Week of 2.2.15

Album spotlight: Cloakroom – Further Out

These three Indiana factory workers play music that is the perfect blend of heavy and melodic. Self-described as “the best stoner emo band on the internet,” this seemingly contradictory description is spot on. Cloakroom mixes the slow heaviness of stoner/doom metal with the shoegaze drone of bands like Slowdive, My Bloody Valentine and Whirr. Singer and guitarist Doyle Martin’s forlorn croon drifts sweetly over the top of it all, sharing lyrics of being let down by people and places he knows well, with an air of cynicism. The rhythm section of bass player Bobby Markos and drummer Brian Busch is often heavy and always tight, pounding away at the simplest rhythms with finesse and precision, milking the tension-and-release dynamic for all it’s worth.  

 “A migratory bird oversea with no point or destination / Sick on self-discovery,” Martin sings in “Outta Spite.” This is music to bob your head to while you contemplate your purpose in life, the meaning of your degree, why people change, who you are as a person, etc. Though Cloakroom may not provide the answers to these questions, there’s comfort in knowing they understand the struggles of disappointment and uncertainty.

Recommended if you like: Run For Cover Records, 90’s emo, stoner metal, or playing air drums.

WXOU’s top ten albums for 2.2.15

1. SLEATER-KINNEY, No Cities To Love    

2. CLOAKROOM, Further Out  

3. AQUADOLLS, Stoked On You     

4. BULLY, Bully [EP]

5. TY SEGALL, Mr. Face [EP]     

6. ARIEL PINK, Pom Pom    

7. PANDA BEAR, Panda Bear Meets The Grim Reaper 

8. DR. DOG, Live At A Flamingo Hotel    

9. D’ANGELO AND THE VANGUARD,  Black Messiah

10. FUTURE OF WHAT, Pro Dreams 

The WXOU Music Department submits a weekly list of its 30 top albums to the College Music Journal that are currently being played at the station.

Tune into 88.3 FM WXOU Radio to hear these hits all week or visit wxou.org for more.