Monday, May 17, 2010

Stuff I Listened To Last Week, 17 May 2010

Every time I listen to a record, I leave it next to the stereo. On Monday, before I go back to work, I re-file them all. Below are the contents of this week's pile.


Animal Collective - Fall Be Kind EP
Now that I know the sample's really saying "Whoa I walk, sky," I can only hear it that way anymore.


The Besnard Lakes - "Casino Nanaimo" 12-inch


Between the Buried and Me - Alaska
Holds up quite well a few years down the road. Not sure what I'd think of this if I heard it for the first time now, as in hindsight it's kind of a good record in a bad genre. But I heard it then, I liked it and I still do.

I've actually gone to see this band twice, once in NY and once in Philly, and both times I didn't bother buying a ticket in advance, only to find the show sold out when I got there. So I've still never seen them. Apparently they're quite popular.


Black Moth Super Rainbow - Eating Us
Said it before, I'll say it again: Dave Fridmann, Producer of the Decade 2000-2009.


David Bowie - The Man Who Sold the World, Hunky Dory, The Rise and Fall Of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, Alladin Sane, Pin Ups
Yup, still reading that Spitz book. I'm a couple albums past these in the book, but I'm taking the time to listen to each one multple times. Pin Ups is the most revelatory find here, it's terrific.


Nachtmystium - Assassins: Black Meddle, Part I
Some website called this the best metal album of the year a couple years back, so I bought it without ever hearing them. Good, but not holy-shit great. Or maybe it is and I'm just not ready for it; after all, my biggest complaint is probably that it's not extreme enough. Still, certainly the best saxophone solos I've ever heard on a black metal album. And only.


Pelican - The Fire In Our Throats Will Beckon the Thaw
Why isn't Pelican better? What's missing here? On paper this is a great band, but I keep buying their stuff and thinking, "Oh, well this must not be one of their better ones." I think I'm finally ready to admit that they're not that good. I mean, points for trying, they really switched up their style on City Of Echoes, and I admire them for it, but I just don't think they have made or will make a truly great album. Beautiful packaging, though, for what it's worth.


Pet Shop Boys - Disco, Disco2, Introspective, "Always On My Mind" 12-inch
Just watched their bio-doc A Life In Pop. Decent talking-head-style doc, nothing special, but a very inspiring story from an artistic standpoint. What a fantastic band. And I don't even own some of my favourite albums of theirs. Need to get on that.

Neil Tennant makes an interesting comment at one point, observing that "West End Girls" is a classic one-hit wonder song, and he feels lucky they're still going. I think most musicians wouldn't be smart enough to realise that, but that's the kind of self-awareness that comes from being a former pop music journalist.


Elvis Presley


Wilco - A Ghost Is Born

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