DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE – I BUILT YOU A TOWER
Death Cab for Cutie finds a rocking, raw sound for their 11th album, I Built You a Tower. An exhausted and frustrated sounding Ben Gibbard distilled his songs from the aftermath of a divorce and the pressure of celebrating the 20th anniversary tour of his classics Transatlanticism and Give Up. Coming together in just three short weeks, this feels like focused, deliberate, lazer-beam feelings. From the delicate heartbreak of “Full of Stars” to the ripping hindsight of “Riptides.” I don’t wish pain on anyone, but Gibbard sure know how to make musical lemonade from his downtrodden lemons.
Stream • Anti- • Connect: @deathcabforcutie
MODEST MOUSE – AN ERASER AND A MAZE
“Oh, it’s not enough just being here or just simply being alive.” A perfectly Modest Mouse song lyric from their new track, “Impossible Somedays,” from An Eraser and a Maze. The new album reflects that thoughtful and dreamlike quality of Modest Mouse at their best. There’s a restless quality to the songs: shifting tempos, off‑kilter melodies, but it’s anchored by Isaac Brock’s knack for turning existential spirals into something oddly catchy. Catch up on the new songs before the band hits Palace Theatre, August 13th.
Stream • Glacial Pace • Connect: @modestmouse
ROXY MUSIC – FLESH AND BLOOD
By the time Flesh and Blood arrived in 1980, Roxy Music had shifted from art‑rock experimenters and built the foundations of sophisti-pop. The edges are softer here, the grooves smoother, but the atmosphere is part of that elegant, polished party. Bryan Ferry leans fully into that cool, detached persona, while the band locks into a glossy, almost nocturnal sound. It’s not as wild as their earlier records, but it’s not supposed to be, they’re creating an entirely world blending jazz, soul, lush instrumentation for your very classy dinner party in the ’80s.
Stream • Virgin • Connect: @roxymusic
XTC – LIVE AT EMERALD CITY 1981
XTC were never really a “live band” in the traditional sense (they famously stopped touring early due in part to Andy Partridge‘s on stage panic attack in 1982) which makes Live at Emerald City 1981 such an interesting snapshot. This is the band right on the edge of that transition, still sharp, still kinetic, but already hinting at the studio craftsmanship that would define their later years.
What jumps out is the energy. Songs that can feel intricate on record come across leaner and punchier here, with Partridge’s vocals cutting through in real time. It makes you understand why fans were so bummed when such a long running band decided to stick to the studio.
Stream • Ape House
