Can’t-Miss Music: Getting Better With Age
[Note: A version of this was originally published in the AV Newsletter, available every other month at the Music, Movies & More desk. For samples of each artist, check out our July playlist on Grooveshark.]
Meet the new boss ... same as the old boss
It was 45 years ago that The Who’s Roger Daltrey first sang “I hope I die before I get old.” For some reason, he chose to omit that song from his set list during his band’s Super Bowl medley earlier this year. This isn’t to say that great music is the exclusive domain of the young. This month’s crop of CDs proves that you can trust people over 30 – at least as far as their sonic output is concerned.
For your exhibit A, we have electronic musician James Murphy, otherwise known as LCD Soundsystem. Formerly part of the production collective The DFA, Murphy has pretty much trademarked the arch, minimalist tone that 21st-century dance-punk is known for, and helped to bridge the gap between New York’s early No Wave scene (including Talking Heads, The Contortions, and Blondie) to the contemporary sound of bands like The Rapture, Hot Chip, and Cut Copy. Now facing the other side of 40, the album This is Happening finds Murphy slightly more wistful, but with tongue just as firmly in cheek and feet firmly planted on the dance floor.
The National has been churning out solid, moody rock’n'roll for nearly a decade. While their past few albums called to mind a somewhat aimless life in the city, the lyrics on High Violet call to mind a more grown-up life. Characters have traded apartments for backyards, and flings for families. The album reflects this grudging maturity with a feel that’s less J.D. Salinger and more Richard Yates. Throughout it all, it’s still a National album, filled with their trademark complex, interlocking guitar work and Matt Berninger’s distinctive baritone.
Lest you think it’s all introspection and doubt, we have the power-pop tsunami that is The New Pornographers. This Canadian supergroup has always been known for its relentless melodies, sugary harmonizing, and complex time signatures. On Together, the tempo is letting up a bit, but the songcraft (and Neko Case’s voice) is just as powerful. Lest you think they’ve softened up completely, there’s a song like “Your Hands, Together,” which is a strong a statement the band has ever made. If you liked any of the Big Star hear-a-likes from the previous installment of Can’t Miss Music, definitely check these guys out.
