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]

I think Worcester trio Dom is what many indie bands wish they were–cool cause they really don’t give a shit. Their first album–a lo-fi pop concoction–was recorded in bassist Erik’s bedroom and initially released on Craigslist. Their second effort, the Family of Love EP, was recently released and shows real progression from their delinquent-pop debut. It’s much sharper, but still holds onto that fuzzy distortion and synthy goodness. And they’re definitely still not over their punk ways. It’s a real sugar rush; upbeat and fun. The standout track “Damn” is a bit more melancholy, revealing another side of them. It was really tempting to put up the entire EP because as a whole it’s awesome but I’ll refrain. Support the artist, buy the music. It’s worth it.

1. Telephone
2. Family of Love
3. Damn
4. Happy Birthday Party
5. Some Boys (feat. Emma)

There’s something about The Kooks’ latest album Junk of the Heart that, simply put, feels right; its overall composition, the ordering of the songs and the time of year it was released all seem well and intentionally calculated. The Kooks have showed little by way of development since the release of Inside In, Inside Out, and personally I think there’s nothing wrong with that since what they had to begin with was so satisfying. Junk of the Heart is winsome from the opening chords of addictive pop single and title track “Junk of the Heart (Happy)” and ending with cathartic jam “Mr. Nice Guy.” The entire album is as listenable as their first two (which were both pretty damn catchy) and is equally guilty of possessing a tweenage pop appeal. Even with song titles such as “Fuck the World Off” they can’t seem to shake this. Pritchard has a knack for writing blush-inducing lyrics set to 1960’s/1990’s blended melodies. And he’s good at it. This album definitely will be pleasing to previous enthusiasts and ought to do enough to snag them some new fans. There’s not much point in highlighting the album’s strong points because the album as a whole speaks pretty loudly for itself. It’s a people-pleaser. You can download my personal favorites below, though I would highly recommend picking up the album in its entirety.

1. Junk Of The Heart (Happy)
2. How’d You Like That
3. Rosie
4. Taking Pictures Of You
5. F**k The World Off
6. Time Above The Earth
7. Runaway
8. Is It Me
9. Killing Me
10. Petulia
11. Eskimo Kiss
12. Mr. Nice Guy

12FV

To plagiarize myself: 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.

A few weeks ago I compiled a few of my favorites for your listening pleasure. I bring you more of the like today. Enjoy yo’self.

Indie Covers Playlist, Part II

^click to download

1. Knife (Born Ruffians Cover) by Grizzly Bear
2. Heart It Races (Dr. Dog Cover) by Architecture in Helsinki
3. Crazy (Yeasayer Cover) by Seal
4. Romeo and Juliet (The Killers Cover) by The Dire Straits
5. Young Folks (The Kooks Cover) by Peter Bjorn and John
6. The Headmaster Ritual (Radiohead Cover) by The Smiths
7. Goodbye Horses (Harlem Cover) by Q Lazzarus
8. Wicked Game (Washed Out Cover) by Chris Isaak
9. Flakes (Florence and the Machine Cover) by Mystery Jets
10. Castles In the Snow (Sacred Animals Cover) by Twin Shadow
11. Left Behind (Yellow Ostrich Cover) by Beat Happening
12. Fall At Your Feet (Boy and Bear Cover) by Crowded House
13. Long Distance Call (Tokyo Police Club Cover) by Phoenix
14. We Will Become Silhouettes (The Shins Cover) by The Postal Service
15. In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (Fanfarlo Cover) by Neutral Milk Hotel

I’ve listened to San Francisco duo Girls’ most recent release Father, Son, Holy Ghost about five times all the way through now and I still have no words that could do it justice. It’s an incredible piece of work–a developmental masterpiece. When they first hit the scene with their debut Album, there was something woefully sardonic about them. Love-worn and tired. Achingly yearning. Their followup EP Broken Dreams Club showed linear development. To be honest, it was depressing. It felt like a kick in the gut. Frontman Christopher Owens’ jaded vocals could launch you through several layers of emotion to the point where you feel hollowed afterwards. It could invoke this ineffable sadness for something you haven’t even experienced. That ability alone is powerful.

Only months following the release of Broken Dreams Club, Girls appears to have moved out of the love-wrought haze of their earlier works, but without forgetting where they came from. They’ve developed immensely from the delicately jangly indie beats they were rocking two years ago. They’ve lived, they’ve survived and they are sharing a testament in a way. It’s refreshingly optimistic, especially coming from guys that sang the lyrics: “So many people live and die/And never even question why/All of their dreams are gone/How can they carry on?” and “I just want to get high/But everything keeps bringing me down/If you know something I don’t/Come on and help me out/But I just don’t understand/How the world keeps going nowhere.”

The album opens with the galloping melody of “Honey Bunny,” an “awww”-inspiring jam about a love not yet found. The lyrics, “I know you’re somewhere/And nothing’s gonna phase me/You’ll look at me and know I’m the one/And you will love me” contrast brilliantly with those of the aforementioned EP. It sets a pace for the rest of the album, turning over to the yearningly mellow “Alex.” As the album rolls on, it puts to display an eclectic handful of influence, predominantly that of classic rock. At times it sounds like Wolfmother while at other times it recalls the Beatles. Influence, however, is overshadowed by their musical mastery. They have their own distinct sound, a certain Girls-ness that will prevent them from ever being confused with anyone else. Most importantly, that unique quality is what helps them get away with putting so many cliches to music. It’s what makes them identifiable. Honestly, only Girls could take a 6 minute stalker ballad (“Vomit”) and turn it into something universal. They possess this intimacy that makes you feel like you’ve lived next door to them for years and witnessed their pain first hand. And it feels good to see them climbing out of their rut. It’s an upward swing that leaves you with a feeling of fulfillment rather than emptiness. True enough, they’re still searching for something and there’s just enough of an over-the-top factor that prevents them from sounding contrived. I can’t wait to hear what’s next from them. This, however, will be a record to remember.

1. Honey Bunny
2. Alex
3. Die
4. Saying I Love You
5. My Ma
6. Vomit
7. Just a Song
8. Magic
9. Forgiveness
10. Love Like a River
11. Jamie Marie
12. Love Life (Bonus Track)