LOWer the DRUMS, AND aim the GUNS

The songs are long and droning, almost every musical aspect is extended. This sometimes works in a hauntingly beautiful fashion, and sometimes just puts me to sleep. Such is the balance of Low’s latest album “Drums and Guns”. While their method is hit and miss, I have to condone them for stepping outside the usual indie formula. When they break out the beats, the slower pace allows for maximum groove, and their guitar solos feel like a piece of chewing gum that someone stretched out, in a good way. Their highest achievement would be the stellar harmonies that hold the album together. One outstanding point where a song pulls out from being sonic wallpaper and into a pop gem is “Hatchet” (8). When it’s growling bass line and clinky guitar give way to the harmonized lyrics about rivalries between the Beatles and the Stones it manifests the album’s most fun moment. The only thing is that as soon as it gets rolling it’s over. The best example of their slow-mo groovy-ness would be “Breaker” (3). It sounds like the funkiest funeral march you’ve ever heard, with its droning church organ and hand claps it’s like what you’d expect to be played at James Brown’s funeral. Low create some haunting soundscapes and drones that end before they get old, which is good because people can only take so much of the same note, but when they get something good going it ends far too soon.

Buy "Drums and Guns"

Low Myspace

MP3 - Breaker - Low

MP3 - Hatchet - Low

Bangin' Beats from Ed

The home label of dance remix powerhouses Justice and Sebastian prove that they’re just getting started. Infused with a unique electronic brand of funk, this album stands apart from stale BPM and tired clichés. They will use thick beats, hand claps, and funkadelic breakdowns to override your logic and make you move your ass. From bad girl grime (2), smooth beach beats (11), the soundtrack for your ultimate road trip (14), and just plain booty shaking vocoder laced nonsense (3), they have the technology, and they will make you dance. I could not think of a better compilation to have blasting out of your car stereo system, this is the sound of summer 2007.

Buy Vol. 2

Ed Banger Myspace

MP3 - Phantom - Justice

MP3 - Vicarious Bliss - "Limousine" Dub Version

MP3 - Eagle Eyes - My Flash

Parks and Pleasures

Maximo Park’s “Our Earthly Pleasures” contains all the elements that made their debut so successful; manic stop and go rhythms, melodic guitar, and sparkling twitchy keyboards, and of course, Paul Smith’s trademark dictionary checking lyrics. There could be a seamless transition from the last track of “A Certain Trigger” to the beginning of the new album. To those who fell in love with the first album, this is great news.

If anything the overall feel of the album is that the sensitivity factor has been played up big this time. Many songs recount incidents of relationships that ignite and fall apart and are told with such emotion and intelligence that they will surely burrow themselves into your consciousness. One such tune is “Books from Boxes” (3), that is clearly inspired by Johnny Marr’s guitar work, but it’s the lyrics again that steal the spotlight. The lyrics present Mr. Smith as a romantic growing ever more cynical; “Well this is something new/ but it turns out it was borrowed too/ Why does every let down have to be so thin? / Rain explodes at the moment that the cab door closed/ I feel the weight upon your kiss ambiguous”. You can feel the frustration and disappointment as the chords gently fade and he decides “just to write, after all.”

Not to worry though full on fun tunes are still here, most notably with the keyboard driven flagship single “Our Velocity” (2) that explodes with the urge to run and jump around as much as possible at breakneck speeds as you mull over the concept of love; “love is a lie, which means I’ve been lied to, which means I’ve been lying too.” The neurotic theme of Maximo Park’s work carries through, but there are shining moments of optimism. In the fevered quest to catch a girl’s eye “A Fortnight’s Time” (10), Paul Smith exudes a sweet charm as he croons “So, would you like to go on a date with me?” With an album like this, I don’t see how any girl could decline that invitation.

Buy "Our Earthly Pleasures"

Maximo Park Myspace

MP3 - Books from Boxes - Maximo Park

MP3 - A Fortnight's Time - Maximo Park

MP3 - Our Velocity - Maximo Park

Have Lunch with Thomas

At his best Thomas lunch sounds reminiscent of early 90’s alternative acts like the Dandy Warhols and the Blur with his thrashy fuzzy guitars and sweeping choruses. When he does his straight up rock numbers some are genuine body rockers, but on occasion he deviates from this formula and the results are a mixed bag. Like the synth laden “tator tots & robots” (4), they sound good and enhance the beat and the song as a whole, but does he have to repeat “tator tots & robots” over and over again? That refrain just makes a song that would have been pretty sweet into one that opens and closes with annoyance. Instrumentally, Thomas Lunch is pretty solid with his thrashy guitar heavy power pop. Opener, “fire puppy” (1) builds and builds over a growling bass line and a simple beat until visions of an overly rowdy summer concert overtake me due a guitar heavy chorus and unchained solo that leads into handclaps. “You are my drug” (2) is probably the most anthematic song on the album. It employs a similar quiet loud aesthetic, but really draws out the quiet part and amps up the guitar riff-age so that when the song goes ape-shit, you will too. The one two punch of the first two tracks really isn’t matched by the remainder of the album although some tracks come close. “beginnings” (14) is a nice change of pace with its slower tempo and use of piano and organ. Thomas Lunch has a firm grasp on the world of rock & roll, but I am most curious as to where he will take it with a sophomore album.

Buy "Diagrams Without Instructions"

Thomas Lunch Myspace

MP3 - Fire Puppy - Thomas Lunch

MP3 - You are My Drug - Thomas Lunch

Nine to the Nailed by the Zero

Trent Reznor returns with his 6^th studio release, “Year Zero",available April 17th, it is based off of the concept of a corrupted and dilapidated United States 15 years in the future. Reznor employed some innovative marketing tricks in the weeks leading up to the release of the album. From hiding website addresses in band touring t-shirts that led to multiple websites describing conspiracy theories tied to the concept, to USB drives being ‘found’ at concerts with new songs on them. Reznor even made up a fictional United States Bureau, The Bureau of Morality, that encourages you to turn in anyone “Consuming or Spreading” the new album. The extra attention to detail could be attributed to the fact that Reznor felt that this album had to be made.

The inspiration for the album came from an experiment with sounds on his laptop while touring. The sounds evoked images of the end of the world and with that, the themes of greed and power consuming the earth. In a statement where he describes his album he said “I believe sometimes you have a choice in what inspiration you choose to follow and other times you really don't. This record is the latter.” He added “Once I tuned into it, everything fell into place... as if it were meant to be.”

The sound of the album is a lot more electronic and noisy than the clean, live band sounding, 2005 effort “With Teeth”. The beats are heavy, the noises are scratchy, and Reznor’s lyrics open up in a more descriptive way than the usual angry and swearing grunts and groans. There are even tinges of optimism in various songs. Like “In This Twilight” (15) which starts with a typically twitchy beat, it climbs out of the dark to produce a strangely inspiring moment. It evokes the image of someone crawling through the rubble of an old building to find a loved one they thought had died, or a new or lost technology that could save us all. While the music is still distinctly industrial you can hear hip hop influences in the funkiness of the beats. Many songs have a very dance-able groove, but the inner fury of the static noise editing keeps it, thankfully, from ever turning disco.

One example of a this is when the raging noise ballad gives way to a storm of 8 bit percussion in “The Great Destroyer” (13). The fist pumping, foot stomping anthem of the record would have to be the shock and awe bombing campaign of “My Violent Heart” which goes from spoken word and a minimalist beat to all out sonic mayhem. The song that grabbed my attention after repeated listenings is the bass heavy groove machine called "God Given" (10) which employs, at the bombastic chorus, an 808 cowbell. I think you can infer the greatness.

Nine Inch Nails have crafted a unique return to form that will no doubt have hardcore fans enthralled once again and will also draw in new fans with its, dare I say, more intelligent sound.

Buy "Year Zero"

Nine Inch Nails Official Site (Stream the Full Album Here)

MP3 - My Violent Heart - NIN

MP3 - In This Twilight - NIN

MP3 - God Given - NIN (Highly Reccomended)

The AZLTRON Music Project

I've been planning on making a music project with a few other people this summer. It's going to be a combination of raw punky sounds with some electronics and beats. Honestly, I can't wait to see what kind of stuff we can come up with. As a first step I compiled this play list of punky guitar based rock, because it's important to have a raw thrashy element to your lo fi electronica.


01. Spoon - Quincy Punk Episode

02. Joy Division - Disorder

03. Les Savy Fav - Hit By Car

04. LCD Soundsystem - Movement

05. Pixies - Planet of Sound

06. Iggy Pop - The Passenger

07. Sonic Youth - A Master Dik (Beatbox Version)

08. Modern Lovers - Pablo Picasso

09. Dinosaur Jr. - Kracked

10. Sonic Youth - I Dreamed I Dream

and if you're feeling curious:

AZLTRON Music Myspace

Mark's Farina's House of Drowsy

If you’re looking for a generic house DJ compilation littered with vocal samples Mark Farina’s House of OM is for you. Not only does the BPM never change, but most songs, averaging around 4 minutes each, are comprised of the same four loops over and over again. I tried to review this while I was at the pool this Friday, but the beat was just the same for so long it was making me dizzy and drowsy. Not good characteristics for someone who is supposed to be lifeguarding. If you absolutely have to play a track off of the album, play “What’s the Time” (12), the high synth in the beginning almost makes a melody. Key word being “almost”. If you have to play two tracks, go with “Car Garage” (3), at least it sounds like a good song. A good song that is skipping. Maybe in ’91 it would have been cool to get some ecstasy and stagger around in some strobe lights to the same beat for twelve hours, but to me it seems pretty lame. I think some variety really would have killed him.

Buy "House of OM"

Mark Farina Myspace

MP3 - Car Garage - Mark Farina

MP3 - Whats the Time - Mark Farina

Expect the Max, Get the Worst

Treasure Mammal’s sound is like a man channeling Weird Al’s Humor and Jack Black’s enthusiastic fervor through Horatio San’s body. That is to say he is kind of funny, and really enthusiastic, but even he can’t help laughing at how ridiculous his album is. The sound goes from tolerable to awful, to just downright scary with the most manic genre hopping I have ever heard. He has inspirational music, punk music, dance music, hip hop, and stuff I’m not sure is music spattered all throughout “Expect the Max”. A song will stop on a dime and slam into synth sludge, a broken drum machine, or screaming. I mean, the man is talented to a degree and the whiplash nature of his genre switches yield some cool things once in a while, but it just feels like he is mocking all of music. Like the kid in class who isn’t funny but the class goads him on anyway (Is it a coincidence he is a middle school teacher?). You just want class to end. Kind of like how I want this album to end.

Buy "Expect the Max"

Treasure Mammal Myspace

MP3 - Let's Get Naked - Treasure Mammal

MP3 - Luther Vandross - Treasure Mammal

There's a Panther in your Lawn

If there was a karaoke version of TV on the Radio mixed with generic hip hop beats, it would be Panther. Even when he has something good going on, he ruins it with some of his crazy falsetto vocal antics. Like on “You Don’t Want YR Nails Done” (7) where the beat starts off strong enough for you to start bobbing your head, but immediately after you’ve bobbed a few times, Panther starts stuttering over the word “Baby” for 30 seconds before stuttering “Jacque Cousteau” for 30 more seconds. Then of course he has to throw in a “MuthaFucka!” just for good measure. The other tracks, even if more tolerable vocally, are just meandering drones with frantic falsetto jabbed through them. There is one shining moment on the entire album where Panther controls himself and yields a bumpin’ dance number in “How does it feel” (3). Panther feels like he has all of the elements that should make something good, but he just isn’t. If he was going for worst porn soundtrack ever he’s come close. I can only hope that he was cutting his teeth with these elements because if he can make more stuff like “How Does it Feel?” I will be very eager to listen.

Buy "Secret Lawns"

Panther Myspace

MP3 - How Does it Feel? - Panther

Shallow Water and a Bad Book

There’s a combination of noise and quirky songwriting that’s as strange as it is endearing in Thee More Shallows’ latest, “Book of Bad Breaks”. As much as they are experimental in their sound, underneath all the static and distortion the songs have simple piercing melodies and poignant lyrics. The tracks continuously flow into each other, sometimes coming from a gentle string interlude directly into a scathing punk scorcher which, strangely, at the same time as it’s blasting forth with raw energy, is still sweet. It’s a trick of misdirection, because as soon as we’re used to the guitar sound, it fades out and we are left with violins again. I imagine this is what it would sound like if Nine Inch Nails and the Postal Service were somehow mangled together due to a nuclear explosion in a post apocalyptic world.

Buy "Book of Bad Breaks"

Thee More Shallows Myspace

MP3 - Night at the Night School - Thee More Shallows

MP3 - Fly Paper - Thee More Shallows

Where do they Play Midnight Movies?

When I first heard Midnight Movies I was watching indie music videos on Yahoo! launch. Their video for “Mirage” had stark edges, high contrast, and a female vocalist who played the drums at the same time. For a time I was infatuated, so much so that I scoured an opposing radio station to find a copy (I was successful). I understand there’s been a bit of a shakeup in the lineup of Midnight Movies, the original guitarist left to pursue his own project, and various other people have been added to the roster. It has yielded positive results. Their sound this time around is faster, stronger, and even more aggressive at times. It’s a welcome change as their debut sometimes made me sleepy. Sleepy in a good way though, but now they can wake me up and put me to sleep at will. I should probably not listen to them while driving. Their sound has expanded. It sounds more their own, less like an American imitator of Stereolab. They sound their best when they dive into their dark 60’s psychedelia. Retro with an edge, hypnotic, commanding. “Lion the Girl” opens strongly with “Souvenirs” (1), it goes from gentle ballad to searing psychedelic thrashing. “Hideaway” (3) features a new open-ness from vocalist Gena Olivier. Her cadence is faster and she sings in narrative. One of the songs that I can already feel growing on me is the ballad “Ribbons”. It’s expansive but not pretentious, like U2 if they were content just to play in bars and coffee shops. The song that possesses the rawest energy is “Coral Den” (6) which pauses the mayhem to go into a familiar keyboard drone but don’t worry, the chaos resumes. Another surprise is on “Parallel Paramour” where the band channels the Doors and it works. Overall, quite a trip, not perfect, but certainly a step in the right direction.

Midnight Movies Myspace

Buy "Lion the Girl"

MP3 - Souvenirs - Midnight Movies

MP3 - Ribbons - Midnight Movies

DEATH PROOF

Quentin Terantino’s “Death Proof" film is meant to be the second half of a “double feature” project with director and friend Robert Rodriguez. Both films will be shown under the name “Grindhouse” and it is in theatres now. I meant to go see it last weekend, but an epic journey got in the way. Anyway, this album has sound clips from the movie, vintage 60’s and 70’s rock n’ roll, and some instrumental tracks. If anything, this album is a classy time warp. There are songs here that would still work wonderfully for contemporary TV ads. I could see girls washing a car while a group of guys look on drinking beer happening to “Baby It’s You” (2). Maybe an SUV being advertised to the bouncy back road evoking “It’s So Easy” (13). I’m running out of advertisement situations, but I think that “Chick Habit” (16) would probably work pretty good for a credit card commercial. Listening to this album makes me want to watch the movie. Three cheers for good marketing.

Deathproof.net

Buy Death Proof Soundtrack

MP3 - Baby It's You - Death Proof Soundtrack

MP3 - Chick Habit - Death Proof Soundtrack

Dumb Luck is Just Plain Good

Jimmy Tamborello’s second album under the Dntel banner, “Dumb Luck”, moves along a little more than “Life Is Full of Possibilities” and borrows elements from all the projects that he’s worked on since his debut. You’ll hear elements that sound like the Postal Service and you’ll hear elements that sound like his James Figurine project. Like “Dumb Luck” (1) that he wrote and played himself. He also borrows some friends old and new to contribute vocals on most of the tracks like Jenny Lewis, Conor Oberst, Lali Puna, Grizzly Bear, and various others. The strongest tracks on the album are the songs where the electronic elements bend to fit in with the mood of the song. I never thought I’d hear a keyboard sigh, or perfectly describe a hung over Sunday, but it happens on “Breakfast in Bed” (8) featuring Conor Oberst. Another similar track is the country tinged Jenny Lewis contribution “Roll On” (4) where the electronics work shockingly well within the country song structure. The track most similar to a Postal Service song is “To a Fault” (2) featuring Grizzly Beat which makes use of those familiar soundscapes, blips, beeps, and drum samples to be at once both calming and exhilarating. If the quality of Jimmy Tamborello’s music keeps improving the way it is now, when the new Postal Service album is released, I believe we will be in for quite a treat.

Buy "Dumb Luck"

Dntel Myspace

MP3 - Dumb Luck - Dntel

MP3 - To a fault (Ft. Grizzly Bear) - Dntel

Rocky Gentlemen and Coyote Bones

Charming from the start using a front porch sound complete with a harmonica and a barking dog enters Coyote Bone’s debut album “Gentleman On The Rocks”. The band is comprised of members from Saddle Creek acts Azure Ray and Tilly and the Wall. The Saddle Creek connection is so strong that part of the album was even recorded in (The Faint Bassist) Joel Peterson’s basement. The sound of the band has that kind of hometown intimate feel, but while they do use acoustic instruments very effectively they don’t limit themselves. They use spare synthesizers to create a powerful mood. Like on the power ballad “39 Forever” (4) which is easily my favorite track on the record. Another powerful track that isn’t as optimistic but is equally as powerful and uses some cool percussive programming is “Buzzing Below” (5) which is built off of gentle strings, guitar and piano, but just explodes into something more. The sheer variety of what Coyote Bones has to offer is remarkable. From synth amped ballads, “Grand Eclipse” (3) to clever little folk numbers, “Print on your jeans” (10) to super melodic songs, “Don’t Lose Your Cool” (8) to all out thrashing, “Your War” (12) they keep you guessing. When the sonic tricks die down the vocals and lyrics are commanding and emotionally relevant enough to keep your attention. Consistency and innovation prompt me to give “Gentleman on the Rocks” two thumbs up.

Coyote Bones Myspace

Coyote Bones Official Page

MP3 - 39 Forever - Coyote Bones

MP3 - Don't Lose Your Cool - Coyote Bones

You can't beat a dead horse... wait...

This remix EP features contributions from contemporary electronic band Hot Chip, old school techno producer Carl Craig, and various other distinct talents. The songs are definitely expanded upon as some of them exceed nine minutes, but each one has something different to bring to the table. Hot Chip brings their attention to expanding the vocal sound of “In the Morning” (1) while adding subtle bleeps blips and whines. Ten Snake beefs up the rhythm section of “FM” (2) with echo claps and and cow bell. Although perhaps the biggest departure is the Kode 9 Remix of “Double Shadow” (4) which turns the clink clank of the original into a dub beat with new vocals. I’m still a little woozy from all of the trippy editing on the later tracks but the first few are some wonderfully funkadelic mixes for getting down on the town.

Buy "So this is Goodbye"

Junior Boys Myspace

MP3 - Junior Boys - In the Morning (Hot Chip Remix)

MP3 - FM (Ten Snake Remix)

Kenna Returns with Less Freetime More Jazz

Kenna still shows their influences from 80’s new wave bands like Depeche Mode, most noticeably in the explosion sampled “Out of Control” (1) which at times has alto backing vocals, spare guitar lines, and blips and synths that build to epic proportions. Certainly sonic properties popularized by Depeche Mode song smith Martin L. Gore. I’m feeling a bit more of a jazz vibe from "The Black Goodbye EP". The breezy rhythms and jazzy vocal sound probably come from a Police influence, but it comes off sounding more like a frantic Maroon 5 with electronics. It's not bad if you listen to it without expecting another "Freetime".

Official Kenna page

Kenna Myspace

Buy "New Sacred cow"

MP3 - Out of Control - Kenna

Move it or lose it (Jatun)

Fans of M83 will enjoy Jatun. The sonic drones are epic and the vocals are unintelligible. This down tempo electronica is very cinematic in a reflective way. I would not be surprised if it ended up getting licensed and used in a film. Most people probably would not have the patience to sit through a lot of the ambient work but there is a lot of beautiful expansive electronica here; like album closer “The Temptation of Joy” (13) and the breezy “Bee Bee” (5). The grand melodies of some songs are mobilized to head bobbing status with the use of some shuffling beats like in “Ghost and Grey” (1), “Young Cooks” (8) and “Fashion Whore” (9). There’s even something of a punk beat in “Move it or Lose it” (12) that song would be perfect for the end of a coming of age high school drama. Overall, If you’re in the mood for studying, chilling, or making an experimental student film, Jatun is just the ticket. I encourage you to sit back and just let the sound wash over you. It feels nice.

Jatun Myspace

Buy Jatun

MP3 - Jatun - Move it or Lose It

Mp3 - Jatun - Ghost and Grey

An 8 made from Clouds

A year or two ago I had a friend send me a couple tracks by Cloud Cult; they were mostly ambient tracks with some singing and a beat. At the time I thought that it was an interesting way to invigorate something that would have been typically bland and pretentious. So when I saw the opportunity to review “The Meaning of 8” I jumped, figuring that with time and more money their sound would be more focused both in thought and music. Luckily, my expectations were met. This time around the lyrics are catchy, the beats are fresh (and dense at times) and their heart is in the right place. The sound of the band is hard to describe, there are electronic elements but it still retains an organic instrumental sound that never sounds cold and distant. The most surprising thing about “The Meaning of 8” is how effortlessly they switch from intimate ballads to fist punching anthems. Some examples of the former are the gentle sprawling opener “Chain Reaction” (1) and the acoustic driven building single “Chemicals Collide” (3). Fist pumping anthems include; the bouncy “Please Remain Calm” (2) that reminds me of an 80’s fight song and the optimistic triumph of “Brain Getaway” (5) which would fit just fine next to a Flaming Lips song. The pinnacle of meaningful lyrics and middle ground between light and airy interludes and bass heavy rockiness is “Take Your Medicine” (6) which features violins, bells, spare piano, a commanding beat, and lyrics imploring you to “Make Things Right”. While the last half of the album meanders into experimental territory with mixed results, the first half is rich enough in both style and content for me to give "The Meaning of 8" two thumbs up.

Cloud Cult Myspace

Buy "The Meaning of 8"

Watch the video for "Chemicals Collide"

MP3 - "Chemicals Collide" - Cloud Cult

MP3 - "Take Your Medicine" - Cloud Cult

Watch your Aim when Loving Songs

Originally conceived as a pregnancy awareness project, The Blow expanded the endeavor into a full concept album in 2004. This is the original album plus several remixes. That said, the album is a celebration of lo-fi hip hop beats and sometimes angst-y sometimes know it all girly lyrics. The mixture of confident and uncertain lyrics humanizes the songs and makes the already cute female vocals even cuter. While some of the remixes bring something different and experimental to the table, it’s the original work that still shines on the album. The situation described in “Hey Boy” (1) is certainly one that many women can relate to in the post date communication shut down stage. I have a soft spot in my heart right now for “The Sky opened Wide Like the Tide” (2) because it’s about feeling lost and separated from your friends and those who would be your friends. The frantic sped up beat conjures the image of someone desperately searching for a special someone. “Come on Petunia” (7) is probably the sweetest song on the album with its breezy beat and lyrics of infatuation. As a whole the album is very hit and miss, but when it does work, it moves both your feet and your heart.

The Blow Myspace

Buy "Poor Aim: Love Songs"

Mp3 - Hey Boy - The Blow

Mp3 - Come on Petunia - The Blow

The Time of Kings

I didn’t get into the Kings of Leon back when they first came out in 2005, mostly because their video for “The Bucket” was similar to Elefant’s “Misfit” because of the multiple screen editing technique but the Kings of Leon lacked the addictive tight grooves and catchy lyrics. To me at the time, the Kings of Leon just looked and sounded like another outrageous rambling indie rock band. Needless to say I didn’t get into them. This time around since I listened to the “Because of the Times” all the way through, I get what they do now. They wield a dusty mid-western bluesy style of alternative rock that at times reminds me of TV on the Radio. Their work this time around plays up themes of small town life and the dramatic situations that arise out of the conflicts and triumphs of “salt of the earth” type people. All of their songs sound like they could be played in a bar that smells of sawdust and has a cage around the band, there’s a definite air of danger. Whether it’s of interfamily conflict over a baby, “Knocked Up” (1), or a protective vow proclaimed on “On Call” (3), or the smooth criminal atmosphere of “Trunk” (11), you can almost feel impending doom. There’s some fun rowdy songs here too, like the bashing bluesy “Black Thumbnail” (5) and the reggae flavored “Ragoo” (8). Kings of Leon perform an interesting trick, they prey on typical indulgences of mid-western, southern rock like guitar solos and bluesy tendencies without ever sounding like “classic rock” imitators. They keep their contemporary alternative traits intact and that’s commendable.

Kings of Leon Myspace

Watch the AOL Live Video for "Mcfearless"

Buy "Because of the Times"

MP3 - On Call - Kings of Leon

MP3 - Ragoo - Kings of Leon

Heralds of the Future Rave

When I first heard about the Klaxons about a year or so ago I was very skeptical as to whether or not they would actually be good because while NME does support some compelling new acts, sometimes they just make me go “This is your best new band?”. Like the media frenzy around the Arctic Monkeys when people like Maximo Park, the Rakes, and Razorlight were making superior music at the same time. Luckily, the Klaxons are different and fully formed enough to escape that criticism. While they definitely are danceable English indie rock, they do it in a way that is distinctly unique. They are credited with being the harbingers of a new scene called “New Rave”, while I can see the rave influences in their breakneck speed repetitive synth flares; but they have more in common with The Rapture than they do with old school Moby. Still, there are some excellent songs on "Myths of the Near Future". Highlights include the sample addled manic chant “Atlantis to Interzone” (2), the oddly addictive mid tempo “As Above, So Below” (5), the galloping experimental rock number “Gravitys Rainbow” (7), and the stripped down catchy vocal melody propelled “Golden Skans” (3). It’s easy to get lost on this disc, much like I imagine it would be to go to a New Rave concert in a drug altered state. They’re fun and dangerous, therefore the kids love them.

Klaxons Myspace

Buy Myths of the Near Future

Their Music Videos make me think of Fischerspooner collaborating with David Cronenberg.

Watch the Video for Atlantis to Interzone

Watch the Video for Golden Skans

Watch the Video for Magick

Mp3 - Gravity's Rainbow - Klaxons

Mp3 - Atlantis to Interzone - Klaxons

Being Dead is Good News

This time around Isaac Brock knows what’s at stake. After the surprise hit that “Good News for People who like Bad News” was released Modest Mouse finally received some mainstream attention. This is why this time around they have pulled out all of the stops. Now that they have your attention they want to keep it with "We were Dead before the Ship even Sank". One of the steps that they took to prevent your ADD from kicking in was incorporating ex-Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr into their fold. His influence is clearly present all throughout the album, particularly on first single “Dashboard” (2) which sounds like it could be a Smiths song before Mr. Brock’s wild man vocal antics kick in. To show even more indie rock solidarity they even recruited James Mercer of the Shins to contribute backing vocals to several tracks, like “Florida” (4) and “We’ve Got Everything” (7). The result of the Shins front man’s contribution makes the usually crunchy sounding Modest Mouse sound even more smooth and polished. The honest truth about the album is that it’s pretty good; I think it is definitely more solid than “Good News” and it has not just one but many songs on par with “Float On’s” bouncy addictivity. Many are already heralding it as a modern classic, and it’s recent #1 debut on the billboard charts is just more supporting evidence that being “dead” is “good news.”

Modest Mouse Myspace

Buy "We Were Dead Before the Ship even Sank"

MP3 - Modest Mouse - Dashboard

MP3 - Modest Mouse - We've Got Everything

MP3 - Modest Mouse - People as Places as People

Watch the Music video for "Dashboard"