In Rotation: Florence + the Machine - Ceremonials

Florence + the Machine exploded onto the scene with the debut album Lungs.  It seemed within such a short time F+M were seasoned veterans of powerhouse pop.  Coming off such a meteoric rise, it is often hard for an artist to turn around and deliver a second sensation.  However, the "sophomore slump" is not felt in the newly released Ceremonials.  Not to disappoint, F+M takes us on a follow-up journey of dramatic themed story telling.  Listening one can sense how much of her own self is put into each note, sung as if each song will be her last.  Where Lungs felt like a collection of various thoughts and themes, Ceremonials has a concentrated point of view of procession and ritual.  An ambitious album, F+M released a deluxe version offering additional tracks along with demo and acoustic version various tracks.  The acoustic versions are a welcomed lift to the heavy layering orchestral accompaniments, the parsing away of drums and bass lines highlight with even more emphasis her vocal abilities and core essence of the songwriting.

Notable Tracks:
1. "Only If for a Night"
3. "What the Water Gave Me"
5. "Breaking Down"
7. "No Light, No Light"
8. "Seven Devils"

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In Rotation 2 : TV on the Radio - Nine Types of Light

Combining indie rock, dance, soul and everything in between, TV on the Radio is a band that I can always expect to go beyond the music and explore the artistic side of sound.  Their latest album, Nine Types of Light, delivers a wave of rhythms and vocal shifts.  At first listen, strong beats and up-tempo tracks like "Caffeinated Consciousness" and "New Cannonball Blues" appear to dominate the album with their bold nature.  But with every further listen, the true driving force is a stream of (on the surface) gentler, more subdued songs.   This is evident in "Forgotten" and "Will Do," where there is almost an uneasy romanticism that takes form through the creeping beats.  As true art always is, there are many layers to Nine Types of Light that keep unraveling the more its explored.

Notable Tracks:
5. "Killer Crane"
6. "Will Do"
8. "Repetition"
9. "Forgotten"
10. "Caffeinated Consciousness"

For even more artistic expansion, TV on the Radio released a full-length music video, filled with individual visual representations for each one of its songs and then tied together with a collection of ideas provoked from topics found within the record.

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In Concert : Generationals @ Record Bar

Generationals opened the night bringing their toe-tapping beats onto the stage.  The New Orleans based band energized the room with fun up-beat tempos, instantly sparking the audience to dance along.  With the release of their second album, Actor-Caster, Generationals find opportunity to intertwine 50's doo-wop, british guitar rock, 80's keyboard pop, and dreamy vocals in to their minimalist indie rock. They are a young band with a fresh opinion on how to incorporate sounds from generations past into a present sound.

Notable Tracks:
1.  "Ten-Twenty-Ten"
7. "Black and White"
8. "Tell Me Now"
10.  "Please Be It"

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In Concert: tUnE-YarDs @ Jackpot Music Hall

On a gloomy rainy evening, one might not think going to a concert is high priority, but that was not the case this past Monday at the Jackpot. To a standing room only crowd, the tUnE-YarDs took the stage with their warpaint on.  A phantom of multitasking, Merrill Garbus looped drum signatures and vocal "skats" effortlessly. With tremendous vocal range, lyrics of regressed modern oppression whilst backed with a rhythmic bass groove, the tUne-YarDs had the entire crowd moving as one. Every song from whokill takes over your body, dropping you deep into an African drum circle where every spastic limb movement is an extension of the beat.

Notable Tracks:
1. "My Country"
2. "Es-So"
3. "Gangsta"
4. "Powa"
6. "Bizness"

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In Concert: The Wombats @ Record Bar

"Tooooorrrd!" echoed from the back of the crowd, as The Wombats brought their fun, energetic music to the stage.  Tord, playing bass whether he was bouncing back and forth across the stage, climbing atop speakers or being down on the ground, brought nonstop action to the show.  All the while lead singer Matthew Murphy and  drummer Dan Haggis brought their cheeky English humor to the forefront, telling jokes in between songs, and hiding behind amps and curtains for the encore.  Their songs are a direct reflection of their fun-natured attitude and are all happy, uncomplicated music that you can't help but dance to as The Wombats Proudly Present... This Modern Glitch.

Notable Tracks:

1. "Our Perfect Disease"

2. "Tokyo (Vampires & Wolves)"

3. "Jump into the Fog"

6. "Techno Fan"

7. "1996"

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In Rotation 1 : My Morning Jacket - Circuital

As the title suggest, Circuital, has the feeling of progression traditional narration.  My Morning Jacket introduces their 6th studio album with the broad sweeping orchestral rock of "Victory Dance".  Moving into the climatic sing-along "Holdin' on to Black Metal".  And then, ending with a sweet piano ballad "Movin' Away".  Don't let the dropped g's fool you as to the content of the lyrical narration, there is a grand sense of life observations and archetypal notions of the passing of time.  A great addition to the American/Southern Rock genre for your collection.

Notable Tracks:
1. "Victory Dance"
3. "The Day is Coming"
8. "You Wanna Freak Out"
10. "Movin' Away"


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In Rotation 2 : Givers - In Light

Fun, upbeat, and playful...no other words best describe the Givers first album In Light.  This collegiate, indie pop group from Louisiana have a great spirit about their music. There's a warmth to their songs, almost as if it were born from a day in the sun.  Their afrobeat-infused percussion and interchange in lead vocals between male and female parts adds to the album's playfulness.  Well developed music and solid lyrics give In Light  real substance, an album that can easily be played on repeat for days.

Notable Tracks:
2. "Meantime"
6. "Ceiling of Plankton"
7. "In My Eyes"
9. "Go Out At Night"
10. "Words"


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