Yo La Tengo's Popular Songs is being released on venerable label Matador Records on September 8th. The Hoboken trio had a creative resurgence with 2006's wonderful I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass and they've continued on that path with this new album, one of the best I've heard this year. It's a wide-ranging mix of multiple sonic structures, from languid midtempo rockers that made the band famous ("Here to Fall") to high energy pop gems ("Nothing to Hide") to a smattering of throwback songs that belong in '60s doo-wop, or something similar ("Avalon or Someone Very Similar", "If It's True"). And the album concludes with three long, superb tracks in the manner of their previous album's wonderful coda "The Story of Yo La Tango." While not quite reaching those heights, the three final songs clock in at a total of 37 minutes and turn a wholly original, wonderful album into an absolute classic. "More Stars than There are in Heaven" is the highlight, in my opinion, along the lines of YLT's "I Heard You Looking," one of my Top 200 favorite songs of all time, off an album that came out 16 years ago. Yes, 16 years ago. And they are somehow still making brilliant music today. Very impressive indeed.
Speaking of veteran bands of awesome awesomeness, Superchunk have continued their return from an 8-year? hiatus with a second new release in 2009, following the absolutely brilliant Leaves in the Gutter EP from earlier this year. Their latest is a 7" single for the song "Crossed Wires", backed with the song "Blinders (fast version)," and with purchase at the Merge website, a demo version of "Crossed Wires" in mp3 version. While the "Crossed Wires" tracks (both versions) are solid songs, the highlight to me is "Blinders," an absolutely wonderful classic Superchunk track, and likely their second song so far in 2009 fighting for a spot in my year-end Top 10 list (along with "Learned to Surf"). I can't find any infor on whether this is all leading to a new Superchunk album, not even on Mac's blog, but I'm just happy to have some new Superchunk tracks to listen to in 2009. They are as good as ever.
Speaking of Merge (I'm all about the segues today!), the label is releasing Destroyer's latest on August 18th, and it is a limited 12" single (why all the vinyl, Merge? -- I don't have a record player!)... I'm not sure if or where you can get the mp3s to the two songs on the 12-inch, but you can stream the A track, a 13+ minute "ambient disco" song titled "Bay of Pigs" that may or may not have something to do with Cuba, right now at Stereogum. I've listened a few times and, like all of Dan Bejar's music, I'm loving it. It's original, cool, danceable (slightly), and poignant, if I'm making out the lyrics correctly, which I'm sure I'm not, but I will continue to love everything Bejar. If only I had a record player.
Speaking of Barsuk (ok, I'm out of segues), the former Death Cab label (pre sell-out) are releasing the first full-length from David Bazan, sans his former Pedro the Lion moniker, on September 1st. The new album Curse Your Branches starts off with an amazing classic Pedro-style track "Hard to Be", but then expands in some new directions while the singer continues to write about his favorite subjects: faith, addiction, love, depression. It's a solid effort, while not quite on par with some of his greatest work as Pedro the Lion.
Julian Plenti is the name being used by Interpol lead singer Paul Banks on his new release Julian Plenti Is... Skyscraper. Interpol's last album was the inscrutable Our Love to Admire from 2007, and it was quickly forgotten among fans of their first two albums, especially their wonderful debut. On Skyscraper, Banks is back in better form, and the album, released on August 4th, includes the wonderful tracks "Only if You Run", "Skyscraper", and "Unwind", among others. Check it out.
Fanfarlo's Reservoir will see release on American soil on October 6th. They're also touring the States in September, coast to coast (sort of).
Sep 14*Chop Suey*Seattle
Sep 15*Troubadour*West Hollywood
Sep 16*The Echo*Los Angeles
Sep 17*Popscene*San Francisco
Sep 20*Kungfu Necktie*Philadelphia
Sep 21*Bowery Ballroom*New York
Sep 22*The Bell House*New York
Radiohead have released a song as tribute to Harry Patch, the last living British veteran of World War I. Patch died recently at the age of 111. From Radiohead's website:
"i am the only one that got through
the others died where ever they fell
it was an ambush
they came up from all sides
give your leaders each a gun and then let them fight it out themselves
i've seen devils coming up from the ground
i've seen hell upon this earth
the next will be chemical but they will never learn"
Recently the last remaining UK veteran of the 1st world war Harry Patch died at the age of 111.
I had heard a very emotional interview with him a few years ago on the Today program on Radio4.
The way he talked about war had a profound effect on me.
It became the inspiration for a song that we happened to record a few weeks before his death.
It was done live in an abbey. The strings were arranged by Jonny.
I very much hope the song does justice to his memory as the last survivor.
It would be very easy for our generation to forget the true horror of war, without the likes of Harry to remind us.
I hope we do not forget.
As Harry himself said
"Irrespective of the uniforms we wore, we were all victims".
And finally, The National have contributed a song to an upcoming album Ciao My Shining Star: The Songs of Mark Mulcahy. This cover of a Polaris song boosts the tempo of the original, but strings and piano give the song the tragic gloom at which The National excel.
That Fanfarlo track reminds me of the Mystery Jets.
Posted by: Nick | August 11, 2009 at 05:47 PM
I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don't know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.
Susan
http://disturbialyrics.net
Posted by: Susan | August 12, 2009 at 08:57 AM
Thanks for reading Susan!
Nick, I don't know of the Mystery Jets, but I do like the Fanfarlo track.
Posted by: Bill | August 12, 2009 at 12:35 PM
The music links in this post and before have become obsolete.
Posted by: Georgiana | December 21, 2009 at 08:49 PM
I'm sorry Georgiana, but my server was a little overloaded and I had to delete all the files before September. Everything after that should be downloadable.
Posted by: Bill | December 22, 2009 at 09:42 AM
Oh, no, don't be sorry. I wasn't sure if you had meant to. Though it is a shame, because I recently lost all my music due to a debilitating computer virus and looked to you for salvation!
While I am here I'd like to tell you that I thoroughly enjoy your posts and musical tastes, which at times resembles my own, and which has also introduced me to new musical wonders.
Happy Christmas.
Posted by: Georgiana | December 24, 2009 at 02:48 AM
Thank you for reading. Sorry about your computer.
Happy Christmas to you too.
Posted by: Bill | December 24, 2009 at 06:29 PM