Earth and Mogwai Lead February’s Veteran Charge

Release of the Month ~ February 2011

Dinosaur rampage! Which thick-scaled veteran came out on top? The Silent Ballet staff counts down its top picks of the month.

This month, we witnessed an all-out battle between the slow, lumbering tyrannosaurus rex (Earth) and the soaring, swooping pterodactyl (Mogwai). The fact that this battle took place at all is incredible. Earth has been around for 22 years, Mogwai has been around for 16, and even Tim Hecker (who came in third) has been recording for 11. Most artists don’t last this long. To put this in perspective: if one had conceived a child while listening to Earth’s first album upon its release, that child might now be graduating college, and enjoying the latest Earth album while studying for finals. This isn’t supposed to happen; and older artists, if they manage to keep recording, are not expected to be relevant. We’re supposed to laugh at them and say, “Ha-ha! That’s my parents’ music!” Not so in these cases. Not only are Mogwai and Earth still relevant, many believe they are making the best music of their careers. While such pronouncements may be premature – these releases are, after all, brand new – the very presence of such opinions honors their hard work and continued inspiration.

While the Release of the Month crown was a three-way race from the beginning, two other February albums won votes from our staff. One is a tender tribute to a lost loved one, and the other is a 60-track compilation. We’re glad they didn’t get lost in the dinosaur dust, because each is a gem. With more staffers voting than ever before, February turned out to be an incredible month for new music and may have already produced some of the year’s top contenders.

1) Mogwai ~ Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will
Rock Action
Mogwai’s career has been a mixed bag. Due to drastic shifts in their songwriting style, they have gone from being one of the most revered bands of all time to one of critical and cultural scorn. However, with their newest release, they have re-established themselves as the musical greats they once were, perfecting the sound they have been searching for over the past 10 years. Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will is not quite Young Team and not quite Happy Songs for Happy People; it utilizes the raucous explosions that Mogwai pioneered and the melancholic sweet melodies that they have just now perfected. The bonus disc, a composition for Douglas Gordon and Olaf Nicolai’s installation “Monument for a Forgotten Future”, is an album highlight and a glimpse into the band’s next possible progression. (Greg Norte)

2) Earth ~ Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light 1
Southern Lord
On this album, Dylan Carlson further refines his vision for Earth mark II. The band’s dedication to the riff remains, still serenely moving at glacial speed. The images conjured again suggest sun-baked deserts, crumbling mesas and heat haze, but added to the familiar sound are outside influences including the British folk of the early 70s and the imperative of Carlson’s serious illness. The key ingredient of change is Lori Goldston’s cello, as her instrument echoes and refines Carlson’s spiralling guitar. The result is a group that sounds different from the one that made Hex and Bees. Although Earth are still skull-crushingly heavy, there seems to be a little more space between the notes. It’s more of the same, but subtly different; Earth are mining a rich seam here, and their music is consistently vital – roll on, part two. (Jeremy Bye)

3) Tim Hecker ~ Ravedeath 1972
Kranky
While it was recorded within the traditional environs of a church, Ravedeath 1972 makes a statement about the avant-garde. The cover depicts the movement’s celebratory murder of music in the form of a piano tossed from a building. Organs announce its death, which in this case is not an ending but an apocalyptic transformation, a nihilist enterprise destined for self-destruction. Tim Hecker is a musician committed to the fiery contradiction of a “tradition against itself”, blurring the lines between the instrument and its synthesized version, drowning each in distortion and quietness alike. Heavy in all respects, this album is fit for dozens of interpretations and conjures up myriad emotions. Hecker has done it again, releasing top-notch music of enduring intensity. (David Murrieta)

4) Dakota Suite and Emanuele Errante ~ The North Green Down
L I D A R
The North Green Down was inspired by Chris Hoosen’s last walk with his sister-in-law, Hannah, prior to her death from cancer. The main theme shakes one’s inner being. The warmth surrounding the artist’s mourning makes every listen an experience to savor, and the compositions are absolutely sublime. This is a fantastic collaborative effort, an album about death, loss, and honest human emotions at their most fragile and vulnerable. High profile releases may have taken center stage this month, but this album deserves its space in the limelight. In this reviewer’s opinion, it’s the year’s best album to date. (Mohammed Ashraf)

5) Various Artists ~ Minute Papillon
Second Language
Second Language has thrown down the gauntlet with Minute Papillon, a compilation whose sheer scope will likely prove impossible to top: 60 minutes, 60 artists, 60 songs. And not just any artists: a selection of our favorites. Wixel! Norbury! O’Halloran! Brave Timbers! So many artists, one needs a magnifying glass to read the liner notes, and thankfully, one is provided. And not just any songs: this album includes some of the finest small music we’ve heard in some time. Together, it plays like the best experimental mixtape of the year. (Richard Allen)