New Medicine - Breaking the Model (ALBUM REVIEW)

5.6

      The meaning of "Breaking the Model" is paradoxical when used to describe the music on the still accurate title for the music it accommodates. Since the past four years once their debut Race You to the Bottom was released New Medicine have taken in new influences which in turn expands the space of some of the songs and given them a new direction. Yet, at the same time they have really not grown at all in the song writing department, even going as far to blatantly rip off one of their old songs, ‘American Wasted’ with the new ‘World Class Fuck Up.’ The later which seems like a bigger and badder version, as suggested by the names of the two.

     The album opens with an atmospheric intro on the song Breaking the Model and then we’re thrown back into a more polished and crisp version of essentially what we were given on their first record. But this time there’s some subtle nuances that imply a change in sound. whether it be the brief pre-chorus wobble bass or the trappy sounding high hats. The first time we are really shown a change of sound is on Desire Into Gold with one the biggest electronic influences on this album complete with 808s and synths.

     It’s interesting to see such a maturity and foreword thinking from a band that I had previously just lumped into the category of generic post-grunge music. Songs like One Too Many start off with a very distinctive electronic backing then switch over to a catchy hard rock explosion, which is a very common theme on this album - arguably too common. For the most part the unlikely blend does work but the major fall back is the repetitiveness of this album paired with the overly simplistic song writing.

The Ravenottes - Pe'ahi (ALBUM REVIEW)

6.5

     The Danish noise pop group The Raveonettes have returned with their seventh album out on Beat Dies Records. The Raveonettes juxtapose the digitized distortion of their noise pop with velvety arpeggiated dream pop guitar stylings as a common theme on this record. Other songs like 'Killer in the Streets' adhere to a more radio friendly pop aesthetic. This song sounds like a more predictable b-side from the psych-pop band MGMT. Whereas they still pay homage to shoegaze traditionalists like on the songs 'Summer Ends' and 'Z-Boys' whose opening guitar tone seems copied and pasted from a Beach House track.

     When The Raveonettes aren't emerged in a layer of thick digital distortion or caressing a dreamy melody they also bring an adventurous approach to alternative music like on the song 'When the Night is Almost Done'. A varying soundscape of noise and gentle make up of bells and soft sounds. 'Wake me Up' has an introduction which sounds like it could have possibly been a sample of an old X-files theme song that didn't make the cut. The rest of the song consists of dissonant sounds being accompanied by a steady paced drum beat and softly spoken vocals.

     It is not unheard of, or even remotely strange to have vocals play more of a texture roll than a lyrical aspect on shoegaze records, and with the heavy reliance of texture,  Pe'ahi is no different. That being said, on tracks like 'Z-Boys' and 'The Rains of May' the vocals are mixed so quietly that they become almost completely incoherent and ends up being more of a distraction to try and decipher them then it is to appreciate what it attempted to contribute to the track. The whole album features themes of dissonance and juxtaposition to create their most recent shoegaze mess.

Antarctigo Vespucci - Soulmate Stuff (ALBUM REVIEW)

* 8.2 *

       Antarctigo Vespucci is a band that plays their music with genuine authenticity. The fuzzy pop band is fronted by Fake Problems singer vocalist Chris Farren with most of the instrumentals done by New York native Jeff Rosenstock. The two (shown in this picture) are best friends who decided to make music together. And judging by this record they had a lot of fun making it with such bro-bonding songs like 'Sometimes'. 'Sometimes' proves to be a more mature way of approaching pop music with a changing musical backdrops which cascades with lush synth sounds one moments only to be beaten down in a wall of fuzz moments later. Jeff Rosenstock creates the instrumentals in a sort of way where nothing seems to be repeating itself adding dynamic components to a most of the songs on this album.
       The duo have a sort of slacker attitude when it comes to this album, the mixes aren't very good and having a lo-fi vibe isn't always necessary, but it's just comes with such sincerity. The vocals don't need to be fine tuned in a studio for you to believe the authenticity Chris Farren has while he bawls on the chorus of 'Don't Die in Yr Hometown.' The album opener '100 Years' is a fragile song with Chris proclaiming his admiration (at this point I wouldn't be surprised it if is Jeff) to some unknown lover. The song is revisited in the sequel: '100 Years Part 2: 200 Years' which features the same melody as the prequel but only to be distorted only the way a shitty laptop microphone with too much gain can.
       The only single (was it even that?) from this album is a fuzzed out power pop song called 'I'm Giving Up On U2. Both this song and 'Don't Die in Yr Hometown' use and abuse the quiet to loud dynamic trick with 'I'm Giving Up on U2's chorus being filled with guitar feedback. All the fuzz is brought back in the album closer 'Bang!' which builds to a slow paced chugging of power chords with Chris's pliable voice lying overtop. The song gives off a content vibe to the band's whole aesthetic, two friends playing loud, catchy, fuzz pop.

Atmosphere - Southsiders (ALBUM REVIEW)

5.5

     "You can’t be a rich man if your soul is a swimming pool of quicksand" a provoked Slug spits right before the final hook on the third track, Star Shaped Heart. And there are a lot of hooks on this album, and unfortunately ends up ruining a number of songs, most notably The World Might Not Live Through The Night, and Bitter. The title, The World Might Not Live Through The Night hints that is going to be a dub. The only songs with that type of name are post-grunge party tracks meant to appeal to middle schooled kids or a derivative crescendo-core post-rock band.
     I Love You Like a Brother comes across as the same equation as their old work (GodLovesUgly) but with a more of a modern feel (God Loves Ugly came out 12 years ago) and more poppy influence. But all the basic Atmosphere roots are there. This is applicable to most of the album, the song Kanye West for example is a perfect example of this. Stylistically, the song feels like it would be a perfect fit on their album Seven's Travels. Except this time the poppy chorus actually does work well with the song.
     And that's just it, previous Atmosphere fans will most likely enjoy this album. With embracing a very poppy edge and sticking to their proven style it seems as if they're making one last shot at it. In the song Arthur, Slug raps about how his best years are over and painfully reminiscing the old times.

Sisyphus - Sisyphus (ALBUM REVIEW)

7

     Soon. Soon there will be a massive break out of avant folk/hip-hop. And the indie kids will once again be friends with the hip-hop heads. Aesop Rock and Kimya Dawson released their first album as The Uncluded entitled Hokey Fright last year, and now after an EP in  Sisyphus is here with their new self titled full length debut album. Sisyphus, originally s/s/s/, is a trio of folk artist Stufan Stevens, alternative hip-hop emcee Serengeti, and producer, Son Lux. Despite Stufan being a folk artist, there is a complete lack of folk influences on this album, and according to him he is there for singing ballads and backing vocals, melody, and "chords".

     The first song 'Calm it Down' is divide into two main parts, the first being a catchy drum driven hip-hop song. During the first half Serengeti raps with a flow slightly reminiscent of the ghost busters theme song. After the chorus we are reintroduced to the 8-bit world for a brief moment before  goes back to anti-mainstream hip-hop ideals and tells us to calm down instead of jump up or throw your hands up in the air. Stufan takes over the second half accompanied with atmospheric beats with an array of synthesizers. The next track, 'Take Me' took one from 'Calm it Down' and, calmed it down. This is an electro ballad with drums that sound like they came from the Future Garage scene. Stufan Stevens takes the place of sole vocalist with doubled, reversed, and heavily reverb laced vocals. This track is definitely the highlight of the whole album.

     Flying Ace is a song that's hard to pin down. It changes it's rhythm and time signature drastically within its 3 minute run time. It begin with a slow paced beginning discussing the tragic loss of a whole town's truffles, the bass comes in then the tempo picks up and changes again to a modern electronic influenced beat and then once more to a light string section which seems as if it would be found in a Lana Del Rey song if she were on uppers. With no chorus in the song it give the opportunity to have more varied production because it adheres to no specific song structure. 'I Won't be Afraid' is another slow song with only Stufan Stevens on vocals. The song is mainly driven by a somber synth with horns serving as backing vocals. 

     Although Sisyphus is making headway into a new region of hip-hop, unfortunately the one thing lacking is diversity. and the whole album seems to be divided going back and forth between Stufjan's electro ballads and Serengeti's abstract hip-hop. While Stufjan does contribute good backing vocals the songs are more split between the two vocalists such as in Dishes in the Sink where the song completely changes to fit each vocalist's abilities and style.  It would be a better fit if Stufjan Stevens continued to work with Son Lux as a duo and vice versa. It almost seems like a split album than one artist.