What Year Is It In Australia?

Every decade in music has its own unique qualities.  Some we love and consider ‘classic’.  Others, we make fun of, and even our kids will make fun of.
The 70’s were easy..  Just about everything from the 70’s is and was considered cool (musically-speaking).  The 90’s were safe..  Nothing groundbreaking in my opinion, overall, but there was a lot of good music being made.  The 80’s, on the other hand, are, more-often-than-not, the victim of our jokes.

So, if I were to tell you about a band that has ‘brought back the sounds of the 80’s’, you would quickly stop listening to me.  Reason one being that there are 460,000 bands that have tried and are trying to bring back those sounds.  Reason two being much more important than the first…..most of the sounds weren’t that good…..

Why, then, can I, nor anyone else I’ve shared this record with, stop listening???  Maybe because this record is all of the GOOD parts of the 80’s, and they’re doing it in a way that NO ONE ELSE has.  In fact, it’s so genuine, I don’t even know if they meant to…

Australia’s newest band that matters, Polaroid Fame, has just released their debut album ‘We Live Your Life’.  And if you’re a music-lovin-kinda-guy-or-girl you would swear that a world-famous indie rock producer was sitting in the studio with these fellas (and lady) throughout the recording process.  The only thing separating them from The Strokes or (fellow-Australians) Jet, or any other throwback band that’s alive and well today is, perhaps….some time!

You’ll like this…no, you’ll love this!

LoveSound Rating – 8/10

Favorite Tracks – ‘We Live Your Life’ & ‘Wanna Know’

Polaroid Fame – http://www.myspace.com/polaroidfame

Super Stelar!

Literally, in the first 45 seconds, I knew I was going to love this record.  I was instantly excited about the fact that it’s a double-disc album!

To begin, the title track, ‘Coco’, sets the mood exactly right. The enticing guest vocals from Austrian singer Lilja Bloom relieve that cringe you get when a song starts out sweet, but you’re afraid either a)the vocals are gonna screw it up or b)the lyrics are gonna screw it up or c)both, which sadly is generally the case.  Not in this case, Lilja’s voice is just what you need and wish to hear.

From there, you are taken through an electro-adventure!  Trip-hop, hip-hop, funk, electronica, you name it, it’s there, all wrapped nicely in one double-disc album called ‘Coco’, from a man who’s name isn’t far too popular in the US at this time…..  But at this time next year, I wouldn’t be so sure.

My suggestion:  Give this entire album a go if you’re about to take a long road trip by yourself.  Once you’ve played it, play it again.  Once you’ve done that, you’ll be hooked!  Well done Parov….

LoveSound Rating – 8/10

Favorite Tracks – ‘Coco’ (feat. Lilja Bloom) & ‘Let’s Roll’ (feat. Blaktroniks)

Parov Stelar – http://www.myspace.com/stelar1

Holy Something!

Many siblings don’t get along too well, though, most are just there for you when you need them..  In rare cases, brother and sister are best buds..  But no more than once in your lifetime will you meet a bro and sis team that hang out and make a record that will take months for you to take out of your cd player!

Here I introduce to you The Holy Roman Army consisting of Chris and Laura Coffey, and I must say, they’ve tapped into something.  It’s not trip-hop, there’s too much genuine emotion for that.. and I hate to call it electronica, there’s so much more depth.. but by no means is it electro-rock..  What is it?  You tell me…

Chris and Laura both do their fair share of singing on the album, and both of them are spot on.  I can honestly say that never have I experienced listening to an album in which I enjoy the ‘shared vocal thing’ this much.  The vocals are…majestic? haunting? inspiring?  The lyrics are…great!

Their debut album, entitled ‘How The Light Gets In’, is on release on their own Collapsed Adult label and is available in all good records stores in Ireland and all major online retailers worldwide.  I highly suggest heading to iTunes and finding this record, in its entirety.  I’ll be listening to this one for years….

*NOMINEE FOR LOVESOUND ALBUM OF THE YEAR*

LoveSound Rating – 9/10

Favorite Tracks – ‘He’s Not Responding’ & ‘Empty Skies’

The Holy Roman Army – http://www.myspace.com/theholyromanarmy

…..and we’re back!

My apologies to all of the LoveSound followers…  We have been out of commission for a bit…  Meetings, meetings, meetings…  Big news coming soon…

Now, on to bigger and better things!