Perfume Genius

On occasion I'll come by an album that completely destroys me.

Upon realization I have 67.99GB of music in my iTunes {what?! gross.}, I've been pushing up my sleeves and giving the ol' heave ho to scores of mp3s I never want to hear again for the rest of my life. I'm not talking tracks I'd be a little embarrassed to come up on shuffle during a shared road trip. You just have to embrace "Mortal Kombat" popping up before working your air ninja blades. I mean my enjoyment of four Girl Talk albums is simply long past the expiration date.

Besides the point and get back on topic, would you? Sheezus.

In my "benefit of the doubt" modicum, I can't throw out anything I haven't given at least one listen. So when I came to Perfume Genius, I judged a book by it's cover and assumed "synthy, Animal Collective-wannabe, Garage Band application." wrong, Wrong, WRONG.

After years of self-destruction and persecution by the crawling, hushed demons that haunt the sorrowful few, Mike Hadreas took shelter in his mother's house in Washington state. The taking up of a hermetic life stirred long-suppressed creativity, and Hadreas started penning lyrics to lay open dark stories of addiction, suicide and abuse. Set against lo-fi, simple piano at times so quiet you can hear the whoosh of recording pick-up, Hadreas' vocals range from harsh whispers to tremulous demands. Rather than cheap and shallow, the results are lush, warm melodies cradling his words to your ears and making you pay attention. Forcing you to look.
look out, look out / there are murders about

Released on Matador Records in 2010, “the songs on the album are the ones I think are the most real. And they are about everybody, you know? Even though some of them are directly from my experience - I always had everybody in mind.” - mike hadreas

Perfume Genius // Learning
Perfume Genius // No Problem

Weekend

Post-punk outfit out of SF, and not to be confused with:

Weekend the Band hailing from Buffalo.
The Weekend waving from Ontario.
Vampire Weekend, obvious.

Shoegazers with exceptional hooks, Sports was released November 9 on the Slumberland label. If it's defined a lo-fi or noise, I'd like to think it's just that poured through some cheesecloth. Distilled to something a little more potent. Pupil dilation inevitable.

Weekend // End Times

Houses, down the street

Some article mentioned Houses, the OTHER Houses (remember the opiate drifting I promised yesterday?), had some of the same hebetudinous haze of Washed Out. You know how I feel about Washed Out. Woof. So of course I'm down.

Chicago bliss-pop lovebirds Dexter Tortoriello and Megan Messina wrote nearly all of the October-released All Night in one week. Show-offs. I guess some time and inspiration living off the grid in Hawaii will do that to you.
Signed to Lefse, same label as Neon Indian and How to Dress Well, their chillwave sound is a natural fit. What is not a natural fit is implemented imperfections to emote vinyl. LBH Houses, you're on a Mac powerbook. I'm not expecting any 45s from you this Christmas. But thanks anyway. Very thoughtful.

Houses // Reds

Tamaryn

A little extry and easily related BECAUSE...
Dominant Legs is featured in the music video premiere from Tamaryn. And she's in there, too. I owed you one from earlier in the week, anyway, so now we're squares in circle chairs. Pardon me while I stab a #2 in to my cornea.



Tamaryn // Dawning

Pearly Gate Music

There's a good possibility I'll sway up the cloud escalator to a predetermined destination by this soundtrack, created by Zach Tillman (aka Pearly Gate Music). I think it would be downright fitting to skip up and along to toothy guitars, vocals hearkening of Leonard Cohen and pervasive percussion, tattooed by older brother Josh Tillman (singer/songwriter, Fleet Foxes percussion).

Until I executed a quick suicide bomb dive during the growling bridge.
That's the good stuff right there, son! PGM is not all lilting folk, aiming from a dustier age. It does it's bit of rough-housing, though shaded by, admittedly, achingly pretty lyricism.

when we get married
I think it be best
if you wore that blue sweater
instead of a dress
-Navy Blues

yep.

A bedroom artist of sorts - the self-titled LP was written and recorded in Tillman's Seattle living room, friends and brethren pitching in where needed. The ambient sounds of an apartment; the front door opening, someone looking lazily into the fridge, are neat whispers. Maybe makes you feel like it isn't that far of a stretch to be a part of that lo-fi world, adding your claps and kneeslaps to the din. In the den. {insert groan here}

Pearly Gate Music // Gossamer Hair

How To Dress Well

Tom Krell, research translator of post-Kantian philosophy by day. Subterranean-fi R&B artist and sound designer by night. What a mystery. What an enigma. What a long lost twin of mine - because they are few people in this world who sweat early 90's R&B like I do.
"Candy Rain," "Twisted," be still my heart.
Difference being I do solo cracked croons in the car while he emulates and shares with all the world on his living breathing blog.

HTDW is escapist, deconstructed molasses miasma. The sound design elements - synthesizer, Aaliyahe-esque "ahs," handclaps - are so singular you know they feel nakey. Once exposed, they futilely attempt to cover themselves under his keening falsetto - like a Timberlake-after-a-balls-kick falsetto. But there's not much to hold onto before it's gone again.

Our smooth sound hero returns this month after his debut tour in Europe. Full length LP due out in September; you can cruise with me and belt Kci & JoJo in the Jetta if you're feening till then.

How to Dress Well // Ready For the World
How to Dress Well // Ready For the World (Twin Sister Remix)

XX

Warm, dark, lascivious, and un petit diret du noir - this London teenage quartet's skeletal electro pop manages to have layers with minimal instrumentation. It may take a few listens but the breathy exchange of male and female vocals, dark romanticism and fluidity will catch you up to leave you hovering on the thermals. If the music doesn't get your attention, the NKOTB haircut will. What number razor is that, anyway?

"I don't have to leave anymore
what I have is right here.
Spend my nights and days before
searching the world for what's right here"

Next week it's thrasher aorta thrumming tracks ONLY, scout's honor. xx chirgo

XX // Islands

Wavves

Three-chords plus distortion divided by lo-fi static equals California beach punk in this disaster of an equation. The dingy noise plaguing this entire album will make your ears bleed if you forget to take a break every few songs. But do that and you might find yourself hearing a nice, and sometimes melodic, extension of 80's punk sock. I mean rock. Punk sock? I’m sick, forgive me. Physically sick, not mentally demented. The latter is yet to be proved.

But seriously, you could end up stabbing your grandmother’s eyes out with the dull end of a plastic spoon if you take too much in at once. So please BE CAREFUL!

I’d like to make a quick note about the labeling of music. Or rather propose a question about it. What the fuck is College Rock? Who decides what gets labeled what and on what criteria? Are those in college the only ones who can appreciate such music? And what if you’re an athlete that goes straight to the NBA after high school because of a gifted set of calves? Do you bypass this music altogether like some type of music time machine? That seems really unfair. I mean just because I can jump really high doesn’t mean I don’t want to enjoy some quality sock rock. I’m just sayin’ maybe the powers that be should be more thoughtful when it comes to these sorts of things. You never know who’s gonna get hurt.

Never mind, I don’t care anymore.

See also No Age and Jay Reatard.

So Bored