Logan's Best of: 2013

We’ve been in the new year for a little while now and I may be a little late on this, but 2013 was a huge year for music and there’s so much amazing material to sift through. So here’s a short comprehensive list of the best music the year had to offer.

• Chance the Rapper: Acid Rap-

         This is the most original rap album I’ve heard in years. Imagine Andre Benjamin but as a 20 year old Chicago kid instead of a southern gentleman. He's had two mixtapes so far and both are available for free on his website. Acid Rap is both a tribute to Chicago's history and a leap into its future. 

• Eminem: The Marshall Mathers 2 LP-

            Don’t call it a comeback... because it's almost certainly his last album. It's definitely his best album since his real comeback in 2009. Unlike his more uplifting albums Relapse and Recovery, what makes the MM LP 2 stand out is that he's gone back to doing what he does best- being angry.

• Sunn 0))): Black One-

            Technically it was just an unofficial RSD re-issue, but this was one of my favorite records I picked up all year. Really good album to listen to if you don't want to go outside or if you don't believe in electric lights.

• Gubbey Records: Head Cleaner-

            This compilation is over two hours long and features fourty six Louisville acts. Read our Full review here.

• Vampire Weekend: Modern Vampires of the City-

            After a three year break, Vampire Weekend went back into the studio with producer Ariel Rechtshaid (known earlier in the year for Snoop Lion's album, Reincarnated). This was the first time they've ever brought in an outside producer since keyboardist Rostam Batmanglij usually produces their albums. It seems like a weird combination, but they're exploring a lot of new territory with this record.

• Portugal. The Man: Evil Friends-

            I was really excited to hear that Danger Mouse was in studio with Portugal. the man. Immediately I thought they'd go back to the synth-heavy styles of Censored Colors and Church Mouth, but this listens more like one of those collaboration albums Danger Mouse is known for. 

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds: Push the Sky Away-

            This has been a constant listen since its release in February. Push the Sky Away is mainly built on a set of loops Warren Ellis made that the Bad Seeds played over to bring structure and depth to the sound. Lyrically, it's some of Cave's most ominous work.

• Megajoos: Mega Deuce:

            Megajoos (pronounced: mega-juice) is an experimental drum and bass outfit from Nashville. Some guy flagged me down in a Post Office parking lot and gave me their CD, and judging by the cover I didn't know what to expect, but these guys bring the fuzz. They kind of remind me of the Pixies' good stuff.

• Zorch: ZZOORRCCHH-

            I'm not sure how they got the name Zorch, I'm sure there's some sort of agreement with the older band by the same name. As I said in an earlier review, Zorch has everything it takes to be America's next big two piece, but their psychedelic electronic prog style might be too much for the masses to handle.

The Flaming Lips: The Terror-

            The Lips turned a new leaf with their 2013 release. Since keyboardist Steve Drozd is 100% sober now, it seems that Coyne gave him the wheel and let him steer the ship. The happy go lucky "it's great to be alive" band that you've grown to love is still in there somewhere, but now they're saying something more like "it's terrifying that I'm alive." 

That's all folks. Enjoy the tunes and good luck out there in 2014.

Review: Tera Melos and Zorch (Austin)

         When I woke up on Tuesday morning, I was debating the pros and cons of driving to central Ohio (and back) in the middle of the work week for a three-band show at The Basement (Columbus OH), but then I thought of all the great acts I've missed forever because "I just couldn't make it." After that, it was much easier to accept the responsibility that came with the day, and it payed off.
         The night started with SRVVLST (pronounced "survivalist"), a melodic math band stationed in Columbus, promoting their new EP The Seven Year Inch. After their half-hour set of nonstop melodies and heavy-as-a-brick-to-the-mouth beats, the four piece left the stage to let Zorch set up. I met up with the guys at their merch table during the intermission to buy a single and compliment their tightly woven set, and aside from usual formalities they were all nerding out to be opening for Tera Melos. It was cool to meet a band who had their chops together so well without an ounce of pretense.

All we had was a prepaid camera phone.

         Zorch (Austin) has everything they need to be America's next big two-piece like Suicide, Kicking Giant, or the original Zorch, but I don't think they want to do that. I don't know what's going on there with the name, but I suppose they've reached some sort of agreement. Just like their forefathers, Zorch is pushing the limit of experimental electronic music with influence from Psychedelic and Pop music alike. Their opening song pounded through catchy synth hooks with Shmu singing "What a day, let's celebrate it/ I wanna feel elated" to the organized trainwreck that is his own drumming. Throughout the whole set there were psychedelic animations of Darth Vader, hallucinogenic Care Bears, and other awesome nonsense projected over the whole stage. During the intro to "Zut Alore," keyboardist Zac Traeger stood up to announce "This next song is about our Reptilian Overlords. Kris Kristofferson might be one of them."

         I didn't know what to expect from Tera Melos. In their four-album career they've gone from instrumental prog math to minimalist pseudo-pop without skipping a beat or losing any fans along the way. Pulling mainly from their Patagonian Rats LP and their newest title, X'ed Out, they controlled the audience like the Reptilian Overlords Zorch was talking about. I was really surprised when they strolled back to their Drugs to the Dear Youth EP days and played "Spoonful of Slurry" with the intro and first verse of Weezer's "Undone" injected into a couple of the stops. Near the end of the set, some people started chanting "hot dog man" in reference to the scarecrow that adorned the stage with a hotdog for a head, at which point guitarist Nick Reinhart negotiated with the audience how much longer the show would go on, saying "We've got a setlist. And we can either play one then leave, pretend to be done, then come out and play the last one, or we could just play both of them now." After a show-of-hands vote, the band remained on stage for the last two songs and closed with fan favorite "Skin Surf."

On Tour: Tera Melos

For all you people out there who like Math Rock, the Sacramento band Tera Melos just began a 2013 tour with Zorch. Though they aren't stopping in Louisville, there are four dates that they're spending just far enough from the city for a short road trip:
The Basement (Columbus, OH)- 10/22
Strange Matter (Richmond, VA)- 11/3
Tipsy Teapot (Greenville, NC)- 11/4
Visulite Theater (Charlotte, NC)- 11/5
Isis Restaurant & Music Hall (Asheville, NC)- 11/6

The show in Columbus next week should be pretty awesome, that's the one I'm going to. The Basement is a really small punk venue under a bar and the tickets are $15 (standing only). Hope to see you there.