FULL POST
If you’re as obsessed with Arctic Monkeys as I am, you probably already know that they’re set to release their “Black Treacle” B-side in February, which will feature the songs that didn’t make the cut for the album. The following linked song “You and I” finally leaked the interwebs and it’s pretty fantastic. It’s more brooding than anything on the actual album. Some of my favorite Arctics songs came off of their B-sides so I’d strongly recommend you check ’em out.
I’ve never been the biggest advocate of Liverpool trio The Wombats. If you’d asked me a week ago what I thought of them I would have laughed and said the only song worth knowing was “Let’s Dance to Joy Division” (which happens to be a jam and a half) but anything else was a waste of time. I downloaded their followup LP This Modern Glitch the other day on a boredom-induced whim and I’m glad I did.
At a first listen, the album is a lot of the same danceable, rough-edge Brit pop/rock as their debut. Though it’s cleaner. Less obnoxious. More modern (as though the album title wasn’t a dead give away). They’ve added sugar coated layers of 1980’s synth and high tempo’d guitar riffs. Ironically this oft over the top ’80s vibe proves to be its modern glitch. Suffice it to say, there’s still something about their music that makes them more a guilty pleasure than anything else after your first few runs through of this album.
With a five-year gap between albums, you’d expect considerable maturity in the lyrics; this is not immediately noticeable in this album, which in a rather heart-on-the-sleeve manner grapples with the pangs and debauched pleasures of the life of the modern 20-something. In “1996” they reminisce on the long lost teenage days of carelessness. At times (i.e. “Tokyo” and “Jump Into the Fog”) they mockingly shirk the responsibility of maturity. The lyrics are almost too honest. Frontman Matthew Murphy declares, “I’ve made mistakes I admit that freely/It’s just that life tastes sweeter when it’s wrapped in debauchery.” The albums ultimate hook (and possibly saving grace because it allows you to see the band through a different lens) is its first single “Anti-D” in which Murphy discusses his ongoing struggle with chemical depression. The album from this point on becomes a lifeline. The self-deprecating wit of the other songs gains new perspective and the album in general doesn’t seem so one dimensional.
Despite the gloomy undertones, the album is dressed in warm flourishes that make it utterly, almost confusingly enjoyable, like a shock of energy through your system. Murphy sings “The lasers fill our minds with empty plans/I never knew I was techno fan.” The album is far from flawless, but it doesn’t aim for perfection and that’s made clear through some of the darker aspects of it. But it does succeed on several grounds. It did enough to change my mind about them, I’ll admit. I guess I never knew I was a Wombats fan.
1. Our Perfect Disease
2. Tokyo (Vampires & Wolves)
3. Jump Into the Fog
4. Anti-D
5. Last Night I Dreamt…
6. Techno Fan
7. 1996
8. Walking Disasters
9. Girls/Fast Cars
10. Schumacher the Champagne
11. Valentine
Techno Fan (Acoustic Glitch)
Anti-D (Acoustic Glitch)
Tokyo (’96 Bulls Remix)
Let’s Dance to Joy Division
FULL POST
I’ve never been the biggest advocate of Liverpool trio The Wombats. If you’d asked me a week ago what I thought of them I would have laughed and said the only song worth knowing was “Let’s Dance to Joy Division” (which happens to be a jam and a half) but anything else was a waste of time. I downloaded their followup LP This Modern Glitch the other day on a boredom-induced whim and I’m glad I did.
At a first listen, the album is a lot of the same danceable, rough-edge Brit pop/rock as their debut. Though it’s cleaner. Less obnoxious. More modern (as though the album title wasn’t a dead give away). They’ve added sugar coated layers of 1980’s synth and high tempo’d guitar riffs. Ironically this oft over the top ’80s vibe proves to be its modern glitch. Suffice it to say, there’s still something about their music that makes them more a guilty pleasure than anything else after your first few runs through of this album.
With a five-year gap between albums, you’d expect considerable maturity in the lyrics; this is not immediately noticeable in this album, which in a rather heart-on-the-sleeve manner grapples with the pangs and debauched pleasures of the life of the modern 20-something. In “1996” they reminisce on the long lost teenage days of carelessness. At times (i.e. “Tokyo” and “Jump Into the Fog”) they mockingly shirk the responsibility of maturity. The lyrics are almost too honest. Frontman Matthew Murphy declares, “I’ve made mistakes I admit that freely/It’s just that life tastes sweeter when it’s wrapped in debauchery.” The albums ultimate hook (and possibly saving grace because it allows you to see the band through a different lens) is its first single “Anti-D” in which Murphy discusses his ongoing struggle with chemical depression. The album from this point on becomes a lifeline. The self-deprecating wit of the other songs gains new perspective and the album in general doesn’t seem so one dimensional.
Despite the gloomy undertones, the album is dressed in warm flourishes that make it utterly, almost confusingly enjoyable, like a shock of energy through your system. Murphy sings “The lasers fill our minds with empty plans/I never knew I was techno fan.” The album is far from flawless, but it doesn’t aim for perfection and that’s made clear through some of the darker aspects of it. But it does succeed on several grounds. It did enough to change my mind about them, I’ll admit. I guess I never knew I was a Wombats fan.
1. Our Perfect Disease
2. Tokyo (Vampires & Wolves)
3. Jump Into the Fog
4. Anti-D
5. Last Night I Dreamt…
6. Techno Fan
7. 1996
8. Walking Disasters
9. Girls/Fast Cars
10. Schumacher the Champagne
11. Valentine
Techno Fan (Acoustic Glitch)
Anti-D (Acoustic Glitch)
Tokyo (’96 Bulls Remix)
Let’s Dance to Joy Division
The solo debut of Miles Kane is a murky flashback to the 1960s Brit-rock music scene. It’s an impressive breakout for an artist tightly associated with Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner, largely for their bromance baby The Last Shadow Puppets. There’s an elegant mystique about Colour of the Trap, enshrouded in booming drums and smoky-rock riffs. It’s massively epic, the kind of album that gets your heart racing for no apparent reason, especially considering that most of the songs are about romantic endeavors. Lyrics aside, it would make an apt soundtrack for a Bond film with stabbing guitars drowning in foreboding orchestrals. Even when it slows down to finger-picked acoustics and breathy vocals, there’s something spell-binding about it. Kane has reassembled a sound lodged in the gloomy crevices of the past and made it uniquely his own. Though the album is hardly without flaw, it is defining. It certainly does enough to sever him from the hip of his buddy Alex Turner and grant him forgiveness from his previous, lesser known associations. Kane is one of those artists that develops in increments; he’s only getting better. Personally, I think it’s only a matter of time before he’s considered one of the coolest dudes on the Brit-rock stage.
1. Come Closer
2. Rearrange
3. My Fantasy
4. Counting Down the Days
5. Better Left Invisible
6. Quicksand
7. Inhaler
8. Kingcrawler
9. Take the Night From ME
10. Telepathy
11. Happenstance
12. Colour of the Trap
FULL POST
The solo debut of Miles Kane is a murky flashback to the 1960s Brit-rock music scene. It’s an impressive breakout for an artist tightly associated with Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner, largely for their bromance baby The Last Shadow Puppets. There’s an elegant mystique about Colour of the Trap, enshrouded in booming drums and smoky-rock riffs. It’s massively epic, the kind of album that gets your heart racing for no apparent reason, especially considering that most of the songs are about romantic endeavors. Lyrics aside, it would make an apt soundtrack for a Bond film with stabbing guitars drowning in foreboding orchestrals. Even when it slows down to finger-picked acoustics and breathy vocals, there’s something spell-binding about it. Kane has reassembled a sound lodged in the gloomy crevices of the past and made it uniquely his own. Though the album is hardly without flaw, it is defining. It certainly does enough to sever him from the hip of his buddy Alex Turner and grant him forgiveness from his previous, lesser known associations. Kane is one of those artists that develops in increments; he’s only getting better. Personally, I think it’s only a matter of time before he’s considered one of the coolest dudes on the Brit-rock stage.
1. Come Closer
2. Rearrange
3. My Fantasy
4. Counting Down the Days
5. Better Left Invisible
6. Quicksand
7. Inhaler
8. Kingcrawler
9. Take the Night From ME
10. Telepathy
11. Happenstance
12. Colour of the Trap
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.
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
FULL POST
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.
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
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.
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
FULL POST
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.
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
