Sunday, November 15, 2009

BLINK 182 - Blink 182



Yes, I know that this album was released in 2003. However, recently, it's been playing a lot while I'm at home so I figured I might as well write about it. I don't know what it is about Blink 182 that makes me like this album so much, but I love it. It might be that Travis Barker, whether you love him or hate him, is one of the best drummers in recent years. His drumming is intricate, adding a whole new layer to the music and fleshing out the sound for the trio. It might be that they have two different vocalists, Mark Hoppus and Tom DeLonge, who can alternate between sounding heartbroken, angry, giddy, and a wide range of other emotions. It might be that the simple lyrical content actually makes the songs stronger; they are easy to relate to and won't make you scratch your head wondering what they really mean. You just listen and bob your head and hope that the energy in these songs is transferred to you by some sort of cosmic intervention. Or it might be that these three guys write some very catchy pop songs which I just can't stop listening to. Yeah, that might be it.


www.myspace.com/blink182
www.blink182.com

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

CHROMEO - Night By Night (Single)


The first new Chromeo song since the 2007 release of their sophomore album, Fancy Footwork! The sound of "Night By Night" is instantly recognizable as Chromeo: upbeat, synth-driven pop/electrorock with Dave One's smooth vocals and Pee Thug contributing vocals through his vocoder. Lots of fun; you will surely want to put this on at your next dance party. If this song is any indication, their next album is going to be even more awesome than their past two (even if you didn't think that could be possible).

www.myspace.com/chromeo
www.chromeo.net

Sunday, October 11, 2009

TODOR KOBAKOV - Pop Music


While you may not recognize the name, if you're familiar with the bands on CMJ's charts, there's a good chance you've heard the work of Todor Kobakov already. Born in Bulgaria, Kobakov emigrated to Canada when he was sixteen with many of his family members (his mother stayed in Bulgaria). Currently based out of Toronto, Kobakov has had his string arrangements featured on the second album by Stars, Set Yourself On Fire, and has played keys for Luke Doucet, Emily Haines and the Soft Skeleton, Small Sins, and many others. Pop Music is his solo debut and showcases his chillingly beautiful classical piano compositions. The album is instrumental save for two songs, "Carpe Diem," which features the vocals of Emily Haines, and "Loving Hands," on which Tunde Adebimpe of TV on the Radio provides vocals. If you enjoy piano, there's a very good chance you will enjoy this album. Kobakov is a very talented musician and this release definitely demonstrates that.

www.myspace.com/todorkobakov
http://todor.ca

Friday, October 2, 2009

FRANK TURNER - Poetry of the Deed

Poetry of the Deed
Born in Bahrain, the London-raised punk rock troubadour presents his third full-length album. He's released several other solo EPs and compilations and has played in the bands Kneejerk and Million Dead as well. He plays punk rock with mixed acoustic and electric instrumentation and meaningful lyrics. The sound is similar to that of Billy Bragg. I highly recommend this album, it's great.

http://www.myspace.com/frankturner
www.frank-turner.com/

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Hello There Ladies and Gentlemen...

It's been a while, but Slacker Sounds should be returning now that the summer is over. Maybe not a post every weekday like before; I'm going to shoot for updates about once a week. With that in mind, I need music to review. If you are a promoter, band manager/member, an underground music kingpin, or whatever, get in touch. My email is slackersounds[at]gmail[dot]com . I like rockandroll and punk rock the most but am always open to other genres. I usually only review full-length LPs or EPs but sometimes will check out singles if they're worthwhile. Just please don't send me Myspace links because my computer doesn't like Myspace (and I really don't either).

Rockandroll,

The Slacker

slackersounds[at]gmail[dot]com

Friday, May 1, 2009

ANDY WERTH - Burn The Maps And Bury The Compass


From Seattle, this is the debut album for Andy Werth and his band. The sound is pop rock/power-pop/rock with male vocals that are reminiscent of the sound of Aqueduct's. I heard Andy's Seeing Stars EP in 2008 and really liked that and I like this album, too. Fun, carefree tunes and many of the tracks have horns. Recommended if you like Aqueduct, Sloan, the New Pornographers.

www.myspace.com/andywerth
www.andywerth.com

Thursday, April 30, 2009

LEFT ALONE - Left Alone


California 3-piece gives us their fourth full-length. Fun, upbeat punk with ska influences. Recommended if you like new-school punk and The Clash ("Sad Story" even seems to have a reference to the Clash).

www.myspace.com/leftalonepunx
www.leftalone.net

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

DUSTY RHODES AND THE RIVER BAND - Palace and Stage


Second full-length for the Californian band. They might be on the Side One Dummy label, but they're far from your average punk band; they combine elements of folk, country, classic rock, punk, and more to create a highly enjoyable sound. They have toured with bands like Flogging Molly, Dirty Pretty Things, and Gogol Bordello. Their singer often made me think of what Aerosmith's Steven Tyler might sound like if he had grown up in the Southern United States. Cool stuff.

www.myspace.com/dustyrhodes
www.dustyrhodesmusic.com

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

THE FRESH AND ONLYS - The Fresh and Onlys


San Francisco band's debut. Reverby 60's influenced pop/garage rock/pscyh with male vocals and female backing vox. Overall really cool. Recommended if you like Thee Oh Sees, Raveonettes, and similar bands.

www.myspace.com/thefreshonlys
thefreshandonlys.com

Monday, April 27, 2009

THE RIPPERS - Why Should I Care About You?


Ripper I, Ripper II, Ripper III, and Ripper IV are from Sardinia, Italy. Their newest album (to date) packs twelve songs into thirty-three minutes of kick-ass garage punk/rock, a bit of harmonica for some added awesomeness, and Ripper IV spewing out lyrics that are difficult to decipher. They seem like the kind of guys who might spit on you from the stage, then have a beer with you at the bar afterwards and laugh about it. Then somehow they would wind up going home with the girlfriends of you and your friends. They're just that cool.

www.myspace.com/therippersinaction
http://spazioinwind.libero.it/therippers/index.html

Friday, April 24, 2009

COCKTAIL SLIPPERS - Saint Valentine's Day Massacre


This is the third album (and second for Wicked Cool) for the all-female band from Oslo, Norway. They play a mix of powerpop and garage rock with lots of girl-group harmonizing. Some of the artists they remind me of are the girls in the B-52's, Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders, and the Pipettes - but the Cocktail Slippers are unlike the Pipettes because they play their own music, and have cooler names (Sugar Cane, Modesty Blaze, Rocket Queen, Squirrel and Bella Donna). Little Steven wrote the title track for the album and also "Heard You Got A Thing For Me" and contributed some bongo playing; this band is also further proof that he picks the coolest bands on the planet for his Wicked Cool label. Awesome!

www.myspace.com/cocktailslippers
www.cocktailslippers.com

Thursday, April 23, 2009

ART BRUT - Art Brut Vs. Satan


Art Brut Vs. Satan is the British quintet's third full-length; this one is produced by Frank Black aka Black Francis aka Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson IV aka the lead singer for the Pixies. We get eleven songs of fun, upbeat British rock/post-punk goodness filled with witty lyrics (many referencing other bands, songs, and music in general, along with several other pop culture references) that are delivered in singer Eddie Argos' trademark deadpan talking style. I've liked this band since I heard them in 2005 on their debut, and this album is no exception to their awesomeness.

www.myspace.com/artbrut
www.artbrut.org.uk

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

FITZ AND THE TANTRUMS - Songs For A Breakup, Volume 1


Born in France but raised in Los Angeles, here comes Fitz (and the Tantrums). This EP of 5 songs is said to have been recorded in Fitz's living room using only one microphone and written about an ex-girlfriend. The sound is one of poppy soul with a retro vibe that recalls the 60's heyday of soul. Even the album cover is made to look like it's old. It's a cool record and the songs are put together nicely.

www.myspace.com/fitzsoulmusic

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

PETER BJORN AND JOHN - Living Thing


The Swedish trio's third album, following their debut, Writer's Block and their instrumental album, Seaside Rock. This album is more on the experimental side of indie pop as they branch out into sparser, stripped down songs that still exhibit a decisive 60's pop influence. Nothing on here is as poppy as their hits "Young Folks" and "Amsterdam," but there is still plenty of good stuff to be had.

www.myspace.com/peterbjornandjohn
www.peterbjornandjohn.com

Monday, April 20, 2009

METRIC - Fantasies


The fourth full-length for the Brooklyn-born, Canadian-raised quartet. This set seems very polished and glossy to me (maybe a bit too much?) and is quite heavy on the synths. They're still in fine form and Emily Haines sure does have a good voice, but there aren't many songs to dance to, which makes me sad.

www.myspace.com/metric
www.ilovemetric.com

Friday, April 17, 2009

JUNIOR BOYS - Begone Dull Care


Third full-length for the Canadian duo of Jeremy Greenspan and Matthew Didemus. It's really laid-back electropop with lots of blips, bleeps, and bloops. The vocals are sung/whispered in a manner so that they sound very intimate. Recommended if you like Hot Chip's slower tracks. The album title references the abstract animated film of Norman McLaren, a pioneering animator and also an electronic composer.

www.myspace.com/juniorboys
www.juniorboys.net

Thursday, April 9, 2009

WAU Y LOS ARRGHS!!! - VIVEN!!!


Wau Y Los Arrrghs!!! are from Valencia, Spain and sing mostly in Spanish, though they do have a few lyrics in English as well. They play garage rock, so far this is the best garage rock album I have heard this year! They rock. Awesome.

www.myspace.com/wauylosarrrghs

Thursday, March 19, 2009

THE LOVETONES - Dimensions


Dimensions is the Australian band's fourth album. Frontman Matthew Tow was previously in the band Drop City, recorded several solo albums under the name Colorsound, and also played guitar for the Brian Jonestown Massacre on one of their tours and wrote two songs for the BJM's album This Is Our Music. The Lovetones play psychedelic rock/pop that has a very distinct 60's influence. They're alright.

www.myspace.com/thelovetones
www.thelovetones.com

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

VOX JAGUARS - Vox Jaguars EP


This is the debut EP from these four Californian boys, two of which are still in high school. They're a very young band and have a lot of room to grow, but their first release shows them as a band that should definitely be watched. It's fuzzy, rough around the edges, lo-fi garage/punk/rock. The singer has a punk-rocker's voice that could be the make-it-or-break-it factor for you. Overall, this EP is a damn good way to spend 15 minutes and 39 seconds.

www.myspace.com/thevoxjaguars

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

THE TAKEOVER UK - Running With The Wasters


The boys from Pittsburgh (who have a British name, sound, and album title) present their first full-length album. Upbeat rockandroll/power-pop with a bit of a punk edge makes up most of the album, with a few slower tracks as well (including one that has a noticeable country influence to it). They're fun and seem like the kind of kids you'd want to end up at a wild party with, yeah, why not? If you like rock music in the vein of The Fratellis, The Kooks, and their peers, you should like The Takeover UK.


www.myspace.com/thetakeoveruk
www.rykodisc.com/thetakeoveruk/bio

Monday, March 16, 2009

SAY HI - Oohs & Aahs


Oohs & Aahs is Say Hi's sixth album, if you count the two under it's current name, and the four released under the Say Hi To Your Mom moniker. Eric Elbogen played every sound that appears on this album, and every sound is very nice. The album is filled with wonderful indie pop that has just a touch of indie rock added in. Eric has a very pleasant voice which he uses to sing the clever lyrics he has written, usually telling a little story about a character in the song. The album is great and truly one of the best bedroom pop albums I have ever heard.

www.myspace.com/sayhitoyourmom
www.sayhitoyourmom.com

Friday, March 13, 2009

BEADS - No One Knows


BEADS is the duo of Snow and Garnet Keim, two brothers who are also two-thirds of The Blakes. The record starts out with a drunk-sounding southern-rock/garage song, "Evil", which is probably the best track on here. As the album continues on, they explore psychedelia, Britpop, and the lighter, acoustic side of things as well. The two made this album after returning home from a long tour with The Blakes, with very little money and the victims of theft. Snow Keim found solace in making music and recorded songs directly to tape, and eventually teamed up with long-time friend, Brian Brown, to produce an album. No One Knows was recorded in Brown's home studio, and is a mixed bag; some songs work and others don't. In the end, it's an interesting look at how musicians cope with the difficult times in their lives.

www.myspace.com/beeaaddss
www.beadsmusic.com

Thursday, March 12, 2009

CLEM SNIDE - Hungry Bird


This is the band's sixth studio album and first in four years. They are led by a man with one of the best names ever: Eef Barzelay. Their sound on this record is one of indie/folk/country/pop, and it's very mellow and easy-going. Eef has a unique voice that you will either adore or despise. I like it (he kind of reminds me of John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats with his vocal sound), so I found the album to be pretty good.

www.myspace.com/clemsnide
www.clemsnide.com

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

JEREMY JAY - Slow Dance


This is the second album from Jeremy Jay and his bandmates; it's been less than a year since his first album, A Place Where We Could Go, came out in May 2008. Slow Dance seems to have a lot more synth than his debut did, and the songs seem to be a lot stronger as well. Many of them fit together through the use of similar lyrics and structure while still working individually. It's a very nice pop album and should come with a bow wrapped around it because all the songs are so nicely packed on the cd, ready for your ears to unwrap.

www.myspace.com/jeremyjay
www.krecs.com/html/artists/artistbio.php?interest=101

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

BISHOP ALLEN - Grrr...


The Brooklyn-via-Massachusetts band releases their third full-length album, and the second one to be on the Dead Oceans label. They had their song "Middle Management" off of their previous album, The Broken String, featured on the Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist soundtrack and also appeared in the film. This increased attention has not meant a decreased quality in their music. They still play delightful indie pop with great lyrics. RIYL A.C. Newman, This Is Ivy League, Nada Surf's newer material, and similar artists.

www.myspace.com/bishopallen
www.bishopallen.com

Monday, March 9, 2009

NEW FOUND GLORY - Not Without A Fight


They're from Florida, and have been around since the end of the 90's. Not Without A Fight is their sixth proper studio album, following the release of Tip of the Iceberg/Takin' It Ova!, which featured an EP billed to NFG and a full-length by NFG masquerading as the International Superheroes of Hardcore. Not Without A Fight returns to the emo/pop-punk sound that New Found Glory is best known for, with most of the lyrics focusing on relationships. Singer Jordan Pundik sounds a bit less whiny on this album than he has in the past, though he still is recognizable (for better or for worse, depending on your feeling about his vocals). This is their first album on the Epitaph label and should please their long-time fans.

www.myspace.com/newfoundglory
www.newfoundglory.com (Currently redirects to their myspace site)

Thursday, March 5, 2009

PLUSHGUN - Pins & Panzers


Debut album for the Brooklyn-based group that began as a solo project for Daniel Ignala, but has since evolved into the trio that it is today. They make cute indie pop/synth pop with very pleasant male vocals. Bleeps and bloops throughout. It's fun, sugary goodness, and very well done. RIYL The Postal Service.
www.myspace.com/plushgun
www.plushgun.com

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

AN HORSE - Rearrange Beds


They're from Brisbane, Australia, and this is their first full-length album. They are a duo, comprised of Kate Cooper and Damon Cox. They play fairly standard indie pop/rock, with female vocals. It is pretty good. They remind me of Tegan and Sara quite a bit.

www.myspace.com/anhorse
www.anhorse.com

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

MALAJUBE - Labyrinthes


Excellent third album from the Montreal quartet. All of their songs are sung in French. I don't speak that language, but the music is so good that it doesn't matter that I have no idea what they are saying. Really awesome 'indie rock' and well worth giving a listen. If you speak French, let me know what the songs are about.

www.myspace.com/malajube
www.malajube.com

Monday, March 2, 2009

BELL ORCHESTRE - As Seen Through The Windows


Their second album. Two of their members are in the Arcade Fire. All of their songs are instrumental. You could classify them as indie/experimental if you needed to, I suppose. They would sound best on a long drive through a desolate winter landscape.

www.myspace.com/bellorchestre
www.bellorchestre.com

Friday, February 27, 2009

YEAH YEAH YEAHS - Zero (single)


New single from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, off of their third album, It's Blitz!, which is slated for release on April 13. The single showcases a dancier side of the band, complete with synths. Karen O is still one of the best frontwomen, and best lead singers regardless of gender, and she helps to keep the band's sound from evolving too far from traditional YYY's territory.

www.myspace.com/yeahyeahyeahs
www.yeahyeahyeahs.com

Thursday, February 26, 2009

FAKE PROBLEMS - It's Great To Be Alive


This is the band's third full-length album and first for the SideOneDummy label. They're from Naples, Florida, so the comparisons to Against Me!, who are also from Naples, are inevitable. Fake Problems plays poppier punk rock than the aformentioned Against Me!. Some of their stuff has an acoustic, folk-punk influence. All in all, it's a good album and should appeal to anyone who has an interest in this style of music.

www.myspace.com/fakeproblems
www.fakeproblems.com

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

N.A.S.A. - The Spirit of Apollo


N.A.S.A. is the acronym for North America/South America, and is a collaborative effort of artists from both the hip-hop and indie music realms. Brought together by the duo of Squeak E. Clean and DJ Zegon, who met in Sao Paulo, Brazil, the result is a hip-hop/funk album that is real cool. I'm certainly no aficionado in regards to this genre of music, but I enjoyed this and especially the collision of artists that you would never expect to be appear on the same tracks together (But David Byrne and Chuck D do go together like peas in a pod!).

www.myspace.com/nasa
www.squeakecleanblog.com/

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

BLACK GOLD - Rush


The duo releases their full-length debut. The two members are Eric Ronick (Panic at the Disco, Ambulance Ltd.) and Than Luu (Rachel Yamagata, shushshush, M. Ward). They play electropop/rock/dance with male vocals. At times, they do sound like a 2009 version of the Bee Gees, which is a huge compliment coming from someone who grew up in a household that had several Bee Gees records that were no strangers to the living room stereo. The catchy songs are really good; there are a few filler songs, but overall, good stuff.

www.myspace.com/blackgoldrush
www.blackgoldmusic.com

Monday, February 23, 2009

SAM ROBERTS - Love At The End Of The World


This is the Canadian's third studio album. He won Juno Awards in 2004 for Album Of The Year and Rock Album Of The Year, thanks to his debut album, We Were Born In A Flame (He also won for Artist of the Year that year). It's not a surprise that he has received such accolades, as his sound is accessible rock/pop, with 1970s guitar rock influences as well as slight touches of alt-country. Roberts has a smooth voice; on several songs, he sounds like a more rockandroll Elliott Smith. The overall sound is similar to that of fellow Canadian Luke Doucet, albeit more poppy. This album is an excellent listen.

www.myspace.com/samrobertsband
www.samrobertsband.com

Friday, February 20, 2009

SPARKS - Exotic Creatures Of The Deep


Ever dreamed of Devo having sex with Scissor Sisters? Me neither, but Sparks is what their elderly love child would sound like (Of course, since Sparks was formed in 1970, this could not be possible unless both Devo AND Scissor Sisters were sent back in time through the use of a DeLorean powered by plutonium and equipped with a flux capacitor, and were then forced to reproduce, and the child that they created was raised in the alternate 1970s that would have been a result of this rift in the time continuum, to be exactly like the Sparks that exists is on the record). Sparks is the brotherly duo of Ron and Russell Mael; they formed in Los Angeles and released their self-titled debut a year later in 1971. All these years later, they are still making awesome music. Synthpop/rock with glampop influences. Hilarious lyrics. Catchy songs. Really fun.

www.myspace.com/allsparks
www.allsparks.com

Thursday, February 19, 2009

THE VON BONDIES - Love Hate And Then There's You


The Detroit four-piece returns with their third studio album and first release since 2004's Pawn Shoppe Heart. They play rock music with a punk attitude and swagger, though their sound is definitely more rooted in rock than punk. They are pretty cool, and hopefully they will be known more for their music than for the fight that their frontman, Jason Stollsteimer, got into with Jack White a few years ago.

www.myspace.com/vonbondies
www.vonbondies.com [Currently redirects to their myspace]

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

THE KINETIKS - Aye Aye Aye Aye [EP]


They're a quartet of young lads from Dublin, Ireland. This is their second EP. They have an indie/garage rock sound similar to bands like the View, the Libertines, the Kooks, and the Rakes. There are some really great songs on this ("Lightbulb" is especially good), but in order to capitalize on this promise, they'll need to be more consistent throughout all of their material.

http://www.myspace.com/kinetiks1
www.thekinetiks.com

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

THE KILLS - Live At Electric Ladyland [EP]


This is an EP that can be downloaded from iTunes. It features new recordings of songs from two of the three albums the duo has released: "Sour Cherry" and "Getting Down" from 2008's Midnight Boom, and "Pull A U" and "Kissy Kissy" from their 2003 debut, "Keep On Your Mean Side". They have also included a recording of a song that Willie Nelson wrote, which Patsy Cline made famous: "Crazy". Female/male vocals over garagey rock/indie that has very subtle blues influences.

www.myspace.com/thekills
www.thekills.tv

Monday, February 16, 2009

BON IVER - Blood Bank [EP]

The project of Justin Vernon (he does get a tiny bit of help from others on here, as well as during his live shows, this is Bon Iver's first EP and second overall release after 2008's For Emma, Forever Ago album. The tracks on this EP were recorded at varying points in time so each has a slightly different feel to it, but Bon Iver's outdoorsy, folk/indie sound still remains throughout. The first track is amazing, and I highly recommend it. All the other tracks pale in comparison to it, though.

www.myspace.com/boniver
http://www.boniver.org

Friday, February 13, 2009

Faunts - Feel.Love.Thinking.Of.


They are from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and this is their second studio full-length album. They play excellent pop/indie rock with a heavy electronic influence to make music that feels like you could float away on the sound waves. Perfect for late nights, early mornings, or any time in between. Very pleasant on the ears, nothing abrasive at all. Worth checking out, for sure.

http://www.myspace.com/faunts
www.faunts.com/

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Nickel Eye - The Time Of The Assassins


Debut for the solo project of The Strokes' bass player, Nikolai Fraiture. It's much less rocking in comparison to The Strokes; this has more of a singer-songwriter/folk vibe to it. Fairly decent, though no track stands out too much. I prefer fellow Strokes member Albert Hammond, Jr.'s solo output.

www.myspace.com/officialnickeleye

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

THE LOVE LANGUAGE - The Love Language


From Raleigh, North Carolina; this is their debut. It's good! They play indie pop that has a garagey, lo-fi feel to it. Catchy and instantly likeable. They sound like they could play a club and get everyone in the place singing along and doing handclaps and it wouldn't feel hokey at all. They seem like they would be your best friends for the night. A very nice debut.

http://www.myspace.com/thelovelanguage

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

The Blizzard of '78 - Book Of Lies


They are from the Boston area and this is their second LP. It's good stuff! Indie rock that combines a variety of influences, sometimes alt-country, sometimes using horns, sometimes sounding like U2 circa their Boy album, or even sometimes reminding me of Elvis Costello and the Attractions. I like these guys.

www.myspace.com/theblizzardof78
http://www.tbo78.com

Monday, February 9, 2009

Cut Off Your Hands - You and I


They are from Auckland, New Zealand, and this is their debut album. They are pretty good, they play post-punk/rock in the same vein as a band like Franz Ferdinand. If Hot Hot Heat had followed up Make Up The Breakdown, their album with the song "Bandages" where they sounded like they wanted to bring back the sound of early Cure, with another good album and not the pop/rock crap they play now, it would have sounded like Cut Off Your Hands.

www.myspace.com/cutoffyourhands
cutoffyourhandsblog.blogspot.com

Friday, February 6, 2009

Nous Non Plus - Menagerie


The second album for the band that formed following the dissolution of Les Sans Culottes. Though they were formed in New York City, the songs are primarily sung in French (the lead singer, Celine Dijon, did grow up in Paris). They play delightful pop music that should get your toes tappin'. They're awesome. They cover The Unicorns' "Tuff Ghost" in French (retitled as "Fantome Dur") and it is lots of fun, just like the rest of the album.

www.myspace.com/nousnonplus
www.nousnonplus.com

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Dent May & His Magnificient Ukulele - The Good Feeling Music Of...


The debut LP for Mississippian Dent May, his bandmates, and his ukulele. They will all be on tour with A.C. Newman through March, and like Mr. Newman, Dent May makes pop music. The lyrics are often humorous and probably shouldn't be taken too seriously. Lots of different influences can be heard, from 50's/60's pop music to country. Overall, though, I'm thinking that if Vampire Weekend had been heavily influenced by Buddy Holly and had a ukulele, Dent May is what the sound would be.

www.myspace.com/dentmay
www.dentmay.com

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Frank Turner - Love Ire & Song


He used to be in the English hardcore band Million Dead, but now he plays acoustic punk rock. Love Ire & Song is his second solo full-length though he has released some other EPs, a DVD, and a compilation as well. Imagine a more punk, angrier Billy Bragg and you'd have this guy's music.

www.myspace.com/frankturner
www.frank-turner.com

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Her Space Holiday - XOXO, Panda and the New Kid Revival


Cutesy 'indie'/twee pop. Male vocals that remind me of Of Montreal's Kevin Barnes' voice. Likeable stuff, and the lyrics tend to be pretty clever and interesting. Recommended if you like twee pop, indie bands like The Shins, and things of that nature.

www.myspace.com/herspaceholiday
www.herspaceholiday.com

Monday, February 2, 2009

Keane - Perfect Symmetry


The third album from the English trio. Though still a piano-rock band, their sound is a lot more muscular than on their good, albeit very wimpy, debut. Very slickly produced, the album reminds me of the U2 song 'City Of Blinding Lights,' one of the songs I still take the time to listen to off of How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb. Very poppy, heavy on the piano, a sprinkling of rock, and an end result of a HUGE sound that will fill up an arena (but, does Keane have enough fans to fill up an arena?!).

www.myspace.com/keane
www.keanemusic.com

Saturday, January 31, 2009

The Parlotones - A World Next Door To Yours


They're a quartet from South Africa and this is their newest album. Slickly produced pop/rock that reminds me quite a bit of the new Killers album. That being said, they're pretty good, but they need more of an edge if they don't want to be the next band supplying songs for television dramas (but they probably do, so they're in good shape).

www.myspace.com/theparlotones
www.parlotones.co.za

Friday, January 30, 2009

The Weather Machines - Bones and Brains EP


Really nice poppy rock music with male vocals. Breezy and light, with 70's pop influences. Good stuff. The opening track, "Parts Of Speech," has handclaps! Recommended if you like A.C. Newman and Fancey.

www.myspace.com/theweathermachines
www.theweathermachines.com