Now Downloading: New Releases 03.23.10

Busy week, being a post-SXSW release week, but I'm still looking ahead to future dates, so we'll keep it short and sweet. Highlights this week are the latest from She & Him, Love is All, Serena-Maneesh, Radar Brothers, Goldfrapp, Archie Bronson Outfit, Jenny Owen Youngs and the film composing debut for James Murphy with the soundtrack to Greenberg.

Playlist: New Releases 03.23.10

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She & Him - Volume Two
Stream / Purchase [mp3]

When Zooey Deschanel and M Ward's collaborative debut, Volume One, came out a couple years back, several magazines and blogs tripped over themselves trying to crown it album of the year. It's interesting to see how things go down now that they've released a stronger album in Volume Two. Ward has proved to be the perfect collaborator for Deschanel's taste, being timeless in his playing and production, and this time around, more influences are unfolding. You can add Roy Orbison and Harry Nilsson to the more obvious hints of Patsy Cline. Fr a sophomore release, it's a slump breaker, and should easily stand the test of time more than the first.

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More on the radar (and in the mp3 player) this week:
Love is All - Two Thousand and Ten Injuries / "Kungen" [mp3]
James Murphy - Greenberg Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Serena-Maneesh - S-M 2: Abyss in B Minor / Free AOL album stream
Radar Brothers - The Illustrated Garden / "Horses Warriors" [mp3]
Goldfrapp - Head First
Archie Bronson Outfit - Coconut / Free AOL album stream / "Shark's Tooth [mp3]
The Bird and the Bee - Interpreting the Masters Volume 1: A Tribute to Daryl Hall and John Oates
Jenny Owen Youngs - Transmitter Failure / Free AOL album stream
Mux Mool - Skulltaste / Free AOL album stream
Dead Meadow - Three Kings
Roadside Graves - If Shacking Up Is All You Want To Do / "Liv Tyler" [mp3]
Drink Up Buttercup - Born and Thrown on a Hook
Bettie Serveert - Pharmacy of Love
Seabear - We Built a Fire
The Unthanks - Here's the Tender Coming
Bonobo - Black Sands
Lets Wrestle - Black Sands
The Weakerthans - Live at the Burton Cummings Theatre
Hot Tube Time Machine: Music From the Motion Picture

tags: music, album review, she and him,, love is all, indie rock, new releases, rhapsody

...and all is love

Happy Valentine's day... fitting that I just discovered the debut from the Swedish band Love is All finally made it into Rhapsody. Nine Times That Same Song was originally released in 2005 to rave reviews, and then proceeded to make many year-end lists for 2006 as well (including my Best of 2006 really from 2005 list.)


Album: Love is All - Nine Times That Same Song

The album runs through several styles at once... punk, 60's-style reverb-filled harmonies, frantic Talking Heads (and even Bow Wow Wow) rhythms, Yeah Yeah Yeah's vocal delivery. Most the tracks are upbeat workouts, but Love is All will ask you to "Turn the Radio Off" and then later to "Turn the TV Off," and that's when it's time to make out (then fall out, then make up.)

It's a lot to digest, but after a few listens you too will find yourself full of love.

tags: music, album review, love is all, sweden, indie rock, album review, rhapsody