Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Sacrilege -- Mosquito (2013)

Tonight another recent release will be the topic. The Mosquito album by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, not sure if it's actually out already or it just has leaked, but that's basically the same thing these days. I'm listening my third time to the album upon writing this and I'm not entirely convinced. I love the band, heck the Y Control song features as my gamer and nick name on a lot of platforms. But this record is pretty alternative, even experimental. I don't consider it to be bad but I don't know I miss the rock in the album. I'm not used to having to re-listen a Yeah Yeah Yeahs album to actually start liking it I guess.

The record is for Yeah Yeah Yeahs standards very slow and again experimental. It's like they completely forgot how to play indie/alternative rock. It starts of with Sacrilege and Subway, which both are very surprising songs for the band. The third song after which the album is called does remind you a bit of the older material and is a nice flashback to how you expect them to sound. Afterward the record continues in the experimental mood set in the first two tracks and sometimes you get another song like Mosquito that reminds you of the old albums, if you're lucky that is. At least you still have Karen O's vocals during the complete record, and they still sound pretty awesome if you ask me. Actually these vocals make the record a whole lot better, if it wasn't for her voice I'm not sure if I'd still like the record really. I have nothing against the musical change they are making but it's not really my type of music and I would soon give up on it. But now I know it's a Yeah Yeah Yeahs album, I love them and I love her voice so it makes me re-listen it. Not because I wanted to after the first spin but because I forced myself to do it. And to be honest the record starts growing on me, I really miss the old sound but it's actually a very decent record. Not good but like a solid 7 on 10 at the moment for me, and who knows maybe it gets a higher rating after the few extra listens.

The song is like I said Sacrilege simply because the official video of it came out earlier this week and it's a great example of the experimental direction the band has headed in. Enjoy!

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Team Ghost - Dead Film Star -- Rituals (2013)

Now I'll be having it about a band created by Nicolas Fromaguea. Who was a co founder and member of M83 (until 2004). The music the band plays is a mix of a lot of things, it's electronic combined with indie rock as well as a mix with post rock influences at times. Which apparently is the Cold-Gaze genre according to NME (New Musical Express). Therefore I'm very intrigued by this french quintet. 

They tell on their site that their first album is out now, and obviously they mean Rituals. But a little research learns that We All Shine was released in 2011 already with 14 tracks on it. So I think you can speak of a follow up album in this case. Anyways for the great masses and for me as well it's the first thing you'll hear about Team Ghost so we can indeed speak of a debut album in many ways. And it's good, not all songs convince me after three listens, but the album in general is entertaining. Personally I love the post rock elements in them, it's a cool refreshing aspect in music like this for me. The vocals are decent, nothing too great but decent, and the sound of his voice grows on you with every listen. It's a pretty atmospheric record in few songs as well has it quite some tempo with the more faster paced electronic and post rockish tracks. The record actually starts off with everything I just mentioned. It has a very atmospheric/electronic intro. Which actually builds up to guitar work & drums that continues to build up to an eargasm. So you can immediately hear the post rock influences this album has. And all this in one song! Honestly it's an awesome opening track for me. Further in the record you get a mix of actual rock songs, actual electronic and very atmospheric songs. As well do you often get a mix of all the previous elements in one song which was the case in the intro. I would be posting the away (intro) song because it illustrates the mix between the electronic and the post rock music pretty well. But the song has no official video so I had to pick another one. 

And the video I picked for you guys is the hit song on the album and the most famous one. So of course it has an official video coming along with it. But honestly my favorite track is Away, Dead Film Star is good just less, simple as that haha. In general I'd stongely advice you to check this entry out, I'm enjoying quite a lot! Soooo enjoy!

Official site
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Biffy Clyro - Biblical -- Opposites (2013)

Up next is the first repost I'll be doing. Last year (already) I posted about Biffy Clyro and talked a bit about the Only Revolutions album, the band in general and how good I consider them live. I also mentioned the new material coming early this year. Right now I'm going to talk about two things, again the excellent live performance these guys delivered and the new material. 

First things first, Opposites came out late January I think and is the sixth studio album these lads delivered. At first I wasn't convinced, I felt that they again became more accessible and again got further away from the old sound. Like I explained in my older post, I'm ok with this I liked Only Revolutions and Puzzle as much as the older albums. And I could have expected that they would continue to follow the road of the previous two albums since they finally are becoming very successful with them. Nevertheless I was slightly disappointed after that first listen, I was going to see them live though in mid February so I figured I needed to give the record a few re-listens. And like so many times when you do this you start to develop a liking for the record. Every time I re-listened I discovered other songs I really started to enjoy and to be honest two months later I don't think this was a bad release at all. Yes again it's more accessible than Blackened Sky to name one of the old albums, but it's still Biffy Clyro. It's still good rock with Scottish vocals on them. I got the deluxe edition of the album so I'm not 100% sure what songs aren't on the normal album but I pretty much like everything on the record at this time and I can only advice to check it out completely if you haven't already. 

Secondly I'm gonna talk a bit about the gig, not doing much gigs anymore lately. Lack of time mostly... Only saw Biffy Clyro and Bloc Party last month and both were good. But even though Bloc Party is my favorite band, the Biffy Clyro concert was way better. They played a lot of the last three albums, which was a bit sad actually. But they played it with so much energy that you were satisfied at the end of the concert. Sure I would have liked some extra old songs, but I guess a lot of the crowd coming to their shows now only are familiar with the newer material so you can't blame them for mostly playing this song. The Opposites record got a lot of playtime as well (obviously) and I can tell that for me the songs were very enjoyable live!

The song I'm posting here will be an official video of one of the tracks, I like so many songs of the record that I'm just gonna pick the first video I get which is official, haha. And the lucky one is Biblical, one of the examples I could have given of the more accessible (mainstream I guess) sound they have since Puzzle. But at the same time one of the examples I could have given of a song you really start to like after listening a few extra times. At least I do and I hope you'll do the same, Enjoy!

Official site

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The Strokes - All The Time -- Comedown Machine (2013)

Right now I'll be talking about a very recent release from one of the major bands from the genre (indie/alternative rock). The Strokes as you can read in the title released the Comedown Machine album yesterday (if I'm not mistaken). To start off I'd like to say I'm a fan of The Strokes, especially the first three albums. But I don't often listen to them, I got the hard copies of the first two and planning to buy First Impressions of Earth someday soon though. The fourth album I'm not familiar with as well, it got mediocre reviews and well I listened less to music when it came out so I skipped this release, I'll pick it up soon promise. But yes I'd say I'm a fan of them, certainly not the biggest but I do like them. Back to the matter of the day: Comedown Machine. If I have to use one word to describe the record I'd use WEIRD. Seriously it's a weird record, not bad not good (yet) but weird. 

The record starts of with a very mediocre Tap Out for me personally, I have no clue about past singles supporting the album so it's my first listen to everything. At first listen the records start pretty weird for me the high vocals from Julian Casablancas aren't really my thing. Music wise the album sounds great but the vocals are plain weird in some songs, and I can't get myself over it. In the third song One Way Trigger the high pitched vocals are growing on me though, I still consider it weird but after the third listen I'm starting to have that click in my mind that is saying: well yes it is weird but it's actually pretty damn good. In between you have All The Time which is awesome, it's Strokes like I know them, first three albums I mean. Same applies for the fourth song Come Down Japan. The 5th tracks 80's Comedown Machine, is very atmospheric, or how to hell to describe it. It's not really what you expect from them but it's well done, again weird (for them) but good. afterwards you get again a classic Strokes sounding song with 50 50. And it continues like this you always have to make the switch between what the hell is this? and the sound you are used to by them. No it isn't a bad record, after a few listens you really come to like it. But it's not what you expect from them at all. So again I'd describe the record as weird, this might be because I skipped the previous release so my apologies if this is the case. But for someone only familiar with the classic sound of The Strokes it's a bit of a culture shock. I'm not sure if this is a good or a bad thing, but like so many bands they evolve I guess, let's just try to enjoy the new material as much as we enjoyed the old material.

The song I'm posting is unknown until now for me, haha. Well I typed all the previous before choosing out a song, I'm new to the record so I don't have a favorite song yet and I'm just gonna search for an official video. And the winner is All The Time, one of the songs you'd expect from them, and yes it's official.

Official site
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The Virginmarys - Dead Man's Shoes -- King of Conflict (2013)

Right now I'll be talking about another hard(er) rock band. After Wolfmother only a day ago it will be about The Virginmarys this time. While the first band is pretty much known by most people the second one is only starting out, well not exactly since they are active since '06 already. But this activity was limited to touring extensively and releasing some ep's. The first complete record only came out last month though and it sounds pretty good. So I expect that the time of being unknown by most people will soon be over for these guys. 

The band is a trio from Macclesfield up in the North of England and they produce some very good alternative, hard/garage rockish sounding music. The record opens with the song i'm posting here: Dead Man's Shoes and it immediately shows the energy/power these lads will entertain you with. The intro is very catchy and likable and the rest of the record seems to hold up after this promising start. I'm pretty new to the band as well so I can't really say much about them, but I'd strongly advice to give this song a try and if you like what you hear I'd do the same with the complete album! The album is a double album containing the record of 12 tracks as well as a stripped album which contains mostly the same songs but in acoustic versions obviously.

The song is like I said the opener of the record and is called Dead Man's Shoes. It was the song I stumbled upon myself yesterday, it's an official video, it's a very good video and it's catchy as fuck. Reasons enough to pick this one of the record I'd say! Enjoy!

Official site
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Wolfmother - Vagabond -- Wolfmother (2005)

Up next is the Aussie hard rock/alternative rock band Wolfmother. The band is active since 2000 and had it's peak around 2005 with the release of the self titled debut album. After this first very good record it pretty much only went downwards with them, lot of changes in the line up of the band and a disappointing second album (Cosmic Egg) caused me to stop listening to them. Last few days Koen (visit his tumblr) discovered them at last, and I sort of rediscovered how good the debut record was because of this. The band is still active although from the original line up only Andrew Stockdale (vocals) is part of the band still. And the activity I speak of isn't much it seems, but yes there still are gigs occasionally.

The album is like I mentioned very good it has some hit songs on it like Woman, Apple Tree, Joker & the Thief and my personal favorite Vagabond. The band combines very catchy rock with very good vocals. Because of this type of music and this record is particular they received quite a few awards, and they really were a hype in Australia and an upcoming band in the rest of the world I'd say. For this reason it's an even bigger shame that they didn't fulfill the high expectations with the follow up record. But I guess this is partly because of the earlier mentioned ever changing line up, and maybe my changing taste in music over the years.    

Nevertheless this record is one of my favorite hard(er) rock albums and it feels really good to re-listen it after so long. The song I chose is Vagabond because I absolutely loved it in the 500 days of summer movie. Enjoy!

Official site
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Radiohead - Paranoid Android -- OK Computer (1997)

Last post was about Alt-J where I mentioned they were my album of the year, well apparently they did win, at least, one prize for that album. My girl told me they won the mercury prize few days or weeks back, I have no clue about when exactly. Anyways I started browsing the prize to find some ok albums but no epic winners in the past for me. Not only where they not epic, sometimes I really couldn't understand the result. To be more exact in 1997 the winners where Roni Size and Reprazent with their New Forms album. Which is a good drum and bass album, and even a good album in general with my personal favorite Brown Paper Bag on it. But this album is nothing, and I mean literally nothing compared with the OK Computer album of Radiohead if you ask me. I mean the first of these two albums is good the second one is epic. This may be reduced to my own personal taste, but I really do think nowadays a lot of people don't even know the Reprazent project formed by Roni Size anymore. Ok partly because of the inactivity around the project with the last (really) new album dating from the late 90's or early 00's but still if this album was that good people would know it. And to be fair lots and lots of people don't. 

Anyways for me OK Computer should have been the winner in 97, at least of the few nominated albums I saw, maybe there where other excellent albums that weren't even nominated... But with their 3rd studio album they just delivered a masterpiece, and I'm not even a Radiohead fan. I honestly consider them boring at a lot of times. But yeah this album really is a gem, and not only for the musical aspect. The message Thom Yorke sends us trough the album with his unique vocals are worth listening to as well. It's not like nowadays a catchy song without meaning this album had some meaning, or at least society gave that meaning to the album.

Choosing the song was pretty easy this time, without a doubt Paranoid Android was the best song I could pick from this album. For starters has the song a fucked up but at the same time cool video, on top of this has the song so many different aspects and stages and it feels like I'm (re)discovering something new every time I listen to it. Feel free to (re)discover along with me, enjoy!

Official site
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Mercury prize

Alt-J (∆) - Breezeblocks -- An Awesome Wave (2012)

From the one year to the other, from 2011 to 2012. Like I said in the previous post the debut record of Little Comets was one of my favorites of 2011, the debut album of Alt-J is maybe my AOTY (album of the year) 2012, or at least one of my favorites of this year. The album contains lots of good tracks like tessellate, Breezeblocks, Matilda and so on. What makes these tracks so excellent in my opinion is of course the total package of the songs, but what makes Alt-J stand out from the rest this year is the sound of his voice, I really like the vocals a lot. To a lesser extent the use of unusual instruments/sounds make them stand out a bit as well.

If you didn't check this Leeds based band out yet you definitively should, at least on record they sound amazing. I would check them out live and they actually are coming to Belgium, few weeks back I saw the concert appear in the news letter of a local venue. I obviously got really excited and immediately went to the site to buy some tickets only to see the concert was sold out already, they scheduled them in the small venue where only like 100 people fit in and put some crap act in the main room that night, I was and am really pissed off for this. Because on record these guys really sound awesome so I was hoping for an excellent gig as well. Oh well if any of you guys saw them live yet feel free to leave your opinions in the comments. For now enjoy the song it's Breezeblocks, not my favorite which is Matilda, but it's the one I knew first by them and if I'm not mistaken the video is official, which is a big plus as well no?

Official site
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Little Comets - Adultery -- In Search Of Elusive Little Comets (2011)

Up next  is, for me, one of the better releases from last year. With the "In Search Of Elusive Little Comets" the band, Little Comets, delivered a very catchy and like-able debut record in early 2011. The album features lots of songs with rather fast guitar-work combined with very good vocals and lyrics you just want to sing along too. At the other end the record also contains some calmer material, like the end with "Intelligent Animals" or "Her Black Eyes" which shows a bit of the range that this trio can handle. And if you ask me they can handle it very very well. 

While making this post I read a bit about the new album as well. The record called "Life Is Elsewhere" was released last month, and I honestly can't wait until I'm able to hear it. But this magical moment will be for tomorrow evening, so I have to be a bit more patient, haha. On a serious note I have to say that I really do have great expectations for this one, I'm very excited to hear the new material since the debut was that good... So let's hope they are able to meet these high expectations. Don't let me down Little Comets!

Anyways for this post I chose the song Adultery for two reasons: The obvious one is that I really like the video and the song itself of course. The second reason is the fact that it was the first song I knew by them. Combine both reasons and you have a winner, haha (I always find it difficult to pick just one song of an album). Anyways I hope you guys can live with my choice and are able to enjoy the song.  

Official site

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Biffy Clyro - Bubbles -- Only Revolutions (2009)

From the one excellent live band to the other. Next up is Biffy Clyro. Very different from Explosions In The Sky but just like them a band that I would love to see as often as possible. This because of the last concert I saw of them few years back at Pukkelpop. The band played, like the first time I saw them, very well, but now this was coupled with a brilliant atmosphere! They had a small crowd that day (still don't understand why) but it was an amazing one.  

Anyways I really want to tell and even discuss something about Biffy Clyro with you guys. I know Biffy Clyro for a quite some time by now, to be more exact from the release of the Infinity Land album. I admit it's not that long but hey I was only 14 back then. So ok I wasn't a fan of them from the beginning in 1995, I was only 5 years old so seems a bit impossible. But I do know them for a few years as well.

What really frustrates me now is that a lot of people think they sold out last year (or is it two years ago already?), this frustrates me because I really don't think think that this is the case. Ok they did a mainstream thing, but so what?! The music they make didn't change that drastically over the years if you ask me. It's a bit more accessible than before maybe, but that's all.

So all they did is try to generate a bit more attention and obviously the associated money trough some TV show, which is alright if you ask me. Everyone would try to make as much money as possible, even I have adds (click them, haha) on my small blog here. So to everyone who actually think they sold out, fuck off... If you would be playing some excellent music for more and less 15 years and you still don't get the attention you deserve what would you do then? Honestly we all should be happy they are a bit more well known now,  too many bands quit in the past for the lack of attention and revenues, do you really want that this would happen to Biffy Clyro as well?

Oh well ranted enough, I chose for the song Bubbles of their latest album because all of the previous ranting, of course the music is a bit more mainstream than before, but is it any less good than the old material? I honestly think the latest albums are as good as the first ones, they all were produced by Biffy Clyro and every single one of them is good. By the way new material coming early next year, looking forward to that! Enjoy!

Official site
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Deftones - Knife Party -- White Pony (2000)

Hola, first of all sorry for my absence the last ten days or something. I started working for six weeks, was sick and had problems with my electricity... If those things count as a good excuse i'm off the hook, otherwise sorry again. Not that I have any active followers that didn't know this, haha.

Today I will be posting a band from my youth. I believe I can say this although I'm only 22 years old because I'm listening to this band since age 9 or 10. Deftones was one of the first bands I really came to appreciate and that I still do appreciate. When we were kids few bands came along in our primary school class. Limp Bizkit, Korn, Linkin Park, Sum 41 and so on. Often we bought the albums as well because some other kid had them, no idea who started it though, I have to admit that I was one of the kids who jumped upon the bandwagon. Back then one of my friends had a pretty cool dad who was into this kind of hard rock or how the hell it would be defined, he had things like Sepultura, Prong and so on. Thanks to this friend and his dad I was pretty familiar with this kind of music at that age and I discovered Deftones as well, I know I had the White Pony album from that dad when I was pretty young for a week or two and I know I loved it. The first album I had off them was the Live ep though, I still consider Bored as one of the best tracks recorded live ever. When the kid lost his shoe is just epic in my opinion. 

The song I chose to post is Knife Party since it's my favorite by them, back then and now as well. Deftones is, like I said, one of the few harder bands from before I still listen to. On some nostalgic days I do put on some Korn or Sepultura, but this only happens once a year I think. Deftones I listen to more often and I will continue doing this. The video is fan made I believe, but is pretty well done if you ask me. So give him a like or a comment on youtube, enjoy!  

Official site
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Placebo - The Bitter End -- Sleeping With Ghosts (2003)

When I first started to develop my music addiction around 2004/2005 this album was one of the first I bought. Placebo was one of the bands I knew from before and which I liked a lot, obviously otherwise I wouldn't have bought it. That the album was at a low price, since it came out at least a year before maybe even two, was a nice bonus of course. Around that time I bought a lot of albums some of them I regret or just don't listen to anymore some of them I still love. Everything was new to me so I bought some things without listening to it first, a mistake! One I don't make anymore luckily. Anyways with Placebo I found a gem, until this day this is still my favorite album by them, probably only because it was my first but I really don't care. Sleeping with ghosts is just brilliant in my opinion except for the song something rotten, never found myself able to like that, probably as well because I didn't like it from the start...

Maybe because this album is so brilliant this blog is here, maybe without this album or this band my life wouldn't be so much about music, it isn't as freaky as it used to be, but for a few years I was really obsessed with finding new things and more and better. So I guess I should thank this band for making that album and thank the record store for having it on sale back then. 

Oh and if you were wondering, yes I'm still fond of Placebo, except for Without You I'm Nothing I have every album already and I will buy this last one eventually too. I like both the new and older material and they are amazingly good live in my opinion. So thank you Placebo and enjoy the song! I chose The Bitter End for the simple reason that I remember watching this video as a kid and developing a liking for Placebo which lead to me buying the album eventually and all the rest of what I just said. Again enjoy!

Official site

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Animal Collective - In The Flowers -- Merriweather Post Pavilion (2009)

Up next: Animal Collective, it took me a very long time to start liking them. few songs like Fireworks & this one could keep me entertained but everything else I heard of them kept me untouched. Now I'm in love with the album Merriweather Post Pavilion and the few other albums I have of them are growing on me. So if you are still unaware of this band, give them a few listens before you judge them! I did judge them way too soon myself and it costed me a few years of listening to this great band, oh well that's life I guess.

The album Merriweather Post Pavilion was released back in early 2009 already and contains besides In The Flowers other excellent songs like Lion In A Coma and Brother Sport to just name two of them. But again it might take more than one listen to fully appreciate it. If you do (start to) like what you hear and are like me in the phase of checking out more of them I'd advice to check out strawberry Jam and Sung Tongs to start with. If you are far more into Animal Collective and know them far better than me feel free to criticize my advice. Or you know just enjoy the song and nevermind all this chitchat I have written down here for you!

The song I chose is In The Flowers for the following, line of the song: "if i could just leave my body for a night". Which is followed with some really awesome music. Enjoy!

Official site

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