What I’ve Been Listening To This Month 2.0

The first three months of 2009 has seen the release and leak (drip.drip.) of tons of really great albums. Here’s what has been on heavy rotation the last two months:

Telefon Tel Aviv – Immolate Yourself  - Released in January, Immolate Yourself is Telefon Tel Aviv’s third and final album.  Final because founding member Charles Cooper died on January 27th, only 7 days after the release of the album.  Terribly heartbreaking, the band shows such great promise with this album.  It has a distinct romantic pop 80s sound, modernized using clean production.  Album opener, The Birds is near perfect, a perfect blend of bedroom electro house and the sadness of the new romantic pop movement (I hear moments of Depeche Mode’s lyrical greatness here).  This is the album that Junior Boys have been trying to make their entire career but haven’t.  It’s near perfect.

CFCF – Panesian Nights – Montreal, Quebec’s CFCF (named after CTV’s sister station in Montreal) is Canada’s answer to new disco.  Sometimes more chilled out, other times big, bouncy and dance ready Panesian Nights is pretty wicked from start to finish.  Full of lush acoustic instruments and cheerful synths, this album should be part of any dance music fans collection.  Standout tracks: The Explorers, Crystal Mines (reminiscent of Crystal Castles) Goodbye.  CFCF play Night Of The Living Disco at Wrongbar on March 27th.

TMDP – S/T:  TDMP are Toronto boys Gavin Rough and Jeffrey Addison, long time friends that started to record together as TDMP just over a year ago. They hooked up Craig Hill of YYZ Records to release their debut.  TDMP marry disco, electro and dirty French bass in a perfect way.  Their music spans multiple different genres and is pretty difficult to classify.  From start to finish, their debut is simply amazing.  Standout tracks: Fixed Wing, Montage and TMDP.