5. The Dead Weather: Horehound
Artist and producer Jack White has worked his black magic on us yet again. Renowned for his membership as lead vocalist and guitarist in bands the Raconteurs and The White Stripes, White continues to expand his horizons with his newest project, The Dead Weather. Gritty and soulful, Horehound reeks of blues infused rock. The album is comprised of intangible lyricisms and clever references; one of the album’s standout tracks “I Cut Like a Buffalo” croons “You Prick Like a Pin Woman.”
Unlike the Stripes and the Raconteurs which kept Jack White as lead vocalist, The Dead Weather made a sharp decision by bringing on board The Kills front woman Alison Mosshart to add dimension. Perhaps the best track on Horehound is the natural chemistry between the voices of White and Mosshart on the grainy rock anthem, “Rocking Horse.” Overall, the album was reminiscent of backwater southern Blues and we’re digging it.
Listen Up! : “Hang You From the Heavens”, “Rocking Horse”, “So Far From Your Weapon” and “I Cut Like a Buffalo”
4. Company of Thieves: Ordinary Riches
Chicago born and bred this indie rock trio well. With their melodic narratives and front woman Genevieve Schatz’s strong yet expressive voice, this band has made us crave coffeehouses. The well-versed, eloquent album Ordinary Riches was released this past year and its tracks have the refreshing taste of worldview. Notable tracks include the jaunty, acoustic driven “In Passing” and ode to the Victorian dandy from which much of ‘Thieves’ inspiration is drawn, “Oscar Wilde.”
One outstanding quality on Ordinary Riches is their ability to seamlessly interweave Jazz, pop and rock influences to create an innovative sound. Each track effortlessly emphasizes a different facet of the band, from the ambient piano of “In Passing” to the rock overtones heard in “Pressure and the soulful guitar ballad that is “Old Letters.” Company of Thieves possesses an old world charm that complements an innovative sound. The impressive potential of this first album has us begging for them to return to the windy city.
Listen Up! : “Pressure”, “In Passing” and “Oscar Wilde”
3. Metric: Fantasies
The fourth album from the Canadian indie rock band is a contemporary blend of neo-rock and electronic that Fantasies features a contrast between sharp witted lyrics such as the melodic debate in one of the albums’ singles “Gimme Sympathy”, Haines asks “Who would you rather be, The Beatles or the Rolling Stones?” Front woman Emily Haines once again captivates us with her aesthetically pleasing soft voice which provides a beguiling contrast to the hard hitting beats of tracks like “Help I’m Alive,” the album’s first single to have been released.
Guitarist James Shaw returning from his tour with Broken Social Scene also does not fail to impress on this awaited album. His adeptness on the strings harmonizes with Haines who has a more seasoned and matured voice than we have heard on previous studio albums Grow Up and Blow Away, Live it Out or Old World Underground: Where are You Now?” Overall we were impressed with Metric’s maturity of subject matter, yet they still have managed to retain that raw edge that j’adore.
Listen Up! : “Help I’m Alive”, “Gimme Sympathy” and ‘Sick Muse”
2. MSTRKRFT: Fist of God
The dynamic duo that is “Masterkraft” produces yet another electro-house smash that combines edgy electronica dance beats with the vocals of popular artists such as John Legend on the standout track “Heartbreaker” and N.O.R.E. on the hip hop plus house anthem “B.O.U.N.C.E.” The love child of Daft Punk and 1970s dance-punk legend Death From Above, MSTRKRFT supplies a fresh supply of dance hall sounds on their sophomore album Fist of God.
Different from their 2006 released album, The Looks, more one dimensional chaotic array of sounds, Fist of God adds a dash of synthetic pop via the vocals of guest artists which proves to be an advantageous undertaking. Tracks such as “Word Up”, featuring rap royalty Ghostface Killah and “B.O.U.N.C.E.” are club worthy listens, whereas “1,000 Cigarettes” provides an opportunity for the duo to maintain their creative edge sans outside artists.
Overall I found the album to be a more interesting dance compilation than those of more renowned indie electronic artists Justice and Boyz Noize and these DJ/artists bring an edge to the dance floor that is much missing amid generic house. Lumino raises two giant fists up for these gods of the electro-dance genre.
1. La Roux: La Roux
The freshman album released by flame haired, femme fatale newcomer La Roux is as red hot as her locks. The acclaim for this melodic ode to retro-dance goes to 20 year old Brixton born Elly Jackson. La Roux-meaning “the red haired one” in French- is a collaborative effort between poised vocalist Jackson and co-producer Ben Langmaid. The electro pop sensationalism of La Roux is influenced by Jackson and Langmaid’s adoration of new wave masters such as Depeche Mode, Eurhythmics and Human League, yet La Roux’s sound manages to remain fresh and contemporary. Standout tracks include the synthetic pop beat of her first single “Quicksand” and the catchy electro melodies of “In for the Kill” and “Bulletproof.” But don’t expect La Roux to be the disposable dance floor diva that produces run of the mill beats. Her inspired lyricism alludes to growing pains while the background reverberations would be at home in any hip club or dance hall. A first class premier album that brings something innovative to the floor, La Roux is deserving of the number one spot on my top 5.
Listen Up! : “Bulletproof”, “Tigerlily”, “I’m not your Toy” and “In for the Kill (the Skream Edit)”
It would appear that 2009 was the year for an outbreak of alternative and indie artists with talent enough to transform themselves from underground musicians to top of the list players. The synth, electronic beats of La Roux and MSTRKRFT have kept us dancing into 2010
while the soulful guitar ballads of bands Company of Thieves, Metric and The Dead Weather continue to provide melodic outcries that we adore. 2009 was a standout year in the music industry and we ring in 2010 with anticipation!
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