3OH!3 / Streets Of Gold / Photo Finish Records
Colorado act 3OH!3 are identical to that flamboyant, New Era-cap wearing boyfriend of a girl that catches your attention. Since you can’t wrap your head around their relationship, you quietly point out his douchebag qualities and convince yourself the girl with the twinkle in her eye would be better of with you. One could try to dissect the electro pop cocktail that is Streets Of Gold but the results are simple: Sean Foreman and Nathaniel Motte should be condemned for their ability to exploit the tastes of the female gender.
Its not fair. They hit their every weak spot with sexual innuendos coated in hip-drugging choruses (“My First Kiss”, “Touchin On My”) and mushy love poems (“I’m Not The One”, “R.I.P.”). But beneath the neon exterior is a growth spurt in talent accented by Foreman’s emerging croon and the duo’s uncanny gift to help conceive an intoxicating anthem like “House Party”.
Download: “Double Vision”, “House Party”
Maps & Atlases / Perch Patchwork / Barsuk Records
Like a skeleton model, the full-length debut from Maps & Atlases shows you how the group is connected and in this case, functions by combining contagious harmonies and rhythms to create pop that’s essentially a pandemic. The originality stems from whimsical compositions like “Israeli Caves” and mystic vocals with a sense of charm as seen on “Solid Ground” and “Living Decorations”. For a debut, its not unordinary to see Perch Patchwork attach itself to your earlobe and wage war against your senses. Will its appeal last? The answer has yet to be seen but should be avoided as its worth praising the group’s efforts in learning the fundamentals of music over a span of four EPs.
Download: “Is”, “Living Decorations”
The Roots / How I Got Over / Def Jam
Straying from the promiscuous route the rap game has dipped its feet in, The Roots dim the late-night spotlights and undress their concerns and perspectives on How I Got Over. The ninth record from the Philadelphia vets touches jazz, soul and funk in all the right places with personal testimonies that outshine today’s hip-hoppers and their mild sense of creativity. Add their ability to transform Joanna Newsom into an ailing underground Motown mogul and it’s clear: The Roots haven’t dismissed where their talent stems from.
Download: “The Day”, “Right On”
Pierce The Veil / Selfish Machines / Equal Vision Records
In a scene pistol-whipped by artists like Chiodos, its no wonder why Pierce The Veil are outcast like a seven-year-old with his hand still stuck in a jar of paste. Selfish Machines seems like the ideal step to make them appreciated but it doesn’t make them a headliner just yet. The raucous four-track opener revolved around metalcore and experimental music at its finest literally kicks you in the mouth, but the rest of the release comforts you and treats you to your favourite flavour of ice cream. Such a drastic change could be blamed on singer Vic Fuentes’ innocent wail and most of the album’s pop spine, but pour it on the fact Pierce The Veil are still discovering the raw post-hardcore creature inside.
Download: “Besitos”, “The Boy Who Could Fly”