Attention all Calexico fans! We're pleased as punch to be one of only two shops in the whole world to have not one but two splendid self-released Calexico discs which are otherwise only available at their shows or on their website. However, please note: we've got very limited quantities of these, so hop to it! Both make fine companions to the band's albums proper.
This is their 2001 collection of recordings which took place in a number of locales - at home in Tucson, in the Wavelab studio also in their hometown, in Nashville, TN, and live on the KPRO Radio in Amsterdam. It should actually be subtitled "Family and Friends" as it features exactly that! The Burns brothers, Mia Convertino, Howe and Sofie Gelb, Doug McCombs among many others. A whopping twenty three tracks in all that make for a remarkably cohesive 56 minutes of music! Included are a stirring cover of Nick Drake's "Clothes Of Sand", an instrumental of Goldfrapp's "Humano", as well as a handful of traditionals "Bees And The Flies", "All The Pretty Horses" and "6 White Horses". Recommended!
A while back, we thought it would make an excellent April Fool's Day New Arrivals List, to have all the reviews written not by staffers, but by our Moms! The logistics proved a bit too tricky, but some Moms were definitely into it, especially Andee's Mom, Gail. Now without airing too much dirty laundry, teenage sons and Moms often clash, and in many cases it has to do with music, in my (Andee) case, it was heavy metal, of course. And what's a Mom to do when her son starts dressing weird and wearing spikes and listening to that devil music?! Well a lot has changed in 20 years, and now Gail is a regular rad music aficionado, putting other Moms to shame. She even hung up on me once because she was watching a special on VH1 about heavy metal. Man would the sixteen year old me have a meltdown! Well, it just so happens, that Gail is a big fan of Tucson boys Calexico, so we figured we'd get her to weigh in on their new record. Thanks Mom! Here's what she has to say:
My son, Andee has been quite generous over the years, giving me cds I like and request, cds he THINKS I should like, and then there's Calexico, a band we both like. Neither of us can remember what sparked my interest in this band, but since I now live in Tucson, I appreciate their fascination with the Southwest, and their fusion of country, Latin and folk (I am, after all, a '60s gal!). Ironically, I will see them live on September 20th at a Democratic fundraiser, at the Rialto Theater in Tucson. Take that, teenage Andee!
Other than their newest release, I only have 2 of Calexico's albums, The Black Light and Hot Rail, and like them both, even though I think they are quite different from each other. There's an evocation of place in their songs, which to me is one of the most appealing elements of their music. In Carried to Dust, a beauty from start to finish, I was transported from the first track, "Victor Jara's Hands", to a road trip somewhere near the border, a la Thelma & Louise, in an old convertible, music blaring, hiding a beer between my legs, and feeling young, happy and free. I don't know who Victor Jara is or was, but the verses are sweet and melancholy and then the chorus soars with horn fanfare. Definitely feel-good music!
"Two Silver Trees" morphs into an entirely different mix of instrumentation and vocals. I can't help but think they were influenced just a tad by the opening music from The Sopranos, but perhaps I'm hearing what others won't.
My favorite track has to be "The News About William". Flowing, but desolate... I'm lying on my chaise lounge looking at the amazingly bright stars in a gorgeous blue/black Tucson night sky, letting the music of Calexico spirit me away.
Our favorite Arizonans are back with another fantastic release! Really, do Joey Burns and John Convertino ever disappoint?! This six-song EP features three covers and three originals. They've finally release their version of the Minutemen's "Corona" (always a hit when they play live!), as well as Francoiz Breut's "Si Tu Disais", plus if there was ever a band who could/should cover Love's "Alone Again Or"... it is Calexico! And they do so here in grand fashion, joined by Swedish vocalist Nicolai Dunger. Not surprisingly the three originals are of their trademark Southwestern sound and consistent high caliber. To top things off, just as they did on their last EP Even My Sure Things Fall Through, they've offered up a little extra visual treat in the form of the animated short El Kabong Rides Again for which Calexico provided the soundtrack ("Minas Del Cobre" from their album The Black Light).
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A little 4 song 12" to hold everyone over til the next full length, "Descamino" takes songs from Calexico's fantastic last album of mood and twang 'The Black Light' and sprinkles in a little Bundy Brown (ex-Tortoise) and voil�!
If there's one thing you can count on, it's pure Calexico quality. Even their newest grab bag ep of eight odds and ends (unreleased tracks, remixes and b-sides) and three videos (on cd-rom) is no exception. Joey Burns and John Convertino craft
Right out of the starting gate, this new Calexico album rings with a fond familiarity, perhaps leaning a little more towards traditional country than their past mariachi-drenched sound. However, from that point on John Convertino and Joey Burns take a winding path away from both the sound and style that have defined them for three superb albums, returning only every so often to their trademark lushly reverbed slinking twang with horns. It's a bold move with results that are both successful and refreshing for the group. That's not to say they're unrecognizable, nor sounding like a completely different band. Not at all, each song is most certainly distinctly Calexico. Still very cinematic and expansive. However, there's subtly executed shifts and additions that build gloriously upon their work to date. The simmering second song "Quattro" has an almost Fleetwood Mac "Tusk" rhythmic feel, and oddly enough the sixth is called "Not Even Stevie Nicks" a surprisingly sunkissed '70s-ish pop rock song. High strings slide and soar through the atmosphere of "Black Heart". Mid-album, hushed backing vocals grace the chorus of "Woven Birds". The Convertino-penned "The Book And The Canal" is a brief hushed interlude centered around misty piano melody. For those of you itchin' for some more familiar moments, there's still plenty on songs like "Guero Canelo" and "Close Behind" (both written by Burns). Something new for old Calexico fans and a great introduction for those who've yet to experience this fabulous group. Wonderful, and very recommended.
Each time that you think this Tucson, AZ band can't possibly get any better or can't possibly bring anything new to their palette without sacrificing some core element of their sound, they go and do it! Excuse the horticultural puns (we're sure other reviewers have already exhausted the lot) but we can't resist, Calexico do indeed continue to grow, to blossom, to flourish with each album. And we get the feeling that they've still only scratched the surface.
Some of us had the deluxe treat of catching a sneak peek of these songs when John Convertino (always a joy to watch!), Joey Burns and their ensemble of stellar multi-instrumentalists played a couple of hush-hush live shows right around the corner from AQ at the Make-Out Room a couple months ago. 'Twas an ultra intimate, yet totally rocking affair, drenched with passion, polish and earthy elegance. We were floored!
Continuing on from their excellent last album Feast Of Wire's '70s west coast (Fleetwood Mac, Eagles, etc) pop/rock infused vibe that drew the focus more towards Burns' vocals and pop song structures, Garden Ruin features the heaviest doses of singing yet (by practically all of the members!) as well as effective explorations into beautiful, crashing waves of guitar and percussion dissonance -- particularly on the spectacular, emotionally draining final track "All Systems Red" on which Burns' voice captures a previously unreached depth of expressiveness. The band has already drawn some criticism for deserting their beloved trademark mariachi style trumpets and expansive cinematic atmospheres, but we think those accusations are unfounded. Yes, this is their most accessible album to date, but fear not, "old" Calexico devotees! Those elements that characterized their earlier releases are still very much present on Garden Ruin (as they were on Feast Of Wire), they're just much more integrated. Other stand-out tracks include the falsetto-ly sung, chiming "Panic Open String", the wispy retro pop number "Lucky Dime" (think Kings Of Convenience meets Olivia Tremor Control) and the smoldering duet "Roka" with its guest vocalist Amparo Sanchez. Breathtaking. On Garden Ruin, Calexico reaches out to every one of us -- an indie kid who just wants to hug him/herself and sway to the sweet gentle folksy ballads, a rock adventurer who loves to get lost in the expanses of Godspeed You Black Emperor, Mogwai and Village Of Savoonga, a lover of the sparkling Southwestern horns and jazzy guitar flourishes -- and never loses sight or sound of their burnished golded Arizonan desert heart. Y'know, there has never been a Calexico release that we haven't heartily recommended. They've given us no reason to start now. What more can we say... except holler from the rooftops, "Recommended!!!"
John Convertino and Joey Burns named their band Calexico after a town near the Mexican border, and "Hot Rail," their third album certainly lives up to their name more than ever. Romantic Mexican-style cornet and trumpet alongside low-rider bass (not to mention the homie on the back cover) and super atmospheric reverbed guitar (y'know, the type Chris Isaak overuses). Plus lots of excellent instrumentals where you can hear the band really expanding and maturing their trademark sunbaked sound. They just keep getting better and better! Recommended!
Seeing this Tucson band live is such a true joy! In a dream world, there'd be a Calexico gig at a cozy little venue right around the corner from our store (just like they did a couple years ago at the Make-Out Room... sigh!) once a month (at least!). Alas, the chances of that happening are pretty much zero. So we must catch glimpses every chance we get in between their few and far between big venue concerts. This dvd serves that purpose wonderfully well! It captures fifteen songs from their September 13, 2006 performances for the Austin City Limits television show. Yes, that was right around the time of the release of their awesome fifth full length, the '70s classic pop/rock leaning Garden Ruin (and around the time of the abovementioned intimate show). Hence, there's plenty of songs from that album! Excellent! Yay! Yay! Recommended! (And remember, even Andee's non-show going Mom made it out to see them and was totally blown away!)
Attention all Calexico fans! We're pleased as punch to be one of only two shops in the whole world to have not one but two splendid self-released Calexico discs which are otherwise only available at their shows or on their website. However, please note: we've got very limited quantities of these, so hop to it! Both make fine companions to the band's albums proper.
Never failing to amaze and enthrall, these fellows' live concerts are simply not to be missed. For those who have witnessed their performances, you know exactly what we mean. For those who haven't, what are you waiting for? But in the meantime, here's your opportunity to experience the next best thing. Unlike many live albums that are plagued by poor sound quality and extraneous noise, this cd as well as 2001's Aerocalexico capture the magic and vitality of Calexico beautifully. Crisp recordings, much adoring but not intrusive audience response, and oh yes, the songs! So many favorites like "Sonic Wind" and from The Hot Rail, "The Ride Pt. 2" and "Stray" from The Black Light, a reworking of "Paper Route" from their first album Spoke, an extended rendition of "Crystal Frontier" plus a version of "Lost In Space" (which they originally did with Lisa Germano in OP8). All but three of the thirteen songs were recorded live right here in San Francisco at the Great American Music Hall in January of 2002. the others were from the Roskilde Festival in Denmark and at the Temple Of Music & Art in their hometown Tucson, AZ. 69 minutes.
At first we thought this was going to be just like a regular old greatest hits collection, which would be cool for folks who don't have any of their records, but we soon found out this is in fact a collection of very rare tracks culled from their tour only cd's from the last thirteen years. Which makes this even cooler!!
At this point Calexico doesn't need much introducing as their Southwestern pop, laced with delightful amounts of twang and even mariachi influences, have made them one of the most respected and consistent bands for over a decade. We couldn't be more stoked to get sixteen tracks we had never heard before from a band we love so much. These songs really display all we love about the band. From sprawling instrumentals made to be the soundtrack for your next roadtrip, to earnest and soulful country tinged pop nuggets that will always stand the test of time.
Sadly the massive limited vinyl box-set that included all the tracks from every tour cd that this collection is drawn from has already gone out of print, but at least this disc is still available to quench our endless thirst for the everlasting quality of Calexico.
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Before their full lengths The Hot Rail and The Black Light not to mention the assortment of additional collections they've released, John Convertino and Joey Burns introduced their wonderful band to the world with this album. A rough around the edges southwestern twang treat, it was released back in 1997. Even though they first started playing together '90 during their time in Giant Sand (and also played with Friends Of Dean Martinez), it wasn't until '96 that Calexico took official shape. And they've simply gotten better and better ever since. If you've enjoyed their aforementioned more recent works, then you know how adept and artistic they are, maintaining a very high standard. So it should come as no surprise that this debut is no exception.
This album is awesome. Really. Rich twang and horn wind around organ, accordion and marimba. Yes, it is the super greatness of Joey Burns and John Convertino (of Giant Sand) and their many musical friends. Great desert driving music.
Holy cactus! This much Calexico goodness just might bring a fan to tears... of joy, that is! If you've somehow missed this fabulous, tireless band's live performances (or conversely if you wish to enjoy them again and again in the comfort of your own living room), here's a new dvd that's absolutely bursting with Calexico treasures. Firstly, an hour and a half 20-song set performed in the majestic setting of the Barbican in London, England with guests French chanteuse Francoiz Breut and Arizona's Mariachi Luz de Luna. Their luminous, lush southwestern twang is always richly dynamic and truly captivating, and the band's performance this evening is no exception. Truly from the heart and soul, their music resonates with a passion and a vitality seldom seen in contemporary music. To witness it live is more than a treat. Plus you also get over an hour of bonus stuff: a trio of music videos for their songs "The Black Light", "Ballad Of Cable Hogue" and Crystal Frontier", a documentary about the band called "Border Horse" by Bill Carter, "The Soul Of Mariachi" a reverential mariachi documentary featuring members of Mariachi Luz de Luna shot by Joey Burns, "Shot And Mounted" a European tour montage by James Murray, interview segments with all of the band members, and the cartoon "El Kabong Rides Again" which features one of their songs. Sure do wish we could offer you some visual clips, but you'll just have to trust us on this one. Need we say? Highly recommended.
Ooooh, does that sound like a splendid combination to you or what? Two of our absolute favorites together on one release, performing seven songs penned by Iron & Wine's Sam Beam?! Yes! Needless to say, we've been eagerly anticipating this cd's arrival since we first caught wind of it... and it sure doesn't disappoint. Simply stated, the results are fantastic. Burns 'n' Beam make for an intoxicating, burnished vocal cocktail. We have to say though, we were wondering who invited Mr. Opera Man to sing on the first track "He Lays In The Reins", but then we discovered that it was noneother than Tucson mariachi vocalist and Calexico comrade Salvador Duran. 'Twas a somewhat startling almost comical voice to hear melodramatically crooning over the familiar smoldering twang, but as the initial jolt wore off, it all somehow seemed to fit once again. Just watch the respective Iron & Wine and Calexico legions of fans increase two-fold (or more!).
New rap group, the duo of Planet Asia and the popular-on-his-own Rasco. AQ's hip hop "headz" say yeeaah.
Brand new release of inspired Slayer-worship here, courtesy of one of the forerunners of the fertile German metalcore scene, Caliban, who share that distinction with contemporaries and split-release partners Heaven Shall Burn. On this, their fourth full-length, Caliban is as heavy, if not heavier than ever, with the artillery salvos of the double-kick drums during the breakdowns being particularly lethal. Stay away from the pit when these guys steamroll through town or you're likely to get a good baker's dozen worth of kickboxers kicking, flailing and otherwise directly assaulting your person. They're also incorporating more melodic singing in parts a la Deftones, making them a definite recommendation for fans of Atreyu, Between the Buried and Me, Avenged Sevenfold and of course, Converge.
These German hardcore kids play metal better than most American metalheads. Caliban (along with Heaven Shall Burn) seem to be leading the new wave of metalcore, where almost every trace of hardcore has been eliminated, leaving nothing but METAL. Vent starts with acoustic guitar and howling wind like all great metal records, but by track two Caliban are tearing heads off with a
German metalcore showdown! Two of the best metalcore bands around (both German, and both so metal it's sort of selling them short to not just call them metal) face off on this split cd. Caliban spit out Slayer style west coast death metal complete with
Washington, DC has been a cold and miserable place these days, hmmmm... maybe just a little colder and more miserable than usual. Though in the face of this, musicians from the area have been creating some pretty incredible music over the years. These DC'ers, Calibos, harness the energy of their surroundings and make some rockin' tracks in the vein of Sonic Youthian fuzz. The last track strays away from the rest of Me And The Window, into amazing deep-funk bass territory alongside a strolling and thoughtful guitar melody. It is awesome! Trans Am's live sound engineer, Nihkil Ranade, plays drums and also recorded the album in his Arlington, VA home-studio.
Their live set is a ton heavier and more distorted than this cd, but also worth checking out. Now, I know some of you reading this online live around there, so from time to time these guys play at The Galaxy Hut, one of the DC Metro area's night-time saving graces. So go check em out! Beware, they are L O U D!!!... Awesome, but skull-crushingly loud.
Califone have always been a tough band to pin down, with roots in mighty alt country indie legends Red Red Meat, Califone took RRM's brood and twang, and updated it a bit, expanding the instrumentation, adding loops, electronics, studio trickery, even soul and funk on past records.
All My Friends Are Funeral Singers, like past installments of Califone's ongoing and ever mutating musical saga, conjures up a gorgeous darkness, a softly brooding twang flecked creep, with a definite nod to the modern. At some points it almost evokes how we might imagine an alt country Portishead might sound. But RRM frontman Tim Rutili still has one of the most gorgeous voices, weathered and worn, definitely a case of one of those voices that could sing the phonebook, and the minute he sings, especially over a ragged steel string guitar, it's totally transformative, gives us the same sort of feeling when we hear one of those classic Uncle Tupelo tracks, or again, any of those timeless Red Red Meat jams.
While there are plenty of experimental moments, All My Friends might just be the most old school and classic sounding Califone record in a while, lots of acoustic guitar, plenty of stripped down countrified grooves, and those vocals... So great. Been listening to this like crazy!
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This may in fact be another eponymous release from Califone and not titled "Chicago" inspite of that word's prominent position on the front cover. Anyway, this five track cdep is the second release from Red Red Meat's Tim Rutili of front-porch acoustic slow-mo bluegrass melodicism spiced up with studio experimentation not unlike Loftus or even Souled American.
These recordings took place late last year at Block Cinema in Evanston, IL. "Deceleration" is Califone's music for films. Of the two live sets that make up this collection, one is for the film loops of AQ-pal Jeff Economy and Carolyn Faber and the second is
This is the second installment in Califone's music for animated and experimental films series on Perishable Records. You might recall Deceleration One from early last year. This cd features soundtracks for three films: "Francis" an animated work by Brent Green (track 1), "Fireworks (No Mail Days Are Sad Days)" by Jeff Economy (tracks 2-4), and Alla Nazimova's adaptation of the Oscar Wilde play "Salome" from 1922 (tracks 5-16). As opposed to their more familiar languid twang, here they frequently venture into more fragmented experimental noise soundscapes with 'scenes' shifting swiftly and quite drastically. Overall, it's a very percussive and textural affair, but it still retains that distinct Califone somberness too, that is, right up until the twelfth track "She Dances" in which they slide into an almost funky slippery groove. As we mentioned last year in regards to the first volume, Califone's film scores certainly pique your interest about the films themselves, but they also succeed as captivating listens on their own.
MPEG Download: "Fireworks III" [/audio/califonefireworks3.mp3]
MPEG Stream: "Fireworks III" [/audio/califonefireworks3.m3u]
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Another gorgeously dark and introspective trawl through the dark recesses of our souls from Chicago's Califone. Apparently based on Califone frontman Tim Rutili's recurring dream of some sort of bird-woman apparition, Heron King Blues expands Califone's musical vision of lugubrious, funereal twang, no-depression strum, and glacial drones. Muted and spacious, with Rutili's whispered warble over a dense backdrop of ghostly country quite reminiscent of Souled American or Scott Tuma. The big surprise this time around is the surprising addition of funk/soul to Califone's moody darkness. Strange but true. Bloopy and almost funky bass lines support brief snatches of bouncy blue eyed soul amidst the bleak blues-scapes, but thankfully this funk has been dragged through a swamp of folk detritus, keeping it from freaking out those of us who never expected to use the words funky and Califone in the same sentence. Just imagine Califone mixed with a little Greg Dulli/Twilight Singers or Lambchop. Not necessarily a bad thing, just unexpected.
Slippin' through wide mood swings, this new Califone album keeps the listener on unsteady ground. As the title suggests, there's elements that catch hold and before you know it you're pulled you under. However you just might find it to be rather invitingly unsettling. Mainman Tim Rutili (Red Red Meat) and co. go from creeping, murky gruff melancholia ("One") into much more fast paced yet still smoky brooding ("Your Golden Ass") and onwards into more churning swamp bluesiness ("When Leon Sphinx Moved Into Town"). Actually this sits quite nicely next to the newest Calexico album (and it will if you file your cds alphabetically!). Strategically placed distorted sounds, laidback banjo pickin' and some light percussion keeps things from completely sinking into the shadowy depths. Very very nice!
MPEG Download: "Your Golden Ass" [/audio/califoneyourgolden.mp3]
MPEG Stream: "Your Golden Ass" [/audio/califoneyourgolden.m3u]
Tim Rutili, formerly of Chicago group Red Red Meat, conjures up a dusty, sunbaked, introspective Sunday morning of a record. Full of lush acoustic guitars and piano, this is not, rest assured, an annoying singer/songwriter record; it instead sounds like a
Though the album title conjures images of the dental variety, there's nothing of the toothy nor toothsome sort here. And although this is a new Califone album, the music actually harkens back to the warm, earthy sound of Ben Massarella and Tim Rutili's former band Red Red Meat much more so than Califone. Indeed it's more oriented towards the song than the soundtrack, and what fine songs they are! Some of them haunt while some others lope and some groove a bit. And y'know what else? Some of us even think songs like "A Chinese Actor" and "Our Kittens See Ghosts" sound more like a Beck album than the new Beck album. Strange, eh? The band also does a wonderful cover of Psychic TV's "The Orchids" which apparently was a central influential force on this album as a whole. Recommended.
The follow-up to last year's "Roomsound" is not quite as immediately captivating as its predecessor. It definitely took me a few listens to be drawn in. Still very folk-inflected and off-kilter, but perhaps a bit more subdued. Yet, it's often considerably
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The return of Chicago's instrumental hypno-psych-kraut rock groovers Cave. Hot on the heels of the recent single/cd-r combo on Trensmat (now out of print, so don't ask) come two more stretched out jamz that manage to push all our buttons: repetitive, psychedelic, heavy, hypnotic... remember the track "Butthash" from the 7"? That we described thusly:
"A bouncy groover, with swirly synths, caffeinated rhythms, and buried vocals, a bit angular, a little new wave, equal parts krautrock, and spaced out shimmer, but all tangled up and kaleidoscopic."
Well, that was a 'mellowed out' remix of the first Cave track right here. So now take that description, add heavier guitars, all sorts of synths, howled distorted vocals, pounding drums, and wind it all up into a relentless killer groove that would do Circle or Pharaoh Overlord proud, kicking out the jams like Wooden Shjips on 45. The second track is more of the same, krauty and psychedelic, drums locked into a super tight rhythm, the guitars locked right in too, keyboards offering up all kinds of tripped out counterpoint, and more fuzzy effects drenched vocals soaring over the top, not so much singing as sort of howling along, the whole thing getting more and more fuzzy and distorted as the song progresses.
Cave share this 10" split with California Raisins, who may just have one of the WORST band names ever, but that doesn't stop them from kicking up a serious racket themselves. Hailing from Columbia, Missouri (where Cave called home before Chicago), California Raisins rock similar territory as Cave, the core of their sound a tightly wound guitar / synth hypnogroove, the difference being that CR are way more of a noisy, punky ROCK band, with much looser and wilder drums, and a vocalist whose wail is WAY up in the mix, his vocals heavily distorted and reverbed, turning what could have been a sort of psychedelic krautrock into more of a tripped out hypno garage stomp, plenty of Stooges-y swagger, Brainbombs-y pummel, but occasionally wrapped around super hypnotic krautrock style grooves or spread out over buzzy synth drenched crunch. Lo-fi and distorted and heavy and noisy and garage-y and a pretty good match for Cave's more looped sounding kraut psych grooves.
Packaged in hand screened silver and black sleeves (screened by the dudes in Cave) with a photocopied insert, and a cd (not a cd-r) featuring all the songs from the 10"!
Heavy Hendrix-y early '70s psych from the Spirit dude. Pretty cool.
In the opening moments of detached vocals doubled into an eerie chorus and collaged against scraped violin and lengthy field recordings of water, Eyes Set Against The Sun holds more in common with the avant-folk splatter of Islaja or even the Dada delirium of Diana Rogerson's Chrystal Belle Scrodd recordings than what we might have expected. Mira Calix (nee Chantal Passamonte) has always been one of Warp's more oblique electronica artists; but here, the connections to anything Autechre or Aphex are completely removed. Drifting orchestral passages that would easily fit into the Type Records catalogue of languid post-classical composition sit next to whimsically clunky kitchen utensil gamelan suites of intertwining rhythms, and plenty of eccentric juxtapositions in these off-the-rocker folktronica tunes. An intriguing record to say the least!
Mira Calix's debut album on Warp is quite a nice surprise from this South African transplant to London, creating lazy looping grooves of downtempo house beats, dark electro thuds, more-Skam-than-Warp digital skitter, and more than a few nods to Mouse On Mars within sweeping arid desert ambience. Quite good!
Chantal Passamonte was at one time (and may still be) Warp's publicist, but has certainly come into her own as one of the label's most interesting artists as Mira Calix, celebrating and augmenting the advanced electronics that Warp has always championed.
This album sounds like it was snatched straight out of the late '90s. Textbook darktronica which is certainly pleasant enough, if somewhat faceless and uneven. The synth strings melodies on the 15th track "Shadenfreunde" sound as though they're being played through a factory pre-set patch, and being performed by a complete novice no less (or perhaps they were programmed quite messily)! As a result, the track comes off as clumsy... and the album as a whole? File under 'h' for Ho hum.
MPEG Download: "Shadenfreunde" [/audio/miracalixshaden.mp3]
Call And Response sure have got a knack for writing the good time pop tunes. With its warm, bright and slightly funky instrumentation (is that inspired by the Jackson Five, Free Design or perhaps both?) and C.A.R.'s not-so-secret weapon Simone Rubi's lovely lilting vocals, their new six song ep Tiger Teeth is another perfect soundtrack for rollerskatin' in the park. Maybe a bit edgier (well, at least by C.A.R. standards) than their smooth, glorious last full length Winds Take No Shape -- they even venture into the dub zone on the final song -- but no less sweet.
With their debut self-titled album, Call And Response hopped from one label to the next (namely Kindercore and Emperor Norton), and looks like they've hopped one more time for their sophomore effort -- landing them on Badman Records. In the three years that have passed since that first full length, they've grown leaps and bounds in the best possible way. Still very sweet, but more like honey rather than sugar. Warm, golden and smooth as opposed to bright and crunchy. They're considerably less peppy, and much more plush and sophisticated, more wistful and lilting. Simone Rubi's dreamy vocals are as easy on the ears as ever, and at times are very reminiscent of Laetitia Sadier of Stereolab or Bebel Gilberto (or her mother Astrud). Winds Take No Shape is truly radiant from start to finish, but C.A.R. do save the best for last. The final song "Silhouette" is the loveliest of dreamboats.
Is it just me, or does it seem like there's a West Coast soft rock / easy listening pop wave a-buildin'? Those genre tags might seem like 'bad words' to you, but not in the case of bands such as Vancouver's Fancey (Todd from the New Pornographers) and Young & Sexy, and SF's Call And Response. Well okay, that's only three bands... we're not talking tsunami-sized wave yet. However, if the high standards set by these bands continue to blossom, then pop fans will surely be welcoming more in the similar vein. That said, this album has the potential to appeal to an even broader audience than their debut. Heck, we might even say that this is music you, your mom and your grandmom can love.
The debut album that's been building this Bay Area group quite a hefty buzz around town. And if plentiful pop pleasures with sunshine-y harmonies are your thing, you'll be buzzing madly as well. Although photos have presented them as sorta Elastica-esque
Record number two from this Shadow Ring offshoot, and it's another strange sonic trip, the framework in some ways similar to the Shadow Ring, in that the songs here are droned out and drifty, with the occasional vocals delivered in a haunting deep spoken word (or occasionally a hushed female croon), but the sounds in CBTG are much more dreamy and drifty, still a bit twisted and atonal in places, but the record starts with a surprisingly lush and warm bit of almost new agey soundscapery, before slipping into a short stretch of kosmische synth shimmer, it's not until a few tracks in that things begin to darken, the sound turning a bit more grim, a gurgling electronic dronescape, rumbling beneath those aforementioned hauntingly intoned spoken vocals, the whole thing peppered with sci-fi squiggles and shards of synth buzz, the A side finishing off with a sonic bookend, a reprise of the opener, another bit of warm ambient swirl, which quickly gives way to a bit of hazy synth-folk drift, that sounds a bit like Fastest / Xynfonica, the sounds slightly atonal, the melodies subtly sour, which is balanced by the sweetly crooned female vox that hover ghostlike above.
The flipside flits restlessly from epic synth prog to murky droney creep, occasionally slipping into long sprawls of low end shimmer, laced with overlapping voices, and hazy washed out melodies, bits of skittery IDM electronics surfacing here and there, and still more hauntingly intoned vox, culminating in what has to be the strangest track on the record, the weirdly riffy, dirgey, droney closer, "Passage Of Arms", a muddy stretch of muted tinny riffage, like some sort of transistor radio alien doom, the vocals sung (at least compare to the rest of the record), and while this might be the most 'rock' thing CBTG have ever done, fear not, it's still appropriately weirdly twisted and woozily warped into the perfect coda for what was already and beautifully baffling collection of sound.
This is indeed a weird one, even from the already extra weird Shadow Ring camp. Call Back The Giants is the solo project of SR keyboardist Tim Goss, and on this, the debut lp from Goss and his CBTG, he weaves an ever shifting landscape of warped keyboard drones, twisted new age drift, fractured late night ambience, creepy processed vocals, and blissed out psychedelia.
Gloomy and otherworldly, some sort of soundtrack for another world, another time, another dimension, low tones wheeze and creep and slither, blossoming into Technicolor expanses of hazy, gauzy ambience, rife with fragmented melodies, slowed down voices, swirling FX and heart-of-the-sun kosmische solar shimmer.
The title track takes the retro futuristic sci-fi synthscapes of Zombi and Majeure and pulls them apart until they sound like a melting VHS tape of some seventies British science program, and of course, that's not counting the bizarre male and female vocals, both drawled and druggy, and distorted, mostly blotting out the sounds beneath them.
The rest of the record unfurls similarly, slipping from woozy, Dr. Who style synthscapery, all warbly and woozy, to hazy, almost shoegazy glitched out rainbowy shimmer, to murky underwater electronica, laced with sing songy synth pulses, to ominous electronic flecked faux string lofi MIDI sounding dirges, to 8 bit style primitive keyboard majesty, all of those various shades of fantastical whatthefuck, made even more twisted by the various vocals, mush mouthed mumble one second, deep moody croon the next, almost falsetto sounding warble the next, and eventually to that very recognizable Shadow Ring style spoken word.
Weird record for sure, but Shadow Ring fans will be in heaven, and folks who like tripped our electronic dronemusic and otherworldly new age avant ambience, or hell, just plain far out (but still mysterious and melodic) weirdness, then this is definitely worth checking out!
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From the same label that brought us that killer disc of mutated minimal techno sound design from Akkord, which we made our Record Of The Week back on list #442, comes the latest from Call Super, who apparently has a clutch of releases before this one, but Suzi Ecto is the first we're hearing, and we're digging it like crazy. Things start out pretty twisted, with a jagged stretch of creepy John Carpentery techno, very sinister and cinematic, the opening track sounding a bit like the main melody from the soundtrack to Phantasm (that's one Death Waltz should reissue!!) transformed into some avant electronica. Nothing else here is quite that noisy, but it remains plenty weird, the sound settling into something more stuttery and skittery, the fractured rhythms looped beneath blooping melodies and laser blast bleeps, the occasional jazzy shimmer, bleating trumpets, all sorta laid back and groovy, swirling and swoonsome, and that swirly swoon is all over the record, the various melodies and loops always woozy and warped and underwater sounding. At times it's like the record is melting and oozing from the speakers, at others, it's like listening to the record through speakers at the bottom of a swimming pool. That said, we're definitely reminded of the watery Detroit techno of Drexciya, somehow fused with the post Boards Of Canada, sepia toned electronica of recent aQ fave Dalhous.
The record continues to sprawl and drift, touching on moments of dubbed out house, trippy techno and electronic jazziness, churning mesmeric rhythms winding their way throughout, sometimes dense and tribal, busy and polyrhythmic, other times skeletal and spare and barely there, the beats surrounded by all manner of percussion, fractured melodies, constantly shifting textures, that watery vibe a constant presence, the sound seeming to get more murky and liquid as the record progresses, the record, and the listener, sinking ever deeper, culminating in the washed out, submerged dub of closer "Acephale 1", which is where we settle on the bottom of Call Super's sonic sea, staring up at the world, everything gorgeously distorted by bottomless blue depths, now above us...
Are Calla bringin' the ol' slouchy '90s college cardigan back into fashion? From the sounds of their latest full length Collisions, it sure seems so! Here come those familiar moody-mopey indie rock driven by slack'n'slouchy heavily effected guitars and emotive male vocals. Will you welcome them? Some songs follow such a predictable path that we were singing the guitar lines before we'd even heard 'em. A lot like early Radiohead, but also falling somewhere between the current sounds of Coldplay and Interpol in terms of music laden with achingly heartfelt sentiments and lush rock grandeur -- particularly on songs such as the album's third track "This Better Go As Planned". Which means that after a few years of indie rock kids hitting the dancefloor, we might be seeing a bunch of them reassuming that ol' stationary head-nodding stance when Calla come through town.
Calla has found its home in New York, but the heart still longs for the dusty lands of their birthplace -- Texas. Calla is a subtly dynamic and drunkenly theatrical trio that specializes in slow building rock crescendos that have often warranted comparisons to Morricone, though they are far too American and indie-rock to really acquire such a parallel. Think instead a Calexico playing Bedhead songs with a gravel throated Steve Von Till of Neurosis singing. A fine product from Michael Gira's Young God Records.
