We were snowed in on Valentine’s Day, second day in a row. Time to get warm by the fire and sort through all the new music that’s come my way in the last few weeks…
Here’s where I spent my own cash money:
1. The SHINS – Wincing the Night Away (SubPop)
Terry plays this just about every day, and it’s a tribute to this band that I haven’t gotten sick of it yet. Terry also tells me that he’s read a number of reviews slamming the Shins for getting big and experimental. I can hear that the sound’s a bit more polished, and there are more strings and keyboards than before, but it still sounds like the Shins to me, and it still sounds pretty damn good,
2. NELLIE McKAY – Pretty Little Head (Hungry Mouse/Sony/BMG)
I was surprised to see the Sony designation on the label. Didn’t those corporate weasels try to shut this release down? I bet I would really love Ms. McKay in concert – she’s a smartass, and I like that in my female singers (see Lily Allen). But this second release, like her debut, is a 2-disc set, and a lot of the songs sound like little throwaways, fun to entertain the concert crowd, and maybe they’re here as a souvenir of great night out, but a lot of them drift by without feeling fully formed.
3. VARIOUS ARTISTS – Different Strokes by Different Folks (Epic/Legacy)
From my yourmusic.com queue, and they’ve raised the price to $6.99 per, which just seems like so much more of a commitment than $5.99 somehow. Having seen this collection in the overpriced Starbucks racks, I will accept that this is still a deal and Terry was delighted’cause he’s a huge Sly fan. I thought he’d find the idea of redoing these classics blasphemous, but he loved it.
4. OF MONTREAL – Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? (Polyvinyl Record Co.)
This band will play the State Theatre in Falls Church on March 6, and I have my editor’s permission to preview the show. The CD, on first listen, had me grooving along and laughing out loud at the clever lyrics – for about the first half. And then it just got kind of annoying. I will revisit for the story, and hope to see the show. This release is just the tip of the iceberg for a band with a half dozen releases, so I’m betting they can put on a good show.
(After buying this neatly packaged CD at Best Buy for $10, I got a promo copy in the mail, but I will only list it once as I still have the purchased copy in the original shrink wrap, and intend to exchange it.)
5. JOHN MAYER – Continuum (Aware/Columbia)
Subtitled “Music by John Mayer” which adds a layer of pretense to the enterprise, but I will give the guy credit as a guitarist and occasionally great songwriter (“My Stupid Mouth”) with horrifying lapses in taste (“Daughters,” Jessica Simpson). Another yourmusic.com purchase.
6. SUFJAN STEVENS – Presents Songs for Christmas (Asthmatic Kitty)
Yeah, I know I’m far behind to be listing a Christmas CD now, but it is was, indeed, a 2007 purchase. I tried to special order this sweet little boxed set from my local Barnes & Noble in time for the Cool Yule compilation, but the store never got it in. I wound up buying it in early January through amazon.com so as not to miss out on the initial edition, with all the cute stickers and stuff. So it will be the first out of the box next November….
Traded for at the CD Cellar:
7. BREAKING and ENTERING – soundtrack (V2)
Music by Gabriel Yared and Underworld. At first listen, this seemed so soft as to be inconsequential, but I trust these artists to grow with time, and so they had in the second listen. A surprising change of pace for Underworld, known around our kitchen as the high NRG go-to act for boosting our lazy asses, but successful in its quiet grace.
From the $1.99 clearance bin:
8. HOPE OF THE STATES – Winter Riot Dust Rackets (Epic)
I may already have this CD single, but I couldn’t risk it. I have such fond memories of the band’s performance 2 years ago at CMJ, I’m hoping they will return sometime.
9. SHELBY LYNNE – Epic Recordings (Lucky Dog/Sony Music)
Having totally missed the point when they had her on the label, Epic trades in on Lynne’s hard-earned post-Epic credibility by reissuing some early tracks. They didn’t even bother with a nice cover shot or design above the clip art variety. A few keepers, but mostly generic tunes.
10. SPIRALING – Transmitter (Brizmuzik)
Wrote about this band many moons ago, working from a cheap advance, so I picked up this nicely designed official release.
11. VARIOUS ARTISTS – The Best of Broadway: The American Musical (Decca/Columba Broadway Masterworks)
No cover, so I didn’t know what was inside, but it turned out to be a 20+ collection of tracks of singalong fun, and it’s easy to skip the song from “Phantom of the Opera.”
INTERMISSION
This is all you need to know about this:
DIE HUNNS are about to hit the road in support of their new Volcom Entertainment album, “You Rot Me.”
Most of the albums sent to me are done so to pitch upcoming shows, so here’s a sampling of who’s coming to Town:
12.NANCI GRIFFITH – Ruby’s Torch (Rounder)
She’s written some lovely songs, but I’ve never been a big fan of her reedy voice, and it gets particularly squeaky on some of the tracks here – a collection of covert tunes. It’s a fans-only event as far as I can see. How can you not prefer the gruff contrast of Tom Waits’ grizzled voice on the original “Ruby’s Arms”? Anyway, for those who like this kind of thing, she’s playing the Birchmere on March 17th.
13. The BROKEN WEST - I Can't Go On, I'll Go On (Merge)
Yet another fine indie band and there are two chances to catch ‘em soon opening for other fine indie bands - March 23rd with the Walkmen, and
April 3rd with the Long Winters, both at Rock and Roll Hotel.
14. SHAW-BLADES – Influence (VH-1 Classics Records)
So here we have Tommy Shaw (of STYX) and Jack Blades (Night Ranger) and they, too, have recorded an album of cover songs, done in frighteningly similar style to the originals. Wasn’t the first version of Seals & Crofts’ “Summer Breeze” enough to last a lifetime? There’s a serviceable version of Steely Dan’s “Dirty Work,” but I still don’t get the point.
Playing at the Birchmere on March 26th.
15. RICHARD BUCKNER – Meadow (Merge)
Buckner will be appearing at the IOTA on February 19th, part of a US tour with Kent, OH's Six Parts Seven. Frankly, it’s the latter that’s got me intrigued. 6P7 just released Casually Smashed To Pieces (Suicide Squeeze Records) and will serve as both opening act and Buckner’s backing band. 6P7 creates instrumental music that has often been used in music beds for their syndicated programs) and has had friends like Modest Mouse, Iron and Wine, Pedro The Lion re-working some of their older songs. Here’s one called ”Stolen Moments” Coming to Jammin Java February 20th.
16. ERNIE HALTER – CONGRESS HOTEL (Rock Ridge Music)
His press bio says he’s got 72,000 friends on his MySpace and a live "tour van cam" with nightly webcasts of his concerts across the US. He also rounded up some choice players for his album, including Pete Thomas (from Elvis Costello's Attractions).
17. TONY LUCCA – Canyon Songs (Rock Ridge Music)
He’s a veteran of the Mickey Mouse Club, and was heavily inspired by the classic folkies of the Laurel and Beachwood Canyons, where most of this album was either written and or recorded. The trouble with being a singer/songwriter these days is finding a way to stand apart from the pack. How many James Taylors can there be? Lucca strikes me more as a Livingston Taylor – not a major talent, but capable and pleasant, sure to show the audience a good time.
And BTW...
THE YOUNG KNIVES CD “Voices of Animals and Men” was listed here before, and gets a US release through RykoDisc in March. And here’s a heads-up on them coming to town – the Black Cat, March 5th. Suprisingly, they’re playing the back stage.
Promos, but no tour dates ‘round here just yet:
18. CHUCK E. WEISS - 23rd & Stout (Cooking Vinyl)
Subtitled "Deranged Detective Mysteries," this is one for the offbeat, pseudo-jazz Tom Waits fans, of which I am one.
19. 8-BIT OPERATORS - The Music of Kraftwerk Performed on Vintage 8-Bit Video Game Systems (Astralwerks)
Sounds like a gimmick, right? And yeah, it kinda is, but it also zips – and blips – by with a bright bounce. Not something I would have rushed out to buy, but fun to have,
20. FUTURE CLOUDS & RADAR - S/T (??)
You gotta have balls to release a debut CD that runs across 2 discs, but this “polychromatic art-pop” band from Austin, TX makes it worth the listener’s time investment. Frontman and founder Robert Harrison's was in a garage rock band called Cotton Mather, and now he’s heading a group that brings out the Beatlesque harmonies and hooks, “Revolver” era.
YTD Total: 39
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