Andorra – Caribou (Merge)
Caribou’s Dan Snaith doesn’t make any radical steps forward on Andorra, his second album since cranky ex-Dictator Handsome Dick Manitoba made Snaith change his Canadian moniker. Snaith — with an unused PhD in mathematics — turns out another nine psychedelic wonderboxes. Tracks like the kalidisco pulsing of ‘Sundialing’ and ‘Eli’ are the types of headphone constructions that might become synaesthestic color-shows if listened to eyes closed in a dark, cool room. Though Snaith’s angels are in the details, every now and then, he drops some pure summer pop (‘Melody Day,’ a thundering romp through distant strawberry fields) or a killer chorus (‘and I’m divided like a flock of birds!’ he sings on ‘Sandy,’ a perfect image).
Draw Breath – Nels Cline Singers (Cryptogramophone)
To get a sense of the left turns made on Draw Breath, one need only listen to ‘Squirrel of God,’ the final track on the third album by veteran experimental guitarist Nels Cline with his Nels Cline Singers. For five solid minutes, the track drifts deep in avant-drifts, before — with three minutes left — it suddenly congeals into a grand, through-composed climax. Aided by Cline’s Wilcomate Glenn Kotche on crotales and glockenspiel, it is the type of orchestration that could end up on a Wilco record, though it fades right back to formlessness. Elsewhere, Cline and company bounce between skronk and texture (‘Mixed Message’), stately gospel-like instrumentals (‘The Angel of Angels’), stop-time prog (‘Confection’), and another half-dozen unexpected diversions.
REM Sleep – Psych Mix – Dr. Delay (Funkweapons)
After a mix of garage rock crossed with Dirty South classics (Psycrunk) and a slab collecting Middle Eastern drone-pop (Rajaz Meter), Funkweapons DJ Dr. Delay presents a spliced-and-diced one-hour collection of mondo obscure and properly mellow psychedelic sub-nuggets. Though there are several full cuts, it mostly seems like Delay has served as a loving hook curator: extracting the interesting organ tones (Pookah’s ‘Rain on Your Grave’), tricked-out wah-folk (Yesterday’s Children’s ‘Sailing’), and all kinds of golden harmonies, many replete with vinyl crackle (Kensington Marker’s ‘The Thinker’). Lots of dubbed-out vocal samples make it a good continuous listen, but it’s a top grade spike for shuffle freaks, as well.
Songs III: Bird on the Water – Marissa Nadler (Kemado)
Where weird-voiced harpist Joanna Newsom slathers her delivery in affection seemingly for the sake of affectation alone, Marissa Nadler’s vocals travel through many of the same quavering melodic tributaries. Only Nadler’s vibrato seems to be inherited from cinematic songbird who might’ve thrived in Bollywood or pre-War Tinseltown. Hers is a voice that wanders gracefully from octave to octave while threatening to tumble (‘Diamond Heart’), croons like a Hawaiian steel guitar (‘Leather Made Shoes’), and generally floats in sonic clouds prepared by Espers mastermind Greg Weeks of guitars and strings and sound. Gorgeous.
Level Live Wires – Odd Nosdam (Anticon)
The Anticon beatmaker returns with (by Wikipedia’s count) the ninth solo release of his odd and atmospheric hip-hop beats. Moving forward with an instantly apparent internal logic, David Madson’s tracks have room for old strings, warm crackle, longtime collaborators (Why?‘s Pony Wolf) and new ones (TV on the Radio’s Tunde Adebimpe) — all of which figure into ‘The Kill Tone Two.’ Few seem to be fully functional as jams, but it’s all great not-quite-downtempo head music, like the long longing moans of ‘Fat Hooks’ and the queasy playfulness of ‘We Dead.’ In some ways, just another excellent session for Odd Nosdam, as matures into one of the more inventive producers of the day.
News
Archive- Gwen Stefani, blink-182 to Headline Inaugural South Star Festival
- Woodsist Festival Unveils 2024 Artist Lineup: Yo La Tengo, Real Estate, Jessica Pratt, Woods and More
- Dogfish Head Brewery Details Record Fair at New York’s Brooklyn Bowl
- David Gilmour Outlines ‘Luck and Strange,’ First Full-Length Drop in Nearly a Decade, Shares Video Preview
- Listen: John Oates Covers John Prine’s “Long Monday” with Sierra Hull for Upcoming Album ‘Reunion’
- Latest Installment of Jerry Garcia Live Series, ‘February 13th, 1976 Keystone Berkeley’ Receives Release Date
- Borderland Festival Plots 2024 Return with The Black Crowes, CAAMP, Marcus King, Dark Star Orchestra and More
- Dr. Dog Preview First New LP in Six Years with Feel-Good Single “Talk Is Cheap” and Official Music Video
Most Popular
- Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band Announce Fall 2024 Tour Dates
- Warren Haynes, Bill Kreutzmann, Devon Allman and More Share Tributes to Dickey Betts
- Duane Betts Responds to Outpouring of Support Following Father Dickey Betts’ Passing, Shares Tour Update
- Lettuce Expand 2024 Tour Schedule: John Scofield, Ziggy Marley, BISCOLAND and More
- Phish Dive Deep for Night Two at Las Vegas’ Sphere
- Phish Change Forms for Final Sphere Performance
- Phil Lesh & Friends to Perform at San Francisco’s The Warfield in May
- Brooklyn Bowl to Host Benefit for Bad Brains’ HR, with Members of Bad Brains, Fishbone, Living Colour and More
No Comments comments associated with this post