Yellow Ostrich Aim Out of This World w/ "Cosmos" Album REVIEW

When I first saw Yellow Ostrich perform live, it was back in 2012 when they were opening up for Los Campesinos. I remember that, in a whirlwind of excitement to see Los Campesinos!, I hadn't even bothered to check out the openers before going to the show. I remember even being a bit annoyed as Yellow Ostrich took the stage at Le Poisson Rouge, but those feelings of aversion didn't last long as I felt myself head bumping to the likes of "WHALE" and "Marathon Runner" which build up to groovy climaxes, a technique that Yellow Ostrich has proven themselves especially proficient in. Their latest release "Cosmos" takes a while to hit you. The first half feels very uneasy, like the entire band is just gaining its footing. The opener "Terrors" begins with drawn out chords that sound like they're being emitted from a broken amusement park ride in some scary movie. It's all a tad unsettling, especially when Alex Schaff kicks into high gear singing "I'm the terror in your eyes". "Neon Fists" has an irresistible beat in the background with pleading lyrics of last resort in contrast. Whereas the first half the album feels paranoid, with the guitars of "Shades" feeling like something off of OK Computer, and the epileptic guitars at the end of "You Are The Stars" sending you under the covers, the last five songs are slightly less abrasive, but just as melancholy. In "Things are Falling", a wary surrender in which Schaff sings "I'll never ask you to pretend or try to lie" the buildup creates a tension that becomes visceral, releasing itself in 30 seconds of guitar feedback with muffled voices of radio broadcasts that consume you. It is at that point that the title of the album becomes evident, everything feels very cosmic. The final track "Don't Be Afraid" placates some of the built up tension from this sonic slaughter, but it isn't long before you feel the sense of uneasiness return, as high out-of-tune synth keys burst over an otherwise hushed melody. You feel unaccomplished, like your quest as a listener is unfinished. But it seems that that is exactly how it is intended; there's an existential quality to it. Consensus: "FAVORABLE" Listen Below

2013: The Year Music Embraced The Dark

With the year reaching its midpoint, many music blogs and pundits, including the beloved Anthony Fantano, are taking a second to look back on the first half of the year and all it had to offer. So far, 2013 has been a cornucopia of experimentally rich music, with established artists exploring new sounds and ideas. Artists of all kinds have gone out of their comfort zone this year to produce music that challenges listeners and grasps with themes of modern-day alienation and confusion. Case and point is the divisive, snarly, and downright abrasive Kanye West release "Yeezus". A complete 180 from the lushly layered orchestration of his 2011 release "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy", Yeezus embraces minimalism, glitch music and pounding tribal drums. Not to say that this release was out of Kanye's comfort zone, since as a producer he is always redefining what is considered popular rap, but it was so off-the-wall as a whole that it caused a huge stir. Those unfamiliar with the likes of Death Grips were questioning if this was even rap. No one was prepared for one of the most popular names in rap, the same rapper who released the bubblegum "Gold Digger", to release an album that seethes the paranoia that Yeezus does. Everyone was at least a little shocked and usually really excited. It provided everyone with the opportunity feel their personal and societal demons exposed in music and examine themselves within the comfortable confines of an artist whose music widely accepted and liked.

    Kanye is not alone. If I could think of any thread that connects the noteworthy releases of the year thus far, it's that the artists have all incorporated a certain degree of darkness into their sound. By darkness I don't necessarily mean  demented vocals, or Michael Myer-esque melody. I mean an application of grungy, grimey sounds and themes; as if these artists decided to adopt the life of a depressed teenager living in a rainy, smog filled 1990's London. These are the sounds I hear when I play the latest Sigur Ros release "Kveikur". Sigur Ros themselves pulled off a total makeover, throwing their years of airy, romantic ethereal music out of the window and instead replicating sounds of pounding heavy machinery and incorporating pulsating percussion. What about M.I.A , with her latest single "Bring The Noize", that after the pop and squeak of "Bad Girls" and "XXXO", refocuses on simple invigorating percussion and experiments with vocals and has a synth breakdown that makes you want to have a seizure. Talk about abrasive; the first listen  reminded me of the raw power M.I.A had on Arular.

     All of the aforementioned releases were just in the past month. Besides them, there's the extremely dark release by Baths, "Obsidian", whose themes deal with hurting himself and feeling hopeless. There's also the myriad of local punk bands fronting the reemergence of a scene that exposes dissatisfaction with life, society, government, and basically any establishment that has an influence on us. If 2009 and 2010 were the years of chillwave, 2011 the year of twangy dream rock bands like Real Estate and Girls, and 2012 the year of everything in between, including anthemic rock outfits Japandroids and Cloud Nothings, as well as Grimes (who could have fit in nicely if she had released Visions in 2013), then the year 2013 is the year of music waking up to reveal its true broken down, fractured, and truly fucked up nature. This is a year of mature music releases that do away with the fluff of dreamy riffs and stick to minimal, driving percussion, as they too drive their messages into the listener's skull.

     What caused this shift in the music being put out? If this is a continuation of the groundwork laid out by Death Grips, Grimes and Crystal Castles last year, is it going to continue to grow as a trend? What is it a response to? Are there any factors in society that are molding public discourse through music and the arts in general? How does this tie in with other forms of art currently being made? These are the talking points that are going to be discussed as we continue to move throughout the year and new albums are put out. 2013 has spoiled us so far, and there are still so many albums to be excited for.

Upcoming releases of interest -
Jay Z - Magna Carta Holy Grail (July 4)
Earl Sweatshirt - Doris (July 30)
Bloc Party - The Nextwave Sessions  (August 13)
Washed Out - Paracosm (August 13)
Porcelain Raft - Permenant Signal (August 20)
The Dodos - Carrier (August 27)
Grouplove - Spreading Rumors (September 17)
MGMT - MGMT (September 17)

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