My recommendations 2006:Drum's Not Dead by Liars

Liars: Drum's Not Dead
Mute 3/21/2006

Not long ago, critics conveniently grouped Liars in with the DFA-style dance punk that was emerging in New York at the time, if only because of geographic proximity. Then it seemed necessary to reevaluate this categorization; Liars were apparently drifting closer to trends in noise. However, it seems now that Liars are beginning to stumble upon something completely novel. Angus Andrew's description of the ethic of Drum's Not Dead that most succinctly summarizes Liars' sound: "It's the idea of dealing with loss or change, how do you recover from that, and what that recovery can lead you to." Drum's Not Dead tells a story of two characters: Drum and Mt. Heart Attack. They symbolize both the creation/destruction dichotomy and the often turbulent history of the city Liars now call home, Berlin. The album reminds me of early Einstürzende Neubauten, both in style and in philosophy.