Tuesday Test Drive

by Pop Tarts Suck Toasted on Tue, 2009/05/19 - 2:00pm Post to Twitter

Apostle of Hustle Eats Darkness
Apostle of Hustle - "Perfect Fit"
from Viva Indie Rock…"You feel like you have actually heard something a bit different than the standard indie fare and certainly not mundane. This definitely won’t be for everyone and it is certainly less accessible then their previous efforts. But, for those who like it a little strange, this is a must have."


Au Revoir Simone Still Light, Still Night
Au Revoir Simone - "Shadows"
from Noize Makes Enemies…"This is the third album from Au Revoir Simone, and it finds the Brooklyn-based ensemble in a contemplative mood, musing on the emotional tolls of the touring lifestyle. It’s a subject that seems to weigh heavy on their minds, as the first few tracks of the album are subdued, to say the least."


Clues Clues
Clues - "Perfect Fit"
from The Skinny…"Six Organs of Admittance-esque histrionics flash with the gothic polka of the Dresden Dolls and more than a few of their own ideas, and though it is jaded and it is confused, it remains highly listenable. Clues’ debut is loaded with singalong content and unpredictability, and if you dig bands that raise their dirty guitars, with skinny fists, to heaven, then Clues are for youse."


Ear Pwr Super Animal Brothers III
Ear Pwr - "Future Eyes"
from Prefix…"From a band so enthusiastic that they forgot to add vowels in the second word of their name, you can only expect the kind of music that Ear Pwr puts out: effusive vocals backed by hyperactive electronics, lyrics that often don’t go too far past repetition of the song’s title, and music that wears its intentions on its sleeve."


Eminem The Relapse
Eminem - "Beautiful"
from Rolling Stone…"But fortunately, Relapse shows the promise of The Slim Shady LP — and Em’s latest is a more painful, honest and vital record than anyone could have expected at this point in the MC’s career."


The Field Yesterday and Today
The Field - "Everybody’s Got to Learn Sometime"
from The Skinny…"Like a techno Ys, Yesterday and Today immediately puts its predecessor in the shade with such abandon, joy and effortless craft that is a delight to contemplate, yet it almost alarms us to wonder how on earth Axel Willner is supposed to follow this up."


Iron & Wine Around the Well
Iron & Wine - "The Trapeze Swinger"
from Pretty Much Amazing…"It’s been almost 8 years since he recorded his cover of Postal Service’s “Such Great Heights,” and in that span of time, he has failed to disappoint. Three studio albums, EPs and several singles later, Around the Well finally puts those melodic rarities and B-sides in one place, putting the perfect antidote for those rainy spring days, only an arms length away."


Jarvis Cocker Further Complications
Jarvis Cocker - "Angela"
from Chromewaves…"Cocker sounds like he’s having a blast with it, shouting, whooping and generally living out some long-suppressed rock’n’roll dreams. But even so, he’s still Jarvis - he makes no attempts to try and BE a garage rocker. He’s not playing a part, decked out in torn jeans and flannel shirt. No, he’s still up there with the big specs and the skinny suit - okay, the beard is new - and most importantly, his wit."


John Vanderslice Romanian Names
John Vanderslice - "Too Much Time"
from DOA…"It’s not his best effort, by any margin, but it is a John Vanderslice album nonetheless. What Romanian Names lacks in difficulty and depth, it makes up for in restrained creativity and faint tenacity. Though his aim fell short, it goes without saying that even at his moderate average; he’s miles ahead of most of the solo artists attempting to make music."


Kate Voegele A Fine Mess
Kate Voegele - "99 Times"
from Entertainment Weekly…"her sophomore set, A Fine Mess, makes a deeper impression. Especially when she trades wimpy piano plinks for some gritty guitar chords"


Liechtenstein Survival Strategies in a Modern World
Liechtenstein - "Roses in the Park"
from ZME Music…"The album sounds great! They represent the genre quite well. It will definitely be successful among fans of other indie pop representatives like Belle & Sebastian or Headlights, but also among the fans of Saturday Looks Good to Me, the lead singers having almost identical voices. You will also find similarities to Electrelane, a couple of their songs having that electro sound, very close to the experimental indie sound of Electrelane."


Method Man and Redman Blackout 2
Method Man and Redman - "4 Minutes to Lock Down"
from Byron Crawford…"Surprisingly not that bad. Just like the new Eminem, I’m wondering why I ever doubted I’d like this. Maybe 10 years isn’t as much time as I thought. This could have been a modern classic, on a par with the original Blackout, if it wasn’t for all of the pandering to ’90s babies, the South, so on and so forth."


Passion Pit Manners
Passion Pit - "Moth’s Wings"
from Austin Town Hall…"Other moments on the album seem to find the band going over the same space, as they attempt to combine various electronic samples with unique vocals (still a touch annoying), building and building until it achieves dance-psych bliss. But, elementally, it all sort of blends together, as there isn’t much that differentiates each song from the next. Each song seems to run into the next one, making the listening experience a little redundant. "


Tori Amos Abnormally Attracted to Sin
Tori Amos - "Maybe California"
from Drowned In Sound…"Don’t get me wrong. This is almost a wonderful album. But like some other Tori Amos records, it’s an album that could easily have been two. Or - and here’s a suggestion - it could have been one album, with a little bit of quality control, meaning that some of the songs were taken off and used as b-sides, or packaged neatly and sent over to Asia as a bonus disc."


The Warlocks The Mirror Explodes
The Warlocks - "Red Camera"
from Drone Magazine…"The joy of the Warlocks’ music is found in the details - the layer upon layer of fuzz and drone, the carefully chosen delivery of Hecksher’s vocals, the pivotal role the bass is given - how at times it literally holds everything together."