I thought I would share, if anybody's interested.
!!! Louden Up Now
Love it. Totally fun. Crazy, but fun. Although !!! is often lumped into the recent New York dance craze with acts like Hot Hot Heat and The Rapture, I think they may have more in common with the post-Clash outfit, Big Audio Dynamite. They are their own unique beast, however, a group of nerdy white kids with the ability to create music for the dirty dancing college crowd, respected by funksters and stoners alike. There is very much a kitchen-sink element to them; they throw in new wave tinkling with heavy percussion and intense vocals with infectious results. Dig it.
Radio 4 Stealing of a Nation
Moving Units Dangerous Dreams
I listened to these two CDs on the same day, which was a mistake. Why? Well, once I had finished up, I thought to myself, "Gee, I really like Gang of Four, and I'm sort of over this Gang of Four rip off thing." This is not to say that these albums aren't good - hell, I'd be shakin' my ass like nobody's business on the disco punk dance floor (where the boys would all be wearing white jeans - you KNOW that's true). There just isn't really anything new here. The Moving Units CD is pretty much a continuation of the EP they put out ummm... two years ago. I certainly dig some tracks ("Birds of Prey," "Submission," "Available" are all good screamy angular dance fun), but I've heard it before. The Radio 4 boys are pushing more in !!! territory, but !!! has more of an organic true funky sound, and these guys sound like they're trying to work their fab "Dance to the Underground" thing a bit longer. Again, there are definitely tracks here I really like ("Party Crashers," "The Death of American Radio," and "No Reaction"), but they sound like they are trying a little two hard. And they're making it political, which is always kinda tricky. And am I the only one who thinks that singer Freddy Frogs sounds like Joe Jackson?
Nancy Sinatra s/t
Okay, Nancy can't really sing... you know that, right? And other people wrote her a bunch of songs to not really sing. They realized that she's one of those talk singers, and she can do the little girl voice, and that's what they did with her. The big fuss is that Morrissey wrote (and sings backup!) on a track, "Let Me Kiss You," which is (I think) the best track on there. It's quite pretty, in that Morrissey swoony way. Jarvis Cocker wrote a couple songs, Thurston Moore did a suitably creepy one for her (which is hil-AR-i-ous to listen too), and the boys from U2 also presented her with a torchy number called "One Shot of Happy, Two Shots of Sad" which really use her talents to the best of their ability.
The Hidden Cameras Mississauga, Goddam
I wanted to like this more than I did. I wanted it to be the sparkly, jangle pop with clever lyrics that I heard on the radio from time to time. It made me think of New Zealand pop from the 80's/90's, kinda fresh and fucked up at the same time. Instead it was a little too silly for me, and kinda repetitive, but still very cute. They're like a gay pop choir from Toronto. Kinda. (Actually, that's exactly what they are.)
The Datsuns Outta Sight/ Outta Mind
Speaking of New Zealand... these Kiwis are a guilty pleasure of mine. They do that rock thing just fine. And on this CD they continue making dirty rock and roll which isn't awesome, but is fun.
Interpol Antics
Who am I kidding... I've had this CD all summer because my roommate is cool. At first listen, I thought it was okay. There is nothing as grand and beautiful as "NYC" here. But after a few more listens, I realized I liked it a lot. Then I loved it. "Evil" & "C'Mere" are my current favorites... still pretty, somewhat aggresive, and Paul sings more, doesn't he? Give it a few listens; I'm addicted.
The New Year The End Is Near
What Bedhead became. Nice, pretty, a little too slow for me. I'm sure the Bedhead kids love it, though.
Pedro the Lion Achilles Heel
Another sad, sensitive offering from Pedro the Lion, once again intelligently rendered and emotionally perceptive... I always like this guy more than I mean to, because I'm a dork and get turned off by his "spirituality" aspect and am not a fan of story songs (although I have no problem with either of these things when it comes to Nick Cave... see below). Musically, the album is a pretty melodic affair, a little quieter than past efforts. He bounces it up a bit more with a country-ish "Foregone Conclusions" and "Keep Swinging." Bazan's voice is one of those that is not beautiful but emotive and endearing, making the lyrical delivery sound all the more honest. So I liked it.
Mellowdrone Go Get 'em Tiger
Initially a one-man show by Jonathan Bates, my homeboys Mellowdrone released a couple melodic EPs before Bates picked up some bandmates to fully round out the sound he was going for all along -- a dreamy yet thoroughly engaging kind of rock, not out of place with the likes of Ride, Swervedriver, and Beck in his Sea Changes phase. Majestic at times, full of swooning orchestration and hypnotic rhythms, Mellowdrone's work wears its love of Radiohead proudly on its sleeve on tracks like "Bonemarrow" and "Pretty Boy." Way, way nice.
Charles Douglas Statecraft
This got handed to me because Joey Santiago plays guitar on a lot of it. It's okay, sounds like A sort of Superchunky (but not rowdy) thing. Maybe I think this because Chapel Hill is mentioned a few times. He also mention rolling joints, but it's not a stoner record. Lyrically kinda dorky, musically very sweet. It was ok.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Abattoir Blues/ The Lyre of Orpheus
"This is a song about a girl..." I have to be totally honest with you: I haven't listened to these entire CDs more than one time apiece. Why? The very first track on Abattoir Blues, "Get Ready For Love," kicks serious ass. It's totally rockin'. It's like someone lit a fire under Nicky to get him to stop being the croonmeister he's been for soooooo many albums now... I like the way Nick Cave sings, whether he's screaming or swooning. I've often said that if someone could sing to me like Nick Cave, I'd marry him. But even this sappy romantic of a girl got a bit tired of all his reflective, somber croonfests. So right off the bat on this album, he jumps right out of the box and gets rowdy, "Deanna" style except creepier and with a gospel choir. Of course. There's also a groovy calypso number, some warped "Carny"-esque stuff and the pretty songs. My best friend commented: "I didn't think he could write songs like that anymore." I haven't been this excited about anything Nick Cave has done in eons. And from this man, I can handle story songs.
The Concretes s/t
Another CD I really wanted to hear because it reminded me of the twee side of New Zealand music, but it turns out they're from Stockholm. I like those bands too. I've become addicted to this one in the same way a kid might eat Skittles till he pukes. Singer Victoria Bergsman has kind of a Hope Sandoval thing going on, which usually annoys me but in this case doesn't. The music is like Mazzy Star meets the Velvet Underground to hang with the Supremes in an opium den. Very pretty and weird, sometimes cute, and I even like the words.
Rogue Wave Out of the Shadow
This CD is excellent all the way through. For fans of Elliott Smith, Earlimart, The Shins,You Am I, Beulah, Irving, etc... Dreamy hooky quirky pop, sweet vocals, lovely orchestration, endearing lyrics. This is like, the billionth time these songs have been released in the last 2 years and these guys are from my adopted hometown (San Francisco), and they've finally come into my life and I'm very glad. A really wonderful CD I'll be listening to for a long time.
That's wave one. I still have another stack of CDs to go...
