The Last Drop

I sank into despair. It was getting very tedious finding a computer. So, I bought one. For cheap ( I wasn’t that depressed). And I am now ripping all of my music off of my iPod onto my new (old) computer. So, yeah, I’ve been busy with that. No excuses then. Just a lot of make up blogging (which is always SO good

Tegan and Sara, The Con – More and more women. Tis the season for estrogen. And Tegan and Sara have no problems delivering women friendly pop. In fact, I expected a more upbeat, radio friendly offering for their latest release. So Jealous was such a pleasing, easy on the ears album – why not give us more (similar to Spoon’s pop driven follow up to Gimme Fiction). Instead, they went back to their roots and stuck to a fuller guitar sound. Initially, I was fine with the rock edge. But the lack of bright pop filler exposes the reckless song lyrics. You can chalk up a few songs to raw anger and hurt, but at some point, you have to filter the pain into a tangible insight. Or at least put your best effort towards that end. The lead single, “Back in Your Head”, is a short trip back to what made Tegan and Sara worthwhile – an extremely catchy hook and with brain-numbingly easy lyrics that will stick in anyone’s mind. However, the rest of the album doesn’t seem to find the same groove. In spite of the groove leaving, there are still some interesting melodies that make the album worth a spin, especially when you are in the mood for heartbreak. Just skip over the middle school lyrics.

M.I.A. – Not a surprise, but I can’t stop gushing on how good this album is. I need more of this in my life.

Justice – House/ Drum & Bass never sounded so real. Gone is the never ending thud of a droning, deafening bass drum. Add the energy of rock and a few school kids to sing a chorus and you have a stellar dance album. Sadly, their show is sold out for Friday night in London. But, they shall return later. I can see the large, neon cross now…

Junior Senior – To know me is to know my love affair for pointless, uplifting pop. Sometimes you just need to smile. And shake your booty. When the calling comes, pump up Hey, Hey, My, My, Yo, Yo and let the happiness ensue. Just look at the cover art if you need any guidance

Miss Teen USA contestant from South Carolina – This is why I am so adamant about the differences between North and South Carolina.

The National, Alligator - I really wanted to hate this album. As with most ultra-hyped indie artists that create enough buzz to deafen their audience, I am always suspicious of group mentality. If enough people love you and tell all their friends to love you, is it really love or just peer pressure? I try not to succumb to peer pressure (thank you D.A.R.E) unless it is truly worthwhile. While I see the merits of this album and The National as a whole, I’m still not sold on their vast appeal and worship. At first, I was just surprised that I didn’t hate their sound off the bat. It’s a lot quieter than I imagined (they did name it Alligator) and the punch lies heavily in their lyrics than in the music. There are a few moments of musical intensity that remind me a lot of Arcade Fire (“Abel” comes to mind), but much of what their sound relies on is brooding, nonchalance juxtaposed to dense (in a good way) lyrics. ” Daughters of the Soho Riots” proved my favorite track in that the music and lyrics were equally matched. However, the vast majority of the album fell into a dead space of “eh” since the blanket stoicism of the lead vocals never grabbed me. This seems to be a growing trend with contemporary indie musicians – lyrics shall overcome all. Sometimes, I just wish people would actually sing. I also struggled with the rock with strings format. Although it is not overused and adds to the overall feel of moodiness, it’s just not my thing. Cellos are now necessary in any rock band with “feeling”. Again, I just don’t buy it. I can’t say that this is a poor album, but I can’t give it the blind praise that everyone else has.