REVIEW: The Black Keys - El Camino

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Grade: 90% (A-)

There have been rumors that the Black Keys broke up for a little while before 2008's Attack and Release. Apparently drummer Patrick Carney's wife/girlfriend was fed up with the band and it caused strife and a short break up. This helped Carney realize what he really cares about… His band, not his wife/girlfriend. They broke up and the band was back. Again, this is all rumors. Rumors.

Since then however, the Black Keys have put out three excellent albums for their genre of bluesy grunge rock. Attack & Release found critical acclaim from indie rock magazines and websites while Brothers earned the band a Grammy. 2011's El Camino is the perfect combination of the two albums. From the opening riff of "Lonely Boy" (which is just as grimy as when we first heard it back in October) through the ten fatiguing tracks that follow, the duo combines the classic rock feel of Attack & Release with the verge of pop hits Brothers gave us. 

The keyboard workings on "Gold on the Ceiling" take the lead in the chorus but Dan Auerbach still slays the guitar in between verses. The band has taken the addition of this keyboard and a second guitar/bass from Brothers and used it to their advantage while still maintaining the core of their sound with just Auerbach on lead and Carney on the drums on tracks like "Money Maker." 

The fact that these core values remain the same makes this a Black Keys album to both look back at their previous work and also propel them into the future. Auerbach has realized he can still look like the true guitar hero that he truly is by showing his solos off after an ascending chorus and Carney has mixed his garage style percussion with the rhythm and blues that producer Danger Mouse has clearly introduced him too. All the while, the lyrics of the songs are still as soft as they can be in front of this badass sounding instrumentals. 

While every track is solid in it's own way, "Little Black Submarines" is easily the standout. Simply put: when I first played it for friends, they had the audacity to compare it to "Stairway of Heaven." But this track isn't a lengthy epic. Instead, it is just over four minutes of something we haven't really heard from Auerbach and Carney before. However, I can see where they see the comparison. Why? Because the track comes out of left field when the boys slow it down with an acoustic guitar for the opening. Auerbach sounds like a coffee singer-songwriter singing, "everybody knows that a broken heart is blind," instead of the badass guitar slayer that he is before Patrick slides in with an accompanying rhythm in the second verse. While the first two minutes are certainly pretty, just after the two minute mark you get exactly what you want from the Keys. Auerbach slides in with the electric and mayhem breaks loose as you can picture Carney towering over his drum set banging away. Auerbach sings on with slick riffs and repeats the previously stated lyric, but this time with more emphasis. Not so much anger, but perseverance. The mind blowing solo that follows only solidifies this as one of the duo's top songs. It's contrast is what makes it great and what makes it different is it's smooth transition. 

In classic Black Keys fashion, no tracks extend past four and a half minutes. These guys know how to take every idea they have and compact it into three plus minutes of powerful blues rock. I don't need to tell you how sick Auerbach is shredding his guitar because that's to be expected. I also don't need to tell you that Patrick Carney delivers a groovy beat on every track because that's also to be expected. What I will tell you is that this flurry of good releases from the duo is very exciting and leaves us with even higher expectations for their next cut. That is, as long as neither of them get into a relationship that could jeopardize the band. Because this music is way to good to let go of. 

REVIEW: The Antlers - Burst Apart

The Antlers

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Grade: 91% (A-)

"Music that keeps moving and is kind of entrancing and expansive at the same time. Headphone music, music that keeps you going while you're driving for 20 hours." 

That is the way that the Antlers frontman Peter Silberman describes their newest record Burst Apart. That description is about as good as it gets and this review is therefore essentially worthless. But I'll trudge on anyways. Burst Apart was recorded after the trio's expansive tour in support of 2009's Hospice and the sound of the record was greatly shaped by their travels on the road. With the new incorporation of synths, the record holds a quirky ability to be all over the place rhythmically, yet maintain a steady pace throughout without leaving the listener's head spinning. 

The newly added synths do not take the front seat and nor do they take the rear. In fact, no instrument truly leads the effort on this record. It is as much of a cohesive effort that I have heard this year. The instruments work off of each other in a way to let the vocals ascend and float merely inches above the rest. This might also be the most emotional album of this year as well. There are moments of darkness and moments of light. Some songs could be used in The Dark Night Rises and some could be used in The Notebook. 

Multi-instrumentalist Darby Cicci has said that he thinks people will be, "sucked in… to the world of the record." That is exactly what Burst Apart does. It doesn't bounce around in your mind, it instead reverberates throughout it, touching every sense. Credit Silberman's vocal talents for most of this. On "No Windows," he uses his voice as an instrument, like a synth in itself, setting the mood for the song with his murmurs. 

Again, this record is still the strongest cohesive effort I've heard in a while. It was in fact recorded and produced by only the three of them. Michael Lerner's drums toy with your sense of the album's early rhythms on "Parentheses," and the guitar guides the albums top track "Rolled Together" while being sheltered throughout by synth work. There is an atmosphere preserved throughout the record while it still remains direct and palpable for the casual listener. 

Lyrics help with that. While Silberman is emotionally deep and deceptively simple on "Rolled Together," he sings, "so if i see you again, desperate and stoned," on opener "I Don't Want Love." But that doesn't mean the song has no depth. In fact, he uses that amusing line to reassert the overall sexual connotations of the song as a whole. This type of lyrical flair is found throughout the record. 

These concepts range on the album. In fact, countless subjects are breached over the ten songs all while it continues a togetherness. This can be related back to the inspiration of the record as a whole. While spirited by the life on the road, the trio still experienced all of those things together. Whether it would be sleeping in a tiny van in the freezing night or playing a bad show in a town they'd never heard of. They experienced all of that together as a group. That's the feeling you get from this album: an illusive togetherness, and maybe that's where their EP entitled (together)  came from. Or maybe not. I might be the only one who cares. 

REVIEW: Real Estate - Days

Real Estate

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Grade: 90% (A-)

Don't just Google "real estate" because nothing regarding the New Jersey indie rock band will come up. Instead, you'll find, at least for myself, an assortment of depressing Buffalo, New York homes up for sale. It's not so much the homes that are depressing, it's the choices of pictures put up to showcase the homes. Each of them seem gray and gloomy. 

If Real Estate, the band that is, were using their music to sell their home to you, that is exactly how they would portray their house: gray and gloomy. Their follow-up to 2009's self-titled debut is just about as mellow and dreary as the Jersey shoreline in mid-February. These songs speak of a childhood in this environment. This "careless lifestyle," as Martin Courtney sings on "Green Aisles," is perfectly sketched by placid and groovy basslines backed by endless guitar arrangements.

But there is still a glimmer of hope. While some of these tracks bring back feelings of sadness and remorse, some also bring out ambition. "It's Real" is a quick, jangle-pop guitar based song that rises and falls through verses and choruses about communicating your emotions and seeing your potential. These songs are built for the late fall and early winter; when the sky is dark and no snow lays on the ground as you sit near the fire and reminisce on the days of summer and look forward to the winter landscape that is so unbearably close. 

They also seem to stretch on forever and make the horizon seem unattainable on that long road trip. The instrumental "Kinder Blumen" is guided by guitars and percussion but includes background effects and noises that play tricks on your ears and mind. "Green Aisles" circles around you with it's flawless guitar work, threatening to strike on your sorrow at any moment like a flock of buzzards but instead taunts you for five minutes. There is an eerie 60's nook combined with the warm dejection of the 90's on "Out Of Tune." 

The band seems to enjoy their emotional release on the record so much that they almost never let it end. The final song, "All The Same," stretches almost seven and a half minutes and could end at any moment as the band extends the phenomenal jam into the end of the day. It chugs along with an upbeat attitude, as if they are done with the despair of yesterday and are looking forward to the promise of tomorrow. It bundles these ideas and jostles them into your head, leaving you ready for whatever the near future brings you. This song is surely a concert staple.

Just because they are downcast, that doesn't mean these songs are depressing to listen to. They find a way for you to put things into perspective on bad days, and appreciate the good ones. While Courtney reflects on his childhood on Days, he is allowing you to reflect yourself, and maybe take a second look this time, remembering things differently. The title itself doesn't refer to specific moment's in his life, but simply refers to the "days" that once were for everyone and you can potentially find out a lot about yourself by giving these memories the second chance that they never had. 

REVIEW: St. Vincent - Strange Mercy

St. Vincent

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Grade: 92% (A-)

I introduce you to HBO's television series Hung; a story of Ray, a divorced high school gym teacher on the verge of some serious Michigan educational budget cuts who is "gifted" in other aspects of life and therefore pursues them by becoming a male prostitute to make some cash on the side. Tanya, a self-loathing poet/artist who has gone through life pushed around by her mother and others, enlists Ray as her hoe as she delves into the field of becoming a pimp. Tanya doesn't exactly have control of her life and continues to be pushed around by Lenore, her much more attractive and successful opponent pimp seeking Ray's services, leading to breakdowns and episodes. Tanya, welcome to your release. 

Annie Clarke is as badass as a sweet pale girl with curly black hair can be… Which apparently is pretty badass. On Strange Mercy, she takes St. Vincent into a new stratosphere with her combination of attitude and innocence. Much like Tanya does when she steals her rival pimp's dog, Clarke has just said, "fuck it," and is taking control of how shit goes down in her life. She isn't taking shit from anyone anymore.

While they share the same hairstyle, the two aren't entirely parallels of each other. As Tanya is somewhat all over the place and unhinged, Clarke maintains a certain level of sanity. She still is able to fool you with her childlike innocence on "Cheerleader," until she swoops in and demands that she no longer roam the sidelines supporting the team in their endeavors. However, she is still not afraid to admit the times in which she has given in in the past. On "Surgeon," she opens singing, "I spent the summer on my back," but then sounds as dangerous as a rabid dog with her crazed chorus, "Best find a surgeon, come cut me open." The most important line of the record is on the title track, when Clarke sings, "If I ever meet that dirty policeman who roughed you up, no I don't know what." Clark extinguishes any security by ripping in and out of guitar riffs throughout the LP (see "Cruel"). She knows her life of, "making a living telling people what they want to hear," is not a perfect plan but she doesn't care what you think. The simple structure (drum loops, synth workings, and honed guitar riffs) proves once and for all that Annie Clark means business. Even through all of this though, the musical integrity is maintained and you would still like the songs without paying close attention to the lyrics.

She also might still be a little crazy though, as the album is littered with these examples. Still, Annie Clark has provided inspiration to any unremarkably put together female (10-15 on the tightness scale) and, considering she has gotten an 18-year old male college freshman to reflection the state of life of mediocre and unnoticed women, has certainly gained respect in the music community. Keep your pimp hand strong Tanya. 

REVIEW: Phantogram - Nightlife EP

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Grade: 92% (A-)

Lets be honest, bras are over rated. And when Sarah Barthel refused to wear one during Phantogram's set at Lollapalooza she was making a statement. The same can be said about how Barthel and Josh Carter have made a statement with their second official release, Nightlife. On the EP, the electro-pop tandem from New York make it clear that their 2009 debut release Eyelid Movies was no fluke. Recorded in a totally separate session than their first record, Nightlife is not only just as good if not better than their debut, but it also shows the duo's ability to stream a different style of electronic music.  

While Eyelid Movies featured dark rhythms and heavy beats, the follow-up takes the group in a more dance-pop direction with it's upbeat samples and quicker drum loops. The best example of this is on the lead single, "Don't Move." Using a solid variation of synths and samples (including a catchy little pop from the horn section), the song sets the standard for the EP with it's dance-styled drum beats. The synths move softly along the background of Barthel's vocals. Lyrically, she is even more impressive as she pushes the boundaries of her song writing abilities making both direct statements and clever remarks (ex. the chorus is "keep your body still," seemingly mocking the title). 

Both Carter's vocals and guitar work takes the back seat on most tracks like they did on the debut as the pair attempts to assert rhythms and synths as their defining characteristic. However, on "Turning into Stone," he takes the lead vocals in the main verses and his low tones supplement Sarah's voice well in the vocals. Recognizing his inability to boast a star-studded voice, he shields in with effects in the song, which is easily the EP's most impressive track.  

Guitar wise, Carter finds the perfect way to work off of the rhythms and beats Barthel creates and reinforces the driving aspects of each song. This is especially prevalent on "Make a Fist" where he plays with the riff to lead the song into the background of Sarah's vocals and then backs her up as she glides into the smoothed over chorus. 

Intriguingly, the title track shows the duo's ability to stretch out their work into other genres. Considering the back end of the band's debut got a little repetitive, the two go in a different direction with this song. While Carter leads the track with his acoustic guitar work, Sarah eventually works in some synth work and slower tempo drum beats. The song eventually grows into a mid rate track and features some electric guitar work and more driving beats.  

Phantogram's success with their follow-up shows their ability to get away from those sounds that influenced their debut and move along with their development. As they continue to tour behind this release, they will only continue to find more influences and work in newer and fresher sounds to both bridge their first two releases and then move into some different types of noise. 

REVIEW: Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr - It's a Corporate World

Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr

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Grade: 91% (A-)

It certainly is a "corporate world," from FreeCreditReport.com commercials to race car drivers selling their cars as moving advertisements. But then again, that encompasses a majority of this Detroit indie-rock duo. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. certainly enjoys to screw around. Whether it is their on stage race car suits or even their music video featuring them and friends in a race themselves, they known how to have fun. That is shown most through their debut LP. This record is thirty-seven minutes of relaxing and well constructed indie-pop featuring impressive guitar work shielded by cool vocals.

The album opens with two drum driven songs, which is funny considering the band doesn't include a full-time drummer. The opener "Morning Thought" samples piano noises to start and then leads in with a solid rhythm accompanied by guitar work that just slides to fit in. The soaring chorus is a summertime masterpiece which leads into the beauty of the acoustically drawn up second track. "Nothing But Our Love" includes lyrics that are somehow both intro and extroverted. The sampling moves well with the vocals that make you want to sit in a giant bean bag chair and just release all of the air in your body. With a chorus seemingly mocking the soaring heights of those of the first song, give this song a few listens before you are singing it to yourself without even knowing. 

While the lyrics are both personally relevant and socially commenting, some are simply a smack in the face. Take for example "An Ugly Person On a Movie Screen," where they sing, "you're something no one wants to see, like an ugly person on a movie screen." Songs like "Skeletons" and "When I Open My Eyes" show impressive production skills, seamlessly mixing the backing and front vocals both with effects to continue the mood of the whole record. The two can turn it up and rock too as they show on the title track and the track referring to the decrepit state of their hometown. The dance rhythms of "It's a Corporate World" lead into the back and forth chorus that encompasses the entire album as a whole singing, "it's a corporate world, I'm a corporation cutting back." On "We Almost Lost Detroit," funky keyboard work builds with straight power chords into easily the best hook on the album, with the shouting of the song's title interluded by a perfect guitar riff. 

It's clear that these guys had a lot on their minds and a lot to talk about while recording, but the album as a whole is extremely well produced and mixed. It'd be nice to have more bands emerge featuring two talented musicians who just want to screw around and make music that they seem to enjoy making and performing. 

TRACK REVIEW: The Black Keys - "Lonely Boy"

The Black Keys

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Grade: 91% (A-)

2008 doesn't seem like it was really that long ago. Fleet Foxes frontman Robin Pecknold sported his grizzly northwestern beard while his band climbed into the indie buzzband sphere with it's self-titled debut. Jim James (AKA Yim Yames) of My Morning Jacket rocked the southern guitar slasher look with his long mane and beard as his band's funkiest album to date gained Top 10 Album of the Year recognition. Justin Vernon of Bon Iver used his facial hair to stay warm in the Wisconsin winter as his self-released debut blew up on the internet. And Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys went above the rest, streaming his full head of hair down to his shoulders alongside his biker style beard as if his band's album Attack & Release didn't posterize him as a badass enough. Each band has since released a follow up to their 2008 LP's in the past year, with the Black Keys' El Camino coming this December after 2010's Grammy Winning Brothers. Auerbach's face however, is the only one completely shaven.

What does his smooth face mean about his music? Apparently nothing. Auerbach continues to sing lyrics of a bleeding heart and still manages to be the complete badass that he is on the guitar, just as he was with a full beard back in '08. The straightforward and direct lyrics overdubbed with classic TBK vocal distortions on "Lonely Boy" refer one back to some of their earlier work. The opening hazy guitar reverb is strikingly familiar to that of the title track of their earlier Thickfreakness. This leads into an opening guitar riff that sounds as if it was taken off of a Limp Bizkit album which offers an opening for Patrick Carney's simplest and freshest drum kit opening to date. Funky guitar riffs continue as Auerbach jumps up a key to a higher note leading into the increasingly distorted chorus with backing vocals. This is back to the stripped down, in your face, drum/guitar action that we know The Black Keys can punch you with. The beard is back, figuratively, and maybe realistically. Let this song kick your ass a couple of times before you figure it out. 

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The Black Keys' newest LP El Camino is out December 6th. Pre-order it at the website wannabuyavan.com and check out their preview video for the album below. 

"Lonely Boy" will be released as a single along with another new track called "Run Right Back" on Record Store Day: Black Friday (November 25th). Check out the video for "Lonely Boy" here.