Week 2 Roundup - What's up in Week 3

This past week has been a busy one. New music is out and there is a lot to get to. One of my favourite magazines is The Wire. Specializing in the non-mainstream where one can thankfully learn of many different types of music. Periodically they give out cd's or downloads with their issues. For the January 2010 issue they've given the 2nd installment of their 'Below The Radar' series which is about 2-cd's worth of new musik. If I remember correctly, this first volume was a bit better to my ears. Still, this edition has some VERY interesting material on it and I was turned on to some artists I wasn't previously familiar with like: Carlos Giffoni, Leisure High, & Leyland Kirby whose contributions I quite enjoyed.

There were quite a few other new releases out this week. Apparently the "big" one is Vampire Weekend-"Contra". Well, I guess y'all can colour me not so impressed. Way too much hype on a band that is ultimately on the road to completely re-making Paul Simon's "Graceland" 20 + years after the fact. Do we really need that? I have mixed feelings here. The blatant Paul Simon moments ARE eye rollers and yet, there is some great music within to enjoy. "Giving up the Gun" is a good dance number, "Horchata" and "Cousins" play out well and the rest is kind of there. I'll bestow a 2 1/2 star rating based on rip-off (unoriginality) factor and what I call the "chintz-bag" factor clocking in again in the 30 minutes range. What have they been doing for 2 years? Overspending all the money from the overrated debut?

Ok, let's get to what REALLY moved me this week... I'm going to give my TOP picks for record of the week #2. However, I'm have a tie!!! So I have 2 records to bestow my honor upon. First up is Bettie Serveert-"Pharmacy Of Love". After coming in back in 2006 with "Bare Stripped Naked" a welcome return, they have continued to evolve on this record and it's really solid. I give it a 4 star rating and spotlight pick. Highlights on this album include: "Deny All, Semaphore, The Pharmacy & Calling". These 4 tracks are my favourites. My other pick for record of the week is the new one from Laura Veirs-"July Flame". Gorgeous and nearly perfect. I give it a 4 1/2 star rating. She has an excellent band on her with some beautiful contributions to backing vocals from Jim James of My Morning Jacket that are really special. Great songs, 7 of which I found to be just perfect. Thank you Laura for a fantastic new record!!!

Insound is an online music retailer who I've followed for many years. Last year they got into the business of giving away free what they call "The Insound Digital Mixtape". They have a brand new January issue that is packed with tracks from upcoming releases. I was treated to lots of new great upcoming treats from bands like: AFCGT, Efterklang, The Morning Benders, Titus Andronicus, The Album Leaf, Beach House, Basia Bulat, Follow That Bird!, Retribution Gospel Choir (Alan Sparhawk of LOW), Oh No Ono, Silver Swans, Fucked Up & Portraits of Past. As you can tell I'm excited about what's coming out soon. All of the trax from the above bands were excellent!!

Kria Brekkan is an unusual girl who must be influenced by Bjork in some way. She has a new EP out called "Uterus Water". I can't describe it all but I can say it's an original listen and she is an interesting talent worth noting. The new album from Bowerbirds (A husband/wife duo)-"Upper Air" (2009) is beautiful. This is their 2nd record and it's just stellar. I give it 4 1/2 stars. A newer band called We Were Promised Jetpacks, which is essentially a one man show released the debut "These Four Walls" this past summer. What a sonic treat this record is! I give it 4 1/2 stars as well and it really rocked my world. He does have a bit of pattern-sameness in the bass playing that pops up occasionally but he can still craft a great song and this album is a joy to listen to!

After gushing over the last release from Plants & Animals that I just LOVE, I had to check out their earlier releases. Their S/T debut is from 2005 and is a mostly acoustic instrumental affair. Just lovely. Then in 2007 they released an EP "With/Avec" that continued on in nearly the same vein but did stretch out their sound quite a bit. Neither of these releases were a precursor to what they did on the 2008 "Parc Avenue" which I can't rave enough about!!!

Ok, also out this week is the new release from Freedy Johnston-"Rain On The City". In the past, Freedy has put out some great records. The early reviews on this album are strong so I was excited to hear it. It's NOT "This Perfect World" or "You Can Fly". I had a ho-hum reaction to half of it. I really like half and the other songs are there. Highlights for me are: "Lonely Penny, Rain On The City, Central Station, Don't Fall In Love With A Lonely Girl, & It's Gonna Come Back To You". I give the album a 3 star rating.

The lastest 2009 release from the fantastic Cass McCombs-"Catacombs" is really quite great once you get past the first few numbers! I don't know why the beginning trax were not drawing me in and then all of a sudden this record got good, really good! Now, bizarrely, the opposite of the that is the latest 2009 release from The Minus 5-"Killingsworth". It began with some really excellent songs! Then it just was like blah blah blah after that for me. I ended up with disappointment. Produced by Scott from the Minus 5 is the 2009 release from Young Fresh Fellows-"I Think This Is" which has it's moments but is not nearly as good as anything they did in the 90s. I think "New Day I Hate" is like the only standout track on this album!

I made it to my first concert of the year seeing Willy Mason open for A.A. Bondy at the Casbah in San Diego. Willy was fantastic. His voice is beautiful. His songs seemed to be (cut?) short. Perhaps I just wanted them to go on? I can't believe he doesn't have any new record out in the past 2 years! Perhaps he's disheartened to put anything out in case no-one buys it. That's sad because what a waste of a great talent. I really enjoyed hearing/seeing him live. A.A. Bondy was a wonderful treat live, just like my buddy Michael in Michigan told me he would be. The sonics were excellent. The 3-man band created a joyous sound. It was interesting how the drum set was only used for 3 songs as the drummer also played steel guitar and other instruments. It was a great set and nearly 1 1/2 hours worth. Very nice way to start the year. I relistened to the 2 A.A. Bondy albums this week "American Hearts" (2007) & "When The Devils Loose" (2009) which are both excellent albums that I give major push to. Definitely worth your attention if you aren't familiar.

Liquid Soul have been putting out techno for years. A new release out this week collects 2-cd's worth of remixes titled "Cocktails" (2010). Instrumental techno dance jams that sound really great on headphones. This is a really good collection of a bunch of their singles over the years. I give it a good 4 star rating.

I'm still checking out other releases out this week and last so check back next time for some more reviews on new releases by: Ok Go, JPLS, Final Fantasy, Red Sparowes, Silver Swans, Courtney Jaye & Frank Turner... to name drop a few!

Alright now we are off to the new releases out tomorrow for week #3 of 2010.

JAN 19

1. KEVIN BARKER-“YOU AND ME” (HE’S WORKED WITH DEVENDRA BANHART, JOANNA NEWSOM, ANTONY, VESPERS…) (1/19)

2. COLD WAR KIDS-“BEHAVE YOURSELF” [EP] (1/19)

3. EDITORS-“IN THIS LIGHT AND ON THIS EVENING” (U.S. EDITION WITH BONUS MATERIAL) (1/19)

4. EELS-“END TIMES” (1/19)

5. DARKO ESSER-“BALANS” (1/15)

6. JOSEPHINE FOSTER-“GRAPHIC AS A STAR” (1/19)

7. CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG (& BECK)-“IRM” (1/19)

8. JON DEE GRAHAM-“IT’S NOT AS BAD AS IT LOOKS” (1/19)

9. HORSE STORIES-“NOVEMBER, NOVEMBER” (ON THE PERFECT BLACK SWAN LABEL WITH TOBY BURKE BACK IN THE BAND) (LISTED IN JAN 2010 UNCUT) (IT’S AVAILABLE AS AN LP THAT COMES WITH A CD AND ON ITUNES ON 1/19)

10. THE HOT RATS-“TURN ONS” (SUPERGRASS SIDE PROJECT) (1/19)

11. DAWN LANDES-“SWEET HEART RODEO” (U.S. EDITION) (1/19)

12. MAJOR STARS-“RETURN TO FORM” (1/19)

13. SPOON-“TRANSFERENCE” (7.99) (1/19)

14. WORM OUROBOROS-“S/T” (MEMBERS OF AMBER ASYLUM & THE GAULT & WORLD EATER) (1/19)

15. FRANCK ROGER-“CIRCLES/THE HILL” (1/15/10) + “DON’T LEAVE ME/FLASHBACK” (1/15/10) + “HE’S EVERYWHERE/CANYONS TALK” (1/15) + “NEW WORLD/HD 3000” (1/15) + “RAWSOME/THE SPOT” (1/15) + “TURN ME OVER/MIND ILLUSIONS” (1/15) + “WARRIORS/RAISE YOUR HAND” (1/15) + “YEAH PRETORIA” (1/15)

16. RICHARD SKELTON-“LANDINGS” (1/15)

17. VARIOUS ARTISTS-“GOT NO CHAINS: THE SONGS OF THE WALKABOUTS” (2-CD) (1/22) (LISTED UNDER AMAZON DOWNLOADS ONLY BUT UNCUT JAN 2010 SAYS IT’S A 2-CD OUT ON GLITTERHOUSE…) (1/19)

Noone can say that nothing new in music is happening. It's all happening so check back here to find out what it is! Until next time... MTJR