Indie rock band out of Cincinnati, Ohio, The National, have detailed their upcoming album. The LP, Trouble Will Find Me, is to be released on May 21st via 4AD Records.

The album, which has been in the works since the band finished their 2010-2011 tour following their last album, 2010′s High Violet, which was met with critical acclaim. The new album was recorded in New York and was described by the lead singer, Matt Berninger, as more “immediate and visceral” than past albums.

The release will be followed by a summer tour with Youth Lagoon and Dirty Projectors joining the band for a few dates. As of now, the closest the band gets to the Menlo Park area is a stop in LA on August 10; however, the Music Blog will keep you updated should the band add more dates.

You can find the tracklist and full tour schedule below:

Trouble Will Find Me Tracklist:
01. I Should Live in Salt
02. Demons
03. Don’t Swallow the Cap
04. Fireproof
05. Sea of Love
06. Heavenfaced
07. This is the Last Time
08. Graceless
09. Slipped
10. I Need My Girl
11. Humiliation
12. Pink Rabbits
13. Hard to Find

The National 2013 Tour Dates:
05/16 – Ithaca, NY @ State Theater
05/26 – Boston, MA @ Boston Calling
06/05 – Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center *
06/06 – Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion ^
06/07 – Philadelphia, PA @ Mann Center for the Performing Arts ^
06/08 – Richmond, VA @ The National
06/10 – Raleigh, NC @ Red Hat Amphitheatre ^
06/11 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE ^
06/13 – Montreal, QC @ Lachine Canal
06/14 – Toronto, ON @ Yonge Dundas Square
06/15 – Columbus, OH @ LC Pavilion
06/13-16 – Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo Music Festival
06/21 – Scheessel, Germany @ Hurricane Festival
06/22 – Neuhausen Ob Eck, DE @ Southside Festival
06/25 – Brussels, BE @ Cirque Royal
06/28 – Cork, IR @ Live at the Marquee
06/30 – Rome, IT @Parco Della Musica
07/01 – Milan, IT @ City Sound Festival
07/02 – Zagreb, CR @ Salata
07/14 – Cincinnati, OH @ Bunbury Festival
08/06 – St. Paul, MN @ Roy Wilkins Auditorium
08/10 – Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre
09/17 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Ampitheater

* = w/ Youth Lagoon
^ = w/ Dirty Projectors

Hailing from Glasgow, Scotland, Frightened Rabbit have raised the bar for Scottish music, at least in America. Proving to be more popular in the US than in their native country, the band has become known for their indie-rock sound and, more notably, for their depressing and starkly honest lyrics. On their latest release Pedestrian Verse (out February 5 via Atlantic Records) Frightened Rabbit sticks to this standard, producing song after song of interesting and compelling music.

When writing the lyrics for the new Frightened Rabbit album frontman Scott Hutchison set himself a challenge: “Don’t go writing about ‘the sky falling’, or how she is your ‘world’.” However, beyond avoiding the standard clichés, he was also hoping to write about people beyond himself, about the lives he witnesses as if he was “looking through windows” into the lives of others. For anyone familiar with Frightened Rabbit’s past albums (especially their fantastic sophomore release The Midnight Organ Fight), this might sound shocking. The majority of their past lyrics have been, to put it lightly, depressing and focused on the troubles of Hutchison’s own life.  On Pedestrian Verse, he does stray from this proven treasure-trove of sad stories but can’t resist talking about his own life as well. However, these forays into fictional lives are some of the sharpest and gut-wrenching stories Hutchison has told. Take the single “State Hospital”. It gives the overview of a girl’s life; it wasn’t the worst life, but it wasn’t the best. The imagery he speaks with paints an extremely vivid picture of the feelings of the girl. Paired with the video, it is an extremely emotional and depressing song. Other songs give similar stories such as opener “Acts of Man”, which Hutchison has said to be the compliment to State Hospital, or “Late March, Dead March” which talks about the drunken arguments of two people (perhaps a couple). Hutchison proves his chops as a vivid story-teller with these songs, making for a compelling and intriguing listen.

The story-telling songs are also complimented by a few more ‘thematic’ songs that deal less with a story and more with an overarching theme, such as death or love. Recent single “The Woodpile” juxtaposes its catchy rock instrumentals with the loneliness and depression its lyrics discuss. “Dead Now” discusses death and the feeling of wishing to be dead. Hutchison also allows himself to fall into his old habit of writing about himself on songs like “Holy” where he talks about a kind of destructive rebirth, a holiness in being completely broken, that he went through a few years ago. Short interludes “Housing (In)” and “Housing (Out)” talk about the pains of being in a constantly touring rock band; getting home and “laying [your] head down” and then being “stolen by these songs” before having any time to rest. Though he did not stick to his goal of avoiding himself, the balance of stories, themes, and introspection in the lyrics works extremely well on this album. At their best, Hutchison’s lyrics are extremely poignant and can feel universal, at their worst they boarder on clichéd which happens very rarely on this album.

Musically, Pedestrian Verse, doesn’t stray very far from the first three Frightened Rabbit album. Driven primarily by heavy drums and loud guitars, the album rocks. Songs like “The Woodpile” are classic indie-rock songs that are big and in your face. With a bit more piano thrown in this album than I remember the past albums, its clear the band is experimenting slightly, but aren’t that comfortable stepping very far beyond what they know. Normally, I would be a bit annoyed at that; I generally like to see progression in a band’s style (see my review of Matt & Kim’s Lightening), but for Frightened Rabbit, I’m glad they stayed with what their comfortable. Besides just providing awesome songs to listen to, one of the reasons I’ve always enjoyed listening to the band is that they do a great job of juxtaposing fantastic indie-rock instrumentals with utterly depressing lyrical themes. “The Woodpile” is a perfect example of this. On a surface listen, the song just seems like a great indie single, something you could throw on a playlist and enjoy for a while. But dig into the lyrics and you hit a type of loneliness that is truly universal: “Bereft of all social charms, I’m struck down by the hand of fear.” This social anxiety is hiding behind the sing-a-long chorus and booming guitars and drums. When the band does slow down, moving into a more minor key, such as on “December’s Traditions,” the drive is still present. A rolling snare drives “December’s Traditions” into the chorus which is quieter than other songs, but still loud.

Despite a few missteps with lyrical metaphors that boarded on cliché and a somewhat repetitive musical style, I found myself enjoying every song on this album. Each one brought something interesting to the album, whether it was a great guitar riff or an emotional story. The entire band is on point here with Hutchison delivering song after song of thought-provoking and depressing lyrics. For fans of Frightened Rabbit, this album will be a conformation of what they already know: the band makes rocking and extremely lyrically depressing albums. For new listeners, it is a great place to start.

Rating: 4 / 5

Key Tracks: The Woodpile, State Hospital, The Oil Slick

“The Woodpile:”

 

Anyone happening to scan the New York Times this morning was in for a surprise if they wandered into the “Lost and Found” section. A small entry in the column advertised something called “Modern Vampires in the City” on May 7, 2013. This turned out to be indie-rockers Vampire Weekend’s innovative method of announcing the title of their forth-coming follow-up to 2010′s seminal second album Contra.

Modern Vampires in the City is set to be released on May 7 via XL Recordings. The band has also released the track listing which can be found below, along with a tour schedule, the most significant date being April 17, when the band will be performing at the Fox Theater in Oakland. For those of you who missed Vampire Weekend during their Contra tour, you should do your best to make it out to this concert as they are a great live show.

Modern Vampires of the City Tracklist:
01. Obvious Bicycle
02. Unbelievers
03. Step
04. Diane Young
05. Don’t Lie
06. Hannah Hunt
07. Everlasting Arms
08. Finger Back
09. Worship You
10. Ya Hey
11. Hudson
12. Young Lion

Vampire Weekend 2013 Tour Dates:
03/13-16 – Austin, TX @ South by Southwest
04/12 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Cosmpopolitan *
04/14 – Indio, CA @ Coachella Music Festival
04/16 – Davis, CA @ UC Davis (Freeborn Hall) *
04/17 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
04/21 – Indio, CA @ Coachella Music Festival
05/08 – London, UK @ The Troxy
05/10 – Paris, FR @ Casino de Paris
05/15 – Boston, MA @ Agganis Arena
05/16 – Toronto, ON @ Sony Centre for Performing Arts
05/17 – Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore
05/19 – Kansas City, MO @ Midland Theater
05/20 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheater #
05/21 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre
05/23 – Portland, OR @ Keller Auditorium

As we head out of January and into February, I have compiled a list of the albums that will be released this month that I have heard snippets of and am excited for. This is by no means a complete list but hopefully it will give you something to look forward to each week.

Some highlights include this weeks release of Frightened Rabbit’s new album Pedestrian Verse (my review of it goes up tomorrow) and Thom Yorke’s Atoms for Peace groups debut release Amok.

Here is the full list:

February 5:

• Boats – Cannonballs
• The Bronx – The Bronx IV
• Dog Bite – Velvet Changes
• Eels – Wonderful, Glorious
• Elephant Stone – Elephant Stone
• Guards – In Guards We Trust
• Frightened Rabbit – Pedestrian Verse
• Jim James – Regions of Light and Sound of God
• Matt Pond – The Lives Inside The Lines In Your Hand
• Night Beds – Country Sleep
• The Shilohs – So Wild
• The Spinto Band – Cool Cocoon
• Thao & the Get Down Stay Down – We the Common
• Thomas D’Arcy – What We Want
• Unknown Metal Orchestra – II

February 12:

• Blackfeet Braves – Blackfeet Braves
• Darwin Deez – Songs For Imaginative People
• The Deer Tracks – The Archer Trilogy 3
• Foals – Holy Fire
• Hollerado – White Paint
• The Little Ones – The Dawn Sang Along
• Pissed Jeans – Honeys
• PVT – Homosapien
• Veronica Falls – Waiting For Something To Happen

February 19:

• Atlas Genius – When It Was Now
• Beach Fossils – Clash the Truth
• Data Romance – Other
• Eat Skull – III
• Iceage – You’re Nothing
• Lady Lamb the Beekeeper – Ripely Pine
• Lusine – The Waiting Room
• Matmos – The Marriage of True Minds
• Mitzi – Truly Alive
• Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Push the Sky Away
• Psychic Ills – One Track Mind
• Satellite – Calling-Birds
• STRFKR – Miracle Mile
• Two Hour Traffic – Foolish Blood

February 26:

• Atoms for Peace – Amok
• Bear Ceuse – Don Domestique
• The Embassy – Sweet Sensation
• Girls Name – The New Life
• Gold Fields – Black Sun
• Golden Grrls – Golden Grrrls
• Johnny Marr – The Messenger
• Woodpigeon – Thumbtacks + Glue

Tons of great albums come out every month and with such little time to dedicate to full reviews of each and, with January coming to an end, I thought  I would take today to give a few thoughts on some of my favorite albums from the past month.

Criminal Hygiene – CRMNL HYGNE LP

This album was one I was definitely looking forward to this month. The little I had heard previously had piqued my interest and I was happy with the release. It is a solid garage-rock album with a good number of hard-hitting but catchy punk songs.

Rating: 3.5 / 5

Ducktails – The Flower Lane

Real Estate side-project delivers fantastic psychedelic-rock with bits of surf rock on this LP. An interesting album with lots of songs that keep the attention, The Flower Lane is definitely an album worth picking up.

Rating: 3.5 / 5

FIDLAR – FIDLAR

On their debut album, FIDLAR proves that they just don’t care. They don’t care about you, they don’t care about what people think, they just want to get drunk and high and enjoy themselves. The skate-punk band isn’t making any new music here, instead they stick their punk roots making loud, high-energy, intense music about “Cheap Beer” and “Wak[ing], Bak[ing], and Skat[ing].”

Rating: 4 / 5

Foxygen – We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic

In what might be my favorite album of the month, Foxygen has thrown together a medley of their influences, creating a (almost disappointedly) short album of great-sounding, interesting, and ever-changing songs. Though all the songs sound like they are by one band, every song draws on different influences. The lyrics range from introspective and deep to just plain catchy.

Rating: 4.5 / 5

TTNG – 13.0.0.0.0

TTNG (formerly known as This Town Needs Guns) surprised me with this new album. The first song, “Cat Fantastic,” reminded me a lot of Two Door Cinema Club so, while I enjoyed it, I was a bit apprehensive about the album. However, the strong and often extremely interesting guitar work throughout the album pulled me back in.

Rating: 4 / 5

Often, new bands are immediately defined by a few characteristics; which of their contemporaries they sound like, who they tour with, and the time they emerge in. This can pigeon-hole bands, forcing a label on them that might not aptly describe the band ascetic or intentions.  When Local Native’s first album, Gorilla Manor, was released in the US in 2010 it drew comparisons to the indie royalty of the time: Arcade Fire (whom they opened for), Vampire Weekend, and Fleet Foxes. They were even called a “sort of West Coast Grizzly Bear.” The album itself was fantastic. For me, it was one of the best of 2010 and has remained on rotation since then. However, as much as I wanted more music from the band, I was extremely glad they waited three years before releasing their sophomore album. Though this was definitely a side-effect of a rigorous tour schedule, the loss of a bandmate (bassist Andy Hamm), and relocation from LA to Brooklyn, it allowed the talk surrounding the band to subside and gave time for the band members to mature and hone their own style.

On their debut, Local Natives borrowed much from their contemporaries, while adding their own touches, creating a great indie rock album that is truly showing of the bands youth. They are eccentric and clearly enjoying themselves. On their follow-up, Hummingbird (out today), the band shows their maturity. While Gorilla Manor had songs that dealt with mature themes such as mortality and love, even the most mature of these, “Airplanes,” which deals with the death of a grandfather, does so with a touch of naivety, “I bet when I leave / My body for the sky the wait will / be worth it.” On the other hand, there is scarcely a song on Hummingbird that doesn’t touch on a mature theme. Songs like “You & I” “Three Months” and “Wholly Mammoth” deal with a lost love, implying the distance and change that has come between two lovers after their initial summer. Dealing with mortality are songs like “Black Spot”and “Heavy Feet” with thoughts of acceptance of death: “if [death] comes to claim / I won’t run,” as well as life beyond death: “telling me how you’re going to outlive your body.” Most strikingly, however, is “Colombia” which is also probably the saddest song I have heard in a long time. Similar to “Airplanes,” the song deals with a death, yet this time is of the singer’s mother, Patricia. The singer is torn, stricken with pain and exclaims “If you never felt all of my love / I pray now / you do” before following down a path of self-doubt: “every night / I ask myself / am I giving enough.” The song speaks strongly the loss of a loved one. The maturity level of the lyrics has increased significantly which works extremely well with the instrumentals throughout the album.

Beyond the lyrics, on Hummingbird the band seems to grown more comfortable with themselves and the music they are creating. They’ve kept a majority of the elements of their debut, but have refined them and made them their own. Fewer of the Fleet Fox style harmonies are found on this album, which gives more individualized sound to the lead singer, who in turn sounds more comfortable in the spotlight. Similarly, their maturity is seen in a focus on more wide-ranging song structures, instead of relying on the verse-chorus formula. The band instead has some ever-shifting songs that might return to a specific pattern or line, but often chose to explore new areas, such as “Black Balloons” which begins with an extremely driven, repetitive guitar and rhythm section that persists for a majority of the song until the two minute with a beautifully played bridge that in turn morphs into a new section that maintains the drive of the first half of the song. Many of the songs are extremely reminiscent of Gorilla Manor, utilizing the strong drumming and melodic, chord-driven guitars that was frequent throughout the first album. Most notably is the song “Breakers” which uses Gorilla Manor‘s panache for clapping to great effect that fuels the song. However, the band isn’t afraid to explore new territory and it is this comfort with themselves that sets the album apart as a separate work. With Hummingbird, Local Natives doesn’t seem as defined as on their debut. They’ve pushed beyond the label as “just another indie band” and it works out well for them, creating a memorable and driven, albeit slightly short, sophomore album that demonstrates a heightened maturity.

Ranking: 4.5 / 5

Key Tracks: Breakers, Colombia, Black Balloons

“Breakers”

Ground-breaking French half-human, half-robot electronic music duo Daft Punk will reportedly release the follow-up to 2005′s Human After All this May.

According to an article by the Guardian, which backs up weekend rumors regarding Daft Punk, states that the group, made up of reclusive and mythic Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, have “signed a new record deal with the Sony-owned Columbia label” with a new album to be released in May of 2013.

This comes after years of rumors and speculations as to the duo’s next move. Following 2007′s tour “Alive,” which resulted in the live album Alive 2007, the group remained relatively hidden, only to surface in 2010 with the Tron: Legacy soundtrack album and a feature in the movie. However, since then there has been little concrete news about a new album or new tour, despite their constant placement as a possible headliner for Coachella and other festivals.

Little is known about the upcoming as-yet-untitled album, so check back to the Music Blog on M-A Bear News often for updates.

In what might be an elaborate (and early) April Fools Prank – I wouldn’t put it past a band that sold gummy skulls and fetuses – The Flaming Lips have announced the release of their 13th proper studio album, The Terror. The album, set for release on April 1, is the first since 2009′s Embryonic. With The Terror, The Flaming Lips return to the true studio album format after an odd-assortment of albums, singles, and gummy-related merchandise including 2009′s Dark Side of the Moon cover album.

Lead singer and primary songwriter Wayne Coyne had this to say about the upcoming release:

“Why would we make this music that is The Terror– this bleak, disturbing record…?? I don’t really want to know the answer that I think is coming: that WE were hopeless, WE were disturbed and, I think, accepting that some things are hopeless… or letting hope in one area die so that hope can start to live in another?? Maybe this is the beginning of the answer.”

 

Bleak and disturbing sounds like a stray from past excursions by the Flaming Lips but if there is one thing that the Flaming Lips have proved in their 30 years of existence its that they can morph their sound and still remain relevant. This is definitely something to be excited for, you can find the tracklist below.

The Terror:
01. Look…The Sun Is Rising
02. Be Free, A Way
03. Try To Explain
04. You Lust
05. The Terror
06. You Are Alone
07. Butterfly, How Long It Takes To Die
08. Turning Violent
09. Always There…In Our Hearts

Chazwick Bundick is a hard act to pin down, musically. The multi-instrumentalist, producer, singer and songwriter rose to fame during the “summer of chillwave” in 2009 and released his debut album under the name Toro Y Moi, Causers of This, shortly thereafter in early 2010. His contemporaries at the time provided much of the same music; albums by Neon Indian, Washed Out, and others hailed the coming of the new genre “chillwave” – not exactly beach music but not exactly shoegaze of the ’80s. Though this new genre petered out relatively quickly, Toro Y Moi has stuck around. He released his sophomore album, Underneath the Pine, in 2011 to generally favorable reviews (including a “Best New Music” designation from Pitchfork) and since then has released an EP. However, his main focus has been on working with other producers and remixing others work. With his third album, Anything in Return, Bundick has striven to push past the chillwave label and experiment with his producing abilities in an attempt to explore new genres.

Having not heard much of Toro Y Moi before, aside from a few remixes and lots of talk about him, I was apprehensive heading into this album. I’m not adverse to the chillwave genre, but it has never been capable of holding my attention. I liked Washed Out’s album and never really got too into Neon Indian. That being said, Anything in Return was not what I generally equate with chillwave. The drifting, synth-filled sounds of Washed Out’s debut album With or Without You, are present here, but with more focus and drive. In fact, I was struck more by how poppy the album was than by its chillwave-elements. The album is extremely pop-driven, and I mean that as a compliment. The majority of the songs are synth and bass-centric with Bundick’s melodic and calming singing floating over the top, providing for extremely catchy, sing-able songs that each have their own pulse. However, these songs don’t fit the mold of the typical radio-singles. They play with the catchiness and danceability of what makes it on to the radio, but they are more experimental, primarily due to Bundick’s constantly exploring style of production. He refuses to be contained by one style, instead choosing to experiment and throw things in to the mix that you don’t expect to hear. From opener “Harm In Change” to first single “Say That” all the way to the final song “How’s It Wrong,” Toro Y Moi floats between funk, R&B, pop, and many more genres, never settling.

However, this constant experimentation comes at a price. Though there are strong songs, there is also a lack of cohesion. It feels like beyond experimenting, Toro Y Moi is searching. He pushes songs in new directions, but because he never really settles into one area or explores with more depth, it can feel lacking. This also makes songs feel cut short at times even though most of them hit the four-minute mark. I wish he had continued with a lot of the songs and seen where he could take them, really fleshing them out, or picked one style to stick with throughout the album. Either way, it would’ve produced, in my mind, a more cohesive album. The constant movement and changing of styles creates an uneasy feeling; it can be hard to get into the groove of the album, and because of its length (almost an hour long), this can make for a boring, easy to tune out, listen. While early songs might grab the listeners attention and have them nodding their heads or humming along, by the second half of the album, I found myself almost ignoring the music. That being said, when not listened to in sequential order or in one big chunk, I enjoyed a good majority of the songs. Toro Y Moi has effectively created a fun, poppy record that, with a bit of work and fleshing out of ideas, could have been an extremely strong experimental pop album. Instead, we are left with 13 songs that each have their own highlights, but don’t serve the project as a whole.

Rating: 3 / 5

Key Tracks: Say That, Never Matter, High Living

Arcade Fire announced earlier today that they would be selling the church that they recorded their last two albums, Neon Bible and The Suburbs.

The church, located in Farnham, Quebec, was purchased in 2005 by Arcade Fire to record the follow-up to their fantastic debut Funeral. After serving them well for two albums, the band is selling the church because it is time to move on, and because it lacks a functioning roof.

They have moved on to a new church, but are still hoping to make some money off of the old one. They are asking for $325,000 Canadian dollars.

If interested, contact Louise Goudreault, a real estate broker of Sutton Reality.

In what should come as good news to any fans of Radiohead or Thom Yorke’s  solo / side – group Atoms for Peace, new material has surfaced in the form of almost half-hour long mix created by Yorke for Dazed and Confused. Most of the tracks are either alternate or unreleased versions of Radiohead or Atoms for Peace songs, with a few new Thom Yorke solo pieces thrown in.

This should hold Yorke enthusiasts over until February 26 when his super group, Atoms for Peace, releases its debut album  Amok.

You can find the mix below, followed by the tracklist.

Tracklist:

Cycles MK 3 – Thom Yorke
You Wouldn’t Like Me When I’m Angry (unfinished mix) – Atoms For Peace
Mali: Kono, the Sacred Bird – Mali Musicians
Proud Evolution (Thom York 500quid rmx) – Liars
I Don’t Need An Excuse (unfinished) – Thom Yorke
Bloom (treatments) – Radiohead
Morning Shiver Down The Back Wood River – Anstam
Give Up The Ghost (Thom Yorke rmx) – Radiohead
The Grind – Average Joe vs Unless – Atoms For Peace

Around 50% of all marriages in the United States end in divorce. The other 50% aren’t always the best of relationships either, often couples will stay together because of a child or other reason. Some, though, are storybook type relationships. The husband and wife are meant for each other and they live happily-ever-after, the end. However, most marriages – even the rare, extremely happy ones – don’t result in 12 LPs, critical acclaim, and a music career that spans almost two decades. Yet that is exactly what the marriage of Ira Kaplan and Georgia Hubley has given the world. Started in 1984, Hubley and Kaplan’s Yo La Tengo has been going strong for 29 years and are returning for their 13th studio album Fade, today (steam available at Pitchfork). The album, the groups first in four years, is said to feature ”lyrical themes of aging, tragedy and emotional bonds… woven into a fully-realized whole.”

Going into this album, I wasn’t sure precisely what to expect. I haven’t listened to much Yo La Tengo but I knew of their legacy as one of the great indie rock bands of the ’90s and I’m always reading for new music so I kept an open mind. After having listened to it almost once a day since it was first available to stream, I finally have some idea of what Yo La Tengo is and what they are aiming for with their latest effort. Initially, I was skeptical. The album felt like a bit bland, almost like the stereotypical “indie-pop” album of the past 20 or so years. Granted, there are more interesting rock elements thrown in as well, but I just wasn’t drawn in immediately. However, as I continued listening and paying closer attention, I discovered I was wrong: Fade does not disappoint. Its ten songs span 45 minutes and the group spends those 45 minutes pushing and experimenting, while creating an extremely accesible and enjoyable album.

Musically, the album doesn’t stray too far out of the bands comfort zone in terms of sound; most songs – especially during the second-half of the album – maintain a laid-back vibe, almost beach music-like. However, within their comfort zone, Yo La Tengo takes the opportunity to play around with the genre they have been defining for 20 years. Hard rock guitar solos, prominent bass lines, ska-vibes, finger-picking guitar, all share the album with the more typical reverb-heavy acoustic guitar chords and melodic, simple solos. There are definitely interesting things going on instrumentally in this album and worth taking a listen to. Lyrically, the band stays true to its promise of themes. Kaplan (and Hubley on some songs) throws deceptively simple lyrics on practically every song, touching on classic ideas of love, death, and life that prove irresistibly catchy. Opener “Ohm” exemplifies what happens when this combination of laid-back, but experimental indie-rock, combines with capable and universal lyrics. Kaplan and Hubely harmonize truths about life over a great backing track that includes maracas, bongos, and a strong solo at the end. Lyrically, they are dealing with somewhat terrifying concepts: “But nothing ever stays the same / Nothings explained / Lose no more time” all while delivering a feeling of calm. This untroubled attitude in death or destruction seems to be indicative of the band at this point in time. Its been 13 albums, they know their time is coming, but they’ve accepted the legacy they are leaving behind and are content to go out how they are; they are relaxed in the face of their demise. Based on this album, that end won’t come any time soon.

Rating: 4 /5

Key Tracks: Ohm, Well You Better, Before We Run

“Ohm”:

According to Pitchfork, indie rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs have finished their fourth studio album. The new LP, named Mosquito, will be released via Interscope Records on April 16. Known for the breakout single off their first album, Fever to Tell ”Maps”, this is the bands first album since 2009′s It’s Blitz.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs premiered a few of the upcoming songs at a show in Los Angeles over the weekend, you can find footage of the songs below:

“Mosquito / Suck Young Blood”:

“Earth”:

Chromatic’s fourth album (the second on their current label Italians Do it Better) Kill for Love, opens with an echo-heavy guitar playing lingering notes that seem to drift and fade and swim in and out of the speakers. Vocalist Ruth Radalet slowly drifts her beautiful voice in over the guitar, adding a feminine touch to Neil Young’s “Into the Black.” However, it isn’t until the last minute or so of the song that the audience is made privy to the true meaning of the line: “out of the blue, into the black.” A synth begins disrupting the light drums and lofty guitar with a repetitive pairing of notes that slowly takes over becoming the dominant sound in the song. This leads immediately into the titular first single from the album that is extremely indicative of the tone and style of the rest of the 17 track album.

Melodic guitar lines with fuzzy synths and crooning vocals are the best way to sum up practically every song on this album. Oh, and long. I count  10 out of 17 songs on the album that are over 4 minutes long and four of those are over 7 minutes long. I don’t mean that in a negative way – I don’t have any issue with long songs or even long albums. When done correctly, with a clear vision and good follow-through, lengthy albums can pay off big-time. However, for me at least, this is where Kill for Love fails.

Musically, I love this album. I can pick any random song and really enjoy listening to it. I can notice the subtleties and the nuances, I can appreciate the style of music, and I can enjoy the vocal abilities of Radalet. Each song brings something new to the table and explores new areas of the genre, experimenting with new sounds and places. In a purely musical sense, Kill for Love is a fantastic album that should be dissected and examined. Yet, at 17 songs and clocking in at around 77 minutes, it is undeniably long. And while each song has its strengths and differences, they are subtle changes, slight alterations, that set them apart. For the most part, getting through this album in one sitting is tough. It easily becomes repetitive, especially if you aren’t listening for the subtleties. While doing anything else, it fades into the background quickly, turning into a drone of fuzz and female vocals.

Essentially, while the album is extremely strong musically, it has difficult holding the attention when it isn’t the listener’s sole focus. While that does not detract from the purely musical side of it, as a holistic listening experience it falls short.

Rating: 3.5 / 5

Key Tracks: Into the Black, Kill for Love, These Streets will Never Look the Same