Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Mosquito

We haven't heard any new material from Yeah Yeah Yeah's for close to 4 years and after the fantastic 'It's Blitz' came out back in 2009 I have been yurning for more from this trio ever since. Mosquito however I feel isn't the follow up I had hope from by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, it's certainly not as memorable or instant as either 'It's Blitz' or 'Fever To Tell' and it doesn't reach the astonishing highs the flawed 'Show Us Your Bones' reached. When I listen to this album I often feel like I'm listening to a band that had a long period of writers block during the album writing process and it's an album that provides very few highs and an astonishing amount of misfires. It's not as if the is anything particularly offensive on this album, it's just I always leave this album feeling like the is no reason to come back at all, and that's the first time I've felt this way about a Yeah Yeah Yeahs album; as far away from bad as it may be it's equally as distant from being 'great'. Song's such as 'Mosquito' and 'Area 51' come off as a band completely going by the motions and that's a real shame. 

Album Review: The Knife - Shaking The Habitual

Definitely near the top of my most anticipated records of the year list once announced I've been looking forward to a new album from The Knife ever since Silent Shout blew my mind way back in 2006, the surreal electronic pop music was simply wonderful, and when the day came for this albums release I turned my stereo up to 11 and was prepared to digest this album in all it's off beat glory. A departure/evolution of sound was to be expected on this album, you can hardly expect a band not to evolve in 6 years, however I found myself largely underwhelmed by this album. It's not that it isn't interesting, it is very interesting, it's just I don't think the core songwriting is very good with many songs hitting their peak way before they conclude. It's a good album, but it's not the masterpiece I was hoping for and as far as I'm concerned it doesn't even come close to the masterpiece 'Silent Shout' you may disagree and the is plenty to appreciate in this album but for me it's got the foundations to be a great album but it's chock full of filler & failed experimentation. 

Album Review: Paramore - S/T

Having never been a huge fan of Paramore, but always been a big fan of their singles, I've found myself listening to their entire discography over the years but have never been overly impressed; sure they were often showing glimpses of being a great pop punk band, but the reliance on a strict formula and cringe worthy ballads totally killed it for me. On their latest self titled album I was totally caught off guard by how much I enjoyed this album, with a total line up overhaul, Paramore have strung together a diverse collection of top tier pop songs that just relentlessly deliver in memorable hooks, melodies and energy. With tracks such as 'Fast In My Car', 'Grow Up' & 'Ain't It Fun' all jostling for single of the year you also have some awesome heavier moments such as the Post Rock closer 'Future'. It could be criticised for being perhaps a bit too long but as far as I'm concerned the isn't really a dud on the whole album, but if it was only 12 track it'd have been one of the greatest pop record released this generation.  As it stands it's a flawed pop masterpiece. 

Music Video: A Primitive Evolution - We Are Lost

A Primitive Evolution are an alternative rock/blues band from Toronto whose accolades read pretty impressively for any upcoming band with various festival appearances, support slots with popular acts such as Billy Talent and coming 2nd in a regional hard rock competition; it's fairly clear to me that this band has appeal. What struck me was how polished and high budget this music video is for an unknown band, with very acomplished direction & some impactful imagery,  I kind of like it! Now whilst this is far from my usual cup of tea & I cannot envision myself listening to this too much in the future I can definitely say as far as big anthemic rock songs go this is a tier above from your average band, and I can imagine fans of bands such as Queens Of The Stone Age, The Dead Weather and Jane's Addiction getting quite the kick out of it. Whilst not a huge fan I can definitely see this band potentially grasping a large audience, the blend of acoustic guitars in what is a fairly heavy up-tempo track & those harsh guitar tones towards the end adds a breath of fresh air in what is often seen as a very stale genre; it's pretty good but those looking for a revolutionary sound may need to look elsewhere. 

'We Are Lost' was released on debut album 'The Prize' last year & is available on Spoitfy 

 A Primitive Evolution – The Prize

Why am I rebooting my blog with a song I'm not in love with you ask? I got an e-mail and remembered I had a blog! I will now resume updating said blog.

Dawn Richard - Goldenheart

'Goldenheart' is the debut full length LP from former P.Diddy manufactured girl band 'Danity Kane' member Dawn Richard coming off the back of her highly brilliant EP 'Armor On' which came out last year. This album pretty much follows all the tropes of this alternative R&B that seems to be around at the moment & if I'm honest with you I think this may be that genres defining piece, at least currently. Full of hooks, infectious melodies & some incredibly clever song structures which combines subtlety with abrasiveness which allows Dawn to create an album that sounds familiar and approachable as well as producing an album that has got it's very own defined sound, atmosphere and theme. For an album as long as 'Goldenheart' I was really quite surprised at how cohesive it sounded with every song sounding completely at home within this album with enough variants and changes to stop the album from dragging or becoming repetitive. In short this album is a masterpiece and would proudly sit as the Magnum Opus of any musicians back catalogue & considering this is a debut I really cannot wait to hear what else comes from the mind of Dawn Richard in the near future. 

Comadre - Self Titled

A fresh new year and a time for fresh new releases & whilst I have never heard Comadre before this release I have to say that if 2013 continues in this trait then I'd be a very happy chappy. Comadre is very much a hardcore/screamo album with onslaughts of distortion underneath some incredibly palatable and melodic guitar riffs. Clear influences would be bands such as 'The Blood Brothers' with their grooves, screams and noise. 'Cold Rain' and 'King Worm' pull off one hell of a 1 2 blow as they come in loud and proud with grooves and infectious hooks. 'Drag Blood' comes out a little leftfield with inclusion of Trumpet and the ninth track 'Hack' is a superbly poppy synth laced number with lots of momentum and drive. And that how I'd best describe this album, it's album with a lot of momentum and drive & it never relents, it finds it's footing and pacing early on and runs with it. The isn't any real weak tracks on here, just some tracks outshine others & this is a fantastically punchy record which I'm sure will get a considerable amount of plays this year. 

Memory Tapes - Grace/Confusion

We all have a band like this, love one and only one release and be practically indifferent to anything they've released besides that release, and this is mine I'd like to welcome you to 'Memory Tapes'. I loved 2009's 'Seek Magic' to the point of it my album of the year, it was bright and fun, it took you threw a journey of ideas without ever seeming cumbersome or lost. 2011 saw 'Player Piano' come out and I honestly couldn't tell you a thing about it, it was an album that failed to hold my attention, and I must've listened to it no more then 2 or 3 times... this coming off the back of an album I still listened to frequently at the time of 'Player Pianos' release. Now we end up at 'Grace/Confusion' an album which has some fantastic moments and ideas but it sure likes to take it's sweet time getting to them & whereas the more ambitious moments found in 'Seek Magic' were equally as long and as adventurous each song felt like it had a sense of purpose and it held your attention the whole way. 'Grace/Confusion' has a lot of moments which will make you really pay attention but more then half the time is spent transitioning from moment to moment and it fails to hold your attention whilst doing so. The are 2 songs on here that I cannot recommend enough though 'Neighbourhood Watch' is a beautiful song with moments of melodic sombre and frantic epic electronic infused noise, it was a build that I loved with results that paid off. The second song is the lead single 'Sheila' which really feels like it could have been one of the stronger moments from 'Seek Magic' and it has found the long lost groove found on that album, both these songs are excellent and would've made a fantastic single, in fact the is enough here for a great EP but as it stands at least half the material here is disposable and whilst it does make those bright moments shine that little bit brighter I'd be lying if I said the journey to get there wasn't a bit of a slog..

Patrick Wolf - Sundark and Riverlight

Patrick Wolf has already been with us for 10 years & that's quite a hard thing to get your head around. I got into him fairly late in 2004 when I first heard Lycanthropy pouring out of my friends stereo and immediately fell in love with his electronic folklore. Over the years Patrick Wolf has gone under a bit of a diva transformation, gained and lost fans on every passing release & is constantly evolving his sound. The heart is still there but where it was in an incredibly bleak place before it's now dancing on the beaches of San Fran with a huge smile on it's face & good on him. This song concentrates on stripping down some old favourites to their bare acoustic roots & whilst it is for the most part a collection that provides some memorable renditions it has to be said that given most these songs were made with a showy composure in mind some of these songs simply don't work. The are moments in songs like 'Paris', 'Bluebells' & 'The Magic Posistion' in particular where he goes into chanting and without the grand composure behind the lyrics the songs begin sounding a little bit on the comical side. Some songs translate surprisingly well such as 'Hard Times' & a lot of the material from 'The Bachelor' in particular come out far better then I thought it would with it's more sombre approach foregoing to schizophrenic production on that album. Patrick's vocals are also the strongest I have ever heard them, he's certainly not the shy 17 year old any-more  he sings his songs loud & proud and that really helps carry this album. As an artist that relies so heavily on electronic beats on his songs this is a surprisingly good experiment & works as your very own acoustic session of Patrick Wolfs greatest hits & whilst they rarely improve on the originals it's a very good way to cap off your 10 year anniversary  Even the most jaded Patrick Wolf fans should give it a shot even if it's to hear some reworkings of your favourites from yesteryear. 

Song Of The Day #11: Sparklehorse - Morning Hollow

It's Sunday so I think I may start sticking to a religious regiment of songs to feel 'sorry for yourself to' as that's quite frankly what most of us do on a Sunday. A shining example of this is the very  sombre 'Morning Hollow' the very apt title is about feeling Hollow in the Morning and feel this to be a fantastic song to listen to when you're nursing a hangover. It's 7 minutes long but it'll pass you by like a freight train as you close your eyes and pad your thoughts out with the emotion felt in this song. 

Hear the rest of the 'Song Of The Day' playlist here: Pitch&Key Song Of The Day

'Morning Hollow' is from the bands 2006 release 'Dreamt For Light Years In The Belly Of A Mountain'

Song Of The Day #10: Ugly Casanova - Hotcha Girls

Side project of Modest Mouse front man Ugly Casanova really ushered the more wholesome and folky sound the band would adopt with 2004's 'Good News For People Who Love Bad News'. This song is a particular stand out from this body of work with 2 vocals interlayering over each other over an incredibly delicate and pretty acoustic backing track. The album 'Sharpen Your Teeth' is pretty damned good but I just wished it hit these highs more often.

Hear the rest of the 'Song Of The Day' playlist here: Ugly Casanova – Hotcha Girls

Hotcha Girls can be heard on the bands 2002 releases 'Sharpen Your Teeth' 

Love and Regret - Cold Showers

Cold Showers is the debut album LA band 'Love & Regret' who formed around about 2 years ago & they combine pop music with traditional angular guitar riffs and shoegaze to create a sound that's heavy in atmosphere and heavy in hooks. On first listen it may seem that 'Cold Showers' and it's 8 songs sound a bit nondescript & for the most part this is kind of true, I could imagine any number of shoegaze influenced bands putting out this record & this would be a problem if some of the songs weren't so damn catchy. This album does one thing particularly well and that's throwing you some incredibly catchy and simple guitar riffs that feel immediate and garners your interest pretty quickly 'In Terms Of Pleasure' is a favourite of mine with it's bass line and indie pop guitar tone  and female/male vocal harmonies making up a very simple yet very strong chorus, & 'Seminary' is a pretty strong closer offering an increase in tempo and overall presence which works really well for this band. The one thing that can be laid against this album that whilst for the most part songs are very enjoyable the is nothing really to them that allows them to truly stand out from the crowd, whilst all the songs have their quirks which make them unique within the context of the album, they really do not stand out in an oversubscribed genre. I guess the best way to sum up this album would be 'good but unspectacular' & I don't mean that in a horrible way either. The just isn't enough in this album to make me get overly excited about it,  is a fairly accomplished debut with some very strongly crafted pop influenced shoegaze treats.  

Song Of The Day #9: Thievery Corporation - The Forgotten Peopl

With the feeling of 'Lawrence of Arabia' to it, this song is incredibly hypnotic and groovy and catches the ear with some very clever sampling, sinister bass line and lively percussion which jumps out at you in a way you just don't hear in a lot of electronic music. This beat just has so much going for it that I find myself listening to it again & again & again, a great marriage of sampled melodies and live percussion.  

Get the rest of the 'Song Of The Day' playlist here: Pitch&Key Song Of The Day

'The Forgotten People' can be found on Thievery Corporations 2008 release 'Radio Retaliation' 

Bat For Lashes - The Haunted Man (6.7/10)

I have been quite a huge fan of Bat For Lashes for quite some time now, the first time I heard 'What's A Girl To Do' I knew I found the quirky female musician for me. Fast forward to 2012 and we see Natasha grace us once again with her third album 'The Haunted Man' and where the kookiness has left Bat For Lashes ambition has never been greater... unfortunately this leaves a distinctive lack of charm and identity. Bat For Lashes has never released a killer album, I found Two Suns to be a bit top heavy, but for me it's always been about those great moments Bat For Lashes produces on quite a consistent basis. This year it's all about the likes of 'Laura' which is an incredible conventional ballad with some real power behind it with an incredibly strong vocal performance, 'The Haunted Man' is quite an epic  , 'Rest Your Head' has a really nice dream scope underlying the driven momentum & 'Winter Fields' hits you in the face with an incredibly haunting yet driven sound. However this album falters, where the low points of previous efforts where mealy disappointing, the lulls in this album often feel soulless and lifeless & this can mostly be blamed on incredibly limp production.  The synths and drums on this album sound particularly pathetic as you hear snare hits quietly whimper in the background & with synths that leave no impression at all, I honestly couldn't pin point a single tone or sound a synth produced on this entire album despite their heavy presence.  'Oh Yeah', 'Horses Of The Sun' & 'Deep Sea Diver' are three clear examples of an idea not quite coming together  they all sound like songs with killer ideas in them but they never feel like cohesive and engaging songs threw and threw. This album is a collection of some incredibly ambitious ideas & to her credit she does have more then her fair share of moments where the album all comes together to produce something fantastic but unfortunately about half the duration of the album left me incredibly frustrated, underwhelmed and bored. I think these songs will for the most part translate really well live but I cannot stress how truly awful the production is at times & this hindrance really shows up some of the flaws of the song writing.

+ 'Laura', 'Marilyn' & a few others are really strong songs; some of her best to date
+ Shows a lot of ambition
+ Should translate well live with a lot of big moments which will sound much better without lifeless drums

- A lot of songs don't quite come together as well as I would have liked
- The production is awful, the drums & synths have no presence and it's often way too bassy
- This album lacks true identity, relies a bit heavily on sounding 80's & conventional

Song Of The Day #8: Xiu Xiu - Fabulous Muscles

'Fabulous Muscles' from the album of the same name is an incredibly soft, warped & heartfelt offering from Xiu Xiu and probably is the most intimate song ever released under the guise. Forgoing the usual distorted noise that Xiu Xiu usually lace their songs with this song is simply nothing more then Jamie singing over a very minimal acoustic guitar, it's very warm and incredibly beautiful. 

Get the rest of the 'Song Of The Day' playlist here: Pitch&Key Song Of The Day

'Fabulous Muscles' can be found on the bands 2004 release 'Fabulous Muscles' 

Song Of The Day #7: The Chariot - First

'First' by the Chariot starts off a solid enough hardcore track but what makes this song so very special is the way it evolves into an incredible half which would best be described as spaghetti western. This is a fantastic song which takes an unexpected turn which makes this track really catch the ear. Superb at everything it does, but especially the spaghetti western theme.

Get the rest of the 'Song Of The Day' playlist here: Pitch&Key Song Of The Day

'First' can be found on the bands 2012 release 'One Wing'

Song Of The Day #6: Sea Of Bees - Skinnybone

I discovered this song & this band whilst I was looking up some of the bands playing the fantastic 'Park' stage at Glastonbury in the year 2011. I looked up this band & this song and instantly fell in love, this is just a fantastically dreamy pop song, with female vocals softly singing over a whole lot of fuzz. It's a truly brilliant little song which progresses in a very pleasant way, I will never tire of this song. 

Get the rest of the 'Song Of The Day' playlist here: Pitch&Key Song Of The Day

Skinnybone can be found on Sea Of Bee's 2010 release 'Songs For The Ravens' 

Song Of The Day #5: The Isley Brothers - This Old Heart Of Mine (Is Weak For You)

This song really needs no explanation as to why it's here does it? It's just motown perfection with the upbeat and uplifting chorus and it's heart felt & soulful delivery of the verses is what motown is all about isn't it? And this song embodies it better then any other, just music in it's purest and most perfect form. 

Get the rest of the 'Song Of The Day' playlist here: Pitch&Key Song Of The Day

This Old Heart Of Mine can be found on the bands 1966 single release of 'This Old Heart Of Mine'

Songs Of The Day #4: Nicolas Jarr - Space Is Only Noise If You Can See

Definitely one of my go to songs of the last summer 'Space Is Only Noise If You Can See' is a remarkably groovy and organic electronic sound with a bassline that encourages compulsive nodding. Full of space, atmosphere and with the air of the hypnotic this track makes for great mood music but also great personal listens. Lazy & memorable.

Get the rest of the 'Song Of The Day' playlist here: Pitch&Key Song Of The Day

This Track is found on Nicolas Jarr's 2011 release 'Space Is Only Noise'

Song Of The Day #3: Lemonheads - Rudderless

It's A Shame About Ray is one of the only albums I listened to in my early years that I still listen too frequently to this day, I know this thing very well & it has been a good companion to me over the years. A particularly strong song 'Rudderless' has a great mix of acoustic and electric guitar which blend together so very well when the songs main riff is played. The song builds and progresses threw out it's 3 minute 19 duration and ends with a great chant along. Fantastic song.

Get the rest of the song of the day playlist here: Pitch&Key Song Of The Day

This track is found on the bands 1992 release 'It's A Shame About Ray'

Song Of The Day #2: Yo La Tengo - Sugarcube

Continuing from the previous song on the playlist we have Yo La Tengo's Sugarcube which featured on their 1997 LP 'I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One' which is incidentally my favourite Yo La Tengo album. The song is arguably the band at their most commercially viable with a music video to match, with it's understated fuzz and mellow vocal hook, this song has all the makings of a great lazy summer rock song. 

Get the rest of the song of the day playlist here: Pitch&Key Song Of The Day

This track is found on the bands 1997 release: I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One