Music Roundup

Some weeks seem to be incredibly busy in the music world, while other are more laid back. This week is one of those crazy weeks, for me and for everyone ... we're being bombarded by pretty big releases, or at least leaks, and tons of news to whet our appetite for the future.

arctic monkeysThe Arctic Monkeys will release their first single, I Bet You Look Good On the Dancefloor, on the 17th, but the album has already been leaked, and you can see the live video for the single here. The group is really great, by the way. Equal parts Franz Ferdinand and the Strokes, they combine tense songcraft with slick guitar hooks and precise drumming, sometimes with a bit of garage on top.

black moth super rainbowA bit late here, sorry, but it's news to me ... Black Moth Super Rainbow released a new EP (called Lost Picking Flowers In the Woods) two weeks ago, and I am very impressed with the release. Think Boards of Canada, if they used some 70s TV shows and more trip hop as influences. A sort of docile, child-like quality about their synths and samples, but still very poppy. Listen to some of their stuff on their MP3 page.

Supergrass has released an album sampler here to promote their recently released album, Road to Rouen. Also, you can watch them on Leno here.

castanetsFirst Light's Freeze is the newest LP from Castanets. It's due out on the 24th, but as usual, the record has been leaked. Really a great album ... not necessarily darker or more ornate, but fuller in some very spooky way ...

Plenty of Strokes buzz out there right now ...
You can hear the [newly leaked] song, "You Only Live Once," here, and "Juicebox" has also been leaked, but I can't seem to find it again!

Stream the whole Franz Ferdinand album, You Could Have It So Much Better, at MTV. I like it a lot, although it has become increasingly clear to me that the group is truly a singles band.

live it outMetric's new album, Live It Out is out, and you can see the video for "Monster Hospital" here (and also please read my review of the album at Exploding Plastic).

broken social sceneLastly, Broken Social Scene's new s/t album is out. Another winner, although maybe less inspired than their second record. Once groups like BSS get into their nitche, they continue to create good music, but it always seems to be lacking that initial spark that made them so bloody good. Buy the album because it comes with a 7-track EP!