things i think i think

Apologies for being delinquent – the holidays are always a busy time of year so I had to postpone this volume by about a week two weeks.  Check out what’s burning up my iTunes playlists, sitting on my bedside table (yes, books!) and even more goodness after the jump.

Music

Oracular Spectacular – MGMT | Dirty electronica with an indie feel and vocals reminiscent of disco kings like The Bee Gees or even shades of journeyman Neil Young. This duo is all over the charts right now and are getting heavy play on college radio networks across the country, so I’m a bit late to the punch on this one but this is a must-have of 2008. Unfortunately the record does suffer from the first-to-worst syndrome; that is to say that ‘Time To Pretend,’ the first track on the disc is a bouncy, melancholic anthem and by far the best the group has to offer — the rest of the album is good, it just doesn’t shine. Don’t Miss: the slinky-techno pop of ‘Electric Feel’.

In Ghost Colours – Cut Copy | If MGMT had an emo lovechild, Cut Copy would be it. Keeping with the pulsing heavily synthesized theme, Cut Copy brings everything-sonic to the table: synth flurries, pounding beats, sing-song vocals and dated manipulation effects (talk box, etc) that give it an 80s vibe. Yet it somehow manages to feel cutting edge and atmospheric. This is what The Killers wish they sounded like. Don’t Miss: the sonic adventure ‘Feel The Love’.

Parc Avenue — Plants and Animals | Like coming to an indie-rock buffett table, this group brings it. Unfortunately, like Oracular Spectacular, this record busts the doors open with the sweeping ‘Bye, Bye, Bye’ (no – not an N*SYNC cover) and then sort of fades into the distance. Nevertheless, there’s a lot on offer: from quiet crooners to the roof on fire ‘Mercy.’ If they can find more consistency, watch out. Don’t Miss: the bluesy barn-burner ‘Mercy’ — with an epic rock ending.

Words

The Road — Cormac McCarthy | Desolate, spartan, depressing and ultimately claustrophobic, there is something eerily prophetic about McCarthy’s latest novel, written in 2006 (it’s due to be released as a major motion picture with Viggo Mortensen in the upcoming year.) The world as we know it is in complete shambles, eternally blanketed in ash and gray snow following some sort of apocalyptic event. It’s brutal and brutally honest. Is this the world we’re destined for?

GOOD Magazine | Anybody who reads Adbusters should also pick up a copy of GOOD. Less anarchistic, but far more practical and accessible, GOOD is all about, well, doing good. Or finding it, anyway. Most issues concentrate on a single subject — take this month’s issue, for example — on our attempts to recover the world economy and change the way we do business. It’s a great read and the graphic design is superb and vibrant. Plus, you subscribe for next to nothing ($20) and it goes to the charity of your choice. Now that’s good.

–

That’s all for this week, I’m still recovering from my 72 hour mad-dash move in to my new apartment in Evanston. It’s a nice place for the price and certainly is more home-y than a dorm.