Gustavo Arellano on Colberto Reporto

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Cold War Kids - Hang Me Up To Dry

Music Update

I can't believe it's been about five months since I last posted something, shit!

Below are some records that I haven't been able to put down for a very long time as well as some more recent gems. Most of them are from the second half of last year.

Cold War Kids - Robbers & Cowards (2006)
"Like Creedence Clearwater Revival before them, blog-buzz kings Cold War Kids channel the gothic spirit of the Deep South -- at least as imagined by dudes from California. But this suburban Los Angeles foursome has some actual holy-roller bona fides. Three of the four (frontman Nathan Willett, bassist Matt Maust and guitarist Jonathan Bo Russell) met at an evangelical Christian college, and the spirit of an old-fashioned tent revival infuses the band's remarkable story songs. Over cave-stomp drums, barroom piano and chiming post-punk guitars, Willett -- whose high tenor sounds a little like Jack White's -- spins tales that wouldn't seem out of place in a Flannery O'Connor collection. There's a drunk who continually disappoints his family ("We Used to Vacation"); a death-row inmate imprisoned for killing his sister's would-be rapist ("Saint John"); a criminal on a midnight run with "bourbon and a pistol in the dash, out of sight" ("Rubidoux"). And much as Bruce Springsteen feels deep sympathy for the murderers and fuckups who populate Nebraska, Robbers & Cowards has a deeply Christian take on its titular anti-heroes: that even the worst among us is capable of redemption."

Peter Bjorn & John - Writer's Block (2006)
"It's a major work of post-everything indie rock that has enough hooks, production genius, and emotional strength to make other rock acts (indie or otherwise) sound like they are just wasting everyone's time."



Fujiya & Miyagi - Transparent Things (2007)
"Their name is Japanese, their influences are German, and their new album, Transparent Things, is named after a novel by Russian Vladimir Nabokov, but Fujiya & Miyagi are actually a Brighton, U.K. trio releasing their first disc stateside, full of bleeping, sardonic wit and atmospheric vibes. Transparent Things collects a stew of the band's British singles together.

Fujiya & Miyagi have brewed up a drifting soundtrack to ennui, down-tempo dance tunes for a rainy drive or a 3 a.m. ponder. The songs never quite explode into full-out release, but amble along in a groove that's gently uplifting. Circling, repetitive riffs flow along with deadpan surrealistic vocals to create a systematic mood throughout Transparent Things. At its best, it all induces a trancey reverie about the always-on, wired world we live in - or as vocalist David Best murmurs in the title track, "I look through transparent things and I feel okay.""

Kelley Stoltz - Below the Branches (2006)
"Kelley Stoltz seems to have a bottomless well of great songs. Catchy tunes and great vocal melodies seem to come as easily as breathing for this guy. There's nothing really new or earth-shattering about this album, but that's not a prerequisite for great rock & roll as Kelley Stoltz demonstrates once again."

The Pinker Tones - The Million Colour Revolution (2006)
"The Million Colour Revolution is based in club-oriented dance music, but it layers in elements of indie pop, bossa nova, European film soundtracks from the '60s, various countries' folk musics, and influences yet more unexpected. Hugely entertaining, and much more cohesive than the laundry list of influences would suggest, The Million Colour Revolution is both a giddy giggle and an appealing piece of electronic dance-pop."

Sean Lennon - Friendly Fire (2006)

Sean Lennon, the son of Yoko Ono and the late John Lennon, is expected to release his sophomore album, "Friendly Fire," this upcoming Octobre 3rd.

So far, the album has received a number of positive critical reviews. If the entire album is consistent with the quality of the couple tracks floating about the internet the album is set for acclaim.

Sebastien Tellier - Sessions (2006)

Sebastien Tellier, labelmate of Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel--better known as Air.

"His performances have now reached an artistic peak, becoming a bare and intense live experience."

"...an intimate and essential album. 'Sessions' is a collection of out of time tracks, in the tradition of the most gifted singers/songwriters."

Personality Test

50 Most Influential Records?

According to the UK's The Observer:

Top 5
1- The Velvet Underground and Nico, The Velvet Underground and Nico (1967)
2- The Beatles, Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
3- Kraftwerk, Trans-Europe Express (1977)
4- NWA, Straight Outta Compton (1989)
5- Robert Johnson, King of the Delta Blues Singers (1961)

Ghostface Killah - Fishscale (2006)

"While the rest of the Wu-Tang Clan now seems a faint memory from hip-hop's '90s era, Ghostface has become a one-man force in maintaining the vitality of the Clan."

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