I'd Like to Grab You By the Hair, Drag You to the Devil

The Dead Weather
Horehound
July 2009 | Third Man
---------- 5.7 ----------

On paper, the new superdupergroup The Dead Weather sounds like a fantastic inception. A dude from Queens of the Stone Age (Dean Fertita), the guy with the long hair and glasses from The Raconteurs (Jack Lawrence), the bombastically catty Alison Mosshart of The Kills and that other guy, what's his name again? Oh yeah, Jack White. Badassery all around, right? Sure, but with the cards are on the extended metaphor this is Horehound, the groups debut album, nothing adds up. The albums dribbles along sloppily and leaves a destructive mess in its trail. It sounds like a grand improvisation where everyone was ironically too shy to really go off on anything appealing. Also, I'd've never thought I'd be saying this before I heard the album, but Horehound, if anything, needs to be louder. A more raucous thrashing is what some are somehow getting but all expected. So, if you're asking me, leave your leather jacket and shitkickin boots in the closet as the relentless oddity of their unmeasured nonsensical patterns and unsettling vocal transitions are hardly anything to make up with.

mp3 | The Dead Weather - Hang You From The Heavens
mp3 | The Dead Weather - 3 Birds

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---------- Related Releases ----------
(2008) - 7.5 - The Raconteures - Consolers Of The Lonely | review
(2008) - 8.1 - The Kills - Midnight Boom | review
(2007) - 6.5 - The White Stripes - Icky Thump | review
(2006) - 7.4 - The Raconteurs - Broken Boy Soldier
(2005) - 7.9 - The White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan
(2003) - 9.0 - The White Stripes - Elephant
(2001) - 8.6 - The White Stripes - White Blood Cells
(2000) - 8.4 - The White Stripes - De Stijl
(1999) - 6.3 - The White Stripes - The White Stripes

Try To F-F-F-F-Fight This Feeling, But I Can't

Discovery
LP
July 2009 | XL
---------- 7.3 ----------

After a ho-hum lackluster take on the debut Ra Ra Riot album and a good amount of confusion and rejection towards Vampire Weekend, I wasn't holding much out for Discovery, the collaboration of Ra Ra Riot's frontman Wes Miles crooning over beats composed by VW's producer and resident scarf tauter Rostam Batmanglij. Apparently two wrongs do make a wrong. It takes a bit to get used to the musical tone of LP as its an eclectic flashy gloss of electropop that Usher would love. Miles adds a stark R&B underline to most of the tracks and for the most part it works simply because it's something different. It's no Postal Service, but LP goes beyond the hipster checkbook (did I mention appearances from Ezra Koeing and Dirty Projectors' Angel Deradoorian) with jostled miniature triumphs jammed more or less into interesting renditions of catchy pop that get better with each listen.

mp3 | Discovery - Swing Tree <[Best of 2009]
mp3 | Discovery - So Insane

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---------- Related Releases ----------
(2008) - 6.4 - Ra Ra Riot - The Rhumb Line | review
(2008) - 6.8 - Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend | review

It Was You That Had Me Under

Florence & The Machine
Lungs
July 2009 | Island
---------- 6.1 ----------

Up and coming British pop princess Florence Welsh and her backing band The Machine divies out her best-selling debut of single manic pop onslaught, Lungs. The album screams of British preconceptions of the licking lackadaisically sass of Lily Allen but also hints (but unfortunately doesn't entirely resonate) the dark undertones of a Bat For Lashes. Instead, Florence and The Machine grab onto a commonly safe middleground of steadily upbeat showcases of predictable garb. The production is clearly competing Florence for the frontrunning face of the album as it gets ridiculous in some cases as songs are practically dismantled by oddlt timed and relentless unnecessary trinkets from the boys behind the glass of British pen-ins James Ford and Paul Epworth. The tone is supposed to be some innovative fusion of soul and indie rock and while it certainly emotes, Lungs is a flat collection that worries me of Britain's mindset as one week they can get behind someone like Bat For Lashes who deserves all the attention, but then they turn immediately to something like this. Then again, I'm American, I shouldn't talk about album charts.

mp3 | Florence & The Machine - Between Two Lungs
mp3 | Florence & The Machine - Blinding

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Here Comes The One The One The One

John Vanderslice
Romanian Names
May 2009 | Dead Oceans
---------- 7.5 ----------

Since his overall decent 2007 album, Emerald City, you wouldn't think it, but John Vanderslice has been a bust fella. After working production and guesting with The Mountain Goats, Okkervil River and Spoon, Vanderslice decided to get back to his own efforts and in May, released Romanian Names his seventh studio full-length album. The album strays from the gruff folk of Emerald City and takes a more lighthearted approach and even dabbles into sparse electronics, but the undertones of gently wavy folk-pop with the scruffy voiced melodies are a warm welcome. Still the album doesn't necessarily knock it out of the park but delivers a flattering little time passer of an enjoyable and tame tracking.

mp3 | John Vanderslice - Tremble and Tear
mp3 | John Vanderslice - Too Much Time

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---------- Other Releases ----------
(2007) - 7.4 - Emerald City | review

Take That Halo Off Your Head Now

Love Is All
Last Choice [Ep]
June 2009 | What Your Rapture?
---------- 7.1 ----------

Last Choice is a neat little addition to last year's overlooked sophomore release from the Swedish sugary new wave group Love Is All, A Hundred Things To Keep You Up At Night. The excellent title track is backed by five good b-sides that honestly amount to just 'good b-sides' but if you're particularly into the unabashed flood of pop with the occasional sax squawk and the unique yalping vocal delivery of Love Is All, go for it.

mp3 | Love Is All - From Your Corner

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---------- Other Releases ----------
(2008) - 8.2 - A Hundred Things To Keep You Up At Night
(2008) - 6.8 - Love Is All Mixed Up [remixes] | review
(2006) - 8.1 - Nine Times That Same Song

Until They Find The Bones Above

The Rural Alberta Advantage
Hometowns
July 2009 | Saddle Creek
---------- 6.7 ----------

The debut album, Hometowns from the Toronto collective starts off with a calmly building introduction that scales back to a nicely orchestrated embrace of sparse folksy pop. However it only takes them four more minutes to spark into a rousing stomp-clap beat and all the Saddle Creek preconceptions are met if not surpassed. From here on out, Hometowns is an undeniable, blatant heralding to Jeff Mangum's methods of lo-fi folk rock with harsh acoustic guitars, ramshackle percussion the occasional brass flank and a uniquely (well, not anymore) straining voice. The Rural Alberta Advantage might as well fork over some royalties but also shouldn't get too full of themselves because even though they resemble preconceived masterpieces, the songs appear cheap and rusty altogether.

mp3 | The Rural Alberta Advantage - Luciana
mp3 | The Rural Alberta Advantage - Frank AB

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I'm Getting Off This Thing No Matter What They Say

Starlight Mints
Change Remains
July 2009 | Barsuk
---------- 6.6 ----------

Allan Vest and his kooky Nebraskan boppers, Starlight Mints return after the hit-or-miss Drowaton with their fourth album Change Remains. This new record sees a lot more experimentation believe it or not, but is still all over the place as, yes the oddball vocal delivery does match the oddball instrumentation, but remember, it's oddball. Songs come and go with little tinges of nonsense bordering breakthrough material but mainly remain as balky little quirks. Meanwhile Vest does his best performance as a poor man's Kevin Barnes (or even Bowie for that matter) with strutful sass and charisma that leads to flat results. Change Remains adds on to the tendency of each previous Starlight Mints album in that each is like a food fight. Colors from all directions and fun, but in the end, it's just a mess.

mp3 | Starlight Mints - Zoomba
mp3 | Starlight Mints - Paralyzed

Amazon | iTunes | Waffles

---------- Other Releases ----------
(2006) - 6.9 - Drowaton

It's Happening Now and It's Always Been Like This

Bombay Bicycle Club
I Had The Blues And I Shook Them Loose
August 2009 | Island
---------- 7.8 ----------

The newest students from the Jim Abbiss academy of snotty britpop, Bombay Bicycle Club stride apart from their counterpart Abbiss classmates Arctic Monkeys, Editors, and The Rakes by umphing out generally more loose renditions of catchy guitar centric rock and for the most part avoiding the near stereotypical British tight, knockaround shambles of the aforementioned groups. The London quartet are quite standard and really don't have many unique traits save for their better than most melodic structures and tendency for dual rhythmic guitars until one side decides to flaunt about and ultimately comes out flat. Still, later on in the record, the guitarist redeems himself with a bangy slap of sound. So despite its minor inconsistencies, I Had The Blues And I Shook Them Loose is a just fine addition to the UK rock scene if not anything for their modest approach and not retorting to uptight, brashing antics.

mp3 | Bombay Bicycle Club - Always Like This
mp3 | Bombay Bicycle Club - The Giantess

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By Design, You're Gonna Hurt Yourself

Stellastarr*
Civilized
July 2009 | Bloated Wife
---------- 5.9 ----------

Adding to this week's downfall of poor records, New York's gauzy post-punk outfit, Stellastarr* don't necessarily take the cake, but they sure pig out. Civilized is their self-released third record and displays their knack of adding too many complex layers of usually three guitars and two being competitive leads. This recipe as you can probably foresee is disastrous as each track self-destructs into a mess of loud, bracing rock and roll that frankly don't deserve any more food analogies.

mp3 | Stellastarr* - Robot

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Whirlybuzzz

Subway
Subway II
June 2009 | Soul Jazz
---------- 7.2 ----------

Apparently I missed the boat with Subway I and skipped ahead to Subway II, but after a nice run through of the album a few times, I think I'll go back and seek Subway I and hope it has the same steady electronics of the second. Not much on Subway can be found on the internet. What with its general name and downright obscurity I've mustered that they're from London and I say 'they' loosely as I'm not sure if it's more than one guy. It very well could be a singular project as the music is an upbeat yet atmospheric layout of 6+ minute tracks that are excellent to simply walk around to like Gui Borrato or The Field.

mp3 | Subway - Persuasion
mp3 | Subway - Xam

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You Can't Complain

Cass McCombs
Catacombs
June 2009 | Domino
--------- 8.1 ----------

Of course. Of course Cass McCombs' latest album of somberly hazy indie pop is called Catacombs. This should've been thought of ages ago. Thankfully, the obvious cleverness of the title is not what makes the album. Rather, the songs are good, who would've thought? McCombs displays a wry, effortless swagger of lightly sprinkled timeless daydreams of woozy guitars and well structured diatribes that glisten in sunlight as they drift softly down a Midwestern riverbend. Although the record looses steam towards the finale, steam is hardly something Catacombs prides itself in. In all, it's refreshing to realize someone can make a decent, extremely simplistic album these days and have it be well-received without making the excuse of copious amounts of noise or experimentation. I applaud you, Cass.

mp3 | Cass McCombs - You Save My Life
mp3 | Cass McCombs - Don't Vote

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Let Me Show You What You Did Wrong

The Phenomenal Handclap Band
The Phenomenal Handclap Band
June 2009 | Friendly Fire
---------- 5.8 ----------

Disco, but not the cool kind of disco.


mp3 | The Phenomenal Handclap Band - Testimony

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We Were The Only Ones With Hearts

Slow Club
Yeah So
July 2009 | Moshi Moshi
---------- 6.4 ----------

Slow Club is the cutesy boy/girl duo who teeter their sound between bedroom pop and garage rock relaying everything into a reckless power pop carrier. There are typical whistles, quick acoustics, adorable lyrics, and admirable coos and for the most part, Yeah So is quite enjoyable. Still, after the first two tracks the following songs are unmistakably similar and almost indistinguishable and rather sound like a relentless 30 minute pop rock song for the remaining duration.

mp3 | Slow Club - Giving Up On Love

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The World Is Leaving Me Too

Tiny Vipers
Life On Earth
July 2009 | Sub Pop
---------- 5.5 ----------

Tiny Vipers, or the musical stylings of one Jesy Fortino issues out her second full-length record of scarily sparse acoustic whispers. Life On Earth is boring. I said it, and I don't really like retorting musical criticism to use a term like 'boring,' but the record creeps along slower than a glacier and relays like one entire hour long track of incredibly hushed acoustic plucking. Two thirds through the album my headphones fell out and I didn't even notice. I suppose this would be fine studying or background reading music, but as its own....well, you've been warned.

mp3 | Tiny Vipers - Slow Motion

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I'm Guessing You Knew What I Thought Of You

White Denim
Fits
June 2009 | Full Time Hobby
---------- 8.0 ----------

The third album for Austin upstarts is above all fun. Fits slacks you in the jaw with its hazy tidal waves of guitar and rollback drums to the point where Hendrix references seem necessary. Sure, they're nowhere near Jimi, but their sound is admirably similar as that's kinda something you just don't see these days. A track by track picking from Fits would appear as sloppy and jaunty but in order from start to finish, the record is highly enjoyable. So to counterpoint myself, here are some individual tracks.

mp3 | White Denim - Say What You Want
mp3 | White Denim - I'd Have It Just The Way We Were

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You And I And A Flame Make Three

Akron/Family
Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free
May 2009 | Dead Oceans
---------- 7.8 ----------

Despite the first track, Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free (apart from being a pain to type) is Akron/Family's most approachable album to date. Against their traditional off-the-wall folk shouting matches, their new record is moderately tame especially seeing as this is the follow-up to the tremulously spotty Love Is Simple. Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free still is a spunky backwards carnival of unsettling folk-rock all hinged loosely by the group's admirable comradery. However, the recklessness is set aside for a great track like "River" while letting the levee break for the runaway caboose brewhaha, "Everyone Is Guilty" for all those time-tested Akron/Family devotees.

mp3 | Akron/Family - River <[Best of 2009]
mp3 | Akron/Family - Everyone Is Guilty

Amazon | iTunes | Waffles | Lp

---------- Other Releases ----------
(2007) - 6.1 - Love Is Simple | review

This Pure Trance Is Your Last Chance

All Smiles
Oh For The Getting And Not Letting Go
June 2009 | Self-Released
---------- 7.6 ----------

For people who still haven't gotten over Grandaddy's 2006 break-up, these days, there isn't much to complain about. Jason Lytle is all over the place now and his former right-hand man, Jim Fairchild is about to release his already second solo album under his All Smiles moniker. So can it. Oh For The Getting And Not Little Go isn't as woeful as the title may suggest, but rather is packed full of guitar upbeats and prominent vocals with the aid of his backing back made up of members of Modest Mouse, Sleater-Kinney, Menomena and Great Northern. Fairchild likes to tamper with the skeleton of his tracks, not to ever hardly say the songs are barren (they're quite ironically bombastic) but as upbeat as they seem, I get the impression that the tracks could all break down on their knees giving the experience of the record an occasional anxiety-riddled yet more often than not, rewarding journey of standard guitar pop-rock.

mp3 | All Smiles - Words Of Wisdom
mp3 | All Smiles - All You Are Is A Human, Sir

Amazon | iTunes | Waffles

---------- Related Releases ----------
(2006) - 7.1 - Grandaddy - Just Like The Fambly Cat
(2005) - 7.3 - Grandaddy - Excerpts From The Diary of Todd Zilla [Ep]
(2003) - 8.5 - Grandaddy - Sumday
(2001) - 8.0 - Grandaddy - The Sophtware Slump

I Wrote This Song

Andrew Bird
Fitz and the Dizzyspells [Ep]
May 2009 | Bella Union
---------- 7.2 ----------

After already releasing a bonus disc of entirely (blissful) instrumental tracks, this new ep by the Chicago plucker is basically a pile of scraps left on the floor of the prior recording session. However, seeing as they're from Andrew Bird, they're inherently great. Fitz and the Dizzyspells teases along with new (or original?) renditions of Noble Beast highlights and in turn gives a slight insight into why the man's live performances aren't always exactly like the studio outputs. Regardless, the ep is a nice little companion piece yet isn't anything to build off of.

mp3 | Andrew Bird - See The Enemy

Amazon | Waffles

---------- Other Releases ----------
(2009) - 8.2 - Noble Beast | review
(2009) - 7.3 - Useless Creatures | review
(2008) - 6.6 - Soldier On [Ep] | review
(2007) - 9.1 - Armchair Apocrypha | review
(2005) - 8.7 - Andrew Bird & the Mysterious Production of Eggs
(2003) - 7.9 - Weather Systems
(2001) - 8.4 - The Swimming Hour

Don't Wake The Moment, Don't Even Ask

Apostle of Hustle
Eats Darkness
May 2009 | Arts & Crafts
---------- 6.8 ----------

Still one of the coolest monikers in the biz, Andrew Whiteman, best known as the go-to avant guitarist of Broken Social Scene also makes pretty damn fine albums on his own time. Coming off two decent, yet undeniably flawed records, Eats Darkness' verdict is surprise, surprise; a decent, yet flawed record to complete the thematic trilogy. Here there is a move leveled quality throughout compared to the mixed flashes of brilliance and shamefully embarrassing makeups of his two previous. Also, here Whiteman has some fun with audio samples from what sound like forgotten 80's action movies. These compose a series of record spanning vignettes that don't add or subtract anything from the tracks yet attempt to cover-up the repetitiveness in lyrics and tone of the actual music of the album. Overall, Eats Darkness is an interesting album garnering finely sharpened guitar work but remains aggressively similar throughout ending itself in an overall disappointment.

mp3 | Apostle of Hustle - Blackberry

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---------- Other Releases ----------
(2007) - 7.5 - National Anthem of Nowhere | review
(2004) - 7.8 - Folkloric Feel

---------- Related Releases ----------
(2005) - 8.4 - Broken Social Scene - To Be You & Me [Ep]
(2005) - 9.4 - Broken Social Scene - Broken Social Scene
(2003) - 7.2 - Broken Social Scene - BeeHives
(2003) - 9.6 - Broken Social Scene - You Forgot It In People
(2001) - 6.3 - Broken Social Scene - Feel Good Lost

You Know I'm No Child

Au Revoir Simone
Still Night, Still Light
May 2009 | Our Secret
---------- 8.1 ----------

The delicately whispful all-girl Brooklyn trio have crafted their gauzy sun-drenched knack of throwback pop into an adaptation towards dream pop electronics. While this initially made me squeal with eager anticipation of history in the making, I was ultimately disappointed despite my literal enjoyment of the record (kinda like when I heard David Fincher would direct Benjamin Button). On paper, it reads like a no-brainer masterpiece in the making, yet expectations flourished beyond reality, and while Still Night Still Light still is supremely good, it could be better. The record is ridiculously charming and downright darkly cute. It could do without some of the easy-escape lyrical repetition and somewhat lacks in the way of poppy hooks. Meanwhile the electronics are captivating in their simplicity reminding me of Air's score to Sofia Coppola's The Virgin Suicides creating a unique twilight atmosphere that may go anywhere but always ends up at home in bed. At the end of the day, or night, Au Revoir Simone have made themselves another highly enjoyable record and all I can do is thank them kindly, merci.

mp3 | Au Revoir Simone - Another Likely Story <[Best of 2009]
mp3 | Au Revoir Simone - All Or Nothing

Amazon | iTunes | Waffles | Lp

---------- Other Releases ----------
(2008) - 7.5 - Reverse Migration [Remixes] | review
(2007) - 8.2 - The Bird Of Music | review

Stop

Bibio
Ambivalence Avenue
June 2009 | Warp
---------- 7.8 ----------

His first release on the ultra-hip Warp label, Bibio (or Stephen Wilkinson) compiles a new blending array of unclassifiable tracks into another 'here and there' record but still succeeds in grasping an overall sense of enjoyable, eclectic soundscapes more wondrous and captivating than your average run-of-the-mill pop record. Following the Flickin Spit recommended Vignetting The Compost, this new record, Ambivalence Avenue, his fifth, takes a new direction from the lush, ambient electro-folk and steers towards ambitious knocks from 8-bit soul to ambient trip-hop to psych-folk to glitzy dance tracks. Only two or so tracks hint at the David Gorden Green soundtrack produced by Jon Brion carefree, breezy, rusty guitar-centric electronica that I enjoyed so much in the first place. Otherwise, the record reaches out in too many directions and while each is intriguing in itself the inconsistency of tone is restless. I'd rather see Bibio make six or seven concept albums before compiling this grab-bag of likable hodgepodge.

mp3 | Bibio - Haikuesque (When She Laughs)
mp3 | Bibio - S'Vive

Amazon | iTunes | Waffles | Lp

---------- Other Releases ----------
(2009) - 8.4 - Vignetting The Compost | review

To Find My Peace In The Light

Bill Callahan
Sometimes I Wish I Were An Eagle
April 2009 | Drag City
---------- 7.5 ----------

Already a shoe-in for the yet to be established Indie Hall of Fame, folksy songsmith, Bill Callahan releases his second album since his good ol' Smog heydays. Sometimes I Wish I Were An Eagle is full of long-winded (in a good way) simple strums with somberly simplistic lyrics effortless coating each track with a homely overtone. I can picture Callahan on some Wyoming stoop surrounded by casual admirers sitting in the tall grass as someone respectfully yells over Callahan's rustic tune with, "Bill, you're Cooperstown, Bill," and Callahan would acknowledgingly responds with a grin, nod and a wink without missing a note.

mp3 | Bill Callahan - All Thoughts Are Prey To Some Beast
mp3 | Bill Callahan - Faith/Void

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Eat The Seeds From The Big Black Cloud Above Us

Black Moth Super Rainbow
Eating Us
May 2009 | Graveface
---------- 6.9 ----------

After touring with fellow psych poppers from unlikely hometowns, The Flaming Lips, the Pittsburgh clan, Black Moth Super Rainbow swiped their tourmates trusty produced Dave Fridmann to spin the knobs for their own latest collection of hazy electronic sunbursts, Eating Us. The album takes the group's sound and unfortunately brings it down to a more generic plane and while this suffices good rollicking pop songs, the fuzzy moogs and vocoders is somewhat lost only showing its previously experimentally odd face here and there while maintain a still uniquely scuzzy tone, yet not as wondrously hallucinogenically scuzzy as their appeal from beforehand.

mp3 | Black Moth Super Rainbow - Twin of Myself <[Best of 2009]
mp3 | Black Moth Super Rainbow - Tooth Decay

Amazon | iTunes | Waffles

---------- Other Releases ----------
(2008) - 7.3 - Drippers | review
(2007) - 8.5 - Dandelion Gum | review
(2003) - 8.2 - Falling Through A Field

Oh My, What A Predicament

Bowerbirds
Upper Air
July 2009 | Dead Oceans
---------- 6.3 ----------

The Raleigh, North Carolina folk enthusiasts, Bowerbirds have released their second full-length of moderately ho-hum folk, this time on the Dead Oceans imprint. Upper Air drips along with hardly any sort of flair or sparkle. Sure, maybe they're playing it modest, but these tracks are a bit too much of nothing to herald in a deeper perspective. They're not bad, yet they're not particularly good either. They're just there attempting the grander, humble folk pop better demonstrated by groups like The Rosebuds or Vetiver

mp3 | Bowerbirds - House of Diamonds

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