The Polyphonic Spree - The Fragile Army (TVT Records/Good Records, 2007)

An Open Letter To The Polyphonic Spree:

Dear Polyphonic Spree -

There are far too many of you to name individually, so let me begin by saying thank you to you all for being who you are and for choosing to be a part of something so special. There is much happiness to be had in life, though it is often difficult to find it amongst the sadness and tragedy that seems to be a part of everyday life on an ever-increasing basis. Perhaps the key to finding happiness is through accepting that sadness is an intrinsic part of our lives, embracing that sadness, and transforming it into an energy that we can send back into the world as something positive and uplifting. This is definitely the lesson I have learnt from your music.
Starting with The Beginning Stages Of..., followed by Together We're Heavy, and now, with The Fragile Army, you have created music that has the ability to pick up those who have been beaten and broken; a music that coalesces damaged individuals (and we have all been damaged in some way) into something more powerful - a Fragile Army, if you will.
I have seen you play in London, San Franciso, Los Angeles, and, most recently, New York, and each time I have been amazed by not only the music, energy and sheer joy that pours forth from the stage, but also the genuine feeling of rapture that surges through the audience. In the '60s, a Polyphonic Spree show would have certainly been referred to as a happening, and I can strongly attest that it is a happening that all should be a part of at least once in their life.
In a world in which it can often be difficult to see the sun for the dark clouds, thank you for fighting the good fight and doing your best to make the world a brighter place to exist.

Younger Yesterday,
Ben @ inhighfidelity.com

Check Out: www.myspace.com/polyphonicspree

The White Stripes - Icky Thump (Third Man/Warner Music, 2007)

In late 2000, a relatively unknown two-piece band from Detroit played a series of shows in a number of small venues across Melbourne. One such show was at 9th Ward in the city, and though I'd only heard a couple of the band's songs, I was determined to see them play. For those in the know, there was a buzz surrounding their shows that I hadn't felt before.
Following a boozy afternoon drinking with friends, I managed to convince a few unsuspecting punters to come along to the show with me. Soon after we arrived - the club still only half-full - Jack and Meg White, dressed in red, took to the stage and put on a show of unabashed, bluesy, rock'n'roll that sticks in my head to this day as one of the coolest shows I have ever seen. Jack's screeching guitar and bluesy riffs; Meg's simple, but ever-effective drumming; the looks they shared that kind of creeped you out when you still thought they were brother and sister - all the key aspects of The White Stripes were already in place. It was an awesome display of rock'n'roll showmanship that left the audience sweaty, satisfied, and wanting more.
Fast forward seven years, and The White Stripes have just released their sixth album - Icky Thump - and are playing shows to crowds in the tens of thousands, as opposed to just the tens. If you like The White Stripes, you will love Icky Thump. Stronger than their previous album and full of rocking tunes such as the title track, Icky Thump, 300 M.P.H. Torrential Outpour Blues, and the playful, Rag And Bone, this album is a rocking good time.
The White Stripes have never claimed to be high art, they are simply two people coming together to play music that will have you tapping your feet and shaking your hips. Later this year I will see them play in an arena that holds 17,000 people, far more than that Melbourne night long ago, however, I am no less excited. Saviors of rock'n'roll they may or may not be, however, the importance of their contribution to rock'n'roll in 2007 is undeniable.

Check Out: http://www.myspace.com/thewhitestripes

Handsome Furs - Plague Park (Sub Pop, 2007)

Wolf Parade are a super-cool band from Montreal, who released the excellent Apologies To The Queen Mary way back in 2005. For reasons unbeknownst even to myself, I have not written about them earlier, so I am glad I have the opportunity to sing their praises in this post. "Wolf Parade?" I hear you ask. "I thought you said this post was about the new Handsome Furs album." Indeed I did, and, indeed it is, but be sure to check out Wolf Parade.
You see, Handsome Furs and Wolf Parade have a couple of things in common. Firstly, Wolf Parade has two singers, one of whom is Dan Boeckner. Handsome Furs have only one singer, however, that singer happens to be Boeckner - the band is comprised of just he and his fiancee, Alexei Perry. The other similarity the two bands share, is that even after multiple listens, I have very little idea what the songs are about - for the most part, they are not of the rather easy to follow "Bought my first real six-string..." variety - and yet it matters not. On Plague Park, the music - mostly guitar and drum-machine - plays just as much a role in establishing the atmosphere of each song as do the lyrics. At times, it seems the vocals simply serve as another instrument, as opposed to being the sole focus of the listener's attention.
In describing Handsome Furs sound, words such as sparse and melancholy would be applicable, as on the track Handsome Furs Hate This City; however, there is also the pulsing electro-indie-pop of Dead & Rural, that belies the darker undertone of the lyrics.
Plague Park is a fully-formed album that stands up on its own two feet, and deserves to be recognized far beyond the status of a simply a side project from one of the guys from Wolf Parade.

Check Out: http://www.myspace.com/handsomefurs &
http://www.myspace.com/wolfparade

Girl Talk - Night Ripper (Illegal Art, 2006)

The first 2 Many Dj's album was awesome. However, the 'mash-up' genre that it spawned was/is not so awesome. Here's a great idea, let's combine a cheesy 80's track with a cheesy 90's track, and we'll have a great new song. Wrong! 9 times out of 10 you will simply have two crappy songs combining to make one more crappy song. Mash-ups can be cool, but it takes a lot more than simply taking the vocals from one song and playing them over the music or beat of another. Case in point: Girl Talk.
Girl Talk has been tearing up dancefloors across the U.S. for some time now, and and their album, Night Ripper, has provided the soundtrack to innumerable hipster loft parties from L.A. to Brooklyn (note: I have not yet been invited to one of these parties, so, if you can: hook me up).
To call Night Ripper an album of mash-ups would be to sell it short. It is a party starting, bootie-shaking exercise in mix-tape-mash-up-cut-and-pasting, and is basically a music snob's wet dream. At times, mixing/mashing samples from well over ten songs into an individual track - ranging from Sonic Youth, Nirvana and the Pixies; to Lady Sov, M.I.A., and Annie; to 2 Live Crew, Public Enemy, and Kanye West; to Phil Collins, Boston, and Aerosmith; and well over a hundred more - one could spend hours simply trying to identify the original source material.
Night Ripper is a genre exercise in trying to squeeze as many genres as possible into one song, in addition to making that song as funky and dance-friendly as possible. If you are looking for some music to ensure your next party is 'happening', or something simply to rock-out to in your car, or just a way to prove to your friends just how much you know about modern music, look no further than Night Ripper.

Check Out: http://www.myspace.com/girltalkmusic (Note: the Grizzly Bear remix on the site is one of the best tracks of the year, though it is not on Night Ripper, so be sure to give it a listen.)