The Hoosiers - The Trick To Life

Here is the U.S. release of the British trio's debut album. Upbeat pop/power-pop/rock with male vocals that hit the higher register at times. Their sound is very polished but doesn't feel too overproduced. They remind me of a poppier version of The Attorneys, and I think they would also appeal to fans of bands like OK Go and Scissors For Lefty.

www.myspace.com/thehoosiers
www.thehoosiers.co.uk

The White Tie Affair - Self-Titled EP

This band sucks so much I am not even going to find a picture of the horrible EP I listened to by them. They sound like an awful cross between a boy band such as the Backstreet Boys and an emo-punk band such as Fall-Out Boy, who aren't even punk at all but they probably think they are so whatever. Anyway, they totally suck. Time to find some good garage rock to listen to.

Tres Bien - Tree EP

They are a four piece that formed in Florida in 2002 but I think they are based out of Pennsylvania now. All the Florida sunshine has done these boys good. They play wonderful garage rock/pop that is influenced by the British Invasion bands of the sixties. I like these guys a lot. I am excited for the full-length.

www.myspace.com/tresbien
www.touchtresbien.com

Snake and Jet's Amazing Bullit Band - X-Ray Spirit

They're a duo from Denmark. They play (ready for this?!) synth/organ driven garage rock/pop/dance/crazy-awesomeness. So much fun. If you like synths and organs and garage rock, which you damn well should, listen to this. Listen. Like. Dance.

www.myspace.com/snakeandjet
www.snakeandjet.dk

The Kooks - Konk

This is the second full-length for these lads from Brighton, England. They play a mixture of rock, garage rock, and Britpop. I really really love these guys. I could listen to them all day (and have). The songs on here are more laid-back than the ones on their debut Inside In/Inside Out, but I think their songwriting has improved drastically and considering that they are still only in their early twenties, they will hopefully keep getting better and better yet! Recommended if you like British rock i.e. Arctic Monkeys, Supergrass, Razorlight's first album, etc.

www.myspace.com/thekooks
www.thekooks.co.uk

R.E.M - Accelerate

This is their first new studio album in four years and I do believe it is their fourteenth overall. This album sounds like...R.E.M. Really, their style hasn't changed much since their past few albums. It's instantly recognizable as R.E.M. Most of the songs are upbeat and fairly short (the whole album clocks in at under 35 minutes) though there are a few slower songs. Some of the lyrics appear to have political overtones but of course they could also just be Michael Stipe's playing around with words. This album is pretty good overall, there are a few weak moments, but R.E.M. fans should be pleased for the most part.

www.myspace.com/rem
www.remhq.com

The Okmoniks - Party Fever!!!

Out of Tucson, Arizona, the world's largest hotbed of garage rock, comes this quartet. They bring us organ-laced garage rock with female vocals. Rather fuzzy-sounding, straight from the garage. It's cool. Recommended for those who appreciate fuzz, garage rock, Yeah Yeah Yeahs' older stuff, and The Charms. Rock.

www.myspace.com/okmoniks
www.okmoniks.com
Please note that both links redirect to their Myspace.

Switches - Lay Down the Law

These guys are from Britain and they totally kick ass. They play fun, catchy, upbeat rock and roll. It's not the newest sound in the world but who cares, it rocks. If you like bands like Franz Ferdinand, The Rakes, Maximo Park, and The Hives you will probably take a liking to these guys too. Please play at exceptionally high volume levels, thanks.

www.myspace.com/weareswitches
www.switchesmusic.net

Jason Anderson - The Hopeful and the Unafraid

This is his third studio album and 6th album if you count the work he did under the Wolf Colonel moniker. Jason plays indie rock that is somewhat minimal and lo-fi and owes a huge debt to Bruce Springsteen's sound. This might be my favorite Jason Anderson album so far, it is great. It's no secret that I love his music and am a strong advocate for his live shows - if you get the chance, go see him live! And dig this album, it's full of great tunes.

www.myspace.com/jasonandersonisawesome
www.indiepages.com/wolfcolonel

The B-52 - Funplex

The B-52s return for their first full-length in 16 years. The sound is still instantly recognizable as theirs, though they don't sound outdated by any means. It is just updated for the 21st century. Fun, upbeat pop/rock/dance. Female vocals with Fred Schneider's spoken verbal eccentricities thrown in for comedic and awesome effect. If you don't take music too seriously, this album is probably for you.


www.myspace.com/theb52s
www.theb52s.com

Los Campesinos! - Hold On Now, Youngster...

They're from Cardiff, Wales, this is the debut for the 7-piece. "Indie" poppy rock, very upbeat, male + female vocals that have Welsh accents - yay! This is one band that has the capacity to both annoy me with their cutesyness but also delight me at the same time. They're actually pretty good, you should play them! Recommended if you like Architecture in Helsinki, I'm From Barcelona, etc.

www.myspace.com/loscampesinos
www.loscampesinos.com

South By Southwest Killed Me

My sincerest apologies for the lack of updates on this blog. I really am disappointed in myself. Since my return from the grand party known as South By Southwest I first found myself bogged down by homework, then by a weekend of frivolity and fun, and now having the flu (and another backlog of work). I'm going to stay in this weekend though, minus a trip to the grocery store, a radio station meeting (an important one), and maybe out to eat if people wish to dine in my company. Other than that, it will be work work work and music music music. I have so many CDs to listen to and I hope some of them will be good. Updates on the 31st? Oh, I hope so.

Slacker Sounds Might Be On Hiatus

Hello to all my readers,

Slacker Sounds is going to be updating sporadically for a short period of time while The Slacker goes on spring break and then will be in Texas for SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST. Updates will be limited. Normal daily updates will resume on March 18th. Don't worry.

Rivers Cuomo - Alone: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo

Weezer's frontman presents us with a collection of lo-fi home-recorded demos that, for the most part - "Buddy Holly" being the lone exception - never made it to a Weezer record. There's a reason for that. These songs are nowhere near as good as classic Weezer. The recording quality is also very poor, though considering that Rivers recorded most of these himself right from his bedroom or house, it is to be expected. Even so, I highly suggest listening to Weezer instead (in particular, the "Blue" album and Pinkerton). The best songs on here are "I Was Made For You," "Chess," and "Longtime Sunshine."

www.riverscuomo.com
Please note that this site links directly to Rivers' personal MySpace page.

For music:
www.myspace.com/weezer
www.weezer.com

Jim Ward - Quiet

Jim is the frontman for Sparta and played guitar for At The Drive-In when they were still around. This EP is a stark contrast to the style of those groups; it's a man and his guitar, the help of some friends, and true to the title, a quiet sound. Nothing like the chaotic style of his other projects and former group. For fans of light, acoustic guitar with male vocals.

www.myspace.com/jimwardquiet
www.civildefenseleague.net

Ghostland Observatory - Robotique Majestique

Everyone's favorite electro/dance/funk/rock duo from Austin returns with their third full-length album! High pitched male vocals. If you like The Rapture, Hot Chip, or even Daft Punk, but wish that they sounded trashier, this just might be the trick. Kind of a weird sound from two guys who appear to be inherently strange, but I quite like them. For the adventurous types.

www.myspace.com/ghostlandobservatory
www.ghostlandobservatory.net

The Duke Spirit - Neptune

The second album from this confident, female-fronted rock band from England. Liela Moss fronts the group and sings in a lovely voice full out authority (and with a British accent!). The band backs her up with tight rock that has bluesy-rock influences, somewhat akin to the older stylings of the Rolling Stones. Very well-done, this one's a keeper. Recommended if you like female-fronted rock that could take you out on the town or kick your ass, or maybe both.

www.myspace.com/thedukespirit
www.dukespirit.com

Fancey - Schmancey

The second full-length from Fancey, which is led by the New Pornographers' guitarist, Todd Fancey, and features the talents of fellow Pornstar Kurt Dahle on drums. Fancey is highly influenced by 1970s "soft-rock" and the resulting sound is one that is very poppy, upbeat, and sunny. I think that I enjoyed this band's debut more, but this is still very nice. RIYL Sloan, Zumpano, 70's rock like Todd Rundgren, Harry Nilsson, Chicago, etc.

www.myspace.com/fanceymusic
www.fancey.org

The B-52s - Funplex single

The first single from their first studio album in sixteen years (!!!). This is highly exciting for any B-52s fan, 1980's New Wave Revivalists, and lovers of rock lobsters. If this single is any indication of the new album's sound, it will have been well worth the wait. 'Funplex' is great. I listened to all three versions they've packaged together on the single (the album version and two different edits) and was not bored once, oh no no no. Cindy Wilson handles most of the vocals with Fred Schneider providing bits of hilarity as well. Totally gnarly, dude!

www.myspace.com/theb52s
www.theb52s.com

Born Ruffians - Red Yellow & Blue

Indie rock, undistorted "clean" guitar lines, and yelp-y male vocals. Reminds me of Vampire Weekend without all of their cutesy indie poppiness, or Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! if CYHSY had a slightly better vocalist. Decent stuff, I'm pretty sure that I like it.

www.myspace.com/bornruffians
www.bornruffians.com

Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago

Mainly the work of one man, Justin Vernon. It's quite nice, very laid-back, layered, a folk sound but not overly so, it's more indie than folk I suppose. Quite honestly a few songs made me imagine what it would sound like if Wolf Parade attempted folk music. I imagine this would appeal to fans of Okkervil River, Little Wings, and indie-folk.

www.myspace.com/boniver
www.jagjaguwar.com/artist.php?name=boniver

Bell X1 - Flock

A rerelease of their 2006 album with a different tracklisting, finally available for those of us who live across the pond from where this band originates from, Ireland. Perhaps you remember this band from their appearance on The O.C. television show soundtrack a few years back? No? Well then, moving on. They play what could be classified as Britpop even though they are Irish...it's rock/pop, densely layered, male vocals sung with an Irish accent. Really good. If you like Radiohead's The Bends, Semisonic, maybe even, dare I say it, Coldplay, and especially Snow Patrol, then there is a good chance you would like this little slice of wonderfulness. Very lovely and beautiful, perfect to cure your winter blues.

www.myspace.com/bellx1
www.bellx1.com

The Raveonettes - Lust Lust Lust

ZOMBIE ROCK! Seriously, I bet zombies would groove to this. Noisy pop with LOTS of feedback and a surf influence. It's really good! Mostly female vocals with occasional male leads. This is their fourth full-length, they're from Denmark. Recommended if you like The Jesus and Mary Chain, Sonic Youth, the undead. In addition, the cover art to this album and the inside booklet are in 3D! Totally rad!

www.myspace.com/theraveonettes
www.theraveonettes

Evangelicals - The Evening Descends

Psychedelic pop/rock weirdness. Reminds me of Animal Collective minus the folk influences combined with the spaced out trippiness of the Flaming Lips. Kinda cool if you like non-conventional music, I suppose.

www.myspace.com/evangelicals
www.deadoceans.com/artist.php?name=evangelicals

Nada Surf - Lucky

Their fifth full-length, they've evolved from their beginnings as an angsty version of Weezer to their present state of melodic, midtempo indie pop/rock. They're rather good and this album is no exception. Overall a very pleasing listen and very nice to simply chill out to. Recommended if you like Death Cab for Cutie, The Weakerthans, The Shins, and so forth. As a side note, Ben Gibbard of Death Cab helps with vocals on the first track, "See These Bones."

www.myspace.com/nadasurf
www.nadasurf.com