Rush, Metric, and Civil Twilight

Recommended Recent Releases:
Rush - Clockwork Angels

As a huge Rush fan, I am excited to say that their most recent release is one of their best albums ever. While all members of the trio may be nearing 60, this is one of their hardest rocking albums yet. Lifeson absolutely shreds throughout and Peart, as always, is a monster on the percussion. But my personal highlight is Lee's fretwork on the bass, truly impressive stuff. I am also of the belief that his voice has gotten better with age, losing some of the shrillness that it had in the 70s and 80s. Even if you aren't a Rush fan you should check out this prog rock epic. You will see how these guys play with more passion and fire than bands who are half their age.
Track Highlights - Caravan, The Anarchist, Halo Effect

Metric - Synthetica
Their last album, Fantasies, was one of my favorite releases from 2009. As such, I am glad that Metric stuck with that album's formula and crafted another set of catchy and stadium ready electronic rock. I love everything about Metric's sound. From Emily Haines voice to their ragged yet poppy synths. Couple that with great lyrics and the ability to write an awesome hook again and again and you've got an excellent album. Bonus points for having a Lou Reed guest appearance on a song and it not ruin the tune. I didn't think it could be done but low and behold, on the track "The Wanderlust" Ol Lou fits right in. I applaud you Metric, please tell Metallica how you did it. Maybe that could prevent another Lulu. But I digress, give Synthetica a listen and enjoy.
Track Highlights:
Youth Without Youth, Synthetica, The Void

Band You Should Know:
Civil Twilight

Ever wondered what it would sound like if Bono fronted an Alt Rock band? Check out South African bred Civil Twilight to find out. With two quality albums under their belt, 2009's eponymous release and 2012's Holy Weather, it's only a matter of time before they break through with a big hit. So check them out before they get popular, because they will.
Track Highlights:
Letters from The Sky, Fire Escape, The River, Is Anybody Out There

Don't Call It A Comeback

After a very, very long sabbatical I'm very happy to be back with my blog. This is something I have been meaning to do for about a year so it feels good to follow through. Music is a passion of mine and I believe one of the best things about being a music fan is sharing it with other people. However, I got away from doing this blog because it took too long to write a long post for each album that I wanted to discuss. Instead, I am going to a format where I will post weekly. I will be writing about the new and recent releases and maybe one or two albums from the vault. I hope that someone finds a band or album they haven't heard yet, that would make this a worthwhile endeavor. 

So if you have similar music tastes to me, then check in weekly and you should find some good suggestions to add to your iPod or to check out on Spotify. Also I will not post any actual downloads to this blog, I encourage you to support the artist and pay for your music if you do not already use some type of streaming service. Check out Amazon.com/mp3, they have some great album deals and are much cheaper than iTunes.

New Releases for 7/17/12 -

Frank Ocean - channel ORANGE

This has been one of the most hyped releases of the year and definitely the most hyped R&B release in recent memory. It has been lauded by critics across the board with even Pitchfork giving it a sterling 9.5 rating. I personally loved his first mixtape, Nostalgia Ultra, so I had very high hopes for this album. Unfortunately, I hate to say I was let down. Don't get me wrong, Ocean is an immensly talented singer/songwriter with a great voice and evocative lyric choices. However, I find this album as a whole to be boring. I found that Nostalgia Ultra to be a much more enjoyable listening experience. Channel Orange is beautifully sung but it lacks those attention grabbing songs that Ultra featured. The songs just kind of flow into one another with very few standing out from the last. Above all else the album is just a slowburner that never really catches fire. I enjoyed a few of the songs (Lost, Pyramids, and Super Rich Kids) and coincidentally those are the ones with the best beats. The much talked about single, Bad Religion, had great lyrics but again I found it boring as a song to listen to, it never really goes anywhere. This is not a bad album by any stretch of the imagination but I don't agree with the high praise it is receiving. I will keep it in my iPod to see if it grows on me over time but right now I would recommend Nostalgia Ultra as his go to work at this point in his young career. 

Recent Releases -

Grace Potter & The Nocturnals - The Lion, The Beast, and The Beat

If you aren't familiar with Grace Potter yet it's time to educate yourself. This is one of the better live bands touring right now and her albums are only getting better. Her fifth album (second major label release) is her most adventurous and exciting yet.  She goes beyond her signature bluesy country rock to explore a variety of styles and genres. Not surprisingly one of the best voices rock is up to the task. This album features production on a number of songs from Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys and not surprisingly these are the best on the album. Runaway, Loneliest Soul, and Never Go Back feature that Black Keys groove that Potter sings with a surprising swagger. Never Go Back should be the biggest song of the summer if we lived in a sane world. Catchy as hell this song will be stuck in your head as after the first listen. Other songs to check out are Turntable and The Divide. As I said before this is one of the best live bands touring and having seen them twice I am a little biased. Make sure to check them out if they come to your area.

From The Vault -

Gotye - Like Drawing Blood

By now if you haven't heard "Somebody That I Used to Know" you are living under a rock and shouldn't be reading this blog. Because of the YouTube age everybody and their grandma has recorded a cover of this song. However in the old days having a song this day would have prompted people to pick up the whole album and maybe even check out the back catalog of the artist. If you don't do this for Gotye you are doing yourself a disservice because not only is Making Mirrors an excellent album but so is his first work, Like Drawing Blood. He has a distinctive chilled out style on this album with great songs like Night Drive, Hearts A Mess, and Puzzle with a Piece Missing. He also has a great sense of humor as shown in Thanks for Your Time, a song about what a pain in an ass it is to call customer service. If you like his unlikely summer hit do yourself a favor and check out Gotye's Like Drawing Blood.