Top 10 Albums of December 2011

"You know I think it's pretty well said that the music industry pretty much shuts down half way through December when no one's buying Christmas presents any more. Than there's those independent artists who are smart enough to release something in the last week so people can make use of their gift cards.
- Austin Lovelace"
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1. The Roots - Undun

- Austin Lovelace

2. Jonsi - We Baught a Zoo

- Joel Duplessis

3. The Bulletproof Tiger - You Wanna Kiss About it?

-Austin Lovelace

4. Nujabes -Spiritual State

- Joel Depulessis

5. Of Monsters And Men - Into the Woods

-Joel Duplessis

6. The Black Keys - El Camino

- Austin Lovelace


7. Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor -Girl With the Dragon Tatoo

- Joel Duplessis

8.Trash Talk - Awake

-Austin Lovelace

9.Moon Wiring Club - Clutch it Like a Gonk

As I listen to this album, I’m like... «What am I doing here?» and then I’m like «oh that's right, /mu/ brought me here»... Thank you people of /mu/! As I was saying this album is obviously not everybody’s cup of tea, and I didn't really jump easily into it too. I think this album doesn’t really deserve to be in this list, but because it sounds so different from all other electronic music, we’re gonna let it slide.For the most part of this intriguing electronic experimental album, I found several negative things about it like, the way that most of the songs are just repeating itself over and over with the same sounds (witch are quite original, I have to say). The fact that the songs don’t really build up makes the, outrageous, fact that there are 22 tracks on the album hard to understand. There seems to be no reason for that when 3/4s of the tracks don’t make sense and the don’t build up to anything substantial so I just end up asking myself why they didn't just put all of the songs in a Misc. pile. Just like a huge song that nobody understands, witch is basically what this album is all the way through. Not much really comes out of it for me except being satisfied enough by the amazing quality, the trippy effects and the monologues (that sometimes are just thrown out there, just floating everywhere, and repeating just because it can).

For the production part of this album, I really think it was amazing and who ever is behind it must be a genious. So much creativity behind it, that I’ll just leave that, here, for you to listen and to enjoy. On the positive side of this album (because I think I bashed it very well enough already); in the song «spellcasting summat», witch is the most apreceated work in all of this, the beat is incredibly deep and built to stay tough and to never let go of the rythmic value. They could actually go on for up to 10 minutes straight with the same beat and I’d probably be somewhere between clicking on the repeat button and holding tightly to my headphones to catch every little glitching beat on there.

Now, the panning that they have in most of their songs is really impressive! Let me explain a little here, your usual music can go left and right... The music from this album can go sideways, slantways, longways and, backways, squareways, frontways and any other ways you can think of, but I don’t think they should have relied on that idea for the whole album. For the atmospheric part of this album, witch it is the whole album, there could be more impressive things to try than what they used, but a part of me understands a little too. I really have no idea if I’m dreaming, or just lost in the sounds witch it leads me to experience. What it does sound like is a schizophrenia in deep thought.

I think it is interesting, but I just want to say that who ever is listening to this needs to understand something, it is going to get out of there feeling even more empty than before. Oh and if Moon Wiring Club is reading this right now I just wanted to say: «your music is really hard to listen to. I’ve heard about it, but it took me quite a while to get my hand on your album, like, just saying, why not spread it around a bit?»

Rating: 6.7/10

Written by: Joel Duplessis

Edited by: Austin Lovelace...

10. Wolf Gang - Suego Faults

I'm guessing that a band like Wolf Gang really needs no introduction given their sudden jump into fame after only releasing one album. I'm not in fear to admit that this album, that I'm reviewing, is just a rerelease of an album from early July (because I couldn't find anything better for the 9 spot in this list) this month. As far as I can tell it's the same album as it was back in July so I don't see why it was rereleased other than the online publicity on the blogs but none the less we are dealing with an indie electronica/rock project from the artist Max McElligott.

I don't want that first paragraph to portray my opinion on this album but at the same time don't expect anything spectacular from either. On first listen, I thought this album was a very original rendition of an already popular sound but a first impression is just a first impression. You are going to hear some indie rock with electronic layering going in and out of these tracks like you would on any record from "Bombay Bicycle Club" or "Foster The People" but even more so. I do enjoy those projects every once in a while but their songs seem to just wear on each other making for an album listen that is boring when you listen to it all the way through. Once the catchiness wears off there is nothing left; this album doesn't change that idea as much as it supports it by trying to be even more popular by surrounding the instrumentation with so much electronics that it takes time, time you don't want to spend, to find the tune buried in the mix.

The production on this album is so over done at times that I can't decide if they really want you to hear his voice or blend it in with everything else and I mean everything else. I will say that the production is very forward and it knows what it wants but the big thing is I don't want to hear what it wants to highlight because if you listen hard enough he sounds like the "Mountan Goets" or maybe "The Dicebrists", in the most "Fountans of Wayne"/"Portugal. the Man" fashion, but the production is covering up any and all Folk Rock influences just to provide more and more catchiness (which is where the over all enjoyment comes out of this album anyway). Please don't let me forget the high falsetto voice. Either way, this album is made to sound good, only in a song by song format so I just don't see this as an album listen whether even though the songs are in the same style.

The lyrics in these songs have their moments, but just like all projects you don't expect mind blowing lyrics for every moment, in every song, and in every project but for what it is, this album hits the lyrical mark well. Now of course, it's pop music and there is a lot of lyrics about relationships and drama. It's lines like "When the time moves faster than a bullet from a gun, when we're secretly unraveling, coming undone. When you're looking all around but you just don't see, why won't you lay down your little heart for me?", and in the song "Something Unusual", or "I see you in another place I extract a familiar face The city joins us with hands of grace Hands free there are no castrates Just a normal _ you see The illusion of you and me Illusions come illusions go And if you leave you'll never go on", in the song "Lions in Cages" that are creative enough to keep me from rolling my eyes but they don't stop regular verses like this: "In the city Where I'm from Lions in cages just for fun But you will passé around your cage And wait for night to come" , on the same song, from popping up to fill space on the track and let the listener sing along. I think the only real problem I have with the lyrics are the hooks, uuuuggggghhhhh they want to make me throw up. It seems stupid to believe that he can't write something better than "Who's gonna get up after were gone? Who's gonna get up after we've fallen? Who's gonna pick up what we've done wrong? Who's gonna get up after were gone?", on "Lions in Cages". That's about as good as it gets. The worst thing is that the songs are all structured as intro, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, instrumental, chorus, verse, then outro structure so you have to hear it over and over again before you get through the song.  I know I only took the first two songs but there is nothing on this record that changes the formula that the first two songs show except for one; the only song that does change it, is the song "Dancing With The Devil" were the lyrics are consistently great, the instrumentation shines, and the song structure is creative as hell. Over all, it's easy to sing along with and at times even witty but I can't help but groan a little when I hear the choruses come in and out over and over.

If you're looking for an indie pop quick fix, I see no reason not to listen to this and at the same time, I see no reason to never come back to it, because it's a really fun record and worth at least one listen. I think without saying and without having to summarize everything, I've already said, this definitely falls under the heading that "it is what it is", so if you like what it is, then go for it.

Rating: 6/10
Written by: Austin Lovelace
Edited by: Joel Duplessis and Austin Lovelace

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