First Listen: New Releases for January 14

Another somewhat busy week. Let's dive right in:

The Crystal Method - The Crystal Method: To think they've been doing this for 20 years now... I loved Vegas in high school, but I can't say I've been a huge fan of theirs since. With the whole dubstep thing, the sort of music they've made feels a little more out of place, but their new self-titled album is probably my favorite release this week. It sounds like a Crystal Method album while still remaining relevant to the electronic music that's currently what people are listening to. And it has a LeAnn Rimes song on it. Go figure. Worth a listen, in any regard.

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings - Give the People What They Want: If there's a group that is more consistently solid from album to album than Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, I don't know who they are. Give the People What They Want is exactly what they do, with a quick hit of an album that's got the same sort of retro revivalist feel that we've come to expect. It's fun, she's great, and nothing will surprise you with this album, which is ultimately what you're looking for.

Railroad Earth - Last of the Outlaws: If you like your Americana to have more of a jam band flavor to it, you'd be smart to check out Railroad Earth. Their latest is perhaps one of their better albums on first listen. It doesn't overstay its welcome, it has a number of solid songs from start to finish, and it's got a lot to appeal to a number of different tastes. I'm somewhat surprised they're not more popular than they are, but perhaps the genre lines they straddle are not as defined as some others. Definitely worth a look.

Supersuckers - Get the Hell: Believe it or not, this is my first experience with the Supersuckers. I know they've been around forever, but this is the first time I've consciously heard them. Get the Hell is a solid album in a lot of regards - if you like rockabilly, or punk, or mid-1990s-style rock, there's something to like here. People who are fans of their older stuff may come into this with some trepidation, so I can't recommend this with their older stuff in line, but if you're looking for a group that's been around for a while and can still bring the rock, this is a good choice.




Also out this week:

* Lucinda Williams - Lucinda Williams (a reissue of her debut)
* Bruce Springsteen - High Hopes
* Blackie and the Rodeo Kings - South

Lady Lamb the Beekeeper - "All I Really Want To Do"

We love covers here at If It's Too Loud..., and we also love Lady Lamb the Beekeeper. This works out fantastic since she has just released a free song on her Bandcamp, which is a cover of Bob Dylan's "All I Really Want To Do." This version of the song isn't Bob Dylan's version, but Cher's cover of the song which is either hipper or less hip, I'm not really sure. Aly Sparrow's version is unflinchingly faithful to Cher's version and might be this year's folk/disco anthem. Plus, it's free, which we also love here at If It's Too Loud...

Head on over to Lady Lamb the Beekeeper's Bandcamp page to download the song for free. While you're there, you can also check out some of her earlier, self-produced work.

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First Listen: New Releases for January 7

And we're back! We got a few good new releases to start out the new year, so let's dive right in.

Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks - Wig Out at Jagbags: I was never really a fan of Pavement, which I understand is indie rock heresy, but there it is. His first solo album, however, really did it for me. Loved a lot of the songs on there, and it remains a favorite to this day. I haven't loved much more of his solo output, so this new album wasn't something I was expecting to enjoy. Thankfully, if you want to call it a "return to form," or just a solid release, you could do any of that. Wig Out at Jagbags is a solid effort from start to finish, offering a lot to like in songs like "Lariat" and "Cinnamon and Lesbians" while not sticking around so long that you want to give up. Definitely worth a listen, especially if you've been away from the Malkmus stuff for a while.

John Newman - Tribute: John Newman hit the scene recently with electronic act Rudimental, getting a #1 song in the UK with "Feel the Love," a killer song. Newman put out an EP last year with four songs, and his first full-length, Tribute, finally gets a United States release this week. Unfortunately, the four songs on the EP are the standout tracks on what ends up being a bit of a downer of an album. Feels like a lot more filler than really anything, which is especially disappointing given that every song he's released up to this point has been stellar. The British 1960s revival singers keep on coming, and it will be interesting to see if Newman has staying power, but for the moment...

Self Defense Family - Try Me: Self Defense Family, formerly End of a Year, puts out an album that has a lot going for it from time to time, doing the sort of spoken word rock music that sometimes works and sometimes doesn't, but then the album is dragged down by 20 minute monologues, turning the album into less of a musical experience and more of an art project. You might be into this sort of thing, you might not, but it's an album that works in some ways and not in others.





Also out this week:

* Peter Gabriel - Scratch My Back and I'll Scratch Yours

This is a Thing That Exists: The First Video for Macauley Culkin's Pizza Themed Velvet Underground Tribute Band

Fresh off Macauley Culkin's residual check for all the Christmas viewings of Home Alone comes the first video for The Pizza Underground, his pizza themed Velvet Underground tribute band. Basically, they take classic Velvet Underground and Lou Reed songs and change the lyrics much like "Weird Al" Yanlkovic so they are about pizza instead of heroin. It's obviously not meant to be taken seriously, but it just makes me wonder how this whole thing got started. They've already played an actual live show, which means they have to be somewhat serious even if it's a novelty act. Plus, where on earth do you get that pizza wallpaper?

Ken's Best Albums of 2013: #1: Lady Lamb the Beekeeper - Ripely Pine

Not only is this the best album of 2013, it might be the best album released in the past 15-20 years. The fact that Jeff only listed Ripely Pine at #9 has made me stop speaking to him. It's by far the most unique and wonderfully unexpected album of this century. I had high expectations based on Aly Sparrow's previous, self-released work (which you can check out on her Bandcamp page). While some songs on Ripely Pine were previously released, this album completely reimagines and rearranges them into fully realized, brilliant offerings. It's like if someone handed you acoustic demos, and then a year later they became Pet Sounds. Yes, that may seem like absurdly high praise, but it's truly warranted. I've been making a joke that this album inspired Neutral Milk Hotel to reform. My favorite part is how every song just shocks you with complete tempo and stylistic changes, and usually multiple times. Just as you get used to a song and start to categorize it, it will just take a bizarre twist into another direction. Even the few songs that stay the same throughout surprise you since you stop expecting the ordinary. 

My only complaint about this album is that she's only 23.

For more information, including tour dates which you absolutely must attend, head on over to Lady Lamb the Beekeeper's website. You can also stream Ripely Pine below.

Ken's Best Albums of 2013: #2: Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside - "Untamed Beast"

This site is on the verge of becoming an unofficial Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside fanpage, with my live review, Jeff's review of their latest EP, and both Jeff and I picking Untamed Beast as our pick for #2 album of 2013. Unfortunately, this appears to be their swan song as they announced their break up on their Facebook page. 

Sallie Ford has already announced and played her first show with her new all-female band under the name Sallie Ford. As excited as I am to hear her new band, I'm also a bit hesitant because I love this album so much. I never got into the white girl soul thing of Adele and Amy Winehouse. Sallie Ford adds a new indie rock twist to it. Pair that with her lyrics just dripping with unabashed sex and you get a concoction that has a little more originality. There is also a strong rockabilly touch to the songs, and I can't tell if that's Sallie Ford or guitarist Jeff Munger. "Paris" has one of my favorite lyrics in years, comparing thinking of a lover while being in Paris with a parasite. I'll keep listening to Untamed Beast while I excitedly but hesitantly wait for Sallie Ford's next move.

Head over to Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside's website for more information, and most likely some updates on their next steps. You can also stream "Untamed Beast" below.

Ken's Best Albums of 2013: #3: Lee Ranaldo & The Dust - Lecce, Leaving

What I find most interesting about each member of Sonic Youth's post Sonic Youth output is how diverse, yet still within the Sonic Youth universe it all is. Thurston's Chelsea Light Moving is the heavier, more punk side. Kim Gordon's Body/Head is more experiemental element, much more like their SYR series. Lee Ranaldo's first album with The Dust (which features SY's Steve Shelley on drums) takes and expands on the more psychedelic output SY had been playing with. There is still some of the noise and aggression, but he adds a melody little seen before. Given my own personal taste, I'm surprised I like this more than the other two Sonic Youth releases this year. Maybe since Lee always had kind of a third songwriter role in Sonic Youth that he feels less obligated by or bound to a previous style. 

Head on over to Lee Ranaldo's website to get some more information, including current tour dates. You can also listen to the full album Lecce, Leaving below.

Ken's Best Albums of 2013: #4: Laura Stevenson - Wheel

It appears Jeff and I finally agree on a release, and it makes sense. He was the one who introduced me to Laura Stevenson and her song "Masters of Art." "Masters of Art is quite possibly one of the most perfect indie pop songs ever recorded. While nothing on Wheel quite captures that level, it's by far her most solid album yet.

Even though she used to be in Bomb the Music Industry, there is virtually no sign of her pop punk/ska past in this collection of songs. They exist somewhere between folk and indie pop, with some leaning a bit more heavily towards one of the sides than another. She has always reminded me of Tanya Donelly's earlier solo work. On Wheel, "Runner" is the obvious single and by far the most poppy and catchiest song on the album. "Bells & Whistles" and "Eleanora" are my own personal favorites. Be warned, though. I went to see Laura Stevenson earlier this year, and as great as the show was, I was the oldest person there by at least 10 years. She definitely has a strong college age following, which gives me hope for the twerking youngsters.

Laura Stevenson only has one date planned so far for 2014, but head on over to her website for the details and to purchase a Ken and Jeff approved album! You can also stream the whole thing below.

Ken's Best Albums of 2013: #5: Chelsea Light Moving

Since Sonic Youth is my favorite all time band, I couldn't wait to hear what the various members are getting up to now that Sonic Youth is seemingly done. Even when I first heard The Eternal, something about it seemed final and I fully expected it to be their last. Of course, the way the band ended was the one way I couldn't accept, and it makes me want to hate Thurston Moore's new project, Chelsea Light Moving. Fortunately (Unfortunately?), I still love this album. 

It sounds more like a more polished Evol era Sonic Youth, but Thurston is allowed to explore his more punk and metal influences more than he ever did in Sonic Youth. "Sleeping Where I Fall" starts off like a typical Sonic Youth song, but devolves into European death metal sludge. The psychedelia of the last few Sonic Youth albums is almost completely gone (despite "Groovy & Linda" being a song title) and has been replaced with much more aggression and controlled chaos. The album isn't perfect. "Lip" is probably the weakest song, with it's chorus of "too fucking bad" repeated so many times I probably would have felt uncomfortable at 14. "Frank O'Hara Hit" is my personal favorite, somehow combining the metal sound of Helmet with Sonic Youth's punk side and groovier side.

Chelsea Light Moving doesn't have any scheduled tour dates right now, but check out their website for some more info, and to watch some official live videos show at a friend's party in Northampton earlier this year. You can also stream their self-titled debut below.

Free Music Alert at Google Play

No idea how long this Google Music sale is going for, but two albums you should note as being free: Kanye West's Yeezus and CHVRCHES The Bones of What You Believe. Plenty of other great stuff, but those two freebies are worth your time to click.