Records I've Heard:
Butcher the Bar: Sleep at Your Own Speed (Morr) – Singer-songwriter out of Manchester. His voice sounds a lot like a combination of the lead singer the Boy Least Likely To and Elliott Smith. The vocals are breathy and double-tracked like Smith, but the lyrics aren’t as compelling. It’s a good listen though if you’re into this type of thing.
Julie Ocean: Long Gone and Nearly There (Transit of Venus Records) – Pulling their name from an Undertones’ song, Julie Ocean is a new band featuring Jim Spellman of Velocity Girl. Clocking in at 25 minutes, this should appeal to fans of well played power pop. Download “Number One Song”
Spiritualized: Songs in A&E (Fontana) – I don’t have a lot of patience for most of the druggy, spacey music that’s out there. Bands trying to emulate Jason Pierce’s bands (Spacemen 3 and Spiritualized), My Bloody Valentine and Jesus & Mary Chain are largely to blame. I can’t hold it against Pierce, who, despite occasional bouts of self-indulgence, is an original. Spiritualized’s first three albums are so good; I happily purchase each new release. After a near fatal illness, Pierce is back with the first Spiritualized record in five years (sixth overall in 16 years). Creatively, it’s a return to form. His voice sounds even more fragile and (a bit) damaged this time around. After the acoustic tour and fresh inspiration from a 1929 Gibson guitar, the songs are devoid of studio gimmicks and the space rock clichés, he helped create. Recommended
At the Hollywood Bowl on 9/17/08.
Local Interest:
I See Hawks in LA: Hallowed Ground (Big Book Records) – I See Hawks in LA should be given a lot of credit for helping spearhead the country music revival in LA. They’ve been at it for almost a decade and this is their fourth album. Nice three part harmonies with special guests on pedal steel and fiddle. See them tonight at 7:00 PM (Wednesday 5/28/08) at Amoeba or on 6/8/08 for their record release party at the Grane Ole Echo
Other Noteworthy Releases:
Ellen Allien [Avalon 9/6/08], Eliza Gilkyson, Al Green [Greek 9/20/08], John Hiatt, I Love Math [Crash Mansion 6/19/08], James Pants (mp3) [El Rey 5/29/08], Cyndi Lauper [Greek 6/28/08], Malcolm Middleton, Midnight Juggernauts, Nigeria 70: Lagos Jump compilation, Jenny Scheinman, Walter Meego
Butcher the Bar: Sleep at Your Own Speed (Morr) – Singer-songwriter out of Manchester. His voice sounds a lot like a combination of the lead singer the Boy Least Likely To and Elliott Smith. The vocals are breathy and double-tracked like Smith, but the lyrics aren’t as compelling. It’s a good listen though if you’re into this type of thing.
Julie Ocean: Long Gone and Nearly There (Transit of Venus Records) – Pulling their name from an Undertones’ song, Julie Ocean is a new band featuring Jim Spellman of Velocity Girl. Clocking in at 25 minutes, this should appeal to fans of well played power pop. Download “Number One Song”
Spiritualized: Songs in A&E (Fontana) – I don’t have a lot of patience for most of the druggy, spacey music that’s out there. Bands trying to emulate Jason Pierce’s bands (Spacemen 3 and Spiritualized), My Bloody Valentine and Jesus & Mary Chain are largely to blame. I can’t hold it against Pierce, who, despite occasional bouts of self-indulgence, is an original. Spiritualized’s first three albums are so good; I happily purchase each new release. After a near fatal illness, Pierce is back with the first Spiritualized record in five years (sixth overall in 16 years). Creatively, it’s a return to form. His voice sounds even more fragile and (a bit) damaged this time around. After the acoustic tour and fresh inspiration from a 1929 Gibson guitar, the songs are devoid of studio gimmicks and the space rock clichés, he helped create. Recommended
At the Hollywood Bowl on 9/17/08.
Local Interest:
I See Hawks in LA: Hallowed Ground (Big Book Records) – I See Hawks in LA should be given a lot of credit for helping spearhead the country music revival in LA. They’ve been at it for almost a decade and this is their fourth album. Nice three part harmonies with special guests on pedal steel and fiddle. See them tonight at 7:00 PM (Wednesday 5/28/08) at Amoeba or on 6/8/08 for their record release party at the Grane Ole Echo
Other Noteworthy Releases:
Ellen Allien [Avalon 9/6/08], Eliza Gilkyson, Al Green [Greek 9/20/08], John Hiatt, I Love Math [Crash Mansion 6/19/08], James Pants (mp3) [El Rey 5/29/08], Cyndi Lauper [Greek 6/28/08], Malcolm Middleton, Midnight Juggernauts, Nigeria 70: Lagos Jump compilation, Jenny Scheinman, Walter Meego
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