Lots of highly-anticipated albums this week, though, none that I’m too entirely excited about; with the likes of Hot Chip, Yeasayer leading the pack of new releases. I’ve listened to both albums, and while I like the singles from the two, the albums as a whole don’t really work for me. In regards to Hot Chip, the group seems to forgo any kind of dance tracks this time around in favor of focusing on songwriting. The results are a bit hit or miss, but the title track is definitely great. Yeasayer’s Odd Blood wasn’t what I was expecting at all, as at times they seem to be doing their best Vampire Weekend impersonation throughout most of the record. Their contribution to the Dark Was the Night compilation was stellar, and had me on the bandwagon. Now, I’m not so sure where I stand now.
Other notable releases this week include Panthu du Prince’s Black Noise, Phantogram’s Eyelid Movies, The Watson Twins’ Talking to You, Talking to Me, and the always reliable Massive Attack with Heligoland (with great guests to boot, including Hope Sandoval, Martina Topley-Bird, Guy Garvey of Elbow, Tunde Adebimpe of TV On The Radio, Adrian Utley of Portishead and Damon Albarn).
What are you excited about this week? Feel free to recommend anything I may have missed.
Allison Moorer
Crows
full album stream
Ben + Vesper
LuvInIdleness
MP3: “LuvInIdleness”
Bluebrain
Soft Power
full album stream
MP3: “Ten By Ten”
Drew Dansburry
Goodnight Gary
MP3: “Many Are Cold”
Gil Scott-Heron
I’m New Here
full album stream
Hot Chip
One Life Stand
full album stream
Video: “One Life Stand”
Kath Bloom
Thin Thin Line
MP3: “Heart So Sadly”
Massive Attack
Heligoland
full album stream
Video: “Splitting the Atom”
Pantha du Prince
Black Noise
full album stream
MP3: “The Splendour”
Phantogram
Eyelid Movies
MP3: “When I’m Small”
Schooner
Duck Kee Sessions EP
MP3: “Feel Better”
Shellshag
Rumors in Disguise
MP3: “1984″
MP3: “Resilient Bastard”
Smile Smile
Truth on Tape
MP3: “Beg You to Stay”
The Watson Twins
Talking to You, Talking to Me
full album stream
MP3: “U-N-Me”
Xiu Xiu
Dear God, I Hate Myself
full album stream
Yeasayer
Odd Blood
full album stream
MP3: “Ambling Alp”
MP3: “O.N.E.”
Tags: Ben + Vesper, Bluebrain, Drew Dansburry, Gil Scott-Heron, Hot Chip, Kath Bloom, Massive Attack, Pantha du Prince, Phantogram, Schooner, Shellshag, Smile Smile, The Watson Twins, The Weekly Graboid, Xiu Xiu, Yeasayer
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The ninth of February finally arrived and I’ve listened to Heligoland about five times through. Other than “Flat of the Blade”, I think this is a very solid album. Why “United Snakes” was not part of the album, I don’t know, though one may purchase it through that iT dept. I especially love the Martina Topley-Bird and Hope Sandoval tracks. Massive and Hot Rats are greatly helping my 2010 along.
Just listened to it tonight at work. Despite one or two throwaway tracks, I’m really digging it. Pretty much had “Psyche” on repeat for most of the night.
Glad to see you’ve included Bluebrain, but surprised to see that you omitted TItle Tracks.
Didn’t see that one!