March 31, 2009

Logan Lynn Provides some Electronic Emo that’s just Dandy!

Filed under: death cab for cutie,Dntel,Electronic,emo,Lali puna,logan lynn,odditorium,pillar to post,Postal Service,the dandy warhols,The Notwist — AZLTRON @ 8:54 am


Logan Lynn is an artist out of that aural metropolis we call Portland, Oregon that has recently been signed to the Dandy Warhol’s “Beat the World” label. His new album “From Pillar to Post” is an emotional journey through sprawling soundscapes of sparkling pop melodies and jagged glitchy beats. As the press release on his page says; “He Puts the “Disco” back in “Discomfort”.

Even though Mr. Lynn’s music is just now coming to my attention, he has been at it a while. He has released 2 albums since 2000. The first was entitled “Glee” and was a combination of optimistic beats and electronics with heart wrenching lyrics and themes. His self-titled sophomore effort was released in 2006. Following a collaboration with Carlos Cortes of the Portland DJ collective ‘Assemble’ on the track “Feed Me to the Wolves”, the two decided to work on a full album together. This album is the aforementioned “From Pillar to Post”.

The lead single “Burning Your Glory” plods along with ethereal guitar melodies accented by synth tones that drop like pins in a silent room. Each crystalline tone has the potential to send a chill down your spine. Other tracks like the excellent “Feed Me to the Wolves” pick up the pace, but don’t expect all out dancefloor funkiness, but rather mood pieces that whirl by like streetlights on a long drive home.

There hasn’t been a release with this level of “bloody heart on sleeve” emotion tied to an electronica project since The Postal Service’s “Give Up” in 2003. Others have matched The Postal Services musicality over the years, but Logan Lynn’s lyrics and delivery drip with digitized drama and pathos.

AZLTRON MUSIC BLOG

February 12, 2009

Sportsday Megaphone’s New Video & Single "Meet Me in The Middle!"

Filed under: Daft Punk,Frankmusik,Heads We Dance,Justice,Lali puna,Plastic Operator,Postal Service,Sportsday Megaphone — AZLTRON @ 6:57 am

Hugh Frost of Sportsday Megaphone has been busy! Not only does he have a fantastic new video that starts off all cutesy that warps into something that might make all you bunny lovers a little queasy, he has a whole new album called “So Many Colours, So Little Time” which is chock full of electro/synth-pop goodness. If that weren’t enough there’s also a cornucopia of remixes and one excellent cover available below.

AZLTRON MUSIC BLOG

February 9, 2009

Free! Throcke’s "Sometimes Not Unpointful"

Filed under: James Figurine,Lali puna,Plastic Operator,Postal Service,the berg sans nipple — AZLTRON @ 5:00 am

Chris Carson is a musician from Brooklyn who goes by the name of Throcke. His music is a collection of strange electronic sounds and fuzzed out vocals. For a limited time you can download his album “Sometimes Not Unpointful” for free at his official site. The album is something like a lo-fi combo of James Figurine and The Berg Sans Nipple. Act now before it’s too late!

AZLTRON MUSIC BLOG

January 12, 2009

Review: Division Kent’s Gravity is a Heavy Trip

Filed under: 2008,2009 mix,80's,Blonde Redhead,Blondie,catchy electro,dance party,Feist,goth,ladyhawke,Lali puna,Lykke Li,retro,VHS or Beta — AZLTRON @ 5:00 am

Division Kent is a two piece from Zurich, Switzerland that plays swirling, dark new wave rock composed of two members; vocalist Andrea B. and instrumentalist Sky Antinori. Their music is at times dark and heavy, calling to mind the work of psychedelic indie band Midnight Movies due to the ominous melodies and sultry voice of Andrea B. While this is the primary musical mode the band is set in there are some fun surprises along the way.

Right off the bat the band set a mood with the atmospheric “No Kryptonite” that calls to mind Blonde Redhead. “Pat the PanAm Pilot”, starts off with some quirky keyboards and a skeptical narrative of the life of a successful pilot. From there the energetic “She’s Going Places” takes flight with guitar work and a beat that sounds like a fusing of Lali Puna and the Cure. “The Big Hush” is another experiment in combining a heavy atmosphere with haunting vocals. The track “In The Headlights” separates itself from the rest of the album using ultra bendy bass and a Casio beat that gives way to the most memorable chorus on the album. I could see this track being used in a dramatic scene of a movie. For all I know it might be already.

Once the album gets through most of it’s down tempo song, the arrangements, clicks, beats and synths really shine. “L’huere Blue” erupts with a dark 80′s pop sensibility and cascades of melodies and bells. Perfect for your retro goth prom. If “L’huere Blue” is an entrance song to said retro goth prom, then “Rooftop Rallye” is the party starter. Waves of aggressive bass pulse as Andrea B. purrs her way through the song. The next track is the most fun off of the album, entitled “Offshore”, featuring the most upbeat vocals and guitars that call to mind VHS or Beta in their heyday. The album winds down with the slinky duet “Salty” and comes to a close with the hauntingly programmed number “The Year of Magical Thinking”.

All the attention to detail makes Division Kent worth listening to. There are a couple spots on here where their formula, no matter how well done, feels worn out, dark electronica rock with deep sensual female vocals, we get it. It’s when Division Kent change up their style a little bit that they really shine, on tracks like “L’Heure Blue” and “Offshore” where their sound moves past brooding girl territory and into kicking electro rock pathos. Whether you’re looking for music to sulk dramatically to or music to get the party started, Division Kent has what you need.

AZLTRON MUSIC BLOG

May 17, 2008

The Notwist, The Devil, You and Me.

Filed under: Console,Lali puna,Ms. John Soda,Postal Service,The Notwist — AZLTRON @ 6:44 pm

My appreciation for the Notwist stems out of my quest during my freshman year of college to find as many artists that were comparable to the Postal Service as possible. You might say that that quest continues to this day. Anyway, along the course of this quest I found such artists as Styrofoam, Lali Puna, Ms. John Soda, Console, and of course the Notwist. I remember being compelled to purchase their album “Neon Golden” along with a copy of The Faint’s “Wet From Birth” when I found it in a Rochester record store. Their sound fascinated me, because it’s not outright folk/rock songwriting, and not outright experimental electronica. It’s some strange combination that is at once all and none of those things, engineered to be profoundly moving. I still can’t listen to “Neon Golden” without reliving all of those freshman year emotions.

For me, it doesn’t seem like that long since the Notwist released an album because I discovered them in 2004, and their co-album with Themselves under the name “13 + God” was released in 2005. Also the same time I’m reviewing their new album “The Devil, You + Me” I am also listening to their earlier records “12” and “Shrink” which are also excellent. You wouldn’t think it, but The Notwist were forged in the fires of metal and grunge in the late 80’s. Their early work is especially interesting for singer Marcus Acher’s gentle croons bumping against waves of guitar rock riffery.

The new album “The Devil, You + Me” at times hearkens back to that guitar driven sound, like on album opener “Good Lies” and “Alphabet”, but the distinct electro-symphonic style of Neon Golden is more prevalent here, and expanded upon. It’s hard to pick favorites at this point, but the tracks that are really speaking to me are “Boneless” and “Gone Gone Gone”. Overall, this is the experimental German band’s most fluid release to date, there are some glitchy adventures to be had here, but the best the album has to offer are the smooth melodic numbers enhanced by acoustic guitar and violin and of course Marcus Acher’s gentle voice imbibing us with pensive optimism. With each release the band gains more depth and produces new and interesting sounds, I’ve only listened to the new album a few times, but I think it’s their most satisfying and fluid release to date.

The Notwist – Boneless

The Notwist – One With The Freaks (Neon Golden)

The Notwist – My Faults (12)

AZLTRON MUSIC BLOG

June 7, 2007

An Easy Sell

Filed under: Burnside Project,Lali puna,Ms. John Soda,New Order,Stereolab,Styrofoam — AZLTRON @ 11:55 pm

Back at the end of High School and the beginning of college I became fascinated with the sounds of the Postal Service and I was looking all over for acts similar to them. I found out about all kinds of indie/electronica bands like Lali Puna, Ms. John Soda, Styrofoam, Stereolab, and the Go Find, but out of all of them the Burnside Project forged a special place in my heart. I think it’s because when I heard them they were relatively unknown and their raw juxtaposition of indie style guitars and electronics evoked a very New Order kind of feel. Their minimalist guitars and poppy electro alongside almost spoken word vocals was very endearing. I liked to think of them as my secret band for a while, but it seems now that the secret is out.

The Burnside Project released a follow up to their 2003 debut “The Networks, The Streams, The Harmonies” in 2005 with the only slightly shorter titled, “The Finest Example is You”. The sound on the new album was more natural, with the songs being based around vocal melodies more, the guitar fleshed out, and even at times live drums. In short, the songs sounded more like pop songs with electronic influences, rather than electronic songs with pop influences. Richard Jankovich’s voice sounds like a more breathy Ben Gibbard and it took me some time to get used to it, and sometimes his lyrics come off a bit awkward over the lush soundscapes, but he contributes some wonderful harmonies on the addictive breezy “Get Better Soon” (3) and the building “Another Way” (6). The guitars and keyboards have progressed as well, working together almost seamlessly to create a smooth upbeat atmosphere. The guitars in particular have been beefed up, no longer the occasional melodic plunk here and there, there are full on riffs at times and even something of a guitar solo on “Just Drop Off” (5). All this progression doesn’t mean that they’ve ditched the kinetic dance music that got them noticed, there are dance tracks aplenty from the opening salvo of “Signs of Perfection” (1) and “And So It Goes” (2) to the four on the floor stomp of “One to One” to the arguable high point of the album “Start Again” (10). I’m surprised that the smooth energy of the album didn’t garner attention for car commercials, but then again, we can look at that as a good thing because we can keep them secret for a little while longer.

At least until their new album later this year.

Burnside Project Myspace (New Song “Synchronized Spinning”)

MP3 – Burnside Project – Signs of Perfection

MP3 – Burnside Project – Get Better Soon

Video for “And So It Goes”:



P.S. Here they are performing a Funky New Jam (Youtube)

AZLTRON MUSIC BLOG

April 11, 2007

Dumb Luck is Just Plain Good

Filed under: Conor Oberst,Dntel,Jenny Lewis,Lali puna,Postal Service — AZLTRON @ 4:35 pm

Jimmy Tamborello’s second album under the Dntel banner, “Dumb Luck”, moves along a little more than “Life Is Full of Possibilities” and borrows elements from all the projects that he’s worked on since his debut. You’ll hear elements that sound like the Postal Service and you’ll hear elements that sound like his James Figurine project. Like “Dumb Luck” (1) that he wrote and played himself. He also borrows some friends old and new to contribute vocals on most of the tracks like Jenny Lewis, Conor Oberst, Lali Puna, Grizzly Bear, and various others. The strongest tracks on the album are the songs where the electronic elements bend to fit in with the mood of the song. I never thought I’d hear a keyboard sigh, or perfectly describe a hung over Sunday, but it happens on “Breakfast in Bed” (8) featuring Conor Oberst. Another similar track is the country tinged Jenny Lewis contribution “Roll On” (4) where the electronics work shockingly well within the country song structure. The track most similar to a Postal Service song is “To a Fault” (2) featuring Grizzly Beat which makes use of those familiar soundscapes, blips, beeps, and drum samples to be at once both calming and exhilarating. If the quality of Jimmy Tamborello’s music keeps improving the way it is now, when the new Postal Service album is released, I believe we will be in for quite a treat.

Buy “Dumb Luck”

Dntel Myspace

MP3 – Dumb Luck – Dntel

MP3 – To a fault (Ft. Grizzly Bear) – Dntel

AZLTRON MUSIC BLOG

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