Maxïmo Park – Quicken the Heart (Warp)
Quicken completes a transition from 2005’s A Certain Trigger_’s and 2007’s _Our Earthly Pleasures‘ wiry new wave guitar rock to this fiercer, more powerful post-punk pop. It sure accelerates heart rates as advertised!
Swervedriver – Raise,
Mezcal Head (Second Motion/Hi-Speed Soul)
The might, roar, and sharp sword-edge alone drops jaws; the foursome’s hammerlock tightness is jarring and thrilling; and the hurtling thrust is perhaps only bettered by primo Motörhead. Then there’s *Adam Franklin*’s imploring, dark, but robust voice, in sustained notes that crested above the exploding guitars behind him, belted cool movie-inspired lyrics…
Bee Gees – Odessa (deluxe triple-cd box) (Rhino/WEA)
The brothers Gibb’s 1969’s classic, ambitious, vast and sprawling double LP gets the reissue treatment it’s long deserved
Morrissey – Years of Refusal (Attack/Lost Highway/UNI)
The darker mood of 1995’s Southpaw Grammar and 1997’s Maladjusted is finally, fully lifted, as the former Smiths legend seems lighter than air belting out “I’m Throwing My Arms Around Paris”‘s chorus—as romantic and timeless as the city it serenades.
Doves – Kingdom of Rust (Astralwerks)
Ah, the northern English, uncaring of press buzzes, trends, hypes, and hysterias, blowing the boorish and trivial away with another LP resplendent with mystery, redolent with the rainy British weather, and riotous with fall color.
The Nerves – One Way Ticket (Alive/Bomp!)
Great! Aside from one excellent, collectible four-song 1976 7” EP, this short-lived L.A. (founded in San Francisco) pioneering power-pop trio was remembered for that EP’s standout, “Hanging on the Telephone.” Blondie‘s 1978 Parallel Lines cover turned a microindie obscuro into a welcome hit (U.K. #5). But they were so much more…
Los Shakers – For You, La Conferencia Secreta del Toto’s Bar (EMI-Odeon Argentina)
Beloved as South America’s answer to The Beatles in the mid ‘60s, this Montevideo, Uriguay foursome still sound great.
The Decemberists – The Hazards of Love (Capitol)
Though I prefer their first four LPs (this one’s a little prog/‘70s metal-ish at times, more than the last), Hazards is another stunning album from Portland’s finest. And as a rare successful concept lp, the audacity of it is breathtaking.
T.S.O.L. – Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Free Downloads (Hurley.com)
I could take a lot of space here describing this LP, but why don’t you just go to hurley.com/tsol and download this album for free? It’s the only way it is available by the way, so they want you too. And you don’t have to fill anything out, just click on the link there and, as a certain football announcer would say, “Boom!” you have a new album coming your way, downloaded in mere minutes. And it’s a really good one, too. It’s the 1982 Beneath the Shadows lineup—four out of five, at least, since the drummer is dead—and it’s consistently moody and yet punchy punkish post-punk melodism with lots of great piano and organs like that LP! Again, it’s free, so what have we got to lose?For 38 minutes, A.M. gives a shiver effect. Don’t miss!
The Damned – So Who’s Paranoid (English Channel U.K.)
The best damned Damned album in 27 years is not quite as great as their three classics 1979-1982, but it’s getting real close. In general, I think Greg Bartalos nailed this in his blog on the subject still up here on our home page. Read that and you’ll know what you’re in for here.
