March 2011
13 posts
5 tags
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - Belong →
At the risk of blogging something I haven’t fully listened to yet, I’m going to throw the new Pains Of Being Pure At Heart out there for y’all. Since they released one of my favourite albums of 2009, they’ve also put out several triumphant singles which have refined their sound and a series of fantastic live shows. And whilst on the first listen of Belong you don’t...
4 tags
Spokes - Everyone I Ever Met →
With their first full album Spokes have reached for a wildly grandiose sound and, at times, actually manage to achieve it. It’s a dense record of 11 songs all packed with layers and layers of orchestration. Obvious references are Arcade Fire (whose influence can be heard from the slow-building songs, chanting and introspection), Broken Social Scene and Mancunian forefathers such as Elbow or...
4 tags
BOAT - Dress Like Your Idols →
Some bands aren’t afraid to wear their influences on their sleeves. And some aren’t afraid to put them on the record sleeves either. So if you’re wondering what kind of music you can expect from Boat, just take a look at the meta-sleeve (ten points to you if you can get all of them). It’s the 90s indie-rock vibe that wins out on this pretty enjoyable, if not stunningly...
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The Strokes - Angles →
The Strokes are back! After six long years, punctuated only by the appearance of Julian Casablancas on Saturday Night Live and, perhaps less notably but still relatively enjoyably, solo and spinoff albums from most of the band (with varying degrees of success), they’re back. And it sounds like a bit of time apart has done them good because boy is it good to hear those Fab drums and some...
6 tags
Toro Y Moi - Beneath The Pine →
Almost as if to prove me wrong, Toro Y Moi has put down his surfboard and picked up his keyboard and in the process cast off the shackles of chillwave. A more expansive and produced studio effort this time that borrows equally from 70s funk, 80s pop and 90s electronica but retains the requisite lackadaisical vocals to prove that he doesn’t care too much about labels or being pigeon holed....
5 tags
The Dodos - No Color →
To the unobservant ear the latest Dodos album will sound much like their previous two: the chaotic and energetic sound of frenzied drums and cacophonous acoustic guitars. But behind the racket lies a more concentrated effort than 2009’s Time To Die with the trio joined on several tracks by Neko Case who provides the smooth to their rough. Combined with the improved songs, this makes No...
4 tags
Ladytron - Best Of Remixes →
Everyone’s favourite Liverpudlian New Wave band present a best of the remixes album less than a year after their full-on best of collection. There’s few tracks on here that are better than the originals (Ladytron have an uncanny knack of crafting a perfect hook around a dark cover of electro night) but there are some stellar names on show. Check out the Soulwax, Ewan Pearson &...
5 tags
Beach Fossils - What A Pleasure →
Blisteringly quick EP from the Beach Fossils carrying on exactly where the last album left off, but with perhaps a little more restraint. Clocking in at just 22 minutes, this EP whistles past and reminds you what was great about last summer - reverb-drenched, innocently wistful pop songs. Comteporary Jack Tatum, from Wild Nothing, even makes a welcome appearance. What A Pleasure, indeed.
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R.E.M. - Collapse Into Now →
REM are apparently a 3-legged dog these days (and have been since Bill Berry left in 1997). Yet I’ve never heard a 3-legged dog sound this good before…and believe me, i’ve heard many. After a musical re-boot in 2008 with Accelerate, REM have recaptured the sound with this, their 15th studio album, the sound that made them so ruddy brilliant in the 80’s and 90’s....
4 tags
Lykke Li - Wounded Rhymes →
Swedish pop miniature minstrel Lykke Li returns after 2008’s critically acclaimed Youth Novels. Wounded Rhymes, in contrast to her debut, takes the sparse, echo-y recordings and gives them the full-on, sophomore album beef up avec African drums, strings and more. You’ll get an idea of the way she (and her music) has matured in the lead single Get Some. Overall, it’s a pretty...
6 tags
The Rural Alberta Advantage - Departing →
This is a good album, with good heartfelt songs. If it were their first album, it would pique my interest. Unfortunately, it just doesn’t top or differentiate from Hometowns in a very meaningful way. The songs blend into the background. Looking forward to the next one.
4 tags
Those Dancing Days - Daydreams & Nightmares →
Ahh yes, just in time for spring, a new set of peppy pop songs from Those Dancing Days. TDD are a band that allows indie kids to experience the magic of upbeat teen pop without the embarrassment, ridiculous outfits and fanfare. This record’s lyrics are edging dangerously on the cheesy side, but it’s still a fantastic mix of get-up-and-jump tunes.