Music

Top 5 Indie/Rock/Pop Releases: March

by Nicole Villeneuve

Each month, tons of new music from many taste-spanning genres is released into a fast-consuming, unforgiving market; it can be tough to get a handle on what’s new before it’s on to the next. In an attempt to highlight the standout releases, at the end of each month, AUX staff re-cap the month in Punk, Metal, Indie/Pop/Rock, Hip Hop, and Pop with the top five releases in each. Consider it your cheat sheet for year-end lists.

Top 5 Indie/Rock/Pop Releases:
March

 

The Men – Open Your Heart

I never want the Men to stop trying on new coats. The Brooklyn four-piece (not to be confused with ex-Le Tigre members’ band MEN) have managed to morph masterfully from dark noise to dark hardcore to dark power-pop over just three albums, all while keeping their power (and particular brand of distortion and) in tact. The evolution on display is restless and smart, but if you want to just take Open Your Heart —which, honestly, is exactly what it sounds like they did here (there’s even a country song)—as its own, you won’t find a better Replacements replacement this year. (Sacred Bones)

The Shins – Port of Morrow

It’s been five years since The Shins have released an album. In those five years, bandleader James Mercer went off and made an album with Danger Mouse as Broken Bells, and it feels like the whole of the indie-rock world the Shins once ruled changed, leaving little room for them. Mercer is better than that, though; Port Of Morrow cements what was more clearly emerging in the settled post-Garden State dust on 2007’s Wincing the Night Away—Mercer is a hell of a songwriter, and on his latest, he achieves the rare balance of having a style that’s distinct enough to be recognized even as he advances his craft. This is a beautiful pop record with details worth your time. (Aural Apothecary)

Joel Plaskett – Scrappy Happiness
	That Joel Plaskett could finish this album in ten weeks and have it sound so good—and, yes, scrappy—speaks again to the depth of his talent, ambition, work ethic, charm, and everything else that makes him a relatively unsung Canadian treasure. (New Scotland Records)

Tanlines – Mixed Emotions

Mixed Emotions is the full-length debut from Brooklyn duo Tanlines, and though it may not be extraordinarily groundbreaking in its New Order appreciation, it is refreshing in its attention to detail and, well, emotion. It lacks the cathartic release of, say, M83’s wrenching Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming, but the heart and rhythm of songs like “Brothers” or “Rain Delay” make repeated listening a compulsion. Or maybe it just makes me feel like I’m hearing a John Hughes movie soundtrack for the first time. (True Panther)

Lee Ranado – Between the Times and the Tides

This is just a nice jangly college-rock sounding record, and though that’s venom to some, I think if you’re predisposed to like it, you’ll like this album. For as much time as Ranaldo has spent making music with Sonic Youth, and for all his previous solo work, this is his first proper singer/songwriter record. His cred is deep enough on its own, but naturally he worked with long-time buds/Sonic Youth players Jim O’Rourke, Steve Shelley, and Bob Bert, as well as pulled in some added work from the likes of Wilco’s Nels Cline and John Medeski, among others. The nicest surprise was, I think, hearing something so straightforward and grounded from someone whose roots were planted left of centre a long time ago. (Matador)

Surprises, disappointments and albums to watch for next month

Surprise of the month: Bruce Springsteen! Not because I expected to be disappointed but because I expected to expect a total recent Bruce Springsteen album. Which, it is. But he just sounds like he means it, again.

Disappointments: Eight and a Half, the new project from Broken Social Scene/Stills members, failed to live up to the full-album potential of songs like the delirious “Go Ego,” but their outlook is good.

Out in April: Screaming Females would like to rock you. Rufus Wainwright’s Mark Ronson-produced new one should be interesting.