New Music Roundup: 1/23/09

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.

Artist: Autopilot is For Lovers
Album: To The Wolves
Who the hell are they?: Anachronistically-leaning Portland duo
Sounds like a combination of: Tori Amos and an oompa band
For Example: Pine Box Town
Recommended?: For fans of dissonance and the Borscht Belt
Release Date: "Early 2009"

Artist: The Boxer Rebellion
Album: Union
Who the hell are they?: Aspiring stadium-rockers from London
Sounds like a combination of: Coldplay and The Killers
For Example: Evacuate
Recommended?: Kinda. A lot of bands sound like this, but I suspect that's because people will always love guitars and to-the-rafters choruses.
Release Date: "January 2009"

Artist: The Coathangers
Album: Scramble
Who the hell are they?: All-female quartet from Atlanta
Sounds like a combination of: The B-52s and Sleater Kinney
For Example: Getting Mad and Pumping Iron
Recommended?: Hell Yeah. Bratty energy never goes out of style.
Release Date: April 7

Artist: Faunts
Album: Feel.Love.Thinking.Of.
Who the hell are they?: Synthy band of brothers from Edmonton
Sounds like a combination of: Joy Division and Phoenix
For Example: Feel.Love.Thinking.Of.
Recommended?: The album's pretty good, though it's all downhill from the first track.
Release Date: February 17

Artist: Fires of Rome
Album: You Kingdom You
Who the hell are they?: Supposed glam rock revival trio
Sounds like a combination of: The Rapture and Our Lady Peace
For Example: Dawn Lament (MySpace player, first song.)
Recommended?: Song by song? Yes. Whole album listening, though, is strictly for the intrepid.
Release Date: Already out

Artist: Fol Chen
Album: Part 1: John Shade, Your Fortune's Made
Who the hell are they?: Thanks to a ridiculously convoluted press release, I have no idea.
Sounds like a combination of: TV on The Radio and Zero 7
For Example: The Believers.
Recommended?: Yes. Yes Yes Yes. Yes!
Release Date: February 3

Artist: Hume
Album: Hume presents The Phat Daughters String Quartet
Who the hell are they?: Local artist with interesting ear for juxtapositions
Sounds like a combination of: Bach and The Wailers
For Example: Oneirnaut (Myspace player, 2nd track.)
Recommended?: If you know what you're getting into.
Release Date: Already out

Artist: Lambchop
Album: OH (ohio)
Who the hell are they?: Gentle alt-country from Tennessee
Sounds like a combination of: Leonard Cohen and latter day Bob Dylan
For Example: I Believe
Recommended?: For showing your parents that you can, in fact, like the same music
Release Date: Already out

Artist: Lissy Trullie
Album: Self-Taught Learner
Who the hell are they?: New York singer/songwriter
Sounds like a combination of: The Pretenders and Jack Johnson
For Example: Self-Taught Learner
Recommended?: Yeah. It's only an EP, but I wouldn't mind hearing more.
Release Date: February 17

Artist: Lonely, Dear
Album: Dear John
Who the hell are they?: Lonely Swedish popsters
Sounds like a combination of: Peter, Bjorn and John and Flock of Seagulls
For Example: Airport Surroundings
Recommended?: If you have insatiable thirst for the Swedish
Release Date: January 27

Artist: The Love Language
Album: The Love Language
Who the hell are they?: Lo-fi one man band from Raleigh
Sounds like a combination of: Adam Green and Alamo Racetrack
For Example: Lalita
Recommended?: Yes.
Release Date: None given

Artist: Here We Go Magic
Album: Here We Go Magic
Who the hell are they?: New moniker for Brooklyn musician Luke Temple
Sounds like a combination of: Animal Collective and Enya
For Example: Tunnelvision
Recommended?: Yes. Just don't operate heavy machinery while you're listening.
Release Date: February 24

Artist: Nico Vega
Album: Nico Vega
Who the hell are they?: Radio-friendly LA rockers
Sounds like a combination of: Meredith Brooks and Marilyn Manson
For Example: Be Giving
Recommended?: For an Urban Outfitters near you.
Release Date: February 3

Artist: Said The Whale
Album:Howe Sounds/Taking Abalonia
Who the hell are they?: Vancouver indie kids
Sounds like a combination of: The Shins and Ben Folds Five
For Example: Curse of the Currents
Recommended?: I'm pretty neutral to this one
Release Date: Already out