“We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun,” but let’s face it, the summer is winding down quicker than you can shake the sand off of your flip flops. So rather than dipping into a dramatic funk, let’s look onward to days of less humidity and some new music with five albums you may “fall” for.
Arctic Monkeys AM
For a while I was asking the question where the heck are the Arctic Monkeys hiding? In the Arctic? I like these cool Brits and when I saw them live opening for The Black Keys last year I was impressed. So I was pumped when they unveiled a new song in June, “Do I Wanna Know?” The tune is a melancholy toe-tapper with a crude guitar sound that adds to the gloomy feel. There’s a lot of grit to the song with the aid of frontman Alex Turner’s vocals that dip down and are emphasized when he sings the lyrics “Crawling Back To You.” Arctic Monkeys’ music is lively and they’ve evolved into a solid band through four albums over the past decade. Their fifth record, AM, will be released September 9, which is technically still summer but being as it’s post Labor Day I feel it’s only fair to include it in this fall’s collection.
With Turner’s quick paced vocals and the bands vintage rock sound we can imagine what the record will sound like. Will they continue in a more poppy direction as in fourth record Suck it and See? Or expand further with a more mature sound like Humbug? I think from “Do I Wanna Know,” we may just get lucky with an even more developed, heavier rock sounding record. Turner has suggested that they’ve played with manipulating sounds to a bit like a hip-hop beat, so stay tuned. At any rate the band has already proven to have staying power and the ability to stretch creatively and find a nice balance with each record. AM will feature guest appearances by punk rock poet John Cooper Clarke and Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme.
Cage the Elephant Untitled
I was super excited to hear Cage the Elephant’s teaser for their upcoming single “Come A Little Closer” (you can check out the 46-second video below) It will be available on iTunes and all digital providers on August 13 and will premiere on August 8. The band is currently in the studio working on their third album Melophobia, which is due out in the fall with no official release date yet. The sneak peak of “Come A Little Closer” is so good I’m hoping this album will be an extension of this sound on an even keel; because while sophomore album, Thank you Happy Birthday was well received, it was also criticized for its lack of cohesiveness.
Cage the Elephant’s Southern funk-rock style plays like a college band that has all the youth and fun but also strives to explore a deeper perspective on life. With hit single “Shake Me Down,” off Thank You, the lyrics were a progression of this more serious view on the many sides of depression, and in turn gained them a broader audience. Frontman Matt Shultz’s stage persona is all over the place like a child with ADD. In this short clip that shows the band recording his usual fresh face appearance is gone and you get a glimpse of him looking a little aged, maybe a bit wiser, and definitely a whole lot scruffier.
Cage the Elephant are joining Muse on their fall tour beginning September 3.
Panic! At the Disco Too Weird to live, Too Rare to Die
Panic! At the Disco is back with a brand new single “Miss Jackson” off upcoming 4th studio album Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die out October 8. While this band is a bit too top 40 for my everyday taste, I can relish in the music every once in while. The single carries the bands trademark theatrics and their key formula of packing a power pop, one-two punch. I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say “Miss Jackson” is going to be a radio favorite. For one, the song title “Miss Jackson” is a name that seems to connect with the fella’s and I’ll date that rationale back to Janet Jackson’s 1986 hit single “Nasty.” In “Nasty,” Janet sings the most memorable and echoed lyric of all her recordings: “No, my first name ain’t baby, it’s Janet, Ms. Jackson if you’re nasty.” And in 2009 the band OutKast sung about a fictitious “Miss Jackson,” the reference was said to be toward the mother of Andre 3000’s baby mama Erykah Badu, but why use the name Ms. Jackson, coincidence? I think not.
It’s been seven years since Panic’s second hit single “I Write Sins Not Tragedies,” off debut album A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out was released, I know it feels like just yesterday. What I like about Panic is that they totally embrace their “Once Upon A Time” storytelling. It is a touch on play acting and it works, but it also can get a bit tiresome. Frontman Brendon Urie is a great vocalist who would soar on a more hard-lined, even ballad-like song. We’ll see if the new record will have more of a grown up feel.
Kings of Leon Mechanical Bull
In July Kings of Leon released the first single and just today the official music video for “Supersoaker” from their forthcoming album Mechanical Bull due out September 24. I like Kings of Leon enough, but I don’t own a collection of their albums. If “Supersoaker” is a preview of what the upcoming album is going to sound like, I will give it my full attention. “Supersoaker” is a spirited song that has all the elements of a sold rock tune, with a sturdy sharing of the drums and guitar riffs. The song cascades into the chorus so fluidly with the lyrics “I don’t mind sentimental girls at times, mister walk away, walk away.” It’s kind of brilliant. And even though I’m all aboard the Kings of Leon hits train, “Notion,” being one which is dear to all, I think the band thrives in a more understated approach found in their debut album Youth and Young Manhood.
The bands sixth studio album comes after a period of time where fans were skeptical if there was ever going to be new music following a cancelled tour, citing “vocal issues and exhaustion.” Listen, Kings, you’re not the first band or the last to go through problems, unfortunately suppressing the issues resulted in an eruption on stage in front of thousands; luckily the incident forced them to take the time to focus and get back on track. And just as I finish typing these words, the band releases second single “Wait For Me,” these guys are back and not messin’ around.
Pearl Jam Lightning Bolt
There’s a line from the movie Almost Famous, where Jimmy Fallon’s character makes a joke about how Mick Jagger is not going to be out there still trying to be a rock star at age fifty. I think that Pearl Jam is going to be out there still doing music in their seventies. Lightning Bolt is Pearl Jam’s upcoming tenth studio album set for release October 15, and that’s a feat in of itself. The albums first single “Mind Your Manners,” debuted on July 11. It’s a thrasher of a rock song, and while I’m not a fan of the quick dominant chorus, I love the bridge where Eddie Vedder sings, “Self-realized and metaphysically redeem / May not live another life / May not solve a mystery.”
Even with the bands consistent work ethic, recently performing through lightening, Pearl Jam is not all work and no play; frontman Eddie Vedder took time out to attend a One Direction show in Seattle on July 28. This isn’t a joke, there’s a picture floating around of Eddie’s meet and greet with the boy band to prove it. Pearl Jam will launch their North American tour on October 11, maybe they can get One Direction to open up for them.
Happy Fall Music!
By: Sabrina Tosti
Follow @sabrinatosti23