Yeah, I wanted to do this on Friday, but I was too lazy to get around to it. So here you are...
- Loose Fur Loose Fur: Although this isn't nearly the masterpiece that Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was, this collaboration between Jim O'Rourke, Jeff Tweedy, and Glenn Kotche is nothing to immediately dismiss. The three players on this record have an incredible chemistry together. They trust the direction the song is going rather than forcing spontaneous ideas. As always, O'Rourke's production is amazing. Some standouts include (and some of Tweedy's better songs) "You Were Wrong" and "Chinese Apple".
- Blur Think Tank: I like this record, although I really need to be in the mood to listen to it. A very interesting departure for the band from their acclaimed 13. Since Graham Coxon, the band's former guitarist, has left, Damon Albarn has obviously taken over and created an electronically-oriented pop album, perhaps too ahead of its time. Althought the Norman Cook produced (read: Fatboy Slim) tracks fall very flat there are some redeeming qualities in "Ambulance" and "Out of Time". But none of the tracks hold up to something like "Coffee and TV".
- Bonnie "Prince" Billy Master and Everyone: Fuck the haters. Who says this album is bad? It's a simply beautiful, worthwhile album full of perfect singer-songwriter folky type stuff. There is no disputing that. I've heard Will Oldham compared to James Taylor on this new record. That's unbelievable. First, Oldham doesn't write songs that are boring as shit. Second, Oldham doesn't use the same harmony in every tune. Finally, Oldham's lyrics are actually captivating--always on the brink of sanity/insanity yet always seemingly in control. Songs of heartbreak have never sounded so pretty before. Try "Ain't You Wealthy, Ain't You Wise?" and "Joy and Jubilee" if you don't listen to the whole thing.
- Summer Hymns Clemency: Athens, Georgia. I visited there last fall during a school break. It's really kind of strange. (More than) half the town seem to be fratty jocks rooting for dem Dawgs, brother! The other half have blue hair and are the resident arty folk. I don't really understand how these two groups survive together, in the South no less, but it seems to happen effortlessly. What's even more strange is that countless great indie rock bands have come from this town and called it home. R.E.M., Olivia Tremor Control, and all the Elephant 6 groups got thier start here, and now we have Summer Hymns. At first, I was very apprehensive about this album. That is, I thought is was another run of the mill alt-country album. That is not the case, my friend. This is an incredibly gorgeous pop album perfect for the summertime. Lots of pedal steel and slow ballads, but an abundance of hooks that could fill three records. Listen to "This Hip Hop", "Upon Your Face", and "Pete Rose Affinity" (weird) to get a taste.
- Prefuse 73 One Word Extinguisher: Atlanta, Georgia. I also visited this shithole of a city on that school break. Atlanta is spread out into something that looks like 80 towns in one, is hot, and is not fun. You could probably tell me that I looked in all the wrong places, but, I doubt it, Altanta is boring. It suprises me that anyone could live there and make music as beautiful as Scott Herren's new record under the Prefuse moniker. This record, like Atlanta, is all over the place with 23 tracks in 60 minutes. Herren, dabbles in glitch-heavy hip-hop that builds heavily upon the ambient factor. Really, this is the record that DJ Shadow should have made. Very bright towards the second half of the album. Some good ones are "Choking You", "Perverted Undertone", and "Huevos With Jeff and Rani" which features Def Jux MC, Mr. Lif.
- The Kinks The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society: Goddamn the Kinks are good. The Kinks really hit their stride with this record which is perfect from start to finish. Listen to "Big Sky" over and over and over and over.
- Q and Not U Different Damage: This DC band, is doing what that whole boring post-punk scene can't. Be interesting. I really like this record, because it doesn't seem to subscribe to a formula. Rather, Different Damage branches out into exciting, unvisited territory. There are some hallmarks here, the choppy guitars, spazzy drums and vocals, but there's one thing that is pleasantly missing--heavy bass. Now, I like the bass as an instrument, but that shit is getting out of control. Every recent post-punk record relies on the bass so heavily that its becoming the next electric guitar or something. Q and Not U instead relegate the bass to lower volumes, that is, if it's there at all due to the departure of their bass player. Bonus points for the drummer who was playing with a broken foot. Punk Rock! "Soft Pyramids" is hot, brothers and sisters.
- Rocket From the Crypt Group Sounds: So I saw RFTC when they were on tour for this record. It was kinda cool, they all had snakes embroidered on their shirts. Also, they play rock and roll music. Of the balls-out sort. I would recommend Scream, Dracula, Scream over this record, but this one's good too. They all kinda sound the same, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it's kinda comforting. Plus John Reis is a genius just because he's written some great tunes for Drive Like Jehu, RFTC and Hot Snakes. "Venom, Venom" is new territory for the band.
- Radiohead Hail to the Theif: Radiohead can do no wrong in my book. Unless, of course, they go back to The Bends. But they didn't with this record. Thanks for that boys! Great record, but my favorite track is still "There There".
::That's all...more tomorrow or later today if I feel so inclined::
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment