This week's post is pushed back a day because of Labor Day. And, you know, laziness.
The Divine Fits - A Thing Called Divine Fits
A supergroup only under the loosest possible definition of the term, the Divine Fits combines Spoon's Britt Daniel with one of the guys from Wolf Parade and a drummer from some other band or something. This albums to me sounds extremely similar to a Spoon album: were I interested in more than just recommending new music, I would wonder what exactly were the benefits of this side project versus Daniel just recording another Spoon album.
But fortunately, I am really only interested in whether the effort sounds good. And if you like Spoon, as I do, you're bound to enjoy this album. Despite the presence of a higher number of keyboards than on the usual Spoon album (the thing that makes this side project unique from Spoon perhaps?), this album is reminiscent of Spoon's more rock-oriented offerings: there's plenty of those patented spiky angular riffs that Spoon has become known for. I'm still anxious for a proper Spoon release (and an honest attempt to follow up the populist leanings of Ga Ga Ga Ga, although perhaps that is a pipe dream), but this Divine Fits album is a good effort in its own right.
Selections
My Love is Real
Shivers
Like Ice Cream
Bob Mould - Silver Age
Bob Mould's the best. He's back to doing badass heavy guitar bravado, so this is the best of the best. I really enjoy this one; everyone should check it out.
Selections
Star Machine
The Descent
Keep Believing
Minus the Bear - Infinity Overhead
This is Minus the Bear's fifth studio album, and I am not particularly familiar with their back catalog, so while I can't speak much to how this album fits within their overall arc as a band, I can say that I was surprised both by what type of music and how good this album is.
Despite naming their band after a blow job joke that references BJ and the Bear, there isn't anything juvenile about this band's sound: it sounds like, for lack of a better term, grown-up alternative rock, the type of music that would have fit in with a band like the Afghan Whigs or some later period Stone Temple Pilots, after Scott Weiland stopped doing his Eddie Vedder impersonation. Though they aren't exactly the same type of band, I would really like Minus the Bear to tour with Jeff the Brotherhood (yes, I just learned how to do these text hyperlink things; I'm like a real blogger now!). Anyway, I'm buying what this band is selling.
Selections (ok, I'm just gonna cheat here and list the first three tracks on the album, but I do think they're fairly representative, and there isn't a weak track on the whole thing)
Steel and Blood
Lies and Eyes
Diamond Lightning
Cat Power - Sun
The little I've heard from Cat Power over the years has failed to resonate with me. If anyone reading this truly enjoys her previous work, feel free to tell me why I'm stupid. But for whatever reason, I'm enjoying this album. It's more upbeat than the stereotypical female singer-songwriter genre that I perhaps erroneously believed Cat Power fell squarely within. Maybe I misjudged her.
Selections
Ruin
3, 6, 9
Animal Collective - Centipede Hz
I can't recommend this album, but I mention it here because (well, mostly because it came out this week, but also because) there's a chance (albeit a small one) that I will end up improving my opinion about it as time goes by.
Animal Collective tends to be overly complicated; this means that when they are interesting, they are uniquely interesting, but it also means that when they miss their mark, what they do barely even classifies as music. In other words, I have never once been able to listen to an entire Animal Collective start to finish, but they will occasionally have a song or two I will return to a decent amount.
Upon first listen, this album sounds like it has mostly missed its mark: it all sounds very busy, but there isn't much in there that grabs me. Mostly, it just makes me sleepy. But not even a gradual chillout/take the edge off sleepy. Just like a sudden dose of narcolepsy sleepy. But in fairness to the band, their complexity is not the type of thing that always instantly grabs you. Anyway, this was released this week as well. So, yeah.
Selections
Applesauce
Wide Eyed
No comments:
Post a Comment