Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Ariel Pinks Haunted Graffiti craft lo-fi recordings full of intrigue -- and full of contradictions. The Los Angeles-based multi-instrumentalist Pink writes songs that are melodic, catchy, and familiar -- and in their own unorthodox way, recall the most immediate, accessible, straightforward FM pop/rock of the 70s and 80s. As a songwriter, Pink has a real sense of pop/rock craftsmanship, with influences ranging from David Bowie, John Lennon, the Bee Gees, Hall & Oates, and the Raspberries to Frank Zappa, Brian Eno, Roxy Music, and late-70s/early-80s new wave. However, his very muddy way of producing and his oddball sound effects make his project sound highly eccentric. Pink recorded his first Haunted Graffiti project, The Doldrums, in 1999 and 2000; that disc was followed by Vital Pink a few years later. At first, The Doldrums and Vital Pink were only CD-Rs that Pink burned on his home computer and circulated himself, but in 2004 Pink landed a record deal with Animal Collectives Paw Tracks label, making him the first artist on the imprint who didn’t belong to that group. In October 2004, the label reissued The Doldrums, adding the Vital Pink material as well. Likewise, Worn Copy, which was originally issued by Rhystop in 2003, was reissued by Paw Tracks in 2005. The following year was a busy one for Ariel Pink, with House Arrest -- a collaboration with another one of his projects, Ball Bearings Piñatas -- arriving at the beginning of 2006. That year, Pink also collaborated with Matt Fishbeck on the Holy Shit album Stranded at Two Harbors and contributed to the Latitude series with Pedestrian Pop Hits. In 2007, Pink released Scared Famous, a collection of 2002 recordings, on Human Ear Music. By 2008, Pink had solidified his backing band to multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Kenny Gilmore, drummer/vocalist/guitarist Jimi Hey, and guitarist Cole M. Greif-Neill; the bandmembers called themselves Haunted Graffiti and toured with Chairlift, the Vivian Girls, and Cryptacize. That year, Pink also released Unusual Animals, Vol. 3 with Half-Handed Cloud, a collaboration that was part of Asthmatic Kittys limited-edition series. The following year, Pink signed to 4AD, which released the single Round & Round early in 2010. Before Today arrived that summer, revealing a more polished sound than any of Pinks previous work. In 2011, Pink released the 16-minute song "Witchhunt Suite for WWIII," which was previously featured on 2007s tour-only album YAS DuDette, as a single to commemorate the tenth anniversary of 9/11. He also reteamed with R. Stevie Moore on the double album Ku Klux Glam, which appeared early in 2012. In August of that year, the third Haunted Graffiti album, Mature Themes, arrived, boasting a darker, more eclectic approach that spanned 60s bubblegum homages and a cover of Donnie and Joe Emersons 1979 soul-pop song "Baby." | ||
 | Album: 1 of 10 Title: House Arrest + Lover Boy Released: 2002 Tracks: 34 Duration: 2:15:31 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Hardcore Pops Are Fun (04:23) 2 Interesting Results (02:44) 3 West Coast Calamaties (04:00) 4 Flying Circles (03:56) 5 Gettin’ High in the Morning (06:44) 6 Helen (04:14) 7 Every Night I Die at Miyagis (03:57) 8 House Arrest (05:03) 9 Alisa (02:57) 10 The People I’m Not (06:03) 11 Almost Waiting (04:46) 12 Oceans of Weep (05:03) 13 Netherlands (09:12) 14 Higher and Higher (03:13) 1 Dont Talk to Strangers (03:04) 2 Didnt It Click? (03:20) 3 Credit (03:23) 4 One on One (03:09) 5 Shes My Girl (03:41) 6 Poultry Head (02:38) 7 Older Than Her Years (02:29) 8 So Glad (06:24) 9 Want Me (02:19) 10 Loverboy (01:46) 11 Jonathans Halo (04:00) 12 Hobbies Galore (03:58) 13 I Dont Need Enemies (Holy Shit! single 45) (03:24) 14 Lets Get Married Tonite (03:25) 15 Ghosts (03:40) 16 Phoebus Palast (06:57) 17 Blue Straws (02:28) 18 The Birds They Sing in You (01:32) 19 New Trumpets of Time (05:03) 20 Doggone (Shegone) (02:36) |
 | Album: 2 of 10 Title: House Arrest Released: 2002 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:06:15 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Hardcore Pops Are Fun (04:23) 2 Interesting Results (02:44) 3 West Coast Calamaties (04:00) 4 Flying Circles (03:56) 5 Gettin’ High in the Morning (06:44) 6 Helen (04:14) 7 Every Night I Die at Miyagis (03:57) 8 House Arrest (05:03) 9 Alisa (02:57) 10 The People I’m Not (06:03) 11 Almost Waiting (04:46) 12 Oceans of Weep (05:03) 13 Netherlands (09:12) 14 Higher and Higher (03:13) |
| House Arrest : Allmusic album Review : Originally released in 2002 as part of a split double-CD set, then re-released with a couple of bonus tracks (including the multipart epic "Netherlands") in 2006, House Arrest, much like every other Ariel Pink release so far, provides a small sampling of Ariel Rosenbergs self-recorded compositions, laid down on a trusty eight-track at home. Unlike so many warbling troubadours who seem to think the recorded-in-a-bedroom approach means a license to be maudlin, Rosenberg brings an exuberant joy to his work, finding something that a full band recording might actually kill the spirit of. The queasy tones and gently distanced verses of the opening "Hardcore Pops Are Fun" is instant put-a-smile-on-your-face stuff, helping to set the tone for the whole collection. The demented synth pop merriment of "Flying Circles" suggests an 80s nugget swathed in psychedelic haze, a gentle breeziness apparent on many other songs like the giddy "Every Night I Die at Miyagis" or the nervous funk of "Alisa," easily one of the best songs on the album thanks to some exquisite vocals in particular. Though his connection to personal hero R. Stevie Moore is often mentioned, Rosenbergs role model here often seems to be Andy Partridge instead -- check out the distinctly XTC-like hiccupping on "Gettin High in the Morning," not to mention the quick herky-jerk arrangements. Rosenbergs preference to add layers of echo on his voice means sometimes his lyrics only emerge in fits and starts, but when they do they often are wryly witty or amusingly theatrical -- it fits with the amusing rock pose on the back cover, a knowing embrace of a trope. So when he sings about how West Coast calamities are worth more than the East Coast variety or how hes one of those egomaniacs "who just want to siiiing," whos to deny how he plays around with the ideas? | ||
 | Album: 3 of 10 Title: Worn Copy Released: 2003 Tracks: 17 Duration: 1:15:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Trepanated Earth (10:51) 2 Immune to Emotion (02:37) 3 Jules Lost His Jewels (03:48) 4 Artifact (04:47) 5 Bloody! (Bagonia’s) (01:30) 6 Credit (03:23) 7 Life in L.A. (06:42) 8 The Drummer (04:52) 1 Cable Access Follies (02:11) 2 Creepshow (05:20) 3 One on One (03:06) 4 Oblivious Peninsula (04:18) 5 Somewhere in Europe / Hotpink! (04:25) 6 Thespian City (03:06) 7 Crybaby (03:23) 8 Foilly Foibles / GOLD (08:06) 9 Jagged Carnival Tours (03:11) |
| Worn Copy : Allmusic album Review : Reclusive Los Angeles-based songwriter Ariel Pink (Ariel Marcus Rosenberg) first began self-releasing his quirky lo-fi pop creations in the mid-90s. Though decidedly D.I.Y. and anti-careerist in his approach, indie fame for Pink was assured when he became the first non-Animal Collective member to sign to the groups Paw Tracks label. By 2005, Worn Copy, a 2003 Pink release for his Haunted Graffiti series, saw wider distribution from the label. Featuring Pinks bizarre, off-kilter ramblings over a warped, multi-tracked ensemble of guitar, bass, and keyboards, the album buries strange, often haunting FM-style pop under heaps of tape hiss and gritty, basement-level production. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 10 Title: The Doldrums Released: 2004-10-12 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:02:44 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Good Kids Make Bad Grown Ups (04:39) 2 Strange Fires (04:06) 3 Among Dreams (04:19) 4 For Kate I Wait (04:19) 5 Haunted Graffiti (03:50) 6 Gray Sunset (03:38) 7 The Doldrums (04:02) 8 Envelopes Another Day (05:08) 9 The Ballad of Bobby Pyn (10:58) 10 Dont Think Twice (Love) (02:05) 11 Until the Night Dies (03:43) 12 Crying (02:17) 13 Theme From Unreleased "Claris Gardens" (02:52) 14 Lets Build a Campfire There (04:09) 15 Young Pilot Astray (02:32) |
| The Doldrums : Allmusic album Review : Originally released as a CD-R, this acid-fried eight-track recording by this odd newcomer to Animal Collectives Paw Tracks label is one of the most wonderfully skewed takes on classic pop youre likely to hear. Tape warp and vintage hiss and hum are the outerwear, but some serious 70s radio songcraft dwells underneath. This is the stuff Bowie heard in his dreams when not being terrorized by Satan living in his swimming pool. So dang it if we dont have a lo-fi revival on our hands. But this new batch seems bound and determined to drag listeners back with writing so catchy and sounds so warm that its impossible to resist. Just pretend youre Steve Buscemis character in Ghost World, and Maxell cassettes are the new 78-rpm records. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 10 Title: Scared Famous Released: 2006 Tracks: 17 Duration: 1:03:37 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Gopacapulco (02:50) 2 Howling at the Moon (03:43) 3 Are You Gonna Look After My Boys? (02:21) 4 Beefbud (01:52) 5 Baby Comes Around (02:28) 6 Talking All the Time (02:31) 7 Politely Declined (03:19) 8 Scared Famous (05:09) 9 Why Cant I Be Me? (03:24) 10 Girl in a Tree (03:20) 11 The Kichen Club (05:31) 12 Passing the Petal 2 You (02:51) 13 Inmates of Heartache (03:31) 14 In a Tomb All Your Own (05:40) 15 Jesus Christ Came to Me in a Dream (07:10) 16 The List (My Favorite Song) (05:37) 17 An Appeal From Heaven (02:12) |
 | Album: 6 of 10 Title: Lover Boy Released: 2006-03-21 Tracks: 19 Duration: 1:06:23 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Dont Talk to Strangers (03:04) 2 Didnt It Click? (03:20) 3 Shes My Girl (03:41) 4 Poultry Head (02:38) 5 Older Than Her Years (02:29) 6 So Glad (06:24) 7 Want Me (02:19) 8 Loverboy (01:46) 9 Jonathans Halo (04:00) 10 Hobbies Galore (03:58) 11 I Dont Need Enemies (Holy Shit! single 45) (03:24) 12 Lets Get Married Tonite (03:25) 13 Ghosts (03:40) 14 Phoebus Palast (06:57) 15 Blue Straws (02:28) 16 The Birds They Sing in You (01:32) 17 New Trumpets of Time (05:03) 18 Doggone (Shegone) (02:36) 19 Angel (live on KXLU) (03:39) |
 | Album: 7 of 10 Title: Underground Released: 2007-11-06 Tracks: 15 Duration: 45:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Shaven (02:11) 2 Spires in the Snow (02:07) 3 Jack-Off (02:10) 4 Ghost Town (04:55) 5 Crash Crash on the Drummer (01:44) 6 Crusades (02:37) 7 Tractor Man (02:41) 8 Underground (03:11) 9 Bobbys on the Phone (02:43) 10 Auto Vanity (01:34) 11 Dont Turn Back (05:11) 12 Nana (04:54) 13 Damage Done (01:49) 14 Until the Night Dies (03:43) 15 Sensitive Man (03:48) |
 | Album: 8 of 10 Title: FF>> Released: 2010-06 Tracks: 19 Duration: 1:06:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Into / Where Does the Mind Go (04:14) 2 Twenty Two Eyes (01:53) 3 Are You Gonna Look After My Boys? (02:23) 4 Inmates of Heartache (02:54) 5 Make Room for Harry (04:28) 6 The List (My Favorite Song) (05:25) 7 My Molly (02:16) 8 Howling at the Moon (03:49) 9 Beefbud (01:57) 10 A Tomb All Your Own (07:24) 11 Victor (00:34) 12 The Kitchen Club (05:41) 13 The Lament of Edward Boggles (02:24) 14 Crying (02:21) 15 Talking All the Time (02:47) 16 Girl in a Tree (03:17) 17 Jesus Christ Came to Me in a Dream (05:31) 18 One More Time (04:38) 19 May the Music Never Die (02:55) |
 | Album: 9 of 10 Title: Before Today Released: 2010-06-07 Tracks: 12 Duration: 44:48 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Hot Body Rub (02:26) 2 Bright Lit Blue Skies (02:24) 3 L’estat (Acc. to the Widow’s Maid) (04:26) 4 Fright Night (Nevermore) (03:35) 5 Round and Round (05:08) 6 Beverly Kills (03:56) 7 Butt House Blondies (03:27) 8 Little Wig (05:46) 9 Can’t Hear My Eyes (03:19) 10 Reminiscences (02:33) 11 Menopause Man (04:00) 12 Revolution’s a Lie (03:40) |
| Before Today : Allmusic album Review : Ariel Pink calls Before Today his first album. Technically, that’s far from the truth -- he has more than a few collections of songs under his belt, but many of those albums, such as House Arrest, Lover Boy, and Scared Famous, came from a creative burst Pink had in the early 2000s and were issued and reissued well into the decade. During that time, he became the father of chillwave, an entire genre inspired by his mix of ‘70s and ‘80s AM pop touchstones and woozily nostalgic lo-fi production. However, Before Today does feel like a debut, or at least a fresh start; its Pinks most cohesive work yet -- relatively speaking, that is. While this is the first of his albums to sound like it was recorded in a proper studio, there’s still a film coating his music; Pinks surroundings are just polished enough to make Before Todays lush harmonies and synths sound like they’re on a cassette that’s been dubbed over only a few times and left in a glove box for a couple of years instead of a couple of decades. If anything, this higher fidelity just underscores how weird Pinks music is. He sings about getting a disease in a hot tub in the clammy, sleazy album opener, “Hot Body Rub,” grunting like a bad James Brown impersonator while saxophones drone. It’s also hard to imagine many others who would open a blue-eyed soul song with a car chase (“Beverly Kills”) or mix lysergic verses with pop-metal choruses and call it “Butt House Blondies”; the way Pink mixes and matches sounds with abandon and tops them with goofy, surreal lyrics suggests Ween as an influence, or hints that they’ve been under the same influences. Elsewhere, Pink works from a wider palette of genres to mash: the frothy instrumental “Reminiscences” is the world’s coolest and campiest elevator music, while “Revolution’s a Lie” closes the album with driving post-punk. And while songs like “L’Estat” are almost too dense and busy to keep up with, Pink’s pop finesse shines on his cover of the Rockin Ramrods “Bright Lit Blue Skies,” the equally breezy and creepy “Fright Night,” and the album’s single, “Round and Round,” which suggests Synchronicity-era Police. But even when the music calms down, he can’t resist some head-scratching wordplay, as on “Can’t Hear My Eyes” just-off-the-yacht soft rock, where Pink sighs, “I want a lady as beautiful as the sunset on a strip,” or on the gender-blurring “Menopause Man,” where he sings, “You’re trying too hard to be yourself.” He doesn’t have that problem on Before Today -- even with some of the smoke and mirrors removed, Ariel Pink is still a singular talent. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 10 Title: Mature Themes Released: 2012-08-20 Tracks: 13 Duration: 50:48 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Kinski Assassin (02:59) 2 Is This the Best Spot? (01:47) 3 Mature Themes (02:46) 4 Only In My Dreams (03:11) 5 Driftwood (04:21) 6 Early Birds of Babylon (05:15) 7 Schnitzel Boogie (04:35) 8 Symphony of the Nymph (04:35) 9 Pink Slime (02:10) 10 Farewell American Primitive (02:54) 11 Live It Up (04:03) 12 Nostradamus & Me (07:25) 13 Baby (04:47) |
| Mature Themes : Allmusic album Review : To anyone familiar with his music, its obvious that Ariel Pink is weird, but it bears repeating: Ariel Pink is really weird. Its also not a surprise that hes a (self-professed) "nympho" either, but he sheds more light on that throughout Mature Themes, which is both his most accomplished album and some of his most twistedly immature music. As on Before Today, the albums sound is just a shade clearer than what came before it, and his backing band Haunted Graffitis tight musicianship provides the perfect foil for Pinks stream-of-consciousness sprawl. But while Mature Themes conceptual glue makes it more cohesive than all of his previous work put together, glorious randomness abounds: not many artists would interrupt a song to order food at a drive-thru, as Pink does on the rhapsodic "Schnitzel Boogie," or write a song about being bros with a legendary seer, as he does on "Nostradamus and Me," one of his more ecstatically drifting pieces of chillwave. As always, Pinks lyrics are densely knotted with wordplay and innuendo; his fondness for sound effects approaches Spike Jones levels, and his fondness for dropping violent imagery into his songs makes them all the more jarring and surreal, as on "Is This the Best Spot," where G-spots and H-bombs go hand in hand. Yet all of this weirdness feels like it has more of a point on Mature Themes than it has on his previous albums: sex and love can be strange and complicated. "Pink Slime" takes on a whole new meaning in Pinks hands, and amidst its silliness, "Symphony of the Nymph" tackles gender roles and sexual stereotypes; despite the songs bragging, when Pink sings "Im just a rock n rolla from Beverly Hills!," theres more than a hint of strain in his voice. And even if a lot of the albums sexual imagery seems adolescent, Pink turns it on its head with the albums soft rock title track, which addresses the teenage ideal of a girl and boy in love (along with his wish to be taller). He goes deeper into that fantasy with the jingle-jangle single "Only in My Dreams," which is is sweetly creepy and full of bubblegum yearning like a vintage AM radio hit, and with the fantastic album closer "Baby," a cover of Donnie & Joe Emersons 1979 song (and 21st century mixtape favorite) that features Dam-Funk helping Pink complete the smooth loverman persona. Its one of the few times where Mature Themes is actually sexy as well as sexual, and the way Pink disappears into the song may be his biggest mind-f*ck yet. Even his surprises end up being perfectly Ariel Pink things to do in retrospect, and with this album, hes mastered being more superficially accessible yet ultimately more cryptic. Mature Themes just reveals more levels with more listening; as Pink himself sings on the psych oddity "Early Birds of Babylon," "hey, how does he do that?" | ||