[Reviews Roundup] September 2012

With all the craziness of music blogging, from concerts to press releases to interviews to festivals, it can be hard to find time to sit down, listen to an album and give it an honest, thorough review. With that in mind, we came up with the Reviews Roundup, a way for us to look back at all of the major releases in the past month and give them an on-the-spot review. Whether we like them or not, we'll spout out a quick blurb about the album to give an overall impression of what makes it good or bad along with a score based out of five.

This month, we've had majors releases from Animal Collective, The xx, G.O.O.D. Music, Grizzly Bear, The Raveonettes, Mount Eerie, The Presets, The Vaccines, and many more. After the jump, you can read our quick thoughts on this month's offerings.

September 4th:

Animal Collective - Centipede Hz:

AnCo deliver an elaborate exploration of spacey sounds and psychedelic soundscapes.

SCORE: 4.0

Mount Eerie - Ocean Roar:

Phil Elverum's second album of the year is a beautiful-yet-eerie emotional journey, exploring the ideas of order and chaos.

SCORE: 4.5

Cat Power - Sun:

Chan Marshall returns after six longs years of dark hibernation with a sun-soaked gem.

SCORE: 4.5

The Vaccines - Come of Age:

The UK outfit's sophomore album is a grittier, more raucous outing than their debut, a welcome maturation for the band.

SCORE: 3.5

Stars - The North:

One of Canada's indie stalwarts offers up a catchy blend of electronic sounds and sprawling instrumentation.

SCORE: 3.5

Two Door Cinema Club - Beacon:

The band's sophomore outing retains the catchiness of Tourist History, but feels a bit forced at times.

SCORE: 2.5

September 11th:

The xx - Coexist:

This sophomore effort shows a great progression for the band, who have an incredible talent for evoking vast depth through subtle minimalism.

SCORE: 5.0

The Helio Sequence - Negotiations:

The Portland duo explore the intricacies of themselves and their instruments, building layer upon layer of delicate and engrossing instrumentation.

SCORE: 4.0

The Raveonettes - Observator:

Observator is an intriguing venture into the allure of Los Angeles, a mental journey in despair and loneliness amidst lush instrumentation.

SCORE: 3.5

David Byrne & St. Vincent - Love This Giant:

The ever-lasting talent and creative drive of David Byrne mixes beautifully with Annie Clark's undeniable charisma.

SCORE: 4.0

The Presets - Pacifica:

Pacifica is an electronic gem, weaving grandiose synthesizers around a complex tale of the future.

SCORE: 4.5

Thee Oh Sees - Putrifiers II:

The San Francisco psych rockers put all they've got into this diverse, hazy psychedelic package that shouldn't be missed.

SCORE: 3.5

The Avett Brothers - The Carpenter:

Yet another exploration into the intricacies of death from a band obsessed with the notion. With soft, solemn moments and charming, upbeat arrays of acoustic goodness, fans will feel right at home here.

SCORE: 3.0

September 18th:

G.O.O.D. Music - Cruel Summer:

The G.O.O.D. Music crew feels fairly disjointed here, with a lot of different artists and styles to take in, but a few solid performances help it from falling apart.

SCORE: 3.0

Grizzly Bear - Shields:

Grizzly Bear delves into a myriad of dream-like sounds, moments later being swept into an uproar of chaotic instrumentation. This expansive array constantly tears apart and rebuilds itself, struggling constantly in a beautiful war.

                                        SCORE: 5.0

September 25th:

Django Django - Django Django:

This Scotland quartet knows how to do harmony right, blending their vocal stylings with an addictive and quirky blend of spacey sounds and psychedelic influences.

SCORE: 4.0

[Listen] Mount Eerie - "I Walked Home Beholding"

Mount Eerie's second album of the year, Ocean Roar, is due out next week, and so far we've heard the titular single "Ocean Roar", but Phil Elverum has a new single to peak your interest. "I Walked Home Beholding" is moody as hell, but damn is it good. With sweeping organs, echoing percussion, and smooth guitar riffs, what's not to love? Stream it below.

Ocean Roar is out on September 9th via Elverum's own label P.W. Elverum and Sun.

[Listen] Mount Eerie - "Ocean Roar"

Phil Elverum, aka Mount Eerie, is nearing the release of Ocean Roar, his second album of 2012, and he's let loose the title track from the forthcoming LP. "Ocean Roar" is a beautiful song, with harmonic falsettos melding beneath Elverum's somber tone amidst an array of captivating instrumentation. If this is any indication, the full album looks to be a promising addition to this year's releases. Stream it below.

Ocean Roar is out on September 4th via Elverum's own P.W. Elverum and Sun imprint.

[Watch] Mount Eerie - "The Place Lives" (Official Video)

Phil Elverum , aka Mount Eerie, has given us the music video for "The Place Lives", the first visuals from his latest LP Clear Moon. Being a native of the Pacific Northwest, Elverum's visual accompaniment sees him journeying through the dense, emerald forests that the region is known for. Being a native of the Pacific Northwest as well, the natural beauty Elverum indulges in is very familiar to me. Although, for those who've yet to experience these lush evergreen forests in person, this video is a perfect example of this majestic environment. Watch the replay above.

Mount Eerie's latest LP Clear Moon is out now via Elverum's own P.W. Elverum and Sun imprint, and his second album of the year, Ocean Roar, is set to drop on September 4th. To support both of his 2012 releases, Mount Eerie will be touring throughout September and October. Check out his full tour itinerary after the jump.

Mount Eerie 2012 Tour Dates:
08/25 – Rochester, WA @ Helsing Junction Sleepover
08/26 – Astoria, OR @ Kala Hipfish Space
08/27 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
09/02 – Olympia, WA @ Northern
09/03 – Missoula, MT @ Zoo City
09/05 – Minneapolis, MN @ CO Exhibitions
09/06 – Madison, WI @ University of Wisconsin, Music Hall
09/07 – Oberlin, OH @ Oberlin College
09/08 – Albany, NY @ Rest Fest, at St. Joseph’s Church
09/09 – Buffalo, NY @ 9th Ward at Babeville
09/10 – Toronto, ON @ The Great Hall
09/11 – Syracuse, NY @ Badlands
09/12 – Montreal, QC @ La Sala Rossa
09/13 – Burlington, VT @ Studio A at North End Studios
09/15 – Brooklyn, NY @ 285 Kent
09/16 – Manhattan, NY @ (le) Poisson Rouge *
09/17 – Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church
09/18 – Washington, DC @ Montserrat House
09/19 – Durham, NC @ Duke University
09/20 – Asheville, NC @ Grey Eagle
09/21 – Louisville, KY @ Quill’s Coffee
09/22 – Chicago, IL @ TBA
09/23 – Ames, IA @ Maximum Ames festival
09/24 – Omaha, NE @ DP Muller Studio
09/25 – Lawrence, KS @ Lawrence Arts Center
09/26 – Norman, OK @ Opolis
09/27 – Austin, TX @ the Parish
09/29 – Marfa, TX @ TBA
09/30 – Tucson, AZ @ Topaz #
10/01 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom #
10/02 – Los Angeles, CA @ Public Fiction #
10/03 – Los Angeles, CA @ Eagle Rock Center for the Arts #
10/04 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill #
10/05 – Oakland, CA @ Lobot #
10/08 – Chico, CA @ Origami Lounge #

* = w/ Loren Mazzacane Connors
# = w/ Bouquet

[News] Mount Eerie Announces Second Album of 2012: 'Ocean Roar'

Mount Eerie, aka Phil Elverum, set out lofty goals for this year, with plans to put out two album by the time 2012 came to a close. His first release, titled Clear Moon, came out in May, and now he has announced that the follow-up will be titled Ocean Roar and will be released on September 4th via Elverum's own P.W. Elverum and Sun label.

An issued press release describes the album "as a counterpoint to the soft synth walls and landscape pondering of Clear Moon, presenting the opposite of that album's clear glints of awareness: a total wall of blue-grey oceanic fog, a half remembered dream of a trip through dense old growth hills to the gnarly winter ocean, in the middle of the night, decades ago. This album is the audio equivalent of the blanket of thick dark water vapor that covers the Pacific Northwest for most of the year, revealing only brief glimpses of illumination."

Below, you can stream an excerpt of the "Pale Lights" from the forthcomign LP. As well, after the jump, you can take a look at the tracklisting for Ocean Roar, as well as Mount Eerie's upcoming tour, which is set to start on June 17th in Olympia, WA.

Ocean Roar Tracklist:
01. Pale Lights
02. Ocean Roar
03. Ancient Times
04. instrumental
05. Waves
06. Engel Der Luft (Popol Vuh)
07. I Walked Home Beholding
08. instrumental

Mount Eerie 2012 Tour Dates:
06/17 – Olympia, WA @ Northern 414 1/2 Legion Way
06/18 – Portland, OR @ 4321 SE Hawthorne (2 shows, early & late)
06/19 – Portland, OR @ Valentine’s
06/20 – Seattle, WA @ 20/20 Cycle (2 shows, early & late)
06/21 – Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre
06/22 – Nanaimo, BC @ TBA
06/23 – Victoria, BC @ The Fifty Fifty
06/24 – Bellingham, WA @ Make.Shift Art Space
07/13-15 – Anacortes, WA @ 1st Anacortes Unknown Music Series
08/24-26 – Rochester, WA @ Helsing Junction Sleepover

[Listen] Mount Eerie - 'Clear Moon' (Full Album Stream)

Phil Elverum, who previously recorded under the alias the Microphones but now does so by the name Mount Eerie, haunts with his lo-fi, atmospheric sounds. With plans to release two new albums this year, the singer-songwriter hopes to capture the attention of music fans with his hauntingly beautiful soundscapes. The first of those two releases is titled Clear Moon, which is set for release later this month, and is now streaming in full on NPR.org. Stream it below in its entirety, and this comes highly recommended.

Clear Moon is out on May 22nd via P.W. Elverum & Sun.