A new beginning...

Hey everyone!  It's been over a year since I restarted this music blog, and it's been an experience more fulfilling than I ever thought it would be.  I enjoy writing these pieces almost as much as I enjoy listening to the music I'm writing about, and I hope you've been enjoying reading them, and maybe even downloading some of the albums!

Over the past few months, I've been involved with a new project that happens to be launching today.  My friends Jon and Sean, two dedicated and talented bloggers, decided to create a website to effectively combine their blogs, and they kindly invited me along for the ride.  So, as of today, I am shutting the doors on Post-Whatever and moving on to what I hope will be an even better experience.

The new website, Nowhere Plans, is a multi-topic blog site with articles not only regarding music, but sports, politics, and other current topics as well.  Each of the writers involved have their own unique point of view and are a pleasure to read.  I hope you guys will bookmark it and check it daily not only for my reviews and features, but everything else it has to offer as well.  I'm very excited about this new start and I hope you'll join me for the ride!

Thanks for reading!
-Andy

Review: Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto

Grade: B-


Few pop groups in the last decade have been as inventive as Coldplay.  Chris Martin and company have hit the target of every aspiring musician; to be able to experiment with their sound from album to album while maintaining an astonishing level of popularity.  "We are not as good musically, but much more attractive," Martin recently said of fellow British band Radiohead, a band which has achieved something similar to Coldplay.  But while Thom Yorke is willing to alienate his fans in the pursuit of achieving an artistic vision, Coldplay prefers to cater to the masses.  This is extremely apparent on Mylo Xyloto, where Coldplay expand their horizons a little bit but still keep their sights focused on pleasing their fans.

To be honest, I was put off a little by the first two singles, "Every Teardrop is a Waterfall" and "Paradise."  "Every Teardrop..." had the sound of a band that was content with where they were, simply going through the motions and accepting their paychecks.  "Paradise" at least showed some signs of creative flair, but the song was stagnant, on its own it sounded like one big shambling sigh.  Both of these tracks, though, take on new life when put in context of the album, which is a good sign.  "Paradise" becomes the closing fanfare to opener and standout track "Hurts Like Heaven."  "Every Teardrop..." transforms into an invigorating re-energizer after a couple of subdued tracks.  This really demonstrates Coldplay's ability to order their tracks and craft a real album rather than merely a collection of songs.

This record finds Coldplay using a lot more electronics than we're used to, which is apparent right from the start with Martin's modified vocals on "Hurts Like Heaven."  Coldplay aren't an electronic band now though, there are still a couple of acoustic songs, but these mostly miss the mark for me (see U.F.O.).  The most interesting move is the inclusion of Rihanna on the song "Princess of China."  Coldplay fans will probably be divided on this one, but I think it was a good idea that could have been executed better.  The record ends with a fantastic duo.  "Don't Let It Break Your Heart" is a dense, fast-paced epic that leads into "Up With The Birds."  A beautiful piano ballad that transforms into a pretty standard piano/guitar Coldplay tune, "Up With The Birds" ends the record on a note of wistful bliss.

While Mylo Xyloto is a step away from the epic instrumentation of Viva la Vida, it manages to be almost as effective.  Mylo Xyloto balances its highs and lows well, and if not for the inclusion of a couple of questionable guitar ballads, it would be right up there among the group's best works.  Still, the band has to be commended for their ability to think outside the box and deliver an album of fresh tunes that are sequenced beautifully.

Review: Justice - Audio, Video, Disco

Grade: B+

Justice have always felt a little like a poor man's Daft Punk to me.  They do bear a lot of tangible similarities, both being French electronic duos adored by both critics and hipsters.  Both experienced a rare form of crossover success for a genre that doesn't get much of that.  And while their styles of music aren't exactly the same, both duos use a similar template: uplifting, sometimes-danceable-sometimes-not, but always catchy music.  Daft Punk were the masters, but ever since Justice released their 2007 debut Cross, they felt like a stand-in, simply filling the void that DP has left since their last real album, Human After All (no, Tron doesn't count).  Well, it seems Justice seem to have decided that they aren't particularly pleased about where they are anymore, and have decided to move on to something new on their second record, Audio, Video, Disco.

One thing Justice have that separates them from DP is a penchant for mixing house music with indie rock sensabilities.  Justice take this one step further on AVD, creating a type of music that can clearly be labeled "arena-house."  Pretty much every song on the record makes heavy use of guitars along with the typical synth and drum machine.  The result is something pretty similar to Ratatat, with guitar figures forming the basis for much of the melody.  "Brianvision" is a prime example of a song that could easily be mistaken for a Ratatat tune to a first-time listener.

Fortunately, this record doesn't just blatantly copy contemporaries like Ratatat.  There is a much more anthem-y feel to a lot of these songs, like they're meant to be played in big spaces for big crowds.  "Ohio" opens with 40 seconds of a capella vocals before slowly building into a complex mess of synth lines.  The use of vocals is nothing new for Justice, but never before have they been used as such a key part of the songs.  What's even more interesting is that they sound perfectly assured in their new sound, which is impressive considering the stylistic leap.  But fear not, fans of Cross!  Songs like "Helix" and first single "Civilization" will satiate your appetite for the tried-and-true Justice sound (for the most part!).

Justice have taken a huge risk with this change, but I think it pays off.  Even though they pull from the template of Ratatat a little, these songs sound just unique enough to flourish.  Justice made a good decision in trying to break through their genre-chains.  This sort of jump sounds like the work of a band not happy with being confined to a single genre, so here's hoping future releases are just as exploratory.

Review: M83 - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming

Dreams are a fascinating phenomenon.  The way our brains piece together brand new worlds from our memories, the way our moods and thoughts affect them, the way they almost always completely disappear from our minds in the morning -- it's a mind-boggling part of human nature.  Whether your dreams are fantastical or terrifying, certain ones tend to stick with you throughout your life.  It isn't too much of a stretch to say that Hurry Up, We're Dreaming, the newest upcoming record from French dream pop titans M83, is an album that has the potential to stick with you for a very long time too, and it just so happens to be about dreaming.

M83, the brainchild of songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Anthony Gonzalez, has gone through a number of phases as a band, from the shoegaze-y ambience of Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts to the 80s pop-influenced Saturdays = Youth.  Hurry Up is a interesting synthesis of the two styles; though most of the full-length songs are glorious pieces of 80s-style pop, there are also a number of ambient interludes.  Some may be put off by the fact that Hurry Up is a double album, and while the album clocks in at 70 minutes, it is remarkably consistent throughout.  The pacing of the record is pretty much perfect, with the catchiest long-form pieces spread out nicely throughout.

Good pacing doesn't mean anything without great songs, and Hurry Up has more than it's fair share of those.  (I'm going to apologize for the lack of Youtube links in advance, since the album isn't scheduled to be released until October 18, only one track can be found on Youtube.)  After the choir-laden, stage-setting "Intro," the listener is thrust right into first single "Midnight City," a triumphant piece of synthpop which makes possibly the best use of a saxophone in a non-jazz song ever.  Standouts on the front side include the gorgeous ballad "Wait" and the funky "Claudia Lewis," as well as the irresistably cute "Raconte Une-Moi Histoire," which I'll speak more on later.

After an introspective middle section, the record kicks back up with the unstoppable duo of "New Map" and "OK Pal."  If you aren't singing along to these tunes after a couple of listens you have no soul.  Standout interlude piece "Another Wave From You" leads the listener into "Splendor," a beautiful piano-led ballad.  "Year One, One UFO" builds from a simple guitar progression into a heavily-layered wall of vocals and multiple guitar lines, while "Steve McQueen" offers one last burst of 80s pop before the record closes with a trio of short bombastic tunes.  The record ends abruptly on "Outro," an interesting feature which seems to mirror the experience of suddenly waking up in the middle of a dream.  It could also mean I have a bad copy of the record, but we'll see.

One of my favorite things about the record, besides its sonic diversity and incredible consistency, is its whimiscality.  The album is about dreams after all, and it seems as though Gonzalez explores every facet of dreaming through the music and lyrics.  In his dreams, he is able to explore new worlds, see old friends, and get the girl he couldn't in the real world.  He even recalls the dreams he had as a child in the aforementioned "Raconte Une-Moi Histoire," which features narration by a small child, describing a magical frog which changes people into peace-loving frogs themselves.  It's the little things which make Hurry Up truly special.  Apologies for the pun, but Gonzalez couldn't have dreamed up a better record.  4.9/5.

A slew of new records means a slew of mini-reviews!

What's up, everyone?  It's a been a busy couple of weeks in music-land, and with a bunch of new albums out I've decided not to focus on any particular one and do short evaluations of each.  Here we go!

St. Vincent - Strange Mercy

Singer/songwriter/guitarist Annie Clark returns to the fold with her latest record since 2009's acclaimed Actor. The record starts out with a discordant wave of synths and abstract guitar figures on "Chloe in the Afternoon," which then resolve themselves very nicely by the first chorus.  The whole record has an air of slight dissonance about it, as if the songs are teetering on the edge of going mad.  Clark's arrangements are the spotlight here, as she uses all manner of instruments along with her own breathy tones to create intricate, varied soundscapes.  With highlight tracks such as "Cheerleader" and "Cruel," Strange Mercy may be Clark's strongest solo album yet.  4.1/5.


The Field - Looping State of Mind

Think loops are boring?  Listen to this record.  Axel Willner's newest record under his minimal techno moniker, The Field, is a dense, transfixing, semi-dance record that makes use of gradually shifting electronic loops to create its hypnotic effect.  Beautiful chord changes and driving beats make tracks like "Is This Power" and "It's Up There" brilliant works of minimalism.  Unfortunately Willner can't replicate these highest levels of beauty for an entire record, but this is definitely worth a listen for fans of good electronic music.  4.2/5.

Laura Marling - A Creature I Don't Know

Precocious English folkie Laura Marling returns for her third record at the tender age of 21.  Now an established artist, Marling attempts to change her formula a bit on the newest record, using fuller arrangements and a more "rock" sound.  While some of the results work to great effect ("The Muse," "Sophia"), others simply mask Marling's strengths, including the fragile beauty of her voice.  I'm happy Marling isn't getting complacent in her songwriting, but I think she can do better. 3.4/5.


Wild Flag - Wild Flag

Highly anticipated by fans of the seminal riot grrl group Sleater-Kinney, this supergroup's (an S-K reunion of sorts) debut record is, as expected, a callback to the '90s girl punk movement.  The music is a mix of spurts of punk energy ("Boom", "Short Version", "Romance") with a few too many laid-back songs mixed in.  This group's strength is their energy, and too many of these songs are flow-stoppers for this album to reach its full potential.  The record isn't bad, but it isn't anything special or unexpectedly great for a guitar-rock record.  3.1/5.


Thanks for reading, more to come hopefully next week!

Review: Red Hot Chili Peppers - I'm With You

It's been a long, strange trip for the Chili Peppers.  "All my life, I was swingin' for the fence.  I was lookin' for the triple, never playin' good defense," (kinda) sings Anthony Kiedis on "Factory of Faith," a track off his band's 10th studio album, I'm With You.  While he isn't referring to his own life or the life of his band on the song, it's definitely a suitable analogy for a man whose life has been a cacophony of bad decisions and drug abuse and whose band has fought through a myriad of line-up changes (many due to addiction).  RHCP was faced with yet another change after 2006's Stadium Arcadium when guitarist John Frusciante left the band to focus on his solo work.  While this split was more amiable than the last time Frusciante left the band (in 1992), it still brought about fears of a drop-off in the quality of music.  After all, One Hot Minute, the last album recorded without Frusciante, was their least successful record in what can be called the 'modern' Chili Peppers era.  But fear not, Chili Pepper fans!  I'm With You is no One Hot Minute, as the Peppers mix up their various styles to create a very listenable, if lengthy, record.

Don't get too excited though.  The presence (or lack thereof) of Frusciante looms over the record, and while new member Josh Klinghoffer certainly does an admirable job with the guitar parts, the soulful solos and backup vocals of Frusciante are sorely missed.  Klinghoffer and bassist Flea do their best imitations of Frusciante's soaring, high-pitched backup vocals, but they're just that, imitations.  The fact that they're typically mixed very low says it all.  Enough mourning over the loss of Frusciante though, I'm sick of spelling out his name.

One of the best things about this album is a resurgence in the "slap bass" funk sound that has slowly dropped out of RHCP's releases through the 2000s.  Flea does an excellent job with some killer bass lines, especially on "Monarchy of Roses" and "Look Around."  That vintage Chili Peppers funk sound is mixed with some of their newer influences to create a very unique record.  Sometimes it works better than others, but this record has its share of good tunes and a few bores.  Ever since "Under the Bridge" shot them into stardom, I think they feel obligated to try and repeat that success with another ballad even though ballads don't play to the strengths of this band.  Without Frusciante's guitar (dammit, sorry), ballads DEFINITELY don't play to the strengths of this band, and songs like "Brendan's Death Song" and "Meet Me At The Corner" are flow-stoppers.  Additionally, I'm also happy to report that Anthony Kiedis must still be sober, because many of his lyrics are still pretty nonsensical.  When he was doing boatloads of heroin and having tons of sex he had those things to write about, but since coming clean he either seems to just pick rhyming words out of a hat or he has a deeper understanding of metaphor than Maya Angelou.

The whole affair ends with "Dance, Dance, Dance," which is an interesting twist for the band, as they switch from their funk-pop into a dancey (go figure) mode with what sound like bongos helping drummer Chad Smith drive the beat.  At nearly an hour in length, I'm With You feels a bit bloated and could have used some more editing.  If you like the Chili Peppers, you'll probably find some new favorite songs on this record, but age takes its toll, and I'm beginning to doubt they'll ever find their way back to their 90s peak. 3.5/5.

Review: Girls - Father, Son, Holy Ghost

Father, Son, Holy Ghost.  Quite the album title for a band whose lead singer was forced to be part of the extremist Children of God cult for much of his youth.  Christopher Owens led a disturbing and chaotic childhood, and much of that pain shows through in his music, especially his band's 2009 debut album, Album.  Owens still has some demons to fight though, and he's chosen this album as the arena for that confrontation.

The general gist of this record is the same as the previous one; unrelentingly sad lyrics about relationships masked by cheerful jangly guitar pop melodies.  The major difference is that Father, Son, Holy Ghost feels more subdued, and Owens' voice isn't quite as, for lack of a better word, obnoxious.  Obnoxious really isn't the right word, but there was this sneering quality to it on Album that isn't present on the new record.  The result is a record that's much nicer and easier to listen to despite all the woe in its words.

First singles "Vomit" and "Honey Bunny" showcase the band's great range.  "Honey Bunny" displays flashes of Dick Dale-like drums and guitar fills before diving into the verse like a sped-up Beach Boys tune.  On the other hand, the slow, sprawling "Vomit" builds up from silence into repeated climax and recession (multiple guitar solos included, as well as...an organ solo?), as Owens croons about his ill-fated search for love.  There are a number of great tunes on the record, especially the driving drums and restless guitars on "Alex."  The simplicity of "How Can I Say I Love You" makes it another song that is easy to love.  The record stagnates a little toward the end, but most will at the very least find a tune or two that suits them here.  Father, Son, Holy Ghost is immediately rewarding, and most of these tracks are worth a listen or two, just like Owens' story. 4.4/5.

In other news, there's been a recent influx of anticipated releases into my library (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Laura Marling, maybe Lil' Wayne?) so check back soon for my takes on these new records!