Last night, sports fans were treated to a thorough demolition of the hated Chicago Bears by our god-king Aaron Rodgers, who hefted four touchdown passes in a 35-14 Packers victory on Thursday Night Football. So you know what that means, right? It means that today must be #NewMusicFriday!
This week, we’ve got a trio of albums, from pop to post-rock, to make your weekend a more beautiful place (see what I did there? No? Well, read on…)
Protomartyr
Relatives in Descent (Domino)
Anchored by Joe Casey’s rumbling baritone, post-punks Protomartyr have always sounded like a louder, sweatier version of The National. Their ramshackle garage rock is both restrained and chaotic, like walking on the edge of a volcano. Because of that, the Detroit band’s three albums have been some of indie rock’s most exciting in recent years.
With Relatives in Descent, Protomartyr makes their debut for indie tastemaker Domino, the same UK label that helped turn bands like Arctic Monkeys and Franz Ferdinand into stars. But this album is distinctly American, full of sneering, verbose aggression directed at the powers that be and funnelled through expertly crafted art rock. Definitely worth a listen.
Miley Cyrus
Younger Now (RCA)
Say what you will about Miley Cyrus, but she’s definitely an interesting character. Her transformation from Disney-approved pop queen to psychedelic experimenter who parties with people like The Flaming Lips’ Wayne Coyne was one of music’s most unexpected reinventions. But then — almost like flipping a light switch — Miley the hypersexual bohemian was gone, leaving a pop star ready to debut another identity: herself.
On Younger Now, she presents what is supposed to be the “real Miley,” separated from all the predictably unpredictable craziness that defined the Bangerz era. Younger Now dials back the spectacle and puts the focus on Cyrus’ impressive vocal range — and it is impressive. Tracks like “I Would Die for You” prove it.
The World is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die
Always Foreign (Epitaph)
Since forming in 2009, The World is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die (or just TWIABP if you haven’t gotten longer tweet privileges yet) has stood apart from a crowded emo scene. Their style blends post-rock and post-hardcore into a melting pot that will lull you into a trance before kicking you in the teeth. With Always Foreign, the band aims to cement their place not just in the upper echelon of emo but of indie rock in general.
Though Always Foreign was crafted in the wake of some fairly high-profile personnel changes — including founding member Nicole Shanholtzer’s departure — the band doesn’t appear to have lost any of their mojo, at least if tracks like the circuital “Dillon and Her Son” are any indication. It uses their previous work as a roadmap to a slightly more streamlined sound, reliant less on noodling and more on expert rock songcraft.
And if you end up like-liking Always Foreign, you can catch TWIABP in person on Oct. 17 when they play High Noon Saloon with Ratboys and Rozwell Kid, who put out another one of this year’s best albums, Precious Art. (Hoping SideOneDummy will now give me free stuff!)
Comments