The Wheel's Still In Spin

New Releases – 29 June 2010

Here are The Wheel’s Still In Spin’s suggested new releases. As always, feel free to leave a comment with your suggestions.

Julian Lynch – Mare | Vinyl MP3
Download “Ears” (mp3)
Download “In New Jersey” (mp3)
Julian Lynch layers multiple mellow tracks on these 10 elusively mellifluous songs. With a combination of jazz and folk elements, these songs are true studio compositions. Preview the entire album at julianlynch.bandcamp.com

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

Pavement – Greek Theatre, Berkeley, CA – June 25, 2010

There were rumors for years that Pavement would reunite. Those rumors finally manifested into the most anticipated reunion of 2010. The 90s indie band started a world tour in March. The first half of tour was mostly spent in Australia, Japan, and Europe. On Friday, June 25, Pavement took the stage at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, CA.

Favorite Movies 1970-1979

Adding to my list of favorite movies, what follows are the inductees from 1970s.

Movie Reviews Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, The Lives of Others, and Marathon Man

Here’s the latest batch of mini movie reviews as I check my way through movie lists by watching a lot of “classic” films. This week's films are all from the crime and thriller genre.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang | Marathon Man | The Lives of Others

New Releases – 22 June 2010

Here are The Wheel’s Still In Spin’s suggested new releases. As always, feel free to leave a comment with your suggestions.

Nina Nastasia – Outlaster | CD Vinyl MP3
Download “You’re a Holy Man” (mp3)
Recorded by Steve Albini, like all of her previous releases, the singer songwriter returns for her sixth album. The orchestration, with the addition of string and woodwind quartets, gives these folk songs a developed quality.

The Roots – How I Got Over | CD Vinyl MP3
Download “Doin’ It Again” (mp3)
This is the first album since The Roots became the house band for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. The hip hop band features its traditionally tight live instruments with guest spots from folk, rap, and R&B musicians.

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

Movie Reviews The China Syndrome and Erin Brockovich

The past two weeks were pretty busy with a visitor in town and then travel for work. But I kept watching movies. I’ll start to get caught up with the latest batch of mini movie reviews as I check my way through movie lists by watching a lot of “classic” films.

These two films are grouped together for a personal reason. I moved into a new apartment in January. We called Pacific Gas & Electric to have the energy bills transferred over and to get a new reading. I checked with the landlord before moving in and everything was supposedly taken care of. After a few months, I got a letter that said they had been giving me estimates on my electric bill since they couldn’t read the meter. It was located in the art gallery on the first floor. I called and played phone tag with them for a while. Last week I found out that my electric meter doesn’t work. At all. They’ve just been guessing and charging me a random number since I moved in. So I’m not paying any electric bills until they put a new meter in place.

This week's reviews will highlight some of the cinematic moments that show how honest and customer service oriented PG&E is.

The China Syndrome | Erin Brockovich

New Releases – 15 June 2010

Here are The Wheel’s Still In Spin’s suggested new releases. As always, feel free to leave a comment with your suggestions.

The Gaslight Anthem – American Slang | CD Vinyl MP3
Download “American Slang” (mp3)
Some albums start with their best songs and gradually lose their momentum. American Slang defies that. Every time I listen to it, I am more impressed by the middle and end of this record. It is a solid album of anthemic rock songs.

Pernice Brothers – Goodbye, Killer | CD MP3
Download “Jacqueline Susann” (mp3)
The Pernice Brothers present another indie pop album that has countrified roots stretching across the ten tracks. Not every song is a hit, but there are few misses on Goodbye, Killer. Addictive melodies and proficient production mark another strong release for this band.

Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu – Gurrumul | CD MP3
Download “Bapa” (mp3)
This debut album by Gurrumul, the traditional name of this indigenous Australian, has been available internationally since 2008 but finally receives its American release. The blind multi-instrumentalist creates soothing songs that are sung mostly in his native Gumatj language.

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

New Releases – 8 June 2010

Here are The Wheel’s Still In Spin’s suggested new releases. As always, feel free to leave a comment with your suggestions.

Ceremony – Rohnert Park | CD Vinyl MP3
The San Francisco punk band has a hardcore sound that takes influence from the Circle Jerks and Mclusky. The songs are short, quick, full of distortion and coarse vocals.

Samantha Crain – You (Understood) | CD MP3
Download “Lions” (mp3)
Samantha Crain, who made my second favorite album of 2009, returns with another strong set of well-crafted songs. The music is diverse, the songwriting is stellar, and Crain’s voice captivates.

Delta Spirit – History from Below | CD Vinyl MP3
Download “Bushwick Blues” (mp3)
Delta Spirit’s sophomore full-length album is a set of likable indie pop. Inspired by Howard Zinn’s non-fiction book A People’s History of the United States, the songs are catchy and well defined.

Teenage Fanclub – Shadows | CD MP3
Download “Baby Lee” (mp3)
For their ninth studio album, Teenage Fanclub revive their upbeat, mellifluous alt rock. To listeners familiar with their music, the Scottish band doesn’t offer any surprises on this album. But pleasant alt pop isn’t about shock value.

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

New Releases – 1 June 2010

Here are The Wheel’s Still In Spin’s suggested new releases. As always, feel free to leave a comment with your suggestions.

Born Ruffians – Say It | CD Vinyl MP3
Download “Sole Brother” (mp3)
Born Ruffians worked with producer Rusty Santos, who manned the faders on the trio’s debut full length album Red, Yellow & Blue. The band again releases an album with a diverse and lush sound.

Coltrane Motion – Hello Ambition! | CD MP3
Download “Please Call It a Comeback” (mp3)
Download “I Forgot There Was a War On” (mp3)
Coltrane Motion is a unique duo. Michael Bond handles the vocals and a plethura of eletronic tones while Matt Dennewitz adds warm, distrorted guitar. The resulting electronic indie rock on their second full-length album is catchy and ambitious sounding. Stream the entire album at bandcamp.com.

Hooray for Earth – Momo [EP] | CD Vinyl MP3
Download “Surrounded By Your Friends” (mp3)
This New York quartet plays indie rock that is both synth and guitar driven. It’s an upbeat and distinct set of songs that is comparable to Dovecote labelmates The Futureheads and Bad Veins.

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