The Young

Chrome Cactus

Matador Records

This is a different sound than 2012’s Dub Egg.  It’s harder, darker, and wilder, musically and lyrically, but just as good. The sound on here, crunching, clanging, dirty guitars, with the singer sounding peeved about one thing or another, make for a trippy good time, as the band has not lost their psychedelic edge. If you loved Dub Egg as much as I did, give this album a chance, and it will grow on you. It did with me, and now I love this album. https://www.facebook.com/TH3.YOUNG

Andrea Weiss

Merchandise

After The End

4AD Records

At first glance, the apparent influences, the Smiths and U2 might make you shake your head:  how can they put those together.  But they can, and to me, you can add in some late period Roxy Music and the Psych Furs’ Talk, Talk, Talk.  What you have is a terrific debut, one that is very 80s, but also very modern, without being postmodern.

Their lyrics are much darker than Bono ever wrote, but not as dark as Morrisey.  They’re less jaded than what Richard Butler wrote, but still withering in their assessments of people and situations.  They’re a little decadent in the Roxy style, but not so much that they don’t care.  Their music helps itself equally to all of these bands, but in a very smart way. Too much slicing and dicing to call themselves clones of anything. 

This is why I like them so much.  They don’t pin themselves down in a time where it’s increasingly hard to sound like yourself against all that has gone before. But they are very much themselves, and that’s more than good enough for me.

 https://www.facebook.com/wmerchandise 

Andrea Weiss

Five Songs, two with clips attached.

Merchandise

Enemy video

While there are dark images of people being tortured and other horrific images, the video in the main, shot in black and white, is terrific.  The band performs the song in a theater, while everything else is happening all around them. The music is the best of early Roxy Music, or maybe the Psych Furs of Talk, Talk, Talk. Either way, it’s more than worth checking out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YTCDsRQ4jw&feature=youtu.be

Fences Arrows, Featuring Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Official lyric video

Arrows is a great pop band, and Macklemore and Ryan Lewis are the best rappers out there. The clip is fun to watch, with images of the lyrics as arty as possible. It’s another one to check out, especially if you’re a fan like I am.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9yv9TcQoww&feature=youtu.be

Lace Curtains

Wilshire and Fairfax

This song from Michael "Coomers" Coomer , is quite different than what he did with Austin, TX band Harlem. Harlem was garage rock; this is straightforward pop. It’s very good, dreamy music, perfect for winding down from a late night.

https://soundcloud.com/rosecoomers/wilshire-and-fairfax

Smallpools

Dreaming single

This is straightforward, very bouncy synth pop.  If you like Passion Pit, you’ll like this song even more.  No angst, just pop you can dance to.

https://soundcloud.com/smallpools/smallpools-dreaming

Sophie and the Bom Boms

Prey single

This would sound good on the dance floor, but it’s also good for just plain listening.  The best pop is more than just dance music.  You enjoy listening to it.  It’s bouncy mainstream pop, better than most of this type, and while it’s rare that I connect with this type of music, when I do, it’s a thrill.  You’ll thrill, too, if you check this out.

https://soundcloud.com/sophieandthebbs/pray

Andrea Weiss