I sort of missed the boat on Bloc Party. Last year’s single Banquet garnered quite a bit of attention, but then I read a misleading review and passed on Silent Alarm. Anyway, I finally gave Bloc Party another chance, and it’s better than I rememeber. Does it live up to last summer’s hype? Pitchfork thinks so, AllMusic gave it four stars, and I think the first half is solid, the second half, pretty mediocre. If you’re into Franz Ferdinand, give it a shot.

Now here’s something pretty different. In addition to the normal instruments, i.e. guitars and drums, the Go! Team also play the harmonica, glockenspiel, recorder, and banjo along side samples of trumpet lines while the vocals basically consist of cheerleader or double-dutch type chants. The result is something celebretory and triumphant, reminiscent of the music from a NES game or Rocky movie. And if you still need a reason to listen, the woman on lead vocals is named Ninja. Check out their performance on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic. It might even be better than the album.

A few weeks back, I tuned in to Live 105’s new and indie music show, Soundcheck, and thought I was hearing a new Yeah Yeah Yeahs track. I was getting into it, and excited about a new YYYs album. Well, I was way off. The song turned out to be “Monster Hospital” by the east coast based Metric. They have all the trademarks of a “Jer band”: (1) alternative/indie pop, (2) female on lead vocals (Emily Haines, also a member of Broken Social Scene), and (3) liberal/progressive themes (“Glass Ceiling” or “Handshakes”: Buy this car to drive to work / Drive to work to pay for this car). All that adds up to airplay in ol’ 610 Latimer and tickets to the show at the Filmore.

The Canadian Broken Social Scene has been around for a while, but I only stumbled upon them playing with the machine at Rasputin. Apparently they earned a reputation as a pop act after 2001’s Feel Good Lost, but You Forgot It In People is more indie/experimental. I’m not sure you can be considered anything but experimental when you have eleven different musicians contributing. 2005’s self-titled album (packaged with the bonus EP To Be You and Me) is quite an adventure as well.

Favorite tracks: Cause = Time (YFIIP), Handjobs for the Holidays (BSS)

Canadian indie rockers Wolf Parade have received praise from numerous sources for their debut Apologies to the Queen Mary. Pitchfork and AllMusic both cite influence by to Modest Mouse and David Bowie, the former of which I can hear pretty much throughout, the latter only vaguely on some of the later tracks. I think they’ve achieved airplay on Live105, but nothing close to the popular success as ‘Float On’ for instance. I haven’t listened particularly carefully to the lyrics, but nonetheless certain lines have stuck out (Dear Sons and Daughters of Hungry Ghosts). A good addition to the collection following selections from Arcade Fire and Broken Social Scene.

Earlier this year we wanted to see Weezer play in San Francisco. The tickets sold out in less than five minutes. So when I heard that they were coming back, with Foo Fighters no less, I was thrilled to get tickets to the show.

Rivers Cuomo is not a rock star like anyone else I can think of. He’s now a thirty something balding geek who jumps very clumsily around the stage, often with his arms outstretched. It really reaffirms my faith in humanity that he can get 20,000 people excited to see him do this. Dave Grohl is the antithesis of Rivers. He screams voraciously for 90 minutes while running back and forth across the stage and even through the crowd. This is what I think of as a rock star. Watching Grohl lead the Foo Fighters, it’s really an amazing thought that he was once in the same band as Kurt Cobain. Nirvana is often touted as one of the greatest bands ever, and after seeing Foo Fighters in person, I’ll no longer ever doubt it.

Both sets covered significant territory from the bands’ careers, but Foo Fighters focused a bit more on the latest album. Weezer really got going with ‘Say It Ain’t So.’ Having the entire crowd singing along will do that. All four group members took over lead vocals for at least one song. The highlights for the Foos were an extended version of ‘Stacked Actors’ and Grohl and drummer Taylor Hawkins switching roles on ‘Cold Day in the Sun.’

Setlists after the jump.

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Built on Squares is an interesting little CD I picked up at Rasputin on an indecisive New Music Friday. Starlight Mints were listed in the computer as a “similar artist” to the Eels, and and the album’s used price was right. Like the Eels, there are a variety of instruments, including strings, trumpet, and a strong infusion of electronic sounds. Starlight Mints is what you’d get if you took the personal component out of the Eels and replaced it with full time playfulness.

The Arcade Fire and their debut album have some unique aspects. First, I don’t know of many husband/wife teams in bands. Second, there are four songs named ‘Neighborhood’ on Funeral. Third, the liner notes are packaged as a funeral program. The Arcade Fire is why you listen to indie rock. It feels experimental. There are accordions and xylophones and weird effects on top of the normal stuff. You might have heard ‘Rebellion (Lies)’ on the radio or the chanting ‘Wake Up’ at the Byrne/Gielow wedding of 2005, which are good ones, but I think the opener ‘Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)’ is my favorite track. The key to enjoying this album is to just be patient and listen.

Here’s an album I meant to buy when it came out in 2002, but never got around to it, thus a perfect choice for New Music Friday. I didn’t even realize the Transplants were made up of Tim Armstrong of Rancid and Travis Barker of Blink 182, which is a good thing because I probably would have discarded anything associated with Blink 182. Fortunately, Armstrong and Rob Aston are running the show. Most people are probably familiar with “Diamonds and Guns” from its use in a shampoo commercial. The East Bay roots are clear on “Down in Oakland” and “Sad But True.” The Transplants cover a bit wider range than Rancid and are an excellent compliment to Armstrong’s main project.