Wednesday, October 9, 2013

New Tunes Reviews, October 8, 2013: Parquet Courts, Tim Kasher, Amos Lee, Alex Chilton

Parquet Courts released an EP called Tally All the Things that You Broke, which is retro guitar-heavy 90s alt-rock at its best.  If you enjoy bands like Pavement, etc, check out this band. Their debut full-length, Light Up Gold, is also great. 



It feels like Tim Kasher never changes. The front-man from of Cursive and The Good Life, released a full-length called Adult Film.  Drunk, cynical, and romantic, the songs are enjoyable and Cursive-y.  (If you know what that means, you're halfway there. Give this release a try.)


For your easy folk-rock, public radio listening pleasures, Amos Lee released Mountains of Sorrow, Rivers of Song. It feels like a fall-weather album with quiet guitars and delicate vocals. There are some harmonies but for the most part it is just Lee, strumming a guitar and singing his feelings. 


Did you ever want to listen to an album that captures the intimacy of an open-mic night, except the singer isn't an amateur but instead is Big Star's Alex Chilton?  Well, you are in luck.  This week his Electricity By Candlelight / NYC 2/13/97 was released.  After some research, I found out this recording was captured after the lights went out before Big Star was about to start a second set at the Knitting Factory. The end result was an impromptu, relaxed acoustic performances of "I Walk The Line," and "Surfer Girl," "If I Had a Hammer," "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" and more.  I love recordings like this. It really shows the true personality of this influential band.


And of course, this week's releases cannot come to a close without mentioning William Shatner's prog rock album, Ponder the Mystery.  Think about that for a second: William...Shatner...prog...rock. That is all. 

 


No comments:

Post a Comment