thus spake drake: junior boys

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Now Downloading: New Releases 06.14.11

After last week's bonanza of good-to-great releases, this week is far more subtle in it's charms. Both Junior Boys and Vetiver headline the action here, and their laid back approach to music make a perfect match to talk about. Elsewhere this week there's the latest Emmy the Great, Marissa Nadler, reissues from Paul McCartney and Sebadoh, along with a long lost recording from Neil Young.

Playlist: New Releases 06.14.11

Junior Boys - It's All True
Stream / Purchase [mp3]

Ontario's sublime electro-pop duo Junior Boys, after going for production-wise with the dancefloor shiny Begone Dull Care, return a bit to their more intimate sounding roots on this, their fourth album, It's All True. They manage to not sacrifice any production value while still approaching their more minimalistic beginnings (2003's masterful Last Exit). Opener "Itchy Finger" proves to be a red herring, with it's rubbery bass and driving rhythms, as IAT quickly turns introspective immediately following -- and mostly remains as such til the end -- and what and ending it is. Closer and first single "Banana Ripple" is a driving, fun song that builds and builds throughout it's 9 + minutes. Not that you'd notice how long the song is, as it never seems to feel more than 5 minutes.

Free AOL Album Stream

Vetiver - The Errant Charm
Stream / Purchase [mp3]

After moving into more accessible waters for their Sub Pop debut (2009's Tight Knit), San Francisco's Vetiver move into more uncharted realms for them with their latest, taking their folk down-tempo for the most part. There's much less freak here, than their freak folk beginnings, and while there's plenty to be excited about here, the sameness of instrumentation and tempo begin to feel cumbersome halfway through the release.

Free AOL Album Stream
Download: "Can't You Tell" [mp3]
Download: "Wonder Why" [mp3]

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Swimming in it

Playlist: New Releases of Note (09.12.2006)

So while I've only posted on the new ones from TV on the Radio and Yo La Tengo, there were a ridiculous amount of fine releases dropped yesterday.

Here's the other releases that have peaked my interest (and popped into my Sansa:)

Junior Boys - So This is Goodbye Sounds so smooth and slippery I'm sliding down a warm waterslide right now just writing about it. Especially notable for the Sinatra cover ("When No One Cares")

The Rapture - Pieces of the People we Love More refined then their last punk-disco shaker ECHOES, The Rapture take off where James Chance left off years ago in the post-punk movement. Just because you're indie doesn't mean you can't dance.

Justin Timberlake - Futuresex/Lovesounds Don't stop dancing now... JT's serving up some more beats fer yr booty. Folks close to me know that JT represents a guilty pleasure, so it will come as no surprise then that I've already got his new one on heavy rotation. Want to know why? Just listen to "Lovestoned/I Think She Knows" and tell me you're not the least bit moved (and grooved.) Sexy is back (and vice versa.)

Viva Voce - Get Yr Blood Sucked Out Speaking of lovestoned, this one is already one I love to... well... you get the smoky picture. "From the Devil Himself" rolls one up for ya.

Mastodon - Blood Mountain Whoah... Mastadon ventures further into prog-metal territory, but leave a trail of bread crumbs so we can find them in Valhalla, or whereever it is that my bleeding eardrums are being kept. Features vocal turns from both Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme and Mars Volta's Cedric Bixler-Zavala... so Pitchfork should hate it (but I'm wrong... they loved it.)

Page France - Hello, Dear Wind This one really came out last year (to a chorus of indie pop sighs) but is finally seeing full reissue this week. Bright Eyes meets Of Montreal is a terrible cop-out description, but kind of accurate. Makes me close my eyes and smile, and that should be enough.

Other releases that are good to great, but I don't have clever things to say 'bout 'em right now:
Richard Buckner - Meadow, Starflyer 59 - My Island, Xiu Xiu - The Air Force, Brazilian Girls - Talk to la Bomb, Los Lobos - The Town and the City, and (local faves) The Purrs - The Purrs.

Previously:
Between Soda Lake and Butter Bridge (TV On The Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain)
Go ahead, beat my ass (Yo La Tengo - I Am Not Afraid of You and Will Beat Your Ass)

tags: music, album review, indie rock, page france, mastodon, junior boys, the rapture, viva voce, justin timberlake