Pitchfork: Judgement Day

Generally, I don't read reviews prior to listening to music.  And if I do, I tend to skim.  I've had bad experiences of letting the reviewer's opinion shape my own, rather than complement it.  I remember reading a blurb about Bob Mould's 1996 self-titled release, which complained to no end about the use of a drum machine on the album.  To this day, I can't get past the drums when I listen to it.  Lesson learned.


One exception for me over the years has been Pitchfork.  They introduced me to Les Savy Fav, The Go! Team, Sufjan Stevens, Grizzly Bear, Jay Reatard (RIP), British Sea Power, Enon, Iron and Wine, The Fall, and countless others.  They've steered me right with their reviews, and gave me a lot of great music which has made my collection that much better.  Amongst other review sites, their historical place (well, internet historical place, at least) has been the home to the best music you've never heard of.  Their ear has always been on the ground.


Are there haters out there?  Sure.  You can find them out there (and no, I'm not doing your research for you), and they love to jump all over Pitchfork.  Not me.  The proof has always been in the pudding, and a Pitchfork 8.0 rating or better has generally resulted in a 60-75% success rate in my keeping the album, year after year.


However, I've had a bad, bad run with Pitchfork over the last two to three years; the metric is now more of a 10-20% rate, which is quite alarming.  In fact, I've had to revise my own formula:  now I won't touch an album unless it's rated 9.0 or better. 


So at this point, I need to decide whether this has been a lull, a trend, or if Pitchfork and I no longer see eye to eye in terms of what is good to great music.  Here are the albums I listened to, and their respective Pitchfork ratings:

1. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion (2009): 9.6
   
2. Deerhoof - Friend Opportunity (2007): 8.9
   
3. Deerhunter - Microcastle/Weird Era Continued (2008): 9.2
   
4. Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca (2009): 9.2
   
5. Girls - Album (2009): 9.1
6. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest (2009): 9.0
   
7. Hercules and Love Affair - Hercules and Love Affair (2008): 9.1
   
8. Max Tundra - Mastered by Guy at the Exchange (2002): 9.3
   
9. M83 - Saturdays = Youth (2008): 8.5
   
10. No Age - Nouns (2008): 9.2
    
11. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart (2009): 8.4
12. TV on the Radio - Dear Science (2008): 9.2
    

Out of these twelve albums, I expect the following breakdown:

• 3-4 Car CD Changer albums
• 5-6 Portable CD case albums
• 2 CD Rack albums
• 1 Sell-back 1 /Pile of death

In other words, nine out of twelve above average; two that are not necessarily my speed but so good I need to keep them; and one that just misses the mark entirely.  I'm being kind here; really, all nine 9.0's should be at least above average, and three 8.0's should be average or above average.



To be fair, I included 3 "best new music" albums I have reviewed here previously (Grizzly Bear, TV on the Radio, and M83), and probably would have bought regardless of review; the rest were acquired strictly on Pitchfork's review.

The results?  Here's how they broke down:



Car CD Changer 
Projected: 3-4
Actual: 2 

1. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion (2009): 9.6 
2. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart (2009): 8.4

- Not a good start -- only two CD's makes it here, oddly the best and worst-rated of the bunch.  Animal Collective is borderline CD Rack/Portable, but gets the nod to this level because its so well produced; ultimately it lacks some soul to be rated higher.  I hear a little Howard Jones and The Beach Boys here, oddly -- and it's a little boring at times, but not terribly so.  For The Pains, the updated shoegazer vibe here is great.



Portable CD Case  
Projected: 5-6
Actual:  4

1. Deerhunter - Microcastle/Weird Era Continued (2008): 9.2
2. Girls - Album (2009): 9.1
3. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest (2009): 9.0
4. M83 - Saturdays = Youth (2008): 8.5

- Strike two.  Not only are we still running behind, but M83 and Grizzly Bear were already known to me.  Deerhunter is quite good, although Microcastle is the strong swimmer of the double album.  The Girls album grew on me, despite the odd vocals (see the trend continue below); here they work. 

 
CD Rack  
Projected: 2
Actual:1

1. TV on the Radio - Dear Science (2008): 9.2

-  TV on the Radio was also part of my previous experience.  So of the seven albums I liked enough to keep, I would have bought three anyways.  We all see where this is going.

Sell-back Pile 1/Pile of Death

Projected: 0-1
Actual: 5

1. Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca (2009): 9.2
   
2. Deerhoof - Friend Opportunity (2007): 8.9
   
3. Hercules and Love Affair - Hercules and Love Affair (2008): 9.1
4. Max Tundra - Mastered by Guy at the Exchange (2002): 9.3
5. No Age - Nouns (2008): 9.2 
   

- What is it with these odd vocals?  To put it kindly, all of these groups have very, er, "non-traditional rock voices."  (Not so kindly:  stop singing.)  And every damn vocalist sounds exactly the same!  All weird falsetto male voices.  Dirty Projectors is a perfect example: one of those "really trying to be quirky" bands that were failed by their ambition -- if you can buy the vocals, you might love these guys.  I didn't.  Meanwhile Hercules and Love Affair wishes for the return of disco in a way that I really don't.  No Age does try hard to rock it out, but I don't believe they understand how to.  Max Tundra was so terrible one of my CD players refused to even read it.  I think I'd rather gouge my eyes out that listen to Deerhoof's broken English warblings ever again.


Conclusions:  I would have accepted nine above average and two average albums;  I ended up with six and one respectively.  Five albums that don't make the cut is not acceptable.  So their rate of success here is 63% - that's an F where I went to school.  It's even worse if you look at just the 9+ albums -- it's only 5 out of 9!  Dismal.

My final verdict is that I cannot trust these guys any more.  Sure, there are some gems here, but I'll need more than just their word to go get an album these days.  It was fun while it lasted.

- Snilch

New Music Roundup, Part 2

Here's a bunch of new music I've been listening to:

• Arctic Monkeys - Humbug (2009). The Arctic Monkeys came on to the scene as UK teenagers in 2005 with Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, which was an album that actually lived up to the tremendous hype that preceded it. 2007's Favourite Worst Nightmare was a step back but still had good stuff. This album... wow. It's very rare that I don't listen to an album all the way through before giving up on it, but I did with this one. I couldn't help but think of Aztec Camera as I listened to this: UK teenager Roddy Frame wrote the brilliant High Land, Hard Rain in 1983, only to spend the rest of his professional career (which continues to this day, at 45) chasing that elusive brilliance while bristling at the characterization of "child prodigy, adult failure" at every turn. Roddy created seven albums as Aztec Camera; after being unable to escape the shadow of that name, he released three solo albums. He never quite found his way back to the start; lots of good, decent material, but nothing comparable to his inspired debut. I fear the Arctic Monkeys are in the same boat. They have lost their mojo or their edge, or both. This is uninspired, and that saddens me.CD Placement rating: Sell-back Pile 1.

• The Black Watch - After the Gold Room (2008). We love The Black Watch. I could point out numerous reviews or just let our readers (like Scott and Yves, for example) talk about how great some of their stuff is. I wish they'd tour out this way (i.e., East Coast), but that appears not meant to be, at least for the moment. Their latest offering is an EP, which feels like leftovers from their 2008 album Icing the Snow Queen (reviewed here), as there are only four new songs here. But it's still The Black Watch, and that means that it's still very, very good.CD Placement rating: CD Rack.

• David Byrne and Brian Eno - Everything That Happens Will Happen Today (2008). Thanks to Donna and Jim for recommending this one. I have to admit -- I'm not a Talking Heads/David Byrne fan, so I was very skeptical. A car listen did not help dissuade me of that skepticism; but listening to it on my computer did. Eno really smooths out Byrne's rough edges while retaining his quirkiness. Kind of reminds me of Peter Gabriel's Ovo album, although I'm not entirely clear why. Very sophisticated pop with Byrne's distinct voice, and really nice stuff. Highly recommended.CD Placement rating: Portable CD Case.

• Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career (2009). Their 2006 album, Let's Get Out of This Country, was understated but brilliant. This tries to copy that formula, but it's more of the same while not quite being as good. It's kind of boring, actually.CD Placement rating: This is not a fair rating, but for me it goes in the Pile of Death. Objectively, it's CD Rack-worthy CD I'd never listen to again.

• Duchess Says - Anthologie des 3 Perchoirs (2008). Described as "new wave revivalists," I heard them first on a mix and had to check out the whole album. This is definitely NOT for everyone, but if you're looking for jangly and weird retro lo-fi indie rock/quasi electronica that ranges from low- to high-tempo with quirky cool instrument sounds, this may just be for you. (Who IS looking for that?) It's some crazy mashup of Team Robespierre, CSS, Pretty Girls Make Graves, Nine Inch Nails, The Dresden Dolls, Madonna, and The Young Marble Giants. (Don't believe me? Listen to all those artists, absorb them, then listen to this album, and we can discuss how Rush might be a very small part of the equation as well.) I can't decide if it's inspired, insipid, or insane; it vacillates between just noise and composed, frenetic confusion. Of course, that means I cannot resist it.
  CD Placement rating: Car CD Changer. Buyer beware, it may be Pile of Death for you.

• The Fireman - Electric Arguments (2008). As The Beatles release two new box sets and Rock Band, it seems appropriate to review Sir Paul McCartney's side project. I'm just going to come out and say it: this is McCartney's best post-Beatles album, at least for me. After the breakup, I prefer John Lennon and George Harrison, and never liked Wings, so from my perspective this is not going out on a limb; on the other hand, I've never heard anything I'd call "best" from McCartney before this. It's raw, it's moody, it's got a snarl to it; even the vocals are rough and jagged. I really enjoyed it, and it's quite a surprise to see Sir Paul so edgy in his old age. Thanks for turning me on to this, Andrew!
  CD Placement rating: Portable CD Case.

• Franz Ferdinand - Tonight: Franz Ferdinand (2009). Let's recap Franz Ferdinand's career:
  - 2004: Self-titled debut. Great stuff.
  - 2005: The follow-up, You Could Have It So Much Better. Quite... quite terrible. Pile of Death.- 2009: Four years later, album #3: Tonight: Franz Ferdinand. Good news: better than 2005. Bad news: still nowhere near 2004.
  - Conclusion: steer clear. Nice knowing you, FF.
  CD Placement rating: Pile of Death.

• Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest (2009). This is a great up-and-coming band; and this album has been universally hailed as great. It's tough to pigeonhole their music -- poppy folk? Folky pop? 70's retro? "Alt folk"? (Okay, I made one up.) It doesn't matter what you call them -- they're just really really cool. I wasn't in a "lower-tempo" mood today, but it simply did not matter; this album cannot be denied. This group is just plain good.
  CD Placement rating: Portable CD Case.

• The Lost Fingers - Lost in the 80's (2009). Got this recommendation from Twitter. Imagine 80's covers from a Canadian jazz trio. Now imagine the song lineup includes Bon Jovi, AC/DC, Michael Jackson, Wham!, and Paula Abdul. The result? Well, it's hit or miss. However, the audacity of this album is totally worth the price of admission. Songs like "Pump Up the Jam" are genius; "You Give Love a Bad Name" is surprisingly not. I am a sucker for cover albums, and this one is unique. Definitely a keeper.
  CD Placement rating: CD Rack.

• Red Red Meat - Bunny Gets Paid (2009). Pitchfork gave this re-issue album a rating of 8.9 and filed it under "Best New Music." I completely, thoroughly disagree.
  CD Placement rating: Sell-back Pile 1.

- Snilch

Quick Hits - The Undecided List, Part 2

The genesis of this, once again, was 25+ hours in a car, which was followed up on with an additional 12 hours on a subsequent trip. Again, these ones are out of the mix for getting into the car, as they didn’t grab me the first time there. Make sense?

In alphabetical order:

• Gabby Glaser - Gimmie Splash (2007). As detailed here, I've always been a big fan of Gabby Glaser of Luscious Jackson fame, but was quite puzzled that neither she nor songwriting partner Jill Cunniff had released anything since the band broke up. Then they both release solo debuts the same year. Very odd. This album has the groove of Luscious Jackson, but it's oddly detached and thus falls short. This one hangs on for grim death at the very end of my CD Rack, but only because of her history with LJ. Maybe it will eventually grow on me.
  Verdict: Blah. CD Rack.
  
  
• Gogol Bordello - Gypsy Punks Underdog World Strike (2005). Allmusic.com describes this group as "combining elements of punk, gypsy music, and Brecht-ian cabaret," which is better than how I would have summed them up. Pat turned me on to this band after seeing them play a screaming live show. This album is a trip... just all over the place. These people are truly nuts. I think I need to see them live to make a better determination as to what they are all about... the album itself is just tough to completely fathom. Who am I kidding, they are completely and wonderfully warped. How's that for a review?
  Verdict: Undecided but intrigued. Use this to scare unwanted Republicans away from your house. Portable CD Case as I have to give it more listens (clearly).
  

• Grizzly Bear - Friends EP (2007). I got into these guys when I heard a partial clip of their fantastically sparse cover of Yes's "Owner of a Lonely Heart," which still has not been officially released to my dismay (and while I'm at it: Cat Power, please release your cover of "Hanging on the Telephone" as well). This is very sparse, delicate at times, but well-crafted and interesting. This is nice music... very mellow but never boring.
  Verdict: Recommended. Portable CD Case.

• Grizzly Bear - Yellow House (2006). I make it a point not to review albums by the same band in the same post, but I goofed here. When writing the above review for Friends, I thought I was listening to Yellow House, which I discovered as I attempted to put the Friends CD in a case that was already full. This turns out to be a solid but unspectacular full-length of originals. Oddly I prefer Friends, which consists of 2 new songs, 5 alternate versions of songs they've previously released, and 3 covers of their songs by other bands (including CSS). I know this review is supposed to be about Yellow House right now, but Friends has much more to talk about. Go figure.
  Verdict: I'd listen to Friends first, but this is not bad. CD Rack.
  

• Jesu - Conqueror (2006). There's not much I can say about this one -- it is so good it's scary. The 2-CD version (with "Sundown" and "Sunrise") really makes this a complete album, although when I bought this version I could only find it as an import. It's worth the extra expense. Think My Bloody Valentine at 2/3 speed. Really cool stuff, it just doesn't play in the car. Absolutely one of my favorite albums from the last 2 years. It's droney, plodding, and deliberate in a great way. I love this one.
  Verdict: Just beautiful. Portable CD Case.

• Mia - Kala (2007). The musicality of this one can't be denied -- but as it's not quite as silly as Mu or as dense as later De La Soul, I've had problems painting this one into its proper corner. Today I've decided to be optimistic. It's a little hip-hop, a little (very little) dance, and a little old-school rap. I have to say hearing the lyrics to "Where is My Mind" by The Pixies re-done as a monotone, synthesized chorus in "20 Dollar" took some getting used to, but I'm coming around to it. "XR2" is a great play on "Shake Your Rump," complete with cash register and gun firing sound effects -- I've decided to be amused rather than disturbed by this, and to treat this as an ironic and not damning social commentary at the moment. Overall, I need to listen to this more, but for the moment I'll give it the benefit of the doubt.
  Verdict: Recommended if you like the genre. Portable CD Case (for research purposes).

• Motörhead - No Sleep 'til Hammersmith (1981, re-mastered version released in 2001). I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest you're unlikely to find any music source that is willing to go from Jesu to Mia to Motörhead in the same breath and pretend it still can be taken seriously. Fortunately, I have no such aspirations. I'd never listened to Motörhead in my life until about 6 months ago, which apparently is some type of crazy hole in my musical life. This live album would be great for Motörhead freaks... not for me, though. Probably not for you either, eh?
  Verdict: Sell-back 1.

• The Screaming Blue Messiahs - BBC Radio 1 Live in Concert (1988). My friend Liz gave me some tapes with a bunch of odds and ends from early '80's Boston radio on it -- and what really stuck was The Screaming Blue Messiahs. Apparently known for their "hit" "I Wanna Be a Flinstone" (news to me), this group mysteriously just stopped in the late '80's before they ever got big, with no real explanation. Finding their albums is like trying to find breadcrumbs in a forest of pigeons. But I tracked this down and I must say that I'm happy I did. They are a country/blues band sped up, and thus very pleasing. Frontman Bill Carter gets on my nerves slightly with his over the top, almost evangelical, delivery, but his guitar playing is topnotch. As everything comes in 3's, think of him visually as the younger brother of Bob Mould and Frank Black -- and "once described as 'the ugliest man in rock!'" That quote (and the exclamation point) are from the album liner notes. 'Nuff said.
  Verdict: Recommended if you can find it. Portable CD Case.

• Peter Searcy - Trust Falls (2005). This is the Squirrel Bait frontman's 3rd solo effort, following 2000's somewhat lackluster Could You Please and Thank You and 2004's breakthrough Couch Songs. This one doesn't measure up to the acoustic Couch Songs, which is odd for me as this is more rock and I tend to stray towards the heavier stuff. Peter constantly straddles the line between pure pop/rock excellence and pure pop/rock sappiness, and here he mostly verges towards the latter. Which is too bad -- he needs a bit more sneer. I wonder if his follow-up (2007's Spark) is better... but you'll just have to wait on that for another day.
  Verdict: Not recommended. CD Rack in case I have a change of heart later.
  

• Social Distortion - Prison Bound (1988). I got into these guys late in the game, but 1990's Social Distortion and 1992's Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell are about as good as you'll ever hear in back-to-back albums. This album got high marks too, but it's not in that class. A little more raw, a little less defined, but you can hear where they were going. Something like "Lawless" is rough, but they are laying the foundation melodically towards a couple of great albums.
  Verdict: Recommended for Social D fans, but only after buying those other 2 albums. CD Rack.
  

• Sum 41 - All Killer No Filler (2001). My friend Sean was into these guys and thus I gave them a shot. Well, 7 years later, but better late than never, right? I think he was actually referring to their debut, Half Hour of Power, but I could be wrong. This was enjoyable but a little dated to listen to, surprisingly. I just could not get into it. We'll give Half Hour a shot, though.
  Verdict: Sell-back pile 1.
  

- Snilch