Bryan Scary and the Shredding Tears take their listeners by the hand and walk them back fifty years to the time when the Queen ruled (and still rules) the world of music. When this Brooklyn band of five get together, they create a big music full of tight harmonies, strong beats, and eccentric squeels. And they don’t stop at making this complex psychedelic rock music. They also have extravagant performances to accompany the songs creating a modern day musical. From flying saucers to outlandish costumes to multitudes of props, Bryan Scary and the Shredding Tears spare no expense in adding that extra flair to their shows.
Flight of the Knife [amazon] was recently released in March on Black & Greene Records, and that’s just the beginning for these guys. You have to try this!
At first listen the Maccabees seem like just another Brit indie rock band, but this intangible ingredient I can’t put my figure on that’s been added to their mixture gives them just enough kick to stand out from the pack. From what I’ve heard of their latest album Colour It In, the Maccabees really expound upon that classic sound. Some Brit indie bands get too caught up in making noise, but the Maccabees seem to have perfected the beauty of simplifying their sounds so each one stands out. They do have their moments of monotonous rock, but those are usually short-lived. The Maccabees mostly create constantly dynamic songs peppered with cheerful angst.
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Lily Allen just released a few songs from the studio as an appetizer for fans and also to test the reaction to her new sound. I was really surprised to see her go so pop, but she does it well. It just might be a little weird to hear her in the clubs alongside Madonna and Fergie at first. I already miss the flirty fun and slightly fierce way about Lily’s songs. The two songs she released both having this gloomy sadness pervading the verses even through the poppy goodness of them. In my opinion, she doesn’t need diamonds as much as she needs a puppy. Either way, i’m sure she’ll find a way to infuse some classic Lily into her upcoming album, but until then, I don’t know.
A random trip to Target tonight led to an exciting drive home accompanied by the new Phantom Planet album Raise the Dead! I was able see them at SXSW this year, and they haven’t lost their edge at all from when I saw them forever ago at the 40-Watt. They put on the concert that made me fall in love with the concert experience, the spontaneous energy/emotion created in these rare moments. But about Phantom Planet’s Raise the Dead, I would strongly advise listening to it loud while driving (with a seatbelt buckled of course) and expect to dance. My best comparison would be Jet’s “Are You Gonna Be My Girl”. After just doing a preliminary listen, this is what I found. Each song is dynamic, taking you from fun doo-bops to intense rock to ballad to doo-bop and again. It was almost impossible to get bored. More than anything, I wanted a chill song for a break from the dancing. However you slice it, this is the album to kick off the summer!
If you are in search of that great little summer album, Kate Nash’s Made of Bricks is probably it. A nice mashup of the quirkiness of Regina Spektor and Britishness of Lily Allen would be my closest comparison, so if you like both of those artists, Kate Nash is right up your alley. Not every song beckons to be single, but all are quite honest, interesting, and fun.
Sometimes you have to be in the right place in your life for an album to really speak to you, and with Neon Bible and me that time is right now. This album has been making waves for a while now, but it’s just currently been rocking my boat like crazy. I’m all about emotion in albums, and this album is emotion. The quiet buildups lead to these incredible releases characterized by layers and layers of “awesomeness” dense with feelings. The feelings themselves are intense and bitter yet incredibly beautiful, extra dark chocolate to the ears.
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