Music Not By Animal Collective

So we're one week into 2009, and already the ZOMGBESTALBUMOFTHEYEAR!!! has come out, at least if you believe all the hype. Did I mention you should believe the hype?


Yes, despite my impulse to second-guess anything that's receiving this much ear-deafening buzz, you might as well surrender to Animal Collective's Merriweathear Post Pavillion. It's earned every drop of praise by showcasing all the sonic experimentation that put the band on the map, while firmly severing the "what the fuck" aspect that plagued many of their songs (namely, all the endless screaming), making it a brilliant album that even mainstream music fans can enjoy. But that's all I'm going to type about them, since they certainly don't need my support, and The Web Sherrif's been notoriously tough on prosecuting sites that have posted their music. So let's move on; it's a new year and a big world. Here's a host of new acts to keep you busy in '09:

Novelty alert! There's a new buzz band from England. And they have an 80's sound. Fine, not so novel, but what The White Lies might lack in originality, they make up with killer production, and some great guitar licks. Their debut LP comes out on the 19th, and it's been building a sudden wave of attention, partially thanks to (OMFG!) placement of the song "E.S.T." in the final scenes of last week's Gossip Girl. It's got a Tears for Fears meets Sisters of Mercy vibe that immediately caught my attention, and while it's not crazy, genre-pushing stuff, sometimes you just need a break from that shit.


White Lies - "E.S.T"

Novelty alert, part two! There's a new, Cut Copy-esque dance duo from Australia. But again, in this case, they've got talent to break away from their like-minded compatriots. Empire of the Sun made international waves last year with their debut LP, Walking on a Dream, and now are looking to conquer the US with the album's stateside release. Again, "unique" is not a word I'd use to describe them, but they do what they do quite well, as demonstrated in the title track:


Empire of the Sun - "Walking on a Dream"

The opening lineup of this year's South By Southwest festival has been announced, and interestingly enough, seems to be filled with a lot of no-names (though I'm sure they're no-names attached to record companies and managers already). I plan to cover as many of the bands as possible before the kick-off in March, so I suppose I should dive right in. Starting with an act from my hometown, here's WAZ, who despite his name, is not another Australian dance duo, but a lonely guy with a guitar who's slowly made a name for himself on the Hollywood singer-songwriter scene.


WAZ - "Ordinary Girl"

Finally, part of me wants to hate this guy because he stole my one & only idea for a rap song, but I'll let it pass, as the prospects of me becoming the next great hip-hop producer were never too bright to begin with. Asher Roth hails from suburban Pennsylvania, and doesn't try to hide it: he's unapologetically nerdy, and raps over the Reading Rainbow theme to prove it. Here's his Myspace, if you need more proof.





--------------Song of the Week-------------------

Asher Roth - "The Reading"




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