Part Four 11) Minus the Bear - Lies and Eyes
Like Matt Scheidler, I am a child of the 90's. That means strong guitars in the alternative style will always work for me.
10) Jack White - Sixteen Saltines
I was a little let down by this Jack White album. This song, however, is representative of almost everything that Jack White does well.
9) Tanlines - All of Me
I guess this is 80's-ish? I just think it is crazy danceable.
In honor of the veritable orgy of aural delights that was released yesterday, I'm not wearing any pants as I write this post.
alt-J - An Awesome Wave
I may be out on an island on this, but I absolutely love this arty, schizophrenic, occasionally just plain weird debut album from the British band alt-J. It's difficult for me to describe their sound, and that's part of the appeal: though you hear traces of other indie or folk acts in different parts of their songs, alt-J has more or less managed to create a sound of their own, which is one of the highest compliments I can give a debut album. This band manages to accompany folky guitars and vocal harmonies with off-kilter polyrhythmic beats that sparkle at times, bounce at times, and rock at times. Over all this the lead singer Joe Newman gives what I will call a quirkily affected vocal performance, singing out of the back of his throat in a way that reminded me several times of the lead singer of System of a Down. People's mileage may vary on the guy's voice, but unlike some other bad indie singers - the guy from Clap Your Hands Say Yeah comes to mind - it seems to be an intentional effort on the Newman's part: on a couple of the more straightforward songs, he sounds perfectly normal.
Anyway, this is my favorite album of a week filled with some great music. I will most definitely be tracking this band's career:
