Crash Landing- 2009 Album Deletions

Photo Credit: www.stabur5productions.ws/page3.html

You click and drag new releases on to your iPod's 2009 playlist, but does everything deserve to stay? No. Well, we are at your service to aid you in proper, and deserved 2009 album deletions (not from the whole Pod, but rather the playlist.) Ultimately, we are helping you generate a Best of 2009 playlist, right? Maybe.

The Veils - Sun Gangs
Nux Vomica and more specifically "Calliope!" hit us hard, and kept hitting. This album rocked our speakers, bumped our chest and simply made us buy the album...and catch them at the Mercury Lounge. So Sun Gangs. Yeah, it just didn't live up to the pre-established standards. Its that easy. It's the sophomore slump and we know it blows. Rebound baby, rebound. Deleted.

The Black Lips - 200 Million Thousand
If you thought they were going to conform to a more mainstream sound, in true Lips fashion, you can go fuck yourself. They didn't and I kind of wanted an album of "Bad Kids"-style gems, but, oh well; their loss. Deleted.

Beirut - March of the Zapotec & Real People
This is just boring tuna. Though our one reviewer, Deanna, thought otherwise, this album is one tuba blast short of bearable. Deleted.

M.Ward - Hold Time
Just because it is another M.Ward album doesn't mean you have to like it. This is no freaking Transfiguration of Vincent. Maybe if Zoe Deschanel accompanied him on this we could call it, She & Him: Volume Deuce and Paste could name it best album of 2009. Deleted.

That should free up some space.

Tuesday New Releases! MP3s!!

Lot's of stuff out today people...lot's of stuff. Here's what we're liking this week:

Felice Brothers
Yonder is the Clock (Team Love)
mp3: Run Chicken Run

This shambling array of dusty sounds and ragged Americana is one step away from the Felice Brothers' break out album. The Felice Brothers have the talent, look and sound to move into the main stream. Compared to their forefathers, The Band, these upstate NY brothers are one "The Weight" away from stardom. This fact takes nothing away from the excellence of Yonder. It truly is a fantastic record and finds the Brothers embracing their sound fully and focusing their ideas. It's not perfect, but perfection seems to be fast approaching on the horizon.

See the rest of our picks for the week after the jump...

Micachu and the Shapes
Jewellery (Rough Trade)
mp3: "Lips"

We caught Micachu at Pianos, and the show perfectly conveyed the energy, youthfulness, and the uniqueness of this fantastic new artist. Strange sounds abound, ragged instruments are played with reckless abandon and Micachu's charming androgyny make this album and live show one of the standout rookie performances of 2009. What the album may lack in precise songwriting, it makes up for in passion, style, individuality and all around creativity.

Richard Swift
The Atlantic Ocean (Secretly Canadian)
mp3: "Lady Luck"

There's a lot of Richard Swift's product out there, but Atlantic Ocean seems a step above the rest. While we've yet to consume the album in its entirety, we've spent much time with the tracks from his excellent Ground Trouble Jaw EP, and have been streaming the rest. The songs included here (at times) recall the lo-fi doo-wop soul of some Daptone records, while others prove more danceable, singer-songwriter- based tracks. This record is very good, but it could be great with a more direct focus and vision. Perhaps deeper, longer listening will revel a more coherent vision for the album. Still, Richard is a strong talent and his music is always worth picking up.

The Veils
Sun Gangs (Rough Trade)
mp3: "Killed By The Boom"

The Veils have always held a place in our hearts. Since Vince's excellent find several years back, and one way too drunk Mercury Lounge show, the Veils have stayed on regular rotation in Stark's world. Sun Gangs finds the Veils making a strong showing on the songwriting front, honing their focus and upping their attention to detail on the production side. Their previous record Nux Vomica, swung wildly from howling screams and harder indie-rock, to more accessible, catchier, jangly songs featuring singer Finn Andrew's excellent voice. Sun Gangs has found a nice balance between the two worlds and makes for a highly enjoyable complete listen. Apparently he's still rockin' that hat though.

Kath Bloom & Various Artists
Loving Takes This Course (Chapter Music)

To call Kath Bloom an underrated songwriter is (errr) an understatement. I can't fit the reasons why Kath Bloom is great in this post, but she deserves more. Look her up...Today. As for the record, her influence is clearly widespread as evidenced by the high profile guests paying tribute to her on this record. Bill Callahan, Mark Kozelek, and the Dodos, to name a few, offer up their takes on Kath Bloom's material. As with many compilation records, some songs work better than others, but the second disc of Kath Bloom songs (performed by Kath Bloom) is worth the price of admission alone. Dig through this record, there are many hidden successes.

Short Handed

New video from Camera Obscura: "French Navy" off the upcoming release My Maudlin Career due sometime in April on 4AD.

Daytrotter session with Those Darlins.

Idolator report on Guy Hands and his depature from CEO chair of Terra Firma.

GVB: Gorilla vs. Booze SXSW showcase preview.

New video from the Veils via Stereogum: "The Letter" off Sun Gangs (4/7 on Rough Trade)

Pete Seeger, 90th B-Day special at MSG May 3 via Billboard.

Pop & Hiss SXSW photos and bullshit approximately.

The Veils -- Sun Gangs

Photo credit: Nicole Kai Kobilansky and Ritchie Harvey

When: April 7, 2009
Label: Rough Trade
MP3: "Killed By The Boom"
Myspace
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The Veils have been on our radar since their underappreciated release of Nux Vomica in 2006. Three years later, highly charismatic frontman Finn Andrews and crew are set to release their third record, Sun Gangs. While tunes fron Nux such as "Calliope," "Not Yet" and "Pan" show a knack for devastatingly powerful rock-pop recordings (play "Killed By The Boom" now) this band thrives live. We caught The Veils at the Mercury Lounge in NY weeks after Nux's release and simply put, we were not drunk enough. Andrews' on-stage gyrations (see him laying prone on-stage straddling the microphone stand while extinguishing vocal chords) were intoxicating and not at all forced. We left sufficiently tight. There are high hopes from the Stark camp concerning Sun Gangs; we are currently spinning the record and hope to have a review up in due time. Until then, enjoy the MP3 above.