Below are summary reviews of new releases in rotation at KSCU.
…plus a complete list of all the new ADDS the last two weeks.
*** NEW MUSIC ****** NEW MUSIC ****** NEW MUSIC ******
PASSION PIT – Manners
It’s like James Mercer (Shins frontman) taking the Shins in a new way more
upbeat dancier direction. Sounds amazing, right? Well that’s because it
totally is! This debut is full of youthful energy, disco beats, new wavey
beats—all topped off with the distinctive vocals of lead singer Michael
Angelakos.
>>>RIYL: disco Shins, Postal Service + DFA + Architecture in Helsinki…
IRON & WINE – Around The Well
A dual album collection of unreleased tracks, covers and re-recordings.The
first disc is a collection of songs akin to how Beam crafted his music in
his earlier projects – very airy, folky and subdued. The second disc is a
collection of Beam’s more recent work, which is a mish-mash of collaboration
and (more) up-tempo folky goodness.
>>>RIYL: Cat Power, Ray LaMontagne, Jose Gonzales, Nick Drake
APOSTLE OF HUSTLE – Eats Darkness
Apostle of Hustle is Andrew Whiteman (Broken Social Scene), Julian Brown
(the bassist from Feist) and Dean Stone for what the band describes to be a
collection of tracks that are “like tapas at the banquet of conflict”
>>>RIYL: Broken Social Scene, The Velvet Teen, The Dismemberment Plan
GREAT NORTHERN – Remind Me Where the Light Is
Great Northern’s sophomore album paints the same atmospheric, panoramic
vista as 2007’s Trading Twilight for Daylight, but it does so with a wider
brush, replacing the quieter moments of the previous album with soaring
guitars and wide-eyed, arena-bound anthems.
>>>RIYL: Metric, Bat for Lashes, Eisley, Letters to Cleo, Juliana Hatfield.
RIASED BY ROBOTS – Disorganization Will Save Us All
Raised By Robots is an indie rock band from San Francisco/Oakland that took
their love of music and eclectic influences — including Why?, Menomena, The
Arcade Fire, Okkervil River, Al Green, The Flaming Lips, Johnny Cash, DJ
Shadow, and Brian Wilson — but have created something wholly unique.
>>>RIYL: Menomena, Why?, Okkervil River, Arcade Fire, Flaming Lips..
THIEVES LIKE US – Play Music
This Euro-US trio attempts to make electro better than their influences, and
while I can’t vouch for what they were hearing, I can vouch for their
attempt, and it’s a solid one.
>>>RIYL: Cut Copy, New Order, Junior Boys, Royksopp
EAR PWR – Super Animal Brothers III
The North Carolina expatriates of Ear Pwr add the innocent fun of indie-rock
and twee to their frolicking tunes and bubbling rhythms. Ear Pwr also roots
down in indie pop’s manic overload joy but smears it through layers of
synthesizer squawks and megaphone-blasted anthems.
>>>RIYL: Dan Deacon, Sesame Street, Anavan, disc-twee-indie-pop
happiness!!!!
JASON LYTLE – Yours Truly, The Commuter
Two years after Grandaddy’s quiet demise, Jason Lytle returns with Yours
Truly, the Commuter. Immaculately crafted pop soundscapes mirror both the
dramatic environment of Lytle’s newly-adopted Montana and the vintage twang
of Central California farmland that provided the backdrop to all Lytle’s
earlier work.
>>>RIYL: Grandaddy, John Vanderslice,
ART BRUT – Art Brut vs. Satan
Coming off the freshly ephemeral burst of 2005’s Bang Bang Rock & Roll, Art
Brut’s gimmick—which hinges on deadpan delivery of ridiculous lyrics over
generally uninteresting backing music—appeared slight enough that even a
second album would have seemed redundant. The fact that they pull it off for
a third one warrants an examination of what it is that makes this ostensibly
wafer-thin approach so repeatedly successful.
>>>RIYL: Rakes, the Fall, Hold Steady, Dirtbombs, Beat Happening… sorta…
EXPERIMENTAL DENTAL SCHOOL – Forest Field
This Portland, OR band’s latest album is a unique blend of pop melody and
compact punk rock power.
>>>RIYL: Deerhoof, They Shoot Horses Don’t They, Man Man, Xiu Xiu.
VARIOUS ARTISTS – Causes 2
Compilation that benefits three organizations working to end the conflict in
Darfur, Oxfam America, Doctors Without Borders and Human Rights Watch.
(100% of proceeds goes to the benefit!).
>>>RIYL: Decemberists, Matthew Dear, LCD Soundsystem, My Morning
Jacket, RJD2, Mum, Neon Neon (any of the artists on the cd),
O+S – s/t
O+S is the collaboration between Orenda Fink (Azure Ray, Art In Manila) and
Scapelist, aka Cedric Lemoyne (Remy Zero). The duo’s self-titled debut is
mostly a hushed and somber collection of pop songs, letting Fink’s vocals
echo over Scapelist’s sonic crafting.
>>>RIYL: Azure Ray, Cat Power, Portishead, Remy Zero, Sia.
THE WOODEN BIRDS – Magnolia
The Wooden Birds borrow much of their foundation from the American Analog
Set, whose textured arrangements and heavy-lidded ambience are channeled
throughout this debut effort. Accordingly, Magnolia is more indebted to the
bedroom recordings of Iron & Wine than the spacy soundscapes of Brian Eno,
with palm-muted bass and makeshift percussion adding a gentle gait.
>>>RIYL: The Elected, Iron and Wine, Band of Horses, Bon Iver.
Picks: 5!,6!, 11, 2, 1, 12, 4.
A PAPER CUP BAND – Detroit vs. Farming
A five-piece band from Minneapolis whose sound is wildly eclectic and finds
it way across many genres, A Paper Cup Band seem most at ease and write
their best songs when they go back to a tried and true Americana/Alt-Country
sound.
>>>RIYL: Pavement, Beck, Guided by Voices, Sebadoh.
CRYPTACIZE – Mythomania
Cryptacize is generally recognized as the three-piece side project of former
Deerhoof guitarist Chris Cohen. Continuing their penchant for hushed, simple
song structures, the band’s sophomore effort, Mythomania, is an 11-song
collection of uncluttered arrangements and nostalgic vocals.
>>>RIYL: Comet Gain, Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Deerhoof, Nedelle & Thom
THE JUAN McCLEAN The Future Will Come
With his sophomore album, Juan MacLean focuses on the evolution of a dance
track, as simple beats slowly grow with claps, drum machine and vintage
electronics.
>>RIYL: Junior Boys, Shy Child, LCD Soundsystem, Telefon Tel Aviv
BRICOLAGE – s/t
Bricolage sound a whole lot like Orange Juice. You just can’t escape it.
It’s in the arch lilt of the vocals, the angular jangle of the guitars, the
skipping dance-punk beats, and the clever wordplay of the lyrics.
>>>RIYL: Orange Juice, Lucksmiths, Velvet Underground, Go-Betweens.
POLLY SACTTERGOOD – s/t
London-based Polly Scattergood blends the progressive arrangements and vocal
acrobatics of Kate Bush, Björk, and Tori Amos with the indie pop
sensibilities of Cat Power and Patrick Wolf, resulting in a powerful,
dramatic, and volatile tonic that landed the precocious artist a deal with
Mute Records at the age of 22.
>>>RIYL: Bat For Lashes, Bjork, Tori Amos, Kate Bush, Lily Allen.
ZOE – Reptilectric
Perhaps the most successful band to emerge from Mexico City’s bourgeoning
rock scene, Zoe play delicately crafted rock and roll anchored by producer
Phil Vinall’s [Radiohead, Pulp, Elastica, Placebo] magic touch.
>>>RIYL: Minus the Bear, Mute Math, Kinky.
JARVIS COCKER – Further Complications
As befitting the title, the sound of this former Pulp frontman’s sophomore
solo album is rough and tumble, with only the closing “You’re in My Eyes
(Discosong)” echoing back to the louche, languid urban fantasies of “Deep
Fried in Kelvin.” The rest is all gnarled, ugly hard rock, dredging up
ghosts of the Stooges and the Spiders from Mars, dressing them in stylish
second-hand clothes that are razored to ribbons by Steve Albini’s typically
unflinching production.
>>>RIYL: Serge Gainsbourg, Nick Cave, Pulp, Richard Hawley.
BLACK MOTH SUPER RAINBZOW – Eating Us
This Pennsylvania quintet make sweetly robotic psychedelia, all vocoders,
plinkety-plonk synths and whooshing sound effects, like Flaming Lips remixed
by Boards of Canada. A trippy marvel.
>>>RIYL: Flaming Lips + Boards of Canada, Animal Collective, Tobacco.
LIECHTENSTEIN – Survival Strategies in a Modern World
If you want to a quick critical backdoor into the aesthetic of Slumberland
Record’s latest signee, Liechtenstein you could start with the following:
C86, Vivian Girls, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, and early ’80s groups
like The Au Pairs and Kleenex.
>>>RIYL: Pains of Being Pure At Heart, Vivian Girls, Pastels, Asobi Seksu.
RUBIES - Stand in a Line / I feel Electric EP
A continuation and expansion of the sound of the under-appreciated San
Francisco indie-pop outfit Call and Response, Rubies comprises two of that
group’s members, keyboardist Simone Rubi and bassist Terri Loewenthal, both
of whom contribute vocals to create a harmony-rich sound that bridges New
Order-ish electronic disco, soulful seventies-styled pop and gentle
California folk-rock.
>>>RIYL: Feist, Loquat, Shinichi Osawa, Hearts of Palm UK, Club 8, Kings of
Convenience
THE FIELD – Yesterday & Today
In case any doubt remained about Axel Willner’s desire to be accessible
beyond the realm of electronic dance music, his second album as the Field,
Yesterday and Today, was licensed by Kompakt for U.S. release on Anti-.
>>>RIYL: Ulrich Schnauss, Seefeel, Slowdive + minimal techno, The Sight
Below.
MUSIC LOVERS – Masculine Feminine
This San Francisco band has a distinctive, immediately identifiable sound,
an elegant blend of SCOTT WALKER sweep, SERGE GAINSBOURG slyness, British
guitar pop hooks and DUSTY SPRINGFIELD soul.
>>>RIYL: Jarvis Cocker, Serge Gainsbourg, Divine Comedy.
MATRE – Easter Sunday
Coming from Los Angeles,Califronia with beats that are mixed with hip hop
and reggae dub. He has songs on here with religous aspects. His rhymes are
good and connect with the beat.
>>>RIYL: Sappient, Aceyalone, Spearhead, Michael Franti.
ANCIENT ASTRONAUTS – We Are To Answer
Coming from Germany with a CD that blends electro hip hop, downtempo and
even some drum n bass. Most of the songs have no MC’s but when they do it
goes well.
>>>RIYL: blockhead,nasa, and some amplive.
LA JUNTA – What It Is
Coming from Santa Fe New Mexico live band with a a mixture of
reggae,rock,hip hop. >>>RIYL: 40 watt hype and a touch of ozomatli.
SPEAR OF THE NATION – Spearitalk
Coming from Oakland with rhymes that sound truthfull. Good beats and in one
track
it sounds like they are rhyming in French.
>>>RIYL: moe, pope and headnodic and afro classics.
****** NEW ADDS ********
Savath y Savalas La Llama Stones Throw
Watch Out For Rockets Beasts With Hearts of Gold Self Released
Raised By Robots Disorganization will save us all self
released
Thieves Like Us Play Music Shelflife/ Fantasy Memory
Art Brut Art Brut vs. Satan Downtown records
Jason Lytle Yours Truly, The Commuter Anti
Great Northern Remind Me Where the Light Is Eenie Meenie
Experimental Dental School Forest Field Self Released
Ear Pwr Super Animal Brothers III Carpark
Various Artists Causes 2 Waxploitation
The Wooden Birds Magnolia Barsuk
O+S s/t saddle creek
Passion Pit Manners Frenchkiss
A Paper Cup Band Detroit vs Farming Bastard-Folk / Anti CIV
SPC ECO 3-D NoisePlus Music
Cryptacize Mythomania Asthmatic Kitty
Marcio Local MarcioLocal Says Don Day Don Dree Don Don Luaka Bop
Iron and Wine Around the Well Sub Pop
Depeche Mode Sounds of the Universe Capitol
Detournement Screaming Response Chunksaah Records
New York Dolls Cause I Sez So Alchemedia Productions
Every Good Boy The Human Haiku Shampoo Boy
Pink Mountaintops Outside Love Jagjaguwar
Esquimaux Wolf Self Released
Maximo Park Quicken the Heart Warp
Apostle Hustle Eats Darkness Arts and Crafts
American Folklore s/t Haymaker Wax
The Curious Mystery Rotting Slowly K Records
Various Artists Esopus #12: Black & White Esopus
DJ Vadim U Can’t Lurn Imaginashun bbe
Cali Blakk How We Do My Alt Records
La Junta What It Is Self Released
Matre Easter Sunday Team2Mex
Spear of the Nation Spearitalk Natural High Records
Acient Astronauts We Are To Answer ESL Music
leftover cuties game called life groove house
kitten forever born ready tardigrade
shinobu strange spring air quote unquote
Liechtenstein Survival Strategies in a Modern World Slumberland
Diamond Watch Wrists Ice Capped at Both Ends Warp Records
Bricolage Bricolage Slumberland
Rubies Stand in a line/ I feel electric Self Released
The Field Yesterday and Today Kompakt / anti-
Polly Scattergood Please Don’t Touch Single (+ remixes) Mute
The Juan Maclean The Future Will Come DFA
Zoe Reptilectric EMI
Polly Scattergood s/t mute
Black Moth Super Rainbow Eating Us Graveface
Jarvis Cocker Further Complications Rough Trade
Music Lovers Masculine Feminine Le Grand Magistery
