New Music Tuesday 7.24.12
This week is Shaped by Passion, is Gassy, and has Fangs. Lets dig in!
“Handwritten” by The Gaslight…
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New Music
New Music Tuesday 7.24.12
This week is Shaped by Passion, is Gassy, and has Fangs. Lets dig in!
Pure, unfiltered, rock and roll. The Gaslight Anthem prove their importance with each new release, and Handwritten is another fantastic piece of evidence. Somewhere in between the “Heart Of America” rock of Springsteen, the dirty punk of Social Distortion, and the polished sheen of Foo Fighters, Handwritten has something for everyone in its 11 tracks. Look no further than the thrilling opening track “45” (embedded below) to get a sense of how gripping this record can be. Other album highlights include the stunning title track, the rollicking “Desire”, and the album’s delicate acoustic closer “National Anthem”. The record’s title is more than just the name of a song, it’s also embodies the overall personal feeling of the album. This is not a record that was cobbled together by randoms in separate studios with computer magic, this is a personal mission statement by masters of their craft. The Gaslight Anthem is a band that loves old school Rock And Roll but they know how to package it for the YouTube generation. Grab it over at Amazon Mp3.
Fang Island makes super fun rock and roll. Their tunes are marked by excellent guitar work matched with bright, exuberant melodies. On Major, fans of the bands previous records will note the increase in vocals on every track, but everything that made their previous records so special is still there. Tracks “Never Understand” and the epic “Make Me” keep the thought provoking dance party going, while “Asunder” (below) effortlessly blends the progressive/art rock with a poppier vibe that should keep you smiling. I also loved the Bluegrass infused track “Dooney Rock”, a three and a half minute barn stomper that will have you clapping along. You can stream and download the whole album over at their Bandcamp page.
Planning a psychedelic-funk themed dance party? Well if you weren’t before you will be after hearing just a few tracks from Gossamer, the excellent new album from electropoppers Passion Pit. The album’s strength is its ability to blend the conventional and the weird, all while jumping genre’s faster than a “Now” compilation. The secret to being able to do whatever you want with a song lies in the artists ability to craft a solid melodic foundation, and that’s just what Passion Pit achieves here. The spectacular “Constant Conversations” is a spaced out soul jam, but at its core, its a wonderful R&B tune. As fantastic as it is with all the bells and whistles, you can imagine it would be just as effective as a John Legend style piano ballad (take a listen below and see if you agree with me). The same goes for the insane indie-art-pop of “I’ll Be Alright”, and the delightful lead single “Take A Walk”. Gossamer will receive a lot of deserved praise for its spot on production, but the tremendous songwriting is what will help the record stand the test of time.
I’ve stated on this site many times before how much I love artists who take risks and embrace a sound that may be left of center. Such a description seems built for a group like Micachu & The Shapes, an electro-art-rock group from the United Kingdom. The sound of the beautifully constructed Never can most nearly be described as the following: Think the kaleidoscopic pop of MGMT meets the big beats of Lady Gaga meets the performance art of Laurie Anderson meets whatever is going on inside Terry Gilliam‘s head. Never is not the kind of record you would put on to relax at the end of your day, or zone out to on a long drive. This album demands your full attention, and will take you on sonic field trip to places you might not have previously thought you’d want to go. My advice would be to grab your favorite headphones, close your eyes, and let Never do its thing. Pick it up at Amazon Mp3.
New Music Tuesday 7.17.12
This is a week for truly excellent new music!!!
“Songs of Patience” by Alberta Cross
This a week…
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New Music Tuesday 7.17.12
This is a week for truly excellent new music!!!
This a week for records to get lost in, and I’m certainly lost in Songs Of Patience. I’m happy that it was the last record I listened to for this post, because I have a feeling its one of those “Stuck In My CD Player For A Week” records. Right from the start of opener ‘Magnolia’ (embedded below) I was sucked into an alt-rock world of lush guitars and brit-rock influenced charm that never misses. Think Oasis meets Coldplay circa Viva La Vida meets The Secret Migration era Mercury Rev. The lyrics are effective, the music is beautiful, and the tracks just fit together as a whole. You can’t ask much more from a record, so go pick it up now.
Fuzzed out guitars and sugary sweet melodies make Hypnotic Nights one of my favorite records out this week. Once you hit play the record just takes you over, thanks in part to the stellar production work of Dan Auerbach. The steady stream of crunchy guitars envelop your ears so tightly, its almost jarring when they’re absent for a bit on album highlight ‘Wood Ox’, but jarring in a good way. Jeff The Brotherhood have found a way to stay true to their sound and craft a stellar record filled with power-pop jams that will have you humming and nodding along almost instantly. This is a truly fantastic record, one that should be added to your collection.
I came across this record on Bandcamp, and I fell in love instantly. This largely instrumental and acoustic record takes the listener through several moods during its thirteen track run. Multi-Instrumentalist Noah T lays a bed of acoustic guitar and bass on every tune, and his melodies and percussion are conveyed by various sources. Anything but conventional would be a good way to describe what happens from tune to tune, like the looped handclaps and percussive “dings” of the title track, or the rhythmically diverse ‘Phases’. Just give a listen to leadoff track ‘For You’ and try not to smile. Click one of the tracks below and see for yourself, then go pick the record up at Bandcamp!
I’m a sucker for bands that defy being labeled by bucking genre convention, and Baroness is certainly one of those bands. On Yellow and Green they employ influences of Metal, Misfits style broad Punk, and Prog-Rock sensibilities to craft a sound all their own. This is a record that could fit on your Warped Tour playlist or your Metallica megamix without feeling out of place. The story on this record is certainly the triumphant guitar work of Peter Adams and John Baizley, but I find myself just as captivated by Baizley’s hard edged yet warm and inviting vocals. check out the embedded track below to see what I mean. This is a double album, and though each disc has its own theme and sound, the two certainly fit together seamlessly, without ever feeling bloated or over the top. This is a rock lovers dream record, one you should grab today!
Fans of the band The Academy Is… already know how strong of a songwriter/vocalist William Beckett is, but he should be getting some new attention with the release of Winds Will Change, his second EP this year. The strong lead single “Great Night” (below) has an anthemic chorus much in the same vein of Fun.’s “We Are Young”. The pop-punk-funk of “Warriors” is another of the EP’s highlights, and its hooks are the kind of danceable fun that will please longtime fans. At a quick four tracks, “Winds Will Change” is a delightful listen that demands to be heard.
Listen To The New Green Day Single “Oh Love”
Check out the new Single by Green Day over here: “Oh Love”
Green Day will be releasing three new albums in the next few months, and this is our first taste. To me, it sounds very much in the same vein as 21st Century Breakdown, big, Broadway style punk rock. I’ve loved their last few records, so I’m really looking forward to all the new music. Check out the artwork and album titles with their release dates below:
An Indie State Of Mind…
Here are some indie bands that I’m absolutely loving right now! Give them a look:
GOLD MOTEL
Fronted by the golden voiced Greta Morgan (The Hush Sound), Gold Motel is the kind of band you…
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An Indie State Of Mind…
Here are some indie bands that I’m absolutely loving right now! Give them a look:
GOLD MOTEL
Fronted by the golden voiced Greta Morgan (The Hush Sound), Gold Motel is the kind of band you can fall in love with instantly. Their brand of iPod friendly head boppers make for perfect summer playlists. They just released a new self-titled record that you can read more about here, but the music in the video above should speak for itself. Older tunes are available on the groups Bandcamp page, and their new record is over at Amazon MP3,.
STRAWBERRY GIRLS
I was introduced to these guys by a friend of mine, and from the first listen to their EP Italian Ghosts I was hooked. Their music gives me that exciting spark of “Where has this band been all my life?” that keeps us new music seekers forever on the hunt. Elements of progressive rock, funk, jazz, and hard rock are fused together so effortlessly, you’ll forget just how improbable these riffs and tempo changes are to pull off. The best example of their stylistic brilliance can be found in the video below, where the band covers Carly Rae Jepsen‘s omnipresent “Call Me Maybe” and turns it into a Prog-Rock powerhouse. Even if you’re so sick of that song that the last sentence made you queasy, trust me on this one and give it a listen. Also embedded above is the Italian Ghosts EP from the bands’ Bandcamp page.
THE SINISTER TURNS
This is a band that knows how to craft smart, effective, piano driven power pop that hits every time. Their records are packed full of intelligent and thought provoking lyrics, hypnotic rhythms, and tremendous guitar riffs that remind the listener that The Sinister Turns can rock you as well as move you. My personal favorite tracks are embedded above, but you can’t go wrong with any of the bands work. Pick up their stuff at Bandcamp, and if you live in Massachusetts check them out live. For tour dates and other info, hit up their Facebook.
CLARE & THE REASONS
I missed this group’s new record in my last New Music Tuesday post, so I’m making up for it here. Kr-51 is packed end to end with left of center “indie” pop that will keep you guessing as well as entertained. There is more happening in each cut then a first listen would have you believe. Their songs may sound straight forward at first, but each tune includes intriguing twists or unpredictable layers that will have you hearing something new with each listen. True “indie” music is all about the freedom to explore and execute an artistic vision to its fullest, and that exactly what you get with Kr-51. You can pick up the record at Amazon or with the rest of the bands fine work at their site’s record store.
CHAIRLIFT
Chairlift’s Something is a fantastically varied and well produced record. The above track “I Belong In Your Arms” just makes me happy. The bands sound goes back and forth between electro and more baroque styled tunes, a shift that may sound jarring on paper, but is expertly displayed on tracks like “Frigid Spring” and “Wrong Opinion”. I really love this record, and you should pick it up if you haven’t already. The bands website has links to digital and physical retailers, so whatever your preference is, Something should be added to your collection immediately.
New Music Tuesday 7.10.12
What a week for new tunes! Some of my most anticipated releases of the summer came out today, so lets get started!
My favorite thing about each new Dirty Projectors album is that first listen. Songs jump and twist in ways you didn’t see coming, and you never know what to expect next. Frontman Dave Longstreth and company take you on an aural roller coaster ride with each new release, and Swing Lo Magellan delivers on all fronts. Elements of folk, “indie”, glam, electronica, and pop are all married together track after track in a beautiful dissonance. Animated drum loops propel playful rhythms that enhance a gentle bed of largely acoustic guitars from track to track. While never brash in tone, a casual listen may prove challenging because album tracks such as “Offspring Are Blank” and “About To Die” take unpredictable turns through varied genre conventions. The songs never feel forced or different for the sake of being different, which can happen in the hands of lesser composers. Instead, what you will get for your dollar is an extremely well arranged record that rewards with each listen. Right now, Amazon has “Swing Lo Magellan” for $3.99, as well as great discounts on the rest of the bands albums.
I have to admit, I have a huge soft spot for The Early November. They are one of my favorite bands to come out of the emo/pop-punk explosion of early to mid 2000s. While a lot of those bands focused on playing harder and louder with each release, TEN always let their melodies stand for themselves, even if that meant leaving a track acoustic or taking care to create a record as a whole rather than just a collection of 3 minute songs. After a period of hiatus, In Currents finds the band at a creative height. “Frayed In Doubt”, “Tell Me Why”, and “Guilt & Swell” are as hard edged as any of the bands previous shout-laced rockers, and “A Stain On The Carpet” and “Digital Age” showcase the band’s softer side. Though filled with individual gems, the album’s biggest strength is how all the parts come together and create a truly effective full length record, one that you should definitely hear for yourself.
Music fans who turn their noses up at hip hop have obviously never heard of Aesop Rock. Not only can he rap better than most, his production skills rank him among the top producers across all genres. While every track on Skelethon boasts his trademark rhyming, each presents its own individual world of influences. Echoes of funk, electronica, “indie” and hard rock punctuate Aesop’s beats so effectively, the record is just as strong without vocals, even taking on a slightly different personality. That being said, Aesop’s poetry over tracks like “Ruby ’81” “Crows 1” and “Zero Dark Thirty” makes Skelethon an intricately layered, genre bending gem. The album is available through Amazon MP3 here, as well as the instrumental version.
I’m not quite sure when synthesizers and drum machines became cool again in the world of indie rock, but if we keep getting records like Confess, I won’t ask anymore questions. Equally influenced by Howie Day style breathy pop, Sting influenced story telling rock, and the darkness laced bright tone of Depeche Mode, Twin Shadow presents a record full of tunes that have a smile buried deep behind the sadness. This constant juxtaposition is all over the record, especially tracks “Beg For The Night” and closer “Be Mine Tonight”. Danceable beats back calm, dark synths so effectively that the listener won’t know whether to dance or relax the night away. That may sound like a criticism, but after listening to Confess, you’ll know I mean it as a compliment to this warm and well structured album.
Even if you weren’t a big fan of System Of A Down, I’m willing to bet the solo work of lead singer Serj Tankian has something for you. Harakiri opens strong with the punishing crunch of “Cornucopia” and “Figure It Out” kick things off with a bang. Tankian has proven himself to be a strong lyricist as well as tremendous vocalist, as evidenced on the track “Uneducated Democracy” where he writes: ‘Without an education there is no real democracy/ Without an education there is only hypocrisy”. Not everything is as political in nature, but each track burns with the clear passion Tankian has for his craft. This is the first of four solo albums we will see from him this year, and her certainly whets the appetite for more with this record. Along with most of this weeks new releases, Amazon MP3 is selling Harakiri for $3.99 right now.
Other releases to check out this week:
:
Top Albums Of 2012 For $0.99!!
Right now at AmazonMP3 you can get 20 records from this year for Ninety-Nine cents each!! There are some great albums in this deal! The deal lasts until Midnight tonight Pacific Time (3am Eastern) so go grab ’em now!!!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=tsm_1_tw_s_dm_m6kl7u?docId=1000811501
So Andyway..... 