The Airborne Toxic Event – ?

http://www.myspace.com/theairbornetoxicevent

Track to start with: Sometime Around Midnight

If there’s one song you listen to all month, make it The Airborne Toxic Event’s Sometime Around Midnight. It’s been on repeat on my Winamp ever since I bought it off Amazon the other week. Sometime Around Midnight starts off with a symphonic string melody that fades into a soft guitar introduction. As the vocals and percussion come in, the song gradually builds a crescendo of sound into an intense, almost Arcade Fire – Intervention-like swell into head bobbing, belt-it-out bliss.

No, the album isn’t called “?”, the title just hasn’t been revealed yet. This Los Angeles quintet’s quickly garnered a lot of buzz recently amongst show-goers and local radio stations. Singer Mikel Jollet, has a smooth baritone voice that reminds you a fair bit of Morrissey with a splash of Win Butler intensity in there to keep you in check. Only four recorded studio songs have been released thus far and they showcase the band’s spectrum of sounds, from Franz Ferdinand-like danceability on “Does This Mean You’re Moving On?” to contemplative melodies (“Wishing Well”) to simply… epic (“Sometime Around Midnight”).

Operator Please – Yes Yes Vindictive [AU Import]

http://www.myspace.com/operatorplease

Track to start with: Just A Song About Ping Pong

Five-piece band from Australia, these kids are lots of fun. Operator Please takes the exuberance of The Go! Team and focuses it with the brattiness of The Donnas and the confidence of Shirley Manson.

The Helio Sequence – Keep Your Eyes Ahead

http://www.myspace.com/theheliosequence

Track to start with: Keep Your Eyes Ahead

Signed to Sub Pop, these Oregon natives have a fundamentally ethereal, decompressed indie-pop sound, much like a Band of Horses or a Shins. However they manage to distinguish themselves by adding electronic elements to their songs that range from the subtle (The Captive Mind) to the obvious 8-bit sound effects on “You Can Come To Me”. The end result makes for a diverse album that fans of The Postal Service or even Kevin Devine might enjoy.

The Kills – Midnight Boom

http://www.myspace.com/thekills

Song to start with: U R A Fever

Midnight Boom is The Kills’ third studio album due out in the middle of March. I’ll have to admit, I never really was a fan, but Midnight Boom has turned me into one. The Kills are a male (Hotel)/female (VV) duo from the UK and US, respectively. I know what you’re thinking, but no, this is not the couple from the Oscar winning movie, Once. Wikipedia has a cute story about how they met though if you’re into that kinda stuff.

Anyway, the music has a dirty, raw, sexy vibe to it. It’s meant to be played LOUD so you best do that. There’s just something very alluring about the dark, staccato beats that permeate many of the songs on Midnight Boom.

Nobuo Uematsu – Lost Odyssey Soundtrack [JAP Import]

Unfortunately, Nobuo Uematsu does not have a myspace page with his music streamable.

Song to start with: Lost Odyssey Theme

I’ve been fully immersed into Hironobu Sakaguchi’s latest RPG on the Xbox 360 for the latter half of February. It’s arguably the best Japanese RPG title I’ve played in the last 5 years. Lost Odyssey represents a return to form for renowned Final Fantasy music composer, Nobuo Uematsu, as much as it does for Sakaguchi. The soundtrack to this game is the best Uematsu’s done this century. The main theme is memorable and epic. I find myself humming the battle themes at random times throughout the day, something I haven’t done since Final Fantasy 7. While his work here isn’t groundbreaking or revolutionary, it serves as a firm reminder that Uematsu is the best at what he does. Think of it as Bruce Springsteen – Magic, but for RPG soundtracks.

The album art/title will take you to the Amazon product page for the CD. The Myspace link will let you listen to some songs. I’ve made it a point to put my favorite song pick so you know which track to go for if you’re in an impatient mood.

That being said, here are my favorite new records of the first month of 2008 (after the jump):

Hot Chip – Made In The Dark

http://www.myspace.com/hotchip

Track to start with: Shake A Fist

I wasn’t a huge fan of Hot Chip before, but this record is immensely fun. Electro dance/pop at it’s finest. With soothing British vocals to boot. The new record is definitely a lot more accessible and I hope it helps more people discover the group. Songs like Shake A Fist would fit along seamlessly into any club mix.

The Raveonettes – Lust Lust Lust

http://www.myspace.com/theraveonettes

Track to start with: Dead Sound

Chalk another one up to the “bands I like more with the new record” list. It’s amazing what a little more pop does for your sound.

Air Traffic – Fractured Life

http://www.myspace.com/airtraffic

Track to start with: Shooting Star

The best Britrock I’ve heard since…Coldplay? Imagine if Coldplay had more up tempo songs and some uplifting The Edge-like guitar solos and you have these guys.

Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend

http://www.myspace.com/vampireweekend

Track to start with: APunk

Someone compared these guys to an indie Simon and Garfunkel. I don’t know if i’d go that far, but there’s something infectious about these NYC kids. Maybe it’s the slight African-music influence you can hear. Nevertheless, the catchy, varied instrumentation sounds unlike any other pop music out there currently. The hype for this band is unbelievable, with MTV, Pitchfork, Letterman, and numerous other mainstream media sources covering them. Don’t let that deter you from giving the album a shot though. M79 is my favorite song on the record, too bad it isn’t on their Myspace.

Milburn – These Are The Facts [UK Import]

http://www.myspace.com/milburnmusic

Track to start with: What Will You Do (When The Money Goes)

Yes this record came out last year, but I totally missed it. It’s also a UK import. Reminds me a little of Hard-Fi meets The Smiths meets the youthful exuberance of the Arctic Monkeys. Great stuff.