Blog rededication

I have decided to change the focus of this blog, or rather, acknowledge what the focus has become. Henceforward, this blog will solely be used as an outlet for my thoughts about music, particularly recommending good new music. Instead of discontinuing the recommendations when I finish the reviews of albums released in 2007, it will be an ongoing project. Most reviews will be of recently released music, but I will occasionally throw in a recommendation for something older. I am going to try to post more frequently, as I have discovered how to compose blog posts on my cell phone while in transit. The point will not be to write reviews that can compete with major sites like Pitchfork Media, but to improve my writing skills with a lot of practice while expressing my thoughts about my primary obsession, music.

Magnolia Electric Co.: Sojourner

Magnolia Electric Co.: Sojourner
Secretly Canadian: 8/7/2007

UPDATE: I have corrected a factual error because of a reader comment. Thank you, Anonymous.

Sojourner, Magnolia Electric Co.'s box set of demos, consists of four CDs and one DVD, as well as a ton of promotional bric-a-brac. I only care about the music, so i just downloaded the digital version from Emusic. As a single album of twenty-two tracks, Sojourner probably holds together better than it does as four separate CDs, I suspect. The album is great for long, cross-town bus trips of the sort I take twice daily. This is not just because most of the songs are about travel. All the demos on Sojourner are mature and well-developed, some even more so than their studio counterparts that have appeared previously. Sojourner shows that Magnolia Electric Co. is at its best when its charm shines unobscured by glossy production.

John Vanderslice: Emerald City

John Vanderslice: Emerald City
Barsuk: 7/24/2004

I'm pretty sure this album is an analysis of the American political landscape since 9/11, but I can't be completely sure. Vanderslice's lyrics are impenetrable, but lots of references lead me to that conclusion. If I'm wrong, then at least Emerald City is a series of narratives that contain critical analysis of current events as a backdrop. By critical, I don't mean in the judgmental sense, but in the sense of close and thoughtful scrutiny. It's impossible to determine exactly where Vanderslice (or his characters) stands on any issue. Perhaps it's not really important. What matters is that Vanderslice establishes detailed scenes that provide context for the emotional content of his lyrics. As rock singer/songwriter records go, Emerald City is among the smartest and most engaging I've heard.

Nine Inch Nails: Year Zero

Nine Inch Nails: Year Zero
Interscope: 4/17/2007

Listening to Year Zero, one might question whether Trent Reznor has made much progress emotionally since getting clean. After all, Year Zero is as angry as any other Nine Inch Nails album. The difference, though, is that Reznor's rage is now directed outward rather than inward. Reznor is done beating himself up; he now has a target much more worthy of hate.

Though Year Zero is set in a dystopian future, like all good sci-fi allegories, it's really a commentary about what's going on here and now. One might be tempted to point out that there is nothing original left to say about the Bush administration, as every recording artist outside of country music has recorded material criticizing the President. But that would be missing the point. What makes Year Zero so superior to most anti-Bush music is Reznor's talent for evoking terror. There is plenty to be afraid of, and Reznor exploits all of it. Every aspect of the current administration's unprecedented consolidation of power is carried out to its logical end, demonstrating the potential for the end of liberty in America. Bush doesn't carry all the blame, as Reznor points the finger at all of us, we who have passively given away our own civil liberties so our leaders could "protect" us. I cannot think of a more intelligent and biting critique of post-9/11 culture than Year Zero, save for Radiohead's stunning Hail to the Thief.

A Sunny Day in Glasgow: Scribble Mural Comic Journal

A Sunny Day in Glasgow: Scribble Mural Comic Journal
Notenuf: 2/13/2007

Cocteau Twins basically shot their wad artistically with their 1990 masterpiece Heaven or Las Vegas, after which they departed 4AD for major-label greatness that never materialized. However, their final EP, 1995's Otherness, a collaboration with Seefeel's Mark Clifford, recycled two of their best 4AD-period songs and two adequate later songs to gorgeous effect. Had Cocteau Twins not split and had Clifford joined them permanently, they might have sounded something like A Sunny Day in Glasgow.

A Sunny Day in Glasgow are one of a number of great bands currently resurrecting the shoegaze sound of the 90s. They are not adhering to a shoegaze template wholesale, however, as they integrate elements of C86, Projekt-style darkwave, and even a little bit of ambient techno. Despite influences drawn from what many regard today as ancient history, A Sunny Day in Glasgow manage to make something unique and new. Scribble Mural Comic Journal is sure to please people who never let go of the hope that someone, someday would start making subtle, pretty music again.

Deerhoof: Friend Opportunity

Deerhoof: Friend Opportunity
Kill Rock Stars: 1/23/2007

Friend Opportunity is as impenetrable as anything Deerhoof has done since I have been following them, but strangely more accessible. Deerhoof have never gotten any less weird, but their songs are catchier and take less effort to enjoy with each successive album. It's still difficult, if not impossible, to identify any particular songwriting approach in their music. Each song barely hangs together, and it seems that a light breeze could make it all fall apart. Tempos jerk forward and abruptly decelerate, simulating the sensation of riding in a car with a clogged fuel filter. However, these are among the most melodic songs Deerhoof have ever made. Fittingly, Friend Opportunity's charm lies in contradictions that are surprising even for Deerhoof, whose career is built on paradoxy.

Linda Thompson: Versatile Heart

Linda Thompson: Versatile Heart
Rounder: 8/14/2007

Despite the schmaltzy cover art, Versatile Heart is a darkly sad album. Though most of the songs were written by other people, there's a striking consistency in mood throughout. Thompson's sorrowful voice expresses all the facets of mourning expertly. She plays the roles of lonely aging mother, self-pitying drunkard, conflicted ex-lover, and ennui-ridden materialist so convincingly that she makes all the songs her own. Even the traditional "Katy Cruel," of which dozens of versions by as many artists have been released in the past two years, seems custom-made for Thompson. I have always had an affection for depressing music, which may explain why I find Versatile Heart so satisfying. It definitely ranks among the saddest albums of the year.

Grinderman: Grinderman

Grinderman: Grinderman
Anti-: 4/10/2007

A few years ago, I met Lydia Lunch at a local gallery where she was showing some of her photography. Stupidly, the only thing I thought to ask her about was the Immaculate Consumptive shows she did in 1984 with Clint Ruin, Marc Almond and Nick Cave. I can only imagine how annoying this might have been to her. She is an accomplished woman with many years in the arts, including fiction, poetry and photography, and all I could manage to ask was something like, "What was it like working with Nick Cave?" I couldn't help it though. I have always wished I had been there to experience the Immaculate Consumptive. The energy must have been so exhilarating, with four of the most original minds in music collaborating in various combinations on the same stage. This was when Cave was still verile and aggressive, and his performances must have been stunning.

With Grinderman, the aggression that was a hallmark of Cave's early work is back. Not that I'm complaining about the tenderness of his more recent work with the Bad Seeds, as I love that aspect as well. But make no mistake - Cave will still fuck you in half using only his giant moustache. Grinderman is lascivious and perverse and should probably be registered as a sex offender. Cave manages to make euphemisms for fucking sound even dirtier than direct references. At the age of 50, Cave is finally old enough to pull off the dirty old man/DILF vibe and make you believe it. Grinderman is the kind of album that will put you on your back on a lazy susan and spin you hard. Just lay back and enjoy the ride.

Welcome Wisconsin visitors!

Since posting my review of Pale Young Gentlemen's album yesterday, this blog has gotten a handful of visitors from Wisconsin, which is where the band happens to be from. It might be wishful thinking on my part that the visits are from band members themselves, but who knows? In any case, I heartily welcome the visitors from Wisconsin and encourage them to leave comments if they wish. This goes for everyone else, too.

Okkervil River: The Stage Names

Okkervil River: The Stage Names
Jagjaguwar: 8/7/2007

Two years ago, Okkervil River's previous album, Black Sheep Boy, quickly became one of my all-time favorite albums ever made. When I first read about the impending release of The Stage Names a few months ago, I tried to curb my excitement. I feared that the new album wouldn't accomplish anything near the beauty of its predecessor and that I would be disappointed. Much to my delight, The Stage Names has far surpassed my lowered expectations. Though Black Sheep Boy is still my favorite Okkervil River album, The Stage Names comes in a close second.

While Black Sheep Boy alternated between crushing disillusionment and self-righteous rage, the mood on The Stage Names is hope not fully extinguished by disappointment. Its themes are unrealized dreams of fame, delusions of grandeur, theater as escape, and self-reinvention. Will Sheff's wit has grown even more formidable since Black Sheep Boy, judging poets and porn stars on equal footing. The album's climax and finest moment is "John Allyn Smith Sails," in which the 1972 suicide of poet John Berryman is strangely recast as triumph courtesy of a surge into the Beach Boys' "Sloop John B." Like its predecessor, The Stage Names is a smart, scathing, compassionate record that's among the most beautiful ever made.

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists: Living With the Living

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists: Living With the Living
Touch & Go: 3/20/2007

I used to think I hated American music, or most of it anyway. I developed a snobbery about music in my teen years as a result of my exposure to the Gothic/industrial scene, which prized obscurity over quality. I was convinced that music had to be weird to be good, and that very little good music was being made in the States. While it is true that most American music is made for the lowest common denominator, I naively ignored the possibility that just beneath the surface of MTV- and radio-friendly AOR was a wealth of great and inventive music.

Sadly, I didn't begin to shed these prejudices until 2003, when I started attending a major university. Significantly older than my peers, I felt like a fish out of water. I heard chatter about bands I had never heard of, that didn't receive the media overexposure that had turned me off of American music ten years previous. Gradually, I began opening my mind and I was impressed by much of what I heard.

Though I had heard of Ted Leo and the Pharmacists four years ago, it wasn't until Living With the Living came out that I got around to listening to them. I think if I'd heard this album at the age of 16, I would have dismissed it without giving it a chance. Now at the age of 30, I have enough humility to give almost anything an opportunity to impress me, which Living With the Living has. On the surface, it seems pretty conventional. But Leo's an extraordinary songwriter. His songs are energetic, aggressive, anthemic, nostalgic, and all sorts of other adjectives I can't think of at the moment. Every time I listen to it, this album reveals new facets that I hadn't heard before. I am not exaggerating when I say that I relish every single second of it. Living With the Living now represents what I have come to love about the finest American music.

Pale Young Gentlemen: Pale Young Gentlemen

Pale Young Gentlemen: Pale Young Gentlemen
self-released: 4/2/2007

Considering the emergence and relative success of a number Central and Eastern European-influenced bands in the past few years, one might think that authentic music from this region would become popular in the West, too. Sadly, this has not yet happened. I can't help but feel bad for praise-worthy bands in places like Romania and Hungary that are struggling to achieve notoriety outside their homelands, while American groups are benefiting from coopting inidgenous sounds and making them more culturally palatable for Western audiences.

This guilt is short-lived, though, as groups like Pale Young Gentlemen make such amazing and inventive music. Pale Young Gentlemen are somewhat more moderate in temperament than their peers - less somber than Beirut, less circusy than Man Man. This is not to say that their music is any less enthralling than that of their contemporaries. Their debut is rich with literary narratives and extravagant arrangements. I'm awestruck at how a self-released debut can sound so professional that it outshines almost all of the music released this year by scene veterans on both indie and major labels.

The Pipettes: We Are the Pipettes

The Pipettes: We Are the Pipettes
Cherry Tree: 10/2/2007

Imagine a parallel universe in which the influences of The Supremes and The Stooges spawned a proto-punk/Motown hybrid genre. The notion isn't that far-fetched. The two groups' dynasties in southeasten Michigan overlapped from the late 60s to mid 70s. Geographic and temporal proximity have given birth to new musical forms throughout history, and these are often stranger than the scenario I've described. Even John Cage and Woody Guthrie were friends and exchanged musical ideas, so why not The Supremes and The Stooges?

The Pipettes are precisely what I imagine coming out of such a syncretic interaction. They have revived the mid 60s girl-group paradigm which, in contrast to the Spice Girls model, emphasized solid songwriting as well as production. Today's girl groups like Pussycat Dolls can pose and vamp until they turn blue, but they just don't make you believe it like The Pipettes do. The Pipettes seem completely at ease with their sexual appetites and don't need to beat you over the head with it. Their songs are much edgier and more frank about sexual topics than their frothier counterparts. Genuine female sexual aggression is still taboo in Western society, but The Pipettes carry it off with an "I don't give a fuck what you think" attitude. In this sense, The Pipettes strike a sensible medium between the subdued euphemistic sexuality of The Supremes and the deliberately confrontational exhibitionism of The Stooges. As someone who loves both, it's great to hear such a well-executed fusion.

Handsome Furs: Plague Park

Handsome Furs: Plague Park
Sub Pop: 5/22/2007

Handsome Furs is yet another permutation of the extended Frog Eyes/Wolf Parade/Sunset Rubdown/Swan Lake family. It's hard to sort out who's who when it seems that new side projects are announced at a rate of once per week. But the confusion is worth it when the result of the clusterfuck of musical collaboration in British Columbia is one outstanding record after another. Plague Park is the latest in a string of gems to emerge in the past few years.

Handsome Furs is Wolf Parade guitarist and singer Dan Boeckner's side-project with his poet wife, Alexei Perry. It's to be expected that there are enormous similaritied between Plague Park and Wolf Parade's Apologies to the Queen Mary, but as a vehicle for his own ideas, Handsome Furs succeeds in establishing its own identity. Largely due to entrusting a drum machine with all percussion duties, there is a restraint present on Plague Park that Wolf Parade lacks. While Apologies' charm lies in its ramshackle feel, Plague Park exploits the tension of Boeckner's guitar and voice writhing like caged animals against the bars of a dispassionate rhythm. Far from being the vanity exercise that most side-projects become, Plague Park proves that Boeckner is both indispensable to Wolf Parade and a talented, capable artist in his own right. The album suggests Perry's potential as well. I look forward to her inevitable participation in collaborations with other Canadian artists. Might I suggest a project with Leslie Feist, Owen Pallett and Carey Mercer? I think a name like Platypus Cotillion would be fitting.

Things to come and sad, sad news

First, I want to express my deepest condolences to Genesis Breyer P-Orridge and the rest of PTV3 for the loss of Gen's artistic and life partner, Lady Jaye Breyer P-Orridge. She passed away unexpectedly Tuesday.

At least four new recommendations will be published soon, but they will probably wait until after the weekend. I have a paper due Sunday, so my efforts will be concentrated there.

Radiohead: In Rainbows

Radiohead: In Rainbows
self-released: 10/10/2007

In Rainbows is probably the least anticipated record since their debut. I say this only because we didn't have time to anticipate it. Mere weeks passed between "We've finished mixing the record" and "Surprise! Pre-order the download!" Radiohead, now free from the bondage of major label hell, are testing a new business model in which a record can be recorded and unleashed upon the public in a matter of days. If this weren't cool enough, they let us name our own price for the download-only, no-frills version. How cool is that? Incidentally, the download comes without cover art and many fans have taken to creating their own. I created this image in under a minute and I think it definitely expresses the feel of the album.

Like with every Radiohead record before it, In Rainbows struck me funny upon first listen. It definitely wasn't what I was expecting, but when have Radiohead ever given their fans what they expected? I am listening it to the album for the fourth time since downloading it earlier this afternoon and it keeps getting more brilliant. In Rainbows finds the band exploring new territory once again. Actually, I'd be surprised to hear them covering old territory. But do not fret - this album is still swimming in vintage Radiohead weirdness, just more so. "Nude", one of my favorites so far, I would go so far to describe as blue-eyed soul, or at least a reimagining of the genre through Thom Yorke's demented imagination. In Rainbows is full of nuances and will probably take months to understand. This is probably why reviews haven't appeared yet on any of the hipster sites (that I know of); much like earlier Radiohead albums, it's an equally demanding and rewarding listen, requiring careful scrutiny and patience before it reveals its essence.

Beirut: The Flying Club Cup

Beirut: The Flying Club Cup
Ba Da Bing: 10/9/2007

Zach Condon's recent claim that The Flying Club Cup sounded radically different than his debut, Gulag Orkestar, rings hollow in retrospect. That's not a bad thing, though, because the last album was brilliant. If anything, The Flying Club Cup sounds even more like Gulag Orkestar. The biggest difference is that the Balkan influences have been mixed with French and Iberian influences. The breathtaking horn arrangements are still present, though somewhat more complex than before. Beirut's new album is nothing like a radical departure from the debut. Fortunately, there's a lot more territory to explore in Beirut's sound before it gets boring.

A Place to Bury Strangers: A Place to Bury Strangers

A Place to Bury Strangers: A Place to Bury Strangers
Killer Pimp: 8/7/2007

A Place to Bury Strangers has been hailed by some critics as the Second Coming (in the biblical sense, not the Stone Roses sense) of My Bloody Valentine. I can definitely see their point; melodies and voices condense in a sea of feedback and reverb, only to dissolve back into the froth moments later. Being a MBV fan, I love that, no matter who does it. But the album's best moments are just as informed by The Human League, Clan of Xymox, Skinny Puppy and Pornography-era Cure as they are by the godfathers of shoegaze. Many of the songs wouldn't seem out of place played in a mid-90s goth club. I'm an unabashed sentimentalist for the music I enjoyed as a teenager, so this album is a you-got-chocolate-in-my-peanut-butter kind of experience for me. The only thing that could further enhance my enjoyment of A Place to Bury Strangers is a clove cigarette.

Thurston Moore: Trees Outside the Academy

Thurston Moore: Trees Outside the Academy
Ecstatic Peace: 9/18/2007

Considering Thurston Moore's reputation as somewhat of an avant-garde artists (even on Sonic Youth records), the cover and the title of this record, I was expecting experimental, meandering guitar compositions along the lines of Rhys Chatham. Imagine my surprise upon finding that Trees Outside the Academy is a pop album, or at least as close to a pop album Moore can possibly muster. Hearing Moore without the often abrasive hallmarks of a Sonic Youth album takes some getting used to, but the album is very well executed. Almost all of the songs are fine examples of Moore's songwriting talents, even with their gooey sentimentalism. He isn't above using a worn cliché here and there, but he always twists and distorts them to make them his own. If he had omitted "Free Noise Among Friends" and "Thurston @ 13", two frankly annoying tracks, Trees would have been close to perfect.

Siouxsie: Mantaray

Siouxsie: Mantaray
Decca: 10/2/2007

I have to admit that I'm nowhere near objective about this album. I once had every Siouxsie & The Banshees album and listened to all of them constantly. I have been waiting more than ten years for this album, ever since the Banshees originally broke up. Siouxsie and her husband, Budgie, soldiered on as The Creatures, but they have never matched the beauty of any of the Banshees albums (except the downright terrible Join Hands).

I began salivating buckets when I heard that this album had been completed and would soon be released. I tried not to get my hopes up too much, for fear of disappointment. Luckily, Mantaray has surpassed my expectations. Most of the songs are great, better than most of Peepshow and The Rapture in fact. Siouxsie's new songs, while more mature and more pop-oriented than anything else she's done, come close to matching the energy of "Cities in Dust" or the melancholia of "Rhapsody". I was surprised to find out that Budgie had no part in the album, but the three separate percussionists definitely augment a number of the songs, particularly on "Into a Swan". I hope this is the first of many solo albums for Siouxsie.

Les Savy Fav: Let's Stay Friends

Les Savy Fav: Let's Stay Friends
French Kiss: 9/18/2007

I have to admit I've never followed Les Savy Fav. I didn't like most of Inches, the 2004 retrospective that everyone but me seemed crazy about. However, I'm really getting into Let's Stay Friends. I found Les Savy Fav's earliest singles, appearing near the end of Inches, quite abrasive. The new album strikes a great balance between coarse songs and melodic ones, even switching back and forth within the same song. There's some pretty sweet guitar lines, too, and I'm not usually one to swoon over guitars (Pixies notwithstanding). Let's Stay Friends is such an enjoyable album, from start to end, that I'm now willing to revisit their earlier records with an open mind.

Emma Pollock: Watch the Fireworks

Emma Pollock: Watch the Fireworks
4AD: 9/11/2007

Debut solo records can be risky. When an artist's reputation has been built upon the work of a much beloved band like The Delgados, the first steps toward defining one's solo identity can be boring (Jason Isbell - Drive-By Truckers), disastrous (Travis Morrission - The Dismemberment Plan) or a daring and brilliant reclamation (Lou Reed - you should know this one). Luckily, in the case of Emma Pollock, the result is closest to the latter. Watch the Fireworks is no Transformer, but it reaffirms Pollock's strengths as a singer and songwriter. Every song grows more likeable with every listen. Watch the Fireworks may just earn a place in the pantheon of well-loved female rock gems along the likes of Liz Phair's Exile in Guyville and Kate Bush's Hounds of Love.

Datarock: Datarock Datarock

Datarock: Datarock Datarock
Nettwerk: 6/12/2007

Datarock's doubly eponymous debut is actually about two years old, and some of the songs are older than five years, but it was finally released in the U.S. this past June. The tracklist for the U.S. version is slightly different than the version in most of the world, omitting some songs but keeping almost all of the best ones (my only complaint is they left off "Nightflight to Uranus", the best song on the European version). Several new ones are added that show how the band has evolved in the past couple of years. The dance/rock of early singles like "Computer Camp Love" is still there, but they have expanded their palette with the new songs. Their experiments with blue-eyed soul and Italo-disco pay off handsomely. The U.S. version is an improvement on the original, which was great to begin with. It has reignited my enthusiasm for Datarock and my anticipation for their follow-up.

Black Lips: Good Bad Not Evil

Black Lips: Good Bad Not Evil
Vice: 9/11/2007

I have always had a soft spot for gallows humor. For this reason alone, Good Bad Not Evil has earned its place in my 2007 recommendations. In "O Katrina!", they admonish the infamous hurricane of the same name, "Why you gotta be so mean?" as if it were a sadistic woman. Some might think this in bad taste and they might be right. But who can fault them when the music is this good? Good Bad Not Evil is full of classic-styled rock music reminiscent of The Velvet Underground, Modern Lovers and rockabilly. Every track, even those not based on a sick joke, is catchy and could be a single. One can forgive the occasional indiscretion with such a great album.

Akron/Family: Love Is Simple

Akron/Family: Love Is Simple
Young God: 9/18/2007

Having heard Love Is Simple, it's hard to believe this is the same band that backed former Swans singer Michael Gira on his gloomy (but brilliant) album, Angels of Light Sing: Other People. Akron/Family's third album is a terminally cheerful record and a welcome relief after the abominable Meek Warrior. The album's overture, "Love, Love, Love (Everyone)", as you might have guessed, is a Beatles-esque declaration of the record's theme of universal compassion. Akron/Family repeat the claim in the album's title in various ways throughout though, ironically, love isn't simple and neither is the album. Love Is Simple contains the most complex psych-rock songs ever released by the band. Multi-part songs with extraordinarily elaborate arrangements and circuitous rhythms abound, giving way periodically to quiet vocal interludes. In spite of the chaos, or possibly because of it, the album ends with a reassertion of the need to "go out and love, love, love everyone." Perhaps Akron/Family recognize that, though love is messy, the need for it is basic and universal.

1990s: Cookies

1990s: Cookies
Rough Trade: 7/31/2007

1990s make party music. The subject matter is pretty predictable: parties, drugs, alcohol, sex, dancing, friendships, and most importantly, rock 'n' roll. Despite treading this well-worn path, 1990s overcome this handicap with songs as infectious as the substances they claim to take like candy. Their charm is enhanced by a sense of naivite, as if they believed they were the first band to ever advocate recreational drugs. "Weed" innocently suggests, "Why don't you try taking drugs again? You were no funnier than you were back then," as if consequences never entered their minds. 1990s give terrible advice but make great music.

Prinzhorn Dance School: Prinzhorn Dance School

Prinzhorn Dance School: Prinzhorn Dance School
DFA: 8/28/2007

If you are at all familiar with the DFA Records catalog, then you will be surprised by Prinzhorn Dance School. DFA has a singularity of vision not seen in a record label since 4AD in the mid-80s. The DFA roster is practically a genre study in post-millennial forms of dance music. This was exactly what I expected from Prinzhorn Dance School, especially considering their name, but they about as far from dance music as humanly possible.

Prinzhorn Dance School offer a kind of stripped down, often non-sensical post-punk. The songs are mostly bass and vocals with very sparse drums and a dab of guitar. The tempo is almost glacial. The album is so homogeneous that you would think it would get irritating, but somehow it all works. Perhaps it's because they pretend to take themselves too seriously, like most acts that are lumped into the post-punk category, but they can barely suppress their giggles. Who can listen to a line like "Can I have a lollipop?" in "Worker" and not smile? Maybe it's their natural sense of melody. Regardless of the reason, Prinzhorn Dance School's debut avoids monotony in spite of its relatively rigid consistency.

Iron & Wine: The Shepherd's Dog

Iron & Wine: The Shepherd's Dog
Sub Pop: 9/25/2007

Iron & Wine's Sam Beam was clearly changed by his collaboration with Calexico, the gorgeous In the Reins EP. While his first two albums, The Creek Drank the Cradle and Our Endless Numbered Days, was fairly simple acoustic folk, his new album is robust and complex. Beam's talents for writing infectious melodies and potent lyrics are still intact, but there is a new emphasis on dense arrangements and elaborate African- and Caribbean-inspired rhythms. There are even a few glossy production tricks I never imagined showing up on an Iron & Wine record, like the vocal distortion on "Carousel". These techniques never detract from the record or come across as contrived. The extraordinary amount of effort Beam has clearly spent on this meticulously crafted record has paid off. The Shepherd's Dog is hands-down his finest effort to date.

Holy fucking crap!

I ♥ Radiohead so hard right now. Recently, they revealed their new album was completed and would be released in 2008. Surprise! They are releasing it themselves as a digital download on October 10th!

The title of the new album is In Rainbows. If you pre-order the full two-disc version for approximately $81, it doesn't ship until December, but you can download the whole thing on October 10th. If you order only the digital download, you only get the first disc, but you can name your own price! I just ordered mine for approximately $1.32!