Enon
Grass Geysers . Carbon Clouds
Available Now
Grass Geysers . Carbon Clouds, Enon's fourth full-length studio album, finds Enon melding the quirky pop-electronica it's known for with an arena-rock sound. The album, the most accessible to date, will definitely snag the band new fans. Whether these fans will fully appreciate the bizarre undertones and lyrics of the indie rock trio is another matter. Swooping keyboards, bitchin' guitar riffs and John Schmersal and Toko Yasuda's vocals make this arguably its strongest release, with 1999's Believo! trailing on its heels. What makes this album superior to Believo! is it is an album, rather than merely a collection of songs. "Mirror on You" uses rhythm and simple lyrical repetition to introduce the album's escalating track listing. "Ashish" wraps up the joyride with a breathy, sugary Yasuda and an electronic torrent that ultimately ebbs into a fairytale ending.
If you like this music, you might also enjoy:
Wild Mountain Nation - Blitzen Trapper
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Liars - Liars
In Our Bedroom After the War - Stars
The Octopus Project
Hello, Avalance
Available Now
To say 2007 has been kind to the Octopus Project would be an understatement. In addition to playing to critical and popular acclaim at Coachella, being named one of the top five standouts at SXSW 2007 and snagging four major Austin Music Awards - in addition to top-10 placement in eight other categories - the band has released its best album thus far. Man-and-wife Josh and Yvonne Lambert and third wheel Toto Miranda make unaffected instrumental indie-tronica, using a musical-chairs methodology and bass, drum, glockenspiel, guitar, keyboard, samplers and theremin. The songs on Hello, Avalance average three minutes, but there's nothing average about the songs' composition or execution. Multi-tracked theremin and the members' individual and collective multi-instrumental prowess set this album apart from other indie-tronic replicas. As the Octopus Project would say with genuine glee, "Roo!"
If you like this music, you might also enjoy:
Kurr - Amiina
Go Go Smear the Poison Ivy - Múm
Cosmos - Murcof
Shocking Pinks
Shocking Pinks
Available Now
Kiwi Nick Harte has one of those voices that will forever ensure humanity's fascination with the tortured-artist archetype. Shocking Pinks is a vehicle for Harte's singular vision. Harte began as a drummer for the Brunettes but became a self-taught, basement-dwelling, multi-tracking multi-instrumentalist over the years. Shocking Pinks is a compilation of remastered tracks from Harte's two New Zealand-only, Flying Nun releases: Infinity Land and Mathematical Warfare. With influences ranging from My Bloody Valentine to LCD Soundsystem to the "Pretty in Pink" soundtrack, this album showcases the heart of Harte. The tracks on this album inspire hitting the repeat button repeatedly. The album closes with a heartbreaking cover of Arthur Russell's "You Can Make Me Feel Bad." Harte croons the refrain, "You can make me feel bad, if you want to," again and again, but it doesn't sound like he's feeling sorry for himself. It sounds more like he's feeling sorry for you. This is just one aspect of Shocking Pinks that makes it worth a listen or 12 - if you're into that tortured-artist thing.
If you like this music, you might also enjoy:
Yellow House - Grizzly Bear
The Trials of Van Occupanther - Midlake
Shut Up Am I Dreaming - Sunset Rubdown
