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| Soundgarden unleashes King Animal |
It's safe to say November brought us plenty to be thankful for. Along with all the turkey & mashed potatoes came a feast of great music. This month followed the yearly trend of alternative rock superstars making a triumphant return into the mainstream. As the music world continues to change, it is nice to hear familiar voices from the past hungry to begin their next chapter.
Back with a bang, Seattle grunge-rockers Soundgarden have surged back to the forefront of alternative radio with their first release in 16 years King Animal. According to band leader Chris Cornell, "The album is a story. It has a lot of twists and turns." One of those stories is the heavy-hitting "Non-State Actor" which displays the band's trademark ferocious guitar and Cornell's unmistakable vocals, reminiscent of something out of the 90's. Check them out as their album-supporting tour kicks off in January with a trip up the east coast.
Deftones frontman Chino Moreno states he was trying to create an album in the same vein as their epic 2000 release White Pony. On the band's newest offering, Koy No Yokan, they get close but not quite all the way. The Sacramento alternative-metal outfit gave us "Tempest" as a formidable single, which features plenty of tension and release, not to mention a handful of Moreno's screams. Their tour makes a trek through the UK in February.
Changing up the pace a bit, Canadian electronic band Crystal Castles dropped their newest record III on November 12th. Their sound has been described as a mix of icy synth-pop and white hot noise. This would be a fairly accurate description for "Affection" which features frontwoman Alice Glass's soft vocals over a glitchy backdrop.
As we prepare for the snow and the holiday season, this month's Playlist provides a quality mix of tracks to help reminisce on the past, and to look forward to what's in store around the bend. November served up a shmorgus board of fat mp3s, which left us with no room for dessert.
November 2012 Playlist
1. Toro Y Moi - So Many Details ft. Hodgy Beats
2. Atoms For Peace - What The Eyeballs Did
3. Soundgarden - Non-State Actor
4. Coheed and Cambria - The Afterman
5. Two Door Cinema Club - Sun
6. Deftones - Tempest
7. Local Natives - Breakers
8. Royal Canoe - Hold On To The Metal
9. Little Comets - Bayonne
10. California Wives - Purple
11. Blackbird Blackbird - All
12. Crystal Castles - Affection
Check in every month for the latest in alternative/indie music.
Stay tuned for "Orbit Sound: Best Albums of 2012" coming soon.
For more, follow Steve Ferris on Twitter: @s_ferris
