New Releases

Album Reviews / Listen / MP3 / Music / New Releases / Reviews — 30 Comments
14
May 09

Passion Pit – Manners, Album Review & Giveaway

Note: PMA gives away each album it reviews. Learn how to enter at the end of the review.

Passion Pit Manners, Album Review & Giveaway album reviews reviews 2Passion Pit
Manners

Frenchkiss Records
Out May 19th

[85]
[Rating Scale]
Buy it at Insound!

[rating:85/100]

The way I see it, Passion Pit is like the friend you have who’s always excited about everything. When he talks to you about something, you can’t help but get really excited about it too. But at the same point you’re worried about spending more than about 30 minutes with him, since that much undiluted enthusiasm just makes you go bonkers.

Such were my fears going into Manners. I had been spinning the Chunk Of Change EP for months – the setlist from the EP release show is hanging on my bedroom wall (no big deal). I’ve seen them 3 times live (highly recommended) and am pumped to catch them next time they’re in Boston in June. Each time they performed, the set was tight – six or seven songs packed into a half hour set that cranked it up to 11. I loved every song on the EP and thought there was no way that the band’s first album could come close to the standard that had been set. I set my expectations low, ready for disappointment. Continue reading →

Headline Shorties / Listen / Music / New Releases / News — 2 Comments
10
Mar 09

Death Cab Readying New EP

Death Cab Readying New EP headline shorties

As a big fan of Narrow Stairs, I can’t wait to hear four more songs that Gibbard and friends cooked up in the recording process. From Nick Harmer, a description:

“When we finished Narrow Stairs, there were four extra songs that, because we were trying to put together an album, we ended up not including them — it’s not like they’re castoffs or anything; they’re part of the Narrow Stairs experience … They needed to have a proper home, and the EP is it. There’s going to be four songs on it, plus the original version of ‘Talking Bird’ that features Ben singing and playing the ukulele. It’ll be out this year, I think. And then, you know, back to the grind again.”

While the “Talking Bird” altered version doesn’t interest me too much, the rest does. I’m pretty pumped, and glad that a band like Death cab has found a way to keep their songs fresh for so long. (Thanks to Stereogum)

Headline Shorties / Music / New Releases / News — 1 Comment
7
Mar 09

Rock Band: Beatles AND Guitar Hero: Metallica Information

Rock Band: Beatles AND Guitar Hero: Metallica Information headline shorties

The Beatles have finally caved in, and licensed their music for video game use. Their “Rock Band” edition will be released on 9-9-09. Apparently, this will be an “unprecedented, experiential progression through and celebration of the music and artistry of the Beatles.” That quote makes it sound pretty good! But seriously, I have a hunch that a lot of people would want to play along with the Beatles’ stuff.

There’s a ridiculously lame website for the game HERE, but you can input your e-mail address to receive future information. Click on for info about Guitar Hero’s Metallica edition. Continue reading →

Headline Shorties / Music / New Releases / News — 6 Comments
6
Mar 09

Eminem Plans To Release TWO Albums in ‘09

Eminem Plans To Release TWO Albums in 09 headline shorties

Eminem’s first album since Encore finally has a release date: Relapse will drop on May 19th.

And in a more surprising announcement, the rapper plans to release Relapse 2 by the end of 2009! This is pretty good news for the rap world. Here’s Eminem’s statement from the press release:

“A lot of people were expecting Relapse to drop last year. I was one of them. Then Dre and I went back in the studio in September for a few days, and that turned into six months. We were on such a roll; we wound up with a ton of new music produced by Dre. Putting out Relapse 2 will let everyone get all of the best stuff.”

Sounds pretty good. Although I’m not the biggest fan of “Crack A Bottle,” I have faith in Slim Shady. Do you?

Album Reviews / Music / New Releases / Reviews — 13 Comments
5
Mar 09

U2 – No Line On The Horizon Album Review

U2 No Line On The Horizon Album Review album reviews reviews 2

[rating:57/100]

“You’ve got to balance being relevant and commenting on something that’s happening today with trying to attain timelessness,” said U2 guitarist the Edge back in the 1990s. And he’s right- that’s exactly what such a powerful, classic, monumental rock band needs to do: find a way to always sound the same, yet experiment with new musical ideas and trends. And with No Line On The Horizon, U2 continues their long, loooong streak of making this formula work. They make the music both timely and timeless.

Continue reading →

Headline Shorties / Music / New Releases / News — 2 Comments
3
Mar 09

Another Charity Album To Be Released with LCD, Decemberists, My Morning Jacket and more

Another Charity Album To Be Released with LCD, Decemberists, My Morning Jacket and more headline shortiesAnother one!

Coming off the respective successes of Causes, Dark Was The Night,  and War Child: Heroes, the Causes founders are releasing a second album in a series that we hope doesn’t need to go on much longer. All proceeds are going towards stopping the terrifying genocide in Darfur.

The lineup for this album is phenomenal, and once again, so is the cause. I urge you to grab this cd if you can, and if you don’t like the artists, I urge you to think about helping out this effort anyway. Click on for the tracklist, which includes The Decemberists, My Morning Jacket, LCD Soundsystem, Tim and Eric, RJD2, and more. Continue reading →

Music / New Releases / News — 12 Comments
2
Mar 09

Hmmm…Pitchfork Gives U2 A 4.2

Hmmm...Pitchfork Gives U2 A 4.2 music

Not quite sure what to make of this one.I’m surprised P4K didn’t give them a U.2.

Their critic Ryan Dombal calls No Line On The Horizon a “a defensive gesture, and a rather pitiful one at that.”

U2 has been getting both a lot of love and, well, a lot of more love lately.

What do you guys think? Have you heard No Line On The Horizon yet (if not, it’s streaming on U2’s MySpace)? Does it deserve praise or criticism?

PMA’s review will be up very shortly, probably early in this week.

Listen / Music / New Releases / You Oughtta Know — 12 Comments
28
Feb 09

You Oughtta Know: Fanfarlo

You Oughtta Know: Fanfarlo listen

As I Guess I’m Floating says, you’ve heard this a million times: “there’s this new great band with the perfect mixture of Arcade Fire, Beirut, and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!” And also a million times, you’ve been disappointed that this band doesn’t live up to the hype.

While Fanfarlo’s stuff does not yet match the emotional power of Arcade Fire’s or Beirut’s, it comes MUCH closer than all of the other wannabe anthemic, orchestral songs we hear all the time. This is because THESE Arcade Fire similarities aren’t forced, but true to the band’s music. It’s epic, fantastic instrumentals, with a Zach Condon-esque voice at the top to bring it all together.

The London-based band has just released their first full-length, Reservoir, and it is excellent. Filled with building bridges and anthemic moments, it’s just the right medicine for what could possibly be an Arcade Fire-less 2009. Check out two of the band’s best songs, “I’m A Pilot” and “Fire Escape,” below. Thanks to Music For Kids Who Can’t Read Good (an awesome blog) for introducing me to the band. They think that “I’m A Pilot” has a “Crown Of Love” feel, but I get more of a “Well And The Lighthouse” vibe- the song kind of flows along like slowed-down part that goes “Resurrected, living in a lighthouse.” Listen below. What do you guys think of Fanfarlo? Continue reading →

Interesting Reads / Music / New Releases / News — 2 Comments
25
Feb 09

Album Updates- Beastie Boys, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, James Taylor, and Team B

Album Updates Beastie Boys, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, James Taylor, and Team B interesting reads

  • Let’s start off with the Beastie Boys. The boys are finishing up their 8th studio album, and its apparently shaping up to be a “pretty weird” one, says lead rapper Adam Yauch. Far from their all-instrumental album The Mix-Up, this one includes “a lot of rhyming and playing and sampling — all combined.” It should be pretty cool…thanks to Entertainment Weekly for the heads-up.
  • James Taylor is working on another covers album, coming out April 7th, called Other Covers. Good title! It’ll have seven more covers from his original studio session, including “Oh, What A Beautiful Morning,” along with Chuck Berry’s “Memphis. His last Covers album was pretty well-received. (Via MOG).
  • Team B, a band formed of members from Beirut, Arcade Fire, and LCD Soundsystem (woah) is streaming their new album on MySpace…I haven’t taken a listen yet, but Beirut, Arcade Fire, and LCD Soundsystem? It should be pretty good. Thanks to Tiny Mix Tapes.
Listen / Music / New Releases — 3 Comments
23
Feb 09

New Yeah Yeah Yeahs- “Heads Will Roll.”

New Yeah Yeah Yeahs Heads Will Roll. listen

It’s official- the Yeah Yeah Yeahs will be taking over 2009’s dance floors. The second track off of their upcoming LP, “It’s Blitz,” is once again a club-disco-banger. This isn’t really my type of music, but even I’m finding it pretty good. What do you guys think of “Heads Will Roll”? Thanks to both Pitchfork for the heads up and to Kanye’s blog for the leak! He’s becoming the new go-to track-leaker for music, I’m telling you- he already dropped one of my fave ‘09 tracks so far- “Nothing To Worry About.”

But Stereogum’s stream works the best, so I’m posting that HERE.

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