Since I have failed to post on music in the last three months, I'll have to make it up to you with an epic post tonight. Without further ado, here's what I've been listening to.
by The Raconteurs
The Raconteurs is a side project of Jack White of The White Stripes, who had one of the great albums of 2007 with Icky Thump. This is easily my favorite album of the year, thus far. The opening track begins with a jam and never let's up until the album is complete. I've found myself listening to this album so much that I've had to try not listening to it. The riffs are great, the rock is solid, and the bluesy flavor at points is just right for this rock band. This is the second album by The Raconteurs, but this is there first genuine success. They should be touring this summer, so count Tilly and I as one of the patrons standing in line in hopes of see them rock in person.
Raise the Dead by Phantom Planet
This technically could be considered a May post. The album came out in April, but without reviews in Rolling Stone and only Blender to trust I decided to put it on my wait list. I bought the album on iTunes on Tuesday and I've yet to turn it off. I listened to it over and over for five days straight. Besides The Raconteurs and Switches (review to come), I cannot recall an album that immediately struck me as quickly. The first two songs play off of each other with some nice beats and intelligent grooves. This is an alternative band from California. Given my newbie mind to music, I am not familiar with their earlier work. This is their fourth album and with at least five songs I've got listed as four stars on my iPod, I'd put this as a must buy.
Lay Down the Law by Switches
I'd never heard of the band Switches until earlier this year. When I mention I research and preview albums, here's the way it happens. Every Tuesday, I take the latest issue of Rolling Stone and/or Blender (SPIN will be coming soon) and go album by album that each issue previews and listen to 30 second cuts of each song on the album via iTunes. There are always some albums I can mark off immediately as I noted in the original post such as country and most rap, R&B, and pop. I do listen to most all rock, alternative, punk, folk, and other non-discript genres. Switches were reviewed decently in Blender, but has yet to even get a mention in Rolling Stone. For the record, Rolling Stone tends to review only select albums each issue while Blender reviews most everything monthly. Stone sometimes realizes their error like with Phantom Planet and will review it a month or so later once it starts getting positive reviews elsewhere. Needless to say, I took a chance with Switches and have one as its my third favorite album of the year so far. Its an easy listen with an alternative rock sound with some pop-like lyrics. I am not a lyrics guy as much, but I'm beginning to try. If you like enjoyable alternative rock albums this one is a worthy purchase.
Attack and Release by The Black Keys
The Black Keys have had some successful albums previously, but I obviously have never heard them. I read an article on them and heard about the single for their upcoming album earlier this year. I went to listen to the single Strange Times and needless to say I was hooked. Its still my favorite single of the year, but the album was just as solid. Its a bluesy, rock album that I can listen to without fault everyday this year. Unlike Switches and Phantom Planet, The Black Keys album has gotten a lot of critical praise. They brought in Danger Mouse to help refine their sound for this new album and he did just that. In listening to their previous albums there is definitely an improved sound to this album. It hits you slowly, but before long you'll be wishing you could see this pair on a stage near you. Don't wait, just buy.
As this post is getting obnoxiously long, I'm going to go to the lightening round with some quick thoughts on a few other albums.Good:
- Mudcrutch by Mudcrutch - One of the great stories of the music world this year. Mudcrutch is Tom Petty's original band before the Heartbreakers. With this album, he brought the band back together which consists of two members from the Heartbreakers and two more from the original Mudcrutch. The sound of the album is a bluesy rock/country hybrid that is a pleasure to hear. To my ears it leaned more country than I wanted, but I kept listening as you can feel the stories of the band's reunion in every beat. Click this link for more on the story of the band's return over two decades later.
- Accelerate by R.E.M. - This is the album where the Athens, Georgia band finally rocks again with a very good album after putting out some lackluster tracks over the last decade.
- Warpaint by The Black Crowes - If you like good, southern rock than Warpaint is the album for you. Its been a very satisfying album with Josephine being the stand out track from the album.
- For Emma, Forever Ago by Bon Iver - This is another one of those great musical stories of the year. Hopefully, I have this generally correct. Bon Iver's girlfriend broke up with him so he holed up in a cabin for three months in isolation and this is what came out of it. The album struck me similar to Josh Ritter's early work with deep lyrics that evoke story-telling and passion. Its the perfect album for the background of a night reading or sullen time of thought introspection.
Neutral:
- Konk by The Kooks - As one of the breakthrough artists of 2007 with Inside In/Inside Out, the British bred Kooks quickly put out a new album this year. Although Inside hit it big in the states last year, it actually came out internationally in 2006, so I should probably retract the quick. In my quick listens thus far, its been solid but has not resonated as of yet. Not to say it won't, but I kept waiting for something that struck me like Inside, but it hasn't as of yet. Another British band, The Fratellis, are going to have the same issue this year as their album Here We Stand hits the states next month. Their first single from the new album Mistress Mabel has not been my favorite, but as one of my favorite albums of 2007 I have high hopes for the Fratellis.
- Elephant Shell by Tokyo Police Club - I heard about this album everywhere as this is the first full-length album from the band. They put out a couple EP's that were quite impressive. To be honest I like those much better than this album. I've not given it a fair shake as of yet, which is why its in the neutral category. Maybe the critics are right, but even most of them think the LPs were better than the album. Time will tell.
Disappointing:
- Age of Understatement by The Last Puppet Show - This is one of the albums I've had high hopes for over the last couple months. Its one of those side projects similar to The Raconteurs only this is with a couple members of the Arctic Monkeys and The Rascals. Arctic Monkeys you may recall had one of the best albums of the year in 2007. Well, the album finally came out last week and I bought it before reading any reviews as I'd purchased the EP and was impressed. I listened to the entire album on my way to work Tuesday morning and then again on the way home in the afternoon. The album is about girls, dating, and break-ups, etc. If I was in high school, I might love this album but as a married man this was disappointing. Some good riffs, but for the first time I could not get past the lyrics to enjoy the album. Well, at least I still have the EP to enjoy.
- Pretty. Odd. by Panic at the Disco - This was one of the more anticipated albums of the year. While I've never owner a Panic at the Disco album as someone getting to know music more, I seemingly need to try some of the name bands to get a feel for their sound. Little did I know that this album would be a one hit wonder of a record. The album took a turn as the lead singer listened to The Who, Beatles, and other classic bands for the first time since the last album. He used what he learned from those bands to tryout some new things. I do not think he lost with this album, but none the less its not been on my must play list so it has to be in this category. The best track on the album is Nine in the Afternoon. Its a must listen.
- Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings by Counting Crows - This album has a great premise that the first half rocks like a Saturday night with the second half of the album being the remorse of a Sunday morning after a wicked hard night out. Problem is the second half of the album just kills the rest. If they had two first halves of the album this one would've been worth the price.
- Lust Lust Lust by The Ravonettes - This is one of the critically acclaimed albums of the year that I trusted would be great based on what I read. Consider it lesson learned as I've tried to like this album but I just can't get past the scratchy guitar sound that they are going for. Maybe later this year, I'll run across this album and love it but as for today I'd prefer a refund.
As for singles, I've only got a couple for you. Tilly always gets hooked on the Apple commercials so the latest is Shut Up and Let Me Go by the Ting, Tings here's a link to the music video for the song. These New Puritans put out a the album Beat Pyramid. I wasn't sold on the album, but I found a couple tracks of interest in Numerology and En Papier.
So ends my quarterly Tunes of Note for May. Go ahead and make your wagers now if I return in June for a monthly music update.
ADDENDUM: I was not aware that bullets in this format were flowers. Not my taste, so consider it Tilly's input on this post.
ADDENDUM #2: I realized after I hit "publish" that I'd left off what is probably the best album by a new band for the year.
Best Debut Album:
- Antidotes by Foals - Vampire Weekend's Vampire Weekend had one of the best albums of the year, but Foals debut Antidotes is at least its equal. Comparing the albums may not be fair as Foals is easily more listenably long-term than Vampire Weekend's campy hit. Antidotes mixes precussion and guitars in a way that provides a mellow, bright indie-rock. Its one of those transitional albums that sounds like something unique and new while providing family tones to balance out your reluctance to jump into something different.
