Believe it or not, it's been two months since I posted anything about the new Feelies album. I deserve a medal for that kind of restraint. Well, 'Here Before' will finally be out in a mere two weeks, and the band has given us all a gift of a second song to fill the gap. Unlike their first present, the very cool download of "Should Be Gone," this one is only for streaming. Give "Way Down" a listen as you pre-order the first Feelies album in
Back in late 2005 I heard a single from a new band that absolutely blew my mind. The song was "Trains to Brazil" from Guillemots. In fact, the tune was No. 6 on my list of favorite tracks from the entire last decade. Unfortunately, the Birmingham, UK group has underwhelmed me since then, but I welcome each new release with hope. The Guillemots third album, 'Walk the River,' will be out on April 18 in the UK and May 17 in America, and what I have heard so far shows some of that promise I have been patiently waiting for. Here is a somewhat creepy video for a new song called "The Basket." If you like that one, click here to find out how to get a free download of the title track to 'Walk the River.'
It has been four long years since Sean O'Hagan and his blokes have graced the new-releases board, but the wait is almost over. 'Talahomi Way' comes our way April 19 via Drag City, and I couldn't be more excited. Two of High Llamas' albums, 'Hawaii' and 'Beet, Maize & Corn,' are among my favorite albums of all time. I still haven't got around to assembling a best records of the '90s list, but I can say with confidence that 'Hawaii' would make my top 10. As for 'Beet, Maize & Corn,' well, you can
To celebrate this week's release of Aztec Camera's double-disc import compilation 'Walk Out to Winter,' I thought it would be fun to pull out some old vinyl from the band that won't appear on this best-of collection. I'm a big fan of Roddy Frame, but there is no doubt his best moment was 'High Land, Hard Rain.' The following songs are taken from that prolific time period. All of these can be found on the long out-of-print "Oblivious" maxi-single, released in 1984, or at the following places. As for the new best-of collection, artwork aside this is a big step up from the 1999 import 'The Best of Aztec Camera.' If you don't own the band's six studio albums, this is a must buy.
Music bloggers, every once in a while, wish they could turn back the clock to revise their "best-of" lists. This happened to me the other day when I heard a release from 2010 that completely captured my heart. Last June, San Francisco's own Magic Bullets released a self-titled sophomore album on Mon Amie Records and, it is clear, they take a page right out of the Orange Juice playbook. They probably take at least a paragraph from the Smiths as well. Fortunately, wearing their influences on their sleeves isn't too derivative. If I could do it all over again, "Sigh the Day Away" would be on my best songs of 2010 list, and 'Magic Bullets' would have been on my best albums of 2010 list as well. The important thing, I guess, is I finally discovered them. I love moments like these. Here are a couple of songs from their fine LP, and you can buy it here.
I have been pretty ill the past couple of weeks. So, I didn't get to write about a new album that came out last week that is certainly worth a mention. Exene Cervenka may be 55 years old and hampered with serious health issues herself, but I find her latest album to be inspirational work. Don't expect 'The Excitement of Maybe' to get you moving like 'Los Angeles' or 'Wild Gift' did decades ago when she was producing her best work with X, but take a step back and realize she, along with her music, is maturing with grace. For those of you who have followed her solo work, this album will seem like a logical next step from her 2009 album,'Somewhere Gone.' The big difference from that fine record is this one has more studio production and is not quite as raw. The album opener, found below, is a pretty good example of this sound... horns and all. Find 'The Excitement of Maybe' over at Bloodshot, or buy here. Well done, Ms. Cervenka.
Yep Roc has been a great steward of the Nick Lowe catalog. The label was behind his last two releases ('The Convincer' and 'At My Age'), and it has reissued a few others ('The Impossible Bird,' 'Dig My Mood' and 'Jesus of Cool'). And let's not forget the live 'Untouched Takeaway' album those folks put out several years ago. The best part is, I believe, all but the live album are available on vinyl. So, Yep Roc's next step is to give Lowe's second solo album, 'Labour of Lust,' the same treatment as his debut, 'Jesus of Cool.' The big day arrives tomorrow, and you can pick it up
I love lists, and I think it's because I like to debate. This morning, I noticed NME released a top 50 soundtracks of the last 50 years list. Before I opened the link I gave myself 60 seconds to jot down the soundtracks that I felt had to make my list. A few of my favorites, indeed, did make the cut. Ultimately, however, I was pretty disappointed with NME's picks. In fact, there are a few soundtracks on the list that were just released in the past few months ('127 Days,' 'Black Swan' and 'The Social Network'). That's too soon and very lazy. Did they put this thing together as they watched the Academy Awards the other day? NME's top 10, in particular, is pretty rough. Here is part of what the publication came up with:
None of the 30 songs on Mike Watt's 'Hyphenated-Man' clock in at more than 124 seconds, and many of them are about a minute long. Sounds a lot like classic Minutemen, eh? That's because Watt got inspired when he went back and listened to the work of his old band for the first time in many years. He was impressed with the bare-bones "econo" sound. Now, I am a huge fan of his two old groups, Minutemen and fIREHOSE. In fact, I believe fIREHOSE may be my most seen live band. But sometime after 'Ball Hog or Tugboat,' Watt's first "solo" album was released, I sort of lost track of the bass god. This new album, however, could bring me back in the fold. The only song I have heard so far is the one below, but I like it a lot. I'll be giving 'Hyphenated-Man' a go.
