Psychadelic Horseshit ~ Shitgaze Anthems ~ 5/11/09 ~ Woodsist

RIGHT HAND:

“If we could think clearly at all/what the hell is going on” a lyric from ‘Dreadlock Paranoia’ that sums this listening experience up. You may not know what the hell is going on and clear thinking is difficult at times because the sonic blitzkrieg (‘Ad Infinity’) these guys bring – but who need to think or know when the record shows Psychedelic Horseshit has just dropped a seething killer on us. ‘Are you on Glass’ is too much fun to miss.

LEFT HAND:

I wrote music in college too, but then grew out of it to write good music. The words are witty, but seem a little forced at times. I don’t see myself listening to this again.

Peaches ~ I Feel Cream ~ 5/5/09 ~ XL Recordings

LEFT HAND:

The track, “I Feel Cream” is boring. HOWEVER, the rest of the album is the Peaches who we all have come to love or hate depending on your status in the music community.

Magik Markers ~ Balf Quarry ~ 5/5/09 ~ Drag City

RIGHT HAND:

Magik Markers is psychotic. Slyly psychotic. They’re the kind of psychotic that gains your trust before betraying you. ‘Balf Quarry’ is threatening and inviting, alarming and soothing, simply calculated, sometimes scary. It’s a good bit of drone noise and electric guitar experimentation stoner rock. The lyrics made this for me – the music gets boring at times. I’ll try it again at the end of the year.

LEFT HAND:

First track I just heard psychedelic stoner noise, like Bardo Pond–I thought it was last the whole album. Next track, far more involved. I like her voice. I don’t know, it’s really mid-90s college radio to me. I don’t hate it, but I don’t see myself recommending this to anyone.

Double Dagger ~ More ~ 5/5/09 ~ Thrill Jockey

RIGHT HAND:

A refreshing record, in that, I thought we were totally passed this sound. I did not expect at all that this was still happening. I was excited to see such an old horse still busy at work. Double Dagger is really good emo. It was like seeing a freak show – who is still working on emo?? Double Dagger is. They’ve got good feeling and a big furious sound and you’ll think back fondly on your hardcore dance-floor days, singing your heart out and fighting up for a mic. It’s that kind of emo. So, you get the picture. If you want to relieve your first pit experiences this is the place to do it. Me, I checked out a long time ago. Great album but I’d never listen to it again.

LEFT HAND:

I appreciate that this is a fuzzy recording unlike many current fuzzy recordings. This album seems to be able to demonstrate the noisiness of each instrument instead of fuzzing out a master track (which is what most everyone else’s stuff sounds like this year whether they actually do that or not). This is not my style but I do think that this isn’t a bad album. The words are a little embarrassing at times, but the voice is so low into the mix, you can ignore the content enough to rock out.

Eels ~ Hombre Lobo: 12 Songs of Desire ~ 6/2/09 ~ Vagrant

LEFT HAND:

Kinda real regular sounding. Kind of Beck-esque in a distracting way.

Sonic Youth ~ The Eternal ~ 6/9/09 ~ Matador Records

LEFT HAND:

It’s kind of regular, but not bad. I’m glad it’s not bad.

RIGHT HAND:

Nothing new from your favorite band of ‘pioneers’. It’s far less embarrassing then their last two efforts – which is a positive review. My official is the same review I’ve been giving for too many SY albums in recent years: “More Kim, Less Thurston would solves this records problems”. Maybe I should stick to Free Kitten albums. Do reviews really matter with a band as big as SY? The fans will support their artists, completists will be driven by sickness to purchase the latest, and people who don’t know will continue to not know. Unless we get another hit – like ‘Incinerate’. Why so negative? In short – you’ve already heard this album / you already enjoyed it/ this time the words are different/ still SY.

Metric ~ Fantasies ~ 4/14/09 ~ Last Gang

LEFT HAND:

If Ladytron knew how to write songs they might be Metric. Beside wanting to take a cheap shot at Ladytron, I’d like to note that Metric isn’t really my style. I think there might be a few pretty good songs on here, but I don’t know. The singer’s sound is readily replaceable and lines like “cupid stuck me with a sickness” and “pull your arrows out and let me live my life” in the track “Sick Muse” don’t really appeal to me and I doubt anyone else I know would tolerate that kind of talk. If you are into stock imagery and generic content, I might be able to help you by recommending this, but I can’t. I just don’t see myself putting this on ever again.

Art Brut ~ Art Brut vs Satan ~ 4/20/09 ~ Rough Trade

LEFT HAND:

I expected to hate this, but I kinda like it. I imagine I’ll get over it not to long from now, but there’s something about the niave honesty of the lyrics are humorous and catchy (not just because repetition is key in this group although it tends to seem like they’re lazy with writing) as in the track “The Replacements.” It’s fun, get it if you’re in a good mood and aren’t expecting a ground breaking full length.

RIGHT HAND:

Snotty. Just like the Dead Boys, only 30 years later. Keeping the spirit alive and you can’t knock that. Vocals remind me of The Stranglers. Good fun but 10 songs might have been a good idea over 13 … eventually you start to wonder “have I already heard this song?”

Crystal Antlers ~ Tentacles ~ 4/7/09(?) ~ Touch and Go Records

LEFT HAND:

Not Crystal Stilts, not The Antlers, but the Crystal Antlers. I don’t hate it. I actually kind of like it at times. I can’t really put my finger on what I like about it so this is going to be difficult. I think the music but I think the blaring vocals don’t do everything for the songs that the band thinks they do. It might make for a better live performance, but it gets a little tiresome when you’re listening to the the album beginning to end.

Woods ~ Songs of Shame ~ 4/14/09 ~ Woodist

RIGHT HAND:

Freak folk psych with some spine, these guys aren’t afraid to plug in and teach those trust fund hippies that you can be a quiet weirdo while still maintaining your sense of experimentation and adventure. This is honestly the first band to qualify as freak folk that I enjoy on any level – I’m looking right at you Sufjan. I may say more later. I’m really digging this, which is out of character for me.

LEFT HAND:

Hippies. At first I really dug the scratchey, folky, singalong in the first track; it really felt nice and the music was comfortable. Then I allowed myself to be pulled in by the friendliness that the music exudes. Once I was half way through the album, I realized I was stuck in a huge hippie cult jam and their was no way out. I shook it off and kept walking, but the exits were sealed and even if I tried to leave, there were just woods in every direction–where would I go? If you are lost and need to find a way, take a walk with the Woods, just don’t plan on returning home.