ANDREW'S ALBUM OF THE WEEK

FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE - Lungs (Universal)
Umm, right, so, I'm in love again. You're dark and troubled and strong. You walk tightropes when you sing; you expose your soul fearlessly. You demonstrate your fragility by smashing yourself in front of me. You're perfectly broken. Your shadows highlight your light rather than your light hiding your shadows. Your sense of humor is as black as the night and you irreverently challenge what is expected of you. "Write something more upbeat" your record company appeals; you respond with a jaunty little number about sacrifice. You have soul. You are, it may be argued, the female Nick Cave. Florence Welch marry me please? AT

YVES KLEIN BLUE - Ragged & Ecstatic (Dew Process)
I'm struggling with this one a bit. There are moments when this fun-touting Brisbane quartet - who have had some decent success back home - sound like an American rock band doing a Babyshambles impression, and there are parts where it just gets a bit all over the show. Some good pop-rocking and production from Cold War Kids Kevin Augunas is what rescues this for me. I like their references; the Yves Klein Blue is a deep shade of blue discovered by the French artist Yves Klein in the fifties, and the album title is from a Kerouac quote. I'm just not sure I like their music as much as the colour blue and 60s beat writing. Sorry. MC
WILD BEASTS - Two Dancers (Domino)
Last years Devils Crayon single and Limbo Panto were little favorites of mine; so I am excited about such a quick follow-up release; and within the first few listens am already astonished by how far my expectations have been exceeded!
I like anchovies. And olives. What I like mostly about them is that they polarize. Nobody thinks anchovies are "okay" ; and perhaps to a slightly lessor extent, nobody can take-or-leave olives. You either love the salty little fuckers or you hate them. It could be argued that Hayden Thorpe's oscillating falsetto vocal style is, basically, anchovies, and when Tom Fleming steps up to the mic it's olives.
Musically, the record is expansive and affecting - turn it up and feel hairs on the back of your neck stand up on end. Fantastic stuff. AT
FRAYDEN - Ghost Crash (A Fight, Cave or Hole Records)
Originally from Wanganui, now Auckland based three piece Frayden recorded their thirteen track long player with the legendary Bob Frisbee and then, instead of just releasing it on the fast-becoming disposable compact disc format - skipped that and went straight to vinyl. They've gotta get bonus marks for just how cool that is. The album is raw and sounds like a juggernaut driving through your lounge room, in a good way. AT
AKRON/FAMILY - Set 'em Wild, Set 'em Free (Spunk)
For a band that saw the light of day using field recordings, white noise and cracked lo-fi vocals, Akron/Family have certainly become a louder voice in the wilderness. Despite having lost a founding member (Ryan Vanderhoof decided to go and live in a Buddhist Dharma center...) since their last record, the Family sound has only gotten bigger. Marking a departure from their tenure with Young God (run by Michael Gira of Angels of Light), the band find themselves here on the relatively new but totally great label Dead Oceans (a sister label of Secretly Canadian). Kicking off with an Akron/Family take on the funk genre - actually the album cover reminds me of Sly & the Family Stone's Stand! LP cover, could there be a connection? Probably not... - with "Everyone is Guilty", the record then proceeds predictably unpredictably. From the gang-vocal weirdness that we've come to expect to the pretty heartbreakers we love them for too, Set 'em Wild... is another fine Akron/Family record that's delightfully all over the place. MC

MOBY - Wait For Me (Mute)
I really like that this album is too beautiful and/or depressing to PLAY in shopping malls. MC

 

LA ROUX - La Roux (Polydor)
It's very very difficult not to, for rather obvious reasons, breathe the names of the great British electro-pop duos of the eighties - Soft Cell, Erasure, Eurythmics, Pet Shop Boys, Yazoo, in the same sentence as La Roux. But La Roux are something more than simply a revival of eighties electro-pop; they herald something more of a rebirth; a semantic point of difference, perhaps - but a vital one; a revival brings something back; while a rebirth is about re-incarnation and re-invention. La Roux are Elly Jackson, red quiffed and still living at home with her parents and her mysterious co-writing partner Ben Langmaid and together they mark a new beginning in British pop music; one that'll see their names dropped in reviews of music in twenty years time as being influential and inspiring as fore-runners the second wave of UK-electro-pop. AT

ALEKS & THE RAMPS - Midnight Believer (Stomp)
The band members of this band are called Brain Cobra, Extreme Wheeze, Denim Owl, Black Wasp and Flying Diamonds. Whattya reckon about that? I feel like I almost don't need to tell you that these guys make the kind of kooky music that you can't help but smile at, despite yourself. With song titles like "Destroy The Universe With Jazz Hands" and of course their modern classic single "Antique Limb", you'd be right in assuming that these tunes never stay in one place for long - leaping from banjo balladeering to synth noise jams and muffled screaming in a mere few seconds. Melbourne's always been a cultural capital, but these all-dancing, all-jesting, all-awesome funbags are a culture unto themselves. Curious? Yes, very. MC
WU-TANG CLAN - Wu-Tang Chamber Music (Shock)
When is a Wu-Tang Clan album not a Wu-Tang Clan album? Well, technically speaking, one could argue that when one member (RZA) oversees a Brookyln soul crew (The Revelations) recreating samples etc in a studio, that's when. But its Wu-Tang endorsed; RZA has attempted, here to re-capture the essence of the early Wu-Tang sound but instead of sampling the stabs and jazzy grooves, a full live band plays 'em for real - while a total of 6 Wu-Tang members make an appearance, plus a host of other guests. The actual songs on the album (there's only 8 actual songs on an album of 17 tracks) are solid and kick hard - but, really - with over 50% of the tracks being 'skits' I am left wondering why they didn't just make a kickin' EP? AT

DIMMER - Degrees of Existence (Warners)
Dimmers fourth long player is a frightening piece of work. Like, basically, you don't wanna fuck with this; one wrong move, one smart-ass comment; one wrong look and it's gonna fuck you up. It's ominous and potent.
You know how 'they' always warn you to ask permission from a dog's owner before you pet it; because, well, you just don't know the demeanor of the animal? Well, it's like, perhaps, every time you play this album you should probably ring up Shayne Carter and make sure it's okay and that it won't rip your head off or tear your heart out. Only, it butchers you so exquisitely; you fall willingly to your metaphoric knees and let this album gut you slowly, languishing in the dark melodies and searing guitars as they disembowel you over and over again. And as you lie there, in your darkened bedroom, the final hum of the last track easing into a dead silence, you lean over, and push play one more time. "Hurt me again" you beg. AT

THE MURDER CHORD - The Blunt Cut (Puppy Killer)
"Fresh zombies are the fastest," proclaims Dave Murderchord at the end of a song. You'd think this undead band were just bitten yesterday with the feverish energy that's clearly gone into the creation of their totally unique sound. While only a duo (Dave on keys, ex-Missing Teeth and Ryan on drums, from Real Real Sick) the sound these local gentlemen make is enough to strike fear into the hearts of grown men and large beasts. Defying the obvious Dresden Dolls comparisons (keys/drums/drama), the Murder Chord take punk rock and make something truly twisted out of it. Honestly, the piano has never sounded so tough. MC
LOUIE KNUXX - Drinkin', Druggin' Fightin' Fuckin' (Breakin' Wreckwords / Shock)
Louie Knuxx is Todd Williams and is, without a doubt, one of New Zealand's most formidable MCs. He's uncompromising and perhaps not what mainstream media would call the perfect poster-boy for hip hop; let's just say, I don't expect to see Knuxx on a poster telling the kids that smoking is 'whack' anytime soon...
His style and flow is dark and quite ominous; but it's clear that it comes from a space of reality - this ain't no bullshit fake-kid wanna-bee pretending to be in a gang in LA or something; and the production here is strong and powerful. Stand out tracks for me are This Summer with it's slow-tempo'd rave-synths and the gloriously gritty and soulful Life's a Bitch. AT
SARAH BLASKO - As Day Follows Night (Dew Process)
This stunning new record has brought to my attention an artist that it's a shame I've missed out on for so long. Australian singer/songwriter Sarah Blasko is no underachiever - with her latest album recorded in Stockholm by Björn Yttling (as in Peter, x & John), plus a raft of international tours under her belt - she's no slouch. With a sound that's immediate and strong, while embracing the melancholy with open arms, Blasko's is a voice that will drag you in by the ear. Joined here by a host of Swedish jazz musicians (who aid in setting these songs apart from anything else you'll hear this year) As Day Follows Night is a fearsomely beautiful creation. MC 
 

MATTHEW'S ALBUM OF THE WEEK

FAMILY CACTUS - Come Howling (Distributor / Sony Music)
Ever since I first saw Family Cactus at Camp A Low Hum 08, I've been sold... this Wellington-based septet have what it takes, and finally their debut LP is out. Kicking off with the killer lead single "Kingmaker" (downloadable for free from the band's Myspace page) Come Howling strides confidently from tune to sweet tune. Single-worthy "In Transit" follows next, with a hint of the blues in its belly and an ode to getting lost. "No Magic" bursts open with a snarling guitar line, before giving way to more sweet harmony - courtesy of lead vocalist/guitarist Adam Ladley and the ethereally-voiced Nina Siegler. Each track rises and falls with memorable melody, songs complementing each other without sounding "samey". Worth mentioning also are the Turin Brakes-esque slowness of "Plastic Trumpets", which serves as the tension builder for another clear candidate for singledom: "Mariachi Stomper". While some bands might misuse seven people in a group, Family Cactus' keys/organs, three guitarists, bobbing bassist and drummer each play their parts to perfection. Equal parts country and rock, Family Cactus ride a wobbly line between genres, though Come Howling is a truly excellent work which will slowly but surely win this band the respect of music lovers across the land, and then rightfully throughout the world! MC

NOISETTES - Wild Young Hearts (Mercury)
UK's Noisettes sophomore album basically takes their 2007 debut and shits all over it. The debut, What's The Time Mr Wolf was all over the place and nowhere particularly inspiring; so it was with some trepidation that I placed this record into my player; but woah-there, Nelly - they've simplified and clarified and removed a whole bunch of clutter. It's like it was inorganic rubbish collection time and they had a massive clean out and just kept the really good stuff. Sixties rhythm and blues pop masterfully delivered with a chanteuse delivering the songs like silk wrapping you in a crazy good time party. This record is heaps of fun! AT
THE JAYHAWKS - Music From the North Country: the Jayhawks Anthology (American Recordings)
Having existed in various forms since 1985, the Jayhawks can pretty safely be considered as legends of the alt. country genre, and this anthology by American Recordings (you know, the guys who put out that amazing series of Johnny Cash cover records?) is a testament to their worth. Defining the missing link between the Byrds country period and Ryan Adams modern country machine, the Jayhawks - Gary Louris and Mark Olsen being the core, with a revolving cast of other players - have since their inception avoided sounding trapped in any decade, with a timeless, harmony drenched sound and songs that you'll swear you've heard some place before. MC
OH MERCY - In The Nude For Love(Casadeldisco)
Melbourne 4 piece Oh Mercy started off as a collaboration between too coo-ed voiced singer-guitarist Alexander Gow and guitarist-keyboardist Thom Savage but have fleshed the band with the addition of Eliza Lam on bass and Rohan Sforcina on drums. It's twee-indie-folky-pop; breezy and pleasant and just a little bit dreamy and when you least expect it Gow coos "... a bad muthafucker with a heart of gold".
Nice. AT
ALELA DIANE - To Be Still (Rogue Rcrds)
Every once in a while a voice permeates the walls of ordinary and punches you in the heart; Alela Diane is a real-deal country/folk singer, whose wails and woes do exactly that. This is her second album-proper, following her 2007 debut The Pirate's Gospel, which won her tour supports with Iron & Wine, Vashti Bunyan, The Decemberists and a load more. With a wistful haunt and a clear love for folklore and nature intertwined, Diane's To Be Still is laden with strings, banjo and a voice that will enchant you without a doubt. If Nina Nastasia and Joanna Newsom came to some kind of compromise, this is possibly the sound they'd agree on. Beautiful. MC
PASTELS & TENNISCOATS - Two Sunsets (Geographic) 
Two Sunsets is a gorgeous melding of the cute, the sublime and the Glaswegian. Since 1982, Glasgow's indie godparents the Pastels have owned the patent on loose, melodic pop. Now they're running a totally sweet little label called Geographic, which provides a release for (amongst other things) experimental Japanese music... music like the Tenniscoats. Recorded over a few years, and with vocal and songwriting duties shared between the two bands, the resulting sound is a truly collaborative effort between Scotland and Japan. From the classic Pastels sound of "Vivid Youth" to the peppy melody of "Yomigaeru", this is a charming record if ever I heard one, and one that's bound to prick up the ears of indie pop fans across the world (literally). MC

 

Reviews by Andrew Tidball (AT) & Matthew Crawley (MC)
courtesy of The Eavesdrop

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