break the bank...

not since I can remember has there been a day when so many enticing records were released all at once. from here on, I will remember that day as yesterday (until the next time a truckload of cool records come out on the same day). quite clearly, we’re in the midst of a record release blitz. it happens pretty well every year around this time…but yesterday was too much. here’s the lowdown on 5 or so records you should be checking out…

the Killers : Sam’s Town.
so everybody’s talking about the Killers these days. be it the hilarious skit they did on Kimmel, the uncontrollable infectiousness of When You Were Young, or even the killer NewMusic feature we’re running next Monday (PLUG!). I wrote about the Killers a week or so ago as I tried to navigate through the hype and decide whether Sam’s Town is the real deal. I thought it’d be responsible to follow that up.

And well, I’m kind of digging Sam’s Town. It’s no “one of best record of the last 20 years” but it’s pretty good. A friend of mine and I boiled it to this: 10/10 for ambition and 5/10 for execution… which works out to a solid B+. When You Were Young is by far the best track on the album (and maybe even the single of the year), but the rest of Sam’s Town holds up too… except for the dreadful ‘Uncle Johnny’. never before have I wanted so badly to delete a track from an album. i’m not sure if this record is packed with 5 singles like Hot Fuss, but it should definitely please both Killers lovers and haters.

Beck : the Information
wow, 3 Beck albums in like 18 months. granted, one was a remix album, but when did this dude get so damn prolific? I love Beck. But the Beck I love most is party Beck. Odelay and Midnight Vultures are totally tops in my opinion. I haven’t heard the new one yet, but I think it’s worth picking up just b/c it’s Beck – guaranteed at least to be interesting.

Sparklehorse : Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain
this record was a wicked long time coming… and probably my most anticipated record of the fall. if you haven’t heard Mark Linkous and co’s last album ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ (from way back in 2001) rectify that immediately. the strength of that album alone makes this a must-purchase for me. knowing Sparklehorse and from what all the blog kids are saying ‘Dreamt for Light Years...’ should be the soundtrack of your fall.

K-Os : Atlantis: Hymns for Disco
like Sparklehorse, I’m getting the new K-Os record b/c his previous album was so awesome. in my mind, if an artist puts out an amazing record, they’ve also pretty well automatically sold me on their next album. Joyful Rebellion was so refreshing and innovative, I played it to death. I’ve needed new K-Os music for some time now – I’m stoked that it’s finally here.

the Hold Steady : Boys and Girls in America
last and certainly not f**kin’ least, the Hold Steady. their last record ‘Separation Sunday’ was the balls-out bar-rock-to-the-nines rock n’ roll record I’d been waiting for. having been raised on a strict diet of Springsteen (my pops is a huge tramp aka Springsteen fanatic) I instantly fell in love with Craig Finn’s talk-rock stylings over a leaner, meaner E Street Band circa 1978. I’ve been listening to the new record for a few days now (they’re streaming the entire thing here - now you don't have an excuse) and it’s impossible not to love the energy and enthusiasm of it. the hooks, the melodies, the killer vocals – it’s a total package. probably the most necessary of all this week’s releases.

and for a record well, maybe not as worth checking out, have a look at Pitchfork’s hilarious review of the new Jet album (also out this week) it'll only take a second.

sorry piggy-banks. happy shopping.

Posted by Geoff M at October 4, 2006 06:00 PM

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Posted by: kate_28 at January 17, 2007 11:09 PM

Posted by: kate_28 at January 17, 2007 11:08 PM

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