Weekend Music Roundup

The weekend has come again, and we're down to only a few more before the calendar flips over into the 20's. So, like last week, I'm going to hit you up with thoughts about some more albums from this year while I still got time. That will be followed by another one next week, and then it'll be time for the year end round up, and a flurry of past masters that I've been grooving to lately but haven't had the room to talk about. Until then...enjoy.

Beck - Hyperspace: The seemingly ageless indie wonder returns with his first album in two years. Right off, I have to admit that I absolutely love this cover. It nails what Beck is all about! Like the last album, he's playing with a lot of 80s synth pop sounds on this, and does so effectively. As always, there's moments of funky playfulness. But unlike the last album, those moments are mixed with the softer elements of his wonderful "Morning Phase" album. "Stratosphere," "Uneventful Days," "Everlasting Nothing," and the title track are standouts on this respectable addition to his catalog. 

San Fermin - The Cormorant I: It's been two years since the Brooklyn indie chamber pop band's last album (their third). This EP seems to be part one of a planned multi-EP release and it's a welcome return. I've always liked this band and their way of mixing of genres into their music. An almost impossible task today is for a band to not sound like another band, and they've always done that for me. I really enjoy how they use dark folk with more upbeat sounds. "Cerulean Gardens," "Summer by the Void," and "The Myth" are personal favorites. 

Cannons - Shadows: This is the second full length album from the L.A. indie dream pop trio. This is very much of that L.A. style of indie pop, very outdoor club friendly, a slight tinge of eeriness and mystery. Just enough to keep it balancing between pop and trip-hop to keep me from getting bored. It certainly has a Lana Del Rey feel to it. "Love Chained," "Fire For You," and "Talk Talk," are standouts. A solid album to be sure, but some weak tracks. 

Basement Revolver - Wax and Digital: The Canadian indie artist's debut album "Heavy Eyes" was a nice surprise last year and they followed it up with this solid EP which is also reminiscent of '90s indie. There's something about this band that reminds me of Helium. There's a sweetness on the surface, but something buried just under that gives it depth. "Have I Been Deceived," and "What Are You Waiting For" are standouts.

DMA's - MTV Unplugged Live: After the success of their initial two albums in the last three years, the Australian Britpop band released this album back in June. The most surprising thing about this album is that MTV is still doing Unplugged albums. As with other albums in that series, this is scaled back versions of album tracks. Though not completely reinvented in the way an artist like Nirvana, this reveals a softer side of a band that is not all that heavy to begin with. Their tunes adopt easily into this format and make for a fine album. Personally, I'm just happy that somebody out there is keeping the Britpop sound alive.  

Jerry Leger - Time Out for Tomorrow: The fourth album from the Canadian indie artist. This is a country inspired folk album, which sounds odd from somewhere from Toronto, but remember, Neil Young is Canadian as well. This isn't earth shattering by any means, it follows traditional songwriting of the genre, but it features great slide guitar and Jerry has an honesty about his voice that shines through. I actually like the old-fashioned feel that he conjures up on this record. "Canvas of Gold," "That Ain't Here," "Read Between the Lines," and "Survived Like a Stone" are my favorites.