Album of the Week 5/1 - 5/7: "Before the World Was Big" by Girlpool

     Feminist-flavored, girl-empowering Rock music has been around since the "Riot Grrrl" movement in the 90s. However, in recent years, the Rock and Indie scenes have seen some very rad, very talented female-fronted bands come to fruition once again. One of these bands is Girlpool. Have you heard of them? Listened, maybe? If not, find a computer or phone fast--you don't want to miss these girls. This all-female duo from LA is here to demand your attention with what has been dubbed as "Folk Punk". The group has been known for tackling gender-based issues in the past, especially with tracks like "Slutmouth", where both ladies harmonize, "I go to school everyday/ Just to be made a housewife one day." With scathing societal commentary and a raw sound that is ever-so-pleasing to the ear (via uber-catchy riffs involving simple Folk-esque guitar), Cleo Tucker and Harmony Tividad alternate instruments and turns singing. The album has a melancholy tone, which seems to yearn for past, simpler times. With an album title like "Before the World Was Big" and album artwork that features innocent-looking children playing with toys, one can't help but feel a sense of nostalgia evoked from music that tackles societal, as well as emotional, issues--an odd mixture. 

     Girlpool is bad-ass band trying to get their message across in every song, but don't surmise that they lack sensitivity or emotional depth. Tracks like "Chinatown" perfectly encapsulate the soft, sensitive side of Girlpool. As the song laments about what seems to be a lost lover, inner demons are illustrated via dark lyrics. The second verse says, at one point, "I am nervous for tomorrow and today," as well as, "If I loved myself,/ Would I take it the wrong way?" Girlpool tackles everything in their lyrics from gender roles in modern society to lost love to issues with self-acceptance. And, all this is done with a simple, folksy, DIY-sounding form of Punk that keeps your foot tapping the entire way through the album. Girpool is going to be huge! Pick up/listen to their music now! We love them here at Multi-Fret. Check out our top 5 tracks from the album below:

Pretty

Before the World Was Big

Chinatown

Cherry Picking

Ideal World

We give this albuma 4.5/5! What do you give it? Let us know! Stream the album below via a YouTube playlist:

Before the World Was Big Full Album YouTube Playlist

     

Album of the Week 4/24 - 4/30: "Portamento" by The Drums

     Looking for a modern twist on stereotypical retro Surfer Rock?  Well, look no further than the 2011 LP release "Portamento" by a Brooklyn duo known as The Drums!  Though we usually review and write about relatively new music or musical news, there seems to be a bit of a buzz about this 5-year-old audio candy, which has already become a classic, in our circle of peeps.  The Drums are classified as "Indie Pop", but leaving their genre categorization at that would be unfair to the versatility and intricacy of the music. There are certainly themes of both Indie and Pop within The Drums' catalog, but they add a twist of what feels like Surfer Rock or New Wave, at many times. This delicately-crafted musical formula was perfected on "Portamento"; every track on the album has a catchy vibe that makes for easy listening, all while the lyrics hold a certain angsty weight. For instance, on "Money", which is arguably the band's most popular single to date (and appears on the album), lead singer Jonathan Pierce laments his monetary struggles in the chorus by repeating, "I want to buy you something,/ But I don't have money."  Lines like these make up most of The Drums' music.  Still, the band isn't afraid to take songs to dark places with their lyrics. On the track "I Need A Doctor", a couple lines sing, "That night you put your lipstick on me,/ I felt so stupid, so I drank to get dizzy./ And when you fell asleep,/ I threw a tambourine at your face."  From the everyday norm to the off-the-wall bizarre, The Drums have you covered with retro-eqsue and catchy music.
     "Portamento" is a masterpiece for a number of reasons, but one reason is certainly tied in with the fact that every track on the album is disarming. There is always something comforting about soft guitar riffs made of repetitive notes, accompanied by passionate, melancholic vocals.  This is easily an album you could play around your grandparents--there is nothing aggressive or profane on this album.  The Drums just want to take you on a journey, while sharing all the audio candy they have to offer with you.  If you haven't heard this gem yet, give your ears a present next time you get a chance with "Portamento"!  Check out our 5 top fav tracks below:

Hard To Love
Money
Days
Book of Revelation
I Need A Doctor

We give this album a 5/5 and have it on rotation all the time, especially the single "Money"! What do you think of it? Let us know! Stream the album below:

Portamento Full Album via YouTube
   

Album of the Week 4/17 - 4/23: "All of Something" by Sports

     Are you a fan of DIY-sounding, Indie-tinged Punk with female vocals? Or, did you not even know that such a musical concoction existed? Either way, if you like any music influenced by Punk or Indie styles, the Ohio-based band Sports (also written as SPORTS, at times) is something you should most definitely look into! With their newest LP release, "All of Something", Sports have recently poked their heads into the mainstream. However, the band is still a bit of a contradiction--they seem to be a band floating through the mainstream, all while evoking a sense of an "underground" sentiment.  This is reinforced, in part, by the fact that the band has been written about in Rolling Stone while their official band site is still on Bandcamp.com (a site for underground bands with almost no money). The album itself is a cohesive, catchy one: the songs are quick in length, as well as quick in tempo, and the lyrics usually center around break-ups.  The Surfer Rock-esque chords that make up this 10-track album make it a perfect album to pick up/download in time for summer. However, the angsty lyrics from Sports juxtapose their lighthearted musical composition. 

     For example, the lead singer (whose full name is still unknown) says un-apologetically on the track "Reality TV", "I heard you say you're broken-hearted/ Is there any other way to be?" However, don't be fooled--Sports is not a group that merely pumps out break-up laments with a Surfer Rock sound. The band manages to shift their focal point from song to song, inhibiting any stagnancy or redundancy. In addition, the album even holds Sports' first acoustic ballad: "Clean Socks". Not only can you bob your head to this band, you can give a serious nod towards your stereo as you savor their sensitivity that practically oozes out of the speakers. Keep following Sports, because you are going to be hearing a hell of a lot more about them in the near future! Check out our top 5 fav tracks off of the album below:

The Washing Machine

Saturday

Reality TV

Clean Socks

Get Bummed Out

Here at Multi-Fret, we give "All of Something" a 4/5! The album isn't out in its entirety on YouTube yet. But, you can still listen to some select singles, whose links are provided below:

"Reality TV"

"Get Bummed Out"

"The Washing Machine"

   

Album of the Week 4/10 - 4/16: "Gore" by Deftones

     

     If someone told you something to the effect of, "I am willing to cut through razor wire in order to get to your heart," would you find it endearing or disturbing? Well, it doesn't matter! It doesn't matter because on their newest album release, "Gore", the Deftones (a renowned and insanely-talented Hard Rock/Metal group from Sacramento) craft lyrics with such content, all while disarming any negative connotations with their mind-blowing melodies and hooks. Odd lyrics and song/album names have become part of the Deftones niche, since they broke onto the scene in the mid 90s. Talent, plus weird, often equals powerful in the world of music. But, few bands have mastered such a facet of their work like the 'Tones. "Gore" has been highly anticipated as one of the biggest Rock albums of 2016, especially with singles like "Doomed User", "Hearts/Wires", and "Prayers/Triangles" being leaked to the radio waves. Before they embarked on a worldwide tour, the album dropped on April 8 and debuted at #2 on the Americans iTunes chart. In an interview with Noisey, singer Chino Moreno explained how the much of the album was based off of "juxtaposition".  He spoke about this in context to the album art, which depicts a flock of majestic flamingos, juxtaposing the title of "Gore".  

     There is certainly a theme of juxtaposing beauty and darkness on within the album, not just on the cover.  For instance, songs like "Doomed User" have an almost-upbeat chorus in the same song that says to "just leave" because one's "fuse has expired". In addition, on "Hearts/Wires", the very lyrics that were used to pose an opening question at the beginning of this review were used to depict a twisted, yet beautiful love.  Still, the part about getting to a lover's heart by passing through razor wire is only the tip of the iceberg. The most truly dismal, yet love-riddled line goes, "I drown in your sea/ I hope that you first save yourself/ And then come for me." Per usual, the Deftones have managed to twist their off-the-wall lyrics so that they are perfectly in-sync with unforgettable riffs that demand your attention. There is an honesty to the Deftones that is evident upon every listen, and this concept is ever-present on "Gore". Support the Deftones by picking up this album in tangible or digital form today! Also, check out our top 5 favorite tracks below:

Hearts/Wires

Acid Hologram

Doomed User

(L)MIRL

Prayers/Triangles

We give this album a 4.5/5! What do you give it? Any opinions or thoughts?  Let us know!  And...stream the album below:

Gore Full Album via YouTube

Album of the Week 4/3 - 4/9: "White Album" by Weezer

   
      Last time most music lovers referred to a "white album", they were talking about The Beatles' renowned album of the same name. However, the beloved Pop-Rock/Alternative group Weezer just dropped some hot, brand-spanking new music for fans. After being known to have albums that were simply known by the names of colors before (i.e. "Blue Album" and "Red Album"), Weezer seems to wish to go back to using such a strategy for album naming, because the band released its "White Album" on April 1st. For a band that has been at the forefront of mainstream music since 1994, the group proves with their latest catalog addition that they are still very much in the business of producing songs that can make a fan of any genre start bobbing their head or tapping their foot. The album is kicked off by the fast-tempo and heavily Pop-influenced track "California Kids". In typical Weezer fashion, the band finds a way to incorporate entrancing melodies with power chord-saturated choruses that are vaguely reminiscent of 60s Surf Rock.
     The band really switches things up with track #3, "Thank God for Girls". Within a song that begins with a catchy piano melody, singer River Cuomo swiftly begins to almost rap his lyrics, all while keeping a more Pop/Alternative-driven sentiment to the listener. In addition, Weezer added some societal commentary to this album, as they have been known to do. The fifth track off of the album is extremely self-explanatory, right from its title: "Do You Wanna Get High?". The track is reminiscent of a past Weezer song, "We Are All on Drugs", and the anti-drug message behind the way the band portrays an addict's dismal day-to-day existence. With a chorus that sings, "Do you wanna get high?/ Don't need no dinner tonight," Weezer shows that they can still grab your attention with both poignant and relevant messages, as well as amazing ear candy. Check out this album, as well as our top 5 fav tracks below:

Thank God For Girls
Jacked Up
Do You Wanna Get High?
L.A. Girlz
King of the World

We give this album a 5/5. Do you agree? Tell us about it! Also, stream the album below:

White Album Full Album via YouTube

Album of the Week 3/27 - 4/2: "Strangers to Ourselves" by Modest Mouse

     Most people know Modest Mouse for one of two reasons: they heard the band's early-2000s hit "Float On", or they are Indie fans. Regardless of why you know of Modest Mouse, let us introduce you to another album that is essential to a complete collection of Indie goodness: "Strangers to Ourselves". Though this album came out in March of 2015, it still has everyone at Multi-Fret bobbing their heads and tapping pens on their desks to the ear candy. Whether it's singer/guitarist Isaac Brock's bizarre, head-scratch-inducing lyrics or the odd composition of MM songs, no one has quite yet deciphered what makes Modest Mouse stand out. We argue that it is their ability to produce brilliant music that sticks in your head for days. Whether Brock is lamenting about how "mankind is acting like serial killers" to the environment on the beautiful and tactful acoustic track "Coyotes" or apologizing for a "late package" (which could be symbolic of just about anything) on the trance-like track "Sh*t in Your Cut", the sincerity is always too blatant to miss.  

     This album grabbed everyone and their mama's attention with its initial single: "Lampshades on Fire", which followed the overarching theme of how poorly humans treat the Earth and its resources, while incorporating hooks you can't shake out of your head. But, there is more to offer than a flashy single and its video. The band has over five members. So, it's hard to figure out how the group manages to keep pumping out albums that have so much substance. Luckily for all of us, they seem to have that under control. If you're looking for something soft on the ears, but chewy for the mind, check this album out ASAP!  We have our 5 fav songs off the album below:

The Best Room

Lampshades on Fire

Wicked Campaign

Coyotes 

Sh*t in Your Cut

We give this album a 5/5! What do you give it? Stream it below:

Strangers to Ourselves Full Album via YouTube

Album of the Week 3/20 - 3/26: "Joy, Departed" by Sorority Noise

     When most people hear the term "Emo", they are mentally bombarded with negative connotations. Many people stereotype the genre as a style embraced only by black eyeliner-sporting, rich kids who like to listen to The Cure and complain about their lives. However, this common stereotype is a gross misrepresentation of what Emo commonly means today; bands like Sorority Noise are hear to help reinforce that concept. Sorority Noise brings the strong sense of emotion that the term "Emo" was derived from. Songs by this group lay all the cards on the table and allow listeners to connect immediately. The first track off of the group's first full-length LP, "Joy, Departed", makes one think something along the lines of, "I see that the album title was quite literal."  The very first words are practically whispered and the low-volume chords in the background are accompanied by a beautiful section of strings. The song begs an answer to a desperate question: "Why do I compare everyone I love/ to how much I loved you?" This is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to how vividly Sorority Noise describes their "departed" joy.  Despite the word 'sorority' being in the name of the band, this 4-man group has no female members.

     However, the music is appealing to all genders and walks of life in general. The group has been known by a cult following for the past couple of years, and are finally breaking through to the mainstream. The group is even heading out on a tour headed by the more well-known Emo band Citizen, who have recently resurrected their group. Sorority Noise will examine life with you, as they do in songs like "Art School Wannabe", when singer Cameron Boucher wails a chorus that entails, "Maybe I'm my own greatest fear./ Maybe I'm just scared to admit that/ I might not be as dark as I think./ Maybe I am not the person/ That I always wanted to be."  If you are looking for some catchy tuneage that will hit you right in the feels, Sorority Noise is an amazing band to check out. We have our 5 favorite emotional bombshells of tracks below:

Using

Art School Wannabe

Mononokay

Blissth

NoIsey 

We give this album a 4.5/5, and listen to it constantly! Check it out for yourself below:

Joy, Departed Full Album Playlist via YouTube

Album of the Week 3/13 - 3/19: "Isolate and Medicate" by Seether

     Seether has been going strong since the early 2000s, and they don't show any signs of stopping. This South African trio of Hard Rock masters showed us that they were back in action with more ear candy in 2014. Though this album is not incredibly recent, radio stations pummeled the airwaves with hit singles from the group's 2014 project, "Isolate and Medicate", over this past summer. You've probably heard some of these hits (i.e. "Words As Weapons, "Same Damn Life", etc.) on Alternative or Hard Rock stations. If not, you better jump on the wagon. The album has dark and cynical tones, as many of our Albums of the Week do. Per usual, we happened to have chosen an album with some freakish, yet rad artwork on the front. However, despite some of the angst within the songs, Seether also wants you to chill and enjoy the ride with them, as seen in the first lines of the track "Same Damn Life" ("Come smoke a cigarette/ And let your hair down").  The group even used this album as a platform to comment on recent social issues, as seen in the video for the track "Nobody Praying for Me", which depicts police brutality. Whether or not you agree with the side of the aisle that Seether seems to sit on regarding the issue, the video, along with the musical content, is compelling from start to finish. There is no question that this group still holds their seemingly-Grunge-influenced roots dear. Let's be honest, singer Shaun Morgan is like a taller, red-headed version of Kurt Cobain in both voice and wardrobe. Luckily for us listeners, this Grunge influence has not become stale or redundant. Check this album out, and check out our top 5 fav tracks below:

Words As Weapons
My Disaster
Nobody Praying For Me
Same Damn Life
Save Today

We give this album a 4/5! What do you give it? Stream it via YouTube below!

Isolate and Medicate (Full Album) via YouTube

Album of the Week 3/6 - 3/12: "Threat to Survival" by Shinedown

     Shinedown is a four-piece Hard Rock group from Jacksonville, FL that has always been known for hard-hitting tunes. However, no one expected them to launch an all-out musical siege on Rock airwaves when they started leaking singles over the summer, and leaving fans of the new tunes impatiently awaiting the release of their new album, "Threat to Survival". The LP finally dropped in September and fans (like us) had already memorized lyrics to singles like the hard-hitting and revolution-themed track "Cut the Cord". The track, which is arguably one of the best on the album, begs listeners not to blindly conform to society as it repeatedly shouts, "Don't be a casualty!/Cut the cord!" The group hadn't released anything fresh since 2012, and Shinedown is certainly making uo for lost time with their songs that are hybrids of catchy hooks, lyrics that provoke thought, and hard-hitting chords. Be sure to cut your cord and check out the new tunes below, which are Multi-Fret's top 5 fav tracks.

Outcast

State of My Head

Cut the Cord

Asking For It

Black Cadillac

We give this album a 3.5/5, and hope you find it just as refreshing! Stream the album below! 

Threat to Survival (Full Album) via YouTube

    

Album of the Week 2/28 - 3/5: "Sore" by Dilly Dally

     Been missing the weirder aspect of Rock n' Roll in the mainstream? The Toronto-based, mostly-female, brash Alternative Rock group Dilly Dally is here for you. Many critics have been comparing the group to The Pixies, and, if you know The Pixies, it's quite easy to see why. In similar fashion, Dilly Dally features loud, distorted, and seemingly-out-of-control-guitars. And, the lyrics are even more bizarre than the some of the composition. However, this doesn't detract from the music one bit. While following the comparison to The Pixies, the weirdness works. In fact, it's damn refreshing. The single "Desire" has been picked up by Alternative radio stations, and has even scored its own music video. The album artwork is disturbing and creepy, but evokes a definite need to ponder what's going on. Similarly, with an album name like "Sore", most listeners most likely feel the need to mull things over in their head. As we do just that as listeners, this female-fronted group demands our attention. The track "Purple Rage" is a perfect representation of the album as a whole. The intro kicks off with chords blow your hair back. Right away, vocals come in with an aggressive tone, and there is plenty of Punk-esque shrieking. Front woman Katie Monks declares with authority and angst, "I've got that purple raaaaage!" And, something about the sincerity of her tone makes listeners believe her. The album ranges from angsty (with tracks like "Purple Rage") to vulnerable and damaged (with tracks like "Burned By the Cold"). Check this tuneage out and find some refreshment in a newly-directed form of musical angst. Our fav five songs are listed below for suggestion:

Ballin Chain

Desire

Purple Rage

The Touch

Burned By the Cold

We give this album a 3.5/5! Check it out and tell us what you think! Stream below!

Sore Full Album Playlist via YouTube

Album of the Week 2/21 - 2/27: Drones by Muse

     Muse are far from new to the music scene; they've been grabbing our attention via our ears for years. However, unlike some of their counterparts in the industry, Muse hasn't grown the least bit stale over their run. If anything, they've honed their skills and become ten times more potent in their bad-assery. After nabbing the Grammy win for Best Rock Album last week, it only seemed fitting that this British three-piece receive a review from Multi-Fret that we have been planning on for some time now. The album artwork is cynical and dark--this is blatantly indicative of what the album holds for listeners. For example, on the song "Psycho", there is a sample of an irate drill sergeant commanding what sounds to be a soldier-in-training to yell that he is a "psycho killer". Distressed, the trainee screams back verbatim, "I AM A PSYCHO KILLER!!!" This is only one instance of many within the album that carry an unapologetic societal commentary on how we have all become "drones", if you will. There are also tracks lasting under a minute of more drill sergeant tirades and a sample of a JFK speech. There is certainly a political twist on the commentary from Muse here.  Despite the dark themes, the music is pure ear candy. Be sure to play this album loud and thank your lucky stars that Muse is still pumping out sick tuneage. Our top 5 fav songs off the album are listed below:

Defector

Reapers 

Psycho 

Dead Inside

Revolt 

We give this album a 4.5/5, and urge you to pick up a physical copy, or just stream it whenever you get the chance!

Drones by Muse (Full Album) via YouTube   

Album of the Week 2/7 - 2/14: Tell Me I'm Pretty by Cage the Elephant

     For all of you Indie Rock fans out there that have been chomping at the bit for a new favorite album, look no further! Kentucky-based Indie band Cage the Elephant sent 2015 packing with a bang, as they released this newest LP in mid-December. The staff here at The Multi-Fret Gazette have had the album streaming non-stop lately, and it's an all-around favorite in the office. Hell, it's not hard to see why! The album, whose title in itself is a brilliant work of societal satire, kicks off with the catchy, off-the-wall first chords of "Cry Baby". Following the cynical tone of the album title, this first track even has an embedded line that declares,"We all have something important to say/But talking's a waste of time." The track is followed by the swift-tempo'd chorus and guitar riff of the latest Rock radio staple "Mess Around".  The album is killer throughout all ten tracks, but, as music lovers and critics, we narrowed down some favorites that we recommend you check out.  The Multi-Fret favs are below:

Mess Around
Sweetie Little Jean
Cold, Cold, Cold
Punchin' Bag
Portuguese Knife Fight

Check out this album, which is sure to rack up some awards this year! We give it a 5/5! Stream the entire album below:

Tell Me I'm Pretty (Full Album) via YouTube