A- | 02.14.12 | TGNP | MP3 | CD | VINYL

Auto-tune may have just hit its inflection point. No longer just a crutch for weak voices or a way to extend the shelf life of overripe singers, the pitch-shifting technology has spent the last couple years becoming respectable. Since Jay-Z declared auto-tune’s hip hop death in 2009, artists have found deft ways to keep it alive and thriving. On Poliça’s debut album, Give You The Ghost, it takes the next step, playing a crucial role in constructing a band’s sound without casting doubt on the ensemble’s natural talents.

Channy Leaneagh, whose airy voice teeters on the edge of delicate, is responsible for the auto-tune’s graceful employment. Slight tweaks give her already impressive voice laser-guided precision and nearly instantaneous modulation, allowing it to control the tracks of Give You The Ghost despite frequently submerging below the album’s instrumentals. Her vocals take on a depth and range, often multi-tracked and reverbed, that allow it to move from sultry to poignant to insistent with the literal push of a button.

Leaneagh’s fellow Gayngs-banger Ryan Olson co-wrote and produced the album, and his experience with this multi-layered and affected sounds shows in his impeccable sense of when to push and when to pull. In inexperienced hands, auto-tune is a clunky tool used to fix mistakes. Here, under Olson’s guidance, it’s the cherry on top.

Though Olson and Leaneagh have played together before, Give You The Ghost is far from a Gayngs bi-product. Its genesis lies instead in the downfall of Minnesota band Roma Di Luna, which Leaneagh co-founded with then-husband Alexei Casselle. After their marriage – and the band – met its end, Leaneagh hit the notebooks and cranked out the basis of the album in under a month. Give You The Ghost is a record of slow heartbreak, slow rebuilding, and everything that happens in between the two. It’s an attempt to answer to the question posed on “Form,” the album’s fifth track: “What’s the storyline of unraveling?”

“I don’t need you, I don’t need anyone/Come back,” sings Leaneagh on the album’s opening track, “Amongster,” snapshotting the troublesome independence/reliance dichotomy. On “Form,” she captures the impossibility of placing blame: “I’m the victim, I did it.” Perhaps the most touching example comes on standout single “Wandering Star,” where Leaneagh sings “It makes me sad ‘cause you’re gone/And I hear you whisper something sweet/But it doesn’t move any nerves in me.”

Poliça knows something about moving. Give You The Ghost is a potent mix of double-drum heartbeats and agile melodies, and it strikes both emotional and visceral nerves. The album’s layered and heavily-affected opening vocals, which resemble musical cousin Bon Iver, signal a heavy-handed onslaught that never comes. Instead, the songs subtly moves from place to place – auto-tune quickly becoming a familiar element, subject matter slowly revealing itself. It’s a fascinating and developed debut. “I See My Mother” evokes loop-masters Menomena, while songs like “Fist, Teeth, Money” recall the ethereal songs of Warpaint. And throughout it all, Poliça establishes itself – a band born from others but completely of itself.

“Oh what a web I have woven myself in,” sings Leaneagh on “I See My Mother.” Consider me caught.

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B | 02.14.12 | OLD FLAME | MP3

“Television,” perhaps the best song on the debut album from You Won’t, is anchored by a simple stomp-clap beat, driven by about 8 soulful piano chords, and reassuring vocals. “It always ends the same,” the band tells us, and true to its word, each verse ends with this “old refrain.” The minimalist beauty of “Television,” a song made for sing-along gatherings around a bonfire, is definitive of Skeptic Goodbye, a strong debut album from a duo that often thrives – and occasionally suffers – from its raw, simplistic approach.

It’s a rule of mine to avoid too many comparisons in a review, but it’s almost impossible with You Won’t. Much of the album feels heavily influenced by a number of recent artists, but fortunately, it never feels like a rip-off. Opening track “Three Car Garage” has the rickety drums found throughout Local Natives’ debut, and lead singer Josh Arnoudse’s voice vaguely resembles that of vocalists from The Shins, The Kooks, and The Morning Benders.

You Won’t is able to draw on its influences and create an album that is new and unique, clearly proving they are more than just another catchy folk-pop bedroom project. In fact, the album is at its best when it deviates from the band’s primary, acoustic sound – most notably with the crunching, classic-rocking guitar bounce of “Dance Moves” (reminiscent of Free Energy), and the unexpected beat drop of “Ten Years Old.” “The drop,” which we have already described in detail here, magnificently throws blaring horns and a hip-hop drum beat behind an otherwise ordinary twinkling piano.

Despite the album’s experimentation and variety of instrumentation (Raky Sastri is credited not only with playing the drums, but also the harmonium, accordion, bowed mandolin and “modified coffee can”), You Won’t certainly has its wheelhouse; its go-to move. Joining “Three Car Garage” and “Television” as a ready-made bonfire sing-along is the sunny “Who Knew,” a memorable, clap-along track that tries to beat you over the head with cuteness – and succeeds: “If I was, Marty McFly, I would go back to when we were nine – or ten, and I’d be your best friend.”

Unfortunately, the album loses some momentum after “Who Knew,” when three slower, reflective acoustic tracks are strung together. While simplicity is a virtue for songs like “Television,” the music here is perhaps too simple – still nice, and fine as background music, but nothing special, nothing that rises above an average singer-songwriter acoustic album. Skeptic Goodbye is at its best when the songs are upbeat and peppy.

The album closes with “Remember When” and “Realize,” two more songs that don’t reach the height of Skeptic Goodbye’s best stuff. And yet, they have that extra something that makes You Won’t different – consistently great melodies, a personal, intimate feel (in the case of the haunting, percussion-less “Remember When”), and a well-placed, subtle build that closes out the album (on “Realize”). “It’s a hard road to ride,” Arnoudse sings, “when you sit back and realize.” As various instruments swirl around his voice, gently growing until they fade back out, “Realize,” along with Skeptic Goodbye as a whole, certainly sounds like a band sitting back and starting to realize its potential.

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Over at his Tumblr page, with the message: “please release an official version…,”The Weeknd posted up a live rip of Shlohmo’s new remix of his and Drake’s “Crew Love” from last year’s Take Care. For the record, we’d like to hear the official version too. Give the live rip a listen:

Continue reading: Drake & The Weeknd – “Crew Love” (Shlohmo Remix)

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JACK WHITE – “Love Interruption”
Jack White’s first solo-single sounds like the final track off the White Stripes album we’ll never get. More masochistic than your average blues-ballad, “Love Interruption” finds White begging Love to bring on the pain (and could Love kindly burn down his house too?). The scar tissue will ultimately be his armor (“I won’t let love disrupt, corrupt, or interrupt me”). A clarinet accompanies an acoustic and electric guitar, and the trio weaves a lovely track for White and duettist Ruby Amanfu. Yeah, it should have been Meg, but bitching is for ingrates. “Love Interruption” is as good as White gets. Love Interruption single is out now on vinyl and digital download. Blunderbuss album is out April 24.

AIR – “Sonic Armada”
“Sonic Armada” is Air’s best track since “Sexy Boy.” The song passes around its Bacharachian lounge melody — between a synth-flute and bass guitar — with glee. So, Air still has a pulse after all. Sure, “Sonic Armada” is a wedge of moon cheese, but it ages to perfection the more you hear it. Le Voyage Dans La Lune is out now, and it’s fantastic.

WILLIS EARL BEAL – “Take Me Away”
Think about the hyphenate “lo-fi” for a sec, and think about what it means to you. Think about the first time you heard a song and you thought “wow, that sounds like shit, and I love it.” And why did you love it? We love the scuzz and the dirt because it’s so fresh, so passionate, so seemingly created in real-time, unpolished, unrefined, unfinished, it’s a wound that’s still bleeding, a wound that’s still being made. We love XL’s latest signee Willis Earl Beal because he’s still bleeding. “Take Me Away” is a song that’s still bleeding. It’s the weird sad dirty soul song you recorded on your back porch drunk in the summer after someone broke your heart and you were still bleeding – it’s the real deal, and that’s what makes it intoxicating. Acousmatic Sorcery is out later this year on XL.

F*CKED UP – “Year of the Tiger”
Customary to F*cked Up’s Chinese New Yearly release of some kind of literally and colloquially epic jam on 12” vinyl, they’re ringing in the Year of the Dragon with fifteen minutes of ferocious, anthemic prog rock inexplicably called “Year of the Tiger.” Dizzying layers of cutting guitars, pop-rock piano chords, some rather dark spoken word contributions from Jim Jarmusch, shout-along vocals from frontman Damian Abraham, a sweetly apocalyptic sing-along from Dutchess Says’ Annie-Claude Deschenes – we have literally no choice but to love this. It’s absolutely, compellingly relentless. The Year of the Tiger is out now.

DR. DOG – “That Old Black Hole”
We’re not mad at Dr. Dog for going back to their old ways when they promised they wouldn’t, because their old ways are so perfect. “That Old Black Hole” has got that big irresistible pop-folk chorus, those Hammond organ wails, Dr. Dog’s really incomprehensible and totally enviable knack for slowly building up and up into the pounding, hyper-catchy, unpredictable banger… “That Old Black Hole” is so catchy, so masterfully constructed, it’s concrete evidence that this is a band truly at the top of its game. Be The Void is out now; read our review in which we make some lofty comparisons.

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We don’t know much about L.A. duo (at least we think it’s a duo) Rhye yet – they’re being purposefully sneaky about their identities, preferring to allow their music to speak for itself, at least for the time being. Consider our curiosity peaked – their first offering “Open” sits on the border between Architecture in Helsinki and Jai Paul – seriously, what with that hyper-minimalist backbeat that’ll have you all psyched for some artstep drum machine skittering before Rhye go ahead and turn the tables completely into orchestral, horns-and-strings indie balladry. The result is a hyper-confessional, intimate, fragile slow-burner just in time for your Valentine’s Day playlist. Open is out now on a 12″, backed with two other songs – “Hunger” and “Three Days” – all of which will be found on Rhye’s imminent debut album.

Continue reading: REC’D: Rhye – “Open”

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We knew Odd Future’s resident stoner rap prodigy Domo Genesis was going to get big, and it’s looking like his latest collab might shed him a bit more limelight. Despite a brief 2011 beef about the use of the album title Rolling Papers, Domo’s teamed up with Wiz Khalifa to deliver one of the best hip-hop songs with the use of pan flute in recent memory, “Ground Up.” Take one sweet, spacey beat from frequent Wiz collaborator Cardo and add some great verses from two young talents and you’ll be getting there – “Ground Up” is catchy and fun, with a really undeniable chorus. Check it out.

Continue reading: New: Domo Genesis & Wiz Khalifa – “Ground Up”

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The second part of Battles’ four-part 12” vinyl remix series Dross Glop drops soon (say that five times fast), and it features updated versions of Gloss Drop tracks from artists all over the spectrum. We previously heard the Field and Gui Boratto take on the challenge, and now you can check out Seattle avant-hip-hop crew Shabazz Palaces trying on “White Electric” for size, which makes sense because Shabazz Palaces are probably the Battles of rap. The end product is absolutely amazing, probably our favorite remix of the year so far, as Palaceer Lazaro deftly delivers his classic poetic zings over a clubbed-up edit of Battles’ original. Dross Glop will be available in physical form February 21.

Continue reading: Shabazz Palaces x Battles – “White Electric”

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Music blog Ad Hoc, the phoenix rising from Altered Zones’ ashes, will release a benefit covers comp later this year, and our first sample from it is How to Dress Well’s mesmerizingly minimalist take on Xiu Xiu’s Fabulous Muscles cut “Clowne Towne.”

Continue reading: How To Dress Well – “Clowne Towne” (Xiu Xiu cover)

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This is just great. Chairlift accompanied by Das Racist’s Kool A.D. stop by Australia’s Triple J studios and covered Beyoncé and Andre 3000′s “Party” for their Like A Version series.

Continue reading: Chairlift & Das Racist’s Kool A.D. cover Beyonce & Andre 3000

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B+ | 02.07.12 | ANTI- | STREAM | MP3 | CD | VINYL

The Beatles recorded their most prolific albums, the ones that defined the future of rock-n-roll, without ever stepping foot in front of a live audience. Dr. Dog’s je ne sais quoi, their “it”, was forged through a long strange decade of Jim James, festival buzz and tumbleweed venue hopping. This binary distinction between immortal vanguards and a group recording only their second album with a major label seems a bit striking — even downright ludicrous. But the adoration for the Fab Four is heaps abundant from leadman Scott McMicken:

“The things that they came up with in such a short period of time, and styles they traversed and owned, that in itself is such an incredible achievement.” That’s coming from a musician who’s not a “super-avid Beatles listener.”  As much as it’s en vogue to distance oneself from the paterfamilias of your genre, for the sake of progress, it never hurts to tinker with the timeless and make it your own vehicle for letting all of us at the back of the bus know what unknown bend is up ahead.They were that lo-fi ‘60s pop psychadelic head trip long before it was lambasted into our hipster eardrums.

But this time everyone should recognize what’s on display here — legendary rock. Not simply textures, tones and tinges, but pop rock ballads that would’ve shined sextuple platinum circa 1969. Fortunately, these Philly boys worked hard for their money and now we all reap the rewards.

Continue reading: Review & Stream: Dr. Dog – Be the Void

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B | 01.30.12 | DFA | STREAM | MP3

“Pop-hip-house.” “Liquid-bmore-house-step.” “Rave-garage.” Just when you thought the UK house scene could not possibly concoct anymore arbitrary sub-genres, along frolics our faux ursine duo drafting an indietronica doctrine for world peace. “But it can sound awful if you talk about it too much,” Hot Chip and the 2 Bear’s Joe Goddard tells The Guardian, diffusing the altruistic ambitions of the group’s first true LP, Be Strong. �

Continue reading: Review & Stream: The 2 Bears – Be Strong

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Bon Iver hit up Late Night with Jimmy Fallon last night and performed this downright epic, eight minute rendition of “Perth” with the legendary Roots.

Continue reading: Bon Iver & The Roots – “Perth”

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The last thing we heard from LA electro songstress Ramona Gonzalez aka Nite Jewel was her hyper-minimalist, intimately confessional cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Visions,” but she’s back to her chilly, synth-driven M.O. on the latest single from her second LP One Second of Love, “In the Dark.” Over an impossibly catchy backbeat and her classic thick, shimmering planes of cold, cutting synth and piano, Gonzalez effortlessly shows off her impressive vocal range. That’s not to say Gonzalez has abandoned the personal emotionality of her Stevie Wonder cover – “In the Dark” feels like she’s whispering it in your ear too, but somehow, you can dance to it. One Second of Love drops March 6 on Secretly Canadian.

Continue reading: New: Nite Jewel – “In The Dark”

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Beach Fossils’ Dustin Payseur has promised new material from his band will take a turn for the edgier, so we were a little surprised when “Shallow,” the band’s latest 7” single on Captured Tracks, sounded, um, exactly like a Beach Fossils song. We’re a little more excited by that track’s b-side, “Lessons,” which plays up the band’s new-wavey interlocked guitars and motorik drums into something a little darker and more interesting.

Continue reading: New: Beach Fossils – “Lessons”

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If there’s one song we love, it’s Cults’ “You Know What I Mean,” in its gloomy poppiness one of the best and most self-defining tracks on the band’s 2011 self-titled debut, so we’re psyched that it’s the band’s next single and they’ve chosen to make an appropriately sweet and dark video for it. It casts Cults’ male half Brian Oblivion as a carnival stuntman and its female half Madeline Follin as his devoted girlfriend whose disapproving father goes to extreme measures to try and keep them apart. Check it out.

Continue reading: Video: Cults – “You Know What I Mean”

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Manchester pop duo The Ting Tings may have taken four years to record the follow-up to their hugely successful We Started Nothing, but they weren’t just sitting around – extensive touring and scrapped early sessions finally culminated in Sounds from Nowheresville, recorded in Spain. The record’s second single is “Soul Killing,” probably the only pop-reggae track in history to sample a creaking rocking chair, destined to be the band’s next lighters-in-the-air anthem – “they can never hold us down!” Katie White sings over No Doubt-y dub guitars and bursts of horn-section wailing. The record will drop March 13.

Continue reading: New: Ting Tings – “Soul Killing”

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“Niggas In Paris” was “videojacked” late last night, now we have the official visuals for the hit.

Continue reading: Official Video: Jay-Z & Kanye West – “Niggas In Paris”

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B- | 02.07.12 | DEAD OCEANS | STREAM | MP3 | CD | VINYL

A long time ago someone called Brooklyn’s A Place to Bury Strangers “the loudest band in New York.” The trio have been in the heavy shoegaze game so long that the exact source has long been relegated to some dark corner of the internet, but the sentiment still remains – this is a band that, on two studio albums and eight EPs, has totally ripped it up.

It won’t surprise you that the band’s latest EP Onwards to the Wall is loud, it’s really loud, it’s five walls of sound that each feel like they’re collapsing in a slow-motion earthquake. Think My Bloody Valentine’s massive, eardrum-fracturing waves of decibel-meter-breaking guitar scuzz, and think Radiohead’s atmospheric–yes–creepy, underwater take on the tightly interlocked drum-and-bass drive of krautrock bands like Neu! and you might be onto something. Think about the dark pop sensibility of post-punk too – these are catchy songs, almost danceable in a Joy Division kind of way, the surprisingly enjoyable but resolutely morose soundtrack to your own personal post-apocalyptic wasteland – and you’re almost there. Onwards to the Wall is great because it can’t be slotted in anywhere besides right amongst A Place To Bury Strangers’ own oeuvre – it sits on the border of dark industrial clang and drone and expansive space-rock otherworldliness.

We guess we could just say “really good,” though. It’s solid all the way through, but the EP’s first three tracks are probably its strongest – the distorted bass heartbeat that keeps the cutting guitar haze of “I Lost You” from spiraling into the abyss is utterly hypnotic, as are the motorik drumming and inscrutable, wailing atmospheric drones (Theremin? Electric cello?) that make the title track sound like ghostly transmissions from another world. Maybe A Place to Bury Strangers are just the loudest band in New York because their music is so absorbing, so hypnotic, that it demands you turn up the volume yourself. And trust us, you’ll want it loud.

Stream ‘Onwards to the Wall’ in its entirety here.

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“Videojacking: Action of stealing a music video, an audiovisual work, even before the artist asked for itself, ordered, undertook, realized, and even thought about it.”

Continue reading: “Niggas In Paris” Videojacked

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Tags: Jay-Z, Kanye West

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