Mar 232007
This is what I’ve been listening to lately during my blogging sessions:
- Carnavas by Silversun Pickups: This quartet has that pre-millenial snarling angst that I associate with bands like Smashing Pumpkins or Soundgarden. The lead singer wails like he means it and the girl on bass is way cute.
- Back to Black by Amy Winehouse: Soul that leaves an aftertaste of whiskey and cigarettes. She updates the retro sound of Motown girl groups to create something more subversive, dangerous, and altogether original.
- Neon Bible by Arcade Fire: Underneath the heaps of breathless praise piled on by exuberant hipsters lies a truly great album. The arrangements are orchestral but unmistakably pop. Some writers have compared this band to U2 and I think that’s a bit of a stretch. In their heyday, U2 wrote big, heady-sounding songs about big ideas like war, God, and love. Arcade Fire isn’t quite so on-the-nose, but without a doubt they are one of the most interesting bands of this decade.
