everything that's on my mind

Now playing: something old

Here’s a look at some of my new music for the year so far. First are a group of albums (mostly from last year) that I didn’t get around to downloading until December or after the new year.
 

Strict Joy
The Swell Season
(2009)

After the success of their debut album and, later, the film Once, I wondered if Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová would be able to build on that success or if this album would fall short and disappoint. I had no need to fear, for they very well may have surpassed their previous work together with Strict Joy. Their debut was full of love, but this is more of a “break-up album”. And yet it’s beautiful.

Check out “Fantasy Man”.

Swoon
Silversun Pickups
(2009)

I checked out Swoon a few months back, but only recently got it while on sale at amazonmp3. Now that I have it, I wish I hadn’t waited so long. Their big sound and fuzzed-up guitars really works for me, and they seem to draw a lot of comparisons to The Smashing Pumpkins (who I admit I’ve never listened to, though I evidently should.) A definite winner, and I’ve officially become a big fan.

Check out “Panic Switch”.

Horehound
The Dead Weather
(2009)

I’m way late to this party, but I’m also becoming a huge fan of just about anything in which Jack White is involved. Of what I’ve heard from him to date, this collection of bluesy, garage rock is probably my favorite since The White Stripes’ Elephant. It’s not Led Zeppelin, but the comparisons are valid. If you love great rock and roll, you need this album.

Check out “I Cut Like A Buffalo”.

Broken Boy Soldiers
The Raconteurs
(2006)

Did I mention I’m really digging Jack White of late? Like The Dead Weather, this is another “supergroup” of sorts consisting of Jack White and a few musicians from other bands. While in some ways this is more of the same classic sound from White, it does (for me, at least) fall a bit short of the excellence of Horehound or Elephant. Nevertheless, it’s still a very enjoyable listen.

Check out “Steady, As She Goes”.

The Mountain
Heartless Bastards
(2009)

This one didn’t blow me away immediately, but one day it just clicked and I realized this is just an outstanding piece of work. They’ve apparently expanded their rock and roll sound since their previous works (which I haven’t heard) to include instruments most common in artists coming out of Nashville (steel guitar, banjo, violin/fiddle, etc.), but do so to great effect. You must hear this.

Check out “Out at Sea”.

 
A few others, in brief:

Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix – Phoenix (2009) – The latest from Phoenix was on a lot of year end lists. It’s definitely an enjoyable pop/rock set, but I have to say that I wasn’t as crazy about it as a lot of other people apparently were.

Get Lucky – Mark Knopfler (2009) – Haven’t listened to anything from Knopfler since Dire Straits in the 80′s (and I was a big fan at the time.) Well, it’s been too long. Good stuff on his newest, and also check out his album with Emmylou Harris from 2006. It’s even better.

Armistice – MUTEMATH (2009) – MUTEMATH’s latest is a very good album, though it took me a few listens to really get into it. I hear their first album was even better, so I intend to check it out as well.

Love Remains – Alice Peacock (2009) – Last year I fell in love with Neko, Dar and Brandi; this year, Alice Peacock. An outstanding folk/rock album (with a little bit of country flavor to it.) A h/t to Freeman for recommending this via his year end list.

Collective Soul (Rabbit) – Collective Soul (2009) – More of the same from CS, but I’ve been a fan since the beginning and continue to love their work.
 

That’s it. That’s the list.

And, a hat tip to RM for the recommendations of Heartless Bastards and all things Jack White.

In my next post I will take a look at a few new albums released since the new year.

 
Band name trivia: This struck me as funny. According to Erika Wennerstrom, a trivia quiz game at a bar included a multiple choice question asking the name of Tom Petty’s band. One of the incorrect answers was “Tom Petty and the Heartless Bastards.” She thought it was funny, too, and remembered it when she started her band.

-gf