What I'm Listening To June 11 - 17, 2010

1. Blitzen Trapper - Destroyer of the Void (Sub Pop)

2. Matt Pond PA - The Dark Leaves (Altitude Records)

3. The Henry Clay People - Somewhere On the Golden Coast (TBD Records)

4. Everest - On Approach (Vapor Records)

5. The Californian - Sea of Love EP (self release - Gold State Music)

6. The Hectors - Sometimes They Collide EP (Tarantism Records)

7. Avi Buffalo - Avi Buffalo (Sub Pop)

8. The New Pornographers - Together (Matador)

9. mewithoutYou - Catch For Us the Foxes (Tooth & Nail Records)

10. Helen Stellar - If The Stars Could Speak, They Would Have Your Voice... (self release)

The more I listen to the Blitzen Trapper album, Destroyer of the Void, the more addictive it becomes. In fact I feel quite haunted by the tunes, to the point that I can't multi-task when it's on. I have to sit right down and just listen. I think it's also one of the strongest examples of lyric writing I've heard all year, with the extraordinarily moving "Heaven and Earth", currently my favorite rock and roll song of all time.

My other favorite song currently is "Tall Buildings" by Everest from the On Approach album, which I got to see performed live last week at Amoeba, along with five or six other songs from the CD. That set put the record back into constant rotation as my opinion of it shot through the roof.

Also played the new Matt Pond PA album, The Dark Leaves a lot and was looking forward to hearing it live, only to be disappointed when the band appeared at The Troubadour on Thursday, June 17, and only played two songs amidst a set of earlier material. Still the album is one of his best. And The Henry Clay People's polished and sturdy new CD is hard to resist.

Still loving The Californian EP and another EP, by The Hectors, has added a whole new level of appreciation for that band.

whrabbit