52 Weeks of New Releases - 2013 - 34-25

It's interesting to me (and probably best to be a subject of a separate post) how people judge music.  Some people will think in terms of what the popular zeitgeist thinks about said release.  Some judge the music strictly on how many units it sells.  Others think of actual music critically, look at the chord progressions, dive into the lyrics and judge it thusly.  Then there's people like me.

I listen.  I like it.  Sometimes I hate it.  Sometimes I totally get where it's coming from and what emotions it's trying to evoke.  Other times it tickles my ears in a way that's pleasing and I'm like "fuck yes".

This is the continuation of my 52 Weeks Releases.  We're now into 34-25.  We're getting there!  We're doing it!

34. Claire - Broken Promise Land EP - Astralwerks

As I've written over and over, this is the best releases in my opinion and, while this one might only be a four track EP, I really enjoyed listening to this one.  The female vocals are add to the songs rather than detracting.  All the elements, including synths, drums, and bassline, add up to a solid experiment in indie synth pop.

33. Lorde - Pure Heroine - Universal

Let me say this: The album was written by a 17 year old New Zealander.  That simple fact blows my mind.  "Royals" in particular is not only a good sounding album, but the lyrics have a depth reserved for someone with a little more experience in life.  Someone whose seen some shit (as it were).

I've never seen a diamond in the flesh

I cut my teeth on wedding rings in movies

And I'm not proud of my address,

In the torn-up town, no post code envy

It's got an unpretentiousness reserved for people who have experienced the lows which don't typically happen by the age of 17.  Contrast this to Ke$ha (yes, just look at the dollar sign people), who one might say lives in the same genre and was 23 when she released her album Animal:

Wake up in the mornin' feelin' like P-Diddy

Grab ma glasses I'm out the door I'm gonna hit the city

Before I leave brush ma teeth with a bottle of Jack

'Cuz when I leave for the night I ain't comin back

...And now you know why I hate Ke$ha.  I bring up this example because I, for some reason, found myself at a local Elks club where children happened to be in the bar area messing around with the jukebox.  They picked "Royals" as a song and I was blown away.  Sure anyone can get on those jukeboxes with Universal's marketing machine, and a great hook, but still...

This girl is fucking talented and you should feel good listening to this music.

32. Booka Shade - Eve - Embassy One

I'm pretty sure I say this whenever I play Booka Shade on WMBR, but this music has to be listened to with a great sub, or live in person.  I happened to catch Booka Shade at a summer festival a couple years ago, and, while I knew the music, I didn't REALLY know the music.  As an experiment, try listening to the track below with ear phones on then take out the headphone cord, and raise the volume for a little bit.  See the difference?

Booka Shade crafts different and great dance music.  I'd love to go out to a club night and be able to hear this type of music rather than that boring ass pop bullshit that's being played all over this city.

 31. Cut Copy - Free Your Mind - Loma Vista

 I had some high expectations for this one, I have to admit.  It's got the signature Cut Copy sound, but it doesn't really feel like an "album".  Whatever that might mean to you.  Bright Like Neon Love was a fucking great "album".  It had one sort of feel around it, same with Zonoscope.  This release just feels like they needed more material for their summer festival schedule.  A lot of seems like a clash between jam and dance music as well, and if you don't like jam band music you may not enjoy this release quite as much as others.

That said, the title track is a great dance song.  "Meet Me in a House of Love" draws more deeply from 90's era dance music than releases before it.  A lot of the album actually sounds a bit like Republic-era New Order.

30. Pet Shop Boys - Electric - x2

Doing it right 30 year later is a tremendous feat.  Staying relevant through three decades is something reserved for a select few people.  Sure this is pretty much the same type of music they were make three decades ago, but it was good!  And there appears to be a bit of self-parody on this album which makes it even more fun.

29. Charli XCX - True Romance - IAMSound/Atlantic

"You (Ha ha ha)" is hands down my favorite song from 2013 (god damn them for including the "fuck" drop on the radio release).  Charli XCX borrows Gold Panda's track for this great pop song.  I am a big fan of pop and hip hop musicians leveraging EDM for backing tracks.  It worked to great effect on 50 Cent's "Ayo Technology" and it works great here.


It's really the fusion of these otherwise very EDM tracks with great pop hooks that makes this album work.  Charli XCX does two things well: Writes great hooks and picks out great backing tracks.

28. Holy Ghost! - Dynamics - DFA

Whenever I mention Holy Ghost!, I have to mention the fact that I once saw them at an outdoor concert venue as the opener at 1 PM in front of twenty people (maybe?).  Lead singer Alex Frankel was so bored that in between singing he was ripping butts.  Definitely didn't want to be there.

That being said, Holy Ghost! has had some of my favorite releases the past couple of years.  Dynamics adds to their story a bit.  The songs aren't totally dance-punk gems as is their usual ilk, but some edge into the 70's rock area (like "I Wanna Be Your Hands").  The dance-punk like "Dance a Little Closer" evokes LCD Soundsystem in their prime and makes you wanna get up.

27. Still Corners - Strange Pleasures - Sub Pop

Still Corners is one of those bands who I happened upon at the end of the year.  The album is an atmospheric gem with great vocals and a little pop sensibility.  I appreciate the band's modern take on the Cocteau Twins style of shoegaze infused with more EDM appeal.  You can even hear a little italo-disco, which makes this a solid release at number 27.

26. Kris Menace - Features - Compuphonic

I didn't get a chance to really review this one when it was released in 2012 so I wanted to ensure it was properly represented.  This album uses guest appearances to actually improve upon the tracks, and this album has a TON of guest appearances.  Ranging from Miss Kitten to members of the Black Ghosts and more.  The range of EDM on the album makes it a worthwhile pick-up.

 
25. Jackson and his Computer Band - Glow - Warp

This is another album with a diverse area of electronica on it.  Also, I should point out that the video is totally and very NSFW.  "G.I. Jane" is a stunner has a bit of pop appeal whereas other songs like "Seal" are total bangers.  The diversity of the tracks and styles adds up to a magnificent addition to the EDM genre.