October 2004

Media

Wolf Eyes

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Burned Mind

What started out as a solo project for Detroit native Nate Young in 1996 eventually festered into a trio, hell-bent on creating a soundtrack for the apocalypse. Wolf Eyes’ latest aural abomination—after several do-it-yourself cassettes and LPs, numerous CD-R-only releases and a slew of national tours—should be enough to incite a few well-planned serial murders. The trio, with Aaron Dilloway and Andrew Wilkes-Krier having joined Young within the last four years, straddles the line between industrial sonics and urban, white noise. Such tracks as “Urine Burn” and “Stabbed in the Face” set the nauseating pace, and “Rattlesnake Shake” tugs and pulls at your cerebral cortex with reckless aplomb. If you’re looking for the perfect accompaniment to your Faces of Death videos, look no further.
(SN&R)

Media

M83

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Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts

Anthony Gonzalez and Nicolas Fromageau have been writing and recording their twisted hybrid of ambient and fuzz rock under the mysterious moniker of M83 since 2000. Not since Tangerine Dream or Jean Michel-Jarre’s signature recordings has a duo rendered such a noteworthy time capsule. The duo’s formula is twofold: layer each song until there’s virtually zero space for cross-comparison, and use melancholy to drive the mother lode. The simple subtleties found within tracks like “Gone” speak volumes. One listen to “Unrecorded” or “Be Wild” should be enough reason to toss those Boards of Canada records aside. Without a doubt, this album should be considered the hallmark release for all electronic music during the 21st century. Dead Cities is a masterpiece—hands down, the best album of 2004.
(SN&R)

Media

The Delgados

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Universal Audio

Some bands are born to linger in the underground, drawing sizeable crowds only in major cities. Such is the case of Scotland’s highly revered Delgados. Although they’ve logged countless kudos from previous releases, it’d be fair to say the Delgados have always hidden themselves in the background. However, they finally have hit their stride on their latest and fifth release. Universal Audio is their first real “pop” album, and it should appeal to fans of early Kinks and modern groups like Elastica, Bis, Belly and Spoon. Emma Pollock’s vocal schemes on “I Fought the Angels,” the opening track, and “Everybody Come Down” are as witty as any written by Tanya Donnelly or even Karen Carpenter, yet Pollock’s name will never be whispered in the same breath. Too bad. Log another triumph for the Scottish.
(SN&R)