What I’ve Been Listening To

Picaresque- The Decemberists
It’s a pretty good record if you’re into indie rock sea-shanties and Colin Meloy. Of course it is a rather depressing record, with death being referenced in all but one songs. True, it’s the highly romanticized hipster indie rock version of death, but ten out of eleven songs containing references is a lot worse than truly depressing bands like Joy Division. The bright side is that out of eleven songs, most are very good like the Spanish-themed The Infanta, The Mariner’s Revenge Song which is a sea shanty of vengeance, and the pure indie candy that is Sixteen Military Wives. But then again, more death than Joy Division? What the fuck, Colin Meloy?
B+

The Back Room- Editors
Speaking of Joy Division, it’s Editors, one of the new British Joy Division knockoff bands. But what separates these guys from the rest? They’re actually pretty good, and the lead singer even kinda sounds like Ian Curtis, which is kinda creepy at times, but it allows them to pull off a lot of the tricks that Joy Division used (you know, like loud drums, bass, and depressing lyrics). Check it out.
A

Lungs- Florence + The Machine
Like Amy Winehouse-style soul(-ish) combined with Belle & Sebastian style baroque-rock. Pure indie pop confection. Check out Kiss With A Fist. Check out the whole album, especially Kiss With A Fist.
A

Video Games Not Coming Out Soon

Please don’t sue me people I’m making fun of in this comic…

#2 Indie Rock

Based on a real conversation between tcynic and I.

More of What I’ve Been Listening To– Record Store Day Edition

Self-Taught Learner EP (Lissy Trullie)
Six swaggering lo-fi garage-rock songs denouncing love, putting the rock back in indie rock, and the best part? She kinda looks like Alex Kapranos (https://thequillnews.wordpress.com/2009/02/19/people-that-kinda-look-like-other-people-a-photo-essay/). Not a bad investment of a few bucks and twenty minutes.
B

Fortress ‘Round My Heart (Ida Maria)
Now I’m not usually into Nordic Rock, but I’m bending that rule for Ida Maria, a Swedish cross between Katy Perry and Joan Jett. Fortress ‘Round My Heart is an alternative rock album… but the ability to classify it ends there. The mood shifts from angry to happy to scared to downbeat from song to song, and that’s only Side 1. The constant shifts in mood are not as distracting as one might imagine, as all the songs manage to flow into each other somehow. All in all, it’s a pretty good album, if short (about half an hour), but it’s totally worth the $8 on iTunes, or whatever you can get it for at your corner record shop.
B+

The Hazards of Love (The Decemberists)
Meloy and Co. are back, and as eclectic and creepy as ever. Sweet. The Hazards of Love brings the term “rock opera” to new heights, as it’s pretty much a fucking opera played by a rock band. Okay, so the opera is hevaly influenced by indie and glam rock, but that’s besides the point. Unlike most “rock operas,” The Hazards of Love manages to tell its story of love, lust, and an infanticidal shape-shifting demon very clearly, making one wonder if it’s a collection of songs that run into each other, or one hour-long song. Overall, it’s a really good album. Just don’t listen to the lyrics of “The Rake’s Song.”
A

No Line On The Horizon (U2)
Should be called “Achtung Baby 2.0,” and that’s not a bad thing. Though Bono can (and does) get a bit preachy sometimes. So much for another rock album like 2004’s How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb.
B+