na: walkmen, gaslight anthem
Today’s theme is volume volume volume. Let’s kick things off with two surprises, Uglysuit and the Gaslight Anthem.
The Uglysuit, The Uglysuit: I first learned about this record at the Pitchfork Music Festival: a friend from Touch & Go was talking this album up, saying it was a weird release for them, but totally great. I came back to New York and immediately popped it in and… he was right. Anyone who has enjoyed Frightened Rabbit or any of the more tuneful, slightly throwback-y indie of late (I’ll file Fleet Foxes in there, too), would do well to grab this.
The Gaslight Anthem, The ‘59 Sound: This album got a spin this morning mainly due to the excellent cover, and neither Joe or I have stopped listening since. Apparently they are becoming a big deal — I had never heard of them before — with a big New York Times feature yesterday and opening stints with Against Me! Basically it sounds like Springsteen or Social Distortion or the Killers or somewhere in between. It’s very straightforward — not really “indie” in the least — but the songs are great. We’re digging it.
The Walkmen, You & Me: All of us here love this album. Love. It’s an amazing piece of work, from start to finish, and will definitely rank in my favorites of the year. Please download it. You won’t regret it. One great thing about the album is that, as a whole, it really functions as a novel — this is what I was trying to get at it with my somewhat opaque review — and digging into it deep will bring a lot of reward.
Jaguar Love, Take Me to the Sea: I’m a longtime Blood Brothers fan, and so a Jaguar Love album is kinda bittersweet. It sucks the boys ever broke up, but I have to say that the end-product here is stupendous. It’s very very different from the Blood Brothers: BB were entirely jagged edges, and with Jaguar Love they are sanded down and coated in a bit of glitter. Which is to say this is way more accessible than any BB album, but still will probably turn a lot of people off. Sample it.
Vordul Mega, Megagraphitti: Vordul Mega was one half of Cannibal Ox — and if you don’t know who that is, download this now — and this is his second solo album. In terms of feel, concept and backing tracks, it very much feels like Can Ox, and the appearances by Vast Aire on several tracks make them all keepers, and could easily be a preview to the (mythical and never gonna happen) Cold Vein 2.
Monkey, Journey to the West: New project from Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewitt. Not a fan.
Blue Mountain, Midnight in Mississippi: I dunno how many mid-’90s alt-country fans we have around here — maybe just me and SaraDevil — but Blue Mountain used to be really great (Dog Days was an awesome record), and this is their new album. It’s not as good as the old stuff, but we don’t highlight records like this enough on 17 Dots. The other Blue Mountain release that came in today, Omnibus, is, strangely, a collection of the band’s hits, re-recorded.
Rodriguez, Cold Fact: Downloaded on Alex’s recommendation. Sounds exactly like Donovan’s Sunshine Superman. And when I say exactly, I mean it. Good times.
Lee Scratch Perry, Repentance: Joe was shit-talking this album this morning — it was produced by Andrew WK — but judging by the first four songs, I like it! It’s a mess and it’s all over the place and Perry sounds like Mark E. Smith, but there’s a certain, joyous charm to all of it.
Human Highway, Moody Motorcycle: New, buzzy collaboration with one of the dudes from Islands. I have yet to hear a note.
Jeff Hanson, Madam Owl: Another artist I have never heard, but I know a lot of you really like him. Anyone want to talk about why?
Pictures and Sound, Pictures and Sound: It sounds like Coldplay, and that is not meant as a dis.
Toadies, No Deliverance: New Toadies album. The “Possum Kingdom” band.
There is so so so much more that I am forgetting, but I would be bummed if I forgot to mention the new Huun-Huur-Tu album, Mother Earth! Father Sky!, which is incredible. I have been listening to it nonstop for the past four or five days. Huun-Huur-Tu are most well known for Tuvan throat singing, but this album feels much more like a midpoint between Tinariwin and the Music of Indonesia series from Smithsonian Folkways. If you are a world music or field recordings buff, do not miss this one.
Toadies, No Deliverance: was double posted on emusic
that lee perry record is ridiculous. i mean, it has sasha grey and david tibet on it, in addition to moby and “the king of party music”. that blows my mind more than few things ever have.
Why doesn’t Joe like the Lee Perry disc?
OK, full disclosure: I only listened in bits and pieces. Clearly I am being beaten into submission on this, so I will add to my iPod tonight.
Major co-sign on Gaslight Anthem and Walkmen, tho.
Darrell Scott
Jerry Douglas
Guy Clark
Dave Alvin
Chris Knight
The Duhks
Loudon Wainwright III
What about the new GZA? I mean … new GZA! Anyone listen to it yet?
GZA’s on my to check out list. I often Buy liquid swords and by the time I get it home I dislike it, but then later I miss it and buy it again (and this cycle continues HA)
Hey Joe & Yancey: how’s the TuneCore thing going? Find any gems yet?
What’s the TuneCore thing?
There was one album that came through from TuneCore today that I was intrigued by. It’s from a band called Elks.
I bought the new lee perry today. Its seriously twisted. The more I listen the more I like it. Theres a lot to take in. Lee Perry sounds more insane than ever.
Another surprise amid the many new releases: Clara Rockmore’s “The Art of the Theremin” (1977), http://www.emusic.com/album/Clara-Rockmore-RACHMANINOV-S-Vocalise-SAINT-SAENS-C-Le-cy-MP3-Download/11264614.html
I’m not saying the Lee Perry’s any good; I haven’t heard it. I do know that he’s still capable of making vital, fascinating music even at this stage of his career, e.g., Jamaican E.T. OTOH, I think Andrew W.K. is a jerk and a lout.
Thanks Higgy! Rach on the theremin is full of win, as the young people say.
Funny how the ‘big release days’ usually have absolutely nothing I am interested in, LOL!
The Lee Perry samples are *not* promising. A quick GOOGLE search indicates that early reviews of the disc are negative.
“Pictures and Sound, Pictures and Sound: It sounds like Coldplay.” You ain’t kidding. And I might mean that as a dis. (It also sounds like some other MOR 00s artist I can’t put my finder on, at the moment).
Uhhh . . . “finder” should be “finger.”
Yancey, your reaction to The Gaslight Anthem album is not uncommon. I was instantly hooked when I picked up their debut on a whim. Everyone I have mentioned the band to have become fans. While some people were waiting on, say, The Hold Steady, I was looking forward to this. In my opinion, they and Nothington (think Social D mixed with some Lucero) are two of the best emerging rock bands.
Also, just saw Jaguar Love and plan to download based on my enjoyment of the show. I actually liked the smoothed edges, and was surprised all-Johnny vocals didn’t grate like I thought they might.
Anyway, good week for NAs.
I was never a big Andrew W.K. fan but then I found out he did a stint as a member and producer of Wolf Eyes. Clearly there’s something more than “party king” going on with him because few things could clear a room quicker than Wolf Eyes.
And speaking of music to clear rooms with … emusic has an album by Kevin Shields! Yes THAT Kevin Shields … the awesome noise artist from LA who’s doing something new and interesting with the name of some guy who was in some sort of 90’s band.
And speaking of the LA scene, WFMU’s got a couple hours worth of various LA scenester mp3s here:
http://blog.wfmu.org/freeform/2008/08/tacos-tacos-tac.html
I’ve been struggling to write a review/comment on Uglysuit and it keeps not coming out right….so I’m going to leave it pretty much at “it exceeded my expectations.” And then I’ll add “by a lot.”
Yancey: TuneCore is a music distribution site where you pay a flat fee to have your music listed on all these music services, like emusic & itunes, etc., and then you get to keep your royalites instead of giving a percentage to labels (assuming of course you actually make enough in royalties to pay the flat fee back, which I’m sure the majority of the people who use the service don’t…)
I guess it’s a good thing… For musicians at least. But it’s definitely increased the number of downloads emusic gets everyday, and maybe not in a good way.
As a Blood Brothers fan, I am favoring Past Lives (the new band led by Jordan Billie) more than the songs I’ve heard from Johnny and Cody’s Jaguar Love. I guess Past Lives sounds more like BB (without Johnny’s voice or keyboards). As Yancey says, it sucks that the Brothers broke up, but it’s like we now have two very good bands in place of one great one. Hopefully eMusic will have the Past Lives EP when it comes out on Suicide Squeeze in November.
Check out http://www.pastliveslife.com or search Myspace for Past Lives if you’re interested.
No Clientele love? Or David Byrne?
Does anyone have opinions on these new releases?
I love the new Clientele. I often like the IDEA of them more often than I like their actual records. I’ve downloaded all of them because of the former, and never listen to them because of the latter. But these sound like real songs, with real instruments, the voice right up front like he WANTS us to hear it. EPs can be interesting detours, but I hope this one is where they’re going.
I’m starting to think I want the old Clientele back (e.g., The Violet Hour-era). But yeah, EPs are for experimenting and, on the whole, I like the idea of the band getting crisper and clearer as a development of their sound (kind of like R.E.M. got crisper and clearer between the early and mid stages of their career).
That was sneaky putting that Huun Huur Tu mention at the very end like that. I had a copy of Sixty Horses in My Herd until I killed the cassette tape.
This is so very very cool. Everyone should download that one, forget this other new stuff. HHT HHT!!!!
And Yancy if you need some back up on Joe, I’m all over it. I like the Lee Scratch Perry just fine…
But maybe not enough to download.
Does that make me a hypocrite?
Sorry for all the multiple posts, but I’ve been working my pretty little bottom off and have only just now begun to catch up with the cool.
In the new arrivals there is a happy little Alt group called Club Awesome…track #6 doesn’t seem to fit in the album at all, but otherwise it is a solid set.
http://www.emusic.com/album/Club-Awesome-Dynamos-MP3-Download/11269715.html
And Yancey, are you sure about that alt-country thing. I mean, I admit to loving loving loving some Neko Case….but uh, I can’t think of anything else I’ve grabbed lately that might fit there…Maybe the Gillian Welsh…or the Ryan Adams…but still?!
Didn’t see the new Fiery Furnaces album this week. Perhaps next week?
I don’t want this.
I like Jeff Hanson because he sounds like a chick. Same reason I like Death Vessel. It makes this very normal music subversive.