Memorial Day 2005 Post #2
[CAVEAT: There is probably nothing new in this post. It's all stuff you've read, seen or heard elsewhere (or at least you could have), so you'll have to forgive me (ok, I guess you don't have to). Last week's busyness & this week's sickness kept me from writing about this stuff more promptly, but I'm going to post it nonetheless. That is all.]



MP3 Sleater-Kinney - "Entertain"
Now that the new Sleater-Kinney record is finally in stores, I can finally write about it. I went gaga over 2002's One Beat, so I've been looking foward to The Woods, which released last Tuesday (5/24) but leaked to the internet a couple months ago, to the band's chagrin. But now it's out, and it f**king rocks. Correction: it brings the RAWK. Producer Dave Fridmann let the VU's go into the red, and the S-K ladies let it all hang out, incorporating classic rock guitar styles into their tried & true grrl punk aesthetic. This is the album's first single, courtesy of the band's new label Sub Pop.

MOV Sleater-Kinney - "Entertain" video (20mb) via

MP3 Sleater-Kinney - "Rollercoaster"
The Woods scored a 9.0 & a "best new music" label from Pitchfork last week, and IMO both are much deserved. It was tough to pick a track to feature, but I decided to go with "Rollercoaster" (which follows "Entertain" on the album) for a couple reasons. The signature S-K dual-guitar poppy-punk rock attack is here in full force, with metaphorical lyrics and relationships/sex etc. However, just before the two minute mark the levels in the mix shift, and the next minute and a half sound like the gals just busted your speakers. The thunderous blown out low-end sound builds up over Corin Tucker's love-or-hate-them vocals (with Carrie Brownstein & Janet Weiss backing her up) until the bridge crests around 3:30, when everything stops & the final verse comes in. It's old-fashioned Sleater-Kinney, but kicked up a notch. I also picked it because it sounds like Will Ferrell is exploring the space in the background, getting his cowbell on.



Wanna hear the rest of The Woods? Check out Sub Pop's album stream.

Also garnering "best new music" status last week was the new Stephen Malkmus record, Face The Truth. It's good, and it feels more like Pavement (despite the electronic stuff), but why does seemingly every review I read diss on Malkmus' previous LP, 2003's Pig Lib? I really liked that record, but everyone seems to mention of the new disc is a big improvement over the last one, which is generally thought of as disappointing apparently. Weird. Any other Pig Lib fans out there agree with me? Hands up, people.

MOV The White Stripes - "Blue Orchid" video (18.6mb)
Going back to leaked records, Jack & Meg's latest album may be hitting stores on June 7th, but Get Behind Me Satan is already out there for those who wish to seek it out (legality aside). Last week, Daily Refill posted a couple tracks from the New York Times' (or at least Kelefa Sanneh's) new favorite record. Here's the video for the album's lead single, "Blue Orchid."

WMV Annie - "Heartbeat" video
WMV Mylo - "In My Arms" video
WMV Mylo - "Drop The Pressure" video

Here are a couple more streaming videos (on a more pop/electro note), via Arjan Writes. Up first is uberhyped Norwegian popstress Annie, with Pitchfork's favorite single off of Anniemal, which also (at long last) gets a stateside release on June 7th. Scottish G4 electro artist Mylo also provides two fun & clever videos, both off last summer's Destroy Rock & Roll LP.

ETA (6/1/05): MP3 Annie - "Heartbeat" (via Insound via LHB)

Sadly, I missed last week's sold out Voltage: Fashion Amplified event at First Avenue because I felt like absolute crap. Local faves The Soviettes, Olympic Hopefuls, Mike Gunther & His Restless Souls, Ouija Radio, The Deaths, The TV Sound, The Violettes & Golden Valley upstarts Melodious Owl all provided the tunes while some of Mpls' best designers provided the threads, and apparently it was a blast according to MN Speak & the Pioneer Press' Ross Raihala. Perhaps I'll be in better health next year, assuming I'm still in Mpls.

ETA: Chuck Blogumentary has a few Voltage pix (via East-Lake), there's a flash gallery from Mordac & David de How Was The Show provides a review.

Lastly, I'd like to point out that Jay Good Times Roll has abandoned the Blogger site that detailed his nitely drunken misadventures in the NYC music scene. Fear not, because Jay has merely moved his blog over to his latest venture, online music publication Loose Record. LR's focus will be on live independent music, though it will still have album reviews, interviews etc, like the recent Sleater-Kinney profile or M.I.A. feature. Like everybody else & their cousin, LR is also on MySpace. The site just launched a few weeks ago, so give it a looksee. I'm sure there's more to come.

YES, TOMORROW IS RANAROCK MPLS - YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED

This entry was posted by mr gilbert at 5/30/2005 03:30:00 PM.