Moroni's Review of Alex Clare's "The Lateness of the Hour"

When I first saw Alex Clare's photograph, my immediate thought was - the coolest ginger from the UK to croon soul music since Simply Red.  My teenage kids have a different interpretation of him, but it's pretty spot-on.  "Dubstep Tracy Chapman."

First of all, you should know that he is mostly straight forward jazz and soul, as is evidenced in his songs like "Hummingbird", but he also has a penchant for drum and bass, as well as dubstep.  It makes for an interesting combination.

Before getting this CD  - his debut "The Lateness of the Hour" - for Christmas, I only knew him for his single "Too Close", which is a really great song.  However, I didn't know the artist or the title.  I only knew it as that dubstep song from the Windows 8 commercial.  I was pleased when my eldest daughter left me a copy of the CD in my stocking.  Dad is always pleased with new music.

The album starts out great with a grinding grunge and reggae song called "Up All Night".  It kind of reminds me of Skindred.  But the song is kind of deceiving, because it is unlike any other song on the album.  The next song, "Treading Water", is more indicative of the rest of the album.  It starts out with his soulful crooning.  (Yeah, Simply Red was a good comparison.) Then the song is driven by an infectious drum & bass beat.  The next song is my favorite.  It is called "Relax My Beloved", and this song is indicative of why Alex Clare is different from other electronic artists.  The song is a pretty melody with a music box and chamber orchestra, but lashed forward by a heavy dubstep wobble bass. It is brilliant.  In fact many of the songs, like "Hands Are Clever", use dubstep as punctuation.

There are a few songs that are reminiscent of Fleet Foxes.  All in all, this is a pretty good album.  But is one that may have to grow on me.  And it is hard to say if it will.  Only time and several more listens will be able to tell me that.  But for now, I can say that this guy is an artist, and he is talented.  And you got to respect that.

Moroni's Review of Juan Magan's "The King of Dance"

Latin music is in my blood.  I couldn't get rid of it if I tried.  Growing up in central Arizona helped with that.  I didn't realize how deeply embedded it was in me until I moved to white bread Utah to go to college.  I definitely felt the absence of the latin culture that I had grown up around, had always been with me.  I can't help it.  I feel that rhythm when I hear it.  It's genetic.  I live in an area that has no Spanish-speaking radio stations, but, when I go down to Phoenix, as soon as I can pick up a radio station en español, the dial stops and stays there until I am on my way home, the signal turning into static.

I have been listening to Juan Magan singles all year.  In fact, this Spanish deejay has been pumping out singles for years and has never turned out an full studio album until now - "The King of Dance".  Listening to this album, there is not a single song that does not sink it's Spanish hooks into my blood, and I start moving involuntarily.  In fact, as I write this review, I am listening to the album right now, and I am literally bouncing as I type.  And that is the purpose of latin music - to get you moving.  Juan Magan does his job.

That said, like all latin music, every song kind of sounds the same.  Juan Magan has coined the phrase "electro latino", and that title kind of fits.  This album is clever melange of electro, house music, reggaeton, mambo, cumbia, some Dirty Dutch, and hip hop.  And even with all of those elements, it still all sounds the same.

And that is still not a bad thing.  Every song will have you dancing.  I guarantee it.

My only other complaint - Hey vato, lose the Auto-Tune.  It is fine once in a while, but not all the time, on every song!

Just about every song features a guest musician - Luis Lopez, Pitbull, Don Omar, Crossfire, El Cata, etc.  This album is a Latin All-Star effort.  The Don Omar song cracks me up, because the song is practically a re-write of Don Omar's hit "Danza Kuduro".  Oh wait, Don Omar's hit was just a remake of French-Portuguese artist Lucenzo's hit of the same name!  And now Omar owns the song!

The best songs are the opening track "Se Vuelve Loca"", the cumbia "Te Soñé", and the Pitbull song "Bailando Por El Mundo".  The last track "Bailando Por Ahi" is my favorite.  I wish that they had included the Spanglish version of that song with Crossfire.  That one is my preferred mix, but it is not found on this record.

This album will move you, but purely on the physical sense.  If you are looking for an album that will change your life or move the world, this is not it.  But it fun for a good 45 minutes.  And more fun to hit repeat.

Moroni's Review of deadmau5's "album title goes here"

The summer of 2011 was the summer of electronic music for me.  I was discovering and spinning all kinds of music.  deadmau5 is one of the artists that I played with heavy rotation.

Sure, deadmau5 can pump out club hits like "Ghosts n Stuff" or "Raise Your Weapon".  (The Grammy performance of the latter song this year stole the show, in my opinion.)  But the first time I listened to "Cthulhu Sleeps" off of his "4x4=12" album, I realized that deadmau5 is more than just a deejay, more than just a guy in a funny mouse hat.  He is a composer.  And by rights, he should be right up there with Mozart or Bach.  The undulating walls of sound that he creates are awe-inspiring.  (I hear that his live shows are pretty good, too.)  He is everything that Moby tried to be, but ultimately wasn't.

I recently downloaded his latest album, ">album title goes here<".  The album starts off with the pounding grind of "Superliminal".  On this track, deadmau5 does what he does best.  He takes two rhythms that aren't quite in sync and makes them revolve around each other, slightly discordant, and yet complimenting each other.  Another example of this trippy beat  manipulation/ Doppler effect is "Take care of the proper paperwork".  This is straight up acid house.

deadmau5 has made it clear that he dislikes dubstep as a genre - and with reason.  He transcends the genre.  He has been around for a while, something unusual in the electronica world.  In other words, he has been spinning long before the likes of Skrillex.  And yet he uses elements of dubstep, like the wobble bass.  But he uses them like tools to craft it into something of superb musicianship.

The next track is "Channel 42", done with Wolfgang Garter.  It is by far my favorite track on the album.  This is deadmau5 in his true form, and it certainly makes you want to get up and dance.  The next song is "The Veldt", and it sounds like Owl City.  I am not a huge Owl City fan.  My favorite songs are "Fn Pig", "There might be coffee", and "October".

I am somewhat disappointed with the collaborations.  "Professional Griefers" is okay, but just that.  The vocals are provided by Gerard Way from My Chemical Romance.  I had higher expectations for this song, especially since I am such a huge MCR fan.  I am also really into Imogen Heap, but I was fairly disappointed by "Telemiscommunications".  And "Failbait" with Cypress Hill - I had a hard time jus tgetting past the profanity.

But all in all, this is a great album, and another example of why I truly consider myself a Mau5head.

Moroni's Review of Django Django

My ten year-old daughter Sara browsed through my music, looking for stuff to put on the mp3 player she got for Christmas, she came across Django Django.  She wrinkled her nose.  "Sounds like old people music," she declared.

In a way, she is right.  Django Django does sound like something psychedelic out of the Sixties, but they only have one album, the self-titled album I am reviewing.  My wife Martha heard them, and she thinks they sound like REM.  I disagree.  But then again, REM took a page from the Sixties as well.  They kind of remind me of their Scottish compatriots, Sons & Daughters (who broke up recently), but Sons & Daughters also are influenced by music from the Sixties.

The album starts out with a catchy intro called "Hail Bopp".  This band has two amazing things going for them - great guitar jangle and layered harmonies.  The voices may remind me a bit of the Beach Boys, but more like Meat Puppets (who also were stuck in the Sixties).  This is evident on such rocking songs as "Default", "Firewater", "WOR", and my favorite, "Life's a Beach.".  There are also a couple of nice, mellow tunes - "Hand of Man" and "Love's Dart".

In addition to guitar, this band also has a penchant for electronica.  These songs I don't like so much.  From the dubstep "Waveforms" to the pseudo Middle Eastern "Skies Over Cairo".  My least favorite song is "Zumm Zumm".  I didn't like the Casio keyboard sound in the '80s.  Why would I like it now?  It sounds like a bad rendition of Mario Bros.

Other than that, this album rocks.  It will definitely being seeing some heavy rotation on my phone.  So if you want some new music that sounds like old music, this album is for you.

Moroni's Review of Ellie Goulding's "Halcyon"

A few weeks ago, I posted a YouTube video of one of Ellie Goulding's videos, and I said something like, "How are there even Katy Perrys in the world when there are artists like Ellie Goulding?"  Or some post-modernist gibberish like that.  I got scolded by a few people on my list, and I wound up having to qualify with something like, "It is refreshing to find an artist who is more concerned about artistic integrity than marketing themselves, or producing meaningful music rather than an image."  That seemed to placate people.  Ironically, Ellie Goulding herself lists Katy Perry as one of her influences.

In the beginning of the summer of 2011, I was spinning music for the crowds on the fair circuit.  I had just discovered Skrillex, and Skrillex was the proverbial bomb.  Dubstep was relatively new to American audiences.  At a fair in Orem, Utah, a blond college girl complimented me on my music selection and jotted down on a post-it a musical suggestion.  It was the Bassnectar mix of Ellie Goulding's "Lights".  I went home and downloaded it that night.  It was amazing - a tidal wash of noise.  I added it to my repertoire the very next night.  A few days later, I downloaded the Jakwob remix of "Starry Eyed" to my mix.

Now jump to the end of 2012, and Ellie Goulding's "Lights" is BARELY breaking the waves of American radio.  I take such pleasure in saying things like this.  I was spinning that song a year and a half ago.  (I still think the Bassnectar mix is the best version of this song.)

So recently I downloaded Ellie Goulding's sophomore effort, "Halcyon".  I played it for my wife Martha, and the first thing she said, "This sounds like Tori Amos."  Maybe.  Maybe it's the soprano and the piano.  To me, it is more reminiscent of Imogen Heap, or '90s Norwegian band, Bel Canto.  (Anyone remember them?)  But mostly, she reminds me of Kate Bush.  The music is just as richly-layered and textured, just as dreamy as Kate Bush's music.

In fact, I don't see how Katy Perry could even aspire to be in the same league as Ellie Goulding, The musical arrangements are progressive and complex, all interwoven with  Goudling's breathy voice, darting in and out like a resplendent bird through the haunting chords.

The album starts out with the moving "Don't Say A Word".  It is songs like "My Blood", "Hanging On",  and "Dead In The Water" where she evokes Kate Bush.  Goulding was featured on a couple of songs on the new Skrillex album, so she is already a darling to the electronica community.  She pays homage to this on songs like "Only You", and my personal favorite, "I Need Your Love" with electro guru, Calvin Harris.

My only complaint is that the last track on the album is "Lights", even though this song was on her debut album.  For the benefit of newcomers, I suppose.

But - like Kate Bush, and unlike Katy Perry - this whole album transcends genres.  It is an album that I can listen to over and over again.  I definitely recommend this record to anyone who wants to break free from the garbage on the radio today.

Moroni's Review of Taylor Swift's "Red"

Okay, I am admittedly not a Taylor Swift fan.  The only reason I am doing this review is that my ex-wife got the album, and I figured that I would review it to be "diverse".  I put it off, and my friend Nikki asked me when I was going to do my review.  I said, "I am waiting for her to break up with her new boyfriend."

Yeah, I've made plenty of Taylor Swift jokes in the past.  For instance, my kids and I will sing loudly to the radio in the car, "WE are never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever getting back together!"  And then we throw in a few more "evers" for good measure.  I have made a few posts about her voice sounding like the bleating of sheep.

But honestly, all my sarcasm aside, she writes her own music, which is more than I can say of the Rihannas and One Directions of the world.  It may not be my kind of music, but you gotta respect art, no matter what form it comes in.  So what if every song is about a boyfriend that ditched you?  Beauty comes from pain, right?

My review process is that I will put the headphones on and listen to music while I do other writing projects.  I will listen to the album over and over while I work - sometimes just on the periphery of my consciousness, until something grabs my attention.  Then I stop writing and I listen.

Admittedly, I already had some preconceived notions about this record when I started listening to it.  I was plotting the bad review, and, after the first listen, I was patting myself on the back for being right. The record was boring.  It didn't grab me.

Second listen, what the crap!  This is actually kind of catchy.  By the third listen, I had to admit to my ex-wife that I kind of like this album.  I am never going to be a Taylor Swift fan.  I am not rushing out to buy her back catalog.  But I can kind of tap my finger to this album.

I did notice something odd.  All of the songs that she co-wrote with others, with a team of writers, are the songs I like.  The songs she wrote by herself don't stand out to me.  It makes me wonder if the real genius behind her music are the writers in the background.  I wonder of she "writes" her music the way Avril Lavigne "writes" her own music.  "22", "I Knew You Were Trouble", and the ubiquitous song they overplay on the radio.  My favorite song is a duet with Gordon Lightbody from Snow Patrol called "The Last Time".

But my absolute favorite song is a little bluegrass ditty called "Stay Stay Stay", which really reminds me of one of my all-time favorite bands, Nickel Creek.  And guess what - she wrote it all by herself!  It is the only song on here that sounds remotely country.  In fact, this album has a decidedly "not country" feel to it, and more like a pop album.

Believe it or not, I do like country music, and I have disliked how country music sounds less and less like country music anymore.  I have made an observation - rock ballads, country songs, and R&B hits - all of them today sound like they were written without any genre in mind, a blank slate, so to speak.  The song is written first, and then a genre is slapped on once it is sold to the highest bidder.  That is how music sounds anymore nowadays - as processed and "natural" as a Twinkie (R.I.P.)

My oldest daughter has said that she is "obsessed" with this album.  It will never be that way for me.  But I admit.  It is catchy.  It tastes pretty good.  Like a McRib sandwich.  It fills you up, but ultimately there is no nutritional value there.

So I might be tapping my finger today.  But tomorrow, I will have forgotten this album and be back to jamming to the Pixies.

Moroni's Review of A Fine Frenzy's "Pine"

This album was also one that was referred to me by my dear friend Nikki.  (She is going to start her own music blog.  Once she does, I will post a link.)  She emailed me YouTube link after link of A Fine Frenzy's music.  Pretty much right away, I was hooked.

A Fine Frenzy is the project of the young (and beautiful) Alison Sudol.  This is actually her third album - entitled "Pine", but it is the first (and only) one that I have experienced.

Since I am writing this as I have insomnia, I have an overwhelming desire to write a two word review. Spinal Tap once got a two word review.  ("Shit sandwich")  My two word review is as follows:  "Hippie Music".

But that really is a good thing.  For some reason, this music reminds me of some of the great music to come out of the early '70s.  This is music that - like the album title suggests - makes me thing of pines trees, of golden afternoon sunlight on a grassy meadow.  This album truly caters to all of the senses, if that is possible.

She relies on very few instruments - the piano flows like a rivulet through the whole album, a cello hear and there.  "Dream in the Dark" relies on what sounds like only a mandolin to me.  "Riversong" and "Dance of the Gray Whales" rely only on piano.  There are a couple of pop gems in "Sailingsong", "Now Is the Start", and "It's Alive".

But the thing that I love about the album is that - even though she uses very few instruments - she layers them very magically.  The sound is very textured.  This is evident on songs like "Pinesong", "Winds of Wander", "Avalanches (Culla's Song)", and "Sadseasong".  My absolute favorite song is "They Can't If You Don't Let Them".  It is worth getting the album for that song alone.

Even though this is a very soft, languid album, it is anything but boring.  It is one of those albums that I can listen to over and over.  It is great mood music.

Of course, there are the inevitable comparisons to Bon Iver or Iron & Wine.  Even to Tori Amos, Regina Spektor, or Fiona Apple (see my previous post.)  But her voice - her tremulous, breathy voice - reminds me of Heather Nova, along with her frequent use of the cello.  And Heather Nova is one of my favorite artists.  But I also wish to draw a comparison also to This Mortal Coil, one of my favorite bands from the '80s.  And this because of the way the texture of the music evokes images and a dreamlike feel.

So in other words, A Fine Frenzy is everything the name suggests.

Moroni's Review of Of Monsters And Men's "My Head Is An Animal"

I actually meant to write this review some time ago.  But I actually forgot that I had downloaded it!  I never even got a chance to listen to it.  Early in the summer, my ex-wife had downloaded the single "Little Talks" by the band Of Monsters And Men, and I really liked it.  So I decided to get the entire album, and my computer filed it in a way that I forgot that I downloaded their debut album, "My Head Is An Animal"...  Until just a few days ago...

When I researched a bit about this band, I discovered that they are from Iceland!  I was surprised.  My previous experience with music from Iceland has been limited to the Sugarcubes, Bjork, and Sigur Ros.  I have to say that each of these bands has impressed me, especially with the way they developed without much regard to the mainstream.  I can say the same thing about Of Monsters And Men.  They are unique.

They are more than just unique.  This band radiates an innocence in their music.  They have been untainted by fame and success.  It shows in their music.  It is unpretentious and honest.  It reminds me of the innocence once possessed by 10,000 Maniacs - particularly on their first album "The Wishing Chair", and even more evident on "The Hope Chest".  They have a glow unlike bands like Innocence Mission.  These bands were making music that they wanted to make, not based on trends or based on what the record companies wanted them  produce.

I mean, this band features an accordion and a trumpet.  What more could you ask for?

This type of innocence doesn't last in the music industry.  I hope it endures with Of Monsters and Men.

I listened to this album with my wife Martha, and the first thing she remarked on was the unusual voice and singing style of... how do I spell this?...  Nanna Bryndis Hilmarsdottir.  She often sings in duet with the guitarist Raggi Porhallsson.  Their voices compliment each other very well, especially because their Icelandic accents shine through their English lyrics.  This is true on several pretty, little ballads on the album - "Slow and Steady", "Your Bones", and "Sloom".  "Six Weeks" is an anthem that sounds as grandiose as anything Arcade Fire has done.  The album starts out great with a haunting melody - "Dirty Paws".  My personal favorites are "King and Lionheart" and "Mountain Sound".

This is a very enjoyable album, and I definitely recommend it, especially if you are sick of the electronic glitz that abounds on the radio these days.  Enjoy some innocence.