That Hertz.

Shugo Tokumaru’s ‘In Focus?’

If there was just one thing Tokyo’s Shugo Tokumaru made clear with his 2013 magnum opus In Focus?, it would be the fact that he can play more instruments than you can… especially ones you never knew existed. Fortunately, Shugo’s not a braggart and In Focus? possesses much more than a bafflingly large collection of instruments. Channeling The Beach Boys and traditional Japanese music styles, Shugo crafts something otherworldly and cinematic, yet entire accessible.

The album boasts five interludes, including opening track “Circle.” One of its stronger songs, called “Katachi” (“Form” in English), slides in next. A high-pitched wooden flute and toy piano start “Katachi” off, and then a whimsical string arrangement helps to bust the track wide open. It’s one of the better songs I’ve heard so far this year. After “Gamma,” a short, xylophone-centric interlude, the Latin-influenced “Decorate” connects with your eardrums. Somehow, while incorporating a wide-as-all-hell range of styles with his pop sensibilities, Shugo manages to make it all flow together. The remainder of the album is a ton of fun too.

See for yourself: a complete stream of Shugo Tokumaru’s In Focus? rests after the jump…

Decompress with a new one from Pan•American

Pan•American started out as an ambient solo project for Labradford frontman Mark Nelson in 1997. As the members of Labradford went their separate ways after 2001’s Fixed :: Context, Nelson began to shape Pan•American into a full-time project. Nelson and now-permanent percussionist Steven Hess (Hess had appeared on the past two LPs) are gearing up for the release of a new Pan•American album, Cloud Room, Glass Room, which is due out on April 29 via longtime label Kranky Records. Today, they’ve shared the album’s lead single “Glass Room at the Airport.”

The track features a hollow, repeating synth phrase at its core that reminds me of the score of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Much like the film, it has also got a coldness to it. While that synth bubbles along in the background, bits of electronic percussion and strings skittle in and out. There’s certainly a lot going on within “Glass Room at the Airport” but it’s the kind of song that can pour over you with waves of calm if enough attention is paid. It’s a nice resolution to an over-stimulating day, and now’s about the time when most folks are heading home from work.

When you get there, a stream of Pan•American’s “Glass Room at the Airport” will be waiting for you after the jump…

That Hertz’s Top 10 Albums of 2012

Hi. This is not so much a list of who made the best albums of this year, and is more so an inventory of my personal 2012 musical obsessions. This is a list of the records that I couldn’t put down, in order. These are the albums that have filled my days, accompanied me on the train, while running. Albums that made me smile, albums that made me sad. These are fantastic records, and if you haven’t heard them yet, please give each a chance. 2012’s been great for music, and I’m looking forward to what’s to come in 2013.

Enjoy, as I have:

01. Swans — The Seer (Young God)

02. Grizzly Bear — Shields (Warp)

03. Godspeed You! Black Emperor — ‘Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend! (Constellation)

04. Sharon Van Etten — Tramp (Secretly Canadian)

05. Liars — WIXIW (Mute)

06. Cloud Nothings — Attack on Memory (Carpark)

07. Julia Holter — Ekstasis (RVNG Intl.)

08. Japandroids — Celebration Rock (Polyvinyl)

09. Alt-J — An Awesome Wave (Infectious // Canvasback)

10. Converge — All We Love We Leave Behind (Epitaph)

Sunday Afternoon Listening: Whirr’s ‘Distressor’

I often seem to sleep into the early afternoon on Sundays; I enjoy it. To go along with that, here’s a great album I’ve “slept on.” Bay Area shoegaze outfit Whirr (formerly Whirl) welcomed their Distressor EP on casette in 2010. The EP got more official releases in 2011 and 2012 (as both Whirl and Whirr), ultimately ending up on Graveface Records, a label run by Black Moth Super Rainbow’s Ryan Graveface. Distressor is a nice extension of 90s shoegaze, though packs a 21st-century punch. (Guitarist Nick Bassett also plays in Deafheaven, if that helps.) The album explores a wide variety of textures and prominently features vocals from keyboardist Alexandra Morte.

You’ll find a complete stream of Distressor after the jump…

Alt-J’s ‘An Awesome Wave’

2012 is the year the triangle became cool, plain and simple. For Alt-J, it’s more of an obsession with the shape, as they’ve named their band after the computer-key-combination that makes it. Like frontman Joe Newman says in the An Awesome Wave standout “Tesselate,” “Triangles are my favourite shape, three points where two lines meet.” Aside from educating us on triangles, Mr. Newman and co. have written one of the most fantastic pop songs of 2012. An Awesome Wave doesn’t start or stop there, though. “Tesselate” is preceded by two short pieces, “Intro” and “Interlude 1,” which both get you ready for the track. Next comes “Breezeblocks,” a great warped, upbeat number. Gus Unger-Hamilton’s quick slams on the piano, accompanied by mussings from Newman, remind me of a creepy circus. The song ends with syncopated vocal melodies from Hamilton and Newman, running into “Interlude 2.” “Interlude 2” is a relaxing acoustic guitar piece, which instantly made me think of Volcano Choir’s “Husks And Shells.” “Something Good” reaches your ears first with a peppy snare drum routine, and then with some busy piano lines. As its title suggests, “Something Good” is a feel-good track, but then ends with the lyric “Something good tonight, maybe forget about you for now.” The Passion Pit-like “Dissolve Me” arrives next with a light-hearted synth piece at its center. “Matilda” rolls in next, and is possibly the most interesting song on the album. Newman— I know, I know… just forget about Seinfeld for a moment— has a nice high-register voice. He opted to go for a deeper, Johnny Cash-like tone on the chorus, and I don’t believe he could have made a better choice there. The very nice “Ms” comes after, and then “Fitzpleasure” sort of slaps you in the face with its bassy synth. An Awesome Wave finishes off strong with “Bloodflood,” “Taro,” and “Hand-Made.”

You’ll find a complete stream of An Awesome Wave after the jump…

Get Disowned is a strong release for the trio, who float freely between jangly folk and alternative rock. The album kicks off with a mostly acoustic track, called “Some Grace,” which showcases the powerful vocals of singer Frances Quinlan. That track is followed by a great fuzzy rock song, called “Tibetan Pop Stars,” that includes emotional stop-and-start sections where Frances is briefly unaccompanied by drummer Mark Quinlan, bassist Tyler Long, and her guitar. She shines in these moments, straining her vocal chords to hit just the right notes. The rest of Get Disowned is great too; it’s one of the more striking albums I’ve heard this year. [bvChicago]

Like I said last month on bvChicago, Hop Along’s Get Disowned is well worth a spin.

You’ll find a complete stream of Get Disowned after the jump.

Buke and Gase’s ‘Function Falls’

Last week, Brooklyn-based duo Buke and Gase welcomed a great new digital EP, titled Function Falls, via artist-operated label Brassland Records. The four-song effort clocks in at just shy of 16-minutes, featuring three new earworm-y tracks and a daring cover of the New Order hit “Blue Monday.” My walk from home to the train and the ride downtown allowed for three listens this morning, and it was worth everyone of them.

The album opener, “Misshaping Introduction,” kicks off with a sticky-sounding chord progression on the guitar, one that instantly reminded me of Battles’ fantastic 2011 LP, Gloss Drop. More wonderful guitar layers follow after that, as does vocalist Arone Dyer, with her strong upper-register notes. The more straightforward, though decidedly more climactic, “Fusstrate” rolls in next with pounding percussion and waves of interesting keys and guitars. A pitched-up octave generator is used on the opening guitar riff of “Tending the Talk,” which leads way to Dyer’s My Brightest Diamond-like vocal stabs. The track ends with a nicely shrieked vocal melody, with an accompanying guitar part. The duo offer up an interesting shot at dark and brooding with their cover of New Order’s “Blue Monday,” which comes out much peppier than the original. Their layered guitars take the place of synths, and Dyer sings the deep-toned lyrics over their colorful new arrangement. The song, and the EP for that matter, ends with a stressful piano build-up and humming electronics.

You’ll find a complete stream of Function Falls after the jump.