It’s late. I’m beat. I’m starting to hallucinate: flashing slices of pepperoni…But I want everyone to have a fresh, hot cup o’ music first thing on a Sunday morning. The new Baldwin Brothers album is appropriately titled The Return of the Golden Rhodes because as you’ll hear, just about every song has T.J. Widner ripping on his “main ax,” the Rhodes keyboard. Most of the tracks groove along like Starsky & Hutch, Welcome Back Kotter, or Sesame Street, except for the closer “The Party’s Over” which turns down the Rhodes and gets all Moody Blues on us. Mark Lanegan provides the moody vocals. The track does stop the party in its tracks, and frankly isn’t representive of the rest of the album. Even “Leave the Past Behind” fails to keep pace with the rest of the album’s block rocking funk. What’s a boy to do? Those are the tracks we get to work with. Sharers can’t be choosers. Just make a note, if you like the tracks from their EP, know that most of the new album is similar rug-cutting material.
Beat Radio, Cassettes Won’t Listen at Union Hall Tonight!
The Low Frequency in Stereo
I’m still catching up with The Low Frequency in Stereo, but they may very well be my second favorite “In Stereo” band, after you-know-who. Their debut self-titled album featured careful, moving post-rock instrumentals. Then came 2005’s Travelling Ants Who Got Eaten by Moskus with decidedly more swagger — somehow splitting the diff between Siouxsie and the Banshees/Joy Division and Dick Dale (trust me). Their new album, last temptation of…, opens this formula up, at times, into new territory thanks to organ, horns, and even stronger pop leanings (e.g., the psychedelic euphoria of “Axes,” which could be mistaken for a Stereolab track). At this trajectory, I’m already looking forward to the next joint and this one hasn’t even been released yet.
Katell Keineg
It’s not a beautiful day in Michigan, with wind, cold rain and lightning, so there’s plenty of time to tell the Katell Keineg story. Daughter of a Breton poet and Welsh schoolteacher and current resident of Dublin (Ireland, not Ohio), Keineg received heavy-duty critical and music industry acclaim in the 1990s. Elektra released two of her albums, she was close friends with the late Jeff Buckley, and she worked with Iggy Pop and Natalie Merchant (not at the same time). Since then she’s put out albums on indie labels Field Recording Co. and Megaphone Music, been adored by Rolling Stone and The New York Times, and built a following for her live performances. Jennifer S. from L.A. — who suggested Katell Keineg back in June — was pretty stoked to see her live, and if the two tracks available here for download are a sign of what she heard, it must have been a unique experience. “Beautiful Day” couldn’t be much farther away from the experimental sounds of “Pablo Quilla’s Dream” unless it was amped-up metal instead of the sing-along, calypso-esque piece of happiness it is. So yeah, time to set “Beautiful Day” on repeat, close the blinds and pretend that’s what it really is outside.
Plug 2007: What’s Your Favorite Album This Year?
Play It As It Lays #254
Gertie Fox
Heart-warming, frayed guitar pop with frayed vocals to match. Their press release suggests they may be the United States’ answer to Wolf Parade, who were Canada’s answer to Modest Mouse (who were Seattle’s answer to the Pixies…). I’ll say this: they’re from L.A., so they must be actors, and actors are paid to pretend they’re someone else. So if they seem like they’re pretending to be Wolf Parade, keep in mind they’re just doing their jobs—and they’re pretty good at it. These two tracks are from their new self-released album called An Imaginary Meeting in the Woods, there are a half a dozen other downloadable tracks from previous releases on their site (one of these rainy days I might link to them directly).
New Tommy Guerrero Album Out Today + MP3
The Gray Kid on Some Weird Al Sh*t
Elephant Parade
Hauntingly melodic, Brooklyn’s Elephant Parade betray their cumbersome name with delicate, heart-wrenching pop. A boy, a girl, a keyboard—sure it’s been done before, but never so effortlessly.