Archive for July, 2009
Hot Times! Summer in the City!
by Dion on Jul.29, 2009, under Uncategorized
Well, apparently it’s summer, but nobody told the English that. As we in the UK face our 876,000th straight day of rain, we need a aural little vitamin D boost right? Here are some summer songs.
Deftones - My Own Summer (Shove It)
Well, this is a cheerful one isn’t it? These guys were on the artsier end of the abhorrent nu-metal wave, and have come out the other end with some credibility still attached to their name (although I’m sure Fred Durst still gets some respect from…um…I don’t know? Hillbillies just emerging from ten-year comas?). Their high-water mark for me was their White Pony album, but all their albums are worthwhile. Bassist Chi Cheng was in a serious automobile accident in November 2008 and remains in a coma; Deftones have delayed the release of their next record, Eros, as a result.
The Hold Steady - Constructive Summer
I’ll take any excuse to talk about the Hold Steady. This one’s an upbeat number, and I especially like the shout-out to St. Joe Strummer.
Hüsker Dü – Celebrated Summer
Bob Mould (guitar and vocals), Grant Hart (drums) and Greg Norton (bass) took a tuneful approach to hardcore roots to produce a bunch of great 80s albums including Zen Arcade and my favourite, New Day Rising. They broke up rather acrimoniously and will likely not reunite. Mould has gone on to a moderately successful career, first fronting Sugar and then with somewhat experimental solo work, and Hart has released some solo albums as well. People just miss the Dü though.
Queens of the Stone Age - Feel Good Hit of the Summer
I’ve featured these guys a lot for a band that, to be completely honest, I only have a passing interest in. Still, how can I pass on this song for any summertime list?
The Rural Alberta Advantage - In the Summertime
This song has a wistful feel to it, but it’s quite nice. And is that the most pedestrian bit of rock criticism you’ve ever heard? Well, forgive me, but it’s summertime! They`ve signed with Saddle Creek in the US since I last wrote about this band, one of my happy finds of 2009. Way to go boys (and girl).
Gordon Lightfoot - Summer Side of Life
I have a soft spot for ol’ Gordo. He’s sometimes overlooked, even in Canada, by his sexier singer-songwriter colleagues, like Leonard Cohen or Neil Young (and there, folks, is the first and last time that Neil Young will ever be referred to as ‘sexy’), but Lightfoot has a nice way of blending lyrics and melody.
New Music News
There’s a few new albums coming out in the next month or two. I’ll likely feature them when the time comes, but this is just a quick roundup of some discs you might want to look forward to (or, as my English teacher would have it ‘some discs to which you might want to look forward).
Sad sack folk rockers Richmond Fontaine have a new one out on 17 August. It’s called We Used to Think the Freeway Sounded Like a River, and early reports have it as a bit of a return to form musically and lyrically. I felt that the last two Richmond Fontaine records (2005’s The Fitzgerald and 2007’s Thirteen Cities) were a little TOO morose, even for my tastes, and I felt that lead singer/lyricist Willy Vlautin was beginning to take his role as poet to the downtrodden a little too seriously. Earlier albums told colourful pictures, but by 2005 it felt like everybody in Willy’s world was either a beaten, penniless but noble prostitute, or a drunken, penniless but noble man.
On the same day (17 August, for those of you with short attention spans), Soulsavers release Broken, their follow-up to 2007’s It’s Not How Far You Fall, It’s How You Land. That was one of my favourite releases of that year, so I hope that their new one is equally as good. I have high hopes, as gravelly-voiced Mark Lanegan is back as primary vocalist, but Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, Jason Pierce of Spiritualized, Mike Patton of Faith No More, Richard Hawley and Gibby Haynes from Butthole Surfers also make appearances.
Loveable Danish weirdoes (is there any other kind?) Mew are releasing their fifth LP, the annoyingly titled
No More Stories
Are Told Today
I’m Sorry
They Washed Away
No More Stories
The World is Grey
I’m Tired
Let’s Wash Away
is being released on 24 August (25 in North America).
Finally, and further in the Future, Built to Spill release There is No Enemy sometime in October. See you next week!
