It has been a while since we have heard from Our Lady Peace and I’m not sure if that is a good thing or not. But one thing I know for sure, the new music from Memphis May Fire and Portugal. The Man is definitely a good thing.

Most Anticipated:
Memphis May Fire - “Sleepwalking”
Southern rock post-hardcore. It is the newest trend. Bands like Memphis May Fire and Maylene and the Sons of Disaster among others are starting to gain a lot of attention by combining the energy of post-hardcore with southern rock riffage.

Portugal. The Man - “The Satanic Satanist”
This release takes Portugal. The Man in a much different direction than some of their previous releases, but it again allows the band to show their creative diversity. “Censored Colors” had more of a ’70s progressive rock sound in the vein of Emerson Lake and Palmer. “The Satanic Satanist” takes them back even further, sounding more like a combination of a ’60s soul band and a psychedelic rocker.

Other Releases to Look Out For:
He Is Legend - “It Hates You”
Four Year Strong - “Explains It All”
Living With Lions - “Make Your Mark”
Set Your Goals - “This Will Be the Death of Us”

Albums I Hate to Admit Might Be Good:
Our Lady Peace - “Burn Burn”
It was a rather odd coincidence that this album came out this week. Stan, one of the authors on this site and myself were driving around in his “new” 2003 Toyota Matrix. We were discussing why cassette decks were standard in cars as late as 2003, while listening to his cassette of Our Lady Peace’s “Clumsy”. Of course since “Clumsy” they have had some significant success with albums like “Happiness… is not a Fish You Can Catch”, “Spiritual Machines” and “Gravity”. It was after “Spiritual Machines” that I lost interest in the band. This is the point Mike Turner left the band and the sound of the group changed. “Gravity”, their first without Turner was a deviation from their alternative past, and was criticized for being more of a “commercial” rock album. But despite the change in sound that continues through to their newest album, “Burn Burn”, Raine Maida continues to be a strong song-writer who makes new-era Our Lady Peace worth listening to.

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