Blunderbuss is Here

Jack White's anticipated new album, Blunderbuss was released April 24. Check out the reviews below!

"The fascination with White has endured partly thanks to his mastery of traditional rock'n'roll skills: power, volume, dexterity, charisma. But his talent for untangling and confusing those same tried-and-true ideas is just as vital. He's playing a frightfully sincere take on the blues wearing frightfully silly outfits. He's singing truth and authenticity while fibbing about his back-story...Blunderbuss hangs in a kind of limbo-- it's closer to earth than his fantastic White Stripes yet further away than the sometimes-pedestrian Raconteurs or Dead Weather. It's got some of his best pure songwriting yet, but no earth-cracking riffs. Still, as a treatise on loss and its schizophrenic aftermath, Blunderbuss is a purposeful success. 7.8/10" -Pitchfork

“Blunderbuss is, quite simply, a marvelous rock album — one that, along with the Black Keys’ El Camino and Gary Clark Jr.’s self-titled teaser EP in advance of his Warner Bros. debut this fall, is injecting energy into an ancient art form." - Pop & Hiss / LA Times

"4/5" -The Guardian

New music to play and request this week

Check out a teaser for Patrick Watson's new album, Adventures In Your Own Backyard


Dry the River - No Rest from their album, Shallow Bed


Here's a teaser for Maps & Atlases new album, Beware and Be Grateful


Lastly, in hip hop Lushlife's Plateau Vision has gained a 6.9/10 in a recent review from Pitchfork. "There's a lot of heart to this record, not least in Plateau Vision's dewy-eyed beats: from the gorgeous guitars of 'Big Sur' to the drumless, music box glow of 'Gymnopedie 1.2'."
Check out the album in it's entirety here.

-Brittany

Kanye West Releases Single

Kanye West has finally released a single on his record label (GOOD Music: Kanye, Pusha-T, Tyga, etc.) entitled "Theraflu" which features DJ Khaled. Many people are taking away from the song that Kanye is in love with Kim Kardashian ("And I'll admit, I fell in love with Kim/ 'Round the same time she fell in love with him.") but what I am taking from it is disappointment that Mr. West didn't use a song in which he himself produced the beat as the first single. Also, I do not care about Kim Kardashian.



Thoughts?

-Aaron

All Songs Considered

Check out NPR's All Songs Considered special on SXSW.

There is a wide variety of music featured (indie rock to electronic to metal). Check out Quiet Company, ZZ Ward, Bad Sports, and Impending Doom.


-Brittany

Chiddy Bang: Breakfast

The featured artist this week is Chiddy Bang with their new album, Breakfast.

"The chorus of “Mind Your Manners” shamelessly attempts to set rapper Chidera “Chiddy” Anamege and DJ/producer Noah “Xaphoon Jones” Beresin apart from their hip-hop-meets-alternative peers, 3/5" -Consequence of Sound

"Breakfast is such an original album, it's coined a new term for swag: Call it swelly. A." -EW

I recommend Ray Charles, Breakfast, Mind Your Manners, Whatever We Want, and 4th Quarter


-Brittany

Blind Guardian

Brittany asked me to do a feature on a MTL band, and because I uploaded one of their albums recently, I'm choosing Blind Guardian.

Blind Guardian has been a stalwart of the power metal scene for over two decades. The German band released their first album in 1988, and have since evolved from a more straightforward power metal band to a more nuanced sound.

The emphasis is still on speed \and bombast, but they've added orchestral elements and the occasional ballad to help even things out.

They tend towards epicness, with at least one song one each album shooting for that sense of glory. It's helped by the fact that they pull inspiration from a variety of fantasy sources, from Arthurian Legend to Tolkien (they have an entire concept album based on the Silmarillion) to A Song Of Ice And Fire.

Check 'em out.







- Nathan

In Love With Kidstreet

My featured ALT artist this week is Canadian trio (and siblings), Kidstreet. This electronic outfit is loved for their dance-inducing live shows. And Fuh Yeah definitely isn't bad either.

"Their live show is a kind of spastic, high-energy monster that publicists, journalists, producers, management and fans all dream of and completely drool over." - theindiemachine.com

Check out their video for "X"

I recommend X, Birthday Boy, and Fuh Yeah.

Even though we can't play it on air due to excess use of certain naughty word, check out Penny Candy. Edna blows me away.

-Brittany