Some pretty cool woozy psychedelic shoegazin' pop Tunesday tunes from Deerhunter

[Davey]

New one called Microcastles. If any of you are still into that Loveless kind of thing, this isn't quite as layered and gauzy (nor quite as epic sounding) as My Bloody Valentine, but it does scratch an itch that I wasn't fully aware needed scratching right now. Nice record, probably more along the lines of something from Ride. Gotta admit that I had hoped the sound would be a little better, recorded at the Rare Book Room in Brooklyn like a couple other great sounding analog recordings of the 90s (love the sound of Silver Jews American Water), but kinda lo-fi, which honestly isn't much of a detraction when talking about this type of music since none of the shoegazin' stuff sounds all that good after you layer in those many mixes. The drums always seem to suffer most, though at least this one doesn't sound underwater like on Loveless

Probably better than some, and it does actually open up at times on the simpler mixes and sound pretty good. Reminds me a little of the Autolux record from a couple years ago that I liked quite a bit, partly because it harkened back to some of the great underappreciated psychedelic pop bands of the 70s.

Anyway, this one has been pretty much on repeat with me for the last few days. This Tunesday is gonna be a trip to the airport, followed by a trip to the voting booth (which hopefully won't be preceded by a long wait in line) and then a trip into work day for me, so this is the weekly music news. Post your distractions and doldrums and discoveries here. We're all listening ...

[Davey]

Wow, not even a pity response, you guys are a tough crowd! Only took about an hour or so to vote in my little community Elks Lodge, but looks like everyone is right, great turnout, beautiful northern California morning with lots of clouds and some sneaky sunshine, gonna be records broken in many places. Fun to see so many out and about, and willing to wait a little (or a lot) longer than usual to make sure their voices are heard.

Still spinning that psych pop of Microcastle from yesterday, and the day before... just feels good. Gonna be one of my favorites this year. Mostly I've only listened to the main CD, only gave a distracted listen to the second CD, so far. Not a bad deal, as it comes in a real 2-CD jewel case from Kranky for $13 ppd. Quick delivery, CD wrapped in cardboard and sent in a padded envelope, over $2 in postage. Hard to believe the year is almost over, doesn't seem like there has really been any blockbuster damage done to the music status quo this year, does it? Anything turn you into a street teamer this year... yet? Ya know, I had the last Radiohead in the car for a couple days, and it is a pretty nice CD. Technically last year, for many, but the CD wasn't in stores until this year. I always tire of it quicker than I should, but I'm still pretty impressed with it nonetheless, early complaints about the overall fluffiness of it notwithstanding

That first half of Wovenhand is my favorite, might have to just pick a favorite side this year. Nothing rocks all the way to the moon this year. Probably be some pretty solid year end comps though, if anyone still makes year end comps, of course. I'm gonna do one, but my cd burner is still under the weather, and it has been for an embarrassingly long time. Keep thinking I should get a new laptop, and ditch this old one, so shouldn't sink any money in a new burner. Or maybe ...

[3-LockBox]

Nothing rocks all the way to the moon this year. Probably be some pretty solid year end comps though, if anyone still makes year end comps, of course...

I was thinking the same thing the other day. No one CD is a clear cut masterpiece, but this year is chock full of good songs. As of yet, I still have my eyes on at least three more CDs (of the non-prog variety) Keane, TV on the Radio, and Snow Patrol. Of course, if you guys ever ventured into progland there may yet be a good CD all the way through. I'm still completely diggin the Kingfisher Sky CD debut from last spring, but even prog has been a little anemic this year, unless you count Elbow as prog, then its the best prog album this year.

The new Secret Machines is OK, but nothing earth shattering. I have yet to check out Deerhunter, but their is another band called Deerhoof that is just completely from left field if you're looking for some ecclectic avante-pop.

[MindGoneHaywire]

I just bought the first Can album on Amazon's MP3 download page but I haven't listened to it yet. Recent spins included Monk w/Coltrane at Carnegie Hall, Nicole Atkins, A Certain Mr. Jobim, the new Nikka Costa, Furry Lewis, & the Foxboro Hot Tubs. I hope to want to listen to music at some point today, like the Can record, for instance. In the meantime, came across this elsewhere & it's a good chuckle on a day I don't feel like looking at another St. Sanders vid:

http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/mad/740837104.html

[bobsticks]

Whattup Davey,

Not much tunewise going on in these parts...did manage to pick up that new Wovenhand and it is strong, though still not surpassing Folklore in my estimation.

...picked up that original Gilmour solo album and it is what it is...

...tops in the ranks of the newer spinning round things would be Mushroom Jazz Six from the esteemed Mark Farina and Intercept!, the 2006 release from Bent. Less into raw samples than previous outings Intercept! concentrates more on...hmmm...some trippy, woozy pseudo-psychedelia. You might likey.

[BradH]

I just bought the first Can album on Amazon's MP3 download page but I haven't listened to it yet.

Monster Movie? I listened to that Tuesday night! Amazing coincidence. I love Can. I heart them.

Other recent spins:

Funkadelic - s/t debut from 1970. It's funky. It's psychedelic. Exactly what the name says.

New Riders of the Purple Sage - Powerglide........mmm, not so much. There's that weird bad spot with vocalists where they're not good enough to be good and not bad enough to get away with it. Maybe I'll spin it again later.

ELP - Tarkus (JVC/Victor 24-bit) I remember the MoFi cd sounding better but I haven't done an A/B. I still think this was ELP's best.

Return to the Dark Side of the Moon - Too bad most of these people weren't in the same room together but it's still cool to hear these combinations. One song has Robby Kreiger, Adrian Belew, Colin Moulding, Alan White & Tony Kaye. That sort of thing. Billy Sherwood's overproduction actually works this time because the original DSotM sounded huge.

Torn, Korn & Bozzio - Polytown. I'd proably like this better if I'd never heard Bozzio, Levin & Stevens. These mostly sound like jamming exercises with Korn trying to carry the entire melodic sense of the thing while Torn shreds atonally non-stop. This is a far cry from BLS which was all based on flamenco structures.

Sly & The Family Stone - Stand!.....A monster masterpiece. Desert isle disc. 'Nuff said.

Plus a buttload of boots but no one gives a rat's.

Later.

[jonnyhambone]

Monster Movie? I listened to that Tuesday night! Amazing coincidence. I love Can. I heart them.
New Riders of the Purple Sage - Powerglide........mmm, not so much. There's that weird bad spot with vocalists where they're not good enough to be good and not bad enough to get away with it. Maybe I'll spin it again later.
Later.

I heart Can too!...esp. Tago Mago, Future Days, and some of Ege Bamyasi. Masaki Batoh (from Ghost...another good band if you like Can) does a cool version of YooDoo Right...I have it on a 45 but it might be from an actual album.

And the New Riders! if you're even a bit into them from Powerglide, check out their earlier stuff. s/t one is good but I really love the first side of Gypsy Cowboy. It's pretty dated sounding but a great spin of that hippy country music ala' Byrds, Gram Parsons, or Poco that is also really dark and even atmospheric. Plus the pedal steel guitar is a total mind-bender

Oh, and about Deerhunter...I've only streamed the new one for a listen. Really like what I'm hearin'. I'll probably pick it up at the show when I see them in a week or so.

[3-LockBox]

Return to the Dark Side of the Moon - Too bad most of these people weren't in the same room together but it's still cool to hear these combinations. One song has Robby Kreiger, Adrian Belew, Colin Moulding, Alan White & Tony Kaye. That sort of thing. Billy Sherwood's overproduction actually works this time because the original DSotM sounded huge.

I wondered about this one. I've actually corresponded with Sherwood over at PE (no really) and he's a heck of a sport (I actually poked some fun at him for having to play next to a spandexed Squire for a whole tour). Sure, maybe he was hawking his (at the time) new release, but he never actually came out and said anything directly. I like that he wants to carry the torch for older prog, but he puts such an '80s sheen on everything he does. Hell, I'll bet Trevor Rabin thinks Sherwood over does it. I bought his new one last year (Circa:2007) and its has some good tunes on it, but for the most part sounds dated by two decades. Too bad.

[ForeverAutumn]

Keane, TV on the Radio, and Snow Patrol.

The new Snow Patrol is nothing special. Final Straw and Eyes Open are both better disks IMO. There's a few good tunes on A Hundred Million Suns, but overall it's weak when compared with their other disks.

I've still got to order that new Elbow.

If we're starting the "best of the year" discussions then I've got to give a shout out to the new REM and the new Ray Lamontagne. And that Brian Vander Ark disk that I've been raving about is a 2008 release, although I still have no idea how it landed in my possession. But I'm sure glad that it did. I've since purchased the rest of his solo catalogue and have to say that I heart Brian Vander Ark.

[BradH]

And the New Riders! if you're even a bit into them from Powerglide, check out their earlier stuff.

Well, Powerglide was only their 2nd album but I'm thinking the first one might be better. The steel on the first one was all Jerry Garcia but he's only on a couple of tunes here. I'll spin it again when I'm in more of a "West Coast" mood.

I've actually corresponded with Sherwood over at PE...

By all accounts he's a super nice guy. I hear he's working on another of those guest musician extravaganzas, I think it was The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway. Btw, for the record, the reason Squire wears that spandex is because he runs on the treadmill backstage before the show. Speaking of health, I don't know if you know this but Anderson almost died last spring. His wife told Alan White he was actually dead for two minutes.

Bit of a thread hijack here, Uncle Dave, but you did use the word "psychedelic" in the header.

[3-LockBox]

Speaking of health, I don't know if you know this but Anderson almost died last spring. His wife told Alan White he was actually dead for two minutes.

Do I know?

heh heh...you musta never been to Progressive Ears before. There is at least two to three new threads on Yes, Genesis, or King Crimson a week (not joking). There are threads at PE on the specualtion of a full-on Genesis reunion that have so many posts that it makes RR's What is spinning thread look like one of my CD review threads. Jon Anderson's plight similarly so...it was an asthma attack, a serious one, and he's still laid up from what I read there. Also, Yes may tour this spring with one of them there YouTube dudes that sound near to zackly like Jon, and there is a multi-page thread on that as well, examined from every angle imaginable.

Got a jones for good argument on the most banal of subjects? Check out PE. Troy's there, spreading his unique brand wisdom and wit (and is revered by all I might add). Hell, there's even been some good threads on indie music as of late.

Ask FA...she's been there...ain't been back though... .

[ForeverAutumn]

Do I know?

heh heh...you musta never been to Progressive Ears before. There is at least two to three new threads on Yes, Genesis, or King Crimson a week (not joking). There are threads at PE on the specualtion of a full-on Genesis reunion that have so many posts that it makes RR's What is spinning thread look like one of my CD review threads. Jon Anderson's plight similarly so...it was an asthma attack, a serious one, and he's still laid up from what I read there. Also, Yes may tour this spring with one of them there YouTube dudes that sound near to zackly like Jon, and there is a multi-page thread on that as well, examined from every angle imaginable.

Got a jones for good argument on the most banal of subjects? Check out PE. Troy's there, spreading his unique brand wisdom and wit (and is revered by all I might add). Hell, there's even been some good threads on indie music as of late.

Ask FA...she's been there...ain't been back though... .

Hehehe. I lurk each day to see what's new but I don't post much (I did post yesterday I think). I've nicknamed it ProgYESsive Ears. Generally, I read the first page of a thread and then ignore the 22 pages of redundancy and/or pure speculation.

I will give PE credit for good traffic though. It's actually hard to keep up with it some days.

[BradH]

heh heh...you musta never been to Progressive Ears before.

You're right about that. Haven't seen it, don't wanna see it, would rather turn the computer off than look at that stuff. I swing by here out of curiosity and habit but it's the only music forum I really participate in or even read. The forums I read are more technical like DIY speaker building, amps, gear, guitars, video technology, etc. I'm rebuilding a 1946 Philco radio/turntable and, lo and behold, I found a site on vintage Philcos, and of course tons of vintage radio sites selling parts, sites with tech articles, etc. I watch the videogame industry like a hawk and get my 1UPYours podcast religiously every Friday, been doing it for years. Plus I watch every male World Cup skiier who comes down the slope, every weekend, every season. I read the Middle Eastern and Arab blogs (going on 5 years now) and the foreign affairs stuff. Oh, and Steve Hoffman's site, gotta throw that in. Holy crap, then there are the boot trading groups and such. That's already too much time in front of the computer and I don't catch everything. But no, no Prog Ears for me, thanks. If none of that other stuff was on the web I might join in but there's too much other stuff out there and certainly not enough time to see it all. I listnen to sh!t gobs of progressive rock but I find most of their hardcore fans are a little musically close minded, frankly.

[3-LockBox]

I listnen to sh!t gobs of progressive rock but I find most of their hardcore fans are a little musically close minded, frankly.

Yep, that or they're rabid fanboys who think everything their fave band puts out is the best release of all time.

What Prog do you listen to?

What kinda speakers have you built? I DIY as well (just speakers though).

[atomicAdam]

A little late to the thread, (seems to be my issue as of late) but I am progressive rock fan boy of some sorts...sometimes.....ok, i like it, but I wont give up my Skinny Puppy or big band jazz anytime soon.

to the OP, thanks for the musical recommendation. I'll try to check them out, sound up my alley.

As for me, I have a bunch of God Speed You! Black Emperor on mp3 but the sounds is shiat.

I got yanqui u.x.o. on cd the other day and was disappointed to find it only a tad better than my mp3s. Whenever the music really got going it seems to loose it's punch. Maybe I just need to play it louder.

Though, there was one great part where I could totally feel the waves of the music roll back and forth between me and the speakers. And no, I wasn't high or on anything else, just one of those moments.

[Rich-n-Texas]

Hehehe. I lurk each day to see what's new but I don't post much (I did post yesterday I think). I've nicknamed it ProgYESsive Ears. Generally, I read the first page of a thread and then ignore the 22 pages of redundancy and/or pure speculation.

I will give PE credit for good traffic though. It's actually hard to keep up with it some days.

I find it sad to read this FA. What you give to this community is always returned to you in multiples of ten.

[atomicAdam]

I find it sad to read this FA. What you give to this community is always returned to you in multiples of ten.

0 x 0 the 10th = 0

[BradH]

What Prog do you listen to?

The usual suspects plus stuff that seems to go under the radar in prog discussions like Gong, Can, Jade Warrior, Ash Ra Tempel, Hawkwind, etc. Old stuff.

What kinda speakers have you built? I DIY as well (just speakers though).

None so far, No woodworking tools and too many projects on deck. I'll build an active crossover next year. I've got a couple of pro Shure surround processors that need to be repaired. Somethings freaked out in the power supply.