Album of the Week Mix

by Treble Staff

10.01.2008





Though it sometimes seems appropriate to turn out an Album of the Week every eight weeks or so, when all else fails, there's bound to be a new one whenever the seasons change. Given that Fall has officially begun, it's time once again to usher in a new series of amazing tracks that we've been spinning on repeat. In this installment, we have tropical punk, bar-band rock, one-man samplicalia, sludge metal, Southwestern rock, post-rock, shoegazer, minimal electronica, scary experimental rock and many various genres that fit somewhere in between.

We just hope you think it's good. We do.



Abe Vigoda "Dead City/ Waste Wilderness"
from Skeleton


"Within the first track, `Dead City/Waste Wilderness,' the group lays out all their strengths at once, with surf-inspired guitars sidling up next to high-pitched, distorted riffs and that ever-present, manic rhythm.


Stream



The Hold Steady "Constructive Summer"
from Stay Positive

"Without hesitation, the New York quintet invites the listener in with the familiar but invigorating sound of `Constructive Summer,' as powerful an opening statement as the band has ever recorded."

Stream





Bodies of Water "Only You"
from A Certain Feeling

"Moments of delicate devotion (`Only You') deliver the band to more ascendant peaks of pop pageantry, but the sentiment still rings achingly true."


Stream





Harvey Milk "Death Goes to the Winner"
from Life…the Best Game in Town


"About a minute and a half in, that Hellhound comes a-runnin', careening toward the depths through a brutal barrage of ultra low-tuned riff mayhem."


Stream



Ellen Allien "Caress"
from SOOL


"Along with the electro-pop ballad `Frieda,' `Caress' is one of the album's warmest moments, a droning dreamscape sculpted around a 4/4 beat and the various repetitions of the title word."

Listen




Broken Social Scene Presents Brendan Canning "Hit the Wall"
from Something For All of Us…


"Canning has a particular knack for making a straightforward rock song transcendent, as he does on `Hit The Wall,' where the title chant carries some surprisingly emotional resonance among the distorted, ringing guitars and heavy pounding bassline."

Video



Arms "Shitty Little Disco"
from Kids Aflame


"`Shitty Little Disco' is such a damn fine song that I found myself hard pressed to not hit the repeat button every time so that I could get through the rest of the record."

Stream





Lykke Li "I'm Good, I'm Gone"
from Youth Novels

"Li asserts her sassy self, showing off an impressive range and an attitude to match, closing the chorus with the kiss-off `you'll be calling but I won't be at the phone.'"

Video





High Places "Head Spins (Extended Version)"
from 03/07-09/07


"Mary Pearson's voice is the perfect companion to Barber's melodies, her charming, reverb-laden vocals just light and airy enough to float in the same atmosphere as a bouncy, exotic trip like `Head Spins (Extended Version)'."

Stream



The Walkmen "On the Water"
from You & Me

"`On the Water' shuffles steadily along with a subdued melody, hushed in a manner similar to "Playa," but steadily escalates toward a massive climax, wherein Leithauser matter-of-factly states `you know I'll never leave you/ and that's the way it is.'"

Stream



Apse "Legions"
from Spirit


"A track like `Legions' is creepy from the outset, with echoing `ooohs' and a mischievous melody that beckons like a music box at the top of a creaky and dark staircase."

Stream





The Dead Science "Throne of Blood"
from Villainaire

"The innocent introduction of harp in `Throne of Blood (The Jump Off)' is but a ruse, as the song is overtaken by furiously plucked guitars and pounded percussion, while frontman Sam Mickens, in his disturbing warble, croons `tonight I fear there's something in the air,' perfectly putting to words the sort of dread that the music seems to build."

MP3



Okkervil River "Lost Coastlines"
from The Stand Ins


"The Stand Ins opens on a bittersweet note with `Lost Coastlines,' pairing Sheff and former bandmate, and Shearwater frontman, Jonathan Meiburg to trade verses."

MP3




El Guincho "Palmitos Park"
from Alegranza!

"With a rush of applause, `Palmitos Park' comes rushing in like a Tropicália roller coaster, zooming up and down with a simple, yet high energy melody, like Os Mutantes on high speed breakbeats."

Video





Calexico
from Carried to Dust


"`Two Silver Trees' shows off the band's remarkable ability to transform a hushed, subtle track into a soaring anthem with a mesmerizing chorus."

MP3





Adventure "Travel Kid"
from Adventure


"`Travel Kid' embodies side-scrolling scenarios with bright melodies that threaten to out flare the sun."

Stream





TV on the Radio
from Dear Science


"First single `Golden Age' brings more funk and good vibes all around, with the choral hook `Age of miracles/ age of sound/ Well, there's a Golden Age/ comin' round' serving as a celebratory rallying cry."

Video





Mogwai "The Sun Smells Too Loud"
from The Hawk is Howling


"One should simply have experiences while listening to Mogwai, of the music and otherwise."

MP3