Since becoming the new Music Directors, Matt and Caitlyn felt it necessary to shower you all with gifts! Unfortunately, it is not flowers and chocolate, but it is four great reviews of albums that you should check out by Codeine Velvet Club, The Boxer Rebellion, MGMT, and The Apples in Stereo. Click on to read!

Codeine Velvet Club
“Codeine Velvet Club”
4.5 out of 5

There are only a few words that can describe this album: amazing, almost flawless and near-perfect are among them.

Jon Lawler (of The Fratellis) and Lou Hickey are the Codeine Velvet Club. The two decided to create a homage to the duets of the ’50s and ’60s. They successfully created an album that melds the styles of modern rock, jazz and swing. The album invokes the smooth feeling of a 1920s speakeasy or a club singer from the 1950s. It is a refreshing break from the types of music that are overdone today. Lou Hickey may have the best voice on any indie record and could probably compete with some of the best singers out there today.

Codeine Velvet Club has taken a genre of music and made it their own. There is no question that this is one of the best albums of the year so far, and it bodes well for the months to come. This is something that should be in any music lover’s library.

Key Tracks: “Vanity Kills” and “The Black Roses”
-Matt Jannetti

The Boxer Rebellion
“Union”
3 out of 5

What do you get when you combine an American, Australian, and two Brits? You get The Boxer Rebellion, of course! Composed of singer Nathan Nicholson, guitarist Todd Howe, bassist Adam Harrison and drummer Piers Hewitt, they all crossed paths in 2001 in London. Since then, they have had their fair share of ups and downs. After releasing their first EP, they were ready to take the world by storm, opening for bands like The Killers and The Raveonettes. However, Nicholson’s appendix burst, resulting in a cease in touring and the collapse of their record label two weeks after releasing their full-length debut, resulting in a cease of, well, records.

Suffice it to say, their second album was a long time coming. All of the band members pulled together, raised the necessary funds and self-released “Union.” This time around, their dedication, hard work and sincerity are palpable in each song. The 12 songs form one incredibly cohesive album that can be pleasantly played straight through. Fans of Silversun Pickups, Muse or Radiohead will definitely want to check out The Boxer Rebellion.

Key Tracks: “Spitting Fire” and “Evacuate”
-Caitlyn Preciado

MGMT
“Congratulations”
3 out of 5

MGMT’s second album has garnered a lot of controversy.

Many people felt that the single, “Flash Delirium,” was not very good. One thing about this album is that there is no clear single. Every track on this album is listenable, even though there is no song that stands out.

Do not buy this album hoping for a song like “Electric Feel.” This provides fans with an entire album to listen to instead of one song that most people know, like “Kids” was to debut “Oracular Spectacular.”

Though devoid of a single, “Congratulations” is a good album. It provides everything that one would expect from MGMT, except for the poppy and catchy songs. The synth work is great and the songs are extremely cohesive. Even the 12-minute-long “Siberian Breaks” can keep listeners entertained.

MGMT has decided to produce an album that they wanted to produce instead of capitalizing on the wild success that “Oracular Spectacular” was. Overall, this album is good, and that’s it.

Key Tracks: “Brian Eno” and “Flash Delirium”
-Matt Jannetti

The Apples in Stereo
“Travellers in Space and Time”
2.5 out of 5

Back in 1995, six-piece band The Apples in Stereo, hailing from Denver, hit the indie music scene with their debut album, “Fun Trick Noisemaker.” Fast-forward 15 years, and The Apples in Stereo are still cranking out albums, their most recent “Travellers in Space and Time” being their seventh studio release.

Anyone would be wary of listening to a record in which the lead singer’s goal was to make an album for kids of the future, but that’s exactly what Robert Schneider aimed to do.

The result? Sixteen songs that are unashamedly poppy with a hint of psychedelia and bordering on cheesy. Songs like “I Told You Once” and “Dance Floor” are enjoyable and can serve as anyone’s guilty pleasures, but most of the second half of the album can be skipped over and no one would miss it.

Imagine a rockier version of MIKA, with computerized noises and beats, and you’ll get The Apples in Stereo. The verdict is still out on whether kids of the present, never mind kids of the future, will enjoy their latest release.

Key Tracks: “I Told You Once” and “Dance Floor”
-Caitlyn Preciado