The Juan and Nancy, names to remember in '09
It’s been four years in the making. It’s going to be featuring some of the best talent around. It’s being released on DFA. It ends with one of the best singles of 2008.
The Juan Maclean returns with a bang in 2009 with The Future Will Come, slated to be released on April 14th. The buzz surrounding this album and the anticipation along with it is unmatched. His last release in 2004 entitled Less Than Human has become a cult sensation thanks to the growing popularity of DFA records.
What makes the release so exciting is the fact that it features, as previously mentioned, the 2008 single “Happy House.” The track brought a new weapon to the Juan that wasn’t really utilized in the past: vocals. Fans of past DFA material should recognize the voice, seeing as she’s worked with headliners LCD Soundsystem for years now on their albums and live shows. It’s Nancy Whang, of course.
“In my career as the Juan Maclean, my guiding principle was to start out more dance-y and instrumental, and someday bow out making flat-out, three-and-a-half-minute pop songs”
Apparently drawing most of his influence from the album from The Human League, the Juan is moving into the realm of more 80’s styled pop music instead of the Air and Daft Punk instrumentals he has been known for on his albums and DJ sets. 
The guests on the album are absolute outstanding as well. Nick Millhiser and Alex Frankel, the two halves of Holy Ghost! help out on the album, unknown whether its an actual contribution or production. Either way it’s good news. The Juan bring in !!! drummer Jerry Fuchs as well, again playing with new elements that a drummer that potentially loud and energetic can bring to the album.
I don’t want to crown this the Hercules & Love Affair of 2009 since I haven’t heard it yet, but the people involved in this project and the influences it draws upon point to success and success only. So save the date, April 14th. Track listing below:
1. “The Simple Life”
2. “The Future Will Come”
3. “One Day”
4. “A New Bot”
5. “Tonight”
6. “No Time”
7. “Accusations”
8. “The Station”
9. “Human Disaster”
10. “Happy House”
Junior Boy’s follow up to the 2006 album So This Is Goodbye, Begone Dull Care is slated to be released in the spring or summer of 2009, and listeners are finally getting a first go at it. In usual Junior Boys fashion airy synths and melodic vocals dictate the six and a half minute song. I can’t make up my mind on it yet, but it certainly isn’t a bad take.
The outpour of new music lately is unprecedented. I feel like an idiot jumping on here again and praising some blog-worthy track to the max, but here I go. (It’ll be fun this time, I promise). The Whitest Boy Alive is an interesting group, not only because its name suggests it’s a white parody-rapper or something of that sort, but because of the music as well. With only one album release out at the moment, the hugely under-rated 2007 “Dreams,” Whitest Boy plays some of the most polished and soothing songs on the market. Tracks like “Fireworks” and “Golden Cage” combine soft vocals with amazing song-writing and mix in plenty of guitar with rhythmic cymbal crashing. Maybe not so graceful sounding when I put it in words, but check the video below if you don’t believe me. Whitest Boy Alive performing “Golden Cage” live on BBC:
While more and more material from North America South America, better known as 
Whether it’s to fulfill their ego and take over the world, or maybe that they actually do have that much musical creativity. Who knows why musicians jump from group to group trying to juggle three projects at once while disappointing fans who have been waiting for that new album release from one of the three bands. Anyway, it has happened again, this time with some of the lesser known parts of indie rock’s most popular.
MIND INVERSION 