Best Batch of Follow-Ups

A number of bands that had well-regarded records in the last few years have recently released new albums, their firsts since their big records.  Here are little reviews on those records:

Animal Collective — Centipede Hz

At first I thought I liked this record a lot, but then I read the reviews and realized I was wrong.  Just kidding!  Pitchfork (and the AV Club) can go jump in a lake, I dig Centipede Hz.  While none of its songs are nearly as good as the standout songs on Merriweather Post Pavillion (For me: In the Flowers, My Girls, Summertime Clothes, Bluish, Brothersport) BUT Centipede Hz doesn't have any songs on it that I'd rather skip than put up with, whereas MPP does (Also Frightened, Taste, No More Runnin).  So in a way, they're kind of equal for me.  Merriweather Post Pavillion is for when I want to hear a few perfect songs, Centipede Hz is for when I want to listen to a whole record.

Dirty Projectors — Swing Lo Magellan

Bitte Orca, the record Swing Lo Magellan follows up on, was a hit I never could stand.  On a good day I'm down with one track (Stillness is the Move, obvs) so trust me I'm surprised that I fell for Swing Lo Magellan.  Big time.  Took a few listens, but I kept wanting to listen, not throw it out the window.  And now barely a day goes by that I don't listen to it all the way through (perk of a earphone-intensive deskjob) and, between listens, find different songs from it hanging out in my brain.  Were I to recommend one record of these four the most, it would be this one.

The xx — Coexist

The first xx hit me, as it did many others, like a very quiet hammer.  I'd never heard anything like it and couldn't stop listening to it.  Now they've got a new record and face the problem faced by bands with a super distinctive sound: Do you keep making that sound and risk people saying "This sounds just like their other record" or do you switch it up a bit and risk people saying "They went off in another direction and it just didn't work."  My reactions to listening to this record, so far:

1.  "Do we really need another xx record?  I don't know . . ."
2.  "No, actually this is pretty great.  They have a sound and it works for them."
3.  "Wait, no.  Forget that.  This is silly, this is the exact same thing.  People are going to start making fun of how these guys sing, if they don't already.  And what's this?  Steel drums?"
4.  "Actually . . . no.  This might be a really good record?"

If you'd like, you're welcome to come along take this back and forth journey with me.

Grizzly Bear — Shields

I think we can always count on these dudes to release a quality product.  I wouldn't have had to listen to this whole record to give you that review.  But I did.  And this record is dang good.  Very easy to love, you will like it a lot.  And that's why I made Swing Lo Magellan my recommended record.  You don't need me to tell you to check Shields out.  You'll hear it and like it a lot on your own.  Oh, and there's this one song, "A Simple Answer"?  Forget it.  So good.

Best Super Brief Review

If you don't like it that's because you haven't listened to it three times yet. That's what it takes. Three listens.


And why is Madison Square Garden where you have to go to see your favorite bands that used to rock the Hammerstein (or Roseland)? The White Stripes, Morrissey, Muse, and now Interpol? Come on, you guys.

Best Guest Blackmarket Record Review or "Yours Truly, Angry Greg"

The new Kaiser Chiefs record, "Yours Truly, Angry Mob" has leaked onto the internet (I mean, it's out in England now) so I sent a copy to my brother Greg for a review (as he hasn't written for Steady Mobbin' for a while now).

What he had to say isn't super pretty:

Kaiser Chiefs. They are a brilliant band or at least they where in 2005. Their newest album Yours Truly, Angry Mob is due soon. I had all kind of hopes for this album and I realise that might have been a bad idea. I heard that they where planning to try to achieve a new sound for this album and this excited me greatly, I personally love it when bands are able to change their sound. Unfortunately in this attempt, much of what made the Chiefs great is gone and replaced it with a much more boring, uncreative mess. They lost lots of that riot rock feel that made Employment great. Almost every song just sounds…bad. I hate to say it. But it’s true. I could listen to Employment strait through smiling the whole time and it would be next to impossible for me not to rock out to some of those songs. But listening to Angry Mob I find my self constantly changing the song in disgust. Why do these song suck so much? First off the lyrics are allot less humorous, dry and lack creativity. The music is…well not riot rock. I realize they where trying to do something different but that doesn’t mean creating an album that’s sound is totally new and is full of crap. The riot rock sound is what made the Kaiser Chiefs stand out; it’s what made them cool. I could rock out to Employment to the point of breaking a glass shower door…but this album lacks that rock out factor. But the album is not total trash. In fact there are several songs I love. Those song The Kaiser Chiefs are able to successfully combine their riot rock sound with their new style. This new style is has allot more like keys and more focus on the vocals. It is allot less chaotic. It’s more of a controlled riot then an all over the place a punch in the face kind of sound. These few but great songs are ‘My Kind of Guy’, ‘Retirement’, ‘Thank You Very Much’ and ‘Ruby.’ Hopefully Yours Truly, Angry Mob will grow on me as time passes but as of right now…well yeah I don’t like it much and I am up to 3 times listening to it from start to finish. But I amstill super excited to see them live soon because they put on a crazy fun show and it is defiantly worth experiencing.

But this is what I think: Employment really wasn't such a great record. But Kaiser Chiefs shows have always been good to me. I listened to "Yours Truly, Angry Mob" while cleaning my apartment and it seemed a decent enough soundtrack for chores. I imagine their shows are still fun, we'll see.

Remember when Greg and I went to Lollapalooza in 2005 and saw the Chiefs there? That was Greg's first concert ever.