Florence + The Machine "Ceremonials"

Many wonder “If Only For A Night” we can spend time with our crush, and just show them how we feel, or show them we can be their significant other. Others would like to see what it’s like to experience something with them; which sounds like it’s the case with the opener, and there isn’t anything wrong with that. When a band finds what they are best at, they sometimes settle for something inferior to their potential; sometimes they need to take their sound and “Shake It Out.” This song is one of their most vibrant, completely single-worthy, due in part to the percussion; I can see it scoring this epic ballroom scene set during the renaissance. The next song has just the right amount of instrumental accompaniment where it is not like wearing five layers during the summer. “What The Water Gave Me” was a downbeat, goth-tinged, vocally-focused, emotional waterfall making it real difficult to walk this tightrope!! The last minute has a subtle dance rhythm, and fine finish. My ear’s tastebuds started “Breaking Down” when they were graced by those first piano notes; because this song had a different aural flavor. “Lover To Lover” would be worth trying if you’re a fan of funk, soul, and doo-wop; except the piano takes the reins in creating that type of sound over bass or guitar. There is “No Light, No Light” just much harp, and “Would you leave me/If I told you what I've done?/And would you need me,/If I told you what I've become?” Heavy! The next song is a trip through the seven circles of h3ll, as Flo encounters “Seven Devils” trying to steal the heart of her lover as she proclaims: “They can keep me out/'Til I tear the walls/'Til I save your heart/And to take your soul/For what has been done/Cannot be undone/In the evil's heart/In the evil's soul.” The song is eerie, no doubt, but sounds more like heaven than hell. The “Heartlines” on the hand that beats seems to be following a quicker pace and has a love for  tambourines keeping a consistent rhythm throughout. I am in love with this next song I will admit: the galloping drums, those vocals, the harpeggio, disco rhythms underneath the orchestral flourishes, and as you soar across the “Spectrum” you wish you could go just one more time! Great News! You Can! No matter how educated one is they cannot understand it without being commanded. That is basically what the next song is about, you can have everything in the world, but without love you still feel empty. Florence could have great friends, family, riches, tremendous talent, but says she would give “All This and Heaven Too” just to understand the heart; that seems odd because if she gave all that up, then what use would it be to understand her heart? Would she still be able to? “Leave My Body” is more talk than anything else. It’s a good ending for the album, but I prefer it as the precursor the first bonus track, which would like to “Remain Nameless.” OOOPS, sorry, but you will not be sorry for listening to this song; ok, I was not disappointed, but I’m not sure how you will feel. The next song is a little eerie, but also has some “Strangeness and Charm.” For the previous, the vocals soar, and it seems perfect to score a scene documenting a soul slowly ascending to heaven. We’re is not sure if it is time though; indecision takes over as the soul is torn between two worlds. The latter is kept going by that percussive handclap, some synth at one point, and it does keep a steady balance of its namesake. These “Bedroom Hymns” seem to go from vaudeville (piano) to a vocal delivery that could be heard in a hard rock/metal song, and might sound better screamed “I'm not here looking for absolution/ Because I found myself an old solution.” My Favorites: Only If For A Night, Breaking Down, Lover To Lover, No Light, No Light, Heartlines, Spectrum, All This and Heaven Too, and Remain Nameless.                           

The Dears "Degeneration Street"

The instrumentals and the falsetto vocals fight for the title of “Omega Dog” in this fight filled with strings, a travel into outer space as guitar solo, on a stream of consciousness, and distortion. This next song is a little simpler, and even though it only relies on “5 Chords,” driving rhythm, and gang vocals, it is enough to be a strong follow-up. My ears lost no “Blood” when listening to this, but I did think of Queens of The Stone Age when listening to this song; the harmonies, vocal delivery, and instrumentals all made me think of them. “Thrones” sounds like The Editors wrote a song in their own Soul Asylum. What’s life without a little “Lamentation?” There’s none to be had here, because it sounds like it recalls the wonder years; yes, those wonder years. I also cannot avoid the similarity he has with the vocals Tunde Adebimpe to some extent; maybe it’s the tone, but some instances it is more apparent. As you ride these “Galactic Tides,” you come as close to the space gospel as you can without being pulled in the atmospheric undertow. The next song recalls the sound of “Yesteryear,” and maybe someday I will recall what tune it reminds me of exactly. This “Tiny Man” seems to like Lady Marmalade, bluesy riffs, Aerosmith, and string instigated tragedy; enough said. “Oh I can’t grow up/I’m just a kid lookin’ for love/I couldn’t find it here on this dry land” is what consists of the chorus, as well as “Easy Suffering” which can be heard in the tones throughout this dust-bowl rocker. The following track doesn’t transport us farther into the past to “1854,” but it does sound like it could be another QOTSA song; at least in the beginning (without a doubt). The melodrama found on the title track follows a slow rhythm haunted by audio poltergeists, and the fact that there is no rest for the wicked, “so I won’t be sleeping when I’m dead.” As I walk on “Degeneration Street” I hear the opposite of an erosion, musically, but elsewhere there is a proof of decay.               

The Aquabats! "Hi-Five Soup!"

Our favorite heroes have returned to save us with their comedic-style ska-punk, and this time they are giving a culinary lesson in how to make Hi-Five Soup! This record deserves two, if not three, but let’s pace ourselves shall we? No one wants stomach cramps before they even fill their first bowl of their favorite fixings at Thanksgiving. What? You don’t mix things together? The first song is about a disgruntled man (surfer?) with a plan “to hunt down the creature I despise/Is full of danger/ Whose eyes - those dead black marbles they call eyes” who lost his love to one of these fiends, and instead of becoming a batman he becomes “The Shark Fighter!” The song is full of fun lyrics, and backing vocals of a choir which would have you believe they may disagree with their spunky sound, but actually makes this spoonful even more enticing. I know you don’t know me, and I may seem odd, but I can be a great “B.F.F.!” I am a little on the short side, so maybe I cannot be a big friend forever but that doesn’t mean I am incapable be a best friend forever. This song matches the energy, kid-friendly fun, and autotune found on Wow! Wow! Wubzy with a sprig of ska. I cannot help but smile when I hear this “I like your face and you like mine too/Your looks are legend,” and “The Legend is True!” Whether they fall in love, forget their face, or fall back down again, too. “Radio Down!” the boys laid a hit in this reggae-hop romp with Biz Markie; it’s too stubborn, unfortunately to even give them a chance. But a deejay or talk show is needed not to dance. “We can dance in a million different ways/with the record selection and the mirror's reflection/and I'm dancin' with myself!” This song sound more fun than “Poppin A Wheelie” with a Ramones sensibility. “Hey Homies!” if you would like to listen to a fun song about hugging thugs, then the song exists! It’s not just “In My Dreams!” With this optimistic view, energy to boot, and this synthy solo, yeah, I like that one too! As long as they keep making songs like this, they “Just Can’t Lose!” “We can talk about me/And then we’ll talk about you/And I will tune that part out/As I know you will too.” I’m too distracted by Strong Bad and his “Pink Pants” he wore to the studio, what am I to do? When they breakdown and have a little chat it reminds me of the Transplants. Be “Luck Dragon Lady” the last to wait in line, completely worth the wait, but something I did find. It’s slightly obscure, but I’m pretty sure this track is worth your time, or at least worth mine. My Favorites: The Shark Fighter!, The Legend is True!, Radio Down, Just Can’t Lose, Poppin a Wheelie!, Hey Homies!, Pink Pants, and Luck Dragon Lady.                      

Paper Tongues

They reveal the "Trinity" of an infectious anthem: lyrics and vocals with a higher purpose; reaching to those that just want someone to understand. The addictive beat, and its disco-esque rhythm, and that chorus.  This is “For the People” who love their beats consistent with some nice crashes, tolerate shimmering guitar, and are last to argue with all the right moves. Their first single had introduced us to their brand of rap-rock, without all of that nu-metal casing, borrowing more from the more melodic elements of those genres. That doesn’t mean they show some ‘tude as they “Ride To California.”  All I can say is that it is tragic that this song did not "Get Higher" on the charts because there is so much to love about this song, and shows that they have much more to offer than just “run of the mill rap-rock.” “What If” I told you that this song sounds like Tom Petty could have written it? Would you be mad? I can imagine him singing this song right now.  This song does have “Soul,” even if it sounds clumsy in the delivery of some of the verses, and it sounds like a fun song while we’re at it. "Strongest Flame" addresses that you can do whatever you want in the bedroom to keep your spouse,mate or significant other interested, but it's love that is the true bondage. If you love uplifting choruses, then this one is for you. While this song sounds a little preachy to those who may not pay complete attention, it can also be a pocketful of sunshine to “Everybody” and anybody who ignores the majority of lyrics; I dare you to ignore the truth in the chorus. Even if the instrumentals seem to be lackadaisical in "Rich and Poor" they are not; there is more to be found on future listens, but the focus is on the message the only question is what is it? “Love Like You.” My Favorite Songs: Trinity, For The People, Get Higher, What If, and Rich and Poor.

Deerhoof "Vs. Evil"

Never has a band declared war on evil so deliberately like this before, especially in the title. This album showcases the conflict of Deerhoof Vs. Evil, or at least evil music. The first track, sung in Catalan, reminds me of Vampire Weekend for some reason. “Qui Dorm, Nomes Somia.” I will “Behold A Marvel In Darkness” as soon as I figure out “What is this thing called love?” Maybe it’s  this song. Nah, probably not; let’s call it one of life’s mysteries that we may never figure out. We have asked this question, but not this many times in under four minutes. They start out with what sounds like “hockey music” until they go into percussive indie pop lead by captain cowbell on a war against Holly wood “Versus evil, versus good.” We lost a few good men in ‘the merry barracks;’ it seemed like a dream in the final verse singing nothing but “la,” and if the distortion wasn’t good enough warning they repeat the chorus one more time in their final transmission. This flamenco-flavored cut features several underlying rhythms and some bionic organ that “No One Asked to Dance,” but despite that fact they seem somber, but far from suicidal. Ok, you guys are supposed to face evil, and the best idea you suggest is “Let’s Dance The Jet.” If you feel that this was all a façade to intrigue you to listen to their album, and see how their music beats evil I may feel empty with you, but the arpeggio is given a new rhythm, new aesthetic, new production values, new noise, new costumes, and new allies that fill out what become the “Super Duper Rescue Heads” to save you from those feelings of depression. Maybe they are facing evil thoughts, depressing thoughts, and thoughts of boredom? There is a captivating arrangement underneath the various harmonies, and what seems like several styles just rolled up in a ball in hopes to get a strike. I say spare; this quality is kind of distracting, but if you appreciate the elements separately, then it is easier to enjoy the song. They “Must Fight Current” standards of quality, or is it just what people believe how music should sound? Let me tell you, there are no general standards to what music is, or should sound like. It is all up to each individual person; it is just that there are norms for what is acceptable that sometimes end up becoming stagnant cesspools of mediocrity. Maybe that is what they are saying when they proclaim they "Must Fight Current." Meaning no current? Stagnancy? Backwards Progress= Evil? The following is not based on a true story, but is has a grungy funk rhythm of disguised in bells and whistles, and beautiful harmonies just to insure the “Secret Mobilization” of Alice in Chains. “Hey I Can” spend all day trying to analyze the sound, but  I will just say I detect at least two different tempos; one with a downbeat bass, and the other dreamy speed pop. This song is sung in Japanese? “C’moon,” that is ridiculous! The better to avoid laughing at the lyrics my dear. Yes, you may have written this song, but “I Did Crimes For You,” and that was listening to this song. With all kidding aside, it is the acoustic grunge that has me looking for the last flannel. My Favorites: Behold a Marvel in Darkness, The Merry Barracks, Super Duper Rescue Heads!, Must Fight Current, and Secret Mobilization.