There's $$ left over for rice (New records/CD's/etc)

[Thermofusion]

Picked this up a few weeks ago out, listened to it today. It's kind of a morbidly funny record on a conceptual level: pair the greatest piece ever written for string sextet (and arguably Schoenberg's greatest work, next to Pierrot Lunaire) with a limp transcription for sextet of Philip Glass' middling Symphony no. 3.

The performances are shit, of course, and only manage to underscore the considerable juxtaposition on display: the lush expressiveness of Verklärte Nacht effortlessly transcends the uninspired playing while the jejune, mechanical Glass piece gets no favors from the newly-formed sextet bearing his own name.  Even the one legitimate highlight of the original Glass symphony—the fluid and unusually (for Glass) chromatic second movement—ends up hamstrung by the dull performances and cut-n-paste transcription. Meanwhile, I found myself wishing I had the far superior Orpheus Chamber Orchestra recording of Verklärte Nacht on my iPod. And while I'm usually a fan of classical discs constructed on presenting a dramatic contrast (Hilary Hahn's excellent Schoenberg/Sibelius disc being the most distinguished recent example), the notion that something as flaccid as the Glass sextet could actually hang with a best-of-breed work like Verklärte Nacht is darkly funny and wishful thinking at best.

[davy]

Los Lobos - Tin Can Trust  /  Menomena - Mines  /  Railroad Jerk - The Third Rail


Damn, it feels like it's been a long time since I've posted in this thread!

[ellaguru]

Jim Guthrie - Now, More Than Ever

It's not my fault I'm only getting a legal copy six years later, I was waiting for the vinyl!

This is a really good songwriter/pop album from local boy Jim Guthrie. It's just got its first vinyl issue although it's a 2003 album. Owen Pallett did arrangements for it and plays on most of the songs.

[Killdozersnakeboy]

Due to impending relocation I've been trying not to buy records in recent times. But really there's no way I could pass these up.

[ellaguru]

Picked up some stuff at the One Hundred Dollars show last night. Two 7"ers for me:


"Fourteenth Floor"


"My Father's House"

I guess these are the first two singles in a projected semi-Sufjan series. They're doing "regional singles" dedicated to different regions in Canada. The first one is Toronto/southern Ontario and the second is Vancouver/BC. Betcha they can get a dozen singles out quicker than Sufjan can make 50 albums.

And I picked up another copy of the album to send off to a Vancouver friend who I hope will like it:


Forest of Tears

[davy]

I like their visual aesthetic.

(The music's not bad, either!)

[ellaguru]

Yeah, I'm really into them right now.

[Benmont Tench]

Godflesh - Streetcleaner Redux Edition


As I'd hoped, this constitutes an astronomical upgrade in sound quality from my tattered old cassette. Plus is there a better song title than "Locust Furnace", metal or otherwise?

[Maaik]

Oh man, that should be landing in my mailbox any day now!

[lucky strike]

i was lucky enough to find this gem of an LP for only 25 dollars this week!

[kyle]

They played the track "Next" on the radio and I was taken by it. I had tried to get into The Drift but it was a bit too much to handle. This is really really good though.

[Good Intentions]

It is really good. His solo stuff goes through a really interesting progression, with Scott 2 probably being the sweet spot between his pop-star beginnings and the fascinating idiosyncracies of his later career.

Hopefully before too long you'll join us fans of The Drift, standing in a circle in a small inner-city apartment, holding hands in the dark and together chanting 'Curare! Curare curare'.

[Black Amnesia of Heaven]

Also in your journey do not skip the first four tracks on The Walker Brothers' Nite Flight. Rest of the album is negligible, but the Scott tracks are among his best: harrowing, funky, black dives.

[davy]

Mark Olson - The Salvation Blues  /  Mark Olson & Gary Louris - Ready for the Flood

The Mark Olson rampage continues. So far, I prefer everything I've heard of Mark Olson's solo stuff--including the Creekdippers and last year's collaboration with Louris--to even the best Jayhawks records...and I say that as someone with a lot of love for Hollywood Town Hall.

[Ah_Pook]

mainly because ive had the song our lips are sealed stuck in my head for like a week now

[Benmont Tench]

John Mellencamp - No Better Than This

I've read some glowing reviews of this, and since it was only $8 I decided to pick it up. It's certainly different from what was previously my most recent Mellencamp album (Scarecrow). It reminds me a bit of mid-2000's Springsteen (Devils & Dust/We Shall Overcome.)

[davy]

It reminds me a bit of mid-2000's Springsteen (Devils & Dust/We Shall Overcome.)

High praise in my book. Mellencamp is due for a revival, and that's a nice looking sleeve.

[ellaguru]

Yes, there was big praise in Popmatters. Also, his last one (Life Death Love and Freedom) was amazing.

[MincerJay]

Emmylou Harris - Elite Hotel



Yeaaaaaahhhhhh!

8 bucks well spent.

[davy]

Yes, there was big praise in Popmatters.

About the highest endorsement an album can get where I'm concerned. 2 of my 3 most recent musical obsessions--Ryan Bingham last winter and Mark Olson right now--began after reading reviews at Popmatters.

I've also been listening to a lot of Los Lobos lately, and although I was going to buy their new album anyway, Popmatters' glowing review provided a sense of urgency that made hunting down and listening to the record all the more pleasurable. Pretty much everyone has praised the last two Los Lobos albums, but Popmatters is the only review source that echoes my belief, which is that they're making the best and most adventurous music of their career right now.

Popmatters finally replaced pitchfork as my go-to music site this year. Should've happened a long time ago, but old habits die hard.

[ellaguru]

Same. They are pretty eclectic and don't seem to have much of an agenda beyond saying what they think is good.

[Ah_Pook]

elite hotel is a really great album, good pickup

[Maaik]

This arrived today.  Oh man, I'm gonna make my brain hate my ears tonight.

[davy]

Richard James - We Went Riding  /  The Jayhawks - Tomorrow the Green Grass


Been listening to the Richard James album a lot this summer and I love it, so I knew what I was getting into with that one. The Jayhawks album, however, was a first-listen today and I must say I'm pretty disappointed. Reading through various articles on Mark Olson this past week, I came across a lot of praise for Tomorrow the Green Grass--many reviewers even stating their preference for it over Hollywood Town Hall. That is just ridiculous. There's nothing wrong with it, really, it's just...bland. Like Wilco playing Blues Traveler hits or something. "Blue" is fantastic, though--not sure I understand why it was a hit, particularly during the early 90s, but it's a swell song.

[Killdozersnakeboy]

They played the track "Next" on the radio and I was taken by it. I had tried to get into The Drift but it was a bit too much to handle. This is really really good though.

I assume it was some college station that played "Next"? It's a pretty filthy song! Scott 1-4 are amazing records that everyone should own. As much as I adore The Drift I see no link between old school scott and new. Yeah the voice is kinda similar but I would never suggest anyone listen to 1-4 as any sort of introduction to  The Drift. It's on a whole different plane that has nothing to do with the earlier work.

BTW the Walker Bros stuff is pretty great as well.