Los Campesinos! new tracks/album review

Los Campesinos! - We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed - 8/10

Welsh power-pop group Los Campesinos! are releasing a new album on October 13 called We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed. The album was recorded over an 11-day span in Seattle and inevitably picked up some American rock influence. The guitars add a bit more of American prog into the mix instead of the nearly straight up Young Scotland style of the previous release.

Don't get me wrong though. The album is through-and- through Brit-pop. The whole thing takes on a darker tone than Death to Los Campesinos! especially in tracks like "Miserabilia" and the heavy Muse-like instrumental "Between an Erupting Earth and Exploding Sky." But the same shouty vocals and spunk from the debut album are still there, albeit in smaller quantities.

In some ways though, the darker material makes the album more polished and even more musically upright than Death. The lyrics are better written and the vocals are more matured. It's a little less jangle and a bit more solid substance. It's a solid album overall with no great flaws. The charm of Death is still there, but the whole sound mellowed from unbridled juvenile energy to more controlled sounds with a more audible angst to them. It's not the ray of sarcastic sunshine that Death was. But it's still a top-shelf release all the same.

- Garrett Lyons

Los Campesinos! - "We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed"

Los Campesinos! - "Ways to Make It Through the Wall"

Clash at Shea Stadium

I got a hot tip from a buddy today that The Clash is releasing (or at least the label is, I can't get the story straight) the live show from Shea Stadium on October 13, 1982. The CD will be released on October 7. Yeah, I probably should have known this back in June if I had really done my research on the topic, but can't change that now.

What the label won't tell you is that this show saw The Clash as an opener for The Who and that it technically isn't the classic line-up since Topper was replaced by Terry Chimes on drums. It's the last night of a two-night stand. The first night (also available as a boot for those who care to look for it) had incessant buzzing in the tape.

Don't tell anyone I gave you this. It's the original bootleg from the show. Sound quality isn't as good as a CD, but it really isn't bad at all.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=WOD8HGUB

Track list (from billboard.com article for the CD, confirmed by me through careful listening). This is the same list as the official CD boot:

London Calling
"Police on My Back"
"Guns Of Brixton"
"Tommy Gun"
"The Magnificent Seven"
"Armagideon Time"
"The Magnificent Seven" (return)
"Rock the Casbah"
"Train in Vain"
"Career Opportunities"
"Spanish Bombs"
"Clampdown"
"English Civil War" - part of the first verse and intro are chopped short
"Should I Stay or Should I Go"
"I Fought the Law"

Now the bonus tracks (special credit to www.blackmarketclash.com for research help):

The Clash with Joe Ely - Fingernails - live on 5/22/83 at San Antonio, Texas, only time performed

The Clash with Pearl Harbor - Fujiyama Mama - Live at Sun Plaza, Tokyo on 2/1/82

Enjoy this stuff.

Garrett

MIA vs. The Clash

Okay everyone,

I've been working at a bar for the past few months and the DJ who works with us is obsessed with the M.I.A. track "Paper Planes." Nothing wrong with the track mind you. It's just that it samples one of my favorites. Here are both tracks.

MIA - Paper Planes

The Clash - Straight to Hell

Listen to the first 10 seconds of each track. "Paper Planes" simply loops the opening of "Straight to Hell" over and over and over and over again.

Enjoy and love The Clash.

Garrett

The Long Overdue Mix

Sorry everyone. It's finals week here at St. Bonaventure and we have been chasing papers and deadlines for what feels like forever. Anywhere here's a random Tuesday mix of fun stuff for you all to enjoy.

The Libertines - All at Sea (Demo) - This track came off an exclusive CD released with The Observer newspaper in the UK. This just goes to show how good Pete Doherty was while he was still on drugs.

Weezer - You Won't Get With Me Tonight - While you're waiting for the latest disaster of an album from the band that just can't get over not being popular in high school, here's a track off the unreleased Songs From the Black Hole collection of demos.

127 - Perfect Estafan Blues - Iranian rock band that sings in English and blends piano rock with jazz fusion and Iranian rhythms. It's amazing what kind of music repressive regimes can produce.

The Hives - King of Asskissing - This isn't your radio-friendly Hives by any stretch of the imagination.

Apostle of Hustle - Fast Pony for Victor Hara - I saw this band opening for Sloan at a Canada Day celebration in Central Park last summer. It's Andrew Whiteman from Broken Social Scene taking his immense talent and infusing classican Cuban guitar into his refined style. Hey, he's Canadian. They don't have an embargo on the Cubans.

Hadouken! - Get Smashed Gate Crash - Recommended in small doses. Basically take the same nearly indecipherable rapping of Dizzee Rascal and throw it over Klaxons-style beats on amps. Basically auditory caffeine.

Goldfrapp - A&E - Yes, this is a single. It's the only track off Seventh Tree to blend the overt sexuality of Supernature with the duo's newfound folk obsession. Besides, I have a schoolboy crush on Allison.

That's enough for now.

- Garrett Lyons

The Next Last Shadow Puppets Single

In a March interview with NME, The Last Shadow Puppets stated that "Standing Next to Me" would be the next single. So here's the track.

The Last Shadow Puppets - Standing Next to Me

"Standing Next to Me" is a more mellow track than lead single "The Age of the Understatement." Instead of the massive orchestral movements, "Standing" leans on slimmer construction with more of a rhythmic quality and string heavy arrangement. The whole track exudes a solid ballroom groove.

So go listen to it.

-Garrett Lyons

The Last Shadow Puppets - Age of the Understatement

Rating: 9/10
Best Track: "The Meeting Place"
Worst Track: "Calm Like You"
Label: Domino Records

It’s not often that rock albums get to be compared to Henry Mancini in a good way. Usually comparisons like that draw ire and make the group sound dated.

That isn’t at all what happens to The Last Shadow Puppets. Alex Turner of the Arctic Monkeys gets together perfectly with Miles Kane of The Rascals and The Little Flames to make an absolutely perfect bit gem of a record in The Age of the Understatement. This is how all side projects should sound.

The album opens with the bombastic title track that takes full advantage of the capabilities of the London Metropolitan Orchestra. Witty lyrics combine with film score-esque sounds to make a brilliant opener. The beat drives through the air at a maddening pace and the whole song feels like an epic dance track that no one can escape from. It’s lush and beautiful in many ways.

The rest of the album doesn’t keep the dynamism of the opener. Don’t take that as a bad thing. Turner and Kane trade the huge orchestral scores for more delicate but still pronounced brass and clarinet arrangements that give the whole vibe of 50’s movie sounds from guys like Henry Mancini combined with the British Invasion sound of The Zombies. Don’t read that as if only your grandparents will like it. The Last Shadow Puppets perfectly meld the old influences with cutting edge indie sounds. The production throughout is delightfully lo-fi and the vocals leave a lingering quality that is missing from most records today.

The Age of the Understatement never goes wrong. Turner and Kane masterfully pull off intricate string and wind arrangements and meld those intricate arrangements with ease into up-tempo British rock. “Standing Next to Me” takes on the feel of a ballroom dance track. “Separate and Ever Deadly” feels like a track culled from the Favourite Worst Nightmare recording sessions. No one has worked this well with an orchestra since Metallica put out S&M.

The real highlight is the refreshingly diminutive “The Meeting Place.” The rhythm is early ballroom swing with a slightly macabre feel to it. The vocals lilt and twist at perfect times. The string orchestra backing adds a hint of forlornness to the aching vocals. It’s perfect in every manner.

The Age of the Understatement pushes rock into a new direction by looking into the deep musical soul of the genre. It’s well-mannered yet still raucous. It’s well composed, yet still rough enough along the edges to please true rock fans. It’s a complex beauty that few bands, let alone side projects, have ever put together.

- Garrett Lyons

Last Shadow Puppets - The Meeting Place

Phantom Planet - Raise the Dead

Fueled By Ramen 2008

6.5/10

Best Track: "Raise the Dead"

Worst Track: "Demon Daughters"

Phantom Planet is better known as “the band that sang the ‘O.C.’ theme song” than a group with legitimate talent. And while the song “California” has earned them multiple spots on teenage girls’ ringtone lists, Phantom Planet’s catalogue of Hives-like, raucous pop-rock is nothing to sneeze at, either. Unfortunately, their newest effort Raise the Dead doesn’t quite live up to their past works.

From the first second of the samely-named first track, Raise the Dead is an evident attempt at a large-scale musical evolution. At first, Phantom Planet succeed, rolling out a more mature, fresher version of their sound. For the first four tracks, Phantom Planet maintain their carefree, surf-like feel but add a once-missing, and welcome, robustness.

The fifth song is another story. “Quarantine” marks the point in Raise the Dead where Phantom Planet’s sound enters a nonsensical experimentation period. It sounds like Thom Yorke dropped by to lend some support, with guitar lines and vocal stylings that will remind many of a Radiohead song. The dismal “Demon Daughters” follows a similar mimicry of the Mars Volta. The song starts out like a normal Phantom Planet track, but goes terribly berserk around the halfway point. It’s as if the band were attempting to imitate a train derailment.

The first portion of Raise the Dead, along with a select few songs toward the end, is a wonderful listen. Unfortunately, the experimentation takes a wrong turn, which drags Raise the Dead down a couple of notches. Memo to Phantom Planet: less is more.

- Amanda Renko

Phantom Planet - Raise the Dead

Wednesday Six Pack - Covers

We all have musical guilty pleasures. Mine happens to be cover songs.

Yes, there are some absolutely awful cover tracks out there. But, every once in a while there is a total gem.

So kick back and enjoy some time with your covers.

Billy Bragg - That's Entertainment (The Jam cover)

Rock Plaza Central - SexyBack (Justin Timberlake cover)

The Strokes - Mercy Mercy Me (Marvin Gaye cover)

The Arcade Fire - Maps (Yeah Yeah Yeahs cover)

The Robocop Kraus - Filler (Minor Threat cover)

The Shins - Breathe (Pink Floyd cover)

Enjoy.

- Garrett Lyons

Upcoming Artist - Marié Digby

With the recent rise of female singer-songwriters like Ingrid Michaelson and Sara Bareilles, it’s no wonder that more and more women are trying their luck at breaking out into the quickly saturating field. But don’t let that stop you from giving Marié Digby a second listen.

Marié (pronounced mar-ee-ay) Digby started writing songs at the age of 15 and dropped out of the University of California at Berkeley to pursue a music career. Despite winning the 2004 Pantene Pro-Voice Music Competition for songwriting and signing to Hollywood Records in 2005, Digby’s career remained stagnant.

Frustrated with a lack of promotion, Digby decided to do the dirty work herself. She posted a series of performance videos on YouTube, including an acoustic cover of Rihanna’s oft-redone hit “Umbrella.” That interpretation received over 2 million plays and earned Digby an entry on Los Angeles radio and even on the Billboard charts.

In a matter of months, Digby’s music has popped up on The Hills, Smallville, various made-for-TV movies and a Gap commercial. Now, after releasing an official single “Say It Again,” her acoustic pop debut Unfold was released on April 8. Unfold features eleven original songs, plus the cover that made Digby famous. Will it garner the same buzz as her soft rendition of “Umbrella?” Only time will tell, but the amount of success she’s received points to a warm reception.

- Amanda Renko

Marie Digby - Miss Invisible

Marie Digby - Umbrella

Anti-Flag - The Bright Lights Of America

RCA Records 2008

5.5/10

Best Track: "No Warning"

Worst Track: "Modern Rome is Burning"

The finest example of modern anarchist pop-punk is back making their standard anti-fascist noise. Once again, Anti-Flag lift the banner of left-wing ideology with their latest album The Bright Lights of America. Bright Lights is the group’s eighth full-length studio release and their second on RCA, with 2006’s For Blood and Empire marking their debut.

Musically, this album sounds like…well…it sounds like Anti-Flag. It’s the same fist-pumping and mosh-inspiring pop-punk that the group has been playing since 1988. That’s right, all you Warped Tour kiddies. This band has been around at least as long as you. Deal with it.

There is no true musical expansion on here. The music is the same as their past three releases. Not that there’s any incentive to change. The same three chords played over the same vocals always worked for them. Besides, punk rock fans have a hard time dealing with change. Sure, producer Tony Visconti tries to push the group into a mainstream direction, but it just isn’t there for them. Anti-Flag push the songs into the four-minute range, but the added length just dilutes the experience. The music loses its sense of urgency and sometimes falls flat.

Instead of devoting themselves to screaming about Bush and the Iraq War, Anti-Flag made a push to be lyrical visionaries again. Sure, there are still the standard doom-and-gloom tracks like “The Modern Rome is Burning.” But, generally speaking, Anti-Flag sets its lyrical sights on religious zealots and neo-conservatism in general. It’s refreshing. A band can only scream “Stop the War!” for so long before it becomes nothing more than a T-shirt slogan.

There is one musical variance on here from the typical Anti-Flag sound. It’s on the closing “Tar and Sagebrush,” which is sonically brutal, but is the funniest country parody song you’ll ever hear.

In life there are only three certainties: death, taxes and Anti-Flag singing about something wrong with the world with the same three chords. Bright Lights is a good piece of political punk, but Anti-Flag is sonically treading water.

- Garrett Lyons

Anti-Flag - No Warning

Here's a bonus track:

Anti-Flag with The Donots - Protest Song

Panic At the Disco - Pretty. Odd.

Warner Bros. Records 2008

7/10

Best Track: "That Green Gentleman"

Worst Track: "Folkin' Around"

Back in 2005, 1.7 million tweens went crazy for Panic! At The Disco’s freakshow-glam-emo debut, A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out. The band spent the next three years doing exactly what any breakout success shouldn’t do: hibernate, record a second concept album only to scrap it and completely re-invent their sound.

The result is Pretty. Odd., an unexpected throwback to less complicated times. Shockingly, it works not only as a solid connection to their former selves, but a promising glimpse at a fruitful future for the Vegas-based quartet.

Panic’s aesthetic changes are notable right off the bat. The silly, pointless exclamation point from their name has disappeared along with the dramatic costumes and eyeliner. Song titles like “London Beckoned Songs About Money Written By Machines” and “The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide is Press Coverage” have been reduced to “Pas de Cheval” and “Mad as Rabbits.”

The most refreshing part about Panic’s change of heart is the maturity they’ve developed over the past three years. On Pretty. Odd., showmanship has given way to simplicity and distracting “young emo band” antics have been cleared out in favor of – gasp! – legitimate musical talent. Each of the fifteen diverse tracks evokes an influence more like the Beatles and their retro-pop contemporaries than Queen and Fall Out Boy.

Of course, Panic At The Disco still have some silliness left in them, as demonstrated in the bizarrely country-like “Folkin’ Around” and the goofy intro “We’re So Starving.” These tracks are short and relatively harmless, albeit annoying to the casual listener.

Hidden behind the theatrics that saturated their debut, Panic At The Disco have always had musical talent, an inspired vision and songwriting skills. This time around, they shine while still maintaining their debut’s catchy hooks and aural beauty. All around, Pretty. Odd. is a pleasant evolution.

- Amanda Renko

Panic at the Disco - That Green Gentleman

Gnarls Barkley - The Odd Couple

Atlantic Records 2008

8/10

Best Track: "Run"

Worst Track: "Open Book"

One of the most eclectic groups in the industry returns as Gnarls Barkley enters the spotlight with their latest release The Odd Couple. For those of you unaware, Gnarls is comprised of former Goody Mob vocalist Cee-Lo and world-renowned mixologist DJ Danger Mouse and their crazy style physically and musically have set them apart since their first release St. Elsewhere.

This album is a much less hectic collection, but is still surprisingly solid despite what sounds like such a drastic departure. The Odd Couple kicks off with a modern soul twist “Blind Mary,” which is a relaxing listen that seems to characterize the entire CD for St. Elsewhere fans- we’ll make it good, but get ready for something different. In fact, the album has a lot of references to gospel music in its samples, beats and lyrical delivery.

There are few mainstream-friendly tracks on the album, but it seems as if there are very few songs that contain any weaknesses. Danger Mouse continues to blaze a bold new path in popular sampling and beat production and while Cee-Lo may not have the prettiest voice in the land but he definitely commands your attention.

Track by track, The Odd Couple holds its own against any release this year. The album peaks at the very end with the highlight of the album “Run,” which will be sure to hold its own against “Crazy,” “Gone Daddy Gone,” or any other single around. “Run” is frenetic and makes you want to move around. Literally, there’s a good chance you’ll at the very least be tapping your toes or drumming your fingers on your desk. That’s a personal guarantee.

While we’re making guarantees, here’s another one. If you go into The Odd Couple expecting to hear everything from St. Elsewhere, beware. But if you look for growth and interesting new sounds, then The Odd Couple is a must.

- Joe Kepler

Gnarls Barkley - Run

R.E.M. - Accelerate

Warner Bros. Records 2008

8/10

Best Track: "Horse to Water"

Worst Track: "I'm Gonna DJ"

Just in case you opened your favorite music publication and caught some of the massive wave of hype surrounding R.E.M.’s album Accelerate: the issue date is right. It’s not the early 1990s. It’s 2008, and R.E.M. is generating more press than they have in the entire last decade.

At R.E.M.’s peak, most of the students at this university still wore diapers. After experiencing cult success in the mid-80s, R.E.M. became famous with singles like “Losing My Religion” and “Everybody Hurts.” Then, a series of commercial flops and the departure of original drummer Bill Berry in 1997 drove the band off the face of the earth. Perhaps this is why Accelerate has garnered so much buildup. It’s been hailed as a comeback album and the one record that will bring R.E.M. to the forefront of the rock world once more.

It’s hard to say whether Accelerate will rise to the top of the U.S. rock pack commercially when the members, who range between 48 and 52 years of age, could be mistaken for the fathers of most of the people running today’s rock scene. However, their experience and rejuvenated vision have helped R.E.M. to create their most cohesive, inspired music in years.

Accelerate is technically a great album. Singer Michael Stipe’s voice is as young and yearning as ever, conveying gritty emotion in tracks like the speedy “Horse To Water” and “Houston,” the band’s version of the requisite Katrina-aftermath commentary.

With the exception of the first and last tracks, “Living Well Is The Best Revenge” and “I’m Gonna DJ” respectively, Accelerate is a fluid collection. However, each song is distinct enough to warrant its own recognition, from the thrilling paces of “Man-Sized Wreath” and “Supernatural Superserious” to the moody political ballad “Until The Day Is Done.” The album doesn’t drag, nor does it move along too quickly.

It’s safe to say that R.E.M. reached their peak a long time ago. However, Accelerate brings the band a lot closer to the high esteem in which their music was once held. With this album, R.E.M. will win back frustrated diehards while reining in new fans and, hopefully, continue to dazzle them all.

R.E.M. - Horse to Water

- Amanda Renko

Crystal Castles - self-titled

Last Gang Records 2008

9/10

Best Track: "Black Panther"

Worst Track: "Good Time"

Crystal Castles was a 1983 arcade game by Atari. The object of the game was to collect these gems in a somewhat 3D (it’s Atari) environment consisting of various, you called it, castles. The game might have been popular in the 80s, but it has been long forgotten until a Toronto-based duo band took on their name and pioneered some of the most original electro-house music out today.

Crystal Castles is a new and upcoming band that takes the dance beats of modern marvels like Hot Chip and Klaxons and throws them head-first into a wall of retrogaming sounds attributed to Atari and Nintendo. The way they do this is actually pretty interesting. They place an Atari 5200 sound chip inside one of their keyboards in order to produce the trippiest glitching sound-byte beats ever heard. Surprisingly, it sounds extremely catchy and danceable.

Of course, anyone can make lukewarm songs with a glitchy keyboard; however, Crystal Castles showcase their dance prowess by sampling Death From Above 1979’s track “Dead Womb,” and turning it into an aura of synth and no-wave that any skeptic would find energetic and well-remixed.

Their self-titled album juggles with many influences throughout its playtime. “XXZXCUZX Me” illustrates their tenacity to purge their emotions into an aggressive rollercoaster of intertwined scales mixed with a devastating beat guaranteed to make listeners stomp their feet to the fast paced and driving drums. They quickly shift gears into a smooth but ever-increasingly industrious “Courtship Date” that eerily sounds like a timberland song roughened by the abrasive byte clips emanated from their keyboard.

Unarguably, the best track on the album is “Black Panther.” Although singer Alice Glass’s voice is hardly distinguishable in the wave of in-your-face drumbeats coupled with harmonizing electronic sound bytes, her voice carries a sense of urgency that’s rather majestic.

Crystal Castles’ debut is a testament to their brilliant mixing talent. They manage to craft entire songs out of simple sound bytes, which reveals originality unheard of in their genre.

- Michael Ghassibi

Crystal Castles - Black Panther

Here's a bonus track:

Klaxons - Atlantis to Interzone (Crystal Castles remix)

The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely

Warner Bros. Records 2008

6/10

Best Track: "Rich Kid Blues"

Worst Track" "The Switch and the Spur"

So the Raconteurs inexplicably rushed the release of Consolers of the Lonely by a few weeks. That was big enough news. The even bigger news is that Jack White and Brendan Benson would have been better off working on it in the studio a bit more. Sometimes, good things come to those who wait. Sadly, Consolers is not one of those good things. Mediocre thing maybe, but certainly not a good thing.

Consolers of the Lonely reaches for a bluesy-rock bliss of melding song construction genius with solid guitars. It shouldn’t be a stretch. Brendan Benson is a multi-talented musician and Jack White is the closest thing this generation has to a musical genius. Sadly though, the only thing that needs consoling is the disappointed legion of Raconteurs fans.

The raw material on the album is, for the most part, the same inspired genius that led The Raconteurs’ debut Broken Boy Soldiers to become a hit record. The problem is, that genius gets obscured by rushed vocal mastering in songs, particularly the earlier tracks with “Salute Your Solution” as the worst offender. Add to the fact that Jack White’s already weak singing ability when he’s not half-screaming is spotlighted and the vocals throughout this album lead to a slight nail on a chalkboard feeling.

What saves this album is the classic rock influences that run in veins deeper than a simple name check. “Rich Kid Blues” takes the sound style of Led Zeppelin and merges it with the prog-rock sound of groups like Rush. Yes, The Raconteurs were just compared to two legendary rock bands. But, don’t worry. Those comparisons are few.

Usually, the sound just comes across flat and even sounding more like Dispatch than any other act. The jam band sound is nice at points, but when most songs particularly “The Switch and the Spur” and “You Don’t Understand Me” inexplicably fall into a jam band groove then things are going wrong. Jack White sounds like he’s auditioning for Widespread Panic and Benson is just chilling somewhere in the back of the van.

By the time Consolers of the Lonely closes, the flaws of this album start to look like mos rock albums of the past few years. They fall into a groove early with the sound of the last album showing through and the band trying to expand their sound. The sonic expansion is agonizingly slow and leaves the band sounding fatigued by the end with minimal accomplishment.

It’s not that Consolers of the Lonely is a bad album. There are some real bright spots on it, especially in the back half of the disc. But the rushed feeling of the production hurt the record and with only a month or so between recording and final packaging, there just wasn’t enough time to polish this into any sort of coherence. It’s just frustrating to see such talented men put out an album beneath what they are capable of achieving.

The Raconteurs - "Rich Kid Blues"

- Garrett Lyons

FEATURE: The Seven Deadly Sins Of Music

In the 6^th Century, Pope Gregory the Great essentially codified a list of Seven Deadly Sins. These sins are guaranteed to send a mortal soul to Hell in a hurry. So, which musicians have their ticket stub ripped for the great gig in the underworld? Let’s find out.

Lust: Prince - Remember the saying “sex, drugs and rock & roll”? Well, this would mean that just about every musician is going to Hell. But the worst offender is Prince. After all, he is the man who popularized the phrase “23 positions in a one night stand.” He played a mildly phallic looking guitar on stage at the Super Bowl. He’s posed naked on his own album covers. This artist clearly has sex on the brain more often than not, and has probably thought of a way to actually have sex on the brain.

Gluttony: Fat Joe – Yes, this man is a glutton. He’s larger than life. Literally. His one hit “Lean Back” spawned an array of jokes that usually went along the lines of “Fat Joe is so fat, if he actually leaned back, he’d fall over.” But don’t worry. He’ll be joining Big Pun, Biggie Smalls and NOFX’s lead hooligan Fat Mike down there.

Greed: Radiohead – Radiohead is going to hell. They are a fantastic bunch of musicians, although I doubt anyone can name a soul in that band after Thom Yorke. Anyway, the group’s release of In Rainbows on a solid disc seals the group’s fate. At first they had the novel idea to release an album online independently for whatever the people wanted to pay for it just to keep the money away from record labels. Then they realized that maybe they’d make more money by a conventional release. So they did, on XL Recordings.

Sloth: Michael Stipe of R.E.M. – Anyone who writes a song with every other line being “Yeah yeah yeah yeah” is a lazy, lazy man. Anyone who writes the lyric “Leaving was never my proud” is far too lazy to use proper grammar. Anyhow, he’ll join the entire Crash Test Dummies down there because not only did they record a chorus consisting only of “mmm mmm mmm mmm,” but they also named the song that.

Wrath: Scott Weiland - First he leaves Stone Temple Pilots to join up with the now Rose-less Guns N’ Roses to become Velvet Revolver. Then he has an acrimonious break-up with Velvet Revolver, which involved him using high-school styled insults toward Slash, and rejoins Stone Temple Pilots. Sounds petulant, but when Weiland gets angry, bands die.

Envy: Eric Clapton – Forget his musical talent for a bit. He stole George Harrison’s wife. Enough said.

Pride: Axl Rose – It’s been how long that Chinese Democracy has been in production now? Apparently 13 years and over $13 million isn’t enough time to make the perfect record. How much pride does one man have that he simply can’t release an album without constant retweaking and arguing over the disc? At this rate, we’ll actually see democracy in China before the album comes out. But don’t worry – this album is scheduled for release some time in 2008, which is sort of like saying St. Bonaventure University will reform Clare College. In other words, don’t grow old waiting for that to happen.

- Garrett Lyons

Last Shadow Puppets – “The Age of the Understatement” – Single Review

What happens when you take former The Little Flames member Miles Kane from Liverpool rock outfit The Rascals and add Alex Turner from some band called Arctic Monkeys? The Last Shadow Puppets, an absurdly titled band who’ll be putting the year’s most dynamic album since Vampire Weekend came calling. The Last Shadow Puppets drop The Age of the Understatement on April 21 on Domino Records.

The lead single and title track sounds like what would happen if you put together a couple of bright sparks of indie rock with the London Metropolitan Orchestra. Actually, this is precisely what it is. The end result is a dance track of epic proportions with orchestral and choral arrangements more befitting of a movie score than a rock album. Even Morrissey couldn’t work with an orchestra as well as these two lads have. The percussion drives like thunder. The production lends itself to the feel of a fine concert hall. It all falls together and resembles a bombastic orchestral version of almost any track from Favourite Worst Nightmare.

The groove may be Arctic Monkeys, but the feel is much different. It’s lusher and richer in texture than anything either Kane or Turner have put out with any band. It’s just an auditory nugget of goodness.

- Garrett Lyons

The Last Shadow Puppets - "The Age of the Understatement"

New Issue Out Now

That's right everybody. The Modern Age is back in print. Look for a copy on the St. Bonaventure University campus around the Hickey Dining Hall, Francis Cafe, Cafe La Verna and the RC Cafe. There might even be a few floating around Murphy. So go get some.

Charlton Heston is Dead

That's right folks. The scion of all that was gun control died at the age of...well...he was really really old. So here's a trio of songs designed to remember Moses...I mean Ben-Hur...I mean the leader of the NRA...I mean Hollywood acting legend who will finally have that gun pried from his cold dead hands.

Life Sentence - Gun Control - Anti-gun hardcore from some true legends.

Half Man Half Biscuit - God Gave Us Life - British indie puts out a modern hymn with a sing-a-long chorus.

Pressure Drop - Daddy Buy Me a Rifle - Rhytmic punk from Liverpool. Great track. Great lyrics. Too bad this was the only passable song Pressure Drop put out.

Enjoy.

- Garrett Lyons

The Song I Can't Get Out of My Head

Sohodolls - "I'm Not Cool"

Sohodolls are an indie-electro group from London and have had tour dates with groups like Ladytron and She Wants Revenge. Hugh Hefner even had the group play a set at a Playboy party Moscow, proving that Hef does indeed have good taste in many many many things.

The group's sound crosses the darker electro beats of groups like She Wants Revenge and The Faint with Gary Numan styled synth riffs and the sexiest female vocals ever heard. Lead singer Maya von Doll coos her ways over the lyrics like a dirty Debbie Harry. It's beautiful.

"I'm Not Cool" takes the sound of ragtime mixed brilliantly with girl pop ethos and the lyrics hot enough to melt lead. The thumping bass burrows into your skull and stays there for a long long time. The song comes off the group's debut full-length Ribbed Music for the Numb Generation which is chock-full of sexy electro-rock goodness.

Here's another bonus track:

Sohodolls - "Trash the Rental (Crystal Castles remix)"

Enjoy.

- Garrett Lyons

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Yes, we here at The Modern Age are well aware that technically St. Patrick's Day was moved to be outside of the last week of Lent. But any way, here's a nice little track for the Irish amongst us.

The group is called Eire Og and they are quite possibly the most radical Irish Republican group still making music today. They fall into the same genre of music as groups like Flogging Molly and Dropkick Murphys, but they do far far more than the usual drinking songs, covers and fist-pumping that sometimes mar the beauty of Celt-punk.

"Amhran na bhFiann" is a live acoustic performance of the national anthem of the Republic of Ireland. The lyrics are in Irish but a reasonable translation can be found on Wikipedia.

Eire Og - Amhran na bhFiann

Enjoy.

- Garrett Lyons

Mike Ersing's Music You Should Listen To: Pyotr Tchaikovsky

1840 - 1893

Violin Concerto

Tchaikovsky composed only one violin concerto. It is considered the most difficult violin concerto to have been written in the Romantic period. Leopold Auer "The God of Russian Violin" of the time refused to perform it. Leopold, in a letter to Tchaikovsky, wrote: "No, my dear man. Please bring the piece to me again when you have recomposed it for the violin. As it stands, it cannot be played." It premiered in Vienna, as written, on December 4th 1881. Dr. Eduard Hanslick, a respected and feared critic of the time called it "barbarically dreadful". He also misnamed the middle movement, as well as the principle violinist. The principle violinist's name was Adolphe Brodsky. He was considered the greatest virtuoso violinist of his time. He was young. Adolphe Brodsky toured throughout the known world performing the piece. It has been speculated he did this because he felt indebted to Tchaikovsky.

Dr. Eduard Hanslick, I would like to sink my teeth into your flesh tear off your face and smash through your skull with my fist, shove my hand through your brain and tear out your soul, like an animal. Just like an animal. I would show you what it means to be destructive.

Too bad you’re dead.

And nobody ever liked you.

If anybody says anything bad about this piece it is because they are too stupid to understand the intense emotional/virtuosic beauty permeating every microscopic dot of ‘Light infinance’ permeating its vast, thick vacuum waving, indefinitely splattering shells of grown over infant part of the White Brain. You know, reminder? Big Awake! Spontaneity! Lick! ‘Pure White Infinite Brains', Thick waving dimension. Opening and unfolding expanses of purple and red and orange and yellow subjective dimensions! Pierced. As if it were laser beam tractor beams from the USS Enterprise, spotting and illuminating the innards of my third eye. Pulling and sucking it. The innocence. Pure tear-wrenching wonder and other beautiful notions lost to any but God and me, in my brains. His feelings are our own, Once again. Reason to exist shows itself to the searching mind. Please, listen to this piece if you have any idea what I’m talking about.

See ya.

-- Mike Ersing

Jack Johnson- Sleep Through The Static

Brushfire Records 2008

9/10

Best Tracks:
Sleep Through The Static, Angel

Eighteen years ago a chill kid named Jack Johnson from the North Shore picked up a guitar and started playing. He proceeded to form a punk band with some of his friends. They called themselves The Limber Chickens. Music was always a love of his, but his first love was the ocean. Surfing continued to be the most important part of his young life and became a professional surfer at age 17. Just weeks after making a name for himself in the Pipeline Trials, he suffered a severe surfing accident and received 150 stitches.

This unfortunate accident had little effect on his love for surfing, but perhaps it would ultimately change the course of his life. During his recovery period, he became more in touch with his artistic nature. Music became an increasingly important component of the young man’s life.

Filmmaking aspirations ultimately lead him to leave the North Shore and head for California. Santa Barbara became a place where dreams came true for this Hawaiian native and he earned a film degree and UC-Santa Barbara. His newly acquired skills, plus his past life as a professional surfer landed him cult status among surf-documentary junkies worldwide. A chance meeting with Ben Harper in 1999 was the catalyst that would eventually launch the young man into iconical music stardom.

Now, lets fast forward 9 years, 2 major surfing documentary films, his own record label and 5 full-length albums later, Jack Johnson has became a testament to what someone can do when they follow their dreams.

Johnson’s highly anticipated 5^th album, Sleep Through The Static was recorded entirely by solar power in Jack’s house/studio in California. Many long-time fans of Johnson’s tunes can expect a similar style of chill surf-rock that has been displayed on Johnson’s previous albums. Static displays a gentle, spaced-out ambience that Johnson fans have come to expect. Jack has become a master of the use of instrumentation and production. This has slowly led to an evolution in craftsmanship with each progressive album Jack has released.

Jack has continued to add more and more instruments as each new progressive album has arrived. The influence of piano is heavy on the new album. Jack even plugs in for a few tracks, rocking out on his electric axe. Well, that is as much as he can rock out.

Lyrically speaking, Jack has lost none of his prowess on the new disc. Tracks are seeped with vivid imagery and dreamy-thought provoking lyrics. Some minor differences in song writing style that can be seen in Jack’s quasi-protest songs like “Sleep Through The Static”, “All At Once” and “They Do, They Don’t.” These songs show a songwriter expanding his universe beyond the sun and surf of the North Shore. If you’re a diehard Johnson fan don’t worry. He hasn’t sold out and gone political. You can still find plenty of songs about the sun, the surf and new questions that give us provocations to think about our lives and the world we live in.

Over the years Jack Johnson has held many titles: professional surfer, filmmaker, environmentalist and musician. So I guess the obvious question here is, what can’t Jack Johnson do?

Jack Johnson - Sleep Through the Static

-- Matt Brooks

Goldfrapp – Seventh Tree

8 out of 10

Best Track – “Caravan Girl”

Worst Track – “Eat Yourself”

British electro-pop duo Goldfrapp have cut out all the glitz and glam that marked their previous release Supernature and gave us a stripped-down album in Seventh Tree. Instead of focusing on thumping beats and downright dirty lyrics, Goldfrapp puts on an air of sensuality and ambient techno with a warm loving feel.

Any person used to listening to Goldfrapp would be forgiven for thinking they were listening to the wrong band. Seventh Tree opens with the ambient acoustic “Clowns.” Singer Allison Goldfrapp channels her voice into a warm love song reminiscent of Janis Ian or even Joni Mitchell.

Despite the astounding the beauty of the vocals, the album lists and drones its way through a snooze-inducing trail of orchestral ambience. Every track has the same slow groove and the same listing string arrangements. It’s beautiful in an austere sense, but it gets redundant with “Eat Yourself” being the main culprit.

The songs pick up in tempo by the end of the album with lead single “A&E” giving a spectacular respite from the overbearing drone of the album. The true gem on the back part of the album is “Caravan Girl,” which blends the best parts of Fleetwood Mac with the dream pop of Annie Lennox.

That said there are no truly bad songs on the album. Seventh Tree drags at points, but most of the time it’s forgivable. Instead of being party time music, Goldfrapp switched gears and gave you the perfect comedown to the party rush in Seventh Tree.

--Garrett Lyons

The Raveonettes- Lust, Lust, Lust

7/10

Best: Lust

Worst: Aly, Walk With Me

Have you even wanted to feel what it’s like to lose your sense of hearing and get a searing migraine? Then step on up and blast the first track “Aly, Walk With Me” off of Denmark’s own Raveonettes’ latest album, Lust, Lust, Lust. For about two agonizing minutes, the stinging reverb would seem to make nails on a chalk board seem like a more desirable experience.

If you can get over the hump of the first track of Lust, you’re on your way to an enjoyable listening experience from the Danish duo’s fourth album. The album as a whole is deep and encompassing with a very involved sound that is surprising to hear coming from just two members. The band claims their greatest influences come from the Velvet Underground and 60s girl group The Ronettes (who partly inspired The Raveonette’s name), and both influences are apparent throughout the band’s past and present albums.

Lust is filled with noise, noise of all sorts that form visuals in your imagination that allows you to float through the entire album, “Aly, Walk With Me” notwithstanding. “Lust” is a sexy/sleepy slow moving track that slinks along and provides the highlight of the album.

Many of the songs vary pace-wise within each track, with portions of the song sounding dopey and then in a snap chugs along with guitar work that isn’t stunning and is sometimes monotonous but is worth a listen nonetheless.

If you still have your hearing after two minutes in hell to start off the album, you’re ears will be healed with a deep ambient album that brings you back to memories of the best of 60s surf rock and The Velvet Underground.

-- Joe Kepler

Ray Davies – Working Man’s Café

9/10

Best Track – “No One Listen”

Worst Track – “Peace in Our Time”

Talk about a paradigm shift. The most English of all the British Invasion-era songwriters is singing about the plight of the American working class. Best part is Ray Davies is singing it better than any American has since Reagan was in office.

Ray Davies is the mastermind who led the pioneering British Invasion band The Kinks, which is technically still around since the band never officially broke up. Their song “Well-Respected Man” appeared on the Juno soundtrack. Now, The Kinks frontman has put out his second solo album Working Man’s Café.

Working Man’s Café follows the theme the album title lets on to with precision. The opening track “Vietnam Cowboys” puts together the best anti-globalization lyrics ever heard. The following track “You’re Asking Me” distances the role of a singer-songwriter from that of demigod with all the answers to that of a simple observer of world affairs. In these two tracks Davies cranks out more meaningful lyrics than most bands put into a whole album.

Davies’ wit and wisdom play a heavy role in the music and lyrics in Working Man’s Café. Sure some tracks like “Peace in Our Time” get a bit too preachy, but they’re well intended. Davies’ classic wit and penchant for imagery come to fruition in “The Morphine Song,” which is the happiest song about drug addiction since The Stranglers’ “Golden Brown.”

What makes the lyrics in Working Man’s Café truly stand out is the blues-influenced guitar artfully combined with The Kinks’ core sound and British sensibilities. The music glides out of the speakers with the true highlight of the album being “No One Listen.” “No One Listen” channels the sound and anger of late-era Kinks in a fantastic way to give the album a shot of adrenaline needed to carry it through.

Working Man’s Café is simply what an album by a classic singer-songwriter should sound like. Perfect lyricism combines with artful song construction in a way that the younger generation should pay attention to. This is how music should be done.

-- Garrett Lyons

Adele - 19

19

Rating: 8/10
Best Track: “Right As Rain”
Worst Track: “Tired”

Last year, a British crooner named Amy Winehouse crossed the Atlantic, and the United States’ collective jaw dropped. Unfortunately, despite the commercial and critical success of her album, Winehouse spent the majority of 2007 competing with Britney Spears for the title of Most Overexposed Train Wreck and is currently tucked away in some rehab facility.

Since then, it seems like at least two or three songbirds from the United Kingdom break through to the United States every month. Lily Allen, Kate Nash, Duffy – there’s apparently no end in sight to the queue of sassy-tongued, soulful she-crooners struggling to succeed. (My apologies for the tacky alliteration.)

Fortunately for Adele Adkins, she’s already managed to garner as much acclaim as her predecessors with her debut album, 19. Kanye West posted the 19-year-old’s music video for Adele’s lead single “Chasing Pavements” on his blog and followed it with the comment, “This s--- is dope!” Now that’s a solid endorsement. “Chasing Pavements” is easily the most powerful and heartfelt track on 19, with soaring strings and a deep vocal that drips with emotion. It also showcases Adele’s ability to write relatable lyrics that are not too simplified.

Most of the other songs on 19 are understated, yet beautiful. Adele tends to forgo the bombastic instrumentations of her British counterparts and focus on just one sound. “Melt My Heart To Stone” and “Daydreamer” are poignant acoustic guitar tracks, while “Right As Rain” features jazzy keyboards.

The biggest misstep on 19 is “Tired,” a track that would have experienced the same reception as the others. However, the sheer multitude of tempo, rhythm and instrumental changes would frustrate the listener. It feels out of place with the other, less complex songs. However, most of the tracks on this heartbreak-laden album are remarkable and easily accessible to all kinds of audiences.

With 19, Adele ensures that she stands out among thousands of other imported witty female singers. This hybrid of light and sincere lyrics and soulful vocals will leave you amazed at the talent level of someone who’s probably younger than you.

--Amanda Renko

Happy Valentine's Day

Hello young lovers,

Happy Valentine's Day everybody! Altruistic love reigns supreme with cute little arrows flying around and those little candy hearts with cute little phrases like "Be Mine" printed on them will abound. Cute puppy love is the easy part. The step after gets tough.

Some days in life always have a sound attached to them. It could be a special sound when you found out that someone loved you, when you found out a loved one died or just a song that brings back memories of youth.

We won't tell you that he's just not into you or tell you 35 sex moves to make your man bark like a dog or even how to score the mega-hottie of your dreams. That stuff is up to you.

What we will tell you, in no particular order, is what to play to put your significant other in the mood. We're also going to be nice enough to tell you what not to play because nothing kills the mood like an inappropriately timed goth rock track.

*Warning: Some songs feature explicit content.

SONGS FOR GREAT ROMANCING:

Maximo Park – "Acrobat": It’s not every day a spunky Brit-pop band puts out a tear-jerking ballad of this quality. The haunting lyrics and whispered vocal delivery tell a story of love and a slight hint of desperation. Oh that and the slow grind rhythms make it downright perfect for slow and dirty activities after dark.

Broken Social Scene – "Lover’s Spit": Fantastic orchestral rock music meets raunchy lyrics. Another perfect slow love song. Oh and Feist sings on this version.

Girls Aloud – "Love Machine": Yes, it’s a cheesy British girl group. But they sound like perfect sex kittens who just want a nice cuddle and a hug. Talk about a low-maintenance lover.

The Undertones – "Teenage Kicks": Listen to it off the 7” record. Forget the CD here. The 7” brings out more warmth to the vocals, which already quaver like a 50’s rockstar. The lyrics about the yearning for more fun yet not-so-innocent exploration make it the perfect cute love song.

Scissor Sisters – "Might Tell You Tonight": A song about finally finding the one you love and want to spend the rest of your life with. I just really don’t want to know what the lines about “burrowing like a sparrow” mean. After that the song is perfectly constructed and more emotional than the standard run of the mill crap.

Cansei de Ser Sexy – "Let’s Make Love and Listen to Death from Above": If your significant other has the good sense to listen to Death from Above, marry that person. End of story.

Siouxsie Sioux & The Banshees – "Last Beat of My Heart": Okay it’s a little depressing at times. But if you want to tell your significant other that you plan on sticking around for a while, this is the song to do it to.

The Doors – "Who Do You Love?" : Take the live version of this track. Passionate love with a poetic sense only Jim Morrison possesses. You can only wish to talk to a girl as well as The Lizard King did.

Duran Duran – "Hungry Like a Wolf": No song screams primal energy like this one. Guys, as much as women love to pretend they are complex beings this song disproves it. I’ve never seen a song take a girl from civilized to downright freaky deaky in one verse. Leave thank you notes as comments at the bottom.

Fatboy Slim – "Praise You": Yes it’s techno. But the demure quality of it overrides America’s inborn hatred of electro. It’s a nice snuggle song.

Feist – "So Sorry": Feist is hot. Her voice is sexy. The song has a pretty quality to it that makes everything oh so pretty.

Josef K – "Radio Drill Time": The how-to guide for indie kids to bag other indie kids. Maybe not so good if you’re in a committed relationship though.

Flaming Lips - "Do You Realize": Space rock from Oklahoma City never sounded so lush or beautiful. The music sweeps you off your feet into a field of lovely flowers and happy smiling people. It's disarming and pleasurable all at the same time. This is what altruistic love sounds like.

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Maps": Art-rockers turned into pimps of the power ballad. The result? A female-fronted love song that put vocalist Karen O into a sort of position with masculine lyrics and feminine sensibilities and emotions. "Maps" becomes a unisex love song for the ages.

Rilo Kiley- "A Man/ Me/ Then Jim": Taking on the story of three separate heartbroken lovers, Jenny Lewis spins a deep tale of love's habit of just fading away.

The Moldy Peaches- "Anyone Else But You": Simple and sincere, this song was sung by Michael Cera and Ellen Page at the end of the romantic dramady Juno and provides an honest declaration of love.

Musiq Soulchild- "Dontchange": It's a rare thing to hear a R&B song with so much depth and beauty, but this song talks about lasting love and not just one night at a club.

Jose Gonzalez- "Heartbeats": The bouncy guitars give off a warm loving feeling that's perfect to cozy up to.

The Beatles- "I Want You (She's So Heavy)": The Beatles have numerous love songs that have stood the test of time, but we just picked this one. Deal with it.

Death Cab for Cutie- "I Will Follow You Into the Darkness": Off of the album Plans, this song shows that love is not always easy and that you must be willing to do anything and go anywhere for love.

Flight of the Conchords- "It's Business Time": This farce of a love song by the dynamic Kiwi duo shows the lighter (and brutally honest) side of love & marriage.

Brand New- "Jesus Christ": If your female companion doesn't enjoy hearing the opening line "Jesus Christ that's a pretty face," then your relationship is probably lacking the love.

Pete Yorn- "Never My Love": Don't be fooled by this title; this ballad speaks of commitment and true love.

Aqualung- "Strange and Beautiful": This song will truly put you under its spell and the quiet strength of it is present from beginning to end.

Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova- "When Your Mind's Made Up": Unbridled and raw, this song from the hit indie movie is so passionate that you'll end up discovering new ideas of love.


SONGS FOR ANYTHING ELSE BUT ROMANCING:

Korn- "A.D.I.D.A.S.": It's not like they have a reputation for being crooners, but after you realize just what A.D.I.D.A.S means, you won't think this song is romantic in the least.

Cursive- "Am I Not Yours?": Full of power and passion, but after giving the lyrics a good listen, it just sounds creepy and aggressively desperate.

Spinal Tap- "Big Bottom": Unless you and your significant other embraces the idea of a big derriere, you may want to skip this.

Afroman- "Colt .45": You'll know about 20 seconds in why this isn't the most heartwarming of songs.

Frank Zappa- "Dirty Love": Even if you do indeed enjoy dirty love, don't rely on Frank Zappa to get you in the mood.

Tenacious D- "Double Team": I'll just give you a hint why this song is on the list: it's not about playing defense...

N.W.A- "Just Don't Bite It": Rap's stigma as obscene and dirty sure wasn't settled when this iconic rap group released this gem of a song.

N.E.R.D- "Lapdance": Lapdance for single guys? It's your call. "Lapdance" on Valentine's Day? Sleep on the couch

Blood Brothers- "My First Kiss at the Public Execution": The title alone should tell you to steer clear. This song will scare every ounce of love you have within the first 30 seconds.

Nas- "Oochie Wally": Good lord. There's nothing to say about this song. Just be sure no kids are around when this is on.

Death from Above 1979- "Sexy Results": Not dirty or bad, but the guitars and lyrical delivery are pretty creepy.

Ludacris- "Splash Waterfalls": Another rap song. Picking up a bias yet?

ZZ Top- "Tush": You probably won't be getting much tush with this song in you V-Day rotation.

Billy Idol – "White Wedding": Yes I know Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love used this song as their wedding dance. But unless you really think songs about a heroin-addicted lover are the ultimate in sexy then leave this song off the IPod.

Nine Inch Nails – "Closer": At best she’ll think you’re a closet goth. At worst she’ll think you’re the next best thing to Hannibal Lecter. Neither are good.

Godsmack – "Voodoo": See above, but add more drug refrences.

Blondie – "Heart of Glass": It’s a song about breaking up. Despite the seductive disco beats and gorgeous vocals it’s about the frailty of love. Don’t fall into this sand trap of a song.

The Cure – "Friday I’m in Love": Valentine’s Day is a Thursday this year. Besides, a song about only being in love on the weekends doesn’t exactly ring of fidelity and commitment.

Bloodhound Gang – "Bad Touch": Love you have to clean up with a mop and bucket is not good. Especially on carpeted floors or mattresses you intend on using again.

The Faint – "Worked Up So Sexual": If you can get your girl to do anything this song says then you found a winner. Sad thing is unless your girl is a stripper then you won’t.

The Fratellis – "Chelsea Dagger": Cases of misidentifying a gender don’t make for great Valentine’s Day songs. Besides, if your girl has a man’s bone structure and is named Dagger, then you are in big trouble my friend.

GG Allin – "Give Me Some Head": I know this is what you want, but this is not the way to say it.

Lesbians on Ecstasy – "Party Time (A Womyn’s Luv)": Going through every dirty sexual thing a women can do to another woman may sound sexy. Playing a song about it though? On a day about unrequited love and romance? Probably not the best call.

Plan B - "Charmaine": British hip-hop usually isn't great for love unless your girl thinks track suits and fake gold is sexy. British hip-hop about an unfortunate case of mistaken identity with a tryst that will make you a pedophile is even less sexy.

- Joe Kepler & Garrett Lyons

Vampire Weekend’s self-titled – 8/10

Best Track: A-Punk, Oxford Comma
Worst Track: Bryn

Vampire Weekend’s newly released self-titled album has garnered substantial indie acclaim despite its short existence. The band, consisting of Columbia University graduates, claims to be influenced by African pop and western Classical music.

Their songs take on a pop formula associated with indie artists Peter Bjorn & John, Voxtrot, and Matt Pond PA. However, what distinguishes them from the rest is lead singer Ezra Koenig’s energetic vocals coupled with African inspired beats. Songs like “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” illustrate the band’s characteristic driving beats varied with the use of bongo drums.

With their vocals and consistent drum work in sync, they rely on simplistic guitar rifts to captivate their fans. The guitar hooks perfectly illustrate their philosophy, “less is more,” which is also seen in bands like The White Stripes. Although they do take on a minimalist approach to their guitar work, their keyboardist Rostam Batmanglij layers a few songs with chamber pop undertones. Demonstrated best in “I Stand Corrected,” the band takes full advantage of their instrumentation by crafting a full-fledged baroque-pop song in just under three minutes.

Clocking in at 34 minutes and 20 seconds, Vampire Weekend manages to incorporate a variety of influences without dragging the album out with excess. In essence, the album is a lucid pop journey that fades before its novelty wears. With a balance of African inspiration and formulaic pop, there are no unwarranted surprises. This leaves you with a delicately crafted album that’s as simple as it is enjoyable.

- Michael Ghassibi

Vampire Weekend - "Oxford Comma"
http://stereogum.com/mp3/Vampire%20Weekend%20-%20Oxford%20Comma.mp3

Harry Nilsson The point for best concept album, "the Point"

The song “Brandy Alexander” by Feist? It’s about a well-known bout of drunken mischief produced by the writer of this album, Harry Nilsson and John Lennon in which they were forcibly removed from the Troubador bar and night club for harassing a band. Why were they harassing them? Don't know. The drink they were drinking? Brandy Alexanders. What does this have to do with the album? Nothing. Nothing at all, it's just real, man.

You may know Nilsson from the song "Everybody's Talkin'” from a 1995 episode of “Seinfeld” and as the theme from “Midnight Cowboy.”

The Point is an album, with an excellent hand-woven album cover by his then wife, a musical, and an animated movie about a character named Oblio, who is banished from the Land of Point for having no point on his head. He is sent into the Pointless Forest by the evil count, who had become upset because Oblio had just beaten his son in a game of triangle toss. The point of the game is to catch triangles on the point of your head. Oblio did this by resting his dog and loyal companion Arrow, who did have a point, upon his shoulders. The story starts after introductions with the game and Oblio and Arrow being consequently banished to the Pointless Forest from which no one had ever returned. The story consists of Oblio and Arrow's adventures in the Pointless Forest wherein they realize everything has points pointing in every direction at once. And, of course, having a point in every direction at once is what? Well, it's like having no point at all! So goes their very Campbell-esque journey into the realms of societal constructs and their underlying realities, and is very much about forgiveness and positive outlook.

-Mike Ersing

Upcoming albums – Flogging Molly – Float

It’s hard to find a band that can blend two diverse styles of music so well. Flogging Molly is one of the exceptions. The group staked their claim to fame in the Los Angeles punk scene of the late 1990’s with a spectacular cross of Irish traditional folk and punk rock.

Float is the group’s first full-length studio release since 2004’s Within a Mile of Home. Float opens with “Requiem for a Dying Song,” which also was on the iTunes exclusive Complete Control Sessions EP along with the title track “Float.” “Requiem” is a bombastic opening track with a classic punk rock riff done with the Irish fiddle. “Float” is a gorgeous acoustic track with haunting lyrics and spectacular artistic qualities.

Overall, the group’s sound evolved slightly and moved into a direction that is much more Pogues influenced than previous work. Previous work had more of a SoCal vibe to it with Irish instrumentation, but Float takes the sound away from the straight traditional-folk influence with punk rhythms into the sound of classic celt-punk.

Float hits shelves on March 4. This gives you plenty of time to get some new music for your St. Patrick’s Day parties.

-Garrett Lyons

Flogging Molly - Requiem for a Dying Song