Meat Wave "Brother" (Brace Yourself)

Meat Wave brings forth seven songs of punk rock n roll that can be anything from Trail of Dead and Local H to Foo Fighters.   Elements of Cadillac Blindside can also come out in these songs, which feel like a step above something you'd hear on Burger Records, and it just has that heavier side to it as well, so hence the emphasis on the word ROCK.

Mr Oizo "The Church"

Though this was released digitally in 2014 the CD version came out in 2015 and whatever the date is it doesn't matter because I've been looking for a reason to start listening to Mr. Oizo and this is my- and perhaps your- best way to get into these songs.    They're electronic at their heart but they have so much more than that.    It's audio samplings and beats mixed in ways I cannot describe.

You know, often times when I listen to music it can paint images in my head which in turn makes me think of it being the soundtrack to a movie.   It's hard to think of this as being the soundtrack to anything other than one of his films (I suggest "Wrong Cops") but the fact remains that if you like those films and the music in them then you shall like this as well.   And yes, that works both ways.     Just all around respect for this talented human being.

Until The Ribbon Breaks "A Lesson Unlearnt"

The overall feeling that you can get from "A Lesson Unlearnt" is one of smoov electro rhythms.    There are some bits of funk, such as on the third track, but for the most part this maintains that synth-something feel with hip hop occasionally thrown in for fun.   Yes, the old school hip hop beats do eventually lead to an appearance by Run the Jewels and really your mind should just make the connection: If Run the Jewels will be on it, then obviously it is good.

Through bits of Blue October's "Into the Ocean" vibe there is a song called "Romeo" in which he states more than once "I would have killed Romeo and saved Juliet / But I don't write stories that time won't forget".    This is strange to me because, yeah, I get that you don't want to compare yourself to Shakespeare and all that but don't you want to try and write songs that time won't forget?    Isn't that the point of this all?

Time has gone on for so long and will continue to go on long after we're gone.    Our individual existences are such small blips on the grand radar that I wonder why someone wouldn't want to do something that creates a lasting impression in a positive way.  (Say, invent the internet)

Regardless, this is one of the few artists who isn't strictly hip hop but has a song named after the artist name and it even is said in the lyrics.    The song itself references something breaking "like your favorite old tape" and that obviously wins points with me, so you should listen to this at least once in your life.   You owe yourself that much.

Enter Shikari "The Mindsweep" (Hopeless / Ambush Reality)

When I first heard Enter Shikari it was 2007 and their debut album, "Take to the Skies", was about to come out.    I often wonder whether or not I still have that advanced CD with no artwork in my collection or if it was lost in one of my many moves since that time.    It doesn't really matter I suppose because I haven't really listened to that album in the eight years or so now that it's been out since back then but to see Enter Shikari still around and putting out one of the first new albums of 2015 got me interested enough to give it a listen.

All I remember about Enter Shikari is that they were a hardcore band- the singing and screaming kind- that encorporated bits of electronic music into their sound and while that might seem more common place now it was actually not as much when I first heard them.    This music still stays true to those roots as there are elements of screaming that bring out the inner Reach the Sky or Shut Down and at other times it's just overall dreamy.

I did expect some elements of Linkin Park to come out, as that seemed somewhat inevitable, but this electronic hardcore music also sounds like The Prodigy at times and I'm not sure how that happened but it's cool.   There are also moments of "Paranoid Android" era Radiohead which is just enough depth to make it so that you don't have to be ashamed to listen to this one.

Due to time restraints I am by no means saying that I'm going to go back and listen to every album by Enter Shikari but I am more likely to do that now than I was before I heard "The Mindsweep".     I'm actually also pretty likely to search for some live videos of Enter Shikari on YouTube now because I want to witness the sea of people moving in unison to the music.

Ghost Culture "Ghost Culture" (Phantasy)

Through soothing vocals comes music that could be synthgaze or even synthpop but has these funky beats behind it.    It reminds me a little bit of New Order or a less dark version of Stabbing Westward but there really is no comparison point for Ghost Culture.     The easiest thing to say would be that it would be like Artist A plus Artist B if you took someone with synth and combined them with someone with beats but that wouldn't even do it justice.

Triumphant and with hints of Lou Reed this is something that I put on at random really and it is now slowly becoming one of my favorite albums not just of 2015 but of all time.   It's just... I can't explain it, but it has this certain sound.   If you look at the words used to describe it (not just by me, but by anyone) you might think "Oh, great another one of those" or you might have some ideas in your head of what it will sound like.

Ghost Culture goes above and beyond those ideas in your head in every possible way and this is just amazing.   Remember this one in December for your end of the year lists, people.

Sleater-Kinney "No Cities To Love" (Sub Pop)

The best part about reviewing Sleater-Kinney is that I don't have to find comparisons to make because at this point in time Sleater-Kinney simply sounds like Sleater-Kinney and more importantly as I listen to this what I can hear is the influence that this band has had on its contemporaries.   Wow, so much of so many bands that came after SK come out in this and as such I suspect a lot of my comparisons this year will revolve around this album.

Regardless of how anyone might feel about this album- and I for one think it's rocking- you cannot deny the place of Sleater-Kinney in music history and if this album only serves as a way for someone who has never heard of Sleater-Kinney before to not only hear them for the first time here but also go back and listen to their older releases well then it all seems worth it.

Additionally, I know very little about the musicians which make up Sleater-Kinney as a band but considering their place in the history of rock n roll I highly suspect that none of them would have decided to release a new album if they didn't fully stand behind it and believe it to be that damn good.    I'm really a fan of this and it is in line as one of my early favorites for the year, but this should become like all other Sleater-Kinney music: timeless.