Here's a taste of what I've been listening to the past few weeks. This is just a hold over until I decide which album I want to review next. Talk to me in the comments sections, I want to know what you guys would like to see featured on the blog. More media? More reviews? More artist profiles? Also, I'd like to thank you guys for your support. This week I had 1,000 hits and 650 unique site visitors. That amount of traffic simply blew me away, you guys are awesome. Enjoy!
Why?- "The Vowels Pt. 2"
This experimental hip-hop is disturbing, nasty, dark, catchy and oh-so-good. Check it out.
Dear and the Headlights- "Bad News"
Vampire Weekend- "Horchata"
From their upcoming release, "Contra," this single displays Vampire Weekend's growth. I am personally hyped for "Contra" and I was NOT a fan of their first album.
Sleepercar- "West Texas"
Sleepercar is Jim Ward's alt-country experiment band. "West Texas" captured the atmosphere of the region Ward grew up in, which is something I love seeing from artists. I've been listening to this song this week, trying to lull myself to sleep.
Wale- "Chillin' ft. Lady Gaga"
Wale and Lady Gage. Does it get better? I think not.
Frank Turner- "I Knew Prufrock Before He Got Famous"
Can anyone think of a band that fulfills their name as well as fun. does? This electric trio makes indie pop music with one goal in mind: Have fun! Led by Nate Ruess, formerly of The Format, fun. released their debut album named "Aim and Ignite" on August 25, 2009. This album is a real charmer. While fairly light in content, "Aim and Ignite" is capable of lifting spirits and putting a smile on faces.
fun. is an extremely unique, yet talented group. Musical comparisons can span from 70's pop to swing to Weezer, proving the band with an extremely specified sound. What differentiates fun. from other indie pop bands (Miniature Tigers, Phoenix) is their sheer instrumental skill.Their music is outstandingly well composed and feels fresh, innovative and inspired. It would be negligent to not praise Ruess' vocal performance on the album. While his voice is notably high, he possesses astonishing range which lends itself well to his soulful presentation.
Although "Aim and Ignite" is a very exciting release, it is not without flaws. While the musical composition is superb, the album's production fails to provide the instrumentation with its proper due, instead focusing on Ruess' similarly impressive vocal performance. The only problem with this seemingly permissible flaw is that it is fun.'s music that provides it flair and style, not Ruess' singing.
While every track on the album is worth a listen, "Aim and Ignite" feels more like a glorified EP than a truly fleshed out album.
It is my pleasure to introduce you to Joe Pug. Joe is a man as weathered as his raspy voice, with lyrics that shine a beacon of enlightenment, emancipating human emotions from the souls of both artist and audience.
Pug was born in North Carolina, where we would attend the University of North Carolina while working on a stage production dubbed "Austin Fish." Upon the advent of his senior year, Joe decided he was desperately unhappy in North Carolina and abruptly moved to Chicago. Perhaps seeking purpose, Pug began to play guitar again, a hobby he had not practiced in years.
As Pug's interest in producing his play dampened, he began to construct songs around the play's content. What little cash Joe had at the time went towards impromptu studio sessions. Pug's simplistic approach allowed him to complete a seven song EP in just a few weeks.
Featuring little more than an acoustic guitar, harmonica, and Pug himself, Nation of Heat seems nearly counterculture in an era that embraces complicated production and high tech audio engineering. This promising release has already caught the ear of music critics across the country, paving the way for Pug to perform at numerous music festivals including Lollapalooza, South by Southwest and Bonnaroo.
The universal appeal of Joe Pug derives from his simplicity, honesty, and the brutality of his disturbingly truthful lyrics. Nation of Heat represents a strong leap backwards. Pug courageously steps away from modern music and echoes the style of Bob Dylan while incorporating themes and motifs exclusive to the 21st century. While Pug's music may echo the past, his lyrics are ahead of their time.
As he finishes production of his debut album, Pug has made a free EP named In the Meantime available to fans. If Pug visits your town, go to a show. The next time he returns it may be in a sold out stadium.
Just in case you missed the memo, Manchester Orchestra front man Andy Hull is the most promising artist in indie rock today. Mean Everything to Nothing is a powerful, moving follow up to Manchester Orchestra's rookie release, I'm Like a Virgin Losing a Child. Featuring 11 tracks, this LP ranges from poppy, feel-good rock to harrowing acoustic tales of lost love and jaded soul searching.
Although Mean Everything to Nothing is certainly not a concept album, the narrative weaves from happiness to heartbreak with a precise accuracy. The first five songs on the album shy from the solemnity of the second half of the record, with the sixth track, 100 Dollars, providing the disambiguating catapult to emotional tumult. The last five pieces of musical beauty cover such mature themes that is extremely difficult to believe Hull is a mere 21 years old.
Mean Everything to Nothing has achieved both critical and commercial success since it's April 21st release, and with good cause. Few albums are able to capture both sides of the human emotional spectrum with such brilliant proficiency. All music fans should give this LP a try, especially fans of Brand New.
Hate country music? Yeah me too. But don’t write the genre off just yet. The past month I have been habitually listening to this jewel of an album from Justin Townes Earle, son of the notorious musician and political activist Steve Townes Earle. Justin shuns the Happy Meal daddy time, rhinestone cowboy dress up, CMT bullshit that has polluted the country genre that Johnny Cash refined. Townes packs his songs with folk twang rhythms and honest-to-God lyrics that seem priceless in the 21st century. After hearing “Someday I’ll Be Forgiven for This” (and giving myself a few minutes to bawl) for the first time, I bought the CD. Townes Earle’s lyrics pack an emotional punch that will choke you up. There isn’t much I can do to sell this album to you other than ensure you that this is real, legit, grown man country music. Check out the title track, “Midnight at the Movies” as well as “Mama’s Eyes” if you don’t believe me.`
Mama, I'm Swollen was released on the indie-friendly Saddle Creek record label (Bright Eyes,Sorry About Dresden, Tokyo Police Club, Art in Manila, Criteria) this February. I am sad to report, this album is void of any emotional edge or flavor of any sense. As is the established norm with Cursive, lyrics include a pretentious attempt to mirror the highly intellectual words of other alt-indie artists. Problem is, these guys simply are not that smart.
This album is boring, lifeless and heartless. Of the ten songs on the album, I only particularly enjoyed "In the Now," "From the Hips," and "Mama, I'm Satan." In the Now is a rock-driven anthem song with lyrics proclaiming ignorance as bliss, "Don't want to live in the now! Don't want to know what I know!" From the Hips is a sexy tune addressing human's aptitude for communication through body contact. Good shit. Lastly, the only song that is truly worth your time on this album is the beautiful "Mama, I'm Satan." The song fluctuates from serene to haunting. Smooth music accompanies light lyrics for the first few seconds of the song until Tim Kasher reminds us ignorant music addicts - "The ego of mankind stirs in us all." This quasi ballad then assumes the role of a chilling expose of the evil in society's collective soul. Yeah, this song is gnarly, but it alone is not enough to save this album.
Review Score: 6 out of 10
Wait scratch that, just found out one of the band members shares the name of the Alaskan senator that created the bill funding the "Bridge to Nowhere."
