Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Zero”
It’s more disco than just the usual unusual, but Karen O’s guttural and surprisingly pure cries are still just as haunting and uncommonly pretty as ever. “Zero,” the single off trio Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ new album It’s Blitz!, is revealing a whole new upbeat side of the group. But fear not, loyal fans: they still haven’t lost their edge, (after all, this is the woman who once declared “I’ve got a man who makes me wanna kill” on 2003’s “Man”) not after O croons “You’re a zero/What’s your name? /No one’s gonna ask you.” Ouch. After all these years, they can still hit you where it hurts. –K.D.
Grizzly Bear – “Two Weeks”
Picking the leading single for an album as hyped as Grizzly Bear’s new release, Veckatimest, must have been quite the chore. Not only has the album endured the endless, excited chatter of the music blogosphere for the past few months, it has also already been leaked as a low-quality rip easily downloaded by the thousands of eager, indie music nuts out there. But the band could not have made a better choice than “Two Weeks” as its first released track. The song’s pumping, punctuated chords, swirling synths, ringing percussion and Chris Taylor’s smooth falsetto merge to form a tune that is unashamedly pretty, fun and quintessentially summer. And, if the lyrics are any hint, the meaning of the song is far from skin deep. –K.M.
Bat For Lashes – “Daniel”
Don’t get me wrong: the dreamy, soft soprano of Bat For Lashes, aka Natasha Khan, a Brighton, England-based singer/songwriter, is certainly impressive, given the overabundance of machine-inhanced robo-voices that plague music today. Still, sometimes the sound is a little Kumbaya for my taste. While other tracks on her recently released album Two Suns, such as the tribal-esque “Sleep Alone,” possess a certain Kate Bush sensibility that’s both sweet and enchanting, the lyrics to “Daniel” are frighteningly early-1980’s Madonna (“Like a Prayer” comes to mind, and trust me, that is not a compliment). Think: overwrought, junior high-esque declaration of love. –K.D.
Kid Cudi – “Sky Might Fall”
Given the surprisingly fatalist refrain of the song (“The sky might fall / But I’m not worried at all”), you’d think Kid Cudi is just another disillusioned Kanye clone, but he’s more than that. Though it certainly isn’t the flashiest single, “Sky Might Fall” proves that Kid Cudi is a promising talent and not simply a byproduct of Kanye West fanfare. West, the producer of the track, has proven himself an apt track mixer, but something about this single feels dull and stale. Maybe it’s the droning, over-produced backtrack that sounds like every other West song? Perhaps the next single from this promising talent will be something we can really be excited for. –K.M.
![Sophomore Mason Lee encompasses the persona of his character, Enjolras, during a rehearsal of Act One. I think [rehearsals are] going well and were very on track [with the squedule]... which is good, Student Assistant Director senior Neena Tavik, who is also playing Eponine, said. (Courtesy Sasha Rotton)](https://www.wjpitch.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/24466917-801C-45FE-A882-D818DABBDCB8.jpg)
