Record Collection by Mark Ronson & the Business Intl.
I picked up this album (yes — I still buy music) today on the strength of its title track alone and it has not disappointed. Ronson is probably more well-known for his production and songwriting work in the U.S. (he co-wrote Amy Winehouse’s song “Back to Black”), but he’s come out with a couple of albums of his own (one being an alt-hip hop record and the other being a covers album) as well. Having not heard his previous music, I imagine that Record Collection is an intersection of those two previous ideas — catchy-as-hell pop music that has elements of hip-hop present while still appealing to those who do not follow the genre. With cameos from artists ranging from Ghostface Killah to Duran Duran, it’s certainly one of the most eclectic records of the year — and maybe one of the best as well.
Circa Survive have been a well kept secret in the world of music. They are here with their third album (first on a major label), and have created 11 songs of pure gold.
Full review below the ‘read more’ break.
Maycomb - Crystal Tiger Blues
Maycomb bring five excellent pop-punk tunes, full of potential and energy.
This EP came to me from All Aboard Records, again. Almost everything they are putting out at the moment is great, and this release from Maycomb is no exception. There’s a ‘Kids In Glass Houses’ feel about their sound. This shows maturity over a lot of pop-punk being thrown around at the moment.
It’s not an overly energetic album, but instead glides around, each instrument flowing extremely well together. The vocals bring you in, with catchy, thoughtful lyrics. The guitars lead with calm riffs, whilst the drums power through in the background.
What really stood out to me on this record were the more than interesting song structures. Where most pop-punk can fall into a tedious pattern, these guys keep you guessing, and make for five extremely interesting songs.
You can buy the E.P here, and check Hope House, above.
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Dillinger Escape Plan - Widower
I’ve heard the name thrown around a lot in the metal community, but never really got round to giving them a chance, until I heard they had a new album out.
I can tell you straight off the bat, it’s a confusing album. As a first time listener to TDEP, and as a musician, I instantly found myself trying to figure out what was going on with the time signature in the first song. I gave up on that pretty quickly. This album can be described fairly simply. It’s mind-blowing. If you want something heavy, it’s got that. It’s got melody intertwined with complexity. How they effortlessly switch and combine all these different elements is beyond anything I have ever heard. There’s even a piano part in Widower, showing a calmer side. This song does eventually slip back into the staccato blasting between the guitars and drums, thankfully keeping the melodic singing at the forefront. This song closes with what almost sounds like jazz improvisation. As I stated at the beginning, it’s confusing, yet hypnotically interesting.
This won’t appeal to everyone. First time listeners to metal I’d advise to avoid this. They won’t understand it, yet to the seasoned musical ear this is a beast of an album. They’ve set the bar of math-core so high that I highly doubt any other band is going to be able to touch them.
In conclusion, this album and band is a force to be reckoned with, and how they’d convert this insanity into a live performance I have yet to see. I have no doubt that it would be a treat to witness.
Option Paralysis is TDEP’s fourth studio album, and first for Season Of Mist Records. Buy the album here.
“Drunk Girls” by LCD Soundsystem.
This is the début single from LCD Soundsystem’s forthcoming album entitled “This Is Happening.” In a lot of ways, it’s typical LCD Soundsystem — jangling guitars, clap-along drumbeats, and snarky lyrics — but there’s a certain je ne sais quoi about this track that is most compelling. The entire song, especially the constant refrain of “drunk girls” (and, every so often, “drunk boys”), is very echoic of the David Bowie track “Boys Keep Swinging” if it were played at a sped-up tempo. Nonetheless, it’s a welcome introduction to what James Murphy says will be the last LCD Soundsystem album, and its release on 17 May (UK).
John Candy is the the side project of 2 members of Futures and Tonight Is Goodbye, signed by All Aboard Records. This album is a step away from the upbeat power-pop songs of their other band.
Perceptard: a group of music-lovers who grab you by the scruff of the neck and say "now that you've heard it, try listening." This is that place to find the songs you've heard but never really noticed.
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