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Spiritualized – Songs in A & E (Sanctuary)
A complete return to form after the letdown of 2003’s so-so Amazing Grace, this is also a deeply moving song cycle that captures frontman JASON PIERCE’s battle against the disease that almost took his life. This is uncomfortable listening at times, especially with such harrowing material as “Borrowed Your Gun”, but it’s quite moving.
Jay Reatard – “Painted Shut” EP (Matador)
The second in a series of six limited edition 7” releases that Jay is undertaking for Matador to help promote his forthcoming album (which will contain all the singles) is here and like the first one and just about everything he’s recorded since his landmark 2006 album Blood Visions, it’s a corker. Both songs, including the 1:51 long A-side and especially the B-side, “An Ugly Death”, which is almost twice as long, once again display the influence of New Zealand indie-pop bands such as THE CLEAN. I can’t wait for #3! Oh and this one is on red vinyl, too!
Foals – Antidotes (Sub Pop)
After listening to this extremely promising, energetic and danceable debut from this much-hyped U.K. post-punk group (yes another one, but they’re good; really!), they remind me a lot of XTC circa the manic energy of Go 2 and especially Drums and Wires. My fiancee hears Q AND NOT U, however, and while that didn’t jump out at me, it makes perfect sense because of the jittery rhythms, jagged riffs, and dance-party vibe. This isn’t like recent, electro-heavy records by such groups as THE RAPTURE and !!!, though. Fortunately, guitars that sound like razor blades (though thankfully not in the great but much imitated style of GANG OF FOUR’s ANDY GILL) provide the rhythms here, giving the sound an edge that it would otherwise lack.
The real test, however, is whether they can produce a good second album. So many U.K. bands have succumbed to the sophomore slump in the last few years, but I’m hopeful they can be an exception.
Guided by Voices – Human Amusements at Hourly Rates: The Best of Guided by Voices (Matador)
For many years, I resisted the charms of this legendary band. It’s only in the last few years that I’ve truly begun to appreciate the depth of their catalog, even on a limited basis. A perfect example of this is this absolutely excellent “greatest hits” compilation. I put greatest hits in quotation marks because none of these songs were really hits of any sort, but to fans, songs ranging from Bee Thousand’s “Hot Freaks” to the Universal Truths and Cycles show-stopper “Everywhere with Helicopter” are all part of their own personal greatest hits and that’s what really matters anyway. One should note that the 2003 compilation sold separately contains the same tracks, but in a different order (and not chronologically sequenced), as this version from the Hardcore UFOs box set. I recommend getting this version, only because the progression from their lo-fi beginnings to their comparatively more hi-fi later years (with human riff machine DOUG GILLARD as BOB POLLARD’s primary foil) is much clearer this way.
Elvis Costello – Momofuku (Lost Highway)
I have a theory regarding Elvis Costello’s more recent records. Every six years, he records an absolute gem that while not quite reaching the heights of his incredible 1977-82 run or his other highlights from the Columbia years (which lasted up to 1986), spends a lot of time in my CD or record (I bought the vinyl version of this one) player. In 1996, we got the underrated and gorgeous All This Useless Beauty. Then in 2002, we got When I Was Cruel, perhaps his finest album since 1986’s incredible Blood and Chocolate. And now in 2008, there’s this gem. “Flutter and Rose” (one of this raging album’s quieter ballads) is still my favorite song here, but others, including the opener “No Hiding Place”, the great “Turpentine” and “Stellla Hurt” come very close. Look for another great Costello album in 2014!
Scary Monster – Makeout Party at Werewolf House (Modern Soul)
This will be the only record that this short-lived but great Philadelphia indie-pop will leave behind because singer, guitarist, and primary songwriter NEAL RAMIREZ is moving to California in a few weeks. Nevertheless, such song titles as “Hot Chocolate Girl” (a play on BEAT HAPPENING’s “Hot Chocolate Boy”, later covered by HOLE) and “True Love” (written in tribute to DANIEL JOHNSTON’s “True Love Will Find You in the End”) should give you an idea of where this band is coming from. If you miss the heyday of K, Sarah, Wiiija, Teenbeat, and the general indie-pop and twee explosion of the early to mid-‘90s, you’ll love this band. Ramirez is a poignant lyricist, too, with references to Philadelphia abounding in songs such as “Love Park”. Other than the fact that they’re breaking up, the only other downside that I can think of is that this CD doesn’t have their tribute to former SMALL FACTORY drummer PHOEBE SUMMERSQUASH, but that shouldn’t stop you from checking this out. Go see their last show ever on June 14th, opening for their heroes TULLYCRAFT at the Barbary!
Mission of Burma – Signals, Calls and Marches (Ace of Hearts/Rykodisc/Matador)
As of yet, I still haven’t picked up any of Matador’s recent reissues, but I did pull this one out recently in anticipation of their upcoming shows where they will play this EP and the incredible 1982 high-water mark Vs. in their entirety. To be honest, though I love this EP and though it’s more immediate than Vs., they were still formulating their sound and the debt owed to U.K. post-punkers THE FALL, WIRE, and THE CURE (during their early years) is on display here. Nevertheless, it contains classics including “This is Not a Photograph”, the great instrumental “All World Cowboy Romance”, and of course the mind-blowing and often-covered “That’s When I Reach My Revolver”. It also doesn’t hurt that the CD version includes the “Academy Fight Song” single, too! Thus, it hints at the incredible powerhouse they would later become and miraculously, still remain after 25 years!
Wire – “One of Us”
The first song available from their upcoming Object 47 full-length leads me to believe that it’ll be a good one. It reminds me of the ‘80s version of this great band, like “Kidney Bingos” or “Eardrum Buzz” but without the annoying ‘80s production and with more guitar. Bring on Object 47!
John Darnielle – Master of Reality (Continuum, 2008)
I read this over a month ago but forgot to put it on my list then. Even if you’re a MOUNTAIN GOATS fan, you may not know about Darnielle’s writing and in particular about his unexpected and passionate love for heavy metal. Fans of BLACK SABBATH and Master of Reality in particular will also enjoy reading this.
Robert Crumb – R. Crumb’s Heroes of Blues, Jazz and Country (Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 2006)
Really credited to three other authors (including TERRY ZWIGOFF, who wrote the introduction and directed the 1994 documentary Crumb), this is a book version of Crumb’s baseball card-like trading cards comprised of pre-war blues, country, and jazz legends ranging from the well-known to the incredibly obscure. There’s biographical information about each artist as well.
