Matt Pryor's Wrist Slitter brings a little bit of the new and old

First, I want to say that I dug the Get Up Kids in their prime back in the late 90's and early 2000's.  And it's sad they got tagged with "emo" because I really felt like their songwriting was earnest without all the record company BS that followed other emo bands.  When anything gets popular with the youth there are corporations that love to exploit it. In my high school years, it was grunge and in the early 2000's it was emo.  That being said, Get Up Kids were one of the first and they really just did their own thing.  Their sound evolved and went pretty far away from their emo origins by the time they made There Are Rules.  That entire paragraph just reminded me of South Park.

Now, let's talk about Matt Pryor.   He was probably the heart of the Get Up Kids and the strongest songwriting force.  His solo albums through the years have really been special with their earnest and stripped down songwriting approach.  He originally went by the name New Amsterdams and most recently using his own name.  If you haven't heard New Amsterdams, go and pick up the Outroduction album to get a nice glimpse at his best works during that era.

Anyhow, let's get to Wrist Slitter.  There are times on this album I can hear Pryor's voice from the Get Up Kid era and then there are times where I hear the worn out musician that has sharpened his skills.
"Won't Speak To Me" and "Before My Tongue Becomes a Sword" sound like a songs lifted right off the Something To Write Home About era Get Up Kids.   Come to think of it, half the album sounds more like Get Up Kids than Pryor's previous solo works.

"There's Is No Us" strikes that home as directly as it can get.  I really dig this song from beginning to end.  The hook and the lyrics are so sharp. This is Pryor at his best in my opinion.  I think I've played this song a bit in the last few days.  I really dig the chorus.  This entire album is worth picking up.  Sounds like he's having a blast with these songs.  Already on my list of top November albums.

Sad day for music fans with the senseless murder of Yellow Dogs' members

I first heard of the Yellow Dogs by watching the inspiring Iranian film "No One Knows About The Persian Cats."  It really showed the world that the youth of a socially shackled country love art and music just like any other youths in the free world.  Oppression and religious zealots can't break the soul of art.  If you haven't seen the film, then I highly recommend finding it on Netflix.

Unfortunately, the news broke last night about two of band's members being murdered in Brooklyn by another musician.   I'm extremely sad about the loss of life and the irony of leaving an oppressed country to be gunned down in your own living room.  These guys had a voice and a will to create art no matter the cost.   We will miss Sourosh Farazmand and Arash Farazmand.

"Dance Floor" was the band's most popular song to date.  I dug their Radio 4 type of vibe.  They might have been from Iran but they sounded like a New York dance rock band from the start.  Where can I find some girls to just randomly dance around me?  That looks like a good time.

"This City" was actually the last song I heard from Yellow Dogs. Thanks for being an inspiring story to the end.  I hope the remaining members find it in themselves to carry on and create more music.  

Elliphant is another Swedish star on the verge of breaking it big

For the thousandth time, I enjoy the Swedish alternative and pop music scene.  They really know how to make that good ear-crack.  The stuff you can have just frivolously playing in the background.   Elliphant is another artist to add to my long growing list of Swedish female pop singers I enjoy way too much.    If you like Icona Pop, Charlie XCX and Santigold then Elliphant might be worth adding to your playlist.

Her new album A Good Idea has been released in her home country and probably will take time before hitting these shores.  "Down On Life" was the first track I heard as a single early this year.  The vocals on this song remind me of Joe Newman from Alt-J.  Yes, that's a very odd comparison but if you listen closely you might just agree.  

What I've liked about Elliphant so far is her willingness to have some range in her songs.  "Make It Juicy" sounds nothing like any other Swedish pop singers I've ever come across.   From the Brazilian percussions to the Santigold style rhymes, this song sticks in your head.  American alt-popers can take some serious notes from these young artist from Sweden.

Here's Elliphant's newest single "Could It Be" from her first album A Good Idea. She's come a long way from her first song on FIFA.  This song is well crafted and produced.  She finally has a chance to show off some of her vocals.  I think she's another artist to add to the list of about to break. Good job again to the people at FIFA for putting her out there first internationally.  Who knew video games could be so good at pushing artist to the masses?

Kitten's new EP Like A Stranger should be getting more love

It's strange how some bands just blow up fast and others just can't seem to break the ice.  Kitten, a local Los Angeles band, is one of those bands that should be breaking through much bigger but just hasn't, yet.  I'm going give the good listeners out there in the musicverse a few more months to catch up. If you like Berlin or Blondie from the 80's, you will most definitely dig Kitten.   And if you've played FIFA 13, the song "G#" was played often while you navigated the menus.

Like A Stranger is Kitten's newest EP and it only builds from their previous EP Cut It Out.  The six songs on Like A Stranger  have a lot of range and make me crave more.  I'm actually surprised how much I dug this EP.  There's considerable growth here from their previous effort.  It really reminds me of some of the better moments of 80's alternative synth from bands like Berlin. Chloe Chaidez's voice brings back memories of Deborah Harry.

"Doubt" is probably my favorite track from this album.   I think Chaidez's vocal and emotional range really take off on this one.  She's in control of the song from beginning to end and the synth is fantastic. It just grabs your ear from beginning to end.  And the break in the song about 3 minutes in, give me one massive 80's synth flashback.  They're not reinventing the wheel here but they sure are putting a nice shine on it.

"Graffiti Soul" and "Like A Stranger" are two other really notable songs from this EP.  Honestly, this EP doesn't have any filler. All six songs have been played often on my iPod since it's release and you can check them out in full on their YouTube page.  Support bands that deserve your money and attention.

The song "Cut It Out" is probably their most known song other than the one I mentioned featured in FIFA 13.  Again, listening to this song and then playing the new EP, you can just hear the drastic leap in songwriting.  I like "Cut It Out" but there's something more intimate and powerful in the vocals on  Like A Stranger.

Royal Bangs' Brass is an eclectic collection of rock and synth

So, I caught Royal Bangs on Tuesday night opening for Geographer.  I liked their albums but wasn't over the moon with them either.  Sometimes, seeing a band live can real change your perception of their sound and this was one of those cases.   Ryan Schaefer is a solid frontman and can really belt those songs out with energy.  Their entire set made me replay Brass front to back and see what I was missing. I was pleasantly surprised how good the album is.  It's hard to nail their sound down and that might be the problem selling this band to listeners.   In an era of, "if you like this band listen to this other band," Royal Bangs are just one of those bands lost in the category shuffle.

"Octagon" is their latest song from Brass and might be one of my favorite tracks from this band.  I really dig the lyrics and the vibe of the entire track.  It's got a Bob Seger feel to it from the late 70's.  Maybe it's the moments of piano/guitar solos or just the way Schaefer sings.  Maybe, just maybe, it's the beard.  Ok, Seger is a stretch but you get the picture.

"Better Run" was actually the first song I heard from Brass and as always surprised these guys are from Kentucky.  They have a Chicago sound to me, a distant cousin of the band Stepdad with less synth.   The guys really played the hell out of this song live.  Hats off fellas.  Buy this album and don't miss them on tour with Geographer.   These guys have great energy on stage and a well crafted sound.

Cage The Elephant show no slump on Melophobia

I finally got an opportunity to catch up on some albums that came out earlier in October this week.   I had heard "Come A Little Closer" back in August and knew the potential was high on Melophobia.  And, Wow.  Really, they deliver a big sound that's seriously infectious.  I'm actually surprised this song isn't bigger than it is.  I think the band has grown and the sound is more their own.  This song just cranks the hook about 3 minutes in and drives it home.  Sometimes a song is only as good as it's finish and these guys know how to finish a song.

I love muddy blues driven rock and this is some tasty mud created by CTE.  They really don't do anything gimmicky on this album.  The tracks "Halo" and "Teeth" bring really harder guitar rock sound I was expecting from the band's previous album.   I dig the no frills all out rock on these two tracks.  You can tell when a band is just having fun creating an album and to me this is that sound.

"Cigarette Daydreams" takes me back to 70's Neil Young.  The chorus and the guitars really have that Young type of hook and warmth.   This is probably the high point for me on this album.  The entire things is worth picking up but this really sets a high benchmark for me.   Cage The Elephant might just be under hyped after listening to this album.  Honestly, all songs are solid on this album.  Come to think of it, I should've mentioned "Black Widow" as well.