Joel Plaskett Emergency - Scrappy Happiness

I first saw Joel Plaskett about 5 years ago. He played pretty much his entire Ashtray Rock album, along with a bunch of other songs which I later realized were among some of his best. I didn’t know at the time, because I’d never heard a single song of his until that show. The greatest part was, I still consider it to be one of the best shows I’ve seen. I became an instant fan, and it’s unbelievable how infectious his songs are. I instantly bought Ashtray Rock and listened the hell out of it, along with Down at the Khyber, then everything else. 

Scrappy Happiness is a fantastic follow up to the last Emergency record Ashtray Rock. When you start an album with an amazing song like “Lightning Bolt”, you know you’re in for something special. Not every song hits the same heights as that one, but there’s so much quality here that it’s hard to find anything to complain about. I think what really makes Plaskett stand out is that he always seems to try and put a quality chorus in. Every second song is another sing along. He manages to write catchy hooks while maintaining that “cool” rock image. It’s the best of both worlds. 

Maybe I love Joel’s music because he writes about things I relate to. Young people acting stupid in high school, Husker Du (or any other music nerd reference), the various states of love. Sometimes he wanders into the world of over-sentimentality, but then again who doesn’t? For every “Slow Dance” there’s a “Lightning Bolt”. I appreciate an artist who’s willing to put himself out there, play different styles and not apologize for it. It’s all there, take it or leave it. 

Rating: 8.5/10

Death Grips: The Money Store

I wasn’t planning on even listening to this album, but since it’s release people have been hyping the shit out of it. Naturally I felt like I should at least give it a listen to see what all the fuss was about. I’d skipped over Death Grips’ Exmilitary from last year, so I didn’t really have a good idea of their sound aside from what I’ve seen described in reviews or articles.

The best word I can think of to describe this album is abrasive. It’s abrasive in its vocal delivery, the production, everything. From start to finish it is loud and obnoxious, and sometimes that brashness can be endearing. The most interesting thing about the album to me was the production. It’s definitely a bizarre approach to what I guess could be called hip-hop. I think of it more like industrial/electro (I’m by no means an expert so I apologize if I use the wrong terms) which happens to have a guy rapping over it. 

A lot gets made about the violent lyrical content, but I really found myself almost tuning out MC Ride while listening. With so much other stuff assaulting my ears I didn’t have time to really take in whatever he was saying, it just ends up lost in the maelstrom. I did look up the lyrics on the band’s website, and they read like strange modern poetry rather than typical rap verses. That’s another reason why I don’t really think the hip-hop label really applies to these guys.

I think the highlight for me is “Hacker” which is probably the most dance heavy song. The opening of “I’ve Seen Footage” is also a real throwback dance track intro, and I feel like I wanted more stuff along these lines. These songs manage to be angry and loud while retaining a great groove and catchiness. It’s like what people play at the clubs in hell. The other songs have the same despairing atmosphere but feel almost too schizophrenic at times to truly sink it. It’s like Death Grips try to beat the listener over the head so much that they’ll just force themselves to enjoy it. 

Most of the press for The Money Store has been positive, and a huge focus is on their innovative sound. I agree it’s pretty unique, and enjoyed hearing the intense arrangements for the songs. I don’t think it’s the greatest thing I’ve heard all year though, and it seems like more of a statement in style than a cohesive album I’d want to listen to repeatedly. Definitely worth checking out just to see what all the buzz is about, but it’s not as amazing as it’s getting hyped up to be.

Rating: 7/10

The Men - Open Your Heart

I had gotten The Men’s last album Leave Home and had pretty much forgotten about getting around to listening to it. I tend to hoard music, and then often find myself forgetting what I have checked and what I haven’t. That’s why when I saw they had a new release this year, I remembered the original buzz that made me look into them and decided I had to actually listen to them. Guilty consience and what not. 

Boy am I glad I did. I think what makes Open Your Heart so appealing to me is the surprising amount of variety on it. The opener “Turn it Around” is like a straight forward Foo Fighters track, only it actually keeps my attention. Then there’s “Animal” which feels like something out of the Keith Morris playbook, but with a twinge of country added over top. Then we get the literal “Country Song” which is a neat rambler and “Please Don’t Go Away” is great shoegaze inspired song. 

Though one of the great points about the album is the variety, there’s still an underlying style throughout. Everything has a good amount of fuzz on it, making it all sound “noise rock” or whatever the hell people call it these days. The Men have made a really catchy, listenable album that never overstays it’s welcome. Even the long drawn out jams like “Oscillation” doesn’t really get boring, despite it being over seven minutes long. I’m not super crazy about the title track, but aside from that there’s nothing on this album that I don’t at least like or love. Definitely worth checking out.

Rating: 8/10   

Cloud Nothings - Attack on Memory

For the past few years there’s been an influx of bands that play a sort of “retro” inspired sound, which can be either good or bad. I’ve always been a sucker for the revival of older sounds, if they’re done in a way that isn’t straight plagiarism. By all means you can ape a style, but where it really gets interesting is when you combine modern ideas and approaches to it.

Cloud Nothings is a band that has done just that. Mining the 90s emo sound, I’ve seen them mentioned in the same breath as Sunny Day Real Estate, Jawbreaker and Braid. I think they’re more comparable to bands like The Hated. One listen to their record Everysong and you’ll see a band that does the same kind of noodly jams with angst ridden, almost intentionally bad vocals. But this isn’t about what album Attack on Memory sounds like, it’s about whether this album can stand on it’s own.

Attack on Memory definitely has a strong pair of legs. The stark jangle of the guitars combined with the driving bass creates a great back bone to most of the album. Opener “No Future/No Past” is a fantastic moody jam that kind of circles and builds in intensity. The second track “Wasted Days” is probably my favourite of the album, starting with an intense intro and culminating in a drawn out jam that feels like it’s never going to end until it reaches an amazingly cathartic breaking point. 

Then we get taken on a different ride, when “Fall In” kicks off an almost pop punk vibe. It’s got a nice guitar solo and feels tremendously upbeat after the dissonant beginnings of the record. The following track  ”Stay Useless” almost feels like a Strokes song, back when they were still interesting to listen to. The sound on this album perfectly matches the style here. Everything sounds dry. Clearly mixed, but with a raw intensity. It’s not necessarily lo-fi, just bare bones. All you need to hear is the band, no excessive studio tinkering.

Cloud Nothings nails a mood and style here perfectly. Managing to keep things a little varied with the dark brooding, upbeat rockers, and even a fast paced instrumental (“Separation”) in the middle of the album. It’s not just for fans of it’s influences. Attack on Memory is a exceptional recording in it’s own right, worthy of being looked at as more than just a genre throwback.

Rating: 8/10

Teenage Kicks - Be On My Side

Sometimes amid all the experimental psych-pop and post-dubstep wackiness, the discerning music lover just wants to rock the fuck out. Sometimes it feels like bands are afraid to write catchy, almost dare I say it, radio friendly music. I’m talking things like your favourite Sloan jams. Guitar heavy rock and roll anthems. 

Teenage Kicks do exactly that, and Be On My Side is a great collection of tunes. Everything sounds nice and crisp, balancing the three guitars and rhythm section perfectly with Peter Van Helvoort’s passionate vocals. One of my favourite musical moments comes in “I Get What You Give” when the guitars harmonize after the first chorus. That’s the good stuff ladies and gentlemen. The entire EP is stacked with singalong songs. The guys just keep dishing out punchy hooks like the chorus of “Middle of the Night” or the gang vocal friendly breakdown of  ”Shook Our Bones”. The record just races by, and the closer “You Shall Not Want” slows things down just enough for you to catch your breath.

I find it hard to write about records I enjoy without sounding like a gushing fan, but really it’s just great to hear an album that makes music “fun” again. Every listen through is a shot in the arm, a reminder that there’s still some bands that make tunes for people that just dig a well crafted rock song. Heartily recommended.

Rating: 9/10