Shoes tied tight, bus at the curb, wonder what homeroom I’ll get this year!? It’s ‘back to school’ again for a great many of us – for others, it’s Tuesday. Sure post-Labour Day has lost it’s excitement, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy great new music!
Zeus | Classic Zeus
Taking the bold step of calling themselves classic even though they’re only a couple albums deep, this brand new LP from Toronto rockers Zeus is actually not really close to the ear-drum smashing hit “Are You Gunna Waste My Time” from 2010. They’ve gotten a little more AC and Indie Pop in this release, which although makes one wonder sometimes where this all came from, it’s fun to listen to. It’s a change of direction for the band, and although they may not have completely left their old hard-rocking roots behind, they know exactly what they’re doing and exactly how it was going to be perceived – hence why they called a departure record “classic“.
Half Japanese | Overjoyed
If Kurt Cobain was alive today he’d love this album. Sure, he loved this band when he actually was alive, but a 4-decade long career of Half Japanese’s Jad Fair has not changed him much, and really, he hasn’t lost a step. Still hitting hard, still inspiring, as a friend of mine says (and lives his life by) “lo-fi till I die”.
Blond Redhead | Barragan
Another one from a group that’s be around for a really long time (21 years!), Barragan from Blonde Redhead has again solidified their place as, not necessarily a game changer, but as a massively creative voice. This is decidedly more stripped down from an arrangement standpoint, this record makes the best out of noise and music that isn’t there; hardly naked or without dynamics, this record allows for the listener to find more of what they like.
