Filed under: Best of 2009 Albums | Tags: Animal Collective, Atlas Sound, Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See but Cannot Feel, Logos, Panda Bear
Atlas Sound's Logos is No. 19 on 20 Watts' Best of 2009 list
PREVIEW: VISIT Atlas Sound’s MySpace
TOP TRACK: “Walkabout”
Atlas Sound’s Logos is a brilliant album, made even more satisfying by the fact that we almost didn’t get to hear it upon completion.
After the unfinished album was unintentionally leaked onto the Internet last August, Bradford Cox threatened to throw out the whole thing. Thank the music gods he didn’t. Logos was released in October of this year.
Logos truly has something for everyone. With cheerful 60s tune “Walkabout” featuring Noah Lennox, a.k.a Panda Bear from Animal Collective, the romantically upbeat yet almost depressing “Shelia” and the serene, doo-wop sounding “My Halo” the album provides for a variety in a musically cohesive way.
The album starts slow with the soothing “The Light That Failed” filled with calming guitar and bells. The intensity slowly builds until “Walkabout” then falls again until “Shelia,” ending on a high note with “Logos.” The title track is a celebratory and percussion-heavy ending to a magnificent album.
With a more confident, yet less experimental sound than Cox’s previous album Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See but Cannot Feel, it is clear that Cox’s songwriting talents continue to change and progress as Cox perfects his art.
–Kelsey Bennett
Filed under: 20 Watts Radio | Tags: a sunny day in glasgow, ambling alp, Arcade Fire, Asobi Seksu, Atlas Sound, attention deficit, Audiocandy, Bibio, Blue Lines, Dark Was the Night, DJ Shadow, Dummy, Echo and the Bunnymen, future islands, Grizzly Bear, Massive Attack, Maxinquaye, memory tapes, new moon, omar rodriguez lopez, Portishead, post office chapel, rewolf, seek magic, the apple and the tooth, The Fountain, Tricky, Wale, xenophanes, Yeasayer
20 Watts played Asobi Seksu, DJ Shadow and more on WERW
Eric, Chris and Caitlin are in the studio this evening spinning an hour of new music, an hour of trip-hop and an hour of local songs! Tune in by opening iTunes and selecting radio > college radio > WERW or by clicking this link. We’ll be in the studio until 1 a.m.!
Want to talk to us or request a song? IM werw1570, tweet @20_watts or call (315) 443-1278. The third caller gets Chris Parker’s voice on their voicemail… it doesn’t get much better than that.
New tracks are in bold, local artists are italicized.
And don’t forget to tune in to 20 Watts’ Audiocandy+ shows on Wednesday and Thursday from 9-11 p.m.!
artist: Asobi Seksu [read our review of Transparence]
title: New Year
album: Rewolf
artist: Echo and the Bunnymen [13/20 watts -- read the review]
title: Life of a Thousand Crimes
album: The Fountain
artist: Omar Rodriguez Lopez
title: Azoemia
album: Xenophanes
Filed under: Issue 19, Issue 19 Reviews | Tags: Animal Collective, Atlas Sound, Bradford Cox, Deerhunter, Laetitia Sadiera, Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See but Cannot Feel, Logos, Mediafire, Microcastle, Noah Lennox, Panda Bear, Stereolab, The Dovers, Weird Era Cont.
Atlas Sound's Logos
WE GIVE IT: 15/20 Watts
MEDIA: Check out our Atlas Sound PODCAST
Last August, Bradford Cox (Atlas Sound, Deerhunter) accidentally released an unfinished version of Logos on his Mediafire account. He debated scrapping the project altogether after the unintentional leak, cursing the interwebs with “fuck this shit. I can just make another album. It’s not finished and now it never will be.”
It’s safe to assume that Cox has since forgiven us — he did, after all, complete this album. Now the question becomes whether diehard fans will forgive him for the major style changes on this LP. (more…)
Filed under: Issue 19, Issue 19 Reviews | Tags: Atlas Sound, Bradford Cox, Deerhunter, Logos
WE GIVE IT: 17/20
REVIEW: Read our full review HERE
Atlas Sound’s Bradford Cox (Deerhunter) decided to release Logos a year after its premature, accidental leak. In this podcast, 20 Watts’ Ryan McManus discusses the album and how it diverges from Cox’s previous work. Read Ryan’s full review here.
– Ryan McManus and Irina Dvalidze
Filed under: Interviews, Issue 19, Issue 19 Q&A | Tags: Atlas Sound, Bears in America, Caution Children, central new york, Dandy Little Lions, Devon Stewart, Erica Scarano, indie music, ithaca, Jenny Lewis, Keys N Krates, lo-fi, Minus the Bear, Modest Mouse, Mouth's Cradle, Neko Case, Neon Indian, Royal Bangs, Syracuse, Syracuse University, Taylor Swift, Thao Nguyen, The Avett Brothers, The BQE, The Flaming Lips, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, The Temper Trap, The xx, Tundra Toes, White Picket Fence, Xylos
Filed under: Editor Picks | Tags: Atlas Sound, Bradford Cox, Care Bears on Fire, Converse, Does It Offend You Yeah?, Gallows, Julian Casablancas, Kid Sister, N.E.R.D., Pharrell, Santigold, Santogold, The Fiery Furnaces, YACHT
In the tradition of rather cool commercials you don’t actually flick off when they pop up on your screen, it is pretty safe to say Converse has developed a good track record of bringing remotely good musicians together for fun mini projects. “My Drive Thru,” dating back about a year, is a funky mash-up between N.E.R.D, Julian Casablancas, and Santigold, marking the brand’s Century celebration.
The song, produced by Pharrell, is accompanied by a music video (above) featuring the three artists in their best “cutouts.” While this video is a fun view, it was only a start of the campaign that included indie favorites such as Kid Sister, YACHT, Bradford Cox, members of Gallows, The Fiery Furnaces, Does It Offend You, Yeah?, and Care Bears on Fire, all endorsing the iconic brand.
– Irina Dvalidze, Multimedia Editor
Filed under: Releases of the Week | Tags: Animal Collective, Atlas Sound, Bradford Cox, Logos, Panda Bear, Stereolab
Atlas Sound's sophmore album brings in a couple contributors to create an eclectic bunch of songs
PREVIEW: DOWNLOAD Atlas Sound’s Walkabout MP3
WE GIVE IT: 17/20
Atlas Sound’s Bradford Cox (Deerhunter) decided to release Logos, a year after its premature, accidental leak. The album is a step in a new direction for Atlas Sound, as it’s far more diverse in influence, yet still maintains the essence of Cox’s song-writing. Starting slow, Logos suddenly shifts into a 1960s-sampled riff, complemented by Noah Lennox (Panda Bear, Animal Collective) in “Walkabout”. The surprisingly upbeat feeling continues through to the effects-laden acoustic “Shelia,” while Laetitia Sadier (Stereolab) also lends her vocals to the short, “Quick Canal.” Overall, Logos is an engaging album, gripping in its energy and infectious in its enthusiasm.
Check our full review in the latest issue of 20 Watts!
– Ryan McManus
Filed under: Releases of the Week | Tags: Atlas Sound, Bradford Cox, Deerhunter, Noah Lennox, Panda Bear, Pitchfork
Bradford Cox (Atlas Sound) and Noah Lennox (Panda Bear) combine forces to create gold
PREVIEW: “Walkabout” – Atlas Sound ft. Noah Lennox at Pitchfork
Normally, I’m understandably jaded when it comes to blogging hype regarding new tracks/leaked tracks from any artist, but this morning, after giving a second listen to the new collaboration between indie/experimental heavy-hitters Atlas Sound (Bradford Cox of Deerhunter fame) and Noah Lennox (i.e. Panda Bear), I’m blown away. I think we can all assume that the combined brand power of these two is probably enough to make it a huge single anyways, but there’s definitely something to be said for the songcraft at work here.
Using a broken up sample of swirling guitars and keys, the two launch into a slab of awesome garage pop that also manages to thread in Lennox’s softly floating vocals and Cox’s penchant for ambient soundscapes. Pitchfork just named it a “Best New Track,” so check it out, but be warned: it’s pretty dang catchy.
–Dan Creahan
Filed under: Editor Picks, Free 4 All, Playlists | Tags: Animal Collective, Atlas Sound, Ben Lee, Brazilian Girls, Bright Eyes, Broken Social Scene, Coldplay, Devendra Banhart, Dirty Projectors, Enrique Iglesias, Fleet Foxes, Gipsy Kings, Grateful Dead, Jose Gonazalez, Kings of Convenience, M83, Phoenix, The Shins
20 Watts' free beach mix is a perfect blend of warm-weather hits.
DOWNLOAD FREE 20 WATTS Beach Playlist AT MEDIAFIRE
I’m going to follow Alex’s lead, but not because I’m an unoriginal poseur, but because I sincerely believe in the power of a kickass playlist. There is absolutely nothing more precious than music perfectly coinciding with your surroundings, which is why I’m going to share my ideal beach playlist. Trust me, I tested it this past weekend, and a playlist capable of transforming the Jersey Shore into the ultimate island getaway is worth a listen.
Filed under: Editor Picks | Tags: Atlas Sound, Love is All, the Polyphonic Spree
Ah, Halloween in Syracuse. The weather is freezing, the snowflakes are flying, and the entirety of the SU community is still super pumped to wear slutty costumes and get drunk tomorrow night. If that doesn’t deserve a really cool festive soundtrack, I don’t know what does.
So I’ve found you: two Halloween releases from Atlas Sound, the Polyphonic Spree covers Nightmare Before Christmas, and the hilarious Love Is All Halloween video. And as if THAT weren’t enough, I’ve also just chanced upon a Kitsune Noir Halloween mixtape, available for free download here. Happy haunting!
- Caitlin Dewey, Blog Editor
