Last Friday saw the release of a major compilation from the Who entitled Maximum As & Bs, featuring nearly all their singles from their first release as the High Numbers to their most recent.
I’ve been a somewhat passive Who fan in the past, knowing most of their more famous songs from listening to classic rock radio as a youth, but I never really followed them too closely until years later. I found them very similar to the Kinks; they were an acquired taste and you kind of had to understand their very British influences in order to really appreciate them.
So of course during the course of Friday afternoon I streamed the collection from Amazon, and found it quite fascinating. Like most bands from the 60s (yes, even the Beatles), the band flailed around for a few years trying to find their footing. There’s a lot of mod posturing and moon-June lyricism going on in the early tracks. They managed to get past this most of the time, thanks to Pete Townshend’s wit and amazing riffs, John Entwistle’s thundering bass lines, and of course Keith Moon’s manic drumming. Roger Daltrey’s of course a great singer, but those first couple of years are a bit shaky for him; it felt like he was trying too hard to fit his powerful voice into quiet songs. By the time they came to Tommy, though, they were a powerhouse and a rock radio staple.
[Granted, their concept album era of Tommy and Quadrophenia isn’t for everyone. I myself find both projects a little too ridiculous, but they both contain some stellar songs that stand on their own amazingly well.]
This compilation is quite long, covering multiple decades (and is essentially a cd/digital repackaging of the singles box sets they released recently), so you may want to take it in a cd at a time, but it’s definitely worth checking out.
Finding new music to listen to isn’t always easy. As I’ve mentioned before, commercial stations tend to have a set rotation so we hear the same core songs over the course of a few months, with maybe a new track popping up every now and again. But it’s rare for that new addition to the playlist to immediately get a lot of play right away.
In a way, the same can be said for listening to college radio. While those stations often don’t have the set rotation setup, they can also be a bit too leftfield, playing nothing but obscurities and outsider music. It’s fun to listen to if you like that sort of thing, but that sort of stuff doesn’t really resonate with me.
I tend to go somewhere in between; I’ll listen to college radio for part of the day (my home station lately has been Boston College’s WZBC, though I’ll slip over to my other favorite, Santa Clara University’s KSCU, later on), but then I might switch over to Boston’s RadioBDC or one of the SiriusXM stations. Somewhere during all that listening, I’ll catch a new song that will catch my attention.
I’ll also stop by some of the websites that are streaming new albums. NPR features an interesting selection, as do a few others. I’ll also check out albums that I can stream through Amazon Prime (one of the main reasons I signed up for it, actually); I actually use that site extensively on New Release Fridays to check out the new stuff and decide if I want to explore the bands further or not.
Interestingly, I’ve found some favorites via social media as well. Sometimes a random band will follow me, and I’ll always give them a quick listen and follow back if I’m interested. This is always fun, because these bands and musicians tend to be more low key yet absolutely fantastic. I’ve picked up a number of albums from bands this way.
Here’s a few of my favorite finds over the past year:
FiFi Rong (followed me on Twitter)
Of Verona (followed me on Twitter)
The DROiDS (followed me on Twitter)
Pia Fraus (suggested by AllMusic.com)
Cosima (suggested by Stereogum and The Line of Best Fit)
More musical goodness from last month for you to enjoy!
Living Colour, Shade, released 8 September. Great to see these guys back, still rocking hard and writing some damn fine songs.
The National, Sleep Well Beast, released 8 September. A somewhat more somber affair for these guys (well, a bit more laid back than they already are!), but still a great album.
Lamb, “Illumina” single, released 13 September. A new track by Lamb? SWEET! A lovely track by one of my favorite electronic bands. Definitely looking forward to more from them.
Foo Fighters, Concrete and Gold, released 15 September. A harder, darker album, less catchy but just as great.
Ringo Starr, Give More Love, released 15 September. Ringo’s albums can be hit or miss, but he definitely hit it with this one. Very upbeat and confident on this one.
Prophets of Rage, Prophets of Rage, released 15 September. Music by the guys from Rage Against the Machine and rappers from Public Enemy and Cypress Hill. You’d better expect some fucking rage.
Gary Numan, Savage (Songs from a Broken World), released 15 September. I think I may have found another album that I will be listening to during writing sessions for the next Mendaihu Universe story. I’m amazed at how damn good this album is.
Cut Copy, Haiku from Zero, released 22 September. This band manages to create a new variant of their signature electronic sound with every new album, and I’m always fascinated by them. Yet another fine release.
Tricky, ununiform, released 22 September. Another ‘I will buy anything they release’ musician. Tricky’s not as grimy and gritty as he used to be, but he still retains the great triphop chill that defines his sound.
The Horrors, V, released 22 September. I stumbled upon this group a few years ago and I love their mid-80s goth retro sound that kind of reminds me of Comsat Angels. Definitely worth checking out.
Wolf Alice, Visions of a Life, released 29 September. This is such a fun band to listen to! You never quite know where they’re going next with each song, but the ride is a blast.
Coming soon enough: October releases! We have some fine albums for this month as well that I’m looking forward to picking up!
The further we go along in 2017, the more this year seems to be that everyone is putting out an album! Not that I’m complaining. There’s not just favorite bands releasing new stuff, I’m also finding new bands to obsess over. Here’s some of my favorites for August:
Life On Venus, Encounters, released 4 August. Dreamy, reverby shoegaze from Moscow? Sure, why not? Very Slowdive-y, in a really good way.
Black Grape, Pop Voodoo, released 4 August. Shaun Ryder once again proving he can’t hit a note to save his life, his poppier, dancier group returning after far too long with a new album.
Dan Wilson, Re-Covered, released 4 August. Known more for his songwriting and production now than his tenure in Semisonic, Wilson records some of his most well-known tracks that were recorded by other artists.
Frankie Rose, Cage Tropical, released 11 August. AllMusic described this album as sounding remarkably like a pop album from 1985, and they weren’t wrong. I most likely would have bought this at Strawberries back then.
Emily Saliers, Murmuration Nation, released 11 August. The other half of Indigo Girls finally releases her own solo album, and it’s a fun, poppy, maybe even a little electronic record worth checking out.
The Districts, Popular Manipulations, 11 August. A band that’s new to me, but won me over on the first track above. They kind of remind me of the Killers vocally but Beach Slang musically.
Paul Draper, Spooky Action, released 11 August. Draper has lost none of his quirky songwriting chops since leaving Mansun oh so many years ago. Definitely a welcome return!
Gold Class, Drum, released 18 August. It took me a few listens to realize they remind me a lot of The Cult, but without the overwhelming pomp and less Ian Astbury wail. I’m quite liking this one.
KMFDM, HELL YEAH, released 18 August. I really need to get back into Belgian industrial. I loved it way back in the day but could never find any of it (and when I did, I was usually too broke to buy it). Great to hear this band is still going strong.
Rainer Maria, S/T, released 18 August. I have been playing the hell out of this album. Over a decade since their last album, this is one hell of an excellent return. One of my favorites of the year.
UNKLE, The Road, Part I, released 18 August. Another band on the “I will buy anything they put out” list. They’ve come a long way from their more electronic sound, but James Lavelle still knows how to create a creepy ambience with his music.
Steven Wilson, To the Bone, released 18 August. It is kind of weird to see the Porcupine Tree front man playing alternapop here (and smiling in the video!), but it’s a great new record, apparently inspired by his favorite UK pop bands from the 80s.
PVRIS, All We Know of Heaven, All We Need of Hell, released 25 August. Bonus points for one of my favorite album titles of the year! A group that was getting a lot of publicity that I just had to check out, and I wasn’t let down. And they’re from MA! Yay!
Cymbals, Light in Your Mind, released 25 August. Another record suggested by a music blog I read that I warmed right up to. Laid back but not blissed out, I find them quite pleasing to play during my writing sessions.
More to come…our September shopping list is going to be quite epic!
Another great month of new releases worth checking out!
Saint Etienne, Home Counties released 2 June. SE is one of those bands that I kind of knew from different tracks, but only within the last, say, four or five years have I come to really appreciate them. Poppy, distinctly British, and finely written.
Roger Waters, Is This the Life We Really Want?, released 2 June. It’s been quite some time since his last album. This is pure distilled angry, cantankerous Roger Waters at his finest, with music that sounds equal parts Wish You Were Here, Animals, and The Final Cut.
alt-j, Relaxer, released 2 June. A continuation of their signature weirdness that somehow still gets a hell of a lot of airplay.
U2, The Joshua Tree [Deluxe Edition], released 2 June. How many times have I listened to this album and not gotten sick of it? It’s indeed a classic album and the new 30th anniversary package is quite worth checking out.
Panda Riot, Infinity Maps, released 9 June. One of many “oh, they have a new album out? SWEET!” releases that seem to be sneaking up behind me this year. I was a big fan of their 2013 album Northern Automatic Music and this was definitely a great follow-up.
London Grammar, Truth Is a Beautiful Thing, released 10 June. I know I’ve heard of this band before but I can’t seem to remember where, so I gave it a stream listen, and LO! It was pretty damn good.
The Drums, Abysmal Thoughts, released 16 June. One of those bands I didn’t quite ‘get’ the first time around, but the more I listen to them, the more I love their stuff.
Royal Blood, How Did We Get So Dark?, released 16 June. Another band whose first album passed right by me. This one’s loud and crunchy like Foals with a bit of Sleigh Bells thrown in for good measure.
Ride, Weather Diaries, released 16 June. A VERY welcome return to one of my favorite bands of the early 90s, they’ve lost none of their signature soaring shoegaze noise.
311, Mosaic, released 23 June. 311 is on my list of ‘I will buy any new album they release’ bands. I know they’re not to everyone’s tastes, especially since they’ve mellowed somewhat since their louder mid-90s output. It’s a hell of a great album.
Radiohead, OK Computer OKNOTOK 1997 2017, released 23 June. Loved the original when it came out 20 years ago during my HMV years (and one that got a hell of a lot of heavy rotation during the trilogy writing session years). Love the new release, which features a great remaster of the original, most of the b-sides, and three unreleased tracks. I originally wasn’t going to download this as I had most of it, but it was a great price and yeah — helluva great album and all that.
Prince & the Revolution,Purple Rain [Deluxe Remaster], released 23 June. An album that got me through a lot of my early teen years, it’s still a freakin’ FANTASTIC and solid album from start to finish. The new remaster sounds powerful and full of energy, and it also contains all those pesky hard-to-find era b-sides as well!
Algiers, The Underside of Power, released 23 June. Another ‘who the hell is this and WHY DID NO ONE TELL ME ABOUT THEM’ band for me. Tried it out with a stream and immediately put it in the basket to purchase. I’m still not quite sure how to describe them other than a mix of TV On the Radio and Bloc Party. Highly recommended.
Au.Ra, Cultivations, released 30 June. Ditto for this band as well, only they get extra points for heavily reminding me of the early 4AD sound, complete with chimey guitars, dreamy melodies and reverb for days. I’ve been playing this one a hell of a lot over the last week.
Floating Points, Reflections – Mojave Desert, released 30 June. Ditto again. This particular band fascinates me because they’re kind of like Air, with a bit of Caspian thrown in, and maybe just a hint of BT’s more ambient sound as well. This one continues to fascinate me.
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OKAY! I’m not sure what’s coming in July, as I haven’t been up on my release lists as of late, but I’m expecting more goodness soon!
More tasty tunage from what’s turning out to be a really good year for music!
LCD Soundsystem, “Call the Police”/”American Dream” single, released 5 May. I’m not the biggest LCD fan…they’d have been a band I’d have taped off the radio but probably wouldn’t have actively looked for, back in the day. I do like this b-side, which has a very early-80s-synth feel to it.
The Afghan Whigs, In Spades, released 5 May. They’re a bit of an odd band that uses tension well in their music, which is one of the reasons I like them.
The Primitives, New Thrills EP, released 5 May. First of many blasts from the past this month! Always loved this band’s bubblegummy alt-pop.
Blondie, Pollinator, released 5 May. Second blast! A welcome return, sounding quite like their late-70s/early-80s dance-punk.
Slowdive, Slowdive, released 5 May. Third blast! And HOT DAMN is this a gorgeous album. I expect all you shoegaze fans have to already have this in your collection.
Day Wave, The Days We Had, released 5 May. As you can tell, the beginning of May had one hell of a great list of releases. Perky, twitchy, echoey alt-rock similar to Two Door Cinema Club and the like.
The Darling Buds, Evergreen EP, released 12 May. Fourth blast! One of my favorite ealry-Britpop bands from 1989, returning with a new EP that sounds as just as fresh as their previous catalog.
Overlake, Fall, released 12 May. One of those bands I’d never heard of but given a great review on one of the music blogs, I checked it out and deemed it quite excellent. It’s been part of my Lidwells playlist lately.
White Sea, Tropical Odds, released 12 May. Morgan Kibby, under her band name, popped up not only on recent M83 tracks but duetted with Big Data. Her second release is beautiful, moody and fascinating.
The Charlatans UK, Different Days, 26 May. It’s been how many years since Some Friendly…? And they’re still going strong. A mellower affair than previous albums, but still strong and fantastic.
The Beatles, Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band Deluxe Edition, released 26 May. Well, DUH. Of course I’m playing the hell out of this lately!!
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Stay tuned for the June releases, which should contain the following:
Saint Etienne, Home Counties
Ani DiFranco, Binary
Panda Riot, Infinity Maps
Alison Moyet, Other
Cheap Trick, We’re All Alright!
Fleet Foxes, Crack-Up
Ride, Weather Diaries (!!!!)
Prince & the Revolution, Purple Rain Deluxe Edition
Radiohead, OK Computer: OKNOTOK 1997 2017
I’m worried that I’ve run out of things to listen to.
Well, that’s not entirely true. It’s more that I’ve been listening to too much of the same thing lately, added to the fact that I haven’t been too entirely excited by the recent releases this month. Sure, there are a few big names, but I’m not at the OMG I MUST DOWNLOAD THIS NOW UPON PAIN OF DEATH like I normally would with some albums.
Meh, it’s been an off-month, is all.
I mean, Sirius XM just started a new official Beatles channel and their playlist is quite brilliant (not just the canon discography, but solo works, covers by other groups, and songs that inspired the band). They even sneaked in the 2017 stereo remix of “A Day in the Life” from the new Sgt Pepper deluxe release that’s coming out on Friday (yes, I ordered it as soon news about it dropped, and yes, I’ve been twitching all week to get it into my grubby paws). From what I’m hearing, the new remix of the album is quite lovely indeed.
Still…I need a change.
NETIZENS! Suggest some tunage for me! Anything, any genre, any age. My palate is wide and I want to check out stuff I haven’t heard before.
What are you listening to? What albums are you freaking out about? What’s your latest obsession that you want me to get in on? Tell me in the comments! 😀
April is always an odd month musically — it’s the start of Q2 but a lot of the biggest releases won’t be coming out until the end of May or mid-June. Still, a lot of great stuff that came out this past month that’s getting a lot of play on my player (when I’m not listening to 90s stuff for my writing)!
K Flay, Every Where Is Some Where (released 7 April)
Future Islands, The Far Field (released 7 April)
The New Pornographers, Whiteout Conditions (released 7 April)
Incubus, 8 (released 21 April)
Charly Bliss, Guppy (released 21 April)
Maximo Park, Risk to Exist (released 21 April)
Sylvan Esso, What Now (released 28 April)
…and of course, the long-awaited and welcome return of…
Gorillaz, Humanz (released 28 April)
Coming up for May:
–Slowdive, Slowdive (!!)
–Day Wave, The Days We Had
–Linkin Park, One More Light
–New Order, NOMC15 —The Beatles, Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band remix/reissue
…and I’m sure there will be a lot more on that list by the end of the month! 🙂
D’OH! Forgot to do one of these last month, so here you go. I’ll have April’s up in a few weeks.
This year is continuing to surprise and delight me with some absolutely solid albums. A lot of new albums by old favorites, and numerous releases by bands I hadn’t heard of previously. I’m looking forward to more of this!
Minus the Bear, Voids (released 3 March). I’ve been hitting this one hard lately…they kind of remind me of Shearwater, with the odd melodies that somehow fit together perfectly. LOVE this album.
Bush, Black and White Rainbows (released 10 March). Glad to see them having a second life with a consistent run of excellent new albums.
The Creation, Action Painting (released 17 March). A fascinating garage band from the UK, this one packages their single 60s album (We Are Paintermen) and the singles from the same era. They were influential to a hell of a lot of UK musicians, from Jimmy Page to Paul Weller. [And yes, the UK record label was named after them.]
Spoon, Hot Thoughts (released 17 March). Probably my favorite Spoon album since Kill the Moonlight back in ’02. It’s weird, heavy, and there’s a hell of a lot of funk going on as well.
Lloyd Cole, In New York (Collected Recordings 1988-1996) (released 17 March). A lovely counterpoint to the box set he released for his Commotions work, this contains his first five albums plus an album of demos. An exellent and underrated songwriter.
Depeche Mode, Spirit (released 17 March). A return to the darker and more electronic DM. I’d say this is on par with Ultra, with its heavier, angrier sound.
The Jesus and Mary Chain, Damage and Joy (released 24 March). Wait, this is 2017, not 1987, right? Seriously, though…it’s a welcome return. It sounds a lot like their mid-era sound, very similar to Honey’s Dead, but that’s definitely a good thing.
Jamiroquai, Automaton (released 31 March). Jay Kay still has the funk, and he doesn’t skimp on it here. I often find myself listening to this in the afternoon as a lift-me-up.
Wire, Silver/Lead (released 31 March). What can I say? I will buy anything and everything by this band. They’ve never let me down once.
Walk In Silence 