Mini-Record Review: Sleigh Bells, Reign of Terror

The blood-stained Keds shoes on the album cover pretty much say it all. Sleigh Bells, the duo of Alexis Krauss and Derek E. Miller, made a name for themselves a couple years ago with their loud, loud debut Treats, a record on which clipping was held up not as an unwanted byproduct of bad mixing or mastering but rather a sonic goal in and of itself. Their sophomore effort Reign of Terror is just as loud, though the ferociousness of the metal-inspired hooks (think AC/DC and Def Leppard here) is tempered with some emotionally stirring, empathetic lyrics about suicide and death.

Back to those Keds on the cover … You see, Treats was derided and/or praised by many as a “cheerleader album.” The goal was to chant simple, often anti-melodic phrases over and over again on top of crunchy power chords. I suppose you could consider Reign of Terror a “cheerleader album” as well, if your squad is chanting about really dark stuff. Personally, I find the odd juxtapositions a little disconcerting, though I guess that is the desired effect. I haven’t quite found myself in the emotional territory this record is aiming to capture. I love a good dark emo album as much as anyone (the new Cloud Nothings ventures into that territory). I liked the peppiness and the naïve superficiality of Sleigh Bells’ debut release. I’m just not sure what to feel when I’m listening to this one.

Spectrum Culture: List Inconsequential: Best Live Albums



New on Spectrum Culture, I contribute to a list of the greatest live records of all time:

http://spectrumculture.com/2012/07/list-inconsequential-best-live-albums.html/

Spectrum Culture: Concert Review: Iceage/Milk Music/Skrapyard/Ooze

New on Spectrum Culture:

I went to a punk show in Wicker, Park Chicago featuring the bands Iceage, Milk Music, Skrapyard, and Ooze. Here's my report:

http://spectrumculture.com/2012/07/concert-review-iceagemilk-musicskrapyardooze.html/

New Trax: Fort Frances, "Summertime"

So, it's really freaking hot throughout most of the U.S. right now. Nothing says hot, scorching summer like Will Smith and DJ Jazzy's 1991 hit "Summertime," right? Well, I bet you haven't heard it quite like this. Fort Frances, a most excellent indieish/folkish band from Chicago, has given us a creative, fun cover of the beloved classic. You can stream and/or download the tune below via Soundcloud.

By the way, if you haven't heard much of Fort Frances' music, check it out as soon as possible. You won't regret it.

http://soundcloud.com/fort-frances/summertime

Spectrum Culture: DIIV, Oshin

Beach-pop, or post-rock? Either way, DIVV'S debut LP is okay. My review, new at Spectrum Culture:

DIIV’s debut record, Oshin, is a perfectly fine piece of introspective, beach-combing dream-pop, the kind that tends to hit hard during this hot summer season. The record thrives on the strength of its melodic, atmospheric guitar riffs. In fact, DIIV might best be understood as a primarily instrumental band, one that is influenced as much by post-rock as dream-pop. Several tunes contain long vamps with melodious guitars played over one or two simple chords. Songs like “Past Lives” and “Follow” are memorable primarily because of their striking lead guitar lines, just as beautiful and natural as the vocal melodies.

Read more here: http://spectrumculture.com/2012/07/diiv-oshin.html/

Spectrum Culture: Ty Segall Band, Slaughterhouse

New on Spectrum Culture, I review Ty Segall Band's Slaughterhouse, quite an explosive piece of garage rock, I do believe: 

If you still love rock ‘n’ roll—dang!—this has been quite the year for it. We’re only halfway through 2012, and already it has been proclaimed as the year of records that just flat-out rock. It’s easy to see why. Japandroids, Cloud Nothings and The Men, among others, have released high-profile albums drowned in crunchy distortion and good ol’ punk-inspired grooves that shake the listener to the core. While the ubiquity of immediate, loud, garage-like rock in today’s indie market may be viewed as a welcome change of pace from other recent trends, especially the tendency towards the atmospheric, the electronic and the chilled, there’s always a danger that we might get too much of a good thing.

Click here to continue reading: http://spectrumculture.com/2012/07/ty-segall-band-slaughterhouse.html/

Mini-Record Review: John Talabot, fIN

Electronic dance music as a genre is maligned by some because it is, by definition, functional. The tunes are produced for the purpose of providing an outlet for people to dance. Of course, dance music throughout all of history has always been viewed with a skeptical eye by artistic purists. If a musician wants you to move to his or her tune, that doesn’t mean that the song can’t be a great work of art. To be sure, there are plenty of true artists working in dance music today. Barcelona’s John Talabot is one of them, and his debut record fIN is a fun, emotionally stimulating mixture of techno, dance-pop, and house music.


Listening to fIN, one gets the feeling of a hot summer night in a crowded city (or on a sweaty, beyond-capacity dance floor). Talabot strikes the right blend of intoxicating repetition and sonic variation. Opener “Depak Ine” is an epic journey through disco and ‘80s dance-pop. The complex layers of sound include obscure, animalistic noises. “Destiny” is the closest thing to a pop hit the record gives us, featuring simple, emotionally direct lyrics (“You, come and get over here/ And give me your hand”). The dark and brooding “El Oeste” stands alongside “Last Land,” which has a relentlessly infectious call-and-response melody. If this is Talabot’s first effort, I can’t wait to see where he goes from here. Despite the finality suggested in the record’s title, I can’t help but think this is only the beginning.