Wednesday, September 5th, 2012

Red Fang

When Red Fang’s beardy, Pabst-swilling selves took the stage at Roseland Theater, the crowd thundered with a hand-clapping, foot-stomping welcome as driving as the band’s opening notes. In a bill consisting of them, Hungry Ghost, and Hot Snakes, Red Fang were easily the crowd favorites of the night. They built off of the unintentionally playful sonics of Hungry Ghost by one-upping similar rhythms and stylistic shifts into much gnarlier and more interesting territory. With every seemingly mediocre or white bread songwriting move came the crust of a more delicious lick; their beastly instrumental slaughtering led to their carving out juicy hunks of musical turkey, next to what had previously been cold and bland deli meat. Red Fang have gained an extensive following locally and beyond in recent years, and the ease with which they toe the line between accessibility and unpredictable manipulation is one main reason. Even those who can’t stand their brand of rock can appreciate that they do what they do with a high caliber of professionalism and an impressive display of confidence. - VIVIAN HUA

SEE ALSO: CHARITABLE MUSICIANS: RED FANG BENEFIT PORTLAND ARTS EDUCATION (W/ INTERVIEW)

Wednesday, September 5th, 2012 (cont’d)

Hot Snakes

Hot Snakes took the stage a little after eleven. The newly resurrected band are now semi-legends by trade and scene legends by association, through guitarist John Reis and vocalist Rick Froberg’s later involvement in Drive Like Jehu. What could one expect now, eight years after the release of Hot Snakes’ 2004 release, Audit In Progress? Admittedly, I didn’t go see Hot Snakes in their hey day, but I’m going to go ahead and assume that the crowd was at least a degree — or ten — more excited back then. Fans of Hot Snakes have themselves aged as the band has aged, and they no longer seem willing to muster up the energy they used to. Add that to the fact that Hot Snakes frenetic nature is also much more well-suited for intimate clubs than massive venues like Roseland, where a raised stage throws a degree of separation between performer and concertgoer, and you have a setting that is not wholly unsuitable, but remains far from ideal nonetheless. Despite these obstacles, however, Hot Snakes themselves were nothing short of awesome, from start to finish. Pummeling waves of distorted and percussive guitar riffs, scowling vocals, technical tightness, and a high degree of camaraderie reminded everyone of exactly what they wanted from the Hot Snakes they loved and missed. Here, one is reminded of the fanaticism with which Refused’s recent reunion has unleashed up the masses, who’ve claimed that the Swedish band’s return to the scene has made it feel as though they’d never left. One could potentially say the same for Hot Snakes, maybe, but only if one decided to ignore the crowd completely. Though Hot Snakes performed with precision and a welcome degree of aggression, their fans had lost their energy-fueled sparks. Had both audience and performers been on the same page, Hot Snakes’ set at the Roseland would have been an engulfing flame of an experience. As it stood, their set was perfectly enjoyable — but more than anything, it was doing a service for the nostalgic hearts of fans. - VIVIAN HUA

Thursday, September 6th, 2012

White Fang

What better way to kick off my experience at Portland’s bastard music festival than with a bunch of cast offs and miscreants? Which I of course mean in the nicest way possible, as Gnar Tapes founders and headliners White Fang have grown to embody Portland’s outwardly punk attitude of the past few years. There were songs about friendship and drugs and lead singer Eric Gage doing cartwheels on stage, as the band played to a sparse but enthusiastic crowd on early Thursday night. Even though hardly a week goes by here in Portland without White Fang playing a show, I never tire of seeing this fun-loving foursome take the stage. Maybe it’s a sad attempt to live vicariously through a group’s music or attitude, but White Fang embody the sort of youthful exuberance and carefree nature that I’ve always lusted after, and seeing them live each time, there there’s no denying these guys will never run out of that spark. - ERIK BURG

Mean Jeans

From one punk rock band to the next, I made my way over to Star Theater for Mean Jeans, another band famous for screaming the title of songs before tearing into each of them. Playing a decent amount of new material from their recently released record, Mean Jeans on Mars, the group has really cleaned up their sound since last time I’d seen them perform. Their music was as sharp, loud and terrific as usual, but their performance and the looks on the members’ faces was something of a serious matter. It appears as though these Portland by way of Virginia folks know that if they truly focus their efforts and stop messing around constantly, that maybe good things will come. So even though the show didn’t get totally out of hand, as some of Mean Jeans’ shows are wont to do, the small theater provided the perfect stage for this burgeoning act. - ERIK BURG

Omar Souleyman

Omar Souleyman, who performs in both Kurdish and Arabic, sings with classic Arabic mawal-style vocalizations and creates a type of intense electronic dance music not far removed from house or typical dance club staples. This particular evening, Souleyman was backed only by one man on synthesizers — rather than his usual two — and the performance reminded me very much of a time when I was on vacation in Turkey. I had been completely wowed over the course of dinner by a musician who managed to pull every terrible sound from his keyboard to create sweet and completely non-ironic dance music, though it most definitely would have seemed ironic had it been created by Westerners. But herein lies the beauty of acts like Omar Souleyman. You, as concertgoer, start feeling less self-conscious about your able body when you realize the performer on stage is an elderly man wearing a head scarf and sunglasses, and that his synth player is a ridiculous shredder who can probably take out all of your friends in a synth-off. Souleyman does little more than sing when on stage. But when he turns his face towards you and claps like a grandpa both enjoying himself and disapproving slightly, there is a surprisingly compelling quality that is hard to finger — but its result is a crowd of dancing and clapping lunatics. - VIVIAN HUA

LYMAY IWASAKI

John Maus

After watching Omar Souleyman perform, I returned to Doug Fir Lounge, where I had previously watched an evening of dance music from Portland locals Swahili, Strategy, and Onuinu. But now the vibe had changed. Like Omar Souleyman, John Maus puts on a powerful performance of karaoke mastery — but his is perhaps even more powerful, due to the fact that he vocalizes over what seems to be only an iPod. As Maus sweatily pounded through his songs, he channeled his inner Shakespeare numerous times, extending his tightly closed fist outwards like Yorick holding a skull in Hamlet. To say that Maus loses himself in the moment would be an understatement. On stage, he becomes a flopping bag of blood and bones, running a one-person marathon with occasional moments of headbanging, invisible trampolining, and fist-pumping. When one learns that he graduated from art school and pursued further education to become a professor of Philosophy, his intense interpretation of dance music begins to make some sense. His live show, full of percussive vocal chanting and an endless amount of energy, may be the holy grail of performance art for some. For me, I’m not quite sure what I think yet — and that in itself may answer the question, in the affirmative. - VIVIAN HUA

LYMAY IWASAKI

King Khan & The Shrines

Even though the air was cool, those packed into Dante’s on Thursday night were a hot and sweaty bunch. Led by the coordinated efforts of King Khan And His Sensational Shrines, the group played one of the most energetic and entertaining sets of the weekend. Commanding the stage in his feathered hat and adorned with shells around his neck, King Khan was a powerful force on stage, not only with his voice but even with the point of his finger or the tapping of his feet. Burning through tracks new and old, the band seemed completely in sync, even if there hasn’t been a proper King Khan record in years. Also the keyboardist picked up his Korg CX-3, set it on my back in the front row and played a song with me as its support. So yeah, it got a little crazy. - ERIK BURG

Friday, September 7th, 2012

Beirut

Seeing Beirut in 2012 might not be the sexiest, hippest pick, but regardless of other buzz-worthy artists, the student of the world best known as Zach Condon put on a hell of a performance. Staged perfectly between the bustling downtown traffic Friday night, Beirut played the last concert of their North American tour at Musicfest NW, and it is one that will not soon be forgotten by its patrons. The music was timeless, classless and magical — exactly the kinds of emotions I associate with Portland, and exactly what made the show such a fitting conclusion for the tour. Whether it was “Sunday Smile,” “Postcards From Italy,” or “East Harlem” from his newest album The Rip Tide, Condon and company had the entire square singing along and cheering in unison. It was a bit more mild-mannered than anything else I saw, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t exactly what I needed. - ERIK BURG

NATHAN WATTERS

The Helio Sequence

Portland’s own Helio Sequence took the stage at the Crystal Ballroom at just the right time Friday night. With the word of their new album beginning to spread, and the promise they showed at Sasquatch festival this year, the band appear primed for a huge breakout this Fall. Opening with two of their most crowd-pleasing tracks, “Can’t Say No” and “Lately,” the twosome eventually settled into a pattern of new, blisteringly hypnotic and gazing tracks. There was a confidence and gratefulness which radiated from both members, and by the end of the set, it felt like one of the most honest sets of all the festival. Negotiations will finally hit store shelves this week, and after this masterful, lengthy set, these locals should top the charts all around the city’s record stores. - ERIK BURG

NATHAN WATTERS

Black Mountain

JagJaguwar’s Black Mountain have gained a fairly legendary reputation since their first releases in 2004. In my mind, Black Mountain utilize in their psychedelic framework as much hard rock straightness as is possible without becoming too generic. Powerful synth-organ lines drive songs or serve as accompaniment to massive guitar lines that crescendo at the band’s most rollicking points, to excellent ends. This particular evening at Doug Fir Lounge, vocalist Amy Webber looked bored during the band’s more minimal tracks, but when her and vocalist and guitarist Stephen Mcbean’s voices harmonized in unison, Webber’s voice added a welcome female dynamic to the band’s more masculine and heavy songs. On their more gentle duets, which were sprinkled intermittently throughout ethe set, McBean and Webber seemed to complement one another romantically, even when the lyrics were singing nothing of the sort. - VIVIAN HUA

Chelsea Wolfe

After seeing most of Black Mountain’s set, I headed across the Hawthorne Bridge to the West side of Portland, to the recently renovated and reopened Ted’s Berbati. There, Chelsea Wolfe was the second to last headliner on an evening of darker-minded female acts, and it was easy to see that her set would be amongst the most theatric around. Clad in a black and white floor-length tunic dress, the pale-skinned, dark-haired Wolfe would frequently lose herself in her vocals and shield her eyes like a vampire emerging into light. With the doom-folk sounds of “Pale On Pale”, the stage lights changed from white into an eerie turquoise that bathed Wolfe and her three-piece band in an appropriately deathly pallor. Here, they closed out their set by living out their greatest goth and dramatic fantasies, by writhing and devolving, musically into noise and literally into the ground via convulsion. Chelsea Wolfe’s set was a dramatic closer to a blissful summer evening, the high drama the contrast provided satisfying in the best of ways. - VIVIAN HUA

SEE ALSO: CHELSEA WOLFE MUSICIAN INTERVIEW: SHEDDING NATURAL LIGHT ON VISIONS OF DOOM

Saturday, September 8th, 2012

Pure Bathing Culture

There’s always a certain indescribable relationship between a band and a venue. On Saturday night, one of Portland’s rising groups may have found the perfect partner for their airy, smart sound. And that place is The Old Church. It was my first time seeing a concert there, but Pure Bathing Culture provided possibly the best introduction I could have had, as I sat in the half-filled pews listening to the powerful voice of lead singer Sarah Versprille echoing off the steeples. It was a breathtaking, effortless affair. The space was so quiet between tracks that you could hear the guitarist Daniel Hindman tapping to switch pedals in-between songs. With the band set to release their debut EP globally later this year, it appears that all of the pieces are truly coming together for this band, and seeing them live once again was nothing short of spiritual. - ERIK BURG

The Tallest Man on Earth

First thing’s first: I find The Tallest Man on Earth’s records incredibly grating and can hardly stand to get through a song or two. But after heavy convincing that his live shows were not to be missed, I trekked to the Crystal Ballroom once again. And to my delight, the Swedish singer/songwriter was indeed impressive on stage. His sound live is a more rich and full experience than on record, putting less emphasis on his vocals and more on his guitar work and presence. There were a few tracks that stood out, like favorite “Love is All” or the weep-worthy “Graceland”. I’m not going to go out of my way to hear his new material, but there’s no doubt that a The Tallest Man concert not only brings out one of the most lively and passionate fanbases, but also that the man can plain old perform. - ERIK BURG

NATHAN WATTERS

Girl Talk

Girl Talk and mash-ups have never been my thing, but I knew by association that a Girl Talk show is a ridiculous party and a spectacle to witness. This evening at Pioneer Courthouse Square, the spectacle was bolstered by a massive LED light display that flickered through a random mish-mash of images. Before it, Gregg Michael Gillis was working his magic with as much energy as his dozen plus backup dancers, all of whom were bounding about the stage seemingly without ever needing a break. The crowd followed suit, swallowing up the energy from the stage and moving it throughout their own jumping bodies. And despite the fact that I definitely saw dance moves I thought had long been retired, such as the one-hand-on-the-steering-wheel-gangsta-lean, witnessing Girl Talk in person convinced me of his relevancy even when I had previously been unsure or even dismissive. From a technical perspective, I can appreciate the artistry behind mash-ups, which undoubtedly require an encyclopedic musical knowledge, on-the-fly skills, and a huge, huge, huge amount of preparation work. Gillis ran through everything from Elton John to Fifty Cent, Missy Elliott to Beck, and plenty more I did not recognize. His set inevitably led to plenty of pleasing “ah-ha” moments, just as it must have led to many an infuriating “this song is on the tip of my tongue” moments. Due to the nostalgic Top 40’s nature of most Girl Talk’s material, the majority of his crowd definitely had a penchant for hip-hop beats and mainstream pop. But like the collaged nature of the music itself, the audience had offshoots into many realms — the amalgam of which was the most diverse Musicfest NW crowd I saw all weekend.
- VIVIAN HUA

Swans

To follow up that outdoors fiesta, I decided to switch gears completely and head to Hawthorne Theatre to see the well-reputed Swans, fronted by Michael Gira. A brooding experimental act informed by industrial, noise, drone, and all things heavy, Swans, like Girl Talk, also make music that makes the crowd move. But instead of executing mid-’90s dance moves you no longer knew existed, Swans’ crowd swung t-shirts in the air, hobbled side-to-side, and conducted minor symphonies with open palms. For two laboring hours, Swans pounded through their set with such force that the door of Hawthorne Theatre bore of a sign of warning about the show’s extreme noise level. As any Swans fan will tell you, though, an extreme noise level does not automatically make a band automatically disturbing or brutal; in the case of Swans, heavy moments can also equal transcendent moments, where repetition of a single chord of a single percussive phrase can lead to hypnotic reverie. Swans played one of the longest sets of the festival, but it certainly didn’t feel that way, for their music is one to which one can lose sense of space and time. - VIVIAN HUA

LYMAY IWASAKI

Ω

Related posts:

1. FYF Fest 2012 Festival Recap & Photo Gallery
2. MusicfestNW 2012 Festival Preview & Picks
3. FYF Fest 2011: Festival Review & Photo Gallery

music art film review - REDEFINE magazine

Musicfest NW 2012: Festival Review & Photo Gallery

YEAR ZERO

Vehicles, dirt, and griminess recalling those from Black Mountain’s video for “Old Fangs” receive a colorful lift via projections in caves, beautiful sunsets, hot babes, and… surf footage? Black Mountain have surprisingly teamed up with skate and surf company GLOBE to create a [heavily electronic influenced?] soundtrack for the upcoming surf film, Year Zero. Below is the trailer (which looks slow-motion fantastic) and a SoundCloud stream of their new track, “Mary Lou,” which will be found on the soundtrack for Year Zero.

Globe describe the film, saying:

YEAR ZERO is a modern take on high performance surfing set in a post-apocalyptic world, reminiscent of Mad Max or an HG Wells novel. It tells a story of a band of renegade surfers, including Dion Agius, Yadin Nicol, Nate Tyler, Taj Burrow, CJ Hobgood and Damien Hobgood, on a road trip through the apocalypse in search of waves, women, and good times. The film’s original soundtrack by BLACK MOUNTAIN, whom VICE MAGAZINE has called, “One of the best rock n’ roll bands of our time,” creates a sonic landscape that fully delivers the immersive experience that director Joe G envisioned for the film.

The film was shot on location around the world entirely in super 16mm film and offers a unique concept with stunning visuals that capture the essence of surfing in a novel setting. YEAR ZERO follows GLOBE’S previous award winning productions such as SECRET MACHINE and NEW EMISSIONS OF LIGHT AND SOUND and is undoubtedly GLOBE’S largest film project to date.

Related posts:

1. Black Mountain – “Old Fangs” Music Video
2. Black Mountain – Wilderness Heart Album Review
3. SIINAI‘s “Anthem 1&2″ Music Video Set To Alejandro Jodorowsky’s Holy Mountain

music art film review - REDEFINE magazine

Black Mountain – Year Zero Film Trailer

When GAYNGS’ album came out last year, its many strong tracks were pulled down by weak fillers which seemed to offer little. The resulting album was certainly compelling, but it could have been better.

POLIÇA, which features vocalist Channy Leaneagh (formerly Caselle) and producer Ryan Olson (both of whom worked together on GAYNGS), takes all of the best qualities of GAYNGS — even down to some similar vocal effects — and embodies a more feminine and upbeat spirit.

For a teaser of what’s to come, you’ll find some performance videos below, along with an MP3 of “Lay Your Cards Out” from Give You The Ghost. It features Mike Noyce of Bon Iver.

Listen to “Lay Your Cards Out” – DOWNLOAD MP3

There’s some powerful things brewing within this friendly collective of musicians. Get into it early, on POLIÇA’s upcoming tour. Dates below.

POLIÇA TOUR DATES
1/11 – House Of Rock – Eau Claire, WI
1/12 – Cactus Club – Milwaukee, WI
1/13 – FRZN Fest – Madison, WI
1/14 – Tomorrow Never Knows – Chicago, IL
2/14 – First Avenue (Album release) – Minneapolis, MN
2/17 – Vera Project – Seattle, WA
2/18 – Bunk Bar – Portland, OR
2/20 – Bottom of the Hill – San Francisco, CA
2/21 – Bootleg Theatre – Los Angeles, CA
2/24 – Mohawk (outdoor) – Austin, TX

Related posts:

1. GAYNGS – Relayted Album Review
2. Gardens & Villa Cover Fleetwood Mac, Remix & Tour w/ Polica
3. Filippa Barkman Does Hair… Grotesquely.

music art film review - REDEFINE magazine

New POLIÇA Track, Featuring Producer From GAYNGS & Vocalist Mike Noyce From Bon Iver

Absu – Abzu

Though the artwork for Absu used the artwork of Belgium’s Kris Verwimp, Absu announced early on that their latest cover enlists the help of Polish artists Zbigniew Bielak and Costin Chioreanu for a change in style. Nonetheless, the exact artists are a mystery, as Chioreanu replied to us in an email saying, “This album has a great cover indeed. But [it] is not made by me and I had zero work on that cover/booklet/etc, even [though] Absu announced my name officially on the first descriptions of the new album. They simply forgot to explain officially that I, without knowing the reason, even [when] I asked, was kicked off this project. And I didn’t even show them a sketch for this project.”

Thelema, a spiritual philosophy initially developed by British occultist, mystic, and writer Aleister Crowley, influences this new record even more than the last. “We’re aesthetically detouring into more mystifying, Thelemic realms: musically and lyrically,” explains drummer and vocalist Proscriptor.

He elaborates more on Abzu‘s themes and the symbolism in the cover art in an interview with Eternal Terror:

“Abzu is not a concept album – it is a collection of theorems, which ties into both pieces of artwork which represent the album. The CD cover is basically a continuation from the last, self-titled album. The Abzu is Enki’s shrine and the temple in Eridu; a mythical place where life influencing powers reside and the results are incomprehensible, unfathomable and secretive; a place producing raw materials. The Elder Sigil produces such ambiguities placed in the center of the main pillar. The vinyl cover contains an interpretation of the Emerald Tablet of Hermes because it stimulates right brain responses and arouses intuition, imagination and insight. At this point, my verbal explanation is inadequate, but it gives me a starting point to somewhat explain the Enochian cuneiform implication of ‘V.I.T.R.I.O.L.’ sealed within the rim. There are seven Latin words in the statement. In alchemy, the Below, there are seven metals. In astrology, the Above, there are seven planets. In each of us, there are seven chakras. Taken together, they point to seven levels of action internalized by a concocted philosophy classified as the “Anzu Ceremony.” In Sumerian mythology, the Anzu Bird is a divine storm-bird and the personification of the southern wind/thunder clouds. This demon, thirty-three percent man/thirty-three percent eagle/thirty-three percent lion, stole the ‘Tablets of Destiny’ from Enlil and hid them on an apex. In conclusion, this is why the tornado appears to lift the seal of vitriolistic nous.”

Record Label
Candlelight Records

QUOTES FROM:
MICHAEL CINA, ART DIRECTOR AND DESIGNER

THEMES & CONCEPTS
“It was originally set up through Will Calcutt, and we had been wanting to work together. He originally worked with Benoit & Sergio [on Midnight People] to develop some ideas that were based around Egyptian folklore. The photo shoot started off with [Benoit & Sergio] in suits acting quite normal and progressed into them in their underwear barking at each other. We knew that some sort of ‘conjuring’ was going to take place through post-production, and that is where I came in. I created a whirling form that was held in one of the members hands.”

INTERVIEW CONTINUED BELOW

“The last cover is what set the tone for this record. I wanted to do something otherworldly. A passage into another world. I felt that this was a good analogy for the next stage of the process. If the first cover was a key, this was the gate… I needed a sequel to the first cover but something that was still open-ended enough to make people want to look in and be curious about. The main question that I wanted the viewer to think was, ‘How do these two photos relate?’ It’s not philosophy or a deep story, but it does have intent.”

CREATIVE PROCESS
“I knew I wanted to use an image, so I teamed up with the photographer, John Klukas, and we had a photoshoot. I did a lot of post-production on the work and decided to remove all the literal information and to use the female form to make her the symbol. I did three paintings (acrylic, pigments) and merged them how I saw the final work looking.”

Record Label
Ghostly International

The Artists
Art Direction & Design – Michael Cina
Photography – John Klukas

QUOTES FROM:
GREGORY EUCLIDE, PAINTER

CREATIVE PROCESS
“I received an email with track titles and descriptions of songs. I listened to [Bon Iver] non-stop as I was making the work… allowing myself to only listen to that album. I knew what Justin [Vernon] was interested in getting because we spoke several times over email and on the phone before I started anything.

“Melting the snow from the Midwestern winter to get the water to create the work was a powerful part of the process. It felt like parts of the work were undergoing transformations that were being depicted in the images as well as the music.”

THE EXTRAS
“I created a second painting for the inside that was also used as the cover for the single ‘Calgary’.”

Record Label
JagJaguwar

Mediums & Materials
Painting (acrylics), Drawing (pencil), Natural Materials (leaves, paper, snow, dirt, mylar, pine cones, flowers, moss)

Casiokids – Aabenbaringen Over Aaskammen

QUOTES FROM:
PETRI HENRIKSSON, DESIGNER
JAAKKO PALLASVUO, ILLUSTRATOR

THEMES & CONCEPTS
“As a starting point, I was looking for something iconic and absurd. The title, Aabenbaringen Over Aaskammen (roughly translated as The Revelation Over The Mountain) worked as a loose framework for the ideas. Contrast between the magical or fairytale-like content and the naive aesthetic of the word gave a direction. And since the record was going to be released on major label (the Norwegian version was released on Universal), I felt like it would be nice to make cover that did not have aesthetics of a mainstream release but more like in a DIY direction.” – Petri Henriksson (PH)

“The use of color was debated and thought of a lot. The inspiration for the neon orange version of the covers came from the iconic Neu! album cover. To me, the reference was amusing and good since the drawing style on the cover is so rich and baroque and in opposition to the concept of the Neu! cover. The ability to use a similar strategy with the colors and presentation of the drawing but ending up somewhere completely different because of the inherent differences in the content was interesting.” – Jaakko Pallasvuo (JP)

CREATIVE PROCESS
“The ideas were developed while drawing. I already knew in the beginning of the process that I wanted to collaborate with another artist/illustrator on this cover. I’d met Jaakko Pallasvuo in Berlin and seen quite a lot of his work, so I asked him to join the project. He liked the the idea, and we decided to meet up in my Berlin office in Kreuzberg to draw, paint and brainstorm. We spent a couple of afternoons to develop the idea. Jaakko painted and drew a big bunch of images while I scanned and tried out different colour combinations and compositions. He drew a lot; I selected material and scanned it, and I worked with typographic manipulations. I worked quite a lot with “destroying” or mishandling fonts by scanning the text wrongly. The logo is also manipulated this way.” – PH

“I think this tension between rich, tense, almost chaotic drawings and the fairly minimal setting they’ve been placed in is the core of it. The album has perhaps a more lush, eclectic, generously layered vibe than the covers, but I think they make sense together. Maybe the cover art can be thought of as another layer on the music, just the keyboards or snare drums.” – JP

THE EXTRAS
“The cover was printed in one colour offset, four different versions of the release. Each region has its own colour: USA: red-orange; Norway: dark blue; Japan: violet; UK: green.” – PH

Record Label
Polyvinyl Records

Mediums & Materials
Drawing (marker), Scanner (customized mistakes), Printing (1-color offset)

City And Colour – Little Hell

Record Label
Vagrant Records / Dine Alone Records

The Artists
Design – Jason Darbyson & Garnet Armstrong
Painting – Paul Jackson
Photography – Scott Remila

Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues

Record Label
Sub Pop Records

The Artists
Artwork – Toby Leibowitz

Gillian Welch – The Harrow & The Harvest

QUOTES FROM:
JOHN DYER BAIZLEY, ARTIST AND ILLUSTRATOR

THEMES & CONCEPTS
“First off, any project without a direction is immediately suspect to me. Gillian Welch and David Rawlings are nothing if not thorough in the conception and development of their ideas. They have spent years developing and refining an thematic arc and a narrative to work within. At the beginning of my involvement with them for The Harrow & The Harvest‘s design, almost all of the music and lyrics had been written; there was a pretty clear direction in which the artwork and design was to move. While such a fully-developed record can sometimes limit my input, with this record it was a real treat. Gillian is great at building narratives within her songs and in finding an implied storyline across the course of her records. Clearly, any complimentary artwork would include elements of the pastoral and Gothic allegories for which Gillian is so renowned. I try not to be too literal when I interpret music, and I try to keep to a visually poetic representation of the music I hear.

“The most challenging part of my projects tends to be the concept phase. We spent a good bit of time going over ideas and directions, until we all agreed on a direction and general layout.”

CREATIVE PROCESS
“The genesis of the artwork was based on some loose ideas and imagery which Gillian and Dave and I talked over. After I began sketching and rendering, things had a tendency to evolve and adapt in real-time as I was in the process of making the artwork. Generally, I don’t like to share much of my process with the artists I work with, but they seemed to understand and articulate visual ideas in much the same way that I do. They received work-in-progress updates very frequently, and the art itself would shift and alter based on subtle changes in our discussions on theme and concept. It was really fluid and exciting to feel things change as we went along, even if it lengthened things a bit.

“When I make album art, it’s very important that I immerse myself in the music I am creating for. This can be a bit tricky, as advance copies of records are very delicate things. Sharing unreleased records is how leaks happen. I was fortunate enough to get a chance to listen to the record long before the release date, and besides that, I had all their prior records, which were on unceasing rotation in my studio. I always work to music. When I was a young, one of my favorite episodes of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood was the episode where he has you paint and draw along with music. The idea made sense to me then and has been a vital tool ever since.

“I started the artwork with a full pencil rendering, then transformed that into and ink drawing, with paintbrushes and pens (my tools of choice). Then we put the pen and ink version through a very intensive and painstaking process letterpressing. It was a real task to get a 14″ x 14″ piece of artwork compressed down to CD size, without losing critical bits of detail. Some loss was inevitable, but I think the final print was beautifully accurate. If it ever comes out on LP format, the artwork should look even better. I am a vinyl fanatic and design everything to be presented as such.”

COLLABORATION

“I am a musician as well as a visual artist. Gillian and I work with some of the same people through our music, some of whom must have shown Gillian some of my work. We both come from opposite ends of the music spectrum; and I think the cross-genre appeal of the collaboration was exciting for all of us. We got to break out of familiar molds and work in foreign waters, which had a pretty exhilarating effect on the project. The music industry has a way of insulating itself and shuffling everyone into genre-specific bubbles. It becomes easy for artists to operate based on the strictures of those bubbles, and we can become blissfully ignorant of the scope of music. Gillian, David and I are not the type of people who thrive in orthodoxy, and we were able to come up with something both fresh and familiar with this record.”

THE EXTRAS
“Let me preface by saying that Gillian and Dave are willing to dive down some deep rabbit holes in order to see their concepts realized. The letterpress idea was the result of an off-hand comment that I made about keeping the artwork black and white. Trust me, it’s easier and cheaper to use a more traditional print process like offset, screen-printing or even a regular full-color process. The letterpress has to be run manually; and I think they printed something like 100,000 covers. When that was done and we were looking at some test prints, I mentioned how you can add an aged-patina look to cotton-rag paper by simply dipping it in coffee. Gillian was apparently drinking coffee at the time. The first remark she made when she saw the result (I heard her her in the background on a phone call I was having with David) was, ‘Who can we get to dip 100,000 CDs in coffee, and where can wwe get all that coffee?’ This wasn’t even half a joke; she was pretty serious. Obviously, in the end it wasn’t feasible, but it almost happened.”

Record Label
Acony Records

Mediums & Materials
Drawing (pencil and ink), Painting, Letterpress

Discodeine – Self-Titled

Record Label
DIRTY / Pschent

Iron And Wine – Kiss Each Other Clean 7″

Record Label
4AD / Warner Brothers Records

QUOTES FROM:
MATT PFAHLERT, DESIGNER
KATHERINE WHALEN, KATHERINE WHALEN AND HER FASCINATORS

THEMES & CONCEPTS
“Conceptually, [Madly Love has] a very comfortable feel; [it's] a well-weathered old friend, as it were. The album has these very sweet moments, this comfy familiarity that I wanted to capture. The challenge was really getting all the elements the artist wanted to see as part of the package to feel like they belonged together, to have a sense of balance. We had been given original artwork, photographs and a few other personal pieces that spoke to Katharine in one way or another, so we needed to create a canvas where all these things made sense and spoke to the album’s Madly Love title. Katharine fell in love with a particular woven tablecloth she found. We all agreed the color palette was absolutely perfect for the album’s feel, so once the rights were cleared with the weaver, that really began the project for us.” – Matt Pfahlert (MP)

“I am also a textile artist and knew I wanted to involve vintage fabric, and perhaps have the finished product appear almost to be something other than a CD. I had some slide photographs I had taken of tiny animals on a riverbank that went well with the band images we included, too. Matt and I had conversations about a consistent palette also; I think a lot of creative information is being conveyed in such a small space… because we kept to our plan of using warm 1960s textile-like hues.” – Katharine Whalen (KW)

CREATIVE PROCESS
“Part of the ‘and her Fascinators’ band name comes from the fact that Katharine makes and sells her own line of ‘Fascinator hats.’ Very stylistic and colorful in design. When I saw a photo of one, I immediately knew what I wanted as the CD imprint: a shot of one of the circular hats photographed from above… it worked perfect, and she loved it.” – MF

“The Pink Hat on the actual disk is part of a series of hats I embroidered last summer as a homage to the vacation lifestyle photography of Slim Aarons. Mostly people’s hats said ‘Bermuda’ or ‘Nassau’ etc. so I made some that said ‘Madly Love’ for a lark!” – KW

“When it came time to design the back cover, I hate dealing with the unsightly UPC code (especially in this case). We have this nice artwork going along, and now I gotta stick this black and white bar code in there and ruin it… so instead, I tried embraced the thing and made it grow barcode ‘branches’ coming out of the top portion right into the image and band name typography.” – MF

Record Label
Five Head Entertainment

Mediums & Materials
Photography, Typography (hand-lettering), Digital (manipulation), Hats

Mike Simonetti – Capricorn Rising EP

Record Label
Italians Do It Better

The Artists
Artwork – Branko Vranic

Oneohtrix Point Never – Replica

Record Label
Mexican Summer

QUOTES FROM:
HENRIK MÅRTENSSON, PALLERS

THEMES & CONCEPTS
“In Pallers, we like to impose the idea of other worlds, parallel worlds, or made-up places, both visually and audibly. This theme [is one] we’ve had for our previous releases and also this time.”

CREATIVE PROCESS
“The first idea for the album artwork was soon scrapped, and we had to come up with a new concept. Since I like to buy really old books with pictures of animals and nature in them, I started to play around with these in Photoshop… I just went bananas with filters, coloring and layering. That’s how we ended up putting birds on things.”

THE EXTRAS
“The inlay for the vinyl is the part that I´m most proud of, mostly because the pictures are bigger on 12″. Looks so good! There is also a hidden text in the pictures of the CD version (but not on the vinyl).”

Record Label
Labrador Records

Mediums & Materials
Illustration, Photoshop

QUOTES FROM:
JENNY MÖRTSELL, ILLUSTRATOR

CREATIVE PROCESS
“The band came up with the idea, and for each sleeve, I was sent about four photos of one of the band members to choose from (I usually chose the photo with something a little odd going on, to add something of interest) and a logo and text that I then hand-drew as well.”

THE EXTRAS
Parenthetical Girls are a damn good looking band… I’m so happy I finally got a commission to create album art similar to one of my favourite album covers of all time: Françoise Hardy’s Comment Te Dire Adieu”.

Record Label
Slender Means Society

Mediums & Materials
Drawing (mechanical 0.5mm pencil), Paper (smooth bristol), Scanner, Photoshop

QUOTES FROM:
MICHAEL CINA, ARTIST AND PAINTER

COLLABORATION
“I got an email one morning from their manager asking if they could use one of my paintings for their cover. After three or so emails back and forth, we came to an agreement. Peter swung by my office an hour later and picked up the piece. Done!”

THE EXTRAS
“The painting was a sketch for a larger painting. I really liked it and thought I would post it. I have tons of sketches laying around so I was lucky to upload this one and see the route it took.”

Record Label
JagJaguwar

Mediums & Materials
Painting (acrylics), Ink

Protest The Hero – Scurrilous

Record Label
Vagrant Records

The Sandwitches – Mrs. Jones’ Cookies

Record Label
Empty Cellar

The Artists
Artwork – Shannon Shaw

Sepalcure – Self-Titled

Record Label
Hotflush Recordings

Speculator – Nice

Record Label
Underwater Peoples

The Artists
Art Direction & Concept – Nick Ray
Design – Robert Beatty

Related posts:

1. 2011 Year-End Respect For Album Cover Art: Digital Illustration, Drawing, Design
2. 2011 Year-End Respect For Album Cover Art: Fashion, Sculpture & Installation
3. 2011 Year-End Respect For Album Cover Art: Color Photography

music art film review - REDEFINE magazine

2011 Year-End Respect For Album Cover Art: Illustration, Painting & Drawing

Jesse C. Dienner’s Top Albums 2011

Runner-Ups
11. Cake – Showroom Of Compassion : As a band, they still have their charm and charisma in their musical sensibility and sensitivity, and they remain to be one of the most creative bands out there, I believe.
10. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds : Noel Gallagher is a genius songwriter. He gets how it is supposed to be done; no question.
09. Jane’s Addiction – The Great Escape Artist : This is a marvelous album because they are capable of such perfection in whatever variation they currently embody.
08. Jared Mees & The Grown Children – Only Good Thoughts Can Stay : The melodies are both to die and live for and the stories presented in the lyrics are interesting, complex, and thought-provoking.    + ALBUM REVIEW
07. Paleo – Fruit Of The Spirit : Each track has its own identity, and everything has an amazing way of working its magic on you: the low-fi, boisterous rawness of this album make it a sleeper success.    + ALBUM REVIEW
06. My Morning Jacket – Circuital : Leave it to my mom to introduce me to this album! I’ve become obsessed with the positivity and honesty of this album and its compelling, epic sound.

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05.
The Strokes
Angles
Sony Music Entertainment

The Strokes are a band that I passed on initially, but I’ve been catching up to their greatness since. Fortunately, I was ready for this album when it was released, and over time, my appreciation of it has become infinite. Regardless of what one can say about The Strokes, they know how to wield sound like no one else. Though it is a single, “Under The Cover of Darkness” is an absolutely perfect song. It has four to six hooks in it (depending on how you slice it up), and that concentration makes it irresistible. And, that sonic gem is just one splendid song amongst many.

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04.
The Kills
Blood Pressures
Domino Records

Second to seeing the Arctic Monkeys at The Independent in San Francisco, the next best show of the year was The Kills at The Fox in Oakland. This album is seductive through the stereo, and it seals the deal live. It comes across both broody and beautiful, and the raw clamor somehow translates into the most intriguing beats and melodies. Where have these guys been all my life?! “Pots and Pans” plays in my head almost daily.

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03.
Raphael Saadiq
Stone Rollin’
Columbia Records

I had an inclination to check out Oakland’s own Raphael Saadiq towards the beginning of 2011 when I was doing my Coachella research and preparation, but it wasn’t until September that I picked up this disc, and within a matter of days, I knew I had found another Top 5 contender. So soulful… yet so rock and roll… yet so gosh darn sexy-whatever the genre! I am waiting to catch him in concert and dance my proverbial butt off. “Go To Hell” is my theme-song for 2011. (That sounds funny, but I mean it in a positive way; check out the song!)

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02.
Arctic Monkeys
Suck It And See
Domino Records

I can remember not giving these guys the time of day when they first hit the music scene back in the MySpace hey-day… and now the joke is on me! The Arctic Monkeys are, in my opinion, one of the best bands performing today. They are like the nouveau Clash to me. And, this album is probably their best one yet — though it barely edges out Humbug, my vote for #3 best album of 2009. The title track is my selection for my annual mix CD that I give out to friends and family on New Year’s Eve.

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01.
Destry
Waiting On An Island
Self-Released

This record was a random one that our beloved Editor-in-Chief allowed me to review, and it turned out to be my favorite album of the year! It’s the kind of disc you can recommend to just about anyone being that it is gentle enough though sincere enough to appeal to various music preferences. At day’s end, though I love all tracks, “Alabama” is my true love with its fantastic outro. Please see my full review from when this album was released.

SEE ALSO: DESTRY WAITING ON AN ISLAND ALBUM REVIEW

Listen to Destry’s “This Island” – DOWNLOAD MP3

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John Gillanders’ Top Albums 2011

Runner-Ups
10. Mastodon – The Hunter
09. Swahili – Swahili :    + ALBUM REVIEW
08. Hyptia Lake – Ouroboros
07. Times New Viking – Dancer Equired    + ALBUM REVIEW
06. Helms Alee – Weatherhead

05.
Hidden Number
Human Error
Magnets Large And Small

This definitely gets my vote for Occult-themed genre-hopping psych-prog album of the year. Also easily takes the best theremin soloing trophy. Much like with the Lesbian album in 2010, I just kind of fell into an addictive wormhole with this for a while. It’s like I have to get to the bottom of the intricate weirdness and interrogate its reality to a satisfactory level of understanding or all is not right with the multiverse. Fucking prog. It pushes me around, calls me stupid, and I compulsively have to prove it wrong. I can understand you, you arrogant disc. Do you think you’re better than me? Anyway, these guys are completely doing their own freakish thing and you’ve just got to respect the sheer level of strangeness involved therein. What’s with the hooks? You wouldn’t expect shit like this to have hooks, but there they are.

SEE ALSO: HIDDEN NUMBER’S HUMAN ERROR ALBUM REVIEW

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04.
Sandrider
Sandrider
Good To Die

Sometimes as a music writer, words just kind of fail you. Why is this the number 4 record of the year? I don’t know, it fucking rocks, go listen to it already. What the fuck do you want from me? Well, I suppose I’m just being lazy. I have no idea why this is as good as it is. They’re not doing anything particularly out of the ordinary. I guess it’s about execution plain and simple. Years of playing in Pacific Northwest heavy rock legends Akimbo and The Ruby Doe hath bestowed these dudes with the preternatural chops necessary to dispense perfectly crafted stoner punk jams at will. Up there with the best efforts of their respective careers, for sure. Sometimes shit just works. Every time I’ve wanted to get amped up for working out or keep myself from falling asleep at my desk in the last four months, this is what I’ve thrown on (I got an advance copy). Instant energy surge. Doth it rock? Yes, it doth.

SEE ALSO: SANDRIDER’S SELF-TITLED ALBUM REVIEW

Listen to “The Corpse” – DOWNLOAD MP3

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03.
Shabazz Palaces
Black Up
Sub Pop Records

“Clear some space out, so we can space out.” The main problem I’ve always had with most hip-hop is that it’s not trip-hop. Fortunately this leans heavily into surrealist psych-hop territory. I’ve never understood why more people don’t do this kind of thing with all the technology floating around these days. (They probably are, I just can’t keep tabs on it. Who the fuck can? Someone with more of an interest I suppose.) Shit gets bonus points for not being hyper misogynist, materialistic, overly violent, or excessively braggadocious. What the fuck is it with rap songs about how great the rapper rapping is? If you can spit don’t you just throw down and prove it? There’s a lot I don’t understand about hip-hop, to say the least. In a way, this reminds me a bit of they were wrong, so we drowned-era Liars in how the tracks almost seem half assedly tossed together, but somehow all the pieces fit quite exquisitely. As if the guy programming the beats doesn’t even know how to use the sampler, and that’s precisely why he makes the best beats. When was the last time a hip-hop album came out of Seattle that I more than lukewarm on? Honestly, I’m pretty sure the answer to that question is never.

Listen to Shabazz Palaces’ “An echo from the hosts that profess infinitum” – DOWNLOAD MP3

Listen to Shabazz Palaces’ “Swerve… the reeping of all that is worthwhile (Noir not withstanding)” – DOWNLOAD MP3

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02.
Lumerians
Transmalinnia
Knitting Factory Records

Admittedly, I’m basically the target audience for this kind of thing, but that doesn’t make it any less awesome. A band named after the inhabitants of a mythical lost world playing groove heavy paranormal inspired psych rock? What else do you want in life? These guys do everything right on their first proper album, keeping your head nodding hypnotically for the first half of the disc before sucking you into a vacuum of primordial chanting and bliss feedback, then setting you back adrift into the world with a contemplative, melodic outro cut. Tranmalinnia does a great balancing act between calculated instrumental mindfuckery and more traditional song structures laced with understated yet effective vocal patterns. Interesting lyrics, too. All of it basically rules, and if you have any interest in what some people might refer to as “the unknown,” that definitely ups the ante. The smokescreen of mystery they intentionally cast around themselves serves them well. Kind of makes you wonder, “Do these guys really talk to UFO’s?” Maybe they do Jimmy; I suppose we’ll never know.

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01.
Master Musicians Of Bukkake
Totem III
Important Records

This might seem like a peculiar choice for album of the year, and I’d be the first to acknowledge that. In fact, I wouldn’t by any means even imply that this is my favorite album to come out in 2011. It’s more about the completion of a work. This is the final piece in MMOB’s Totem trilogy of records, and while each individual piece might come across as satisfactorily excellent, it’s more about the whole picture, the macro record. If you tried to say, summon a discarnate entity with just the first two albums alone, you’d maybe bring on a mild state of possession which would dissipate fairly quickly. Now the cycle is complete. This is the final incantation of the spell that can move things heavenward. How would I describe their sound? Well, it’s basically the kind of stuff you’d practice ritualistic magick to. You know – focus of intentions, inner visualizations, prolonged distortions of the senses, etc. Great for spellcasting. In fact, now that their great work is complete, why not try this simple ritual for yourself? Buy all three discs (incredibly reasonable as Amazon downloads), induce an altered headspace by any means you find appropriate, then attach a meaning to an image you’ve drawn for yourself that represents its essence. You can also use a pre-selected image done by someone else; just make sure you attach your own meaning. It should be a plotline you’d like to see manifest itself into the human time stream. Try not to make is selfish or retarded. Then go fuck for three hours while listening to the Totem trilogy in its entirety. Try your best to focus on that image internally while in this protracted state of sexual excitation. I think you’ll find that in the coming months and years the desire you projected into the ether will come to pass in the most unpredictably creative way imaginable. See, the best part about making claims like this is that you can’t tell me it didn’t work or that I’m crazy because you’re too big of a pussy to even try. My work here is done.

master musicians of bukkake – totem three (album preview) by experimedia

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Vivian Hua’s Top Albums 2011

Runner-Ups
12. Soley – We Sink : She crafts an Icelandic dream world that feels simultaneously wonderful and horrific to live in.
11. Thee Oh Sees – Carrion Crawler : I hardly even like garage rock, but MAN. Thee Oh Sees just know how to do it.
10. Screens – Dead House : Just awesome experimental messy all-over-the-place unconventional art rock. So into it.    + ALBUM REVIEW
09. Emil & Friends – Lo & Behold : I seriously think my brain is shaped a little bit like this record.    + ALBUM REVIEW
08. Nurses – Dracula : This album has definitely grown on me a lot through the year, and its best singles are constantly stuck in my head.
07. Joni Haastrup – Wake Up Your Mind : A top contender, though it didn’t make the list since it’s a re-release. Check it out anyway for 1978 Afrofunk brilliance.
06. The Reservations – The Reservations : Lounge pop, organs, psychedelia, and two extremely quirky and complementary vocalists! This kinda rock and roll is so ace.    + ALBUM REVIEW

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05.
Duchess Says
In A Fung Day T!
Alien 8 Recordings

Admittedly, I have not spent much time with this record, but that hardly even matters. When I first discovered Duchess Says in 2008, it was instant, instant sonic love. Kinship, even (albeit it a one-sided kinship). Duchess Says’ electronics-infused, noise-heavy dance punk is pretty much a synthesis of all of my favorite musical subgenres. That in itself is a wonder. But then I saw them live, multiple times, and now, I shalt follow them wherever their always-angry-when-I-see-them keyboardist and doe-eyed floor-rolling banshee of a frontwoman will take me. Considering the band members run some sort of spiritual church called The Church of Budgerigars — that “proposes a vast range of products and service such as psychic phone lines, a tarot service, a religious shop and principally the rock band Duchess Says,” I suppose I am slightly wary of declaring that I shalt follow them anywhere. But that’s a risk that, as a convert, I guess I just have to take.

Listen to Duchess Says’ “Time To Reiterate” – DOWNLOAD MP3

SEE ALSO: IN A FUNG DAY T! ALBUM STREAM ON ALIEN 8 RECORDINGS

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04.

James Blake
James Blake
Universal Records

James Blake’s emo-R&B-indie-dubstep is for some to love, for others to hate. Admittedly, this UK producer’s self-titled album is far from the most solid record ever, but the half of the record that is flawless makes up for the other half that is completely mediocre. I suppose it’s slightly frustrating that the opening trio of tracks — “Unluck,” “Wilhelms Scream,” and “I Never Learnt To Share” – is where the bulk of the excellence lies, but there are also times and places where the record, as a whole, just hits the spot like nothing else. Sure, that’s not the most thrilling spot, or the happiest spot… but even spots of isolation and solitude are necessary spots to pay attention to.

SEE ALSO: JAMES BLAKE – SELF-TITLED ALBUM REVIEW

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03.
Snowman
Absence
Dot Dash

Absence is an ominous black cloud from Down Under. As a record, it’s a shrouded mystery that meanders through caves, tunnels through solid earth, and dances around fires. Compelled more by primal urges than by rational minds, it feels like the primitive remnant of some universe long erased. The lyrics, for example, are scarcely discernible and hold little contextual appeal — but when they cascade downwards in falling succession alongside rhythms of pure fascination, Liars-esque vibes emanate to satisfaction. I thoroughly enjoy this release, and I truly wish it wasn’t the band’s last effort before their dark energies dissipated into oblivion…

Snowman – Absence by theQuietus\

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02.
Sister Crayon
Bellow
Manimal Vinyl

Bellow comes from the watery depths of sadness, and it just so happened that I came across this album earlier in the 2011, when I was a drowning mess of sad sad Sadness with a capital S. For about a month straight, Bellow was my nighttime sleepy-time companion, its echoing vocals and delicate synths comprising the shadowy underbelly of seemingly endless self-pity. Just like the Gardens & Villa record, Bellow, too, is a no-brainer for my list, though the two records could not be situated further on the emotional spectrum. Bellow sinks. It’s a heavy, hopeless siren song. But just like me, it seems to grow wiser as it moves forward. By the end, though, its operatic and theatrical sense of melancholy is pulled to the surface through a vertical shaft of air, and a temporary glimpse of victory reveals itself in “Souls Of Gold,” which captures ecstasy like a Native American drum circle.

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01.
Gardens & Villa
Gardens & Villa
(Secretly Canadian)

I can single-handedly be credited for turning a fairly large group of new fans on to the wonders of Gardens & Villa. For a multitude of ridiculously personal reasons, I just can’t say enough their self-titled record. Hell, I’ve probably already said too much about it, but I’m pretty okay with that. This Southern California band’s self-titled record is a collection of funk pop gems that hits home the way a Beach House record does. It’s dripping with nostalgia and funnels emotively deep into my sooooooouuuuuuuuuulllllllllllll. Only, where Beach House feeds the part of my soul where lovers idly sit around watching sunsets and daydreaming of romance, G&V feeds that part and the other part, too — where rainbows and unicorns have parties, dancing under disco balls and laser lights. For Summer and Fall of 2011, my spiritual body was the set of Soul Train, with G&V and gem-encrusted glitter cannons lining the dance floor.

SEE ALSO: GARDENS & VILLA INTERVIEW + “SPACETIME” MUSIC VIDEO

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BACK TO TOP

Judy Nelson’s Top Albums 2011

Runner-Ups
13. Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Unknown Mortal Orchestra : Another record that was widely hyped in the media, this funky 60′s rock influenced album is a fun time, especially the single “Ffunny Ffriends.”
12. Tinariwen – Tassili : I’ve always been a fan of Afro-beat, but these guys bring the drama, especially when they add Tunde Adibempe and Kyp Malone from TVOTR.
11. Gardens & Villa – Gardens & Villa : What a great discovery (thank you Vivian) and a great new band. I see only good things for them in the future. LISTEN & LEARN
10. Peaking Lights – 936 : This was my “ignore everyone on the subway and enjoy beautiful music” record. It worked out very nicely. LISTEN & LEARN
09. Wild Flag – Wild Flag : These ladies rule my world. Nothing will every replace Sleater-Kinney, but this record comes pretty damn close.
08. The Antlers – Burst Apart : A very successful sophomore effort that made me go back and reconsider the debut.
07. tUnE-yArDs – w h o k i l l : Merrill Garbus is my hero, and “Bizness” is one of the best songs of the year, hands down.
06. Zola Jesus – Conatus : After teasing us with a dark and wonderful EP last year showcasing her beautiful (operatically trained) voice, Zola Jesus finally released her full length and I haven’t stopped listening since.

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05.
Wye Oak
Civilian
Merge Records

After hearing so much about this band, I had to hang my head in shame when I discovered how far behind I was. Civilian was one of the best indie rock records I have heard all year. It is an album on which literally EVERY song is good. The dual male-female vocalist pairing, with a heavy emphasis on dark harmonies, hits all the right notes for me. This being their third album, I’m happy to go back in their catalogue and discover what I have missed.

Listen to Wye Oak’s “Civilian” – DOWNLOAD MP3

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04.
SBTRKT
SBTRKT
Rough Trade Records

An eclectic mix of a record that pairs the British DJ’s beats perfectly with a range of vocalists, including most notably Little Dragon‘s Yukimi Nagano on the song “Wildfire.” To me, this is one of the successful DJ/electronic/vocal combo albums of the year, even though SBTRKT is sure to be overshadowed by the likes of James Blake and Burial.

SBTRKT – Hide Or Seek by sbtrkt

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03.
Toro Y Moi
Underneath The Pine
Carpark Records

Toro Y Moi’s sophomore album is exactly the type of album that I needed when it came out: fun, quirky, and a good time every time. Each time I listen, I discover another song that I love. His mix of dancey, disco-influenced songs combined with smooth electro pop beats is expertly constructed. And isn’t that what a good album is all about?

Listen to Toro Y Moi’s “Underneath The Pine” – DOWNLOAD MP3

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02.
Bon Iver
Bon Iver
JagJaguwar

This man can really do no wrong in my eyes (perhaps the last song on this album is WAY too ‘80’s for me, but I can overlook it). It was thought that nothing could satisfy fans after such a powerful debut like For Emma, Forever Ago, but the self-titled follow-up really hit the mark. It was a slow burn for me, but it really hit home after I saw him live over the summer. I love when artists mix things up a little bit from album to album, and I see Justin Vernon doing that for the rest of his career.

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01.
Washed Out
Within And Without
Sub Pop Records

This record received so much gushing press before its release that I almost didn’t bother listening. I’m so glad that I’m not totally jaded, and I gave it a shot. Everything I said in my (glowing) review of the album is true; it’s a well-balanced, perfectly graceful album that I want to listen to over and over again. In the coldest months of January, I’ll be grateful to have such relaxing, summer songs on my iPod as I trudge through the snow.

Listen to “Eyes Be Closed” – DOWNLOAD MP3

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Ryan Pangilinan’s Top Albums 2011

05.
Joyce Manor
Joyce Manor
Asian Man Records

Californians Joyce Manor haven’t been around for very long, yet their debut self-titled LP and raucous live show has helped them gain a cult-like following. This record is a tinge of Jawbreaker, Against Me, and good ol’ twenty-something confusion and heartbreak.

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04.
Cold Cave
Cherish The Light Years
Matador Records

Wes Eisold is currently enjoying a second wind of popularity with Cold Cave, a band that is vastly different from his previous bands, namely American Nightmare/Give Up the Ghost. Cherish the Light Years cements the fact that Eisold’s black heart has just as much invested in New Order as it does in Ten Yard Fight.

Listen to Cold Cave’s “The Great Pan Is Dead” – DOWNLOAD MP3

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03.
The Wonder Years
Suburbia, I’ve Given You All and Now I’m Nothing
Hopeless Records / No Sleep Records

Depressing/upbeat record about growing up. Not over-produced and definitely an anthemic album for people who are trying to get out of being apathetic. It’s perhaps the saddest posi record I’ve ever heard. Bravo, the Wonder Years.

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02.
Prometheus Brown & Bambu
… Walk into a Bar
Beatrock Music / In4mation

I wasn’t sure what to expect from a collaboration between Blue Scholars’ mouthpiece, Geologic, and Native Guns’ Bambu, but lo and behold, what I got was a surprisingly great album. Geo and Bambu are both at the top of their collective games on this album and there’s a little bit of everything for someone who just discovered rap to the most jaded hip-hop fan.

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01.
P.S. Eliot
Sadie
Salinas Records

Waxahatchee
American Weekend
Don Giovanni Records

The reason for two albums in one entry? Both of these records were helmed by Katie Crutchfield, who might be one of the most prolific songwriters in the indie-punk scene. Sadie is P.S. Eliot’s swansong, a mostly uptempo record that plays to the band’s strength of writing insanely catchy tunes. Waxahatchee’s American Weekend, on the other hand is starkly different. Serving as Crutchfield’s solo output, the record is a lo-fi masterpiece, and a narrative about adulthood disappointment and heartbreak. A fantastic album that everyone should listen to.

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Peter Woodburn’s Top Albums 2011

Runner-Ups
08. Battles – Gloss Drop
07. This Will Destroy You – Tunnel Blanket
06. Russian Circles – Empros

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05.
ALL PIGS MUST DIE
God Is War
Southern Lord Records

Get fucking brutal. This album is like putting your face in a blender and pouring jalapenos in your eyes while sleeping on a bed of nails.

Listen to ALL PIGS MUST DIE’s “Pulverization” – DOWNLOAD MP3

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04.
Mogwai
Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will
Rock Action Records / Sub Pop Records

Outside of having one of the best album names of all time, this album was Mogwai’s return to form – and not just a specific portion of the band’s career, but with bits and pieces taken from the whole thing. 15 years into the game, Mogwai have constantly been reinventing their own sound, trying to stay ahead of the genre that they had such a huge helping hand in creating. Hardcore Will Never Die brings the heavy riffs, the gentle melodies, and the extreme distortion with the best of them.

Listen to Mogwai’s “Rano Pano” – DOWNLOAD MP3

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03.
James Blake
James Blake
Universal Records

I have no idea what dubstep is. So I have no idea how James Blake is shattering the notion of dubstep. But this album, and this man’s voice, his gentle piano playing, his tiny tiny age – James Blake is a master of musicianship.
LISTEN & LEARN

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02.
Fucked Up
David Comes To Life
Matador Records

It is kind of fitting that Fucked Up decided to go onto a hiatus at the end of this year, because this is their magnum opus. Punk rock has always had its fair share of boundary pushers, but no band has been doing it more efficiently than the Toronto rabble-rousers. David Comes to Life can get a bit literary heavy at times, but all the best works of art are the hardest to intially digest. And running almost 80 minutes, Fucked Up made sure there was more than just a full helping of punk rock for the family this time around.

Listen to Fucked Up’s “The Other Shoe” – DOWNLOAD MP3

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01.
Tim Hecker
Ravedeath, 1972
Kranky Records

The amazing thing about this album is that Tim Hecker also pumped out a supposed “b-side” to this album called Dropped Pianos, and the “b-sides” are better than most “a-sides” anyone can put out. Ravedeath, 1972 is a fierce collision of when noise meets no noise, when no noise meets noise, and best of all when noise meets noise. It is a dark and claustrophobic album at its best, and an oddly soothing and gentle album at the same time.

Listen to Tim Hecker’s “Hatred Of Music I” – DOWNLOAD MP3

BACK TO TOP

Related posts:

1. 2011 Year-End Respect For Album Cover Art: Color Photography
2. Album of the Year 2012: Staff Picks
3. 2012 Album Covers of the Year

music art film review - REDEFINE magazine

Albums Of The Year 2011 : REDEFINE Staff Picks

Showbox At The Market
Seattle, WA
2011 – 04/23

The Young Evils

Luckily, the hometown quintet The Young Evils provided a sunny disposition to contrast with the indoor confines of Showbox at the Market. The band plays a solid showing of rock and roll fueled by the dual harmonious vocals of Troy Nelson and Mackenzie Mercer. Mercer and Nelson’s vocals often cheekily bounce off each other’s, furthering a poppy mentality with healthy little doses of sun-filled surf rock peppered throughout. Rain clouds be damned, The Young Evils probably could’ve parted the clouds that night (if they weren’t already).

The Cave Singers

As The Cave Singers took the stage, the crowd at the Showbox had swelled in its size to the appropriate levels for the folk trio’s homecoming. The Cave Singers have been on the road for a while, but it is well apparent that Pete Quirk, Derek Fudesco, and Marty Lund appreciate the sentiments of Seattle’s love. The band fired through virtually the entirety of this year’s fantastic No Witch, along with all the hits off of Invitation Songs and Welcome Joy. As dirty, yet polished, as Cave Singers are, Quirk’s reckless abandonment of the microphone in fits of tambourine-playing emotion is endearing. Lund pounds away and Fudesco roughly spoils each and every song he plays next, by confirming he has the initial guitar diddy down. The Cave Singers are the picture-perfect mishmash of alt-country with a Seattle twist: on record, sounding serene and backwatery; live, no band will bring the haphazard joys of rock and roll to the stage better.

Listen to “Swim Club” – DOWNLOAD MP3

Related posts:

1. The Cave Singers Band Interview : Pacific Northwest Simplicity
2. Pickathon Festival 2010 : Pre-Festival Coverage
3. Mogwai, Errors Live Show Review

music art film review - REDEFINE magazine

The Cave Singers, The Young Evils Live Show Review

Matador Records took notice — and so did many respectable music publications, as the trio toured across the nation, and onwards to Europe and even China. Now, the band is back with No Witch, its third full-length and first release for Jagjaguwar, which has a grander and slightly heavier sound than most people might expect from the band. But, at the same time, it is still has The Cave Singers’ hypnotically catchy sound, evidenced by Fudesco’s clever guitars to Quirk’s throaty drawl.

Listen to “Swim Club” – DOWNLOAD MP3

On paper, it is clear that No Witch was intended to be a more rock-oriented album than the band’s previous two. The album was produced by Randall Dunn, a man more known for bringing the sludge out of the swamps of Boris, Sunn O))), and Black Mountain than he is for bringing the chirping birds out of the forest. For The Cave Singers, though, the pairing was a no-brainer.

“In our live show, even the more quiet numbers can be more rocking; there is just more energy,” Lund says. “So we told [Dunn] right off the bat that we would like to try and capture that. He ran with it, and he nailed it, I think.”

Dunn took a very hands-on approach to the making of No Witch, providing a crucial third-party viewpoint on the evolution of the band’s sound. It was a quick romance, but one which the band has nothing but positive things to say about.

“[Dunn] was great,” Quirk says. “We had demos for all the songs and had visions for how we wanted them to sound: more live-sounding, louder, just bigger. Working with him… was more of a collaboration in terms of ideas.

“He had his own original ideas for things he wanted to try,” Quirk continues. “Once he heard the songs as they were building in the studio, we kind of just let him run with it, cause I was just curious. It’s our third record; I just want to see what kind of things would happen, and see what would happen if we did his ideas, or Derek’s weird ideas, or Marty’s ideas, or whatever. That is more or less what we did, and it doesn’t seem like too much.”

Listen to “Black Leaf” – DOWNLOAD MP3

The casual creative process of No Witch is mirrored in the band’s formation, as well. The Cave Singers formed when Quirk and Fudesco lived together and Lund lived close by; they simply began playing music together by proximity.

“I don’t even know why we started playing what became our Cave Singers style. It just happened that we would play a show, and meet, and play a show, and meet,” Quirk says. That form eventually became a moody style of folk rock fitting for a town known just as much for its dreary clouds and rain as it is for its music.

“I mean, we live in a rainforest; I imagine that the natural environments have somewhat to do with it,” Quirk says.

Fudesco’s previous work with Pretty Girls Make Graves and Murder City Devils brings the biggest change of pace to The Cave Singer’s musical style this time around. As the bassist in both of his previous bands, Fudesco picked up the guitar for No Witch — something that Quirk points out comes pretty naturally to people who have played music their whole lives.

“It wasn’t like he was holding it backwards, saying, ‘How do I play this crazy thing?’ or hitting it with drumsticks or anything,” Quirk says, laughing. “I think it was just something different — to start at a lower level and learn how to play it again — to revitalize it. Now, [Fudesco] is the best guitar player; he is so good.”

Quirk insists that being in The Cave Singers has been a learning process for all three band members, and even as he admits that “Invitation Songs” isn’t perfect, he wouldn’t take it back. “If anything,” he says, “it’s cool because you write songs at wherever you are playing at the time… I’m glad [Fudesco] wrote guitar lines like he did for ‘Invitation Songs.’”

“Because then that album has a very specific charm to it,” Lund adds, “because we are learning how to make this sound.”

“I wouldn’t want Derek from the future to come back and replay those parts. I think it worked out perfect, actually. We were all kind of learning how to play with each other,” Quirk says. “We are learning how to play, and learning a style that would work better for the three of us.”

That realized style of No Witch finds the band adding a bit of Seattle noise attitude to the tones and moods of classical folk sounds from the South. After a long tour across the States, The Cave Singers will be skipping across the pond to Europe, where the reception is surprisingly great.

Lund recalls someone in Europe once asking him if the band was from Mississippi. “They don’t even know what Mississippi is,” he says. “They just know that it is backwoods and bluesy. It’s this really exotic thing.”

The Cave Singers will take its campfire rock sounds to all ends of the Earth as long as someone is willing to listen. The band recently did a grueling tour of China, playing in front of concertgoers who Lund says probably had no idea what to make of the band’s sound. But as long as people are enjoying themselves, that is all that matters.

“I’m hoping for the same reaction from everyone — energetic — and that it is an interactive experience,” Quirk says. “And if people aren’t having fun, then it doesn’t matter, because we are having fun. I feel like the reception, ideally, should be universal.”

It’s a very traditional, blue-collar approach to the ideals of music — something not seen in too many individuals nowadays. But it fits The Cave Singers upbringing in an often rainy Pacific Northwest town known just as much for its coffee and operating systems as its imprint on the musical world.

The band’s story arc may lack any real page turners, but there is something inspirational in seeing people work hard and succeed in something they believe in. And it is even more satisfying when genuinely honest bands, like The Cave Singers, are the ones doing it.

Related posts:

1. The Cave Singers, The Young Evils Live Show Review
2. Pickathon Festival 2010 : Pre-Festival Coverage
3. Nick Cave’s Crazy Mixed Media Soundsuits

music art film review - REDEFINE magazine

The Cave Singers Band Interview : Pacific Northwest Simplicity

Article compiled by Vivian Hua, Sammy Baek, and Brian Meyers

If you are just joining us, START FROM THE BEGINNING.

#18
The White Buffalo
Prepare For Black & Blue
Ruff Shod Records

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For the cover of Prepare For Black & Blue, The White Buffalo used an oil painting by George Bellows, courtesy of the National Gallery Of Art In Washington. “They were very specific about the colors being true to the original,” explains Jake Smith, aka The White Buffalo. “This took a few revisions and actually pushed back the release of the album.”

The oil painting was chosen by Simon Cassels, the art director for the album, who also crafted the text.

The original piece of art, created in 1907, is set in an athletic club in New York called Sharkey’s. According to the Metropolitan Museum Of Art, “Bellows summarizes with ferocious painterly shorthand the two pugilists’ boxing at peak intensity. He increases the drama by condensing the ring to a bright sliver of space, compressing the towering men’s agitated forms with the upper edge of the canvas, illuminating the smoky interior with hellish light, and placing the observer in the second row amid the bloodthirsty crowd. Some seamy neighborhood saloons like Sharkey’s were destinations for slumming, as the spectators in evening dress on the far side of the ring indicate. This detail invites bourgeois viewers of the painting to experience the gritty scene as if they, too, were slumming swells. Like contemporaneous images of cowboys and cavalrymen, Bellows’s boxing scenes—with which he became identified—glorify virile action more than quiet thought, and popular experience more than highbrow culture.”

“The idea was to play with the title, Prepare for Black & Blue, as a literal meaning,” Smith explains. The equal focus on both the album artwork and the typography really gives power the importance of this relationship between form and content.

About The Artist

Painting by George Bellows.

Art direction by Simon Cassels. – www.simoncassels.com

#17
Bear Hands
Burning Bush Supper Club
Cantora Records

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The artist behind the artwork for Burning Bush Supper Club goes by the name VRNO, and he’s a bit of an anonymous chap. Nonetheless, this is a solid illustration that serves as another installment of the band’s fun-loving identity. Scrawly penwork, with patterning that occasionally glitches out like a scrambled digital image, conveys this.

About The Artist

Illustration by VRNO. – vrno.tumblr.com

#16
The New Pornographers
Together
Matador Records

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Childish joys and a sense of solidarity are captured in the album cover for Together. For the release, The New Pornographers joined collaborative hands with musicians such as Zach Condon of Beirut, Annie Clark of St. Vincent, Will Sheff of Okkervil River, and the horn players from Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings. The artwork seems to capture just such a spirit of togetherness.

The image, entitled The Cliff, was produced in 2006 by artists Walter Martin and Paloma Munoz.

“The body of work which includes The Cliff began in 2001 with a series of snow globes we created and then photographed,” Martin explains. “Later, we began making larger sets and submerging them in tanks of water to photograph them. The Cliff is derived from one of those larger sets.”

A common setting running through these works by Martin and Munoz are snow-covered landscapes which are typically found in snow globes. “The scenes can suggest open-ended narratives with the possibility of multiple interpretations,” Martin explains. “There are often surreal elements, and the tone tends towards dire. The open question with The Cliff is: are they flying or falling? I think the band liked the flying idea.”

About The Artists

Artwork and design by Walter Martin and Paloma Munoz, of Martin-Munoz. – www.martin-munoz.com

#15
Anberlin
Dark Is The Way. Light Is A Place
Universal Republic Records

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Since its days of being a pop-punk staple band, former Tooth And Nail signee, Anberlin, has certainly matured. The band now sees its music on a global scale and finds its music on mass market, mainstream radio.

In contrast to its music, Anberlin has generally opted for fairly minimal album cover artwork. The artwork for Dark is the Way, Light is a Place is no different, boasting a monochrome image of a horse suspended and surrounded by negative space. It’s awkward, yet full of movement and intrigue.

About The Artist

Artwork by Michael Zavros, a well-known Australian fine artist. – www.michaelzavros.com/

Layout and Design by Jordan Butcher.

#14
Prince Rama
Shadow Temple
Paw Tracks

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Brooklyn-based Hare Krishna psych band Prince Rama seems like just the type of band that would be into synesthesia. From the band’s press photography to its album artwork, everything is cohesive and well-planned, and the album cover for Shadow Temple is, as well.

As the band members were also the designers of the artwork, a visual and musical continuity lies in Prince Rama’s work. Band member Taraka Larson touches upon this idea, saying, “I think it makes a lot of sense in terms of linking visual and audio experiences together for a synesthetic, wholistic package. These days, it is so easy to disregard this concept of wholeness and just consume bits and pieces of albums… so I think it is nice when the artist gives attention to providing their record with a cohesive corporeal form. It gives the music more of a visual trail, an aura. A reflection.”

Starting with just the music, Prince Rama expanded upon themes and ideas from Shadow Temple. “A lot of the Shadow Temple songs were intended as personal hymns in a way, so we found it necessary to construct a sort of shrine to house them in,” explains Larson. “I feel like the process of making a record becomes a process of making a mummy in a way… once you have put live tracks down on a record, those sounds, those voices, that moment is frozen in time… dead, in a way. The record becomes like a body that has been embalmed… the case of the record is like a sarcophagus to house the sonic artifacts…”

“For Shadow Temple, I was interested in doing a sort of DIY homage to Damien Hirst’s diamond skull. We found a plastic skull and spent two weeks adorning it with cheap glue and fake gems that we then constructed a sort of pseudo altar around, with geodes and sequins, and photographed it. Just as life can be a metaphor for decorated death, an album cover can be treated as a visual metaphor for decorated sonic death.”

About The Artist

All three members of Prince Rama are art school graduates. “Michael does a lot of 3-D photography and sculptural installations, Nimai does mostly embroidery and pen and ink drawing, and Taraka has done a lot of film, sculptural installation, and multimedia performances.” – www.princerama.com

#13
Sightings
City Of Straw
Brah Records

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Friend of Brah Records and long-time designer for Oneida, Dan Schechter was invited by Oneida’s Kid Millions to work on the album cover for Sightings’ City Of Straw. Though the album title might infer certain types of imagery, Schechter’s interpretation actually embraced what is the direct opposite of straw in both feel and texture; rather than turning to soft, warm colors, Schechter turned to cold, hard metallics.

After a phone conversation with Sightings about the band members’ thoughts and musical processes behind the album, Schechter got to work, turning the aural interpretation of the music into visuals which have a sense of tangibility.

“The music has, at times, an electronic, technical feel, yet the sound very much comes from the musicianship and the electronics rather than a digital process,” explains Schechter. “One thing I wanted to do with the design was to match that process. I wanted it to feel very physical and tangible. Conceptually, I wanted to play off of this tension as well.”

The tension is represented through the use of carefully-created shapes. “In tearing through the ‘picture plane,’ I wanted to create something abstract and monolithic — another play on the tension between the geometric and the organic,” says Schechter. “The band had the idea for the back to be the inverse of the front, with the image from the cover being revealed through the holes. I punched all of the holes out by hand and photographed the result.”

About The Artist

Artwork by Dan Schechter, a designer and mixed-media artist. His focuses are on interactive and print design, as well as some collage and photography. – www.danschechter.com

#12
Kvelertak
Self-Titled
Indie Recordings

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Last year, our huge oversight was forgetting to include the album cover for Baroness’ Blue Record, illustrated by Baroness’ frontman, John Dyer Baizley. We won’t make the same mistake of leaving Baizley out again this year.

Within this gorgeous cover lies the music of a Nothern European sextet that has been quite well-received as of late. Kvelertak combines elements of black metal with classic rock n’ roll and punk; in the band’s own brand of Norweigian-English, Kvelertak says it creates “brutally catchy punkrock/metal with a taste of groovy darkness!”

What that means is: accessible metal, for all. And luckily for the band, the tempting cover, by the always reliable and outstanding Baizley, acts as the best marketing tool possible.

About The Artist

Illustration by John Dyer Baizley, of Baroness. – www.myspace.com/johndyerbaizley

#11
Double Dagger
Masks EP
Thrill Jockey Records

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Earlier this year, Baltimore-based punk rockers Double Daggers released an EP entitled Masks, which lyrically explores the metaphorical ideas behind masks. With the band’s album artwork, it opted to “translate the idea visually into actual masks,” according to designer Bruce Willen, of the design firm Post Typography.

The album covers, despite being extremely minimalistic upon first glance, embrace the concept of masks to the furthest reaches possible.

“The mask illustrations (there were about 12 total including LP labels, etc.) were all drawn in pen and ink and then printed in metallic inks,” says Willen. According to Willen, Double Daggers’ record label, Thrill Jockey, was “psyched on the idea of printing three different limited edition covers.”

Each of the three different colors was printed in different color ink, and the LP and CD versions have die-cut holes which change color, depending on how the inner CD is oriented.

“Plus the holes and drawings on the LPs are sized so that the jacket can actually be used as a mask!” Willen adds. You’ve gotta hand it to them; they really know how to work out an idea.

About The Artist

Design and illustration by Post Typography, www.posttypography.com, a design firm of which Double Dagger’s Nolen Strals is a founder.

#10
Land Of Talk
Cloak And Cipher
Saddle Creek Records

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Indie rock band Land Of Talk is subtle with its beautiful melodies, and the album artwork for Cloak And Cipher seems to evoke a Magritte-like quality of surrealism, while honing in on typographical decisions that really give the album title some weight — or lightness, depending on how you look at it.

About The Artists

Artwork by Corri-Lynn Tetz.

Layout and design by Jack Nipper.

#9
AIDS Wolf
March To The Sea
Skin Graft Records

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Bright-colored and in-your-face, March To The Sea‘s Sesame Street-type vibes certainly don’t scream, “AIDS Wolf!!!!!!!!,” but the photographs sure are a little more gory and twisted than one might gather upon first glance…

About The Artists

Artwork by AIDS Wolf band members, Chloe Lum and Yannick Desranleau, who are also involved in a Montreal-based art collective called Seripop. – www.seripop.com

#8
Balmorhea
Constellations
Western Vinyl

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Balmorhea’s album, Constellations, is a concept record, basically about the great wide unknown that is space. By default, the theme comes attached with an endless amount of readily available imagery, which is why it’s so wonderful Balmorhea didn’t take the easy route. Rather than neatly packaging its music in existing visions of space, the band opted to use a tried-and-true process for album art creation, that the band has adhered to for its past seven releases.

“We usually have started with an image or idea for an image, or color palette that seemed to spring forth and fit,” explains Balmorhea’s guitarist/bassist, Michael Muller. For the band’s past releases, some of the images have been taken by Balmorhea’s pianist/guitarist Rob Lowe, while others have been contributed by Lowe’s girlfriend, Megan Carney, Lowe’s sister, Ann, or friend of the band, Travis Klunick.

“I think photographs capture better (at least they have in the past) what we are trying to do,” explains Lowe. “More than any kind of graphic design or manipulations…”

Monetary limitations do play a role in the final pieces of artwork for Balmorhea’s releases as well, but it certainly has not hurt the band’s aesthetic. “Sometimes you have an idea for a photograph that might require 100 people or a hot air balloon or $100,000 cash to throw up in the air, but it’s not feasible. So, you just take a photo in your room or on a trip or something,” says Lowe, who photographed the cover for All Is Wild, All Is Silent on a trip to West Texas, and the cover for Constellations in his room.

The simplistic approach with which Lowe and Muller approached the packaging for Constellations is very much representative of the music of the album, which feels pure in its beauty.

About The Artists

Photographed and designed by band members Rob Lowe and Michael Muller. According to Muller, “Lowe is a visionary and usually comes up with the overall concept of each record’s design. He has a very clear mental pathway to express his internal eye which is truly a gift. He also has a lovely penchant for composition. Lowe’s art also enlies in the actual music composition. My artistic foray is embedded more in the structure, organization and space of the design. I also do photography and minimal graphic arts as a day job.” – www.myspace.com/balmorhea

#7
The Black Angels
Phosphene Dream
Blue Horizon Adventures

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Akin to Animal Collective’s cover for Merriweather Post Pavilion from 2009, The Black Angels have gone the route of bold psychedelic visual trip out feast with its album cover for Phosphene Dream. Neon red-orange and a near-cyan shade of blue combine for an uncomfortably loud and arresting combination — one which is best viewed away from digital mediums.

About The Artist

Design suspected to be by band member Christian Bland.

#6
Wild Nothing
Gemini
Captured Tracks

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At the time of publishing, we were still unable to figure out the artist behind the wonderful cover for Wild Nothing’s Gemini… which is a damned shame, because it seems this album cover, which stereotypically captures the duality of the astrological sign of the twins, was lauded time and time again for its brilliance. Something tells us that the man behind Wild Nothing, Jack Tatum, is probably responsible for this black-and-white lovely, but it has yet to be confirmed.

Edit, January 20th, 2011:

About The Artist

The designer of the album cover, Joanne Ratkowski, contacted us to set the record straight. We apologize for the omission. She is a wonderful photographer, and we strongly encourage you to check out her work.

#5
Black Mountain
Wilderness Heart
JagJaguwar

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With Wilderness Heart, band member Jeremy Schmidt designs yet another album cover to enlighten us all with.

This album cover is yet another reminder that Black Mountain can kick visual stereotypes into the bucket and make it out on top; Schmidt has the Midas touch — one which can collage together images of a parking lot, Great White Shark, and stark autumn landscapes in a way that works, in a psychedelic throwback kind of way.

About The Artist

Artwork, design, and layout by band member Jeremy Schmidt.

#4
Surfer Blood
Astro Coast
Kanine Records

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The cover art for Astro Coast takes a traditionally threatening image and remixes it into a scrambled square puzzle which is only vaguely decipherable. Once the image is descrambled by the viewer, though, the Great White Shark baring its large white teeth seems simply to be a homage to the happy-go-lucky surf rock vibes of Surfer Blood.

About The Artists

Artwork by unknown.

Layout by Jason Rueger of We Are Country Mice. – www.myspace.com/wearecountrymice

#3
Zola Jesus
Stridulum EP
Sacred Bones

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The cover of Zola Jesus’ Stridulum EP captures vocalist Nika Roza Danilova in a ghastly state, smothered beneath a orifice-suffocating waterfall of chocolate. According to Pitchfork, Danilova was inspired by the 1974 film, Sweet Movie, in which “a woman is rolling around in chocolate syrup.”

For Danilova, the experience of having her orifices smothered by chocolate was one of simultaneous pleasure and terror.

About The Artist

Photography by Indra Dunis.

Layout by David Correll. – http://www.davidcorrell.net/

Concept and modeling by band member Nika Roza Danilova.

#2
Tame Impala
Innerspeaker
Modular Recordings

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This year, psychedelic rock newcomers Tame Impala worked with ace designer Leif Podhajsky to establish a solid “look” for its music. That look soon cascaded its way through all of the band’s print collateral and releases, effectively marketing the band in a way that drummed up immense amounts of attention beyond simply a musical scale. Using repeating images retreating backwards towards horizon lines, Podhajsky’s got a knack for using basic photo manipulation functions to great merits.

About The Artist

Design and artwork by Leif Podhajsky, an artist who is knee-deep in digital art. – www.leifpodhajsky.com

#1
Kanye West
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Roc-A-Fella Records

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Just as it is kind of painful to admit that Kanye West’s latest album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, is brilliant, it is difficult to admit that the album artwork for it is rather brilliant, as well. World-reknowned painter George Condo is behind the five album covers created for the album, and he explains the concepts behind the pieces in an article with NY Mag. Evidently, there are themes of “early baroque era religious figures,” “cubism and classicism forged together in a single painting,” and many more fabulous ideas.

Many of the artists we’ve interviewed for this article love this artork as well. Check it out:

“I’ve been looking a lot of Kanye West’s album cover last weeks. Its got great artwork and great design.” – Jaakko Mattilla, artist behind A Sunny Day In Glasgow’s Nighttime Rainbows

“I’ll admit that I haven’t heard it yet, and I’m not even a huge fan, but I’ve really enjoyed the fact that Kanye West enlisted George Condo to do his cover art. It’s a pretty sublime mash-up.” – Douglas McQueen, artist behind Callers’ Life Of Love

“I am a big George Condo fan, so I like the paintings he made for Kanye West, it’s a surprising collaboration that has yielded great results.” – Alejandro Cardenas, of Violens

“Though I hate to say it, I think the new Kanye West LP artwork is great, as was the Power artwork.” – James Hines, artist behind Munch Munch’s Double Visions

“I think Kanye West’s cover is cool.” – Luke Temple, of Here We Go Magic

“I’m leaning towards Kanye’s “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.” The vinyl version has various covers in the gatefold that you can swap to display on the front, which is awesome.” – Hassan Rahim, artist behind Superhumanoids’ Urgency

And here are the other four:

About The Artist

Paintings by George Condo, a contemporary painter and sculptor of great standing.

Related posts:

1. 90 Notable Album Covers From 2010 : Part IV
2. 90 Notable Album Covers From 2010 : Part III
3. 90 Notable Album Covers From 2010 : Part II

music art film review - REDEFINE magazine

90 Notable Album Covers From 2010 : Part V

To copy and paste from Jagjaguwar’s description:

“Some of the questions raised when we announced the existence of Volcano Choir were ‘When are they going to tour?’ and ‘How will they re-create this live?’ The answers to those are 1) They will tour only in Japan, of course, and 2) With lots of practice. We received two videos of Volcano Choir rehearsal, and I’ll be damned if I don’t have a passport. The evolution of ‘Still’ is particularly great.”

Related posts:

1. Madness! New Tracks From Giant Claw + Volcano!’s Piñata Music Video
2. Shots From Eyjafjallajökull Volcano Near Fimmvörðuháls, Iceland!
3. AU – Solid Gold Live Performance Video (Into The Woods)

music art film review - REDEFINE magazine

Volcano Choir – “Still” Live Performance Video

Heavily layered synths, excessive reverb, fuzzy overdubbed vocals, and down- to mid-tempo beats are common traits of your average chillwave act. The brilliant thing about Small Black’s New Chain is the clear nod it gives to ’80s synthpop and dance music — a style which many artists have yet to pin down. Take a track like “Goons,” for example; while the tempo of the song is on the slower side, the bassline would fit in as an LCD Soundsystem or New Order track.

This dance vibe is subtle and can serve to catch the listener unaware. Any shoegaze fan would love this record because of its smart use of looping; the dense layers found throughout build a unique sonic soundscape. The album’s opening track, “Camouflage,” features a wobbly prominent synthline reminiscent of anything off of Loveless (basically sounding like something you might hear as the soundtrack to an Orca whale’s dream). Even songs that don’t pop immediately sink into your subconscious and marinate, until you end up singing them inadvertently — which is rare for an album built on such thick ambient textures.

New Chain fully fleshes out what was only hinted at on Small Black’s self-titled EP, which was self-released last year and has since been re-released on JagJaguwar. Where that EP felt lacking in fullness, New Chain picks up and corrects. A large part of this is due to the expansion of the lineup, from two to four members. Another notable improvement can be seen in the vocals and vocal melodies, which are now far more prominent and well-crafted. New Chain is a fantastic debut album and will be a tough one to follow up on. Let’s hope Small Black can live up to that challenge.

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Small Black – New Chain Album Review