by: Kyle Olson, KUCI Music Director
Word up folks,
Once again, I write these blurbs from the management office, as my computer was taken from the music office in service to the almighty Fund Drive. Hopefully everyone pitched their tiny little socially awkward hearts out in glory to KUCI, and we will have piles of money to make attractive pants out of.
In other news, I got “promoted” at work, so my Music Direct-ing and writing for the lovely and illustrious hipsterbookclub.com must live solely in the non-830-5 realm. That being said, for the next two months, until I hand off this job to you brighteyed youngsters in an indier version of a reality TV rose ceremony, my free time is slightly less “free”, and these things may blurbs may feel rushed. You must forgive me, baby. I have endurance, but I’m just one man.
The Boggs – Forts (Gigantic)
These New Yorkers serve up a tasty plate of neo-folk/alt-country/indie/arena rock/bluegrass/experimental. If this CD were less good, and I didn’t know as many people who wanted to play it, the infuriatingly over-ornate packaging would have had me drop-kicking it across the room like it was a ninja who just kidnapped the president (not this one. The other-dimension good president on an alternative Earth). Why would I drop-kick a ninja? I’m a bad dude. That’s why. At any rate, there’s probably something for multiple tastes on this album. Drunken neo-folk, drum-heavy rock, catching indie-rock, sweet twang (that sweet, sweet twang).
Mark Sultan – The Sultanic Verses (In the Red)
One half of the garage rock act “The King Kahn & BBQ Show” (the “BBQ” half), this dude brings some blues-garage oldschool rock to your ears for a playdate. Live he does a sort of one-man band thing, but on this CD he gets a band to back him up (sorry, Wes. So close.) This album is a nice little slice of that golden oldies type of rock. The kind they pressed to 45 and then evaporated into the minds of intensely esoteric record collections of the music-nerd elite. Also, this CD smells like syrup for some reason. I just opened the album and it smells like syrup. That’s weird. I haven’t had syrup in a long time, let alone in my apartment, let alone in my room where I do my MD-ing. The last place I had syrup was…er…well….I promised your mom I wouldn’t say anything. SNAP!
The Pope – Sports (Wantage USA)
So, I often pass on stuff that sounds like this, just because I don’t think it’ll get tons of play, but this one just sort of got into my head and kicked my thalamus in the balls and made me add it. My thalamus may never have children. That’s OK. That dude does meth and probably shouldn’t be allowed to have kids. This is some face-melting bassanddrums rockassault). In melts PAST your face. Your face is melted, and your brain gets 3rd degree burns which you’re not supposed to put butter on even though old wives’ tales say you should because the hospital is going to have to get that butter off again, and you have no nerves but it probably still hurts. I learned that in fourth grade, I think. Who even knows anymore. I could be fabricating all these memories. At any rate, this CD rips ass and if you want a soundtrack to party in alleyways to, pop the pope. Fans of Lightning Bolt take note, but you probably know about these d00ders already.
Electrelane – No Shouts, No Calls (Too Pure)
Going for adds THIS WEEK from your fine feathered friends at Terrorbird is the new album from this quartet of electro-pop/shoegaze darlings. Sort of sounds like some Stereolab/Yo La Tengo stew. Sweet harmonies inside of hazy curtains of guitar rhythm and keyboard pads like a baby made out of lollipops wrapped in a blanket made of Christmas lights. They will be opening for the Arcade Fire in the very near future, if that interests you. But yup. Adds this week. This is the week you add this album. They said “MDs, we ask that you add the album this week.” And I said “Yes. I will add it this week.” That is the conversation we had about adding this album this week.
The Dreadful Yawns – Rest (Exit Stencil)
That promo gal who handles this album also happens to run a tasty little label called “Mushpot” (who put out that Buildings Breeding album you kids seemed to dig on not too long ago). Basically, she seems to know the shit out of her completely heart-melting pop music along the lines of the Field Mice and other hazy pop machines. This album came on and my ears were like “OH NOES! WE’RE ABOUT TO GET OUR ASSES KICKED WITH RAD.” And this band was like, “Oh hush, Kyle’s ears. We would not kick. Come. Let us feed ducks and then maybe play on bumper boats.” I agreed to this and we hugged.
Volunteer Pioneer – Volunteer Pioneer (Self-released)
When I get to these blurbs, I have a stack of musics that I have approved of, and I sit down to pop them in the computer and listen to them and write these genius blurbs. Occasionally, I have an album where I think, “I remember listening to that, but I can’t remember why I put it in the good stack.” And then I put it in the CD player and I remember “OH YEAH!” This was one of those. I was like “Volunteer Pioneer? What does this sound like? I don’t remember?” And then I popped it in and was like “Oh yeah! I liked this because it sounded like a completely palatable folk-pop stew of Wolf Parade/Sunset Rubdown/Frog Eyes. They’re from SF. They got harps. They got boy/girl vox. They got catchy melodies. They got a dude named Kyle in the band. They got a song called “Outfoxed Outfucked”. They got my thumbs up. BAM! THUMPS UP! OOOOOH YEAAAAAAAH.
The Young Gods – The Young Gods (Ipecac)
Do any of you own any ipecac syrup? Or know where I can obtain some? I’ve said it before but it bears repeating. If you get me some, I will completely eat it. The way I understand it, it’s so sweet it makes you throw up. I cannot wrap my brain around a taste like that. I can imagine something so bitter and foul I vomit. But sweet? This is something I feel I need to experience. At any rate: music. This band keeps getting described as “electronic/industrial”. I guess it is. But it feels so much lighter than the clash of metal I associate with industrial. But, perhaps this CD will be moved from rock in the future. Slightly foreboding dance-based electro-rock grooves That’s what this CD has. It has it all night long.
I am also adding some Antelope albums. They played on Rita’s show a month or so ago (and completely kicked ass), and were nice enough to send us their back catalog, which we were lacking.
On that note, I’m going home to watch more episodes of Kenny vs Spenny.
-Kyle
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