This time of year is always so tough at Bowdoin. Ivies Weekend is officially behind us, finals are around the corner, and the weather keeps getting nicer and nicer, which is not conducive to studying in the least.
Sometimes visions of the approaching summer are my only sources of motivation. Because this is the last music column of the year (!), I figured that I would talk about some of the summer releases that I'm looking forward to.
First of all, Flying Lotus has a new album, which actually came out on Wednesday but will definitely sound just as good this summer.
The album, "Cosmogramma", is FlyLo's third and it has been garnering some rave reviews. Electronic instrumentalist Flying Lotus is known for his signature spaced-out sound and "Cosmogramma" continues that tradition, but with a more coherent and powerful delivery. On the standout track, "Do the Astral Plane," for example, FlyLo samples some soulful vocals and turns them into a dubstep groove. Thom Yorke makes an appearance on "...And the World Laughs With You," which is a perfect Radiohead imitation.
Another big release coming in the next couple of weeks is "High Violet," the fifth proper from New York's the National. I have high expectations for High Violet solely because the band's last album, Boxer, was one of the best releases of 2007.
Matt Berninger's baritone vocals turn every song into some kind of tragic anthem and, judging from "Bloodbuzz Ohio," one of the tracks off of the new album, "High Violet" will be in the same vein.
But while the National and Flying Lotus don't immediately conjure images of summer (both releases possess that dark, gritty quality that one would associate with winter), the new release from Woods might be better suited for the warm months. I was introduced to Woods' folky sound with last year's "Songs of Shame." Their acoustic guitars and airy vocals go perfect with the warmer months (see "The Dark").
The release that I'm most excited about, however, is the new album from Menomena. It's been three years since this Portland band came out with something new and rumors of the band's next album have been circulating since last year. Hopefully, "Mines" will continue the band's uncanny ability to craft complex, layered songs.
Some other great artists will release music this summer, including LCD Soundsystem and Deleorean. So while you're studying in the library or frantically writing your final papers, think of all this good music coming your way for inspiration.