Melbourne’s ensemble Architecture In Helsinki is just one of those groups that I’ve become increasingly fond of with each release, leading me to declare their 2005 album In Case We Die as one of the best releases of that year in my college newspaper. Currently, the group is about to release their third album, Places Like This, on Polyvinyl Records. Places Like This will be released Aug. 7.

First thought: WTF?! Do I have the right record on? It sounds like the B-52s staggered into the recording studio after ingesting gallons of mixed drinks and drug cocktails.

Second thought: It sounds like a head-on collision of their songs “It’s 5!” and “Maybe You Can Owe Me” in some tribal jungle, where the haggard remains of victims rolled themselves into the nearest vicinity, which happened to be where the natives love to dance, whoop and play loud club music.

I had read that two of the members left due to “creative differences,” which is apparent from the very get-go, as Place Like This feels like the band completely cutting loose and exploring more feet moving material. This exploration comes at a bit of a cost though, as their childlike song quality is gone, and so are the tempo changes throughout songs. One of the biggest positives that can be said of the album is that Kellie’s vocals take a more prominent role this time.

Architecture In Helsinki: Debbie

Architecture In Helsinki: Hold Music

Architecture In Helsinki: Souvenirs

Architecture In Helsinki: Maybe You Can Owe Me

Architecture In Helsinki: Do the Whirlwind [Halma's Remix]

Places Like This will be released Aug. 7 on Polyvinyl Records.

Everybody’s favorite lesbian twin sister duo Tegan and Sara are readying the release of their fifth studio album, The Con, for July 24 on Vapor Records.

While the sisters have always had a bit of a dark edge to their songs, The Con delves deeper into that direction, and features more stylistic departures (like tracks with synths, more mature lyrics) than heard in their previous works. From what I read on their homepage, this change is attributed to the girls having written most of the record away from each other’s company.

My take on The Con -

I have yet to be sucked into this album like I did with previous works If I Was You and the superb So Jealous. The songs are good, and certainly do show growth for the girls, but they just lack memorability. So far I’ve listened to The Con four times, and maybe it’s just old age, but I seriously cannot recall what a single song sounds like just by looking at the tracklist, whereas I don’t usually have that problem. Part of this may be that there are no songs that immediately stand out. Their poppy sound is toned down, and instead tracks are built upon layers, which sometimes requires more attention than they’re worth. This isn’t to say The Con is something that should be avoided, it’s just something that we haven’t come to expect from the duo. And change is never easy.

Tegan and Sara: The Con

Tegan and Sara: Floorplan

Tegan and Sara: I Won’t Be Left

Tegan and Sara: Monday, Monday, Monday

Tegan and Sara: This Is Everything [live] (My personal favorite)

The Con comes out July 24 on Vapor Records.

Rehab and musicians go hand-in-hand — just ask Britney Spears. But, when it comes to transforming that refusal into a hit song, and then into a solid album, Amy Winehouse wrote the book. Seamlessly channeling Motown of the 50’s and 60’s, Winehouse’s Back To Black is a modern day soul classic steeped in boozy, Eartha Kitt-ish vocals about sketchy acquaintances, alcoholism, her beau causing her to miss a Slick Rick concert, and womanhood. For the near trainwreck that her life is depicted as, Winehouse managed to keep things from derailing to create one of the best soul and R&B albums released in years.

Grade: 8/10

Amy Winehouse: Rehab

Amy Winehouse: He Can Only Hold Her

Amy Winehouse: You Know I’m No Good [ft. Ghostface Killah]

While punk-pop will forever be associated with sophomoric acts like Blink 182 and Good Charlotte, Ted Leo + the Pharmacists wield the style like a razor-sharp machete, mixing in a little reggae for extra punch. The trio’s fifth album, Living with the Living, is a power-pop whirlwind featuring politically-savvy lyrics and punked-out glockenspiel. While Living could easily be bogged down with serious tracks (“Bomb. Repeat. Bomb.” and “CIA”), Ted Leo + Rx keep things from becoming too politically congested by splicing in some fantastic light-hearted numbers like “A Bottle of Buckie” and “La Costa Brava” Welcome to intelligent punk-pop.

Grade: 8/10

Ted Leo + the Pharmacists: A Bottle of Buckie

Ted Leo + the Pharmacists: Bomb. Repeat. Bomb.

Ted Leo + the Pharmacists: Me and Mia

The Ponys Turn the Lights Out may not be life-changing, genre-defining, seizure-inducing or any other hyphenated compound, but it is thoroughly enjoyable record that recalls the feedback and psychedelia of 60’s rock.

Grade: 6/10

The Ponys: Double Vision

The Ponys: Kingdom of Hearts

Packing more snap, crackle and pop that a box of Rice Krispies, the 29 member band that is I’m From Barcelona have released one of the happiest most poppy records of the year. Every song is packed full of horns, choir harmonies and enthusiasm that make songs about getting the chickenpox, building a treehouse and collecting stamps seem fun.

Grade: 7/10

I’m From Barcelona: Barcelona Loves You

I’m From Barcelona: We’re From Barcelona

One positive that can be said about the goth-jock-pop hipster’s fourth album, songs titles let you know that what you see is what you get. “Misery.” “Dance Floor Anthem.” “Victims of Love” — this album’s got it all. Coupled with the often infectious and irritating tunes are intense lyrics like “Don’t you know, misery loves company/Yeah I heard, misery was looking for me/…/Woah, misery’s my company/Woah, misery is looking for me,” that somehow feel like the 27 year old Madden twins have swiped from countless high school blogs. While dim wittingly appealing at times, Good Morning Revival is as fun as a urinary infection.

Grade: 2/10

Good Charlotte: Just turn on the radio

One of the year’s most abstract and off-putting albums that will likely grace store shelves this year, Person Pitch is a perfect example of imagination and careful craftsmanship. Soaked in psychedelia and freak-folksiness, Person Pitch drifts over you like a duvet of mood-stabilizing drugs.

Grade: 9/10

Panda Bear: Bros [edit]

Panda Bear: Comfy In Nautica

Imagine the Canadian septet’s Neon Bible as a seven-tiered wedding cake; it’s as decadent as it is satisfyingly tasty. Full of ominous religious iconography, Bible is a highly emotional record that is as joyous as it is somber. The group uses triumphant pipe organ, a hurdy gurdy, a military choir and a full Hungarian orchestra in their songs about spirituality, turmoil of faith, war and the intensity of daily life to encapsulate the current insanity of world. Theresult is incredibly humbling, and a beacon of hope to anyone who has ever felt lost.

Grade: 10/10

The Arcade Fire: Intervention

The Arcade Fire: My Body Is A Cage

The Arcade Fire: Rebellion (Lies)

Myth Takes is a Frankenstein monster indeed — a beast lurking in the shadows of the clubs, waiting to tear the dancefloor asunder with its tribal post-punk grooves. This said, it’s unfortunate then that !!! (pronounced Chik Chik Chik)has nearly abandoned their eclectic oddball song chops heard in tracks like “Hello? Is This Thing On?” and “Me and Giuliani Down by the Schoolyard (A True Story)” in favor of less structured, more dance-driven songs.

Grade: 6/10

!!!: Must Be the Moon

!!!: Infinifold

!!!: Hello? Is This Thing On?

The journey of hip-hop DJ-turned-singer R.J. Krohn (Rjd2) is a sad affair indeed. Having released a stone-cold classic in 2002, Krohn’s dub meets hip-hop Deadringer was Moby’s Play to the rap world. Tired of comparisons to legendary DJ Shadow, Krohn’s 2004 follow-up, Since Last We Spoke, was a mess, and began the assault of tracks featuring his weak, off-key vocals. The Third Hand captures Krohn delving further into the rubbish bin, as it’s composed almost entirely of the Since Last’s glaring flaws. To add insult, the once creative musician now settles on bland electronica for the album’s second half. Shame indeed.

Grade: 2/10

Rjd2: Sweet Piece

Rjd2: Smoke & Mirrors

Rjd2: Seasons

Opening with the lines “You’re one with the burden of intuition/You’re one with the freedom of a blank stare,” Maria Taylor promises that her second solo venture away from Azure Ray won’t skimp on layered introspection. At times Taylor’s impassioned lyrics are heavy-handed and detract from the subtle alt. rock instrumentation. Not great, not awful, Lynn Teeter Flower safely drifts somewhere between.

Grade: 5/10

Maria Taylor: A Good Start

Maria Taylor: Small Part of Me

French electronic duo Air’s Pocket Symphony should have come with a warning label about not driving or operating heavy machinery while under the influence of this record. The once playful and creatively energetic group has deftly managed to produce a somnolence that is sure to be the envy of every pharmaceutical company. But to say Pocket Symphony isn’t a rewarding listen would be a lie; you just have to stay conscious to notice it. The album is brimming with intricate Japanese instrumentation, lush string arrangements and gentle British vocals. Pocket Symphony is the perfect accompaniment to a rainy afternoon.

Grade: 7/10

Air: Once Upon A Time

Air: Mer Du Japon

Air: Alpha Beta Banga [Rhymefest Remix]

Air: Kelly Watch the Stars

When Welsh vocalist Gruff Rhys entered the studio, he left his Super Furry Animals-psychedelic freak in his other sweater vest pocket. Sometimes bluesy, sometimes lo-fi, sometimes manically orchestral, always poppy and intelligent, the worst thing that could be said of Rhys’ Candylion is that it will probably never find the audience it deserves.

Grade: 8/10

Gruff Rhys: Candylion

Gruff Rhys: Lonesome Words

The “Candylion” video is gggrrrrreat!

A few days are left before 2007 is ushered in, and with it, lots of new albums. This year was a strange one indeed as artists like the Streets, the Strokes and the Flaming Lips who are known for solid albums, well, failed to deliver.

As with every year, 06 opened our ears to loads of new talent like Annuals, Lily Allen and Girl Talk.

From the sounds of early albums leaks, 2007 looks like it will easily be one of the best years for music. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.

Now, out of all of the music I listened to this year, here’s what stuck out as the 15 best releases of 2006.

Ariel Pink’s latest side-project is certainly a grower. It took me about 6 listens before I could appreciate the album. For those of you who pick it up, be warned. Pink’s one to never really care about digital mastering, so song quality ranges from tolerable to craptacaular. One cool thing that can be said of this mastering technique is that the entire album sounds like a mixtape of demos from your friend’s favorite local bands.

Holy Shit: Tokyo Gamblers

Six Demon Bag is just that: a tortured album that sounds like it was recorded with six different personalities. Styles are spastic and fleeting, and oddity runs amok throughout Bag, but somehow, it’s all good.

Man Man: Ice Dogs

A little band I first wrote about in Totally Twee Tuesdays, Arrah and the Ferns debut is a real charmer. Their little twee-pop jingles just got better and better each time I listened. Plus, it’s pretty hard to beat the pairing of a banjo and lyrics about a MySpace emo-ster.

Arrah and the Ferns: Emo Phillips

Math and Physics Club is an acoustic pop album with some emotion behind it. It started out with me listening to this album in the evenings to wind down, and eventually turned into it becoming one of my favorites of 06.

Math and Physics Club: Darling, Please Come Home

Bat For Lashes’ Fur and Gold is a pretty neat little album that’s meant to be listened to from dusk til dawn. It starts out at dusk on the edge of a forest and with a quest. During our journey through said forest, we encounter magic, foxfire and enchanted creatures which give the album a supernatural atmosphere.

Bat For Lashes: Horse and I

British soulstress lends her unique voice over 50s and 60s Motown beats to make one hell of an R&B album.

Amy Winehouse: Rehab

Lily Allen’s debut is brash, cool, playful breathe of fresh air in the watered-down pop world. Alright, Still is the beacon of hope that talent still exists.

Lily Allen: LDN

TV on the Radio’s Return To Cookie Mountain is like nothing you’ve ever heard. It’s an extremely complex and sophisticated rock album that throws in everything, including the kitchen sink, into its sound.

TV on the Radio: Wolf Like Me

One of my favorites because I can’t pinpoint exactly what the heck it is. Electro? Dance? Pop? Tribal? World Music? Whatever it is, it’s wickedly delightful and dark. And oh-so danceable.

The Knife: We Share Our Mother’s Health

The first few times I listened to The Crane Wife, I was pretty sure it would be my favorite album of 06. While I now see it’s flaws more so than before, it’s still a beautiful journey through lands filled with scoundrels, baby-butchers and magic. Easily the Decemberists best effort.

The Decemberists: The Crane Wife III

I don’t think there’s a CD that I’ve listened to more this year than Girl Talk’s Night Ripper. Not only is it one of the most important releases of our time — it combines more than 150 sampled sources without permission and mashes those old songs together to create new ones — it’s also one of the coolest and most fun.

Girl Talk: Bounce That

From the moment I listened to the November 05 leak, I knew this would be one of my favorites for 06. Chan Marshall’s songwriting and musicianship go unmatched on this one.

Cat Power: Love & Communication

Even I am surprised at how high I rated Singer. But after giving it much thought, it really goes unrivaled as one of this year’s best because of how simple it is and enjoyable it. It’s not life-changing, but it is heart-warming twee-pop.

The Besties: Pirate Song

If it’s possible to fall in love with an album, Boys and Girls in America would be it for me. Hands-down some of the finest songwriting and stories to appear in music this decade.

The Hold Steady: Stuck Between Stations

I pretty much already said everything I wanted to say about Ys here. If you haven’t read it, I’ll save you the time by saying this: It’s magical. It’s captivating. It’s a very rewarding listen. It’s a modern-day masterpiece.

Joanna Newsom: Emily

Biggest disappointment of 2006 goes to

When I first read about Swan Lake I was estatic. An indie supergroup comprised of Carey Mercer (Frog Eyes), Daniel Bejar (Destroyer and the New Pornographers) and Spencer Krug (Wolf Parade and Sunset Rubdown) was every audio junkie’s wet dream. Their lead single “All Fires” brought even more hype and with it expectations that Beast Moans just may be the best album of the year. I mean c’mon, just look at the lineup. Maybe it was the rough production (Beast Moans was meant to sound like a live recording from the Daytrotter Sessions) or the fact that there just wasn’t anything as immediately accessible as “All Fires,” but Swan Lake disappointed on colossal levels. The album sounded like a rushed jam session, in which arrangements just wondered aimlessly under the muddy production. I have yet to make it through the album in just one sitting.

Swan Lake: All Fires

So it looks like the mad dash is almost over for most of the bloggers and fanzines to post their Top-whatever album list of 2006. The one thing I’ve noticed is that most have left out the EP — y’know, those little mini albums that generally include 3 to 5 songs and serve as like a sampler of what’s to come or a different direction the artist wanted to pursue. Well, sometimes bigger isn’t always better, and there’s been some great EPs released this year. Without further ado, here’s my shorties need love too list, in no particular order.

Voxtrot: Mothers, Sisters, Daughters & Wives

The first of two EPs released in 2006 by the Austin pop group, this was the album that started all of the attention, and is one of my most anticipated full-lengths for the next year.

Voxtrot: Mothers, Sisters, Daughters & Wives




Sparrow House: Falls

Score a hit for eMusic’s recommendations. Voxtrot keyboardist Jared Van Fleet’s solo album is a real stunner, and easily one of the best releases of the year, full-length or otherwise. This is the reason I love music.

Sparrow House: When I Am Gone




Cassius: Toop Toop

Probably more of a single than a true EP since it’s all remixes, “Toop Toop” is one of my favorite songs of the year. With it’s dance-demanding rhythm, 80’s-inspired guitar solos and shout along chorus, how can you deny greatness like this?

Cassius: Toop Toop

Klaxons: Xan Valleys

Proof that dance influences are still alive and well in rock. England’s Klaxons’ were one of the breakout groups pioneering the new-rave genre. After repeated listens, the dark lyrics and freaky dancefloor grooves really had me wanting more. Another of my most-anticipated full-length releases for 2007.

Klaxons: Alantis To Interzone [Crystal Castle Remix]




Guillemots: From the Cliffs

Probably not an essential release for those who own the group’s full-length Through the Windowpane since most of these tracks appear on that album, this EP was almost like a “best of” Windowpane by cutting the filler tracks.

Guillemots: Trains To Brazil



DeVotchKa: Curse Your Little Heart

This was really DeVotchKa’s year as the duo released their best effort so far and started making a name for themselves after appearing on the Little Miss Sunshine soundtrack. If you like beautifully orchestrated music with a classical tinge, don’t overlook this group.

DeVotchKa: I Cried Like A Silly Boy




Lucky Lucky Pigeons: Happy Birds Day

Sweden’s never failed to deliver syrupy pop outfits, and their latest export is every bit as good as their previous ones. Happy Birds Day is a completely irreverent in the big scheme of things. But it’s also completely essential to any pop enthusiast’s catalog.

Lucky Lucky Pigeons: Who Smells Marshmallows?




Tokyo Police Club: A Lesson In Crime

Another EP that would have been included on my best full-length release list if it didn’t clock in at just 16 minutes. After a pretty disappointing release from The Strokes this year, TPC was a welcomed group (especially with the addition of female vocals), and one of the best New York-rock sounding bands of 2006. Expect to hear about this group in the future.

Tokyo Police Club: Be Good



Uffie: Hot Chick In Charge

For me, Uffie is one of those artists that works best on EP format, as a little bit of her grimey brand of dance goes a long way. Her song “Hot Chick” though was one of the year’s best club songs that was surprisingly absent in the clubs.

Uffie: Hot Chick


Professor Murder: Professor Murder Rides the Subway

One of the most gushed about EPs of the year due to its creativity and 70’s-inspired post-punk musicality. This album doesn’t skimp on the fun factor.

Professor Murder: Champion




Scissors For Lefty: S/T

Four tracks. Four kicks in the butt to get on the floor and move. Did you comply?

Scissors For Lefty: Ghetto Ways



Little Ones: Sing Song

A group I compared to the Shins earlier this year. While this album probably won’t “change your life” or have Natalie Portman giggle at you while a dog dry humps your leg, it will deliver 6 delicious tracks and make you long for more.

Little Ones: Lovers Who Uncover


Bobby Baby: Loves To Dance

Without a doubt my most listened to EP of 2006. Period. Another Swedish act, Bobby Baby focuses more on dreamy indie pop backed by strong lyrics as opposed to the spastic Swedish bubblegum I typically write about. Every time I listen to Loves To Dance I fall in love with it all over again. Hopefully you will too.

Bobby Baby: Later




Van She: S/T

There’s no denying that I’m a pushover when it comes to a great piece of pop, and in the case of Van She’s 80’s-infused debut, they had me on the ground faster than I could say “this album’s bitchin’.” The odd thing about the group is that every remix they’ve done for similar Modular artists swaps the cool pop for massive guitar crunches.

Van She: Kelly



Robbers On High Street: The Fatalist

A buzz worthy group that’s making bluesy gypsy rock similar in vein to Cold War Kids. Another group to keep your eye on for 2007 as bloggers are anticipating they’ll be “the next big thing.”

Robbers On High Street: The Fatalist

If you happen to like what you heard, most of these releases can be found on eMusic.

Undoubtedly most of you have been listening to Joanna Newsom’s Ys since Pitchfork leaked it three months ago. But for those of you who have no clue who this elfish looking woman is, take heed.

I’m not going to say much about Ys because, quite frankly, it’s old news, even though it officially came out yesterday. I can only say if you haven’t listened to it by now, you need to. You can download it right here on eMusic or, even better, pick it up at your favorite record store. The packaging is glorious and really completes the album as you can see here.

I wrote a review of it for the paper, which you can read below.

Finally, I’m posting my favorite track from the album. If you’re using a modem, don’t even attempt to download this fatty as it’s 23 mb and clocks in at 17 minutes long.

Joanna Newsom: Only Skin

Review

I won’t mince words. Joanna Newsom’s Ys is going to fail miserably. It won’t be because it’s not good, because it’s very, very good – it’s hand-down the best album of this year and arguably one of the best within the past 10 years. No, its downfall will be that there is almost no way to market something this ahead of its time to a contemporary audience.

Whether its killing point be its nearly unpronounceable name (pronounced “ees” or “yeesh”); its nasally, harp playing songstress who’s voice has likened comparisons to Marge Simpson and an asthmatic child; its off-putting packaging which features an embossed, heavily symbolic painting of an elfish Newsom holding a sickle and shadowboxed moth accompanied by a fantasy landscape; by its 5 song track list with playtimes that range from seven to 17 minutes; or by a combination of all four, Ys is the most off-putting record released this year. It’s also the most enchanting.

There’s an undeniable magic in every second of this lavishly epic 56 minute folk opus. Newsom’s once grating voice has given way to a more controlled and sensual tone, making for a completely seductive experience when accompanied by the album’s dizzyingly luscious orchestration. Ys reaches down from its archaic fantasyland within Newsom’s imagination with spindly spider legs, gently swaddling you in a delicate cocoon of sweet harp chirps, groaning cellos, fluttering flutes and harpsichords, warm bassoons, and cryptic and vivid imagery.

Twelve minute opener “Emily” is a playful and brooding tribute to sisterhood, expressed through Newsom’s slanted poetic imagery of the heavens, earth and eternity. Its impact can be felt like the meteorite that Newsom dwells upon.

“Only Skin,” the most involved and dynamic track, is a 17 minute meditation of womanhood, juxtapositions – dreaming and wakefulness, animate and inanimate, day and night – and Newsom’s love of words. Weaved within the track is the awe of nursing a wounded bird back to health and releasing from atop a mountain to watch it again soar free and graceful.

With Ys, Newsom has done the impossible by creating an album so richly layered and riddled with mystery, that it will only begin to unravel and reveal itself with time and repeated listens. It is, unfortunately, an auditory labyrinth that will go unexplored by most.

Flipping through the channels this afternoon, I was a little weirded out seeing Lady Sovereign on TRL, especially as the number 1 video. In fact, I’ve been a little surprised with how well she’s becoming received in America, not that she’s not deserving, it’s just odd to watch an artist transition from underground to mainstream.

In 2003 I was going through a bit of a musical crisis. The stuff I listened to in high school really wasn’t that appealing any longer, and neither was anything on FM radio. Turning to internet forums in hopes of finding something that sounded fresh, I stumbled upon Britain’s grime scene. The scene, which was still emerging at the time, mixed garage rap and electronic beats, and gave rise to artists like Wiley, Dizzee Rascal and Sharkie Major. It was London’s Lady Sovereign though that interested me the most.

My first taste of Sov was on the freestyle “The Battle,” where she and fellow female MC Shystie dueled Frost P and Zus Rock in what sounded like a hyperactive videogame. Something about Lady Sovereign’s shrill voice and brash lyrics appealed to me enough to closely follow her career for nearly two years, all the while waiting with bated breath for her full-length debut Public Warning!, which was released last week. I had a bad feeling about the album due to the fact each single Sov released since mid-2005 (“9 To 5,” “Hoodie,” “Gatheration” and now “Love Me Or Hate Me”) has been a further departure from what originally made her so appealing.

So, when I got my hands on Public Warning!, I hated it. Half of the songs, songs I had grown familiar with over the course of a year-and-a-half, now suddenly sounded different, tweaked for radio appeal. It’s been a little week now, and I’m beginning to warm up to it a bit. It’s still far from the promise she shows, but I guess it’s a start. As many problems as I have with this album, I felt honored when I was asked to review it for the campus paper, simply because I had watched Sov’s career develop. (You can read my review of Public Warning! below.)

Don’t let my comments above turn you off to Lady Sovereign, as she’s got talent. My frustration for Public Warning! comes from the fact that while she’s more than capable of making great material, she just settles for good here.

MP3s

Lady Sovereign: Those Were the Days

A hands-down stunner. It’s one of those great, nostalgic golden-era chilled out rap tracks that’s so rare these days. An essential listen.

Lady Sovereign: Random [Menta Remix, ft. Riko]

Her remixes are some of the best as they feature new lyrics and life all their own.

Lady Sovereign: Random

Despite being first released two years ago, the song still sounds as fresh as ever.

Lady Sovereign on MySpace.

The Review

Standing at just 5’1” and looking not a day older than 14, the cheeky, foul-mouthed Louise Harman, Lady Sovereign if you’re nasty, was one of Britain’s best kept secrets for nearly two-and-a-half years. Sov, who’s largely credited with solidifying England’s grime scene (garage rap with electronic beats), garnered attention after appearing on a freestyle mixtape and a b-side with The Streets. Long story short, her two solo EPs and seven singles released only in England found their way onto the peer-to-peer networks, and suddenly Lady Sovereign became an underground phenomenon.

It comes as a shame, and a bit of a surprise, then that Public Warning!, her first commercially released full-length, is a bit of a letdown.

Rumored tracks with production by the Neptunes and Timbaland are nowhere on the album. Instead from the 13 tracks – only four of which are new – all were produced by Sov herself. This was an unfortunate decision to also act as producer since Sov saw it fit to make unnecessary tweaks to nearly all of the previously released songs. The newer versions are diluted with different instrumentation, tempo changes and pop radio savvy, and pale when compared to the originals. Where Lady Sovereign once sounded straight up cheeky, she now sounds utterly annoying at times.

“9 To 5” – which once sported a rave meets tango infused sound over its slower and stale makeover – introduces us to our ego-tripping heroine, who contemplates her own delayed impact. With its tweaks, “Hoodie,” which once served as a musical middle finger to the British government’s bill to ban hoodies, now sounds destined for a GAP commercial with its bouncy “Fling on an Adadias hoodie/And just boogie-woogie with me” chorus.

“Gatheration” benefits from Sov’s tinkering, as the song now evokes classic Run-D.M.C. Amazingly, “Random” still sounds fresh despite its nearly two year old J-Lo diss and J-Kwon and Chingy references.

The new songs are a mixed bag. “Public Warning!” is killed by its one-note punkish shout-along chorus, making the song about as listenable as a fork in a garbage disposal. “Love Me Or Hate Me” – that song featured on Verizon Chocolate cell phone commercial – packs nearly all of Lady Sovereign’s essence into a three-and-a-half minute Eminem-esque package that pisses on the current pop princesses (Fergie, Beyonce, etc) through Sov’s tomboy persona.

Newbie “Those Were the Days” is a stunner. Sov reminisces of her care-free childhood over a silky smooth golden-age hip-hop beat. It’s a surprising blast of sincere nostalgia that Lady Sovereign seemed incapable of. Hopefully it’s also a hint of things to come.

With her popularity quickly on the rise (she’s holding the #1 position on MTV’s TRL), the “world’s biggest midget” seems destined to burst into the mainstream and be on every 14 year old girls’ Christmas list; it’s just unfortunate it’s been with this album though, as Public Warning! is an incredible jumble of brilliance and annoyance.

Ambition is a good thing. And, ambition should always be encouraged for musicians, especially since, as of late, the mainstream music scene seems content with duplicating soulless releases from nearly faceless artists. But ambition shouldn’t come at the lack of complete humility.

“Humility” though is apparently not in the vocabulary of Killers singer Brandon Flowers after the Las Vegas quartet released their highly anticipated second album Sam’s Town this Tuesday. And, apparently neither are the words “subtlety” and “moderation.”

Since early May Flowers has been stringing together the fibers for the noose that is Sam’s Town by telling the press “this album is one of the best albums in the past 20 years.”

Obviously it is not one of the best albums of the past 20 years, and neither is it one of the best albums of this year. Sam’s Town simply doesn’t work on so many levels, and it’s all because of those three little words: subtlety, moderation and humility.  In trying to shed their tacky second wave image, The Killers adopted a rigid Americana persona complete with epic showboating that simply does not work for them.

Sam’s Town opens with the title track, complete with exploding drums, spangling guitars, towering synths and over-the-top lyrics.  Nothing about this album seems sincere or even real for that matter. It’s all just a grandiose façade full of smoke and mirrors and lyrics about riding on the back of hurricanes, speaking to the devil and troubled girls named Mary.

Listening to Sam’s Town is like watching the biggest action sequence from 50 different action movies all at the same time. It’s assaulting and overwhelming and is handled with the same finesse as someone repeatedly clubbing you in the face.  As a result, after about the 20 minute mark, the over-produced sound coupled with the over-the-top bluster begins to blend together, making one track almost indistinguishable from the last. 

There’s also the strange track order.  Musically many of the tracks don’t quite sync up in their current order and have strengthened the album with a slightly different arrangement.  Having two back to back tracks that feature Flowers straining to reach the notes was not a good decision. The closing song, “Exitlude,” also seems like a complete afterthought that was only added because of “Enterlude,” in which The Killers musically shed their old persona. 

It’s not all bad though. “When You Were Young” and the banally titled “Bling (Confessions of a King)” are actually good songs. On these two tracks The Killers crank their newly copped Bruce Springsteen and U2 sound into epic overdrive and avoid near disaster based simply upon the tracks’ asinine bravado.   

Ultimately this is a love it or hate it album, as you will either be wowed or overwhelmed by the bloated spectacle of it all. Perhaps unknowingly, Flowers, though, sums up the entirety of the new Killers experience in the middle of the opening track when he sings “… I looked inside/and it’s running through my veins/an American masquerade.”  Well put.

MP3s

The Killers: Bling (Confessions of a King)

The Killers: When You Were Young

Goosebumps. I’ve had them for nearly two days now since I started listening to the stream of The Hold Steady’s latest record, Boys and Girls in America. From the beginning I was expecting greatness based on their two prior efforts, but I wasn’t expecting an instant classic. Besides the obvious nod for album of the year that I’m positive it will garner from numerous critics, I truly believe it’s one of the best and most important releases I’ve ever heard. Definitely right up there with The Beatles’ Revolver, The Streets’ Original Pirate Material and Bruce Springsteen’s Born To Run. Seriously. It’s that good.

Boys and Girls was inspired by Jack Kerouac’s On the Road, which contains the line “Boys and girls in America have such a sad time together.”

This latest outing finds singer Craig Finn and fellow Brooklyn band mates a little more somber and a little more wise, but just as sharp and observant as ever. Finn, who has made a career out of sounding more like a nasally carnival barker than a rock singer, actually, well, sings throughout this album, including a cappella in the closing track “Southtown Girls.” The rest of band finds themselves treading in this new territory too. Keyboardist Franz Nicolay provides extremely catchy and melodic keyboards and organs that are more prominent in this album and often the hooks of songs, and lead guitarist Tad Kubler lays down plenty of soaring guitar riffs, which have nearly disappeared from rock today. In between the rocking out, there’s plenty of piano-driven songs and several dreamy ballroom ballads. Amazingly this sound doesn’t come off as too polished or forced; it sounds completely natural and genuine.

Without a doubt, though, the reason that this album (and band for that matter) is so good is in Finn’s honest and insightful lyrics. Here he crafts stories about characters desperate to find acceptance in life, which is not in the mainstream culture. It depicts their journey for acceptance through drugs, music and new friendships. It’s extremely powerful and a defining album for this generation.

MP3s

The Hold Steady: Chips Ahoy!

Chips Ahoy! is the lead single from Boys and Girls in America and was released in July. It’s the most straight-forward rock song on the album, complete with stank organ riffs. In this little yarn, Finn is thrown for a loop by a clairvoyant girl who’s got a talent for picking winning race horses. Despite everything that the two go through, Finn’s biggest hang-up is that he “can’t tell when she’s having a good time.” Join the club, Finn.

The Hold Steady: Chillout Tent

It’s a tough call, but this is (currently) my favorite track. It has anthem potential. Sorry for the audio quality — it’s a transcoded version.

I highly suggest you venture over to The Hold Steady’s MySpace page, where you can listen to two other great tracks from the new album.

As I was writing this I stumbled upon this really fascinating article/review in which Boys and Girls is compared to Bruce Springsteen’s Born To Run. It’s a good read.

Boys and Girls in America by The Hold Steady comes out Oct. 3 on Vagrant Records.