...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead
Worlds Apart
[Interscope]

by K. Vicious

My generation’s music is over and done, finished by the time Matador Records started hard selling Pavement reissues, finished when Robert Pollard finally decided to retire his Guided By Voices jersey, finished by the yawn of disinterest I unknowingly let out when informed that Lou Barlow has just released a solo album stupidly titled Emoh. But pardon my sense of lassitude when it comes to music these days for I am not above being exhilarated by some of the albums released by young, gifted and dangerously ambitious bands the likes of Bright Eyes, Arcade Fire and the Fiery Furnaces.

…And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead is definitely another band in that category, leading the charge to make folks like us at AgingYouth feel like a bunch of old geezers, with a body of work (four full lengths and several EPs) that drips heavily with what could only smell like teen spirit.

Worlds Apart, their latest album, is not going to blow people the way their storming Source Tags and Codes (2002) did but don’t fault the band for not trying to scale the same heights. Again working under the tutelage of producer Mike McCarthy, Trail of Dead has learned to lock up the pent-up blind rage of their explosive live shows into their records – which is no mean feat, considering that at the same time the sound is gravitating towards the epic song arrangements in the vein of, well, according to the band, Pink Floyd. Worlds Apart actually appears to be a more polished affair, if you can call it that, with the MTV-baiting title track and the spectacular ‘The Rest Will Follow’ sounding like surefire anthems. And whereas Jason Reece’s violent lunges used to sound like they are about obliterate everything in his sights, his lead vocal contribution ‘Caterwaul’ leaves juvenile instincts behind in its blanket of noise, the music reeling into something more celebratory altogether. It’s blistering, awe-inspiring stuff, this music that makes Franz Ferdinand sound like an anorexic bunch.

Where Worlds Apart matches its predecessor in terms of bombast, perhaps it lacks in its desperate forcefulness. There’s nothing here that hints at Keely’s vocal chord shredding performance on ‘Relative Ways’, nor are there anything here nearly approaching the warmth and blunt beauty of a song like ‘Source Tags and Codes’. Put this in a different way: while Trail of Dead sounded like a band possessed by a reckless sound of fury on Source Tags and Codes, Worlds Apart suggests a modern way of letting go. Keely especially seems intent on honing his songwriting chops with a more adventurous approach, but it also adds a prog-rock flavor to the soup that not everyone would savor (main offenders: the facile theatricality of ‘A Classic Arts Showcase’ and ‘All White’). His Brian Wilson tribute on the other hand, ‘Will You Smile Again?’ boasts his typically embarrassing lyrics but in the hands of these guys, the song becomes a ferocious exercise in rock excesses.

That is mostly what Worlds Apart is all about, tethering between alarming prog pretentiousness and the hot blooded sound of a band born in flames, and there is nuthin’ light about this ride.

Panda Bear
Young Prayer
[Paw Tracks]

by K. Vicious

One half of the songwriting catalyst behind the incredible Animal Collective, Panda Bear (Noah Lennox) has cut a solo debut album of idyllic sounds that crack and squeal from out of nowhere. The back catalogue of his main band can be considered as being obtuse enough to most, but Young Prayer seems even more starkly perplexing – but these nine untitled tracks clocking in at just under 30 minutes are compelling listening.

Once you have taken into consideration that these songs, recorded before Animal Collective’s remarkable album Sung Tongs, were made right around the time Lennox’s father passed away, the air of despondency becomes more real and unerringly lovely, like crystals in his heart. With sedate acoustic guitars wheeling in and out of focus around Lennox’s mostly unintelligible wails, Young Prayer also resembles an ideal ventilation outlet for sublime song ideas that lack any sense of shape and form. The album is so loose and simple that listeners should not even bother drawing any context for the music, and just capitulate to the bliss.

Lali Puna
Scary World Theory
[Morr Music]

by sdre

Valeire Trebelijahr. Rings a bell? How about Markus Acher? If you're one who enjoys trip hop or electro, you might want to read on. Another incentive for those who do not enjoy this musical genre, this might change your mind about music.

Lali Puna, however vulgar that might sound in certain countries, is a band made up of Markus Acher (Tied and Tickled Trio, Notwist), Keyboardist Florian Zimmer, Drummer Christoph Brandner (Tied and Tickled Trio) and the strangely unique vocals of Valeire Trebelijahr.

To those who are in the know, The Notwist has some notoriously wicked albums under their belt (Neon Golden), and with their main song writer (Markus Acher) on board this bandwagon, expect nothing short of radio friendly pop hits.

Scary World Theory is made up of samples in different languages, drum loops, synth sounds and Valeire Trebelijahr's unqiue vocals as well as choice words for lyrics. The album kicks off with songs like ‘Nin-Com-Pop’ and ‘Middle Curse’. The former is tricky; do not be fooled by its wayward title. The little drum sample plays on and with the ever so slight synth coming in with Valeire's cooing voice, this combination of monotony is surprisingly catchy. ‘Middle curse’ is made up of more samples, and this time Valeire sings with a slight misconception of in tune lyrics. This strange combination might attract the usual trip hoppers or indie music lovers. But to those who enjoy Celine Dion or Mariah Carey's spot on tunes, this might be a tongue in cheek for them.

I won't run through the entire setlist of songs, perhaps Valeire Trebelijahr's vocals has gotten to me ever so slightly, but I admire Markus Acher’s ingenious use of drum samples as well loops and synth sounds. A lot of other instruments were being used as well. Overall, the album is uplifting and with the queer vocals and expert use of instrumentation, Lali Puna has scored a radio hit on this album.

Black Label Society
Mafia
[Artemis Records]

by P2

Ever seen a CD so hot that it smokes?

Tighten your whammy nuts and bring on the beer! Zakk Wylde has conjured up another one of his monstrous albums, possibly one of the best for Black Label Society to date.   Mafia, a 15-track escapade that ranks you through great riffs with perfectly crunched notes jarred down with the familiar voice of the bearded one – Zakk Wylde himself.

A dreary intro to the album that slowly picks itself up into a song that rocks so much it’ll blow your socks off. That’s ‘Fire It Up’, the first song of the album. Listening to it just gets your head rocking, doesn’t matter even if you’re 70! Zakk Wylde with his thundering voice and crunchy trademark riffs, yes sir welcome to the realm of Mafia.

Black Label Society has released 7 albums in a decently short span of time. You’d think, “Hey they ought to be getting quite boring and predictable”. Well hey, think again! This album holds a few surprises and is one of the true rock bands where you actually get extremely great music. It’s a good mix of music with a couple of soothing acoustic tracks. I have to say, Zakk Wylde has worked on his vocals very well, like in the track ‘In This River’. A slow acoustic song, with the music turned down a notch to highlight his vocals. With a solo so good it almost seems to speak, it just makes the song so complete. I feel this album has more depth in it than Hangover Music. You can actually feel that the band has taken the effort not to become dull and are willing to try on newer things.

’Too Tough To Die’ is one of the more mellow tracks in the album that caught my attention. I almost thought it sounded a little like Alice In Chains. A little grunge-like, quite a welcome change actually. It’s got this tinge of darkness in it, which makes the track all the deeper. Even ‘Spread Your Wings’ is quite unique, its 1 minute long intro trudges into a punching track that might just tear your wall down.

One of my favourite tracks (to be honest, almost all are great) could possibly be ’Death March’. It’s got the right amount of each ingredient for the perfect rock song. Nice rhythm, slithering solos, hair-raising vocals and technically perfect drumming. It’s one of those songs that make you feel grateful that Rock is a music genre.

Yes, after listening to this album, I whole-heartedly agree with the phrase, “Rock never dies”. Some of the slower songs are sure to become classic ballads in time to come. This is a cd worth getting; it’ll probably never leave your cd player as it is.