The Debut album from Surfer Blood-"Astro Coast" was just released and it's fantastic!! At first I was a little thrown off due to the fact that first track was rather uneventful. In fact, it passed me by so quickly that I had to relisten to it and deemed it unremarkable. That's where it ended. After the first track this album delivered! It's exciting to me like last year I was gushing over Pains of Being Pure at Heart and Cut Off Your Hands. 2 bands I REALLY enjoyed in 2009. This is a 4 1/2 star debut. Love it!!!
Worm Ouroboros have a S/T debut out as well and it's interesting. Kind of "gothic" but in a mellow way. The female singer made me think that if Jarboe had decided to have a mellow weekend, then perhaps she would put out an album that sounded just like this. Some of the songs though just didn't engage me much so I can only bestow a 3 star rating....
Kevin Barker, who has worked with Devendra Banhart, Antony & The Johnsons, Joanna Newsom, Vashti Bunyan, Vetiver & Espers as well as many others made me VERY intrigued to hear his own work. His album is titled "You and Me" (2010). Well, I was surprised. This could be a long lost CSN&Y disc from the mid 70's! It really got better and better. It's a mellow sunny afternoon sort of record and there are some great songs on here. My favourite trax are: You and Me, I Will Fly & Bless You On Your Way. I give it a high 4 star rating.
Horse Stories are back with a new record last week entitled "November, November" and it's a beauty. These guys put out beautifully understated alt-country and I wish for them that more people were listening! This is a great record, which is either their 3rd or 4th (I'm not sure) but I love it. I just read that they are doing a free show at the Silverlake Lounge in the Silverlake area of Los Angeles on Feb 15th. Yes, I would love to be there! I give this new album a 4 1/2 rating.
Dawn Landes returns with her new album "Sweet Heart Rodeo" which is quite a departure from her previous work. May I just first say that she delivers my favourite single of January!!! It's called "Young Girl" and it's just excellent! The video is really great too. Therefore I was really excited to hear this new record. UGH!!!! This album was TOTALLY frustrating. For the most part it was every OTHER song that was good on this album and the BAD songs in between were just cringe inducing. Why? Well, that's what I want to know!!! Songs like: Romeo, Love, Clown, Wandering Eye UGH! They just needed to be deleted and perhaps deliver a strong EP instead of this crap. I was bummed to say the least since I know she worthy of MUCH better. Therefore I can really only give it 2 1/2 stars and that is a sad situation for me....
An interesting new debut from a band called Dinowalrus - "%" is the name of it is interesting in parts and obnoxious in others. I've no idea what they are really trying to pull off here but it's low-fi and fun in areas and I couldn't wait for it to end in others. I'm giving it the same rating as Dawn Landes because I felt that when they were good, it was good and so I could see their potential so the drawn out obnoxious parts were just indulgent and uncalled for... I'd like to hear more-better!
Cold War Kids have a new EP before they drop a new full length. It's called "Behave Yourself". Oh, it's OK, but I wasn't loving it. One track I totally dug and the rest was just there. 2 stars boys....
What's turned out to me my early morning record this month is the previously reviewed Glass Rock cd "Tall Firs Meet Soft Location" which was out the beginning of this month Jan 2010. It's a mellow groove that just keeps bringing me back and I love this album the more I listen to it. Definitely will be in my TOPS for Jan 2010!!!
I was checking out again the Lindstrom & Christabelle new release "Real Life Is No Cool" also previously reviewed and I stick by my earlier synopsis that the middle part is really cool and the rest just isn't quite what it could be...
Editors just released the U.S. Edition of their latest "In This Light And On This Evening " album with bonus trax. It's an interesting 3rd album. It's nothing like their first two. May I just say that their debut, like Elbow and The Shore is just PERFECTION!!!! It's another one my top records of the decade for the 2000's. This new one isn't all that. They've gone off in several different directions. It's not bad, I'll even give it almost strong 4 star rating. However, I wish they would ROCK!!!!! They did it soooooo well on their debut and frankly, I miss it!!! I don't want them to repeat that album, but I would love for them to jam again. Until they do that I may not ever love them as much again.....
This next album I'm not sure yet if I totally hate it or if I really subliminally LOVE it!!! It's one of those things. It definitely wins a frustration of the month award, if there were such a thing. It's the latest from Joan As Policewoman titled "Cover". Perhaps she could have at least changed her moniker for this album to: Joan as Funky Soul Sister. I kept thinking I was listening to a soundtrack to a lost blaxploitation film. I know she's had the potential with her R & B background but this just came out of nowhere especially after her last really mellow album "To Survive". I was just shocked throughout so I couldn't tell if she was serious or not or if it was genius or real crap! A real conundrum for me!!!! She also has an extremely bizarre cover of David Bowie's "Sweet Thing" that I'm sure I must hate? See what I mean? I'm perplexed. This means I'll have to listen again soon and see if I can have something more definitive to say on this matter. You go Joan??? You decide!
The Walkabouts, an EXTREMELY underrated band in the past 25 (!!!!) years FINALLY get the tribute album honors. Or is it? I found myself not being much impressed here with the covers album. I think they didn't do justice to this band at all. Disc 2 is the originals by the Walkabouts and trust me they kick ass all over the covers! So it was essentially like a little "best of" to me. I've loved this band for so many years after my good buddy Michael Austin turned me on to them in his basement den of musical iniquity. Ah, the good old days. I sure wish I had someone to share those with often these days.... Anyway, if you aren't familiar with the Walkabouts, well shame on you and get busy and turn yourself onto a catalogue of music that will surely delight anyone remotely interested in good music.
I'm going to give this next record my favourite listen of this week award!! It's the latest from Jon Dee Graham & The Fighting Cocks-"It's Not As Bad As It Looks". This new album from Jon is freaking GREAT!!!! He sounds so beaten down and tired and REAL and the songs are excellent. I really was taken in throughout this album and wouldn't have stopped until it was over even if my roof had been caving in! I really think it's a strong album for him and I give it a high 4 1/2 rating. One of the best releases of Jan 2010 for sure.
That's all I have for right now music freaks. MUCH MUCH more is yet to come in the week #4 of 2010 roundup next week. What a month January has been. I'll be giving my favourites of 2010 so far and lots more reviews.....
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