Yo La Tengo - I'm Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass CD

I'm Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass album for sale This Montreal ensemble's fiery debut is marked by surging guitars, soulful strings, driving drums, brilliant bass lines, and the quavering vocals of married couple Win Butler and Regine Chassagne. The group's song structures careen through a vast territory of musical and personal history, with lyrics warm with memories of childhood neighborhoods and deceased loved ones, resulting in an alternating current of joy and sadness. Favorably compared to the Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev, and Broken Social Scene, the Arcade Fire's sound seems to come from a lifetime of listening to the Cure, Talking Heads, Elvis Costello, and many others--even a dose of soul gets worked into these grand anthems. Chassagne delivers some spellbinding vocals on "Haiti," while the tinkling piano and strings on "Crown of Love" conjure up a heartbroken surfside prom. In 2004, this made many critics' year-end lists, and it's no wonder--the songs on FUNERAL are so packed with unique instrumentation, mesmerizing build-ups, and galvanizing tempo changes that they seem culled from some enigmatic, decade-spanning rock anthology. Recording information: Hotel 2 Tango (08/2003-??/2004); Win & Regine's Apartment, Montreal, Canada (08/2003-??/2004). Photographer: Hilary Treadwell. Arcade Fire: Will Butler (bass instrument); Richard Reed Parry (double bass); Win Butler (bass guitar); Régine Chassagne, Howard Bilerman. Personnel: Win Butler (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric 12-string guitar, piano, synthesizer); Régine Chassagne (vocals, accordion, recorder, piano, synthesizer, xylophone, drums, percussion); Howard Bilerman (guitar, drums); Timothy Kingsbury (acoustic guitar); Anita Fust (harp); Jessica Moss, Sophie Trudeau, Owen Pallett, Sarah Neufeld (violin); Genevieve Heistek (viola); Michael Olsen, Mike Olsen (cello); Richard Reed Parry (accordion, piano, organ, synthesizer, xylophone, upright bass, percussion); Pietro Amato (horns); Will Butler (synthesizer, xylophone, percussion); Arlen Thompson (drums).

I'm Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass CD music On 2007's BOXER, the National's second full-length album for the venerable Beggars Banquet label, the Brooklyn-based indie-rock act follows up the lauded ALLIGATOR with another round of melancholy guitar-driven tunes. Led by deep-voiced vocalist Matt Berninger, who often sounds hung-over yet disarmingly articulate, the band excels at brooding mid-tempo songs, as exemplified by the world-weary "Fake Empire," which combines political and personal themes, and "Mistaken for Strangers," a track that recalls NYC peers Interpol, thanks in part to the punchy approach of shared producer Peter Katis. And while his presence isn't immediately apparent, indie hero Sufjan Stevens contributes piano to two tracks ("Racing Like a Pro" and "Ada"), adding to the National's increasingly expansive aesthetic, which also incorporates strings and horns. Though BOXER is more subdued than ALLIGATOR, it will likely appeal to those won over by the earlier outing. Audio Mixer: Peter Katis. Recording information: Benny's Wash N' Dry, Brooklyn, NY; Brooklyn, NY; Tarquin Studios, Bridgeport, CT; White Sulphur Springs, WV. Arrangers: Aaron Dessner; Bryce Dessner. The National: Matt Berninger (vocals); Bryce Dessner (guitar); Aaron Dessner, Scott Devendorf (bass guitar); Bryan Devendorf (drums). Personnel: Pauline DeLassus, Carin Besser (vocals); Padma Newsome (violin, viola, organ); Ha Yang Kim (cello); Alex Sopp (flute); Sarah Phillips (clarinet); Rachael Elliott (bassoon); Tim Albright (trombone); Sufjan Stevens (piano); Thomas Bartlett (keyboards).

I'm Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass buy CD music On its 2006 album, RETURN TO COOKIE MOUNTAIN, the Brooklyn-based post-punk group TV on the Radio manages that rare feat of becoming more adventurous and accessible at the same time. While this record isn't a major departure from its eclectic predecessor (the lauded DESPERATE YOUTH, BLOODY THIRSTY BABES), it is notably more cohesive, and even boasts a guest appearance by David Bowie, who slinks into backing vocals on the R&B-tinged "Province." By combining unpolished loops and stuttering beats with shoegazing guitar textures, the ensemble creates an utterly unique sound, particularly when the deep, expressive voice of Tunde Adebimpe and the falsetto singing of Kyp Malone fall into harmony, as on the hypnotic "I Was a Lover." Given that the band's first outing was the self-released, Radiohead-referencing OK CALCULATOR, it's wholly appropriate that with RETURN TO COOKIE MOUNTAIN, TV on the Radio has crafted an edgy, soulful counterpart to KID A. TV on the Radio: Tunde Adebimpe, David Andrew Sitek.

I'm Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass songs James Murphy is well-known as half of the New York-based production duo DFA (who have lent their distinctive touch to songs from artists as diverse as Gorillaz, the Rapture, and N.E.R.D.). Aside from creating the modern template for indie dance music since the early 2000's, Murphy has been busy writing music under his solo moniker, LCD Soundsystem. His sophomore effort, SOUND OF SILVER, picks up where the debut left of, expanding an already diverse set of influences and honing the songwriting craft into a thematically cohesive whole. As wryly noted on LCD Soundsystem's debut 2002 single, "Losing My Edge," in the underground music arms race, aging hipsters are losing ground against young upstarts who are (perhaps) unaware of their own influences. And if influences are the stuff with which post-millennial musicians are made, Murphy has trumped us all. Touching on reference points ranging from disco, krautrock, Bowie, house, and post-punk, to singer-songwriter types, SOUND OF SILVER is a veritable catalog of left-field cool. Leading off with the slow-boil, hypnotic opener, "Get Innocuous"--which sounds a bit like a reprise of "Losing My Edge" crossed with Kraftwerk's "The Robots"--the album moves from dance-floor stormers to plaintive piano numbers without batting an eye. On "North American Scum," Murphy lampoons the often mistaken idea that LCD Soundsystem is a U.K. act; his nasal vocal echoing Jonathan Richman as he declares "for those of you who think we're from England--we're not." As humorously self-effacing as he is, SOUND OF SILVER also shows Murphy's growth as a songwriter. On the album's closer "New York, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down," he laments the passing of the old New York, "To the cops who are bored once they've run out of crime/New York you're perfect don't change a thing." It's a fitting tribute that holds up against the countless other great songs written about the Big Apple. Audio Mixers: James Murphy ; Dave Sardy. Recording information: DFA; Longview Farms Studio. Photographer: Mike Vadino. LCD Soundsystem: Amy Kimball (violin); Jane Scarpantoni (cello); Tyler Pope (bass instrument); James Murphy (bass guitar); Marcus Lambkin, Eric Broucek (hand claps); Morgan Wiley, Lorenza Ponce, Pat Mahoney , David Gold , Justin Chearno, Nancy Whang. Personnel: James Murphy (vocals, guitar, piano, Clavinet, organ, synthesizer, glockenspiel, drums, percussion, electronic percussion, programming); Pat Mahoney (vocals, drums, percussion); Eric Broucek, Nancy Whang (vocals); Tyler Pope, Justin Chearno (guitar); Lorenza Ponce (violin); David Gold (viola); Jane Scrapantoni (cello); Morgan Wiley (piano).

I'm Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass CD music Sonic Youth's turn-of-the-century output has shown a marked focus on the more abstract aspects of the band's sound, as evidenced by, if nothing else, the prolific number of experimental releases on the band's SYR imprint, including the double-album tribute to avant-garde composers, GOODBYE 20TH CENTURY. And while to use the phrase "stylistic departure" is unbefitting of a band with such catholic tastes and influences, the straightforward pop element that marks 2006's RATHER RIPPED, the band's 14th proper studio album, is so pronounced and, to a certain extent, jarring, it's difficult not to focus in on it. From the Thin Lizzy-like twin-guitar interlude on "Incinerate" to the gentle lullaby melody of "Do You Believe in the Rapture" (arguably the loveliest song Sonic Youth has produced since "Diamond Sea") to Kim Gordon's newfound pop croon on the opener, "Reena," and "Turquoise Boy," the band hasn't made a record with this many fun, enjoyable tunes in years. Of course, accessible is a relative word when discussing Sonic Youth, and by no means has the band lost its edge. Even at its most poppy, Sonic Youth still twist and gnarl any rock troupe they encounter. But on RATHER RIPPED, the band that essentially created noise rock have once again placed the rock front and center. Recording information: Bisquiteen, Amherst, MA (12/2005-02/2006); Echo Canyon, New York, NY (12/2005-02/2006); Sear Sound, New York, NY (12/2005-02/2006). Photographer: Amanda de Cadenet. Sonic Youth: Kim Gordon (vocals, guitar, bass guitar); Lee Ranaldo, Thurston Moore (vocals, guitar); Steve Shelley (drums). Audio Mixer: John Agnello.

I'm Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass buy CD music Building on the lush, complex sound established on I CAN HEAR THE HEART BEATING AS ONE and continued on 2000's AND THEN NOTHING TURNED ITSELF INSIDE-OUT, Hoboken's favorite trio wades in still deeper on 2003's SUMMER SUN. With vocalist/guitarist Ira Kaplan affecting a whispered croon and his drummer wife Georgia Hubley wielding brushes, this outing goes from the vibraphone jauntiness of "Moonrock Mambo" to the swirling, 10-minute "Let's Be Still" featuring contributions from downtown jazzbos William Parker and Roy Campbell Jr. Like a musical narcotic, songs like "How to Make a Baby Elephant Float" and "Tiny Birds" bob along in a current of humming keyboards and the underpinning of James McNew's understated bass playing. Breaking up this gentle excursion through the ether are "Georgia Vs. Yo La Tengo," a chugging number with watery-sounding effects and a repetitive piano run threaded throughout, and the samba-like "Winter A-Go-Go," which sounds like the Zombies slow-dancing with Buffalo Springfield. Succumbing to their penchant for beautifully executed offbeat covers, Yo La Tengo dips into the Big Star canon for an interpretation of "Take Care" that finds Hubley making like Hope Sandoval over a bed of dream-poppy acoustic guitar and pedal steel. A subtle stylistic shift from its predecessor (And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out). Upbeat, swinging, and sweet, but no less haunting. 'An ethereal wonder' - US News And World Report. 'Yo La Tengo has divided its devotion to the extremes of popular music, playing sweetly melodic pop songs and feedback-driven noise-rock with equally mesmerizing results'. 13 tracks packaged in a Digipak. Matador. 2003. Additional personnel includes: Daniel Carter, Sabir Mateen (flute, alto & tenor saxophones); Roy Campbell, Jr. (trumpet); William Parker (upright bass). Recorded at Alex The Great Studios, Nashville, Tennessee. Personnel: Katie Gentile (violin); Tim Harris (cello); Daniel Carter, Sabir Mateen (flute, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone). Recording information: Nashville, TN. Photographer: Phil Morrison. Yo La Tengo: Georgia Hubley, Ira Kaplan, James McNew.