Whew. I'm back. I had my sister and my parents visiting for three weeks, which meant I had a 3-week lapse in listening to new music, blogging etc. Anyway, here we go.
Ani DiFranco - Saratoga, CA 9.18.06 (2-CD)
First, I was fortunate enough to see Ani play in Saratoga on July 1 (with sister and parents.) My third Ani-show in about a year, and, as usual, the show was great, but the most lasting memory from this show may be the venue itself. Mountain Winery sits, as the name suggests, on top of a mountain and in the middle of a vineyard, overlooking San Jose and Silicon Valley, and it's just a great venue for outdoor summer shows.
Anyway, this double-CD is from the show held here three years earlier. Good stuff. (7/10)
Bill Callahan - Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle
Mostly very subtle stuff. Half-taking, half-singing and may seem boring at first, but it rewards repeated listening. (7/10)
Elvis Costello - Secret, Profane and Sugarcane
Much too uneven. If you're a big Elvis fan, get it for completeness. If you're not (and you should be!) start somewhere else. (4/10)
Georgia Anne Muldrow - Olesi Fragments Of An Earth
I wanted to like this, but it just isn't the kind of music I usually listen to, and 21 tracks was too much to digest. So, I put it aside after having played it through once. (No Rating)
Isis - Wavering Radiant
I only got through three tracks on this album. Hardcore metal...it doesn't matter how good it supposedly is. Ain't gonna fly here. (No Rating)
Leonard Cohen - Live In London (2-CD)
Leonard Cohen is touring again, and I'd love to go, but I'm probably going to miss it. The closest he's getting to Phoenix is Vegas, and it's the week before I've already booked a trip there.
Anyway, this album is a must-have for fans, and not a bad way to discover some of his work, although I'd recommend starting with his Best Of album and work from there. (8/10)
Passion Pit - Manners
A few good tracks, but dance music is probably too far from my style for me to really appreciate. Sleepyhead is still a great song, though. (4/10)
Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Lisztomania is great and a few other good songs, but hasn't grabbed me overall. (5/10)
Sonya Kitchell - This Storm
Soldier's Lament alone makes this album worth getting. Uneven album overall, but worth checking out. (6/10)
Tori Amos - Abnormally Attracted To Sin
This album was met with lukewarm interest from the press, but I like it better than that. If you like Tori, definitely get it. (7/10)
The Vaselines - Enter The Vaselines (2-CD)
I've still only listened to the first disc - not sure I liked it enough to check out demos and live tracks. I liked a few songs, but don't understand what the big deal is. (5/10)
Wavves - Wavvves
Five of the songs on the album have the word "goth" in the title. I like the last track on the album (Surf Goths) but haven't been able to get any other song to grow on me. That's all I have to say about that. (No rating.)
White Rabbits - It's Frightening
A bit punky for my taste, but a number of good songs. (6/10)
St. Vincent - Actor
Revisiting this from last time. I'e decided on a rating now. (7/10)
This Month (in alphabetical order)
The Avett Brothers - The Gleam II
Picked this band up based on a recommendation from my friend Nikki who understands Sufjan Stevens, remembers Howard Jones fondly, and abhors Black Eyed Peas; all credibility enhancing traits.
Cold War Kids - Robbers & Cowards
Recommendation from Brittany at work, who has proven adept at finding interesting stuff. If you like the stylings of the different variations of Jack White, check this out. (No actual connection, other than stylistic.)
Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca
This could be my album of the year. I know this probably isn't in line with how I've rated the albums, but looking back now, I have this, Veckatimest (Grizzly Bear) and Merriweather Post Pavilion (Animal Collective) in the running. Dave Longstreth is absolutely a genius, and this is truly some next level stuff.
The Fiery Furnaces - I'm Going Away
Male-female sibling duo that's been around for a while, but they are new to me.
Florence And The Machine - Lungs
I keep wanting to call them Florence And The Henderson's... Anyway, this debut album is getting a lot of attention in the UK and from the critics. I like it so far.
Laleh - Prinsessor
This is the second album from Swedish, Iranian-born, singer-songwriter Laleh, who released her third albums (Me and Simon) earlier this year. I've got both of them but am listening to this one first. The album contains a mix of Swedish-and English-language songs and I'm very impressed so far.
Maia Hirasawa - Though, I'm Just Me
Continuing the theme of Swedish singer-songwriters with international ancectry...Maia Hirasawa (Swedish-born, Japanese-heritage) recently released her sophomore album GBG vs STHLM (Gothenburg vs Stockholm), but this is her 2007 debut. A bit poppy but promising.
Melanie - Best Of
Nothing new about this, but I just picked it up. Good stuff, mainly from the late 60s and 70s.
Miss Li - Dancing The Whole Way Home
Another Swedish singer-songwriter, but this one without international connections (real name, Linda Carlsson.) I've been a big fan of her previous three albums. Catchy tunes, playful lyrics, fun arrangements with influences from many styles and eras (blues, jazz, motown, 50s... )
Moby - Wait For Me
What is there left to say about Moby? This seems to be one of his better albums since Play...
Movits! - Äppelknyckarjazz
You may have caught their act on The Colbert Report a few weeks ago. Four dudes in black tie and sneakers laying down some Swedish-language hip-hop/jazz/swing beats. Yeah. Those guys. If you missed, here it is:
| The Colbert Report | Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Movits! - Fel Del Av Garden | ||||
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Regina Spektor - Far
I really liked her previous 2006 effort Begin To Hope. This seems a bit more polished (which is usually not good in my book), but I think I still like it.
Tiny Vipers - Life On Earth
This is the new release from Tiny Vipers, the stage name for Jesy Fortino, and I got it based on a recommendation from my sister Karin.
Well, that's all folks for now. I want to post some stuff from my family visit and our 12-day road trip, but haven't been able to find the time yet...
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