First Listen - Truncated Edition for the September 18 New Releases

Seeing how I was busy for half the weekend, sick for the other half, and, by my count, there were 21 new releases worth covering in some form this week, I'm forced to do a truncated First Listen this week.

Top albums I actually heard this week:

Metric - Pagans in Vegas: Metric is similar to Muse in the regard that they keep transforming themselves over time and it still generally works. I can't say this is as good as their most recent couple albums, but they're still putting out some of the more interesting music in recent times.

The Front Bottoms - Back on Top: Arguably one of the better albums of the week, a great indie rock record of the more traditional type. This band has never immediately caught me, so I'm looking forward to spending more time with it.

Meg Myers - Sorry: I talk a lot about the "dark pop" trend happening, and Meg Myers actually got me into it a few years ago with "Adelade," an all-time favorite song of mine. This album has its shares of hits and misses, but when it's on, it's on.

Rose McDowell - Cut With The Cake Knife: This album was apparently shelved for 25 years, being recorded in the late 1980s. What's interesting is how well it fits in with existing retro acts right now, and the title track is truly awesome. A little weird and different, but worth a listen this week.

Telekinesis - Ad Infinitum: Telekinesis is the best band on Merge you're not listening to. Another stellar indie-pop effort by this group that has yet to do anything wrong.

Other albums I heard this week and can recommend:

* Say Hi - Bleeders Digest
* Leigh Nash - The State I'm In
* Ought - Sun Coming Down
* Battles - La Di Da Di
* Lucero - All a Man Should Do

Other new releases this week:

* Glen Hansard - Didn't He Ramble
* Devil City Angels - Devil City Angels
* CocoRosie - Heartache City
* Chris Cornell - Higher Truth
* Dave Rawlings Machine - Nashville Obsolete
* Darlene Love - Introducing Darlene Love
* Joe Ely - Panhandle Rambler
* Blackalicious - Imani Vol. 1
* Lana Del Ray - Honeymoon
* Black Violin - Stereotypes
* Toadies - Heretics

We should be back to business next week.

The Dead Milkmen and F.O.D. Release a Split 7"

In case you need a break from streaming Ryan Adams' cover of Taylor Swift's 1989 today, there is a "lost" 7" from The Dead Milkmen and F.O.D. you can listen to. At first the bands claimed it was originally recorded in 1985 and unearthed in a label employee's parent's house, but they're now admitting the songs were recorded earlier this year in an attempt to sound like the bands did in 1985.

Now, I can't vouch for the F.O.D. songs. For some reason, I never actually made an effort to listen to them before, mostly because their reference in the Dead Milkmen classic "Nutrition" made me convinced they were a jock hardcore band. Even later on when I found out they were friends with the Milkmen and considered a good band, I just never actually checked them out. They always had this mythical element, and I was pretty sure they weren't actually real. Based on the songs on this 7", they're real and they're good. If you like your 80s hardcore thrashy, dirty, and out of control, this'll be for you.

The Dead Milkmen aped their 1985 sound perfectly for this. "If the Kids Could Git Togehter" is a perfect 80s Rodney rant. Right now, Brooklyn Vegan appears to have an exclusive on the stream, so head over there to hear it. You can order the 7" on the SRA Records website. It is set to ship on October 31. For more info on The Dead Milkmen, check out their website. For F.O.D., check them out on Facebook.

David Wax Museum - "Young Man"

Photo by Ken Sears

For the first time since discovering David Wax Museum in 2010 they have released a song I wouldn't have recognized as them. "Young Man" is an almost complete departure for the band. The Mexican-infused Americana of their previous four albums is present but barely hinted at. Instead, Wax sings in a style more reminiscent of an old time crooner, backed by electronic elements and synthesizers. There is still the trademark guitar playing and horn section, but it's really nice to see a band that has such a set and familiar style mix it up and branch out a bit. I'm still deciding where this ranks in the David Wax Museum catalog, but it has me even more intrigued for the next album.

Right now, Consequence of Sound has an exclusive stream of "Young Man," so head on over there to check it out. David Wax Museum's fifth album, Guesthouse, will be released on October 16. You can pre-order it now, and be sure to check out their tour dates. We can't recommend their live show enough.

Tanya Donelly and Bill Janovitz Cover The Kinks

I personally love it whenever Tanya Donelly (Belly, Throwing Muses, The Breeders) and Bill Janovitz (Buffalo Tom, The Needy Sons) work together. We also love covers, so when Bill and Tanya get together to cover The Kinks, we're heavily on board. The two recently recorded an acoustic cover of the 1981 Kinks song "Better Things" with Janovitz on guitar and vocal duties split. Their voices always blend together beautifully, and "Better Things" is no exception. 

Tanya Donelly and Bill Janovitz's cover of "Better Things" is available now on Janvitz's Bandcamp for $1.00. All proceeds go to the Foundation to Be Named Later. 

Guerilla Toss - Flood Dosed

Guerilla Toss is back with a brand new EP which might be their most accessible to date. Of course, this is Guerilla Toss, so even their most accessible isn't very. It starts off with "Realistic Rabbit," which features Kassie Carlson actually singing. It's a swirling mess that's beautiful in an odd sort of way. It's the audio equivalent of getting a tattoo: Sure it hurts, but it's not as painful as you expected and it's actually kind of nice in its own way. "Ritual In Light" is almost chill and is funky as hell. "Polly's Crystal" is a bizarre blend of jam band and post punk, which I never thought I'd compare a band to but it makes so much sense.

The new Guerilla Toss EP, Flood Dosed, is due out on September 25. You can stream it and pre-order it (including a cassette version) on their Bandcamp. Listen to ""Realistic Rabbit" below, and below that are their current tour dates.

9/17 Philadelphia PA @ Everybody Hits
9/18 Philadelphia PA @ Haverford College
9/19 Long Island NY @ Huntington Rd. Beach Club
9/26 Queens NY @ Riis Park Beach Bazar
9/27 Brooklyn NY @ Shea Stadium
9/28 Providence RI @ Aurora
10/3 Chicago IL @ Hyde Park Free Theater
10/9 Brooklyn NY @ Palisades
10/10 Portland ME @ Waking Windows fest
10/13 Harrisonburg VA @ Golden Pony *
10/14 Athens OH @ House Show *
10/15 Chicago IL @ Secret Location *
10/16 Toronto ON @ 8-11 Dungeon *
10/17 Montreal ON @ Drones *
10/18 Burlington VT @ The Sink *
10/19 Boston MA @ Cantab Lounge *
10/22 Poughkeepsie NY @ Vassar College
10/23 Amherst MA @ Hampshire College
10/24 Amherst MA @ Amherst College
10/31 Brooklyn NY @ Palisades

* Tour w/ Buck Gooter

Shovels & Rope - "Hush Little Rocker"

This is a cute one. To celebrate the birth of their daughter, Louisiana Jean, bandmates/married couple Shovels & Rope have released their own version of the eternally known "Hush Little Baby." They call theirs "Hush Little Rocker," and while it's obviously not going to go down as one of their classics, it's a fun and adorable way to announce a birth. In a Facebook post, they also promise to "See you in 2016 but you’ll definitely be hearing from us before then…"

Take your time, guys. I'm pretty sure you're busy right now.

Make sure you follow Shovels & Rope on Facebook and their website for more information.

Weakened Friends - Gloomy Tunes

When you call your EP Gloomy Tunes and the first song on it is called "Miserable" (which is what Portland, ME's Weakened Friends have just done), you'd expect the music to be a lot more depressing. The subject matter may be mopey, but the songs are truly fun. 

"Miserable" might include the lyrics "We're the worst kind of people," but it's this burst of 90s infused joy that successfully marries early 90s self deprecation with mid 90s power pop fuzz. "Won Yet" is as beautiful a song can be played this fast with fuzzed out guitars feeding back. This album feels like Boston in 1995 when bands like Letters to Cleo started graduating from TT the Bears to Avalon.

Gloomy Tunes is now available for the name your own price option on Weakened Friends' Bandcamp. You can listen to "Miserable" below, and be sure to give them a "like" on Facebook.


09.17.15 Dr.Martens Newbury Street - Boston MA (official EP release show) 
09.24.15 Great Scott - Allston MA 
09.26.15 Mathews - Portland ME
11.25.15 The Sinclair - Cambridge MA (The Sheila Divine record release show)

First Listen: New Releases for September 11 - Part Two

And the b-sides of this week's releases:

Artist: Garfunkel and Oates
Album: Secretions
Quick Description: Latest album from the comedy duo.
Why You Should Listen: They're really funny, and you've enjoyed their last albums.
Overall Thoughts: You know what you're getting with G&F, and the only addition to some of these redone songs is the added instrumentation. It's a fun album, and your enjoyment of it will be directly correlated with your tolerance of comedy music. I liked it.
Recommendation: Worth a listen if you're into comedy music.

Artist: Jess Glynne
Album: I Cry When I Laugh
Quick Description: Debut album from the European singer everyone's buzzing about.
Why You Should Listen: You've enjoyed the Europop I've featured here in the past; you like being ahead of the European music trends.
Overall Thoughts: I enjoyed this a lot. Some hints of that modern disco revival at times, other times it feels like a retread, and none of it feels new, but that doesn't mean it's bad. If you're looking for innovation, you might want to look elsewhere, but if you're into something a little different than the rest this week?
Recommendation: A solid listen.

Artist: Empress Of
Album: Me
Quick Description: Much-buzzed about debut indie album.
Why You Should Listen: You like pretty things; the sort of pseudo-R&B thing that so many indie rock groups are doing speaks to you.
Overall Thoughts: I struggle to describe this, actually. I feel I've heard it before, but never like this. I feel this is something special, and can't place why. It's defying a lot of my expectations as well as my ways to describe it, and that might be what makes it great. If the new Gary Clark Jr is the #1 album this week, this one is a close #2.
Recommendation: A mandatory listen. Worth a few listens.

Artist: Craig Finn
Album: Faith in the Future
Quick Description: Latest solo album from the Hold Steady frontman.
Why You Should Listen: You're still into The Hold Steady; Springsteen's still your jam.
Overall Thoughts: I'm currently in a full-blown Frank Turner addiction, and his latest album still feels like it does The Hold Steady better than The Hold Steady has of late. In that I didn't love Finn's first solo album and, frankly, haven't been loving the latest Hold Steady output, this really didn't do anything for me. Fans might feel differently, but this just feels like a bit of a miss.
Recommendation: Maybe a fans-only affair.

Artist: Shannon and the Clams
Album: Gone by the Dawn
Quick Description: A garage rock effort.
Why You Should Listen: You're looking for something a little more rockish to get the taste of the Hollywood Vampires record out of your mouth.
Overall Thoughts: The only thing worse than this group's name is this album cover, and it looks so amateurish and out there that it felt like an independent record I was supposed to avoid at all costs. I'm glad I listened, though - while there isn't a ton of standout stuff here, they're doing some interesting things musically and, once you get past the really strange first track, it might be worth it. Maybe.
Recommendation: Handle with care, but a lot of readers here might love this.

Artist: Low
Album: Ones and Sixes
Quick Description: Latest album from the indie rock favorites.
Why You Should Listen: It's Low. If you need an explanation, go listen to The Great Destroyer and then come back.
Overall Thoughts: Sometimes bands fall into a comfortable rhythm that just works. I feel like Low tried to shake themselves out of that with Drums and Guns a few years back, but the overall result as of late has been a solid effort from the band every time. Ones and Sixes is no different than their past efforts in that regard, complete with some songs you love and some songs that fill out the rest of the album in a great way. I don't know if I could dislike Low at this point, and I'm glad this isn't the album I need to find out.
Recommendation: Definitely worth your time.

Artist: The Legendary Shack Shakers
Album: Surreal Summer
Quick Description: First album in five years from the, well, legendary rockers.
Why You Should Listen: Their version fo Southern rock interests you, you're missing that sort of flair in your recent listens.
Overall Thoughts: I feel like this is a group that has an established everything. If you know them, you either like them or you don't, and if you don't know them, you think you can figure them out. They're a critic-proof band and, with the understanding that I barely qualify as a critic, this is exactly what I expected and that's all you ultimately need to know. A strong effort.
Recommendation: You ultimately know what to do.



Also out this week, round two:

* Stereophonics - Keep the Village Alive

First Listen: New Releases for September 11 - Part One

This is a very busy new release week, so we'll be splitting this one into two posts. Part two will be out tomorrow!

Album of the Week:

Artist: Gary Clark Jr
Album: The Story of Sonny Boy Slim
Quick Description: Second album by blues rocker.
Why You Should Listen: Because you like good things that impress you musically. Because you like music. Because you're a human being.
Overall Thoughts: Man, this album. I can't wait to spend more time with it because it's just so well done. I liked his first album a lot, but this one, for me, is even better. A few standout tracks, nothing that falls apart, and it doesn't feel long even at 53 minutes. Just a stellar album, and a must listen this week.
Recommendation: Album of the week by far, will deserve end of year consideration.

Artist: Ben Folds
Album: So There
Quick Description: A Ben Folds solo album with added orchestration.
Why You Should Listen: Ben Folds is always doing something interesting, and this is no different.
Overall Thoughts: Even when he fails, he's still worth listening to, so So There is an interesting listen in the context that it's better than it looks on paper, but not quite as good as you feel it could be at any specific time. Clearly a labor of love and a significant effort/undertaking, but I'm not sure this is something a lot of Folds's fans would necessarily go back to.
Recommendation: Absolutely worth a listen, but it might not be for you.

Artist: Micachu and The Shapes
Album: Good Sad Happy Bad
Quick Description: A fractured art pop album from a project more recently known for film scores.
Why You Should Listen: You like a challenge; prior Micachu efforts have been worth your while.
Overall Thoughts: This is absolutely a challenging listen, but also might not be very good, if we're being blunt. I didn't really enjoy this, it's probably a bit too off the beaten path for me in this specific genre.
Recommendation: You'll know within moments if it's for you, but most should probably be wary.

Artist: Hollywood Vampires
Album: Hollywood Vampires
Quick Description: Alice Cooper and Johnny Depp collaborate on a tribute to 1960s/70s rock music.
Why You Should Listen: The Darkness is a serious band for you; you still listen to Alice Cooper.
Overall Thoughts: I'm going to be honest here. I can't take this seriously at all, no matter how much I can appreciate the history behind the Hollywood Vampires and what this revival/tribute means. A collection of rock covers, the tongue just isn't in cheek enough for me to enjoy it as camp, and the effort just not really good enough to take as truly sincere.
Recommendation: If the description makes you curious, you'll like this. If you're sideeyeing the whole thing, move along.

Artist: Duran Duran
Album: Paper Gods
Quick Description: Latest album from the 80s rock superstars.
Why You Should Listen: You still think Duran Duran has it; you're trying to find out if Duran Duran still has it.
Overall Thoughts: It's too easy to grade what are essentially legacy acts on a scale. Duran Duran arguably hasn't been relevant since the mid-1990s, and some might argue that it was even earlier than that. Astronaut, their last effort, was lacking, and this is definitely an improvement. There's no "Rio" to be found, but there might be a "Union of the Snake" in here somewhere. Overall, a good listen that might have improved with a less crowded week.
Recommendation: Worth a listen at some point.

Artist: Beirut
Album: No No No
Quick Description: Latest album from the indie pop favorites.
Why You Should Listen: Beirut is a band that's been worth attention for a while, and this is sort of a return to form.
Overall Thoughts: I didn't realize how much I missed the Beirut that sounded more like this until I heard this album. It's stark and stripped down and perhaps isn't as jaunty as my memory remembers Beirut, but it's still a pretty well-done album even if it's on the short end.
Recommendation: A good listen this week, and worth your time.

Artist: Jewel
Album: Picking Up the Pieces
Quick Description: Latest album by folk crossover superstar Jewel.
Why You Should Listen: You really shouldn't. No, I'm warning you.
Overall Thoughts: I don't even dislike Jewel. Everyone liked Pieces of You, but I even found her weird pop star phase to be fun and "These Hands" is not a terrible song. Yeah, the country thing was misguided but whatever. This? This is dull. This is really uninspired, and I can honestly say that it's one of the few albums I have ever outright given up on midway through. It's not good.
Recommendation: Don't do it.


Also out this week, part one:

* Phil Cook - Southland Mission

Primetime - "Anyway"

Primetime's "Anyway" is one of the more interesting songs I've heard in a while. It runs about 1/2 a step slower than it feels like it should based on the intensity. It sounds like they're trying to be a poppier (and British) Sleater-Kinney, even though it's more discordant than Sleater-Kinney have been in multiple albums. It's one of those increasingly rare songs that isn't trying to reinvent music or punk, but uses pre-existing elements in a way that is incredibly fresh. It makes even us old guys realize that we recognize all the pieces but have no idea how Primetime is assembling them. And before we get a chance to figure it out, the song just kind of ends after less than two minutes.

You can listen to "Anyway" below. To keep tabs on Primetime, follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and their Bandcamp.