Tower of Song

Seeing as I knew I was going to be completely and utterly devoid of creative worth tonight, I set out on a productivity of a different kind. I decided to try and clean my room a little. If nothing else, I figured I could integrate all the new music I've bought over the last season into my shelves.

Holy crap. I've bought a lot of new music lately.

A run down of my latest additions and why.

music from the miramax motion picture: Beautiful Girls

I found this in a Hastings clearance bin for 97 cents. It turned out to be exactly the kind of compilation that you'd expect from executive producers Ted Demme and Greg Dulli: some Howlin' Maggie, Chris Isaak and Neil Diamond. I bought it for the soul music covers that Dulli's Afghan Whigs provided but the real treasure turned out to be "Could It Be That I'm Falling In Love" by the Spinners. Which made me wonder why I don't have any Spinners albums.

the Sandinista! Project: A Tribute to the Clash

I found this one night during one of my characteristically drunk Amazoning marathons. Inspired by the blinkered giddyness of it all, I told myself I'd wait for sobriety and order it the next day. Then I ordered it anyways. Beyond that, I think it hardly requires any introduction as I'm currently in the process of giving it a deep and blogful analysis. I would like to say, however, that I am totally enjoying it and finding it to be a more than worthy tribute to the original article. Thanks, Jimmy G.

East Infection by Gogol Bordello

I discovered this ep lunchtime shopping at Borders one day in a vain attempt to escape from work. Sadly/thankfully, I'm still employed but at least I've got this little disc. Six songs long, it features alternate versions of of "Ave. B" and "Strange Uncles From Abroad." The real gem, however, is a cover of Manu Chao's "Mala Vida" in which Hutz and co. show you what the Gypsy Kings on crystal meth might sound like. It's really way better than it sounds.

Red by Patty Griffin

Tyler passed this one on to me back in April. But I'm a bad friend cause I haven't given it a spin yet. Mostly in favor of all the other stuff he gave me, like Ingrid Michaelson and Okkervil River and Old '97's. But don't tell him.

From Every Sphere/Here Be Monsters/Strangers/Until Tomorrow Then (the Best of...) by Ed Harcourt

Ed Harcourt was one of those artists that Ty and I did our damnedest to see back at SxSw. Every night, he'd have a set and every night, we'd miss it for some reason. Until the last night when we were lucky enough to catch him at the convention center with Victoria, Rob and Brook. I believe that all five of us stood and appreciated the show in slack jawed awe. Since then, I bought the limited edition two disc best of Until Tomorrow Then. I didn't realize that it was a gateway drug for Strangers (my favorite so far) and then Here Be Monsters and now From Every Sphere. Next? Beautiful Lie, most likely. Still, a darker, sexier music I haven't found since Greg Dulli's Twilight Singers.

A Positive Rage/Separation Sunday by the Hold Steady

Speaking of SxSw obsessions, I went to Austin this year convinced of little more than a chance to see the 'Steady. As noted elsewhere on this blog, I saw them not once but twice on the same day, treated to two totally different setlists. For an encore? I picked up A Positive Rage which shows the boys in transition before their excellent Stay Positive came out. Sadly, this means that this live disc is light of the more musical fare of their latest album. Gladly, it is chock full of their old school barroom stompers and a few cuts not found on their regular albums.

Going back to Separation Sunday, on the other hand, is just requisite reading for any devoted fan of the band. Especially as most of us caught on around the time of Boys and Girls in America. Less tuneful that it's successor, Sunday makes up for it in sonic squallor and sheer psychosis. Totally worth it for "Your Little Hoodrat Friend" and the monster riffage that guitarist Tad Kubler throws down.

Honeysuckle Strange by Howlin' Maggie

Another Hastings dollar bin bargain, I bought this for Harold Chistester. Besides providing the most gorgeous keyboards on the Afghan Whig's Black Love and 1965, he was also one of the artists involved in Greg Dulli's first Twilight's record, Twilight as Recorded by the Twilight Singers. I'm greatly ashamed that I haven't listened to this yet, but, if the Maggie's contribution to Beautiful Girls is any indication, it should be good (and doubly shameful) when I finally do.

No One's First, and You're Next by Modest Mouse

This little ep came out with little to no fanfare other the Heath Ledger directed video for "King Rat" and caught me a little by surprise. What wasn't surprising was a small disc of tuneful songs that just didn't seem to fit in anywhere else. Looking over the credits, it's obvious that this is an odd's 'n sod's album, comprised of outtakes from other records. The lead-off track, "Satellite Skin," shows songwriter Isaac Brock at his most melodically dogged. Still, as I was listening to this the other night, it did make me wonder: if Space Ghost's Brak formed an indie band, is this what they would sound like?

The Stand Ins by Okkervil River

The one band we didn't get to see at SxSw that I haven't been able to make up for, the Okkervil was originally ingrained into me by Tyler over many a night at the Anodyne's pool tables. With Stage Names' brilliant "John Allyn Smith Sails" and this year's "Lost Coastlines" off of Stand Ins, however, I can count myself amongs the faithful. In some of their more languid numbers, they can ramble a bit. But at their most rollicking, they show a real rocking potential kindred to Counting Crows.

Feeling Strangely Fine by Semisonic

Admittedly, I already owned this record. But it should be said that I've practically burned a hole through my last copy so it was time to replace it. Pound for pound, one of the strongest albums I've ever heard and full of more hooks than a bait shop, it's sweet enough to make your teeth go bad. Especially the second half. I can never skip "This Will Be My Year" (my anthem every year) or "California." Go now. Buy. Kill if you must.

Music From the Motion Picture: SLIVER

I cannot stress how crappy this album is. Really, it's horrible and I should be ashamed. It's full of early nineties electronic schlock that makes me cringe for remembering the early nineties. I might as well be listening to A Night at the Roxbury, right? But, I used to always steal this from my brother when I was younger. For UB40 doing that gimmicky UB40 thing they do to Elvis' "Can't Help Falling in Love?" Sure. But, there's also Massive Attack, Shaggy (before he was Mr. Boombastic) and the Verve. And just to be clear, dollar bargain bins are evil. EVIL.

Spiders by Space

Speaking of evil dollar bargain bins and useless nostalgia... I used to always love "Female of the Species." Moving right along...

Far by Regina Spektor

This album seems to rest somewhere between her major label debut Soviet Kitsch and it's followup, Begin to Hope. Featuring more fleshed out arrangements than Kitsch, it still lacks Hope's giddy experimental nature. Featuring work from four different producers, it does highlight an insanely charismatic knack that Spektor has for pop hooks. Personally, I can't get enough of "The Calculation," "Dance Anthem of the 80's" and "One More Time With Feeling." "Folding Chair," however, breaks my heart with sheer joy every time I hear it, no matter how little it makes sense.

No Line on the Horizon by U2

For a band that understands the art form of album sequencing so well, this collection of songs falls incredibly flat. Personally, I found the album prone to getting stuck in ruts more often than not. On a lark, I decided to rework the order of the songs (I know how much this annoys some of my friends) and have since found myself not only enjoying the album as a whole so much more, but I've found that I like all the songs. For an album full of so many potential peaks and valleys, U2's original sequence grouped the songs into monotonous stages. Now, thanks to the genius of the ipod, I'm looking forward to seeing all of these songs in October.

Women in Technology by White Town

In regards to the why, see my entry on Space. In regards to how the album sounds as a whole, also see the entry on Space... Moving right along...

It's Blitz! by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Honestly, I'm a bit torn on this. None of their releases have matched the raw id of their debut, Fever to Tell. And while Show Your Bones saw them stretching in some interesting directions, I still prefer the tracks on here that sound like the old Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Mostly meaning, the drummer hits things really hard, the guitarist brings the motherfucking ruckus and Karen O stretches her voice as far as it will go. I enjoyed this record so much more than Show Your Bones but still, you never forget your first time.