New release Tuesday

Boy has my music consumption plummeted the past few weeks as data work has given way to writing and presentation preparation. Nonetheless, today's a big day for new releases, as new albums by Jose Gonzalez, Devandra Banhart, and Iron & Wine all drop today. Of these, Iron & Wine seems to be getting the best reviews, but with coupon they're each $10 at Newbury Comics, so if I can hold off on the Itunes downloads until the end of the day (and manage to remain productive), then I think I'll be visiting Newbury on the way home. And probably pick up the latest Go! Team as well. (Unfortunately none of these new releases are available via emusic. No matter, I'm highly anticipating the debut of the 1900s - Cold & Kind - which drops next week, and seems like it will be offered on emusic.

When I'll have time to listen to all of this new music, now that's another story.

Album surprise of the day

Beirut's latest (The Flying Club Cup) isn't officially released until October 9th, but it has made an early debut on emusic and free napster. Zach's first release (Gulag Orkestar) really didn't work for me: highly influenced by an Eastern European sound (think gypsy music), I appreciated the unique composition and style, but his constant crooning didn't work for me. I was going to pass on The Flying Club Cup for this reason, but after free napstering two tracks, it became an instant purchase.

Moving west through Europe, The Flying Club Cup is Beirut's "French sounding record" (just as Sufjan's working through the states, apparently Zach Condon is working his way through all musical styles of Europe) : horns, accordians, ukeleles, tamborines, strings, waltzes. I actually much prefer this style to the Balkan sound of Gulag Orkestar. Although Zach's still a crooner, this doesn't annoy me nearly as much as it did on the last album. Try the following tracks, for starters: Nantes, A Sunday Smile, Cliquot. And, he's also on The Takeaway Show.

This sound surely doesn't work for everyone, but I'm very pleasantly surprised at how much I'm digging The Flying Club Cup.

Two bands you should know

1. Lucky Soul. 1950s pop, complete with do-whaps, brass, organ, strings, and songs about summer love. They released a series of singles/EPs, and their full length debut earlier this year was the excellent The Great Unwanted. Give any of the offerings on their myspace site a try, very representitive of their style. (Also streamable FOR FREE from the best kept secret on the net, free napster.)

2. Walker Kong. Minneapolis-based band, so that should be enough right there. Can't speak to their earlier stuff, but Deliver Us From People is pretty solid. And, Andy Warhol and the Honeybees is quite possibly my favorite track of the year. Also accessible from their myspace site.

Boring post because I'm tired

Hmmm, it seems that the amount of new music that I listen to is directly correlated with how much I am using Census data. The last two weeks: writing another draft. Hence, I think the only new music I purchased was the pretty nice Black Sheep Boy (and follow-up EP appendix) by Okkervil River. But in other good news I now own a spiffy new laptop with a 160 gig hard drive that can hold all of my music and a quarter of my data. No longer must I try to figure out which external hard drive I put an old album on!

I really have nothing interesting to share. Other than lately I've found music to be the most energizing thing in the morning. Given serious lack of sleep (in the office 8:30AM-11PM these days), I'm surprised how well the right choice of morning music can put a bounce in my step and a smile on my face by the time I reach my office. Not that you care, but here's what I use to start my morning:

1. From doorstep to about 50 yards from Shaws: Either Way, from Sky Blue Sky by Wilco. (Basically, because the track begins, even before the band jumps in, with the lyrics "Maybe the sun will shine today, the clouds will blow away." Reminder that every day is a fresh start.)
2. From Shaws to the doors of the Porter subway: Keep the Car Running, from Neon Bible by The Arcade Fire. Cause once the band jumps in after the short string/guitar intro, the heart starts beating and the bloods flowing.
3. From top of Porter to the bottom: Right Moves, from The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter by Josh Ritter. 'Cause it's good stair/escalator running music. (Really, the only exercise I get these days).
4. And then I'm stuck. Need something that keeps up the energy until I make it to the department. Options usually include Atlas by The Battles, 1234 by Feist, To Go Home by M. Ward, The Painter by I'm From Barcelona, and Andy Warhol and the Honeybees by Walker Kong.

Free music alert!

One of my favorite newly discovered bands of the last year, Great Lake Swimmers, recently released a free 5-track live EP (courtesy of stereogum). These are five of their better tracks (and in fact don't sound that different from the studio versions). Good introduction to a band that everyone should check out!

"Pitchfork Gives Music 6.8"

"Pitchfork Gives Music 6.8": The Onion publishes Pitchfork's review of music. Pretty hilarious. My favorite quote:

"Music used to be great, but let's be honest, it's a 6.8 now at best," said
Los Angeles resident Lowell Radler, 23, who admitted that he just looked at the
rating rather than reading the whole review. "I seriously might never listen to
music again."

That said, I think Pitchfork is a very useful site as an aggregator of music news, and as one of many sites from which to get the latest reviews. I always rely on multiple sites for reviews
rather than trusting the word of a single reviewer anyhow, so Pitchfork reviews
are usually irrelevant for me. (Though I still haven't forgiven their middling
review of The National's Alligator).

Song titles that would make good paper titles

Inspired by Neil:

• "Bigmouth Strikes Again" (The Smiths. About the impact of office gossip on productivity?)
• "If I Had $1,000,000" (BNL. Self-explanatory.)
• "It Could Have Been a Brilliant Career" (Belle and Sebastian. Another "long-term effects of job loss" paper?)
• "My Mother Was a Chinese Trapeze Artist" (Decemberists. Intergenerational diffusion of human capital?)
• "Packt Like Sardines in a Crushd Tin Box" (Radiohead. Unique spelling must remain intact. Urban crowding, from immigration?)

Really, there are so many excellent choices from the Smiths: "Shoplifters of the World Unite," "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now," "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want," "The Queen is Dead, "A Rush and a Push and the Land is Ours."