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.