new arrivals
So I just keep staring at my list of albums to highlight from today (in the neighborhood of thirty) and feel incredibly daunted. Can we crowd-source this stuff? I’m going to start a list of links to albums that seem interesting and then from there we all figure out what we like? I dunno how else to get this going, so let’s see if this works. I’ll be posting thoughts in the comments, too.
Pains of Being Pure at Heart
The Bad Plus
Ben Kweller
Belle and Sebastian
Phosphorescent
Melinda Doolittle
Willie Nelson
Heartless Bastards
Sin Fang Bous
The Twilight Sad
LCD Soundsystem
Diplo
Here We Go Magic
Pylon
Ralph Stanley
The BPA (tons of guest stars)
Ratatat
Chick Corea & Hiromi
Neon Walrus
Mike Bones
Hatcham Social
Two Tongues
The Von Bondies
Okay, so what’s good and what’s not? Let’s sort this out.
I have to confess a soft spot for the Hatcham Social, even though it’s more than a little derivative. Track 3 sounds so much like Orange Juice it’s eerie.
I rep for the Sin Fang Bous hard. Again, best record I bought in Iceland. All you Jose Gonzalez and Sufjan people will love it. The LCD is classic (and way underpriced at one track for 45:33 — can’t imagine that will last), as is the Pylon. And of stuff I didn’t know until recently, that Here We Go Magic is extremely promising!
YES !! Heartless Bastards !!! There is a good article on them in the New York Times, this is a good band.
I will double down on the Sin Fang Bous. That’s what I want Sufjan to sound like.
thats funny, because Sufjan told me he wishes the Pains sounded like them.
Awesome to see Pylon’s Gyrate Plus show up here – this is the seminal early 80’s Athens, GA band who started their career by following REM to NYC, opening for them, and then getting a Village Voice review that said “This band eats dub for breakfast”. They had no idea what that meant, but it didn’t stop them from releasing an awesome B-Side (sadly not included here) called “We eat dub for breakfast”. Vanessa’s primal singing over spare, repetitive punk-funk – well, I’ve always liked the B-52’s and REM, but they’re just lame compared to this.
Note that there’s another Pylon here, not the same, band, sounds like bland power pop – this is the real Pylon.
If the LCD Soundsystem is the Nike thing I bought with DRM from iTunes a couple years back (and it should be noted it is not only the only song out of 29,038 on my iPod that is either of those things, and it is somehow NOT “un-DRMable”), then I might download it again if only to get an unsullied copy. I’ve listened to it in its entirety no fewer than 40 times (it’s about as long as my flight home every week), and I am absolutely in love with it. Highly recommended.
In fact… I am going to add that “review” to the website right this very minute.
I will triple (or whatever) on Sin Fang Bous. One of my favorites this year!
The BPA (Brighton Port Authority), by the way, is none other than Norman Cook (aka Fatboy Slim) featuring a boatload of guests including Martha Wainright, Iggy Pop, Emmy the Great, David Byrne and Dizzee Rascal.
HAHAHA you must’ve posted this when I was posting my Twilight Sad comment in last weeks NA column ::) OK so here is a exceprt from http://fat-cat.co.uk/fatcat/release.php?id=278
“‘The Twilight Sad Killed My Parents And Hit The Road’ is an exclusive release from The Twilight Sad, and has been created to coincide with their 2008 European tour with Mogwai. Available for sale at the live dates and exclusively in a number of independent shops, this limited edition collection of new songs, covers, instrumentals, previously unreleased material and live tracks recorded at the ABC in Glasgow, highlights the power, versitility and raw intensity of their live sound.
. . .
Alongside their own tracks, the band have chosen to cover songs by Joy Division (‘Twenty Four Hours’), Yeah Yeah Yeahs (‘Modern Romance’) and The Smiths (‘Half A Person’), providing greater scope into the tracks’ pensive and wistful subjects, whilst retaining the stirring and engaging qualities of the originals.”
All three mixes on the Juan MacLean’s “Happy House” are fantastic: http://www.emusic.com/album/The-Juan-MacLean-Happy-House-MP3-Download/11373426.html. “Still Going Theme” is also classic: http://www.emusic.com/album/Still-Going-Still-Going-Theme-MP3-Download/11373420.html.
Not to just kvetch, but please please please warn us in some form when releases are country specific – I wanted at least five of these releases, only to discover that none of them are available in the UK.
That’s a lot of disappointment for 45 seconds.
Still, great releases, hope you guys across the pond enjoy them
Joe,
as a Christian music/metal fan, I thought you’d be interested in this: http://www.emusic.com/album/Antestor-Martyrium-MP3-Download/11372967.html
Christian black metal from 1994 . . . I’m curious.
I would also like to mention the Snog catalog we got today. Great genre defying electronic/spaghetti western/idm/industrial stuff there.
Particularly Buy Me…I’ll Change Your Life”. It changed my life.
Third Mall From the Sun is also pretty great, esp Are You Normal Enough?, Old Atlantis and the title track. The Beefcake remix of Are You Normal Enough? on Relax Into the Abyss is also a must grab.
I guess ‘Simply Red’ and ‘Ted Nugent’ don’t make your list of favorites on today batch
HAHAHAHA Just kidding
Though I am suprised the Old 97s didn’t catch Your Eye
Can I just Follow Up on my Twilight Sad Comments? I’ve made it 1/2 way through and ONCE AGAIN they’ve pleased my needs by Having yet again completly reinvented the songs they’ve rehashed. . . Not since Tool have I found a Group who, so expertly, can make each and every version of a song sound like a fresh and new Thing. This EP is, much to my
, almost a live concert (at least so far) If you liked the other stuff from them, don’t shy away from it just because it’s a Third version of “Cold Days from the Birdhouse”
Following-up on Nergal’s post, here’s the Simply Red link:
http://www.emusic.com/album/Simply-Red-Simply-Red-25-MP3-Download/11367254.html
I’ve read that Mick Hucknell is a jerk, but he helped found the Blood & Fire label, and that earns a lot of goodwill with me. Also, Simply Red was the first concert I ever attended. They played at my undergraduate university during orientation week of my freshman year, and just after they released “Holding Back The Years.” It was the perfect moment to see them. Hucknell does have a great voice, even if blue-eyed soul is passe (really, Hall & Oates aside, blue-eyed soul has always been a bit awkward) and his songs — especially the covers — can be dreadfully bland.
I think it’s cool how Yancey’s figuring out how to get us to do his job for him.
WJPurdy yr getting too smart for your own good.
I want to listen to all of these but today: 1) I am finalizing the Selects comp and 2) we’ve been listening to a Dion album from the ’70s that Phil Spector produced that a friend turned me onto. Incredible!
Adamm: thanks for the heads-up! I will definitely give it a listen. I’ve heard of these guys, but never actually heard them.
Verrrry glad to see DFA on here. Can we expect the full catalog, or just selected releases?
Also, has anyone heard the Phosphorescent record? I’m not exactly the biggest Willie Nelson fan, but from what I’ve previously, Matthew Houck does great covers.
NOT a fan of The Von Bondies.
I mean: *from what I’ve previously heard…*
OH, thanks the Merry Gods we got the Heartless Bastards. I was listening to Sound Opinions the other morning and they talked about the new album, which made me start listening to the two old albums and feverishly wishing for the new album to be on emusic.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. And dammit now I need a booster.
What I’ve heard of the BPA sounds pretty sweet — Got the track “Spade” playing right now, in fact. Check out the cool cover of Nick Lowe’s “So It Goes” that closes out the album!
mr green, i have mixed feelings on the phosphorescent. i’ve never been a willie guy either, and some of the songs on this thing i’m just not all that crazy about.
in terms of dfa, what we have for now is the stuff that they own outright. i think the rapture and other lcd and all of that the majors have some kind of control over. so for now, this is it. not sure about future releases, but you can guess that the breakdown will probably be fairly similar to what you see here (lotta singles, not a lotta albums).
Pylon – Gyrate!
Good God, man. I think I’m going to PASS OUT!
Coupla notes:
1) DFA?! The LCD Soundsystem and Juan Maclean singles are great. Does this mean that some albums might be coming along too?
1a) I’ve always felt like The Juan Maclean might be the best-suited for emu artist that wasn’t at emu. Really wonderful stuff.
1b) I’ve been to a ton of concerts in the past 40-ish years, but I think the first LCD Soundsystem tour was the loudest I’ve heard. MIA opened, after a nice DJ set from Diplo. Good time was had by all.
2) Remember when The Blues Brothers show up to their first gig, and the owner asks if they’re country OR western? Well, Willie Nelson has always been western. Same for Asleep at the Wheel. Both are based in Austin, but in the thrall of that beloved son of Kosse, TX, Mr. Bob Wills.
Willie and The Wheel cover ol’ Bob, along with Spade Cooley, Cliff Bruner and other swing forebears, on a record originally conceived by Jerry Wexler, who also chose songs for the record before he passed away.
Even if you’re not a fan of Western music, you should at least take a swing (har-de-har) through the previews. Good time is had by all.
Okay Tim you got me with Jerry Wexler. And I’ve always liked Asleep at the Wheel. I will try once again to like Willie.
My download quota for this month has taken a beating thanks to the DFA singles. I had most of the A-sides already, but i now have every track. Whoo! Thanks emusic. Here we go Magic sounds good from the previews.
YANCEY!
Just wondering, are we any chance of getting albums by Chandeliers, Wavves and/ or Iran album anytime soon? Just trying to plan my DLs.
yes to wavves yes to iran (both this week). dunno about chandeliers.
@Yancey…
“2) we’ve been listening to a Dion album from the ’70s that Phil Spector produced that a friend turned me onto. Incredible!”
Got me to thinkin’… when will we see the first eMu Selects reissue?
Next question: Ben Kweller goes country? Any outside chance this one is worth a few dls?
Just posted a review to this effect — The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart (besides having a name that is either a brilliant send-up of Sarah-era tweepop, or just embarrassingly lame) are on most of their tracks a total, absolute dead ringer for early My Bloody Valentine circa “Ecstasy And Wine”. It’s uncanny. If Kevin Shields ever wants to set up a “Beatlemania!” type show, he needs to hire these guys to play the first act: they’d do killer renditions of “Strawberry Wine” and “Claire”.
I know nothing about the band, but the samples from this The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart (“POBPAH”) disc are connecting with me. It sounds like the band is standing in that spot where late-80s noise (e.g., Jesus & Mary Chain) starts to give way to early-90s noise (e.g., My Bloody Valentine). The chiming guitars also remind me of a raft of 80s underground acts, e.g., The Cure. I love this strain of the nu-noise rock. Anyway, there are very few — if any — online reviews of the debut, and only a few scattered reviews of the band’s prior EP (which was also a self-titled disc).
Of course, the first review of the POBAH (aside from eMusic’s) was hiding in plain sight:
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/68930-the-pains-of-being-pure-at-heart-the-pains-of-being-pure-at-heart/
It sort of gently trashes the disc (5/10 rating). On the one hand, the review’s criticism — that the disc is too derivative — doesn’t bother me so much, as long as the disc does not lapse into total pastiche or become a parody throughout. OTOH, the song they link to at the bottom of the review doesn’t really go anywhere, beyond the guitar riff.
Free Blood looks awesome, I am so grabbing this
The Singles by Free Blood
I downloaded the POBPAH disc. And I’m sold: It’s great.
Since he’s probably too modest to own up to it himself: Pains bass player Alex is on our editorial team, and is a frequent poster to 17 Dots (most recently, he posted about the Twi Heineken ad). So Alex: OUTED.
Nice product placement this week, Alex. I wondered how your band got to the top of the list. Now I know how things really work over there at 17dots.
Also… I will totally download your album. It sounds perfect (and thanks as usual for the endorsement, Daniel… once again, you steer me in the right direction).
Haha, yep, guilty! Thanks for the kind words, guys!
Alex, look at you, Mr. The Next Big Thing! “This music comes at a much-needed time, as the modern day outlook of life before recovery crushes down on us like some sort of booby trapped room filling rapidly with sand, or water, or spike-laden walls push closer towards us.” http://www.dustedmagazine.com/reviews/4774
Seriously, congratulations on the disc. From what I’ve heard so far, the disc fits comfortably next to The Raveonettes, M83, and some other new bands who figured out how to make indie rock noisy and melodic and romantic and lush.
Alex–I’m planning on seeing y’all on Monday at Black Cat in DC. Hope to get to shake yer hand, because the album is damn good.
@ Daniel: That Dusted review was unexpected and very very nice! It’s so awesome that you’d even consider filing Pains next to those bands – thanks again!
@ ptole: Sweet! Definitely make sure to say hi. I used to go to a lot of shows at the Black Cat so that one in particular will be a treat.
just got word wavves isn’t arriving until 3/17
Black Cat is my fave. I saw Death Vessel in the back room last year…with three other people.
I’ll be the skinny bearded guy in the well-worn “MAXELL: Because I’ve Got Sophisticated Equipment” t-shirt.
I believe the band’s name is “Wavvvvves.”
They need the extra months to add more “vvvv”’s to the album.
“we’ve been listening to a Dion album from the ’70s that Phil Spector produced that a friend turned me onto. Incredible!”
Born to Be With You is awesome! Is that coming to eMusic?
I really like WJPurdy’s idea about eMusic Selects reissues.
joe and i were actively trying to track down emmitt rhodes so we could reissue his first record early last year. never came about, but we’d love to do something like that.
and no the dion is not coming. a friend just turned me onto it.
I’m going to the Pains show at the Black Cat too and I can’t wait. I’m also going to the show in Baltimore next month.
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart is a beautiful record.
Melodies, ahhh…, Songs, uhhh…
I’m excited for Pains! Kurt Cobain’s Cardigan was one of my faves for 2008. So good to have Slumberland back. To me, this album fits perfectly between Black Tambourine and Vivian Girls.
Three other records that have yet to get any love around here:
(1) Benjy Ferree – Come Back to the Five and Dime Bobby Dee, Bobby Dee
http://www.emusic.com/album/Benjy-Ferree-Come-Back-To-The-Five-And-Dime-Bobby-Dee-Bobby-De-MP3-Download/11374624.html
“Fear” is my favorite song of the year so far. This record takes some time — it’s a concept album of sorts and it’s stylistically all over the place — it’s centered in bluesy rock, but there is a lot of gospel, doo-wap, and other nods to music of the 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s. The entry point for a lot of folks seems to be White Stripes, but I personally don’t really see it all that much. But this record does not do well w/ 30 second samples, I promise. As a whole, though, it hangs for me just fine.
I just wish Domino would do some promotion. Like last years Un Dia by Juana Molina and The Kills’ Midnight Boom, I’m afraid Benjy’s record is going to be criminally underheard.
(2) Hume Presents the Phat Daughter String Quartet
http://www.emusic.com/album/Hume-Hume-Presents-The-Phat-Daughter-String-Quartet-MP3-Download/11374332.html
This is somewhere between The Rachel’s and Final Fantasy — modern 3 minute classical w/ indie vocals popping up here and there. The 2nd half of the record is dub versions of the 1st four songs. This SHOULD NOT WORK, but it does. Go figure.
(3) Mi Ami – Echonoecho EP
http://www.emusic.com/album/Mi-Ami-Echononecho-MP3-Download/11371126.html
Two dudes from the Black Eyes produce 2 8 minute tribe dub gems, full of propulsive rhythm and spazz-guitar overtures and screechy yelping vocals, in advance of their full length on Quarterstick next month (will this be on emu?)
This is a new arrival though not terribly new but worth mentioning for all the closet goths out there (you know who you are with your hidden Bahaus records) but emu got a nice collection of Faith and the Muse. Let’s blitz out on oblivion.
http://www.emusic.com/artist/Faith-And-The-Muse-MP3-Download/11520835.html
I was not impressed with the new Phosphorescent, I have their last album which was mostly just okay.
The HB’s were even better than I could have hoped for. I was so excited to see this come in to Emusic. I heard they switched labels and was worried that we might not get the new record. I even forgive the unnecessary use of steel guitar.
I love the Von Bondies, such a happy New Wave feel with those guys and I’m a fan of new wave.
Here we go Magic remind me of a cross between the intensity of RAA with the raw exuberance of Caribou and some Fuck Button (Saw them in concert, if you get a chance, do!) sensibility thrown in for good measure.
Not overly fussed on the Belle and Sebastian.
Interesting crop.
Ben Kweller’s bassist is in a band with the Bad Plus’ drummer.
It’s a Minneapolis thing.
Go Wendy Lewis! That Bad Plus record is wicked awesome. Modern jazz standards.
More congratulations, Alex! The disc has been getting great reviews, and this morning’s review is, I’d imagine, a very big deal:
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/148850-the-pains-of-being-pure-at-heart-the-pains-of-being-pure-at-heart
What happened to the Abe Vigoda EP that was briefly added yesterday? Hopefully it will come back?
Thanks Daniel! A weird, cool, big day in general, definitely.
@ Adamm: It will come back on 2/17
57 replies, and not a snark to be seen.
Looks like we did your job for you, Yancey, but something’s definitely missing. Come back soon.
I generally look askance at young indie rock bands that stick too close to vintage formulas, but I must say I liked today’s free daily DL from The Pains. I’m also psyched about the Pylon album. I still have my original vinyl copy of Gyrate, but I’ll probably grab this appended digital version. I love Belle & Sebastian and will probably grab at least some of the BBC tracks (ah, the joys of cherry-picking); though some of them, like The State I Am In, are very close to versions I already have. Not sure about the Willie and the Wheel album. Wille is a bit hit and miss for me. I guess I like seeing him live more than I like most of his recorded output. Sampled the Ben Kweller and was not enthralled. Not sure he has the voice for country-flavored material.