Pop Music Matters

Big Beat Pioneers THE CRYSTAL METHOD Stream Mind-Bendingly Dull New Track On MySpace

It's Saturday morning, I'm sipping green tea like a fairy boy, just finished watching a fucking awesome episode of Family Matters and now I'm bored.

So why not put a post up, eh? Music news is music news. And even if THE CRYSTAL METHOD couldn't matter less (actually they could, if one or both of the duo were Gavin Rossdale), it's still fun to sit here at the computer and dump my bullshit and snobbery onto a web page that nobody ever reads.

L.A.'s very own CRYSTAL METHOD are currently streaming their new track "Sign Language" on MySpace. At an unbearable six minutes and fifteen seconds, it's the type of silly, self-indulgent So. Cal. big-beat track that makes you so very glad that even if groups like this must still exist in some form, record execs and consumers have at last realized what this type of music is best used for: video games.

But TCM's new shit aint all that bad, it just seems so very out of touch. I guess I'll let you be the judge of that.

"Sign Language" features Interscope newbies LMFAO, who make some kind-of-likeable urban electro pop, and the new track will appear on TCM's new album Divided By Night, which is due out May 12th via Tiny e Records. Also, if you must, Beatport has an exclusive digital release of "Black Rainbows" featuring Stefanie King Warfield, which you can SNAG HERE.

Here's some TCM Tour Dates:

5/6    Boston, MA   - House of Blues

5/7    Montreal, QC - Metropolis

5/8    Toronto, ON - Guvernment              

5/9    New York, NY - Webster Hall

5/10  Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of Living Arts

5/11  Cleveland, OH  -  House of Blues

5/12  Baltimore, MD - Ram’s Head

5/14  Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Revolution

5/15  Orlando, FL  -  House of Blues

5/16  Atlanta, GA  - Tabernacle

5/17  New Orleans, LA - House of Blues

5/18  Houston, TX  - House of Blues         

5/19  Austin, TX - La Zona Rosa

5/20  Dallas, TX  -  House of Blues

5/22  Las Vegas, NV - House of Blues

5/23  Tempe, AZ  -  Marquee

5/24  Tucson, AZ -  Rialto Theatre

5/25  San Diego, CA - House of Blues

5/29  Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom

5/30  Seattle, WA -  WaMu Theatre (USC Anniv. Party)

6/1    Vancouver, BC  -  Commodore

6/3   Calgary, AB - Whiskey Nightclub

6/6   Milwaukee, WI - Eagles Club

6/7    Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue

6/8   Chicago, IL - House of Blues

6/9    St. Louis, MO - The Pageant

6/10  Kansas City, MO - Beaumont Club

6/12  Aspen, CO - Belly Up

6/13  Denver, CO - TBA

6/14  Salt Lake City, UT - Murray Theater

6/16  Sacramento, CA - Empire Events Center

6/17  San Francisco, CA - Grand Ballroom 

www.thecrystalmethod.com

www.myspace.com/thecrystalmethod

Junior Boys - Begone Dull Care

Junior Boys
Begone Dull Care
Domino, 2009
Grade: B-
by Kenny S. McGuane

Sigh.

It just seemed so damn unlikely that the Canadian synth duo known as Junior Boys would be able to follow up 2006’s genius and critically acclaimed sophomore album So This Is Goodbye with anything remotely close to its subtleties and visionary electro-funk perfection. This is a shitty way to begin a review of a new album, I know. I just want to get it out there that I in no way whatsoever expected the Junior Boys’ follow up to So This Is Goodbye to be anywhere near as good.

Which is why Begone Dull Care is a perfectly satisfying album; I had low expectations from the get go. It’s everything I knew it would be. READ THE FULL REVIEW HERE

Written for THE DAILY VAULT

www.juniorboys.net

Begone Dull Care - Junior Boys

Pet Shop Boys - Yes

Pet Shop Boys
Yes
Parlophone, 2009
Grade: B+
by Kenny S. McGuane

There’s a great synth-pop legend that says upon first hearing New Order’s seminal single “Blue Monday,” Neil Tennant actually wept because he felt like New Order had beat the Pet Shop Boys to the artistic punch. In other words, “Blue Monday” was musically and aesthetically everything that Tennant, along with Chris Lowe, had hoped to achieve with the Pet Shop Boys. The jury’s still out on whether or not the story is true; it’s hard to get a straight answer from Tennant. If it is true, it hardly matters now. The Pet Shop Boys are still together and despite two slight missteps in their catalog (1999’s Nightlife and 2002’s Release), they have remained a vital and continuously relevant pop act, whereas New Order were simply unable to keep things together. READ THE FULL REVIEW HERE

Written for THE DAILY VAULT

www.petshopboys.co.uk

"Love etc."

Love etc. - Pet Shop Boys

FRITZ HELDER & THE PHANTOMS Smash Up Fashion Week In Toronto

I know what you're thinking: Who the fuck are Fritz Helder & The Phantoms? Truth is, I don't have any idea. Upon receipt of a bizarre little press release, which had some gayed-out freaky photos attached, I found I was intrigued. A few listens on Myspace later, I was no longer intrigued. But still, these cute little electro-clash nobody's could turn into the "next big thing", especially 'cause they're the first to be signed to Nelly Furtado's--who's an ultra hottie--new record label NELSTAR MUSIC.

Evidently Fritz closed out Toronto's fashion week with a special performance and brought the house down. Their debut album Greatest Hits will be released in America on July 7th via Last Gang Records.

CLICK HERE to see some super snobby pictures of the event.

www.myspace.com/fritzhelderandthephantoms

Here's the official music video for the first single "Lagerfeld Lady", which pays its respects to fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld:

Fritz Helder & The Phantoms - Lagerfeld Lady from J T I on Vimeo.

BEST NEW TRACKS - Junior Boys: "Hazel"

Artist: Junior Boys
Song: "Hazel"
Album: Begone Dull Care
Label: Domino, 2009

Hazel - Junior Boys

As a hopefully delicious preview of what we can expect on the Junior Boys' third and highly anticipated new album, Begone Dull Care, "Hazel" serves up perfectly all those uppity synth-pop smarts we've come to expect from the Canadian duo. Clocking in at just over 6 minutes, "Hazel" is one of the Junior Boys' danciest tracks to date and one of the strongest singles of 2009.

Begone Dull Care is out today.

www.dominorecordco.com/artists/junior-boys

PITCHFORK Publish Their Annual Guide To Upcoming Spring Releases

Trendsetting, indie-snob, music assholes Pitchfork have published their always useful guide to spring album releases. Lot's of good stuff on the way, friends. Give it a good look and mark your calendars, and stuff, man.

CLICK HERE to grab the guide.

PATRICK WOLF To Play Intimate Acoustic Show In NYC

To prep NYC hipsters, scenesters, and all other sorts of "sters" for the release of his new album in June, London's multi-instrumentalist and avant-garde pop genius Patrick Wolf will be playing a one-off acoustic show at New York's Le Poisson Rouge (fuckin' hell, if that aint the perfect name for a venue at which Wolf is playing, then I don't know what is).

Wolf plans on playing his entire new album, The Bachelor, in a stripped-down acoustic form for those lucky enough to be there. According to Wolf, this will give fans and newcomers a chance to see how it all began for him: just acoustic guitar, vocals and radical hair. What a treat.

CLICK HERE for details on the May 6th show.

The Bachelor is due out in the States on June 2nd.

www.patrickwolf.com

www.myspace.com/officialpatrickwolf

"The Magic Position" from 2007's The Magic Position

The Magic Position - Patrick W...

BEST NEW TRACKS of 2009: so far.

It's kinda been a slow start to the year for pop music, don't ya think? Eh, I suppose that depends mostly on who you ask. Animal Collective's Merriweather Post Pavilion was released early this year to universal acclaim; I suspect it will find its way into the top 5 of most year-end "best of" lists. Then again, it's only April and there's still tons to look forward to. Next week brings the new Junior Boys album, Begone Dull Care, while April 21st will bring with it the new Depeche Mode record, Sounds Of The Universe. Other albums still to come are new ones from Camera Obscura, Bob Dylan and the highly anticpated new album from France's Phoenix, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix.

Not that January through April have been totally shitty. Quite the contrary. It just hasn't been all that exciting. The playlist that follows is a short collection of some of 2009's strongest tracks, so far that is. Enjoy and please feel free to leave comments. - Kenny S. McGuane

The Best Tracks of 2009: So Fa...

TOP 10 TRACKS OF 2008 - Sorry So Late

My apologies for the delay. It's just that I've only recently discovered lala...and holy hell am I having some fun with it. Late last year Pop Music Matters and the Daily Vault published my picks for the Top 10 Albums of 2008. Now having discovered the capabilities of lala, I thought it best to publish a playlist that includes the Top 10 Tracks from the Top 10 Albums of 2008. Better late than never.

CLICK HERE for the original article. - Kenny S. McGuane

And here's the lala playlist for you to enjoy:

Selections From Pop Music Matt...

BEST NEW TRACKS - Phoenix: "1901"

Artist: Phoenix
Song: "1901"
Album: Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Label: V2, 2009

1901 - Phoenix

With its dazzling synths and crystal clean guitars, the newest track from France's Phoenix (doesn't that sound weird?)--"1901"--is an ultra satisfying preview of what one can--hopefully--expect from their new album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, due out May 26th in the US on V2 Records. The internationally acclaimed French alt-pop-rock band have revealed a totally revamped and gorgeous website which oughta make for some fun while everyone gears up for the new album in May.

"1901" is about as straight ahead as it gets for indie-rock, in fact categorizing it as such sort of does it a disservice.

It's just great fucking pop music. - Kenny S. McGuane

www.wearephoenix.com