The Continuing Saga Of Staying On Top Of New Music…

Part V: In Which Our Hero Calls It Like He Sees It...

Explosions In The Sky- Take Care, Take Care, Take Care (***½)
Post-rock is quickly approaching the “evolve or die” saturation point and many bands are caught in the crossfire. Yet, Explosions In The Sky seem so hyper-conscious of this genre’s critical mass that Take Care, Take Care, Take Care tries incredibly hard to infuse an organic atmosphere into its 6 expansive tracks. Unlike their Icelandic contemporaries Sigur Rós, who simply add Animal Collective freak folk into their often-lush arrangements, Explosions In The Sky play with looseness rather than cross-pollination. This grants their music some fluidity; their drumming doesn’t come across as robotic and their melodies have room to breathe within their aquatic, reverb-laced ecosystem. Though Take Care… doesn’t feature as many droning soundscapes like their past works, the group hasn’t lost their taste for fragile, immersive instrumentals. “Last Known Surroundings” is awash with twinkling guitar lines and a blooming sense of scope. Following that, “Human Qualities” rises and falls like sighing angels, gently chiming to heavenly heights before pulverizing drums crash in. After it’s all said and done, what really makes Take Care... stand out is the fact that it feels like it was created by human beings. Explosions In The Sky remind us that part of the charm of post-rock music is in human beings exploring something otherworldly through humble means. To that end, Take Care, Take Care, Take Care is the sound of them leading by example.

Key Cuts: Last Known Surroundings, Human Qualities, Be Comfortable, Creature

Max Bemis & The Painful Splits- Max Bemis & The Painful Splits 2 (***½)
Max Bemis has always relied on his ability to infuse wildly unhinged punk with theatrical bombast, but the thing that’s often over-looked is his natural knack for songwriting. Max Bemis & The Painful Splits 2 picks up where last year’s volume left off, displaying Bemis’ neurotic sensibilities front and center. “Lowman” is a deep-end belly flop into Bemis’ biggest insecurities, complete with some bare bones guitar wobble while he sings, “I'm bad at making love/I think I've never made it quite at all…” Elsewhere, the down-stroked chop of “I Never Knew You Were So Lonely” paints a Bemis as pop-punk’s Charlie Brown, but with more cigarettes and a fist full of other vices. At its worst, Splits 2 comes across as instrumentally dry and sparse, packed with scratchy guitars, overwhelming reverb, and melodrama that’s a bit too obvious for your average Say Anything record. Yet when it shines, it’s because Bemis makes you feel about as frustrated as he does. His gift isn’t in exploiting clichés, but in tapping into the feelings of inadequacy that we all share, like on the finger-picked closer “Monolo,” “And I know I can't explain it/But I'll still try…” That’s the real secret to Bemis’ success: He doesn’t write about the people or things have wronged him. Instead, his songs are all stories of discovery and how the climb uphill is bound to result in a few bruises.

Key Cuts: I Never Knew You Were So Lonely, Lowman, Monolo

R.E.M.- Collapse Into Now (**)
It’s rare to see a veteran band seem disinterested in their newest album but that’s precisely the case with R.E.M.’s latest effort, Collapse Into Now, a 12-track snooze fest that suffers from poor production and lazy performances. The record’s biggest problem is that its songs are mired in mid-tempo purgatory, missing the signature energy that defined R.E.M.'s late 80s material. Singer Michael Stipe is an obvious culprit as his phoned in, monotone drawl detracts from cuts like the FM-fuzzy “Discoverer,” or the surrealist paradise of “Alligator Aviator Autopilot Antimatter.” Where 2007’s Accelerate reveled in charging hooks and a dynamic presence, Collapse Into Now contently rides the waves of R.E.M. offerings before it, rather than braving into any new territory. Guitarist Peter Buck should share some of the blame for that as well. His typically twisting, stadium-ready melodies are few and far between, only cropping up on the spacey arpeggios of “ÜBerlin” and the layered, feedback soaked closer “Blue.” Jacknife Lee’s mid-range heavy mix smashes the life out of these songs, revealing how underwritten they are while confirming how R.E.M. has chosen to coast on their legacy instead of penning impassioned manifestos. In the end, the most disappointing part of Collapse Into Now isn’t that the band wrote bad songs, it’s in how it the displays the collapse of a once vivacious group of musicians.

Key Cuts: ÜBerlin, Blue, Out Of Time

Rise Against- Endgame (**½)
Everyone should have expected Rise Against to explore a more melodic sound with Endgame. The group sowed the seeds of such on 2007’s Appeal To Reason, unevenly exploring acoustic detours while scaling back their hardcore ties. Yet the distressing part isn’t in its accessibility, it’s how sterile and rigid Rise Against come across, for no amount of palm muted punch and sand paper vocals can elevated the album from its discount rack resonance. Endgame’s opener “Architects” is as close as Rise Against come to hitting their past glory, complete with machine-gun riffs and sledge hammer breakdowns. Elsewhere, “Satellite” sports the album’s most expansive chorus, wrapped in gritty bass work, tense guitars, and napalm-laced hooks. Yet the problem is really in the construction. Bill Stevenson’s production makes the group sound squeaky clean, not in a processed fashion, but in a way that strips the urgency off their crunchy riffs and scattershot drumming. Songs like tarantula-sized “Midnight Hands” and the charging “Help Is On The Way” should sound massive when the group kicks in with meaty power chords. As it stands, they sound meticulously crafted and arranged, the kiss of death for a band that derives it’s energy by flirting with danger. In the end, the group has become the new Pennywise: A band splitting the difference between accessible hard-rock and by-the-numbers skate punk. That’s not ultimately a bad thing, but it does undermine Rise Against’s passionate delivery, which has always been a unique, counter-culture battle cry.

Key Cuts: Architects, Help Is On The Way, Satellite

Yellowcard- When You're Through Thinking, Say Yes (***)
Ever since Lights & Sounds failed to capitalize on Yellowcard’s enormous popularity the Florida natives have tried desperately recreate their glory years. Since experimentation didn’t work, they front-loaded 2007’s Paper Walls with uptempo numbers, eschewing the balladry that rounded out their songwriting. When You’re Through Thinking, Say Yes tries to balance Lights & Sound’s ambition and Paper Walls’ traditionalism, but only results in a handful of strong tracks. Yellowcard gallops out the gate with the frenzied pickslides and frantic drumming of “The Sound Of You & Me,” while the Cheap Trick-chug and Saves The Day shout-outs on “With You Around” show that they’re pulling out all the stops to appear irresistible. Still, the disc’s main problem is the same one that plagued Paper Walls: Sean Mackin’s razor sharp violin does more to break up the monotony than color the arrangements, while the rest of the band sounds like they’re a competent Ocean Avenue tribute ensemble. The album’s brightest moments are when the Yellowcard slows down and fills the space, like on the heartbeat stutter of “Hang You Up” or the sweeping, cinematic crash of “Soundtrack.” Still, When You’re Through Thinking, Say Yes reminds fans that they don’t listen to Yellowcard for the unexpected, they listen because they know exactly what they’re going to get.

Key Cuts: The Sound Of You & Me, With You Around, Hang You Up

Thursday- Common Existence (*****)

Sigur Rós- Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust (***½)

Much like the garbled and barely discernible title for Sigur Rós’ new album, the music found on Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust is just as bizarre and busy. After what seemed like an eternity since 2005’s Takk… and their 2007 b-sides record, Hvarf/Heim, the Icelandic post-rock quartet has offered up their most eclectic and unconventional record to date.

Since the media picked up on Sigur Rós’ uniquely drifting and dense compositions, the band has been at the fore front of the post-rock movement. They were experts at marrying minimalist sounds together in swelling crescendos of e-bowed guitars and pounding drums. Yet rather than craft a similar record, this time the band opts to strip down and strip back their layers, focusing on more traditional instruments as opposed to electronic infused soundscapes.

However, don’t make the assumption that this has compromised the band’s ability to craft intricate melodies. The album’s first track “Gobbledigook” is a full 3 minutes and 5 seconds of tumbling tribal percussion, frantic acoustic guitar, frontman Jón Þór Birgisson’s ever changing falsetto, and an army of fluttering backing vocals.

Were this a metal band, “Gobbledigook” would be a heavy and bludgeoning start, but Sigur Rós make the experience into a richly detailed one rather than an abrasive one. It’s cluttered, fun, and vivacious, even if it’s a great deal removed from their signature sound.

Surprisingly, the one thing that Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust is short on is the band’s sweeping epics that seem to burst in unrivaled beauty. In fact, the whole ordeal borrows from a more symphonic and big band oriented sound. “Inní Mér Syngur Vitleysingur” is uproariously fun, with thumping drums, joyous hand claps, and twinkling xylophones. The whole ordeal finds Sigur Rós channeling their inner Sgt. Pepper in full marching band swagger. And not unlike their epic documentary, Heima, it’s not far fetched to call to mind images of the majestic Icelandic countryside in all its coy innocence.

It’s interesting however, that Sigur Rós made such an organic sounding record with big brass sounds and swelling strings after enlisting Flood as a producer. With such dense sound collage oriented albums under his belt like Achtung Baby, MACHINA: The Machines Of God, and The Good Son, it’s startling to see Flood give room for all these lush tinkering sounds to inhabit.

When Sigur Rós does channel the ethereal, however, it’s apparent that their marriage with Flood makes a whole lot of sense. “Góðan Daginn” grows from Birgisson’s nimbly plucked guitar strings and warm bass courtesy of Georg Hólm. Elsewhere, Orri Páll Dýrason’s brush infected drumming provides a solid back bone to the angelic backing vocals that seem to surround and lift the arrangement upwards. Soothing strings round out the number, alongside distant chimes that lend an almost cinematic quality to the track.

There’s a hymn-like quality to the material on Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust, and unlike their past releases, the record feels warmer as a whole. This is possibly due to the new reliance on organic instruments and a decrease in the amount of digital samples used. The result is an album that isn’t quite as big sounding, but in some ways is more vibrant than their past releases.

A little more spring than winter.

When the band revisits the slow moving epics, it’s definitely on par with their past material. “Festival” is a moving 9 minutes and 24 seconds that peaks and valleys with the best Sigur Rós has to offer. Building from an advancing and retreating organ line, Birgisson’s tenor winds and twists in emotive tension. Then, the persistent drum beat and bouncing bass kick it amidst the textured synthesizers. A fluttering drum loop sneaks its way in, playing alongside syrupy strings, and marvelous counter point vocal harmonies. Suddenly, the track explodes in a shimmering crescendo that washes over listeners in horn drenched glory. It’s massive and sweeping as it all closes in a solitary voice, quietly whistling the sugary progression.

Unfortunately, Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust is far from perfect. The band has decided to stock pile the first half of the album with the real gems while the album’s latter half tends to bleed into one another. Aside from the rolling drums and classically influenced climbing piano on “Með Suð Í Eyrum,” the album’s second half lacks the tight melodies that made the first half so enjoyable.

Here, the melodies and songs tend to meander rather than really grabbing listeners with intense build ups and gentle come-downs. “Ára Bátur” could easily be cut in half, and “Fljótavík” sounds like an outtake from ( ) minus the heavy e-bow use. “Illgresi” while simple and charming due to it’s acoustic guitar/strings delivery, feels too derivative to really leave a mark.

But perhaps the biggest problem with Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust is that it truly is a large departure from the Sigur Rós sound. While the melodies and cathartic peaks found on this album are impressive and engaging, they don’t mesmerize listeners the same way the band’s more traditional, distortion laced lethargy, does.

In the end, Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust a really interesting experiment for Sigur Rós, but not a classic that fans will clutch onto for years to come.

Sounds Like: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band (The Beatles), The Shepard’s Dog (Iron & Wine), Takk… (Sigur Rós)

Key Cuts: Inní Mér Syngur Vitleysingur, Góðan Daginn, Festival

Thrice- The Alchemy Index Vol. III & IV: Air & Earth (*****)

Whenever bands break apart their releases, they worry me.

It’s one thing to take in a huge body at work all at once, but breaking it up points out the similarities between them, often making fans resent the fact that these songs were part of the same song cycle. Remember the welcome reception that Guns N’ Roses Use Your Illusion I & II garnered and what System Of A Down’s Mesmerize and Hypnotize received? And people STILL felt the Illusion albums were indulgent.

Luckily, Thrice has avoided this pitfall with all their works being so different as of late.

With the concluding chapters of The Alchemy Index finally seeing the light of day, the question of whether or not Thrice could do all these sounds and styles justice is instantly dashed away. The first disc we’re treated to is the band’s take on Air, something I was most curious about when they unveiled the project. And rather than strongly relying on a specific set of instruments, such as keyboards for Water or acoustic for the Earth disc, Thrice decide to rely on dynamics to best illustrate Air’s feel.

“Broken Lungs” was a perfect choice to lead of the disc, balancing climbing guitar lines with flattening distortion. Teppei Taranishi’s melodies swirl and grow, as if caught in an updraft before slamming back down to the ground. The music on Air draws inspiration from the freedom the element possesses in movement, creating very contrasting sounds on record. This quality makes possibly makes Air the most interesting disc of the entire collection to sink your headphones into.

The band opts to marry frantic break beats, chimes, and synthesizer lines to all at once create expansive but delicate sounds. The heart wrenching “A Song For Milly Michaelson” is supported by a clean guitar line and rich keyboards over Dustin Kensrue’s whispered and dry vocals. The way Riley Breckenridge’s percussion drops out letting the thick soundscape take over is truly a stroke of brilliance. It’s all at once tender, while channeling that feeling of endlessness that perfectly embodies the qualities of Air.

Yet, one of great draws to the disc is Kensrue’s storytelling. For both discs presented in this installment of The Alchemy Index are heavy on Kenrue’s ability to jump into the rich storytelling he flirted with on the first two volumes. The jazzy and climbing “Daedalus” features Kensrue exploring the tale of Icarus falling back to earth as his father watches the entire event unfold. It’s dramatic and jarring, while the track musically soars and plummets alongside the story.

And the story to conclude the Air’s exploration is “Silver Wings,” a track that marries fluttering electronics with dense chimes, keyboards, and the most stunning vocal delivery on the entire collection. The track employs Kensrue’s delay soaked, breathy delivery that gives the track a sense of fullness and warmth. With all these shimmering sounds, Knesure simply laments “And after all of this/I am amazed/That I am cursed far more/Than I am praised...”

So with the soaring heights of Air reached, the band opts to segue into Earth for a drastically different feel than the rest of the entire collection. While every other song on The Alchemy Index has been about meticulously crafting detailed and rich sounds, Earth attempts to strive for sparseness. Nearly all the instruments on the final disc are acoustic, with the band focusing on a lot of piano and rattled percussion. And with most of these tracks recorded in a living room with a hardwood floor, Kensrue’s voice bounces quite a bit.

That being said, the sinister “Digging My Own Grave” feels like an old jazz number you might find in the seediest pub in town. The gothic tinged piano line supported by Eddie Breckenridge’s warm bass, alongside dry hand snaps, really strikes a dark chord right off the bat. It’s slinky, slithery, and above all primal until the chorus of “And ohhh/Don’t I knooow/ I’m just digging my own/Graaaave…” erupts in fullness.

There’s a medieval quality to Earth that the other volumes don’t quite delve into. Perhaps it’s the feel of warmth that permeates the tracks, or the fact that its reliance on folk influences make it feel older than the other songs, but there’s certainly a tribal atmosphere to the entirety of Earth. “The Earth Isn’t Humming” illustrates this best with scratchy acoustic guitars and Kensrue’s worn wail. Junkyard percussion, provided by Breckenridge, rounds out the number nicely, giving it a sense of a tradition and heaviness.

Elsewhere, the gloomy piano ballad of “The Lion & The Wolf” evokes images of the most violent fairy tale imaginable. The cyclical way Kensrue ties the two animals is as beautiful as it is haunting, painting a tale of futility as well as realism. It’s incredibly interesting to note that for having the softest instruments on the collection, the Earth disc sports some of the heaviest feeling tracks on the collection. Perhaps that weight was a conscious decision to help embody the element. If it is, it worked.

The one time the band opts to blend electric instruments is on the single “Come All You Weary.” The bluesy guitar licks backed by a full drum kit and large vocal harmonies, best embodies their folk influences in this garish campfire tale. It’s the biggest sounding track on the Earth disc, even if it might be the most personal. And as the disc draws to a close with the funeral march of “Child Of Dust,” the band’s voices chanting, “Now safe beneath their wisdom/And their feet/Here I will teach you truly/How to sleep…” are covered up by sounds of shovels moving the earth, burying them in the final element.

And at long last, Thrice’s opus comes to a close. The Alchemy Index was a project that was initially met with mixed reactions, but all that proves is that some ideas sound crazy on paper rather than carried out. Thrice has ultimately created a 4 disc work that is concise, expansive, and above all, fully realized. The band has been able to tap into something really pure and set incredible music pieces to these ideas, expanding their sonic pallet to incorporate nearly any song style of their choice.

And while every disc is different, they’ve made them incredibly dependent on the other. Hopefully, this will grant them with a legacy that matches the heights that The Alchemy Index has achieved.

Sounds Like: Talkie Walkie (Air), Bone Machine (Tom Waits), The Joshua Tree (U2)

Key Air Cuts: A Song For Milly Michaelson, Daedalus, Silver Wings

Key Earth Cuts: Digging My Own Grave, The Lion & The Wolf, Come All You Weary

Nine Inch Nails- Ghosts I-IV (*****)

The music industry is dying.

Climbing CD prices coupled with digital sales from iTunes and Amazon that don’t quite cover the loss, make for a business that’s in need of serious restructuring. Yet despite this, record labels resist change and pass off the costs to the consumer. Normally, businesses would change their practices to better fit the needs of the market to turn profit, but here we see the business strangling what little life is left from those that still pay for music.

This is where Trent Reznor has decided to plunge a giant, nine inch nail, into the coffin of the music industry.

And rather than use 2008 as a time to rest on his laurels after the smash Year Zero and Y34RZ3R0R3M1X3D, the mastermind behind Nine Inch Nails (NIN) has decided to take his new found freedom from Interscope Records to make a huge statement.

In the waning hours of Mar. 2, www.nin.com was completely reconfigured to allow for the distribution of Nine Inch Nail’s newest album, Ghosts I-IV. There was no official statement, no press releases, just a cryptic blog entry two weeks prior in which Reznor simply stated, “2 weeks.”

While Nine Inch Nail’s management team has been responsible for running the website and maintaining the servers, there is no distribution or marketing being done from any sort of record label. In fact, the only thing Reznor has stated about the project, besides names of various producers and NIN personnel, is that it’s licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike Act.

Being protected under this act allows Reznor to not only maintain full control of his work, but it forces those to attribute him if they use the material from his work for remixes. It also allows people to freely share the material found on Ghosts I-IV without the threat of legal action, so long as they don’t use it for commercial gain.

In other words, file sharers can freely download without the fear of a lawsuit.

But the testament to the release is how Reznor has really provided a full experience for the consumer and really makes it special by purchasing through his website. He’s provided fans with a variety of choices, ranging from a free 9 song sample, a $5 digital version of the album, and a $10 double disc release that comes with a 16 page photo booklet.

Just when you think he’s finished, he’s included two options for collectors and high spenders. Reznor has created a $75 dollar bundle that contains all of the above plus a data CD full of the master tracks for audio editing and mixing as well as a Blu-Ray DVD containing a slideshow of more accompanying artwork.

Finally, there is a $300 package that is a limited release, containing all that’s listed as well as Ghosts I-IV on 4 vinyl LPs that are signed by Reznor himself.

It’s a risky move to take, but by offering such complete packages Reznor doesn’t punish file sharers. Instead he entices people by providing exclusive items that are unique, that downloading the album won’t yield. And of course, the whole scenario effectively cuts out the use of a record label, so those just interested in a CD copy aren’t left paying an arm and a leg to get one.

And for all the commotion about the release, Ghosts I-IV is equally as engaging as a body of songs, as well as the method with which it was released.

The collection of 36 songs are all instrumental pieces, split up into 4 E.P.s and only differentiated by their place in the track listing rather than actual titles. And unlike the tight construction of most NIN releases, Ghosts I-IV finds Reznor focusing with mood and atmosphere. This isn’t to say that the tracks meander and drift, but that they have a much more fluid and expansive quality rather than the meticulous clusters of noise found on most NIN albums.

Here, Reznor toys with somber piano balladry and eerie strings to provide the tension that NIN is known for. The tones all over the album are warm yet ethereal, from the pulsing bass to the brightness of the electronic flourishes spackled through out the collection. And when Reznor really lets loose on his electric guitar, the result is a cross between melodic fuzz and lumbering white noise.

The distortion is thick as it ebbs and flows through the songs. Much like a My Bloody Valentine record, it carries over a certain beauty and density rather than the bludgeoning force NIN is known for. Nothing on the release is overtly glitchy or break beat oriented, but this is far from NIN stripped down. The drums are still powerful and rich, but the tracks don’t feel processed and overindulgent like most instrumental collections do.

Instead, these songs represent a happy medium between sprawling experimentation and tense claustrophobia. And with Reznor stating that fans can expect further installments of Ghosts in the future, this not only means they’re in for more well assembled music, but that the record labels needs to wake up.

If more artists follow along in Reznor’s steps, the music industry might become ghosts themselves.

Sounds Like: Loveless (My Bloody Valentine), The Fragile (Nine Inch Nails), Kid A (Radiohead)

Key Cuts: 4 Ghosts I, 10 Ghosts II, 31 Ghosts IV

Author's Note: This review appears in a recent issue of the Sonoma State Star. As this is the author's own writing and this is his own blog, in addition to holding the position of A&E Co-Editor for the Sonoma State Star, he posts it here with express consent of himself. Duh.

The 2007 Mixtape

To those that celebrate this oh so plastic and fake holiday, I offer my tidings and good cheer as meager as it seems. As a small present, here is a compilation of my favorite tracks from 2007. I’m too lazy to upload a zip for you all, so find them with your legal or illegal musical avenue of choice.

Merry Xmas.

The Best Of 2007 (1 hour & 17 minutes)

Song For Clay (Disappear Here)- Bloc Party
7 Shades Of Black- The Smashing Pumpkins
Stiff Kittens- Blaqk Audio
You Don’t Know What Love Is (You Just Do What Your Told)- The White Stripes
(Fork & Knife)- Brand New
Nude- Radiohead
Let It Die- Foo Fighters
Woe- Saves The Day
New Dark Ages- Bad Religion
Gotta Be Somebody’s Blues- Jimmy Eat World
Superfriend- Rivers Cuomo
Calling All Cops- Motion City Soundtrack
Pretty Handsome Awkward- The Used
Misfit Love- Queens Of The Stone Age
Ladies & Gentlemen: My Brother, The Failure- Thursday
I Worship Only What You Bleed- The Black Dahlia Murder
Mother Superior- Coheed & Cambria
The Flame Deluge- Thrice
Zero-Sum- Nine Inch Nails

Nine Inch Nails- Y34RZ3R0R3M1X3D (***½)

Trent Reznor has had one hell of a year.

In April, the mastermind behind Nine Inch Nails dropped Year Zero, a concept album about an oppressed society set to some of his most schizophrenic break beats yet. Year Zero’s punching glitches and electric howls found Reznor regaining some of his confidence after 2005’s somewhat undercooked “With Teeth” and everyone from critics to long time fans took notice.

Since then, Reznor has been completely outspoken against how Interscope records is ripping fans off. Reznor’s dissatisfaction with his label reached the breaking point while on the road touring. He wanted to make all his Year Zero master tracks available for remixing amongst fans, but the label was tight fisted. They told him it violates a number of copyright laws and it would hurt the label from a commercial standpoint.

Pissed off, Reznor decided to do what he always does when he’s angry and put out another album.

Y34RZ3R0R3M1X3D effectively fulfills his contract with Interscope records and furthers his hope of artists remixing “Year Zero” to their own creative whims. Nine Inch Nails material has always been subjected to a great deal of remixing, with even Reznor himself taking the reigns and radically reinventing his own tracks. However, Y34RZ3R0R3M1X3D features a wide array of artists, each putting diverse spins on the material found on Year Zero.

The collection begins with a raucous remix of “HYPERPOWER!,” newly dubbed “Gun Shots By Computer.” Saul Williams raps over the military-like drum pattern, only becoming fiercer as the song falls into jagged distortion. It shakes listeners, letting them know that there’s innovation and thought found on Y34RZ3R0R3M1X3D and not just a cash-in opportunity to sell you the same songs you already own. Listeners won’t find a very cohesive listen on Y34RZ3R0R3M1X3D due to the different ways these artists choose to interpret these tracks, but this hardly affects the final product.

Modwheelmood provides a complete re-imagining of “The Great Destroyer” that tends to drift along rather than assaulting listeners. While the original track was rampant with electronic squiggles as well as thick and dense synthesizers, this version begins with an anemic acoustic guitar and Modwheelmood cutting nearly everything else out of the mix. Reznor’s fragile voice sneaks itself in and the progression seems to climb as Modwheelmood adds eerie echoes, rumbling bass, chunky drum patterns. The chorus has been completely refashioned and delay saturated effects give Reznor’s voice an almost ethereal presence as he sings, “I am the great destroyer!”

Interestingly to note is how fervent Reznor is about fans remixing his own work. Past remix albums such as the Fixed E.P. and Further Down The Spiral have found Reznor enlisting only big name producers, but on Y34RZ3R0R3M1X3D Reznor actually uses a remix created by one of his own fans, going by the name Pirate Robot Midget.

His remix of “My Violent Heart” might be the strongest track on the entire collection. Sporting an almost fetish-like use of static and white noise, Pirate Robot Midget transforms “My Violent Heart” from a slow lumbering beast, into a bludgeoning and abrasive monster. The static simply washes over Reznor’s biting and sinister voice, making the remix almost feel sexy and tense despite how dissonant the sounds are.

And like most remix albums, there is a definite dance under current that creeps its way into Y34RZ3R0R3M1X3D. Ladytron erases nearly all the punk flavor from “The Beginning Of The End” accentuating pulsing bass lines and driving rhythms. Her backing vocals add a ghost-like atmosphere that pulls listeners into its sway. There strong melodies at work in these remixes and they don’t come across as synthetic sounding or poppy. Elsewhere, The Faint makes “Meet Your Master” sound like the love child of Daft Punk and KITT from “Night Rider.” The results are intricate enough to keep listeners coming back for more.

And although it makes for a refreshing listen, not everything works perfectly on Y34RZ3R0R3M1X3D. Epworth Phones completely destroys “Capital G,” cutting Reznor’s voice into so much staccato that it actually distracts the listener from the track itself. There’s also Olof Dreijer’s pointless 14 minute instrumental version of “Me, I’m Not,” aimlessly meandering around without ever giving listeners a real hook. While the original reveled in an almost hypnotic and fleeting melody, Dreijer’s remix feels more like an excuse to mess around with canned sound effects in the studio than his take on the original track.

Flaws aside however, Y34RZ3R0R3M1X3D is an eclectic showcase of artists playing to the strengths of these songs. Those involved with this project created remixes that don’t sound like recycled versions of the originals, but entities onto themselves. And if nothing else, the album further proves the strength of the arrangements found on Year Zero.

With albums like this and Year Zero being so well made, let's hope that Trent Reznor is just as angry in 2008.

Sounds Like: Richard D. James Album (Aphex Twin), Year Zero (Nine Inch Nails), Kid A (Radiohead)

Key Cuts: The Great Destroyer (remixed by Modwheelmood), My Violent Heart (remixed by Pirate Midget Robot), Meet Your Master (remixed by The Faint)

Author's Note: This review appears in a recent issue of the Sonoma State Star. As this is the author's own writing, and he's the A&E Co-Editor of the Sonoma State Star, and this is his own blog, he posts it here with express consent of himself. Duh.

Radiohead- In Rainbows Disc 2 (****½)

With the dreaded nasty monster that is Final Exams over and done with; I can come back and update the masses on my musical exploits. As such, there’s quite a bit to catch up on, particularly once piece of music that got me through the hard, hard times I suffered through the past weeks.

As the distribution began for the discbox version of In Rainbows began, most people like myself (that didn’t shell out 80 pounds) only cared about the b-sides disc. For here on this disc was a collection of songs, a sizable collection of songs that were deemed unfit for the whole album that’s had the internet buzzing since it’s October giveaway. Curiosity and agitation aside, the songs found on In Rainbows Disc 2 are far from throwaway tracks.

Listening to them, one can’t help but be mesmerized at how seductive, jazzy and confident the band sounds during these songs. I think the In Rainbows sessions as a whole were the best thing to happen to the band, allowing them the stretch their legs just enough while enjoying themselves a bit, something that probably hasn’t happened in a decade. And interestingly enough, this collection of b-sides might be a bit more experimental than some of the songs found on the actual album.

Teased during Nigel Godrich’s “From The Basement Tapes” mini-concert the real highlight on this collection is “Down Is The New Up.” A tension filled string number lead by a sassy piano line, nimble bass work, and Thom Yorke’s signature tenor all at once pulls listeners in. There’s a sway and smoothness to this track that all at once gives it an edge as well as accessibility. And for as gloomy as the number is, the band sounds like their actually having fun which translates well to your eardrums. Rumor has it that the band left if off because it didn’t “fit” on the record.

Pardon my bluntness Radiohead, but I think this song would have followed “Nude” nicely.

While “MK1” and “MK2” are essentially cutting room floor interludes, they are breathy and ethereal snippets that continue to prove Radiohead just love to shape sound. They’re the only moment on the collection that feels like it’s been thrown together, because other than that it’s surprisingly cohesive.

“Last Flowers To Hospital,” a track that’s been labored over since the OK Computer days, follows in the vein of “Videotape.” A gentle piano progression helps put focus on Yorke’s mournful lyrics and somber voice. His singing just seems to climb and climb, much like something you might find on The Bends.

A lot like some of the tracks on In Rainbows, many of these tracks borrow the bizarre and off-kilter rhythms that this band love to hook you in with. “Bangers + Mash” could be somewhat of a cousin to “Bodysnatchers,” but the grungy and almost funky guitar work of Jonny Greenwood and Ed O’Brien creates something downright spazzy. Yorke’s half-rapped lyrics add just amount of swagger to a highly political song. It’s dissonant, full of melodies that are just a step off and bridge that brings it to a halt, yet further hammering home across that sometimes, a little weirdness goes a long way.

The rest of the collection revels in rich uses of feedback layered over Yorke’s cutting voice. “Go Slowly” is a vibrant yet dense soundscape under pinned yet again by a melancholy and ghost-like voice. The track lumbers along, providing listeners with a rich and intricate number that gives more and more upon each listen. Elsewhere, “Up On The Ladder” showcases gritty and swirling guitar lines over eerie keyboards. It’s probably the angriest the band gets on the collection if not the most volatile.

When a band’s b-sides can stand up proudly next to their album material, I think it’s just a testament to how in control of their craft they are. Radiohead are no exception, showing their fans that their recording sessions are full of vibrant experimentation and quality workmanship.

As a fan, I hope to get a CD copy of these songs that isn’t attached to an 80 pound collection.

Key Cuts: Down Is The New Up, Go Slowly, Last Flowers Till Hospital

Sounds Like: Sea Change (Beck), In Rainbows (Radiohead), Adore (The Smashing Pumpkins)