Broken Bells

Rueful procrastination. I've been meaning to get my hands on this super beat mix and finally did so this week. The ipod thanked me. The Broken Bells album was all that I hoped it would be. A gigantic ball of honey-combed space candy, as noted above. I knew it would be good with ingredients like this.

Broken Bells for new comers is the collaboration of Shins front man, James Mercer and Danger Mouse, one half of the Gnarls Barkley duo. While definitively having the Mercer vocal stamp, the album otherwise seamlessly combines the talents of the two without any sharp or blaring edges. Good beats. Solid song writing. I've got the whole thing on repeat. I hope there will be more, especially after my disappointment with the last Shins album.

Ports of Morrow

I've been listening to the new Shins album. I got it in Portland. I'm such a good hipster. Nix that. Anyway, it's good. These two songs are the ones that are standing out so far.

Simple Song

This was the single. I've been playing it quite a bit, even though it starts out with "This is just a simple song" and I hate self-aware songs for some reason. It's a pet peeve. Yes, we know you are singing a song, don't talk about singing a song within a song. It's like being in a beautiful dream and having a screeching alarm clock go off. Mercer redeems himself. He knows what to do. When he throws in the signature Shins riff, my heart melts. "I know that things can really get rough, when you go it alone."

The video is worth watching too. Even though there is something way too familiar about a band playing with a house being destroyed all around them, I'll give him credit for having an interesting story. I love artistic videos as much as the next person, but I feel like that has become a cop-out for low budget videos. "Cut the fat boys, let's just make it look cool." Everything is better with a story, even if it's a really weird artsy nonsensical story - a la Mulholland Drive. So cheers Shins.

 

September

This is one of those brilliant slow tunes. Again with the catchy riffs. "I've been selfish and full of pride, and she knows deep down there's a little child."

x0x0

Abduction Mix

 

It has been 70 years since the Battle of Los Angeles, an unexplained crossfire between the US military and something unidentified in the sky. What was it? We still don't know... But we do know that in the event of an abduction, you will need some music. For this purpose, I present to you - the Abduction Mix.

Go ahead and check to see if the aliens have an ipod adapter in the saucer, this mix will accompany you through the whole experience, from light funnels to probing.




Atlas Sound ............................................ Lightworks
Golden Earring ......................................... Twilight Zone
Blue Man Group (feat. Esthero) ................. White Rabbit
Bjork ........................................................Earth Intruders
Fever Ray ............................................... Triangle Walks
Circulatory System .................................. Stars
The Shins ................................................ Sphagnum Esplanade
Radiohead .............................................. Subterranean Homesick Alien
Blonde Redhead ..................................... Missiles
Goldfrapp ............................................... Deer Stop
Miniatures Tiger  (feat. Neon Indian)  ......... Gold Skulls
Radiohead .............................................. Scatterbrain
Massive Attack ....................................... Teardrop
Other Lives ............................................. For 12
Radical Face ........................................... Ghost

ready for Shins

I am pumped up for the new Shins release in March. After 5 years, I am ready!

The hipsters here in Los Angeles (and there's some sort of collective consciousness worldwide) have turned their backs on Mercer and The Shins. The band crossed that one-way threshold of popularity, had their songs in a movie, maybe a commercial or two. The brutal death of an indie band. But face it, when you are as good as Mercer people of all tastes are going to start liking you. And eventually, sadly, even people with no taste. But if you step outside of who likes what music and just listen, there is a master at work here. I am kind of in awe of his musical prowess.

Let's discuss.

Songwriting. You get the sense that there must be some formula for writing Shins songs, but it eludes you. Each are completely absorbing on their own and as part of a pack. There's a signature Shins sound, no doubt, Mercer's singing voice and the melody of his lyrics, but each song is a new and different idea. I can listen to all of the albums in a row and not get bored with it, that is a feat.

Instrumentation. The craftsmanship of each song and how all of the pieces fit together is really seamless.

Vocal Track. What I really love about The Shins is the way the singing acts as another instrument, rising and falling within the song as if it is a third guitar or keyboard track. In most pop songs, the singing is a separate layer apart from the music. You can hear the struggle between the two and how they were laboriously composed to fit each other. The vocals here take unexpected turns and accompany the instruments like part of the gang.

Singing. What can I say I really like his singing voice. I mean this is just luck, I guess. There are some bands that have great songs, great lyrics, great-great, awesome-awesome, then the lead voice starts wearing on you, and then you start getting annoyed with how he is pronouncing time. Mercer's voice is all over the place, strangely high if need be and low, but he's got it, whatever it is.

Lyrics. They are quirky and a little loopy, but there's just enough sense to make you think. And sometimes when you are having a really inexpressible thought, you might fall into one of these songs and think, aha that's what he meant. I really get it now. Even if you've completely misheard the lyrics. Which happens all the time, and it's great.

Consistency and change. What I am really drawing attention to here is the fact that they've put out three incredible studio albums. You can hear an evolution in the drum beats and complexity of the songs, but you can still listen to the first albums with the same enjoyment that you had the first time. Growing, changing, and making fulfilling music throughout; I take my hat off to it.

Now the pressure is on. Ports of Morrow. The time is near at hand! But I will always love you no matter what the hipsters say.

Love, DJ Slobek