Monday's Leaky Faucet

Who: Vivian GirlsTitle: Everything Goes Wrong
Release Date: September 8th
Label: In the Red
Thoughts: If you've had an internet connection at all this weekend and were in the least bit curious as to what the new Vivian Girls album is like then you probably have already taken a listen or two to Everything Goes Wrong. Once again the girls are banging away at their instruments creating a lot of noise that shows off garage, punk, and surf influences with no inhibitions whatsoever. If you were expecting Vivian Girls to change their sound just because they faced a sharp backlash after being met with sudden success then you might as well look elsewhere because obviously these three ladies were not bothered by all the nasty words spoken about them. Instead they have come back with a viciously strong record in an identical style to last year's self-titled debut. The songs are short, hard hitting, and draped in the lo-fi noise that everything seems to be these days and some of these tunes are definitely winners. The only problem may be that it runs too similarly to last year's effort, but fans of the band should have no problem with that.
Listen: Vivian Girls - "I Have No Fun"
Vivian Girls - "The End"

Who: A Place to Bury Strangers
Title: Exploding Head
Release Date: October 6th
Label: Mute Records
Thoughts: Everything ever written about A Place to Bury Strangers seems to be based on the idea that they are just this enormously loud band that assaults its fans with deafening noise. While the band are undoubtedly loud just pegging them for the noise is a total mistake. In a live setting these guys will do everything they can to get you to cover your ears, but on record they are quite a different beast. The production is still loud, but once you get past the initial shock of the volume you'll hear loads of shoegaze influences mixed with some New Wave and a touch of industrial sounds. On Exploding Head the band pushes closer towards their influences sounding more and more like The Cure at times and Joy Division at others. It's an interesting mix and one that should win over a lot of fans, so long as they don't mind something that's super loud!
Listen: A Place to Bury Strangers - "In Your Heart"
A Place to Bury Strangers - "Exploding Head"

Who: HEALTH
Title: Get Color
Release Date: September 8th
Label: Lovepump United
Thoughts: After the release of a successful debut record and an album of remixes dedicated to the bloggers that backed them (full disclosure: I'm among the thanked in the liner notes), HEALTH have final returned with a proper follow-up Get Color. And it is quite the return with an immediate shift to a slightly more accessible sound, more repetition, and much more of a dance feel to every track. Not saying that it doesn't have it's abrasive moments mixed in too, but it is an easier listen no matter where you attack it from. You can listen to the album as a whole or pick and choose your favorite tracks, it really doesn't matter either way you'll probably love it.
Listen: HEALTH - "Die Slow"
HEALTH - "Death +"