Florence and the Machine
Lungs
Island (2009)
In a U.K. pop scene increasingly dominated by uncertain female electro-pop princesses or paltry imitations of Rihanna or Beyonce, it's refreshing and exciting to see the dominance of a genuinely interesting and invigorating talent. Twenty-three year old Florence Welch and her four accomplices - The Machine - present us a gift wrapped collection of thirteen buoyant, ethereal and enormous songs. Production is large and swelling, with harps, keys, strings and choirs liberally applied. Unlike Phil Spector and his overly ubiquitous wall of sound, however, these arrangements never feel Pro Tooled into place, instead situating themselves succinctly around Welch's absolutely awe-inspiring vocals. Opener "Dog Days are Over" gives us a sample from the veritable smorgasbord that Lungs offers up: "El Condor Pasa"-era Simon & Garfunkel strings, ghostly choirs, darkly colored lyrics and those throaty, shouty, angelic lead vocals. Followed straight up by single "Rabbit Heart (Raise it Up)," we're drawn in completely, with a chorus that will float innocently around your eardrums for weeks. "Kiss With a Fist" is a White Stripes song, offering a lyrical tale of domestic violence told controversially: "A kick in the teeth is good for some / a kiss with a fist is better than none." … Read more
Sick Sick Birds
Heavy Manners
Toxic Pop (2009)
Sometimes life gets in the way of good music. When the Thumbs disbanded in 2003, Mike Hall and Bobby Borte … Read more
King Khan & The BBQ Show
Invisible Girl
In The Red (2009)
In his two-piece with Mark "BBQ" Sultan, King Khan & The BBQ Show brings garage rock as it's meant to … Read more
Rabid Rabbit
Rabid Rabbit
Interloper (2009)
As certain styles of music catch hold and thus become revered and oft emulated, making or doing something to makes … Read more
