Showing posts with label crystal castles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label crystal castles. Show all posts
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Album Review: Crystal Castles - (III)


Four years and three albums into their existence, Toronto’s Crystal Castles have managed to make themselves into one of the most divisive electronic acts around.  The raw, hard-edged sound they've made for themselves bridges the gap between house and punk, and chances are you either love them or you hate them.  Their third album, aptly named (III), continues in their tradition of mixing together tracks that are easy to dance to and those that are downright grating.  One thing is certain after listening to (III); Crystal Castles haven’t lost their touch, if anything their sound has become even more abrasive and cloaked in shadows.

The overall vibe of this record recalls the band’s beginnings, and tracks, like ‘Kerosene’, ‘Affection’, ‘Insulin’ and ‘Telepath’ would’ve fit nicely onto their self-titled debut in 2008.  The mixing of house beats with some seriously dark ambiance provides many memorable moments, the pulsing synth line on ‘Kerosene’ and the noisy blast from Alice Glass’ voice on ‘Insulin’ are the most immediate and would fit easily into the rest of Crystal Castles’ lineage.

Problems with this album begin to arise when it’s listened to as a whole.  The goth/house/trance pace of everything gets old after a while, and once you reach the ethereal synths of ‘Telepath’ near the end it’s likely that you’ll hardly hear it.  Simply put, many of these songs are built from very similar building blocks and they all come out sounding the same to some degree.

After three albums worth of material, it’s quite possible that Crystal Castles have become a bit mundane and predictable.  After all, one can only take so much brooding dance music.  But, as repetitive and similar as this record might be, hearing a song like ‘ Affection’ is sure to remind anyone that the raw energy that Crystal Castles burst onto the scene with is still alive and well.

Grade: B-



Steve Dobek




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Listener's Digest : October 26th - November 2nd


Well friends, it appears that the cold weather is quickly descending and everything released this week seems to be a response to that. All 5 songs are  downtempo, introspective, spooky, or some mix of all three. Needless to say, I have begun preparations to deal with the 6 month dark night of the soul we call Winter. I have  bought enough canned food to sustain myself until April, wrapped my naked body in aluminum foil and turned my heat up to 82 degrees. Until Spring, I will sit in this well insulated room and absorb new music, as well as various canned vegetables. I am completely certain that I will emerge sane and rested by April and perhaps more capable of creative jokes.

Earl Sweatshirt - "Chum:" Reappearing earlier this year, the much discussed missing member of the Odd Future camp released a new song on Thursday. "Chum" is lyrically introspective and features  basic  snare and piano loop. Earl appears to have moved beyond the violent adolescent posturing of his early work, which pretty much had him sent away in the first place. An interesting, albeit low key, track.


 Broadcast - "The Equestrian Vortex:"  While Broadcast works on a new album, which will posthumously feature Trish Keenan's vocals (recorded just before she suddenly died last year), they will be releasing the soundtrack  for Warp's pastiche of Italian horror movies, Berberian Sound Studio. "The Equestrian Vortex is the title track to the movie's film within a film. On it, Broadcast recreates 70's style movie music to tense effect through crashing minor key heavy pianos and percussion.

Atoms for Peace - "What the Eyeballs Did:" Earlier this Fall, Mac posted the haunting "Default," the new single from Thom Yorke and Nigel Godrich's supergroup side project. "What the Eyeballs Did," is the b-side to that single and has a similar haunting groove to "Default." However, this song is structurally tighter and quicker paced, suggesting that the tension building in "Default"  bled over onto the b-side. A great song, just don't mind the excited DJ talking over it at the end.


Crystal Castles - "Affection:" Crystal Castles have come a long way from their abrasive chip tunes. On "Affection," Alice Glass's icy vocals  float over the melancholy/gothy synth and drums. This is the third song released off the long teased upcoming full length, set to be released later this month.


 Prince Rama - "Welcome to the Now Age:" Another track from Prince Rama's upcoming exploration of persona, Top 10 Hits of the End of the World. This time, the band "channels" Hyparxia (a fictitious popular band from the apocalypse) to create a downtempo sex anthem for any upcoming party you have in a space station.


What, were you not invited to the last space station party? It was great! Still not sure how I got back. Oh wait, now I remember.


Michael Torsell





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Top Ten November Album Releases


Hurricane Sandy might have messed with your midweek mojo, albeit via mild wind and rain (better safe than sorry) that we WNY-ers have been callused to, but it wouldn't dare mess with this month's list of new album releases! And while you still have all day to slug down one last Octoberfest or dress up for one more costume party, the inevitable truth is that November is here and its chill is steadily approaching. This time of year tends to fly by, but please find some time to wind down and check out some great new music this November. Do it before the holiday rush overtakes your soul!

10. Lust for Youth - Growing Seeds
Lust for Youth is Swedish electronic musician Hannes Norvvide. While he was first influenced to make music due to a few of his friends starting up a punk group, he only had a toy keyboard which resulted in solo bedroom recording via lent out equipment. Although he has gotten little exposure outside of pockets of Europe, Lust for Youth will be releasing the debut LP Growing Seeds by way of Sacred Bones and a subsequent tour playing some US dates which should help get the word out on this new talent. The record comes out November 13. Listen to the corrosive, synth-heavy opening track “Behind Curtains” below:


9. Brian Eno -  LUX
Experimental albums will often have a hard time making it into any pop music countdown, even when Brian Eno is in the conversation, but it just so happens to be the ambient hall of famer’s first solo record since 2005’s Another Day On Earth. It’s four tracks long, each over 18 minutes in length, and it’s called LUX. It’s definitely a bit more vibrant of an album based on a stream of the album that has since expired, and gets back to Eno’s roots stylistically, bringing back memories of 1978’s Music For Airports. The LP is out November 13. You can pre-order it here.

8. Oneida - A List of Burning Mountains
Brace yourselves, there is still more experimental music to talk about--that is Brooklyn outfit Oneida. If there's one thing that is certain, it's that Oneida makes consistently great and distinctive music, and that their latest album, based on a sample track, will continue in the trajectory of minimalism and psychedelia. The album, entitled A List of Burning Mountains, is the follow up to last year's Absolute II and will be released on November 13 via Jagjaguwar. Listen to the sample mix off the new LP here.

7. Lindstrøm - Smallhans
Norwegian producer Lindstrøm will be releasing his second album of 2012 entitled Smalhans, which will follow up February's Six Cups of Rebel. With an already proficient back catalog of inventive dance music, we can only hope that the new record will continue in blessed-out disco fashion. Luckily you can stream the six-track album over at Fact before it comes out this Tuesday, November 2.
6. Dirty Projectors - About to Die EP
Whether it's releasing excellent full-length LPs like this year's Swing Lo Magellan or churning out a short film for said record (Hi Custodian) you can be sure that lead singer-songwriter of Dirty Projectors, David Longstreth, is never running short of brilliant ideas. In fact, he is brimming over with them. So much that when he initially constructed Swing Lo he had reportedly devised over 70 songs worth of material, and thus we have the About to Die EP, a four-track gem which is due out November 6. 

5. The Revival Hour -  Clusterchord EP
About a year ago Buffalo native and best kept indie-folk secret DM Stith announced the birth of his new side project with John Mark Lapham (The Earlies) called The Revival Hour releasing a the 7” containing tracks “Hold Back” and “Run Away” and all the while he continues to fly under the radar. Up until that point he had spent the bulk of 2010 and ’11 touring with Sufjan Stevens, upon whose label Stith released his debut solo record Heavy Ghost in 2009. Stith has continued to stay busy, working out of Rochester, chipping away at a solo follow-up, offering vocals for friends Shara Warden of My Brightest Diamond and Son Lux's Ryan Lott, and a few weeks back he announced the release of...an EP. It’s five songs, but we can be sure with Stith’s attention to quality and dedication to musical refinement that it will be an ample listen. The EP called Clusterchord is out November 13. Listen to "Pyre" below:


4. The Weeknd - The Trilogy
About to release his fourth studio LP in the last year and a half, there are few R&B artists making music as rich and prolific and at such a rate as Abel Tesfaye, aka The Weeknd. The Toronto native's debut record House of Balloons was no one hit wonder and he has proven that he can come back time and again sounding more refined, cranking out expansive, dreamy beats with a voice that will halt you dead in your tracks. His new record is called The Trilogy and it comes out November 13. Listen to the latest track off the record called "Enemy" below:


3. Tim Hecker/Daniel Lopatin - Instrumental Tourist
Earlier this year, buffaBLOG caught a glimpse of Tim Hecker and Oneohtrix Point Never, aka Daniel Lopatin, as they joined a slew of other artists on multiple stages at Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago, and while it was awesome to hear two of the most acclaimed experimental acts of '12 play their respective music, it’s always pretty exciting when musicians like this get together for a collaborative effort. On Instrumental Tourist, Lopatin and Hecker have converged to bring you the first record of Software’s SSTUDIOS series, which essentially pairs electronic musicians in a mission to create works of “quality and vision.” Listen to the first cut from the album called “Uptown Psychadelia” below:

2. Crystal Castles - (III)
Dropping the first single off their latest self-titled album, (III), the Toronto blog-house duo Crystal Castles is only boosting the synths, cranking the bass kick and inflating lead singer Alice Glass’ coarse vocals. “Wrath of God” is the continuation in the group’s ability to evoke non-stop dancing, but also seeks to increase their sonic degree of tension that we've come to love about the duo. (III) is sure to be an a step-up for the group, even as they follow-up their excellent sophpomore record of 2010, (II). The album is out Novemeber 12.



 1. Sufjan Stevens - Silver & Gold
There are literally hundreds of reasons you might want to get stoked for Sufjan Stevens' latest release and second installment of yuletide ditties, Silver & Gold: Songs for Christmas, Vol. 6-10. Here are 10:

1. There are 58 TRACKS in 5 EPs. That means you can listen to one track a day from the moment it’s released on November 13 until New Years and still have songs left over.

2. If you purchase the CD or vinyl box set, you get stickers and tattoos.

3. One track is called “Christmas Face”.

4. STOP MOTION MUSIC VIDEOS (and lots of them).


6. Psychedelic carols accompanied by Sufjan’s signature electric guitar solos that are so painfully euphoric.

7. Song lyrics and chord charts come with the box set, which means you can wax apocalyptic with all of your closest friends! In any key!

8. You can blast “Ding-a-ling-a-ring-a-ling” over that worn out CD of Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” that your mom loves to put on every day after Thanksgiving.

9. Sufjan will be playing his Christmas songs live in Buffalo on December 18, exactly a week before Christmas Day, at Asbury Hall. Get tickets here.

10. Last but not least, the amazing Christmas-meets-Halloween claymation video for “Mr. Frosty Man” that you can watch below:


Tom Dennis
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Listener's Digest: September 21-28


Well, now that autumn is technically here, the only thing left to do is sit and wait for the leaves to change. Personally, I make sure to be the first to see the shifting colors so I pick a tree and sit dutifully next to it until I feel like it has sufficiently changed. By sit dutifully next to it, I mean sit dutifully next to it, nonstop, and wait patiently for it to change colors. So, here I sit, in my parents backyard, just waiting for these leaves to change. It is day 7, and I am sad to report no change. I thought I saw them starting on Wednesday, but those were just the spots I was seeing because I forgot to eat for a few days. After I fainted, I ate a whole apple pie and returned to wait. I will be sure to update you next week, but for now, here is some new music.

Jim Jarmusch and Jozef Van Wissem - "Etimasia:" The always cool Jim Jarmusch teams up with Josef Van Wissem for their forthcoming second album this year, which will be released on Sacred Bones. "Etimasia" is a quiet and haunting instrumental. 


Tennis - "Guiding Light:" A slinky cover of the Television classic. Tennis stays fairly true to the original while the vocals simultaneously seem to completely change the tone of the song to something warmer and more relaxed.


Yo La Tengo - "Stupid Things:" Yo La Tengo teases their first album in 3 years with an alternate take of a new song. A wistful song with quiet vocals and a brief synth line that wavers in and out of the track. Yo La Tengo rarely disappoint so I am excited to hear what they have up next. This track, for whatever reason, is only available on Spotify.


Cold Cave - "A Little Death to Laugh:" Cold Cave have quietly perfected brooding synth pop over the last few years. This new track, written and performed by front man Wes Eishold channels The Faint, mixing the danceable with the theatrically sinister. In the meantime, the band now has a completely new lineup featuring members of Samhain, the Blood Brothers (remember them?) and LCD Soundsystem. Figure in that Eishold used to front American Nightmare and this seems like one of the strangest supergroups ever assembled.

Crystal Castle - "Wrath of God:" Another theatrically sinister track this week to suggest the recent gloomy weather affected me more than I noticed. It is true, I did buy a black coat the other day and lately I have just been standing atop buildings watching the millings of people like ants and snickering at their ways as they fret while ignoring the cold hand of death gently cradling their necks and waiting to take them away to the void...Still, I would not say I am any darker than I used to be, when I sniveled through life armed with a pitiable hope that things will always get better. Anywho, this new track is  surprisingly restrained and atmospheric. Their new album will be out in November. 


Michael Torsell
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Listener's Digest: July 19 - 26



There is just too much new music to digest and present to you all. I am sorry, it has been a busy week, and I just don’t know if I can handle all this new music. In fact, I am just going to give you 5 different versions of Men Without Hats’ seminal song, “Safety Dance.” If you don’t like it then you ain’t no friend of mine. I am sorry, that was a really bad joke referencing “Safety Dance,” by Men Without Hats. Have you heard of them? Fine, I will give you actual new music, if that is what you want. Are you sure I cannot convince you to take the “Safety Dance?” It’s by Men Without Hats. Why don’t they have any hats? Someone give those men some hats.

Tame Impala – “Elephant:” When I covered Tame Impala last for their song, "Apocalypse Dreams," I had mentioned that the first single off of their forthcoming album, Lonerism, would be released soon (it wasn’t the earlier released track, which was still pretty cool). Yesterday, the psychedelic Australians released their single, “Elephant.” It is a driving rock song complete with quick tempo changes, and which opens up in the middle with a spacey guitar solo.




Captain Murphy – “Mighty Morphin Foreskin:” Who is this mysterious Captain Murphy? Whoever he is, he appears on two tracks this week. Little is known about the enigmatic newcomer (it’s probably Tyler the Creator),” but he has arrived with a great new song reminiscent of Madvillan. “Mighty Morphin Foreskin” is a slow sample heavy track featuring the Captain’s trippy and adept rhyming. Let’s hope we hear more from the Captain (I mean, it’s got to be Tyler right?) soon.



Flying Lotus featuring Earl Sweatshirt and Captain Murphy – “Between Friends:” The Odd Future camp is quickly showing how great they can be when paired with unexpected collaborators. Earlier this month, we had Tyler’s smooth work with Toro Y Moi, and now, Earl Sweatshirt has teamed with Flying Lotus and my new favorite man of mystery, Captain Murphy (who we all think is Tyler the Creator), for this new single. Here, the two rappers trade lyrics over a tight future-past beat in keeping with Flying Lotus’ other work. It would be awesome if Flying Lotus did more with these artists as the resulting project could be fantastic. Here is to wishful thinking.



Crystal Castles – “Plague:” Finishing up their upcoming album, the duo has released a moody new song that signals a continued move away from chiptunes and towards a fuller electronic palate. Beginning eerily, with Alice Glass signing over white noise, the song comes into cathartic focus with a midtempo beat over the same throbbing white noise, and then oscillates between ambient openness and the dense nightmarish chorus.



Sean Kader – “Improve:” This is the first time I have featured a local artist on Listener’s Digest and it is none other than Sean Kader. Sean is a great songwriter who has been too quietly releasing EPs on bandcamp for about 2 years now. Off of his latest EP, Et cetera, “Improve” is boozey rocker featuring Kader’s amiable voice and a catchy guitar line. Be sure to check out the whole EP, it is great stuff. 





Michael Torsell
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