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

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

Drazy Hoops - Into The Red

His seventh full-length. It's singer-songwriter pop/rock with alt-country influences. He has a deep voice, in the same vein as Nick Cave/Tom Waits/the dudes in American Music Club and The National. It's nice pleasant music. Guitarist Sean Eden has also played with Luna.

www.myspace.com/drazyhoops
www.drazyhoops.com

Army Navy - Army Navy

Much wimpier than their name implies. Their debut; it's 'indie' rock/pop with nasally male vocals. They had a song on the Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist soundtrack so they've probably got, like, a million fans already. You've heard this band's sound before but you still like it. Recommended if you like Ted Leo and Death Cab For Cutie (DCfC's Ben Gibbard used to play with Army Navy's lead singer Justin Kennedy in Pinwheel).

www.myspace.com/armynavy

U2 - Get On Your Boots (single)

What is this? It's crap U2, that's what it is. I don't like this. It's stuck between wanting to be uptempo like "Vertigo," chiming guitars at one point like Rattle and Hum era U2, and being like Achtung Baby-era songs with the guitar solo. The song feels like it was copy and pasted together in protools from a bunch of different songs, with no coherent nature to any of it. The lyrics are atrocious: "Get on your boots / sexy boots" and "You don't know how beautiful you are, you don't know how beautiful you are, you don't get it", are just two examples. I am not impressed at all, this is not the U2 I used to know and love. Also, I don't get the album cover. I understand that it has to do with the title, No Line On The Horizon, but it looks like a cover to a post-rock instrumental band's cd, not a U2 cd. We need U2 album covers with red, black, and white in them.

Top Ten Records Of 2008

I feel like Rob Gordon:

10. The Virgins / The Virgins / Atlantic


9. Pete And The Pirates / Little Death / Stolen Recordings


8. Mother Mother / O My Heart / Last Gang


7. Japanese Motors / Japanese Motors / Vice



6. Ra Ra Riot / The Rhumb Line / Barsuk


5. Mason Proper / Olly Oxen Free / Dovecote


4. Thing One / You'll Be Fine / Rhythm Method


3. Luke Doucet And The White Falcon / Blood's Too Rich / Six Shooter


2. The Weeks / Comeback Cadillac / Esperanza Plantation


1. The Hold Steady / Stay Positive / Vagrant



I wanted to but couldn't:
Switches / Lay Down The Law / Interscope
Lindsey Buckingham / Gift Of Screws / Reprise
Snake And Jet's Amazing Bullitt Band / X-Ray Spirit / Crunchy Frog
Kaiser Chiefs / Off With Their Heads / Universal
This Is Ivy League / This Is Ivy League / TwentySeven

The Takeover UK - It's All Happening

Four lads from...Pittsburgh! This is their debut EP. They are awesome. They play upbeat rockandroll that has powerpop influences and a sprinkling of punk thrown in for good measure. Great stuff. They remind me of Locksley. Spin this!

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

LAKE - Oh, The Places We'll Go

Delightful indie pop on the third album from this Olympia, Washington group of musicians. Both male and female vocals. It has a lo-fi 70's feel to it. Very well done.

www.myspace.com/lakemusicmusic
www.laketheband.com

Past Lives - Strange Symmetry

Features ex-Blood Brothers members Jordan Blilie (vocals), Morgan Henderson (guitar/keyboard), and Mark Gajadhar (drums), as well as ex-Shoplifting member Devin Welch (guitar), who at one point, was also in the Blood Brothers. The result is a band that sounds very similar to the Blood Brothers - "experimental" rock with post-hardcore influences and angsty high-pitched male vocals. They are slightly less abrasive though (key word: slightly). This is certainly not music for everyone. However, I think I like these guys better than Jaguar Love, the band formed by the other half of the Blood Brothers. It just seems more accessible than them.

www.myspace.com/pastlivesmusic
www.pastliveslife.com/

Annuals - Such Fun

They were talked about quite a bit in 2006 when their debut, Be He Me, was released, but soon after it seemed no one cared about this North Carolina band much anymore. But they're back with their second album and it's decent stuff. Folky indie-rock, they remind me of an indie pop version of My Morning Jacket. The members of Annuals are also in the band Sunfold. The album artwork paintings were done by Bob Ross!

www.myspace.com/annuals
www.annualsmusic.com

The (International) Noise Conspiracy - The Cross Of My Calling

Their fourth studio full-length album. They're Swedish so my review isn't even necessary; put it on, press play, you know it's gonna be good! But if you need more info, they play rock/pop/punk/garage-punk. Their sound is more polished on this record than it was in the past. Their guitarist is named Lars, the drummer is Ludwig, Inge plays bass, and Dennis is the lead singer. So the majority of them have awesome rock star names. Rockandroll!

www.myspace.com/internationalnoiseconspiracy
www.internationalnoise.com

Dead To Me - Little Brother EP

Good ol' pop/punk from San Francisco. This is their second release; their debut, Cuban Ballerina, was released in 2006. They are fun and I like them. Good upbeat music. They are similar to their label mates of Fat Wreck Chords, which includes some of the big bands of the 90's pop/punk scene - NOFX, Less Than Jake, Lagwagon, No Use For A Name, and so many more.

www.myspace.com/deadtomesf
http://www.fatwreck.com/band/index/83

Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan - Sunday At Devil Dirt

Their second album together, following in the footsteps of 2006's Ballad Of The Broken Seas. Isobel Campbell is best known for her work with Belle and Sebastian and The Gentle Waves. Mark Lanegan is recognized for singing with Screaming Trees, Queens of the Stone Age, and The Gutter Twins. Both have also released solo albums. Campbell wrote all of this album's songs, except for two ("Salvation," by Jim McCulloch, and "Who Built The Road," which she cowrote with McCulloch). Lanegan does the majority of the vocal work with Campbell adding background vocals and occasionally joining him for duets. He has a rough, deep and gravelly voice that is reminiscent of Tom Waits or Johnny Cash. Her voice is light and whispery; quite the opposite of his. The music is mostly sparse country/folk with some pop and blues influences at times. Decent stuff if you don't expect the same style of music Lanegan or Campbell is famous for.

www.myspace.com/isobelcampbell

Snow Patrol - A Hundred Million Suns

This is the fifth full-length for the band whose members hail from both Scotland and Ireland. They have experienced a massive increase in their fanbase due to the single "Chasing Cars" off of their last album, Eyes Open. Their sound can be classified as poppy alt-rock that is fit to be played to an arena of fans with its full sound. When they released their third album, Final Straw, in 2004, they were often compared to Coldplay, and this sound remains. They are also similar to the newer work that U2 has put out. Overall, I'd classify this as makeout rock. Good for background music to your romantic times, but it won't draw you away too much from what your main focus is.

www.myspace.com/snowpatrol
www.snowpatrol.com

Thing One - You'll Be Fine

Hailing from New Jersey, they started out playing hip-hop but they have since evolved into an electropop/dance/rock band. There are still some hip-hop influences as well as some soul and funk influences, but their main objective now is to get you dancing, and they do a damn good job. I saw them live and their set was excellent; they combine computer generated sounds with live instrumentation to result in a truly danceable sound that filled up the room. Check them out. (Interesting side facts: Bassist Spencer Miles is the brother of Ra Ra Riot's lead singer, Wesley Miles; Miles and singer Joey Palestina went to high school with Vampire Weekend guitarist Ezra Koenig - maybe there's something in the water back home?)

www.myspace.com/thingone
www.thing-one.com

Eagles Of Death Metal - Heart On

Shit, goddamn...these guys rule. The third album for Jesse Hughes and Josh Homme, they continue their same style of upbeat rock/garage/glam that is most definitely influenced by the records that the Rolling Stones recorded during the disco era. Nothing too serious, just dumb rock music, which means that you should like it. For a good time, play this CD.

www.myspace.com/eaglesofdeathmetal
www.eaglesofdeathmetal.com

Tom Gabel - Heart Burns EP

Tom is the frontman for the Gainesville, Florida punk band, Against Me!. Though this is officially his first solo EP, Against Me! began as his solo project, so it's not unfamiliar territory for him. He maintains the political and protest songs of his bands, offering commentary on the world around us. This release maintains the punk and rock energy of his band while exploring folk, singer-songwriter acoustic guitars (though not in a wimpy manner), and even a bit of electronics. This dude is awesome, he rocks, I'd go see him live and I've listened to this EP four times in a row and I'm still not bored. Awesome!

www.myspace.com/tomgabelmusic
www.ifeelsicktomystomach.blogspot.com

Bloc Party - Intimacy

The British quartet presents their third full-length album. Their first album was full of catchy angular rock/post-punk; the second album saw them branching out a bit, experimenting with new rhythms and electronics, but maintaining most of the good qualities that their first album possessed. On Intimacy, however, they feel like a pretentious band that shows too many weaknesses and simply recycles their strengths without creating anything new. The lyrics are laughable (see: "'Cause I love my mind when I'm fucking you", "Sometimes I think I would float away if this sadness did not weigh me down", and "You get sadder the smarter you get and it's a bore"); the songs are just uninteresting. The upbeat songs, which are the type that Bloc Party became famous for, are retreads of their older songs and not even as catchy. The two bonus tracks that are included with the CD are fairly decent; last spring's single, "Flux", remains the best track these boys have put out since (at least) 2007. Despite this, it's a disappointing and underwhelming release from a band that we should be able to expect more from.

www.myspace.com/blocparty
www.blocparty.com

Sebastien Grainger - Sebastien Grainger And The Mountains

This is his debut solo album. He is best known for his work with the drum-and-bass dance-punk duo, Death From Above 1979. He continues to play upbeat dance rock/punk on this album, but for the most part, it is less abrasive and more accessible than DFA1979. In fact, this album really rocks. It is recommended for people who like to dance.

www.myspace.com/sebastiengrainger
www.sebastiengrainger.net

The So So Glos - Tourism/Terrorism

They're a quartet of young dudes from Brooklyn, and they play rock/punk/garage. The singer reminds me of The Hives' Howlin' Pelle Almqvist. They have a bit of a DIY/lo-fi feel to them. They are really cool but, unfortunately, the singer likes to say "fuck" so there's not too many radio-friendly songs. Of course if you aren't playing them on the radio it doesn't matter so play them to your heart's content!

www.myspace.com/sosoglos
www.thesosoglob.blogspot.com

Kaiser Chiefs - Off With Their Heads

The five lads from Leeds return with their third album. They continue to combine Britrock, mod, pop, post-punk, new-wave, and rockandroll influences into their music. While the songs aren't as immediately catchy as the ones on their first album, Employment (see: "I Predict A Riot"), they display a more muscular sound that even incorporates different instruments, such as djembe and agogo bells, on a few tracks. They sound more mature while not forgetting that it was the energy and youthful exuberance on their first album that made them so much fun. I am very pleased with this album on first listen and think that it will only get more enjoyable with repeated plays.

www.myspace.com/kaiserchiefs
www.kaiserchiefs.co.uk

Ryan Adams And The Cardinals - Cardinology

You've probably heard of Ryan Adams. The prolific songwriter returns for a new album with his band, The Cardinals. This will be their third official album together, though The Cardinals also played on Ryan's 2007 solo album, Easy Tiger, and an EP, Follow The Lights, in addition to their work on the full-length albums Cold Roses and Jacksonville City Nights. I know a lot of people that love to hate Ryan Adams, but I found this album to be a very enjoyable listen. For the most part, it is laid-back alt-country, though there is some rock thrown into the mix at points as well (example: the track "Magick"). It's very polished, but very listenable.

www.myspace.com/ryanadams
www.ryan-adams.com

Tom Gabel - Anna Is A Stool Pigeon single

He is the lead singer for Against Me! This is the single for his debut solo EP, Heart Burns, which comes out on October 28, 2008. The sound is different from Against Me! in that it is acoustic-guitar based, but it still has politically-charged lyrics and Tom's trademark angry young man spoken vocals. It's good stuff, the EP is something to look forward to.

www.myspace.com/tomgabelmusic
ifeelsicktomystomach.blogspot.com

Lindsey Buckingham - Gift Of Screws

Let it be known that I love Lindsey Buckingham, so this review may be a bit biased. You should recognize his name from Fleetwood Mac, or perhaps from Buckingham Nicks. Gift Of Screws is his fifth solo album and showcases his wonderful fingerpicking guitar style, incorporated excellently into the pop/rock sound that he creates. It's great stuff from a great musician. Mick Fleetwood plays drums and John McVie plays bass on "Wait For You" and "Gift Of Screws." Additionally, Fleetwood plays drums on "The Right Place To Fade."

www.myspace.com/lindseybuckingham
www.lindseybuckingham.com

Chris Difford - The Last Temptation of Chris

He was the co-founder (with Glenn Tilbrook) and lyricist for the British pop/new-wave band Squeeze. This is his third solo album. His lyrics tend to be stories about everyday events and people, sometimes deviating to topics that most writers wouldn't want to touch (example: "Reverso" is about vasectomy). The songs are all very good and if you listen to the lyrics, you will enjoy the little slices of life that Mr. Difford presents to us.

www.myspace.com/cdifford
www.chrisdifford.com