The albums that I listened to this week have all become probably my favorites of the year so far, and the even cooler part is that I hadn’t even listened to (or even heard of) the bands before. I definitely went into this week with zero expectations (which is saying a lot) and was pleasantly surprised. Isn’t that what this is supposed to be all about? High fives all around.
Listen:
Caveman’s self-titled album is full of dreamy synths but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a happy-dance-fun record. Their moody lyrics add an interesting layer to their music, without weighing it down too much. Definitely check out “In the City,” “Chances,” and “I See You.” Caveman might be a sort of concept album on human suffering of the small and large scale. It opens with “Strange to Suffer” and ends with the similar sounding “Strange,” a powerful way to both open and end a beautiful album.
I discovered Paint It Black simply by Googling “new punk april 2 2013”. Like I’ve said here before never underestimate the power of Google. I would have discovered the band way long ago if I had been regularly keeping up with the awesome Awkward Sound (which you should definitely bookmark). Anyway, it’s been a while since I’ve been so excited and intrigued by a hardcore record. Their EP Invisible has been playing on repeat this whole week, I probably listened to it three times in a row when I first heard it. Anyway, it’s a must hear for even a casual listener of hardcore. It’s about ten minutes of hardcore heaven. “Greetings, Fellow Insomniacs,” “Props For Ventriloquism,” and “Little Fists” all tackle the existential and political without sounding like you’re in some classroom. That’s all I ask for from my hardcore.
Milk Music’s Cruise Your Illusion has probably one of the best puns in album title history. “Illegal and Free” sounds like it’s destined to become a sing-along favorite at the band’s shows. Prepare to be showered in beer. As for the rest of the album, there are few missteps, the band doesn’t stray away from the formula of catchy guitar riffs and yelped lyrics, and why should they?
Watch:
Cat Power’s video for “Manhattan” is probably my favorite video of the year so far. It has Cat Power walking in Chinatown solo, dancing around subway platforms, hanging out with some busking teenagers, and cruising around all of Manhattan on what seems to be a tour bus? Like I said on Twitter, it’s beautiful.
This is really long and really interesting especially as I am somewhat of a music writer so you should read it as a fan of music writing!
Random Nostalgia:
Thank the ghost of Benny Rodriguez baseball is back!
