Hear This..."Chinatown" Destroyer

      For me, the word Chinatown can only bring to mind the 1974 Roman Polanski film of the same name.  It's an excellent movie but very dark and unsettling.  The word only brings to mind images of the film's notorious ending and final words whose utterance can leave shivers down your spine.  I liked the movie, but its one that can keep you up all night thinking about it.
      Thankfully the Canadian indie pop band, Destroyer, gave me a new meaning to the word with the release of their song "Chinatown" off their 2011 album Kaputt.  In comparison, the song is much more relaxed than the film.  Its a hybrid song thats background of indie pop is mixed with elements of chill-wave and jazz.  Unlike most indie songs, "Chinatown" complete's itself with a casual  brass solo.  Vocals are shared by front man  Dan Bejar and female singer Sibel Thrasher who comes in singing the phrase "I can't walk away at all."
      Maybe its a clever reference to Polanski's film.  I don't want to spoil the ending to any of those who haven't seen it, but Chinatown ends with Jack Nicholson's character, Detective J.J. Gittes, reluctantly being escorted away from the crime scene.  "Forget it Jake, its Chinatown."  Thankfully for music fans, Destroyer has made a song that's so pleasing, it simply can't be forgotten.

Useless Clatter..."Lonely Boy" vs. "Gold On The Ceiling"

      For all that really mattered, Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney could have named their band "The Black Sheep."  Besides being relatively close to their actual name, The Black Keys, the band has always seemed to be the weird sibling in the family of modern rock 'n roll.  Not distinctly alternative rock that's heard on the radio or what used to be the antithesis of radio rock, indie rock- no The Black Keys are more intractable than that.  Along with Jack White's White Stripes, The Black Keys emerged as one of the top outputs of the 90s generation.  Their music was of the simpler sound, bent on catchy riffs and basic drum taps, echoing the early days of blues rock.  Both seemed to get by on the bare bones of rock 'n roll.

      And with the recent break up of The White Stripes, and Jack White constantly managing a handful of other projects, The Black Keys appear to be the front runner of this modern off-beat rock, until recently.   The Black Keys remained primarily under the radar through their first five albums but found recent mainstream success in 2010's Brothers and their latest album El Camino which recently held the #2 spot on the Billboard 200.  While The Black Key's made their name on raw blues-like rhythms, their latest efforts, especially El Camino, seem to be merging their old selves with styles reminiscent of  some of today's pop music.

      The two songs I had in mind were actually the album's two singles, "Lonely Boy" and "Gold on the Ceiling," and I can see why they were selected. If pop artists like Lady Gaga can have successful, catchy songs, why can't rock bands have the same?These two songs are faster, more up beat tracks that have you tapping your foot along in rhythm before you realize it.  To add, the lyrics seem more frequent and casual where singing along is encouraged and with that going you have a hit.  In this case, The Black Keys have two, those of which I can't decide which I like better.  Which do you prefer?

"Lonely Boy"- A Black Keys album has never started off sounding like this.  For El Camino  "Lonely Boy" replaces the drawn out, woeful sounding riffs in exchange for a flashy, confident set of notes that seem only appropriate to dance to.  Melodic chants and catchy yet simple refrains made this song an instant radio hit and setting the bar high for the album's remaining tracks.

"Gold on the Ceiling"- "Lonely Boy" really met its match with this song.  Dan and Pat revert back to their traditional garage rock sounds with a little bit of flair. Synthesized guitars lead the way while an organ chimes out subtly behinds its chorus.  Just like "Lonely Boy," this song's distinct and powerful refrain has a sing-a-long feel to it that'll have your approval in no time.

Audiovisuals...Wolf Parade's "Modern World" official video

      Everywhere we go, we are reminded what the human race is capable of doing.  Beginning with just a kite and a key, we have progressed from the inconceivable finding of electricity to those super compact, mega capable miniature computers we so modestly call cell phones.  And who would have guessed that less than 60 years after man first took flight in 1903 that we would be commanding missions into the frontiers of space.  It’s inconceivable. 

      But while innovation and modernity can seem to only possess an infinite number of blessings, I have a bunch here that think otherwise- they’re called Wolf Parade.  The song “Modern World” is off their debut “Apologies to the Queen Mary” album.  In it, the ultimate response they have towards the objects we so compulsively obsess over in our modern world are not of admiration and honor, but of disdain and scorn.  A question they want an answer to is simply ‘why?’  What is the need and when will we stop?  Their video seems to see the end of humanity as inevitable.  The end though is not a robo-pocalypse that sends all humans to their demise but more of a spiritual existence and characters that will see its end in all of us. 

      Being stop motion and animated, the video’s overall message and abilities are no way hindered.  There is a genuine sympathy these men deserve as they look across the way into the harrowing monotony of the factory, a cornerstone image of our modern world.  Technology- with it we are doomed, but then again, we wouldn’t have this video without it.

+Below was the top Youtube user comment from the video that I felt nicely sums up the feel of "Modern World":

"Machines will replace the human spirit.  Its a sad truth of our lifestyle.  People see money, and then they mas produce.  Then even more factories pop up.  Hey, I'm sorry, but you don't have a job anymore.  This robot here can do it ten times better.  You're left in the street because of greed.  There will ALWAYS be human spirit, but it will continue to be smothered to the point where it doesn't show."  -L07EK 1 year ago 23 

Hear This...Porcelain Raft's "Strange Weekend" LP

Listen to the new Porcelain Raft LP "Strange Weekend"  before its release on January 24th.


+ Streaming availability courtesy of The Hype Machine

Hear This... David Lynch Remixes Zola Jesus' "In Your Nature"

This is a post I wrote for my music blog, TUNEclatter, and aside from it being a song, I fgured it carried some film relevance worth reposting.

       To give comparison, Zola Jesus sounds a tad similar to Britain's ever dominant Adele.  They both have generally deep voices and have the ability to belt it out in their songs, screaming with the perfect pitch.  Adele maybe arguably the most popular female vocalist out right now, but Zola Jesus might not be too far behind.  Her song “In Your Nature” sounds like an avant Florence + the Machine track, only sung by Adele, not to say that Zola is just a copy of these two because she’s not. 

      More importantly, a remixed version has recently been created by legendary auteur David Lynch.  One of my favorite filmmakers, David Lynch is a true artist and one of the best of our time.  Mostly recognized as the creator of such cult favorites like Erasherhead, Blue Velvet and the hit show Twin Peaks, David Lynch has also established himself as a painter, musician and even furniture designer.

      His remix of Zola Jesus’ song “In Your Nature” is really something.  I’m almost never a fan of remixes, but in this case I find myself preferring the remix over the original.  It was a close call but I got to hand it to David Lynch for creating this.  It’s not the kind of remix that is sped up and with a faster bass pedal where the chorus is just repeated 10 times or something.  This remix is nothing of that sort; Lynch actually slows the song down.  What really works for this song and gives it its success is the minimalist approach Lynch took while working with the song.  Combined with those Florence and Adele elements, Lynch’s small touch gives the song a mystical sort of dreamy feel to it.  I could see it as a perfect ending to one of his surrealist films from back in the 80s.  Like if Blue Velvet had some sort of warm, reassuring ending

Audiovisuals...Official Video for Tennis' "Deep in the Woods"

      In anticipation of their upcoming release, I thought of it to post an official video for Tennis’ new single “Deep in the Woods.” Their sophomore LP Old & Young comes out February 14th.  For the record, the duo that makes up Tennis has quite an adorable story behind them. They met while taking a philosophy course together in college and in no time, Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley got married. Shortly after, the two dropped everything for a nine month sailing expedition out around the Eastern Atlantic Seaboard. And then of course, they formed the band, named themselves Tennis and began writing cute songs about the sun and the ocean and love.

      But the music video for "Deep in the Woods" shows nothing of the sort. Their light hearted, sea-filled lyrics were replaced by thoughts of violence and destruction- “I’ll bring down this house...”- that’s not like them. The worst part of course was listening to these twisted thoughts being projected from the sweet and sincere voice of Alaina Moore. Sounding not so bad anymore, “Deep in the Woods” is one of those songs that if you're intently listening to the lyrics, which in this case are about burning houses and burying loved one, you won’t mind it at all.  In your head, the song just passes off as adorable.
      With that being said, we can observe this wonderfully cheery video of two people in love with some new light and not discard the large amount of blood that’s seen amidst the smiling faces. On the topic of blood, the final shot of the video shows one of the female character’s faces as she sits behind the fire. Such evil symbolism arises with that single shot. Its recalls a shot used in the 2007 film There Will Be Blood to frame the main character/antagonist Daniel Plainview. I thought it was pretty clever and could only find it suiting.

+ I posted the video for “Deep in the Woods” below and below that you will find the shot from There Will Be Blood, which looks quite like the music video’s final shot.
+Also, get the lyrics in this link

Useless Clatter...TUNEclatter Presents FILMclatter

      Yes the title is a bit redundant in its use of 'clatter' but it’s all I could think of and in the end, gets the point across.  Besides this blog, I actually run another one so I figured I could give a shout here to promote it.  Instead of music, the topic on FILMclatter is of course movies.  If anything you read here amuses you, check out FILMclatter.  The only difference between the two is their subjects and color way. Literally everything else, from their layout down to the specific categories, is essentially the same.

      Why I ended up going with two blogs I'm not really sure. For one, posting on the same page would make me look like a better blogger, having new posts more frequently. Music and movies together would make me look more eclectic too, oh well. (I guess here’s my redeeming chance then.) Regardless, I decided to separate the two and here they stand without regret. In the end, I guess it's the same reasoning for having two e-mail accounts- I feel more important checking them both.

      So if movies interest you as well, check it out- filmclatter.blogspot.com

Useless Clatter...2012 Album Releases (Jan-Mar)

      What many people look forward to in the New Year is the idea of a fresh start.  The physical act of swapping last year’s calendar, covered in ink and scribble marks of varying importance in exchange for a brand new, never been touched replacement can be both reassuring and gratifying.  Resolutions are made and become one’s priority for the next couple weeks (or days...) in an effort to begin the new year on the right foot.  Regardless, the new year always comes forth with its fair share of optimism. 

      For me, the joy of a new year comes in the form of music.  New artists will be found, making their mark on 2012, as well as albums from old time favorites discovered in years before.  I was in sixth grade when I was first introduced to the idea that the only two things certain in life are death and taxes.  Be that as it may, I have compiled below a list of albums whose release dates have been certified by various sources around the web.  The albums below are those that I am most looking forward to in the first three months of the new year- albums from bands that already make up my IPod. 

Of course, recommendations of similar artists not found on this list are always appreciated as the whole point of this blog is discovering music.

+ Updates, singles and other album previews will surely follow

Five Songs From...The Brian Jonestown Massacre

      This is a new feature I am starting today titled 'Five Songs From...' in which I take one particular artist and post five songs from various albums throughout their career.  They are not always their best songs, or even the most popular of their music, but together they form a sort of musical timeline, outlining the band's career, style and sound that have developed over the years.

=====================================

      I start the series off with one of, if not my favorite band, The Brian Jonestown Massacre.  Formed in 1995 in San Francisco by front man Anton Newcombe, this band has had a staggering amount of former members in its history.  Some 40 different musicians have passed through its ranks, with Newcombe as the only constant.  This fact leads to the thinking that Anton must be a difficult person to work with judging from some of his peculiar media statements and shocking on-stage antics.  In fact, Anton's colorful and rebellious character was taken to the big screen in a documentary about The Brian Jonestown Massacre titled DiG!, which won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival.  Newcombe however, denotes the film for its inaccurate portrayal of him.

      As this all may be true, The Brian Jonestown Massacre have never let their critical reception become a distraction from making music.  Their creative output is unmatched, going beyond the industry norms releasing 10 albums in their first 10 years.  But while their efficiency is impressive, the band's creative blend of multiple sounds and styles stands above all.  In terms of genre, they have attacked rock from all angles being defined as indie, folk, psych, shoe gaze and experimental.  They are sometimes reminiscent of the early days of rock n' roll in Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones while other times sounding more like a techno-pop mash-up made on some kid's computer. Yes, to be said, The Brian Jonestown Massacre are truly one-of-a-kind.