Tampa Calling

Last week, in an admittedly lame (but somewhat funny) post about how Billy Corgan’s lost his mind, a commenter had this to say:

Fan of Fan says:
August 22nd, 2008 at 12:16 pm:

Do you think people think you’re hip because you have such great taste? Consistently putting others down to make yourself feel better is a vicious cycle.

Why not try blogging about something you feel passionately about? Why not try turning others on to these amazing tastes that you have rather than pointing out the flaws you think you see in others?

Ok, I’ll bite.

Here are five albums that have come out this year worth checking out. They, for the most part, have flown under the radar and deserve to be heard.

• No Age Nouns (Sub Pop) - This album has been praised in the press (uber-snarky Pitchfork even gave it a 9.2 out of 10!), but is a little too weird to break into the mainstream. This two piece lays down some blistering guitars and drums wrapped in pop and noise at the same time. This will be at the top of my obligatory end of the year “Top 10″ list. Check out their myspace page to download their cover of Bjork’s “It’s Oh So Quiet”
• Bonnie “Prince” Billy Lie Down in the Light (Drag City) -  William Oldham has been been releasing albums under various names (Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Palace Brothers, Palace Songs, Palace Music) since 1993. His first album in two years is sparse and hauntingly beautiful. Oldham hates labels for his music, but frail Appalachian folk is close. This album is best chased with whiskey at night while sitting on your porch swing.
• Vivian Girls S/T (In The Red) - The debut album from this NYC all girl trio comes out October 7th. Their sweet yet dark vocal harmonies paired with fuzzed out garage/surf guitars would make both Steve Albini and Phil Spector proud.
• Oxford Collapse BITS (Sub Pop) - Played with a blissful sense of abandon, OC’s fourth album is a barn burner. For as much as they sound on the verge of falling apart, they are spot-on tight. This is what “indie rock” should sound like.
• Burning Brides Anhedonia (Cobraside Records) - The Brides’ new album is their most diverse to date, but they don’t loose sight of what they do best; which is play rock and roll. No frills or gimmicks to be heard here. In my opinion, they are one of the best rock bands to debut in the last 10 years. They know their roots (The Stooges, The Sonics, Sabbath) and push ahead, taking no prisoners along the way.

There is a little something for everyone here, so if you haven’t heard or heard of one of these bands, give ‘em a listen. Let me know what you think and pass on suggestions as to what new music you’ve been digging on, too.

Bookmark to:

Posted in Reviews | Leave a comment