Hey DJs! It’s Tuesday, which brings with it a new crop of great additions to our rack in the studio! This week spotlights the long-awaited return of Beck, as well as some bubblegum punk from TacocaT, the industrial beats of Machinedrum, Book-Burners’ sloppy hard rock, and DC natives US Royalty!

Beck ‰ÛÒ Morning Phase (Capitol)

Get crazy melancholy with the cheez whiz

Much of the advance press for Beck‰’s first album in six years, Morning Phase, has compared the record to his 2002 masterpiece, Sea Change. Sure enough, as soon as the orchestral introduction “Cycle‰” segues into “Morning,‰” it‰’s almost impossible not to mistake its first few bars with those of Sea Change opener “The Golden Age.‰” But is that really a problem? “The Golden Age‰” is a great song, and so is “Morning,‰” so everything‰’s gonna be OK. Rest assured, Beck‰’s return to the spotlight is more than just OK – Morning Phase is an immaculately produced set of songs, all sporting warm, intimate guitars, a welcoming sense of space for piano and mandolin to flutter on though, and Beck‰’s finest vocal performances to date.

While Sea Change reflected on a devastating breakup, the lyrical content of Morning Phase is far more laid-back, showcasing an older, wiser Beck Hansen than the ironic prankster people fell in love with back in the nineties. That‰’s about all the space that needs to be devoted to the album‰’s lyrics, however, because Morning Phase‰’s undeniable strength is simply just how gorgeous it all sounds. Whether it‰’s the lightly plucked banjo of “Say Goodbye,‰” the Wilco-esque piano part that complements “Blackbird Chain,‰” or the swelling string parts on “Waking Light,‰” every note here is well placed and emotionally resonant. These songs might be played slowly, but thanks to the production and arrangements, never once are they boring. It took Beck six years after Modern Guilt to finally release this album, but Morning Phase just might be worth that long, long wait.
-Cameron Meindl
RIYL: Sea Change, Neil Young, Wilco
Recommended: 2, 4, 5, 9, 13

TacocaT- NVM (Hardly Art)

Fun time bubblegum pop-punk

Imagine the sort of Washington state band that name themselves after a palindrome involving felines and Mexican food. If there were ever a better description of TacocaT‰’s NVM, the band would probably find it too boring. With slight surf-punk vibes underlying lyrics about trustfunds paying the rent, TacocaT keeps you grooving to a beat you can‰’t quite figure out (oh wait, it‰’s a classic shout-chorus clap on drumset through the entire album.) The band knows how to poke fun of their Riot grrl influences with songs like “Crimson Wave‰” and “Hey Girl‰” slightly teasing at feminine and feminist problems. Like any west-coast band, the music stays upbeat while the vocals keep smooth and mellow. Self-described as a “fluorescent-lit-snack-aisle oasis,‰” NVM will help you power through this mid-term slush with the reminder that summer is more fun (though not always funner.)
-Barbara Martinez
RIYL: Bikini Kill, Diarrhea Planet, SLUTEVER
Recommended: 2, 3, 12

Machinedrum – Fenris District (Ninja Tune)

Warped Tour

Despite “Back Seat Ho” being the name of half the songs on this EP, you can be assured its rave-ready IDM does not take a back seat on this one. Following up the solid 2013 release Vapor City, respected electronic producer Travis Stewart starts off the new year with another batch of classy industrial beats. Whatever “back seat ho, I‰’m a back seat ho…” means, as the vocals loop through the first track and its following remix, the production behind the lyrics are trademark Machinedrum – sexy, evolving and addicting. He knows how to transition using such a wide spectrum of samples, within each song and the entire album. It’s something few in this genre can do successfully, but more importantly, as uniquely as Stewart. (That’s excluding his more chilled out work as Sepalcure). Stepping away from my Travis Stewart fangirl bias (and that it’s been on repeat the past hour), these fine tracks will have you dancing in the world of Machinedrum for days. – Molly Pfeffer
RIYL: Sepalcure, Falty DL, DJ Rashad, DJ Koze
Recommended: this and his entire discography

The Book-Burners ‰ÛÒ People‰’s Songs (Latest Flame)

A hard rock/lo-fi curtain of sound that‰’s sloppy in all the right ways

The only way to truly describe the sound of The Book-Burners is “slapped together,‰” not in the sense that it‰’s shoddily assembled, but in the sense that their influences are fairly varied and all show themselves in unique ways throughout the record. The Book Burners‰’s vocalists sound like two different ones, one a shouty/growly dude who I imagine performs in flannel and a trucker hat while clutching a bottle of booze, the other a Michael Stipe-imitator who‰’s less a sensitive poet and more of a guy who gets really dark and vindictive when he‰’s drunk. The group runs the gamut instrumentally; emulating classic lo-fi acts like Dinosaur Jr. with their soft/loud fuzz/crunch dynamic all while featuring a pretty heavy rhythm section, The Book-Burners create an interestingly unhinged sound. The album also features some quieter moments, like highlight “Complications,‰” a ballad that could‰’ve been recorded by R.E.M. 20 years ago. Overall, People‰’s Songs is a fairly entertaining collage of sound, if the definition of “collage‰” was changed to “a rickety shack drippy with wet paint with some pretty flowers in front‰” (this is a compliment).
-Michael Lovito
RIYL: Dinosaur Jr., Era Vulgaris-era Queens of the Stone Age, R.E.M.
Recommended: 1, 2, 4, 5, 9

US Royalty – Blue Sunshine (Self-Released)

Rootsy and smart modern rock.

Dynamic rock band US Royalty, from right here in Washington, D.C., has put out a reflective, rootsy sophomore album. The band expertly combines occasional reverb, soulful guitar riffs, deep basslines, and punchy percussion to make for an album that seamlessly blends modern rock and traditional styles. Vocals dripping with passion and lyrics with truth permeate the album. Amongst all this are long instrumental interludes that were clearly written with a lot of thought and imagination. US Royalty goes beyond the average rock n‰’ roll instruments and includes organs and string instruments. Overall, this album should make D.C. dwellers proud with its boundary-pushing genre and contemplative lyrics.
-Anna Walsh
RIYL: The Black Keys, Kings of Leon, Young the Giant
Recommended:1, 3, 7, 11