Released as a free download and accompanied by a creative video, “All Summer” is about as inoffensive as it gets: there’s something for all genres of listeners. It’s not too difficult to imagine tweens ‘getting hyped’ for their days by quoting lines like, “My intentions for all summer have simply been this: maintain, keep my brain sane, with a little rage.” But Cudi’s verses are largely hit or miss; he can deliver lines like “Lookin’ at the ocean on shrooms is way iller,” but then also drop these bars in the same verse: “Callin’ my mama, tell her not to worry, I’m a man of the wild and the wild is the best.”

There’s not much to say about the actual instrumentation (Rostam’s part of the song, I imagine), as it’s a simple drum/guitar/bass affair. The real highlight is Bethany Cosentino’s honey-sweet vocal contribution, delivering the chorus in a manner that can’t help but elicit thoughts of sunny days at the beach with some buds. For what is ostensibly a shoe commercial, listeners could certainly do worse than this jam, which, though formulaic, is still a pleasing listen.

The Forum was slow to fill up to capacity, as London’s recent sunny weather kept many of the music revelers outside during opener Here We Go Magic’s set. Their loss though, right? Here We Go Magic played a set heavy with songs from their latest album, Pigeons. The new songs translated well live, with the most enthusiastic response occurring for the PIgeons favorite “Casual.” The band closed out their set with revamped version of Self-Title favorites like “Only Pieces,” “Fangela,” and “Tunnelvision.” For a band that’s typically known for their quieter moments, Here We Go Magic put on an impressive, energetic performance for the audience.

Scheduled to go on at 9 p.m., Broken Social Scene arrived promptly on the stage at about 8:50, which is a bit refreshing for a live-music act, as audiences have more or less become used to main acts arriving later than their scheduled time. After opening with a rousing rendition of first single “World Sick”, the band seamlessly weaved in and out of old favorites like “7/4 Shoreline” and “Cause = Time” with newer fan favorites like “Texico Bitches” and “Forced to Love.” For the latter song, Drew required audience participation in the form of one lucky member holding the lyrics for the song (apparently even Drew can’t keep up with some of the harder lines of the song). Normally, this wouldn’t be noteworthy, but audience member “Angus” momentarily stole the show as he danced around stage, played a shaker, and jumped from the upper level of the stage, over an amp, and landed in time to dance around Brendan Canning a bit before finishing off the song with a hastily choreographed dance with Kevin Drew. Notably absent from Angus’ performance was the holding of lyrics.

The reason Broken Social Scene live shows work so well is that it’s obvious that the band cares deeply about the people consuming their performance. Drew regularly interacted with the crowd, with small banter between songs, or through performing slower songs like, “Sweetest Kill” and “Ungrateful Little Father” in the crowd. Before launching into the final song of the main set, Drew told the crowd that he understands what it’s like to be in the crowd, and that’s why they do it. He isn’t a passive observer of the live music experience, as he said, “I was right there in the crowd with the rest of you when Pavement played the Brixton Academy.” With that, he led the band in a frenzy-inducing version of “Meet Me in the Basement” featuring multiple false endings.

Had that been the final song of the night, nobody in the room would have been disappointed. But while the rest of the band left the stage, a lone light shone on the synths as Kevin Drew took his place for a minimal, yet moving, rendition of “Lover’s Spit.” When the band finally rejoined on stage, the show was closed with the crowd favorite “It’s All Gonna Break” which only served to solidify Broken Social Scene as one of the best live acts touring today.

Should Broken Social Scene play in your vicinity, don’t hesitate to go. Even those who are unfamiliar with their songs will leave as fans.

This creation, of course, may not mesh well with the majority of the fans they accrued during their post-Oracular Spectacular fame. Instead of building off the highlights of their debut LP, MGMT decided to turn the equation around, writing an album that feels like an extension of Oracular Spectacular songs “4th Dimensional Transition” or “Of Moons, Birds, & Monsters.” Except that, more often than not, the songs from their first LP seem to represent a more interesting and original iteration of the band.

The general feeling found on Congratulations is that the band is reusing techniques and sounds from eras gone by. Whether it be the surfer rock feeling of “It’s Working” or the joyous Jackson 5/Motown vibe of “Someone’s Missing,” the album seems disingenuous in parts. In music criticism, there’s a fine line between homage and recycled ideas, and too often this album conveys the latter.

Then, of course, there are the moments where the band flourishes: “Flash Delirium” might be the best song MGMT has recorded to date. The problem, of course, is that lead singer Andrew VanWyngarden has stated that the song started off as a joke, not a serious contender for album consideration.

Dear MGMT,

Sincerely,
People that care about musical integrity.

Just let it go: “Flash Delirium” is an excellent song, with unexpected instrument and tempo changes, it certainly challenges listeners while still being catchy in the traditional sense. But because the band apologized (), it made the whole thing feel like the band was, again, playing a big joke on their listening audience.

Fans drawn to Brand New for Jesse Lacey’s lyrical prowess were distraught when Lacey revealed in an interview that guitarist Vin Accardi would be penning a significant portion of the album’s words. For new listeners of the band this may not pose a problem, but Accardi’s previous foray into writing, “Handcuffs” from 2006’s The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me, was weak—there was a noticeable decline in quality between his song and the Lacey-composed tracks. Needless to say—the outlook for Daisy was bleak before a note was ever heard. Would the new songs live up to the band’s acclaimed Devil and God? To quell fears without analyzing every word, the answer is absolutely yes. Of course there are some clunkers (“The champ goes down like a clown in the second round” in “Bed”), but even these are easy to forget given the album’s overall lyrical strength.

Perhaps the most striking feature this disc offers is the mood and environment it creates from the opening moments on “Vices.” In the same way that the opening notes of Grizzly Bear’s Yellow House invite you into its warm and comforting world, so too does Daisy invite listeners into its haunted, Bible Belt church straight outta the Red Scare-infused 1950s. The album feels as if it’s inspired by close-minded stereotypes found in southern Baptist churches littered across the lower half of the country. Fittingly, the music for most of the album is primitive and dark: where past discs thrived on intricate guitars and multiple layers to create a cohesive sound, Daisy is brash and to the point.

The album starts with a recording of the church hymn “On Life’s Highway” which is fittingly dated and creepy all at once. Listeners will find themselves waiting for the recording to end and the first notes to kick in, but it doesn’t happen right away. Just when it seems as if all hope is lost (or, that the second verse of the hymn is about to start) the band unleashes perhaps its most vicious song to date in “Vices.” Lacey’s guttural pleas (“We need vices!”) are backed by harsh, seemingly random notes of guitars that eventually feed into a Jesus Lizard-inspired noise breakdown. At about the moment the cacophony kicks in it becomes abundantly clear: this isn’t the Brand New your high school girlfriend repeated ad-nauseum in the car each morning before school.

The album is neatly divided into two halves, with “Be Gone” ushering in the second half of the disc and a much needed rest after the tour de force of the first half. It’s a song that on its own wouldn’t be worth consideration as a b-side, but in context is perhaps one of the most important songs on the record. If listeners were confused at about the album’s setting, “Be Gone” provides instant clarification with swampy blues guitar and heavily delayed vocals that are more akin to the environs in True Blood than they are Little House on the Prairie.

The respite that “Be Gone” provides is short lived as the scathing “Sink” continues the audio onslaught from the first five tracks. The song effortlessly executes the quiet-loud-quiet dynamic, with a possessed Lacey interjecting when least expected. With lyrics aimed directly at those who choose to blindly accept faith, “Sink” serves as a particularly biting dose of social commentary: “He was withered and bony, exposed for a phony // But we heed the last words that he penned, ‘Haste to disgrace the traitor, do not wait ’til later’ // I don’t think that you’ve got to pretend // I see God in birds, Satan in long words.” This nearsighted methodology (and fear of verbosity) culminates on the track “In a Jar” where Lacey confronts the blindness of those claiming to see most clearly.

By the end, the album’s personalities haven’t found their God–and there is no reprieve in sight. On “Noro,” over a gorgeous melody and a broken voice, Lacey sings: “Chariots, carry us–Distances we don’t care to walk.” When it’s clear that their Godot isn’t coming, defeat is admitted when he sings “I’m on my way to hell” until the hymn from the beginning of the album picks up where it left off– the stories and personalities found throughout the album only exist between verses of an old hymn.

Having replaced their pop-punk idols of 2001 with the likes of the Jesus Lizard, Nirvana, and Modest Mouse, Brand New has once again moved their catalog of genre-defining and genre-defying albums forward. Here’s to hoping Daisy’s outro isn’t a swan song, but rather a sign of things to come.

For proof, one need look no further than the experimentation (something unheard of for a band of the Beatles’ fame in the 60′s) on “Tomorrow Never Knows”; it’s a tape loop of McCartney laughing somehow becoming the birds heard in the opening seconds; or Lennon’s desire to sound like the Dalai Lama singing from a hilltop (achieved with surprising accuracy). By now, the trance like effect of the backwards guitar loop on “I’m Only Sleeping” has been used ad-nauseum in modern recording, but it must’ve been exciting to listen to on wax in ’66. With this remaster it’s not hard to envision (see, I didn’t even have to use “imagine”!) a brand new generation of listeners becoming engrossed in just how new this music–and this record as a whole– sound.

In an interview with the BBC earlier this week, Paul McCartney revealed his plans to release the ultra-rare Beatles recording “Carnival of Light”. The song, which is a 14-minute avant-garde piece of music, was recorded at Abbey Road studios during band’s psychedelic Magical Mystery Tour sessions. The release isn’t a done deal, however, as Sir Paul still needs the approval from Ringo Starr, as well as Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison.

In 1996, McCartney attempted to have “Carnival of Light” included in the compilation Anthology, however, the other members vetoed the decision at the time, calling it ‘rubbish.’ Given Ringo Starr’s recent ban on all fan mail (and happiness), many remain skeptical on the certainty of the release.

The full interview with McCartney can be heard on BBC’s Radio 4 program, Front Row, on Thursday.

-Larry W

Just days after Radiohead wrapped up their epic 50 date, transcontinental tour in Japan, radiohead.com.mx is reporting three new dates for Radiohead’s South American Tour 2009 in Mexico. According to the website, Radiohead will be playing at Foro Sol in Mexico City, March 15th, 16th, and 17th.

More dates should be added shortly, including stops in Chile and Brazil. According to Radiohead fansite Greenplastic, the most e-mailed question the website received in it’s 12 year existence was, “When will Radiohead tour Mexico again?” Congratulations to all Mexican Radiohead fans. They’re finally coming back!

Here’s a video of the Radiohead rarity, Blow Out, being played recently in Osaka, Japan.

-Larry W.

Less than 24 hours after the interwebs exploded with the tracklisting for Animal Collective’s 9th LP, Merriweather Post Pavilion, a release date has been confirmed. Fans of the experimental band will find the Collective’s new LP in record stores on January 20th. It will be receiving the standard CD, double vinyl, and digital release formats.

No word on whether we can expect animal-themed flash drives…yet. But, along with that announcement came news that the fan favorite “Brother Sport” will now be known simply as “Brothersport”.

Animal Collective begin their international fall tour on Saturday. Dates after the jump.

Animal Collective:

10.11 – Berlin, Germany – Berghain
10.12 – Warsaw, Poland – Fabryka Trzciny
10.13 – Krakow, Poland – Jazz Club Hipnoza
10.14 – Prague, Czech Republic – Archa Theatre
10.15 – Vienna, Austria – Arena
10.16 – Ljubljana, Slovenia – Menza pri Koritu
10.17 – Bratislava, Slovakia – A4
10.18 – Zagreb, Croatia – Teatat and TD
10.19 – Belgrade, Serbia – Dom Omladine
10.20 – Skopje, Macedonia – Mac MKC
10.21 – Thessaloniki, Greece – Principle Theatre
10.22 – Athens, Greece – Gagarin 205
10.23 – Tel Aviv, Israel – Zappa
10.24 – Istanbul, Turkey – Babylon
10.25 – Valencia, Spain – Greenspace Festival
11.06 – Santiago, Chile – Industria Cultural
11.08 – São Paulo, Brazil – Planeta Terra Festival
11.09 – Buenos Aires, Argentina – La Trastienda
11.13 – Lima, Peru – Centro Fundación Telefónica

-Larry W.

Everyone’s favorite singer/songwriter/actor/producer is ready to release a full length follow-up to 2006′s Post-War. In an interview with Paste Magazine, Ward stated that he tried to go in a slightly different direction with balance on the album, saying that, “It’s a little hard to explain. There’s a lot of really big and heavy sounds that I attempted to balance with sounds that you can find in any guitar shop.” The album will be called Hold Time, and will be out via Merge Records sometime in February.

In other M. Ward related news, the artist confirmed that a second album from one of his many side projects, She and Him (with actress Zooey Deschanel), is already in the works. “Zooey has about a gazillion brand new awesome songs….Volume Two is going to be twice as good as Volume One.

M. Ward will be performing at the OKOBOS Music Festival in Green Bay, Wisconsin on October 11th alongside artists like Death Cab for Cutie, Ben Harper and Ben Folds. Tickets are available here.

-Larry W.

via paste