Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles

The first seven songs on Crystal Castle's self-titled debut album Crystal Castles are a tour de force of catchy and highly original tracts that left my jaw dropped the first several times I listened to the album. The only problem with Crystal Castles is that it is awe inspiring on the front end and then cannot carry the momentum. I am not going to give a full review of the album as I have not given it enough time to fully digest, (so maybe my "momentum" comment is premature) but for $6.99 on iTunes you have absolutely no excuse to not buy it. Plus, it just plain kicks ass and all the cool kids like it.

Crystal Castles - "Alice Practice"
Crystal Castles - "Untrust Us"
Crystal Castles - "Air War"
Crystal Castles - "Courtship Dating"

EDIT: So I listened to this album more this weekend and I could not be more wrong... this album is fantastic front to back.

Prince Performing Radiohead's "Creep" at Cochella

It's not that Prince covering "Creep" much less any Radiohead song has ever crossed my mind, but I'm going to file this under "things I never thought I'd see." The surprise value of this performance is the only reason I'm posting this otherwise it's just a bunch of Prince guitar noodling.

M83 - "Graveyard Girl"

M83's Saturdays = Youth received a score of 8.5 from Pitchfork while receiving an average score of 7.2 on Metacritic. I just downloaded the full album today but my initial impressions have me quite impressed. So far the song "Graveyard Girl" is the standout track blending 80's nostalgia with all the emotions of one's teen angst-ridden years. This song is some of the best shoegaze pop I have heard in a while and I highly recommend giving the song as well as the album a try.

Wolf Parade - "Call It A Ritual"

"Call it whatever you will" but it's a great new song from Wolf Parade. It's not often that one song is going to be cause for an entire post, but we are talking about Wolf Parade here. Check out "Call It a Ritual" which will be appearing on Wolf Parade's yet untitled LP set to be released on June 17, 2008. Meanwhile I will be salivating for the rest to come...

Wolf Parade - "Call It A Ritual"

Plants and Animals - Parc Avenue

Plants and Animals are yet another indie band to hail from the mecca of indie artists that is Montreal, Canada. Being a native Texan I know very little to nothing about Montreal, Canada, but I do know this; whatever is in the water up there needs to be bottled up and sold as liquid gold. I really didn't think another album could come out of the Montreal scene that I could enjoy on this level, but Parc Avenue crept up on me out of nowhere and I am loving this album. The best way I can describe the sound of Plants and Animals is to mix 70's radio, My Morning Jacket and Midlake in a blender and put a bit of Vodka in for kicks. Parc Avenue covers the gambit from Nick Drake jangly acoustic guitars to overdriven amps pounding out southern rock anthems. Parc Avenue will surely make the mix in my year end "best of" lists and I may regret giving the album only an 8.5, but only time will tell. -(8.5/10)

Plants and Animals - "A New Kind of Love"
Plants and Animals - "Good Friend"
Plants and Animals - "Bye Bye Bye"

The National - A Skin, A Night

The National's Boxer is my third favorite album of 2007 and if you do not already own a copy there is no excuse. To commemorate the greatness that is Boxer The National have enlisted the help of French Director Vincent Moon (who is responsible for the La Blogotheque's "Take Away Show" Series) to direct a film on the making of this classic album. Between my love for Boxer and the the "Take Away Show" series this could not be any cooler... Oh wait, yes it is, there will be a 12-track bonus CD titled The Virginia EP. Well Slap me silly and call me Susie because this is going to be awesome! Look for A Skin, A Night on DVD along with The Virginia EP on CD May 20, 2008.