Albums in 2006

Just finished mixing the new album which is gonna be called HANG LOVE. We're pretty damn psyched on it and are even more psyched to tour the fucker but first we have to tend to the garden for a few months. You know how it is.

http://www.burningbrides.com/

There's a Manilow renaissance? Oy, look what Rod Stewart started. Though I never knew Manilow went away! Even I admit he's no real singer, I just was young enough to fall prey to the stuff he wrote back in the day.

New CD's
By THE NEW YORK TIMES
Barry Manilow
"The Greatest Songs of the Fifties"
(Arista)

The inexplicable Barry Manilow renaissance continues on "The Greatest Songs of the Fifties," which hit the pop chart at No. 1 last week. In Mr. Manilow's 1970's heyday, no one imagined that his modest voice would give him a second career as an interpreter. But he hasn't been writing songs lately.

Like other aging pop stars, he has already made albums of Tin Pan Alley standards, with chutzpah enough to redo an album of Frank Sinatra favorites. Now he's on to the 1950's, which, some people may remember, gave birth to rock 'n' roll. Not in the Manilow universe: this is an album of ballads, all of which reached No. 1 in much better versions. Elvis Presley, the Everly Brothers, Dinah Washington, Tommy Edwards and Frankie Avalon have no worries.

The new versions orchestrate the songs as pure old-fashioned easy listening. There's no yearning, no mischief, no lust â?? just an unctuous diligence; the only dramatic tension is whether Mr. Manilow will go flat before the next note. Strings are slathered on thickly, horns are muted and any drums are a distant rustle. A listener could almost escape into the sticky-sweet perfection of the arrangements, but then along comes Mr. Manilow, right up front and earnestly trying to emote, which for him means laying on the vibrato.

He doesn't bring on guests who might outsing him except for a version of "Sincerely" with Phyllis McGuire, who sang it in 1955 with the McGuire Sisters. They were one of the white groups that covered 1950's R&B hits in blander, better-selling versions, yet Ms. McGuire still sounds friskier than he does. He is presenting the illusory 1950's of conservative mythology: placid, cozy, chaste and oblivious. Even if rock 'n' roll hadn't arrived, those years couldn't have been this dull. JON PARELES

I was flipping through the channels recently, and there was Manilow doing a horrible, horrible version of some song one one of those skate with or dance with celebrity shows. Did I mention how horrible it was?

Has anyone heard any of these yet? Opinions?

The Elected – Sun, Sun, Sun
Clearlake – Amber
The Subways – Young for Eternity
The Minus 5 – The Minus 5

I was kind of hoping you had picked it up….

Originally posted by ggwâ?¢:
Has anyone heard any of these yet? Opinions?

The Elected – Sun, Sun, Sun
Clearlake – Amber
The Subways – Young for Eternity
The Minus 5 – The Minus 5

Originally posted by brennser:
has anyone picked up the new Clearlake album yet? Just curious….

Originally posted by brennser:
I was kind of hoping you had picked it up….

I will probably pick it up this week anyway.

Originally posted by ggwâ?¢:
Has anyone heard any of these yet? Opinions?

The Elected – Sun, Sun, Sun
The Subways – Young for Eternity

I've had The Subways album for a while. It has grown on me and I'm going to see them when they come. They aren't my favorite British band right now but they are still raw and interesting. I think it would add a lot if they had another band member. As for The Elected, I listed to a couple of songs on iTunes last night and liked them a lot. I'm probably going to buy the album. It struck me as full, rich and melancholic.

Originally posted by ggwâ?¢:

Clearlake – Amber

i have this album and i like it a lot. I have only listened to it a couple times, but it was better than i expected. just doesnt seem as drab as Cedars, some of the songs even rock out. I just didnt get that with Cedars…to me , this was surpisingly good.

perhaps no one has mentioned, Placebo's new disc comes out in March, supposed to be very very good, and even has a song where Molko sings with Michael Stipe…should be interesting, i am pirating it as we speak, but dont worry you naysayers, i will buy it when it comes out :)

Originally posted by Thom Foolerie:
perhaps no one has mentioned, Placebo's new disc comes out in March, supposed to be very very good, and even has a song where Molko sings with Michael Stipe…should be interesting, i am pirating it as we speak, but dont worry you naysayers, i will buy it when it comes out :)

I pirated it a while back. The first songs are great, as they get slower, they get worse. Not their best effort.

Is anybody familiar with this guys work?

Vinicius Cantuária

http://www.popmatters.com/pm/music/reviews/vinicius_cantuaria_silva/

Ambulance LTD - New English EP, March 14

New shearwater album out in May

We've finished the new album, called Palo Santo. It was produced and recorded by Craig Ross here in Austin, and we're very, very excited about it. Check the shows page for tour dates (more in the near future). We'll also be posting more information about the record soon, but in the meantime, here's the track list:

1. la Dame et la Licorne
2. Red Sea, Black Sea
3. White Waves
4. Palo Santo
5. Seventy-four, Seventy-five
6. Nobody
7. Sing, little birdie
8. Johnny Viola
9. Failed Queen
10. Hail, Mary
11. Going is Song

According to Amazon, Hard-Fi's Stars of CCTV is finally getting a US release on March 14th, as is Editors' The Back Room on March 21st.

Originally posted by ggwâ?¢:
Has anyone heard any of these yet? Opinions?

The Elected – Sun, Sun, Sun
The Subways – Young for Eternity

I own and enjoy both of these. I probably enjoy the Subways more, but I've also owned it a lot longer. I also enjoy the Hard-Fi album.

Originally posted by ggwâ?¢:
Stream the new Destroyer album

Thanks for this, ggw. Are you going to that show?

Eef Barzelay from Clem Snide has a new solo album coming out called Bitter Honey, I think it is out next week. Here is a track: http://www.spinartrecords.com/media/mp3/EefBarzelay-Honey.mp3

Also I believe Clem Snide are in the studio finishing a new album.

Originally posted by Jaguar:

Dead Heart Bloom

this whole album is now available for download, except for Folsom Prison Blues

http://www.deadheartbloom.com/html/music.htm

I like the new messiah track a lot

Originally posted by kurosawa-b/w:

Originally posted by ggwâ?¢:
Stream the new Destroyer album

Thanks for this, ggw. Are you going to that show?

It's a tough call between Destroyer/Magnolia Electric and the Editors. I'm going to procrastinate on the decision.