scary mansions
11Jan08
This is the week for great new upcoming releases, apparently. Following up Atlas Sound, here’s another called Scary Mansions, which is a Brooklyn woman singing songs that to me sound like if Sparklehorse were a lady. Cat Power, too. But she’s already a lady. Anyway, above is a really great little apartment performance that’s powerful, and also yes all of our apartments here in NYC do kinda look like that.
EDITED TO ADD: After listening to the album multiple times today, I need to tweak that Sparklehorse comparison — way more Will Oldham than I first surmised.
These all appearing on eMusic? I’m a little underwhelmed when looking at the schedule of anticipated releases for 2008, so I’m hoping for a lot of bolt-from-the-blue gems.
To be clear, I’m underwhelmed when looking at the schedule of anticipated releases for 2008 in music in general; I’m not focused on what will (or will not) appear on eMusic.
If I didn’t have to correct my inarticulate and bumbling posts so often, I wouldn’t have a lead in the “Top Commentators” column on the right. (Cat Power is quite a lady, BTW!)
Dude, this is a constant conversation around these parts — where are the big releases??? There really just doesn’t seem to be much coming up, and normally the spring is a good time of year for new stuff. So yeah, I’ve been holding out hope for great new bands as well. And so far there has been some good stuff:
Scary Mansions (way better than the Cat Power)
Atlas Sound (adore)
Plants & Animals (the full length is exceptional — out 3/25)
Bon Iver (already been hyped, but finally getting a proper label release. it’s solid.)
Beach House (new one is good)
But yeah, that’s all that’s hit me hard so far. But I’m sure there will be more. I hope so!
OH, and in case it wasn’t clear all of those titles will be coming to eMu.
scary mansions comes out 1/22.
A glance at METACRITIC’s list of upcoming releases still makes 2008 seem bleak. I know it’s fashionable for people to (a) say “every year is as good as every other year” in terms of the quality of music released and (b) denigrate the current (or just passed) year (because it makes you sound “cool and detached,” I guess). But I think we’ll look back and say that 2007 was a staggeringly, unusually good year for new music releases — varied, robust and with unexpected surprises — and that 2008, well, I wish I was more hopeful at this point (but, to be clear, we won’t be able to judge until late December or thereafter).
And — to be more optimistic — there’s always diamonds in the rough, and I’m sure there will be those in 2008. Also, there’s tons of stuff that unexpectedly pops up all the time on eMusic (e.g., the Italians Do It Better label in 2007 (here’s hoping for much more from them on eMusic in 2008), BPitch, and some Soul Jazz, among lots of other stuff).
I haven’t paid any attention to what the kids are supposedly listening to since, oh, the last century (maybe even the last millennium) so the whole ‘anticipated releases’ thing leaves me pretty whatever.
That said, I have to ask: will eMusic have the new Dengue Fever album?
There’s a new Mountain Goats album in about a month, so we all have that to look forward to! Pitchfork posted a track from it today.
Given the sh*tload of stuff I downloaded in December, I think I can handle a slow next couple of months. Plus it’s always good to have a chance to catch up on those Smithsonian, Sun, Fantasy, Stax, etc. releases I don’t yet have.
That said, the first few months of 2007 *were* petty great, what with the Shins, Of Montreal, LCD Soundsystem, Arcade Fire, !!!, and Andrew Bird all dropping new releases.
Tom, I dunno for sure whether we are getting Dengue Fever, but since we got the single I am guessing yes.
also, might as well break this bad news now: i don’t believe we will be getting the vampire weekend on street date. still working on it, though.
I sort of don’t get Vampire Weekend, at least not yet (especially the “Mansard Roof” song that so many bloggers are fond of). I did like that “Cape Cod Kwassa” song, tho.
i predict white hinterland’s new record will sound very magical. comes out in march on the same label as dirty projectors, i think.
so right on the white hinterland, anon. i am not crazy about it, but joe is, and there is definitely something special about that album.
see? there’s plenty to look forward to, just artists we don’t know yet.
Yeah, the White Hinterland record is a record I fall in love with a little more every time I listen to it. Also, there’s a record by a woman named Basia Bulat coming out on Rough Trade in mid-February. It’s not quite my thing (it’s similar to mid-to-late 10,000 Maniacs), but I think some people might really like it. I do really like her song “In the Night.”
Also, another point of disagreement between Yancey & me: I’m really, really loving the Black Mountain record that’s out next month.
@ Mr Esq.
I don’t get Vampire Weekend either, keep on hearing how lo-fi emotive and pavement-esque they are and it’s just ok indie pop for me (probably reading a pavement comparison didn’t help)
@ Joe
Black Mountain! Cool, their last album was one of my finds for 2007. Really digged the variety switching from stoner rock to classic velvets pop.
As for new 2008 releases? I honestly gave up about keeping up with what is coming out as there is so much that has been released that I am still to get acquainted with and then there is the music that I am still absorbing, ie already downloaded! I do believe I am swimming in music people…
tech alert!
your captcha image doesn’t seem to load for me… always get a broken image
Okay, here is an alternate “Anticipated Releases” list, from the Stereogum blog:
http://stereogum.com/archives/stereogums-2008-album-forecast_007552.html#more
Some interesting stuff that METACRITIC sometimes misses, I guess:
Girl Talk (now apparently past-due)
Van Hunt (meh, but still . . .)
Love Is All (see Van Hunt)
Bob Mould (sadly, I don’t care anymore; get me a new Grant Hart disc, tho . . .)
Hot Chip (kinda/sorta)
British Sea Power (see Bob Mould, up to the Grant Hart mention)
Mountain Goats
Beach House
Pas/Cal (see British Sea Power)
Jim White
Destroyer (OBV.)
Ashlee Simpson (Isn’t this the one where she collaborates with Robert Smith?)
Sun Kil Moon (OBV.)
The Breeders
Colin Meloy
M83 (OBV.)
R.E.M. (see Bob Mould; I stopped caring around Out Of Time)
The Cure
Beyonce
Dominique Leone (Interesting; he’s the Pitchfork writer)
My Morning Jacket (OBV.)
Wolf Parade
The Streets
Stevie Wonder (I long for a return to his 70s material, but I’m not hopeful)
Isobel Campbell (kinda/sorta)
Sorry for all the paranthetical editorializing and the long post. I don’t know; even this is a very uninspiring list, to me. Maybe this is the year some innovative stuff bubbles over from some unexpected corners, e.g., free jazz, undie hip-hop, and so forth.
@ Mr. B: The new one is all stoner rock, all the way through. Which is just fine by me.