MadfaMusic Feature Albums May 2014
Sylvan Esso - Sylvan Esso (Feature Album 26 May 2014)
Chad Van Gaalen - Shrink Dust (Feature Album 19 May 2014) tUnE-yArDs - Nikki Nack (Feature Album 12 May 2014) The Murlocs - Loopholes (Feature Album 5 May 2014) |
|
Sylvan Esso - Sylvan Esso (Feature Album 26 May 2014) By Fee B-Squared

Take one folk singer and one electronic producer/bass player, put them together and you might be lucky enough to make a band called Sylvan Esso and release a cracking debut album. When I say lucky, I mean it was luck or “magic” that had them sharing a bill at a gig one time where Amelia Meath (Mountain Man) decided to pass a song she had written for Mountain Man called “Play It Right”, onto Nick Sanborn (Made Of Oak, Megafaun) requesting that he put his own spin on the tune. According to their Facebook page, Sanborn did the mix but felt that there was more for them to explore: “Of all the songs Sanborn had ever recast, this was the first time he felt he’d added to the raw material without subtracting from it, as though, across the unseen wires of online file exchange, he’d found his new collaborator without even looking.” If only every collaboration worked out so well.
Their chemistry is obvious on this self-titled album and by reading some of their post SXSW buzz, it seems that their chemistry also translates to the live setting. I was particularly interested in Bill Pearis’ take on them in his Brooklyn Vegan piece “Bill's Top 10 things he saw at SXSW 2014”. He wrote “A real surprise, as I am against laptop acts in general, Sylvan Esso really made it work. A good set of songs anchored things, but it was the stage presence and chemistry between singer Amelia Randall Meath and beatmaker Nicholas Sanborn. One of the few times my first thought wasn't "get a live drummer" though, now that you mention it, that wouldn't hurt.”
Recorded in Sanborn’s North Carolina bedroom, the combination of Meath’s layered, folky vocals over Sanborn’s percussive synths and beats is luscious and endearing. Take a look at the clip to “Play It Right” from the album and listen to how that first idea, that first meeting of minds panned out. Makes you wanna dance too right?
Their chemistry is obvious on this self-titled album and by reading some of their post SXSW buzz, it seems that their chemistry also translates to the live setting. I was particularly interested in Bill Pearis’ take on them in his Brooklyn Vegan piece “Bill's Top 10 things he saw at SXSW 2014”. He wrote “A real surprise, as I am against laptop acts in general, Sylvan Esso really made it work. A good set of songs anchored things, but it was the stage presence and chemistry between singer Amelia Randall Meath and beatmaker Nicholas Sanborn. One of the few times my first thought wasn't "get a live drummer" though, now that you mention it, that wouldn't hurt.”
Recorded in Sanborn’s North Carolina bedroom, the combination of Meath’s layered, folky vocals over Sanborn’s percussive synths and beats is luscious and endearing. Take a look at the clip to “Play It Right” from the album and listen to how that first idea, that first meeting of minds panned out. Makes you wanna dance too right?
|
While you can certainly hear the differences between the original version performed by Mountain Man and the renewed version on the Sylvan Esso album, it also reminds me that, much like the opening track “Hey Mami” (addressing the ongoing culture of catcalling), I can imagine almost every single one of these tracks would still work as stand alone pieces with Meath’s usual a cappella treatment. I think the fact that both Meath and Sanborn stay true to their individual techniques while marrying both sounds seamlessly is part of the appeal. One of the greatest things about this pairing is Sanborn’s ability to give Meath’s voice space. He never encroaches on the form of the song, he only ever enhances it.
|
Or is it in fact, the other way around? Perhaps it’s Meath who gently intertwines her vocals in and around Sanborn’s beats? They really are like a musical yin-yang.
"Dreamy Bruises" is the second track on the album and the one that probably jolts me away from thoughts of Meath’s past endeavours the most. I love that we get to hear Sanborn’s vocals here too (“fill me like a song do”). On first listen to this album, “Wolf” was definitely an instant favourite, and remains so with its constant background clicking making it hard to resist. “H.S.K.T” stands for “heads shoulders knees toes” and has me wondering whether this will be the next Y.M.C.A on the dance floor. “Coffee” will draw you in with it’s repetitive “get up, get down” beckoning you to that same dance floor. |
|
|
![]() “Uncatena” is a pulsating gem that has me closing my eyes and almost romanticising about drying dishes (“Dry dishes, turn and twistin’ until we can run out, go swimming”).
“Come Down” is the final track on the album and it feels fittingly stripped back to Meath’s roots. Subtlety is key here and I think it is an excellent way to round out a gorgeous debut. The reviews for this album so far are all incredibly favourable, which in turn makes this a hard act to follow. For now, I’m going to soak up this partnership and leave you with a phrase coined from Paste Magazine’s review: “Sylvan Esso is as cerebral as it is sexy.” That’s pretty hot. By Fee B-Squared |
Read more about Sylvan Esso
Read reviews of Sylvan Esso's self titled album by Stereogum, Consequence of Sound, NME, Pop Matters, The 405 and The Music.
Sylvan Esso will tour North America and Europe over the coming months. Check the dates here. |
Chad VanGaalen - Shrink Dust (Feature Album 19 May 2014) By Fee B-Squared

If it’s run of the mill music you’re after, I suggest you look elsewhere because that is not what you’re going to find on Shrink Dust, the fifth Chad VanGaalen album. Hailing from Calgary, VanGaalen is a naturally talented and underrated multi-instrumentalist who has released numerous recordings over the years under various monikers (Black Mold, Gem Clouds, Garbage Island, Dub Tassels and Raw Operator). Now he has formed bands with each of his young children - a hardcore band with his oldest called “Crocodile Teeth & The Snugglers” and a techno band with his youngest called “Banana Bread”. It is as Chad VanGaalen that I know him best though.
I first took notice of him and his mild fixation with death in 2008 with his third release Soft Airplane. The banjo laden opening track “Willow Tree” just melted this hard arse listener with it’s paired back and fragile beauty. In 2011 I was excited to finally have his fourth album, the sweet but awfully titled Diaper Island. Packing dreamy tracks like "Peace on The Rise", I could only conclude that the album’s title stopped it from getting the attention it deserved. Now that his fifth album Shrink Dust is here, I’m hoping it will bring VanGaalen’s music to a broader audience.
Continually interested in all kinds of arcane instruments, VanGaalen picked up an aluminium pedal steel guitar about a year ago and went about teaching himself how to play it. Although it features throughout Shrink Dust, I don’t know that it’s enough of a reason for the album to be called “country”, even though VanGaalen has referred to it that way himself. Over the years his sound has been labelled freak folk, art rock, psych country and everything in between so I think you can safely choose your own pigeonhole here.
The album opener “Cut Off My Hands” starts so beautifully with the sounds of VanGaalen’s fingers audibly running along the strings of his guitar and then he utters the first line “cut off both my hands, and threw them in the sand, watch them swim away from me like a pair of bloody crabs.”
I first took notice of him and his mild fixation with death in 2008 with his third release Soft Airplane. The banjo laden opening track “Willow Tree” just melted this hard arse listener with it’s paired back and fragile beauty. In 2011 I was excited to finally have his fourth album, the sweet but awfully titled Diaper Island. Packing dreamy tracks like "Peace on The Rise", I could only conclude that the album’s title stopped it from getting the attention it deserved. Now that his fifth album Shrink Dust is here, I’m hoping it will bring VanGaalen’s music to a broader audience.
Continually interested in all kinds of arcane instruments, VanGaalen picked up an aluminium pedal steel guitar about a year ago and went about teaching himself how to play it. Although it features throughout Shrink Dust, I don’t know that it’s enough of a reason for the album to be called “country”, even though VanGaalen has referred to it that way himself. Over the years his sound has been labelled freak folk, art rock, psych country and everything in between so I think you can safely choose your own pigeonhole here.
The album opener “Cut Off My Hands” starts so beautifully with the sounds of VanGaalen’s fingers audibly running along the strings of his guitar and then he utters the first line “cut off both my hands, and threw them in the sand, watch them swim away from me like a pair of bloody crabs.”
|
You know right from that moment, that this is not an album that is always going to take you where you think you might be going, but it will be worth the wild and at times sad ride. This song in particular was written for his friend (and Women guitarist) Christopher Reimer who passed away unexpectedly. There are sweet harmonies gliding over the pedal steel with the weirdest sounds hovering underneath and I love the unexpected clarinet on this track.
The trance like follow up to that is “Where Are You?” and it’s an instant favourite with the clip made up of a compilation of his past animations. Kooky right? If you like that, you may also want to check his Instagram account where he posts all manner of artwork, including pictures he has peed into the snow. |
![]() “Lila” is a beautiful ode to VanGaalen’s beloved dog who unfortunately passed away just hours before VanGaalen took to the stage for the Sub Pop Silver Jubilee gig. It’s another sad song that stings this listener right in the heart.
“Monster” sounds slightly like Flaming Lips and features another great opening line: “Ripping my eyelids a little bit wider are two prying hands that grew out from my shoulders, and I can’t explain why, but it’s hurting my eyes.” Let’s face it, that probably would hurt your eyes, dude. “Leaning On Bells” stands out with a real fuzzed out 60’s jangle to it. By the time we get to the final line on the closing track “Cosmic Destroyer”, I can’t help but think about the genre calls people have made in relation to VanGaalen’s music (“And you don’t have a name/but you’ve been called so many different things”). |
|
In my opinion, Shrink Dust is by far Chad’s most cohesive work to date. The album is a really beautiful, interesting and multi-layered piece of art that should take pride of place on any stereo and be played repeatedly. I have no doubt you’ll be rewarded differently with each listen.
By Fee B-Squared |
|
More about Chad VanGaalen
Read interviews with Chad VanGaalen courtesy of Exclaim, Clash Music and the Calgary Herald. Check out the reviews of Shrink Dust by Pitchfork, NME, Consequence Of Sound, Punknews, Treble Zine and Exclaim.
See Chad VanGaalen live
Chad VanGaalen is touring North America and Europe over the coming months. Check out his tour dates here.
tUnE-yArDs - Nikki Nack (Feature Album 12 May 2014) By Fee B-Squared

Just recently, I was asked to describe tUnE-yArDs to someone and without a second to overthink it I replied: “tUnE-yArDs is how I imagine a meeting of Laurie Anderson, Pikelet, Bow Wow Wow, Fela Kuti and The Muppets would sound. She uses her incredibly strong voice, loops, sampling and always an underlying drum beat to keep you bouncing around.” Singer, songwriter, vocalist, ukulele player and percussionist, Merrill Garbus (what a great name that is) grew up around Connecticut and New York. With an arts background, she started out as a puppeteer and then joined a band called “Sister Suvi” in Montreal, playing the ukulele. Not long before Sister Suvi released their debut Now I Am Champion in 2009, Garbus also released her debut (on cassette) under the tUnE-yArDs moniker. It seems BiRd-BrAiNs was a thrifty labour of love pieced together by Garbus, who did everything on her own using just a digital voice recorder and GarageBand. The track that caught my attention from that release in particular, was “Sunlight”. It still does. Although I was really interested in what she would do next, the truth is BiRd-BrAiNs passed me by without leaving an indelible mark and it wasn’t until 2011 when my Garbus interest was piqued once more with the release of the much lauded w h o k i l l album. This album saw the excellent addition of the only other full time member of tUnE-yArDs, bass player Nate Brenner. Garbus and Brenner also treated themselves to th e use of a recording studio. Fancy! Revisiting w h o k i l l over the past week, I’m struck by how “Gangsta” continues to sound fresh despite staying with me since I first heard it.
After touring w h o k i l l for around 18 months to many rave reviews, Garbus was totally spent and took time out to rest and consider where her next album would take her. She further developed her skills, taking voice, dance and Haitian drum lessons. Some of this is evident on Nikki Nack, particularly the added strength of her voice.
After touring w h o k i l l for around 18 months to many rave reviews, Garbus was totally spent and took time out to rest and consider where her next album would take her. She further developed her skills, taking voice, dance and Haitian drum lessons. Some of this is evident on Nikki Nack, particularly the added strength of her voice.
|
She also took a look at Molly-Ann Leikin's [1987] book How to Write a Hit Song and told Pitchfork “the chorus should hit in the first 30 seconds. That was a big one.” Garbus also decided to relinquish some of her usual control, asking producers Malay and John Hill to lend a hand on some of the album. Garbus said “To ask Malay (Frank Ocean, Alicia Keys, Big Boi) and John Hill (Rihanna, Shakira, M.I.A.) for input, I had to let go of tUnE-yArDs being rigidly my production. I have a very specific vision for the sound of the band and I don't think women producers get enough credit for doing their own stuff, so I was resistant – but we grew, Nate and I both, and the songs grew. And it turns out that's what's most important: the songs, not my ego.”
|
![]() The opening track (and at one time working title for the album) “Find A New Way” sets not only the pace but the tone of the album with lyrics like “I tried to tell him all the reasons that I had to never sing again/And he replied "You better find a new way." The first single is up after that with the clappy and percussive “Water Fountain” almost sounding like a modern day follow up to “Iko Iko”. It carries a sad environmental message with the happy vibe though (“Nothing feels like dying like the drying of my skin and lawn/Why do we just sit here while they watch us wither ‘til we’re gone?”). When the “Time Of Dark” chorus grabs your ears, it really hangs on and you can feel the power of that voice. Just as Garbus’ phrasing can make her sound somehow playful, it’s songs like this that make you sit up and take notice. She is a genuine force.
|
|
|
The R&B sounds accompanying “Wait For A Minute” (and to a lesser extent “Real Thing”) take me slightly and happily by surprise and “Rocking Chair” could definitely be a traditional American track unearthed after years in hiding. As I write this I’m also madly trying to figure out what the chorus of “Left Behind” reminds me of. KILLING ME!
As the last song on the album “Manchild” rings out with it’s final lyric “I’ve got something to say” I find myself nodding in agreement. Whether musically or lyrically, Tune-Yards most certainly have something to say, and I’m more than happy to keep listening. By Fee B-Squared |
See tUnE-yArDs live
tUnE-yArDs will tour Europe, North America and Australia over the next few months. View the tour dates here.
Want to read more about tUnE-yArDs?
Read reviews of Nikki Nack by Pitchfork,
Pretty Much Amazing, NPR, Tiny Mix Tapes and PopMatters. Check out tUnE-yArDs on Tumblr, Facebook or Twitter. |
The Murlocs - Loopholes (Feature Album 5 May 2014) By Fee B-Squared

I’ve been a fan of fuzzed out psych rockers The Murlocs for a fair stretch now, so it’s great to finally hear their debut album release Loopholes. I use the word finally here because if it weren’t for their producer (and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard member) Stu McKenzie’s laptop being stolen last year containing more than half of their album, we would have had our filthy mitts on it a lot sooner. With band members having various other commitments, they had no other option than to leave it for a few months before coming back to it to rework and rearrange some of the songs.
Let’s go back a bit shall we? The Murlocs officially formed in Ocean Grove in 2011 but I recall an incredibly cute interview in Beat a few years ago that told of how they met much earlier than that under a name that didn’t quite stick (ahem). Songwriter, harmonica player and vocalist Ambrose Kenny Smith grew up surrounded by blues music, small thanks to his father Broderick Smith, who was a founding member of The Dingoes. This apple has certainly not fallen far from the tree. In 2010, Smith buddied up with school friends Callum Shortal (guitar) and Matt Blach (drums), and they played their first gig at Ocean Grove’s Piping Hot Chicken Shop. “Matt and I had played in a band together when we were at primary school – we called ourselves Blu Tac,” Smith recalls. “We played a bunch of weird covers, and we only had one gig, at an old people’s home, which was actually pretty good.” I’m glad they eventually changed their name. Since then Andrew Crossley (bass) and Cook Craig (guitar) have joined the band to complete the line-up. I got hooked on The Murlocs’ harmonica soaked sound when I heard the swagger of their first self-titled EP released in March 2012. Their follow up (the name of which still makes me smile whenever I say it out loud), was the Tee Pee EP recorded by Mikey Young at Smith’s Nan’s house in Ivanhoe. We also got a taste of Loopholes last year when they released the first single from it well before the album was fully imagined. "Rattle The Chain" was the name of the track, written by Ambrose while traveling in Bali on his first trip overseas.
Let’s go back a bit shall we? The Murlocs officially formed in Ocean Grove in 2011 but I recall an incredibly cute interview in Beat a few years ago that told of how they met much earlier than that under a name that didn’t quite stick (ahem). Songwriter, harmonica player and vocalist Ambrose Kenny Smith grew up surrounded by blues music, small thanks to his father Broderick Smith, who was a founding member of The Dingoes. This apple has certainly not fallen far from the tree. In 2010, Smith buddied up with school friends Callum Shortal (guitar) and Matt Blach (drums), and they played their first gig at Ocean Grove’s Piping Hot Chicken Shop. “Matt and I had played in a band together when we were at primary school – we called ourselves Blu Tac,” Smith recalls. “We played a bunch of weird covers, and we only had one gig, at an old people’s home, which was actually pretty good.” I’m glad they eventually changed their name. Since then Andrew Crossley (bass) and Cook Craig (guitar) have joined the band to complete the line-up. I got hooked on The Murlocs’ harmonica soaked sound when I heard the swagger of their first self-titled EP released in March 2012. Their follow up (the name of which still makes me smile whenever I say it out loud), was the Tee Pee EP recorded by Mikey Young at Smith’s Nan’s house in Ivanhoe. We also got a taste of Loopholes last year when they released the first single from it well before the album was fully imagined. "Rattle The Chain" was the name of the track, written by Ambrose while traveling in Bali on his first trip overseas.
|
Discussing the track with Faster Louder recently, he said “It was the first time I had ever left Australia and [I] was experiencing a bit of shock after seeing how brutal a lot of the people have it over there. Third-world country blues was the picture I wanted the song to portray.” It remains one of my favourite songs by The Murlocs.
Listening to this album repeatedly, I won’t lie, I have moments where I wonder why I’m not irritated by Ambrose’s constant cat-like snarling. Like how I feel about Wanda Jackson in big doses (love her, but at times I gotta move on). I love it though, he makes his singing style work to his advantage, throwing the harp in when you need it most, and it almost feels like a call and response between the two. |
There’s also something to be said about how every part of the band works to intertwine with the others to make it all gel. Just like last week’s feature album from Ghetto Ghouls, the fact that this album sits at just over the half hour mark is a stroke of genius too. It opens gently with “Control Freak”. The vocals and harmonica are front and centre with the crash cymbals cutting through at appropriate intervals and the guitar work is effortless. The second track “Save Me Now” is vying for my affection and gets it. “Paranoid Joy” has me wanting to dance and sway in some sort of field of dreams while “Lonely Clown” is a sweet interlude before the foot stomping, hair swishing “Space Cadet” hits your ears. “Jukebox” is a slightly sad tale of musicians who choose to continually play covers and little else, churning out lyrics “like a parrot”. The title track “Loopholes” is the longest and last track on the album and with the distantly placed harmonica it’s like they’re slowly waving us goodbye.
I really dig the feel of this album. It takes me to another time and place, so something tells me that the board games night I’m heading off to tonight is gonna get a whole lot smokier and a whole lot weirder when I throw Loopholes on the stereo. By Fee B-Squared |
|
Read more about The Murlocs
Read reviews of Loopholes courtesy of The Music, Something You Said, What Sound and City and Sound.
Plus, Ambrose talked through Loopholes with Faster Louder. Read it here.
Plus, Ambrose talked through Loopholes with Faster Louder. Read it here.
Listen to the MadfaMusic Feature Albums from April 2014 here
Ghetto Ghouls - Ghetto Ghouls (Feature Album 28 April 2014)
Woods - With Light and With Love (Feature Album 21 April 2014) EMA - The Future's Void (Feature Album 14 April 2014) Mac DeMarco - Salad Days (Feature Album 7 April 2014) |
Listen to the MadfaMusic Feature Albums from March 2014 here
Teeth and Tongue - Grids (Feature Album 31 March 2014)
The War On Drugs - Lost in the Dream (Feature Album 24 March 2014) Sun Kil Moon - Benji (Feature Album 17 March 2014) Real Estate - Atlas (Feature Album 10 March 2104) Angel Olsen - Burn Your Fire For No Witness (Feature Album 3 March 2014) |
Listen to the MadfaMusic Feature Albums from February 2014 here
Beck - Morning Phase (Feature Album 24 February 2014)
Sharon Jones And The Dap-Kings - Give The People What They Want (Feature Album 17 February 2014) Dum Dum Girls - Too True (Feature Album 10 Feb 2014) Warpaint - Warpaint (Feature Album 3 Feb 2014) |
Read the MadfaMusic Features from January 2014 here
In January, rather than feature albums we did features on four great Melbourne Independent Record Labels.
Chapter Music (Feature 27 January 2014) Mistletone Records (Feature 20 January 2014) Remote Control Records (Feature 13 January 2014) Aarght Records (6 January 2014) |
Listen to the MadfaMusic Feature Albums from December here
Dick Diver - Calendar Days (Feature Album 30 December 2013)
Parquet Courts - Light Up Gold (Feature Album 16 December 2013) Beaches - She Beats (Feature Album 9 December 2013) Phosphorescent - Muchacho De Lujo (Feature Album 2 December 2013) On 23 December we published our Best of 2013 lists. Listen here. |
Listen to the MadfaMusic Feature Albums from November here
Cave - Threace (Feature Album 25 November 2013)
Swearin' - Surfing Strange (Feature Album 18 November 2013) Arcade Fire - Reflektor (Feature Album 11 November 2013) The Poets of Rhythm - Anthology (1992-2003) (Feature Album 4 November 2013) |
Listen to the MadfaMusic Feature Albums from October here
Best Coast - Fade Away (feature Album 28 October 2013)
Cass McCombs - Big Wheel & Others (Feature Album 21 October 2013) Zeahorse - Pools (Feature Album 14 October 2013) Mazzy Star - Seasons Of Your Day (Feature Album 7 October 2013) |
Listen to the MadfaMusic Feature Albums from September here
Adalita - All Day Venus (Feature Album 30 September 2013)
Sebadoh - Defend Yourself (Feature Album 23 September 2013) Ty Segall - Sleeper (Feature Album 16 September 2013) Washed Out - Paracosm (Feature Album 9 September 2013) Horrorshow - King Amongst Many (Feature Album 2 September 2013) |
Listen to the MadfaMusic Feature Albums from August here
King Krule - 6 Feet Beneath the Moon (Feature Album 26 Aug 2013)
Laura Veirs - Warp and Weft (Feature Album 19 August 2013) Pixies - Doolittle (Feature Album 'from the vault' 12 August 2013) Pond - Hobo Rocket (Feature Album 5 August 2013) |
Listen to the MadfaMusic Feature Albums from July here
Pluto Jonze - Eject (Feature Album 29 July 2013)
Ben Mason - Holes and Corners (Feature Album 22 July 2013) Jessica Pratt - Jessica Pratt (Feature Album 15 July 2013) Kieran Ryan - Kieran Ryan (Feature Album 8 July 2013) Jagwar Ma - Howlin' (Feature Album 1 July 2013) |
Listen to the MadfaMusic Feature Albums from June here
Tricky - False Idols (Feature Album 24 June 2013)
Junip - Junip (Feature Album 17 June 2013) Jen Cloher - In Blood Memory (Feature Album 10 June 2013) Laura Marling - Once I Was An Eagle (Feature Album 3 June 2013) |
Listen to the MadfaMusic Feature Albums from May here
Hanni El Khatib - Head in the Dirt (Feature Album 27 May 2013)
James Blake - Overgrown (Feature Album 20 May 2013) Super Wild Horses - Crosswords (Feature Album 13 May 2013) Matthew E. White - Big Inner (Feature Album 6 May 2013) |