Totally Unauthorized 2013 3rd Quarter Playlist: July - September

September kicks off the fall season, and that always means plenty of great new music is hitting the shelves. This year is no exception as there has been plenty to get music lovers excited, and that trend seems sure to carry on into the later fall months. July and August, meanwhile, were a little less exciting than they've been in years past, but there were plenty of great tracks that flew under the radar.

PRESERVATION HALL JAZZ BAND - AUGUST NIGHTS

Sip from a chilled glass of wine as you enjoy this classy, brass laden piece of throwback jazz. Director David Jaffe has organized a very smoky, 50s sounding piece that tempers the sound of clarinet with soft horn and trumpet to forge a concoction that sounds as elegant as it does nostalgic.

 

KA - OUR FATHER

Brooklyn rapper Ka is pensive and thoughtful, but also delivers gritty street realities. Bearing resemblance to Nas and The Wu Tang Clan, Ka reflects the great heritage of the New York rap scene. He proves he's no lightweight on "Our Father," a dark mafia-esque tale of blood and revenge.
 

 

FUCK BUTTONS - BRAINFREEZE

This sounds like something playing from an alien spaceship's boombox, mixed with a little Crystal Method, and topped off with something I can't describe. I can't decide what I like best -- the urgent, industrial drumming, the demented seagull sound, or the fact that this song sounds like it's ready to swallow the world.

 

EARL SWEATSHIRT - CHUM

"Chum" is a dream coated nugget of philosophical introspection, and the most compelling cut from his major label debut. A moody, moving piano beat backs Earl as he explores his relationship with his estranged father, his kinship with Odd Future cohort Tyler, the Creator, and the pressures of delivering in the music industry.

TY SEGALL - SLEEPER

Garage rock wunderkid Ty Segall changes his approach a bit on his latest album, spearheaded by this acoustic, folk based number. Segall gives a powerful emotionally charged performance as he weaves his tale of loss and regret, yearning for days when things were better.

PORCELAIN RAFT - IT AIN'T OVER

Italian musician Mauro Remeddi turned heads last year with his eclectic blend of electronic indie pop, and now looks to show he's more serious on his sophomore release. "It Ain't Over" is a taut and driving tune that sees Remeddi turning out some of his most delicate and yearning vocals of his career.

 

FOREST SWORDS - FRIEND YOU WILL NEVER LEARN

Subtlety is key for UK producer Matthew Barnes, the man behind Forest Swords. This eight minute closing suite from his excellent Engravings album feels like it's being broadcast from a faraway smoky place, as a myriad of vocal samples, piano keys, and abstract synth patterns drift towards you from out of the mist.

 

NINE INCH NAILS - VARIOUS METHODS OF ESCAPE

Trent Reznor dialed back the intensity on the latest Nine Inch Nails album, and the result is sleek mood pieces such as this. The verses are buzzy, slinking, and subdued, but the chorus is a force of nature. Clanking guitar combines with Trent's impassioned vocal to create a concoction that will knock you on your ass.

NEKO CASE - MAN

Crunching power pop chords and blistering solos carry this driving anthem as alt-rock goddess Neko Case busts our her tale of badassery. When she declares, "You didn't know what a man was/until I showed you," it's hard to decide whether to consider her sexy or to be terrified of her.

JANELLE MONAE - DANCE APOCALYPTIC

Monae has always had a silly side, and it is in fine form on this track. On the surface it comes across as a fun, dancey number decked out with 60s girlpop vocals, but look deeper and you'll see an apocalyptic tale complete with zombies marching in your front yard. I cannot get this song out of my head. 

ARCTIC MONKEYS - WHY'D YOU ONLY CALL ME WHEN YOU'RE HIGH?

The veteran British rockers return here with one of the most tantalizing cuts from their acclaimed new album A.M. Alex Turner's smooth, sensual croon drifts over a grooving, R&B style beat before ending in a hazy wash of alt-rock goodness in the final stanzas.

CHVRCHES - SCIENCE/VISIONS

Acclaimed Scottish synth pop trio Chvrches may be getting lots of attention for their hit singles, but don't sleep on this tune. It builds and churns as it goes along, mixing a sinister, underwatery sounding synth riff with Lauren Mayberry's urgent vocals to craft a track that delivers a solid punch from beginning to end.

HAIM - THE WIRE

A fun, playful vibe permeates this alt-rock stomper from California sister trio Haim. The uplifting and pearlescent vocal performance is sure to fill you with warmth, while a subtle rock and electronic vibe is carried out underneath.

Scottish electro poppers Chvrches present exuberant synth fantasy

Glasgow electronic pop trio Chvrches have been steadily gaining attention over the past year thanks to a slew of catchy singles and their Recover EP earlier this March, and the anticipation has reached a fever pitch thanks to the release of their debut album, The Bones of What You Believe. They've captured hearts and minds so far by presenting exuberant and addicting synth pop, and their full length offers very little deviations from the sound hinted at by their early singles.

They aren't dark and suffocating like Crystal Castles; they make no effort to be highly experimental like The Knife, and they certainly aren't downright fucking crazy like Grimes. They utilize an extreme back to basics approach, presenting their sound as simply and as straightforward as possible. For this reason, Chvrches will likely come across as very basic and elementary to anyone who's been listening to this style of music for awhile. However, the thrust of their success so far has not been so much due to ideology as it has been to the execution itself.

This album is filled with very cute, happy and uplifting music carried by the always spirited and adorable voice of Lauren Mayberry. With her high pitched, sweet and sugary voice, she's naturally going to draw comparisons to Megan James of Purity Ring. Yet Chrvches sound is much simpler, as they make an effort to put everything right on the surface. In many ways, it sounds like an album geared toward teenagers or high school age kids with its twinkling rave backgrounds and its themes focusing on interpersonal relationships.

Yet the passion and the level of earnestness with which they present the material make it accessible to a wide variety of age ranges.Some lyrics have a definite bite to them. On "Gun," Mayberry declares herself to be a gun, and it's you she'll be coming for. Some low pitched gurgling electronica running under the verses adds to the song's confrontational style, while still keeping with the album's by maintaining a general upbeat nature.

"Tether," meanwhile, is a slow gushing ballad that sounds like a breakup anthem, complete with some spacey guitar strums that washes over the listener like waves in the sea.  Most songs begin simply enough, and then add layer upon layer, building as it goes until it ends with a nice finale. It's predicable song structuring, but still remains effective. Although the sound is heavily keyboard based, every now and then you can hear a little bit of guitar which brings in some very minor new wave/post punk influence. "Night Sky" is bolstered by an 80s inspired surf guitar sound, while "Lies" sounds something like U2 doing New Wave.

To be sure, this is not a particularly deep record, nor does it bring much new to the table. As Iain Cook said to Pitchfork's Rob Cohen, the band aims for their melody to be "up front and immediate." This draws the listener in easily on the first few playthroughs, but leaves little to discover on repeat listens. Therefore, The Bones of What You Believe is best consumed by those in need of a soundtrack for a party or club type setting, or just anyone who wants to have a good time and not take their music too seriously.

Score: 74/100