September 26, 2006
Austinist Music Preview: New Release Tuesday
Heading to End of an Ear or Waterloo? Here's what you can look for this week on the new release wall.
Adem: Love & Other Planets (Domino)
Adem's work with Fridge doesn't give any indication of his capabilities as a folk / pop singer-songwriter, but the distinction between the styles is indicative of his talent. The album's subtle yet sonic layers combined with Adem's fragile, persistant voice create a soundscape to match the themes within the songs themselves. While Adem's distinctive production might lend itself more to simple, acoustic compositions, the expanse of the songs and their subject matter against a sort of campfire art project aesthetic create a genuinely unique and moving complete work.
Adem Official
Adem "Launch Yourself" (YouTube)
Buy at Insound
Scissor Sisters: Ta Dah! (Polydor)
Scissor Sisters' brand of cheeky, over-the-top flamboyant disco rock has defied the trends in popular music and radio play since their 2004 debut, and based on the video for "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'", we can expect more of the same from the follow up, which is already receiving good reviews. The word is there are no covers this time, but we can still reminisce on their version of "Comfortably Numb" when we start to feel sad inside.
Scissor Sisters Official
Scissor Sisters MySpace
Scissor Sisters "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'" (YouTube)
Buy at Insound
Demetri Martin: These Are Jokes (Comedy Central)
As you might have noticed earlier this week, we can expect a visit from darling Greek goofball Demetri Martin this fall, but the writer / comedian / Daily Show "Trendspotting" correspondant has thrown us a bone to get us by until then. These Are Jokes promises to deliver more of Martin's post-Steven Wright word-play and perspective humor in his adorable hipster-directed method of delivery. If you're unfamiliar, you can memorize some of his material for your pre-show warm-ups come October.
Demetri Martin Official
Demetri Martin MySpace
Demetri Martin Live (YouTube)
Buy at Amazon
Band to Watch:
Blitzen Trapper: Waking Bullets At Breakneck Speed (Unreleased)
If you are able, hunt down the hand-assembled Blitzen Trapper Advance Album Sampler Promo Thingy (self-released, but you can get more information at Matt Wright PR) or check out 2005's Field Rexx, which earned a respectable 7.0 from Pitchfork last year. Their new album continues to impress as a quirky (in a good way) collection of pop songs infused with tongue-in-cheek bluegrass overtures, porch swing testimonials and crayon-covered masterpieces with songs like "On a Dime" and "The Gunslinger". They are without a label currently, but we predict they're either discovered by Zach Braff by year-end or being puffed by the elite music blogging community in time for a SXSW appearance.
Blitzen Trapper Official
Blitzen Trapper "Summer Twin" (Field Rexx)
Blitzen Trapper "On A Dime" (As yet unreleased Waking Bullets at Breakneck Speed)
Stream & Purchase Field Rexx at CDBaby
Jump with the cut for the rest of the releases, more mp3s and videos!
45 RPM: Acappella Starlight Sessions (Collectables)
8MM: Songs to Love and Die by... (Curb Appeal)
Adem: Love and Other Planets (Domino)
The Alchemist: No Days Off (Alc)
Arthur Russell: Springfield (Audika)
Black Moon: Alter the Chemistry (Bucktown)
Bobby Bare Jr.'s Young Criminals Starvation League: Longest Meow (Bloodshot)
Brian McKnight: 20th Century Masters (Universal International)
Cale Parks: Illuminated Manuscript (Polyvinyl)
Charles Mingus: At UCLA 1965 (Sunnyside)
Citizens Here and Abroad: Waving Not Drowning (Turn Records)
The Damned: Noise, Noise, Noise: The Live Box (Castle Us)
Dave Matthews: Live Trax, Vol. 6: 7/7 - 7/8/2006 Fenway Park, Bos (RCA)
David S. Ware: BalladWare (Thirsty Ear)
Depeche Mode: Touring the Angel: Live in Milan (Reprise / Wea)
Diva Destruction: Run Cold (Metropolis)
Dizzy Gillespie: Shaw Nuff (Collectables)
Echo & the Bunnymen: Very Best of Echo & The Bunnymen: More Songs to Le (WEA International)
Emily Haines: Knives Don't Have Your Back (Last Gang)
Escape the Fate: Dying Is Your Latest Fashion (Epitaph / Ada)
Fear Factory: Best of Fear Factory (Roadrunner)
Free: Live at the BBC (Universal International)
Four Tet: Remixes (2xCD) (Domino)
George Harrison: Living in the Material World (CD+DVD) Limited Edition (Captial)
Honeycut: Day I Turned To Glass (Quannum Projects)
Horse Feathers: Words Are Strong (Lucky Madison)
Ill Ni�o: Best of Ill Ni�o (Roadrunner)
Janet Jackson: 20 Y.O. (Virgin)
Jeffrey & Jack Lewis: City & Eastern Songs (Rough Trade Us)
Jerry Garcia: The Very Best of Jerry Garcia (Rhino)
Jerry Lee Lewis: Last Man Standing
John Beltran: Human Engine(Milan)
John Coltrane: Fearless Leader [Box Set] (Prestige)
John Lennon: U.S. vs John Lennon (Capitol)
Johnny Cash: Wanted Man [Mercury] (Umvd Special Markets)
K.M.D.: Mr. Hood (Traffic Ent.)
Kaito: Hundred Million Love Years (Kompakt Germany)
Kaskade: Love Mysterious (Ultra)
Keane: Crystal Ball (Universal International)
Kim Wilde: Never Say Never (EMI)
The La's: BBC in Session (Universal International)
Ladyfinger (ne): Heavy Hands (Saddle Creek)
The Lemonheads: Lemonheads (Vagrant)
Lil' Flip: Envy Me, Pt. 2 (BCD Music Group)
Lil Jon/DJ Drama: Gangsta Grillz, Vol. 9 (BCD Music Group)
Lou Reed: Berlin (BMG Japan)
Lucero: Rebels, Rogues & Sworn Brothers (Liberty & Lament)
Ludacris: Release Therapy (Def Jam)
Mac Minister: Minister of Defense (SMC Recordings)
Main Flow and 7L: Flow Season (Brick)
Marc Bolan/T. Rex: Final Cuts (Diablo)
Marvin Gaye: Marvin Gaye & His Girls (Umvd Special Markets)
Mayday: Mayday!
Megan Palmer: Forget Me Not (Sunken Treasure)
Mute Math: Mutemath (Warner Bros.)
My Morning Jacket: Okonokos (ATO)
Myra Melford: Image of Your Body (Cryptogramophone)
Natalie Cole: Leavin' (Verve)
Natalie Walker: Urban Angel (Dorado)
Nels Cline: New Monastery (Cryptogramophone)
Omar: Sing (If You Want It)
The Oohlas: Best Stop Pop (Stolen Transmission)
Original Soundtrack: Jackass Number Two
Paul McCartney: Ecce Cor Meum (EMI)
Paul Westerberg: Open Season [Original Soundtrack] (Lost Highway)
Saosin: Saosin (Capitol)
Scissor Sisters: Ta-Dah! (Universal International)
Scott Walker: Scott 2 (Fontana Int'l)
Sepultura: Best of Sepultura (Roadrunner)
Sloan: Never Hear the End of It (Vik Recordings)
Sparklehorse: Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain (Astralwerks)
t.A.T.u.: Best of t.A.T.u. (Universal International)
Teddybears: Soft Machine (Big Beat / Ada)
Tek: I Got This (Bucktown)
Thomas Dolby: Astronauts & Heretics (Collectables)
Tori Amos: Piano: The Collection (Atlantic / Wea)
Triple Six Mafia: Smoked out Music's Greatest Hits (Hypnotize Minds)
Type O Negative: Best of Type O Negative (Roadrunner)
Various Artists: Bassbin Sessions (Sessions)
Various Artists: Best of Punk O Rama (Sony Japan)
Various Artists: Ultra Trance, Vol. 6 (Ultra)
Villibillies: Villibillies (Umvd Labels)
Westbound Train: Transitions (Hellcat)
Willie Nelson: Christmas Collection: 20th Century Masters (Hip-O)
Wolf Eyes: Human Animal (Sub Pop)
The Young Knives: Voices of Animals & Men (WEA International)