Filed under: Issue 19, Issue 19 Reviews | Tags: Radiohead, The Flaming Lips, Kid A, Embryonic, Wayne Coyne, Do You Realize??
The Flaming Lips' Embryonic
WE GIVE IT: 15/20 Watts
MEDIA: Check out our Flaming Lips PODCAST
Throughout their long, illustrious career, The Flaming Lips have turned in effort after effort that, if not for a lack of U.S. commercial appeal, could have paved their way as standard-bearers in alternative rock. From the 1999 watershed album The Soft Bulletin to 2002’s fan-favorite, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, the band has done one thing phenomenally well over the years: Keep the critics happy.
Enter 2009’s Embryonic, the album that could, depending on whom you ask, keep that streak of magazine success alive. After three years of hard work, Wayne Coyne and company unleash a flurry of sound and experimentation on Embryonic, the likes of which have never been witnessed from them — or any band this side of Radiohead, for that matter. Embryonic is a character apart in The Flaming Lips’ discography, and that simple fact will cause critics to either praise it immediately or decry it across the board. (more…)
Filed under: Features | Tags: 2112, Absolution, And the Glass Handed Kites, Animals, Aqualung, Coheed and Cambria, Damnation, Days of Future Passed, De-Loused in the Comatorium, Deadwing, Dream Theater, Emerson Lake and Palmer, Fragile, Genesis, Good Apollo I'm Burning Star IV Vol. 1, In the Court of the Crimson King, Jethro Tull, King Crimson, Lateralus, Mew, Moving Pictures, muse, OK Computer, Opeth, Pink Floyd, Porcupine Tree, Radiohead, Rush, Selling England By The Pound, Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence, The Dark Side of the Moon, The End Is Begun, The Mars Volta, The Moody Blues, Three, Tool, Yes
PREVIEW: Download 20 Watts’ PROG ROCK MIX on Mediafire
Like epic compositions, time signature changes and songs that can last for more than 15 minutes? Progressive rock is for you. Emerging primarily in Britain in the late 1960s, the oft-critically maligned genre (commonly known as “prog”) has persevered with the simple goal of adding artistic credibility to rock music. Founding fathers like Yes, Pink Floyd and Genesis set themselves apart from their contemporaries by featuring classical and jazz influences in their songwriting. The innovation continues today, as bands like Porcupine Tree and Opeth incorporate hard rock and metal into their own experimental, progressive sounds.
So what’s the very best in progressive rock? 20 Watts’ DAN KAPLAN has the answer in our fifth 20 installment. Watch for new 20s each Thursday, only on 20 Watts, and check out our previous 20s below!
Filed under: Releases of the Week | Tags: 7 Worlds Collide, Jeff Tweedy, Johnny Marr, Neil Finn, Radiohead, Wilco
7 Worlds Collide delivers a quality two-disc effort for charity
PREVIEW: DOWNLOAD 7 Worlds Collide’s “Too Blue” MP3
WE GIVE IT: 15/20 Watts
When news began trickling out about Neil Finn’s latest iteration of 7 Worlds Collide, fans were excited, to the say the least. Working alongside Finn were some of today’s most prolific names in alternative rock, most notably Radiohead members Phil Selway and Ed O’Brien, almost every member of Wilco and Johnny Marr. It is a supergroup of epic proportions, creating tons of buzz in a year seemingly full of star-studded collaborations.
Amidst all that noise, The Sun Came Out, which will use its proceeds to benefit Oxfam, delivers– mostly. The two-disc collection functions as a cohesive thought unlike most efforts its size. Though constructed by countless artists, it still manages to maintain a central theme, and sound. This can be attributed to Finn playing the role of maestro brilliantly, putting all the pieces together whenever necessary, and giving us a steady stream of consciousness throughout. (more…)
Filed under: News of Note | Tags: Broadcast, Chris Taylor, Editors, Embryonic, Grizzly Bear, Karen O, Lily Allen, Lykke Li, muse, music video, new moon, OK GO, Pitchfork, Radiohead, Rihanna, Stereogum, The Flaming Lips, The Killers, Thom Yorke, twilight, Warp Records, Yeah Yeah Yeahs
For better or worse, New Moon's soundtrack will feature some of our favorite indie artists
Thom Yorke, The Killers, Grizzly Bear, and Muse have all signed on to contribute to New Moon’s soundtrack. Other artists that will be on the Twilight sequel’s soundtrack include Lykke Li, OK Go and Editors. The full track listing can be viewed at NME.COM. [Previous 20 Watts Coverage: Thom York and Bon Iver Soundtrack New Moon]
Stereogum reported today that The Flaming Lips released a new video for the song “I Can Be a Frog,” from their new album Embryonic (to be released 10/13). The short song might not seem to make a great video on first listen, but Coyne’s animalistic lyricism makes for a lot of quirky pencil drawings in this unconventional music video. The bikini-clad actress mouthing Karen O’s “noises” surprisingly adds to the video, but who doesn’t want to see the real thing? Maybe next time. [Previous 20 Watts Coverage: The Flaming Lips at ATP, 20 Watts Reviews The Flaming Lips' "Silver Trembling Hands" (from Embryonic)]
Birmingham-based electro-pop group Broadcast have announced their second release with Warp Records. Their full-length debut was punctuated by the extensive use of loops and lead singer Trish Keegan’s 1960s psychedelic rock vocals. Filter reports that the EP, entitled Broadcast & Focus Group Investigate Witch Cults of the Radio Age, is available for download from iTunes immediately, but won’t be hitting the shelves until October 27th. The EP can be previewed for free, though, at your next psycho dance party with the help of their trusty Myspace.
Rolling Stone reports that Rihanna’s next LP promises to bring its audience “Big beats and big bass.” She’s recruited producers Justin Timberlake and Chase & Status to help her bring them. This album is sure to take attention away from Rihanna’s past year of drama. [Previous 20 Watts Coverage: 20 Watts Reviews Jay-Z's "Run This Town" (Feat. Rihanna)]
Pitchfork reports that Grizzly Bear’s bassist and producer, Chris Taylor has started a record label called Terrible Records. Through his new label, Taylor will be releasing his solo work on October 13. [Previous 20 Watts Coverage: Editor’s Pick #172: Grizzly Bear’s “While You Wait For the Others” (Feat. Michael McDonald)]
It seems as though Lily Allen and Radiohead guitarist Ed O’Brien are close to duking it out, Pitchfork reports. Radiohead belong to the Featured Artists Coalition (FAC), a British musician’s advocacy group. Apparently Lily Allen disagrees with O’Brien’s stance on file-sharing. After the guitarist released a statement endorsing the practice, the infuriated singer posted her opinion on her MySpace blog. She believes file-sharing hinders the growth of up-and-coming artists. [Previous 20 Watts Coverage: Editor’s Pick #93: Lily Allen Is Alright with Me]
Psychedelic folk legends Neutral Milk Hotel have announced plans to re-release their discography through Merge Records, as reported by Filter. The reissues of On Avery Island (1996) and the critically celebrated In the Aeroplane over the Sea (1998) will be released on vinyl along with a digital download code, so that listeners can enjoy the reissues without a turntable. Considering In the Aeroplane over the Sea was the best-selling vinyl album of 2008, there’s definitely a market for it though. [Previous 20 Watts Coverage: 20 Watts Reviews Circulatory System (Elephant 6)]
– 20 Watts Staff
Filed under: News of Note | Tags: accuradio, American Gangster, Converge, David Letterman, EMI, Fuck Yeah Fest, FYF, iTunes, Jay-Z, Kid Cudi, Kurt Vile, Massive Attack, MGMT, Music Hall of Williamsburg, Neon Indian, Nine Inch Nails, NME, No Age, Paul McCartney, Pitchfork, Radiohead, Ratatat, The Beatles, The Beatles: Rock Band, The Blueprint, The Blueprint 3, Thom Yorke, Torche, Trent Reznor
Kid Cudi releases new track "Pursuit of Happiness" featuring MGMT and Ratatat
PREVIEW: DOWNLOAD Kid Cudi’s “Pursuit of Happiness” MP3
Pitchfork posts new Kid Cudi song “Pursuit of Happiness” featuring indie gods MGMT and Ratatat. The single will be the third off his upcoming album Man on the Moon: The End of Day, to be released September 15, 2009. The single alludes to his search for weed (Cudi’s drug of choice) as the pursuit of happiness — a theme highlighted nicely by MGMT and Ratatat’s synthpop beat. Catch a live performance of “Pursuit of Happiness on tonight’s “The Late Night Show With David Letterman.” [Previous 20 Watts Coverage: Editor's Pick #71: Cudi Gets Psychedelic]
Rolling Stone reported the change of release dates for Jay-Z’s new album The Blueprint 3 from its planned Friday drop date to today, a more conventional Tuesday release. While the move means the album no longer drops on the eighth anniversary of the first Blueprint, it should assure Jay the top spot on Billboard’s albums chart. The album is his first release since 2007’s American Gangster. [Previous 20 Watts Coverage: 20 Watts Reviews Jay-Z's Blueprint 3, Editor's Pick #168: Jay-Z Endorses Indie Rock]
RS also reported that Nine Inch Nails has changed the date of its final show to September 10. The band was due to end its performing career on Sunday, September 6, at Los Angeles’ Echoplex, but after frontman Trent Reznor’s short illness, the final concert will now be Thursday at L.A.’s Wiltern. Over the last few weeks, the band has also performed shows in New York and Chicago on its “Wave Goodbye” tour. [Previous 20 Watts Coverage: Editor's Pick #147: Alice in Chains' "A Looking in View", Trent Reznor Announces Final Nine Inch Nails Tour Dates]
Paul McCartney told NME.com that he would like The Beatles’ catalogue available for download. According to McCartney, record label EMI is to blame for the band’s inaccessibility on the Internet. “We were having problems with iTunes — well not iTunes, EMI was the problem — with downloading which we’d like to do because that’s how a lot of people get their music,” McCartney said. The Beatles: Rock Band drops tomorrow, so this problem will be partially solved for players who can download songs from the Rock Band website. Rock Band developers Harmonix have plans to offer more Beatles albums and tracks for download in the future. [Previous 20 Watts Coverage: McCartney and MGMT, Beatles and iTunes Fail to Reach Agreement]
In other Beatles news, web radio heavyweight AccuRadio announced today that it will begin broadcasting a series of Beatles-themed channels tomorrow to celebrate the release of the Beatles’ remastered collection. The channels will include “Beatles Plus” — more or less all Beatles’, all the time — as well as the obviously named “Just Covers” and the intriguing “Beatles and Friends,” which claims to contexualize the remastered catalog with other bands and songs from the time. AccuRadio’s apparently endless roster of free niche radio stations also includes such appetizing options as “Sea and Sand,” “Canadian Pop” and “Hiptronica” — whatever that means, we’re into it. [Previous 20 Watts Coverage: Beatles Rooftop Performance, Beatles Rock Band Trailer]
Neon Indian, whose debut LP drops October 13, has announced the dates for his upcoming world tour. Unfortunately, he will not be stopping in Syracuse, but you can catch him in NYC at the Music Hall of Williamsburgon October 24. [Previous 20 Watts Coverage: 20 Watts Interviews Neon Indian]
Kurt Vile, after losing his job as a forklift operator, didn’t have much recourse but to pursue music full-time. Former lead guitarist of The War on Drugs, Vile released the albums Constant Hitmaker and God Is Saying This to You in 2008 and 2009 respectively. Now he’s hard at work on his Matador Records debut and has just released the album’s lead track “Hunchback.” Supposedly more of a rocker than the rest of the album, “Hunchback” follows a Youngian thread. [Previous 20 Watts Coverage: Yo La Tengo’s Popular Songs (Matador Records)]
British trip-hoppers, Massive Attack sat down with the magazine for a little Q&A about their career, the upcoming Splitting the Atom EP and their next full-length effort, set for February. Also included with the interview was the scenic, Thom Yorke-esque number “Bullet Proof Love,” which will be featured on Splitting the Atom, out next month. [Previous 20 Watts Coverage: Radiohead's "These Are My Twisted Words"]
No Age, Converge and Torche tore up Saturday’s FYF Fest in Los Angeles. Mixing genres from metal to hardcore to punk, the festival, formerly known as Fuck Yeah Fest, aims to raise awareness for the California state parks system. SPIN has pictures of the mayhem as it unfolded this weekend. [Previous 20 Watts Coverage: Free NYC Dirty Projectors Show on July 19th]
– 20 Watts Staff
Filed under: Releases of the Week | Tags: Radiohead, Sigur Ros, TV on the Radio, Two Dancers, Wild Beasts
Wild Beasts impress without innovating on their release Two Dancers
PREVIEW: DOWNLOAD Wild Beast’s “All the King’s Men” MP3
WE GIVE IT: 17/20 Watts
So what’s it take to succeed in the independent music atmosphere? Do you need Jonsi Birgisson’s (Sigur Rós) falsetto? Or eccentric tribal drum beats and deep, harmonic vocals (TV on the Radio)? Maybe you just need the first few songs on Wild Beasts’ sophomore effort Two Dancers.
The album works for a reason. Because of the influences heard on it, Wild Beasts couldn’t be mistaken for anything but what they are — a talented late-2000s British indie-rock band. It succinctly represents what listeners “want to hear” in the British-American musical atmosphere.
Despite this (or because of it?), Wild Beasts have churned out an incredible set of songs with Two Dancers. The range of musicality and talent that shines through could convince any listener to appreciate the sound. (more…)
Filed under: Leak of the Week, XCLUS!VES | Tags: Can, Colin Greenwood, Ed O'Brian, Harry Patch, In Rainbows, jonny greenwood, Krautrock, Leeds Festival, Neu!, Phil Selway, Radiohead, Reading Festival, These Are My Twisted Words, Thom Yorke, Wall of Ice, Weird Fishes/Arpeggi
Thom Yorke and Co. are headlining the Reading and Leeds Festivals in the UK at the end of August
PREVIEW: Radiohead’s “These Are My Twisted Words” MP3
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Radiohead Wrote a Song That Would Suit a Funeral? No Way!!
Just like how they only gave us a ten-day heads-up to let us know about In Rainbows, in typical Radiohead fashion — catching us when we weren’t looking – the band seem to have “leaked” a new song “These Are My Twisted Words,” possibly in preparation of releasing an EP entitled Wall of Ice some time soon. Unlike the last one dedicated to late WWI veteran Harry Patch, the entire band are jamming out on this more experimental track.
The new song has many classic Radiohead trademarks: Jonny Greenwood and Ed O’Brian’s creepy arpeggio and ringing guitar lines; Colin Greenwood’s bass going on off its own tangent, and Phil Selway keeping it tight on the drums with his perfectly steady beat. But wait, where’s Thom Yorke? He adds his cache for the group by coming in halfway through the song, creepily stating “These are my twisted words” and desperately asking “When are you coming back?” only to obviously add “I just can’t handle it.”
Despite all these factors, it certainly sounds like they are experimenting in a territory that has yet to be tried before. While the songs off In Rainbows sounded like songs originally written by Thom Yorke and are further developed by the rest of the band members, “These Are My Twisted Words” sounds much more like a product of a jam that could have been started by the drummer. It all mirrors a much darker and more sardonic “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi“. With their Krautrock influences worn higher on their sleeves this time around — they sound especially like Can and Neu!
It may bewilder and bore on the first listen, but as always Radiohead has a tendency to age like wine.
– Charlie Weeks
Filed under: Emerging Artists, XCLUS!VES | Tags: Afro, Alex Toth, Brooklyn, Depeche Mode, Funk, funk n waffles, Hail to the Thief, Kalmia Trever, Kuma, Landing, Michael Jackson, Orchestra, Radiohead, Rose's Dream, Rubblebucket, Sophistafunk, Syracuse, The Bell House, There There, Thriller, Utica, World is Gonna Drown
Dancing the night away
PREVIEW: Download Rubblebucket’s “Bikes” MP3
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Emerging Artist: Rubblebucket Orchestra
VIEW: Photos below the jump
The lounge and bar area of Brooklyn’s The Bell House had less people sitting on the stools and chilling on their couches Friday, August 7, than usual. Instead, most of the people were in the back venue listening to some extraordinary live jams while chowing on waffles (Funk ‘n’ Waffles that is).
By a quarter to midnight Syracuse’s own Sophistafunk had ended their high energy performance that included a guest horn section from Utica whose saxophonist was especially feeling the groove. They blew the audience away with her insane improvisations. After such a finale it was hard to see how anything could follow up such a tour de force. Yet based on this writer’s experience, Rubblebucket Orchestra (or Rubblebucket—as they seem to be calling themselves now) have developed reputation of always miraculously exceeding expectations as they did in this show.
The way they entered the stage at The Bell House was uncharacteristically low-key, as the nine-piece band simply walked on stage by midnight and put their instruments on. My encounter before, with Rubblebucket was much different. It was at Syracuse’s Funk n Waffles and the show started with lead band members Alex Toth and Kalmia Traver entering from the front door — with a confident swagger that personified cool as they blew into their respective instruments and banged on a bucket, heading toward the stage and jamming into their first number as if it were nothing. (more…)
Filed under: Releases of the Week | Tags: Radiohead, In Rainbows, Thom Yorke, Harry Patch, Motion Picture Soundtrack, Kid A, World War I, The Present Tense, Jigsaws Falling into Place, Amnesiac, Hail to the Thief, Latitude Festival
- Radiohead in the studio
PREVIEW: Radiohead’s “Harry Patch (In Memory Of)” MP3
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Editor’s Pick 146: Thom Yorke and Bon Iver soundtrack New Moon
Radiohead’s newest recorded song “Harry Patch (In Memory Of)” sounds like nothing else they have done before. Perhaps it’s the sweeping string section that sounds as if it belonged in a film score, or maybe it’s the unusually direct lyrics — which were actually taken verbatim from an interview with the last surviving World War I veteran, Harry Patch, whose recent death inspired the song. Either way, the song is beautiful yet mournful and an unsettling anti-war tune whose sound most resembles “Motion Picture Soundtrack,” the last track on Radiohead’s 2000 album, Kid A.
However, it remains to be seen whether this track is representative of their new album’s sound. Thom Yorke previewed a new song, “The Present Tense,” at Britain’s Latitude Festival last month, which sounds like a more mellow “Jigsaws Falling into Place.” So perhaps the band hasn’t totally gotten back on an experimental course (i.e. Kid A, Amnesiac).
The new song “Harry Patch (In Memory Of),” is currently on sale on Radiohead’s waste.co.uk website for just one pound. It’s all for a good cause, since the proceeds go towards the British Legion. So to all the cheapskates who paid a penny for In Rainbows, you should definitely shell out for this one. It’s well worth the pound.
– Charlie Weeks
Filed under: Free 4 All, Releases of the Week | Tags: built to spill, Fleet Foxes, Phil Ek, Radiohead, Strokes, The Dodos, Time to Die, Visiter
Time to Die isn't as impressive as Visiter, but it'll do for now
PREVIEW: The Dodos: “Fables”
LISTEN: Time to Die Streaming
Last year, The Dodos released one of the best albums of 2008, Visiter. Pitchfork described the album as “one of the most welcoming (and welcome) records of 2008.” Sadly, the same can’t be said for their follow-up, Time to Die.
After expanding the duo to a trio and hiring veteran indie-rock/-folk producer Phil Ek, The Dodos convinced hipsters everywhere that their third release would be godly. Alas, even Ek’s impressive credentials (Fleet Foxes, Everything All the Time, most of Built to Spill’s discography) can’t save Time to Die from that all-powerful album-breaker: boredom.
Overall, the record employs the same technique we remember from Visiter, and actually has superior production values, but never reaches the same memorable height that the first album did. The same specific issues are present on more than a few of the album’s nine songs. (more…)
