New Music Roundup: 1/20/08

This post was written by TNG co-founder Zack.


Did you know that TNG loves music? I bet it never occurred to you. It's not like we write about it all the damn time or anything. Though we regularly cover bands in What We're Listening To and our interviews and our monthly live music roundups, we still receive many high quality CDs that never get reviewed on the site. To make up for this I am introducing a new weekly feature to give you the rundown of all the new music I've picked up in the last seven days. Not all of it is amazing and not all of it is released yet, but I do hope you that you find one or two in here that pique your interest.

This week includes mini-reviews for Asobi Seksu, Empire of The Sun, Handsome Furs and many others.

Artist: Army Navy
Album: Army Navy
Who the hell are they?: L.A. indie-pop band heavily featured on the "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist" Soundtrack.
Sounds like a combination of: The Caesars and The Stone Roses
For Example: My Thin Sides
Recommended?: For its cover of Maxine Nightingales's impossible-to-ruin "Right Back Where We Started From."
Release Date: Oct. 14, 2008

Artist: Asobi Seksu
Album: Hush
Who the hell are they?: Brooklyn shoegaze duo.
Sounds like a combination of: The Cocteau Twins and Kate Bush
For Example: Me & Mary
Recommended?: For lying in bed and staring at through a kaleidoscope.
Release Date: Feb. 17

Artist: Blitzen Trapper
Album: Furr
Who the hell are they?: Portland folk/rock sextet.
Sounds like a combination of: Wilco and Gordon Lightfoot
For Example: Furr
Recommended?: Yes! It's really good.
Release Date: Sept. 23, 2008

Artist: Crippled Black Phoenix
Album: 200 Tons of Bad Luck
Who the hell are they?: Artful UK noise band
Sounds like a combination of: Moody Blues and Mannheim Steamroller
For Example: Rise Up and Fight (MySpace player, 2nd track.)
Recommended?: For when the van's a-rockin'.
Release Date: April 14

Artist: Darla Farmer
Album: Rewiring the Electric Forest
Who the hell are they?: Self-described "carnival rock" band from Nashville
Sounds like a combination of: Save Ferris and Beirut
For Example: The Quotient (MySpace player, 1st track.)
Recommended?: For carnivals, I guess.
Release Date: Feb. 17

Artist: Deradoorian
Album: Mind Raft EP
Who the hell are they?: Solo release from member of The Dirty Projectors
Sounds like a combination of: Beach House and Res
For Example: High Road (MySpace player, 1st track.)
Recommended?: For when Portishead isn't gloomy enough. (And yes, it's recommended.)
Release Date: May 5

Artist: Emanuel and The Fear
Album:Emanuel and The Fear
Who the hell are they?: 11-piece band from, wait for it, Brooklyn.
Sounds like a combination of: Duncan Sheik and Guster
For Example: The Rain Becomes The Clouds (MySpace player, 1st track.)
Recommended?: For a college A Capella group near you.
Release Date: Feb. 17

Artist: Empire of the Sun
Album: Walking on a Dream
Who the hell are they?: Synthey dance band from Australia
Sounds like a combination of: Phil Collins and Cut Copy
For Example: Walking on a Dream
Recommended?: Yes.
Release Date: April 21

Artist: Handsome Furs
Album: Face Control
Who the hell are they?: Montreal dance-rockers
Sounds like a combination of: Joan Jett and We Are Scientists
For Example: Thy Will Be Done
Recommended?: Yeah, sure.
Release Date: March 10

Artist: The Lovetones
Album: Dimensions
Who the hell are they?: Side project of the Brian Jonestown Massacre
Sounds like a combination of: Arlo Guthrie and The Byrds
For Example: Journeyman
Recommended?: For busting out your tamborine
Release Date: Feb. 24

Artist: Tigercity
Album:Pretend Not to Love
Who the hell are they?: Falsetto-loving popsters
Sounds like a combination of: The Bee Gees and Electric 6
For Example: Powerstripe
Recommended?: For a couple of wild and crazy guys
Release Date: Sept. 9, 2008

So which ones should I buy: In my fumbling opinion, this week's best discs are Asobi Seksu, Blitzen Trapper, Deradoorian and Tigercity.