Ought “Sun Coming Down”

Ought

Sun Coming Down

[Constellation; 2015]

Rating: 9

One look at the presidential race in the two respective parties, and it is easy to assume that the United States has lost its mind. Leading the GOP is Donald Trump, a megalomaniac millionaire who trumps himself daily with more and more offensive/ludicrous statements that somehow only bolster his standing with conservatives. Young democrats have found their flavor of the week in Bernie Sanders, a self-declared socialist whose idealistic platform seems highly unachievable in a beltway that is more partisan than ever. One can’t help but wonder how these two unlikely candidates have gained such a following.

I like to believe it’s not so much the message of this duo that has excited the American people – it’s the fact that they are outsiders. Both candidates have refused to take money from corporate entities and special interest groups, the usual suspects who have put a stranglehold on the government, making citizens feel frustrated and powerless.

The Canadian quartet Ought have mirrored this frustration in both of their releases on Constellation Records. On 2013’s More Than Any Other Day, the band boiled down this helpless feeling to a life where shopping for milk is a highlight in a world where we can only assure ourselves that “everything is okay” while always “sinking deeper.” It’s common for bands today to focus on the dystopian, apocalyptic downfall that lies ahead, yet Ought have remained focus on the mundane patterns of everyday existence that we have all passively agreed upon.

BDWPS Podcast #40

In this month’s podcast we focus on some of the best metal albums to come out in the past few months. You’ll hear new tracks from Chelsea Wolfe, Deafheaven, Myrkur, High On Fire, Windhand, and Locrian. I also discuss the documentary “Alive Inside” and contemplate the future of the Bob Dylan song tradition to finish off each episode. You can listen to the episode HERE or you can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher (search: BDWPS). Podomatic has also recently released an app that allows you to listen to the episodes that is worth checking out.

Tracklist:

Chelsea Wolfe “Carrion Flowers”
Deafheaven “Brought to the Water”
Myrkur “Jeg Er Guden, I Er Tjenerne”
High On Fire “The Falconist”
Windhand “Crypt Key”
Locrian “The Future of Death”
Ciroth Ungol “I’m Alive”
Candlemass “All Along the Watchtower”

The Replacements at 7th Street Entry in 1981

This past Thursday I rode my bike to downtown Minneapolis so that I could catch post-punk outfit Ought perform at the 7th Street Entry. Since moving to the Twin Cities a couple months ago, this would be my third show at the club that plays little brother to the more famous First Avenue, where Prince filmed “Purple Rain” and an incredible list of artists have performed.

Destroyer “Poison Season”

Destroyer

Poison Season

[Merge; 2015]

Rating: 8.5

As I stood in line waiting to get into the Destroyer show at Fine Line Music Café in downtown Minneapolis, a couple of women in front of me turned around and asked, “So who do you think Dan Bejar sounds more like: Bob Dylan or Leonard Cohen?” I hesitated to respond, jumping back and forth in my mind between the luminary songwriters. It’s probably a mix of both yet neither at all. As this episode revealed, it’s hard to define Dan Bejar’s work, a strange combination of a snarky stand-up comedian, mocking everything around him, and a poet, taking the nuances of life and revealing their frailty through insightful and distinctive metaphors.

My confusion continued an hour later as Destroyer and his six-man band came out. As smoke machines began masking the band and the stage, the guys standing in front of me began laughing maniacally, feeling they were in on Bejar’s apparent joke. No self-respecting artist would use the dated stage theatrics of a 20 dollar smoke machine unless it was for satirical purposes, right? Therein lies the uncertainty of Destroyer – is his music meant to be taken seriously or is it all one big joke that only the most skeptical of listeners are in on?