Saturday, September 27, 2014

Vol. 5 Episode 40



Thom Yorke just dropped a new solo album called Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes. There are eight tracks on this new solo album. You can get it on vinyl or as a download in MP3, WAV or Flak. Head over to the new albums site to find more information and to buy the album.

The Current member drive kicks off this Wednesday and that means there is a new Live Current album. This marks the tenth live album from the radio station. This year it will be a double live album, Live Current 10/Cover To Cover. You can stream both albums from The Currents web site before you buy now. I don’t know if this will be on colored vinyl as the Founding Member and Live Current 5 were.

There will be a physical release for the five new songs from The Pains of Being Pure At Heart extra tracks. iTunes has put out a deluxe version of Days of Abandon with five extra tracks. You can also pre-order a new 10” EP with those same five songs from The Pains web site. The EP is going to be called Abandonment Issue.

Today is Cassette Store Day. This is the second year for the event and the first year that it has taken place in the US. There is a store that is near me that is taking part. Unfortunately, the one tape that I do want will only be released in the UK/EU. This means that I will not be going to the one record store that will be taking part in the event. You can check out the releases and stores taking part by visiting the Cassette Store Day web page.

Here we go...



This is the fifth album from Snow Patrol. It was released in the summer of 2008. The album was put out on CD, LP and DL. There was also a deluxe version put out with a special DVD and book. The previous two albums came off as dark and depressing for me. I actually liked that sound and expected the same from this one. I was wrong. With this album came a sound of enjoyment of life and what it has to offer. There was still darkness but I could see light pushing back that darkness, tearing holes in the fabric of that darkness and leaving pillars of light. It made me feel like there was a way out if light could get in. It wasn’t revolutionary but it made me feel good inside. That is the point of listening to music isn’t it, to feel good.

There were four singles released from this album. The first is called Take Back The City. It features acoustic guitar that leads the song on its adventure. There are guitars that fill in the back ground and help to lead the song. There is also a cool synth part that is way in the back ground. The bass is a full round sound that floats between the acoustic guitar and the drums. There are also electric guitars that come in on the bridge and chorus and pop in a little bit after the first verse. The vocals have always been the fun part though for me on this track. They are clear and tell a story of a fun time in and around the city at night. It is a great song that gives me goose bumps.

The second single is called Crack The Shutters. I have always thought of this song as what happens after Take Back The City. It is a slower song and tells the story of a couple. When one of the two wakes up he feels so in love with what the other looks like that he just stare at her until she wakes up. He wants so see every detail of her that he opens the shades so he can see her better. It is a beautiful idea that can only work in the imagination.

The third single from the album is called If There’s A Rocket Tie Me To It. It is a sweet song that eludes to the break up of a couple. This is not what the bands lyricist has said about the song though. He has the attitude that the song is about saving someone rather than losing someone. The lyrics are very confusing though and easily misunderstood. Either way it doesn’t matter what the lyricist thinks, in the end it is all about how you feel about the song. I believe that the song is beautiful, sweet and endangered. It makes me feel uneasy but with a desire to save the things that remind me of my own relationships.

The last single from this album is called The Planets Bend Between Us. It is a slow song that is also sweet but because of the sluggishness leaves a bad taste in my mouth. It is not a song that I look forward to on the album and I am happy that it is at the end. I don’t usually get that far into the album before something comes up and I have to stop listening to the album and take care of whatever has come up. It is not a bad song; it is just to slow for me. The song was also a complete failure around the world as a single. 



This is a new album from Generationals. It was just released mid September 2014. The duo originated from New Orleans. They have been friends since they were freshmen in high school and formed the group after graduating college. They are a pop group that pulls influences from Britpop, dance and electronic music. The album has been put out on LP, CD, DL and cassette. The LP has been pressed in cloud vinyl (white/grey haze) for pre-orders and in green for the record stores. There were only 500 pressed in the cloud color, dubbed the early bird edition.

The first digital single from the album is called GoldSilver Diamond. The song has this plinking piano part that I really enjoy. There is also a fun slightly distorted bass line that keeps the song on its heals. There is also a sharp string stab that accents each of the chord changes. The vocals are what really push the song forward though.

The second digital single from the album is called BlackLemon. The song comes off very big with a simple mono-synth high pitched melody that sticks in your head. I like the backing synth that fills in the gaps in the background. The bass in this song is fun and bouncy, adding to the get up and dance feel of the song. This would have been a great summer single.  

I really like the album and that it pulls from the 80s new wave and later synth driven music. I don’t think that this album would entirely fit in the 80s style but there are hints that they are pulling influences from the era at any rate. I will have to check out their back catalog for sure.



This is another single from Restorations. This was put out by Evil Weevil Records in 2010. The sleeve is on chipboard and black screen printed. The record inner sleeve has a hand written number of 300 units. The single also came with a download card. I thought this was pretty unique for a single in 2010. The group has gone on to use the cover graphic as their logo. It must mean a lot to them.

The A side is Of Trees. It is a slower track. It still has all of the rock elements that the group is known for but in a slower more meaningful style I think. The background sounds are filled in by a heavily distorted guitar that really has some grit to it. The lead guitar flows in style from the nearly mandolin sounds to the clean sounds and the use of a chorus pedal even. The drums are super solid and also range from a steady beat to a fast ruckus that seems to be all over the place but still in control at the same time. It is truly a great song that is very interesting

The B side is Frankford. The song starts off in just the left channel with a soothing guitar. The rest of the band kicks in and the song fills into both channels. The song has a chord progression that reminds me of the song Lazy Eye from the Silversun Pickups. It is one of my favorite songs from SSPU and this song is like a rock version of Lazy Eye. It just hat that edge that Lazy Eye doesn’t. I kind of like both songs for different reasons I guess.

That is all for now...

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