August Downloads
I'm in the process of reorganizing my massive collection for the umpteenth time this year, so my list of d/ls this month will be delayed. But I figured a gentle nudge for others was in order. I'll update with mine when I get a chance.
Comments
eMusic
I did no exploring on eMusic this month. Every download was a known quantity designed to fill holes in my collection.
The Mountain Goats - Ghana: 31 tracks of John Darnielle goodness for 12 nps. Can't go wrong.
Spoon - Got Nuffin: Title track is excellent and the third track is good, but wish the second one were a little better. Still Spoon, though.
Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career: Waited patiently (okay mostly patiently) for this to arrive on eMusic Well worth the wait.
The Pixies - Doolittle: I'd forgotten just how good The Pixies are.
Okkervil River - The Stage Names: I love Okkervil River.
Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago: I'll be in a cabin in northern Wisconsin this weekend. Is it required I listen to this on repeat?
Deerhunter - Rainwater Cassette Exchange: This is a fine EP, but it just hasn't grabbed me yet.
Amie Street
Here is where I was able to explore a little more.
The Detroit Cobras - Mink Rat or Rabbit: Good Detroit garage rock.
Julian Plenti - Julian Plenti is...Skyscraper: I don't mind Interpol, but it has never really been my thing. That said, I thoroughly enjoy this album. It won't make my top ten list for the year, but will continue to get played with regularity.
Matt Pond, PA - I Thought You Were Sleeping: Not bad, but nothing great either.
The Fall - Hip Priest and Kamerads: More hole filling, and the comlete lack of anything by the Fall in my collection was a big hole.
The Polyphonic Spree - Wait: Worth it for the cover of Lithium alone.
Blue Foundation - Life of a Ghost: Bought based on a song used on SYTYCD. Well worth it for mellow moments.
Third Eye Blind - Ursa Major: It's fine, but I knew even before I got it that I'd be disapointed, and I was.
Matt & Kim - Grand: I was thrilled to see this as part of Amie onslaught last week. Highly recommended.
The Lower 48 - Everywhere To Go: Local band and a coworker is friends with one of the members moms, so I splurged the $0.75. Pleasantly surprised. Nice folk rock with male and female lead vocals and a violin. Very nice.
Mike Doughty - The Gambler EP: To my knowledge the only Doughty I was missing AND it has covers of The Gambler and King of Carrot Flowers. Sweet.
My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges: Never been a huge fan so I hadn't picked it up. This time the price was right.
Jack Penate - Everything is New: Hadn't heard him before, but am loving Let's All Die.
The xx - xx: Worth the hype.
Jarvis Cocker - Jarvis: Good stuff, as I knew it would be.
The Antlers - Hospice: Gorgeous.
Also got British Sea Power - Krankenhaus?: But when I try and download Amie Street has an error. Waiting on a response from tech support.
Craig
Despite the lack of interesting new stuff at Amie St (outside the US) I had a bit of a crate-digging session there and found some gems.
Even got some stuff from iTunes as there was a special offer on gift cards in Clintons Cards shops!
Edited in standouts in response to Katrina below...
eMusic:
Wildbirds & Peacedrums - The Snake
Sunset Rubdown - Dragonslayer - fantastic when I'm in the right mood for it, just not sure what that mood is yet.
The Temper Trap - Conditions
Matthew Sweet/Susanna Hoffs - Under the Covers Vol. 2 (Deluxe Edition) - STANDOUT SO FAR!
Desolation Wilderness - New Universe
The Duckworth Lewis Method - STANDOUT SO FAR! (but mostly when we were beating Australia!)
Mocky - Saskamodie - nice but a bit disappointing
King Midas Sound - Dub Heavy - Hearts and Ghosts
Amie Street:
Various - Future Disco - excellent comp
Ruxpin - Where do we float from here_
Shit Robot - Simple Things (Work It Out)
ellen allien - out (thomas muller remix)
Clubroot - Clubroot
2562 - Love In Outer Space _ Third Wave
ellen allien - out (audion's out for infants mix)
Paul Kalkbrenner - Bingo Bongo
Ellen Allien - Go
Ellen Allien - Sprung _ Its
Paul Kalkbrenner - Altes Kamuffel
Hope Sandoval - Blanchard single
The Shazam - Meteor
Rebelution - Bright Side of Life
Night Jewel - Want You Back EP
Walter Jones - I'll Keep On Loving You
Pan-American - White Bird Release
Pan-American - For Waiting, For Chasing
Morcheeba - enjoy the ride
Boomkat:
Moritz Von Oswald Trio - Vertical Ascent
SoulPhiction / Move D - In The Limelight
Gui Boratto - Take My Breath Away - STANDOUT SO FAR!
Various - Kompakt Total 10 - STANDOUT SO FAR!
iTunes:
The Gaslamp Killer - My Troubled Mind
The XX
Bibio - Ambivalence Avenue - STANDOUT SO FAR!
Various - Beyond The Wizards Sleeve - another excellent comp
eMusic
Bardo Pond, Dilate
Nadja, Radiance of Shadows
Carl Macguire's Floriculture, Sided Silver Solid
Mike Seeger RIP, True Vine
In the country, Whiteout
L Subramamian, Raga Hemavati
Harlem Hamfats, Complete Recordings Vol. 1
Pullen/Moye, Milano Strut
Dennis Gonzalez, Idle Wild
tjlandcad, The Rip-Off
Graham Collier, Darius
Jones, Burrell, Wess, Waldron, After Hours
Polvo, Today's Active Lifestyle
Crooked Fingers, Reservoir Songs
Amazon
Mal Waldron, The Git Go
Mal Waldron, The Crowd Scene
Lala
Zee Avi, Zee Avi
Amie Street (selected)
John White, John White
Friendly Fires, Friendly Fires
Robert Forster, The Evangelist
Loop, Gilded Eternity
British Sea Power, Do you like rock music
Jack Wilkins, Windows
Ben Webster, Sittin in with ...
Robert Forster, Warm Nights
Hundreds and Thousands, Hundreds and Thousands
XX, XX
Terry and McGhee, Hometown Blues
Sunn O)), Monoliths and Dimensions
Pelican, City of Pain
Craig
My last eMusic downloads were
R.L. Burnside, Wish I Was In Heaven Sitting Down
Eels, Hombre Lobo
Camera Obscura , Underachievers Please Try Harder
Madlib, The Beat Konducta Vol. 1-2: Movie Scenes
The xx, the first intro track
From elsewhere,
Morcheeba, Dive Deep
Kelly Howell, Mind Body Healing
Magic Slim & The Teardrops, Midnight Blues
Pearl Jam, Ten
The Lemonheads, The Lemonheads
Lucinda Williams, Car Wheels On A Gravel Road
As Seen On TV: Songs From Commercials
Freeheat "What Goes Around (live)" and "Two of Us" (rock)
John Flynn "Not With My Jesus" (singer-songwriter)
The Detroit Cobras (filling holes in my collection)
Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens "Am I Asking Too Much" (soul)
Big Maybelle "96 Tears" and "Cabaret" (classic soul that kicks ass)
Various Artists (a karaoke track or two. Don't judge me!)
Muscle & Hate "Join in the Chant" (industrial dance; a Nitzer Ebb cover)
Doris Day "Everybody Loves My Baby (But My Baby Don't Love Nobody But Me)"
The Bottle Rockets "The Long Way" (blues rock)
Sly And The Family Stone - four tracks off "It Takes All Kinds" (funk)
Anton & the Watergirls "L.O.V.E." (electroclash)
The Dodos "Fables" (indie rock)
Dragonette (electroclash)
Generationals "Nobody Could Change Your Mind" and "Bobby Beale" (the second is a little Duran Duran)
Metric "Help I'm Alive" (electroclash)
Marilyn Monroe "I'm Gonna FIle My Claim" and "Bye Bye Baby" (traditional vocal)
The Low Anthem "Champion Angel" (rock)
Camera Obscura's latest album "My Maudlin Career"
Arctic Monkeys "Crying Lightning" (rock)
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros "40 Day Dream," "Janglin" and "home"
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
Front 242 "First In/First Out" (industrial dance)
The Mooney Suzuki four tracks off "Have Mercy" (rock)
We Were Promised Jetpacks "Quiet Little Voices"
Mates Of State "Beautiful Dreamer"
Mop Mop "Living Beat" (world funk)
Men Without Hats "Pop Goes The World" ('80s pop)
Ollabelle "Before This Time" (spiritual)
Nikka Costa "Stuck to You" and "Can't Please Everybody"
Pas-Cal "You Were Too Old for Me"
Paramedic "Soul Control" (spiritual hip-hop)
Rail Band "Finza"
Rodriguez "Sugar Man" ('70s funk)
RJD2 "A Beautiful Mind" and "1976" (electronic)
Raz Ohara "Where Is My Mind" (Pixies cover)
The Launderettes "Can't Bring Me Down" (indie rock)
Adam Schmitt "Brilliance in Failure" (singer songwriter)
Steve Earle "Amerika v6.0" (rock)
Buddy Miller
Bowerbirds
These United States
Gregory Alan Isakov
The Duke and the King
Lightning Dust
Link to emusic playlist.
Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career
I never got Let's Get Out Of This Country because I thought it sounded too sugary and sweet. This one seemed less sugary so I took a chance since a lot of people seem to like it. I just about hit the eject button on Careless Love with its overblown orchestral backing. The title track came next and was much better. Well done and all, but this just isn't my thing.
Jorge Reyes - Comala
"Mayan space music". Mildly interesting background music.
Leonard Cohen - Songs Of Leonard Cohen
This didn't do it for me either. Suzanne is a good start but then the whole "poetry set to music" deal gets monotonuos especially with just the acoustic backing. So Long, Marianne is a highlight with full band support. Maybe I'm Your Man may have been a better Leonard Cohen start for me.
Megafaun - Gather, Form & Fly
Something I like! Excellent neo-folk. The 1st half is more straightforward folk-rock while the 2nd half delves more into the neo.
Modest Mouse - The Moon & Antarctica
Good but between this and "Good News For People Who Love Bad News", I think I have all the Modest Mouse I want.
Oneida - Rated O
A great huge slab of experimental rock. Being a triple album and almost 2 hours of music, it is a great deal for 12 tracks. Very good stuff.
Otis Taylor - Pentatonic Wars and Love Songs
Otis Taylor isn't your typical blues player by any means. Here he delves into creative jazz territory with Jason Moran on piano and Ron Miles on cornet. The music gets more challenging as the album progresses but is still very rewarding.
Richard Buckner and Jon Langford - Sir Dark Invader vs. The Fanglord
Another one of those "on my SFL forever, why didn't I get this sooner!?" albums. I should have known. How can you go wrong with Richard Buckner and Jon Langford? Mostly what you'd expect from them, but "From Attic To Basement" is a nice instrumental that reminds me of Brian Eno's St. Elmo's Fire. If you don't know either of them, this is a good introduction.
Sea and the Cake - Car Alarm
Doesn't stand out but a consistent album from The Sea and the Cake. I never thought they "rocked", but this definitely rocks after recovering from Camera Obsura or Leonard Cohen.
Union Carbide Productions - In The Air Tonight
This absolutely rocks. I had this on vinyl from the 80's and got it out of nostalgia and not disappointed. Call this Stooges 2.0. The 1st half is Raw Power and the 2nd half is Fun House.
Various - Panama! 2 Latin, Calypso And Funk On The Isthmus 1965-75
Only listened to it once so far. Pretty good, but I keep hoping for something as good as "The Roots Of Chicha"...
Free albums galore:
Deano Waco - Deano Meats The Purveyors
As you might guess, it's Dean from the Waco Brothers playing with the Meat Purveyors. And as you might also guess if you like those two bands, it's good bluegrass tinged rock or should that be rock-tinged bluegrass. Either way, it's good stuff and free.
Charts and Maps - Enemies of C. Frias
What caught my attention was that a member from I Heart Lung produced this. The music isn't quite like I Heart Lung but still tasty jazzy progressive rock.
@Craig - We d/l way too much of the same music... And not only should For Emma, Forever be on repeat, you need to listen on your parents' hi-fi with really big headphones on.
@Katrina - Ten? You got some catching up to do? :P I'm assuming you just got the Legacy Edition which I picked up on CD a month or so ago. They did an excellent job remixing that album.
In actuality, between my parents and I, one of us has a hi-fi and it ain't them. They were/are NOT musicheads. Basically the only albums we had growing up were my mom's old Bobby Sherman 7"s and the odd Barbara Streisand LP that my dad would buy. It bordered on child endangerment I tells ya!
We did at least have Billy Joel on cassette, so that's something...I guess.
Craig
- Emusic:
Fabio Orsi:
Muddy Speaking Ghosts Through My Machines
Find Electronica
The First Born
Becuzzi, Orsi, ( E T R E ) - So Far
Flo & Eddie - Illegal, Immoral and Fattening
Alva Noto + Ryuichi Sakamoto - UTP
Robert Ashley - The Wolfman
My Cat Is An Alien / Fabio Orsi (split) - For Alan Lomax
Gianluca Becuzzi - Wildflowers Under the Sofa
Celer - Engaged Touches
Charlemagne Palestine - In Mid Air
Mathieu Ruhlmann + Celer - Mesoscaphe
Steve Roach - Destination Beyond
Tarantel - Big Black Square
Flying Saucer Attack - PA Blues
Amie Street:
- later...
Brighternow.
Ps: this is strange, I did'nt bold the last two lines. (and not this one either)
- Edit.
How's that UTP album?
I think I probably have enough Noto/Sakamoto already, but it keeps tempting me.
You don't have enough if you don't have UTP....
It took me some time to get into it, but now it is my favourite.
It stands out from the other two available on eMu (Insen & Revep) for beeing more noisy and ambient/drone-ish in a pleasant kind of way.
My favourite tracks are "attack/transition", "plateaux 1" and "plateaux 2/end"
Brighternow.
Ps: The Celer release is Brilliant !
Amazon:
For starters I picked up a number of classic albums: John Coltrane - Interstellar Space, Joni Mitchell - Blue, The Doors - L.A. Woman, The Cars - Candy-O, The Faces - Ooh La La. But of more interest was The Field's Yesterday and Today and the accidental freebie Ladyhawke (Special Edition) - so far my favorite of the bunch.
Amie Street:
Lots of Tectonic and Tru Thoughts downloads.
Alice Russell - My Favourite Letters
Lizzy Parks - Raise The Roof & This And That
And just about every release from Quantic or Nostalgia 77
Flevans - 27 Devils & Make New Friends
Kyle Audist - Made of Stone
All 3 Thunderball albums
But my absolute favorite out of this batch of world/funk/soul/downtempo sweetness is Kinny's Idle Forest of Chit Chat. Freakin' awesome man.
At the other end of the spectrum I also snagged Keelhaul's Keelhaul II, The Sword's Gods of The Earth, Sunn 0))) Flight of the Behemoth and Monoliths and Dimensions. But it's the 2 Zu albums that are really grabbing me (specifically Carboniferous). Oh yeah, and Aereogramme's Sleep and Release - that's an overlooked band.
It would be a shame if I didn't mention the 2 excellent EPs (The Gambler and Fort Hood) from the brilliant Mike Doughty.
Holy carp, I almost forgot to mention White Rabbits' It's Frightening. Great album! There's so much more I got over there the past 2 months it's ridiculous. Maybe even worse than the crazy Domino and Yep Roc drops earlier this year.
eMusic
Johnny Cash - At Folsom Prison (Legacy Edition) - Definitely one of my best d/ls for the month.
Jonsi & Alex - Riceboy Sleeps - Still digesting this one.
The Avett Brothers - Emotionalism - Am I just too much of a hipster? Now I'm suddenly into bluegrass revival?
The Mountain Goats - Sweden & Ghana - One of my favorite bands, it's time to really explore his back catalog. So far so good.
Isaac Hayes - Hot Buttered Soul - Mmmmmm...
I should also point out that the latest Quantic and Zu's Carboniferous were actually eMusic d/ls, not Amie Street like the others.
LaLa
Miles Davis - Bitches' Brew - For some strange reason this album can be purchased cheaper on Amazon and Lala by buying the individual tracks instead of the whole album. Glad I finally picked it up.
David Guetta - One Love - So bad for you, but I love it so much.
Bat For Lashes - Two Suns - I'm on the bandwagon.