Beach House – Teen Dream (Sub Pop)
Thankfully, Beach House picks up right they left off on 2008’s wonderful Devotion with Teen Dream, their first release on Sub Pop. With dream-pop as wonderful as the sublime, COCTEAU TWINS-esque “Norway”, I’d take a dozen records just like this.
Title Tracks – It Was Easy (Dischord)
Title Tracks is the solo project of JOHN DAVIS, the former drummer of defunct Dischord stalwarts Q AND NOT U and one half of the now also defunct but wonderful duo GEORGIE JAMES.
I’m happy to report that just like on their previously released 7” single (which features “Every Little Bit Hurts”, also on the full-length), It Was Easy picks up right where Georgie James’ Places left off. That is, smack dab in the late ’70s and with enough of a power pop jones that any of these songs could’ve made it onto one of Rhino’s DIY series comps. Think SLOAN channeling their ’70s power pop as opposed to equally crucial ’70’s hard rock influences (so more BIG STAR and THE RASPBERRIES than CHEAP TRICK or KISS) and you’re almost there.
Initially, there isn’t anything quite as catchy as Places‘ incredible “Need Your Needs”, but hopefully continued listening will make me like this one as much as Places.
Various Artists – Songs for Chris Knox (Merge)
Last June, TALL DWARFS singer and New Zealand indie-pop legend CHRIS KNOX suffered a life-altering stroke. As a result, this benefit double CD full of friends, fans and contemporaries was recorded and will be released soon. If you pre-order now, you’ll get access to the digital files in a few days.
The roster includes American indie stalwarts like YO LA TENGO, STEPHEN MERRITT, BILL CALLAHAN and WILL OLDHAM (who does a beautiful version of “My Only Friend”) alongside New Zealand contemporaries such as THE CHILLS, THE BATS, HAMISH KILGOUR, THE VERLAINES, his Tall Dwarfs bandmate ALEC BATHGATE and tons of others as well.
In the frankly mostly awful genre of tribute albums, this would stand head and shoulders above most of the rest even if it wasn’t for such a worthwhile cause.
Rodriguez – Cold Fact (Light in the Attic)
I definitely missed the boat on this 1970 lost classic when it first got reissued in 2008 by the great Light in the Attic label, but boy am I glad that I finally heard it a few months ago. This album has the best elements of mid ’60s BOB DYLAN, LOVE and the street poetry of mid ’60s proto-punk acts like THE FUGS rolled in one! That’s not to say that Rodriguez sounds like anyone other than himself, though. It’s late ’60s/early ’70s folk-rock with incredible vocals, great songs and a punk rock attitude on songs like “Rich Folks’ Hoax,” “Crucify Your Mind,” Inner City Blues” (not the MARVIN GAYE song) and of course, “Sugarman”, which rivals anything on CURTIS MAYFIELD‘s Superfly (or the aforementioned Fugs or for that matter, DAVID PEEL AND THE LOWER EAST SIDE) soundtrack for its explicit drug references.
Spiritualized – Ladies and Gentlemen…We Are Floating in Space (Dedicated)
I’ve been on a bit of a Spiritualized kick recently, so it’s appropriate that I went back to this, the first one of theirs I heard back when it came out. It’s still an absolute stunner, one of the best albums of the ’90s and their best overall.
Spiritualized – Let It Come Down (Arista)
Although I loved this album when it came out back in 2001, I hadn’t listened to it in many years until a few days ago. While not quite as strong as Ladies and Gentlemen…, it’s still a great album that contains “Out of Sight”, perhaps my favorite Spiritualized track and an absolute stunner of a song that never fails to give me goosebumps. Other tracks on here like “The Straight and the Narrow” are almost as good, too.
The Parasites – Pair of Sides (Shredder)
This is an album that I first purchased when I was 16 or so and loved. However, I sold it at some point, but found a copy of it for $5 or so in the last year. I finally gave it a listen a few weeks ago and it holds up really well. Often filed under pop-punk, this album is actually closer to late ’70s LA power pop like THE NERVES, 20/20, or THE BEAT, though more roughly recorded than any of those bands save for maybe The Nerves.
NIKKI PARASITE‘s songs are so catchy that they’ll stay in your brain for days and though fellow songwriter RONNIE PARASITE (who would later leave the band)‘s songs are billed as harder-edged, they don’t skimp on the melody, either, so the silly lyrics of songs like “New Voice” can be easily overlooked.
A few years later, most of this album would be issued on CD as Pair, but be wary of that release as Ronnie’s songs were taken out and replaced with more of Nikki’s. This version is sadly out-of-print, but can be found here.
Gray Matter – Take It Back (Dischord)
I’m happy to report that after years of being out of print on vinyl, Gray Matter’s crowning achievement has finally been reissued. And what a delight it is! Side 1 features both sides of the original 12” EP and while Side 2 is filled up by four songs that were originally on a double 7” that was recorded when they reunited in 1990 and that came out in 1991. I like these songs a lot, but they can’t quite compare to the fire and the fury of Gray Matter’s original incarnation. The reissue even replicates the original 12”‘s colored vinyl (albeit it’s swirly brown and grey as opposed to maroon) and poster as well and like all the Dischord “Silver Sonya” reissues (both vinyl and CD), it sounds excellent as well. Highly recommended!
Can – Ege Bamyasi (Spoon)
This is my favorite DAMO SUZUKI-era Can album.
The Bats – Thousands of Tiny Luminous Spheres (Flying Nun)
Released in 2000, this wonderful compilation is perhaps the best place to start for those new to the charms of The Bats. Containing tracks from each album up to that point, including 1987’s Daddy’s Highway, the consensus choice for their best album. Still, my favorite track on here is “Smoking Her Wings” from 1990’s The Law of Things. This compilation also features rare tracks such as “Spill the Beans” from the EP of the same name and others that hadn’t appeared anywhere else before.
