Record Review: DM Stith

DM Stith
Heavy Ghost
[Asthmatic Kitty, 2009]
4/5

Full review HERE. First off, if it were possible to give albums ".5" ratings on TMT, I would have given this 8.5. I've been anxiously waiting to post this one for quite awhile. I'll be brief, as the review is pretty thorough, but Heavy Ghost has been one of my favorite releases this year. If you listen to just one song, make it the beautiful "Braid of Voices." Does anybody else love this? Hate it? Let me know.

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Gothic (?) music

No, this is not a post about bands that sold well in Hot Topic in the early 2000s. I've been really into some pretty haunting records lately. This is not the kind of music to listen to on a cheery day. At the same time, I don't recommend listening to this stuff if you're feeling down. I guess going into any of these albums feeling "neutral" would be best. If you're in the mood for an engrossing, challenging, and even frightening listen, I recommend delving into any of these. And when/if you do, listen in a dark room with headphones on. It could be an experience tantamount to any horror film.

1) Grouper: Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill. I already blogged about this HERE.

2) Scott Walker: The Drift. He began his career as a radio friendly pop artist in the 60s, I believe. In 1995, he resurfaced with Tilt, a record that couldn't have been farther from his early work in the Walker Brothers. He underwent another hiatus until 2006, when he released his masterpiece, The Drift. Incorporating electronic embellishments, intensely claustrophobic atmospheres, grotesque lyrics, and a litany of other very uncomfortable elements, this album is downright horrifying. In all honesty, it's the most frightening album I own. Heavily indebted to 20th century modern composition, Walker's stunning voice and dissonant, atonal string sections are incredible. Abrupt dynamic shifts and long-form but never merely meandering song structures captivate throughout. It's something that I don't listen to often, but it's rewarding every time I do.

3) Evangelista: Hello, Voyager!. I only got this album today, but it was essentially the impetus for this post. Carla Bozulich sounds like Joanna Newsom if she smoked a pack of cigarettes a day and just escaped from a mental hospital. Maybe that's not appealing, but tell me it's not intriguing. At the same time, her voice is a lot more immediately "listenable" than Joanna's (don't get me wrong, Joanna Newsom's Ys is one of my favorite records of all time. Her lyrics are cryptic and brooding, and are perfectly complimented with the noisy, free jazz meets modern composition style music from the band. Slight glimpses of optimism are seen throughout. A bizarre and visceral release that hardly ever falters.

4) DM Stith: Curtain Speech EP/Heavy Ghost. Well, Heavy Ghost isn't released yet (I got an advance copy), but if you want a taste of the man's music, I highly recommend the (far too short, yet tantalizing) Curtain Speech EP. I first heard his austere compositional style on a My Brightest Diamond remix of "Gone Away" (which is breathtaking, by the way). His voice, curious lyrics, and dense (and often primal) instrumentation combine to make a truly (at risk of making this adjective banal) haunting experience. Ultimately a lot more welcoming and positive than the other three albums listed, there are songs that are almost celebratory in nature.

Year-end reflection: part 2

Here are some of my favorite tracks from albums not covered in my top 25 list. This is neither comprehensive nor ranked in any way. Sorry that I couldn't find a place to stream Welcome Wagon or Horse Feathers.

1) High Places: "From Stardust to Sentience", from High Places- This song is simply sublime. I have conflicting feelings towards High Places, as Mary Pearson's tranquil vocals are often just too detached, too tranquil, but they work very well here. Rob Barber's clattering percussion and hypnotic glassy tones form a perfect background. I could listen to this song on repeat for quite a while.

2) Four Tet: "Ribbons", from the Ringer EP- One of the best tracks Kieran Hebden has ever made. The straight 4/4 beat is a marked departure from his typically more slipshod approach. The unfurling, burbling synth arpeggios in this song are just beautiful.

3) Beach House: "Used to Be", from the Used to Be 7"- I've already rambled about this song in the past, but it's remained one of my favorites from the year, even the past few years. Gorgeous, melancholy, nostalgic, dreamy- the quintessential beach house track.

4) The Welcome Wagon: "Up On a Mountain", from Welcome to the Welcome Wagon
- Monique Aiuto's childlike vocals add a perfect sense of innocence to this very honest song about Jesus. Their unabashed spirituality comes through in this track (as well as nearly every other on their debut album). Sufjan Stevens provides tasteful arrangements and quiet harmonies; it truly does sound like a small room of friends getting together to sing, and it's a comforting, welcome (pun not intended) quality.
5) Fuck Buttons: "Sweet Love for Planet Earth", from Street Horrrsing- I saw this track live earlier this year, and it was simply one of the most visceral live music experiences I've ever partaken in. Tranquil, almost haphazard bell tones are cut through with dirty, jagged sawtooth waves, culminating with a combination of throbbing, brutal sawtooth waves and distorted screams from Benjamin John Power.

6) Pas/Cal: "You Were Too Old for Me", from I Was Raised on Matthew, Mark, Luke & Laura- This song is so enthralling because of its gradual evolution, until the very last note. I blogged about this over the summer, and I hope it's familiar to some of you by now.

7) Bowerbirds: "Hooves", from Hymns for a Dark Horse- The opening notes of this song still make me think of Andrew Bird. The lilting melody here is as hummable as many of Bird's, and just as pretty. The accordion typically annoys me, but its use is so subtle here, and I can't imagine the song without it.

8) Horse Feathers: "Curs of the Weeds", from House With no Name- The spare production and hushed vocals make for a truly intimate listening experience (and I hate saying things like that). The vocal melody is amazing.

9) DM Stith: "Just Once", from the Curtain Speech EP- This was likely overlooked by many due to its December eighth release date. A shame, as this designer and musician is one of the most promising acts on the Asthmatic Kitty roster. Many of his songs have an eerie, haunting quality, and this is no exception.

10) Hot Chip: "Ready for the Floor", from Made in the Dark. A fun, fantastically done song. Perfect, actually; there isn't a single aspect I would change about it.