m b v

You had to know that My Bloody Valentine's first release in 22 years, m b v would end up here. It's like the law of record stores or something. Any record store retailer with any sense of pride is going to recommend this album. As much as this album seems to get the rubber-stamped pass wherever you go, this truly IS a fine album. Is it Loveless Jr? No. Does it pick up where Loveless left off? Perhaps. I find this serves as a past, present, and future of MBV as there are moments reminiscent of Isn't Anything, the guitars we fell in love with on Loveless, and repetitive drum machines, of their future. They definitely don't disappoint with multiple layers of tremeloed guitars, throbbing fuzz and those angelic vocals of Bilinda Butcher. We are reacquainted with the droning chords and persistent squall the we fell in love with. "Only Tomorrow" continues in the Loveless tradition with a gorgeous melody and more of those signature guitar sounds. After another dose of classic MBV ("who sees you"), there's a shift in the programming with the keyboard interlude "is this and yes." After leaving poppier territory with the pulsating strummer "new you," MBV venture into new lands with material heavy on drum machines. Though these three tracks are hardly electronic music, there are similarities with a style that slightly leans towards drum and bass alongside heavy guitar repetitions less reliant on melody. "nothing is" and "wonder 2" end the record in a particularly chaotic fashion which is particularly shocking after a somewhat subdued first half. Regardless, My Bloody Valentine actually achieved the unthinkable and followed up one of the greatest records of all time with something that just may be its equal. Just in case you missed it, or need a fix, here's she found now. Either buy your copy from the band (like I did) or get it from us (much quicker!!!) here.

The Next Day

The anticipation is over! David Bowie is back with The Next Day, his first output of new material in a decade. We all know how these things can go--when there's artist with a lengthy career who has been on hiatus it is usually quite the challenge to come back as relevant or perhaps resist the temptation to return as a caricature of oneself. I can definitely think of a few bands that seem to be coasting on their past laurels and sound like a band doing an impersonation of themselves. Nonetheless, The Next Day is not going to be mindblowing--it's Bowie. We have followed him through many phases and its hard to conceive what he has left to do. What I can say is that this is a solid album throughout, without any weak points or lulls. If you like Berlin-Era Bowie, then you are in for a treat! The first song, which is the title track, sounds the like it could be a B-side from Heroes. Take notice of the tongue-in-cheek, obscured nod to that exact era just in the cover art alone. Yet unlike the Eno treatment of Heroes or Low, this album has been systematically stripped of eeriness, trading discomfort for pleasure at every turn. Perhaps this is the quality I like most about it, as I want to listen to it everyday. It's a suiting "end of winter" pick. And pleasure it does deliver, as nobody knows how to do classic Bowie like Bowie and Visconti, the two life-long collaborators sifting through their past, picking elements that relate to what Bowie is now: an elder statesman who made a conscious decision to leave innovation behind long ago. Overall, The Next Day neither enhances nor diminishes anything that came before, it's merely a sweet coda to a towering career. Check it out: Buy your copy here.

Christopher

The Ruby Suns are back with a souped up, synthed up album called Christopher. In case you need a recap, The Ruby Suns combine psychedelic indie pop with world music influences, drawing inspiration from the travels of the group's only permanent member, Ryan McPhun. Although born and raised in California, McPhun's thirst for adventure eventually drew him halfway across the globe, where he ventured into Africa and Thailand before settling in New Zealand. Auckland's music scene was rich, and the multi-instrumentalist spent time in various pop groups (the Tokey Tones, the Reduction Agents, and the Brunettes) while fronting his own act, Ryan McPhun & the Ruby Suns. After releasing a self-titled debut under that moniker, the band shortened its name to The Ruby Suns and signed with Lil' Chief Records.securing distribution deals in Europe and Australia along the way. I was surprised by this album due to its amping up of production and embrace of pop signifies in McPhun's personal life, but there's a sense of heavy changes afoot throughout the album. The remarkably improved production is handled by Chris Coady (Beach House, Grizzly Bear), who takes McPhun's formerly busy sonic landscapes and manicures them without subtracting much from the always crowded songs. Multiple tracks of electronic drums and swirling synth lines are stacked up in pristine piles, making room for huge choruses and vocodered vocals. The production is impressive, but unfortunately only works when the songwriting rises to the occasion. Album opener "Desert of Pop" is a standout, telling a surprisingly naked account of a starstruck McPhun meeting pop idol/obvious crush Robyn and making an ass of himself while trying to play it cool. The song's multitude of hooks rides over a 80's beat sounds familiar and pleasing. Similar nostalgic greatness is achieved on "In Real Life," evoking all the quirky subtleties of the '80s electro-pop hits that filled John Hughes movie soundtracks. While the rest of the album sort of drops off by the very end, I still think this is worth several listens. Buy your copy of The Ruby Suns Christopher here.