Daniel Johnston's Jeremiah the Innocent Vinyl Figure(At Arms NYC)
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Oh Snap! The vinyl toy collector in me is screaming with delight. I can finally own one of Daniel Johnston's iconic characters in 3D form. Jeremiah is about 12" tall and comes with his own little stand that looks like a tree stump. Less than 1000 were made so make sure you get yours now. I want a Green one but you can get Yellow and White as well.

Oh, I hope they make more. Copyright violations be damned! I wanna Daniel Johnston Captain america, Casper, and the duck, and Joe the Boxer. Oh, I am salavating!!!
- Edmund LeStrange

But all is not lost! Bradford Cox of Deerhunter has released his much talked about solo project Atlas Sound. And I mean muuucchhh talked about. Geez, this record was getting internet buzz when it was no more than a seedling in Cox's brain and surely after this year's SXSW festival Cox may once again be swept up in the fever that Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel seems to be a direct response against.

Many of the textures will be familiar to fans of Deerhunter. Let The Blind Lead… is replete with drones, delay, and breathy effected vocals. Instead of the eventual driving riff born of drones comes a different beastie laced in ambience, atmospherics and memory. Your aural journey begins with a found sample of a boy telling the story of a ghost named Charlie before unraveling and reassembling layer after layer of warm remembrance leaving you in a sweet little sonic cocoon.

It's astounding how fresh the bulk of these songs sound, most seem like they could have been released within the last five years. Conversely it's a shame these artists aren't getting their just dues till now. Even now who knows how much they'll actually get but don't you sleep on this record!

Even though the birth of the 2008 baby was just a few weeks ago (count 6 to be exact), there is a damn good chance that this new disc of delight from Principles of Geometry is going to be finding itself on my best of list for the year.

Lazare 's tracks find themselves caught between being either awash in dreamy synths, stuttering beats, and distressed samples, (seeming almost in place with older Four Tet, the first M83 album, or a more hip hop version of Boards Of Canada), or they're tweaked out four on the floor oddness, something akin to Who Made Who, Poni Hoax, maybe a more aggressive Black Moth Super Rainbow, or some of the tracks found on Joakim's last full length. The Joakim influence is no little coincidence though, being that Principles of Geometry are signed to his label Tigersushi, which is both awesome and sweet for me since I am a fan of star trek dork size proportions of both Joakim and his label.

The obvious killer on this album is the single “ A Mountain For President,” I've been playing the 12” single out as part of my warm up set and the response has been pretty incredible for it. “Interstate Highway System” and “ Prophet” will please fans of the trendy cut and chop sound the Ed Banger kids have made so popular, though both tracks are a bit more melody driven, and the beginning of the break down in “Interstate” I swear samples the keyboard from the Dougie Howser theme song. “Letom Redrum” gets all John Carpenter Assault on Precinct 13 on your ass as it embarks on a nice creepy crawl to the stellar and beautiful album closer “ Messiah.” All in all making for an enjoyable trip.

Before we part ways with this review the vocal cameos, which fill the album, must be noted in awards style. First prize goes to Sebastien Tellier for his lushness blessing “A Mountain for President,” second place lands with Cannibal Ox's Vast Aire who spits a pretty nice game on “Napoleon,” and third place (but not last place) is awarded to Hangar 18 for the flow on “Nine Hundred and Eighty Eight.”

The opening, mostly instrumental romp, “Three Way” sets the stage for an atypically layered effort from Steven Merritt and his Magnetic Fields. “California Girls” drips with saccharine sweet presentation juxtaposed with hate filled sentiments about the plasticine ladies of the Golden State and plans for their demise. Of course there are classic MF songs like “Old Fools” with Merritt's signature cynically clever take on the love song, not that every song on this record isn't a love song to some extent. And let's not forget Merritt's dark sense of humor that comes crashing through like the morning light after too late an evening with songs like “Too Drunk To Dream”.

VA - Disco Not Disco: Post Punk, Electro & Leftfield Disco Classics 1974-1986 (Strut)
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So you say: “There haven't been nearly enough comps in the last few years that have “Contort Yourself” on it!” Then I say: “Why are you being so sarcastically smug?” Or were the roles reversed?

Either way we now have the third release in the Disco Not Disco series Post Punk, Electro & Leftfield Classics 1974-1986. A fine collection it is for who would like to get acquainted with Gang Of Four's sister group Delta 5 or the No Wave/pre-electro stylings of Konk or maybe you wanna get introduced to one of the creators of synthpop in Yellow Magic Orchestra. This record is a fine place to get your learn on. However, it might be a little disappointing for those already immersed in these worlds .
- Edmund LeStrange

Figurines - When The Deer Wore Blue (Control Group)
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So, you say you have a thing for Danish pop rock bands? Figurines are Danish, they're like totally awesome, and this is their second album, and it like totally moves me. It's a bit more relaxed than their debut, but that's not a bad thing. For fans of The Legends, Radio Dept., Band Of Horses or Loney Dear. Boo Ya!

- Ian Orth

Professional pedal crafter Oliver Ackermann and company have released a violent quasi industrial-drone-shoegaze bomb upon the world. This self-titled release is similar to the grinding trebly buzz of Japanese counterparts Xinlisupreme. Both of who have taken a key from early Jesus and Mary Chain as far as their wall of feedback approach. A Place To Bury Strangers differs in that they have the ability to shift gears within their wall of sound rather than simply escalating the loudness and abrasion. That's not to say this record isn't loud. Its as loud as any Guitar Wolf record or MVB live show. In the shifts we hear a proclivity for mid-80s processed bass lines and drowned out dreamy vocals. At one point it sounds like The Cure fell into a well with Einsturzende Neubauten. Ackermann's vocals temper the madness throughout the record and supply an aural anchor in a sea of distortions. Tons of phasing, feedback, delay, and total sonic annihilation but amazingly some hooks and melody lie within the density. I I like it lots.
- Edmund LeStrange

2nd full-length album from the former second half of Arab Strap , A Brighter Beat builds off of the previous album's ability to take what should be depressing subject matter and place it in an infectious pop structure that'll have you happily singing along with lyrics you might not typically find yourself belting out in your car. Album opener “We're All Gonna Die” has a rousing chorus about how you are gonna die alone set to upbeat instrumentation complete with string arrangements, a driving bassline and a cacophony of electro blips. “Fight Like The Night” brings in the Moogs to such success any Cars fan would jump for joy. “Death Love Depression Love Death” brings a sound that we haven't heard from the Malcolm Middleton solo material yet and that is a pounding rocker which transitions into the summery acoustic/eletro romp “Fuck It, I Love You”. Gosh, I love these song titles. Seriously! The album maintains a bouncy feel with an undercurrent of traditional British folk instrumentation while weaving between electro, rock, pub songs and acoustic styles. Assistance from Barry Burns of Mogwai and members of The Reindeer Section and The Delgados round out the sound.

The Intelligence have nailed it on their 3 rd record! I was a huge fan of the last two but this one really brings their carefully honed sound to peak status. Former A-Frames drummer, Lars Finberg, has pulled back from the over the top noise in favor of hook after hook. That's not to say it's not noisy. Oh, it is deliciously noisy and jagged just not with the grating quality that came with some of the prior efforts. The Intelligence with Lars' desperate, over reaching vocals, guitars sounding like everything from 50's sci-fi to power tools, the occasional madcap synth loop, drums ranging from programmed to traditional hard hitting to tin cans and god knows what else, and other fuzzed out indiscernible instruments and/or phantom tones make Deuteronomy a benchmark record. The bar has been raised.

Timeless straight up country tinged rock n' roll. The notorious Black Lips have mellowed or shall we say matured on Good Bad Not Evil. Perhaps due to their relentless touring off of their previous record these Atlanta boys have left behind some of their raucousness in favor of better song crafting and the creation of an incredibly tight musical unit. Terribly accessible yet still dangerous.
- Edmund LeStrange

Yet another Jay Reatard band! Does he not sleep? You can probably guess what that means; sharp fuzzed out hooks, short and sweet structure, drunken anthems, in the red production, enough familiarity to get you moving quick but enough originality to keep you interested. Plus there are even some hair raising vocal harmonies on this one.

Dead Kennedys meets The Surf Punks meets Pere Ubu meets The Replacements meets Angry Samoans meets Husker Du meets GBV meets The Wipers meets your mom. Oh, and stimulants.

The last Liars album, Drum's Not Dead, ended with “The Other Side Of Side Of Mt. Heart Attack” a soulful, exhausted pop gem that far too many people probably missed due to its placement in the track listing. I had always liked Liars up to that point but after hearing that song I so wanted them to back off the noise a tad in favor of a little more pop that they had just proven they can do so well.

With their new album they have almost satiated my desire for the pop. By far their most accessible record to date Liars is a perfect melding of their proclivities for dissonance but tempered with hooks like we've never seen from the band before. There's no song quite as sweet as “The Other Side Of Side Of Mt. Heart Attack” but songs like “Houseclouds” and its electro drive, “Sailing to Byzantium” and its relaxed swagger, “What Would They Know” with its visceral bends and drones, and “Freak Out” which starts off Swell Maps then wavers back and forth between the aforementioned and the Liars unique brand of disaffected vocals lost in empty hallways propel the record into album status. It's a listener from start to finish.

Monty Buckles and his L.A. crew have given me my tuff record for the month. The album starts with guitars reminiscent of The Country Teasers slow reverb sprawl except with a heavy bottom end but the energy level quickly gets ratcheted up with Monty's overdriven wet vocals that sound like some mad feline has been scratchin' at his vocal cords. But he's gonna power through no matter. Bleeding on the all over the mic, exhausted, but hell if we're not gonna nail this in one take! Or at least that's how I'd like to imagine it.

The guitars waver between sweet clean Fender tones and all-out wall of trebly buzzsaw grinding on asphalt madness `a la label mates The Intelligence .

The album doesn't even hit it's zenith till over halfway through with Javelin in which you will actually hear a drunken guitar as if the instrument itself has taken in the energy of its master and is free to speak for itself. Too bad its been pelted with beer cans for years and is too drunk and dumbed down from years of abuse to properly express itself. The following track, Bob The Cat , is just pure cocky-hooky-anthemic bliss. By this point you'll have a steely adrenalin reaction that very well may turn you into a villain with ice water in your veins

The guitars grind, the vocals howl, the bass and snare are hit hard. What else do you want? Ear blisters? Well you got ‘em!

Belaire - Exploding Impacting (Indierect)
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The first full length from Belaire, Exploding,Impacting, does exactly that.  Exploding with sweet sounding harmonies over some bright sounding synthesizers and Impacting with irresistible hooks. One listen and you will be singing along.  The album holds its ground from start to finish  with  breakdowns reminiscent of the first Anniversary album.  With Belaire working their pop song writing muscles in to over time, they still manage to keep it sweet sounding and not overbearing.  The band brings a childlike simplicity to the songs as if I fell into my little sister's tea pot at one of her tea parties...  Only to find that party is really popping off inside, making me never want to leave this electro-pop wonderland.  This album goes as far to bridge the gap from Fay indie kids to the weight lifting guy that hates when you look at his girlfriend.  Top contender for my top 10 of the year           
- Nate Cardaci

Oh, joyous day! Now I remember the comedic performance I laughed at so hard but was too drunk to have any recall on. Patton recorded this CD live right here in ATX over two nights at a local comedy club. Never having been to a comedy club before, but seeing the likes of Patton Oswalt, Eugene Mirman, Zack Galifianakis, Maria Bamford, Brian Posehn, etc. at local rock clubs and loving it, I decided to brave it. That being said, I can't say I'm sold on comedy clubs. The place felt like a combination dinner theater-strip club-emergency shelter where they would teach defensive driving during the day. So, it is a testament to Patton's comedic power that I could so thoroughly enjoy myself in such a strange setting. And it's all captured on CD! If you like inappropriate, liberal leaning, nerdling, intelligent, comedy then you are not a patriot, but you will love this CD/DVD combo!

Hey it's a formula and its not quiet/loud! Taking a page from Pavement's book Blitzen Trapper has alternating smart aleck-jangly-sloppy-spazzy-dischordant-scratchy rockers full of time slips alongside serene-drawl infused-fluffy pop. There's even a pinch of guitar noodling to make a one time metal fan smirk and don't we love to smirk. There's even a downright porch song on this here album! With the addition of occasional in the red production, light electronics, sweet sweet vocal melodies and the hint of locations below the Mason-Dixon line, Wild Mountain Nation is sure to please.

Ahh, I needed a new recovery record. One that can set my addled mind at ease and help me come to terms with the mistakes from last night. Come Up For Air does just that. It's a pensive breather that will lengthen your gaze. Languid vocals, sparse instrumentation, and a melancholy air tempered with a sense that all will be alright.

I hate to even say this but… it reminds me of Coldplay at times, but without any of the negative connotations this snob associates with them. You know when they were cool. For that moment when you had heard Parachutes but everyone else hadn't yet and then you dropped them like a hot potato when everyone else keyed into them. Who's with me? Oh geez, I just alienated multiple camps.Or maybe its more like Arab Strap without the sometimes uncomfortable vulgarity and much more intelligible vocals.

Anyway, listen to this record from start to finish, except maybe for track 7 which begins to go into Enya territory. You'll be on your way to feeling better by the end.

Maps - We Can Create (Mute)
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The first time I heard MAPS was about a year and a half ago on their stellar “Lost my Soul,” 10” single (which happens to appear on the album as well). I bought it on chance, mostly because the Piccadilly Records website was dubbing it the next best thing to malmite and bread, and you know how them British feel about their malmite. Upon that first listen I fell in love with the way James Chapman (the man behind MAPS) approached his music.

There is something simple in the complex layers of guitars, drum machines, synths, and samples that makes Chapman's creations so lush you'd swear you were floating down a river with your ears just resting in the water. The songs on We Can Create aren't ambient dribbles and swooshes of pretense though, oh lordy no. These are damn good pop songs, bordering somewhere between shoegazer and brit pop.

Having recorded a large chunk of the album's material in Iceland, one gets the sense that the landscape was highly influential in shaping the albums sound. Each track seems to be an anthem to the various landscapes of the tiny country.

- Ian Orth

Amiina is back with their first full length and an extra I in their name. You might have seen them opening for Sigur Ros on their last tour as well as supporting them onstage as their string section.

   The Grails record doesn't really sound like Basil Poledouris but it reminds me of him and his grandiose scoring and that's always a good thing.

   I got burnt out on the instrumental rock in the early 2000s but this album has managed to reawaken my desire for the ebb and flow/quiet and loud dynamic. However, I don't mean the previous statement to pigeonhole them. They definitely have their own take that relies heavily on Middle Eastern influence and psych rather than simply clicking on and off pedals.