Now Downloading: New Releases 09.08.09

Holy mother of all reunion release weeks. Bands Polvo, Os Mutantes, Prefab Sprout and The Clean all release their first album in a loooong time. Polvo 12 years, Os Mutantes 35 years, the rest fall in between. If that weren't enough, there's also new releases from Vivian Girls, Yo La Tengo, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Health, Visqueen, BLK JKS, Sondre Lerche, a compilation of Damon and Naomi and the physical release of They Might Be Giants' latest kidtastic adventure.

Normally, this would be a jam-packed thematic post with all kinds of passion but Bumbershoot happened, derailing most my normally scheduled posts, so forgive this abbreviated version.

Playlist: New Releases 09.08.09

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Polvo - In Prism
Stream / Purchase [mp3]

The bendy guitars are back! After 12 years, Chapel Hill's Sonic Youth-ites do the unthinkable and return with their finest album yet. Granted, their previous releases were a scattershot of genius moments mixed with WTF. In Prism is a much more focused affair, which will probably turn off a few fans, but for me, it's like the Sonic Youth record we've been waiting for since Daydream Nation. "Right the Relation" is one of the best album openers of the year while "Beggars Banquet," pulls out everything from their bag of tricks.

Preview write-up of In Prism.

Free AOL Album Stream
Download: "Beggar's Bowl" [mp3]

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Os Mutantes - Haih or Amortecedor
Stream / Purchase [mp3]

35 years is a long time to go between releases, and Haih somehow still sounds like an extension of what the Brazilian pych-pop stars were doing those long years ago. The album, while glossed up like a modern release, finds a niche between the early crazy pop and the more prog-rock tendencies of the post-Rita Lee years, even calling back to some of the earlier songs ("2000 e Agarrum" recalls "Dois Mil E Um", for one). Employing help from fellow countrymen Tom Ze and Jorge Ben, along with pych-folk follower Devandra Banhart, the album is the cherry on top of the sundae that was the band reuniting. Highlights include "Querida, Querida" and "Teclar."

Free AOL Album Stream

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More on the radar (and in the mp3 player) this week:
They Might Be Giants - Here Comes Science / "Electric Car", "I Am a Paleontologist" [mp3]
Vivian Girls - Everything Goes Wrong
Yo La Tengo - Popular Songs / "Here to Fall," / "Periodically Double or Triple" [mp3]
Prefab Sprout - Andromeda Heights / "In the Dreamlife You Need a Rubber Soul," "Tensile" [mp3]
The Clean - Mister Pop
Rodrigo Y Gabriela - 11:11
Visqueen - Message to Garcia
Health - Get Color
BLK JKS - After Robots
Damon and Naomi - The Sub Pop Years
Monotonix - Where Were You When It Happened? / "Set Me Free" [mp3]
Sondre Lerche - Heartbeat Radio

REISSUES
The Feelies - Crazy Rhythms
The Feelies - the-good-earth
The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses 20th Anniversary Collector's Edition

tags: music, album review, os mutantes, polvo, indie rock, new releases, rhapsody

Bumbershoot Day 1: Made of Win

Bumbershoot's first day is in the books, and it couldn't have gone smoother. Weather threatened to dampen the day, with downpours through the morning, but as the gates opened, the clouds stayed at bay until well after De La Soul played their final note. Here's a few photos and brief review of each performance I managed to take in.

Akimbo @ EMPSFM's Sky Church stage

My day started late, but I made sure to get in for Seattle's hardcore superstars, and to bring my ear plugs. The riffs were loud and the EMP-SFM Sky Church was packed wall-to-wall with their dedicated fans. As usual, ear-drums were bleeding by the end of their set, but no one was complaining.

Matt & Kim @ Broad Street Lawn Stage

Matt & Kim were all smiles and energy, and I swear I saw kittens and rainbows coming from the speakers when they played. After sending makeshift M&K beach balls into the crowd (Toyota branded inflatables re-branded with Matt & Kim-markered stickers) the married Brooklyn duo played through their happy, happy set while beaming big, big smiles. It was like a box of fluffy puppies for the tween audience, and they were lapping it up, beach balls and all.

The Whore Moans presents: The Black Atom! @ EMPSFM's Sky Church stage

The Whore Moans have started a Bumbershoot tradition for themselves, with a one-time only theme for the festival. After last year's Celebration of the end of the Bush Era' theme, this year's is a theatrical soul revue called "The Black Atom!" Besides the Soul Punk song execution, the audience was treated to the band in depression era zoot suits, gospel like intros to songs, added keys & sax along with backup singers (Prisilla Ray and Duffy from the Cute Lepers) decked out in 20's style flappers. Whore Moans For. The. Win.

Os Mutantes @ Fisher Green Stage

My most anticipated act of the festival didn't disappoint... well, perhaps a little. Since it's down to just Serge Diaz from the original lineup (and drummer Dinho Leme, who joined during the post-Rita Lee prog years) the set list was tailored to fit Diaz's guitar playing, which kind of took the air out of the set at times. The fun, early material often gave way to long guitar solos and more selections from their prog-rock years. New material from their album coming out next week sounded great, including "Querida Querida" and "2000 e Agarrum," and it was great hearing "Baby" sung in Portuguese (and having Obama as "El Justicero"). Unfortunately, much of the fun of "Bat Macumba" and "A Minha Menina" was lost through extended guitar solos. Yes, Serge is still impressive on the axe, but not every song needs a demonstration of that.

World Party at Mural Ampitheatre Stage

I knew I was only going to catch one or two songs, as I had to get back for De La Soul, so it was nice that Karl Wallinger decided to treat us with "Put the Message in the Box" as the first song. I'm sure "Ship of Fools" came some time later, but I had already moved on to that other fave from the late 80's...

De La Soul @ Fisher Green Stage

This was my other big anticipated set for the night, thanks to it being part of the much celebrated "20 Years and Rising" tour, celebrating the 20th anniversary of 3 Feet High and Rising. De La Soul has never gotten high marks for their live shows in the past, but this tour has been a revelation for the band. By incorporating a live band into the act (Rhythm Roots All Stars), their Daisy Age sound is much more realized than with just Maseo's turntable mastery. Posdnuos roamed the stage like he was 20 years younger, while he and Trugoy 'passed the mic.' By the end of the set, the moon was out and the Space Needle loomed over us all, pointing homeward, where we all headed just in time to beat the next downpour of rain. Thank you, oh Gods of weather, for your kind deflection of precipitation (and more of that today, please!)

Previously: Bumbershoot Preview

Bumbershoot preview

Bumbershoot is the most diverse celebration of the arts, but it also marks the official end to summer music festivals, making it a bittersweet event. The thing that sets Bumbershoot apart from other festivals is its smorgasbord of flavors to taste from and to spend all your time taking in performances that you'd see at other festivals (ie, rock) kind of misses the point.

Brazilian Tropicalia masters Os Mutantes (pictured), for instance, is playing on Saturday at 7:30 and is the one act that you should not miss. They're releasing their first album in 35 years next week, and I'm pleased to say it fits in nicely with their stellar discography (with some help from Tom Zé and Devandra Banhart).

Besides Mutantes, I'm excited to see Matt & Kim, De La Soul (both Saturday), Vivian Girls, No Age (both Sunday), The Minus 5 and Writers of LOST w/Jeff Jensen (both on Monday). That's right, no Mainstage (not allowed in the photo pit there, so no sense in bothering). Also going to Sunday night's Bumbershoot party at Neumo's, maybe I'll see you there?

Schedule mapped out in both playlist, and iframe below...

Playlist: Bumbershoot 2009 - My Sked