(Have fun at your monster parties this weekend.)
So how about some non-thorough reviews?
The following are a bunch of recordings released this month you might want to check out, each summarized in a single sentence. I've pulled this stunt once before, which I'm mentioning as either a way of admitting I'm repeating myself or trying to get credit, 140 character limit or not, for beating Chris Weingarten and Discographies to the punch.
I'm going to try and give each of these some more listens in near future, despite even more good stuff coming in November. (Oh, Parting Gifts and Reading Rainbow, why you gotta be so good?) When I'm going to have time to listen to each is another issue though it's probable that any of the below are a better soundtrack to the World Series than Buck and McCarver.
Idle Times s/t (HoZac)
Just when you were sick of all the lo-fi poseurs, pretenders and bandwagon jumpers, this slab comes along to remind you that feeling the heat of the flame is a lot better than licking the soot.
Belle and Sebastian Write About Love (Matador)
Missing much of the playful bounce of 2006's The Life Pursuit, B&S revert to "sad bastard" mode, which should endlessly please their core fanbase.
Fresh and Onlys Play It Strange (In The Red)
Beats Best Coast for California album of the year, sounding something like a lost collaboration between Arthur Lee and the Gun Club.
Pop. 1280 The Grid (Sacred Bones)
A nice slice of synth-laced Birthday Pary/AmRep-style gnarl that may be a sign of great things to come.
The Corin Tucker Band 1,000 Years (Kill Rock Stars)
Maria Tessa Sciarrano of Her Jazz and WPRB said of this semi-solo debut from the Sleater-Kinney singer/guitarist "I believe this is what a mommyblog would sound like, if it were in musical form," which is too on the nose to comment further.
Cheap Time Fantastic Explanations (and Similar Situations) (In the Red)
Many people whose opinions I respect greatly praised Cheap Time's debut to the heavens though I deemed it merely "good" and I suspect the same will hold true here.
The Extra Lens Undercard (Merge)
I haven't actually listened to this yet but its inclusion here allows me to score cred points by mentioning Shrimper Records and linking to this.
9 comments:
Ty Segall is album of the year, beating out Moonhearts. What are you thinking?!??!?
Mr. Brushback,
This was only records that came out in October. The Ty Segall album came out in May I believe.
I haven't heard the Moonhearts LP but upon your recommendation, I'll give it a listen.
Explain how Belle and Sebastain in "sad bastard" mode equals a good album, but Pavement being "saracasic" with Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain is not good. I'm not critizing you for liking B&S, but what equates what indie album you like?
Oh. You wrote "album of the year". Besides, my dismay was only feigned, as per usual.
Brushback: I wrote "California album of the year" as in, "best record from a CA band" or "record that bests evokes the state."
David: I've only listened to it once of twice but I actually don't like the new B&S album all that much, which was the point I was making in using the "sad bastard" tag. I certainly don't like it as much as their last record, which had a certain playfulness missing from much of their other work.
I'm going to assume these misunderstandings come from my poor writing skills. This post is basically a bunch of quick takes on records that came out the last month. I like some. Others I like less.
My point in saying that you might want to check all of them out is that I haven't really listened to any of them enough to really give a definitive answer on if they're good or not. Though obviously (or so I thought) I'm at least leaning one way or another on them though I could certainly change my mind upon repeated listens.
Yeah, I'm being flippant and basically improvising content. My apologies. For now, I'll just say that if you had to hear two records on this list make them the Idle Times (which is conveniently streaming in its entirely for now) and the Fresh and Onlys. I quite like both of them.
David, perhaps one day I'll write a long essay comparing the merits of Belle and Sebastian vs Pavement, both of whom are actually rather sarcastic. For now, I'll just say that I think the Go-Betweens are better than either of them.
fyi both Ty Segall and Moonhearts are from California, that's why I mentioned them... my overall album of the year is probably gonna be Drunkdriver... just throwing it out there, in an attempt to quell my feelings of confusion... you're throwing me way off with this one!
Brushback, you are correct, sir.
For some reason I though Mr. Segall was from Memphis.
I could still the case that the Fresh and Onlys and Best Coast better evoke the state of CA than Mr. Segall but I won't bother.
Sheesh, who would have thought this would be more controversial than my Gang of Four post?
Jeez, all along I thought you didn't really like the Best Coast album. I'd better go back and read that review again.
Great post thaank you
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