Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer

Millions of people wake up every morning and go about their daily lives but little do they know that they are sharing the planet with the new coming of musical genius in Spencer Krug and Wolf Parade. How is it that such genius is overlooked in popular culture while bands like Vampire Weekend grace the stage of Saturday Night Live and are widely acclaimed as the "next big thing"? I digress...

To be perfectly honest I was excited about the arrival of the new Wolf Parade album but was not floored as I am still reveling in the shear perfection that Spencer Krug last bestowed upon us in Sunset Rubdown's Random Spirit Lover. I thought about leaving any comparisons between Sunset Rubdown and Wolf Parade out of this post but when Random Spirit Lover and At Mount Zoomer are shaping up to be my favorite albums of this decade I think I should speak of both in the same breath.

At Mount Zoomer begins strong with a "Soldier's Grin" which has to be one of Dan Boeckner's strongest songs to date. Boeckner does not rest on his laurels with "Soldier's Grin" as "Language City" and "Grey Estates" are both top notch songs that have me holding Boeckner in higher regard than ever. I would even venture to say that Boeckner outshines Krug on this album and if you have ever read my blog you know that is a blasphemous statement.

Spencer Krug is no slouch and is not going to be outdone by any means. "Call It A Ritual" carries a stuttered pace of pure power and precision and I think will be the song that stands up best in time. "California Dreamer" has to be heard to be believed and when Wolf Parade comes to Dallas I know my mouth will be on the floor when I see the group perform this one live. "Bang Your Drum" is also a great song but a surprise as it seems more at home on a Sunset Rubdown album. I think this song is a great example in highlighting what Boeckner brings to Wolf Parade versus what Krug's bandmates do in Sunset Rubdown. Boeckner seems to bring out a more joyful and playful side of Krug as Sunset Rubdown plays on Krug's whimsical and fantastical imagery. The album closer "Kissing the Beehive" is not interested at all in slowing down the momentum as it takes what Boeckner and Krug have already thrown at you and decides to kick it up notch to make sure you are paying attention. Perhaps my favorite lyrics of the album show up here when Krug proclaims, "I wish I could believe in who you are. You hold your cup in the air and you call it a guitar. You put your face on the glass and you call it good cinema, oh. As if you didn't know that it would sting." As a master of imagery and passion Krug is making sure that when the album ends you are yearning for more.

At Mount Zoomer is a fantastic album and will likely top my Top 10 albums of 2008, but I want to qualify this album in that I don't think it has Wolf Parade's best song to date. I agree with Wayne over at Ocean's Never Listen when he states of At Mount Zoomer, "While there is probably no song as perfect as "I'll Believe in Anything", there are plenty of perfect moments." Apologies to the Queen Mary is full of magic and splendor but Boeckner and Krug are growing as artists and erasing doubts of any sophomore slumps as this follow up is stronger on the whole. Let me further qualify At Mount Zoomer in that I think Random Spirit Lover is a superior album. I really think that Boeckner has truly come into his own and Krug's offerings are solid as well, but the artistry of Random Spirit Lover is a feat that still boggles my mind.

Genius walks among us and yet little know of Spencer Krug and Dan Boeckner. What these guys are doing with their music is awe inspiring in the least. I began this blog for the purpose of spreading good music to people who would listen and while my passion wanes at times it is albums like At Mount Zoomer that remind me why I do this. Let's all appreciate what Boeckner and Krug have accomplished in their short careers as this is not just music but is truly art.

The Photographic - Pictures of A Changing World

I have decided I am going to stop posting scores for albums and just post quick blurbs about the one's I am listening to and enjoying. I feel that an album needs several months before the true value of its work can be measured. That being said here is a new and lesser known offering from The Photographic which is a two-piece instrumental duo hailing from Louisville, Kentucky.

The Photographic's Pictures of A Changing World is an offering of entirely instrumental music in the vein of Explosions in the Sky (EITS). The two band's are fairly similar in that they use their guitars to create simple melodies that drive the songs and build a sense of tension usually followed by moments of epic beauty. If one listens closely they can also hear shades of Thurston Moore and Sonic Youth's guitar attack and styling in their heyday. The Photographic and EITS carry similarities but both can be enjoyed in there own right. Give these songs a try and I definitely encourage listening to this album as a I find it even more ridiculous to use words to describe music that is entirely instrumental.

The Photographic - "Glass Saviour"
The Photographic - "Inception"
The Photographic - "Secure"

Jimi Hendrix's Isle of Wright Statue Defaced by Guitar Hero's Activision

I am big fan of Jimi Hendrix and I like Guitar Hero, but Activision is taking it a little too far by placing stickers on the Jimi Hendrix statue at the Isle of Wright to make it look like Jimi is holding a Guitar Hero controller. Shame on you Activision and shame on me for even bringing attention to this sacrilege as that is the only thing Activision wants. The article can be found here:

"To celebrate the fact that there will be two Guitar Hero performances on the main stage at this year’s Isle of Wight Festival, Activision has re-branded the bronze statue of Hendrix that sits in the grounds of the island’s Dimbola Lodge, turning Jimi’s guitar into the aforementioned video game peripheral."

I Love Sports Tirades...

I love it when sports managers go off the handle on reporters and their stupid questions. Don't take this the wrong way as I think there is usually alot of stupidity blurted from both ends of the microphone. Here is a pretty funny clip from the "Mike and Mike Show" where they talk about such sports tirades and the most recent one from Seattle Mariners' manager John McLean.