What is spinning?

[Ex Lion Tamer]

Hey Maf,

I'm so out of the loop right now I didn't realize there was a new Wilco. How does The Whole Love compare to the rest of their catalogue?

I'm also intrigued by the Drive By Truckers album after being re-introduced to the band by a sampler from a workplace buddy. I'm guessing it's a classic release?

Snowie

Hey there Snowbuns, how are things on the west coast (to paraphrase Interpol)?

Well the Wilco album is a 2011 release, so not really very new anymore. But it is the usual slice of Wilco-quality goodness...not quite in the Summerteeth or YHF class, but I like it better than (The Album) and just as much as Sky Blue Sky and A Ghost is Born. Hey, it's a Wilco album...what's not to like?

Drive By Truckers, well I'm late to the party on these guys so I'm not much help, BUT; my story kinda mirrors yours... really liked the 10 song sampler I got from a friend, enough in fact that I bought their acknowledged classic Southern Rock Opera, and it is great, rocking, intelligent, thoughtful really high quality southern rock with a punk attitude. I'm definitely going to dig deeper into their catalogue.

[Davey]

The Microphones
The Glow Pt. 2
The Moon

The Glow Pt. 2 is a great record, but "The Moon" is something even more special. One of the saddest and most perfect songs ever... the juxtaposition of remembered young love happiness in the verses, with the reality of lost love sadness in the choruses. Vocals buried in the music, you have to dig to get it all out. Kinda makes me think of Sonic Youth in the beginning, I almost expect it to morph into Teen Age Riot, sometimes I just want want to play that opening riff over and over, and then something like Beulah takes over with the more frenetic pace and the horns, the constant drums driving that motorrific flow of music and lyrics seem to make it go by really quick, even at over 5 minutes. So I have to play it a few more times ... pretty special ...

I went out last night to forget that
I went out and stared it down
But the moon just stared back at me
And in it's light I saw my two feet on the ground

[Davey]

My favorite album from 2011. Maybe of the 2000s. Hell, maybe of any era!

Shine on you crazy diamond. Where did you go? Yea, I love that record too, got it playing now. All's good, stay crazy buddy.

I got jukebox tears
Under turquoise skies...

[Snowbunny]

Hey there Snowbuns, how are things on the west coast (to paraphrase Interpol)?

Well the Wilco album is a 2011 release, so not really very new anymore. But it is the usual slice of Wilco-quality goodness...not quite in the Summerteeth or YHF class, but I like it better than (The Album) and just as much as Sky Blue Sky and A Ghost is Born. Hey, it's a Wilco album...what's not to like?

Drive By Truckers, well I'm late to the party on these guys so I'm not much help, BUT; my story kinda mirrors yours... really liked the 10 song sampler I got from a friend, enough in fact that I bought their acknowledged classic Southern Rock Opera, and it is great, rocking, intelligent, thoughtful really high quality southern rock with a punk attitude. I'm definitely going to dig deeper into their catalogue.

Hey ELT, things on the West Coast are hot and sunny!

Fortunately, this year we haven't had the resulting fires, like down in Davey's neck of the woods. But now and again we do get a whiff of the smoke, and colourful sunsets from it.

I got kind of Wilco'd out for a while there. Same story with Modest Mouse. Still like them, but the '90's and the 00's seemed so much richer with good music.

Southern Rock Opera, eh? Being a child of the 70's, I've got a weakness for rock operas.

Snowie

[Snowbunny]

The Microphones
The Glow Pt. 2
The Moon

The Glow Pt. 2 is a great record, but "The Moon" is something even more special. One of the saddest and most perfect songs ever... the juxtaposition of remembered young love happiness in the verses, with the reality of lost love sadness in the choruses. Vocals buried in the music, you have to dig to get it all out. Kinda makes me think of Sonic Youth in the beginning, I almost expect it to morph into Teen Age Riot, sometimes I just want want to play that opening riff over and over, and then something like Beulah takes over with the more frenetic pace and the horns, the constant drums driving that motorrific flow of music and lyrics seem to make it go by really quick, even at over 5 minutes. So I have to play it a few more times ... pretty special ...

I went out last night to forget that
I went out and stared it down
But the moon just stared back at me
And in it's light I saw my two feet on the ground

I did the same! I bought The Glow Pt.2, and somehow never realized how great The Moon was. Yes, even better than The Glow Pt.2.

But then time and place is relevant when listening to music, and I guess I'm feeling the moon more than the glow at this point in my life.

And speaking of Sonic Youth, the never had the appeal for me that I thought they should, but I find their cover of Superstar absolutely spellbinding!

Snowbuns

[Slosh]

Califone - Stitches

[Slosh]

Babyshambles - Sequel To The Prequel

[jonnyhambone]

first listen of the new Richard Buckner, Surrounded - on Spotify for now so the sound is just off my computer and thru Sennheiser HD 25-1 ii headphones. I admit I wasn't a big fan of Our Blood. A little lifeless and just found myself turning it off or spacing out half way through. This new one feels a lot more lively - instrumentally and production-wise...I know better than to look for lively and upbeat from Buckner lyrically and song-wise. Will probably pick up this one on vinyl and see what Tucker Martine did for the production...I'm guessing it's a good thing. Hopefully will catch him on a supporting tour too.

[Slosh]

first listen of the new Richard Buckner, Surrounded

Me too, just ripped the CD.

[Davey]

Califone - Stitches

Really nice record, been listening to it a lot. Pretty good sounding, and a fun listen too with all those layers of sound, little noises move in and out of the scenes, almost go unnoticed at times, but still seem to play important roles in building the landscape for the songs. Interesting music. I think when those horns first come in during "We Are A Payphone" may be one of my favorite moments, really brilliant touch. Just the right amount of everything on this one, at least for me, at least for now

[Slosh]

Really nice record, been listening to it a lot. Pretty good sounding, and a fun listen too with all those layers of sound, little noises move in and out of the scenes, almost go unnoticed at times, but still seem to play important roles in building the landscape for the songs. Interesting music. I think when those horns first come in during "We Are A Payphone" may be one of my favorite moments, really brilliant touch. Just the right amount of everything on this one, at least for me, at least for now

Yeah, it doesn't disappoint as per usual with Califone. "Moses" is my favorite song at the moment but I'm still in the getting-to-know-this-album phase.

[dean_martin]

Yeah, it doesn't disappoint as per usual with Califone. "Moses" is my favorite song at the moment but I'm still in the getting-to-know-this-album phase.

I'm enjoying this one. It's a great listen from start to finish. B side is . . . brilliant, as confirmed by our little Yorkie, Charlie last night. A trance-like calmness comes over him when he hears good music. He gives this one four paws up.

[JohnMichael]

The Rascal and the Sparrow
Poulenc Meets Piaf

Steinway & Sons

[Slosh]

I'm enjoying this one. It's a great listen from start to finish. B side is . . . brilliant, as confirmed by our little Yorkie, Charlie last night. A trance-like calmness comes over him when he hears good music. He gives this one four paws up.

Our greyhound "Dash" relaxing to some Califone

[Davey]

Califone - Stitches

Really nice record, been listening to it a lot. Pretty good sounding, and a fun listen too with all those layers of sound, little noises move in and out of the scenes, almost go unnoticed at times, but still seem to play important roles in building the landscape for the songs. Interesting music. I think when those horns first come in during "We Are A Payphone" may be one of my favorite moments, really brilliant touch. Just the right amount of everything on this one, at least for me, at least for now

Yeah, it doesn't disappoint as per usual with Califone. "Moses" is my favorite song at the moment but I'm still in the getting-to-know-this-album phase.

I'm enjoying this one. It's a great listen from start to finish. B side is . . . brilliant, as confirmed by our little Yorkie, Charlie last night. A trance-like calmness comes over him when he hears good music. He gives this one four paws up.

Our greyhound "Dash" relaxing to some Califone

Not sure a lazy dog is the best spokesperson (spokesanimal?), but nice interview at Aquarium Drunkard ... Rutili should really sit down and write a novel with all these characters... Aquarium Drunkard » Catching Up With Califone :: The AD Interview

Just as distinct as the sound of the songs are the characters that inhabit Rutili’s landscapes, like Five Easy Pieces/Nashville actress Karen Black (who “forgets the words, like Memphis when the rapture breaks”) and an assortment of Biblical characters: the warring brothers Esau and Jacob, the “old wizard freak” Moses, who led the Israelites to the Promised Land – but couldn’t enter himself.

“[Moses] takes a whole tribe of people through the desert, gets them where they’re going, and then this ****ing weird God tells him he can’t go in, because he screwed up,” Rutili says. “I was just thinking about this guy watching everybody cross the river, when he can’t. I think, in a lot of ways, everybody thinks that they’re that victim.”

And while the God of the Old Testament, “a wild animal,” Rutili says, “petty and with very human jealousies,” watches over most of Stitches, Rutili steers toward the New Testament with “Magdalene,” named for the character the Gnostic Gospels purport to be the wife of Christ – though she’s more commonly defined by the “whore archetype.”

“In the Gnostic texts, she’s the wife of Jesus, and the other apostles are jealous of her,” Rutili says. “’Why does he kiss her on the mouth? Why does he pay more attention to her?’ There are a lot of those weird arguments in the Gnostic texts that I thought were pretty interesting. I thought about this character that was edited out of this fake history for political reasons, you know? All of those ideas sort of triggered that song, and took it back to this strange woman and what happened. It’s about someone that gets written out of history, and where they go.”

[Slosh]

hmmm...

[Slosh]

So I gave this new Dismemberment Plan album one spin thus far. After the first 4 songs I was close to turning it off. It redeems itself for the most part on the second side. Maybe 5 decent songs here. We'll see if it grows on me but my initial reaction is disappointment. As usual Travis Morrison's lyrics can be both borderline brilliant and cringe-worthy... often in the same song.

But I have plenty of other new albums to get to know better (Califone, Babyshambles, Okkervil River, Blitzen Trapper, and Arctic Monkeys) so it may be a while before I give D-Plan another spin.

[Worf101]

Japanese remasters of Dionne Warwick's recordings on the "Sceptre" label. Great underrated performer.

Worf

[noddin0ff]

Much better than expected. I've got a pretty good catalog of Bill Callaghan albums, Smog in included. I just keep picking them up and enjoying their simple pleasures. They tend to run together for me. This one rises above. I always appreciate good lyrics but honestly don't always pay attention to them enough to find that appreciation. Bill keeps it so sparse you can't help but be caught by his honesty and poetry. Kudos to a really good, simple album.

Very nice review here
Bill Callahan: Dream River - album review

"I've got limitations
like Marvin Gaye
Mortal joy is that way

Outside a train sings its whale song
to a long long train
long long gone

Then silence comes back alone
high as scaffolding until the wind finds something to ping
or the pinging thing finds the wind

We're all looking for a body
or a means to make one sing"

-- The Sing

[shokhead]

The Who Quadrophenia Blu Ray Audio

[Dave_G]

The new YES "Heaven and Earth" YES YES on CD, then,

Kerry Livgren - "one of several possible musiks" on cassette