30 Seconds to Mars…lost in space?
The National, Trouble Will Find Me: Album Review
Drama and Discovery – these are two essential tenets to my history as an audiophile. I admitted to my facebook friends and colleagues here at Popblerd that I’d missed the boat for the past 13 years on The National. My bad. I’m making up for lost time and have immersed myself in their discography over the past couple of weeks. My listening and journey can be summed up in this arc — U2′s The Joshua Tree (1987), The Cure’s Disintegration (1989), Depeche [...]
The Editors, “A Ton of Love”: The Viewfinder
The Editors are back for album number four – it’s called The Weight of Your Love and it’s out July 1st in the U.K. (unconfirmed if U.S. release in 7/2/13). A video for the first single, “A Ton of Love”, is below. Now – I’ve enjoyed the bands music more and more as time, and their discography, as evolved. I have to say I quite like this song, but not because the band has boldly forged in any new direction. I [...]
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Mosquito : Album Review
‘I think that I’m bigger than the sound’ Karen O proclaimed on ‘Cheated Hearts,’ from 2006′s sophomore effort, Show Your Bones. Seven years later, on their fourth album, O, Nick Zinner and Brian Chase give their all on making good on that statement. It’s been 10 years since the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s blitz-krieged the early aught’s with their version of neo-punk. In the years that followed the band has now released three additional albums – all of them receiving generally glowing [...]
Spin Cycle: Cold War Kids, Dear Ms. Lonelyhearts
If the Cold War Kids were a cat, I’m not sure which life they’d have used up by now in the ever-changing landscape of 21st century indie alternative. It hasn’t stopped them from being one of the most creative acts of the past six years. They’ve spawned four albums and a couple EP’s in that time frame – so they’ve certainly done their part to stay in the public eye and flesh out both a developing sound and discography over [...]
Spin Cycle: The Strokes, Comedown Machine
The Strokes have reached album number five. I’m not entirely sure anyone’s more surprised at this fact than Strokes fans themselves. I say this counting myself among those ranks, though I’ve done more head scratching than bopping to the beat in more recent years. Julian Casablancas seems almost like a falsetto-voiced (though it didn’t used to be that way) Marlon Brando of 21st century new wave revival. To find his genius you have to dig and sometimes you find diamonds, [...]
Spin Cycle: Depeche Mode Delta Machine
Can anyone really believe that Depeche Mode has now been around for 32 years? As an artist moves into the twilight of their career – what do they do to remain relevant? What do they do to move the dialogue further? DM have managed to do that by simply putting out good music and maintaining a vibrant live show with a fascinating catalog of hits to mine through. They have continually built off previous successes with great songwriting and aural [...]
Spin Cycle: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Specter At The Feast
Album number six from the Los Angeles act toes the line of mediocrity.
Spin Cycle: Wednesday 13, The Dixie Dead
Wednesday 13′s fifth proper album of spook show rock and roll is more riff heavy than previous releases and is still more hit than miss.
Spin Cycle: Soundgarden, King Animal
After a lengthy break, do rock titans Soundgarden come roaring back with their new album, “King Animal?” Check out our review.
Spin Cycle: Coheed and Cambria, The Afterman: Ascension
The first of two Coheed albums over the next six months, Ascension renews the adventurous promise of Sanchez’s vivid imagination set forth in the early 00′s.
Spin Cycle: The Raveonettes, Observator
The last three albums by the Raveonettes have continually challenged listeners and critics alike. Observator stays true by not sticking to preconceived form.
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