New Music from 4/5/2011 - The Submarines, The Raveonettes, and Daft Punk

The Submarines Love Notes/Letter Bombs - The married indie pop duo from Los Angeles release their first album in three years and third studio album overall.  Their music has been featured in various media outlets like the piano opening of this song used in an iPhone commercial we've all gotten stuck in our heads, key scenes in hip TV shows ("Nip/Tuck" and "Grey's Anatomy"), and charming indie movies (Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist) so you are probably unconsciously aware of the band even if you don't know them by name. Let's find out if they were able to create any new music that's equally as catchy.

The album opens with hand clapping before drums, vocals, and a bubblegum melody sweeps you up in the opener "Shoelaces."  "Fire" has catchy synthesizer work and prominently features bandmate Blake Hazard's vocal work in a more serious song about freeing yourself.  "Ivaloo" has a slower tempo where Hazard's and John Dragonetti's singing really compliment each other well to create an ethereal quality in their duet although the melody is less catchy than on earlier tracks.  The first single off the album, "Birds," has a laid back feel with sing-song vocal style and subtle guitar and keyboard work to create a mellow but enjoyable track.  "Tigers" has a synthesized electropop beat and has a more contemporary feel than the more breezy tracks that are the meat of the album. 

Love Note/Letter Bombs is an enjoyable and fun summer pop album.  One positive new addition to this album not found on their older releases is the inclusion of a real drummer (Jim Eno from Spoons) which helps to add a more complete, natural sound to the album.  It's another collection of songs that you will probably soon hear on your favorite TV shows and on various commercials in the upcoming year.  This 10-track album (plus two bonus songs if you get the deluxe version) will be satisfying on a long drive up the coast or as light, jaunty background music while you work. 

Score:  7.5/10

Song(s) to Sample:  "Tigers" and "Birds" [sample it below]

The Raveonettes Raven in the Grave - The Raveonettes in an indie rock male and female duo that calls Denmark home.  Don't worry my English speaking readers, their songs are not sung in Danish.    Their last album In and Out of Control didn't fare well in the U.S. or U.K. but did rank as high as #5 in their native Denmark. 

"Recharge and Revolt," which leads off the album, has a slightly quicker tempo rhythm than I was expecting but the on-the-glum-side axe work definitely doesn't venture far from the band's usual style.  "Forget That You're Young" features a catchy synthesizer melody on top of the moody vocals and electronic guitar hook. "Apparitions," as the name implies, has an otherworldly quality with subdued instrumentation and is sung in a sprite-like singing style.  "Let Me on Out" has a feedback heavy take on a 50's rock guitar riff and a super slow tempo for a song that never seems to get off the ground.  The quicker "Ignite" that follows it and is a much richer song with fuller guitar licks and a more engaging melody. 

The style of music presented to us on Raven in the Grave is very similar to the style they gave us previously.  That style usually features heavy electronic guitar driven songs often with two-part vocal harmonies with dark and edgy lyrical content.  I found this album to be less enjoyable overall than some of their previous releases with the middle of the album being especially monotonous or too overbearing at times.  There's definitely nothing as catchy as my favorite song of theirs from the past, "Dead Sound." 

Score:  6/10
Song(s) to Sample:   "Ignite" [sample it below] and "Forget That You're Young"

Daft Punk Tron: Legacy R3CONF1GUR3D - The flashy French electronica band Daft Punk releases this reworked and remastered version of their soundtrack to the recent sequel of the movie Tron. The reworked version has remixes by many top techno acts like Crystal Method, Moby, Paul Oakenfold, and Photek.  I reviewed the original version of this disc when it came out in December and gave it a 7 out of 10.  Let's see if the remixed versions add or subtract from that score.

14 of the original 22 tracks are reworked for this version (with two separate remixes of "Derezzed") and the order of the songs has been changed.  My favorite song from the original, "Derezzed," leads off the album (the first remix is by Glitch Mob) and has a sped up beat that adds a lot of energy to the track (the second remix of the song by Avicii has more of a Eurodance/breakbeat sound which also makes for a fun song).  "Adagio for TRON" (remixed by Teddybears) captures more of the feel of the original Wendy Carlos score with increased synthesizer sounds that echo what was given to us in the original soundtrack.  "C.L.U." (remixed by Paul Oakenfold) gets a quicker trance beat and feel which somehow adds to the tension of the track and gives it an additional edge that wasn't there before.  "End of the Line" (remixed by Photek) has more synthesizer/keyboard during the slow part of the track but I found it more distracting than beneficial to the song. 

Overall Tron: Legacy R3CONF1GUR3D has been sped up and been made into a more danceable album, something you would have expected from a Daft Punk release.  It's definitely a more enjoyable taken on its own merit than the original which was naturally toned down in several spots to better convey the overall feeling of the images it was being matched with.  This is what I was looking for when I listened to the original release of this album with a more steady trance/dance feel that you expect from Daft Punk.  A much better album overall and one worth purchasing even if you already have the original version that just came out a few months ago. 

Score:  8.5/10
Song(s) to Sample:  "Adagio for TRON" and "C.L.U." [sample it below]