Julian Casablancas + The Voidz- "Tyranny"

It's been nearly a decade since the great rock and roll revival of New York City which introduced us to a slew of grisly, pseudo-throwback acts and genuine art school confidants masquerading as guitar-slingers by night. Post 9-11 New York was a bubbling geyser of forging acts that carried the casket of modern rock quietly into the night, with the likes of bands such as Interpol, The Rapture, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and The Strokes. Founded by Julian Casablancas and maintaining their relevancy way past their expiration date, The Strokes' stripped-down garage rock managed to garnish the attention of mainstream radio
long after the hype ran out of steam.

The charismatic frontman has carved a niche with accessible melodies and subtle lyricism; a songsmith with a knack for pop sensibility and vintage execution. Enter the black sheep in his discography: THE VOIDZ. "Tyranny", the debut album from Julian Casablancas and his new band The Voidz, is the complete antithesis of any of his previous work in the best possible way.

Unpolished, unhinged, noisy, and virtually inaccessible to anyone whose excitement begins and ends with The Strokes' "Last Night"; "Tyranny" stands on its own as a rambunctious debut. Unafraid of 15 minute meanderings into 21st century cynical romanticism ("Human Sadness") or Black Flag-worthy proto-punk howling (the inexplicably catchy "Where No Eagles Fly"), the album's Warriors aesthetic is matched by its lack of pomp and circumstance, which one can only assume were chucked down a garbage disposal in a wash of grimy guitars, 80's-inspired blast-beat drums, and kitschy-casio keyboards.

It's a strange album, to say the least, especially when you take into consideration who's the ringleader behind it.

Grab your copy of JULIAN CASABLANCAS & THE VOIDZ "TYRANNY", Right Here!

Simian Mobile Disco- "Whorl"

After the disbanding of the nearly-forgotten Astralwerks band Simian, electronic wizards James Ford and Jas Shaw began producing analogue works under the moniker: Simian Mobile Disco.  Receiving much-deserved attention for their remixes of various britrock mainstays such as Klaxons and Muse, the duo's momentum lead to the release of their debut album "Attack Decay Sustain Release". The album, which received favorable reviews on the electronic circuit (no pun intended), launched them onward to immediate levels of productivity, churning out five albums worth of material within 5 years (a rare level of tenure in the genre).

Ford & Shaw's latest outing finds the typically-expansive production team gravitating inward toward the more intimate, minimalist approach.  "Whorl" is in itself an ethereal listening experience and an inadvertent art project from the get-go- the album was recorded live, outside at Joshua Tree with each member being limited to only 1 sequencer and 1 synthesizer, respectively. The results are a sweeping, almost percussionless, soundwave that is the direct result of its environment- echoing chasms of starlit desert. Pensive and altruistic at times, "Whorl" has no apprehension about shaking off potential singles, it embraces the album format as a whole (seriously, from start to finish is the ONLY way this record should be enjoyed) and mesmerizes in the process.



Get your copy of SIMIAN MOBILE DISCO's "WHORL" Right Here!

Rowland S. Howard- "Pop Crimes"

Rowland S. Howard is a name that should ring throughout the halls of gloom-trodden rock n' rollers; discouraged former-goths of the 80's should have a framed portrait of the man on their mantle beside their respective Poe omnibus. Howard's guitar work helped shape the Aussie-punk-fused roots of what would echo throughout The Bat Cave for decades to come- he's the very definition of an unsung hero.

A founding member of The Birthday Party, which went on to spawn Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, JG Thirwell and the likes of Lydia Lunch, Howard's angular, slow-rolling approach to songwriting conjures the knock-down/drag-out aesthetic that's been lost to music for far too long.  His world-weary drawl echoes across each film noir-worthy ballad on his second solo album, "Pop Crimes".

Released posthumously (after losing his battle to liver cancer) stateside, Howard's unintentional swan song is a strong, engrossing collection of cohesive tragedies weaved amidst his patented cynicism. "Pop Crimes" is a disaffected record- it demands nothing of you and expects even less- but its thread-baren honesty and brood-worthy shuffle seduces you without warning. Thank you Rowland, your songs are the words that ghosts whisper in starstruck city alleys.

Grab your copy of ROWLAND S. HOWARD'S "POP CRIMES" HERE!!!

Death From Above 1979- "The Physical World"

Time has a funny way of illuminating the past; nostalgia may be a bittersweet notion in these ever-changing times, but it does manage to illustrate something's relevance in the long run. 2004 wasn't necessarily a standout year- Bush was still in office, Friends ended, music snobbery on the internet was in its infant-stages (the word "Pitchfork" was still a mere farming farming tool and not a self-important hub of music critic one-upsmanship)- we were an aggressive, cynical nation overall. Enter DEATH FROM ABOVE 1979- a two-man skull-cracking, riff-driven, madness machine bent on disinterested mayhem. On their debut album, "You're A Woman, I'm A Machine", vocalist/drummer Sebastien Grainger and bassist/synth player Jesse F. Keeler delivered a blast of relentlessly unhinged post-punk songs that weren't afraid to shed its violent backbeat into 70's-dance rock melody and hooks.  Despite helming such an exciting record, the duo parted ways soon after- scoffing at rumors of ever making a follow-up.

It's 2014 now, amidst our wave of evolving personal politics, elevated vicarious lifestyles through constant self-promotion on social networks (words that are now commonly used), and rising kale popularity- we're boring. Stagnant, even. The majority of the music that impacts the charts (and more importantly, the afformentioned hub of music critic one-upsmanship) typically falls into three camps: acoustic guitar whining, sterilized synthy-driven dance pop, or nonsensical avante garde instrumental compositions. This looks like a job for DEATH FROM ABOVE 1979!

With the nearly a decade passed, DFA1979 triumphantly returns with a second (and much-needed) release: "The Physical World." Barely straying from their initial sound, the duo fervently rekindled the manic, angular pop sensibility demonstrated on their debut and didn't spare a moment to second-guess. It's the same band, making the same kind of music- the only thing that's changed is the musical landscape. Somebody had to save the world from the industry's vanilla-tinged boredom, our stereos will thank us for DEATH FROM ABOVE 1979.

GET YOUR COPY OF DEATH FROM ABOVE 1979's "THE PHYSICAL WORLD HERE!!!