Pop
Timeflies- After Hours: 3 / 5
It seems fitting that Timeflies’ new album, After Hours, is being released on a Tuesday. This is because the duo, made up of Rob Resnick and Cal Shapiro, have steadily been releasing their Timeflies Tuesday remix videos since early 2011. The videos, posted on Youtube nearly every Tuesday, feature Cal free-styling over Rob’s remixes of current hit songs. Over the years, Timeflies Tuesday has become a nearly viral campaign of a group who knew exactly how to hit it big using the social media site. After Hours is a clear continuation of the group’s sound, which provides a mixture of pop, hip-hop and EDM.
One thing that has always been great about Timeflies is Rob’s slick production. He is able to create poppy tracks laced with electronic percussion and synths backed by heavy hitting hip-hop undertones. With his usual productions featuring the melodies of hit songs, the familiarity of the tune makes it all the better. But without a backing from another song, the music seems to be a bit repetitive and not as satisfying. That’s not to say that they’re bad though, they just lack some of the shine that we’ve become accustomed to. The other aspect of the duo, Cal’s blend of sharp rapping and soaring vocals continue to amazing. Lyrics like “We get so high until we fall/We don’t need sleep to dream this up” spell out youthful and carefree exuberance. The soft verses crescendo into loud choruses and create a summer vibe, the perfect soundtrack to long summer nights. The album is a bit more radio friendly than previous releases, pulling more from pop than hip-hop. A downfall of the album is that they seem to shine more on their remixes and covers than on their own tracks, but that’s not to say that theirs aren’t enjoyable. Hopefully as they become more mainstream, they continue to release their weekly videos.
Timeflies has never really been one for serious lyrics or storytelling. For them, the focus has always seemed to be to have fun. What they lack in lyrical depth, they make up for in sheer enthusiasm. This is definitely evidenced on After Hours, as the album doesn’t really provide anything but party-ready tracks or songs to blast in your car. If you’re looking for a good time, this should definitely be on your summer playlist.
Key Tracks: All the Way, Somebody Gonna Get It, Swoon, Monsters
RIYL: Sammy Adams, Aer, Chiddy Bang, The Dean’s List
The Crookes- Soapbox: 4.5 / 5
The Crookes, a band hailing from Sheffield, England, have released their third LP, Soapbox. Now, I have heard the name of this band before, but I have never actually listened to any of their releases. And I must say, I regret that I didn’t! Soapbox is an amazingly sleek, upbeat album that you cannot help but enjoy.
The Crookes, like lots of this century’s British rock bands, have a pop-rock kind of deal, with that little side of punk sensibility, very similar to the Arctic Monkeys. The difference though is that The Crookes carry with them an inspirational indie vibe that crafts a more cheery sound. Most tracks are poppy, danceable rock songs that have rolling, punk drums, guitar that somehow mixes pop melodies with punky powerchords, and an animated, soaring voice comparable to Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig. The guitar seemlessly frolics in and out of the vocal melodies, creating a charming effect of unity. The songs are enthusiastically dynamic, as they buoyantly bounce around dramatic build-ups and big choruses. One of the stand-out tracks, “Outsiders”, is a highly electrifying, optimistic beat and melody, despite the singer, George Waite, wailing about him and his friends being outsiders. It is that kind of carefree energy that drives the album!
Soapbox is a lively and uplifting album that will have you singing along as your driving down the highway, blaring this out of your windows! It really is the kind of album that you just want to listen to over and over again, simply because of how fun it is and how it makes you feel better. Go ahead and make sure you add this to your playlist for this summer!
Key Tracks: Don’t Put Your Faith in Me, Before the Night Falls, Outsiders, Marcy
RIYL: Arctic Monkeys, Vampire Weekend, Richard Hawley
Romeo Testa- The End: 4 / 5
Romeo Testa grew up with multi-national parents in LA who ensured that their son got an impressive musical palette from the start. He says that he “grew up on a healthy diet of music”, listening to artists spreading across various genres, regions, and time periods. That range of influences is greatly discernable on his debut EP, The End. Testa puts forth six songs of warm, melodic soft-pop-rock that would fit perfectly on any variety of mainstream radio stations.
The first thing that shocked me about Testa was his voice. He has that somewhat gravely, high-pitched voice that sounds like it’s teetering on emotion, very similar to Gavin Degraw. His music as a whole fits into that blue-eyed soul/pop rock genre that Degraw belongs in. “With You”, the first track, is a soft piano ballad with a drum track and orchestral strings, making for a romantic type of song perfect for today’s occasion (Valentine’s Day). Each track continues that vibe, in some way or another. The EP is aesthetically graceful, with smooth acoustic guitar strumming and a string orchestra to add a very spiritual backdrop. Some tracks, such as “I’m So Down” and “Light It Up”, show a sort of hip-hop influence, with heavy bass undertones on the drum tracks. Overall, you can hear many influences on each song, including rock, pop, soul, R&B, hip-hop, and blues.
Romeo Testa’s The End EP skillfully crafts all these genres into his own, with his amazing voice acting as the blender to mix it all together. Major props to his parents for creating a genre-bending artist capable of producing such an impressive debut. Hopefully he can carry that talent across into a full-length LP later this year! There’s no doubt in my mind he can.
Key Tracks: With You, I’m So Down, Still Misunderstood, Light It Up
RIYL: Gavin Degraw, John Mayer
Ron Pope- Calling Off the Dogs: 4 / 5
Ron Pope originally rose to internet-stardom in 2005 with his acclaimed song “A Drop in the Ocean”, and since then has had a string of albums and singles. Calling Off the Dogs is his tenth album, which carries some sort of conceptuality to it, as it follows the love story of two individuals, from their first meeting to their last moment spent together. Trust me when I say that this album will have you thinking about that person you had a crush on in the second grade that you used to share your cookies with. If any album accurately portrays the emotional roller coaster that is a struggling relationship, it is this one right here. Ron Pope somehow makes the feelings of his character come off as absolutely tangible.
The story is told from the guy’s point of view, and starts when he first lays eyes on the girl in “Lick My Wounds”, which has a dance-heavy sound and a cutting bass beat that is fairly similar to that of “Electric Feel” by MGMT. This is the most upbeat and optimistic song on the album, as the beginning of any relationship is usually the most exhilirating part. The good feelings don’t last very long though, as by the third track, “Explain”, the couple is experiencing their first fight, accompanied by a soft, solemen piano groove. And from there, the rest is as you would expect. The narrative traces through fight after forgiveness after fight, made increasingly clear by Pope’s use of a background choir and orchestral strings to move the dynamic of the music to match that of the relationship. In “Signs”, it seems as if they have rekindled their romance. In “Nothing”, which is the only song where we here a small part of the girl’s point of view, it seems they have fallen apart again. “Off Your Feet” reveals to us that she had cheated on him. A clear stand-out track is “New Friends”, in which the narrator tries to get over his past lover with partying, boozing, and meeting new people, a period anyone who has experienced a break-up will understand. I won’t give away the ending, but just know that you are in for a feels-trip.
Ron Pope has masterfully created a conceptual album that thoroughly illustrates the ups-and-downs of a relationship. You will be feeling the depression, the mourning, and the bitterness as Pope trails you through a tale that every single person has experienced! And that is what makes Calling Off the Dogs so mesmerizing: that every single person can relate to the music and understand what the character is going through, and that Ron Pope has the talent to make listeners fall so deeply into his music. Probably not the best thing to listen to if you’ve just experienced a dirty break-up, but other than that, definitely don’t miss out on listening to this!
Key Tracks: Lick My Wounds, Signs, Off Your Feet, New Friends
RIYL: Ed Sheeran, Matt Nathanson, Jason Walker
Har-di-Har- Hard Parent/Thick Child: 3.5 / 5
Har-di-Har is made up of husband and wife duo Julie Thoreen and Andrew Thoreen. Their third release, Hard Parent/Thick Child is an amazing indie-pop/rock/folk collection of songs that I cant decide fit more for warm-summer afternoons or dark, cold winter nights.
Hard Parent/Thick Child only has 6 songs, but each one has its own unique vibe and almost unique genre. The acoustic guitar strumming adds great rhythm, while the keyboard provides dreamy-synth that contributes to the albums overall wispy feeling. The interesting thing about Har-di-Har is that they use a split drum-set, meaning they each play a certain part of the set. This makes for an interesting rhythm section that drives the beat and pushes the dance vibe of the album. Julie provides the main vocals most of the time, and has the strong female voice similar to Florence Welch, while Andrew provides harmony that demonstrates the couples musical compatibility. Almost every song has big dynamic shifts and changes in tempo, which will keep any listener on their toes and interested in what is to come next.
Har-di-Har have succesfully made an album that pretty much epitomizes indie-pop, -rock, and even a little -folk. The melodies they produce are very uplifiting and warm, and every song holds its own! I’m looking forward to future releases by this band!
Key Tracks: Through Trees (Part 1), We’ve Been Missing, Once Branches
RIYL: Dirty Projectors, Deerhoof, Grizzly Bear
Wish Hotel- Ducktails: 3 / 5
A solo effort by Real Estate guitarist Matthew Mondanile, Ducktails is the debut EP of Wish Hotel. The 5-track EP could best be described as a fusion between psychedelic rock and jazz with a hint of electronic, providing for a very laid-back, overcast-winter-day vibe.
The psychedelic rock aspect is clear in the vocals, which echo in and out with reverb, almost like smoke wisping into your ear. This adds to the mystique of the music, with melodies that steadily rise and fall and dreamy, phased guitar solos that make the instrumentation crash over you like a waves. Each song flows into the next, with tracks 2 and 3 being almost identical, if not the same song twice in a row. The drums add a nice jazz flair to the background while every now and then some synth fades in and out.
The mellowness of the EP is what makes it so easy to listen to, as if the soundtrack to you slipping into an acid trip. A very good EP, worth listening to. Hopefully Mondanile will continue to release music as Wish Hotel!
Key Tracks: Tie-Dye, Honey Tiger Eyes, Jazz
RIYL: MGMT, Real Estate, Gringo Starr
Dress- Sun Shy: 4 / 5
Indie-pop duo Dresses release their highly anticipated debut EP, Sun Shy, after much success with their earlier released singles. Real-life couple Timothy Heller (yes, that’s her name) and Jared Maldano have an undeniable chemistry that shows through in their music. They just got done touring with Kate Nash, who Timothy sounds very similar to.
With 9 songs, it’s a bit long for an EP, and Dresses packs each song full of indie-popness sensibility. The music is light-hearted and upbeat, with a sound that would be perfect for summer cruising. The acoustic guitar, drum patterns, and melodic synth make for an interesting sound that at times even delves into indie-folk. Each song seems to swell with big choruses that soar to indie heaven. With catchy and carefree lyrics, Timothy and Jared’s voices have a harmony that could rival just about anyone!
The EP has great production, great lyrics, and great instrumentation. It’s whole vibe seems to fit with any summer activity you could think of. Dresses is undoubtedly the next big indie-pop band, and just one hit from making it to the mainstream.
Key Tracks: Blew My Mind, Sun Shy, Gotta Love
RIYL: Kate Nash, Passion Pit
Plug-In to Awesome 