Friday Music Six Pack

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You know, I have mentioned this before and will again. I missed out on new music for all of 2008 and half of 2007. So, I have been playing catch-up in the background. And, for that matter, I have been behind on the first half of 2009 and am playing catch-up with that too. Also, I have been buried in my 80's and 90's series which took a lot of my time but was/is well worth it. Which, brings me to my point: the albums/bands featured below may be old news to some of you but they are brand sparkling new to me. It's all part of my catch-up to the first half of the 2009. So, please bear with me and for some of you I hope these bands/albums are new to you too.

Great Northern's Remind Me Where The Light Is shows the band in excellent form since their wonderful 2007's Trading Twilight For Daylight. Remind has a "cinematic, wide-screen, post-shoegaze sound". At times, it has a darker and harder sound with more edge to it than 07's Trading. Overall, the band produces a dreamy sound throughout which makes it great post punk.

The Rifles 2006's debut No Love Lost was an excellent debut but with The Great Escape the band pulls it all together for one hell of a good album. "This foursome is the best Jam heard since Paul Weller's venerated group disbanded in 1982 - no small thing". All eleven songs on this LP are standout complete with kicking guitars and punkish bravado.

Newcastle England's Maximo Park have once again hit the target with their third release Quicken The Heart. "Quicken completes a transition from 2005's A Certain Trigger's wiry new wave guitar rock to this fiercer, more powerful post-punk pop". Singer/lyricist Paul Smith delivers emotive music of past loves. Songs both full of romantic "devastation and invigoration". This one is also a stunner from beginning to end.

Brooklyn's The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart have been making waves throughout the indie world and the music blogosphere. And, for good reason. "The Pain's recipe is a delirious amalgam of mid-80's British jangle coupled with faint shoegazer inclinations". Yes, the music is a throwback to earlier days but The Pains also make it work to their own advantage. Definitely a band we will be hearing good things from in the future.

Hotels' Where Hearts Go Broke see the band move form New York to Seattle. There are hints of a lot of greats including The Sound's Adrian Borland, Echo & The Bunnymen's Les Pattison and For Against's Jeffrey Runnings. "Hotels' soundtrack atmospherics-predating shoegaze into classic Brit post-punk-are impressive". Listening to Where Hearts definitely makes me want to dig up a copy of their 2005 debut Thank You For Choosing. This is definitely music right up my alley.

And, finally a Friday track from Lily Allen's wonderful 2006's Alright, Still. I just recently have become more familiar with and now a fan of Lily Allen's music. She has been recognized greatly by the indie world and music blogosphere. And, it appears to be well deserved.

That's it for today. More new tunes to come and may just get back to finishing out that 80's series. Enjoy!!


mp3 Driveway

Great Northern - Remind Me Where the Light Is



mp3 Fool To Sorrow

The Rifles - The Great Escape



mp3 Let's Get Clinical

Maximo Park - Quicken The Heart



mp3 Gentle Sons

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart



mp3 Leilani

Hotels - Where Hearts Go Broke


mp3 Friday Night

Lily Allen - Alright, Still