Published October 16, 2330. Saves the Day In Reverie (DreamWorks) On previous efforts, Saves the Day played a focused emo-punk attack. On In Reverie, the New Jersey natives explore the power-pop territory of Weezer and Ash. Unlike those bands, STD relies on intricate chord changes rather than simplified hooks. The music is upbeat and melodic, […]
Johnston Farrow
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Doves
DovesSome Cities(Capitol)Some Cities mixes the soundtrack quality of Doves’ largely instrumental first album with the pop structure of the second, bringing an immediacy to the songs as well as a melancholy emotional core. The first half is the best—the title track opens with a potency that could blow away anything by Coldplay. “Black and White […]
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The Rapture
The RapturePieces of the People We Love(Universal)Safe to say the world didn’t expect much from the Rapture when the Echoes LP came out in 2003. Slowly, however, the band started catching breaks. Along with its DFA label and co-founder James Murphy’s LCD Soundsystem, the group became synonymous with the indie-dance craze (see “House of Jealous […]
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Franz Ferdinand
Franz FerdinandS/T(Dominio)Travis’s Fran Healy said it best: America defines the music, Britain refines the music. Franz Ferdinand takes the best aspects of NYC garage rock and infuses it with an upbeat, bass-driven pulse. These Scottish lads make music that forces you to shake your ass. UK hit “Take Me Out” starts with a Strokes riff […]
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Metric
Published December 08, 2005. Metric Live it Out (Last Gang) Old World Underground, Where Are You Now? may have had catchier singles, but Live it Out might be the best record produced this year by any of the Broken Social Scene family. Emily Haines and company nail their synth-rock sound with punchier guitars, brighter keyboard […]
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Ladytron
LadytronThe Witching HourRykodiscLadytron is what DJs would play for roller skaters in an abandoned Eastern European factory. It’s retro, stylized, with pounding yet danceable beats that are as icy-sweet as the mint chocolates found in Christmas stockings. This UK-based four-piece made its name with the breakout Light and Magic, one of the best records, in […]
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The Dandy Warhols
Published August 28, 2003. The Dandy Warhols Welcome to the Monkey House (Capitol) Gone are the acoustic, alt-country leanings of Thirteen Tales of Urban Bohemia, replaced by synthesized soundscapes. Producer Nick Rhodes (of Duran Duran) helps to direct the transformation. As always, The Dandys come up with a lot of style and some killer tunes, […]
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Super Furry Animals
Super Furry AnimalsSongbook Volume 1(Beggars XL)This collection of upbeat, eccentric indie pop from Wales doesn’t capture all of the Furries’ best music—they have too much great output. But Songbook is a perfect starter, with all the singles from the band’s six albums, plus two non-LP tracks. Highlights include the drug-love anthem “Something 4 the Weekend,” […]
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Dr. Dfunkt
Dr. DfunktRunning Hot(Independent)Formerly of Dr. Yellow Fever, Kamran Abdi expands his musical palate on Running Hot, a collection of tunes made to get dance floors moving everywhere. Recalling elements of Jamiroquai, Prince and Stevie Wonder, Dr. Dfunkt is like nothing else being produced on the east coast. Members of local stalwarts Jimmy Swift Band and […]
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The Von Bondies
The Von BondiesPawn Shoppe Heart (Sire)No wonder Jack White beat up Von Bondies singer Jason Stoll-steimer in a December barfight. Pawn Shoppe Heart is more ferocious and kicks more ass than anything in the White Stripes’ lo-fi catalogue. With echoes of The Stooges and MC5, the Bon-dies give birth to a fresh dose of guitar-fuelled […]
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Sleater-Kinney
Published December 08, 2005. Sleater-Kinney The Woods (Sub Pop) In a word: LOUD. The women of S-K always hinted at the fury in their music, but it wasn’t until Flaming Lips producer David Fridmann was brought on board that the trio’s sound turned up to 11. Embracing longer songs, guitar solos and the classic-rock attitude […]
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Editors
Published August 25, 2005. Editors The Back Room (Kitchenware UK) More melodic than Interpol, darker than Bloc Party and with more emotional impact than anything by the Kaiser Chiefs, Editors are the next big thing in the dance-inflected rock sweepstakes. But like its name, the UK-based band takes a more structured approach with its songwriting […]