Even if you don’t have a thing for punk-kick anthems and rock n’ roll guised folklore, Frank Turner’s third and most recent release “England Keep My Bones” is an album to live by. In 12 adreneline-infused tracks (18 if you splurge on the deluxe edition), Turner manages to leave you feeling somehow stirred. The album bears the motifs of homeland and England and belonging but ultimately it’s about living your life to the fullest. It’s a reminder that life is a gift you must make the most of. Yet it’s daring and offensive enough to deliver this message realistically without sounding tweenish. In fact it’s anything but tweenish. There are no subtle undertones; it doesn’t beat around the bush. It’s just as bold and audacious lyrically as it is instrumentally and these combined efforts make the album really powerful. Turner artfully puts life into perspective, “‘Cos love is free and life is cheap/ As long as I’ve got me a place to sleep/ Clothes on my back and some food to eat/ I can’t ask for anything more” (If Ever I Stray). Each song is packed with its own wisdom. This is an album for the mind. It’s the rare kind of album that brings you to your feet and calls you to action. I for one am inspired. YOLO.

Tracklist

1. Eulogy
2. Peggy Sang the Blues
3. I Still Believe
4. Rivers
5. I Am Disappeared
6. English Curse
7. One Foot Before the Other
8. If Ever I Stray
9. Wessex Boy
10. Nights Become Days
11. Redemption
12. Glory Hallelujah

12FV

To plagiarize myself (yet again): I think it’s a real measure of someone’s skills not only as a musician but as an artist when they are able to take someone else’s work and make it their own, while still remaining reverent to the original piece. My iTunes library is stuffed with covers, simply because I like to see how artists remaster music that isn’t theirs.

I’ve been compiling playlists of covers, old and new, some from the depths of my iTunes and others as I stumble across them on the interwebs. Below is my third installment. Enjoy yo’self.

Indie Covers Playlist, Part III

^click to download

1. 1979 (RAC ft. Liz Anjos Cover) by Smashing Pumpkins
2. Only You Know (Alex Turner Cover) by Dion
3. Yours To Keep (Alex Winston Cover) by Teddy Bears
4. All My Friends (Tokyo Police Club Cover) by LCD Soundsystem
5. A Minor Place (Fanfarlo Cover) by Bonnie “Prince” Billy
6. Here Comes Your Man (Meaghan Smith Cover) by Pixies
7. The Wall (Porcelain Raft Cover) by Yuck
8. Despite Everything (Yuck Cover) by Porcelain Raft
9. Where Is My Mind (The Vaccines and Noah and the Whale Cover) by Pixies
10. Wake Up (Paolo Nutini Cover) by Arcade Fire

BONUS

New Zealanders The Naked and Famous recently did this remix of fellow Kiwis UMO’s “Ffunny Frends.” I think it’s in the same vein as a cover. They amped up the pace and added a bit of an adrenaline kick to the original. It’s pretty well done.

Ffunny Frends (The Naked and Famous Remix) by Unknown Mortal Orchestra

I’ve written about London-based indie-rock outfit Yuck quite a bit this year. Probably because–go figure–they’re one of my favorite breakout bands of 2011. They’re cool mostly because they’re doing their own thing without asking for anyone’s opinion. Their music has been repeatedly described as lo-fi, 1990’s-inspired rock but it really stands out in its own way; they’ve got great synergism. And the drummer has an awesome fro. Their videos are weird as hell but the music is great and that’s what matters. They recently released the b-sides of their self-titled debut. While these tracks are very typical Yuck (but not yucky in any way ha-ha-ha) it’s easy to see how they wouldn’t fit in with the rest of the album. If you haven’t listened to the full length album I’d highly recommend doing so. Once you’ve whet your taste buds to their sound, download the songs linked below.

Soothe Me

Cousin Corona

Milkshake

Doctors in My Bed

B-Sides

^click to download

It’s difficult to imagine Youth Lagoon’s debut album “The Year of Hibernation” as something recorded in a bedroom. Futuristically epic, it seems to occupy a space beyond the constraints of gravity. What’s more it’s lonely and esoteric, but in a sort of way that you want to find a common ground with it. Youth Lagoon is the creative endeavor of 22-year-old Trevor Powers. His debut is the sort of thing you could write a dissertation on. And honestly it wouldn’t surprise me if people do years down the road. “The Year of Hibernation” is the sort of album that makes a profound mark on all possible levels. Its individualism is initially evident in the steady melodic build-up of each song. Each track is similar in that manner. At first it sounds like something you could drown in, but as it continues it builds strength through drum machines and synth. The vocals have this sunken quality about them, like Powers is speaking through a tin can, giving them a subconscious affect. Perhaps what makes this album so beautiful is how evident it is that he made this album purely for himself. Like he had to let something he’d been holding in for years out; this becomes further evident through the lyrics. It’s clear he’s dealing with a lot. This is one of those rare albums that manages to be both catchy and profound. It may even be ahead of its time.

Tracklist

1. Afternoon
2. Cannons
3. Daydream
4. July
5. Montana
6. Posters
7. Seventeen
8. The Hunt

It never ceases to amaze me how much musical talent is concentrated in the United Kingdom. I think it must correlate with the weather or lack of dental hygiene or something. It always seems to hold true, no matter how shitty the musical climate is elsewhere, the UK continues to churn out great music. Among my favorite recent-ish Brit rock outfits are London natives The Rifles. Their 2006 debut “No Love Lost” and sophomore album “The Great Escape” (note the Blur reference) both managed to slip by relatively unnoticed, in the US at least. Though their sound was catchy enough, it didn’t introduce anything new. It was just another snapshot of London life through jingly-jangly guitar melodies and Liam Gallagher-esque vocals. It fit in well with other British rock essentials like Arctic Monkeys and Kasabian and more recent developments like The Vaccines. Their recently released third album “Freedom Run” ought to collect quite the fanbase though. It deserves to at least. It’s far more progressive than their first two albums, bearing much more of an indie-rock edge, whilst still maintaining an element of classicism. As a whole, it’s hooky as hell, utilizing guitars, harmonicas, organs, stomps and handclaps. The pop appeal is much stronger, though lyrics are still rather rough-around-the-edges. The album is very listenable–each track is capable of standing alone as a single. The lyrics are far less school boyish and more reflective. The gleaned pop appeal is definitely a new look for the Rifles but it clings to just enough of the old rough edge and street attitude to keep it from sounding tweenish. The album is really beautifully composed. It’s going to take me a while to get over this one.

Tracklist

1. Dreamer
2. Long Walk Back
3. Sweetest Thing
4. Tangled Up in Love
5.Everline
6. Love Is a Key
7. Falling
8. Interlude
9. Nothing Matters
10. Coming Home
11. I Get Low
12. Little Boy Blue (Human Needs)
13. Cry Baby

Free Candy

Sometimes

Romeo and Julie

There’s just something tactfully intimate about London-based duo Peter and Kerry, like they’re sitting at the foot of your bed when you first wake up (but not creepy as that). Their pooled talents are subtly and humbly stunning. Yet it’s catchy enough to make you wonder why Peter Lyon and Kerry Leatham didn’t get together much sooner. The duo released an EP Clothes, Friends, Photos earlier this year and I’m shocked it hasn’t caused more of a blogosphere bustle. It’s a beautiful assortment of sound, perfectly blending acoustic guitars and computer game-esque sonics. The lyrics are typical of that of any break-up band but they’re masterful where they easily could have been cliche. The vocals that deliver them are charged with nostalgia, though it’s almost difficult to pinpoint exactly what they recall. Lyon and Leatham have a tendency to wear their hearts on their sleeves but they have fresh way of doing it. Overall, their sound is pretty familiar and after a few listens I think it’s because it’s largely a melting pot of indie-influence. At times it recalls Brit-pop outfits like Air Traffic while at other times its ghost-like qualities are oddly reminiscent of Bon Iver. But they’ve got a flair of their own that’s really difficult to distain. I dare you to try not to fall in love with them at least a little.

1. Clothes, Friends, Photos
2. Half Empty
3. Oh, No
4. The Shadows
5. Knees
6. Crash and Burn

My favorite whiny white boys Wavves are back with more music and more complaints. The Life Sux–EP is beachy and grungy and Wavves-y as ever. They even paired with Best Coast for jizztastic jam “Nodding Off”. I just feel like with a duo like that, purchase of the EP should come with a free suntan. But that’s just me. The EP is proof that so long as these guys keep messing up/fussing over their mistakes they’ll keep putting out good music. Keep complaining, boys, we love it.

1. Bug
2. I Wanna Meet Dave Grohl
3. Nodding Off (feat. Best Coast)
4. Poor Lenore
5. Destroy (feat. Members of F****d Up)
6. In The Sand (Live) [Bonus Track]