Album Picks:

Wavves - Afraid Of Heights

CD $13.98

LP $22.98

Wavves’ latest album album mostly ditches the “King of the Beach” surf-punk notions of previous releases for a big, warm, alt-rock embrace that does wonders to highlight the quality of Nathan Williams’ songwriting. “Sail to the Sun” starts out with sparkling synths and moves into a thumping, surging rocker. “Demon to Lean On” is built for rock radio, with a catchy, two-note riff leading into its soaring chorus. It’s reminiscent of mid-’90s radio gems from the likes of Weezer and their brethren, but it’s also smartly built, with watery guitars and castanets seeping beneath the surface of its Pixies-inspired, quiet-to-loud dynamics and Nathan Williams’ paranoid lyrics. After starting out boldly, the album takes dark turns that should please fans of Wavves previous work, including the lo-fi attack of “Mystic,” which buries Williams under stacks of distorted sound before engaging with a singular synth riff. But he always brings it back to some of his hookiest songs yet, like the soaring title track, which makes use of backup vocals by Jenny Lewis and delivers another instantly recognizable, could-be radio hit from 1996. If only all pop-punk, surf-alt or what have you was this catchy, smartly written and unafraid of hooks! Afraid of Heights succeeds as Williams’ clearest bid yet for crossover success, yet it doesn’t sacrifice his essential slackery appeal. File it next to your Dookie, Blue Album and Doolittle records and embrace the fuzzy pop of Afraid of Heights.

Amoeba now has the preorders available for new albums by Depeche Mode and The Knife.

Delta Machine is the 13th album by English new-wave pioneers Depeche Mode. Preorder it on CD, Deluxe CD or LP. The album will be released March 26 in the U.S. by Columbia Records. The album’s first single is the slow-burning “Heaven”; see the video below. The band will tour extensively behind the album starting in May. See a “What’s In My Bag?” for DM frontman Dave Gahan’s other project, Soulsavers, below.

I have been thinking about the early '90s a lot lately. I graduated from high school in 1992, and that was 20 years ago! So I have been all sorts of nostalgic this last year about my formative music years. I was born in the '70s. But I really grew up in the new wave '80s. 1984 - 1986 were really the years that I first remember getting obsessed with music. These are the early years of MTV and the years I fell in love with new wave and all things British. The B-52's and Berlin were probably the only bands that I loved that actually came from the United States. Most of my favorite bands and albums throughout the '80s and '90s came from England.
 

My favorite bands in 1984 are pretty much my favorite bands today. I can't imagine my life without New Order, Depeche Mode, The Cure, Siouxsie & The Banshees, The Smiths, Human League, Pet Shop Boys, Ultravox, Talk Talk & Bauhaus. These bands have been a huge part of my life. My British obsession would only get bigger over the years. I got deep into shoegaze and dream pop in the early '90s. Which then led me into Britpop and British dance music in the mid '90s.

I have been obsessively making lists and CD compilations of each year of the '80s and '90s. I have made a playlist for each year and a list of my 10 favorite albums from each year. I will slowly be sharing these with you over the next couple of months. I am going to start with the early '90s since these are the years that have been on my mind the most lately.

Soulsavers' Dave Gahan and Rich Machin

Soulsavers are an English production duo who make dark, Cinerama-sized orchestral pop upon which singers such as Mark Lanegan have leant vocal and lyric duty, creating a sort of makeshift band for a made-up modern film noir. Their latest release, The Light the Dead See, features Dave Gahan of Depeche Mode fame, leading to their highest-profile release yet. On songs like the slowly growing epic of “The Longest Day” and gospel-tinged “Take Me Back Home,” Gahan’s deep drawl and lyrics, which filter love and eroticism through a religious lens (or vice versa), find a perfect fit in Rich Machin and Ian Glover’s deft hands. I spoke with Machin a bit over email as he and Gahan filmed a “What’s in My Bag?” section for Amoeba Hollywood, as you can now stream to your heart’s delight below.
 

Amoeba Hollywood was buzzing with some recent "What's In My Bag?" guests.

First, we had Serj Tankian, solo artist and frontman for System of a Down. He was particuarly interested in film music, including composers Ennio Morricone and John Williams. His choices were mostly from the jazz room, although he did select a Sigur Ros album and Mondo Cane by his friend Mike Patton. Serj actually came in that day inquiring about the experimental section which is now located in the jazz room, so technically Mondo Cane is also a jazz room pick. As for the rest of his picks and what he said about each one, you'll have to wait for the video!

Serj just announced a North American tour in support of his new solo album, Harakiri. You can see him live in Los Angeles September 28 at Club Nokia.
 

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