What Gripes My Grapes

Hey guys! I'm back! But not on here sadly.
I have a new blog called 'What Gripes my Grapes'
Go check it out. You'll love it!

Review #75: Skying - The Horrors

When I look at 'The Horrors', I see a band who could easily just be described as music. Just like a pizza is a pizza, 'The Horrors' are music. In my opinion, they define the whole industry. It's their dreamy vocals, and thumping drum beats which put them in the highest of places.
Take 'I Can See Through You'. They don't try anything fancy, they don't purposely try to be different, they clearly play what comes naturally to them. It's different. Most definitely, there is no other band who manage to create such a dreamy, melodic, sound which sits in your ears like some sort of magical, ear elf.
Plus. The word 'Skying' is brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.

Best Tracks: 'Changing Rain', 'I Can See Through You', 'Oceans Burning'

8/10

Next Review: Within And Without - Washed Out


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Review #74: Kaiser Cheifs - The Future Is Medieval

For me,the Kaiser Chiefs epitomize the noughties. It was their young fresh sound that resounded out of my teenage earphones, egging me on to be pretty much what I wanted to be.
But now it's new times. I've grown up. They've grown up. And really, 'The Future Is Medieval' is exactly what they should have done, and more.
Okay, so it's no masterpiece, and there aren't any huge anthems lining the track listing, but what there is, is a new sound. Fresh, (Yes, we know 'Little Shocks' sounds like Maximo Park's 'Our Velocity', but we will give them the benefit of the doubt here. If they come out with a new song called 'Magazines From Cardboard Boxes' we will know something fishy is going on!) and a generally crisp piece of music. Track 2 'Things Change' pretty much sums up what the 'Kaiser Chiefs' have done, and done well at that. Another two albums of the same after this would be too much. So as long as they keep advancing, I will keep listening!

Best Tracks: 'Little Shocks', 'Starts With Nothing', 'Dead Or In Serious Trouble'.

7/10

Next Review: The Horrors - Skying

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Review #73: Liam Finn - FOMO

I have nothing against 'Liam Finn'. Cold Feet is a very good song. It's more the fact that I have now had five sub-standard albums in a row, and quite frankly, I'm getting bored! 2011 was going so well!

Best Track: 'Cold Feet'

5/10

Next Review: Kaiser Chiefs - The Future Is Medieval (It better be bloody well good, or I am going to rampage)


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Problems!

I am experiencing some problems at the moment, which is why there is such a gap between reviews. Sorry.
However, it should all be good again soon, and! And! And! The new site should be up soon!
Exciting times people!

Review #72: Chilly Gonzales - The Unspeakable Chilly Gonzales

Okay, the lyrics are witty, and the tunes are catchy enough. But that is literally all there is to say about 'The Unspeakable Chilly Gonzales'.
I could give you quotes of the lyrics, but that would spoil it wouldn't it? Just listen to it. It's good while it lasts, I guess...

Best Tracks: 'Supervillain Music', 'Different Kind Of Prostitute', 'Rap Race'

5/10

Next Review: Liam Finn - FOMO

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Review #71: Samiyam - Sam Baker's Album

I'm sorry but what the hell is this? It really is boring. Give me good music! No offense, but the best thing about the album is the artwork, and that's just some kid...

Best Tracks: You choose. I don't have favorites.

4/10

Next Review: Chilly Gonzales - The Unspeakable Chilly Gonzales


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Review #70: Foster The People - Torches

It's all well and good having 'Pumped Up Kicks' on an album. Because, after all, it is a darn good song. However the rest of the album just doesn't really cut it.
What 'Foster The People' are doing just isn't fresh enough. They just seem so subdued. 'Torches' is as if you are being led away by the music, finally thinking that it is taking you to a special place, and then the track stops. It just rolls the tracks on and on. All sounding so familiar that it would be hard to tell the songs apart without a good read of the track listings, and quite a few independent listens to the album.
Maybe I am being to harsh. 'Foster The People' have a good sound. It's refreshing and mellow, and they have broken to places indie bands have found hard in recent years. I just feel they could have put more effort into the album. It doesn't feel complete.

Best Tracks: 'Waste', 'Houdini', 'Miss You'.

6/10

Next Review: Samiyam - Sam Baker's Album

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Review #69: The Victorian English Gentlemens Club - Bag Of Meat

Yes, okay, this album is a bit bloody weird. But that's not all bad. It gives the album a flavour and a texture that has really been built upon since their debut in 2006.
Their early work was very experimental. Nothing could be taken from the albums. They sounded more like a mash of sounds, that was almost music. 'Bag Of Meat' has refined their sound to a more mature level, yet I can't help but think that they have quite a long way to go if they are ever to make a record which is worth credit.
It may be usual for a band to mature on their second album, but 'The Victorian English Gentlemens Club' have changed this to later on in their musical careers, thus showing that they are already different from other bands who are relatively new to the scene like them. So a very good album in the future is not out of the question! But 'Bag Of Meat' is average at best.
Plus, they need to put an apostrophe in their name. It's annoying.

Best Tracks: ' Lost My Face In A Fast Car Race', 'As Jungle Drums Rang Across The Amazon (We Held Our Heads And Screamed)', ' John Denver’s Wife'.

5/10

Next Review: Torches - Foster The People

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Review #68: The Feeling - Together We Were Made

If I am to be completely and utterly honest, and am not to tell any shape or form of a lie, as much as I like 'The Feeling', 'Together We Were Made' is actually shit. It sounds like they have decided to to take the piss out of themselves, by creating a parody album. Of themselves.
Their lyrics they produced before weren't exactly Shakespeare, but now they sound like they played 'Yahtzee' and have written down the opposite of what the dice might have said if they could spell. Or were they just playing Klingon 'Boggle'?
Whatever board game it was, it certainly was not 'Scrabble'!
You give credit where credit is due, but with lyrics like 'So build a home/Put pictures on the wall/Choose a colour for the door/And let me in', something tells me credit is not due.
They have added in techno beats and slightly less interesting guitar riffs than the attempts that appeared on their previous albums, which immediately drags the album nearer the 'Pile of Poppycock', and by the time track eight ('Mr.Grin') was reached the band had securely positioned a place there.
Perhaps it's the added vocals of 'Sophie Ellis-Bextor' which brings the album to become the catastrophe it is, after her recent album was also a complete shambles. However, the song she appears in is one of the better tracks! Maybe 'The Feeling' have just formed into a crap band like many others before them. Whatever it is, it is safe to say 'Together We Were Made' is one of the worst albums of 2011.

Best Tracks (At A Push): 'Leave Me Out Of It', 'Build A Home', 'Say No'.

3/10

Next Review: The Victorian English Gentlemens Club - Bag Of Meat

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Review #67: Dananananaykroyd - There Is A Way

Some music is just too serious. It puts a grimace on your face and gives you a surly attitude for at least 10 minutes. Some people merely acknowledge the musicality the said band has, and gets on with his/her life. Others think about what they have just heard and try to relate it to their lives and perhaps let it reflect on their lives. However, there is a third kind, who suck up all the dread and anguish that seethes out of an album so glum that it could have been a page ripped out of Kerry Katona's handbook for rearing children.
They sit there for hours thinking about how bad their life is, with the one reconciling memento being that at least someone else was feeling worse than they were due to the fact that they felt the need to write an album about it.
I fall under this third category.
But, on the other hand 'Dananananaykroyd' don't really do serious. It's not in their thesaurus. They sort of just... Shout?
They are a confusing bunch of characters. Wearing a tracksuit whilst playing indie riffs, shouting and screaming, isn't your everyday mixture. But they seem to make it work.
'There Is A Way' is definitely a step up from 'Hey Everyone'. They take their shouting to a level of maturity, if that makes any sense. They don't faff about with lyrics. They hit the nail on the head. 'E-Numbers' and 'Muscle Memory' are fine examples of how the band have matured. Still essentially 'Dananananaykroyd' yet it is this new developed version of the group which stretches your imagination and their achievements, creating a fine example of a record which is really rather mental.

Best Tracks: 'Muscle Memory', 'Time Capsule', 'Apostrophe'.

7/10

Next Review: The Feeling - Together We Were Made

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Review #66: Patrick Wolf - Lupercalia

'Lupercalia' for me, is just an album. It doesn't advance Patrick in any way, it just rectifies where he went wrong on 'The Bachelor'. It is almost a new beginning. As always there are hidden messages in what he is singing about, but for me it's the shiny outer shell that 'Lupercalia' possesses that brightens my view of  the Londoner.
Yes, his previous albums are good, very good in fact, however this latest outing almost seems like he is hatching from a new egg and taking his music to an area where he hasn't ventured before. But, being the adventurer he is, he seems to have perfected switching between genres as if he was 16th century Sir Francis Drake encountering new lands.
It really shows how good music can be when someone lets their heart pave the way for their music, and not being restricted by their fans!

Best Tracks: 'The City', 'The Future', 'Together'.

8/10

Next Review: Dananananaykroyd - There Is A Way

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Review #65: Owl City - All Things Bright And Beautiful

Oh God.

Best Tracks: no.

2/10

Next Review: Patrick Wolf - Lupercalia


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Review #64 Bon Iver - Bon Iver

You cannot get away with anything in music in this day and age. So it is a good job that 'Bon Iver' don't make mistakes. The band's self titled second album is truly wonderful. The calming melodies and the textured vocals bring to life what is an ultimately tremendous piece of music.
It seems as if 'Bon Iver' don't have to put effort into making the music that they want to. The beauty that Justin Vernon can produce with his guitar is purely astounding. They way he commands the sound that he produces never ceases to amaze me.
Here on their second album, the band have captured what they feel each city to be and have constructed songs which gives us a real insight into how they perceive each place, yet leaving us with enough room to still create our own views.
It doesn't tend to get much better than this!

Best Tracks: 'Towers', 'Michicant', 'Beth/Rest'

7/10

Next Review: Owl City - All Things Bright And Beautiful


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Vanguard #8: Barry

It's not often that you find raw talent as good as 'Barry'. This Folk trio really are great. Their debut EP release 'Yawnin' In The Dawnin' ' was a real triumph from the Americans. With the recent surge of popular folk music it is great to find a band that sticks to the roots of the genre, like 'Mumford And Sons' and 'Fleet Foxes', but still manages to sound so different.
The wonderful harmonies their vocals create are pleasing to listen to and you cannot fault their playing. 'For Your Own Good' epitomises these harmonies and their overall talent in general.
It shows that bands like 'Barry' are the future of folk music, and the genre will be better for it!


'Carnival(e)'
'For Your Own Good'

Vanguard Excitement: 7/10

Next Weeks Vanguard: Rubber Kiss Goodbye


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Review #63: Destroyer - Kaputt

Let's pretend for a moment that you are in space. No spacesuit. No air. Just floating through the preverbal near vacuum. Just don't think about anything. A completely clear mind. Forget everything.
'Destroyer' seems to me like the beginning of life. The dual vocals, and the relaxed atmosphere really bring 'Kaputt' to life. It feels so relaxed that the trumpets and saxophones act almost as a new age lullaby, but in a good way.
The record relaxes your muscles. It calms your nerves. It is just generally a feel good LP.
I'm sure there are many bands about that sound just like this, but it is the blend of light jazz and fading electronica that sets 'Destroyer' apart from anything I have heard, or will hear for that matter.
It would be fair to say that 'Kaputt' is not only individual, but an illustrious work of art!

Best Tracks: 'Chinatown', 'Song For America', 'Bay Of Pigs'

7/10

Next Review: Bon Iver - Bon Iver

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Review #62: Is Tropical - Native To

It's all very straightforward. It's not so much in your face, but rather sitting nicely opposite you, asking if you want some tea, or if would would like them to turn 'MGMT' up, because they haven't quite used them enough as an influence in their new record yet.
I did actually enjoy the album, I just felt that I had heard it all before. This gamey-electronic kind of music needs something fresh added into it. It's missing that bit of flavour. It's all well and done using a verb and an adjective to make up your band name, but you need some substance behind that. It's almost as if they should be called 'Was Exotic (But Then We Made Music)'.
Okay. I'll stop having a go. All I ask, is for 'Is Tropical' to add some basil or cumin to their music, because at the moment; It is bland at best.

Best Tracks: 'South Pacific', 'I'll Take My Chances', 'Think We're Alone'

6/10

Next Review: Destroyer - Kaputt


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Review #61: WU LYF - Go Tell Fire To The Mountain

'WU LYF' wouldn't work as singles. I don't think 'WU LYF' would work particularly well live either. However, as an album, they work tremendously. Their sounds seems to gel with the idea of an LP, and I respect that they have clearly put their upmost effort into releasing an album that not only defines who they are as a band, but defines their genre too.
There's no doubt about it; The vocals are raspy. But not in a 'Louie Armstrong' way. It's more of a way that a finger can't quite be placed upon. It looks at music from a different way. Like a side on viewpoint. It mixes what music is completely about with what it isn't about. The choral voices, the awful diction. It's the feelings the sound sends though you, is what 'WU LYF' are all about. They take what you see as music, and put it through their eyes. It is very easy to just get locked up inside 'Go Tell Fire To The Mountain', much like 'Glasvegas' 'EUPHORIC///HEARTBREAK\\\'.
It's not an album you will listen to often. It is as if it has such an effect on you, that you almost want to stop yourself from listening again due to the fact that you could have a completely different viewpoint on it by the end of another listen, but you also want to try again incase you come out with a completely different viewpoint. It's relaxing yet exhilarating. It's hard work yet simple.
In essence; It's everything.


Best Tracks: 'L Y F', 'We Bros', 'Spitting Blood'

9/10

Next Review: Is Tropical - Native To


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Vanguard #7: The Cheek

Grab your trench coat! We're gonna see 'The Cheek' because they are brilliant.
Their guitar licks and bashing drums set fire to anything really. Even non-flammable items.
Hang on. I'll slow down.
'The Cheek' are essentially an indie band, who find it hard to be average. They push boundaries and they sound very 60's, which almost suggests that they are trying to recreate the building blocks modern day pop and indie were formed on. That's not bad though. Someone has to reinforce what hasbeen forgotten, if not replace it intirely.
Being truthful, I really believe that 'The Cheek' have these capabilities. They are just a bit slow at doing so...

'Hung Up'
'Just One Night'

Vanguard Excitement: 7/10

Next Sunday's Vanguard: Barry


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Review #60: White Denim - D

Mind. Blown.
It takes a strong willed man to experiment properly with music. It takes and even stronger one to do what 'White Denim' have accomplished. This isn't just some mess the Texas foursome has created. It's a controlled mess.
Think of the album as a piece of ripped cloth. It still has its jagged edges, and off centre feel. However, it feels trimmed, and as if it has been placed off centre on purpose. It is difficult to succeed in creating such a perfectly freakish record, without sounding insane, or having people shove their noses up at you, claiming you're a cynical band. But they have captured that essence needed and bottled it into a perfectly commercial jar of experimental jam.
It has taken a while for 'White Denim to reach this stage in their careers, but it was well worth the wait!


Best Tracks: 'It's Him!', 'River To Consider', 'Is And Is And Is'

7/10

Next Review: Wu Lyf - Go Tell Fire To The Mountain


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