Friday 5 March 2010

Spring Things

These are the new releases I've been enjoying listening to since last I made a list of new releases I'd been enjoying.

TRANS AM 'THING' (THRILL JOCKEY)
Since 'Red Line' every Trans Am album has had its moments but veered into corniness. No such problems with this album that supposedly started out as a soundtrack commission for a sci-fi film but ended up as the best Trans Am album in ages. I played this four times straight when it arrived it was that good. The closing title track from 'Liberation' had Trans Am flying apocalyptic helicopters out of a TV and into ambient dead air, sounding like the theme tune to a documentary about the end of the world as we know it. This exciting album finds them tracking back to futureworlds in terms of focus, vision and editing nous. If there had been a film to go with this rocking masterpiece would have upstaged it totally. No wonder the original mission was aborted! Out April.

MUGSTAR 'SUN, BROKEN' (IMPORTANT)
Most trips to Liverpool seem to involve a Mugstar gig, even if I wasn't suspecting it, they so often turn up supporting other bands. They get better all the time, and have increasingly untilised psychedelic projections in their live show. This second album will no doubt get them more comparisons to lots of obscure German bands from the seventies who they are probably much better than. Importantly Mugstar also exist right now and play good gigs. The word 'cosmic' may appear relevant, as these bass driven jams are the perfect soundtrack to rockets docking in space, except sound doesn't travel through a vacuum so check them out on this planet first. This sounds perfect to play before or after the Trans Am album. It would come as no surprise if Mugstar were to support Trans Am at Liverpool's Kazimier in May.

PONTIAK 'SEA VOIDS' (THRILL JOCKEY)
The fourth Pontiack longplayer is heavier than before, but more immediate and melodic. This sounds highly complimentary to the Retribution Gospel Choir II album, which is going to end up being my favourite album from the first quarter of the year. Its a shame they aren't touring together as it'd be a near perfect match. Pontiack are touring with labelmates White Hills however, and playing the Ruby Lounge on March 7th which promises to be a killer show.

SPARKLEHORSE AND FENNESZ 'IN THE FISHTANK 15' (KONKURRENT)

RUSSIAN CIRCLES 'GENEVA' (SUICIDE SQUEEZE)

DAVE FORMULA 'SATELLITE SWEETHEART' (WIRE SOUND)

ELEPHANT 9 'WALK THE NILE' (RUNE GRAMMOFON)

ELEH 'LOCATION MOMENTUM' (TOUCH)

HIGH PLACES 'HIGH PLACES VS. MANKIND' (THRILL JOCKEY)

FURSAXA 'MYCORRHIZAE REALM' (ATP RECORDINGS)

TO ROCOCO ROT 'FORWARDNESS FRIDAYS' EP (DOMINO)
One for hardcore fans as the two remixes are inferior to the originals from the album, but pleasant foot tappers nonetheless.

And some albums released in the past decade that I've enjoyed listening to for the first time in February 2010 are

Getatchew Mekuria and the Ex 'Moa Anbessa' (Terp)
The Ex 'Building a Broken Mousetrap' DVD (Ex)
Jon Langford and Kat Ex 'Katjonband' (Carrot Top)
Do Make Say Think 'Other Truths' (Constellation)
Condofucks 'Fuckbook' (Matador)
James Blackshaw 'Litany of Echoes' (Tompkins Square)
Sentridoh 'Songs from Loobiecore 2.5' (tour CD)
The Villagers 'Hollow Kind' (Domino)
Marble Valley 'Super Sober' (Indikator)
Dan Friel 'Sunburn' (Velocirecords)
Melvins 'Chicken Switch (remixes)' (Ipecac)
Asva 'What You Don't Know Is Frontier' (Southern Lord)
Sunn O))) 'White 2' (Southern Lord)
I.S.O. 'Gravity Clock' (Amoebic)
Rolo Tomassi 'Hysterics' (Hassle)
June of '44 'In the Fishtank' (Konkurrel)
Zomes (Holy Mountain)
Celibate Rifles 'A Mid-Stream of Consciousness' (Munster)
Carbon/Silicon 'The Last Post' (Carbon/Silicon)
Jack Medecine, Daniel Johnston and Ron English 'Hyperjinx Tricycle' (Important)
Black Dice 'Broken Ear Record' (EMI)
Mars 'Complete Studio Recordings 1977-78' (No More Records)

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