Sprikled Reviews II

6.8 | Cold Cave - Death Comes Close [Ep]
7.2 | Four Tet - Love Cry [7"]
7.4 | Bibio - The Apple And The Tooth
7.5 | Asobi Seksu - Rewolf
8.1 | Blockhead - The Music Scene

Full reviews returning next week!

Sprikled Reviews

5.3 | Weezer - Raditude
5.8 | Atlas Sound - Rough Trade [Ep]
5.9 | Broadcast & The Focus Group - Investigate Witch Cults Of The Radio Age [Ep]
6.1 | James Husband - A Parralax I
6.2 | Taxi Taxi! - Still Standing At Your Back Door
6.6 | Deadmau5 - For Lack Of A Better Name
6.7 | Ben Gibbard & Jay Farrar - One Fast Move Or I'm Gone [OST]
6.8 | Tegan and Sara - Sainthood
6.9 | To Kill A Petty Bourgeoisie - Marlone
7.1 | Dirty Projectors - Temecula Sunrise [Ep]
7.2 | Cotton Jones - Rio Ranger [Ep]
7.2 | Julian Casablancas - Phrazes For The Youth
7.3 | Land of Talk - Fun and Laughter [Ep]
7.5 | Devendra Banhart - What Will We Be
7.8 | LAKE - Let's Build A Roof
8.2 | White Rainbow - New Clouds
8.5 | The Mary Onettes - Islands

Full, updated reviews to come in a couple weeks...

HIATUS

Mini reviews to be sprinkled here and there. I'll be back at Thanksgiving at the latest.

Trailer Of The Week

Me And Orson Welles
Richard Linklater
CinemaNX



November 25, 2009
(Limited)

Finding That There Ain't No Answer To Find

The Flaming Lips
Embryonic
October 2009 | Warner Brothers
---------- 6.1 <--> 8.6 ----------

I'm going to start off by saying that in order to fully appreciate this album, you must, must must MUST be in the mood for it and expect what the possibilities and circumstances involved may be beforehand. Going in headfirst as I naïvily did a couple weeks ago will leave you with a worst taste in your mouth than accidentally drinking orange juice after brushing your teeth. Embryonic, oh Embryonic. This is a tricky, terrifying album and I can't seem to warn enough. For those expecting "Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots Part III", just turn and start running in the opposite direction. This is rough. This is jagged. This is strange. This is The Flaming Lips and this is my rant...

Since the beginning of time.....just kidding. Really, however, since the dawn at least of Wayne, Steven and Michael's sticky rise to pop success, they've had their inner ambitious noise-punk backings hidden in their back-back-catalog under their cosmic blanket of decaying bunnies and laser-guided heart rockets. For those two dozen people who actually have heard their early recordings, it's safe to agree it's the stuff of nightmares. I've only heard snippets but honestly I can barely get past the album art. Therefore, alike 98% of others I've grow attached to the warm, cuddly, gloobily nonsensically sadistically cute nature and ways of the Oklahoma superheroes. Everything between At War With The Mystics and Transmissions From The Satellite Heart has not ever absolutely been against my side, rather some of my utmost joyous favorites are splashed in between that histogram. Still, this has been my comfort zone of moderately approachable psych pop. Embroynic has opened this gate.

I've listened to Embroynic about nine times now and not so different as the perception of Blade Runner or The Fountain in not only its division between undeniable brilliance and self-indulgent bullshit but additionally how one work of art can be perceived different ways at different times, by the same person. Without any sort of pattern, these nine listens have ranged my attention from utter frustration to eye-bulging mesmerization. Regardless, each listen has left me exhausted and shocked to the point of being ok with never hearing it again while yet I'm still drawn to its fascination and oddities enough so that another listen appears manditory until I have the most miniscule hint at 'getting it' even though attmittingly I believe this album is ultimately unattainable.

The songs and tone themselves can be attempted descriptively as the groups Clouds Taste Metallic track "Lightning Strikes The Postman" minus the gigantic scope but drunk on paranoia while spinning upside-down on its head mixed with the remainder lo-fidelity of that album plus Zaireeka and a brainwashed army of drums with finally everything spun backwards into an incoherent collage of psychedelic technicolor scrap-pile of gray diamonds and broken halos. Embryonic doesn't really have any stand-out and why should it? Yes, it flows quite nicely but still the tone is something that would be alright if it had no flow at all.

The sheer ambition of this album is astonishing, from the delirous fanatic states of their live preformances to their undeniably general mind-sticking melodies of super-hits, the fan perception of the group has left them in so much blind power, they could've released any album they pleased. Regardless, that's what they did, but they did so more heavily than anyone could've imagined. Embryonic will surface the true Flaming Lips fans up from under the spell of shiny theatrics and fun shout-alongs, and while I'm not admitting toward any grounded classification of my own fandom, Embryonic is the deciding point.

This is a tauntingly balsy move by the band, the label and even for the critics. This could cause break-ups, this could cause friendships, this could cause a plethora of artistic uprisings. We've awoken a monster. The world could be a strange place once this one settles in. For the meantime, listen to Embryonic. Just listen to it. Don't read anything. Don't read this (whoops). Just listen to it. Have your own take. Stick with it. Argue. Debate. Relate. Retaliate. Then, listen to it again and you'll find yourself changing your mind minutes into the hypnotically apocolyptic beautiful destruction that is Embryonic.

Have a nice day.

zip | The Flaming Lips - Embryonic (entire album)

Amazon | iTunes | Waffles | Lp

---------- Other Releases ----------
(2007) - 8.0 - U.F.O. at The Zoo [Live] | review
(2006) - 7.4 - At War With The Mystics
(2002) - 8.9 - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
(1999) - 9.4 - The Soft Bulletin
(1997) - 6.6 - Zaireeka
(1995) - 8.7 - Clouds Taste Metallic
(1993) - 7.6 - Transmissions From the Satellite Heart

Tell Me When You Hear My Heart Stop

Various Artists
Twilight: New Moon [OST]
October 2009 | Atlantic
---------- 7.1 ----------

Easily the best concept to come out the series, the soundtrack to the upcoming screech-inducing (either way you see it) sequel to Twilight, New Moon which inexplicably hosts more prestigious names in the indiverse (ugh, I just used the word 'indiverse') than a mid-level summer music festival name checking with the likes of Thom Yorke, Death Cab, Grizzly Bear, Bon Iver, St. Vincent, Victoria Legrad of Beach House, Lykke Li, Editors, Sea Wolf and most strikingly Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Therefore, its not all bad. In fact the two selected tracks are arguably among the best done by said artists. However, the inclusion of other groups, some phone-ins and other lackluster tracks all under the umbrella theme of Mormon teen vampire lust hampers down the overall thoroughness but still enough to minimally bond over with your little sister.

mp3 | Grizzly Bear - Slow Life (feat. Victoria Legrand)
mp3 | Lykke Li - Possibility

Amazon | iTunes | Waffles

*Fluttering*

Sufjan Stevens
The BQE
October 2009 | Asthmatic Kitty
---------- 7.6 ----------

Making much more sense than that recent Run Rabbit Run fiasco, the Chosen One of folk-pop, Señior Stevens releases his 2007 mixed media presentation about the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway incorporating film, orchestral movements and hula-hoops (because why not?) upon a disc of your very own. This is the closest to holding anyone over until the next state and even though there is never a word out of Steven's mouth upon this, it still has his name written all over it. The orchestral pieces display his knack of perpetual whirlwind upswellings and militia drums 'n' horns until a curve ball Enjoy Your Rabbit batch of electronica. Love it.

mp3 | Sufjan Stevens - Movement III: Linear Tableau With Intersecting Surprise
mp3 | Sufjan Stevens - Movement IV: Traffic Shock

Amazon | iTunes | Waffles | Lp

---------- Other Releases ----------
(2009) - 6.0 - Run Rabbit Run | review
(2006) - 7.6 - Songs For Christmas
(2006) - 7.7 - The Avalanche
(2005) - 9.4 - Illinois
(2004) - 8.6 - Seven Swans
(2003) - 8.8 - Michigan
(2001) - 7.5 - Enjoy Your Rabbit
(2000) - 7.2 - A Sun Came

Folks Dressed Up Like Eskimos

Bob Dylan
Christmas In The Heart
October 2009 | Columbia
---------- 6.2 ----------

I'm still laughing. I'm still confused.



mp3 | Bob Dylan - The Christmas Song

Amazon | iTunes | Waffles

What Did You See? What Did You Want?

Atlas Sound
Logos
October 2009 | 4AD / Kranky
---------- 8.4 ----------

Doing ambient pop right once again, Deerhunter leader Bradford Cox strays apart towards his honestly more compelling project Atlas Sound for another fantastically sonic album of bouncy noise. Drawing in collaborations with Animal Collective's Panda Bear (Noah Lennox) and Stereolab's Laetitia Sadier to make uniquely sandpaper pop over the course of a well-mixed 11 tracks. The album effortlessly sucks the listener in like a melodic visualizer of brilliant colors and waves without the glossy overgaze or even rather the striking harshness of others. Logos is a ride through the park with the blaring sun through the gaps in the leaves until you realize you're not riding anything, just simply floating along.

mp3 | Atlas Sound - Walkabout (feat. Panda Bear / Noah Lennox)
mp3 | Atlas Sound - Kid Klimax

Amazon | iTunes | Waffles | Lp

---------- Other Releases ----------
(2008) - 8.8 - Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel | review

---------- Related Releases ----------
(2009) - 6.1 - Deerhunter Rainwater Cassette Exchange [Ep] | review
(2008) - 8.1 - Deerhunter - Weird Era Cont.
(2008) - 8.6 - Deerhunter - Microcastle | review
(2007) - 7.6 - Deerhunter - Cryptograms | review

All This Useless Beauty

Alec Ounsworth
Mo Beauty
October 2009 | ANTI-
---------- 6.3 ----------

Remember him? He's sure not trying to be forgotten, after his primary group Clap Your Hands Say Yeah fell off the face of the planet with the abysmal (in comparison) Some Loud Thunder, frontman Ounsworth kept quiet. That is until last month, when an album under the moniker Flashy Python came and quickly went due to its not so flashy accompaniments. So here brings us Mo Beauty, the first 'official' 'solo' album from the David Byrne sound-alike and after everything its still nothing close to the magic of the initial debut to his songwriting talents. The album hurries itself along with snippets of unstructured scrabblings to compose as songs that indeed match the kooky tone of the vocal delivery, yet are not anything to stand as a sufficient songs in the first place.

mp3 | Alec Ounsworth - Modern Girls (...With Scissors)

------ *Link removed on request of ANTI- records* ------

Amazon | iTunes | Waffles | Lp

---------- Related Releases -----------
(2009) - 6.6 - Flashy Python - Skin and Bones | review
(2007) - 5.6 - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Some Loud Thunder | review
(2005) - 8.2 - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

Lyricless Post-Rock!

Do Make Say Think
Other Truths
October 2009 | Constellation
---------- 7.9 ----------

Ohad Benchetrit and the other resident Toronto post-rockers continue their unstoppable trend of impeccably solid albums since the beginning of the decade. Other Truths only furthers this by making post-rock pretty damn catchy, especially with the first track, "Do." Oh yeah, there are only four tracks of the album each roughly 10 minutes apiece, yet sequentially they are named, "Do," Make," "Say," and "Think." Oh, of course, and with the quality and consistency their fellows have maintained, they easily pull off the hokiness to the point where its clever.

mp3 | Do Make Say Think - Do

Amazon | iTunes | Waffles | Lp

---------- Other Releases ----------
(2007) - 7.5 - You, You're A History In Rust
(2003) - 8.3 - Winter Hymn Country Hymn Secret Hymn
(2002) - 8.0 - & Yet & Yet

---------- Related Releases ----------
(2009) - 7.9 - Years - Years | review
(2009) - 7.8 - Charles Spearin - The Happiness Project | review

How Come?

Thao & The Get Down Stay Down
Know Better Learn Faster
October 2009 | Kill Rock Stars
---------- 6.6 ----------

After a stellar inclusion to her catalog with 2008's We Brave Bee Stings And All, Thao collaborates with the still awesomely-named Get Down Stay Down for a follow-up after the popularity raise due to the previous record. Much was expected and unfortunately, little has been delivered. The new tunes take an undeniably duller, more generic stability. One of the feats of Bee Stings was the diversion throughout the record with bombastically folksy jams, adorable Feist-like triumphs and whimsical pop ditties. Here, everything has been muddled down to a common denominator that leaves the album as a disappointing, passable attempt until the album's finale, "Easy" which is the effortful highlight if you can get at the way through to it.

mp3 | Thao & The Get Down Stay Down - Easy

Amazon | iTunes | Waffles | Lp

---------- Other Releases ----------
(2008) - 8.4 - We Brave Bee Stings And All | review

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Fuck Buttons
Tarot Sport
October 2009 | ATP
---------- 8.7 ----------

Pqourbpouebt3 wponuv0835nv-q39b kqjnwrg9q035bgqiubrg9wbrg This is fantastic!!! pioeurngiqbrgip3 piwubvq 49bfqwirb wvbasoidbv w oiusbvphqw ev wdvipubq34v pawibdv pih rwfpwibsdpvib p uwrpiubqvpiwqrbvihb Whaaaaa! Opuibnwgpaeurnv 3w4vpoquerv! Qwvipubxcv werpgiubadf8v erfvalisuc8 4e vapsoucvb ruasoipfdviuon jellyfish wqrogunq94gpiuoqbsdv qewpgoiubsadpvijnqw 4424 fspiduvg w4f sfv0o8whr sdgnvefg.

mp3 | Fuck Buttons - Olympians <[Best of 2009]
mp3 | Fuck Buttons - The Lisbon Maru

Amazon | iTunes | Waffles | Lp

---------- Other Releases ----------
(2008) - 6.8 - Street Horrrsing | review

Whip Up Their Plastic Faces

Editors
In This Light And On This Evening
October 2009 | Kitchenware
---------- 6.8 ----------

I wonder what Ian Curtis would think of groups like Interpol, White Lies and Editors who have been making a living (and in some cases a grand living) based off mimicking his own, unique delivery in blatant mockery. But then again, to achieve such a devastatingly chilling tone, its hard to accomplish with any other vocal delivery. In This Light And On This Evening sees the Stafford group Editors continue on their Joy Division roadtrack after initiating with a quite acceptable post-rock beginnings. The new album is less bombastic as 2007's An End Has A Start and strives for a more heart wrenching theatrical dramatics with absolutely stark shadows of sound. Still, they seems to go too much towards somber solidarity rather than enticing brooding soundscapes and leaves the album somewhat empty and pale.

mp3 | Editors - Like Treasure

Amazon | iTunes | Waffles

---------- Other Releases ----------
(2007) - 7.3 - An End Has A Start | review
(2005) - 7.1 - The Back Room

Splicing Head Too Late

Au
Versions
October 2009 | Aagoo
---------- 7.7 ----------

Classically trained pianist turned freak-folk entrepreneur (his parents must be proud) Luke Wyland returns to his previous material as Au and covers his own tracks from their two prior albums. Versions contains alternate versions (surprise) that generally are more heightened and boisterous than the original, significantly minimal takes. This new sound heralds in comparisons to Animal Collective and Grizzly Bear with the jangly echocious empty-but-not tones with frantic instrumentations resulting in an overall pleasing, interesting alternatives to the downright weird avant-folk stylings of the originals.

mp3 | Au - Ida Walked Away <[Best of 2009]
mp3 | Au - Boute (Versions version)

Amazon | iTunes | Waffles

---------- Other Releases ----------
(2008) - 7.5 - Verbs | review
(2007) - 5.2 - Au | review

Never Been Late To Fuck With Fate

Neon Indian
Psychic Chasms
October 2009 | Lefse
---------- 8.3 ----------

Altering between the soundtrack to a tripped-out 'Reading Rainbow' episode and a sound representation of what 'technology' was perceived as via 1983, Neon Indian harks in a fresh revamping of electropop basics with the heaviest synths in some time. Keeping it grounded however is the structure of basic pop songs resulting in an immensely enjoyable, occasionally danceable, all-out good collection of deliciously cheesy faux-80s pop.

mp3 | Neon Indian - Local Joke <[Best of 2009]
mp3 | Neon Indian - Deadbeat Summer

Amazon | iTunes | Waffles | Lp

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Little Girls
Concepts
October 2009 | Paper Bag
---------- 5.4 ----------

Why would you name your band 'Little Girls'? You had better play some spectacular noise pop as advertised. Or play your music soooo incredibly deliberately sloppily that no one can even attempt to appreciate what you're even going for. If no one can understand a single word you're saying and the whole general sound of your songs resemble a garbage disposal, I suppose the creepy perception of having your band named Little Girls is the least of your problems. Good luck with that fellas. Also, thanks for having the phrase 'little girls' now in my google search history!

mp3 | Little Girls - Youth Tunes

Amazon | iTunes | Waffles | Lp

No It's Not

The Drums
Summertime! [Ep]
September 2009 | Twentyseven
---------- 7.5 ----------

This Orlando by way of Brooklyn duo have been garnering some recent hype and excitement behind their debut 6-track ep, Summertime! due to their undeniably catchy whistle-along jangles, and casio-rhythmics all structured into carefree surf songs. Sure, this little niche needs a new pair of feet to fill the shoes, but I'm still not entirely sure if The Drums should take the position. The ep definitely has its hit-or-miss ups and downs with pretty awful lyrics in the beginning and arguably cheap hooks. Still, if I just had my heart broken and decide to take a road trip to Big Sur to forget it all, I'm definitely popping The Drums on the stereo.

mp3 | The Drums - Submarine
mp3 | The Drums - Don't Be A Jerk, Johnny

Amazon | iTunes | Waffles

The Kind Of Madness So Many Look For

The Crayon Fields
All The Pleasures Of The World
October 2009 | Chapter Music
---------- 7.8 ----------

Like a West-Coast version of The Lucksmiths, The Crayon Fields (who are really from the East Coast....of Australia) stock their second full-length with gently breezy love songs with squeaky clean production levels and charmingly poppy melodies. Where the record struggles is within its mostly instrumental tracks in the middle, they initially, graciously sound like Saturday Looks Good To Me outtakes, but without that groups signature pop experimentation, The Crayon Field's tracks end up drab and stretched. However, their incorporation of strings and bubbly whispering vocals (think The Sea and Cake) create a fantastic sense of mood and a soothing ease of listenability beyond many of the crunchy outputs of late.

mp3 | The Crayon Fields - All The Pleasures Of The World
mp3 | The Crayon Fields - You Could Wind Up Anywhere

Amazon | iTunes | Waffles

Trailer(s) Of The Week

An Education
Lone Scherfig
Focus Features

(full screen)
Ossssssscaaaarrrrrrrr Seeeeeeeeeeaaasssssoooonnnnn

October 16, 2009
(Limited)

Up In The Air
Jason Reitman
Paramount

(full screen)
November 25, 2009

Mystery Team
Dan Eckman
Roadside Attractions

(full screen)

meh

Sufjan Stevens / Osso
Run Rabbit Run
October 2009 | Asthmatic Kitty
---------- 6.0 ----------

A string rendition of Steven's 2001 electronic debut, Enjoy Your Rabbit by Osso. All I can say is it's kinda pointless. Sorry.

mp3 | Sufjan Stevens / Osso - Year of the Dragon

Amazon | iTunes | Waffles | Lp

---------- Related Releases ----------
(2009) - 7.6 - Sufjan Stevens - The BQE | review
(2006) - 7.6 - Sufjan Stevens - Songs For Christmas
(2006) - 7.7 - Sufjan Stevens - The Avalanche
(2005) - 9.4 - Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
(2004) - 8.6 - Sufjan Stevens - Seven Swans
(2003) - 8.8 - Sufjan Stevens - Michigan
(2001) - 7.5 - Sufjan Stevens - Enjoy Your Rabbit
(2000) - 7.2 - Sufjan Stevens - A Sun Came

What About Canada?

Built To Spill
There Is No Enemy
October 2009 | Warner Brothers
---------- 7.2 ----------

Finally, Built To Spill are back to add a few more air-guitar riffs to your prestigious personal repertoire. There Is No Enemy coasts along enjoyably but ultimately retains a standard Built To Spill overtone as something you'd expect the band to pull off. Not to talk down the album, but it doesn't have anything hiding around the corner waiting to jump out at you and nothing up its sleeve. Rather the album is what you'd expect at this point from the group, a solid, guitar flooded playlist of modest highlights and decent lowlights compiled with endless guitar solos.

mp3 | Built To Spill - Good Ol' Boredom
mp3 | Built To Spill - Hindsight

Amazon | iTunes | Waffles | Lp

---------- Other Releases ----------
(2006) - 7.8 - You In Reverse
(2001) - 8.5 - Ancient Melodies Of The Future
(1999) - 9.1 - Keep It Like A Secret
(1997) - 8.3 - Perfect From Now On
(1994) - 7.4 - There's Nothing Wrong With Love

Let The Wild Rumpus Begin

Karen O And The Kids
Where The Wild Things Are
October 2009 | Interscope
---------- 6.8 ---------

The most anticipated film ever comes with not only a score by composer hot-shot Carter Burwell, but additionally comes with a bundle of original songs from Yeah Yeah Yeah yeah-sayer Karen O. Her backing band, The Kids ain't no nobodies themselves as they list fellow YYYers Brian Chase and Nick Zinner, Deerhunter/Atlas Sound honcho Bradford Cox, Dean Fertita of Queens of the Stone Age/The Dead Weather/The Raconteurs, Aaron Hemphill of Liars, Greg Kurstin the bee of The Bird And The Bee, Jack Lawrence of many bands and many many more collaborators including voice clips of James Gandolfini, Catherine Keener and of course that young chap Max Records. Alike any film score, the tracks take a spread-out somber tone with only a few select excitements and flourishes and while they absolutely appear to fit the tone of the film, the tracks don't exactly live up to the roster or particularly match the magic of the film.

mp3 | Karen O And The Kids - All Is Love
mp3 | Karen O And The Kids - Hidaway

Amazon | iTunes | Waffles | Lp

---------- Other Releases ------------
(2009) - 9.1 - Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz | review
(2007) - 8.2 - Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Is Is [Ep] | review
(2006) - 7.7 - Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Show Your Bones
(2003) - 8.5 - Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever To Tell

Friday Night And I Don't Have A Clue

The Clientele
Bonfires On The Heath
October 2009 | Merge
---------- 8.1 ----------

For those who know me, it comes as little to no surprise that I love the new Clientele album. I've been heralding their ways of guitar centric European late-60s dream pop by relentlessly imposing them upon friends, family and strangers. I play their discography at the coffeeshop I work at on repeat without a complaint yet. Their woozily demeanor and sun-gazed dressing is the reason they still make vinyl records today and Bonfires On The Heath only enforces may claim. This being their fifth record and with an 8.1 rating this is quite possibly their worst record to date. So make of that what you will.

mp3 | The Clientele - Never Anyone But You <[Best of 2009]
mp3 | The Clientele - I Wonder Who We Are

Amazon | iTunes | Waffles | Lp

---------- Other Releases ----------
(2008) - 9.0 - That Night, A Forest Grew [Ep] | review
(2007) - 8.6 - God Save The Clientele | review
(2005) - 8.8 - Strange Geometry
(2003) - 8.4 - The Violent Hour
(2000) - 8.2 - Suburban Light

It Just Rings And Rings

Headlights
Wildlife
October 2009 | Polyvinyl
---------- 7.6 ---------

The highly reliable Champaign all-star pop outfit Headlights return after endless touring after their excellent Some Racing Some Stopping record with another one to play while you carelessly wisp away the afternoon. Wildlife continues the precious pop tones with emphases on well-structured layerings of instrumentation and charm all under a more gentle hush. However, Wildlife, while undeniably catchy, fails to resonate anything beyond the in the moment likability and doesn't exactly break the cusp upon any outstanding new submissions to their back catalog. Not to say the record is fleeting, but it certainly is lackluster when compared to their pop romantics of 2008.

mp3 | Headlights - Get Going
mp3 | Headlights - Dead Ends

Amazon | iTunes | Waffles | Lp

---------- Other Releases ----------
(2008) - 8.6 - Some Racing Some Stopping | review
(2006) - 7.1 - Kill Them With Kindness