New Music Tuesday 6.26.12

by soandywayJune 27, 2012

This is a great week for major label and indie releases! Here are my picks:

Sunny guitars, playful rhythms, and dreamy pop make up this joy of an album. The nostalgic clean riffs echo a simpler time, when music could simply be enjoyed for what it is without all the over-analyzing and deconstruction of today’s jaded listener/reviewer. Oshin glides along each of its thirteen tracks at a relatively even pace, picking up steam as it goes. The album is a highlight as a whole, but the album’s closing third contains the stand out tracks “Oshin (Subsume)” and “Doused”, a one-two punch that breaks the mood a little and helps bring the record home. DIIV have crafted a fine debut record, and it can be purchased here.

The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends by The Flaming Lips

What is there left to say about The Flaming Lips? Titans of psychedelic laced folk influenced genre bending rock, they never seem to disappoint when it comes to a new set, and The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends is no exception. The big story for this former Record Store Day exclusive is its list of likely and somewhat unlikely collaborators. Names like Bon Iver, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes, Nick Cave, Jim James (My Morning Jacket) will get fans excited, and rightfully so. Those tracks are fantastic, but for the fans who revel in the Lips’ ability to mix things up and make the abnormal seem normal, check out “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” which features Erykah Badu, and the kickstarting beat thumping opening track “2012 (You Must Be Upgraded)” which boasts spirited performances by Biz Markie and Ke$ha. All in all, The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends is a fantastic sonic journey that will take you all over the map. Check it out here.

I happened upon this record when looking into today’s new releases, and I’m definitely happy I stumbled upon it. Echo Lake’s brand of breathy, ethereal shoegaze makes for a delightful record. The band combines the usual genre trappings with the reverbed 60’s throwback vocals akin to artists like Best Coast. Wild Peace is an apt title, as most of its tracks have a bright, relaxing tone. Every now and then the vibe is shaken up, as on the brash-in-a-good-way “Young Silence”. If you plan to chill out and tan on the beach or your friend’s backyard this summer, Wild Peace would be a great record to augment that mellow experience. Pick it up from Amazon and check out their other releases on bandcamp.

I have a lot of respect for Linkin Park. Despite constant pigeonholing by reviewers and fans alike, the band continues to push boundaries and reinvent themselves with each new record. Living Things finds the band channeling every influence they’ve picked up along the way and focusing them into one 37 minute powerhouse. Tracks like “Vitctimized” and “Burn It Down” may tread familiar territory, but thanks to the electric co-production of Mike Shinoda and Rick Rubin, they never feel forced or stale. People often mistake maturation in songwriting for ‘playing it safe”, and Living Things is anything but a safe record. See for yourself by checking it out on Amazon MP3.

New Music Tuesday 6.19.12

by soandywayJune 19, 2012

There’s a lot to love in this Tuesday’s new releases, but I have to say that my personal favorites are the following:

I referenced The Flower Kings in my last post, and this week sees the release of their new record “Banks Of Eden”. If the term ‘Progressive Rock’ piques your curiosity/interest, you should definitely check out this new set from the Swedish group. I have been anticipating this disc for a while, and its everything I had hoped. Soaring guitars, thundering rhythms, and triumphant melodies. Give the tunes a preview here at amazon MP3.

If you don’t know the name Glen Hansard, it’s time for you to get on board. Hansard is a founding member of The Frames and The Swell Season, the latter of which should ring a bell as the creative force behind the musical Oscar nominated film ‘Once’. He has long been synonymous for producing the kind of at times heavy emotional folk influenced singer-songwriter gems in the vein of contemporaries Bon Iver and Damien Rice. Hansard has a sound all his own, and he is sure to please longtime enthusiasts with Rhythm and Repose. Previews available here.

Walk The Moon is currently getting a lot of well deserved buzz on the indie scene. This is a band with all the trappings of a hipster friendly crossover smash. Big synths dance to the big beats on the discs rock infused indie pop styled eleven tracks. If you’d love to hear a collaboration between MGMT and Fun., this is the closest you’ll get at this point. If tracks like “Anna Sun”, “Tightrope” and “Quesadilla” don’t make your summer BBQ soundtrack mix, you’re missing out. The record is a ton of fun and can be previewed here.

You Should Check Out Punch Brothers!

by soandywayFebruary 24, 2012

Punch Brothers:

I love getting into a new artist, especially when they play music that’s typically outside of my comfort zone. I’m open to all types of music, but if you asked me a year ago I certainly wouldn’t have said that I was a Bluegrass fan. That was before I found Punch Brothers. I didn’t know I was looking for a new favorite band when I heard their cover of Radiohead’s “Packt Like Sardines in a Crushd Tin Box” (from the deluxe edition of their sophomore record, Antifogmatic), but that’s what I got. Their style is commonly referred to as “Progressive Bluegrass”, and the easiest explanation of that would be that their tunes contain common Bluegrass instruments and vocal stylings, but their song structures are much closer to Progressive Rock. Look no further than the four part 42+ minute suite “The Blind Leaving The Blind” on their debut record Punch for such proof. Their arrangements have shades of Classical, Jazz, Rock, and Bluegrass melded together with meticulous care. Such a combination could lead to a raucous acoustic cacophony in less capable hands, but Punch Brothers have proved after three records, that they are truly adept craftsman. Their latest disc, this years Who’s Feeling Young Now? fits perfectly with their catalog, but also finds the band embracing Popier pursuits, such as on the track “This Girl”. Also, for the Radiohead fans out there that were intrigued by the cover mentioned earlier, give a listen to their version of “Kid A” that solidifies WFYN?’s second half. Check them out and let me know what you think!

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