Here in Cool Music Central we equally care about the old and young folks and we like talkin' about the old and young styles alike. So, starting with the old folks, I am delighted to agree with the favorable reviews that R.E.M.'s politically charged "Accelerate" is receiving, which is definitely their best since "New Adventures in Hi-Fi" from 1996. Recently we also had great new albums from Nick Cave (the renaissance that started with "Abattoir Blues" and Grinderman continues with "Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!"), Bob Mould ("District Line" is his best solo album since 1998's "The Last Dog and Pony Show"), American Music Club ("The Golden Age"), Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks ("Real Emotional Trash") and The Gutter Twins ("Saturnalia") where Greg Dulli and Mark Lanegan combined forces to amazing effect. The only disappointment from the old folks camp came from The Breeders. Their previous effort, 2002's "Title TK" was in the top-10 of that year, unfortunately the 3 or 4 great tracks in "Mountain battles" cannot produce a similar result.
Moving on with the young folks, there's a trio of new British bands with recently released debuts that I'd like to rave about. First, there's These New Puritans (see previous post) with the amazing "Beat Pyramid", an album that as the title suggests is filled with monumental post-punk beat constructions. Then, there's Blood Red Shoes from Brighton, a guitar & drums duo (sounds familiar?) who after a string of great singles ("It's getting boring by the sea", "I wish I was someone better", "You bring me down") finally release their much anticipated debut "Box Of Secrets" that should deservedly introduce them to a wider audience. And last but not least we have Foals from Oxford, led by Yannis Philippakis (born in the Aegian island of Karpathos), who make math exciting even for non-mathematical minds (if we accept the rather ridiculous term "math-rock" frequently used by the press to describe their sound). "Antidotes" is just what the doctor ordered to give dance-punk a new leash on life after many abuses in recent years. Add to the three UK bands' efforts those of New York newcomers Vampire Weekend, MGMT, A Place To Bury Strangers ("Vampire Weekend", "Oracular Spectacular" and "A Place To Bury Strangers" their corresponding excellent debuts) plus the sophomore releases by Minneapolis' Tapes 'N Tapes ("Walk It Off") and Nashville's Be Your Own Pet ("Get Awkward") that fulfill the promises made on their first albums, and the young folks styles look set to make 2008 an aurally spectacular year!
Moving on with the young folks, there's a trio of new British bands with recently released debuts that I'd like to rave about. First, there's These New Puritans (see previous post) with the amazing "Beat Pyramid", an album that as the title suggests is filled with monumental post-punk beat constructions. Then, there's Blood Red Shoes from Brighton, a guitar & drums duo (sounds familiar?) who after a string of great singles ("It's getting boring by the sea", "I wish I was someone better", "You bring me down") finally release their much anticipated debut "Box Of Secrets" that should deservedly introduce them to a wider audience. And last but not least we have Foals from Oxford, led by Yannis Philippakis (born in the Aegian island of Karpathos), who make math exciting even for non-mathematical minds (if we accept the rather ridiculous term "math-rock" frequently used by the press to describe their sound). "Antidotes" is just what the doctor ordered to give dance-punk a new leash on life after many abuses in recent years. Add to the three UK bands' efforts those of New York newcomers Vampire Weekend, MGMT, A Place To Bury Strangers ("Vampire Weekend", "Oracular Spectacular" and "A Place To Bury Strangers" their corresponding excellent debuts) plus the sophomore releases by Minneapolis' Tapes 'N Tapes ("Walk It Off") and Nashville's Be Your Own Pet ("Get Awkward") that fulfill the promises made on their first albums, and the young folks styles look set to make 2008 an aurally spectacular year!
Red Socks Pugie - Foals
