Left Standing

Civilian - Wye Oak

The Indie-Folk/ Folk-Rock genre is full of bands with identical sounds and a shallow idea of what the genre is actually all about. Wye Oak have managed to distinguish themselves, along with a few others, in the eyes of all Folk-Rock lovers. Civilian is an elegant blend of dreamy vocals, acoustic and electric guitar, glorious drums and an always deliberate pacing that speak volumes for the quality of each song and create an environment you wouldn't mind getting lost in. The title track, "Civilian" is probably the overall best song on the album but unlike several other albums, it is not the only track with any kind of real value. "Dog's Eyes" is not filler to round the track list up to ten; with it's quick pace and amazing build-up from the acoustic to the electric guitar, it is one fun musical experience. "Fish" may start off a little slower, it pays off with fantastic vocals and a deep atmosphere. "Hot As Day" great name for a great track, loud, powerful instrumentals, superb vocals with that dreamy tone, hot indeed. Altogether, this is an album built from the bottom up with heart and passion and you can hear it in each cord and in every word; the best Indie-Folk album so far this year.

1.- Civilian 

2.- Dog's Eyes

3.- Doubt

4.- Fish

5.- Holy Holy

6.- Hot As Day

7.- Plains

8.- The Alter

9.- Two Small Deaths

10.- We Were Wealth

Xero & The Boombox Theorists

Worth It's Weight

Golden Arrows - Dynasty Electric

This album was my very first taste of Dynasty Electric and I was pleasantly surprised by the content of their third release. One word comes to mind when listening to the album as whole: eclectic. It seems as though the tracks are bouncing from one genre of music to the other, from Pop to Electronic, from Soul to a modern type of Disco; overall is a rather unique musical experience that truly grows on you as you realize the talent and heart poured into each song. "Electro Retro" seems like it's from a completely different time yet feels so familiar, the title track, "Golden Arrows", is in my humble opinion the best song on the album if just for the range of sounds. "Box Of Light" would be the electric in the band name along with "And The Sky" and "Reality Check"  is simply entrancing. There is in truth very little I could say that would do this album justice, I'll let the music speak for itself but I will encourage you to let the songs play in their entirety to really appreciate the quality of each. Until next time, enjoy.

1.- And The Sky

2.- Bird Song

3.- Box Of Light

4.- Electro Retro

5.- Friends

6.- Golden Arrows

7.- Infectious

8.- Mountain Song

9.- Radiation

10.- Reality Check

11.- Spell Check

Xero & The Boombox Theorists

A Week In The Life...

7 Days - Cook Norman Blaze

Hip-Hop is a generation defining genre in music, so much so that it isn't simply a style of music, it's an entire culture, a way of life. "7 Days" taps into that 80's style of Hip-Hop when telling your story and getting your message through in a way that would be enjoyable to anyone who listened was the main goal. As the mixtape's title would lead you to believe, the tracks are set in the context of one week starting on a Wednesday I like to think; though there isn't one stream of thought., there is a coherence from "Day 1- The Show" to "Day 7 - Over". Being a mixtape, it does sound a bit raw while still being well mixed, but there is a lot of potential in CNB especially lyrically; nothing overly superficial or just put together right before recording, these are well put together and deliberate lyrics with their own meaning and value. I've always supported talented up-and-coming artists and I think Cook Norman Blaze is an artist worth listening to especially if you've been looking for a different sound without completely going off the tracks.

1.- Day 1 - The Show

2.- Day 2 - Thinking Out Loud

3.- Day 3 - Far From Kind

4.- Day 4 - Tonight (Ft. Lelelhe)

5.- Day 5 - Sunday Morning (Ft. Gigi)

6.- Day 6 - Lights Out

7.- Day 7 - Over

Xero & The Boombox Theory

Monsters Of Iceland

Of Monsters And Men EP - 
Of Monsters And Men

If we had a Song Of The Month category this would be on the top of my list. Of Monsters And Men, an up-and-coming Icelandic group, have been signed since December and I am now eagerly awaiting their debut album, certainly if it sounds anything like this fun and upbeat track. It just seems to hit all the right buttons, "Little Talks" just grabs you right from the beginning with that amazing instrumental and awesome vocals by the two singers who sound just as good live as they do on the track itself as the video will prove. I will be keeping my ear to the ground for whatever these guys release next because I feel it will be worth it.

1.- Little Talks -Of Monsters And Men

Discovered this band through this very video

Xero & The Boombox Theorists

Old Soul

Kaputt - Destroyer

Destroyer's ninth studio album is a blast from the past as it seems to jump straight from the 1980's Jazz scene and into 2011. Having said that, the album never sounds dated or out of place. I have to point out that some of the lyrics can be confusing and obscure and are often drowned out or near inaudible but that is due more to the singing style rather than the loudness of the instruments. Speaking of, the instrumental aspect of "Kaputt" is simply magnificent, "Bay Of Pigs" does a great job of showcasing many of the variations common to the Jazz genre and more specific to this band. "Chinatown" is an instant classic: the cool vibe, the pitch perfect vocals, and a run-time that's just right. Destroyer is relatively new band to me even though they have been making music since '96; my first impression of them was overwhelmingly positive as I found very little wrong with the overall package except that "Bay Of Pigs" and "Suicide Demo For Kara Walker" ran a little too long and can't be fully appreciated. If you're looking to get lost in some smooth trumpets and dreamy vocals, this was made for you.

Xero & The Boombox Theorists

Tomorrow's Youth

Tomorrow And Tomorrow And Tomorrow... - 
Youth Sounds

Continuing the trend of great second albums, Youth Sounds' eagerly anticipated sophomore album delivers on all the promises of "The Bit Parts EP". Their ever-present laid-back and overall smooth approach to making music bridges the gap between the two ensembles and creates a certain coherence between the tracks; and it doesn't hurt that they can make a pretty catchy tune that makes you want to sing along even on your first listen. The best first impression has got to be "It's Hell" followed by "We're No One", which takes nothing away from the rest of the album, I just cracked a smile as soon as "It's Hell" started playing. The ear-worm prize would have to go to "Whatever Works" but this is just a perk of the song, what makes this album special is the heart and soul that clearly shines through each of the five tracks; each song is so well put together and executed and everything from the pacing to the vocals seems chosen with care and never feels like a rush job which only cements my admiration for this still-up-and-coming band. In short, this is an amazing follow-up to the "The Bit Parts" and is worth a listen for anybody looking for a unique sound.

1.- It's Hell

2.- Whatever Works

3.- Foolish Love

4.-You'll Be The Death Of Me

5.- We're No One

Xero & The Boombox Theorists

Innocent

Ritual - White Lies

White Lies' sophomore album "Ritual" is a short departure from their previous work "To Lose My Life..." yet is not more of the same. The balance on the album is a point worth noting: tracks such as "Bad Love", "Strangers" and "Bigger Than Us" tend to be faster paced and energetic, others like "Come Down" and "Turn The Bells" go for a slower vibe while not altogether crawling. One aspect which is constant is the dark lyrics and powerful vocals, both reasons why I was drawn to this band; think Alternative-Rock shell with a Punk-Rock and Grunge core. "To Lose My Life..." was an utterly satisfying musical experience and a real triumph for a debut album but "Ritual" is far from a simple after-taste of their previous oeuvre, it stands alone and  proves that this band still has room to grow and develop their sound while not straying too far from their roots. "Ritual" is not perfect, but after listening to it in it's entirety, it remains a well crafted ensemble, flat-lining in certain sections but picking itself up quickly. If you had the pleasure of listening to any track on "To Lose My Life..." you will enjoy this one as well and may even grow to appreciate White Lies even more.

Xero & The Boombox Theorists

Something Different

Marker - TimPermanent

Let me just start off by saying that the hiatus is now over and we will be doubling our efforts to post in a more timely fashion. I've been sitting on this album for much longer than I would have liked and that's just not right; my first impression of TimPermanent was "I've heard this before", now this can be either a good thing or quite the opposite, in my opinion that familiarity makes it easier to listen to the songs in their entirety and truly appreciate how this artist can stand out from all the others in and around the Pop scene. The ear-worm factor alone was enough to convince me that this was worth posting; I found myself humming the catchier tracks like "Alkaline", "Asymmetrical" and "Extraordinary". Keep in mind though that TimPermanent (love the name) doesn't just make Pop music but is part of the Avant-Pop movement,  which is just a shorter way of saying he mixes his personal style with current culture references and tendencies, making them easier to relate with. As always with my humble suggestions, tuning your ears is a must for this album and very little to ask for when it sounds like this. 

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