Album Preview: Akron/Family - Akron/Family II: The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT

Akron/Family recently announced their upcoming album, their sixth LP and their second full length release on Dead Oceans. The strangely titled Akron/Family II: The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT will be in stores on February 8th in the U.S. and February 16th in the U.K. This was the press release sent out from Dead Oceans:

Finally, after over a month of unanswered emails and text messages, blown deadlines, and pleas to finish and turn in their new album, last week, a large brown cardboard box showed up at the Dead Oceans doorstep. It had “SHINJU TNT” scrawled across the bottom of the box in black magic marker, and the return address read only “AK, Detroit.”

Opening it revealed a sincere but poorly made diorama of futurist swirling spaces filled with toy astronauts and dinosaurs, four blown out song fragments on a TDK CDR in a ziplock bag, three pictures, a track list written in crayon, and a typewritten note from Akron/Family. A post-it on the bag declared that the band refused to send the full album to anyone but the vinyl pressing plant, for fear of leaking and possible lost revenues.

From the note and a short video that arrived days later, we’ve pieced together that the album was written in a cabin built into the side of Mount Meakan, an active volcano in Akan National Park, on the island of Hokkaido, Japan. It was recorded in an abandoned train station in Detroit with the blackest white dude we all know, Chris Koltay (Liars, Women, Deerhunter, Holy Fuck, No Age). Chris, on tour after finishing the record, commented: “This album will transcend the Internet.”

Akron/Family spent the end of 2009 and half of 2010 exploring the future of sound through Bent Acid Punk Diamond fuzz and Underground Japanese noise cassettes, lower case micro tone poems and emotional Cagean field recordings, rebuilding electronic drums from the ’70s and playing them with sticks they carved themselves. Upon miraculous resuscitation of the original AKAK hard drive, the album layers thousands of minute imperceptible samples of their first recordings with fuzzed-out representations of their present beings to induce pleasant emotional feeling states and many momentary transcendent inspirations.

This album is titled S/T II: The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT. We have no idea what that means.

Akron/Family – S/T II: The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT Track Listing:
1. Silly Bears
2. Island
3. A AAA O A WAY
4. So It Goes
5. Another Sky
6. Light Emerges
7. Cast a Net
8. Tatsuya Neon Purple Walkby
9. Fuji I (Global Dub)
10. Say What You Want To
11. Fuji II (Single Pane)
12. Canopy
13. Creator

On December 24th a version of the album marked 2/6 was leaked online, it was a radical departure from the band's typical mix of folk and prog. rock, although they have incorporated some experimental elements into their sound before it has been nothing to this extent. The version of the album that leaked sounds like Holy Fuck, Animal Collective and Aids Wolf on an acid trip, an overwhelming combustion of noise that seems almost destructive. On December 28th another leak reportedly surfaced, this time marked 1/6, although I haven't heard it yet reports state that it is an alternate mix of the previous leak heard. Apparently someone close to the band has said that they are purposefully leaking deconstructed versions of the album to whet the appetite of fans as well as cause rumblings around the blogosphere, but thus far all is a rumor. One thing is for sure, this is a great marketing strategy, from the bizarre press release to the cryptic clues posted on the band's Twitter page alerting followers to THIS video as well as the teaser trailer posted below. Whether or not this album turns out to really be a noise experiment or if we'll eventually be presented with a more conventional release belying these tasters I certainly want to pay attention until the final product hits the shelves.

AKAK from Secretly Jag on Vimeo.

Akron/Family on Myspace

Cobain

"This is not to be taken seriously. This is not to be read as opinions. It is to be read as poetry. Its obvious that I am on the educated level of about 10th grade in high school. Its obvious that these words were not thought out or even re-read. this writing style is what I like to call thru the perspective of a 10th grader. her/his attempt at showing that no matter what level of intelligence one is on, we all question love and lack of love and fear of love.

Its good to question authority and to fight it just to make things a little less boring, but ive always reverted back to the conclusion that man is not redeemable and words that dont necersarily have their expected meanings can be used descriptively in a sentence as Art. True english is so fucking boring. And this little pit-stop we call life, that we so seriously worry about is nothing but a small, over the week jail sentence, compared to what will come with death.

life isnt nearly as sacred as the appreciation of passion." -Kurt Cobain, Journals, p.175

I recently read Kurt Cobain's Journals, first published in 2002 by Riverhead Books; a collection of writings by Kurt Cobain, lead singer of Nirvana. Although Cobain sadly committed suicide on April 5th, 1994, his legacy lives on today as he remains one of the most iconic musicians in alternative music, or perhaps of all time; in 2006 he was the number one top-earning deceased celebrity in the world according to Forbes. Journals presents a series of private entries, letters, lists, sketches and music ideas all written by Cobain, beginning with a letter he wrote to Dale Crover, lead singer of the Melvins, in 1988 and ending with a bizarre rant about an interview between Sylvestor Stallone and Larry King written in a hotel in Rome shortly before his death. The journals offer some interesting insight into Cobain's vision for the band as well as the evolution of songs that would feature on their albums. Those looking for some great revelation or real words of wisdom may be disappointed; while Cobain's wit and perceptiveness are evident, an over abundance of bitterness and paranoia permeates much of the personal writings and observations. As the journal entries continue and the subject of his stomach pains and heroin use are introduced things get quite dark, but I personally found it more sad than disturbing and I ultimately sympathized with him in his tragic downfall. As a document this is a highly engrossing read, regardless of your approval or disdain in regards to the subject matter or opinions expressed.

Anyone looking for a more coherent autobiographical look at Kurt Cobain should seek out the 2006 documentary by AJ Schnack titled Kurt Cobain About A Son, featuring selected excerpts edited from the 25 hours of audiotape interviews with Cobain conducted by music journalist Michael Azzerad recorded for his book Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana, which was originally released in 1993 and altered with an extra chapter included in 1994 following Cobain's death. Azzerad collaborated with Schnack to create the documentary, which is a lovingly crafted meditative piece in which Cobain is heard speaking from the beginning to the end of the one and a half hour running time over almost static film footage of locations that relate to his words and the stories he tells. I highly recommend this film to anyone, not just fans of Nirvana, as long as you stay clear of the awful and pointless 1998 documentary Kurt & Courtney. View the trailer for Kurt Cobain About A Son below.

Erol Sabadosh YMH Podcast

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I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year, I spent my NYE DJing at Momo's on Heddon Street with Nicola Robinson and Emmanuel Balogun and boy did we have a good time! Bring on 2011!

Film Review: Somewhere (2010)

Following the visually stunning but otherwise uninspired and bemusing Marie Antoinette (2006) Sofia Coppola returns with Somewhere, a consciously and predominantly unexciting glimpse at celebrity culture focusing on a father-daughter relationship and ruminating on themes of identity and materialism. The similarities to Lost in Translation (2003) are immediately noticeable, as if Coppola deliberately set out to capitalize on the success of her most acclaimed film by mining the same topical and stylistic field, but Somewhere is a much more mature and complex film and one that will undoubtedly split audience opinions even more starkly.

Less of a sequel to Lost In Translation and more of a hypothetical prequel to Wim Wenders' Paris, Texas (1984), Somewhere is low on dialogue, instead favoring long languorous shots that leave the audience to fill in the silent blanks. Stephen Dorff plays Johnny Marco, a Hollywood Actor whiling his days away at L.A.'s notorious Chateau Marmont but whose privileged yet lonely lifestyle is disrupted when his daughter Cleo, played expertly here by the young Elle Fanning, is left for him to look after by her mother. Cleo's presence forces Johnny to re-examine his behavior, duties and position within life but as with Lost In Translation, Coppola offers no definite conclusions or overt character arcs in this self-confessed partially autobiographical tranche de vie.

This is less of a character study, bearing in mind that Johnny is mostly presented as a two-dimensional anti-hero who rarely has anything to say, and more of a study on mood. Every aspect of this film, from mise-en-scene to the soundtrack, is constructed in such a way to communicate to the audience thoughts and ideas that not only go beyond the scarce dialogue, but beyond the diegesis of the film itself. Coppola has truly come into her own as a filmmaker and begs to be examined as a serious auteur. While taking influence from the Italian neo-realists in terms of style the characters here are privileged and wealthy rather than working class but she imbues the existentially nihilistic world in which Johnny inhabits with a potentially redeeming humanist core.

Like Johnny, seen driving his Ferrari alone on a circular race track in the opening shot of the film, we are all trapped to a certain extent by the circumstances surrounding our own personal existence and the trajectory in which we build momentum in our lives. We all want to be someone, we all want to feel like we're headed somewhere, but do we really know where we're going and what tangible or intangible form of happiness, if any, lies at the end of the road? Coppola asks these questions through the macho American cardboard cutout of a character that she has created as her satirical puppet and whom we are unlikely to feel much sympathy for.

In one scene Johnny's head is cocooned within a plaster mold for the purposes of a special effect for a new film he's starring in, and as he sits on his own waiting for the mold to dry with only two nostril holes through which to breathe, the camera completes an excruciatingly slow zoom to close-up, highlighting not only his isolation but the absurdity of the process itself, the culmination of which is a prosthesis designed to age his appearance, and in seeing himself as an old man in the next shot he is faced with the notion of his own mortality, something which he no doubt attempts to distract himself from through sex, drugs and money. In Cleo, Johnny is confronted with the antithesis to his empty, materialist, lifestyle and yet she herself is partially enticed and excited by it and the film does flirt with excess on occasion, never painting things entirely in black and white. There are no grand incidents that occur, no sweeping climaxes; two characters cry in separate scenes but both moments lack full closure, and the film itself ends on a vague denouement that's left open to interpretation.

To call this film self-indulgent would be rather accurate; as the daughter of one of cinema's most influential and acclaimed directors, [Sofia] Coppola operates self reflexively, and whether or not you choose to engage with the subject matter, which invites deeper reading, it is impossible to ignore the masterful filmmaking displayed here. With Somewhere, Coppola became the first American woman to win the Golden Lion, the top prize at the long running and prestigious Venice Film Festival; I greatly look forward to seeing where she goes from here.

Spotlight On: Astrobrite

Astrobrite are an American shoegaze/noise pop band that began as a solo project for musician Scott Cortez (of Lovesliescrushing), expanding into a full band in 1993. The band toured and released a number of cassette EPs before going on hiatus in 1997. They returned in 2001 with their first full-length album, the stunning Crush, and have released two more LPs since then. Their sound owes quite a lot to My Bloody Valentine, with the same pop sensibility buried under layers of hazy noise. Check out this gorgeous track from Crush and be prepared to fall in love:

Astrobrite on Myspace

My Top 10 albums of 2010

1) Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz

Sufjan Stevens returned this year with his first song-based album since 2005's critically acclaimed Illinois, a bold and breathtaking work of intense beauty and unbridled creativity. Stevens opens the album with a short stripped-back folk song about unrequited love which comes to rest on the conclusion that, in this case, "words are futile devices." What follows is an epic journey into Stevens' conscious, exploring loss of love, existential woes, religious faith and physical and mental illness, with inspiration taken from the artwork of schizophrenic self-proclaimed prophet Royal Robertson, which is featured in the cover art. The album's sound is quite difficult to describe; imagine giant steam-powered robots from outer space invading the Earth while Sufjan's disembodied voice floats through the atmosphere as a huge classical orchestra provides a suitably thundering, apocalyptic soundtrack. I can't recommend this album enough, it's a towering achievement and easily the most accomplished release of the year.

Listen to I Walked by Sufjan Stevens

2) Twin Shadow - Forget

On this, his debut LP (produced by Grizzly Bear's Chris Taylor), George Lewis Jr. pares down core elements of 80s New Wave, disco, indie rock and R&B into a slick and meticulous album about lost youth and nostalgia.

Listen to Slow by Twin Shadow

3) The National - High Violet

The National continue to hone their mature sound; lead singer Matt Berninger's lyrics are more creative and compelling than ever and the band reach epic levels of haunting beauty.

Listen to Bloodbuzz Ohio by The National

4) LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening

James Murphy and co. release another post-punk inspired electro gem rife with fearless energy and colored by Murphy's charming wit.

Listen to I Can Change by LCD Soundsystem

5) The Walkmen - Lisbon

The Walkmen follow up 2008's dark and moody You & Me with a musically more upbeat and energetic album, but singer Hamilton Leithauser sounds as wounded as ever, though there seems to be a reassurance in his voice this time around that makes it seem as if things are just fine either way.

Listen to Angel Surf City by The Walkmen

6) Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

Arcade Fire's most epic album yet, a sprawling dystopic vision of cultural decay that samples a wide variety of retro genres.

Listen to We Used To Wait by Arcade Fire

7) Titus Andronicus - The Moniter

A boisterous and exhilarating rock record about modern discontent and the Civil War from this band from Glen Rock, New Jersey.

Listen to A More Perfect Union by Titus Andronicus

8) Menomena - Mines

A more emotionally driven album than any of their previous work, but one that retains their quirky and schizophrenic compositional style.

Listen to Dirty Cartoons by Menomena

9) The Books - The Way Out

The first album in five years from the American duo who create acoustic compositions on guitar and cello and cut them up with various samples and found recordings. This is by far their most ambitious, creative and yet easily palatable work yet.

Listen to Beautiful People by The Books

10) Spoon - Transference

Another slick release from these indie rock veterans, generally more sparse and minimal than their previous efforts; tracks like Who Makes Your Money have a real tight swagger and subtle atmospheric production elements add to the concise songwriting.

Listen to The Mystery Zone by Spoon

Also considered:

Joanna Newsom - Have One On Me
No Age - Everything In Between
Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest
Frog Eyes - Paul's Tomb: A Triumph
Black Keys - Brothers
Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Dreamend - So I Ate Myself Bite By Bite
Xiu Xiu - Dear God I Hate Myself

Spotlight On: Henry's Dress

Henry's Dress were a lo-fi noise pop trio hailing from Albuquerque, New Mexico, signed to Slumberland Records and only officially active for three years between 1993 and 1996. In that time they released a few split singles with Flake, Tiger Trap and Rocketship, (whom they also toured with) as well as releasing one full length LP titled Bust 'Em Green. The band consisted of singer/guitarist Amy Linton, singer/guitarist/drummer Matt Hartman and bassist Hayyim Sanchez. Following the band's dissolution, Linton went on to front Aisler's Set, another great band worth looking up, and Hartman is currently part of Sic Alps. I highly recommend checking out Henry's Dress, especially their energetic LP Bust 'Em Green. Listen to one of the songs from the album below and head on over to their myspace page:

Henry's Dress on Myspace