New and Notable This Week

• Calvin Harris: I Created Disco
  I’m a fan of LCD Soundsystem, Datarock and HBO’s “The Flight of the Conchords”. How could I not love this too? I think this music would fall under the label “electroclash”. To me, it sounds like David Bowie, Talking Heads, and Kraftwerk all mashed together.
• Hot Hot Heat: Happiness LTD.
  This is what bubblegum indie-rock sounds like. It’s not very filling, but if you like The Killers, Franz Ferdinand and The Bravery it might tide you over until the next meal.
• Black Lips: Good Bad Not Evil
  Delightfully-out-of-tune garage and surf punk. They remind me of The Creation, The Sonics and The Pretty Things. I know those names are nowhere near the mainstream, so if you don’t already know that you like garage it’s probably not for you.
• Rogue Wave: Asleep at Heaven’s Gate
  A good alt rock band that reminds you of dozens of other alt rock bands. That’s both a reason to like them and a reason to skip them.
• Shout Out Louds: Our Ill Wills
  The Cure meets The Killers. That forumla is wearing out.
• 50 Cent: Curtis
  Not groundbreaking but there is some good stuff here. I like the guest appearances: they show good taste and they add much needed contrast to his gravelly voice (and keep everything from sounding like “In da Club”). I probably couldn’t code to it though—it commands too much of my attention.
• Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals: Lifeline
  Soul, blues, gospel, country and even folk influences show up on Ben Harper’s latest.
• Various Artists: Across the Universe
  Terrible Beatles covers. Even the songs with Bono are bad.

This entry was posted on Saturday, September 15th, 2007 at 5:00 pm and is filed under Culture. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.