Distractions
The Shins: Yeah, pretty distracting.
Turkey day is here and the Top 50 is taking major shape. I've gone back to listen to some records with heightened attention to make sure I do this thing right. As my reviews have a few and far between this fall, this should be pretty fun and perhaps exciting. There were a ton of great records exposed to me in '06 and I'm ready to let loose.
There's only one thing holding me back: the new year.
2007 is creeping harder than ever on the horizon, and evidently the word of the upcoming year is "leak". My "research" has been greatly led astray by the shiny, glistening records of future year. Here's what I have to deal with (in descending order of pant-soiling excitement)
The Shins - Wincing the Night Away
Seriously, the Portland-via-Albuquerque uber-mega-stars are still the clever pop outfit you fell in love with before Zach Braff did. I mean, didn't we all have a Shins moment where it "changed your life"? No? Well, don't I feel like an asshole? Wincing the Night Away is yet another testament of James Mercer's seemingly effortless ability to combine glorious melody with his literary wit. While it's damn near impossible to best their first two efforts, the third offering is kinda like Return of the Jedi: stll awesome no matter how much you argue against it. (is this thing on? tough crowd tonight.)
of Montreal - Hissing Fauna: Are You the Destroyer?
I've recently been delving into the back catalogue of the Bee Gees thanks to the suggestion of Jesse Steinchen, and it's becoming more and more apparent that of Montreal are the Bee Gees of this decade. They've left behind the intricate pysch-pop stylings that defined them so heavily for disco duds and dance-floor shaking basslines. While admittedly this Hissing Fauna shit is really fucking good, perhaps the best concoction of their "new style" and Kevin Barnes' ingenius pop writ, can I be a broken record here for sec and say that I miss Coquelicot and the Gay Parade?
Deerhoof - Friendly Opportunity
There has never been and will never be another band like this. That's really all I need to say. That and "The Perfect Me" does for woodblock what "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" (and Will Ferrell) did for the cowbell.
Menomena - Friend and Foe
Following the exquisite instrumental Under an Hour, Portland's Menomena brings a more conventional blueprint on their Barsuk debut, if convention defined by blaring saxes, plinking pianos and their signature experimental composition. Oh yeah, there are vocals again.
See what I have to deal with?
The Shins: http://www.theshins.com/
of Montreal: http://www.ofmontreal.net/
Deerhoof: http://deerhoof.killrockstars.com/
Menomena: http://www.menomena.com/
Read more!
