Today was a shitty day for me. I won't lie about that. However, having a shitty day can result in some of the best music. The best art is often produced not in happiness but in anguish, in turmoil, and in despair. One example of a great song to listen to when you're feeling heated is the song "The Rat" from New York indie band The Walkmen. Pure fury fuels this song, and it also serves as a great entry point to the rest of their solid catalogue.
The Walkmen just released their newest album entitled Lisbon, and It received a Best New Music from Pitchfork, a Pick from eMusic, and a 4 1/2 star review from Consequence of Sound, if you're the type of person that pays attention to such awards. I regrettably am, so I had to download this newest album and was pleasantly surprised to find a record that was clean sounding, lyrically compelling, and generally enjoyable and easy to listen to on the first try. I cannot lay that claim to many albums, so check it out. Below is one of the standouts from Lisbon, "Angela Surf City"
Another new album that I picked up on Tuesday was the Chromeo record, Business Casual.
While The Walkmen can be comforting when you're pissed, Chromeo is a band that refuses to be anything less than groovy and danceable at all times, so it's probably a better way to skip the anger and move right to groovin'. For fans of dance music in general, you probably already know what they are capable of. For new fans, they fall in the vein of LCD Soundsystem, blending soulful vocals, disco synths, and beats perfect for any dance party. "Don't Turn the Lights On" is a seductive lead single for the album.
Another Chromeo classic is Fancy Footwork. (According to YouTube commenters, it was featured in the movie Step Up 3. Yeah, I don't care either.)
Chromeo has also provided songs that are the framework for some of the best remixes out there. Check out the Aeroplane remix of Don't Turn the Lights On, and the Crookers remix of Fancy Footwork.
In other news, Always Sunny returns tonight! Shout out to the bros drinking wine out of soda cans and using the D.E.N.N.I.S. system.
