Every summer thousands of bands hit the road for summer tours, and everyone of them loves to have new music, both to play, and to sell at their merch tables. It's been a few years since I've hit a summer concert, but, luckily for me, these records are available outside of the venue.
In light of the amount of good, new music out this summer, I'm just going to give it the old once-over, instead of my normal, detailed recaps.
N.E.R.D
| Seeing Sounds
| June 10th
The third album from hip-hop super-producers The Neptunes, isn't totally rock, and it's not straight hip-hop either, but no matter what genre you place it in, there's no question that it's unique. The funkdafied lead single, "Everybody Nose," was just a sample of the many different directions this record heads in. From the banging "Anti Matter," to the spastic drum-n-bass of the aptly-titled "Spaz," you've never heard a record like Seeing Sounds.
Less Than Jake | GNV FLA | June 24th
Ska-Punk vets Less Than Jake are back with their 7th(ish) studio album, GNV FLA, a tribute to their hometown of Gainesville, Florida. Independently released, GNV FLA is far-better than 2006's In with the Out Crowd, and while it'll get a few spins on my iPod, it probably won't rank among my favorite LTJ records.
Cute Is What We Aim For | Rotation | June 24th
Sophomore albums can be a tricky thing for a band on the rise, but power-poppers Cute Is What We Aim For seem to have made it though without too much trouble. Rotation, the follow-up to the band's 2006 debut, is solid throughout, building on the quirkiness that highlighted their first record. Occasionally, the experimentation with different instrumentation ("Doctor" and "Hollywood") seems a bit forced, but songs like "Marriage to Millions," "Loser," and "Miss Sobriety" prove CIWWAF is on the right track.
Alkaline Trio | Agony & Irony | July 1st
After lukewarm feelings about the Trio's last record, Crimson, Agony & Irony completely renewed my love for the Alk3. For the Chicago-natives, A&I feels more like a progression of their sound, than the departure that was Crimson. The whole record flows together seamlessly, opening up with the one-two punch of "Calling All Skeletons" and "Help Me," and never letting-up. The record is built upon the same unique, tongue-in-cheek-macabre, pop-punk formula that has made them one of my favorites through the years. Some of my other favorite tracks include the earnest "Over And Out" and the "Get-a-room" anthem, "Love Love, Kiss Kiss." And if you're as big a fan as I am, be sure to check out the Deluxe Edition, with a pair of solid bonus tracks and a handful of acoustic recordings.
The third album from hip-hop super-producers The Neptunes, isn't totally rock, and it's not straight hip-hop either, but no matter what genre you place it in, there's no question that it's unique. The funkdafied lead single, "Everybody Nose," was just a sample of the many different directions this record heads in. From the banging "Anti Matter," to the spastic drum-n-bass of the aptly-titled "Spaz," you've never heard a record like Seeing Sounds.
Less Than Jake | GNV FLA | June 24th
Ska-Punk vets Less Than Jake are back with their 7th(ish) studio album, GNV FLA, a tribute to their hometown of Gainesville, Florida. Independently released, GNV FLA is far-better than 2006's In with the Out Crowd, and while it'll get a few spins on my iPod, it probably won't rank among my favorite LTJ records.
Cute Is What We Aim For | Rotation | June 24th
Sophomore albums can be a tricky thing for a band on the rise, but power-poppers Cute Is What We Aim For seem to have made it though without too much trouble. Rotation, the follow-up to the band's 2006 debut, is solid throughout, building on the quirkiness that highlighted their first record. Occasionally, the experimentation with different instrumentation ("Doctor" and "Hollywood") seems a bit forced, but songs like "Marriage to Millions," "Loser," and "Miss Sobriety" prove CIWWAF is on the right track.
Alkaline Trio | Agony & Irony | July 1st
After lukewarm feelings about the Trio's last record, Crimson, Agony & Irony completely renewed my love for the Alk3. For the Chicago-natives, A&I feels more like a progression of their sound, than the departure that was Crimson. The whole record flows together seamlessly, opening up with the one-two punch of "Calling All Skeletons" and "Help Me," and never letting-up. The record is built upon the same unique, tongue-in-cheek-macabre, pop-punk formula that has made them one of my favorites through the years. Some of my other favorite tracks include the earnest "Over And Out" and the "Get-a-room" anthem, "Love Love, Kiss Kiss." And if you're as big a fan as I am, be sure to check out the Deluxe Edition, with a pair of solid bonus tracks and a handful of acoustic recordings.
