Week of December 1, 2008

Los Campesinos - We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed (Arts & Crafts)

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I recently watched a documentary about 80s D.I.Y. icons The Minutemen. The trio inspired scores of bands to take their careers into their own hands by self-producing their albums and promoting all their shows on their own. Though they arrived nearly 20 years after the Minutemen (and feature more than twice as many members), Cardiff's Los Campesinos! exhibit the same underground ethos. Only a few months ago came the release of their debut full-length, Hold On Now, Youngster..., which itself followed a string of singles and EPs (just like the good old days). Showing blatant disregard for their debut's titular warning, Los Campesinos! have already released their follow-up, We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed. As the band suggests, this is no B-Sides or outtakes collection, but a collection of 10 new songs that were recorded over an 11-day session in June. While most of the album is sonically similar to previous efforts, with rapid-fire lyrics over feedback-laden violins and glockenspiels, the septet's songwriting is growing up at an alarming rate. Take, for example "Heart Swells/Pacific Daylight Time," a woozy, mostly-acoustic song that's actually about loving someone rather than just wanting to dance with them. True to their rebellion, the band hasn't released any official singles from this new album, though opener "Ways To Make It Through A Wall" and the buzzy title track would make fine choices. In "You'll Need Those Fingers For Crossing," co-leader Gareth Campesinos! says (as if reading a letter), "I'm nothing if I'm not a pragmatist." The band's shunning of the modern rules of indie rock is quite similar to the Minutemen's philosophy of "jamming econo;" that is, making records quick and dirty and not looking back. Though Los Campesinos! have only been around since 2006, they are doing an outstanding job of bringing back the creativity and attitude of indie's formative years.

Review by Eric Schuman

Week of December 1, 2008

Rivers Cuomo - Alone II: The Home Recordings Of Rivers Cuomo (Geffen)

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Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo has been known for years for his prolific songwriting; cataloging hundreds of demos and incomplete songs. Exactly a year ago, he released the first volume of Alone, full of song sketches from throughout his career, along with elaborate liner notes detailing his thought processes behind writing and recording. For better or worse, Alone II is more of the same. Cuomo compiles pared-down versions of unreleased hooky songs, more pieces of Weezer's abandoned "space opera" Songs From The Black Hole and a few other interesting odds and ends. "Can't Stop Partying" is a collaboration with Jermaine Dupri, though in Cuomo's hands, the ode to hedonism becomes a sad lament. Cuomo gave the riff-y "I Want To Take You Home Tonight" its world premiere during Weezer's recent Y-Rock Radio Takeover. One of the highlights is a perfectly fuzzed-out cover of The Beach Boys' classic "Don't Worry Baby." Oddly, a demo of the Weezer track "Paper Face," which already surfaced on the deluxe edition of The Blue Album is also included on Alone II. But the real reason to delve into Alone II is actually the in-depth liner notes. Cuomo discusses at length his songwriting process and inspiration behind each recording and the different eras of Weezer's career. It's almost like excerpts from an unfinished autobiography, complete with awful, embarrassing photos. While Alone II is obviously made for Weezer diehards, Cuomo's essays make for a fascinating look into the songwriting process and would intrigue many casual fans as well.

Review by Joey O.

Week of November 24, 2008

The Killers - Day & Age (Island)

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In a mere matter of years following their smash debut, The Killers have gone through a lot of changes for such a young band. Hot Fuss was the sound of the door to the fraternity of indie rock's elite being kicked down, and Sam's Town was an unexpectedly mature follow-up that only widened their appeal. With Day & Age, the boys take the sonics of Sam's Town and focus them into a neat and ambitious package. Brandon Flowers' songwriting is the most developed of the band's changes, with lyrics exploring alienation ("Losing Touch") and the synthetic backdrop of their native Las Vegas ("Neon Tiger"). Not all of the set is humorless (this is, after all, the band that brought us "Where The White Boys Dance"), as the guys spin tales of alien abduction in "Spaceman," and provide a grammar-confounding hook in lead single "Human." Where The Killers began their careers as synth-pounding, hi-hat-smashing Anglophiles, Day & Age finds Flowers and company branching out with odder instrumentation, like the afrobeat chants of "This Is Your Life" and the exotic steel drums on "I Can't Stay." While one of the best songs only appears as a bonus track on some editions ("Human" B-Side, "A Crippling Blow"), Day & Age is an intriguing set from a band that isn't afraid to be over-the-top. They may not take themselves too seriously (I mean, have you seen their press photos lately?), but The Killers are clearly more comfortable making the musical equivalent to a white sequined jumpsuit and cape than something more formal. Grown-up as they may be, I suspect that The Killers would much rather be dancer than human.

Review by Eric Schuman

Week of November 17, 2008

The Decemberists - Always The Bridesmaid: A Singles Series (Capitol)

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Speaking to a shoulder-to-shoulder Electric Factory audience (and radio listeners worldwide), Colin Meloy explained that The Decemberists' upcoming release, Hazards Of Love, would feature fewer "jaunty" songs than their previous efforts. Not wanting those songs to go to waste, the group has released Always The Bridesmaid, a set of vinyl-and download-only singles over the past two months, with a third coming out soon. The songs hearken back to The Decemberists' pre-Crane Wife days, with a mix of big, joyous arrangements and introspective acoustic ballads. The six song collection (three A-Sides and three B-Sides, just like the good old days) begins with "Valerie Plame," which is indeed an ode to the ousted CIA operative. It may seem out of character for Meloy to write about events that didn't occur in the 19th century, but the "la-la" and "hey-hey" coda evokes a hand-holding-and-swaying campfire as well as any modern folk song. Aside from inexplicably describing New York City, "O New England" features the first mention of rainfall, a theme that carries throughout several of the other songs. The third tune, the upbeat "Days Of Elaine," is featured in both a short and long version, and is coupled with "I'm Sticking With You," a Velvet Underground outtake that was originally sung by Velvets drummer Moe Tucker. Tucker's childlike voice is echoed in The Decemberists' version as keyboardist Jenny Conlee takes the lead on vocals. The last two songs, "Record Year" and "Raincoat Song" both show off Meloy's more melancholy side; the first features a mournful string section and the second has Meloy in a duet with drummer John Moen. Here's to hoping that Meloy liberally lays on the "jauntiness" in the future, and that the songs on Hazards Of Love are just as enjoyable as the ones on Always The Bridesmaid. In the meantime, you can listen to The Decemberists' show at the Electric Factory whenever you want by clicking here. For the full effect, be sure to sit down on the floor during "The Perfect Crime #2."

Review by Eric Schuman

Week of November 10, 2008

Travis - Ode To J. Smith (Red Telephone Box/Fontana)

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Last year, the likable Scottish band Travis made a welcome return to form with The Boy With No Name, which found the foursome reminding music fans why they paved the way in the late 90s for melodic rock from across the pond (including a certain British band that broke through with a song about Big Bird's favorite color...). Coming just about a year and a half later is Ode To J. Smith, recorded and written quickly earlier this year and released on the band's own label, Red Telephone Box.

While Ode To J. Smith was expected to be a return to the comparatively more-rocking sound of their debut Good Feeling, it still contains plenty of mellower Travis moments. The record kicks off with a big, classic rock sounding riff on "Chinese Blues," followed by the title track "J. Smith." The song starts with a simple little guitar riff but builds to a mammoth choir coming out of the blue. The single "Something Anything" cranks up the volume a bit on the riffage, but is still a hooky Travis song. After the upbeat first half of Ode To J. Smith, the record does mellow out with some less memorable moments. While the album isn't quite the giddy, post-Blur Brit-pop of Good Feeling, it's good to see the lads of Travis still making music and being prolific once again.

Review by Joey O.

Week of November 3, 2008

Kaiser Chiefs - Off With Their Heads (Universal/B-Unique)

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Sometime in the future, there will probably be a compilation disc of the Kaiser Chiefs' singles. On their first two albums, it was clear that their creative pendulum swings hard; songs were either fist-pumping, beer-swilling battle cries or groan-inducing, pun-laden clunkers. Their best tunes tend to be a balancing act between the two, and their new album, Off With Their Heads, is easily their most cohesive set to date. Possibly driven to stricter quality control by co-producer Mark Ronson, the Kaisers bring their best material to their shortest album so far. Ronson's fingerprints aren't as overt as you might expect (see: Danger Mouse all over the most recent Black Keys album), as string and horn flourishes pepper only a few songs on the disc. The majority of the songs are based in the classic Kaiser Chiefs trick of packing verses with indiscernible lyrics before launching into a minor-key, sing-along chorus ("Half The Truth" and "Can't Say What I Mean"). Joining lead singer/occasional BBC presenter Ricky Wilson at the mic are Lily Allen ("Always Happens Like That") and the New Young Pony Club ("You Want History"), though the guests seem rather buried in the mix on the call-and-response "Never Miss A Beat." The one thing that ties each of the three Kaiser Chiefs albums together is the band's sense of humor. On Employment, they countered The Beach Boys with a song titled "Caroline, Yes." With Yours Truly, Angry Mob, it was the Buzzcocks that were lampooned with "Everything Is Average Nowadays." For the new album, the joke goes beyond the song's title with the Robert Palmer-referencing "Addicted To Drugs," whose refrain is as silly as it is catchy. At this rate, maybe the Kaiser Chiefs truly are destined to be more than whatever people say they are.

Review by Eric Schuman

Week of October 27, 2008

The Cure - 4:13 Dream (Polyvinyl)

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Robert Smith and his crew in The Cure don't have a whole lot of growing up left to do, seeing as they have families and are pushing 50 and all that. Instead, the music on their 13th studio album, 4:13 Dream, wants to grow "out." The playing, featuring the long-developed string skills of Smith, Porl Thompson, and Simon Gallup, is about as close as any gothic act might get to being a jam band, at times recalling the coolly noodling Peter Buck/Mike Mills grunge on R.E.M.'s Monster. Smith's lyrics, meanwhile, move from The Cure's centrist nebula of goth ennui to actual emotional extremes of happiness, anger, and evil. He now seems more willing than ever to shine rays of light in the darkness, although some show the way out ("Tell me you love me before it's too late," from "Sirensong") while others are blinding obstacles ("I won't try to bring you down about my suicide," from "The Reasons Why"). To that end, apart from the swirling, chime-filled opener "Underneath the Stars" the production on 4:13 Dream is also startlingly up-front and clear, rather like listening to an album by Foo Fighters, Smashing Pumpkins, or even the latter's doppelgangers Silversun Pickups. The Cure's strategy of teasing the album with four singles -- best among them being "Freakshow" and "Sleep When I'm Dead" -- therefore isn't the only thing that makes 4:13 Dream feel like it's full of songs that the band want to be their next "Friday I'm in Love" or "The Lovecats," shocking the system of both longtime listeners and casual fans.

Review by Adam Blyweiss

Snow Patrol - A Hundred Million Suns (Polydor/A&M)

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It's funny that I'm reviewing the new disc from Snow Patrol so close to Halloween, because my connection to the band is decidedly spooky. At one of the semi-annual "monster shows" in south Jersey, I met Patricia Quinn, who played Magenta in The Rocky Horror Picture Show. I mentioned that I worked at a radio station (she may have asked about a Y-Rock button I was wearing), and she wanted to know if we played her nephew's band. As it turns out, Patricia is the aunt of Johnny Quinn, Snow Patrol's drummer. At the time, the Scottish quintet were still riding high from 2006's Eyes Open and its massive single, "Chasing Cars." For A Hundred Million Suns, Gary Lightbody and company maintain their energy and bombast, but in a much more contemplative and focused manner. As the album's title suggests, many of the songs conjure images of outer space, like "The Planets Bend Between Us" and "Engines." Musically, the album recalls the mellow glitch of The Shins' most recent album; though the upbeat moments in songs like "Take Back The City" and "Disaster Button" keep the cosmic balance in order. The last third of the album's 58 minutes is made up of "The Lightning Strike," a three-part oeuvre that is, in itself, a miniature version of the whole record. A Hundred Million Suns might be the portrait of a band taking a daydream break from their usual epic nature, but even a modest Snow Patrol is still Snow Patrol, and that's how the message ran.

Review by Eric Schuman

Week of October 20, 2008

Of Montreal - Skeletal Lamping (Polyvinyl)

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Of Montreal's main man Kevin Barnes is a good man, and thorough. If there is room in one of his songs for a reference to fornication, he won't let that void go unfilled. In fact, his new album Skeletal Lamping is so heavy with sexual imagery that I'm pretty sure the physical disc will only appear under ultraviolet light. The 15 track song cycle revolves around Barnes' trans-transgender alter-ego, "Georgie Fruit," who first appeared in a few of the songs on last year's Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?. While the whole multiple personalities thing is intriguing enough, try making heads or tails of the titles of the songs. As usual, none of them are overtly related to the tunes they represent. Names aside, the songs alternate between funky disco ("Gallery Piece" and "Beware Our Nubile Miscreants"), smooth R & B ("St. Exquisite's Confessions"), and classic of Montreal electropop. Originally, Barnes intended to release the album as a hundred or so minute-long tracks, and though that may have been abandoned, there are a few multi-part suites made up of fragments of songs (opener "Nonpareil Of Favor" and the epic "Plastis Wafer"). Like most every other Skeletal Lamping reviewer, I'll point out how Barnes' evolving music and image are very similar to another musical chameleon. He might not be purposefully trying to emulate David Bowie, but Barnes brings wonderful theatricality to indie rock, as seen in of Montreal's videos and outlandish stage shows. Skeletal Lamping, with its relentless pop hooks and dancefloor-ready beats, is sure to get you to boogie (and might just land you a new relationship). Try your luck at both of those when of Montreal come to the Electric Factory on Halloween.

Review by Eric Schuman

Electric Six - Flashy (Metropolis)

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Back again with their fourth album in as many years, Electric Six seek to grow their expanding cult following with their latest release, Flashy. After the band's unforgettable debut Fire, most of the lineup turned over, but Dick Valentine and his merry crew of Detroit musicians have an incredible work ethic. The band has held a steady pattern over the past few years of non-stop touring, pausing only to record and release another album of absurdist rock and roll. Once again, the E6 stick to their template of mostly sexy dance songs about being sexy and dancing (with the random social commentary thrown in for good measure). Opener "Gay Bar Part 2" isn't really a sequel to the Six's beloved early hit, but more of their attempt at The Beatles' "Glass Onion." The song references "She's White," "Be My Dark Angel" and other E6 tunes. Elsewhere you get the single "Formula 409" and "Graphic Designer," about a woman who is, yes, a graphic designer whose "designs on me are graphic." Musically, the law of diminishing returns may be starting to hit the Six, as there are less catchy hooks and dance beats this time around. However, there are certainly more saxophones all over Flashy, which is the most notable musical change. The Six are always a must-see show whenever they come to town and are guaranteed to pack the most fun possible into the Khyber when they come to town on November 20. I'm sure you'll see quite a few Y-Rockers in attendance.

Review by Joey O.

Week of October 13, 2008

Keane - Perfect Symmetry (Interscope)

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Keane's third studio album, is slightly more risky than their previous albums, with less pounding sing-along choruses and epic stadium anthems and more experimental sounds characterizing them as Radiohead-lite. It would be hard to describe Perfect Symmetry as revolutionary, however with a few repeated listens this album stands up to their earlier anthemic work. Singer Tom Chaplin trades in his Freddie Mercury vocals for an 80's style, reminiscent of Tears For Fears. With tracks like "Better Than This" borrowing heavily from David Bowie's "Ashes to Ashes" and the new wavy synth sounds of "You Haven't Told Me Anything," the trio is clearly paving a fresh path for the band and not staying the course of their Brit-pop peers. But some of the songs steal from their tried-and-true formula of lingering pianos, exploding vocals and addictive hooks. Just try listening to "The Lovers Are Losing" or "Spiralling" and not hum along. Just try. Perfect Symmetry somehow accomplishes the unthinkable: an album with only a piano, a drum set and a few new tricks in the studio that is full-sounding, life-affirming and plain-old catchy. Like their previous albums Hopes and Fears and Under the Iron Sea, songwriter and keyboardist Tim Rice-Oxley integrates happy melodies with mopey and haunting lyrical themes that make you want to reach for a loved one and hug them tight. Perfect Symmetry will probably not change the face of Brit pop, but its new approach is middle-of-the road yet fantastic.

Review by Liz Romaine

Week of October 6, 2008

Oasis - Dig Out Your Soul (Reprise)

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And they're back. The brothers Gallagher, along with pals Gem Archer, Andy Bell, and Zak Starkey, have released their seventh studio album, titled Dig Out Your Soul. With Dave Sardy (Don't Believe the Truth) back producing, Oasis has put out an album that at first listen, doesn't really sound like an Oasis album at all. Noel Gallagher, who penned most of the record, took Dig Out Your Soul in a "groovy" direction, a reference back to his psychedelic trips as a young rock 'n roll star. The album starts out with "Bag It Up," where thumping drums, distorted guitar and Liam's unmistakable vocals drag you in to what you think is going to be a full out rockin' album. But with tracks like "The Turning" and "Falling Down," one can clearly hear the groovy direction that Noel wanted to take the album. Liam Gallagher, whose writing responsibility has greatly increased over the years, throws in a couple tracks of his own as well. "I'm Outta Time," which sticks with the slow and psychedelic theme, is an album stand out. It's so different from Noel's songs, that when listening to the album in its entirety, it's like a breath of fresh air. Throw in the fast paced, rockin' single "The Shock of the Lightning" and some tracks written by mates Gem and Andy, and you do in fact have another Oasis album. The truth is, there is no definition of what an Oasis album is supposed to sound like, which makes them great. Dig Out Your Soul is another shining example of what the boys from Manchester are capable of, whether it "sounds" like Oasis or not.

Review by Matt McGrath

The Spinto Band - Moonwink (Park The Van)

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Why has the music world bestowed such kindness upon The Summertime Album? Are albums released at other times of the year not as party-ready, or not as symbolic of a season, or just not as good? Hogwash! Moonwink by The Spinto Band is a "fall album" if there ever was one, its Delaware-bred chirpiness immediately invoking images of cider-fueled fireside hangouts, dumping sweater-clad friends into piles of fallen leaves, and hayrides and corn mazes on farms throughout the Mid-Atlantic states. Might this have anything to do with the "Oh Mandy"-powered Sears TV commercial that launched them to fame? Of course it might! Then again, so might insistent guitar jangle, keyboard whine, and glockenspiel shtick that drops hints of pleasant pop and theatrics from the 1940s through the 1960s ("Later On"), putting a happy face on even the most sour of lyrics with no bombast or big ideas in sight ("Needlepoint"). Amanda Palmer and Vampire Weekend would be proud, Weezer and The Killers would be jealous. Prepped by rather incessant touring over the last three years and summed up nicely in the riffs, horns, and timpani of "The Carnival," this second effort from The Spinto Band is denser and maybe even more polished than their world-beating debut Nice and Nicely Done.

Review by Adam Blyweiss

Week of September 29, 2008

Ben Folds - Way To Normal (Epic)

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One of our favorite artists 'round Y-Rock, Ben Folds is back with his first studio release in over three years. Folds has been touring non-stop in that time, but got sidetracked from the studio by a drawn-out divorce. While the piano man swears that Way To Normal isn't about the d-word, there are definitely undercurrents of a breakup throughout the cast of characters we meet on the new record. But character sketches rooted in reality have always been Ben's bread-and-butter, going back to Alice Childress, Uncle Walter and the folks we met way back on the first Ben Folds Five album.

Musically, Way To Normal is certainly livelier than 2005's restrained Songs For Silverman. It comes closest to the free-wheeling vibe on Ben's trio of EPs that were later collected as Supersunnyspeedgraphic. The record kicks off with the autobiographical "Hiroshima (B-B-B-Benny Hit His Head)," recounting Ben falling onstage in Japan and going to the hospital (an X-Ray of his head is in the album art). "Dr. Yang" is a fuzzed-out piano rocker out of the early BF5 playbook. The album calms down in the middle stretch for an introspective, mellower set of songs, including "You Don't Know Me," the lead single/duet with Regina Spektor. As I said, while Way To Normal isn't a "divorce album" per se, there are certainly relationship difficulties at the heart of "You Don't Know Me, the goofball "Bitch Went Nuts" and the moving finale "Kylie From Connecticut." Way To Normal may not reach the highest heights that Folds has hit throughout his career, but is a welcome step back towards the balance between the smart-ass and sentimental.

Review by Joey O.

Kings of Leon - Only By The Night (RCA)

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Continuing to move farther and farther away from the garage that spawned them, the members of Kings of Leon expand on the template of last year's Because of the Times (for better and for worse) on the massive-sounding Only by the Night. As was evident on its predecessor, Night sounds like a conscious effort to abandon the Southern rock leanings that once defined the Kings' sound in favor of arena-ready anthems closer in spirit to U2 than former contemporaries like My Morning Jacket.

On first listen, the stylistic shift would appear to pay off: the reverb-drenched "Closer" and crushing "Crawl" make for a powerful one-two opening punch, cribbing the best tricks from Led Zeppelin and Achtung Baby without sounding like thieves or poseurs. As the album progresses, however, it begins to sound less like a logical sonic evolution and more like the band is trying to force a square peg into a round hole. While the band may be able to whip up quite the storm melodically, the lyrics rarely match the grandeur for which they are aiming. "Sex on Fire," despite a potent riff, proves to be a little too literal in its narrative and as a result comes off as a tad sophomoric. Meanwhile, "Revelry's" rhyming of "dancing machine" with "kerosene" betrays a complete lack of irony and inspiration.

That said, if one is willing to overlook these shortcomings, there's enough superficial appeal here to make for a fairly diverting listen. These songs have easy, graceful melodies that will no doubt open the doors to a newer, wider fan base that will certainly fill up stadiums to hear them played live, even if the older fans will be left rolling their eyes over what they're expected to sing along with. If Kings of Leon manage to push themselves lyrically like they have musically, they may be onto something here. The question isn't their potential in this realm of music, but how long people will be waiting for them to achieve it. As Caleb Followill says himself: "You better learn to crawl before I walk away."

Review by Rob Huff

Week of September 29, 2008

TV On The Radio - Dear Science (Interscope)

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The members of TV on the Radio have never been shy about expressing their frustrations on record, be they personal or political. If only people would listen to them. With little improvement in the cultural climate, those frustrations have only gotten worse in the two years since they released their last oddball opus Return to Cookie Mountain. Just listen to the way frontman Tunde Adebimpe howls "This is beginning to feel like the long-winded blues of the never" on "DLZ." Bitter much? Since they haven't change the song, the band settled for changing the tune (for the better) on Dear Science,. Simultaneously tighter and more sprawling that its predecessor, Science, filters its dystopian narratives through everything from industrial distortion (commanding opener "Halfway Home") to smooth R&B ("Stork and Owl") to disco dirge ("Red Dress"). The band is ably aided and abetted by their ever-growing roster of cool friends, including the Antibalas Horn Section on the aforementioned "Dress" and Celebration's Katrina Ford on the closing "Lover's Day." Lyrically, the album and the band continue to draw from the same political disarray as records prior, but packs not less of a sting. Adebimpe's partner-in-crime Kyp Malone even lets a little ray of optimism shine through the clouds on funky album standout "Golden Age" with "There's a golden age comin' round." Only time will tell if circumstances fulfill that promise for him. In the meantime, he and the rest of TV on the Radio continue to fulfill their own musical promise more and more with each successive effort.

Review by Rob Huff

Cold War Kids - Loyalty To Loyalty (Downtown)

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The debut album from Cold War Kids, 2006's Robbers And Cowards, introduced us to a group of guys who knew their way around religion. While they may have folded up the revival tent, their new disc, Loyalty To Loyalty, draws from plenty of other vivid stories and situations. Possibly singing from the point of view of a tyrannical government, opener "Against Privacy" sets the tone for the record with echo-y guitars and Nathan Willett's barely-restrained wail. Lyrics veer towards the personal on songs like "Something Is Not Right With Me" and "Every Man I Fall For," which probably isn't about what I think it's about. Though it was primarily the lyrics that drove Robbers And Cowards (namely "We Used To Vacation" and "Hospital Beds"), some of Loyalty To Loyalty's best moments are due to the instrumentation. The buzzing keys on "Relief" and the primal drum stomp of "Welcome To The Occupation" are impressive, as are the occasional breaks into delightfully messy funk-rock. My favorite song on the disc might be "Golden Gate Jumpers," a tale of someone who talks a girl out of jumping off the San Francisco bridge and becoming another statistic. It's a great melding of what made Cold War Kids' debut so great and what they're doing to move forward. I guess that accident didn't leave them too shaken up, after all.

Review by Eric Schuman

Jenny Lewis - Acid Tongue (Warner Brothers)

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Let me start off by saying that Jenny Lewis' solo debut (with the Watson Twins), Rabbit Fur Coat, was my favorite album of 2006. Heartbreaking, catchy, twangy and cohesive, the album fulfilled the promise of many of Lewis' stand out moments in her day job with Rilo Kiley. Her solo tour received rave reviews. After returning to Rilo Kiley for last year's classic rock-tinged Under The Blacklight, Lewis goes back to her solo career on Acid Tongue. The new album is a bit more sprawling and less concise than Rabbit Fur Coat, with Lewis bringing aboard an armada of guest stars yet keeping her powerful voice front and center. After appearing on Elvis Costello's Momofuku earlier this year, the King returns the favor and duets on the country rocker "Carpetbaggers." Actress/singer Zooey Deschanel sings backup on a few tracks, with M. Ward, The Black Crowes' Chris Robinson and Lewis' boyfriend Johnathan Rice all making contributions as well. The mellower openers "Black Sand" and "Pretty Bird" continue the 70's AM radio vibe, but then Lewis takes a turn with "The Next Messiah" a multi-part, nearly 9-minute epic. The more upbeat highlights include the Vegas-styled showstopper "Fernando" and White Stripes-go-the-church feel of "Jack Killed Mom." Acid Tongue alternately rocks more than its predecessor and less, with many of the gorgeous ballads (like the title track) taking up a good bit of the record. Even if it doesn't reach the heights of Rabbit Fur Coat, Acid Tongue proves that Lewis remains one of the most compelling songwriters of her peer group. You can hear Jenny Lewis' amazing voice live and in person when she comes to the area twice next week: October 1 at the Keswick Theater and October 3 at the Wilmington Grand Opera House.

Review by Joey O.

Week of September 15, 2008

James - Hey Ma (Mercury)

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Along with the recently-disbanded Beautiful South, Manchester's James was one of many bands who went undeservedly underappreciated outside their native England. Sure, everyone knows "Laid" and maybe even "Sit Down," but vocalist Tim Booth and company had been making music for a good 12 years before the Eno-produced Laid provided them with their most well-known track. After a six-year hiatus, James is back with a new album that features some of their biggest and best songs in their catalogue. Produced by Lee "Muddy" Baker, who worked with Tim Booth on a successful project during the James break, Hey Ma tackles deep social and emotional issues against a backdrop of bright horn arrangements and classic 'Madchester' psychedelic-dance. The title track is a lament to 9/11 and the war in Iraq, bringing a modern resonance to a band who usually stuck to non-political songs (a trend that continues to "72" on the album's second half). The following song, "Waterfall," stands is stark contrast to "Hey Ma," with a bright, upbeat melody that features Booth's trademark vocal acrobatics. It also provides one of my favorite lyrics of the year so far, "Don't take a phone company to tell you life's pay-as-you-go." Coming from a band whose early records were mostly Happy Mondays-style freakouts with risqué lyrics, Hey Ma has many slower, introspective songs like the spacey "Semaphore" and the dynamic-shifting standout "Upside." Despite all these reflective tunes, Booth hasn't lost his sense of humor, which plays out in "Boom Boom" and "Whiteboy." Though James never really sounded like young punks, Hey Ma is truly a portrait of a band the world (or at least their loyal fanbase) has watched grow up.

Review by Eric Schuman

Amanda Palmer - Who Killed Amanda Palmer (Roadrunner)

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Who Killed Amanda Palmer was to be a bedroom-recording project for the Dresden Dolls' chanteuse, one not requiring her drumming Doll Brian Viglione. That was before Palmer met fellow complex piano rocker Ben Folds, who gifted her his producing skills and time at his Nashville studio to flesh things out. WKAP on its surface sounds like yet another quasi-concept album in a catalog stocked with them, but the sources for Palmer's solo debut are actually more disparate than, say, her duo's Yes, Virginia. There are Dresden Dolls live staples like "The Point of It All" and "Ampersand" backed by strings. "Guitar Hero" skewers machismo with help from a Dead Kennedy as St. Vincent joins Palmer on Rodgers and Hammerstein lyrics. The breathlessly delivered "Runs in the Family" comes from old Palmer scribblings, while the bluesy romp of "Leeds United" is a Scotland toss-off that worked. Yet for such a quietly ragtag set - studio chatter between songs and all - WKAP holds together amazingly well. Folds and other player/arrangers feed Palmer's punk-cabaret roots so she delivers both the playful and taboo in a manner matched by few (maybe Tori Amos circa "Me and a Gun," maybe Billie Holliday circa "Strange Fruit"). In the year of Santogold, with song castoffs still suggesting just how good a proper album might be, Amanda Palmer might want to take a hint and get back in the studio, like, yesterday.

Review by Adam Blyweiss

Week of September 8, 2008

Tricky - Knowle West Boy (Domino)

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Managing to redefine the thoughtfulness (and boundaries) of electronica as did last year's War Stories album from UNKLE, the eighth album from trip-hop pioneer Tricky finds him less of a narrator or author than an editor. On Knowle West Boy the Bristol musician is often here in name only, his loping half-raps de-emphasized in favor of relative unknowns helping to vocalize his autobiographical story arc. A ragga singer boasts through "Bacative" and "Baligaga"; one woman plays the dismissive Kate Nash or Lily Allen foil to his barfly in "Puppy Toy"; another joins Tricky in covering Kylie Minogue's "Slow," converting it from romance to sleaze. It's a complex path he navigates, made all the more twisted and interesting by his decisions as producer, bandleader, and talent scout. What effort he saves on vocals is instead poured into the pounding juvi-hall tale "Council Estate," the dreamy acoustics of tracks like "School Gates," and the dirgelike "Past Mistake." By adding elements of other musics like punk and folk to the styles he first developed as part of Massive Attack, Tricky "just" makes trip-hop in the same manner as Tool "just" makes metal or Coldplay "just" pop.

Review by Adam Blyweiss

Week of September 2, 2008

Delta Spirit - Ode To Sunshine (Rounder)

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Unfortunately, my only real memory regarding San Diego's Delta Spirit is a bit cloudy. They played at the TLA with Dr. Dog back in November, and I was the lone representative of Y-Rock at the XPN volunteer table in the lobby. I was so busy the whole night, I barely got a chance to hear any of the performances, and what I did hear was garbled by the ambient noise of the densely packed venue. As it turns out, the choice to pair Delta Spirit with Dr. Dog (and, on an earlier tour, Cold War Kids) was a wise one, given the bands' affinity for acoustic soul. On their self-produced debut, Ode To Sunshine, Delta Spirit let loose a tight set of songs that fluctuate between rousing Americana and heart-wrenching ballads that all showcase singer Matt Vasquez's expressive delivery. Along with their often religion-inflected lyrics, Delta Spirit set themselves apart by using atypical percussion instruments. Lead single "Trashcan" features the eponymous item rattling around as the infectious piano riff carries the number along. Some of the strongest moments on the album are when the guys slow things down, giving "House Built For Two" and "People, Turn Around" an aura that recalls The Band at their finest. The stripped-down "Bleeding Bells" sounds like a lost track from Neutral Milk Hotel's In The Aeroplane Over The Sea, and the title track closes the record with a country-tinged stomp. If anything, Ode To Sunshine has inspired me to go out to see Delta Spirit (for real) the next time they come to town. That next time happens to be October 23rd at Johnny Brenda's, so don't miss your chance! (Listen to Josh T. Landow's interview with Delta Spirit)

Review by Eric Schuman

Week of August 25, 2008

The Verve - Forth (On Our Own/RED)

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One of the bands least likely to reunite, The Verve surprised everyone last year with the announcement that they were working on a new record. The psychedelic Brit band broke through in 1997 with their third album, the masterpiece Urban Hymns, combining the band's spacey tendencies with gorgeous songwriting and the soaring voice of frontman Richard Ashcroft. They had a hit single ("Bitter Sweet Symphony") and then things fell apart for the band, just as they'd finally cracked America. Ashcroft spent the past decade making soulful solo records and the other members kept busy as well, but the out-of-the-blue announcement finally reunited the founding foursome. Now we have Forth, an album of slightly mellower and trippier tunes than were found on Urban Hymns. The record opens with "Sit And Wonder," an excellent merging of Ashcroft's soul-searching vocals and Nick McCabe's psychedelic guitar work. "Rather Be" and "I See Houses" are solid ballads and the highlight is certainly the single, "Love Is Noise," with its odd 'space duck' samples. It is still one of my favorite songs of the year, but it's also the most rocking that Forth gets. The album could have really used the non-album track "Mover" that was given away as a free MP3 earlier this summer. However, there are a number of songs such as the meandering "Numbness," which just space out a bit too much. Only one song on Forth clocks in at under five minutes ("Valium Skies"). "Noise Epic" is the longest and most experimental song on the album, moving from a driving beat early on to feedback to a massive rocker in the last minute and a half. Though it's somewhat unfair to compare the mellow Forth to a classic like Urban Hymns, it is nice to have one of the shining lights of the 90's Brit-Rock movement back in tact.

Review by Joey O.

Bloc Party - Intimacy (Atlantic)

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Part one of their rock career captures punky lightning in a bottle. Part two shows off an earnestness sometimes muddled and overeager. Suddenly, part three incorporates a potentially divisive infatuation with dance music. We are of course addressing Bloc Party and their new third album Intimacy, which often sounds like lead singer Kele Okereke starting a tangential electronic project like Thom Yorke (The Eraser) and Zack de la Rocha (One Day as a Lion) before him. But we could just as easily be discussing the career arc leading to the Achtung Baby-Zooropa-Pop period of U2, and they're none the worse for wear, eh? The dancier, programming-heavy tracks on Intimacy are not merely fuzzy but skillfully dense, "Mercury" going so far as to tip its cap to Rimsky-Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumblebee." There are also razor-sharp rockers like "Ares," its lyrics drenched in ironic militancy, while "Halo" and "Better than Heaven" signal the resurgence of Matt Tong's insistent drumming, the band's secret weapon. Bloc Party aren't blog-house bandwagon-jumping; amid all of their sonic experiments, they're really just burning the aura of their masterpiece debut Silent Alarm to a backup disk. Speaking of disks, physical copies of Intimacy (with a slightly different tracklist from the digital version out now) will be available in America on October 28.

Review by Adam Blyweiss

Week of August 18, 2008

The Dandy Warhols - ...Earth To The Dandy Warhols... (Beat The World)

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Okay, I get it; the CD is dead, long live the digital download. It seems that there's a new variation on the theme with each band that joins the 'give it away' club. In the case of The Dandy Warhols, they didn't give it away to just anyone. Sharing its name with a song from an earlier self-released album, ...Earth To The Dandy Warhols... was offered to members of the band's online fan club just over three months before its physical release date. The unorthodox release isn't the only thing that makes this album different from the Dandys' past efforts. Earth provides a look into the eclectic mind of leader Courtney Taylor-Taylor, with noisy disco ("Welcome To The Third World"), bubblegum pop ("Valerie Yum") and classic Dandys psychedelia ("Mission Control," "Wasp In The Lotus") being some of the album's more accessible turns. The real oddities are songs like "Mis Amigos," a Spanish-inflected ode to the band's favorite vices, and the head-scratchingly fun "The Legend Of The Last Of The Outlaw Truckers AKA The Ballad Of Sheriff Shorty," which is over the top, even for the Dandys. All is not so baffling on Earth, with lead track "The World The People Together (Come On)" bringing in some Go! Team-style chants and the very lovely "Love Song" bringing some highbrow guitarists (namely Mark Knopfler and Mike Campbell) into the dense mix. Though I'm not sure anyone (fan club member or otherwise) is ready for the 14-minute closer "Musee D'Nougat," it does offer some delectable background on the fluffy confection. ...Earth To The Dandy Warhols... won't be bringing in the scores of new fans like Thirteen Tales Of Urban Bohemia did, but it is a treat for the band's established (and very patient) fanbase.

Review by Eric Schuman

Week of August 11, 2008

The Faint - Fasciinatiion (blank.wav)

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In listening to the spectrum of sounds coming from today's so-called "blog house" genre, it somehow comes as no surprise that both Daft Punk and The Faint started releasing albums about a decade ago. The edgy Eurodisco shuffle of first track "Get Seduced" from The Faint's new self-released album Fasciinatiion fulfills the promise referenced in the second track, "When I saw the future/The geeks were right," clearly showing where acts like Justice and Does It Offend You, Yeah? get their chops. "Fulcrum and Lever" has enough midtempo clicks and clangs that it should be inducing that familiar sway on goth club dancefloors; meanwhile, other songs ("Fish in a Womb," "Machine in the Ghost") veer back towards the playfully edgy indie-rock that first got the Omaha band in the game. "Psycho" even hints at a playfully twisted take on alt-country. Much in the same way that Nine Inch Nails returned from a creative hiatus with the hard-rock leanings of With Teeth, The Faint offer us a schizophrenic, bile-filled, yet constantly entertaining ten-song set. See the Faint this Sunday at The Trocadero in Philadelphia.

Review by Adam Blyweiss

Week of August 4, 2008

Conor Oberst - Conor Oberst (Merge)

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For a while now, there has been a trend of giving band-like names to one-member musical projects. Perhaps it is to blur the line between the frontman and the band itself, or to simply challenge the traditional notions of what makes up a band, but "groups" like Nine Inch Nails and Iron & Wine continue to baffle audiences expecting to see more than just one performer. One of these groups that has evolved from being a one-man project into a full-fledged band is Conor Oberst's Bright Eyes. To be fair, the Bright Eyes sound has just as much to do with producer/multi-instrumentalist Mike Mogis and keyboardist Nate Walcott as it does with Oberst. It could be due to the absence of Mogis and Walcott that Oberst's new album under his own name (literally; the disc is also self-titled) lacks the lush fullness of last year's Bright Eyes release, Cassadaga. My first exposure to Bright Eyes was back in 2005 with the release of I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning. That album, along with 2002's Lifted... were mostly low-key affairs that hinted at more grown-up sounds a few years later. Cassadaga was such a leap forward in musical maturity that Oberst sounds like he's back-pedaling a bit on this new album. Conor Oberst stars with "Cape Canaveral," a strummy acoustic number that features some tape noises low in the mix as if to remind the listener that Oberst is more than just a kid with a lucky streak of successful albums. The biblical references in "Lenders In The Temple" and "Moab" and the flourishes of Spanish in "Eagle On A Pole" show off Oberst's literacy in a more subtle manner. It's almost expected of Oberst to title the best and most upbeat song on an album "I Don't Wanna Die (In The Hospital)." That tune is one of too few rave-ups that could have made Conor Oberst (the album) as impressive as some of Conor Oberst's (the singer) past work. I'm hoping that Oberst will keep his ear to the ground and return to the bigger sound of Cassadaga soon. You can catch Oberst with his new backing group, The Mystic Valley Band, at the Trocadero on August 11th.

Review by Eric Schuman

Week of July 28, 2008

CSS - Donkey (Sub Pop)

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After winning over scores of fans with their self-titled international debut in 2006, Brazil's CSS may have also grown tired of only making electronic music. While not totally abandoning the electroclash scene to which they are so closely associated, CSS mix up their arrangements on their new album, Donkey. Fear not, though, as Lovefoxxx's trademark vocals and drummer/musical director Adriano Cintra's songwriting are as strong as ever. After hearing lead single "Rat Is Dead (Rage)", you might be led to think that CSS have sold their turntables and bought guitars, but the Tom Tom Club-invoking keyboard stabs on "Let's Reggae All Night" show that the band hasn't burned all of their bridges. Still, guitars are plentiful throughout the disc, and bang out riffs that often rock ("How I Became Paranoid") and sometimes can't be distinguished from the keyboards (opener "Jager Yoga"). CSS still wear their influences on their brightly-colored sleeves, with "Left Behind" referencing Devo's jagged synths and the darker "Believe Achieve" not only echoing Depeche Mode, but contemporaries like Ladytron. Donkey is very much a picture of a band in transition. I salute CSS for not opting to make their debut all over again, but I anxiously await their next album to see what becomes of the changes in direction.

Review by Eric Schuman

Week of July 21, 2008

Black Kids - Partie Traumatic (Columbia)

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We once praised Damon Albarn's project-of-the-moment The Good, The Bad, and the Queen and their use of a particular point in musical history to inform their debut release: "Ghost Town" by The Specials. Now Jacksonville's Black Kids make their own stellar submission to the Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery Dept. Partie Traumatic cleans up all four tracks from their demo EP Wizard of Ahhhs and adds six new songs, a document of dance-rock desperately wanting to be majestic pop. This suggests the group's subconscious foundation: the happiest moments of The Cure. Reggie Youngblood's affected-Brit lilt recalls Robert Smith's upper registers; his playful guitar cascades shine a light in the dark as well. When tracks like the smash "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance with You" and "Hurricane Jane" merge those elements with joyfully cheesy synths and a crack rhythm section, they easily channel the "Why Can't I Be You?"s and "Just Like Heaven"s of the world. The staying power of "Boyfriend" threatens to label Partie Traumatic as a one-trick pony, but thankfully the doo-wop ending of "I've Underestimated My Charm (Again)" and the true indie-dance stomp of "I Wanna Be Your Limousine" hint that Black Kids have more under their control than just the summer of 2008. See for yourself when they play the hot! hot! hot! First Unitarian Church on September 29th.

Review by Adam Blyweiss

Week of July 21, 2008

Dr. Dog - Fate (Park The Van)

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The lyrics of "The Breeze", the opening number of Dr. Dog's new album, Fate, could be read as very telling about the philosophy of the band. "Are you movin' much too fast?" and "Do you feel like your stuck in time?" are questions the quintet are likely to field when they are out promoting this album, released just over a year after the acclaimed We All Belong. The latter question has an easy answer; Dr. Dog have an uncanny knack for sifting classic pop songcraft through a lo-fi indie screen. Being "stuck in time" is the only reason I can think of why a ragtime piano breakdown ("The Old Days") and a multi-part "A Day In The Life"-esque suite ("My Friend") fit together on the same album. Even with its scattered upbeat moments, Fate doesn't wear its hooks on its sleeve as overtly as We All Belong, relying more on bluesy, heartfelt songs like "Army Of Ancients" and the stellar "From". As far as "moving much too fast", I don't feel like the boys of Dr. Dog see things that way. Since We All Belong, they have not only recorded this new disc, but released a compendium of old demos, presumably with more on the horizon. "The Breeze" might not be so autobiographical after all, more of a self-deprecating nod and wink, not unlike The Beatles' "Glass Onion". The Fab Four challenged the boundaries of pop music without fear, and Dr. Dog uphold that legacy, albeit with lots more "whoa-oh-oh"-ing.

Review by Eric Schuman

Week of July 14, 2008

Albert Hammond, Jr. - ¿Cómo Te Llama? (RCA)

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Considering that I'm not exactly a big fan of his band, The Strokes, I can't even begin to imagine how many times I've listened to guitarist Albert Hammond, Jr.'s debut solo album, Yours To Keep. Between the classic pop melodies and charming lyrics (plus toy pianos!), the songs from Yours To Keep are so ingrained in my head that I'm having a tough time becoming as attached to Hammond's new album, the poorly-conjugated ¿Cómo Te Llama?. Overall, I like ¿Cómo Te Llama?, but I'm not sure if I would consider it as solid as Yours To Keep. It certainly has Hammond branching out further than he ever could on a Strokes record. The processed beats on "Lisa" and "Rocket", and the bullhorn-filtered vocals featured on most of the tracks might be a little gimmicky, but Hammond's musicianship (not to mention his production of the record) tie any loose ends together with a fairly strong knot. The centerpiece of ¿Cómo Te Llama? is the lilting seven-minute instrumental, "Spooky Couch", which features Hammond's buddy and frequent collaborator Sean Lennon on plinking (non-toy) piano. It's probably my own fault for just not having enough room in my mind for 13 more Albert Hammond, Jr. songs, but I have a feeling that ¿Cómo Te Llama? will sink in eventually. Maybe by that point, I can remember enough from my three years of Spanish to figure out what Hammond was trying to say with the album's title.

Review by Eric Schuman

Week of July 7, 2008

Beck - Modern Guilt (Interscope)

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One of our favorite artists around these parts, Beck Hansen has proven over his diverse career that he is capable of just about any genre he puts his mind to. The eclectic musician has attempted a pattern over the years of a higher-profile, funkier, "fun" release, followed by a more stripped-down album. Since 2006 brought us the electronic-tinged, hip-hop influenced album The Information, it's time for the Beck-pendulum to swing the other way once again. Modern Guilt is back to dark, singer-songwriter territory for the first time since 2001's sparse break-up album, Sea Change. It's also the first Beck album since Sea Change to stay the course with a cohesive sound for an entire album. Modern Guilt is also a collaboration with producer Danger Mouse of Gnarls Barkley fame, and the two artists' sonic sensibilities match up well.

Beck has said the plan going into the record was to create a short album with a feel reminiscent of the 60s British invasion. Modern Guilt is certainly his quickest album yet (ten songs in 33 minutes) and on songs such as "Gamma Ray" and the title track, you can hear the rhythmic influence of post-Beatles radio rock. "Walls" is the most Gnarls-esque track, with its moody, eerie string sample that could have come straight out of The Odd Couple. "Youthless" and "Soul Of A Man" are built around fat, plucky bass lines and "Replica" rides skittering electronic beats.

Lyrically, Beck is back on the bluesy, apocalyptic trip he was taking on a good bit of 2005's Guero. "Walls," "Gamma Ray" and "Chemtrails" stare down dread and bleakness in an indirect-yet-articulate way that is distinctly Beck. The moody vibe suits the lower-key side of Mr. Hansen and since the record clocks in so briskly, the prevailing sadness doesn't overstay its welcome. Modern Guilt is an understated, but worthy addition to the always-expanding world of Beck.

Review by Joey O.

Sigur Ros - Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust (Beggars Banquet/XL)

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Like other visionary musicians, Sigur Ros are currently embracing fast turnaround and democratic distribution of their craft: their sixth LP Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust came together in the first half of 2008. There, however, is where conventions new and old end. Sigur Ros have long been defined by heaving atmospheres and Jon Thor (Jonsi) Birgisson's use of "Hopelandic," his vocals for unwritten lyrics filtering jazz scat singing through an eerie indie-rock whine. An acquired taste, but acquired it has been to a point where 1999's Agaetis Byrjun stands as a post-rock landmark. Acoustic performances on last year's Hvarf/Heim hinted at what has fully bloomed here: much clearer arrangements and instrumentation. Strings, horns, choirs and especially Orri Pall Dyrason's drums add legitimate punctuation to compositions like "Gobbledigook" (fitting in nicely alongside warped, upbeat folk by the likes of Yeasayer and MGMT), "Sud I Eyrum," and the second half of the epic "Festival."

Absent the creaking weight of their typical ambience, Sigur Ros manage to make music that can pass for actual songs and singles. In particular, Jonsi no longer sounds wispy and morose; whether whispering the band's first English lyrics ("All Alright") or delivering Icelandic stomps both muted ("Godan Daginn") and mirthful ("Inni Mer Syngur Vitleysingur"), he makes you consider what Elliot Smith and Jeff Buckley might have sounded like had they flipped off the reaper. In Med Sud we find Sigur Ros bravely making an "accessible" album. Longtime fans might see that as one big shark-jumping concession, but consider the choice the rest of us now have: getting the sturm und drang of Radiohead or Nine Inch Nails for free, or paying a couple of bucks for unmitigated joy.

Review by Adam Blyweiss

Week of June 30, 2008

Ladytron - Velocifero
(Nettwerk)

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It always perplexed me as to how bands decide when their albums are released. Do they wait until they think their record will be the best thing on the market? Do they try to hit the shelves in the busy shopping months? Do they get them out as fast as humanly possible (or, in the case of Trent Reznor, faster)? I also find that albums from certain bands work best in certain seasons. For example, despite its January release, Vampire Weekend's debut is a very summer-ready album. This atmospheric anachronism occurs yet again in the case of Velocifero, the new album from icy electropoppers Ladytron. Where bands like CSS and New Young Pony Club make more bouncy electronic tunes, Ladytron opt for the route traveled by classic darker synth acts like Pet Shop Boys and New Order. From the songs sung in Bulgarian ("Kletva" and opener "Black Cat") to the dense vocal layering on standouts "Runaway" and "They Gave You A Heart, They Gave You A Name", Ladytron deliver one eerie and compelling piece after another. Velocifero might not exactly live up to its literal translation as "bringer of speed", but this is likely another twist in the Ladytron chain. If you got this record expecting the feel-good hit of the summer, you're out of luck - for now. Hold onto Velocifero until the long chilly nights of October; only then will the album, "Ghosts" and all, come out of its glacial cocoon.

Review by Eric Schuman

Week of June 23, 2008

The Wombats - A Guide To Love, Loss, and Desperation
(Roadrunner)

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Here at Y-Rock, we've tried to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to Brit-Pop imports. Exhibit A: The Fratellis, who you heard on our airwaves long before they got the iPod deal and ended up in every 'wacky' movie trailer. And now we have The Wombats, whose hit "Let's Dance To Joy Division" first received airplay from us at the beginning of 2008. Their album A Guide To Love, Loss & Desperation is finally available this week Stateside after coming out in the U.K. last year. The youthful Liverpool trio met at Sir Paul McCartney's Liverpool Institute Of Performing Arts in 2003 and oddly enough, released their first album in Japan only a few years later. A Guide To Love, Loss & Desperation featured the hit U.K. singles "Kill The Director," "Moving To New York," the brilliantly catchy, "Let's Dance To Joy Division," and of course, "Backfire At The Disco," the current single we're spinning on Y-Rock. Much like Art Brut's "Direct Hit," it's a tale of awkwardness at a dance club. The Wombats certainly don't reinvent the post-Arctic Monkeys-wheel on A Guide To Love, Loss & Desperation but hit the sweet spot on the aforementioned tracks: perfect 3 minute, Brit-Pop, full of cheeky humor and great hooks and set to a beat you can dance to.

Review by Joey O.

Week of June 16, 2008

Coldplay - Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends
(Capitol)

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Coldplay's 2005 album X&Y helped push the Brit band into the stratosphere as one of the Biggest Bands In The World, able to fill the largest venues around the globe. However, the album received mixed reviews and too many synthesized keyboards bogged down much of the second half of the record. So for the extra-wordy Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends¸ Coldplay stripped back the layers and pushed for more wide open spaces in their new material.

Coldplay certainly do try a number of new tricks on Viva La Vida, perhaps their most ambitious record yet, but again find some mixed results. Some of the songs, co-produced by the legendary Brian Eno and Markus Dravs (Arcade Fire), were partly recorded live in Spain to shake things up a bit. After an instrumental opener (that is reprised with lyrics as the hidden closer), "Cemeteries Of London" kicks in, with Chris Martin evoking olde timey 19th century Gothic England and Johnny Buckland's excellent guitar work paying tribute to The Edge's early work with U2.

The guys really stretch out in the middle of the record. "42" is a multi-part epic, moving from a sparse keyboard song to piling on strings and a funky rhythm, then making a turn into classic, wide-open anthemic Coldplay. They also decided to give fans 'more bang for their buck' by fitting two songs onto the same track twice on the record. "Lovers In Japan"/"Reign of Love" & "Yes!"/"Chinese Sleep Chant." In both instances, the first song on the track is the superior tune, with the second a pleasant little bonus.

By stripping back the epic keyboards, bringing in strings on "Yes!" and the hit "Viva La Vida," and adding other cool little sonic touches, Coldplay certainly do their best to shake things up musically. However, by trying to be more 'progressive,' they occasionally lose sight of the big catchy hooks that have been their bread and butter in the past. And this record might bring even more U2 comparisons than X&Y, partly because of Buckland's guitar atmospherics and Eno's production. The singles "Viva La Vida" (for my money, the best song on the album and best example of the band's experimentation paying off) and "Violet Hill" also show some of Martin's strongest lyrics on the record, with references to war and revolution, also echoed in the cover art. Thematically, the album deals with the Big Concepts of Life and Death (well it is right there in the title). Viva La Vida... will certainly be one of the biggest albums of the year and an important step in the continued growth of one of the few superstar Rock bands under the age of 40 that we have today.

Review by Joey O.

Week of June 9, 2008

My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
(ATO)

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The first couple of things you notice when you put on My Morning Jacket's 5th album, Evil Urges: how clear the vocals are compared to everything they've done up to now, how you've never really noticed Jim James' lyrics before, and how many Prince CDs these white boys from Kentucky must listen to in the van. For years they've been lauded as one of the most dynamic, soulful, and captivating live bands making music today - an evolution that's been documented locally across many Philadelphia stages, from the Khyber to the Troc to the TLA to the Factory to the Tower Theatre, and soon to headlining Festival Pier (September 5). Few bands in rock's history have shown the so much skill at driving a song over the top with subtle dynamic changes and perfectly constructed musical arrangements. While all of their studio records have contained a clutch of great riffs and ensemble playing, each tended to ultimately wash over the listener like a cool mountain stream, leaving smooth gems of the rocks below, but little to grab hold of. You found yourself able to hum with but never really sing along with the band.

For all the gorgeous grooves and the amalgam of aesthetics cobbled together from the raw elements of the best Classic, Indie, Southern, Blues, Punk, Prog, and Folk Rock, there was always something indirect about the Jacket's records. Awash in swaths of reverb, Jim James' vocals have been comparable to Michael Stipe's in early R.E.M.; cool, mysterious, fleeting. Not anymore. Like the hair that covered most of his face at live shows until a couple years ago, with less reverb we're able to see more of Jim James on this album, and the confidence in his writing and singing enables us to look at My Morning Jacket in a new light. On first listen it almost feels like a different band - the reverb was that prevalent in the past. By pushing his vocals and the band's playing in new stylistic directions as well, from Curtis Mayfield/Prince falsettos to guttural yelps, from faux industrial/hiphop ("Highly Suspicious") to blue eyed soul ("Thank You Too," "Touch Me I'm Going to Scream") this could be the record that helps My Morning Jacket reach a new, wider audience - the album where the words, music, vocals, and playing all connect at a higher level. One place it all comes together is "I'm Amazed," where James runs through a list of things captivating him - from sublime beauty to our political/ cultural cul-de-sac ("I'm amazed in the quiet ocean / I'm amazed at your wrong devotion / I'm amazed at what the people saying / I'm amazed by a divided nation"), and the band delivers a performance worthy of The Who, U2, or Radiohead. Like those bands, My Morning Jacket has built a following based on their live prowess, and as each band did on their breakthrough records Tommy, War, and OK Computer, several albums into their career My Morning Jacket has delivered an album with Evil Urges that puts them on a similar position to be one of the best bands - live and now on record - of their time and all-time.

Review by Jim McGuinn

Week of June 9, 2008

The Fratellis - Here We Stand
(Interscope)

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There's no shame in only having one album to your credit. Plenty of respectable bands throughout history, for one reason or another, released a lone studio recording in their entire careers. Jeff Buckley, The La's, even the Sex Pistols fall into the "One-Album Wonder" category, and their music is very much beloved. If you would have asked me last year, following the U.S. release of their debut, Costello Music, I would have been quick to say that The Fratellis would likely join those ranks. To my pleasant surprise, though, the Glaswegian trio is back with a new record, Here We Stand, which might just be better than their impeccably strong debut. The most obvious change to the Fratellis' sound is the addition of keyboards on just about every track. This gives the more adventurous tunes a very solid base for Jon Fratelli's brogue to spout out the (real) lyrics (Costello Music's gibberish sing-alongs are few and far between here). While none of the tracks are quite "Flathead" or "Chelsea Dagger", there is a much wider spectrum of styles covered, from riffy psychobilly on "Tell Me A Lie" to tears-in-my-beer country with "Babydoll". Though "Acid Jazz Singer" isn't really acid jazz, the long instrumental passages (closer "Milk And Money") and storytelling songs ("A Heady Tale") make Here We Stand an impressive sophomore release from a band who probably didn't ever have to record again. Now that they've proved to be more than just a goofy Brit-Pop band, maybe album three will feature some real acid jazz.

Review by Eric Schuman

Week of June 2, 2008

Weezer - Weezer ("The Red Album")
(Geffen)

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No band has cultivated a more rabid and opinionated fan base over the past decade than Weezer. We last heard from the Weez on the uneven, Rick Rubin-assisted Make Believe. While it featured perhaps their biggest crossover hit in "Beverly Hills," there were also some of Rivers' dodgiest lyrics and a reliance on too many soggy ballads. After a few years away, the band has slightly reinvented themselves on their third self-titled record (aka "The Red Album") as more of a democracy. For better or worse, Rivers has been labeled a bit of a dictator, and on the Red Album, the other three members get to step up to the plate for their turn in the spotlight.

The first half is Cuomo-centric, and while some of his lyrics have taken a turn for the goofy, the songs are musically as catchy as ever. The most obvious examples are opener "Troublemaker" and the hit single "Pork And Beans" (which is about...writing a hit single). "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived" might be the most insane thing the band has ever attempted. It's a multi-part "Bohemian Rhapsody"-style six minute epic, jumping from rapping to a choir to a spoken word breakdown, all with Weezer's trademark hooky guitar riffs throughout. "Heartsongs" finds Rivers sweetly reminiscing about Pop songs he grew up on; from Eddie Rabbit to the Boss to Jacko...up to Nirvana's Nevermind changing his life and the formation of Weezer. For much of the first half of the Red Album, Rivers is being autobiographical, but instead of his usual topic of girls, he's writing about his childhood and music.

The second half of the Red Album is where the rest of the band takes turns on the mic. Guitarist Brian Bell wrote and sings "Thought I Knew," a nice little strummy power-pop song. Bassist Scott Shriner sings/raps the verses on the menacing "Cold Dark World," with drummer Pat Wilson (who has frontman experience with his excellent side project The Special Goodness a few years back) sings the midtempo "Automatic." However, with all the different singers, the second half of the record feels maddeningly inconsistent. While it may be good for inter-band harmony, it doesn't really lend to a cohesive feel on the album. Overall, Weezer's Red Album is an interesting, if flawed, experiment in stretching a veteran band's creative boundaries.

Review by Joey O.

The Ting Tings - We Started Nothing
(Columbia)

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For a while, I felt like I was the only person in the world who did not attend the South By Southwest festival earlier this year. Almost every music blog, media outlet and even many of my coworkers professed their love for the bands they discovered over the course of the event. Since then, many of those groups, like Black Kids, Los Campesinos! and The Ting Tings have gone on to sign with various labels based on the strong reception of their live performances. The Ting Tings' debut, We Started Nothing, is a quirky mix of dance-pop, girl group harmonies and electronica which are sure to further their newfound popularity. The album kicks off with what might become their signature song, "Great DJ". The tune (which was a double-A side single with the stomp-clap "That's Not My Name") is pure, bright pop with just as much fizz as the aforementioned groups whom the duo played alongside in March. A number of the other songs on the record have been making waves, such as the jittery "Fruit Machine" and "Shut Up And Let Me Go", the latest song to grace an iPod commercial. There are times towards the end of the album where the pace is slowed down a bit, showing that the duo is more than just a dance band. Songs like "Be The One" (a near dead ringer for The Clash's "Lost In The Supermarket") and "Impacilla Carpisung", where singer Katie White does her best M.I.A. impression. We Started Nothing might not completely do The Ting Tings' live show justice, but it is nonetheless a fun listen that offers a taste of what to expect from them in a concert setting. Speaking of which, you can catch The Ting Tings as part of the Popped! Festival on June 21st at Drexel University.

Review by Eric Schuman

Week of May 26, 2008

We Are Scientists -