New Muzik Monday (2/20/12)

So, I loved the feature that Blair did two weeks ago so much that I'm turning this into a weekly thing. Hopefully we'll get a different staff member every week to make this post, so you get the variety that we usually have in  - Give Up The Ghost. Basically, we'll do little summaries of albums that have come out in the last few months that we're really digging lately. So just read and listen.

1. Hospitality - Hospitality
Early Rating: B
Check It Out

I hate to say it, but the only reason I checked out this album was due to the fact that it was released on Merge Records. But I guess it's really just proof that pretty much everything Merge puts out is worth listening to. Hospitality's debut record is fantastic. It's all you could ask for from female led indie-pop goodness, including the sweet vocals of Amber Papini, instrumentation including a wide variety of saxophones and horns, and an endless amount of catchy hooks. Tennis, Wild Flag, and The Dum Dum Girls all come to mind when listening to Hospitality, and it should be very easy for Hospitality to soon join that group of very noticeable acts.

2. Ernest Gonzalez - Natural Traits
Early Rating: B
Check It Out

Again, listening to Natural Traits was a gut call that paid off. If you haven't seen the album's beautiful artwork, then that's probably why you haven't listened to it yet. It's an electronic album that moves past the normal realms of ambient techno, adding in live instrumentation such as subtle guitar riffs in songs like "When Synchronicity Prevails" and a drum kit in "In The End" to contrast with the beeps and (non wubly) bass pulses. "Beneath The Surface" almost feels like a post-rock track at times, showing the diversity that Gonzales' production skills can have.

3. Poliça - Give Up The Ghost
Early Rating: B
Check It Out

First things first; autotune is used thoroughly throughout Give Up The Ghost. But as with fun.'s latest record, the vocoder is used as an effect rather than a crutch. The intense vocal effects work with the eeriness of the record, as creepy electronic pulses are common throughout the record. Members of Gayngs make up the band, including singer Channy Moon-Casselle, while Gayngs leader Ryan Olson takes the part of production for the band. The band's experimental indie rock and electronic feel is definitely similar to Gayngs, but Poliça's unique vocal force helps set the band apart.