Sassy rock-country hybrids Those Darlins (who are incredible live), the latest mixtape of R&B up-and-comer The Weeknd, new-to-me rockers The Ettes, the most recent release from Swedish electronic band Little Dragon, Mister Heavenly's doom-wop and Blood Orange's 80s-tinged synth grooves are rolling around in my iPod these days. I hope you enjoy their respective sounds as much as I do, music lovers.
I've gots some good jams to share with you music lovers. Really digging Bobby. The Massachusetts art-folk group was one of the openers for the Thao and Mirah show a few weeks ago, and even though technical difficulties allowed them to only play three songs, I was hooked.
I came across Stone Darling, all-girl rockers from L.A., while perusing Bandcamp (a great resource to discover new music), and though they only have two songs, they sound promising. Others worth blasting through your speakers are garage lo-fiers Xray Eyeballs, worldy rockers Beirut (their next album is out Aug. 30 so mark your calendars) and synth-pop eccentric John Maus.
The's precede all of the band's names in my latest acquisition of new music. But that's where the similarities end. We're running the gammet this week with everything from electronic-twinged R&B to gritty rock to dancey Swedish new wave.
Toronto indie electronic act The Weeknd is definitely good any day of the week. The synthed-out slow jams are a perfect rainy-day soundtrack and full of emotion and perfectly-placed samples, making this mixtape a leading contender as one of the top albums of 2011. And because everyone loves a fabulous freebie, download of the mixtape courtesy of The Weeknd here.
Singer Alison Mosshart and guitarist Jamie Hince, better known as the duo who comprise The Kills, have refined their hard-hitting, grimy garage rock sound on their latest release, "Blood Pressures." It's not better than 2008's "Midnight Boom," which I still listen to non-stop, but it's different in a really good way.
Sometimes you outgrow a band. And after partially (I couldn't make it to the end) listening to The Sounds' latest offering, "Something To Die For," that's the case with my ears and the Swedish group. Their once-fun, cohesive rock/pop tunes now just sound like a bad Ace Of Base rip-off.
This batch of new-to-me tunes includes The Strokes' latest, which, at first listen, is hit and miss. You'd think after five years they could deliver a stellar record, but this is a case where things don't get better with age. I hope the album will grow on me, but if not, thank goodness we'll always have "Room On Fire."
Other beats on blast are courtesy of the new EP from Uh Huh Her, the dream pop twosome who have remained a constant on my playlists the past few years and Brooklyn/Boston collective Hooray For Earth, who are quickly becoming a favorite. I've worn out the EP and anxiously await the May release of their first full length, "True Loves."
NYC pop duo Cults (who also have a new album dropping in May) and neo-soulsters Fitz And The Tantrums round out the latest selections for my stereo. Ready, set, headphones.
Radiohead's new album, easily the musical event of the year thus far, didn't impress at first. But after listening to "The King Of Limbs" nonstop, my mind has been changed. It's not their best work, but it'll do. "Codex" is giving my repeat button a run for its money.
Rounding out the acquisitions are the latest offerings from Brooklyn garage rock trio Vivian Girls, British soul singer Adele and La Sera, the side project of Vivian Girls' bass player Katy Goodman.
Who are you currently rocking out to? Check out these suggestions as possible additions to your sound library. Happy listening!
A new crop of musical goodness has made its way to my library. Currently holding my auditory system captive are Canadian indie rockers The Luyas; Seattle folk chicks Lemolo; experimental chillwaver Toro y Moi and electro poppers from Down Under The Naked And Famous. Enjoy!
Now that the holiday haze has cleared, bands are back in the sound kitchen and the first batch of 2011 new releases are quite tasty. Here are a few of the newbies released thus far currently blasting out of my laptop speakers. What upcoming albums are you anticipating the most this year?
And did you see the lineup for Coachella was revealed yesterday? It's pretty much all the musical goodness I love. A trip to Indio might be in order. Happy listening!
It would be Tom Krell, better known as How To Dress Well. The philosophy student pays homage to the who's who of '80s and '90s R&B, including fellow Chicagoan R. Kelly, Ready For The World, Blackstreet, Shai, Silk and H-Town, via his unexpected marriage of lo-fi and rhythm and blues.
Krell's first full-length, "Love Remains," is the epitome of fuzzed-out, complete with scorching falsettos layered over hot jam samples and a heavy dose of distortion for good measure.
As someone who grew up listening to old-school tunes and embraces the lo-fi craze of late, it is the best of both worlds. How To Dress Well's sounds give listeners an excuse to take a risk.
You know that old saying "Don't Take Your Work Home?" Thankfully, Jenny Lewis and Johnathan Rice didn't heed the advice. The live-in lovers combine country, pop, doo-wop and surf rock on their debut album, "I'm Having Fun Now," which oozes audible chemistry in every shared strum, harmony and lyric.
I'm still not sold on Johnathan Rice, but Jenny Lewis' amazing musical presence makes up for his sometimes bland and awkward vocals. At this point, I'm convinced you could pair the Rilo Kiley frontwoman with Kenny G or Insane Clown Posse and she'd still kick ass.
And if you're ever thinking of attending couples therapy, save the money and play this record.
Stream the entire album at NPR before its Aug. 31 release date.
I've been the self-appointed president of the Anti-Katy Perry Fan Club from the beginning. Her cheesy lyrics, pander to whatever-is-hot-at-the-moment mentality and average singing ability give anyone with respectable music taste cause to hurl.
I don't know what is more disgusting. The fact she ripped offJill Sobule's "I Kissed A Girl" and used it as sexual provocation for pervert straight guys or that her pathetic excuse for music enables lazy listeners too scared to deviate from the mainstream.
Katy Perry is the "Twilight" of the music industry ... Manufactured junk that non-discerning consumers waste their money on because some marketing douche tells them to.
The bigger issue is that anyone with a microphone and access to Auto-Tune can put out catchy crap-disguised-as-music and people will listen and make a Facebook group about it, shooting it straight to the top of the iTunes charts, plum for the picking for the 14-year-old with their parents' credit card and non-discriminating taste. The Katy Perry's of the world perpetuate this cycle, keeping truly talented bands and singers in the background and off the iPods of those with the buying power.
But, alas, I must come clean. I actually heard a tolerable Katy Perry song the other day. Don't get me wrong. My views as expressed in the above paragraphs still hold true.
I even contemplated keeping my dirty little listening secret to myself, but I think there's a lesson here. People can and should recognize junk, but finding a meaningful listening experience in that junk is OK, too. It's when we start consuming things just because they are hip or at the top of the charts that we're in trouble. Expand your horizons and explore lesser-known bands. You may find something you like. Well, I took my own advice ... just in reverse.
Some songs were made for driving with the sun roof open, working out and summer days, and "Teenage Dream" is one of them. Although I am far from being a teenager, this tune transported me back to a time of three-week crushes, sneaking out of the house and feeling invincible. Think musical BOTOX.
Before you call me a hypocrite, know this is a conscious lapse of musical judgment. There won't be anymore slumming it in the world of manufactured music for this head of the Anti-Katy Perry Fan Club.
It's usually a given albums will sneak out before their street-release date. But imagine my surprise [followed by immense joy] when the stars in the music universe aligned this week and three of the records I was most stoked for that were set to come out in the next two months dropped early.
But it wasn't love at first listen on the new Arcade Fire, Ra Ra Riot and Interpol offerings. But that has since changed. I'm sure it has something to do with listening to each record like 10 times a piece. But that's how I get a feel for music. If I don't dig it past listen number 10, it's probably not going to happen.
I don't expect or even want a band to replicate the sounds of previous albums because how boring would that be for the group and the listeners. But keeping some consistency while building off past success should be the goal. And I didn't hear that in any of the albums the first few times through.
Then something clicked. Maybe it was finally recognizing and appreciating the new direction each band has gone. Maybe I'm just sensitized to all the new sounds and they really do suck. For now, they're all in heavy rotation.
Arcade Fire - "The Suburbs" | Release date: Tuesday
Win Butler and company seem to have a fascination with geography. And the Montreal super group's latest record is no exception, with suburban expansion, sprawl and nostalgia being among the major themes.
Ra Ra Riot - "The Orchard" | Release date: Aug. 24
The anticipation for the sophomore album by the orchestra-savvy Syracuse indie pop group has been building in large part to all the goodies they have been sharing on their Web site. Get a free download for "Boy" and check out preview videos for "Keep It Quiet" and "Too Dramatic." The images are from the recording process in a Stillwater, N.Y., orchard ... hence the album name.
And that album art ... amazing. Just one more reason why I love them.
New York's favorite brooding bunch is back with their fourth album and it's good, considering the group went from a foursome to a trio after "Interpol" was finished. Perhaps the album cover is a nod to said breakup? Nothing will come close to "Turn On The Bright Lights," but this is a solid effort.
