Last 7 Days is a series here on The Metronome that uses last.fm to chronicle the artists and albums that have made up the last week’s worth of listening for one of our staff members. This week, Colin Joyce — or outtasiteoutta — shares the listening habits that made up his week.
Chromatics
(102 plays)
So Chromatics released an outstanding album, Kill for Love, out of nowhere this past week, and as you can see here, I’ve been obsessively listening to it this week. I don’t want to spoil our forthcoming review, but seriously check this album out. Sure, it’s a mammoth effort, but treat it more like a film. Give it time, immerse yourself. It’s a rewarding experience, to say the least.
Felt
(88 plays)
Though Felt is still somewhat new to me, they’ve rapidly become one of my favorite bands. Much of my listening recently has centered on their 1987 album Poem of the River. While that may not be their best record, it features their characteristic work. Lawrence’s characteristic wit and spry guitar lines abound. If you’ve not heard his work, check it out. Felt’s fingerprints can be found throughout indie rock today so it’s worth giving this a look for sure.
Bear in Heaven
(47 plays)
Bear In Heaven, now three albums deep, are simply besting themselves with each record they release. Though Beast Rest Forth Mouth is and was incredible, they’ve outdone themselves with I Love You, It’s Cool. It’s more spacious, it’s more floaty, and while they’ve cut down on the danceability a bit, it’s still an incredibly strong record. The best part is, it’s streaming for free on the internet now!
Zammuto
(33 plays)
Zammuto is the debut album from Nick Zammuto of the recently disbanded sound collagists The Books. I won’t spoil too much since I’m reviewing it for this here website, but fans of The Books won’t be disappointed. It’s a move away from the sound collage style while still remaining distinctly within The Books sound. It’s a fun album to say the least.
Japandroids
(21 plays)
Yeah, so in case you missed it, there was a new Japandroids track this week. It’s phenomenal. We gave it a 10/10. This led to some celebratory spins of Japandroids tracks. I promise you’re not as excited for the new album as I am.
The Radio Dept.
(20 plays)
Another all-time favorite here. Hopefully rumors of a new album this year are true as I’m itching for new material from these masters of Swedish indie rock. Lesser Matters is the one I’ve been listening to most this week, and it might very well be their best. It’s certainly much more understated and lo-fi than Clinging To A Scheme, but it works very well with the wistful lyrics. “Bus” and “1995” are the perfect “walking during chilly overcast weather” songs, and considering I’ve seen a bit of that weather it makes sense that I’ve been listening to this album a fair amount.
White Fence
(19 plays)
White Fence is Tim Presley of Darker My Love and The Strange Boys acting on his own. His newest record, Family Perfume Vol. 1, comes out next week and it’s absolutely phenomenal. It’s 60s styled guitar pop through the lens of Guided By Voices collage rock. It’s a mess, but what a beautiful mess indeed. It’s some of the best guitar garage pop that we’re likely to hear over the course of this year.
Love and Rockets
(18 plays)
I honestly don’t know too much about Love and Rockets other than that it features members of famed Goth band Bauhaus. I rewatched High Fidelity this week and at one point Dick wears one of their t-shirts. It sparked a memory of my aunt telling me to listen to Express. So I did. It’s pretty incredible as far as 80s guitar albums go, and I’ll certainly be exploring them more.
