1. Cass McCombs - Wit's End / Humor Risk The Lonely Doll Mystery Mail 2. Wooden Shjips - West [...]
1. Cass McCombs - Wit's End / Humor Risk The Lonely Doll Mystery Mail 2. Wooden Shjips - West [...]
I must say, I've taken quite shining to Girls. (Insert joke here) Not that there was anything wrong about their debut Album , but things really started clicking for me with last year's EP Broken Dreams Club . With the new release, it all sounds bigger with epic jams and bottomless heartbreak. The band deftly channels The Beach Boys and Floyd, among others, yet manages to never let such monster influences overwhelm their own unique take on things. Honey Bunny [...]
Wow…first post this year, busy-busy, so thought I'd play catch-up. Here are some of the albums that made it into heavy rotation the last six months. Hopefully a surprise or two there for you. Phosgene Nightmare from The Black Angels - The Boat Song Alexander from Alexander Ebert - [...]
Clinic are back! And I mean that in every way. The new album stands solidly with the brilliance of their first two releases. They've tinkered with their instrumentation and songwriting—strings, acoustic guitar, and general poppy-ness—and I think it's provided a new energy that the band has sorely needed. It's one on my favorites of the year so far. So take a listen, and just try and get the bubblegum unstuck from your mind. Bubblegum Baby Lion Tamer [...]
To my ears, not a lot has changed in the 23 years since The Vaselines put out their only proper album. The new one seems to pick up right where they left off — quirky, marshmellow pop tunes with sunny harmonies. Sounds good to me. Sex With An X Poison Pen It Wasn't All Duran Duran Mouth To Mouth
Not unlike 2007's Neon Bible , a dark tension permeates this unapologetically conceptual album. The Suburbs is probably not as immediately likeable as the last, but I think that's ultimately a good thing in this case. I can tell from just a few listens that most all these songs have that subtle kind of hook that will work itself ever deeper once it takes hold. I'm looking forward to more extended listening as this becomes the soundtrack of the moment to my own suburban life. [...]
There is always a degree of melancholy on any Damien Jurado album, and on Saint Bartlett it's turned up to about 8.5 (assuming the scale starts at 6). I continue to be amazed at the beauty and brilliance of his particular brand of songwriting. This release is a strong one with nearly every track pulling its weight, and should help to widen his small but adoring audience, of which I am a part. Cloudy Shoes [...]
The word is so out, that it almost doesn't need to be uttered yet again. The new album is good – a masterpiece some say. And I can't argue. Every track is a winner (with the exception of the dopey Drunk Girls.) James Murphy lays down chunky synth-beats, krautrock grooves, gurgles, chirps, and pays homage to his heros with wit, originality, and a touch of earnestness. We may not hear a finer album this year. Dance Yrself Clean One Touch [...]
Man, this is a good album. Glad the more straight-ahead blues-rock sound is up front and the Danger Mouse influence has taken a backseat. It's why I really went for band to begin with. Here, their sound continues to evolve – and Dan Auerbach's vocals have never been more varied, reaching for the upper registers and even capturing a 60's girl group vibe at times. Needless to say, I am completely down with my Brothers . [...]
Austin, Texas based Harlem have put out a garage-pop gem of an album. It's stripped down sound and catchy-as-hell songwriting is an effortless pleasure that will have you singing along in two minutes flat. Be Your Baby Gay Human Bones Torture Me Faces
I don't know why it took me so long to dig into the new Tindersticks album. I've adored the band since their first release in 1993—although they did lose me for a brief time near the tumultuous end of their first incarnation. After a five-year absence, the band reformed with a more stripped down lineup and recorded The Hungry Saw , which I did indeed like very much. So maybe it's just an over-familiarity with what they do that found me procrastinating with Falling Down a Mountain . In any event, I was missing out on a terrific [...]
Though Dev Hynes has been busy cranking out scrappy music over the past couple years, he's back with a proper full-length album. And although its appeal may not be quite as immediate as 2008's Falling Off A Lavender Bridge , it is remarkably good, and will no doubt, work its magic on you after a few extended listens. It's really the first album out this year that I'm truly excited by. Marlene I Don't Want To Wake Up Alone [...]
BJM have not yet collapsed under the weight of their own strangeness. They return to semi-coherent form with their new release Who Killed Sgt. Pepper? The good news is that it's actually got a lot going for it—driving spacey grooves (at times), more consistency as an album, a touch of Eastern instrumentation, and even a nod to Joy Division. The vocals are still a bit garbled, but overall, it's a big step in the evolution of the "new" BJM sound. [...]
The Jersey Shore is the backdrop for the new self-titled release from Real Estate. But don't let the song titles fool you into thinking that this is a soundtrack for the hot, sandy, folly of youth. Yes, the album does work on that level, but it's also very considered music that will lilt effortlessly with a chilly autumn wind. Chocked full of reverb, their hazy, lo-fi sound feels off-the-cuff, but buttoned up–like a band that really understands their sound. Black Lake [...]
The Flaming Lips have ditched the affable jam band aesthetic they've worked so hard to create and put out a challenging listen that exhumes their weird, experimental roots. It's worth the effort. On my first run-through, I was tempted to dismiss the over-modulated production as so-very-now gimmickry. But given a little time, the album sinks its meat hooks into you and drags you into its beguiling world. Convinced Of The Hex Evil Powerless [...]
I admit I'm a fan. And strangely enough, I have a on a BHP tee this very moment. Of course I've been eager for the new release, especially given the label problems that have help things up for so long. So any good you ask? Well the mood is still black as sackcloth, and much of the instrumentation and tempos are things we've heard before—but it's good, almost great I say. As with most of their albums, there are a few throwaways, but at least half is gothic bliss, and that's really all I need. [...]
Cheers to The Clean for a welcome return after eight years! The new album is quite good, and hangs on to the Kiwi Pop sensibilities that made the band so influential to begin with. It sounds, at once, both old and new. And when it's The Clean, that's kinda, exactly what you want. Are You Really on Drugs In the Dreamlife You Need a Rubber Soul [...]
butch slap
1. LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening All I Want [...]
1. The Flaming Lips Embryonic [...]
The Shins: “September” (b-side of “Simple Song” 7”)
St. Vincent - 'Cheerleader'
Jay-Z & Kanye West - Ni**as In Paris (Explicit)
OK Go - Needing/Getting - Official Video
M.I.A. - Bad Girls (Official Video)
Miike Snow – Paddling Out (Jacques Lu Cont Remix)
Lana Del Rey covers Lovecat magazine!
