Sunday 30 March 2008

March in Albums.

Well, the month has come to an end, which of course means its time to round up the best releases of the past 31 days. March has seen a banquet of impressive releases, many of which I'm almost certain will appear in end-of-year-lists come December time. It was extremely hard narrowing it down to 5, but here they are. March in albums:

Why? - Alopecia
Anticon

Alopecia sees Why?'s line up beefed up from a trio to a five-piece with the addition of Fog's Andrew Broder and Mark Erickson. The bands fusion of indie rock, abstract hip-hop and Yoni Wolf's sometimes inscrutable rhymes defies genre and expectations at nearly every turn. The bands third offering is perhaps their strongest yet.



Hercules & Love Affair - Hercules & Love Affair
DFA Records

H&LA is the musical brainchild of New York DJ Andy Butler. His debut is a self-assured and self-contained set that runs vintage disco styles through restless compositions to create something startlingly unique. The album features production from DFAs own Tim Goldsworthy and guest vocals from Antony (of Johnsons fame).



Mystery Jets - Twenty One
679 Records

Everybody's favorite Eel Pie residents return (Henry-less) after their much overlooked debut Making Dens with Erol Alkan produced pop magic. The band have traded a lot of their original prog tendencies in favor of pop sensibilities, resulting in a fantastic record, bursting with colour and personality. 




Foals - Antidotes
Transgressive 

After controversially overthrowing Dave Siteks production in favor of their own final mix. Foals finally release their highly anticipated debut Antidotes through Transgressive. Although not quite living up to their live tour-de-force, Foals certainly have delivered, with a superb collection comprising of beefed-up versions of early fan favorites and new material. Highly recommended. 



ALBUM OF THE MONTH: 

Fuck Buttons - Street Horrrsing
ATP Recordings

Album of the month for me goes to Fuck Buttons remarkable debut Street Horrrsing. The duos devout repetition of pounding beats, chugging synths, blissful keyboards and distorted screams gets stronger with every listen. I really cannot get enough of this record, definitely a strong contender for album of the year. Full a full review, see below. 


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