Hell yes. Wolf Parade’s follow up to 2005’s Apologies To The Queen Mary has arrived early. Only days after officially changing the title of the album from Kissing The Beehive to the supercool-sounding, At Mount Zoomer, the wait has ended.
AND LET ME TELL YOU. It was worth the wait.
Every song on here is an instant catch. The guys follow roughly the same structure as Apologies, with Spencer and Dan alternating about every other track on vocals. With both of their side projects fully established now, you get the sense that these guys have something to prove to each other. The album feels sorta like an intense competition for best song, and man, does it make for one great album There’s no spacey, drawn out “Same Ghost Every Night” or “Dinner Bells” here. Every song is concise and fully realized. Imagine if you will a 9-track album of songs like “Shine A Light” and “I’ll Believe In Anything.” The song writing is more polished and everyone sounds a lot more confident. Though Isaac Brock is absent from production this time around, the signature clash of whizzing keyboards and strong guitars is still there. I can’t say enough about this album. It literally took me an hour to decide which tracks to post here because every single one is amazing.
Believe me when I say, Wolf Parade have returned.
(MP3) Wolf Parade- Soldier’s Grin
(MP3) Wolf Parade- Language City
(MP3) Wolf Parade- California Dreamer
(MP3) Wolf Parade- Fine Young Cannibals
Pre-order “At Mount Zoomer” here.
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Tagged at mount zoomer, california dreamer, downloads, fine young cannibals, language city, mp3, MUSIC, new music, soldier's grin, wolf parade
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Are you kidding me with this “Pork and Beans” single? When I first heard the title of the new Weezer single I thought the worst. Then I heard the new album was going to be called “the red album” and I had hope. Hope that this album would truly be a return to form for Weezer after the terrible Make Believe. Unfortunately, “Pork and Beans” sounds more in line with the bullshit they threw on Make Believe and I’m disappointed.
What makes this even more frustrating is the fact that we know Weezer can do better. The evidence lies in the large collection of Weezer B-sides compiled as a fan album, originally titled, “Unreleased 5th Album.” The songs included are almost all gems in the spirit of The Blue Album and Pinkerton. It is rumored that Rivers Cuomo writes one song per day, and has been doing so for several years now. If this is true, this collection should only be the tip of the ice berg of great unreleased Weezer material. For some reason though, Weezer continue to release this sub-par, mainstream pop rock that no one really cares about. Do you know anyone who loved Make Believe? I don’t. Someone should remind Weezer what Weezer is supposed to sound like. It’s not that they aren’t capable of making the kind of music we love them for, as evidenced by this collection, it just seems like they’ve forgotten what fans love about them. It isn’t songs like “Beverly Hills” and “Pork and Beans,” it’s the nerdy, introspective charm they had on their first two albums.
Here’s a few examples of what I’m talking about from the fan compilation. I hope Rivers is paying attention.
Weezer - You Gave Your Love To Me Softly
Weezer - 367
Weezer - I Just Threw Out The Love Of My Dreams
Weezer - Booby Trap
Obligatory buy link: Pre-order the Red Album from Insound
April 15, 2008 – 12:19 am
Apparently someone loves Wolf Parade more than I do. I know this because I have proof. The proof is a live, unofficial fan album circling the net called “Pardon My Blues.” Some big fan did everyone a favor and compiled the highest quality bootlegs of new songs the gang have been playing over the last year and a half or so. They even went as far as cutting out obnoxious audience chatter and making the album flow very nicely as if it were one live show. I love this person. Spencer, Dan and Co. recently revealed their tracklist for the still untitled album due out this June, which has added a whole new piece to the puzzle. Originally, the bootlegs were given titles by fans, which, for the most part, appear inaccurate. One track that can be officially identified is the Spencer -led, “Call It a Ritual,” previously known as “Billy J.” by fans. NPR gave a glimpse of the studio version last week, and today we finally get the full mp3. It doesn’t sound like they’re entering new territory, but thats probably a good thing because Apologies To The Queen Mary still rocks, and I’d love to have a sophomore effort in the same vein.
In the time since Apologies To The Queen Mary, both Dan Boeckner and Spencer Krug have made names for themselves through their respective side projects, Hansome Furs and Sunset Rubdown. The time spent apart has emphasized the differences between the two song writers, each great in their own right. I would even go as far as to draw parallels between Krug/ Boeckner and Lennon/ McCartney….. *waits for tomatoes to be thrown*…… though of course not in terms of popularity or legacy, but definitely in terms of how they compliment each other.
In this comparison, Spencer would definitely be Lennon. His songs on Apologies are more experimental and emotional, some might call him the more complex songwriter. Dan would then be the McCartney of the duo. Songs like “Shine A Light” and “Modern World” are the straightforward rockers and are immediately catchy. Between the two, I can never choose a definite favorite. It almost depends entirely on my mood, which is probably why I like the balance of both so much in Wolf Parade and can’t wait for this album. Easily my most anticipated release this year. You should get hyped too.
(MP3) Wolf Parade - Call It A Ritual [audio http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/3/13/1811674/02-Call-It-A-Ritual.mp3]
(ZIP) Wolf Parade - Pardon My Blues [Live Compilation]
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Tagged call it a ritual, dan boeckner, downloads, handsome furs, mp3, MUSIC, pardon my blues, spencer krug, sunset rubdown, wolf parade
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I bet no one’s ever done that with a MSTRKRFT post title before. Man, I’m clever.
MSTRKRFT’s last (and only) LP, The Looks, was my gateway drug to electro. At first pass, while sitting at my computer, I found the album a little dull. A week later I heard “Paris” at a party and from there slowly grew to love the whole thing. I’ve been waiting for anything new from these guys (not counting remixes) and finally we get something. Not much, but it still RCKS. A while back, the KRFT talked a little bit about their upcoming LP due this September and hinted at some surprising guest vocals. I’m guessing this new single is a small taste of what to expect later this year. The disc includes the new single, “Bounce (Feat. N.O.R.E.)” as well as a studio version of the live fan favorite, “Vuvuvu,” which was affectionately named by Xavier of Justice fame, in his attempt to describe the type of music MSTRKRFT make. The studio version doesn’t live up to the live version, but it’s still a fun song, especially with the crowd cheers during the tempo change. The real story here is “Bounce” though, which makes you wonder what The Looks could have been if they had a collection of guest vocalists throughout the album. Even more excited for the new LP. Check out both songs below:
MSTRKRFT - Bounce (Feat. N.O.R.E.)
MSTRKRFT - Vuvuvu
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Tagged bounce, downloads, electro, indie, justice, mp3, MSTRKRFT, MUSIC, n.o.r.e., paris, upcoming releases, vuvuvu
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Australia’s Cut Copy are about to get the respect they deserve in the states and it’s about time. Their new album, In Ghost Colours, arrived down-under last month and made it to the top of the Aussie charts in less than a week. The U.S. gets an official release this Tuesday, but of course it’s already more than available on the net. If you’ve never heard, think Apples In Stereo meets Daft Punk. They fit pretty well in that playlist you use to reconcile indie pop and dance music to please everyone at the party. In 2007 they opened for Thomas and Guy during their tour through Australia and a lot of people took notice. Their scheduled appearance this month at Coachella should keep the hype coming. Check out album highlight “Far Away” and fan-favorite, new single, “Hearts On Fire” right here:
(MP3) Cut Copy - Far Away
(MP3) Cut Copy - Hearts On Fire
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Tagged ALBUM REVIEWS, apples in stereo, australia, coachella, cut copy, daft punk, downloads, in ghost colors, mp3, MUSIC
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