MySpace is one of those things that people just LOVE to hate on, yet you know that once they are done bashing it, they are going to go home, log onto their account, check for friend requests, new comments, messages, and possibly change their profile song. It is just another one of those “trends” that will enjoy its fair share of attention, and then die down as it is deemed uncool. Many people have moved onto Facebook. Like MySpace, many modern bands are just a trend. They’ll have a hit song or even a hit album, but disappear in a few weeks, and only surface a few years later with a lackluster album which will be the signal of their demise. I can list bands aplenty that fit this description. Some young bands like Panic! At the Disco had potential. They released the right type of music at the right time. We readily accepted them as they appeared between Fall Out Boy albums. Girls got wet listening to their singles. I loved their dance beats, but hated their digitalized, prepubescent voices.

I also didn’t like the fact that homeless people who camp out by taco trucks, strumming their guitars, with a hat full of coins in front of them, can play better music than Panic! At The Disco can at a live performance. Their shows were weak, their music even weaker. And their momentum died down as emo, another “trend” began to fade away.

Which leads me onto today’s review. The Hush Sound’s Goodbye Blues, is set to be released on March 18, 2008. This album really combines the unlikely combo of soft piano/vocals that are Ben Folds-esque with the dance beats of Panic! At The Disco. If you only pick one totally random song to listen to off the album, you will NOT know their music. If you switch around through the album, you might not get a single soft song, and just think they are a copy of Panic!. But in reality, it is a great lineup of songs. The ordering is perfect. This album is perfect if you are not in any certain mood. If you just want some, any, music on, then you will cherish this.

Goodbye Blues jukes you around like a star quarterback on steroids. Some songs, like “As You Cry” and “That’s Okay,” really display solid/polished vocals. We’ve got a winner here. I promise you that their songs will be used in some upcoming movies.

Elephant Shell is the Canadian-pop sensation, Tokyo Police Club’s, first full length album set to be released late this April. The small group, composed of four members, have been hard at work in the studio under their new label, Saddle Creek Records, creating blessed music for your ears. And I must say, they’ve certainly done a great job.

This newest album is a lot of what you’d expect from Tokyo Police Club but you can certainly hear a huge growth of maturity from the boys. Elephant Shell definitely sounds a lot more like an actual album than just a compilation of demos. Everything is crisper, cleaner, and clearer than it was in A Lesson in Crime. Their new sound is a lot less “punk” and everything is much more relaxed. It’s not going to put you to sleep, but it’s not going to pump you up either. Elephant Shell eased off the gas pedal and decided to cruise along while A Lesson in Crime is more concerned about speeding past you; leaving you in a cloud of dust.

Dave Monks’ (lead vocals) voice is now very soothing in his own, unique and shockingly, a little feminine, way. In the first track, “Centennial”, you may be a little surprised to notice that Monks’ testicles are actually quite possibly..ascending? But not to fear, just like a thirteen year-old boy going through puberty, his voice slowly starts to enter manhood throughout the album’s tracks. Overall, the whole CD sounds a little the same but this is a positive for someone who really enjoys their stuff. All-in-all, no complaints here.

Do you like indie music? Do you enjoy writing? If so, you’re already over-qualified! Indie Read is looking for help writing reviews and we want YOU! Drop me a line at jordan.robert@gmail.com along with some details like some of your favorite bands and maybe where you’re from. I’ll get back to you from there and we’ll work things through! We look forward to writing with you ;).

Do you like rock music? I sure hope you do, because British Sea Power’s third album release will surely rejuvenate your deprived iTunes playlist. They’re an awesome foursome that deals out some gruesome indie-rock music for your sore thumb (if that makes sense). Based out of England, they share a lot of similarities with oh so many bands. More than you can count on one centipede, little man.

Do You Like Rock Music? starts off a lot more pop than it does indie. They hook you in the beginning with catchier songs like “Waving Flags” and “No Lucifer” that’ll keep you speeding 85 in a 55 mile-per-hour zone without even noticing. After awhile, the energy tends to die and you get a flat tire in your fantasy Ferrari. Like in “The Great Skua”, the tempo slows down, the melody kicks up, and they bring on a similar sound of Broken Social Scene. Being strictly instrumental, this song sounds more like an outro away from their Arcade Fire-esque sound and an intro into their easier-going, Coldplay-sounding portion of the album.

British Sea Power is known to have very entertaining and eccentric shows. Lots of stage divin’, set climbin’, and bear beatin’ fun for everyone. They’re definitely something that shouldn’t be missed if they’re making an appearance in your area. Whether you like things soft or you like things rough, you will be pleased with Do You Like Rock Music?.

The Gutter Twins is a 4+ year old project by Greg Dulli and Mark Lanegan. They began recording the album in late 2003 and it took until now to finish. Being that both men have a great musical background, this album has quite a bit of hype built up for me. Before I began listening to Saturnalia, I did some reading up of their histories and some early reviews of this album.

This album is grungy, VERY dark, and deep. Usually, I can enjoy any type of rock, but they sound like a typical Seattle area grunge band. Most of their songs have good parts (usually in the beginning), and then they just leave you with a sense of dreary disappointment. Songs like “Seven Stories Underground” and “Who Will Lead Us” are just pure album filler. Annoyingly, many of these songs have the same beat and rhythm. The vocals are deep and hardly display any sort of melody.

I enjoyed “The Body”, “Idle Hands”, and bits of others, but having listened to it before bed last night, and on the way to work, I found that getting through the entire album was difficult. I was always skipping songs as they just began to fade into distant noise. It was like pushing a piano up a hill…it felt like a task just to listen to everything. Therefore, I cannot recommend Saturnalia to anyone; even pure enthusiasts of lazy grunge music.

Most of their songs are posted to their MySpace page, where you can get a taste of music that will suck the energy out of you. The type of person who chooses this as their profile song is in depression, and probably has a black background with pictures of dark landscapes…it isn’t emo by any means, just devoid.