Thao & Mirah- Thao & Mirah

A funny thing about me listening to this album was I did so right after I had listened to the tUnE-yArDs new album Who Kill. Why that’s humorous is because Merrill Garbus produced this album and is featured on the opening track “Eleven,” which sounds like a continuation of Who Kill. Other than that un-original sounding opening track Thao & Mirah definetly have their very own unique style.  Thao & Mirah is made up of Thao Nguyen and Mirah Yom Tov Zeitlyn, both females who have performed and worked on various solo projects. Together the duo has some amazing folk rock indie music. There are a handful of songs where you can hear the two just melt together so perfectly like on “How Dare You”. And I think it’s on tracks like this that they are the strongest. I would like to see them find more of a firm fit for both of their unique sounds but this self-titled album is on the right track. I look forward to any of their future team ups.

Final Review- 80

tUnE-yArDs- w h o k i l l

The tUnE-yArDs is an experimental music project created by Merrill Garbus and features her skills with making various loops including percussion, vocal, and ukulele. On W h o K I l l she mixes her already very original noise pop sound with a fun and funky bass player by the name of Nate Brenner. All of the tracks have a real depth and are impressively complex. There are so many different little loops going on that without Garbus’s soulful voice might sound just like noise but she ties it all together flawlessly. W h o K I l l is produced very well and features many different genres of music from r&b to experimental jazz. A lot of the tracks on Who Kill ooze confidence and you can tell that Merrill knew exactly what she wanted to accomplish with this album and knew how to do it. All in all W h o K I l l is impressive and pretty much jaw-droppingly good. I strongly suggest a listen to this album. I mean you just can’t go wrong. 

Final Review- 90

Vivian Girls- Share The Joy

I was really pumped up to hear this album from Vivian Girls, especially since I had just listened to Kick Ball Katy’s debut album under the name La Sera in February. Vivian Girls have a similar sound to The Ramones with a lo-fi indie twist. Share The Joy is an interesting album because unlike most punk songs there are a handful of tracks that stretch over six minutes long. In most cases that would turn me away, but somehow the Vivian Girls know how to make longer songs interesting and well composed. Share The Joy has a decent amount of depth to it and is really easy and fun to listen to. I think if you are a fan of the light almost dream pop punk then Vivian Girls Share The Joy is going to be a great album for you. I know I loved it and look forward to future work from these girls.  

Final Review- 90

Foo Fighters- Wasting Light

Writing this review was a really hard thing for me to do. I have never listened to an album that didn't have a redeeming song on it, but that’s what was going on with the Foo Fighters' Wasting Light. The opening track “Bridge Burning” is definitely meant to be loud and grab your attention but it falls short just like the rest of Wasting Light. The Foo Fighters claimed in an interview that they recorded the entire album in David Grohl's basement and to me that just seems like a statement to grab the attention of the indie garage band loving kids. What the Foo Fighters seem to forget is that you can record an album anywhere and at any time and that alone does not affect whether or not your album will actually be good. You can tell the band is just making music for the money and that their heart is not really in it anymore. Wasting Light is like a slap in the face to anyone who actually makes music for the love of it and not solely for getting a paycheck. This is one of the worst albums I have heard and it’s even more disappointing to be from a band that one point in time was actually good. Wasting Light is a skip for all listeners.

Final Review- 10 (out of 100)

Atmosphere- The Family Sign

The Family Sign takes a step away from the catchy hooks of 2008's When Life Gives You Lemons Paint That Shit Gold and focuses more on Slug's lyrical talent. The Family Sign is a very dark and intimate album with few rays of light. From songs dealing with abuse to songs dealing with drug addiction the listener hardly ever gets a break to breathe. But with that being said I think that has always been a trait of Atmosphere. The duo has never been known for heart lifting songs but I think it’s kind of amazing how raw and unafraid they are. They are not strangers to discuss topics that a lot of other musicians kind of just gloss over or don’t touch at all. The Family Sign is a hard listen but it is well put together. I miss hearing some of the more complicated and cool beats that Ant is known for but the stripped away sound does work well for the mood this album is portraying. The Family Sign took a few listens for me to really fully absorb how powerful and strong it is but like I said I think it is a very hard listen. If you don’t mind kind of drifting into the darker parts of your brain and thinking about painful topics then give this album a shot, but if you are looking for something uplifting or a light listen I would skip this album

Final Review- 80

Bell X1- Bloodless Coup

Bell X1 is a new wave/rock band from Ireland that are obviously heavily influenced by the Talking Heads. Paul Noonan and David Byrne definitely can be pretty closely compared to one another when it comes to vocal style. Even though the influence is bold in Bell X1 I still think they also give it their own style and stand on their own. Bloodless Coup may have music that sounds radio friendly and fun but where it starts losing momentum is when you listen to the actual lyrics. I don’t know if Bell X1 thought that no one would listen to the words or if they think singing about YouTube videos and McDonalds salads is clever and smart. The lyrics just make all of the songs sound so shallow and lacking. Like I said the one thing that saves Bloodless Coup is how catchy a handful of songs are but honestly the lyrics just kill this album




Final review- 70