New Releases - June 21

Eminem's stunt of releasing his album on Monday instead of Tuesday had the wonderful effect of causing most of the new releases to also come out on Monday. This is a strange and wonderful thing to those that follow the new releases each week, a Monday release is a rare treat.

As I mentioned before, there were a lot of interesting releases this week. I will focus on just the few that I have spent the most time with thus far.

First up, The Roots new album How I Got Over. The Roots have been consistently good for many years now and they continue to be good with the new record. The problem (if you could call it that) with The Roots is that they are always good, rarely great. Most Roots albums will have one or two standout tracks while the others kind of blend together. Still, it is better to be a little boring and predictable, but solid than to have a few smash hits mixed in with rubbish as so many other groups do.

The standout track this time is the title track, How I Got Over. The Day is another strong track featuring a nice hook by Patty Crash. The song that I was most looking forward to was Right On, allegedly featuring Joanna Newsom. The album states "featuring" and even Jimmy Fallon mentioned a couple of times on Late Night that they worked with Joanna Newsom however, it is just a sample. Had I just heard this song without expecting to hear Joanna sing some new lyrics, I would probably have been blown away, but instead I just kept waiting for something that never came. Now I feel ripped off; you know you are wrong for that ?Love! So minus points for sure for that false advertising. Overall, another solid, if somewhat boring, release from The Roots. I don't want to seem too critical, The Roots really are one of the best in hip-hop, but long-time fans will probably understand what I mean.

Another hip-hop release of note this week: Pollen: The Swarm Pt. 3 by the Wu-Tang Killa Beez. While there are a couple of highlights, this album was a disappointment. At least Rza can claim to be "green" with all of the recycling taking place on this album. We have already heard Smooth Sailing on Wu Massacre. Faced Down was on Street Life's 2005 release, though it was titled Lay Down. You Must Be Dreaming was from Diaz's 2003 album Velkommen Jjem Andres, but now in 2010 he is not credited on the song. Assed Out features a nice contribution by Method Man, but then a throwaway variation of GZA's verse from OB4CLII's We Will Rob You. And so on and so forth. Die-hard Wu fans are pretty much the only ones excited for these tertiary releases, but as die-hard fans, we already know these songs. When Wu-Tang used to put out the Wu-Chronicles albums, they featured songs with Wu family artists that were from the rap diaspora, which is fine, but the Swarm series has featured new music thus far and the first two were excellent while this one is not.

I have saved the best for last. This week marks the release of Oh Little Fire by Sarah Harmer. Sarah Harmer fans know that it has been four long years since her last album, I'm A Mountain. I'm A Mountain was a bit of a departure for Sarah, it is a folk-country album. So it has really been six years since Sarah's last pop-rock album, All of Our Names. When it has been so long and the artist has been trying different things, there is a bit of worry about what the next album will be like. I am happy to report that Sarah Harmer is back and better than ever on Oh Little Fire. Long-time fans will immediately feel like they are meeting a good friend again after many years apart and picking up right where they left off. This new album definately should be filed with You Were Here and All of Our Names at the record store in the Rock section. Standout songs include: The Theif, Captive, One Match, The Marble in Your Eye and Silverado (duet with Neko Case). My favorite song though (at least right now) has to be The City. Sarah Harmer uses her trademark vocal changes (from singing to double tracking to sudden lilting and sometimes simply speaking) to great effect here and throughout the album.

Obviously, I am a Sarah Harmer fan, so Oh Little Fire is exactly what I was hoping for. For new listeners, they will not have the prior experience with her material and will not have experienced the prolonged waiting that fans have, and thinking objectively, they might rate the album a little lower. Fans will be happy to give bonus points for simply giving us more of what we have been longing for.

Also released this week was The Five Ghosts by Stars. After listening to this album I am now certain that I am not so much a Stars fan as I am an Amy Millan fan.

Sia also has a new album, We Are Born. I could not bring myself to purchase this after listening to the samples. If someone has given it an honest listen, please let us know what you think.

What do you think of this week's albums?

Song of the Day

Song of the Day

Song of the Day

New Releases - Or Lack Thereof

Nothing new to report this week. Sarah McLachlan's cd was released, but we already discussed her. I consider this to be the calm before the storm though because next week is loaded with desirable releases. June 22 will see the release of albums by Sarah Harmer, Stars, The Roots, Wu-Tang Killa Beez and Sia, among others. What are you looking forward to the most? For me it is Sarah Harmer. I am also dying to hear the Roots with Joanna Newsom. See you June 22!

Song of the Day

The Living Sisters

If you have not heard The Living Sisters yet, you need to. If you don't believe that you have heard The Living Sisters, you actually may have. The Living Sisters features Inara George, Eleni Mandell, and Becky Stark. So if you recognize those names or have listened to The Bird and the Bee or Lavendar Diamond, then I suppose you have heard elements of The Living Sisters. Each woman has found success in their other projects and the three have come together to form The Living Sisters.

The reason I bring them up now is because they were on Last Call With Carson Daly (you can watch their appearance here) last night and it reminded me that I started the blog after thier debut album was released. I would be remiss if I did not mention something about them. What I would like to mention is how The Living Sisters should serve as an example for some of the younger female singers out there. There are some performers (I will not name any names) that believe a bare midriff and raunchy lyrics equal sexiness and therefore, success. If you listen to a song such as Double Knots by The Living Sisters, you will discover something much more titilating than a bikini top. While the lyrics are certainly suggestive, at face value they are innocuous. Despite this (or perhaps because of this), it is still an incredibly sexy song. The vocal delivery and sounds are simply provocative in a way that skin-filled music videos cannot compete with. It is tough to watch some of these young women parade themselves and degrade themselves in an attempt to be sexy, but not succeed. They may look attractive, they may be gyrating and talkin' dirty, but it is too obvious and contrived. It also seems that those artists that are trying harder to seem sexy are ultimately less successful. If you have to try, you don't have "it". 95% of all female recording artists are attractive (and The Living Sisters are no exception) and any one of them can make themselves look sexy, but being sexy is an entirely different matter. Even more elusive is truly provacative lyrics.

So, I offer The Living Sisters for your consideration. Three gorgeous women singing beautiful harmonies. Am I crazy? Would you prefer some vintage Britney Spears or some such thing? Let me know.

New Releases

Nothing to report this week. I would love to be reviewing Samantha Crain's latest, You (Understood), but unfortunately I pre-ordered the digital download directly from samanthacrain.com. Apparently her store is operated by a company called TopSpin and they have yet to issue the downloads. An inquiry to customer service yielded this response:

Hey ~
I appreciate your concern! It looks like the email has been delayed, but you should receive one soon. Kind Regards

So, I am a little upset about that. The e-mail they mention would contain the download link. Do not preorder anything from an artist using TopSpin!

New Releases

There were several interesting releases this week, though I have not been able to dive into them. There is Tift Merritt's new release, See You on the Moon, which Amy found a link to listen to. My first impression is favorable, but I only have listened to samples so far. Now I can try the full album.

The biggest buzz this week is for the debut of Sleigh Bells. I have been hearing them on the radio and they seem fun, but I am afraid that dad might be too old. Treats reminds me of a poor man's Love. Angel. Music. Baby, only about five years late. Although Sleigh Bells has considerably more indie street cred, this is still a guilty pleasure for the younger generation. Have fun kids.

My personal pick for this week is Fossils and Other Phantoms by Peggy Sue. This UK trio has a lovely sound, combining the vocals of Katy Young and Rosa Slade. Their voices are almost more competitive than melodic and the result is a rather fierce delivery over accordion laced soundscapes. Here is Peggy Sue performing Yo Mama for BBC Radio




Also this week is a new single from Masta Killa called Things Just Ain't the Same. It is your standard "back in the day" rap track, but Wu-Tang is still the gold standard in hip-hop, so it is great to see all of the members riding the recent Wu Wave started last year with Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II. My only issue with the track is the beat, which is way to similar to that of Last Drink. Still, new Wu.

Also out this week is a new EP from 8mm. I have only sampled this so far, perhaps Amy has heard it in its entirety. 8mm is not really my style, but I love singer Juliette Beavan's voice.

Not terribly informative this week, but hopefully you get some ideas. As always, please let me know what you have found and are enjoying this week.

Singles Week

No new albums worth purchasing this week. I previewed Foals, but thought better of it. There were a few singles made available this week however that are worth mentioning.

Firstly, Adult Swim gives us a tidbit from the forthcoming Madvillain album. The song is called Papermill. As I mentioned, at less than two minutes this is just a tidbit, but it is good to hear that Madvillain is still working with the same formula. This is an instance where the status quo is desirable. You have a funky Madlib beat with MF Doom doing what he does best. Cannot wait for the album. We should get a more substantial track in the relatively near future.

Tift Merrit released the song Mixtape this week. This song is okay, it does spark a bit of nostalgia for people of a certain age. I mentioned maintaining the status quo with Madvillain, and typically I am openminded, but I really miss the days of Bramble Rose. Tift really strayed from this style right away, but with each new album I hope that maybe she will come back around, but it does not seem to be the case this time. For Amy: I know you are familiar with the song, but let me know if you are not sure what a mixtape is. Cassette tapes were before your time :)

Arcade Fire has let loose the title track from their next album The Suburbs. I am not a big Arcade Fire fan, but I do get the attraction. Seeing the group perform live on Austin City Limits made me appreciate the energy that they put into their live shows, so I was interested to see what they would do next after Neon Bible. The Suburbs sounds like an old-timey shuffle; it does not seem as though they have put their best foot forward with this release. I know that the band has a dedicated fan following, I would be curious to see what a serious fan thinks of the new track.

Finally, an old favorite catches me by suprise. Black Sheep have released a new single called Birds of a Feather featuring Q-Tip (Tribe), Dave (De La) and Mike Gee (JBs). A reunion of the Native Tongues, what could possibly be better? As it turns out, most anything would be preferable to this dull track. Dres has never been the same since the debut album and this beat is simply terrible. Why couldn't Tip or Dave say something; maybe offer a throwaway beat of their own? A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing is one of the best hip-hop albums of all time, but sadly those days are gone, along with my interest in Black Sheep. I have to believe that this is one of the stronger tracks from the upcoming album, which is a shame.

What are you listening to this week? It looks like June is going to be a huge month for new releases; let me know what you are looking forward to.

Reflection Eternal - Revolutions Per Minute

Revolutions Per Minute, the new release from Reflection Eternal is noticeably different from its predecessor, 2000's Train of Thought. Ten years after their joint debut, Talib Kweli and DJ Hi-Tek return with a much more polished sound. This change is mostly due to Hi-Tek's more pop-friendly beats. It seems that there is an equation in hip hop that states that for each percentage point you gain in pop or mainstream credibility you lose two percentage points in street credibility. After a ten year absence, the duo may be ready to trade in some of that underground street cred for bigger sales and it is certainly tough to blame them. That being said, the slick sound does not hurt the group a bit and it should draw in a few new fans.

The first single Back Again was released a while back (with a well-edited split-screen video) and still serves as the theme song for the album. Kweli proclaims "That's right we back again, you can like rap again..." It is true that for fans of a certain age, there have not been any new artists for us to get into since about 2000, so our commitment to rap is based upon "old" artists continuing to produce good music. Kweli's claim suggests that not only have old dads not been able to like rap music lately, most rap fans have had little to choose from in terms of quality material.

Ballad of the Black Gold is particularly relevant in the wake of the gulf coast oil spill. Anyone that has done preliminary research into economics and politics will be able to follow Kweli's rant against the big oil companies, particularly the way that countries like Nigeria have fallen victim to oil interests. Of course the U.S. occupation of the Middle East is covered as well: "Drill baby drill while they make our soldiers kill..." Some may find tracks like this a downer, it is certainly different from the Billboard Top 100 fare, but it is essential that artists spread awareness of important issues.

That being said, Reflection Eternal will also provide you with a few dance numbers, including Get Loose. Oftentimes a club track from an underground or gangsta artist fails on two fronts: they are not accepted in the club and they alienate the fanbase. Good artists are able to pull off these songs when they do not sell out their sound or dumb down their lyrics. Kweli is still Kweli here and the production is not inconsistent with the rest of the album.

Overall, a solid release: 7/10.

Other recommended new releases

Also available this week is Distant Relatives by Damian Marley and Nas. Try As We Enter.

The Weepies released a new single: I Was Made for Sunny Days.

What have you purchased this week? Any recommendations?

Oh Little Fire

Sarah Harmer has released an EPK for her forthcoming album Oh Little Fire, available June 22. Can't wait!

Dad Says - Periodic New Music Recommendation

Welcome to the first "Dad Says" entry. These will feature relatively new music (up to a few months after official release) from new and established artists. The honor of first recommendation goes to the group Soft Healer. Soft Healer is an Austin band that has not yet released an EP or LP, but does have a few singles floating around. You can download my favorite, Movie Light, here. The horns add to the level of legitimacy. Fader mentions that the track would otherwise be given "demo status". I have not researched it, but I cannot believe that Best Coast has had many similar critiques. I put Soft Healer right along with Best Coast. The lo-fi sound is obviously intentional and I think that it works here.

What do you think about Movie Light and Soft Healer?

Minddribbles

Since I will be writing a lot about music, I thought that the first order of business would be to have a quick review of this year's top releases. I have selected my top five albums of the year thus far, as well as my most disappointing album of the year. My friend Jennifer Oddo, blogger extraordinaire and published author has graciously invited me to make my debut on her blog called Minddribbles. Please check it out and leave your comments and top album recommendations.

Why blog?

Don't you just love using nouns as verbs? Why would a neo-luddite such as myself participate in such an activity? There are a few reasons why I have decided to start my own weblog. One reason is quite practical, I need to practice writing more often. I am going to be an English teacher soon and I felt it was prudent to engage in some writing practice to keep myself sharp. I decided that a blog would be more fun than a private journal. I realize that very few, if any, readers will find their way to my site and read what I have to say, but the possibility that at least one person might see this makes me feel more inclined to actually follow through with the writing. I would love to start a discussion or even a debate about an interesting subject and expose myself to some new ideas along the way. This is simply not possible with a private journal. Another reason is that I know some people that have blogs and this will be a good way to keep up with them.

As I hinted at earlier, I do have an aversion to many technological applications and so-called innovations. It is my belief that the Internet and (and its various communication tools) has had an adverse effect on human communications. While communication is certainly more plentiful, it is also more superficial and impersonal. My limited exposure to blogs however has shown me that many people are using the medium to publish excellent and interesting writing and I am not at all opposed to participating in such a rich, literate activity. I will just keep McLuhan's adage "the medium is the message" in mind as I send my thoughts out into the world-wide interweb. Even if written well, the medium of the blog is immediate and potentially wide-reaching, but also impersonal, and disposable (among other things), as all Internet communications are. Still, that does not mean that having a blog and participating in the blogging community cannot be fun. Even McLuhan would admit that the blog is a "cool" medium. (Yes, this is the type of humor you can expect to find in future entries, I apologize in advance) As Neil Postman used to say (I paraphrase), if you understand it is entertainment and treat it as such, and use it in moderation, its fine (refering to television). I think that this notion can be applied to blogs as well and I am ready to give it a shot.