Your Listening Pleasure
Sunset Rubdown, MGMT and Cut Off Your Hands drop in this week.
Sunset Rubdown – Winged/Wicked Things [MP3] - The ever-prolific Spencer Krug (also of Wolf Parade and Frog Eyes) returns with his second album under the Sunset Rubdown moniker. Expanding upon his previous work, the album is a dense collection of sounds and ideas all driven by Krug's powerfully haunting and distinctive vocals. "Winged/Wicked Things" starts off with an almost Final Fantasy-like muted keyboard riff (the game, not the band), and turns into a mid-tempo collection of rhythmic, almost tribal drums, high-pitched keyboard, bass and guitar parts that vary from distorted chords to mini solo-like melodies. The song is tied together by Krug’s cryptic lyrics alluding to everything from Jesus to tiny birds to all the metaphorical possibilities in between: "But either way they're confused as hell would have them/and the pattern of flight is chaotic and blind/but it's right because chaos is yours and it's fine/and chaos is luck, and luck: love, and love: blind." Uh, whatever you say, Spencer.
Random Spirit Lover is out now on Jagjaguwar.
MGMT – Electric Feet [MP3] - College is a great place to learn new things and meet new people…and apparently to start electronica-infused, psychedelic pop bands. The founding members of MGMT (formerly The Management), Andrew Vanvyngarden and Ben Goldwasser, met at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT over a love of eclectic sounds and experimentation. "Electric Feet" is one of the poppier tracks on their new album. With a driving bass line, falsetto vocals, guitar and layers of 80's style keyboard melodies; the group blends warm, digital sound effects with pop/rock song structures. The result is kind of like if Animal Collective played disco. You can catch them on tour now with Of Montreal.
Oracular Spectacular is out now on Columbia Records.
Cut Off Your Hands – You And I [MP3] - New Zealand has produced many fine, quirky pop outfits over the years. Consider Auckland-based Cut Off Your Hands the latest link in the chain of greatness. Starting off with a guitar shred and drums buildup, these frenetic youngsters come off as a cross between Les Savy Fav, the Buzzcocks and the Futureheads. The upbeat, energetic rush, complemented with handclaps and whoa-oh-ohs, provides the 2 minute and 14 second long jolt your day needs.
Shaky Hands is out now on Speak n Spell Records.
Posted by Jason Prechtel on Oct 19, 2007 @ 12:00 am