quote:

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

In a press release from Ryko, a tentative August 28th release date is set for the "reunited" Big Star. Last I had heard, it's just Jody Stephens and Alex Chilton (no Andy Hummel and, obviously, no Chris Bell) with Stringfellow and Auer (The Posies). They've been Big Star on live tours (including on the errantly titled Live at Missouri University disc) so I have some degree of hope that it might be good. But I haven't dug much of Chilton's solo stuff, so we'll see...

I think the Super Furries are on my "can't do wrong" list, so I'm looking forward to that record a whole bunch. The New Pornographers, though, I'm indifferent to. I'll probably get it, but I really haven't found that much to get excited about in the previous records. I do really like the song on the Matador at 15 comp, though. But I really couldn't stand the track form the new record they've been streaming. Ugh.

David Mead, whose excellent Indiana was one of my faves of last year, is releasing a "new" one next week, Wherever You Are. There's a good explanation of the album on the Eleven Thirty Records website, but in a nutshell, these are recordings he made for RCA, but were shelved after merger of a couple of years ago. Indiana was apparently a direct reaction to the disappointment of that whole experience. I'm looking forward to hearing it.

Now Playing: "The Shoes of the Fisherman's Wife Are Some Jive Ass Slippers" Charles Mingus Let My Children Hear Music

Well, the New Pornographers' last disc showed up on a year end top ten list, and the previous one probably will as well, so it'd be weird for me *not* to say I expect the next one to be good.

I thought the streaming one was..interesting. I haven't heard it enough times to get over the novelty and really judge it for what it is yet. It seems like an interesting new sound that could potentially yield another entry in my year end top ten (Though..I have 17 2003 records and 48 2005 records....so it'll be quite a bit harder to make my year end top ten this year).

As for Big Star...you never know when a band comes back from a long hiatus. I don't expect it to be as good as #1 Record or Radio City, but you just never know. It *could*.

quote:

Originally posted by LinnTate:
David Mead, whose excellent Indiana was one of my faves of last year, is releasing a "new" one next week, Wherever You Are. There's a good explanation of the album on the Eleven Thirty Records website, but in a nutshell, these are recordings he made for RCA, but were shelved after merger of a couple of years ago. Indiana was apparently a direct reaction to the disappointment of that whole experience. I'm looking forward to hearing it.

I picked that up a few weeks back in a pile of radio play copies dumped at Vintage, LT, and it's excellent. It's a little more heavily produced than Indiana but the songs are great.

Next week's releases I'm looking at are...Son Volt, and Royskopp.

I'm also thinking of maybe getting Xiu Xiu. But I'll have to actually hear some of that first. Because I thought there was something good about what I heard off their last album, but overall I didn't like it. I just need to find some mp3s..

The first two I'll pick up so long as critics and fans everywhere don't start crossing their fingers and hissing at it before Tuesday. The third...I don't know, it'd take a lot more good reviews and word of mouth to convince me.

I, too, will be picking up the Son Volt disc. Based on the teasers (the limited edition EP that came out a few weeks back, some advance tracks I've heard, and the live versions of the new songs I've heard), it should be a good 'un.

I'm also excited about the impending upcoming release of the new Bob Mould record, already one of my faves. I'm looking forward to the limited edition 2-disc set, since I've only heard the main record.

I heard a song from the Son Volt album and liked it.

But..then I heard some samples from the Xiu Xiu album. Let's just say it quells any inclinations I ever had to consider buying it. It might tide over the people who call Animal Collective or Fiery Furnaces their god-emporers, but..not me.

quote:

Originally posted by Bobthespirit:
But..then I heard some samples from the Xiu Xiu album. Let's just say it quells any inclinations I ever had to consider buying it. It might tide over the people who call Animal Collective or Fiery Furnaces their god-emporers, but..not me.

Yeah, I downloaded the leak when it first came out. I listened to half of the first song and deleted the whole thing. It was probably the most unlistenable thing I've ever heard in my life. I kind of like Animal Collective though...

I just read on Pitchfork that Boards of Canada have a new full-length coming out in October. After going through the Metacritic upcoming releases, that gives me 8 records that I'm really looking forward to for the last half of this year: FIery Furnaces upcoming double record (I haven't heard much about that lately though), Ms. John Soda, BoC, John Vanderslice, Rogue Wave, Grandaddy (8-song EP and full-length), and a possible Sufjan Christmas record.

There are some other bands whose records I've listened to in the past and liked, but who I think I've had enough of, like Ryan Adams, Death Cab For Cutie, and American Analog Set.

Plus there's Sigur Ros, Broken Social Scene, Franz Ferdinand, Animal Collective, probably more I'm forgetting.

quote:

Originally posted by RavingLunatic:
FIery Furnaces upcoming double record (I haven't heard much about that lately though)

I read a piece on the FF in the new MAGNET (great cover story on the Minneapolis scene, by the way) and, according to it, there will be two distinct albums, not a double, out this year. I don't recall dates, but I'll check when I get home and let you know. As I recall, one disc will be a pop record and the other will be an experimental thing featuring conversations with Grandma Friedberger.

Oh yeah...and I learned Elenor is dating one of the dudes from Franz Ferdinand.

quote:

Plus there's Sigur Ros, Broken Social Scene, Franz Ferdinand, Animal Collective, probably more I'm forgetting.

quote:

Oh yeah...and I learned Elenor is dating one of the dudes from Franz Ferdinand.

I can't stand Franz Ferdinand. Just thought I should mention that. I'm not a huge fan of Animal Collective, but their stuff fascinates me enough that I'll definitely check out their new one, especially since I remember reading that it will be their most accessible yet. That's usually good news for experimental bands like them. I could never get into much Sigur Ros (except the first song from ()) or Broken Social Scene (except the sublime Anthem For A 17-Year Old Girl).

quote:

I can't stand Franz Ferdinand. Just thought I should mention that. I'm not a huge fan of Animal Collective, but their stuff fascinates me enough that I'll definitely check out their new one, especially since I remember reading that it will be their most accessible yet. That's usually good news for experimental bands like them. I could never get into much Sigur Ros (except the first song from ()) or Broken Social Scene (except the sublime Anthem For A 17-Year Old Girl).

I feel the same, except I can't refer to the gimmicky "Anthem for a 17-Year-Old" as sublime, at least not in the Immanuel Kant kind of way. Catchy maybe, but nothing particularly artful.

quote:

Originally posted by philosopherEric:
I read a piece on the FF in the new MAGNET (great cover story on the Minneapolis scene, by the way) .

I live in Minneapolis and can't find a copy of that damn thing. Frustrating...is it worth further pursuit?

Yeah, it's worth a read, if only to hear Mould and Hart carping about each other. There's a FF piece, an M Ward story, and an eels/E interview.

I just got my subscription copy in the mail last week, so it should be hitting the stores soon. Keep looking...it should be out there.

quote:

Originally posted by philosopherEric:

quote:

Originally posted by RavingLunatic:
FIery Furnaces upcoming double record (I haven't heard much about that lately though)

I read a piece on the FF in the new MAGNET (great cover story on the Minneapolis scene, by the way) and, according to it, there will be two distinct albums, not a double, out this year. I don't recall dates, but I'll check when I get home and let you know. As I recall, one disc will be a pop record and the other will be an experimental thing featuring conversations with Grandma Friedberger.

Oh yeah...and I learned Elenor is dating one of the dudes from Franz Ferdinand.

According to MAGNET, the two records will be released (at points, they intimate that they MAY be packaged together) in August. Bitter Tea is the "pop" record which is filled with "shiny" three-minute songs, according to Matt. The other one, A Late Train To My Lost Love, is a half-sung, half-recited call-and-response between Eleanor and grandma Olga Sarantos, divided in three suites.

Thanks for the info, pE. It's gonna be interesting to see how that thing with their grandma comes out. I'm not expecting much, but who knows?

I like Eleanor's voice (he whispered).

I thought I'd take a moment to observe that there seems to be a huge lull in notable releases that ends suddenly on August 23, when a flood of releases from people who are popular among at least some critics and metacritic posters comes all at once.

*next to ones I know for sure I want to get

August 23:
New Pornographers*
Outkast

August 30:
Death Cab For Cutie*
Public Enemy

September 13:
Devendra Banhart (I haven't actually heard them)
Sigur Ros
Super Furry Animals*

September 27:
Big Star
Wolf Parade*

October 4:
Franz Ferdinand*
Liz Phair

It's downright bizarre how potentially good releases tend to be clumped like that.

Then there's the bands which meatacritic has releasing something in 2005 but without a specific date.

That's probably because end of summer/fall is the prime time for album releases. Probably because this is the time people (and publications) will most likely remember when they pick their favorite albums/do end of year lists and nominations.