Now Downloading: New Releases 01.11.11

The new releases for 2011 begins in earnest this week, and while there is nothing in the way of essential releases, there's plenty to stop and check out while we wait for the real motherlode to drop in two weeks. The latest from Wire, British Sea Power, Cage the Elephant, Tapes n' Tapes, Cake, The High Dials, Batwings Catwings, The Beets, Birds of Avalon and Broken Records all deserve at least a gander.

Playlist: New Releases 01.11.11

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Wire - Red Barked Tree
Stream

Ever since they reformed back in 2000, post-punk pioneers Wire have mostly eschewed "playing the oldies" and have instead kept original, alternating styles between chillier rhythmic anti-pop and a surprisingly melodic and, dare I say, warmer sound. Now with Red Barked Tree, Wire have merged the previous post-2000 output into a fairly melodic album that still rocks like it's 1979. The opening track, "Please Take,' is practically Adult Alternative, it's so pop-oriented, which if you hadn't followed the band's progression/regression since their classic '77-79 output, might be off-putting. It's a bit of a red herring, though, as Wire spit icicles in your ear just a couple songs later with the abrasive spoken word, Stooges rumble of "Two Minutes." Meanwhile, you might bounce along with "Bad Worn Thing," but you're immediately hit back with the next track, "Moreover." In the end it's Wire, and that is never boring.

Free Album Stream via NPR

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British Sea Power - Valhalla Dancehall
Stream / Purchase [mp3]

It's interesting to follow the above Wire album with BSP's latest, as Valhalla Dancehall certainly shares the same post-punk roots. But where Wire like a more staccato artistic noise, BSP like to go BIG, and they do often with Valhalla, opening with two effects-laden guitar burners in "Who's in Control" and "We Are Sound." Throw in "Stunde Null" and it's a tremendously promising opening. Unfortunately, after the album loses all momentum, instead meandering in effects and mood with only a couple blips of life in the latter third ("Observe the Skies" and "Thin Black Sail") that aren't enough to save it. It's an ass-kicking EP stretched too far.

Download: "Living Is So Easy" [mp3]
Free AOL Album Stream

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Cage the Elephant - Thank You Happy Birthday
Stream / Purchase [mp3]

Kentucky's Cage the Elephant surprised many with the success with their debut, but instead of a retread on what worked the first time, CTE brought more of their favorite sounds into play, namely the post-punk and noise pop of the early 90s. At times singer Matt Shultz swings dangerously close to the ground that similarly young Avi Buffalo tread ("Aberdeen"), but never stays in one spot for too long to get pigeonholed. While the album is generally on the loud side, they find a spot for a Beatlesque ballad in "Right Before My Eyes," that's bound to light a few iPhones in the dark on their tour.

Free AOL Album Stream

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More on the radar (and in the mp3 player) this week:
Tapes n' Tapes - Outside / Free AOL Album Stream / "Freak Out" [mp3]
The High Dials - Anthems for Doomed Youth
Cake - Showroom of Compassion / Free AOL Album Stream
The Beets - Stay Home
Broken Records - Let Me Come Home / Free AOL Album Stream
Mew - Eggs Are Funny / Free AOL Album Stream
Minks - By the Hedge
Tape Deck Mountain - Secret Serf EP / "It Goes Down" [mp3]
X-Ray Press - UVB76 / Free AOL Album Stream / "The Terms (In the Colors of Our DNA)" [mp3]
White Fence - Is Growing Faith
The Hundred in the Hands - Commotion
Louis C.K. - Hilarious
T-Model Ford & GravelRoad - Taledragger / "Comin' Back Home" [mp3]
The Stooges - A Thousand Lights: Live in 1970
Batwings Catwings - Peacock Collection / "Invasion" [mp3]
Birds of Avalon - Birds of Avalon / "Invasion" [mp3]
Madison - Noise Some People Make EP / Free AOL Album Stream

tags: music, album review, wire, british sea power, cage the elephant, indie rock, new releases, rhapsody

Ear on TV: Week of 01.10.11: Tom Tom Club

Tom Tom Club perform Tuesday on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

Has it really been 30 years since Tom Tom Club's club hit "Genius of Love" first asked the question "What you gonna do when you get out of jail?" Starting out as just a fun ("natural fun!") side project for Talking Heads' members Chris Frantz (drums) and Tina Weymouth (bass), Tom Tom Club have found its place in rock history thanks to this often sampled song. While "Genius of Love" peaked at #31 on the Billboard charts back in 1981, the song has lived on thanks to the 22 or more songs that have sampled it over the years.

Weymouth and Frantz recently revived TTC and have released a live double album (Genius of Love) and are celebrating the 30th anniversary of "Genius of Love" by playing Irving Plaza on Wednesday (Talking Heads were the first rock band to play there back in 1978). Before that, though, they take to the airwaves Tuesday night on the show of choice for momentous music occasions, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Expect Questlove to help on drums for "Genius of Love" and perhaps we'll also get a web-only performance of "Wordy Rappinghood."

Elsewhere, Kentucky's Cage the Elephant release their second album this week and are returning to the scene of their network television debut, The Late Show with David Letterman, to promote Thank You, Happy Birthday with a performance of either the raucous "2024" or the more subdued lead single "Shake Me Down." You can't go wrong, either way.

And finally, those 15 year veterans Cake make their return after nearly seven years with the album Showroom of Compassion. Not only have they found independence from major labels with this release, but they've also recorded the album in their own solar-powered studio, making it the recording fossil fuel independent as well. Cake make several appearances this week in the tube, hitting Fallon on Wednesday, and the FUEL series The Daily Habit both Thursday and Friday.

Picks for the week
Monday, January 10
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: The Wombats
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: The Black Keys
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Dawes
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Okkervil River
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Fitz & the Tantrums (REPEAT)
TBS: Conan: Guster
Tuesday, January 11
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: A Day to Remember
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Cage the Elephant
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Escape the Fate
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: The Delta Spirit
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Tom Tom Club
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: A Perfect Circle (REPEAT)
TBS: Conan: Steel Train
Wednesday, January 12
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Fitz & the Tantrums
FUEL: The Daily Habit: The Duke Spirit
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Bettye Lavette
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Cake
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: The Morning Benders (REPEAT)
TBS: Lopez Tonight: El Debarge (featuring Faith Evans, Michael Bearden & The Ese Vatos
Thursday, January 13
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: The Damned Things
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Greg Allman
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Cake
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: 30 Seconds to Mars
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Neon Trees
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: The Delta Spirit (REPEAT)
SYNDICATION: The Ellen DeGeneres Show: Stevie Nicks
TBS: Conan: Cheap Trick
Friday, January 14
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Wintersleep
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Cake
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Two Door Cinema (REPEAT)
Saturday, January 15
NBC: Saturday Night Live: Cee-Lo Green
PBS: Austin City Limits: The National, Band of Horses

Who's Your Daddy?

With only one episode left this season (that's right, season) Reaper finally gets back to Sam's contract, and why his father was destroying all those pages twelve episodes ago (already feels like ancient history). The episode also poses a question on our minds since about that time as well: Is Sam the devil's son? Tony seems pretty sure of it now, after watching Sam share some turkey jerky with Old Scratch, and all season long, the point has been made that Sam's relationship with the Devil is very special. Sam only has to bat those puppy dog eyes to get the Lord of Darkness to melt, letting the very guilty Gladys back out of hell.

The power of persuasion seemed to be theme of the episode, with the soul of the week Mike (played by Desperate Housewives' Richard Burgi) being the personification of persuasion. Mike uses his wooing powers on Gladys as a loophole to being sent back to hell. Similarly, Sara uses her powers over Benji to keep from being deported back to Manchester, working for her father -- her own personal hell. If working for your father is hell, than Sam may already be living the (anti)dream. Unfortunately, looking for his own loophole in the contract may have ended up creating a different kind of contract on Sam - one on his life. If you can't take out the devil, take out his son.

Music this week included a bit of fun, having Devil drinking a pina colada to Herb Alpert & Tijuana Brass' "Green Peppers," from the famous album Whipped Cream and Other Delights. It's easy to believe the devil is a fan of that album, and it's all the more appropriate given that it makes many of us think of our father. The other song I made out was Cake's "Comfort Eagle," which features the line "to resist it is useless, it is useless to resist it," which helps underscore Gladys' explanation as to why she gave in so easily to Mike's persuasive powers.

More: Didn't Glady's vehicle to hell look remarkably like a sandworm from Dune? As if there weren't enough similarities between Reaper and Chuck already.

Reaper - Episode 1.17
1. "Green Peppers" - Herb Alpert & Tijuana Brass - The Devil making drinks in Sam's apt.
2. "Comfort Eagle" - Cake - Gladys talks about Mike to the gang in the bar

Previously: Messin' with the Fire Sign (Episode 1.16)

A Tango and a Title Sequence

So I guess my worries about Chuck not having any title sequences has been answered, as this week, a snappy title sequence makes an appearance. Created by Imaginary Forces, the same group that brought you Mad Men's opening, the credits are a fun mix of James Bond interspliced with the the worker icon from Buy More's Nerd Herd logo -- and it's all done creatively to Cake's "Short Skirt/Long Jacket.".

NBC has the episode up, and if you forward 7:45 into the first chapter, you can check it out.

Meanwhile, they're breaking down another Spoon song ("Don't You Evah,") which makes Chuck a bit like the film Stranger Than Fiction, where bits of rhythmic Spoon was everywhere. But the anchor to this weeks show was the use of updated tango from the masters Gotan Project. You may remember the band's music was used often in the past couple seasons of Nip/Tuck, but here it fits in even more within the context of the action (and the episode title,) as Chuck dances the tango to GP's tango "Santa Maria (del Buen Ayre)".

One thing that The O.C. always liked to do was have a song was about to be released, and now that Chuck is into the season I expect it to happen more, especially considering Tuesdays, the morning after the show, is new release day. This time out, they threw Band of Horses' "The General Specific" into the mix. It really didn't seem to serve much of a purpose then to give the album Cease to Begin a leg up on it's release today.

And finally, in what can only by now be called a show template, the final scene of reflection was backed by The National's excellent "Slow Show," focusing in on the lyrics:

You know I dreamed about you
for twenty-nine years before I saw you
You know I dreamed about you
I missed you for
for twenty-nine years

Mmm... Chuck's about 29 years old, wouldn't you say? The song is about making a fool of oneself to impress his true love, and is a nice allusion to the unspoken geek love Chuck has for Sarah.

Playlist: Chuck - Episode 103
1. "Don't You Evah" - Spoon - Parts used throughout, in opening and with Nerd Herd
2. "Santa Maria (del Buen Ayre)" - Gotan Project - Parts used throughout, used mostly for tango sequences
3. "Short Skirt/Long Jacket" - Cake - Title sequence
4. "The General Specific" - Band Of Horses - Chuck finishes work on the last computers
5. "Slow Show - The National - End of episode

Previously: Spoon and the Lost Art of the Intro (Episode 102)

tags: music, television, soundtrack, chuck, cake, spoon, gotan project, band of horses, the national, playlist