"Light Chasers" by Cloud Cult

I'm a big fan of concept albums, albums that operate along some sort of narrative storyline or theme. One such album is "Light Chasers" by Cloud Cult. Sci-fi fans rejoice, it's all about a society that has taken to space in order to find a new place to live. And with that theme comes all sorts of great opportunity for lyrics of exploration, hope and loss. And Cloud Cult delivers.

Now, a disclaimer. The lead singer for Cloud Cult does not have a great voice. It can sounds strained at times and his range is limited. But I've always thought that a raw voice can be improved if he or she is passionate with delivery. And man, this guy delivers his lyrics so earnestly that I don't really care that he doesn't have a great voice.

Beyond that, you're not listening to the album for his voice. You're listening for the orchestration (which is brilliantly symphonic and epic in some places and delicate in others) and the lyrics (which really are great). When all is said and done, you will have heard a great album that tells a story. As such, this isn't an album you can listen to on a track-by-track basis. In my opinion, you need to listen to this album in its entirety.

Some highlights on the album are "Unexplainable Stories," the epic first song on the album and "You Were Born," which has the most touching lyrics on the entire album.

They've got a bunch of music over on the new Myspace, so check it out!

And as always, enjoy the music.

Andrew

It's Good to Be Back - "Diluvia" by Freelance Whales

Well, it's been more than a year and a half since I last posted! I had to take a break from the blog in order to be an editor for my school paper and then I studied abroad, but I'm back and ready to keep writing about Great Music You Haven't Heard! Thank you to everyone who visited the blog while I was away, and I look forward to even more readers finding their way to the site.

I thought it'd be appropriate for me to re-start my blog with the new Freelance Whales album, since their first album "Weathervanes" was one of my first posts for this blog! "Diluvia" is an exercise in purely pretty music - it's not necessarily as focused on narrative and lyricism as "Weathervanes" is in my opinion (not that the lyrics of this album are bad). But that's okay. Instead, it focuses more on soundscapes; warm washes of sound under rising and falling vocal hooks. Listen to the first track off the album, "Aeolus," and you'll see what I mean. It's got a simple riff from the beginning and it gradually builds to include ethereal backing vocals and all-around greatness.

Another particularly great song is "DNA Bank," which clocks in at about seven and a half minutes. Picking favorites off this album is a bit of a futile exercise, though. This is definitely an album best listened to in one sitting — and believe me, you'll want to.

Head over the the new Myspace (which decided to get awesome in the time I was away) and check out their page. Here's the link: https://new.myspace.com/freelancewhales/music/albums.

Bear with me as I get back into the swing of things, and I'm looking forward to posting more and more often! As always, enjoy the music :)

Andrew

Let's help a great new blog!

Hey all,

My girlfriend recently started a blog called The Caffeinated Closet! As a new start-up, it needs viewers and followers? Now, I'm the furthest thing away from a clothes guy (heck, I try to get her to stop shopping - unsuccessfully). However, the blog looks great and it's interesting and fun to read (even for me!) So stop by, check it out, follow it, tell your friends and state leaders!

http://thecaffeinatedcloset.blogspot.com/

I hope you're all doing well!
Andrew

Hiatus

Hey all,

I'm sorry to keep you hanging, I really am. Unfortunately, I'm going to be shelving the blog for a while. I've become so busy I won't be able to post regularly, and that's not fair to any of you. So, this is it from me for a while. I hope you all continue to look at earlier posts and explore some of the music I talk about on the blog. Most importantly, keep looking for new music you haven't heard before (as I assure you I still will).

Until next time (and I promise there will be a next time), enjoy all the music out there!

Sincerely,
Andrew

Best 5 Albums of the Year So Far is Coming Soon!

Sorry for my slowed posting pace, ladies and gents. Who knew that the beginning of summer would be just as hectic as the end of the school year? (Not me.)

That being said, I am in the process of searching for my top 5 albums of the year (so far) so stay tuned and enjoy previous posts in the meantime!

Be back soon,

Andrew

"Tamer Animals" by Other Lives

I am an avid listener of NPR's "All Songs Considered." On one of the more recent episodes, the two hosts went over their new musical discoveries from the Sasquatch Music Festival (which I was super bummed I couldn't attend).

I've loved two of their finds so far, and here's the first one.

Other Lives is a group that combines the wispy-ness of psychadelic/folk music with the darkness of Pink Floyd. I'd say the best comparison you could make about this band is that it's a cross between Radiohead and Pink Floyd.

That being said, there's a lot of interesting stuff going on in this album that can't be pigeonholed as a copy of another band's style. There are the acoustic guitars and airy vocals, yes. However, what sets this album and the group itself apart from others is how they can flirt with the darker side of music.

The best example of this occasionally foreboding sound can be found in "As I Lay My Head Down." Using strings, tambourine, and what I believe is a bassoon, Other Lives creates a brilliantly paced song which is at the same time beautiful and very unsettling.

Indeed, Other Lives makes great use of instruments, from those of "As I Lay My Head Down" to the wonderful piano work in "Tamer Animals." Overall, this record is a fresh look at alternative music, and is definitely one that you shouldn't be surprised if this album shows up later this year on a "Best Album" post.

Here's a link to the band's Myspace.

http://www.myspace.com/otherlives/music

Check them out and, until next time, enjoy the music!

Andrew

"Big Echo" by The Morning Benders

As soon as I got home after my last day of the freshman year of college, I opened my iTunes and played one song: "Excuses" by The Morning Benders. The explosion of orchestral happiness at the beginning of the song channeled perfectly the excitement I was feeling at the prospect of summer.

And with that, this post is about "Big Echo" by The Morning Benders, the perfect soundtrack to anyone's summer. The album as a whole is so well done, so wonderfully "hipster," that it's impossible not to fall in love with.

The instrumentals can be both quiet (as in "Mason Jar") or boisterous (as in "Excuses"). Pair that with earnest, slightly waif-ish vocals and an honest, low-fidelity sound and you have an extraordinarily well-crafted 40 minutes of indie rock.

Also, though this is a small note, it's refreshing that the lyrics of the album are varied (as in, not 11 variations on the theme of a love song).

My three favorite songs on the album are "Excuses," "Stitches," "Mason Jar."

Here's a link to their Myspace.

http://www.myspace.com/themorningbenders/music

With that, enjoy the beginning of your summer!

Andrew

"The Story and the Song" by Between the Trees

Hey all,

I'm sorry for the delay. It's finals week here at UCLA, so my last week has been filled with studying more information than is possible to memorize.

With that, however, I took my last final today and with just one essay left, it's time for another post!

"The Story and the Song" by Between the Trees has been in my iTunes library for years. I had forgotten about it, though, until a couple days ago, when my iTunes started playing a song off the CD randomly. I was shocked that I hadn't listened to them more!

For those of you who have been with the blog from the beginning, you know I am a huge fan of a band called Barcelona. Between the Trees plays with a similar general sound, with the largest similarity being the group's maturity and restraint. There are some great guitar riffs on this album, but they aren't shoved down your throat.

The other great asset of this album is the vocals. They are clearly not auto-tuned, and that rawness gives the frontman's voice a vulnerability that is very refreshing. I love when recording quality is not absolutely perfect. It means what you're listening to is authentic.

All in all, a super solid alternative rock band for the summer!

My three favorite songs are "White Lines & Red Lights," "The Fort," and "You Cry a Tear to Start a River."

Here's a link to their Myspace.

http://www.myspace.com/betweenthetrees/music

Until next time, enjoy the music!

Andrew

The Best Albums of May 2011

School is almost over here at UCLA, ladies and gentlemen! With that said, I should be studying, so let's get right to it.

"The Way It Was" by Parachute

I've always been a big fan of Parachute. I've had the opportunity to see them live as well, and they're outstanding. That said, I was a little concerned approaching the sophomore album. It's a notoriously tricky album for bands, and, to be completely shallow for a minute, I don't trust albums with a simple picture of the whole band on the cover. I didn't need to worry. "The Way It Was" is the band's best album to date, and they explore a whole lot of new musical tools. 

"Helplessness Blues" by Fleet Foxes

It's been a long time coming for Fleet Foxes' second full length album. Don't worry, the wait was well worth it. Everything you know and love about the group is here. Though they don't necessarily try a whole lot of new things on this album. But, when their other music is as good as it is, do you want them changing the formula a ton? I for one am fine with Fleet Foxes doing what Fleet Foxes do best.

"Rome" by Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi

This is probably the least conventional album on this month's list, but it may very well be the best. "Rome" sounds like an ode to spaghetti westerns. There are great vocals by Jack White and Norah Jones, as well as some great elements of classical music. Listening to the album, you feel as though you're listening to a great movie soundtrack, minus the movie. Bravo. 

That's this month! Until next time, keep reading the blog, like the blog's Facebook page, and enjoy the music!

Andrew

"The Way It Was" by Parachute

Parachute has been one of my favorite bands for a while. Their debut album played repeatedly on my iPod for months before I moved on to other things. I still listen to the debut, but for a few months now I had thought that a follow-up album was past due.

Now, with "The Way It Was," Parachute has created a sophomore album that defies the phenomenon of the "sophomore slump."

The band has expanded its melodic repertoire greatly, especially in the use of more "instruments" than the standard band set-up. On the debut album, backing vocal effects (though not lyrics), were used to a certain extent, but this new album takes full advantage of everything the human voice can do beyond simply singing lyrics.

That being said, lyrics are not the strongest aspect of this album. That is not to say the lyrics are not well-written, they certainly get the point across. However, most of the songs revolve around the theme of love (which is an issue that I wish a huge amount of bands could deal with).

Nonetheless, every song on this album is well-executed and, as usual, is extremely catchy. For both longtime fans of Parachute and newcomers to the band's music, this is a success.

My three favorite songs on the album are "What I Know," "Kiss Me Slowly," and "Philadelphia."

Here's a link to their Myspace.

http://www.myspace.com/parachute/music

Until next time, enjoy the music!

Andrew

"Magnetic North" by Aqualung

Most of my friends are done with school for the summer. This makes me sad. As a result, IT'S BALLAD TIME.

And, when it comes to outstanding balladry, there are few artists better than Aqualung.

My favorite album of Aqualung's is "Magnetic North," because it has a bit more musical variety than "Words and Music." That being said, the backbone of this album is piano and vocals. Each song is very simple. There aren't too many different melodic ideas in each song, but what's there is really good.

The vocals are delivered in an understated way, with a slight British accent (in my opinion). The lyrics are also extremely well written. The one downside of this album is a result of this understated character of the album. The songs are not necessarily catchy and laden with hooks. You have to think about this music a bit, but if you invest the extra couple of minutes, the investment is well worth it.

There are some great guest vocals on this album as well, the best of which are from Sara Bareilles.

Overall, this album is a deep one, one of the deeper albums I've reviewed in a while, in fact. Trust me though. It's perfect for a cloudy summer day while you sit at your desk and wonder why you're not home for summer vacation yet.

My three favorite songs on the album are "New Friend," "Remember Us," and "Magnetic North."

Until next time, enjoy the music!

Andrew

"Gary Go" by Gary Go

You've all probably heard the song, "Wonderful," by Gary Go. It's been on the Disney Oceans trailer, as well as tons of other commercials that want to make their product or show seem uplifting or inspiring.

What you may not know, however, is that the rest of Gary Go's debut album is also outstanding pop/alternative music.

All of the reasons people love "Wonderful": the infectious melody, catchy hooks, and a chorus that begs to be sang out loud in your dorm room are also present on just about every other song of the album.

The lyrics are not necessarily groundbreaking, but they're sweet in their own way and definitely have a heart to them. No song is phoned in. Every song finds a way to put a smile on your face, whether it be with a beautiful piano line, beautiful strings, or a super-catchy guitar riff.

Gary Go is best known for super happy alt/pop, but he also shows that he can succeed at some slower, more "sad" songs as well.

Overall, this album is a remarkably diverse first foray into alternative/pop music for an artist who is definitely worth keeping track of.

My three favorite songs on the album are "Brooklyn," "Refuse to Lose," and "Wonderful."

Here's a link to his Myspace.

http://www.myspace.com/garygo/music

Until next time, enjoy the music and spread the word about the blog!

Andrew

"Saosin" by Saosin

Alrighty, this album comes from a Southern California band! Random fact? Yes, but that's the best intro I could come up with this close to the end of the school year.

Saosin's self-titled debut is a straight-up adrenaline rush. The lyrics are not necessarily something to "ooh" and "ahh" over, though a couple songs have some great individual lines.

What keeps me coming back to this album over and over again is the music itself. The guitars are insanely good, with ridiculous hooks, riffs, and all sorts of other good stuff. The same goes for the drum work on the album, which constitutes the best drum work I've ever heard.

Another instrument which you wouldn't think of right off the bat is the voice of the lead vocalist. His voice can go to seemingly otherworldly heights without having to go into a falsetto. It's obscene, and for some reason it just makes the music that much more exciting.

If you're in the mood for a while to bang your head to music that is pure thrashing for the alternative music lover, Saosin is the band for you.

My three favorite songs on the album are "It's So Simple," "Voices," and "You're Not Alone."

Here's a link to their Myspace.

http://www.myspace.com/saosin/music

Until next time, keep reading and enjoy the music!

Andrew

Like This Blog's Facebook Page!

The subject is fairly self-explanatory and this serves as nothing but a shameless plug, but please feel free to "like" the Facebook page for this blog! It's fun to see new readers start following the page :)

Thanks and, as always, enjoy the music!

Andrew

"Wait for Me" by Moby

Let me start off with my extraordinarily shallow first impression of this album: the album cover is one of my favorite album covers of all time. It's so simple, but it drew me in and it's a great representation of the music on the album.

"Wait for Me" by Moby is perfect driving music. Most of the songs are quiet, but some flow with a sense of urgency that makes them much more powerful than any louder song could be. Moby himself doesn't provide much vocal work for this album. Instead, he uses a variety of female singers, all of whom do great jobs on their respective songs.

At times complex, at times sparse, each song on the album brings something new to the table. You really do feel like the little being on the album cover, wandering on in some foreign place, feeling lonely and happy at the same time.

In addition to the vocal tracks, there are some great instrumental tracks that tie the album together. "Divisions," for example, serves as a sort of overture to the entire album. Once I heard that track, I was hooked.

Other tracks, such as "Pale Horses," evoke some feelings of nostalgia. The afore-mentioned song in particular made me feel like I was in a smokey underground club sometime in the 40s or 50s.

This is not the Moby of "Extreme Ways." It is a more restrained and more mature Moby. Everything on this album works, and I can't wait for his new one, due to be released soon.

My three favorite songs on the album are "Division," "Pale Horses," and "Study War."

Here's a link to his Myspace.

http://www.myspace.com/moby/music

Until next time, keep reading and enjoy the music!

Andrew

"Thriving Ivory" by Thriving Ivory

Happy weekend, everyone!

This album, "Thriving Ivory" by Thriving Ivory, is one of my favorite alternative rock albums of the last few years for a couple reasons.

One of those is melody and instrumentation. Every song is really catchy and very angst-y in a non-emo way. In other words, this is really emotional alt rock without the overly whiney characteristics of a lot of standard emo rock (I think that the album cover is a pretty fair representation of this). This album is full of great guitar licks and great piano rhythms.

Building on these melodies are some of the catchiest choruses around. Every. Single. One. I would be shocked if, after listening to the album the first time through, you aren't gripped by the urge to listen to it again and sing along with the choruses. They're absolutely infectious.

This album does come with a bit of a "This is an acquired taste" disclaimer due to the vocalist's voice. It's not a singer's voice, and though he sings in tune and very well, it's in a scratchy voice that took me a while to get used to.

Once you do, however, this is great cloudy day music to float away into.

My three favorite songs on the album are "Angels On the Moon," "Alien," and "Hey Lady."

Here's a link to their Myspace.

http://www.myspace.com/thrivingivory/music

Until next time, spread word about the blog and enjoy all the music out there,

Andrew

"(E)vening" by Mae

I know I've already gushed about "The Everglow," Mae's best album, but I think that "(E)vening is such a good finale to Mae's discography that it warrants a post of its own.

The album is beautiful, absolutely beautiful. And, as the band's final album, the music on it is especially poignant, the idea of nighttime mirrors the end of Mae's run as a great band.

Finally, Mae returns to the use of intricate piano that drew me completely into their music years ago. The three movements of "Seasons" combine to create one of the most beautiful song sequences in alternative music this year. It's a shame Mae didn't use this much piano in the rest of their work. Albums like "(A)fternoon" and "Singularity" suffered from the lack of it.

Once you hit "Sleep Well," (which is basically a poignant goodbye to the fans, in my opinion) you'll be feeling very bittersweet, because this album is by far the band's best work since "The Everglow."

It's sad that it's the band's last album, but it's great that they went out on such a beautiful note.

My three favorite songs on the album are "Bloom," "Seasons" (I'm counting all 3 movements as one song), "Sleep Well."

Here's a link to their Myspace.

http://www.myspace.com/mae/music

Until next time, enjoy all the music out there!

Andrew

The Best Albums of April 2011

Hey there all!

Well, May is upon us (and with that, the ever-nearing end of school). This month had several great albums come out, so I'll get right to my top 2.

"Take Care, Take Care, Take Care" by Explosions in the  Sky

Well, it's just about impossible to equal "The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place," but this album from Explosions in the Sky comes close to matching their masterpiece. They've expanded their repertoire of musical tools, and the result is a post-rock album that you can easily float away in.

"Wasting Light" by Foo Fighters

This album was recorded on analog (super old school) and it succeeds in doing exactly one thing: rocking. There's a fury to this album that is backed up by the exorcising of some definite demons. The album is their best in a long time. 

I hope you like these albums and let's hope for a great musical month of May!

Until next time,

Andrew

"Victorious" by The Perishers

I'll begin this with a cliché: simplicity is beauty.

No doubt you've all heard it time and time again, but, the phrase is often used more as a general idea than a phrase applied to one specific action or entity.

Apply it to this album.

"Victorious" by The Perishers is a very simple, but very powerful album. It's made up of 13 well-crafted and subtle acoustic/acoustic rock songs. The chord progressions and melodies are simple (I was able to figure out the opening riff on "Midnight Skies" in no time at all--I don't play guitar though, so that's pretty much all I can play, mind you). And yet, in these simple melodies there's a weight, a soothing power.

These melodies are backed up by excellent and very sincere vocals. The songs are about all sorts of topics, from reflection to friendship and from love to feelings of humble triumph. Each and every song is delivered so earnestly that you can't help but ride the ups and downs of the music with the band.

In modern music, there seems to be a trend developing: "how much can you possible fit into one song?" Yes, I'm looking primarily the pop sector, but the idea has infected other realms of music as well. This album, however, takes its time and does nothing fancy. The album is an excellent fresh of breath air.

My three favorite songs on the album are "Midnight Skies," "Victorious," and "Best Friends."

Here's a link to their Myspace.

http://www.myspace.com/theperishers/music

Until next time, enjoy the music!

Andrew

"On Your Side" by A Rocket to the Moon

This, ladies and gentlemen, certainly falls under the umbrella of a guilty pleasure.

"On Your Side," by A Rocket to the Moon, is an album full of sugar-laden hooks and extremely catchy choruses. Most of the songs are variations on love songs, but quite frankly, they're so well done and infectious that it doesn't really bother me.

The songs on this album could be the soundtrack to someone's high school experience. From declaring that you really don't need that girl that you obviously still have feelings for (and you know it) ("Annabelle") to falling in love at first sight ("Dakota"), these songs cover most of the teen relationship bases.

The band can even check off the oft-neglected "my friends hate my girlfriend and she annoys me but I love her anyway" song subject box.

Despite the fact that most pop/alternative albums are of this general ilk, I can't help but prefer this album to many of its kind because the lyrics and song subjects are clever variations on the admittedly common theme. That, and the melodies in these songs are far better than those of comparable bands.

So, if you're in the market for a light 40 minutes of purely catchy music, look no further!

My three favorite songs on the album are "Mr. Right," "Like We Used To," and "Dakota."

Here's a link to their Myspace.

http://www.myspace.com/arockettothemoon/music

Until next time, get your friends to check out the blog and enjoy all the music out there,

Andrew