Review: Unnatural Helpers, Cracked Love & Other Drugs

Unnatural Helpers

Cracked Love & Other Drugs

B

Unnatural Helpers have achieved one of my favorite things about the late Jay Reatard: His ability to record songs that were both very short and very sweet, while maintaining a very unique identity with unmistakable hooks that manage to give each song its own personality.
Cracked Love & Other Drugs opens up with a bang: “I Don’t Belong To You” leads the way for the rest of the album, immediately followed up by the album’s highlight, “Sunshine/Pretty Girls.” This album is very raw and shameless. It comes up to you whether you like it or not, and
more than likely, you will find this an album worth listening to and going back to. The strong vocals and buzzing guitar make this a garage-punk/rock album that stays true to the genre’s ethos. It is a raw, and it fucking rocks. There is definitely room for these guys to mature, but the future looks very bright.

-- Enrique Lemus

"Moose Tracks," Mondays 10-11 pm on WGTB

Track Review:Krave feat. Lil’ Jon, Pit Bull & Flo-Rida – "Go Crazy"

Krave

"Go Crazy"

C

            I had high expectations for this song. The collaborators on this song are impressive. It is a lineup similar to the one that was put together for Drake in his song "Forever." Granted, no one takes Lil' Jon or Flo-Rida seriously, but they are icons in party music just as much as Kanye, Eminem and Weezy are for current hip-hop. For the relatively unknown Krave to be given such an opportunity, I would have expected them to create the ultimate party anthem. However, it is nothing but just another regular party song... and even then... absolutely not the most epic one I have ever heard. This is the kind of song I can see being played at a club with a group of girls singing along to the hook after a good number of shots. Shit… I would probably join in on the wonderful anthem: “all da gurlzzz in da club go krazyyy.” I would have expected Krave to be grateful that they landed the opportunity to record a song with an entourage of  “shake yo bootay n’ git yo grind on at da club” all stars: Pitbull, Flo-Rida and Lil’ Jon. However, unlike “Forever” this song was simply “alright”. Other than the catchy hook, the most redeeming quality is Pitbull’s performance, and even then, it is far from his classics such as “Culo” or “I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho).” The song lacked anything to make it stand out and make me want to listen to it more. It’s the kind of song that could come up on the radio and I wouldn’t necessarily be offended by it, but nothing I would repeat or go out of my way to play. Hopefully the girls from Krave capitalize and outperform this song next time they are given the opportunity to perform with party song legends like Lil Jon, Pit Bull and Flo-Rida. They better not disappoint me again.

-- Enrique Lemus

"Moose Tracks," Mondays 10-11 pm on WGTB

Review: Shearwater, The Golden Archipelago

 Shearwater

The Golden Archipelago

B+ 

Shearwater was founded in 2001 as a side project of Okkervil River’s Will Sheff and Jonathan Meiburg for quieter songs than what they usually performed with the rest of the band. Will Sheff has now left Shearwater, and Jonathan Meiburg has left Okkervil River in order to devote his time to Shearwater. Their most recent effort, The Golden Archipielago is an excellent album. What I mean by that is that it has a cohesiveness that I feel you cannot fully appreciate if you try to listen to the individual tracks outside of the album’s context. If I were to hear any of these songs independently from the rest, I could appreciate them, but not as much as I the experience of listening to the album as a whole. Every song has a smooth transition into the next, keeping the listener captivated and in anticipation for what is to come. There seems to be a direction in which the album is guiding you as it progresses through the tracks. As much as I believe this cohesiveness was a strength of the album, it may as well have lead to one of its weakest aspects. The songs seem so codependent on each other that the album did not have as many standout tracks as Rook, where many songs were extremely catchy and held their ground independently. One track that did stand out (negatively) was “Corridors.” Meiburg seems to attempt to go for one of those intensely climactic moments that Okkervil River have in their songs, and I would say he should stick to the quieter side of his songwriting and leave the raspier vocals and intense climactic moments to Will Sheff. One of Shearwater’s greatest characteristics are Meiburg’s vocal abilities, and it is these quieter songs that allow for a full appreciation of them. Overall, it is a solid effort that requires a listen as an album and not a collection of singles. You will embark on a journey I guarantee you will enjoy.

Highly recommended track: Hidden Lakes

--Enrique Lemus

Host, "Moose Tracks," Mondays 10-12 p.m. on WGTB

Review: Various Artists, Casual Victim Pile: Austin 2010

Various Artists
Casual Victim Pile: Austin 2010
A-

Austin, TX: “The Live Music Capital” has an undeniable musical heritage in its very heart. As a Texan, one always hears of the large music scene of Austin, where bands are always trying to get discovered. Matador Record’s Casual Victim Pile: Austin 2010 is a cohesive regional music compilation consisting of 19 tracks that will not disappoint anyone interested in the city’s local music scene. If you are not familiar with the Austin music scene, this compilation will not give you much of an insight on the wide variety of styles that exist in one of the countries most diverse music scenes. However, all 19 of the punk-like/garage-like tracks that are included are very enjoyable. From the start, Follow That Bird!’s song “The Ghosts That Wake You” was enough to catch my attention. It is difficult to speak of standout tracks in this compilation, because these are all stand-out tracks of the bands that have been included. One must go through each track to be able to do this compilation any justice. Every song sounds special in its own way. This is one of the most fun and exciting compilations I have ever heard. I have no doubt in my mind that anyone that listens to this album will be interested in looking into these bands and more of their music. This is a highly recommended collection of solid songs by exciting bands that I think everyone should listen to. I am definitely keeping an eye out for any of these bands and wait to see if any of them get big. I see potential in all of them.
--Enrique Lemus
Host, "Moose Tracks," Mondays 8-10 pm on WGTB

Review: The Album Leaf, A Chorus of Storytellers

The Album Leaf

A Chorus of Storytellers

A-

I have always been an avid fan of Jimmy LaValle’s work with The Album Leaf. A Chorus of Storytellers is his most recent effort, and I would say that The Album Leaf has done it again. Their dreamy/futuristic sound is relaxing and mellow while keeping it interesting. You can relax without getting bored. Both their instrumental tracks and the ones with vocal performances are incredible. “We Are”, “There Is A Wind”, “Summer Fog”, “Blank Pages”, “Until The Last” and “Within Dreams” are standout tracks. This album has no “Always For You” or “Wherever I’ll Go” from their album Into The Blue Again, but nonetheless The Album Leaf’s new effort has the same dreamy effect on the listener as his previous efforts. It is an exciting but relaxing album that I am highly recommending to anyone looking for anything in this genre. The Album Leaf is yet to underperform. This is another album that meets my high expectations for them.
-- Enrique Lemus
Host, "Moose Tracks," Mondays 10-12 pm on WGTB

Review: Fucked Up, Couple Tracks: Singles 2002-2009

Fucked Up

Couple Tracks: Singles 2002-2009

B+

Fucked up’s Couple Tracks: Singles 2002-2009 is a solid compilation of singles that can serve as the perfect description of a band’s growth. As an album, it doesn’t really flow, due to its nature as a compilation. However, any fan of this sort of aggressive and raw music must listen to this compilation. There are no dull moments in this collection. “Anorak City”, “Toronto FC” and “Black Hats” are standout tracks primarily due to the raw and aggressive sound in Pink Eyes’ vocals. If you are a fan of anything fast and loud, it is a collection of singles worth having. They maintain what has made Fucked Up as appealing as they are for the hipster crowds. Growling vocals, fast distorted guitars, but somehow maintain a poppy edge to their songs, where you can find some melodic catchy hooks while staying true to a more “hardcore” sound while avoiding the repetitive drumming patterns in typical punk bands. They have kept the energy, but avoided the potential boringness that can come along with this music. A must have for people anyone interested in the genre or looking into it. One of the most exciting right now.
 -- Enrique Lemus
Host, "Moose Tracks," Mondays 10-12 PM on WGTB