Arcade Fire's new album, Reflektor, is out today. In honor of this momentous occasion their new song, "Normal Person" is my song of the day.

My song of the day is "Crying with Bob" by Bare Mutants. I heard it on NPR today. I initially thought it was Velvet Underground then Joy Division then Weekend. It is so good. If you don't think so, then you suck! (Just kidding. Kind of.)

My favorite rock n roller, Lou Reed died this morning. Oddly enough, this is also the anniversary of my Uncle Owen's death, who introduced Lou Reed to my father. I grew up listening to Lou Reed because of him. It's oddly appropriate that today happened.

Lou Reed has always been on my top 5. I love him and his music dearly. I almost cried when I learned the news today. I probably would have if I hadn't been at church. The man changed rock n roll and changed my life. Here are a few of my favorite Lou Reed songs.

Rest in peace, Lou. The world is a better place because of you.

When I reviewed Kanye's newest album "Yeezus" I was holding a grudge. I let my feelings about him get in the way of the music. I've since revisited the album (like a lot) and I've come to the conclusion that I was wrong. This album really is revolutionary. Kanye knows what the hell he's doing.
Yeezus is the most unique piece of art (that's right I said art) that I've heard all year. If music wasn't so readily available and our attention spans weren't so short people would still be talking about how great this album is. I still don't think it will make my number one album of the year, but it will in most lists and that's fine by me. It probably deserves it.
Even though Kanye's huge ego annoys me to death (it's bigger than huge it's gigantic, enormous, gargantuan), he's a genius like he says (even if I hate that he says it).

I like Portlandia and the main reason why is these two.

-Earl

Anthony Green (of Circa Survive) released the self-titled track off his new solo album Young Legs. It probably goes without saying, but I am a huge fan. His first solo album remains one of my all-time favorites. It was a stark contrast from the music he was making with his band. It was personal and contained polished versions of demos I had been hearing for years, many of which were some of my favorite songs. His second album was great, but it hasn't really stayed with me since it came out. I still go back to it from time to time, but it didn't resonate with me as much. (It does contain some gems, though.)

"Young Legs" has a definite Circa vibe to it, but you can tell that it wasn't a group effort from all the guys. His backing band for this album continues to be Good Old War. Their music is more folk than alternative or progressive, so this was a growth and a reach for them. I love this song. He said that he wrote it about a friend he doesn't talk to anymore, and that it is both angry and sad. Anthony Green is good at penning his darkest and heaviest experiences with Circa and his solo stuff, and this song is a good example of this. It's a lot more sonic than his prior albums.

Listen to it here

and buy it next week!

Jeffrey Scott Buckley's Grace has been one of my favorite albums I listen to on an annual basis and then don't think about for 12 monthsish until I yearn for it again. Buckley's tragic death in an accidental drowning near Memphis has to rank up there with Kurt Cobain's death as far as tragedies of the 90s are concerned. His cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" was the first thing I'd ever heard him do until I decided to devote a youtube session to other songs off Grace a few years ago.

There's a reason David Bowie once said this was his favorite album of all time and would be the first album he'd take if he were deserted on an island. To me he kind of seems like a musical cousin of Elliott Smith or Nick Drake but you can also hear he grew up listening to Zeppelin. He also had some of the most amazing pipes ever. OMFG. Anyway, I digress. If you've never listened to this album please do so. If you have, listen to it again. I know I will.

It's been a really long time since I've posted. For that, I apologize. Life got really crazy. I guess it's still pretty crazy but some really cool stuff happened in my music world last week. Not only did the Avett Brothers come out with a new album but I got to see them live! What better way for me to get back to posting than with one of my favorite bands.

Yes, yes, yet again, I am here to talk about everyone's (ok, mostly my) favorite brothers, The Avett Brothers. I'm pretty sure half my posts are about them. Deal with it. I love them and so should you.

Let's start with the new album. It's good, of course. I'm not sure the Avett Brothers could make bad music. A lot of fans are pretty upset with the direction these boys are taking with their music. Their becoming more country and less bluegrass. They're cleaning it up, tightening their screws and veering from that rawness we've all known and loved from their early work. They started doing that with I and Love and You and I don't know if they'll ever go back to it but that's okay with me. I mean, as much as I'll always gravitate toward that raw sound, I still think they're making really good music and I like it. So many bands change their sound as they progress and I really think this is a necessary move in the Avett Brother's career.

I think I've talked about this before.

The first Avett Brothers full length album came out in 2002. They were one of the first bands to start this blugrass/rock genre that so many bands are filling the airwaves with today. They've been there, done that. It's time for them to explore it a little bit more, now.

Like with last years album, The Carpenter, Magpie and the Dandelion continues to showcase a little more electric guitar in the first track, orchestras and large choruses in their second track and then they even get almost this psychedelic sound in the third. By the fourth track on the album, they bring back a little to their classic banjo sound. And next is their inevitable love ballad. No one writes love songs like the Avett Brothers. No. One. Track six, I might call my favorite on the album. Good to You. Maybe it's the piano. There's nothing I can't resist less than Seth Avett and the piano. Does me in every time. And  those build ups? I'm weak in the knees. I love the simplicity of this song. It makes it even more powerful.
The rest of the album continues in this combination of sounds. Our friend, Zachary Gibson called it a longer third Gleam. I might have to agree with that. It really has the vibe of the Gleam EPs. They even include a live version of Souls Like Wheels, a song on the Second Gleam. I will say, sometimes the flow of this album seems a little off. Like, the transition between Souls Like Wheels and Vanity is really abrupt. Not sure how I feel about that...
Overall, I really like this album. I'm not sure if I like it more than the last album. I might like it the same, just for different reasons. It's not my favorite album, though. But my favorite Avett Brothers album is always changing. Last week it was Mignonette. For a while before that it was Four Thieves Gone and before that, it was I and Love and You and before that... anyway, you get the picture. Maybe some day it could be my favorite. It's a good album. The Avett Brothers love writing music and it shows and I love them for that. I always will.


Stay tuned for my post about their show.

I just want to second want Uncle Earl Ward said about the new Of Montreal Album, "lousy with slyvianbriar". It's a great album. Six years ago I considered Of Montreal one of my favorite bands, but every since the dissapointment of Skeletal Lamping and every release after, I've lost interest.  This new album is a return to their former greatness. I won't write much because Ryan already reviewed it.

I usually listen to NPR on the way to and from school to catch up on world events so I can sound smart to my preschool kids. However, I am tired of hearing about the incompetent government. Also, I bought Into It. Over It.'s Intersections, and I cannot stop listening to it.

This album filled a void in me. I still listen to a good majority of the music I listened to ten years ago, and not just for nostalgic purposes. I really love emotional alternative music (I am trying really hard to avoid the term "emo" here). So, when I heard a magazine article describe Evan Weiss and Into It. Over It. as the "fourth wave" of emo, I had to find out for myself.

I love this album. It is very, very reminiscent of Bayside. In fact, I listened to a Bayside song followed by an IIOI song, and the familiarity was almost uncanny, particularly with the vocals. It is different, though. It draws a lot of influences from bands like the Promise Ring, Jets to Brazil, and Jawbreaker, as well as Armor for Sleep and Further Seems Forever.

This album also reminds me of winter. It feels comforting and familiar and a little bit heavy (not the metal kind of heavy). This album feels like an angry drive home. Maybe you're only getting Weiss' side of the story, but who cares? It feels good to be a little angry and a little sad and also a little bit hopeful.

Some standout tracks include "New North-Side Air," "Spinning Thread, "A Curse Worth Believing" and "Obsessive Compulsive Distraction" (I nearly listed every song, but that would have been excessive. Seriously, though.)

In honor of the Avett Brothers new release today (Magpie and The Dandelion), my song of the day is from the album. I'm sure one of us will review it soon.
This song is called "Vanity" and I feel like it's one of the strongest songs on the album. Enjoy.

The dark lord himself (not Voldemort), Tim Kasher released a new solo album, Adult Film, last week. It's what you would expect from a Kasher album. It's filled with disdain for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. If you're looking for an album to uplift and inspire you this album is not for you. But if you want to hear Tim Kasher's take on life and relationships then listen away. It's a very honest album, that's not say I agree with the Cursive front man's take on life, but at least he's true to himself and his views of the world.

He's become the Charles Bukowski for millennials and like Bukowski he might not be the most positive guy but, he's a helluva writer.

8.4 out of 10 

Key tracks: "Truly Freaking Out" and "The Willing Cuckold"

You can stream Best Coast's new EP, Fade Away here on Wires and Waves via an embedded code from Sound Cloud below. I just finished it and I feel like it's their best work yet. Both their song writing and sound have come a long way since their debut and even since last years release, The Only Place. The lyrics are much deeper and clever. The themes of past songs are still present, but yet this EP feels like a complete makeover.
The sound is what sets this album apart. I feel like I'm listening to Mikal Cronin, Weezer, and Patsy Cline all rolled into one. It's very surf rock inspired like always, but it's much cleaner. Usually more production means a loss of grit and rawness, but the sound on Fade Away is neither of those things. The fuzz and distortion are gone, but this is huge leap forward for Best Coast.
It's an EP, but at seven songs feels more like an album. Album or EP it's one of the best releases of 2013.

9.0 out of 10 

Key Tracks: "Fade Away", "Who Have I Become"

OK, new Of Montreal. lousy with sylvianbriar. Which is nothing new, they have like 12 albums but I knew I'd like this one based just on the cover art. OK, I didn't know I'd like it, but I do! It sounds like old of Montreal (like Elephant 6 days) with a little folk/country rock 'n' roll twang. Check it out if you like... music.

Fav Tracks: "Fugitive Air", "Triumph of Disintigration", and "She Ain't Speakin Now".

Luv u

-Earl

Taking Back Sunday released a new song! It is called "Flicker Fade," and I love it (in case anyone had any doubts). It has all the energy of the last album with something else. It feels tight. It feels like Taking Back Sunday is supposed to feel: compassionate, empathetic, frustrated, hopeful, youthful, questioning, and old. It is no Tell All Your Friends, but it does have that same chemistry. Something was missing from the three albums while John Nolan and Shaun Cooper were gone, although I loved all those albums.

The album before the original gang got back together was called New Again, but that name would arguably be more appropriate for the new era of the band, which would include the self-titled and the upcoming album. This is newTaking Back Sunday, but the "again" comes into play with the energy and chemistry of the songs. The new song doesn't disappoint. Enjoy this video from their show at Starland Ballroom and look for their new album next spring.

If there was an election for the most perfect song ever recorded this one would be on the ballot.

So apparently these Haim girls are the next big thing. This song is good and on repeat for me. So sure.

-Earl

I can't believe more hasn't been written on this blog about The National's new album Trouble Will Find Me. My guess is it's due to the fact The National just happens to be more of an Autumn band. Right? Makes sense to me anyway. These days nothing feels quite as good as cranking this new album in my car with my beautifully wonderful wife at my side and my wildly wonderful son in the backseat. It seems to go well with rolling hills of golden maize and patches of prairie. Above you'll find one of my favorite tracks on the album "Pink Rabbits" which sounds like it almost could be off some kind of R&B album. If you haven't listened to this album lately go for a drive and do it.

In honor of Zach Galifianakis' birthday enjoy this video he made lip syncing to Kanye on his farm in North Caroline with Will Oldham (Bonnie Prince Billy).