4Play: Black Keys, Hawthorne Heights, Stone Temple Pilots, Broken Social Scene

June 13, 2010

Black Keys - Brothers - Nonesuch
The ‘70s-influenced pair of Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney worked with pal/producer Danger Mouse on their latest album, on which they kept things close to their tried and true formula while bringing in a few guest collaborators to trick up the mix. A cover of Jerry Butler’s “Never Gonna Give You Up” sets the tone for Auerbach’s fervent vocal delivery and Carney’s decisive drumbeats; other notable tunes include “The Go Getter,” and “Unknown Brother,” with Tchad Blake’s expert mixing bringing out the dynamics.





Hawthorne Heights - Skeletons - Wind-Up
Hawthorne Heights debut set was produced by Howard Benson (Daughtry/My Chemical Romance) and introduces listeners to this alt-rock band by placing a well-honed and cohesive production sheen over their sometimes disparate range of songs. “Bring You Back” is perhaps the most typical of the rock tracks, while “Gravestones” shuffles into alt-country-rock territory, and both first single “Nervous Breakdown” and “Picket Fences” allow the band to experiment with a darker, more ‘80s rock influence.




Stone Temple Pilots - Stone Temple Pilots - Atlantic
Produced by the band themselves and mixed by longtime alt-rock cohort Chris Lord-Alge (Green Day, MCR), STP’s album return has been long awaited (and several times derailed) but now appears to be solidified at last. The new set is mostly the classic STP glam-rock/psychedelic mix that first drew fans to the band, and both those sounds and the hooks continue here with songs like the sly, middle-of-the-road ramble of “Huckleberry Crumble,” the Ziggy-Stardust feel of “First Kiss on Mars,” and edgy first pop-rock single “Between the Lines.”



Broken Social Scene - Forgiveness Rock Record - Arts and Crafts
BSS sifted through over three dozen songs that they’d written to comprise this new album, which also features guest appearances from members of Metric and Stars as well as Ohad Benchetrit and Leslie Feist. “World Sick,” the first track released as a teaser, is typical BSS, and feeds nicely into the synth-y “Chase Scene” and the harmony-laden “All to All,” with its detached vocal ending. The sounds of the Las Vegas stage make a stop via the horns on “Art House Director,” and the band heads to the Old West as the album reaches its close.