We're pathologically social. We're professional leisurists. We're burrito lovers, bar flies, art whores and music nerds. We dish the good dirt, and we'll risk a parking ticket for a cheap sample sale. Sometimes, we blog drunk.
I love the '90s
Yeah, it’s rather profound that two of the most exciting albums of 2008 so far come from ‘90s veterans Portishead and the Breeders. In the current cultural whirlwind littered with young acts doing their best to imitate heroes from the not-so-distant past, the irony of these genuine articles whipping out great new music that you want to listen to more than a couple of times speaks volumes.
The new Breeders (above) album “Mountain Battles” roars out of the gate from the opening blast of “Overglazed,” the dirty discordant riff and Kelley Deal’s inimitable wail setting the tone. The record recalls the glorious pre-indie world of "college rock," and why Frank Black was always so threatened by Deal. It shimmers with the same glow that made their 1993 masterpiece “Last Splash” an instant classic.
As for Bristol dark artisans supreme Portishead, the duo's stark and relentlessly challenging “Third” release is akin to their own “O.K. Computer” moment, completely reinventing an already pioneering sound into something entirely else. They work with sonic static as deftly as a master painter, juxtaposing it with raw emotion, unsettling tension and deep, hard-wrought melody. And it’s a monster on headphones.
Maybe both have been around long enough to know that when the blog hype, cool kids and critics turn their attention to the next sensation on the block, the only thing left is the music—all the more reason to create something special. Huh. It would seem that there are far better things for the current crop of acts to be emulating than fashion sense and drum sounds. Catch my drift?
P.S. Both acts are playing at Coachella this year. See you in the desert...
—Scott T. Sterling
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