The Music Elitist

So, I happened upon an advance copy of Midlake’s new record “The Courage of Others.” While on my commute to work I listened to it the way singer Tim Smith has requested. One sitting, one listen. It’s a record of old, where it takes the body of the work to enjoy it all.

After my first listen it’s definitely enjoyable. If you want to fall asleep that is. The two songs they recently released on vinyl “Act of Man” and “Rulers, Ruling All Things” are the stronger songs of the record. Rulers, Ruling All Things being my favorite from the record. It’s been three years since Midlake released “The Trials of Van Occupanther”, an instant classic that has a very “Early settlers struggling through a new land soon to be called, America” feel to it. I think however, Midlake being left to their own device, didn’t make a step forward stylistically. It’s more of a channeling of 60’s British Folk. Nothing new, but still nice on the ears.

This record, on the other hand, just seems to dictate the disapproval of all things recent in our time, bad leaders, bad winters, bad times, but still retains a bit of hope in the long run. I’ll be giving this record more listens to really see if the wow factor is still within Midlake’s grasp. Hopefully it hasn’t been lost, like so many of these songs on this record speak of.

Take a listen to “Rulers, Ruling All Things” at the bottom.

Midlake – Rulers, Ruling All Things

This is the trailer for the new White Stripes documentary: “Under Great White Northern Lights”. If you say this looks lame, you’re a communist.

What happens when you take the guy who did the best mash up of albums ever (The Beatles “The White Album” + Jay-Z “The Black Album”) and put him in a room with the guy who sings in that band Natalie Portman was raving about in that movie with that guy from Scrubs, you know the one where his mom is a paraplegic because he pushed her into the…anyways. So, Danger Mouse and James Mercer from “The Shins” are making an album. Granted I didn’t like what Danger Mouse did with The Good The Bad and The Queen but loved what he did for Demon Days. So, on first listen to Broken Bells new single I found it enjoyable. Their website is pretty fun to mess with while listening to the song. They sound just like Travis though.

Take a listen below the image.

Broken Bells

So, there’s a few bands that always hold a special place in my heart. The Beatles, Radiohead, and fellow head band “Portishead.” This North Somerset band has been rocking my stereo systems since 1994. From Dummy to the Self Titled album we waited a good 3 years. From the Self Titled to Third we waited 11 years. Third being a fantastic album, and being my second favorite of 2008 behind the Fleet Foxes LP. However, it look as if Portishead won’t be waiting too long for their fourth album to come out. They’ve been quoted saying they are in works on the new record as we speak. And for my favorite part of this update. Portishead released a brand new song today called “Chase the Tear” and that’s tear as in a piece of paper, not a tear from an eye. It’s very much in the progression of what you’d expect Portishead to be doing in the studio now a days. Whatever they want.

Check it out here

Spoon just realeased a new single from their upcoming album “Transference” which will be coming out in January 2010 called “Written In Reverse”. The song is somewhat a return to form for the band as it’s saturated in familiar piano sounds, drum groove and grimy guitar riffs that feel just as random and haphazard as always. Brit Daniels’ undeniably cool voice has a charm to it in this song as he goes from singing assuredly to yelping unexpectedly. The song sounds as if the band is mixing the old reliables with an even more obvious swagger that hangs over the track like a hot and sexy party. This is a good song that has skyrocketed my expectations for this album.

I’ve been working on a spolight section about bands that are releasing albums in 2010, and so far BRMC and Spoon are part of it among a few others, but as everything seems to be coming so quick, I might break up the original post I was doing and scatter it as the information comes. You’ll find the link to listen to the single on NPR after the image:

Spoon – Written in Reverse on NPR