June's Music

I got a little carried away, but there was so much good music I got this month. So much good stuff to listen to, so little time.

Coldplay Viva La Vida The big news this month was the long awaited release of the new Coldplay. Despite a few critics, I absolutely loved Coldplay's last album, 2005's X&Y and was wondering how they were going to top that. On this album, Coldplay enlisted the help of famed U2 producer Brian Eno and tried reinventing themselves and their sound. The results are definitely taking their sound somewhere different, much like U2 did back in the 90's. Where as X&Y has it's woolly imagery of planets and oceans, sounded like it was recorded in a immaculate space station, Viva La Vida sounds very terrestrial in it's origins. Splashes of middle eastern strings and Afro beats are more apparent on this album. Still, the songs have that Coldplay punch and are just as warm and uplifting as their previous works.
http://www.myspace.com/coldplay

Sigur Ros Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust roughly translates to "With a Buzz In Our Ears We Play Endlessly" I always have a hard time describing a Sigur Ros album, probably because there are few words that can describe them. I guess the cover art could best describe this album as being summer with the coming to a new horizon. Like all their most recent work, this is so full of life and pushes you mind and soul and gently challenges your ears. No other band on the planet sounds like Sigur Ros. They will be here in Portland in October. One of the best live bands that I have ever seen.

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=4685333

Bon Voyage Lies Jason Martin creates genius again, this time with his side band fronted by his wife, Julie. The past couple of Bon Voyage albums were pretty heavy on guitars that mixed well with Julie's ethereal child like voice. Lies instead ditches the heavy guitars and relies on a lot of synth with 60's style motown hooks. The results are the best Bon Voyage album yet. I just picked up this one a few days ago and can't stop listening to it. Even a Smith's song "Girlfriend In a Coma" was given proper justice here. Jason is as good with synth as he is with guitars.
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=202524874

Joy Electric My Grandfather the Cubist The other side of the Martin family offered up this new one. Ronnie Martin usually releases an album a year, and this year's album is his finest in a long time. Ronnie loves to educate his listeners in history and what has been forgotten in recent years such as the telephone booth. Ronnie also performs songs about artist MC Escher, and Copernicus (two subjects that I have never heard covered in song before). Some of my favorite tracks here like "Whether By Horse or Horseless" recall the sound of his first album Melody.

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=4360407

The Radio Dept. Pet Grief Another brilliant recommendation from itunes this month. Radio Dept is the perfect blend of post shoe gaze and with some electro glithces. This Swedish indie band can probably draw comparisons to M83's new album in my eyes. Another great album that brings to mind lazy days of summer. Breathy vocals with harder guitars and with enough sun drenched synth creates a sunny and bright atmosphere on this album.

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=182955090

Airiel The Battle of Sealand A pretty impressive debut full length album from these Chicago shoegazers. Airiel follows a lot of the shoegazer formula of loud guitars and vocals that cannot be understood. There intentions here are to create aural majesty that occasionally turns to industrial noise. Beautiful album if you love shoegazing.

http://www.myspace.com/airiel

Lassie Foundation Through and Through Another one of my favorite "shoegazer" type bands released this album some time ago. Unfortunately, the first part of this album is all previously material, leaving around 7 songs on the second half that were all unreleased. Not too long ago, Through and Through appeared on itunes and I was able to buy the 7 songs I needed. The previously unreleased songs are pretty typical sounding Lassie Foundation songs that are a must for their fans (there aren't too many of us out there).

http://www.myspace.com/thelassiefoundation

Pedro the Lion Tour EP '04 It seems like forever since we last heard anything new from David Bazan. Lately, I've been a little hungry for so new tunes. I found this disc in the budget rack for a nice $3. Worth owning for David's cover of Radiohead's "Let Down."