The Wheel's Still In Spin

New Releases – 30 June 2009

There is a short list of releases this week, which leads to a short list of recommended album. Here is The Wheel’s Still In Spin’s suggested new release.

All Smiles – Oh For the Getting and Not Letting Go | MP3
Download “Our Final Roles As Birds” (mp3)
All Smiles is Jim Fairchild’s band. This is the band’s second release since Fairchild’s previous band, Grandaddy, broke up and the first that is being self-released. Like 2007’s Ten Readings of a Warning, the music has a shimmering indie pop that fans of Grandaddy should appreciate.

After the jump, there is a list of more new releases from this week.

New Releases – 23 June 2009

Here are The Wheel’s Still In Spin’s suggested new releases.

The Bats – The Guilty Office | CD MP3
Download “Countersign” (mp3)
Download “Castle Lights” (mp3)
This album, the New Zealand band’s seventh in twenty-some years, is an indie pop record. The guitars are the prominent instrument, but with the spacious jangle of Luna or the mellower, pop side of the Velvet Underground.

Michael Dean Damron & Thee Loyal Bastards – Father’s Day | CD
Michael Dean Damron was best known as the man behind the moniker I Can Lick Any Sonofabitch in the House. For his third post-SOB album, Damron offers a handful of covers – Drag The River, Thin Lizzy, and Townes Van Zant. As with his previous releases, his southern rock sound is best when there’s a dark tone to match the gruff vocals.

Deer Tick – Born on Flag Day | CD Vinyl MP3
Download “Easy” (mp3)
This is a strong album from a rock band that draws equally from country and indie roots. The four-piece band plays guitar driven country rock with John MacCauley’s raspy drawl leading the charge.

Dinosaur Jr. – Farm | CD Deluxe CD Vinyl MP3
Download “I Want You to Know” (mp3)
As the second release since reuniting, Farm proves that the original members can still offer the same energetic intensity as they did over twenty years ago. The band can still capture the bombastic and catchy alternative rock sound that made their earlier albums memorable – from Mascis’s crunched and distorted guitar to Murph’s crisply thumping drums, from Barlow’s solid bass to Mascis’s subdued vocals.

After the jump, there is a list of more new releases from this week.

New Releases – 16 June 2009

Here are The Wheel’s Still In Spin’s suggested new releases.

Among the Oak & Ash – Among the Oak & Ash | CD Vinyl MP3
Of the 12 songs on this album, 2 are original compositions. The remaining tracks are traditional folk songs. The band makes these songs their own with modern indie folk production. However, it is the pairing of Josh Joplin and Garrison Starr’s vocals that carries this album, especially on the tracks on which they both sing lead with each singer panned hard to a different speaker.

The Builders and the Butchers – Salvation is a Deep Dark Well | CD Vinyl MP3
Download “Golden and Green” (mp3)
Download “Barcelona” (mp3)
Each member of this Portland band is originally from Alaska. Salvation is a Deep Dark Well is produced by the Decemberists’ Chris Funk. The album upholds the rousing and gritty elements of the band’s concerts while borrowing some production qualities similar to the Decemberists’ brand of lyrical based chamber folk.

Phil Lee – So Long, It’s Been Good To Know You | CD MP3
Download “25 Mexicans” (mp3)
This countrified album, Lee has a weathered voice that sounds like a tender version of Jason Ringenberg of Jason and the Scorchers. The songs are well written and the production is never overdone.

Rock Plaza Central – …At the Moment of our Most Needing | CD MP3 MP3
Download “(Don’t You Believe the Words of) Handsome Men” (mp3)
Rock Plaza Central’s last album, 2006’s Are We Not Horses?, was one of my favorite albums of 2006. Chris Eaton, the creative crux of the band, has written two novels. His albums consist of a broad narrative. This album was inspired by a William Faulkner novel and contains an eclectic chamber folk sound.

After the jump, there is a list of more new releases from this week.

New Releases – 9 June 2009

Here are The Wheel’s Still In Spin’s suggested new releases.

Mos Def – The Ecstatic | CD Vinyl MP3
Download “Life in Marvelous Times” (mp3) from RCRD LBL
Download “Quiet Dog” (mp3) from RCRD LBL
Download “Casa Bey” (mp3) from RCRD LBL
This album is an example of what a good hip-hop/rap album should be. There are a few guest spots, but they’re logical (Talib Kweli) and worthy (Slick Rick). The lyrics are political and poetic. It has a conscience, message, and deliberate purpose. The production is original and unrepetitive. The tracks are supported by uniquely appealing beats.

Sonic Youth – The Eternal | CD Vinyl MP3
Download “Scared Trickster” (mp3)
This album is full of a combination of what makes Sonic Youth great. There are succinct tracks of alternative rock anthems. There are some brash punk songs. There are also some longer songs that delve into the experimental noise.

Kathryn Williams and Neill MacColl – Two | CD MP3
Download “Come with Me” (mp3)
This folk-based album is both intimate and smoothly surreal. There is minimal production or instrumentation added to the songs. The duo relies on the miraculous pairing of their voices, the deceptive simple musical performances, and traditional folk melodies.

After the jump, there is a list of more new releases from this week.

New Releases – 2 June 2009

Here are The Wheel’s Still In Spin’s suggested new releases.

Ryan Bingham & Dead Horses – Roadhouse Sun | CD Vinyl MP3
This album opens with three tracks of Ryan Adams styled Dylanesque roots rock. It mixes in some songs with Southern rock flares. Interspersed in it all are a couple tunes, like “Bluebird,” which elucidates the Southwestern territory from which this dusty voiced singer-songwriter comes.

Eels – Hombre Lobo: 12 Songs of Desire | CD MP3
Download “Fresh Blood” (mp3)
For the seventh album as Eels, Mark Oliver Everett and company mix garage rock and lushly euphonic indie pop. The album alternates between those two styles and always presents catchy songs.

Hoots & Hellmouth – The Holy Open Secret | CD MP3
Download “Known for Possession” (mp3)
This three-piece roots-based band is from Philadelphia. They have bluegrass instrumentation and three-part harmonies, but they also play a foot-stomping version of indie folk. This is a batch of catchy songs with a perfectly stylized production.

After the jump, there is a list of more new releases from this week.