Peter Bj?rn and John "Writer's Block" (Wichita/V2) Sounds like: A touch of Suburban Kids with Biblical Names, a dash of an ex-shoegazer band, all mixed in with cuddly Jens Lekman-esque vocals.
Grade: B+
Weeks in and weeks out, new albums come across the pond in attempt to make an impact on the world of quality-yet-slightly-obscure music. And every week, a new crown is placed on an It Band. Perhaps this is true of Peter Bj?rn and John. Or perhaps they have made a comfortable foray out of the shoegazing style of the early 1990s. It doesn't even matter because "Writer's Block" makes a strong impression.
In their third album, this Swedish trio has managed to overcome some of the weaknesses of their prior work. On songs like "Young Folks," there is a distinctly simple sound aided by the strong vocal abilities of Peter Mor?n, Bj?rn Yttling and John Erikkson (PB&J). It is pure European pop. Not dance pop, but the kind of pop that is not heard enough today.
This album is a significant addition to the strong wave of pop records coming from Sweden from the likes of The Shout Out Louds and The Concretes. Carrying the torch for these groups should not be hard if this album is any indication.
-ANDREW GARDNER
Feist "Open Season" (Arts & Crafts) Sounds like: Uh, Feist. Remixed by various and talented DJs but it's still Feist.
Grade: B-
Feist's unrelenting popularity more than likely stems from that awkwardly-titled-yet-much-adored single, "Mushaboom." Therefore it probably seems reasonable that the recently released album of remixes, "Open Season," contains not one, not two, but four mixed up versions of the infectious tune.
"Open Season" is a valiant effort, even if it comes off as a vehicle for several people to simply mess around with "Mushaboom." Part of Feist's appeal is that she interprets songs incredibly well, as she takes on jazzy piano numbers and redoes The Bee Gees. But it's really the "Mushaboom" remixes that make the album worth checking out. The Mocky remix is adequately bumpin' and the K-Os remix only has one glaring moment of a freestyling breakdown. The Postal Service remix is somewhat heinous, as if Ben Gibbard said to himself, "This song is good but what it really needs is ... ME."
Needless to say, this album is more of a collection of great songs but is generally difficult to listen to in one go. Hearing variations of the same song four times is grating at best but the quality of these remixes is undeniable.
-JEN TURNER
Malajube "Trompe L'Oeil" (Dare to Care) Sounds like: Indie rock's French wet dream.
Grade: A
Even if you only recognize the occasional "my cherie," Malajube's "Trompe L'Oeil" proves that the language of pop is universal. These Frenchies spend most of their time touring France and Canada but have gained plenty of attention in the U.S. indie scene.
But many of the songs sound deliberate, loopy and no instrument seems wasted in the total sound. It's interesting, which is a rarity among new music. Dynamic tempo shifts and large vocal ranges keep one's attention during longer tracks and between songs. It's hard to tell if there is single material here, but songs like "Fille ? Plumes" rock from beginning to end. The last song, "La Fin," fades out after the first minute and comes back eight minutes later, which seems kind of outdated and immature.
However, good songs have you singing along, no matter if it is in Japanese, French or gibberish (example: Sigur Ros). Malajube is dynamic enough to get you started having fun. It's not dance music - it's good pop. Check out the video for "P?te Filo" for some eye candy.
-JOSH KRAMER
Platinum Weird "Make Believe" (Interscope) Sounds Like: A second-rate Eurhythmics singing the worst Fleetwood Mac covers ever.
Grade: F
The Eurhythmics is one of the most influential bands of the past 25 years and Dave Stewart is commonly thought of as a genius. So then why in the world would he want to ruin his legacy by founding the worst Fleetwood Mac cover band in the history of music?
Platinum Weird is a band comprised of Dave Stewart and singer/songwriter Kara DioGuardi. Their debut release, "Make Believe," is a tribute to bloated egos and terrible songwriting.
The band comes complete with their own "fake history," stage names and even a half-hour mockumentary special on VH1 where people such as Mick Jagger and Elton John profess to be huge fans. Unfortunately this does not translate into good music. It is cheesy and forced, and the opening track, "Will You Be Around," is the worst rendition of "If You Don't Love Me Now" by Fleetwood Mac in the history of cover songs.
The album ends with "Goodbye, My Love." The guitar parts make a half-hearted attempt at being mysterious, but in actuality, it's just painful to listen to and really that's this album in a nutshell. While the band showed a true flare for being able to do classic rock covers while being a poor man's Eurhythmics, no amount of commercials during "I Love the '90s" could have stopped this album from being a complete and utter failure.
-CHRIS MORENO
Lloyd Banks "Rotten Apple" (Interscope) Sounds like: A mediocre G-Unit spin-off. Oh, wait...
Grade: C+
Lloyd Banks, member of Queens-based G-Unit, doesn't do much to step out of 50 Cent's shadow on his second solo album, "Rotten Apple." A look at the liner notes suggests that Banks hasn't been ruined by fame and still has the raw street-sense of the early G-Unit mix tapes. A listen proves otherwise.
"Playboy," nestled between the lackluster "Survival" and the dead-end "Playboy 2," is the hottest beat on the album. The production isn't typical, though. The rest of "Rotten Apple" is a big step away from the single-factory that is G-Unit.
With repetitive beats, the weight of the album rests on Banks' rhymes. Unfortunately, these are usually along the lines of "I'm so sick/I'm so South Side/ I'm so G-Unit/I am the greatest." Banks sounds pretty desperate to prove that he and G-Unit still rule New York, and the lyrics sound pretty forced and almost tired with the slower beats.
"You Know the Deal," featuring Rakim, has some potential with a well-produced beat, but ultimately goes nowhere. The slow jam for-the-ladies groove, "Help," is just what Banks needs. Help.
-JEFF LAMBERT
LCD Soundsystem "45:33" (DFA) Sounds like: The best thing to hit the aerobics scene since Jane Fonda
Grade: B+
It's sort of tough to follow the logic behind "45:33," the latest project by LCD Soundsystem, electronic front for DFA founder James Murphy. Nike came to Murphy and commissioned him to make an extended song fit for runners to jam to while exercising. Furthermore, Nike stipulated that the song would only be available for download on iTunes, putting in quite the effort into making sure that it didn't leak illegally onto music blogs. For some music fans, it was an act similar to Brutus backstabbing Caesar. If they couldn't rely on their pillars of hipster dance parties to fight against companies that have shoddier business practices than Enron and Kathie Lee Gifford combined, whom could they trust?
Once the track gets going, corporate politics and arguments of selling out don't seem to matter at all. In less than an hour, "45:33" touches on an absurdly high number of different dance music genres. Beginning with electronic oscillations soon complemented by crisp house pianos fit for a warm up, Murphy goes into his grab bag of techno tricks.
Over the course of the song, there are quick rendezvous into nearly every electronic movement of the past 30 years. Detroit Techno, Kraftwerk and electronic ambient swells: It's all here. By the time horns that seem to be straight out of an Arthur Russell song appear, it's clear that Murphy has used this corporate-sponsored opportunity to tip his cap to his own musical heroes. And if that's selling out, so be it. At least it makes one want to go jogging.
- DREW ROSENSWEIG
Kasabian "Empire" (RCA) Sounds like: Oasis goes to a nightclub
Grade: B+
Fresh off a tour with Oasis, British rockers Kasabian hits out with a follow-up to their eponymous debut. The band shows a few signs of growth, but really it's just another 45 minutes of cool, electronica-infused rock 'n'roll.
Indie snobs who hated their debut for being "derivative" won't like this one either. "Stuntman" and "Seek & Destroy" could have easily appeared next to "Club Foot" (now playing in a movie preview near you) and "Reason Is Treason." But the band is applying some fresh new influences. "Shoot the Runner" has an excellent glam-rock guitar beat. "Me Plus One" screams, "We toured with Oasis!" with singer Sergio Pizzorno sounding a lot like Liam Gallagher trying to sound like John Lennon.
The title track booms like a war anthem and is the best of the bunch. It also happens to be the most original on the album. Lead singer Tom Meighan says on the bonus DVD he'd been reserving the name "Empire" for a special track. He picked a good one.
Though the band wears its influences unashamedly on its sleeves, they always sound like they're having a great time. Nineties Brit-pop fans searching for a rocking new band should look no further.
- ADAM BENDER
