Audio By Carbonatix
Artist: Xiu XiuTitle: Dear God, I Hate MyselfRelease date: February 23Label: Kill Rock Stars
Is anyone else looking forward to the baseball season? Outside of listening to and making music, following baseball is my primary hobby. Living most of my life in Michigan, Indiana, and the Chicago area, I always felt guilty when I sat around with a baseball game on TV when the summer weather was so conducive to not sitting around.
Here, during the summer, there’s little to do but sit around. And a couple of years ago, I subscribed to the cable TV baseball package Extra Innings. Just about every game being played was on TV. It was great, unless you were my wife.
She’d come home from work to find a Royals-Indians game, or some equally lame game, on TV. I eventually ditched the package because it was always on, to the point that I even recognized it was unhealthy.
I know, a lot of people think baseball’s really boring. Sure, games can drag on and the season is really long, but I’ve always found it an interesting game. I guess it’s a matter of taste — and who can really define that? A lot of my friends hate baseball, but that doesn’t mean I think any less of them. I’m sure I have a few friends who love Xiu Xiu. Again, I’m not going hold their taste against them.
Anyway, baseball season’s coming and I’m looking forward to it. What about you?
Best song: Ask the good guys over at Electric Mustache. They love Xiu Xiu.Rotation: LowDeja Vu: Ironic bullshit with a dose of video-game music and a singer who sounds like Morrissey if Morrissey were really weak with illness.I’d rather listen to: Yeasayer — but not MidlakeGrade: D+ (At least the songs “Chocolate Makes You Happy” and “Dear God, I Hate Myself” are sorta catchy and the song title “This Too Shall Pass Away” is pretty great.)
“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
March 16 — Drive By Truckers: The Big To-DoMarch 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-)
