Previously I had been hunting for new music, and I did a pretty good job finding bands that I liked. Then I took a little break from “new” and went back to “tried and true.” Mostly. The last two and a half months have seen releases from some of my favorite groups and they did not disappoint. For the most part. Please note that I’ve restricted myself to just albums released in 2009.
March
- White Lies – To Lose My Life… (iTunes|Amazon)
- U2 – No Line on the Horizon (iTunes|Amazon)
- KMFDM – Blitz (iTunes|Amazon)
- Gallery of Voices – EP (iTunes|Amazon)
- The Prodigy – Invaders Must Die (iTunes|Amazon)
Over on These Three Bands I said “White Lies sound like The Killers covering Interpol with The Bravery producing.” It’s dark brit-pop with very polished production values. I love it. The U2 album wasn’t bad, but it’s certainly not something that I queue up. If I hear a track it’s only because I have my iTunes Smart Lists set up so that I actually listen to the new music I buy. But, I don’t hate it either and I assume that artists would rather inspire a feeling (positive or negative) rather than indifference. KMFDM have brought back a lot of “the sound” that drew me to them in the first place. Well done, gang! Gallery of Voices was recommended to me by Greg. It’s 80’s synth-pop and it’s glorious. The Prodigy. Yeah, I know…really? Yes, really. This album is great fun and has some great running tracks. Or driving fast tracks. Whichever.
April
- Skold Vs. KMFDM – Skold Vs. KMFDM (iTunes|Amazon)
- Pet Shop Boys – Yes (iTunes|Amazon)
- Depeche Mode – Sound of the Universe (iTunes|Amazon)
Tim Skold does great stuff and in general I love when he works with KMFDM. This is no exception. Pet Shops Boys. Yes, yes…I know, and I don’t care. I am a fan of pop music. Pet Shop Boys used to make incredible pop music. They hit a bit of a dry spell, in my mind after Bilingual. They’re back. In my mind this is their best work since Very. Depeche Mode are old. They look old and sometimes they sound old. There are some great songs on this album, but as a body of work it’s just okay.
May
- Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse – Dark Night of the Soul (NPR)
- Passion Pit – Manners (iTunes|Amazon)
- Green Day – 21st Century Breakdown (iTunes|Amazon)
- The Crystal Method – Divided by Night (iTunes|Amazon)
Danger Mouse has once again shown the world that the major music labels don’t know what they’re doing. He’s not alone in this effort, of course, but he is a bit of a media darling and so it helps get the message out. Good. The methods of production and distribution are no longer in the hands of the labels. I guess they’re still good for payola schemes though, so there’s that. The album is interesting, but not something I’ll put on heavy rotation. You should pick up Passion Pit if you want to like MGMT but need something more accessible. Green Day is Green Day. It’s fun, punk-pop. The Crystal Method have been quiet for too long. I know they’ve been doing a ton of work, but TV show themes and DJ albums were not enough to satisfy my needs. I’m still giving this album time to grow on me. It’s good, but I don’t know where this album goes on the scale compared to their other works. If you’re a fan of She Wants Revenge you’ll love the 4th track (Kling to the Wrekage) with Just Warfield on vocals.