Reviews: Music/Comedy Recordings

Joan of Arc is like a garden of annuals that looks different every time it re-grows. The Chicago band seems to reconstitute itself around singer Tim Kinsella every couple of years, with new lineups, new instrumentation, a common knack for occult complexity and no plan. Whatever album they make is a product of whatever is in the air.

Nothing brings on a headache quite like really bad electronica. So it came as no surprise that I needed an extra dose of Tylenol after listening to Fischerspooner’s new release, “Entertainment,” due out May 5.

If you like Bright Eyes, Neutral Milk Hotel, Elliot Smith, Tom Waits, or Bob Dylan, then the Mountain Goats is probably something you’ll want to check out.

Synth is the new rock, and new wave is the new indie rock. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are characteristically ahead of the scene in sound and style, and their sound on "It’s Blitz" isn’t so much a shock as it is a disappointment.

Unlike a good portion of mainstream pop today, which sounds flabby and cluttered, the sound of “Youth Novels” is lean and taut.

The Tornados, The Martells, The Driving Stupid, The Syndicats and The Blue Men all hold Meek responsible for their success and ultimately a new classification of sound beyond ‘60s British pop.

Where “Return to Cookie Mountain” conjured up images of a chorus of ghosts on a dark street late at night, “Dear Science” sounds more like the tail end of a party in a Williamsburg loft.

Of Montreal will always be one of those bands that just stand out. They aren't even from Montreal. But, they are the American dream of musicians.

According to the title of M83’s spring release, “Saturdays” equal “Youth.” According to the lyrics, so do Dreams, Stars, Highways, Galaxies, Owning the Sky and having intercourse while flying. On his spring ’08 release, songwriter Anthony Gonzalez struck out with the explicit goal of capturing teenage-hood in sound. Thus, the French artist’s latest work is notable both for this towering aspiration and the wooden clichés that prop it up.

Despite the spirit of reform, Cold War Kids remain loyal to their defining elements, reviving the usual suspects for their fall-staging: the lovers, liars, livers and possessors of generally every slightly-forbidden human emotion gone awry. Sorry, but this album is no cheerier than the last.

Kings of Leon, the band of Tennessee-
born kin, released their latest album on Sept. 23. Boring and prosaic, it is a step down from their previous work. “Depressive” sums it up; emotionally depressive, with minor chords dominating the tracks, and technically depressive, with a drought of imagination in song structure.

If bad band names were food, between acts like …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead and Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, the Earth could rejoice that her children need no longer suffer from hunger. And if this wonderful world were so, Portugal. The Man would be Live Aid, Bono on a charitable bender and an Oprah special all in one.

The skinny stall of a bar, known as the Mercury Lounge, was merely a waiting room for the Sunday night show. Brown velvet curtains converted glass doors, hiding the main room. TPC took the stage shortly after 11.

The Brooklyn electronica duo, Ratatat, have deemed words a thing of the past with their newest aphonic release, “LP3,” which dropped on July 8. Maybe they try to over-compensate with excellent instrumentation, but listeners would never think they were being cheated.

Not many bands based out of New Mexico can make Balkan music rivaling that of gypsies and still have twenty-somethings waltzing on a Monday night. However, not all bands have the character or innovative quality of Beirut.