I walked into today’s new arrivals having heard very few of them. So here’s a real-time guide to what’s good from today’s haul.
Passion Pit, Manners: Doesn’t it feel like you might shut your eyes and open them again two seconds later to find that Passion Pit are suddenly superduperstars? I’m hearing them for the first time in my life right now and hello pop songs! And weirdly shrill/thin vocals (not so into these) and Junior Senior melodies! I can see the appeal… for someone else.
Jarvis Cocker, Further Complications: I dunno, man. I dunno. Joe should really be weighing in on this, but he’s getting a root canal and so I’m here surveying this lot. I’ve never been a Pulp person. In fact, my strongest Pulp memory was being at a house party in college and getting upset because all the girls wanted to take out the Braid CD and replace it with Pulp so they could hear “Common People.” And I didn’t get this at all and fought it. Quite the ladykiller. (OK “Leftovers” just started and I like this song a lot. Could be an Iggy solo tune.)
Dane Cook, ISolated INcident: Do I want to know what the weird capitalization means? Do I really?
White Rabbits, It’s Frightening: Now this sounds pretty good. Definitely the best of the day so far. And White Rabbits are another band that’s gotten big faster than seems possible (I put the Avett Brothers in this category, too). They were on Letterman not that long ago, and this record is on ATO, which is no joke. There’s been a lot of press about Britt Daniel of Spoon producing this, and for once that sorta namecheck/press blurb is of consequence; “They Done Wrong,” for instance, pretty much is a Spoon song. I don’t like Spoon fans will find anything to complain about here.
Lindstrom & Prins Thomas, II: Oh hell yeah. Imagine the Altair Nouveau record done with more live instruments but that same disco/Motorik shuffle, even slightly jam-bandy at times. Loooong grooves and sooooo good. Highly recommended.
Deerhunter, Rainwater Cassette Exchange: I’m super down with Bradford Cox as the new face and voice of indie rock. We’ll start transitioning Thurston out and Bradford in for the documentary talking head spots, and let’s give him a regular Pitchfork column, too. He cares like we care. He’s obviously still a fan, still very much going goo-goo over new records, a friend to all. Just positivity! I’m listening to the new EP for the first time right now, and it sounds like Bradford! Yay!
Howling Bells, Radio Wars: This is the first time I am hearing the Howling Bells, who I’ve mainly been aware of because their singer is very beautiful and because I always confuse them with Bat for Lashes. I have no idea how similar those two bands are because I’ve never heard Bat for Lashes either, but there you go.
This is slightly goth pop (maybe “moody” is a better word) that’s very pro and radio-ready. I get it.
School of Seven Bells, My Cabal: Today’s theme is Artists Who Are More Popular Than You Thought. So we already had Passion Pit and White Rabbits, and School of Seven Bells fit, too. This is a new EP with some remixes and whatnot.
Au Revoir Simone, Still Night, Still Light: Au Revoir Simone fit in the category of Artists Who Are Exactly as Popular as I Thought They Were. Which in this case is “fairly.”
Various Artists, Rudo Y Cursi: Watching Milk with my girlfriend the other day and upon seeing Diego Luna on-screen she remarked, “this movie has all the hot boys.” Which made me wonder: do women think Diego Luna is hot? I mean I get Gael Garcia Bernal. Sure. Who wouldn’t? But Diego Luna is so homely to me, like a boy who lives with his parents for too long and drives a nicer car than he should. Can I get some feedback on this?
PS: Joanna Newsom and the Black Lips and Devendra and others are on this soundtrack.
John Vanderslice, Romanian Names: John Vanderslice is the alpha and the omega. Really. Has he ever not been out there making records that people who are not me care about? After Wikipedia-ing I see that his first record was in 2000, but it feels like much longer. This is my first time hearing him, and the soft indie-pop surprises me 0%. Are people liking this record?
Magnolia Electric Co, It’s Made Me Cry: Okay I have never cared for Magnolia Electric but I like this a lot. A lot. We assigned a review thinking this was a new full-length; instead it’s a brief EP, but Sam Adams’ review is a really loving tribute to it. Almost everyone who reads this blog would probably like this.
Savath + Savalas, La Llama: I thought this would be a turntable record, but it’s closer to Fog or a normal-sounding Books. Electronic indie-pop.
Desolation Wilderness, No Tomorrow: It’s a ghost town in editorial land these days. Joe is getting a root canal, Jayson is sick and Alex is on the road, yet again, with Pains of Being Pure at Heart. Which is the real shame, because he loves Desolation Wilderness and this new single is super lovely. So nice!
Various Artists, 7 x 7 Beat: And another in honor of Alex, who wrote a convincing 17 Dots post on the greatness of this 7-inch series. Well here’s the compilation collecting all of them so far. Highly recommended!
I am digging the new IAMX, features a track with Imogen Heap.
I haven’t stopped listening to the new Sunparlour Players, nor have I shut up about them. (Sorry.) It’s the top of my list for this years highly anticipated list. And I kinda have to side with you on Diego Luna.
Not seeing the Passion Pit album in Canada, but still seeing the EP which is on the same label. Is this how it should be? Should I be emailing the label or something?
“I can see the appeal… for someone else.”
“Artists Who Are Exactly as Popular as I Thought They Were. Which in this case is “fairly.” ”
“Has he ever not been out there making records that people who are not me care about?”
Lines like that are what keep me coming back to 17 dots.
And Deerhunter; does anyone else listen to them and think next Radiohead? Not as in sounds like but as in potential to be as important as.
“And Deerhunter; does anyone else listen to them and think next Radiohead? Not as in sounds like but as in potential to be as important as.”
Yeah, I can see that, but not quite in the same way. I don’t think Deerhunter can break into the mainstream like Radiohead; they’re too quirky, noisy and textured. Also, I wonder if Deerhunter is built to last a long time (like Radiohead has). Branford Cox seems somewhat . . . unstable. Makes for great art, but short careers.
As for the rest of today’s haul, I basically stand by my earlier ambivalence. Oh, except for the Lindstrom and Prins Thomas (which is apparently amazing) and the 7 x 7 Beat (which was already here, in singles form).
(But I think Deerhunter can be very influential, and a long-term critical darling).
Very cool that the Lindstrom & Prins Thomas showed up, any chance we will see more from Eskimo or is this a one time thing?
Just seen Alex play in “old” York… Btw, red that 7 bells stuff…
more from eskimo coming
Hmmm well I still only liked one song of passionpit and it was sleepyhead, and I already have that
Am a Pulp fan (or at least some of pulp) have a track or two off Jarvis’ First record, leftover seems pretty cool maybe I’ll re-check this album out later :-/ and then fuckingsong came on. . . might DL just for the title and the different sound of it. Anyone else read the BBC article about his exibit in france? http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8041277.stm
I really really really like Au Revior Simone, this may be one of my whole album downloads this month.
why are there three “Árboles De La Barranca” on Rudo y Cursi? Strangely I like at least two of the Bands Performing it (I think I might like Black Lips but can’t remember.
Savath y Savalas is the singer-songwriter thing Guillermo Scott Herren does, yeah. (Prefuse 73 is his main gig and he’s also got an album out with Zach from Hella called Diamond Watch Wrists.)
Eskimo Recordings could be v. interesting:
http://www.eskimorecordings.com/index2.html
Re: ladykillers. Yay, Jarvis! And as for Diego Luna? See Y Tu Mama Tambien and get back to me. If that movie doesn’t inspire a wicked man-crush, I give up.
drove home at lunch just to get the new white rabbits. i loved fort nightly and am enjoying this one so far.
“This is my first time hearing him, and the soft indie-pop surprises me 0%. Are people liking this record?”
I think you are selling John Vanderslice short. He’s not going to shock you, or challenge your ideas of what music could be. But lyrically he’s usually clever and fascinating, and his production talents are flawless and often surprising.
Then again, I love Magnolia Electric Company—so our tastes may diverge.
Dude, you know I love you, but anyone who would shun “Common People” for Braid doesn’t deserve to get laid.
I only spun through the Jarvis once, so I can’t really weigh in. I liked the last one OK, but he still hasn’t matched the ridiculous His n Hers/Different Class/This is Hardcore trifecta. Although I do like that, no matter how times change or how old I get, I somehow am always trying to look like Jarvis Cocker.
There’s a lot here I wanna check out — what I’ve heard of the Howling Bells sounds good, but not too much like Bat for Lashes. LOVE the Desolation Wilderness.
For some reason I feel like this comment is skewing crazy obnoxious so, Keyes out.
Also, I hope this is the last time I am ever out for a root canal. Ouch. And, ptolemy, thanks for pointing out the Sunparlour Players. Samples sound like something I’d enjoy.
“Also, I hope this is the last time I am ever out for a root canal.”
Did you get the NO2 treatment before the procedure? It totally takes away the anxiety and apprehension. I’ve never been high, but I’m pretty sure that’s what it’s like.
I told the dentist she could do another root canal — or remove a tooth, or whatever — if she’d give me another dose of the Nitrous Oxide.
BTW, how did you get the italics in your comments? Can we get that, and bold lettering, and underlining, in our comments?
Please ingnore/delete this comment
[b]is this bold[/b]
[u]test?[/u]
So if you want Itals, just use < i > ITALIC TEXT HERE AND THEN < / i >
(just delete the spaces)
Also, am surprised Yancey didn’t shout out the amaizng Glorious Gongs of Hainuwele by Harappian Night Recordings. Awesome, awesome, awesome drone-ish, Middle Eastern-flavored songs — sound like field recordings, but they aren’t. The second song owned the editorial cube for a while.
Also, Bettie Serveert’s breakthrough debut Palomine, featuring the fantastic “Brain-Tag.”
Now that Harappian Night Recordings disc is intriguing. Reviews:
http://thephoenix.com/Boston/Music/82375-Harappian-Night-Recordings-The-Glorious-Gongs-of/
http://psychedelicfolk.homestead.com/post-asiatic.html
I got here too late to mention anything. But what about Freeway?
It’s not bad, I swear!
Also, for the editors and anyone else interested: if you haven’t read this yet it’s kind of a gem. Two articles deconstructing Reasonable Doubt and Illmatic
Looking forward to the new Apostle of Hustle “Eats Darkness.”
What about the new National Skyline “The Bloom EP”? Mr. Garber is promoting it as if it were available on eMusic, but I don’t see it anywhere
I think the new Vanderslice album is amazing, but then again, I’ve found his last four albums to be amazing as well. He’s a very thoughtful songwriter, a brilliant producer and a clever lyricist… it just all works for me. I’ve been listening to Romanian Names for weeks now (pre-orders came with an instant download) and it’s grown on me more and more with each listen.
Ilya -
I really want to love any new Freeway record (the last one was way underrated, at least as good as Philadelphia Freeway), but this new one….I don’t know about it. Free usually has better taste in beats, even low-budget ones. These sound like they were made by his little cousin or something.
I liked the new Au Revoir Simone to get it on CD. Recommended.
By far my most anticipated release yesterday was In Deference To A Broken Back by The Daredevil Christopher Wright. I saw these guys play live a year ago to a small room of half-interested people who’d never heard them, or of them, before and they converted every single one of us. Gorgeous three-part harmonies, complex and shifting arrangements full of instrument swaps and chord changes, adroit storytelling lyrics, and pitch-perfect musicianship. A bit jangly, a Beach Boysy folk-pop. Usually not my thing, but totally amazing. Plus: the nicest guys ever. Superficially, they may sound a bit like The Decemberists, but give it a chance, seeing as they’ve done you the favor of leaving out references to doubloons or pantaloons or gymnasts. At least spend one token on The East Coast, a sublime song that criss-crosses all over the place over 5 minutes (and which a 30 second sample cannot sell). And if you want name dropping: Bon Iver produced it. They also have a Daytrotter session up that is very much worth your time.
Excited to see White Rabbits, too. I think it’s funny that they sound, to me, like a mix between Spoon and The Walkmen, since the 3 of them went on tour last year.
Oooh Bon Iver, saw them as a four piece on Monday; appear to be doing a “Emma, who? – Let’s ROCK!” show at the mo’.
Sounds like The Daredevil Christopher Wright have flourished under their care. Thanks for pointing this album out.
Whilst we’re name dropping – Tom Robinson has been playing this
http://www.emusic.com/album/Kill-It-Kid-Send-Me-An-Angel-Down-MP3-Download/11442766.html
a lot recently. A voice to divide opinion if ever there was one. I like it, reminds me of a young Rory Gallagher at full belt.
Also, the question “What would an Iron Monkey, a Mogwai and a Portishead riffing on Pink Floyd whilst channelling Papa Lazarou and Evel Knievel sound like?” Is answered rather nicely here…
http://www.emusic.com/album/Crippled-Black-Phoenix-200-Tons-of-Bad-Luck-MP3-Download/11430403.html
Mike, you are my hero for the day for pointing out Daredevil Christopher Wright. Downloading it now, with great enthusiasm.
Why is the new Deastro on iTunes but not emusic? Shouldn’t we at emusic have dibs on the new album? I refuse to use iTunes.
we didn’t have dibs on high places’ album for a few months after release date. we’ll probably get it sooner or later. hopefully soon enough that we still care.
I really like Howling Bells “Radio Wars”. I love Juanita Stein’s voice. It’s really pretty. And did you hear that they’re on tour with Coldplay right now? That’s exciting. I wish I could make my way out to one of those shows!