More Hot New Tunes!!!!!!!!!!!11 Vol 2

cheer up, sparkly horse!


The second installment of Remix Mountain's up-to-the-minute summer music coverage. (for the first, go here.)


Sparklehorse:
I don't know anything about this band, but at thirty seconds of first listen, they sound like one of those acts who use a heavy rhythm section and some sensitive lyrics/vocals for a "nuanced balance" that tricks the listener into experiencing emotion while hearing their songs, the listener thus forced to attached a meaningful connection to this band, which means they will purchase albums the week they're "dropped" and attending shows when said meaningful band comes into town. I don't know about you, but that's why I listen to Broken Social Scene.
Ok so I just googled them, and apparently it's like one guy who's been around since 1996? Oh well. Sorry, man.
I should've known; he sounds kind of depressed. Everyone knows that now you have to back your feelings to a rad beat for kids (target demographic of urban/suburban youths with disposable income) to like it, because being sad by yourself hasn't been cool since before the internet was invented. Young people want to connect with their peers in a meaningful way, specifically in a combination of danceable beats and meaningful lyrics (see LCD Soundsystem). ok I need to turn this off, its dissonance is making me vaguely think about things/ acknowledge my emotions and I'm getting depressed.
HOLY SHIT that was depressing. I have a tummy ache.
Verdict: Do not listen to alone.


Kanye West:
I seriously could not care less about this music. The most boring thing I've heard since Passion Pit. I think his intense relationship with the press/ the internet/ himself has led to Kanye-oversaturation and I associate him with the mainstream/ everything that really sucks, so I refuse to put in the time it would take to experience Kanye as an artist.
Verdict: I'm going to spend my very limited mainstream time on Beyonce.

Bon Iver:
Like everyone else*, I love to sit around and cry to Bon Iver. I think he is brilliant, and represents a real turning of the tide in "indie music", so much so that music with loud guitars seems incredibly dated and from 2005. Try listening to Wolf Parade after you hear this, and you'll know what I mean. Bon Iver and Fleet Foxes are leading this movement of quiet sincerity, which over-30s will call something stupid like "post-college hippy music" or something. But seriously, this guy is like a silent steamroller. I'll leave it at that.

*with grossly impossible idealistic expectations of life/love and an affinity for bearded men. i.e., everyone.

Beirut:
There are a lot of "Cool New Bands" that the Indie Industrial Complex tries to shove down your throat every week. Said complex likes to take advantage of young people who feel they need to commit to the "large-scale consumer of music" lifestyle to appeal to people "cooler than them" and also attractive to members of the opposite sex. An important part of this production/consumption loop is exposure of new artists by important "music blogs" and word of mouth. This means that you can get burned out on a band before you even hear them. I prefer to weather the first round of hype and see what sticks. Beirut was one of those names that was "on the radar" and I figured it was something stupid and "twee" that probably had some gimmick like a "cute girl and her boyfriend." I am very happy to say that I've been proven completely wrong. Beirut take some major risks in their sound and the results are breathtaking and heartbreaking. More of that return to sincerity, like Bon Iver et al (although Beirut came first). Gulag Orkestar is heavy and dense, where The Flying Club Cup is baroque and melancholy. Both are nearly perfect albums that possess a mature sense of texture; the songs almost have a sculptural quality, built from multiple layers that beg the listener to revisit.
After doing some research, I found that Zach Condon is only 23. Wow. Really makes you think (i.e. drink heavily). Most of the famous people who were younger than me used to be Lindsay Lohan, and that was ok, but this is a little disconcerting.
Verdict: The coveted "Remix Mountain Hats Off" to Beirut.


Next: the epic finale of this month's music coverage. It will change your life.