Review: Future of the Left – Travels with Myself and Another

This week there is a plethora of great albums coming out which will be blogged about endlessly all over the internet including The Mars Volta – Octahedron, Dinosaur Jr. – Farm, Alexisonfire – Old Crows/Young Cardinals, The Dear Hunter – Act III: Life and Death, and Sunset Rubdown – Dragonslayer. However, I am going to put the spotlight on one that has been flying well under the radar: Future of the Left – Travels with Myself and Another.

Song of the Day: Animal Collective - Chocolate Girl

Although I consider myself a huge fan of Animal Collective, I was never really able to get into Spirit They're Gone, Spirit They've Vanished. When I saw them live on May 14, 2009 at the House of Blues in Boston, they came out for an encore and played an incredible rendition of "Chocolate Girl" from the aforementioned album. Every since then, I have been in love with the song. The static melody and joyful synths create a dreamlike feel as only Animal Collective can. Experience it for yourself:

Cymbals Eat the B-side

The suspiciously Pavement-esque indie rock buzz band Cymbals Eat Guitars are set to release a new 7" out on Transparent records in the UK on July 20 and sold exclusively through Pure Groove. The 7" contains the single "…And the Hazy Sea" as well as the b-side "Tunguska" which features some of their most creative songwriting. As an added bonus for purchasing the single, the first 300 buyers get a slap bracelet. You can also head over to their MySpace and download the track in exchange for your email address.

Modest Whale

Anyone worried that Modest Mouse was going to stop writing weird epic songs can now rest easy. The band is streaming a new song called “The Whale Song” and it is a brooding tune featuring a sea of dissonant guitars. It comes from their upcoming release No One's First and You're Next due out in August.

Middle East Rubdown

Sunset Rubdown has always been my favorite of all the projects involving Spencer Krug. This is saying quite a bit seeing as he has consistently released amazing albums with Wolf Parade and Swan Lake as well. In fact, Swan Lake which also features Dan Bejar (Destroyer) and Carey Mercer (Frog Eyes) have released a highly underappreciated album, Enemy Mine, earlier this year. However, it is easily outshadowed by the incredible new Sunset Rubdown record, Dragonslayer, which is vying for a place as album of the year.

Trying My Best to Love Jenny Lewis

I am a sucker for a beautiful girl with a guitar. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that I am a fan of Jenny Lewis who is one of the most gorgeous and talented women in music today. I had the pleasure of seeing her at the House of Blues in Boston on June 10, 2009 and it was quite a performance. Jenny Lewis puts a lot of heart and soul into her indie folk and it translated beautifully to the live stage. Accompanied by an impressive ensemble of musicians, she got right into it with a lively performance of "See Fernando" from her latest album Acid Tongue.

Isis Destroys Paradise

On June 5, 2009, I had the pleasure of watching Isis destroy eardrums with their crushing riffs and hypnotize the audience through ambient jams at Paradise Rock Club in Boston. The set which lasted over 90 minutes included classics from their entire catalog but was heavy on tracks from Wavering Radiant, their excellent album released earlier this year. The band had outstanding chemistry as they dove headfirst into their signature mix of quiet and loud dynamics.

Still Thinking About Nine Inch Nails

Nine Inch Nails mastermind Trent Reznor has announced that he is done operating under his infamous moniker. Fortunately, I was lucky to see Nine Inch Nails perform on June 3, 2009 at the Comcast Center in Mansfield, MA. It was incredible to see personal favorites such as "Somewhat Damaged", "March of the Pigs", and "Wish" performed with so much energy in a live setting. It's sad to think that this will be the last time I will see Nine Inch Nails but it was a fitting farewell either way. Mr. Reznor even made a heart wrenching speech before performing "La Mer" about how it was the only song he could write while alone in a Massachusetts home contemplating suicide. Then he announced that he was going to go back there and get married. It shows that he has come quite a long way from the angst ridden and depressing messages in Nine Inch Nails' music. It also provided some insight into why he is ready to throw in the towel along with his trouble with idiots on the internet. Jane's Addiction rounded the night off perfectly with a captivating set of old favorites. I have seen them once before and they have not lost a step in their powerful delivery of classic material. Below are the set lists for the show: