If It's Too Loud...

Solid week this week: Album of the Week : Artist : Tacocat Album : This Mess is a Place Quick Description : New album from an indie favorite. Why You Should Listen : Tacocat has been on a lot of people's lists, but this could be the breakthrough they've been waiting on. Overall Thoughts : This is maybe one of my favorite things I’ve listened to this year. I’ve enjoyed what Tacocat has pulled together so far in their tenure, but this is such a step up from their previous efforts that it is almost shocking. From song one, “Hologram,” it’s a great indie pop record that doesn’t try to be anything it isn’t and results in songs with hook after hook after hook. Even the midtempo finale, which is a long-standing musical trope that can sometimes be exhausting, feels as good and fresh as anything else on the album. Best of the week, best of the month, and in contention for best release of the year so far. Don’t miss out. Recommendation : Easily the best of the week. Arti...

Hey, listen! This is the holiday weekend in the States coming up, and usually one of these weeks is slow. Next week appears to be that week, with the added bonus of the new release date changing to Fridays. So we will have our regularly scheduled First Listen this week, next Tuesday will be a later-than-normal Quarterly Report, and the following Tuesday will begin the new schedule and format for First Listen. Get it? Got it? Good. Onto the music. Goblin Rebirth - Goblin Rebirth : Ken sent this one over, they are apparently a long-standing band that has done horror film scores, and while that influence shows, so does a lot of the prog-style instrumentation they use. I have to wonder if they influenced Mogwai/if they were an influence on the group, because I had a lot of reminders of them. Overall, a good listen, perhaps not for everyone, but still probably worth a spin in a quiet week. Matt Pond PA - The State of Gold : Album of the week is the new one from Matt Pond PA. ...