By this point I just assume that everybody has heard The King Of Limbs. I would write a review of the whole album, but I think it is more fascinating to discuss how the indie community reacted to the record as a whole. When speaking of the media and the release of 2007's In Rainbows, Colin Greenwood discussed the idea of sharing in the online community. In Rainbows allowed for a shared and very unique moment in music's history. The case with The King Of Limbs is no different, if anything, it amplified the notion Greenwood discussed in regards to In Rainbows. Radiohead's music, more so than any other band in the blog/indie world, brings a certain joy to our somewhat little bubble; a special moment where we all silence our opinions and instead just listen to the music. The release of The King Of Limbs was not a moment of innate critique, but rather it warranted a celebration of the music of these five brilliant men.
Most of what I have read from bloggers and major music publications makes it seem like most people found this album to be a grower and I would agree. It took me about four full listens before I finally got to the point where I said "wow, this is truly something special." In particular, "Codex," which originally was the one of tracks that I thought was overly wearisome, is now one of my favorite cuts on the album. When I listened to this album in complete isolation for the first time "Codex" gave me the chills, which is pretty rare for me. If you might have just skipped over this song or not loved it as much as the others or perhaps haven't heard this song at all, please get out some quality headphones and go to a quiet place... you will not be disappointed.
Hello world! Today is a good day. Why? I am sure most of you have read already this, but Radiohead will be releasing their new album, The King of Limbs, at midnight! Radiohead is easily, without a doubt, my favorite band still playing today so I am ecstatic to say the least. I have been preparing myself the last few days by relistening (yeah, that's not a real word, but whatever) to all of their great albums, singles, etc. While doing this, I stumbled upon a song that truly sums up their career: a cover of "Nobody Does It Better," which Yorke once described live as, "the sexiest song ever written." Here's to praying our internet doesn't break tonight. LONG LIVE RADIOHEAD!
In the recent issue of Fordham University--Lincoln Center's newspaper, The Observer, I wrote a piece entitled "February Release Party" with album reviews of James Blake, Akron/Family, and Bright Eyes. I'll be doing these every other week so watch out for them. Support your college newspaper!
FIRST OFF... Congrats to Arcade Fire. Great musicians, even better people. So happy for them. However, work is to be done and I am going to stick to my game... bands that will never be nominated for a Grammy.
Yuck, a young indie rock band out of London, might have one the best band names I have heard in the past few years. More importantly however is the fact that they are fantastic. Their self titled debut will be released on Tuesday (Feb. 15th) and has been getting some serious hype. Their sound is often a grab bag of late 80s/early 90s indie rock. You can certainly hear the likes of Sonic Youth, Dinasour Jr, some post-rock stuff as well as some shoegaze. Their sound is often nostalgic, but I do not want to give the impression that they aren't original because they certainly write some really good original songs. They, unlike many bands who try to sound like a period/sound in music, find the happy medium between nostalgia and originality... now to contradict myself... The song that I think you must hear from Yuck is "Operation," which is a very obvious Sonic Youth rip, or at least pays some serious homage to it. If you have heard Sonic Youth's "Teenage Riot," the first cut from their masterpiece, Daydream Nation, you will immediatly hear what I am talking about. If Yuck is going to pay homage to any band though, Sonic Youth should be that band. Whether or not it bothers you that this song sounds like Sonic Youth really shouldn't matter. The song is still cathchy, energetic, ballsy... just rockin'. Give it a listen.
It's been a long time coming, but The Strokes have finally done it. The NYC playboys have dropped their latest single, "Under Cover of Darkness," from their upcoming album, Angles, which is one of, if not the most anticipated album of the year. From scrapped studio sessions to rehab and everything in between, The Strokes have once again re-emerged from their various corners to come together and dedicate time to something that has the potential to be great. Many critics are saying that Angles is venturing back to the old Strokes sound of early albums like Is This It? and Room on Fire. "Under Cover of Darkness" satisfies these criticisms well, with, yes you guessed it--angular, geometric guitar work, steady bass lines, and shared vocal work by guitarist Albert Hammond Jr. It makes you want to get drunk, buy a bunch of 40s, chain smoke, and crash that loft party everyone was talking about on the Upper East Side...and then do it all again tomorrow.
