Audio Review

A place for you to find new music

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top 25 songs of 2016, a playlist by Susie McKeon on Spotify

A playlist featuring PWR BTTM, Radiohead, Two Door Cinema Club, and others

Check out my playlist of my top 25 songs of 2016! 

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Top 10 Albums of 2016

I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it - The 1975

Sunlit Youth - Local Natives

Home of the Strange - Young the Giant 

saintmotelevision - Saint Motel

The Altar - Banks

Wild World - Bastille 

Light Upon the Lake - Whitney 

A Moon Shaped Pool - Radiohead 

Disappear Here - Bad Suns 

The Ride - Catfish and the Bottlemen 

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Mainland is a four piece indie-rock outfit based in New York City that I have recently familiarized myself with, and would highly recommend you to do the same. Their songs speak of things we all encounter, but they write them down in an eloquent way that makes for a very enjoyable listen. They have a diverse sound, from hard-hitting, The Strokes-like songs (”Shiner”), to more laid-back, acoustic guitar-driven songs (”A Bit Out Of Time”). They have everything I look for in a band, even a favorite emoji used in most tweets. 

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Somehow I completely missed that California band Coast Modern released their second single, but here I am to tell you that it is one of my newest musical addictions. “Animals” follows their first single’s path of clever lyrics, synth-y guitars, and a super fun introduction. Definitely do not sleep on this band, and while you’re at it, be sure to check out their tour with The Wombats this spring/summer. 

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Album Review - The 1975 "i like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it"

If you know me personally in the slightest then you know how much I eagerly anticipated this record since their entire brand change on June 1st. This album has a major 80′s vibe, something I do not normally like, except in the case of The 1975 (clearly). This album is incredible. It is 17 songs long and there is a tune for essentially every mood or feeling one can have (and even a few instrumentals). If you have ever doubted The 1975, or written them off as “that Chocolate band”, or “that band with a million hipster girl fans”, this album will change that for you. 

It begins with “The 1975”, a big nod to their eponymous debut album, even with the same lyrics, but there is a futuristic vibe to the track before it jumps right in to “Love Me”. “Love Me” was the first single off of this album and it has one of the most interesting synth lines I have ever heard and a very strong 80′s pop influence. “UGH!” is the next song and easily my favorite from this album and maybe out of their entire discography. Singer Matty Healy speaks of his cocaine addiction and how he is “not giving it up again” with another groovy instrumental backing that makes you want to get up and dance your heart out. Next is “A Change of Heart”, a song with a few lyrics that call back to their previous record and an awesome track to drive to. “She’s American” follows in the same nature with a backing instrumentation that sounds almost exactly like “Settle Down” from their first record and catchy lyrics that make fun of American culture and how we like straight teeth (listen to this one before you call me crazy describing a song like that). “If I Believe You”, “Please Be Naked”, and “Lostmyhead” begin the slower section of the record with “If I Believe You” questioning the existence of God with a backing gospel choir. “Please Be Naked” and “Lostmyhead” are both atmospheric, instrumental songs with a few lyrics that tend to get lost in the haze of the rest of the song. “The Ballad of Me and My Brain” follows and is easily the “black sheep” of the record. Healy’s vocals sound very forced and awkward in regard to the way the rest of the record flows together. Next is “Somebody Else”, another favorite of mine that speaks of how modern love has been morphed by society and revolves around technology. It also has my favorite lyric possibly ever, “get someone you love/get someone you need/fuck that get money!” As almost a response, “Loving Someone” is a half-sung/half-rapped social observation, including lines on how the media and popular culture conditions its youth (“It’s better if we keep them perplexed/better if we make them want the opposite sex”). There’s also the golden lyric “I’m the Greek economy of cashing intellectual cheques”, which is an outstanding highlight on a record full of brilliant lines, and a spoken word bit from Matty that is buried low in the tune. From there is the title song “i like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it” which is another instrumental-driven track with a few vocal sounds in the beginning. “The Sound”, “This Must Be My Dream”, and “Paris” come next. “The Sound” is another favorite of mine off this record. It has such an interesting lyrical content and is a love song (like most of these songs are), but it is not as blatant as others and speaks of a lost love that didn’t work out but is not missed. “This Must Be My Dream” and “Paris” are two songs that do not stand out for me on the record, but are still fun to listen to nonetheless. “Nana” and “She Lays Down” close out the record, both acoustic guitar-driven tracks that speak of Healy’s grandmother’s death (”Nana”) and his mother’s postnatal depression ("She Lays Down").  

After having two weeks to brood on this record and write this review, I can proudly state that this album will do (and has already done….it broke a Billboard record for crying out loud!) amazing things for The 1975. Check out this album before all of your friends and see their live show if they are coming to a city near you. 

Rating: 5/5

Listen To: “UGH!”, “The Sound”, “Somebody Else”

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A playlist featuring AWOLNATION, The 1975 and Oh Wonder

Check out my playlist from this winter, and be sure to follow my spring mmxvi playlist. 

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Catfish and the Bottlemen are back with the first single from their untitled second album. This song flows with a thrashing guitar, sweeping vocals, and a hook that will have you craving more and more from this UK indie rock band. 

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A playlist featuring The 1975, Bad Suns, Banks, and others

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, here is a playlist of songs for falling/being in love. 

[osculabundus]

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Suck|Yuck

I heard you’re used to makin’ love on a Tuesday. He’d flip you over this way and that way. Everybody makes love in their own way; it’s just a word. How’d you hurt yourself the other day?

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PHOTOS: Moon Taxi at Amos’ Southend Charlotte 1/21/16

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Rostam Batmanglij, core founding member of alternative rock band Vampire Weekend, has left the band, citing his need to be a solo songwriter/producer as the reason for his departure.

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New Things In Store For Bastille In 2016

For those of you not signed up for Bastille’s mailing list, you may have missed their most recent email where they illustrated their plans for 2016. It said, 

“We have a new album coming out this year which we've been hard at work on for quite a while now. We've really excited about it and can't wait to finally get it out there. Our mate Tom put together this little film to give you guys an update. It features a song called "Snakes" and we hope you like what you hear.”

“Snakes” video linked HERE

 “We've put out a new 'Hangin' T shirt, designed by the brilliant @otherpeoplescharacters - to mark the release of that tune which you can listen to HERE” 

Bastille is one of my favorite bands of all time and I am very excited for their new album and I love these two releases. 2016 is going to be a great year for music.

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PREMIER: The 1975 - The Sound

The 1975′s latest release, “The Sound”, off their new record I Like It When You Sleep For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It, due out February 26th, follows the previous two singles’ paths of heavy 80′s influence, plenty of pop, and a plethora of synth. It is more reminiscent of their debut eponymous record than the other releases, mainly in lyrics and style--and I love it. It is completely The 1975 in the way that it is utterly unexpected while still staying true to their unique sound. 

[parise]

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Space Oddity - David Bowie (1969)

Though I’m past one hundred thousand miles I’m feeling very still And I think my spaceship knows which way to go Tell my wife I love her very much she knows

Thank you, David. Rest in peace.

[the1975music]

// T H E S O U N D //  L O V E

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The Arcs have released “Lake Superior,” a new track inspired by Netflix’s “Making a Murderer” documentary series. All proceeds will go to The Innocence Project, a nonprofit organization focused on exonerating wrongly convincted people.

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New Music: The Palms - Push Off

When I first heard this song, my immediate thought was that it had to be Foster The People as the singer’s voice sounds so much like Mark Foster. I have been unsuccessful in finding any information about this band, but the two songs they have out are melancholy, piano-driven, and a perfect fusion of new indie and light jazz.