Jam Sessions #4: battle scarred ghosts
Talk about releases—this fall is full of good music and it’s not over yet. A lot of upbeat goodness coming up. These all live on my iPod, to the point the rest of my library wonders if I still exist anymore.
Session #4 playlist
Highlights: Albums
Owl City
The Midsummer Station
Released: Aug 21, 2012
Pop, electronic
What I love about Owl City is the happy glow that’s embedded into almost all his songs. Catchy, light-hearted, and upbeat, life can’t be that when you’re
Starred: Dreams and Disasters, Bombshell Blonde, Metropolis.
Tobymac
Eye On It
Released: Aug 24, 2012
Pop, hip-hop
I’ve been a little in love with Tobymac from way back (dc Talk anyone?). His last album was good, but this tops it by miles. More electronic, more edged, more focused, just more. I recommend the deluxe version for the remixes. Plus, omg Mac Daddy! For the uninitiated, every Tobymac album includes a track with his son Truett, and listening to him grow is pure fun. Especially now he needs a job (because them Apples don’t grown on trees).
(A few of the) Starred: Eye On It, Unstoppable, Me Without You.
High Contrast
The Road Goes On Forever
Released: Aug 27, 2012
Dance, electronic
Purely instrumental, High Contrast offers something akin to an electronic movie score—but more focused, with each of the themes fully fleshed out. Makes for excellent writing music. All the tracks are solid (with the exception of its namesake, not bad but not my favorite), and several mix genres to give a while panning-over-sweeping-vistas feel, while others seem to tell a complete story.
Starred: Emotional Vampire 120 (NHS Mix), Ghost Dance (NHS Mix), Moonwatcher (NHS Mix).
Flobots
The Circle In the Square
Released: Aug 28, 2012
Alternative, Hip-hop/rap
Flobots is back with a vengeance, and as message-ladened as ever. And as ever, requires a few listens to sink under the skin. The namesake song is my favorite here (which I love as much as If I), but the range, cohesiveness and originality of the whole is impressive. The album often invokes the feeling of old spirituals, while being solidly edged hip-hop.
Starred: Journey After (War Fatigues), The Rose and the Thistle, Run (Run Run Run).
Erin McCarley
My Stadium Electric
Released: Aug 28, 2012
Pop
Beware—this mix of alternative pop is highly infectious. Your feet might start tapping without any word to your brain. Not having heard her earlier stuff, I can’t make comparisons or say if this album was worth the wait. But I can say I’ll be on the list for her next one.
Starred: Pop Gun, Elevator, What I Needed.
Highlights: Singles
The Presets
Ghosts
Released: Aug 04, 2012
Dance, electronic
How have I never heard of this group before?? If the rest of their work is anything like this, I may be in love.
OneRepublic
Feel Again
Released: Aug 27, 2012
Rock, pop
I picked up OneRepublic when they first came out, let them languish as they became radio darlings, then rediscovered the general awesomeness of Waking Up this summer—just in time to live with their latest single on repeat.
Anberlin
Someone Anyone
Released: Aug 28, 2012
Alternative, rock
I haven’t listened to Anberlin since who knows when. But a friend loves them, and it’s not hard to see why. Pure catchy rock that doesn’t fall into the same-old same-old traps—unlike most of the new rock I sample on iTunes. (Anyone have good rock recommendations? I’d love them.)
Lupe Fiasco & Guy Sebastian
Battle Scars
Released: Aug 28, 2012
Hip-hop/rap
I discovered Lasers this spring, and wondered how I survived without. But the various single releases since haven’t really caught my attention—until this one. It’s near perfect. Hello repeat.
Tessa Elwood
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