Artist of the Day: The Sun Explodes

As JFK so boldly said over 50 years ago, "We celebrate the past to awaken the future." Since the first review I wrote for MuzikDizcovery, two years ago today, I've found that nothing is more rewarding than helping bands get their names out to big audiences, which often gets people excited about music they've never even heard. So I decided the best way to celebrate my tenure would be to get people excited. While I have indeed talked about The Sun Explodes before, and they may not be the smallest of bands, they've got a big release coming up very soon that's worth mentioning. We Build Mountains is the post- / prog-metal band's sophomore album, and seeing as Emergence had so many unique things going for it, I'm expecting some quality composition on this new record. Without a definitive release date, we can't really do anything but hold our breath, but the album will show its face sometime within the next month or two, by the look of the band's Facebook updates. Until then, keep an eye out for the seemingly episodic teaser videos spotlighting the album, and check out Emergence if you haven't already.

The Sun Explodes has limited music on MySpace, but if you have an account, all their music is on Spotify.

Watch This: Shane Koyczan - "To This Day"

Watch This is a new feature highlighting the intersection between music and film. Not only will we be taking a look at some of the best new music videos around, we'll also be looking around us to see the many ways in which music can bring people together in everyday life.

Anybody who's ever been bullied knows how hard it is to deal with the cruelty that comes with adolescence; what is even harder to deal with is the repercussions it can have on your life. That doesn't mean, however, that you're in this alone. Spoken-word poet Shake Koyczan, whose poem "To This Day" was shaped by his own experiences with bullying, collaborated with a litany of animators and motion artists to create this moving video for it.

Album Review: Iceage - You're Nothing

Album Rating: A

Yes, it’s true that noise is cool again. You heard it here first. Well, you’ve probably heard it in a lot of places, but that cements my point. Perhaps the demise of gentrified shine-pop is upon us. Noise represents a powerful stream in the history of alternative music, sometimes overtly but mostly as an undercurrent. It has the noteworthy habit of fooling listeners and musicians alike into thinking it’s simple, stupid, and brutish. “I don’t know, It’s just kind of noise,” sigh detractors, much to any amateur noise-maker’s delight. But noise is smarter than we think. It’s not just going spill out of an overheating amp whenever you call! It’s conscious, like us, and it doesn’t like to be treated like a pet. With their sophomore album,You’re Nothing, Danish punker four-piece Iceage have proven once and for all their acute understanding of noise and how to effectively wrangle it, in the process coming close to adding a few of their own words to the rarely-expanding vocabulary of the avant-garde.

Artist Of The Day: Dir En Grey

Visual kei veterans Dir En Grey are truly the masters of genre hopping and experimental rock. Spanning eight studio albums in a handful of remastered, extended, and live varieties, the Japanese five-piece incorporate a staggering amount of influence from pop rock, hard rock, nu-metal, metalcore, and progressive metal with the occasional touch of dreamy indie and electronic. Talk about prolific. Despite lyrics written and performed mostly in Japanese, the music and emotion transcends language barriers and makes the band one of the most interesting and vital performers in the metal scene today.

Artist of the Day: At the Drive-In

Can post-hardcore devotees truly be post-hardcore devotees if they haven't heard At the Drive-In? I thought so for awhile, and still don't find the idea to be too ridiculous. However, having heard The Relationship of Command for the first time today, I can see why the album's so legendary within the genre's fanbase. Cedric's rough vocals, the infectious hooks at hand and the album's surprisingly simple structures paint such a different picture than The Mars Volta's general persona. It's really interesting to hear what Cedric and Omar were up to before they embarked on their progressive journey, which is why At the Drive-In's more straight-forward nature is refreshing. It's nice to hear the duo drop the pretense, and to play something that isn't head-scratchingly inaccessible. 

Album Review: Atoms For Peace - Amok

Album Rating: B+

Somewhere along the way Thom fell in love with himself. Or maybe not himself, more his music, but it’s hard to blame him when so many millions of people fell in love with Thom too. We’re now long past the whiny, public school kid from a town whose redeeming characteristic was once described by Bill Bryson as a well kept council estate, and with a hit song amounting to an extended exercise in self pity. We now have huge, media-hungry releases and epileptic fits masquerading as music videos. He hasn’t gone full Michael Jackson with fame, not yet, but the effect fame’s had on poor Thom is unmistakable. Self obsessed, self involved and self assured enough to form a supergroup with some of the biggest names in music then absolutely dominate it, Thom’s a new man.

Album Review: Pure Love - Anthems

Album Rating: B

It’s almost impossible not to start a review of Pure Love’s début album Anthems without first mentioning British hardcore band Gallows. For the first 6 years of their existence, Gallows were fronted by one of the angriest men in music. His lyrics were venomous, his interviews were hate-filled and his live performances were furious, with insults often hurled into the crowd for no particular reason other than to enjoy their reactions. Citing creative differences in his split from Gallows, that frontman was Frank Carter. And the word was really is imperative here, as the Frank Carter who croons for Pure Love is unrecognisable from his earlier, angrier incarnation.

Artist Of The Day: Paul Baribeau

Paul Baribeau is just downright heartbreaking. His unique voice, coupled with brilliant acoustic folk punk creates some of the most unique and disheartening music you'll ever hear. The songs themselves aren't very complicated: a few chords played on an acoustic guitar with short verses, catchy choruses, and relatively short length. Baribeau's soothing voice croons out heartbreak in the most pleasing and relatable way. The brutal honesty of the music is what makes Paul Baribeau's music so fascinating. If you've been through a tumultuous break up, you'll definitely be able to find something to relate to.

Album Review: Codec - Horizontime

Album Rating: A-

I'm not going to pretend I was a huge 32 Leaves fan. I really liked their song "All Is Numb," but I didn't really listen to much of their other material. I may have listened to Welcome To The Fall, their debut, once or twice, but with those few listens I never became a die-hard fan. Nor will I pretend I was devastated by the band's breakup. When they split a few months after an apparently disappointing Panoramic (I wouldn't know), I was mildly disgruntled for a few minutes before shutting down my computer, doing something else, and forgetting 32 Leaves was no more. I also won't pretend I was immediately filled with excitement when lead singer Greg Norris announced the formation of his new band, Codec, and released the band's debut album less than a year later. Rather than eagerly snap up every single Codec released on the way to the album, I found out Norris had a new project through a Facebook ad a few weeks ago, months after the release. A bit skeptical, I listened to the new material, almost as late to the party as I had been upon discovering his former band.

Live Review: Yo La Tengo, The 9:30 Club (2/15/13)

Photo Courtesy of Ron Mitchell

Let’s start with a little disclaimer: the first time I saw Yo La Tengo, they sort of blew my mind. It was about a year ago at a small festival in Richmond, Va. It had been rainy all day, and turn-out was minimal. About half a dozen pretty-good sets and five hours in, I was feeling a fairly drained. When Yo La Tengo took the stage, it felt like a godsend. They absolutely tore it up. I would spend the next year calling them my favorite band. You could say my expectations were a little high when I made the two hour pilgrimage from Richmond to D.C. last Friday to see them play the 9:30 club. I wasn’t let down.

Artist of the Day: Lapalux

Lapalux has always been one of those artists who spend the majority of time on the very fringe of our collective peripheral vision: poised to jump into view. After two incredibly tasty releases last year, the electronic hip-hop mastermind's Soundcloud page is pushing 30,000 followers and with every single and EP it only grows and grows. Recent (as in eight days ago recent) release "BETHR" is an example of how far he's willing to stretch his sound: with the heroin-slow psychedelically tones stretching the membrane of what could be considered hip-hop.

March, 2013 should see the release of Nostalchic, his debut LP which I personally expect to blow up in a very big way. So far the only hint we've had of what it will sound like is "Guuurl," a track echoing the more melodic aspects of last year's EPs. While this single track may not be quite as interesting as some of his previous releases (When You're Gone, namely), I'm still incredibly optimistic for the new album. If you're at all electronic or hip-hop minded, this will be a big one to look out for.

Listen to the tracks mentioned on Soundcloud
Go like him on Facebook if you want to. I won't force you.

Artist of the Day: sun cellar

Free Music February keeps on rollin' with today's Artist of the Day, sun cellar, an alt-rock band from Chicago, Ill. that is just getting started. Abstraction, its FREE debut EP, is above all an intuitive experience. Its bells and whistles are tried-and-true, yet the way the band puts its various components together shows an impressive understanding of how each piece fits into an altogether unique whole. Take "Light Leaks," a track that begins small before exploding into a beastly blend of calculated yet surprisingly forceful drumbeats and formidable guitar riffs. Frontman Nicholas Paul takes the opportunity to showcase his versatile voice, one capable of getting right into the head of a lovestruck twentysomething before turning around and walking away from the emotional wreckage, all in the space of a single stanza. There's more to this band than just musical proficiency, though, as each song is loaded with lyrics you'll have running in your brain for days: "Is that enough? Babe, that you wanted it bad enough?" Paul asks us on the chorus of standout "Checkmate," and quite frankly, I still don't have an answer to his inquiry. Abstraction's pleasures are just as rooted in the heart as they are in the brain; it's testimony that there's more to this band than meets the eye--ahem, the ears.

Once again, Abstraction is available for the low-low price of FREE on the sun cellar Bandcamp page. You can find more information on the band's Facebook page as well.

Album Review: Marc M. Cogman - Anthems

Album Rating: A

NOTE: This review is part of Free Music February and a revision of a review originally posted on December 22, 2012 on AbsolutePunk.net.

The title of folk-rock artist Marc M. Cogman’s third release Anthems is confusing at first, as nothing in the actual work suggests much of anything very anthemic. The production is scratchy and unpolished, often letting louder dynamics blur together in an angry haze. The instrumentation is right out of the folk playbook, utilizing pianos, guitars, drums, and little else. The lyrics rarely deviate from its author’s personal tribulations. Yet that’s precisely where its value as an anthemic work comes from: it aims not to please a crowd but finds its power in the individual struggles we all face in the name of love. Cogman leaves himself to grapple freely with his thoughts and ambitions, and the result is just as complex as his relationships: angry then hopeful, bitter then euphoric, detached then engaged—and throughout this rollercoaster ride of emotion, both relatable and uplifting.

Jukebox: "Peace Be With You" - Danny Baranowsky

Multiple playthroughs into The Binding of Isaac (the official most addictive computer game in existence, might I add,) and then it hits me like a ton of bricks. The single most jarring part of the game is when it draws to a lull, once Isaac has defeated all his foes on the floor, and the boss lies on the ground in defeat. In this moment, a subtle ambient song begins to play. And while it can be hard to notice, the track adds so much depth to the moment. I'd be doing the song a disservice by trying to sum it up in mere words, so I implore you to check it out yourself.

Congratulations, Danny Baranowsky. This song was probably an afterthought during your writing sessions, but it's going to stay with me a long time.

Artist Of The Day - This Drama

Deep Elm exports This Drama are the rarest of combinations; a rock band from the sweltering Canary Island of Tenerife. Hailing from a place where dance music normally reigns supreme and guitars are as rare as rain, This Drama infuse punk with rock and combine it with both hardcore and 80’s vibes, regularly switching between their influences seamlessly whilst always managing to stride with a swagger. The vocals are always gruff, the guitar lines are insatiably ferocious and gritty and the drumming never forgets for one second that its role is to relentlessly drive the songs forward and provide the platform for the other instruments to build upon. This rather potent concoction is what This Drama’s latest EP The Wasted Youth is all about, and it relentlessly pummels you from start to finish.

Album Review: Mental Architects - Celebrations

Album Rating: B+

Celebrations is an apt title for math-rock collective Mental Architects' latest offering. Though this is no-nonsense fare that cuts right to the chase, there's plenty of room here for off-kilter moments, explosions of jubilation, and orgasmic climaxes so loud Explosions In The Sky would wet themselves with delight; members Tony, Niki, and Max (who refuse to divulge their last names) may think in mathematical terms, but this is nevertheless a release brimming with personality.

Free Music February: Wolfman Conspiracy

Eight-person ensemble Wolfman Conspiracy may hail from the frigid coasts of Massachusetts, but its music absolutely brims with warmth; throughout its latest EP, AntiVamp, it packages socially-conscious ruminations in poignant human stories and an immediately inviting atmosphere. Though a reggae band in name and style, it plays with the attitude of a punk-rock band, and fans of either genre will find plenty to like here.

Artist Of The Day: Project 46

In the spirit of our Free Music February here at Muzik Dizcovery, we present to you Project 46 as our Artist Of The Day. Plus, what better way to ring in my personal first (albeit late) FMF post with an artist whose entire catalog of almost 50 original songs, remixes, and mashups is available for free? No, seriously, everything Project 46 has released is free off of their website and/or Facebook page. The duo, aside from their excellent prog-house anthems which all typically have stellar vocal tracks (see "Dreaming," featuring Andrew Allen's excellent voice), is famous for their weekly "Pancake Fridays." Every Friday, the duo receives a random number from a random number generator (typically under 500) and if they receive at least that many likes on their "Pancake Friday" announcement post they release a free song (usually a mashup, but sometimes original work or a remix/bootleg). This "Pancake Friday" tradition, along with their skill in crafting progressive house, has catapulted them to stardom in the house world - they received the #100 spot in this past year's DJ Mag Top 100 DJs, they've released on major labels like Spinnin' Records and Armada, and they're currently touring all over the world to massive crowds everywhere. Project 46 will be a name to watch in the future, and what they've accomplished so far is only the beginning.

You can access Project 46's entire catalogue here.

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Artist Of The Day - Old Gray

Over the past two years, Old Gray has grown immensely. They are almost unrecognizable from their 2011 demo when they used to play twinkly emo music in the vein of Snowing, but with their growth they have become one of the brightest upcoming bands in screamo. The group's latest EP Everything I Let Go & The Things I Refuse To took their sound from Do I Destroy The Universe and heighten it ten fold, raising the emotional intensity to a crushing level. From the spoken word opener "359 Pine" where drummer Charlie Singer speaks beneath post-rock style guitar riffs, to the chaotic build up to heavy distortion in "Resonance," to the intense repetition of the words "I am so alone" in "Winter '11," and to the intense feelings behind "Six Years," every song in the release is bult to create a powerful response. The songs easily accomplish the group's goals, and ended up coming together to be one of the strongest screamo releases of the year.

Artist of the Day: Parquet Courts

For me, Parquet Courts’ Light Up Gold was a few steps away from a miracle. Deriving the energy and authenticity of American Post-Punk into a new form without ending up sounding totally contrived is a feat at which many lesser bands have tried and failed. Did I mention they’re from Brooklyn? The odds were all against them making an impression, but impress they did. We’re learning, as the age of the revival wears on, that history is bound to repeat itself. Punk rock was a reaction to the excesses of Journey and bands who thought The Wall was the most relatable record ever made. It follows, then, that self-absorbed synth-pop’s new dominance in the trend-o-sphere would lead to a resurgence in silly, sloppy, guitar-based indie rock. As some Ramone once said, “we just want to make music fun again.”

Album Review: A.M. Architect - Pattern Language

Album Rating: B

As every child should know, mixing every colour of paint is disappointing. The result is a kind of infected brown instead of the wonder colour needed to elevate your finger painting to a level of brilliance not seen since Picasso. Music can work just the same: if you were to grab a drum track, throw in some guitar rhythms, and then pile on synths, distorted vocals, flute leads, maybe another drum track, then the same track reversed, keyboards, ambient hums, crackles. the occasional cough and god knows what else, you’d end up with a bit of a mess. Luckily, A.M. Architect are not you, because they know what they’re doing. When A.M. Architect decide to mix every instrument and style under the sun at once, the result doesn’t imitate a multi-carriage train wreck. Instead, it resembles a swarm: thousands of individual parts moving and acting as one.

Album Review: Foals - Holy Fire

Album Rating: A-

The descriptions that emerged of Foals’ new sound on their third release Holy Fire alluded to both experimentation and a smooth transition to the live stage. Interviews with frontman Yannis Philippakis saw words such as “swampiness” and “heat” used repeatedly; unsurprising given the setting in which Holy Fire was conceived. Recorded primarily live in a serene riverside location with mainly insects for company, the band even went as far as dropping any tracks which “didn't sound good in the environment.” Such strict resolve is not only commendable but is excellent news for fans who are already accustomed to their energetic, visceral live performances. Holy Fire is more experimental than Foals’ previous releases and it covers more ground than the winsome Antidotes or the progressive Total Life Forever, as it creates a bridge between their début and their sophomore release whilst also exploring new territory.

Artist Of The Day: The Album Leaf

The Album Leaf has come a long way, especially for a one-man project. Jimmy LaValle works endlessly to sample and mix and find just what kinds of sounds he wants to premiere on his next big thing. His latest endeavors include an EP that I didn't get to cover last year, but wanted to talk about; Forward/Return represents The Album Leaf's progression incredibly well. "Descent" beautifully captures how effortless he can layer mellow sounds in order to get melodies reminiscent of his work as far back as In A Safe Place, while "Images" paints a different picture, something slightly out of what LaValle's produced before, but nonetheless smooth and flowing like the rest of his material.

Artist Of The Day: Mudhoney

It goes without saying Mudhoney are no longer young, sprightly beings, and indeed all which seems to draw them from their shells these days is a good anniversary. The grunge pioneers are in the midst of their biggest gap yet between studio albums, having kept quiet since 2008's The Lucky Ones; a record essentially released to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their equally legendary label Sub Pop. Now, with the quarter-century mark creeping conveniently into view, the quartet are finally readying themselves to unveil a follow-up, with ninth outing Vanishing Point due to drop in early April.

Album Review: Rene LaVice - Insidious

Album Rating: B

I'd really like to be able to say Insidious is a groundbreaking album. Rene LaVice is one of my favorite new drum & bass producers, and I've been drooling over the thought of a full-length album from him ever since "Headlock" came out about this time last year. What's more, "Headlock" was a deviation from the norm for an often sluggish RAM Records, and after safe releases like singles from Culture Shock, Wilkinson, and Delta Heavy the song came at a perfect time for the label. It also helped that on the same EP was June Miller's incredible "64 Thousand Dollar Habit," but no matter - Rene LaVice set the stage for himself quite excellently with that song, and unsurprisingly RAM signed him exclusively a few months later. The release of a good Absolute Monster EP this past summer helped to heighten expectations for the album, as the EP showed off LaVice flexing his producer's muscle with five dark, expertly controlled DnB tunes, showing the young producer taking a step towards oft-untrodden frontiers of the genre. All this contributes to the fact that I wanted - nay, presumed - Insidious to be chock-full of fresh and innovative music. Many listeners think of Rene LaVice as a potent force against the stagnation of the genre of which he is a part, and he was expected to champion the forward-thinking sound he had previously put forth by accomplishing the Herculean task of injecting a crisp new sound into his music over the course of 14 tracks.

What is the Harlem Shake, and why should you care?

For those of you unfamiliar with what has become the newest Internet sensation, the concept of the Harlem Shake is simple: a thirty-second clip from Baauer's trap hit "Harlem Shake" makes up the audio for the video. For the first fifteen seconds of the video, a few people stand around doing nothing of particular interest (talking, using the computer, playing videogames, etc.) while one person in a mask of some sort does a ridiculous dance. For the last fifteen seconds, everyone who was in the first fifteen seconds of the video joins the person in the mask and does some sort of dancing for the camera. The original Harlem Shake is embedded below, and if it tickles your fancy here is a video of some shirtless kids doing it, here is a video of CollegeHumor employees doing it, and here is a clip of Peanuts characters doing it.

Free Music February: capucha

Happy weekend, everybody! I hope all of you guys are enjoying the winter (unless you're stuck in the blizzard destroying New England, in which case...brrrr.) If it's any comfort, today's free music download should help thaw your spirits.

Hailing from Madrid, Spain, six-piece group capucha released a FREE debut EP last October. The band exists in a nebulous space between indie and post-rock, its sound refreshingly stripped-back and intimate but its compositions demonstrating a mastery of tension and climax. It's a balance the band pulls off well: this is an ensemble without a weak link. While songs like "hay mucho amor" (which Google Translate tells me means "much love") build to crushing walls of sorrow, weeping slabs of guitar complemented by a robust string section, lead vocalist Roberto Perez reins them in from melodrama with his smooth, melodic voice. On the other hand, "nada que puedas hacer" ("nothing you can do") makes a hell of a closing statement thanks to the fantastic instrumentation, understated when playing against Perez' pathos but growing more ravenous with each passing minute and building to a ferocious climax that will elicit reactions from even the most jaded post-rock junkies. Just as the album's cover depicts a transitional period, something between a sunset and nightfall, so does capucha's music, yielding results as moving as they are creative.

You can download this EP for FREE on the band's Bandcamp page and find more info on its Facebook page.

Album Review: Eels - Wonderful, Glorious

Album Rating: B

For better or for worse, the days when each new Eels album represented a candid document of emotional tragedy appear all but gone. This will of course come as a relief to E, the man whose seemingly endless pit of misfortune helped fuel those life-affirming voyages into the depths of human despair, but whilst not producing records of the same calibre as Beautiful Freak or Electro-Shock Blues, this new-found contentment has done little to quell the creative instinct which continues to drive him forward.  That much was apparent during the flurry of activity which culminated in the Hombre Lobo/End Times/Tomorrow Morning trilogy of 09/10; arguably his least great records to date, but ones which still proved thoroughly worthwhile, gem-packed ventures - a notion which, predictably enough, can also be applied to this 10th outing.

Artist of the Day: Fall Out Boy

Say what you will about the quality of their members, especially about Pete Wentz, since nothing is funnier than a joke about Pete Wentz, but Fall Out Boy put out some damn catchy music in their day. Yes their most recent album, Folie a Deux, was a, pardon my french, *folie*, but From Under the Cork Tree and Take this to Your Grave still hold up surprisingly well as pop-punk cornerstones that we like to convince ourselves we forgot about. However, one would be hard-pressed to find a kid coming into his own from 2004-2007 who isn't ready to shout the chorus to "Sugar, We're Going Down" as loud as they can at the drop of a hat. Granted, after Fall Out Boy went on hiatus in 2009, it was really easy to forget about their music in general since everyone except Patrick Stump fell off the map entirely. Stump actually got the worst treatment of any of them though, eventually getting bullied out of the music industry altogether by the harsh words of music critics.

Artist of the Day: iNTRiKeT

We musicians all have our aspirations, but there's something special about those of us who actually deliver. Josh Frazer is one such example, taking influence from his favorite dubstep producers and then channeling the energy into something distinctly his. Frazer, a.k.a. iNTRiKeT, has given followers small tastes of music over the last year, but late 2012 finally saw a full-fledged release from the producer.

Live Review: Dinosaur Jr, HMV Ritz, Manchester, 2/1/2013

"Dinosaur Jr? More like Dinosaur Sr!" Although it does little more than raise a smirk, this would-be witty remark I overheard at a recent Dinosaur Jr concert did spark something in my mind. They've been around a long time, haven’t they? A really, really long time. It prompted me to scan the room, to which I noticed balding gents aplenty, most of whom probably had J. Mascis length hair the last time they saw them play nigh on 20 years ago. The age of the crowd was so diverse and the people so varied it felt every bit a privilege to be in the presence of a band that had touched two generations of listeners.

Album Review: My Bloody Valentine - m b v

Album Rating: B+

I wonder what would happen if we brought Monet back to life. Suspend your disbelief for a moment and imagine with me. Out of the cloning center he strides, scratching his beard, scruffy as ever, as we watch on intently. He’s locked away in his studio apartment for weeks (painting, we presume,) his publicist or roommate or mailman emerging every now and then to tell us he’s burned another canvas or he’s working on the finishing touches. And then, it happens. The news starts flooding in as we furiously reload the front page of New Art Express.com. “Is it going to look like the poppies?” someone cries. “I hope it’s more like the water lilies,” says another. Meanwhile, I’m wondering how, in an endless slush of lonely housewife imitators and $10 coffee-store prints, our hero could ever hope to be as relevant alive as he was dead.

Album Review: Omnium Gatherum - Beyond

Album Rating: A-

Metal is one of the most redundant music genres today. It's a sad realization, but there are five throwaway metal imitators for every innovative act. This shouldn't be a criticism of the genres themselves: a style with distinct characteristics will inevitably spawn imitations. In no way should this damage how talented metal groups are received, though. In fact, the great ones should be applauded for rising out of the muck and monotony to accomplish wonders.

Album Review: Biffy Clyro - Opposites

Album Rating: C-

The quest to stay commercially relevant is notoriously harsh and demanding, as the majority of bands who embark upon it soon find out. In most cases quality is quickly usurped by quantity, and standards degenerate as rapidly as bands can pump out singles and albums. Although it would be a sweeping and incorrect generalisation to suggest that all such bands regret their decision to aim for the mainstream, those that do so too hastily tend to be found wanting sooner rather than later. Biffy Clyro’s decision to wait some three years to release their newest album seems wise in this context, as the temptation to pump out radio friendly soft rock tunes with catchy choruses must've been difficult to suppress. Unfortunately, all they've done with Opposites is craft a compendium of them.

Free Music February: Drive By Night

"Who do you think you're looking at, fool?!"

Greetings, all you brave readers on a qwest to dizcover muzik! I'm very happy to kick-off something I'd like to call Free Music February: this month, all of my Artist of the Day posts will feature a free download, be it a song, EP, or even an LP. So sit back, get your trigger finger ready, and prepare for the torrent of awesome headed your way!

Album Review: Owel - Owel

Album Rating: B+

Where to begin with Owel is difficult. It usually is - post-rock and its close likenesses need an individualizing concept in order to keep themselves afloat, new, and apart from the rest of the industry. However, the band takes it a step further by introducing a different instrumentation and allowing the natural flow of a different sound take its own effect in the songs. Thus, when they produce something like their self-titled, the violin, cello and keys in addition to a traditional setup creates something altogether separate. Owel utilizes these sounds, as well as a strong control over song flow, in order to maximize an emotional effect in the listener and build up to big moments to make them even larger.

Artist of the Day: Foals

It's probably pretty safe to say that Oxford-based quintet Foals have made something of a name for themselves. Their debut, Antidotes, can in all likeliness be entirely blamed for thousands upon thousands of now 20-something indie kids. The unique blend of naive energy and tight, math-rock style was eagerly lapped up by both press and public, inspiring a love for indie not seen since the peak of Bloc Party's own fanfare. The band soon followed with Total Life Forever, a leap into maturity so drastic that the two albums are often referred to as completely separate eras in the band's discography, named pre-beard and post-beard respectively in reference to the frontman's choice of facial hair. Total Life Forever introduced electronic elements, a focus on progression and an all-round dreamier palette. The opposite side of Antidote's frantic coin.

In little under a week Holy Fire will be released. We'd never dream of listening to the leak here at Muzikdizcovery, so we can only guess that the album might possibly be more experimental, less focused, possibly a little patchy yet still pretty excellent. That's just a guess, though. As stated: we'll be waiting for the official release.

Official Site

Album Review: Local Natives - Hummingbird

Album Rating: B+

It took a hell of a long time for LA quintent Local Natives to come out with their second LP, Hummingbird, particularly if you consider that 2009’s Gorilla Manor was actually recorded a year before it dropped. I’d like to think this latest release was made around the same time, then left to sit, fermenting, the backing tracks disintegrating slowly, unevenly, dissonance forming from consonance, until it all settled like sediment at the bottom of the murky mix. Only then did Taylor Rice make his way into the studio to wail out the vocals. While this fantasy is naive (not to mention quite scientifically impossible), and five years does seem a bit extreme, I’ll give the guys whatever leeway they want for handing back a product as impressive as this one. 

Artist Of The Day: Plastician

One of the founding fathers of the modern dubstep movement, Plastician is pretty much revered nowadays as one of the finest producers around. Starting up at the turn of this century, he caught the attention of big names like DJ Hatcha for his skills, and his fusion of the fledgling dubstep sound with his trademark grimy style made waves all across the underground music scene of England. Now, of course, he's no longer underground - he's released for huge labels across the heaviness spectrum like Tempa and OWSLA, and recently he mixed Tempa compilation Dubstep Allstars Vol. 10, an incredible honor. Already known for launching the likes of Skream and Benga, Plastician's taste in bass music is widely varied, and often he uncovers some of the finest talent around for snapping up by big electronic labels. His own label, Terrorhythm Recordings, released one of the best songs of 2011 in this reviewer's opinion, "Don't Tell Mum About Ibiza" by Stinkahbell and Psy:am, and it continues to release great new music as of now. Overall, Plastician has been one of the finest producers in the game over his entire career, and without him dubstep and grime would be in much different places than they are now.

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Album Review: Matt Pond - The Lives Inside the Lines in Your Hands

Album Grade: C+

In the last few years, the concept of the singer-songwriter has become corrupted. Yes, there are still solo performers, think Iron & Wine, who’s “my car and my guitar” ideologies are undeniable. But, more often than not, it’s performers- Stephen Christian, Dallas Green and Andy Hull all tangible examples- who enjoyed varying amounts of success with more rock-inclined groups that have been breaking into the genre. Even among this group though, Matt Pond stands out. His group, Matt Pond PA, of which he was one of two permanent members, never produced much discussion nor received much exposure aside from their cover of Oasis’ “Champagne Supernova” that aired on an episode of “The O.C.” He's far from the new archetype of singer-songwriter side projects. 

Jukebox: EastColors - Murderer

RAM Records presents an interesting conundrum. On the one hand, you've got the main label (RAM), who tends to release good, standard-fare drum & bass. They've signed some of the biggest names in DnB, like Sub Focus, Wilkinson, Calyx & TeeBee, and Loadstar, and while they're stuck in a bit of a rut (as are most DnB labels nowadays) their releases are all still high quality and fun to listen to. On the other hand, though, you've got sister label Program. The new label, founded mid-2012, has far outshined the main label over the course of the past few months in this humble reviewer's opinion, and every single one of their releases has been incredible. Of special note is Chroma's "So Alone," one of the best tunes of 2012 thanks to its expert mix of subtle soulfulness and heavier dance vibes. It's a good example of what a label with few expectations can allow itself to do, and people all around devour every release from the label.

Artist Of The Day: The Dear Hunter

It's been two years since Casey Crescenzo and the rest of The Dear Hunter released their extremely ambitious nine EP set The Color Spectrum, and now the band is finally gearing up again to release a brand new album. Migrant is the title, and amazingly enough, this is the first record that the band has done that isn't tied to a deep concept. Crescenzo has stated that Migrant feels like "the most creatively rewarding" album he's released, a thought that seems crazy after an unfinished six act story arc and The Color Spectrum, but after hearing the album's first track "Whisper," it doesn't feel entirely off base. The song feels closest to the White EP with a build up into an enormous chorus, but the strings that dominate a majority of the song bring it life and energy that can only signal great things for this record. You can watch an album trailer, stream "Whisper," preorder the new record, and check out the band's tour dates on their website.

Album Review: ON AN ON - Give In

Album Rating: B+

It's always an uphill battle when you strike gold on your first try, yet that's precisely what happened to indie-rock group ON AN ON: within two months of the release for "Ghosts," the newly-formed band's first release, the song had been streamed upwards of 250,000 times. The unexpected success of the song, however, makes it a potentially ballsy choice to kick off ON AN ON's debut release. After all, getting an audience is only half the battle--it's getting it to stay that can make or break a band. If Give In is any indication, however, this group has far more up its sleeve. With one of the most solid debuts of 2013's first quarter, ON AN ON expands that first moment into a bold, poignant statement, proving it's a force to be contended with.

Artist of the Day: Sports Bar

Sports Bar are students, perhap scholars. Just flick on the Richmond, Va. quartet’s new six-song EP, Tyler Perry’s Sports Bar, and you’ll see what I mean. Twenty-seconds of spooky noise and all of the sudden you’re neck deep in more fun than you’ve had since your fifth birthday at good ol’ Chuck E. Cheese. “My friends are your friends/but your friends are bullshit!” the guys roar to infinity with such smiling sincerity that you simply can’t deny it. Returning from a year-long hiatus, which they presumably spent figuring out just how much exuberance can be packed like bagged M&M’s into one two-and-a-half-minute track, they’ve delivered a product that shimmers as much as it inspires bodies to shimmy. It’s milkshake-and-fries from the drive-thru garage rock, a perfect mix of sweet and salty that does more than just show us a good time. “Biscuits Too” is gonna be on heavy rotation for me, but there’s something to love in each and every track. 

Artist Of The Day: Spencer Pope

Little have we covered jazz on MuzikDizcovery; it's simply not one of those genres that surfaces to much acclaim in popular music nowadays, unfortunately. However, Spencer Pope may have changed that, with the debut of his album. In terms of genre mixing, The Dark, The Light might be the coolest thing to have surfaced in a couple of years; on "A Big Totoro," Pope takes the 70's saxophone, organ, and guitar heavy funk sound, and mashes it up with shoegaze, producing an incredibly unique instrumental crossover. Meanwhile, "Haribo" gives us bossa nova in half-time, with definite shoegaze influence, which turns out to be a combination that couldn't be more relaxing. Pope turned jazz and ambient, essentially opposites on the genre scale, and brought them together in the ingenious marriage that is The Dark, The Light.

To check out the full album, and see what other jazzy/lo-fi influences Pope concocted, check out his Bandcamp page.

Album Review: Ancient History - Tracks

Album Rating: A-

Ever since deciding to fuel his adolescence on a steady diet of Weezer, Belle and Sebastian, and Elliot Smith, Donald Ducote always wanted to be a musician. Not just another poster boy or attention seeker either, he wanted to be a real musician. One who didn’t give a *** about money or the man; one who poured his heart out; one who would make a difference. The initial offspring of this dream was My Sister, a band he formed in 2004: a forgettable five-piece doomed to failure following a tangle with the label head’s girlfriend. Soon he was working with an X-Factor. Not exactly living the dream, is it? 

Album Review: Air Review - Low Wishes

Album Rating: A

At first, I couldn't help but wonder at the title of indie rock band Air Review's latest album (well, first in three years following a one-year period of "hibernation," whatever that's supposed to mean), Low Wishes: by definition, wishes are wild, idealistic, wispy things, so calling them low would be a robbery of everything that makes them wishes. The phrase itself feels a bit odd rolling off my tongue too, like an attempt at describing the shape of air. Yet that opaque quality (which is frankly infuriating to deal with as the guy trying to convey all of this in words) is also what imbues this spirited release with its emotional resonance--heavily tied to the album's central theme of growing up--and its uplifting nature. It's an admirable demonstration from a band taking its first steps into adulthood right along with its listeners.

Artist Of The Day: Rick Redbeard

He may not be recognised as international indie royalty, but for many listeners Rick Anthony's rich baritone ranks side-by-side with the Matt Berningers and Stephin Merritts among the finest in the game. Generally recognised as the voice of Glasgow's criminally underrated Phantom Band, that deep Scottish brogue is now being applied to a folky solo guise under the moniker Rick Redbeard, the fruits of which dropped earlier this week in the form of debut LP No Selfish Heart. It may have taken eight years to materialise, but it's fair to say the end product has been more than worth the wait; with themes of love, nature and solitude providing a constant source of beauty throughout its 10 tracks. Whether it's the heartbreaking piano-led melancholy of 'We All Float' or the weathered traditionalism of 'Kelvin Grove,' each one emits the type of hearty radiance present in all great folk music, a trait sure to snag any who happen upon this under-the-radar gem.   

Album Review: Flux Pavilion - Blow The Roof

Album Rating: C

It hurts to write this, but I have to say it: Flux Pavilion's new EP is bad. There's no way around it. It's especially difficult to say it because I'm a longtime fan of Flux. His Lines In Wax EP was one of the first full releases I could call my own - as a member of the influx of electronic music fans in the so-called "EDM revolution" in America, Flux Pavilion was one of the first producers I discovered. Though my previous experience in electronic music had consisted almost entirely of Skrillex, The Crystal Method's Vegas, and Pendulum's Immersion, Flux Pavilion (a.k.a. Joshua Steele) was willing to show me the proverbial way. He introduced me to a world full of great music about which I never would have dreamed before. Lines In Wax was one of the first stepping stones on my admittedly short path into electronic music, and for that I feel a great sense of obligation to Flux Pavilion. After all, though in retrospect Lines In Wax was decent at best, the joy I felt listening to it the first few times was incredible, and I greedily tore into the rest of the electronic music out there afterwards. Plus, I respect Steele as a person - through the two AMAs (interview-type forum threads) on Reddit he's done since he made it big, he's garnered my admiration as a humble man who works hard on every endeavor he undertakes.

Artist Of The Day: Punch

San Francisco's heavy-hitting hardcore band Punch is not afraid of brevity. The five-piece have released several EPs and full-lengths over the past few years, with the average song clocking in at around a minute and a half of less. With a thrashy, heavy sound complete with raspy screams, Punch stick close to their hardcore roots while taking the genre into an even faster, less melodic composition. Despite their short length, the songs Punch have created progress from one sound to another, from one riff into a breakdown. With point-blank, honest lyrics and a headstrong perseverance, Punch have thrust themselves into the spotlight as they continue to tour around the world.

Album Review: Widowspeak - Almanac

Album Rating: B

There’s something inherently beautiful about seeing someone catch their stride. As a group, Widowspeak did their fair share of stumbling on their self-titled 2011 debut. If you missed it, don’t feel too bad. It was unobtrusive, comprised mostly of Suburu-commercial indie pop that didn’t give much but didn’t ask much in return. In essence, it took the '60s girl-group sound and stuck it in a cave. It was three parts dull, one part promise. Most of all, it was oh-so-Brooklyn, reflecting the echo-prone, flavorless trends of New York's grandest borough. On their second attempt, Almanac, Widowspeak have wizened up and brought it all back home.