New Release Tuesday 5/22/07

Wilco sold about 75,000 records last week for their highest debut ever (#4 on the charts). Pretty amazing given that the album leaked super early and most everybody I know had a pirated copy well. I bought the double gatefold vinyl version.

Top Five Most Interesting Releases:

Battles: Mirrored (Warp) – After reading all the praise for this album, I slapped it on the turntable expecting to love it. I was a big math rock fan in college (Battles features a member of Don Cabellero and Helmet), and tend to like guitar music with weird time changes. In my after work chillout mode, I found this album to be headache inducing and annoying. I've heard it works a little better on late night road trips. Go to their Myspace page to stream the album in its entirety. Live at the Troubadour on 6/30. It’s got an 88 at Metacritic. My Letter Grade: C+

The Beach Boys: The Warmth of the Sun (Capitol) - Themes of summer, surfing and the beach will always be associated with the Beach Boys. This release follows in the 33 year old history of compilations that attempt to capitalize on the commercial benefits of associating their music with those themes. While many of the earlier compilations focused solely on the earlier, good time tunes, this release digs deeper into the catalog. The first half of the album contains the good time early Mike Love/Brian Wilson songs: "All Summer Long" and "409" to name a couple. By the late 1960s, society had changed and the guys had all gone through a lot. The songs weren't nearly as carefree as those early Wilson/Love compositions. The ocean came to represent something entirely different to Brian. Songs like "Feel Flows," "'Til I Die," and "Surf's Up" convey that change in outlook. Dennis's excellent "Forever" is another highlight on the disc. Interestingly, the compilation completely ignores Pet Sounds, which is best listened to on its own anyway. In the age of CD burners and iTunes, artist compilations aren't the commercial sellers they once were. This one does a good job of exploring the Beach Boys entire career. It serves as a great introduction and overview of their career. Most of the early choices haven't been exploited too much, and they cherry picked a lot of the great later tracks. Some of these tracks are presented in stereo instead of the original mono.

Hot Chip: DJ Kicks (K7) – Genre jumping mix CD features a few things we all know and like (Joe Jackson, Tom Ze, New Order) and stuff only readers of Wire magazine know. See them live at the Fonda on 6/13.

The National: Boxer (Beggars) – Indie music bloggers can’t get enough of these guys. They love the lead singer’s mumbled lyrics and deep voice (kind of like a cross between Mark Kozelek and Leonard Cohen with a touch of Ian Curtis). The lyrics are emotional but not twee. A few standout tracks. You can stream the entire album at AOL. See them live at the Fonda on 6/26. They’ve got an 86 at Metacritic. Letter Grade: B

Voxtrot: Voxtrot (Beggars/PlayLouder) – Voxtrot’s an Austin, Texas band heavily inspired by the Smiths, Sarah Records bands and Cherry Red bands. I love their EPs and singles, so I've been eagerly anticipating their debut album. With my expectations sky high, this album’s a bit disappointing. I honestly didn't think this guy was capable of writing a song that was just OK, but there are a few on this record. It's still worth picking up for fans of their influences. Download “Kid Gloves” See them at El Rey on 5/29. They’re quite good live and have a great connection with their audience. Letter Grade: B

Other Releases:
Tim Armstrong: A Poet’s Life (Hellcat) - Solo record from the lead singer of Rancid. I suppose I could make a joke about the title, but why bother.
Meg Baird: Dear Companion (Drag City) - For the freak folk fans. The lead singer of Espers first solo record.
Ben + Vesper: All This Could Kill You (Sound Familyre) - Sufjan Stevens appears on this one as well (he's also on the National's record). Download "Honest Bluff"
The Bravery: The Sun and the Moon (Island) - Not getting such good reviews.
Jeff Buckley: So Real – Songs of Jeff Buckley (Columbia) – An introduction with some album cuts, some alt versions and some live versions including a cover of the Smiths’ “I Know It’s Over.” Hopefully I'll have a guest review later this week.
Handsome Furs: Plague Park (Sub Pop) - Melancholy duo featuring Dan Boeckner of Wolf Parade. Download "What We Had" See them at the Echo on 6/17.
Ozzy Osbourne: Black Rain (Epic) - There are a lot of pictures of me from elementary school wearing Ozzy shirts.
Parts & Labor: Mapmaker (Jagjaguwar) - For fans of more experimental, noise-rock. Download "Fractured Skies"
Ulrich Schnauss: Quicksand Memory EP (Domino) - Ambient electronic.
Shapes and Sizes: Split Lips, Winning Hips, A Shiner (Asthmatic Kitty) - Bridging the gap between noise rock and indie pop. Download "Alone/Alive" and "Head Movin'"
Stars: Do You Trust Your Friends? (Arts and Crafts) – I'm not a big fan of the remix album.
Astrid Swan: Poverina (Minty Fresh) - Follow this link to download "Good Girl"
Various Artists: Zealous Records Presents Soul Sides Vol. 2, The Covers (Velour) - Volume 1 is very good, but I haven't heard this one yet.
Wheat: Everyday I Made a Prayer for Kathy and Made a One Inch Square (Empyrean)