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DeVotchKa A Mad & Faithful Telling [Anti-Records/Mar 18] |
| Though I have never been too enamored by the gypsy-laced music of DeVotchKa, 2004’s “How It Ends” as well as their appearance on the Little Miss Sunshine soundtrack certainly have their moments. A Mad & Faithful Telling stays true to the band’s eccentricity and maintains a willingness to experiment, though the tracks on this record are somewhat more somber than their recent work. At times Nick Urata’s warbling vocals are strangely reminiscent of Radiohead, while other times meandering into the spaghetti western territory paved by Ennio Morricone. Fans of the band should not be disappointed by this release, though I personally prefer the temperament of their recent past.
RIYL: Calexico, Radiohead, Beirut, Ennio Morricone |
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devotchka - a mad & faithful telling (2008)
By drunkie mcdramaqueen, April 2nd, 2008 | RSS feed |
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vincent vincent and the villains - gospel bombs (2008)
By drunkie mcdramaqueen, March 25th, 2008 | RSS feed |
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Vincent Vincent and the Villains Gospel Bombs [EMI/Mar 10] |
| I have been looking forward to Vincent Vincent’s debut LP since first hearing a few tracks a few years ago (most notably “End of the Night”). The Villains’ style of retro rockabilly-meets-samba would fit quite comfortably on a Quentin Tarantino soundtrack — at times delving into Caribbean-flavored lounge jams, then harking back to a classic whammy-bar tantrum that brings Roy Orbison or Ennio Morricone to mind. Vincent’s stylized vocals are strong and heartfelt, giving the record an irresistable vintage charm not heard from many other neo-retro bands.
RIYL: Tiger Army, Roy Orbison, The Rumble Strips, Richard Hell & the Voidoids, Sublime |
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crystal castles - crystal castles (2008)
By drunkie mcdramaqueen, March 25th, 2008 | RSS feed |
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Crystal Castles Crystal Castles [Last Gang/Mar 18] |
| Crystal Castles’ long awaited full-length debut finally leaked a few weeks ago and was released just a few weeks later (the difficulty of finding a decent leak of this album was on par to finding the Team Sleep debut a few years ago). And though it only contains a few new tracks, this record is by far the best release of 2008 to date. Smothered in 8-bit terror and synthy aural candy and out-of-this-world vocal manipulation and otherwise pure insanity, Crystal Castles continue to show why they are the greatest band in the world right now. The new tracks keep the band’s renowned nightmare freakscapes while adding an even more dancable vibe, creating a blistering fusion of intensity and melody.
RIYL: The Knife, Health, New Young Pony Club, CSS |
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m83 - saturdays = youth (2008)
By drunkie mcdramaqueen, March 25th, 2008 | RSS feed |
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M83 Saturdays = Youth [Mute/Apr 14] |
| M83’s fourth proper album moves even further into the lush, 80s-synthpop-cum-post-rock territory that recent releases have suggested, resulting in a typically inconsistent record filled with mediocrity that occasionally stumbles onto something great. The problem with M83 has always been inconsistency — with stunning, synth-soaked MBV-styled freakouts such as “*” and “Unrecorded” paired with boring post-rock that ambles along but never really goes anywhere (I won’t even get into the awful “Cyborg”). Anthony Gonzalez seems to be moving in a more mellow direction, which is unfortunate, as the aforementioned wall-of-sound is the reason we all fell in love with M83 in the first place. And though there are a few gems to be heard here (“Couleurs”, “Dark Moves of Love”), Saturdays = Youth is the least impressive M83 album to date — featuring boring vocals and bland soundscapes that do not live up to the promise laid out by earlier releases.
RIYL: Ova Looven, Cut Copy, Sigur Ros, Hooverphonic |
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silver jews - lookout mountain, lookout sea (2008)
By drunkie mcdramaqueen, March 25th, 2008 | RSS feed |
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Silver Jews Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea [Drag City/Jun 17] |
| The latest offering from the prolific indie mainstay David Berman isn’t as instantly accessible as some of his older work (read: American Water), however, it definitely creeps up after multiple listens. The lack of Stephen Malkmus is particularly notable (his touring backing band has much more of a pentience for americana-styled guitarplay), but Berman’s brilliant, literary lyrics and deadpan delivery are as clever and witty as ever. Though not his best work, Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea is certainly a worthy companion in Silver Jews’ catalogue.
RIYL: Stephen Malkmus, Pavement, Okkervil River |
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colour revolt - plunder, beg, and curse (2008)
By drunkie mcdramaqueen, February 26th, 2008 | RSS feed |
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Colour Revolt Plunder, Beg, and Curse [Fat Possum/Apr 1] |
| I have been looking forward to Colour Revolt’s first full-length ever since hearing their self-titled EP a few years ago, and this release delivers on all counts. The raw, abrasive attitude of the EP has been slightly toned down in favor of a muddier, more introspective tone — lending the record a mature, slow-paced drawl that snakes around like a dirty southern creek littered with weeds and leeches. Yet, this subtle shift in songwriting enhances the band’s strengths even moreso, resulting in a strong record that reveals more of its secrets with each successive listen.
RIYL: Kings of Leon, We Barbarians, My Morning Jacket, Okkervil River |
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foals - antidotes (2008)
By drunkie mcdramaqueen, February 16th, 2008 | RSS feed |
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Foals Antidotes [Sub Pop/Apr 8] |
| Though I was slightly underwhelmed upon first listen of this album, the debut from this Oxford quintet kept finding its way back onto my playlist. Subsequent listens revealed a minimalistic subtlety not found on many recent dance-atronica records. Foals utilize myriad influences (everything from the madchester sounds of The Stone Roses to the current neo no-wave of New Young Pony Club), creating a dichotomy of cool — a mature, multicultural sound that staccatos along at a deliberately slow pace and still feels fevered and energetic; kind of like the assured international shitstorm of a U.S. oil spill near the Russian border.
RIYL: Die! Die! Die!, LCD Soundsystem, New Young Pony Club, The Futureheads, neue electronic dance-punk, Tokyo Police Club, !!! |
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mgmt - oracular spectacular (2008)
By drunkie mcdramaqueen, February 15th, 2008 | RSS feed |
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MGMT Oracular Spectacular [Sony/Jan 22] |
| This up-and-coming Brooklyn band’s debut full-length is a sort of savvy melangé of vintage Bowie and late Flaming Lips — juxtaposing sunny psychedelia with dancey anthems that compliment eachother beautifully by turning keyboards into acid flashbacks and acid flashbacks into dancefloor epidemics.
RIYL: Mates of State, Flaming Lips, David Bowie, Arcade Fire, Grandaddy |
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the magnetic fields - distortion (2008)
By drunkie mcdramaqueen, January 19th, 2008 | RSS feed |
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The Magnetic Fields Distortion [Nonesuch/Jan 15] |
| Horrible cover art aside (yes, that album cover is actually real), Stephin Merritt’s latest thematic undertaking is drenched in reverb — brilliantly accentuating Shirley Simms’ sugary vocals, which in turn act as delicious adversaries to Merritt’s deep, miserablist delivery.
RIYL: Witty lyricisms, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The National, The Hold Steady |
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the big sleep - forever (2008)
By drunkie mcdramaqueen, January 19th, 2008 | RSS feed |
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The Big Sleep Sleep Forever [Frenchkiss/Feb 19] |
| Brooklyn band’s second full-length is a wall of post-rock guitars interlaced with shoegazy post-punk influences. Sleep Forever dares to kick some ass one minute and cry in the rain the next — what you would get if you mixed Black Sabbath with Explosions in the Sky.
RIYL: Sonic Youth, Explosions in the Sky, Unwound |
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