Back to our regularly scheduled Top 10 list, this is a list of ten new records that I’m currently listening to, many by newer artists and some by veterans like Mission of Burma and Sonic Youth.
-
Sonic Youth- Rather Ripped (Geffen)
An approrpiate title since it finally leaked to the internet a few days ago, this is Sonic Youth’s latest (slated to come out on 6/06/06) and their last for long-time label Geffen. The major change here is that JIM O’ROURKE, who was a member for their last 3 full-lengths, has left the band. This means that the music isn’t as jammy, but looser and more bound to traditional songcraft. On first listen, it sounds a bit forced and stifled, but subsequent listens reveal new layers of depth and catchiness. I also must say that “Incinerate” is the best THURSTON MOORE-sung Sonic Youth song in a long time. Thus, in essence it’s a continuation of where they were going on 2004’s excellent Sonic Nurse. For those of you expecting or hoping for an album along the lines of the classics Sister or Daydream Nation, you’re not getting it. However, if you want a good, “mature” Sonic Youth album that nods more towards their more recent material, then you’re in luck.
-
iForward Russia! – Give Me A Wall (Dance to the Radio)
Although on the surface, this Leeds-based band mines the same territory as bands like BLOC PARTY and HOT HOT HEAT!, they have more twists and turns in their less-straightforward material to the extent that it has an almost prog-rock or perhaps more accurately math-rock feel to it. I know that may not sound plausible, but that’s the impression that I get, at least on the first few listens. Either way, they seem like they’d be a really fun live band. Oh and you have to like a band whose record label name comes from a JOY DIVISION song.
-
Mission of Burma – The Obliterati (Matador)
While it’s unfair to compare their newest full-length to their classic ‘80s heyday, it is remarkable that they haven’t lost any of the power, fury and intelligence that they had back then. To top it off, this album is much better than their 2004 comeback OnOffOn and this is its third consecutive week on this list, not counting last week’s special Terrastock edition.
-
Gnarls Barkley – St. Elsewhere (Warner Brothers/Downtown)
Their single “Crazy” is the #1 song in England for four weeks running now and in this case popular taste coincides with an excellent song. So how’s the album? Already out in England for months and a massive hit, the rest of St. Elsewhere (which includes “Crazy”) is just as infectious from their unbelievable cover of VIOLENT FEMMES’ “Gone Daddy Gone” to the oddness of tracks like “Go Go Gadget Gospel” and “Feng Shui”. CEE-LO and DANGER MOUSE have made this year’s The Love Below/Speakerboxx.
-
Amy Millan “Skinny Boy”
Although I’ve been listening to this song for months now, I haven’t put it on any of my Top 10 lists as of yet. Simply put, this sounds more like the territory that NEKO CASE mines regularly and also not unlike recent solo record that JENNY LEWIS put out. In other words, it’s quite different from Millan’s also excellent band STARS, but hey that’s what solo albums are for, right? I anxiously await to hear the rest of her upcoming debut solo album Honey from the Tombs.
-
Ramesh Srivastava “Shayla”
The VOXTROT kid strikes again! This is an amazing cover of the BLONDIE song (from the underrated 1979 Lp
Eat to the Beat) that was recorded in a Toyota Corolla. It also beats the original. Don’t believe me? Go
here to read the story and to download the song.
-
Film School – Film School (Beggars Group)
At first, I didn’t like this record too much when I heard it back in January at Sound Fix. It was the fact that the singer’s voice was a bit off-putting to me for whatever reason. I gave it another chance, though, and to my pleasant surprise, I found myself liking it more and more with every listen. Simply put, it’s on Beggars and it sounds like it, though circa the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. It’s amazing that this band is from San Francisco and that they’ve only been around for eight years because if someone put this on and I didn’t know what it was, I would assume that it was a lost shoegazer/dream-pop classic from 1992 or something. Also, they were unlucky enough to get all of their gear stolen recently, so be sure to support them if you can.
-
Band of Horses – Everything All the Time (Sub Pop)
You already know the deal. If you like THE SHINS and other like bands, you’ll be very happy when you hear this. This isn’t very original, but man is it good! I can’t wait to see them at Maxwells next month.
-
Scott Walker – The Drift (4AD)
It isn’t often when an artist does some of his most experimental work well into his 60s. This is his first album since 1995’s Tilt.
-
The Church – Uninvited Like the Clouds (Cooking Vinyl)
The Australian quartet are back with their first full-length of all-new material since 2004’s Forget Yourself.
