Week Of 5/9 - Folk, House, Industrial

This week is a bunch of David Guetta, Sara Watkins, and Unter Null....

New Releases:
Sara Watkins
Sun Midnight Sun
Label: Nonesuch Records
Released: 5/9 2012
Genre: Folk, Americana, Pop

There's something interesting happening when I listen to this album. First, I was hoping for more of the fiddle Watkins is known for, never had heard her before and being a fan of a good fiddle. Alas, there is very little here aside from the opening instrumental song. After that, the album is good. Very listenable, the whole thing is oddly familiar though. I spend a moment or two on each song thinking 'hey, I know that...' and of course it's just triggering the idea of a different song. Her voice is familiar in so many different ways, like a dozen different artists, without actually being derivative or copying them. It's a very odd feeling having that many "I know this artist, I just can't place them" moments. But it's good, because it's not copying, just... familiar. Weird. Honestly, very weird. But I like her, and will be finding more of her work in hopes of hearing that fiddle some more.

Adding To The Collection:

David Guetta 
Nothing But The Beat
Label: Capitol / Astralwerks
Released: 2011
Genre: House, Techno

Of the Guetta albums I picked up, this one is the best. It's a solid throwback to 90s House without sounding dated and repetitive. I think it's mostly due to the sheer number and talent of the collaborating artists here. There's a lot of good stuff going on here, lots of poppy and catchy tunes, solid dance floor bouncers. Could do with less autotuned and modified vocals though, drowning a good vocalist in electronic distortion is just annoying. If you want a harmless dance-techno album to have on hand, this is a good choice.

David Guetta
Just A Little More Love / Pop Life
Label: EMI
Released: 2010
Genre: House, Techno

This is a double album re-issue of two Guetta albums - his first and third (2002 and 2007) albums. An odd choice to skip the second studio album in a double re-issue like that. I never really got into Guetta before, and listening to both these albums in full I can say I'm still not into his early stuff. Taking each in turn quickly.

Just a Little More Love is a nearly completely unimaginative facsimile of mid 90s house music of the most generic type. It is pure pop-techno, radio friendly and while you can dance to it, the DJ probably puts a bigger bassline behind it.

Pop Life, bit comparison, is a definite progression in ideas, sound, and form. This time taking the better parts of 90s House, less pop-techno, and tossing a little more variety into the mix. Five years did wonders for the style and form of Guetta's music here. It's still kind of generic feeling, but has enough variety to make it a decent enough album.

Unter Null
Moving On
Label: Alfa Matrix
Released: 2010
Genre: Industrial

The third album release, and the second on Alfa-Matrix, thought lost in a fire. The music is dark, a little foreboding, heavy and, at times, liberating and uplifting. A general theme of moving past poisonous relationships and ideas permeates, even as some of the lyrics are full of invective statements they still convey a sense of relief. A kind of catharsis comes through the heavy, if mostly slow, music. And some of it kicks up a notch, like the Obligatory Club Hit To Appease The Masses. A kind of manifesto for the album on the idea of appeasing fans instead of playing for them. It's really a great album, and her voice is not the standard female vocals, even stripping the layers of effects her voice is a little deeper, darker, than most acts. There's an unkindness coming through that fits the Industrial genre so well, I highly recommend this album.

Bonus Track:

Army Of The Universe
Take Control
Genre: Industrial-Rock

Army Of The Universe is one of my favorite new bands to emerge in the last couple years with a full release. Their album is great stuff, and this track had to get left off originally. Luckily they released it free for fans, and it's just more of the same great industrial-rock their album is full of. Seriously, you need to check out this band, I think they'll just keep getting bigger and better in the next few years.

Next Week:
More David Guetta, a double remix album. The new KMFDM single, taking one of the stronger tracks from WTF?! And .... well, I'll leave the rest as a surprise (meaning I randomly choose from my pile of waiting music next week).

Listen Hard!