Branching Out

I think it's time we talk about some new names here at Metro Distortion. These bands aren't new to the blogosphere by any stretch but their respective debut albums have been fully digested and JK-approved so-to-speak.

The Twilight Sad's debut album Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters has recently received rave reviews from both Pitchfork and Stylus. And while Pitchfork and I haven't necessarily seen eye to eye lately on reviews (see Maximo Park and Cloud Cult on one end; LCD Soundsystem and Panda Bear on the other), this one is right on. This is exactly the kind of anthemic rock that I crave and it absolutely does not disappoint. It's a ridiculously good album; one of the better one's I've heard this year.

MP3: The Twilight Sad - "Cold Days From the Birdhouse"

Handsome Furs, as many know, is the work of Wolf Parade's Dan Boeckner and his fiancee Alexei Perry. I have, and continue to be, a huge Wolf Parade fan, so it surprised me that I was never able to get into (and perhaps, appreciate) Sunset Rubdown's material. After listening to Handsome Furs' debut Plague Park, I realized why I was drawn to Wolf Parade in the first place. While Spencer Krug gets a lot of the credit (and he's brilliant on Apologies...), its the contribution of Dan Boeckner that creates so much of that appeal. The music won't be confused with anything from Wolf Parade or Sunset Rubdown. It's a minimalist sound of vocals, guitar, and a drum machine. Count me as a big fan.

MP3: Handsome Furs - "Handsome Furs Hate This City"