Music Blowing My Mind! (Part 1)...

I can't help it! I have to consume new music or I get really bugged, okay! The following blog is dedicated to new music that I've consumed for the past few months.

I've arranged the music into the following categories:

1. Mind Tickled (MT)
2. Mind Expanded (ME)
3. Mind Totally Blow to Pieces (MTBP)

Got it? Good.

Let's start with the MT first:

Ben Kweller's new album: "Go Fly a Kite"

For those of you unfamiliar with Ben Kweller, he's a crafty young musician once pegged by indie-rockers as a "child prodigy." That status meant that, as a teenager,  he had "mad-indie-skills" when it came to catchy, lo-fi tunes. He's older now, so, that glove doesn't really fit him any more. Basically, based on his trajectory, he should have crafted a masterpiece by now, but hasn't. (He came close on 2009's "Changing Horses" but not close enough.)

Mr. Kweller knows how to craft a song, though, and proves it with a few good 70's and 80's guitar-and-piano-songs with strong pop sensibilities. (See: "Out the Door," "Jealous Girl," and "Gossip.") Other than those stand-outs, the rest of the album just sort of comes and goes for me.






That's all for the Mind Ticklers. Short list, which is good, I guess...

Next we have the ME group:

1. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. (For the record, I HATE THEIR NAME SO BAD!) It just bugs me.

Fortunately, their music makes up for it. I have been listening to their latest album, "It's a Corporate World." I know very little about these dudes, but I think this album is a "concept album." In other words, there is a funny and quirky thematic element that spreads through all the songs. I think that theme has to do with being a corporate businessman. Clever and sardonic soundtrack for the "Occupy Wall Street" movement? Maybe, I have no idea.

These guys conjure up similar tones of The Flaming Lips and MGMT. They definitely scratch that itch for melodic and sonic catastrophy. The whole album expanded my cerebellum a few millimeters and these songs stand-out: "Morning Thought," "Nothing But Our Love," "An Ugly Person On a Movie Screen," and the Mo-Town-influenced "We Almost Lost Detroit."




2. Alabama Shakes

My buddy Dave Lamborn teased me once that all my musical tastes can be found on NPR. He lives in Minnesota or I would have kicked him in his nards (all three) for saying that. What sucks, though, is he's sorta right. I was listening to the Spring Fund Drive on NPR and they were giving away this album if you donated $100. (Instead of supporting public radio, I just waited for the album to come out on iTunes, I'm only a little ashamed...).

Anyhoo, the samples of music they had on NPR were very, very tasty. They have a huge "buzz" about them now and it's all warranted. The gods of rock and roll have awakened a beast within lead singer Brittany Howard. She has an incredibly soulful and ready to rock voice! She's the real deal. The whole album is good, and these are the stand-outs: "Hold On," "Be Mine," and "Hang Loose."


 



TO BE CONTINUED! STAY TUNED!