The Fratellis - Here We Stand
Interscope Records (6/10/08)
Rock / Alternative
The Scottish trio of brothers (Jon, Barry and Mince) have found a winning formula here, with an album full of fun, catchy and upbeat sing-alongs. Just as the weather is warming up, The Fratellis have caught me in a moment of breezy giddiness; the pop-wise swagger [...]
Last Monday, I caught up with Julian Hamilton and Kim Moyes of The Presets on their tour bus, to talk about their new record, their creative process and their spot in mainstream culture. The boys were thankful that I wasn’t video-taping the interview because they seemed to be dealing with the flu. We chatted for about 20 minutes before their sound check.
The Presets - Apocalypso
Modular Recordings (5/13/08)
Synthpop / Electro / House
The Presets, comprised of Kim Moyes and Julian Hamilton, immediately became one of my favorite bands after I caught them on a tour with Ladytron in 2006, when the relatively unknown Australians caught my attention with their hard-hitting club tunes paired with onstage antics.
Their 2005 [...]
Teletextile - Care Package
Self-released (2007)
Art rock / Indie
Teletextile is the post-musical project of the Pamela Martinez Band. Lead singer Martinez is quoted on the band’s Web site as saying, “[Teletextile's] name comes from an obsession with relating music and art you can touch and feel like fabric.” Enlisting another talented multi-instrumentalist, Brian Hamilton, [...]
Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours
Modular / Interscope (4/8/08)
Dance / Pop / Rock
I’ve been familiar with the Modular label for awhile. With the likes of The Presets, Chromeo, Klaxons and MSTRKRFT among others on board, I wanted to check out Cut Copy. However, when I finally got around to listening to their debut [...]
M83 - Saturdays=Youth
Mute Records (4/15/08)
Electronic / Ambient / Shoegazer
I knew I was going to adore this album once I heard an interview with Anthony Gonzalez, about this album, where he explains, “I loved being a teenager. That’s when I discovered music and started to take drugs and party with my friends.”
This album is [...]
Be Your Own Pet - Get Awkward
XL Recordings (3/18/08)
Punk rock
I should have been in high school when this album came out; I’m a little out of my element on this one. Get Awkward could make a kid in college feel old, and a post-collegiate (ahem, me) feel positively ancient.
With that aside, and unlike a [...]
The Raveonettes - Lust Lust Lust
Vice Records (2/19/08)
Rock / Alternative
Frontman Sune Rose Wagner recently explained to NME that the title of this, the band’s fourth album, Lust Lust Lust, was derived from the album’s lyrical content. This is apparent as the themes explored therein are much the same as previous offerings, delving into the [...]
The Kin - Rise and Fall
Aletheia Records (10/9/07; available now on iTunes)
Acoustic rock
After a first listen to the The Kin’s album, Rise and Fall, I was immediately reminded of being in high school, and falling in love for the first time. The soundtrack of my life at that point revolved mostly around a local [...]
U.N.K.L.E. - War Stories
Surrender All (7/24/07)
Rock / Experimental / Electronic
I have to admit, I went into this album unfairly hoping for the heydays of Psyence Fiction when DJ Shadow’s influence could still be felt in the group. However, I was pleasantly surprised by War Stories. Though there is a lot of genre-hopping on this, [...]