It’s that time of the month again. Here are my top 5 favorite records I’ve been listening to in February.
The Airborne Toxic Event – ?
http://www.myspace.com/theairbornetoxicevent
Track to start with: Sometime Around Midnight
If there’s one song you listen to all month, make it The Airborne Toxic Event’s Sometime Around Midnight. It’s been on repeat on my Winamp ever since I bought it off Amazon the other week. Sometime Around Midnight starts off with a symphonic string melody that fades into a soft guitar introduction. As the vocals and percussion come in, the song gradually builds a crescendo of sound into an intense, almost Arcade Fire – Intervention-like swell into head bobbing, belt-it-out bliss.
No, the album isn’t called “?”, the title just hasn’t been revealed yet. This Los Angeles quintet’s quickly garnered a lot of buzz recently amongst show-goers and local radio stations. Singer Mikel Jollet, has a smooth baritone voice that reminds you a fair bit of Morrissey with a splash of Win Butler intensity in there to keep you in check. Only four recorded studio songs have been released thus far and they showcase the band’s spectrum of sounds, from Franz Ferdinand-like danceability on “Does This Mean You’re Moving On?” to contemplative melodies (“Wishing Well”) to simply… epic (“Sometime Around Midnight”).
Operator Please – Yes Yes Vindictive [AU Import]
http://www.myspace.com/operatorplease
Track to start with: Just A Song About Ping Pong
Five-piece band from Australia, these kids are lots of fun. Operator Please takes the exuberance of The Go! Team and focuses it with the brattiness of The Donnas and the confidence of Shirley Manson.
The Helio Sequence – Keep Your Eyes Ahead
http://www.myspace.com/theheliosequence
Track to start with: Keep Your Eyes Ahead
Signed to Sub Pop, these Oregon natives have a fundamentally ethereal, decompressed indie-pop sound, much like a Band of Horses or a Shins. However they manage to distinguish themselves by adding electronic elements to their songs that range from the subtle (The Captive Mind) to the obvious 8-bit sound effects on “You Can Come To Me”. The end result makes for a diverse album that fans of The Postal Service or even Kevin Devine might enjoy.
The Kills – Midnight Boom
http://www.myspace.com/thekills
Song to start with: U R A Fever
Midnight Boom is The Kills’ third studio album due out in the middle of March. I’ll have to admit, I never really was a fan, but Midnight Boom has turned me into one. The Kills are a male (Hotel)/female (VV) duo from the UK and US, respectively. I know what you’re thinking, but no, this is not the couple from the Oscar winning movie, Once. Wikipedia has a cute story about how they met though if you’re into that kinda stuff.
Anyway, the music has a dirty, raw, sexy vibe to it. It’s meant to be played LOUD so you best do that. There’s just something very alluring about the dark, staccato beats that permeate many of the songs on Midnight Boom.
Nobuo Uematsu – Lost Odyssey Soundtrack [JAP Import]
Unfortunately, Nobuo Uematsu does not have a myspace page with his music streamable.
Song to start with: Lost Odyssey Theme
I’ve been fully immersed into Hironobu Sakaguchi’s latest RPG on the Xbox 360 for the latter half of February. It’s arguably the best Japanese RPG title I’ve played in the last 5 years. Lost Odyssey represents a return to form for renowned Final Fantasy music composer, Nobuo Uematsu, as much as it does for Sakaguchi. The soundtrack to this game is the best Uematsu’s done this century. The main theme is memorable and epic. I find myself humming the battle themes at random times throughout the day, something I haven’t done since Final Fantasy 7. While his work here isn’t groundbreaking or revolutionary, it serves as a firm reminder that Uematsu is the best at what he does. Think of it as Bruce Springsteen – Magic, but for RPG soundtracks.
