RPR Music Update

Mr. BBC requested a music column, and I think that's a fine idea since I haven't touched on any new music in a while. It's kinda funny that the idea was brought up since one of my old co-workers, Jason, just emailed me a couple days ago and asked for some suggestions on the music front. He's currently living in France, so I'd imagine they're out of touch with the music scene. In fact, I'm not sure if any music from this decade is popular over there. But I hear that N'Sync is starting to get some solid airplay in Paris....

Anyway, here's what I've been listening to lately...

- I've mentioned these guys a while back, but it's worth reiterating: Band of Horses. Check out their record, Everything All the Time. The music is some great, straight-on rock n' roll, and the guys voice sounds hauntingly like the lead singer of My Morning Jacket. I saw Band of Horses in mid-June at Bowery Ballroom (which is one of my new all-time favorite venues) and it was fantastic. Not to mention they did a cover of Hall and Oates "You Make My Dreams", which was unexpected yet enjoyable.

- You may have heard of Gnarls Barkley, since they're rather popular this summer with their hit, "Crazy". Take a listen to their record, St. Elsewhere, and you'll be pleasantly surprised by the wide variety of sounds that the duo embarks upon. Gnarls is made up of Cee-Lo from Goodie Mob, and Danger Mouse, who made a name for himself a few years back with one of the first "mash-ups" when he created The Grey Album, which mixed The Beatles' White Album with Jay-Z's The Black Album. Gnarls hits it on all cylinders: hip-hop, funk, soul, and some pretty decent electronics. I'm usually not a big fan of this music, but I really enjoy the record. Other than "Crazy", be sure to listen to "Smiley Faces" and their cover of the Violent Femme's "Gone Daddy Gone".

- If you like the old sound of Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, and also enjoy the newer sound of Jet and The Darkness, then you may take a liking to Wolfmother. These Aussies have been gaining some popularity in the US, and their self-titled record rocks out like no one else's business. Their lyrics are slightly off the wall, but in my world, that is completely overshadowed by the intensity of the instrumentals -- heavy riffs, pounding drums, and thick bass lines. Definitely worth checking out Wolfmother if you need to expand your heavy rock repertoire. Take a listen to "Woman" and "Colossal".

- From the "group you've never heard of" category, I give to you Oh No! Oh My!, who are originally from Austin, but now residing in Nashville. On their site, (and yes it's a MySpace site, but that's okay for music) they liken themselves to Belle and Sebastian, The Magnetic Fields, and Sufjan Stevens. I think they had some tendencies similar to The Shins as well. Very catchy tunes, mostly acoustic based music, with some harmonization in their vocals. They seem to be very up-and-coming, as their first record isn't even available until August 1st. In the meantime, check 'em out and tell your friends.

- Back to the "music you've definitely heard of" category: Surprisingly, I still need to get my hands on the new Red Hot Chili Peppers record (heard good things about it). That is something I will do in the next few weeks. I did purchase the new record by Keane, Under the Iron Sea. It's not bad through the first few listen-throughs, but I'd like it to grow on me a little more.

I also purchased the new Guster record, Ganging Up on the Sun, and as the BBC mentioned in yesterday's comments, I too am somewhat disappointed with this effort. They strayed away from their core sound, which I'm usually ok with... unless the resulting product is junk compared to the old sound. Bands can branch out, since it isn't fun for them to record and play the same set of songs over and over and then just tweak the sound a little bit for subsequent recordings. But in the case of Guster, this new record just isn't doing anything for me. I'd even venture to say that it's boring. I go way back with these guys, having first seen them live in October 1998 at the TLA in Philadelphia. Had several great concert-going experiences with Guster: December 1999 in a ballroom at Villanova where my friends and I convinced the ticket sellers that we were students. Y100 Feztival in June 2000 where I met the band and the drummer, Brian Rosenworcel, when I told him that I thought we looked alike, told me that my eyebrows were thicker than his. Alas, when I hear the Ganging Up on the Sun record, I just hope it gains traction after multiple listenings.

- Last minute music thoughts: my jury is still out on the Thom Yorke solo record, The Eraser. I'm still not sure if The Fray are for real or if we'll be saying "Remember the Fray? They had those 2 songs back in summer 2006?" in a few years. Check out the old records of the New Pornographers: Mass Romantic and Electric Version. Keep an eye and an ear out for Beirut. No, not the city, the band. His record, Gulag Orkestar, is all over the blog world. This guy (real name: Zach Condon from New Mexico) is playing all sorts of crazy instruments: ukelele, various horns, strings, and even an accordion.

That oughta last you for at a little while. Hope you were taking notes. Be sure to let me know of anything else I should be listening to.