Time seriously flies! It seemed like it was just yesterday that we compiled our annual Kaleidoscope. As the time goes by, we have gradually modified and trimmed some of the categories for our kaleidoscope. In 2012, we had ‘The Goodbyes’, which is pretty much a tribute from the late musicians who passed away in 2012. In 2013, we added new categories; best albums, best local albums and the comeback kids. 2014 surely has been a great year for us to review and scout and witness some of the great live acts, and also the great bands in the making. It’s clear, that most of our readers must have been very busy through out the year, which leads to the fact that you must have missed some of the music updates. Boo. But no worries, we have got it covered just for you in the 2014 Kaleidoscope.

This year, we have decided to bring three most prominent and anticipated categories : The Best Albums, Best Local Picks, and Best Newcomers. Here is how the categories go, The Best Albums covers our top 10 albums from our most favorite musicians, we also have reviews from Pitchfork, NME, and Rolling Stone as our references. We gathered the mixed reviews from each album and compile them in a solid list. For Best Local Picks, we present you ten most anticipated local albums which has become our favorite playlist in 2014. Last year, names like Raisa, Pandai Besi and Sore, made it to our list, and this year we have listed some of the best local talents to fill up your music encyclopedia. Lastly, Best Newcomers. This category definitely has become our most interesting ones to review. We have scouted and collected ten music babies whose musics are just mindblowing. Unlike what we had last year (in 2013, we took the list from our weekly column, The Next Big Thing), we looked to a wider scale to present you the hot-shot names.

(Illustration : Puty)

About the illustrator :

Puty Puar. Mid-20′s. A geologist on weekdays from 8am to 6pm. Will write, draw and design for prizes and expensive things that only money can not buy. She blogs on byputy.com and some of her artworks are on created.byputy.com.”

]]> https://www.svanapaper.com/svana-paper-2014-kaleidoscope-the-lists-of-the-year/feed/ 0 https://www.svanapaper.com/semakbelukars-anthologhy-terlahir-dan-terasingkan/ https://www.svanapaper.com/semakbelukars-anthologhy-terlahir-dan-terasingkan/#comments Sun, 25 May 2014 03:30:55 +0000 Tiara Ayuwardani http://www.svanapaper.com/?p=6005

SEMAKBELUKAR has just started to steal the spotlight of local music scene when all of sudden they announced their break up. The attention then shifted to the question, “Who is Semakbelukar and why did they call it quit?” Those who haven’t heard of them then will seek (which we highly recommend to) and find themselves hooked in the tunes. “Semoga Kita Mati Dalam Iman”, “Mawar Mewangi”, and “Drohaka” were the three EPs they launched during the band’s five years of experiment in fusing ethnic beat with all kinds of genre. Originally based from Palembang, South Sumatera, Semakbelukar orchestration came from a set of mandolin, accordeon, gendang Melayu, mini gong, and jimbana which set Malayan music in the main frame.

As Indonesian, our comprehension of Malayan music might have changed these last few years. It has been beaten down to crapload of cheesy, not-at-all thoughtful kind of lyrics knotted to boring sets of chords, while the original Malayan music was not so popular to the youth. Semakbelukar came with a fresh twist; perhaps because David Hersya, Ariansyah Long, Ricky Zulman, Mahesa Agung, and Angger Nugroho came from different backgrounds in music it creates interesting fusion of taste. Their latest and last composition was presented in “Terlahir dan Terasingkan: Antologi SEMAK BELUKAR 2009-2013”, an anthology of the band’s work since 2009. From EPs to unreleased recordings, the album consists of two CDs which then divided into the part of “Belukaria Orkestar”, “Semakbelukar”, and “David
Hersya”. From 32 of the songs, we are going to pick five of our favorite tracks:

1. Belukaria Orkestar – Salam
“Salam untuk kalian, semoga kita semua mendapat kebaikan.”
(Greetings to you, may we all be blessed in goodness).
The song fits perfectly as an opening track; it simply welcomes you with warm greeting and the joyful beat of gendang.

2. Belukaria Orkestar – Hikmah
“Sesungguhnya setelah kesulitan datang kemudahan. Ada hikmah di balik cerita tentang seorang yang terus mencoba untuk bisa menjadi lebih baik dan berguna.”
(Verily, after hardship comes ease. There is wisdom behind the story of a man who kept trying to be better.)
One of the characteristic of art from western Indonesia is the lyrics, talking about local wisdom and often influenced by religious view, particularly Islam, as seen in “Verily, after hardship comes ease” which was a verse from the Quran. The mandolin strums and David Hersya’s vocal become a peaceful serenade.

3. Semakbelukar – Be(re)ncana
“Karena sempurna itu hanya sebuah rencana, karena sempurna itu hanya sebuah bencana.”
(Because perfection is only a plan, because perfection is only a disaster.)
The accordeon and the staccato beat created a gloomy, heavy ambiance. Like when we hold grunge we’re unable to let go.

4. David Hersya – #1
“Sesuatu di dalam sini, jauh di dalam sepi. Sesuatu pada akhirnya mati, tinggalkan mimpi.”
(Something in here, deep inside quiet. In the end things will die, leaving just dream)
It stands out from other songs because of the solo trumpet intro. For a second it’s like we skipped track to different album, until at 00:21 the rhythym filled in. Not only the trumpet, David also sings in a different, more pop-ish way.

5. Semakbelukar – Seloka Beruk
“Semenjak beruk menjadi pemimpin, halal dan haram pun dimakan. O, malangnya, digila beruk berayun.”
This track resembles the original Malayan song, both the beat and the diction used in its lyrics. Catchy and playful.

The band might have called it a quit, but good music will continue to echo.

To complete our Kaleidoscope lists, we made a special list ’Local Album of The Year’ and gave you some reason why you should love them.

Frau – Happy Coda

Why we love this album: An orchestra of Frau’s sole vocal and her piano, the intertwining combination forms a strong characteristic. Whenever we heard her music, we just know it’s her. Happy Coda consists of eight tracks, in which if we try to make analogy, is like a recently grown-up woman telling bedtime stories based on her life experience. She shared the emotion of the story in such an intense yet graceful way, and gets us carried away until we sleep.
Our favourite pick: Water

Maliq & D’Essentials – Sriwedari

Why we love this album: What’s not to love? Their skill to create music is undoubtedly. They put lot of colour and power in this eight tracks album, From jazz to dangdut
Our favourite pick: Drama Romantika

Pandai Besi – Daur, Baur

Why we love this album: Pandai Besi is Efek Rumah Kaca’s alternate universe. Eventhough they’re just revamping ERK’s old numbers, they managed to create this significant distinction from the original version. Female background vocal from Nastasha and Irma adds an eerie-point to most of the songs. A good kind of eerie, fleeting beautifully with Cholil’s vocals and the trumpets. The arrangement gives more space for the instruments to show off their harmonious intricacy. It excites you with all the new details while you can still feel the sense of familiarity as you vaguely trace the original notes.
Our favourite pick: Menjadi Indonesia

Raisa – Heart to Heart

Why we love this album: Like many musician in this generation, Raisa has put a lot of effort for her latest album. She poured her heart out, she wrote some song by herself. The harmonious music suits her hauntingly beautiful voice.
Our favourite pick: Hari Bahagia

The S.I.G.I.T. – Detourn

Why we love this album: The record greeted us with haunted sound that can gives you goose bumps, then they rough it up with up beat and powerful guitar riff. The S.I.G.I.T. didn’t waste the seven years to just make an ordinary album, they mixed every kind of tunes that can create one mighty album.
Our favourite pick: Conundrum

SemakBelukar – SemakBelukar

Why we love this album: Crunchy percussion beat, sautéed with exquisite sound of accordion, and elegantly garnished with meaningful lyrics, makes SemakBelukar’s self titled album as one of the best album that everyone should put on their Album of The Year list.
Our favourite pick: Kalimat Satu

Sore – Sorealist

Why we love this album: Three songs that means a lot. Marking their comeback, it tells the fans that SORE is still alive and ready to get back in the field. And their single “Ssst…” is just incredibly refreshing.
Our favourite pick: Ssst…

Tulus — Tulus

Why we love this album: With the song “Sewindu” airing on major radio stations, this is the year where Tulus had his career catapulted. A rising star, as what most media says.The jazzy singer wins most hearts with his tender baritone voice, catchy tunes, and the heart-melting lyrics. Tulus sings about love; a theme that will forever be related to mankind. You might think you have had enough love songs in this world that it all just becomes tacky, but not with this one. The sincere poetical lyrics woven to swing-able tunes have made this album easy to digest, and made its way to warm your heart.
Our favourite pick: Tuan Nona Kesepian

White Shoes and The Couples Company – Menyanyikan Lagu-Lagu Daerah

Why we love this album: White Shoes and the Couples Company is doing covers of some selected Indonesian folksongs. And boy, aren’t they catchy. It also broaden our knowledge about our very own country and its folksongs, which most of us have never heard. Indonesia has amazing local tribe tunes!
Our favourite pick: Tjangkurileung

[photo source: band's facebook page]

We have spent the last eleven months by listening to a stack of music albums. To close the year, we’ve listed our ten best albums which definitely have put us to the cloud nine while listening to their musics.

10. Arcade Fire – Reflektor :

If only the albums was as good as ‘The Suburb’, we would put them sitting on the peak of the chart. But we didn’t say the album is bad. Reflektor still kicks it with some of the Suburbs’ rhythm, which we really love, and the album still has a strong rock roots with an intertwined of dark tunes. The lack of emotion from the album might take you a couple of times to really get the sense of Arcade Fire.

Recommended Track : Reflektor

9.Disclosure – Settle :

The band have been hailed for their dance music and given an outstanding call-out. ‘Settle’ is 100% a sugar land for a fan of Groove Armada or Artful Dodger. Knowing that ‘Settle’ is the duo’s debut album, we are blown with its content. What not to love! The album itself will give you the finest house music, 90’s electro and some modern dance music. Somehow, it also gives us a chill that their music is reflecting the era when Basement Jaxx were dominating the dance music industry.

Recommended Track : Disclosure ft. James Woon – January

8.Phoenix – Bankrupt! :

They have catapulted into the big leagues with “Wolfgang Amadeus…” The hardest task is to maintain their album quality and their popularity. Instead of making Wolfgang Amadeus part II, they’ve decided to make something different with their own touch. Layered thick synth flavored with heart-thumping drums and the way their vocalist Thomas Mars pronounce exotic words such as “Drakkar Noir” and “Oblique City”, that’s just the Phoenix way of maintaining their lovely status among their fans.

Recommended Track : Tryin’ to be cool

7. QOTSA – Like Clockwork :

Like Clockwork is the long awaited album from Queens of The Stone Age after their hiatus in 2009. In August 2012, Homme with his band mate began to record their sixth album. Like Clockwork is the first independent album from this California based band. However, it doesn’t shrink the musical quality, they still creates fantastic album from astounding songwriting, badass guitar riff in full effect, and not to mention the great musicians who collaborated with them such as Alex Turner, Jake Shears, Trent Reznor, James Lavelle, and Sir Elton John.

Recommended Track: If I Had a Tail

6. James Blake – Overgrown :

The second album of James Blake is unequivocally an amazing job. The album is being written beautifully with a nice touch of dub step, we really think James Blake is one of the most genuine artist who can describe dub step in a very classy way. The album also takes some hip/hop and soul music to make it classier. As a result, Overgrown has earned him a Mercury Prize and got him nominated for Grammy Awards 2014.

Recommended Track : Retrograded

5. Justin Timberlake – 20/20 :

The new king of pop, Justin Timberlake is bringing the sexy back again with 20/20 experience. His third solo album takes over the number one spot both in the UK and US charts, it has reached nearly a million in its first week sales. The former leader of the famous boyband *NSYNC is probably the only singer who can make a seven-minute track without making the listeners feel bored with his falsetto voice, groovy beats, and skillfully written lyrics. Nonetheless, 20/20 Experience cannot beat the massive success from Timberlake second album Future Sex/Love Sounds that helped him get four Grammys. It’s hard to keep the 21 years of experience in the right track, but we must say that Timberlake has successfully nailed it.

Recommended Track: Let The Groove Get In

4. Foals – Holy Fire :

Foals’ third album, “Holy Fire”, is a solid proof of their hardworking career. They could’ve easily followed their signature sound that they have created in “Antidotes” and “Total Life Forever”. But now, they were trying to capture the energy and improvement outside their comfort zone. Most new bands have copied Foals’ signature guitar sound but they’ve failed to reach the stage where the Oxford guys have reached. There’s a simple explanation, it is mainly because most of the bands don’t have the character and maturity that Foals gained in the past few years.

Recommended Track : My Number

3. VW – Modern Vampires of the City:

When the guys from Vampire Weekend said that their third album would be ‘darker’ from the first two that preceded it, they didn’t mention that it would sound better too. Vampire Weekend entered the music industry with the image of a group of preppy, young college graduates singing about (mostly) their days at the campus, but this year they had shown people that it’s not the only thing they’re good at. Modern Vampire Of The City is full of well-crafted, beautifully threaded tracks.

Recommended Track: Hannah Hunt

2.Daftpunk – Random Access Memory:

Random Access Memories was probably the most waited album of 2013. The excitement that was following its release was tremendous. Featuring collaborations with renowned musicians such as Giorgio Moroder, Julian Casablancas, and Pharell Williams, the album is filled with musical twists and turns. It’s also probably Daft Punk’s most personal work, what with them trying to maximize the use of natural sounds. Random Access Memories is a mix of disco, soft rock, and progressive rock, with some Broadway-style pop on the sides. With twenty years up their sleeves, it seems that the helmet-wearing duo have been getting better and better at what they do.

Recommended Track: Give Life Back to Music

1.Arctic Monkeys – AM :

Who The Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys is now an invalid question because, really, who doesn’t know Arctic Monkeys? Especially after their fifth album release which raised much raving reviews. The twelve tracks in AM have been threaded so perfectly that every aspect, from the guitar riffs to the glam-rock stomps, is simply irresistible. A wordsmith that Alex Turner is, the well-written imagery becomes highly seductive at no matter what pace. Slick slow-burning groove, infectious riff-rockers, a dash of R&B and hip-hop; genre no longer defines Arctic Monkeys as now they can make anykind of music and make it their sound.

Recommended Track: No.1 Party Anthem

The media have dubbed her as the next big thing. Critics have been in her favor. And now Neonomora, the newcomer young singer, have released her self-titled EP to show us that her music is worth the buzz.

Neonomora herself had described her style of music as “a folk rock with a touch of electronic,” and we certainly get the electronic feel on the opening track, Too Young. Without wasting too much time on the intro, we are greeted by the singer’s solid vocal. It’s an upbeat song with repetitive lyrics, which makes it fall as a little bland, but also gives it a potential to be a hit amongst the youths. Too Young is a kind of tune you can expect to be a sing-a-long anthem at a live show—the one song you’d want to sing loudly to without any remorse. The second track is You Want My Love, which also happens to be the first single to be released from the album. Electronic beats are still felt throughout the song, but we surely can feel the indie folk rock taste. Neonomora has that vocal quality that can easily adapt to multiple genres. Fight, the third song of the EP, begins with a whimsical, vintage horror show opening sequence-like intro. Neonomora’s powerful vocal resounds strongly throughout the whole song, singing out the word “fight, fight, fight!” in the chorus, prompting you to suddenly get the feeling to get on your feet and stomp the ground.

You would have thought that the penultimate track will give us some sort of break from all the fun sing-a-long and empowering stomps the first three songs have tempted us to do. But apparently with Neonomora, the strength never subsides. Verge of Universe, track number four, still features her ever so vigorous voice, with the addition of her occasional exuberant screams halfway through the song. It is no wonder that she received tons of cheers at this year’s 280 Festival. Neonomora, the EP, closes with Palace of My Dream, a more solemn track if compared to others in the EP. Consisting of five tracks, each with qualities that distinct one from another, Neonomora offers a fresh breathe of air for the Indonesian music scene. This could be Lorde all over again. Neonomora’s bold musical style that steers a little bit from the common music in the country, but still laced with catchy melodies and relatively relatable lyrics, have made the EP live up to all the positive titles media and public have hailed Neonomora as. The ‘next big thing’, being one of them.

Before the official release of Free Your Mind, Cut Copy had had released two singles off the album; Let Me Show You Love, and the title track, Free Your Mind. Not long ago they also released the Fabio-esque video for Free Your Mind, featuring Swedish actor Alexander Skarsgard (yes, that Alexander Skarsgard—the guy portraying that smoldering vampire from that show called True Blood). About halfway through the video, Skarsgard ditched his robe and walked around shirtless, as it appeared that him and his hobo hair was the leader of a cult of misfits. It’s safe to say that the video attracted more pair of eyes and prospective listeners, being what could be said as the perfect fuel to generate the hype for Cut Copy’s upcoming album.

Free Your Mind is the fourth studio album from Cut Copy, out early in November 2013, following the 2011 release of Zonoscope. The press release for the album had stated that it was inspired by the 1967 and 1988-1989 Summers of Love, the periods during the rise of acid house music and MDMA-fuelled rave parties. While I’d gotten a little taste of the album from the two singles that had been released weeks before, twenty one seconds into the album, I was still not entirely sure what to expect. The first track is an intro, an ominous track that persuades you to ‘free your mind’. I suppose the intro is intended to be a warm up to prepare you before the record jumps to the title track, Free Your Mind; a song that is heavy with acid house vibe and consists of Roland-esque bass squelches, 4/4 beats, and reverb-laden ascending piano lines. Free Your Mind is a likable corker, a welcoming entry point, while the next track, We Are Explorers is a bouncy disco hit. It reminds us of the glam of the 80s disco, when you tone down some of the excitement and add more solemn psychedelic specks into it. There’s also Meet Me in a House of Love, the 10^th track of the album, with chirping synths and faux saxophones that lend Free Your Mind some buoyancy. The album closes with Mantra, a track which features chant-like vocals that encourage you to (yup, again) “Free your mind,” and as it tries to do so, slowly the cosmic track fades out.

It seems that with more than a decade under their belt, Cut Copy still know how to effectively use all their crafty elements to leave their followers joyously satisfied. In true Cut Copy style, Free Your Mind is dripping with beats that land heavy and strong; keyboards and synths that ring out like beacons of truth; and Dan Whitford’s vocal that veers more towards the dance-rock frontmen from the acid house era, like The Stone Roses’ Ian Brown, and Primal Scream’s Bobby Gilespie. But now Whitford’s voice sounds more accented than on his previous records, while still managing to posses the feathery wraith-like quantity.

All in all, the tracks in Free Your Mind are pretty basic, lyrically and thematically speaking. It’s filled with trippy, corny-but-fun lyrics that are flat and repetitive, that the tracks could have been real anthems at the Summers of Love that took place decades ago, had they existed back then. “Don’t need no gravity to hold our love in place,” sang Dan Whitford on Let Me Show You Love, a lyrical cliché. But we shouldn’t be expecting to find some meaning of life at the bottom of acid house lyrics, anyway. So lyrics aside, the problem is there are some slightly overlong tracks, that at the end fall as dull. Another thing that’s such a shame, though, is the placement of short interludes the band put in between some of their songs. These threatened to pull listeners out of the euphoria the band had worked so hard to send them to. But despite the minor misses, Free Your Mind is full of the 80s radio hits that never were. It’s an album that surely can get the early acid house pioneers such as Danny Rampling, Paul Oakenfold, and Nicky Holloway to smile as they reminisce about the Golden Age of Dance.

Seven years ago, there was a band from Sheffield flourished on every person ears. And then went to the heart. Arctic Monkeys, with their Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, successfully captured moment. The time when “Mardy Bum” (“And I can’t be arsed to carry on in this debate/ That reoccurs, oh when you say I don’t care/ Well of course I do, yeah I clearly do!”) got stuck into my head, the time they still wore hoodie with long hair that shrouding their face plus knackered Converse.

Seven days ago, I felt the same feeling as seven years ago. AM, initial name for the band or anything you could use it to your own purpose. While Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not got by on wry smiles and witty mutterings, AM is upfront and bluntly engages with the listener. Arctic Monkeys’ influence (on British and American), has in large part been measured by Alex Turner’s talent for combining words into phrases. Much of the album’s true beauty reveals itself after multiple play – the sexy glimmering patterns of drum that Matt Helders provides, Jamie Cook screeching guitar riff, and interplay by Nick O’Malley bass.

Turner’s lyrics are still the tied knot that hold everything in place. Though their songs have always been characterized by inspired image and clever character. And that’s how they draw me in (again), with themes and lyrics that resonate across the soundscapes they create, and characters we recognize in ourselves, whether it’s the sweet-lasting-devotion on “Do I Wanna Know?” (“I‘m sorry to interrupt, I’m just constantly on the cusp of trying to kiss you/I don’t know if you feel the same as I do.”) or the hope-to-be-somebody-to-someone on “Snap Out Of It” (“Forever isn’t for everyone/ Is forever for you?/ It sounds like settling down or giving up/ But it don’t sound much like you girl.”).

Developments include a focus on falsetto on “I Want It All”, “One For The Road”, and “Knee Socks” thanks to Helders and O’Malley. Dr. Dre and Drake reference on “Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?” with hip-hop melody to catch the attention. Classic rock synced with metal riffs and punctuated by big choruses on “R U Mine?” and “Arabella”. “Fireside” with evoking R&B girl groups and softening the edges voice of Turner’s crooning. As a big fan of Velvet Undergrounds, I found a happiness on “Mad Sounds”, it gets better when melody and swing powering up and aching ballads of “oh la la la” and the repetition.

The ironic centerpiece of “No. 1 Party Anthem” feels like the pinnacle of the band’s progress, gorgeous heart-melting balladry which takes the melancholic romanticism of “Cornerstone” and sounds like “Piledriver Waltz” with more mature attitudes. “The look of love – the rush of blood/ The “She’s with me” – the Gallic shrug” tells the loneliness and the hustle at once. Album closer, “I Wanna Be Yours” lyric adapted from John Cooper Clarke song with the same name. The poet tells me about expressing love with deepest or highest thought. Or as simple as “Maybe I just wanna be yours.”.

]]> https://www.svanapaper.com/the-pinnacle-of-arctic-monkeys-am/feed/ 0 https://www.svanapaper.com/veering-off-course-with-mgmts-mgmt-2/ https://www.svanapaper.com/veering-off-course-with-mgmts-mgmt-2/#comments Sun, 15 Sep 2013 16:03:36 +0000 Shafira Desliara http://www.svanapaper.com/?p=5049

The long wait is over. MGMT’s third studio album is officially released today.

Of course, for those of you who have streamed the full album through the band’s website, the wait has been over for more than a week. In case you missed it, MGMT offered a stream of the new album, the self-titled MGMT, on their website. It’s also accompanied by a visual treat called ‘The Optimizer.’

In their latest interview with the Los Angeles Times, published earlier this September, Benjamin Goldwasser himself admitted that this album sounds less and less pop than its predecessors. And you’ll find that he wasn’t exaggerating things. You can barely make out the chord progressions in each song. Everything is just so thick with layers.

The first track, Alien Days, is no stranger to us since it was released last April, even though having been listening to it for months doesn’t necessarily make the song sound any less odd and unconventional, because that’s just how MGMT do things. Front-man Andrew Vanwyngarden had explained the song as a feeling when “a parasitic alien is in your head, controlling things.” And it seems like it really is what the song does to you. The parasitic alien from the song has now taken hold of your subconscious to prepare and then navigates you as you listen to the rest of the album. The slightly spacey tune of Alien Days also gives you the illusion of taking off to deep space, setting off to the farthest end of the galaxy.

The reverberating Cool Song No. 2 is fuzz-toned and cryptic, while Your Life Is A Lie is no doubt going to be the sing-a-long anthem in the upcoming MGMT gigs. It’s a garage rock chuck, sounding like a jumbled, schizophrenic musical masterpiece. And then there’s Astro-Mancy with its smooth, tribal freak out.

While there’s not enough taste of psychedelia heaven in it, MGMT still has the lush, rich, and thoughtful electronic tone that distinct it from the typical chart-topper electronic music. It’s heavy with hallucinogenic vibe, resulting in the album sounding like a trippy, notional tune—a  different sound from MGMT’s most widely known hits like Time to Pretend or Kids (of which are psychedelic dance rock songs that are easier for the ears to listen). It’s a fact that would confuse the people who are still reeling over those two tracks, and get them all bummed out. But to fans of the band, whimsical and outlandish is how they identify the band as. They bask in the bizarreness of the music, sometimes even longing for more dose of odd and quaint.

MGMT is a genuine and well-thought-out quirkiness. It’s a masterpiece of the wacky, an acid-induced whizzing wonder; it’s how the psychedelic bands from the 60′s would probably have sounded like if they had the same technology and equipments as the ones  MGMT are presented with today. Unlike Oracular Spectacular and Congratulations, you can’t just pick out one song from MGMT and listen to it individually. You will have to listen to all of the tracks to even pick up on the abstract beauty of this album. Each song feels like a continuation from the other; it’s like reading a book—you’ll have to read all of the chapters to really get it.

]]> https://www.svanapaper.com/veering-off-course-with-mgmts-mgmt-2/feed/ 0 https://www.svanapaper.com/mercury-prize-2013-the-nominees-are-in/ https://www.svanapaper.com/mercury-prize-2013-the-nominees-are-in/#comments Fri, 13 Sep 2013 04:11:45 +0000 Alcander Alonzo http://www.svanapaper.com/?p=5027

On Wednesday (9/11), the Mercury Prize’s panel announced the full list for this year’s nominees. The list consists of 12 best albums of British artists which have been scoring the market and the chart with its notable songs. The award is led by David Bowie’s comeback album, ‘The Next Day’, and followed by London’s post-punk newcomer, Savages. By the time when the list was revealed, medias started dropping a comment that this year’s nominees is a bit mainstream unlike the previous year. People have also predicted that David Bowie will be winning this year’s trophy ever since this is his first album after a decade. Speaking of first album, Savages will also steal the spotlight as their debut album, ‘Silence Yourself’, has been identified as the freshest work for post-punk music. So how the competition will be? We are doing some short review of the nominees’ albums to give you a short look on how Mercury Prize 2013 sounds like :

1. Arctic Monkeys – AM

Arctic Monkeys’ latest album is definitely a safe bet for this year’s Mercury Prize. The Sheffield quartet’s fifth album receives the best review among their previous albums. As the band starts producing the music in Los Angeles (with James Ford and Ross Orton as the producers), it somehow affects the band’s sounds. Alex Turner also has turned the wheel of his songwriting skill to a more blue-black and once again, sleeker. Just like what Matt Helders said on this album “the album we’ve always been wanting to make”, this is probably the one that the band are totally pouring their skills and influences in.

2. David Bowie – The Next Day

How does a legendary musician sound like when he is breaking a decade of silence with a surprise comeback? It’s as good as how he has to be. David Bowie’s 24th albums was secretly produced (that’s why it’s very surprising) in New York with a long time producer, Toni Visconti. The materials in ‘The Next Day’ are very bold, bright, and the lyrics are also one of his best work as a lyricist. Eventhough some people say that this comeback’s album has a flaw in it, we really think David Bowie has re-emerged his music, career, and also perfectly moulded. The 80’s power pop and rock ambiance of 60’s have summed up how one of the finest rockstarts on earth to bring the hype in.

3. Foals – Holy Fire

Should we call it a “Bang!” for the Oxford dudes’ work? Holy Fire is the band’s third studio album, and sometimes the third is the charm. And it is for Foals. ‘Holy Fire’ is without a doubt a very thoughtful work which is packaged in a very epic way. A wonderful comment on the band’s latest album is also thrown by BBC “The angular, spiky guitars of old have been joined by a altogether fuller, warmer sound. The album’s lead single, Inhaler, has a driving epic quality worthy of a stadium rock band.”

4. Laura Marling – Once I Was an Eagle

Laura Marling keeps stealing the attention and good critics for her music. Laura Marling has always been putting some unique intensity and her soul for her music. The credibility of her musical and songwriting skill have remarkbly put her name as the never ending ones to watch. The perfection is elevated with the collaboration of her and Ethan Johns for producing ‘Once I Was an Eagle’. It also reminds us that this is her third time for being nominated in Mercury Prize. But will she win it? Her consistency with an ambitious and expansive work will reveal it all.

5. Disclosure – Settle

The band have been hailed for their dance music and given an outstanding call-out. ‘Settle’ is 100% a sugar land for a fan of Groove Armada or Artful Dodger. Knowing that ‘Settle’ is the duo’s debut album, we are blown with its content. What not to love! The album itself will give you the finest house music, 90’s electro and some modern dance music. Somehow, it also gives us a chill that their music is reflecting the era when Basement Jaxx were dominating the dance music industry.

6. James Blake – Overgrown

James Blake will never lose his class. That is the first thing that acrosses our mind when this album was released. James Blake’s deep vocal and soulful music are completing his incredible work in ‘Overgrown’. Did a little dubstep on his debut album (which gained him a name and also a nomination for the same award), the well-trained pianist doubled the class with a nice touch of hip hop and soul for the latest work. The obvious result is shown in ‘Retrograded’.

7. Jake Bugg – Jake Bugg

The Nottingham singer has drawn the attention by the first time when he launched his appearance in the music industry. Producing more generous material for the self-titled album, Jake Bugg is receiving his latest work as the best-received to date. The album which consist of 14 track are showing the Dylan-esque music has acclaimed the 19-year-old singer the highest place in a music chart. It still amazes us with the music that he produced, considering he is still young, which is well-described as “The Old Person’s Young Singer”. The album also put the era of Britpop back to the map with its blues-inspired indie pop songs.

8. Rudimental – Home

Rudimental’s Home is like a spin-off of James Brown and Basement Jaxx. That is our best explanation of their music. Elevating the dance music euphoria, Rudimental drop their sickest drums and bass to a timeless sound of dance music. As the quartet once said that they need some anthemic songs, ‘Home’ is giving us all. Storming with a very rich mixing of garage rhythmic, 90’s dance music, and even a collaboration of Emeli Sandé. If this album was a music store, this would have the best collections of music. Hats off with their super elevated music.

9. Laura Mvula – Sing To The Moon

If Amy Winehouse was able to listen to Laura Mvula’s work, she would be dying to work with her. Laura Mvula is one of the most compelling new acts as her music has been labelled as the hybrid of Nina Simone and Billie Holiday. Her work in ‘Sing to the Moon’ have rocketed her name as Elton John is praising her music (and later has become Laura Mvula’s biggest fan). With her singing sensastion, she put an extraordinary arrangement with a dip of sunny jazz and a clash of retro soul. She also blooms the album with a melancholy classy lyric.

10. Jon Hopkins – Immunity

If we look into his history and track record (co-produced Coldplay and worked with Brian Eno), we would set a high expectation of his music. ‘Immunity’ is the fourth solo album which got hailed by NME as an “expertly paced” album that “resemble the peaks and troughs of an epic night out, the first half… is a continuous build to the crunching nine-minute techno opus of Collider, before the second half winds down to the title track, which features the mollifying vocals of King Creosote, another frequent collaborator”. Jon Hopkins produced a very haunting and great electronic touch in it, this album also let us to enter the new personal space of him.

11. Savages – Silence Yourself

In the fashion world, there will always a newcomer who sparks out the industry and knocks out big labels by the time the model walks in. We can’t name the current fresh face in the modelling field, but if we are asked the same thing on music world, we are sending out Savages! As the four girls blasted their music in 2011, the world have expected their debut will be incredibly amazing. ‘Silence Yoursel’ will take you to a time machine and drop you in the era of gothic rock and post-punk music. The vocalist, Jehnny Beth, is giving an provoking vocal which has matched really well with the music. A very angular music and ear snapping guitar lines are making their debut album more intense.

12. Villagers – Awayland

Villagers are an Irish indie-folk band who give a new sound of folk. By bringing some modern folk music, Villagers’ ‘Awayland’has a masterful work. The credits also go to the band’s leader, O’Brien. O’Brien did a clever with the songs’s poetic lyrics and turned the album to a great treasure. This album also has put the Irish band to the second time for being nominated in Mercury Prize. Back to the pureness of the album, Villagers are setting the bar of how a folk music should be produced.

That’s all from us for Mercury Prize 2013. This year is just as exciting and interesting to be seen. The 12 talented british acts have shown their best to gain the name in the industry. Some are trying to draw a comeback, some are succesfully attracted the world with their debut, and some are the old names who have been nominated in the previous years. So, Who’ll be taking the bacon of this annual award? The answer will be revealed on October 30th 2013.

Hobo Rocket, their fifth album, was finally released on August 2nd. And to say that Pond is on fire would be an understatement: the guys have produced five albums in the span of five years since their formation. And with them, it’s not the common tale of I’m-aiming-for-commercial-success-so-I-force-myself-to-be-productive like so many artists have fallen trap into nowadays. It seems like their heads are just so full with ideas that they simply can’t contain it all inside anymore, and those ideas found their way out themselves.

The album opens with Whatever Happened To The Million Head Collide, giving us a warm up before we move on deeper into the album, with such futuristic notes that somehow still have a trace of vintage feel amidst the modern vibe. The drums in the background work so well with the tingling synthesizers and vocalist, Nick Allbrook’s yowls and occasional chants. Allbrook’s scream in the middle of the song should’ve felt out of place. But miraculously, it doesn’t. It actually works with the pace of the whole song. As the song breaks into a full-on guitar riffs, you can’t help but lose yourself to the rock ‘n roll feel that lulls your subconscious into a state of trance. And it’s just the beginning.

“Xanman, Xanman. She wouldn’t understand, you were crying for your man!” Allbrook cries in the second track, Xanman. Within the first twenty seconds of the song, we are treated with the buzzing guitar that reminds us a bit with the one from the other track off Hobo Rocket: Giant Tortoise. The free-wheeling cymbals and intense loopy vortex made for hallucinogenic songwriting.

O Dharma, on the other hand, is something of a half-awake state of mind. It’s trippy and swirly, peaceful and serene—the kind of music that drowns you in a wave of positivity. Followed by Alone A Flame A Flower, a druggy, psychedelic-heavy tune, the album is brought into a halt. It’s like Pond is giving us a short break from the energetic, explosive, head-banging mood the first two songs had set up.

Hobo Rocket is full of vocals drenched in reverb, thunderous drumming, and ominous riffs as well as stabbing piano. The majority of these elements are showed in Giant Tortoise, which also happened to be the first single to be released from the album. The song gives you goosebumps, as you can feel its richness through the guitar that sounds like amplifier being fed through a filter.

Come the time for us to listen to the title track, Hobo Rocket, and our interest is instantly piqued by the spoken work poetry (performed by Cowboy John). It’s chaotic and slightly schizophrenic, and in the middle of his rambling you can hear John asking the band: “What kind of drugs you boys on?” The track is a free-flowing jam and frankly, it’s not really essential, but you got to give Pond a credit for making it as listenable as everything else on the album.

The album closes with Midnight Mass, a dreamy, heavy psych-rock that’s filled with skeletal keyboards. It’s taken to climax with Allbrook’s scream one minute into the song, and the thrill is prolonged by the drum-led freak out repete and spacey effects.

All in all, Hobo Rocket is no doubt a psychedelic beast. It’s rough; explosive; but with pedal bursts, percussion, and synth warps that are stitched skillfully. Afterall, Nick Allbrook himself had labeled the album as “…jammy, and sloppy as sh*t.” And like everything Pond has ever done, it reeks of raw emotions and passion, while still managing to be so carefully-assembled. The songs feel inaccessible, unmemorable, and the distortion that’s present throughout the album makes it indecipherable. But it works for Pond. Just like the work of Vincent Van Gogh, you don’t have to really understand it to know that it’s beautiful. Hobo Rocket might not be as ace as its predecessor, Beard, Wives, Denim, and it doesn’t really take Pond to the next level. But it’s a piece of art in its own way, and ensures Pond’s consistency in creating decent music.

What we didn’t expect was to find that the sad anthem vibe doesn’t only resonate in Varsity alone. It’s a constant existence throughout the whole album. Soft Will still has the 60s—70s influence speckled on each track, showing that while Smith Westerns have grown throughout the years, they still haven’t fully forgotten their original roots. But unlike the band’s last album, Dye It Blonde (2011), Soft Will doesn’t have huge choruses.

The first track, 3am Spiritual,  is a massive summer-poised sing-a-long number; lazy and laidback with a breeze of warm air, what with the flickers of guitar and airy bass. The next track, Idol, has spacey melody and feels a little like a Beach House song. Glossed gives a nod to the past by channeling some 60′s feel with a taste dream-pop and psych-laced slide guitars. It seems like Smith Westerns are now trying to lean onto a more contemporary sound than sticking to the sounds of yesteryear. While you might frown at the rather—ahem—dull title, the eight track, Best Friend, is sun-drenched and stretches out vocalist Cullen Omori’s vocals and enamors you with the harmony.

Soft Will sees Smith Westerns maturing in terms of style and production. But it’s lacking some weight in it. Smith Westerns seem to have gotten lost in this teen-dreamatorium; they didn’t didn’t bring much in the way of rhythmic drive to the proceedings—leaving the mellow vibe alone, not giving it any twist. It’s something that will make you feel like you’re being taken to somewhere more peculiar than a common beach, but you actually are not going anywhere. By the time you realize it, you’ll be a little bummed, but at least the view is pretty.

]]> https://www.svanapaper.com/smith-westwerns-on-their-road-to-adolescence/feed/ 0 https://www.svanapaper.com/yeah-yeah-yeahs-intriguing-side-on-mosquito/ https://www.svanapaper.com/yeah-yeah-yeahs-intriguing-side-on-mosquito/#comments Mon, 20 May 2013 13:29:05 +0000 Alcander Alonzo http://www.svanapaper.com/?p=4238 By the time when the teaser of Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ fourth album was launched, people started assuming this album will be ‘Fever To Tell V.2.0’, but when we dig more once the album is officially released, we definitely discover the different side of Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

If you want to hear the raw vocals and raw musics that the New Yorkers have on their first album, you’ll totally miss them out on Mosquito, as Karen O said to NME “So much feeling went into this record, it was the rope ladder thrown down into the ditch for us to climb up and dust ourselves off.” This fourth album actually gives you the second version of ‘It’s Blitz!’. The first track of this song is ‘Sacrilege’, it tells about a love story, well, we don’t want to discuss about the materials and the meanings of this song, but what is really interesting is Karen O’s idea to add gospel choirs at the end of the song, which gives a sacred-like ambiance or more religious’ point of view. For the next track, ‘Subway’, gives a gloomy with a sound of a subway train. The fact that Karen O wrote this song because she thinks the band should have a song that describes about New York, is not really delivering the point of the song. ‘Mosquito’ is probably the song that will be the band’s opener for their upcoming concerts, the song is really pumping, not as pumping as ‘Date With The Night’ or ‘Tick’, but if you are looking for the song that you’d like to karaoke for, this song will fit you most. Their ‘Under The Earth’ is our next favourite, it’s full with the heavy drums, and eventhough it sounds dark (or not so dark). ‘Area 52’ is the bomb! We’ll say that because this song is the closest one to the raw Yeah Yeah Yeahs, plus to confirm about the raw-ness of Area 52, Karen O confessed that this song has the roughest lyrics (after ‘Art Star’), it also has the best Nick’s riff in this album (there you go for those who scream a Fever To Tell-ish song!). Area 52 is obviously the song that has the richest materials among the other tracks. Their songs like ‘Despair’ and ‘Wedding Song’ are some of the song that show the genius part of the band’s musicality.

The fourth album is just different, it gives the different side of the band, intriguing and also less crazier. Most of the tracks offer dark and low tunes, and even for ‘Buried Alive’ features DrOctagon, the guest rap for the song. It’s just different. Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ three previous albums got nominated for Grammys, we were expecting the fourth would be the goal of the band to score the triumph, but after ripping the album, we are quite doubt this album will even be nominated. However, Yeah Yeah Yeahs are on their transition way, this album is just not their strongest work. Yeah Yeah Yeahs are not the party-punks anymore, the songs in ‘Mosquito’ are not the songs that will make Karen do some crazy stage acts, it’s the mature Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Mosquito :