Great stuff this week:
The Organ- Grab that Gun-- amazing girl band from Vancouver that plays Cure-flavored ditties with swoony female Morrissey vocals. I'm all in black today especially for them.
The Futureheads s/t- Franz Ferdinand et al fans, take heed, this is you next big thing. Great songs, very well arranged and an impossibly kickass cover of "Hounds of Love" by Kate Bush.
Pas/Cal- Oh Honey We're Ridiculous EP. Cleverer than recent Belle & Sebastian and catchier too. Who knew Detroit could produce dandys?
Tracy + the Plastics- Culture for Pigeon- nice follow up to the first album with weirder ideas and more heart. That first song on repeat over and over and over.
Guided by Voices- Half Smiles of the Decomposed-- A great final record perfectly produced and kind of regal in a twilighty take a bow kind of way.
Tanya Donnely- Whiskey Tango Ghost-- I haven't given a toss about her solo stuff since she broke up Belly, but this album makes all that throw away worth while. Bittersweet, spare and haunting.
Junior Jack featuring Robert Smith- Da Hype single- Cure fans and dance enthusiasts, you MUST hear this track. It's a Georgio Morordor style Eurodisco number with Fat Bob wailing an amazing lyric about how he's "flying again." Makes up for lack of fun on the new Cure album.
Hidden Cameras- Missisauga Goddam- more orchestral folk songs about gay sex with a funny Up With People bent. Not liking it as much as The Smell of Our Own (yet) but it's growing on me. And you've gotta love a record that has a song called "I Want Another Enema."
And finally, a super early advance of the new Le Tigre record, This Island. Yes YEs YES- these girls rule and finally figured out that decent production does not equal selling out. They still rock, but there are some smooth as silk dance numbers and cool wtf cover of the Pointer Sisters' "I'm so Excited."
