Plenty of new (to me) spinnage this week…

Wilco – Kicking Television: Live In Chicago
I’ve already posted a mini-review of this one. I like it a lot, mostly because it breathes new life into the songs from their last album.

The Bravery
Finally got around to picking this up. I think I like this as much if not more than all the other 80s-redux bands.

The New Pornographers – Twin Cinema
Quirky alt-rock runs smack into lush pop harmonies and lives to tell the tale. I dig it, but not as much as I thought I was going to (but I’ve only spun twice so far). Curiously, the best tracks are all divisible by 4.

Green Day – Bullet In a Bible
CD & DVD live package from their recent tour. I’ve played the DVD once, while working out. Solid performance is marred by docu footage between songs. Fortunately, the docu footage is at the END of each track, so the skip button works beautifully. Still annoying, tho.

Sonic Youth – Daydream Nation
I didn’t have any, so I got their best one. And I’m still not a fan, although there are some terrific moments here (most notably Teenage Riot, of course). This one isn’t really a “listen” for me, so much as a life soundtrack for when I want to feel like Mr. Hipster From Days Gone By. Miles Davis does that for me, too.

U2 – Live In Chicago
Concert DVD. My wife and I were at this show, so we had to get this one. Worth getting if you’re a fan. If you don’t already have one of their shows on DVD, don’t start here.

Chemical Brothers – Push the Button
I picked this up on a lark, as my collection lacks the block-rockin’ techno beat (in general). On my first listen, I nearly gave up after the first 3 tracks. Then track 4 really got my attention…and the rest of it kept my groove going (with the exception of the laughable faux-militancy on track 7).

Bruce Springsteen – Born to Run 30th Anniversary Set
Oh, how I love this album. It comes with a DVD documentary on the making of the album that is excruciatingly informative…making this album was, apparently, an exercise in frustration for everyone involved. And there is a concert DVD from 1975, recorded at London’s famed Hammersmith Odeon, shot to 35mm with an excellent audio mix from original 24-track tapes…showing the future superstar as a young artiste with a lot to prove. I can’t review the remastered CD yet because I haven’t played it on my main system yet. And I won’t until I have the opportunity to play it the way it was meant to be played: in its entirety and very, very loudly.


All of that, plus about 40 hours of iPod shuffling. As usual.


Here's to a happy Thanksgiving for all my American homies. I'll see you next week!