It’s been eleven years since Jeff Mangum and co (Neutral Milk Hotel) released their masterpiece In the Aeroplane, Over the Sea.  Fans have been waiting for Jeff’s triumphant return ever since; yet, other than a few live guest spots, Mangum has kept completely silent.  In some of the press sheets, The Rural Alberta Advantage are said to be the next Neutral Milk Hotel.  Generally this sort of hyperbole squashes my interest, but I decided to give the record a shot anyways.  I’m quite happy I did.

The RAA’s debut album Hometowns is thirteen songs packed full of percussion and the yelping vocals that gave RAA the Neutral Milk Hotel comparison.  The driving element throughout the record are the drums.  During even the slower songs like “Don’t Haunt this Place,” the percussion moves into double time - creating a striking counterpoint to the gentle guitar and vocals.

I love dance music as much as the next person, but it’s nice to hear a jamming acoustic guitar again.  The band recently signed to Saddle Creek, a label that seems to have lost the limelight due to the changing tides of music.  It’s a great fit though, and one that could facilitate more great albums from the Canadian trio.

Grab “Don’t Haunt This Place” here.

Things felt a little shaky there for The Thermals in early 2008.  They had toured on The Body, The Blood, The Machine for over a year and a half, they no longer had a drummer and were looking for a new label home.  Yet, in reality all that paled in comparison to their toughest hurdle.  Trying to write music that surpassed their landmark Bush-era concept record was going to be near impossible. TBTBTM combined everything great about The Thermals, political music and punk rock.  By 2008 the political and social tides had begun to shift, and it looked likely a Senator named Barack Obama might be our next president.  How would Hutch and Kathy translate this new landscape into an album?

Out of this situation, somewhere in a Portland studio, Now We Can See was birthed.  From the lyrics of the album’s title track, (”Now that our vision is strong, we don’t need to admit we were wrong”) it’s clear Hutch still has a sharp tongue when it comes to public and political behavior.  The album’s narrative comes from the POV of a newly deceased man and his journey through his new “life.”  It references the TBTBTM era, and talks about how we’ve reacted to these changes.  Hutch still doesn’t have much good to say about the national consciousness, but where TBTBTM was explicitly apocalyptic, Now We Can See cuts a more subtle argument.

One of the newest sounding songs, “At the Bottom of the Sea,” runs a two note bar chord that hints at the guitar line in “The End.”  It’s pretty subtle but for some reason I just keep seeing Apocalypse Now playing during this song.  “Now We Can See” is the standout single and combines the energy, quick delivery and interesting commentary that made me a Thermals fan in the beginning.

Grab the free track below and buy Now We Can See on Amazon.

[mp3] The Thermals - Now We Can See

It’s been quite the year for Michael Angelakos, mastermind behind Boston based Passion Pit.  First, his belated Valentine’s Day present turns into an indie hit, then he signs a record deal with French Kiss, and now how he’s got a full band and a debut LP called Manners coming out.

The musical growth between Chunk of Change EP and Manners is pretty hard to gauge given all that’s happened.  I was curious to see what would happen to the purity of Angelakos’ original mission, and whether the addition of a band would stifle him or take Passion Pit to a higher musical level.  With “The Reeling” and a Fader.tv studio visit as my first peeks at the album, I’m pretty confident Passion Pit have channeled the same energy and child like approach to melody (Michael even talks about being inspired by children’s choirs during their studio profile - which includes a guest spot by a… children’s choir) as he did on the EP.

Stream the song below or on the band’s Myspace.  Look for the album on May 19th.

Most of Wavves sounds like a sludge fuzz blast from a blown out speaker.  Its a rough first listen but the initial unpleasantness of Wavves’ no-fi pop sound is completely appropriate in defining the harsh beauty of dorm-room depression and the lonely-stoner laments that run rampant on this surf goth’s (already) second LP in the last year.  Some of the album’s sprayed distortion and bummed-loner lyrics become manageable pop anthems (”So Bored”, “No Hope Kids”) for those who identify with the malaise birthed at the exit for the funeral of the American dream.  This is the sound of the gritting bruxia of this up and coming generation’s ‘we-don’t-give-a-flying-trapezoid’ outlook on life.  If Wavves’ general attitude is actually this boring I wonder what will happen when their swell finally comes in.

[mp3] Wavves - So Bored

A few years ago I made friends with a French band called Toy Fight, and actually got to meet them in Paris during a trip I was taking.  David (from Toy Fight) introduced me to the great world of independent French music.  Some of the bands I discovered along the way were (Please) Don’t Blame Mexico, and more recently Orouni.  The common thread running through these bands are English lyrics, a love for folk music and the ability to craft playful pop melodies.

Orouni’s latest LP Jump Out the Window is a perfect example of all three of these qualities. Orouni’s accented delivery adds to the fun and adventurous storytelling inside the album.  The music comes off with the childlike feel of a Wes Anderson film, hand drawn album cover art and all; however, instead of 60’s Brit rock, Orouni’s soundtrack brings together stripped down folk and nursery melodies.

Standout tracks are opener “Panic At the Beehive (feat. Milie),” “The Perfume Conspiracy (feat. Mina Tindle)” and “Open it in May (feat. Milie)”  The female accompaniment on these tracks helps to accentuate the melody’s playful narrative.  The instrumentation throughout the album is held together mostly by guitar and sprinkles of violin, xylophone and shakers.  This sparseness brings the production farther forward, and adds to the intimate delivery.

If you’re ever in Paris be sure to get out to one of their show!  For more music and tour dates click here.

[mp3] Orouni - Panic At the Beehive (feat. Milie)

 The wooden sounds of Here We Go Magic have the most minor hints of warmth hidden in them, which is almost enough to distract from the eeriness that permeates the entire album.  Self-described as a “lovely ruckus”, Here We Go Magic have created a strange and beautiful album from “melodies that can turn from gorgeous to challenging to a little scary and back again”.  The band’s own description sounds viable enough but couple that with a tip of the hat from indie-superstar, Sufjan Stevens, who has supposedly called the voice of lead maestro, Luke Temple, one of the prettiest in pop music and you really have a worthy recommendation.

While the first half of the album is a demonstration of the band’s stronger muscles for song structure, the album’s back half is filled with scary loops and high-pitched, ghoulish vocals.  When the loopiness subsides, the album gets bookended by a pretty little piano piece that sounds like Paul Simon refurbished a forgotten song off of Van Dyke Parks‘ Song Cycle.

[mp3] Here We Go Magic - Only Pieces

Best described as intensifying high-energy indie-electronic artist, Kap Bambino never fails in putting on a great live set. With the collaboration of Caroline Martial and Orion Bouvier, it is no wonder the duo hailing from France…might just be the next upcoming artist in the music scene.

With songs like “Zero Life” and “New Breath” on their latest CD “Zero Life, Night Vision”, the track can easily lure the listeners into a world of eight-bit noise recordings. But take in mind, there are 12 tracks on this CD…with each being disturbingly unique and addicting.

Kap Bambino has a identity that can be pinpointed:  captivating and aggressive. Although the lyrics are somewhat unintelligible and the high vocals are enough the shatter glass, Martial and Bouvier are a powerful medium for self-expression.

Their new album Blacklist is suppose to be released in May 2009. That’s definitely something to be excited about. But for now, check out their new single “Red Sign/Acid Eyes”.

[mp3] Kap Bambino - Red Sign

Don’t miss Kap Bambino as make their way to the United States! Here is what their schedule looks like:

March 16 : San Franscisco @ 330 Ritch
March 17 : Los Angeles @ Viper Room
March 18-19 : Austin @ SXSW
March 20 : Chicago @ Schubas
March 21 : New York @ Webster Hall

Wondering how each does on their own? Check out Khima France (Caroline Martial) and Groupgris (Orion Bouvier).

The Black Lips’ name proceeds them.  Club owners around the nation (and now the world) are well aware of the on stage and off stage antics of the Atlanta four piece.  Having spent an evening in the front row of this madness, I can attest to the rumors.  For all the chaos at their live shows, Black Lips’ music is somewhat tame.  Songs are derived from simple melodies and guitar lines that make people want to dance and drink beer with friends.After the success of Good Bad Not Evil, the upcoming release of 200 Million Thousand is an opportunity to vault Black Lips into the indie stratosphere.  Luckily, the band hasn’t altered their musical vision in order to insure this result.  If anything they’ve made it a little harder on themselves.  The hints of psychedelia from prior releases have come to the forefront in both recording style and content.  Back to back tracks “Trapped In A Basement” and “Short Fuse” pull the band across a pretty wide range of influence.  Chances are “Starting Over” will be the radio friendly track (if that even matters anymore).  Few bands could pull off an album like this, and not sound gimmicky or derivative.  However, Black Lips are the real thing, and you can hear it in ever vocal inflection, guitar note and snare strike.  The record drops tomorrow on Vice.  Grab it here.

[mp3] Black Lips - Short Fuse

Get an idea of their live show after the jump…

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It doesn’t take long to get a sense of what Dan Deacon is all about.  On his breakout album Spiderman of The Rings, Deacon’s hi-pitched, electro, one man dance party sucks you in and forces you to have fun.  Check this video if you need a visual.  That being said, Spiderman was a few years ago and Deacon is a two months away from releasing his next statement, Bromst.  Until now the album has been a mystery, but with today’s release of the Dan Deacon / Adventure Split 12″ we have our first album track “Get Older.”

The biggest departure Deacon offers on Bromst is a more ensembled cast of instruments.  Instead of just utilizing his tray of lo fi synths, he’s brought in acoustic instruments, drums, brass etc…  From “Get Older” it’s apparent that these additions have done nothing to tamper with the heart of a DD track, but have only created a fuller sonic experience.

Bromst will be released on March 24th and Dan Deacon will embark on yet another massive tour this Spring.  Check dates after the jump.

[stream] Dan Deacon - Get Older

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Owen Pallett has provided a bit of a head scratcher on his pre, proper LP Heartland release - Plays to Please.  Throughout the five song EP, there are attempts to wrap his classically inspired instrumentation into a more condensed, vocaled narrative; however, he ends up finding himself stuck somewhere between sonata composer and singer songwriter.

Since this is a lead up to Heartland, it’s reasonable to think these are more a collection of half baked b-sides.  “Horsetail Feathers” is probably the most LP worthy song on Plays to Please.  A theatrical, musical inspired track, you can almost picture Owen tap dancing his way down a constructed city street set in an old Canadian theater.

The longer I’ve sat with this five song collection, the more I’ve warmed up to it and found the melodies and through lines in each song that really passed by me the first few plays.  If you enjoyed Final Fantasy’s last LP He Poos Clouds (terrible name but great record!) then give this EP a few times through before you reach your conclusion.

[mp3] Final Fantasy - Horsetail Feathers