Needle Drop: "The King of Limbs" by Radiohead

For your listening pleasure, the latest from Radiohead, start to finish:

Friday Treat -- Video of Radiohead's "Lotus Flower"

Here's a sweet treat to start your weekend -- a first taste from the new Radiohead LP The King of Limbs.  This is the video of "Lotus Flower".  Enjoy!  And for those who pre-ordered the digital download, rumor has it that they are available a day early.  So, check it out...

Radiohead Announces New Album -- Digital Download Available Feb 19

You don't get to name your own price this time, but Radiohead is once again   taking the path less chosen in releasing their new LP The King of Limbs.  It sounds confusing -- you can pre-order "the world's first Newspaper Album", a package which will ship to you on May 9, 2011, but for having ordered it you will have access to the digital download on Saturday, February 19.  This fancy collectors package, which includes 2 vinyl discs, a cd, and literally hundreds of "tiny pieces of artwork", is available for $48.00 (that's the mp3 price -- $53.00 for a wav file instead of mp3).

Or, if you're like me and you would rather have the music now without having to commit to a $48.00 purchase, you can simply pre-order the digital download, which you will be able to receive on Saturday, February 19, for $9.00 (that's the mp3 price -- $14.00 for the wav file).

Now that you're totally confused, go to their web site and make your choice.  But I know you will buy it in one form or another -- it's a new Radiohead album, for goodness sakes!

BTW -- what is a "Newspaper Album"?  I have no idea, but this is a Jigsaw Falling Into Place:

New Release Tuesday: Bright Eyes, PJ Harvey, and The Dears

This weeks brings three releases that I plan to investigate further.


The first is from indie-darling Conor Oberst and his project Bright Eyes.  He has indicated that this might be the final release by Bright Eys, and that alone would be reason enough to give The People's Key a listen.  Early reviews have been mixed, but Bright Eyes tends draw polarized reactions.  My guess is that if you are an Oberst fan, you will like it, and if not, well, don't bother.  Below is a song from the album called "Ladder Song".

Next up is the latest from PJ Harvey.  Unlike the Bright Eyes album, PJ Harvey's Let England Shake is garnering almost universal praise, and therefore seems to be something worth giving a try.  The eclectic English singer-songwriter seems to be in fine form on the track below, "The Words That Maketh Murder".  This could be my next purchase.  See what you think.






Finally, we have the new LP from Canadian indie rockers The Dears.  Their latest is called Degeneration Street.  I admit that I am a fan of their 2006 effort Gang of Losers as well as the 2004 album No Cities Left.  After listening to a couple of songs, I'm not overly optimistic about this new album.  Here is the opening track, "Omega Dog".

Happy Valentines Day

In honor of their surprising Grammy Award for Album of the Year last evening, I offer as a Valentine's Day gift to all loyal readers Arcade Fire's The Suburbs in its entirety.  Enjoy!

New TVOTR Due This Spring!

TV On The Radio have announced that they will have a new album hitting stores this spring.  Nine Types of Light does not have a release date yet, but I will post it as soon as it is announced.  Until then, here's a TVOTR six-pack to get you excited:

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New Release Tuesday: Cut Copy and James Blake

There are two releases this Tuesday that deserve attention.  The first is one that I have already spent some time hyping, the self-titled LP from James Blake.  Here is the opening cut, "Unluck".



Second is the new album from the Australian indie/electronic band Cut Copy.  The album, Zonoscope, is a follow-up to the well-reviewed 2008 LP In Ghost Colours.  If you listen to "Hearts on Fire" from that earlier release, you will swear that you have been transported to the '80s.  Zonoscope is receiving praise, as well, and this might be just the ticket if you are in the market for new dance tunes.  This is "Pharaohs & Pyramids".

Sasquatch! 2011: Line-up Released, and It's a Monster!

I have never been, but everything I have read and seen about the Sasquatch! Music Festival makes it sound like the  place to be on Memorial Day weekend.  First, it takes place in the awesomely-named town of George, Wa.  Second, take a look at the backdrop that listeners get during the performances.  Third, the festival crowd is a manageable 50,000 people.  And, most importatntly, they get a killer line-up.  All of this led Consequence of Sound to name Sasquatch! the Festival of the Year in 2010.

Today, Sasquatch! released its 2011 festival line-up.  Sounds like it should be in the running for Festival of the Year once again. Check out the video announcement...


Sasquatch 2011 Lineup from World Famous on Vimeo.

All Good Things...

This week we received two major "farewell" announcements in the music world.

Confirming what he had intimated at the release of This Is Happening, James Murphy announced this week that the final live performance of LCD Soundsystem will occur on April 2 in New York at Madison Square Gardens. Tickets will go on sale Friday, February 11.

Perhaps less expected was the announcement from Jack and Meg White that we have heard the last from White Stripes.  In a statement released February 2, the duo stated, "The White Stripes do not belong to Meg and Jack anymore.  The White Stripes belong to you now, and you can do with it whatever you want.  The beauty of art and music is that it can last forever if people want it to.  Thank you for sharing this experience.  Your involvement will never be lost on us and we are truly grateful."

Classy.


Well, I think I'd like to play some of their music on this blog. So long, to both!

Friday Afternoon Six-pack

Preview the New James Blake LP

A few days ago, I posted a piece about James Blake and why we should all be interested in his upcoming self-titled debut LP (to be released in North America February 8).

Well, here is an opportunity to listen to the entire album before its release next week.

These eleven songs clock in at a total of 35 minutes.  So it won't take a huge time investment to preview the album.  Besides the already-previewed "Wilhelm Scream" and "Limit to Your Love", the opening track "Unlock" is a highlight, as is the haunting "To Care (Like You)".  And I was surprised to pick up a few hints of Bon Iver (on "Lindisfarne I" and "Lindisfarne II") and Antony and the Johnsons (on "Why Don't You Call Me") in this particular Blake variety.  See if you can hear similar influences.

Enjoy!

New Music from The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

On March 29, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart will release their 2nd LP Belong.  How nice of them to give us so many early releases from the follow up to their excellent 2009 self-titled album.








"Belong":
The Pains of Being Pure At Heart "Belong" by Slumberland Records

"Heart in Your Heartbreak" and "The One":
The Pains of Being Pure At Heart "Heart In Your Heartbreak" Single by Slumberland Records

Review: "Kaputt" by Destroyer

Dan Bejar is an acquired taste. Any fan of the New Pornographers will be able to easily pick out a song penned by Bejar versus one written by the other main songwriter A. C. Newman. On Challengers for example, "Myriad Harbor" and "Entering White Cecelia" are both Bejar additions to the album, and they both are good examples of the quirky voice and lyrics that separate Bejar's work from Newman's more infectious, hooky power pop. In fact, his inclusion in the Canadian indie collective that is New Pornographers has always seemed to me to be a forced fit simply because his sound is so very unique and individualized. Indeed, both times that I have seen them perform live, Bejar has not been included in the lineup. So, maybe it is better and more fair to judge Bejar by the work he does on his own project, Destroyer.

Perhaps you can tell that I entered into the world of Kaputt with some trepidation. As it turns out, there was nothing to fear. This is a great album. Yes, his voice is quirky, but when it is not heard in juxtaposition with Neko Case and Newman, it doesn't seem quite so jarring. And the quirky songwriting is subdued by the rich orchestration throughout the album. And that's what you will notice when you first sit down with this record -- the jazz orchestration. It is really quite delicious. There's certainly a late-70's feel to the songs, which is fine with me. If it recalls Steely Dan in their Aja period, or later Fleetwood Mac, that's great. There's not a lot out there evoking that time period, and though some might find the sound corny or cheesy, it seems fresh and real in Bejar's hands.

Kaputt is a cohesive album. From the radio-ready opener "Chinatown" to the beautifully rich closer "Bay of Pigs (detail)", the songs fit together and flow easily. This is not a collection of songs -- this is an album. What makes me continue to queue this up on the iPod are the horns, the jazz, and the feel of this record.

Why You Will Like It: Accessible, easy to listen to, tuneful songs. Well-written and thought provoking lyrics. Jazzy sound reminiscent of late-70's pop sound. It works as music in the background, but also has much to reveal in a more concentrated listening session.

Why You May Not Like It: If you think the jazz sound tends to lean too close to "soft jazz", or if you think the sound is corny and just a little cheesy. If you have a negative reaction to Bejar's previous work with New Pornographers.

Bottom Line: Highly Recommended

Listen to: "Chinatown"

The Hype: James Blake and His Eagerly Anticipated First LP

I have to admit that I get caught up in the hype.  Or the buzz.  Or the amped-up commercialization of an unreleased album.  And when the person/band being hyped is an underground, as-yet-underappreciated dubstep producer-cum-soul singer from England with three fantastic EPs and a Feist cover viral video to his credit, count me as one of the eagerly-waiting disciples. This is why I find it necessary to write about James Blake and his soon-to-be-released self-titled debut LP.

James Blake entered my consciousness when I first heard his EP CMYK -- one of a trilogy of EPs that, had they been combined into one album, would certainly have been on many top ten lists for 2010.  His 2011 album will be released with much fanfare on February 7.  If you read music blogs in England, it is hard to escape the conclusion that Blake is "The Next Big Thing".  Time will tell, but I, for one, have bought the hype.

Blake celebrates the space between notes.  The silence is as important to his music as the vocals, the beats, and the loops.  Patience is therefore essential, and rewarded, when approaching his minimalistic style.

For the unititiated, I offer three samples of his previously released work as a prelude to the new material:

"CMYK" from the EP CMYK:


"I Only Know (What I Know Now)" from the EP Klavierwerke:


"The Bells Sketch" from the EP The Bells Sketch:


After having listened to those, it will probably surprise you to hear "Limit To Your Love", a cover of the Feist tune in which Blake forgoes the looping vocals and dubstep style and lets his incredible R&B voice fill the empty spaces. 

"Limit To Your Love" from the LP James Blake:


And just in case all of this weren't enough to get you excited about the album drop next week, here is another teaser:

"The Wilhelm Scream" from the LP James Blake:


Much will be written about James Blake in the next few weeks.  Is he an artist on the verge of a breakout?  I think so, but I look forward to hearing what you think.

Dodos to Release "No Color" March 15

The Dodos are back, and this time they return as a duo, having increased their number to three for the 2009 LP Time to Die.  They may be losing the vibraphonist, but they are picking up the background vocals of none other than Neko Case.  Ok, now I have your attention.

When the Dodos first hit the scene with Visiter, I was a huge fan.  The percussion-heavy duo brought a unique and edgy sound that was also extremely accessible.  But Time to Die was a disappointment for me, and I think I maybe wrote off the Dodos as a band that had one good album in them.  But with the news about Neko joining in on vocals, and with the release of the track "Black Night", I am ready to give them another chance.  See if you agree...

Fleet Foxes New Release to Drop May 3

Pitchfork reports that Fleet Foxes will release a new LP on May 3. Titled Helplessness Blues, the album's title track is also streaming at Pitchfork, or, if you want to own it, it's available for download on the SubPop web site. If the first taste is truly indicative of what's to come, we are in for a treat.

Sadly, the tour dates listed do not include a stop in Richmond, but perhaps this can be remedied in the future.