The Resistance is the most recent installment from this hard-hitting, melodic alt-rock power group and they are definitely living up to their name.  The unique mix of beat-heavy rock with classical and traditional music overtones offers a sound that only Muse can produce and only Muse can pull off.  This album is a little different than its predecessors in that it lends itself more to classical music, even going so far as to dedicate the final three tracks of the album to a rock symphony labeled “Exogenesis”.  But don’t let this scare you off.  This distinctive sound is what separates Muse from other rock bands.  And “Bohemian Rhapsody” was supposed to be part of a musical.  Mull that over and tell me it’s not ok to incorporate classical sounds into rock.  Yeah, that’s what I thought.

It’s not too often you’re able to listen to an album over and over again and always find something new.  The Resistance takes you on a musical roller coaster giving you a little bit of everything so you end up in a completely different place than where you started.  And I wouldn’t want it any other way.  Check out their single “Uprising” below.  Oh, and did I mention explosions, fire and ridiculously angry teddy bears?

Are you digging Muse? Than you’ll love JET!

The Clipse feat. Keri Hilson & Pharrell – “All Eyes On Me”

Former Neptunes stud producer Pharrell Williams always does interesting stuff musically, and this song kicks a sort of up-tempo space age vibe with the always entertaining Clipse boys putting down the vocals.  It’s not particularly gangster, but we’ve got nothing against some solid hip-pop.

iTunes

Inward Eye – “Day After Day”

This little diddy from Winnipeg rockers Inward Eye starts off like any other punky rock song you’ve ever heard, but about 45 seconds in it turns unique and ridiculously catchy.  Prepare yourself for a multi-day earworm.

Amazon Music

Needtobreathe – “Washed by the Water”

Extremely soulful and melodic, this classic from the Christian group Needtobreathe is one of those tunes where you just have to close your eyes and let the beauty sink in.  And if you feel sorta weird when you’re done, listen to some AC/DC or something to balance yourself back out.

iTunes

Hey, remember JET?  You know, they had that song “Are You Gonna’ Be My Girl”?  Ok, what about “Cold Hard Bitch”?  Yeah, I know it was all the way back in 2003, but they are (cliche alert) back and they are better than ever!  Admittedly, JET is one of my favorite bands so I have always believed they never actually left, but some would argue that they flew a little out of the limelight.  But I guess some would be wrong…suckers.

With their first album, Get Born, the band kicked off a massive following with a slew of hit songs including the two mentioned above as well as “Rollover DJ”, “Get Me Outta Here” and “Last Chance.”  On an overall scale of 1 to 10, they cranked the gauges all the way up to 11 and gained an immense following with their first singles made with pure rock and roll (all also instruments I imagine.)

I had the chance to see JET live in Milwaukee on their first major tour back in 2004.  It was the fourth of July and as they stormed the stage and allowed the fires of rock to enter their souls to ignite a show for hundreds of screaming fans, fireworks went off in the sky right above the stage.  It was so patriotic Abraham Lincoln joined the mosh pit.  I cried red, white and blue that night.  That was honestly one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to.  It was so high energy; I felt like I was watching the beginnings of something great.

Fast forward to 2009.  I’ve been listening to JET on my iPod for going on 5 years wondering, “Where the hell did these guys go?”  Well, as luck would have it I came across a new song entitled “She’s A Genius” on the radio and immediately fell in love.  I thought to myself, “This is the real deal.  These guys rock.”  Little did I know that the “guys” I referred to in my internal dialogue were none other than JET.  Destiny had brought them back.  Now, three months later, they have released their new album, Shaka Rock, and I couldn’t be happier.  In the same way that Get Born delivered on (sort of) massive proportions, their newest album mixes flavors of Rolling Stones, Beatles and straight up badassery.

I recommend checking out “K.I.A.”, “17″ and “Start the Show”, but of course make sure you peep the video for “She’s A Genius”:

Check out the entire new album Shaka Rock:

Amazon Music

If you like JET, check out Girl Talk!