Music

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• Music 09/05/06

  Grizzly Bear—Yellow House
  Fans of Grizzly Bear's lo-fi and noisy folk debut will not be disappointed with their new album, Yellow House. They will however be confused if they haven't caught Grizzly Bear's live show recently. The sparse sound is gone in favor of lush arrangements, intricate harmonies, and an incredible suite of songs that move in surprising directions. Whereas the band's earlier works sounded like the vision of auteur and founding member Edward Droste, this album shows that Grizzly Bear is finally a band (and a damn good one at that). On constant play at Refinery29 and a strong contender as our album of the year.
  
  Broadcast—Future Crayon
  Very few bands wear their influences on their sleeves as
  much as Broadcast, who boldly create albums in the vein of their favorite records of the 1960s. Somehow this almost kitschy idea has birthed one of the most interesting acts in rock music today, a creative group that has yielded
  two of the finest albums of the decade. Their latest release is a collection of B-sides and non-album cuts from the past few years—a quirky selection of experimental songs that is a treat for fans and newcomers alike.
  
  Justin Timberlake—FutureSex/LoveSound
  How the times have changed. We could never have predicted that a former boy bander would be 2006's pop music savior but after the success of JT's debut album, his latest has become the most anticipated album of the year. At times channeling Prince, Stevie Wonder, and Michael Jackson, Justin manages to filter all his influences into his own creative voice and the result is an almost avant-garde pop masterpiece. Timbaland's presence is, of course, a huge part of the formula but you can't keep attributing Justin's success to other people when he is continuously proving himself to be one of the most exciting voices in pop music.

• Music 08/21/06

  Lily Allen—Alright Still
  A sensation in England but only famous on the internet in the U.S. (largely because of her own self-promotion on Myspace.com), Lily Allen's debut is a lot more promising than we ever expected. Her sweet vocals and catchy songs are made even better thanks to some crisp production that secures some unlikely sample material in classic reggae songs and New Orleans R&B numbers. It isn't too late for this to be the soundtrack for what remains of the summer weekends.
  
  Excepter—Alternation
  The Brooklyn electro group Excepter make music that falls halfway between the dancefloor and a bad trip, matching their synthesizers with an echoey sonic-scape of found sounds and industrial noise. Their latest album highlights an off-the-cuff spirit without sounding like so much experimental noodling. The overall mood of the album can often be sinister and dark, but there's just enough playfulness available to keep it interesting.
  
  Awesome Color—Alright Still
  
  An exceptional release from Thurston Moore's Ecstatic Peace label, Awesome Color is a trio that channels the Funhouse-era Stooges better than anyone ever has (and a lot of bands have tried). Their music follows in the tradition of great early '70s rock bands who never worried about songs as much as they did about a solid drumbeat and a great nosiy guitar solo. At a quick 35 minutes, we really didn't expect much from this release, but their debut is a relentless assault of straight ahead rock anthems with attitude to spare.

• Music 08/08/06

  Snowden—Anti-Anti
  Snowden is hands down Atlanta's best kept secret and one we couldn't keep to ourselves any longer. Try to avoid the inevitable comparisons to Interpol and enjoy it for what it is: a standout, '80s-inspired pop album with all the right hooks in all the right places.
  
  
  
  Chad VanGaalen—Skelliconnection
  Chad VanGaalen's debut was a masterpiece all its own and Skelliconnection is a suitable follow up, with a touch more variety and two pinches less Lo-fi. "Flower Gardens," the opening track has a powerhouse, boot-stomping bass line but ultimately it's the album's softer tracks that showcase VanGaalen's quivering voice, at times so frail and thin you wonder if it will slip away. Any way you shake it, we can't resist it.
  
  Ratatat—Classics
  Despite the title, this is not actually a classic album, but it is one that you'll enjoy for a good while. Vocal-less, guitar-lick heavy duo Ratatat have come back with a catchier offering their second time around. Ratatat have a trademark guitar sound—a low, buzzing, synth-like syncopated riff—but in the end it's their infinitely hummable tunes that bring you back for more.

• Music 07/26/06

  Sonic Youth—Rather Ripped
  The usual brilliance abounds on this latest release from the most consistently great band of the last 25 years. By distilling their often meandering jams into surprisingly concise rock songs, the Sonics have again subverted expectations and reinvented their sound. Like a Sonic Youth reduction (saucy!) all of the best elements are still there, and within the song-based structure the vocals really stand out as the best of their career. Some of these tunes are so good we almost wish they would stretch out for longer, but then we find the rewind button and just start it all over again.
  
  Charalambides—A Vintage Burden
  The lovable duet of Tom and Christina Carter, better know as Charalambides, have left their native Houston and now live on opposite sides of the country, but you'd never know it by listening to A Vintage Burden. The chemistry perfected on their countless releases since the early '90s is on full display here with their most accessible record to date. "Dormant Love" may even be their first proper ballad and it's as hauntingly beautiful as anything they've ever done.
  
  Tropicalia—A Brazilian Revolution in Sound
  Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, Os Mutantes�these giants of Brazilian music and founders of tropicalia are simply too brilliant and varied to reasonably encapsulate their music onto one disc, but Soul Jazz Records has done an admirable job of collecting a fair representation of this vibrant music scene. In the late '60s, tropicalistas mixed the Beatles sound experimentations with samba and bossa nova to create a new and subversive form of music that continues to influence musicians today. As an introduction to tropicalia, this is the perfect place to start as it opens the door to some of the most brilliant pop music of the last century (and if you're looking for the next step, just buy the first album from any of the aforementioned artists).

• Music 07/13/06

  James Figurine—Mistakes Mistakes Mistakes Mistakes
  Jimmy Tamborello, man behind the bajillion selling Postal Service record, and remixer extrordinaire Dntel comes at us with another name, James Figurine. Equally as electro as the past offerings and still providing nice pop vocals and hooks, this one leans toward the housey, upbeat side of things. Featuring vocals from guest-vocal slut, Erlend Oye, who seems to be on every single electro album under the sun, and a slew of other less known names, this album is both insanely catchy, yet weirdly difficult at times. Fun fun fun fun.
  
  Charalambides

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