Two Good, No Bad + Weekend Shows

I have been listening to the new Fuck Buttons album, Street Horrrsing, on repeat for the last two days. The droning, electronic sounds have completely hypnotized me and I no longer understand why I need pop melodies to get me through my day. It seems pointless to have a couple of humans singing in key together, when we can have electronic sounds rising and falling and creating the same sort of emotion, just in a different medium.

Consisting of only 6-songs some would label Street Horrrsing an EP, but those people would be fools who only look at the back of an album and then move on. Only one of the songs on this album is under 7-minutes long, pushing the album towards the hour long mark and certainly giving it the LP label. The songs themselves are impressive examples of how to use electronic sounds in songs. For the first three minutes of the opening track, "Sweet Love for Planet Earth", Fuck Buttons allow the music to build before hitting a grand plateau that last for the duration of the song. It's an epic climb, but once we get to the top we realize that there is an expansive amount of ground to cover there as well.

I could liken this to some other acts, but in doing so I would either put down Fuck Buttons or the other artists for the slight flaws. I have no desire to do that, so I will tell you that Street Horrrsing is a brilliant, ambient, electronic album that has no peers whatsoever. How you like dem apples?
Fuck Buttons - "Ribs Out"

To be fair to Aster, they have a tough task ahead of them following up Fuck Buttons in this post. I've really been head over heel for Fuck Buttons, and I'm just in like with Aster. Remember the old saying, "Never leave the one you love for the one you like." It's a truism, you shouldn't do it, and so I'm still listening to Fuck Buttons even as I'm typing this.

I have gotten a listen or two in on Aster though, so that should more then qualify me to tell you that their music is pop goodness. It's like what The Postal Service would sound like if they relied more on the work of a band rather then electronics. I like it, though not as much as I love Fuck Buttons.

I'm sorry Aster, I know this wasn't the type of review you were looking for, but it's all I got in me right now. Please don't send people to whack me for this, I will do better next time around. For now let's let some of their songs speak for themselves. Enjoy.
Aster - "The Great Escape"
Aster - "The Solitary Life"
Aster - "Attempting to Multiply"
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Friday January 25th:
Cool Kids @ Museum of Natural History [info][mp3]
Nicole Atkins & the Sea @ Bowery Ballroom [tix][mp3]
Neurosis + Mastodon @ Brooklyn Masonic Temple [tix][mp3][mp3]
Tyvek @ Cake Shop [info][mp3]
Super Furry Animals + Holy Fuck @ Music Hall of Williamsburg [tix][mp3]

Saturday January 26th:
Chromeo + Kid Sister @ Bowery Ballroom [tix][mp3]
Ladybug Transistor @ Knitting Factory [tix][mp3]
The Giraffes @ Mercury Loune [info][mp3]
Get Him Eat Him + Mahjongg @ Southpaw [tix][mp3]
DJ Shadow @ Irving Plaza [tix][mp3]
The Bon Savants @ Union Hall [tix][mp3]
Cornelius @ Webster Hall [tix][mp3]

Sunday January 27th:
DJ Shadow @ Irving Plaza [tix]
Laura Veirs @ Union Hall [tix][mp3]