Boots Electric
Honkey Kong
Street: 09.20
Dangerbird Records
Boots Electric = Empire of the Sun + Jet + The Bravery
Paperboy? The original Atari? Duck Hunt? All of these notions come running back once you start listening to Boots Electric. The debut solo album from Jesse “The Devil” Hughes, Honkey Kong is almost homage to the video-game era––so much that it even sounds like one. After previously releasing three albums of garage-punk metal, his alter-ego is finally being brought to light. The unique, electro-nerdy sound is something that could be featured in Napoleon Dynamite, but somehow, it still works. Guitar riffs, keyboard-heavy dance beats and dynamic growling noises make for a noteworthy listen. The single, “I Love You all the Thyme,” is an upbeat, love-mix tape jam. It sounds like it could have been, or will be, put into next week’s episode of Grey’s Anatomy, in the best possible way. “Oh Girl” and “You’ll be Sorry” are the classic, tragic, love-lost anthems that every pseudo-pop album needs. He switches the sappy, pop bit up a little with “Swallowed by the Night”––a twang, country-influenced piece––and “Boots Electric Theme,” which features lyrics like “I’m not your boyfriend, I’m just a lollipop.” The album has some vibrant variety, which is always nice to see when unveiling a solo artist. It is a solid first effort at being a pop songwriter. Overall, Honkey Kong is a fun listen, and this is the kind of guy you want at your house party. –Kylie Cox

Built Like Alaska
In Troubled Times
Future Farmer Recordings
Street: 11.08
Built Like Alaska = The Weakerthans + The Circulatory System + solo Ben Gibbard
I really don’t know what to make of this album. The lyrics are well thought out and the melodies are cute, but I feel like I’ve heard it before. The album starts out with a slow, hazy track, “The Union Song,” rolling easily into the next, “Antique Love,” which is less desolate. The rest of the album has more of a pop feel, while keeping with the fuzziness of the first song, but I keep finding myself getting bored and wanting to listen to something else. Most of the songs just kinda sound the same, which can be a good thing in some cases, but certainly not this one. Built Like Alaska sounds like a smoothie of a bunch of better bands. The whole album is really, really sleepy. I just drank an energy drink and feel like I’m ready for bed. They have some interesting layering in a few songs, but nothing that is making me say, “Wow!” Maybe you’d dig it if you’re just starting out on your indie rock journey, so it might warrant a listen, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. –Kyla G.

Buraka Som Sistema
Komba
Enchufada
Street: 11.01
Buraka Som Sistema = Major Lazer + M.I.A + Sandro Silva
Buraka Som Sistema finally return with Komba, their much-anticipated sophomore album, and inescapable bounce, stank-face-inducing and a festival in my soul is what Komba is to me. Being from Ghana, Africa myself, the influences from the mother country were abundantly obvious on the album. With tracks like “Tira O Pe” and “(We Stay) Up All Night,” Buraka Som Sistema had me praying to the gods of bass for blessing them with such drum patterns that seem to just keep my ass in the air. The name of the album, “Komba,” is an Angolan religious ritual that is very big in Africa: It’s a celebration of someone’s life after they have passed, in which you honor the deceased by indulging in their favorite foods, drinks and music, whilst also acknowledging their journey in life by telling stories of them. It’s a huge party, pretty much, which, being of Ghanian descent, I have had the pleasure of experiencing numerous times. The album holds the spirit of Komba, with its spiritually stimulating lyrics, upbeat synths and celebratory drums. My favorite track, “Hypnotized,” made my chest jerk, my booty pop and my arms do unknown gang signs; ’twas a joyous five minutes! Komba is a fucking party that just won’t stop, not even when it’s over, since like me, you’ll just have it on repeat forever. This is a MUST fucking buy! −Mama Beatz

Charnel House
Contagion
Sygil Records
Street: 09.27
Charnel House = Bone Awl + Gallhammer + Gnaw Their Tongues
Whoa. No doubt about it, this is one of the better releases I’ve heard in a long time, and from a band I’d never previously heard of, at that. Hailing from Bloomington, Illinois, Charnel House combines the best elements of primitive black metal with seriously ugly noise/drone and off-key (yet strangely hypnotic and mesmerizing) vocals and don’t apologize for being non-traditional. There are barely any drum fills on the entire record, and the guitars only sneak forward to serve as low-tuned, gut-crushing accents, which only helps to consider the entire album as a single piece as opposed to six separate songs. After several listens, it’s a bit difficult to discern where one song ends and another begins because the instrumentation and attack don’t let up, but, in Charnel House’s case, that’s actually a good thing. This is a release best enjoyed in solitude, and Charnel House is a band that is sure to further expand the already great divide between what is “tr00” and what is not. –Gavin Hoffman