Sorry for the double post, but this Tuesday, the 12th, is the my most anticipated album release date of the year, with TV on the Radio, Yo La Tengo and the Junior Boys releasing albums on the same day!

To say I'm stoked about TV on the Radio and Yo La Tengo's new albums is an understatement. Especially Tengo, as they are one of my top ten all-time favorite bands.

I really liked TV on the Radio's last record (didn't love it, though), and from all the press given to this record, I can't wait to hear it for myself. I've been waiting for an album to blow me away this year.

As for the Junior Boys, I have nothing to base my enthusiasm except for the press, as this will be my first listening experience to them. Hopefully it'll live up to the hype.

I'm a little old-school about listening to leaked versions of albums (that is, I don't listen to leaked versions of albums), so this will be the first time listening to all three. Is there anything more exciting than cracking open a highly anticipated album and listening to it the first time (well, other than the thought of having sex while finding out you won the lottery, that is)?

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Originally posted by musicfanatic:


I really liked TV on the Radio's last record (didn't love it, though), and from all the press given to this record, I can't wait to hear it for myself. I've been waiting for an album to blow me away this year.

"Return to Cookie Mountain" is as good as the buzz suggests. I bought the import, which -- as I understand it -- lacks a few tracks that will appear on the U.S. version. Highlights (common to both the import and U.S. versions) include "Wolf Like Me," which is one of the best songs of 2006, "Dirty Whirl," "I Was A Lover," and "A Method." It's one of the year's best.

My most highly anticipated release date of the year is October 3, when "Boys and Girls in America" (The Hold Steady), "The Crane Wife" (The Decemberists), "Information" (Beck), "Under the Skin," by Linsey Buckingham and "Ole, Tarantula" (Robyn Hitchcock) are released. It's also the day "Sam's Town" (The Killers), "Meek Warrior" (Akron/Family), and the new album from And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead . . . are released, if you're into that sort of music. (n.1)

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(n.1) I loved about half of "Hot Fuss," by The Killers, but I hated the other half of it, and I can't see them recording a homage to Bruce Springsteen, which is apparently what they're going for on this record.

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Originally posted by philosopherEric:
I'm guessing there will be a lot of anticipation for the Sufjan Xmas box set. I'm not really on the Sufjan bandwagon, but I like Xmas music and I think Sufjan has his moments, so I'm at least curious.

I think he's kind of playing to his Christian music niche. I dunno, I really wish he'd just release these all online like he already did half the songs on the boxset. I happily look forward to Sufjan's next non-B sides non-box set album.

Even though World's Apart was a bit lame, I'm still excited to see what Trail of Dead do with their upcoming album. They're being a little bit hush-hush about it, though. Then again, considering their claims in the months leading up to World's Apart (press releases along the lines that they wanted to change mainstream music) maybe the silence indicates progress instead of degredation

The reviews are starting to make me really excited about Return to Cookie Mountain. (I haven't heard the leak like everyone else here...)

But, if even Rolling Stone is giving an indie record four and a half stars, it's going to raise my eyebrow a bit.

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Originally posted by Art Vandelay:
But, if even Rolling Stone is giving an indie record four and a half stars, it's going to raise my eyebrow a bit.

In all fairness, TVOTR is on a major label now, and it seems to be working for them. They've really been getting a lot of press this year, even in mainstream music publications.

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Originally posted by Daniel, Esq.:
My most highly anticipated release date of the year is October 3, when "Boys and Girls in America" (The Hold Steady), "The Crane Wife" (The Decemberists), "Information" (Beck), "Under the Skin," by Linsey Buckingham and "Ole, Tarantula" (Robyn Hitchcock) are released. It's also the day "Sam's Town" (The Killers), "Meek Warrior" (Akron/Family), and the new album from And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead . . . are released, if you're into that sort of music. (n.1)

____________________________
(n.1) I loved about half of "Hot Fuss," by The Killers, but I hated the other half of it, and I can't see them recording a homage to Bruce Springsteen, which is apparently what they're going for on this record.

I think the lead single from the new Killers is great, and I like the idea that they're going with a Springsteen homage, so I guess I'm on the flip side: I'm really looking forward to Sam's Town!

Also on October 3: the new one from Jet (I kinda liked the last one for dumb garage rock reasons), and the new one by the Dears.

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I think the lead single from the new Killers is great, and I like the idea that they're going with a Springsteen homage, so I guess I'm on the flip side: I'm really looking forward to Sam's Town!

I am also really liking the new Killer's single. I was pretty impartial about the last album. I thought the singles sounded good on the radio, but can't remember ever having a strong desire to listen to the cd. I think 'When you were young' is much better than anything from the last album though, and hope that Sam's Town might be that rare instance of a big budget, major label, million selling album that really sticks with me. Although, there seems to be quite a lot of competition in the Springsteen-influenced album category this year. The early tracks I've heard from Lucero and The Hold Steady both do it better than the Killer's first single.

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Originally posted by philosopherEric:
I think the lead single from the new Killers is great, and I like the idea that they're going with a Springsteen homage, so I guess I'm on the flip side: I'm really looking forward to Sam's Town!

I liked Hot Fuss quite a bit, but "When We Were Young" just doesn't blow me away. I'll still give the album a shot though, since the first single from Hot Fuss, "Somebody Told Me", didn't exactly win me over right away either.

I am happy that they're changing up their sound though. The retro-new wave scene is getting stale pretty quickly. I don't know how many more "Joy Division meets Flock of Seagulls" bands I can stomach.

As of now I'm excited for the new Hold Steady (Oct. 3), Emily Haines (sometime in September I think)and Trail of Dead (hopefully).Oh and of course "The Crane Wife" which is great from what I've heard so far.

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Originally posted by ericg75:
The retro-new wave scene is getting stale pretty quickly. I don't know how many more "Joy Division meets Flock of Seagulls" bands I can stomach.

I could stomach quite a few more retro-new wave bands. I'll be sad to see the genre go, especially if it gives way to a retro-shoegazer or retro-grunge indie scene.

I'm going to buy that Wowee Zowee reissue.

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Originally posted by Daniel, Esq.:
I could stomach quite a few more retro-new wave bands. I'll be sad to see the genre go, especially if it gives way to a retro-shoegazer or retro-grunge indie scene.

I don't hate the genre, but it gets tiresome after awhile. Any time you have a heavily stylized genre like that, it's not going to last long. The reason is that most of those bands write songs to fit the genre, rather than just trying to write good, timeless songs. Style over substance is never a good thing.

Yes The Crane Wife is just soooo damn good!!

Highly anticipating the new Of Montreal album which may end up being 2007

And the new Beck album sounds pretty delicious from what I've heard.

Anybody know what the deal is with the "5xCD" of Christmas songs from Sufjan Stevens that is on Metacritic upcoming release calendar? He's kidding, right? A quintuple album??

Only 2 of the Sufjan Xmas albums are new. The first 3 have been available for free download at a website for a while, thought I suppose they'll be taken down now. The first 3 were recorded in 2001, 2002, and 2003, and the last 2 were recorded in 2005 and 2006. It's a mix of originals and traditional Christmas songs. The first 3 discs are all pretty good, and "That Was the Worst Christmas Ever!" is one of Sufjan's best songs.

Details here:

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/38348/Sufjan_Preps_Xmas_Box_Set

They are more like Xmas EP's than full albums, by the by. No more than 11 songs per disc, and usually around 8.

Hmm, I wonder if I'll get it. With that many songs I'm sure there is a lot of filler, like 2 minutes of sleigh bells or reindeer's antlers banging against each other.

Actually, the first 3 don't have any filler like that. There are a couple songs, though, where some guy with an awful voice sings.

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Originally posted by philosopherEric:
They are more like Xmas EP's than full albums, by the by. No more than 11 songs per disc, and usually around 8.

I like how in Sufjan Stevens' world, 11 songs is an EP, when most bands would consider that a full album. Remember when EPs used to be like 4 or 5 songs? Like Pax, I'm betting on a filler filled extravaganza of gargantuan proportions, that only Sufjan "I can't find the delete button in Pro-Tools" Stevens could produce. And just in time for Xmas!