Caribou- "Odessa"

Caribou is the moniker of Canadian electronic musician/multi-instrumentalist Daniel Snaith. Although I dug a few tracks from his 2007 Polaris prize winning album Andorra, I never really quite understood all the praise that it got. But I could definitely respect it; it's undeniable that the man has a knack for composing some interesting and catchy tunes.

A few days ago, Merge Record announced the release of Caribou's new LP Swim on April 20th and debuted the album's first single, "Odessa." Upon listening to "Odessa" for the first time, I was instantly drawn to it more than any of the tracks on Andorra. The track has Snaith's ethereal vocals and smooth melodies, both familiar dynamics of Caribou's music. But its funky bass line, dissonant background noise and simple percussion give the track a certain danceable feel that was absent on Andorra. "Odessa" has got me excited for Swim, despite any gripes I might have had with Andorra. If Snaith is able to blend his unique palette of sounds with more rhythm-oriented, upbeat dynamics, Swim may be one of the most interesting releases of the year and certainly a restorer-of-faith, so to say.

Download "Odessa" by clicking the album artwork above or stream the track below.

Caribou- "Odessa" from Swim (via I Guess I'm Floating)

Liars- Sisterworld (2010)

By now, Liars probably need no introduction. After putting out two stunning LPs, 2006's Drum's Not Dead and 2007's Liars, the New York City trio have returned as strong as ever with 2010's Sisterworld. The record lies halfway between the ambitious noise/heavy percussion of Drum's Not Dead and the more straightforward punk of Liars. What comes out is kind of like the bastard child of Radiohead and Sonic Youth. "No Barrier Fun" is a haunting combination of pulsating percussion, throbbing bass and eeire violins, while "Scarecrows On A Killer Slant" could be the heaviest thing Liars have done, full of sadistic lyrics and blaring guitars. The rest of the record employs all the dynamics Liars have been perfecting over the years: the haunting lyrics and moans of Angus Andrew, the experimental guitar soundscapes of Aaron Hemphill and of course the captivating percussion of Julian Gross. Even the dance punk of the band's early albums is present. The result is a masterful mix of punk and unfettered noise that might make Sisterworld Liars' most focused and well written release to date.

Sisterworld comes out on Mute on March 9th and will feature a bonus disc of remixes by artists like TV On The Radio's Tunde Adebimpe, Atlas Sound and Thom Yorke. Click the album artwork to sample the record but be sure to pre-order it or buy it when it comes out.