5.01.2015

End of the Month Music Bitchfest - April 2015

They Might Be Giants

Pretty sure there will never be as amazing of a month with regards to TMBG as this April.
FUCK YOU, GRAMMAR AND SYNTAX!

Dial-A-Song Round Up! pt. 4

"End of the Rope" is the first time in a while the music and lyrics have been so in sync. Dark and desperate. There's nothing quirky here. Great track.

I would gladly give my right arm if "Thinking Machine" is going to be the flavor of TMBG's upcoming kids' album*. It's dark in a funky way and genuinely hilarious. Plus, it's John and John, the way it was meant to be. This is the one of the first DAS tracks in a while not off their new album. Really nice 8-bit/glitch art video as well.

"All the Lazy Boyfriends" is yet another summer-scented Flansburgh gem from Glean. There's such accessibility to this...

Finally, a truly interesting piece to close out the month with "Impossibly New". It feels folksy and forest-y and old, striking in its strangeness.
Sounds a little bit like their cover of "Savoy Truffle". The first honest to goodness duet since in years and I love it for that reason.

Sunday the 26th was TMBG's Glean record release party at the Williamsburg Hall of Music, where they played just over half of the new album. While there were some great stand out moments, fantastic, really, this wasn't my favorite of their Brooklyn Stand shows. A more detailed review (WITH PICTURES!!!!) is here and the review of the album is here.

Also, no big deal, the video I did (directed and starred in) for the "Erase" music video contest was picked as one of the three winners by Black Francis of The Pixies.

And I just interviewed John Linnell. Yeah. Never mind.

Eels

On the 14th, Eels released their sixth live album/third concert film, Royal Albert Hall. Review is here.

New album announcement should be along shortly.

I also had a chance to spend some time with the new Squarepusher, Damogen Furies and I much dig it. There's an abundance of space and light here as opposed to the frantic, claustrophobic darkness usually on offer from Jenkinson. There seems to be more nuance or simply just more room in which to enjoy said nuance. "Baltang Ort" takes place in a factory where they make lightning and tin foil. After hours. "Exjag Nives" is a tour of the entire galaxy in just under five and a half minutes. "D Fronzent Aac", the closer, is a dark cathedral constructed from microchips. Furies can sound a bit clubby at times, specifically on "Kontenjaz", but it's never enough to really take you out of it.

I also decided to listen to Meghan Trainor's Title, because, I am, on occasion, curious and open-minded with regards to music.

Jesus, there is so much sincere positivity on this album...makes me feel like I shouldn't be listening to it in New York City. It's exhausting. While a few songs tend to blur into one another in a bit of a sweet, doo-wop haze, everything else is so adorable and well produced and catchier than wildfire. There's, like, six singles on this album..."Walkashame", "Bang Dem Sticks", "Title", "Lips Are Movin'", Christ, I'm dancing just thinking about them.
Plus, the nickname "M Train" is so cute I want to die.
Oh, and it's just hilarious that people think Meghan Trainor is fat.
Sorry.
Not "hilarious", I meant "sickening".
Fucking people.

More next month, go now.





* And it very well might be...