Broken Bells - Self-titled

Melodic indie rock meets beat heavy trip-hop on the self-titled debut from the two-man supergroup Broken Bells. A collaboration between Shins frontman James Mercer and producer Brian Burton, aka Danger Mouse, Broken Bells finds the duo once again combining Mercer's falsetto vocals with Burton's synth driven beats. The two artists decided to work together after meeting at a Danish music festival in 2004 and finding they were both fans of each others work. They began recording together at Burton's Los Angeles-based studio in 2008 describing their project as "melodic, but experimental, too." The duo went on to produced the track "Insane Lullaby" for David Lynch's book/album project, Dark Night of the Soul, back in 2009.

Burton is no stranger to collaboration having worked with such notable artists as The Black Keys, Beck and Gorillaz, as well as his work with rapper Cee-Lo Green in Gnarles Barkley. Mercer however has been relatively inactive since the 2008 meltdown during which he fired most of his band mates and switched from Sub Pop Records to his own label. I get the impression Mercer is still haunted by those events as most of the lyrics on the new album focus on disappointment, betrayal and pessimism. Emotional lyrics such as "You'll never know how low an angry heart can go" found on "Your Head Is On Fire" say it all.





The best track on the album has to be the synth driven "The High Road," pairing Mercer's heartfelt vocals with an addictive backbeat and some nice guitar riffs. "Cause they know and so do I, The high road is hard to find," Mercer sings, "A detour to your new life, Tell all of your friends goodbye." This track pretty much fulfills my expectations of what a Shins/Dangermouse love-child would sound like. Mercer nudges Burton toward a more relaxed song progression and in turn Burton pulls Mercer towards a little more experimentation and fuzz. The two musicians compliment each other nicely, emphasizing each artists strengths and creating a great mix of genres and influences.

The second track, "Vaporize," does a great job of showcasing the wonderful writing Broken Bells are capable of. "If you want to follow me you should know," Mercer sings, "I was lost then, and I'm lost now, and I doubt I'll ever know which way to go." Mercer delivers emotion in his vocals seldom seen in his work with the Shins. Another personal favorite is the upbeat "The Ghost Inside," a irresistibly catchy beat paired with some funky keyboard and some random hand claps. Throw in an almost pitch perfect Damon Albarn impression from Mercer and this track could easily be a long lost Gorillaz B-side.

Other album highlights include the feedback drenched "Sailing To Nowhere," some post punk guitar on "The Mall & Misery," and the soft synth of "Trap Door." Broken Bells has built a great foundation with their first album, and with the duo already working on a follow up I can't wait to see where this partnership takes them. I'm heading off to SXSW next week and with any luck I'll be able to catch Broken Bells at one of their many show.

Portugal. The Man - American Ghetto

Only a few months after the release of their last album, The Satanic Satanist, the experimental indie rock band Portugal. The Man has come out with a new LP equally as amazing as the last. The new album, American Ghetto, finds the Alaskan band moving slightly away from the psychedelic towards a more soulful, electronic indie sound. All the swirling guitar riffs and groovy bass lines found on Satanist are still here, but now paired with some great synthesized beats. PTM has found a good harmony between synthesized music and traditional instruments, proving why they are one of America's most unique and creative rock bands.

A true 'indie' rock band, PTM have mostly been self financing their own albums and tours since the release of their first EP back in 2006. Known for their ambitious out put of recordings, PTM have released a new album every year with several EPs in between creating a substantial discography for a band only 5 years old. Even with a massive amount of music behind them PTM continue to push the envelope and explore new ideas with each new album, constantly changing and never getting stale.

Almost immediately after recording the critically acclaimed Satanic Satanist, PTM's John Gourley returned to Boston's Camp Street Studios to begin recording "something a bit more beat driven and a bit more spontaneous," as he described in a letter to their fans. "The whole process of the American Ghetto recordings was basically a two week explosion of ideas followed by about 4 months of clean-up and focusing," Gourley continues, "This gave the songs space and time to breathe a bit before finding their true home in the album and in the finished piece."



Believe me when I say there are no filler songs on this album, every track is amazing in its own unique way. The LP starts off with the distorted guitar riff of "The Dead Dog," giving listeners their first taste of PTM's new synth-rock sound. "This track began with a break beat and a loose set of chords that I had put together in the morning before tracking," Gourley said in a press release, "Lyrically, this was the first album where I really went out and referenced the streets and places around where I grew up." The Dead Dog was a bar near the band's Alaskan hometown of Wasilla where "some pretty shady folks" spent their time. "[American Ghetto] is probably the most consistent album lyrically and the most true to some of the harder points of my friendships back home."

The euphoric distortion of "Break" serves as a great intro to "60 Years," an instant classic with its bluesy guitars and jazz feel. Frontman John Gourley is joined by recurring guest vocalist Zoe Manville, who is given a more prominent role on this album. Manville's ethereal vocals perfectly compliment Gourley's soft voice as the lyrics weave together with the catchy guitar riffs and drum beat. Manville shows up again on "All My People" and the beat heavy "1000 Years." Probably the catchiest songs on the album, I would be surprised if college radio stations don't throw them into heavy rotation soon. PTM move to the psychedelic on "Fantastic Pace," a slow burning track with a nice back beat, echoing vocals and some quiet piano in the background.

Motown meets hip-hop on the stripped down "The Pushers Party", one of the few synth-less tracks on the album. Along with Gourley and Manville, bassist Zach Carothers also lends his vocals the the track creating PTM's signature gang vocals. There is a lot of soul flowing through this song. "The pusher was the feet and the feet were the floor," Gourley sings, "when we got a little bit well we got a little more." The guitar work and lyrics of this track are superb and will stick with you long after the song is over. Of all the tracks on American Ghetto "The Pushers Party" is the closest to the 'classic' PTM sound found on Satanic Satanist.



Swirling electronic effects combine with high-pitched vocals on "Do What We Do," again pairing Gourley's familiar falsetto with Manville's angelic voice. The mellow "Just A Fool" works as a good interlude to the synth heavy "Some Men," another slow burning track featuring acoustic guitar mixed with ambient sounds and some profound lyrics. "As he grew into a bigger person, he stood above the people," Gourley sings, "all these little people, and everyone below, they were just little people." I personally could have done without the whale call effects but its a very small complaint on an otherwise amazing track.

The album ends on a high note with the upbeat "When The War Ends," showcasing some great guitar, keyboard and stabbing synth beats working together perfectly. There is even a hint of sitar mixed in with the great lyrics adding a nice touch to this multi-layered track. "When the war ends, yeah, we'll wonder what it was about," Gourley sings in his soaring falsetto, "When we grow old, yeah, we'll wonder how we missed out." This track is a musical feast for your ears there is so much going on. A perfect ending to a great album.

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Sarah Borges - The Stars Are Out

Walking the fine line between rock and country, Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles are a Boston-area quartet influenced by a wide range of artists from Hank Williams to Sid Vicious. I was able to catch the last show of their current tour and man do they put on one hell of a live show. Their fifth time performing in the Springfield area, this felt more like a celebration than a concert. After an introduction by the mayor the Broken Singles played for roughly two hours complete with witty audience banter and some scorching guitar solos in-between some great rockabilly music. Easily one of the best show I've seen in Springfield my metaphorical hat is off the the Broken Singles for their great taste in pop music history.

Sarah Borges (singer/songwriter/guitarist) leads this motley crew of rocking punk-cowboys made up of Lyle Brewer (guitar), Rob Dulaney (drums) and a fellow only refered to as 'Binky' (bass). The Stars Are Out is the Broken Singles second album for Sugar Hill Records following their critically acclaimed 2007 release, Diamonds In The Dark. While the last album could only be described as high energy country, the Broken Singles have veered more toward the indie rock persuasion on this outing. Although this seems to have angered many of their fans I for one love the new direction and can't wait to see where they go next.





Like the first album, The Stars Are Out is almost a 50/50 mix of originals and covers with influences ranging all over the place. The album starts with the great Joan Jett-esque "Do It For Free" pairing scorching guitars with smokey vocals. "I never forget what my mama said to me," Borges' howls, "when it's real love, you do it for free." This song is strait up 60's blues-rock, heavy with the chick-rock vibe of the Runaways. Country-rock is pared with some nice surf-rock riffs for "Me and Your Ghost", a nice track that showcases Borges' range as a singer/writer. Another gem is the dance grooves of "I'll Show You How", a great bar rock piece with some nice harmonica thrown in for good measure.

The later half of the album is made up of some very nice covers, including remakes of Smokey Robinson's "Being With You", NRBQ's "It Comes To Me Naturally" and the Lemonhead's "Ride With Me". I know some people out there might scoff at the word 'cover' but Borges does a great job making the songs truly her own, giving a different take on some classic tunes. In fact unless their really paying attention most listeners will be hard pressed to pick out which tracks are cover and which are the originals. My favorite song on the album is "No One Will Ever Love You", a very well done Magnetic Fields cover. Borges does a good job of holding on to the emotion of the original while adding some of the 'twang' the Broken Singles are known for.

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Wolfmother - Cosmic Egg

Wolfmother exploded onto the music scene in 2005 with their self titled debut album, creating a buzz that spread across the world and forever embedding the song "Woman" into my subconscious. The album eventually went platinum and Wolfmother went on to win a handful of awards, including a grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance in 2007. Four years later the weight of success started to take its toll and bassist Chris Ross and drummer Myles Heskett left the band citing the old standby 'irreconcilable differences', we see this all too often with musicians burdened with fame too early in their careers. Lead vocalist and guitarist Andrew Stockdale was left holding the bag.

After a brief hiatus, during which Stockdale almost renamed the band White Feather [insert eye-roll here], Wolfmother returned with three new members and a new album, Cosmic Egg. I'll be the first to admit that when news of a new Wolfmother album surfaced I was, to say the least, a bit skeptical. While Stockdale is a great singer and guitarist I was not at all convinced he could hold together the shattered pieces that were Wolfmother. Well I am happy to report that Wolfmother is alive and well, still assaulting your eardrums with the same stadium sized power riffs and gritty baselines we have all come to love.

Newcomers Ian Peres (bass/keyboard), Aidan Nemeth (guitar) and Dave Atkins (drums) slip seamlessly into the band, picking up exactly where the original trio left off. In fact the new Wolfmother sounds so much like the old Wolfmother that most people wont realize the line-up has changed. While this could be the death toll for some bands it works nicely in this case, everything you liked about Wolfmother is still here and in some cases slightly improved. There are still power ballads and guitar shredding, but the acoustic guitar also makes some appearances along with with a handful of great slow-burning tracks.



But enough of the back history, on to the music. Cosmic Egg starts out in familiar territory with "California Queen" and "New Moon Rising", classic Wolfmother guitar riffs and pounding bass lines. With a quick tempo and heavy drumbeat "Rising" seems especially primed for heavy radio play. Things ease up a bit with "In The Morning", a great rock ballad begging for an arena full of fans holding lighters and swaying to the music. The title track "Cosmic Egg" throws some welcome bluesy guitar licks into the mix adding another weapon to the bands already expansive music arsenal.

One of my favorite tracks on the album is the slow-burning "Far Away", another great ballad utilizing an acoustic guitar paired with heartfelt lyrics. "I believe that love is gonna last forever", Stockdale sings, "but it's all within my mind". A surprisingly deep song that deals with the subjects of loss and the girl that got away. The six minute closing track "Violence Of The Sun" is another high point on the album. A slow building epic full of melodic keyboards, distortion and lofty guitar riffs that end the album in style.

In other news, Stockdale recently recorded a song with Slash for the guitar god's forthcoming solo record. He is in good company with Dave Grohl, Iggy Pop, Nick Oliveri, Flea, Fergie and Maroon 5 singer Adam Levine also featured on the album. And as for Wolfmother, they are currently on a U.S. tour through the fall with a European tour following this winter.

White Denim - Fits

The Austin trio that is White Denim has done it again with the release of their third full-length album Fits, a dizzying collection of pulverizing drums, screaming guitars and howling vocals... and that's only the first 5 tracks. The band experiment with changes in song structure, pace and style creating a dizzying array of sounds and influences leading the listener on a musical journey full of genre hopping, mind bending fun. White Denim stitch together tidbits from every musical genre and time period, combining the experimental pop of the 60s with the blues-rock of the 70s, and create something new in the mix. A down to earth band, White Denim still record in drummer Josh Blocks' caravan instead of a recording studio, creating a full on garage jam session feel.

The album is basically a 50/50 split, with the first part comprised of swirling, fuzzed out rock and the later reflecting a mellower, restrained take on White Denims' genre twisting music. "We saw a pretty clear division emerging in the songs we were recording for this album", says front-man James Petralli, "From that came the idea to sequence it like an LP with a 30-second pause in the middle where you could imagine getting up to flip the record over".

The band kicks of the album in high gear with "Radio Milk / How Can You Stand It", a 60s flavored psychedelic whirlwind of bluesy guitars and vocals overlaid with a killer bass line by Steve Terebecki. This track is a good indication of the direction Fits is going to take you, with multiple genres and time shifts layered over turbulent guitar rhythms and pounding cymbals. The album continues with the swirling distortion of "All Consolation" before presenting the listener with the hard blues vibe of "Say What You Want", a good contender for 'Best Song' on the entire album. Keep an ear out for Josh Block dishing out some seriously great drum work throughout, definitely the most proficient member in the band.

Things slow down some on the second half of the album with the beat poet lyrics of "Paint Yourself", keeping a nice jazz vibe with some hand claps and percussion rolls. "You're always looking at yourself", Petralli howls, "deciding what you do not want to see". While not a band known for terribly creative lyrics, White Denim take some big steps forward with this short gem. The jazzy waltz of "I'd Have It Just The Way We Were" keeps the mellow feel going before jumping back into some vintage funk-rock with "Everybody Somebody", a near perfect piece of garage rock.

If you've made it this far your reward is the slow and soulful 70s inspired "Regina Holding Hands", one of the most polished songs on the album. Complete with smooth guitar rhythms and warm background vocals, "Regina" feels like it was plucked out of some 70s lounge. An impressive track from a band that never sounds like they are trying to be 'retro'. Of all the songs on Fits, this would be the one track that could hook potential new fans. The album ends with the lo-fi acoustic finger picking of "Syncn" and the great guitar hooks of "YoYo", leaving the listener with the uncontrollable urge to start all over again from the beginning.

One of the more adventurous bands out there, White Denim has been creating their own brand of retro garage rock since early 2005. Slowly gaining attention through word-of-mouth and extensive touring, playing with no obvious agenda beyond having a good time. There is some great music to be found with White Denim, if you have an open mind and can handle the abrupt style shifts. "We set the tempos high," says Petralli, "and set off."

Malajube - Labyrinthes

Malajube are a four piece french/canadian indie-rock group hailing from Montreal who have been slowly building buzz in the U.S. for their instrumental interludes and stylistic mash-ups. They already have a large following in the UK after 2006's multi award-winning album Trompe-l'Oeil and despite commercial pressure they continue to make music only in their native French.

The band shifts between psychedelic rock, indie-pop and 80s synth creating an eclectic mix of beautiful tracks that make Labyrinthes an album that easily transcends the language barrier. This is an album full of addicting guitar tone and swirling keyboards that will easily pull the listener in. The music, according to the band's keyboardist Thomas Augustin, "talks to people".

A good indicator of where this album is going to take you is the opening track "Ursuline," a six-minute epic full of all the quiet piano and experimental guitar riffs the rest of the album will soon throw at you. Vocalist Julien Mineau uses his melodic voice and addicting guitar tone to great effect creating an incredibly enjoyable sound, even if you don't know exactly what he's singing about.



As you will soon discover keyboards and pianos are an important part to Malajubes' sound, humming in the background of tracks like "Porte Disparu" and "Luna," giving their sound a hint of ELO at times. While most of the album is very mellow, songs such as "Casablance" and "333" ramp things up a bit giving the album a good balanced feel.

According the frontman Julien Mineau the album is knotted with a "ribbon of religious imagery" which explores the continuing cultural presence of Catholicism in Quebec. The province of Quebec is about 83% Catholic and Malajube do not seem to be big fans of organized religion. "You rent and sell your soul / because you want to live forever", translated from the hard hitting "333", "I know that one day / I'll be eaten by bugs". Not that you need to know the meaning to enjoy this great album, but it adds another dimension to the music and for me helps understand these four musicians a little better. To be sure this is a band I will be following for some time to come.

Bonus: The video that launched Malajube into indie-rock stardom in 2006. "Montreal -40°C".

Blitzen Trapper - Black River Killer EP

The release of Furr in 2008 launched Blitzen Trapper into the indie rock spotlight, landing the Oregon-based experimental folk-rock band at the top of many international music charts. They received a two-page feature in Rolling Stone and were ranked #13 on their 'Best Albums of 2008" list as well as being named as supporting acts for Wilco and Fleet Foxes during their UK tour.

In August Blitzen Trapper released the Black River Killer EP, a collection of previously unreleased tracks that up till now fans have only been able to hear in concert or on one of the bands self released CDRs. While the CDRs were cheap and low quality this new EP is professionally recorded so don't let fears of low quality stop you. The EP contains six new songs and of course the title track "Black River Killer", a Johnny Cash-syle murder ballad fans may recognize from 2008s Furr. Despite being on the short side, we're talking 17 minutes of music people, there are still enough well-written songs and cool lyrics to make Black River Killer well worth a listen.

There really are some great songs on this EP, from the distorted harmonica blasts on "Silver Moon" to the finger picking greatness of "Black Rock". Its really hard to pick a favorite track, but I tend to gravitate toward "Going Down", a great piano-driven piece that sounds like something Ringo Starr might have recorded after waking up after a hard night. "It's loose lips sinking ships tonight", lead singer Eric Earley tells the listener, "This girls a cluster of light / Drips I think of lipstick burnt round fingertips". I can't help but compare this song to early Beatles or ELO, Earley's aged voice working perfectly with the guitar almost makes you forget that this is a group of 20-somthing guys from Oregon.



And of course there is the aforementioned title track, Black River Killer, a macabre tale written from the perspective of a murderer after the towns people have discovered his latest victim. "They found a girl's body in an open pit / Her mouth was sewn shut but her eyes were still wide / Gazing through the fog to the other side". The song continues with a great western/gothic tale that charts the killers encounters with the law and his journey seeking redemption. It's a great song that brings back memories of watching old western gunslinger movies with my grandfather when I was young.

Black River Killer is a great collection of songs that show off the full musical gamut Blitzen Trapper is capable of. An interesting blend of folk/country/indie rock with bits of Johnny Cash, Tom Petty, David Bowie and the Beatles sprinkled all over the place. It's easy for any true fan of music to find something they like in the mix. And if you do like what you hear make sure to check out Furr, I can guarantee you wont regret it.

As a bonus here is Wilco and Blitzen Trapper performing "California Stars" in Dublin. Enjoy!

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