Posts Tagged ‘CDs’

I’ve been an unabashed fan of She Wants Revenge from the first moment I heard “Tear You Apart” almost four years ago. Oh, sure, the band (really a duo — Justin Warfield and Adam “DJ Adam 12″ Bravin — expanded live to a quartet) copiously borrowed sonically from Joy Division, New Order and Depeche Mode, but Justin and Adam put such a fresh, dance floor-ready spin on it, that the aping was just fine. I gobbled up the “These Things” EP, then the self-titled full-length, then the eagerly-awaited follow-up, “This is Forever,” and ultimately the band’s last EP, “Save Your Soul.”

Those albums form a fairly cohesive aural snapshot of the band’s first four years, staying close to the darkwave groove first unleashed upon hipster bars of the world in 2005, sometimes adding more subtle textures, sometimes getting more funky, but generally keeping alive the flames of Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees and their ’80s counterparts. But with the release of “Up and Down,” She Wants Revenge puts that all in the past.

Welcome to She Wants Revenge 2.0.

Adam (I’m eschewing the formality of last names here as Adam is someone I’d consider a fair acquaintance, and let that be my full disclosure) has been hinting — OK, overtly broadcasting — on Twitter for the last few months that SWR has been making music by which to have sex. He wasn’t exaggerating. He and Justin have almost completely shed their ’80s postpunk sound (save for the EP’s instrumental, “Love Me”) for something entirely contemporary. From the opening, booming pulse of “Your Love” to the whiplash synths of “A Little Bit Harder Now,” SWR has found the place where Justin Timberlake meets Prince meets The Faint.

Justin’s distinctive robotic baritone and visual storytelling is still intact, but it’s been accented by raps hearkening back to his MC days (remember Bomb the Bass’ “Bug Powder Dust?”). As well, the duo is joined by new discovery ZinaStar on “All Wound Up,” where she delivers a Pussycat Dolls-style verse as well as background vocals.

The more goth-inclined members of SWR’s fan base might be put off by the suddenly mainstream club-friendly sound, but if they’re not able to grow with the band, then they’re missing out. This is pure ass-shaking ear candy you can enjoy without feeling guilty. And it’s made by two dudes who, I can confirm, are real people, writing their own music, playing in a real band that plays real venues. And they’re doing it all without the support of a major record label, so that $5 you should drop on iTunes today for “Up and Down” is money well spent.

I’ve been an unabashed fan of She Wants Revenge from the first moment I heard “Tear You Apart” almost four years ago. Oh, sure, the band (really a duo — Justin Warfield and Adam “DJ Adam 12″ Bravin — expanded live to a quartet) copiously borrowed sonically from Joy Division, New Order and Depeche Mode, but Justin and Adam put such a fresh, dance floor-ready spin on it, that the aping was just fine. I gobbled up the “These Things” EP, then the self-titled full-length, then the eagerly-awaited follow-up, “This is Forever,” and ultimately the band’s last EP, “Save Your Soul.”

Those albums form a fairly cohesive aural snapshot of the band’s first four years, staying close to the darkwave groove first unleashed upon hipster bars of the world in 2005, sometimes adding more subtle textures, sometimes getting more funky, but generally keeping alive the flames of Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees and their ’80s counterparts. But with the release of “Up and Down,” She Wants Revenge puts that all in the past.

Welcome to She Wants Revenge 2.0.

Adam (I’m eschewing the formality of last names here as Adam is someone I’d consider a fair acquaintance, and let that be my full disclosure) has been hinting — OK, overtly broadcasting — on Twitter for the last few months that SWR has been making music by which to have sex. He wasn’t exaggerating. He and Justin have almost completely shed their ’80s postpunk sound (save for the EP’s instrumental, “Love Me”) for something entirely contemporary. From the opening, booming pulse of “Your Love” to the whiplash synths of “A Little Bit Harder Now,” SWR has found the place where Justin Timberlake meets Prince meets The Faint.

Justin’s distinctive robotic baritone and visual storytelling is still intact, but it’s been accented by raps hearkening back to his MC days (remember Bomb the Bass’ “Bug Powder Dust?”). As well, the duo is joined by new discovery ZinaStar on “All Wound Up,” where she delivers a Pussycat Dolls-style verse as well as background vocals.

The more goth-inclined members of SWR’s fan base might be put off by the suddenly mainstream club-friendly sound, but if they’re not able to grow with the band, then they’re missing out. This is pure ass-shaking ear candy you can enjoy without feeling guilty. And it’s made by two dudes who, I can confirm, are real people, writing their own music, playing in a real band that plays real venues. And they’re doing it all without the support of a major record label, so that $5 you should drop on iTunes today for “Up and Down” is money well spent.

I get a lot of CDs in the mail to review and I have little time to get to all of them. Plus, I really don’t like reviewing things. (Yes, it’s sort-of part of my job. Whatever.) So when I can, I’m going to try to do quick round-ups of the latest music releases to come my way. These are opinion-filled and may actually skirt the actual reviewing of an album, so, um, deal.

The Library E.P.: The publicist for this band tried to sell me on it by promoting the fact that Mark Needham, who worked on a few Killers albums, “produced” the Library’s debut E.P. Well, first, he’s an engineer, not a producer, and second: So what? The Library sounds like Under the Influence of Giants kinda mashed up with Terence Trent D’Arby. I like both those artists. I do not like The Library. It’s uninspired disco-pop with vocals that annoyingly veer into the falsetto range. I can do without.

The Staxx Brothers – We Are The Blaxstonz: I first saw this Seattle-based funk/hip-hop/classic rock ensemble live at Bumbershoot last year and really dug their sound, performance and delivery. After briefly reviewing their set on a music website I used to run, they dropped their self-released first album, 12th Street Blues, on me. I dug it. So I had pretty high expectations for We Are The Blaxstonz.

The new album continues with the blend of bluesy rock riffs, soul singing and rap flow that defines The Staxx Brothers sound, with lead vocals traded off between band leader Davin Michael Stedman and MC Decurrian. But for the first half of the album, the songs miss the mark a bit. While the riff in “1992″ is catchy, the rap in the middle section is clunky. “Almost Got Shot in North Minneapolis” is tight, but its gangsta-land storyline feels out of place. And “Oh Carolina” changes things up with its slow-burn, Southern-fried soul, but still feels lackluster.

However, the band picks things up with the upbeat, irreverent, head-bob-inducing “Name Dropper” and “Game Recognize Game,” which, despite its (presumably tongue-in-cheek) refrain of  “money, cash, hos,” is just the kind of funky jam that got my notice on that sunny day in Seattle last year. Your best bet is to see the eight-piece band live, where your biggest concern will be how hard your ass is shaking — and that’s really the only thing that matters.

Silversun Pickups – Swoon: There’s not a sophomore slump in sight for this Los Angeles-spawned, shoegazey, alterna-rock band. On its second album, the quartet comes on strong with more of its signature quiet-to-loud, rasp-to-wail sound. And that’s not a bad thing. Let’s face it: This is what we all wished Smashing Pumpkins still sounded like: Dreamy, lush, full of youthful yearning — not selling cars.

Silversun is all about subtleties and nuances on Swoon: layered guitars, keyboard flourishes, those everpresent, machine-like drums.  From the jaunty, buzzing opener, “There’s No Secrets This Year,” to the hypnotic, chilly “Growing Old is Getting Old,” Silversun reminds us that there is some joy left in alternative rock, even if there’s not much originality. The frantic lead single, “Panic Switch,” deserves a permanent spot on rock radio. A great band both on record and live, I highly recommend picking up this disc and checking out Silversun Pickups if they come through your neck of the woods.

I’ve gotten hold of a bunch of quality new music lately (and I have a feeling there’s more coming), so I figured I’d share a little of what I’m listening to these days in my CD player/iTunes playlist/iPod Shuffle:

White Lies, To Lose My Life: This UK trio rocks the post-punk in a familiar manner, with heavy shades of Psychedelic Furs, Echo and the Bunnymen and early Tears for Fears. Really, I challenge you to find evidence that songs such as “A Place to Hide” or “Fifty on Our Foreheads” were not recorded in 1983. But White Lies pulls off the reverb-drenched, bass-driven, keyboard-accented sound so well, I can’t help but dig it. These guys are touring the United States this spring with stops at both Coachella and South By Southwest, so you should definitely check them out should they come to your town. Or pick up To Lose My Life, which drops on March 17 in the States.

Morrissey, Years of Refusal: On the flipside of White Lies is Morrissey, who actually was an iconic 1980s post-punk artist, but you’ll find barely any hint of his Smiths origins on Years of Refusal, a worthy entry in Moz’s return to glory that began with 2004′s You Are The Quarry. From the outset, Steven Patrick Morrissey makes it quite clear that he’s not going to disappear quietly into the night even as he stares down his 50th birthday. He’s angrier and more bitter than ever, and his music is more aggressive than it has been in years. Right off the bat, the high-paced, loud opener, “Something is Squeezing My Skull,” unleashes lyrical venom such as “I know by now you think I should have straightened myself out, thank you, drop dead” and “It’s a miracle I even made it this far.” It’s good stuff for anyone, and great stuff for Morrissey fans. Moz is also touring the Colonies the next few months, though sadly, he’s not coming to Las Vegas anytime soon (surely he’ll fix that later this year — his last few shows have done considerably well).

It’s hard enough for me to find time to buy and/or listen to new music, let alone review it. And I’m not particularly fond of reviewing anything to begin with, which probably explains why in my career, I’ve only penned about a dozen proper reviews. The whole businesses of music (or art, or movie or any other creative endeavor) criticism leaves me somewhat dry. It’s so subjective, I wonder sometimes why we even bother.

Still, I do like to share, and publicists do like to send me things, so I’ll take a few seconds today to tell you about Klang!, the forthcoming debut LP from Seattle-based trio Motorik. The band’s official bio (which sorely needs to be rewritten) compares it to such 1980s mainstays as Echo and the Bunnymen and Killing Joke, and the group’s publicist swears singer Sio sounds like a female Robert Smith, though I don’t hear it. To me, Motorik combines the dance-punk fervor of The Rapture with the caustic vocals of PJ Harvey, enhanced with the plunky basslines of early Cure material.

Either way, the nine songs featured on Klang! are punchy, fun balls of postpunk revelry with just enough pop to keep your ears sweetened amongst the sometimes salty delivery. “Six Filters” will have you double-checking your iPod to see how Siouxsie and the Banshees got on there, while “Box of Knives” finally answers the question, “What would an Interpol/The Duke Spirit collaboration sound like?” Thanks to Motorik, you’ll wonder no more.

It’s hard enough for me to find time to buy and/or listen to new music, let alone review it. And I’m not particularly fond of reviewing anything to begin with, which probably explains why in my career, I’ve only penned about a dozen proper reviews. The whole businesses of music (or art, or movie or any other creative endeavor) criticism leaves me somewhat dry. It’s so subjective, I wonder sometimes why we even bother.

Still, I do like to share, and publicists do like to send me things, so I’ll take a few seconds today to tell you about Klang!, the forthcoming debut LP from Seattle-based trio Motorik. The band’s official bio (which sorely needs to be rewritten) compares it to such 1980s mainstays as Echo and the Bunnymen and Killing Joke, and the group’s publicist swears singer Sio sounds like a female Robert Smith, though I don’t hear it. To me, Motorik combines the dance-punk fervor of The Rapture with the caustic vocals of PJ Harvey, enhanced with the plunky basslines of early Cure material.

Either way, the nine songs featured on Klang! are punchy, fun balls of postpunk revelry with just enough pop to keep your ears sweetened amongst the sometimes salty delivery. “Six Filters” will have you double-checking your iPod to see how Siouxsie and the Banshees got on there, while “Box of Knives” finally answers the question, “What would an Interpol/The Duke Spirit collaboration sound like?” Thanks to Motorik, you’ll wonder no more.