AORTA

ALBUM: The Suburbs

ARTIST: Arcade Fire

“Funeral” was one of the best albums of 2004 and probably one of the defining works of the last decade in music. On January first we rang in the new year, and  by August, the new decade had its first classic.

The Suburbs is a coming of age story in many ways, a portrait of growing up in the 1990s and 2000s. While it evokes a sort of nostalgia for the children of suburbia, it also paints an image of bleakness, boredom, and dread.

The sound is thoughtfully layered, polished, and arranged in a way to build and realease tension. The album begins with a prelude - the title track The Suburbs. Its a light and digestible pallet cleanser of sorts, and as soon as it sets the somber mood it explodes in to the second track, the aptly titled Ready To Start.

This is what the album is like - neither overly front/back loaded. The powerful tracks are dispersed and made all the more powerful by their lead ins. The Suburbs is one of the best rock albums in years.

9.5/10

David N. Drake

Back from my hiatus. Will be playing catchup with reviews, will be altering the content of the site, and will be fleshing out the whole thing.

Dave

ALBUM: Contra

ARTIST: Vampire Weekend

Vampire Weekend’s sophomore album Contra is very hard to ignore. Lead singer Ezra Koenig’s vocals fluctuate with elevated levels of dynamism and range in order to fit each song. Rostam Batmanglij’s guitar, keyboard, and quartet compositional layering is interesting, blending popular African music theory with very danceable modern synthpop arrangements. The African influence of French Congolese Soukous music is undeniable and even overwhelming at times (i.e. Diplomats Son). However, it is generally enjoyable thanks to Chris Tomson’s drumming and Chris Baio’s bass. It’s fascinating to see such a multi-cultural blend of music making it’s way to the top of US charts, and Vampire Weekend seem content to be out on a limb like they are. Key Tracks include White Sky, California English, Run and I Think Ur a Contra. Contra fights stagnation and demonstrates what boundary pushing can do within the confines of an established sound.

*RECOMMENDED*

REGINALD MARCELLIN / AORTA

ARTIST: Ganjasufi

ALBUM: A Sufi and a Killer

Ganjasufi’s sound is hard to describe, and thats probably exactly the way he wants it. The Gaslamp Killer produced the album, and his sampling is pitch perfect. It’s like someone made a Beatles/Blur/Ravi Shankar/James Brown mix tape and set the cassette on fire while it was playing. On top of the music, you have Ganjasufi’s growling croon, born from a voice somewhere between Tom Waits and Prince. This sound is the sexed-up cousin of Neon Indian’s Psychic Chasms, and for a debut album it is strikingly mature and fully formed. It’s glitchy, it’s fuzzed up, it’s beat driven, and it very very current. Get it and put it on your Ipod.

**HIGHLY RECOMMENDED**

DAVID N. DRAKE / AORTA

FILM: Food Inc

DIRECTOR: Robert Kenner

Much in the style of Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle, filmmaker Robert Kenner attacks the food industry of America in an effort inform and expose. Thanks to the gripping visuals and straight forward narrative, Kenner successfully weaves an argument that illuminates the source of a shadow that has loomed over the entire American food industry for decades. Food Inc explores the corruption of the American Food Industry in a way that will surprise even the most “informed” conspiracy theorist. The shock of this film should be experienced first hand. Kenner along with writer Elise Pearlstein should feel confident as their film stands out as a front runner against the rest for Best Documentary Feature competition at this year’s Academy Awards.

**HIGHLY RECOMMENDED**

REGINALD MARCELLIN / AORTA

ARTIST: Leyland Kirby

ALBUM: Sadly, The Future Is No Longer What It Was

There is a lot of potential in the electronic compositions of Leyland Kirby, but also an overwhelming amount of artistic immaturity. After listening to his new 3 hour long release The Future Isn’t What It Used To Be, it seems that he’s never heard the phrase “quality, not quantity”. Even at first glance, this lack of self editing is apparent by his absurdly long song titles, many of which sound like rejected emo band-names; “The Beauty of the Impending Tragedy of My Existence”, “The Sound Of Music Vanishing”, “Don’t Sleep I Am Not What I Seem, I’m A Very Quiet Storm”, and blah blah blah just to name a few. This inability to cull stains his entire release. One begins to wonder an hour-in whether or not the inevitable ten minutes of drone in each song could be shortened to five minutes without nullifying its artistic merit. Inaccessibility is a badge worn by artists that have already proven themselves accessible and have since decided to make their music exclusive to aficionados. Kirby may think he has reached this plain of existence without paying his dues, but he hasn’t. If his music is inaccessible, its due to the fact that it’s excessive, bloated, and downright tedious. There is a character to his compositions that may mature in to something more realized in the future, but it will require him to accept that art requires destroying inasmuch as it does creating.

DAVID N. DRAKE / AORTA

FILM: Sherlock Holmes

DIRECTOR: Guy Ritchie

It seems as if Guy Ritchie aimed to reinvent a classic with his 2009 action mystery Sherlock Holmes, albeit unsuccesfully. Richies unmistakable directorial touch is quite apparent throughout the entire film. The pacing is reminiscent of his earliest films; Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, and Snatch. However, it isn’t nearly as fitting this time around. Holmes, played by Robert Downey Jr., is a little bit of everything; a martial artist, an inventor, a heathen, and an obsessive know-it-all. What could have been a suspenseful mystery, full of plot twists and interesting characters, is instead a campy walk-in-the-park. Holmes is all knowing and more than capable of overcoming any obstacle throw his way. This effectively neuters any sense of suspense that Richie was trying to build. Plot points unfold at an inhuman pace, causing Ritchie’s reimagination of late 1800’s England to come across as kitchy and overly fictitious. It seems that the music and design (costume and set) are the film’s only reedeeming qualities. The Academy apparently noticed these bits, and therin nominated both Sarah Greenwood and Katie Spencer for Best Acheivement in Art Direction and Hans Zimmer for Best Original Score. Although a step forward from his films Swept Away (2002) and Revolver(2005), Sherlock Holmes is still miles behind the British crime capers that made Guy Ritchie famous.

REGINALD MARCELLIN / AORTA

ALBUM: Rofoforo Fight
ARTIST: Fela Kuti

Aggressive horn arrangements, unabashed bass lines, and distinctive African percussive syncopation helped make Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s Afrobeat sound as infectious as the music of James Brown. Fela seems to be everywhere as of late: the refreshing resurgence of African influenced music (a la Vampire Weekend), a Jay-Z / Will Smith production on Broadway entitled Fela!, as well as an upcoming biopic. It feels appropriate to go over some of the albums that made him such a legend. Fela’s 1972 Roforofo Fight is one of his earliest memorable works. As mentioned above, its biting trumpets, pulsing bass, slick electronic organ, and drum arrangements provide a very full texture. Although Fela and his Africa ‘70 band had been performing and recording since 1969, it was on this album that Fela zeroed in on his style and perfected his genre: Afrobeat. It really set the groundwork for all of his future recordings. Notable songs include the title track “Roforofo Fight” and “Go Slow”.

**HIGHLY RECOMMENDED**

REGINALD MARCELLIN / AORTA

LISTEN TO “ROFOROFO FIGHT”

ARTIST: Vladimir Ussachevsky
ALBUM: Electronic And Acoustic Works 1957-1972

Russian born Vladimir Ussachevsky began his career as a traditional composer, but later began experimenting with synthetic sounds. During his tenure at Columbia University he specified the ADSR envelope (attack, decay, sustain, release) as a suggestion to Bob Moog’s work on synthesizers, and to this day it is used in nearly every electronic instrument. Additionally, with his Electronic And Acoustic Works 1957-1972, Ussachevsky laid a foundation that future electronic composers could start building on. Of course, this collection isn’t without its faults. Many of the vocal tracks are unimportant and at times downright irritating. However, his “Metamorphosis”, “Linear Contrasts”, and “Wireless Fantasy” have aged well, and someone unfamiliar with contemporary electronic music could very easily mistake it for an Aphex Twin or Squarepusher production. Even though this isn’t catchy or even traditionally enjoyable music, one can still respect Ussachevsky’s efforts, mainly because his contributions are both innumerable and irremovable from the history of electronic music.

DAVID N. DRAKE / AORTA

LISTEN TO “ELECTRONIC AND ACOUSTIC WORKS 1957-1972”

FILM: The Hurt Locker
DIRECTOR: Kate Bigelow

Kate Bigelow’s Iraq war film The Hurt Locker plays out as a video game might. It opens with the Chris Hedges quote “war is a drug”, which immediately sets a tone for the film’s main character SSG William James, played by Jeremy Renner. James’ job is to disable bombs, and he seems to feed off the constant thrill and risk of the battlefield. Renner delivers the modern soldier with bravado: not torn between any ideological ‘good’ or ‘bad’ but simply aiming to survive, hoping he  can complete his term before the war becomes his only purpose in life. Renner is up for Best Actor in a Leading Role at this year’s Oscars, and Bigelow for Best achievement in Directing. Bigelow presents this well paced thriller with excellent acting, engaging cinematography, and exceptional sound editing that really engrosses the audience to the story. In total, The Hurt Locker  is up for a total of 9 Academy Award Nominations, which in addition to the one’s mentioned above include Best Achievement in Cinematography, Best Achievement in Sound, and Best Motion Picture of the Year. Despite an unsatisfying story arc, The Hurt Locker is definitely the best Iraqi War film to date, and worth watching.

**HIGHLY RECOMMENDED**

REGINALD MARCELLIN / AORTA

ARTIST: YEASAYER
ALBUM: ODD BLOOD

Attempting to gauge the direction and atmosphere of Yeasayer’s Odd Blood by its first track “Children” would be a rash mistake. The opener’s choppy electronics and overall depressing tone seems all the more jarring when compared with the album’s subsequent tracks. It comes off as an attempt to drive the listener into a darkened emotional state before rebuilding with the outright jubilance that follows. The onslaught begins quickly with “Ambling Alp”, the album’s second track and first single. Distant sounds of splashing water rapidly build into an exuberantly quirky mix of processed noise. The music leads the listener into an inward exploration, all the while the lyrics continuously prodding them on: “You must stick up for yourself, son / Never mind what anybody else done.” By the time the subtle reggae beat and digitally-altered organs come to rest, it’s apparent that this sophomore effort will be a cheerful experience, much more so than their debut LP All Hour Cymbals, which was a much darker and far reaching work.

On the whole, Odd Blood continues with this safe and perky sound, hitting its stride with “O.N.E.” and “Rome”, never returning to that emotional sinkhole of the opening track. Yeasayer are obviously searching for a new identity, and this album is simply an outgrowth of that journey. Even though Odd Blood may feel disjointed and directionless at times, it’s impossible to ignore the fact that there are some damn fine songs on the tracklist.

**RECOMMENDED**

EVAN HARTMAN / AORTA

LISTEN TO “ODD BLOOD”

ARTIST: Neon Indian
ALBUM: Psychic Chasms

Neon Indian released their debut album Psychic Chasms back in October of 2009. I initially assumed the release date would double as a buzzkill for their thick and hazy sound, but after listening to it a number of times, I realized it was the perfect way to counteract symptoms of SAD. In short, they encapsulate a mid-August joy ride better than a Chrysler Le Baron sans AC. Austin native Alan Palomo is the man responsible for the broken-cassette-deck samples and 80’s pop vibe. He really lays the retro on thick, simultaneously giving the finger and a nod of approval to his forebears. The track “Deadbeat Summer” is a great leadoff to an album that is both fully formed and strongly realized. More recently, the band made their network television debut on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (here) with a tight medley of “Terminally Chill” and “Ephemeral Artery”. It’s becoming more and more obvious, especially while the contiguous states are covered in record snowfall, that Alan Palomo and his band are living in a constant state of summer and therein recording it for our benefit.

**HIGHLY RECOMMENDED**

DAVID N. DRAKE / AORTA

LISTEN TO “PSYCHIC CHASMS”

FILM: Crumb
DIRECTOR: Terry Zwigoff

If there is one thing Terry Zwigoff succeeded in doing with his 1994 documentary entitled “Crumb”, it would undoubtedly be choosing an interesting topic. This topic, of course, is the life and work of controversial underground comic illustrator and writer Robert Crumb. Fortunately this film is more than just a one dimensional success. Zwigoff tells Crumb’s story brilliantly. By shifting the narrative between the pages of Crumb’s surreal and satirical comics and the very real lives of his family and friends, the man behind the pen is brought to light. Not surprisingly, the sources of Crumb’s creative inspirations are bizarre sexual-obsessions and an off-kilter world view. These subjects are explored skillfully, and thanks to Zwigoff’s attention to detail and thoroughness we are presented with a fascinating portrait of a man, and it isn’t hard to understand why this film garnered so much critical acclaim.

**RECOMMENDED**

IAN DRAKE / AORTA

ARTIST: A Broken Consort
ALBUM: Crow Autumn

Crow Autumn, the latest full length album by contemporary classical composer A Broken Consort (aka Richard Skelton) was released February 9th on the Tompkins Square label. It seems as though the album is little more that an infatuation with stringed instruments. The structure is non-existent and the themes are exceptionally repetitive. The album conjures up images of screen doors amassed together and collectively opened and closed on un-oiled and rusty hinges. Perhaps this is the intent, and that would explain the name he’s taken for himself. Regardless, this attempt speaks for the greater consort, that being the genre of classical music in all of its contemporary incarnations. There is a definite loss of forcefulness when a genre loses its footing as a popular form of musical expression. Classical music doesn’t pull from the same talent pool of yore, and it shows.

DAVID N. DRAKE / AORTA

LISTEN TO “CROW AUTUMN”

FILM: Burma VJ: Reporting from a Closed Country
DIRECTOR: Anders Østergaard

While watching Burma VJ, one quickly understands why it’s nominated for the Best Feature Documentary at this year’s Academy Awards. It must have been a monumental task assembling the footage of numerous camcorders and cellphones, and then editing it in such a way to reveal the courage and defiance of a people who are fed up with a corrupt military regime. Still, something was hindering its effectiveness, and this prevents an interesting documentary from becoming a powerful one. The film is narrated by “Joseph”, the coordinatior of a group called The Democratic Voice of Burma. They are the ones who filmed and smuggled the footage out of the country. His voice plays out over breathtaking live footage of protests, explaining the events as they unfold. In Burma, anybody seen holding a camera can be arrested (or worse), so you are literally holding your breath as their concealed cameras are discovered by authorities. It’s obvious that a conflict is brewing, and this sort of suspense builds effectively throughout the documentary. Østergaard often cuts away to b-rolls composed of beautifully shot reenactments that feature unidentifiable characters, one of whom is our faceless narrator. On these b-rolls, he watches all the happenings from the vantage point of a room. This “room” is actually a clever technique used to deliver the story to us, because through the use of emails, telephone conversations, and news reports on the television, we are fed the actual hand held footage. Unfortunately, whenever the footage starts to reach its climax, the sound is purposefully faded out in to a drone of Burmese yet decidedly European synth music. It feels more than slightly out of place, and should have been replaced with something more fitting, like chanting, cheering, or traditional Burmese compositions. The bizarre score distances us from the film, and in its misguided attempt to cinematize a serious subject we are succinctly removed from the streets and transported back to our seats. This is rather disappointing, because the footage is very, very real.

**RECOMMENDED**

REGINALD MARCELLIN / AORTA