Admiral Radley - I Heart California
Umm, a new Jason Lytle project featuring members of Earlimart making music you can obviously tell they just had FUN with? Yes, please. It's great when the chemistry of band members comes through in the records - like you can just hear them having a good natured time in the studio. Overall, not very serious and just a super enjoyably fun record to listen to; with three or four perfectly melancholy tracks mixed right in. Album of the summer easily; done and done.
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Tame Impala - Innerspeaker
I know a lot of ___gaze or ___wave is making the rounds these days - some niche genre that I'm sure you could file Tame Impala under but, in the spirit of keeping things simple, this is just some excellent psychedelic rock. Droney and melodic - a good combo when done right. Combine that with some Beatles-y sounding vocals and you've got a winner. Really enjoying this.
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Random Patterns - Rich Soil Pleasure
A nice extension from their first EP - much of the same tricks though it seems they've dropped a lot of the horns and that's a real shame. Also, the song Nick Jr sounds like it was recorded on a tape deck from the back of the room; awful. I like the spacey vibe but hope they regain some of their energy back.. the franticness was what originally drew me in.
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Suckers - Wild Smile
Saw these guys open up for Local Natives awhile back and recalled enjoying the set. Upon buying the record I think I may have been mistaken or just not paying attention properly. It's not a BAD record by any means but there are a lot of aggravating falsetto vocals going on that I could do without. Not hating on the band - it's finely crafted upbeat indie rock but I'm passing due to the intermittent annoying vocals.
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Here We Go Magic - Pigeons
I bet good money this will fly under so many people's radars for all the year end lists and that's a damn shame because this is a great step forward for the band. Listening to the album I am struck with the perfect balance of both being quite upbeat and incredible laid back - a formula that works for Spoon quite well, albeit in a very different context. I'm not going to get all heady on this but I love Luke Temple's voice, the simple drums, the spacey keyboards and the positive and languid vibe of the whole thing. Oh, and the lock groove on the vinyl is a super nice touch too.
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Rafter - Animal Feelings Remixes
It's odd that most of these remixes are by Rafter and that pretty much all of them are inferior to his own original work. Not a huge fan of this.. seems like listening to the original material is way more rewarding and enjoyable. However, it IS a free download - so you can give it a spin without putting much at stake.
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Devo - Something for Everybody
Pretty impressive when a band that has been together this long can put out a record that plays directly into their fans sensibilities and expectations without being self derivative or boring. I'm not the worlds most hardcore Devo fan but I'd say they nailed it. Super fun listen if you have no context on what the band has done prior; nice step forward along their path if you are familiar.
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Unbunny - Moon Food
Doesn't have the Neutral Milk Hotel style jams that Black Strawberries does but Jarid del Deo's voice has one of those undeniably sad and poignant affectations to it that you can't help but enjoy. It's got Neil Young written all over it but in the most complimentary of ways.
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UNKLE - Where Did The Night Fall
Oddest review on this. I really enjoy it when I'm listening to and then completely forget about it when I am done. It really is a fine record but I need to pay more attention to it to get a proper impression.
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Autolux - Transit Transit
My love of Autolux stems from a college adoration of Greg Edwards prior band, Failure, and the intriguing nature of his new project over the consistently disappointing works of ex-bandmate Ken Andrews. The first Autolux record has a perfect blend of flowing, spacey sounds with occasional bursts of energy from all angles. I love it. Transit Transit has traded some of those burst of energy for more building tension or languid tempos. On the whole it feels more subdued but has so so many great things going on in every song - new sounds and textures to discover everytime you play it back. Pop songs presented in a sea of sounds that I find delightful. Multiple listeners are required for full appreciation to be achieved.
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Black Keys - Brothers
This is, for all practical purposes, my introduction to The Black Keys. I've heard other tracks here and there but never really gone headfirst into an album. It is, to say the least, a choice I am quite pleased with. Not having any context for how it compares to previous records I can't say if its a move forward for the hardcore fan or not but as a newcomer I appreciate the slight blues-y nature of vocal deliver (reminds me of White Denim sometimes) and the fuzzed out tones throughout are perfect treats for my ears.
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Gayngs - Relayted
Honestly a supergroup comprised of Bon Iver, Megafaun, Rosebuds, etc is not something I would have ever admitted to being the least bit intrigued by. However, having listened to Relayted many many times over now I can safely say there's a smooth airiness to this that can't be denied. The songs all sound like they were recorded in an echo chamber but they manage to make it work for them. This one will be solid repeat for quite some time.
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Ocelots - Satans Darts
Five song EP from local math-rock-y Nashville outfit. The vocals can be a bit jarring and the whole aesthetic is pretty 90's on the whole but there's a time and a place for this sort of thing and five songs fills that desire just right.
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Avi Buffalo - Avi Buffalo
Comparisons to MGMT vocals aside - this is a perfectly languid, summer-y pop album with just a hint of a sullen / morose vibe running throughout. I don't know how often I'll find myself wanting to pull this one and hear it in its entirety but when it does come on, I enjoy it.
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David Cross - Bigger and Blackerer
Honestly, there's not really a way I wasn't going to enjoy this. Maybe if it was an hour of Cross reading ingredients.. Nah, he'd probably do it in a way that I would still love. No surprises here.. lots of funny, abrasive takes on religion, politics, culture as a whole and a few ridiculous personal anecdotes. I got the DVD as well for the extra material - I'm not sure if I feel rooked by that or happy that he kept the content diverse.. regardless, I've heard it all and it's all funny.
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Sleigh Bells - Treats
I'll admit it, I fell prey to the hype and snatched this record up based only on having heard the lead track and a few reviews from trusted friends. On the whole, I love the gritty sound to the whole thing. It sounds downright gnarly at times and I mean that in a highly affectionate way. It's a bizarre mix of harsh guitars, gang vocals and on-the-edge of annoying lead vocals but it manages to work. I'm not sure I'm as blown away by it as I expected to be but I can imagine the live show could be a totally perfect sloppy spectacle. I also imagine that the more I listen to it and fully embrace it as a somewhat punk execution of styles, the more I will appreciate it.
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Holy Fuck - Latin
Love it. Period. There's a track called SHT MTN for God's sake. This has every element of upbeat electronic fueled music that I like - spacey sounds, driving beats, a mild grit to some of the production and track lengths that don't go on forever. Also, no super aggravating vocals to get in the way of the music. I'll even go as far as to say that I like it even more than their previous releases.
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Twin Sister - Color Your Life
It took me a long time to come around to the first EP from these guys - a bit of vaguely lo-fi pop with a seemingly Wall of Sound approach to the whole thing. Once I got it, I was hooked. This new EP is much of the same, though with better production. It's melancholy (a theme to a whole lot of what I'm listening to lately) but often with a bit of 80's style pop to it. It's an odd mix. Frankly, I think I'm still hooked on the first EP pretty hard but, as personal history predicted, the more I hear this.. the more I like it. Something about it makes me feel a bit nostalgic but for what exactly, I am not sure.
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How To Destroy Angels - EP
I've long been curious what Trent Reznor would sound like when he finally really put down the NIN moniker and tried something new. Turns out, it sounds like NIN. I'm not saying it's a total replica, there are differences - mainly the female vocals, but if someone played this for you and asked who you thought was the mastermind behind it, your first guess would be Trent Reznor. That sounds like a slam but Reznor is fantastic at what he does and I couldn't be happier that he's continuing to move forward with it, even if it is under a different name.
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Keegan DeWitt - Nothing Shows EP
I will admit that I have previously pigeonholed Keegan DeWitt into the realm of talented singer songwriters putting out introspective compositions that are top notch in their execution but not always entirely appealing to my ears. However, this new EP (due out in mid-July via Daytrotter) shows that's not the only trick he's got up his sleeve. Much of the disc is comprised of heartbreaking pop songs that legitimately express their emotion; no put-on drama... some of these tracks can stab you down but there's also a few tracks that show a far more upbeat Keegan - something I'd love to hear peppered in more often. If 'Say La La' doesn't make it in your Most Played list sometime soon I'd be real surprised.
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Monster Rally - EP
I never pondered what old Hawaiian music would sound like if filtered through a lens of trippy, laid back loops but Monster Rally has made it so I never have to ask that question. It sounds great. This is, without a doubt, a perfect summer companion. I am immediately taken to a sunny place with fancy cocktail in hand, enjoying friends and soaking in the summer heat.
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Cults - 7 inch
The first release from Austin's Forest Family Records is an excellent combo of bedroom lo-fi, 50's inspired pop and the always welcome combo of upbeat music with melancholy vocals. It certainly falls a bit in the realm of languid but it's entirely pleasant. It's also entirely free and there is zero excuse not to immediately procure this for your utmost enjoyment.
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Nada Surf - If I Had a Hi-Fi
Previously only available at shows, Nada Surf has been kind enough to widely release this compilation of various cover songs. Honestly, if you weren't familiar with the original material you would think this is just a collection of new Nada Surf songs. That is to say, they don't really stretch their style out in any way to match the original but, rather, bend the originals into a proper Nada Surf pop song. If you have a super soft spot for the originals it may be tough to hear them reworked this way but, as a Nada Surf fan, it's nice to hear the likes of Depeche Mode, Spoon and loads more presented this way.
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Self - Could You Love Me Now
This is probably unfair to review as it is a single song - not an album, not an EP but just a single song. Also keep in mind that I count myself among those that would refer to themselves as fanboys. I absolutely loved this band and have just about every recording they've ever put out there and some they never put out there but I was still able to obtain. With ALL that in mind I can safely and honestly say, this song sucks. Total bummer. Please don't make me wait 7 years between releases for something this humdrum. I am actually tempted to delete it as I don't want to be reminded of its mediocrity. That's harsh but that's how disappointing it is.
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Film School - Always Never
I never fully comprehended the allure of the full-length from this band but still decided to go back and get this earlier EP.. just in case I was missing something that my friends swore was worthwhile. I think I am able to handle the quiet, creeping nature of the band in smaller doses. Hearing this now it reminds me of some of my favorite quiet songs from Thee More Shallows; hushed, dark, a little foreboding and sincere without being dramatic. Score.
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