Tuesday, March 05, 2013

1st Quarterly Good Better Best [2013 Albums]

Disappointment:  My Bloody Valentine- m b v 
This feels like a practical joke.  Kevin Shields released ten B-sides for the express purpose of A. money and B. joy at watching posers pose.

Good:  Blue Hawaii-Untogether 
Now this is my kind of modern art pop.  Accessible but inventive.  Mixing Bjork, Cocteau Twins and The Knife with some Bay Area, hyphy-lite beats and a warm, mammalian core.  Music to wait out March with.

Better: The Men-New Moon   
The Replacements+Meat Puppets? (I came at this equation independent of The A.V. Club.  Damn my non-prompt posting habits!) Sometimes very noisy Americana finds a new angle on traditional Townes Van Zandt-esque Western themes.  Sounds so fresh it just might make country cool again, like Uncle Tupelo in '93.

Best: Yo La Tengo- Fade    
The Velvet Underground, watching a kid's soccer game after a great brunch and some QC with the spouse.  YLT carries on with such clear-eyed, full-hearted adult sense of purpose.  Reinvigorating; the perfect pick-me-up after a long day.  If their white noise turned you off previously, this one's for you.  Their Loaded.

Bonus, Honus!

16:55 of northwest hermitcore* at its finest.  




*expository essay forthcoming; I hereby copyright this term

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