Conor Oberst – Conor Oberst
After the 2007 album Casadaga, Bright Eyes front-man Conor Oberst left the band and the United States for Mexico, where he released his first solo album since 1996’s Soundtrack to My Movie. The new record, while maintaining much of the sound that was prevalent in Bright Eyes, is still highly original, blending together Oberst’s rough vocals with the perfect combination of musical flare and heartfelt lyrics. Whether it is the fast-paced freak-out “I Don’t Want to Die (in a hospital)” or the beautifully dark acoustic “Lenders in the Temple”, Oberst keeps dedicated Bright Eyes fans committed, while also maintaining a unique freshness that sets itself apart from his previous work.
The Dresden Dolls – No, Virginia
For two years, the duo from Boston have been touring in support of the 2006 album Yes, Virginia; and finally, the band has found the time to release for their fans a compilation of left-over tracks and B-sides from past cds. However, the album is definitely good enough to qualify as ‘new’. Lead vocalist Amanda Palmer has arguably never given a better performance than she does on this album, especially on the tracks “Night Reconnaissance” and “Boston”. The simplicity of only drums and a piano accentuates not only Palmer’s vocals, but also the dark, edgy lyrics that are all sung with a tongue-in-cheek humor that have marked the Dresden Dolls as one of the best punk-cabaret bands.
The Medic Droid – What’s Your Medium?
After The Medic Droid struck gold for the internet crowd in early 2008 with their scene odes “Fer Sure” and “FScene8”, fans were eagerly awaiting the band’s first official release, What’s Your Medium. Although the stand-out tracks on the album are still the internet hits, The Medic Droid manages to go deeper with tracks like the emo-esque ballad “The Killer Anna” and “It’s About Love”. As a band that primarily focuses on poking fun at the very crowd that they entertain, it is certainly refreshing to hear The Medic Droid release music that showcases their true talent of blending careening vocals with fast-paced, electronic trance-like beats.
Kill Hannah – Until There’s Nothing Left of Us (UK release)
Together since 1994, the Chicago-based alternative-rock band Kill Hannah has finally crossed the Atlantic to release Until There’s Nothing Left of Us in the UK. Although the album was released in the US back in 2006, the new edition has become more of a ‘best-of’ than a coherent album, as several tracks from the US edition were dropped and replaced with tracks from the 2003 album For Never and Ever, including the popular songs “Kennedy”, “Boys and Girls” and “10 More Minutes With You”. Also included was the new bonus track “The Chase”, as well as a re-recording of “Nerve Gas”, from 1999’s American Jet Set. The US release had more of a generic and hackneyed sound, which, as considered by older fans, leaned towards an abandonment of the band’s unique ‘glam-rock’ music in favor of mainstream pop. However, the modified track-listing creates a better-paced album that pleases both old and new fans.
