Titus Andronicus "An Obelisk (Merge)"
An Obelisk, the latest album from the beloved band Titus Andronicus, is a perfect storm of rock (hot off the heels of their now legendary sitcom pilot). Here on An Obelisk (Merge) we find the band in top form, being produced by the legendary Bob Mould and recorded at the legendary studio of Steve Albini. Titus is sounding lean and mean, with Bob stripping away almost all adornments-leaving us with the purest distillation of rock and roll this side of… uh… oh, I don’t know… just insert your favorite rock record here. Check out the epic “I Blame Society.”
wild Yaks "Great Admirer (Ernest Jenning Record Co.)"
For fans of a certain kind of ramshackle indie rock we don’t get much of these days (or for die-hard fans of bands that have appeared on Law And Order: SVU) word of a new Wild Yaks album is like manna from heaven (honestly, present company included in both the former and the latter). Great Admirer (Ernest Jenning Record Co.) sounds like the record Robert Bryn and Co. were born to record. Every song bursts forth like a beautiful conglomeration of friends, always teetering on the precipice-nearly cracking under the weight of good ideas, yet always managing to keep everything held together (there is a reason the band isn’t called Tame Yaks after all). Check out the effortlessly sing-a-long-able “Great Admirer.”
Palehound "Black Friday (Polyvinyl)"
In its history, Boston has meant many things to many people. A great place to throw a tea party. A killer spot for some equally killer beans. Boisterous sports fans. But in my mind, all of those things are falling away as now Boston is primarily, to me, the hometown of Palehound! On Black Friday (Polyvinyl), their third LP, Ellen Kempner and the gang deal with the many different forms love can take with occasionally hushed vocals, delicate lyrics, and spindly bedroom rock for a sound that falls somewhere between modern indie and the most classic indie bands you can think of. It’s a delicious combo, so order up a heaping helping of the whisper rock of “Aaron.”
House And Land "Across The Field (Thrill Jockey)"
When we last heard from Sarah Louise, she was releasing one of my favorite albums of the year thus far- “Nighttime Birds and Morning Stars” which found her finding common ground between Americana music and melodically ambient music a la Fripp/Eno. Now here she has teamed up once again with multi-instrumentalist Sally Anne Morgan as House And Land. Across The Field (Thrill Jockey) finds the women indulging their every bluegrass/Americana whim. These are songs from the earth. Sounding like they’ve existed forever, with 2-part harmonies and hardly an instrument plugged in (though Sarah is lending a bit of her amazing electric guitar work to the LP this time). Check out the simply lovely “Two Sisters.”