Tuesday’s Album Release: Cold War Kids, TV on the Radio, Kings of Leon

Cold War Kids probably could have gotten famous on their catchy and clever name alone. Luckily for us all, there has always been a bit more substance to this band than just their name. The indie/blues/soul/rock band from California started in 2004 .

Touring with bands like Muse and The White Stripes has, of course, helped them along the way, but they’ve been pretty driven, so it seems, on their own. With a new album out today, “Loyalty to Loyalty“, (listen to it streaming for free at Spiner.com, here) it goes without saying that a lot of people are excited. Luckily, they should be excited. Their single, “Something is Not Right With Me” has got a driving beat, passionate vocals, and a very unique instrumentation-including a blues-pounding piano.

And if the Cold War Kids release doesn’t make the hip kids happy, the TV on The Radio release likely will. Their new album, “Dear Science“, is certainly likable. Their single, “Halfway Home“, has a way of soothing the listener with an electronic drone and a driving beat. The vocals are light and airy as the song builds dissonance with its chords and it is, overall, awesome. If you’re looking to see these guys live, their album release kicks off a European/American tour this week.

And while we’re on the topic of Indie Rock, the new Kings of Leon album is generating quite the buzz. “Only by the Night” is the name of their new cd and, based on their single, it’s pretty F’ing awesome. Their singles, “Sex on Fire” and “Crawl,” are already getting stuck in heads everywhere, despite the fact the album was just released today. “Sex on Fire”, in particular, has got a rhythm you can’t help but tap your feet to and a chorus you’ll probably know by heart by the second time you hear the song.

Other releases today:

Jackson Browne: “Time the Conqueror“
Everlast: “Love, War and The Ghost of Whitey Ford“
Plain White T’s: “Big Bad World“
Thievery Corporation: “Radio Retaliation“