From now on, Sundays will see me posting the new music I have heard in the last week. I did a couple of year-end lists and they were well received. I got about 40-50 suggestions for what I missed, and over the last week worked my way through the ones I had not heard yet.
As I mentioned in those previous efforts, I have an extensive music collection, focusing mainly on indie music, with a lot of more recent folk leanings, but also hip-hop, rock, soul, and electronica. My zune software (yes a zune) says I have 9080 songs from 374 artists on 807 albums, but I suspect the my total collection is around 13000 songs or so, from some 600 artists. Before I went all-digital (except pre-order bundles) I had around 300 physical albums. I hope to include at least 5 albums as well as any worthy singles.
I am also open to suggestions for me listen to, since I am a music junkie, any fix is appreciated.
This will be different than my previous efforts in that it is not a ranking of anything, just the new stuff I heard and my thoughts. I wont be filtering, if I like something, even if it is bubble gum pop. If I like it it makes the list.
Post your new stuff or suggestions for me in the comments. From time to time I will also be doing track by track reviews of albums from popular artists or those that I think are truly exceptional.
Gavin Castleton’s “Home”
(Will be released 2/13 digitally, and physically in April). I would not at all be surprised to see this named album of the year, it is THAT good. The album dances around from genre to genre, mixing in a bit of everything. “Buggouts” and “Coffelocks” are really good but “Warpaint” is unbelievably good. The album “was designed to mend broken hearts”, I don’t know if doesn’t that but it is still worth a listen when it comes out.
Frightened Rabbit’s “The Midnight Organ Fight”
I have probably listened to this one 10 times in the last week. Solid Scottish band, with hints of Snow Patrol. In addition to me not seeing a rating under 80 (or equivalent), members of Jimmy Eat World and Death Cab For Cutie both named it their favorite album of 2008. “Old Old Fashioned” is my favorite from their myspace, but “Good Arms vs. Bad Arms” is far and away the best song here.
Marnie Stern’s “This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That”
Wow, THIS album is all over the place. Marnie shows her impressive guitar skills and proper use of dischord as well. Hints of Tegan and Sara here. “The Package is Wrapped” is the star here.
Max Tundra’s “Parallax Error Beheads You”
A review I about this guy said this:
…so many synths, beeps, beats, glitches, horns, hooks, voices. It shouldn’t work. But it does. Perfectly.
I should add that this is just so entrancing.
Lykke Li’s “Youth Novels”
I have started to listen to a bunch of different Scandinavian musicians, this being the latest. Her voice is wonderful, and the arrangements are not too shabby, but the best song is “Melodies and Desires” featuring this in spoken word:
You’ll be the rhythm and I’ll be the beat
You’ll be the rhythm and I’ll be the beat
Then I’ll be the rhythm and you’ll be the beat
And love, the shoreline, where you and I meet
Love is the harmony
Desire is the key
Love is a symphony
Come sing some with me
Honorable Mention
Gaslight Anthem’s “Senor and the Queen EP”
This four song gem is well worth your time. “Blue Jeans and White T-Shirts” is simply unmissable. Hints of Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie. “Wherefore art thou, Elvis?” is nearly as good. Honorable mention only because it is short and I had already heard this band (they made my favorite album in 2008 “The ‘59 Sound”).
So what is your favorite new stuff?