Dave's Totally Boss Musings

[Note: Basshead stuff for June...I'm moving to NYC tomorrow to start working with Mr. Burns (or, as my non-fiction teacher calls him, the Darth Vader of documentary film...she's a tad outspoken), so I may not be posting so much from here on out...although I'm not sure what my housing situation is exactly yet, so who knows. Enjoy!]

Animal Collective- Sung Tongs (Fat Cat, 2004)

Avey Tare and Panda Bear just wanna have fun—luckily, they’re also two of the most gifted rock deconstructionalists in the current slew of New York-based artists hell bent on changing the sound of independent music. Sung Tongs often sounds like a field recording at an Animal Collective “inner child” therapy session, and at times (like on the gorgeous “The Softest Voice”) the music becomes almost entirely shapeless, eschewing traditional meter, melody and form for a more intangible, even profound form of experimentation. Of course, there are also a few blatantly ridiculous tracks, like “College,” a sarcastic chant decrying that most venerable of institutions. What is most exciting about groups like Animal Collective and Black Dice is the limitless potential of their experiments, due in part to their lack of a clear musical base. The Animal Collective hint at rock and folk without conforming to the genres' traditional parameters. They also suggest a kind of “neo-psycehdelia” that truly modernizes the sound of artists like Syd Barrett and Alexander Spence rather than merely quoting or affecting their music. Simply put, Sung Tongs is a brilliantly original work from a group whose innovations have opened a viable pathway for future rock and pop experimentation. Hopefully the Animal Collective will remain at the forefront of this foreseeable evolution without ever feeling the need to “grow up”—that is, after all, what makes the whole thing so damn fun in the first place.


Lali Puna- Faking the Books (Morr Music, 2004)

On their latest release, Lali Puna demonstrate a subtle mastery of electronica-influenced rock—which, as a matter of clarification, is not the same as rock-influenced electronica. The distinction is crucial to truly appreciate Faking the Books, a collection of deceptively complex pop songs that eventually reveal deep musical and lyrical resonance. Lali Puna bring an electronica aesthetic to songs that are informed in their hooks and choruses by rock and pop music, rather than injecting tired experiments in electronic music with rock affectation. They contribute to the kind of machine-intensive evolution of pop music popularized by Kid A-era Radiohead and groups like the Notwist, whose vocalist, Markus Acher, worked with the group on a previous release. Lead singer Valerie Trebeljahr casts herself as a detached observer in a world of deception, corruption and isolation, even pointing out the predictability of such a society on the exceptional “B-Movie.” Her soft voice effortlessly melts into memorable guitar hooks and a backdrop of electronic noise. Lali Puna frequently employ dense electronic soundscapes, but their greatest gift is their ability to use pop structures as a foundation for challenging and rewarding music.


Madvillain- Madvillainy (Stones Throw, 2004)

Prominent underground MC and producer MF Doom had a distinguished year in 2003—his Viktor Vaughn album provided an outlet for him to reconfirm his title as leading literate mushmouth in underground rap, while his guest-laden and self-produced King Geedorah album showed a more focused concentration on elaborate RZA-meets-Phil Spector productions. Madvillainy is Doom’s much-anticipated collaboration with producer Madlib, and the results, unfortunately, don’t realize the lyrical or production potential suggested on Doom’s previous records. One major problem is that the Madvillain alias is simply a variation on, or perhaps combination of, Doom’s Viktor Vaughn and King Geedorah personas, but the character lacks distinction. Where Vaughn was a deflation of gangster stereotypes and Geedorah had an ample back history in film references, Madvillain embraces a less interesting, more aggressive posture without utilizing compelling enough samples to superficially “fill in” the personality. Madlib’s beats are certainly challenging, running the gamut from live accordion instrumentation to abstract electronic beats, but tracks like the instrumental “Sickfit” and “Do Not Fire” are minimal to the point of monotony. Highlights such as the woozy, beautiful “Accordion” (on which Doom briefly won my heart by namechecking both Joe Tex and Dick Dastardly) and the laid-back, soap opera organ-spiked “Curls” hint at the heights the album as a whole might have achieved, but overall Doom and Madlib do not convincingly develop a lyrical or musical theme that isn’t particularly strong to begin with. The album probably won’t completely disappoint those eagerly awaiting the collaboration, but one could reasonably expect more from two of the most talented figures in underground rap.


Mekons- Honky Tonkin’ (Quarterstick, 1987, r. 2004)

The Mekons have been described as the founders of “pub rock,” a glorious musical tradition forged from punk music, boozy late-night singalongs and barroom fistfights. However, the political heft of the Mekons’ output has often been overshadowed by many of the acts that followed in their footsteps. On Honky Tonkin’, the Mekons’ third release after their pivotal Fear and Whiskey album, the band supplies a plethora of musical and literary influences in the form of citations in the liner notes, which include Melville, John Huston, Shelley and Hunter S. Thompson. The Mekons also further display their gift for concealing biting social and political commentary within rollicking pub-friendly melodies. Opener “I Can’t Find My Money” is a ruthless depiction of an aging drunken criminal begging to be arrested as some kind of penitence for his countless petty crimes, while “Sympathy for the Mekons” uses the band’s rise to fame as a preemptive parable about the imminent decay of celebrity. The Mekons were far from a one-note phenomenon, as the group’s prolific output and consistently insightful material surely demonstrates. Honky Tonkin’ is a potent reminder of the versatility and depth of a band and genre that have often been marginalized as components of the ultimate soundtrack for the binge drinker. The Mekons may have originated in a British pub, but their real goal was to get the downtrodden masses out of the barroom and into the streets.