Welcome To 1993
It goes without saying, but the ’90s were an open field of creative expression. Among other things, we saw the return of real rock music, music that had grown so sterile and devoid of heart as we drifted further and further from the ’70s. Though not always fully flushed out, the filters were off and people of all kinds just picked up guitars, wrote songs, started bands and wore whatever they wanted. There were countless journalistic references to punk, and this “anything goes” philosophy of the early ’90s is precisely why. The undercurrent of the last decade was finally taking prominence.
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By Matthew Stolarz Posted in Reviews 4AD, The Breeders
Power Pop Perfection from a Glorious Garage
Mikal Cronin is one of those unabashed music-maker types. He has no problem being in a variety of bands, playing multiple instruments and writing tons of music. The sky’s the limit, really, until he grows tired of it all and chooses another endeavor. Whether this is likely or not would only be speculation. And all this is unimportant when you consider what’s important: The new Mikal Cronin solo endeavor, an album simply titled MCII.
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By Matthew Stolarz Posted in High Fidelity, Reviews Merge Records, mikal cronin
Soundtrack to Night
Are You Going to Stand There and Talk Weird All Night? is the lengthy title of Valleys’ newest album, and such a title can only pique one’s curiosity. This Montreal duo, co-conspirators Marc St. Louis and Tillie Perks, has secured an extensive unification of electronic beats, moody synths and “dra-mantic” his-and-her vocals. The two voices could not be better suited for each other, each one able to deliver its poetry with sensitivity and intention, yet never betraying the atmosphere. A finer balance is not often found.
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By Matthew Stolarz Posted in Reviews Kanine Records, valleys
Heartfelt Cacophony
You think to yourself, “I’ve heard of this band.” You ponder what Ohio is like and the potential relationships of the members. You scold yourself for being an obvious simpleton when you read up on them and find out that Dana Janssen, Seth Olinsky and Miles Seaton are not from Akron and they are not family. Just like how Of Montreal are not from Montreal.
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By Matthew Stolarz Posted in High Fidelity, Reviews Akron/Family, Dead Oceans
Daze for Days
Five years is a considerable amount of time, unless you reflect on certain things, such as the musical output of Kurt Vile. The man can’t stop, having released four solo records, multiple EPs and two more albums as The War On Drugs (with his partner-in-crime, Adam Granduciel). He claims to have known from a pretty early age that he would play music for a living and, with this production record, Vile has proven to be one of the more prolific writers of experimental, lo-fi acoustic plainsong. And what’s more, he has now released his fifth record, Wakin On a Pretty Daze.
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By Matthew Stolarz Posted in Reviews Kurt Vile, Matador Records, the war on drugs
Smart Art: Too Heady?
Why do some people loathe pop? It’s simple, really: Why would we want to hear a song that is lyrically mundane? Words that could come from the mind of anyone? We want to be challenged, to have our intellectualism pushed to new limits, to have something familiar presented in a new light. And we want a music that fits hand in glove with the words—a most holy union. We listen to more and more music, seeking this. Read more…
By Matthew Stolarz Posted in Reviews British Sea Power, Rough Trade
Invisible No More
Some bands make music and some bands have a career. It’s hard to teach some snot-nosed punk who “just wants to rock” that things often take time, that relationships must be garnered and that your very songcraft must be given a chance to evolve. Time goes on, things change. In fact, after this has been done you will likely have something vastly more valuable than “fame” or “success.” You will have a legacy, and quite possibly a very fine body of work.
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By Matthew Stolarz Posted in Reviews Jeff Tweedy, Low, Sub Pop Records
Somber Musings of a Former Model
To what measure can indifference and individuation be expressed artistically, whether through sound or word? Will there ever come a work that makes a final statement on these dark themes, forever capping the endless cavity of detachment and isolation? How many ways are there to not care, to lazily toss out impassioned whines of absolute monotony and lack of passion?
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By Matthew Stolarz Posted in Reviews Carmen Villain, Smalltown Supersound
Tasty Music from the Highly Trained
Ideas, ideas, ideas! This is the easy part. Everyone has ideas, but putting them together cohesively, tastefully—that is the real challenge. Take the same ingredients as everyone else and prepare a meal (or dessert!) that is delicious. Or if you really deliver, one they can’t help but tell their friends about.
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By Matthew Stolarz Posted in Reviews Brooke Waggoner, Swoon Moon
The Thrill Isn’t Gone
Baby, we’ve got the blues. We’ve come a long way from a guy in a suit with an acoustic guitar and devil-dealt ability. After all, the blues was taken up by white Brits and turned into a rock archetype that can still be found in practically any city in the Western world—at least in some form.
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By Matthew Stolarz Posted in Reviews Black Iris, El Sportivo and the Blooz, White Iris
