na: macca, dear & monterey pop

A long-winded guide to today’s excellent new arrivals on eMusic, including Matthew Dear, the Monterey Pop festival, Dizzee Rascal and some “McCartney” dude.

Paul McCartney, Memory Almost Full: I keep wondering whether I would like this record more or less if it were made by someone other than Macca. I’m really not sure. I know a lot of people have been digging this one — including Michael and Joe here at eMu — but I’m a bit agnostic on it. I like Paul best when he sounds small and wounded (”Junk” especially), but he’s been less and less likely to go that direction since McCartney and Ram. This is not a record meant for me, I guess.

I do want to say, though, that even before we found out we’d been getting this record, I had been listening a lot to those first two albums of his, and they are two of my favorite records ever, despite Paul being my least-favorite Beatle. But from his early solo stuff to Wings, I have to say I enjoy his solo career more than any of the rest. (George, my favorite Beatle, might be my least favorite solo artist, even more than Ringo!) “Ram On” is the best rock-dub song I have ever heard, and “Every Night” is so softly bittersweet it’s heartbreaking. I like a certain mood of Paul’s even more than an era, and obviously he is not at that point anymore. Still, though, Beatles/Macca fans should certainly buy this one.

PS: I once got to shake Paul’s hand. I have never been so nervous. It was incredible. Somehow it was shocking that he was a living, breathing person.

Matthew Dear, Asa Breed: I’ve been hyping the new Matthew Dear for a while now, and I’m pleased that the album has finally arrived, because it’s a keeper. Asa Breed is the first album where the expectations that have been thrust upon Dear have finally been met — it’s an excellent, skewed pop record, perhaps the best of his career (whether as Dear or Audion (or Jabberjaw or False)). I really like a lot of what Philip Sherburne had to say at Pitchfork today, namely what this shift means in terms of Dear approaching electronic music from a more self-consciously pop perspective — it honestly seems to be a very conscious decision, all the way down to how the songs themselves were constructed: on an acoustic guitar, rather than a laptop.

Some of the criticisms of this album are on the money, however. It’s a bit opaque in a way that, say, the Apparat record is not. All Music Guide’s Andy Kellman — who is a Dear fan — is right to criticize Dear for being too vague lyrically. At times it’s tough to really connect with the songs, partially because it’s hard to care about what Dear is singing about. Still, “Deserter” is one of the best tracks of the year, and “Midnight Lovers,” jittery and howling, is a close second. It’s not a perfect record, but it is a very, very good one.

Various Artists, Monterey International Pop Festival: While everyone will rightly be stunned by the arrival of the new McCartney record today, I’m more shocked by the fact that the Monterey Pop soundtrack is here. I mean, the Who, Otis Redding, Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, Mamas & the Papas?!?!? Very cool. The best performances here are Otis’ “I”ve Been Loving You (Too Long)” (which is magnificent in the Pennebaker documentary, those blinding shots when the spotlights hit the camera dead-on, with Otis’ large silhouette sometimes popping into view) and the Electric Flag’s “Wine,” which features the incomparable Mike Bloomfield. It’s blues-rock at its absolute best.

One further note about Monterey Pop: right now, go and buy Criterion’s absolutely incredible three-DVD set, which surrounds one of the best concert films ever with hours and hours of performances and on-the-ground footage. It’s a fascinating watch, especially in terms of fashion: even though it occurred just outside of San Francisco in the heights of hippie-dom, there is no tie-dye to be seen. The kids look like the hipsters of today, clad in tight jeans and dark, muted colors. Not at all what you would imagine.

Archers of Loaf, VS. the Greatest of All Time: I’d count myself among the world’s biggest Archers of Loaf fans, and this is, without question, my favorite release of theirs. It’s only a five-song EP — and the “single,” “Audiowhore” lasts all of 1:40 with a three-minute intro of feedback — but it’s concise and forceful, much like Pavement’s Watery, Domestic. (A failsafe way to root out the real Pavement super-fans: they cite that EP as their favorite Pavement release. It’s a close second to Wowee Zowee for me, FYI.)

Anyway, song-for-song, GOAT (as it is abbreviated) is incredible. “The Lowest Part Is Free!” has such an amazing sense of momentum, Eric Bachman yelping, “There they go/ Fucking up the ratio!” and barking in the chorus about A&R men. “All Hail the Black Market” is loose and chant-y, a sign of later Archers, Bachmen mourning “superficial motherfuckers” and saying “stick out your thumb and watch me drive on by,” one of indie-rock’s greatest disses.

But for me, it all comes down to “Freezing Point,” my favorite indie rock song ever. The resignation in the song is ridiculous, Bachmen muttering in his croak about betrayal and how he can “never/ Be with you again,” leading into a half-hearted bark of “GUITAR!” as the song heads into a clangy and dissonant middle-eight. “Got some plans to follow through/ Find something that I could do/ Always the East Coast/ Always the asshole,” he sings when the song comes back in, that East Coast/asshole couplet always fascinating to me. It’s a ridiculously great song, a must if you’ve never heard it. This is the perfect introduction to Archers of Loaf, so take them up on it.

PS: We also got in two Barry Black solo records today, which was a name that Archers of Loaf’s Eric Bachman recorded under. It’s mostly instrumental, kinda lounge-y. Not even I can fully get with this stuff.

Masta Ace, Take a Look Around: The 1990 debut from Ace, and OMG is it a classic. From the opening, deep thumps of “Music Man,” this is a wonderful hip-hop record, one that the Brooklyn kid would never top. Produced by Marly Marl, definitely grab that opener and “Can’t Stop the Bum Rush,” another legendary cut.

Shout Out Louds, Tonight I Have to Leave It (Editor’s Note: Link Fixed!): Heard the name, never heard the band, but this is an impressive EP, reminding me of a cross between Echo and the Bunnymen and the Arcade Fire. Very good.

Dizzee Rascal, Maths + English: This is Dizzee’s worst record to date. You could take that either of two ways:

1) Both Boy in Da Corner and Showtime were very, very good, making expectations hard to meet, much less top.
2) This record is bad.

Unfortunately, both of those things are true. There’s no life here; the record is monotonous, with none of the fiery energy that made “I Luv U” and “Fix Up, Look Sharp” and “Graftin’” and “Stand Up Tall” so startling. There are a couple of standouts, though: I dig both “Sirens,” the single, and, best of all, “Where’s Da G’s” quite a bit. Outside of that, though, this is very disappointing.

The Ladybug Transistor, Can’t Wait Another Day: I have never heard Ladybug Transistor, so I am not the one to judge the merits of this record, but just a head’s up that it arrived.