(Somewhat Overlooked) Great Stuff From 2007

Strategy: Future Rock
I honestly don't remember how I first heard about Future Rock, released in May by Paul Dickow's project Strategy. But that doesn't matter. I pulled up Future Rock on Rhapsody, skipped to the song "Stops Spinning" and was instantly hooked by the mellow, relaxed beauty of the track. The rest of the album is in a similar vein: extended, organic semi-instrumentals that slowly build on rhythm and atmospheric overdubs. The casual listener might pass this off as sleepy chillout lounge music, but there is too much subtle complexity for that label to apply. Drop it in, lay back, and enjoy. Just don't get too distracted by that questionable cover art.

Kevin Drew: Spirit If...
I am a Broken Social Scene junky. DJ KRC gets the credit for recommending You Forgot It In People to me back in the day, and I haven't looked back since. A ferocious live show, a wonderful, sometimes wistful aesthetic, humor, sex, neuroses, beauty...how can you go wrong? And it's all anchored by hardworking Kevin Drew. This album is the first in the "Broken Social Scene Presents" series (bassist Brendan Canning's release is next) but, with pretty much everyone from BSS proper making an appearance, the result is not markedly different from an album recorded by the whole band. That special BSS aesthetic is here, Drew's lyrics pay the usual dividends ("You are too beautiful to fuck") and the production just works. Highly recommended.

No Age: Weirdo Rippers
God bless compilations. Weirdo Rippers collects all of the singles released by No Age on various labels over the past few years. The result is an 11-track digest of short, direct, stripped, infectious noise pop that is easy to listen to five times in a row. Composed of LA's own Dean Spunt and Randy Randall, the band has an explosive array of sonic tricks. Listen to "Neck Escaper" here and see a video for "Boy Void" here. Catch them opening for Liars at the El Rey and across the country in the next few months.

Shout Out Louds: Our Ill Wills
I'm pretty sure The Lady Doc (a dedicated Swedeophile) introduced me to this one, and I'm glad she did. This sophomore effort from Stockholm's Shout Out Louds is a lush, pleasing poppy collection of hits. The band's songs have been featured on "The O.C.", "One Tree Hill" and in Seventeen magazine. But make no mistake: the songcraft is solid and true, and that uncanny Robert Smith influence certainly doesn't hurt. The band is heading out in January for a tour of Germany, Austria, Switerzland and Luxembourg. If you can't make that, stream the whole album now from the Merge Records homepage.

Caribou: Andorra
I first wrote about Andorra back in July. I praised the album for its vocal-driven dreampop blended with organic electronica. Has my opinion changed? No. Dan Snaith's homegrown cinematic pop melodies are still fresh and rewarding. So definitely check this out if you haven't yet. Snaith and Co. have just started an insane tour that lasts through May and takes them, well, everywhere (like they were Guns and Roses or something). That's pretty good for a musical career that got started by borrowing a neglected sampler from Snaith's high school music department. Dial up a stream of Andorra on the Merge homepage.

Les Savy Fav: Let's Stay Friends
I've got to admit: I've only really heard Les Savy Fav's Go Forth and Inches, so I am no expert on their entire body of work. But that's irrelevant to the enjoyment one can experience from the tight rockers on Let's Stay Friends. I think Prefix Magazine got closest to the mark: "Most notably is how these songs manage to seem loose, fun and deliberate all at once." Melodic guitar lines, Tim Harrington's confident barrage, and tons of fun meld to make a solid collection of tracks. So check out some tunes on their label's site here.

Shocking Pinks: Shocking Pinks
DFA Records released this ablum by serial dater and ex-heroin addict Nick Harte, who is from New Zealand. Like Weirdo Rippers, this is not a "proper" album but is instead a combination of Harte's two previous releases, Mathematical Warfare and Infinity Land. The final package is seventeen tracks with influences from all over the map. Some of the tracks have a hazy, heartbreakingly lo-fi aesthetic, while others are a little more frantic, agitated and driving. The rest fall somewhere in-between. But no matter the influence, there is definitely an innocent longing and fragility to it all. Hopefully Harte stays clean for many more releases to come.

Datarock: Datarock Datarock
Hailing from Norway, Datarock released this album in 2005 to everywhere but North America, and finally gave it a U.S. release in '07. This record is good, clean fun with elements of electro pop, dance punk, lounge and straight-up indie rock. "Computer Camp Love" and "Fa-Fa-Fa" are the obvious standouts, but great jams can be found left and right. So bust out the pocket protector and protractor, hit play, and shake that nerdy ass of yours.

Blonde Redhead: 23
If you're a faithful SSM reader, you'll know that I'm a fan of Blonde Redhead and have written about them several times. I've caught the trio live a few times recently and they have always delivered powerful, pristine and elegant performances. For 23, their seventh LP, the band sought "simplicity and clarity" and approached the songwriting process in a more spontaneous manner. The results speak for themselves. Shimmering guitars, precise and intricate drumming, beautiful vocal melodies...it all adds up to a fantastic piece of urgent, focused work. Listen to the title track here.