Sure this is more expertly crafted pop music, but there just seems to be something extra.  Veckatimest makes you feel like you’re sitting in on everything coming together for these guys.  Listening to this gives me the same feeling I got when I first listened to Oh Inverted World by The Shins.  It’s that almost undefinable feeling that you’re listening to something that’s going to define a certain band…if that makes any sense at all.

The best thing about the whole album is from open to finish it sounds fresh and at the same time familiar and comfortable.  Like any other great album it is a band taking ownership of a sound or sounds and putting their stamp on it.  From the soaring, and at the same time, intimate opener Southern Point you are welcomed in.  You get that feeling that Edward Droste and Co. are singing just to you.  Moreover they use classic pop melodies, harmonies, progressions and such to lure you in, and then mix you up with odd tempos and understated yet effective production.

All in all it’s a perfect blend of a musician’s album and a pop album.  Get it, get it now.  Listen to it first if you must.

TSMDT (abbreviation for the above) shoot videos of artists that you and I can’t get enough of in unique, and mostly urban, settings.  In reading up on TSMDT I found that these urban scenes, which might seem so familiar to any of us who enjoy meandering through an unknown city with backpack and ipod in their rightful positions, are actually courtesy of Vienna, Austria.

I’ll be honest, I know next to nothing about Vienna, and don’t think of it as a center of the “indie” (for lack of a better word) subculture.  Then again I would expect anyone to say the same of Pittsburgh, which is my hometown, and which I think deserves a better reputation as far as good music and knowledgeable fans go.  That said, I believe that Vienna provides the perfect backdrop for what TSMDT is trying to accomplish, and having watched many of the videos, I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Check out their shooting of an extremely candid Wavves performance (my favorite of all the videos by the way):

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_z1×0VOIoro[/youtube]

Ok, so I’ve been wanting to write about this for weeks…alright, a month.  Anyway, I’ve been wavering on how to write this without sounding like a commercial for the Mirage or Cirque du Soleil.  Alas I haven’t found a way.

I’ll cut right to the chase.  The almost wife and I (I abhor the word fiancé) headed out to Vegas last month for a friend’s wedding; yes it was planned.  She surprised me with tickets to go see the Beatles’ Love show, which being the huge Beatles fan that I am, I couldn’t contain my excitement.

The whole show is every classic song come to life.  Lucy flies through the sky, Sgt. Pepper marches through with his band, and, to a slightly less profound degree, McGill/Lil/Nancy wanders around aimlessly.  You are guided through this journey by three CDS (my abbreviation for Cirque du Soleil, you have no idea as to the depths of my laziness) performers that represent each of the Fab Four.  No one speaks really, and you are graced with almost nothing but the best of the best Beatles tunes.  The CDS performers are absolutely amazing, as has come to be expected, but I suppose it really gets hammered home while they blindly flip over a classic British phone booth only to land on a trampoline on the other side, all while being in synch to Revolution.

What really made the entire experience for me was the studio recordings of rehearsals or songwriting sessions that served to bridge the gaps between the song performances.  It was a wonderful little glimpse at how the guys in the band acted and spoke.  The back and forth and goofing off that accompanied the writing of Helter Skelter, seemingly random moments of what may or may not have been intoxicated revelry, these were all bits that I had no idea would be part of such a Vegasy (I know, not a word) performance.

This show is an absolute must for any Beatles fan.  Even if you can’t get there, please go pick up the DVD.  It’s not exactly the same experience, but if you ever wondered what the octopus’s garden might look like, this is the best way to find out. 

Below is a video to give you a taste:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7pl-Xk7xZ4[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwcaQ3qJ88U[/youtube]

Don’t get me wrong, this does not feel like one of those “hey look at us, we’re back and doing what made us popular” albums.  What it does feel like is that Conrad Keely and his mates have been left disenfranchised and generally annoyed by their experience recording with a big budget for Interscope.  Century of Self sounds like a an emotional cleansing, and these guys sound better when they’re pissed off.  This album is something that may allow Trail of Dead find that promising path that they were on with Source Tags and Codes.

More than anything, Trail of Dead, and maybe more Conrad himself, didn’t seem to know where to go from Source Tags.  It seems that they figured that bringing the horns and piano up in the mix would be the answer.  What they didn’t realize is that we’ve always enjoyed and craved the driving, heartbeat altering, drums and riffs that they’ve been providing for so long.  I’ll recommend the track Isis Unveiled to get you back in love with these fine fellas.  Sure this album is no Source Tags, but it is worth listening to, if for nothing other than it’s promise of more of the unhinged and slightly dangerous version of Trail of Dead.

If you’re unaware or need refresher, check out Baudelaire from Source Tags and Codes:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b12dZ8bMCYc&feature=related[/youtube]

Trail of Dead – Isis Unveiled

Download the rest at emusic.

While it’s not simply a live recording (the latter half is a collection of covers and random recordings), the live portion alone is worth it.  About a year ago Sam and I caught these wonderful Scots at a small bar in the Polish Hill section of Pittsburgh.  It seemed like the perfect storm really.  They played in the back room of the bar with barely a light shining upon them, the smell of cheap beer and cigarettes, and the youngest clientele that bar had probably seen in ages.  The scene simply matched The Twilight Sad’s pervasively dark but hopeful music, music that invaded every open inch of space in the place.

I felt, as I stood there, that I was watching something that should be bigger, but might never be, and that’s what I liked about it.  Unfortunately for me, and the opposite for you, you can hear it seep through your speakers if you play this loud enough.

Even better, the cover of The Yeah Yeah Yeah’s Modern Love is wonderfully sparse, allowing James Graham’s thick Scottish brogue to really be felt instead of just heard.

And She Would Darken the Memory of Youth (Live)

Modern Romance

I’m not sure what I can say that hasn’t already said about Lil Wayne.  In fact, I’m sure plenty of people have gotten sick and tired of hearing one of Weezy’s seemingly 800 singles that are being spun on the radio, TV, etc.  All of that said, prepare yourself for even more.

Now, I will count myself as a fan of Wayne and his innumerable creative exploits, and this next one is no exception.  Hot Revolver is the latest leaked track from the forthcoming Rebirth LP.  For those who don’t know, this LP is Wayne’s foray into the rock world.  If this song is any indication, it will be a successful one.

As you’ll see, if you press play below, Wayne makes the perfect use of the perhaps overused autotuner.  He puts forth an effort that immediately brings to mind the more “rock” songs from the Santogold album, while at times channeling a bit of TV on the Radio for good measure.  Make no mistake, you won’t get any masterful guitar work, or brilliant singing chops.  What you will get is  Wayne knowing his limitations and then pushing them to a charmingly imperfect level.  Say what you will about Wayne, hell you’re probably just regurgitating someone else’s quote anyway, but he’s an astute artist that will not let himself get stale, even for five seconds.

I’d love to share an mp3, but it doesn’t seem to be floating around at the moment, unless you want the typical DJ overdub yelling at you every two seconds, letting you know “THIS IS A DJ WHOGIVESASHIT EXCLUSIVE.”  In lieu of that, enjoy this youtube, before it gets yanked…which it might before you even finish reading this.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lE_2Qmdnurc[/youtube]

When I say disco I use that term somewhat loosely.  Friendly Fires write tunes that are undeniably dance music, but can also range into the indie rock/pop spectrum.  Think Bloc Party, but unpretentious and at their most danceable, and that will give you a good starting point.  Like Bloc Party they are a group of British lads who make danceable pop.  What separates the two is that Friendly Fires seem to be more interested in being the next New Order or a less dramatic version of Duran Duran than U2.  

As usual, I’ll leave you with a bit of disclaimer mixed with a summary: If you’re looking to shake your ass and have fun while retaining your indie cred (for lack of a better term) you can do no better than these gents.

Friendly Fires – Jump in the Pool

Buy at Amazon

This album offers up ten tracks of some of the catchiest music I’ve heard in some time.  The singer has a voice that seems so familiar, but you can’t quite place it.  After a few listens it would seem that is because his expressive tones channel everyone from Jeremy Enigck to Jello Biafra to Richard Hell.  That last comparison may be the most apt as Fires of Rome are another band of NYC hipsters who have actually garnered the title because of the swagger that drips off of these tunes.

Don’t let those names fool you though, the music is quite different from those voices.  You will get everything from Steely Dan style pop musings (It Makes Me Weak), to the disco of Blondie (Bronx Bombardier), to glorious Menomena-like indie pop (Dawn Lament).

Play it again and again…not that you’ll have any choice.

Fires of Rome – Dawn Lament

Download from emusic

Though similar looking, this is not Adam’s actual record collection.

I’m sorry to anyone who was misled into thinking this post was about the, in my opinion, mediocre Swedish band.  CNN ran a feature today where they wanted folks to share an album that shaped their lives.  Slow news day?  Perhaps.  Interesting idea that provided me an excuse for which to shirk responsibility and work?  YES!

While I certainly would not have gone with any of the contributors choices (Moody Blues – Knights in White Satin most notably), I cannot say that mine would be any less dated, considering my age.  My choice would probably be “Maniacal Laughter” by the Bouncing Souls.  A simple and raucous album that served as the perfect backdrop for my teen and early college years.  It is an album that serves as my own personal time machine.

What is yours?