Posts tagged ‘song’
The Hold Steady Premiere First Single From Heaven is Whenever, “Hurricane J”
The Hold Steady frontman Craig Finn recently set the record straight in an interview with Entertainment Weekly on those who were concerned that when he said their new album, Heaven is Whenever (due May 4th), would be “less anthemic” than its predecessors, that the band was going in a completely new direction:
There’s a fair amount of songs that didn’t make the record, and that’s always a heartbreaking thing, choosing between your favorite children. But in the end, it is a little different. Franz’s departure is a part of that. It’s also kind of where our heads are at. I said it’s “less anthemic” somewhere, and that was on Pitchfork, and a lot of people were like, “What??!?! It’s less anthemic??!!!?” So I don’t know if I should say that again. But that’s sort of one way of thinking about it. I think it’s a little more mature. More laid back. It might be a little less [he thrashes his fist in the air], you know? Maybe it’s more age-appropriate for a 38 year old.
If the first single, “Hurricane J,” is any indication, then Finn’s latest explanation rings true. It’s a more streamlined, melodic and laid-back version of The Hold Steady, perhaps more so than they’ve ever been. But what remains intact are Tad Kubler’s compelling guitar riffs and Finn’s vivid lyrical work. He’s noticeably better at singing than he’s been at any point in his career, and it can only benefit the band going forward. Perhaps this is the album where the rest of the world learns of this excellent band’s presence in the music world…
Check out the single at Consequence of Sound.
MGMT Release “Flash Delirium,” the First Track From New Album, “Congratulations”
Those wondering whether Brooklyn-based pop duo MGMT will follow the success of smash singles like “Kids” and “Time to Pretend” with another album like debut LP Oracular Spectacular- one full of danceable beats, thick bass grooves, and hummable hooks- will be floored when they hear “Flash Delirium,” the first “single” from sophomore album Congratulations to be released to the public through the group’s website.
“Flash Delirium” is far, far away from the pop sensibilities of MGMT’s most popular tracks. It’s a shape-shifting, chorus-less, homage-laden psych-rock odyssey- or should I say “oddity?” The song is a little over four minutes long but features at least seven distinct parts. Don’t bother asking me every single form of music that MGMT is referencing here- Pitchfork Media took care of that for us.
Here’s a video of the entire track, complete with the lyrics, which when described as “cryptic” or “bizarre” would be an understatement.
From the outset, MGMT have made it apparent that they were not interested in presenting Congratulations as a collection of three pop singles surrounded by forgettable filler material. Co-member Ben Goldwasser told New Musical Express last month:
“There definitely isn’t a ‘Time To Pretend’ or a ‘Kids’ on the album. We’ve been talking about ways to make sure people hear the album as an album in order and not just figure out what are the best three tracks, download those and not listen to the rest of it.”
Instead, Goldwasser and other permanent member Andrew VanWyngarden have crafted an album that they described to NME as “nine individual musical tours de force sequenced to flow with sonic and thematic coherence.” It’s clearly an attempt to counteract the current music trend of disregarding albums as complete works and only downloading the tracks one deems worthy of a spot in his or her music library, which I admire.
The cover art for MGMT's "Congratulations."
The very idea of an album as a complete work has pretty much gone by the wayside in today’s world of MP3s and digital downloads. Fans no longer need to go buy the entire album in CD form and hear it from start to finish to determine their favorite tracks. Individual songs can be downloaded and the rest can be ignored entirely.
It used to almost be a science determining the order of songs on an album. When vinyl was still on top, the major concern was which song opened side one and side two, respectively, and the same general structure applied to CDs. The digital age has all but destroyed the concept, but it’s refreshing to see a forward-thinking group like MGMT keeping it alive.
Green Day tried reinforcing the same idea with their latest album, 21st Century Breakdown, but still couldn’t resist releasing standout singles like “21 Guns” and “Know Your Enemy.” MGMT have gone the complete opposite direction, and instead have created a free-form musical journey through American’s psychedelic roots. Congratulations officially hits stores April 13.
