New Stuff
This is just a list of the newer stuff I’ve been listening to over the last few weeks. In the case of the BRITISH SEA POWER album, I’ve been listening to it for months now, but have gone back to it recently since they’re playing here next week. I’ve also listed a book and a movie here as well.
Robert Forster – The Evangelist (Yep Roc)
Well, after streaming this album on Yep Roc’s site for a while, my physical copy (signed by Forster himself) arrived recently and it’s exquisite. Not only is this one of my favorite albums of the year so far and by far Forster’s best solo Lp (it doesn’t hurt that ADELE PICKVANCE and GLENN THOMPSON, both of whom played on the last three GO-BETWEENS records, help him out here), but the packaging is delightful as well. It’s a digi-pack reminiscent of gatefold sleeve packaging with a nice lyric booklet to boot.
R.E.M. – Accelerate (Warner Brothers)
Now that I’ve finally heard this, I can confirm that the rumors are true. This is the best R.E.M. album in a long while and surprisingly, at times quite reminscent of the tale end of the I.R.S. era (in particular Life’s Rich Pageant and Document). It’s not one of their all-time best, but it feels like they’re completely revitalized for whatever reason. Old fans will love it!
Elvis Costello and the Imposters – Momofuku (Lost Highway)
Much like 2004’s The Delivery Man, this is a straightforward rock and roll record that was banged out in less than a week in February with THE IMPOSTERS and guests JENNY LEWIS, JOHNATHAN RICE and TENNESSEE THOMAS (drummer PETE THOMAS’ daughter and a member of the L.A.-based band THE LIKE). Ultimately, the high-profile guests don’t make much of a difference there (though some of the vocal harmonies are nice here). The best track here is the most uncharacteristic of most of the rest of the album. It’s “Flutter and Rose”, which almost sounds like a ‘70s AM radio hit in parts. Nevertheless, while I like this record, it’s no When I Was Cruel, perhaps my favorite Costello record since Brutal Youth or maybe even Blood and Chocolate. In part it’s because the playing of DAVEY FARRAGHER isn’t as inventive as that of BRUCE THOMAS (although he plays the older Attractions tracks really well live) and in part it’s because the songwriting isn’t quite as good as on some of his greater records. Nevertheless, longtime fans should like this one. I should also note that though I got the vinyl version with the download code, the CD comes out on Tuesday. I wish the packaging was better, though.
British Sea Power – Do You Like Rock Music? (Rough Trade)
A record I’ve rediscovered lately, I’m really looking forward to their upcoming shows here on Friday. Like a mix of JOY DIVISION and ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN circa Porcupine or Heaven Up Here, this disc doesn’t feel nostalgic or like a put-on. The fact that three albums in, they’re making the best music of their career so far and that they can write a song as wonderfully anthemic as “Waving Flags” makes me think that they’d got a bright future ahead of themselves.
American Music Club – Atwater Afternoon (Undertow)
A self-released compilation consisting of alternate versions of songs from their great new album The Golden Age as well as choice covers, this is a good listen for diehards as well as more casual fans. It’s available both at their shows and on this UK-based website here.
The Fall – Imperial Wax Solvent (Sanctuary)
I wish that I could say that this album is an improvement on last year’s so-so Reformation Post-TLC, but I would be lying. In fact, if anything this album amplifies Reformation’s worst tendencies, although thankfully there’s nothing as insufferable as “Das Boat” on here. Still, MARK E. SMITH’s vocals verge on self-parody at times and none of the songs really stick. “50 Year Old Man”, the over eleven-minute third track, even bizarrely segues into a country tune about halfway through. The bottom line is that Mark E. Smith shouldn’t be calling all of the shots. Yes it’s his band, but The Fall have always been best, generally speaking, when there was a foil in the band, whether that foil was MARC RILEY, BRIX SMITH or JULIA NAGLE. Now that he has total control, his excesses are allowed to run free. It pains me to write all this as I’m a massive fan, but I can only hope that this is a short slump in an exemplary career. Nevertheless, this album stands with Are You Are Missing Winner as one of only two Fall albums that I don’t like.
Death Cab for Cutie – Narrow Stairs (Atlantic)
As our own JACK RABID noted accurately when he also listed this album on his list this week, this album does indeed split the difference between 2005’s mellow, but gorgeous Plans and 2003’s also gorgeous but more rockin’ Transatlanticism. As such, it’s another fine work from a great band.
Nouvelle Vague – Bande A Part (Peacefrog/Luaka Bop)
This isn’t technically new, having been released in 2006, but for whatever reason I ignored it for a while until recently. It is their most recent album, though, and as such it follows the template of their first album closely. These are more amazingly well-executed bossa nova versions of punk and new wave classics ranging from THE CRAMPS’ “Human Fly” to BUZZCOCKS’ “Ever Fallen in Love” to more obscure material like THE SOUND’s “I Can’t Escape Myself”. Your feelings on this will depend upon your open-mindedness and whether or not you think it’s parody. Personally I think they pull it off (and they’re great live, too).
Norman Brannon – The Anti-Matter Anthology (Revelation, 2007)
Whether or not you remember this ‘90s post-hardcore fanzine or if you’re interested in the artists covered (everyone from ELLIOTT SMITH to JAWBOX, SAMIAM and QUICKSAND to SICK OF IT ALL, RESSURECTION and MOUTHPIECE), you’ll find something to enjoy here. For me, it was great re-reading these interviews that I remembered from the mid ‘90s. Norman had a talent for getting deep inside artists’ psyches, though it helped that he was often friends with those he interviewed. In fact, aside from Jack’s wonderful interviews in this very magazine, he conducted the best artist interviews I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading.
King Corn (Not Rated)
If you wanna know what’s wrong with our food supply and why we have an obesity crisis in this country and increasingly throughout the world as well, you could do a lot worse than to watch this engaging documentary? The only thing that I don’t like is that even though its narrators are likable, they come off as pretending to be more innocent about the subject matter than they are. Nevertheless, that’s a small flaw and shouldn’t prevent you from seeing this important documentary. You can see where it’s screening or order a copy of the DVD here.
