Zox - "Anything But Fine" (2005)

Zox is an indie band from Rhode Island who are somewhat unique because of their use of violin. I know what you’re thinking: “Yellowcard uses violin, so it’s not that unique.” And maybe you’re somewhat correct, but Zox incorporates some really cool melodies using the violin that just wouldn’t be as sweet with any other instrument. The band’s unusual name is actually the last name of drummer John Zox. The band have released three albums, one independently and two on SideOneDummy Records, which is mostly a punk label, but don’t let that fool you. Their latest album Line In the Sand came out back in January and I couldn’t tell you much about it because I haven’t really heard it. Today’s song comes from their 2005 release The Wait and is my favorite track on the record. This one is a bit of a slow builder, but the violin is amazing in this song and the lyrics are great as well.


Zox - "Anything But Fine"

Weezer - "Troublemaker" (2008)

Weezer needs no introduction. They’ve been a constant in the alt rock scene since their 1994 self titled debut that yielded hits like “Buddy Holly” and “Say It Ain’t So.” Since then the band has released five more albums. The band’s newest album hit stores earlier this month and is their third self titled record, being dubbed “The Red Album.” The band had been out of the spotlight for a while after seeing great success in 2005 with their fifth album Make Believe. It was rumored at one point that the band would be breaking up but obviously that is not the case. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into The Red Album simply because Weezer has been kind of hit or miss since The Blue Album. That’s not to say they haven’t made some great records, but there have been a few songs on each album I wasn’t particularly fond of. My fears were somewhat alleviated after hearing the album’s first single “Pork and Beans.” It’s classic pop rock from Weezer with great guitar crunch, a soaring chorus and tongue in cheek lyrics from front man Rivers Cuomo. I read somewhere that the song was written in response to the label requesting that Weezer write a radio hit. So Cuomo penned a song about not wanting to write a radio hit. Great stuff. The video makes it even better. I finally got the album earlier this week and while it has it’s moments, I would have to say that so far I’m not completely sold. There are some fantastic songs like “Everybody Get Dangerous” and “Heart Songs.” But then there are some weird experiments like the genre hopping “The Greatest Man That Ever Lived.” By some band’s standards six minutes isn’t that long, but considering that most of Weezer’s tunes clock in at under three, it begins to grow tedious. Also vexing is the fact that guitarist Brian Bell and drummer Pat Wilson take over on lead vocals on a couple of songs. It’s not that they aren’t competent singers, (each has released music with his own side project,) it’s just that it doesn’t seem like Weezer if Rivers Cuomo isn’t singing, even with his creepy mustache and newfound affinity for Western wear. Also of note is that there is a special edition of the album that features four bonus tracks not found on the original version. This is totally worth it if for no other reason than “Miss Sweeny” a hilarious song about an office manager with a major crush on his secretary that almost feels a little like Fountains of Wayne at times. And it’s almost catchier than any of the songs that made the album. Today’s tune is the lead off track and according to Cuomo in the liner notes; it’s a song that says “this is me. This is who I am.” The lyrics are great and the tune is infectious. I would suggest checking this out, especially if you’ve been a Weezer fan for a while, just don’t expect to be blown away.


Weezer - "Troublemaker"

Augustana - "Hey Now" (2008)

Augustana is a rock band from San Diego, but given the brand of rootsy, blues tinged rock they play, you might think they’re from the South. The band gained national popularity a couple years ago on the back of the their first single “Boston,” a piano driven ballad that ended up being featured on the soundtracks of several prime time television shows. Two years later, Augustana is back with a much more defined sound and sense of self than on their debut All the Stars and Boulevards. The new album Can’t Love, Can’t Hurt features ten tracks than find Augustana stripping things down a bit and finding their alt-country side. Singer Dan Layus is more confident this time around. This is especially noticeable on the ballad “Fire,” which features just him and a piano. He also does a great Ryan Adams impression on “Meet You There,” complete with an unnecessary f-bomb, just for good measure. The first single, “Sweet and Low” has the potential to eclipse the popularity of “Boston” if pop radio weren’t so fickle these days. The song is just as good as anything Goo Goo Dolls or The Wallflowers were putting out in the late 90s. Today’s song is the album opener and while it takes a while to get where it’s going, once it does, you see the wait was worth it. This tune is definitely more polished than anything on All the Stars and Boulevards, but I don’t mean that in a bad way. Can’t Love, Can’t Hurt is fantastic album and I’m hoping that Augustana continue in this direction in the future.


Augustana - "Hey Now"

Glen Hansard - "Say It To Me Now" (2007)

Glen Hansard is the lead singer and songwriter for Irish outfit The Frames. He gained new notoriety last year when Once, the indie film he starred in became a cult hit, due in large part to the songs he had penned for the soundtrack. The most notable song “Falling Slowly,” a duet with Hansard and co-star Marketa Irglova, won the Oscar for best original song back in February. I had read several favorable reviews of Once and had it recommended to me by friends and I finally watched it last month. I was thoroughly impressed with this movie, purchasing the soundtrack the next day. To call it a musical would be a misnomer, because the characters do not spontaneously burst into song and dance. It is however a musical in the sense that that the story revolves around two musicians who meet and form a special bond, writing and performing songs together. The best moments in the film come when you see thee songs fleshed out before your eyes, like when “Falling Slowly” is played in an empty music store and the first time you hear “When Your Mind’s Made Up,” being recorded in the studio. If you didn’t know, it would be possible to assume that Once is a documentary, because it is very much shot in that style but that is not the case. Since the filming of the movie Hansard and Irglova have continued to work together, releasing a self titled album under the name The Swell Season and embarking on tours across Europe and North America. Today’s song is a short one, but for me the most raw and powerful tune on the soundtrack. One of my favorite scenes in the movie is early on when Hansard plays “Say It To Me Now” on an empty Dublin street in the dead of night, singing to no one in particular, but belting it out as if he is in front of thousands or maybe even alone with the one to which the lyrics are directed.


Glen Hansard - "Say It To Me Now"

Death Cab for Cutie - "Cath..." (2008)

Death Cab for Cutie is a band I’ve featured several times before, so I won’t go into how great I think they are or how much I love Ben Gibbard’s song writing. I will however let you know all about their latest effort Narrow Stairs. This album is the long anticipated follow up to Death Cab’s wildly successful 2005 major label debut Plans. Any fears you may have had about a major label infringing on the band’s creative control and thus watering down the music can be thrown out the window. Narrow Stairs finds Death Cab at their most experimental and you know they aren’t writing for radio when the first single clocks in at over eight minutes. Of course there is a radio edit of “I Will Possess Your Heart” that excludes the four and half minute buildup of an infectious bass line peppered with random guitar and piano parts, but you only get the full effect when you listen to the whole thing. Lyrically, Gibbard is about as dark and lamenting as ever, finding the beauty of a natural disaster in “Grapevine Fires” and sending a dying romance to its wintry grave in “The Ice Is Getting Thinner.” The album isn’t a complete downer though. “No Sunlight” is the sunniest song you will ever hear about pessimism. On “Long Division,” the guitars are much heavier than anything on Plans. In fact the song wouldn’t be out of place on 2001’s The Photo Album or even their 2003 breakthrough Transatlanticism. I can see how some fans could be thrown off by Narrow Stairs and it took me a few listens to really get into it, but once I did, it stayed on repeat for weeks. If nothing else, you have to respect Death Cab for Cutie for making the record they wanted to make and doing it quite well. Today’s song is one of my favorites mainly because of the guitar in the intro. It’s incredibly infectious and leads into a wonderfully written song about a woman who perpetually makes unwise romantic decisions, delivered like a short story with Gibbard’s unmistakable tenor.


Death Cab for Cutie - "Cath..."

My Morning Jacket - "Highly Suspicious" (2008)

My Morning Jacket is a fantastic rock band that has been releasing albums for nearly ten years. The group from Louisville, KY has been hailed by many critics and fans as one of the best live bands performing today. This can be seen and heard on the band’s 2006 live CD and DVD Okonokos. I first discovered My Morning Jacket in 2003 after hearing a few tracks from their third album It Still Moves, most notably the single “One Big Holiday.” I liked a couple of the songs but wasn’t really blown away. In 2005 the band released Z a collection of ten songs that immediately won them new fans and put them in the upper echelon of the indie rock scene. Needless to say that their fifth studio offering Evil Urges has been widely anticipated for a couple years now and it’s finally here. I’ve been listening to this record non stop for the past week and I find something new to like about it every time. The band builds off of what they did on Z but doesn’t necessarily stay in the same range sonically. There is a balanced mix of hard rockers and breezy ballads on Evil Urges. One of the better slow songs is “Librarian,” which finds front man Jim James crooning softly as he imagines wooing the librarian he’s been admiring from afar. The lead single “I’m Amazed” is classic MMJ and could fit comfortably on either of their two previous records, featuring some solid Southern rock guitar licks. “Highly Suspicious” is a song that is likely to polarize some of the band’s long time fans. James is almost mimicking Prince as he sings the verses in a high falsetto over some heavy bass and several voices join him to bellow out the title of the song, which is the hook. This is a great one for rolling down the windows and jamming on the air guitar, much to the chagrin of the driver sitting beside you at a red light. It’s not really representative of the album as a whole, but it’s easily my favorite, but will probably leave some fans scratching their heads. Evil Urges is definitely on my short list of best albums of 2008 so far. This is a must buy for sure.


My Morning Jacket - "Highly Suspicious"

All Get Out - "Water and God" (2008)

All Get Out is a relatively new band of four guys from South Carolina. I discovered them after hearing them mentioned in an interview with Manchester Orchestra front man Andy Hull. The band is currently signed to his Favorite Gentleman Recordings, which released their debut EP back in January. The Spitting EP consists of five songs that run the gamut from synth-infused pop, to piano balladry, to straight up guitar rock. After checking out today’s song on the band’s Myspace several times, I went ahead and got the whole EP a couple weeks ago and I haven’t stopped listening to it. Especially of note is the heart felt piano driven closer “Three More, I Guess,” a sparse arrangement that finds front man Nathan Hussey going from a near whisper to an emotional crescendo backed with beautiful female vocals. Today’s song is definitely the reason to get The Spitting EP. “Water and God” has one of the best keyboard hooks I’ve heard in a while and some excellent lyrics as well, with a vocal style somewhere between The Format and The Weakerthans. It’s sure to get lodged in your brain. All Get Out is a very promising new band and I’m eagerly awaiting a full length from these guys.


All Get Out - "Water and God"