Monday's Leaky Faucet

Dan Bejar has earned a remarkable reputation within the indie music scene. Thanks to his work with The New Pornographers, Swan Lake, his solo work, and his latest project as Hello, Blue Roses, Bejar has reached a level where he is revered by his peers and his fans alike. It's a unique spot for an artist to be, but he just keeps proving himself with fantastic music.

On his latest solo release as Destroyer, Bejar once again proves how powerful his music can be. Trouble in Dreams isn't as immediate as Rubies, but once you give it a few listens you find that it is just as strong if not stronger. The music here is exactly the type of sound we've come to expect of Destroyer and should surprise no one. The lyrics are deep and beautifully descriptive, the music is sweet and not over powering, and Bejar's voice is as sharp as ever before. Listening to this album I can't help but feel this will still be high on my play list at the end of the year and maybe beyond.

This is going to be a huge year for Dan Bejar. Between this album and the debut of his latest side project Hello, Blue Roses, I have a feeling he is going to be on the lips of everyone that is at all interested in music.
Destroyer - "Foam Hands"
Destroyer - "Introducing Angels"

Made in the Dark has been leaked for a couple of weeks now, but it was marked with an audio bit that kept repeating some weird robot voice throughout the tracks. You still got a great idea what the new album would sound like, but it was tough to just ignore the voice over each of the tracks. Thankfully, the album has finally dripped out without that water mark and it is so much better then I expected from listening to that version.

The music on Made in the Dark takes the Hot Chip sound that was introduced on The Warning and expands it exponentially, making a fuller, more cohesive album then the initial foray. Throughout this album, Hot Chip not only keeps your pulse up and your body dancing, but they also put together better overall songs with a slew of added sounds within every gap of space. Lyrically it's improved, musically it's improved, and it just flat out kicks The Warning's ass. And that's coming from someone who love The Warning.

Obviously we still have a while before this album hits store shelves, but you should have no problem finding the whole thing if you know where to look. This is one of those albums that a leak should not affect at all, because I'm pretty sure most of us will still be excited to get our hands on the vinyl version and throw it on our turntables and blast it.
Hot Chip - "Out At the Pictures"
Hot Chip - "Made in the Dark"

Despite a little bit of a lull from his main project, Death Cab for Cutie, Chris Walla has managed to remain extremely busy. Between writing and recording his own solo stuff and producing a slew of A-list talent, it's been a busy few years for Walla and now we get his much anticipated and delayed debut album Field Manual. The music is pretty much exactly what you might have imagined; lots of lush guitars, subtle rhythms, and a heavy reliance on the lyrical aspect of the music.

For me, his voice doesn't have nearly the impact that Ben Gibbard's does. It isn't quite as emotional, doesn't have nearly the range, and has mild troubles conveying the emotional nuances of his lyrics. If it weren't for his name Chris Walla would most likely be a struggling singer songwriter playing small coffee shops and dive bars, but because of his reputation and past work with his much larger band he'll have himself a nice built in audience to listen to his new work.

It's not bad music it's just not a Death Cab for Cutie album, and unfortunately for Chris I think that's what a lot of us will be looking for from this.
Chris Walla - "Sing Again"
Chris Walla - "Bird is a Song"