Are you ready for some new music? Here are The MidWasteland’s Top 3 Indie Album Releases for the week of 03.16. Let us know what you think in the comments.
She & Him – Volume II
The lovable Zooey Deschanel is back, carrying her latest indie success of 500 Days of Summer, a movie I have yet to see for various reasons over to this creatively titled sophomore effort. Along with partner in crime, M Ward, She & Him displays a vintage Doo-Wop feel with squeaky clean backing vocals and fluttering piano. It’s nice, but nothing that made my jaw drop in amazement. It still sounds like an actress crossover, despite her need to sing in nearly every film she makes. The lyrics are average and the song structure is predictable. In the words of Rob Gordon, “I just want something I can ignore,†and this is one of them.
The Bird and the Bee – Interpreting the Masters, Vol. 1: A Tribute to Daryl Hall & John Oates
What a gimmick! An album filled with the vibrant musical styling of the great Hall and Oats warped into today’s electro-pop phenomenon. Featuring classics like Kiss on my List and Private Eyes, these sounds feel even more timeless and well produced thanks to Greg “The Bee†Kurstin, who has worked with the likes of Beck, The Flaming Lips and Red Hot Chili Peppers. Fortunately, despite the kitsch factor, this is pulled off quit well, including the only original track, Heard it on the Radio along an H&O billboard chart topper Maneater, featuring backing vocals from Garbage front gal, Shirley Manson. We can only hope for a Simply Red cover album to follow.
Snoop Dogg – More Malice
It is hard to go wrong starting off an album with The Jiggaman himself backing up this Hip Hop legand. But a good rap record is not simply about who you can pull for guest spots, even if they also include Soulja Boy, Butch Cassidy and Kid Cudi. There are some pretty innovative beats, considering Snoop Dogg usually keeps it fairly old school. Protocol has these distorted guitar swells that sound pretty gnarly along with the tight ¾ click and House Shoes is refreshing reminiscent of Busta Rhymes with an eerie violin holding it down. While this is not anything too mind blowing, all eight tracks stand pretty well on their own and you have to respect an MC that can still keep it fresh after twenty years.