Feeling the malaise here folks.
Feeling gray and mish-mashed.
Could be daily life. Could be the fact that here in Minneapolis we had a just a tease, a taste, a smidgen of spring, only to have it cruelly snatched away and replaced by that blizzard I mentioned. Such is life, can't fight it. You can only play the hand you're dealt and other comforting platitudes. But life is not so grim. It could certainly be worse, just take a look at the world around us and there is inevitable some form of struggle and heartbreak within arms reach. No matter what I do today,though, I can't seem to shake the 'meh'. To take my mind off the matter I'll break down one of the best releases the Midwest has put out in the last year, and what has been called by some the album of the year for 2010. It's an album I put on when I'm in a funk, to chase away the bad vibes. At this point you either know 'em or don't.
Gayngs.
Look at that party. Who wouldn't want to get down with this group?
These cats are hip. They're hep. The roster for the group is a who's who of indie music darlings. The brainchild of Ryan Olson (of Digitata), the album was essentially a joke or one off project of novelty and giddy goofiness from too much lite-rock and free time in the studio. It's a love letter to the easy listening tones of Air Supply, 10cc and other smooth acts of the late 70s. No joke, the sprawling supergroup (and ensuing album 'Relayted') is composed of whoever could be drafted in, from Doomtree rap crew members P.O.S. and Dessa (master word-smiths that they are), members of hipsters beloved Bon Iver (whose label Jagjaguwar released the album), the Cook brothers from Megafaun and local loves Solid Gold and Lookbook.
While those who created the album can swear up and down that its a tongue-in-cheek homage to these easy listening tunes (the entire album written intentionally juvenile and laid back 69 beats/minute) it's actually a phenomenal slow jam record, a groove album you can put on whether you're getting down or feeling down. That kind of a record. You put it on and whatever you're doing just got that much better - its an intensifier despite the molasses tempo to the entire project.
Drawing from the diverse-yet-interconnected social scene that is the Midwest music scene, the album was slowly drafted over a year by Olson and friends as he slowly brought individuals together to craft individual tracks. Working on songs was mostly a labor of love, all the artists having their own careers and livelihoods to focus on. Musicians would unite to lay down tracks almost against their will at times, having to be cajoled to break out of their comfort zones or established wheelhouses. At this point in his career we've heard rapper P.O.S. sing his share of hooks to his songs (at least you should have, if you haven't you're seriously missing out on some of the best talent in the American rap industry) but who could have guessed he could straight up croon the way he does on 'No Sweat', his voice simultaneously smooth like caramel but rough around the edges. Others expand on known strengths, like Justin Vernon flexing his R&B chops, or Dessa on the pulsing 'Faded High'. It's curious to note that despite all the songs having identical tempos, Relayted feels like a broad album. 'Faded High' bounces and skips out of the speakers, sounding not unlike recent Gorillaz, while 'Crystal Ropes' slowly trudges along with its thumping, staccato synths.
Feeling gray and mish-mashed.
Could be daily life. Could be the fact that here in Minneapolis we had a just a tease, a taste, a smidgen of spring, only to have it cruelly snatched away and replaced by that blizzard I mentioned. Such is life, can't fight it. You can only play the hand you're dealt and other comforting platitudes. But life is not so grim. It could certainly be worse, just take a look at the world around us and there is inevitable some form of struggle and heartbreak within arms reach. No matter what I do today,though, I can't seem to shake the 'meh'. To take my mind off the matter I'll break down one of the best releases the Midwest has put out in the last year, and what has been called by some the album of the year for 2010. It's an album I put on when I'm in a funk, to chase away the bad vibes. At this point you either know 'em or don't.
Gayngs.
These cats are hip. They're hep. The roster for the group is a who's who of indie music darlings. The brainchild of Ryan Olson (of Digitata), the album was essentially a joke or one off project of novelty and giddy goofiness from too much lite-rock and free time in the studio. It's a love letter to the easy listening tones of Air Supply, 10cc and other smooth acts of the late 70s. No joke, the sprawling supergroup (and ensuing album 'Relayted') is composed of whoever could be drafted in, from Doomtree rap crew members P.O.S. and Dessa (master word-smiths that they are), members of hipsters beloved Bon Iver (whose label Jagjaguwar released the album), the Cook brothers from Megafaun and local loves Solid Gold and Lookbook.
While those who created the album can swear up and down that its a tongue-in-cheek homage to these easy listening tunes (the entire album written intentionally juvenile and laid back 69 beats/minute) it's actually a phenomenal slow jam record, a groove album you can put on whether you're getting down or feeling down. That kind of a record. You put it on and whatever you're doing just got that much better - its an intensifier despite the molasses tempo to the entire project.
Drawing from the diverse-yet-interconnected social scene that is the Midwest music scene, the album was slowly drafted over a year by Olson and friends as he slowly brought individuals together to craft individual tracks. Working on songs was mostly a labor of love, all the artists having their own careers and livelihoods to focus on. Musicians would unite to lay down tracks almost against their will at times, having to be cajoled to break out of their comfort zones or established wheelhouses. At this point in his career we've heard rapper P.O.S. sing his share of hooks to his songs (at least you should have, if you haven't you're seriously missing out on some of the best talent in the American rap industry) but who could have guessed he could straight up croon the way he does on 'No Sweat', his voice simultaneously smooth like caramel but rough around the edges. Others expand on known strengths, like Justin Vernon flexing his R&B chops, or Dessa on the pulsing 'Faded High'. It's curious to note that despite all the songs having identical tempos, Relayted feels like a broad album. 'Faded High' bounces and skips out of the speakers, sounding not unlike recent Gorillaz, while 'Crystal Ropes' slowly trudges along with its thumping, staccato synths.
If you haven't been up to speed with this massive and massively talented collective, hopefully you are by now. Riding the wave of critical success from last year, they're slated for even bigger and better things in 2011. Showcases at home (their Affiliayted showcase at First Ave), SXSW, Austin City Limits and Coachella. A new EP of remixes, Affiliyated, is dropping soon. The whole crew is going on a crazy tour, do yourself a favor and pick up some tickets and check them out when they come through your town, all the swagger and romanticism included. The buzz is only gonna build. Snag a copy of their debut and look for them all over the place in the future.
Their first show was called "The Last Prom On Earth". How can you not want to see where they go from there?
