A bunch of these Drake’s Takes kind of got away from me, but after a good late Sunday night session of blog housekeeping, I’m almost caught up. -ed.
It’s a late harvest for releases, with acres of goodness dropping on us like over-ripe apples. Top of the list for me are the veterans, Mission of Burma, Built to Spill, Robert Pollard’s Boston Spaceships and The Mountain Goats. Beyond that, there’s also new releases from Lou Barlow, Califone, The Xx, Port O’Brien, Raveonettes, Daniel Johnston, Noah and the Whale, Brandi Carlile, No Age, The Duchess & the Duke, Alela Diane, Grant Hart, Jamie T, The Cinematics, Kurt Vile, a live album from Gogol Bordello and a slew of reissues from The Jesus Lizard, Betty Davis and Kraftwerk.
Playlist: New Releases 10.06.09
Mission of Burma – The Sound, The Speed, The Light
Stream / Purchase [mp3]
Mission of Burma is one of my favorite post-punk bands, and since they’ve reunited a few years back, they’re albums have helped set the bar for the reunion joints since. The Sound, The Speed, The Light is the third release post-reunion, and while the first two were remarkable, this one is the sound of a real working band. “1, 2, 3, Partyy!” kicks off the album playfully, in the vein of The Minutemen‘s D. Boon, and kind of moves into blue collar mode after that. For some, that might sound like a negative, but for MoB it’s definitely positive. Nearly as good as 2006’s amazing The Obliterati and superior to the (still great) ONoffOn, if TSTSTL falls on deaf ears, it’s only because folks like a good comeback story more than a “keep coming back” one, which is too bad.
Download: “1, 2, 3, Partyy!” [mp3]
Built to Spill – There Is No Enemy
Stream / Purchase [mp3]
Speaking of a working band, Built to Spill is the definition of a working band, and their latest There Is No Enemy certainly fits the description. There’s nothing too surprising here musically to distinguish it greatly from the past few albums, although I’d argue there’s an agreeable reduction in ‘noodling’ on guitar. Along with the tighter focus on guitar, there’s also more focus on the lyrics here, bypassing Doug Martsch’s usual obtuse delivery opting instead for a more direct approach.
More on the radar (and in the mp3 player) this week:
The xx – Xx / Free AOL Album Stream
Boston Spaceships – Zero to 99 / “Question Girl Alright” [mp3]
The Mountain Goats – The Life Of The World To Come / Free AOL Album Stream / “Genesis 3:23” [mp3]
Califone – All My Friends Are Funeral Singers
Port O’Brien – Threadbare
The Raveonettes – In & Out of Control / Free AOL Album Stream / “Suicide” [mp3]
Daniel Johnston – Is and Always Was / Free AOL Album Stream / “Freedom” [mp3]
Brandi Carlile – Give Up the Ghost
Noah and the Whale – First Days of Spring
No Age – Losing Feeling EP / “You’re a Target” [mp3]
The Duchess & the Duke – Sunset/Sunrise / “Hands” [mp3]
Alela Diane featuring Alina Hardin – Alela & Alina / Free AOL Album Stream
Grant Hart – Hot Wax
Jamie T – King & Queens / Free AOL Album Stream
The Cinematics – Be Set Free
Kurt Vile – Childish Prodigy / Free AOL Album Stream / “Hunchback” [mp3]
Reliant K – Forget and not Slow Down / Free AOL Album Stream
Gogol Bordello – Live from Axis Mundi
Exene Cervenka – Somewhere Gone
Air – Love 2 / Free AOL Album Stream
Orenda Fink – Ask the Night / Free AOL Album Stream / “High Ground” [mp3]
Dead Man’s Bones – Dead Man’s Bones
A Place to Bury Strangers – Exploding Head
Eugene Mirman – God Is a Twelve-Year-Old Boy With Asperger’s
Rosanne Cash – The List
REISSUES
The Jesus Lizard – Head
The Jesus Lizard – Goat
The Jesus Lizard – Liar
The Jesus Lizard – Down
Betty Davis – Is It Love or Desire
Betty Davis – Nasty Gal
Kraftwerk – Autobahn
Kraftwerk – Radio-Activity
Kraftwerk – The Man-Machine
Ladytron – Light and Magic