Father John Misty Gives Praise

Ok...one look at this cover and you're probably thinking what I thought. "Wow. This is going to be one messed up, tripped out, psychedelic trip into the unknown." If you're thinking that right now...stop, because you are wrong. Father John Misty is nothing of the sort nor does he play that kind of music. He’s so the opposite of all that I don't even think he's a Father. However, he is a very interesting singer/songwriter who obviously comes from a completely different direction than most of his peers.

His album Fear Fun is a swooning, crooning, heartbreaking trawl through his musical psyche. It's fascinating stuff that alternates between sounding like Chris Isaak, Lyle Lovett, and country ballads. With a bit of twang, long drawn out notes and a musical direction that would make someone like David Lynch think this guy is awesome Father John Misty is a unique talent. Fear Fun isn't necessarily a feel good hit, but it is the sort of album that even if you don't like the genre you can help but sit there and just listen to what he's done.

Fear Fun is like a folkified, countrified, broken hearted lounge singer's journey into depression. It's an intimate, rustic, lonely record that long's to feel the arms of someone around it but never quite gets to. It’s quiet, unobtrusive, and looking for attention. With that being said it's thoroughly enjoyable stuff even if it's a bit too twanged out for me. Countrification and twanginess aside you should give praise to Father John Misty for he preaches the gospel of love unlike anybody you'll ever hear in your life.

Miniature Tigers Go Big

Remember when Of Montreal used to be really good? Remember back 1999-2001 when they were nearly twee, in love with the Kinks, and weren't so far off the deep end they could write a pop hit with their eyes closed? If you can remember those days and enjoyed them you'll absolutely love Miniature Tigers. Seemingly trapped in a Kevin Barnes dream that he has yet to wake up from, their latest album Mia Pharaoh is what Of Montreal should still sound like but never will.

A fantastic indie pop album Mia Pharaoh touches on psychedelic pop, twee pop, broken hearts, sunshiny days, and even laying it down on the dance floor for a night on the tiles. It's a brilliant pop record that's incredibly catchy, fragile, and hanging on for dear life but somehow, someway keeps an optimistic attitude throughout. Miniature Tigers do a great job here of taking their quirky and somewhat disturbing sense of humor and channeling it into songs that if you don't listen to carefully you'll miss the punchline. It's slightly pervy stuff (kind of like Of Montreal) that would make a crossed dressed Kevin Barnes blush. That being said all this is cleverly disguised in massive sugar rushes of hooks and riffs that are impossible to get out of your head. The first song on Mia Pharaoh ("Sex On The Regular") is so easy to remember that I was humming it in my sleep last night. These guys clearly know how to write a huge infectious pop song and have done exceptional job at planting them throughout the ten songs here.

Mia Pharaoh is an indie pop triumph that should make Of Montreal embarrassed. Miniature Tigers have pieced together a gem of a record that's at home at the local indie dive as must as it is wandering the streets at night in love. Mia Pharaoh is an excited, tender, but lovely record that shows Miniature Tigers turning into an indie pop juggernaut. Let's just hope that they don't fall off the deep end like their peers did...that would be tragic.

Kitsune Taps Into America

As you undoubtedly know, Kitsune is a French label who have made quite a name for themselves over the last five or six years for releasing mind numbingly good electro from around Europe and occasionally the States. And while they've released all these tunes from all over, they've never concentrated on one area directly until now. Sensing that the Americans are finally falling in love with electronic music, Kitsune has set a trail forward by releasing their first Kitsune America compilation dedicated to all the stuff coming out on this side of the Atlantic.

It's pretty much common knowledge while most of what we take for granted dance music wise was originally invented here in the States, we shipped it overseas where it went nuts and forgot about it. Now, thirty years after that groundwork was laid by the likes of Derrick May, the youth of America have latched on to the dance floor and don't seem to want to let it go. This compilation firmly proves that. Kitsune America is a fourteen track exploration of North Americans who know how to boogie and write some darn fine songs while they're at it. This is a ridiculously amazing record and quite honestly there isn't one duff track on this album. From St. Lucia, DWNTWN, Childish Gambino, Heartsrevolution, Poindexter, Giraffage and loads of others this is pure dance floor gold spun with magic, glitter, and amazing beats. Whether it's chill wave, house, electro, it's all here and it's ready to go.

The fine folks at Kitsune have pieced Kitsune America together with love, dedication, and quality control. There's a reason why the label is nearly legendary and it's because they love this stuff and refuse to settle for anything second best. This record is perfect. It's your Saturday night planned out for you without you knowing it. The tunes are packed with infectious melodies and mesmerizing beats and it's a hot, sweaty, summer night spent on the dance floor and right now that's like the best thing ever. Seriously. Cheers to Kitsune for bringing their quality to the States now it's up to America to reciprocate by buying tons of records!

Afrolicious Save Pleasuretime

Despite the group’s name being Afrolicious isn't at all what you might think they would be. The thing is so not what's expected that even the cover is deceiving. You can't help but look at this thing and think, "Ah, Afrolicious cool name for a reggae band." Holy miscalculations Batman...it's so much more than what you think. Their second EP Pleasuretime is undoubtedly influenced by dub and reggae but it’s not either. Rather, this record is a chilled out, deep house vacation into the haze of your mind.

All that being said, Pleasuretime is a brilliant EP. With an endless groove that's pretty much established within the first minute or two of the record, Pleasuretime digs deep into the chilled tropical vibes and comes up being as Balearic as Ibiza on a summer Saturday. Afrolicious have released on heck of a little record here and its hyrbid use of dance, dub, reggae, and jazz is just about unforgettable. After two super impressive EP's that takes deep house to the beach, it's time for Afrolicious to release a full length of new material. I'm sure when that day comes the record will be massive but until that day, enjoy Pleasuretime.

Rusko Has Lots of Songs

While Rusko’s debut album was over excitedly titled OMG his latest is a much more subdued and kind of uninspired Songs. Thankfully, Rusko is so on top of his game that it doesn’t matter what the heck he titles a record it’s going to be a hit. Like his debut album, Songs is so much more than just a dubstep album. Cramming speed garage, house, hip hop, reggae and enough bass rattling moments to test the speakers of anything less than 100,000 watts, Songs is diverse, deep, and an extremely danceable record. Rusko has once again proven himself to be a unique artist and this guy offers so much more than a bog standard dance record that he has to admired. He's imaginative, creative, and seems like he loves listening to tunes as much as he enjoys creating them.

Sounding at times like MJ Cole meets Diplo on vacation in Kingston, Rusko clearly gets the idea that good songs revolve around sequencing enough hooks, and in the case of dubstep, enough earth crushing basslines to destroy the world. The songs seem to be constructed around each bassline and layers upon layers of sounds, squiggles, and wobbles are then worked in to make the tunes here sound so thick that they physically weigh a ton. This is some heavy stuff in the best way possible and it's quite potentially the most punishing record you'll hear all year long. And yet despite that or because of it, Songs is a fantastically upbeat record that literally is all over the place, and as much as that's its strength it's also its one weakness. Songs literally heads off in twenty different directions and really wants to be everything to everyone. Some might see this as this records downfall but it's lack of a cohesive direction allows the record to spread it's wings and touch upon some of dubstep's greatest influences; see dub, garage, drum n' bass, and house. It might lack overall cohesion and sound like a bunch of potential singles crammed together rather than a consistent album, but when the songs are this good and this jittery it more than makes up for it.

From the piano house vibe of, "Somebody to Love," to the atmospheric washes of, "M357," Songs never loses sight of the dance floor. In fact, Songs is so upbeat and so high-energy that it will wear you down and wear you out. Brilliant, bombastic, diverse, and powerful, Rusko has created a classic, essential, must have, legendary dubstep album that once again shows that Rusko is dubstep royalty.

Ane Brun Knows It All Starts With One

Ane Brun reminds me a bit of Stina Nordenstam. Singing with a childlike sense of wonder and the most fragile vocal chords I've heard in a long while, Ane Brune sounds like she's either nine years old or about to cry for a very long time. She's a delicate vocalist who approaches songs as minimalist pieces that are quietly held together by every word she sings. Her latest album, It All Starts With One, is appropriately titled because so much of the record features one voice (hers) above all else.

It All Starts With One is an artsy and atmospheric record that features strings, woodwinds, percussion and almost symphonic arrangements operating unobtrusively behind Brun's childish vocals. She reminds me of Stina simply because they both sound like children singing over sweeping and dramatic arrangements and the fragility associated with all that. She, like Stina, sounds like she's going to fall apart in a ball of misery. All that being said, It All Starts With One is a very pretty record whose exquisite sounds are mesmerizing and impossible to walk away from. Pop music this is not, but it's still incredibly enthralling stuff that's probably more beautiful than 90% of the music out there today.

Ane Brune's It All Starts With One is a subdued work of beauty. It's quiet power and muted sounds make the whole thing sound otherworldly and unique. It's an enjoyable work of ethereal winsomeness that's strange fascination with minimalism and frailness makes for some fine songs. If you like the sound of depression, heartbreak, and being alone remember It All Starts With One.

Sara Radle Let's The Same Sun Shine

Sara Radle's album Same Sun Shines is a rather good folk pop album similar to a long line of folk pop alternative singer songwriters that were popular in the 90’s. If you can imagine Kristen Hirsh or Julianna Hatfield in their solo project prime you can kind of put yourself right in the middle of Radle's songs. Her songs are poppy, bright, and for the most part breezy and carefree. There's a nice 90's element here and the songs almost sound like they came straight out of the 1993 CMJ charts.

Same Sun Shines is far more than an album with a girl and her guitar. Heck there's so much pop going on here that at times it almost sounds like the guitar solos are played on kazoos. This is cute stuff that makes you want to give Sara Radle a hug. While I generally don't like singer-songwriter albums (as you undoubtedly know) this has enough of that 90's throwback feel to it that I found myself enjoying this record. The songs, even at their slowest, are still enthralling enough to keep you glued to your ear buds and when Sara gets a bit jumpy she's energetic and truly at her best.

Like a long lost record from when alternative broke, this is an edgy, emotional, and slightly rebellious affair. Same Sun Shines is packed with bits and bobs of spikiness, Veruca Salt like vocals, and adorable melodies you won't soon forget. Sara Radle is a singer songwriter it's ok to like and like her you should. Oh, and her cover of "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys," is worth the price of the album alone; seriously.