Harvey Milk - Life... The Best Game In Town

Artist: Harvey Milk
Album: Life... The Best Game In Town
Genre: Sludge Metal
Rating: 3.5 of 5


Harvey Milk have created a rich tapestry within their latest long play. I must agree that life is indeed the best game in town.

The name of the game here is sludge. Harvey Milk create a wonderfully low and consistent beat and keep on going. Play "Decades" and "Skull Socks & Rope Shoes" and you can feel some real power coursing through the speakers. Even with such a slow tempo they come out with some very nice chord progressions. This progression skill is better exemplified in their more delicate moments such as the intro to "Death Goes To The Winner".

I don't want you to think that the entire album takes place under 60 bpm. "After All I've Done For You This How You Repay Me" is a long title that takes longer to say than the main riff. "Barnburner" is exactly what the title says; Harvey Milk get things going and don't let up. This also proves, to me at least, that they definitely don't go back to sludge because they don't know their way around their instruments.

Harvey Milk puts out some epic songs whether they be slow moving powerhouses or the result of a few axes on fire. This is quite the enjoyable album and it is an experience unto itself.

Glasvegas - Glasvegas

Artist: Glasvegas
Album: Glasvegas
Genre: Garage Rock
Rating: 3 of 5


This Scottish band has managed to make quite a stir with their self-titled debut. The band name makes me wonder if the Killers have been an influence or if they see themselves as the median between Glasgow and Las Vegas. I have noted that they seem to send out a mixed message.

The music consists of slow driving tunes drenched in a high echo and phased guitar lead. It feels like something that was made for larger venues although it might be a little early for Glasvegas' presence to fill that space. The intro is a good example of the music although any of the songs would do. They've also put an amazing amount of echo on the vocals. The combination of all this seems to point toward some easy-going rock or at least something without sharp edges.

Next comes the actual lyrics. These songs are filled with rough times and unfortunate events. Take "Daddy's Gone" for example; this is a song about an absent father and a son growing up in harsh times. "Stabbed" is another good example, it is a story about gang revenge. The story is spoken over Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata which enhances the dramatization. In all I find that the messages coming through should come from something much rawer.

In the end, the music is pretty good and the stories become dreamlike. I don't believe the severity is lessened by the music but I do believe it pulls the shade over some dark corners. Perhaps this makes the album easier to swallow.

Gang Gang Dance - Saint Dymphna

Artist: Gang Gang Dance
Album: Saint Dymphna
Genre: Electronic
Rating: 2 of 5


"Saint Dymphna" is an experiment with sounds like most other electronic albums. I like to think for the most part that I can find the worth in electronic albums that are a little more experimental but I couldn't see it this time.

There are a few moments in this album that weren't too bad. There is a piece in the middle of "First Communion" with some nice interplay between a guitar and a few keyboards. "House Jam" feels somewhat more like a song than many of the other pieces with a nice lead vocal track and several backing vocal tracks.

On the other hand, "Inners Pace" doesn't really go anywhere and feels quite odd. It is essentially like being blasted with binary code while being asked to translate to English. "Desert Storm" is littered with female vocals that are either off key or not even notes and more like screeches.

I try to stay open minded when listen to more progressive or experimental music but I just couldn't get around this album. It was like a math equation that just wouldn't balance out.

The Futureheads - This Is Not the World

Artist: The Futureheads
Album: This Is Not the World
Genre: Post-Punk Revival
Rating: 4 of 5


I have begun to notice, especially after this album, how much this Sunderland-based group sounds like an updated version of the Cars. The Futureheads have managed to take the good parts of the Cars and expanded on them.

Like the Cars there songs are full of punchy guitars and some great vocal melodies. Take a track like "Work Is Never Done" that has some quick and unrelenting power chords and the comparison is easy to make. If you still don't hear it then turn to "Sleet". The intro is so close to "Just What I Needed" that I was so pleasantly surprised.

The album, nor the Futureheads, are all about their resemblance to the Cars though. One of their biggest strengths since their first album has been their use of vocal harmonies. A good example of this is in the first track, "The Beginning of the Twist". In this album, they've also done a great job of tearing songs down to their minimum and then rebuilding the song from scratch. Again, "The Beginning of the Twist" is an excellent example but "Walking Backwards" is another great example.

The Futureheads are still improving and this album was a great addition to their repertoire. I can't wait to hear the next one.

Fucked Up - The Chemistry of Common Life

Artist: Fucked Up
Album: The Chemistry of Common Life
Genre: Post-Punk Revival
Rating: 3 of 5


The Chemistry of Common Life won the 2009 Polaris Prize. The Polaris Prize is essentially the Canadian version of Britain's Mercury Music Prize.

There is definitely some merit behind this album. The songs are full of strength and a consistent driving force. Songs like "Days of Last" feel like a tidal wave that cannot be stopped. "Twice Born" has the guitars turned up to 11. Finally the title track completes the album with a grand and explosive end.

There were just a few things that I would love to see improved upon. These tidal waves are not only relentless but they can sometimes become too persistent. The songs seem to become some homogeneous blob and although there are several song structures and even some nice instrumental pieces you seem to just fall in and out of them. I guess the music feels like a mosh pit that you can't quite get out of. This makes it a little harder to step back and enjoy the music itself.

I did enjoy the album but I have seen some better attempts at this genre of sludge-type punk. And I do agree that this album definitely deserved to be on the short list.

Friendly Fires - Friendly Fires

Artist: Friendly Fires
Album: Friendly Fires
Genre: Indie Electronic
Rating: 3.5 of 5


The debut self-titled album from the Friendly Fires shows a great deal of potential. This is not the band's first venture into the studio but it is their first full-length album. They have released three EPs prior to this.

In an effort to describe the band through comparison I would have to say that they are somewhere between MGMT and Bloc Party. In general, the have the same dance, punk and funk mix that MGMT have been working on. A few of their best songs like "In The Hospital" and "Paris" have the slow dance beat that makes MGMT so attractive. Where as songs such as "Jump In The Pool" have some of the effects and vocal harmonies that are the backbone to Bloc Party's repertoire. And then there songs like "On Board" that have a great groove and show some of the bands own strengths.

With all these great styles melding together it would be hard to see any cons but there was something holding me back from rating this album any higher. Unfortunately besides the songs I mentioned in the previous paragraph there wasn't really anything exciting. This may be a case of the band being pushed from writing EPs to writing a full length album.

Friendly Fires come out blazing with a few really good tunes. Hopefully their next album has a more consistent track listing.

The Fratellis - Here We Stand

Artist: The Fratellis
Album: Here We Stand
Genre: Indie Rock
Rating: 4 of 5


This Scottish band really does know how to rock and roll. Here We Stand is there second album and they are only getting better.

So what makes the music so great? I would have to say it's because they manage to keep things simple. There's no message behind the songs, just straight forward rock. As a result they manage to keep every song fresh and entertaining. On the album they have a knack for keeping the chorus and verse quite separate thus providing some flavour to the songs. There are also some very nice bridges going on.

If I had to choose a few songs out of the bunch I would be hard pressed but let's try. "A Heady Tale" is a great examples of how well the band change pace between the chorus and verse. It is also has a great example of a driving instrumental. "Tell Me A Lie" is another great example of a simple riff that the band hold too and create a good vibe around. The Fratellis also put in a couple good bridges. The first changes the tempo and feeling of the song altogether and the second follows the same basic riff but breaks up the song nicely.

The Fratellis provide us with another rock album with few complaints here. Not everyone can pull off the cookie cutter recipe but this band pulls it off with ease.

Foals - Antidotes

Artist: Foals
Album: Antidotes
Genre: Post-Punk Revival
Rating: 4.5 of 5


From the opening hum of horns to the closing hum of horns this is an album filled with a great energy. There isn't any overdrive here, nor is there an abundance of power chords but as a group no one instrument needs to overtake the others.

Rather than seek their great energy from a single blazing instrument or vocals that drown out the band, the Foals use many instruments with short and quick riffs to create an almost saturated sound. Just listening to the first two songs, "The French Open" and "Cassius", fills your speakers with sharp staccato guitars and backing horns while the vocals blend in with a great melody. Although the horns do not make it on all the tracks, they are a great addition.

Antidotes also contains some great apexes. The entire band slowly and methodically drive a dynamic landscape that easily flows over rises. A long instrumental piece in "Two Steps, Twice" is a great example of a long and determined build back up to the energy that is abundant in the album. "Balloons" also quite successful simulates the experience of floating through currents in the air.

I must say that I was quite impressed with the way that the Foals created a danceable beat without using any fancy effects or instruments. The tracks here create an inspiring listen.

Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes

Artist: Fleet Foxes
Album: Fleet Foxes
Genre: Indie Rock
Rating: 4 of 5


The self-titled debut by the Fleet Foxes seems to have made quite the stir. After listening to the album I can say that it wasn't without reason.

One of the biggest strengths of the album was all the wonderful vocal harmonies. The album opens with a more traditional sounding harmony and that is just a taste of what is to come later in the song and album. Nearly every tune includes beautiful harmonies placed at just the right points. The ups and downs sang with such precision; it really is a delight.

Another strength of the album is the abundance of great instrumental arrangements. A great example of this is in "Ragged Wood" which contains some lovely harmonies but really shows off the musical abilities of the group. The song has a lovely roll to it and the instruments blend together with the vocals so well.

Hopefully Fleet Foxes haven't just hit a fluke and can come back with another performance to rival this one.

The Fireman - Electric Arguments

Artist: The Fireman
Album: Electric Arguments
Genre: Pop Rock
Rating: 3.5 of 5


For those who were not aware The Fireman consist of Sir Paul McCartney and producer Martin Glover (also known as Youth). Just a couple regular guys messing around in the studio, well maybe not regular guys.

Much of the album takes standard rock tunes and applies a little flare. This can be seen from a couple blues-y tunes like "Nothing Too Much Just Out of Sight" and "Highway". The bonus features are all the subtle changes they make to the sounds coming out like adding a little more fuzz on the guitars during the chorus, adding a little more echo to the vocals here and there and making the drums exist way in the background but take up the entire landscape at the same time.

The other half of this album entails taking songs out of their context and going more extreme with the electronic additions. Take "Travelling Light" that would normally be a nice acoustic guitar picking tune, and transform the song into a mesmerizing tune floating just out of reach. Another well-executed tune is "Lovers in a Dream" that moves from an opening that makes me feel like I'm in a jungle to a fuzzy dream-like reality.

This album transcends the barrier from rock to electronic nicely. At times it was just a little too much but the overall experience was nice.

The Duke Spirit - Neptune

Artist: The Duke Spirit
Album: Neptune
Genre: Indie Rock
Rating: 3.5 of 5


The question I have is are we talking Neptune the Roman god or Neptune the planet. I examined the songs to answer this question.

There is definitely proof that the album could borrow its name from the planet. I find that the band sound quite a bit like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs with tunes like "You Really Wake Up The Love In Me" and Sonic Youth with songs like "Lassoo". They have a few great tunes. "This Ship Was Built To Last" has an ominous opening that builds into a great climax towards the end of the song and screams Jefferson Starship. So the journey would scream planet.

The Duke Spirit do answer the question themselves though. The tune "Neptune's Call" speaks directly about the sea's call. Their music also has a great rising and descending feeling, especially for tunes such as "Send A Little Love Token" and "Neptune's Call" itself like waves crashing into a ragged cliff.

So it would seem the Roman god of the sea is to thank for the inspiration here. In this case I owe a thank you next time I make it to the ocean.