Although its beginning to get cold, the music world is just heating up, with a bevy of new releases and upcoming concerts flooding the ears of everyone. Here is a little sample of whats new, whats coming up, and what to listen for:
Recent Releases:
*The Rapture Pieces of the People We Love. In the three year absence music fans sustained since the release of Echoes, the Rapture have managed to create a full-on punk-dance fusion that manages to cull from the verbose sound of their first album. The album starts with a kick and never slows down;
Don Gon Do It is a mind-numbingly catchy song that will seep into your soul from the moment the chorus is uttered and will have you clapping your hands for hours. Pieces of the People We Love is a little romp through the bands darker side, while Get Myself Into It is driven with a thrilling saxophone accompaniment unheard of since Danger! High Voltage. The often-chaotic dance-mix of the album can be summed up with the Danger Mouse produced track, Whoo! Alright-Yeah Uh Huh. Its just an album that wants to jump up, dance, and not care about the social consequences of its lyrical content unless it can rile up more people into shaking their hips.
*Tokyo Club Police A Lesson in Crime. If anyone wants to know what a quick punch in the mouth may sound like, pick up A Lesson in Crime. Its certainly not particularly heinous, violent, or repulsive like a Manchester United bar brawl punch might feel like, but its jittery, jolty punk in the same vein as Tapes n Tapes, much like a quick, friendly punch might appear to be. Its fun, quite different, and in less than 17 minutes, it will have more of a lasting effect on you than most bands that will try to replicate this sound. Shoulders and Arms opens up with a driving baseline and quirky drum work, while Cheer It On is pure enjoyable nonsense mixed with instrumentation that is all over the map. In the end, its a lot better than any bodily harm, no matter how enticing it may sound.
*Citizen Cope Every Waking Moment. Though not as abrasive and stunning as his self-titled debut, Every Waking Moment is no less an aesthetically pleasing achievement, filled with Clarence Greenwoods signature slacker-style instrumentation with a healthy mix of hip-hop. Although the album lacks a hit on par with Sons Gonna Rise from Greenwoods sophomore release, its an album complete with tracks that could easily provide the soundtrack to a lazy rainy day. Friendly Fire uses sonic ambience to lighten up what could have been a sub-par track, while Brother Lee and John Lennon feature hip-hop friendly instrumentation that cull from Greenwoods past as the turntablist for Basehead. For fans of easy-listening, singer/songwriter material, Citizen Cope presents the best and most inventive music of the sub-genre, and while Every Waking Moment is certainly better than most other albums in the same category, it doesnt really measure up to his earlier work.
Upcoming Concerts:
*TV on the Radio and Grizzly Bear, 10/14, Paradise Rock Club: After releasing the stunning Return to Cookie Mountain, TV on the Radio will arrive at Bostons Paradise Rock club ready to woe the lucky couple of hundred who will see their intimate performance. After a stint opening for Nine Inch Nails at gigantic arenas, TV on the Radio will be able to unleash their feverish sonic blasts in a cozy space where fans will be able to hear every beautiful chaotic noise the band creates. Openers Grizzly Bear have a lot to share to, as they travel in support of Yellow House, which combines the chaotic noise that make artists such as Animal Collective appear as musical oddballs, with the subtle sounds of acoustic instrumentation.
*Mt. Eerie, Karl Blau, D+ and Calvin Johnson, 10/15, Chums: The first show put on by the Punk, Rock n Roll Club will feature a number of critically lauded indie musicians. Of all the artists, Calvin Johnson has experienced a wealth of musical experience in his lifetime, working alongside artists such as Beck and Built to Spill in his long career. Indie cred or not, all of the acts will undoubtedly put on a good show and best of all, its free;
so dont hesitate to drop your Physics books for a great set of music.
*Broken Social Scene, Do Make Say Think, 10/16. Flogging Molly, Bedouin Soundclash, Zox, 10/17. Levin Ballroom: This will easily be the biggest two days of music in the semester, and along side with the free show at Chums on the 15th, it will have music lovers in a state of ecstasy that will carry them through the semester.
Oldie of the Week:
*Buzzcocks Singles Going Steady. With Flogging Molly closing out the Brandeis Rocks festival, there is no more fitting band to pick up than the Buzzcocks. While the Sex Pistols and the Clash are usually the two punk acts that immediately spring to mind when 1977 and England are paired together, the Buzzcocks remain as musically important as the former two acts. Their influential mix of pop-music writing combined with the relentless musical attack of early punk has left an incredibly deep imprint on modern punk and rock music writing that time may prove the Buzzcocks to be more important than their punk countrymen. 1979s Singles Going Steady is a pop-punk classic, sixteen tracks driven by pummeling drum work and a sonic attack of guitar feedback and lyrics declaiming the pain of heartbreak. Although the Pistols and the Clash made socially and politically adventurous music, the Buzzcocks material has withstood the test of time and still contains the emotional reverberations since they were imprinted in the late 70s. If that isnt enough to convince anyone of their place at the top of the punk anti-hierarchy, tracks such as What Do I Get, I Dont Mind, and Ever Fallen In Love? are venerable pop gems that are certainly more accessible and musically appealing than most of the material off of Never Mind the Bullocks. Either way, Singles Going Steady is a classic album for the genre, to which Flogging Molly and a large number of other acts are certainly indebt.
