First Listen: New Releases for May 6
I can't tell you how good it feels to have a week jam-packed with new releases AND have them all be high-quality releases from top to bottom. Everyone can find a winner from this week's offerings. Andrew Jackson Jihad - Christmas Island : I'm a fairly recent convert to Andrew Jackson Jihad, a band that combines the melodic/instrumental sensibilities of The Mountain Goats with the best irreverent parts of the anti-folk movement. Christmas Island is their fifth album, and it's certainly their most ambitious from a musical level with a lot of the same craziness of their previous. Leadoff track and single "Temple Grandin" is a fuzzed out blast, and the album continues along a bit of a madcap vein throughout. I fully recognize that this band isn't for everyone (my wife in particular is displeased with them in general), but if this is truly your thing, you're in for a treat. Fujiya and Miyagi - Artificial Sweeteners : I first heard Fujiya and Miyagi...