Martn Gore- "MG"

Martin Gore, one of the pivotal founding members of Depeche Mode, has never been an outward artist- his calming demeanor and elegant tone has always been balanced by an extremely prolific output and modest presence.  The man responsible for penning some of Depeche Mode's most popular hits, Gore seems to have a restless side; spending at least five days a week in his studio crafting songs.  With a resume of writing credits and Mode responsibilities, he's also managed to release albums with Vincent Clarke under the name VCMG and his recent solo album, "MG".

Devoid of any vocals, "MG" is a synth-laden science fiction opus of midnight movie fare at its finest.  There's hints of Depeche Mode formula throughout, but Gore manages to craft something individual of his roots- a moody soundscape of otherworldly instrumentals and film score musings akin to the likes of early M83 or John Carpenter soundtracks.

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Jon Spencer Blues Explosion- "Freedom Tower"

There's rock n' roll & there's JON SPENCER'S ROCK N' ROLL. Conceived in the early 90's as a brash response to the over-abundance of flannel-drenched Seattle offspring, Spencer's trio of amp-murdering partners in crime have churned out 12 albums of no-nonsense blues rock with swagger to spare.  Their unique brand of cantina-strut and noir cowboy delivery completely avoided the mid-2000's garage rock revolution of NYC (partially due to their having been a unit years prior and mainly because of their unabashed level of authenticity).  Their latest offering, "Freedom Tower (No Wave Dance Party 2015)", is no exception.

Found somewhere in the bottom of a bin in the last record store in the gutters of NYC, the remaining article from the apocalypse could easily be Spencer & Co's love letter to their dying city.  Dipped in their patented blues-tinged grooves and almost hip-hop-worthy bareback backbeat, the album never waivers from its ability to capture the manic energy of their hometown grime.  Vocals echo and punch like a coked-out Elvis Presley, while dodging any semblance of introversion or sensitivity currently riddling modern "rock" effortlessly. This is Saturday night music for the patron saints of the weathered weekend warriors.

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The Prodigy- "The Day Is My Enemy"

The Prodigy burst onto the Essex-driven rave scene in the early 90's with its bombastic big beat thrust and rock n' roll swagger.  Unlike their e-chewing electro contemporaries, their sound was brash, almost punk in both aggressive energy and execution.  From their debut, "Experience", a hodge-podge mash of stadium-dance delivered with crippling machine gun accuracy to their 1996 smash hit album "Fat Of The Land" (whose singles "Firestarter" and "Smack My Bitch Up" broke stateside to even the mainstream rock radio zeitgeist)-- Prodigy carved a niche for themselves through the panache and swagger of sheer energy.  Following a brief hiatus for a handful of years, the band reformed to release "Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned" and "Invaders Must Die", both of which arriving to mediocre enthusiasm both stateside and abroad- the key criticism being that the group had lost the edge that sliced its way ahead of their peer.

2014's "The Day Is My Enemy" is relentlessly a return to form for The Prodigy, with a violent and visceral collection of new songs that sound like they could have easily been recorded amidst their "Fat Of The Land" heyday.  There's no punches being pulled here-- reformed, rejuvinated and clearly out for blood.  The synths blast like punk guitars, members Keith Flint and Maxim deliver paranoia-spewed vocals with snarled viciousness, and every drum hit socks like a punch to the skull-- THIS is The Prodigy you knew and loved.

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Kendrick Lamar- "To Pimp A Butterfly"

Kendrick Lamar achieved a rarity in the world of modern hip hop with the release of 2012's "good kid, M.A.A.D. City"-- he gained a fervent mainstream following without the sacrifice of his ideals or integrity.  His major label debut (a humble and strong elevation from his previous mixtapes and indie releases) was a focused and deliberate examination of the characters and surroundings of the world that birthed him, Compton.  Not since the early 90's of NWA or Public Enemy has a rap artist balanced cathartic self-awaredness with rapidfire, unapologetic lyricism.  Lamar's songs often ring out like short stories, embracing the chaos of his environment and turning it in on itself to inform the listener; transcending genre with each progression.

Lamar's latest offering, the aptly-titled "To Pimp A Butterfly", embraces the catharsis of the previous with the social relevance and confident restrain of a street poet.  Accompanied with minimal studio gloss and the live instrumentation of a subtle jazz trio, the album boasts an immediacy severely lacking in the braggart culture of radio rap.  Throughout the album, Lamar dredges the lake of current events without ever standing on a soapbox- he simply asks the questions, hoping that the listener will vacillate on the myriad of possibilities.

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Twin Shadow- "Eclipse"

Twin Shadow, otherwise known as enigmatic frontman George Lewis Jr., came onto the scene in 2010 with his debut "Forget". Coated in Morrissey-worthy earnesty and textural new wave synths, Lewis established himself as the soft-crooner for the broken-hearted.  His follow-up (2012's "Confess") forged onward through his previous patchworked laptop opuses toward a more cohesive pop-centric full-band execution.  At its strongest moments, "Confess" conjures nostalgia for cheeky 80's radio darlings and new wave leanings- so much so that you'd swear you were listening to a cover band. Which is what makes his latest offering so seductive.

"Eclipse", Twin Shadow's major label-debut is strikingly more contemporary than it's predecessors- embracing the vintage-tinged melodies and retrofitting the production without losing any of its aesthetic.  Boasting confident (and occasionally anthemic) choruses and Lewis' patented bedroom-eyed hooks, the album is arguably the group's strongest and most accessible album.

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Noel Gallagher's High-Flying Birds

Noel Gallagher, rather that guy (gruff brother of Liam Gallagher) from that band (Oasis, in case you don't recall the nineties), has the subtle art of aloof and cool disinterest down to a fine science. Since his days in the Britpop powerhouse Oasis, the elder Gallagher has proven a keen, albeit entertaining view of the music industry and its myriad of benign disfunctionalities- which makes his integral involvement in one of the biggest bands of the last twenty years something of puzzle. This is a man who can play the game, with little to no interest of the outcome- his content comes from shuffling on- which could explain the majority of his work with High Flying Birds.

Formed within a year of the conclusion of Oasis, High Flying Birds became an output for Gallagher to explore his less obvious sensibilities found in the later-day output of the former band and drift toward "more personal" work.  The High Flying Birds' self-titled debut was just that- a confident and direct guitar pop album embellished with strings and horns throughout, a calm reminder that Gallagher wasn't just "that guy" from "that band".  With the 2015 release of the band's second album, the aptly-titled "Chasing Yesterday", Noel provides us with more of the expansive intimacy of the first- but with a little more insight. The songs are lush in scale (thanks to Gallagher self-producing the entire record) and seem to meander through musings of age and relevancy subjectively. While it's hard to deny some of the hookiest leanings of Oasis in their hey-day, Noel's work is strikingly self-conscious when he steps out of the shadow of his former self.

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Purity Ring- "another eternity"

Since the great divide between Top 40 radio and the more nuanced college playlists- there aren't many acts that can straddle the aesthetics of both worlds. Enter Purity Ring- the electronic dream pop duo of Megan James and Corrin Roddick.  Formerly members of the band Born Gold, the two began recording demos soon after Roddick investing his time into formulating electronic compositions.  Within the first couple months of inception, the two had formulated what would inevitably become their debut album "Shrines".  Culling together dance beats with irreverent, minimalist bleeps and bloops as the undercurrent for James' ethereal nightengale croon, Purity Ring's signature sound could easily be the bridge between radio pop and indie darlings.

Their latest endeavor "another eternity", captures the strengths of the duo's debut with a glossier sheen. While not a distinct departure from their initial work, the production does contribute to a fuller, more heavy-hearted album sonically. James' lyrics seemingly carry the weight of the world with the well-intentioned synth backing her elegantly- if this is the future of pop music, we can eagerly anticipate their next move.

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