By Michael Swanger scenescribe@mchsi.com
My Chemical Romance
“Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys”
Reprise Records
“Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys” is the
first studio album in four years for this New Jersey-based, punk-pop outfit
and clearly is designed to appeal to mainstream listeners with its lighter,
futuristic pop sound compared to the band’s earlier, darker rock recordings. “Na
Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na),” the first single from the album,
might be the anthem of “Danger Days” with its bouncing beat, simple
melody and ready-made, sing-along-chorus, despite its explicit lyrics. But
artistically-speaking, the straight-forward rocker “Party Poison,” the
classic-rock inspired “S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W” and the drum-driven “Destroya” reach
higher ground. CV
(My Chemical Romance plays Sunday, April 10 at 7 p.m. at the Val Air Ballroom.
$30.)
The River Monks
“Jovials”
Sleep on the Floor
Admittedly, I’ve been captivated by Des Moines-based Sleep on the Floor’s impressive catalog thus far, giving every indie-rock album it has sent my way in the last couple of years good reviews for good reasons. Owner Austin Semerad has a knack for recording quality records by talented local bands, and The River Monks’ “Jovial” is no exception thanks in large part to its highly textural, spacious, indie-rock-folk sound that defies the stigma of home recordings. On “Jovials,” singer-songwriter-guitarist Ryan Stier, Joel Gettys, Ryan Frampton and newcomer Drew Rauch (with help from other local musicians) deliver 14 creative, contemplative tracks (“Pelica,” “Of Snow,” “Winter’s Backdrop” and “Yellow Blue & Green”) that demonstrate unconventional song structures and musical knowledge to good effect on this intimate, intelligent offering from Sleep on the Floor. CV
(For more information about The River Monks, visit http://sleeponthefloor.com.)
