If It's Too Loud...

First big new release day of 2017, so let's dive in! Album of the Week : Artist : The xx Album : I See You Quick Description : Long-awaited third album from the minimalist electronic act. Why You Should Listen : The xx has always been essential, and this might be their best yet. Overall Thoughts : My first thought on listening to this was that it felt departure-like. The album still has its minimalist tendencies, but with some different sounds and tones it feels new and fresh while still having the same overall vibe. I figured I'd like this, but I kept being impressed throughout my first listen, and this is absolutely something I'll be revisiting as soon as possible. Recommendation : A must-listen for any music fan this week. Artist : The Flaming Lips Album : Oczy Mlody Quick Description : Latest album by the always-getting-weirder alt-rock group. Why You Should Listen : Even when they fail, it's an interesting failure. Overall Thoughts : The Flaming L...

It's like the New Release Gods knew it was my birthday, because this was probably the best week for new releases we've had in 2014 in terms of overall quality. Something for everyone, so let's dive right in. Mean Creek - Local Losers : Mean Creek feels like a throwback to 1990s alt-rock, and I basically love it. Within the first thirty seconds of the opening song, "Cool Town," you know exactly what you're getting, and, at only around 20 minutes in length, the album doesn't overstay its welcome. A perfectly wonderful album. Ken highlighted one of their songs last fall . De Lux - Voyage : I don't really remember when the indie dance thing took off. It was before Franz Ferdinand, for sure, but I do remember Moving Units being the band I most associated with it before bands like The Bravery or The Killers made it huge. De Lux is straight out of 2004, and it sounds pretty great even if it's idiosyncratic in a lot of ways and, at 50+ minutes fo...