Audio By Carbonatix
The new releases are piling up here at Nothing Not New HQ, and I hate to see them not getting some blogspace. So I’m going to employ the “quick hit” approach and give you my thoughts on a handful of records about which I probably wouldn’t get a chance to write full posts.
Let me know what you think about some of these records if you heard them . . .
Toro Y Moi — Causers of This: I’ve been questioned by readers about why I continue to listen to electronica records even though I’m not enthralled by the genre. Maybe it’s because I’ll hear one someday that will turn me around. I did like Causers of This more than most I’ve heard this year, mostly because of hip-hop beats keep these trance-y chill-out tunes moving along. Still . . . not a convert yet.
Freedy Johnston — Rain on the City: Longtime quirky singer-songwriter comes out with another collection of the kind of expertly crafted and timeless power-pop nuggets that the kids unfortunately have little use for these days. Best song: the bulletproof “Don’t Fall in Love with a Lonely Girl.”
The Nadas — Almanac: One-hit wonders return with concept album about 12 months in the year of a band (The Nadas) that probably weren’t really that interesting to begin with. It’s totally serviceable jangle pop that will offend no one.
Austin Collins and the Rainbirds — Wrong Control: Perfectly competent if not terribly exciting alt-country/southern rock/college rock that goes the extra mile to throw some dirt on Collins’ pretty-boy vocals. Gin Blossoms fans will dig.
Gemma Ray — It’s a Shame About Ray: British songstress with a sweet voice takes a stripped-down and dirtied-up approach to pop music and re-imagines a whole mess of covers by such acts as Gun Club, Mudhoney, Lee Hazlewood, Sonic Youth, Gallon Drunk, Sinatra, Everly Brothers, and Elvis. Fun in small doses.
The Kissaway Trail — Sleep Mountain: The Kissaway Trail’s music sounds like it was recorded solely for inclusion on the Where the Wild Things Are soundtrack. It’s that derivative. And more importantly, it instantly sounds passé, as most music does when Hollywood starts to exploit a genre in its movies.
Merle Haggard — I Am What I Am: Hag sounds really good on his new record, better than anyone could’ve anticipated actually. As is often the case with old-timers making records, the songs deal with bittersweet nostalgia and twilight-of-our-lives stuff, but Haggard’s lively delivery and strong voice make this record seem more like a night out at a honky-tonk than a requiem. Don’t expect the emotional depth of the Johnny Cash American Recordings, but I Am What I Am shows Haggard can still write a tune.
MiniBoone — Big Changes: This Brooklyn band is an rising star in the blogosphere. I don’t know, their nerds-who-sorta-rock thing isn’t really working for me, but then again, I’ve gone on the record as saying the Talking Heads are the most overrated rock band of all time. Thing is, on this six-song there are flashes of straight-ahead power pop brilliance. If I were producing this band, I’d tell them to stop trying so hard to be unconventional and quirky.
Nothing Not New” is a yearlong project in which New Times editorial operations manager Jay Bennett, a 40-year-old music fan and musician, will listen only to music released in 2010. Each Monday through Friday, he will listen to one new record (no best ofs, reissues, or concert recordings) and write about it. Why? Because in the words of his editor, Martin Cizmar, he suffers from “aesthetic atrophy,” a wasting away of one’s ability to embrace new and different music as one ages. Read more about this all-too-common ailment here.
The “Nothing Not New” Archives
April 27 — Unnatural Helpers: Cracked Love & Other Drugs (B+)April 26 — Harlan T. Bobo: Sucker (A-)
April 23 — Roky Erickson and Okkervil River: True Love Cast Out All Evil (A-)April 22 — Caribou: Swim (D)April 21 — The Apples in Stereo: Travellers in Space and Time (C-)April 20 — Jakob Dylan: Women + Country (D+)April 19 — Cornershop: Judy Sucks a Lemon for Breakfast (C)
April 16 — Frightened Rabbit: The Winter of Mixed Drinks (B+)April 15 — Coheed and Cambria: Year of the Black Rainbow (D-)April 14 — Foxy Shazam: Foxy Shazam (D, later changed to a B)April 13 — MGMT: Congratulations (B+)April 12 — Odds ‘n’ Sods: Robyn Hitchcock, RJD2, Scorpions, and More
April 9 — Murder by Death: Good Morning, Magpie (B-)April 8 — Harlem: Hippies (C+)April 7 — Slow Club: Yeah, So (B)April 6 — Black Francis: NonStopErotik (B+)April 5 — Growing: Pumps! (F)
April 2 — Holly Golightly and the Brokeoffs: Medicine County (B)April 1 — Dum Dum Girls: I Will Be (A-)March 31 — The Dillinger Escape Plan: Option Paralysis (B+)March 30 — Local Natives: Gorilla Manor (B)March 29 — The Bird and the Bee: Interpreting the Masters: Hall & Oates (C)
March 26 — Eddy Current Suppression Ring: Rush to Relax (C+)March 25 — Let’s Wrestle: In the Court of the Wrestling Let’s (B)March 24 — Goldfrapp: Head First (D)March 23 — She & Him: Volume 2 (A-)March 22 — Broken Bells: Broken Bells (C+)
March 19 — Locksley: Be In Love (B)March 18 — jj: jj no. 3 (C-)March 17 — Xiu Xiu: Dear God, I Hate Myself (D+)March 16 — Drive By Truckers: The Big To-Do (B-)March 15 — April Smith and the Great Picture Show: Songs for a Sinking Ship (C)
March 12 — The Morning Benders: Big Echo (C+)March 11 — Black Rebel Motorcycle Club: Beat the Devil’s Tattoos (B)March 10 — Acrassicauda: Only the Dead See the End of War (C-)March 9 — Titus Andronicus: The Monitor (B+)March 8 — Ted Leo and the Pharmacists: The Brutalist Bricks (A)
March 5 — Liars: Sisterworld (A-)March 4 — Gorillaz: Plastic Beach (A-)March 3 — Johnny Cash: American VI: Ain’t No Grave (B+)March 2 — High on Fire: Snakes for the Divine (C)March 1 — Joanna Newsom: Have One on Me (C)
Feb. 26 — Freeway & Jake One: The Stimulus Package (D)Feb. 25 — Past Lives: Tapestry of Webs (B-)Feb. 24 — Shout Out Louds: Work (B)Feb. 23 — Brian Jonestown Massacre: Who Killed Sgt. Pepper? (B+)Feb. 22 — Shearwater: The Golden Archipelago (D+)
Feb. 19 — The Strange Boys: Be Brave (B+)Feb. 18 — Tindersticks: Falling Down a Mountain (A)Feb. 17 — Lightspeed Champion: Life Is Sweet! Nice to Meet You (C-)Feb. 16 — Adam Green: Minor Love (B-)Feb. 15 — Juliana Hatfield: Peace & Love (B+)
Feb. 12 — Massive Attack: Heligoland (C-)Feb. 11 — The Watson Twins: Talking to You, Talking to Me (C-)Feb. 10 — Hot Chip: One Life Stand (B+)Feb. 9 — You Say Party! We Say Die!: XXXX (B+)Feb. 8 — Allison Moorer: Crows (B)
Feb. 5 — Joe Pug: Messenger (C)Feb. 4 — The Soft Pack: The Soft Pack (A)Feb. 3 — Polysics: Absolute Polysics (B-)Feb. 2 — Pierced Arrows: Descending Shadows (A-)Feb. 1 — The Brunettes: Paper Doll (B-)
Jan. 29 — Basia Bulat: Heart of My Own (C)Jan. 28 — Priestess: Prior to the Fire (B)Jan. 27 — The Magnetic Fields: Realism (B)Jan. 26 — Four Tet: There Is Love in You (D)Jan. 25 — Delphic: Acolyte (C+)
Jan. 22 — The Hot Rats: Turn Ons (B+)Jan. 21 — Los Campesinos!: Romance Is Boring (A-)Jan. 20 — Midlake: The Courage of Others (D-)Jan. 19 — Laura Veirs: July Flame (B+)Jan. 18 — Beach House: Teen Dream (C)
Jan. 15 — Charlotte Gainsbourg: IRM (B)Jan. 14 — OK Go: Of the Blue Colour of the Sky (D)Jan. 13 — Eels: End Times (A-)Jan. 12 — Spoon: Transference (B)Jan. 11 — Editors: In This Light and On This Evening (D+)
Jan. 8 — Surfer Blood: Astro Coast (B+)Jan. 7 — Yeasayer: Odd Blood (C-)Jan. 6 — Cold War Kids: Behave Yourself EP (B+)Jan. 5 — Vampire Weekend: Contra (D+)Jan. 4 — Texas Tornados: Está Bueno! (B)
Jan. 1 — Scanners: Submarine (B-)
