I’ve gotten a lot of zip files lately, and will get around to mentioning those albums soon (?), but there’s still something so satisfying about sitting at the table with a pile of new CDs, popping open the shrinkwrap, trying to peel off the identifying stickers and placing them somewhere appropriate on the cover, and otherwise man-handling actual discs!
There were a number of Puffies waiting for me when I got home today - and since I had been to the CD trade-in store, that means even more for me! So much music! So much joy!
So, remember back last Friday when there was trouble at the Patriot Center box office and I missed The Walkmen?
Turns out, the nice guy at Tell All Your Friends PR had tried to warn me that there would be a problem (because the band was bringing in lots of family members), but his email got lost in the ether and didn’t show up in my mailbox until this week. Even before knowing that I went to the show and almost got shut out, he wrote another (delayed) email and said he felt terrible and was going to send me a bunch of CDs. He didn’t need to, and I told him so, but of course I’m glad he did. The booty arrived today, in two nice chubby envelopes.
MILES BENJAMIN ANTHONY ROBINSON - S/T (Say Hey Records)
“Debut Album by the Brooklyn Songwriter feat. members of Grizzly Bear and TV on the Radio.” That sounds promising.
PASSION PIT - Chunk of Change (Frenchkiss)
This is one that made me say “ooh!” Heard a single by these guys on a mix CD that College Girl’s music-loving and well-versed boyfriend made for her and was taken by the sound, wanted to hunt them down. Score! A bit of Go! Team/Black Kids vocal pep crossed with the electronic burblings of Death Cab. This is the band’s debut EP;the full-length, “Manners,” comes out May 18th.
HARLEM SHAKES -Technicolor Health (Gigantic Music)
The Shakes opened for Bell X-1 a few weeks ago, but we missed the set because it was an early show that started even earlier than the web site had mentioned and we were stuck in traffic. Glad to check ‘em out here.
The Pit and The Shakes play a double feature on June 9th at the Black Cat. Sounds like a winner.
The bands have a lot in common, in fact. Both are following EPs with full-lengths recorded with producer Chris Zane (Les Savy Fav, The Walkmen, White Rabbits).
FUJIYA & MIYAGI - Lightbulbs (Deaf, Dumb & Blind Recordings)
Another band I have heard mention of many times before; looking forward to jumping in.
DRAGONS OF ZYNTH - Coronation Thieves (Gigantic Music)
Heard the name before, but no idea what to expect; from the packaging, I’m a little afeared it’s gonna be loud and annoyed, if not annoying.
The WALKMEN - You & Me (Gigantic)
Yeah, I already have the download (actually, I remember I bought a first copy digitally some time ago when Amie Street was having an advance/charity sale; even before the PR guy sent the zip) but this is a spiffy four-panel fold-out digipack. Not a lot of info, but cool, arty photos that speak well of the band’s lofty intentions.
So, many thanks to Tierney - fun to open and, I’m hopeful, fun to get to know.
I didn’t spend as much time as usual browsing the CD trade-in store aisles today, but once I’d found a few goodies in the $1.99 clearance section, I had to go the distance -they drop to 10 for $15.99. And thus I got:
K.D. LANG - Watershed (Nonesuch)
I used to have a (non-sexual) thing for k.d., but lost track of her last few.
RHETT MILLER - S/T (Shout! Factory)
Generic paper envelope sleeve and, without my glasses, I couldn’t see the copyright date. Got it to the car and see it’s 2009. Score again! I have an advance by the darling Skinny Boy Rhett, as he is referred to by me and the friend I dragged along to see him. She didn’t know note of his going in, not even Old 97’s stuff, but she left smitten.
The FIREMAN - Electric Arguments (ATO Records)
Why did I buy another copy of Paul McCartney’s rather cool electronic dabbling with Flood? One word - swaptree (and we’ll get back to this in the days to come.
FINDING NEVERLAND - Soundtrack (Decca)
The whole family loved the flick; if older daughter doesn’t want to keep it for the music, younger will like the pictures of Mr. Depp.
The REAL TUESDAY WELD - The End of the World (?)
Subtitled: TRTW presents The Clerkenwell Kid Live.
I fell in love with one track by this band (it’s basically a one-man show, right?) months ago, “The Day Before You Came,” and since then, have kept grabbing the CDs whenever I see them in the cheap bins. Sooner or later, I have to formulate a real opinion, but I love the die-cut packaging and the band’s cinematic web site .
STEVE REICH - Daniel Variations (Nonesuch)
STEVE REICH - You Are (Variations) (Nonesuch)
Two separate plain cardboard advances. Reich just won the Pulitzer prize for music and is always a reminder of what we miss about NYC.
MUSIC IS LOVE (MOJO)
I broke the habit of buying the magazine ‘cause it’s too damn good to throw away without reading, but I have piles of older issues still waiting. So I just keep it clean(er) and buy the samplers. When I can remember which ones I don’t already own.
REBEL MUSIC: SONGS OF PROTEST AND INSURRECTION (MOJO)
Yeah, I had skipped this one. I think.
Were you counting? Where’s CD number 10 you ask? The 10th item was actually a DVD, the film “The Last of the Blonde Bombshells,” staring Judi Dench.
BAD SEEDS: NICK CAVE: ROOTS & COLLABORATIONS (MOJO)
This was actually $3.99, in the “regular” bins, but I picked it up for College Girl’s (afore-mentioned) Boyfriend who has quite sharp musical tastes and is a huge Cave-man (sorry, couldn’t resist). I kinda doubt he knows of its existence and since he rarely buys physical discs anyway.
And then there were a few more in the PEP (Puffy Envelope Promo) SQUAD:
ERIC HUTCHINSON -Sounds Like This (Warner Bros.)
Bright, catchy poppy singer-songwriter whose name I’ve been seeing for ages. Coming to the 930 Club. The easy grooves and slightly soul-tinged vocals of the first two tracks made me think he could be Stevie Wonder’s little white brother. I’d not heard the single, “Rock & Roll” before, but it’s fun; reminds me of Jason Mraz’s easy breezy style.
TIME and DISTANCE - Gravity (NotAlone Records)
Cardboard advance cover says the album will be out on July 14th. The trio’s leader, Greg McGowan, is from West Virginia, so he’s practically local, and there are some amusing song titles - “First Time Caller, Long Time Listener,” and “Horseshoes and Hand Grenades,” so if it lives up to its cute bio notes(I like the part where they did the piano parts on a laptop in a hotel bathroom and used a cigarette pack amp for some guitar parts), could be a winner. One part that I don’t think was meant to be funny: “...this is the album that Time and Distance have been waiting their entire careers to make.” Can a guy who looks about 18 have that much career behind him? Oh, wait, this is their third album. I feel so old...!
Year to Date O/CD Tally: 142
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