The North Lakes: Grand Prix
If you have been waiting for ‘60s-style garage rock to get a refresher, your wait has ended with the release of Grand Prix by The North Lakes. There have been changes since their debut album, Cobra, like that the once six-piece band is now a five-piece. The other notable change is that The North Lakes are not denying rock anymore. Cobra had more folk and blues elements, but Grand Prix drops Cobra’s softness and replaced it with rock. The result from the newly five-piece band is a raw, swagger-filled album that was recorded in a church in Prince Edward Island, Canada. Pulsing drums, a fluttery organ, distorted guitars, and attitude-filled vocals combine to create a brief eight-song punchy rock ‘n’ roll album.
The band reveals that they have been listening to a lot of Elvis Costello, Supergrass, and Television, and the proof is in the record. The use of the organ points heavily toward Costello and the bravado heard in the sound hints at Supergrass. There are also style similarities to The Pixies. Lead singer and guitarist Nathan Gill’s vocals are reminiscent of the late Michael Hutchence of INXS, especially when he nearly purrs “Hello little vixen” in “Vixen.” The band has a swagger that comes through the music; “Crumbling Dice” drips with attitude when Gill sings “I don’t need no fucks telling me how to listen to a record” and distorted guitar riffs demand attention.
In an interview with Broken Speaker, Gill said that personal experiences influenced this album. As the members are all current students or alumni of University of PEI, we can guess that the disdain for record-listening instructions, reading an expert’s books, and proper grammar (“I don’t need no fucks” is a double negative!) in “Crumbling Dice” is a response to university classes. The lyrics on the album vary from illustrative (“Her chestnut hair is crawling like vines in the Sherwood Forest” in “Hands-Off Director”) to cryptic (“like a cheek cut I haven’t found yet, what the Dead Seas left untold” in “Grab Me by the Lapel,”) to just kind of odd yet no doubt based on personal experience (“I have friends who can’t find the clutch/I don’t own a digital watch” in “The Holy Water.”) Some of the lyrics are difficult to make out due to distortion or enunciation (try as I might, the best I can make of the first line of “Baptism in Burgundy” is “when I read your cursive, I’m taken by your rick lack of grand prix,”) but it all sounds so good that you will not feel the need to dwell on it. With so much swagger in the music, the distortion in the vocals, and the guitar riffs commanding attention, the lyrics don’t seem questionable.
The first single from the album, “Grab Me by the Lapel,” has definite 1960s influence. The chorus is catchy, the quick organ and punchy drums bring to mind 1960s pop, and the guitar melody suggests surf music. It has definite earworm potential and will likely get stuck in your head. You can find its MP3 below. A close second in catchiness is “Baptism in Burgundy,” which has been stuck in my head since I first listened to the album. The pounding drums and cymbals are complemented by a simple guitar melody and fast-paced lyrics. With these peppy, infectious tracks and the band’s bravado, The North Lakes will likely prove to be one to watch.
Rating: 8.3/10
MP3: The North Lakes “Grab Me by the Lapel”
Buy: iTunes

Carrousel: 27 rue de Mi’chelle
Born out of the love and loss of this project’s mastermind, Joel Piedt, Carrousel‘s 27 rue de Mi’chelle is the culmination of a 2-year labor for Piedt an is nothing short of a true work of art. In an attempt to capture the love, loss, and acceptance of that loss of his beloved Michelle, Piedt has crafted a truly unique album that takes the listener on both a musical and personal voyage. Drawing inspiration from sources as varied as Brian Wilson, Ernest Hemingway, and Romantic and Impressionistic artists, the album is orchestrated and written in a way that has been lost in this time of hit singles and synth-laden pop songs.
Beginning with “Idee Fixe,” the album immediately sets forth on a journey, conjuring the ocean in a musical rather than lyrical way. The sea, a form of surrender, is Piedt’s image of Michelle captured in nature, and persists throughout the album as the melodic line of this song is placed in various other tracks. It pops up again in “You Only Love Yourself” and yet again in the somber “In Her Tomb by the Sounding Sea,” serving as a constant reminder of this woman he can’t forget. It is this type of sophisticated songwriting that is clearly drawn from Brian Wilson and Pet Sounds, and it is something that elevates this album above many other indie-folk releases this year.
As the first track transitions into “14,” an inner dialogue that Piedt has with himself regarding letting go or not letting go of Michelle, the listener is really treated to the full and orchestral instrumentation of the album. Softly-plucked violins and tinkling pianos mingle with echoing guitars and soft acoustic guitars, creating a soundscape that perfectly captures the mental state of the love-torn Piedt. Whether it’s the self-loathing of “You Only Love Yourself” or the despair of “Take Me Now,” every track has clearly been labored over endlessly until it was “perfect.” Also in line with Brian Wilson, the production of this album is incredible, as the instrumentation is not too crisp but not too muddled, allowing every feature of the songs to stick out in a unique way. It sounds orchestrated yet improvised, as it is clear planning was carefully and painfully put into this album yet without the loss of that certain emotional spark and feeling of happenstance.
Stuck firmly in the middle of the album, “Where Do We Go from Here” is the culmination of everything Piedt and Carrousel had been attempting up to this point. It embodies the musical and personal journey of the album by creating a dialogue between Piedt and Michelle. Posing the question set out in the title, the song embarks on a quest to answer that question, splitting the track into two parts, one part posing the question, one part attempting to answer it. This ingenious and sophisticated song form is the pinnacle of Piedt’s songwriting ability, and really marks this track as the centerpiece and masterpiece of the album. However, by the end of this track, the question is not fully answered, as the female vocalist and Piedt come to the realization that it doesn’t matter where they end up; everything will be fine no matter how their tale unfolds.
This acceptance of loss and separation is quickly followed by despair and sorrow, embodied in the somber “In Her Tomb by the Sounding Sea,” which flips the imagery of the sea set out in “Idee Fixe” on its head, and the resigned “Take Me Now.” However, by the end of the album, Piedt has come around and accepted that “no poet, or priest, or theologian could bring my Michelle back.” The title track, interestingly placed at the end of the album, provides the listener with a glimmer of hope after a sea of despair, as the final joyous outburst of violin and piano seems set on moving towards a new, brighter future.
Rating: 9.4/10
MP3: Carrousel “Where Do We Go from Here”
Buy: iTunes

Apollo Ghosts: Landmark
For a bunch of Canucks, Apollo Ghosts does Americana like nobody’s business. Their latest offering Landmark, should feature a giant macramé dinosaur or the world’s biggest ball of string because the album is exactly that, a bonafide landmark.
Consider this: it’s my job at Surviving the Golden Age to straight dump on everything.  I am the figurative Eeyore to StGA’s Hundred Acre Woods, and it seems every week the santorum that passes across my desk only makes me sigh a little heavier, makes my tail droop lower as I use every ounce of my creative flex to say negative things in a positive way about mediocre artists and records.
That being said, I do not mince words. Landmark, is the best new record I’ve heard this year.
So who are these guys, Apollo Ghosts? Wikipedia tells me they are a band from the North Country, a place called Nanaimo in BC. (For our American audience, that’s means the west coast of Canada.) As the name would imply, this town of some 80,000 inhabitants must be something of a fairy tale to produce such an epic band. I would love to give you some back story concerning the group’s maturity on this, their third album, but no one’s ever heard of them before. So much to my professors’ dismay, I have to use Wiki as a source.
You like surfrock? Or course you do, who doesn’t? Buddy Holly cool in your book? What about Mr. Reed or the Pixies? You can hear it all on Landmark. It doesn’t mean the album is an attempt to recreate Apollo’s favorite records. It’s just there, a progression if you will of America’s most interesting rock over the last fifty years.
Landmark starts off a bit slow, the vibrant strains of the up-tempo, surf-washed melody leads one to immediately assume the direction of the entire record. It is on track 5, “Violet Margaret,” you realize you have made a gross mistake. During the dreamy prelude, you accept it is the typical boy-just-met-girl love song, only it’s sung by a man… from the woman’s p.o.v. Genuis! And at that very moment of discovery the song explodes into a raucous chorus that will bounce around in your head for days.
Just as interest is piqued, the following track rips you in an entirely different direction. So Much Better When You’re Gone,” is the perfect slow fuck song, sentimental, sweet and inspired in the vein of “Pale Blue Eyes.”
Next we’re offered the title track, “Landmark.” It’s a dirty, frenzied ode that will send you back to the glorious days of the late eighties, early nineties before there was a thousand and one genres each containing a kaleidoscope of its own subgenres. Landmark is simple in that it offers you a variety of emotions, song structure/writing, and delivery. The album is a feast at fifteen tracks, it’s both cool and clever, got highs and lows, dark and light, sincerity and the silly; all within an easily digestible, catchy format.
It’s de rigueur in critic circles to describe every sea change and shift an album offers, because most albums only offer some few changes. The audience reasonably expects a play by play for normal albums detailing its tracks. I could do this for Landmark, but it would stretch the word count past your exhaustion. Suffice it to say, Landmark is very, very good. I cannot get more explicit than that.
Surviving the Golden Age got you here first folks. We work hard to deliver scoops like this. Go out and get Landmark before everyone’s going on about it and the music begins to bore you from over-exposure. As far as ratings go, I never give out nines. I just don’t do it. But Apollo Ghosts’ Landmark earns a nine.
Rating: 9.0/10
MP3:  Apollo Ghosts “Violet Margaret”
Buy: iTunes

Rufus Wainwright: Out of the Game
Canadian pop singer Rufus Wainwright has once again delivered a solid chamber pop album filled with magnificent songwriting, impressive vocals, and perfect instrumental that fans of his work have come to expect. It’s not a large departure from his other albums but that is not necessarily a bad thing. This album is definitely something I would recommend an aspiring musician to listen to, even if they play a completely different style of music just because the songs are so well put together and textured. The opening track is a great example the guitar starts off the song perfectly drawing you in and then the build on the “look at you parts” is leads right up to the back up singers, who sound great on other songs like “Jericho”. A lot of listeners are likely to find this album or Rufus’s music too soft for them which is understandable; there are only a few moments when the album quote on quote rocks.  However even if it’s not what you usually listen to it’s far from a boring album, Rufus manages to keep things interesting with a wide array of instruments and good lyrics as always.
This is evident in one of my favorite songs on the album “Rashida” the guitar parts go from heavily chorused to fuzzed out that sound almost like a synth, the back up vocals really compliment this song as well and the saxophone parts are a really nice addition. The song “Barbara” features an amazing synth loop and really great vocals on the chorus not too mention a really impressive guitar part towards the middle. Heck, “Candles” even has an accordion in it.
My only concerns with this album is certain things start to sound very similar not to other songs in the album but to songs in general, for example how many times have we heard someone sing “I love you and I don’t want lose you” or something of that nature? But it’s hardly noticeable thanks to the clever lyrics that you would never hear from some pop artists that infect the brain dead listener. Rufus is not that kind of artist. Songs like “Perfect Man” feature though provoking lines like “After another induction to the hall of famine/ I closed the magazine.” And in “Montauk” which I believe may be a message to his daughter for her not to be confused about her two dads.
My other criticism is even though Rufus is able to really successfully change things up on this album musically with songs like “Perfect man” and “Barbara” the songs still start to run together and sound the same. Granted they all are very solid songs but an entire album of it is just too much for me, I think part of the problem is that Rufus’s singing voice (which is very impressive) doesn’t change much from song to song.
Other than those minor issues this album is a really great one it’s so well put together just like all his other work. Even if it’s not what I would listen to on my free time it’s still very enjoyable and you’d probably enjoy it.
Rating: 7.0/10
MP3: Rufus Wainwright “Barbara”
Buy: iTunes or Insound! vinyl

Torche: Harmonicraft
In college, I befriended a group of metal DJs from the local radio station. Hanging out in the studio listening to their radio show was rarely thrilling for me, a wussy pop lover. It seemed that the only band we could all agree on was Torche. Their stoner metal sound appealed to the metalheads but their commitment to pop songwriting appealed to me. On their third album, Harmonicraft, their commitment to both are still in full effect.
The first three tracks on Harmonicraft are among the best three songs that Torche has ever written. The trinity begins with “Letting Go,” a pop song that sounds much more like Motorhead than Melvins. The second track, “Kicking” is probably the highlight of the album and a contender for song of the year. The track shows off Steve Brooks’ incredible voice which has the crooning sound of Bob Nana with the tenor of Josh Homme. The wall-of-guitar sound makes the track seem heavy but really it is a pop song with driving drums at its core.
The trifecta ends with “Walk It Off,” the first legitimately heavy track of the record. The track opens with a blazing guitar riff that builds the anticipation for the shredding guitar solo. Unfortunately the track clocks in at just under two minutes.
The rest of the record pales in comparison to the first three tracks, although it matches Torche’s previous output. “Reverse Inverted” is a more typical stoner metal track, appropriate to slowly headbang to. The same can be said for the nearly six minute album closer, “Looking On.”
While the stoner metal tracks are satisfactory, they are not necessarily gratifying after the blazing start to the album. The album will rack up some end of the year accolades, and for good reason. Even if Harmonicraft is not Torche’s best album, it is surely one of the best hard rock albums of the year.
Rating: 7.3/10
MP3: Torche “Letting Go”
Buy: iTunes or Insound! vinyl

Neon Trees: Picture Show
As a reviewer, there is nothing harder than reviewing a mediocre album. Great albums you can rave about; bad albums you can demonize. Mediocre albums pose a real challenge. So when listening to Neon Trees‘ sophomore album, Picture Show, I found myself fighting over which the album was, good or bad. Unfortunately when an album is fighting between good and bad, it usually means it is neither.
The problem with Picture Show is that Neon Trees can not decide what kind of band they want to be. The opening track, “Moving in the Dark,” shows the band at their most enigmatic. Vocalist, Tyler Glenn does his best Freddie Mercury over a The-Who-meets-My-Chemical-Romance instrumental. The track is big, bold arena rocker.
But the album is not just filled with arena rockers, the Neon Trees have a completely separate, understated sound they also indulge in. Tracks like the album closer, “Take Me For a Ride,” hardly sounds like the same band that made “Moving in the Dark.” The track is a lifeless ballad with Tyler Glenn sounding like Julian Casablancas more than Freddie Mercury. He croons over what sounds like a Casio keyboard drum beat and jangle-pop guitars.
Although those are the best and worst songs on the album respectively, in between the two tracks are variations of each. Lead single, “Everybody Talks,” is in the good category, although Glenn is clearly still channeling Casablancas. The Kaskade collaboration, “Lessons in Love (All Day, All Night),” is in the bad category with the hopped up drum beat and wall-of-synths not being able to draw out an emotive vocal performance. When you tally up the strong songs, there are as many, if not more, weak songs. I guess, in the end, the album is probably closer to being a bad album than a good one.
Rating: 4.2/10
MP3: Neon Trees “Moving in the Dark”
Buy: iTunes or Insound! Vinyl

Here We Go Magic: A Different Ship
Here We Go Magic is one of those groups you don’t want to see in all your friend’s record collections. On listening to their relentlessly hip first release, Pigeons, (2010, Secretly Canadian) one can’t help but get struck with the inspiration to start a band, if nothing else to be just as cool as Here We Go Magic.
Unlike alotta other indie acts, especially those hailing from Brooklyn, Pigeons, never seemed to suffer in said circles from that tired hipster game of, “Who can be the most obscure?” Which, of course, only made it that much more enjoyable. It’s got chops in the form of swirling synth miasma on tracks like “Collector,” and street cred without the uppity stench that clings to the scene like so much wet flannel.
So we couldn’t be more excited some months ago when the release date for Here We Go Magic’s newest album, A Different Ship was announced. And as the name would imply, the group is branching out in new directions like a sapling in Spring.
The first few tracks offers some of the same bi-polar eccentricity heard on Pigeons, however a slower, more intelligent approach is taken as the album progresses. In place of the expected neurosis we find a greater depth to the ambiance, a release from the frenetic looping with more focus on musicianship and atmosphere. One will find the production value has blossomed as well, and indeed perhaps the confidence of the band has improved.
Then, just as you find yourself sinking into the monotony and dead pan delivery, HWGM rip you away from the dream state on, “How Do I Know.” The beat picks up, and major chords resurface, only to be swallowed again on the following track “Miracle Mary,” lending one to the imagery of a Monet waterscape or the opening chapter of McCarthy’s Suttree.       
A Different Ship closes out a bit confusingly with its title track, offering uncharacteristic breakdowns, a strange jazz flavoring, and a final return to the extended aural hallucination. And perhaps spiting our expectations was the message behind the entire album. Frankly, I’ve listened to A Different Ship a couple dozen times now, and still can’t decide whether I love it or hate it.
The album as a whole suffers to inspire emotions, but it does generate a wealth of thought which is entertaining in its own right. And for this reason my friends, I would say don’t buy this album. I don’t want to see it in your record collections. Like an ex-girlfriend or good book, I want to keep Here We Go Magic mine.
Rating: 5.0/10
MP3: Here We Go Magic “Hard to Be Close”
Buy: iTunes or Insound! vinyl

Bigg Jus: Machines That Make Civilization Fun
It is always great to see hip hop artists deviating from the norm and projecting their music by exploring an alternative realm and producing music that is purely countercultural to the mainstream. Originating from the legendary, underground hip hop crew Company Flow, rapper/producer Bigg Jus has made a name for himself by being the opposite of ordinary; not extraordinary, just something totally different. Ever since starting his solo career, Bigg Jus has been putting out some of the most obscure and eclectic solo projects around.
A masterpiece or a clash of metaphorical music into one chaotic catastrophe? That’s up to the listener to decide, but one thing is for sure, Machines That Make Civilization Fun is not your average hip hop record. Usually Bigg Jus makes crazy records to begin with, but there is a solid hip hop element in every one; on this record, the hip hop element is masked by a chaotic soundscape with some screams and other quixotic pieces. On first listen, I was taken aback, and almost appalled. Noise was all that I could make out from the first two tracks. Rapping finally came in on the third track, but it was hard to decipher what he was saying. After a full-bodied first listen, I was both critical and skeptical – but there was something about it that made me play the entire album all over again. Tracks like “Empire Is a Bitch (Fake Arab Spring Mix)” and “Hard Times for New Lovers” really made me feel something. I’m telling you people, an album as weird as this one has never caught my ear this well. Crazy, but good, Machines That Make Civilization Fun takes the enthralling part of today’s music and pairs it with the obscene concoction of a hip hop mind to produce an album that’s ready to blow. I am positive the title has a hidden meaning that one has to learn from listening to the album, which makes me think that this album is on a whole ‘nother level. Some tracks are just too wild, like the opener “Crossing the Line” and “Polymathmatics (Restore Balance Out Think a Savage Trick),” but with every odd track there seems to be an increasingly appealing track, such as “Black Roses” and “Respective of F1 Dub.”
With hints of dubstep and electronic laced throughout the atmospheric phenomenon on this album, Bigg Jus has possibly created his most wild project yet. Strangely enough, it is enjoyable, but it requires a very keen ear and very open-minded taste in hip hop and electronic music. This album will take you on a journey – one you may or may not wish you had taken. To any fan of Bigg Jus, this album is one like you’ve never heard, but is strangely enjoyable and I can definitely attest to its originality and diversity from the average hip hop record.
Rating: 6/10
MP3: Bigg Jus “Empire Is a Bitch (Fake Arab Spring Mix)”
Buy: iTunes
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If you enjoy Stone’s writing check out his website at Hip Hop Speakeasy

Garrison Starr: Amateur
It may be strange for a music industry veteran to title their seventh full-length album Amateur, but that is exactly what Garrison Starr did. There is more than one reason for the name according to Starr. “Before picking (the title), I looked the word up to get the official dictionary definition, and it said someone who does something for the love of it and not for money,” said the singer-songwriter. “Also, I feel like I’m starting over in so many different ways as an artist because I’m in such a different place now in my career and in my life. I just feel like it’s a fresh start, and so I thought it was apropos for that reason, as well.” It is obvious that this album wasn’t created by a newcomer; its strong lyrics, ear-pleasing melodies, and rich vocals had to come from an experienced talent.
Mississippi-born Starr is considered an indie/folk/pop/country/rock artist; this album is a melting pot for those genres with heavy flavoring of country and pop. “The Train That’s Bound for Glory,”“I May Not Let Go,” and “Empire State Building” have a country twang and plucky guitar. I had to check to make sure that “Train” wasn’t a cover of a country standard, it sounds like a classic. Grammy-winning country singer Mary Chapin Carpenter, whom Starr met on early Lilith Fair tours, sings backing vocals on “I May Not Let Go.” Though the above listed songs are country, other songs are pure pop/rock. Electric piano and a guitar wah pedal give “When Nobody Was Looking” more of an edge than the rest of the album, but it would still fit in the rotation on as easy rock station. Each song has a pleasant pop element, pleasing the ear with well-produced combinations of guitar, piano, lead and backing vocals, drums and bass.
The lyrics are the result of soul-searching. “Other People’s Eyes” and “When You’re Really Trying” feature introspective lyrics, each hint at the difficulties in trying to break into the music industry but are easily relatable to those in other industries. The words teem with advice for those who feel like they’re floundering, especially the chorus in “To Garrison on Her 29^th Birthday:” “you can’t decide what a heart decides, you can’t love what you don’t love inside, you can’t change what can’t be changed…”Many cities and states are named throughout the album, especially on “Between the Devil’s Rain and a Dying Language,” which tells the story of a weary touring musician who looks to return home. There are also themes of trains, travel, running/escaping, which could all be related to a touring musician or can be viewed in a broader sense. “The Day the Rains Came to Schoharie” has religious themes of sins being washed away in biblical rains and faith being tested over 40 days and 40 nights.
Starr’s vocals are unique and beautiful. The closest comparison to be is a slightly deeper, richer Emmylou Harris or Martha Wainwright. They adapt to each song, from the country tracks mentioned earlier to pop songs like “Keep Your Head Down.” The MP3 available below is of “I May Not Let Go,” a great example of Starr’s mournful country vocals accompanied by simple instruments and backing vocals by Mary Chapin Carpenter.
Rating: 8.1/10
MP3: Garrison Starr “I May Not Let Go”
Buy: iTunes

Ane Brun: It All Starts With One
On It All Starts With One, Norwegian singer-songwriter Ane Brun has a lot to say, and chooses to say it with a soft, understated coolness. Brun, who runs her own label in Sweden, has become something of a sensation in Scandinavia, with this record marking her third to reach number one in her homeland. Being the sadly ignorant American I am, I must admit that I am not terribly familiar with this overseas sensation for the simple fact that she is overseas. Yet it’s no surprise that Brun’s work hasn’t translated in North America. There’s no sensationalism or sexuality on this record, a stark departure from the Rihanna-soaked US charts. Beyond that, Brun never resorts to any belting or diva swagger to elevate her music. While the temperance of her music is admirable, there are also no moments that really take your breath away and ascend the generally subdued vibe of this album. Brun is certainly more Enya than she is Gaga, and while there is something to be said for her bend toward sincerity rather than gimmicks, It All Starts With One fails to consistently produce anything that demands repeated listening.
Brun sings of love, loss, and loneliness, staying within territory that has certainly been trod before. The album opens with “These Days,” which thankfully isn’t a Nico cover. It has an eerie backdrop of organ music that gives the entire song a sorrowful tone. It’s a very promising opener that builds to a more hopeful place by its end. The song itself is merely quite good, but as a song meant to set the tone for the album, it’s just about perfect. Later in the album, “Worship” features a guest vocalist in Jose Gonzalez, who conspires with Brun’s smooth vocals and a rhythmic guitar strum to create a song that I assume would work great in a yoga class or some other meditative activity that I don’t have the time for. When the strings kick in, the track really finds a sweet spot and produces arguably the highlight of the album. On the next track, “Do You Remember,” Brun takes a more percussive route and the results are generally good. It’s the first song that ‒ in a wacky world where Florence Welch and Gotye are mainstream hits ‒ may actually have a place on American radios.
On the second half of the album, Brun continues to display a really impressive vocal range as the songs slow down a bit more. “What’s Happening With You and Him” walks a tightrope of staying reserved without seeming too air tight and restrained. Brun knows her place and, while she does have a fantastic voice, she knows that she doesn’t have the type of voice that can pull off Adele-like histrionics. The album continues this tone of placidity that is interrupted only occasionally by some furious strings or percussion. Overall, the album can drift into being a bit too subdued in parts. “The Light From One” is atmospheric and more complex than meets the eye, but it also lacks the intensity that its subject matter might deserve.
It All Starts With One presents a truly fascinating international contrast to the highly produced chart-toppers that North America and parts of Europe are accustomed to. There’s an artistry in Brun’s music and a comforting sense of peace. At the same time, the consistently even tone of the album makes its emotional impact somewhat fleeting and makes the album one to be enjoyed in the moment, but not ultimately remembered.
Rating: 6.7/10
MP3: Ane Brun “Worship”
Buy: iTunes or Insound!