Tricot Machine - Tricot Machine (2007)

Living in a bilingual city like Ottawa, the importance of speaking French becomes more clear to me every day.  Admittedly, I don't listen to as much French music as I'd like to but every now and then, I hear about a band through the grapevine and usually, I'm quite pleased with what I get.  Tricot Machine's debut self-titled album is no exception to this rule.  What we have here is a very poppy/ballady album from the Québecois duo of Catherine Leduc and Matthieu Beaumont.  The melodies are simple yet beautiful.  The majority of the album is piano driven but once in a while extra instrumentation is thrown in such as banjo on the track "Super Ordinaire" or trumpets on "Un Monstre Sous Mon Lit".  Drums are sometimes even exempt from select tracks in favour of stomps and hand claps to keep the rhythm.  Luckily, if you haven't guessed from the song titles, the band don't take their music too seriously as many lyrics are lighthearted or comedic in nature, but not to the point of over the top ridiculousness the likes of Les Trois Accords.  The album clocks in at just over 40 minutes but seems to fly by in a moment's notice acting as a great little distraction from reality.  They currently have a new album out called La Prochaine Étape which I also intend to review in the not too distant future.  If you've been enamored by acts like Coeur de Pirate, Immaculate Machine or even Mates Of State then this is right up your alley.

www.myspace.com/tricotmachine

Weekend - Sports (2010)

Fans of Sonic Youth or No Age may enjoy these newcomers, who are straight out of San Francisco.  Sports, Weekend's debut is a garage rocker through and through.  These guys are no strangers to distortion, fuzz, reverb or feedback.  They lay it on thickly and proudly but not so much as to turn the listener right off.  In fact, if anything, it helps to create layers or waves of sound that blend right into the tracks.  These guys are also able to create such luscious melodies that don't seem to fight the noise; they rather go with the flow of things.  Best put, singer Shaun Durkan has stated: "Our goal has always been to balance the abrasive qualities of punk and noise with something more introspective and vulnerable. Creating that simultaneous push and pull. Like the beauty of an oil fire."  There is always a driving drum beat or guitar riff in each track which keeps the record moving.  Never a dull moment with perhaps the exception of track "Monday Morning" which is a slow builder that never gets around to picking up the pace.  Overall I'd say this is a promising debut from a band to look out for in the future as their fan-base is growing rapidly.

www.myspace.com/weekendmusic

The War On Drugs - Future Weather EP (2010)

This is the second EP from Philadelphia-based band The War On Drugs.  Their 2008 full-length debut for label Secretly Canadian entitled Wagonwheel Blues became a success and the band began to gain some exposure.  That of course could have also been due to band member Kurt Vile's rising fame as a solo artist.  On their most recent outing, the band features a revamped lineup, as many original members exited the band.  Most importantly, The War On Drugs no longer have Kurt Vile as a member which can be a blessing and a curse.  While it's great to be able to namedrop Kurt Vile's name as a former member, parting with one of their main songwriters the band could have easily flopped.  Fortunately they came out on top and this new EP is great.  The band is easily capable of blending Americana, rock 'n roll, country, folk and pop all into a tight-knit package.  There is some nice harmonica work on "Baby Missiles" as well as some nice guitar work and soloing on "Comin' Through", some nice chorus on an acoustic guitar throughout "A Pile Of Trees" and the album ends on an epic 8-minute song entitled "The History Of Plastic".  I hope that despite being without Vile that his name-dropping is enough for these guys to continue to be noticed and to give them the ability to carry on without him.  This quick EP is only to hold off fans looking for more as apparently a new full-length is on the way.  If it happens to sound anything like this, count me in!

www.myspace.com/thewarondrugs

AIDS Wolf - March To The Sea (2010)

The last time I gave AIDS Wolf a listen it left a bad taste in my mouth.  I thought I'd give them another chance as I'm all for noise-rock, I do listen to my fair share of it but I still just can't wrap my head around what AIDS Wolf do.  I'll give the band credit for stepping up the production value on this album as everything seems less mashed together.  Each instrument is clearly heard and the vocal tracks are much more distinct but it's still the most annoying noise-rock you've ever heard.  Guitars play hammer-on after hammer-on of squeaked high-pitched notes and harmonics and the drums are just sheer chaos and all over the place.  There is a consistency to it all but nothing that would qualify as a traditional song.  Lead vocalist Chloe Lum (a.k.a. Special Deluxe) comes off as a wannabe Karen O. of the Yeah Yeahs Yeahs through her whiny singing and wailing.  The title of the first track on the album, "Teach Me To Suffer", gives the best impression of what's to come.  The album culminates with a final 10-minute long track entitled "Very Friendly" which is by far the least annoying and most accomplished track of the whole lot.  Fortunately the album overall only clocks in at around 24 minutes.  I'll give the band some credit for being fellow Canadians (straight out of Montreal) who are attempting to do something different but I can't foresee this album warranting any repeat listens.

www.myspace.com/aidswolf



Lustmord - [ O T H E R ] (2008)

Unless one is into dark ambient music, this is a tough album to sit through.  For a little more than an hour the audience is subjected to low, extended bass rumbles with no drums and some guitar.  The British artist Lustmord, real name Brian Williams, has recruited some big names when it comes to dark music.  Who better to understand the process than guitarists such as Aaron Turner of Isis, Adam Jones of Tool and second-time collaborator (after the Lustmord featuring Melvins album, Pigs of the Roman Empire), King Buzzo.  Turner features on the song "Element" but goes virtually unnoticed.  Adam Jones seems to be the most present of the 3 guitar players adding his usual drop-d tuning touch to songs like the 22-minute long "Godeater" and 8-minute tracks "Dark Awakening" and closer "Er Eb Us".  The album starts off very slow and never really takes off, I guess it's what you should expect from an ambient album.  King Buzzo incorporates some of his notable guitar work into the track "Prime [Aversion]".  However, the use of guest musicians is fairly squandered.  Their guitar riffs never take off or go anywhere and yet their sounds are distinct enough to tell who's playing.  Some of these guitarists are known for their intricate riffs and melodies but there is nothing difficult about what they play.  It is no surprise to see Aaron Turner on this release due to the album being released on his own Hydra Head Records and Adam Jones comes as even less of a surprise.  You may find some of this work to sound very similar to the track "10,000 Days" from the album of the same name by Tool since Lustmord is featured on the intro to the track.  [ O T H E R ] left me feeling cold and isolated, there are no joyful moments or anything soothing to be found on this album.  If you're looking for something different or unusual and are prepared to end an album on a bit of a downer, then look no farther than this.

www.myspace.com/lustmord

Girl Talk - All Day (2010)

Girl Talk returns with his fifth album entitled All Day and best of all it's a free download.  If you're a classic rock fan, this album grabs you from the opening note.  Doing his usual blending of rock and hip-hop mash-ups the album kicks things off with Black Sabbath's "War Pigs" with some Ludacris over top.  People familiar with DJ Greg Gillis' work will know his love of Radiohead and therefore won't be disappointed due to the use of Radiohead tracks "Creep" and "Idioteque" in the mix.  With familiar throwbacks like the usage of Spacehog's "In The Meantime" or Terror Squad's "Lean Back", it's like a trip through time.  My only dilemma with Gillis' album, as per usual, is by the time you get a feel for a specific song (especially one you haven't heard in a long time) it's already over and then you feel obliged to haul out that old album and listen to the song in full.  The general complaint I seem to be hearing about this album is the fact that Gillis seems to be playing it safe lately with the use of far more well-known tracks.  In the past, Girl Talk has used more obscure samples, delving into indie rock and rap.  I suppose with the onset of fame, Gillis felt the need to bring pop culture to the forefront of his music and play more things people know and want to hear.  At the very least in the company of others, it makes for several "oh I know that song!" moments.  Fans of classic Girl Talk may be disappointed however, if you're less picky about your music, make sure to listen to the album beginning to end (as it flows like one track) to get the full effect.  From there enjoy hearing some of the funnest mash ups of the year; some of the tracks will surely put a smile on your face.  Gillis has once again created something equally appealing to rock fans and hip-hop fans alike.

The album  is available to download for free at:
http://illegal-art.net/allday/

www.myspace.com/girltalk

Sufjan Stevens - Enjoy Your Rabbit (2001)

Sufjan Steven's follow-up to A Sun Came is probably not what you would expect, especially if you've heard his other albums.  Fans of Sufjan's music will be most comfortable with tracks like "Year of the Dragon" which is by far the closest-sounding thing to anything on an album like Illinois.  The project is based on the Chinese zodiac and features names for tracks like "Year of the Ox", "Year of the Tiger" and "Year of the Asthmatic Cat" (a pun on the name of his record label, Asthmatic Kitty).  The album seems to be an experimental phase for Stevens as the majority of the album is filled with glitches, beeps and boops.  It is very electronic-sounding and instrumental save for a few oohs and ahhs here and there.  Sufjan goes as far as using autotune on the track "Year of the Dog".  If you're able to sit through the first half of the album, it seems to get better as it goes on.  Some of the most rewarding tracks come towards the end of the album and include short acoustic guitar riffs.  With each song the album seems to progress and create its own flow.  It's an odd release for Sufjan and yet it seems to strangely fit into his catalogue.  As his albums show, Sufjan has proven he's not afraid to try new things.

www.myspace.com/sufjanstevens