With Nothing To Consider- May 30, 2008 The Ting Tings "That's Not My Name" - The Ting Tings' debut album is a peculiar balance of chart pop style and indie affect, and as such, it seems like something that ought to make a select group of people very happy, and completely alienate pretty much everyone else. Aside from the single "Great DJ," the duo are most successful when they lean hard on their slick pop influences, and end up with tracks that come off like a leaner, less brain-smashing version of Girls Aloud. "That's Not My Name"..http://www.fluxblog.org/2008/05/with-nothing-to-consider.html The Taste Of Life- May 29, 2008 Portishead "We Carry On" - Just about two weeks ago, a few minutes into the daily morning meeting at work, I found out that I, along with all of my co-workers, was about to be out of a job. It only took a few seconds to break the news, but the meeting kept going on and on, explaining why it was all happening when all I wanted was to get out of that room and that building as quickly as possible. I needed to process it; I needed to be alone; I needed to freak out. I had to stick around and stew...http://www.fluxblog.org/2008/05/taste-of-life.html We've Got A Secret Between Us- May 28, 2008 I should know by now that the Fiery Furnaces are never going to do anything the "normal" way. I had assumed that when the band got around to releasing a live album, it would be very simple: Each tour has a different line-up of instruments andor musicians, and corresponding arrangements and medleys, so they could just release a disc from each period. Blueberry Boat medley tour Check. Four-piece hard rock combo circa 2006 Got it. Groovy keyboard-centric combo, circa now Rad! But no, they went...http://www.fluxblog.org/2008/05/weve-got-secret-between-us.html There's A Glamor In Being Pale- May 27, 2008 Rose Elinor Dougall "Start Stop Synchro" - When it was announced that Rose and Becki were leaving the Pipettes, many people were right to be skeptical about the future of that band. Sure, the group had been designed with a revolving door of lead vocalists in mind, but the two were crucial to the appeal of the band. Their personalities and style slightly tweaked the girl group dynamic, and kept the project in check by grounding it in contemporary indie music despite the over-the-top retro...http://www.fluxblog.org/2008/05/theres-glamor-in-being-pale.html They End Up In Blood- May 26, 2008 Erykah Badu "Twinkle" - Much of Erykah Badu's latest album lingers in a shell-shocked haze; claustrophobic and uncomfortable, yet zoned-out and inert. Nearly every song is about struggle, but despite the righteous indignation at the core of the record, the music primarily expresses bitter resignation and cynicism. "Twinkle" is especially blunted and weary -- there is virtually no hope to be found in its lyrics, just this vision of the future as an endless corridor of locked doors. The track is.http://www.fluxblog.org/2008/05/they-end-up-in-blood.html Swallow A Drop Of Freezing Sweat- May 22, 2008 Zeigeist "Tar Heart" - The really obvious thing about Zeigeist that really cannot be left unsaid is that they sound a LOT like The Knife. "Tar Heart" sounds so much like The Knife that if it was sold to me as a new single from that group, I would not think twice about it. Of course, aside from a few songs, they aren't quite as good -- Princess can replicate the timbre of Karin's voice, but does not match her ability to convey complicated emotions with subtle vocal inflections, or her her...http://www.fluxblog.org/2008/05/swallow-drop-of-freezing-sweat.html Scaling Love's Great Heights- May 21, 2008 Alphabeat "What Is Happening" - There was a perfect moment for this song in this week's season finale of Gossip Girl. Spoiler alert -- if you're the kind of person who can't see super-obvious plot points coming from miles away, this is definitely a big spoiler -- but after a full season of dealing with her incessant lying, Dan Humphrey dumped Serena van der Woodsen, and in a better world, "What Is Happening" would've been the soundtrack to the scene when it all falls apart, and the actors have..http://www.fluxblog.org/2008/05/scaling-loves-great-heights.html How Can You Mend A Broken Heart- May 20, 2008 Rostam Batmanglij "Campus" - I'm not an expert, but it would seem that this string-centric version of "Campus" credited to Vampire Weekend's Rostam Batmanglij predates the arrangement that appears on that group's celebrated debut album. This is troubling, at least in that I believe that the band severely diminished the charm of the song by downplaying its lovely, graceful melodies by performing it in their typical Afropop-goes-mall-punk style. (Let's be really really really really real about...http://www.fluxblog.org/2008/05/how-can-you-mend-broken-heart.html I Can Feel Like This At Home- May 19, 2008 The Long Blondes the Bowery Ballroom 5162008Here Comes The Serious Bit Weekend Without Make-Up Autonomy Boy Round The Hairpin Erin O'Connor Separated By Motorways I Liked The Boys Century Too Clever By Half You Could Have Both The Couples Once and Never Again Guilt I'm Going To Hell Giddy Stratospheres Lust in the MoviesThis was a fine show, but the dynamic in the room was very strange. As can be expected, there were a lot of pretty, stylish young women, but the front of the...http://www.fluxblog.org/2008/05/i-can-feel-like-this-at-home.html We Really Did Try To Make It- May 16, 2008 Carole King "It's Too Late" (Live in the mid-70s) - If you're like me and you grew up listening to adult contemporary and lite FM radio, you know this song backwards and forwards, maybe without even realizing it. It's an absolutely stunning composition, the sort of stealth pop song that is pretty much perfect on every conceivable level without calling attention to its brilliance. This solo performance by Carole King boils her song down to its essential components, but somehow doesn't come...http://www.fluxblog.org/2008/05/we-really-did-try-to-make-it.html |