Arcade Fire Manage Expecations

There will be a lot of talk about the new ARCADE FIRE record "The Suburbs". It is without a doubt one of the most hotly anticipated records of the year both critically and commercially. Their first two records were both musical masterpieces that have had people falling all over lead singer and principal songwriter Win Butler compared to a modern day Dylan and Springsteen. His command of lyrics and his ability to comment on the human condition have placed him in this rarefied air. Like Springsteen, Butler details life for the normal people highlighting the trials and tribulations of the everyman and his struggles to get ahead or merely survive. However, the music is more varied and nuanced than the Boss. Rather than bludgeoning you with big guitars and sax solos, Arcade Fire use a multi-instrumental approach that highlights crafted guitar and bass work with additional flourishes of other instruments.

With their newest album, the band takes on life in modern day Suburbia. "The Suburbs" as an album aims to show the state of life outside of the big city for a typical nuclear family. Now in most people's mind the notion of the post cold war nuclear family is already antiquated but Butler's point throughout the record is that it's still there, just hidden from view. "Modern Man" takes us into the mind of the husband/dad figure and his concerns about where his life is and where it's going. "City With No Children" echoes lost opportunities and laments the author's "private prison".

The album turns both sonically and lyrically with the two part "Half Light" that showcases Regine Chassagne's contribution as lead singer. There is also a sonic shift as the second "Half Light" echoes shades of electronic music that is eerily 80's in sound. The other two part song "The Sprawl" ends the record with the notion that modern society is full of interconnecting lives that really don't connect at all.

"The Suburbs" is musical heavy lifting. It takes several listens to warm to it and get inside the meaning of the record. While on the surface it's not as dark as "Neon Bible" and has less of a blues feel than that masterwork, it becomes a deeper record over time. I have little doubt it will be a top record for the year on most best of lists. And it deserves it.

(mp3) Arcade Fire -- Month of May

**The other option for posting was the title track but to be honest it's my least favorite song on the album so you get this driving rock song instead. Enjoy!!

Tired Pony = Country Snow Patrol

Two records popped up on my radar in the last two days and I still haven't wrapped my head around what I want to say about the new ARCADE FIRE record, so I pontificate about this oddity instead.

TIRED PONY is a side project of SNOW PATROL front man Gary Lightbody. Lightbody has referred to this as a country record using some heavyweight American musicians to support his musings. What the record does is highlights one of the conundrums facing all singers...namely, that he can't change how he sings. "Dead American Writers", the first single, is exactly like every Snow Patrol song ever written only with a slide guitar. Using Singer/Actress Zooey Deschanel as a duet partner on two songs rekindles his work with Martha Wainwright on earlier records. His songwriting style of stream of conscious lyrics with no chorus is still here as well. One would think that a solo venture would challenge Lightbody to tinker with his sound.

Then there is Peter Buck. Buck has long been one of my favorite guitar players for his way of attacking songs and giving them edge and fire. Even when he takes to the mandolin he does it so distinctly that his signature is all over the songs. His work with the MINUS 5, HINDU LOVE GODS and TUATARA showed that even outside of REM he still remains distinct. Here though he seems replaceable. There is no sight of his imprint on the band's sound. It's as if he was swallowed up in Lightbody's songs and can't find his own place in them. "Pieces" does have echoes of some of the guitar work from later era REM, but elsewhere he could be any guitar player for hire.

Is it a bad album? No. It's a remarkably easy record to listen to, like most Snow Patrol records. "Northwestern Skies", "Dead American Writers" and Get On The Road" are nice pop songs that are catchy. But one wonders what might have been if Lightbody had been more adventurous and Buck a little more prevalent in the songwriting mix.

(mp3) Tired Pony -- Dead American Writers (link removed due to DMCA Complaint)

KaiserCartel Live @ Hotel Cafe

Okay, let me get this out of the way first. My wife has long been a fan of this band and I have for the most part ignored them. I tend to be less than enthralled with female singer songwriter stuff. Though I have fond memories of 10,000 MANIACS, TORI AMOS and the like, my tastes mostly fall toward the male dominated stuff (easier to sing in the car I guess). So I approached last night's show at Hotel Cafe with slightly less enthusiasm than the usual musical sojourn. So here it is, I was wrong, my dear wife. They were excellent and I can't stop humming their songs.

There is something endearing about seeing a band in a tiny venue. There must have been about 40 people in the room. The band had no roadies and no pretense to their performance. All you had was a singer/guitarist and a singer/drummer. The sound was crisp and the intimate setting allowed you to really absorb the music. Lead singer Courtney Kaiser has a nice dulcet tone to her vocals that is in many ways reminiscent of THE COWBOY JUNKIES and THE THROWING MUSES. This was most evident on some of the newer songs off their second album, "Secret Transit", particularly "Riverboat Dream" and "The Wait."

When the band turns up the amps they have a nice shuffle and shake to their sound that showed up on the standout songs of the set like "Worn Out Nervous Condition" and "Ready To Go" (which was the catchiest song of the set). When drummer Benjamin Cartel took the lead on "Minefield" the sound morphed into something akin to Elliot Smith. It takes a lot to make me change my mind about a band, but their show did it for me, sealed by their walking through the crowd for a acoustic performance of "Memphis".

Top it off with the fact that the band mans it's own merchandise stand after the show and you can't help but root for them to find at least enough success where they get some help on the road. Take some time to go buy their new record.

(mp3) Kaiser Cartel -- Worn Out Nervous Condition

Meet Delorean (no...not the car)

I cannot take credit in any way shape or form for discovering the joy of DELOREAN on my own. The ever hipper-than-me Ed from 17 Seconds posted about them about a month ago and I have since come to the conclusion that his assessment of the brilliance of the record is very appropriate. What struck me about listening to this is how organic it all seems. Even thou at it's heart, "Subiza" is a get off your ass dance album, it draws many comparisons in my mind to early NEW ORDER. The use of dance rhythms in a rock context was a staple of the Manchester icons sound and much of that imprint has found its way to these Spanish lads. "Stay Close" is about the best example of records sound, with it's high pitched sample vocals and skittering drum beats. As you listen to the record more and more you start to hear the little flourishes of keyboard or guitar that dot the songs and give them context and depth.

The New Order comparison extends beyond the music to include the slightly off key, slightly monotone vocal delivery of Ekhi Lopetegi (who is like Bernard Sumner but with a cool accent) on songs like "Endless Sunset" and "Simple Graces". Hell, they even created their own Hacienda-like club in Barcelona to play and recruit other artists to their sound.

Just how successful the band will be with the absence of any real lyrical threads to their songs remains to be seen. It is clear that they aspire to move beyond club life and into the mainstream of music with this record. It is also clear that this is one of the best records of 2010, and from a place where you wouldn't expect.

(mp3) Delorean -- Stay Close

New Future of Forestry

Usually when I sit down to write a review of something I use the same process. I start by listening to the record once or twice before starting to formulate ideas about angles I will write on. Then I start to research the band looking for information about history and influences. So when I started looking into FUTURE OF FORESTRY I was suprised to see that they are listed as "Christian Rock". Why did this suprise me? Because often bands will shy away from this moniker for fear that it will lessen their ability to be marketed to the mainstream. In fact, lead singer Eric Owyoung said as much in a 2007 interview. But does this change the way I relate to the record?

Musically the album has a lot of similarities to RADIOHEAD and their offspring. It's actually a pretty good record. But does the band's openness about their desire to not only play music but to preach to the unconverted change my feelings about what they play? Now I'm not trying to challenge anyone's faith (far be it for me to delve into any level of spiritual discourse on such a trivial thing as a blog. In fact, I am trying to purposely keep my own spiritual affiliation vague for that reason) and after all, didn't U2 start out with the same mission? Have they and other artists used music as an exploration of faith and devotion to a higher being or purpose? Why is that we only classify Christian rock and not Buddhist or Muslim rock? Ultimately, if the music is good and the songs have depth and passion and conviction in their message that should be enough. So as I type now with the knowledge that Future of Forestry sees itself as both a religiously convicted band as well as a band with a desire to be heard by a greater audience I don't feel as limited in my thinking. Before I might have dismissed the record as something that is "not for me" but I still listen to the songs and the music and fall in love with the melodies and the guitar work.

Music is about moving people to places of deep emotion, whether be in the service of love or pain or sadness. A band's personal beliefs, or their stated mission to share those beliefs with others, does not interfere with that pursuit. Just trust me and listen to the songs. They are really good and deserve to be heard...

(mp3) Future of Forestry -- Protection

It's almost embarrassing to admit liking this song.

As I dabbled in a variety of musical genres throughout high school and college I picked up some peculiar songs along the way. I'm sure we all have these little hidden treasures from the time we jumped head first into liking rap music or that month long flirtation with glam rock that came with dating a girl who teased her hair and used a bit too much Aquanet. There was a time when I spent some of my days perusing the goth world mostly due to the fact that I was hanging out with a lot of drama students and trying hard to seem edgier than I really was. Out of this time period came an appreciation for BAUHAUS, LOVE AND ROCKETS, SISTERS OF MERCY and THE MISSION UK. I can't really say what appealed to me about the style of music other than it was so over the top that you had to appreciate the sheer conviction of the artist for putting such noise down for public consumption. So when I rolled across an old Mission UK song in my catalogue, all the sights and sounds of that sophomore year in high school came rushing back.

Now I was what you might call a poser to the goth scene. I own no eye-liner or have ever dyed my hair. I have nothing pierced or tattooed. I can't claim any sort of inner turmoil to send me scribbling into a notebook (which is probably why I never learned to play guitar...damn you normal, stable family life!!). But for some reason, "Deliverance", with it's allusions to fairy queens and the fall of Babylon screamed at the top of one's lungs in a 1986 red Dodge D50 pickup seemed right to me. Upon reflection it must have been a bit disconcerting seeing a preppy white kid with short blond hair modeled more after Zach from SAVED BY THE BELL without the impish charms shouting "Give Me Deliverance...brothers, sisters." But damn it all if the song didn't sound kick ass at the time. And you know what, after three listens as I write this...it still kind of does. Let the mocking begin.

(mp3) The Mission UK -- Deliverance

Glass Vaults make pretty music

I often wonder how new bands have a prayer of getting discovered in today's highly fractured marketplace. With radio being overrun by American Idol and bad pop music and no real major print outlets left (sorry but Rolling Stone just ain't what it used to be), it seems that it takes a major alignment of the stars to get a band any sort of exposure. Even the blogosphere is so vast that it would take a huge serendipitous chain of events and postings to get the exposure necessary to be found. Now, that's not to say it doesn't happen. Bands like FRIGHTENED RABBIT, THE ARCADE FIRE, and BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE have all found a modicum of success without the traditional methods of exposure to the listening audience. But in most cases, all a band can do is plug away and hope for the best.

I bring this up due in large part to a weekly e-mail I get from Insound. I signed up for their free mp3 of the week ages ago and on most weeks I ignore it. I have no real reason for playing this week's submission other than I was bored with what is currently on my playlist and needed to hear something new. So color me shocked with the sample track from Wellington, New Zealand's Glass Vaults. "Forget Me Not" inhabits the space occupied by m83, loopier RADIOHEAD tracks, and ANIMAL COLLECTIVE (which I swear is what I heard prior to reading their bio which name checked those exact bands.) Although the rest of their ep is a bit spacier and tends to find it's way into the SIGUR ROS territory, it still is a very intriguing listen (particularly late at night in headphones). Will GLASS VAULTS be a big success and sell loads of records? Probably not. But do the deserve to be heard? Very much so and you should take time to listen to what they have created...you won't be sorry.

(mp3) Glass Vaults -- Forget Me Not

Visit the bands bandcamp site for more of their stuff

Tokyo Police Club Make A Move To The Big Time

I know, I know. It's a hollow apology for waiting for a month in between posts and that any attempt to make up some excuse would only be met with cold indifference. I could say that work and family have consumed me but the fact is that every time I sat down to blog I got distracted by ESPN or some other website. But I am now back in the creative spirit and I hope to write more frequently. Having said that...

TOKYO POLICE CLUB got a considerable amount of publicity for the debut record a while back which did a good job of combining early WEEZER with the more pop oriented JAM catalogue entries. Throw in some PAVEMENT and mix it up and you had "Elephant Shell". I was a bit surprised how often I went back to listen to their record and it made me anxious to hear some new stuff. Glad to say I was not disappointed with their new record "Champ". There is always that obvious move that many bands make to a more commercial sound on their second record that refines some of the edges and takes away some of the urgency of their early material. This is usually due to a combination of commercial desire, record label pressure and the fact that all the performing a band does makes them better musicians and that means a greater sense of harmony and melody.

Gone are a lot of the fits and hiccups of the last record and replaced by a stronger sense of song structure. "Breakneck Speed" and "Wait Up (Boots of Danger)" have that ready for radio accessibility that will get them airplay and commercial endorsements. (We will conveniently ignore the fact that the band once played on an episode of Desperate Housewives...that's just wrong. "Gone" has a bit of that Pavement sound which makes it a braver choice as a single. While the record is good, you wish they would let loose a bit. The punkier elements of the record seem a bit tame, like they are afraid to really hit those instruments and see what happens.

What does appeal is the slow build of the opening "Favorite Food" and the closing coda that is "Frankenstein". In both cases the band tinkers with their sound enough to suggest that they might be ready to really make a creative leap with their future work. That and the simple fact that these lads make catchy, poppy music for a sunny day will keep me coming back to their material again and again.

(mp3) Tokyo Police Club -- Favorite Food

Let The National Love Continue

There was little doubt walking into The Wiltern last night that I was going to enjoy THE NATIONAL live. With some bands you just get a sense that they will transition live based on what you hear on record. Bands that have a large amount of interplay between members and a clear understanding of pacing on record usually put on a pretty good live show. So allow me a few thoughts on what I experienced last night:

1) Credit the band with starting the night with "Start a War". The song live builds nicely a set a tone for the evening. On most nights they open with either "Mistaken For Strangers" or "Anyone's Ghost". These were slotted down to two and three and allowed the audience the chance to get prepped.

2) Even though this was my first time seeing them, the band is obviously tour vets and has a much more powerful live sound. The guitars crash and shred through the songs and the drums have a larger power live then on record (which is surprising given that drums are usually very prevalent in the final mixes of most of their songs).

3) The newer material does not suffer by comparison to the older songs. "Bloodbuzz Ohio", "Afraid of Everyone" and "Lemonworld" hold their own and will surely be in the live show in some form for awhile.

4) Even songs I am not particularly fond of, such as "Baby, We'll Be Fine", played well live. This is a testament to Matt Berringer's conviction to making each song have a distinct feel. When your voice is that unique it helps even the lesser material shine.

5) They deliver on a set list that's for sure. 21 songs and almost two hours (including all but one of the new songs.) Well done indeed!!

6) Kudos to the band (or their management) for getting a quality opening act. RAMONA FALLS were very good in their own right. When you wake up the next day and rehash the show in your head and it includes songs from the warm up act, that's a testament to the chops of the first act to take the stage. However, if they ever want to get anywhere the lead singer is going to have to speak at some point.

7) The ending of a show is of particular importance. This is usually reserved for their more popular songs. With THE NATIONAL, that includes "Mr. November" (which got the second to last spot) and "Fake Empire" (which ended the main set). Both were brilliant and worth the wait and yet...

8) Special props to the version of "Terrible Love". A gutsy move to end with a new song (which U2 tried with "Moment of Surrender" on the last tour and flopped) but here it was a good call. The band clearly enjoys playing it. It's tempo and sound sum up the night well and was well received by the crowd. A new classic was born.

So what does all this mean. THE NATIONAL are amazing live. Like there was going to be any doubt.

(mp3) The National -- Terrible Love (live)

Everything about this screams INDIE ROCK!!

When you name your band you have to be careful. Often it will go a long way to determining who will listen to you and which people will even take the time review your material. When you don't put enough effort into your name it can be highly detrimental to your success. Take THE FOO FIGHTERS for example. Coming on the heals of the end of NIRVANA, Dave Grohl had to form a new band to allow him to continue his creative output. Back then I was working at a record label and a friend handed me a cassette with the band's name and nothing else. Now, had I not done my homework I might of just passed on it just like I had several thousand other promo cd's and tapes that I had received. But for some reason I didn't. Imagine if the same thing had happened if no one knew who Dave Grohl was. We would have missed out on a truly great band.

(this is not to say I had any hand in THE FOO FIGHTERS success, I merely had an early release copy and played it on my show before anyone else in Southern California, but since my radio station had the transmission strength of two cans and a string, it had no real historical impact.)

Which brings us to SOMEONE STILL LOVES YOU, BORIS YELTSIN. This would be an easy band to dismiss since the name is so preposterous and in some ways overly pretentious. We get it, you're smart. Must you bludgeon us with your knowledge of Cold War era Russian politics? I bring this up because I did initially dismiss this Missouri band precisely for this reason. I am here to admit I was wrong. They are in fact, a very good indie rock band. They have inhaled the REM and PAVEMENT catalogues to produce a pretty high quality catalogue of quirky pop tunes. Their latest record, "Let It Sway" is due out in August and they have released the title track first single. A perfect piece of jangly, shining pop music that has piqued my interest in their older material as well as whet my appetite for the new record. I think I have now played this about 7 times in a row. It's just that addicting.

Just another case of judging book by it's cover (or band by it's name)...

(mp3) Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin -- Sink/Let It Sway (link courtesy of the awesome THE PHOTON GOD blog)

New Band of Horses

Band of Horses is one of those bands that seems out of place in the current music universe. The have developed a sound that is reminiscent of 70's rock in the use of layered vocals, a slight country tinge to the guitars and a soft feel to the lyrics. Their latest, "Infinite Arms", builds on the formula with little tweaks here and there to separate it from the earlier work. "Laredo" has all the markings of the traditional BOH song, where "Dilly" uses a nice keyboard line to drive the mid tempo track. Of the slower songs, "Way Back Home" has a sweet southern sound as if played on the front porch in the summer. The title track meanders around with a slight Cowboy Junkies vibe to it.

The thing I most enjoy about the record is the way that each listens reveals a new sound or texture. The record has not gotten stale as it has moved from new rotation to simply coming up on random on the iPod. A sign of a good record is one that continues to surprise.

Link Removed per request...

Returning to the Scene of the Crime

For over two months I have sat dormant in the blogging universe (a self imposed exile). The reasons are not important, but I have gotten the itch to write again mainly because my wife has bohtered me to start again but also because I enjoy sharing music with others. So I will dive back in and see how long I can keep it up.

I would like to think that THE NATIONAL released a record partially to get me to start writing again. Long time favorites of Your Moment of Zen, the Ohio bred collective have released "High Violet" to quite the critical acclaim. This is in no way suprising since there last two records have also be highly lauded efforts. "High Violet" sounds fresh and yet comforting at the same time. There is something about Matt Berringer's bariotone voice that is so distinctive, like a well aged scotch or a fine cigar. It just has that smokey sound that gives the songs a different feel then the run of the mill indie rock out there today. But with the new record he does sing a few songs in a higher range that is new and yet does not sacrifice the overall sound.

Musically, the record is not a huge departure from the previous two efforts. Although there is nothing as gorgeous as "Fake Empire" from the last record, there are some memorable moments. "Terrible Love" opens the album with a slow building anthem that uses guitars to cascade over a pulsing stop start drum beat. "Sorrow" is a prototypical National song, full of somber lyrics, textured guitars and a steady bass line. "Afraid of Everyone" is an overtly political song that has a feel of earlier era U2. "Bloodbuzz Ohio" kicks off with a great drum break before settiling into a nice rhythmic track that will certainly sound better live. The highlight of the record for me has to "Lemonworld". Starting off with a simple guitar line and building on the drums and bass, Berringer recalls the tale of traveling through New York in a surreal dream post military life.

The National are poised for greatness with this record. It has enough mass appeal to be commercially viable and yet artistically challenging to satisfy their hardcore fan base.

The National--Bloodbuzz Ohio

We Have Come To The End My Friends

All things must end and so it is with this little enterprise. There have been 278 posts (not counting ones that were removed by DMCA notice or other circumstances), each one designed to highlight music that I have either loved for a long time or been exposed to along the way. Without this, I would not have had the chance to experience what others have written about music, love and life. I certainly never developed the following of the larger blogs, but I hope that in my small way I have exposed those you that have come my way to some songs and bands that you have grown to love. I end this because life moves us in other avenues and other directions. I end this because I just can't keep up with it in the way I would like.

Readers may not have always agreed with me but I hope I have expressed myself and my love of music in simple terms. This blog was meant to celebrate music and all that it can achieve. It was meant to show people that there is beauty in the world and that it can be enhanced by the common search for the perfect sound. For those of you that blog I say, keep it up, you have a gift and need to share it. For those of you who read these sorts of things, I say keep supporting those willing to express their loves to others.

I leave you with these parting songs and say thank you to those of you who took a few minutes to care enough to read what I have had to say.

(mp3) The National -- Fake Empire (live)

Probably the best song I heard in my time blogging. Still sounds great no matter how many times I listen.

(mp3) U2 -- Where The Streets Have No Name (live)

Any reader know why this is here. There will never be a greater song written in my mind.

**pics of are of my boys. All of whom love music and will have larger record collections than I could impossible imagine...

Frightend Rabbit -- Too Brilliant for Words

We all knew it when we circled the date on our collective musical calenders that the new FRIGHTENED RABBIT record was going to be a big deal (at least to those of us in the blogosphere). There was the appropriate amount of worship of their last record (and a wee bit of sell out backlash for those who loved their debut) and our appetites had been whetted with "Swim Until You Can't See Land" being played live and released as a stand alone single well in advance. But I for one was not prepared for what I have been hearing over the past week. It is the sound of a band coming into focus in ways I could not have imagined. Freed from the constraints of writing about lost and jilted love, Scott Hutchison has found new depth in his poetry that is now matched with the power and drive of a fully realized band.

Whether it's the droning guitar that anchors the lead track, "Things" or the string arrangements that float around "Skip The Youth", the Rabbit have expanded their arsenal of sound without sacrificing their basic song structure. They are still, for lack of a better term, a pop band writing songs that are meant to be sung along to and they still find their way to the catchy tune for each track. "Nothing Like You" is a clean, simple pop number that is the closest to the Midnight tracks in style and tone. "Swim" feels right at home with this record where live it stuck out from the earlier stuff. "The Loneliness" and "The Wrestle" form the core of the record and seem to share a theme of isolation and despair that Hutchison rides throughout the album. "Not Miserable" sounds like the response to "Floating on the Forth" as the writer has now come to gripes with what happened and has started to move on. (which may explain why Hutchison has already stated he will not play this live, much like he rarely plays the other song). The album ends with "Yes I Would", which is soft coda to a work of upheaval and noise.

I can't really tell you what will happen with this band. There is so much depth to what they do that the possibilities are endless. My fear is that they will be pushed out as a middle of the road alternative band and get played on TV shows and movies. The reason that scares me is I think they could be so much more. They have a chance to be truly great. It's hard to remember it's still early. Someone with this much talent needs time to harness it and develop it. Scott Hutchison is that sort of talent. I'm glad I'm here to hear it unfold. You should be too...

Introducing...Watch Out For Rockets

WATCH OUT FOR ROCKETS are from Austin, Texas and according the blurb they sent me they are the greatest band ever. Now while I'm not quite willing to go out on a limb and say that I will say this...they are certainly an entertaining and intriguing listen. I can't really figure out why but I could have told you they were from Austin just by listening to them. There is something about their sound that screams southwest. Their record, "Beasts With Hearts of Gold" is such an eclectic mix of sounds and structures that it's really hard to pinpoint a given sound. At times they remind me of SPARKLEHORSE, mostly due to the distorted vocals in songs like "Class Action Pant Suit" and "Urgent Serpent Merchant". There is a country swing to some tracks while other have an early PAVEMENT feel to them. In fact, that type of snarky, DIY ethic is probably the unifying force to the record. It sounds like most of the songs were recorded on lo-fi four tracks. It gives the whole album a roughed up feel. There are also touches of THE PIXIES, REVEREND HORTON HEAT and a host of classic punk rock riffs throughout the 20 songs (most of which clock in at 1-2 minutes long).

The highlight of the record for me is "Heart Poppers", which is the closest thing to a traditional rock song on the record. It shows a band that could grow into something more commercial if they chose to go that route and write catchy pop songs. I don't think they will simply due to the rest of the record's more esoteric approach but it's certainly part of their DNA. The nice thing about these guys is their versatility has meant that each time I listen to the record I discover something new, which means the record will stay fresh longer and has so far kept my interest.

(mp3) Watch Out For Rockets -- Heart Poppers

(mp3) Watch Out For Rockets -- Ready The Horses

Cleaning out the InBox (again)

**Now back to the music. Which is what the point of this whole exercise was to begin with...

The inbox has been filling up with new and exciting music so I thought I would get a few quick reviews out of the way as we get set for the onslaught of new records from FRIGHTENED RABBIT, ARCADE FIRE and many, many more.

THE THRUSHES are a Baltimore based three piece band that specializes in feedback drenched indie rock not unlike early PIXIES, if Kim Deal had fronted the band all along. There is also a hint of Tonya Donnelly and Kristin Hersch in lead singer Anna Conner's vocals. There songs have a nice mix of melody and discord that reminds me of stuff I listened to a lot in college. In fact, this band is a living reminder of college radio's signature sound (and I mean that as a compliment) Their debut record, "Sun Come Undone" is out now and is worth a listen (at least based on what I have heard). Included is a pretty by the numbers cover of Mazzy Stars' "Fade Into You", which is a good choice as covers go. This is actually some pretty good stuff and worth checking out...

(mp3) The Thrushes -- Crystals

PAUL MASSON is a singer/songwriter out of Baltimore as well, although his sound is as far from The Thrushes as possible. More akin to dust bowl country music of Hank Williams, Masson uses slide guitars and hushed acoustics to tell his tales of lost love and the ache of loneliness. Although not really my cup of tea, it certainly has a place for those looking for a melancholy take on life.

HER NAME IS CALLA are a UK outfit that would most likely find a home on 4AD given the chance. It has that orchestral feel of DEAD CAN DANCE. The songs take a while to get where they are going and are more like sonic landscapes than pop songs. I imagine their is probably a huge visual element to the bands live show that enhances the music. It's a bit bombastic, but for those with a goth past in them it might be worth your time.

(mp3) Her Name is Calla -- Long Grass

Finally, OUI SI ONLY YOU are from Chicago and they are a hard rock/hip hop band. I feel bad because I know that I should really not post if I don't like it but any publicity I can give a starving band is fair I guess. It's not as if I bear them any ill will, I just don't like them. But by all means check them out for yourself...

Bad Lieutenant (or what Bernard Sumner has been up to lately)

We all know that NEW ORDER are perhaps one of the best bands to come out of the collective Manchester area and are certainly to be credited with the fusion of dance and rock music. About a year ago I chronicled the various off shoots and one off projects that band has been engaged in when they are not recording as a groups (to date: they include ELECTRONIC, REVENGE, MONACO, THE OTHER TWO, Peter Hook's upcoming FREEBASS as well as stints with A CERTAIN RATIO, THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS and 808 STATE). However, when Peter Hook announced he was opting out of the band, lead singer and guitarist Bernard Sumner had a choice to make. He could continue to use the name and record new music with the remainder of the band (which now consisted of Sumner and a bunch of random guys since Stephen Morris and Gillian Gilbert had already left years ago) or he could pick up a new moniker for his music.

This is often a difficult choice for a band. Their is a certain built in ease with staying with the original name (that and a fan recognition that is usually good for some airplay) but if the music is not up to the standard set by the band's earlier work it will be a disaster. Starting up a new band has a sense of renewal to it, but it carries with it the burden of comparison to the singer's original incarnation. There is no doubt that Sumner's work would be recognizable regardless of what it was called so moving forward with the new name of BAD LIEUTENANT was probably best. But this ain't New Order that's for sure.

One can see that if this was the direction the recordings were going why Hook left. The bass lines are pedestrian and the songs are blatant attempts at pop rather than the electronic fused dance hall music of past albums. While some of the songs, most notably "Sink or Swim", "Twist of Fate" and "Dynamo" have a New Order circa "Regret" vibe, the rest of the record plays as a straight forward alternative rock record. When the bass takes the lead, such as "This Is Home" my ear wanted so badly to hear Hook's signature sound instead of the safe and boring sound presented here. One wonders what the songs would have morphed into even in the ELECTRONIC collaboration Sumner had with Johnny Marr which was at least sonically interesting. Sumner clearly has a gift for popcraft and hits on a few nice guitar lines but it could have been so much more. Maybe given time, Sumner will find a sound that is distinct from his work with New Order or Electronic. Although the record is a fine album and is very listenable, I have come to expect more.

(mp3) Bad Lieutenant -- Sink or Swim

(mp3) Bad Lieutenant -- Twist of Fate

When James Met Danger (DMCA Compliant version)

**I posted this about two weeks ago. The same day I posted it I got a cease and desist from WEB SHERIFF about the songs I chose to post. The same day I took the links down but felt strongly enough about the record to keep the review. Then today I got a DMCA notice that my post was removed to DRAFT status due to publishing song issues, which is confusing since there were no links to any songs at the time. This wouldn't normally bother me except for the hypocrisy for getting this sort of notice about a record produced by DANGERMOUSE who owed most of his fame to an illegal mashup of THE BEATLES and JAY-Z. My how people change when they get famous...

Sometimes a record is more than the sum of its parts. Sometimes something that seems so odd at first, seems so natural after repeated listens. Such is the case with BROKEN BELLS. This is a collaboration between James Mercer, Lead singer of THE SHINS, and uber-producer DANGERMOUSE. On the surface this seems a bit of an odd pairing, but dig deeper and it makes sense. Dangermouse has made a career our of odd musical co habitations (Beck's last record, His recent work with Sparklehorse and David Lynch, his successful pairing with Cee-Lo that was Gnarls Barkley, His work producing The Gorillaz) and Mercer had been slowly reshaping The Shins sound into a more experimental territory. Dismissing for a moment the claims they make that this is in fact a real band, the sound is a surprisingly organic mix of the two styles.

Some of the songs seem like Shins outtakes. "Vaporize" and "Trap Doors" sound like vintage Shins slightly mopey pop music. But elsewhere the combination of Mercer's popcraft and Dangermouse's electronic touches led to some truly interesting results. The lead single, "The High Road", has a funky beat and a clap your hands rhythm to it that makes the song shuffle along like a winding country road. "The Ghost Inside" finds Mercer in full falsetto aping Prince to a psuedo RnB swing. "The Mall and Misery" is a beeps and blasts electronic mash of a finale that I swear sounds like The Arcade Fire as filtered through a processor. It's truly an outlandish sound to hear.

I'm not sure how much shelf life the record will have. I was enamored with Beck and Sparklehorse's work with Dangermouse before only to abandon them over time. But I hope this keeps my attention as much as it grabbed me in the first place.

Critics will go Nuts for The Album Leaf

This one has critical darling written all over it. THE ALBUM LEAF are set to release their 5th formal album later this year entitled "A Chorus of Storytellers" and it is a thing of sonic beauty. There are the obvious comparisons to be made to the equally sonically adventurous acts like SIGUR ROS, EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY, and MOGWAI; all of whom fly in the space where songs have no real choruses or often are devoid of vocals entirely. The Album Leaf's album is not as abstract as some of those others. The songs are warmer and have an intimacy that comes with a single minded vision. James LaValle, principal architect of the band, has flirted with this type of sonic majesty before but not until now has he finally stepped into his own. The best comparison I can make is when WILCO released "Yankee Foxtrot Hotel". There was just no way to anticipate this sort of artistic leap.

"A Chorus of Storytellers" is a collection that builds slowly. On first listen it is not unexpected to be a bit underwhelmed. The slight sonic hum of "Perro" folds into the cascading instrumentation of "Blank Pages". The centerpiece of the record, and the de facto single since it is the rare vocal track, is the sublime "Falling From The Sun". When LaValle does add vocals, whether here or the equally mesmerizing "There Is A Wind" the band reminds me of vintage THE BETA BAND. Whether it is the distant pops and beeps (a la Radiohead) on "Within Dreams" or drum and piano driven "Stand Still, LaValle has tapped into a whole new musical palette with which to express his ideas.

It's easy to get lost in hyperbole when first listening to a record. Time tends to dull our senses to a sound and we move onto something else. That would be folly when concerning this record. It's a record that needs your time and attention to truly appreciate. I am not sure I have absorbed it enough to give it it's full due. On my fourth full listen through I still find new ways to enjoy it and new moods hidden within the subtle chord changes and synth lines. It's rare that a record can sound both big and small at the same time. This is that sort of record. Quite simply, it is a gorgeous piece of music worth your ears.

(mp3) The Album Leaf -- Falling From The Sun

Introducing...Christopher Bell Covers America

I am late to the Christopher Bell party in large part due to my own laziness. His label sent me a copy of the "Covers EP" back in October and I am just now getting around to it. For someone who thinks of himself as a music snob this is frankly unacceptable and will no longer be tolerated. After a couple of spins, I can honestly say that he has real potential.

Bell's sound is in line with ELLIOT SMITH, BON IVER, and SUFJAN STEVENS. Like those other artists, Bell uses very little instrumentation and often sings in a hushed tone that belies the power of his ability. Given that these songs are covers he is essentially interpreting another's words and music but it doesn't feel that way. These songs sound like his own (this may be due to the relative obscurity of the source material). There's a streak of Americana Folk that runs throughout the set that binds it together, whether it is the plaintive "Robert L. Sinclaire" or the Odd Frank Black cover "All My Ghosts" redone as an ole timey porch sing along.

Bell's music has the same feel of a Norah Jones in many ways; of this time and yet very much influenced by another. His sound is carefully crafted to recall a long lost age of simple singing and songs that had room to breath and improvisation to occur. One gets the idea that played live, his music never is the same twice. Which is why I think he is someone worth keeping an eye on.

(mp3) Christopher Bell -- All My Ghosts