Phoenix - "All Eyes On Me"

Alpha Zulu, the new album from French indie rockers Phoenix, is their best album since Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. "All Eyes On Me" is a sleek jam with arpeggiated synths, slinky bassline, and a danceable beat.  

Jam of the Day: Rita Ora - "Only Want You"

Powerful track from Rita Ora's sophomore album Phoenix, which is the best pop record of the year.

Jam of the Day: Phoenix - "Ti Amo"

This explosive dance track from Phoenix is fast becoming my summer jam. Really excited for their new record coming next month.

Jam of the Day: Laura Doggett - "Phoenix"

Debut single from singer Laura Doggett, produced by SOHN, who pairs Doggett's smoky, mysterious voice with glitchy drum programming and muted synths. Gorgeous.

2013 Favorite Albums (40-31)

Continuing my list of top albums of the year, here are numbers 40 through 31:

40. London Grammar - If You Wait

London Grammar, a trio made up of vocalist Hannah Reid, guitarist Dan Rothman, and pianist and drummer Dot Major, made a buzz late last year with the single "Hey Now," which cribbed from the playbook of The xx, sparse instrumentation (delicate trills of guitar, plaintive piano, and dusky percussion) and intimate, emotionally charged lyrics, but went one step further with Reid's powerhouse voice that can go from a hushed whisper to full on wail in seconds. The band wisely realizes that Reid's voice is the star of the show, and steps things back to allow her to be the focus, but she has amazing control of her instrument, never letting it get too out of control, and reigning it back when necessary. Their debut If You Wait collects all of their singles from this past year with new tracks that seamlessly create a gorgeous collection of atmospheric pop that only falters every so slightly with some timidity that only comes with their youth, but foreshadows great things to come.

39. Letherette - Letherette

Wolverhampton duo Letherette, Andy Harber and Richard Roberts, made the best Daft Punk album of the year with their self-titled debut. While Letherette definitely draw their initial influence from the house music titans, it is merely a stepping off point for a record that is so much more than the sum of its influences. Granted, the first few tracks almost seem like Daft Punk-by-numbers, and by that point in listening to their debut I believed I had them pegged. But Letherette is structured more as a deep cuts DJ set, taking you on a journey, with many highs coupled with interesting sojourns into darker, more contemplative territory. With such insanely catchy tracks, Letherette made me forget all about the debacle that was Random Access Memories.

38. Phoenix - Bankrupt!

Phoenix' breakthrough album, 2009's Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix is still a headscratcher for me. While it is a really good alt-pop record, there is a huge disconnect with me about it. I loved the singles but the rest of the album left me wanting; it was just a little too quirky, and lacked a certain charm. Even more puzzling is how the band has erupted since then into a festival headlining, SNL guesting, sold out touring juggernaut of epic proportions. So with the release of their new album Bankrupt! I was expecting basically more of the same, but perhaps a little more cleanly polished guitar rock. Imagine my surprise on my first listen to Bankrupt! how gloriously weird it all is. Working with Cassius member Philippe Zdar, Phoenix have ramped up the synths this go around eschewing the sleek guitar pop of Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix for a more technicolor/widescreen vision.

37. Daughter - If You Leave

When the first lines of an album are "Drifting apart like two sheets of ice, my love/Frozen hearts growing colder with time," you know you are entering dark and lonely territory. London trio Daughter, led by Elena Tonra, have crafted a debut album that picks over the minutiae of a failed relationship in intimate detail, but never feels overwhelmingly bleak. There is a delicate balance at work here, the softly reverberating guitars and intricate percussion work create a gorgeous sweep of sound that elevates these tracks to sublime beauty. There are touches of The xx's minimal guitar palate, The Innocence Mission's shy naivete, and hints of the legends of their past 4AD label mates Cocteau Twins, Dif Juz, and Mojave 3. Tonra's voice is an evocative instrument that is akin to Florence Welch's dramatic beast, but is far more reigned in and subtle. Daughter don't necessarily sound like any of these bands per se, but they are good stepping off points in comparison. With If You Leave, Daughter rise above their influences and create their own distinct sound.

36. The National - Trouble Will Find Me

It is easy to overlook The National. They aren't flashy, gimmicky, or trendy. In fact, they are probably the most reliable band out there at the moment, always putting out record upon record of comfortable, assured alt-rock. I am sure the band is not thrilled about being considered the musical equivalent to a Lazy-Boy chair, but there is something nice in knowing that you are going to get what you get with The National, and their haunting lyrics and subtle way with melodies is never less than stunning. With their last album High Violet, I thought I had reached the saturation point with the band, believing they had reached the ultimate rung in their upwards trajectory, and a much needed U2/Radiohead sound+game changing shift in their output was needed. Several listens in to Trouble Will Find Me, I actually began to think this was true. While most records from The National require a growing period before you understand what they are going for, with this record I just didn't get it. Throwing my hands up in frustration, I began to develop the thought that "gasp" could this be my first review of theirs that would be less than glowing. Trouble Will Find Me is by far the most subdued record from The National, and perhaps that is what struck me as so odd about the record. There were no immediately killer singles like "Bloodbuzz Ohio" or "Squalor Victoria" that grabbed hold of you. For the most part, these songs are languid and tranquil, the subtle shifts in tone and melody are almost imperceptible at times. Although the tag "grower" is often used with The National, here it is very apropos, and it is almost frustratingly so. But once it ultimately sets hold, Trouble Will Find Me is completely rewarding and another stellar release in their canon.

35. Suede - Bloodsports

When Suede's last album A New Morning came out in 2002, the lukewarm response from fans and critics alike essentially killed the band, seemingly for good. Their first two records, Suede and dog man star, were fueled by tensions between singer Brett Anderson's rock star excesses and guitarist Bernard Butler's more reigned in personality. After Butler left the band, the resulting records Head Music and Coming Up were more fueled by drugs and Anderson's almost suicidal need to live the life of a rock star. The inevitable come down from all that resulted in their most toothless record, one that almost faded into the background. In the interim, Anderson worked with some other artists (including some work with Bernard Butler), released some solo material, and also reissued Suede's first albums with the assistance of Butler. In 2011, Suede quietly got back together again and toured in support of the reissues. I was fortunate to see them perform at Coachella that year, and even without the drug soaked excesses of the past to fuel him, Anderson was a commanding presence on stage, showing everyone in attendance what it meant to be true rock star and front man. Against all odds, Suede are now back with Bloodsports, finding original producer Ed Buller back behind the boards, giving this project a much needed focus and burst of energy. This record bursts forth from the opening chords of "Barriers" and pulses with life up until the final notes of "Faultlines." As with David Bowie's new record, perhaps it was a good thing to take a step back and regain the urge to record again. This record is not just a return to form for Suede, it is one of their best records.

34. FKA Twigs - EP2

Enigmatic UK singer twigs, who goes by the rather clunky new moniker FKA twigs (a change at the behest of another artist called Twigs), follows up her first EP with four tracks produced by up and coming producer Arca (who worked on Kanye West's album Yeezus). Blurring the lines between trip-hop, Aaliyah/Timbaland future R&B, UK bass music, and the menacing, sinister throb of Mezzanine-era Massive Attack, EP2 is a thoroughly beguiling, addictive listen. These four tracks effortlessly flow into each other, utilizing the same elements (whispered vocals, warped samples, fractured beats, and haunted silences), but are offered up in different shades and perspectives.

33. Arcade Fire - Reflektor

Say what you will about Arcade Fire, but no one can slag them off as being reticent. If any band these days follows the maxim "go big or go home" they would be the poster child. Following their surprise Grammy award for best album for The Suburbs, Arcade Fire returns with Reflektor, an expansive double album that draws inspiration from the film Black Orpheus, the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, writings of Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, Haitian rara music, as well as practically any art-pop record of the past 50 years, from The White Album, Low, and Achtung Baby. It is a go-for-broke record that is in turns brilliant, bloated, icy, hot, awe-inspiring, and head scratching but never less than intoxicating. Using the Orpheus myth as a jumping off part, Reflektor loosely trails through that epic of undying/unwavering love and its sad resolution, but fractures it through our age's over-saturation of media and information overload. It's a paranoid and shaky journey with lots of false steps, restarts, meanderings, but somehow all comes together to be a rewarding listen.

32. Cut Copy - Free Your Mind

Over the course of three albums, Aussie act Cut Copy have subtly been moving from more guitar-centric dance rock to full on electronic dance music, and never more so on their fourth record Free Your Mind, a trippy, sun-kissed love letter to the late 80s and early 90s summer of love in the UK. Drawing inspiration from Primal Scream's Screamadelica, acid house, and the whole Madchester scene (Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, Charlatans), Cut Copy have come up with their most consistent and their most fun record. While many people will decry that Cut Copy have abandoned their New Order-hook galore sound for something more ephemeral, these tracks insinuate themselves within in you to where you can't get rid of them, and honestly, the whole record is a grower, with each listen revealing more and more going on behind the scenes.

31. Darkstar - News From Nowhere

I've stopped trying to figure out what UK electronic trio Darkstar are going to do next, as there is absolutely no way to determine it. Starting out on the Hyperdub label, the original duo of James Young and Aiden Whalley made waves with the brilliant track "Aidy's Girl's A Computer" that pointed them in the direction of UK grime/two step/dubstep. With their debut album North, the duo added a third member, vocalist James Buttery, and moved into dark synth pop territory. With tracks like their cover of the Human League track "(You Remind Me Of) Gold," they kept their coolly sensuous sound but added a human touch to their aesthetic. It was a challenging listen and showed the band's depth of talent. I was basically expecting more along the lines of North when word hit the street that their follow up was imminent. Confounding expectations, Darkstar has once again slid into new territory. New From Nowhere is 10 tracks that flow together seamlessly as one. While there are a few "singles" sprinkled in the mix, for the most part the music acts as a complete work. Drawing from more impressionistic acts like Animal Collective, James Blake, and Oneohetrix Point Never, these liquidy tracks bubble and shimmer and glow with a delicate light. Immersing yourself in this netherworld takes some time and effort, but once you allow it access to your mind and heart, it becomes one of the most gorgeous records you will hear all year.

2013 Favorite Songs (20-11)

20. Pet Shop Boys - "Vocal"



On their massive return to form record Electric, the Pet Shop Boys once again hit the dance floor with a bevy of club ready tracks. The rave-inflected closing track "Vocal," hits all the right buttons: an infectious melody, pounding drum beats, and more wry vocals from Neil Tennant.

19. Jade De LaFleur - "Jaded"



Carefully controlled and minimal in its execution, Jade De LaFleur's exquisite ballad is a haunting exploration of the search for love. Every emotion is laid bare over an icy facade that wants to let warmth in, but keeps pushing it away.

18. AlunaGeorge - "Your Drums, Your Love"



While AlunaGeorge didn't get the huge push that Disclosure did, they still, for me, are the more warm and inviting of the two records. More pop oriented than Disclosure's debut record Settle, Body Music had many charms. One of which was single "Your Drums, Your Love," a slinky, slippery mid-tempo ballad that feels like the aural equivalent of a bowl of soup on a cold day. Tasty.

17. Esben and the Witch - "The Fall of Glorieta Mountain"



Gorgeous vocals, atmospheric guitars and electronics punctuate this haunting track from the UK trio. Its stark beauty and hold on tone and mood is simply breathtaking.

16. Justin Timberlake - "Blue Ocean Floor"



Justin Timberlake always impresses me more when he goes outside his comfort zone. While there are a ton of other tracks on The 20/20 Experience I easily could have placed here, the one track on there that I always came back to was "Blue Ocean Floor." Over a minimal backing of backwards sounding piano chords, keyboards, and breathy vocals, Timberlake laments love lost. It is a quiet masterpiece.

15. Phoenix - "SOS In Bel Air"



Channeling their best ELO, Phoenix kick things into high gear with this blast of over-the-top pop.

14. Disclosure ft. AlunaGeorge - "White Noise"



Built around a sproingy bass line, this slamming track from Disclosure was a constant go-to party track for me. Plus I love the lyric: "if you want to get tough/then let's play rough."

13. Lapalux ft. Kerry Leatham - "Without You"



Languid and haunting, Lapalux's single "Without You" sounds like film noir as music. Dark shadows lurk in every corner of this track, smoke trails off the ends of cigarettes into nothingness, and an enveloping fog covers everything in loneliness.

12. Jon Hopkins ft. Purity Ring - "Breathe This Air"



Purity Ring's Megan Jones adds her wistful vocals to this thumping, minimalist techno track from producer Jon Hopkins. While the track appears as an instrumental on his brilliant album Immunity, this version with vocals makes an already great track even better.

11. BANKS - "This Is What It Feels Like"



BANKS' warm vocals are the perfect foil to the icy production work (courtesy of Lil Silva and Jamie Woon) on this track which is all glacial synths and groaning bass, which appears to be a slowed down sample from Ginuwine's "My Pony."

Videos of the Week

Here are the videos that made me want to suppress my boiling rage this week:



Tongue in cheek look at sexism in the music industry from Lily Allen.



Low budget, and low key video for the gorgeous closing track from Blood Orange's masterful album Cupid Deluxe.



Simple video of Charli XCX dancing in a wide open studio. It fits the mood of the trippy remix of the track from Yeasayer.



Gorgeous version of his collaboration with Drake, Sampha pairs it with this stripped down video.



More over the top video shenanigans from Drake.



Gorgeous video directed by Sofia Coppola.



Spacey and trippy clip from the duo Teengirl Fantasy.

Jam of the Day: Kill J - "Phoenix"

Imagine that, another sexy piece of Scandinavian pop. Statuesque blond Kill J, with the striking haircut, provides us with this sleek jam.

Album Review: Phoenix - Bankrupt!

Phoenix
Bankrupt!
Rating: Grrrr

Phoenix' breakthrough album, 2009's Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix is still a headscratcher for me. While it is a really good alt-pop record, there is a huge disconnect with me about it. I loved the singles but the rest of the album left me wanting; it was just a little too quirky, and lacked a certain charm. Even more puzzling is how the band has erupted since then into a festival headlining, SNL guesting, sold out touring juggernaut of epic proportions. So with the release of their new album Bankrupt! I was expecting basically more of the same, but perhaps a little more cleanly polished guitar rock. Imagine my surprise on my first listen to Bankrupt! how gloriously weird it all is. Working with Cassius member Philippe Zdar, Phoenix have ramped up the synths this go around eschewing the sleek guitar pop of Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix for a more technicolor/widescreen vision.

First single "Entertainment" roars out of the gates with bright and shiny Japanese inflected synths, driving rhythms, and enough hooks to land a blue whale.



And the hooks keep coming along on the front half of the record. "The Real Thing" bounces old school drum machines and dense analog synths against each other into a swirling mass of hurricane epicness, "Trying To Be Cool" has a summery vibe with glass-like keyboard trails, while standout track "SOS In Bel Air" surges forward like ELO on acid.



After this onslaught of brilliant pop moments, the record interestingly takes a more experimental side trip. Title track "Bankrupt" is almost an interlude between the two halves of the record, toning down the bright neon glow of the first half into a somber, contemplative measure of delicately plucked guitars and psychedelic keyboards, merging into an over-the-top prog exploration that keeps changing, chameleon-like to whatever mood it feels like attaching. "Chloroform" mixes up drone keyboards, sludgy beats and Thomas Mars' world weary vocals, creating a gorgeous ballad that soars over the record,



while "Bourgeois" creates a melange of synthpop and chamber pop. While the back half of the record is certainly more sonically adventurous, Phoenix never forget that they are first and foremost a pop band, and keep the hooks coming fast and furious. Whether it is the slick K-pop sprinkled keyboards of "Drakkar Noir" or the balls to wall pace of Morodor-esque keyboards on "Don't," these French lads use every trick they have in their pockets, giving Bankrupt! an almost endless string of catchy tracks that are going to be this year's earworms.

For me, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a record that I was supposed to love but just couldn't wrap my arms around. Bankrupt!, however, is a warmer more inviting listen and just feels like a "Big Record." I am sure a lot of people are going to be puzzled by the ambition at play in these tracks, but I was immediately pulled in and enveloped in its buoyant energy. Finally, I get Phoenix, and it certainly was a long time coming.

Rating Scale:

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and piques one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.

Videos of the Week

It's Friday bitches, let's get it on:



Delightfully surreal video from Beach Houses.



Bloody video from Phoenix.



Gorgeous sci-fi themed video from CHVRCHES.



Up and coming UK pop singer Chloe Howl.



Minimalist video from Kate Boy.



Hauntingly beautiful video from Houses.



Hazy video from ethereal duo Psychic Twin.

Jam of the Day: Phoenix - "Entertainment"

Catchy as hell first track and single off Phoenix' new album Bankrupt!

New: Phoenix - "Entertainment"

First tease from Phoenix's upcoming record Bankrupt!

Foster The People: Torches

Foster The People
Torches
Rating: Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It

Foster the People received a lot of online buzz for their first single "Pumped Up Kicks" which also featured heavily on KROQ's programming. That song, a catchy, upbeat ode to a high school gun toting psycho, sort of sums up the band in a way; there is something familiar and inviting about them (their music travels in indie pop/dance punk/rock styles of contemporaries like Cut Copy, Phoenix, and MGMT) while adding an odd twist to a lyric or a melody that keeps things fresh. When they are on their game, they put forth excellent sing-a-long singles that stand tall alongside their brethren, but too often, their tracks are done in my lazy songwriting and tepid melodies. There is definitely enough here for interest, but it almost seems that the album was put out too soon to capitalize on the success of "Pumped Up Kicks." A little more time in the studio would have probably benefitted the album.

"Pumped Up Kicks" is most listener's likely entry point to the band, and it is a fine single, though I am still bewildered that it is so successful as it is merely a catchy pop song, with a rather morbid subject matter.



It is not even the best song on the album. Album opener "Helena Beat" is far catchier, Mark Foster's falsetto (which thankfully is used sparingly) careens around a frothy, spacey disco track.



Unfortunately, the album is front loaded with all the good tracks. "Call It What You Want" coasts along on a piano driven melody that seals the deal with a catchy as shit chorus.



"Waste" is a lovely almost ballad, with Foster strangely sounding like a forlorn Lykke Li. It is a simple melody bouyed by some interesting effects in the background. Killer chorus as well.



Deep into the album there are a couple of standout tracks. "Hustling (Life On The Nickel)" is a dense slow burner, with lots of squeltchy electronic effects.



"Miss You" is another standout, using a darker musical palatte with proto-electro percussion, buzzing synths, and Foster's haunting vocals.



But too often, the band regurgitates the same melodies and structures, which lends the album a monotone quality over the long haul. Not to say the other tracks aren't catchy, as they are like the flu, it's just that some of the tracks are not as distinguishable over the better tracks.

"I Would Do Anything For You" borrows almost the same beat and melody from "Pumped Up Kicks" just giving it a lighter, 70s yacht music feel that doesn't suit the band at all.



"Color On The Walls (Don't Stop)" just never goes anywhere, sticking to an annoying pattern filled with odd animal noises as percussion that grates on one's nerves. "Warrant" starts off promisingly with an angelic choir of synths, but gets bogged down with an overly simple, traditional musical bed of pianos and drums. The song tries to build to an anthemic chorus, which instead comes off anemic.

Torches comes with enough good will and skill to not fully go off the rails. Sticking to a tight template, the band definitely knows its way around a hook, and given more time and less pressure to get something out on the market, I think there is enough here to show that this is a band to look out for in the future.

Rating Guide

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and peaks one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.

Videos of the Week

I'm a little bit late with this post.  Friday I worked from home and just got caught up with work and housework and somehow the day got away from me.  So, better late than never, here are last weeks videos that made me get all sweaty.

Haunting and mysterious video from the new Glasser album.  She is like a more mainstream Fever Ray or Bat For Lashes.  Her cd is not great, but definitely shows true promise.

Funny video about someone wanting to go to law school.  It really gives me flashbacks to when I was interviewing and the stupid things you think and say.  Television and movies are completely wrong as to what an attorney's life is from day to day.  Most of the time it is bone crushingly boring or soul suckingly stressful.  I don't regret going to law school, but I do wish I had a little better understanding of what the practice of law entails.

Phoenix performed at Madison Square Garden this week, and in their encore, Daft Punk made a surprise visit, performing for the first time in 3 years.  Their appearance comes at the 3:00 mark in the video.  The crowd goes completely nuts.

Best Coast's album hasn't stayed with me that much, but this song sure has.  Pure amazing pop song.

Saw this commercial on the other night and just thought it was funny.  It's about the gayest thing ever.  Seriously, a Balenciaga tree?

Flying Lotus - Kill Your Co-Workers from beeple on Vimeo.

Amazing computer animated video from Flying Lotus.  Funny and very disturbing.

Another brilliant video from Massive Attack.  

Fan made video for one of the most beautiful songs I have heard this year.