Shooting for something a little less, um, esoteric than the last two weeks, some music to sink your teeth into. Here are some great newish rock and roll albums: three great albums featuring three great bands from three different countries playing three distinct sounds.

Jaill: Traps

Sometimes all it takes is a catchy hook to get you going and Jaill’s 2nd full-length album on Sup Pop is teeming with them. This album from the Milwaukee rockers is the type of smart pop music that makes you wonder why you’ve never heard of them before (and if you have heard of them, why didn’t you tell me, and what else you been hiding?). Like an old school Milwaukee brew – nothing flashy, no gimmicks, just well-written era-bridging rock and roll music. Traps feels like the album of a band ready to break through. I’m psyched to check these guys out in NYC next week.

MOG: https://mog.com/m#album/68827791

Amazon: http://amzn.com/B0086S8BKO

Rhapsody: http://www.rhapsody.com/artist/jaill/album/traps

Plants and Animals: The End of That

Americana meets compositional excellence on the newest offering from Montreal’s Plants and Animals. The songs on this album breathe, unconstrained by the normal song conventions, yet with the subtle simplicity of folk. Great songs, played perfectly from top to bottom, this is music that was painstakingly crafted and assembled with care…and it shows. Two minute ditties intermingle with 6+ minute journeys with ease. Sometimes an album and a sound just hit your personal sweet spot, and The End of the That is right there, one of my favorite albums of the year.

MOG: https://mog.com/m#album/64423259

Amazon: http://amzn.com/B0075PYNYM

Rhapsody: http://www.rhapsody.com/artist/plants-and-animals/album/the-end-of-that

The Megaphonic Thrift: The Megaphonic Thrift

Wall of sound guitar rock, Norwegian style. Apparently this is a “supergroup” from Norway, but regardless of their background, this self-titled release is {{Norwegian for super}}. In-your-face overlapping guitars flip between rocking intensity and swirling brain candy with occasional sweet boy-girl harmonies to fill in the gaps.

MOG: https://mog.com/m#album/65251329

Amazon: http://amzn.com/B007IOP1NM

Rhapsody: http://www.rhapsody.com/artist/the-megaphonic-thrift/album/the-megaphonic-thrift

Neddy

Aaron Stein lives in the NYC area and enjoys taking full advantage of all the music the city has to offer. He has written for JamBase, Bowery Presents' House List and Hidden Track amongst others.

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