Any new music to get excited about?

[3LB]

I've heard the new Grizzly Bear, and I have to say I'm rather impressed.

The same aesthetic is there from the last one Yellow House, but this is a much more focused effort. Veckatimest is much more song oriented, and the ideas are much more fleshed out and the psychadelic flourishes better realized than the whistful meandering and noise-as-art of Yellow House. On this new one, there's an organic feel to the music, and attention to song craft which shines through the production, instead of being lost in it.

Grizzly Bear isn't the only act out this year with a throwback, paen to '60s psychadelic pop (ala Beach Boys, Zombies, early Pink Floyd). Animal Collective came out earlier with theirs, Merriweather Post Pavilion, but IMO, its a mess compared to Veckatimest. Not that Veckatimest doesn't have its schitzoid moments, but these have been reined in, and the style and aesthetic doesn't over shadow the songs, like it does for most of Merriweather Post Pavillion.

Grizzly Bear sound like they are actually channeling Brian Wilson or Sid Barrett instead of just aping Mercury Rev. It was hard for me sit through Merriweather Post Pavillion, and Veckatimest is over before I know it.

[Davey]

Wow, I wonder if they realize this site is a mess right now with Mozilla if you are not logged in?

Anyhow, just wanted to say everything you just said, but you already did. Fun record, wish it was mastered a little quieter (or maybe a lot quieter), but I like it much better than Merriweather too. Surprisingly adventurous, while at the same time being very accessible. Kind of like the Dodos record from last year, but on a grander scale. Looking forward to the new Circulatory System record in a coupla months. Hope it sounds kind of like this too, but I'm sure it won't be quite as upbeat....

Circulatory System - Signal Morning (CLD010) - release date: Aug. 4, 2009
Seven and a half years in the making, culled from hours of recorded material sculpted in at least seven different studios, the new Circulatory System album is an absolutely stellar document of song and sound. Still concerned with matters of the inner / the outer, the incomprehensibly huge and the very, very small. An imperative blast of kinetic motion, composed by W. Cullen Hart while in the midst of battling Multiple Sclerosis within his own system - broadcasting his urgent pleas to the world(s) to evolve into a higher dimension or for existing patterns to reveal themselves at peace within the natural order of the universe.

[Hyfi]

I have been enjoying Morglbe (missing dots over the o)

I have their first disk Grotesk and the most recent release called Jazz for the Deaf.




But it's fusion so never mind.

[3LB]

I have been enjoying Morglbe (missing dots over the o)

I have their first disk Grotesk and the most recent release called Jazz for the Deaf.
But it's fusion so never mind.

How fusion is it?

[Slosh]

Hmmm, well, I just got the new Son Volt (American Central Dust for those keeping score). Haven't listened all the way through yet but it sounds like most other Son Volt albums. Too early to tell if it excites me yet.

If you like Grandaddy check out Jason Lytle's new solo album, Yours Truly, The Commuter. I like it a lot personally.

Likewise the new John Vanderslice album (Romanian Names) is very good, assuming you're already a fan I mean.

And those two 'dark night' compilations are pretty decent, although it looks like the Sparklehorse one may never see the light of day (in official form, anyway).

Supposedly Wayne Robbins & The Hellsayers' All You Need To Sleep and Richard Davies' Tonight's Music are done and will get released later this year. Those are the two I've been most looking forward to.

Of course the new Wilco and Future Of The Left albums get released later this month, but anyone that wanted to hear either of those could have listened to them weeks ago.

[Hyfi]

How fusion is it?

[ForeverAutumn]

Of course the new Wilco and Future Of The Left albums get released later this month, but anyone that wanted to hear either of those could have listened to them weeks ago.

New Wilco (am I the only one who didn't know?) already? It seems like Sky Blue Sky just came out.

I was really looking forward to the new Green Day disk. It was a little disappointing but I don't know why I'm surprised. Really, how do you follow up American Idiot? It's not a bad disk, but it's just more of the same, sitting somewhere between American Idiot and Warning.

I know that no one else here cares, but I'm looking forward to the new Dream Theater disk in a couple of weeks.

[3LB]

That second tune reminds me of Satriani a bit.

[3LB]

Looks like I might be getting the new Dredg disc tonight (I have a small trade pile going). Might even have enough to swing for two CDs (but I doubt it). I've now heard two songs off the new Dredg CD and I'd say I like what I hear so far.

Also, another band that I became interested in a few months ago, The Sounds, is coming out with a new album. I have a couple of songs downloaded from their last CD from 2006...you know, the '80s neo-wave pastiche song in the Geico Caveman commercial Hurt You - "Don't want ot hurt you, tried not to mess with your feelings". The two or three songs I have hit me just as the paen to '80s new wave Hot Hot Heat album did (Make Up The Breakdown), which was a great nostalgia trip, but only lasted one album as they tried to morph into The Strokes on their next two albums.

I'll need to hear it before I buy it though. Could just be the next in an already long line of neo-wavers that have popped up in the last few years. And I already have so much rocker-chick stuff, oddly enough (Land Of Talk, Bat For Lashes, Super700, Asobi Seksu).

[jonnyhambone]

Just saw Grizzly Bear 2 nights ago- gorgeous show though I liked the tunes they did from Yellow House a lot more than the new ones...they seemed to feel more free to let loose, not as formulaic a re-creation of the Veckatamist versions. Little Brother was esp. excellent- sorta loping and heavy like the way they recorded it on their Friends ep.
I actually love the new Animal Collective...glad to have it on vinyl 'cause one or two sides is plenty in a sitting but those Beach Boys-y harmonies and summer dub-by beats are pretty great imo. Love the Grizz. Bear and looking forward to the new Magnolia Elec. Co.-Josephine. They're rolling thru town in Aug. at a tiny venue. Should be good.

[Davey]

I actually love the new Animal Collective...glad to have it on vinyl 'cause one or two sides is plenty in a sitting

Yea, that's the rub with me, just too much of the same sound, but it is a great sound in smaller doses. I just tend to lose interest after a while unless it's something that gets into the part of my brain I live in most of the time. Cheery pop music isn't quite in that place, but fun still.

New Magnolia Electric Co? Now that's some good news. Hadn't heard about it, but I'm liking the thought of that. New Hellsayers, new CS, might be a good year after all.

[3LB]

Yea, that's the rub with me, just too much of the same sound, but it is a great sound in smaller doses. I just tend to lose interest after a while unless it's something that gets into the part of my brain I live in most of the time. Cheery pop music isn't quite in that place, but fun still.

My problem with it is the same as you...too samey from song to song, almost enough so that putting on MP3 rotation only works as long as its a high capacity device. As for cheery pop music, I don't think the Animal Collective songs are all that strong. Other aesthetic driven acts like Fleet Foxes or Grizzly Bear, you could remove the reverb and period-piece flourishes and still have the song intact, while with Animal Collective, the aesthetic style is the song.

[jonnyhambone]

New Magnolia Electric Co? Now that's some good news. Hadn't heard about it, but I'm liking the thought of that.

yep, they're a pretty recent find for me so I'm psyched too. Here's a nice lil' couple songs from a recent show in Chicago where they play some new stuff.

agreed with the 'song-ness' of Animal Collective stuff...it'd be kinda silly to do a cover of an A.C. song but still, that atmosphere of psychedelic harmony-drenched beats is what I love 'about their stuff anyways.

[3LB]

I got a couple of new releases in my sights...the new Doves album (now a few months old by now) and the new one from eels, Hombre Lobo: 12 Songs of Desire, which also sounded to my liking even though I've only heard three or four tracks.

I did manage to get that new Dredg album and it was definitely worth unloading a few unwanted CDs.

[jonnyhambone]

just picked up the new Sonic Youth, The Eternal. These guys are one of my favorite bands ever...not in love with the last few releases (Sonic Nurse, Rather Ripped) but still Really good. I just find myself listening to Sister, EVOL, and Daydream Nation quite a bit more.
The new one is on a lovely vinyl press ala' Matador - which I think has been putting out some nice sounding, very quiet, vinyl lately (the last Yo La Tengo was excellent in sound I thought). I've read the compression is way up on this one, but after just 2 spins through it so far, this sounds great to me. Excellent songs too - seems like there are alot of multi-vocal harmonies going on btwn. the crew (w/ Pavement's Mark Ibold doing bass duties and freeing up Kim G. to sing a lot and play some rhythm guitar...I think). There's a good balance of pop-py song-smithing going on with some gorgeous forays into atmosphere and noise (so far side one with Sacred Trickster, Anti-Orgasm, and the very sweet Leaky Lifeboat is a perfect triumvirate of SY songs for the new millenium). They are very much SY-sounding but it's fresh and rich...something I think I'll be spinning a lot in the next weeks and, hopefully, for awhile coming.

[noddin0ff]

I'm digging The Heartless Bastards these days. Hadn't head them before, picked it up based on reviews I stumbled on. Country Punk/Inde I guess. I kinda triangulate it somewhere between Patti Smith, Lucinda Williams, and Cat Power. It's rough around the edges, uneven, not every track is a winner but there's some good sounds in there. Partial to 'Be So Happy'

[Swish]

I'm digging The Heartless Bastards these days. Hadn't head them before, picked it up based on reviews I stumbled on. Country Punk/Inde I guess. I kinda triangulate it somewhere between Patti Smith, Lucinda Williams, and Cat Power. It's rough around the edges, uneven, not every track is a winner but there's some good sounds in there. Partial to 'Be So Happy'

...we there a couple weeks ago, but we didn't get to see them, ditto Steve Earle.

[Swish]

New Wilco (am I the only one who didn't know?) already? It seems like Sky Blue Sky just came out.

I was really looking forward to the new Green Day disk. It was a little disappointing but I don't know why I'm surprised. Really, how do you follow up American Idiot? It's not a bad disk, but it's just more of the same, sitting somewhere between American Idiot and Warning.

I know that no one else here cares, but I'm looking forward to the new Dream Theater disk in a couple of weeks.

...and Tweedy is so prolific you have to wonder what took so long! Needless to say, I have it on pre-order with DeepDiscount so I'll have it in early July.

[Swish]

...which is getting rave reviews everywhere (saw a 9.2 on Pitchfork). It's being compared to Animal Collective only better, which is a good thing in my book since I find A.C. rather annoying. I've spun Bitte Orca about 5 or 6 times and, while it won't be my favorite of the year, it's pretty good and quite a departure from my normal tastes. Sonically it's very good as well.

[bobsticks]

...we there a couple weeks ago, but we didn't get to see them, ditto Steve Earle...we were busy at the Lawrence Welk Tribute.

Fixed

[Swish]

Fixed

You slack shouldered sack 'o nuts.

[Slosh]

How did this slip under my radar? New EP:

[Swish]

How did this slip under my radar? New EP:

...interview and they were supposedly heading to New York after that show to work on their next CD. I'm guessing the songs on this EP were the new and unfamiliar ones they played during that show.

[Slosh]

Tracklist:

As you can see I only have it as mp3 but tomorrow I should have a vinyl copy to spin. Hopefully we'll get a proper album before too long.

[bobsticks]

You slack shouldered sack 'o nuts.

I am not slack shouldered.