The Wake

The evolution of the Flaming Lips’ music is nearly as trippy as the music itself. Starting out as a lo-fi indie rock band and progressing to fuzzed-out psychedelia, most recently they’ve been doing some of the best pop-friendly atmospheric noise orchestrations you’re likely to find. Half the fun of listening to their newest album, At War with the Mystics, is finding out what sound the band is taking on now.The thing is, there is no one sound to this album. It opens with a catchy ’60s-esque psyched-up singalong about the dangers of power, both personal and political. Immediately we’re transported to the ’80s with an electro-funk masterpiece that would make Prince himself proud. Titled “Free Radicals” (the best chemistry puns to ever grace the music industry), the song is a full frontal blast against fanaticism …

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I was listening to “Traces,” the second track on the new Built to Spill album, and trying to figure out why they included some guy saying, “Who is Mike Town?” in the background. But it’s not that bad, I thought, it’s just strange. And after all, it is Built To Spill; there must be some reason. Then I heard it again on the following track “Liar,” and realized I am a fool. The real reason is that I have peeked, opened early. I stole the album and Mike Town is an electronic watermark. So there. I’m a thief, but it’s only because I am impatient. I own the older albums and I have seen Built To Spill in concert twice and Doug Martsch by himself once. I love this band, and I want to strangle …

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The Unknown Prophets is a telling name for the Northeast Minneapolis hip-hop group. Local hip-hop veterans Big Jess (producer/emcee), Mad Son (emcee) and Willy Lose (DJ) will lay their hearts and souls out for any listener willing to listen. In such a bling-bling, MTV hip hop era, it’s refreshing to hear a group like the Unknown Prophets that actually offer poetic lyrics. The Unknown Prophets’ latest album The Road Less Traveled carries on with the same attitude. It offers tight production and lyrics that mean something. The title is appropriate considering the group’s ambition for reaching ears that are brainwashed by mainstream hip-hop. The album considers and comments on the mainstream music industry, mobilizing against the grain, and shedding light on the misfortunes in life that we can never predict. While playing with the …

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In the world of “bigger is better” rock music, bands with lineups in the double digits reign supreme. Amidst these giant ensembles, it’s the husband and wife duo Mates of State who ironically produce the most colossal sound. One listen to “Think Long,” the opening track on Bring It Back, will leave your head spinning.Bring It Back is Mates of States’ fourth full-length release and their first for Barsuk records. Without betraying their easily-identified sound, the band explores the potentials of the studio more than they have on previous records. Additional vocal layers and even a guitar or two find their way into the mix of the new album.The new songs show all the elements of the Mates of State repertoire: happy organ riffs, danceable drum beats, and insane vocal harmonies. Kori Gardner (keyboards, vocals) …

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Coming out of Oklahoma, the Starlight Mints are about as quirky as a band can get. From the throaty vocals of frontman Allan Vest to the extensive use of unconventional instruments, it’s easy to make the assumption they are trying to be original in the shadow of another unusual Oklahoma-based band, The Flaming Lips. However, as long as they keep their focus on general weirdness, they keep themselves in the Lips’ shadow. I get the impression that their intent was for a comparison to be made: “Holy crap, did you hear about that cutting-edge band from Oklahoma? They are, like, the next Flaming Lips!” With that said, the Mints’ upcoming release, Drowaton, is a testament to the fact that weird can be good. The album does not depart much from their first two releases, …

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There is a small part of me that wishes to be a child again, even if for only a day. I secretly long to revisit the time in life when your crush could be won over simply by sharing your Snack Pack, outstanding homework always went on the fridge, and even the biggest, scariest obstacles could be tackled after a quick nap on a carpet square.I was temporarily transported back to such a time with Paper Bag Records’ See You On The Moon! Songs For Kids Of All Ages, a delightful, surprisingly hip, compilation created to unite the young and old with music everyone can enjoy. If nothing else, it will make your child the coolest kid in school. Had my parents raised me on something like this and not heavy metal, I probably would …

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With the recent release of their seventh album The Life Pursuit, I truly believe Belle & Sebastian’s cockteasing days are over. At first, the trademark precociousness of Scotland’s quirky retro-folk outfit managed to redeem the string of half-good albums they’ve recently released. They were let off the hook for being harmlessly endearing—who could help themselves?After a while, Belle & Sebastian’s cheeky nonsensicalities became less adorable and more difficult to stomach. It was as if they abandoned any sort of focus and just settled on being difficult. Their second most recent album of original songs, Dear Catastrophe Waitress (2003), was a bit of sexy fun here and there, but mostly played out scattered and confused. Luckily, The Life Pursuit, their sixth album on Matador Records, is an absolute gem and all at once fresh and familiar. …

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When a record label like Kill Rock Stars puts out a sampler, it’s bound to please fans of just about any style of music. It’s also bound to be a little weird. Otis’ Opuses, featuring a staggering 22 tracks, is a retrospective of the label’s 2005 releases with a few new songs as well. From folk to hardcore, noise to electronica, Otis’ Opuses is at once schizophrenic and cohesive, jumping successfully between these genres without batting an eye. The sampler features mainstays of the label like The Decemberists, Jeff Hanson, Deerhoof, and Harvey Danger along with lesser-known bands. But I was pleased to discover The Gossip and the Old Haunts. By incorporating so many sounds into one album, Kill Rock Stars proved not only the diversity of their acts, but also that they can win …

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As usual, Scott McCaughey (formerly of Young Fresh Fellows) finds himself in good company on the latest record from his pet project, the Minus 5. His friends on this outing include R.E.M.’s Peter Buck, The Decemberists’ Colin Meloy and Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy among others. In addition to containing a stellar guest list, the CD comes filled with classic- sounding songs penned almost exclusively by McCaughey. Drawing on years of experience and an obvious love of ’60s pop, the music is familiar and accessible. The subject matter also evokes a feeling of by-gone days, covering the topics of gun-toting and drinking. But don’t get me wrong, the music is more than pure nostalgia. Like other super group side projects such as Golden Smog, the Minus 5 offers a glimpse into where these musicians find their roots. …

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Rhymesayers Entertainment begins the year with a burst of much needed energy for the Minneapolis hip-hop scene. Audition proves that P.O.S. isn’t just another rapper destined for mediocrity. Starting strong with the bouncy “Half Cooked Concepts,” P.O.S. immediately succeeds in establishing his persona as he rhymes, “P.O., you know the dirty one disturbing all the categories / the matador in black, killing bullshit allegories.” Similar energy is found on “Stand Up (Let’s Get Murdered)” (produced by Lazerbeak) and tracks like “A Teddy Bear and a Tazer” and “Living Slightly Larger.” Guests appear in tasteful doses, and usually working to the album’s advantage. Slug and P.O.S. trade rhymes over two of the album’s most accessible cuts, “Bush League Psych-Out Stuff” and “Bleeding Hearts Club (MPLS Chapter).” “Safety in Speed (Heavy Metal)” features a lingering Craig Finn …

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I can’t imagine how many reviews of Cat Power’s new CD use the title as the heart of their arguments, so please excuse me if it has been done before. Cat Power has at last, after over ten years of recording, found its forte in the aptly titled The Greatest, their most comfortable CD to date.The confidence and pure soul of this album leads me to believe that the Chan Marshall who offered up nauseatingly nervous live performances was a farce. The woman who turned her back to the audience in order to force a note past her shaking vocal chords, who has stormed off stages in tears, could not have feasibly created a smile in her past, let alone a grouping of songs with this much poise.The Greatest reveals an ironic use of Marshall’s …

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Clocking in at 35 minutes, The Plastic Constellations’ Crusades is a ten-song disc with a single mindset. Complex guitar riffs, capricious song structures and the occasional hook cause the listener to drift through the CD, almost without noticing when one song ends and the next begins. The only problem: They all start to sound the same after about 15 minutes. A local success story, the Plastic Constellations have been playing and recording together since high school. They garnered national recognition with their second release, 2004’s Mazatlan. In their music, fast guitars meet unintelligible lyrics in a way that’s not quite prog rock and not quite punk.Crusades, as far as I can tell, is a modern-day mythology, giving the nod of the cap to Don Quixote (see the song of the same name) and simultaneously to …

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It is remarkable that history and hype did not completely smother as delicate an album as Vashti Bunyan’s Lookaftering (Fat Cat/DiChristina). A sophomore release 35 years in the making, it follows her 1970 debut Just Another Diamond Day. Her first album’s inability to be pigeonholed led to its initial rejection, though it earned Bunyan a cult following. Fast forward to the current folk revolution, where we have this humble, nurturing earth mama rubbing elbows with emulators Animal Collective, Devendra Banhart and Joanna Newsom, all while being hailed as one of the finest artists of 2005.Even more surprising is that Lookaftering still emerges as a work of unexploited triumph as fresh and breathtaking as her first. Bunyan’s music is a true defiance of time and genre with a sound that could have been captured yesterday or …

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Somehow, I have nearly all of Ryan Adams’ albums. And while this is an embarrassing admittance, I feel the accumulation has been strangely necessary. Perhaps I continue to lend my ears in hopes that Adams will escape his status as alt-country’s biggest tool. After all, his infamy is best attributed to hurried, expendable albums (three in 2005 alone) rather than spontaneous masterpieces.Therefore, it was easy to get excited about 29, Adams’ latest on the Lost Highway label. Each song on the nine-track narrative is meant to represent a year in the 31-year-old Adams’ t20s, hinting at sincerity. He also re-teamed with Ethan Johns, producer of 2000’s Heartbreaker, the solo debut that established Adams’ initial potential.Unfortunately, 29 produces wildly unsatisfying results in its sameness and lack of attitude. Adams ditches the full-band sound and, conclusively, the …

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I have always thought of Wilco albums as works of art, congruent in their entirety, and packed with layers upon layers of meaning. When I heard they were releasing a live album I thought, “This is great, I love Wilco.” When I finally got the double-disc set in my hands, I was confused. The songs were all out of order! There were people trying to sing along to Jeff Tweedy! Anarchy, in a sense. As I meandered my way, bewildered, through the first disc, it hit me: There is something here that I had not yet considered. Wilco may be taking old songs and giving them new meaning through this new arrangement. A majority of the songs are taken from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002) and A Ghost is Born (2004), both of which were perfect …

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