Broadcast and the Concretes

I think that it is fitting to mention the new Broadcast album (Tender Buttons) and the new Concretes album (LayYourBattleAxeDown) in the same post. The bands are stylistically not that similar, but they have great female vocals and a certain lo-fi quality throughout.
Tender Buttons is really cool. It's a bit of a departure for Broadcast, because the album still obviouslly has a 60s pop theme, but this time, the group has applied the style to a more modern sound. So it sounds a tad more accessible. Trish Kennan's bewitching voice melds incredibly well with the music, the arrangements of which sound almost like something that Slowdive would have made. But that isn't to say that there are not classic Broadcast elements here, either. "Black Cat" is one such song, heavily utilizing a drum machine, an electronic twist, and shoegaze moody vocals. Best album so far.

LayYourBattleAxeDown is superb as well. It's actually a collection of B-sides and the sort, but still stands well on it's own. It's a sparer sound ... closer in style to Boy, You Better Run Now, and therefore sort of like a link between that album and their last s/t record. Their cover of the Stones' "Miss You" is absolutely perfect and one of the best songs on the LP. Get both.