Recent Music Purchases
01 May 2006Here's the every couple of months update of what music I've bought lately.
Sufjan Stevens - Illinois (or Come on Feel the Illinoise!)
This is a really good album, with only 1 or 2 songs that I'll probably listen do with any regularity. It's all poppy and orchestral and quiet. Honestly, it requires to be listened to in one sitting, so you can hear it play like a classical piece, with arrangements that happen early in the album echoing in later songs. There's a significant lack of hooks, but it doesn't really hurt the album, just makes it tough to pick up and listen to randomly.
Sondre Lerche - Two Way Monologue
I've dug the main single off this album, the title track, for a while. It's a fantastic pop song. However, I've only given this album one listen so far. The big takeaway for me at this point is that for some reason the drive in my computer won't read this CD, so I can't rip it and throw it on my iPod. I need to listen again, but from what I recall, it's a jazzy pop album with lots of strings and some horns and some slightly unintelligible Euro-lyrics.
The Subways - Young For Eternity
I had a couple of people recommend this album. I really dug "Rock and Roll Queen" when they played it on FNX, and it's still an awesome 3 minute rock song. This is pretty much a straight out UK rock album. You can hear some Oasis and some Kaiser Chiefs and pretty much any other British rock act you can name. That said, it still kicks ass. "Oh Yeah" is right up there on the list of great, danceable rock songs.
A bit older, Mittens are a local act who I've seen live and thought they were pretty good. Sort of an Elvis Costello/Jonathan Richman meets The Shins. The album is kind of uneven, but it's got some gems and you can see how they'd be a fun act to see live (which they are). Mittens has a new album out, so I'll probably pick that up at some point soon.
Nada Surf - The Weight is a Gift
The Weight is a Gift is an album I've had my eye on for a while, but simply never broke down and bought. I love the version of "Your Legs Grow" on the Future Soundtrack for America, and completely love the big single "Always Love", which may be one of the best pop/rock songs of the last couple of years. So I ponied up the money to Newbury Comics, and goddamn if this isn't a great album. There's probably 3 or 4 awesome songs, and a bunch of really good ones. Hooks, and some crunchy guitars, and some harmonies, and the occasional "fuck" --- what else could you possibly want?