Cut Copy - Zonoscope (2011)

Zonoscope, Cut Copy's third studio album, is in many retrospects the ideal follow-up to the pop masterpiece that was In Ghost Colours. While retaining their sound, Cut Copy have kept it fresh by using more varied song structures and changing the album flow. Where In Ghost Colours flowed smoothly with short-medium length summer jams, Zonoscope introduces more lengthy tunes with crescendos and big climaxes. The vibe, however, remains the same.

'Need You Now' was a surprising opener to me, mainly due to lead singer Dan Whitford's deeper vocals. This varied pitch combined with heavier synths on songs such as 'Need You Now' and 'Blink and You'll Miss A Revolution' introduces a darker sound to the music, showcasing the band's post-punk influences more distinctively. 'Take Me Over' and 'Pharoahs & Pyramids', the two most IGC-like tracks on the album, maintain the classic Cut Copy feel to add nice variation and contrast. And the song that got people's expectations spinning, the 15-minute album closer 'Sun God', doesn't disappoint. It starts off with a thumping bass and a talking heads-like vibe, before going somewhere else altogether ("epic space disco" seems to be a popular term).

While Zonoscope is missing that little bit of atmospheric magic that In Ghost Colours had, it has its own feeling of vastness that makes it a worthwhile listen. It's definitely more of an homage to post-punk and the darker side of new wave as opposed to the happy pop feel of IGC. Something I feel I should add, it seems to be a grower. I enjoyed it much more on the second listen than on the first.

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Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2001)

It’s a cold Chicago night. You’re freezing and struggling to keep warm even under your heavy coat. You light another cigarette as you enter your car to keep warm. Turning on the radio, you switch to some weirdly wonderful pop station, punctuated by static and the sonic bleed of competing signals. The music is distorted and jarring, but strangely beautiful.

Named in honor of the three-word codes used by short-wave radio operators, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot can often evoke such an image in a listener’s mind. Perhaps one of the most brilliantly-crafted pop albums of all time, the Chicago alt-country rockers’ fourth album takes listeners on an existentialist trip, creating a loose sonic meditation on distance and love, using random radio signals as a metaphor.

These songs are not ordinary pop songs by any means. Utilizing blips, radio pops and starts, and all forms of odd sounds and fillers pushed through filters, the band creates a sonic palette that ends up sounding like nothing else before it. Songs like “Ashes of American Flags” and “Poor Places” end in a chaotic catharsis of distortion. “I’m The Man That Loves You”, probably one of the catchiest songs I’ve ever heard, is utterly destroyed by short bursts of ear-splitting, finger-bleeding guitar soloing. The closing track, “Reservations” could not have ended the album more gorgeously and elegantly, leaving the listener lost in a world of ambient sounds.

As lyrically sophisticated and provocative as it is noisy and serene, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is often a dark and melancholy affair. The piano-led “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” is a portrayal of drunken lovesickness, delicately laced with a cacophony of noise, whistles and percussive clutter. The acoustic “Radio Cure” is glum, moody, intriguing and emotional. “Ashes of American Flags” is a cold, chilling poem that is not so much cynical as it is a longing for the days of honest patriotism.

That’s not to say there’s not enough radio-friendly pop to go around, with the anthemic country psychedelia of “War on War” or the nostalgic yearning for a time of youth, innocence, and Kiss covers in “Heavy Metal Drummer”. The song “Pot Kettle Black” in particular makes you wonder just what Reprise was thinking when they dropped Wilco from their label because the album, in their opinion, wouldn’t sell.

You continue to listen to radio station with all of its static and cluttered noise. It is a sound that is sad, celestial, and lovely. You suddenly begin to feel much warmer as a cathartic sense of comfort washes over you. The music makes you feel relieved; you are at peace.

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Tudor Lodge - Tudor Lodge (1971)

Charming album here. Somewhere in-between folk and 60's pop, with little notches of psych and Canterbury-scene prog. Kind of a folkier version of Rubber Soul-beatles, mixing male and female vocals over their acoustic pop music. Recommended for anyone in need of some calm, pretty music.

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Anberlin- Dark Is The Way, Light Is A Place (2010)

Anberlin's follow up to New Surrender will be out this Tuesday and I got a hold of a copy. Being indifferent on the band since I've only heard two of their albums, I overall enjoyed this album. We Owe This To Ourselves starts the album out and it's rocking. Stephen Christan asks "Is This The End of Everything" In the chorus, he says "We owe this to our selves, We owe this our selves, we just can't let this go" It's catchy and overall enjoyable. Next up we have what will be the mainstream darling of the album, Impossible. It's is almost Angels and Airwaves inspired better yet a U2 wannabe. It's catchy, It's got a good riff, you want to sing along, If you haven't figured it out. This album is Anberlin trying to reach mainstream? Is that a good thing? I guess that's up to you.

Next up we get Take Me ( As You Found Me) it's the slow moving jam of the album. The chanting and slow music, it's almost adult contemporary. The chorus is "Take me as you found me, take me as you found me, won't leave me to die, leave me wanting, leave me wanting, the rest of your life". Closer is another song which I don't know what to say, it's repetitive , it's rocking but it's a dud overall for me. You Belong Here is the piano infused love song of the album. it has almost an 80's feel to it. Like something Casey Kasem would have on the Top 40.

Pray Tell is a rhythmical power ballad. it's decent but it lacks excitement. It's another dud for me. It's just not good enough for the album. Art of War has almost a techno induced intro with a constant popping sound. and technical sounds, this is another song which sound's like the 80's. What I'm basically saying is Anberlin is channeling U2 in this album, and for the most part they succeed. To The Wolves is a heavy drum bashing jam, it's good, pretty damn good and could be another possible hit for the band. Down is the slow burner of the album, it's slow and sweet and just transits well from To The Wolves. The final track of the album is Depraved, it's slow, mellow and well ties the album together nicely. Overall Dark Is The Way, Light Is A Place, is Anberlin channeling U2 with mainstream hits and 80's inspired pop. It's a savory appetizer but it's not the full course meal you want it to be.

Best Song: Impossible

Worst Song: Closer

Hidden Gem: Art Of War

Los Campesinos! - Romance Is Boring/All's Well That Ends EP (2010)

Los Campesinos! come across as the UK's answer to their Arts & Crafts counterpart Broken Social Scene, with their 8-member cluster of multi-layered, catchy [indie] pop music. Their third album entitled Romance Is Boring sticks to a central theme of, surprise surprise, romance, with the familiar contrast of sad lyrics on upbeat music. The way in which lead singer and principle songwriter Gareth Campesinos! (try and find me their real surnames) exploits the less appealing aspects of love and intimacy is very upfront.

"The title track depicts exactly what its title would suggest. "You're pouting in your sleep, I'm waking still yawning; We're proving to each other that romance is boring". The resentment and frustration that recurs throughout the record becomes more prominent in 'We've Got Your Back', "And so fucking on, and so fucking forth; We've got your back, whatever that's worth". As the record progresses it becomes more confronting and explicit in its content. 'Straight in at 101' describes love seen from a frightened first-person perspective, "You pull your dress over your face, and I stare down towards my chest; Chastise both our greasy hair, wonder whose gut is the softest", while 'A Heart Rash...' describes love seen from a jealous onlooker watching two friends fall for each other, "The promised they'd be best of friends from now until forever; But both were far too needy not to fall for the other" "Her body barely visible, as bleach white as the bedsheets; As stiff as starched, only perceptible as her middle was still branded" "Walk out onto your front lawn and face into the rain; Shout into the wind this'll never be the same." The album closer, 'Coda', is somewhat of a submission and a way of letting go. The last lines "the first time, the last time, all the times i would've liked there to have been; I can't believe i chose the mountains every time you chose the sea..." Tells of someone who regrets the decisions they made towards someone they care about. It's the stage of acceptance that comes after regret and bitterness, which seem to be some recurring themes themes the record. Romance Is Boring can be seen as a concept album, telling one story after another while leaving room for reflection at the end; "I fall to my knees, my piss-soaked jeans; The first time, the last time, all the times in-between". It's an album of uncertainty, regret and misunderstanding.

All's Well That Ends is a 4-track EP containing alternate versions of 'Romance Is Boring', 'A Heart Rush...', 'Straight In At 101' and 'In Medias Res'. These different versions are more mellow and fitting to the mood of the lyrics. If you liked Romance Is Boring then give this a listen because it contrasts nicely and has an epilogue effect to it.

Romance Is Boring
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All's Well That Ends
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Julian Casablancas - Phrazes for the Young (2009)

If you’re expecting this to sound like The Strokes, you’re in for a surprise. Frontman Julian Casablancas’ solo debut, Phrazes for the Young, has none of the lo-fi, riff-driven classic rock characteristics that his band is well known for. What Julian does retain is that recipe he has for making simple, catchy pop music. Phrazes for the Young makes use of heavier bass, keyboards and synthesizers, combined with hints of Strokes-like guitar licks and basic drum beats, while also experimenting with slower, more mellow music using more instruments and sound-techniques. If First Impressions of Earth was an expansion of The Strokes’ sound, then Julian’s done the right thing by making his solo album something different altogether.

The 40-minute, 8-track album kicks off with the 2 most Stroke-esque songs on the album, , ‘Out of the Blue’ and ‘Left & Right in the Dark’, a couple of happy-sounding songs with catchy backbeats, faint guitar-licks and lyrics about women troubles. They’re enjoyable songs for what they are, enjoyable enough not to skip past anyway. The album starts to hit its stride with the lead single ‘11^th dimension’, a song about accepting your identity with a central theme of isolation. Julian tries to get a bit deeper with the lyrics on this song, but it coincides nicely with the song’s uplifting nature. Phrazes also does well to add some more expansive and slower elements to the album towards the end, with tracks like ‘Glass’ and ‘Tourist’ incorporating multi-instrumentation into some rather beautiful segments of music.

Phrazes for the Young is a very well balanced album, with an even split of catchy pop songs and mellow undertones. Julian has done well to vary up the sound and tone of the album while preventing it from dragging on too long. The album is nothing amazing or unique, but it’s a solid first effort for a solo record and he’s made a fair effort to establish his range as a songwriter.

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Foxy Shazam- Introducing (2008)

Deep in the city of Cincinnati is a band by the name of Foxy Shazam. If you're curious what Foxy Shazam means, it means "Cool Shoes" according to lead singer Eric Nally who discovered the phrase from a student while in high school. Foxy Shazam's biggest moment as a band had to be when their song Unstoppable was used in Super Bowl XLIV this year. But I'm not here to talk about the current Foxy Shazam album. I'm here to talk about their follow up album to the fan favorite The Flamingo Trigger. Introducing was Foxy Shazam's second album and in this album Foxy introduces themselves to the world and in this album we discover what Foxy Shazam is all about.

What we discover is that Foxy is a band full of energy and insanity from Eric Nally's screaming vocals to straight up madness, Introducing truly is a delight. Introducing combines so many different elements of music from pop to rock to alternative rock to piano rock. There is literally a song called Yes!, Yes!, Yes! where Nally delivers these lyrics " I can't control my feet, I feel like moving". This line along with the piano infuse a sensation of uncontrollable madness. And that's not even scratching the surface. In the opening track Introducing Foxy. Nally repeats the line "I wish I was black, I wish I was black, I wanna be black" You just sit there baffled by how random the line is and yet it fits the band perfectly.

Introducing is an album that literally makes no sense and yet it makes a lot of sense. Every song is catchy and different. Some are straight up rock songs, some are pop songs, some are piano infused ballads. Introducing is a jambalaya of genres and madness. Eric Nally is basically Freddy Mercury re imagined from the mustache on his face to the lyrics he sings. Foxy Shazam truly are one of the most unique and energetic bands on the scene right now. If you want to give them a try, I suggest you seek out this album like I did.

Track Listing

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1. "Introducing Foxy"- 3:18

2. "The Rocketeer" - 2:49

3. "A Dangerous Man"- 3:06

4. "The Science of Love" 3:04

5. "A Black Man's Breakfast"-3:30

6. "It's Hair Smelled Like Bonfire"-2:41

7. "Red Cape Diver" - 4:17

8. "Yes! Yes! Yes!" - 2:55

9. "Ghost Animals"- 3:28

10. "Cool"- 4:12

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Black Moth Super Rainbow - Dandelion Gum (2007)

Dandelion Gum is BMSR's best album and a treat for anyone who listens. Funky and folky at the same time, all the while being experimental pop, this album is well worth the listen. Here is the band's own description of themselves: "Deep in the woods of western Pennsylvania vocoders hum amongst the flowers and synths bubble under the leaf-strewn ground while flutes whistle in the wind and beats bounce to the soft drizzle of a warm acid rain. As the sun peeks out from between the clouds, the organic aural concoction of Black Moth Super Rainbow starts to glisten above the trees."

1. "Forever Heavy" – 4:16
2. "Jump Into My Mouth and Breathe the Stardust" – 2:33
3. "Melt Me" – 2:22
4. "Lollipopsichord" – 1:32
5. "They Live In the Meadow" – 2:33
6. "Sun Lips" – 3:16
7. "Rollerdisco" – 2:34
8. "Neon Syrup for the Cemetery Sisters" – 2:52
9. "The Afternoon Turns Pink" – 2:37
10. "When the Sun Grows on Your Tongue" – 2:40
11. "Spinning Cotton Candy In a Shack Made of Shingles" – 3:11
12. "Drippy Eye" – 3:13
13. "Lost, Picking Flowers In the Woods" – 3:22
14. "Caterpillar House" – 1:58
15. "Wall of Gum" – 0:59
16. "Untitled Roadside Demo" – 3:34
17. "Untitled" (Hidden Song) – 3:10

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Kele - The Boxer (2010)

Kele, better known as Kele Okereke, the lead singer of the British alternative band Bloc Party, debuted his first ever solo album, The Boxer, on June 22nd for the Glass Note Label. Bloc Party are currently “on hiatus” which has given Kele time to experiment and create a body of his own solo work. Those who are expecting a more “alternative” sounding album in the same vain as a Bloc Party album, such as Silent Alarm, are in for a surprise. The Boxer is best described as a dance/electronic pop album. Kele really distances himself from what most people know him for, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I personally like it when an artist isn’t afraid to dabble and experiment in genres out of his or her “comfort level”. That being said, The Boxer is a decent debut for Kele, but the album is somewhat inconsistent, there are tracks that really just blend into one-another without anything really sticking out such as “New Rules” and “All The Things I Could Never Say”. On the other hand, I really enjoyed “Tenderoni”, the first single off the album, “Rise” which is more downbeat than some of the songs but has pretty powerful lyrics, and "On The Lam” which has a beat that is almost trance inducing. Although The Boxer can be inconsistent at times, I would suggest giving it a listen, if not for only a few good tracks. This is a solid step in the right direction in a promising solo career, especially with Bloc Party being on hiatus.

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