Top 5 - Kerwin So
1) Jimmy Eat World, Clarity (Capitol). Fall in love with rock all over again. Actually, I just wanted to write that. But in all seriousness, the third full-length from this Tempe, AZ, quartet sparkles with the innocence and romance sadly lost in today's market of vapid aggression and commercially depressoid offal that passes as art. Thirteen strong songs pushed into the echelons of brilliance by clear, heartfelt vocals and unbelievable production by the ever-talented Mark Trombino, Clarity is great first-kiss material. Heck, there's even a Christmas song (of sorts) on here.
2) Papa M, Live From a Shark Cage (Drag City). Meditative, alluring guitar soundscapes crafted by indie rock's guiding light, David Pajo. Modern instrumental music that's neither pretentious nor New Age-y, but packs plenty of depth. Wonderful.
3) Various Artists, Reach the Rock Soundtrack (Hefty). John McEntire (of Tortoise fame, and a talented producer and engineer in his own right) was commissioned by John Hughes (the man behind the '80s Brat Pack movies) to score the soundtrack to his latest film. McEntire turns in seven original, evocative pieces, and ropes in some help from other post-rock luminaries (including Tortoise and the Sea and Cake) to round out one of the most consistent releases this year. The sparse but richly melodic closing track by Dianogah will leave you breathless, and is worth the price of admission alone.
4) Godspeed You Black Emperor!, Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada (Kranky). If you could expand tenfold on the alienation and helplessness conveyed by Radiohead's OK Computer, you'd get something akin to Montreal, Canada's Godspeed You Black Emperor. This two-song, half hour long EP continues the band's exploration of the isolation and death of the human spirit in the context of urban decay and hyper-modern society-- all without vocals. The only voice comes by way of interview samples with an angry man on the street, explaining why he hates and distrusts the government. The songs, utilizing weeping strings and other symphonic elements along with standard rock instrumentation, build and collapse over the span of 10 to 15 intense minutes, at times reaching overwhelming rushes of ineffable sadness, despair, and majesty, all beautifully mangled together. Godspeed's music is not for the timid: if there's something lurking deep inside of you, this is the band to drag it out, kicking and screaming.
5) Juno, This is the Way It Goes and Goes (DeSoto). It's rare when a bonafide rock band releases a debut this deep and affecting, flowing with so many musical ideas that somehow work in concert. I'm still trying to plow through this album, as a matter of fact, but off-hand I'd say they remind me of bands as diverse as Nirvana, aMiniature, Jawbreaker, and Mogwai. Juno's managed to pull elements like shoegazer and emo rock together to create a dark, powerful sound that's uniquely their own. As lead singer Arlie Carstens put it in a great interview with the zine Lost At Sea, "We wanted the record to sound massive and enveloping. Pull the listener in and immerse them in a mood. Give them a lot to decipher and play with." They've certainly accomplished that, and we should give thanks.
