The Lovers' Album of the Week

Dälek Abandoned Language

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Thursday Tidbits - Asobi Seksu

This one slipped past me on Tuesday, but Asobi Seksu released an iTunes Exclusive EP called Live from SoHo. The set is entirely made up of songs from last year's release, Citrus, which certianly isn't bad thing. The live EP includes "Thursday," the single from Citrus, which perfectly blends the dreaminess of My Bloody Valentine and the pop beauty of say, Camera Obscura.

The Mid-Week Recommendation

Summer Hymns Clemency

Wet Mess

New Releases - Tuesday

Looking around for albums to recommend today, one of the most interesting (or unexpected) I've come across is an "eMusic Only" release from Beirut called Pompeii. Hardly even an EP (there are only two songs), the tracks are still rather strong and, along with Lon Gisland EP, will have to hold us until Beirut's follow up to Gulag Orkestar.

Also, everyone's favorite hip-hop label, Stone Throws, releases Chrome Children Vol. 2, featuring Madlib, J Rocc, Aloe Blacc (w/Four Tet), Oh No, and others on the Stone Throws roster.

Free Music Monday - Tim Fite

"I want you to buy my record so I can sell out in 60 seconds. At the Best Buy, I want to be the best guy," raps Tim Fite on "It's All Right Here" on his new album Over the Counterculture. Despite such declarations, Fite's latest release is being offered free on his website. As with most hip-hop, it should be noted that if this was found in Best Buy, it would be donned with a Parental Advisory sticker. My favorite track is "Oh Well," which doesn't even feature Fite's stylings but a hilarious sampling from an unknown (at least to me) interview:

Oh Well
from Over the Counterculture

The Weekend - Ennio Morricone

Sure, there is a new album out there right now celebrating the work of legendary film composer Ennio Morricone with artists ranging from Celine Dion to Metallica, but for a more daring tribute you might want to take a look at John Zorn's The Big Gundown: John Zorn Plays the Music of Ennio Morricone. According to Zorn, The Big Gundown was an album that even Zorn thought was a bit pointless, since who could improve on Morricone? Despite his early reservations, the project was funded and gave Zorn a chance to get back into the studio. And the results even impressed Morricone. I am mentioning all this because it's the day of the Oscars, and Morricone is receiving an Honorary Academy Award. Of course, for the ultimate Morricone experience, you can't go wrong with a piece by the man himself. Without hesitation, my suggestion would be for Morricone's work on Sergio Leone's classic spaghetti Western, Once Upon A Time In The West. It still ranks as one of my favorite soudtracks of all time.

The Lovers' Album of the Week

Studio Yearbook 1

- Audio samples can be found on Studio's Myspace page.

Thursday's Tidbits - Great Lake Swimmers

Despite the fact that Great Lake Swimmers' website claims that their new album Ongiara isn't scheduled for release in the States until May, it's already downloadable on both iTunes and eMusic. I'm not sure if this is a goof up or not, but I wasted no time in finding out. On first impression, the new one hasn't instantly drawn me in like Great Lake Swimmers' previous album, Bodies and Mind. Ongiara just might be one of those albums you have to spend some time with for awhile. And heck, I've got nowhere to go.

- If you need proof that Great Lake Swimmers' singer/songwriter Tony Dekker has one of the most achingly beautiful voices out there, listen to the evidence:

Bodies and Minds
from Bodies and Minds

I Will Never See The Sun
from Great Lake Swimmers

The Mid-Week Recommendation

Matt Marque Get There

My first introduction to Matt Marque's music was through his representative label, Truckstop Records. From 1999-2001, the output from this small (now defunct) Chicago label was nothing short of spectacular, producing some of the loveliest songs of the indie singer/songwriter genre. T.W. Walsh's "Old Fashioned Way of Speaking," Pinetop Seven's "The Fear of Being Found," Simon Joyner's "I Will Find You," and The Lofty Pillars’ “At the Station” are all underrated masterpieces. These are songs that once you hear them you become lost within their narrative landscapes, and you long to revisit them promptly after their running time has expired. The same could be said of the music of fellow labelmate, Matt Marque. Admittedly, Marque is the less polished of the bunch, but it doesn’t make his efforts any less impressive. His debut, Get There (2001), is an unassuming album that sounds like a cross between a demo and a fully realized undertaking, which is less a comment on Marque’s musical abilities than it is on the album’s honesty. Sure Marque’s voice cracks but that’s part of the charm. By the way, Marque’s real talent lies within his songs, which are cleverly crafted over an acoustic guitar and his lyrical rime. Now, it would be a disservice not to mention Marque’s strong backing band - Michael Krassner (Boxhead Ensemble), Glenn Kotche (Wilco), Fred Lonberg-Holm (God is my Co-Pilot), and Steve Dorocke - whose talents give color to Marque's lovelorn world. The highlight here is "Unknown Flowers On Your Dress," a rolling ballad where Marque's wispy voice duets with Dorocke's pedal steel. It just might be the most beautful song released on Truckstop. It's also a song that I must have listened to over a thousand times. So, in a lot of ways, revisiting Get There is a bit like getting together with an old friend.

Unknown Flowers On Your Dress

Bonus Track:
Blowback
from Nothing Personal*

*Marque's follow up was released in 2004, three years after Get There. Since it's 2007, I suspect (hope) we will be getting a new Marque album real soon.

New Releases Tuesday

Personal Picks:

M. Ward - To Go Home EP
Jesu - Conqueror
Explosions In the Sky - All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone
LCD Soundsytem - North American Scum (single)
Richard Swift - Dressed Up For The Letdown
Television Personalities - My Dark Places Remixes
Charlie Louvin - Charlie Louvin

Explosions In The Sky - Welcome, Ghosts

Free Music Monday - Pela

Starting last week and continuing until April 24, Brooklyn's Pela are putting out a free song each week from their upcoming release, Anytown Graffiti. The ploy must be working as Pela headlined a sold out show last week at The Mercury Lounge in NYC. "Lost to the Lonesome" expands on the guitar driven rock found on the group's 2005 All In Time EP, complete with crafty lines like "Hey, we should crash the party on Christmas Eve. Hey, we should write our name on every wall we see. Hey, we should break our wallets at every bar. Hey, we could break the bed without broken hearts. La La La". Enjoy!

Lost to the Lonesome

The Lovers' Album of the Week

Loney, Dear Loney, Noir

I Am John

The Mid-Week Recommendation

Jeff Mangum Orange Twin Field Works Volume 1

Orange Twin Field Works is not a lost recording of Jeff Mangum (Neutral Milk Hotel/Indie Cult God), but a Mangum field recording of his trip to the National Festival of Bulgarian Folklore, a three day festival of traditonal Bulgarian music in Koprivshitsa. The festival, which is held every five years, has been rapidly growing since it's formation in 1965, having nearly 15,000 performers in 2005 (take that Bonnaroo!). In 2000, two years after recording "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea," Mangum continued to frustrate his fan base by ignoring the studio, and instead, treking over 5,000 miles with only his recorder and microphone at hand ready to capture the eclectic sounds of the Bulgarian people. Instead of an album of seperate track recordings, Mangum has assembled the entire event into a thirty minute composition, having one song drift into another as ambient sounds of crowds, traffic, and general atmosphere linger in the background. The result feels like a sampling of the weekend, showcasing various instrumentations, odd rhythms, and singing styles. At times, Mangum only allows the listener a few minutes of a song before his interest moves along to something else. Sure, Mangum is fascinated by these artists, but unlike famous field recorders like Alan Lomax whose recordings are documentations of the artist, Orange Twin Field Works Volume 1 is a documentatoin of the recorder's experience.

New Releases Tuesday

Wow, it's a very slow week for new releases. I suppose the biggest release is Lucinda Williams' West. However, also check out the early release of Explosions In The Sky's All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone. The album isn't scheduled to come out until February 20, but it's already available on iTunes. Head over to the band's label Temporary Residence for a free mp3 of the song "Welcome, Ghosts".

And, are iTunes Live Sessions the new Peel Sessions? The newest in the Apple series is a set from The Rapture.

On the Emusic front, there is an advance release from Brooklyn's The Subject's called With the Ease Grace Precision and Cleverness of Human Beings. If you're in the Chicago area, you can check them out twice on Feb. 20: 1) Reckless Records in store performance 2)Empty Bottle CD Release Party.

"Hounds Of War"
from With the Ease Grace Precision and Cleverness of Human Beings

Free Music Monday - Podington Bear

So, do you need a reason to look forward to Mondays? Well, how about this one? Every Monday (as well as Wednesday and Friday), the Portland based Podington Bear (aka P Bear, not Panda Bear) releases upon the online sharing community a new electropop instrumental track that's 100% free. It's an experiement that he started on Janurary 1st and plans to continue until the end of the year (that's 52.177457 weeks or 156.532371 songs!). Despite the rigorous schedule put upon himself, P Bear's songs don't sound rushed. While the compositions are relatively simple, they're also highy layered with plenty of unexpected twists and turns. Some are bouncy, feel good distractions. Others are slow, calming, and reflective. I like to think of it as the perfect background music, meaning it's clever enough for a closer listen, but also an ideal listen at the office, working around the house, or even walking the dog. Highly recommended!

Go To Sleep
A sweet song today. This one already satisfying a request to do a song about dreaming. Part 1 is the lullabye. Part II is sleep (or non REM stages 1-4. Listener Tod can visualize his baby sleep-laughing here). Then something happens! - P Bear

(A similar experiment was undertook by my friends The Hometown Nobodies. You can check them out here.)

Albums of the Month (January)

Here are some of my favorite releases from January. And, expect for the Album of the Week's feature to start up again next week. Let's get started:

Of Montreal Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?

Of Montreal's lastest album is all primal scream therapy as singer/songwriter Kevin Barnes takes the listener on a journey of his past year full of resentment, heartache, depression, and divorce. Still, such subjects have never sounded this joyful. Along with their debut Cherry Peel, this is Of Montreal's second masterpiece.

Animal Collective People EP

Noah Lennox (or Panda Bear) just might be the most talented guy working in indie pop these days. Here is a four song EP to tide us over until the full length comes out from both Animal Collective and his solo record Person Pitch (which is already being labeled the best album of the year).

Radicalfashion Odoir

Odori means "dance" in Japanese, but don't expect to be busting out your best dance moves. Odori is a highly textured album combining samples, electronics, and piano to create something rather serene.

Ghost In Stormy Nights

Those Japanese psych/prog rockers are back with another strong outing with In Stormy Nights. I'm waiting for the tribute album to Ghost to emerge, highlighted by performances from Ian Anderson, Robert Wyatt, Rick Wakeman, and Robert Fripp. (Really, it's only in my mind, so don't start googling it.)

Exploding Star Orchestra We Are All From Somewhere Else

A jazz outfit led by Rob Mazurek of The Chicago Underground and Isotope 217 and containing such Thrill Jockey heavyweights as John McEntire, Jeff Parker, Jim Parker, and Nicole Mitchell. Now, there is an awe indusing reasoning behind each of these songs, somehow relating to our cosmic universe and electric eels and sting rays and rebirth. But, honestly, all that information really just seems to get in the way. So, forget the backstory, and take in the recording which, if it's not the best jazz release thus far, it's certainly the best post-rock.

TML Monthly Review Playlist - Episode #3

1. +81 - Deerhoof from Friend Opportunity
2. Sleeping Lessons - The Shins from Wincing The Night Away
3. Elephant Gun - Beirut from Lon Gisland EP
4. Underwater (You & Me) - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah from Some Loud Thunder
5. A House Is Not A Home - Field Music from Tones Of Town
6. Canyon Arrow - The Autumn Defense from The Autumn Defense
7. Jacket - David Vandervelde from The Moonstation House Band
8. Knife (Girl Talk Remix) - Grizzly Bear from Online Exclusive
9. The Troglodyte Wins - Busdriver from RoadKillOvercoat
10. The Past Is A Grotesque Animal - Of Montreal from Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?
11. The Old Men Of The Shells - Alasdair Roberts from The Amber Gatherers
12. Caledonia - Ghost from In Stormy Nights
13. Tikwid - Animal Collective from People EP
14. Under the Sun - Junior Boys from Live Session (iTunes Exclusive)
15. Electro Karaoke In The Negative Style - Fujiya & Miyagi from Online Exclusive
16. Thousand (feat. Carl Stone) - Radicalfashion from Odori
17. Frogs In Tuxes - Podington Bear from Online Exclusive (January)
18. Mr. Me Too (Z.A.K. Remix) - Clipse from Online Exclusive
19. Cosmic Tomes For Sleep Walking Lovers, Pt.3 - Exploding Star Orchestra from We Are All From Somewhere Else
20. My Rain - Boris (w/Michio Kurihara) from Rainbow
21. Not Nice - Chris Garneau from Music For Tourists
22. Bro's - Panda Bear from Bro's (single)

This Week on the Lovers

My favorite new releases from month of Januaray, including such artists as The Shins, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Of Montreal, Beirut, Animal Collectice, Deerhoof, and many more...

Today, 4-6pm on WEVL 89.9FM or online.

New Episode - This Tuesday!

The Music Lovers Monthly Review (Episode #3 ) will air this coming Tuesday (2/6) from 4-6pm. Tune in to hear all my favorite songs from those albums released in January. As always, you can listen online.

- I just updated to the new Blogger (powered by Google), so I just noticed that I had been left comments on previous posts. Just so you know that I wasn't ignoring you.

The Music Lovers Monthly Review Playlist for 12/5/06

1. Trouble - Voxtrot from Your Biggest Fan EP
2. Go Lucky - The Curtains from Calamity
3. Grain of Salt - The Morning Benders from 3 Songs
4. The Light - White Magic from Dat Rosa Mel Apibus
5. Big Julie - Jarvis from Jarvis
6. True Affection - The Blow from Paper Television
7. Cosmia - Joanna Newsom from Ys
8. Master of None - Beach House from Beach House
9. I Do Have Weapons - Mogwai from Zidane, A 21st Century Portrait
10. The Sinking Belle (Blue Sheep) - SunnO)))/Boris from Altar
11. Elq Milq - The Octopus Project/Black Moth Super Rainbow from The House of Apples & Eyeballs
12. In The City - Xiu Xiu vs. Grouper from Creepshow
13. Steal the Blue Prints - +/- from Let's Build A Fire
14. Cut From The Cloth - The Evens from Get Evens
15. My Children, Be Joyful - Rock Plaza Central from Are We Not Horses
16. Brother - Annuals from Be He Me
17. Cold & Wet - Bonnie "Prince" Billy from Cold & Wet EP
18. Worlds Away - Daylights for the Birds from Trouble Everywhere
19. Let's Go Driving - Barzin from My Life In Rooms
20. Sons and Daughters - The Decemberists from The Crane Wife
21. The Sun's Gone Dim and the Sky's Turned Black - Johann Johannsson from The Sun's Gone Dim and the Sky's Turned Black EP
22. Safe Travels - Peter & the Wolf from Lightness
23. Bottom of the World - Tom Waits from Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards
24. Our Prayer - R. Keenan Lawler from Music for Bluegrass States
25. Been Here Before - Jeremy Enigk from World Waits