Blue Cadet-3: A Music Blog by Josh R.

  Modest Mouse - White Lies, Yellow Teeth (1996/2014) My copy: 2014 press of 45RPM 7” on “coke bottle” green vinyl by Glacial Pace.  Modest Mouse had recorded an abundance of material for their first (official) full length record back in 1996 but not every idea made it to the final version of the album. Interstate 8 and Building Nothing Out Of Something are both compilation records from the early eras of Modest Mouse but an additional single was produced to release two songs from the 1996 recording sessions that did not end up on either compilation, thus we have White Lies, Yellow Teeth.  The title track is a slow building tunnel of galloping muted guitar with bass that inches ever closer to the eventual explosion of cymbals. Isaac Brock’s vocals sit at a unique cross between early emo and agitated truck driver with lyrics that combine the charm of poetic americana with the frustrations of post-harcore.  The real treat is a studio recording of “Buttons To Push Th...

  Deuter - Land Of Enchantment (1988) My copy: 1988 press by Kuckuck. Deuter is a German multi-instrumentalist known for releasing a wide array of new age records beginning in the early 70s. Land Of Enchantment was released in 1988 and the record seeks to combine the atmosphere of ambient synths with complex melodic instrumentation.  “Pierrot” opens the record with the longest song at over ten minutes of acoustic guitar and flute. “Pierrot” is at its most interesting when experimenting with keys and ethereal soundscapes; unfortunately these instances are in the minority compared to the often too obvious melodies of the flute. Wind chimes and gimmicky instrumentation opens up “Maui Morning”: at times Land Of Enchantment feels like a trip to an elementary school music teacher’s office as Deuter checks childish instruments like guiro and glockenspiel off his list. “Maui Morning” later evolves into one of the best tracks with a drum machine that adds digital texture to the lar...

  Mutual Benefit - Love’s Crushing Diamond (2013) My copy: 2014 reissue by Other Music Recording Co. Mutual Benefit is the project of singer-songwriter Jordan Lee, with Love’s Crushing Diamond being his second full length release. Lee has an ear for regal, sweeping folk ballads which comprise most of Love’s Crushing Diamond.  “Strong River” is an intro track of murmuring strings and brushed drum pittering that builds layers of sound before falsetto vocals touch base. “Golden Wake” introduces a programmed beat and lavish piano that shares the stage with an earworm synth melody. The vocals across the album are a touch dramatic albeit quiet and slightly insecure, like a less stable version of Fleet Foxes. Backup vocalists do appear all through Love’s Crushing Diamond providing lovely harmonies on tracks like “Advanced Falconry” and “Strong Swimmer.” “That Light That’s Blinding” features soothing piano but is bogged down by generic sounding percussion and guitar tones that a...

  Grouper - Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill (2008) My copy: 2013 reissue by Kranky. Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill was a turning point of sorts for Liz Harris as her sound had matured to the point that a few tracks gained widespread attention for having more consumable and impressionable melodies.  “Disengaged” stays depressive but is just slightly sweet, offering a new outlet for catharsis as opposed to the discordant and erratic sounds of earlier Grouper releases. Harris’s biggest hit yet arrives in the choppy acoustic plunges of “Heavy Water/I’d Rather Be Sleeping” where the vocals manage to snag attention thanks to the well layered and catchy progressions. Instrumentally, Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill is simply acoustic or electric guitar coated in walls of reverb or delay, often playing in an open D tuning to evoke a sense of ambiguity.  Spacious vignettes like “Stuck,” “Invisible” and “A Cover Over” are the foundation for the tired, defeated lyrics that echo a...

  Duster - Contemporary Movement (2000) My copy: 2019 reissue by Numero Group.  Contemporary Movement is the followup to Duster’s cult classic debut record from 1998. All the experimentation that was found on the prior album was sucked clean out of Contemporary Movement in favor of doubling down on the slow, melodic side of the band’s lo-fi style.  “Get The Dutch” tucks listeners into a warm bed with gentle keys and buzzing bass that affix themselves in place while the track grows to include cymbals and quiet, moody vocals. Duster seems to find minor post-punk influence with darker tones and more tense, bitter guitar lines. “Operations” is a simple series of lo-fi guitar bursts that breathe like a calm breeze through a warm summer afternoon.  Rhythm guitar often provides textural distortion such as on “Diamond,” “Cooking” or “Unrecovery.” Delayed harmonics ping forth on “Travelogue” which brings more psych influence into the mix atop building drums and washed o...

  Cocteau Twins - Heaven Or Las Vegas (1990) My copy: 2014 reissue by 4AD. Cocteau Twins are known for pioneering dream-pop through numerous releases in the 80s. Heaven Or Las Vegas came in 1990 as the sixth studio album for Cocteau Twins and garnered the most critical acclaim the band had faced yet.  A winding passage of echoed and chorus-drenched atmosphere, “Cherry-Coloured Funk” is a cannonball into a newfound sense of energy. Cocteau Twins sought to create an album that could also be performed in a live setting with Heaven Or Las Vegas , building more pop/rock oriented tracks as opposed to the less structured ambiances of their earlier records.  Even when Cocteau Twins are writing more pop focused tunes, something feels just strange enough to differentiate the sound from other early 90s soft-rock hits. A certain nostalgic tone is maintained in the production and “Pitch The Baby” is brought to life with new-wave bass lines and evocative vocal deliveries. “Icebli...

  Francisco The Man - Loose Ends (2014) My copy: 2014 press by Fat Possum Records.  Los Angeles band Francisco The Man released their LP Loose Ends in 2014 and then flew mostly under the radar. Loose Ends is by no means revolutionary, but the record is an underrated blend of indie psych and shoegazing with stable production that deserves more attention than it ultimately got.  “You & I” introduces us to the band’s take on psych infused shoegaze with heavily echoed vocals that draw comparisons to the slightly dramatic crooning of Clinic. The mix is solid for what the album is going for: the guitar is mostly textural but matches the volume of the lead melodies while the rhythm section provides an incredibly stable backboard for the loose guitar noise.  Perhaps where Francisco The Man loses attention is in the fact that these songs are still heavily stuck in a pop mindset, with faster jangly tunes like “In The Corners” or “Progress” failing to do anything that...

  Oneohtrix Point Never - Good Time (Motion Picture Soundtrack) (2017) My copy: 2017 European press by Warp Records. Good Time is a 2017 thriller by the Safdie Brothers in which Robert Pattinson plays Constantine “Connie” Nikas, a scumbag criminal who desperately tries to rescue his mentally-disabled brother from incarceration after a botched robbery. Oneohtrix Point Never (Daniel Lopatin) is known for avant-garde electronic compositions, and provides the soundtrack to Connie’s crime spree in Good Time.  The title track which plays in the beginning of the film encompasses many themes of the movie: mystery, a deluded sense of adventure, stress and fear. Ominous digital vocals cry out atop low droning bass before momentum builds and converts the track into a bombastic wave of nervous synths. The Good Time soundtrack is equal parts colorful and dark; like a hard hit of adrenaline during a tense situation.  Audio clips from the film appear throughout the album, adding t...

  Lightning Bolt - Ride The Skies (2001) My copy: 2020 limited reissue on “baby blue sky” vinyl by Thrill Jockey. Ride The Skies follows and maintains the chaos of Lightning Bolt’s debut album from two years prior. The duo (consisting of two Brians) have a primal talent for the technical side of their instruments alongside a knack for introducing colorful melodic traits to what is otherwise an utterly brutal take on high-octane sludge and noise-rock.  The wacky noodling and frenzied tapping that opens up “Forcefield” may lead the layman to believe they’re about to listen to a metal album: Brian Chippendale’s drums crash the party to slam in unison with Brian Gibson’s heavy bass, and high pitched syncopations reassure us that this record does not fit under any conventional metal subgenres despite the semi-regular heavy technical displays.  What makes Lightning Bolt so interesting is how playful their otherwise visceral songs can be: “Saint Jacques” introduces levity ...

  Mac DeMarco - Salad Days (2014) My copy: 2015 limited reissue on “egg” colored vinyl by Captured Tracks. DeMarco’s rise to fame is mostly attributed to the creative guitar licks and humble slacker energy of his album 2 . With so many now paying attention, Salad Days was a chance for DeMarco to reinvent or expand in some meaningful way; instead it is almost entirely a downgrade. Beginning with the title track, “Salad Days” has goofy vocalizations that sound like a high schooler desperately trying to convince his friends that he’s totally dropped acid before. The production on Salad Days is definitely an upgrade in terms of coherence and the guitars do sound crystal clear. “Blue Boy” is a stand out track with melancholy melodies contrasted to an optimistically bubbly bassline and reassuringly breathy choruses. The biggest problem is apparent quickly: Salad Days is very boring rhythmically and features little dynamics all throughout. Mac is unable to provide meaningful changes ...