Mike Krol "Power Chords (Merge)"
Mike Krol is here to save rock and roll. Power Chords (Merge) sounds just like an album called power chords should. A little bit punk, a little bit ‘90s alternative, it’s a guitar-driven collection of the best influences. Ramones. Early Weezer. The Strokes. It is not a surprise that the thing all those bands have in common is a certain cheekiness. It’s not that Mike isn’t displaying real emotions via his songs here. There’s hearts both aching and breaking to be found, but the candy-coated melodies belie the seriousness of the message in only the way that the best rock and roll can. Check out the clap-a-long-able bounce of “I Wonder.”
MONO "Nowhere Now Here (Temporary Residence)"
Over 20 albums and 10 years, Japanese rock band MONO has turned into something monumental. Emotive, deserving of devout fanship, dramatic, beautiful, haunting, achingly sad… it’s easy to list word after word to describe this unparalleled band. Over the years they have expanded their original power quartet lineup to include an orchestra at times, and Nowhere Now Here (Temporary Residence) also throws electronic sounds into the mix. This record is as epic as anything they’ve ever done. There is good reason why this band has developed such a worldwide devout fandom as it has, there is no one else like them. Check out the heroic sounds of “After You Comes the Flood.”
Neil Hamburger "Still Dwelling (Drag City)"
Well, this album makes my job very, very easy. Imagine the saccharine-sweet orchestral pop of the ‘60s and ‘70s. A little lounge-y, lots of sweeping strings and groovy bass and choral hints. Now imagine some of the great songs of that time, like The Luckiest Man In This Room, Homeward Bound, Backwards Traveller. Now imagine all of that being “sung” by Neil Hamburger. Yup. Still Dwelling (Drag City) is that. Check out his “singular” interpretation of “Backwards Traveler.”
Bruno Bavota "Re_Cordis (Temporary Residence)"
As the line between modern classical composers and electronic musicians blurs more and more with every passing year, in steps Italian composer Bruno Bavota. Bruno is known for, essentially, remixing his compositions live as he performs them. Sitting at a piano with a series of effect pedals, playing his pieces live as he then also manipulates those pieces live. If someone were animating this process, surely Bruno would be an octopus, tentacles everywhere (maybe an amazingly delicious sandwich next to him. After all, cartoon food ALWAYS looks amazing, right?) On Re_Cordis (Temporary Residence), Bruno oscillates between beautiful, calming, solo piano pieces that have very little in the way of manipulation–and haunting, tension-filled combinations of deliberate melody and frayed effects. Here he is revisiting older compositions to show how they have evolved since he originally wrote them. It’s like the dawning of a new kind of new-age music, and I for one am ready for it! You will be too! Check out simply lovely “The light of.”