New Music Tuesday!

Wild Sweet Orange We Have Cause To Be Uneasy :: review

Scars on Broadway Scars on Broadway :: review

Takka Takka Migration

And The Moneynotes New Cornucopia

NeverSayNever! The Yippee EP

The Presets Apocalypso [vinyl]

Pygmy Lush Mount Hope

New Music Tuesday!

Out Today!!

Hercules and Love Affair Hercules and Love Affair :: review | stream

Jessie Baylin Firesight :: review

/Passenger. Night Vision Binoculars EP :: download “Do What You Like”

Sigur Ros Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust :: stream

RZA Digi Snacks :: stream

G. Love and Special Sauce Superhero Brother :: stream

Amos Lee Last Days at the Lodge :: download “Ease Back”

Blondie Parallel Lines (deluxe ed.) :: stream

Electric President Sleep Well :: stream | download “Monsters”

Sam Sparro Sam Sparro :: stream

The Wombats A Guide to Love, Loss and Desperation

The Watson Twins Fire Songs

Billy Idol The Very Best of Billy Idol: Idolize Yourself :: stream

Calico Horse Mirror :: download “Father Feed Me” | download “Happy Placebo Syringe Day”

Liz Phair Exile in Guyville :: stream

Jessie Baylin – Firesight

Twenty-four year old singer Jessie Baylin has a voice mature beyond her years. Her major label debut Firesight out on Verve Forecast finds the chanteuse beautifully blending elements of folk, rock, country, jazz and blues to create a sound all her own. A heavy heart and an old soul make their presence known in Baylin’s beautiful, deep voice that escapes a mouth seemingly full of marbles.

A fourth-annual Hotel Café Tour regular, with the likes of Ingrid Michaelson, Cary Brothers and Greg Laswell, Baylin recruited top notch back up for Firesight. Baylin wrote the record with help from Grammy-winning songwriter Jesse Harris, Mike Daly, Mark Goldenberg and more. Her recording backing band also features a line-up including Cary Brothers, Brett Denen and Joe Pisapia among others.

The Nashville-based blonde bombshell harmonizes with beautiful piano parts, belting out emotional lyrics on 11 tracks of varying genres. The piano on “Lonely Heaven” has a jazzy feel while its successor “Tennessee Gem” finds a slight drawl in Baylin’s voice and plucked strings with a country percussive beat. A soulful and smooth jazzy quality permeates “I’ll Cry for the Both of Us” thanks in parts to Ryan Norris‘ vibes. The catchy beats of “By Any Rules” immediately hook any listener, enhancing the eclectic nature of Firesight.

Baylin has looks to kill and a voice to mesmerize. You can pick up a copy of Firesight on Verve Forecast today. Those living in Los Angeles can catch her her CD release show tonight at Hotel Café.

Tracklisting:
01. See How I Run
02. Leave Your Mark
03. Was I On Your Mind (download)
04. Not A Day More
05. Lonely Heaven
06. Tennessee Gem
07. I’ll Cry for the Both of Us
08. The Glitter
09. Contradicting Words
10. By Any Rules
11. Tick Tock

Jesse Baylin: website | myspace | download “Was I On Your Mind”

Relient K – The Bird and the BeeSides

I recently had the opportunity to interview Matt Thiessen, lead singer of Relient K, to discuss the band’s new EP, The Bird and The Beesides, the summer tour plans and a few other things.

The first half of the new EP is the Nashville EP, 13 original songs that showcases the bands wide array of influences and interests. The band’s silly and pop-culture loving side is still present in full force on tracks like “Beaming,” which references “Star Trek” and “Bee Your Man,” has the band buzzing. New on this EP is the presence of different genres like ska and this can be heard on songs like “No Reaction.” Another surprise is hearing Thiessen hand the vocal reigns over to his band mates as each guy gets a turn leading their own song.

The band’s softer side is present on my favorite song, “Curl Up and Die,” a beautiful piece filled with angelic vocals, piano and strings. The arrangement of this is one of the band’s best to date.

The second half of the EP consists of actual b-sides and remastered tracks. A digital album is expected to accompany. As far as b-side albums go, this is worth it. You get a lot of songs for your money and the Nashville EP is interesting and different enough to want to buy this just for the 13 original songs.

Look for The Bird and the Beesides out July 1, 2008 from Gotee Records and catch the band on this summer’s Warped Tour.

Tracklisting:
01. Where Do I Go From Here
02. The Scene and the Herd
03. At Least We Made It This Far
04. The Last, The Lost, The Least
05. The Lining Is Silver
06. There Was No Thief
07. No Reaction
08. Curl Up and Die
09. You’ll Always Be My Best Friend
10. There Was Another Time in My Life
11. Beaming
12. I Just Want You to Know
13. Bee Your Man
——————–
14. Up and Up (Acoustic)
15. Wit’s All Been Done Before
16. The Vinyl Countdown
17. For the Band
18. Nothing Without You
19. A Penny Loafer Saved Is a Penny Loafer Earned
20. Five Iron Frenzy Is Either Dead Or Dying
21. Five Iron Frenzy Is Either Dead Or Dying (Ska Version)
22. Who I Am Hates Who I’ve Been (Acoustic)
23. Here I Go (Demo)
24. The Stenographer (Demo)
25. Jefferson Aeroplane (Demo)
26. Hope For Every Fallen Man (Acoustic)

Relient K: website | myspace

Air Traffic – Fractured Life

If there’s one thing I absolutely do not buy into in the music scene, it’s bands that lack sincerity. Air Traffic’s odes to love (“Charlotte,” “Just Abuse Me”) not only don’t convince me that he’s really in love,
they sound more like an attempt to make female fans swoon over cheesy, phony lines (in short, to get
laid).

I was really excited going into Fractured Life. The first song, “Come On,” has the feel of 90’s alternative rock, one of my favorite genres, but it definitely doesn’t foreshadow the rest of the album’s vibe. Not to mention, there’s also a line about lying there and getting “fucked” and “you should be calling my name.” If I didn’t listen to other songs from this album about this same subject matter, I could appreciate the honesty.

The following song “Charlotte” reminds me a lot of Hot Hot Heat, which is probably why it’s their most recognized song: it’s marketable. Instead of being blunt like in “Come On,” the singer plays the nice guy act, exclaiming his excitement of being in love until the song ends with: “your face, my place at night.” Doesn’t quite leave much to the imagination, right? “Just Abuse Me” surprisingly doesn’t make any sexual implications aside from its title and maybe one particular line: “I’ll let you use me / Just abuse me.”

Then “Shooting Star” comes on and I have to say, I was taken back. Even though he refers to whoever-this-song-is-about as “pretty” about twenty times, for the first time, I actually believe what he’s saying. This could be because Air Traffic seems to have taken a page from Coldplay’s Parachutes: you can write a love song without being corny (or fake).

“No More Running Away” is my favorite from the album; it stands out from the rest because it’s not about a false love. It must be something close to their heart that is honest and true. It seems at this point, the album is getting better and better and I’m finally connecting to it. Also, the music isn’t as standard as it had been on the earlier songs. The piano is really what carries the beauty in this track (also in “Empty Space”) and probably their most appealing asset as a whole.

“Empty Space” and “Time Goes By” are both enjoyable but “I Like That” reaffirms my original opinion: the distortion in the guitars is trying to make the song more rock n’ roll but, instead, makes it messy and weak, and the vocals don’t make up for it. There seems to be a lack of effort on the song and it could have been left off the album completely. The next couple of forgettable songs only let me down as well.

Now, I’m nearing the end of Fractured Life and fearing it’s going to end on a bad note. However, the last track, “Your Fractured Life,” really does bring it home and, dare I say, I love it. It’s powerful and full of genuine emotion. The song actually ends at about four minutes but I had to sit through fifteen
more to get to the hidden track. Thankfully, it was a good “song;” it’s actually closer to a few guys jammin’ with the TV on in the background. Everyone is kind of all over the place but everything sounds so pretty individually, it does work together.

After listening to Fractured Life over and over again, I still can’t decide if I like it (or Air Traffic as a band) or not. It was a rollercoaster of hating it, liking it, wanting to shut it off, then liking it again. I would probably have a more definite answer if their sound was more consistent with the songs I did enjoy; however, since there were quite a few I didn’t, I’d have to say this is one of those albums that I may listen to only once and a while… and only for a few minutes.

Air Traffic: website | myspace | live review

by: Melissa

Boy Genius – Anchorage

Why would a Brooklyn quartet comprised of two fellas [Jason Korenkiewicz (vocals, guitar, harmonica) and Jeffrey Mensch (bass, acoustic guitar, backing vocals)] and two ladies [Lisa Klimkiewicz (drums, melodica, backing vocals) and Marisa Cerio (guitar, backing vocals)] (the latter of whom replaced recording guitarist Christopher Amann) dub themselves Boy Genius? Why not Girl Genius or Boy and Girl Geniuses? A pseudo-femiladyism rant aside, the band’s debut full-length Anchorage is indie pop genius.

Anchorage begins with “Radio Silence,” a wonderfully constructed indie pop gem that will get you on your feet as Amann creates catchy riffs as his and Klimkiewicz’s voices harmonize beautifully for the backing vocals. Korenkiewicz shows off his harmonica skills on the song’s bridge and when he’s not singing lead. What really pulled me in was the melodica, accompanied by a steady and mellow beat, on Anchorage‘s title track.

An album full to the brim with simple and happy-go-lucky melodies, minimalist instrumentation and a nod to lo-fi will have you remembering the 80s and 90s and [perhaps] your first encounter with indie rock. Boy Genius has done very well for themselves, earning comparisons to the likes of Pavement and early (think early to mid-80s) R.E.M. Upon listening to Anchorage, I imagine Boy Genius hailing from the 1990s Midwest indie/emo scene rather than the current hipster-bloated borough of Brooklyn.

The album is cohesive and often runs the risk of becoming repetitive, but manages to keep things interesting with changing dynamics, staccato beats, hand claps o’ plenty, group vocals, “Talk About Love’s” warped riffs, trumpets à la American Football on “Falling Gravity” and a driving tambourine on “Lake & Michigan.” Anchorage ends on strong with “Tied In Two.” Slightly ambient and distorted heavier rock riffs retain remnants of Boy Genius’ signature lo-fi pop sound, but venture into exciting new territory.

All in all, Boy Genius’ Anchorage is an indie purist’s dream. 2008 has been a great year so far, but if you’re nostalgic for the 90s, or just need a change of pace, spin Anchorage and have the memories come flooding back. My early/mid 90s were Top 40 fueled (I was in elementary and middle school and didn’t know any better!), but Boy Genius’ brand of dreamy lo-fi indie pop has me forgetting my musical dark ages.

Anchorage is available now via CDbaby and iTunes.

Tracklisting:
01. Radio Silence
02. No Beginning
03. Eureka
04. Anchorage
05. Failing Gravity
06. Great Lakes
07. Talk About Love
08. Marigold
09. Fair Weather
10. Lake & Michigan
11. Tied in Two

Tour Dates:
Jul 25 – Cake Shop/New York City
Aug 08 – Martini Red/Staten Island
Aug 09 – Velvet Lounge/Washington DC (w/Secret Pop Band)
Aug 10- Ottobar/Baltimore, Md. (w/Jason Dove & Abby Mott)
Aug 11- TBA/Charlottesville, Va.
Aug 13 – Athens Popfest @ Little Kings/Athens, Ga.
Aug 15 – TBA/Chapel Hill, NC
Aug 16 – The M Room/Philadelphia

Boy Genius: myspace | buy Anchorage on iTunes, CDbaby

Wolf Parade – At Mount Zoomer

Finally it’s happened – Wolf Parade has released another full length album. Their sophomore effort, At Mount Zoomer, is a beacon of hope and goodness wrapped in some beautiful artwork that, come December, will be topping many a “Best of 2008″ list. The songs are beautiful and Spencer Krug‘s voice is just as poetic and electrifying as ever. There’s nothing disappointing about this album, which is so amazing coming from a band that formed so quickly and debuted so wonderfully.

Yes, there are some songs that are better than others but the thing that’s so great about Wolf Parade is that they seem to be very good at putting together an entire album that works with itself and is so impressive as one piece of work. “Bang Your Drums” opens eerily and then draws you in with really smart lyrics and strong but sensitive instrumentals. It’s definitely one of the songs that shines most on the album. “California Dreamers” reminds you why you love Wolf Parade so much. It starts out a bit weak, I’ll admit, but the way it continues and the way it’s crafted is near perfection.

The songs are slightly more subdued than on their first album but those songs were pretty epic for the most part so that’s not saying a whole lot. The album still really blew me away. With Mount Zoomer, the guys of Wolf Parade have managed to let us know that they are not going anywhere and that they are going to continue putting out some of the most unique and best-sounding music on the scene. People will continue to be voraciously hungry for their albums as they continue to produce music and Wolf Parade has really become one of those bands that you can’t wait to come out with new stuff, and that’s such an awesome thing about them.

Wolf Parade also proves to us with this album that they really have created their own style and that it involves no gimmick at all, only incredible talent. This album, in addition to Apologies to the Queen Mary, will be a solid addition to any collection of music and you’ll never stop coming back to it. In only two albums, Wolf Parade has managed to create an intense desire for more from their fans, and that’s such an undeniably amazing feat and one of the main reasons that I love Wolf Parade. So definitely go pick up the new album and see them live if you can because they must be fantastic on stage. But you can still pick up so much electricity and feeling from their recorded music that you won’t feel like your missing you if you don’t see them.

Available June 17, 2008 on SubPop Records.

Tracklisting:
01. Soldier’s Grin
02. Call It a Ritual (download)
03. Language City
04. Bang Your Drum
05. California Dreamer
06. The Grey Estates
07. Fine Young Cannibals
08. An Animal in Your Care
09. Kissing the Beehive

Wolf Parade: myspace | download “Call It A Ritual”
Subpop Records: website | myspace

by: Jimmy

Katy Perry – One of the Boys

I listened to Los Angeles singer Katy Perry’s One of the Boys and I liked it. Logic told me I should hate this album, but my subconscious was hooked. Therefore, my feelings toward this album are torn for several reasons.

First, the good: Perry is a fantastic singer. Her vocal range is amazing and she shows this well on songs like “Lost,” a heavenly self-reflective piece and one of the few slower tracks on the album worth remembering. She is a witty singer, which is evident in lyrics like “You change your mind like a girl changes clothes” or “I don’t even know your name. It doesn’t matter.” She is also refreshingly blunt and her last song, “Fingerprints,” drips with her feisty attitude when she sings, “I wanna break the mold / I wanna break the stereotype / Fist in the air / I’m not going down without a fight.”

Her singles are irresistibly catchy, despite the controversy they create. Moms will surely cringe as they listen to their teenagers sing along to “Ur So Gay” or “I Kissed a Girl,” but through the cringe, moms will have the same lyrics stuck in their head.

And now it’s time for the bad. It is nice when a singer can balance slower numbers with the fast-paced anthems of the album so that both styles are entertaining and memorable. For Perry, however, this proved difficult and tracks like “Thinking of You” are easily lost in the shuffle. “Waking Up in Vegas,” a track which Perry also co-produced, has a fun chorus, but the introduction is so boring it isn’t worth listening to the song all the way through. The other major problem with this album is that everything starts to blend after awhile. As fun as “Hot N Cold” is, it is very musically similar to “If You Can Afford Me.” Finally, what starts as an impressive ability to jump around the vocal scale, starts to get annoying.

So, as I was saying, it was hard to decide if I liked this album because Perry does have talent and there are some really good tracks on the record, but there are also tracks worth skipping. I do like her better than similar female artists like Lily Allen or Kate Nash. I’m sure that by her next release, Perry will find the proper balance to release an all-around solid album. But for now, take a listen yourself and decide on the tracks that are worth downloading from iTunes and which can be skipped.

Released by Capitol Records on June 17, 2008. You can also catch Katy live on Warped Tour all summer long!

Tracklisting:
01. One of the Boys
02. I Kissed a Girl
03. Waking Up in Vegas
04. Thinking of You
05. Mannequin
06. Ur So Gay
07. Hot N Cold
08. If You Can Afford Me
09. Lost
10. Self-Inflicted
11. I’m Still Breathing
12. Fingerprints


Katy Perry: website | myspace | blog | interview with | stream, watch “I Kissed a Girl” remix

*Written by Bethany

Father Bloopy – Ginger, Baby

Father Bloopy‘s album Ginger, Baby is a gem if I’ve every heard one. It’s a fairly eclectic mix of tracks and it’s really impressive to see a band switch it up like that. They have a more classic sound, with influences like The Kinks (another personal favorite of mine) very present in their music.

Father Bloopy has much more to offer than just an indie band with obvious influences. They believe in what they do and they’re having fun, which comes through really clearly on this album. Roger Houdaille, the group’s lead singer and main songwriter, has a really great kind of stripped down and unintrusive voice that is perfectly suited for the songs on this album. The band backs him up perfectly and everything just comes together so well.

The songs are short but never vapid, and some sweet guitar solos pop up every once in awhile. Check out “Hot Down,” which is probably my favorite track on the whole album, for evidence of this. “You’re all right baby / You’re all right baby / You’re all right” comes out in the best way possible from Houdaille. “Pepper Tan” is a great song to play in the car, especially for those silences that inevitably pop up on road trips with friends. Title track “Ginger, Baby” is so smart and catchy and fun that it’ll pull you right into the rest of the album with complete ease.

The album has a couple mediocre moments but other than that Father Bloopy and Ginger, Baby are great finds. They remind me of Cold War Kids, but that might just be because they were the last really great newcomer music find I ran into. They’re definitely not as dramatic as Cold War Kids but I think they’re just as talented and they definitely share some musical elements.

Father Bloopy are following a tradition of bands that just really love to make music that’s fun to listen to but still has a little depth to them. It’s the kind of music that you get really excited to put on mixes for your friends, like you’re letting them in on a little bit of your musical world. Their music will be something you feel close to and keep coming back to.

Father Bloopy: website | myspace

* Written by Jimmy

Computer vs. Banjo, self-titled

Don’t for a second think that Computer vs. Banjo is some cleverly cryptic or ambiguously pretentious name meant to keep fans and listeners guessing. Computer vs. Banjo is exactly what the name implies: an ambient blending of electronica and folk sounds from jazz man Johnny Mann and roots musician Beau Stapleton.

The duo’s self-titled debut album, out on Diagram Records June 17th, finds a grand opening in “Jubilee,” an ambient track rich in electronic noise, piano and sporadic electronically distorted yet folky vocals. The song is epically long yet remains interesting throughout its five minutes and forty-nine seconds.

A synth assault follows on “Guitars Need a Sinner’s Touch” in a smooth track with a great percussive beat and wonderful production value that is displayed throughout the entire disc. Single “Give Up on Ghosts” (download) begins with an eerie whine that picks up into hand clap beat behind fuzzy vocals. “Give Up on Ghosts” is heavy and dark but manages to be catchy and full of hooks in its chorus: “Giving up on the ghosts that haunt me still / Wreckin’ every belief, takin’ every thrill.”

The album’s most experiment track is “Outer Space,” featuring an array of warped outer space sound effects (bleeps and blips) and a great deal of echo. A low piano melody and minimal percussion are overpowered by raw vocals. It’s “Outer Space” that assures Computer vs. Banjo is nothing but unique in a creatively deadened music scene and will turn the pair into a household name.

The folkiest of the record’s tracks is “San Joaquin.” It begins with an intro on the banjo and retains a sound that conjures notions of wide open spaces and the great outdoors. Picture “San Joaquin” in either a Western film or part of the last century’s great folk revival with a mellower attitude. Electronica comes roaring back in “Magazine Queen” with sound bouncing back and forth between each speaker, warping, static, white noise, excellent synth part and pop harmonies.

Muse and Radiohead influences are betrayed on “Stone” along with a surprising Latin influence denoted by a trilled guitar riff while “Lost” gives nod to the likes of Athlete and a more classical indie rock sound. Much of Computer vs. Banjo is lost in a heavy ambiance surrounded by electronic sound effects rich with distortion and warping, all working in Computer vs. Banjo’s favor. Mann and Stapleton have created something truly extraordinary in Computer vs. Banjo’s unique sound, making them Nashville’s next big thing.

Pick up a copy of Computer vs. Banjo on Diagram Records, out June 17th.

Tracklisting:
01. Jubilee
02. Guitars need a Sinner’s Touch
03. Give Up on Ghosts (download)
04. Outer space
05. Low
06. San Joaquin
07. Magazine Queen
08. Stone
09. 2heavy2hold
10. Concealed
11. Lost
12. Signs of Passing Time

Computer vs. Banjo: website | myspace | download “Give Up on Ghosts” | order Computer vs. Banjo
Diagram Records: website | myspace