Tagged: indieindiemindedrock

Sound: A major departure from the raucous, arty London punk of their 2007 debut What's The Time Mr. Wolf? Wild Young Hearts is much softer and sweeter. Nearly every track has a throwback vibe—either '60s Motown, '70s disco or '80s electro pop—with a slight modern twist...

Sound: A rotating cast of mostly female vocalists delivers soulful, seductive and memorable melodies as the backdrop jumps from groovy electro pop to breezy folk to danceable indie rock to easy listening...

Sound: On their third album, the snappy Brit punkers tone down the in-your-face riffs and basslines considerably. Humbug is a woozy, dark and mysterious journey that favors mood and tone over memorable songs. The two exceptions to this rule—"Cornerstone," a classic, peppy poppy ballad, and "Pretty Visitors," a heavy, spooky rocker—are two of the stronger and most accessible tracks...

Note: Ramona Falls is a solo project from Menonema's Brent Knopf. His more well-known band's last release was the excellent Friend and Foe ( my #2 Album of 2007 ). Sound: At their root, most of the songs on here feature Brent's forlorn and fluid vocals over a pretty combination of acoustic guitar chords and piano melodies. But—if you know anything about Menomena—there's no way he could just stop there...

Note: Julian Plenti is the alter ego of Interpol frontman Paul Banks, and this is his debut release under this moniker. Sound: The dissonant riffs, driving rhythms and somber atmosphere on Skyscraper differ very little from Banks' work with Interpol. But the music on this side project is a little more stripped down and mellow, and Banks' vocals are more intimate and clear...

Sound: Snappy, melodic indie pop/rock with a slight Southern accent. Driving saxophones, twinkling piano, percolating synths and woozy organs are some of the sounds that meet up with frontman Matt Pelham's quivery but confident croon...

Note: The Lincoln, Nebraska band's name is pronounced "Double U, Double V, Double W, Z." This is their debut album. Sound: A spastic, arty hybrid of hypnotic, floating indie rock, jittery, choppy punk, chunky, hard-driving metal and lounge-like, seedy jazz. Frontwoman Teal Gardner leads the way with a mix of frenetic yelps, convulsions and howls, plus atmospheric chants and sultry croons...

Sound: Instead of continuing to see how far they can push the boundaries of music, The Fiery Furnaces actually rein in their music to a relative simplicity on par with their debut Gallowsbird's Bark ( my #17 Album of 2003 ). The multi-sectioned, ADD-friendly, tangential epics are replaced by a collection of streamlined songs...

Sound: There are at least three types of songs on here – the light, wistful acoustic reflection, the pulsing, pleasing mid-tempo indie pop tune and the hard-stomping, rocker. Most songs incorporate some soft, subtle organ and strings that create a sweet, yearning atmosphere that's frequently peppered by Amy Cole's innocent and airy harmonies. But these gentler sounds are often balanced by Paul Banwatt's feverish percussion...

Note: The Dead Weather is a new band/project that consists of Jack White (The White Stripes, The Raconteurs) on drums and some lead and background vocals, Alison Mosshart (The Kills) on most lead vocals, Jack Lawrence (The Raconteurs) on bass and Dean Fertita (Queens of the Stone Age) on guitar. Sound: A grimy, sweaty, raw and dangerous mix of sludgy blues and experimental indie rock that features lots of sexually charged vocals and distorted guitars and synthesizers...

Note: This is the third full-length recording from Sunset Rubdown, the other band of Wolf Parade co-frontman Spencer Krug. Sound: Proggy, imaginative indie rock with epic, multi-sectioned tracks, but a bevy of hooks and strong melodies keep everything tight and focused...

Note: This is the band's first major-label studio album, and it was produced by the legendary Rick Rubin (the guru responsible for overseeing landmark albums by a wide range of artists from Run DMC and Red Hot Chili Peppers to Johnny Cash and Dixie Chicks to Slayer). Sound: Poppier, more electronic and more dancefloor-friendly than anything the punk-rooted threesome has done before...

Sound: The songs often have a classic, Americana flavor—though not nearly as vintage as the stuff on 2007's Sky Blue Sky —with some more modern, aggressive touches like squalling feedback, throbbing piano, and funky bass—but it's certainly less experimental than 2002's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot or 2004's A Ghost is Born ...

Sound: Regina worked with four different veteran pop/rock producers on Far and the result is the slickest album she's released to date—her piano-driven, chirpy pop songs and precious meditations lack the rough edges of the past...

Sound: Fuzzy guitars, electro hip-hop beats, anthemic, fist-pumping choruses and epic, psychedelic journeys are what you expect from Kasabian, and West Ryder has all of the above. But there are some unexpected surprises on here - Kinks-like, jangly acoustic guitar, classic Brit poppy melodies and more traditional song structures...

Sound: A mix of psychedelic folk with hippie-friendly harmonies (think Crosby, Stills & Nash, Buffalo Springfield and Jefferson Airplane), dreamy, wall-of-sound orchestrations with warm falsetto melodies and otherworldly choirs (think Pet Sounds -era Beach Boys), trippy jazz-fusion rock (think early Pink Floyd) and progressive chamber pop (think Gentle Giant)...

Sound: Spoon frontman Britt Daniel produced this follow-up to White Rabbits' stellar debut Fort Nightly ( my #4 album of 2007 ), and you can definitely hear his influence. Upbeat and danceable (buoyant basslines, flickering acoustic guitars) meets dark and downtown chic (ominous piano lines, jabbing electric guitars)...

Sound: Each track is like a piece from a different, imaginary film score. With fluttering woodwinds, cascading strings, dramatic percussion, haunted choirs and sinister lyrics, the songs are overtly cinematic—often eerie, sometimes wide-eyed and dreamy...

Note: Ain't Too Bright is the debut album from a band formed in the wake of The Comas' (who had my #39 album of 2007 with Spells ) indefinite hiatus. Comas co-founder Andy Herod is the singer/songwriter/multi-instru mentalist/producer behind Electric Owls, and he's joined by Jason Caperton (The Comas) on guitar, Matt Gentling (Band of Horses, Archers of Loaf) on bass and Cully Symington (The Gutter Twins) on drums...

Note: This is the first album credited to Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band (i.e. the group of musicians that played on Conor's 2008 self-titled album and have been touring with him for the past year). The big difference between this full-length and last year's release is that his bandmates write and sing lead vocals on nearly half the songs, a drastic difference from any of Conor's previous releases as a solo artist or as the mastermind behind Bright Eyes and Desaparecidos...