HEALTH- Get Color

This album is perhaps one of the most anticipated albums of 2009, many sites proclaiming its glory months and months ahead of its release. HEALTH are a band that I never understood. A few tracks off their last album I enjoyed, but I couldn't quite get my head around what they were trying to do. Each track seemed to be a huge brick of noise, and there seemed no way of penetrating this wall of noise.

The HEALTH/DISCO came out, which was a remix album of the first album, and the remixes seemed to bring out the songs behind all the feedback and overdrive. And from listening to the new album, it would seem HEALTH have taken some of this into account. I would be lying to say that HEALTH are now a catchy, danceable band (although Die Slow does come close to a radio-friendly single); but the songs are now at the forefront. The noise is still there, but its reigned in a lot more, and the songs are all the more powerful for it. The rhythmic elements to their sound are now much more apparent, and the band stop start like a well oiled machine.

This is an album of many many layers and I have only burrowed so far as of yet, but this album is a definite contender for album of the year, as I feel it has real lasting power. I am seeing the band live on Monday, so I am excited to see how the songs come across live.

8.9- Entrancing

Shameless Self Promotion

Just thought I would plug my own band, Sigmund Fucked His Mum. The band consists of myself on guitar, and Ben Owers on Drums. For any pretense or hyperbole found below, you have my apologies.

Me and Owers have been jamming together for about 2 years now (believe it or not!), and at first we played under the moniker Convex Concave. Con(Vex+Cave) was the result of those cliched teenage feelings of angst and alienation, mixed with a large intake of weed and disappointment. At first we bashed out Nirvana/Sunny Day Real Estate/early-Biffy Clyro inspired jams on a very very old drum kit which had seen better days, but with a whole lotta gusto and heart. We performed a 8 minute epic at a school showcase to a rather baffled audience of parents and teachers, which resulted with me cutting my hand open and spraying myself with blood. We then kept practicing for the next 6 months or so, and developed a strong set list. The newer songs took on a heavier, more complex direction, with influence from Don Caballero/That Fucking Tank/Shellac coming through a lot stronger. This period cultivated in our performance at the fantastic Lentonfest, which saw the end of the Convex Concave-era come to a loud/messy/distorted climax.

I then went to university, and submerged myself in the Sheffield music scene, and taking much wider influences in my music. I then returned to Stortford and we starting jamming again. We became Sigmund Fucked His Mum whilst at a That Fucking Tank gig, as it seemed like a good name to hark the start of our new era. We then went and recorded the Shirley Bassey EP with the wondrous Ollie Thurley, the genius behind Ithaca Trio. The EP showcased the brutal, complex sound we had long developed, and is a good document of our sound. We are now planning the next step of Sigmund Fucked His Mum's life, which will see us start to play some shows up in Sheffield, which is an exciting prospect for the both of us.

Not a bad little sum-up of our history there, now check out the music www.myspace.com/sigmundfuckedhismum

We

An album of the year: Beacons of Ancestorship

Tortoise- Beacons of Ancestorship

In terms of new releases, this year has been very good for folky/poppy records, such as the Grizzly Bear and the Dirty Projectors LPs; and for bowel-shakers such as Kong, Future of the Left. But I have been waiting for something really interesting and engaging, and no band better fills that slot than Tortoise.

I have read a few different reviews on the album, and they fall into the same trap of reviewing the album next to the bands earlier output, rather than on the merit of the album itself. YES- this is a Tortoise album, and you know what to expect. BUT- they are so damn good. Tortoise are an extremely varied and eclectic band, who are comfortable with anything from jazzy dancey numbers, to electroey post rock stuff; and both suit them tremendously. Personal favourite "Prepare Your Coffin" shows Tortoise's versatility best, mixing their jazzy elements with some lovely sounding keys.

If you are a fan of Tortoise beforehand this isn't going to surprise you; but if listened to without previous preconceptions it is a genuinely interesting and rewarding listen, with huge amount of variety that keeps you interesting over the whole album. A grower, for sure my friend.

8.7/10- Rewarding.

An album of the year: Farm

Dinosaur Jr- Farm

We all know Dino. We all know the hate-hate relationship of J and Lou is what makes/made this band interesting. We all know Bug/You're Living All Over Me are classics.

Getting the original line-up back together was always going to be a GRAND idea, as the albums that didn't feature the original line-up didn't share the same magic; but 2007's Beyond didn't quite match all our Indie-kid wet dreams. It featured too heavily on J's guitar histrionics, rather than focusing on the songs themselves. Farm, however, doesn't suffer from the same problem. Farm shows J at the top of his songwriting game, with 'Pieces' and "I don't want to go there" being up there with his best songs. Two songs from Lou, also show that Dino are back in full force.

They have hardly reinvented their sound, but they have truly reinvigorated it, and I love them as they are, so don't go changing guys...basically, it ticks all your Dino Jr boxes- loud guitars, catchy hooks, moany vocals. Done.

8.2/10

An album of the year: Snake Magnet

Kong- Snake Magnet

It seemed to take FOREVER for this album to come out, with most of these tracks being around since 2007, so the excitement and possibility for disappointment were high. Quick back story: Kong (2 parts Oceansize, 1 part Lo-fi Radio) a band that you will instantly love or hate as they are anything but subtle...but I instantly loved them. They are an amazing sonic assault, that rocks and rolls, stopping and starting, screaming and shouting, that is pretty intense over the whole album; and initially the album is pretty damn exhilarating. But has the album got lasting qualities? Hmmm I dunno....I really thought I was going to love this album, it has everything I love- scratchy distorted guitars, complicated/stop-starty rhythms, with that Shellac "I'm going to kill you" kinda eerie vocals.......but Kong are hardly a loveable band, and Snake Magnet is not a loveable album. It may be one of the best albums this year, and it is an intense experience that will make all albums of 2009 seem tame; but repeated listens may not follow.

8.0/10 - Sometimes this album just is too much of a punch in the gullet

Best Albums of 2009 so far

Has been a while since last post. I will be better from now on, promise....here's the plan for the next few weeks-

• Album reviews- new Dinosaur Jr, new Sonic Youth, Dirty Projectors, Manic Street Preachers
  
• Live reviews- Deerhunter, Johnny Foreigner, Joan of Arc

So that's the next few weeks, and here is my favourite albums of the year so far aha:

• Pains of Being Pure At Heart- S/T
• Animal Collective- Merriweather Post Pavillion
• Dan Deacon Bromst
• Women- S/T
• Sky Larkin- The Golden Spike
• Wavves- S/T
• Calories- Adventuring
• Grizzly Bear- Vecktamist
• Grammatics- S/T
• Dirty Projectors- Bitte Orca
• Future of the Left- Travels...

Women/Elmo Logic (Night and Day Manchester)

As I wonder into the hallowed Night and Day, Elmo Logic's eerie-pop is mulling at the back of the room. The spiky staccato Interpol guitar lines flutter tremendously, whilst the rest of the band are locked in Grammatics-esque baroque theatrics...well worth keeping an eye on...

I have been intrigued by the live prospect of Women; as the album itself is confusing yet intriguing. The spiraling discordant side of Women is much more notable in the live setting, with the freak outs Swell-Maps- style, coming across a lot more prominently than the lo-fi fuzz-pop that is the album. The set is short and loud, with swaying distortion flying about everywhere, each song drifting into the next; and the effect is powerful. The set was always teetering on being self-indulgent and hard-going, but the band are tight and a well-oiled machine, so the set is punchy; and most importantly, underneath the feedback and effects, are damn fine pop songs.