Listening Habits 2015 08-09

As September comes to an end, we are taking another look at the ten albums we've listened to the most as the summer ends and autumn begins:

"Currents", the third full-length by Kevin Parker's Tame Impala, was the album that you had to hear this summer and continued to be the most played LP in C.M.C. headquarters during September, as its intoxicating mix of psychedelic melodies and dance-influenced rhythms kept working its magic. A sonic sculpture that takes Tame Impala to the next level.

Talking about magic, we think it's a must to do yourself a favor and spend sometime in the company of "The Expanding Flower Planet", the debut solo album by Angel Deradoorian. We already knew that the former Dirty Projectors bassist possessed a wonderful singing voice and now we are finding out that she is also a great songwriter, capable of creating an extraordinary universe of enchanting, mystic melodies. All ten songs on the album offer unique sonic experiences, but I have to single out "A Beautiful Woman" as one of the best tracks I had the pleasure of listening to this year.

In the top-three we also have the much anticipated return of Dan Bejar's Destroyer with album number ten, the excellent "Poison Season". The successor to "Kaputt" continues to mine the same rich vein of '70s and '80s soft rock and pop nuggets, crafting another nostalgic sounding collection of songs that exist in a time and place of their own creation. You walk in thinking you are traveling back to a familiar sound from the past, but unexpected twists and turns in your every step will lead you to somewhere new, familiar yet so different from what you remembered.

Our Top 10 also includes Sleaford Mods' latest punk-hop assault, the gospel - soul - hip hop influenced rock sound of Algiers, Eleventh Dream Day's return to action, Foals' epic-sounding fourth album, the buzzing garage-punk of Australia's Royal Headache, Telepathe's long overdue sophomore work and last, but not least, the triple compilation "Volume" by Leeds post-punk cult heroes The Three Johns, including all their singles and the two excellent LPs ("Atom Drum Bop" and "The World by Storm") they released between 1982 and 1987 - the very definition of a blast from the past!

Top 10 Albums

1.  Currents - TAME IMPALA
2.  The Expanding Flower Planet - DERADOORIAN
3.  Poison Season - DESTROYER
4.  Key Markets - SLEAFORD MODS
5.  Algiers - ALGIERS
6.  Works For Tomorrow - ELEVENTH DREAM DAY
7.  What Went Down - FOALS
8.  High - ROYAL HEADACHE
9.  Destroyer - TELEPATHE
10. Volume - THE THREE JOHNS

Top 10 Tracks

1.  A Beautiful Woman - DERADOORIAN
2.  Let It Happen - TAME IMPALA
3.  Times Square - DESTROYER
4.  It's Time For Fun - GOAT
5.  Irony.Utility.Pretext. - ALGIERS
6.  Throw Away This - TELEPATHE
7.  Arabia - SLEAFORD MODS
8.  What Went Down - FOALS
9.  Works For Tomorrow - ELEVENTH DREAM DAY
10. Another World - ROYAL HEADACHE

Destroyer - Times Square

Live: Angel Olsen vs. Parquet Courts

Angel Olsen, live @ An Club (September 15, 2015)

This was certainly one of the best weeks for live music in Athens in 2015 for discerning indie rock fans, although the combination of pre-election fever and continuing summer temperatures meant that An Club, which hosted both Angel Olsen's and Parquet Courts' shows on Tuesday and Saturday respectively, was only half-full on both nights (or half-empty depending on how you want to see things). It is also possible that, in these difficult times, a 17 euro admission price (or 20 on the doors) means that most indie rock fans cannot afford two gigs in the same week (or even the same month). Whatever the reasons, two of the best new music gigs of this year did not find the audience that they deserved.

For starters, on Tuesday (September 15) Angel Olsen and her band filled An Club with her unique, country and folk influenced, melodic rock songs. Olsen's voice alone is enough to captivate the listener, weaving her intimate tales in a rich tapestry of emotion, but you cannot underestimate the contribution of her band in the final outcome, injecting discreet, slow-burning electricity in most of the songs.

Olsen, who seemed in high spirits, keen to strike conversation with the audience throughout her 80-minute set, presented highlights from last year's excellent "Burn Your Fire For No Witness" LP, including mini-hit "Hi-Five", "Forgiven/Forgotten", "Stars" and "White Fire", but also included material from her lesser known previous work, that certainly deserves a wider audience. 

A great set from an exceptionally talented singer-songwriter who has undoubtedly much more to give in the coming years. The opening of the set came from Mani Deum, a local, folk-influenced, five-piece rock act, who left a good impression and also gained the approval of Olsen who made sure to thank them during her set.

Angel Olsen, live @ An Club (September 15, 2015)

Mani Deum, live @ An Club (September 15, 2015)

Then, on Saturday (September 19), it was the turn of Parquet Courts to play at An Club, the same place where they made their Athens live debut two years ago.

Parquet Courts, live @ An Club (September 19, 2015)

I had finished my review of that show by writing "give them time and I'm certain that this band has the chops to build a set list that will slay from start to finish". Exactly two years down the line and with two more fine albums and several singles under their collective belt, Parquet Courts proved me right. Their nearly 90-minute set was killer from start to finish, with wine-fuelled punk-rock intensity, interspersed with a few, yet crucial, well-placed melodic moments ("Bodies Made Of", "Instant Disassembly", "Dear Ramona", set closer "Uncast Shadow Of A Southern Myth") that demonstrate their song-writing strength and diversity.

For the most part of their set, though, the pedal was definitely put to the metal, and among the high-octane highlights we enjoyed on this night were "Black and White", "You've Got Me Wonderin' Now", "Sunbathing Animal", "Master of My Craft" and "Borrowed Time".

Despite the relatively low attendance, Parquet Courts didn't hold back and gave us top quality rock 'n' roll, of the "tonight, we dine in hell" variety!  I'm sure that all of us who were there, will remember this night for quite some time! Well done, also, to Nerrves who opened the show with their own brand of noisy, energetic garage-punk.

Parquet Courts, live @ An Club (September 19, 2015)

Nerrves, live @ An Club (September 19, 2015)

Check out below Angel Olsen performing "Stars" and Parquet Courts in "Black and White" from the two equally awesome shows we attended this week at An Club:

Angel Olsen - Stars (live @ An Club, Athens)

Parquet Courts - Black and White (live @ An Club, Athens)

Live: Viet Cong vs. Jon Spencer Blues Explosion

Viet Cong, live @ Six D.O.G.S (Athens, September 2, 2015)

The summer weather still holds well here in Athens but the fall live season has already kicked off with two very sweaty and very loud gigs in the first week of September.

For starters, on September 2, we headed downtown to the tiny Six D.O.G.S club where Canadian post-punks Viet Cong presented their excellent debut album under less than ideal circumstances, with support from local psych-rock act Chickn. I'm sure on another day, another place, Viet Cong could have given us much more, but under the problematic conditions of this night (extreme heat, sound problems and failing gear) only epic set-closer "Death" came close to representing the true potential of this band.

Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, live @ Gagarin 205 (Athens, September 6, 2015)

Four days later, it was time to revisit the Gagarin 205 club where the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion made their Athens live comeback, 11 whole years after their last visit here. Back then, on the same stage, they had given us a truly unforgettable performance which started with a "best of" set before playing their classic "Orange" LP in its entirety, in celebration of its 10th anniversary. This time the dynamic trio had a fine new album to present, "Freedom Tower - No Wave Dance Party 2015", their second full-length since ending their hiatus in 2011,  and they did so with excellent style (as usual) and without neglecting their formidable past. They even threw in the 90-minute explosive mix a cover of the Beastie Boys' early classic "She's On It", to make this New York No Wave dance party complete. As always, watching the Blues Explosion testifying on stage, was an absolute pleasure and a testimony to the transcendental power of rock 'n' roll!

BLML, live @ Gagarin 205 (Athens, September 6, 2015)

For the opening of this night we enjoyed an hour-long set by BLML, a.k.a. George Karanikolas' Blackmail, who presented his project's new album "Panopticon", a fine addition to 2015's local rock production from one of the most important players in the Greek scene of the last three decades, starting the count, of course, with his work with the legendary Last Drive.

Check out more photos from both gigs below as well as videos of Viet Cong's "Continental Shelf" and Blues Explosion's "Cooking For Television":

Viet Cong - Continental Shelf (live @ Six D.O.G.S, September 2, 2015)

Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - Cooking for Television (live @ Gagarin 205, September 6, 2015) 

 

Viet Cong with Chickn @ Six D.O.G.S:

Viet Cong

Chickn

Jon Spencer Blues Explosion with BLML @ Gagarin 205:

JSBX

BLML

PS: As it is obvious, the JSBX / BLML gig prevailed in the first, furious live clash of September. Join us again next week when we'll be comparing the on-stage prowess of Angel Olsen and Parquet Courts, both appearing at An Club in the coming days - our live entertainment is guaranteed!

New Releases: July - August 2015

C.M.C. is reporting back for duty and what better way to kick off the fall season than to take a look at some of the most interesting albums and singles released in the last couple of months of summer. So, here's what's up:

Albums

Currents

TAME IMPALA - Currents
BEACH HOUSE - Depression Cherry
DESTROYER - Poison Season
DERADOORIAN - The Expanding Flower Planet
SLEAFORD MODS - Key Markets
HEALTH - Death Magic
TELEPATHE - Destroyer
FOALS - What Went Down
YO LA TENGO - Stuff Like That There
ELEVENTH DREAM DAY - Works For Tomorrow
WILCO - Star Wars
VERUCA SALT - Ghost Notes
THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS - Born in the Echoes
CHELSEA WOLFE - Abyss
TAMARYN - Cranekiss
ULTIMATE PAINTING - Green Lanes
DUCKTAILS - St Catherine
DRINKS - Hermits on Holiday
LA LUZ - Weirdo Shrine
TITUS ANDRONICUS - The Most Lamentable Tragedy
ROYAL HEADACHE - High
KAGOULE - Urth
UNCLE ACID AND THE DEADBEATS - The Night Creeper
ALBERT HAMMOND JR - Momentary Masters
EZRA FURMAN - Perpetual Motion People
RICKED WICKY - King Heavy Metal
MAMMOTH PENGUINS - Hide and Seek
WHITE REAPER - White Reaper Does It Again
THE SCHOOL - Wasting Away And Wondering
FIELD MUSIC - Music For Drifters
IRON AND WINE & BEN BRIDWELL - Sing Into My Mouth
JASON ISBELL - Something More Than Free
FLYING SAUCER ATTACK - Instrumentals 2015
THE TELESCOPES - Hidden Fields
WAVVES X CLOUD NOTHINGS - No Life For Me
NEGATIVE SCANNER - Negative Scanner
AUTOBAHN - Dissemble
PALEHOUND - Dry Food
BEST FRIENDS - Hot. Reckless. Totally Insane.
FROG EYES - Pickpocket's Locket
MAC DEMARCO - Another One
SAMANTHA CRAIN - Under Branch and Thorn and Tree
GWENNO - Y Dydd Olaf
GEORGIA - Georgia
HOOTON TENNIS CLUB - Highest Point in Cliff Town
HAIKU SALUT - Etch And Etch Deep
RATATAT - Magnifique
DR. DRE - Compton
PUBLIC ENEMY - Man Plans God Laughs
GHOSTFACE KILLAH - Adrian Younge Presents: Twelve Reasons to Die II
METHOD MAN - The Meth Lab

Singles & EPs

It's Time For Fun

GOAT - It's Time For Fun
PARQUET COURTS / JOEY PIZZA SLICE - Split
PROTOMARTYR / R RING - A Half Of Seven
BEAK > / KEAB - Split
FOUR TET - Morning / Evening
DJANGO DJANGO - Shake and Tremble
PUBLIC ACCESS TV - Public Access TV
DRINKS - Hermits on Holiday / Eighteen Revenge Pair
FIDLAR - 40oz on Repeat / West Coast
WIMPS - Super Me EP
CRUISING - Cruising EP 
RAT COLUMNS - Fooling Around EP
GIRL ONE AND THE GREASE GUNS - The Shatterproof Man
WAND - Machine Man / M.E.
CROCODILES - Foolin' Around
DEATH AND VANILLA - California Owls EP
AFX - Orphaned Deejay Selek (2006-2008) EP 

FKA TWIGS - M3LL155X
PIXX - Fall In EP
BLONDES - Persuasion EP
MAJOR LEAGUES - Someone Sometime
BEACH BABY - No Mind No Money / UR
HOLY ESQUE - Submission EP
ALL TVVINS - Too Young To Live
DOLOMITE MINOR - Girl of Gold EP
BABY STRANGE - California Sun
BEST FRIENDS - Cold Shapes
HOOTON TENNIS CLUB - P.O.W.E.R.F.U.L.P.I.E.R.R.E.
PETE ASTOR - Mr Music
PAUL WELLER - Going My Way
NOEL GALLAGHER'S HIGH FLYING BIRDS - Lock All the Doors
PUBLIC IMAGE LIMITED - Double Trouble

Plenty of good stuff to chose from among the latest new releases, but here are the videos for two special tracks that truly stood out in the second half of the summer: check out below a live performance of Deradoorian's "A Beautiful Woman", the excellent opening track off the ex-Dirty Projectors' bassist-vocalist solo debut "The Expanding Flower Planet", and Tame Impala's "Let It Happen", the track that kicks off "Currents" and takes Kevin Parker's project in a more electronic and soul-funk influenced direction:

Deradoorian - A Beautiful Woman (Live)

Tame Impala - Let It Happen