Q:How many times do you listen to an album before you review it? I know it must be different for each album, but you guys do so many awesome reviews, how do you listen to all that music?

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Our absolute minimum is three listens, but ideally we shoot for 5-6. You’re absolutely right— some albums just need more listens to really understand. That’s not necessarily attributable to the quality of the album overall, but some albums are just harder to crack. What we usually do is just keep listening to an album until we hit two or three listens in a row in which our opinion doesn’t change. Once we reach that kind of plateau, then we feel like we’ve settled on a conclusion. Thanks for the question!

Lost in the Trees front man Ari Picker discusses the meaning behind the bands’ latest album A Church That Fits Our Needs. VIMTV loved this album, especially Jake, who thinks this is one of those albums that is so good that it only comes around once in a decade.  If you can appreciate the meaning behind the album, the whole thing seems to bloom right in front of you.  If you haven’t listened to this album yet, GET ON BOARD!

Source: velocitiesinmusic.com

“Belispeak” is a clear highlight off Purity Ring’s monumental debut album Shrines. This colorful video speaks to the dark moods this electronic duo conjures when writing their catchy digitized soundscapes.  This album showed us at VIMTV that it is possible to write a good electronic album that acted as an album and not just a collection of shallow dance tracks.  Check out this song, if you like the vibe, this album will blow you away.

Source: velocitiesinmusic.com

Last Week’s News

Here a couple of news highlights from last week, regarding two of our favorite artist’s this year (via Pitchfork):

1. Baroness’ tour bus crashed during their European tour. Several people were injured and are being treated. Best of luck to the band as they’re attempting to finish their tour (sans European dates)! (original story)

2. Death Grips is aiming to release a new album this October, a matter of months after their newest release, The Money Store. 

After how awesome that album was, it’s safe to say that we’ll all be expecting great things from this next release. Man, what a year for hip-hop! (original story)

If you haven’t listened to either of the albums these artists have already released this year, we STRONGLY recommend them. Here are a couple highlights:

Our favorite new track from Fang Island.  ”Sisterly” comes off the new album Major which we are thoroughly enjoying.  Check this track out!

Source: velocitiesinmusic.com

Twin Shadow’s latest single “Five Seconds” off his brand new album Confess is aptly chosen; it’s probably the best track on the album.  Whereas 2010’s Forget  dominated our ears in just about every way, Confess is a huge change in direction to a rehashed 1980’s song that we, along with many of you, are just plain sick of.  This video is clearly drawing on 80’s era Michael Jackson and is a creative explanation for the track.  Give this one a listen, it’s worth your time, but save your ears for better albums.

Source: velocitiesinmusic.com

Dirty Projectors return with Swing Lo Magellan and explain some details about the album in this recent interview.  Check this out.  It gives some great background info on how the band approached creating the new record, making for some big differences when compared to previous Dirty Projectors albums.

Source: velocitiesinmusic.com

The Liars track “His and Mine Sensations” of their new album WIXIW continues the neverending comparison to Radiohead.  Does this sound like the track “Feral” to anyone else?  Criticisms over the similarities between the two bands aside, WIXIW showed VIMTV how mood and atmosphere can create a truly hypnotic listening experience while still having some memorable tracks.  

Source: velocitiesinmusic.com

Blood Red Shoes are a dynamic duo of modern rock and kick-ass.  The intense instrumentation, crafted songwriting and dueling male/female vocals with style nods to punk, shoe-gaze and metal make this a refreshing listening experience in a genre overrun with copycats.  Their single “Cold” off of their latest album In Time to Voices shoes just how addictive their unique sound can be.  If you haven’t heard of Blood Red Shoes, check out this video for “Cold” and tell us what you think!

Source: velocitiesinmusic.com

Blood Red Shoes are a dynamic duo of modern rock and kick-ass.  The intense instrumentation, crafted songwriting and dueling male/female vocals with style nods to punk, shoe-gaze and metal make this a refreshing listening experience in a genre overrun with copycats.  Their single “Cold” off of their latest album In Time to Voices shoes just how addictive their unique sound can be.  If you haven’t heard of Blood Red Shoes, check out this video for “Cold” and tell us what you think!

Source: velocitiesinmusic.com

Alt-J are busting onto the alternative music scene with their debut album An Awesome Wave.  What makes their music so special is how eclectic and original it is; plus it just makes your ears feel so damn happy!  This video for the track “Tessellate” shows that the band is operating from an intelligent perspective in creating their art. Set in a modern-day adaptation of Raphael’s The School of Athens, Alt-J show their is a method to their madness by indicating the mathematical, artistic and societal themes driving their music by connecting these forces in a single music video.  Check these guys out; we can expect good things from them in the future!

Source: velocitiesinmusic.com

This video for the song “Every Single Night” off of Fiona Apple’s newest record The Idler Wheel… perfectly displays the accomplished singer/songwriter’s talents in lyrical composition by creating vivid, eclectic imagery full of slimy creature such as snails and octopus that help to accentuate her words.  The most amazing aspect of this video is how it captures Fiona’s facial expressions when she belts out her wonderful voice.  You can see the contorted thoughts, the frustration, the emotion.  Moreover, this video gives us a glimpse into the true passion and talent of one of the best artists of our age.

Source: velocitiesinmusic.com

Geddy Lee talks about Rush’s latest monumental release titled Clockwork Angels. This is an extreme album in concept, songwriting and instrumental ability.  Five decades into their career, Rush still dominates as one of the most creative and most capable rock acts in the scene.  We at VIMTV bow to you, Geddy Lee.

Source: velocitiesinmusic.com

Check out this great interview with Bobby Womack.  Bobby talks about how his new record The Bravest Man in the Universe came to be including details around his collaboration with Damon Albarn.  

Source: velocitiesinmusic.com

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