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Music News

Well it's true, Gorillaz are coming back. When I first heard about demos for new songs a couple months ago I was skeptical about it all. I didn't have high hopes for the quality of songs with titles such as "Stylo" off of an album called "Plastic Beach". How can it ever hold up to Demon Days?

At first listen, "Stylo" (which is the first single from the album), sounds like it might've belonged on D-Sides. Though it sounds like just another electronic track, a dark re-hash of 80's club music, it eventually proves it has some soul. I just hope the rest of the album can back it up

Regardless of how the new album will sound, it's clear that the band has more star power now with guest stars such as Mos Def and Bobby Womack (upgrades from MF Doom and Ike Turner?) on "Stylo".

At any rate, the website is back and completely remodeled. The old Gorillaz clock is ticking down again, with 25 days to go. It seems that the band has moved out of Kong Studios in England to a groovy beach lair on Point Nemo, which appears to be an island somewhere.

Bassist Murdoc Niccals is currently broadcasting pirate radio broadcasts from the island, spinning yarns over about his journey to Point Nemo over a spooky orchestral track and spinning his favorite tunes. The Scooby-Doo sound effects fit in with the spooky aesthetic and the 70's cartoon vibe of the Plastic Beach preview and the vintage tunes. But of course it's all a big tease for the fans and all we can do is wait.

Also, Gorillaz is headlining the final day of Coachella.

The Diarrhea Diet

This is probably the greatest example of repackaging an old product:

So... they're laxatives? "That puffy, hard feeling in my stomach that has made me uncomfortable for years has gone down in just a few days. I felt the difference in my pants and skirts right away." Wow, imagine being constipated for over a year. Well now she looks and feels great (but she should probably wash those pants and skirts).

Album Review: "Heartland" by Owen Pallett

The third album by Owen Pallett (formerly known as Final Fantasy) is a concept album that tells the story of a farmer named Lewis, and his adventures in the fictional land of Spectrum. The songs are Lewis' words to his maker, one-sided conversations with the god of Spectrum, Owen.

The album opens with "Midnight Directives", a fanciful piece that builds from a mysterious intro into a bubbling bit of call and response. Immediately, the record hits a slow patch starting with the Mission Impossible bass line of "Keep the Dog Quiet".

Things pick up, however, with "Lewis Takes Action", a bright track that proves to be one of the best on the album. It is here that the listener gets a real good look at the character of Lewis, riding on his horse Imelda towards adventure. Boastful, Lewis proclaims "I have a message for the acolytes/I am your man for a wifey fight." Pallett gives us a great image of the ultra-violent farmer brandishing a whip and shooting fire from his fingers.

The plucky tone of "Lewis Takes Action" is cut immediately with abrupt slashes of strings in "The Great Elsewhere". Originating in burbling keyboards and glitchy electronic sounds, this song builds until Pallett's voice is almost overpowered by the orchestra when he sings "My words were drowned out by the sound/Of the motors and rowers, the ship as it ran aground".

Next comes the comparatively stark "Oh Heartland, Up Yours!" and the bright "Lewis Takes Off His Shirt", which might be the gem of the album. The bubbling piece shows Lewis, on his horse, riding across the plains. He's on a mission that he doesn't understand but he has to keep going. He's hot and has to take off his shirt and is gazed upon lustily by the deity, Owen. However, Lewis is defiant and he says "If what I have is what you need/I'm never going to give it to you."

The record stays with the silly for a moment with the cartoonish, time-shifting "Flare Gun" before moving on to something a bit more delicate with "E Is for Estranged". Lyrically, this song seems to be a departure from the narrative of the album. The song seems to be told from Pallett's point of view ("If pathos is borne, borne out of bullshit - in formal attire/I'll score you a string ensemble") and deal with the reflections of a father concerning his son ("I saw my son at seventeen/The shutters made projections on his naked frame"). I felt as though it could've come from He Poos Clouds, as though it were a companion piece to "Many Lives -> 49 MP", which is told from a son's point of view, looking into the future.

Musically, this album is an ambitious step from 2006's He Poo Clouds, as Pallett is joined by a full orchestra (the Czech Symphony Strings and the St. Kitts' Winds). The full, dynamic sound makes for epic arrangements. However, while the orchestration is one of the album's greatest strengths, it is sometimes its greatest weaknesses, as the arrangements can sometimes be overblown and overpowering. For instance, on "Mount Alpentine", Pallett's vocals are almost inaudible under the strings.

However, my opinion regarding the orchestration on this album is due mostly to the love I have for Owen Pallett's live performances. I often much prefer the stripped-down simplified versions of these songs. There is an intimacy and subtlety that is sometimes lost in the grandiose orchestra versions. Overall, however, this album is great, perhaps Pallett's best works to date.

Check out a full-orchestra performance of "Lewis Takes Action" here.

Watch Owen perform "E Is for Estranged" solo here.

Watch Owen play "The Great Elsewhere" with Thom Gill here.

Watch Owen play "Lewis Takes Off His Shirt" solo here.

Album Review: "Contra" by Vampire Weekend

So, I went online to listen to Vampire Weekend's newest album, Contra. The first thing I noticed is that the tracks were listed in a format similar to the track listing for Radiohead's In Rainbows. While Vampire's Weekend isn't available for free download like Radiohead's was, you can stream it for free, which I am thankful because I am currently strapped for cash.

As I said before, I have been excited for this album because I wanted to see what was going to happen to Vampire Weekend's sound. The good news is that this album is not a re-hash of their eponymous debut. The better news is that it's still catchy. Vampire Weekend has released another album that's perfect for the summer, this time combining familiar strings and tropical guitars with electronics. There's plenty of fun melodies and rhythms to be had here. Contra is definitely an improvement over Vampire Weekend, providing more variation in the way of instrumentation supporting Ezra Koenig's vocals.

Highlights include the ska-tinged "Holiday" , the subdued "Taxi Cab", and the soulful "I Think Ur a Contra".

Music News

Apparently, Owen Pallett has dropped his stage name and will no longer be known as Final Fantasy. Personally, I am relieved to learn this since, I've always felt really nerdy saying I like Final Fantasy's music.

"What, the video game?"

"No, the little Canadian guy who plays violin and RPGs."

Well, I think it's good he's going by his own name anyway. I thought it was a bad move to name himself after popular video game from the beginning (and by beginning I mean the first time I heard of him).

Anyway, if you want to read about Pallett's decision, here's an article for you.

Pallett has said that at some point his previous albums will be repackaged and released under his own name.

Owen Pallett's new album, Heartland drops on January 12th.

Music You Should Listen To: THOMAS

The first time I saw Thom Gill was at a Final Fantasy concert. He was doing back-up for violinist/wizard Owen Pallett, playing guitar, percussion, and back-up vocals. I have recently discovered that Gill has his own band, called THOMAS.

The music that this band makes sounds churning blend of soul, funk, jazz, and electronic influences. The constant experiment in genre-mashing is propelled by skillful guitar work and soulful vocals. Their first single "Don't Think, Just Hate", sounds like a strange mash of 90's guitar rock and 80's pop crooning. To say the least it will be very interesting to see what this band comes up with.

Check out Thom Gill's sweet dance moves in the video for "Don't Think, Just Hate" and check out THOMAS on their Myspace page.

Oh My, '09! Rejects

Since my policy is only to include one song by each artist on my best-of-the-year collections I often have to choose between two songs by the same artist, which can often make for tough decisions. Because I try to make a cohesive mix that flows from song to song, some songs are left off because they don't seem to fit in as well. So I'd like to acknowledge all few songs that unfortunately didn't make the list.

"Unnatural Selection" by Muse

"I Belong to You / Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix" by Muse

"Permanent Standby" by Felt

"Love in the Time of Human Papillomavirus" by Andrew Jackson Jihad

"Stivali e Colbacco" by Gogol Bordello

"Promenade" by Street Sweeper Social Club

"I Can Be A Frog" by The Flaming Lips