Three for...Thursday: Mayer Hawthorne, Apse, The Sun

Mayer Hawthorne -

A white, thirty year-old soul singer and DJ from LA, Mayer Hawthorne (born Andrew Mayer Cohen) would seem to be an unlikely pick to record one of my new favorite debut albums, but the (almost) one-man band has proved himself a genuine talent with his recently released first effort, A Strange Arrangement. Cohen's croon has drawn comparisons to the like of Smokey Robinson (among others), which is no small compliment, and throughout this debut he uses his smooth tenor to nail a variety of classic pop and R&B styles, which he recorded primarily by himself. On songs like the album's title track and the lonely "I Wish it Would Rain," Cohen channels a smooth, sultry soul sound, while elsewhere he gets funkier with the falsetto-laden "Just Ain't Gonna Work Out" and the jazzy "Maybe So, Maybe No." My personal favorites are the Supremes-meets-Temptations cuts like "Your Easy Lovin' Ain't Pleasin' Nothin'" and "One Track Mind," but most everything on A Strange Arrangement is not only a fun tribute to the past, but a unique modern twist on those golden oldies that's fresh and inspired.

Maybe So, Maybe No (MP3 via Rhythm Incursions)

MySpace


Apse -

Apse is a difficult band to keep track of. Over the last few years, the group has undergone continual lineup changes and major stylistic shifts, staying almost deliberately (it would seem) under the radar. I only recently discovered the band with the release of their second major album, Climb Up, the band's most rock-oriented and accessible effort to date and one that has made quite an impression on me. Where the music used to be drowned in distortion or obscured with hazy atmospherics, its parts are now more distinct and noticeable, with understandable lyrics and more traditional song structures, though the band continues their penchant for dark, haunting instrumental textures and themes. The band's unique brand of eerie, psychedelic rock ranges from bombastic and strange ("The Age") to dark and edgy ("Blown Doors"), captivating at each turn with a mix of organic and digital elements blended seamlessly. Due to the band's chosen palette, Climb Up can at first seem dense and somewhat homogeneous, but each listen reveals more than the last, including standouts like the warm, swirling "In Gold," the appropriately-titled "The Whip," and the slightly Radiohead-esque "The Return."

Watch the gorgeous video for "3.1" at Stereogum

MySpace


The Sun -

Ohioans The Sun have recently released a new album entitled Don't Let Your Baby Have All the Fun, a fun-loving pop rock record and the band's first since their 2005 effort on Warner Bros. This time around, the band has opted for a decidedly different approach than the major label strategy - they're giving the record away. They are not, of course, the first band to put their music online for free download, but when the tunes are this good, it seems all the more impressive and notable. The new album, recorded with help from Spoon producer Mike McCarthy (whose influence is apparent), is sharp, energetic, and instantly catchy - yielding some great tunes like the shuffling mid-tempo "Special Day," the driving messy "Do the Sucker," and skittering, electronic "Alien." With not a wasted moment on the record's ten brief tracks, Don't Let Your Baby Have All the Fun definitely defies the idea that you get what you pay for. If, for some reason, you haven't already, go download the album or at least take a minute to check out the songs available below. The Sun deserve your attention not just for their generosity, but for the quality of music they create.

So Long, Sundays (MP3)

In Perfect Time (MP3)

MySpace

Review: P.O.S. - Never Better (* * * * 1/2)

Disclaimer: I don't listen to rap music. Well, not usually anyway, but occasionally a rap artist comes along with a sound, a style...something that resonates with me and captures my attention. P.O.S. is one such artist. Born Stefon Alexander, P.O.S. is a Minneapolis-based rapper with punk-rock roots and an agenda based much more on social and political issues than self-aggrandizing braggadocio. Apparently, when Alexander was a teenager, he played bass, guitar, and drums in various rock bands before settling on rap, though he never lost his love for punk intensity and the underground scene. His third album, Never Better, was released on Rhymesayers earlier this year and has quickly become a favorite of mine this year across all genres.

The album's first track, "Let it Rattle," a dense, noisy tune, serves as something of an introduction to the record before the explosion of the appropriately-titled "Drumroll (We're All Thirsty)." The song features frenetic drumming and squealing guitar under P.O.S.'s spitfire rhymes that grab hold of the listener and refuse to let go for two and a half minutes. The punk attitude and production continue throughout the record, especially on the intense "Graves (We Wrote the Book)," the abrasive "The Basics," and a rap-rock song, "Terrorish," which features vocals from hardcore singer Jason Shevchuk. It might be something of an acquired taste for many, but I was immediately hooked.

Never Better also includes more standard rap fare, which P.O.S. does equally well. "Savion Glover" has an old-school hip-hop feel and "Goodbye" features more grandiose production while still maintaining an organic base, as does "Low Light Low Life," which includes several members of the hip-hop collective Doomtree that P.O.S. founded in Minneapolis. The softer-edged tunes balance the album and keep the 55 minutes from becoming tiresome or heavy-handed, though this is not a 'light' or 'fun' album. This is music intended not simply to provide a good time, but to deliver a message, a statement. At every turn, P.O.S. stays sharp, struggling with political issues, family matters, and the ills of society in a way that offers a great deal more than just fancy wordplay (though there's plenty of that, too).

P.O.S.'s unique background combined with his talent as a rapper and musician make for a record unlike anything I've ever heard before. It's gripping, fascinating, and challenging, an album that pushes boundaries and explores new territory with exciting results.