New Sonic Youth Video, "Sacred Trickster"

Today's going to be a video-filled day. Or at least, that what it seems like upon my first survey of the interwebs landscape this morning. First up, is the track that every Sonic Youth fan has heard, "Sacred Trickster". As you know, it's a throwback to old school SY noise, and maybe even some youthful flair to go with it. The video does what you'd figure it would- challenge society, focus on girls who either are in bands or go to shows a lot, and then, the predictable ink bomb gag, followed by rejoicing. It's fairly cut and dry, but appropriate. Check it out below, and if you haven't heard The Eternal yet, I'd suggest checking it out.

New Cursive Video, "I Couldn't Love You"

I'm putting this up as a courtesy to what this band once was, as well as for the readers who may have actually enjoyed their latest effort, Mama, I'm Swollen. In this newest video, Cursive, similar to their last visual representation, are making commentary about societal roles and the problems that occur when things are over-analyzed. "I Couldn't Love You" does its job for the most part, and though the video may appear to be an intelligent critique on constructs, it sometimes strays off (to me, at least) as just another video by some band trying to look original. Though I know this is not the case with Cursive, it's a thought process that continually gets in my way nowadays when listening to their most recent material. Perhaps you feel differently. Either way, check it out below.

Music Video Monday: "The Reeling"

Song: The Reeling
Artist: Passion Pit
Album: Manners
Year: 2009

I still really enjoy Passion Pit's new album, Manners. I'm sure many of you feel the same. We discussed it's crazy wall-of-sound dance-pop to excess weeks ago, and yet I continue to bounce along to the incessant beats, soaring falsetto, and video game backgrounds. The following is the first single from said album, one which a fair amount of fans have probably witnessed already. Still, I felt that it would be worth talking about since the visual representation does a fantastic job of reflecting the song. "The Reeling" wasn't even my favorite song on Manners, and I am now more of a fan of the track due to seeing the video.

When I spoke about Manners way back when, I noticed, and harped on, an 80s vibe to go along with the album's dance-pop sensibilities. This video seems to be the epitome of said effect, as the aesthetics, at first, seem to portray a punk-scene very much enthralled in 80s culture. What goes from there is an interesting use of crumbled up newspaper and magazine clips to portray physical objects, including the band themselves. Believe me, it's not corny. The clippings are only used as faces, and the style is executed to perfection- it's never used in excess, and seems to convey the frailty the band is looking to convey. Overall, a cool experience which I'd highly recommend. Check it out below.

New Discovery, "Carby"

More on the Discovery front! The Vampire Weekend-Ra Ra Riot joint project presents yet another track, "Carby," which also features VW lead singer Ezra Koenig. This stuff sounds like really good, really infectuous pop/hip hop. You intrigued? I would be. Go check out the new song over at HypeM. Enjoy, and start counting down to Discovery's debut, LP, out July 7th, via XL.

New Here We Go Magic Video, "Fangela"

I guess today's Weird Video Day here at Animal Noises. "Fangela" may be the best track on Here We Go Magic's self-titled debut, but I'm still a bit torn about the accompanying video. It's charcoal-animated, and may or may not be about the "little vampire" that is supposed to be the subject of the song. Overall, the video's okay, but I wouldn't say it's great. Still, perhaps that's just one blogger's opinion. Check it out below if you're at all interested.

New Animal Collective Video, "Summertime Clothes"

I swear I've been trying to find a way to post this for the past two hours. Unfortunately, though, I'm at work, so that does prevent things from happening here as quickly as they normally would. But anyway, on to the video at hand- When I first saw Animal Collective's visual representation of "My Girls," I thought it was a bit odd and trippy, but in no way was it the weirdest thing I'd ever seen the band do. The video for "Summertime Clothes," however, is a completely different story. It is, without a doubt, the trippiest thing you'll ever see from Animal Collective, maybe even one of the trippiest things you'll see, ever. It's like the shrooms scene for Knocked Up mixed with a weird 70s independent film. I suppose it's entertaining enough, but even if the visuals aren't, the song is definitely good enough to check it out.

Pre-Screening: God Help The Girl

Album: God Help The Girl

Artist: God Help the Girl

Label: Matador Records

Due Out: June 23rd

You might remember me briefly discussing Belle and Sebastian's Stuart Murdoch making a film, with an accompanying album, a few months back. As the story goes, Murdoch began amassing songs which he felt didn't fit the normal B&S format, and decided to branch out into a side project. That side project, God Help the Girl, ended up evolving into a film by the same name, due for release in 2010. It's an interesting record that harkens to simpler, less-stressful times. Think Belle and Sebastian if they had been recording music back in the 1960s and '70s. Still, it doesn't sound so much like Murdoch's main project that you get lost in that aspect. God Help the Girl can, and does, stand by itself as a great effort, whether you associate it with the upcoming film or not. My only word of advice as we dive in is 'relax'.

"Act of the Apostle" starts us off, and will probably be familiar to B&S fans, as it's one of their songs. Notice the classical reworking though- a theme throughout the album that has had me gushing over it since the first listen. The strings, horn and piano are at some of their strongest on this specific song, dancing from beat to beat, and playing perfectly off of Catherine Ireton's fantastic vocals. Ireton is the first of a bevy of female singers that appear on the record (there are eight women altogether). Some are contest winners, others are fellow recording artists, but all have a similar, youthful charm to them that you're sure to enjoy. Next is the upbeat and bouncy title track, "God Help the Girl," also sung by Ireton. The album as a whole addresses a woman, or rather, multiple women, struggling with various problems, tossing and turning between different emotions and actions in a show that will surely be interesting to see in the film version. "Pretty Eve in the Tub" follows, once again featuring Ireton (the most prominent of the female singers) and Murdoch in a slightly goofy duet about a tub. Admittedly, not my favorite moment on the album, but in no way is it a terrible song.

"A Unified Theory" is the record's first instrumental. It's a loose, freeform jazz number playing up bass, saxophone and piano to bridge the gap from the early moments into the middle portion. Another Ireton and Murdoch duet comes up next in "Hiding Neath My Umbrella," a track that starts off as something you may have heard in a 1920s dance hall, before breaking into the melodic and layered chorus reminiscent of a 1960s movie musical overture. Harmony-wise, I feel as if the dynamic between these two is the best of all of the combinations, and I'm guessing Murdoch felt the same way, since Ireton is featured so frequently. The other B&S cover comes in the form of old favorite, "Funny Little Frog," which is completely re-imagined by girl #2, Brittany Stallings, who sports a deeper and more soulful voice than her predecessor. Who ever thought this track could be a love ballad? Not me, but astoundingly, it works here to perfection. "If You Could Speak" is another fun, bluesy/folksy song that does a great job alternating between Ireton and vocalist Anna Miles. Keep an eye out for the background vocals the two girls execute behind Murdoch halfway through, as well as the whistling part, which for some reason, I'm a fan of. I always admire a good whistler.

"Musicians Please Take Heed," to me, begins not just the second half, but the end of the album. The mood appears to change here, some darker, some quicker tracks, and overall, it feels like the conflict within the music grows. Ireton seems torn as the crescendo of strings grows behind her for dramatic effect. Then we switch to Murdoch doing a solid David Bowie impression in the opening lines of "Perfection as a Hipster". To me, this track may the most interesting, probably because it has the most going on- three vocalists in harmony, heavy strings, and the aforementioned Bowie allusion. We calm down immediately afterwards though, with "Come Monday Night". For lack of a better term, it's lovely. Ireton plays the lead again on this wistful, lonely ballad full of hopes and dreams. Then the album's second instrumental, "The Music Room Window" keeps things slow, preparing us for the final few songs.

In a surprise change of pace, Asya, from Seattle teen band, Smoosh, appears as the lead vocalist for "I Just Want Your Jeans". It's odd at first, since you can actually hear the change in age between the earlier women and Asya, but the timid, youthful sound adds a sound of vulnerability and possible desperation, all of which make the mood what it is. I've made allusions to the 1960s various times throughout the record, but I feel like no track establishes itself in that decade better than "I'll Have to Dance With Cassie". It'll be no surprise that the track once again features Ireton, and I can't put my finger on how or why, but the very apparent strings and punchy piano part combine with her voice to just transport the track backwards in time. Lastly, we arrive at "A Down and Dusky Blonde,' which functions as a culmination of the record as a whole. The ideas are wrapped up, and our story seems to come to a close. It also features five female vocalists- Ireton, Stallings, Asya, and contest winners Dina Bankole and Celia Garcia. Luckily, it stays away from movie musical group vocals and keeps its integrity intact.

What's not to like here? It's quaint and provides for a nice dose of nostalgia. Nothing is forced, everything seems like the natural progression to the next step, and a solid amount of artists come together for an interesting, and almost eclectic collection of songs. I'm going to use the word pleasant here, for lack of a more appropriate word, because that's what it is- pleasant. The fact that the album can stand on its own two feet without the visuals the sounds are supposed to represent is another thing that reinforces my very positive feelings. I went in with modest hopes, and I came out with some pretty solid praise. Perhaps you'll feel the same. Similar artists include the obvious Belle and Seabastian, Camera Obscura and The Mamas & The Papas.

Rating: 8.0/10

Best Track: "Funny Little Frog" (this isn't the album version, but you'll get the idea)

Matt's Track of the Week: "Daylight"

Song: Daylight

Artist: Matt & Kim

Album: Grand

Year: 2009

I've never really been a fan of Matt & Kim. I didn't see the big deal when their self-titled debut came out, and my overall opinion was that although they had a knack for crafting fairly catchy powerpop and a sunny disposition, they didn't bring much of anything new to the musical landscape. Recently, I gave them a second look when this song was brought to my attention by a friend, and I couldn't help but give credit where credit was due.

Some of you may recognize it from the new Bacardi Mojito commercial where a partygoer passes through recent decades as he makes his way through a crowded room. The visuals highlight the pop culture of the day, and the song choice works perfectly to assist. "Daylight" has an unexplainable vibe that exudes carefree youth and romance. It rides along on a textbook hip hop beat, string loops, simple piano lines, and frantic vocals, pushing all the right buttons to get its message across. Check it out below.

John's Track of the Week: "Old School Rules"

Song: Old School Rules

Artist: Danger Doom

Album: The Mouse and The Mask

Year: 2005

Here it is, as promised: Last week, when I reviewed Mos Def's newest effort, The Ecstatic, I mentioned that parts of it reminded me of Danger Doom. This then got me thinking about, and listening to, one of my favorite hip hop albums ever, The Mouse and The Mask. Not sure what it is about the 2005 record that draws me in. Maybe it's the playful nature of the whole thing. Could be the fun and interesting beats. It also might be the fact that the artist formerly known as MF Doom is on his game from a rap standpoint, and flows perfectly with Danger Mouse's efforts. If anyone reading is into indie hip hop and has not heard this album (unlikely, I know), I implore you to find it immediately. Even for those who may not consider themselves fans of this brand of hip hop, get it. You might enjoy it. You might even thank me for recommending it to you.

Out of all of the excellent tracks on The Mouse and the Mask, to me, the best is "Old School Rules". Constructed in a throwback style, the horn-based beat in the background has you thinking about the simplicity and nostalgia associated with early-90s rap. It's even party playlist material (or at least it is to me). It's not the flow here that makes this song great, but rather, the comfort level. The song just naturally progresses- nothing forced or unncessary. It also reminds me of when I used to play NBA Hangtime with my friends in my freshman year of college, which also makes it endearing. Like I said, if you haven't heard it, check it out. Really. You have to.

New N.A.S.A. Video, "A Volta"

Lots of stuff going on today. Everything but my usual Wednesday track of the week, of course (I'm at work, so it proves difficult to get something like that done, but I'll see what I can do before I leave the office). The following video is unrelated to that feature, but I still think it's worth discussing quick. If anybody's unaware, N.A.S.A. (North America South America) is a collaboration between Squeak E. Clean and DJ Zegon, along with a large number of contributors from the world of pop, indie and hip hop. In this video, for track "A Volta," alone, you'll find appearances by Amanda Blank, Sizzla and Lykke Li. Kanye West also appears on the record, if that helps your decision in either acquiring or not acquiring the record. The album, The Spirit of Apollo is out in a modest number of places, via Anti-.