This album is definitely in the Vaudville Villain trope of grit and darkness. Little to none of the lighthearted attitude of many of the other albums pops up. Maybe that's the effect of taking a couple of years off.
The rhymes are incredibly dense, as usual, but upon the first few listens, a few nice lyrics pop. I expect this one to reward multiple close listens, as most other DOOM albums.
Raekwon sounds kind of quiet on his verse... like he was worried about being too loud or something.
I don't know if I like the tracks that were leaked earlier best because of the familiarity factor or if it's because they're the best.
Goes by "Villain" for the most part now instead of DOOM.
This album came out at the very tail end of the underground emo phenomenon in January 2002 and exhibited almost all of the qualities of the transitional emo-indie album. The very first thing you'd notice once you got your hands on the CD is that it was packaged in a paper case, immediately recalling the packaging of other completely legit albums like Something to Write Home About or Four Cornered Night. Once you opened it, you knew that the Anniversary had higher aspirations than your local bands who would never release a CD in anything other than a broken jewel case or maybe those flimsy paper/plastic envelopes that really fledgling bands give out. It was also on Vagrant, which still kind of meant something at the time.
The music also belied a deep desire to be an indie rock band. The prior Anniversary album, Designing a Nervous Breakdown was a confection-laden treat with synthesizer bursting from every crevice in the synth-emo style of Ozma or the Rentals (but less straight-up rock than Ozma and less Weezer-cred than the Rentals). Your Majesty eliminated the exploitatively catchy and blip-bloop-y synths for "majestic" organ tones and the tempo of ballads or dirges. Along with these changes, the lyrics also moved up in class. The Anniversary wanted a more literary tone than your average emo band, but ended up with generic poetry-ish lyrics that never really resonated with me, though I did think that the song Devil on Your Side was kinda badass... yeaaa.
I once saw the Anniversary open for Get Up Kids and then once headlining. The differences between those shows parallel the differences between the albums. The first time they were a goofy, hook-y emo band with a really cute keyboard player. The next time I saw them, the lead singer was wearing a fighter jet pilot's helmet like he was Maverick or something. That about sums it up to me.
Of course, in retrospect, The Anniversary is just one of several emo bands from Kansas to have more than a passing dalliance with indie. It could contribute this to Saddle Creek's Nebraskan influence, and on some level I kind of believe it to be true even though I have absolutely no basis for doing so. A hybrid band like the Anniversary is required to show restraint and taste to build up credibility as an indie band, but lack of restraint is pretty much the foundation of all emo. Yet, I still really enjoy the Anniversary even though I never became an enthusiastic fan at the time. Yet, their songs are still solid at their base and definitely worth listening to anytime I want to think back to early 2002.
Here's his assessment of Enema of the State by Blink-182, an album that I appreciate more all of the time, and mostly on Robert Christgau's terms:
"Ignore the porn-movie cover except insofar as it conveys terror. These guys are so frightened of females that they turn down sure sex from one hussy on grounds of name-dropping and reject another for being too quick with the zipper. There's no macho camouflage--girlophobia is their great subject. And boy, have they worked up some terrific defenses. If preemptive jealousy doesn't do the trick, there's always suicide, or abduction by aliens. Yet note it well--because they're out front about their little problem, "Going Away to College" is the love song the Descendents put Green Day on earth to inspire."
Whenever I start thinking about the Beatles, I'm wary to mention them because of their myrad connotations. Beatles fans are too mainstream to be serious music fans (everyone knows that the Rolling Stones were the only band to release music before the Velvets - maybe the Beach Boys or James Brown if you're an effete traditionalist or a historian). That said, Abbey Road is a brilliant end to a career. I think that the impact of the Beatles' early end is underestimated. The ending medely is blissful; very few bands have survived 20+ years with their credibility intact. (apart from the invincible Stones.) And don't forget Lennon's amazing post-Beatles career.
The Black Mages; The Black Mages III: Darkness and Starlight
The obvious flaw of any Black Mages album is that unless you're a Final Fantasy fanatic, you are not going to be familiar with all of the songs. Yet, those that you are familiar with are going to be mind-blowingly awesome. This rule holds for the third album, but unfortunately for me, I am familiar with fewer songs than ever. This album continues the band's oddly disproportionate fixation on Final Fantasy VIII and IX, and even includes a song from XI. That said, the title track is impressive, though less viscerally appealing than other formerly progged-out opuses, such as J-E-N-O-V-A, Zeromus, One-Winged Angel, and, of course, Dancing Mad. From a musical standpoint, they have only marginally advanced, but how much can you really ask for from a band like this? For objective purposes, the best tracks are Grand Cross and KURAYAMINOKUMO.
M83; Saturdays = Youth
The consensus appraisal of this album, simply put, is completely wrong. M83 is not the new Thompson Twins. M83 is the same M83, except with aspirations to make nice, concise pop songs. Even taken out of context, the album hearkens much more to a more ethereal version of the Killers. Definitely much closer to of Quick Step & Side Kicks. Those meta-criticisms aside, this album is simply okay. There are a couple of good tracks, but the ostentatiously airy layers of synth that constituted old M83 return on this album in the less focused songs. The tragic consequence is that any momentum built up by good songs is immediately diluted by multiple, repetitive 8+ minute long instrumental interludes. Yea, guys, we know you really only wanted to make an EP, but please try harder next time.
Cut Copy; In Ghost Colours
I didn't like the first time I heard these guys on my local rock radio station. I still don't like them after downloading their album. It might just be me, but there's nothing unusual or interesting about these songs. Worse than that, they aren't even catchy. This could be the sort of thing that would take me three or four listens to completely comprehend, but I'm not willing to invest that sort of time in a band that gives me no reason to care about. Please don't use the word 'horny' so prominently in any of your songs ever again. That they're from Australia is the only conceivable explanation of their popularity. I'd rather see these guys, personally.
LCD Soundsystem; LCD Soundsystem
Sound of Silver was great, but the three or four listens I gave to the original album led me to believe that it was a sprawling, focusless mess that doesn't really compare to James Murphy's newest album. Turns out, my first impression was true, but that it is a focusless mess with five or six incredibly catchy and amusing tracks. Even your mom has heard Daft Punk Is Playing at My House, and it is good, but Losing My Edge is the song you wish you could play to every tyrannical hipster who was a PiL fan before you were, Yeah is good enough to warrant including two separate versions of it on one (double) album and to clock in at 20+ minutes total, and Disco Infiltrator is worthwhile if only for one superb sample. The concept of a dance album that spans two CDs is undeniably ridiculous, but, at times, it possesses the unique energy and creativity that a limitless palette can offer an artist. Utterly unfocused and at times openly derivative, but then again, Sound of Silver was also derivative to its merit.
A direct comparison between Crystal Castles and Hercules & the Love Affair might not be the most apt. Yes, they both sort of fit into the genre of dance music, or perhaps music that the pfork set will feel slightly compelled to move along to. Also, they're both in Europe now, so that's something...
Anyway, I listened to their new albums for the first time today so that's the way it's going to be. First impressions, I liked Crystal Castles (the album) better than H&LA (also the album.) H&LA is put together, refined, and within a proper musical structure. I don't mean this to sound pejorative, but it is certainly more conventional than Crystal Castles. Depending on a person's mood, this can definitely be a good thing. Chaotic spasms of electronic screeches might not be everyone's thing. However, listening to the albums back to back, I definitely found myself in a more anarchic mood.
Whereas nearly every instrument on H&LA sounds real, like a contemporary jazz album; the vocals are clear and
skillfully sung (despite any inherent distaste I hold for Antony Hegarty), Crystal Castles sounds like the soundtrack for a video game based on Daydream Nation - the singing mostly consists of Kim Gordon style yells and the synth has a tendency to go on for extended journeys away from the main beat. That said, both are excellent albums that I would definitely recommend, but consider your state of mind first. H&LA is order, Crystal Castles is anarchy. There's probably terminology within the electronic music community which I don't possess to more precisely describe what I'm trying to say. But both will make you want to dance anyway.
skillfully sung (despite any inherent distaste I hold for Antony Hegarty),