Well, I wasn't looking forward to it because I knew nothing of it, but I LOVED Keep It Like a Secret, so I'm game. Keep us posted if you find out new info.

I've read two or three recent pieces on Built To Spill recently. One is here:

http://www.riverfronttimes.com/Issues/2005-05-18/music/music.html

No info on a new record, but Doug Martsch is back with his BTS bandmates and touring.

I agree about Keep it Like a Secret, it's one of my favorite albums of the 90s. Every song is top notch.

I haven't really heard much about the record, but supposedly they're wrapping up recording on it, which they vaguely described as being "mostly rockers"...take that for what its worth. They're starting to tour pretty soon, I know for sure that they'll be playing shows regularly by September.

By the way, thats a good article that really nails Martsch's down to earth attitude. Probably one of the reasons why I like the band as much as I do.

Okay, here are the albums *this* week I'm looking at.

Getting:

Boy Least Likely To: I'm finally convinced. I'll pick this up. It has a charm similar to AiH's. Which explains why Pitchfork is so keen on it.

Bubble:

Art Brut: Now, my reservation for this one is that it seems like 'Yet Another UK Garage Band(TM)'. But, on first listen of one or two tracks it sounds better than Bloc Party. I probably won't get it unless I have reason to believe it's Strokes/Franz Ferdinand level..there are just *so many* UK garage bands. It's getting as out of hand as grunge bands in the wake of Nirvana -- something the Strokes ought to be very proud of.

Smog: This seems Sufjan Stevens-esque...also on the fence with this. I'll have to listen to it more.

Four Tet: Seems to have some good sounds...but if you're going to grab me with experimental rock you have to sound different than anything else. This seems to be an amalgam of various electronica and trip-hop sounds. Probably *won't* get this, but great word of mouth or metascore could get me to reexamine that.

OFF the bubble:

Maria Taylor: Boring. Decent, but boring.

Lucero: I'll be honest..my bar is lower for original, unique music than with familiar music. That's the only reason I'm still considering a band like Four Tet and not Lucero.

quote:

Originally posted by Bobthespirit:
Four Tet: Seems to have some good sounds...but if you're going to grab me with experimental rock you have to sound different than anything else. This seems to be an amalgam of various electronica and trip-hop sounds.

Wrong man.Four Tet is utterly un-describebale.Unless you want to mash up about 4 or 5 different genres into one word.Each of his four albums has been independant and distancing one another from themselves.

Four Tet is an essential artist...and from what i know hardly dissapoints in many different circles.I would say pick it up and learn.

How does Four Tet's new one sound? I've heard it's more upbeat than his previous two--both of which I loved--but is it really that vast of a departure? I'm debating whether to buy it.

I agree that Four Tet's last two albums are essential though. They never get old.

Definitely buy Art Brut! They're instrumentation is right up there with Bloc Party, but they don't take themselves as seriously as the other garage bands, and the lyrics are funny. They're more fun to listen to, for me at least.

I would buy Art Brut, if I wasn't so sure there'd be two or three albums that sounded just like it but better in the next six months.

quote:

Originally posted by RavingLunatic:
How does Four Tet's new one sound? I've heard it's more upbeat than his previous two--both of which I loved--but is it really that vast of a departure? I'm debating whether to buy it.

I agree that Four Tet's last two albums are essential though. They never get old.

It is the "logical" progression for him to take.It is more upbeat but, as soon as you hear it u will know it is four tet.I am a huge fan of him.I hope he gets his label going more 'Text Records'.The Koushik 7" he put out is awesome.

quote:

Originally posted by Bobthespirit:
I would buy Art Brut, if I wasn't so sure there'd be two or three albums that sounded just like it but better in the next six months.

How many of their songs have you heard? I think you've labelled them incorrectly. I thought their music was actually pretty original. They don't sound like any of the other garage bands to come out of the UK (or come out of the US but pretend to be British). I mean, it's not like they're song structure is unique or groundbreaking, but they're taking a different approach than most other bands. It has personality. And they're getting great reviews (5 stars from playlouder, 4 1/2 from drowned in sound, A- from stylus). I have a hard time explaining what makes them so endearing, although I think the playlouder review gets it pretty much right.

Based on the advances I heard, I'm looking forward to the new Churchills disc, the Thad Cockrell/Caitlin Cary disc, the latest Turin Brakes disc, and the new Longwave disc. Based on the recent live show, the reconvened Son Volt's new one is gonna be a good 'un, too.

I was on allmusic today and their featured 2005 cd of the day was Devin Davis' 'Lonely People of the World, Unite!'

The review made it sound like something I might be interested in. Has anyone on here heard it at all? I'd be curious what people think of it.

quote:

Originally posted by keylimetrev:
I was on allmusic today and their featured 2005 cd of the day was Devin Davis' 'Lonely People of the World, Unite!'

The review made it sound like something I might be interested in. Has anyone on here heard it at all? I'd be curious what people think of it.

Yeah, I've heard it. It's pretty damn good, vaguely (keyword there is vaguely) reminiscent of Neutral Milk Hotel. It's not on that level, but his voice is somewhat similar, and it's the same kind of guitar/horns sometimes singer-songwriter stuff. A lot of the melodies are quite catchy, the lyrics are pretty good, and the arragements are well done, especially considering he played almost all the instruments himself. It's in my top 20 for the year so far, and rising. I'd check out a few of the tracks for download on his site and see what you think.

I just found out that Ms. John Soda is coming out with their second full-length this fall. I was just looking at my list of the 25 albums I really liked from 2002, and once I get around to doing the list, No P or D is gonna be top 3. Reminds me a little of the Notwist, except more upbeat and with female vocals.

quote:

Originally posted by RavingLunatic:
I just found out that Ms. John Soda is coming out with their second full-length this fall. I was just looking at my list of the 25 albums I really liked from 2002, and once I get around to doing the list, No P or D is gonna be top 3. Reminds me a little of the Notwist, except more upbeat and with female vocals.

Micha Acher is a big part of both groups.Also it is out on Morr.They do not stray too far from their "desired" sound.That could be a good or bad thing depending on how you feel.

chk-lali puna

Next week (6/28) brings the release of the long-awaited new Posies record and the almost as long awaited second album from Tsar. Not to mention the Fountains of Wayne b-sides collection, Out of State Plates!

I heard a few tracks off the new Super Furry Animals album, and it's looking really, really good. If they can keep it up with the rest of the tracks it's could be an album of the year contender.

The big 'definetely get' albums coming up in the next couple months seem to be....

(Not counting Sufjan Stevens which I already have)

The New Pornographers and Super Furries.

Looks like a dry spell, unless some other release dates get announced quickly or there are unexpected debuts.

Does anybody know when the Outkast record is comming out? I remember them saying summer 05.

Big Star have an album coming out in 2005..w/ members of the Posies filling in. Could be disasterous but who knows?...