TUE., JULY 24, 2007
Your Music: July 2007
by J. Edward Keyes
"Oh, no! There's only a few days left in the month and I still have some downloads to use up!” Sound familiar? Well, never fear, dear subscriber, eMusic’s crackerjack Editorial staff has the answer. Or, rather, thirty of them. Welcome to the July edition of “Your Music,” a monthly feature where we'll suggest some of our favorite eMusic tracks for your downloading pleasure. And now, without further ado…
Michael Azerrad, Editor-in-Chief
Todd Burns, Production Editor
J. Edward Keyes, Managing Editor
Keeping up on new releases in the summertime has been a genuine challenge — between shuttling to and from Pitchfork and taking a week’s vacation to bum around Manhattan, I feel like the only records I’ve been listening to are those that are comfortable and familiar (i.e., the new records by Spoon and Against Me!)
Cap’n Jazz - Analphabetapolothology
There’s something to be said for the comfortable, though, and the last few months haven’t been as driven by new discoveries as they have by old favorites, chief among which is Cap’n Jazz’s Analphabetapolothology, a record whose title I still don’t know how to pronounce. A quick bit of history: Cap’n Jazz was formed by brothers Tim and Mike Kinsella — later of the celebrated Joan of Arc (who I never totally took to, to be honest) — and imploded before too many people had a chance to find out who they were. The first time I heard about them — and I’d venture that this is the same for most people — was when Analphaetc. etc. etc. was released in 1998. At the time, their music felt strange and obtuse and spidery, a jagged, jumbled collection of needlepoint guitars and agonized hollers. I can remember driving to Ohio from Philly with a friend of mine and playing this album from start to finish, its resolute lack of texture (in this case, a good thing) perfectly complementing the flat land rolling by outside our windows. Listening now, I’m amazed at how clearly and presciently they prefigured contemporary emo. All of the ingredients are there, but they exist in a primitive, unvarnished state. Despite the ascendance of bands who have copied their formula, Cap’n Jazz still sounds proudly out of place.
Download: "Oh Messy Life," "Planet Shhh," "Puddle Splashers"
Culture - Two Sevens Clash
Arriving on eMusic just in time to aid my flight to the familiar, the 30th anniversary reissue of Culture’s stupendous Two Sevens Clash. The music here is still startlingly fresh and lively, twin harmonies and Joseph Hill’s inspired, chattering vocals gliding gloriously over marvelously measured instrumentation. The album is justly a classic: the songs are perfectly constructed, easy, bobbing compositions built around piping organ and shouting brass. The title comes from the Rastafarian belief that the world would end in 1977 — the year when the “two sevens clash.” Its place in my playlist proved eerily timely: yesterday, a ruptured steampipe caused a street near the eMusic offices to explode, necessitating a swift evacuation and a solid hour of total confusion and concern. The phrase “Get Ready to Ride the Lion to Zion” was circling, somewhat wryly, in my head.
Download: "Get Ready to Ride the Lion to Zion," "I’m Not Ashamed," "Black Starliner Must Come"
Tranzmitors - Tranzmitors
One of the few new releases that has found its way into rotation on my iPod is the self-titled record by the Tranzmitors. The group is comprised of members of various Candian punk bands, but who’s in the band isn’t nearly as important as who they sound like. Mashing up All Mod Cons-era Jam with Green Day circa Gilman St. (and maybe more than a little Ric Ocasek), Tranzmitors write songs long on melody and energy. This is perfect hot-weather music, an aggravated faux-Brit pout bop-bop-bopping across elastic guitars, simple two-line hooks repeated over and over until they’re indelible. These are the kind of songs you can sing along with before they end; maybe that’s why I’m gravitating toward this so often. After one listen, it already feels familiar.
Download: "Teen Man," "Do I Really Wanna Know?," "Everyone Wants to Lose Control"
Todd Burns, Production Editor
Keeping up on new releases in the summertime has been a genuine challenge — between shuttling to and from Pitchfork and taking a week’s vacation to bum around Manhattan, I feel like the only records I’ve been listening to are those that are comfortable and familiar (i.e., the new records by Spoon and Against Me!)
Cap’n Jazz - Analphabetapolothology
There’s something to be said for the comfortable, though, and the last few months haven’t been as driven by new discoveries as they have by old favorites, chief among which is Cap’n Jazz’s Analphabetapolothology, a record whose title I still don’t know how to pronounce. A quick bit of history: Cap’n Jazz was formed by brothers Tim and Mike Kinsella — later of the celebrated Joan of Arc (who I never totally took to, to be honest) — and imploded before too many people had a chance to find out who they were. The first time I heard about them — and I’d venture that this is the same for most people — was when Analphaetc. etc. etc. was released in 1998. At the time, their music felt strange and obtuse and spidery, a jagged, jumbled collection of needlepoint guitars and agonized hollers. I can remember driving to Ohio from Philly with a friend of mine and playing this album from start to finish, its resolute lack of texture (in this case, a good thing) perfectly complementing the flat land rolling by outside our windows. Listening now, I’m amazed at how clearly and presciently they prefigured contemporary emo. All of the ingredients are there, but they exist in a primitive, unvarnished state. Despite the ascendance of bands who have copied their formula, Cap’n Jazz still sounds proudly out of place.
Download: "Oh Messy Life," "Planet Shhh," "Puddle Splashers"
Culture - Two Sevens Clash
Arriving on eMusic just in time to aid my flight to the familiar, the 30th anniversary reissue of Culture’s stupendous Two Sevens Clash. The music here is still startlingly fresh and lively, twin harmonies and Joseph Hill’s inspired, chattering vocals gliding gloriously over marvelously measured instrumentation. The album is justly a classic: the songs are perfectly constructed, easy, bobbing compositions built around piping organ and shouting brass. The title comes from the Rastafarian belief that the world would end in 1977 — the year when the “two sevens clash.” Its place in my playlist proved eerily timely: yesterday, a ruptured steampipe caused a street near the eMusic offices to explode, necessitating a swift evacuation and a solid hour of total confusion and concern. The phrase “Get Ready to Ride the Lion to Zion” was circling, somewhat wryly, in my head.
Download: "Get Ready to Ride the Lion to Zion," "I’m Not Ashamed," "Black Starliner Must Come"
Tranzmitors - Tranzmitors
One of the few new releases that has found its way into rotation on my iPod is the self-titled record by the Tranzmitors. The group is comprised of members of various Candian punk bands, but who’s in the band isn’t nearly as important as who they sound like. Mashing up All Mod Cons-era Jam with Green Day circa Gilman St. (and maybe more than a little Ric Ocasek), Tranzmitors write songs long on melody and energy. This is perfect hot-weather music, an aggravated faux-Brit pout bop-bop-bopping across elastic guitars, simple two-line hooks repeated over and over until they’re indelible. These are the kind of songs you can sing along with before they end; maybe that’s why I’m gravitating toward this so often. After one listen, it already feels familiar.
Download: "Teen Man," "Do I Really Wanna Know?," "Everyone Wants to Lose Control"
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