The Flaming Lips with Neon Indian – “Flaming Lips 2011: The Flaming Lips with Neon Indian” (2011)
A recent EP collaboration by The Flaming Lips with Texas’ Neon Indian, this review comes from Marc Masters, April 6, 2011 from the Pitchfork Media website…
Outside of geographic proximity (Norman, Okla., and Denton, Texas, are only 150 miles apart), psychedelia is the only obvious link between the Flaming Lips and Alan Palomo’s project Neon Indian. The Lips often veer to the darker side of psych, especially recently (see their 2009 dread-filled opus Embryonic), while Palomo deals in a day-glo take on 1980’s pop. So when Wayne Coyne revealed that they were banging out a fast collaboration — as he put it, “that shit should be ready to go pretty quickly” — the first question that came to mind was whether the result would lean more toward sun or shadows.
That’s settled immediately by the opener on this four-track, 22-minute EP, the ominously titled “Is David Bowie Dying?” It’s not completely clear what the lyrics have to do with Bowie’s potential demise, but the music feels like an elegy, a kind of spaced-out funeral march. With its slow, crunchy beat, cutting sonic debris, and Coyne’s weary intonations, it would fit well among Embryonic‘s doomy mantras. “Take your legs and run/ To the death rays of Read the rest of this entry »
Adele – “21” (2011)
A recent review of Adele’s excellent new album, taken from the Music OMH site, written by John Murphy, Jan. 24th…
With her extraordinary voice, reassuringly dirty laugh and down to earth personality, Adele Adkins seemed manna from heaven from those looking (musically at least) for ‘the new Amy Winehouse’ back in 2008.
Her debut album, 19, certainly had some standout moments but was marred by an over-reliance on filler tracks — understandable enough for a debut. But there was more than enough potential there to bode well for the future.
With 21, that promise is well and truly delivered upon. And the Winehouse comparisons aren’t likely to disappear — for, in a similar way that Back to Black was a massive step up in quality from Frank, 21 represents Adele’s coming of age.
As the old adage puts it, from great pain comes great art. And it really seems as if Adele has been through the emotional mill here. Almost every song Read the rest of this entry »
The Beat Patrol 