Saturday, November 29, 2008

Guess What Wesley is Dressed as! Plus: Superb Saturday Mix!

This is it! The last Wesley the Robot Cartoon of the year! I decided to take a hiatus from the squid battle and do something more festive and cute. Who would have ever thought that “Cute” would be the word to describe this emotionally impaired automoton? Stay tuned for more on Wesley’s meteoric rise to fame.

Friday, November 28, 2008

Asian Singing, Piano & Dance Beats with Gejius

Gejius is an electronic artist out of Portland, Oregon whose real name is Aaron. What a great name. His work features innovative and melodic uses of electronic instruments. His work on the track Makkuro Kurosuke even features some kind of Asian chant with ballad worthy piano. On his So Sad(Gravity/Love) remix he stretches the vocals 40 yards past autotune and plants it in the endzone of innovative electro. If I had to categorize it, I would say it's like Radiohead, Mouse on Mars, and the Notwist roadtripping across the USA


Thursday, November 27, 2008

Have a Very AZLTRON Thanksgiving!


Well, it's that day again, the day to gather around with family and rub a long fork like utensil and a knife over a very dead piece of poultry. Pass the cranberry sauce 'cause Grandpa is going to tell you about the weather and the news. It might be time to start bracing yourself for an extended amount of time with your nuclear family. Time to find your zen, get in your happy place and endure the hot coals of superficial niceties.If you find all this togetherness a little awkward (Like Me), it's also the day to trace your hand and turn it into a poorly rendered turkey! Check out this tom to the left! Pretty handsome eh? Anyway, I've composed a mix of entertaining Turkey-Day tunes. Enjoy!

Lowfish Burns the Light Out on New Album!

Toronto born Gregory De Rocher has been using the moniker "Lowfish" since 1995 to label his unique brand of electronic that stradles IDM and old school synth pop. He got his name because he prided himself on the "lo-fi-ish" sound of his recordings, and the name stuck. On his new album Burn the Lights Out, Lowfish again uses vintage technology and analog skills to make music that fans of Depeche Mode, Skinny Puppy, Giorgio Moroder, Aphex Twin or Modeselektor will no doubt enjoy. Sometimes dark, sometimes poppy, always innovative, Lowfish has got the goods.



Sissy Ven's April & May


Sissy Ven's
new single "April & May" runs the full electro gamut. Starting off with sparse drums and soundscaping synths, the banger slowly adds in new elements, from high pitched wailing synths to full on party down handclaps. There's even breaks from the dancefloor melting and some faint vocals before the song shakes up and drops back into debauchery mode. It might almost be December, but Sissy Ven will have you aching for spring with their single "April & May".

Sissy Ven - April & May

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

My Dear Disco Invites you to Dancethink!

My Dear Disco is a band out of Anne Arbor Michigan being hailed by many as that area's new "it" band. They may not be far off. The band pumps out funk-tastic electro that dabbles in r&b and swirly island rhythms with full on soulful vocals. What are they putting in the water in Michigan?

My Dear Disco - White Lies

My Dear Disco Myspace

Guest Blogger Reviews El Ten Eleven @ The Bug Jar!

Since I can't be everywhere at once, I've decided to start outsourcing some articles to some of my friends if they feel like writing. Don't worry there's no India tech support in the pipeline, but there is a review and photos of El Ten Eleven's performance at the Bug Jar, courtesy of my congenial cohort, miss Sarah Heppel.

"So, I made the trip to Rochester Sunday morning with the main purpose to go to the Bug Jar and see El Ten Eleven.

We had about an hour to kill before doors opened, but we wanted to go there even later than that so we headed to a coffee shop that a friend recommended. Turns out it was closed so we ended up going to this other diner to get coffee. It wasn't as fun and we weren't there very long. We headed to the Bug Jar, but the show wasn't going to start until like 10:30 or later so we were confused about what to do next. Soooo, we ended up going to another coffee house, Boulder Coffee. It was interesting because it was open mic comedy night! It was Semi-entertaining. We hung out for a while.. I didn't get anything there because I just had coffee at our previous stop.

Finally, when we arrived @ the Bug Jar, the first band was about to start. My boyfriend Tim and I took a shot and had a beer to warm up. We went outside and stood for a while. We didn't really care for the first band, The Cheetah Whores, at all. The second band, The Ideas, (?) were good but I felt the electric violin in the band wasn't as prominent as it could have been. They still were good, though.

A few beers later, El Ten Eleven starts piling their stuff on stage. If you remember my post a month or so ago, I promoted this band, and when I saw the documentary Helvetica, there was a band I fell in love with who had a bunch of songs on the documentaries soundtrack.. Well this is them.

They have quite the gear load for a duo. The bassist/guitarist has a pedal board as long as I am tall, or so it seemed. He has 2 double neck bass/guitars and a few other guitars he uses. He was mainly lovin' on the double neck and his single bass. He uses a loop pedal and manages to make the tunes sound not repetitive. He's constantly tapping his feet on different pedals. He is the busiest guitarist I've ever seen. Their music was dead on and their attitudes showed they were loving Rochester."

El Ten Eleven - I Like van Halen Because My Sister Says They are Cool

El Ten Eleven Myspace

For more from my amicable alcoholic amigo (JK!) check out her blog here.

Jonathan Visger's North South EP

Mason Proper's own Jonathan Visger recently struck out on his own to channel the sound of Mason Proper through the big beats and breaks Hip Hop production. It was his intention to get under the skin of the hip hop approach to music and recreate some of those driving moments where the breakbeats drop and sound really, really good. The beats here definitely have some bite to them, but it's the musical textures and Visger's entertaining lyrics that demand all the attention.

A whimsical guitar melody kicks off opening track "Books About Nothing", sounding a bit like Vampire Weekend before a harmonica drops in along with waves of reverb. On the song, Visger muses "I got a job at a meat shop, only thing they think I'm qualified for, I read a famous book about nothing, it was incredibly thick", incisively describing the rut that many of us fall into, working a dead end job, looking for something more but coming up empty. But the lyrics "I want to read more books about nothing" toward the end of the song indicate that hope isn't lost, and that the traction to get out of that rut could be one ridiculously long book away.

The following number, "Fish Eyes" opens with a glorious synth tone as Visger's vocals chime through a low-fi microphone or some kind of megaphone going on about the primordial goo that we evolved from as well as landlords and tenants. This fever dream of a song makes excellent use of funky guitars, neat keyboard noodling, and features the most driving hip-hop beat on the album. A highlight for sure.

The next song "Give Blood, Save a Life" employs a beautiful bad day piano melody that perfectly echoes the lyrics "This has been a long day, this has been a long, long, horrible, horrible day". The whistles and backwards guitar add some great flavor to the song. I couldn't think of a better song to carry a grudge to, while walking on a downtown sidewalk with your scarf pulled up over your nose.

Finally, "The Stupidest Things" opens with the sparsest keyboard melody and drum beats on the album before building and building into a prehistoric interpretive dance break down.

The lyrical content of the EP makes me believe that this is a celebration of isolation and introspection. About speculating about the guy who lives next to you while reading text books about how the eyes of fish have evolved. Overall, Jonathan Visger's whimsical melodies and half crazy ADD lyrics make his North South EP a joy to listen to.

Jonathan Visger - Fish Eyes

Secret Tunnel Group - Jonathan Visger (You can buy the album here for $3.00! What a deal!)


Tuesday, November 25, 2008

All 'Killer' No Filler on Day & Age

The Killers' new album "Day & Age" marks their return to the sublime dreamy pop that got the kids excited in the first place. With "Sam's Town" they tried to please the guy in the crowd that made fun of their make-up and suits, what they didn't realize though, was that he paid to get in. They already had the backwards hat frat crowd. I remember when I opened my door for a doofy R.A. my freshman year and he saw my Killers shirt and couldn't stop talking about how great the album was.

That said, this time around The Killers do push their style in ways that do succeed wildly. From the slow burning opener "Losing Touch" that makes excellent use of left over "Bones" horns, to the dance 'till you drop beats and synths of "Human", to the most complete return to Hot Fuss Form "Spaceman". The Killers set the tone early, they are back, and then they give you a tour of Vegas with reckless abandon. Like on the cowboy steel drum funk that is "Joy Ride", the song is unabashedly fun, but Brandon Flowers' earnest vocals ground the debauchery with the wide eyed wonder of a designated driver caught in the spotlight.

On "Sam's Town" it felt like The Killers were spinning their creative compass, on "Day and Age" it feels as if they've thrown it out and just headed towards a star. Brandon Flowers still uses his more "salt of the earth" lyrical approach but this time around the music itself towers as tall as his words. Where as on "Sam's Town" there was no monolith of sound to sweep up those hometown ambitions. That means, yes, they use the power ballad more than once, "A Dustland Fairy Tale", "This is Your Life", and "The World We Live In", where they sound more like Duran Duran than they ever have before, and strangely enough it's a good thing. "Day & Age" offers up a smorgasbord of obvious influences of the band in each song like the decidedly Talking Heads-esque "I Can't Stay" to the Curish "Goodnight Travel, Travel Well" that uses circular synth patterns that sound an awful lot like "Pictures of You", but they also imprint their unique stamp on each song and even make songs that have great potential to seem gaudy or redundant, "Neon Tiger", and made it sound somewhat fresh and new. Even the album art fits perfectly with the warm glow that the album leaves you with. A glow warm and good enough to let me finish this review with the phrase; "All killer, no filler" and mean it.

The Killers - Human (Ocelot Remix)

The Killers - The World We Live In

The Killers - Forget About What I said (Bonus Track)

The Killers Myspace

Monday, November 24, 2008

Heads We Dance Release New Single "Human Touch"!

The Leeds, UK synth pop group Heads We Dance has finally released their new single "Human Touch", available now in limited 12" and as a free download. The single roars to life with sirens in lending itself to the imagery of a "Metropolis" like retro-futurist city. Vocals are run through a razor sharp vocoder and diced to perfection in between hyper aggressive snares and mountains of fuzz bass, pausing only to tease you with a Daft Punk-like interlude before diving back into the mayhem. The B-side "You Are Never Alone With Model 21" spotlights the velvety smooth vocals of Pierre as heavily phased riffs whiz by like hyper futuristic taxi cabs. If you're a fan of the Human League, Daft Punk, Justice or just plain quality dance music "Human Touch" is for you.

Heads We Dance - The Human Touch

Heads We Dance - You Are Never Alone With Model 21


Heads We Dance - Love Version 15

Heads We Dance Myspace

Friday, November 21, 2008

Wesley The Robot is being Attacked by a 60 Foot Lesbian Octopus!!!! Plus a Friday Mix!

If a giant octopus is attacking a power plant, that's probably not good. That's also probably the reason the power went out when Wesley was charging. I think maybe Beatrice owes Wesley an apology.

Does It Offend You Yeah? - Attack Of The 60 Ft Lesbian Octopus


The Octopus project - Truck

Laromlab - Sid Attacks


Mr. Oizo - Feadz On

New Order - Dream Attack

Simian Mobile Disco - Sleep Deprivation


Tin Can Telephone - Spak Attack

Battle - Demons

The Cinematics - Break

David Bowie - Breaking Glass


Justice - Let There Be Light (Breakbot Remix)


DJ Krafty Kuts - The Message (Accapella) - Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five


Lykke Li - Breaking It Up

Thomas Dolby - Commercial Breakup

Go! Motion - A Broken Argument

Stryofoam - Safe + Broken

Thursday, November 20, 2008

10 Questions with Jonathan Visger of Mason Proper!

I recently had the chance to talk to Jonathan Visger of Mason Proper to discuss the new album, his solo project, and touring.

1. You nestled into a town called Alpena in your home state of Michigan to write Mason Proper's sophomore album "Olly Oxen Free", can you describe your writing process and what inspired you this time around?

Jonathan Visger: I like to write quickly in isolation. Just try to get at least one idea out in a day. Sometimes they aren't good, but sometimes they are. You can't tell when you're writing it. Sometimes you can't tell at all. That was why when it came time to actually choose the songs
to go on the album, we went into full democratic mode and the other guys weighed in on what they liked and pretty much chose the track listing. We got very into Edward Gorey and David Lynch during the creation of There is a Moth in Your Chest, and that influence came out more strongly on this album I think. We've internalized the sense of humor and mood a lot more since then.

2. Olly Olly Oxen Free has a more refined, spare sound to it when compared with your previous album "There is a Moth in Your Chest", was there a conscious decision to approach a second album from a more minimalist perspective?

JV: Absolutely. On the first album, it was kind of an "all in" approach. If something wasn't working, we'd add something else along with it until it did. With this album, we decided to take the opposite approach. It's less dense, but the instruments that are there have breathing room and can sound more natural and full-bodied.

3. Engineer/Producer Chris Coady produced the album; can you talk about working with him and his contribution to the album?

JV: We did four days of pre-production with him when we were choosing the songs and designing out the album. It was still very liquid at that point... There was lots of loose hypothetical discussion going on. Everyone just getting on the same wavelength. Then he took off to
work on Dear Science for a little while, and in that month we rented ahouse and recorded/produced the whole album. Then I flew to Carriage House studios in Connecticut and Chris and I mixed the album and added the finishing touches to it.

4. He's known for working in interesting ways with vocal tracks, particularly with TV on the Radio, and there are some interesting effects present on "Olly Olly Oxen Free", did he have you record vocals in a different way than you had in the past?

JV: We did all the vocal recording ourselves, but the basis of our approach was to keep the demo vocals whenever possible, to preserve the original intent. In a few places that means the final vocals on the album were recorded into the noisy internal microphone on my laptop. Other than that it's our vocal editing process, which involves trying to strike a balance between the takes with the most character and the ones that express the melodies the best.

5. In "Olly Olly Oxen Free" there are samples and strange instruments peppered throughout the songs. Where did the idea come from to sample little kids and use a slide whistle? (If that is a slide whistle on "Lock and Key")

JV: We do all of that stuff intuitively. You just hear a sound, it resonates for some reason, and you use it. Everything we do gets measured against if it feels right, instinctively. It's all about
trying to tap into a deeper part of yourself to make decisions than your overly analytical internal monologue will allow. I hope that doesn't seem like a cop-out answer, but it's true of how things
operate for us these days. (The whistle noise was Jonathan whistling into his lap top and playing it back out through a guitar amp).

6. The song "The Fog" talks about using a crystal ball and a TV to find out where someone is and "Olly Oxen Free" is a term that roughly means "It's safe to come out"; are these ideas a continuation of the theme of a rift or perhaps reconciliation with friends that you touched on with
"Friendship" off of your Shorthand EP?


JV: They might be... this kind of relates to the "acting intuitively" part of the last question. It could be that those are issues I don't even realize are that major for me, but they keep springing up. I keep writing things like that, but if someone asked me if I felt an especially huge rift between me and my friends, I would be inclined to say no. Now that you mention it though, maybe I do.

7. You've toured with a bunch of up and coming indie bands including Mobius Band, Cloud Cult, and Upstate New York's own Ra Ra Riot, do you have any cool or funny stories about sharing a stage and a tour with another band?

JV: Other than some random inter-band dance parties involving Cloud Cult and Ra Ra Riot, nothing immediately springs to mind that would be easily explained in text. I did get a kick out of this though... When we were driving towards Pittsburgh, before we met up with Cloud Cult on this tour, I saw a white van with a big trailer ahead, and I said, in a sarcastic voice, "Hey guys, watch out, we've got a band up here." It's always a fun thing to do, because you can usually look at the people in the van and you realize how ridiculous people in bands usually are. They always look the part, in some way or another, and it's very silly (we're no different). When we drove by, it was Craig from Cloud Cult, which blew my mind. I immediately tried to call them. And the next day, when we stopped for gas, we randomly pulled right up alongside them at the pumps. It's funny when you realize how few major roads there are, and how likely you are to pass by people you know if you drive on them enough.

8. Your old touring van broke down not too long ago; did you guys find a
worthy substitute? If so, did you christen it with a name?


JV: The old van was Van Diesel (though it was not a diesel engine). The worthy substitute this time was a rental. We paid a little more for the day-to-day, but at least you know you're not likely to break down for the 4000th time, and when you get home you don't have to pay for $700 in repairs and figure out where to store the thing.

9. You're working on a solo EP titled "North South", what can you tell us about that?


JV: Oh, it's done and out! I released it in February. It's available at www.secrettunnelgroup.com for $3. I have finished a new EP called 'Trilobite Trash' that should be out by the end of the year. North South is kind of Mason Proper run through hip hop production style, and I've been told the new EP has a dub flair to it.

10. What's next for Mason Proper?

JV: Not touring in the winter! We've made that mistake every year and it's hell. New albums, new tours, trying to continually improve what we're doing.

AZLTRON: Thanks so much for doing this interview and best of luck with your future endeavors.

JV: Thanks!

I was also fortunate enough to record a brief interview on the street outside The Bug Jar where Mason Proper was playing. There was even an old guy who jumped right into the interview.

AZLTRON - Jonathan Visger of Mason Proper Interview

Mason Proper - Lock and Key

If you haven't picked up a copy of Olly Olly Oxen Free yet, you should.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Just Like Heaven! Cure Tribute Album!

Hot on the heels of The Cure's latest release "4:13 Dream", a flock of fans and admirers have compiled an album entitled "Just Like Heaven" and contains many fantastic reworkings of classic cure songs. The artists included are:

Joy Zipper
Tanya Donelly & Dylan In The Movies
The Brunettes
Kitty Carlisle
Dean & Britta
Luff
The Submarines
Elk City
The Rosebuds
Elizabeth Harper & The Matinee
Cassettes Won't Listen
Devics
Julie Peel
The Poems
Grand Duchy (Violet Clark & Black Francis)
The Wedding Present


Let's Go To Bed (Casettes Won't Listen Cover)


The Walk (Rosebuds Cover)


I'm obligated to not share any of the tracks due to limitations from record companies, but I can share the album's namesake.

The Cure - Just Like Heaven

Wesley the Robot and A Superb Saturday Mix♦

Upon his way to investigating the reason that the power is out across the city, Wesley has a "Human moment". Maple leaves huh?

The Secret Machines - Underneath the Concrete

Bloc Party - Zephyrus

Mason Proper - Shiny

Longwave - The Devil & The Liar

The Stills - Being Here

The Killers - Human (Armin Van Buuren Remix)

Red Light Company - Scheme Eugene (James Yuill omega 3 Remix)

The Banshee - Colder

The Faint - Mirror Error

The Kills - U.R.A. Fever

The Notwist - Boneless

Walter Meego - Forever

Jens Lekman - Maple Leaves

The Secret Machines - The Leaves Are Gone

Kimono Kops Are Upstairs at Ericas

Thomas of Kimono Kops once again releases some electro excellence, this time in the form of an original track. His song "Upstairs at Erica's" is an obvious take off of Yazoo's seminal album "Upstairs at Eric's", but it's also an indicator of the style of the work. Like Yazoo he makes use of a female vocalist, Katja Strophe (Catastrophe! Get it?) makes her mark her with ethereal vocals and the track makes excellent use of melody and a synth organ to make a synth pop song that is sure to get stuck in your head.

Kimono Kops - Upstairs at Erica's

(New Music) The Kindness Kind!

The Kindness Kind are a band out of Seattle, that has been praised as one of the best bands to emerge from that scene this year by the Toronto Star. The band has also recieved spotlight status from CMJ. The band have recently released their self titled album on which they worked with producer Lucas Carlyle who has worked with The Gossip, The Octopus Project, and the Album Leaf among others.

It's a bit off target to call The Kindness Kind "Electro" (as on their myspace) while there are synthesizers present, their music is extremely organic. Think; space rock infused jazz with a glamorous lounge vixen vocalist. To create the lovely dream state they call their music, The Kindness Kind use guitars to create some nice edginess and angularity for the songs, but it's the pianos and keyboards that help create the hauntingly beautiful atmosphere that sets the stage for Alessandra Rose who adds startlingly accessible vocal hooks to The Kindness Kind's somewhat experimental indie pop. Add in a pounding and dynamic rhythm section and you've got one of the most compelling sounds of 2008. The Kindness Kind have created some of the most articulate and cinematic music intended to incite rocking out. Let the rocking out begin!



The Kindness Kind - Beautiful Souls

The Kindness Kind - Houndstooth

The Kindness Kind Myspace

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Mr. Vega remixes Passion Pit's "Sleepy Head"

Mr. Vega is something of a work-a-holic, it seems every time a new artist pops up to claim the limelight he is waiting with a remix of their new single. How does he know where to be and who to remix? The answer must be that he is a DJ from the future sent back to save Sarah Connor. Right? Well anyway he has remixed "Sleepy Head" from the emerging indie band Passion Pit. Falsetto vocals wail frenetically over a wall of steady fuzz bass and hand claps. It might not change your life, but it might just create enough momentum to push through to the weekend.

Passion Pit - Sleepy Head (Mr. Vega Remix)

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Wesley The Robot is in need of an Electrician, Where do my posts keep disappearing to?

Okay, this is starting to frustrate me. I previously wrote a little blurb about still standing and typing despite a huge work load and now that post has disappeared. If you're reading this blogspot won't you please contact me and tell me what's flagging my posts for deletion? I put a lot of time and effort along with original content like my Wesley the Robot strips in my posts.

Either way, Beatrice is angry about there being no power... is Wesley to blame? Or something far more sinister....?!

Here's some music!

Crazy P - Is it Ever Enough (Lenny Annex Remix)

Alaska in Winter - Berlin

Chromeo - Rage

Prince - Fury

The Clash - Guns of Brixton

All Teeth and Knuckles - F*ck Your Jacket

The Clutters - 9999 (Ways to Hate Us)

Good night and good luck!

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Distinctive Records Present "Under This"


"Under This" is an instrumental electronic band out of Latvia. On thier debut EP "Black and White" they combine big beats, breaks, and 80's synth pop melodies together to create compelling and cinematic dance songs. Their song "Tonight" has crisp drumming and menacing basslines that accent perfectly the eerie synths played and thus creates a dance groove worthy of ghosts and goblins. Their song "Black and White", also the namesake of their debut EP, feels like an epic dance mix to a regime change in a totalitarian government. Full of spirit and hope. Their song "Revolution" feels like an epic fight sequence, like that of the Blade films. It's that stuttering synth that makes me think of that. A solid EP surely. I can't wait to hear more from these Baltic Beat-masters.

Under This - Black and White

Distinctive Records Myspace

Marc Ustari Remixes Data's "Rapture"

This mix was a pleasant surprise to find in my inbox the other day. I enjoyed the original Rapture mix and the Edwin Van Cleef versions very much and I even mentioned this mix in that post and now I have it to share with all of you. Marc Ustari is an up and coming DJ out of the UK. Fans of Justice, Daft Punk, and electronic music in general will find something to like here. Floor Filling Dance secret weapon? I think so.

Data - Rapture (Marc Ustari Remix)

Mark Ustari (Unbelievable)

The BPA release video for "Seatle"

The Brighton Port Authority has released a new video for their song "Seattle" featuring Emmy the Great. The video production technique is subtle and captivating, the song is soothing and swingin', and I couldn't think of a better song to listen to in the wake of this historic election. A new day is dawning in America, indeed.

(NEW MUSIC!) Solid Gold is Getting Over Bodies of Water

Solid Gold is an electronic indie band from Minneapolis. They were picked by UK indie popsters The Ting Tings to support them when they visited the Mini Apple. They have an album coming out entitled "Bodies of Water" that is sure to thrill those out there who love the warm hum of a melodic synth and pleasant, poignant vocals. If their lead single "Get Over It", we'll soon be treated to a whole lot of classy synth pop.

Solid Gold - Get Over It

Solid Gold Myspace

Skinny Puppy Frontman Ohgr Returns with "Devils in My Details"


Ohgr, or Nivek Ogre, is a unique pressence in the music community. He started off making experimental electronic music that took a life of it's own with the creepy and transcendent industrial band Skinny Puppy. He utilized his unique growl and perspective to sing/shout grotesque stream of thought imagery. Some of their music is very disturbing, but some of it is very beautiful too. Since the band's inception the band have crossed into so many different genres, from dance, to metal, to ambient, and nearly everything in between.

After collaborating with original Skinny Puppy member cEvin Key on two albums that their fans thought they might never see, Nivek Ogre returns with another solo album following 2003's SunnySyOp. So what do you expect from the third solo album of a man whose vocals have sent chills down the spines of many music connoisseurs? Would you expect piano and real singing? Well if the lead single off of "Devils in My Details", "Timebomb" is any clue Ohgr is set once again to defy expectations. There's still a significantantly creepy feel to this track, and a mind warpingly dark intro, but it's growing musicality is mesmerizing.

Ohgr - Timebomb (Adult Language In Intro)

Mason Proper's "Lock and Key" Video Premiers on MTV's Subterranean

The video for Mason Proper's "Lock and Key" is set to debut on MTV's subterranean tonight really late. The video features the band walking through an urban metropolis encountering many mannequins along the way. Some are drivers and some are suicidal, so keep your eye out. The way the video is shot super low budget with all the effects in camera casts a great feeling over the video that will have you thinking "business as usual... or is it?" As always the track is great indie rock fair as Jonathan Vigr's voice charms and delights over a backdrop of quirky guitar melodies, ethereal arpeggios and slide whistles. That's right. Slide whistles. Check them out.



P.S. Mason Proper is playing the Bug Jar in Rochester on November 15th! You should be there because I will be too!

Mason Proper - Lock and Key

Mason Proper Myspace

The Cure’s “4:13 Dream” is a True Return to Form

The legendary band fronted by Britain’s mopiest musician, Robert Smith, returns again. Four years after their last release, The Cure have released “4:13 Dream”, which draws on nostalgia from their 80’s heyday while still pushing their work in a new direction. The name of the album itself is a reference to the band’s longevity, after 30 years the band have released their 13th studio album, and after the departure of keyboardist Roger O’Donnell this marks the first time in a while that The Cure have been paired down to a fighting foursome including Simon Gallup on bass, Jason Cooper on drums, and Porl Thompson on guitar.



On “4:13 Dream”, this time working with producer Keith Uddin who has worked with No Doubt, Bjork, Oasis and many others, The Cure experiment with some new effects and approaches while sounding distinctly like themselves. This can largely be attributed to guitar virtuoso Porl Thompson rejoining the band after leaving in 1993 to play with Robert Plant and Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin. “4:13 Dream” marks the first studio album since 1992’s “Wish” that Thompson Contributed to. His trademarked chorused guitars and wah-wah solos are stamped all over the place. His musical presence is also a huge factor in the renewed vigor of Robert Smith’s vocals and lyrics. On their previous release, “The Cure”, there were some moments that felt like the classic Robert Smith coming through (“Alt. End”, “Taking Off”) but I couldn’t shake the feeling that for all of their effort and Smith’s desire to make a signature ‘Cure’ album that it was still just going through the motions. On 4:13, Robert Smith sounds invested in the music. It is because Thompson has returned to provide a rich tapestry of melody and style that gives Smith’s vocals real traction.



The opening song “Underneath the Stars” starts off with some ragged guitar and reverb and the same tinkling effect that longtime fans will remember from their seminal song “Pictures of You”. Slow melodies sing and roar, bathed in waves of feedback as Robert Smith’s vocals soar above. Immediately following this is a sugary sweet pop number entitled “Only One”, fans of The Cure’s upbeat love numbers like “Friday I’m in Love” and “Inbetween Days” will love this one as Smith croons about all the things he loves about his significant other for as cyclical guitar and marimba melodies ensue. An exciting leap forward for the band on this release is the song “Freakshow” which rides on a staccato vocal delivery and epic wah-wah funk. Heck, there’s even a cowbell here. This is definitely the most fun on the album and on par with English Pop coming out these days. Immediately following this entertaining jaunt is the most beautiful ballad on the record. The slide guitar accented “Sirensong”. The song ebbs and flows along with gentle keyboard melodies and big waves of reverb and the most authentically intimate lyrics Robert Smith has imparted to us in some time.



The Cure is at a peculiar position in their career. It’s well after their mainstream takeover in the 80’s and 90’s, and yet they’ve returned again with their best and most vital release since 92’s “Wish”. It’s true that The Cure have somewhat mined older material for a few songs on the album, for example “This. Here and Now. With You” sounds an awful lot like “Six Different Ways” from their 1985 album “The Head on the Door”, but there’s nothing wrong with that, and I’ll tell you why. This is the first Cure album in a while that feels like its heart is in the right place. “4:13” gives me the same feelings of elation, loss, heartbreak, anger and determination that their best works do. Even the songs that aren’t poised to be released as singles feel like they’re there for a reason and aren’t just filler. The Cure haven’t really forged new ground here, but, boy, have they regrouped and created an album that maybe isn’t their most original, but it is the first one in a long time that feels necessary.




The Cure - The Only One


The Cure Myspace


If you even remotely like The Cure, you should really Buy 4:13 Dream.

It is quite good.

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