SOUND BITES

  For over fifteen years, Foals have straddled the line between their critically acclaimed indie rock beginnings and their world-sized mainstream ambitions; so as to say, as much as they have relished any and all opportunities to challenge themselves and push their sound into new directions, there's always been that deeply ingrained penchant for massive hooks. Because of this duality, Foals have often found themselves in the rather rare position of experiencing minor commercial breakthroughs while simultaneously experimenting with different styles and techniques. Juggling these two disparate ambitions isn't easy, but to this point they've managed to have it both ways with minimal backlash. When they first garnered mainstream attention, it was with the disco-tinged single My Number in 2013; that song was an obvious outlier on Holy Fire , an album that was far darker and more nocturnal than the bright grooves of My Number would lead you to believe. Follow-up record What Wen...

Foals' fifth album (or, rather, the first half of it) could have been a brash attempt at mainstream acceptance, a dulling of edges resulting from the unexpected success of 2015 single Mountain At My Gates and a bid at wider appeal. Credit is due because not only is their follow up a two-part album, it's a record that finds them continuing to evolve and explore rather than mining for gold. Their balance between stadium-shaking rock and dark, dance-able pop remains intact here, and is best felt in lead single Exits and (especially) current single In Degrees (with honourable mention to the percussive and hypnotic Cafe D'Athens ). They're no mere chart-seeking missiles, however, and the layers underneath these songs allow as much experimentation and off-kilter harmony as Foals wish to provide, the end results being songs that offer surface level satisfaction as well as deeper sonic roots for more attentive listening. Elsewhere, Foals don't hold back on energy an...

Surprising turns from established heavy bands. New heights for critical darlings. Up and coming artists making strong first impressions. The back half of summer saw all of this and more, as even the dog days saw some worthwhile releases that begged our attention. The fourth collection of Song of the Year nominees are:

For their fourth record overall (and second for a major label), Foals expand on the panoramic ambitions of previous release Holy Fire with a set of tunes tailor made for entertaining the larger and larger crowds they've been pulling in. You can practically see the light show that builds in intensity alongside the gnashing title track, while Snake Oil brings a rock n' roll payoff akin to Kasabian's more edgy material. Closing track A Knife in the Ocean , meanwhile, finds them at their most majestic and bombastic. The bulk of the album plays more into the group's traditional gifts of thick rhythms and bright melodies, as evidenced by current single Mountain At My Gates . That's not to say it's as infectious or poppy (read: divisive) as a track like My Number , just as there isn't anything on What Went Down that's as clearly designed as single material; Night Swimmers comes closest, but stays far enough off the beaten path to diffuse any serious p...

Sometimes, without good excuse, I'm simply too lazy to pull together proper reviews. It can be especially futile this time of year, as my thoughts turn toward summer vacation, relaxing and, thanks to the spectacle that is E3, video games. However, as difficult as it can be to muster up the headspace, there's always a little time for tunes. With that spirit in mind, allow me to introduce you to Nibbles. Instead of forcing myself to write reviews for albums that either aren't really albums (Fucked Up), didn't hold my attention (Heartless Bastards, KENmode), or aren't streaming on Google Play, my go-to source material (Third Eye Blind), Nibbles gives me the chance to talk about new releases without the need to commit to repeat listens that take time or half-assed reviews penned without giving the music a fraction of the effort that went into making them. This is also an excellent place to give props to one-offs, hot new singles and the like, the kind of stuff y...

Over the course of forty days, I've talked and talked about these songs leading up to the moment when one would be singled out to wear the crown as 2013's Song of the Year. The time for talk is over. If, by chance, you missed the write-ups on any of this year's nominees, they're all here . I've also added hyperlinks below for the ten shortlisted nominees. Other than that, let's get the show on the road! The Shortlist: Arctic Monkeys: Do I Wanna Know? Clutch: Crucial Velocity Foals: Inhaler Headstones: Far Away From Here Kings of Leon: Beautiful War Man Man: Head On Pearl Jam: Sirens Queens of the Stone Age: Kalopsia Vampire Weekend: Diane Young J. Roddy Walston & The Business: Heavy Bells AND THE WINNER OF YEAR IN ROCK 2013'S SONG OF THE YEAR AWARD IS...

FOALS Inhaler From: Holy Fire Released: February 12 They may have made inroads in North America with the energetic pop of My Number , but it was lead single Inhaler that brought Foals to my radar; interesting, melodic and groovy with a bit of a mean streak, Inhaler has a little something for everybody and weaves it all together to create perhaps a bigger sounding song than it had any business being.