Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Tunezday!...aka New Music Tuesday!


TECHNO: Fans of Depeche Mode, listen up!  It’s been nearly thirty years since Depeche Mode co-founders Vince Clarke and Martin Gore have worked together, but this week they are releasing a brand new album of instrumental, dance techno tunes under the artist name VCMG.  The album, Ssss, consists of 10 brand new tracks comprised of super heavy, undulating bass, juxtaposed with danceable, melodic synths.  Grab a nice set of headphones (I attempted to listen with cheap ear-buds and regret it immediately) and check out this new album!

COUNTRY: The Memphis band Lucero's newest album, Women & Work, can be more accurately described as not just country, but country soul mixed with some classic, gritty rock and roll.  While "old-school" Lucero stuck to a strictly alternative-country sound, after signing with Universal/Republic Records in 2009, the band took on a bigger sound by adapting a heavy soul influence and a powerful horn section.  The band is no longer with the label, but the sound influence remains evident on their newest album, which you can check out this week on Rolling Stone.

INDIE ROCK: One of the best things about writing this blog post is that every once in awhile I follow a link expecting nothing, and finding something awesome.  Fenster is a band that started as a project between New Yorker JJ Weihl and Berlin native Jonathan Jarzyna with hopes of, according to Earbuddy, “creating pop songs from distortion and various effects to build dreamy sonic backdrops.”  Their first album, Bones, is being released today and manages to conjure up thoughts of so many other bands and sounds, while simultaneously presenting a completely unique sound in and of itself, perhaps better than most other albums being released these days.  The distorted vocals are immediately reminiscent of The Strokes, Arcade Fire and the Flaming Lips, while the musical melodies made me think of Beirut or the xx or maybe both depending on the song!  While this all seems to be completely incompatible, Fenster somehow does it so right. 

UPDATE: JJ Weihl from Fenster is a Midd alum! They will be playing at 51 Main on April 6! Check out the comments section for a bit more info and check out their website here!



Stream a few more of this week's best new releases here:








4 comments:

brad said...

JJ of Fenster went to Midd! That is a cool thing. People who will be in NY over midd spring break, they are playing here March 29, who wants to go?

Diane Martin said...

that is the coolest thing! last week anais mitchell, this week fenster! well done, middlebury.

WRMC Middlebury College said...

Fenster will also be playing 51 Main on April 6th!

AND they'll hopefully be doing an in-studio that day too! whee!

Diane Martin said...

clearly, i should have researched this more.