

13 Hillbilly Giants was released with love back in 2001 by Bloodshot Records

Bon Iver Blood Bank

2009-02-05T06:00:00.001-06:00

I'm probably the only person in the world who didn't find Bon Iver's debut For Emma, Forever Ago that impressive. I didn't understand what the fuss was about; I thought the story of Justin Vernon's writing of it wasn't that mythic, especially when the story started to eclipse the actual content of the record. Rule of thumb: details of a creation should never outweigh the finished product. A nice story doth not true talent make.

But I'm a fair individual, and I must admit that my interest was subsequently piqued having heard the title track from the new EP, Blood Bank. It's a pretty interesting country-rocker that doesn't actually rock, but that's okay; it's still a catchy number, and Vernon's singing is both strong and engaging. It's a natural progression, especially since Bon Iver is now a BAND. The next song, "Beach Baby," isn't a cover of First Class, but it is a first class downbeat folk number, even if it fades out too early. "Babys" is minimalist piano playing one chord with some really gorgeous falsetto-ish singing. I like it. A lot. "Woods" is a vocoder-laden acappella song, and it's utterly beautiful; he goes all Beach Boys towards the end, and I'm like WOW, this is amazing stuff!

So for those skeptics about the hype around their debut, Blood Bank is a wonderful little record that shows there's a real talent to be found here. Cynicism be damned.

Listen To: "Blood Bank"

Blood Bank is available now on Jagjaguwar

The International Jetsetters Heart is Black

2009-02-04T06:00:00.000-06:00

Say "featuring a member of Jesus and Mary Chain" and you'll pique my interest. Though they may be far gone and away (okay, reunion was two years ago, where's that album if they're 'back'?), they were one of the best bands of the late 20th Century, and I'm going to give the time of day to any project that carries that aforementioned tag. International Jetsetters may not feature a founding JaMC member, Loz Colbert is a collaborator, and vocalist Fi McFall sang with them once--and even this tenuous connection is enough for me!

The comparisons really end there, though; on their debut Heart is Black, the five-piece explores a sound that is dark yet poppy, mellow yet oddly metaphysical. McFall has a beautiful voice, and Mark Crozer does, too; the splitting of vocal duties keeps the music interesting. "Inside Out" and "Inside Yourself" split the difference between bliss-pop and more traditional rock. The rest of the EP is a much mellower affair; the songs are beautiful in a Mazzy Star kind of way. Two versions of "Never Slows Down" appear here; a demo version that features Crozer on vocals, and a full-band version featuring McFall. Both are brilliant, and both are beautiful. I'm also love "Heart is Black," with Crozer sounding both menacing and melancholic. Even though the world may be overwhelmed with too many bands, International Jetsetters are definitely a necessity for this crazy world of ours.

It goes without saying, then, that I'm eagerly awaiting their full-length debut.

Listen To: Inside Out

Heart is Black is out now on Planting Seeds Records

The Brethren of the Free Spirit The Wolf Also Shall Dwell with the Lamb

2009-02-03T06:00:00.000-06:00

Brethren of the Free Spirit is the duo of instrumentalists James Blackshaw and Jozef an Wissem--two men known for making ancient melodies sound positively futuristic. Okay, so I hadn't heard of van Wissem until this record, but the man built and plays a custom-made Lute, so the assumption is made on solid evidence. Anyway, their debut record, The Wolf Also Shall Dwell with the Lamb, is a collection of four gorgeous, heavenly instrumentals. At times the music is rustic, while other times the music is minimalist, if you're familiar with Blackshaw's work, then you know to expect beautiful experimental guitar picking. There's really no way to further describe this record, unless you want some sort of ethnomusicologist explanation--which I find interesting in general but boring in describing specific records. More important to me is the feel of the music--and I feel utterly relaxed by this record. This is some of the prettiest music I've heard this year.

Listen To:Into the Dust of the Earth

The Wolf Also Shall Dwell with the Lamb is available now on Important Records

Kingsbury Lie to Me EP

2009-02-02T06:00:00.000-06:00

"It ain't bragging if you can do it," they say. When you get an email from a band that states, "The difference between us and other bands is that we're actually good," it's hard to take them seriously. I admire the cheek, but at the same time, I've heard many a crap band say that exact same thing. Boredom prompted me to take the band Kingsbury up on downloading their EP Lie to Me after they issued the above challenge...and I have to say, they most certainly weren't lying to me when they said they were good!

Lie to Me reminds me of Mute Records--the Mute Records that releases records by Nick Cave, and that released records by Crime and the City Solution, Anita Lane, Mick Harvey, and Barry Adamson. If you're following the drift, Kingsbury reminds me a lot of Nick Cave...except the singing. The music is an interesting combination of slow, sad music--like the Rachel's--and the mellower, melancholic tones of the aforementioned Mr. Cave and his Bad Seeds. They sound like they could have been associated with him in the 1980s and early 1990s. Though it starts with a haunting instrumental, "Armada," the music picks up significantly after that, though the pulse rate never rises above 100. It's all haunting and dark, but in a way that is totally their own.

But overall, Lie to Me is a contemplative listen; I know little about the band other than their moxie and that this EP is available entirely for free at their website. Check it out!

Listen To:"Lie to Me"

I'm still here!

2008-12-31T16:35:00.001-06:00

New changes coming in 2009, a happy new year to you, and thank you for reading in 2008!

DM Stith Curtain Speech

2008-12-15T09:25:00.003-06:00

Having heard the lovely and subtle "Around the Lion Legs," I felt compelled to purchase this extremely inexpensive EP from DM Stith, a record that has quickly become a favorite. David Stith has a voice that's vulnerable yet mysterious, and though comparisons will be made to Nick Drake (ugh), his style is much darker than that; he's aided by several friends with big reputations, though their influence on his sound is minimal. There are three big tracks here, with two shorter bits in between. The big one here is "Just Once," a large, grandiose yet humble seven minute epic. The rest of the songs are all darker folk, with guitar picking that reminds me of James Blackshire and a sound that's very reminiscent of This Mortal Coil. "Hoarse Sorrows and the Whole Blind Earth..." has some wonderful whistling and a sad feel to it; it sounds like the closing scene to a melancholy Bergman film.

Something tells me this guy is going to be BIG in 2009. I hope so! Curtain Speech is a lovely little introduction to a very talented young man. Hope so! I like this little record.

Listen To: "Just Once"

Just Once is available now on Asthmatic Kitty

Odetta: Requiescat in Pace

2008-12-03T12:16:00.004-06:00

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Listen To: "Waltzing Me All the Way Home" (from The 6ths' Hyacinths and Thistles)

Desolation Wilderness White Light Strobing

2008-12-03T08:02:00.002-06:00

My first taste of Desolation Wilderness was their 3-song single, Until Forever. I didn't say it in the review, but I made a mental note to make sure and get a copy of that "forthcoming K album." Well, that album's here now, and I have to say that it's a stunner that quite easily outshines that EP.

Okay, so that previous review pretty much holds true for White Light Strobing, except expanded. The hazy atmosphere is stil there, but the atmosphere is much less amorphous, while the songwriting is much more lucid. Occasionally, such as on "Forget Everything" or "Horizon Star," the record sounds as if it were recorded in a cathedral. Desolation Wilderness's lackadasical style reminds me of Galaxie 500; haze and muffled lyrics mixing together to create a sound that's both warm and cold. Honestly, I hadn't quite expected this direction for the full-length, but I'm certainly not disappointed by it. To me, it's the little things that make me like White Light Strobing so much; the gentle, hushed slide guitar in "Jupiter" is charming, the laid-back country strumming of "Road Song" makes me feel like I'm moseying down a dusty Western road, and the closing "USA Highway" is simply sublime in almost every way.

White Light Strobing is sublime; it reveals its beauty over repeated listens. It's certainly one of the prettiest records I've heard this year.

Listen To: Road Song

White Light Strobing is available now on K Records

Jonquil Whistle Low

2008-12-02T07:45:00.001-06:00

I recently stumbled upon Oxford's Jonquil's newest EP, Whistle Low. This seven-song EP has really made my day, because its vibe is just so darn sunny and bright. And I do apologize for having to make the comparison, but their music has a rustic, harmonic vibe not unlike Animal Collective. (Thankfully, I don't think Jonquil derive much of anything from AC; I simply see a similar melodic style.)

But, really, who cares about what other bands Jonquil might sound like? I enjoy Whistle Low for what it has to offer: quiet, somewhat pastoral experimental folk with a hint of "pop" like XTC used to do. Just check out "The Weight of Lying on your Back" and tell me otherwise! Their experimental side comes out on "Water is Yours," a gorgeous instrumental that reminds me a bit of Stars of the Lid or Hammock. But the overall downhome, humble vibe found on "Parasol" and "Night Time Story" reminds me most of Paul McCartney's first two solo albums, McCartney and Ram--experimental, yet poppy; beautiful, yet unrefined. Yeah, yeah, there I go again, but the point is this: Jonquil deserves consideration in such a pantheon, because, well, Whistle Low is a wonderful--and wonderfully diverse--record. I do hope to hear more from this group; something tells me I shant be disappointed!

Listen To: "The Weight of Lying On Your Back"

Whistle Low is available now on Acuarela Discos

Zak Riles Zak Riles

2008-12-01T09:31:00.002-06:00

Last review, I talked about Grails's excellent mini-album, Take Refuge in Clean Living. I mentioned its mellowness, and one of you fine readers informed me that if I liked that record, then i simply must check out the solo album by Zak Riles. I would like to extend a gracious "thank you" to the person who told me that, because this solo record is a nice compendium to Grails' heavier side. For his solo work, Riles mainly eschews the heavier side of Grails, focusing on the softer side. Don’t think it’s less dark because it’s easier on the ears; Riles can still conjure up a disturbing, dark atmosphere—he just uses different methods. Like on “Res Extensa,” he uses vibes and what sounds like a mandolin to create an atmosphere that makes me think of the scene in The Shining where the family is running away from the axe-wielding father. But the record provides many moments of quiet meditation; I’m really fond of the one-two punch of "Pacific Siren" and "Confluence"—two songs that simply draw you in with their beauty. Both songs are not unlike James Blackshaw, but both are original in their own way. My favorite, though, is "Chloe," which is a beautiful song tempered by the sound of thunder. It almost feels like an instrumental love song, because the melody simply feels warm and loving. For those who like Grails, this is an interesting and wonderful little sidebar. I hope Mr. Riles makes some more solo records—this one is superb….

Listen To: "Chloe"

Zak Riles is available now on Important Records

Grails Take Refuge in Clean Living

2008-11-25T06:40:00.000-06:00

I like the music of Grails, even though, at times, the music gets a little too heavy for me. I'm at a point in my life where I don't want to be punished by music, and Grails can definitely be heavy. That's why I like Take Refuge in Clean Living a bit more than Doomsdayer's Holiday; Clean is heady and heavy on the mellow atmospherics. This LP has also made me realize why I like Grails: they can be extremely efficient with the time within a song. All of these songs hover between the 4-9 minute mark, but each song feels much, much longer than that--in a good way. The band's trademark mixture of Eastern rhythms with Western rock elements is also put to use here; on "Take Refuge" the band starts of iwth a slow Eastern drum-style pattern, which then halfway turns into an almost Gospel-tinged organ and guitar jam, which then incorporates trumpet and atmospheric manipulation that sounds like a voiceless choir. Very nice, indeed! All in all, Take Refuge in Clean Living is a downright satisfying half-hour of music.

Listen To: "PTSD"

Take Refuge in Clean Living is available now on Important Records

The Asteroid #4 B-Sides & Singles 1997-2007/These Flowers of Ours

2008-11-24T11:03:00.003-06:00

I do not think I have to prove my love to the band The Asteroid #4. Their wild, unique blend of psychedelic country-folk freak-out is one that is well worth the investigation. Two records as of late most definitely make the case of The Asteroid #4's greatness.

The first record is a digital-only release, B-Sides and Singles 1997-2007. I don't know exactly what singles they released, or what era each song is, but I really don't care. You'll find it all here: noisy shoegaze ("90 Colors"), mellow Syd Barrett-esque folk ("Tinkerbell Meets Reality"), gorgeous dreampop ("Car Thief Millenia"), and country swagger ("Lady"). There's a lot to be found here--well over an hour and a half of music--and it might be a bit much for one sitting. But if you put it on random and let it skip around, you'll hardly find anything that's a disappointment.

Listen To: "Lady"
Listen To: "Car Thief Millenia"

Much more concise is These Flowers of Ours. It is the work of a mature psych-rock band; none of that superfluous crap that litters bands that try to be "psych"--no posturing, no posing, no phony irony, either. This is the real deal, and it's obvious from the opening "My Love"--no, not the Paul McCartney classic, but I'm sure they'd do an excellent job of covering it! The next ten songs range from ballads to rockers to what could provisionally be called "bootgaze"--yes, a wonderful mix of shoegaze and Byrds-style country-rock! There's heaviness and there's tenderness, and all of it sounds really, really good. Few American "psych-rock" bands are this good, and they got this way by practice and experience.

Listen To: "My Love"
Listen To: "Let It Go"

Slow Dancing Society Priest Lake Circa '88

2008-11-06T07:45:00.004-06:00

Last night a New Age record saved my life.

Okay, so maybe it didn't save it, but it certainly enriched an atmosphere in need of relaxation. Priest Lake Circa '88 (a title that sounds like it belongs on a Flaming Lips bootleg) is the latest record by Drew Sullivan, who records under the moniker Slow Dancing Society. This latest opus is a collection of gentle but occasionally restless instrumental pieces that tread the line between new age and ambient. But those are silly titles, have nothing to do with the music. For me, though, records like this are more about the mood than the compositions; the eight numbers found here are all wonderfully beautiful pieces. There are a number of epics, like "Sun Spots" and the utterly fantastic "The Iridescence of Innocence," that will simply melt your brain. Honestly, I put this album on and I'm instantly relaxed. This is a good thing, my friends--especially in stressful times like ours.

Listen To: "This Lilac Life"

Priest Lake Circa '88 is available now on Hidden Shoal Recordings

Civic Duty

2008-11-04T10:45:00.003-06:00

Every man is evil, yes, every man's a liar...

Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost.-- John Quincy Adams

Harold Budd and Clive Wright A Song For Lost Blossoms

2008-11-03T08:07:00.000-06:00

Few musicians can rightfully be called Masters, but Harold Budd is definitely a master of his craft. For nearly three decades, he has produced some of the gentlest, prettiest piano music of the Twentieth Century. He is a master of ambient piano; his melodies are simple, yet they say so much in saying nothing. His compositional style is so basic and so minimalist, you might mistakenly think you could do what he does. You can't. I have been infatuated with his music for two decades, and in that time, he has yet to produce a bad record. The simple charm of his work will only make you want more.

A Song for Lost Blossoms, his latest work, continues a trend he's developed over the past few years: collaboration. This time, he's enlisted the assistance of Clive Wright, a fellow minimalist, and the record they created is a labor of love. When you've loved a musician's work as long as I've loved Budd's, it becomes difficult to find the exact words to describe his music--you simply take what they do for granted, and you simply want to say, "Here, it's Harold Budd, you know what you're getting," and that's true here. Unlike Budd's recent collaboration with Eraldo Bernocci (Music for 'fragments from the inside'), or his notable collaboration with Robin Guthrie, Wright's collaborative element isn't obvious; instead, Wright helps to accentuate Budd's melodies. When you collaborate, sometimes it's good not to stand out; sometimes it's best to simply accentuate the best elements of the greater talent.

Of course, the music on A Song for Lost Blossoms is utterly mind-bendingly beautiful. The album starts with one of Budd's biggest singular pieces to date, the epic 32-minute "Pensive Aphrodite." I have Budd records that are almost as long as this one, and by the time the song finishes, I feel reinvigorated. Hell, the rest of the record is just a little bit longer than this one song, and, really, it could stand apart as a singular record. The melodies are deep, the compositions lush--everything you expect from the Harold Budd name. Two of the songs, "Forever Hold My Breath" and "At This Moment," are live recordings; it proves that Budd is simply no studio composer.

I like the trend of Budd-as-collaborator. There are a ton of people I'd love to hear him work with. A collaboration with Marc Byrd of Hammock? Ulrich Schnauss? William Basinski? A new Andy Partridge record? Stars of the Lid? All of these collaborations would produce beautiful aural fruits, and I'd freak out like a teenager if he were to record with any of them, but for now I'm extremely satisfied with A Song for Lost Blossoms, this year's best Harold Budd record, and one of those "best of 2008" records to boot!

Listen To: "At This Moment"

A Song For Lost Blossoms is available now on Darla Records

RTX JJ Got Live RaTX

2008-10-28T11:00:00.003-05:00

Here's the problem with reviewing a record like RTX's JJ Got Live RaTX....what song should I choose to post? This record is utterly, utterly brilliant--not a surprise, because Jennifer Herrema and her heavy metal bandmates (and yes, this is HEAVY METAL) have amazingly made records that are double the brilliance of the album that proceded them. They were tight last time around, but with this record, they are full-on unfuckwithable. Their sound is surprisingly basic in nature: hard, fast, blues-tinged Rock and fuckin' Roll!

The band that made Western Xterminator has matured nicely, and good grief, they've got some nice tits on 'em, too. Not one song on here is filler; not one minute is wasted. It's a short, succinct record, and like a drunken screw underneath the bleachers, it's fast, it's hard, it's amazing...and good lord, how you want more! I love the hard-hitting "Virginia Creeper," the even harder-hitting "Hash," the meant-for-stadium-rocking "Too Badd," and the bluesy "Cheap Wine Time." I've chosen that one, because I do not want to rob you of the xperience of this Radically Tight Xperience!

Listen To: "Cheap Wine Time"

JJ Got RTX Live is out now on Drag City

Jesu/Battle of Mice

2008-10-27T07:38:00.006-05:00

The prolific Jesu releases another winner, this time a split EP with the heavy-hitting Battle of Mice. The two songs found here are gorgeous explorations of sonic noise and melancholy; "Clear Stream" is laden with vocodered vocals hidden underneath those wonderful cathedrals of sound that Jesu is known for, while "Falling From Grace" is a gorgeous yet sad almost-instrumental.

What Jesu lacks in aggression, Battle of Mice supplies. Led by the wonderful little-girl-like voice of Julie Christmas, Battle of Mice is a new kind of metal. "The Bishop" finds Christmas singing in a dark, threatening forest; her yelp reminds me a bit of Kat Bjelland, and within the powerful band behind her, the song is utterly creepy and disturbing. In a good way, of course. "Yellow and Black" is a dirge, leaden with hard guitars, lots of screaming, and a hazy atmosphere that makes listener feel a bit punch-drunk.

In a good way, of course.

Listen To: "The Bishop"

The Jesu/Battle of Mice split EP is out now on Robotic Empire Records

Time Enough at Last

2008-10-25T10:46:00.002-05:00

Dear Readers,

I want to apologize for neglecting you over the past few months. Actually, I take that back—I’ve neglected you for much longer than that. But I want to explain to you that I am back, baby, and I’m ready to give you the best of the best.

See, my day job kept me busy. A few months ago, my day job blocked Blogger, and I could not update in the timely and reasonable manner I had expected and that you had expected. Besides that, the job quickly became overly demanding, so much so that it made me unhappy, and I drowned my unhappiness in music. Ironically, I didn’t write about this music, even though it means the world to me. Fortunately for me, I was laid off this week. I know that being fired is tough and I’m not all that happy about it, but at the end of the day, I know it’s for the best.

One of the ways that it’s ‘for the best’ is that I can return to writing and updating on a regular basis now, and I am going to do so, starting Monday.

I thank you for your time, patience, and, more importantly, support. I will soon be introducing you to some utterly wonderful music, and you’ll start to see more of those excellent interviews that once graced this site. I hope you enjoy!

Love,
Joseph Kyle
Editor.

Lindstrom Where You Go I Go Too

2008-09-21T16:27:00.003-05:00

Hans-Peter Lindstrom's latest work, Where You Go I Go Too, is one of this year's best records, and, for me, it's a perfect record. See, two days a week, I work out of town, and the drive takes 55 minutes, if not longer. I can play Where You Go I Go Too, and the record will get me psyched for the day, and by the time "The Long Way Home" fades out, I'm at work and ready to face the day. Lindstrom has a knack of making a beat that's minimalist without being monotonous. These three songs are long, deep dance numbers, but they ebb and flow in a way that is always compelling. At times modern-sounding, at times reminiscent of Giorgio Moroder's work with Donna Summer-- heck, at times I think of ABBA—these songs sink nicely into a groove that gets your adrenaline going without tiring you out. From what I've read, Lindstrom wanted to do that with these songs, and he's succeeded. A wonderful mood record, this.

Listen To: "The Long Way Home (Prins Thomas edit)"

Where You Go I Go Too is available now on Smalltown Supersound

Daniel Land & The Modern Painters Imagining October

2008-09-20T07:30:00.000-05:00

Daniel Land & The Modern Painters' newest EP, Imagining October, sounds like it should have been released 15 years ago. It falls nicely into the "shoegazing" genre, but not the heavy bands like My Bloody Valentine or Ride; no, their sound is quite reminiscent of softer, more pop-oriented bands like Lush and Kitchens of Distinction, the quieter moments of Swervedriver and maybe a little Cocteau Twins. Land mixes grand, heady atmospheres with tender, delicate songwriting, and it's oh-so blissfully intoxicating. The EP is book-ended by two epic numbers; the first, "Off Your Face Again," leads you into the land of Nod, while the final "Look at September, Look at October" simply brings you down into calm when you're seeking respite from a night spent alley-catting. The songs in between aren't bad, either; "Chagall Repeat (The Flight)" simply drugs your senses into a pleasurable state, while "Between the Acts" and "The Nights are Falling" enhance and sustain the high you've received. All in all, an impressive introduction to a talent well worth seeking out.

Listen To: "Between the Acts"