My Favorite Record of 2004 -- Califone Heron King Blues (Thrill Jockey)
Surprise.
I have no idea why Califone aren't consistently rated amongst the best American bands working today. In fact, they may be the best American band working today. Now, I loved Quicksand/Cradlesnakes long time. "Michigan Girls" and "Your Golden Ass" have consistently made it onto my mixtapes - partially for their melodies, but as much for their overall looseness and actual sound as anything else. I love the way Califone records sound. It's like aliens arriving on Earth post-apocalypse (which, considering, may not be that far away), recovering the history of American music, and then playing it on dusty old phonographs. There is real exploration and mystery in Heron King Blues: the playing is loose, improvisational, concise and sophisticated. Tim Rutili's voice is pure gold. Califone never tries to do too much with the elements in any one song; they just let them all go.
This record is simultaneously the ugliest and most beautiful to come out all year. It's filled with static, dissonant guitars, ghost polyrhythms, unidentifiable noise, and, underneath it all, banjos, harmonies and sweet melodies. While no song is as instantly memorable as "Michigan Girls", this record reveals new subtleties listen after listen while remaining stronger as a whole than Quicksand. They move seamlessly from folk balladry to rusty funk to experimental guitar explorations from track to track.
I was really disappointed when Wilco's A Ghost is Born was released this year. With the addition of Nels Cline and Jim O'Rourke full-time, I was expecting great, exploratory things. While there was some of that, mostly it just felt hasty and indulgent - and I haven't put it on much since I bought it (the day it came out no less). Little did I know that the record Wilco should have made was right here all along. Califone have taken studio technique, jam sessions, American folk, whiskey-soaked vocals, and a sense of adventure to create a record that is pretty damn close to perfect. In a year characterized by disco, the DFA, and dance (along with the still-omnipresent post-punk), this record refuses all labels and embraces everything great about independent music. Give it your time - I can't think of a more rewarding activity.
I have no idea why Califone aren't consistently rated amongst the best American bands working today. In fact, they may be the best American band working today. Now, I loved Quicksand/Cradlesnakes long time. "Michigan Girls" and "Your Golden Ass" have consistently made it onto my mixtapes - partially for their melodies, but as much for their overall looseness and actual sound as anything else. I love the way Califone records sound. It's like aliens arriving on Earth post-apocalypse (which, considering, may not be that far away), recovering the history of American music, and then playing it on dusty old phonographs. There is real exploration and mystery in Heron King Blues: the playing is loose, improvisational, concise and sophisticated. Tim Rutili's voice is pure gold. Califone never tries to do too much with the elements in any one song; they just let them all go.
This record is simultaneously the ugliest and most beautiful to come out all year. It's filled with static, dissonant guitars, ghost polyrhythms, unidentifiable noise, and, underneath it all, banjos, harmonies and sweet melodies. While no song is as instantly memorable as "Michigan Girls", this record reveals new subtleties listen after listen while remaining stronger as a whole than Quicksand. They move seamlessly from folk balladry to rusty funk to experimental guitar explorations from track to track.
I was really disappointed when Wilco's A Ghost is Born was released this year. With the addition of Nels Cline and Jim O'Rourke full-time, I was expecting great, exploratory things. While there was some of that, mostly it just felt hasty and indulgent - and I haven't put it on much since I bought it (the day it came out no less). Little did I know that the record Wilco should have made was right here all along. Califone have taken studio technique, jam sessions, American folk, whiskey-soaked vocals, and a sense of adventure to create a record that is pretty damn close to perfect. In a year characterized by disco, the DFA, and dance (along with the still-omnipresent post-punk), this record refuses all labels and embraces everything great about independent music. Give it your time - I can't think of a more rewarding activity.
posted by P at 6:23 AM
1 Comments:
oh yeah...track seven, "heron king blues", dirty dirty. muscle shoals likes.
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