Orange Juice Party Noise

MATT & KIM – Sidewalks

The Slacker — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 17:00:41 +0000

Matt & Kim, the too-cute couple duo from Brooklyn, present their third full-length album. Their sound hasn’t changed too much from their previous albums: upbeat indie pop/rock with nerdy male vocals. Fans of previous albums should be pleased. I’m personally not as crazy about this as I was for their first two albums, but I could see this growing on me if I give it more spins. I don’t think it’s as immediately catchy as their previous releases, but it seems to have more potential for staying in rotation. The songs seem to have more happening and won’t wear thin after a few plays. So for that, it could very well end up being my favorite album by these two kids. For those that are curious, “Cameras” is the album’s first single and “AM/FM Sound” is my favorite track after my first play of the album in its entirety.

www.myspace.com/mattandkim
www.mattandkimmusic.com

WEEZER – Hurley

The Slacker — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 17:00:24 +0000

Weezer’s eighth studio album. I remember back in 2003/2004 when Weezer fans wondered if there would even be a fifth album (eventually, 2005′s Make Believe solved that dilemma). Now, Weezer has released three albums over the past three years, and by the few recent interviews with frontman Rivers Cuomo that I’ve read, they aren’t planning on waiting multiple years between albums anymore. We’ll see how that works out, though.

Anyway, Hurley is named after Jorge Garcia’s character from the show LOST and features Mr. Garcia on the cover as well. I guess no one knows what this has to do with the album itself, so we’ll just continue on our merry way. I’ve listened to this album a few times now and I guess the best way to sum it up is that it sounds exactly like how a Weezer album is supposed to sound these days. Alternative pop. Just the typical upbeat power-pop/rock sound that we’ve come to expect from these guys. I mean, it’s not bad, but it’s not all that memorable either. I know that a lot of people, myself included, listen to new Weezer albums when they come out for catalog completion’s sake. But after that, we rarely return, instead opting for Weezer classics like “Blue” or Pinkerton. So, thanks, Hurley, it was kind of fun while it lasted — now go back in your case.

www.myspace.com/weezer
www.weezer.com

RA RA RIOT – Boy EP

The Slacker — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 17:00:17 +0000

Ra Ra Riot were formed in Syracuse, NY, so I always feel a sense of hometown pride when I hear them mentioned (even though I’m not from Syracuse and most people from Syracuse probably have never heard of the town where I grew up or the town where I now live). Nonetheless, their ascent to the indie rock royalty throne is certainly a story that will inspire kids from these parts for years to come. You could even call them a comeback story. At any rate, this band is a major player in the indie scene and beyond – but we’re all wondering, can they repeat the success of their debut, The Rhumb Line?

The initial response to that question comes in the form of Boy, a quaint EP of three songs that clocks in at just over 10 and a half minutes long. The first song, the title track, is the only one that will also make an appearance on The Orchard, RRR’s sophomore album that is scheduled to be released on August 24.”Boy” is also the best track on here; hopefully, it is an indication of what the full-length album will be like. It’s got great drums and an upbeat tempo. Our favorite string instruments give the song texture that most bands could only dream of. Love the bubbling bassline and that quickie guitar solo. Fantastic.

The other two songs on this (“Saccharin and the War” and “Keep It Quite (Bear)”) didn’t strike me as immediately as “Boy” did and while they would be at the top of the output heap for many other bands, I know Ra Ra Riot can do better. These songs are “growers” and maybe I’m just being too judgmental – I didn’t have to wait for “Ghost Under Rocks” or “Dying is Fine” to grow on me since I was instantly attracted to them! I am enjoying these other two the more I listen, but still. I have very high standards here and hope for more instant attraction with the rest of the new material.

Definitely looking forward to The Orchard based off the strength of “Boy”. August 24, here we come.

www.myspace.com/rarariot
www.rarariot.com

THE LOVE LANGUAGE – Libraries

The Slacker — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 17:00:01 +0000

Libraries is North Carolina’s The Love Language’s second album. I liked their first album and I like this one, too. I like the faster songs the most – they are at their best when they get the tempo cooking and the instruments rocking and everyone singing and yelling and making noise all at once. File under: indie/college pop/rock.

www.myspace.com/thelovelanguage
thelovelanguage.com

THE WAVES – Shock Horror!

The Slacker — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 17:00:49 +0000

The Waves were the predecessors to Katrina and the Waves. Shock Horror, their 1983 debut EP, was recently re-released to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the hit single “Walking On Sunshine” which was found on 1985′s Katrina and the Waves. Shock Horror is chock-full of guitar-driven pop and New Wave music. I like it a lot. It has a “We recorded this in our garage and it still sounds awesome” vibe to it and it just seems really badass. I also have to mention the fact that there is a song on here called “Strolling On Air” – I guess it just didn’t have the right ring to it to be a hit song but at least they tried again.

www.katrinaandthewaves.com/

TEEN INC. – Fountains / Friend Of The Night

The Slacker — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 17:00:30 +0000

From Los Angeles, Teen Inc. was formed by the sibling duo of Daniel and Andrew Aged. They were both studio musicians (apparently for big-name artists like Pharell and Raphael Saadiq) so we know right off the bat that they’ve got the playing chops, but can they write their own stuff? I decided to give this single a listen after hearing it being compared to Prince. I suppose the vocals do have a Prince-like feel, but they’re buried so far in the mix that they don’t have the same confidence attached to them that Prince puts on his. The music does have a funk appeal to it but I’m not impressed yet. I could see myself giving a Teen Inc. full-length album a spin to see what happens to them, but it’s not going to be on the top of my list.

www.myspace.com/teenincstuff
www.teen-inc.net

THE DRUMS – The Drums

The Slacker — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 17:00:31 +0000

The Brooklyn quartet finally releases their first full-length album, after tempting us constantly with singles and an EP. They sound like they came straight out of the 1980′s post-punk/indie scene. I’m shocked they’re not British. Their music is great and if they’re not huge by the time I post this review then I am sure they will blow up soon. Recommended if you like The Smiths, Voxtrot, that sort of thing.

www.myspace.com/thedrumsforever
www.thedrums.com

TOKYO POLICE CLUB – Champ

The Slacker — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 17:00:00 +0000

I’ve been holding off on writing about this album for a few weeks now because I haven’t been sure just how to describe my feelings about it. I don’t have a lot of time right now to wax poetically, so here’s the shortened review: My favorite new release, so far, of 2010.

www.myspace.com/tokyopoliceclub
www.tokyopoliceclub.com

STARS – The Five Ghosts

The Slacker — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 17:00:43 +0000

Fifth full-length from Canada’s Stars. For me, this band is the perfect soundtrack to cold winter nights spent dreaming of your crush. I’ve always described them to others (okay, maybe just myself) as having a romantic sound. Their sound is just so warm and welcoming and Amy Milan’s angelic voice plays perfectly off of Torq Campbell’s. Great for indie kids to make out to and fall in love to. They also have their fair share of songs that will be great background noise for you while cry over the fact that you’ve broken up with said indie kid counterpart.

Anyway, I’d file them under Canadian-romantic-indie-synthpop-pop-rock (not that I actually WOULD file them under that, because that would just be a ridiculous way to organize my music collection). The Five Ghosts starts off strong with “Dead Hearts” which is followed by a few great songs (I especially like “I Died So I Could Haunt You”). But by the time I’ve gotten through the fifth track, “We Don’t Want Your Body”, I feel like they’ve spent their tank of gas and are just running on fumes. I think the material on this album could have made for a killer EP. As a full-length album, it just doesn’t hold up – especially when we know what Stars are capable of from their past releases.

www.myspace.com/stars
www.youarestars.com

DEVO – Something For Everybody

The Slacker — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 17:00:24 +0000

DEVO!!! How could you not be excited? This is their ninth studio album and first since 1990. It’s fantastic, ridiculous new-wave pop music. Great lyrics. Catchy stuff. It’s DEVO! How could you not like it?