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10 Recent Releases I Like with Initial Listens but Need to Spend More Time With
Best Coast – Fade Away EP (Jewel City)
I love the two songs that are reprised from their great Record Store Day 7” from earlier this year, but need to really dig into the rest.
Radioactivity – Radioactivity (Dirtnap)
This is a new project from members of The Marked Men, Mind Spiders and other recent Texas punk bands. On first listen, it was more like The Marked Men than last year’s terrific Mind Spiders Lp Meltdown or their brand new one Inhumanistic (see item #3 below).
Mind Spiders – Inhumanistic (Dirtnap)
The follow-up to last year’s Meltdown seems, at least on first listen, to be a little less synth-punk oriented and a bit closer to Mark Ryan‘s other projects, but this still has more of a new-wave or even post-punk sound.
Deltron 3030 – Event II (Deltron Partners/Bulk Recordings)
Del the Funky Homosapien, Kid Koala and Dan the Automator along with guest stars ranging from actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt to chef David Chang equal a very listenable hip-hop album.
Mrs. Magician – B-Sides (Swami)
On first listen, I dug this collection, but not as much as Strange Heaven (one of my favorites of the last few years). Then again, their debut took a while to grow on me as well, so I need to stick with this one.
Dean Wareham – Emancipated Hearts (self-released)
Amazingly, other than an obscure EP from 1991, this is the first release under Dean Wareham’s own name in his entire career, which has now spanned a quarter of a century with Galaxie 500, Luna and Dean and Britta.
Mazzy Star – Seasons of the Day (Rhymes of an Hour)
Their first album in 17 years (their last one was 1996’s Among My Swan) doesn’t deviate one iota from their patented formula and as such, it is sad, gorgeous, meditative and pensive. In spots, it even reminds me of the ultra-hushed atmosphere of the Beth Gibbons and Rustin Man collaboration Out of Season.
Joanna Gruesome – Weird Sister (Slumberland)
If you ever wondered what Huggy Bear would’ve sounded like with more of a pronounced shoegaze or dream-pop influence, you can now find out.
Parquet Courts – Tally All the Things that You Broke EP (What’s Your Rupture?)
On first listen, this seems to pick up right where Light Up Gold left off and that is a very good thing.
Tommy Keene – Excitement at Your Feet: The Tommy Keene Covers Album (Little A)
This is, to be completely honest, my first exposure to Tommy Keene, and I like what he does (i.e. the power-pop treatment) to songs I love by Echo and the Bunnymen, Donovan and Big Star, just to mention a few.
