Track of the Day - 12/31/11

The Waterboys - "This Is the Sea"

Well, it's New Year's Eve here at The Casualty Report (and elsewhere, but who cares about anything else, right?) and that means it's time for another Track of the Day! Today's track goes all the way back to 1985 when British band The Waterboys released their album, This Is the Sea. I actually first discovered The Waterboys through random sampling of my parents' CD collection when I was about 11 years old, and I've just recently reconnected with the group.*

This Is the Sea fits into a fairly small genre dubbed "Big Music" that had a surge in Scotland in the 80s, and the title track is perhaps the "biggest" song on the album, filled with lush, naturalistic instrumentation that builds and crashes alongside the water imagery in the lyrics. It seemed like an appropriate choice for the new year, as 2011 was a pretty tough year for me, and statistically speaking, you as well (actually, according to the Blogger tracking stats you have a high chance of being a very confused German that stumbled on this site by accident, so I don't really know how this past year treated you) and the song deals a lot with putting the past in perspective and moving on to the future. So, here's wishing you a happy new year, and let's make 2011 the river, and 2012 the sea.

Previous days' connection: Yeah, both tracks had Karen O. in them. All of you imaginary readers missed out on an easy chance to win some great imaginary prizes with that one. This connection is a bit harder, so here's a hint: it has to do with a repeated lyric in "This Is the Sea." Good luck!




*Fun (or not) sidenote: My musical tastes as a wee lad were very strange, in retrospect, as I combined the shitty pop of the time with completely random music from my parents. I might have been the only person whose stereo system would alternate between R.E.M.'s Monster, Ryan Adams' Gold and The Waterboys, and Backstreet Boys and Pokemon 2 B A Master. I also really liked Rusted Root. What the fuck.

Track of the Day - 12/22/11

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Cheated Hearts"

Ok, the connection between today's track and the last is so obvious I feel a bit like I cheated (see what I did there?), but I've just been in a Yeah Yeah Yeahs mood the past couple weeks. "Cheated Hearts" is off their 2006 album Show Your Bones, an excellent record that I much prefer to their debut Fever to Tell (and an opinion shared by virtually nobody else). The track builds beautifully behind driving drums and Karen O.'s powerful vocals, and seems to me to be one of the most cheerful-sounding and optimistic breakup songs out there - not to mention it just sounds fucking awesome.

Previous day's connection: Couple options here really, as Santigold and Switch from Major Lazer have done a bunch of work together: Santigold is featured on the Major Lazer track "Hold the Line," and Switch has remixed tracks off Santigold's self-titled debut album.

Music Review - Cults

Cults
Cults
In the Name Of/Columbia Records

The debut album from the young New York-based duo of Brian Oblivion (why can't my last name be something like 'Oblivion'?) and Madeline Follin, Cults, is an impressively polished and confident release considering the band's inexperience. Wikipedia classifies Cults as an "indie-pop" band, and while that might be true, it's not incredibly helpful - I think of the duo as belonging to something of a 60s girl-pop revivalist trend, following recent acts like Best Coast, Dum Dum Girls, and The Pipettes. Cults definitely has a retro, summery feel to it, but beneath much of the innocent sounding pop music there are somewhat darker lyrics and conceits than it's bubbly surface would indicate.

Track of the Day - 6/29/11

Santigold feat. Karen O. - "Go"

Here's a relatively new track from Santigold, a.k.a. that one person with that song in that Bud Light Lime commercial who sounds a lot like M.I.A. but is actually a totally separate individual. In all seriousness though, I enjoyed Santigold's 2008 self-titled debut a great deal, and if you haven't heard it you should absolutely check it out. It's all the fantastic production and exotic vocals of M.I.A. without the crazy politics! "Go" doesn't seem like a huge departure for Santigold, and while I'm still a little ambivalent about the guest spot from Karen O. (of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs), the song has a captivating and somewhat menacing sound that's hard to not enjoy. Santigold is supposed to be releasing a new album pretty soon, so look out for that as well.

Previous day's connection: Both The Very Best and Major Lazer are composed of pairs of DJ/Producers; Radioclit and Diplo/Switch, respectively. And while technically Radioclit is now broken up and thus was not acting as a duo for the creation of Super Mom Mixtape, I don't really care, because I can do whatever I want. So put that in your pipe and smoke it.


But don't actually smoke, that shit kills.

Track of the Day - 6/26/11

Major Lazer - "When You Hear the Bassline"

Today's track is off the 2009 debut album of Major Lazer, the bass-thumping, party-starting collaboration between producers Diplo and Switch. "When You Hear the Bassline" features flowing reggae vocals to accompany the pulsing production, which is appropriate given their album was recorded in Jamaica. It also transitions really well into "California Dreamin'" by The Mamas and the Papas, if that happens to be after Major Lazer in your iTunes library. Just so you know.

Previous day's connection: A fairly easy one: both "Baba Yetu" and "Super Mom" are sung in African languages. "Baba Yetu" is, as I mentioned, sung in Swahili, while The Very Best vocals are in Chichewa, the national language of lead singer Esau Mwamwaya's native Malawi. So, they are different languages, but it all sounds like "African" to this enlightened critic.

Track of the Day - 6/1/11

"Baba Yetu" - Christopher Tin (composer)

Back by popular demand, it's a brand spanking new Track of the Day! I'm reviving this feature because so many people were always asking me, "What ever happened to the Track of the Day?" or "When are you going to do more tracks? I'm dying to know the connection between the last two!" Any rumors that it has to do with my being bored, and that nobody really reads this blog, and my writing here is part of a largely sad and meaningless existence, are absolutely false.

Anyway, for those not familiar with this, each day's track has some loose connection to the previous day's, one that probably only makes sense in my strange little head. Today's track is from Christopher Tin, who composed "Baba Yetu" for the insanely addictive video-game, Civilization IV. The piece is beautifully orchestrated, and the vocal component is genius in it's simplicity - the lyrics are The Lord's Prayer sung in Swahili. Check out the video to see it choreographed with some pretty sweet fountain action.

Previous day's (year's) connection: Jesus, you really expect me to remember that far back? God, y'all are so demanding! Whatever, I'm pretty sure it had something to do with the bands playing Lollapalooza. Or something. Just focus on this new connection, okay?

(The previous TotD was Arcade Fire's "Suburban War" from 8/15/10)

Track of the Day - 8/15/10

"Suburban War" - Arcade Fire
Listen Here

Off of their new release, The Suburbs, "Suburban War" is one of my favorite tracks from the album. Or maybe not, since every time I listen to the album something different jumps out at me. Whatever, just listen to the damn song if you want.

Previous day's connection: I'm not telling you! But wait, it's not because I'm a douchebag (though that's probably true), it's cause I'm using the same connection for today as well! Cause for celebration, or annoying cop-out? Only time will tell...

Track of the Day - 8/14/10

"King of the Beach" - Wavves
Listen Here

Today's selection comes to you courtesy of San Diego noise rockers Wavves, who released their third album earlier this month. The album's title track, "King of the Beach" is like an acid-tinged updated Beach Boys track that straddles the line between obnoxious and addictive. I myself lean more towards "addictive," (which is totally funny cause the lead singer has an alcohol problem haha...) but give it a listen and see if you agree! About the song, not whether alcoholism is hilarious. Because who wouldn't agree with that, am I right?

Previous day's connection: Probably a bit of a groaner here, but Wilco is military speak for "Will Comply," used as an affirmative response. So it's literally a way of saying yes. Hence... Yeasayer. Yeah, I'm sorry, it's been a while since I've had to think these through.

Track of the Day - 8/13/10

"O.N.E." - Yeasayer
Listen Here

Hey, didn't we just have a Yeasayer track? Well, yes, but that was all the way back a month ago, so technically no. Ha! Anyway, this is off their latest release, Odd Blood, which is a bit more pop-ish than their debut LP. "O.N.E." is a pretty good example of that pop influence, as the song bounces along to an addictive rhythm and synth-tastic sound. Check it out!

Previous day's (month's) connection: For anyone who can remember all the way back to the last time I did this thing, the connection between Grizzly Bear and Wilco is that both bands were featured in Volkswagen commercials. Huzzah! Okay, onwards and upwards I guess!

Track of the Day - 7/19/10

"A Shot in the Arm" - Wilco
Listen Here

One of my favorite Wilco songs off of my favorite Wilco album, Summerteeth. Wilco has always been one of those groups that I enjoy, but something about them usually stops me from getting fully invested in their music. This track however, and most of the rest of the album, is a Wilco that I can get behind completely. Check it out!

Previous day's connection: Actually, two here, though only one was really intentional. First (and intentionally), both Yeasayer and Grizzly Bear were featured on the compilation album Dark Was the Night, which was actually the first place I heard of either band. Second, both groups are based out of Brooklyn. Like I said, all music fucking comes from Brooklyn now. Fortunately, Wilco hails from Chicago, so today's will be a bit less redundant. Give it a go!

Track of the Day - 7/18/10

"Deep Blue Sea" - Grizzly Bear
Listen Here

Another night where I'm about to collapse, so I've picked a song that's incredibly soothing and dreamy to fit my current mood. "Deep Blue Sea" is a pleasant little track from Grizzly Bear that floats along nicely while utilizing sparse guitar and drums to good effect. Try it out yourself!

Previous day's connection: I'm probably too out of it to actually coherently explain this, but both "2080" and "Five Years" put time limits on the singer's lifetime - five more years for "Five Years" and by the year 2080 for "2080." Hey look at that! That wasn't too terrible. Hopefully I'll be a little more awake tomorrow, though.

Music Review -- Big Boi

Big Boi
Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty
Def Jam, Purple Ribbon

One of the most important, character-defining questions of the modern era, one which threatened to split the nation down its seams and lead us to another bloody civil war: Speakerboxx or The Love Below? Really, though, the only proper answer to that question is "both" (but The Love Below is totally streets ahead. Just sayin'), but for those of you Speakerboxx fans out there, you're in for a real treat.

Antwan Andre Patton a.k.a. Big Boi a.k.a. Sir Lucious Left Foot a.k.a one-half of the greatest hip-hop duo alive finally released his debut solo album earlier this month after years of waiting and growing anticipation. His former label, Jive, were complete dicks and are essentially responsible for delaying the album a year and keeping several killer tracks featuring Andre 3000 off of the album. Yet despite all that drama, Sir Lucious Left Foot is an album that feels both incredibly polished and fresh. The tracks are heavy on the bass, but Big Boi delivers a slightly more varied and funkified sound than on Speakerboxx, and puts his high-caliber guests (T.I., Janelle Monae, B.o.B., and many more) to great use here. Big Boi's lyrics and smooth flow serve as an anchor for the tracks, allowing his guests and the music to branch off into a myriad of styles and sounds, from the electric thump of "Shutterbugg" to the piano-heavy R&B of "Turns Me On." While I've always viewed Big Boi's main strength as the ability to step in and deliver a couple fantastic verses, he's actually consistently good throughout the album - there's no real filler material here (almost unprecedented for a rap album).

I'll still maintain that The Love Below owns Speakerboxx, but Sir Lucious Left Foot is an impeccably crafted effort that stands as probably the best hip-hop album so far this year. It instantly hooks you, and the level of quality throughout ensures that you won't stop listening to it until the end of the last track. And it's a very promising sign of things to come: as Mr. Left Foot himself says, "Damn, that wasn't nothin' but the intro."

Grade: A-

If you only have time/money/patience for one track: "Follow Us"
Alternative choice: "Royal Flush" - one of the tracks that Jive cut, but it's definitely worth checking out as it features both Raekwon and Andre 3000 (at the top of his game)

Track of the Day - 7/17/10

"2080" - Yeasayer
Listen Here

Today's track is by Yeasayer. I'm tired right now, so that's about all I can come up with. If you want to know some stuff about it, you should listen to it, cause it's a song and they're for listening, not reading about. Sorry.

Previous day's connection: Both Janelle Monae and David Bowie are artists who have used alter-egos in their careers/made albums based around fictional characters. Janelle Monae based The ArchAndroid around the fictional story of Cindi Mayweather, while Bowie of course had Ziggy Stardust. Fun facts.

Track of the Day - 7/16/10

"Five Years" - David Bowie
Listen Here

And we move way back to 1973 with today's track, "Five Years," the opener to Bowie's awesome The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. On an album jam-packed with killer songs, this has actually always been one of my favorites, from the great use of keyboard to the way Bowie's voice crescendos to hit just the right level. Check out the link to see an elder Bowie playing it with the Arcade Fire (and check out them doing "Wake Up" at the same venue for some of the most intense tambourine playing ever)!

Previous day's connection: Both Cat Power and Janelle Monae were slated to be on this year's reincarnation of the Lilith Fair tour (though Monae had almost all of her shows canceled, if I recall correctly). This could pretty much apply to half of the female artists in the music industry, but I thought that a Cat Power/Janelle Monae double billing sounded pretty awesome. And it has to be better than animal names, right?

Track of the Day - 7/15/10

"Tightrope" - Janelle Monae feat. Big Boi
Listen Here

And now for something completely different: the frenetic and addictive single "Tightrope" from Janelle Monae's latest release, The ArchAndroid. Monae is impossible to pin down - she's incredibly diverse, bizarre (check out the music video I linked to - awesomely weird), and talented, but tracks like "Tightrope" show that she could probably take over the music world if she wanted to. Big Boi stops by for a short but killer verse, and the rhythm and Monae's vocal work just make you want to move your body. Also be sure to check it the remixed "Tightrope (Wondamix)" featuring B.o.B. and Lupe Fiasco for some awesome verses from all parties.

Previous day's connection: And the answer to our three-part, epic quest to discover the mysterious link between Frightened Rabbit, Wolf Parade, and Cat Power? They all have animals in their band names! Wow, that was a bit of a let-down, huh? Well, there's plenty more room for groaning and inevitable disappointment in today's connection! Give it a go!

In Case You Missed It - The Cool

Lupe Fiasco
Lupe Fiasco's The Cool
Atlantic Records (1st and 15th)

Though widely cited as a "concept album" following it's 2007 release, if you were to attempt to unpack just what the "concept" at work on The Cool, you would likely be utterly confused. Fiasco moves from subject to subject as rapidly as he raps, touching on topics like child soldiers, immigration, and the ups and downs of stardom and the rap game. In a way, the fact that it's difficult to decipher the concept makes The Cool one of the better "concept albums" out there - every time you listen to his lyrics, new possibilities for interpretation open up as you unravel the metaphors and double meanings layered thickly over every track.

Lupe Fiasco made a bit of a splash with his debut, Lupe Fiasco's Food and Liquor, but The Cool is a real showcase of his talents as a rapper. Fiasco is incredibly diverse; he can spit fast on tracks like "Go Go Gadget Flow," the most easily listenable, bass-thumping track on the album; or he can take a slow, almost jazzy flow on the groovy "Paris, Tokyo." However he's delivering them, Fiasco's lyrics are simply amazing, and it's clear that this album is painstakingly crafted, from the writing down to the production - something that's surprising rare in hip-hop. This makes each song well worth listening to on it's own merits, as Fiasco slides easily between different styles and topics. Even Fiasco himself admits that only a few tracks really fit the "concept," and then only loosely. This opens up each track to be interpreted on it's own, for some really interesting results. "Gold Watch" asks listeners to "peruse the essentials of cool," while "Intruder Alert" unravels several heartbreaking stories about the consequences of fear.

Fiasco also churns out some fantastic head-nodding, driving hip-hop tracks. "Superstar" was the album's biggest single - and for good reason. Matthew Santos delivers a great, soaring chorus, and Fiasco provides some terrific verses that reflect on the nature of being a superstar. "Hip-Hop Saved My Life" provides a look at the other end of a music career, telling the story of a rapper's inspirations and struggle to make it. And that really gets at Lupe Fiasco's ultimate asset: his storytelling ability. Much like Springsteen or Dylan were for rock, Fiasco is hip-hop's preeminent storyteller, packing a single track with a sense of character, personality, and narrative that is simply amazing. Just listen to the driving, rapid-fire "Streets on Fire," which paints a near-future dystopia better in 5 minutes than a lot of sci-fi novels do in 500 pages. Or try "Little Weapon," which evokes the mindset of a child soldier in one verse, before moving to school shootings in the next. The lyrical dexterity and depth at work is really remarkable, but The Cool is also (unlike some "concept albums") quite easy to access and listen to. You can spend hours examining a few tracks, appreciating the multiple metaphors and storytelling at work, or you can just pop it in your stereo (ha!) and blast it for a little while. If you missed The Cool, you missed one of the best hip-hop albums of the last decade (also be sure to check out his third album, Lasers, which is set to be released "soon").

Grade: A

Next time on In Case You Missed It: Frightened Rabbit - The Midnight Organ Fight

Track of the Day - 7/14/10

"Good Woman" - Cat Power
Listen Here

Singer-songwriter Chan Marshall of Cat Power delivers one of her prettiest and most effective tunes here on "Good Woman," which is an almost country-fied ballad that just feels heavy to listen to - heavy emotionally, and musically. Warren Ellis (of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds) and Eddie Vedder (of Pearl Jam) help create the beautiful orchestration that makes the track the sad and beautiful piece it is. Check it out, as well as the rest of her excellent 2003 album, You Are Free.

Previous day's connection: I actually can't tell you, because it's the very same connection that I used here. Is that a bit of a cop out? Mayhaps, but I control this blog, and here, my will is king! Bwahahahaha. Okay sorry. But yeah, here's another chance to find the link!

Track of the Day - 7/13/10

"Yulia" - Wolf Parade
Listen Here

Today's track comes from our lovely, icy neighbors to the north in Canada - specifically some of the fine musicians in the band Wolf Parade. "Yulia" is off of their latest album, Expo 86, which I just reviewed. It's a fun, short track that sounds a little more pop than the rest of the album, but Dan Boeckner knows how to craft a good tune and he does so here. Check it out!

Previous day's connection: Both songs were produced with help from producer Peter Katis, who has done a lot of work for Scotland-based Fat Cat Records (Frightened Rabbit's label) and also has a close relationship with The National - he produced the entirety of Boxer, and that album's cover is a photograph of the group playing at his wedding. So that's done with - but wait! No need to fret, cause another day means yet another connection! Hooray!

Music Review - Wolf Parade

Wolf Parade
Expo 86
Sub Pop

I should probably start by saying that I believe Apologies to the Queen Mary, the debut album of Canadian indie rockers Wolf Parade, was one of the very best albums of the past decade, and is one of my absolute favorite records. So I've got some pretty damn high expectations for the band, expectations that weren't really met on their sophomore effort, At Mount Zoomer.

The first time I played their new album, Expo 86, I wasn't really feeling it. The songs felt too long and sounded almost sloppy - it was as if the group just decided to turn up the volume and hope for the best, a la Spinal Tap. And then, my second time through, all of a sudden I started enjoying the songs a lot more, and the music really snagged my attention. It's possible that this was aided by switching from my laptop speakers to my car's sound system, but that doesn't fully explain it, because I was even more impressed on my third listen-through. Expo 86 may not be as instantly awesome as their debut, but it has grown on me to the point where the songs are constantly stuck in my head (in a good way), and I feel like I could listen to it for years without tiring of it.

The album starts off in the middle of a frenetic drum beat, which serves as a pretty fitting metaphor for the album itself. Expo 86 is much less restrained than At Mount Zoomer, and let's Spencer Krug and Dan Boeckner pour everything they have into each song. Krug (who's probably written the band's best songs) and Boeckner (who's written their most accessible tracks) essentially split the song-writing here, and both are near the top of their game. Krug's "Cloud Shadow on the Mountain" kicks the album off with a bang while his excellent "Cave-O-Sapien" (whatever the fuck that means) provides a great closer, and "What Did My Lover Say?" is one of my favorites from this release. However, Boeckner delivers a back-to-back, one-two-punch of classic Wolf Parade awesomeness with "Ghost Pressure" and "Pobody's Nerfect" (slydexia intentional) in the middle of the album, as well as the excellent "Yulia," the album's most straightforward pop-ish track. Expo 86 is in general heavier on the guitar, and Krug's distinctive keyboard sound is largely relegated to the background, but the album replaces it with more of a synth-y sound that works well in most cases, and very well in others.

While it's true that this doesn't top their debut, and nothing on it comes close to unseating "I'll Believe in Anything" - a truly amazing song - from the top of their catalogue, this is an album that deserves a lot of praise. Krug and Boeckner have both been busy with their other bands, Sunset Rubdown and Handsome Furs, respectively, which have both been making really great music. It's not too hard to imagine them simply phoning it in for Expo 86, and I have to admit that I was afraid that exact thing had happened when I started listening to it. However, they've created a album that takes a little time to grow, but if you're willing to give it a chance, it's really quite something to behold. But, you know, with your ears.

Grade: A-

If you only have time/money/patience for one track: "Ghost Pressure"

Track of the Day - 7/12/10

"The Wrestle" - Frightened Rabbit
Listen Here

Scottish rockers Frightened Rabbit are one of my favorite emerging bands, and along with their fellow countrymen The Twilight Sad and We Were Promised Jetpacks, they've been producing some fantastic music in the past few years. "The Wrestle" is one of the best songs off of their 2010 album, The Winter of Mixed Drinks. You also won't find a better example of the band's primary strengths: evocative lyrics, sweeping emotions, and some great music to boot. Give it a go!

Previous day's connection: Both The Hold Steady and The National are based out of the fine ol' town of Brooklyn, New York. It seems to me like about 1/3 of the groups making music today are based out of Brooklyn, but that figure might not be totally accurate. Give this next one a try if you feel like it!