New Music in My World

I realize I haven't updated any of my BOOKS or MUSIC lists since before my blog hiatus in April. For that I can only apologize and say that there are two reasons behind this: 1) laziness/indifference 2) I have been working on an alternative to those side bars that will actually have an RSS feed. This is almost ready to roll. In the meantime, I thought I would give a run down of some of the music that has gotten me through the summer.

Living Well

This album is hardly new...at least in the sense of something new that I'm talking about-- but I bought this just before we left Vancouver and we have listened to it non-stop in the car since then. It reminds me of everything I love about Bellingham (since that's where I bought it), everything I love about Rob Crow, and everything I love about driving cross country.

Wake Up Swimming

While I'm on Rob Crow projects, I figured I shouldn't leave this one out. Katie and I had three CD's when we drove from Vancouver to Little Rock this summer, and this was one of them

Once

Someone burned me an album from The Frames a few years ago, but it was a distant memory in my mind the whole time I watched this movie and tried to figure out where I had hear Glen Hansard's voice before. I had to wait for the credits to roll to have my memory jogged. I love the emotion in Hansard's lyrics and the harmony and tenderness of Markéta Irglová. The film is great as well (check reviews at metacritic)

Mirrored

Being that I'm a huge Don Caballero fan, this band has interested me since they released their first EP. American Don is a fantastic album, and this is not that. In fact, it's not any Don Caballero album. A friend told me that he had listened to 30sec clips of this someplace and thought it sounded "crazy and weird."

Andorra

My friend who couldn't get with Battles suggested that I check out this album as an alternative. I love it. Caribou represents the electronic creations of Daniel V. Snaith. Read what the critics have to say @ metacritic

From Here We Go Sublime
I'm not generally a huge electronic fan, but this album has received such hype @ metacritic that I decided to take a risk...and I'm not disappointed. The Field is actually the moniker of Axel Willner, and I love the minimalist approach he takes to techno. This is great house music and I have listened to the album a great deal. Pitchfork has hyped the album as well.

We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes
I was introduced late to Death Cab with Transatlanticism (which I still feel is their best album) and this is the second Death Cab album I bought. I had to answer the question "What are you listening to..." at a small group a  few weeks ago and this was the first thing that came to my mind. I absolutely love this album and resurrected it this summer after Katie and I literally listened to Something About Airplanes all summer. If Plans is your only exposure to Death Cab, then do yourself a favor and pick up these earlier albums.

Challengers

I LOVE THIS ALBUM. Yes, the stock critiques of this album will surely apply: It sounds like something that will be played in some annoying clothing store in a mall; it is less complex and more pop accessible than their other albums-- but I'm not sure if it makes the album any less fun. If you are expecting Twin Cinema, then you might be let down. But if you don't own Twin Cinema, I would say buy both. Then buy Mass Romantic last. Whatever you decide to listen to, Katie and I are driving to Chicago this weekend, and I'm eager to introduce her to this album on the way.

Comments

[Steve McCoy]

I'm dying to see Once, but it's no where to be found in these parts. I refuse to get the album until I see it.

I've been searching for The Field since it first appeared on MetaCritic, but I can't find it around here either, even at the indie store an hour away.

New Pornographers will be a purchase when I get the cash. Battles is great.

Nice selection.