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DAFT PUNK
Random Access Memories

Daft Punk‘s Random Access Memories was one of the most anticipated albums of not only the year, but maybe even ever. This of course begged the question: does it live up to the hype? The best saying for this is the good old “aim low and you’ll never be disappointed,” which, albeit somewhat demotivational, does allow for a “better than expected” result. The French duo were being very ambitious by creating such a buzz, but can we expect any less from Daft Punk? Maybe not. For everywhere Random Access Memories lacks, there is an equally smooth and velvety groove to combat it. Unfortunately, this creates a very inconsistent album that has too many lull moments for it to be an overall winner in disco music history. The whole album is layered with 70′s funk, reminiscent of those fuzzy guitar solos and sweet licks we all grew up on and this makes it an extremely fun and upbeat type of record that has been filled to the brink with A-list cameos (please see Pharrell Williams, Julian Casablancas, Nile Rodgers, Giorgio Moroder and so on). So, in the end, Daft Punk have delivered an exceptionally well marketed album, which unfortunately has an overall lacklustre feel. It is definitely worth a spin, but worth two spins? It’s up to you.

ARTIST: Daft Punk
TITLE: Random Access Memories
LABEL: Columbia
RELEASE DATE: May 21, 2013
TIME: 1:14:35 min.
WEB: http://www.daftpunk.com/
PURCHASE: price – 9.99$

01. Give Life Back to Music [04:34]
02. The Game of Love [05:22]
03. Giorgio by Moroder [09:05]
04. Within [03:49]
05. Instant Crush [05:38]
06. Lose Yourself to Dance [05:54]
07. Touch [08:19]
08. Get Lucky [06:10]
09. Beyond [04:50]
10. Motherboard [05:42]
11. Fragments of Time [04:40]
12. Doin’ It Right [04:11]
13. Contact [06:21]

PREVIEW: Daft Punk (feat. Julian Casablancas) – Instant Crush

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DEPECHE MODE
Delta Machine

And so here we are: suspense gone. Press play and let Delta Machine, Depeche Mode‘s highly anticipated 13th studio album, flow in. Recorded in Santa Barbara, California and New York City, the album was produced by Ben Hillier and mixed by Flood. There’s more rawness than the last DM releases, and a bit more bluesy influence, but the same great electro-riff in background. That’s the fact: just because it’s another electronic record doesn’t mean it shouldn’t have a certain edge to it, isn’t? So enjoy these moments of intricate beauty, songs which sound like Depeche Mode recycling their best bits through a thoroughly modern filter and tracks that echo their early 80s synth-pop roots. The blues that the band wanted to showcase is undoubtedly here, but it’s a uniquely DM take on the blues. Musically, the whole thing is dense, crammed with ideas, tracks evolving frequently from basic beginnings to completely unexpected conclusions.

ARTIST: Depeche Mode
TITLE: Delta Machine
LABEL: Columbia
RELEASE DATE: March 26, 2013
TIME: 58:05 min.
WEB: http://www.depechemode.com/
PURCHASE: price – 9.99$

01. Welcome to My World [04:57]
02. Angel [03:58]
03. Heaven [04:06]
04. Secret to the End [05:12]
05. My Little Universe [04:25]
06. Slow [03:45]
07. Broken [03:58]
08. The Child Inside [04:16]
09. Soft Touch / Raw Nerve [03:27]
10. Should Be Higher [05:05]
11. Alone [04:30]
12. Soothe My Soul [05:22]
13. Goodbye [05:04]

PREVIEW: Depeche Mode – Secret to the End

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HOW TO DESTROY ANGELS
Welcome Oblivion

Without even the time to be excited to learn that Trent Reznor will be re-assembling his legendary band Nine Inch Nails with an all-new lineup and a tour kicking off this summer, we’re here to announce that How to Destroy Angels (a project Reznor founded with his wife Mariqueen Maandig, his fellow Golden Globe-winning composer Atticus Ross, and acclaimed visual artist Rob Sheridan) finally have released their long-awaited full length album debut. After teasing us for two years with singles, EPs and some beautifully spooky music videos, they’ve made good on the ominous promise of those earlier experiments with Welcome Oblivion, a truly monolithic record that is equal parts ambient experimentation (in the vein of NIN‘s epic 1999 album The Fragile or their instrumental collection Ghosts I-IV) and dark, sultry electro-pop.

ARTIST: How to Destroy Angels
TITLE: Welcome Oblivion
LABEL: Columbia
RELEASE DATE: March 5, 2013
TIME: 1:04:23 min.
WEB: http://howtodestroyangels.com/
PURCHASE: price – 10.99$

01. The Wake-Up [01:43]
02. Keep It Together [04:27]
03. And the Sky Began to Scream [03:57]
04. Welcome Oblivion [03:47]
05. Ice Age [06:52]
06. On the Wing [04:52]
07. Too Late, All Gone [06:15]
08. How Long? [03:54]
09. Strings and Attractors [04:28]
10. We Fade Away [06:41]
11. Recursive Self-Improvement [06:28]
12. The Loop Closes [04:50]
13. Hallowed Ground [07:19]

PREVIEW: How to Destroy Angels – Keep It Together

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DAVID BOWIE
The Next Day

First studio album in ten years and 30th studio recording from the legendary rock chameleon David Bowie. The Next Day was produced by long-term collaborator Tony Visconti and was recorded in New York. In recent years, radio silence has been broken only by endless speculation, rumor and wishful thinking. A new record: who would have ever thought it? After all, The White Duke is the kind of artist who writes and performs what he wants when he wants: when he has something to say as opposed to something to sell. Today, he definitely has something to say. Throwing shadows and avoiding the industry treadmill is very David Bowie despite his extraordinary track record that includes album sales in excess of 130 million. Not to mention his massive contributions in the area of art, fashion, style, sexual exploration, and social commentary. Welcome back, old joker.

ARTIST: David Bowie
TITLE: The Next Day
LABEL: Columbia
RELEASE DATE: March 12, 2013
TIME: 53:10 min.
WEB: http://www.davidbowie.com/
PURCHASE: price – 10.99$

01. The Next Day [03:27]
02. Dirty Boys [02:59]
03. The Stars (are out tonight) [03:57]
04. Love Is Lost [03:58]
05. Where Are We Now [04:09]
06. Valentine’s Day [03:02]
07. If You Can See Me [03:12]
08. I’d Rather Be High [03:45]
09. Boss of Me [04:09]
10. Dancing Out in Space [03:22]
11. How Does the Grass Grow? [04:35]
12. (you will) Set the World On Fire [03:32]
13. You Feel So Lonely You Could Die [04:38]
14. Heat [04:25]

PREVIEW: David Bowie – Dirty Boys

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DEPECHE MODE
Heaven

Brand, highly-awaited, new single for Depeche Mode, first extract from the upcoming Delta Machine. Heaven projects an intimately dark atmosphere with a fuzzily infectious bass lead and solemn piano echoes. Dave Gahan’s voice sounds as good as ever, especially with his uptick in emotion during the second verse and its grimy longing. The bass-guitar interplay during the aerial chorus is also excellent. Exclusively for RS readers, this maxi-bonus edition features the b-side All That’s Mine and four stunning remixes by Matthew Dear, Blawan, Owlle, and Steps to Heaven.

ARTIST: Depeche Mode
TITLE: Heaven
LABEL: Columbia
RELEASE DATE: February 1, 2013
TIME: 30:09 min.
WEB: special offer – ONLY 6.99$

01. Heaven [04:05]
02. All That’s Mine [03:22]

03. Heaven (owelle remix) [04:48]
04. Heaven (steps to heaven remix) [06:11]
05. Heaven (blawan remix) [05:44]
06. Heaven (matthew dear vs. audition vocal mix) [05:59]

Depeche Mode – All That’s Mine
Depeche Mode – Heaven (Blawan remix)

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CHAIRLIFT
Something

If there’s a band that can get away with writing Amanaemonesia, a five-minute single about magic and a fictional disease, it’s Chairlift. Something is the brand new album from the electro-pop duo, their first one since the departure of founding member Aaron Pfenning. Produced by Dan Carey and Alan Moulder. Pretty enjoyable.

ARTIST: Chairlift
TITLE: Something
LABEL: Columbia / DMZ
RELEASE DATE: January 24, 2012
TIME: 41:39 min.
WEB: http://www.chairlifted.com/
PURCHASE: special offer – ONLY 8.99$

01. Sidewalk Safari [03:49]
02. Wrong Opinion [05:06]
03. I Belong in Your Arms [03:27]
04. Take It Out On Me [03:54]
05. Ghost Tonight [03:07]
06. Cool As A Fire [03:58]
07. Amanaemonesia [05:01]
08. Met Before [02:54]
09. Frigid Spring [03:49]
10. Turning [03:00]
11. Guilty As Charged [03:34]

Chairlift – Wrong Opinion

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PASSION PIT
Gossamer

Gossamer, Passion Pit’s second full-length release, comes nearly three years after the band’s debut album, Manners, which itself dropped almost a year after Michael Angelakos’ Valentine’s Day demos caught the attention of music blogs and major labels in 2008. The gestation period, long by today’s publish-or-perish standards, belies a record that wasn’t easy for Angelakos to make. It’s not the easiest to listen to, either: dark topics and production difficulties slam against Passion Pit’s glittery sound to create an album that, while peppered with catchy melodies, is overstuffed and under-edited. Gossamer is a tortured beast, disguised in a crunchy candy shell.

ARTIST: Ariel’s Pink Haunted Graffiti
TITLE: Passion Pit
LABEL: Columbia
RELEASE DATE: July 24, 2012
TIME: 47:33 min.
WEB: http://www.myspace.com/passionpitjams

01. Take A Walk [04:25]
02. I’ll Be Alright [04:23]
03. Carried Away [03:42]
04. Constant Conversation [03:56]
05. Mirrored Sea [04:06]
06. Cry Like A Ghost [04:23]
07. On My Way [03:47]
08. Hideaway [03:51]
09. Two Veils to Hide My Face [00:34]
10. Love Is Greed [04:20]
11. It’s Not My Fault, I’m Happy [05:06]
12. Where We Belong [05:00]

Passion Pit – Constant Conversation

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THE TEMPER TRAP
The Temper Trap

The Temper Trap is the epic new album from Australia’s very own Temper Trap. The self-titled album is the follow up to 2009’s platinum-selling, which produced three platinum singles in Australia and has sold more than 800,000 copies worldwide. Recorded in LA, with highly-regarded producer Tony Hoffer (Beck, Phoenix, M83), features the singles Rabbit Hole and Need Your Love.

ARTIST: The Temper Trap
TITLE: The Temper Trap
LABEL: Glassnote / Columbia
RELEASE DATE: June 5, 2012
TIME: 58:21 min.
WEB: http://www.thetempertrap.com/

01. Need Your Love [03:39]
02. London’s Burning [04:08]
03. Trembling Hands [04:40]
04. The Sea Is Calling [03:47]
05. Miracle [03:44]
06. This Isn’t Happiness [04:06]
07. Where Do We Go From Here? [03:48]
08. Never Again [03:33]
09. Dreams [03:42]
10. Rabbit Hole [03:05]
11. I’m Gonna Wait [04:15]
12. Leaving Heartbreak Hotel [04:27]

13. Want (bonus) [03:11]
14. The Trouble with Pain (bonus) [04:22]
15. Everybody Leaves in the End (bonus) [03:54

The Temper Trap – Dreams
The Temper Trap – Want

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GOSSIP
A Joyful Noise

5th full-length album from the trio fronted by Beth Ditto. A Joyful Noise is a blend of soul, gospel, rock, funk, disco, punk, passion and rebellion. Recorded in both Xenomania, Higgins’ studio in England, and KBC Studios in Portland, Oregon, this album stays true to Gossip‘s trademark brash and unapologetic nature (that is, as true as possible for a band that is constantly reinventing itself and pushing boundaries). The album’s infectious tracks will certainly be welcomed by fans who are already entranced by Gossip‘s insanely danceable beats, and will no doubt lure in many more.

ARTIST: Gossip
TITLE: A Joyful Noise
LABEL: Columbia
RELEASE DATE: May 22, 2012
TIME: 44:04 min.
WEB: http://www.gossipyouth.com/
PURCHASE: http://www.amazon.com/

01. Melody Emergency [03:51]
02. Perfect World [04:28]
03. Get A Job [04:59]
04. Move in the Right Direction [03:32]
05. Casualities of War [04:16]
06. Into the Wild [03:13]
07. Get Lost [04:07]
08. Involved [04:15]
09. Horns [03:45]
10. I Won’t Play [03:19]
11. Love in a Foreign Place [04:22]

Gossip – Perfect World

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JACK WHITE
Blunderbuss

Jack White’s legacy is firmly intact with The White Stripes. Now that The White Stripes have declared to the world “this is over” and that Jack White‘s solo album, Blunderbuss, is about to be release, we can’t say that The White Stripes was anything much more than a Jack White project. He was one of only two members, the other being Meg White, who is an infamously bizarre drummer and openly seemed to contribute little to the overall band’s sound outside of rudimentary timing and her red/white color counterpart. With that said, we can almost consider Blunderbuss to be a more stripped down White Stripes record.

ARTIST: Jack White
TITLE: Blunderbuss
LABEL: Columbia / Third Man
RELEASE DATE: April 24, 2012
TIME: 41:58 min.
WEB: http://jackwhiteiii.com/

01. Missing Pieces [03:28]
02. Sixteen Saltines [02:37]
03. Freedom at 21 [02:52]
04. Love Interruption [02:38]
05. Blunderbuss [03:07]
06. Hypocritical Kiss [02:50]
07. Wep Themselves to Sleep [04:19]
08. I’m Shakin’ [03:00]
09. Trash Tongue Talker [03:20]
10. Hip (eponymous) Poor Boy [03:04]
11. I Guess I Should Go to Sleep [02:37]
12. On and On and On [03:56]
13. Take Me with You When You Go [04:10]

Jack White – Love Interruption

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RS HOT SPOT – #05
stay updated with radioSpin

Just straight after the release of Port of Morrow, radioSpin is ready on the rock to give to you another special gift: an acoustic EP by The Shins containing four tracks, the brand new unplugged version of Simple Song, It’s Only Life and September and the old Young Pilgrim (from 2003′s Chutes Too Narrow) simply re-worked into a voice-and-guitar previously unreleased dress. Download it here, and don’t forgeto to say thanks.

The Shins – September (acoustic)

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THE SHINS
Port of Morrow

Port of Morrow, the 4th album from The Shins, was recorded in Los Angeles and Portland over the course of 2011 with James Mercer as usual handling all songwriting duties, lead vocals and the majority of instrumentation. The record was produced by Greg Kurstin and mixed by Rich Costey. The cover art was created by Jacob Escobedo.

ARTIST: The Shins
TITLE: Port of Morrow
LABEL: Columbia
RELEASE DATE: March 20, 2012
TIME: 40:13 min.
WEB: http://www.theshins.com/

01. The Rifle’s Spiral [03:30]
02. Simple Song [04:15]
03. It’s Only Life [04:02]
04. Bait and Switch [03:23]
05. September [03:33]
06. No Way Down [03:16]
07. For a Fool [03:57]
08. Fall of ’82 [03:48]
09. 40 Mark Strasse [04:39]
10. Port of Morrow [05:50]

The Shins – The Rifle’s Spiral

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LEONARD COHEN
Old Ideas

From one of the master singer-songwriter, Leonard Cohen, here are ten new songs that mine the heart, shake the body and break the boundaries as everybody knows only Leonard can do. As a signature of our time, these are songs that nobody knows and everyone will treasure. The album was produced with Patrick Leonard, Anjani Thomas, Ed Sanders and Dino Soldo. Complementing Cohen’s wonderful baritone on Old Ideas are the exceptional vocalists Dana Glover, Sharon Robinson, The Webb Sisters and Jennifer Warnes. The album’s cover design and drawings are Cohen’s own.

ARTIST: Leonard Cohen
TITLE: Old Ideas
LABEL: Columbia
RELEASE DATE: January 31, 2012
TIME: 41:27 min.
WEB: http://www.leonardcohen.com/

01. Going Home [03:51]
02. Amen [07:36]
03. Show Me the Place [04:09]
04. Darkness [04:29]
05. Anyhow [03:08]
06. Crazy to Love You [03:06]
07. Come Healing [02:53]
08. Banjo [03:23]
09. Lullaby [04:46]
10. Different Sides [04:06]

Leonard Cohen – Show Me the Place

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MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA
Simple Math

Manchester Orchestra‘s third record, Simple Math, comes on the heels of 2009′s acclaimed Mean Everything to Nothing, which Alternative Press called “a masterpiece of intricacy and honesty” in their five-star lead review, and which yielded the Top 10 Modern Rock hit. Dan Hannon, who produced the band s first record and co-produced the second, was once again at the helm for Simple Math, which is a concept record: it s a story about a 23-year old who questions everything from marriage to love to religion to sex. It s chock full of monster riffs, vigorous string arrangements, deep hooks and has miles of melodies that encase a compelling coming-of-age story told in the first person, intimately written and sung by Hull. Simple Math takes Manchester Orchestra to the next level.

ARTIST: Manchester Orchestra
TITLE: Simple Math
LABEL: Columbia
RELEASE DATE: May 10, 2011
TIME: 44:38 min.
WEB: http://www.themanchesterorchestra.com/

01. Deer [03:17]
02. Mighty [03:39]
03. Pensacola [03:36]
04. April Fool [04:21]
05. Pale Black Eye [04:17]
06. Virgin [04:28]
07. Simple Math [05:05]
08. Leave It Alone [04:06]
09. Apprehension [04:35]
10. Leaky Breaks [07:15]

Manchester Orchestra- Mighty

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THE VACCINES
What Did You Expect from the Vaccines?

With the cocksure album title What Did You Expect from the Vaccines?, incredibly well received debut tracks, and, we would guess, many declarations of love off the back of the moody jilted lover stares they so expertly delivered in their Post Break-Up Sex video, you can see why people might be just a little suspicious (but mainly jealous) of The Vaccines. But it’s not all smooth moves and knocked-out-in-their-sleep tunes for the four-piece, as this first full-length proves.

ARTIST: The Vaccines
TITLE: What Did You Expect from the Vaccines?
LABEL: Columbia
RELEASE DATE: March 14, 2011
TIME: 36:03 min.
WEB: http://www.thevaccines.co.uk/

01. Wrekin’ Bar (ra ra ra) [01:22]
02. If You Wanna [02:54]
03. A Lack of Understanding [02:59]
04. Blow It Up [02:36]
05. Wetsuit [03:50]
06. Norgaard [01:39]
07. Post Break Up Sex [02:54]
08. Under Your Thumb [02:21]
09. All In White [04:34]
10. Wolf Pack [02:24]
11. Family Friend [08:30]

The Vaccines - Post Break Up Sex

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BAND OF HORSESInfinite Arms

Infinite Arms is Band of Horses‘ third full length album and major label debut. Produced by Band of Horses with additional production by Phil Ek and mixed by Dave Sardy, the songs on Infinite Arms project the essence of the different American locales that became the setting for the recording and songwriting process, yielding the group’s most focused and dynamic recordings to date.
Band of Horses is Ben Bridwell, Creighton Barrett, Ryan Monroe, Tyler Ramsey, and Bill Reynolds. Infinite Arms marks the recording debut for Ramsey and Reynolds, while Barrett and Monroe graced the last album Cease to Begin. Through extensive touring over the last two years, Band of Horses have become a cohesive force, with all members making invaluable contributions to the unmistakable sound that has Bridwell has crafted since the band’s inception.

ARTIST: Band of Horses
TITLE: Infinite Arms
LABEL: Columbia
RELEASE DATE: May 18, 2010
TIME: 46:18 min.
WEB: http://www.bandofhorses.com/

01. Factory [04:35]
02. Compliments [03:28]
03. Laredo [03:12]
04. Blue Beard [03:22]
05. On My Way Back Home [03:29]
06. Infinite Arms [04:09]
07. Dilly [03:32]
08. Evening Kitchen [03:57]
09. Older [03:28]
10. For Annabelle [03:06]
11. NW Apt. [03:01]
12. Neighbor [05:59]

Band of Horses – Factory