Fleet Foxes- Helplessness Blues

Genre: Folk

This is my little mini-review of the new Fleet Foxes album. You can find bigger and better reviews elsewhere if you need more info.

Overall, this feels like it should've been the first Fleet Foxes release, not the third due to the stripped down arrangements. The album as a whole is way more centered around Robin Peckhold's songwriting and acoustic guitar strumming and less about the other members of the band. Gone are the guitar experimentation and twangy riffs that littered S/T and Sun Giant. There's a weird free jazz saxophone solo somewhere, but that doesn't really count. I walked away feeling like Fleet Foxes wrote this album for my dad's generation, not mine, although the lyrics and engineering definitely improved for this album. Obviously this is a great folk album, the band just went in a direction that I personally don't think was the right one. Standout tracks include "Grown Ocean," "Helplessness Blues," and "Battery Kinzie."

7/10

"Helplessness Blues" is out now! Buy it and support good music!

RadFriends Digital Releases

An artist collective started by some of my pals at Belmont. All the albums are free, and they are all full of super talented musicians. I will particularly recommend Big Surr, Youth Ripper, and Diarrhea Planet (still gross). My band Casa Castile's new album will be released on this "label" as well very soon.

http://radfrnds.bandcamp.com/

Crash of Rhinos- Distal

Genre: punk, old school emo

Great recommendation by a blog reader, these guys bring back some great memories of old 90's emo bands. Punky but also a little mathy and twinkly. RIYL: Castevet, Colour, Algernon Cadwallader

Blackbird Blackbird- Halo LP

Genre: chillwave, dream pop, dubby

Cool little album I stumbled upon today It's "pay what you want" on bandcamp so get it for very little! RIYL Broken Social Scene, The Radio Dept., Beach House

Musical Mathematics Comp

Our friends at Musical Mathematics have put together a really great compilation of the current stars of math rock. Featuring some of our favorites like Noumenon, Tera Melos, and Native, as well as some great bands I'd never heard of. Well worth the free download.

Some New Releases

Man, we've gotten so lazy with this thing. Sorry guys. Here's some albums we've been playin lately:

Buke & Gass: "Riposte" (acoustic math punk duo with homemade instruments and kick drum beats)





sweet live performance
Downloadz


Joan of Arc: "Life Like" (simpler, just drums, guitar, and bass and featuring Victor Villareal on second guitar. A great return to form.)



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Bibio: "Mind Bokeh" (Not as good as Ambivalence Avenue, but still has good tracks)
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As always, please buy any albums that you enjoy. The music industry is dying, and as members of it, we want to believe that people will still support music they love so that it can be a viable, profitable art form just like architecture or film or photography or whatever.

Thanks, and much love,
Sam and Tyler

Frank Ocean- Nostalgia/Ultra

Genre: R&B, rap, indie

I'm not sure I'm on board with all the Odd Future guys, but I'm lovin Frank Ocean's debut. Just as well produced as anything on the radio, and way more thoughtful. Opening up with a Coldplay cover is a bold move, but it's awesome and works. Not sure I dig the closing MGMT cover as much, but the originals in between rule. Check it out if you want to groove.

Downloadz