I sat down last night to write a brief and witty review of the newest album from The Thermals. My internet connection rebelled and I think that might have been a good thing. This album, Desperate Ground ( amazon ) ( itunes ), is great. It's really great. For the past week I have been using it quite heavily in my playlist at work. All day long I listen to albums. Back to back to back albums. Since Desperate Ground entered that list I have literally played it in direct rotation with all other albums. By that I mean I [...]
I had the luxury of seeing the Sigur Ros tour last summer when they played a magnificent set on the lake shore just outside of downtown Toronto (see picture above). With the skyline as their backdrop they played through almost two full hours of absolutely gorgeous music. If you like even one song from the band I highly recommend that you get out and see their current tour . You will not be disappointed. Speaking of their ongoing world tour - the band from Iceland is doing it in support of an upcoming all new album that [...]
The Strokes have unleashed a new album into the world and on first listen I can't really grasp what their vision for the album was. Their guitar/synth mashup style has now seemingly eschewed their wall of fuzz trademark and Julian's vocals are even more unintelligible than usual. On the opening track, Tap Out, it feels like the boys are gassed and are consciously trolling their fans, peers, and label. The song has the pep and bounce you would expect, but the formula is missing something. On previous efforts it felt as if The Strokes didn't care an ounce and yet [...]
With their latest album, Love ( buy on their site ) ( amazon ) ( itunes ), Cloud Cult continues to prove that some bands get better and better the longer they make music. I have tried to come up with a witty review for this album and I find myself returning over and over again to this simple phrase; Love is a perfect Cloud Cult album. On a track by track basis you can clearly hear their past musical styles shine through and ultimately blend together into what is essentially a "best of" album composed entirely of [...]
I have been following a musician named Zach Williams almost as long as I've been writing this blog. I first stumbled upon his music when his moniker was Zach Williams and The Ramparts. Those were the heady days of Myspace and random music links that led you farther and farther down the rabbit hole. I followed his career as he made the move to NYC and at one point we started to email back and forth occasionally. I recall vividly a time when he was playing a lot of local shows in the New York area and I [...]
This past year (well past by this point might I add) provided us with a slew of good to great music. There were new albums from Ben Gibbard, Muse, The Killers, and B.o.B. to name a few. They all made solid efforts in 2012, but they didn't quite crack the top ten albums. Below is my list, long overdue. 01: Of Monsters and Men - My Head is an Animal From the opening of the first track you can almost sense that this is a special effort. There is a quiet [...]
Sufjan Stevens has quite simply done it again. In 2007 he released a box set of Christmas (and winter, and seasonal, and etc.) songs that spanned multiple eras, references, and were all presented in the many various compositional styles preferred by Sufjan. This time around he has dropped another 58 tracks filled with more of the same. And more of the same is more of subtle genius we have come to expect from him. The full box set is broken into five separate parts that collectively form Silver and Gold ( bandcamp ) ( amazon ) ( itunes [...]
Sufjan Stevens has a new Christmas/Holiday album coming out this November. It is called Silver & Gold and will have a total of fifty eight songs. If you head over to his streaming page you can download the last track from the compilation for free in high quality digital format. Appropriately it's entitled Christmas Unicorn and it sprawls for a full 12+ minutes. I would expect nothing less from Sufjan at this point. Take a listen below and then head over to his page to preorder the digital version or the vinyl limited edition if you [...]
I attended a wedding a few weeks ago where I made a promise to write, once again, about one of the greatest bands that you've probably never listened to. This band is Cloud Cult and they don't get nearly the amount of attention, money, or acclaim that they deserve. Part of this general malaise most likely stems from the fact that they self publish their albums on Earthology Records which was founded by lead singer Craig Minowa in 1997. Although college radio stations and critics seem to find much to like about this group from Minneapolis more often than not [...]
If Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros teamed with Florence Welch and some of the boys from Mumford and Sons the outcome would probably sound a lot like My Head Is An Animal ( amazon ) ( itunes ). Of Monsters and Men combine a lot of currently en vogue folk and indie musical stylings on their debut full length album and every single track is worth listening to. They're an eclectic group that somehow sounds very familiar (see above referenced bands + Arcade Fire and even 902s Ska Revival). I would go so far as to argue [...]
Awhile back I played this song during a road trip in mixed company. In my opinion the song is an icon. Much to my chagrin no one else in the vehicle had ever heard it before. To add insult to injury none of my fellow travelers would admit to knowing who LCD Soundsystem was. Either society in general has failed or I have failed my friends. Complete and total failure. mp3 : LCD Soundsystem - All My Friends The song All My Friends hails from the second studio album from the band LCD [...]
It has been far too long since I last posted here. Long story short; I bought a house, moved, and had knee surgery in the past six weeks. Enough about me, time for the music. The latest album from Beach House, Bloom ( amazon ) ( itunes ), picks up where Teen Dream left off. Intoxicating, bordering on lackadaisical, lead vocals combine perfectly with well engineered melodies and hazy guitars and keyboards. Although nothing this time around quite reaches the height of their brilliant track 10 Mile Stereo, the album as a whole is very well [...]
If you have followed this blog over the past five years you have probably realized that I greatly enjoy the music created by Zach Williams. You can see a collection of my posts about him here . I remember that I randomly stumbled upon his music on myspace (yeah, remember that place?). There was something captivating and honest about his voice. Something earnest, honest, and at the risk of sounding cliche, something pure. He's gone through a lot in recent years. He's moved to New York. He left his old band, found a new one. And he [...]
Many of you have probably already listened to the latest album from Australian artist Gotye. If you haven't heard the entire album, Making Mirrors ( amazon ) ( itunes ), I encourage you to take a trip through each song. Gotye is at his best when he's creating new and unque sounds on tracks like Somebody That I Used To Know or Save Me. Elsewhere on the album there are tracks, like I Feel Better or In Your Light, that feel like they're paying homage to 802s guitar pop or 602s Motown. He apes those sounds [...]
This weekend I stumbled upon a great cover of the staple Such Great Heights. Their take on the classic song from The Postal Service is skewed heavily toward the ska genre and the opening thirty seconds are brilliantly rendered by their horn section. Honestly my only gripe is that the horns take such a back seat throughout the remainder of the song. Enjoy. mp3 : Streetlight Manifesto - Such Great Heights (The Postal Service Cover) You seriously need to listen to this track. At least the first thirty seconds or so. It's still [...]
On May 28th of this year one of my all time favorite bands will release their long awaited studio album. After basically dissolving, following their brilliant Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust ( amazon ) ( itunes ) in 2008, it seems the Iceland boys have finally come back together. Over on their website they are currently playing a song from the album which I assume is the second track from Valtari. If the rest of the album is anything like this song we can all look forward to another sparse, atmospheric, and quietly brilliant album from [...]
The latest album from Nate Ruess' latest effort, Some Nights ( amazon ) ( itunes ), is very easy to summarize. Just imagine if Freddie Mercury and Paul Simon had a baby that grew up in the eighties. Then that baby mined their collective database of melodies, drum beats, and creative pop songwriting. Oh, and at some point they became sublimely infatuated with musicals. That would sum up this album. mp3 : Fun - Some Nights mp3 : Fun - All Alright There are moments throughout the [...]
On their latest album, Animal Joy ( amazon ) ( itunes ), it can be easy to dismiss a full listen because if you're not paying attention it almost sounds like a satire of other bands. I don't mean that in a bad way, but the vocals tiptoe along a very very fine line between unique and so-distinct-they-must-be-doing -this-on-purpose-right? When you tread beyond that first impression you will be rewarded with a fantastic album from start to finish. At times a few tracks drag on (until put down down by the classic studio fade), but overall this album is [...]
And we're back! It's time for another installment of Best of the Remix. I have slowly been compiling remixes that are worth a listen over the last few months and below is my curated list. As always, enjoy the music. mp3 : Adele vs. Daft Punk - Something About The Fire (Carlos Serrano Mix) mp3 : Calvin Harris - Let's Go (Calvin Harris Remix) mp3 : Childish Gambino - Heartbeat (No Pets Allowed Remix) mp3 : David Guetta feat Usher - Without You (HOHME Bootleg [...]
First Aid Kit first splashed into my consciousness when they produced an excellent cover of a Fleet Foxes track last year. With their second album, The Lion's Roar ( amazon ) ( itunes ), they continue on in familiar territory. Combining a little bit of 502s vibe with modern folk harmonies they often come across as a cross between the O Brother Where Art Thou? soundtrack and Kings of Convenience. Both, admittedly, great things. mp3 : First Aid Kit - Emmylou mp3 : First Aid Kit - To a [...]
The World Forgot
Stream: Disclosure – When A Fire Starts To Burn
Boards of Canada :: Tomorrow's Harvest
Belly - "Now They'll Sleep"
You’ve GOT to Hear This: “Enemies”
