Hover your pointer over the above image to hear samples of the music.
There's a lot of new, exciting music out now, bitches!
Okkervil River's out with a new album, called "The Silver Gymnasium". Finally. Even though I must say that I cannot rank it among their best, it is really good to hear. While some songs, e.g. "It Was My Season" and "Down Down The Deep River", are lovely, fresh and interesting, I wish I could have cut "Stay Young" out of the equation. The album as a whole is solid, and wears a synthesizer more as a lead instrument than a guitar; true, this is a concept album, of Will's life as a boy in New Hampshire, USA. I still can't get the fact that he drops an Atari reference in one song and that he sings "spent nine years in Texas/with sluts of both sexes" on this album. Also: don't miss out on the 8-bit-ish online game that was made with this album in mind.
Neko Case's new album, "The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You", is very well produced, features excellent singing and some stellar harmonies and use of reverb...as per usual. And jangly geetars. And feministic lyrics; I almost hate myself for saying that, as it should be standard and boilerplate no matter whose lyrics you read. Check out the first single, "Man", by hoverin' yer mouse above. Also, notably, Neko's covered Nico on the album. Woo!
Babyshambles just released their third album, "Prequel To The Sequel", which guitarist Drew McConnell introduces with "Fireman", the intro track that scares off any disbelievers who think this album would merely present a "dialled-down shambles". Nuh. Even though the album is far more matured - as in more chords, better production, less poetic lyrics ((For example, the title track, where "girls talk shite/they wanna fuck and fight".)) - it's also filled with loads of melodies, more reggae than before, and some hooks that make you wish Franz Ferdinand would have taken more heed for their latest album. Just check out tracks like "Cuckoo" and "New Pair", it's not really like something they've done before. Can't wait until Babyshambles dare come to Sweden. I hope they do, for real.
Arctic Monkeys. Supposedly, this album (which I have yet to hear) is a lot more like their first one. Both singles that have been released, "R U Mine?" and "Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?" are both simple, not at all as rocky as their first singles, and are very catchy. Kind of dark slowdance stuff. I'm really keen on this.
Franz Ferdinand. They released a live EP where they performed four tracks from the new album, which I've been listening to a lot since it was released. However, when the album came out, it felt like the songs on the LP were a lot sleeker, very polished - in a not-so-great sense - and less exciting than their former album, "Tonight", not to mention their first two albums, which to me are their apex (so far).
Coming up...
I can't even begin to tell you how much I'm longing for M.I.A.'s album to drop. Matanghiiii!
https://soundcloud.com/miauk/bring-the-noize
TV On The Radio are due out with a new album, and here's a track from that.
http://youtu.be/PDa3cY7U6NA
Yep, Pixies released an EP without telling anyone in advance. Kim Deal has released her own single, which is a very solemn affair, especially in comparison with Pixies' EP, which is kind of a letdown if you ask me; they're not sounding like a Pixies cover band (thank Bog) but still it's daunting to hear a band that I love so much release something that's really not up to par with their old stuff. Either it's a question of brain-washing myself enough to like it, or it could just be that they're past their hey-day. Anyway, this EP is just the first in a series of "mini-releases" that will happen over the coming 15 months. Brilliant!
MGMT Album Trailer from The Avant/Garde Diaries on Vimeo.
I've got hopes up for MGMT's new album, but I really wonder how it'll fly... I haven't enjoyed the latest singles much.