Surfer Blood - Astro Coast (Kanine)

You can a lot of the times tell exactly where a band hails from. The Beach Boys were obviously straight from the beaches of California, The Beatles out of grizzly Liverpool, England and so on and so forth. That theory is in definite support of very young new group Surfer Blood straight out of Florida. Surf rock is definitely Surfer Blood's main stamp on their sound as they blast their way through their songs on their debut Astro Coast.

Surfer Blood's sound has a simplistic quality that so many other bands have as well, but not to the extreme of simple like Wire or early Spoon. Surfer Blood has the simple that has good round influence and textures of lo-fi guitar noises like Pavement but with a touch of Weezer's somewhat simple sound. On top of all that, there is a surf rock twist that adds in for a very unique sound. Even on the hard-hitting intro of the opening track "Floating Vibes" the mood is set that Astro Coast is going to be a guitar heavy adventure.

The guitar riffs may seem a bit repetitive and unoriginal, but jangly lead guitar lines rainbow over the heavy rhythms of the guitar. It seems like there isn't a single different guitar "sound" that Surfer Blood tries to use. Astro Coast all sounds like one chilling, groovy song that is split into different parts. That may have its advantages, but takes away from the enjoyment in the long run of the album.

The same complaint is true to the vocals, bass and drumming of Surfer Blood; it all sounds the same. Though the song structures do change up everyone in a while, the repetitive nature of the whole sound is quite tiring after a while. The song structure change-up is quite obvious especially for the "Fast Jabroni" and "Slow Jabroni" sequence of Astro Coast, there basically the same song except the ladder is slowed down, obviously. It's a bit unoriginal.

Surfer Blood have a good twisted sound that can be pretty fun to listen to, but I feel like that they aren't striving for much to put themselves ahead of the pack in the indie universe. Boring reptitive songs that may drone on and on really impede the enjoyment of the second half of the album. The two opening tracks "Floating Vibes" and "Swim" are the strongest on Astro Coast.

Overall: 7.8/10

Track Listing:

1. Floating Vibes - 9.0
2. Swim - 8.5
3. Take It Easy - 7.5
4. Harmonix - 8.0
5. Neighbour Riffs - 7.5
6. Twin Peaks - 7.5
7. Fast Jabroni - 7.5
8. Slow Jabroni - 7.0
9. Anchorage - 8.0
10. Catholic Pagans - 7.5

Sample:

"Floating Vibes (Live)"

Foals - Total Life Forever (Transgressive)

Many bands make lots of changes on their progression from their debut album to their second one. I can spend all day listing bands that have done this number, but I'm not going to waste your time. Foals does that on their sophomore LP Total Life Forever. Their debut isn't bad, but lack the passion that Total Life Forever shows. With very drastic build ups like "Spanish Sahara" and jangly guitar lines on "Total Life Forever", Foals put themselves on a very definitive place of alternative dance.

Opening with the very fun "Blue Blood" the mood is set for Total Life Forever immediately. Talking Heads funky counter rhythms and math rock influenced dance tunes transcend the unique sound that Foals are establishing. "Blue Blood" shows listeners how much more patient Foals have become to where they wait to build up their sound and let it explode out.

A lot of the tracks on Total Life sound like a mix of '90s alternative music mixed in with some post-punk. The drum work on "This Orient" shows the post-punk side while the very quirky guitar lines show the alternative side. The many genres that are crossed throughout Total Life is interesting and intriguing a provide for a fresh listen. A lot more dreamy than Antidotes, Total Life have a more laid back and "chill" feel to it's overall spacey feel.

The most interesting song of Total Life Forever is the six minute danceable tune "After Glow". Again, the post punk plus alternative is ever so present on "After Glow" but is perfected through the very heavy plastered bass line and experimental guitar lines. Sadly, even being six minutes, the very fun song finishes far to early.

The vocals of Total Life Forever is fairly consistent throughout; spacey and distant with most of the time inaudible lyrics. It's very unique when combined with the rest of the elements going on through Foals' sound. On the very moody atmospheric track "2 Trees", the vocals of Yannis Philippakis are dreamy, and are captured perfectly above the intriguing guitar lines with the complex beat of the drum. It all makes for Philippakis's best performance on the LP.

Overall Foals truly improves on their sound to create a unique combo of post-punk and alternative dance-like structures. Very spacey vocals and thrilling guitars flood the waves of Foals' new, more polished definitive sound on their very impressive sophomore LP Total Life Forever.

Overall: 8.3/10

Track Listing:

1. Blue Blood - 9.0
2. Miami - 8.0
3. Total Life Forever - 8.5
4. Black Gold - 8.5
5. Spanish Sahara - 8.5
6. This Orient - 8.0
7. Fugue - 7.0
8. After Glow - 9.0
9. Albaster - 8.0
10. 2 Trees - 9.0
11. What Remains - 8.0

Sample:

"Miami"

Past Favorites 03 - Talk Talk - Laughing Stock (Verve)

The year of 1991 in music is mostly known for its introduction of popular grunge music from Nirvana's Nevermind and hip-hop was taking a turn for the best with A Tribe Called Quest's jazz influenced album The Low End Theory to establish the genre "alternative rap". But, underneath all this genre-defining albums, one band was lost in all the fuss. Talk Talk released their fifth and final studio album Laughing Stock, the definite album that is the starting point of the very diverse genre "post-rock".

Laughing Stock starts out with a very ambient landscape of a guitar chord which translate the rest of the song, "Myrrhman". The influence of Miles Davis's ambient jazz masterpiece In a Silent Way is plastered all throughout "Myrrhman". On the second song of Laughing Stock, "Ascension Day", Talk Talk explores more of a progressive driving force with very abrasive guitar parts and industrial style drumming. Though the drumming may sound repeptitive, it defines a very simplistic and effective way to keep the rhythm in check for the chaotic parts.

On "After the Flood", Talk Talk takes a more groovy feel to their style with organ parts that sound straight out of classic R&B songs. Mark Hollis's vocals sound earnest and tangled up within riddles; "Spurning step by step/Blame something else/Thirsting/Within without/Sighted/Weeded/How they run/Slain in number". Hollis reaches the climax of the song with such integrity that you feel the rush run down your body and you can't help but give "After the Flood" another listen.

"Taphead" introduces more elements of In a Silent Way with the piercing chords of Harmon muted trumpets and very bluesy guitar lines. "Taphead" is probably the most ambient song on Laughing Stock that never truly builds up, but does promise much on the next track, "New Grass". Drummer Lee Harris takes on a more jazzy swing pattern on "New Grass" which transcribes beautifully with the very delicate piano part and occasional viola parts.

The finale to the album is probably Talk Talk's most challenging and delicate piece on Laughing Stock. The very bluesy slide guitar is alone with the occasional piano chord and singing. The only disappointment towards "Runeii" is how short it is.

Laughing Stock's lyrics are very religious and filled with riddles. "Faith one path/And the second in fear/A half wit am I read," coos Hollis on opening track "Myrrhman" with such a touch in his style of singing that is so delicate. The musical style that Talk Talk takes on is so genre-crossing that it makes for such an interesting experience. Jazz, ambient, progressive rock, experimental and art rock all make up for Talk Talk's style. Nowadays, that describes perfectly what post-rock is. With post-rock artists like Sigur Ros, Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Explosions In the Sky, they have all have influence towards Talk Talk's Laughing Stock.

The number one disappointment of Laughing Stock is how short it is. Only clocking in at about 42 minutes, it may be a bit short for a post-rock album. Laughing Stock immerses you into its sound, but then disappears just as fast as fast at it came. But, that might honestly might make this album so good. The mystery of the whole thing is what makes Laughing Stock interesting.

Overall: 9.3/10

Track Listing:

1. Myrrhman - 9.5
2. Ascension Day - 9.5
3. After the Flood - 9.5
4. Taphead - 9.0
5. New Grass - 9.0
6. Tuneii - 9.5

Sample:

"Ascension Day"

Fang Island - Fang Island (Sargent House)

Fang Island's self-titeld debut LP literally begins and ends with the sound of fireworks. If you can't think of a more epic beginning and ending, try and manage to think that after hearing the entirety of Fang Island. Explosions of cymbals, high piercing guitar solos and very Animal Collective-esque vocals make up Fang Island's signature, collective sound.

Fang Island sounds like a heavy progressive metal band with a twist of indie. Single "Daisy" might just show the whole picture of what Fang Island are about; complex guitar parts, fast-paced drums, quirky keyboard noises and synchronized harmonic vocals. It's hard to distinct one track from another due to the reason that everything simply sounds the same. The second half of the album really starts the drag beginning with "The Illinois" and spirals downwards from there.


Though, Fang Island may sounds like a bit of a rip off of Animal Collective's quirky complex keyboard sounds with the same vocal technique they use, Fang Island has different qualities of their own to separate the confusion and originality. Fang Island tenacious over dubbings of guitars can really be out there and yet can be so satisfying especially the fast flurries of "Sideswiper". The guitar sounds sound all the same though and don't show any sings of changing in the future for Fang Island, which might be diminishing.

It all sounds glorious and epic, but then again Fang Island did tell everyone that their music is like "everybody high-fiving each other", which is awesome by any standards. But the soaring above the heavens guitar solos can get to you after a couple of listens just like any metal album from the '80s, but the indie appeal of Fang Island somewhat makes for it.

Speaking of being like a metal album, well I don't want to leave a wrong impression. Nothing on Fang Island has that very driving downward force that metal has, everything is uplifting and sounds happy rather than angry. I would count that as a very unique and pleasant aspect towards Fang Island. I don't know if that would please or anger the everyday metal fan, but I sure know it pleased me.

Another downfall to Fang Island is the amount of what's going on in the music. The chaotic approach to the music is very tenacious and gutsy, but can be a nuisance to try and grasp what exactly is going on between that super fast double bass pedal and the cheesy synths of "Davey Crockett". But overall, Fang Island is a very unique and refreshing album to make you feel triumphant at life and to conquers any fears and problems in your life.

Overall: 7.4/10

Track Listing:

1. Dream of Dreams - 9.0
2. Careful Crossovers - 8.0
3. Daisy - 8.5
4. Life Coach - 6.5
5. Sideswiper - 7.0
6. The Illinois - 6.0
7. Treeton - 7.0
8. Davey Crockett - 6.5
9. Welcome Wagon - 7.0
10. Dorian - 8.5 Sample: "Daisy"

Top 10 Albums of 2010 (So Far)

2010 has seen it's fair share of exciting albums and very genre-defining artists have stepped up. Here is my list of 2010's best albums so far at the mid-point of the year.




10. Male Bonding - Nothing Hurts
Getting the job done in under half an hour, noise-pop group Male Bonding's debut Nothing Hurts rocks the fast-paced noise pop to the ground. From the punky "Year's Not Long" to the cool atmospheric break "Franklin", Nothing Hurts is one of the year's strongest noise-pop album around.


9. Local Natives - Gorilla Manor
From the clank-filled drum fills to the beautiful three-part harmonies, Local Natives' debut Gorilla Manor impresses. On opening track "Wide Eyes", the whole album is revealed with, deep rushing bass and eccentric guitar lines, Local Natives have much promise in the future.



8. The Tallest Man On Earth - The Wild Hunt
Swedish folk artist Kristain Matsson's, aka The Tallest Man On Earth, sophomore LP follows the nifty, down-to-earth folk that Matsson specializes in. The Wild Hunt is passionate, romantic and very raw and will please any fan of Bob Dylan and classic folk.

7. Beach House - Teen Dream
The dreamy teen pop group of Beach House's third LP, Teen Dream, delivers and fully solidifies Beach House's premier sound. With dreamy hits like "Zebra" and "Lover of Mine", Beach House puts out their most strong effort to date.



6. The Morning Benders - Big Echo
Co-produced by Grizzly Bear bassist Chris Taylor, the Californian boy of The Morning Benders create a very atmospheric album with lush, articulate tracks like "Pleasure Sighs" and "Promises". Sophomore act Big Echo is a big step up from their debut Talking Through Tin Cans.



5. Owen Pallett - Heartland
Formally Final Fantasy, Owen Pallett takes on his very quirky baroque pop feel on third album, Heartland. Telling the story of Lewis, Pallett's unique lyrics and exciting song writing, shines through the lush orchestra compositions.



4. The National - High Violet
Following 2007's highly successful album The Boxer, The National return with an even more exciting, soulful fifth LP that rocks. High Violet's beautiful song written lines exchange interestingly through transitions with heart-filled "England" and depressing "Sorrow".


3. Titus Andronicus - The Monitor
Based off the historical event of the USS Monitor, shoegaze punk rocking Titus Andronicus releases their sophomore LP The Monitor. Epic filled choruses of screams and shouts, Titus Andronicus won't disappoint. On opening track "A More Perfect Union", Titus dominates the sound waves with heavy guitar lines and unique lyrics.

2. LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening
James Murphy's high anticipated third and final album under the title of LCD Soundsystem, sounds as fresh combining elements of both of his previous two LPs. This Is Happening is what's happening, from the dancy "One Touch" to the guitar screaming epic "All I Want", James Murphy continues to impress.

1. Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma
Steven Ellison's sound sounds the most matured on his latest album Cosmogramma bringing in unique and addicting samples of raw, obscure sounds. Feautring Thom Yorke and Laura Darlington, Ellison releases his best album to date. "Arkestry" is a unique blend of electronics and avant-garde jazz.


Six more months of awesome music.

Beach House - Teen Dream (Sub Pop)

"Your love is stag in the white sand/Oasis child born into man," moans dream pop duo's singer Victoria Legrand on Beach House's opening track "Zebra". Mysterious and fragmented lyrics like that of "Zebra" is very persistent throughout the entirety of Beach House's third LP Teen Dream. Following their sophomore hit Devotion, Beach House continues their mellow, drawn out dreamy sound that their first two albums Beach House and Devotion pride itself on. Teen Dream is more eerie and chilling compared to the first two works, but has a more hooked feel to it.

If a video was set to the music if Beach House, it would all be set in slow motion. The very haunting and dreamy guitar line from "Norway" drips over the very distant tom-tom hits. Though Teen Dream can have its shares of cheesy drum machines and organ lines, especially on "Walk In the Park", it all seems to blend well with the very heavy dream-like trance that Beach House is attempting to put upon their listeners.

The lyrics that Legrand talk of love and romance immensely; "Don't forget the nights when it felt all right/Are you not the same as you used to be" ("Used To Be"). Looking at the title of this LP, Teen Dream, the "dream" is of two lonely teenagers wanting love; a very common theme, but when put on top of the very creepy, yet tender, instrumentation of the band, it's a very fitting theme. "Come into our minds and you rush through our lives/We parted our lips and we reached from inside," croons Legrand on very quirky track "Lover of Mine" which can be interpreted to the teen lovers running away from their troubled normal lives to their "teen dream".

Teen Dream's very dreamy haunting atmosphere really doesn't sink in until the third listen where it just feels right. The shoegazy feel of "10 Mile Stereo" and the very quirky drum machine from "Lover of Mine". This album was released way back in January, so it is a very "winteresque" album. It's like a fresh sip of hot chocolate and yet give you chills of the very vivid pictures that Beach House paints for you on Teen Dream.

Overall: 8.4/10.0

Track Listing:

1. Zebra - 9.5
2. Silver Soul - 8.5
3. Norway - 8.5
4. Walk In the Park - 8.5
5. Used To Be - 8.0
6. Lover Of Mine - 9.0
7. Better Times - 8.0
8. 10 Mile Stereo - 9.0
9. Real Love - 7.5
10. Take Care - 8.0

Sample:

"Zebra"

Past Favorite 02 - The Pop Group - Y (Radar/Rhino)

Ironic band names are always good fun. The Grateful Dead is a good example, wouldn't you think that they are a metal group? No, they're classic rock. What about Phish? Psychedelic group? Nah, they're jam. What about the more unknown Pop Group? A group of five guys singing in harmony to chessy synths and simplistic rhythm lines? Not at all, The Pop Group are a avant-garde post-punk band that have the groove of Talking Heads, dark sound of Joy Division and raw feel of Iggy Pop. Their debut album Y was released back in 1979 in the golden age of post-punk, one of the most interesting genres of the century.

Post-punk combines the rebellious inputs of contemporary punk with the experimental side of rock that the late '60s and early '70s were famous for. The Pop Group's haunting debut Y is a definite classic of the post-punk movement that swept the world in the late '70s and early '80s. Y definitaly has a hard and funky groove to it, but can a lot of loose it in the obscure sounds that The Pop Group bring do the sound waves. On the opening track "She Is Beyond Good and Evil" it has a very Talking Head-esque guitar line that counteracts the very groovy bass line and offbeat, yet driving high hat rolls.

If you tried to dance to The Pop Group's music, it would be quite a avant-garde scene. You wouldn't know how fast to dance because the speed changes so frequently. You'd have to just wave your arms and up and scream. Lead singer Mark Stewart's screams and distorted voice samples have a ghostly counteraction to the very groovy instrumentation of the rest of the group. Captain Beefheart must have been a very big influence on this band as traces of his very scary, abrasive saxophone solos litter "Thief of Fire".

A lot of the lyrics that Stewart lays out deal a lot with political topics. "But who do I trust?/When you're stealing from a nation of killers/Do I trust myself?". Stewart paints canvases of schizophrenic emotional train wrecks of stories that reek psychological distress. Especially on "Don't Call Me Pain", "Obey because you either love or hate/Mercy mercy mercy/Let the U.S. bleed happily/Let the U.S. bleed in peace." It's all very avant-garde.

Though it can be very hard to listen to at time, especially the abrasive horn solos on "Don't Call Me Pain" and "The Boys From Brazil". It's all a very funk-filled avant-garde experience with twists left and right. You never know where The Pop Group will be going next with their experimentation. The drumming of Bruce Smith is very Love-like (1960s psychedelic band), off-beat and unexpected high hat patterns. It may sound out of order and unfitting, but it all does fit very well within the confines of the groovy bass lines of Simon Underwood.

The strongest work on Y is "We Are Time" a six-minute epic that always grooves on and on through endless bass progressions and different bizarre chord changes. The hooks that are packed in the surf-rock guitar line that is present throughout. The Pop Group's genre crossing music is very interesting and addicting and you will find new things every time you listen to it. A lot like Trout Mask Replica from Captain Beefheart.

Overall: 9.2/10.0

Track Listing:

1. She Is Beyond Good and Evil - 9.5
2. Thief On Fire - 9.5
3. Snow Girl - 9.0
4. Blood Money - 8.5
5. We Are Time - 10.0
6. Savage Sea - 9.0
7. Words Disobey Me - 9.0
8. Don't Call Me Plan - 9.0
9. The Boys From Brazil - 9.5
10. Don't Sell Your Dreams - 9.0

Sample:

"We Are Time"

Julian Lynch - Mare (Olde English Spelling Bee)

Album covers (most of the time) define an album for the artist. The Velvet Underground & Nico's banana art by Andy Warhol was revolutionary and began the beginning of the "indie" scene, The Beatles' self-titled "White Album" launched the idea of simplistic colors to define an album's sound and Nirvana's infamous naked baby cover reeked rebellion and revolutionary-like standards. The experimental folk artist's debut LP Mare's cover looks like a beautifully drawn horse on a brown paper bag. It reeks folk artistic features that touch bases with the experimental side adding in very off-putting electronics. Mare's cover is something you look at and then lose interest, a lot like Lynch's music.

Julian Lynch's music has a very deep and atmospheric quality about it. Maybe to much, it feels dominating into the upper regions of the sound and creates a very deep voiced sound. Lynch sounds a lot like a amped up Nick Drake (speaking of Pink Moon-era). Lynch's music comes across as very revealing and emotional, deep tom-tom hits that hidden well within the clutches of inaudible vocals and very bizarre keyboard lines that a lot of the time have no business being there.

The most upbeat of the songs is "Ears", the drums sounds like a tribal gathering and ghostly cries of Lynch bring in a very damp and moisture-filled sound. The most interesting of the short 37-minute LP is "A Day At the Racetrack" that brings in good hooks of jazzy guitars and other assorted horns. The bass is also at it's most finest moment, very deep and mellow but not as overpowering at it is on the rest of the album. Another interesting and enjoyable track is "In New Jersey" that truly sums up Lynch's debut in a whole. Starting out with bizarre noises with hints of distant electronic vamps with a very tribal drum feel that escalates into Lynch's very hypnotic inaudible singing. Then a very psychedelic guitar solo emerges under the progressive bass line, following the guitar solo is a very jazzy avant-garde saxophone solo emerges and counter-acts the very mellow druggy feel that Lynch is so adept at creating.

Speaking of druggy, a lot of the music sounds like a relaxing LSD trip. "Stomper" has a very jangly keyboard line that clashes against chessy synthesizers and has a very druggy feel. It may sound very interesting at first, but really does start to ware down on your after a couple of listens. In fact the music might ware down to being very boring. Though Julian Lynch is creative, the music he creates has to much of a muffled sound that can act like a snooze button. "Ruth, My Sister" has the most "clear" sound with a very jazzy saxophone part that feels bizarre next to the keyboard part.

Mare never truly satisfies the listener. It stays on the same level -- dull transitions and very hypnotic rhythm sections. It feels like Lynch put a giant cloth on everything in his music to make it all sound muffled and earthy. It can work to an extent, but Lynch's approach is very dull and lacks the satisfaction that a listener always craves.

Overall: 5.7/10.0

Track Listing:

1. Just Enough - 6.0
2. Mare - 6.0
3. A Day At the Racetracks - 8.0
4. Stomper - 5.0
5. Interlude - 4.5
6. Still Racing - 5.0
7. Ears - 5.5
8. Ruth, My Sister - 5.5
9. Travelers - 5.0
10. In New Jersey - 6.5

Sample:

"Travelers"

Owen Pallett - Heartland (Domino)

Final Fantasy was a lame name for the experimental rock artist Owen Pallett. Naming yourself after a video game gives the wrong impression to anyone who doesn't know Pallett's musical qualities. The growth that Pallett has shown on his third album Heartland not only articulate his quality as a musician but as a composer as well with beautifully arranged string and orchestra pieces.

According to Pallett, Heartland is based on a "young, ulta-violent farmer" named Lewis who is controlled by an all-powerful narrator named Owen. The songs are all one-sided dialogues with Lewis speaking to Owen. The lyrics reflect theological questions about the nature of fate and deep topics. But all in all, Pallett just says it's about him.

Pallett's skill as a composer is showcased beautifully through and through on Heartland. From the plucked "bass line" of cellos, basses and violins on "Keep the Dog Quiet" to the very moving string movement towards the end of "The Great Elsewhere", the influence of classical music just reeks through the music. Besides just being a classical junkie, Pallett also shows his musicianship with very fitting and mellow keyboard lines that especially fit on tracks like "Lewis Takes Off His Shirt" and "Red Sun No. 5".

The very insightful lyrics that Pallett inscribes on the musical barriers are lucid and fit with the mood of the album. "The sun sped accross the plains like the cinematic moment/Where humanity and nature collide," breaths Pallett on the more tense quiet moments on "Tryst With Mephistopheles". Pallett speaks a lot of epic randomness that floods the album. The lyrics read like a incredibly confusing short story that is based on one theme of psychology.

Pallett evokes emotion like no other baroque pop artist I've come in contact with. A feeling of triumph is felt every time I play "Lewis Takes Off His Shirt". The feeling of conquering dominance and pushing through is just emitted through that track and is corresponded with the rest of the LP.

A first listen of Heartland may not sound as gentle and flowing as a third of fourth listen. The baroque pop qualities never falter to a less suitable sound that doesn't satisfy the hunger for a very diverse style album. Who needs electric guitars and fancy drum sets when you can have full rich mellow orchestrations. The soaring lyrics that gently slide over the orchestrations of Pallett are beautiful and define a very beautiful baroque pop album.

Overall: 8.6/10.0

Track Listing:

1. Midnight Directives - 9.0
2. Keep the Dog Quiet - 9.0
3. Mount Alpentine - 8.0
4. Red Sun No. 5 - 8.5
5. Lewis Takes Action - 8.5
6. The Great Elsewhere - 8.5
7. Oh Heartland, Up Yours! - 9.5
8. Lewis Takes Off His Shirt - 9.0
9. Flare Gun - 8.0
10. E Is For Estranged - 8.5
11. Tryst With Mephistopheles - 9.0
12. What Do You Think Will Happen Now? - 8.5

Sample:

"Lewis Takes Off His Shirt (Live)"

Sleigh Bells - Treats (N.E.E.T./Mom + Pop)

Imagine a teen pop singer run into a hardcore noise rocker who enjoys danceable hip-hop.What in the world would you get out of that? I've got an answer; Sleigh Bells. The Brooklyn, New Yokers bring out there debut album Treats after gaining tremendous attention from the likes of New York Times, Pitchfork, and other sources from their online released demos and singles off the M.I.A. label N.E.E.T..

Treats is set up like a traditional pop album. Average 32 minute run time, short two to three minute songs, one definitive single ("Tell 'Em"), boy does that not describe Treats in anyway. Sleigh Bells releases one of the loudest, rough record of the year so far. With layers of heavily distorted guitar, out of place (yet unique) female vocals of Alexis Krauss and hip-hop beats underneath all the loud noise. It really sounds like nothing else.

The vocals are truly the biggest downfall for the album. Though it is unique and diverse and stays fresh between songs, Krauss's teen pop voice just doesn't work. The only song that has above mediocre vocals is the most inventive and accessible song "Rill Rill" which sounds really identicle to M.I.A.. But songs like "Crown On the Ground" and "A/B Machines" where voice just doesn't blend at all with the music going on.

The noisy quality of the album is really something for hardcore noise pop fans. Put unlike other notable noise rockers like No Age or legends The Jesus Lizards, Sleigh Bells bring in unique elements like hip-hop and dance to their sound. On the opening track "Tell 'Em" the heavy bass beats clash head on with the synths that producer and guitarist Derek Miller crafts together have the dynamics of two dueling dragons. The dynamics of Treats is a very brave and tenacious effort. It's one of those albums where it is just so unbearably loud like a lot of hardcore punk and heavy metal LPs.

The song structure is basic dancing beats that follow a constant rhythm throughout the entirety of the tracks. It sounds jagged and not natural and greatly lessens the quality of the record. The only song that really flows beautiful is "Rill Rill". The studio trickery that is used on "Rill Rill" is one of the most inventive of 2010. The guitar sounds like it's going backwards and yet has a driving force to it. Using complex chords, Miller's shining moment of simple acoustics is more enjoyable than the piercing screams of the electric guitar.

One of the most challenging and loud albums of the year, Treats has little to offer for someone with a need for relaxing music. The blurry distortion of "Crown On the Ground" takes making music tense to a whole new level. With just one enjoyable song ("Rill Rill") Sleigh Bells don't impress despite the very unique sound that is like nothing in music today.

Overall: 4.6/10.0

Track Listing:

1. Tell 'Em - 5.0
2. Kids - 4.0
3. Riot Rhythm - 5.0
4. Infinity Guitars - 6.5
5. Run the Heart - 4.0
6. Rachel - 4.0
7. Rill Rill - 8.5
8. Crown On the Ground - 4.0
9. Straight A's - 3.5
10. A/B Machines - 6.5
11. Treats - 5.0

Sample:

"Infinity Guitars (Live)"

Wavves - King of the Beach (Fat Possum)

"Let the sun burn my eyes/Let it burn my back," yells out Wavves' singer Nathan Williams on the opening track "King of the Beach". These San Diego noise-punk boys couldn't make it more obvious that their third LP, King of the Beach, is a pure summer album packed with noisy surfin' punk rock.

Wavves still explore their tenacity at noisy, fast-paced punk oriented music, they switch it up from the very, very lo-fi to a more cleaner sound. That still doesn't mean that Wavves has lost it's hard rocking luster that their first two albums, they just have cleaned up all the extreme lo-fi noises and started recording in a studio. In other big changes in Wavves' musical sound they feature a complete rhythm section with the ex-members of the late punk rocker Jay Reatard touring band.

Wavves' singer Nathan Williams really just sounds like he's having fun on every track. His writing isn't complex or deep in any matter, but the lyrics seem to reflect the confusing, depressing and memorable moments of his own personal life. The confusing; "Green Eyes" ("Greens eyes, I'd run away with you/My, my own friends hate my guts"), the depressing; "Take On the World" ("I hate myself myself man, but who's to blame?/I guess I'm just see-through window panes"), and the memorable; "Post Acid" ("Understand, won't you understand in my time of need to understand/That I'm just having fun").

The reminsents of dirty raw lo-fi punk rock is very reminiscient in between the notes of the California surfing riffs in "Idiot". King of the Beach is a lot like a miniature revival of early 1980s heavily raw skate punk that was dominated by Big Boys and NOFX, but Wavves have a more chill lo-fi hint within the music with influences from Pavement and other '90s lo-fi giants. Wavves takes a lot of influence a lot of fun and enjoyable music from the past.

Besides just the lo-fi surf-punk that Wavves are very adept at creating they feature messy hints of shoegazing ("Green Eyes"), fuzzy spacey explosions ("Baby Say Goodbye") and bizarre out of place drum machines ("Mickey Mouse"). The valiant efforts of trying to mix up the bag on the second half of the album is a hit and miss. "Green Eyes" hits dead on the target with melodic hooks that really reaches out and grab out at you, while "Convertible Balloon" plays with very kiddy electronic drum machines that are uninteresting and repetitive.

The hard hitting punk of the first half of the album truly showcases the more fluid Wavves. Even though the music isn't described in anyway with "fluid". It sounds like Wavves are having more fun making their more punk oriented music as opposed to the more experimental themes of the second half."Idiot" and "Take On the World" are classic cases of self-loathing lyrics that was so popular in the skate punk music universe.

What a better time for Wavves to release an album. It's dead in the summer and "King of the Beach" is bound to play on a couple of beach stereos out on the Pacific coast. Though the lyrics aren't deep or meaningful, King of the Beach is a fun and summer soaked listen that couldn't be more timely.

Overall: 8.1/10.0

Track Listing:

1. King of the Beach - 8.5
2. Super Soaker - 9.0
3. Idiot - 8.5
4. When Will You Come? - 8.5
5. Post Acid - 8.5
6. Take On the World - 9.0
7. Baseball Cards - 7.5
8. Convertible Balloon - 6.5
9. Green Eyes - 9.5
10. Mickey Mouse - 6.5
11. Linus Spacehead - 8.0
12. Baby Say Goodbey - 7.0

Sample:

Past Favorites 01: Radiohead - Amnesiac (Parlophone)

PAST FAVORITES is the newest feature I will be starting. It will feature reviews of albums that I truly love from the past. This time's past favorite is Radiohead's fifth LP Amnesiac. I will try and do a past favorite every so often in a month. Enjoy.

My favorite band is Radiohead. I'm sure many of you that know me well know this. My favorite record by any band is Radiohead's fourth LP Kid A and close behind Kid A is the very critically acclaimed album Ok Computer. After Ok Computer, I've always loved their sophomore LP that skyrocketed their fame from a typical brit-pop band into a new alternative rock giant, it is called The Bends. After my love of The Bends their latest album In Rainbows and then followed by Hail To the Thief. But one album by Radiohead always seems to be overshadowed by past favorites, at least for me. It is called Amnesiac.

Just one year after the highly successful and shocking electronic driven album Kid A, their fifth album Amnesiac contains a lot of music that was recorded during the Kid A sessions, therefore the music has the same twitcty electronic feel that Kid A was famous for, but Amnesiac has a more deep connection to the influence of jazz. You can just hear the off-beat swing pattern of drummer Phil Selway on epic downer "Pyramid Song" and the most jazzy Radiohead song to date which features the English jazz musician Humphrey Lyttleton, "Life In a Glass House" is like a very clean avant-garde jazz piece with a singer.

Besides just having the jazzy songs that really just show the true Radiohead, there is the most rock-oriented song "I Might Be Wrong" and the electronic twitcy songs of "Packt Like Sardines In a Crushed Tin Box" and "Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors" that explore more of the ambient drone of Radiohead. One of the most challenging and interesting songs that Radiohead has to offer on this LP is "Like Spinning Plates" which is what it sounds like, but it is actually a song that Radiohead recorded and then played it backwards and it sounded more sutable for them, so they left it to be backwards on the LP.

Amnesiac seems to be more dark and depressing as opposed to Kid A. Kid A was like an impending doom on the horizon, it was hallow emptyness. But Amnesiac is like entering the doom and fighting it into a hallow of depression. "Dollars & Cents" explores the necessities of money and now the world is completely run on money ("We are the dollars and cents and the pounds and pence/And the mark and the yen"). "Pyramid Song" might be one of the saddest and most revealing song ever written by Thom Yorke (" Jumped into the river what did I see?/Black-eyed angels swim with me"), usually the lead guitarist Jonny Greenwood takes it true musical abilities to a new height and writes a orchestration for "Pryamid Song" and uses the unusual instrument ondes Marternot which creates the siren-like wailing heard throughout the song.

When I listened to Amnesiac for the first time, I couldn't stand it. I thought it wasn't that great, but like Kid A it really takes about four listens to truly grasp the beauty of the album and see it's true influences. "Knives Out" is probably the most accessible song that Radiohead has to offer on Amnesiac, it sounds like it should be on The Bends, but it is deeper and the lyrics reflect it, it's like a "Street Spirit Pt. 2" ("I wanted you to know/He's not coming back/Look into my eyes/I'm not coming back"). The other easy to listen to song is "You and Whose Army?" the very building song that will just build up and explode out into a very jazzy piano line that sounds like a gospel song and the yells of "You and whose army?" by Thom Yorke make for a very interesting and addicting listen.

Now that I look back in my favorites of Radiohead's catalog, Amnesiac will be very high, maybe not beating Kid A or Ok Computer, but a pretty close third in front of The Bends. It's kind of like a sequel to Kid A and I never really saw that, I just was frustrated at how much I really didn't like it, but now I think it's a classic. Though some songs do lack the luster to make a really fantastic album, it is still a worthy choice.

Overall: 8.9/10.0

Track Listing:

1. Packt Like Sardines In a Tin Box - 9.0
2. Pyramid Song - 10.0
3. Pulk/Pull Revolving Door - 8.5
4. You and Whose Army? - 9.5
5. I Might Be Wrong - 7.5
6. Knives Out - 9.5
7. Morning Bell/Amnesiac - 8.0
8. Dollars & Cents - 9.5
9. Hunting Bears - 8.5
10. Like Spinning Plates - 9.0
11. Life in a Glass House - 9.5

Sample:

"Pyramid Song (Live In Paris)"