Mother's Day Dump: Vile, Mascis, Harvey, Antlers

Dumping some recent additions to my library.

Kurt Vile "Smoke Ring for My Halo" and J Mascis "Several Shades of Why"
I'm treating these together, because their voices, guitar styles, and lyrics are quite similar. Solid acoustic guitar work with mellow male voices, a bit Vedder-esque. This is beer drinking music while doing some kind of garage project. Mascis is solid throughout; Vile is as well. Roll'em together.

P.J. Harvey "Let England Shake"
Harvey is hit or miss for me. Her "White Chalk" album was a bit disconcerting, starting with its cover. But this one is more listenable, with a voice and lyrics that are, as someone would say, evocative. I haven't listened to this one enough to recommend a song or two, so give it a listen while you sear some salmon. All and Everyone is excellent, at least. This one warrants a closer listen.

The Antlers "Burst Apart"
This guy's first album "Hospice" won me over, even if it was super depressing. They opened for The National in Detroit last year and brought some much needed energy to the music. Their new album has a bit more energy, but Peter Silberman's voice is still high and eery. Their first album was compared to Bon Iver's "Emma," and this one might not be quite as good as the first, but it's a nice listen. The single, "I don't want love" is a good place to start. Play it to help your kid go to sleep.

Enjoy.

Atmosphere – The Family Sign

Atmosphere has come a long way from their backpacker, indie-rap days. Slug has matured as a songwriter and lyricist. The songs on this album still cover tough subject matter. My favorite song is Became. Check it out and support local music.

Low - C'mon

Still brooding and melancholy but slightly happier this time. These ten songs are about what you've come to expect from the Duluth-based slow core band. If you're already a Low fan, that's a good thing. If Low is new to you, this is a good introduction.

http://chairkickers.com/

Owl City - Ocean Eyes

OK, I know I'm way late to the party with this one, but I just acquired this album from Owl City. Most of you probably know of this, probably have it, listened to it, and are sick of it now, but I just grabbed from my sister over the weekend. It's kind of Postal Service meets Phoenix, with a sprinkling of They Might be Giants. How can you not love lyrics like "we'll take a long walk through the cornfield/and I'll kiss you between the ears" and "I've been to the dentist a thousand times/so I know the drill."

It gives me hope for pop music, because if this music can take airtime away from the likes of Ke$ha and Black Eyed Peas, then halle-fuckin-lujah.

Selene - Max Tannone

I came across this 5 song EP from DJ Max Tannone which takes Clint Mansell's music score for the movie Moon, injects some hip hop beats, and overlays some decent rap lyrics. It has no business being as good as it is, but damn, listen to the first track and tell me this isn't sweet. Also, it's totally free, stream it off soundcloud, or download it at their site:

http://www.seleneproject.com/

"Selene is a five track EP inspired by the 2009 sci-movie Moon, written and directed by Duncan Jones. Using samples from the film's original score (written by Clint Mansell), Brooklyn rap artist Richard Rich and Manhattan DJ/producer Max Tannone team up to explore themes like isolation, separation, self-realization, cloning, and all kinds of craziness."

Selene by Max Tannone