NOTE: Tho it says “Jayson” in the tag, Joe actually wrote this post. He had to step out, and I am just posting it for him….I wouldn’t wanna feel like I was taking the Diddy-makes-a-solo-album approach to posting….
Tons of interesting new arrivals today. Here’s a quick roundup — let me know what I missed in the comments!
Husker Du’s SST Titles: We couldn’t be more thrilled that the classic records Husker Du recorded for the SST label have arrived on eMusic. These are stone classics of indie rock, and their energy and force remains intact today. Ira Robbins has assembled a hub letting you know where to start, and you’ll notice that all of them — though album-only — are also album-priced.
Tim Buckley, Live at the Folklore Center NYC: A classic, rare performance is unearthed by the Tompkins Square label — a wonder on multiple levels. eMusic’s Amanda Petrusich writes:
Live at the Folklore Center is a miraculous document, not just of Buckley’s work — which is beautifully rendered here — but also of New York City in the late 1960s, when folk music was still an ideology and not yet an artifact. Buckley’s acoustic guitar playing is fevered and earnest, and his voice — warbly, loud, elastic — is surprisingly rich. There are six previously unreleased and unavailable songs included in his set, which alone makes it worthwhile for Buckley fans, but his rendition of “I Never Asked to Be Your Mountain” — which he would later release on Goodbye and Hello, his second album, recorded just two months after this show — is enough to fully convert any newcomers.
The xx, The xx: British buzz band arrives on our shores. You can read about the band here (caveat: this version of the feature links to the UK version of the album — we’re getting the US version up now). In short: lovely, airy, subdued, moving, hypnotic. Highly recommended.
Tinariwen, Imidiwan: Companions: Tinariwen’s latest arrives in the US! Chris Nickson writes:
From the start of their fourth outing it’s obvious the fire still burns hard in them. The sound might be a little fuller, there’s a touch more emphasis on communal backing vocals, and a greater feeling of space for the instruments, but at heart, the sonics remain largely unchanged from their previous work. The music still builds on irresistible, slow-burn desert grooves that twist and turn, sometimes atavistically funky (“Tenhert”), other times delightfully playful (“Initlayaghen”).
Reigning Sound, Love & Curses: Alex can probably speak to this one better than I can. Reigning Sound write great, grizzled, garage-y songs, full of snarl and attitude.
Bela Fleck, Zakir Hussain & Edgar Meyer, The Melody of Rhythm: I’m liking what I hear. I never really listened to Bela Fleck much before, but this seems like a pretty interesting combination of sounds — some free jazz, some African music. Anyone with insight into the backstory want to weigh in?
Kearney Barton, Wheedle’s Groove: This is worth hearing for the amazing R&B cover of Soundgarden’s “Jesus Christ Pose” alone. Some players from Seattle R&B groups in the 60s and 70s reunite for the kind of record that will make any Daptone Records fan beam from ear to ear.
Asobi Seksu, Transparence: New EP from Asobi, four songs that find them skewing decidedly pop. Maybe a good time to also revisit the Under the Radar feature Peter Shapiro wrote for us a while back.
Blank Dogs, Diana (The Herald): This guy just does not quit. Six more songs from Blank Dogs, as wobbly and warbled as ever. God bless these guys.
Vladislav Delay, Tummaa: The latest from Vlad Delay, aka Luomo aka Sasu Ripatti (the last one is his real name, marking the first time someone’s real name is cooler than their pseudonyms).
Wildbired & Peacedrums, The Snake: I never really connected with this band’s first record, despite the fact that people told me I’d love it. This sounds haunting and stark and spooky, aching female vocals and strange curls of sound. Maybe I give them another shot?
Farmer Dave Scher, Flash Forward to the Good Times: Hooky psych-pop from Farmer Dave. There’s some good buzz around this one — I was idiotically unfamiliar with him before this, but this album sounds nice.
16 Horsepower, Secret South: Overlooked record from apocalyptic country group 16 Horsepower gets reissued — big and booming and doomy, this is the sound of a Puritan preacher screaming hellfire.
Leviathan/Xasthur Split EP: Speaking of hellfire. This is a split EP from Leviathan and Xasthur — just reading those names, you should have a decent idea what you’re in for. I like what I’m hearing. I’ll do a little poking around to find which are the Leviathan songs and which are the Xasthur songs, since the metadata on this one seems to be screwy.
Twirl Records Singles: A ton of fun, kitschy doo-wop, ’50s pop and girl group songs from the Twirl label.
Identical Homes, Machine Made Moods: Odd, spooky ambient — funereal pianos, lonely, loping melodies, ghostly vocals. Good and creepy.
Air Review, Landmarks: I don’t know much about this band aside from the fact that they’re from Dallas. Sounds OK — emotive, searching indie rock, kinda like a more straightforward Radiohead.
Sally Shaprio’s [url=http://www.emusic.com/album/Sally-Shapiro-My-Guilty-Pleasure-MP3-Download/11571874.html]My Guilty Pleasure[/url] also arrived today.
Do-over on the link:
http://www.emusic.com/album/Sally-Shapiro-My-Guilty-Pleasure-MP3-Download/11571874.html
The album “My Guilty Pleasure,” by Sally Shapiro.
Are we going to get the Asobi Seksu in the UK or is it a US only release?
@JTO – I’ll check!
Whoa, this huge comp of Trinidadian Calpyso,
Various Artists – Best of Trinidad
And Delroy Wilson
Re: V. Delay–in the real-name-better-than-alias sweepstakes, no one takes it from the Mighty Sparrow, born Slinger Francisco.
Pete Molinari’s record Virtual Landslide was one of my faves of last year and a new EP has arrived, featuring the Jordainaires.
http://www.emusic.com/album/Pete-Molinari-Featuring-The-Jordanaires-Today-Tomorrow-And-Forever-MP3-Download/11554545.html
JTO: As of right now, the Asobi EP is on Polyvinyl, and only US. Not sure if One Little Indian is going to release it in the UK or not.
For those of you dying to know – on that Leviathan/Xasthur split, only the last 2 tracks are Leviathan.
I like that the last track is a Judas Iscariot cover. I think there are maybe 50 people in the world who’d be like “Dude, the original is way better.”
Joe, would you be one of those 50 people?
on to my picks
K’naan’s Live Album The Dusty Foot on the Road http://www.emusic.com/album/K-naan-The-Dusty-Foot-On-The-Road-MP3-Download/11587376.html Admittedly I listen a lot of Rap and Hip-Hop but am not a big fan of Live Hip-Hop, the samples make me think I may not like this. But K’naan is a great MC and this is a very minimalistic setup on stage (sounds like Him, a couple acoustic Guitars and a tabla). Here’s a review from soundroots http://soundroots.org/2008/06/knaan-dusty-footed-rapper.html
Yo-Yo Ma and Bobby McFerrin’s duet album Hush (1992) came out at the end of last week. They are quite good, if you don’t have it http://www.emusic.com/album/Yo-Yo-Ma-Bobby-McFerrin-Hush-MP3-Download/11507035.html
50 Years of New Lost City Ramblers 81 tracks for 36 Credits http://www.emusic.com/album/The-New-Lost-City-Ramblers-50-Years-Where-Do-You-Come-from-Where-Do-You-Go-MP3-Download/11597684.html I always think of the band in A Mighty Wind (“The New Main Street Singers”) NPR’s All songs Considered did a bit on this album this week. They just had a band member (Mike Seeger) pass away earlier this month.
OK, fuck it, it’s 6:00, I held off on this joke all day, but I cant do it anymore. And I love this band very very much, I think they’re one of the greatest alt-rock bands of all time, and I remember getting so amped finding a copy of Zen Arcade on vinyl. but, god, my love of idiotic puns is stronger. and so I apologize in advance for this.
MORE LIKE HUSKER DON’T AMIRITE GUYZ?
god, it feels good to have gotten that out of my system.
More like Joe Puh-leeeeeze
Sigh.
Here’s a plug for a couple of new Canadian releases from the Arts and Crafts label:
Still Life Still’s “Girls Come Too”: if you fancy a younger Broken Social Scene thing (any Torontonians out there, there’s a cd release at the Horseshoe this Friday…)
Various artists, “Friends in Bellwoods 2″: A nifty 2 disc sampler , some good stuff here (includes folks like Great Bloomers, Great Lake Swimmers, Gentleman Reg, Forest City Lovers, Kids on TV, D’urbervilles, Hooded Fang, and emu faves Rural Alberta Advantage…)
If I knew how to put hyperlinks into this message I would….:)
I LOVE Husker Du, I have Zen Arcade on disc, but I’ve always felt it was a bit overrated. Just curious; who here loves Zen Arcade, and why?
@beergal (at first I thought she was making fun of me
) Daniel and I also haven’t figured out the html coding yet but if you just straight paste the http:// into the text of you comment it’ll come through. . . I might check out the hooded fang just because of the band name (Jacob Two Two . . . anyone? anyone? bueller? bueller? Ha after saying the name of the book I inadvertently did his quirk)
Friends-http://www.emusic.com/album/Various-Artists-Friends-in-Bellwoods-2-MP3-Download/11578608.html
Girls come too- http://www.emusic.com/album/Still-Life-Still-Girls-Come-Too-MP3-Download/11566873.html
First link needed a space before it :’(
Thx Nergal (and I’d never make fun of you…. bet I’ve been a beergal longer than you’ve been a nergal
Do check out Hooded Fang. Jacob two-two indeed, and I’m sure that’s where they got their name, being good Canadian kids and all. Unfortunately their EP isn’t on emusic, but they’re young and full of good energy. Saw them open for Bishop Allen last year.
@Joe. Thanks. I was hoping to download the 2 new songs…though I did find an acoustic version of “Urusai Tori” on http://www.emusic.com/album/Asobi-Seksu-Acoustic-at-Olympic-Studios-MP3-Download/11413451.html (…I don’t suppose you know of any similar new arrivals that are available in the UK….?).
Zen arcade = masterpiece, but will always get its ass whipped by Double Nickles, sorry.
Saw Greg Norton (the moustachioed one) a couple weeks back at a music fest in Minneapolis. He was hanging out with the Bad Plus bass player and the Happy Apple bass player. He owns and operates a really nice little restaurant in MN and occasionally plays bass in Gang Font featuring: Interloper, a group with Dave King and Erik Fratzke and other cool noisy cats.
viva MN!
Yeah, I read that Norton’s a very well-regarded chef/restaurant-owner in Minn.
I thought he totally retired from music, tho. Good to hear he’s still active.
I still say Zen Arcade is (a little) overrated, but the appeal of Double Nickels is totally lost on me.
I was very happy to discover a new album up by VAST.