Foxy Shazam - Foxy Shazam

If Dr. Dog is our generation's Beatles, and if Wolfmother is our version of Led Zepplin, and if Coheed & Cambria is our representation of Rush, then it's only fitting that we should have our own Queen. I can think of no better contender for that title than Foxy Shazam. Originally entitled "Au Contraire", Foxy Shazam's upcoming self-titled release is a collection of one rock-n-roll power ballad after another. I can't even being to imagine how much fun it would be to see them perform live.

Tracklisting:
1. Intro
2. Bombs Away
3. Wanna Be Angel
4. Count Me Out
5. Unstoppable
6. Oh Lord
7. Bye Bye Symphony
8. Second Floor
9. Teenage Demon Baby
10. With An Axe
11. Evil Thoughts
12. Killin It
13. Connect Me
14. Some Kind Of Love
15. You and Me

Dr. Dog - Shame, Shame

Oh how I have looked forward to this. Honestly, I'd say that the only album that I have looked forward to more than this is Josh Ritter's new album So Runs The World Away, but not by much. Dr. Dog became one of my favorite bands last year with their album Fate which is dripping with Beatles-esque pop sensibility all the while paying tribute to their fuzzy psychedelic rock roots. Shame, Shame is much the same. The songs are slightly less accessible, but after a couple of listens, I can tell that Shame is the golden ticket that this talented young band has been waiting for. I wouldn't be surprised if they became something huge in the next year or so.

Tracklisting:
1. Stranger
2. Shadow People
3. Station
4. Unbearable Why
5. Where'd All The Time Go?
6. Later
7. I Only Wear Blue
8. Someday
9. Mirror, Mirror
10. Jackie Wants A Black Eye
11. Shame, Shame



I am anticipating that this link will be deleted very quickly as this album isn't released yet. If and when it gets deleted, let me know and I'll find an alternative one.

Julian Casablancas - Phrazes For The Young

I've never been a huge Strokes fan, that's not to say that I don't enjoy their music, I just have never been crazy over them (I've heard stories of their fans whoring themselves out for tickets. Literally). It was Strokes guitarist Albert Hammond Jr. that opened me up to the possibility that these guys are a little more diverse than their collective band showcases. Hammond's music is great and drummer Fabrizio Moretti's side project, Little Joy, is one of my current favorite bands. So when I heard that singer Julian Casablancas was to release a solo album, my interest was peaked. If you want to see growth, listen to any Strokes album and then listen to Phrazes For The Young. It is one pop gem after another. Just give the song "Left & Right In The Dark" one listen and you'll be hooked. Probably one of the best things about the album is that it is just long enough and not so long that it becomes boring.

Tracklisting:
1. Out Of The Blue
2. Left & Right In The Dark
3. 11th Dimension
4. Chords of the Apocalypse
5. Ludlow St.
6. River of Brakelights
7. Glass
8. Tourist

Wrestlerish - The Rude Mechanical

Wrestlerish is a band from South Africa that sounds like Copeland if Copeland were a little poppier and if Aaron Marsh tried a little too hard to sound good. The band has a great sound, don't get me wrong, but personally, I think that singer Werner Olckers sounds like he's trying a little too hard to sound good. If he were to sing a little more naturally and quit trying to make it sound "pretty", then they would be a force to be reckoned with. My personal dislikes aside, "The Rude Mechanical" is a strong first release from a band that has the potential to become something great. I really hope, however, that somewhere along the line, someone tells them to stop trying to be something that they aren't.

Tracklisting:
1. Sleep
2. Orphans
3. Capsized
4. Nextolgia
5. The Rude Mechanical
6. Bad News
7. An Interlude For Wolves
8. The Teddy Bear Gospel Choir
9. Oliver Tambourine
10. If This Ship Goes Down I'm Taking You With Me
11. A Song For The Distance
12. Maybe I Could
13. The Last Night At The Astoria

The Tallest Man On Earth - The Wild Hunt

I'm not entirely sure how The Tallest Man On Earth has escaped my attention for so long now. Even more absurd is the fact that I had his old album downloaded for some time, and never listened to it. Regardless of how long I ignored him, I recently got my hands on his new album The Wild Hunt. I can't say enough good about this album, so all that I will say is that there is a reason that TTMOE is known as the Swedish Bob Dylan. The songs are brilliant. Simply brilliant.

Tracklisting:
1. The Wild Hunt
2. Burden Of Tomorrow
3. Troubles Will Be Gone
4. You're Going Back
5. The Drying of the Lawns
6. King of Spain
7. Love Is All
8. Thousand Ways
9. A Lion's Heart
10. Kids on the Run

Jason Collett - Rat a Tat Tat

There is a list that exists (in my head, at the very least) of our generation's best and brightest songwriters, and one of the best and brightest (and most underrated) is Jason Collett. He embodies the same spirit of pre-religious zealot Bob Dylan, and at times also sounds indistinguishable from his contemporary Josh Ritter. There isn't much that I can say about Jason Collett other than that he is honest and fun and has the ability to write a song that will stay in your head for weeks.

Tracklisting:
1. Rave On Sad Song
2. Lake Superior
3. Love Is A Dirty Word
4. Bitch City
5. High Summer
6. Cold Blue Halo
7. Love Is a Chain
8. Long May You Love
9. The Slowest Dance
10. Winnipeg Winds
11. Vanderpool Vanderpool

Shearwater - The Golden Archipelago

Shearwater has been a buzz band for a couple of years now (though they have been around for a decade now), and I can honestly say that I did not understand any of the hype that surrounded them.

[Tangent]
Two things:
1. When I speak about "hype" and "buzz", I am not referring to accolades that are bestowed by Alternative Press or Rolling Stone Magazines, MTV, or 100.5 KEE FM. I am talking about Pitchfork, in addition to any number of personal blogs that I frequent.
2. I have noticed that the bands that I often go out of my way to avoid, end up blowing me away and becoming some of my favorite and most treasured artists. I recognize and acknowledge this and I am actively working on rectifying the problem.

On their newest album, The Golden Archipelago, Shearwater has created an album full of swelling indie rock anthems, at times as quiet and tender as Antony and The Johnsons (whom I think Shearwater's vocalist Jonathan Meiburg sounds similar to). Not to be underestimated, these Austin, Texas natives have been around the block many times, either as Shearwater or with Okkervil River. They certainly know what they are doing.

Tracklisting:
1. Meridian
2. Black Eyes
3. Landscape At Speed
4. Hidden Lakes
5. Corridors
6. God Made Me
7. Runners Of The Sun
8. Castaways
9. An Insular Life
10. Uniforms
11. Missing Islands

Northern Portrait - Criminal Art Lovers

I think that as recently as 6 months ago, I would have written Northern Portrait off as boring. I probably wouldn't have given them more than a 2 track listen and then would have promptly deleted their album. It is because of my newfound love of The Smiths that I am able to appreciate Norther Portrait, as they sound a great deal alike. I can say nothing else about this album other than it is a fantastic pop album that gets better with each listen.

Tracklisting:
1. The Münchhausen in Me
2. When Goodness Falls
3. Crazy
4. The Operation Worked But The Patient Died
5. Criminal Art Lovers
6. LIfe Returns To Normal
7. Murder Weapon
8. What Happens Next?
9. That's When My Headaches Begin
10. New Favourite Moment

Bob Dylan - New Morning

I don't know how, but Bob Dylan's album New Morning has somehow eluded my attention for 25 years. It is without a doubt my new favorite Dylan record. It is cohesive and the songs sound like the inspiration for bands like Wilco and the like.

Tracklisting:
1. If Not For You
2. Day of the Locusts
3. Time Passes Slowly
4. Went To See The Gypsy
5. Winterlude
6. If Dogs Run Free
7. New Morning
8. Sign On The Window
9. One More Weekend
10. The Man In Me
11. Three Angels
12. Father of Night

Yukon Blonde - Yukon Blonde

You've never heard of Yukon Blonde, I'm sure. I am likewise certain that you've never heard of Alphababy, which was Yukon Blonde before they were called Yukon Blonde. I had never heard of them until last night, when I was making my rounds, visiting my usual blogs. Before, I proceed though, I have a confession: I am the type that will judge a band by their name and write them off. I used to be a whole lot worse, though. I suppose that it was due to Arctic Monkeys, and Arctic Monkey side-project The Last Shadow Puppets. It is possible for great bands to have terrible names. So, in the spirit of not being close-minded, I gave Yukon Blonde a listen; thankfully.

I read someone say that because of the rise of bands like Fleet Foxes and Midlake, the 60's-inspired sound of Yukon Blonde would merely get lost in the mix. To an extent, I can agree with this statement. They certainly will not be chart-toppers, but that doesn't make their self-titled debut any less amazing. It is the type of record that I can imagine listening to on a humid summer's day, driving to the lake with the windows down. Give it a chance and see if you aren't hooked by the soaring harmonies and driving rhythms.

Tracklisting:
1. Rather Be With You
2. Blood Cops
3. Kumiko Song
4. Wind Blows
5. Trivial Fires
6. Brides Song
7. Babies Don't Like Blue Anymore
8. 1000 Years