Ty Segall’s Manipulator tops Rolling Stone’s picks for 2014
Rolling Stone
Metal guru Ty Segall plays nearly all the instruments, overdubbing himself into a shaggy-ass arena band.
Metal guru Ty Segall plays nearly all the instruments, overdubbing himself into a shaggy-ass arena band.
On Manipulator Segall proves he’s not out of ideas — in fact, on his strongest album to date, he shows that he’s just getting started.
With only two albums to his name, he’s already refined his signature guitar tone to a sound that is clean, lyrical, lush and gentle. DeMarco has matured quickly, and he doesn’t seem to care.
With only two albums to his name, he’s already refined his signature guitar tone to a sound that is clean, lyrical, lush and gentle. DeMarco has matured quickly, and he doesn’t seem to care.
Manipulator, Segall’s longest album yet at 56 minutes, represents a departure from that breakneck pace — it took him 14 months to complete — and the payoff is immeasurably satisfying, with an immersive, ‘70s psych-tinged mood that swells over the course of its 17 tracks.
California garage-glam rocker Segall capped a prolific, almost manic run with his best album.
Manipulator has that analog-machine-in-the-garage sound of his, and Segall’s still the master of T.Rex-meets-The-Stooges-meets-The-Archies. This time, instead of firing off three varied albums in one year, he’s pretty much combined all his interests and obsessions in one place.
Psych, glam, garage and beyond, Ty Segall continues to carve out his own twisted niche. Manipulator, a double lp, only furthers this. At 17 tracks the album spans the width and breadth of Segall’s expanding oeuvre, rounding out the best of his many guises. Unlike some of his contemporaries, maturation suits him.
Mac DeMarco’s woozy Salad Days is just the latest reason everyone should be listening to the charismatic Canadian. With Salad Days he has perfected his slacker-rock song crafting and we’ve got to know more of his sweetheart persona, making him pretty much irresistible.
Manipulator plugs back in, turns all his amps to eleven and returns with a vengeance.
Now he’s announced the release of the Mr. Face EP, a double 7″ that comes as a pair of the world’s first playable 3D glasses.
Featured Panache artists include Ty Segall, Jacco Gardner, La Luz, Meatbodies, Happyness, Twerps, and Death Valley Girls.
Four new tracks will be pressed upon ‘playable pair of 3D glasses’.
The six acts added fall into the rock and alternative genres. They include Bertie Blackman, Lanie Lane, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Daily Meds and the alternative jazz group Krakatau.
Ah, year-end lists. A time for reflection, competition and some good old fashioned favoritism.
Pepperoni Playboy is a psychedelic 34-minute doc that follows indie wildman Mac DeMarco as he hams it up on tour in China, shows off his home studio, and generally takes part in hijinks of all sorts.
The ever prolific Ty Segall has announced Mr. Face, a new EP that’s due January 13 via Famous Class. It’s being billed as “the world’s first playable pair of 3D glasses.”
Packaged with some funky artwork, the EP’s two 7″ records will also serve as the first-ever playable 3D glasses.
Salad Days wraps itself in warm shades of jangly psych pop that counterbalance the weight of DeMarco’s words, and he milks that quirky juxtaposition to great effect.
As his second full-length album, Mac DeMarco’s Salad Days brings the same nonchalance and chill vibes as his previous album, 2, but with added maturity and insightful lyrics on tracks like, “Passing Out Pieces” and “Go Easy.”
I’m in Your Mind Fuzz isn’t easily categorized. But as varied as King Gizzard are, they’ve established one surefire safe bet with each record: They implement their “more is more” approach for maximum impact. Their songs are dense, intricately crafted, and most importantly, powerful.