The New Pornographers

Found another Canadian pop band worth checking out (brings the total up to three, I think). Anyway, I read about these guys a while back in Rolling Stone, and meant to check them out, but I could never remember to. Enter Steve Jones on Indie 103.1. "The Sire of Wilshire" spun a song by them on his show the other day (it's so great to be able to say that a DJ turned me onto this-just like radio used to be!), and it was catchy as a cold in December. Their sound is inspired by equal parts Beatles, T Rex, David Bowie, and Todd Rundgren. At the same time, it is forged with the same sensibilities that make the power pop bands of the last 15 years so wonderful (in their case, bits reminiscient of The Posies and fellow Canadians Sloan going on here). Dig 'em today!

The Jessica Fletchers

Rich should edit this post (or leave a comment) with the story of how he discovered "The Jessica Fletchers". I'll just tell you that you should get their album "Less Sophistication". While Rich was telling me about them on the phone, we listened to some of the 30-second song samples on dat der dang ol' innernet. It grabbed me and I quickly jumped over to Amazon where I saw that a seller was selling a new, sealed copy for $7.99. So I ordered it while we were still on the phone. Got it yesterday and I've spun the whole thing three times. It's greatly influenced by late-'60s or early-'70s pop. Just go listen to the samples and then get it.

This Week’s New Releases

Three notable releases for today are Dream Theater's "Octavarium", Coldplay's "X & Y" and The White Stripes' "Get Behind Me Satan".

"Octavarium" has taken me from "casual observer" to "Dream Theater fan"! So, being only loosely familiar with any of their other output, I might sound like I'm talking out of my butt to you other fans out there. But, to me, this album feels like the guys said, "Let's make an album where we just wear all our influences on our sleeves and pay homage to the greats!". You've got keyboard solos a la Yes's Rick Wakeman and a section near the 17-minute mark of a 24-minute song that brings to mind 'Apocalypse 9/8' from Genesis's "Supper's Ready". That song also directly references "Supper's Ready", "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds", "Cinema Show" and other classic songs in the lyrics. There's also a 4 minute "sound scape" intro that pays homage to Pink Floyd's "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" intro. And, dangit, if "Panic Attack" isn't the most kick-ass metal riff-orgasm I've heard in a long time. Highly recommended! I'd order you to get it if I were your dictator. Just one thing... while I think the whole album is great, the last four tracks strike me as stronger than the first four... so don't give up on this too soon without playing tracks 5 - 8.

I've never taken the time to check out Coldplay, although everything I hear about them seems to indicate that I'd like them. I've given the new "X & Y" album a cursory listen while doing other things (like eating dinner, surfing the web, etc.). It's gotten my attention as something I really want to dig into deeper. I think I'm going to enjoy it. Perhaps you Coldplay fans can leave some comments about how this new one fits into the Coldplay discography.

I'm sorry. I haven't jumped on The White Stripes bandwagon. Not yet anyway. A casual listen to their older stuff has not left me wanting much more. I prefer to hear an effort put into making music that sounds good, not just raw garage shenanigans. I can (and do) appreciate the good things about The White Stripes... the spontaneity, the energy, the songwriting, and all that. And just based on that I'd tell you I like them. But, I don't particularly care to listen to their music very often because of the way it sounds. That might sound strange, but that's just how it is with me. But... I'm listening to "Get Behind Me Satan" right now and... I like it! It sounds cleaner and more focused to me. Obviously, I need to give the previous albums another chance. I don't think fans will be let down at all. Rich, chime in and let me know what you think.

Beck’s “Guero” album-the 2nd listening

A few weeks ago, I picked up Beck's "Guero." It was hailed by many critics as a throwback to his 1996 album "Odelay." On my website, I confessed that it was good, but it didn't jump out at me, but it would take me a couple of spins to get into it. Well, I took it for a second spin, and it totally sucked me in.

It's a great album. Like "Odelay," it is peppered with well-conceived samples and stellar production from The Dust Brothers. Unlike "Odelay," he has a wider array of guest musicians helping him out. Not just his normal back-up band (featuring, among others, keyboard whiz Roger Manning, Jr. from Jellyfish), but Jack White of the White Stripes and multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Petra Haden (who did an all a capella version of "The Who Sell Out" earlier this year) come in and lend a hand. The results are as sprawling as "Odelay" is, from the catchy pop of "Girl" and the funky electronica of "Hell Yes" to the earthy, late night cool of "Black Tambourine. The strongest cut on the album is "Rental Car," simply because it's a whirling dervish of a song that is more befitting of a listen rather than a spewing of copy here.

That's the odd thing that I've noticed about Beck more than any other artist. Each one of his albums has needed to grow on me, but when they do, they hook into me pretty deeply. Turns out "Guero" is no exception.

New Eels album released last week

On April 26, the Eels released a double-disc new album, "Blinking Lights and Other Revelations". You might know the Eels from their first near-hit of 1996 called "Novocaine for the Soul" or maybe from their appearances on the Shrek soundtracks ("My Beloved Monster" and "I Need Some Sleep"). They started out with a promising debut almost 10 years ago, but then singer/song-writer "E" was hit with the suicide of a sister and death of a parent. So their next release "Electro-Shock Blues", was greatly influenced by these personal events and, while being an excellent album, was much darker and personal. The marketing push from the record label seemed to completely disappear.

In the meantime, the Eels have consistently produced fantastic Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Indie Rock albums to great critical acclaim. If not for the strong language peppered throughout, these discs would be spun often at my house. I highly recommend you checking these guys out, especially their first album.

Back to the new release... it seems to be a dark re-visiting of a diary of dealing with the past seven years since the deaths of "E"'s family members. So, I have to admit... I'd like to hear this first before I buy or recommend it. But at least now you know. If you hear this one, let me know what you think.