The Shins – Port Of Morrow

The 2012 version of The Shins is slightly different from what we were used to. Except for James Mercer, it’s basically an entirely new band. What has stayed the same however are their particular brand of indie pop tunes. Okay, “Port Of Morrow” sounds more polished and slicker than what we heard on “Wincing The Night Away”. But if you’ve listened to Broken Bells (Mercer’s other project) this can hardly come as a surprise. And it’s not a bad thing at all

The dreamy opener “The Rifle’s Spiral” immediately sets the mood with its reigned in grandeur, only to then be followed by the album’s first single “Simple Song”, a song that manages to mix autumn-y melancholy with the optimism that comes with spring in the best of ways. The bossa nova touch in “Bait And Switch” is a lot of fun as well and “40 Mark Strasse” is just plain endearing.

“Port Of Morrow” will probably not become my favourite Shins album but it’s still an extremely solid release that effortlessly bridges the gap between 60ies pop music, some decidedly 80ies sounds and the indie wave of the 90ies. No small feat but Mercer & co pull it off perfectly.
Score: 8.5 out of 10
http://www.columbiarecords.com
http://www.theshins.com

Death By Stereo – Black Sheep Of The American Dream

Death By Stereo was a pretty solid band back in the day with albums like “If Looks Could Kill, I’d Watch You Die” and “Into The Valley Of Death”. It was the mix of punk, hardcore and metal coupled to Efrem Schulz’ great vocals that did me in. But the well seemed to have run dry once original members Paul and Jim Miner left the band with “Death Is My Only Friend” as the absolute low in the band’s careeer.

Fast-forward to 2012 which could be a turning point for Death By Stereo. They welcomed Paul Miner back into the fold and he not only played bass but also produced, engineered, mixed and mastered the new album. I can’t say that he is solely responsible but fact is “Black Sheep Of The American Dream” turned out to be a way better album than I was expecting it to be. The band once again sounds pissed off with a purpose and shows that there could very well be life after death indeed.
Score: 6.5 out of 10
http://www.concretejunglerecords.com
http://www.deathbystereo.com

Bruce Springsteen – Wrecking Ball

Listening to “Wrecking Ball” it becomes obvious pretty quick that the spirit of Pete Seeger hasn’t left Bruce Springsteen just yet. With plenty of banjo, mandolin, trumpets and a complete gospel choir aboard, Springsteen heads resolutely for folk territory on his most pissed off album to date. Pissed off? Yes, but only in the lyrics with stories about the bankers and their victims. Great stories wrapped great lyrics as always.

The music on the other hand is unfortunately not equally inspired. “Death To My Hometown” and “Shackled And Drawn” are decent folk songs but for the Boss decent just doesn’t cut it. Nope, then I prefer opener “We Take Care Of Our Own”, “The Depression” or “Land Of Hope And Dreams”, which has long since been a live favorite and has now finally found a home on an album. Oh, and the mariachi band in “We Are Alive” is fun as well. This in sharp contrast to Tom Morello’s contributions. Completely unnecessary? Yup.

It makes “Wrecking Ball” a glass half full/half empty kind of album… there are some great tracks on here but it comes with its fair share of clunkers as well. Luckily the lyrics make up for some of this but I still wouldn’t call this another Springsteen classic.
Score: 7 out of 10
http://www.facebook.com/sonymusicbelgium
http://www.brucespringsteen.net

Salim Nourallah – Hit Parade

When an album is being shelved for two years, there’s usually a good reason for it. That point is once again proven while listening to Salim Nourallah’s “Hit Parade”, a title which I can only assume is slightly tongue-in-cheek. Recorded in 2009 after a European tour, it took up until now for Tapete Records to release the thing.

With plenty of hints towards greats such as The Kinks, The Beatles and Elvis Costello, Nourallah works his way down the tracklisting without every becoming engaging. It’s just all trickles along quietly and towards the end even Nourallah himself sounds bored with the material.
Score: 5 out of 10
http://www.tapeterecords.com
http://www.salimnourallah.com

First Aid Kit – The Lion’s Roar

First Aid Kit are two Swedish sisters that listen to the names Johanna and Klara Söderberg. I first read about them a little while ago and was immediately smitten. Not because they look good (they do) but because the mail came with a link to “The Lion’s Roar”, the first single off of their second album with the same name. The song also serves as the album opener and is immediately followed by another instant country classic, “Emmylou”.

With the help of Bright Eyes’ Mike Mogis, First Aid Kit recorded an album full of gentle, sweet songs that are… well, pretty. And cute. The lyrics might not dig too deep but it’s the way the songs float around and how the sisters’ voices swirl around each other, that lend the material an almost irresistible charm.

And it’s not just the first two songs that impress. Check out “I Found A Way” or “New Year’s Eve”… they’re easily as good as the abovementioned cuts. And by the time Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst joins in on “King Of The World”, you’ve long since been won over by this female version of Fleet Foxes.
Score: 8 out of 10
http://www.wichita-recordings.com
http://www.thisisfirstaidkit.com

Justin Townes Earle – Nothing’s Gonna Change The Way You Feel About Me Now

The first words you hear on Justin Townes Earle’s new album are ‘hear my father on the radio’. Yup, this is Steve Earle’s son, but more than that Justin is a gifted songwriter who stands on his own two feet. Something he has already proven with his previous releases, especially 2010’s “Harlem River Blues”.

“Nothing’s Gonna Change The Way You Feel About Me Now” (or the new one with the long name as I call it) sees Earle veering off in another direction, one that harkens back to the heydays of Memphis soul. Recorded live in just four days without any overdubs with the help of producer Skylar Wilson, the new one with the long name comes with a very warm, organic sound that’s holed up somewhere between country and soul. Some horns here, a little bit of organ there and a mostly laidback vibe… it’s all he needs to make this an awesome album. There are a couple of exceptions though… the rockabilly of “Baby’s Got A Bad Idea” or the upbeat “Maria”.

Most of the times though, Earle keeps things mellow… “Down On The Lower East Side” has a jazzy feel and there’s a little bit of “Darkness On The Edge Of Town” era Springsteen in “Unfortunately, Anna”. And then there are the songs where I don’t care what or who they sound like, they’re just amazing. Check “Look The Other Way”!

Basically – okay, I’ll type the whole damn name here – “Nothing’s Gonna Change The Way You Feel About Me Now” is a pretty much flawless album that could just as well have been recorded in the sixties, seventies, eigh… well, maybe not the eighties… but it comes with an equally ‘here and now’ vibe… timeless tuneage!
Score: 9 out of 10
http://www.bloodshotrecords.com
http://www.justintownesearle.com

Weedeater – Jason… The Dragon

What the…I had no idea that Gollum played in a band! But apparently he’s fronting a doom outfit called Weedeater. They have a penchant for sludgy riffs, lame puns in the album title (their previous album was called “God Luck And Good Speed”) and a vocalist you keep expecting to say ‘my precious’ . Oh, they also like to flirt with Southern rock… check out the banjo in “Whiskey Creek”. Most of all this is loud, dark and obnoxious though but without a whole lot of variation going on, making the album seem a lot longer than it actually is. And doom already isn’t a genre known for speeding things along.
Score: 6 out of 10
http://www.southernlord.com
http://www.myspace.com/weedeater

Wilco – The Whole Love

Wilco’s eigth album opens with the eccentric “Art Of Almost”, seven minutes of guitars battling some electronic bleeps before deranging into a psychedelic jam session. Hello world, they’re back! It shows a band feeling very comfortable with where they are in their career and listening to “The Whole Love”, you can just see the band smiling in the studio. Well, maybe it’s more of a fleeting smile or maybe even just a baring of the teeth mistaken for a smile… lines such as ‘You won't set the kids on fire, but I might’ will have that effect on people.

After that first cut though, this becomes a conventional, somewhat formulaic Wilco album. Some of the tracks will probably remind you of older Wilco songs, a couple more slip by almost unnoticed. But hey, even a conventional Wilco album sounds pretty friggin’ good compared to some of the other crap we got shoved down our throats on a daily basis. And with songs like “Dawned On Me” and “Open Mind” or the 12-minutes-long pop symphony that is closer “One Sunday Morning”, they did write a couple of instant Wilco classics… so yeah, not their best album but still a damn good addition to their discography.
Score: 8 out of 10
http://www.anti.com
http://www.wilcoworld.net

Radical Face – Family Tree : The Roots

You might remember Radical Face (real name : Ben Cooper) from 2007’s “Welcome Home”, a song that was picked up by Nikon for one of their commercials. He’s back now with his second full-length, the first in what should become a trilogy telling the story of a fictional family throughout the centuries.

We already knew that Cooper is a gifted storyteller who knows how to write a great song. This time around the songs sound a lot bigger than before thanks to the wider range of instruments and fuller arrangements and it only adds more layers to the beauty that can be heard on “Family Tree : The Roots”. Songs like “A Pound Of Flesh” and “Black Eyes” almost sound too good to be true!

It’s like the ultimate exercise in balancing between wavering folk and broad pop songs and the result is something that will remind you of The Shins, Sufjan Stevens, Bon Iver and Grizzly Bear yet stands completely on its own merits. The piano and subtle percussion drive almost every song onward with Cooper’s warm and slightly nasal voice soaring high above it, backed up by choirs from time to time. And then there are tracks like “The Moon Is Down”, which comes with a more stripped down sound and brings Elliott Smith to mind and “Ghost Towns”… the part where the accordion comes in just knocks it right out the ballpark!

“Family Tree : The Roots” simply is one of the most heartbreakingly beautiful albums I’ve heard in quite some time and I can’t wait for the second installment to find out more about the trial and tribulations of the Northcotes.
Score: 9 out of 10
http://www.nettwerk.com
http://www.radicalface.com

Mansfield.TYA – Nyx

Mansfield.TYA are two French ladies who were probably drinking a glass of wine when they thought it was a good idea to start a band together. I don’t even know how many bottles it must have taken them to actually believe this was a good idea, but let me assure you it is not. As a matter of fact “Nyx” could very well be the most boring album I’ve heard in a long time.

The music usually consists of nothing more than one rhythm that stays the same from start to finish with the ladies moaning their nonsensical lyrics over a bland synth line. That’s it!
Score: 2 out of 10
http://www.viciouscircle.fr
http://www.mansfieldtya.com

O’Death – Outside

Let’s be honest here, on previous releases O’Death was kind of a sloppy band and sometimes even downright clownesque. That has changed though on their fourth album, “Outside”. The songs are more concise and the tempo has been brought down. Does it have anything to do with the fact that drummer David Rogers-Berry was diagnosed with cancer two years and has fought quite the battle to survive? Could be.

Whatever the reason, the result is an album that’s better than anything they’ve released in the past. You can still call it gothic country (think Murder By Death) but they use their fiddle, ukulele and banjo to head for the Balkan just the same.

You might find it a shame that you have to leave your dancing shoes in the closet this time around, but you do get a more thoughtful album that kicks it precessors’ ass in every way possible.
Score: 7 out of 10
http://www.cityslang.com
http://www.odeath.net

Young Galaxy – Shapeshifting

After two albums of more conventional dream pop, Young Galaxy decided to try something new. And so they recorded what would become “Shapeshifting” and then handed the whole thing over to Dan Lissvik (half of the Swedish duo Studio and producer of Fever Ray and Kylie Minogue among others) with the permission to do with it as he saw fit.

The dreamy aspects that characterized Young Galaxy are still very much present but things sound decidely more electronic this time around. I’m not sure how much of an influence Lissvik had on the songs but whatever the case may be, “Shapeshifting” turned out to be a great album that sounds like The Knife getting it on with Kate Bush or the Eurythmics. It’s synth-pop at its best and it more than lives up to its title… it’s laid-back and nostalgic yet distant. It sounds organic yet comes with a lot of electronic sounds. It has a strong eighties vibe yet sounds very modern at the same time. And the dual vocals add only more layers to the continious shapeshifting of this album.
Score: 7.5 out of 10
http://www.smalltownsupersound.com
http://www.younggalaxy.com

Herman Dune – Strange Moosic

Behind the Herman Dune moniker are two Frenchies called David-Ivar Herman Dune and Cosmic Néman. They’ve been cranking out poppy, slightly folky tunes for over ten years that are always simple yet catchy. That’s once again no different on “Strange Moosic”. The problem however is that the songs – along with the lyrics - are a bit too simple and don’t leave much of an impression. Sure, they’re easy on the ears but the choruses are mostly nothing else but the song title strung together a bunch of times and the fact that Dune’s voice is kinda limited doesn’t exactly help things along either. It makes “Strange Moosic” an easily digestable yet equally forgettable album.
Score: 6 out of 10
http://www.cityslang.com
http://www.hermandune.com

Love Inks – E.S.P.

Love Inks is a new band out of Austin, TX consisting of the husband-and-wife team Sherry LeBlanc (vocals) and Kevin Dehan (bass) along with guitarist Adam Linnell and an as of yet unnamed drum machine. Just like their line-up, they like to keep their indie-pop tunes minimal and end up sounding not too different from acts such as Young Marble Giant, The xx and Warpaint.

“E.S.P.” is the name of their recently released album, which they recorded on a reel-to-reel tape recorder in true DIY fashion and it’s a keeper! The songs are lazily pushed along by the bass lines, there’s some less-is-more guitar and Sherry’s lush, whispering vocals blend right in and make sure that the songs not so much get under your skin as slip right in. Oh, and the cover of David Essex’ “Rock On” is awesome!
Score: 7 out of 10
http://www.hellyes.it
http://www.loveinks.com

The Static Jacks – If You’re Young

Since forming in 2009, New Jersey’s The Static Jacks have already released an EP and toured with the Futureheads, Biffy Clyro and We Were Promised Jetpacks among others. And now there’s the band’s first full-length, “If You’re Young”. Is it any good? Yes! Am I surprised? Yes!

I honestly didn’t think it was still possible for an indie rock band to get me excited anymore because – let’s face it – they all sound alike after the first hundred bands. But there’s something about the way these dudes spice up their indie rock with elements from punk, garage and – why not – soul, that just drags you in as soon as “Defend Rosie” kicks in. “Girl Parts” is another little sparkplug of a song and comes with guest vocals from Beast Make Bomb’s Ceci Gomez.

The twosome that is “Sonata (Maybe We Can Work It Out)” and “Walls (We Can’t Work It Out)” sounds great as well, the former being a more mellow cut and the latter being a high-energy track where the band keeps on chasing a jagged riff throughout the entire song.

“If You’re Young” is a very solid offering and I don’t think I’ve been this excited about an indie rock debut since Bloc Party’s “Silent Alarm”. Oh, and I love how they mention in the album credits that Smashing Pumpkins’ James Iha contributed on one song by playing… the tambourine! That’s endearing.
Score: 8 out of 10
http://www.fearlessrecords.com
http://www.thestaticjacks.com

Breathe Carolina – Hell Is What You Make It

Damn, this is a fucking terrible album… Breathe Carolina is a duo from Denver, CO and hell is indeed what they made it. They somehow figured it was a good idea to mix metalcore with cheesy eurobeats and lots of synths. Let me assure you… it is not a good idea. In fact, it is a horrible idea that is right up there with Meatwater (it’s a real thing… check http://www.dinnerinabottle.com).
Score: 1 out of 10
http://www.fearlessrecords.com
http://www.myspace.com/breathecarolina

Tonight Alive – Consider This EP

Aussie fivesome Tonight Alive recently inked a deal with Fearless Records and to get the US ready for the invasion from down under, the label re-released the five-song “Consider This” EP. Listening to opener “Wasting Away”, it becomes clear right away why Fearless was interested in this female-fronted pop-punk outfit. It’s a catchy, explosive track that comes with a lead role for vocalist Jenna McDougall. Inevitably this will spark comparisons to Paramore but contrary to that band, Tonight Alive sets themselves apart with a more edgy sound.

The band then launches into the equally energetic “Five Years” before slowing things down with “My Favourite Thing”, showing a more sensitive side of themselves. It’s not bad but that’s the kind of thing every other band is doing as well. No, then I prefer the darker “Revenge And Its Thrills”. If they focus on tracks like this, I’m more than looking forward to a full-length!
Score: 7 out of 10
http://www.fearlessrecords.com
http://www.facebook.com/tonightalive

Against Me! – White Crosses / Black Crosses

White Crosses/ Black Crosses is the extended version of 2010’s “White Crosses”. The album now comes with the four songs that were previously only included on the limited edition of the original release. While “Lehigh Acres”, “Bob Dylan Dream”, “One By One” and “Bitter Divisions” are not bad songs at all, I can understand why they weren’t included.

The most interesting about this release is the second disc which comes with acoustic versions or alternate takes of the songs before Butch Vig got his hands on them. It’s hard to say which version I prefer but the acoustic versions of songs like “I Was A Teenage Anarchist” and “Because Of The Shame” are definitely worth a listen.
Score: 8.5 out of 10
http://www.xtramilerecordings.com
http://www.againstme.net

Jim Ward – Quiet In The Valley, On The Shores The End Begins / The Electric Six

Jim Ward is best known for his work in At The Drive-In. When that band called it a day, he started Sparta. And then when that band called it a day, he was probably so fed up with bands, that he started a solo project. This led to the release of three acoustic EPs which have now been compiled on one single shiny disc with a whopping fourteen songs and six extra songs which are called ‘the electric six’ because they are louder versions of some of the other songs. Most of the time though it’s all very quiet in Ward’s valley.

The good man knows how to write a good song as opener “On My Way Home Back Again” proves right from the get-go. Sounding like Rufus Wainwright one moment, Leonard Cohen the next and then a little like Bono right after that, Ward makes it very clear that he doesn’t need loud guitars to be noticed. He’s doing just fine with his acoustic guitar and the occasional trumpet or piano that rears its head to spruce things up.
Score: 7.5 out of 10
http://www.xtramilerecordings.com
http://www.facebook.com/itsnotjimward

Crazy Arm – Union City Breath

Despite “Born To Ruin” being an awesome album, Crazy Arm is not yet getting the recognition they should have. We’ll see if that’s about to change with the release of “Union City Breath”. It won’t be because the album is no good… the songs are once again amazing!

Nope, if the masses miss out on this one, it’ll be because Crazy Arm are hard to pigeonhole. They mix punkrock, folk, country in a way that I’ve never heard before and they’ll switch from fast tracks (“The Endless Carriage”, “Bandalito”) to more introvert songs (“Charnel House Blues”, “Southway Drive”) in the blink of an eye, making “Union City Breath” an album with a whole lot of different things going on. Sometimes this all even takes place in the same song. Like in first single “Tribes”, a huge song that explodes from time to time before soulful backing vocals come in to soothe the pain. Or how about “Song Of Choice” which sounds like Billy Bragg getting it on with The Chieftains? Good stuff.

Crazy Arm is a band with a clear message (“The Right Wing Never Sleeps”) and they know how to wrap it in exciting songs. And seeing as it’s so hard to classify their music, I’ll just file them under ‘awesome’.
Score: 8 out of 10
http://www.xtramilerecordings.com
http://www.facebook.com/thecrazyarm

I Am The Avalanche – Avalanche United

We had to wait six years but I Am The Avalanche is finally back with the follow-up to their self-titled full-length. The new album is called “Avalanche United” and while their debut was still regarded as the album by that new band with that dude from The Movielife, “Avalanche United” is the album that will get their name out to a much bigger audience.

As soon as opener “Holy Fuck” bursts out of the speakers, you know you’re in for a treat. And then in comes “Brooklyn Dodgers” with its catchy as fuck chorus and you’re completely won over. These guys have got it all going on… pounding drums, loud guitars, a great vocalist and plenty of hooks to reel you in.

Bayside’s Anthony Raneri contributes some guest vocals to “The Gravedigger’s Argument” but they honestly didn’t need him to make “Avalanche United” a pretty friggin’ awesome punkrock album that is as catchy as it is sincere and rocking.
Score: 8 out of 10
http://www.xtramilerecordings.com
http://www.facebook.com/iamtheavalanche

Neal Casal – Sweeten The Distance

Neal Casal might still be best know as the guitarist for Ryan Adams’ Cardinals but that doesn’t stop him from releasing solo album after solo album. “Sweeten The Distance” is the name of his latest baby and already his twelfth release.

Compared to 2009’s “Roots And Wings” things rock a little less this time around with Casal focusing on melancholy and restraint instead, except for the occasional outburst (“So Many Enemies”). This does mean things are less diverse even though Casal still likes to dabble in the kind of country and folkrock that brings you right back to the early seventies. “Bird With No Name” even sounds like a recently unearthed America song.

“Sweeten The Distance” is a laidback kind of album that’s fun to spend some time with. It might not be the best singer/songwriter album ever but I’ll take it over Joey Cape’s solo albums anytime.
Score: 7.5 out of 10
http://www.fargo-label.com
http://www.nealcasal.com

Maison Neuve – Joan

From France comes Maison Neuve, a rather depressed sounding bunch who cite influences such as The Smiths and Belle And Sebastian. “Prophet” is a decent enough opener but it isn’t until “Under Skies Of Fire” that things become a little more interesting… it’s a solid tune that inspires gazing at your shoes until it fades out and makes room for “Victor” where the band does pretty much the same thing all over again. And that’s Maison Neuve’s weakness… the songs on “Joan” all sound the same and I already found my attention slipping away before reaching the halfway mark. The slow rhythms and distant vocals don’t exactly help move things along either.

There’s a lot to be said for Maison Neuve but basically… they’re just isn’t exciting enough.
Score: 5 out of 10
http://www.talitres.com
http://www.myspace.com/maisonneuve

Milagres – Glowing Mouth

Some people have all the luck! After getting sick and tired of struggling with a writer’s block, vocalist Kyle Wilson fled to Canada where he then injured his back rock climbing. The only ‘good’ thing about the whole episode was that while bedridden, Wilson finally found the inspiration to write what would become “Glowing Mouth”.

As can be expected it did not turn out to be a happy go lucky kind of thing but rather a dark-ish psychedelic pop album with lots of synth sounds. Not too much unlike Wild Beasts or Grizzly Bear if you will. There’s some Prince lite funkiness to be found in the title track, “Gentle Beast” slowly meanders along before bursting wide open towards the end with some guitar action and “Lost In The Dark” is based on a simple melody yet comes with a catchy chorus. Milagres’ sound is pretty diverse and pretty much the only thing that all the songs have in common are the rich arrangements and Wilson’s falsetto.

Unfortunately it’s not all praise… especially during the second half of the album things take turn for the worse and the result is lackluster at best as you work your way further down the tracklisting. Overall “Glowing Mouth” turned out to be an atmospheric album that slowly fades out in the second half.
Score: 6.5 out of 10
http://www.memphis-industries.com
http://www.milagresmusic.com

Every Avenue – Bad Habits

Michigan’s Every Avenue has already been going at it since 2003 and by releasing two albums and touring with the likes of All Time Low and Yellowcard, they have made somewhat of a name for themselves with their extremely saccharine pop-rock.

And while they do another pretty good job of doing just that on “Bad Habits” with the help of producer Aaron Sprinkle, it’s also the band’s biggest problem if you ask me. It’s all a little too cutesy for my taste and when they really do bring out the schmalz in songs like “I Can’t Not Love You”, it becomes a bit too much to take.
Score: 4 out of 10
http://www.fearlessrecords.com
http://www.everyavenue.net

Go Radio – Lucky Street (Deluxe Edition)

Go Radio is the name of Jason Lancaster’s new band. You might remember him from his days with Mayday Parade. I don’t know if the band name is tongue in cheek or not but the songs that make up “Lucky Street” sure sound like they’re written with some airplay in mind.

If commercially viable pop-punk is your thing, then there’s no going wrong with this one. The title track gets to kick off the album and immediately shows what you’re in for. These guys obviously spent a fair amount of time studying the pop-punk rulebook and got all their bases covered. Up-beat rhythms, big choruses, poignant guitar solos, drums that slow down in the right places,… it’s all there in songs like “Swear It Like You Mean It” or “Singing With The King”.

And then there are the mellow piano-driven tunes that you just can’t go without. “Goodnight Moon”, “Why I’m Home” and “House Of Hallways” are the kind of songs that sound like they belong on a Goo Goo Dolls albums and which will no doubt get the lighters going at their shows. Yet somehow they don’t affect me much if at all.

Let’s just stick by saying that this is a wholesome album that unfortunately does not manage to set itself apart from what a thousand other bands are doing. Oh yeah, the deluxe edition comes with a couple of bonus tracks, an Adele cover of “Rolling In The Deep” and an alternate version of “Forever My Father”.
Score: 6.5 out of 10
http://www.fearlessrecords.com
http://www.myspace.com/goradio

Blessthefall – Awakening

After having put everyone to sleep with 2009’s “Witness”, Blessthefall couldn’t have come up with a better name for their third album. Don’t expect anything too crazy… these Phoenix natives aren’t reinventing the wheel here. It however does show a band who knows what they’re good at which is writing catchy yet by-the-numbers metalcore tunes.

The drums run smoothly, the guitars shred where they have to and swirl melodically in other places and the screams vs clean vocals thing works well. It’s all present and accounted for and while there are no surprises to be found on here, this is a pretty solid and focused release… for those of you who still haven’t had enough of this kinda sound. There are no real highlights, everything flows along nicely and is kept concise, keeping things interesting throughout the entire album’s duration. Welcome back guys!
Score: 7 out of 10
http://www.fearlessrecords.com
http://www.myspace.com/blessthefall

El Caco interview

Hey! We found one of them… El Caco is a Norwegian band that does not play black metal. Instead they excel at playing dark, atmospheric alternative rock that made me think of Alice In Chains (the vocals!) and Tool (the riffs!). Check out their new album “Love, Hate & Diagrams” but feel free to ready this interview first!

PRT: I’m sorry but my Spanish is a little bit rusty… what does El Caco mean and how did you come up with the name?
El Caco: El Caco is spanish slang for "The Thief". It actually came up as an alternative to Cake, cause that was what we were called a hundred years ago, and we put a little latin twist on it. We didn´t know the meaning until a Spanish stewardess told us on our way to a gig. Then we liked it even more

PRT: For people who haven’t heard you guys yet… if El Caco was the lovechild of two other bands, which acts would’ve had sex and which position were you conceived in?
El Caco: Probably Led Z and Motorhead…standing under water near Niagra Falls

PRT: You started out as a stoner band a little over ten years ago but you have evolved quite a bit since then. Was that something that just happened over the years or was it more of a conscious decision to veer off in another direction?
El Caco: I think we just wanted to evolve through our records so we would not make the same record over and over again. It was surely a calculated decision to work with Daniel Bergstrand on the second record to do something else. He had produced Meshuggah so that was also a reason. What happened was that we could not stop working with him so he has been a part of every record since. But, it´s not a change to shake off stoner it is a way of trying new things to make music more interesting to play

PRT: El Caco is a Norwegian band. Do you feel it’s harder to get noticed compared to being a band from the UK?
El Caco: I think, as long as your record is good enough you will be noticed even if you are from Norway. But it might be more difficult since we are not a Black Metal band. Through the history England has been known for protecting their music scene but nowadays internet has mostly wiped out the borders

PRT: Your new album is called “Love, Hate & Diagrams”. What do diagrams have to do exactly with love and hate?
El Caco: It has do to with rules and keeping every day on schedule to make things work.

PRT: I love how you incorporate influences such as Alice In Chains and Tool into your songs but still end up having a sound of your own. Is that something you’re very careful about?
El Caco: No, not really. We have a lot of different influences, including the two above, and we´re not thinking about which bands it might be similar to. We have mostly been working out our sound to make it sound good live, and that has helped us getting our own fingerprint independent of how the songs are made.

PRT: What’s up next for El Caco? Lots of touring?
El Caco: Yes, we start here in Norway and then it´s Europe in the fall. We´ll play some summer festivals as well.

PRT: You’ve already been around for quite some years… are there any things you would still like to achieve with your band other than – obviously - world domination?
El Caco: Haha, no just world domination

PRT: Any last words for our readers?
El Caco: Yes, check the record out and when you can´t wait to hear it live tell your local promotor to book us

You Me At Six – Sinners Never Sleep

You Me At Six is back with a new album and while they claim to have matured, I’m still hearing mostly the same thing on “Sinners Never Sleep”. If you are looking for a UK counterpart of acts like All Time Low and Panic At The Disco, then You Me At Six will do just fine. They’re doing nothing wrong and it all sounds like it’s aimed for the big leagues thanks to the GGGarth Richardson production job, but the songs just don’t stick.

One thing they don’t lack is good intentions. But it’s all so damn formulaic, right down to the obligatory ballads and the cliché-riddled lyrics about girls! If you’re thinking you do need another cutesy album in your collection, then by all means… pick up a copy of “Sinners Never Sleep”. But to me it’s like the “Bite My Tongue” documentary that comes with the album… it tells the story of the band and how hard it is to be on the Warped Tour. Again, nicely done but I’ve heard the stories a hundred times before.
Score: 6 out of 10
http://www.emimusic.be
http://www.youmeatsix.co.uk

Deadmau5 – Meowingtons Hax 2k11 Toronto DVD

Deadmau5 has to be one of the biggest names in electronic music these days. It’s hard to look past the guy and not just because of the big mouse head he’s sporting during his shows. Hell, even us here at PunkRockTheory.com have heard of him!

2011 was an extremely busy year for Deadmau5 with the release of a new album, co-headlining Lollapalooza with the Foo Fighters, 3 Grammy nominations and the Meowingtons Hax tour which brought him all over the world. It all culminated in this DVD, a registration of his gig at the Rogers Centre in hometown Toronto. Check it out to see what the buzz is all about!

I myself was kinda hesitant at first because I didn’t think it would be very interesting watching a DJ spin some tunes for an hour and a half, but the amazing track selection consisting of the man’s biggest hits along with a couple of unreleased tracks coupled to mind-blowing visuals brought me round. Small side note though… why is there no CD version included?
Score: 8 out of 10
http://www.emimusic.be
http://www.deadmau5.com

The Me In You – Forgotten Clothes

The Me In You is a new Belgian band that you are probably going to hear a lot about in the coming months. You’ll hear about them quietly though, because they excel at writing gentle guitarpop songs that have a way of slowly sinking in. You might already know the band’s first single (“Girl In Armour”), a warm song with a warm voice that gently wraps itself around you and leaves you with yes, you guessed it… a warm feeling.

The songs on “Forgotten Clothes” have a timeless quality about them, like one of those old pictures that make you wish you were born in a different decade. Carefully strummed guitars or a delicately played piano line and a voice that takes its time to express what it wants to say, wrapped in nice melodic hooks… Nick Drake is never that far away. But neither are contemporary Belgian acts such as Isbelss and Marble Sounds.

Just have a listen to “Broken Holiday”, “Low Battery” or the beautiful “Shark Song” and become a fan.
Score: 8 out of 10
http://www.noisesome.com
http://www.themeinyou.com

Air – Le Voyage Dans La Lune

“Le Voyage Dans La Lune” is not only the title of Air’s new album but also that of Georges Méliès’ classic from 1902. Coincidence? Nope. There was a colorized version of the film which everybody thought lost until a copy was found in 1993. After having been meticulously restored, the film was shown at the Cannes film festival last year and to celebrate the whole thing, the dudes from Air were asked to write a new score for the occasion.

Air isn’t exactly new to soundtracks. They previously contributed a song to “Lost In Translation” and went all the way for “The Virgin Suicides”, both of them dreamy films that suited their music perfectly. So I was kinda curious to hear what they’d come up with for a 110-year-old sci-fi classic.

Well, during its best moments the new soundtrack is vintage Air and a real treat to listen to. Check out “Lava” with its melancholic piano or the collaboration between the French elektropoppers and Beach House’s “Seven Stars” and fall in love with Air all over again.

A couple of times though they drift off to the level of elevator music… “Sonic Armada” is a fine example of the latter. It’s a shame. It never becomes truly dull or boring but sometimes this album just seems to trickle along for the sake of it. The original film only lasts 15 minutes and I’m thinking they’d have been better off trimming the soundtrack down to the same length, which would’ve made it irresistibly charming.
Score : 7 out of 10
http://www.emimusic.be
http://www.aircheology.com

Professor Green – At Your Inconvenience

Professor Green (or the UK’s version of Eminem as I like to call him) is back with the follow-up to “Alive Till I’m Dead”. This one is called “At Your Inconvenience” and on it you will find everything that you could possibly expect to find on a modern hiphop album. Let’s go over the list…

If you’re a rapper you need some tunes that’ll do well in the clubs. Now that dubstep is big, it means you need to have a dubstep/drum n bass song. Check! Got that shit covered with songs like “Trouble” and “How Many Moons”! A little bit of trance with some breakbeat rhythms underneath don’t exactly hurt things either and so that’s where a song like “Remedy” comes in. But you also need your piano ballads with preferably a girl handling vocals in the chorus… check first single “Read All About It” to hear what that sounds like. Or “Astronaut”. Of course, no hiphop album is complete without its share of clunkers… “Spinning Out” is where the Professor manages to completely rape The Pixies’ “Where Is My Mind” and it truly is toe-curlingly bad.

Like I mentioned before, the similarities with Eminem are abundant… yes, they are both white but they also spit out their raps in a similar way, had a rough childhood and don’t mind talking about it in their songs. And just like Eminem, Professor Green is at his best when he digs a little deeper and gets personal in his lyrics. Overall “At Your Inconvenience” is a solid release that might not exactly be original but very well executed nonetheless.
Score: 6.5 out of 10
http://www.virginrecords.com
http://www.professorgreen.co.uk

On Bodies interview

Whether it was Shai Hulud, As Friends Rust or Morning Again, Damien Moyal has been screaming his lungs out for as long as I've been a part of the hardcore scene. He's back now with a new band called On Bodies. They just released their first EP on Eulogy Recordings... it's called "Planet Hospice" and you should own it! Read on to see what Damien had to tell us.

PRT: I read in an interview from a couple of years ago that you were completely done with hardcore, which I guess is where the Damien Done project came from. What made you want to start a new band and get As Friends Rust back together again?
Damien: After quitting As Friends Rust I was ‘done’ with hardcore – but only in the sense that I was burnt out, tired, and so sick of playing. I always knew that I’d be back. It’s in my blood, for better or worse. Damien Done did emerge from that - not because it wasn’t hardcore, but because it was nothing I’d have to play live. I really just wanted to hole-up in my house, write songs, and record them with zero obligation to hit the road or whatever.
To me, the ‘true’ As Friends Rust was the “Coffee Black” era line-up. True, we didn’t write very much material in comparison to the last line-up, but we were all heart. We were a fucking mess… The best of friends, the worst of enemies. We slaved to make shit happen. We lost jobs, apartments, girlfriends, teeth and tons of money for the sake of touring. We toured sometimes just because the meals were guaranteed, which was more than we had going for us at home. So getting those guys back together was an easy decision.

PRT: When and how did ON BODIES come to life?
Damien: ON BODIES was kind of already happening when I jumped into the picture. Rich, whom I’d played in Culture with (on and off between 1993 and 1997), was demoing songs, playing every instrument himself, and trying to gather some folks to join and play it live. He sent me the stuff, and I loved it. Two weeks later I dropped some vocals onto the tracks, and that’s what we’re releasing… essentially a demo. It’s fun, and very easy and low-pressure. The recording really captures the rough spontaneity of the project.

PRT: You just dropped your first release called “Planet Hospice”, a short but intense EP. That’s not really a question, just a compliment.
Damien: Yes, we did. And thank you.

PRT: You’ve already been a part of quite a number of influential hardcore bands. Do you feel that when you start a new project, it comes with certain expectations from people? And do you give that any thought at all?
Damien: I do feel that there are inevitably going to be expectations, comparisons and excessive amounts of snobby scrutiny. I do not give a fuck. Here’s what I know: I’m fucking old, and I’ve treated myself like shit. I’ve abused my body and absolutely destroyed my throat. Why? For hardcore.
It’s about sincerity and questioning. It’s about being confused, not knowing a fucking thing in this world, and trying to get some answers... even if it doesn’t feel like there are any. I will be yelling until I have no voice left, which may be coming sooner than I think.

PRT: Today a lot of hardcore seems to be aggressive just for the sake of sounding aggressive rather than spreading a positive message in a pissed off way. Do you agree with that and how do you propose we set the record straight?
Damien: I do agree that so much of today’s hardcore is very fabricated and stylized. It’s a whole lot of style-chasing and emulating. It’s long, profound band names with scratchy, drippy logos. There’s not whole lot of substance, and it’s very… packaged.
Here’s how ON BODIES promotes positivity: There is no meaning, no greater purpose. Life is fucked up. People can be awful. There is no god, and the future does not look promising... But still we persevere. Why?
Because it shouldn’t mean anything profound in order to be worthwhile. Because - even in the absence of eternal consequence - we still govern ourselves and we love and we give to those around us. To me, this goodness that is unsolicited and not born of fear of eternal damnation is the truest, most pure positivity. I’d encourage everyone to embrace the pointlessness of their own mortality, and then to applaud themselves for being good people in spite of it.

PRT: You’ve been venting your frustrations through music for quite some time… does it ever feel like preaching to the converted? And if so… what keeps you going?
Damien: If the songs were about straightedge, veganism, being stabbed in the back, fucking shit up, beating motherfuckers down or whatever… yeah, any of those ‘hot’ hardcore topics would make for some tired, redundant, overkilled lyrical content, and would certainly feel like preaching to the choir. But I’d like to think that, at least with As Friends Rust and now ON BODIES, my stories and perspectives (finally, hopefully) elevated to some less traditional, less exhausted subjects.

PRT: “Planet Hospice” comes with a couple of great one-liners. Asking a guy who has written a song like “Ass-Crack Is The New Cleavage” if there is room for humor in hardcore seems a bit superfluous but at the same time you renamed Rubbers To Damien Done because you felt it would be too goofy. Where do you think the line is between having fun and having to worry about not being taken seriously? Wow, that was a long question! Next one will be shorter…
Damien: I think the line, if it exists at all, is constantly moving. For me, the test is whether or not I think I’ll regret something (not be amused by it) in a year or five. I write a lot of silly shit. Some of my lyrics (AFR’s “Coffee Black” or “Temporary Living” for example) are fucking laughable on paper. Silly, and somewhat stupid. But will I hate them or be embarrassed by them in a few years? Nope. Would I have grown to regret keeping the name ‘Rubbers’ for a band? Probably.

PRT: Is “Planet Hospice” a one-time thing or will there be a sequel?
Damien: We’re already writing new songs for another EP, tentatively titled “Megachurch”. We’ve been tossing around a couple of offers to do split EPs with some other bands, as well. I think we’re sticking to EPs. Fuck a full-length. There’s no point.

PRT: Any touring plans with ON BODIES?
Damien: Not yet.

PRT: Seems like 2012 is gearing up to be a busy year for you with not only ON BODIES taking up your time, but also the Culture discography and a new As Friends Rust album as well. Can you tell me a bit more about those two releases… how are they shaping up?
Damien: The Culture discography was sort of put on hold for a while Rich and I focused on ON BODIES. We’re starting to figure it all out again now, but are not set on any particular release date.
As for As Friends Rust… we’re a weird animal. We move like cheetahs at times, and slugs at other times. We’ve made huge progress and have a stash of new songs, but no next steps lined up. We’ll make it happen, but it’ll happen when it happens.

PRT: You recently posted all of the Damien Done songs on your Bandcamp page. That was like “Chinese Democracy” all over again… how come those songs never got a proper release?
Damien: Edward Goodlife. I love him, but the answer is Edward Goodlife.

PRT: Why did Damien Moyal cross the road?
Damien: That’s just where he parked.

PRT: Any last words for our readers?
Damien: Love your people, they’re the only ones you’ve got. It’s a long short life, and soon we all will rot.

Last Witness – Mourning After

Last Witness is a London-based hardcore act that originally got together in 2006 before disbanding two years later, only to then reunite in 2010 and release a new album in 2012. This monster is called “Mourning After” and on it these guys don’t waste any time on subtleties…”Mourning After” is eight tracks of extremely pissed off, no holds barred metallic hardcore that goes for the jugular and doesn’t let go. Sure, it’s one-dimensional and bleak as fuck but I can’t help loving it. It’s the kind of album that should come with a warning to hide your children!
Score: 7.5 out of 10
http://www.holyroarrecords.com
http://www.myspace.com/lastwitnessuk

Feist – Metals

After being embraced by hipsters because of her past with Broken Social Scene, after having seduced a lot of youngsters into buying an Ipod Nano by letting Apple use “1234” in a commercial and after whipping kids into a frenzy by performing the same song on Sesame Street, Feist has become something of a household name after the release of “The Reminder”.

With success comes pressure though and maybe that’s why Leslie Feist secluded herself in Big Sur, the place where Kerouac wrote a book and lost his mind. Four years it took her to release the follow-up to her breakthrough album, but “Metals” was well worth the wait.

It turned out to be a soft, mellow album except for the occasional outburst (“A Commotion”, “Undiscovered First”). Most of the songs however take a little longer to sink in but ultimately do succeed in getting under your skin. “Graveyard” is one of those songs that slowly blossoms into something beautiful. It’s all very bluesy, organic and real… little flaws have simply been left in the mix by producers Mocky, Gonzales and Valgeir Sigurðsson and that’s how come you hear a bar stool creaking at the beginning of “Bittersweet Melodies”. It all contributes to a more authentic, honest sound and while you’d be hard-pressed to find any real highlights (or points of light for that matter), “Metals” is an album that you need to live with for a while before it shows its true colours.
Score: 8 out of 10
http://www.universalmusic.be
http://www.listentofeist.com

Will Haven – Voir Dire

Will the real Will Haven please stand up? While the future of this California-based outfit might not have looked so bright after the departure of vocalist Grady Avenell and the release of “The Hierophant” with Jeff Jaworski on vocals, these guys aren’t dead and buried just yet. Jaworski was thanked for services rendered and sent on his way before they brought Avenell back into the fold. The result is a new album that not only comes with a fancy French title, but also with the band’s trademark sound intact!

“Voir Dire” starts off gentle enough with some synth sounds easing us in before unleashing a serious blast of noise to support Avenell’s tortured vocals. Will Haven has always been a band that likes to fool around with dynamics as is shown once again on “Urban Agoge”, a track that constantly shifts between creepy atmospheric sounds and überheavy riffs. Plus it comes with a sample in Dutch which I thought was funny.

They maintain this level of intensity throughout the rest of the album and with songs like “Midas Secret” and “Lives Left To Wither”, I think it’s fair to say that this is a real return to form for Will Haven. The fellow Sacramento natives that make up Deftones better be ready for some serious competition!
Score: 7.5 out of 10
http://www.bielerbros.com
http://www.myspace.com/willhaven43

Anti-Flag – The General Strike

Don’t expect to find any surprises on Anti-Flag’s new album. “The General Strike” is just more of the same kind of punkrock that these guys have been cranking out for years now. Is that a good thing? Not really.

Opener “Controlled Opposition” is a short rager before “The Neoliberal Anthem” kicks in and sees Anti-Flag falling back on formulaic songwriting. It’s the kind of up-tempo punkrock with a singalong chorus and politically correct sloganeering that they’ve been cranking out for years now. It’s hard to call it crap but I can hardly stifle a yawn. Let alone that it will inspire me to spearhead a revolution.

That doesn’t mean there aren’t any good songs on “The General Strike”. “1915” for example is a semi-successful attempt at writing something Hot Water Music-esque and “Broken Bones” is a pretty solid song. Other than that, Anti-Flag’s 8th album sounds uninspired, forced and tired.
Score: 4 out of 10
http://www.sideonedummy.com
http://www.anti-flag.com

The Hickey Underworld – I’m Under The House, I’m Dying

While these guys do seem rather fond of the word ‘under’, you’d be hard-pressed to call them an underdog. Ever since winning Humo’s Rock Rally in 2006 and releasing their debut album, it’s not easy to find someone who hasn’t heard of The Hickey Underworld. Because they’re loud, obviously. But also because they know how to write songs that have the sexy cool of Queens Of The Stone Age, the experimental urges of a band like Tool yet still show their hardcore roots. It sounds like a weird concoction on paper, especially if you throw some psychedelic spasms as well but The Hickey Underworld pull it off on “I’m Under The House, I’m Dying”.

It’s never quite clear if vocalist Younes Faltakh is pissed off or just trying to seduce a girl when he’s screaming his lungs out over the battle that is taking place behind him between guitarist Jonas Govaerts and the rhythm section. But seriously, who cares? I just like good, loud music and there’s plenty of that to be found on “I’m Under The House, I’m Dying” under the form of “Whistling” (without actual whistling), “Cold Embrace” (no whistling either, but it does come with a flute) or “Pure Hearts In Mud”, which starts all mellow and shit before the Underworlders revert to their old ways with more screaming and more loud guitars.

Let’s just hope this is the album that will get them out of Belgium so that our ears will finally stop bleeding.
Score: 8.5 out of 10
http://www.pias.be
http://www.thehickeyunderworld.com