The National - Boxer

Rating: 8/10
Modern Music Review
The National returns with a stronger album increased by solid guitar cracks, gloomy bass guitar, alive piano sections, woodwinds, backing vocals, strings, and organs, plus three contributors include Doveman, Marla Hansen, and neighborhood friend Sufjan Stevens. Even though i prefer Stuart Staples for a romantic midnight playlist, Matt Berninger and Stuart are all inspiring singers. I love calling this style as drunken indie rock. When asked to describe Boxer, it draws bold strings around indie rock routines, and of course "Boxer" ain't a very distinctive or perfect record, we've seen many perfect example of this kind of thin-skinned rock music. Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, Serge Gainsbourg, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Scott Walker, and Wilco, and they were better. But The National find ways to combine all of these , they take same melancholy, same blue sound, and they mix their own emotions to the songs which are about love, war and money.

The National gives sort of examples on songs Apartment Story, Brainy, Slow Show -- where a clear Joy Division influence appears -- like in the post-punk movement by later emphasizing not anger and energy but mood and expression. Little details are so important in "Boxer", more you listen it, the more you love it. That's what i've been doing during one month. I've got this album and who cares a writing, i just want to listen to it now!
MM picks: Fake Empire, Brainy, Green Gloves, Slow Show
Boxer
mp3: Brainy

Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers
mp3: Slipping Husband
mp3: Murder Me Rachael

The National (S/T Debut)
mp3: Cold Girl Fever

Travis

I'm not a huge fan of Travis, but my view on music is always first listening to album after learning name of band. You should be objective, at the same time you have to be open-minded. So i'm liking the new Travis record. Yep! it's four times better than brain-fuckers (Arctic Donkeys), i still can't believe they almost did "Favourite Worst Nightmare" a masterpiece? The world is coming to its end? Anyway, "The Boy with No Name" is a kind of poppy, radio-friendy but good colored record. www.travisonline.com

May 7, 2007
May 8, 2007

mp3: Travis - 3 Times And You Lose

The Normal

I'm a kind of person who can't hide his excitement and whenever i try to present an amazing stuff, i make many gramatical mistakes, out of topic sentences. I'm very excited because of this amazing, terrific at the same time ass kicking 80s stuff. This is 7" single collection that was released by Mute Records (UK) in Oct 1978. A long time ago, i discovered them when i was searching for a band that sounds as The Fall. Don't be fooled by the name, this isn't Normal! No Way!

All Music Review
The Normal's icy, monochromatic 1978 single "Warm Leatherette" was inspired by J.G. Ballard's controversial novel Crash, which presents a subculture that fetishizes car crashes in disturbing, erotic detail. Like the book, the song wraps its lurid, subversive sentiments in clinical, detached terms. A relentless drum machine and hissing synths accompany lyrics like, "A tear of petrol is in your eye/The hand brake penetrates your thigh/Quick, let's make love," which are made all the creepier by Daniel Miller's deadpan delivery. Miller, the Normal's sole member, also founded Mute Records; "Warm Leatherette" was the label's debut single and the Normal's first and only official release.

An adaptation of sorts itself, "Warm Leatherette" was covered by industrial artists such as Pankow and Sleep Chamber as well as by Grace Jones, who made it the title track of her 1980 album. But it's Miller's original, dispassionate study of twisted metal and passions that remains a classic and a milestone in the development of post-punk, new wave, and electronic music -- all of which his label championed in the '70s, '80s,'90s and beyond.

mp3: The Normal - Warm Leatherette (highly rec'd)
mp3: The Normal - TVOD

Sufjan Stevens - Free Man In Paris

'Assembling a cover of Joni Mitchell’s “Free Man in Paris” required more than a few musical somersaults. Who can possibly surmount Joni’s rollercoaster vocal lines with all those odd syntaxes and off beat pronunciations? My final attempt was less homage and more deconstruction, unfortunately. But I was most unprepared for one unlikely obstacle: David Geffen.' says Sufjan.

‘A Tribute to Joni Mitchell’, the first major US tribute album to the legendary artist, is set for release on April 24th. Musicians from many genres are represented on the 12 tracks of both rare and quintessential songs from the revered and influential singer/songwriter’s expansive career.

There are also two striking covers in the tribute and they're Blue by Sarah McLachlan, Edith And The Kingpin by Elvis Costello. If you ask me the best cover is opening song “Free Man in Paris” by Sufjan Stevens. It really pictures meaningfull lyrics of the song which is originally written by Mitchell.
mp3: Sufjan Stevens - Free Man In Paris

Manic Street Preachers - Send Away The Tigers

Rating: 8/10
Modern Music Review
I liked previous "LifeBlood" and nice rarities compilation "Lipstick Traces: A Secret History Of". This becomes a real MSP record chemically. It has James Dean's aggressive vocals, nice guitar rollings remind The Manics' early years such as debut Generation Terrorists, major effort Holy Bible, and also gleamy Gold Against the Soul. While playing impressive electric guitars that draw usual The Manic style, they also combines hard rock, punk pop, alternative rock and britpop. A radio-friendly duet with Nina Persson (singer of The Cardigans) gets major commercial effort. Winterlovers adds a good direction to The Manics' music and it's completely awesome.

"Send Away The Tigers" feeds your daily music need, and it's a living proof of where they are now. Notably, it's not a easy work maintaining a stabilized carrier, writing an album still sounds original and moving, and also if you consider all disbanded bands from same period of time like The Stone Roses, Blur Nirvana, Suede, The Verve, Mansun, Shed Seven, Manic Street Preachers continue without screwing up things.

Regenerating their sound, intending to restore revolution to rock & roll at a time when Britain was dominated by indie rock, they do a great job, and this is the best The Manics record since 1996, "Everything Must Go".

The Formula is energic rock n' roll roots where they catch a completely powerful and fresh sound!. "Winterlovers" just closes the record and it relates to a song by John Lennon, it's "Working Class Hero". Street date: May 7, 2007
MM picks: Undergods, Imperial Bodybags, Winterlovers
mp3: Manic Street Preachers - Send Away the Tiger
www.manics.co.uk

Elliott Smith - New Moon

Rating: 8.5/10
Modern Music Review
To be honest, Elliott Smith's every work sounds good. Even if they aren't masterpieces, they will impress all listeners by distinctive songwriting. We know that every style has its right moment to play. So Elliott Smith did marvelous music for times when you're crawled on your sofa like a depressive cat. Of course, it can make you smile at times, because of highly contented music.

"New Moon" features 24 songs extended over two CDs, dating from the mid '90s. On first disc, cover of Alex Chilton's "Thirteen" shot me there, and i just lie for listening more and more. I usually find rarities blunt, as for "New Moon" we can say again all generalizations are wrong. First disc includes mainly striking demo work of 1995 sessions, and second one comes with its brooding atmosphere that calms you down.

This is a complete goodness for Elliott Smith fans and a great rarities compilation which is almost resembling solo record. If he'd lived, i'm sure he would have composed many wonderful records.

Musicians, friends, good people, don't kill yourself because of...life is already hard, but suicide isn't a solution.

MM picks: Riot Coming, New Disaster, Pretty Mary K, Almost Over From, Half Right
mp3: Elliott Smith - Pretty Mary K (removed by label request)
mp3: Elliott Smith - High Times
www.sweetadeline.net

New Albums & Singles

Albums
1. Bill Callahan - Woke On A Whaleheart
2. Cornelius - Sensuous
3. Tom McRae – King Of Cards
4. Fishbone - Till Stuck In Your Throat
5. The Go Find - Stars On The Wall
6. Feist – The Reminder
7. The Veils - Nux Vomica US release
8. Mando Diao - Ode To Ochrasy
9. The Nightwatchman - One Man Revolution
10. Patti Smith - Twelve
mp3: The Nightwatchman - Maximum Firepower

You see, they set the releases to same date, but why? It may cause avoiding from records. Anyway, "Sensuous" seriously offers joyful listening, you can stream the full length at here. And also i like the new song by The Nightwatchman which is a project by Tom Morello born in 2003, but as a complete album, One Man Revolution sounds a bit dull.

Singles
The Rapture - Pieces Of The People We Love
The View – The Don / Skag Trendy
Lostprophets - 4am (Forever)
Envelopes - Smoke In The Desert, Eating The Sand, Hide In The Grass
Travis – Closer

A kind person send me over the first song to come out of Mieka Pauley’s studio sessions this month up in Boston – for her new album coming this summer.
mp3: Mieka Pauley - All The Same Mistakes

Tom Mcrae - King Of Cards

Rating 7.8/10
Modern Music Review
I've fallen in love with Tom Mcrae's thin voice, also his clever songwriting skill on his new record "King Of Cards". Maybe this ain't a kind of music you'll dance with, or you don't want to listen this on high volume speakers, but in the backround, yes in the backround, it's really what i'm looking for. Pure!, a thin touchable voice, that's what a songwriter should do on you, touching! When his sisters were listening to Kate Bush and U2, McRae followed and began buying records. At age 18, he went off to Guild Hall University to study music politics, soon forming bands and writing songs. His self-titled debut nominated for Mercury Music Prize in 2001. After two another Mcrae solo record Just Like Blood (2003) and All Maps Welcome (2005), he surprises us with another great record in which we'll see a smooth, melodic, radio-friendly style can be compared with mainstream names Elvis Costello, Bob Dylan , Nick Drake, Cousteau (do you know them?), so "King Of Cards" shows clearly his connection to listeners by hypnotizing music. "Got A Suitcase Got Regrets" analyzes his influence of Nick Drake. As well as its gloomy air, there are quite energic and nocturnal moments in "King Of Cards" like "Sound Of The City". A colourful view of spring is musically included in "Bright Lights". In the end of song named "Keep Your Picture Clear", you can see how he improves his artistic aptitude. It's not surprising but a luxurious listening and nice work for springtime. Apr 30, 2007
MM picks: Bright Lights, Sound Of The City, Keep Your Picture Clear
mp3: Tom Mcrae - Sound Of The City
...For more song you may visit www.myspace.com/tommcrae

Tindersticks Live

Stunning moments, they're the tattoos of our brain, without them life would be nonsense. Some is bitter, some is gratifying. This sunday on Live Music, we've treasures from Nottingham, England. I've been listening Tindersticks for years, and years. Their sound is characterised by a synthesis of orchestral backing, lounge jazz, and soul; the lush orchestrations of multi-instrumentalist Dickon Hinchliffe and the smoky baritone of lead vocalist Stuart Staples are the band's hallmarks. It's somewhat sad that Stuart Staples says he will be working on his solo project. No more Tindersticks? Maybe they need time for something fresh, that's what our mellow Stuart says. These are live songs from Amsterdam February 1994 Tindersticks concert. I know, it sounds completely fascinating music. Leave your comment, i love reading them.

Tindersticks - Jism

Starting with dramatic textures that recall love, pain , romanticism, then it gently changes world to a romantic place by orgasmic instruments (fluids) melody Jism is the best Tindersticks work.

Tindersticks - Kathleen

While brooding at start of it, you are going to be amazed by jazzy, polished atmosphere of melancholic music.

Tindersticks - Milky Teeth
You know I'm a kisser
I wanted you for that mouth
Hey you know I'm a listener
I loved you for what came out
It's your mind and your body
That makes me feel so dirty
And it's my mouth
What comes out
What comes out