The return of British Sea Power next week?

[Davey]

I haven't been anticipting very much so far this year, but I'm really looking forward to hearing what these guys have put together for their second album. I don't even know what else is up and coming other than Porcupine Tree, which is a hard one to miss around here. Did anyone pick up the new Beck album this week? I'm not too interested in that one. Just got the great new Decemberists and am looking forward to some on the horizon from Silver Jews and Built To Spill and the long promised but never forthcoming Portishead and Notwist and Broken Social Scene and a bunch of others, but I think they're all tentative so who knows. Any new ones you're looking forward to?

[Ex Lion Tamer]

I'm looking forward to the BSP too. I'm also thinking about seeing them on 4/20 in Montreal, currently weighing the pros and cons of the two hour drive on a Wednesday to do so, (and more importantly, the two hour drive home afterwards ) I really like the first album and they sound like they would be good in concert.

The Built to Spill is probably my most eagerly anticipated release, but your revelation of a Silver Jews album has me salivating too.

[audiobill]

I can't wait.

audiobill

[Davey]

....but your revelation of a Silver Jews album has me salivating too.

Yeah, with Malkmus and the whole gang again, like in the days of yore when the Silver Jews stood tall on the horizon. But not my revelation, as I just remember someone posting it at obner after Pitchfork reported it after _________ reported it after.... Guess that's a little beyond second hand info, eh?

Anyway, for your reading pleasure, I just looked it up in the Fork archives and will post it below in all its original shambolic form...

Silver Jews Recording With Malkmus

Zach Vowell reports:
So we know that a mere reissue of Pavement's Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain isn't enough to fill the gigantic slacker hole that the band's demise left in your life. However, there is one bright spot-- the Silver Jews are still recording (or is it recording again?), long after their Matador counterpart's demise. And though the process is way too embryonic to start talking about tracklists and release dates, much less album titles, the basic (and pretty fucking exciting) facts are confirmed by Drag City: Stephen Malkmus, Steve West, and Bob Nastanovich are on board to help David Berman with his latest masterpiece. This piece of news substantiates what rampant rumors have speculated ever since Malkmus posted the following on his website: "Nashville is unseasonably warm-- there are termites in my computer that adds things to the dialog". Not that he's not usually cryptic as hell anyway. American Water fans everywhere were baffled by everything after "Nashville", but that city, that city conjured up such sweet possibilities. Consider the possible the actual.

The curate's egg that is the indie rumor mill also named Will Oldham as a participant, but, according to Drag City, that mysterious "Prince" cannot be nailed down as a collaborator (though we agree with the mill that he would fit in perfectly). But don't fret-- Mike Fellows, another American Water vet, has been involved, as well as Cassie Berman. The provocative list continues with ex-Jesus Lizard axe handler Duane Denison, Nashville mainstay Bobby Bare, Jr., Bare's (and Olham's, Lambchop's, and Calexico's, for that matter) collaborator Tony Crow, Chicago vocalist/scenester AZITA, and drummer/vocalist Brian Kotzur. Note also that the rumors intimated this could be the Jews' last album; with an all-star cast like this, it could be the final hurrah.

http://pitchforkmedia.com/news/05-01/28.shtml

[ForeverAutumn]

I didn't know this was coming out. Great news! Funny, I've recently revisited The Decline of British Sea Power and have spun it a couple of times this past week. Great CD. I'll definately be picking up the new one.

[Slosh]

Other than Gimme Fiction in May and the new BTS (whenever that may show up) there's really nothing that I'm waiting for. Of course last year I wasn't waiting for Arcade Fire or Fiery Furnaces or . . . . .

[Davey]

Other than Gimme Fiction in May ...

Yeah, that one too. Wonder why it's so far off when it seems like so many people have already heard it. Guess I'm just hopelessly out of the loop. Oh well, I wanna have the "real" thing, not a cyber pretender.

The Electrelane girls also have a new one coming out about that same time called Axes. Definitely wanna hear that one. And Neko Case is lingering seductively on the horizon, with that sexy red hair all ablaze. Mmmmm....wonder who's backing her on this one? Hope it's more Howe Gelb and the Calexicos. Heard she does some singing on the new John Doe (ex-X) album too. Wish she'd do some singing for me....

But you're right, the ones you least expect are usually the ones that'll leave you with the biggest smile. And that goes for music too, right?



Just got home and listening to a silly song about a monkey gone to heaven, because Dolittle seems to be all I play anymore, when I play anymore, and it sounds so good, and nearly perfect....March Madness belongs to the Pixies this time if my vote counts for anything!

[Dusty Chalk]

But then again, you could have guessed that.

[MindGoneHaywire]

I did get the Beck album, the one with the DVD & bonus tracks, but I'd had the leaked tracks, 90% of the album, since January. I far prefer this to Odelay & it's going to give Mutations a stiff challenge in my estimation of what Beck's best album is. I do like British Sea Power, but I haven't exactly made it a secret I think Beck is the single best pop music artist of the past several years & if there are people who love his last 4 albums & don't like this one I'd think they'd need their head examined.

Now that this rec's out I can't really think of anything I know about that I'm looking forward to, per se. But I really don't know what's scheduled to come out other than what you guys have mentioned...perhaps the Electro Bossa collection that I think comes out today. I do think a lot of what I hear that I'll be liking that's new over the next few weeks is all going to be stuff I was unaware of. We'll see. Just got the Kills, Davey, so I'll be checking that out based on yr rec, and Crooked Fingers was highly recommended to me, also just got the Kaiser Chiefs. And Finch just dropped a care package on my gulliver so I'm drowning in music I have to fight to create the time to hear. Puh.

[Davey]

Just got the Kills, Davey, so I'll be checking that out based on yr rec...

Just to be fair though, while I did post a glowing endorsement of the CD by Bob Hilburn before I had yet heard it, I'm not sure I would term what I've said since picking it up as a rec. I do like it, but it would seem to be almost the antithesis of many of the much more heavily produced things I know you like recently like Green Day and Beck(?) records, so there's just no telling what you might think of it. I like it better in parts than as a whole, and I do really like the dark feel, but it's not somethig that I think would have very broad appeal. Just too raw. Pretty crappy mastering too. I did use a couple tracks on my latest comp and I'll be curious to hear what some of the people who received it think, although I'm only talking about four people, and one of them already has the CD, so not much of a sample group. Below is what I said a few weeks ago ...

So I made what has unfortunately become a rather rare pilgrimage to my favorite indie rekkid store today and picked up No Wow by The Kills and the Black Mountain debut. And I do like No Wow a lot. Definitely a lot of early PJ Harvey in the sound, but without the dynamics of her band. More like some of the stuff on To Bring You My Love. Anyway, pretty cool, although I do prefer a drummer, even if it's someone as bad as Meg White

Pretty big mood swing at metacritic. Listen to Hilburn or the yahoo from Uncut or me or nobody. Better yet, find some samples and listen for yourself ... preferably before buying!

100
Los Angeles Times
The biggest advance is that the Kills now wrap their songs, from the enchanting "The Good Ones" to the especially anxious "I Hate the Way You Love," in melodies that are disarmingly sweet and seductive. [6 Mar 2005]

60
Uncut
To anyone over 16 it's Suicide/Velvets karaoke, a hacky homage to heroes rather than anything with fresh blood on its teeth. [Mar 2005, p.96]