When the Internets talk, I listen. Really. Think about how easy the Internet makes it to discover new music.  Almost as easy as it is to find porn (but not quite as easy. It is way too easy to find porn on the Internet).  Sometimes when I’m bored, I just browse the Internet to discover new bands and I’m constantly shocked by how many artists and bands I’ve never heard of until I see or hear them online. And then fall instantly in love with them.

So, Internets, I thank you. Thank you for bringing us more than porn. Thank you for introducing me to this week’s new releases.

Metric - Fantasies

I had never heard of Metric before, but recently the Internets have been all abuzz about them. Not liking to be left out of things, I obviously had to listen. My first thought upon hearing the opening track of Metric’s new album, Fantasies, was “Wow, how catchy!” but in a sort of unique way. I instantly liked lead singer Emily Haines’ voice as she sung “Help I’m Alive,” and after doing a big of Googling (duh) discovered that she was born in India and has contributed to tracks from Broken Social Scene (so that’s where I know that voice).  Metric reminds me a lot of Tegan and Sara, but I actually think I already like Metric a bit better. The album’s first single, “Gimmie Sympathy,” is one of the most fun tracks on the album with lyrics to prove it: “I can feel it in my bones/Gimmie sympathy/After all of this is gone/Who would you rather be/The Beatles or The Rolling Stones?”

But Metric also does serious, which is quite evident on “Collect Call” with lyrics: “I know it’s a lie I want it to be true/The rest of the ride is riding on you/Over goodbyes we’ll buy some place/For wishing you could/Keep me closer.” Though I think the new wave sound of the music does a lot to make Metric unique, I’m pretty sure it’s Emily’s smooth voice that carries much of the album. And I have a feeling Metric puts on a killer live show. I hope I get to find out.

Silversun Pickups – Swoon

Another band the Internet loves that I had yet to discover.  I was not OK with that, so I gave their new album, Swoon, a listen and I started to enjoy them very quickly. I read that Silversun Pickups are often compared to The Smashing Pumpkins, which I could hear in the intros to songs like “Panic Switch” and also in lead singer Brian Aubert’s voice. But the songs sound a bit happier than The Smashing Pumpkins (in general), so I wouldn’t take the comparison too far. I also heard a sort of Kings of Leon sound, which is a very fabulous thing, in my opinion. I heard this especially in “Substitution” and “Catch and Release.” I really enjoy “Growing Old is Getting Old,” though the lyrics are quite depressing, focusing on our mortality: “So we all/Are growing old/And it’s getting old…Suddenly we decompose/But we’re not alone.” I really love the upbeat sound of “Sort Of” and found myself dancing around my room and accidentally memorizing the lyrics. And it’s always a good album when that happens. I guess there’s not much I didn’t like about Swoon and you have no idea how fast I’m going to be purchasing the Silversun Pickups’ older album. I actually sort of can’t believe I haven’t done it already. I can totally hear Silversun Pickups being played all over MTV and while I really do hope more people discover them and start to get obsessed like I am, I kind of like that not everyone knows them. I’ll try not to be greedy though.

Death Cab for Cutie- The Open Door

So this one I already knew, but it does seem like the Internet has always been obsessed with Death Cab for Cutie. Though it seems like Death Cab recently came out with a new album (they did! Less than a year ago!), there is no way I’m going to complain about yet another one from them. Yes, it’s only a 5-song EP, but it’s one to get excited about. The songs on The Open Door are a lot more upbeat than the Death Cab I’ve come to love, but they still have the same amazing lyrics and it was nice to hear something less mellow/make-me-wanna-cry-alone-in-my-room from them for a change. The album starts with “Little Bribes,” which is the perfect opening track. The tempo of the song is a lot more upbeat than the lyrics, but I kind of liked the contrast: “You said this city has a beating heart/That pushes people down the boulevard/And they’re all hoping for a wish fulfilled/In a desert for a dollar bill. “A Diamond and a Tether” is a bit more mellow and like the old Death Cab for Cutie, with the same deep lyrics: “I know you can’t hold out forever/Waiting on a diamond and a tether/From a boy who won’t flie/Who won’t take to the skies/If he thinks you’re about to say goodbye.” Lots of times EPs frustrate me because they’re filled with the leftovers from a previous album; songs that didn’t make the cut. But The Open Door isn’t like that at all. The songs are all so different from Narrow Stairs that they probably wouldn’t have fit in if they were on the album. My only complaint about The Open Door is that Death Cab didn’t record a few more songs and release it as a full-length album. But I really can’t complain at the delicious little taste they gave me with this EP.

From their forthcoming album Zeitgeist. Listen to it here.

Oy. Now I sound like I’ve gone a little granola too.

Anyways, I have become quite conscious of the effects I have on the environment and have been taking strides to change. I have made small changes – like bringing my own travel mug to coffee shops – and I have made big changes – like replacing my gas guzzler with a more fuel efficient, Jetta.

I haven’t always been this way. In fact, it took a little man named Al Gore to really make me stop and smell the roses…and realize that my giant SUV and constant runs to Starbucks could make those roses obsolete one day soon. And even though people make fun of me for being earthy (like my paper-plate loving brother) or hate me for forcing new conservation tactics (like my printer loving bosses), I really do feel like I am making a difference.

And clearly I am not alone.

In fact, in honor of this beautiful planet we call home, a lot of super fab people are getting together on July 7th to make some sweet, sweet music while spreading awareness of environmental issues.

The concert is called Live Earth and it features musical artists playing concerts in 8 different countries worldwide. And I am not talking some random American Idol cast-offs. I am talking about people like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, John Mayer, Smashing Pumpkins, Madonna and more. This event is gonna be hot (which is mildly appropriate since its all about Global Warming).

Tickets are still available if you are near New York…or feel like traveling to Brazil, Australia, Germany or any of the other awesome locations. Check out www.liveearth.org for all the info, including even more tips for going green like me.