I know for movies, at least, January is seen as a dumping ground for new releases, but for music I actually think it's one of the best times to put out new stuff. Think about it: In the fall, the record release schedule picks up to a crazy pace, then it usually slows to a crawl around the holidays so everyone can catch up and people can put together their year-end lists. When new albums finally start turning up again in January, we're usually hungry for some new music. Remember the beginning of last year, the hype around Animal Collective's new record? This January sees some high profile releases, too, including new records from
Spoon,
Vampire Weekend, and
Beach House, to name just a handful, and while nothing has the buzz of
Meriweather Post Pavilion, there's probably something you're looking forward to in the coming weeks. Click the jump to see my thoughts on the batch of new records coming out tomorrow, Tuesday, January 12.
The aforementioned new
Vampire Weekend album is this week's big-ticket item. Can't blame them for being consistent:
Contra is more of the same, and if you already hated them, it won't change your mind. Kinda love that album cover, though, in a Tuesday-Weld-on-the-cover-of-
Girlfriend kind of way. (UPDATE: Oh wait, just noticed cute girl has Polo pony thing on her shirt. Booooo corporate logo on an album cover boooooooooooo.)
LISTEN:
Vampire Weekend - "Cousins" (from Contra)
Meanwhile, the
Laura Veirs record that everyone in Portland has been talking about for weeks finally comes out. And it's splendid, probably the first essential purchase of 2010. She's not reinventing the wheel here, just dipping deeper into the well of human emotion that's the hallmark of her songs. Veirs is capable of the most important thing a singer can achieve, and so few do, which is that you believe every word that comes out of her mouth.
LISTEN:
Laura Veirs - "July Flame" (from July Flame)
Jason Boesel, the drummer for Rilo Kiley, releases a solo record called
Hustler's Son, and it's more of the '70s California fetishizing that's become Rilo Kiley's stock in trade. Love Gram Parsons and
Rumours and think that every record should sound exactly like them? This is the record for you.
LISTEN:
Jason Boesel - "Hand of God" (from Hustler's Son)
Violinist/songwriter
Owen Pallett changes his name from Final Fantasy with the new record
Heartland. It's a good switch; I thought Final Fantasy was a lousy name for a project, mostly because of the confusion with the videogame. (I have a similar problem with the very famous and well known band Mike Tyson's Punchout*.)
Heartland is a dreary album title, though, especially compared to Pallett's previous album (as Final Fantasy)
He Poos Clouds, which should have won a Nobel prize for album-titling, or something. The album itself isn't dreary, exactly, but nor is it gripping. A bit snoozy, even despite its willful and wonky weirdness. Word.
*not actually a real band, but there should be, am I right? Actually, going back to Vampire Weekend, remember the game Contra?
LISTEN:
Owen Pallett - "Lewis Takes Action" (from Heartland)
OK Go - "WTF?" (from
Of the Blue Colour* of the Sky)
Remember a few years ago when that band did the thing on the YouTube with all the trampolines? Or treadmills, or whatever? Well, OK Go is finally back with a new album after nearly five years. If you're anything like me, you stopped caring in 2006.
*huh? are these guys British or something?
Lastly: I thought the US release of Malakai's record was happening tomorrow, too, but it's not. The Bristol, UK, band has actually changed their name to
Malachai for some reason, and their album
Ugly Side of Love, which has been available across the pond for a while now, isn't coming out until February 2 on Domino. In the meantime, check out this track (it's one of several good ones on the record) and tell me if you know what song they sampled here. I totally recognize it, but I can't pinpoint it and it's killing me. Help, anybody?
LISTEN:
Malakai - "Fading World" (from Ugly Side of Love)
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