So I may be jumping the gun on this one a bit because the album doesn't come out for another two months, but I had to share the new track from Manchester Orchestra. They have long been one of my favorite bands and I was pumped to see that they have finally released their new single, the title track from their third album Simple Math. The song is definitely not something I would have expected given the raw grittiness of their previous album Mean Everything To Nothing. "Simple Math" takes a different direction with the inclusion of strings and some different guitar tones. The band sounds more polished than ever before, but I think it really works. If nothing else, I'm even more intrigued to see what the full length will hold. So until May 10th, we'll have to be content with this. Click on the album art to download the track for free. There's also a really cool video with lyrics here.
If you'd never heard of Arcade Fire before this weekend, that probably changed come Monday morning. The vapid, auto tuned pop stars of the day were shocked when a band who actually plays their own instruments walked away from the Grammys with the night's top prize: Album of the Year. It was a long shot for Arcade Fire, the only artists nominated in the category who weren't on a major label. Their third album, The Suburbs hadn't exactly yielded any radio hits either. A concept album about growing up in the suburbs and seeing relationships and the world around you change doesn't really fit in the radio box that's been carved out by Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and the Black Eyed Frickin' Peas. Arcade Fire was no stranger to the Grammys though, with their 2004 debut Funeral and their 2007 sophomore effort Neon Bible both being nominated for Alternative Music Album of the Year. When looking at the competition that The Suburbs was facing, there's no doubt that it was the best album of the year. In my opinion, Album of the Year should go to the work that stands up the best as a collection of songs that work together, and The Suburbs does just that. The album incorporates everything from jangly piano rock to driving guitars and even a Blondie impersonation on the stellar “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains).” Now it's true that many of Arcade Fire's hipster fans will look at this Grammy win and see it as cause to no longer support the band. I hope that's not the case, because Arcade Fire will continue to make great music. Next up for Arcade Fire is the release of their short film collaboration with director Spike Jonze. The film is called Scenes from the Suburbs and follows many of the same themes of the album. Clips from the film can be scene in the music video for “The Suburbs.” I think the essence of Arcade Fire was on display Sunday night when, after thanking everyone, front man Win Butler said, “We're gonna go play another song now because we like music.” He then casually placed his Grammy atop his amp and rocked out to “Ready To Start.” The joy was apparent on the face of every member of the band. So if you haven't already, you need to get The Suburbs. Here's my favorite track from the Album of the Year.
No one would have blamed The Get Up Kids for staying broken up. The band had released four pretty solid albums, a number of EPs as well as a live record. They had long been the underdogs of emo, a genre they simultaneously helped create and didn't want to be associated with. The members had all moved on too. Lead singer Matthew Pryor released more albums from his side project The New Amsterdams. Guitarist/vocalist Jim Suptic had released an album with his new band Blackpool lights and keyboardist James Dewees has been touring with My Chemical Romance. And lets be honest, with the band in their mid-30s, it wasn't unrealistic to suggest that maybe they had outgrown their name. Nevertheless, The Get Up Kids made thousands of fans happy last year when they released a new EP entitled Simple Science with the promise of a new full-length to follow. Well the time has come and There Are Rules, the band's fifth proper album has hit stores. One thing that's apparent upon listening to album opener “Tithe,” is that The Get Up Kids are louder and angrier than before. The driving guitars are a far cry from 2002's subdued On a Wire. Dewees and his synthesizers take a larger role than ever before on Rules, especially on tracks like “Better Lie” and the Cure-inspired “Shatter You Lungs.” One of the bigger surprises on the album comes in the form of “Rally 'Round the Fool,” a slow burning five minute track with a 90s industrial sound. It's one of the last bright spots on the record before it begins its lackluster second half. That's not to say the album is disappointing, but it's obviously front loaded with the best material. All in all, it's good to have The Get Up Kids back. There Are Rules proves that the band still has more left to say. Today's track is one of two that features Suptic on vocals. It probably has the best hook on the album and the best integration of keyboards as well.
The Get Up Kids - "Automatic"
OK, since it's Valentine's Day, I would be remiss if I didn't also share with you a Get Up Kids classic from their most celebrated album, 1999's Something To Write Home About. Here is "Valentine."
Punch Brothers is the newest musical outlet of former Nickel Creek mandolinist/vocalist Chris Thile. I featured a song from their 2008 debut Punch, a couple years ago. Punch Brothers released their sophomore effort Antifogmatic back in July. The album does a great job of blending traditional bluegrass with elements of pop and even rock. In fact, when Thile breaks into the chorus of the opening track “You Are,” it's not difficult to imagine him fronting an indie band with loud guitars and pounding drums. Thile has always had a strong voice with an amazing range, and it shows throughout Antifogmatic. Punch Brothers are experts at the dynamic shift, with songs that turn on dime and take you somewhere you didn't expect. “Rye Whiskey” finds Punch Brothers at perhaps their most traditional on the record, but it is a very fun song that you can't help humming along to.
At first, I wanted to dismiss Passion Pit as the newest critical darling that didn't actually make good music but only got attention because a few internet tastemakers said so. That being said, I didn't really give them a chance. I even poked fun at their appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live because of the ridiculously high register used by front man Michael Angelakos. But after hearing a few snippets of songs and being intrigued, I picked up their debut album Manners on a whim. Manners is a very fun record that goes in a lot of direction. Most of the tracks have a dancy feel to them. It would be easy to say that an album that relies heavily on synthesizers sounds like the 80s, but seriously the overall vibe of several of these songs does kind of transport you through time. This is helped by the fact that at times you can't help but recall those great 8-bit soundtracks to the Nintendo games you loved as a kid. Passion Pit's sense of melody is all over this record whether it be in the vocals or in the many memorable synth lines. Manners was recently re-released with new artwork as well as cover of the Cranberries' “Dreams” and two acoustic versions of songs from the record. The band are said to be working on album number two, hopefully due out this year. “Little Secrets” is my favorite track from the record because it easily stuck in your head. It's also cool when Angelakos gets a little help from a kids choir in the chorus.
Steel Train have come a long way since their debut full-length in 2005. Twilight Tales From the Prairies of the Sun had a twang to it just as the name might indicate. The album leaned heavily to the alt-country side of things. Granted I only really listened to a couple songs from it and a few clips of others, but it didn't take much to get the gist. Their 2007 follow-up Trampoline went largely unnoticed. It wasn't until I heard today's song on the radio last summer that I remembered Steel Train. I was familiar, however with their frontman Jack Antonoff because of his time spent as the guitarist of one of favorite newer bands, Fun. When first listening to Steel Train's self-titled third record, it becomes apparent that Antonoff took a few cues from his other band. “Turnpike Ghost” is a great tune with a bouncy guitar line and a more eccentric vocal style than previously employed by Antonoff. The whole thing just kinda makes a white boy want to dance. While I haven't really delved completely into Steel Train, I'm in the process of doing so. This is one of the first records that I've really listened to on Grooveshark.com. If you're unfamiliar, Groove Shark lets you stream pretty much any song you can think of. It's like a more focused Pandora. It's the perfect way to get acquainted with new artists and no, they didn't pay me to say any of that, I just think it's that cool. So I suggest you check out Steel Train in it's entirety. There's bound to be more great stuff to discover.
The Black Keys' sixth studio album Brothers landed in the top 10 of many critics best of 2010 lists. Unfortunately, I didn't really get into this record until January of this year. Even though I was late to the party, I'm still glad I showed up. Brothers is a truly amazing blues rock record. The duo of singer/guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney have honed their skills to near perfection on this record. From the groovy falsetto opener “Everlasting Light” to the Danger Mouse-produced lead single “Tighten Up,” the album is solid all the way through. The sound is definitely more polished than previous Black Keys releases most notably on the midtempo “The Only One,” which like a few other tracks on Brothers features organ. Still, the band really shines when Auerbach's muddy guitar tones are front and center like on today's track. Brothers is an album that really deserves to be listened to front to back, preferably on vinyl. It just has that timeless quality about it.
Fair is a band on Tooth & Nail Records featuring Aaron Sprinkle , who is probably best known as a producer of emo stalwarts such as Anberlin, Emery, Dead Poetic, Copleand and more. Sprinkle relies more heavily on his pop sensibilities however on Fair's sophomore effort Disappearing World. The album is full of gorgeous melodies and instrumentation slickly produced by Sprinkle himself. Stylistically, it picks up right where 2006's The Best Worst-Case Scenario left off. There are piano heavy tunes like “Take Some Risks” and upbeat guitar rockers like “It's Doubtful.” Lyrically, Sprinkle leans more toward melancholy on this record especially on the outstanding “The Worst of Your Wear,” featuring vocals from Copeland front man Aaron Marsh. Disappearing World is a great example of an outstanding record that hasn't found much of an audience. I encourage you to check it out and pass it along.
ManchesterOrchestra and KevinDevine are two artists I have liked separately for a quite a while. When I heard that they would be collaborating in a new band called Bad Books, I was excited to say the least. When their self-titled debut dropped back in October, I was still pumped, but what I found wasn't necessarily what I expected. The album consists of ten songs, with half penned by Devine and the other half by Manchester front-man Andy Hull. Lead single “You Wouldn't Have To Ask,” is a power-pop gem with hooks galore clocking in at under two minutes. Both writers shine in the ablum's more acoustic moments such as Hull's “I Begged You Everything” and Devine's alt-country masterpiece “Mesa, AZ.” The members of Bad Books are adamant that this is not merely a one-off side project, but the beginning of an actual band that will continue to record and tour. The album serves to tide over Manchester Orchestra fans awaiting that band's highly anticipated third album Simple Math, due out in May. Since Bad Books features songs from two different writers and singers, I thought it only appropriate to provide you with examples of each. So enjoy Hull's “Please Move” and Devine's “Holding Down the Laughter,” then go buy the whole record.
The Civil Wars are a new singer/songwriter duo that is really making a name for themselves since last week's release of their full-length debut Barton Hollow. The group is comprised of Joy Williams, whose early career was as a pop star in the contemorary Christian music world and John Paul White, a singer songwriter who had released a few records of his own. The duo gained notoriety when the title track from their 2009 EP Poison & Wine was featured on Grey's Anatomy. The song is a stunning duet with a back and forth style that plays out like a duel between the singers. When I first heard the song, I knew the Civil Wars had something special. Much ado has been made abou the way Williams' and White's voices interweave so perfectly and it is evident throughout Barton Hollow, an album of whimsical love songs and heartbreaking ballads that mostly deal with relationships. The title track is a departure from the rest of the record, with it's driving Southern-blues acoustic riff and soulful vocals. It's almost a shame that the two didn't explore this side of themselves a little further. Not to worry though, Barton Hollow is a fantastic record through and through. Today's song is a playful tune with a great hook.
Bon Iver is not so much a band as it is just one guy. The guy in question would be Justin Vernon. Following the dissolution of his previous band DeYarmond Edison, Vernon retreat to a cabin in Wisconsin in the dead of winter and ended up recording the album For Emma, Forever Ago. He adopted the moniker Bon Iver as a play on the French phrase “bon hiver,” which means “good winter.” According to Vernon, he did not intend to write and record an album when he decided to hide out in the middle of nowhere. For Emma is quite a bare bones record, consisting mostly of a somewhat out of tune acoustic guitar as well as drums and other percussion. Vernon's vocal range is impressive, especially when he opts for the higher register as he often does. He's not bad with hooks either, such as on the album's most popular track, “Skinny Love.” I have to say that while I enjoyed this record, I don't believe it's the masterpiece that so many critics would have you believe it is. Yes, it is pretty cool considering one guy recorded everything himself, but it's not necessarily life changing. The record is pretty bleak all around, which is understandable given the setting of the recording. “Flume” begins the album and is one of Vernon's catchier tunes. Bon Iver now performs as a full band when touring. The band's tour dates are currently sparse, so I wouldn't be surprised if Vernon is working on LP2 right now.
Wild Sweet Orange is a great indie band from Birmingham, AL that I recently discovered on Pandora. I'd been meaning to go ahead and pick up their full-length debut We Have Cause To Be Uneasy, but I didn't do so until last week. I shouldn't have waited so long because this is one great album. It's no coincidence that the title comes from a chapter title in the C.S. Lewis classic Mere Christianity. The album is full of spiritual allusions and mentions of God and the Church. I've always been intrigued when bands offer up deeper lyrics than usual and that's the case here. Front man Preston Lovinggood (another great name) is quite open about spiritual struggles and his honesty makes Wild Sweet Orange all the more appealing. Musically, the band has a slight Southern twinge to their guitar tone mixed with plenty of distortion. The acoustic guitar also plays a huge role on songs like “Sour Milk,” a scathing indictment of our parents' generation and their shortcomings. “Either/Or” boasts the catchiest guitar hook on the record while “Seeing and Believing” features one of the better crescendos I've heard in a while. Today's song is one of my favorite, with Lovinggood deftly moving from a whisper to a wail in the chorus. Wild Sweet Orange is currently on hiatus after the departure of a couple members. Hopefully they will forge ahead and continue to create music as excellent as this album.
One new song everyday until I get tired of doing it again. Click on the artist's name to get more information about them. Click on the album art for purchase information. Click on the play button to listen for yourself. Enjoy.
So I may be jumping the gun on this one a bit because the album doesn't come out for another two months, but I had to share the new track from Manchester Orchestra. They have long been one of my favorite bands and I was pumped to see that they have finally released their new single, the title track from their third album Simple Math. The song is definitely not something I would have expected given the raw grittiness of their previous album Mean Everything To Nothing. "Simple Math" takes a different direction with the inclusion of strings and some different guitar tones. The band sounds more polished than ever before, but I think it really works. If nothing else, I'm even more intrigued to see what the full length will hold. So until May 10th, we'll have to be content with this. Click on the album art to download the track for free. There's also a really cool video with lyrics here.
