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New Musix (and more to come!)

Iron and Wine - Kiss Each Other Clean- A good companion to The Decemberists’ recent release “The King is Dead,” Samuel Beam brings a slower indie to the party. There aren’t any tracks that really jump at me, but I’ll accept “The Tree by the River.”

Vanity Theft - Get What You Came For-Four girls, including LaLaine (aka Miranda from “Lizzie McGuire”) come together and produce a sexy-confident rock album somewhere comfortably between The Ting Tings and The Runaways. The track “Trainwreck” provides us a look into what happens when a girl sees her boyfriend with another girl and likes what she sees, while “Missing Teeth” is a sweeter, slower ballad about letting go.

Little Comets- In Search of Elusive Little Comets- My personal favorite album of the week, In Search of Elusive Little Comets is modern Brit rock at it’s best. No haunting melodies, no mixed beats, just a straightforward rock sound to which I can play the air-drums. Check out “Isles” and “One Night in October.” RIYL The Wombats, Babyshambles, Mando Diao

Plan B- The Defamation of Strickland Banks- An Englishman does R&B, and he does it pretty damn well. The album carries a whole lotta soul and motown we really haven’t seen in the past 40 years. “Writing’s on the Wall” provides a classic sound while “Stay Too Long” and “The Recluse” add a little rock to the mix. RIYL The Temptations, Amy Winehouse

Rooney- Eureka- Back with a self-produced album, Rooney brings back the Cali-rock scene that spiked in popularity around the time of The O.C.   Robert Schwartzman’s vocals sound eerily similar to Rivers Cuomo’s, but nevertheless, he brings in his own sound on happenin’ tracks like “I Can’t Get Enough” and “The Hunch.” Overall, I really enjoyed this album, I just wish I had a beach to go with it. RIYL: Weezer, The Beatles, Coconut Records

Posted Jan. 27, 2011, 12:28 p.m. to KMNR New Music Blog (Tumblr) - Permalink

How about some Content?

Gang of Four - Content

Back in 1979, Gang of Four released Entertainment!, an album that forever changed the face of music. While most punk bands were starting to sound very similar, the Communists from Leeds breathed new life into the genre, mixing the extremist politics and tension of punk with downright funky drums and bass. Even now, you can still hear bits of Entertainment! in many other bands like Nirvana, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bloc Party, Franz Ferdinand, etc. Now, 32 years later, Gang of Four has released Content. With only the guitarist and vocalist from the classic line-up, expectations were not the highest. Fortunately, Gang of Four has passed with flying colors, releasing their best album since their second, Solid Gold. The guitar is louder and noisier, and the rhythm section is as funky as ever. Unlike the first and second albums, which featured stark minimalist production, Gang of Four uses a fuller, bigger production. The last time they tried this, they made a mediocre disco record; this time, they used it to further enhance their noisy tendencies. The first six songs, especially “You’ll Never Pay For The Farm”, are all great rabble-rousing funk-punk rock. Unfortunately, the album mellows out quite a bit after “I Party All The Time,” and rapidly loses the energy and power of the first half. Still, it’s one of the better comeback albums I’ve heard recently, and I highly recommend it.

-Lebowski

Posted Jan. 19, 2011, 6:24 p.m. to KMNR New Music Blog (Tumblr) - Permalink

Some new additions from our friends over at Planetary

Now, Now - Neighbors
Overall a pretty good album for those who are looking for a mainstream rock sound with a prominent female lead. Their song “Giants” stood out the most with me. The album features an acoustic version of that song as well. Check it out.

40 Watt Hype - Push
I’m not the biggest fan of Hip-Hop or Latin music, but I can dig this album. It definitely has an abundance of soul, which I like. I would recommend this album to any DJ that wants a laid back, soulful album to add to their show.
Personally I enjoyed # 1 “Only the strong Survive”

Black Pistol Fire- Black Pistol Fire
Black Pistol Fire’s sound brings to mind that ol’ loud, southern blues rock from the 70’s and overall their debut, self titled LP is pretty good.  Fans of the genre or of more recent bands like The White Stripes or Jet should give it a listen.  


…and that’s not all, check back in a week or so for more adds.


-Ethan

Posted Jan. 19, 2011, 1:30 p.m. to KMNR New Music Blog (Tumblr) - Permalink

The Start of a Good Year

Break is over, and the new music blog is back in business. We’ve got a variety of music this week, so ch-ch-check it out!

The Decemberists- The King is Dead- The Decemberists bring back the folk rock complete with harmonicas, acoustic guitars, and some good-old-fashioned studio mixing. Their single, “Down by the Water” is a good one to start off with, but make sure to try “Rise to Me” as well.

Phantods- Creature- Interesting female-led rock. It’s got a decent beat and some good riffs. “Creature,” the first track, is one to try out.  RIYL Paramore

Ian Axel- This is the New Year- Don’t underestimate the power of a man and his guitar. I would call this sleepy-time rock, full of sugary melodies and vocals. Check out “Waltz”

Modern Skirts- Gramahawk- This album goes from a good avant-garde beginning to indie pop in the blink of a track -switch. Some of the middle tracks get a bit redundant, but try “DUI”, “Glass of Water,” and “Shipshape” for something different and quirky.  RIYL Architecture in Helsinki, Matt & Kim

Ninth Moon Black- Kalyug - If you’re into ambient rock, check out this album. The ethereal music mixed with the spoken-word on certain tracks gives it a post-modern vibe that could easily be the soundtrack to an Orwellian scene. Recommended track: “Causatum”

Times of Grace- The Hymn of a Broken Man- Two members of Killswitch Engage get together for a collection of metalcore with a common spiritual theme. Screaming ain’t my thing, but the melodies aren’t too bad, so check it out if you’re into the genre.  RIYL Underoath, Killswitch Engage

N.E.R.D. - The Best of N.E.R.D.- Pop rock and hip-hop all in one, created by one of the most famous producers of the current era, Pharrell Williams. The lyrics are just alright, but the beats behind them are well-done. Check FCC, because there are few tracks you can play during non-safe harbor hours.

Posted Jan. 19, 2011, 1:09 p.m. to KMNR New Music Blog (Tumblr) - Permalink

And now, a word from Mogli

Mogli here again with some reviews long overdue. Ethan beat me to the Cloudkicker review, but here are a few other albums that I’m finally getting around to writing about.

Underoath – Disambiguation

A small disclaimer: this band, as Soda said, is ostensibly Christian metalcore. I, being an atheist metal elitist, would be given to a bias against this band. But for the purposes of being a fair-minded music lover, I decided to give these guys a fair shake. That being said, I also have little to no knowledge of Underoath’s output previous to this record, so please excuse me for not having that context.

To the record at hand, Disambiguation is not terrible and has redeeming qualities. The vocals aren’t as atrocious as other vocalists in the burgeoning scene; the singer is understandable and articulate if one has the ear and the care to listen to the lyrics. He also has true singing capabilities that fall more into an “emo” vein. Furthermore, Underoath may be entering into the period in their career where they try to push themselves creatively. Many of the songs aren’t quite the scream-your-bloody-head-off one would expect but are instead more akin to post-metal, with more expansive and ambient parts than straight ahead thrashing. Electronic bits also show up occasionally in transitions between tracks, and those are a point of contention personally.  Furthermore, the hooks, be they melodic guitar, slide guitar, or synthesizer, seem to be more engaging then most of the riffs, the meat of the songs. Also, several times within the record, otherwise good songs seem to be derailed by contrived “radio-friendly” elements.

Overall, I’d say that Disambiguation is an ok-good record, but I could hear the elements of metalcore and post-metal from other bands executed in a more engaging way, and the combination of styles isn’t done well enough to make me give the record a very enthusiastic recommendation.  However, I would encourage others to take a listen and make their own judgment.

Recommended tracks: 3, 4, 6. My caveat about “otherwise good songs” applies to some of the tracks on that backside if one would like to try them.

Baptized in Blood – Baptized In Blood

This self titled debut is the best straightforward metal release the station has gotten since I arrived last semester. Baptized In Blood make very good modern metal, combining a heavy reliance on Gothenburg-style melodic guitar work within and outside of solos, hardcore vocals, and metalcore elements (breakdowns), all of which are executed to great effect. The album is loaded with hooks; again, the band has a good ear for melody, but they are also able to bring the thrash and the groove.  The record isn’t perfect though. The lyrics toe the line between simple/straightforward/sincere and stupid, and when the singer crosses that line, it’s off-putting.  In the liner notes, none of the band members are credited with playing drums, and the drums are pretty fake, though the parts fit the songs well. Finally, some of the songs are filler, though they sound good in context of the whole. Baptized In Blood is good-time accessible metal without being terribly sell-out (no clean vocals!) and not all about partying (Municipal Waste, anyone?). Give it a spin if you like Killswitch Engage, In Flames, or Unearth.

Recommended tracks: 1, 3, 4, 12 if I had to pick.

P.S. to DJs: Some of the tracks I recommended are debatably obscene, and some of the tracks that seem clean according to the liner notes have f-bombs that aren’t notated. Play at your own discretion in any case.

That’s all for now from me! Keep coming back to the blog for more music reviews. I know I check it a few times a week looking for new stuff, and you should too.

Stay metal,

Mogli

Posted Dec. 10, 2010, 3:57 p.m. to KMNR New Music Blog (Tumblr) - Permalink

Dead Week Music

Daft Punk- Tron: Legacy Original Soundtrack - Whether you like Daft Punk or not, I highly encourage you check out this soundtrack to the new Tron movie. This is not another Daft Punk album, this is a soundtrack produced by two men who know music. It provides a background for a sci-fi setting without overdoing the synthesizers. Remember Brian Eno’s Small Craft on a Milk Sea that came out a little over a month ago? Well, while Eno’s soundtrack-like work set the scene for an epic terrestrial film, Daft Punk expands the boundaries and provides the music for a space-age universal setting. Check out Jeff Bridges’ sweet voice-over on “The Grid” and look out for “Recognizer” and “Adagio for Tron”

Space Capone- Volume 1: Transformation - I was afraid at first of what would be in this album due to the open-shirt bald man wearing sunglasses and suspenders on the cover. But instead of the experimental “you wouldn’t understand” music I was expecting, I got a modern example of pretty damn good funk. Think Electric Six meets the badass funk stars of the 1970s. I was quite fond of “I Just Wanna Dance” and “My Dudes (All Approve)” wasn’t bad either.

Audio-ology- Loud and Clear- Mixing pop with hip-hop, Audio-ology manages to dish out an album that is less in-your-face than the current Top 40 charts, but way more poppy than your Kid Cudi or Chiddy Bang music (both of which they liken themselves to). I tried out “Pretty Girls” and didn’t mind the tune, though the message behind it would bring resentment from your average feminist. The whole album manages to hold its own. If you’re into the genre, give it a spin.

Too Late for Roses- Debut - This group made the mistake of putting their best tracks at the end of the album. Upon first putting in the cd, you are greeted with tracks reminiscent of bro-hood and the most mediocre bands at Pointfest. However, listen to “Soundtrack from Masks” and you’ll see the ultimate potential. It’s haunting, original, and is the music from a short animated film by Patrick Smith (the director of Daria and the animator behind many commercials, including the Zoloft ones with the little furry depressed thing). Skip the first seven tracks, stop by “The Satisfaction” for a sec, then finish the end of the album, where the real music is.

Modern Paranoia- I’m a Bird- Each of these tracks was produced by a different permutation of band members, and I have to say my favorite is “I’m a Bird,” characterized by heartfelt vocals that sound like a less-cocky version of the Kings of Leon guy. The tracks vary in their sound, but all of them produce a sound taking elements from rock artists of the past 20 years.

Doctors & Dealers - Trouble- When I listened to this album, I felt like I was in a French cafe. The vocals are soft and jazzy, but the music behind them has a bourgeois avant-garde element I can’t put my finger on.  If you like some trumpet, drums, and piano and drinking espresso, check it out.

Posted Dec. 9, 2010, 11:45 a.m. to KMNR New Music Blog (Tumblr) - Permalink