It's another deep week for new releases, with the latest offering from
Stephen Malkmus making most the headlines. I'm excited for the collaboration between Greg Dulli (Twilight Singers, Afghan Whigs) and Mark Lanegan (QOTSA, Screaming Trees,) see the light of day. For four years, Dulli and Lanegan have been working on
the Gutter Twins project between their own busy schedule, and it's worth the wait. Elsewhere, I'm loving the
debut EP from Fleet Foxes (even if it's hard to find) and t
he final Jamaica to Toronto release from Light in the Attic Records. Finally, it's alt-country heaven with new ones from
Jim White,
Kathleen Edwards and a special deluxe reissue of
Whiskeytown's great Stranger's Almanac.
Playlist:
New Releases 03.04.08
Album:
Gutter Twins - Saturnalia![Gutter Twins - Saturnalia Gutter Twins - Saturnalia](http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/5/0/6/6/1196605_170x170.jpg)
On the face of it,
Gutter Twins seems like an inevitable pairing of two like-minded frontmen strong ties to Seattle, but even after coming up with the project, it's taken
Greg Dulli and
Mark Lanegan four years to complete this labor of love (and cigarettes). In that time, they've made time for plenty of other projects. Dulli released two
Twilight Singers albums and a solo project, while Lanegan released one solo album and contributed to too many others to list (releases from
Isobel Campbell and
Soulsavers heading the list). The result is not unlike you would expect from former frontmen from Screaming Trees and Afghan Whigs. It's cigarettes and whiskey, locked in a room with a wayward preacher, begging for your redemption. God is a common thread in these tales, and it's not surprising given that both Dulli (cocaine) and Lanegan (heroin) have helped each other at times recover from addiction. Lanegan pleads "where by the grace of God go I?" on the Catholic tinged
"Stations" and then Dulli takes over the next track,
"God's Children," complete with a chorus that's akin to a religious experience (no choir - not that kind). Heck, with all the themes of addiction, God, Catholicism and redemption through fire, it's like the album was written with
Denis Leary's Rescue Me in mind (no doubt, a song or two will make an appearance, when the series returns in 2009, as
both Dulli and
Lanegan are regularly heard there). The real fire-burner of a track here, though, is
"Idle Hands," with it's heavy guitar riff and dark "Kashmir" strings, leading to another 'raise your hands to God' chorus. And, as if in salute of the labels' 20th anniversary, it's nice see these two on
Sub Pop again, a home to both back in the early 90's (Lanegan's solo work, Dulli's
Afghan Whigs).
Free album stream from AOL"Idle Hands" [mp3]
Album:
Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Real Emotional Trash![Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Real Emotional Trash Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Real Emotional Trash](http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/6/5/9/5/1195956_170x170.jpg)
As a disclaimer, let me say upfront that everything Malkmus has released gets beamed straight to my consciousness -- my appreciation for his work knows no bounds, so my love for this album was sealed the second they printed Malkmus' name on the disc. Forgive me, then, if I compensate for this bias and take a more negative approach.
Real Emotional Trash is a goddamn jam band album.
The formula for SM appears to be to release an album full of 3-minute long pop experiments, and then get the Jicks together and jam away for the next release. SM's
solo debut was a masterpiece as far as I'm concerned, and
Pig-Lib just tried my patience.
Face The Truth again returned to great pop experiments, this time allowing for more illuminating self-commentary, and now we're back to noodlin' the night away (this time, though, with
Sleater-Kinney/Quasi drummer Janet Weiss in the fold). Of all his albums, though, this one is the most cohesive, even if the cohesion involves long guitar-based excursions.
"Gardenia" is the tightest song of the lot, tellingly, its' the only one under 3 minutes.
"Cold Son," "Baltimore" and "We Can't Help You" are other fine highlights, but in the end, this is still an album featuring a meandering 7 minute song called
"Elmo Delmo." (And, yet, I still love it.)
Download:
"Cold Son" [mp3]
Download:
"Baltimore" [mp3]
Album:
Earth, Roots & Water - Innocent Youths
Our favorite local record label,
Light in the Attic, releases their sixth and final album in the series
Jamaica to Toronto, a project which follows the emigration of Jamaican artists to Canada, and the music that followed.
Earth, Roots & Water were formed originally as a back-up band for artists who ventured into the basement studio of
Summer Records' honcho Jerry Brown. They backed
Jackie Mitoo, Johnny Osbourne and others, before setting down their own funky grooves back in 1977.
Innocent Youths is reissued here for the first time, from the original studio masters, sounding like some long lost Kingston classic. Goes great with a cold Red Stripe, some good ganja, and four-feet tall old school speakers.
Download:
"Tribulations" [mp3]
More on the radar this week
Fleet Foxes - Sun Giant EP (MySpace)
Jim White - Transnormal SkiperooWhat Made Milwaukee Famous - What Doesn't Kill Makes You Stronger (Free album stream from AOL)
Cadence Weapon - Afterparty Babies /
Free album stream from AOLWhite Hinterland - Phylactery FactoryKathleen Edwards - Asking for FlowersBing Ji Ling - June Degrees in December /
Free album stream /
"Be Here with You," "Kathalina" [mp3]
Mia Doi Todd - GeaThe Felice Brothers - The Felice BrothersRuby Sons - Sea LionDr Dog - Passed Away, Vol. 1Hysterical - Hysterical /
Free album stream from AOLTemposhark - The Invisible Line (free AOL album stream)
Ladyhawk - ShotsBauhaus - Go Away WhiteBaumer - Were It Not For YouThese United States - A Picture of the Three of Us At the Gate to the Garden of EdenThe Oaks - Songs For Waiting (Free ecard stream) /
"The Heart is a Lonely Hunter," "Masood" [mp3]
Pretendo - Pretendo IIKelley Polar - I Need You To Hold On While The Sky Is FallingBoDeans - StillA Weather - CoveSaint Bernadette - I Wanna Tell You SomethingMurder By Death - Red of Tooth and ClawHowlin' Rain - Magnificent FriendFlogging Molly - FloatThe Black Crowes - WarpaintOur Last Night - The Ghosts Among UsReissue:
Whiskeytown - Stranger's Almanac (Deluxe Edition)tags: music, album review, gutter twins, stephen malkmus, twilight singers, rescue me, indie rock, new releases, rhapsody
1 comment:
New Releases 03.04.08
1. Gardenia - Stephen Malkmus
2. Idle Hands - Gutter Twins
3. Blindly We Go - Jim White
4. Dreaming of the Plum Trees - White Hinterland
5. The Cheapest Key - Kathleen Edwards
6. June Degrees in December - Bing Ji Ling
7. Night of a Thousand Kisses - Mia Doi Todd
8. In Search of the Youth Crew - Cadence Weapon
9. Frankie's Gun! - The Felice Brothers
10. Oh, Mojave - Ruby Suns
11. Well Known Liar - Eric Matthews
12. Mostly Untitled - Hysterics
13. Oh Me Oh My - Dr. Dog
14. S.T.H.D. - Ladyhawk
15. Adrenalin - Bauhaus
16. Make Your Way For The King - Baumer
17. First Sight - These United States
18. Mandy, I Mean, Mindy - Pretendo
19. A Feeling Of The All-Thing - Kelley Polar
20. 'Round Here Somewhere - BoDeans
21. Shirley Road Shirley - A Weather
22. Love Is a Stranger - Saint Bernadette
23. Ball & Chain - Murder By Death
24. Dancers At The End Of Time - Howlin Rain
25. (No More) Paddy's Lament - Flogging Molly
26. Walk Believer Walk - The Black Crowes
27. Timing Is Everything - Our Last Night
28. Love The Same Old Way - Earth, Roots & Water
29. Excuse Me While I Break My Own Heart Tonight (acoustic version) - Whiskeytown
Post a Comment