Keep 'Em Coming

Coldplay has done it again; "Viva la Vida" and "Violet Hill" are just the singles from their newly released and widely praised album Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends. With the success of their previous platinum certified A Rush of Blood to the Head and X&Y, one would think a normal band wouldn't be able to live up to it's expectations.

But Coldplay is far from a normal band. Not only did they release another critically acclaimed album, but they did it with a different, more patriotic, and lower style than the piano-driven A Rush of Blood to the Head and techno-oriented X&Y. Selling over 700,000 copies in its debut week, Coldplay's new album also garnered 354,000 downloads within two weeks of its release - more than the two year combined downloads of John Mayer's Continuum.

I admit don't really buy music albums (to be honest, almost never), but Coldplay convinced me otherwise. Within a couple days of Viva la Vida's release, I walked into Best Buy and added my own tally to its first week sales.

Coldplay has stated that they would release a CD of songs not included in Viva la Vida - a B-side - in 2009. With the quality of this album, I wouldn't be surprised if the B-side garnered the same amount of praise and commercial success of its better half.

Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends has made it into my top albums of the year, along with Death Cab for Cutie's Narrow Stairs. With the expected release of Snow Patrol's to-be-named album later this year, I must say this year is one to remember for breakthroughs in alternative and indie rock (at least to me).

Favorite Songs:
Coldplay - "Clocks", "The Scientist", "Yellow", "Fix You", "Viva La Vida", "42", "Death and All His Friends"
Death Cab - "A Movie Script Ending", "Styrofoam Plates", "Marching Bands of Manhattan", "Soul Meets Body", "Crooked Teeth", "I Will Possess Your Heart", "No Sunlight", "Grapevine Fires", "Pity and Fear"
Snow Patrol - "You're All I Have", "Chasing Cars", "Open Your Eyes", "Somewhere A Clock Is Ticking", "Shut Your Eyes"