Flashback to the ‘90s, a time of scrunchies, neon overalls and classic power pop jams. While we were fighting amongst ourselves over the greatest music icons of our time like *NSYNC vs. Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears vs. Christina Aguilera, the Brits were focused on an entirely different battle of the bands—Oasis vs. Blur.

The former was a “Wonderwall” of talent, if you will, with Noel Gallagher and his brother taking charge over a slowed-down rock-pop band. The latter, on the other hand, was a dynamic, eclectic and downright grungy group that made alt rockers “Woo-hoo!” with hits like “Song 2.” While it was pretty clear who won the battle of the bands stateside (bucket hats off to you, Britney and Backstreet), music journalists still have a hard time picking a winner from across the pond. Flash-forward to 2015, and it’s pretty clear that Blur’s newest record, Magic Whip, gives them a leg up on the decades-long competition.

Magic Whip, Blur’s first studio album in over 12 years, just goes to prove that the rockers have grown up without growing old. Sure, you have the hallmarks of a typical Blur record, what with punky-pop hooks like on “Lonesome Street” and strikingly bleak strums like on “There are Too Many of Us” (which was inspired by the 2014 Sydney hostage crisis). Even so, this is still a very different Blur record. It’s clear that frontman Damon Albarn’s past work with trip hop group Gorillaz has left an impression on Blur’s new sound, pushing Magic Whip’s soundscape intro mysterious, synth-filled waters with Bowie-esque delights like “Thought I Was a Spaceman” and “Go Out.”

Take note, post-‘90s Britpop rockers: if you’re looking for a model of both style and substance, look no further than Blur and their Magic Whip, particularly “My Terracotta Heart,” “Go Out,” “Lonesome Street” and “There are Too Many of Us.”

The post Magic Whip appeared first on Clutch MOV.

It was the spring of 2002 when I experienced my first break-up. Sure, I was young and clearly didn’t understand the power of love, but that didn’t stop me from falling head-first into a seven-year relationship. Because this love made me dance around my bedroom, sing (mind you, loud and horribly out-of-tune) in the back of my parents’ car and doodle lopsided hearts in the margins of my schoolwork. That’s why when *NSYNC disbanded in the spring of 2002, I grieved as any music fan would over the loss of a musical companion.

It’s that feeling of loss and regret (of “Bye, Bye, Bye”, if you will) that fuels All Your Favorite Bands, the fourth studio release from seminal folk rock band Dawes. As band frontman Taylor Goldsmith puts it, “I know that my favorite bands are a really deep part of who I am. They help define me, they help represent me, they trigger certain emotional memories… I would love for someone wishing me well to put it in the terms of ‘may all your favorite bands stay together.’ That would be a real friend. That person would know what truly matters.” So goes All Your Favorite Bands, a record that represents the too-sweet highs and post-breakup lows of human connection.

Since their 2009 debut, Dawes has done a fine job of creating a grassroots following, acting as openers for Bob Dylan, Jackson Browne and Mumford & Sons along the way. But with the release of All Your Favorite Bands, the Los Angeles four-piece shows that they have the stuff to be (rather than play back-up for) your next favorite band. Whether they’re invoking The Eagles’ “old school cool” on “I Can’t Think About it Now” or speaking to our well-worn hearts with the introspective “Things Happen,” Dawes consistently crafts an emotional rollercoaster fueled by love, regret and just a dash of hope.

If you’re a Dawes superfan, you might prefer their critically-acclaimed 2011 release ”Nothing is Wrong” over this record. Regardless, All Your Favorite Bands is a solid album from start to finish, and new and old audiences can surely look to “Things Happen,” “Somewhere Along the Way” and “Don’t Send Me Away” for repeat listens.

The post All Your Favorite Bands appeared first on Clutch MOV.

Public radio’s big on “driveway moments.” If you tune in during one of our pledge drives, you’ll probably hear us talk about the power of audio and how it keeps you glued to your seat, even if that means staying in your car 33 minutes after you’ve already parked. Since this phrase usually relates more to storytelling (see: This American Life and Radiolab) and less to music (see: World Café), and since I’m big on magical music moments, I think it’s time we incorporate another phrase into our audio-loving lexicon: “car rock moments.”

For those still wrapping your heads around this “car rock” notion, let me give you a personal example. The first time I heard Modest Mouse’s new single “Lampshades on Fire,” I immediately started dancing. Now, I don’t mean “dancing” as in a few shoulder shimmies and a light head bob; I mean “dancing” as in severe arm-flailing, neck-whipping, eyes-closed-to-the-music choreography – all of which happened in my car at a Charleston stoplight. It’s that kind of moment, a small stretch of time that lets you shed your self-consciousness and rock out to your heart’s desire, that’s what I would call a “car rock moment.” Lucky for us, Modest Mouse’s seventh studio release, Strangers to Ourselves, is chock full of such moments.

If you know of Modest Mouse’s singles (like 2004’s “Float On” and 2007’s “Dashboard”) but have yet to pick up one of their records, Strangers to Ourselves is a good place to start. It’s unabashed indie-dance rock that pieces together gravelly vocals, bombastic bass lines and lyrics that bounce between existential crises and tiptoeing coyotes. Sure, the band doesn’t experiment much with its tried-and-true rock formula, and the record definitely swerves at a couple points (“Pistol (A. Cunanan, Miami, FL. 1996)” is the power-pop answer to a question never asked), but Strangers to Ourselves is still a dynamic, smile-inducing treat.

If you’re looking for an excuse to let down your hair and have a one-person dance party on your ride home from work, make sure to spin “Lampshades on Fire,” “The Ground Walks, With Time in a Box,” “Sugar Boats” and “The Best Room.”

The post Modest Mouse: Strangers To Ourselves appeared first on Clutch MOV.