Cougar Microbes

1 – Mogwai – Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will

Mogwai yet again releases an amazingly ambient yet centrally driving album filled with anticpatory progressions and songs that blend sonically disparate sections as if they were just one melodic chorus.

2 – Yeasayer – End Blood

Yeasayer’s ’End Blood‘ EP made the list thanks to its incredibly different acoustical musings from previous efforts. Described by the band as “two ideas that didn’t fit on (2010 album) Odd Blood” its a radical shift for the relatively newly established band, and hopefully the sound of things to come.

3 – Tech N9ne- All 6′s and 7′s

4 – Ashtar Command – American Sunshine

Made the Cougar Microbes Top Albums of 2011 list here

5 – Das Racist – Relax

Made the Cougar Microbes Top Albums of 2011 list here

6 – Sbtrkt – SBTRKT

7 – Yelawolf- Radioactive

8 – Atlas Sound – Parallax

Made the Cougar Microbes Top Albums of 2011 list here

9 – Sean Douglas –  If We’re Dying

Sean Douglas fills a void in pop music with somewhat of a Billy Joel and Elton John have a threesome with The Fray sort of vibe.  The emotions behind the songs are clear, the musical backing to his excellent and punchy voice is melodic and radio-ready, and the album as a whole works as a thoroughly orchestrated composition.

10 – The Difference – We Are Not The Same

TRACKS:

Mogwai – Mexican Grand Prix

Yeasayer – Swallowing the Decibels

TECH N9NE feat CEZA, JL, USO, YELAWOLF, TWISTA, BUSTA, D.LOC, TWISTED INSANE – WORLDWIDE CHOPPERS

“Mark IV (ft. Joshua Radin)” – Ashtar Command

Das Racist – Rainbow in the dark

SBTRKT – Wildfire

Yelawolf – The Hardest Love Song In The World

Atlas Sound – The Shakes

“Unconditional” – Sean Douglas

Out Of Order by The Difference

 The musical superduo Ashtar Command, composed of Chris Holmes (Sir Paul McCartney‘s go to DJ) and Brian Liesegang (Founding member of Filter) first showed up on our radar with a track on the PS3 game ‘Red Dead Redemption‘. Their debut album ‘American Sunshine‘ was an unexpected and delightful revelation.

Chief Cougar Microbes collaborator Kyle hailed it as an “incredible masterpiece that should be known collectively throughout the web as the most underrated album of 2011 .

 The album is slightly conceptual, non-surprisingly themed around an “American Sunshine” indie-super-collabo-album idea.  Which basically means they have everyone from Har Mar Superstar, Rachel Yamagata and Alex Ebert, to Joshua Radin and Z. Berg doing their thing.

However it never feels that these artists were just added in ‘just because’.  There is no gimmick here, its pure music.  The tracks combine a range of haunting algorithmic synth-outs to indie progressive rockfests that leave your ears and soul wanting more.

 Hopefully Holmes and Liesegang feel that yearning and continue to release incredibly original and unique musical experiences long into the future. If 2012 isn’t the end of the world that is“.

TRACKS:

“Blister of The Spotlight (ft. Rachael Yamagata)” – Ashtar Command

“Mark IV (ft. Joshua Radin)” – Ashtar Command

 ’Michael Jackson‘, the track,  is clearly Das Racist, yet with crushing fluency at a whole new level.

pulling in a Weezyish push and grind beat a la ‘6 foot 7‘ or  ’A Milli‘, yet injecting the lyrical curiosities we’ve all grown to love.

“Michael Jackson… hakuna matata… yeah I’m fucking great at rappppping”

“i’m dj Khaled, i’m a daikon radish, see me next to sushi sexually, i’ll sex your coochie”

Quoting their own lyrics I can pretty much sum up the feeling I get when listening, “watching parenthood on ketamine at the hotel“. Nauseatingly neurotic in a good way, and still managing to switch up and rearrange a stellarly sampled beat.

you feel me? holler!

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Post by Kyle
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TRACKS:

Brooklyn based power-duo of Paul Hammer and Deidre Muro, known as Savoir Adore, certainly knows how to rock in one of the most uniquely indie styles to hit the streets yet.

Organs, electrics, and usually with almost more tambourine than drums; They weave it all together with an unimaginably catchy kitschy vibe. Incredible girl/boy vocals and a solid pop-rock back track really solidify the sound they bring to the table.

After meeting whilst attending NYU, the two discovered they shared a love of music, then on a whim decided to whip up a concept album. Their friends then pushed them to keep bringing the tunes, which is usually a good indicator you’re on the right track, lest you have sham friends.

Now they’ve built up an exceptional musical catalog and come to the forefront of NYC‘s music scene. Though they’re not quite the MGMT of Cantora Records newest acts just yet, but they’re well on their way.

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Post by the icebreaker Kyle
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TRACKS:

Savoir Adore – We Talk Like Machines

Band of Horses epic break-up symphony “No One’s Gonna Love You” has rocked a lot of iPod‘s since its release in 2007. After 3 years, one listener decided to take the track to the next level. Thankfully for humanity, that auditory scientist was Cee Lo Green of Goodie Mob & Gnarls Barkley fame.

He has insanely popified the track with his ultra-unique vocals and uplifting whilst simultaneously depressing hip-hop electronica. For this task he has undertaken, I am very pleased.

Oh yes, and the Video is beyond incredible.

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Guest post by Kyle the velociraptor.

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TRACKS:

Cee Lo Green – No One’s Gonna Love You (hype machine)