Jazz fusion with a penchant for hip-hop and an unhealthy fascination with Odd Future - BadBadNotGood have released three free albums since last year. Meeting up at college in Toronto, Canada, the group has covered everything from James Blake to Tyler, the Creator to their own original tracks. My favorite is this ominous take on Kanye West’s ”Flashing Lights,” which bubbles around for a good seven minutes, with intermittent flashes of gated out drum and bright orchestral flashes. Check out the rest of their stuff on their website fo free.
After last year’s delightfully weird, out-of-left-field batch of oddball tech-house, Delicacies, I had no idea what to expect from Simian Mobile Disco. They’ve made it a habit never to stay in one place for too long, and Unpatterns, their third proper album (Delicacies was technically a compilation of singles), continues that trend, although it remains rooted in the tech house scene they’ve been exploring for the past couple of years. Where Delicacies was undeniably strange and, at times, a bit creepy, Unpatterns is more straightforward and, dare I say, danceable. “Your Love Ain’t Far,” one of my current favorites, pulses and grooves imperceptibly forward on the strength of that drop-step drum and that soulful vocal motif. Unpatterns drops May 29.
Out of Savannah, Georgia, CUSSES is a nifty little trio that calls to mind 2011 favorites the Jezabels with their sweeping brand of guitar-powered indie and some of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs‘ sass, with frontwoman Angel Bond providing an immediate spark. Their debut album is slated to come out later this year; for now, check out the video and enjoy.
The first single off Passion Pit’s sophomore album Gossamer finally dropped a couple days ago, and while “Take A Walk” is definitely a distinctly “Passion Pit” type of tune, the ostensible changes the band is working towards since Manners came out seemingly forever ago (2009) make this one of the summer’s more anticipated releases for me. I like that singer Michael Angelakos is moving away from the falsetto he leaned on so heavily (often to their detriment live, I thought) and the band is focusing more on breezy, groovy melodies that speak to the lazy joy of summer, rather than the supercharged electro pop anthems they became famous for. It’s a slight change in sound, but a welcome one, and if it’s any indication of what’s in store, Gossamer could be great.
Punk rockers/heavy beer drinkers Japandroids are inching closer to the release of their sophomore effort Celebration Rock, the follow-up to 2009 zeitgeist and homage to youth and bad/good decisions Post-Nothing. If I’m being cynical, one listen to the album and a highlight like “Fire’s Highway” (and previous 2010 single and addition here, “Younger Us”) makes it clear that nothing’s really changed for these Vancouver-based firebrands. The beer is still eternally cold; the girls are still eternally carefree and wild; youth is still something to be treasured rather than grieved over. So it’s more of the same, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing – few do 21st-century anthems better than these guys, and if you liked Post-Nothing, three years is more than long enough to wait to satisfy a craving for balls-out, fist-pumping rock ‘n roll.
The greatest band in the history of the world returns as if they’ve never left with third album Rize of the Fenix, and for those with any appreciation for music at all and Tenacious D’s invaluable contribution to modern culture, it’s another classic in quite the distinguished discography. “39″ closes the album out on a mellow, wistful note – the D in ballad mode, reminiscing about their one true love (a thirty-nine-year-old lady). “Don’t call her a whore,” Jack Black sings, and you can almost hear the affection of a dozen years imbuing every note. We wouldn’t dare, Mr. Black.
Dream pop duo Beach House released this nice split for last week’s annual Record Store Day along with B-side “Equal Mind.” Both tracks are off their upcoming album Bloom, which is about as anticipated as anything this year amongst the blogosphere crowd. It’s traditional Beach House, with vocalist Victoria Legrand’s androgynous vocals lilting lazily over a hazy sea of keyboards, guitars and washed out drums. Bloom is set to drop May 15.
Rough sledding the next couple weeks with finals (saying goodbye to my first year of law school can’t come soon enough), and a couple more reviews in the pipeline (and, hopefully, a Coachella overview). Australian buzz band the Jezabels have been on the verge of breaking through for the past year or so, with their debut LP Prisoner having been released on those shores this past September (and becoming one of my favorite albums of 2011), but it just got an American release at the beginning of April. It’s sweeping, anthemic indie rock, with shimmering guitars and stadium-worthy acoustics the order of the day (think Arcade Fire). But the standout is Hayley Mary, whose throaty vocals are the engine that keeps everything moving forward (think Florence Welch or Kate Bush).
Brendan Benson is releasing the digital version of his fifth studio album What Kind of World early, exclusively on his website: http://whatkindofworld.brendanbenson.com/shop. The album is now slated to drop April 21, his son’s second birthday. Benson is taking things into his own hands nowadays with his record label Readymade, and What Kind of World is defiantly Benson – power pop, with influences decades old and repurposed for a new audience, that eternally youthful voice keeping things steady. “Light of Day” is vintage Benson, with a nice double-guitar riff and the kind of sugary chorus Benson has made his trademark. If you dig it, check out first single “Bad for Me” for a slower, more lush angle.
The much anticipated debut solo album from prolific auteur Jack White (the White Stripes, the Raconteurs, the Dead Weather, countless production credits…you get the idea) is now streaming via the iTunes store.Blunderbuss, officially out April 24, is arguably as good as advertised; just the kind of diverse, genre-hopping rock music White has made his name in, with firm roots in the blues and his distinctive guitar playing. “Hip (Eponymous) Poor Boy,” is a bit of an out-of-left-field surprise, all jangling pianos and one of the poppier melodies White has committed to record – in a way, it reminds me of the work of his partner in the Raconteurs, Brendan Benson(who has a new album coming out as well!).
Fresh off his success with the Drive soundtrack, producer Johnny Jewel recently released the Chromatics fourth studio album (proper U.S. release coming in May) on distinctive label Italians Do It Better, and Kill for Love maintains that nostalgic, ’80s vibe that dominated Drive and takes it to a new, M83-esque level (17 tracks that run for well over an hour). It’s a pretty incredible recreation of a certain time and sound, and similar to M83 last year, it reveres the past but creates something undeniably new and fresh with it. If you liked Drive or Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming or anything that comes out of Jewel’s mixing board, this is a must-have for 2012.
Indie rock group Maps & Atlases will be releasing their second proper LP, Beware and Be Grateful next Tuesday (April 17th). The successor to 2010′s critically acclaimed Perch Patchwork, the album shows the band continuing their shift to a more pop-oriented sound, while still retaining the math-rock edge that had many music geeks salivating over the band’s potential. It’s evident in the highly accessible yet inventive “Remote and Dark Years,” where feverish drum work highlights an ever-shifting chorus; while still a band working towards an effective hook, their ability to really play their instruments helps them stand out in the indie crowd.
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