The Tallest Man on Earth - The Wild Hunt

Dead Oceans
2010

I don't know what it is, but I'm having a hard time writing about this record. Maybe I'm just tired or my head hurts from that awesome dream I had this morning. Holy crap it was so awesome. I'll tell you about it later I suppose.

Anyways, I think I fell in love with this guy last night. Not really in a gay way or anything, but seriously, Kristian Mattson is nothing short of a musical genius. For some reason his music kind of fills that folk void that Sufjan Stevens left behind when he recorded all of that electronic stuff and put on a horrible live show. Anyone go see that shit?

A few people who have heard me playing this either at work or at home were like "who is this? sounds like Bob Dylan or some shit." It's really easy to say that this guy is the "Swedish version of Bob Dylan" but I feel like there's much more than that going on here. Especially on this record. It opens up with the title track, which has this great chord progressions. God I really want to write a review about Shallow Grave because I think I like that record more. This one is really good too, but I think that one's better. "King of Spain" makes a good single, but it's not the best song on this album (the first one is, I think) and there's some other really good songs on here too. "Love is All" is a pretty tune. So is "A Lion's Heart". This record closes out with "Kids on the Run" which is a piano ballad reminiscent of something off of Nebraska.

All in all, this is one of the better records of 2010. Go out and get it.

4.5 out of 5 steering wheels

Les Savy Fav - Root For Ruin

French Kiss
2010

Les Savy Fav has been off of my radar for a while, and I don't really know why. Maybe I got burnt out by them. Who knows. Either way, it's been almost 6 months since I cared enough about this band to listen to them. I don't really know why I haven't been listening to them, Les Savy Fav is one of those bands that's right up my alley. Maybe I just haven't been in the mood for something with so much energy and awesomeness packed into a sound. Or shit, maybe I'm just getting too old for this kind of music? Nah.

Anyways, apparently this shit leaked back in July. I really feel like I should keep better track of stuff that leaks on teh torrentz, but that takes extra effort. I wasn't really hyped up to listen to this record, but I figured I'd give it a chance. I mean, Les Savy Fav is a pretty awesome band. Better than most of the stuff that comes out. I'd even say they might be underrated (gasp!) But yeah I guess it exposes how I listen to something obsessively then lose interest and put it down. Or how you want to listen to old man music as you get older.

So yeah, this record. God. Sorry. I guess it's not bad. It's pretty fucking good actually, compared to other records. Les Savy Fav definitely brings it on this album and it's packed full of all of the sweaty, fat, balding Tim Harrington screaming into a mic as you can handle. There's lots of potential for dancing. Great guitar parts. Excellent, cryptic lyrics. Some pop hooks and shit. Fucking fat beats to make you want to rock out. All of that tied up with the post grunge shit you expect from these mo-fos. So what's the beef with this record? Why have I only listened to it a few times and not been obsessed with it?

It's nothing new.

That's why. It's pretty much the same as Let's Stay Friends except for new songs. This album doesn't really change anything. I mean, if you like your bands to stay the same, then this album is pretty good (I mean it is), but it's lacking the new direction to make it fucking great. So, this album exists in the purgatory between being okay and being something awesome. Almost there, but not quite.

3 out of 5 steering wheels.