popwreckoning

Top 3 albums of 2011

• The Antlers – Burst Apart
• Company of Thieves – Death of Communication
• Manchester Orchestra – Simple Math

I’ve always been a huge Jack’s Mannequin fan and if I had to pick one word to describe Andrew McMahon’s music throughout the years it would have to be this: consistent. McMahon is no stranger to the world of music, first making it big with Something Corporate, then Jack’s Mannequin. And every single record he’s released has been one hundred percent solid. Of course I’m probably biased because Jack’s is one of my favorite bands and I’ve seen them countless times, but People and Things is great. It’s poppy, catchy and each song is one earworm after another. I recognized a fair amount of them upon first listen; the band  has played a few songs live in recent months, including the previously released single “My Racing Thoughts,” “Amy, I,” “Hey Hey Hey (We’re All Gonna Die),” and “Hostage.”

Like I mentioned above, consistency is one of Jack’s Mannequin’s strong suits which means while the music hasn’t changed a lot over the years, it’s had staying power that has no need for a grand evolution. It’s already something great, and Andrew knows what he’s doing when it comes to playing piano and constructing meaningful lyrics. The album starts on a familiar note with the single “My Racing Thoughts” and leads into one of my favorite’s on People and Things, “Release Me.” I’m a sucker for a strong piano melody that gets my toes tapping. The repetition of “release me” and “unless you let go” gives the listener a sense of urgency which is what I think makes Andrew’s style of writing so great. Next on the album is the song “Television” which has a laid back feel and features a bit of synthesizer which is a first for the band. New sounds in what is usually a familiar-sounding band is always exciting.

Andrew has a knack for including songs written to the wonderful lady in life, this time under the pseudonyms Amy and Amelia Jean  in “Amy, I” and “Amelia Jean.” They’re both earnest and heartfelt songs. They’re what makes the album so accessible. Everyone experiences love and heartbreak and everything in between those two powerful emotions. The catchy melodies and repetition of names are what make the songs memorable. “Platform Fire” and “Restless Dream” slow things down and break the album up a bit, giving the listener a minute to relax and reflect, and the album ends on a calmer note with “Casting Lines.”  ”All the lines we cast will bring us home” sings Andrew – a fitting line for the closer on the album. People and Things feels complete, which was a debatable topic about Jack’s Mannequin’s previous album Glass Passenger. But People and Things has a beginning, middle and end and it feels good. There’s a recurring theme throughout the album, or maybe it’s more of a voice, but that thing is urgency. The band really has something to say and they command your attention with the urgency and passion they put into each carefully crafted song. With titles including words like ‘me,’ ‘we,’ ‘I,’ and ‘people’ it’s easy to see how personal these songs are. Fans both new and old will love this album; I know I do.

Track list

1. My Racing Thoughts
2. Release Me
3. Television
4. Amy, I
5. Hey Hey Hey (We’re All Gonna Die)
6. People, Running
7. Amelia Jean
8. Platform
9. Hostage
10. Restless Dream
11. Casting Lines

http://www.jacksmannequin.com/

Mutemath has always struck me as overwhelmingly talented for how underwhelmingly popular they are.  They had that awesome backwards music video for “Typical” on MTV quite a few years ago; what happened after that? They seemed to fall off the map completely. Of course that’s according to the average music listener, and I would not consider myself to be the latter. The minute I saw that video I was hooked, and the minute I saw them perform at St. Louis’ Pointfest in September 2007 I was floored. I’ve kept tabs on them ever since and am always speechless after their shows.

Yeah, bands can sound great on their recorded albums, but when a band is better in a live setting… that’s how you know they’re truly talented. And can we talk about drummer Darren King, who quite literally Duct -tapes protective headphones on his ears before he begins a set? And quite literally crowdsurfs on his floor tom? And quite literally destroys his kit at the end of every set the band plays? But I digress. What I’m really trying to say is this: Mutemath is awesome and you should definitely buy this album and a ticket to a show the next time they’re in a city near you.

Mutemath seem to produce music at a slow and steady pace, with Mutemath coming out in 2006, Armistice in 2009, and finally Odd Soul in 2011. There are a couple EPs thrown into the mix, but for the most part the band takes their time. And with good reason, too. There is so much depth to every song they produce. With vocals, guitars, bass and drums, and handfuls of synthy beats and ethereal sounds, the attention to detail is warranted. Odd Soul, in typical Mutemath fashion, starts with heavy distortion, thick bass drum beats and Paul Meany’s screaming, soulful voice. I can imagine The Black Keys being a muse for this album; the bluesy vocals and dark, sexy bass lines are enough to make anyone shake their hips.

“Prytania” is an upbeat rocker repeating the words “loaded gun” and “Blood Pressure” repeats its title to the sounds of slide guitar. Next is “Heads Up.” Are you seeing the pattern here? Mutemath has something to prove with this album and they’re using strong words to do it. “All Or Nothing” showcases a softer side, with the talent of Meany’s haunting falsetto. With less distortion on his voice than usual, this song is a little bit sparse and shows the audience a stripped down, personal side. “Sunray,” an instrumental interlude, breaks the album in two, with the first half being a little more organic and the second more spacey and traditional to the band’s typical sound. “Quarantine” rages on for seven minutes before the album comes to a close at a lengthy fifty minutes with “In No Time.” Just as “Odd Soul” is the perfect opener, “In No Time” is the perfect closer. I’m a firm believer in listening to albums from start to finish, and start to finish only. Odd Soul is an excellent example of why – it fits so brilliantly together. Buy it, listen to it, soak it up, dance around and rock it hard.

http://mutemath.com/ - Be sure to check out the music video for “Blood Pressure.”

Thrice has always been a band full of surprises, with each album sounding radically different from the one before it. Just when you think you have their sound pinned down and figured out, they find a way to go above and beyond your expectations. While their bold shifts in style may have alienated a handful of fans, if you’ve stuck around over the last decade it’s something to marvel at. Their early work is more punk while Vheissu takes an experimental turn. And then there’s The Alchemy Index, a rather lofty project that in my opinion is a true showcase of the band’s talent and one of my favorites. Beggars just didn’t do it for me and seemed rather forgettable, so I was really excited to see what the band would come up with next.

Major/Minor not only met my expectations but exceeded them. It feels like a natural follow up of all their releases to date and they may have finally settled into a comfortable sound. “Settling” and “comfortable” can be negative descriptors when it comes to bands and new albums, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth in this case. This album is cohesive and strong and is an excellent culmination of all their albums thus far. Thrice has found a sound they like and are going steam ahead with it. Better get on the train before you’re left behind.

“Yellow Belly” is a heavy, grungy opener and I can’t get enough of it. What a great way to start an album. Tell me your head isn’t bobbing and I’ll have to call you a liar. Lead singer Dustin Kensrue’s gritty vocals command attention and right off the bat it’s intensity from here on out. The grunge theme manifests itself throughout the album, particularly on “Blinded” and “Cataracts.” We get a taste of their softer side in the first half of “Call it in the Air” which is reminscent of their experiments with Air and Water of The Alchemy Index and it finishes strong and dark with nods to Fire. “Anthology” by far is the real gem of this album. It’s completely different from what we’ve heard from Thrice before as it has clear emo guitars and a post-rock feel. “Disarmed” closes the album nicely on a calmer note with choir-like vocals and melancholy guitars fading into silence. Clocking in at forty-eight minutes with most songs in the five to six minute range, it sounds like a dense piece of work, but it flies by once you put those headphones on.

Thrice seems to have found their sound and I dig it. With a soft spot in my heart for The Alchemy Index and a nostalgic spot for Artist in the Ambulance, I can definitely find room for Major/Minor‘s stellar achievements in sound.

Track list:

1. Yellow Belly
2. Promises
3. Blinded
4. Cataracts
5. Call It In The Air
6. Treading Paper
7. Blur
8. Words In The Water
9. Listen Through Me
10. Anthology
11. Disarmed

www.thrice.net 

Blitzen Trapper, with three previous Sub-Pop albums under their belt, have produced quite the wide array of sounds. 2007′s Wild Mountain Nation sounds as if it was thrown together with reckless abandon, a giant mish-mash of sounds and passions. There were indie-rock melodies and folky boot-stomping tunes with a healthy dose of country twang. 2008′s Furr leaned more to the pop-rock side of the spectrum with Americana intertwined through and through. And next was Destroyer of the Void which took on a new sound altogether with prog-rock guitar sounds and a mellower tone. So who could really predict what would be next? At first listen, American Goldwing is a nice homage to Furr with influences of traditional Southern rock. It’s blatantly alternative-country and maybe a little bit indie. If anything, it showcases the band’s versatility to record whatever they want and turn it into an album. And it sounds great.

There’s a flurry of noise from multiple different instruments throughout the entire album – heavy bass, buzzing and sliding guitars, banjos, harmonicas, pianos… you name it, there’s probably an appearance. The album is lively and an entertaining and engaging album from start to finish. Noodling guitars and the southern drawl of lyrics keeps it light-hearted and energetic.  It’s rare to find a songwriter who can take such a large swath of influences and put them together, and it’s exciting when they sound so great together.

“Fletcher” is an ambling blend of backwoods country with its drunken escapade lyrics grounded by Earley’s sweet, Southern Comfort delivery and the guitar sounds by Marty Marquis. Marquis is a great asset to the group,  generating edge and bite in contrast with Earley’s gentleness and flowing songwriting. “Street Fighting Sun” is his best of the album, a showcase  guitar power that growls and shrieks and provides great depth to the song. The chemistry of these two musicians creates a unique sound that paves most of “American Goldwing’s” middle ground, creating an easygoing sound stylistically country but instrumentally classic rock. “My Home Town” and “Girl In A Coat” are a welcome breather from the upbeat frenzy of the rest of the album, with acoustic-y guitars, banjos, and the occasional piano. Things pick right back up though and the self-titled track aptly mirrors the overall feel of the album.

With loads of praise from Rolling Stone and Spin Magazine, Blitzen Trapper are destined for great things in the world of indie, alt-country tunes and American Goldwing is a solid addition to their catalog of tunes.

Track list:

1. Might Find It Cheap
2. Fletcher
3. Love The Way You Walk Away
4. Your Crying Eyes
5. My Home Town
6. Girl In A Coat
7.  American Goldwing
8. Astronaut
9. Taking It Easy Too Long
10. Street Fighting Sun
11. Stranger In A Strange Land

www.blitzentrapper.net 

Reptar have announced that they have signed to Vagrant Records, who will be working in partnership with Make Records Not Bombs on the upcoming Oblangle Fizz Y’all EP.  The EP was due out digitally on August 2nd.

The band will later take to the road to support the Oblangle Fizz Y’all EP by playing Austin City Limits music festival, after already playing Lollapalooza.  A nationwide tour with Foster The People and Cults will immediately follow ACL festival in September.

Tour Dates:

September 15 – House of Blues – Dallas, TX * ^
September 16 – Austin City Limits Music Festival — Austin, TX
September 17 – House of Blues – Houston, TX * ^
September 19 – House of Blues – New Orleans, LA *
September 20 – Beacham Theatre – Orlando, FL *^
September 21 – Masquerade – Atlanta, GA *^
September 23 – The National – Richmond, VA *^
September 26 – 9:30 Club – Washington DC *
September 29 – House of Blues – Boston, MA *^
September 27 – Terminal 5 – New York, NY *
October 1 – Sound Academy – Toronto, ON *
October 2 – Newport Music Hall – Columbus, OH *^
October 4 – The Vogue – Indianapolis, IN *^
October 6 – First Avenue – Minneapolis, MN *^
October 7 – The Aquarium – Fargo, ND
October 9- Showbox at the Market- Seattle, WA*
October 10 – Commodore Ballroom – Vancouver, BC*
October 15 – The Wiltern – Los Angeles, CA
October 18 – The Wiltern – Los Angeles, CA
October 23 – Chicago, IL – Metro **
October 24 – Madison, WI – High Noon Saloon **
October 26 – Minneapolis, MN – First Ave **
October 27 – Omaha, NE – Waiting Room **
October 28 – Denver, CO – Marquis Theatre **
November 01 – Sacramento, CA – Harlow’s **
November 02 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore **
November 03 – Santa Barbara, CA – Soho **
November 04 – Los Angeles, CA – The Music Box **
November 05 – Phoenix, AZ – Crescent **
November 08 – Dallas, TX – The Loft **
November 09 – Austin, TX – Mohawk **
November 10 – Houston, TX – Fitzgeralds **
November 11 – Baton Rouge, LA – Spanish Moon **
November 12 – Birmingham, AL – Workplay Theatre **
November 13 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade **

* w/ Foster the People
^ w/ Cults
** w/ Phantogram

For more information on Reptar please visit their Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/reptarmusic

Canadian quartet Tokyo Police Club announced an ambitious project with Polaroid and Red Bull Studios, recording 10 cover songs from the years 2001-2010 over the course of 10 days. The band has revealed the potential songs for each year for fans via the project’s official website, www.polaroid.com/tokyopoliceclub, created by Polaroid. The final track will be revealed each night prior to recording.

The project begins today at 12pm PST, Tuesday, August 23 at the Red Bull Studio Los Angeles when the band enters the studio to rehearse and record a cover song over the next 10 hours, to be premiered the following morning at 10am PST by one of seven exclusive media partners starting Wednesday, August 24. The final song will be premiered on Saturday, September 3. The band will be creating daily Polaroid photo diaries and filming the entire recording process. In addition, each song will have unique artwork created from a Polaroid image shot that day in the studio.

Song premiere schedule:

Wednesday, August 24 – 2001 – EntertainmentWeekly.com – 1pm EST/10am PST
Thursday, August 25 – 2002 – AlternativePress.com – 1pm EST/10am PST
Friday, August 26 – 2003 – AlternativePress.com – 1pm EST/10am PST
Saturday, August 27 – 2004 – Spinner.com – 1pm EST/10am PST
Monday, August 29 – 2005 – Mashable.com – 1pm EST/10am PST
Tuesday, August 30 – 2006 – AVClub.com – 1pm EST/10am PST
Wednesday, August 31 – 2007 – AVClub.com – 1pm EST/7am PST
Thursday, September 1 – 2008 – Filtermagazine.com – 1pm EST/10am PST
Friday, September 2 – 2009 – Filtermagazine.com – 1pm EST/10am PST
Saturday, September 3 – 2010 – ARTISTdirect.com – 1pm EST/10am PST

Jim Ward, frontman of Sparta and Sleepercar and founding member of At The Drive-In, has released his debut solo album Quiet In The Valley, On The Shores The End Begins & The Electric Six via his own Tembloroso Recordings. The album is a compilation of his acoustic solo EP trilogy – 2007′s Quiet, 2009′s In The Valley, On The Shores, 2011′s The End Begins – paired with an additional disc of select tracks gone electric. In celebration of the release, Ward premiered the electric version of “Decades” on AltPress.com last week; the track is also now available as a free download here. The Zach Passero-directed video (http://youtu.be/M8kP54WS9qc) for the electric version of album track “Broken Songs” premiered on My Old Kentucky Blog last month; the acoustic version, which features Tegan Quin of Tegan and Sara, is available as a download today via Amazon’s Free Song of the Day (here).

Following a sold-out hometown El Paso, TX, record release show at The Percolator, Ward is currently in Australia for three dates. He’ll return to the States on August 19^th to launch a four and a half week US headlining tour, which begins that night at Club Congress in Tucson, AZ. The tour will take him up the west coast, through the midwest and southwest before wrapping up on September 3^rd at The Mohawk in Austin, TX. Ward has also now announced an east coast headlining tour, beginning September 18^th at The Earl in Atlanta, GA, and wrapping up September 27^th at The Crofoot in Pontiac, MI. These dates include a September 22^nd show in Boston supporting Yuck at TT The Bear’s; a September 24^th solo show in New York City supporting Rhett Miller at the Highline Ballroom; and a September 25^th performance at the Pop Montreal festival. El Paso’s The Lusitania – whose album Rain and Rivers Ward and bandmate Gabriel González produced in their studio, Clap of Thunder – will support on most dates and play as his backing band.

In related touring news, Sparta has announced they will play their first show since 2008 this November in El Paso.  They’re confirmed to perform on November 17^th at Tricky Falls, the newly renovated venue co-owned by Ward. Sparta - Ward, drummer Tony Hajjar, bassist Matt Miller, and guitarist Keeley Davis – will also head into the studio this fall to begin work on their fourth LP, the follow-up to 2006′s Threes.

Jim Ward Tour Dates:

AUG. 10         SYDNEY, AUS                           ANNANDALE HOTEL

AUG. 12         MELBOURNE, AUS                    EAST BRUNSWICK CLUB

AUG. 13         BRISBANE, AUS                       ALHAMBRA LOUNGE

AUG. 19         TUCSON, AZ                            CLUB CONGRESS

AUG. 20         SAN DIEGO, CA                       SODA BAR

AUG. 21         LOS ANGELES, CA                    THE SATELLITE

AUG. 22         SANTA BARBARA, CA                MUDDY WATERS

AUG. 23         SAN FRANCISCO, CA                HOTEL UTAH

AUG. 25         SEATTLE, WA                           SUNSET TAVERN

AUG. 26         VANCOUVER, BC                      MEDIA CLUB

AUG. 27         PORTLAND, OR                         THE BUNK BAR

AUG. 30         MINNEAPOLIS, MN                   400 BAR

AUG. 31         CHICAGO, IL                           SCHUBAS

SEPT. 1          UNIVERSITY CITY, MO              CICERO’S

SEPT. 2          NORMAN, OK                           OPOLIS

SEPT. 3          AUSTIN, TX                             THE MOHAWK

SEPT. 18        ATLANTA, GA                           THE EARL

SEPT. 19        CHAPEL HILL, NC                     LOCAL 506

SEPT. 20        WASHINGTON, DC                   DC9

SEPT. 21        PHILADELPHIA, PA                   MILKBOY

SEPT. 22        BOSTON, MA                           TT THE BEAR’S#

SEPT. 24        NEW YORK, NY                        HIGHLINE BALLROOM%

SEPT. 25        MONTREAL, QC                       LE CAGIBI (POP MONTREAL)

SEPT. 26        TORONTO, ON                         HORSESHOE TAVERN

SEPT. 27        PONTIAC, MI                           THE CROFOOT

* The Lusitania support on 8/19-9/22, 9/25-27

# supporting Yuck

% solo show supporting Rhett Miller

Sparta Tour Dates:

NOV. 17         EL PASO, TX                           TRICKY FALLS

Partisan Records has announced the release of Deer Tick’s new record, Divine Providence. Set to be released on October 25, 2011, Divine Providence was produced by the band along with Adam Landry and Justin Collins, who were also at the helm for lead singer, main songwriter John McCauley’s highly acclaimed side project, Middle Brother. Deer Tick’s live shows and McCauley’s overall stage aesthetic fueled his desire to create the raw and spontaneous kerosene blaze that is Divine Providence. While the break-neck speed and damn-it-all fury could give one the sense that it all may fall apart in an instant, Deer Tick never loses sight of the song. It is insanity, but there’s obviously a plan in place.

“After so many years of critics praising [and making fun of] us for our ‘folk’ and ‘country’ sounds, and hardly ever mentioning the fact that we’ve also recorded virtually dozens of other kinds of music, we wanted to make a record that was truer to our live set: raw, loud, heartfelt, and completely uninterested in whatever the hell the rest of the music industry is up to,” says McCauley. “The results are unlike anything you’ve heard on a Deer Tick album.”

Divine Providence is the Rhode Island quintet’s fourth album in just five years, and is the first one the band has recorded in their home state. It’s a follow-up to their fantastic Black Dirt Sessions, that New York magazine called “flat-out great,” and inspired the Late Show with David Letterman to give the band its network television debut. The new record features for the first time lead vocal turns on a couple of songs by guitarist Ian O’Neil and drummer Dennis Ryan.

The tracklisting for Divine Providence is:

The Bump
Funny Word
Let’s All Go to the Bar
Clownin’ Around
Main Street
Chevy Express
Something to Brag About
Walkin Out the Door
Make Believe
Now It’s Your Turn
Electric
Miss K.

www.deertickmusic.com

I’ve listened to Beirut’s  The Rip Tide several times through and I still feel as if I don’t have a strong opinion about it. I’ve enjoyed every listen, but it’s just not sticking with me and I can’t decide if it’s my own fault or the album’s. It’s good. I don’t have anything negative to say. But then again: it’s good – and that’s about all I can think to say. The Rip Tide is a solid, mediocre album that didn’t live up to  the fantasies I had constructed in my head after so many years of no new releases. Beirut evokes many happy memories and nostalgic feelings for me and the new album seems to have lost a little of the band’s old magic. With all of that said, it’s still an enjoyable album and you should definitely give it a listen. If anything, please prove me wrong and tell me it hits home with you. Because right now it’s just not quite sticking with me, and I really want it to.

“Santa Fe” is perhaps the most upbeat and poppy songs on the album, unlike some of the other eight songs on this short and sweet album that take a little time to unfold. Patience is rewarded though, because after several listens the other songs really come alive. Maybe it’s a reflection of the harsh winter weather surrounding the time of the recording, but it has a slower pace as a whole. “Goshen,” with lines about “never finding home,” is moody and dramatic but springs to life once the snare drum kicks in and gets the listener ready for the wailing trumpets. On “Payne’s Bay,” the sharp trumpets stick around and the album plugs on. I’m finally finding myself tapping my toes. “Headstrong” feels like the peak of the album and the songs become a little less memorable from there on out.

Beirut’s previous albums have seemed a little less focused and maybe that’s how I prefer them. The Rip Tide is only nine songs and a little more than a half-hour, and it is obvious that this is a tightly packed group of songs. Each number in the collection carries weight, and repeat listens slowly opens each of them up. “Port Of Call” showcases Zach Condon using his ukulele as a driving melody, and the title track sways gently just like its names suggests.

All of these elements come together and form a cohesive album, but I’m left craving more. Where some people would see a sign of maturity in this shorter, yet more cohesive album, I’m left craving more wild-and-free. Give it your own listen and see what you think.

Tracklisting:

1. A Candle’s Fire
2. Santa Fe
3. East Harlem
4. Goshen
5. Payne’s Bay
6. The Rip Tide
7. Vagabond
8. The Peacock
9. Port of Call

http://beirutband.com/