What's Spinning Now (September Edition - Part 1)

Last Month Revisited

The Avett Brothers - The Gleam II
Hm...apparently they've been described as Newgrass, which I suppose is the Bluegrass equivalent of Folk Rock. Ok, I'll buy that. But, this album didn't do much for me - it mostly seemed bland and straightforward. I also generally don't get very excited over Dave Matthews Band, so there you have it. (4/10)

Cold War Kids - Robbers & Cowards
If you like The White Stripes, definitely check out this album. Similar enough that nobody will fail to see the stylistic connection, but different enough to make it its own thing. My favorite track: Saint John. (7/10)

Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca
Hello genius! This is truly some next-level stuff. This album requires (and rewards) repeated listening. Bear with me on this one...remember how Seinfeld seemed to have twice as many storylines going in each episode compared to most other sitcoms at the time. They didn't follow the traditional episode arcs and it was like they had enough material for several episodes squeezed into each one. That's what many of the Dirty Projectors songs are like. What would have become the chorus and repeated 3-4 times by another band is played once and then quickly left behind for another equally compelling but completely different piece.

I also want to highlight the interesting idea of "hocketing" used in several songs. It's an old technique originating in 13th century European music, and Wiki describes it this way: "a single melody is shared between two (or occasionally more) voices such that alternately one voice sounds while another rests." Clear as mud.

Instead, check it out for yourself starting at 2:08 (the two guitars) and then around 2:35 (the two female voices):

Also, check out the video below for one of their more accessible songs:

Oh yeah, I should rate the album too. (9/10)

The Fiery Furnaces - I'm Going Away
The passionate and involving singing style draws me in and I generally like the album, but I don't have much to say about it. (6/10)

Florence And The Machine - Lungs
What can I say, I'm a sucker for her accent. But, there's so much more to it than that - this is a solid album overall with a few great songs on it. The standout tracks are, Kiss With A Fist, Girl With One Eye and Rabbit Heart [Raise It Up]. And remember, a kiss with a fist is better than none. (7/10)

Laleh - Prinsessor
Partially in Swedish and partially in English, this album won't appeal to everybody, and that's too bad, because it is very good. The stronger tracks tend to be the Swedish-language songs, but I still recommend checking it out even if you don't speak the language. (8/10)

Maia Hirasawa - Though, I'm Just Me
Last month I described this as "poppy but promising", and yes it is more pop-chart friendly than I generally like, but this album is too strong to dismiss. Mostly catchy, happy tunes but I've listen to most of them 10+ times and am not sick of them yet. (7/10)

Melanie - Best Of
A few great tracks, Brand New Key and What Have They Done To My Song, Ma being my favorites. A bit too uneven and too many covers (Bob Dylan, Rolling Stones...) to warrant a high rating. (6/10)

Miss Li - Dancing The Whole Way Home
Ok - I'll admit it. I've got a bit of crush on this girl. But who could blame me? She's just so full of life! This is her fourth studio album in as many years, and this one is as good as the others. Somewhat uneven, which holds my rating down, but enough great songs to make it worth getting. (7/10)

Check her out...Dancing The Whole Way Home:

And, here are a couple of sample from previous albums. Gotta Leave My Troubles Behind:

And, Oh Boy:

Moby - Wait For Me

This seemed very promising at first, but ended up a bit too uneven. (5/10)

Movits! - Äppelknyckarjazz
This is actually a very good album, but I still found myself often hitting 'skip' when the songs came on. I think it's just a kind of music I'm rarely in the mood for. Just like I rarely listen to the Squirrel Nut Zippers any more. (6/10)

Regina Spektor - Far

I was a big fan of her previous album Begin To Hope and this one is very good as well. My favorite track is Genius Next Door but there are a lot of great songs on here. (8/10)

Tiny Vipers - Life On Earth

Wow - this is some subtle stuff. I keep listening and listening, waiting for a revelation, but it's just not coming. I like a few tracks (Eyes Like Ours, Dreamer...) but overall this isn't doing much for me. (5/10)