The Saturday Evening Post-up

Greetings, welcome, etc. to the inaugural edition of the Saturday Evening Post-up. A couple of things might be running through your mind right now, such as "What the hell is this?" or "It's Tuesday, not Saturday." I'll get to the first question shortly, though as for the second, well... I don't know. I didn't feel like waiting until Saturday.

The Saturday Evening Post-up is a review of what we're playing right now on KWUR, and will include new music reviews and charts (if I ever get around to posting them). Reviews are written by our very own, very talented DJs, and will be reprinted here as they are on the CDs laying around the station. There's not much more to it than that - check back for every week (probably on or around Saturday) for a new edition. Now, without further ado, this week's reviews:

Ra Ra Riot - "The Rhumb Line"


Great use of string instruments (violin and cello), works well with the guitar. Cool driving rhythms, but a bit derivative of their EP (for anyone who's familiar with it). Not much change from EP to LP. Gets a bit pop sometimes, but the dark undertones in the lyrics make up for it.

Play: 1, 3, 4 (sad), 5 (e.e. cummings reference), 9 (delightful Kate Bush cover)

Dynamite Club - "Fusion Era"

Dynamite Club makes irreverent, bizarre, and at times obscene or disturbing noisy rock. This is along some of the same lines as early Boredoms hardcore with a splash of prog (guitar lines and rhythms are at times pretty complex). The vocalist gives a distinctly ESL edge to the weird-out lyrics.

Interesting: 3 (treatment of the reading of the digits of pi), 6 (a satirical prod at jazz fusion), 9 (longest - Mike Patton style disturbing spaz composition)

Marnie Stern - "This Is It And I Am It And You Are It And So Is That And He Is It And She Is It And It Is It And That Is That"

You wouldn't guess it from the cover, but this album is full of crazy guitar riffs and pulsing beats and Marni Stern's exciting voice. It's a decent album - Sleater Kinney and PJ Harvey being a 10 and Michelle Branch and The Donnas a 1, Marnie Stern is something like a 5 or 6. The songs tend to sound the same, though. Very dance-y. Also, I thought the music would redeem the lame album title, but it did not.

Play: 1, 2, 4, 7, 10

XXTeens - "Welcome To Goon Island"

Band name: not great. Album title: not great. Album itself: excellent. Somewhere between spazzy art punk and just about every other genre out there. Lots of primal drumming, the catchiest damn guitar hooks I've heard in a long time, and sexy yelping vox. Maybe some room to improve (first time through is breathtaking, but doesn't hold up well with repeated listens), but this is a solid first album.

Play: 1 (string intro, but don't be fooled - this song rocks out), 3 (primal fucking shit), 5 (catchy, check the horns), 8 (weird electro, then art punk), 9 (best song, rockin)

of Montreal - "Skeletal Lamping"

Collection of instrumental sounds similar to past of Montreal work. Tons of mini songs within songs with abrupt shifts and transitions. Semi-distorted vocals. Less accessible than past CDs and more experimental. More noise focused than lyrical. Electric sounding hooks.

Play: 1, 3, 7, 15

Fucked Up - "The Chemistry of Common Life"

Noisy - and I don't just mean loud (though these guys do kick up one hell of a racket) - hardcore. Each song is layered with at least... 30 guitar tracks, vocals honed on years of chewing glass, and pummeling drum beats. The effect is dense, LOUD - and melodic and beautiful too, in a way. Definitely merits comparisons to Refused's Shape of Punk to Come, and hey, 10 years later, maybe this is it. That'd be just fine with me. (features cameos from Vivian Girls, Sebastian formerly of DFA1979)

Play: 1 (dense, kick-you-in-the-face hardcore, a lot of fun), 2 (check the bongo line), 7 (most accessible on record), 11 (kinda like a reprisal of track 1 - is that an acoustic guitar I hear?)

And the charts...

Rank	Artist	Recording	Label	User Supplied Version
1	RA RA RIOT	The Rhumb Line	Barsuk
2	WALKMEN	You And Me	Gigantic
3	BRIAN WILSON	That Lucky Old Sun	Capitol
4	OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW	Tennessee Pusher	Nettwerk
5	LYKKE LI	Youth Novels	LL
6	CHAD VANGAALEN	Soft Airplane	SUB POP
7	MERCURY REV	Snowflake Midnight	Yep Roc
8	PINK SPIDERS	Sweat It Out	Mean Buzz
9	ANTONY AND THE JOHNSONS	Another World [EP]	Secretly Canadian
10	SPINTO BAND	Moonwink	Park The Van
11	RESTIFORM BODIES	TV Loves You Back	Anticon
12	BAND MARINO	The Sea And The Beast	Street Parade
13	SPIRITUALIZED	Songs In A&E	Spaceman-Fontana
14	FOR AGAINST	Shade Side Sunny Side	Words On Music
15	CAW! CAW!	Wait Outside [EP]	Slanty Shanty
16	STARFUCKER	Starfucker	Badman
17	AZEDA BOOTH	In Flesh Tones	Absolutely Kosher
18	SHY CHILD	Noise Won't Stop	Kill Rock Stars
19	LOW LOWS	Shining Violence	Misra
20	WOMEN	Women	Jagjaguwar
21	BROKEN WEST	Now Or Heaven	Merge
22	WITHERED	Folie Circulaire	Prosthetic
23	PORTUGAL. THE MAN	Censored Colors	Equal Vision-Approaching AIRballoons
24	CLOUDLAND CANYON	Lie In Light	Kranky
25	BOUND STEMS	The Family Afloat	Flameshovel
26	WATSON TWINS	Fire Songs	Vanguard
27	ALL GIRL SUMMER FUN BAND	Looking Into It	AGSFB
28	TV ON THE RADIO	Dear Science	Interscope
29	COLD WAR KIDS	Loyalty To Loyalty	Downtown
30	DEAD CONFEDERATE	Wrecking Ball	The Artists Organization