Records

New Music Tuesday 8.28.12

by soandyway
"Infinity Overhead" by Minus The Bear
“Infinity Overhead” by Minus The Bear

Infinity Overhead is the kind of record that makes me so excited about music. There are so many influences at play here that combine to make an extremely poppy and incredibly exciting progressive/math rock record that will play on repeat in my headphones for a long time. Minus The Bear have been a favorite of mine for several years, and with each new record the band has slightly altered their sound to craft something new for their fans. This record packs in all those influences, and the resulting package will please fans of every era. The Hall and Oates influence of their last record Omni is definitely on display here (‘Lies and Eyes’), and the post-hardcore progressive rock (Steel and Blood [below], Diamond Lightning) fans have loved since day one gives this record its core. I can’t say enough about how good this record. You really need to check it out for yourself. You should always listen to albums as a whole, but if you can give this one the time it deserves, I promise you that you will enjoy yourself. Pick it up over at Amazon MP3.

"A Thing Called Divine Fits" by Divine Fits
“A Thing Called Divine Fits” by Divine Fits

When musicians who are passionate about their craft come together, the result is always worth a listen. That was my attitude going into A Thing Called Divine Fits, the album by indie supergroup Divine Fits. Britt Daniel (Spoon), Sam Brown (New Bomb Turks), and Dan Boeckner (Wolf Parade, Handsome Furs) have created an album that is as fun as it is unique. Each members style is present on the record, but together they find a nice balance of danceable, indie rock. Opener ‘My Love Is Real’ (Below) gets things going with a darkly sweet groove. The track bobs and jumps along a fuzzed out, brooding rhythm that is contrasted by an ethereal synth riff that will be in your head all day. The bright bounce of the expertly layered ‘The Salton Sea’ is exactly the kind of exciting track I would expect from this collaboration. The tune is bright with a darker undertone, and it never seems to go in the direction you think. This will be on many people year end lists, and more than likely on mine. Grab it at AmazonMP3.

"Violent Waves" by Circa Survive
“Violent Waves” by Circa Survive

Circa Survive have earned their place among many in prog and/or post-hardcore communities as one of the top acts making records today, and with one listen to Violent Waves you might join them. Dynamic, sprawling, and always rocking, this is a record that demands your attention. The big moments seem bigger than anything they’ve done heretofore, and the quieter moments are anything but killing time between the rocking. The seven minute opener ‘Birth Of The Economic Hitman’ kick-starts the album and sets the bar high. What follows does not dissapoint, especially the savage screams in ‘Sharp Practice’ and the propulsive rhythms of ‘Suitcase’. By the time the album’s second epic ‘I’ll Find A Way’ glides the album to its gentle close you’ll be more than satisfied with the price of admission. Circa Survive seem to improve the sound and scope of their ambition with each new album, and Violent Waves is a fantastic addition to their already seminal cannon. Grab it for yourself at Amazon.

New Music Tuesday 8.21.12

by soandyway

This weeks albums are a bunch of Heavy Yeasayer’s having a Bloc Party, and you’re invited!

"The Glorious Dead" by The Heavy
“The Glorious Dead” by The Heavy

I fell in love with this record. The Glorious Dead is a powerful, exciting force of an album. The Heavy have taken all the best elements of rock, blues, and early Motown R&B and created a truly epic sound. Heavy, fuzzy riffs and thundering percussion are met with exhilarating String, Horn, and Choral arrangements that augment each track without feeling forced. This is a record that was meant to spin on a turntable in between your Otis Redding/Sam Cooke records as well as your Black Keys and Band Of Skulls. Big tracks like ‘What Makes A Good Man’ (below) and ‘Don’t Say Nothing’ pop and wail, while the haunting ‘The Lonesome Road’ simmers along at a slower, more measured pace. This album doesn’t have a dull moment. Every tune is worth getting lost in, so I recommend grabbing your best set of headphones and letting The Glorious Dead take you away. Easily my favorite album out this week, this is also a strong contender for my top albums of the year. Pick it up at Amazon now for just $6.99!

"Four" by Bloc Party
“Four” by Bloc Party

Bloc Party roar back onto the scene with their new album Four, but longtime fans might have a problem with which specific scene they chose. At its core, Four is more ‘Rock’ than any album the band has done before, almost comepletely forsaking the hipster-iffic dance parties that took place on earlier records. What takes its place is a sound that has more in common with dirty blues and harder edged 1990’s style rock than the groups earlier Franz Ferdinand or early Killers albums leanings. The result will be jarring for some, but if you can get past any pre-conception, what you will find is quite rewarding. Tracks like ‘Octopus’ (below) and ‘V.A.L.I.S’ have the band’s trademark lightning fast precision riffs and beats overlaying fun, hypnotic grooves, but tracks like So He Begins To Lie’ and ‘Kettling’ will make you reminisce about every Cobain influenced band most of us worshiped in high school. When it comes down to it, Bloc Party have shown their versatility with Four. No matter the wrapping, their brand of rock and roll will always be the gift that keeps on giving. Grab it now over at Amazon MP3

"Fragrant World" by Yeasayer
“Fragrant World” by Yeasayer

As a fan of picking out bands influences, I loved listening to Yeasayer‘s Fragrant World. Yeasayer is rightfully lumped into the Electronic genre, but their songs owe a debt to the worlds of pop, funk, folk, and psychedelia as well as more worldly African beats and Middle Eastern arrangements. Much of Fragrant World doesn’t stray from a mid-tempo bounce, but rather than get caught in a straight forward lulling monotony, the group chooses to create unique and engrossing soundscapes on each of the album’s eleven tracks. The fantastic vocal effects on ‘Longevity’ (below) give the tune a robotic Prince effect before giving way to swirling synths and strings. Other tracks like ‘Devil And The Deed’ and ‘No Bones’ echo paths forged by the likes of Depeche Mode, but their fresh production and looped backing tracks keep the tunes from feeling stale or rehashed. The inclusion of the Dub influenced ‘Henrietta’ gives the record that multi-genre balance that Yeasayer’s contemporaries fail to accomplish when culling together a full length. Fragrant World finds the group in a class all their own, high above what you may perceive as today’s Electronica. Join the fun by grabbing the album over at Amazon.

by soandyway

New Music Tuesday 8.14.12

This week’s Story of Light will have your Neurons firing in the Southern Air! Let’s jump in!

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New Music Tuesday 8.14.12

by soandyway

This week’s Story of Light will have your Neurons firing in the Southern Air! Let’s jump in!

"The Story of Light" by Steve Vai
“The Story of Light” by Steve Vai

If you Google Steve Vai, the one word you will see over and over in the articles and blog results is the word Virtuoso. Vai is considered by many to be one of the greatest living guitarists, and during his long career he has managed to always stay relevant while continuing to challenge himself. He has fans in the worlds of Metal, Prog, and just about any sub-classification of Hard Rock you can imagine. With The Story Of Light, Vai combines his unparalleled skills in those worlds with a softer, more spiritual side. Look to his renditions of the traditional “John The Revelator” and “Mullach A’tSi” for proof. The latter of the two is a gentle, acoustic tinged delight, and the former is full on gospel/blues explosion that features samples of Blind Willie Johnson’s version from the 1930’s. If that pairing sounds like a stretch, how about “No More Amsterdam”, Vai’s duet with singer/songwriter Aimee Mann. The result is a very effecting reflective tune, one that fits perfectly on this record. Other tracks of note are the hard edged funk of “Velorum”, the metal pulse of “Gravity Storm” (below), and the prog-rock perfection of “The Moon And I”. The Story Of Light is a fantastic, compelling epic that is a must add to any rock fans collection. Pick it up at Amazon today.

"Southern Air" by Yellowcard
“Southern Air” by Yellowcard

Yellowcard have put out album after album of well produced, thoughtful pop-punk influenced rock with larger than life choruses and big hooks. After taking a short hiatus, the band emerged last year with a refocused energy that slightly altered and matured their sound. That trend continues on Southern Air, a ten tracked tightly packed record filled with sharp guitars, pounding rhythms, and fantastic use of their softer side (strings, piano, etc). Vocalist/Guitarist Ryan Key shines on this record with some of his best vocal performances to date on opener “Awakening” (below) and the dynamic “Telescope” which contains the lines “Let’s just keep driving on/All the stars jumping in through the windows/Let’s go where we belong/Headed fast as we can for the unknown“. By the time you reach the title track album closer, you’ll be rocked, rolled, and refreshed by the Southern Air. Pick it up at Amazon MP3.

"Neuron" by Duo (Julia Egan & Kirk Pearson)
“Neuron” by Duo (Julia Egan & Kirk Pearson)

This album was released a few weeks ago, but I only just discovered it when looking for this weeks releases. I’m including it here because I was struck by this record, and I think it needs to be shared. Duo is comprised of musicians Julia Egan and Kirk Pearson. Their partnership and album is best described on the album’s Bandcamp page as follows: “They met in their junior year at New York’s LaGuardia School for Music and Art. Over the course of 400 days, Egan and Pearson wrote and recorded an album about insomnia, affection and neuroscience. This is said album.” Duo incorporates electronic, indie folk, and classical influences into Neuron, and the result is an eclectic record that surprises with each listen. I’ve embedded the record so you can give it a spin. I recommend the tracks “Travel On”, “Kai Sen Manuscripts”, and “Julia’s Brains”. If you like it, click over to Bandcamp where you can name your price to download it!

New Music Tuesday 8.7.12

by soandyway

This weeks releases are Funky, Imperfect, and Superpowered. Shall we?

"Perfectly Imperfect" by Elle Varner
“Perfectly Imperfect” by Elle Varner

Its been a good couple of weeks for the ladies of soul. Elle Varner‘s debut full length record is a wonderful mixture of old school R&B with today’s pop stylings and production values. Varner’s soulful voice gives each tune heart and pathos, even when she’s singing about less than emotional matters on the ‘What did I do last night?‘ anthem “Oh What A Night”. The track could have been a novelty throw away tune to bad out the record, but instead it remains just as compelling as album highlights “Only Wanna Give It To You”, “Refill” (shown below), and the sultry, funky “Sound Proof Room”. Perfectly Imperfect resonates with all the hooks and beats to light up today’s Hip-Hop charts, but its minimalist production hearkens back to a mix of 70’s funk and early to mid 90’s R&B. With so many influences in the mix, you really need to check this album out.

"Funky Was The State of Affairs" by Fergus & Geronimo
“Funky Was The State of Affairs” by Fergus & Geronimo

There is certainly no better title to this record than Funky Was The State of Affairs. Fergus & Geronimo take a lot of chances on this album, and I am all for it. A mixture of music and spoken word, this seemingly crowded sixteen track disc may look intimidating in your Spotify window, but the whole piece clocks in around thirty-two minutes. Fake accents and absurdest whimsy can distract the casual listener from the crunchy riffs and solid bass lines that make up the Ramones style post-punk attitude of the music. Think Pixies meets a Portlandia influenced sensibility. I took a chance on this record this week, and you should too.

"Superpowers" by The Polish Ambassador
“Superpowers” by The Polish Ambassador

Most people have such a love/hate relationship with Dubstep that I’m sure you just had a reaction to me mentioning it right now. Whatever your preconceived notion, if you love any kind of electronic music you need to check out The Polish Ambassador, the brainchild of David Sugalski. On his latest release, the EP Superpowers, Sugalski uses samples, synths, and big beats to create laid back grooves and melodic playscapes. Your first reaction to hearing this EP may be that the music seems very Sci-Fi inspired, but if that isn’t your cup of tea don’t let that description deter you. Sugalski’s ability to take that world and mesh it with today’s David Guetta style production is tremendous. Check out the Sci-Funk (thats how genre’s are born) for yourself on “Flesh Prayers” embedded below, then head over to The Polish Ambassador’s website. There you will find not only a free download of this magnificent EP of spaceman baby making gems, but also a free download of everything The Polish Ambassador has ever done. That’s seven albums and 30 remixes of songs by everyone from Bon Iver and Local Natives to George Michael and Next for FREE.

by soandyway

It’s #NewMusicTuesday! Check out my favorites over at https://soandyway.com/ #NewMusic #NewAlbums #NewReleases #Albums #Music #Records #AnchorAndBraille #TheQuietLife #Indie #Electronic #Rock (Taken with Instagram)

by soandyway

It’s #NewMusicTuesday! Check out my favorites over at https://soandyway.com/ #NewMusic #NewAlbums #NewReleases #Albums #Music #Records #JossStone #TheSoulSessionsVolume2 #Pop #Blues #Funk #RAndB (Taken with Instagram)

by soandyway

It’s #NewMusicTuesday! Check out my favorites over at https://soandyway.com/ #NewMusic #NewAlbums #NewReleases #Albums #Music #Records (Taken with Instagram)

New Music Tuesday 7.24.12

by soandyway

This week is Shaped by Passion, is Gassy, and has Fangs. Lets dig in!

"Handwritten" by The Gaslight Anthem
“Handwritten” by The Gaslight Anthem

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.

"Major" by Fang Island
“Major” by Fang Island

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.

"Gossamer" by Passion Pit
“Gossamer” by Passion Pit

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.

"Never" by Micachu & The Shapes
“Never” by Micachu & The Shapes

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.

An Indie State Of Mind…

by soandyway

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.