Alkaline Trio

On February 23rd, 2010, Alkaline Trio released their 7th studio album, This Addiction. The album opens with the explosive title track, “This Addiction.” Fast paced and full of catchy guitar riffs, if the opening track is any sign of what’s to come with this album, it’s sure to be an instant hit. The album continues with “Dine, Dine My Darling,” which is full of big guitars and anthemic vocals. From the first two tracks alone, it’s obvious that the band is trying to get back to their punk rock roots, and it seems to be working.

Alkaline Trio started in 1996, releasing their first full length EP in 1998, Goddamnit. In the last 14 years since Alkaline Trio’s inception, they have seen great success with their often dark and macabre lyrics mixed with catchy punk rock guitar. The band saw their first big success with the release of From Here to Infirmary in 2001. Nine years later, the band has left their major label and self-released the new album on guitarist and vocalist Matt Skiba’s own Heart and Skull label, in conjunction with Epitaph. Skiba has attributed Alkaline Trio’s move from major label Epic to their own label to releases such as Nine Inch Nails’ Ghosts I-IV (2007) and Radiohead’s In Rainbows (2007).

The track “Lead Poisoning” is a great head bobbing pop-punk track with a first from the band, a horn section. Bordering on ska, this track is definitely a departure from the rest of the album, but seems to flow just as well as the rest of the tracks. Listening to this record, it’s obvious that the band is trying to get back to their punk rock roots, especially compared to their two latest releases, Crimson (2005) and Agony and Irony (2008). The album was recorded at Atlas Studios in the band’s hometown of Chicago, where they recorded their first two albums. They also decided to return to working with producer Matt Allison, who recorded the band’s first three albums. Skiba himself has described the record as “a rock record but our punk rock upbringing definitely shines through, more so than our last few records.”

More of those dark lyrics the band has become famous for can be found in the title track, “This Addiction.” The song uses heroin and methadone as a metaphor for love. In regards to the song, Skiba states, “It’s not to say that people can’t be happy or find bliss in a relationship. It’s just amazing to me how unhappy most people are and they can’t shake it and can’t fix it, much like an addiction.” Lyrically, much of the album returns to the band’s darker side, while the music is a bit of a step forward for the band. This step forward, however, is easiest described as a step forward stylistically from their last album, but also a step back to their roots. Overall, the number of guitar overdubs has been greatly reduced, and many tracks have only one guitar track, giving this album much more of the 3-piece punk rock band feel that long time fans of the band have missed over the last 5 years.

All in all, the album is brimming with punk rock roots, while at the same time not completely relying on their past success. If you can appreciate good punk rock, this album is definitely one to not pass up. Go out and pick this record up, it’s worth it, and besides, they released it themselves. Major record label fat cats had nothing to do with this record, so go out and buy it! At the very least, check the list below to see if you can make it to one of their shows.

• 02/23/10 – Boise, ID – Knitting Factory
• 02/24/10 – Salt Lake City, UT – In The Venue
• 02/25/10 – Englewood, CO – The Gothic Theater SOLD OUT
• 02/26/10 – Lawrence, KS – Granada
• 02/27/10 – Chicago, IL – The Metro SOLD OUT
• 02/28/10 – Chicago, IL – The Metro SOLD OUT
• 03/02/10 – Royal Oak, MI – Royal Oak Music Theater
• 03/03/10 – Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall
• 03/04/10 – Cleveland, OH – House of Blues
• 03/05/10 – Pittsburgh, PA – Club Zoo
• 03/06/10 – Toronto, CAN – The Phoenix Concert Theater
• 03/08/10 – Clifton Park, NY – Northern Lights
• 03/09/10 – Hartford, CT – The Webster Theater
• 03/11/10 – Philadelphia, PA – Trocadero SOLD OUT
• 03/12/10 – New York, NY – Nokia Theatre Times Square SOLD OUT
• 03/13/10 – Sayreville, NJ – Starland Ballroom
• 03/14/10 – Providence, RI – Lupos Heartbreak Hotel
• 03/16/10 – Towson, MD – Rocher Theatre
• 03/17/10 – Charlotte, NC – Amos’ Southend
• 03/18/10 – Charleston, SC – Music Farm
• 03/19/10 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade
• 03/20/10 – Jacksonville Beach, FL – Freebird Live
• 03/22/10 – Orlando, FL – House of Blues
• 03/23/10 – Fort Lauderdale, FL – Revolution
• 03/25/20 – New Orleans, LA – House of Blues
• 03/26/10 – Houston, TX – Warehouse Live
• 03/27/10 – Dallas, TX – The Palladium Ballroom
• 03/28/10 – Austin, TX – Emo’s
• 03/30/10 – Tempe, AZ – The Marquee Theater
• 04/01/10 – San Diego, CA – House of Blues
• 04/02/10 – West Hollywood, CA – House of Blues
• 04/03/10 – Las Vegas, NV – House of Blues

Emiliana Torrini – “Me and Armini” | download
Download audio file (meandarmini_edit.mp3)

Torrini might be best known for performing “Gollum’s Song” from 2002′s The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, but Me and Armini could change her status from being a slight footnote in mainstream pop culture, whic she attained both for “Gollum’s Song” and for co-writing two tracks from Kylie Minogue’s Body Language. A footnote, though, doesn’t seem to be Torrini’s favorite option, so with Me and Armini she’s released a powerful, engaging picture of her musical talent of the Iceland native.

Vocally, Torrini is superb, but Me and Armini is a record populated not only by beautiful vocals, but by well-thought, inspired instrumentation that’s almost as album-defining as Torrini herself. From the reverb-laden “Gun” to the synthesizer-backed “Dead Duck,“ the musical background Me and Armini is set to is nearly as inspiring as its vocals — a tough feat, indeed.

Thankfully, Torrini doesn’t succumb to the trappings of three-minute pop songs, and each track lasts as long as it seems it should; whether a given track lasts from two minutes to just over six, it’s clear that Torrini has a modern sensibility that others abandon in favor of flash-in-the-pan radio hits. Me and Armini lacks any definitive radio single, though “Heard It All Before” comes fairly close with its energetic reggae-inflected rhythm, and “Jungle Drum” comes closer with poppy rhythms and a catchy chorus.

Of course, that’s not to say that any of this album is something that will be rejected outright by mainstream pop listeners, despite the album being released on the historically not-mainstream-oriented Rough Trade Records (though not exclusively so.) Torrini, her sultry vocals fronting Me and Armini is on the verge of something that may just be accepted on a wider scale: After all, while there’s no shame in singing about a disfigured denizen of Middle Earth, there’s no shame in being known for something else, instead.

Salme Dahlstrom – “Superstar Crash” | download
Download audio file (salmedahlstrom-superstarcarcrash.mp3)

Electronically oriented pop music hits all the right spots for some people: Salme Dahlstrom, for those people, can’t be hitting too far off those. The Acid Cowgirl Audio Trade is full of interesting synthetic textures and sounds, but at some points, it lacks a bit of that important impact.

Other times, though, Dahlstrom demonstrates a nice understanding with the pop music she’s writing, and it’s those points that really define the record. While this certainly won’t be named electronic album of the year, it does feature some engaging tracks. Where Dahlstrom really succeeds is not her writing, though: Her vocals are straight from the style’s top shelf, shifting with some abandon between a sassy, in-your-face attitude and nicely harmonized standard modern pop.

Sure, The Acid Cowgirl Audio Trade isn’t the best album of the year, but Dahlstrom’s vocals will be enough for some to keep listening, and the writing, while fairly typical of pop-centric electronica, isn’t bad enough to drive away listeners.

Content warning: Lyrics involve use of the ever-ominous “f” word. I don’t mind.

The Ritz – “It’s The” | download
Download audio file (theritz-itsthe.mp3)

My first thought, after hearing this track from the debut album from The Ritz? I was impressed, honest. The combination of bass-heavy beats with string samples and a nice use of stereo rapping (Elliott Smith influence, maybe? Likely not.) is fairly evocative and engaging. My only real complaint? The bass is mixed a bit too heavily, as it ends up slightly excessive and punchy on my well-balanced headphones (Sennheiser HD 485s, nothing too expensive,) distracting from the rest of the track, a well-mixed hip-hop introduction track.There’s nothing too adventurous about this track, but its efficient execution bodes well for the full release, due out August 19th.

Inquiet - “Fresh Flesh” | download
Download audio file (2008-inquiet-fresh-flesh.mp3)

Inquiet is an experimental pop group from Australia: That’s not a phrase you hear too often in many musical circles, especially those in the northern hemisphere. That’s got little to nothing to do with the musical quality here, to be honest.

Inq Beyong culls influence from several sources; from Cambodian ceremony to Brian Eno, thick strands of a diverse musical background lace this record, the solo project of Sam Szoke-Burke, co-founder of Brother Sister Records and a member of label-mates Drama For Yamaha.

This is a record that might take a bit of listening to really catch on for most listeners: The native percussion styles, the sweepingly ambient vocals, and dense soundscapes present on Inq Beyong call for a deal of attention to be placed on these thematic elements.

Inq Beyong a bit too complex to make for easy background listening, and a bit too simple to be enjoyed without thought; Inquiet reaches a difficult middle zone that may find them with very few listeners willing to invest the time required to enjoy this layered release to its fullest. Of course, not everyone will put forth that attention, but those that do should find themselves with a record that doesn’t disappoint.

The Telepathic Butterflies – “Telescope” | download
Download audio file (telescope.mp3)

One thing is made clear from the opening track of Breakfast in Suburbia: The Telepathic Butterflies (what a name!) are rooted in a 1960s pop aesthetic, their apparent influences a combination of the usual suspects: The Beach Boys and The Beatles, most notably, with a nice dose of surf rock playing out in the guitar tones. There’s enough of a psychedelic inflection in the music produced by the duo that citing Barrett-era Pink Floyd wouldn’t be completely off the mark, either.

While producing a prominent ‘vintage’ sound, there’s something undeniably modern about The Telepathic Butterflies, and perhaps that’s because of the resurgence of ’60s-influenced pop music that came about in the form of early-career Of Montreal or Starlight Mints; either way, there’s nothing to complain about with any real veracity. Breakfast in Suburbia is a solid pop album with enough of a personality that it shouldn’t be lost among a crowd of bands similarly influenced.

Telepathic Butterflies have a nice grasp of vocal harmony; no doubt that comes from their pop pedigree. Likewise, there’s a certain neatness to their clean-toned guitar that’s attractive to tired ears. Breakfast in Suburbia isn’t one of those overtly distorted pop records that crashes into listeners with pesky ferocity, opting to exercise a more gentle method; Telepathic Butterflies, with their well-played pop sensibilities, have a definite winner with Breakfast in Suburbia.

The OaKs, previously the subject of a MusicGeek.org spotlight, self-released Songs for Waiting Tuesday. Opening track, “The Two Calls (of Dietrich Bonhoeffer)” — posted below for download and streaming — isn’t rough, and it’s certainly not too soft. The historical narrative, written by one of two founding members, Ryan Costello, is, at the very least, interesting. The arrangements involved in this new release are well planned, providing a listening experience that’s bound to impress.

The OaKs – “The Two Calls (of Dietrich Bonhoeffer)” | download
Download audio file (theoaks-thetwocallsofdietrichbonheoffer.mp3)

The OaKs – “The Heart is a Lonely Hunter” | download
Download audio file (theoaks-theheartisalonelyhunter.mp3)