CD lyrics over the top

Mount Modern
Dad Rocks!
9-out-of-10

I've formed the opinion that every citizen of Iceland is a member in a hip, modern music collective. With such a small population and unreasonable amount of stellar bands, this must be true. Dad Rocks! is no exception to this thought, and their latest record, Mount Modern, is a killer collection of engaging narratives about modern and mundane life.

Mount Modern exhibits witty lyrics plainly laid out over top of an orchestral arrangement of trumpets, guitars, violins, etc. Its ten performers beautifully blend extravagant modern folk rock with a lo-fi, digestible sound. I can only imagine how fun and intuitive the recording sessions must have been to produce such a sonically pleasing record.

The lyrics of Mount Modern are simply written to reflect things like annoying cell phone ringtones, unemployment, Disney, YouTube uploads and other bands. Where some might find these lyrics to be boring or unpoetic on their own, they are so relatable to someone under 30 that it is laughable. And it is the manner in which they're delivered to us that makes it all worth listening to. Where most similar bands are heading for woodland metaphors and songs about owls, Dad Rocks! unabashedly displays it like it is, not worrying about jamming prolific imagery into every line but instead offer immediate reflection into how we live these days. They have a brilliant way of deconstructing these ideas into a relatively humorous string of potent, thought provoking lines.

Because of the entertaining words and the overwhelming soundtrack they're given, Mount Modern, should be given some serious consideration for a download. Check this record out at dadrocks.bandcamp.com

--SEAN CRAIB-PETKAU

Nothing But ... Synthgaze
Nothing But Hope and Passion
8-out-of-10

Synthgaze, or Chillwave in some circles, is a genre of music whose artists often use effects processors, loops, and filters to achieve a complex sound of simple melodies put over a relaxed, down tempo beat. Nothing But .. Synthgaze is a compilation record put together by the great alt. music zine, Nothing But Hope and Passion.

Featuring remixes of The Xx and Radiohead, among many others, the record is a beautifully curated peak inside a genre often left unexplored by many people. Chillwave is unique in that it uses both analog and digital technology to experiment with original and borrowed material to create a relaxing, dreamlike flow of music that is boundless and oozing with reverb. This collection exhibits some fine examples of this, giving a very good look at such a broad genre. NBH&P picked some really talented artists here but also gathered together some songs that just simply sound exquisite.

I already have a predisposition to the genre, and love a chance to drift away, taking time to breathe and relax. Chillwave gives you that opportunity. For those unfamiliar, start your journey here. http://nothingbuthopeandpassion.bandcamp.com/album/nothing-but-synthgaze

--SEAN CRAIB-PETKAU