Scotch Howard - Mandara (2011)

I love discovering new party music and this album most certainly fits the bill. On their first album together, vocalist Scotch Howard and Mitra Music, the production name for San Francisco-based artist, producer and multi-instrumentalist Gabe Lackner, team up on Mandara and the end-product is 8 tracks of psychedelic electro rock that makes you want grab a few adult beverages and go dance in the shower, with or without friends. The intro jam, "Hit The Wall," pulls you in with hand-clapping catchiness that sets the album's drive and message. "Rowdy" oozes with an alcohol-soaked swagger and a sing-along chorus that is perfect for sparking an evening of debauchery and serves as the thematic anthem. Around those, grooves like "In Time," "In The Streets," "Turnon" and "Shake Off" bring on the loungy dance vibe at different paces that keep the party going. The moods are diverse, but the tracks balance well, with some driving hard and fast, while others take their foot off the pedal. Have a listen below, grab your download here for the price of a 40oz malted beverage, invite some friends over and turn up the volume.

Crystal Castles - "Not In Love" (featuring Robert Smith)

and we were lovers, now we can't be friends, fascination ends, here we go again. oh oh oh cause it's cold outside, when you coming home. cause it's hot inside, isn't that enough.

I love me some electronica, but I can be incredibly picky about which bands I let into my life. I've never even been the hugest fan of Crystal Castles, nor did I ever anticipate writing a QuickCrit post about them, but I'm pretty sure enlisting the help of Cure front-man Robert Smith for a refurbished "Not In Love" may just be an excellent exception. A depressing song high on uppers, this danceable track sounds like a long lost 80s song that would be perfect for the end credits of a long lost 80s movie. Or, at least one I'd want to watch. It's a melange of 80s downer, new wave, electronica and definitely gets its synth on in all the right places. In fact, it's synthly wonderful. I'm not even sure if I'd love this song as much if Robert Smith didn't lend his earnest vocals meets five seconds away from an emotional breakdown signature that he does so well, but "Not In Love" perfectly complements the gloominess I always feel whenever Indian summer ends, November rain hits and a wintry East Coast is imminent. I am not in love with the aforementioned, but I am in love with "Not In Love."

The Horrors - Primary Colours (2009)

Recommended highly by a trusted musical resource/friend who told me I would love The Horrors, especially this record since it touches upon every musical genre I live for. Not worth the hype, not brilliant, not a fan. I was so excited to immerse myself in this album, but it was such a big disappointment. This one makes Guns N' Roses' "Chinese Democracy" seem like a successful concept album. I don't even want to talk about it.

Editors - In This Light And On This Evening (2009)

On their third studio album, the Birmingham based Editors bring both thundering dance beats and soothing synth-rock, making for a quite entertaining album. It is the bass heavy, dance single "Papillion," that initially captures the attention upon the first few plays of In This Light And On This Evening, but the other tracks quickly demonstrate that the band is much more than a one trick pony. Indeed, I am a sucker for a well-constructed dance track, but the band has the ability and willingness to go in different directions with each track and that makes this album worthy of complete listens, which can't be said for all new releases. Like Interpol--the band to which Editors is most commonly compared primarily, I would guess, due to the similar sounding vocals--the pace of each track changes, but there is a commonality throughout.  The vocals are deep and at times ominous, the bass is heavy, the synthesyzer is timely and drives both the subdued and uptempo tracks. Editors have an impressive catalog dating back to their 2005 release, The Back Room, and as demonstrated by this release, has evolved and modified their sound enough to continue to feel new.

Favorites: "Papillon," "Bricks and Mortar," "The Boxer" and "Eat Raw Meat = Blood Drool"

Late Of The Pier - Fantasy Black Channel (2008)

A trusted, albeit electronica-obsessed resource suggested I check out England’s Late Of The Pier to stave off Wolf Parade cravings, and my curiosity was decidedly piqued. If I didn’t know better, I would’ve assumed this was one of Spencer Krug’s innumerable [and questionable?] spin-off’s… except decent. They share his eerily resonant vocals, laced with danceable indie beats in the vein of Klaxons. Weeks of listening later, I discovered…

This genre-happy band is everything and nothing, all at once. One minute metal, next prog rock, from synth-rock, then danceable indie, to some yet-to-be-classified amalgam of the aforementioned. My entire listening experience could be summed up with a… Huh? Wait… what? Oh god… Umm… What the fuck? Hmm… Holy shit! This band seriously goes from point A to point… Z.

If you don’t mind shameless pilfering of more established bands like Wolfsheim, My Chemical Romance, Panic At The Disco, Bloc Party, Muse and Orgy, to name a few, then you might dig this band. The vocals range from Krug, to David Bowie’s baritone, to Matt Berninger’s darkness (The National), and the music is guitar-driven one minute, gloomily synthtastic the next… you won’t know whether to run, scream, hide, or stay and dance to the musical schizophrenia.

Although some tracks are overly ambitious that they lose their focus (“Heartbeat” and “Whitesnake”), there are some wicked(ly) cool ones too. The awesomely 80's throwback, “The Enemy Are The Future,” is at best a B-side to a Bowie B-side album… but in a good way. Then the edgy “Mad Dogs and Englishmen,” with its Hot Hot Heat-inspired vocals and Bloc Party flavor, is perfect for a Devo comeback album. And “Bathroom Gurgle” is definitely on my playlist for an unplanned indie dance party.

WARNING: Don't listen to Fantasy Black Channel before bed. It may give you night tremors... or worse yet: the “jimmy legs!” ;-)

We Are Scientists - Brain Thrust Mastery (2008)

If you dig The Killers or Hot Hot Heat, chances are you probably already love We Are Scientists. After the considerable success of 2006’s With Love and Squalor, they're back with their latest: Brain Thrust Mastery. It's not as instantly awesome as WLAS, but this will definitely grow on you after a few listens.

Touring with Arctic Monkeys seems to have been influential since their sound is similar to AM here, except on crack…after being electrocuted at their synthesizers. WAS themselves describe their intentions as "rock music of the thoughtful, sometimes epic, often loud, vaguely danceable, and implicitly humanist variety." Pretty spot-on for their unique brand of musical schizophrenia.

The Words: BTM is an 11-track journey detailing a soured relationship with [no?] hope of resuscitation. Pepper in some attempts at understanding, a few classic "I’m a dick, it’s all my fault"s, an ill-advised indiscretion, ever-growing confusion, coming to terms with the inevitable, partying [of course], and the perennial dilemma unfolds for your listening pleasure.

On “Impatience,” we get our contemplation on (For every promise kept / There's a thousand I don't even know I'm making). On the ska-infused “That’s What Counts,” I find the soundtrack of my life in a beautiful refrain: Enough is not enough / But I keep saying that I'll stop / Over and over / I’m drowning in each drop, all leading to the final “If I’m not waking up with you, why am I waking up at all?” Hmm, good question. I only ask myself the same thing... every... fucking... day. But the non heavy-hearted “After Hours” has my favorite lyric: We're finally drunk enough that / We're finally soaking up / The hours that everyone else throws away. Awesome for the car ride home after that great first date when the possibilities are infinite, everything is perfect, and no one hates anyone yet.

The Sounds: "Sonic overload" is barely sufficient. BTM expertly focuses on glitzy retro-rock riffage and electro-rock danceability to churn out an entire record of tracks suitable for The Killers, or at least the synth-conscious listener. It also helps that singer Keith Murray blesses us with a truly resonant voice. Couple this with capable back-up vocals of Chris Cain and the resultant force is a killer example of what harmony can and should be in the world of indie rock and beyond.

Stand-out tracks:
"Let's See It" - electro-poppiness laced with this record's best example of harmonious vocal interplay.

"After Hours" - quintessential last-call song after a great night out.

"Lethal Enforcer" - the sounds of Pet Shop Boys, Echo & The Bunnymen and The English Beat are all playing pinball with each other in my head... and I'm lovin' it.

"That's What Counts" - just plain saxy.

The Final Verdict:
Love BTM for what it is: a hodge-podge of songs that you've gotta get up to get down to. Throw this on for background tunage at your next party and expect a little head-bobbing, a little toe-tapping, and a heckuva lot of dancing.