Looking for new music? DJs at WVAU share their thoughts on a range of recent releases.
Ty Segall & Mikal Cronin | Reverse Shark Attack
Loud 2009 work by the two garage rockers.
This album could also be called, “Ty Segall and Mikal Cronin go nuts in the studio.”
The first six songs are 2-minute-or-less garage rockers that come at you full blast.
The opener is an all-out sonic attack. The vocals are so loud and distorted that you can’t understand a word Segall sings until he says the name of the song.
Tracks 3 through 5 are fast and relentless and flow right into each other. They contain all of the raw energy of a Segall live show.
Then Segall and Cronin do a Pink Floyd cover, “Take Up Thy Stethoscope And Walk,” which is faithful to the original. But with the crazy loud production, it’s got a fun punk rock feel.
The title track is over 10 minutes long and switches styles, from psychedelic with heavily processed vocals, to a gentle acoustic section.
It ends with a surf part with tremolo-picked riffs with an insane amount of distortion only Ty Segall would use.
Reverse Shark Attack is less melodic than Ty’s other releases. But it has the same energy, which makes it a fun listen.
Recommended If You Like: Jay Reatard, Thee Oh Sees, White Fence
By Drew Sher, Fur Sher Saturdays 4-6 p.m.
Eels | Wonderful, Glorious
Quirky pop with an interesting voice.
Eels (comprised of solo member Mark Oliver Everett, better known as “E”) has built a reputation for releasing solid indie pop albums featuring E’s distinct voice and a parade of instruments to supplement the guitar-bass-drum setup.
The vocals are hit or miss. They’re performed very well and produced to accent the slight raspy quality of E’s voice. But when he’s singing some cringe-worthy lyrics, it comes off as your dad taking up smoking and listening to AC/DC during a mid-life crisis. The multi-tracking only makes these flaws more apparent.
Eels also has a penchant for writing surprisingly touching songs that come out of nowhere. There are glimpses of that songwriting on this album, but the songs never quite reach the same highs as E has been able to find on past albums. If you’re looking for some simple, quirky pop tunes to play, this is the album for you.
RIYL: Ben Folds, Weezer, Cake
By Cameron Stewart, Sultry Red Feedback Fridays 2-4 p.m.
Björk | Bastards
Björk with even deeper dimensions.
If you’re not too familiar with Björk, she’s basically in a class all on her own. Not to suppress the brilliance of her original work, “bastards” may come as a great way to ease into her otherworldly yet tribally soul-ridden poetic croons.
A collection of previously released remixes off her revolutionary “Biophilia” album and media project from 2011, “bastards” sheds new light on most of the original songs.
Collaborations with Death Grips, Hudson Mohawke and Omar Souleyman, to name a few, come together as atypical mixes, yet are so beautifully dimensional thanks to influences from dubstep, Middle Eastern folk, percussive glitches but also pleasantly simple twists on Björk’s unique voice and piano numbers.
RIYL: Death Grips, PJ Harvey, The Sugarcubes, iamamiwhoami
By Molly Pfeffer, Velvet Sessions Wednesdays 5-6 p.m.
Veronica Falls | Waiting for Something to Happen
Lush, atmospheric and oh so right.
Reverb-oriented and retro-leaning, Veronica Falls’ sophomore release is a wonderful follow-up to their debut. Featuring much of the same detailing that made them an indie pop favorite in 2011, the only big change is a smoother production quality.
Tracks on this release still feature Roxanne Clifford’s soft vocals working in tandem with the rest of the band and fuzzed-out, guitar-driven melodies.
Deceptively simple, tracks like “Teenage” and “My Heart Beats” are full to the brim with heartfelt melancholy contrasted against a uptempo rhythm.
There is a charm to this album that is based in the genuine feel of the lyrics and tone that has only gotten better since Veronica Falls’ debut.
RIYL: Beach Fossils, Dum Dum Girls, Crocodiles
By Leigh Hopkins, Ambient Bloom Wednesdays midnight-2 a.m.
