Vol. 5 Issue 36 December 2008
Yes folks the 2008 has come to an end. It’s been an interesting year– between the strike, and trying to keep our relationships together every Sunday night in spite of another killer Mad Men episode, and Zooey Deschanel proving once and for all that perhaps actors can sing, endlessly talking about the recession at parties, plus we have a thin president to boot! Well in celebration of the most turbulent year since my birth, and in honor of Vanessa Williams - the Bank Robber has “saved the best for last.” New albums from BRM supastars Ben Kweller and Dawn Landes, and newbies like The Pains of Being Pure At Heart and Charles Burst...Let us not forget the Willie Nelson cover album from Phosphorescent, and a re-issue from The Volcano Suns. We’ve got it all below! Happy NEW YEAR!!!
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Current Releases
- Click to see:
- Merge
- Tough Love
- Ernest Jenning Record Co.
Merge
www.mergerecords.com/
Volcano Suns
"The Bright Orange Years "
Here’s one for the record snobs. The fine folks over at Merge Records have decided to reissue the first two Volcano Suns records originally released in the Mid to late 80’s on seminal guitar rock label Homestead. Dare you ask who the Volcano Suns actually were!? They were Mission of Burma-drummer, Peter Prescott’s blistering post-Burma band. The Burma shadow hung heavy over the Suns, as one could naturally expect – but both the Volcano Suns’ debut, The Bright Orange Years and follow-up, All Night Lotus Party were chock full of sprawling and smart, beer-soaked noise pop - the kind of music that could only come out of Massachusetts in the 80’s. Both records are classics, and Merge definitely did a fine job reintroducing these babies into the world with tons of bonus cuts and everything one would want from a reissue. First Big Dipper, now the Volcano Suns? One can only hope Salem 66 are next. Check out “Jak”.
Tough Love
www.toughloverecords.com/
Dawn Landes
"Dawn's Music"
There’s a ton of music that gets described as “timeless,” but truth be told most bands these days sound dated even before they’re able to knock out a debut. Blame it on the Internet. It’s a testament to Dawn Landes’ incredible “dopeness,” that her music really does have staying power. Case in point - her new double-disc reissue of Dawn’s Music (originally self-released in 2005) with the Straight Lines EP (originally released in 2007). Both jams sound just as gorgeous today as when we first were introduced to Miss Landes. Her brand of playfully noir American music channels everyone from Cat Power to Neutral Milk Hotel to Kimya Dawson – in terms of sheer intimacy and quirky experimentation. Also, the girl does a kick-ass rock-appella’d out old timey cover of “Young Folks” - a song I thought I never wanted to hear again, until I heard Landes sing it. Check out “Straight Lines”.
Ernest Jenning Record Co.
www.ernestjenning.com/
Charles Burst
"Come Home and Feast"
“Singer-songwriter/drummer/Engineer” isn’t a tag you see all that often; however, for Brooklyn-hailing Charles Burst it fits to a tee. Burst is one of the in-house engineers at Brooklyn’s ubiquitous and beloved Seaside Lounge recording studio. Plenty of killer records were birthed out of Seaside, like the last Takka Takka album (which Burst produced and made sound like a Technicolor planetarium), and albums from The National, David Grubbs, Beirut, and many more. Additionally, Burst has played drums for The Occasion, and even on AC Newman’s new album. It’s amazing that he found a moment to record some of his own songs. Come Home and Feast (Ernest Jenning Record Co.) is Burst’s personal pop-filled songwriting manifesto. It’s mellow and has a real easy-going, vaguely 70’s McCartney vibe to it all. Meet the Kanye West of shlubby white-guy guitar rock. Check out “The Long Way”.
- Click to see:
- ATO Records
- Slumberland
- Dead Oceans
ATO Records
www.atorecords.com
Ben Kweller
"Changing Horses"
Why bother blurbing up Ben Kweller’s new authentic “country” album, Changing Horses (ATO Records)…he did it himself. From Ben: “I recorded this album called Changing Horses. I grew up in a small east Texas town called Greenville. Country music was the soundtrack to my life. My albums which tend to be diverse usually have one of two cuts on them that are rootsy-Americana-folkie-whatever-the-fuck ya wanna call it. This album just focuses on that one side of me.” Thanks Ben. Check out “Hurtin’ You”.
Slumberland
slumberlandrecords.com/
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
"The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart"
Yes, their name is The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart. However, those who count them as friends go shorthand, and affectionately refer to them as The Pains. In no time, I'm sure many a music writer will go with the TPOBPAH tag once this buzzy NYC quartet's kick-ass self-titled debut drops early in '09. There's nary a moment on the band's debut that isn't memorably catchy: in barely two-minutes, "Hey Paul" has a Vaseline's-like disarming simplicity to it that's far harder to pull off on record than it sounds."Everything With You" is immediate and pop-punk-y enough to satisfy kids with a nostalgic thing for Green Day while at the same time earnest enough to live up to the band's "twee" influences. Best yet, "A Teenager In Love" is a straight-up 80's love song. No irony here folks. The track is sprinkled with so many magical Prefab Sprout-like keyboard lines it seems as though The Pains wrote it exclusively for the Some Kind Of Wonderful OST.... The Pains possess both the right sound (a little Jesus And Mary Chain, a little Television Personalities, a little Rocketship), the right look (think dark colors, vintage 80's prints, and APC's penchant for logo-less euro-prep), and songs. Actual, memorable, songs with like bridges and choruses, and even a solo here and there. Check out “Teenager In Love”.
Dead Oceans
www.deadoceans.com/
Phosphorescent
"To Willie"
Quick Willie Nelson story. When I was real young, and basically music-obsessed, my wise wise middle-aged sister thought it would be a good idea for me to see Willie Nelson. Bless her heart. There was Willie – that wily old hippie bastard playing that same cracked and crusty Martin acoustic that basically may as well be considered another limb of his at this point. I must’ve been the only person (nay, kid) in the entirety of East Hampton’s Guild Hall to not know every single word to every single song. Now look, 8 year old me pretty much hated country western, but I’ll never forget that night even still. Phosphorescent must have the same sorta nostalgic enigmatic love for Willie, because dude just recorded a transfixing Willie Nelson covers album called To Willie (Dead Oceans). As if I needed to say it – it’s great. Hopefully no shotguns were involved. Check out “The Party’s Over”.