new arrivals: super tuesday
It’s Super Tuesday on eMusic, with a whole boatload of ridiculously great new releases hitting the site today. Below’s an overview of some of the best.
Atlas Sound, Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel: We love this record. LOVE. As we mentioned on 17 Dots about five weeks ago, we had no idea that Bradford Cox of Deerhunter was at all involved: we just thought this was a ridiculously great shoegaze album. It should be noted that the album starts better than it ends and does get a bit monotonous, but my God those high points are just incredible, especially “Recent Bedroom.” DOWNLOAD!
Bon Iver, For Emma, Forever Ago: We love this record, too. This album really surprised me — singer-songwriter acoustic guitar stuff is normally very not my thing, but the dude’s voice is so effing great and the songs are so smooth and gorgeous that I couldn’t help but to fall for this thing. As a friend pointed out, this basically sounds like a Philly neo-soul album way more than an indie rock record, and that’s totally true.
Headlights, Some Racing, Some Stopping: Joe adores this record, and I like it quite a bit, too. I’m gonna quote Joe’s review:
Here’s how it opens: with a steady humming organ, a twinkle of guitars and — shooting upward from the darkness — a soaring, pleading vocal. It’s dramatic and it’s perfect, the kind of introit bigger bands break their backs trying to create. The second record from Illinois trio Headlights is full of casual beauty, moments of pop elegance that arrive with natural grace rather than with blunt force and blaring fanfare.
Various Artists, People Take Warning: Murder Ballads and Disaster Songs: Feels like we’ve been hearing about this — a three disc collection of apocalyptic songs about death and destruction from the early 20th century — for ages now, and though I have yet to listen, all signs are that this is a keeper. From John Morthland’s review:
The musicianship, predictably, ranges from amateur to inspired, but the singers in particular are unforgettable: nearly every voice is completely different from the others, no small feat given how many are represented here. When you’re dealing with material like this, technique simply isn’t what matters most: what’s being said, and how, is far more important. Believe it, brothers and sisters.
Nick Lowe, Jesus of Cool: Even for me, someone who is lukewarm on Mr. Lowe, this album is impossible to argue with.
Pete and the Pirates, Little Death: Credit goes to Anna for spotlight this record from a Reading band. First listen and I’m really digging it. Here’s what Neil Mason had to say:
What Pete & the Pirates do well is pack real pop punch. Some cars can’t accelerate as fast as “Dry Your Wings,” which builds to a discordant, swollen jangle in under three minutes. No worries: they also do gentle thrum with aplomb — “Humming” and “Moving” show they have more in the tank than just gas. Ultimately, this is an impressive debut of charming backwater sonnets that tread a similar path to Stereophonics’ fine debut Word Gets Around — a record they never managed to better.
American Music Club, The Golden Age: Matthew Fritch’s eMusic review:
War still rages around us during The Golden Age, but aside from “The Windows on the World” — a ruminative song whose title refers to the restaurant that once occupied the top floors of the North Tower of the World Trade Center — American Music Club is in a particularly mellow mood. Eitzel’s trademark voice, somewhere between Morrissey moan and Dando drawl, still lays bare a weary heart. But he’s often hoping instead of hurting (opening track “All My Love” is a come-hither slow jam on fingerpicked acoustic guitar); encouraging instead of self-pitying (the ’70s soft rock affirmation “Who You Are”). As a result, The Golden Age is one of AMC’s prettiest records, with guitarist Vudi mostly muzzling his feedback forays and the band taking detours into Lambchop-like orchestral country territory. With some new blood (drummer Steve Didelot and bassist Sean Hoffman, both formerly of country outfit the Larks) and a relocation to Los Angeles (where Vudi drives a city bus), Eitzel and Co. seem sunnier than ever.
The Raveonettes, Lust Lust Lust: When someone declares an album better than Psychocandy you have to sit up and take notice, and that’s exactly what Johnny Black says about this one. I’m eager to hear.
Mike Doughty, Golden Delicious: I dug Soul Coughing, but this one didn’t do much for me at all. I bet the big Doughty fans will like, though.
Ben Benjamin, The Many Moods of Ben Benjamin Vol. 1: Solo record from former Midwest Product frontman, who has a way with folk-electronic stuff.
The Dirtbombs, We Have You Surrounded: New one from retro-garage stalwarts.
Paint It Black, New Lexicon: Really noisy and fun post-hardcore/metal album from Jade Tree. After a quick spin last week, I am a fan.
I can’t wait to check out the new Dirtbombs! I’m curious about the Headlights, Raveonettes, Bon Iver (neo-soul? hmmmm), and Allison Moorer (http://www.emusic.com/album/Allison-Moorer-Mockingbird-MP3-Download/11162065.html).
“Feels like we’ve been hearing about this — a three disc collection of apocalyptic songs about death and destruction from the early 20th century — for ages now.”
That’s perhaps because eMusic’s had a five-song sampler from the disc for about a year. Those five songs are a wonderful recommendation for the full album, which I’ll be downloading today. It sounds like the death-rattle of ghosts rising and falling in these songs, and it makes for compelling listening.
I was already anxiously awaiting today as the first great new release day of the year (i.e., the day on which the most-hyped albums actually deliver), but when I saw this title on today’s Freshly Ripped list, it became the most important new arrival of the year for me.
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“When someone declares an album better than Psychocandy you have to sit up and take notice, and that’s exactly what Johnny Black says about this one. I’m eager to hear.”
The songs on the band’s MySpace page — http://www.myspace.com/theraveonettes — are as loud as some of the stuff from last year’s debut from A Place To Bury Strangers. And it’s very, very good, too. The JAMC comparisons aren’t far off.
The Raveonettes album has been out over here for a while, but I ended up listening to it a few Saturdays ago for the first time in a few months. I was getting ready to go out at the time and it’s the kind of album that sends you streaming out into the night searching for lowlife and a double bourbon. By three in the morning I was dancing on a sofa in Bethnal Green. I really truly love this record though.
where’s the new mountain goats?
there was an error in the ingestion of the new mountain goats. it *should* be live tomorrow, thursday at the latest. also missing today was my pick for today’s sleeper hit: no kids. good record.
Mmmmmm….Bon Iver…..yummy for my ears.
And not bad on the eyes, either.
Been checking the new arrival posts lately, but I must have missed the part where you mentioned Shonen Knife. Because you can’t possibly not have mentioned something as important as getting Shonen Knife on eMusic.
Re: Atlas Sound, this is kind of goofy, but I like it better knowing that it’s Bradford Cox sounding NOTHING like Deerhunter. An amazing, amazing record.
While I’m here at the Dots, I’ll mention that Bradford’s blog, deerhunter / atlas sound / lotus plaza is head-slappingly good, starting with its Jean Genet epigram: “To achieve harmony in bad taste is the height of elegance.”
If you listen to the record, you can see how a story like this fits in:
“when i was in seventh grade my mom and i flew up to minnesota to get my first ICD/pacemaker. Not like they couldn’t have done it anywhere, but there was a specialist, who was more like a houseplant actually, who my parents wanted to be around when i went under.”
There’s also a staggering amount of free music there. Scores of tracks — demos, remixes, and an absolute motherlode of completely unreleased recordings. There’s even a remixed version of Flourescent Grey. I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to listen to all the music there, but I’m having a great time trying.
Surrounding the stories and songs are his “micro mix tapes,” and wonderful photos, drawings, and song lyrics.
The site is personal, contemplative, heartbreaking, stirring and beautiful — traits shared by the record too. Both are a real treasure.
Lemme just throw an extra “Please Check This Out!” for the Headlights record. It’s really, really marvelous.
I was surprised that I could load the Mountain Goats last night. And it’s still there… Or is this a Canadian thing? It’s passed the one day of listening test. Pretty darn good.
Joe, I downloaded it — among about 10 other discs — last night. Thanks for the tip.
Awesome! Hope you enjoy it — I’ve had it in non-stop rotation.
So what’s the next Big Release Day? And will we see some interesting new stuff on the immediate horizon? (n.1)
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(n.1) One example that jumped to mind is the forthcoming Soul Jazz disc — An England Story (From Dancehall to Grime: 25 Years of the MC in the UK) — which is being released in early March and is being made available on at least some online stores.
honestly, daniel, i dunno! on 3/18 i think there’s a bunch of stuff like the destroyer and other stuff i’m forgetting, but it really seems like a lotta big bands are taking the spring off. i dunno. it’s weird. but trust me, even if the new release schedule is iffy, there is some very, very good stuff on the horizon.
Tim, thanks for the tip about Brandford’s blog. There’s an unreleased Atlas Sound EP available for free there, with at least one song — Activation — equal to almost anything on the ”Let The Blind Lead” disc. Very different sounding, tho: Less shoegaze-y, more folk rock-y, I guess.
Also, I love how the cover of ”Let The Blind Lead” reminds me of the covers of all those classic Smiths albums of my youth. Nostalgic.
Joe - as an excellant guide to other suggestion s I am going for the Headlights… but it seems you are a flying nun freak….
I love Flying Nun! Are you not a fan?
Wait, are you the same chris who commented on the Ghost Club post? I only ask because you’ve lowercased your ‘c’!