Ignore the so-so review in Pitchfork and others who will inevitably say that Shellac are breaking no new ground here and are just treading water. Other than that the fact that this simply isn’t true, consider that even if it was, their first new record in seven years is still cause for celebration. Starting with the startling “The End of Radio”, the album starts strong and doesn’t let up through its forty-two minutes. The other striking track is “Genuine Lullabelle”, a nine-minute track that ranks as perhaps the most experimental in their entire career. Live staple “Steady As She Goes” (not the RACONTEURS song) is included here as well. Plus, the sound of the record is amazing as well and kudos should go to STEVE ALBINI and BOB WESTON for that.
A free show put on by MySpace that was filmed (possibly for a future DVD?), JAMES MURPHY and company put on a show as hot as the sweaty environment. Although not too many people were dancing, enough were that it felt less like a typical show and more like a dance party! The setlist comprised material from both their excellent Sound of Silver and their self-titled debut along with 12” EP track “Yeah”.
Although the venue was only half-full at best, admittedly filling up much more for The Sea and Cake, this was still a nice triple bill with the driving indie-pop of the headliners along with the orchestral pop of non-stop touring machine Loney, Dear (who played a nice set, their 100th show this year, despite difficulties with the sound) and Sea and Cake’s Thrill Jockey labelmates The Zincs.
Boy have The Long Blondes tightened up their sound like the first time I saw them! Touring behind their excellent (and just released in the U.S.) Someone to Drive You Home, they played a thrilling set mostly comprising material from the album (as well as B-sides like “Five Ways to End It”) to an appreciative New York crowd. Oh and KATE JACKSON is one of the most alluring frontwomen I’ve ever seen. She really was meant for the stage.
The Decemberists: A Practical Handbook (Not Rated)
And speaking of those who were meant for the stage, this excellent DVD will be a treat for any fan of THE DECEMBERISTS. It contains a full-length concert from 2005 (the last date of their tour in October of that year when they played a hometown show in Portland, Oregon), some videos (all great and creative, esp. the ones for “16 Military Wives” and “The Sporting Life”) and a short documentary on the formation of the band which covers their history up to their 2005 breakthrough (and best) album Picaresque. The only flaw is that this DVD will feel old since much has happened to this band since that time, including singing to Capitol and producing the excellent The Crane Wife late last year. Admittedly, though, the DVD has already been out for a while, but nevertheless, that caveat should be mentioned.
I heard this record at a record store in Seattle recently and laughed my butt off. Oswalt is one of the flat-out funniest comedians on the scene right now. What makes him great is that he touches on serious issues like the Iraq war without ceasing to be funny and that he’s easy to empathize with. He’s also a big music fan. He cites FUGAZI, MINOR THREAT, BAD BRAINS, GG ALLIN, HASIL ADKINS and ELVIS COSTELLO on this record alone. Nevertheless, he has something to say on a wide variety of other subjects as well, ranging from PARIS HILTON and his stint on VH1’s Best Week Ever to his time in a college class called “Physics for Poets”. The funniest album you’ll hear all year, at least intentionally so.
It’s too early to tell how much I’ll enjoy this in relation to other White Stripes discs as it’s not immediate as most of their previous work. It lacks an immediate standout track like “Seven Nation Army” (from 2003’s Elephant) or even “Blue Orchid” and “My Doorbell” (from 2005’s Get Behind Me Satan), but it feels like a strong record from start to finish nonetheless. Aside from the presence of bagpipes on several tracks, this doesn’t deviate too much from territory covered on previous records.
I’ve written about this album extensively in the past, so all I’ll say for now is that my current favorite track is “Firecracker” and that I can’t wait to hear these songs played live next Saturday when play the Making Time party at Transit.
Who Killed the Electric Car (PG)
This is a riveting documentary that should be seen by anyone interested not only in the inner workings of the automobile industry, air quality and consumer choice, but also in global warming and other environmental issues as well. It will make you angry, but it’ll also make you stop and think as well. And with the introduction of a new line of electric cars by certain automakers over the next few years (a topic not addressed here), it makes me wonder if they’ll suffer the same fate as their predecessors or if they’ll be better promoted and thus more popular in the future.
