I went to Austin City Limits Festival again this year, and in a lot of ways the line-up was very different, packed fewer treats, than last year's...there were some notable exceptions...and José González was one. Admittedly, a large fesitval is NOT the ideal place to catch him--I made up for it recently by seeing him here in San Diego at the Casbah--but in both cases, José managed to captivate the crowd...every sound, every word, and every chord were attentively taken in by those in attendance, and for good reason, with Veneer he has managed to create some of the most beautiful and captivating music written in years.

Why does anyone buy music, anyway? I mean, aren't there enough auditory offerings availble through radio, tv, and the internet that there really is no reason to horde songs on little plastic disc any longer...I guess some stuff is just so good that it causes us to covet it for our very own. I bought this spiffy AC Newman album, and think it contains some of the best songs I have heard so far this year. Now, you, green with envy and coveting my crap, are bound to rush out and get your own, or more likely, plan to come over to my house to beat me up and take my stuff. We'll, no chance, I am prepared for such attacks on my stuff. You don't stand a chance, just face it...you should walk down to your local independent record shop and buy a copy for yourself. Maybe ask the guy at the counter, Why does anyone buy music, anyway?

UM, BUY THIS ALBUM! ...it's that good.
I have nothing more to say.

Let me first say that North Carolina had a kick ass indie music scene long before indie music became the biggest marketing campaign in the music world. Look at the Merge roster if you need a reminder--Lou Barlow, The Buzzcocks, The Magnetic Fields, Neutral Milk Hotel, Polvo, & Superchunk. Sure some of those guys came on in the last couple of years, but it has been happening for more than a decade from a hub around Chapel Hill far far away from the control of the LA & NY labels that practically manufacture the stuff these days. From this environment comes a band that you should be listening to -- The Talk.

I have had this album in my possesion for over a year now, when the band's drummer Jeremy Holcomb slipped it to me after a proformance at a small club in South Carolina. Since then, I have listened to it nearly 50 times and not tired of it. It's fitting to be reviewing now that it is commercially available after an intentional staggering of its release by the band's North Carolina label, Morisen Records. From the opening words of "Imaginary Lines" to the closing track "Hold Your Money Well" the album holds up...no fluff and no typical sophmoric missteps. On first listen, Magic In Reverse seems like a collection of purist post-punk rock anthems. The great thing about the album though, is how well it scales for casual listening. It's Like Magic in Reverse provides a solid listening experience from start to finish without need for the stuff to come blarring through a 10,000 Watt PA. Sure these tracks should be played on megaphones as kids take to the streets to topple statues of George W. Bush, but they are remarkably well suited for the the more likely role they will serve, getting played over college airwaves everywhere for students traveling to shows or studying in their dormitories. The band's sound may seem at times rehashed from a list of other (great) bands, but what makes the The Talk unique is that they are managing to do what few other bands are these days--make rock n' roll songs worth listening to. The difference in production quality between their debut, No You Shut Up, and this release, is notable--the former was captured in one 24 hour studio session, while Magic in Reverse was recorded with the help of Mike Mogis (Azure Ray, Bright Eyes, Broken Spindles) over a week spent in the Saddle Creek studios. The band has been maturing musically from constant touring over the last few years and my hunch is that Magic in Reverse's sound benefits as much from the band's own well honed musicality as it does Mogis' studio magic. Still, the partnership is a great match and if it continues even as the boys stay connected to Morisen, it is just a matter of time before the band gets the proper exposure it deserves and The Talk puts the North carolina indie scene back in the limelight it has enjoyed in past years.

So, I promised "a return to normal, easy to appreciate music" last month...you got it. Ben Kweller was 20 years old when his debut album "Sha Sha" was released. It was refreshing, sonically rich, and impossible to put down. While still lauding his efforts, a lot of critics commented that Sha Sha's sound was noticebaly derived from others--Stephen Malkmus, Rivers Cuomo, and Ben Folds to name a few. What follows is an album with the same virtues as Sha Sha that reveals Kweller has found a way to do it, this time escaping the doubts of those critics. Lyrically, On My Way is more sophisticated than the content on his original offering, but the real charm of Kweller's writing, a kind of associative word game in which he conveys serious subjects through silly connections and pop culture references, is as present here and just as endearing. I have consulted my magic eight ball to see if I am correct in asserting that everyone I have ever meet will love this album, and it has okayed the proclamation by revealing "without a doubt".

Most of you who follow my musical suggestions will not like this one. It falls under the category of IDM and if you don't already like other offerings from the genre (like Aphex Twin, Squarepusher, Stuntrock) then it is sure to drive you up the wall. That said, Vsnares is one of the best in the field and his noise sets have a weird way of luring me into extreme focus while working. Vsnares drives samples that, before hearing them, you would never guess could coexists on a single recording. Part Chainsaw Massacre, part drug experimentation gone wrong, and part Mozart Effect, H.U.L.T.G.F.H. has been a therapy for the neurotic part of me (that freaks out when subjected to disorder beyond my control). I knew it was working when in the middle of a track which is almost entirely white noise, a voice in my head said "Chill the fuck out, alright".