Another week, another batch of lead singles from new albums, including highly anticipated albums from bands such as Alabama Shakes, Dinosaur Feathers, The Sugarettes, Young Hines, Sleepy Sun, and others.
Compared to previous Best New Releases of 2012 weekly playlist posts, including last week’s new albums and singles (Of Monsters and Men, The Lumineers, Lux, Great Lake Swimmers, The Jezabels), and the week before that (Poor Moon, La Sera, Zeus, Justin Townes Earle, Races) it’s a smaller list this week, but there is still some great records not to be overlooked.
One of the possible reasons it’s a thinner week is that some bands and labels are holding out with the hopes of getting more publicity and sales, on, or right around, Record Store Day later this month (more on that coming up; see past RSD playlist posts).
Coming out of SXSW last month on a wave of love from fans, music critics and bloggers, the rapidly rising buzz band Alabama Shakes dropped their debut album this week. Even before its official release, reviews from the music press and blogs were hailing it as “an electric jolt that anyone who loves blues-based rock music should track down immediately” (Los Angeles Times), “a fresh take on the sounds from a bygone era” (Paste Magazine), while others were a bit more reserved, yet still complimentary: “Alabama Shakes have a hell of a lot of growing to do, but even their slightest tunes pack a punch” (The Boston Phoenix), and from The UK Independent: “Unrefined, unresigned, occasionally clunky, frequently obtuse but always, always fit to bust.”
Not all critics felt the same. The A.V. Club wrote: “Exciting as it can be, Boys & Girls could use just a little more shakin’ going on” and Drowned in Sound, which gave the album a 5 out of 10 opined: “In the cold light of day, the album feels flat and utterly predictable.” We are somewhere in the middle of the praise and the criticism, with a lean towards the praise, without question. But still, as a fresh band with their first record, Boys & Girls is one of the best debut albums of 2012.
And to add sugar to the cream, the band was tapped by the iconic Jack White to open for him on his first cross-country solo tour starting next month. When you stop and think of the hundreds of bands and artists who White could have picked to tour with him (and who wouldn’t say yes?), the fact that White chose Alabama Shakes (a great name, as well) is a testament in and of itself that the band is a special and unique talent, and a band to watch in 2012.
You can also listen to an audio stream of one of the band’s performances last month at SXSW during the NPR showcase at Stubbs in Austin. Also, last night, April 12th, the band performed for the first time on The Late Show with David Lettermen for Lettermen’s 65th birthday (30 years doing that show and screwed by Leno and NBC when Johnny Carson left), playing the default, go-to song the band has right now – “Hold On.”
“Hold On” – Alabama Shakes from Boys and Girls via ATO Records
(track via KEXP)
“I Ain’t The Same” (Live in Athens, GA, April 4, 2012) – Alabama Shakes from Boys and Girls via ATO Records
Alabama Shakes 2012 tour schedule
Dinosaur Feathers Return with Sophomore LP, ‘Whistle Tips’
Brooklyn’s Dinosaur Feathers is a lo-fi indie pop/rock band that shows no signs of extinction. In fact, they have continued to evolve with the release of their sophomore album, Whistle Tips, featuring more fuzz-heavy guitar riffs and meatier rhythms, as well as longer jams with more pronounced hooks on tracks like the opener, “Young Bucks,” supported by expansive choruses.
The track “Surprise” is one of the standout tracks of the album with its hooklicious guitar riffs, pop-oriented beats, and grand choruses. Another track, the second official single, “Beatcha,” is an energetic indie pop rocker with Caribbean rhythms and ooo-ahh type harmonies, and one of the album’s tracks that is reminiscent of their highly praised debut, Fantasy Memorial.
As well, the similarity in sound on “Betcha” is really a good example of the Vampire Weekend comparisons many have made of Dinosaur Feathers, which some see as good, and others, well, not so good. We feel like as long as you enjoy it, who cares. Afterall, the Dinosaur Feathers are a good band and gave us one of the best debut albums of 2010. And they have followed it up with Whistle Tips, which is a solid sophomore LP achievement, featuring a number of stand out tracks that are memorable and totally fitting for the 2012 Summer Mixtapes series.
“Surprise!” – Dinosaur Feathers from Whistle Tips
“Betcha” – Dinosaur Feathers from Whistle Tips
Dinosaur Feathers 2012 Tour Dates
Emerging Indie Pop Band The Sugarettes Drop Debut Album ‘Destroyer of Worlds’
After posting the new title track from The Sugarettes’ debut album, Destroyer Of Worlds, last week, the band saw our post and sent us a copy of the entire album, even though as of last week, there was still confusion on some online posts about when the album itself would be released. And then we find out it’s being released this week.
In addition to the title track that was featured in last week’s post, there are a couple of other tracks that are particularly of note, including the album opener, “Love In Stereo,” (title alone sounds like a Cars‘ song), a full-blast of girl-singing power pop complete with a wall of guitars and catchy rhythm. The Sugarettes drummer Marnix Van Den Broek, told IRC on Tuesday that their sound is largely based on alternative pop, and “inspired by American high school rock.”
Van Den Broek said the inspiration for the title track “came from the movie Whip It, about roller derby girls who are really into indie rock. We just love the naive and compelling atmosphere of that genre, and use it as a backdrop of our own songs and music.”
He added: “On this album we occasionally had tropical melodies and Japanese pop-hysteria in mind…[with a] feel-good, summer kind of vibe. This sunny part is counter-balanced by the fact that the album happens to have been written and recorded during, and is therefore unmistakably influenced by, a turbulent period of break-up-turned-into-new-romance (or the other way around) in the lives of singers Joep and Iskaa.”
The band’s album is available as a name-your-price download on The Sugarettes bandcamp page. They have previously opened for Blood Red Shoes, The Von Bondies, A Place to Bury Strangers, among others.
“Destroyer of Worlds” – The Sugarettes from Destroyer of Worlds
Double-shot: “Love in Stereo” – The Sugarettes from Destroyer of Worlds
Sleepy Sun, a retro ‘stoner rock’ band from California, was on our watch list from the get-go in 2010. Rolling Stone compared Sleepy Sun’s sound to similar “a history detective version of Wilco, juggling an amalgam of dynamic: rumbling garage metal, iridescent-meadow country rock, bargain-synth whoop, the pensive-ballad Pink Floyd.” Spine Hits is the band’s sophomore album release.
“Stivey Pond” – Sleepy Sun from Spine Hits on The End Records
Young Hines Drops Debut Album, ‘Give Me My Change’
Young Hines is a Griffin, Georgia singer/songwriter and musician who began popping up on blogs and sites months ago. Last fall, he was tapped to open for The Raconteurs at The Tabernacle in Atlanta, which raised his profile even more. An indie folk rock musician that little is known about, Young Hines – named so because he is the youngest of seven children – dropped his debut album, Give Me My Change, this week.
“Rainy Day” – Young Hines from Give Me My Change
Listen to/download “Can’t Explode” from Give Me My Change via Soundcloud
Kishi Bashi, Hoots and Hellmouth, Jenny Gillespie and Trampled by Turtles
One of the things that makes putting together this weekly series is the chance to share music with other people, many who have little time to listen to hundreds of songs a month to pick out keepers, or browse the web for new bands to check out, as well as keep up with new materials from the “indie” and alternative rock artists they already dig. Sometimes when we don’t have time to write about every artist or song within a post, we try to create mini-playlists within a playlist. This mini playlist features singles from albums out this week by indie folk, and now radar bands with crazy names like Hoots and Hellmouth and Trampled By Turtles, It’s A Musical, plus musicians Kishi Bashi and Jennie Gillespie.
“Why Would You Not Want to Go There?” – Hoots and Hellmouth from Salt on sonaBLAST! Records
“Alone” – Trampled by Turtles from Stars and Satellites on Thirty Tigers/RED
“For Years And Years” – It’s A Musical from For Years And Years on Morr Music
“It All Began with a Burst” – Kishi Bashi from 151a
“Sunshine Blood” – Jenny Gillespie from Belita EP