Every week five Disc Makers employees talk about an album they’ve been listening to. We’d also love to hear what you’re listening to, so leave a comment with your album pick for the week!
The Gaslight Anthem The ’59 Sound (2008)
New Brunswick, NJ’s The Gaslight Anthem is an indie rock/punk band at heart, but one that lovingly acknowledges a songwriting debt to Bruce Springsteen, with nods to Elvis Costello and Johnny Cash. Solid storytelling built around rockabilly beats and jangly guitars, this record revisits Springsteen’s porches and backstreets as filtered through the hearts of boys with sailor tattoos and raven-haired kittens named Maria.
Produced by former Flogging Molly guitarist Ted Hutt, The ’59 Sound is equally suited for a summer road trip or a bleary winter morning and is the perfect aural complement to the sagging gingerbread houses lining the tracks of the Northeast Corridor. Bittersweet yet anthemic, you may feel the overwhelming urge to roll down the window and sing it out. Don’t fight it.
–Chris R., Prepress Specialist
BLK JKS After Robots (2009)
I’m listening to the new BLK JKS (pronounced “Black Jacks”) album After Robots (Secretly Canadian, 2009 Vinyl/Cd/MP3) this week. I don’t think I could stop if I tried! I had the pleasure of seeing them in Boston on Sunday and am beyond amazed. They’re 4-piece from Johannesburg, South Africa that is just now finally catching ground in the US. The music is hard to lock into a genre, unless you consider “afrobeat-prog-rock” to be a definable genre.
The overall sound is like a mix of The Mars Volta, David Byrne, and Fela Kuti. The drummer (Tshepang Ramoba) is one of those drummers that makes me feel like I should give up and put my sticks down now. Infectious poly-rhythms and odd time signatures with sweeping guitars and ethereal vocal harmonies really put this group on a whole other level. “Molalatladi” may be my favorite track on the album, if only because of how excellent it was live – not to mention the fact that I’ve been (phonetically) singing it for a week. While not my favorite track on the album, the single, “Lakeside” got a new treatment since being released on the Mystery EP (Secretly Canadian, 2009 – Vinyl/CD/MP3) and has since spawned a video, so you can find them on YouTube as well. They still have a few shows left on the U.S. tour, so you could catch them now to say “I saw them when…”
–Mike W., Product Specialist
Alice in Chains Black Gives Way To Blue (2009)
What am I listening to? A new Alice in Chains record? How could this be? Well it’s playing right now, believe it or not. OK let’s just get it out of the way, we all know something is going to be different here, and some won’t want to like it based on that fact alone. The difference is one William Duvall, a new addition in the obvious place, and the right guy for the job. His harmony vocals blend with Cantrell (who seems to sing most of the tunes here) and that trademark sound is intact.
The songs are heavy and killer, “Check My Brain” is a stand-out track with one of the heaviest guitar riffs in years, and a chorus that rings for days. “Your Decision” channels the acoustic side of Cantrell’s handy work from years past, and hits the mark. “A Looking In View” is a favorite as well, heavy in a Black Sabbath meets Pink Floyd kind of way. “Acid Bubble” also rocks. It’s all fairly familiar territory, save for the title track, “Black Gives Way To Blue.” A gut-wrenching song, no doubt written about the loss of a great singer and friend. Elton John on piano, Cantrell on acoustic and vocal, it is an astounding track. So there you have it, I know it’s a touchy issue for some, but for me it’s great to hear these guys creating again…and still alive.
–Gaye F., Product Specialist
Maná Amar Es Combatir (2006)
Besides Juanes, Shakira, Mark Anthony and Juan Luis Guerra, Latin rock superstars Maná are among my favorites.
The seed of Maná sprouted in the 80’s in Guadalajara, Mexico, when a group of ambitious teenagers with a bongo started a band called Sombrero Verde (Green Hat). The band began by playing covers from the groups they admired: The Beatles, Stones, Led Zeppelin and The Police. They eventually dared to write their own rock in Spanish, which reflected their Latin roots, even before this became commonplace. Looking to renew their image, the band adopted the name Maná in 1986.
I admire that Maná is an organization that does not like to sit idle during rough times – they go from saying it to actually doing it. Maná created “The Selva Negra Foundation” (Black Forest Foundation) in 1995, which collaborates actively with governments to guarantee our kids a livable planet.
My favorite tracks on this particular album are #1, 2, and 7.
–Maria R., Customer Service Representative
Maxwell BLACKsummers’night (2009)
It’s refreshing to hear a contemporary R&B/soul album that favors live in-studio instrumentation over synthesizers. In BLACKsummers’night, the acoustic guitar, horns, organs and keyboard melodies take turns in establishing a conversational flow with Maxwell’s smooth vocals. The resulting sound is richly textured and leans to a more spontaneous song structure beyond repetitive hooks. Overall, the album exudes old school soul without sounding like a calculated attempt at being retro.
The cohesive 9 song set creates a sensual and introspective mood while exploring the central theme of ending a relationship. The issues of temptation, devotion and heartbreak are familiar, but Maxwell’s crafty songwriting avoids common R&B cliches and achieves the emotional depths and complexities of those life situations.
BLACKsummers’night stands out from the crowd by delivering meaningful music which grows on you after each listen.
–Armand A., Designer
