Wednesday, May 26, 2010

30 Second Reviews from 5/18


The National
High Violet
(4 AD)

SOUNDS LIKE: Sensitive rock juggernauts from Brooklyn do what they do well - lyrical songs, gentle brass and strings, drunk broken hearts
FREE ASSOCIATION: Glad that they kept it quiet, fame and money usually means more of everything
FOR FANS OF: Wilco, Sloan, Denali, Smiths, Grizzly Bear

The Dead Weather
Sea of Cowards
(Warner Brothers)

SOUNDS LIKE: Mr. White can nearly do no wrong with his bluesy and energetic band - spasms of glamour, punk and classic rock on their sophomore homerun
FREE ASSOCIATION: Thought Horehound was a one-off? This one's even better
FOR FANS OF: Them Crooked Vultures, Eagles of Death Metal, cursing

Laura Marling
I Speak Because I Can
(Astralwerks)

SOUNDS LIKE: A thrilling second effort from the shockingly talented 20 year old British voice who is poised to make sturdy, beautifully timeless records
FREE ASSOCIATION: It's like she opens her mouth and lifetimes of sorrow come out
FOR FANS OF: Joni Mitchell, Martha Wainwright, Noah and the Whale

Kon & Amir
Present Off Track Volume III: Brooklyn
(BBE)

SOUNDS LIKE: Obscure disco, funk, and straight-up urban soul on two discs of blissed-out synths, beats, and lusty vocals to fill out blaxploitation soundtracks
FREE ASSOCIATION: Imagine afros, roller skates, dance lines and polyester
FOR FANS OF: Taxie, Galaxy, Parliament, Gap Band, War, James Brown

Flying Lotus
Cosmogramma
(Warp)

SOUNDS LIKE: LA DJ who's Coltrane-lineage is shown here on his third glitchy, dubstep experimentally electronic compositions of groovetastic beats
FREE ASSOCIATION: Sweet Thom Yorke and Thundercat collabs, let the remixing begin!
FOR FANS OF: RJD2, Four Tet, Madlib, The Bug, Caribou

The New Pornographers
Together
(Matador)

SOUNDS LIKE: Predictably solid, lively and rich indie rock swelling with harmonies and choruses from the Carl Newman and Neko Case-fronted supergroup
FREE ASSOCIATION: They may seem cookie cutter, but those cookies are damn tasty
FOR FANS OF: Fleetwood Mac x Belle & Sebastian, Swimmers, collectives

Japandroids
No Singles
(Polyvinyl)

SOUNDS LIKE: Ten songs from their first two EPs from the Vancouver duo of garage-flavored punk-tinged rock full of feedback, drums, guitars and anthemic choruses
FREE ASSOCIATION: This is just as good as Post-Nothing; please give us another LP
FOR FANS OF: Thermals, Sonic Youth, No Age, Liars

LCD Soundsystem
This Is Happening
(DFA)

SOUNDS LIKE: Lovely third record from the neo-disco superman - ambient and irresistible beat-heavy electro dance so much better than "Drunk Girls"
FREE ASSOCIATION: Sound of Silver had more stories; this is about clean, sophisticated beats
FOR FANS OF: !!!, New Order, the Rapture, dancing

REAL DEAL!

No comments: