WORDS Brian Carroll
Beck - “Morning Phase”
In 2012, famed Jewish Scientologist Beck released an album as sheet music, ‘Song Reader,’ as one of several passive-aggressive acts in a complex, international authenticity feud between the now-defunct Fiery Furnaces and (also now-defunct?) Radiohead. Beck makes it clear on “Wave” from his new Capitol debut ‘Morning Phase,’ that his loyalties still lie with Thom Yorke & Co. as he unabashedly re-envisions “Pyramid Song” without its pesky, brilliant five-beat rhythm. Utilizing the same set of players as 2002’s ‘Sea Change,’ ‘Morning Phase’ was intended to be a sequel-of-sorts to that newly-re popularized album, itself technically a more focused do-over of 1998’s ‘Mutations.’ The new album was given a company-wide, mandatory listening session at Capitol to build internal buzz and features three songs recorded with Jack White in Nashville. Beck himself stated the album is an homage to late ‘60’s and early ‘70’s California-Americana, while the choppy promo singles released last year show instead that he’s been listening to the Dirty Projectors..
St. Vincent - “St. Vincent”
If the promotional artwork for former Sufjan Stevens guitarist Annie Clark’s new self-titled release as St. Vincent were an indication, she is either positing herself as a demigod-like Emily Dickinson on the set of Jodorowsky’s The Holy Mountain, a blue-blooded cast member of The Hunger Games, or the new Lady Gaga of Rock. All may be intended, but the last may actually be wishful, as the lead single “Birth in Reverse” finds her taking on a classic CBGB sound from bands like Blondie and The Pretenders in a territorial move.
While her purported concept of making a dance record for a funeral is a little creepy, a lot of bands have been making money the same way recently.
Stevie Wonder - “When the World Began” and “Ten Billion Hearts”
Big Stevie Wonder aims to hit hard this year with two new hip-hop influenced albums. The albums will feature experimentation with rap - his intention being to raise the vocal style to a higher (artistic) ground while establishing a new relevance with youth audiences - and traditional African rhythms, though it is unclear whether or not we will end up with one album of rap, one of African rhythms, or one of both mixed and a completely separate, more traditional Wonder album. Exciting news, nonetheless.
Against Me - “Transgender Dysphoria Blues”
Note: If you’re still in a pop-punk / emo-core band, a great way to keep your flagging genre in the press is to chop your willy off, deeply divide your fan base, and then let word-of-mouth reframe you as heroes by a more accepting, progressive national audience. Whether you call it self-exploitative, honest, or just plain awesome, ‘Transgender Dysphoria Blues’ will be the band’s big transcendental moment, a final nail in the coffin of the genre that created them. But, just to be clear, no one is listening to - or asking questions about - the music, anyway.
Warpaint - “Warpaint”
The Chris Cunningham-enhanced L.A. four-piece puts on a long-awaited second coat this year with Flood (New Order, NIN) producing and Nigel Godrich (Radiohead, Natalie Imbruglia) on the mixing board. The all-girl band refuses to coast on their modelesque looks, as they’ve apparently been working harder than ever to get serious, do bong rips, and make art, having holed up in a smoke-filled cabin at Joshua Tree National Park to do communal songwriting for their self-titled sophomore LP to much consternation of vacationers.
Cibo Matto - “Hotel Valentine”
Here’s one we didn’t expect: Grand Royal alums Cibo Matto (Italian for “crazy food”) reuniting and releasing a new album on Valentine’s Day 2014, about fifteen years since their last release. Known primarily these days for the Michel Gondry-directed-video of ‘Sugarwater’ from their killer 1997 debut, ‘Viva La Woman,’ those were simpler times, when hip-hop was the domain of elite foreigners who commanded cocktail and spy-movie beats like a finely-groomed cabal of international breakbeat spies. Two female co-singers Yuka Honda and Miho Hitori have long been dwindling in solo career hell until this moment, unable to land a hit. Sean Lennon’s - as opposed to the Beastie Boys’ - vanity label will be doing the distribution this time around, so I guess it pays to keep in touch with your ex-boyfriend offspring of John and Yoko.
Johnny Cash - “Out Among the Stars”
Yet another stash of unreleased Cash recordings will emerge, this one a completed “lost” album from the 1980s. What it will sound like exactly (reports indicate we should not expect synthesizers and drum machines, as Cash was apparently fighting a losing battle against the urban-cowboy dynamics of the era in his darkest, haziest hour) is unclear, but thealbum - featuring a duet with Waylon Jennings - is reported not only showcase the singer’s distinctive voice in its absolute prime, but be “a beautiful record.”