“If I can't dance to it, it's not my revolution.” —Emma Goldman
Road Tunes: New Music Releases
What’s new in music for the week of September 18, 2012
Web2Carz Senior Writer
Published: September 18th, 2012
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f you’re a hard-working American, you’re probably so overtaxed that you can’t afford to buy new music, since the government takes such a huge chunk. However, if you’re among the 47% of America who Mitt Romney says are dependent on the government, you’re probably living so high on the hog from welfare money that you have nothing but disposable cash, and nothing but free time to listen to music. As usual, the poor people are screwing over everyone, so all we can do is dream of a day when everyone will pay their fair share and all will be just, equitable, and right with the world.
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Dinosaur Jr. / I Bet On Sky (Jagjaguwar) THEY SAY: Tenth studio album and third post-reunion album from original grunge rockers Dinosaur Jr. WE SAY: Dinosaur Jr. has been one of the very few bands that have managed to reunite after a lengthy absence and make records that aren’t an embarrassment to the band’s legacy. I Bet On Sky, like all Dinosaur Jr. albums, doesn’t contain any surprises, but J. Mascis’ gift for tuneful riffage and his heartfelt, warbly singing never fails to please. |
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Josephine Foster / Blood Rushing (Fire) THEY SAY: Latest album from Colorado-based psychedelic folk singer/songwriter Josephine Foster. WE SAY: Josephine Foster has one of those folk singer voices that can either bring great delight or acute agony, depending on your penchant for Joan Baez-like vocalizing. Her music is an always-interesting blend of influences—in the case of this album; Latin, gospel, folk, and rock—and Blood Rushing is another fine addition to her always-intriguing catalog. |
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Grizzly Bear / Shield (Warp) THEY SAY: Fourth studio album from the Brooklyn-based indie psych-rock band led by Ed Droste. WE SAY: Grizzly Bear has always straddled the line between art-rock and indie-pop, and on Shield, the band displays its talent for crafting complex compositions that manage to not sound overdone or pretentious. If anything, Shield leans too far in the indie-pop direction, often sounding slight and disposable rather than rich and textured. |
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Aimee Mann / Charmer (SuperEgo) THEY SAY: Eighth studio album from former 'Til Tuesday singer Aimee Mann, who received a Grammy nomination for her song “Save Me” from the soundtrack to the film Magnolia in 1999. WE SAY: Aimee Mann surprised many when she emerged from 'Til Tuesday, one of the more insufferable bands of the 1980s, as a master of well-crafted, emotionally resonant songs. Charmer finds Mann pursuing a late-‘70s pop sound, reminiscent of the Pretenders, and it suits her. |
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Pink / The Truth About Love (RCA) THEY SAY: Sixth studio album from pop/R&B powerhouse Pink, who was once considered outrageous until Lady Gaga burst on the scene. WE SAY: Pink was never a manufactured pop product. She’s got serious vocal chops, but her gifts have been wasted on her predictably catchy-but-uninteresting dance-pop records. The Truth About Love is a mess of overmodulated beats, overcrowded arrangements, and a pop formula that tries to be all things to all people but ends up pleasing none. |
