Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Songs of the week: 8/26/08

I figured it might be a good idea to add a regular feature to this website, if for no other reason than it guarantees at least one post per week during those droughts when I feel lazy and don't want to be a critic. So, songs of the week, and in no particular order - this week there are five, next week there could be three or there could be 117. Check in next Tuesday for more!

***
songs of the week #1
1. I Will Survive (Cover) - Cake (I might actually like this cover better than Gloria Gaynor's (apparently not quite) superlative original.
2. In A Market, Dimly Lit - mewithoutYou (Everybody knows it - I'm a sucker for mwY, what can I say?)
3. Always New Depths - Bloc Party (My favorite Bloc Party song, by far. Shame it never got a proper album release...)
4. Piano - Glassjaw (I promise I don't hate most women quite this much - just one)
5. I'm Leaving On A Jet Plane - Peter, Paul & Mary (I just left home for three months earlier this week, cut me some slack.)

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Cansei De Ser Sexy - Donkey

2008
Sub Pop
Buy (Amazon.com)

Charo/10

I'm grasping at straws.

"Oh boy! Another metareview about writer's block. How creative - it's only been, what, 5 weeks?"

Broken Social Scene's 2002 release You Forgot It In People is an indie rock milestone. This Toronto collective has fina---

"That's Broken Social Scene, BSS. You're reviewing Cansei de Ser Sexy, CSS. Get it straight!"

How boring. There are so many more interesting things to write about: college, love, hate, war, revolution, Brazillian electroclash, and fatigue from sexiness.

"Subtle."

Donkey is such an unattractive name for an album. I don't get it. Ass? Jackass? Asshole? Anal bum covers? Darryl Hammond is a God. They say that when you get writer's block you should just keep writing and writing and writing...

"...and trim the fat..."

...until it sticks. Maybe I should put on the record too, that might help. That tells you something big right off the bat: I'm not inclined enough to listen to Donkey, even just to review it, without having to force myself. I don't like new CSS. I don't like new CSS. They're tired of being sexy, I'm tired of CSS.

"That's specific."

I don't do this sort of music I guess. I dug their debut, I don't dig this one.


Key Tracks
eenie
meenie
miney
moe


Thursday, August 14, 2008

Autumn Chorus - Rosa

2008

3/10

I was originally dreading the composition of this review because of what, at the time, appeared to be the utter mediocrity of this release – it appears this characterization was an utter mistake. I can’t even begin to describe my frustration as this CD began to crumble under its own weight upon repeated listens...(Read the full review at The Silent Ballet)


Key Tracks:
???


Friday, August 08, 2008

Waiting Room - La Estulticia del Cognicidio

2008
Trastienda Records
Download

4/10

I load La Estulticia del Cognicidio, Waiting Room’s latest album, into my iTunes playlist, and about a minute into the opening track Tites Tites, I am struck by three things:
  1. Boy, are these drums full and rich! Kudos to whoever mixed this album!
  2. Heh, this song’s title looks a lot like “Titties, Titties”
  3. Waiting Room sounds a whole hell of a lot like Indian Summer.
Unfortunately, the drums are ultimately washed out by a tidal wave of guitar distortion, and the humor of breasts almost being in the title quickly wears thin. But that whole Indian Summer…thing, well, I think I might be onto something there...
(Read the full review at The Silent Ballet)

Key Tracks:
Memories


Wednesday, August 06, 2008

We don't believe in filler, baby...

Hey all (20 of you),

Sorry for the recent drought, I've been busy packing my life into boxes for college, but in the next week, rest assured there will be reviews of Broken Social Scene Presents: Brendan Canning, Cansei de Ser Sexy, Waiting Room, and Autumn Chorus (and probably some more too!).

Until then, feel free to steal a copy of the late, great indie darlings Some By Sea's first album, Get Off The Ground If You're Scared.

Thanks for the patience,

andy k