21st November - The New Pornographers' Mass Romantic

Artist – Album: The New Pornographers – Mass Romantic

Released: 21^st November 2000

Sounds Like: A lot of cooks make a lovely broth

Music is a medium where the phrase “too many cooks spoil the broth” tends to hold true. I’ve seen The Great British Menu on the telly, and so I know that literally having a lot of chefs in the same kitchen does not necessarily mean rubbish food. Although they rarely make broth. And broth seems like the sort of food where you would hardly notice that it had spoiled – it’s not exactly fine dining is it?? Anyway… bringing in a load of top musicians has more often than not spelt disaster for a project, leading to bloated, directionless, overworked mulch. Supergroups are invariably disappointments (The Travelling Wilbury’s not withstanding), and regular groups with a surfeit of members have a tendency to implode before too long. The New Pornographers, however, stars Neko Case and Dan Bejar (of Destroyer) – both of whom have already had albumaday… blogs – as well as members of Vancouver based indie collective Zampano, and they have somehow managed to reign in all that talent to regularly produce gleaming records of brilliant indie-rock.

Having said that, at the time of Mass Romantic Case and Bejar were still just young hopefuls with silly names and so this album catches them as fresh and vital as they ever were. The record fizzes from one cut of sparkling souped-up pop-rock to another, only taking the odd, beautiful breather occasionally. The impossibly catchy ‘Letter from an Occupant’ was quite rightly picked out for special mention (making #88 on Pitchfork’s top 500 tracks of the decade), but it’s well supported by the likes of ‘The Body Says No’ and ‘Breakin’ the Law’.

Laden with more hooks than a fisherman’s boat, in an alternate universe this would have been a smash hit record and the parent to a plethora of top ten singles. As it is, it stands merely as a gripping album to a select few outside of its native Canada, and a testament to the fact that – sometimes – more is more.

Albumaday... rating: 8/10

1.       Mass Romantic – 4:11

2.       The Fake Headlines – 2:45

3.       The Slow Descent into Alcoholism – 3:56

4.       Mystery Hours – 3:11

5.       Jackie – 2:46

6.       Letter from an Occupant – 3:46

7.       To Wild Homes – 3:33

8.       The Body Says No – 3:56

9.       Execution Day – 2:59

10.   Centre for Holy Wars – 3:06

11.   The Mary Martin Show – 3:19

12.   Breakin’ the Law – 3:27

Listen to ‘The Body Says No’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4C4P-mACPAI

Also released on the 21^st November:

2006: Swan Lake – Beast Moans

31st October - Dinosaur Jr.'s Bug

Artist – Album: Dinosaur Jr. - Bug

Released: 31^st October 1988

Sounds Like: Spooky scary

Happy Hallowe’en! I hope you’re all having a monster day! For those of you looking for a Hallowe’en friendly playlist, get yourself over to my special spooky post (and then make sure you hurry right back again). Today’s regular blog has all the ingredients to frighten you too – Dinosaurs and bugs are scary right??

If you don’t find extinct lizards or small insects particularly terrifying (OK, that might well be most of you) – never fear! – because there is also some gruesome mutilation to be horrified by. Yes, J. Mascis, quite possibly indie rock’s greatest axeman, produces some of his all-time best fretwork, with the likes of ‘Freak Scene’ and ‘Let It Ride’ in particular featuring fantastic, face melting solos. …No, they don’t literally melt faces, but they are 100% awesome…

Hmm… still not convinced? Tough audience… well, how about the paranoid, druggy lyrics and freaky titles such as ‘No Bones’ and ‘They Always Come’? No dice?

Last try. Dinosaur Jr. hated each other at this point, and the internal feuding would lead to the band’s collapse shortly thereafter. Principal songwriter J. Mascis wrote all the songs, including the album closer ‘Don’t’, which is a horrible metal effort and forces singer-bassist Lou Barlow to scream ‘Why don’t you like me’ again and again in a torturous loop. Pained screaming and sadistic torture is good right? Ahhhh, so I’ve finally spooked you. Maniacal laugh! Maniacal laugh! Maniacal laugh!

Albumaday... rating: 7/10

1.       Freak Scene – 3:36

2.       No Bones – 3:43

3.       They Always Come – 4:37

4.       Yeah We Know – 5:24

5.       Let It Ride – 3:37

6.       Pond Song – 2:53

7.       Budge – 2:32

8.       The Post – 3:38

9.       Don’t – 5:41

Listen to ‘Freak Scene’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxLpEX2bt8w

Also released on 31^st October:

2000: Outkast – Stankonia

23rd October - PJ Harvey's Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea

Artist – Album: PJ Harvey – Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea

Released: 23^rd October 2000

Sounds Like: Polly makes a cracker

Polly Jean Harvey seems to enjoy being contrary. She first received attention as the rebellious leader of PJ Harvey, at a time when frontwomen were staggeringly rare. She was one of the most popular female artists of the mid-nineites in the UK, despite releasing music that was scarily uncompromising and unpoppy. She was initially uncomfortable with the media attention, but still had a penchant for theatricality and saucy photoshoots. There have been plenty of image and sound changes during her long career, as she wilfully challenged assumptions and stereotypes. Even the song title of the first track here deals with opposites – the band enter proceedings with a song named ‘Big Exit’.

That being said, ‘Big Exit’s sound does not conflict with established views - it’s as noisy and punk-bluesy as ever. Thereafter, though, things get interesting as ‘Good Fortune’, ‘You Said Something’ and ‘This is Love’ rank amongst the most accessible and lovely songs in her oeuvre. She can still pack a punch with the likes of ‘The Whores Hustle and the Hustlers Whore’ and ‘Kamikaze’, but these are interspersed with mellow ballads such as ‘Beautiful Feeling’ and ‘We Float’, inspired by Harvey’s affection for NYC and her new love. Two other notable tracks are ‘Horses in My Dreams’ which strikes me as a direct reference to biggest influence Patti Smith, and ‘The Mess We’re In’, where Thom Yorke takes guest vocals in a gorgeous, interweaving piece of alternative rock.

Perhaps Harvey’s most contrary move of all was the making of Stories from the City. Famously primal, punky, abrasive, it’s almost an act of defiance that she should release an album whereby she’s actually besotted with a guy, a city and just about everything; even more so that it should be such a joy to listen to. The awkward little so-and-so.

Albumaday... rating: 8/10

1.       Big Exit – 3:51

2.       Good Fortune – 3:20

3.       A Place Called Home – 3:43

4.       One Line – 3:14

5.       Beautiful Feeling – 4:00

6.       The Whores Hustle and the Hustlers Whore – 4:01

7.       The Mess We’re In – 3:57

8.       You Said Something – 3:19

9.       Kamikaze – 2:24

10.   This Is Love – 3:48

11.   Horses in My Dreams – 5:38

12.   We Float – 6:07

Listen to ‘The Mess We’re In’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bH2I9fJ0ALk

Also released on 23^rd October:

2007: Tullycraft – Every Scene Needs a Center

21st October - Grandaddy's Under the Western Freeway

Artist – Album: Grandaddy – Under the Western Freeway

Released: 21^st October 1997

Sounds Like: I’m tired

I’m sorry that it’s a bit late in the day for me to be making my post, and I can only apologise if I run out of steam before too long. My excuse is that I’m not long back from work, having had a mammoth journey to and from Grimsby to contend with either side of working my nine to five (fifteen). Ah, Grimsby, the town with the silent “-sby”. Driving for a couple of hours in the pouring rain isn’t great fun at the best of times, but when your destination is looked down upon even by folk from Hull you know you’re in trouble. I can hardly be blamed for momentarily debating swerving off the Humber Bridge in a desperate bid to escape that fate.

Thankfully, I was accompanied by Under the Western Freeway whilst travelling the M62 motorway. Grandaddy’s debut, it combined Uncle Tupelo-esque Americana with Pavement-style experimental rock, and there’s even a hint of Pink Floyd in the psychedelic synth-pop. Jason Lytle warms the cockles of your heart with his faltering croon and ‘A.M. 180’ and ‘Summer Here Kids’ are deceptively simple cases of perfect pop.

The record was a welcome companion when I set off in the dark hours of the morning, and it was still great fun when I was bombing back in the evening. Now, to bed.

Albumaday... rating: 7/10

1.      Nonphenomenal Lineage – 3:11

2.      A.M. 180 – 3:20

3.      Collective Dreamwish of Upperclass Elegance – 5:26

4.      Summer Here Kids – 3:35

5.      Laughing Stock – 5:59

6.      Under the Western Freeway – 3:01

7.      Everything Beautiful Is Far Away – 5:13

8.      Poisoned at Hartsy Thai Food – 1:13

9.      Go Progress Chrome – 2:31

10.  Why Took Your Advice – 4:07

11.  Lawn and So On – 9:04

Listen to ‘A.M. 180’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptPXxAds1Jc

Also released on 21^st October:

2003: The Shins – Chutes Too Narrow

Also released on 21^st October:

2002: Feeder – Comfort in Sound

Also released on 21^st October:

2011: Tom Waits – Bad As Me

20th October - Kaiser Chiefs' Off With Their Heads

Artist – Album: Kaiser Chiefs – Off With Their Heads

Released: 20^th October 2008

Sounds Like: The Kaiser Chiefs, with added muscle.

The biggest challenge facing the Kaiser Chiefs after their stupendous debut album Employment, and its accompanying singles ‘I Predict a Riot’, ‘Oh My God’ and ‘Every Day I Love You Less and Less’, was following it up with a release that was progressive enough to avoid accusations of one-trick-pony-ism but still punchy enough to satisfy their stadium filling, largely lager-fuelled fanbase. That test was passed with flying colours with the anthem ‘Ruby’, but then the Leeds lads took their collective eye off the ball with its weak parent album Yours Truly, Angry Mob. It looked at that point like the Chiefs may have been succumbing to the law of diminishing returns and, as Apollo 440 so nearly sang, “stop the rot, can’t stop the rot”. Drastic measures would have to be taken if Off With Their Heads wasn’t going to be another disappointment.

To that end, they enlisted the man of the moment Mark Ronson and a bevy of his mates (Lily Allen sings backing vocals on ‘Always Happens Like That’ and ‘Never Miss a Beat’, and the rapper Sway proffers an odd verse to the unsuccessful ‘Half the Truth’) to reinforce their admittedly handy pop rock songs. The result is a mixed bag, but overall I’d say it’s a success. The lead single ‘Never Miss a Beat’ is old hat for the Yorkshire quartet and just a bit boring, but the likes of ‘Always Happens Like That’ and ‘Addicted to Drugs’ are enjoyably atypical. ‘Like It Too Much’ is a brilliant effort at XTC-esque New Wave, whilst album closer ‘Remember You’re a Girl’ is a surprisingly mellow ballad.

The birds were circling in 2008, but Off With Their Heads should have done enough to shoo them away for a little longer. In actual fact it didn’t, but I wouldn’t say that that’s the boys fault. It seems the public had already sentenced them to the guillotine...  

Albumaday... rating: 6/10

1.    Spanish Metal – 2:19

2.    Never Miss a Beat – 3:08

3.    Like It Too Much – 3:23

4.    You Want History – 3:45

5.    Can’t Say What I Mean – 2:49

6.    Good Days Bad Days – 2:53

7.    Tomato in the Rain – 3:51

8.    Half the Truth – 3:44

9.    Always Happens Like That – 3:12

10. Addicted to Drugs – 3:53

11. Remember You’re a Girl – 2:37

Listen to ‘Like It Too Much’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNfzL9Xkm1g

Also released on 20th October:
2008: Imelda May - Love Tattoo

18th October - Real Estate's Days

Artist – Album: Real Estate - Days

Released: 18^th October 2011

Sounds Like: Good to my right ear

Disaster! On my walk into work yesterday morning I lost the rubber bits that go around earphones, the bits that prevent them from piercing my eardrums and making me really very sore. As the majority of my Albumaday… sampling is made on the 40-minute walk to and from work, this has seriously hindered my blogability. For today I dusted off my ancient pair, family heirlooms that were crafted around the time of the French revolution, but even these are only half working and everything I listen to them is in mono. Until I buy a new pair in the next few days, therefore, everything will be reviewed by my right ear only. First world problems eh?

One band that strikes me as untroubled by first world problems, third world problems, or indeed anything at all, are Real Estate. For them everything seems so easy: in their melodic, jangly indie-pop, in Martin Courtney’s drifting vocals and in their calming lyrics. Even love, that most tricky of subjects, is given the nonchalant Real Estate treatment on the excellent ‘It’s Real’ – Courtney doesn’t need bombast or melodrama, he only needs to simply state “believe me when I say, it’s real” and your heart melts.

‘Younger Than Yesterday’ seems to be unrelated to the Byrds album of the same name, but it’s quite a fitting reference. Comparisons with R.E.M and The Feelies are also bang on the mark, but The Byrds are the spiritual forefathers of all three, masters of the gorgeous guitar work and sweetly worn turn of phrase. Their sound is so lovely that it has barely needed updating since the Sixties, and so the main difference between them and these is that, where The Byrds were spitting feathers over ‘fake’ bands like The Monkees, Real Estate have no worries at all.

Albumaday... rating: 8/10

1.       Easy – 3:53

2.       Green Aisles – 5:01

3.       It’s Real – 2:48

4.       Kinder Blumen – 3:55

5.       Out of Tune – 4:51

6.       Municipality – 3:36

7.       Wonder Years – 2:34

8.       Three Blocks – 3:18

9.       Younger Than Yesterday – 4:08

10.   All the Same – 7:21

Listen to ‘It’s Real’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HWcViTXdYc

Also released on 18^th October:

2005: Animal Collective - Feels

Also released on 18^th October:

2011: M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming

15th October - Broken Social Scene's You Forgot It In People

Artist – Album: Broken Social Scene – You Forgot It In People

Released: 15^th October 2002

Sounds Like: Unforgettable

Over two years in absolute terms – just 11 days in the albumaday… universe – before they released their self-titled third album, You Forgot It In People was unleashed upon the world. To us fans that wait felt like a lifetime, but to the dozen (give or take) group members it must have been a whirlwind period of side projects (or real projects, Broken Social Scene was the side project for most), solo albums and unprecedented critical and commercial attention. Emily Haines’ Metric released their measured, acclaimed debut, Feist’s breakthrough album Let It Die was born, and Stars’ star rose, all thanks to the runaway success of their sophomore effort.

YFIIP was ground shaking, an experimental rock record that contains plenty of pure pop moments, an album built on 5 minute long songs that is both immediately satisfying and infinitely replayable. It sounds like the ultimate indie mixtape, with nods to Finlay Quaye (‘Looks Just Like the Sun’) and The Delgados (‘Anthems for a Seventeen Year-Old Girl’) alongside the more typical Dinosaur Jr. and Sonic Youth. ‘KC Accidental’, ‘Almost Crimes’ and ‘Cause=Time’ are blistering moments of guitar driven rock, ‘Pacific Theme’, ‘Capture the Flag’ and ‘Shampoo Suicide’ are atmospheric mood pieces, whilst ‘Lover’s Spit’ and ‘I’m Still Your Fag’ both contain gorgeous instrumentation that belie their slightly perverse lyrics.

For all the brilliant songs, there could still be the danger that YFIIP could still fall down one of the two major pitfalls for a promising album – it could be just a bit too clever, or its power could wane after repeated listens. The collective gaily bound over both traps with one nimble leap thanks to a simple fact: this is essentially a group of mates – immensely talented mates, but mates nonetheless – that are having a blast jamming together, and its remains great fun to listen to.

Albumaday... rating: 10/10

1.       Capture the Flag – 2:08

2.       KC Accidental – 3:50

3.       Stars and Sons – 5:08

4.       Almost Crimes (Radio Kills Remix) – 4:22

5.       Looks Just Like the Sun – 4:23

6.       Pacific Theme – 5:09

7.       Anthems for a Seventeen Year-Old Girl – 4:35

8.       Cause = Time – 5:30

9.       Late Nineties Bedroom Rock for the Missionaries – 3:46

10.   Shampoo Suicide – 4:05

11.   Lover’s Spit – 6:22

12.   I’m Still Your Fag – 4:23

13.   Pitter Patter Goes My Heart – 2:26

Listen to ‘Anthems for a Seventeen Year-Old Girl’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xl3PyTqsc5c