Album Retrospective: Say Anything - In Defense of The Genre

Album Rating: A+

Autobiographical music is usually relatable but never really unique. When an artist says they are releasing an "autobiographical album" we usually assume this means a "themed album" filled with songs about ten themes we are supposed to believe are unique. Instead of making an album that is actually autobiographical, artists often contaminate or brains with mainstreamed views on rather serious topics. We know that "Love Hurts," we all are trying not to be an "American Idiot," and we are probably all doing it for the "Single Ladies." While these albums and songs might be relatable and enjoyable, they are the furthest thing from actually be autobiographical. The relatable autobiography is nothing more than something we are supposed to believe is the artist story so we will buy their record. The unique autobiography actually has to have "No Soul."

Artist Spotlight: Bandoliers

The demise of a band may be hugely frustrating for those involved, but it's something which can stand you in good stead for future ventures. Indeed the failures of previous outfits appear to have being a blessing in disguise for Newcastle-based trio Bandoliers, whose unmistakably British brand of indie rock sounds remarkably accomplished for a band that's only just released it's debut EP. Had they emerged six or seven years ago during the initial wave of post-Strokes guitar bands, they'd have been custom-built to become huge, but as things stand they've still got a pretty large audience to play to. The appeal of their particular style may not reach far beyond the British Isles, but they can rest assured that the NME crowd in particular will latch onto them like a malnourished leach, and with the inevitable ensuing hyperbole who knows where they could end up. What is certain is that with a healthy dose of melodic guitar hooks, urgent rhythms and no little heart, the three members of Bandoliers have all the tools with which they can make up for past setbacks, and then some.

You can stream and download Bandoliers' EP, Time & May on their Bandcamp page.

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Album Review: Seahaven - Winter Forever

Album Rating: C

Well, upon first listen, Seahaven had me hooked. The promos I had initially heard pointed to greatness; a familiar, yet comforting sound that was equal parts post-hardcore and pop-punk, sort of in the vein of Title Fight. I had high hopes to say the least, as Seahaven’s endearing sound really struck a chord. And while their debut, Winter Forever has all the makings of a great album, it simply doesn’t get off the ground. Fun and energetic for sure, but the lack of diversity keeps the album from soaring to the heights that it is so capable of.

Album Retrospective: Lou Reed - Transformer

Album Rating: A

I'm probably in the minority in believing that Lulu is not in fact one of the worst albums ever recorded, but the wreckage it's left is pretty catastrophic. That equilibrium of two (formerly) great artists never looked like one which would end well, but even so the amount of bile directed at Lou Reed has come as somewhat of a surprise to me. Metallica's unforgiving fanbase ensured that it was they who bore the brunt of the ensuing hilarity, yet the main question from many detractors seemed to be just why they wanted to hook up with an archaic fool who bears frightening resemblance to grandpa Simpson. What shocked me even more were the numbers of listeners apparently ignorant to Reed's past glories, while there were even some who had evidently never encountered the man behind numerous game-changing musical landmarks. His achievements with The Velvet Underground in the late sixties are all but beyond dispute, and rightly so. This has, however, had the effect of overshadowing his solo work, despite the fact that some of it reaches equally stellar standards. Sure, he also made Metal Machine Music (you think Lulu's bad? you've heard nothing!), but when he hit a spot he did so with his full weight behind it.

Album Review: King Krule - King Krule

Album Rating: C-

It's not often nowadays you see seventeen year-old musicians getting critical attention. I feel like the younger generation is usually ignored in the music business, so when I saw the young True Panther signee Archy Marshall, who records under Zoo Kid and King Krule, on the front page of Pitchfork, I got pretty excited. However, after reading an interview with him, I was rather discouraged. He seemed awfully pretentious for somebody his age, almost to the point of sounding immature. Hoping that Archy's wry personality would not be reflected in his music, I gave his debut self titled EP a try.

Artist Spotlight: Junius / Rosetta Split (vinyl)

A long time in coming, a split release on vinyl between Junius and Rosetta is something post-metal fans have been awaiting, and now it's here. Both of the tracks are wonderfully complementary to one another, with Michael Armine's screams in Rosetta being counterbalanced by Joseph E. Martinez's smooth crooning, and the melodies of "A Day Dark With Night" flowing easily into "TMA-3". The release is a great way for both bands to gain a bit of publicity too - Junius, of course, had just released a new album, and their single off of the split complements the new album beautifully, being in the same strain; Rosetta, on the other hand, allows fans to re-focus on their music, their release of A Determinism of Morality having been released halfway through last year. Rosetta has been planning for some new music in 2012 and had performed a couple of days ago in New York's Metal Suckfest, so we should be seeing more of them in the near future. One thing is for sure, though: this split rocks, and shows off the sound that both bands have been working for, and judging by this release, have clearly perfected.

The split comes out on vinyl on November 22nd, and you can pre-order it here!

If you haven't heard either of the tracks yet, you can find the Junius one here and the Rosetta one here.

Album Review: Laura Veirs - Tumble Bee

Album Rating: B

Becoming a parent has a habit of changing one's outlook on life, and on the surface that would certainly seem to be the case with Laura Veirs. The 38 year-old songstress has always shown herself capable of excelling in the art of pastoral folk loveliness, but becoming a mother for the first time has led her to a style that fits her talents perfectly. If you've not already gathered, Tumble Bee is, as it's sleeve states, an album of folk covers for children, and although it sees Veirs embarking on new musical ground the impression you get while listening is that few artists currently in action would make a better fist of such a niche.

Album Review: Johnny Foreigner - Johnny Foreigner Vs Everything

Album Rating: C

As far as confrontational album titles go, Johnny Foreigner Vs. Everything ranks pretty highly, and as anyone who has heard the band before would expect, the music within very much follows suite. For the past four of five years, the Birmingham three-piece have steadily built a strong underground following with their sporadic and excitable brand of indie pop. Comparisons to fellow Brits Los Campesionos! have followed them throughout that period, but JF have always delivered a far more spontaneous racket, and have developed a handy habit of encasing brilliantly catchy melodies in amongst their waves of (mostly) controlled chaos.

Album Review: The Wild - A Collection

Album Rating: B+

Oh joy, rapture—The Wild have entered my life just in the nick of time. Whilst 2011 has been winding down, I’ve been getting glum, knowing that this fantastic year is now coming to a close. Alas and alack, however, as A Collection has arrived. A Collection is exactly what its name implies—a collection of lovingly composed tracks from a sadly ignored act, The Wild. Who are The Wild you ask? Well, albeit a bit derivative, they’re simply the epitome of what every indie/folk should be doing, and doing it damn well.

Artist Spotlight: Worry Party

I don't bother with many bands from the current emo scene. To me, at least, too many of them take the whole melodramatic aspect of the genre too far, while the less that's said about most of it's mainstream representation the better. Worry Party, however, offer a welcome and refreshing change. It's not that they're dragging the genre into exciting new pastures, rather that they're resurrecting it's indie-based origins, and providing their own fresh interpretation of it. It's clear that that sound is still going through the stages of development, but it's potential is clear and it shouldn't come as much of a surprise if the band makes waves once firmly established a few years down the line.

Album Retrospective: The Antlers - Hospice

Album Rating: A

There has always been a difference between albums that are about heartbreak and albums that are actually heartbreaking. The albums about heartbreak are filled with songs that are about lost loves, lost causes, lost people, lost wars, lost moments, and even the artist losing themselves. The songs often leave us indifferent because we know even the most original album about heartbreak has been done before. We know that everyone has problems, we know that everyone gets heartbroken, we know that everyone gets depressed, we know everyone has a unique political stance, and we know that everyone longs for a past that they used to think was so terrible. When an artist makes an album that is simply about heartbreak, our reaction is usually just to shrug and move on to the next album about some sort of unique heartbreak. The only thing that is heartbreaking about albums about heartbreak is that they are so unoriginal that they will never even come close to breaking our hearts.

Musical Madness- Round Two

Two weeks ago we had the first week of Musical Madness here on Muzik Dizcovery. Musical Madness is a combination of my love of music with my love of college basketball. For far too long it seems like the people who love music and the people who really love sports have been separated by an invisible iron curtain. I want to end this Cold War of cultural elitism by analyzing music in a way that would appease even the most die hard sports fan. With this dream in mind I created a 64 album March Madness type bracket on this very site two weeks ago. The 64 teams were divided into four distinct and unique regions- mainstream, metal, hip-hop, and indie.

Album Review: Girl In A Coma - Exits And All the Rest

Album Rating: B

If you know anything about 70's rock and roll, or if you happened to catch 2010's biopic The Runaways, you probably understand that Joan Jett is sort of a badass. Feverish, fierce, and oftentimes fucked up, Jett was able to claw and climb her way through the rock ranks of the 70's and 80's, not only with her original band The Runaways, but also as a solo artist and alongside her more renowned troupe, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. Jett's focus was not limited to her own music though, and the early 1980's saw the start of her and Kenny Laguna's independent label, Blackheart Records. Not only has Blackheart released many of Jett's own chart-topping singles, they have also helped to propel a handful of more recent bands into the spotlight, one of the most relevant of which is San Antonio's Girl In A Coma. Adding the post-punk sensibilities that one would expect from a band named after a Smiths song to a slightly less filtered pop-punk approach (and one that certainly appeases even Jett herself), Girl In A Coma have made quite a name for themselves in the Southwestern United States. With the release of their fourth LP, Exits And All the Rest, GIAC showcase just how loud and indelible three girls with amps and microphones can be.

Album Review: Beneath Oblivion - From Man To Dust

Album Rating: A+

When I said that the Mylene Sheath would have a successful year, I wasn't too far off, and the new Beneath Oblivion record really enforces the point. From Man To Dust is an extremely power record in post-metal, combining Agalloch's black-metal exploration with Grief's eternal hate, topped off with a strong dosage of Zoroaster-esque heaviness. For one who doesn't have a reference of any of those bands, if I were to make a comparison between Beneath Oblivion and Russian Circles, the former makes up in sheer intensity what it lacks in Russian Circles' technicality. This record is an immovable object, an emotional exploration of a post-apocalyptic world that will stand the test of time.

Album Retrospective: Natural Snow Buildings - The Dance of the Moon and the Sun

Album Rating: A+

Ocarina of Time is considered to be one of the greatest video games of all time. All of its aspects from the gameplay to the atmosphere make it unlike any game that has ever been made. For me, Ocarina of Time feels almost mind-expanding, where it makes me think of things completely outside of the game. Almost to the point where it doesn't feel like a game, it feels so otherworldly. It makes Hyrule almost seem like it's a real place on this planet that I could catch a plane to if I wanted to. It might be disturbing to know that I feel this way about a video game, of all things, but it is a feeling unique to any other feeling that I get when playing a video game. The only other thing that has made me think in such a way is Natural Snow Building's self released, understated masterpiece The Dance of the Moon and the Sun.

Artist Spotlight: Edelweiss

I'm only 18, but Edelweiss makes me feel old. The band's members are no older than 17, with an average age of sixteen. They also make feel inadequate, since they've accomplished more musically by this age than I could ever hope and dream of. What's kills my ego even more is how damn talented they are. The opening song "Icarus" off their Pre-Columbians EP is extremely reminiscent of Two Door Cinema Club with the guitar tone and overall feel of the song, and may even show more variety in the riffs than them. "A Sound From Pennsylvania" shows the band constructing songs far beyond their years, as not many 16 year olds would ever think of making an instrumental shoegaze track. The scariest thing about Edelweiss is that they have plenty of room for improvement. Edelweiss is a young LeBron James; they're extremely talented and are beginning to turn that talent into production, but they haven't even cracked the surface of their massive potential.  Remember Edelweiss' name, because they may be the next budding superstar of the musical world. You can listen to the EP on Bandcamp here, and check them out on Facebook here.

Album Retrospective: Brand New - Deja Entendu

Album Rating: A-

Less of a retrospective on a personal beloved classic, and more of a first time exploration on one of the last decade's most cherished alternative records, I attempt to pen my experience with Brand New's Deja Entendu. Oh yes, I enjoyed my time with their masterpiece, The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me, and even heard a bit of the quite wonderful Daisy, but I had never once feasted my ears on their highly regarded sophomore effort.

Why yes, it occurs to me that this venture should have happened years ago. Maybe I had it built up so high in my head after The Devil and God..., or perhaps just laziness, but regardless, I couldn't pass up this album any longer. It wasn't the hopes of an instant classic that drew me, but rather, how it brought so many people together. With the rise of the internet, blogging, and mass music journalism, the over and under-interpretation has shadowed the actual 'magic' of music. Music has the power to over come barriers and bring people together for a common purpose, but that fact has become lost by our culture of quick downloading and quick juding. In an attmept to curb such nonsense, I got my hands on Deja Entendu.

Album Retrospective: Relient K - Forget And Not Slow Down

Album Rating: A

Pop-punk and its closest relatives hit the mainstream hard between the years of 2003 and 2005. In this small timespan, Yellowcard's Ocean Avenue, Simple Plan's Still Not Getting Any..., and Good Charlotte's The Chronicles Of Life and Death all went platinum in the US, while Hawthorne Heights, New Found Glory, and Sum 41 all had albums go gold. Relient K fits into this group as well, going gold with Two Lefts Don't Make A Right, But Three Do and Mmhmm, while also gaining two Billboard Hot 100 hits in "Be My Escape" and "Who I Am Hates Who I've Been". It's hard to imagine any of the above bands sell even a quarter of those figures anymore, as the bands as well as their modern counterparts have been shut out of the charts in "honor" of more club jams and pop-stars. But Relient K in particular has raised their game considerably since their heyday, releasing an extremely underrated cool weather masterpiece titled Forget And Not Slow Down. The band embraces a more indie based pop-punk sound, accenting the keys and pushing the punk influences to the absolute minimum. Not only is Forget And Not Slow Down easily their most mature record, it is also easily their best.

Album Review: The Tower & The Fool - XIII EP

EP Rating: A-

You often hear talk of genres which have run their course and are beginning to stagnate, but we can rest assured that folk based Americana is not among them. It's a style that has been in a particularly rude state of health in recent times, with established artists like The Decemberists, Wilco and Ryan Adams all releasing excellent albums in this calender year, while new blood from bands like The War On Drugs promises much for the future. With the arrival of The Tower & The Fool, though, that trajectory has begun to shine even brighter.

Album Review: Treefight For Sunlight- A Collection of Vibrations for Your Skull

Album Rating: B-

Sometimes music is more seasonal than it is conditional. Sometimes music is more about the temperature outside than the metaphorical temperature of our hearts. In winter we listen to whatever albums give us the most warmth, in spring we listen to whatever albums give us the most hope, in summer we listen to whatever albums define our "youthful pleasures," and in the fall we tend to listen to want to listen to something that is as colorful and comforting as the leaves that are constantly falling at our feet. This is why you might listen to Merriweather Post Pavilion the most in the winter months, it is why you might listen to Forget and Not Slow Down in the most in the fall months, it is why you might listen to Helplessness Blues the most in the fall, and it is why Pet Sounds might be the perfect soundtrack to your youthful summer.

Album Review: Pianos Become the Teeth- The Lack Long After

Album Rating: A

Let no man say that what Pianos Become the Teeth lack is passion, for their visceral, heart wrenching approach to their craft is the very definition of the word itself. With their hearts pinned fast to their sleeves, the band has been a commanding force in the new wave of post-hardcore/screamo, stealing the hearts of those who’ve heard their ferocious and captivating brand of music. Crawling from out of the shadows of their larger, more recognizable contemporaries, they’ve been making a name for themselves within the scene, commended for imbuing a sense of freshness in a genre where emulation is commonplace. While it’s hard to deny that City of Caterpillar and Envy have certainly left an impression on the men of Pianos Become the Teeth, it must be said that the band has simply captured the spirit and energy of said bands, rather than riding on their coattails. This was certainly true on the band’s debut, Old Pride, and is even more true now. Pianos Become the Teeth has not only matured, but they’ve diversified and expanded their sound to such a degree that their latest, The Lack Long After, manages to be a wondrous outing that sees the band top everything else they’ve ever done before.

Album Review: Florence & The Machine - Ceremonials

The annual NME Awards Tour is a pretty big deal in the UK, since it has an uncanny knack of showcasing the best up and coming artists in music just before their popularity balloons. The opening slot on the four-band bill is particularly notorious, having previously housed the likes of Coldplay and Franz Ferdinand, and back in 2008 - the year in which I first attended - the position was occupied by a madcap ginger who went by the name of Florence & The Machine. She'd already received a fair bit of hype, and gained unanimous approval from the half-filled room, but there's no way that I, nor anyone else who decided to come out early would have predicted Florence Welsh to blow up to such meteoric proportions. Yet blow up she did, and for someone who witnessed her perform before becoming a household name, her ascendancy has been a pleasure to behold. Debut album Lungs was awash with boldness and ambition, and those traits were thoroughly rewarded with sales in excess of four million, while a string of well received festival appearances, most notably at Glastonbury saw her stock raise even higher.

Album Review: New Orleans Swim Team - To Be Something, To Be Anything

Here's an anecdote: On a sunny Saturday morning earlier this year, I sat crammed into the backseat of an undersized Toyota Corolla with four members of a family I did not know, driving the five hours from Pittsburgh to D.C. for a distant cousin's wedding. I had drank too much the night before, despite having told myself not to do so, repercussions of which were beginning to team up with the tingling cold sweat start of carsickness. As I laid my head back, closing my eyes and breathing in through my mouth to avoid the stagnant odor of an overly-perfumed woman and her sweating husband, trying to fight off the nausea and dizziness of my lingering intoxication and the impending hangover, I came to a realization that had never reached me before. In that moment of stifling discomfort, I saw the infinite chaos of the universe in its entirety, tangible and true, contained within a bead of perspiration on my forehead. All at once, my existence had become larger than life itself and I was the quintessential Romantic Hero - I looked upon the inexplicable bedlam of life's uncountably simultaneous chains of actions and reactions not with bewilderment or fear, but with an omniscient gaze of patience and understanding. In that ephemeral yet spectacular instant, I knew that I could and did know everything; at once I witnessed the movements of every molecule of every organism and understood their ways and purposes, I instantaneously calculated partial differential equations that could map solutions to any given occurrence and could distinguish which exploded star each and every atom had come from; I understood the motions of celestial bodies and the motivation behind every Titus Andronicus song. And just as the beauty and magnificence of this vision began to fully manifest itself atop that tiny droplet of sweat, with the entirety of cognizance that had eluded all of history's most gorgeous brains only centimeters from my grasp, I lost it. In another instant I had returned to the Corolla, aware only of my own infinite potential and the impossibility of its fruition.

Album Review: Good Weather for Airstrikes-To Have Our Hearts Emptied, To Be Left As We Came

Post-rock has been my genre of choice for a number of years now. She's treated my well these past years, giving me some of my fondest musical memories. But it must be said that I've become disillusioned with the genre as of late, with copy/pasted formulas becoming commonplace, and ingenuity becoming rare. Yet every so often a band comes along and reminds me why i fell in love with post-rock in the first place. Good Weather for Airstrikes is one such band.

What first struck me about Good Weather for Airstrikes is that it derives its name from one of my favorite songs off of one of my favorite albums, Sigur Ros' brilliant Agaetis Byjurn. As if this weren't enough to win me over, Good Weather for Airstrikes proceeded to offer me interesting and provacative post-rock that I couldn't simply tag as an "Explosions in the Sky clone." Their debut, To Have Our Hearts Emptied, To Be Left As We Came, is a bold release from a band that has something to prove; an impassioned and energetic work makes me once again believe in the wayward genre I once adored.

Album Review: Summer Camp - Welcome To Condale

Drawing attention early on has plenty of short term positives, but it can nevertheless prove problematic further down the line - just ask Summer Camp. The British duo originate from a time not so long ago when boy-girl duo's weren't greeted with a familiar sigh of "not another one," and could even be said to have helped kick start the current trend. They began to make waves on the blogosphere in 2009 mere months after their inception, but having only written a handful of songs a major release was still some way off. It's only now that they've mustered enough quality material to finally unveil an LP, but it's been born into a very different environment to that in which they initially made waves in two years ago. Jenny And Johnny, Cults, Sleigh Bells, Big Deal, Best Coast... a seemingly endless conveyor belt of boy-girl duo's has sprung to life while they were at work, and now that Welcome To Condale has arrived, it's entered into a genre which has become saturated - and to a degree one-dimensional - in double quick time. But now that they've had their thunder stolen, do Summer Camp still do enough to stand out among an increasingly dense crowd?

Rodrigo y Gabriela: Area 52

Well isn't this a lovely surprise? No sooner did I start my "End of the Year" list did Rodrigo y Gabriela give me a reason to already start looking towards 2012. The brilliant Spanish duo captured my heart back in 2009 with their phenomonal 11:11, a whirlwind of frenzied guitar pieces that displayed a prowess not often seen in modern contemporary music. It was surprise highlight of mine then, and their upcoming release, Area 52 is keeping me on the edge of my seat in anticipation.

Why does an obscure album from a little known duo have me so excited, you ask? Well you'd have to listen to only a mere sample of the band to discover why. They radiate passion, utilizing their guitars for not only the string aspect, but the percussion aspect as well. Often wild and unpredictable, Rodrigo y Gabriela never disappoint, so mark your calendars for January 24th, when Area 52 officially drops.

Album Retrospective: Ash - 1977

I've always thought of the term "great singles band" as a bit of a backhanded compliment. Yes, it acknowledges the fact that the group in question are capable of producing excellent music, but it's also a phrase with plenty of negative connotations, namely that none of their actual albums are worth their salt. Ash are often called a great singles band (and indeed they were), but landing that label has sadly caused many to overlook just how good their LP's were. Indeed it's telling that their popularity has fallen so significantly since they abandoned the format in 2008, and equally ironic that their standards have taken a nosedive since they began devoting their time exclusively to the 7". Sadly, instead of highlighting how good they once were, this fall from grace has caused many to forget how good Ash once were, and at no time did that beacon burn brighter than on their debut LP 1977 - named and inspired by the year in which Star Wars was released.

Interview With K Será

K Será has been one of the more intriguing bands in the music scene over the past two years. After starting with a simple pop-punk sound, they quickly morphed into a tightly orchestrated cinematic rock band, not unlike Forgive Durden or The Dear Hunter circa the Violet EP. The band is releasing their brand new EP titled The Cantos ii on November 1st, and the band agreed to talk to us regarding the brand new EP, how it connects to The Cantos i, working with Thomas Dutton, and much more that you can read below.

Album Review: Hubble - Hubble Drums

I've had my eye on Hubble for a number of months, awaiting with bated breath the release of his debut. The little nibbles I've heard impressed, enthralled, and stoked the embers of anticipation. His fascinating use of multiple guitar lines promised greatness,as well as something completely new and unique. Well the time has come, and Hubble has dropped his first full length recording, Hubble Drums.

Hubble Drums is difficult to describe, despite how shockingly simple it really is. The crux of the album is Ben Greenberg's cosmic warping of the guitar. It's part lo-fi, part psychedelia, and part ambient, but 100% guitar. That's the dominating sound here, as it's the album's only musical instrument. Yet it's not what is being heard, but how you hear it. Hubble Drums is mind-bogglingly complex, but at the same time somewhat simple. Greenberg isn't doing much here, but the sonic warpings create a confounding atmosphere.

Album Review: Real Estate - Days

Sometimes it just seems like life is a constant quest for simplicity more than anything. The Christian often times believes in a God to make their life easier, just as an atheist doesn't believe to make their life easier. The Liberal votes for the Democratic candidate because he or she will make their life easier, just as the Conservative votes for the Republican candidate because he, she, or Sarah Palin will make their life easier. Even though are beliefs and actions are mostly made up of contradictions they are often done to find a unique utopia of simplicity that only fits our life and our situation.

Album Review: A Loss for Words - No Sanctuary

Album Rating: C+

Abington, MA’s A Loss for Words became the third of four of Rise Records’ current pop punk roster. Together since 1999, A Loss for Words is one of pop punk’s most veteran groups still active. However, A Loss for Words has over the years had very little luck getting the attention of a serious record label despite having such hype. In 2009 they released fun yet ultimately underwhelming The Kids Can’t Lose, followed by a Motown classics cover record a year later. However, that much time spent in the industry is sure to draw some connections, and on the 2011 Warped Tour the Rise Records tent distributed The Kids Can’t Lose. Given Rise’s recent pop punk push, A Loss for Words’ contract with Rise came as no great surprise. A Loss for Words stays true to form on their Rise debut, No Sanctuary.

Album Review: O'Brother- Garden Window

It didn't take much for me to get excited about O'Brother's new record. After all, their debut material was exceptionally satisfying, and the fact that they've toured with the likes of The Dear Hunter and Thrice only sweetened the deal. They've slowly been gaining recognition for their sublime amalgamation of post-hardcore, indie, and progressive rock, resulting in a bold and resplendent sound. Despite their growing fame, they aren't immune to the pressures of the "sophomore release," an outing that often makes and breaks careers. Luckily, their latest, Garden Window sees the band not only retain their solid aesthetic, but it improves literally every other facet of the band.

Various Artists - Run For Cover Records presents Mixed Signals

As many would probably know, Run For Cover Records and Topshelf Records are probably the two most quintessential labels in today's indie punk/pop-punk/emo scene. With lineups involving greats of the underground such as Tigers Jaw and The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die, a great majority of the great indie punk music that makes the scene so flourishing is administered by either of those labels. Mixed Signals, the latest compilation released under Run For Cover which also features friends from Topshelf (and is exclusively available from the country's greatest music retailer, Hot Topic), brings together all of the great bands, hailing mostly from the general New England area, that consist of today's ever-growing punk scene.

Musical Madness

You may prepare for the end of October by buying your winter clothes, starting your Christmas shopping, studying for your finals, working, or even getting your Snooki or Situation costumes ready for your big Halloween party. The end of October for you is about preparing for social gatherings and winter weather.

But for me the end of October has always meant something completely different. The end of October is not exciting to me because of a change in climate, it is not exciting because of social gatherings, it is not exciting because of poorly made costumes or haunted houses, and it is not exciting because I'm studying or looking for a job. The end of October has always excited me for two reasons: some of the best music releases of the year are coming out and college basketball is about to start. I don't need to put on a disguise or costume to enjoy a Midnight Madness or a great new indie album, I don't need a social gathering to watch Super Tuesday or to listen to a new album on Spotify, I don't need to study basketball and I do not need to labor to enjoy music. The start of college basketball and the new music of the fall give me hope that no stupid costume or futile social gathering could ever give me.

The struggle for me though has always been finding people who share my love of College Basketball AND my love for music. The people who really love basketball usually only love Mainstream Hip-Hop and the people who really love my music usually detest that people who dribble a ball get such acclaim. Music and sports have been divided by an invisible iron curtain of class, elitism, ego, and social awkwardness for so many years that it seems like it is not even worth trying to fix or even worth trying to talk about. The people who really love music and the people who really love music believe that they are such polar opposites that it would seem like there is no way that someone besides me could have a unique love of both College Basketball and music.

Album Review: Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto

How does one appraoch a new offering from one of the world's largest musical acts? Surely their are lofty expectations, as well as a magnified sense of what said new offering should be in regards to its impact on the modern musical landscape. Coldplay are no strangers to egregious expecations and hyper-srutiny, as they dominated the alternative rock seen last decade, finding fame from all across the globe. Their mellow alt-rock stylings found them lying in the hearts of the mainstream dwellers as well as the more jaded musical listeners. Since their debut they've been picking up steam, piquing with their 2008 release, Viva la Vida, an album praised for it's no holds barred sense of creativity and musical exploration. Well, the Coldplay of 2008 is nothing like the Coldplay of present, which on itself is nothing like the Coldplay whom the world fell in love with. No, this is a different entity entirely, which has its shares of pros, as well as cons.

Live Review: The Joy Formidable, Newcastle Riverside, 20/10/2011

There's a lot to be said for touring extensively in support of your records, but it must also be a source of great frustration for bands who'd like nothing more than to move on to the next phase of their careers. This is particularly true for new bands with limited flexibility as to what they can actually play, and in recent months The Joy Formidable have provided a classic example of such issues. In Januray, the Welsh trio released their long awaited LP The Big Roar, which remains among the strongest debuts released all year, while continuing to thrill live despite the fact that they'd essentially been touring with little restbite for two years. I myself witnessed their live show both prior to and in the immediate aftermath of the album's release, and each time they were mightily impressive, but tonight's gig at Newcastle's Riverside unfortunately fell way short by comparison. In fact, you could even make a case that they were overshadowed at their own gig, with the excellent And So I Watch You From Afar arguably grabbing the spotlight with their support slot.

Live Review: The Horrors, Newcastle Digital, 18/10/2011

Changes in direction are commonplace in music, but even so it's difficult to think of many bands in recent times that have done so with as much success as The Horrors. Since switching their focus from the gimmicky garage-rock of their debut album Strange House to a more shoegaze orientated sound, the Southend quintet have turned the heads of critics and fans everywhere, so much so that they're now regarded as one of the key acts of the UK's indie scene. Also reaping the benefits of such a transition are their live shows, something that's been especially evident on their latest sequence of gigs in support of latest record Skying. Given that recent success and growing notoriety in the live arena, it's curious that they're still playing in relatively small clubs such as Digital, particularly when the same city holds venues twice the size which the band could probably still pack with ease. This drew no complaints from those in attendance, though, as they're clearly at home in such modest settings, and the more compressed surroundings are a factor which suits their music to the ground.

Album Review: Bjork - Biophilia

Bjork is a tough nut to crack, and an even tougher one to describe to someone who's never heard of her. I could talk ad nauseum about her stage presence, her one of a kind fashion sense, her strife filled biography, and even her Academy Award nominated performance in Dancer in the Dark. I could almost have a disertation on my hands before I even got to her music. And despite the glorious, outlandish, and completely unpredictable nature of Bjork as an institution, it's really the music that makes her one of this generations most cherished artists.

Album Review: Transit - Listen and Forgive

Boston, Massachusetts' Transit have had a quick rise to the top. Transit has been less interested in gathering a following based off of standard gimmicks such as big hooks and cliché lyrics, preferring to have a more 90’s emo influenced sound. This approach gave Transit a unique vibe, garnering critical acclaim and recognition from the industry itself, earning a surprise signing to scene giant Rise Records. Rise has a reputation for being concerned more with the viability of a band to be successful rather than having quality music, quickly catching on to trends within the scene, and they have been so successful in doing so that they are now in a position to set the trend. Rise saw the potential in Transit and quickly scooped them up. Thankfully, Transit has much more substance than most of the rest of Rise’s roster, and with the financial resources of Rise, Transit has managed to create their most impressive effort yet, Listen and Forgive.

Interview with Cassino

Cassino is a Nashville folk rock band that was formed in 2005. Cassino has released two great albums in Sounds of Salvation and Kingprince. Cassino amazes listeners with their lyrical imagery, unbelievable instrumentation, and their ability to completely change their sound on just about any given song. Nick from Cassino was kind of enough to discuss the bands progression, change in sound, songwriting, and the bands next LP.

Album Review: Junius - Reports from the Threshold of Death

Boston-based project Junius isn't just going to kick the door in with the new record coming out October 25th - they plan to decimate it until nothing remains. Reports from the Threshold of Death is such a strong follow-up to the well-received 2009 work The Martyrdom of a Catastrophist that the album has received critical acclaim even prior to world release, and for good reason. The album is a veritable canvas upon which life, the universe, and everything are laid out plain for the eyes to see, and for the mind to develop. There isn't just one way to view and understand this album, it's a fluctuating, evolving experience that takes time to take in and longer to truly understand and appreciate, although its beauty is blatantly apparent right off the bat. It's a fantastically smooth listen and an experimentation in dark wave and space rock that leaves a unique taste in the listener's palate.

Album Retrospective: elliott Smith - Roman Candle

Elliott Smith, being quite possibly the greatest singer-songwriter of our time, was also one of the most tragic figures in 90's music. As one could tell just from listening to Roman Candle, Smith was in no way a happy person, writing lyrics that often deal with his struggles against depression, alcoholism, and drug addiction. Although going head-to-head with 1997's Either/Or for my personal favorite album by Smith, I often consider Roman Candle to be his masterpiece. There are no songs on this album that don't touch me emotionally in some way, or at least spark some sort of reaction. "No Name #1", which has made its way into my top ten favorite songs of all time, is a perfect representation of Smith's emotion. The lyrics depict a story of standing alone at a party, not talking to anybody, and the one girl that you talk to you say something awkward and silly and she walks away from you, a moment of rejection that anybody can relate to.

MuzikDizcovery Exclusive: Again, For The Win "The Legend Of" Stream

Again, For The Win should be one of the prides of Austin, Texas. Combining the sound of 90's emo, piano rock, and punk, their unique sound has brought them plenty of acclaim from those lucky enough to have heard of them. First album Bonus Deluxe Edition has been up for free download on their Bandcamp page, and it is an excellent introduction to Carter Francis' powerful vocals and the rest of the band's immense musical talent. The band has been preparing to record a brand new eleven track album, out early 2012, and decided to release one teaser track beforehand. Synths and backing vocals are just a few of the new tricks that Again, For The Win has brought to the table with this track, the first recorded with a new lineup. "The Legend Of" will be reconstructed and put on the new album, but the current version can be exclusively streamed below.

Live Review: WU LYF, Newcastle Other Rooms, 17/10/2011

Every year can boast a selection of excellent new bands, but it's rare for one to arrive so fully formed that greatness seems virtually inevitable. Manchester quartet WU LYF are, however, one of those anomalies. Having built a multitude of hype through rejecting PR in every form, the band are at long last allowing their music to generate the fuss, and on this first ever full tour they showed just why they're quickly building such a dedicated cult following. Debut album Go Tell Fire To The Mountain was a special way to announce themselves, but many still had doubts that they could reproduce it's magic in the live arena, and that it'd only serve to magnify their flaws and diminish their strengths. But although you could probably count their total live appearances on two hands, this show proved that while imperfect they're very much on the right lines, and in doing so highlighted just how special a band they are.

Album Review: Bright And Early - Getting Through It

Bright And Early's "Nothing Personal" was an intense slam of the Gabe Saporta, Alex Gaskarth and the rest of the "scene", yet Bright And Early's Louder Than Words EP still brought vague memories both of Midtown and All Time Low's early works. They could have "forgotten what they knew" and went in the direction of the two previous frontmen's later works, and could be much more well off in life for it. But frontman John Browne and the rest of the Bright and Early crew decided to go in the opposite direction, expanding their sound towards a more creative output and becoming more than just another Pennsylvanian pop-punk group.

Album Review: Cassino - The Weight of Bother

The thing that makes music so unique is that it is more of a gold rush than it is an answer sheet. When someone wants to know who the best team in sports is all they have to do is look at a teams record or ranking, when someone wants to know what movie is the best all they have to do is look at the movies rotten tomatoes or other ripe reviews, and when someone wants to get to know another human being all they really have to do is Facebook them.

But music for some reason has withstood the 21st centuries easy solutions and easy answers. This is because the best music is often the music the music that you have to search the hardest for. A majority of the people who love music will tell you that the best music is not on the radio or on top of the charts. A majority of people who love music will tell you that they discovered the music they love from reading a review, from hearing about it from a friend or family member, or from just randomly going see one of the band gigs. For the people who genuinely care about music this is one of the things that makes listening to music such a unique, thrilling, and often life changing experience. Instead of giving us all of the answers, good music invites us on a lifelong gold rush that is just as exhilarating and new as it is rewarding and tiresome.

Album Review: Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds

Noel Gallagher's come in for some harsh treatment over the past decade or so. It's no secret that his output hasn't exactly matched the standards he set himself in the mid-nineties, when he banged out classic songs almost at will, equally it's not been the creative drought many have claimed. The final two Oasis albums, Don't Believe The Truth and Dig Out Your Soul were probably their best since the height of cool Britannia, and even their lowest trough, 2003's Heathen Chemistry contained at least three brilliant reminders of the songwriter-in-chief's genius within the field. That ceaseless ability to produce classic singles meant that even the band's least inspired albums weren't without their worth, and also means that this solo debut - his first move since the band's sticky demise - is the first time in quite a while that Gallagher senior has actually had a point to prove.

Album Review: Russian Circles - Empros

Chicago-based trio Russian Circles is a strong headliner in the post-metal business, and with the release of their fourth album, they mean business. Empros itself is a tour de force, and brings a fantastic progression from Geneva that does not beg to be played, but commands it. The sheer onslaught brought on by this album is like trying to fight a tank with your bare hands - the weaving riffs and quiet intensities only exist to serve the overall purpose of building an album so very reinforced that the entire release is a juggernaut. Simply put: post-metal fans, wait no longer. The brutality is here.

Interview With Deas Vail

Deas Vail has been a band around for close to ten years, and have been constantly blowing away people with their exceptional musicianship, stunning vocals, and great songwriting. The band has just released their eponymous third album, which I enjoy greatly. Guitarist Andy from the band took some time off in the middle of travelling to the band's upcoming tour to answer a few questions from us at MuzikDizcovery, such as the reasoning for starting the record off with keyboardist Laura's vocals, the long delay in releasing the record, the band's partnership with Sony Red Music, the self titled record's more guitar based sound, an upcoming Christmas EP, and more which you can read below.

Artist Spotlight: Sealings

Sometimes even when a band is in the most primitive stages of it's existence it can be obvious that they're going to be worth their salt. That's very much the case with British noisemakers Sealings. Currently a two-piece, the band are still looking to add a drummer to their ranks, and for now are filling the role with an iPod app. It sounds amateur in the extreme - and it kind of is - but even so they've managed to assemble some excellent music using such techniques. One tool which they evidently do have at their disposal is a distortion pedal, and that's what proves to be their main weapon. Their songs all have a solid melodic core, but that's engulfed by a swarm-like cloud of fuzz which makes them delicious and pulsating in equal measure. It's how you'd imagine a collaboration between Thurston Moore and Kevin Shields would pan out, with Steve Albini thrown into the mix for extra hostility.

Sound good? That's because it is! Check them out on their Soundcloud page

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Artist Spotlight: The Little Indians

Well, here's the first of hopefully many future positives to come out of the nasty break between Ben Liebsch and the rest of You, Me, And Everyone We Know. Augustine Rampolla and Kyle Gibson has teamed up to make The Little Indians, which features Gibson on drums and Rampolla working every other tool in the band, including production and songwriting. Rampolla finally gets to show off the creative talent that may have been dampened by Liebsch's leadership in You, Me, And Everyone We Know with the two tracks off the band's debut digital 7". Opening track "Let's Split" is an obvious reaction to Ben's betrayal and the band's decision to break up, a predictable topic for a song by Rampolla, but the track contains a contagious chorus to support the aggressiveness of the lyrics. "What Makes You Grin" is extremely similar to tracks off You, Me, And Everyone We Know's former tour mates Hellogoodbye's latest album Would It Kill You, while adding in a touch of Beach Boy influenced harmonies. With the announcement that Liebsch is playing a show as You, Me, And Everyone We Know in the coming days, it seems that the intense breakup may lead to more positivity than misery for the fans. Two great bands are better than one, even if the sound and quality of Some Things Don't Wash Out may never be matched. You can download the digital 7" for free on The Little Indians' Bandcamp here.

Album Review: Ryan Adams- Ashes & Fire

The 2008 version of Facebook was great. In 2008, Facebook felt like a small fraternity of your closest friends sharing pictures together, sharing videos together, poking each other, and just having an awesome time without really speaking a word to each other. The 2008 version of Facebook was like a graduation party, a scrapbook, and a frat party all beautifully tied together by one connection. In 2008, Facebook was basically the online epicenter of nothingness. But just like everything that was once good, Facebook changed in a negative way.

Facebook became such a big secret among teenagers that now in 2011 almost every adult has one. This means the Facebook that was once a frat party is now more like an awkward family reunion combined with a daily online visit to church. The freedom of speech we once had online has now awkwardly turned into a freedom to have to friend Grandma, the elegant scrapbook of 2008 was now a textbook written in Braille, and what was once pleasure had turned into a torture filled obligation. The online epicenter of nothingness now officially meant nothing to us. Facebook had stopped be a generational hangout like it was in 2008 and had started to be the internet version of the Roman Empire in 2011.

Album Review: We Were Promised Jetpacks - In The Pit Of The Stomach

France and Italy are often cited as the nations which boast the sexiest voices, but when it comes to singing there's nothing that can beat the ragged, windswept Scottish drawl. No matter how harsh, tuneless or pissed up the voice, there's something undeniably beautiful and serene about that far northerly accent which is capable of igniting even the most lifeless of songs. Given that it's residents have such a powerful natural attribute, it's unsurprising that Scotland yields so many great bands, but even by it's standards the current crop is exciting. Biffy Clyro, The Twilight Sad and Frightened Rabbit have all achieved a level of critical or commercial success (or both), and although they count those peers among their key influences, Edinburgh crew We Were Promised Jetpacks can now also be categorised alongside such prestigious company.

Album Review: Wilco - The Whole Love

First things first--The Whole Love is way better than anyone could have, and should have expected. After all, Wilco has sort of been on a bit of a downward slope since Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. To be fair, how couldn’t they be? After all, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was a defining release, helping shape 2000’s indie, as well as being a stunning album in its own right. Impossible to top, yes, but Wilco haven’t been anywhere near their A game since, release records to little fanfare, and mixed critical acclaim. Well, whatever funk they were in has ended, as Whole Love not only sees Wilco return to their former, amazing selves, but it sees them creatively invigorated, ready to prove they aren’t down for the count.

Album Retrospective: Van Morrison - Moondance

The fatal flaw of youth is often is often found in its immediacy and ignorance. It goes by so fast that we often only remember the "good times" or the "bad times" but never really remember anything accurately. We grow so attached to things in our youth that we often believe that they are the best: the things that happened when we were in our youths were important not because of what they represented by what time they represented. The albums, movies, television shows, and celebrities of 2011 will really only be important to the youth of 2011. Because the youth of 2011 have adopted all of these albums, movies, TV shows, and celebrities not out of necessity or love but out of a burning desire to be "the generation that really made a difference."