Vol. 3 Issue 19 May 2007
May Day May Day, we've got a new update.....What else have we got? We also have BRM VOL. 10! Yup, music supervisors, it's time to check your mailbox for the latest compilation from BRM. If you didn't get one drop us a line. You'll be happy you did.
Now, onto the blurbs.
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Current Releases
- Click to see:
- Drag City
- The Leaf Label
- Holocene Music
Drag City
www.dragcity.com
Bill Callahan
"Woke On A Whaleheart"
Bill Callahan is having something of a second coming. After putting out 10,000 classic, pseudo-seminal downer folk records under the Smog moniker, Woke On A Whaleheart is his first under his own name – it’s also the best record of his long, storied career. As tracks like “Footprints” show, Whaleheart is the most invigorated, orchestrated, and downright soulfull things the man has done in years. Sporting delicious arrangements from ex-Royal Trux-er, Neil Haggerty, the production on Whaleheart sounds equal parts Muscle Shoals and Bonnie Prince Billy too. Much better than the new Wilco joint.
Meg Baird
"Dear Companion"
On Dear Companion, Meg Baird’s solo debut for Drag City, the female folky does the ghost of Sandy Denny proud. Baird, a member of the psych-folk rock outfit Espers, goes all quiet here – just one achingly beautiful voice, and cryptic, unraveling acoustic guitar accompaniment. It’s awe-inspiring just how close Baird comes to capturing the vibe of her inspirations – Bert Janch, Mimi and Richard Farina, and yes, Fairport Convention. In many ways Dear Companion reminds me of a female version of Sandy Denny’s one-time romantic interest, Jackson C. Frank’s album. Haunting, lonely, and beautiful. Check out the title track.
The Leaf Label
www.theleaflabel.com/
Colleen
"Les Ondes Silencieuses"
Over the course of two previous jams, Colleen has made quite a name for herself in the world of electro-“organic” sounding knob-turners. However, on her new third album for Leaf , Les Ondes Silencieuses, she does away with all the pedal-pushing, sample-worhsipping electronics and goes, as they say in the LES, the “all organic route.” Whole Foods references aside, Ondes, is another transifixingly beautiful listen – especially if you like Viola Da Gamba and clarinet…We do. You will too.
Holocene Music
www.holocenemusic.com/
The Shaky Hands
"The Shaky Hands"
Portland, Oregon is known as a place where indie-pop songcraft and the slacker hippie ethos of yore break bread. Just ask Calvin Johnston, he’s made a seminal label, and countless bands out of it. The Shaky Hands are the latest Portland-popsters to mine the bucolic for the infectious. The Hands’ self-titled debut (Holocene) sounds something like a cross between The Shins and Akron/Family, an album of woodsy, organic jams, equal parts reflective, and entirely rocking. Acoustic guitars prevail, as does group-sing-a-long vocals, and even some infectious post-“Young Folks” whistling on the hooks. This month’s Spin even threw a Bright Eyes comparison at the band. Either way, there is no question that The Shaky Hands http://www.myspace.com/shakyhands are one of the most exciting bands on the rise right now.
Merge
www.mergerecords.com/
The Clientele
"God Save The Clientele"
Big Star. The Beatles. The Monkees. These are the three bands that whatever fine person who jotted up the press release for the unbelievably great new Clientele record chose to compare the band to. Now look, if I said I was a pretty huge Big Star fan that would be somewhat of an understatement, and given this bit of information, the expectations were set pretty high for me upon spinning God Save The Clientele, the third joint from Merge’s reigning shoegazers. God Saves surpassed these expectations. It’s without a doubt the most consistent and fleshed out, dare I say poppy, release the band has ever made. The Big Star influence rears it’s head not in power chords, but rather in vaguely wistful, bittersweet, 70’s rock balladry. On God Saves the last thing these guys need is any saving.
Ladybug Transistor
"Can't Wait Another Day"
Merge Record’s indie-pop collective of yore, Ladybug Transistor, are back with their first record in 3 years! Can’t Wait Another Day proves to ba yet another classic in the bands already poptastic dischography. “Three Days From Now” adds some uncharacteristic uptempo, “ticket to ride” shimmer to the band’s hyper-orchestrated shoegaziness. Scott Walker would be proud.
Fat Cat
fat-cat.co.uk/
Welcome
"Sirs"
A grunge rock, shoegaze orgasm. One of my favorite new songs BRM works – Welcome’s “Bunky” is like if The Breeders were on Sarah Records – dreamy and raw as hell. It’s no wonder these guys and girl are from Seattle. Sirs is out on Fat Cat now!
Mice Parade
"Mice Parade"
Adam Pierce aka Mice Parade has been quietly bridging the boundaries between folksy-singer-songwriting and esoteric organic electronica for a few years now. On his brand new self-titled fifth record (Fat Cat), he comes as close ever to perfecting his idiosynchratic blend of tasteful genres. Maybe it was that for this record he moved out of NYC and up to the wooded enclaves of Bear Mountain – but there is some super beautiful, eerie, other-worldly sounds on this thing. Stop me before I get all New Age on our butts here – but Mice is moving and spiritual in that Shoegaz-y My Bloody Valentine-there is god somewhere in this sea of sonics sort of way. Check out the opener, “Sneaky Red,” featuring guest vocals from Mum – it’ll trip you out. No joke.