February Listening Pleasure

week of February 4 - 10, 2011:

1. Lord Huron - Mighty (self release)

2. Lord Huron - Into the Sun (self release)

3. Alpine Decline - Visualizations (self release)

4. The Low Anthem - Oh My God, Charlie Darwin (Nonesuch Records)

5. Pepper Rabbit - Beauregard (Kanine Records)

6. Tommy Santee Klaws - Rakes (self release)

7. Kenseth Thibideau - Repetition (Temporary Residence)

8. Nightfur - Glass Wall EP (self release)

9. George Glass - George Glass EP (self release)

10. Obi Best - Sentimental Education EP (self release)

Fueled by the February 4 set by Lord Huron at The Echo, of which I only saw two songs (had to catch Pageants up the street), I nonetheless gorged myself on their two EPs, Mighty and Into the Sun all week. These albums have real staying power and a sneaky way of burrowing into your subconscious. Alpine Decline's Visualizations continues to hold me captive with their primordial stew of guitar, bass, drums and dreamy voices coupled with their gift for songwriting that is as elemental as it is intellectually stimulating. Definitely above the average. The Low Anthem album is a quirky thing, but I'm enjoying it. The others are returning regulars.

week of February 11 - 17, 2011:

1. Iron and Wine - Kiss Each Other Clean (Warner Bros.)

2. Alpine Decline - Visualizations (self release)

3. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs (Merge Records)

4. Besnard Lakes - The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night (Jagjaguwar)

5. Autolux - Transit Transit (TBD Records)

6. Arcade Fire - Funeral (Merge Records)

7. "The Wind and The Lion" - soundtrack, Jerry Goldsmith (Arista Records)

8. Duniven - Duniven (self release)

9. Tommy Santee Klaws - Rakes (self release)

10. Kenseth Thibideau - Repetition (Temporary Residence)

After letting the Iron and Wine album run it's course, I was surprised to see Kiss Each Other Clean had become number one on the Rolling Stone college listening chart. I'm always surprised when somethng I know shows up on this very commercial list. (I mean that in a negative way.) Kind of how I feel about the fucking Grammys, even though they gave album of the year to Arcade Fire, which caused me to want to hear all their albums again. So I guess I have to thank the Grammys after all.

I was sent a copy of the Dunivan album and it landed at number eight. The lead singer reminds me of Joshua of Eastern Conference Champions or Chris of Telegraph Canyon, and I mean that in a good way. I think there's a good variety of songs here and I can listen to it repeatedly.

I suppose I need to mention why the soundtrack to The Wind and The Lion is on the list. Oddly enough, I did not like the film when I saw it when it first came out in 1975, but my brother bought the album and it gradually became one of my favorite albums. The big double CD which contains the complete chronological score along with the original album presentation supplimented by source music came out last year on Intrada, and it was a dream come true. The music became so much a part of me that, even odder, I have now come around to love the movie as well.

week of February 18 - 24, 2011:

1. Choir of Young Believers - This Is For The White In Your Eyes (Ghostly International)

2. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs (Merge Records)

3. Duniven - Duniven (self release)

4. AV Club - Whale Talk (Manzan LLC.)

5. The New Pornographers - Twin Cities (Matador Records)

6. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible (Merge Records)

7. Count Fleet - Count Fleet EP (self release)

8. Iron and Wine - Kiss Each Other Clean (Warner Bros.)

9. Alpine Decline - Visualizations (self release)

10. Lord Huron - Mighty EP (self release)

The Choir of Young Believers show I saw at Bardot was so stimulating that I became obsessed all over again with their album and played it over and over. Arcade Fire required more and more of my time, which I was happy to give. The Dunivan CD is quite enjoyable, and the AV Club have played a couple of strong sets at Lot 1 Cafe and then at The Echo, one of which was with Count Fleet. The New Pornographers' Twin Cities is simply one of the best CD's I've ever heard, and regulars Iron and Wine, Alpine Decline and Lord Huron round out the list. By the way, did you see, Lord Huron are scheduled for a date at The Troubadour on May 14.

whrabbit