It should come as no surprise to anyone who knows where I spent my undergrad years (Lubbock) that, when a compilation celebrating the late great Buddy Holly came around, I would be all over it. Â Especially if that collection of tunes were by modern indie greats like She & Him, the Black Keys, My Morning Jacket, and Modest Mouse. Â There was much ado leading up to this album, and now that it’s out, the results, while sometimes not as interesting, are wholehearted and endearing.
As with most compilations, the listener is encouraged not to take the album in as a whole, but rather pick and choose from their favorites, as there is a lot of diverse talent here (with the exception of Kid Rock.) Â Julian Casablancas does a slacker take on “Rave On,” while Karen Elson’s “Crying, Waiting, Hoping” is a stripped-down, beautiful affair true to the original. Â Paul McCartney throws a curveball with the dirty-sounding “It’s So Easy,” and Patti Smith will turn heads with her ambitious cover of “Words of Love.” Â Legends of many genres sing alongside current hit-makers for an impressive tribute to a talent lost too soon.
A longtime well-known name on Ed Banger Records and in the French house circuit, SebastiAn has finally dropped his first proper LP Total after years of touring with big names like Daft Punk, remixing stars like Cut Copy, and releasing some stellar EPs. While we patiently wait for Justice to put out their sophomore effort, perhaps we’ve been anticipating the wrong French dance release over here in the States.
I’ve casually kept up with SebastiAn ever since I saw him open for The Rapture and Daft Punk at Red Rocks back in 2007 – he wowed the crowd with a raucous remix of Rage Against the Machine’s “Killing In the Name.” While overseas in London, I happened upon this new album playing over the PA at Rough Trade East. The artist is just as banging as ever; the entire album is a party, from the synth-laden interludes to the chopped up noise of “Embody” to the MIA collab “C.T.F.O.”
Surely this will whet the appetite for those of us eager for the clipped beats and club ready mish-mashing French DJs have mastered so well. It’s doubtful Daft Punk give us anything anytime soon, and I don’t see how Justice could top this fun, fun disc. We’ll find out soon enough, but it’s always fun to boogie while you’re playing the waiting game.
Partisan Records has one hell of a supergroup; John McCauley of Deer Tick, Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes, and Matt Vasquez of Delta Spirit have formed Middle Brother and released a stellar debut self-titled album (pictured above). The crew is one on the list of bands I wished I had caught at SXSW; hopefully they’ll embark on a tour and stop in the ATX soon-ish. The boys all deliver their unique brands of folk-rock on originals and a pretty sweet Paul Westerberg cover, “Portland.” It all comes together nicely and solidly for one of the chillest and funnest albums of the year.
It’s been taking forever and ever, but True Loves, the debut from Brooklyn psych-dance-pop masters Hooray For Earth, finally drops June 7th. Â And the group recently leaked another amazing, catchy, ghetto-blasting banger from the album, the brilliant “No Love.” Â Grab it and blare it repeatedly.
It’s just a few months old, but cassette-based WHOA WHOA Records is already making a splash in the underground lo-fi scene with two impressive releases, and much more to come. The first is from Pakistani cowboys Sunny Ali & the Kid, whose new EP Try Harder is a 50’s-influenced, fuzzy free ride.
Next up is Teen Witch, my new favorite garage band. Listen to a track from their self-titled EP below, available for purchase from WHOA WHOA.
Grab both EPs here, and look out for more WHOA WHOA releases coming soon, including material from up-and-coming Lubbock rockers Naked Pictures and Altered Zones-lauded Night Manager. Listen to a track from the latter below.
How kickass is this new album? Dave Grohl and his motley crew have launched a loud, raucous comeback, with more energy and spirit than anything they’ve done in the past decade. Wasting Light hearkens back to the Foo’s glory days, with the post-grunge, melodic spirit of the late 90’s reigning supreme. This is the group’s sharpest work since the band’s first two records, the self-titled debut and the sophomore breakout The Colour and the Shape. At times it’s a Queens of the Stone Age-lite affair, not that there’s anything wrong with that; it’s about time Grohl let his Probot side show a little more in his paycheck band. Still, Foo is Foo, and the strong songwriting and all-out rock is in full force here. Without a doubt, 2011 is the year we take a step back from all the chamber pop, sappy electro schtick, egomaniacal overrated rappers, and drunk slut harlots and wonder, “Where did all the rock stars go?” There are few left in this day and age, but if Wasting Light is any indication, they’re still giving it all they’ve got.
With the release of On a Mission Katy B has burst onto the indie electro/dance scene Stateside, and the result is a mix of dub beats, Joker-esque riffs, and Robyn confidence. The talent is here – as the dubstep phenom crosses over into the popular realm, Katy uses her voice and utilizes smart production to hone her own niche in the burgeoning sound. At least that’s what she did on the breakthrough single “Katy On a Mission.” The rest of the new disc is decisively diverse, but well crafted throughout. Incorporating subtleties from all walks of electro life, but keying in on what made Katy notable (that rocking dubstep/pop beat), this newcomer does more with less, and she’s one to watch as we inch further towards the summertime.
What a great week it’s been for music and mixtapes out of the blue. One Wolf’s Daniel Markham has dropped a new surprise LP for the masses, a collection of songs written in Athens, GA. You can stream and download the sucker above via Bandcamp.
The recording quality is more of a lo-fi, DIY endeavor than previous One Wolf undertakings, but the songs are all Markham, introspective, melodic, occasionally foreboding, and always with specific direction. Live favorite “Across the Water” is resurrected, and new tracks “The Devil” and “It’s All Downhill From Here” reveal Markham’s growth in songwriting.
Above you can stream/download the new full-length self-titled album from Birmingham’s the Grenadines, an awesome psych-rock outfit with a Southern tinge. Â “Reservations” evokes the grungy dirge of sludge rockers Black Mountain, but the crew has a distinct, positive range in melody as well, as is shown by the beautiful “Firecracker” and “Counting Backwards.”
The LP is a quick listen, clocking in at just under 35 minutes with twelve songs, most of which are under three minutes. Â It’s a fine introduction to a group I’m certain we’re going to be hearing more about in the future.
I’m making it a lifelong goal to get the Grenadines to tour with St. Vincent. Â Then they can tour Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. …let the record show I was the first person to ever do that joke.
