na: arctic monkeys and about a hundred more

(photo by Talie)

Finally! An avalanche of new releases today, the first real bounty in what looks to be an extremely exciting autumn. I’m gonna do my best to cover all of them in this post, but I’ll undoubtedly miss a few, so please point out my oversights in the comments! I’m going to break these out into sections today for easier viewing:

The Old Reliables

Arctic Monkeys, Humbug: I’ve really been looking forward to this one. I saw the band at two different festivals this summer, and both times they favored material from this record — which sounds darker and more menacing than previous efforts. Credit at least some of that to Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme, who produced half the tracks. eMusic’s Matt Fritch sez:

Arctic Monkeys seriously dig Queens of the Stone Age, and Humbug is an aural postcard from Homme’s Joshua Tree studio: the queasy guitar bends on “Potion Approaching” are directly descended from the Queens’ “3′s And 7′s,” and the military-march rhythms and squonking, brutish guitars make “Pretty Visitors” sound like a spooky outtake from Lullabies To Paralyze. The best tracks here, however, borrow only as much as they need from Homme — a mosquito-buzz guitar solo on “Crying Lightning,” for example, or the hallucinogenic power-ballad vibe of “Fire and the Thud” — without surrendering their British passports. And the charm of the band remains with the forked-tongue wit of Turner, who’s part hopeless romantic and part wolf at the door.

The Clean, Mister Pop: Any new record from the Clean — Kiwipop originators and indie-pop giants — is cause for celebration, but even moreso when the record is as great as this one. Mister Pop finds the Clean moving even further away from their (forever ago) post-punk rattling, settling into a gorgeous, deampop haze. eMusic’s Douglas Wolk writes:

Listening to a Clean album can be like watching one of Michael Apted’s “Seven Up” movies: the band has effectively grown up together on record. With Mister Pop, they’ve settled comfortably into their late 40s and early 50s — a little slower than they once were, a little more relaxed, but also more willing to mess with their formulae. lyrics are almost always secondary on Clean albums, and melody is generally beside the point unless Scott is singing (“Asleep in the Tunnel” is his showcase here). The band is all about deep exploration of grooves and textures in as simple a pop-song context as they can work up.

Polvo, In Prism: One of my favorite bands returns after a seemingly interminable hiatus with a record that finds them sharper and stronger than ever. The first song is classic Polvo, and they just keep delivering the skewed hits from there on out. eMusic’s Sam Adams sez:

Math-rock progenitors Polvo’s first album in 12 years does better than pick up where they left off. Rather than try and recapture past glories, the reconstituted four-piece — original members Dave Brylawski, Ash Bowie and Steve Popson, plus new drummer Brian Quast — have recorded the most solid, coherent and tuneful album in their history. That’s not to say they’ve abandoned their trademark off-kilter meters and propulsive stop-starts, but the underlying complexities are combined with the immediate satisfaction of a straight-ahead rock record.

Rodrigo y Gabriela, 11:11: Brand new outing from celebrated guitarists find their virtuoso playing still fully intact. eMusic’s Richard Gehr sez:

On their second album, fans will discover that the duo’s musical infatuations extend beyond the oeuvres of Metallica and Led Zeppelin and into the realms of jazz, tango, new age, Middle Eastern and the classical music of Europe and the Americas — but always with a rocking Latin tinge.

Damon and Naomi, The SubPop Years: Compilation of slow, sad songs from ex-Galaxie 500 members (though at this point, it’s ridiculous to refer to them that way). eMusic’s Michaelangelo Matos sez:

The Sub Pop Years doesn’t necessarily call up its specific era: these songs exist out of time, just the way Damon & Naomi wanted it. Both Krukowski and Yang sing long, hazy, drifting vocal lines; even when things get loud, the arc remains smooth and a hair unsettling.

Amy Millan, Masters of the Burial: New solo record from Stars’ Amy Millan skews country-folk, placing Millan’s gorgeous alto at the center of some plaintive acoustic guitars and weeping pedal steel. Sounds lovely!

L.S.U., Bring it Down Now: “Hits” compilation from 90s California post-punk band gathers up some true chestnuts from the group’s catalog while overlooking quite a few essentials (probably due to rights issues). L.S.U. (aka LifeSavers Underground) were operating at their peak in the early 90s, and Bring It Down Now gathers up the best tracks from their impossible-to-find Grape Prophet album and balances them with rarities, live and unreleased tracks. Kind of a hodgepodge, but worth it for “Ellis in the Orchard,” “English Interpreter of English” and the unfortunately-titled (sigh) “Funky Space Cat.”

Marc Almond, Orpheus in Exile: The Songs of Vadim Kozin: Whoah. This is some serious Jacques Brel-style shit. Almond goes cabaret — full pomp and camp in the best senses of both terms. Well worth sampling.

Andrew WK, 55 Cadillac: This appears to be a concept record of instrumental piano music about cars. Seriously. I don’t know what to make of this, but God Bless Andrew WK for following his own warped muse.

The Young Upstarts
Mayer Hawthorne, A Strange Arrangement: Justifiably-anticipated debut from R&B crooner Mayer Hawthorne — this record is terrific. Hawthorne’s voice is smooth and lovely, and his adoration for soul music bleeds through every note. eMusic’s Michaelangelo Matos sez:

A Strange Arrangement works because of the way Hawthorne lets little details pile up. The matching flute and xylophone that take the song to the fade of the album’s title cut, or the on-the-beat guitar chank of the molten-sounding slow-dance “Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out,” bespeak a lifetime of absorption in the sound of all kinds of vintage soul, and when Hawthorne sings in his natural tenor on “Maybe So, Maybe No” and “Let Me Know,” he sounds authoritative on his own terms.

The Depreciation Guild, In Her Gentle Jaws: Kurt, the drummer from the Pains of Being Pure at Heart, fronts The Depreciation Guild, a fantastic band that blends shoegazey guitars with heavy-lidded vocals and the occasional electronic rhythm. I am loving the samples – codeine pop at its finest. Shoegaze fans, dive in.

Taken By Trees, East of Eden: The second record from Taken By Trees is a globetrotting affair, taking Victoria Bergsman to Pakistan to incorporate some of the region’s singular sounds into her own wispy pop. eMusic’s Barry Walters sez:

For all its exoticism, East of Eden is never exhibitionistic: Bergsman rarely raises her voice. The songs seem to sing her — there’s a tangible sense that she’s being humbled. Amidst more picturesque local color than most globetrotters ever encounter, she contemplates the “Greyest Love of All.” The album’s most outgoing track is an unlikely cover — a joyous, untethered rendition of Animal Collective’s recent “My Girls” that sneaks in distant yet lovely falsetto sighs from that band’s Noah “Panda Bear” Lennox.

Vivian Girls, Everything Goes Wrong: Last year’s Big Buzz Band returns with a sophomore outing that finds them — thankfully! — not refining their sound even a smidge. eMusic’s Andrew Parks sez:

Album No. 2 is a collection of kiss-off cuts set to a pop-punk beat and violent bursts of distortion. Not to mention a seared solo or two, as the band lets a handful of tracks breathe long enough to pummel them back into submission. This is especially evident in “Survival,” “Tension” and “Out For the Sun,” songs that shed the Girls’ Wall of Sound tendencies for pure mud-slinging. And since everything is still treated with a ridiculous amount of reverb, you can be sure that those harmonies will echo in your head for days, right alongside some of their noisiest, gnarliest riffs yet.

Health, GET COLOR: Rowdy noisniks HEALTH return with another batch of whacked-out indie. eMusic’s Caitlin Dewey sez:

On Get Color, more so than on HEALTH, the group’s sonic slaughters actually feel like songs — songs with discernible melodies, verses and rhythms coated in a thin narcotic haze. Look no further than the first single, “Die Slow,” for evidence: after opening with a wall of guitar and an itchy succession of pixilated synths, the track slinks into a garish chorus, all spectral vocals and insistent electric swells. By the end, it’s become a writhing dance floor cacophony, buzzing and creaking with all the communal free energy that HEALTH failed to harness on their debut.

Eddy Current Suppression Ring, s/t: First album from trash-garage band Eddy Current Suppression Ring shows up, sure to please fans of scuzz-rock and leather jackets. Sounds great to these ears.

The Grates, Teeh Lost Hearts Won: Fun, spunky indie pop with big hooks and pouty female vocals. Skews a bit commercial, but the songs are solid and engaging and I can hear fans of 80s pop digging this.

BLK JKS, After Robots: Full-length debut from globetrotting, vowel-hating BLK JKS takes in a million different styles at once. eMusic’s Caitlin Dewey sez:

If After Robots were a world tour – and sometimes, it seems to be – there are few continents that BLK JKS wouldn’t visit at length. The group skews toward Afropop on tracks like “Molalatladi,” with its tribal chanting and dissenting polyrhythms; their rock instrumentation, moody vocals and ungodly guitar solos evidence an education in American prog. A Middle Eastern motif adorns “Banna Ba Modimo,” while shades of reggae and ska can be heard in the strangely sunny “Skeleton.” And the occasional use of brass, piano and acoustic guitar – as on the mournful “Standby” – suggest something of the blues.

Mi and L’Au, Good Morning Jokers: I had forgotten about this band! Hyperdelicate folk, gorgeous and aching vocals. This is real waking-the-witch stuff, and there’s an element of the mystic at work here that’s hard to deny. Outre and odd.

AIDS Wolf, Dustin’ Off the Sphynz: Maybe my least-favorite band name of all time. This is one for the noise fans — wild-eyed, manic, skewed, wound-up anti-pop, yelping vocals and all-over-the-place rhythms. The sound of an epileptic fit.

Bipolar Bear, Harlem Pripyat: The name is a pun that’s been done to death, but the dark, doomy songs on this record more than compensate for a little jokery. Lo-fi disasterpop, reminiscent at times of Ikara Colt with more dead-eyed, droney vocals.

Big Beats for Dancing Feet
Various Artists, Sensacional Soul, Vol 2: More excellent Latin Soul and R&B from the VampiSoul label, bright horn charts and swift kicking rhythms, perfect for a late-night dance party. Add VampiSoul to your list of labels to watch. Nearly everything they put out is excellent, and this comp is no exception.

Nicolay, City of Lights Vol. 2: Shibuya: Acclaimed R&B and hip-hop producer Nicolay unveils an album-length tribute to Japan. This one takes a bit to get into — it’s heavy on skittering, jazzy organ runs and chintzy percussion, but somehow Nicolay manages to make it work. An interesting oddity.

Aaron LaCrate, Club Kids: DJ mix from Aaron LaCrate blends elements of favela hip-hop and vocals from what sound to these ears like 7th graders. Light and fun if not necessarily essential.

Singles and EPs
Girls, “Lust for Life”: Second single from upcoming Girls album finds these onetime eMusic Selecters blazing through an irresistible bit of pouty pop with their usual ragged charm.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heat, “Come Saturday”: Well, of course! This year’s breakout band delivers their latest single, with a B-Side that shows they haven’t lost any of their charm or skill. We loves ya, Alex.

Headlights, “Get Going”: I probably don’t need to restate how much I love Headlights. I have seen this band somewhere in the neighborhood of 6 – 7 times now, and they get stronger and tighter and more charming with each go-round. Their next record, Wildlife, will be out October 6, and this beautiful, bright advance single gives a great indication of what you’re in for — more hyperdelicate, hyper-hooky pop sure to warm your heart and lift your spirits. And lemme just get it out of my system: I LOVE THIS BAND.

Bei Bei and Shawn Lee, Songs from Beauty and the Beats: Well, this sounds promising. Shawn Lee (whose music I’ve done a 180 on ever since he ditched the kitsch in favor of smoky soul) teams with vocalist Bei Bei for a few tracks of smoky, sinister soul. I am assuming this is from an upcoming record, one I am now officially amped to hear.

Brown Recluse, The Soft Skin: Slumberland’s reign continues with this EP from Philly’s Brown Recluse (formerly The Brown Recluse Sings). Light, lovely jangle-pop, almost-country, with the kind of retiring twee vocals Slumberland is known for. Sarah Records fans, prick up thine ears.

Amusement Parks on Fire, Young Fight: Five new songs from APOF that skew kinda shoegazey, cacophonous guitars and dreamy, pie-eyed vocals. Reminds me of the 90s, in ways I like.

Other Music for Uplifting Gormanizers:
Various Artists, Highlife Time: Excellent collection of African highlife from the can’t-miss VampiSoul label. Fans of those Nigeria Special comps, this is for you: big, bright, buoyant Afropop, the sound of prolonged jubilation. Excellent!

Gnaw Their Tongues, All the Dread Magnificence of Perversity: Total horror-noise sub-music, the sound of panic, over and over and over. This is dread-rock, totally ominous and creepy — the sound of walking around an abandoned house at midnight and hearing the floorboards creak three feet behind you.

Nudge, As Good As Gone: New, moody band on kranky favors mist-like, foggy soundscapes with gothy female vocals. Sounds lovely and entrancing in the usual kranky way.

Various Artists, Southern Lord: The fine folks at the excellent Southern Lord label have put together a killer label sampler, one that allows a quick look into all of their blackened corners.

Various Artists, Twin Peaks: Falling: Four remixes of the Twin Peaks theme. Sadly, there is no “Owls Are Not What They Seem” remix. Leland sez:

You’re going back to Missoula, MONTANAAAAAAAAAAA.